A Church in the House
S. Hayward. 1 Corinthians 16:19-21 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.… I. CHURCHES ARE SOCIETIES DEVOTED TO GOD, CALLED OUT OF THE WORLD, TAKEN IN OUT OF THE COMMON TO BE INCLOSURES FOR GOD. He hath set them apart for Himself; and, because He hath chosen them, they also have chosen Him, and set themselves apart for Him. The Jewish Church was separated to God for a peculiar people, a kingdom of priests. Thus our houses must be churches; with ourselves we must give up our houses to the Lord, to be to Him for a name and a people. All the interest we have, both in our relations and in our possessions, must be consecrated to God; as, under the law, all that the servant had was his master's for-ever, after he had consented to have his ear bored to the door-post. II. CHURCHES ARE SOCIETIES EMPLOYED FOR GOD, PURSUANT TO THE TRUE INTENT AND MEANING OF THIS DEDICATION. 1. Keep up family doctrine. (1) You must read the Scriptures to your families, inquiring sometimes whether they understand what you read. (2) You must also catechise your children and servants so long as they continue in that age of life which needs this milk. 2. Keep up family worship. You must not only, as prophets, teach your families, but as priests, must go before them in offering the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise. (1) You ought to make family acknowledgments of your dependence upon God and His providence, as you are a family. (2) You ought to make family confessions of your sins against God; those sins you have contracted the guilt of in your family capacity. (3) You ought to offer up family thanksgivings for the blessings which you, with your families, receive from God. (4) You ought to present your family petitions for the mercy and grace which your families stand in need of. (5) You ought to make family intercessions for others also. There are families you stand related to, or which by neighbourhood, friendship, or acquaintance you become interested in, and concerned for, and these you should recommend in your prayers to the grace of God, and your family that are joined with you in the alliances should join with you in those prayers. 3. Keep up family discipline, that so you have a complete church in your house, though in little. Reason teacheth us, "that every man should bear rule in his own house" (Esther 1:22). And since that, as well as other power, is of God, it ought to be employed for God, and they that so rule, must be just, ruling in His fear. (1) Countenance everything that is good and praiseworthy in your children and servants. (2) Discountenance everything that is evil in your children and servants. Use your authority for the preventing of sin, and the suppressing of every root of bitterness, lest it spring up and trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. (S. Hayward.) Parallel Verses KJV: The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. WEB: The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house.