taste the delight which certain objects are adapted to afford. This is a most essential part of religion; here is its proper seat.

Ezra

1. It implies a preparation of heart for religious duties. "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it," to dis engage his mind from vain imaginations, from worldly thoughts, from every thing, in short, foreign to the spirit of religion. By a diligent perusal of a portion of the word of God, we are prepared to approach him; by hearing him when he speaks to us, we are fitted to speak to him.

He who rushes into the presence of the Most High without solemn deliberation, without reflecting on the weighty and serious nature of such an undertaking, can with little propriety be said to have "engaged his heart."

2. It includes the exercise of suitable affections in the services of religion, the being susceptible of such sentiments and dispositions as are correspondent to the universal object of worship, as well as to the diversified circumstances in which [we are placed.] Love, reverence, and trust, a profound sense of our own meanness and pollution, belong universally to every approach to God. While these dispositions, in truly pious souls, will receive a colour and complexion from their peculiar condition,-according as it is a condition of joy or sorrow, of sensible consolation or of desertion, is depressed with a consciousness of guilt or exhilarated with a sense of pardon, the soul sometimes, with little reflection on its own state, will be taken up with adoring views of the Divine glory, delightfully losing itself in the vivid contemplation of the great All in All. At other times it will be occupied with an affecting view of the conduct of God towards it in providence and grace. "We thought of thy loving-kindness in the midst of thy temple." There are seasons again, when, under burdens of guilt and distress, it will be incessantly stirring itself up to take hold upon God. "Have mercy upon me, O Lord: my soul is bowed down within me; my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness."+

In such circumstances the pious soul will resemble Jacob, who wrestled with the angel, wept, and made supplication. In all these various exercises the heart will be engaged, in approaching to God: the heart will be mingled with it, as the expression signifies.

3. It includes constancy and unshaken firmness, steadfastness of resolution to cleave to God. "I have sworn," says David," and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments. I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even unto the end." Contrast this with the conduct of the children of Israel at the Red Sea, and with Saul.

*Psalm xlviii. 9.

VOL. III.-I

Psalm vi. 2; xxxviii. 5, 6.

XXVI.

ON FAMILY WORSHIP.

CHRON. xvi. 43.—And all the people departed, every man to his house: and David returned to bless his house.

PUBLIC exereises of religion, when properly conducted, have a happy tendency to prepare the mind for those of a more private nature. When the soul is elevated and the heart softened by the feelings which public worship is calculated to inspire, we are prepared to address the throne of Grace with peculiar advantage; we are disposed to enter with a proper relish on such a duty, and thus "go from strength to strength." David, at the time to which this passage refers, had been assisting at a great and joyful solemnity, that of bringing the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom, where it had abode three months, to the place which he had prepared for it. The joy which David felt on this interesting occasion was very rapturous. He conducted it to Jerusalem, and set it in the midst of the tent he had pitched for it. He offered, as a testimony of his zeal and devotion, burnt-offerings and sacrifices to God, and then closed the solemnity.

We need be at no loss to ascertain the import of this expression. It undoubtedly signifies his imploring the blessing of God upon his people by prayer and supplication. Under the ancient law, God was pleased to appoint a form in which Aaron the high-priest was com manded to bless the people. "On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."*

This instructs us how to understand what is meant by " David's returning to bless his house;" it was to present them to God in prayer, and entreat his blessing upon them.

I shall take occasion from these words to urge upon you the duty of family prayer; a duty, I fear, too much neglected among us, though it is one of high importance and indispensable obligation. In bringing this subject before you, I shall, first, attempt to show the solid reasons on which it is founded; and, secondly, endeavour, with the blessing of God, to suggest a few hints respecting the best method of performing it.

1. The passage before us invites us to consider it as a practice by which good men have been distinguished in every age.

It pleads the sanction of the highest example. It was exemplified, we see, in the conduct of David, "the sweet psalmist of Israel,” “the man after God's own heart;" a great victorious prince, who did not suppose the cares of royalty a sufficient reason for neglecting it. In the various removals of Abraham from place to place, we find that

*Num. vi. 23-26.

wherever he came to sojourn he built an altar, to call upon the name of the Lord: an altar at which, there is the greatest reason to believe, he was wont to assemble his family, and to present his addresses on their, as well as his own, behalf. We know, from the testimony of Scripture, that he was eminently conspicuous for the care he took of the religious instruction of his household. This part of his character is attested in the following emphatic manner: "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that I may bring upon Abraham that which I have spoken of him."*

But wherein, we may safely ask, was this solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his household displayed, if he never bowed the knee before them in prayer; never exemplified before their eyes so important a duty as that of devout supplication to the Almighty?

In the history of Isaac we read of his building an altar at Beersheba, and calling upon the name of the Lord. Such also was the custom of Jacob at the different places where he fixed his habitation. On one of these occasions we find him thus addressing his household: "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."†

Thus ancient is the practice on which we are now insisting. It appears to have formed a prominent part of the religion of patriarchal times, and it has subsisted in every period of the Christian church.

In later ages, who among the devoted servants of Christ can be mentioned who have neglected it? The pious reformers, the venerable founders of the Established Church of England, we know, conscientiously practised and earnestly enforced it; and so did our pious forefathers among the nonconformists. This was a branch of their conduct for which they incurred the ridicule of a careless and ungodly world; and in their days it was ever recognised as an inseparable appendage of true piety. They would have required no further proof of the absence of the fear of God in a family than the want of a domestic altar, at which its members might call on the name of the Lord.

