indeed, the latter of thefe, their kingly office, they are not fo frequently deficient in, (nay in this they are generally too folicitous;) but as for the two former, their priestly and prophetic offices, like Gallio, they care for no fuch things. But however indifferent fome governors may be about it, they may be affured, that God will require a due difcharge of thefe offices at their hands. For if, as the apoftle ar gues, he that does not provide for his own houfe," in temporal things," has denied the faith and is "worfe than an infidel;" to what greater degree of apoftacy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the fpiritual welfare of his family!

But farther, perfons are generally very liberal of their invectives against the clergy, and think they justly blame the conduct of that minifter who does not take heed to and watch over the flock, of whịch the Holy Ghoft has made him overfeer: but may not every governor of a family, be in a lower degree liable to the fame cenfure, who takes no thought for those fouls who are committed to his charge? For every houfe is as it were a little parith, every governor (as was before obferved) a prieft, every family a flock: And if any of them perish through the governor's neglect, their blood will God require at his hands.

Were a minifter to difregard teaching his people publicly, and from house to house, and to excufe himself by faying, that he had enough to do to work out his own falvation with fear and trembling, without concerning himfelf with that of others; would you not be apt to think fuch a minifter, to be like the unjaft judge," One that neither feared God nor re"garded man ?" And yet, odious as fuch a charac ter would be, it is no worse than that governor of a family deferves, who thinks himfeif obliged only to fave his own foul, without paying any regard to the fouls of his houfehold. For (as was above hinted) every houfe is as it were a parish, and every mafter is concerned to fecure, as much as in him lies, the fpi

ritual profperity of every one under his roof, as any minifter whatever is obliged to look to the spiritual welfare of every individual perfon under his charge.

What precedents men who neglect their duty in this particular, can plead for fuch omiflion, I cannot tell. Doubtlefs not the example of holy Job, who was fo far from imagining that he had no concern, as governor of a family, with any one's foul but his own, that the Scripture acquaints us, "When the days of ❝s his children's feafting were gone about, that Job fent "and fanctified them, and offered burnt-offerings, ac"cording to the number of them all; for Job faid,

it may be that my fons have finned and curfed God, "in their hearts: Thus did Job continually." Nor can they plead the practice of good old Jofhua, whom, in the text, we find as much concerned for his houfehold's welfare, as his own. Nor laftly, that of Cornelius, who feared God, not only himself, but with all his houfe: And were Chriftians but of the fame fpirit of Job, Joshua, and the Gentile centurion, they would act as Job, Jofhua, and Cornelius did.

But alas! if this be the cafe, and all governors of families ought not only to ferve the Lord themfelves, but likewife to fee that their refpective households do fo too; what will then become of those who not only neglect ferving God themselves, but also make it their business to ridicule and scoff at any of their houfe that do? Who are not content with "not en"tering into the kingdom of heaven themselves; bur"thofe alfo that are willing to enter in, they hinder." Surely fuch men are factors for the devil indeed. Surely their damnation flumbereth not: For although God, in his good providence, may fuffer fuch ftumbling blocks to be put in his children's way, and fuffer their greatest enemies to be thofe of their own households, for a trial of their fincerity, and improvement of their faith; yet we cannot but pronounce a woe against those masters " by whom fuch offences "come." For if those that only take care of their

own fouls, can fcarcely be faved, where will fuch monstrous, profane, and wicked governors appear? But hoping there are but few of this unhappy ftamp, proceed we now to the

Second thing propofed: To fhew after what manner a governor and his household ought to ferve the Lord.

1. And the first thing I fhall mention, is, reading the Word of God. This is a duty incumbent on es very private perfon. "Search the Scriptures, for in $ them ye think ye have eternal life," is a precept given by our bleffed Lord indifferently to all: but much more fo, ought every governor of a family to think it in a peculiar manner spoken to himself, becaufe (as hath been already proved) he ought to look upon himfelf as a Prophet, and therefore, agreeably to fuch a character, bound to inftruct thofe under his charge in the knowledge of the Word of God.

