The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

And therefore Christians for the Lords sake, out with all this rubbish, if it should be found in your families; How do you in London here delight to have your houses clean, and hereupon sweep them, and wash them, and rub them; oh that you would be as careful to cleanse your Families from sin, as you are to cleanse your houses from dirt; how soon would this great City become an Habitation of Righteousness, and a Mountain of Holiness; how would this Family-Reformation prevent the guilt of Family-sins, and keep out Family-distractions, and secure from Family-desolation. Therefore Sirs, set up family watchfulness, and family-correction; let every house be an house of correction of it self; and set about family-reading, and family-conference, and family-repetition, and especially family-prayer. That all your houses may be like Gods house; you know his is called an house of Prayer, Isa. 56.7. Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people: So should yours, they should be houses of prayer all of them; if they be not, let me tell you, they are no better than Dens of Thieves. Saith Christ, Matth. 21.13. My house shall be called an house of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves. There is no Medium betwixt these two; if your houses be not houses of prayer, they are certainly dens of ⟨p. 179⟩Thieves; if you do not pray to God for your mercies, before you receive them, and praise God for your mercies when you enjoy them, you do but rob God of his mercies; they are not given, but thrown, and snatched indeed, rather than received.

And therefore Christians for the Lords sake, out with all this rubbish, if it should bee found in your families; How do you in London here delight to have your houses clean, and hereupon sweep them, and wash them, and rub them; oh that you would bee as careful to cleanse your Families from sin, as you are to cleanse your houses from dirt; how soon would this great City become an Habitation of Righteousness, and a Mountain of Holiness; how would this Family-Reformation prevent the guilt of Family-sins, and keep out Family-distractions, and secure from Family-desolation. Therefore Sirs, set up family watchfulness, and family-correction; let every house be an house of correction of it self; and set about family-reading, and family-conference, and family-repetition, and especially family-prayer. That all ydur houses may bee like Gods house; you know his is called an house of Prayer,