To the Christian Reader; Especially heads of Families

As we cannot but with grief of Soul lament those multitudes of Errors, Blasphemies, and all kinds of prophanenesse, which have in this last Age like a mighty Deluge overflowen this Nation, so among several other sins which have helped to open the Flood-gates of all these impieties, we cannot but esteem the disuse of Family-Instruction one of the greatest. The two great Pillars upon which the Kingdom of Satan is erected, and by which it is upheld, are Ignorance and Errour; The first step of our manumission from this spiritual thraldom consists in having our Eyes opened, and being turned from darknesse to light;¹ How much the serious endeavours of godly Parents and Masters might contribute to an early seasoning the tender years of such as are under their inspection is abundantly evident, not only from their special influence upon them in respect of their Authority over them, interest in them, continual presence with them, & frequent opportunities of being helpful to them, but also from the sad effects which by woful experience we find to be the fruit of the omission of this duty. ’Twere easie to set before you a cloud of Witnesses the language of whose practice hath been not onely an eminent Commendation of this duty, but also a serious Exhortation to it. As Abel though dead, yet speaks by his example to us for our imitation of his Faith, &c.² So do the examples of Abraham, of Joshua, of the Parents of Solomon, of the Grand-mother and Mother of Timothy, the Mother of Augustine, whose care was as well to nurse up the Souls, as the Bodies of their little ones, and as their pains herein was great, so was their successe no way unanswerable.

We should scarce imagine it, any better than an impertinency in this noon-day of the Gospel, either to inform or perswade in a duty so expresly commanded, so frequently urged, so highly encouraged, and so eminently owned by the Lord in all ages with his blessing, but that our sad experience tells us this duty is not more needful than ’tis of late neglected. For the restoring of this duty to its due observance give us leave to suggest this double advice.

The first concerns Heads of families in respect of themselves, That as the Lord hath set them in place above the rest of their Family, they would labour in all Wisdom and spiritual Understanding to be above them also. ’Tis an uncomely sight to behold men in years Babes in Knowledge, and how unmeet are they to instruct others who need themselves to be taught which be the first principles of the Oracles of God?³ Knowledge is an accomplishment so desirable that the Devils themselves knew not a more taking bait by which to tempt our first Parents, than by the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge: so shall you be as Gods knowing good and evill. When Solomon⁴ had that favour shewed him of the Lord, that he was made his own chuser what to ask, he knew no greater mercy to beg than Wisdom. The Understanding is the Guide & Pilot of the whole man, that faculty which sits at the stern of the soul: but as the most expert guide may mistake in the dark; so may the Understanding when it wants the light of Knowledge; without Knowledge the Mind cannot be good,⁵ nor the life good, nor the eternal condition safe,⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,⁷ ’Tis ordinary in Scripture to set prophanesse and all kind of miscarriages upon the score of Ignorance. Diseases in the body have many times their rise from distempers in the Head, and Exorbitances in Practice from Errours in Judgement, and indeed in every sin there is something both of Ignorance and Errour at the bottome, for did sinners truly know what they do in sinning, we might say of every sin what the Apostle speaks concerning that great sin, had they known him, they would not have crucifi’d the Lord of glory, did they truly know that every sin is a provoking the Lord to jealousie, a proclaiming war against Heaven, A crucifying the Lord Jesus afresh, a treasuring up wrath unto themselves against the Day of Wrath, and that if ever they be pardoned, it must be at no lower a rate than the price of his blood, it were scarce possible but sin instead of alluring, should affright, and instead of tempting scare. ’Tis one of the Arch-devices and principal methods of Satan to deceive men into sin; thus he prevailed against our first Parents, not as a Lyon, but as a Serpent, acting his enmity under a pretence of friendship, and tempting them to evil under an appearance of good, and thus hath he all along carried on his designs of darknesse by transforming himself into an Angel of light, making poor deceived men in love with their miseries, and hug their own destruction. A most soveraign antidote against all kind of Errours, is to be grounded and setled in the faith: persons unfixed in the true Religion are very receptive of a false, and they who are nothing in spiritual knowledge are easily made any thing. Cloudes without water are driven too and fro with every wind, and ships without ballast lyable to the violence of every tempest. But yet the Knowledge we especially commend is not a brain-Knowledge, a meer speculation, this may be in the worst of Men, nay in the worst of Creatures, the Devils themselves, and that in such an eminency, as the best of Saints cannot attain to, in this life of imperfection; but an inward, a savory, an heart knowledge, such as was in that Martyr, who though she would not dispute for Christ, could dye for him. This is that spiritual sense and feeling of divine truths the Apostle speaks of Heb. 5.14. Having your senses exercised, &c.

But alass we may say of most Mens Religion, what learned Rivet⁸ speaks concerning the Errours of the Fathers, they were not so much their own Errours, as the Errours of the times wherein they lived. Thus do most men take up their Religion upon no better an account than Turks and Papists take up theirs, because tis the Religion of the times and places wherein they live, and what they take up thus slightly, they lay down as easily. Whereas an inward taste and relish of the things of God is an excellent preservative to keep us setled in the most unsetled times. Corrupt and unsavory Principles have great advantage upon us, above those that are spiritual and sound, the former being suitable to corrupt nature, the later contrary, the former springing up of themselves, the latter brought forth not without a painful industry. The ground needs no other Midwifery in bringing forth weeds than onely the neglect of the Husbandmans hand to pluck them up; the Ayr needs no other cause of darknesse, than the absence of the Sun, nor Water of coldnesse, than its distance from the Fire, because these are the genuine products of Nature. Were it so well with the Soul (as some of the Philosophers have vainly imagined) to come into the world as an Ab rasa Tabula, a meer blank or piece of white paper, on which neither any thing written nor any blots, it would then be equally receptive of good and evil, and no more averse to the one than to the other, but how much worse its condition indeed is, were Scripture silent, every mans experience does evidently manifest. For who is there that knowes any thing of his own heart, and knowes not thus much, that the suggestions of Satan have so easie and free admittance into our hearts, that our utmost watchfulnesse is too little to guard us from them, whereas the notions of Gods Spirit are so unacceptable to us, that our utmost diligence is too little to get our hearts open to entertain them. Let therefore the Excellency, Necessity, Difficulty of true Wisdom, stir up endeavours in you, somewhat proportionable to such an accomplishment, above all getting get Understanding,⁹ and search for Wisdom as for hidden treasures;¹⁰ it much concernes you in respect of your selves.

