Section 111. — Preserve peace and unity in thy family : a brawling family cannot be a praying family. The apostle exhorteth husband and wife to love and unite, lest their prayers be liindered, ] Pet. iii. 7. Contentions in a family both binder the spirit of prayer, and also the answer to prayer. First, They binder the spirit of prayer. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of peace and love, and therefore delights not to breathe in a troubled air ; the ready way to send him going, is to brawl and chide. ' Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,' saith the apostle, Eph. iv. .'50; and that we may not, hear what his counsel is, — ' Let all bitterness, and wrath, and angei-, and clamoiu", and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice,' ver. 31 : when these arc gone, then, and not befoi'e, look for liis sweet company. You may as well dwell comfortably together with your house on fire, as pray so together, when you in the house are on fire. Secondly, Contentions hinder the answer to our prayers : if we pray in anger, God cannot be pleased. ' The wrath of man fulfils not the righteousness of God.' A loud wind beats down the smoke. Our prayers are compared to incense, but they will never ascend to heaven till this storm be laid ; go to pray in this plight, and God will bid you come when you are better agreed. The Spirit will not help in such prayers ; and if the Spirit hath no hand in the inditing, Christ will have no hand in presenting the prayer; and if Christ present it not, be sure the Father will not receive it, for ' through him we have access b}' one Spirit imtothe Father,' Eph. ii. 18.
Section IV. — Be ver)' choice whom thou makest a member of thy familj- ; get, if thou canst, such under thy roof as may assist thee in thy family worship. Though it be not thy sin to pray with a wicked -wife and servant, yet it is thy sin to make choice of such for thy relations ; yet how little is this considered ! Though the blessing and comfort of the family be deeply concerned therein, a little beaut}', honour, or riches, too often blind the eyes and bribe the judgment of those who we hope are gracious ; they yoke themselves with such that are very unmeet to draw with thein in heaven's waj'. David knew that Michal came of a bad stock, but perhaps he hoped to bring her over to the service of God, and we see what a grievous cross she proved to him. Solomon tells us of some that trouble their own house, Prov. xv. 27. He that for carnal reasons takes a wicked wife into his bosom, or servant into his family, is the man that is sure to do this. Perhaps when he would pray and praise (lod, his wife, like Job's, will bid him curse; when he is at duty, she will desnise him in her heart, and make a mock of his zeal, as Michal did of David's. And so they who, for some natural abilities they see in a servan.t, venture on him, though wicked and ungodly, pay dearly for it ; such often bring with them that plague of pro- faneness which infects the rest : so that what they earn their masters with their hands, they rob them of with their sins, which brings the curse of Ciod on their family. Who that is wise would build a house with timber that is on fire ! If the servant thou entertainest be wicked, fire is in him, which will endanger thy house. IMake it therefore thy care to plant a godly family. This was David's resolution ; perhaps he saw the evil of his former choice : ' Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me ; he that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me : he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight,' Psa. ci. 6, 7. Then the music will be sweet in thy family duties, when thou canst get into thy house such whose souls are in tune for those holy services thou art to join with them in.
Section V.- — Keep a diary of thy family sins and mercies, that neither the one may escape thy confession and humiliation, nor the other thy grateful recog- nition: if this were observed, we shoidd not come with such barren hearts to the work, as now most do. The brokenness of thy heart who prayest, will con- duce toward the same disposition in those that join with thee. Nothing melts metal sooner, than to pour that on it which is melted. The drowsy speaker often prays the rest asleep that join with him. Take heed therefore of for- mality; that is tlic canker which eats out the very heart of religious duties. Remember thou art to thy family what the minister is to the public assembly.
WITH ALL rjJAVKU AND SUl'PLrCATION. QQ'^
As the (leadncss of his heart in prayer and preaching hath a bad oj)cration upon his people, so hath tliine on tliy family : them dost not only snifer loss thyself, bill wrongest the rest of tliy company : as vvlien thou wastest thy estate, lliy family all fare the worse for it; so when tlion indisposest thyself for the du(y (if prayer, thy whole family goes by the loss with thee.