FAMILY EXERCISE, OR, The service of God in FAMILIES.  1. TIM. 4.8. 
Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.  PSAL. 101.2. 
I will walk within mine house with a perfect heart.  
For EDINBURGH, and printed there by Robert Bryson and are to be sold at his shop, at the sign of JONAH. 1641.   

❧ The necessity of Family Exercise.  
IT is not only required that every one in the house be diligently employed in some honest and profitable business, according to their calling, In the sweat of thy face thou shall eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, Gen. 3.19. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called, 1. Cor. 7.20. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple & fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day, Luke 16.19. And that all resort to the public worship of God in the Congregation, Wisdom cryeth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men, Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors, Prov. 8.3, 4, 34. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple, Psal. 27.4. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord, And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the North even to the East, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it, Amos 8.11, 12. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Rom. 10.14. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets, and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, Ephes. 4.11.12. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness, and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls, Jam. 1.18.19.21. As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby, 1. Pet. 2.2. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip, Heb-2. 1. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her, Luke 10.42. And which is yet more, That every one pray, meditate, and worship God apart; and severally by themselves in secret. But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seethe in secret, shall reward thee openly, Matth. 6.6. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber, toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore-time, Dan. 6.10. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened, Matth. 7.8. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lift up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming, Gen. 24.63. Pray without ceasing, 1. Thess. 5.17. Watch ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man, Luke 21.36. Ye lust; and have not: Ye kill; and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not, Jam. 4.2. But it is necessary also that the worship of God be set up and exercised in every Family.  
I. Because this is warranted by the word of God, and by the examples of the godly, And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicat it. Deut. 20.5. A psalm and song at the dedication of the house of David, Psal. 30. Title. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement: that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, Gen. 18.19. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord, Josh. 24.15. A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always, Acts 10.2. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Ephes. 6.4. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptised and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us, Acts 16.14.15.  
II. This not only serveth for the honour of God, and procureth comfort to the conscience. and reverence and obedience to the commandments of the householders, but also maketh the family to be a bethel, or the House of God, and bringeth upon it blessings of all sorts, and safety, For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4, 8. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is in vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows. For so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward, Psal. 127.1, 2, 3. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in his ways: For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants, round about thy table, Psal. 128.1, 2, 3. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite, three month: and the Lord blessed Obededom and all his household, 2. Sam. 6.11. And thou shall know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; & thou shalt visit thy habitation, & shall not sin, Job 5.24. Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, & about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, & his substance is increased in the land, Job 1.10. Even as the neglect thereof maketh families to be companies of Atheists, and dens of thiefs, & bringeth down upon them the curse of God, The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God: they are corrupt: they have done abominable works; there is none that doth good. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord, Psal. 14.1, 4. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not; and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate, Jer. 10.25. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just, Pro. 3.33. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish, Prov. 14.11.  
III. This is a great help to the Kirk and Commonwealth, whereof Families are the seminary. Without it, neither good Laws in the City, nor the word of God in the Kirk are duly regarded. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth, Gen. 6.12. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial, they knew not the Lord. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil deal, by all this people. Nay, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear; ye make the Lords people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the Judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they harkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them, 1. Sam. 2.12.23.24, 25. So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalon to Jerusalem, 2. Sam. 14.23. 2. Sam. 15. 1. King. 1. Upon these and the like reasons, it were good that all householders should say with Joshua, I and my Family will serve the Lord, Josh. 24.15. I and my maids will do the like, Esther. 4.16.  

