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JOSHUA'S PIOUS RESOLUTION;

OR, THE

DUTIES OF FAMILY RELIGION,

AND

HOUSEHOLD GOVERNMENT ENFORCED.

JOSH xxiv. 15.

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

FAMILY religion is of very ancient, and no less extensive practice; to be traced back as far as the days of our great progenitors, in whose family the God of heaven was worshipped by sacrifice, as is pretty evident from the spoils of the beasts which they wore, as well as from the account we have of the several offerings made by Cain and Abel. From Adam down to Joshua it is easy to trace it in the seed of the promise; but to them it was not confined; for, however misled the ancient pagans were, in respect to the object and modes of their worship, this practice of worshipping God in families was pretty general amongst them, as most writers of antiquity do testify. Homer, both in his Iliad and Odyssey, and Virgil in the Æneid, make mention of household gods held in great veneration by their contemporaries and predecessors, such, I suppose, as those which Rachel stole from her father Laban, and after which he made such grievous lamentation, Gen. xxx. 30. The retaining of Teraphim images and household gods, shews, at least, that household worship was performed by the ancient pagans, and that therefore they had more religion than many who call themselves Christians.

But, however moderns may reject the practice of worshipping God in their families; this good man, this Jesus of the Old Testament, resolves and publishes his resolution that the Lord should be served and worshipped in his family. After a recital of God's benefits to Israel, and the wonders which his hand had performed in their behalf, he reasons with them upon the

* Jesus of the Old Testament. Such is the import of his name, and such the office to which he was called; as the leader or saviour of ancient Israel, by bringing them into Canaan, and appearing at their head in all their enterprises and conquests.

propriety of serving the Lord on one hand, and the danger of rejecting his commandments on the other; may not my reader and me look back and survey the benefits received from the Almighty Governor? What evils have been averted by his vigilance, and what deliverances his ever-watchful Providence has wrought for us though undeserving? And on the review we shall be obliged to say, "What hath God done? Is this the manner of man, O Lord?" We may also, without subjecting ourselves to the charge of legality, bring the matter laid before Israel home to ourselves, and ask whether or not we will serve the Lord? And if we will, whether we see it our duty and are inclined to serve him in our houses with holy Joshua? For my own part, I do not see how church or congregational religion can long subsist, much less flourish without a due regard being paid to family godliness. And, indeed, it is a rule almost universally observed, that those who neglect the worship of God in their families, are remiss in the duties of social religion if not enslaved by temptation and sin.

Amongst those who are called Christians, two sets of men fall under the censure of scripture. 1. Such who totally neglect the service of God in their families. 2. Those who do not altogether neglect this duty, but are irregular and defective in regard to the manner in which it is performed.

I. Those who totally neglect the worship of God in their families, amidst all their pretensions to higher pleasures than others enjoyed. If poor pagans, from the law of nature, considered it as their duty to worship their supreme Creator in their houses; how culpable must they be, who, having the Bible in their hands, and gospel light shining all around them, neglect to worship him, whose only Providence doth make them houses and fix their dwellings in a valley of vision.

1. But who in a Christian land do neglect the worship of God in their families? One would suppose that there are none such. But common observation shews us, that the profane herd in general live, in this respect, without God; call not upon him, except to damn themselves and others. Awful prayer! And which, in the issue, may be answered. Many live from day to day, from week to week, from month to month, and even from year to year, without any manner of prayer and devotion at all. Others content themselves with a weekly attendance on public worship, without so much as the smallest traces of religion in their families, or regard paid to God, as the God of the families of Israel.

2. Many of the sensible, polite, and civil, whose external deportment in other respects is lovely, join with the vulgar and profane herd in slighting the God who made them, and class with those who call not upon his venerable name. These are amongst all denominations of people; for both churchmen and

dissenters may be found, who live without the fear of God in their hearts, and his worship in their houses.

3. Some are yet, if possible, more inconsistent, and whilst they profess the assurance of faith, and pretend to have no fear of death and futurity, live altogether destitute of family religion and worship. But such people, whoever they are, give but a very slight, if any evidence at all, of the excellency of their faith, or even of its reality. They set a shocking example before their children and servants, instead of training them up in the way they should go, they are to them destroyers instead of nursing fathers, at whose hands the blood of their uncultivated children will be required in judgment. Such neglecters of family religion and godliness, give all possible reason for us to believe, that their hearts are unsound, and that all their religion is mere hypocrisy. I pity the children of such ungodly parents. I pity the servants whose unhappy lot it is to dwell under their roofs.

Such heads of families are undoubtedly under that awful imprecation, Jer. x. 25. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, and upon all the families that call not upon thy name.' Ranked along with heathens in spite of a lofty profession; exposed to the out-pourings of the divine fury, notwithstanding their pretensions to faith and its assurance. To blunt the edge of this scripture, some will tell you that they call upon God privately, and so may the other branches of their families; so that they ought not to be ranked along with those who call not on the divine name. But they ought to know, that if every individual were at one instant of time to call on the name of the Lord, separately and apart, it can with no propriety be called family worship. A family cannot be said to call on the name of the Lord, but in its own proper capacity, in the convention of its members. But a backsliding heart will shelter itself from conviction under any lying refuge whatever, and use the meanest subterfuges.

