The Cursed Family Or The Evil Of Neglecting Family Prayer

This work is a biblically helpful and pointed exhortation to church families to examine their household practices in light of Scriptural principles to serve God in the family. The family should operate as a reflection of the church; it is in fact to be a little church. Risley’s thesis is that wicked houses are under the curse of God, and are without his gracious keeping and fatherly care. He shows the responsibility of parents in family worship, for, to be without service to God in this way is to mimic a cursed family. As much as parents are natural parents to their children (providing food, shelter, and clothing), those in the church who have professed to be Christian parents have promised in the presence of God that their children should be virtuously brought up to lead a godly, Christian life. Risley also explains that God’s curse is on wicked houses. Parents must take heed of being evil examples to their children, of swearing, cursing, sabbath-breaking, cheating, stealing, oppressing, coveting, lest they, by following in their footsteps, suffer eternal judgments. Parents are reminded of what it means to break their baptismal covenant, and by this causing their children to break it, undoing themselves and their children to God’s blessings for all eternity unless the mercy of Christ intervenes. Finally, he shows that persistent wicked men and their families are subject to God’s curse both in temporal things, and in spiritual things; especially in their wicked use of performing “outward duties” of religion in hypocrisy such as prayer, hearing the word, coming to the sacrament, reading God’s word, reading good books, and conversing with others about matters of religion. Such pernicious influences of the sins of wicked families on Christ’s church and kingdom, have several consequences which must be remedied. He demonstrates this in seven concluding observations.

Williams’ first piece on The Danger of Not Reforming Known Evils, is a master-exhortation in calling the wayward church, those professing they have been effectually called, to reform those things in their midst that need correcting. People who have been changed by the Spirit desire holiness. If the people of Christ’s church are inwardly changed, why would they not want to change and reform those things that are amiss among them? In such people there would be a great inexcusableness to them for being a knowing people and yet refusing to be reformed. And if they do not see that they have need of reforming those things that are amiss, what does that say about them? Or, even worse, what if they do not want to change those things that are known evils? This argues their desperate state, even though they may outwardly be professing believers. His second piece is on the great salvation that is offered in the Gospel. He sets this down in five main propositions to show the Gospel’s greatness, as well as the means and manner in which sinners may come to attain the salvation offered in the Gospel by Jesus Christ. This particularly applies to the idea of the outward call which is indiscriminate, and the inward call of the Spirit in the heart which is particular. His main text is, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation,” (Hebrews. 2:3). He teaches the main doctrine that salvation revealed and offered in the Gospel is great and glorious, and the neglect of it will bring upon men great and unavoidable misery. His third piece is to prompt a serious consideration that God through Christ will visit and judge all men for their sin, taken from Job 31:14, “What then shall I do when God rises up? and when he visits, what shall I answer him?” Here he outlines the reality that though the Gospel is preached among the nations, and men hear it, what good will it do them if they do not receive it and heed its call? What will they do when God rises up against them at judgment? And if they neglect the Gospel, God’s only means of escaping the wrath to come, they will find themselves at their mortal end standing before a holy Judge who will sentence them accordingly by his law, for their sins.

This work by Whiddon is his only known work. It was primarily prepared for his flock to teach them and remind them about living well before God with a conscience that is purified (regenerated) and pacified (put at peace) by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Spirit of Christ. His principle text is Hebrews 13:18, “For we trust we have a good conscience, willing in all things to live honestly.” Whiddon called this work “his tract” to his flock that they might read over and study the contents so as not to forget how to live their life before Christ and men with a “good conscience.” He covers the definition and meaning of a good conscience; the opposed nature of a natural conscience; the means to purify and pacify a fallen sinner’s conscience; how to hold onto a good conscience and how to exercise it. Edmund Calamy makes a notation of Whiddon in his work “The Nonconformist’s Memorial” and notes the exceptional character of Whiddon in passing, and the popularity of this work, “The Golden Topaz.” This is not a scan or facsimile, has been updated in modern English for easy reading and has an active table of contents for electronic versions.

In this study, McMahon considers the universal and perpetual teaching of loving God and loving one’s neighbor, as it pertains to the heart, soul and mind of a Christian. His main text is taken from Christ’s words in Matt. 22:37-39, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” The love that Christians ought to have in light of biblical reformation, consist in loving God with all the heart, soul and mind, and loving one’s neighbor. Though this is often thought of as a nice “religious” sentiment, many Christians have no idea how that works out in the life of the Christian. Where did Jesus get such a notion, and what was he teaching? Biblical reformation is set within this “love to God” and that without it, no one can ever be reformed, and no revival will ever take place in the whole world. In this, Jesus’ words are far reaching, and they are a basic fundamental tenant of the Christian religion. Jesus did mean what he in fact said, to love God in heart, soul and mind is loving him in a superlative degree, the highest degree. Does this seem impossible? How does reformation and loving God fit together? And how does reformation of the heart, soul and mind for God’s glory and our good work itself out in light of Scripture? This is the substance of this work.