for our solicitude in their behalf, and if esteem should be wanting now, the time may come, and probably will come, when they shall load our heads with unnumbered blessings, for sowing those seeds in their hearts which have sprung forth at last with such happy effects. Many a godly parent when he has taken a farewell of time, has left a child apparently travelling to perdition, in opposition to all his anxious advice, who has afterwards become a companion with him in heaven, and doubly owned him as his father.

To these means we should add,
(3.) Family prayer.

The man who neglects this can never order his household well. He relinquishes that which is necessary to make every thing prosper. God will be enquired of. We are to pray without ceasing.' Praying always with all prayer, and supplication of the Spirit.' We are not to confine our petitions to the chamber; but where the good man resides, 'he will command his children, and his household after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord.' He will erect a domestic altar to God. He will offer up, with his family, the morning and evening sacrifices of praise. He knows that they have mercies to acknowledge, and implore; that they have sins to confess, and to mourn; therefore, like holy Job, he will pray with them, and for them—Job. i. 4. 5.; like pious David, he will bless them-2 Sam. vi. 20.; and like constant Joshua, As for him, and his house, he will serve the Lord.'

To look at the families of many nominal Christians, truly the heathens make them blush. Their religion only begins every Sabbath morning, and is finished before the Sabbath night. God appears not in all their thoughts. Surely, these must be

a smoke in God's nostrils-a fire that burneth all the day.' The voice of supplication is not heard in their dwellings-the language of heaven is not known within their walls-Ichabod is written upon their doors-their dwellings are open to the destroying angel-of one of them it cannot be said by the Great Searcher of Hearts, 'I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, that they shall keep the way of the Lord;' but their feet run swift to destruction.

4. Family praise should form a part of domestic worship,

Family blessings require family praises. As family sins and wants demand family prayer, so family mercies call aloud for ascriptions of gratitude. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises to thy name, O, Most High: to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.' Ps. xciv, 1. 2. 'Let (therefore) the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another, in psalms, and hymnns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. iii. i. 6.

Before proceeding to our second observation, it may not be unnecessary, perhaps, to anticipate a few objections which may start into the minds of some.

I. It may be objected that they allow the propriety of these duties, but their time will not permit the performance of them. But is there one amongst us who raises it, but upon reviewing our conduct must acknowledge there are portions of time spent in certain occupations which might have been better substituted by family worship. Besides, God has given us time to provide for

our bodily subsistance, and shall we monopolize
it all at the expense of our souls? Shall we labour
for the meat that perisheth, and neglect the Bread
of Eternal Life? Indeed, we neglect the blessings
of both, while we neglect in our families an invo-
cation of the divine presence.
This is necessary
Joshua was

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to make every thing prosperous.
much occupied in the cares of his station, when
he determined for himself and his house to serve
the Lord.' David, in the midst of all those im-
portant concerns which devolved upon him in his
royal character, was a man who felt a powerful
interest for the welfare of his family. Hear his
dying declaration: Although my house be not
so with God, yet he hath made with me an ever-
lasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure;
for this is all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he make it not to grow.' 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.
And after he had recovered the Ark from the hands
of the Philistines, we find it said, 'that David re-
turned to bless his household.' 2 Sam. vi. 20.
Have we the cares of Joshua or David ?-no. And
admitting that we have, their conduct annihilates
our plea.

Another objection is raised.

2. That no attention will be paid to family devotion, and that our souls will feel vexed by the impiety of the ungodly branches of our house, during this solemn employment. This objection is often started, and, perhaps, takes its very rise of irreverence from the blushing manner in which this duty may occasionally have been performed, or from its total neglect. Besides, whatever the conduct of those around us may be, we are to 'command our children, and our household, to keep the way of the Lord,' and to leave the issue with Him who is the Disposer of all Events. If our

1

labours appear vain, their blood will not be upon our heads; for, we have done the will of God; and, perhaps, though faith and patience be tried long, our labours shall be blest in the end. Therefore, let us remember the exhortation, In the morning, sow thy seed, and in the evening, withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.' Ecc. xi. 6.

3. The want of talents is urged by many. But did God ever reject prayer, because it was not well arranged? Are not the breathings of the pious peasant as acceptable at the throne of heaven as those of a king? 'God be merciful to me a sinner,' was heard from the lips of a Publican, and ascended up to heaven as sweet a savour before God, as the beautiful prayer of Solomon, at the dedication of the Temple. It is not words which God seeks. It is a correspondent frame of heart. The former have often been rejected, while the latter has proved acceptable. It was a charge against them of old, "This people honour me with their mouths, and draw near to me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me."

It remains now for us to consider,

II. That family religion is a duty of the highest importance. It is a duty we owe to God, to our families, to ourselves, and to religion.

1. It is a duty we owe to God. We owe it to him.

(1.) As our Creator.

Take this in a temporal point of view, and sacrifices are due to him, as the God in whom we live, move, and have our being. 'We are his workmanship,' fearfully and wonderfully made by his hands. Know ye, that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.'

O come, therefore, let us worship and bow down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.' Ps. xcv. 6. But still more infinite are our obligations, if we are the creatures of his grace as well as of his power. 'Ye are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus;' and we are created for this very purpose, that we should bring forth good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.' Eph. ii. 10.

(2.) Family worship is a duty we owe to God, as our benefactor. Every good we have flows from him, who is the supreme source of good. He feeds the sparrow, he clothes the lily, and does he not much more-take care of us. We cannot put the least food into our mouths, before God puts it into our hands. Goodness and mercy are following us all our days. Every morning tells a tale of mercy; every evening his bounties are renewed. And shall we publicly receive, and not publicly give thanks? Shall we partake of God's good things, and not give him our unworthy services? Hear him lament the guilt of his people of old, and even now the same language is addressed to many of us: Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.

The

ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Is. 1, 2, 3.

The bounties of Providence, therefore, call aloud for our open acknowledgments; but the bounties of grace speak yet louder. What hath God done for us? Hath he called us from misery to happiness, from sin to holiness. from hell to heaven. Let us shew ourselves grateful for these blessings, and give evidences that we possess them