<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2012-10-10</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z120813.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="B03420">
<STC T="W">F354A</STC>
<STC T="C">R176939</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">51784550</BIBNO>
<VID>174959</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="3">
<PB REF="3" MS="y">
<P>FAMILIE EXERCISE, OR, The &s;ervice of God in FAMILIES.</P>
<Q><BIBL>1. TIM. 4.8.</BIBL>
<P>Godline&s;&s;e is profitable unto all things, having promi&s;e of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>PSAL. 101.2.</BIBL>
<P>I will walk within mine hou&s;e with a perfect heart.</P></Q>
<P>For EDINBURGH, and printed there by <HI>Robert Bry&s;on</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop, at the &s;igne of JONAH. 1641.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="4">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>&leaf; The nece&s;sitie of <HI>Familie Exerci&s;e.</HI></HEAD>
<P><HI>_IT is not onely requi|red that every one in the hou&s;e be diligent|ly imployed in &s;ome hone&s;t and profitable bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, according to their calling,</HI> In the &s;weat of thy face thou &s;hall eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, <HI>Gen. 3.19.</HI> Let every man abide in the &s;ame calling wherein hee was called, <HI>1. Cor. 7.20.</HI> There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple &amp; fine linnen, and fared &s;umptuou&s;ly every day, <HI>Luke 16.19. And that all re&s;ort to the publick wor&s;hip of God in the Congrega|tion,</HI> Wi&s;edome cryeth at the gates, at the entrie of the citie, at the coming in at the
<PB REF="5">doores, &V;nto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the &s;ons of men, Ble&s;&s;ed is the man that heareth mee, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the po&s;ts of my doores, <HI>Prov. 8.3, 4, 34.</HI> One thing have I de&s;ired of the Lord, that will I &s;eek after, that I may dwell in the hou&s;e of the Lord all the dayes of my life, to behold the beau|ty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple, <HI>P&s;al. 27.4.</HI> Behold, the dayes come, &s;aith the Lord God, that I will &s;end a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thir&s;t for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord, And they &s;hall wander from &s;ea to &s;ea, and from the North even to the Ea&s;t, they &s;hall runne to and fro to &s;eek the word of the Lord, and &s;hall not finde it, <HI>Amos 8.11, 12.</HI> How then &s;hall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved? and how &s;hall they be|leeve in him of whom they have not heard? and how &s;hall they heare without a preacher? <HI>Rom. 10.14.</HI> And he gave &s;ome Apo&s;tles and &s;ome Prophets, and &s;ome Evangeli&s;ts and &s;ome Pa&s;tours and Teachers; for the perfecting of the &s;aints, for the work of the mini&s;terie, for the edifying of the body of
<PB REF="5">Chri&s;t, <HI>Ephe&s;. 4.11.12.</HI> Of his own will be|gat he us with the word of trueth, that we &s;hould be a kinde of fir&s;t-fruits of his cre|atures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be &s;wift to heare, &s;low to &s;peak, &s;low to wrath. Wherefore lay apart all filthine&s;&s;e, and &s;uperfluity of naughtine&s;&s;e, and receive with meekne&s;&s;e the ingrafted word, which is able to &s;ave your &s;oules, <HI>Jam. 1.18.19.21.</HI> As new-born babes de&s;ire the &s;incere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, <HI>1. Pet. 2.2.</HI> Therefore we ought to give the more earn|e&s;t heed to the things which we have heard, le&s;t at any time we &s;hould let them &s;lip, <HI>Heb-2.1.</HI> But one thing is needfull, and <HI>Mary</HI> hath cho&s;en that good part, which &s;hall not be taken away from her, <HI>Luke 10.42. And which is yet more, That every one pray, meditate, and wor&s;hip God apart; and &s;everally by them&s;elves in &s;ecret.</HI> But thou when thou praye&s;t, enter into thy clo&s;et, and when thou ha&s;t &s;hut thy doore, pray to thy Father which is in &s;ecret, and thy Father which &s;eeth in &s;ecret, &s;hall re|ward thee openly, <HI>Matth. 6.6.</HI> Now when <HI>Daniel</HI> knew that the writing was &s;igned,
