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a man above the obligation of family-worship, rather bind it more strictly on him: and that it is below no man of any station whatsoever to perform this office, appears by the example in my text; the example of one in the most elevated station known among men, returning from the public worship of God to bless his household.

Others plead, that it has not been the practice of their families, and that they are not inclined to bring a new custom into it. To these I answer, that the reason of this duty is as old as eternity itself, and the practice of it is as ancient as the first family of mankind. In every suceeeding age, down to the present day, there have been families in which God was worshipped, and there will be such until the end of the world. Nay, I dare venture to affirm, that there are few now hearing me, whose fathers or grandfathers did not at least maintain the form of this duty. For, however much it is despised now, it is certain, that it was in reputation about an hundred years ago, and generally practised by men of all ranks. It deserves, therefore, to be inquired into, when, or by whom, and for what cause, this good old custom was laid aside? what was the shameful period in which the worship of God was turned out of doors to make way for irreligion, and a contempt of divine things? Then, indeed, a most base and dishonourable innovation was made in your families: and therefore it must be your glory to restore things to their ancient state, and to give the worship of God that room in your houses which it formerly possessed.

But if it be really true, that this important duty has been always neglected in your families, believe me it is now high time to introduce it. Your danger is greater than you are aware of. Punishment loseth nothing by delay; the slower it advances, the heavier it will

prove. And therefore you have reason to fear, that the wrath of God, which has been so long restrained, shall at length break forth with double violence, if it is not prevented by a speedy reformation.

Another excuse, by which some defend their neglect of this duty, is their inability to perform it well. They cannot pray to God in public in so decent a manner as they would incline. In answer to this, I need only observe, that, next to the divine blessing, nothing contributes more to teach men to pray than frequent practice and use. So that, if upon this account you neglect the duty, your inability can pass for nothing else than a feigned pretence to cover your unwillingness; for, were you as willing to learn to pray, as to acquire the knowledge of any art, you would soon by diligent endeavours obtain a competent measure of this excellent gift. Besides, if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath; it is the sincerity of your desires which God regards, and not the expressions with which you clothe them; and if you set about this duty in good earnest, and in the best manner you can, though perhaps you may come short of what you wish, God will both accept and assist you in your humble and well meant attempts to honour him.

Upon the whole, then, may I not hope that you will hearken to what I have said? God is now offering himself to be your guest; and is, by us, demanding an entrance into your hearts and into your houses. And can you resolve on refusing him? Shall the great King of heaven thus stand at your doors and knock, and yet meet with a repulse? If the authority of God has any weight with you; if your reason can prevail with you; if your own immortal souls, or the souls of those who dwell with you, appear worthy of your regard; in a

word, if duty, gratitude, or interest, can move you, all these conspire to enforce my exbortation, and to plead the cause of family-worship. And must these powerful advocates plead in vain? must they turn evidences against you, and appear at last in judgment to condemn you? God forbid. I desire to hope better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak.

May the spirit of all grace seal these instructions, and powerfully determine you to the practice of this duty, that, by the exercise of social worship here below, you may be gradually prepared for the more exalted worship of the triumphant society above, who all with one beart, and one voice, ascribe salvation to him that sitteth on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON XLVI.

Preached before the Society in Scotland for propagating Christian Knowledge, January 4, 1784.

MATTHEW vi. 10.

-Thy Kingdom come.

THE correspondence between heaven and earth is preserved and conducted by Christ alone; "For no man cometh," or can come, "to the Father but by him." John xiv. 6. It is he who presents all our homage to God; it is he who transmits to him all our petitions; and by his hands all mercy and grace are conveyed to us.

Our most fervent prayers, the devoutest breathings of our souls, must not only be purged from that defilement which cleaves to them, but even in their greatest purity, they must be offered up in his censer, in order to their acceptance, and can only ascend by the incense of his sacrifice.

It should therefore be our first care, in all our approaches to the throne of grace, to solicit the favour of this powerful Mediator, and to procure his friendly interposition in our behalf; and then we shall have no cause to dread a repulse; for his intercession is, and must be, always prevalent. The dignity of his person, his relation to the Father, and especially the perfection of that sacrifice upon which his intercession is founded, effectually secure acceptance to us; so that if once we are fully persuaded that our requests are framed according to his will, we need have no distrustful anxiety about their success, for he will enforce them with all the merit of his own blood; and therefore we may confidently hope to obtain what we ask, in that time and way which unerring Wisdom sees best for us: "For this," says the apostle John, "is the confidence which we have in the Son of God, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, we know that we have the petitions we desired of him." 1 John v. 14, 15.

This, my brethren, is an abundant source of consolation and joy; and though our desires are limited to such things as are agreeable to the will of our Redeemer ; yet by this very limitation our comfort is extended, and prayer becomes a privilege of infinitely greater value than otherwise it would be. An unconfined liberty in our addresses to God would, in most cases (to such ignorant and unthinking creatures as we are) amount to noth

159 ing better than the choice of the means and manner of our own destruction. (Eccl. vi. 12.) "For who knoweth what is good for a man in this life:" Whereas our glorious High Priest, who is perfectly acquainted with our state, can never be at a loss to know what is good for us; and the costly proofs he hath already given of his mercy and love, leave us no room to suspect his concern for our welfare. The least reflection on his sufferings may easily convince us, that he sincerely intends our happiness, and can disapprove of nothing but what is hurtful to our interest. Neither hath he left it to the uncertain conjectures and doubtful reasonings of our own minds, to find out what is agreeable to him; this is clearly revealed to us in the holy Scriptures: and to render the discovery of it still more easy to us, he hath furnished us with a short but perfect model of devotion in this comprehensive prayer which he taught his disciples; by attending to which, we may learn from his own mouth after what manner we should address the throne of grace, and what ought to be the matter and order of our desires. Hereby the surest foundation is laid for our confidence and hope; and whatever is according to this divine pattern, we may ask with full assurance of faith, being confident that he who hath secured for us all the blessings which we need, will certainly listen to those desires which he himself hath excited and authorised. "And if we know that he heareth us," we may from thence certainly conclude, "that we shall have the petitions we desired of him."

I shall not detain you with any account of the several parts of this excellent prayer, nor the particular design for which our Lord introduced it in this sermon: Only, to make way for the instructions I propose to lay before you on this occasion, I shall observe in general,

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