SERMON III.*

TO prove that there ought to be such a thing as family-religion, it hath been proposed to consider both the rational and the scriptural grounds, upon which it stands.

For the former, the rational grounds of it, we have chosen to insist upon one general argument from the nature of religion; which, as hath been observed, is to be considered under a twofold notion, both of which it naturally involves ;-as a homage to God, and-as an advantage to men.-If it be found in this double reference to concern men in families as such, then it ought upon both accounts to have place there. We have already considered it for this purpose in the former reference, as a homage to God. Proceed we now to

the other branch.

(2.) Consider religion as an advantage to men. And if upon that account too, the reason of the thing doth as much reach my family, as it doth myself; then family-religion ought to be inferred upon me as a charge, as an obligation necessarily incumbent, as well as personal religion. Plain it is, that religion is the greatest advantage to a man that he is any way capable of. Do not we know, that he is an undone, lost creature,

*Preached December 24, 1693.

separate from God, having nothing to do with God? It is by religion, that he comes to have to do with God. He neither trusts him nor loves him nor feareth him nor delighteth in him, if there be no religion; for these are all the essential, vital parts of it. And therefore religion, as it is that by which I have to do with God, is necessary for me. And it is necessary for mine, as much as for me.

And a twofold consideration will evince to us the obligation, that must lie upon family-governors to introduce and to keep up religion in their families, upon this account, as a necessary advantage to them; namely, paternal love, and paternal fidelity. When I say, paternal, it is not as if I would confine the duty as owing from a parent to a child only. For the notion of paternal goeth farther. Every family-governor is a paterfamilias, in a sort, a father unto the whole family; as a prince is a father to the whole community which he governs. And so it is a sort of paternal love and paternal fidelity, that he oweth and is chargeable with in reference to the whole family, who is the head and governor of it. Whereupon it is, that duty among all relatives is summed up in the fifth commandment, "Honour thy father and thy mother." We must thereupon understand it to be implied, that all superiors are signified by father and mother, and all inferiors by children, the implied opposite term. Hereupon then I say, that

[1.] Paternal love doth oblige the governor of a family, the paterfamilias, to take care, that family-religion do obtain in his family, as it is a necessary advantage to them. The thing speaks itself so plainly, that I need not insist upon it; but only direct your thoughts thereupon to the contrary, that you may see, with how odious and frightful a visage that will look. If paternal love do oblige and would prompt to such a care of a family, as that religion may obtain and take place among them, as a necessary advantage which they cannot want; then the contrary unto this, must speak in the root the contrary unto love: and that contrary must be the most horrid thing in this case that can be thought, that is, cruelty unto the very height. For, as this love speaks tenderness, mercifulness, compassion to the souls of men, that I cannot endure to see them perish in ignorance of God and estrangement from him and neglect of him; the contrary must needs speak the most horrid and the most barbarous cruelty; as if a man should say, and not care if it was written in his forehead, "I mind not what becomes of the souls of men that are committed to my charge, I care not whether they be saved or perish, whether they be happy or miserable to all eternity." With how horrid and frightful a visage doth this,

look, only to represent and state the matter just as it is! And [2.] Paternal fidelity doth oblige to it also. For there is a trust committed by the great and universal Lord of all to every master of a family, over them that are under his charge; and in reference to them he is a trustee. It is virtually said to every one, by the divine law and providence compared and put together; "I constitute thee my trustee in reference to this part of mankind, as many as are collected and gathered into thy family, and belong to it, whether naturally or by accession; they are thy charge, I intrust them to thee." Thereupon, as hath been noted to you formerly, from 1 Tim. 5. 8. He that doth not provide for his own, and especially for those of his own house, hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. The word is very emphatical, povos; he that doth not use his mind and forethought about the affairs and concerns of his family. Let it be but according to common reason considered, how far that providing for one's own must extend. And to say, that one that doth it not is worse than an infidel, is to say, that infidels even by the light and law of nature may be directed to do much, in reference to the care of their fami lies in matters of religion. As is intimated by what was noted to you the last time about their lares and their penates, their household gods to worship in families, besides the worship which they used to pay in the temples; and whereof you have instances in Laban's and in Micah's families. And whereas it may be obvious to say, "But all this was but idolatry:” this must indeed be confessed to be true. But what was to be in the room of that idolatry? Sure true religion, and not irreligion! So that room should have been filled up. And no anan, that doth but commune with himself and consult his own understanding, can allow himself upon serious thoughts to think, "I do owe, even upon account of a trust reposed in me, a care and concern about the outward man of the several individual persons of my family, but none at all about their souls; I am to take care, that they have meat and drink and all necessaries for their bodies, but about their souls I am to take no care." Men will know one day, that they owe an account and a severe account too unto the Author of all nature, if they allow themselves to violate the law of nature; which is not an arbitrary thing, doth not depend upon the minds of men, or what they think or think not. But whether they think or not, the nature of things alters not; but God will be a God still, and a creature will be a creature still, and the respects the same between God and a creature. So that it is an idle mistake to think, that the law of nature is a mutable thing. Men do so impose upon themselves, merely upon this ground, that they

think there is no law of nature but what exists in men's minds; whereas it lies even in the nature of things, and their natural references to one another. It is to be considered in its objective state, before it be considered in its subjective. Those respects that result betwen one thing and another, and especially between Creator and creature, will be unalterably the same, whatsoever is, or is not in our minds.

And so whether you consider religion as a homage to God, or as an advantage to man, you see the obligation that will lie upon men either way unto family-religion. But then, according to the method proposed,

2. I come to evince to you the substance of the thing, that there ought to be family-religion, from scripture-grounds. And,

(1.) I shall labour to establish the general foundation upon such grounds; namely, that there is a charge lying upon the governors of families to take care, that there be such a thing as family-religion; that there may be no shifting here; but that they may know, where the obligation primarily 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.

[1.] 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, speaking of himself as invested with such capacities, and personating the governor of a family, saith, (Malac. 1. 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? There.fore 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.

[2.] 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."

[3.] 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 exercises of religion?

[4.] 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. ," a lodger. Whence is this, that such a charge should be laid upon the pater-familias? 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 daugher," &c. Yea and if there be a stranger, he is to partake, if in the provisions, in the religion of the family too. 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.

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 se make yourself to signify nothing in your family. But if that 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 for 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 it lieth not? For,