<PB REF="6">he went into his hou&s;e; and his windowes be|ing open in his chamber, toward <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> hee kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore-time, <HI>Dan. 6.10.</HI> For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that &s;eeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it &s;hall be opened, <HI>Matth. 7.8.</HI> And <HI>I&s;aac</HI> went out to meditate in the field at the even|tide: and he lift up his eyes, and &s;aw, and behold, the camels were coming, <HI>Gen. 24.63.</HI> Pray without cea&s;ing, <HI>1. The&s;&s;. 5.17.</HI> Watch yee therefore and pray alwayes, that yee may bee accounted worthy to e&s;cape all the&s;e things that &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, and to &s;tand before the Son of man, <HI>Luke 21.36.</HI> Ye lu&s;t; and have not: Yee kill; and de&s;ire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, becau&s;e ye ask not, <HI>Jam. 4.2. But it is nece&s;&s;ary al&s;o that the wor&s;hip of God be &s;et up and exerci&s;ed in every Fa|milie.</HI></P>
<P N="1"><HI>I. Becau&s;e this is warranted by the word of God, and by the examples of the godly,</HI> And the officers &s;hall &s;peak unto the people, &s;aying, What man is there that hath built a
<PB REF="6">new hou&s;e, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and returne to his hou&s;e, le&s;t he die in the battel, and another man dedicat it. <HI>Deut. 20.5.</HI> A p&s;alme and &s;ong at the dedication of the hou&s;e of <HI>David, P&s;al. 30. Title.</HI> For I know him, that hee will command his chil|dren and his hou&s;hold after him, and they &s;hall keep the way of the Lord, to do ju&s;tice and judgement: that the Lord may bring up|on <HI>Abraham</HI> that which hee hath &s;poken of him, <HI>Gen. 18.19.</HI> And if it &s;eem evill un|to you to &s;erve the Lord, choo&s;e you this day whom you will &s;erve, whether the gods which your fathers &s;erved, that were on the other &s;ide of the floud, or the gods of the A|morites, in who&s;e land yee dwell: But as for mee and my hou&s;e, wee will &s;erve the Lord, <HI>Jo&s;h. 24.15.</HI> A devout man, and one that feared God with all his hou&s;e, which gave much almes to the people, and prayed to God alway, <HI>Acts 10.2.</HI> And yee fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, <HI>Ephe&s;. 6.4.</HI> And a certain woman named <HI>Lydia,</HI> a &s;eller of purple, of the citie of Thyatira, which wor&s;hipped God, heard us,
<PB REF="7">who&s;e heart the Lord opened, that &s;he atten|ded unto the things which were &s;poken of <HI>Paul.</HI> And when &s;he was baptized and her hou&s;hold, &s;he be&s;ought us, &s;aying, If ye have judged me to be faithfull to the Lord, come into my hou&s;e and abide there. And &s;he con|&s;trained us, <HI>Acts 16.14.15.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><HI>II. This not onely &s;erveth for the ho|nour of God, and procureth comfort to the con&s;cience. and reverence and obedi|ence to the commandements of the hou&s;e|holders, but al&s;o maketh the familie to be a</HI> Bethell, <HI>or the Hou&s;e of God, and bring|eth upon it ble&s;&s;ings of all &s;orts, and &s;afe|tie,</HI> For bodily exerci&s;e profiteth little, but godline&s;&s;e is profitable unto all things, ha|ving promi&s;e of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, <HI>1. Tim. 4, 8.</HI> Ex|cept the Lord build the hou&s;e, they labour in vain that build it: Except the Lord keep the citie, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is in vain for you to ri&s;e up early, to &s;it up late, to eat the bread of &s;orrows. For &s;o he giveth his beloved &s;leep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the wombe is his reward, <HI>P&s;al. 127.1, 2, 3.</HI>
