Vol. II. weight, and the fin that does easily befet you; that you would not be flothful in the work of God, but followers of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises, that you would, with all your might, prefs on towards that Heaven which Chrift has purchas'd for you by his Blood, which the Spirit of God prepares you for, to which God inceffantly calls and invites you, where, when we come, our pious Friends that are gone before us, will welcome us with transporting Expreffions of Love and Joy, and we our felves fhall one day welcome those whom we leave here behind us, The 197 The Duty of Masters of Families. Joshuah XXIV. 15. But as for me and my Houfe, we will ferve the Lord. Τ Here is nothing obfcure or difficult in the sense of these words, nor can you poffibly be ignorant of the Occafion of them; I will not therefore spend time in needlefs Defcants or Reflections on the one or the other. My business shall be to prefs and stir up all Masters of Families, to imitate the excellent Example in my Text, and to prevail with every one of them to make the fame Refolution which Jofbuah here does, As for me and my house, we, &c. I need not tell you how feasonable a Discourse, on this Subject, is this Day: We complain of the decay of Vertue and Goodness, and the increase and growth of Prophaneness and Immorality, and we feem earnestly to long and groan for a Reformation, I cannot think on any way by which it may Vol. II. Vol. II. may be more wisely begun, or effectu ally carried on, then by awakening and reviving the Conscience of their Duty in the Masters of Families, and enkendling in their Breasts a Zeal for the Honour of God, and the Good of those Souls that are committed by him to their truft. To this end I will discourse from the Text of two things: 1. The Duty of Masters of Families. 11. The best way of putting it in praEtice. As to the first, the Doctrine contained in these words, is plainly this, That every Mafter of a Family ought to promote Religion in it as much as in him lies.To move you to this,confider these three things: I. 'Tis your Duty, and therefore, without a conscientious discharge of it, I see not how you can fecure your own Souls. 2. You have good reason to promise your felves good fuccefs in the dif charge of this Duty, and this is a great Encouragement. 3. Though this be at all times a Standing Duty, yet we lye under pecu liar Obligations to it this day, as more Vol. II. seasonable and neceffary than ever. 1. 'Tis our Duty, whether we confider our felves as Parents and Masters, as good Chriftians, or as Men. I. As Parents and Masters. I need not tell you that Church and Kingdom were originally shut up within the narrow Bounds of fingle Families, and Prince and Priest enclosed within the bosom of the Father; nor are thefe tyes diffolved by the cementing many Families into a greater Kingdom, ftill the Master of the Family is invefted with a Sovereignty over this little Body, with a Priesthood over his little Flock; and this Dominion is founded in Nature and Reason, and in all thofe Texts of Scripture where Children and Servants are enjoyn'd Honour and Obedience towards their Parents and Masters. Does God now, think ye, confer this Power and Authority upon you to no end? does he commit this Truft to you, without any purpose of calling you to an account for it? will God judge and punish Princes for neglecting the Intereft of Religion in their Kingdoms, and will he pass over the Negligence Vol. II. Negligence of Masters of Families? will God require the Blood of a Sinner at the hands of a negligent Watchman, a careless Prophet or Prieft, & will he not require the Soul of a Child or Servant at the hands of a negligent Master or Parent? But what need I infer this Duty from Reafons and Arguments; is it not exprefly enjoyn'd, both in the Old Teftament and the New? Thus Eph. 6. 4. Parents are commanded to breed up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and Servants are here, and every where elle fuppofed and included in the fame Precepts, as Members of the fame Family. And what is more, not only subject to the fame Domestick Authority, but redeemed by the fame Blood, and Heirs of the fame Hope. In the Old Testament this Duty is very frequently and very earnestly inculcated: Deut. 2. 9. Only take heed to thy felf, and keep thy foul diligently, left thou forget the things which thine eyes have feen, and left they depart from thine heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy fons, and thy fons fons. Chapter 32. 26. Set your hearts unto all the words which I teftifie among you this day, which ye shall com mand |