other hours of the day with men; and at night, what so composing as communion with God! In resigning ourselves into the arms of sleep-that image of death, what security like that of prayer! It engages Him who never slumbers nor sleeps, to watch

over us.

Has any one become remiss in secret devotion? What! tired of God? weary of communion with him? How sad the state of such a soul!

2. Do you Pray in your Family?

There are families that call not on the name of the Lord. Nor is it a new thing. There were such so long ago as when Jeremiah lived. He takes notice of them. He has a prayer about them. It seems he was divinely inspired to call down the indignation of the Lord upon such families. "Pour out thy fury," he says, "upon the families that call not on thy name. I would not like to have been a member of one of those families; and much less the head of one of them. It must have been very offensive to the Lord that there were families in which he was not acknowledged and worshiped. And if there were such families among the heathen nations that offended him, how much more must it have disPr. Thoughts.

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pleased him that there should be such families even among his people Israel! families that did not in the family capacity invoke him! I do not know why it should be less offensive now. I do not believe it is. Families are now under as great obligations to God as ever they were.

Some persons ask why we insist on family prayer as a duty. They say we cannot produce any precept enjoining it. That is true enough. But I wonder if that is not a duty, the omission of which is the subject of prophetic denunciation. I wonder if that is not by implication commanded, the neglect of which brings down the wrath of God on those guilty of the neglect. There are some things so manifestly reasonable, and of such self-evident obligation, that they need no law expressly enjoining them. It is not necessary that they should be taught in so many words.

But if we have no express precept on the subject, we have pretty good examples in favor of it. I suspect Abraham, who was so careful to instruct his household in the way of the Lord, did not neglect to pray with them. And David, I am quite confident, prayed in his family. It is said of him on one occasion, that "he returned to bless his household." No doubt there were both prayer and praise in that family. Certainly Joshua must have prayed in his house. How otherwise could he have fulfilled his resolution that his house as well as himself should

serve the Lord? What! resolve that his house should serve the Lord, and not join with them in supplication for the grace to serve him! That is not at all likely.

Now I would ask if it is not proper and right that every head of a family should adopt the resolution of him who said, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord?" But can there be religion in a house without prayer? Is there not inconsistency in saying, "I and my family will serve God, but we will have no family altar nor offering?" Is not prayer an essential part of the service of God? I wonder if any one ever lived who supposed that family prayer was not more pleasing to God than the omission of it. I wonder if any one ever omitted it for fear of being guilty of will-worship, or through dread that it might for some reason offend God? I wonder if the practice of family prayer ever distressed any conscience. The omission of it has troubled many.

It is admitted, I believe, to be the will of God that we should pray to him socially. The Lord's prayer was constructed for social use. The disciples were directed to use it when they should pray together; and it is accordingly in the plural number: not my Father, but "our Father." Now, is God to be socially worshiped, and yet not worshiped in that first, most permanent, and most interesting form of society-the form of society instituted by God himself-the family? Is that to be believed? But the

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Lord's prayer seems not only intended for social, but for daily use. Give us this day our daily bread" is one of its petitions. It does not contemplate the morrow. It asks supplies but for one day. Now if, as it appears from this reasoning, social prayer should be daily, where but in the family, the society which is abiding, and which a single roof covers, can it with propriety be daily? Should there be public religious services daily, or daily prayer-meetings for this purpose? Then, how suitable it is that those who together share their daily bread, should together daily ask it.

How reasonable and comely is household religion-family worship! Common blessings, such as families daily share, call for common thanksgivings. Common wants, such as families together feel, call for common supplications. Is it not fit that families, in retiring to rest at night, should together commit themselves to the divine keeping; and in the morning unite in praising the Lord for having been their protector? It is a clear case, it seems to me. Besides, fathers are directed to bring up their children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." But can they do this while they pray not with them and for them? I do not know how we are to comply with the apostolical exhortation to pray "every where," unless we pray in the family, as well as under other circumstances.

Is any one in doubt whether the practice or omis

sion of family prayer will be the more pleasing subject of retrospect from the dying bed, or the eternal world? Parents should not forget, that presently will come the long deferred and greatly dreaded season of taking the last look, and the last leave of those whom their decease is to make orphans. O then, what a sweet thought it will be to enter into the dying meditation, that they have been in the daily habit of bowing down with their children in prayer, and commending them to the care and grace of their heavenly Father, and that they may now indulge the confident hope that he will infinitely more than supply the paternal place which they are to leave vacant.

But what need of more argument? I suspect every body secretly admits the obligation of family prayer. I judge so from the trouble many are at to apologize for the neglect. It tries them not a little to satisfy even themselves with an excuse. The usual plea is inability. They have not the gift, they say. What gift? Can they not collect their family together night and morning? Have they not so much authority in their own house as that? And then can they not read a portion of Scripture to them; and kneeling down, express their common desires to God. If they cannot frame a prayer at the moment, yet can they not use a form? It requires no great gift to read a prayer in an audible voice. But what if it be hard at first, it will soon be easy, if persevered in. The