<PB REF="7">Ble&s;&s;ed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his wayes: For thou &s;halt eat the labour of thine hands: Happy &s;halt thou be, and it &s;hall be well with thee. Thy wife &s;hall be as a fruitfull vine by the &s;ides of thine hou&s;e: thy children like olive plants, round about thy table, <HI>P&s;al. 128.1, 2, 3.</HI> And the ark of the Lord continued in the hou&s;e of Obed-edom the Gittite, three moneth: and the Lord ble&s;&s;ed Obed-edom and all his hou&s;hold, <HI>2. Sam. 6.11.</HI> And thou &s;hall know that thy tabernacle &s;hall be in peace; &amp; thou &s;halt vi|&s;it thy habitation, &amp; &s;hall not &s;in, <HI>Job 5.24.</HI> Ha&s;t not thou made an hedge about him, and about his hou&s;e, &amp; about all that he hath on every &s;ide? Thou ha&s;t ble&s;&s;ed the work of his hands, &amp; his &s;ub&s;tance is increa&s;ed in the land, <HI>Job 1.10. Even as the neglect thereof maketh families to be companies of Athe|i&s;ts, and dens of theeves, &amp; bringeth down upon them the cur&s;e of God,</HI> The fool hath &s;aid in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt: they have done abominable works; there is none that doth good. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not
<PB REF="8">upon the Lord, <HI>P&s;al. 14.1, 4.</HI> Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not; and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up <HI>Jacob,</HI> and de|voured him, and con&s;umed him, and have made his habitation de&s;olate, <HI>Jer. 10.25.</HI> The cur&s;e of the Lord is in the hou&s;e of the wicked: but he ble&s;&s;eth the habitation of the ju&s;t, <HI>Pro. 3.33.</HI> The hou&s;e of the wicked &s;hall be over|throwne: but the tabernacle of the upright &s;hall flouri&s;h, <HI>Prov. 14.11.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><HI>III. This is a great help to the Kirk and Common-wealth, whereof Families are the &s;eminarie. Without it, neither good Lawes in the Citie, nor the word of God in the Kirk are duely regarded.</HI> And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt: for all fle&s;h had corrupted his way upon the earth, <HI>Gen. 6.12.</HI> Now the &s;ons of Eli were &s;ons of Belial, they knew not the Lord. And he &s;aid unto them, Why do ye &s;uch things? for I hear of your evill dealings, by all this people. Nay, my &s;ons: for it is no good report that I heare; ye make the Lords people to tran&s;gre&s;&s;e. If one man &s;in again&s;t another, the Judge &s;hall judge him: but if
<PB REF="8">a man &s;in again&s;t the Lord, who &s;hall intreat for him? Notwith&s;tanding they hearkned not unto the voice of their father, becau&s;e the Lord would &s;lay them, <HI>1. Sam. 2.12.23.24, 25.</HI> So <HI>Joab</HI> aro&s;e and went to Ge&s;hur, and brought <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> to Jeru&s;alem, <HI>2. Sam. 14.23. 2. Sam. 15. 1. King. 1. Upon the&s;e and the like rea&s;ons, it vvere good that all hou&s;|holders &s;hould &s;ay vvith</HI> Jo&s;hua, I and my Family will &s;erve the Lord, <HI>Jo&s;h. 24.15.</HI> I and my maides will do the like, <HI>E&s;ther. 4.16.</HI></P>
<DIV2 TYPE="exercise">
<HEAD>The parts of Familie Exerci&s;e.</HEAD>