The parts of Family Exercise.  
I. THe parts of Family Exercise are 1. reading of Scriptures in a constant course, that all in the Family may profit in godliness, and may make the better use of the public ministry. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus, 2. Tim. 3.15. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth, more than my necessary food, Job. 23.12.  
II. It is not enough that the members of the Family come to the Kirk to be catechised, but they must in a plain and easy manner be instructed at home in the grounds of Christian Religion, and that doctrine which is according to godliness. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father & mother (which is the first commandment with promise) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture & admonition of the Lord, Ephes. 6.1, 2, 3, 4. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, & shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, & when thou walkest by the way, & when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shall bind them for a sign upon thine hand, & they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes: and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house & on thy gates. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, & the statutes, & the judgements which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaohs bond men in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand, Deut. 6.6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21. For I know him, that he will command his children, & his household after him, & they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, Gen. 18.19.  
III. Prayer and thanksgiving morning and evening, before and after meals with singing of psalms, when and where it may be had, The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, Exod. 29.39. And it was so when the days of their feasting was gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and risen up early in the morning, & offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: For Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned, & cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually, Job. 1.5. Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice, Psal. 55.17. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God & prayer, 1. Tim. 4.4, 5. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess: but be filled with the spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms & hymns, & spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord: Giving thanks always, for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Ephes. 5.18.19.20.  
iv That godliness may be practised, there must be exercise of discipline in wisdom and patience, by admonition, reproof, and correction for such faults as are proper to be censured in the Family: and if servants will not amend, by removing them: And for this end, diligent observing and watching over their ways is necessary. And it was so when the days of their feasting was gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and risen up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings, according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually, Job 1.5. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them, Deut. 21.18. He that worketh deceit, shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight, Psal. 101.7. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the son abideth ever, John 8.35. If I did despise the cause of my manservant, or of my maid servant, when they contended with me, Job 31.23. And the ass said unto Balaam● Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine, unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay, Num. 22.30. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him, Prov. 22.15. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes, Prov. 13.24.  
V To observe the providence of God, and to make use of the works of his justice and mercy, both past and present, that he may be known to be the Lord, For I know him, that he will command his children & his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, Gen. 18.19. Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold. Every man may see it, man may behold it afar off. Behold God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out, Job 36.24, 25, 26.  
VI Private Fasting and Humiliation, when by public calamities, or the private distress of the Family, God calleth unto it, And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, & fasted, & prayed before the GOD of Heaven, Neh. 1.4. Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shuschan, & fast ye for me, & neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also & my maidens will fast likewise, & so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish, Esther 4.16. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart, Zech. 12, 12. And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this honre, & at the ninth hour I prayed in mine house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing. Acts 10.30. And for afflicting our souls, and strangthening our faith, the Scriptures to be read, and the prayers to be poured forth, must be pertinent for the time.  

The duty of the Master of the Family.  
TO the Master of the house belongeth not only the ordering and ruling of the house in wisdom, the providing of things needful with diligence, and the giving of good example in all godliness & gravity: but also the performance of all the parts of Family Exercise, as to read, to catechise, to pray with, and for the Family, to exercise discipline, to show and set forth the works of God, and to direct and order the times and manner of Humiliation, And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which the Lord our God hath commanded you? Deut. 6, 7, 20. For I know him, that he will command his children & his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him, Gen. 18.19. Hear ye children the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding, Pro. 4.1. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house where he entereth in, Luke 22.9.10. And upon just and necessary causes disabling the Master of the Family, or drawing him away, they ought to be performed by some other member of the Family Who then is a wise and faithful servant, whom his lord hath made him ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Mat. 24, 45, And Abraham said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus, Gen. 15.2. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him over seer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for joseph's sake: & the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, & in the field, Gen, 39, 5. And in all these Family Exercises, & whole government of the house, the Mistress of the Family hath a special hand, I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully, 1. Ti. 5.14. Prov. 31. from vers. 10. to the end. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things: Thal they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children: To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed, Tit. 2.3, 4, 5. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly, Acts 18.26.   

The times of Family Exercise.  
THe fittest times for Family Exercise, must be chosen by the wisdom and discretion of the governor's of the Family, as the morning before they put their hands to work, and the evening when the day's work is ended, and the time of rest draweth on, and such other hours as may be best spared from the duties of their particular vocation. Upon the Lord's day the Family is to be brought to the Kirk: they are to behave themselves quietly and religiously as in the presence of God, and when the public worship is ended, the family is to be convened, and the Master of the Family beginning and ending with prayer, is to take account of what they have heard, with instruction, admonition, and exhortation, that they may profit in the knowledge and obedience of the will of God. But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, in it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy , nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, Exod. 20.10. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea: and Cornelius waited for them, and he called together his Kinsmen and near friends, Acts 10.24.   

