AN EPISTLE TO THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, AND To every Family in particular TO READ & PRACTISE.  
The Lord saith, I know Abraham, 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 he hath spoken of him.  Gen. 18.19. 
LONDON, Printed and Sold by John Bringhurst, at the Sign of the Book in Grace-church-street. 1682.   

AN EPISTLE TO THE HOUSEHOLD, etc.  
FRiends,  
consider how the Blessing of the Lord came upon the Obedient and Faithful to the Lord, and rested upon them. The Lord said to Abraham, Get thee out of thy Country, and from thy Kindred, and from thy Father's House, etc. And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will Bless thee, etc. And thou shall be a Blessing, and I will Bless them that Bless thee, and Curse them that Curse thee, and in thee and in thy Seed, shall all the Families of the Earth be Blessed. Abraham obeyed the Lord, and went forth from Vr of the Caldees, and so he left all the Religions and Worships, and Teachers of the Country of the Caldees behind him, and followed the Lord; And the Lord said unto Abraham, Walk before me, and be thou perfect, Gen. 17.1. And again, The Lord said unto Abraham, Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty Nation, and all the Nations of the Earth shall he Blessed in him, Gen. 12.1, 2, 3. & 18.18. And again, The Lord said unto Abraham, That in Blessing I will Bless thee, and in Multiplying I will Multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven, and as the Sand which is upon the Sea-Shore, and thy Seed shall possess the Gates of his Enemies, and in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be Blessed, because thou hast Obeyed my Voice. Abraham Obeying God's Voice, brought this Blessing upon him, as in Gen. 22. And the Lord said, I know Abraham that he will Command his Children and his Household after him, That they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do Justice and Judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham all that which he hath spoken of him. Now you may see here what it is that brings the Blessing, and kept the Blessing upon Abraham and his seed, etc. Now if you be of the true Faith, you are of Abraham, and are Blessed with faithful Abraham, Gal. 3.9. And in this seed and faith of Abraham, you will Command your Children and your household after you, to keep the way of the Lord, to do Justice and Judgement, that the Lord may bring the Blessing upon you and your Household, and Children, keeping in the same Faith and Seed of Abraham, and you and your Children and your Household, keeping in the way of the Lord to do Justice and Judgement, than I say the Blessing which came upon Abraham will come upon you, and upon your Children and your Household, and then you will know the Promise of God fullfiled; Cursed is he that Curses thee, and Blessed his he that Blesseth thee; and therefore live and walk in the seed, which bruises the Head of the Serpent, in which seed all Nations are Blessed, yea all Families, Households and Children, in which faith and seed you Command. (Mark Command) your Children and your Household after you, to keep the way of the Lord as Abraham did, to do Justice and Judgement. Gen. 18. & 19 Now you that have not this authority to Command over your Children and Households, you are not in the same faith and seed of Abraham to wit, To Command your Children and Household after you, to keep the way of the Lord, and to do Justice and Judgement. Now the Lord had a Confidence in Abraham, and so he hath in all them that be of his seed and faith now, that they will Command their Children and Household to keep the way of the Lord, as he did, and walk before the Lord and to do Justice and Judgement; and that Abraham's Family and Children should not go back again into those Country Religions, or Ways which the Seed and Faith of Abraham hath and had led them out of: for they that are commanded to come out of them, into God's Way, into the Way of the Lord, are commanded to keep in the Way of the Lord, and they are to command their Children and their Household to keep the Way of the Lord, and to keep out of all the Ways of the World, and out of all the Ungodly, Unjust Ways, in the Seed, which bruises the head of the Serpent. And the Lord said to Isaac, I will make thy Seed to Multiply as the Stars of Heaven, etc. And in thy Seed shall all the Nations of the Earth be Blessed, Gen. 26.4. Now here you may see that Isaac inherited his Father's Inheritance in the Seed, and in the Faith and Way of the Lord, in which Seed all Nations are Blest, and so do all they that be of the Faith and Seed of Abraham, that walk in the steps of Faithful Abraham, in the Way of the Lord, and obey his Voice, etc. Inherit the Blessing of Abraham, for so you may see it was not the only Care that their Children might inherit a little Earth after them, but that they might inherit the Seed and the Faith, which had the Blessing.  