<P N="1"><HI>I. THe parts of Familie Exerci&s;e are 1. reading of Scriptures in a con+&s;tant cour&s;e, that all in the Familie may profit in godline&s;&s;e, and may make the bet|ter u&s;e of the publick mini&s;terie.</HI> And that from a childe thou ha&s;t known the holy &s;cri|ptures, which are able to make thee wi&s;e un|to &s;alvation, through faith which is in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, <HI>2. Tim. 3.15.</HI> Neither have I gone back from the commandement of his lips, I have e&s;teemed the words of his mouth,
<PB REF="9">more then my nece&s;&s;ary food, <HI>Job. 23.12.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><HI>II. It is not enough that the members of the Familie come to the Kirk to be ca|techi&s;ed, but they mu&s;t in a plaine and ea|&s;ie manner bee in&s;tructed at home in the grounds of Chri&s;tian Religion, and that doctrine which is according to godline&s;&s;e.</HI> Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father &amp; mo|ther <HI>(which is the fir&s;t commandement with promi&s;e)</HI> That it may be well with thee, and thou maye&s;t live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture &amp; admonition of the Lord, <HI>Ephe&s;. 6.1, 2, 3, 4.</HI> And the&s;e words which I command thee this day &s;hall be in thine heart. And thou &s;halt teach them diligently unto thy children, &amp; &s;halt talk of them when thou &s;itte&s;t in thine hou&s;e, &amp; when thou walke&s;t by the way, &amp; when thou lie&s;t down, and when thou ri&s;e&s;t up. And thou &s;hal binde them for a &s;igne upon thine hand, &amp; they &s;hall be as frontlets between thine eies: and thou &s;halt write them upon the posts of thine hou&s;e &amp; on thy gates. And when thy &s;on asketh
<PB REF="9">thee in time to come, &s;aying, What mean the te&s;timonies, &amp; the &s;tatutes, &amp; the judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou &s;halt &s;ay unto thy &s;on, Wee were <HI>Pharaohs</HI> bond men in Egipt, and the Lord brought us out of Egipt with a mightie hand, <HI>Deut. 6.6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21.</HI> For I know him, that he will command his children, &amp; his hou&s;ehold after him, &amp; they &s;hall keepe the way of the Lord, to do ju&s;tice and judge|ment, that the Lord may bring upon <HI>Abra|ham</HI> that which hee hath &s;poken of him, <HI>Gen. 18.19.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><HI>III. Prayer and thank&s;giving morning and evening, before and after meales with &s;inging of p&s;almes, when and where it may be had,</HI> The one lamb thou &s;halt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou &s;halt offer at even, <HI>Exod. 29.39.</HI> And it was &s;o when the daies of their fea&s;ting was gone about, that <HI>Job</HI> &s;ent and &s;anctified them, and ro&s;e up early in the morning, &amp; offered burnt offerings according to the num|ber of them all: For <HI>Job</HI> &s;aid, it may be that my &s;ons have &s;inned, &amp; cur&s;ed God in their hearts. Thus did <HI>Job</HI> continuallie, <HI>Job. 1.5.</HI>
<PB REF="10">Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and hee &s;hall heare my voice, <HI>P&s;al. 55.17.</HI> For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refu&s;ed, if it be received with thank&s;giving. For it is &s;ancti|fied by the word of God &amp; prayer, <HI>1. Tim. 4.4, 5.</HI> And be not drunk with wine, wherein is exce&s;&s;e: but be filled with the &s;pirit, &s;peaking to your &s;elves in p&s;almes &amp; hymnes, &amp; &s;pi|rituall &s;ongs, &s;inging and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks al|wayes, for all things unto God and the Fa|ther, in the name of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Ephe&s;. 5.18.19.20.</HI></P>
