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but be domestical: whether you look back as high as Abel, or look forward at your leisure. Do but peruse the short history of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in all their several commorations and commigrations; you hear of their settling no where, or removing no whither, but there was presently an altar built for worship, and for calling on the name of the Lord. You have a treatise on those passages, called "A family altar," written by a worthy servant of Christ, Mr. Oliver Heywood; which would be of singular use for those who have a mind to peruse a short book on this subject. You read of two aitars set up, in one chapter, upon a twofold removal of that great saint Abraham at such a place he pitcheth, and there he builds an altar. And by and by to such a place he removes, and there he places an altar for calling on the name of the Lord, for the solemn worship of his family. Gen. 12. 7, 8. So you find it afterwards, to be with Isaac, and Jacob in their removals, or in their settlings, this way or that, or in this place or that.

That instance also of Job is very considerable to this purpose; who, in the absence of his sons and daughters offers sacrifices for them, Job. 1. 5. Which could never be unaccompanied with solemn invocation and calling upon God. And thus, it is said, he did continually. It was a stated course with him; he did not omit it, when they were absent; for he must be understood to have a great family about him even then. And it is implied to have been his stated course, whether his children were with him or not; he kept up a course of familyreligion all along.

That action of David, though I do not find it taken notice of by others, seems to me to be mighty observable to this purpose; that in the history given us of his bringing home of the ark to the place which he had appointed for it, we find how greatly he was transported with the solemnity of that action and undertaking. But when all that was over, which was public and solemn, we are told, that he retired at length to bless his household, 2 Sam. 6, 20. He went home to bless his household. Nothing is more probable, than that this was a stated course with him; and that he had so contrived and ordered the work of that public solemnity, as that it might not interfere with the worship of his family: and therefore, amidst all the great pompous triumph, wherein he was more publicly engaged, upon this account he bethinks himself; "Well now my hour of prayer is come at home;" and so the matter was prudently ordered, that that solemnity being over, he might return home to perform the ordinary duty that was to be done there, that is, to bless his household, and call upon the name of the Lord there. If you compare this with

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that which was his declared resolution, in psalm 101. 2. will behave myself wisely in a perfect way ;-I will walk within my house with a perfect heart ;" "I will keep an even steady course, there shall be no baulks, no ups and downs in my way in my family;" undoubtedly meaning a way of religion. If you compare, I say, that resolution, with his sudden bethinking himself, when he had been engaged in that great solemnity but now mentioned, "Now the time is come that I must go home and bless my house;" it appears to have been a stated thing with him.

If from thence you look further to that great instance of Daniel; when he was, though a great prince in another land, yet an exile from his own; and that terrible and severe interdict was published, that for thirty days no man should pray to God or man, but to the prince of those countries only; (a snare purposely laid for Daniel's life,) you read, that he went on in his course, as he was wont to do, as it is expressly said; and no doubt but those wretched conspirators against his life knew his course, otherwise they could not have laid this snare for him. And how should they know it? It is said, Dan. 6. 10. He went into his house, and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks unto his God, as he did aforetime. It was a stated course with him, And that this must be family-prayer, and the ordinary religion of his household, is the most reasonable supposition imaginable." For otherwise, if it were secret closet-prayer, how should it be known to have been his course before? and how should they be able to accuse him now? But consider him as a great prince in a foreign country, and as having a family, and how heroic and generous a resolution he had taken up, and with how holy a fortitude and bravery of spirit, to own God against that insolent decree of the wicked creatures who would arrogate that honour to the prince that was only due to God. Considering all these things, it is with the greatest reason imaginable to be supposed, that this was a stated course with him of family-religion. He resolved, that his worship should be, as it was aforetime, open in his house. And thereupon the advantage was taken against him.

The instance of the centurion is very observable, and obseryed by many, in Acts 10. 2. He is said to be a devout man, a religious man, that feared God, (that is an ordinary expression to signify worship; he was a worshipper of God,) with all his house. He was a worshipping person, and his family a worshipping family: "And he prayed unto God alway." Afterwards you read in the chapter, that at the time when the an

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gel, appeared to him, he was praying in his house, (ver. 30.) house being put for household, as is ordinary. He was praying in his family in his ordinary course; and there he had the benign appearance of that kind messenger from heaven, to direct him to the way, by which he might come to a more distinct knowledge of the Mediator, and of worshipping God in Christ. According to the light he had, and the sincerity that God had given him in proportion thereunto, his acceptance above was. declared before. But God resolved to help him, in the method and way which he most approved, unto more distinct notices; and these he is directed how to come by, even at the time when he was engaged in his domestic performances of religion in his house.