This, we find, was the order God gave to his pe culiar people Ifrael: for thus fpeaks his reprefentative Mofes, Deut. vi. 6, 7. "These words," that is," the Scripture words, "which I command thee this "day, thall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach " them diligently unto thy children," that is, as it is generally explained, fervants, as well as children,

and fhalt talk of them when thou fitteft in thy es houfe" From whence we may infer, that the only reason, why so many neglect to read the words of Scripture, diligently to their children, is, because the words of Scripture are not in their hearts: for, if they were, out of the abundance of the heart their mouth would fpeak.

Befdes, fervants, as well as children, are, for the generality, very ignorant, and mere novices in the laws of God. And how fhall they know, unlefs fome one teach them? and what more proper to teach them by than the lively Oracles of God," which are "able to make them wife unto falvation?" And who more proper to instruct them by thefe lively Oracles,

4

than parents and masters, who (as hath been more than once obferved) are as much concerned to feed them with spiritual, as with bodily bread, day by day.

But if these things be fo, what a miferable condition are those unhappy governors in, who are fo far from feeding those committed to their care with the fincere milk of the Word, to the intent they may grow thereby, that they neither fearch the Scriptures themselves, nor are careful to explain them to others? Such families must be in a happy way indeed to do their master's will, who take fuch prodigious pains to know it! Would not one imagine that they had turned converts to the church of Rome; that they thought ignorance to be the mother of devotion; and that those were to be condemned as heretics who read their Bibles? And yet how few families are there amongst us, who do not act after this unfeemly manner! "But shall I praise them in this? I praife "them not: Brethren, this thing ought not so to be " 2. Pafs we on now to the fecond means whereby every governor and his houfehold ought to ferve the Lord, Family-prayer.

This is a duty, though as much neglected, yet as abfolutely neceffary as the former. Reading is a good preparative for prayer, as prayer is an excellent means to render reading effectual. And the reafon why every governor of a family fhould join both these exercifes together, is plain, becaufe a governor of a family cannot perform his priestly office (which we before obferved he is in fome degree invested with) without performing this duty of family prayer,

We find it therefore remarked, when mention is made of Cain and Abel's offering facrifices, that they brought them. But to whom did ny bring them? Why, in ali pronability to their father Adam, who, as puett of the family, was to offer fucrifice in their Ar to like wife ought every fpiritusi fan of the fecond Adam, who is entrusted with the care of an houfehould to offer up the (piritual facrifices of ¡up

names.

plications and thankfgivings, acceptable to God through Jefus Chrift, in the prefence and name of all who wait upon, or eat meat at his table.

Thus we read our bleffed Lord behaved when he tabernacled amongst us: For it is faid often, that he prayed with his twelve difciples, which was then his little family. And he himself has promifed a partcular blefling to joint fupplications: Wherefoever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And again, If two or three are agreed touching any thing they fhall afk, it fhall be given them. Add to this, that we are com manded by the Apoftle to pray always, with all man ner of fupplications, which doubtlefs includes familyprayer And holy Joshua, when he fet up the good refolution in the text, that he and his household would ferve the Lord, certainly refolved to pray with his family, which is one of the beft teftimonies they could give of their ferving him.

Baldes, there are no families but what have fome common bleflings, of which they have been all partakers, to give thanks for; fome common croffes and afflictions, which they are to pray against; fome common fins, which they are all to lament and bewail: But how this can be done, without joining together in one common act of humiliation, fupplication, and thaakgiving, is difficult to devife.

From all which confiderations put together, it is evident, that family prayer is a great and neceffary duty; and confequently those governors that neglect it, are certainly without excufe. And it is much to be feared, if they live without family prayer, they live without God in the world.

And yet, fuch an hateful character as this is, it is to be feared, that was God to send out an angel to deftroy us, as he did once to deftroy the Egyptian firit-born, and withal give him a commiffion, as then, to fpare no houfes but where they faw the blood on the lintel, fprinkled on the door-poft, fo now, to let