<P N="4"><HI>IV. That godline&s;&s;e may be practi&s;ed, there mu&s;t bee exerci&s;e of di&s;cipline in vvi&s;edome and patience, by admonition, reproof, and correction for &s;uch faults as are proper to be cen&s;ured in the Familie: and if &s;ervants vvil not amend, by remoo|ving them: And for this end, diligent ob|&s;erving and vvatching over their vvayes is nece&s;&s;ary.</HI> And it was &s;o when the dayes of their fea&s;ting was gone about, that <HI>Job</HI> &s;ent and &s;anctified them, and ro&s;e up earely in the morning, and offered burnt offerings,
<PB REF="10">according to the number of them all: for <HI>Job</HI> &s;aid, It may be that my &s;ons have &s;inned, and cur&s;ed God in their hearts. Thus did <HI>Job</HI> continually, <HI>Job 1.5.</HI> If a man have a &s;tub|borne and rebellious &s;on, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that when they have cha&s;te|ned him, will not hearken unto them, <HI>Deut. 21.18.</HI> Hee that worketh deceit, &s;hall not dwell within my hou&s;e: hee that telleth lies &s;hall not tarry in my &s;ight, <HI>P&s;al. 101.7.</HI> And the &s;ervant abideth not in the hou&s;e for ever: but the &s;on abideth ever, <HI>John 8.35.</HI> If I did de&s;pi&s;e the cau&s;e of my man-&s;ervant, or of my mayd &s;ervant, when they contended with me, <HI>Job 31.23.</HI> And the a&s;&s;e &s;aid unto <HI>Balaam<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Am not I thine a&s;&s;e, upon which thou ha&s;t ridden ever &s;ince I was thine, unto this day? was I ever wont to do &s;o unto thee? And hee &s;aid, Nay, <HI>Num. 22.30.</HI> Fooli&s;hne&s;&s;e is bound in the heart of a childe but the rod of correction &s;hall drive it far from him, <HI>Prov. 22.15.</HI> He that &s;pareth his rod, hateth his &s;on: but he that loveth him, cha&s;teneth him betimes, <HI>Prov. 13.24.</HI></P>
<PB REF="11">
<P N="5"><HI>V. To ob&s;erve the providence of God, and to make u&s;e of the works of his ju&s;tice and mercy, both pa&s;t and pre&s;ent, that he may bee known to bee the Lord,</HI> For I know him, that hee will command his chil|dren &amp; his hou&s;ehold after him, and they &s;hall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring up|on <HI>Abraham</HI> that which hee hath &s;poken of him, <HI>Gen. 18.19.</HI> Remember that thou mag|nifie his work, which men behold. Every man may &s;ee it, man may behold it afar off. Behold God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be &s;earched out, <HI>Job 36.24, 25, 26.</HI></P>
<P N="6"><HI>VI. Private Fa&s;ting and Humiliation, when by publick calamities, or the private di&s;tre&s;&s;e of the Familie, God calleth unto it,</HI> And it came to pa&s;&s;e when I heard the&s;e wordes, that I &s;ate downe and wept, and mourned certaine dayes, &amp; fa&s;ted, &amp; prayed before the GOD of Heaven, <HI>Neh. 1.4.</HI> Go, gather together all the Jews that are pre&s;ent in Shu&s;chan, &amp; fa&s;te yee for me, &amp; neither eat nor drink three dayes, night or day: <HI>I</HI> al&s;o &amp; my maidens will fa&s;te likewi&s;e, &amp; &s;o
<PB REF="11">will I go in unto the king, which is not ac|cording to the law, and if I peri&s;h, I peri&s;h, <HI>E&s;ther 4.16.</HI> And the land &s;hall mourne, every family apart; the family of the hou&s;e of <HI>David</HI> apart, and their wives apart; the family of the hou&s;e of <HI>Nathan</HI> apart, and their wives apart, <HI>Zech. 12, 12.</HI> And <HI>Cor|nelius</HI> &s;aid, Foure dayes ago I was fa&s;ting un|till this honre, &amp; at the ninth houre I prayed in mine hou&s;e, and behold, a man &s;tood before me in bright clothing. <HI>Acts 10.30. And for afflicting our &s;ouls, and &s;trangthening our faith, the Scriptures to bee read, and the prayers to be powred forth, mu&s;t bee per|tinent for the time.</HI></P>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The dutie of the Ma&s;ter of the Familie.</HEAD>
<P><HI>TO the Ma&s;ter of the hou&s;e belongeth not onely the ordering and ruling of the hou&s;e in wi&s;edome, the providing of things needfull with diligence, and the gi|ving of good example in all godline&s;&s;e &amp; gravitie: but al&s;o the performance of all
