the children of the most high. Be merciful in your censures, and put the most favourable constructions upon your brethrens carriage that their actions will reasonably bear. Be slow in promising, punctual in fulfilling. Let meekness and innocence, affableness, yieldingness, and simplicity commend your conversations to all men. Let none of your relations want that love and royalty, reverence and duty, that tenderness, care, and vigilance which their several places and capacities call for. This is thorough godliness. I charge you before the most high God, that none of you be found a swearer or a liar, or a lover of evil company, or a scoffer, or ma licious, or coveteous, or a drunkard, or a glutton, unrighteous in his dealing, unclean in his living, or a quarreller, or a thief, or a backbiter, or railer; for I denounce unto you from the living God, that destruction and damnation is the end of all such, Prov. xiii. 20. James v. 12. Rev. xxi. 8. 1 Cor. vi 9, 10. Gal. v. 19, 20, 21.

2. Family godliness. He that hath set up Christ in his heart, will be sure to study to set him up in his house. Let every family with you be a Christian church, 1 Cor. xix 19, every house a house of prayer; let every housholder say with Joshua, I and my house will serve the Lord, Josh. xxiv. 15, and resolve with David, I will walk in my house with a perfect heart, Ps. ci. 2. Let me press upon you a few duties in general.

First, Let religion be in your families, not as a matter by the by (to be minded at

leisure, when the world will give you leave) but the standing business of the house : let them have your prayers as duly is their meals. Is there any of your families but have time for their taking food? Wretched man! canst thou not find time to pray in?

Secondly, Settle it upon your hearts, that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family; they are committed unto you, and if they be lost through your neglect, they will be required at your hands. Sirs, if you do not, you shall know, that the charge of souls is a heavy charge, and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt. O man, hast thou a charge of souls to answer for, and dost thou not yet bestir thyself for them, that their blood be not found in thy skirts? Wilt thou do no more for immortal souls than thou wilt do for the beasts that perish? What dost thou do for thy children and servants? Thou providest meat and drink for them agreeable to their nature; and, dost thou not the same for thy beasts? Thou givest them medicines, and cherishest them when they be sick; and dost thou not the same for thy swine? More particularly.

1. Let the solemn reading of the word, and singing of psalms be your family exercises, Isai. xxxiv. 36. John v. 39. Ps. cxviii. 15. See Christ singing with his family, viz. his disciples, Matt. xxvii. 30. Luke ix. 18.

2. Let every person in your families be du ly called to an accout of their profiting by the word heard or read, as they be about doing your own business: this is a duty of conse

quence unspeakable, and would be a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what they receive. See Christ's example in calling his family to account, Matt. xvi. 11, 13, 15.

3. Often take an account of the souls under your care, concerning their spiritual states, [herein you must be followers of Christ, Matt. xiii. 10, 36, 51. Mark iv. 10, 11.] make enquiry into their condition, insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural state, and upon the necessity of regeneration and conversion, in order to their salvation. Admonish them gravely of their sins, encourage their beginnings, follow them earnestly, and let them have no quiet for you, until you see them in a saving change. This is a duty of very great consequence, but (I am afraid) most fearfully neglected: doth not conscience say, Thou art the man ?

4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the sabbath by all your houshold, Exod. xx. 19. Levit. xxiii. 3. Many poor families have little time else: 0 improve but your sabbath days as diligently in labouring for knowledge, and 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, Ps. xcii. 1, 2. Exod. xxx. 7, 8. Luke i. 9, 10. 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? Jer. x. 25. O miserable families without GOD in the world, that are without family prayer! What! have you so many family sins, family wants, family mercies; what! and yet no family prayers? How do you pray with all prayer and supplication, if you do not with family prayer? Eph. vi. 18. Say not, I have no time; what! hast thou not all thy time on purpose to serve God and save thy soul? And yet is this it for which thou canst find no time? Find but an heart, and I will find time. Pinch out of your meals and sleep, rather than want for prayer. Say not, My business will not give leave this is the greatest business, to save thyself and the souls committed to thee. Business! a whet will be no lett. In a word, the blessing of all is to be got by prayer, Jer. xxix. 11, 12. 2 Sam. vii. 29, and what is thy business without God's bles sing? Say not, I am not able; use the one talent, and God will encrease, Matt. xxv. 24, &e. Helps are to be had till thou art better able. But if there be no other remedy thou must join with thine abler neighbour; God has special regard to joint prayer, James v. 4, to 19. Acts xii. 5, 10, 12. 2 Cor. i. 11, and therefore you must improve family advantages for the performing of it.

6. Put every one in your families upon private prayer. Observe whether they do perform it. Get them the help of a form, if they need it, till they are able to go without it. Direct them how to pray, by reminding them of their sins, wants, and mercies, the

materials of prayer. This was the practice of John, and of Jesus, Luke xi. 1, 2, &c.

7. Set up catechising in your families, at the least once every week. 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? Deut. vi. 6, 7, 8, 9, and iv. 9, 10, and xi. 18, 19, 20, and train them up in the way wherein they should go, Prov. xxii. 6. the margin. Hath God so commanded Abraham, that he would teach his children and houshold, Gen. xviii. 19, and that he had many instructed servants, Gen. xiv. 14, (see the margin) and given such a promise to him thereupon, and will you not put in for a share, neither in praise, nor the promises? Hath Christ honored catechising with his presence, Luke ii. 46, and will you not own it with your practice? 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 your work, and should you not at least be as zealous in putting them upon God's work? Say not, They are dull, and are not capable: if they be dull, God requires of you the more pains and patience; but so dull as they are, you will make them learn how to work; and can they not learn as well 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