A Family Well
Ordered
by Cotton Mather
edited by Dr. Don
Kistler
Soli Deo Gloria
Publications
PO Box 451
Morgan,
Pennsylvania 15064
c 1699 2001 53pp
Soft Cover
The sub‑title
is "An essay to render parents and children happy in one another, handling
two very important cases."
1.
What are the duties to be done by pious parents to promote piety in their
children?
2. What are the
duties that must be paid by children to their parents that they may obtain the
blessings of the dutiful?
Since the Puritans
looked upon the family as a church they expected order in the
home as well as in the church. The Puritans understood that Scripture provided
the rules of order that made them binding on parents and children.
The book closes
with this prayer: "And, O Thou Savior and Shepherd of Thy New‑English
Israel, be entreated mercifully to look down upon Thy flocks in the wilderness.
Oh, give us not up to the blindness and madness of neglecting the lambs in the
flocks. Inspire Thy people, and all orders of men among Thy people, with a just
care for the education of posterity. Let
well‑ordered, well‑instructed, and well‑maintained schools be
the honor and the defense of our land. Let
learning, and all the helps and means of it, be precious in our esteem.
And by learning let the interests of Thy gospel so prevail that we may be
made wise unto salvation. Save us,
O our Lord Jesus Christ. Save us from the mischiefs and scandals of an
uncultivated offspring. Let this be
a land of light upon Thee, O Sun of Righteousness; arise unto the world with
healing in Thy wings. Amen."
Soli Deo Gloria is
to be commended for bringing this book to the attention of the reading public.
Dr. Kistler is providing readers an opportunity to become acquainted with
much of the best material written earlier by the Mathers and others. Depend on
Soli Deo Gloria for the best.
