first-born to God, who if they lived, were to be the heads of families, may be questioned. The passover was a family duty, by which they were yet further sanctified to God. Yea, it is especially to be observed how in the New Testament the Holy Ghost doth imitate the language of the Old, and speak of God's people, as of holy societies, as the Jews were. As in many prophecies it was foretold that nations and kingdoms should serve him (of which I have spoken more in my Book of Baptism); and among those who should " mourn over him whom they have pierced" in gospel times, when the spirit of grace and supplication is poured forth, are " the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; every family, even all the families that remained apart, and their wives apart"." So Christ sendeth his disciples to "baptize nations," having discipled them; and "the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ." And as God saith of the Jews, "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure to me above all people; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation°;" so doth Peter say of all Christians; "Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Mark how fully this text doth prove all that we are about. It speaks of Christians collectively, as in societies, and in societies of all the most eminent sorts; a generation;" which seems especially to refer to tribes and families: "a priesthood, nation, people;" which comprehendeth all the orders in the nation ofttimes. And in all these respects they are holy, and peculiar, and chosen, to shew, that God's people are sanctified in these relations and societies. And then mark the end of this sanctification, "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; to shew forth the praises of him that hath called you "," &c. n Zech. xi. 12--14. Yea, it seems that there was a special dedication of families to God. And therefore we read so frequently of households converted and baptized; though none at age were baptized, but such as seemed believers; yet when they professed faith, they were all together initiated as a household. And it seems, the master's interest and duty were taken to be so great for the conversion of the rest, that as he was not to content himself with his own conversion, but to labour presently even before his baptism, that his household should join with him, that so the whole family at once might be devoted to God: so God did bless this his own order and ordinance to that end: and where he imposed duty on masters, he usually gave success, so that commonly the whole family was converted and baptized with the ruler of of the family. So Acts xviii. 8. "Crispus believed on the Lord with all his house, and they were baptized :" and Acts xvi. 32. Paul promiseth the gaoler, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house; and he and all his were baptized straightway: for he believed in God with all his house," ver. 33, 34. And Lydia is described a "worshipper of Gods:" "She was baptized and her household." And the angel told Cornelius, that Peter should tell him "words whereby he and all his household should be saved:" who were baptized accordingly. And 1 Cor. i. 16. Paul baptized the household of Stephanus. And Christ told Zaccheus, salvation was come that day unto his house, "and he and all his househould believed:" So that nobleman, John iv. 53. Therefore when Christ sent forth his disciples, he saith, " If the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you." So that as it is apparently the duty of every Christian sovereign, to do what he is able to make all his people God's people; and so to dedicate them to God as a holy nation, in a national covenant, as the Israelites were: so is it the unquestionable duty of every Christian ruler of a family, to improve his interest, power, and parts to the uttermost, to bring all his family to be the people of Christ in the baptismal covenant, and so to dedicate all his family to Christ. Yet farther I prove this, in that believers themselves being all sanctified to God, it must needs follow, that all their lawful relations, and especially all commanded states of relation are also sanctified to God; for when themselves are dedicated to God, it is absolutely without reserve, to serve him with all that they have, and in every relation and capacity that he shall set them. It were a madness to think, that a Christian totally devoted unto God when he is a private man, if he were after made a soldier, a minister, a magistrate, a king, were not bound by his dedication, now to serve God as a soldier, a minister, a magistrate, a king. So he that is devoted to God in a single state, is bound to serve him as a husband, a father, a master, when he comes into that state; we do devote all that we have to God, when we devote ourselves to him. Moreover the Scripture tells us, that to "the pure all things are pure"." And "all things are sanctified to them by the word and prayer;" which is in that they are made the goods, and enjoyments, actions and relations of a sanctified people; who are themselves devoted or sanctified to God: so that all sanctification referreth ultimately and principally to God: Quod sanctum Deo sanctum est;' though it may be said subordinately to be sanctified to us. Seeing then it is past all doubt, that every Christian is a man sanctified and devoted to God, and that when every man is so devoted to God, he is devoted to