And Isaac said to Jacob, God Almighty Bless thee and give thee the Blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy Seed with thee, Gen. 28. And this Isaac spoke to Jacob before Jacob had any Children; and here you may see Isaac's Care that Jacob and his Seed might inherit the Faith and Blessing of Abraham and Isaac, and this should be their first inheritance, and then they should inherit the outward Land, and this should be the care of all them that walk in the steps of the Faith of Abraham, to see that their Children and Household do inherit that Faith, Seed, and Blessing of Abraham in the first place, by keeping in the way of the Lord, etc. And they are to Command their Children to walk in the way of the Lord, etc. that they may and you may see, that Jacob did inherit the Blessing of Abraham and Isaac, in Abraham's and Isaac's Seed and Faith.  
When the Lord said unto Jacob, Thy Seed shall be as the dust of the Earth, and thou shall spread abroad to the West and to the East, and to the North, and to the South, and in thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed. So here you may see Jacob's Possession who did inherit the blessing of Abraham, and Isaac, etc. And they that are of his Seed and Faith, which keep the Way of the Lord, etc. They do inherit this blessing in the Seed, in which all Nations are blest. And this is according to Christ's Doctrine, Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, to wit, What ye shall Eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewith you shall be Clothed, for after all these things that are below do the Gentiles seek: for your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. And here Christ which was of the Seed of Abraham, and of David according to the Flesh, would have People to seek their Inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven, and its Righteousness, before they seek after outward things, and they were to lay up for themselves Treasure in Heaven, etc. And to know that Portion for them and their Children, Matthew 6. And the Apostle saith, The Children of the Promise are counted for the Seed, Rom. 9.8. For in Isaac shall thy Seed be called, Gen. 21.12. And Christ saith, the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom. Mat. 13.38. and this is the Seed in which all Nations are blest, who keep the way of the Lord, and Justice and Judgement, such the Almighty hath blessed with the blessings from above, the blessings of the deep, the blessings of the breast, and of the womb. Gen. 49. And he will also bless the fruit of the Land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thy oil, and the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, Deuteronomy, 7. And they that serve the Lord their God, he will bless their bread and their water, Exod. 23. And a faithful man shall abound with blessings, Proverbs. 28, 20. So you may see they that are in the Faith and in the Holy Seed, which keeps in the way of the Lord, and commands their Children and their Household to do the same, they have the blessings from Heaven above, and the blessings below, yea the blessings of the Eternal Inheritance, and of the Kingdom of God, and that was their Chief Inheritance, That all the Faithful Seed of Abraham sought to possess their Household and their Children in, who did Command their Children and Household to keep the way of God, That they might Inherit the Blessing. David saith, Blessed is the Man that walketh not in the Council of the ungodly, nor Standeth in the way of Sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his Delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth be meditate day and night. Now here is the condition of them that do enjoy the Blessing, they must keep from the Counsel of the ungodly, and the way of Sinners, and the seat of the Scornful. Now here you may see David's Instruction how People might inherit the Blessing.  
Levit. 10. That you may put a difference betwixt the holy and unholy, and between the clean and unclean, and that you may teach your Children all the Statutes, which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. And if it was so in the Old Testament that they might Learn the Statutes there, surely much more they are to Learn the Commands of Christ in his New Testament.  
And in Deut. 4.9, 10. They were to Teach their Sons, and their Sons Sons; and again they were to Teach their Children, that they might Learn to fear God, all the days they lived upon the earth, etc. This they were to teach their Children; and again in Deut. 11. It was the Command of God, that they were to teach their Children the Commandments of God, and they were to speak of them, When they sat in their House, and when they walked by the Way, when they lay down, and when they risen up, and in Deut. 30. Moses told them, that the Word was nigh them in their Mouths, and in their hearts, that they might do it. And David said, come you Children, harken to me, and I will Teach you the fear of the Lord. Oh fear the Lord you Saints, there is no want to them that fear him, Psal. 34.9, 11.  
Ye that fear the Lord, Trust in the Lord, he is their Help and their Shield. Psal. 115.11. And you may see all along, in the Old Testament, they that feared the Lord, were Commanded to teach and Instruct their Children the way of the Lord, that they might walk in it, and inherit the Blessing, which was a better Portion, then outward Riches, which will pass away, for they make themselves Wings and Fly away. Solomon saith, Train up a Child in the Way he should go, and when he is Old, he will not departed from it: Foolishness is bound up in the Heart of a Child, but the rod of Correction shall drive it far from him, Prov. 22.15. He that spareth the rod, hateth his Son; But he that loveth him, Chastiseth him betimes. By mercy and truth Iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord, they depart from evil Prov. 13.24. and 16.6. And the Apostles Command is, Children to obey their Parents in the Lord for this is Right. Eph. 6.1. and Colos. 1.3, 20.  
