thofe who dwell in the houses of the profane and fenfual! In the former, the advantages of instruction, authority, example, and converfation, are all on the fide of God and religion: in the latter, the fame powerful circumstances are all on the fide of corrupt nature, and push men forward in the broad way that leads to destruction.

If then you would not be guilty of bringing ruin on immortal fouls; if you wish to have the bleffing of them who are ready to perish for ever, to come upon you; if you defire that your children and fervants fhould be pious and happy; if you would have your whole domeftic fociety blessed; let your household be daily confecrated by fervent prayer to Almighty God. The

4th and last advantage of family religion, which I shall mention, is its tendency to form an holy church and people, and to propagate religion from generation to generation. The public ftate of religion in the world, must entirely depend on the care beftowed on the cultivation of it in private families. If the nursery be neglected, how

is

is it poffible that the plantation fhould prosper ? Such as the families are, of which congregations, churches, and kingdoms are compofed, fuch will be the flourishing or the decayed state of religion in these larger communities. And confequently it is as clear as noon-day, that the difregard fhown to God in our households, is the fatal fource of that amazing corruption of manners in the present age, which almost every one pretends to lament, but almost none fets himself in earneft to reform. Would you then put a stop to abounding iniquity, and promote the cause of God and religion, begin at home, and let your Maker have that honour in your families to which he is intitled.

Had we, who minister in the public worship of God, only to lay thofe ftones in order in the building, which parents and masters of families had previously polifhed, how eafy and delightful would be our task? how comely and beautiful would our worshipping affemblies appear ? how pure and comfortable would their communion be? But if these shall neglect to

exert their proper influence; if the work of hundreds or thousands fhall be left to be performed by one or two, what a tedious labour must it prove? What effect can divine truths, delivered once a-week, have, unless the impreffion of them be afterwards kept alive by family-devotion and domef tic religion? It is no wonder that a tender; plant fhould wither and die which is feldom vifited or watered: and it is as little wonderful, that thofe fhould continue wicked and impenitent, who but once a-week come under the influence of a religious ordinance; and who neither fee nor hear any thing of God, but when the stated feason of public inftruction returns. If religion die in families, how can it live in nations? Is it not an inevitable confequence, that all our public devotions muft in this cafe dwindle away into mere hypocrify, and lifeless unavailing forms of worship?

I have thus endeavoured to reprefent to you the manifold advantages which would arife from maintaining the worthip of God your families. And I have now only to

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VOL. III.

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add,

add, that though you were willing to be without these advantages, yet this lofs is not the whole penalty which must attend the neglect of that duty. This avowed difregard of God will not always pafs unpunished. The day is coming, when "God "will pour out his fury upon the Heathen "that know him not, and upon the families "that call not upon his name."—" Con"fider this, ye that now forget God, left "he tear you in pieces, when there is none "to deliver."

I would now conclude the fubject by preffing you, with all the earnestness of which I am capable, to the performance of this neceffary and important duty, were it not that I think it may be of ufe to confider fome of those excufes by which the neglect of it is commonly defended.

Some plead their rank and ftation in the world, but on what principles I could never yet difcover. I cannot conceive any principle of reafon more ftrong and obvious, than that uttered by our Saviour (Luke xii. 48.), "Unto whomfoever much

is given, of him fhall much be required;

" and

* and to whom men have committed much, "of him will they afk the more." And certainly if benefits conferred deferve any return, they at least deserve thanks: if God hath placed us in a more diftinguished ftation, we owe to him a more folemn and devout acknowledgement. Riches and honours, instead of fetting a man above the obligation of family-worship, rather bind it more strictly on him and that it is below no man of any ftation 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 reafon 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 fucceeding age, down to the present day, there have been families in which God was worshipped, and there will be fuch until the end of the Q 2 world,