2. Family prayer is a natural and necessary acknowledgment of the dependence of families upon God, and of the innumerable obligations they are under to his goodness. The union of mankind in families is ascribed to God, and is a distinguished [mark] of his lovingkindness. 66 "He setteth the solitary in families." "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children."Ş The ties of domestic society are of his forming: the birth and preservation of children are eminent instances of his favour and beneficence. It is surely incumbent on families, then, to acknowledge him in their domestic relation.

Every family is a separate community, placed under one head, and governed by laws independent of foreign control. This sort of society is the root and origin of every other; and as it is the most ancient, so » Psalm cxiil. 9.

* Gen. xviii. 19.

Gen. xxxv. 2, 3.

Psalm lxviii. 6.

it is bound together by ties [the most] tender and sacred. Every other social bond in which men are united is loose and incidental, compared to that which unites the members of the same family.

On what, let me ask, does the obligation of social worship rest? Is it not in the social nature by which man is distinguished? It is because we are destined to live in society, and are bound together by mutual wants and sympathies, that it becomes a duty to worship the Creator in a social manner. Man being essentially a social creature, his religion takes the form of his nature, and becomes social.

Supposing the justice of these observations to be admitted, they conclude with the greatest force in favour of the obligation of family worship. Does the duty of social worship result from man's being placed in society? Here is the closest and most intimate society. Is it right that mercies received in common shall be publicly acknowledged; that the interposition of Divine goodness we in common want should be implored in company with each other? Here is a perfect identity of wants and necessities; a closer conjunction of interests than can possibly subsist in any other situation. In an affectionate and well-ordered family, that quick sympathy is felt which pervades the members of the body: if one member suffer, all suffer with it; or if one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

No earthly blessing can befall the head of a family in which its members do not share the benefit: no calamity can befall him without spreading sadness and distress through the household. Whatever is suffered, or whatever is enjoyed, extends its influence through the whole circle. Whoever, consequently, reflects on the true foundation of social worship must perceive that the arguments which evince its propriety apply to the worship of families with still greater cogency, in proportion as the ties of domestic union are more close and intimate than all others. It is hardly possible to conceive of two individuals who are actuated by a principle of true religion, passing years together under the same roof without uniting in their addresses to a throne of Grace. We feel a persuasion that two such individuals, though nowise related to each other, will be led to signalize their union by acts of social piety, and that as they must often "hold sweet counsel together," so they will frequently be disposed to pour out their united supplications to God.

How much more may this be expected to take place between those who are united in the close relation of husbands and wives, parents and children! It most assuredly will, unless that ingredient in the character be wanting which in the former instance was supposed,—a principle of real piety. Thus we perceive that family religion is the natural result of the social nature of man, when sanctified by Divine grace; that it is, in truth, a most important branch of social religion. Viewed in that light, it is clearly comprehended within the extent of the injunction, of "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance." 99*

3. The duty we are recommending is enforced by its tendency,

* Eph. vi. 18.

under the blessing of God, to form the minds of children and servants to the love and practice of religion. On those persons, if there be any such present, who look upon religion to be a delusive fancy, instead of the most important concern in the world, we despair of making any impression in this discourse: but with those who believe it to be the one thing needful, the consideration now mentioned will have considerable weight.

Nothing is more certain than that whatever we wish others to practise, we must exemplify in our conduct as well as enjoin. The truth of this observation extends to every branch of conduct without exception. Would we wish to impress on young persons a sound regard to veracity? we must maintain a strict regard to it in our own intercourse with mankind. Are we desirous to train up our families in the observation of the rules of justice? we must take care to signalize our attachment to it by exemplary uprightness in our own behaviour. In every department of moral and religious conduct, we must not only point out the path, but lead the way. The application of this remark to the subject in hand is extremely obvious. Your wish, we take it for granted, is to train up your children in the fear of the Lord, and, as a necessary [branch] of this, in the practice of prayer. Is it likely you will succeed in that wish while you neglect to afford them an example of what you wish them to practise? What, under the blessing of Divine grace, is so calculated to impress them with a conviction of the importance of prayer, as the being called at stated intervals to take part in your devout supplications to God? While they witness your constancy, assiduity, and fervour in this exercise, they cannot fail of acknowledging its importance, without avowing a contempt of parental example.

A household in which family prayer is devoutly attended to, conjoined with the reading of the Scriptures, is a school of religious instruction. The whole contents of the sacred volume are in due course laid open before them. They are continually reminded of their relation to God and the Redeemer, of their sins and their wants, and of the method they must take to procure pardon for the one and the relief of the other. Every day they are receiving "line upon line, and precept upon precept." A fresh accession is continually making to their stock of knowledge; new truths are gradually opened to their view, and the impressions of old truths revived. A judicious parent will naturally notice the most striking incidents in his family in his devotional addresses; such as the sickness, or death, or removal for a longer or shorter time, of the members of which it is composed. His. addresses will be varied according to circumstances. Has a pleasing event spread joy and cheerfulness through the household? it will be noticed with becoming expressions of fervent gratitude. Has some calamity overwhelmed the domestic circle? it will give occasion to an acknowledgment of the Divine equity; the justice of God's proceedings will be vindicated, and grace implored through the blood of the Redeemer to sustain and sanctify the stroke.

When the most powerful feelings and the most interesting circum