It is well Pleasing to the Lord, Children to Obey their Parents; and the Bishops or Elders, were to rule well their own Houses, and to have their Children in Subjection, with all gravity; and likewise, The Deacons were to rule their own Children and their own Houses well, Tim. 1.3. And likewise you may see the good report of the Widows bringing up Children, which followed every good work, etc. And in Titus, such as were Elders or Overseers, their Children were to be faithful, not accused of riot or unruly; and the aged Women were to be of good Behaviour as becometh Holiness, etc. and Teachers of good things, and that they teach the younger Women to be Sober, etc. And that the word of God he not Blasphemed. And Titus was to Exhort young men, to be sober Minded; for the Grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared unto all Men, Teaching, us that denying ungodliness and Worldy Lusts, we should live Soberly, Righteously, and Godlily in this present World, that being Justified by his Grace, we should be made heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life. And Peter saith, as obedient Children, not Fashioning yourselves according to your former Lusts, in your Ignorance, but as he which hath called you is Holy so be you Holy, in all manner of Conversation; and be not like them, Feeding themselves without fear, which are the Clouds without Rain, and Wells without Water, and Trees without fruit, whom Judas declares against, such cannot Eat and Drink, to the Praise and Glory of God, etc. So you see what care, both in the Old and New Testament, the faithful Parents had to teach their Children the way of the Lord; and the Lord hath a Confidence in all them that fear him, and are of the faith and seed of Abram, that they will not only Admonish their Children and Household but Command their Children and their Household after them, to keep the way of the Lord, etc. Gen. 18. And to keep out of the Wicked Ways of the World. The Apostle saith, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham, And so are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the Promise. Gall. 3. And so the Children of God are counted for the seed, which good seed Christ saith, are the Children of the Kingdom.  
And the Apostle spoke to the Romans that they should walk in the steps of the faith of Abraham. Again the Apostle saith to the Corinthians, concerning Titus, Walked not we in the same spirit, Walked not we in the same steps. And in the first Epistle of Peter, Christ hath Suffered for us, leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps, who did not sin, neither was guile found in his Mouth. So these were Holy steps, and are a Religious Holy People, that walk in the steps of faithful Abraham, and of Christ and the Apostles, and these have the pure Religion and do visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction, and keep themselves unspotted from the World: and these are they that are Circumcised with the Spirit, and Baptised with the Holy Ghost, and serve God Night and Day, and Worship him in Spirit and truth; and these are the Religious Families, which are of the Holy, Divine, Pure and Precious faith, which Christ is the Author and Finisher of, which faith Purifieth their heart, and is their victory, by which they have access to God, in which they Please him, in that which christ is the Author and Finisher of, which is called the Gift of God; and they that are of this Faith, the same are the Children of Abraham, and are Blessed with faithful Abraham; and Abraham was called the friend of God, and so are all his Children that be of his seed and faith, they are not friends of the devil, the wicked and unrighteous one, but him and his works they forsake, who are Friends of God, they are Friends of Righteousness and Holiness, etc. And such the Blessings of God rest upon, them that are of the seed and walk in the seed, Christ, that bruises the Serpent's head, and in that seed are all Nations blest, and out of the mouth of the Seeds seed, shall not God's word departed; but it shall abide in the Mouth of the Seeds seed (this Living word of God) but the Word of God doth not abide in them, who make a Profession of the Scriptures, but live not in the Power and Spirit or the Holy Ghost, that gave forth the Scriptures; such are like the Jews, John 5. and such think to have Life in the Scriptures, but they will not come unto Christ that they may have life; for none come to Christ but by believing in the light, which is the life in him the Word.  
Now dear Friends and Brethren in Christ Jesus, if you keep in the seed and Faith of Abraham, in it Command your Children and Families to walk in the way of the Lord, for in it you have Authority that they may keep the Pure Holy and Righteous way of the Lord after you, when you are gone, that they may succeed you in the Faith and seed, and way of the Lord, and in the Blessings of God, as Isaac and Jacob did Abram. Amen.  
G. F.  
THE END.