marily lies, and where the fault lieth, if it be not answered: that it is incumbent upon heads of families, to settle and keep on foot religion in them.

1st, If there be a power given them, there is a care lying upon them. These two will answer one another. But they have a power given them. The station of superiority, wherein God hath set them, speaks that. "Honour thy father and thy mother." In reference to the inferior relatives of the family they have a governing power: and if there is a duty to be paid them, then there is a power wherewith they are invested, that renders them the due objects thereof. Therefore the great God himself, speak- | ing of himself as invested with such capacities, and personating the governor of a family, saith, (Malac. i. 6.) “A son honoureth his father: I am a father, where is the honour due to me hereupon? A servant feareth or reverenceth his master; I am a master, where is my reverence?" Therefore there is an honour and reverence due to fathers and masters as such, and therefore a power conferred upon them; and with a power a care cannot but be incumbent.

2dly, How otherwise was it possible for Joshua, as here in the text, to undertake for his family as well as himself? to be a sponsor for them? "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

3dly, How comes it to pass, that Abraham is so highly commended for this, and his example recommended, that he would command his household, that they should keep the way of the Lord? that he should use an authority, and lay an obligation upon them to keep God's ways, that is, no doubt, to attend upon the exercise of religion?

4thly, If there were not such a charge and care lying upon a family master, what meaning can we suppose the words of the fourth commandment should have? "Thou shalt remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and even the stranger," a lodger. Whence is this, that such a charge should be laid upon the puterfamilias? though as is commonly and very aptly observed, it doth comprehend together the conjugal relatives, who are spoken to but as one person. These two are one: and then the other relatives in the family ensue, "thy son, thy daughter," &c. Yea, and if there be a stranger, he is to partake, if in the provisions, in the religion of the family And I remember it to have been one of the meditations of Mr. Fuller in his miscellanies; that, having had a person of great quality one night lodged under his roof as a stranger, out of an excess of modesty he forbore the duties of his family that night: and he hath a penitential meditation hereupon, acknowledging his great fault, and making very solemn resolutions and vows never to be guilty of the like again; but if any one, though never so great, did partake in the provisions, he should partake in the religion of his family.

too.

But that this charge should be laid upon the family master, even about that piece of religion, the observation of the Lord's day; it bespeaks a charge from God incumbent upon the pater-familias in reference to the religion of the family.

And if any should yet pretend to have a doubt; I would have them to consider the matter with caution, whether there be any such charge lying upon them. Truly it concerns men, in point of prudence, to beware how they are shy of owning an authority in their families; for if you should pretend to doubt it, you would teach them it may be to doubt and to deny it too, and so make yourself to signify nothing in your family. But if that is but of small concernment to you; it is of the greatest concern imaginable, in reference to him whom you represent, and with whose authority you are invested. You have so much of the power of God lodged and seated in you; and it is treachery and falsehood to the great Lord and Ruler of the world, to let his authority, wherewith he hath invested you, be neglected and slighted and trampled upon, or not exerted and put forth to the uttermost for the ends of which he hath so seated it.

And if yet any should think, that such a charge is not sufficiently evinced to lie upon them; I would very fain know, in reference to what relative of the family you think 't lieth not? For,

1st, In reference to the conjugal relatives, they are joint partakers therein; and there is a duty incumbent upon both, even upon the inferior relative, especially in case of the other's absence or indisposition. But it lieth supremely upon him that is first in that relation, who is required to dwell with his wife, even as a man of knowledge, according to knowledge; (1 Pet. iii. 7.) implying therefore, that he hath a charge even in reference to her. And it is his great iniquity, if he do not labour to render himself capable to discharge it; to add to her treasury of knowledge of divine things, that concern her God-ward. They are to be mutual helpers one to another, in reference to the concernments of their souls and a future state, and to the joint duty, which they owe to the Author of their beings, as partakers together "of the grace of life." But the charge lieth chiefly here, (though it be mutual towards one another,) upon the superior relative; though each is also to endeavour to the uttermost the saving of the other's soul, "What knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?" 1 Cor. vii. 16. Both are as it were to engage to their uttermost in an endeavour to save one another's souls.