serve him to the utmost capacity in every state, relation or condition that he is in, and with all the faculties he possesseth, it followeth, that those relations are sanctified to God, and in them he ought to worship him and honour him. Yet further we find in Scripture, that the particular family relations are expressly sanctified; the family complete consisteth of three pairs of relations: husband and wife, parents and children, masters and servants. Husbands must love their wives with an holy love in the Lord, even as "the Lord loved the church, who gave himself for it, to sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church"." "Wives must submit themselves to their husbands as unto the Lord; and be subject to them, as the church is to Christ *." "Children must obey their parents in the Lord "." "Parents must bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the s Tit. i. 15, 16. * Eph. v. 22-24. t 1 Tim. iv. 5. y Eph. vi. 1. " Eph. v. 25-27. Lord"." "Servants must be obedient unto their masters as unto Christ, and as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from their hearts with good will, doing service as to the Lord, and not to man; knowing that what good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he. be bond or free; and masters must do the same to them, knowing that their master is in heaven"." So that it is evident that every distinct family relation is dedicated or holy to God, and to be used to the utmost for God. I shall have occasion to make further use anon of these texts for the particular sorts of worship, though I now make use of them as for worship in general. 2 Arg. v. The several sorts of solemn worship in and by Christian families, are found, appointed, used, and commanded in the Scripture, therefore it may well be concluded of worship in the general : seeing the genus is in each species. But this argument brings me to the second part of my undertaking; viz. to prove the point as to some special kinds of worship; which I the more hasten to, because in so doing, I prove the general also. II. Concerning God's worship in special, I shall speak to two or three of the chief parts of it, which belong to families. And 1. of Teaching, under which I comprise, 1. Teaching the letter of the Scripture, (1.) By reading it. (2.) By teaching others to read it. (3.) Causing them to learn it by memory, which is a kind of catechising. 2. Teaching the sense of it. 3. Applying what is so taught by familiar reproofs, admonitions and exhortations. Prop. 11. It is the will of God that the rulers of families should teach those that are under them the doctrine of salvation : i, e, the doctrine of God concerning salvation, and the terms on which it is to be had, and the means to be used for attaining it, and all the duties requisite on our parts in order thereunto. Before I come to the proof, take these cautions: 1. Where I say men must thus teach, I imply they must be able to teach, and not teach before they are able: and if they be not able it is their own sin, God having vouchsafed them means for enablement. 2. Men must measure their teaching according to their abilities, and not pretend to more than they have, nor attempt that which they cannot perform, thereby incurring the guilt of proud self-conceitedness, profanation, or other abuse of holy things. For example, men that are not able judiciously to do it, must not presume to interpret the original, or to give the sense of dark prophecies, and other obscure texts of Scripture, nor to determine controversies beyond their reach. 3. Yet may such conveniently study what more learned, able men say to such cases; and tell their families, this is the judgment of Fathers, or Councils, or such and such learned divines. 4. But ordinarily it is the safest, humblest, wisest, and most orderly, way for the master of the family to let controversies and obscure Scriptures alone, and to teach the plain, few necessary doctrines commonly contained in catechisms, and to direct in matters of necessary practice. 5. Family teaching must stand in a subordination to ministerial teaching, as families are subordinate to churches and therefore (1.) Family teaching must give way to ministerial teaching, and never be set against it; you must not be hearing the master of a family, when you should be in a church hearing the pastor: and if the pastor send for servants, or children to be catechised in any fit place or at any fit time; the master is not then to be doing it himself, or to hinder them, but they must go first to the pastor to be taught; also if a pastor come into a family, the master is to give place, and the family to hear him first. (2.) And therefore when any hard text, or controversies fall in, the master should consult with the pastor for their exposition, unless it fall out that the master of the family be better learned in the Scripture than the pastor is, which is rare, and rarer should be, seeing unworthy ministers should be removed, and private men that are worthy should be made ministers. And the pastors should be the ablest men in the congregation. Now to the proof, (remembering still that whatsoever proves it the ruler's duty to teach, must needs prove it the families' duty to learn, and to hearken to his teaching that they may learn. 66 Arg. 1. From Deut. xi. 18-21. Therefore shall you lay up these my words in your hearts, and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as |