3. _Often take account of the souls under your care, concerning their spiritual estates._ Make enquiry into their conditions, insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate, and upon the necessity of regeneration, in order to their salvation. Admonish them gravely of their sins; encourage beginnings. Follow them earnestly, and let them have no quiet for you, till you see in them a saving change. This is a duty of high consequence, but fearfully neglected by some. Doth not conscience say, Thou art the man?
4. _Look to the strict sanctifying of the sabbath by all of your housholds._ Many poor families have little time else. O improve but your _sabbath days_ as diligently in doing your Maker’s work, as you do the other days in doing your own work, and I doubt not but you may come to some proficiency.
5. _Let the morning and evening sacrifice of solemn prayer, be daily offered up in all your families._ Beware they be not found among the families that call not upon God’s name; for why should there be wrath from the Lord upon your families? O miserable families without God in the world, that are without family prayer! What have you so many family sins, family wants, family miseries; what, and yet no family prayers? How do you pray with all prayer and supplication if you do not with family prayer? Say not I have no time. What hast thou all thy time on purpose to serve God and save thy soul, and is this that for which thou can’st find no time? Pinch out of your meals and sleep, rather than want for prayer. *Say not, my business will not give leave. This is thy greatest business, to save thyself, and the souls committed to thee. In a word, the blessing of all is to be got by prayer. And what is thy business without God’s blessing? Say not, I am not able. Use thy one talent, and God will increase it. Helps are to be had till thou art better able.
*6. Put every one in your families upon private prayer. Observe whether any perform it. Get them the help of a form, if they need it, till they are able to go without. Direct them how to pray, by minding them of their sins, wants, and mercies, the materials of prayer.
7. Set up catechizing in your families, at least once every week. It was my parting, dying request, that you would set up and maintain this duty in your families. Have you all done it accordingly? Cannot your confidences witness, cannot your families witness you have not? Well, I thought my parting words would have done something with you: I hoped the fervent request of a dying minister, would have prevailed for such a small matter with you. To this day are you without solemn catechizing in your houses! Ah, what a discouragement to your teacher is this? Brethren shall I yet prevail with you? Will you reject me also? O let me persuade you before you take off your eyes from these lines, to resolve to set upon the constant exercise of this duty. Surely I have done and suffered more for you than this comes to: Will you deny me? I beseech you, let me find, if ever God brings me again to visit your houses, that the words of a suffering minister have some power with you. I have sent you help on purpose: What shall all my persuasions be but speaking to the wind? Beloved, have you no dread of the Almighty’s charge, that you should _teach these things diligently to your children, and talk of them as you sit in your houses, and train them up in the way they should go_? Hath God so commanded _Abraham_, that he would teach his _children and his houshold_, _Genesis xviii. 19._ and given such a promise to him thereupon, and will not you put in for a share of either in the praise or the promise? Say not, they are careless and will not learn. What have you your authority for, if not to use it for God, and the good of their souls? You will call them up, and force them to do their work; and should you not at least be as zealous in putting them upon God’s work? Say not, they are dull and not capable. If they be dull, God requires of you the more pains and patience; but dull as they are, you will make them learn how to work; and can they not learn how to live? Are they capable of the mysteries of your trade, and are they not capable of the plain principles of religion? Well, as ever you would see the growth of religion, the cure of ignorance, the remedy of profaneness, the downfal of error, fulfil ye my joy with going through with this duty.