will you justify your omiffion of a duty, which the light of nature and revelation teaches, by the general neglect of thofe around you? This fort of reafoning might be urged in favour of all manner of wickedness and villany. Muft we follow a multitude to do evil? No furely. Neither fhould we then follow a multitude in the omiffion of what is good and praiseworthy. But this objection, proceeding from pufilanimity, is an imputation upon your refolution, as well as your understanding. What fhameful cowardice, to fuffer yourselves to be laughed out of your duty, by people who have not fenfe enough to disguise their contempt of religion with even the shadow of a reafon! Void of all manly courage, you are lefs deferving of the authority you hold in your houfe, than the meaneft fervant in it. But the impiety of the objection is the main confideration. The language of it is, that you had rather obey men than God, endure his frowns than theirs. And think you that this will not awaken the refentments of heaven against you? Yes, the day, the awful day is coming, when it shall be told in the hearing of angels and men, that the fneer of a contemptible infidel had more weight with you than the disapprobation of him who made you. 2. Others, more through a criminal indifference to religion than a dread of the cenfure of the world, object that "their affairs are fo circumftanced that they "cannot conveniently worship God in their fami "lies." But, in how trifling a point of light muft fuch perfons view this duty! Confider, I befeech you, what has been faid of its nature, utility, and importance; and tell us whether you can seriously think, that eve ry E ry other bufinefs ought to take the precedence of this. fuafion that there is a God, and that he requires this their way paid to this duty, will all rise up in judg ment against you. O be entreated then to give no longer heed to these frivolous objections, but to fet about this business immediately, with all the attention and seriousness which its importance demands! But there is one more objection, 3. And lastly, which as it proceeds not from a contempt of religion or indifference to it, but from timid bafhfulness and weakness, deferves to be treated with tenderness and pity. It is this: "I would gladly worship God in my family, but am not qua"lified to conduct the fervice in a decent, agreeable, "and edifying manner," If this objection arifes from an apprehenfion, that by engaging in this duty you will hazard your reputation for good fenfe and elocution, in the opinion of your children and fervants, it is a very cenfurable one. It is an argument of a weak mind. For what though you do fail in eafe and propriety of expreffion, the authority you hold in your family ought furely to make you fuperior to any apprehenfions of this fort from thofe who are so much your inferiors. And it is an argument of fome defect too in your religious character. For a regard to the great God, who requires this duty of you, and in whofe prefence it is to be performed, ought to fubdue the first rifings of pride in your breaft. But you infift, that "you really have not the gift "of prayer." Let me befeech you to confider what prayer is. It is the offering our defires to God. Words are of no account in regard of him: it is the fincerity, humility, and fervency of our fpirit he looks at. In regard of others, however, words are necef jary: : fary: but if they are plain and intelligible, that is enough. Now, poffeffed of fuitable defires and affec tions, and having overcome that timidity we just spoke of, you will not be at fo great a lofs for words as you are ready to imagine. You feel your wants both temporal and fpiritual, your own and thofe of your family where then is the great difficulty of enumerating them, either more generally or particularly, and of earnestly entreating God to fupply them? You feel and enjoy thofe bleffings you have received: where then, I may add, is the great difficulty of reciting and acknowledging them with expreffions of gratitude and praise ?-Further, the way to obtain a freedom of praying in your family, is to accuftom yourfelf to free prayer in your retirements. He who regularly maintains intercourfe with God in his clofet, will foon find himself qualified for it in his family. -But even admitting that you cannot, after all, fummon together refolution enough for the profitable dif charge of this duty, you are not juftified in the neglect of family worthip for there are forms of prayer which you may ufe, and which it is infinitely better to use, than wholly to neglect this important fervice. And now this objection removed, permit me to entreat you, as you tender the honour of God, the profperity of your family, and your own comfort, to erect immediately an altar in your tent, and to offer thereon, with pure hands and fervent lips, daily facrifices of prayer and praife to heaven. Before we put a period to this difcourfe, you will allow me to detain your attention a moment to two religious exercifes, not yet mentioned, which come within the idea of Family Worfhip. The one is or dinary, dinary, and the other extraordinary. As to the former, it is the afking a blessing, and returning thanks at our meals. This is a very natural duty, and pretty generally practifed among fober people. How fit, when we fit down at our tables, to beg of God to command his bleffing on the food his providence has prepared for us! And when we rife, to make our grateful acknowledgments for the refreshments we have received! Nor are we without fufficient authority in Scripture for this practice. The apostle exhorts us, in general, "Whether we eat or drink, or "whatsoever we do, to do all to the glory of God *." And in another place tells us, that “ every creature "of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be "received with thanksgiving: for it is fanctified by "the word of God and prayer +." Our Saviour's example too has added a pleafing and most important fanction to this cuftom. When he fed the multitude in the wilderness," he took the loaves and the fishes, "and gave thanks ‡." When he inftituted the holy fupper, in commemoration of his death, " he took "bread and bleffed it; and he took the cup alfo, and gave thanks." And when he fat at meat with the difciples at Emmaus," he took bread and "bleffed it §." Nothing more need be faid, in general, to enforce this duty. But the careless manner in which it is too often performed, deferves very levere reprehenfion. The faying grace, as it is ufually called, is in most instances a meie form, as may be too fadiy fuspected from the negligent air on the countenances of moft prefent. 1 Cor X. 31. † 1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. And Mat. xv. 36. § Luke xxiv. 30. |