2dly, In reference to children, there can never be any doubt; who are sprung from you, in reference to the souls of whom you have a special charge lying upon you. It is true, you did not make their souls; there is another Father of their spirits. You are the fathers of their flesh, not of their spirits: as these two are contradistinguished in Heb. xii. 9. But you are the means of those souls coming into union with mortal flesh, and of bringing them into a world of snares and temptations dangerous to their souls. Can it then be, that you should be exempt from care and concern in reference to their souls?

3dly, As to servants, God hath charged them to obey you. He hath most expressly directed you to commard them equally, as knowing yourselves to be under a command, that you have a Master in heaven, and are to command them for his ends and purposes. Nothing is plainer, if you look to Eph. vi. Col. iii. and iv. 1 Tim. vi. where these relative duties are spoken of. So that they come by contract, as your children do by nature, under your commanding and governing power and authority. And that power infers care, and principally about their souls. I could appeal to any master of servants in such a case. Do you expect, that your servants should serve you only with their hands? Do you not expect they should serve yon with their minds and understandings, as well as their limbs? Sure then their inward man, their souls, are to be cared for by you, as well as their outward man, their bodies. You would not have them to do you only such service as you can receive from a beast; and therefore you are to take care of their spirits, as well as their brutal part.

So much I reckoned it was necessary to lay down here upon Scripture grounds, to clear our foundation, that there is such a thing as a charge, a care lying upon governors of families over the families which God hath intrusted them with, to keep up religion there. Hereupon,

2. We shall proceed to give you proof upon Scripture grounds, that there ought to be in particular those two parts of family religion maintained and kept up by them, upon whom this care and charge hath been evinced to lie to wit, family instruction, and family prayer. And we shall endeavour to evince both,

1st, From such scriptures, as either command the one or the other of these, in such terms as that it may be discernible that the obligation will reach to families; that is, to the family governors in reference to the family: either express precepts; or virtual precepts, such passages as some way imply and infer precepts, and are so applicable, or from whence inferences may be collected and drawn. As,

[1] For family instruction. You have a most express command upon masters of families, that they shall teach the substance of religion to them who are under their care: nothing can be plainer than those words in Deut. vi. After this was given in charge in general, (which contains all religion in it,) ver. 5, 6. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might: and these words, which I command thee this

day, shall be in thine heart." Then it follows, ver. 7. "And | as more grateful, and likely to be more successful, when thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and "two or three are met together;" if to do so with any two shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and or three be so recommended, then most of all with those of when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, our own family; because with them the occasions are more and when thou risest up." Observe what they were to frequent, and may more easily be had, and the obligation teach them; the substance of religion, all comprehended is deeper and stronger; as any man, that considers what in the love of God, which is the fulfilling of the law: it is to have a family, and to have a charge lying upon "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c. And these him in reference thereto, cannot but apprehend. words," and all that may be referred thither, to that great and all-comprehending topic, "thou shalt teach and diligently teach thy children." Children means the family, as we noted to you before; an apt synecdochical expression, as pater-familias is the head of the whole family. "And thou shalt teach them, when thou sittest in thine house." It is true, there are other occasions to be taken: but this speaks a stated teaching, to have times on purpose to collect and gather the family, and to set oneself in the authority of a family master, and there instruct and teach those under his care and charge, in the great substantials of religion. You have the same thing inculcated in Deut. xi. 19.

