The Power of Holiness to be Shown in the Christian’s BEHAVIOUR TO OTHERS 1/4

           

Fourth Instance.  The Christian must express the power of holiness in his carriage and behaviour to others, and they are either within doors, or with­out.

To those within doors—family relations.

           First.  The Christian must express the power of holiness in his carriage to those within doors—his family relations.  Much, though not all, of the power of godliness lies within doors, to those that God hath there related us unto.  It is in vain to talk of holiness, if we can bring no letters testimonial from our holy walking with our relations.  O it is sad, when they that have reason to know us best, by their daily converse with us, do speak least for our godliness.  Few so im­pudent as to come naked into the streets.  If men have anything to cover their naughtiness, they will put it on when they come abroad.  But what art thou within doors? what care and conscience to discharge thy duty to thy near relations?  He is a bad husband that hath money to spend among company abroad, but none to lay in provisions to keep his family at home.  And can he be a good Christian that spends all his religion abroad, and leaves none for his nearest relations at home, that is a great zealot among strang­ers, and yet hath little or nothing of God coming from him in his family?  Yea, it were well, if some that gain the reputation for Christians abroad, did not fall short of others that pretend not to profession in those moral duties which they should perform to their relations.  There are some who are great strangers to profession, who yet are loving and kind in their way to their wives.  What kind of professors then are they, who are doggish and currish to the wife of their bosoms? who by their tyrannical lording it over them, embitter their spirits, and make them ‘cover the Lord’s altar with tears and weeping?’  There are wives to be found that are not clamorous, peevish, and fro­ward to their husbands, who yet are far from a true work of grace in their hearts.  Do they then walk as becomes holiness, who trouble the whole house with their violent passions?  There are servants who, from the authority of a natural conscience, are kept from railing and reviling language, when reproved by their masters; and shall not grace keep pace with nature? Holy David knew very well how near this part of the saints’ duty lies to the very heart of godliness; and therefore, when he makes his solemn vow to walk hol­ily before God, he instanceth in this, as one stage whereon he might eminently discover the gracious­ness of his spirit.  ‘I will walk within my house with a perfect heart,’ Ps. 101:2.  But, to instance in a few par­ticulars wherein the power of holiness is to appear as to family relations.

1. The power of holiness is to appear in the choice of our relations,such, I mean, as are eligible.  Some are not in our choice.  The child cannot choose what father he will have, nor the father what child; but where God allows a liberty, he expects a care.

           (1.) Art thou godly and wantest a service?  O take heed thou showest thy holiness in the family thou choosest, and towards the governors thou put­test thyself under.  Inquire more whether it be a healthful air for thy soul within doors, than for thy body without.  The very senseless creatures groan to serve the ungodly world, and is capable of choosing, would count it their ‘liberty’ to serve the ‘children of God,’ Rom. 8:21.  And wilt thou voluntarily, when thou mayest prevent it, run thyself under the government of such as are ungodly, who art thyself a child of God? It is hard to serve two masters, though much alike in disposition; but impossible to serve those two—a holy God, and a wicked ungodly man or woman—so as long to please them both.  But, if thou beest under the roof of such a one, forget not thy duty to them, though they forget their duty to God; possibly thy faithfulness to them may bring them to inquire after thy God, for thy sake, as Nebuchadnezzar did for Daniel’s.  No doubt wicked men would take up re­ligion and the ways of God more seriously into their consideration, if there were a more heavenly luster and beauty upon Christians’ lives in their several rela­tions to invite them thereunto.  Sometimes a book is read the sooner for the fairness of the characters, which would have been not much looked in if the print had been naught.  O how oft do we hear that the thoughts of religion are thrown away with scorn, by wicked masters, when their professing servants are taken false, appear proud and undutiful, slothful or negligent!  What then follows, but ‘is this your reli­gion?  God keep me from such a religion as this.’  O commend the ways of God to thy carnal and ungodly master or mistress by a clear unblotted conversation in thy place!  But withal let me tell thee, if—doing thy utmost in thy place to promote religion in the family —thou seest that the soil is so cold that there is no visible hope of planting for God, it is time, high time, to think of transplanting thyself; for it is to be feared, the place which is so bad to plant in, will not, cannot, be very good for thee to grow and thrive in.