And this will appear, if we consider that every governor of a family ought to look upon himself as obliged to act in three capacities: as a prophet, to instruct; as a priest, to pray for and with; as a king, to govern, direct, and provide for them. It is true indeed, the latter of these, their kingly office, they are not so frequently deficient in, (nay in this they are generally too solicitous;) but as for the two former, their priestly and prophetic office, like _Gallio_, they care for no such things. But however indifferent some governors may be about it, they may be assured, that GOD will require a due discharge of these offices at their hands. For if, as the apostle argues, “He that does not provide for his own house,” in temporal things, “has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel;” to what greater degree of apostasy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family!
But farther, persons are generally very liberal of their invectives against the clergy, and think they justly blame the conduct of that minister who does not take heed to and watch over the flock, of which the Holy Ghost has made him overseer: but may not every governor of a family, be in a lower degree liable to the same censure, who takes no thought for those souls that are committed to his charge? For every house is as it were a little parish, every governor (as was before observed) a priest, every family a flock: and if any of them perish through the governor’s neglect, their blood will GOD require at their hands.
Was a minister to disregard teaching his people publicly, and from house to house, and to excuse himself by saying, that he had enough to do to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, without concerning himself with that of others; would you not be apt to think such a minister, to be like the unjust judge, “One that neither feared GOD, nor regarded man?” And yet, odious as such a character would be, it is no worse than that governor of a family deserves, who thinks himself obliged only to save his own soul, without paying any regard to the souls of his houshold. For (as was above hinted) every house is as it were a parish, and every master is concerned to secure, as much as in him lies, the spiritual prosperity of every one under his roof, as any minister whatever is obliged to look to the spiritual welfare of every individual person under his charge.
What precedents men who neglect their duty in this particular, can plead for such omission, I cannot tell. Doubtless not the example of holy _Job_, who was so far from imagining that he had no concern, as governor of a family, with any one’s soul but his own, that the scripture acquaints us, “When the days of his childrens feasting were gone about, that _Job_ sent and sanctified them, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all; for _Job_ said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed GOD in their hearts: thus did _Job_ continually.” Nor can they plead the practice of good old _Joshua_, whom, in the text, we find as much concerned for his houshold’s welfare, as his own. Nor lastly, that of _Cornelius_, who feared GOD, not only himself, but with all his house: and were christians but of the same spirit of _Job_, _Joshua_, and the _Gentile_ centurion, they would act as _Job_, _Joshua_, and _Cornelius_ did.
But alas! if this be the case, and all governors of families ought not only to serve the LORD themselves, but likewise to see that their respective housholds do so too; what will then become of those who not only neglect serving GOD themselves, but also make it their business to ridicule and scoff at any of their house that do? Who are not content with “not entering into the kingdom of heaven themselves; but those also that are willing to enter in, they hinder.” Surely such men are factors for the devil indeed. Surely their damnation slumbereth not: for although GOD, in his good providence, may suffer such stumbling-blocks to be put in his childrens way, and suffer their greatest enemies to be those of their own housholds, for a trial of their sincerity, and improvement of their faith; yet we cannot but pronounce a woe against those masters by whom such offences come. For if those that only take care of their own souls, can scarcely be saved, where will such monstrous profane and wicked governors appear?
But hoping there are but few of this unhappy stamp, proceed we now to the
Second thing proposed; To shew after what manner a governor and his houshold ought to serve the LORD.