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Can you then be indifferent to the religion of your offspring, without being indifferent to their welfare? While you say by your practice that it is nothing to you whether they be pious or vicious, do you not, at the same time, and in the most undeniable manner, declare, that it is nothing to you whether they be respectable or infamous; loved or abhorred of God; saved, or lost for ever?

Baxter

And, the second is this-the probability of their becoming religious by your means. gives it as his opinion, that if family religion were duly attended to, the public preaching of the word would not long be the common method of conversion. Without adopting this sentiment in all its extent, we may observe, that there is certainly enough to encourage the heads of families to exert themselves, and to condemn them, if they do not. If the crop be so valuable, who would not sow, especially if he could sow in hope? And who knows not the force of early impressions, and the strength of early habits? Who has not read, Train up a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. In such families there has generally been a seed to serve the Lord. And this has appeared not only in children; for how often have servants had reason to say, "Blessed be God, that ever I entered that family: there were the eyes of my understanding opened, and there were my feet turned into the way of peace."

MASTERS and Parents, I have thus endeavoured to bring into a small compass the arguments for the worship of God in your families. On a subject so frequently discussed, novelty was not to

be expected-but I hope that what has been said, will be found sufficient to convince your judgment and determine your practice.

I cannot conclude the address without lamenting that there is so little attention paid to family worship, in a country professedly Christian, and in a period supposed to witness an increase of godly zeal. There is no more religion in the families of some who pretend to believe the scriptures, than there would be if they were Atheists. To see many attending so regularly and frequently the preaching of the gospel, would lead to a conclusion, or at least a hope, that they were the true worshippers of God; but when we follow them home to their own dwellings, we find them no better than heathens. Heathens! forgive me this wrong-I blaspheme you by the comparison; you had your household gods, which you daily worshipped, and which nothing could induce you to resign-I only ask you to be consistent. If you are Christians, be Christians. If you are Israelites, be Israelites indeed!

It may be asked, whether we imagine that there is any peculiar deficiency with regard to family devotion in our day? And to this we readily answer, we are persuaded there is and it appears both in the frequent neglect, and the superficial performance of it, especially contrasted with the commonness of profession, and the frequency of public ordinances. We wish to speak freely, but without meaning to give offence. It is easy to see in the lives of our good old forefathers, what a value they set upon the morning and evening worship of God in their houses.With them it was an object, and an object of first-rate importance; they entered upon it with

seriousness and preparation: they arrange their worldly business, and their household affairs in a subserviency to it: public worship did not exclude it, or drive it up into a corner. But of late years an undue stress has been laid on public exercises; and opportunities of hearing have been so multiplied, as to produce a kind of religious dissipation so that persons of a religious character, as well as persons of a worldly, are seldom at home; there is some entertainment every evening in the week; and every hour of the Sabbath. And hence, there is very little inclination or time for family duty. It is so much easier to go and lounge in a place of worship, and hear some new performer, than to retire into the closet to examine the heart, and call together a family, and endeavour to instruct and impress them, that we cannot help wondering how it was ever possible for the former to be looked upon as a greater test of piety than the latter!-God forbid that we should decry public worship, or the preaching of the word; he has commanded us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is-but that man is surely under a mistake who thinks to please God by incessantly running from one public opportunity to another, while he leaves his children to run wild, to grow up in ignorance, and to profane the Sabbath.

I have stated the case strongly, but where this evil does not prevail in the extreme, it operates in the degree, and I cannot help sincerely wishing that the cause of the complaint could be removed. It is very desirable that useful bodies of men should be rendered more useful, and this in the case before us could be easily done, if those who have the lead would more strenuously incul

cate the importance of family religion, and regulate the length and frequency of their public services accordingly.

There is another thing, which, because it has a relation to the subject before us, I notice. Of late years a considerable number of persons not in the ministry have been stimulated to go of a Saturday evening, or Sunday morning into the towns and villages as occasional preachers. The motive was laudable, but it has also contributed to the effect we have deplored; families are thus frequently bereaved of their head on the Sabbath -and who knows not that the Sabbath is the principal day in which men of business can be much in a religious sense with their families? I hardly know how to censure this-and I do not in every instance. But it may be well to ask, whether God ever calls us to a course which requires us to neglect or violate those duties which he has enjoined in his word? In a general way the ministry requires a man's whole attention.And when Providence has furnished the means of a respectable introduction to the office by institutions for improvement, it is a duty to avail ourselves of them.

But to return. Let me beseech masters of families with all imaginable importunity not to think this practice a matter of indifference which they are at liberty to perform or neglect. It is a duty; it is a duty of unspeakable importance.Do not therefore put it off longer-begin this very evening, and before you lie down in your beds honour God in your families.

"We have no time!" But what time does it require? Out of four and twenty hours cannot you furnish a few moments for God, or rather

for yourselves? Would you think that time lost which is best employed? "There is nothing got by stealing, or lost by praying." Surely if you have no time at present, you could redeem a little by order, by economy, by diligence. "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.”

But I have not capacity!" Have you ever fairly made the trial?-Would not your ability increase by exercise !-Is it not a want of inclination rather than of power? "Where there is a will, there is a way." And this would be the case here for you would find that if incapable of leading the devotion of the family extemporaneously, you could furnish yourselves with excellent forms; and it is to be lamented that prejudice should ever preclude the use of them when it is needful.

"But I have neglected it so long that I am ashamed to begin!" You ought to be ashamed of sin, but not of duty. You ought to be ashamed that you have lived so long without it, but you ought not to be ashamed that you are wiser and better than you once were.-Again. You say, "if"-But I will answer no more of your objections. They are only excuses-and you know— yes, you know that they do not satisfy your own consciences now, and will avail you nothing in the great and terrible day of the Lord.

But some of you live in the habit of family worship. It will not, therefore, be amiss to conclude with a few words by way of direction.

Be spiritual in the performance. There is great danger of formality, where things customarily return, and with little possiblity of variation.

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