Secondly, That these five Brethren being at Home together in their Father's House, and living there wickedly together, is an Argument of a wicked Family; wherein there was no fear of God, nor any thing of Religion practifed or taught. The Rich Man defires that Lazarus might be fent to his Father's Houfe or Family. Now had that Houfe or Family been well Inftructed, difciplin'd and govern'd, as Father Abraham took care that his fhould be, Commanding his Children, and bis Houshold after him, that they might keep the way of the Lord, as God himself teftifies of him, Gen. 16. Had the Children of the Rich Man's Father been by him (as the Apostle orders all Parents to deal with their Children, Eph. 5. brought up in the neurture and admonition of the Lord, it is probable that we fhould have heard of fome one or other Vertuous and Religious Person in fo numerous a Family. For tho' Some might mifcarry under the belt fort of Education, yet is it hardly conceiveable, that in a Religiously order ed Family, of Six Sons there fhould not one prove a Good Man. Had the Father taken care to have the Scriptures daily Read, and to fee the whole Family duly Catechized, and to set up a conftant course of Worshiping God in his House, ufing the Authority which God had given him over every Member therein, to command at leaft an Outward Conformity in all good things, a and fuffering no Difobedient Perfon to abide under his Roof, it is very probable, that God would have blessed his pious care with better fuccefs, and that one, at least of fix, would have been well season'd with the Principles of Piety and Goodness. Wherever these things are neglected, it is certain, that fome one at least of the Family is wick ed, ed, and then it is no great wonder if all the reft, one after another, take the infection, and follow the ill Example. Families void of Religion are the Nurseries of Hell for in, fuch Families all the care that is taken, is only; for the World, and the Flesh; and Children are taught nothing elfe but fashionable Sins, and how to fit themfelves with a great deal of formality and modifnefs for eternal deftruction: They are inftructed very carefully, even for good manners fake, to practise immorality; and either by no breeding, or that which is called good breeding, to make fure that they miss not their way to Hell. One would think, that once reading of this Parable, tho' no other part of Scripture were ever read, in fuch Families, should make them a little afraid to live fo brutishly, as many do; as if, who ever elfe had a concern in the house, God had nothing to do there. To hear how the Rich-man in torments cried out to have his Brethren in his Father's boufe better inftructed, and all to prevent their being at laft tormented with him, fhould, in all reason, move fuch Families to endeavour a feasonable Reformation; and, indeed, should be in effect, the very fame thing to them, as tho' one rofe again from the Dead to testify unto them.. 2. From this, That the wicked Man in Hell requests a kindness to be fhew'd to his furviving Brethren upon Earth, it may not improbably be inferr'd, That wicked Men in Torments may wish well, and bear fome Good Will to their Friends whom they have left behind them. The Rich Man is reprefented as one not a little concern'd for his Brethren, and afraid left they should at last be in as fad a condition as himself. I fhall not dare pofitively to fay, what kind of Affection it it, that fuch wretched Souls can have for any one? because it is a thing no where clearly reveal'd unto us. This portion of Scripture, which we are now confidering, is a Parable, and no Hiftory: And the Perfons here made ufe of, are reprefented to us, as tho' we faw them in the fame condition here spoken of; and heard them fo difcourfing one with another, and defiting fuch things of, or for one another, as we think that we our felves, were we in their cafe, would do; confidering the Affections that now we feel in our felves. And therefore of this matter I fhall dare to fay no more but this. First, That they who are in Hell, can have no fuch thing in them as the Grace of Christian Charity. For that is the most excellent of all Chriftian Graces, which no Man can have, and go to Hell: To love Men, even all Men, for God's fake; and becaufe of God's Image, and heartily to wifh 'em, tho' they be our Enemies, as Well and Happy, as we with our felves; to defire that all Men may be Good, and more like unto God, that they may be for ever bleffed; is, that which no Man can do, but he that loves God and Goodness firft; and who doth fo, is a very good Man, and cannot be tormented in Hell. Secondly, I know nothing to the contrary, but that a Man in Hell may ftill have a natural Affecti· on and kindness for fome, efpecially his near Relati ons, and once dear Friends on Earth. And thus I am fure the Rich Man in Hell is here reprefented to us by our blessed Saviour, as having a kindnefs for his five Brethren, who were yet living in his Father's Houfe. Only we are not told either, First, That this kindness of his extended any farther, than to them of his Father's Houfe: We can cannot therefore tell, whether he wifh'd as well to any others, whether Good or Bad, as he did to them. And I cannot think it incredible, that a wicked Man, who, how wicked foever he may otherwise be fuppos'd to have been, had, when living, a natural Affection for fome of his nearest kindred, fhould have the fame Affection for them in Hell. It is certain that fome of the wicked t Perfons alive are not without fuch an Affection for their kindred; yea, and are most unreasonably fond of them to a Sin; to that hight of fondneß, which no good Man dares cherifh in himfelf; and then, why may they not have fo much kindness for them ftill after Death, as to wish they may never come into the place of torments? And yet, Secondly, we are not inform'd, whether or no this Affection of his for them, arofe from the natural relation they had to one another as Brethren, Children of the fame Father; or rather from their likeness of Temper and Humour, fo that he lov'd them, and wish'd them well, rather because they were his Brethren in Iniquity, and his Companions in Sin, and the only Perfons on that account in whom he could delight. Their Education, and their natural Temper was much the fame; and they had rejoyc'd whilft they liv'd together, in one another's Company, and Fellowship, in all finful courfes. And if fo, why might he not now wifh for them, at leaft fo much good, as that they might never come into the Torments, which he now endured? Laftly, it is not certain, whether this his Request for his Brethren was made in kindness to them, or rather to bimfelf only. His feeming concern and care for their Jafety, might poffibly be in truth nothing elfe but a fearful apprehenfion of greater Torments which he himself should feel, if they were fent tó be tormented with him. He and they had been a long time, it may be, Confederates in Sin. They had enticed, and perfuaded one another to it, they had encourag'd one another in it, they had mutually contributed as much as they could to each others finful delights, they had belp'd one another to drive away the melancholy Thoughts of future Torments, and binder'd one another from hearkening to good Advice, and from entertaining any fear of Judgment to come, and of being call'd to an account, they had help'd one another to laugh the good Man out of countenance, and to make fport with the Preacher, that call'd on them to repent; to drive away the Thoughts of Repentance, and to defpife every thing that tended to draw 'em off from a Life of Pleasure and Follity. To fee thefe dear Friends of his, or rather of his Sin, come into the same place of Torments, must needs many ways aggravate his own Sufferings, had he really any love to them? This must add to his Torments, to fee those whom he loved tormented with him. Was it only Self-love which made him fo careful to prevent their being tormented with him? There was reafon for it, to fee them tormented with him, who might, it may be, have efcaped thofe Torments, had they not been tempted by him to venture upon them, to be thus made fenfible of that Sin, and it's ill Effects, which had been fo much his delight, as not only doing evil Things himself, but taking pleasure in them that did them; to hear them curfing him for his former kindnefs, and curfing the day that he became their Brotber, or that they ever kept him Company upon; this must needs make their Torment's his own, feeing their Sins had been, in a great mea fure, |