The works of George Swinnock, M.A

After the refreshment of nature (about which I have given thee directions else-where, and therefore shall omit it here) it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together,¹ and worship the blessed God with them; Our Relations, namely, Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them, wants to be supplied, dangers to be prevented, natures to be sanctified, souls to be saved, as well as our selves, and therefore must not be neglected. Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day, and starve them all the week after, but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness; They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house jointly; They wrong the souls in their families, by not allowing them the liberty, at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice, and seek the face of God with others; And they injure themselves most by being false to their trust. Should they feed the bodies of their Children and Servants on the Lords-days, and make no provision for them on the week-days, their consciences would fly in their faces and tell them, they were inhumane and unnatural; and yet they can omit all regard of their immortal souls, which are far more worthy of care and tendance, without remorse and sorrow. I must tell such persons, that ⟨p. 507⟩if Atheism had not the predominancy in their hearts, it would not bear such sway in their houses; Such men are like Swine with their Pigs (as if all their noses were nailed to the trough in which they feed) they look not up to the God of their food, and of all their comforts. Such Children and Servants will in the other world find cause to curse the time that ever they knew such Fathers and Masters.

After the refreshment of nature (about which I have given thee directions else-where, and therefore shall omit it here) it will be requisite that thou shouldst call thy family together,¹ and worship the blessed God with them; Our Relations, namely, Children and Servants have mercies bestowed on them, wants to be supplied, dangers to be prevented, natures to be sanctified, souls to be saved, as well as our selves, and therefore must not be neglected. Some tend and feed the souls in their families on the Lords day, and starve them all the week after, but herein they are guilty of dishonesty and unfaithfulness; They rob God of the service which is due to him from all in their house joyntly; They wrong the souls in their families, by not allowing them the liberty, at least by not calling and causing them to hear the voice, and seek the face of God with others; And they injure themselves most by being false to their trust. Should they feed the bodies of their Children and Servants on the Lords-days, and make no provision for them on the week-days, their consciences would flie in their faces and tell them, they were inhumane and unnatural; and yet they can omit all regard of their immortal souls, which are far more worthy of care and tendance, without remorse and sorrow. I must tell such persons, that