Times of publick Prayer happen to be inconfiftent with their other Affairs, this is an additional Reason to enforce the Practice of Family Prayer, which they may more easily accommodate to their Conveniency. And having Occafion to mention this Subject again, I fhall transcribe a Paffage from a most admirable and agreeable Writer, Dr. Hildrop, his Husbandman's Spiritual Companion, lately published by John and James Rivington, in St. Paul's Church-yard, pag. 62. Every Chriftian Family fhould be confidered as fo many Servants of God united under one

Head, who have all fome common Bleffings "to afk, fome common Dangers to fear, fome "common Mercies to give Thanks for; (I add, "fome common Sins to acknowledge) there

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fore, the Governor of it should call together "as many as can be at Leifure, twice a Day, in "the Morning and the Evening; and by him"felf, or fome one of the Family, offer up "their Prayers for what they want, and their

Thanksgivings for what they enjoy. (I add again, their Confeffion of their common Sins) "But, alas! I have Reason to fear, that in too

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many Families it is never practifed at all, to "the eternal Scandal and Reproach of thofe "who neglect it; for Prayer is not only a prin

cipal Part of divine Service, but a neceffary "one too, as it both engages and enables us "to perform the other Parts of it; and where "this is omitted, it is scarce to be expected that "the reft should be performed. And now how "dreadful a Sight is it to any ferious, confide

"rate

rate Chriftian, to fee a Family separate in an Evening without the leaft Appearance of Chrifian Devotion, and meet again next Morning, like the other Animals in the Family, "only to be fed, without any Thought of Gra" titude to Almighty God for his past Mercies, "or any Petition for his merciful Protection for "the future? In fhort, it is a deplorable Obfer"vation, that Family Devotion, and faying. "Grace before and after Meat, are growing "ftrangely out of Fashion among those who • are called great Folks, and the better Sort of People. Strange Infatuation! monftrous In"gratitude! that they who, by the peculiar In

dulgence of Heaven, enjoy the greatest Share "of worldly Profperity, fhould forget the Hand "that bestows it, refufe the poor Returns of a "thankful Heart, and neglect to beg his Blef<fing upon it. These are fad Indications of a latent Infidelity, which is fpreading far " and wide in this finful Generation." The Nobility and prime Gentry may make FamilyDevotion ftill more folemn and effectual, by keeping a regular, worthy Clergyman in their Houfe; not as Part of their Retinue, to be treated as a Servant, but as the confecrated Minifter of their common Creator, to offer up the Addreffes of the Family to him, and to bless them in his Name. A good Clergyman, kept upon a true Principle of Piety, like the Ark of God, might be a Comfort to the whole Family, and make every thing profper: Infidels may divert themfelves with this, as they do with every other

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Part of Religion, but none but an Infidel, or a very unthinking Believer can do it. I am willing, and glad, to do Juftice to every Body, and 1 freely own that, as far as I can inform myself, the Diffenters in general, are more regular in the Performance of Family-Duty than the Members of the Church of England: If this be a Reproach to us, let us wipe it off by following their Example in every thing that is praife-worthy. But, there is one Inftance of Piety in which I must think them very blameable; in this, and in other Market-Towns, and large Villages, they have the Opportunity of publick Worship with us when they have none in their own Way, and yet never attend it; I fay, in this Neglect they are wanting both in Piety, and Charity. Formerly the Separation was founded upon different Principles from what it is now; the Terms of Communion were, then, thought to be finful, and all fuch as were in that Perfuafion were obliged in Confcience to refufe ever to communicate with us in the Ufe of our Service; but the Cafe is quite altered. They separate from us because they think their own Way of Worship more edifying than ours; but I know no Diffenter that refuses, occafionally, to join with us in the Use of our established WorShip. Now, if it be lawful (as they allow it to be by their Practice) to join with us at one Time, it is equally lawful to do it at any Time; and if it be lawful, it must be their Duty to do it, whenever they have a convenient Opportunity, provided they have not, at the fame time, an Opportunity of worshipping God in a Way that they think prefera

ble.

ble. Why they never meet together for publick Worship unless there be a Sermon, when Prayer must be allowed to be the principal Thing, I leave them to think of at their leisure, it being no Part of my prefent Subject. I argue, from the Nature and Advantages of publick Prayer, that all pious Chriftians fhould attend it as often as they can; and, confequently, that when they have not an Opportunity of doing it at their own Places of Worship they ought to do it at Church, rather than not do it at all: But, Reasons of Charity, as well as of Piety, require this of them. Brotherly Love is a Chriftian Duty; and brotherly Love is never fo effectually fhewn as by communicating with us in publick Chriftian Offices, infomuch that refufing to communicate with us when they can do it lawfully, is denying us to be true Members of Chrift's Catholick Church, and betrays a very uncharitable Difpofition. I speak freely, but with great Temper, and in the Spirit of Meekness. If they do me Justice, all the Diffenters, wherever I have liv'd, must own that I always behaved to them with Refpect and Friendliness; but I must not compliment them at the expence of Truth, and Piety: Indeed, it would be no Compliment to them, because it would be encouraging them to go on in what I must think, and ever have thought, an unchristian Practice. I have argued this Matter very candidly with fome of the moft fenfible of their Teachers; and, indeed, very learned and fenfible Men I found them to be. What they urged I will fairly tell you, and if it gives my Readers

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any Satisfaction, it is more than it gave me. They fay that they difallow of our Authority to Command them to attend our Service; be it fo, I never rested the Matter upon that Footing, but upon the Authority of Chrift, who commands all Chriftians to affemble themselves together for Chriftian Worship, as often as they can, confiftently with other Duties of Life, and from their Acknowledgement of ours being a lawful Chriftian Way of Worship. They plead, farther, that they prefer Extemporary Prayers to Forms of Prayer. Who denies it? What I infift upon is this, that, by their joining with us in the Ufe of a Form, occafionally, they allow Forms of Prayer to be a lawful Way of Worship; and, confequently, that they ought to join in the Ufe of them when they have no Opportunity of praying in a better Manner. Whether Forms of Prayer, or Extemporary Prayers be beft, will be confidered under the next Head.

But, befides stated Times of Prayer at Church, and in Families, I must not omit to repeat what I have already mentioned; that daily Prayer in the Closet must be practifed, for the Reafons already given, under the Head of the Advantages peculiar to private Prayer.

Frequency of Prayer requires us, occafionally, to lift up our Hearts to God in fhort Ejaculations. As Prayer is the Life of Religion, these are the Life of Prayer; they keep the Flames of Devotion, like the Fire of the vestal Virgins, continually burning. The Scripture affords us abundance of Inftances of this Sort of Prayer, but, particularly the Book of Pfalms, the richest

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