4. But Fourthly, If neither gratitude to God, pity to children, nor a principle for common justice to servants, are sufficient to balance all objections; then let the prevailing motive of SELF-INTEREST turn the scale, and engage you with your respective households to serve the Lord.
This weighs greatly with you in other matters: be persuaded to let it have a complete and full influence on you in this: and if it has, even if you only have faith as small as a grain of mustard-seed, then how can you avoid believing, that promoting family-religion, will be the best means to promote your own temporal, as well as eternal welfare? For “godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
Besides, everyone of you, without a doubt, desire honest servants, and godly children: and to have them prove otherwise, would be as great a grief to you, as it was to Elisha to have a treacherous Gehazi, or David to be troubled with a rebellious Absolom. But how can they be expected to learn their duty, unless someone cares enough to take the time to teach them? Isn’t it just as reasonable to expect that you should reap where have not sown, or gather where you had not scattered seed?
If Christianity taught children and servants to disregard their earthly parents and masters, and only to show obedience to their father and master who is in heaven, then there might then be some excuse to neglect instructing them in the principles of such a religion. But since the teachings of this pure and undefiled religion, are all holy, just, and good; and the more they are taught their duty to God, the better they will perform their duties to you; I think, to neglect the improvement of their souls, out of a dread of spending too much time in religious duties, is acting quite contrary to your own interest as well as duty.
5. Fifthly and Lastly, If neither gratitude to God, love to your children, common justice to your servants, nor even that most prevailing motive self-interest, will motivate you; then let a consideration of the terrors of the Lord persuade you to put in practice the holy resolution in the text.
Remember, the time will come, and that perhaps very shortly, when we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; where we must give a solemn and strict account of all of our discussions and interactions with our respective families in this world. How will you endure to see your children and servants (who ought to be your joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ) standing up as many witnesses against you; cursing the father that gave them life, the womb that bore them, the breasts which they have sucked, and the day they ever entered into your houses? Do not think for a moment that the damnation which men must endure for their own sins, will be sufficient, for there is also the additional guilt of being accessory to the damnation of others. O consider this, all you that forget to serve the Lord with your respective households, “lest he remove you, and there is no one to deliver you!”
But God forbid, brethren, that any such evil should happen to you: no, rather I will hope, that you have been in some measure convinced by what has been said of the great importance of FAMILY-RELIGION; and therefore are ready to cry out in the words immediately following the text, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD;” and again, verse 21, “No! We will (with our households) serve the LORD.”
And that there may be always such a heart in you, let me exhort all heads of families, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, often to reflect on the immeasurable worth of their own souls, and the infinite ransom, even the precious blood of Jesus Christ, which has been paid out for them. Remember, I beg you to remember, that you are fallen creatures; that you are by nature lost and estranged from God; and that you can never be restored to your original happiness, until by being born again by the Holy Spirit, you arrive at your original intended state of purity, and have the image of God restamped upon your souls, and are thereby made ready to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints that live in the eternal light.
Please, seriously and frequently reflect on, and act as persons that believe such important truths, and then you will no longer neglect yours and your family’s spiritual welfare. No, the love of God, which will then be shed abroad in your hearts, will constrain you to do your utmost to preserve them: and the deep sense of God’s free grace in Christ Jesus, (which you will then have) in calling you, will excite you to do your utmost to save others, especially those of your own household. And though, after all your devout endeavors, some may continue unreformed; yet you will have this comfortable reflection to make, that you did what you could to make your families holy: and therefore may rest assured of sitting down in the kingdom of heaven, with Abraham, Joshua, and Cornelius, and all the godly householders, who in their several generations shone forth as many lights in their respective households upon earth. Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
