Media: the middle things, in reference to the first and last things: or, The means, duties, ordinances, both secret, private and publike, for continuance and increase of a godly life, once begun, till we come to Heaven. Wherein are discovered many blessed medium's or duties, in their right method, manner and proceedings; that so a Christian (the spirit of Christ assisting) may walk on in the holy path, which leads from his new birth to everlasting life. / Drawn, for the most part, out of the most eminently pious, and learned writings of our native practical divines: with additionals of his own, by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes.

SECT. 3. Of the Duties of Governors in general.

IN the proceedings of these Family-duties, we are to consider the Duties

• 1. Of the governors.
• 2. Of the governed.

1. The governors, if (as it is in marriage) there be more then one; as first, the chief governor, to wit, the Husband; second∣ly, the helper, to wit, the Wife: both these owe Duties to their Families, and Duties to one another.

1. The Duties they owe to their Families, are either

• In general to the whole.
• In particular, according to their several relations.

1. That which in general they owe to the whole Family, is either to their

• Bodies.
• Souls.

1. To their Bodies; concerning which, saith the Apostle, He that provideth not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse then an infidel. Now as the Spirit of God chargeth us with this duty, so he setteth us about such things whereby this may be compassed; as, 1. That eve∣ry one should have some honest and good calling, and walk dili∣gently in it; Let him that stole, steal no more (saith the Apostle) but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good. 2. That he bear a low sail, and keep within compass; re∣membring that of Solomon, He that is despised, and hath a ser∣vant, is better then he that honoreth himself, and lacketh bread.

2. To their Souls; concerning which, some duties they are to

• Perform to the Family.
• Require of the Family.

1. The Duties they must perform to them, are—

1. To provide that they may live under the publike Ministery, for otherwise how should they be brought into the sheepfold of Christ, if they hear not the voyce of the chief Shepherd speak∣ing unto them by those whom he hath sent?

2. To oversee the ways of their Families, that they serve

God; and as in all other duties, so especially in sanctifying the Sabbaths: To this the very words in the fourth Commandment, do binde all Masters of families: Remember, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, thy man-servant, and thy maid;—Where the Lord speaks by name to the Governors, as if he would make them overseers of this work of sanctifying his Sab∣baths.

3. To set their house in order for the service of God, to offer prayers and praises to the Lord morning and evening, before and after meals: This was Davids practice, Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voyce; and this was Jobs practice, who sent for, and sanctified his sons and daughters, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all:—Thus did Job continually: And this was Abrahams practice wheresoever he came, to build an Altar to God, where God should be wor∣shipped joyntly of him and his family: And this was Christs practice for himself and his family, Matthew 14.19. and 26.30. John 17.1.

4. To instruct their families privately in matters of Religion, that they may not onely profess, but feel the power of Religion in their lives and conversations: This duty hath these specials be∣longing to it,

1. A familiar catechizing of them in the principles of Religi∣on: Thus were Parents commanded of old, Thou shalt teach these words diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

2. A daily reading of Scriptures in their hearing, directing them to mark and to make use of them: So Timothy was train∣ed up by his parents, and that from his childehood.

3. A careful endeavoring that they may profit by the pub∣like Ministery: To this end 1. They must prepare them to hear the Word, by considering Gods Ordinances, Promises, and their own necessities. 2. They must remember them to look in the Word for a Christ, and for communion with Christ. 3. They must examine them after the Ordinances, what they have learn∣ed, and what use they can make of it; thus Christ, after he had preached a parable to his disciples, he said unto them, Know

you not this parable, and how then will you know all parables? and then he expounds the parable to them.

2. The duties they are to require of the family, are both carefully to frequent the publike Ministery, and diligently to be conversant in the private worship of God, and constantly to practice all holy and Christian duties comprised briefly in the Commandments of God; and they are to require these things, not onely by telling them, calling on them, catechizing them, admonishing them, but if they be negligent, by correcting them.

Now this correction must be ministred in

• ...Wisdom.
• ...Patience.

1. In wisdom, whose property it is to finde out the right party that committed the fault, to consider of what sort and nature the fault is, to weigh circumstances of age, discretion and occasions; and to look to the minde of the doer, whether neg∣ligence or meer simplicity brought him to it.

2. In patience, whose property it is to make the fault mani∣fest to the offendor, that his conscience may be touched there∣with; to hear what the offendor can say in his own defence, and accordingly to allow or dissallow; to avoid bitterness, which sooner will harden the heart, then reform the maners of the offendor: These Rules being observed, and the heart lifted up in prayer to God for direction and blessing, this Correction is necessary, as is evident in Gen. 30.2. Prov. 13.24. and 19.18.

These are the duties that Governors owe to their families, in respect of their souls; to correct them, catechize them, admonish them, call on them, read to them, pray for them, &c. onely with these limitations:

1. That they presume not above their callings: This was Pauls Exhortation, That no man take this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron: The honor here, is the honor of the publike Ministery, except that, and I know not but that every Governor of a family, who hath special abilities, utterance, memory, may read Scriptures, repeat Sermons, pray, teach and instruct them out of Scriptures, 1 Pet. 4.10. Thus Jacob said to his houshold, Put away the strange gods that are among you: And without all contradiction (saith the Apostle) the less is blessed of the better: And if the women would learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home; thus Oriegn would have the

Word expounded in Christian families; and Augustine saith, That which the Preacher is in the pulpit, the same is the housholder in the house.

2. That they presume not above their gifts: This was Pauls Exhortation to every man, Not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith; yet I deny not but in some cases they may lawfully depute or substitute some one in the family, whom they judge fittest unto the service and imployment, which they themselves should ordinarily perform, as in case of old age and weakness of body; Thus Samuel being old, made his sons Judges: Or in want of good utterance or expression of what is to be said; thus Aaron was Moses his spoaksman, and in stead of a mouth: Or in want of boldness and audacity, arising from a consciousness of weakness; thus the good Centurion sent the Elders of the Jews to Christ to intercede for him: Or in case that a Minister of the Gospel do sojourn in ones family, as Archippus did in Philemon his house: Or in case of necessary absence; thus the Apostle Paul made Timothy his deputy to the Christian Thessalonians: Or in case the Lord hath bestowed more of his gifts and graces to one then another: I know not in this case, but that we may Covet earnestly the best gifts in others, as well as in our own selves.

Notes

• 1 Tim 5.8.
• Eph. 4.28.
• Prov. 12 9.
• Psal 55.17.
• Iob 1.5.
• Gen. 12.7. & 13.4. & 21.33.
• Deut 6.7.
• Prov 22.6.
• 2 Tim. 3.15.
• Mark 4.13.
• Heb. 5.4.
• Gen. 35.2.
• Heb. 7.7. 1 Cor. 14.35. Orig. hom. 9. in Levit.
• Rom 12.3.
• 1 Sam. 8.1.
• Exod. 4.16.
• Luke 7.3.
• Phil. ver. 2.
• 1 Thess. 3.1, 2
• 1 Cor. 12.31.