in tlij'f^rave witli thee ; no, thoulcavcst others behind to keep it alive. O, how dismal is it to lay the foundation of a sin to many generations ! The children unborn may rise up and curse such. If I had heard my father praj', may the cliild say, (in a dying hour,) or had been led into the acquaintance of the worshijJ of God bj' his example, then had not I lived like a heathen as I have done. AVcll, as you would not have your children and servants meet you in the other world with their mouths full of accusations ; or, if you dread not this, as you would not have them prove a plague and scourge to you in this world, let not your family government be irreligious : it is just that God should suffer thy servant to bo unfaithful to thee in thy estate, who art so to his soul ; that thy children, when old, should forget their duty to thee, that didst bring them up like heathens, without learning them their duty to God.
CHAPTER XLI.
TO THOSE GOVERNORS OF FAMILIES THAT TERFORM THIS DUTY.
Section I. — Think it not enough to prove thee a saint that thou prayest in thy family; you may set up the worship of God in your house, and not enthrone God in your hearts. God forbid that you should bless yourselves in this, and reckon yourselves as saints because of this ; alas ! you are not as yet got so far as some hypocrites. The duty is good, but the outward performance of it doth not demonstrate you to be so. There are many turnings to hell nearer heaven than this. From the act, therefore, look to the end thou proposest to thyself in it. He is a foolish archer, that shoots his arrow before he hath taken his aim. The question God asks, is, Dost thou at all pray to me, even to me ? Thou mayest possibly affect others with thy praying, yea, be instrumental to break their hearts by thy confessions, and refresh their spirits !)}• the sw^eet expressions that flow from thee, and yet thyself playing the hypocrite all the while. It behoves thee therefore to consider, what is the spring that set up this duty in thy family; is it not to gain an 02)inion of being religious in others' thoughts? If so, thou playest at small game; indeed, religion were a sorry thing, if this were all to be got by it. When thou hast obtained this end, it will not in the least ease thy conscience, nor cjuench one spark in hell's tormenting fire for thee ; if this be what thou huntest after, it is a question whether thou believest there be such a place or no. These few principles well girded by faith about the loins of thy mind, — that there is a God, and he a rewarder of those that diligently seek him ; that heaven is prepared for the sincere, and hell gapes for the hypoci-ite, would be enough to set thy heart right in the duty. Though the traveller minds not much his way, where he apprehends no danger; yet when he comes to pass over a narrow bridge, where a wry step may hazard his life by falling into a deep river that runs on each hand, he will surely watch his eye, which is to guide his foot. This is thy case. Prayer is a work as solemn as any thou canst go about ; a wrong motive in this may hazard thy soul as much as a wry look thy body in the other. We need do no more to lose our souls, than to seek ourselves.
Section II. — Take heed thou blottestnotthy holy duties with an unholy life. If thou meanest to foul thy hands with sin's black work in the day, why dost thou wash them in the morning with prayer? It is to no piu'pose to begin with God, and to keep the devil company all the day after: religious orders in thy house, and a disordered conversation, ill agree. O, do not render the worship of God base to the thoughts of thy family ! Those who are fond of wine, yet feel an aversion to it when brought in a cup that is unclean. The duties of God's worship command reverence even from those that are carnal, but if performed by those that are loose and scandalous, they grow fulsome. Eli's sons made tlie people loathe the Lord's sacrifices. By thy religious duties thou settest a fair copy : O, do not write it in sinking paper ! It is but a while thou art seen upon tliy knees, and a little seeming zeal at thy devotion will not gild over a whole day's sinful miscarriage, spent in passion, idleness, riot, or any other unholy course. It is said that Christ preached with power and authority, not as the Scribes, Matt. vii. 20 : not but they had authority to preach, for they sat in JVIoses's chair; but because they lost that reverence, by not walking suitably to their doctrine, which their place and work would have given them in the con-
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QQ2 ■WITH ALL riliWER ANU SUl TLICATION.
sciences of tlieiv heavers : tliey said, and did not, and thereby rendered their doctrine inetiectuul. If thou wouldstpray with authority and power, enforce thy duties with pin-ity of life.