fecret, upon the Sabbath, then he would be no further concerned in fanctifying the Sabbath than any other member of his family; alfo, he would fanctify the Sabbath as much in communion with the members of other families as thofe of his own, which were most absurd. But it is plain, that the command lays it especially on the master of the family to take care of the fanifying of the Sabbath in his family; which must be by worfhipping God, as well as by refting from labour; otherwife he would do no more than is required of the beasts: And this he can never account for, unless he do it in communion with his family, go before them in it, and by his example, direct and encourage them in the holy worship and fervice of God upon his holy day. We have Joshua's practice fufficiently explaining this precept, Jofhua xxiv. 15. He faith not" My houfe fhall ferve the Lord;" but "I and my houfe will do it; i. e. We will jointly worship God, and fanctify his Sabbath, which are the principal parts of his fervice. This he would do, and we ought all to do, though there were no public worship in the world. And this is confirmed by Lev. xxiii. 3. which requires the Sabbath to be religioufly obferved in all our dwellings or private houses, as well as in holy convocations; by every family apart, as well as by many families together..

***But I shall demonstrate the indifpenfible neceflity of this duty of family-worship, from feveral other topics.

I. The light of nature and found reafon pleads for it on many accounts. 1. It teacheth that all focieties fhould jointly honour their founders. Now God is the Author and Founder of families, Pfal. lxviii. 6. " God fetteth the folitary in families;" and ought not families to worship him who inftituted them, and that for this very end, that "they might glorify him, and fhew forth his praise ?wi

2. The light of nature teacheth mafters of families to ufe all proper means for preventing the hurt of the family, and rescuing them from danger: And it is plain, that family prayer is a fpecial mean for this effect. The light of nature taught the heathen mariner, with his

hip's crew, Jonah i. 4. to use joint prayers to fave them in a ftorm: And we fee it was the mafter of the hip, that called this duty. Now, fhall a heathen mafter of a fhip do more in his fociety, by nature's light, than a Chriftian mafter of a family will do in his, who is privileged with the clear light of the gofpel?

13. The light of nature teacheth men to do all they can to promote the good of their families, to provide food and phyfic for their fervants and childrens bodies. And doth it not teach them alfo to use means, to preferve their fouls from wrath, and further their eternal well being? And what mean more proper for this end, than family-worship and conjunct prayer? O masters of families, your examples herein will have happy influence upon your children and fervants, both to excite them to pray, and teach them how to pray.

4. Nature's light directed the heathens to have their Lares and Penates, or household gods, whom they worfhipped in a special manner, and to whom they offered facrifices for the protection and welfare of their families: So we find in fcripture, that Laban and Micah had their Teraphim or household gods Now, though thefe were vain helpless gods, yet it fhews they belived a neceffity of family-worthip. Alas! heathens will rife up in judgment against many who are called Chriftians. II. We are commanded in fcripture to pray every where, and with all manner of prayer," Tim. ii. 8. Eph. vi. 18. Now, if we must pray in all places, then furely in our families if with "all manner of prayer," then furely with "family-prayer.”

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III. Mafters of families are bound to love God" with all their hearts, and their neighbours as themselves; and confequently are bound to bring their families along with them to the worship of God. God's people are filled with fuch love and zeal, that they frequently call the inanimate creatures to join with them in God's praife, Pfal. Ixix. 34. Pfal. cxlviii. 2. &c. and how much more fhould they call their neighbours and fellow-chriftians? How oft doth David invite and exhort others to praife God with him? And will not masters

masters of families, who love God and their neigh bour, invite and exhort those to whom they are so nearly related, to join with them in the praise and worthip of God?

IV. Families have many joint errands to the throne of grace, which call for joint family prayers and praifese They often fin together, and therefore it is fit they confefs and mourn together. They need many familybleffings, and it is fit they jointly feek them: They are expofed to many family-dangers, therefore they fhould jointly deprecate them: They receive many family mercies, which call for family thanksgivings: They work in their employments and labour together, and it is very fit they feek a bleffing on them together. SV. All churches ought to worship God in a joint and folemn manner: Now, the Spirit of God frequent ly calls Chriftian families churches; which honourable title they would by no means deferve, if they had not communion together in the worship of God.

