The Art of Divine Contentment

2. By living in an evil family we are liable to incur their punishment; Pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy Name^*. For want of pouring out Prayer, the wrath of God was ready to be poured out. 'Tis dangerous living in the Tents of Kedar. When God sends his flying roll, written within ⟨p. 112⟩and without with curses, it enters into the house of the thief, and perjurer, and it consumes the timber and the stones thereof^*. Is it not of sad consequence to live in a profane perjured family, when the sin of the Governor pulls his house about his ears? if the stone and timber be destroyed, how shall the servant escape? And suppose God send not a temporal roll of curses in the family, there is a spiritual roll, and that is worse^*. Be not content to live where Religion dies. Salute the brethren, and Nymphas, and the Church which is in his house^*; the house of the godly is a little Church, the house of the wicked a little hell^*. Oh incorporate your selves into a religious family, the house of a good man is perfumed with a blessing^*. When the holy oil of grace is poured on the head, the savour of this ointment sweetly diffuseth it self, and the virtue of it runs down upon the skirts ⟨p. 213⟩of the family. Pious examples are very magnetical and forcible. Seneca said to his sister, Though I leave you not wealth, yet I will leave you a good example. Let us engraft our selves among the Saints; by being often among the spices, we come to smell of them.

2. By living in an evill family we are liable to incurre their punishment; Pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy Name