But if they
do not save them, if their mercy do them no good, yet it will
greatly ease them at the day of death to consider, I have done by
love as much as I could to save and deliver my child from hell.
Let them that name the name of Christ depart from family-iniquity.
There is a house-iniquity--an iniquity that loves not to walk
abroad, but to harbor within doors. This the holy man David was
aware of; therefore he said that he would behave himself wisely, in
a perfect way; yea, saith he, "I will walk within my house with a
perfect heart."
Many that show like saints abroad, yet act the part of devils when
they are at home by giving way to this house-iniquity. This iniquity
meeteth the man and his wife at the very threshold of the door, and
will not suffer them to enter, no, not with one foot into the house,
in peace: but how far this is from walking together as heirs of the
grace of life, is easy to be determined. Men should carry it in love
to their wives, as Christ doth to his church; and wives should carry
it to their husbands, as the church ought to carry it to her
Saviour, Eph. 5: 21-28; 1 Pet. 3: 7; and until each relation be
managed with respect to these things, this house-iniquity will be
cherished there. Oh, God sees within doors as well as without, and
will judge too for the iniquity of the house as well as for that
more open.
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