Our second Advice concerns heads of Families, in respect of their Families; what ever hath been said already though it concerns every private Christian that hath a Soul to look after, yet upon a double account it concerns Parents & Masters, as having themselves and others to look after. Some there are who because of their ignorance cannot, others because of their sluggishnesse will not mind this duty. To the former we propound the method of Joshua, who first began with himself, and then is careful of his Family; To the later we shall onely hint, what a dreadful meeting those Parents and Masters must have at that great day with their Children and Servants, when all that were under their inspection, shall not onely accuse them, but charge their eternal miscarrying upon their score. Never did any age of the Church enjoy such choice helps as this of ours. Every age of the Gospel hath had its Creeds, Confessions, Catechisms, and such Breviaries and Models of Divinity as have been singularly useful. Such forms of sound words (how ever in these days decry’d) have been of use in the Church ever since God himself wrote the Decalogue as a summary of things to be done, and Christ taught us that prayer of his, as a directory what to ask. Concerning the usefulnesse of such compendiary Systems, so much hath been said already by a learned Divine of this age,¹¹ as is sufficient to satisfie all who are not resolved to remain unsatisfied.

Concerning the particular excellency of these ensuing Treatises, we judge it unneedful to mention those eminent testimonies which have been given them from persons of known worth in respect of their Judgements, Learning, & Integrity, instance both at home & abroad, because themselves speak so much their own praise; Gold stands not in need of Varnish, nor Diamonds of painting, give us leave only to tell you that we cannot but account it an eminent mercy to enjoy such helps as these are; ’Tis ordinary in these days for Men to speak evill of things they know not, but if any are possessed with mean thoughts of these Treatises, we shall onely give the same counsel to them that Philip gives Nathaniel, Come and see.¹² ’Tis no small advantage the Reader now hath, by the Addition of Scriptures at large, Whereby with little paynes he may more profit, because with every truth he may behold its Scripture-foundation. And indeed considering what a Babel of Opinions, what a strange confusion of tongues there is this day, among them who profess they speak the language of Canaan, there is no intelligent person but will conclude that advice of the Prophet especially suited to such an age as this, Isa. 8.20. To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word, ’tis because there is no light in them. If the Reverend and Learned Composers of these ensuing Treatises were willing to take the paines of annexing Scripture-proofs to every truth, that the faith of people might not be built upon the dictates of men, but the Authority of God: So some considerable paynes hath now been further taken in transcribing those Scriptures, partly to prevent that grand inconvenience (which all former impressions (except the Latin) have abounded with, to the great perplexing and disheartning of the Reader) the misquotations of Scripture, the meanest Reader being able by having the words at large to rectifie whatever mistake may be in the Printer in citing the particular place; partly to prevent the trouble of turning to every Proof (which could not but be very great) partly to help the memories of such who are willing to take the paines of turning to every proof, but are unable to retain what they read, and partly that this may serve as a Bible Common place, the severall passages of Scripture which are scattered up and down in the word, being in this Book reduced to their proper head, and thereby giving light each to other. The advantages (you see) of this design are many and great. The way to spiritual knowledge is hereby made more easie, and the ignorance of this age more inexcusable.

If therefore there be any spark in you of love to God, be not content that any of yours should be ignorant of him whom you so much admire, or any haters of him whom you so much love. If there be any compassion to the Souls of them who are under your care, if any regard of your being found faithful in the day of Christ, if any respect to future generations, labor to sow these seeds of Knowledge which may grow up in after times. That you may be faithful herein, is the earnest prayer of

• Henry Wilkinson, D.D. A.M.P.
• Charles Offspring
• Arthur Jackson
• John Crosse
• Sam. Clark
• Sam. Slater
• William Whitaker
• John Fuller
• James Nalton
• Thomas Goodwin.
• Matthew Pool
• William Bates
• Roger Drake
• William Taylor
• William Cooper
• William Jenkyn
• Thomas Manton
• Thomas Jacomb
• George Griffiths
• Edward Perkins
• Ralph Venning
• Jeremiah Burwel
• Joseph Church
• Has. Bridges
• Sam. Smith.
• Samuel Annesley
• Thomas Gouge
• Leo. Cooke
• John Sheffeild
• Richard Kentish
• Alexander Pringle
• Tho. Watson
• John Jackson.
• John Loder
• Sam. Rowles
• John Glascock
• Francis Raworth
• Jam. Jollife

Footnotes

1. Act. 26. 18. ↩

2. Heb. 11. 4. ↩

3. Heb. 5. 12. ↩

4. 1 Kings. 3. 5. 9. ↩

5. Prov. 19. 2. ↩

6. Eph. 4. 18. ↩

7. Hos. 4. 6. ↩

8. Rivet. Crit. Sacr. ↩

9. Prov. 4. 7. ↩

10. Prov. 2, ↩

11. Doctor Tuckney in his Sermon, on 2 Tim. 1. 13. ↩

12. Joh. 1. 46. ↩