II. Some there be, who make conscience of the duties of family worship, and dare by no means give them up; who, notwithstanding, are very defective and irregular in the performance and spirit of them. This defect proceeds from hurry of business, or the want of a right plan of household government, rather than from any particular prevalency of an iniquitous or impious principle. And, if I mistake not, ariseth chiefly from the following misconduct.

1. The deferring of morning prayer, till the world has laid hold of the heart, and the business of the day is fairly set in. What disadvantages this alone is attended with, let the man of business, the man of conscience say, for he has experienced it. It were well, if before business is at all begun, this part of duty were embraced as a privilege, and the divine name were invoked early in the morning. This would prevent its being entirely

omitted for the day, as sometimes is the case when deferred to a later hour. This would give opportunity to the whole family to assemble, which cannot afterwards be done, without encroaching upon the hours appointed to business; and we frequently find that one or other of the family, in most houses, are absent on that solemn occasion, when late and untimely.

2. Another thing very irregular in family worship is, referring it till late at night, when the body becomes sluggish and sleepy through the fatigues of the day; such a lassitude relaxes the whole frame, that the family may be said to come together to yawn, rather than to worship. Instead of kneeling, they stretch

mselves to rest; instead of worshipping God with the heart, they are asleep, or else yawning out their amens. Masters are apt to blame their servants for sneaking privately to bed before family worship is begun, without reflecting, that their own disorder is the cause. And in my judgment, the laborious servant, who must be up in the morning, to do his master's business, is more excusable in going to bed before family worship is over, than his master is in deferring it till an unseasonable hour. The master and mistress can indulge themselves a little in the morning, which is not the case of servants; and the calls of nature must be obeyed. If masters, therefore, were to study the health, vigour, and activity of their servants, and the dispatch of their own business, they would see their families to rest in an early hour, utterly avoiding all late suppers and unseasonable visitings. How can it be thought that servants, having been up till twelve or one in the morning, can go about their business next day with that vigour and diligence, as if they had enjoyed their natural rest, and been in bed by ten over night. Now,

III. In order to shew the importance and necessity of family religion, I shall point out some things which are to be ascribed to the want and neglect of it.

1. The ignorance of children untaught and unprincipled, left an easy prey to cunning papists, and other ministers of error, who lie in wait to deceive and to lead captive the unwary mind. And none so likely to become a prey, as the unhappy young ones, who are destitute of any settled principles. Parents cannot indeed give grace to their offspring; but by acting a consistent part may be of excellent use to them, in leading them externally into the way they should go, according to the divine direction. Many parents have had the pleasure of seeing their endeavours succeed to their utmost wishes, and many children have had reason to bless God for a religious education, under the inspection of their faithful parents.

2. Where family religion is totally neglected, or where worship is performed in a slight unmeaning manner, children and servants are led into a contempt of all religion, seeing no traces of its power in the spirits and conduct of their superiors. And can

a worse thing be done for young ones in any capacity? If we sincerely sought their final ruin, could we take a more likely way to effect it; seeing children are so very prone to imitate whatever is vicious in their parents? Especially where the parent is under a profession of religion, the case is yet more fatally pernicious; as the young people will be naturally led to conclude, either that the heads of the family are hypocrites, or that there is, in reality, no weight or importance in religion itself.

3. Church assemblies are disregarded, and church encouragement is withheld. For the congregation of the faithful in a great measure, under God, depends for supplies upon religious families; which families ought to be considered as nurseries for her special growth. But if the young plantation is entirely neglected; if the children of the godly are not taught to walk in the ways of the Lord externally, what but desolation is likely to befall the vineyard itself? O, what need have parents to be conscientious and circumspect before their children and servants! What need to resolve, through divine grace, with Joshua, that we and our houses will serve the Lord, that their blood be not required at our hands.

Give me leave now, my dear reader, to point out some things, which seem to me naturally implied in Joshua's resolution, all of which are requisite to a godly form of household government.

1. It supposeth that Joshua had given, or would give, sound instruction to the various members of his family. For how shall they serve him of whom they have not heard? Him with whose will and law they are altogether unacquainted? The service of God necessarily implies an antecedent knowledge of his will. All service of the Divine Being must be according to some certain rule or standard. We know of no rule besides his given word, which parents and masters are commanded to open and expound to their children and servants.

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It can never be deemed sufficient, that our children are taught to know our own will; apprentices taught their trades; and servants their proper business, after all these are done one great lesson still remains to be learned, and that is the law of their God. That of Deut. vi. 6, 7. deserves the attention of all heads of families; These words which I command thee this day shall 'be in thine heart, and thou shalt TEACH them DILIGENTLY unto thy children; thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.' What diligence is here required of masters of families! Considered under the notion of priests and prophets in the midst of their several households. A similar precept is given, or rather this is repeated in a more concise manner by Paul, the apostle, Eph. vi. 4. Fathers, pro'voke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord.' So that if family religion

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