And more general precepts of the same kind are applicable plainly enough unto this purpose. As, when we are required to "exhort one another," and to do it "daily, while it is called to-day, lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin," Heb. iii. 13. And to have the word of Christ dwelling richly in us, that we may teach and admonish one another, Col. iii. 16. How obvious is it to any one of common sense to infer, that if I owe this occasionally unto a fellow-Christian, I owe it statedly to my own family? If there were no such express precept, and a man had this to allege in the judgment of the great day, Lord, thou gavest me no command; suppose there were no such positive commands, as those in Deuteronomy, and that in Proverbs, for instructing and training up children in the way they should go: suppose such general precepts as those just mentioned were alleged to any man in the great day, "You knew well enough, that it was a duty lying upon you towards any fellow-Christian, as there was occasion, to teach and exhort and instruct him; and he was under the same obligation towards you; had you not reason and understanding enough to make an inferthat if you owe so much to another occasionally, you must owe much more statedly to your own?" What could a nan say, if this were urged upon him from the tribunal of the Supreme Judge?

ence,

[2] For family prayer, such general precepts, as the Scripture is full of, are capable enough of application to this particular case. And we owe so much to God, yea to ourselves, to our own nature, as we are creatures endued with a reasonable nature, as to make the inference. That is, that when we are charged to pray with all prayer and with all supplication, we collect hence; sure it cannot be said, that family prayer is no prayer.

But beside direct precepts; either referring to a family in particular, or enjoining both family instruction and family prayer to fellow-Christians in general, which must be more obligatory in reference to those with whom we have a particular concernment; besides these, I say, there are virtual precepts, or rules extendable unto this case, that may with great cogency and evidence of reason be applied to it; which suppose matter of precept in the case. As, when the religion of families is spoken of as matter of Divine acceptance; that implieth it to be agreeable to God's preceptive will, without which nothing could be acceptable. As when it is spoken by way of encomium, that "the voice of joy and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous;” (Psal. cxviii. 15.) the solemnities of religion there are most manifestly intended. Go to the dwelling of a righteous man, and there you may hear the voice of rejoicing and praise; it belongs to a righteous man as such, therefore it cannot be the common, carnal rejoicing of the wicked that is there meant; but it must be a holy, religious thanksgiving and praising of God; which is but a synecdochical expression of all the other parts of his worship: as if he had said, "You may so distinguish the houses and tabernacles of the righteous and unrighteous. You may pass the unrighteous man's dwelling, and there you hear swearing and blaspheming of God, it may be higher jollity than in the other; but in the other you hear the voice of joy and salvation; God is owned and taken notice of."

So again, when we are told, what complacency God doth differently take in the solemnities of his own worship, (Psalm lxxxvii. 2.) "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob." He is more honoured and glorified by the public solemnities of worship; and therefore doth take more complacency in them. Yet there is a complacency he also takes in the worship performed in the several habitations of his people. Why doth God love the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob, but only because there was the seat of more public, solemn religion? But when it is said, he loveth them more, it is intimated that he loveth the dwellings of Jacob too; and upon the same account, because every such dwelling was to be looked upon as a seat of religion. For Zion was loved and delighted in under no other notion, and the several dwellings of Jacob are delighted in under the same notion; though less, as they are less pub

lic and solemn.

And it is a very observable thing, though I have not And again, threatenings and menaces do imply precepts, found it observed, to this purpose; that in those several for violations of which they are given out. As that terrible places of Scripture, where the duties of domestical relatives one, Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy fury, thine indignation, upon are largely spoken of, immediately thereupon there is a the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that charge given about prayer, or some mention of prayer. call not upon thy name. It is an imprecation; but what Thus, after the apostle had directed in the 5th and 6th is imprecated by an inspired person, is denounced by that chapters to the Ephesians, Ye wives, carry it so and so to God that inspires him. It is very true indeed, that families your husbands, and ye husbands to your wives; ye children are frequently taken in a larger sense, sometimes they to your parents, and parents to children; ye servants to signify nations; but both being put together in that text, it masters, and masters to servants; and after some directions is manifestly the design of the Holy Ghost to notify to us given to arm ourselves for spiritual conflicts, he imme-irreligious families, composing and making up irreligious diately subjoins, (chap. vi. 18.) "Praying always with all nations. For what is a profane, carnal nation and people prayer and supplication." So in Col. iv. 2. just after a made up of? Heathen and nations are all one. When summary of the several duties of family relatives, follows nations then are first mentioned, and afterwards families; this exhortation, "Continue in prayer;" implying, that it is plain they are mentioned as constituent parts of athethere must be a continued course of family prayer between istical, ungodly, and irreligious nations. And when it is these several family relations, or else all is in vain and to said, "Pour out thy fury upon such;" it signifies a deno purpose. And when the apostle Peter had given like nunciation of Divine fury upon such. Dismal, horrid directions. all is enforced upon this consideration, that clouds of wrath hang over such families, that will be dis"the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears charged in terrible destructive storms. are open unto their prayers," 1 Pet. iii. 12. Be sure you do so and so, and let your consideration be orderly and regular, as ever you expect your prayers should be answered, that in your families shall from time to time be put up. And if to pray, when there is occasion, with other Christians be highly recommended by our Saviour himself,

