The First Rule

The First Rule.

Let all persons that should attend family-prayer, count themselves concerned to pray without ceasing. Every master of a house, is to carry on the prayer in it. That man is not fit to have a house, that cannot make a prayer. But if the master be absent? Then the mistress is to see still that prayer be not wanting. It seems affirmed of Esther, a woman, in Cap. 4:16, that she prayed with her maidens. There should not be one prayer the less in a family, because [illegible] is become the ruler there: no, the losses of a family, should increase the prayers of it. And let the master of a ship, remember, that the sailors are his family. He should pray with them aboard, every day while they are at sea together. You that see the wonders of God together, should together sing the praises of God, and together beg the mercies of God. Methinks, the poor sea-men, should be the best [illegible] in the world. With what face can you pray in a storm, if you do not also pray in a calm? Now master, 'tis your work, 'tis part of your order from your great owner to see that this be done, that all mariners call upon their master, as those mariners did upon the passenger in [illegible] 1:6: Arise, [illegible] God, that we perish not. Let the master of a school also remember, that the scholars are his family; he should pray with them, and bless them in the name of the Highest. God provides angels, and will not you afford prayers for the safety of those little ones? We read of some in Mark 10:13, who brought young children to the Lord Jesus Christ: the children that are brought to you, by parents or guardians, these are by you to be brought to the Lord Jesus, that He would lay His blessing and saving hands upon them. Yes, the captain of a trained band, is to esteem the soldiers as his family. That good captain Cornelius, could say, in Acts 10:30, I prayed in my house. As for those that will not pray in the field, 'tis to be questioned, whether they will fight there. Trainings without prayings are like to degenerate into mere debaucheries. The prayerless captain gives a very dangerous and desperate word of command when he says, Follow your leader. Briefly, all superiors generally have a family in the kind of their superiority, which they are to attend prayers withal.