<PB REF="12">the parts of Familie Exerci&s;e, as to reade, to catechi&s;e, to pray with, and for the Fa|milie, to exerci&s;e di&s;cipline, to &s;hew and &s;et forth the works of God, and to direct and order the times and manner of Humi|liation,</HI> And thou &s;halt teach them diligently unto thy children, and &s;halt talk of them when thou &s;itte&s;t in thine hou&s;e, and when thou walke&s;t by the way, and when thou lie&s;t down, and when thou ri&s;e&s;t up. And when thy &s;on asketh thee in time to come &s;aying, What mean the te&s;timonies, and the &s;tatutes, and the judgements, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? <HI>Deut. 6, 7, 20.</HI> For I know him, that he will command his children &amp; his hou&s;hold after him, and they &s;hall keep the way of the Lord, to do ju&s;tice and judge|ment, that the Lord may bring upon <HI>Abra|ham</HI> that which hee hath &s;poken of him, <HI>Gen. 18.19.</HI> Heare ye children the instru|ction of a father, and attend to know under|&s;tanding, <HI>Pro. 4.1.</HI> And they &s;aid unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And hee &s;aid unto them, Behold, when ye are entred into the citie, there &s;hall a man meet you, bea|ring a pitcher of water, follow him into the
<PB REF="12">hou&s;e where hee entreth in, <HI>Luke 22.9.10. And upon ju&s;t and nece&s;&s;ary cau&s;es di&s;|abling the Ma&s;ter of the Familie, or draw|ing him away, they ought to be performed by &s;ome other member of the Familie</HI> Who then is a wi&s;e and faithfull &s;ervant, whom his lord hath made him ruler over his hou&s;hold, to give them meat in due &s;ea|&s;on? <HI>Mat. 24, 45,</HI> And <HI>Abraham</HI> &s;aid, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, &s;eeing I go childle&s;&s;e? and the &s;teward of my hou&s;e is this <HI>Eliezer</HI> of Dama&s;cus, <HI>Gen. 15.2.</HI> And it came to pa&s;&s;e from the time that hee had made him over &s;eer in his hou&s;e, and over all that hee had, that the Lord ble&s;&s;ed the Egyp|tians hou&s;e for <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> &s;ake: &amp; the ble&s;sing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the hou&s;e, &amp; in the field, <HI>Gen, 39, 5. And in all the&s;e Familie Exerci&s;es, &amp; whole govern|ment of the hou&s;e, the Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e of the Fa|mily hath a &s;peciall hand,</HI> I will there|fore that the younger women marry, beare children, guide the hou&s;e, give none occa&s;ion to the adver&s;ary to &s;peak reprochfully, <HI>1. Ti. 5.14. Prov. 31. from ver&s;. 10. to the end.</HI> The aged women likewi&s;e, that they be in be|haviour
<PB REF="13">as becometh holine&s;&s;e, not fal&s;e accu|&s;ers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things: Thal they may teach the young wo|men to be &s;ober, to love their husbands, to love their children: To be di&s;creet, cha&s;te, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not bla&s;|phemed, <HI>Tit. 2.3, 4, 5.</HI> And he began to &s;peak boldly in the &s;ynagogue: whom when Aquila and Pri&s;cilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly, <HI>Acts 18.26.</HI></P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The times of Familie Exerci&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>THe fitte&s;t times for Familie Exerci&s;e, mu&s;t be cho&s;en by the wi&s;edome and di&s;cretion of the governours of the Fami|lie, as the morning before they put their hands to worke, and the evening when the dayes worke is ended, and the time of re&s;t draweth on, and &s;uch other houres as may bee be&s;t &s;pared from the dueties of their particular vocation. Upon the Lords day the Familie is to be brought to the Kirk:
<PB REF="13">they are to behave them&s;elves quietly and religiou&s;ly as in the pre&s;ence of God, and when the publick wor&s;hip is ended, the fa|mily is to be conveened, and the Ma&s;ter of the Family beginning and ending with prayer, is to take account of what they have heard, with in&s;truction, admonition, and exhortation, that they may profit in the knowledge and obedience of the will of God. <HI>But the &s;eventh day is the &s;abbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou &s;halt not do any work, thou nor thy &s;on, nor thy daughter, thy man-&s;ervant, nor thy maid &s;ervant, nor thy cattel, nor thy &s;tranger that is within thy gates,</HI> Exod. 20.10. <HI>And the morrow after they entered into Ce&s;area: and</HI> Cornelius <HI>waited for them, and hee called together his Kin&s;men and near friends,</HI> Acts 10.24.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The manner and matter of prayers in the Family.</HEAD>
<P>THe prayers of the holy men of God in Scripture, are framed according to
<PB REF="14">their own e&s;tate, and the e&s;tate of the Kirk for the time, &amp; conforme to that perfect prayer of our Lord, <HI>Matth.</HI> 6. <HI>Luke</HI> 11.</P>
<P>So many as can conceive a Prayer, ought to make u&s;e of the gift of God. Others who are rude &amp; weaker, may begin with a &s;et forme of prayer, but &s;o as they be not &s;luggi&s;h in &s;tirring up in them&s;elves accor|ding to their daily nece&s;&s;ities, the &s;pirit of prayer, which is given to all the children of God in &s;ome mea&s;ure, <HI>And I will powre up|on the hou&s;e of</HI> David, <HI>&amp; upon the inhabi|tants of Jeru&s;alem, the &s;pirit of grace &amp; &s;up|plications: &amp; they &s;hall look upon mee whom they have pierced, &amp; they &s;hall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his onely &s;on, &amp; &s;hal be in bitterne&s;&s;e for him, as one that is in bit|terne&s;&s;e for his fir&s;t born,</HI> Zecha. 12.10. And for this end, they may beginne with the&s;e following particulars, and other the like.</P>
<P N="1">I. Let them confe&s;&s;e to God how un|worthie they are to come in his pre&s;ence, &amp; how unfit to wor&s;hip God, and e&s;peci|ally to pray, and therefore earne&s;tly aske of God, the &s;pirit of prayer.</P>
<P N="2">II. They are to confe&s;&s;e their &s;innes, &amp;
<PB REF="14">all the &s;ins of the familie; accu&s;ing, judging and condemning them&s;elves for them, till they bring their &s;oules to &s;ome mea&s;ure of true humiliation.</P>
<P N="3">III. They are to give thanks to God for his many mercies to his people, and to them&s;elves, and e&s;pecially for his love in Chri&s;t, and for the light of the Go&s;pell.</P>
<P N="4">IV. They are to powre out their &s;oules to GOD in the name of Chri&s;t by the &s;pirit for forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;in, for grace to repent, to beleeve, and to live &s;oberlie, righteou&s;ly, and godly, and that they may &s;erve God with joy and delight walking before him.</P>
<P N="5">V. They are to pray for &s;uch particu|lar benefites, &s;pirituall and temporall, as they &s;tand in need of for the time, whether it bee morning or evening, health or &s;ick|ne&s;&s;e, pro&s;peritie or adver&s;itie.</P>
<P N="6">VI. They ought to pray for the Kirk of Chri&s;t in generall, for all the Reformed Kirks, and for this Kirk in particular, and for all that &s;uffer for the Name of Chri&s;t, for all our Superiours, the Kings Maje&s;tie, the Queene and their Children; for the
<PB REF="15">Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;ters, and vvhole body of the Citie; a&s;vvell for our neighbours ab&s;ent in their lavvful affaires, as for tho&s;e that are at home.</P>