But beside what may be thus collected from precepts, which are expressly so, or virtual, implied ones; we shall proceed to evince this to you,

2dly, From recommended examples in Scripture; examples in reference to one or the other, or both of those parts of family religion already mentioned, family instruc

tion, or family-prayer. And one, or the other, or some- | ligion of his household, is the most reasonable supposition times both together, we find recommended examples of, as ancient as we have any records whatsoever.

First, I would suggest some few things, by way of pre-ble doom were this! What a dark and horrid cloud would paration. As,

is truly necessary. That must be acknowledged. But 3. I doubt not, it is with a great deal of reason, and then there is a great deal of caution to be used in judging from Scripture light too, to be determined, that the exerof this necessity that shall exclude for this or that time so cises of religion ought to be steadily twice a day, that is, great a thing as a solemn exercise of religion out of a with greater solemnity. This is spoken of as a most family. It must be a great thing, that shall prevail to comely and becoming thing, a thing that carries its own exclude that. greatness along with it, (Psalm xcii. 1, 2.) "It is a good But let me ask myself the question; I am one that ow-thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises uneth a homage to God, and so doth my family. When do I to thy name, O most high; (giving of thanks being one esnot owe it? And when doth my family not owe it; so that sential part of prayer ;) to show forth thy loving-kindness if I have opportunity, consistent with the other necessary in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." There occasions of human life, that opportunity should not be can be no reason assigned, why this should concern one partaken?" And whereas religion, and so family religion, ticular person, more than why it should concern every peris a means of advantage to ourselves and them, as well as son; no more, why it should concern the master of a family a homage to God; when can it be said, I stand in no need alone, than those under his care. If the reason of the thing of the exercises of religion, or that those under my care | extend to a family as such, the thing itself ought to extend do not, when those exercises can be had consistently with to a family as such. That is with serious and apprehenthe other necessary occasions of human life? These sive minds and spirits to convene and meet together, to things being premonished, give God his due acknowledgment for his loving-kindSecondly, I shall now offer somewhat by way of deter-ness every morning, and his faithfulness every night. mination of the propounded case. As,

And you see how the Psalmist represents this case in Psalm xlii. 8. The Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Observe, how his vixonμcoat, his days and nights, were composed and made up, by the continual meeting together of God's loving-kindness and of his prayer and song every day and every night, morning and evening; so it is to be understood. Thy loving-kindness and my prayer and praise shall meet one another. So shall my mornings and evenings be continually made up of that grateful contexture, of mercy and loving-kindness on thy part, and of prayer and praise on mine." But this cannot concern a particular person upon any reason, but upon which it will equally concern his family, that religious exercises should be there in a stated and continual course.

I may further reason this matter by some few consider

Suppose any will admit, (which in itself is sufficiently evident,) that it is a very reasonable thing, and manifesty the mind of God, that there should be daily exercises of religion in our families; then I would fain know, which should be excluded, if you would have one excluded? The Lord saith, morning and night; which would you have excluded, the morning or the evening sacrifice?

