15. When you are to set actually on the duty, prepare your Family by some short advice to carry themselves as becomes those that are going to speak to the great eternal God: at least sometimes, and the oftener the better. Do not rashly rush out of your worldly callings into the presence of the glorious God, say to them to this, or the like purpose, The God we are going to pray unto, is a holy, just, omniscient God, that looks into all our hearts, that sees and knows the frame of our spirits, that will not be mocked, and cannot be deceived: All we are sinful Creatures, that have broke his righteous Laws, and thereby have deserved hell and everlasting torments; yet this gracious God holds forth his golden Sceptre, and gives us leave to approach his presence, to beg for pardon, and for Christ, and grace, and heaven; Our wants are great and many too, and yet our mercies are great and many too, come then, O come, let us with a holy fear of God put up our joint Petitions, that God would supply our wants, especially of our souls, and make joint confessions of our sins to God with humble, broken, penitent hearts, and jointly bless him for the mercies we are all partakers of; but let us do all, as those that would please God, while we pray unto him, and not by our carelessness and sloth provoke him while we kneel before him. Thus Job prepared his household, 2when he with them did sacrifice to God, Job 1.5. Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered Burnt-offerings according to the number of them all — thus did Job continually. Could Job sanctify his Children? could Job give them grace? Parents might give their Children portions, but can they give them holiness too? they might put money into their purses, but can they put goodness into their hearts? yea, they may advise and exhort them to get grace, but can they work it too? 3Is not this bestowed by God, the Author of all Grace? How then did Job sanctify his children? The meaning is, that Job did what he could to prepare and dispose them for the religious duties they were entering upon: So the word Sanctify is often used, Exod. 19.22. Let the Priests sanctify themselves: 2 Chron. 30.25.— ⟨p. 335⟩and the Priests and Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves—17. —many that were not sanctified: all is explained by Hezekiah's prayer, v. 18.
15. When you are to set actually on the duty, prepare your Family by some short advice to carry themselves as becomes those that are going to speak to the great eternal God: at least sometimes, and the oftner the better. Do not rashly rush out of your worldly callings into the presence of the glorious God, say to them to this, or the like purpose, The God we are going to pray unto, is a holy, just, omniscient God, that looks into all our hearts, that sees and knows the frame of our spirits, that will not be mocked, and cannot be deceived: All we are sinful Creatures, that have broke his righteous Laws, and thereby have deserved hell and everlasting torments; yet this gracious God holds forth his golden Scepter, and gives us leave to approach his presence, to beg for pardon, and for Christ, and grace, and heaven; Our wants are great and many too, and yet our mercies are great and many too, come then, O come, let us with a holy fear of God put up our joynt Petitions, that God would supply our wants, especially of our souls, and make joynt confessions of our sins to God with humble, broken, penitent hearts, and joyntly bless him for the mercies we are all partakers of; but let us do all, as those that would please God, while we pray unto him, and not by our carelesness and sloth provoke him while we kneel before him. Thus Job prepared his houshold, 2when he with them did sacrifice to God, Job 1.5. Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered Burnt-offerings according to the number of them all — thus did Job continually. Could Job sanctifie his Children? could Job give them grace? Parents might give their Children portions, but can they give them holiness too? they might put money into their purses, but can they put goodness into their hearts? yea, they may advise and exhort them to get grace, but can they work it too? 3Is not this bestowed by God, the Author of all Grace? How then did Job sanctifie his children? The meaning is, that Job did what he could to prepare and dispose them for the religious duties they were entring upon: So the word Sanctifie is often used, Exod. 19.22. Let the Priests sanctifie themselves: 2 Chron. 30.25.— ⟨p. 335⟩and the Priests and Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves—17. —many that were not sanctified: all is explained by Hezekiah's prayer, v. 18.
- 1Orationis Lex, ut non aliter quàm eos decet, qui ad Dei colloquium in grediuntur, meant animóque compositi simu•. Calv. Inst. l. 3. cap. 20.Orationis Lex, ut non aliter quàm eos decet, qui ad Dei colloquium in grediuntur, mente animóque compositi simu•. Calv. Inst. l. 3. cap. 20.
- 2Solennis erat apud Ethnicos mos l•vandi manus ante sacrificandum •ut [Greek or Hebrew] idem ac [Greek or Hebrew] apud quosdam significet.Solennis erat apud Ethnicos mos l•vandi manus ante sacrificandum •ut 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 idem ac 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 apud quosdam significet.
- 3[Greek or Hebrew] Hom. Iliad. l. 6.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Hom. Iliad. l. 6.