We need not farther to insist for the eviction of this truth in the general, that there ought to be such a thing as family-religion. It were easy, if necessary, to add to all these considerations, (and it ought to have some weight,) the accounts that we otherwise have of the practice of the primitive church, in those earlier times of it whereof we have any account, since the completing of the canon of Scripture. That is, we are told by some of the ancients, and in some of the early centuries, of the twofold social prayer that was in common use among them, family-prayer and church-prayer, or prayer in their church-assemblies. We are told, what things they were wont to insist upon in prayer. Besides the spiritual blessings, which they continually and daily sought, and apprehended themselves to need, they were wont to pray for the lives of the emperors that ruled over them, though they were then pagans. And this (saith that ancient author,) was their constant practice, both in their prayers in public assemblies, and in their own houses.

Having gone through what I thought fit to offer in proof of the substance of family-religion, that there ought to be such a thing; I shall only hint this to you for a close; That the great thing, which will either facilitate or obstruct a general compliance with the mind of God in this matter, will be the consideration that men shall have of their families, that is, whether they will consider them as constitutions for this world, or for the world to come. If you can but agree with yourselves, under which of these notions to look upon your families; accordingly your compliance with the mind of God in this matter will either be facile or difficult.

It is true, we are to have a very distinct consideration of the nature of societies, from the ends of them. There are societies, that in their design, and consequently in their nature, are purely civil and others, that in their design, and conse

quently in their nature and constitution, are purely sacred. Of the former sort are kingdoms and nations and incorporate towns, and the like; they are in their very nature, because they are from their ends, purely civil. There are those that are purely sacred, as churches; the very end and design, upon which they are collected, is worship and religion. But now families are the elements of both these sorts of societies; that is, both churches and commonwealths are made up of families. Therefore both these must meet in a family, religion, and civil and secular business; for the other societies, some whereof are purely sacred, others purely civil, do arise out of families. Persons are elements of families; families are the elements, of which both churches and kingdoms or commonwealths are composed and made up. And as the one sort of these is purely civil, the other purely sacred; that which is elementary unto both, must be both. And therefore now, when any come to turn this matter in their thoughts, "I am the head of a family; but what sort of society is my family? Is it made purely for this world, or for the world to come?" Sure, where the consideration of both worlds meet, the other world should be superior or uppermost; and therefore all things must be measured there with subserviency and reference to that. But if any will say, "No; families are made only for this world;" then I would ask, What is this world made for? Is it made for nothing? Or is it made for itself, to centre in itself, and to be its own end? You can never avoid it, but that families must be supremely and ultimately made for the other world; and then they are made for religion principally and chiefly. And no man can behave himself well in any station or relation in a family, that doth not let this thought lie deep in his mind; "My family, as well as others, is a constitution made for religion, as well as for other businesses." For where both meet, that must certainly be principal.

SERMON IV.*

IN speaking of family-religion, the method proposed was, to evince the obligation to it, in reference to the substance of the thing, and then in reference to the frequency of it.

I. To the substance of the thing; that there ought to be such a thing as family-religion. The two last discourses + have been employed in the proof of this. We proceed to speak somewhat also,

II. To the more doubted frequency of such religious exercises, as lie within the compass of families, or whereof families are to be the stated seats: how often, or at what seasons such family-worship ought to be. And in reference to this,

1. I would suggest some few things, by way of preparation. As,

(1.) That it will greatly concern us all to get an habitual spirituality inwrought into the temper of our souls, in order to our making a right judgment of this matter; when, at what time, how often we ought to apply ourselves to the exercises of such family-religion. If there be a frame of spirit suitable to the general rules of practical religion and godliness, the determination of this matter will be very easy. But if there be a prevailing carnality, nothing will be more difficult. And let me in this but appeal to your own reason, to that common understanding that belongs to us as we are an intelligent sort of creatures that is, you would be loath in other instances to

* Preached December 31, 1693 † See page 392, &c.

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