his house, be it ever so pleasing a habitation, while God is a stranger, dwells not there; is not worshipped, and so dwells not there? (4.) Consider, how amiable a thing a religious family is, where the fear of God governeth and flourisheth. Do but read to that purpose the 128th psalm, which might fruitfully be run over. (5.) Do not you desire, that the world should mend? that you may see better times, and to see your city flourish? If trade languish, every one is sensible: methinks we should not be insensible, if religion languish. But how shall it live, if not in families? There is the great failure. And any place, that hath been long the seat of religion, when it comes to decay in that respect, will decay in other respects too. "Be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee: and I leave thee desolate without inhabitant." Jer. 6. 8. If that, which is the very soul of any people's good estate, even of the political body; if that retire, all moulders: as, if the soul of a man retires, is gone and withdrawn, the body crumbles and turns to dust. How desirable a thing is it to a native of London, to see London in a prosperous, flourishing condition! But never expect to see it so, if religion shall be in a languishing decaying condition gradually from day to day. That will be a dreadful foretoken. (6.) Consider, that all family-masters are stewards, and all stewards must be accountable. O consider within how little a time we are every one of us to be called to an account: "What did you do in your station, as governor or governed in such a family?" Prepare, that you may be capable of rendering a good account, an account comfortable to yourselves. (7.) Consider, that there cannot be a better omen of a good state of things coming, than if we could see that take effect, which hath been designed and endeavoured by so many servants of God at this time, upon the subject of family-religion. There could not be a more promising token to us. God hath touched the minds of those who are associated in the work of the gospel among us, all at once, by a kind of celeusma to cry up family-religion. If this should have its good effect, (and why should we not hope it will?) we cannot have a better token for good. The cry of wickedness is loud. If the cry of prayer, when it shall come to be so united a cry, shall prevail and be louder; this will draw down blessings. The cry of wickedness is calling for wrath and vengeance, for the vials to be poured out upon us: but if so many houses, as there are in London, wherein religion is professed, should really become so many oratories, houses of prayer; it is to be hoped there will be so many louder cries ascending up to heaven for mercy. If there had been fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, nay ten righteous persons in Sodom; that would have prevailed for mercy upon that city. If so many as profess religion in London, would but practise it, and this part of it in particular, to set prayer on work with importunity and fervour in their several families; in this respect vox populi will be vox Dei: the voice of a praying people will be as the voice of God blessing us from above; and telling us that you have prevailed, the course of wrath is stopped, the decree reversed, prayer is heard, and that you shall see London the city of your solemnities a quiet habitation. This is said by way of answer to the people, who are brought in at the beginning of Isa. 33. 2. praying, “O Lord, be gracious unto us, let thine arm be awakened for us every morning." Here was daily prayer ascending and going up. It follows in ver. 20. "Look upon Zion the city of our solemnities, thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken." And so many prayers ascending out of so many several families in London, will be harbingers to those, from whom those prayers proceeded, and in whose souls they were formed and inwrought. Such praying souls shall ascend at length and follow their prayers. And if we who are now here assembled have not this hope, what are we here for? Why do we worship? if this be not our hope, that our souls shall follow our adoration? We know we are to be here but a little while. We send up prayers, desires and praises here in our assembly, in the hope and expectation, that before long, we shall follow the prayers and praises which ascend out of our assembly. Worship God with the same hope and expectation in your families, that you yourselves shall before long follow your prayers and praises ascending from thence also. SERMON I*. Titus 1. 16. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. SINCE it is too obvious, that many persons are apt to satisfy themselves with the mere profession of Christianity; and to reckon that while they explicitly own the true religion they are sound christians and good protestants, without considering whe-. ther that religion carries due and suitable impressions on their hearts or not; I have therefore thought it might not be un-. useful, to discourse a little from this scripture, and shew the. vanity and insignificance of an empty profession, a profession which refutes and contradicts itself. To make way for what I intend from this passage of Scripture, there are a few things that it will be necessary for me to recommend to your notice. First. That this phrase, the knowing of God, is a usual ex-pression to signify religion in general; inasmuch as it is the primary, the most deep and fundamental thing in all religion. It is, as I remember the moralist stiles it, "The foundation of foundations." Hence, from so noted and principal a part, the denomination is put upon the whole. To know God there.. fore, is to own him, to acknowledge him as our God; and.. * This Sermon is without a date; but, it is very probable, it was preached on January 16, 1680. |