<P N="7">VII. The prayer may be clo&s;ed vvith an earne&s;t de&s;ire, that God may be glorifi|ed in the comming of the Kingdome of his Son, and in the doing of his vvil, and vvith a&s;&s;urance that them&s;elves are accepted, and vvhat they have asked according to his vvill &s;hall be done,</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Prayer and thanke&s;giving before and after meat.</HEAD>
<P>PRayer and thanke&s;giving are to be joi|ned vvith our ordinary meales before &amp; after, not by a child or a &s;ervant (except for them&s;elvs vvhen they take meat apart) but by the Ma&s;ter of the family, all lifting up their hearts to God from a deep feeling of their ovvne indigence, from an carne&s;t de&s;ire of the ble&s;&s;ing of God upon them|&s;elves and their refre&s;hment, and from the
<PB REF="15">lively &s;en&s;e of the fatherly care and good providence of God tovvard them: B &s;ee ching the Lord, that their eating and drink|ing, and vvhat&s;oever they doe, may be to his glory, and for enabling them to the duties of their callings, and that he vvould increa&s;e grace in their hearts, make them content vvith their condition of life, and make them meet for the Kingdome of heaven, and &s;o forth, as Chri&s;tian prudence &s;hall direct.</P>
</DIV3>
<DIV3 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>This Familie Exerci&s;e to bee begunne without delay.</HEAD>
<P>THe great mercies of God to this land, the late renevving of our Covenant vvith God, and the many &s;vveet fruites vvhich &s;hall bee reaped by this religious exerci&s;e, doe call upon us for a pre&s;ent doing vvithout delay, again&s;t all excu&s;es, vvhether of old age and former negli|gence, or of vvorldly bu&s;ine&s;&s;e and hin|derances,
<PB REF="16">or of the mockings of Athei&s;ts and prophane men. And therefore all Fa|milies mu&s;t be in&s;tantly ordered, Di&s;ci|pline exerci&s;ed again&s;t &s;wearers, cur&s;ers, lyars, drunkards, prophane or negligent ob&s;ervers of the Sabbath, idle bellies, and &s;uch others: and till the Catechi&s;me ap|pointed by the Generall A&s;&s;embly come to our hands, the &s;hort Catechi&s;me which hath beene in u&s;e, may be &s;till u&s;ed, and all made to under&s;tand the Ten Commande|ments, the Beliefe, Lords Prayer, and do|ctrine of the Sacraments; and all other parts of family exerci&s;e above expre&s;&s;ed, are to beginne &s;o &s;oone as may bee; In confidence that the holy Spirit, which our Heavenly Father will give to them that aske him, &s;hall helpe our infirmities. <HI>If yee then, being evill, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more &s;hall your heavenly father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him,</HI> Luke 11.13. <HI>Likewi&s;e the Spirit al&s;o helpeth our infirmi|ties: for we know not what we &s;hould pray for as we ought: but the Spirit it &s;elf maketh in|terce&s;sion for us with groanings, which can
<PB REF="16">not be uttered. And hee that &s;earcheth the heart, knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit, becau&s;e he maketh interce&s;sion for the Saints, according to the will of God,</HI> Rom. 8.26, 27. <HI>And I will powre upon the hou&s;e of</HI> David, <HI>and upon the inhabitants of Jeru&s;alem, the Spirit of grace and of &s;up|plications: and they &s;hall look upon mee whom they have pierced, and they &s;hall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his onely &s;on, and &s;hall be in bitterne&s;&s;e for him, as one that is in bitterne&s;&s;e for his first-born</HI> Zech. 12.10.</P>
<P><HI>Ble&s;&s;ed and pre&s;erved &s;halt thou be when thou come&s;t in, and ble&s;&s;ed and pre&s;erved &s;halt thou be when thou goe&s;t out, from this time forth, and even for evermore,</HI> Deut. 28.6. P&s;al. 121.8.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="17">
<PB REF="17">
<PB REF="18">
<PB REF="18">
<PB REF="19">
<PB REF="19">
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