The manner and matter of prayers in the Family.  
THe prayers of the holy men of God in Scripture, are framed according to their own estate, and the estate of the Kirk for the time, & conform to that perfect prayer of our Lord, Matth. 6. Luke 11.  
So many as can conceive a Prayer, aught to make use of the gift of God. Others who are rude & weaker, may begin with a set form of prayer, but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves according to their daily necessities, the spirit of prayer, which is given to all the children of God in some measure, And I will pour upon the house of David, & upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace & supplications: & they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, & they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, & shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born, Zecha. 12.10. And for this end, they may begin with these following particulars, and other the like.  
I. Let them confess to God how unworthy they are to come in his presence, & how unfit to worship God, and especially to pray, and therefore earnestly ask of God, the spirit of prayer.  
II. They are to confess their sins, & all the sins of the family; accusing, judging and condemning themselves for them, till they bring their souls to some measure of true humiliation.  
III. They are to give thanks to God for his many mercies to his people, and to themselves, and especially for his love in Christ, and for the light of the Gospel.  
iv They are to pour out their souls to GOD in the name of Christ by the spirit for forgiveness of sin, for grace to repent, to believe, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, and that they may serve God with joy and delight walking before him.  
V They are to pray for such particular benefits, spiritual and temporal, as they stand in need of for the time, whether it be morning or evening, health or sickness, prosperity or adversity.  
VI They ought to pray for the Kirk of Christ in general, for all the Reformed Kirks, and for this Kirk in particular, and for all that suffer for the Name of Christ, for all our Superiors, the King's Majesty, the Queen and their Children; for the Magistrates, Ministers, and whole body of the City; aswell for our neighbours absent in their lawful affairs, as for those that are at home.  
VII. The prayer may be closed with an earnest desire, that God may be glorified in the coming of the Kingdom of his Son, and in the doing of his will, and with assurance that themselves are accepted, and what they have asked according to his will shall be done,   

Prayer and thanksgiving before and after meat.  
PRayer and thanksgiving are to be joined with our ordinary meals before & after, not by a child or a servant (except for themselves when they take meat apart) but by the Master of the family, all lifting up their hearts to God from a deep feeling of their own indigence, from an earnest desire of the blessing of God upon themselves and their refreshment, and from the lively sense of the fatherly care and good providence of God toward them: B see ch the Lord, that their eating and drinking, and whatsoever they do, may be to his glory, and for enabling them to the duties of their callings, and that he would increase grace in their hearts, make them content with their condition of life, and make them meet for the Kingdom of heaven, and so forth, as Christian prudence shall direct.   

This Family Exercise to be begun without delay.  
THe great mercies of God to this land, the late renewing of our Covenant with God, and the many sweet fruits which shall be reaped by this religious exercise, do call upon us for a present doing without delay, against all excuses, whether of old age and former negligence, or of worldly business and hindrances, or of the mockings of Atheists and profane men. And therefore all Families must be instantly ordered, Discipline exercised against swearers, cursers, liars, drunkards, profane or negligent observers of the Sabbath, idle bellies, and such others: and till the Catechism appointed by the General Assembly come to our hands, the short Catechism which hath been in use, may be still used, and all made to understand the Ten Commandments, the Belief, Lord's Prayer, and doctrine of the Sacraments; and all other parts of family exercise above expressed, are to begin so soon as may be; In confidence that the holy Spirit, which our Heavenly Father will give to them that ask him, shall help our infirmities. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him, Luke 11.13. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groan, which can not be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the Saints, according to the will of God, Rom. 8.26, 27. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn Zech. 12.10.  
Blessed and preserved shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed and preserved shalt thou be when thou goest out, from this time forth, and even for evermore, Deut. 28.6. Psal. 121.8.  
FINIS.