when the house is hroken up by death, go one to hell, anotlier to heaven? Surely you are like to have little joy from them on earth, who you fear shall not meet you in heaven. By Lycurgus's law, the father that gave no learning to his child when young, was to lose that succour which was due from his child to him in his old age. The righteousness of that law though I dare not assert, yet tliis I may say, what he unjustly connnanded, God doth most righteously suffer, that those who do not teacli their children their duty to God, lose the honour and reverence which should he paid tliem by their children ; and so of other relations also.
Thirdly, Take heed thy relations be not a snare to thee, or thou to them. There are such sad families to be found, who do nothing else but lead one another into temptation, by drawing forth each the other's corruption, from one end of the year to the other ; what can we call such families, but so many hells above ground? A man may live with as much safety to his body in a pest- house, as he can there to his soul. And truly the godly are not so far out of danger, but that the devil may make use of their passions to roil and defile one another. I am sure he is very ambitious to do them a mischief this way, and too often prevails. Abraham's fear laid the snare for Sarah his wife, who was easily persuaded to dissemble for him she loved so dearly, Gen. xii. 23. And Rebekah's vehement atl'ection to Jacob, together with the reverence both her place and grace commanded in Jacob's heart, made him, of a plain man, become the subtile man, to deceive his father and brother ; which though it was too broad a sin for him at first proposal to swallow, as appears, Gen. xxvii. 12 : 'I shall seem to him to be a deceiver, and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing ;' yet with a little art used by his mother we see the passage was widened, and down it went for all his first sti-aining at ; and yet both godly persons. Look, therefore, to thyself, that thou dost not bring sin upon thy relations. It would be a heavy affliction to thee, to see thy wife, child, or ser- vant sick of the plague, which thou broughtest home to them ; or bleeding by a wound which thou unawares gavest them; alas ! better thus than be infected with sin, wounded with guilt, by thy means. And be as careful to antidote thy soul against receiving infection from them, as breathing it on them. Thy love is great to thy wife ; O let it not make the apple of temptation the more fair or desirable, when offered to thee by her hand ! Thou lovest thyself, yea, thy God too little if her so much, as to sin for her sake. Thou art a dutiful wife, but obey in the Lord; take heed of turning the tables of the commandments, by setting the seventh before the first. Be sure to save God's stake, before thou payest thy obedience to thy husband ; say to thy soul. Can I keep God's com- mand in obeying my husband's ? In paying off debts, those should be first dis- charged wliicli are due by the most, and those the greatest, obligations. And to whom thou art most deeply bound, God or thy husband, is easy to resolve ; thus in all other relations. Go as far with thy relations as thou canst travel in God's company, and no further, as thou wouldst not leave thy holiness and righteous- ness behind thee, the loss of which is too great, that thou shouldst expect they can recompense unto thee.
Fourthly, Then holiness is in its power, as to our relations, when the Christian is careful to improve the graces of his relations, and get what good from them he can while they are with him. May be thou hast a holy father, a gracious husband or wife; let it be but a servant in the family that is godly, there is good to be got by his gracious conversation ; speeches and holiness, like oint- ment, will betray itself, wherever it stays awhile. O Christian, if any such holy person be with thee in the family, observe what such a one in his speeches, duties of worship, behaviour luuler affliction, receipt of mercies, returns of sabbaths and ordinances, and such like, affords for thy instruction, (piickening and promoting in the ways of holiness. The prophet bade the widow bring all the vessels she had, or could borrow, to catch what should fall from the pot oi oil that slie had in the house, and therewith pay her debt, 2 Kings iv. 3. Truly I think it were good coimsel to some that complain (or may justly if they do not) how ])oor and beggarly they are in grace, to make an improvement of that holy oil of grace, which drops from the lips and lives of their godly relations. Set your memories, consciences, hearts, and affections, as vessels to receive all the expressions of holiness that come from them ; thy memory, let that keep
gjg AND HAVING ON