1. Nothing is plainer, than that the exercises of family religion ought to be daily. That seems out of all question. Every day will I bless thee, Psalm cxlv. 2. A synecdochical expression of religion; and that cannot be understood for any reason reaching a particular person, which will not reach a family too. And so the same thing is to be said to that in Psalm cxli. 2. Let my prayer be set before thee as incense; (that was stated solemn prayer ;) and the uplifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice. That is, every evening let it go up as incense. That was a juge sacrificium, a daily solemnity. So look to that direction given us by our Lord, to pray for our daily bread, day by day. He tieth us not indeed to the use of those very words. So the instruction being given occasionally, plainly enough signifieth, that he did not intend this direction as a form; but that he directs it only as a summary or a form to be used with Christian wisdom and understand-ations. ing, in enlarging upon the particulars contained in that prayer, and to guide and direct ourselves thereby in our solemn addresses unto God. Though also the use of these very words, as they lie, nobody can doubt to be lawful; yet, that they are enjoined, and so made necessary, there is little reason to affirm. But however, take them as a general direction in reference unto prayer; they signify that the things to be prayed for are to be daily prayed for. "Give us this day our daily bread;" this day. At the same time, when we pray for all things contained in that prayer, we are to pray too for daily bread. And that this is meant of social prayer, and that this direction is given to the disciples with reference to their praying together, to let them know what things they should insist upon in prayer, is made more than probable by the form of speech. For, when our Saviour was directing secret or closet prayer, Matt. vi. 6. then he saith, Thou; "Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and shut thy door," &c. But when he cometh to give this direction concerning prayer, he saith, Ye. He speaks to them in the plural number; and directs them to speak in the plural number, "Our father," &c. And therefore, that it was social prayer, about which he giveth this direction; the prayer of such as could daily pray together; that seems most evident; and therefore also that such exercises of religion ought to be daily.

2. Such exercises of religion ought to be every day more than once. We read sometimes of thrice in a day. Psalm. Iv. 17. Evening, and morning, and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice. This in all likelihood must refer too to family prayer. He speaks of crying with his voice, a loud voice. And so the before-mentioned instance of Daniel, which seems most likely to be meant of family religion, the prayer or religion of his family, was with him thrice a day. And indeed so it cannot but be in religious families; that is, that at least at noon there will be solemn invocation of God in reference to the use of his creatures; which, the apostle saith, are good, if they be received with thanksgiving, but they are sanctified by the word of God and prayer," 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. There must be prayer to sanctify the creatures; or else they are unholy things to you, profane things. It is unhallowed meat and drink. And therefore,

Would you exclude the morning exercise of religion? Pray how dare you think of that? Would not you desire God's blessing on your family this day? Would you not have the labours of the several members of it to be prospered and succeeded this day? Ask yourselves seriously that question; do not you desire a blessing should descend this morning upon your family as such? Again, do not you know, that this world is a place of snares and temptations? How dare you adventure your sons and daughters and servants into the world, without praying down a bless ing upon them, before they go forth or set about their business? Suppose a disaster should happen, suppose a member of your family should be drawn into some scandalous wickedness; would it not be an uncomfortable reflection, "I ventured them out without family prayer; see what comes of it. Here is a blot and disgrace brought upon my family; was not this owing to my self-confidence, to neglect of God? was it not, because I was content to let mine go out abroad unblest? I forgot, that the world, the persons or things that they might have to do with, were all full of snares; this was not considered and taken to heart, and God hath let such a blast befall me or mine upon this account."

Or would you omit the evening exercise of religion in your family, of one sort and another? How can you think of that? Do you need none to watch over you this night? Doth not your house need a better keeper than you can be, especially when you are asleep; the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth? When we dwell in the midst of continual dangers, as we have so frequent expe rience; when some, that went to bed possessed of comfortable habitations, are unhoused and outed of all by the morning? Is it not pretended, that family prayer or family religion will be a certain protection of your habitations from such disasters, as experience hath from time to time shown; but I would appeal to you concerning the differ