VI. It is plain from 1 Tim. iii 4. 5. 12. that as minifters are bound to rule the church, fo masters of fa milies are bound to rule their families; which is not only by inftructing them, but going before them in God's worship, and being their guide and mouth in prayers and praises. For every head of a family is a prophet, prieft, and king, in his own houfe: He is a prophet, to teach and instruct his household, a priest to intercede and pray for them; and a king to protect and govern them; and efpecially, to maintain God's worThip and true religion among them.

VII. It is clear from 1 Pet, iii. 7. that husbands and wives are bound to pray together, and confequently the whole family: For there they are dehorted from strifes and contentions, because of their tendency to hinder their conjunct prayers.

VIII. The examples of the faints in fcripture do invincibly prove family worship to be our duty. We read not only of Abraham's inftructing his household, and commanding them to worthip God by themselves, but alfo, where foever he fojourns with his household, be "builds an altar," and with them "he calls on the name

of

of the Lord;" as is clear from Gen. xii. Gen. xiii, Gen. xxi. 33. I took notice of Joshua's family-devotion a little before. David, Pfal. ci. faith," He will walk in his houfe at home, with a perfect heart;" and we find him coming home from the public worship, 2 Sam. vi. 20. to blefs his own family, which was certainly to go about family-worship with them, and pray for God's bleffing on them. We find Daniel about this work three times a-day, Dan. vi. 10. It was open family. prayer which he performed; for, if it had been fecret prayer, ftrangers would not have known fo well of it, nor would they have found him at it, as it is faid they did: So great a prince would have had fervants in his outer rooms, to have ftopt them ere they came fo near as to hear him at his fecret devotion. We have our great pattern Jefus Chrift finging pfalms, and praying with his family, viz, his difciples, Matt. xxvi, 30. Luke ix. 18. John xvii. This was Cornelius's practice, Acts x. 2. it is faid, "He feared God with all his houfe;" which implies, that he "worshipped God with all his houfe," for fearing of God comprehends worship.

Laftly, We find Paul, Philem, ii. 3. making mention of the church in Philemon's houfe, which was his reli gious praying family: And then, ver. 22. he fpeaks of their joint prayers, through which he trusted he fhould be given to them."

Since then the duty is fo clear, let us be concerned and zealous to promote the worship of God in our families. Confider how zealous fome are to promote a false or fuperftitious worship: God bids the prophet look and wonder at their diligence, Jer. vii. 47. 18. There we fee both fathers, children, hufbands, wives, and all are taken up about it. Where, alas! is there any family fo earnest for the true worship of God?

Objections against family-worship answered. Objec. 1. "We pray in fecret, and that is fufficient." Anf. 1. This is not fufficient, as hath been proven; one duty will not fupply the want of another: Familyprayer is your duty, as well as fecret prayer; and you

ought

ought to go the round of duties, and flight no known duty, if you would prosper in any duty.

2. Secret prayer, O man, would be your duty, although you had no family; yea, although you had no tongue nor faculty of fpeech. O mafter of a family, why hath God bleffed you with a family, and with the faculty of speaking, but that you might be more capable to glorify him with and before others? Hath not Chrift, in that excellent pattern of prayer, taught you to pray conjunctly, by faying, "Our Father which art in heaven, give us this day our daily bread?" Have you any charity to your neighbours, any love or pity to the fouls of your family, and will not take them alongst with you to the throne of grace? Did you enjoy any communion with God in fecret, or taste any sweetness in the duty; would you not invite them to come, taste and fee that God is good, and partake of the fame heavenly cheer with you?

Object. 2." We have not gifts to pray before others." Anf. 1. The great hearer of prayer doth not look to gifts as we do; no, he looks to the heart. Say not then, because you cannot pray as a minifter, or fuch a gifted man, that ye will not pray at all; bring a humble and broken heart to God, and he will accept of you, though you had but two or three words, or broken fentences. It is not fine words, or eloquent expreffions, that God is delighted with; it is the fincerity of the heart.

2. Use the one talent, trade with it, and it will increafe; do as you can, and God will teach you to do better; I never knew any that tried it fincerely, but God helped them. Can ye not fay with the difciples, "Lord, teach us to pray." Yea, fay but the Lord's prayer, if ye can fay no more, and, if ye do it fincerely, more fhall be given.

3. Make ufe of the helps which God affords you for prayer. 1. Acquaint yourselves with the fcriptures, frequently read the Pfalms, and particularly the xxv. li. lxxxvi. cxix. pfalms, and others, where you will find variety of fit expreffions and petitions to be used in prayer. Take with you thefe words which the Holy

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