tions, to the work which God has given them to do; they may exhibit the truth of David's saying, "Behow good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell her in unity." mily friends. The parents, brothers, sisters, relaand friends, of those assembled together, and the ster by whom they are instructed, should not be foren. Your immediate neighborhood, the town in which dwell, the nation to which you belong, all in authority, especially the cause and Church of Christ throughout world, the Jews and the benighted Gentiles, should all place in your prayers. amily mercies. In the morning, after having been in safety throughout the defenceless hours of night, from fire, accidents, or disturbance; in the evening, in the wants of the family for the day have all been lied, it is surely right, and almost natural for you to e in acknowledging God's mercies. That you have ead enough and to spare:" that you have light, life, rty, health, and strength, call for your united praise. above all," the common salvation,"* offered to you all; e common faith," which you all profess to receive; union in Jesus Christ-"One body and one spirit, even we are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is ve all, and through all, and in you all :" all these things owed on Christians, through the inestimable, love of in Christ Jesus, require you to offer united sacrifices hanksgiving. Grace before and after meals is another part of family ver, which no Christian master cah neglect. The Aposafter reproving those who commanded to abstain from ts, goes on to assert, "Which God hath created to be eived with thanksgiving, of them which believe and w the truth. For every creature of God is good, and ing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: It is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.") In harging this part of family worship, take heed of a few -e formal words. Be serious and devout in every apach to the great God. The mo importanc your own other care God's ma tice some Some, particula aiming at or by exc whom the short and versing w tiplied eng suited to th the duty s glad to hu ship such t the time of tions and sc lege. We have your benefi The manner of conducting family worship is of much 131 portance. Be not on the one side needlessly tender about ir own reputation in mere outward things, nor on the er careless and remiss. Let us have a greater awe of I's majesty than of man's presence. We will now noe some things to be avoided. Some, by a voice too loud, or too low, or from using a ticular whine or tone-or by a repulsive manner-by ing at fine expressions, or by vulgar and coarse ones, by excessive length, fatigue and perhaps disgust those om they desire to edify. Let all be natural and simple, rt and devout, and your voice such as you use in consing with your friends on serious subjects. In the muled engagements of large towns, long prayers are not ed to the situations of most families; yet do not abridge duty so as to make it a mere form, and as if you were 1 to hurry through it. Seek, in short, to have your worsuch that a piously-disposed family may rejoice when time of prayer is come: and amid the cares, distracsand sorrows of life, may count it a relief and a priviWe have hitherto considered the duty of the Head of Family. The duties of those who join in family wor , are, duly to prize the privilege, and to beware of a dering, cold, and careless spirit, which will destroy all -benefit and comfort in it, whoever teaches, whoever s. It is the joining of every heart in the requests ofdup, which gives to family prayer its greatest efficacy. should agree to ask; your spirit should join the spirit im who prays; let there be a secret "Amen" in your ts to every petition,* and thus you will obtain the nised blessing. And do not think it sufficient for you ave joined in family worship, and that you may then ect secret prayer. Never forget to pray in secret also hat a lovely sight it is to see a whole family thus ng together morning and evening, preparing and being meet, day by day, for "the inheritance of the saints ght;" obtaining on earth the humble, dependent, thankoly, and heavenly state of mind, which fits them for ng the family of their Lord in heaven! Whatever as rage without, such a family, obeying the direction ne, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut loors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little ent, till the indignation be overpast,"* are safe. They able to say, "God is our refuge and strength."+ [ay what has been said induce those who have hitherto 1 in the neglect of this duty, to take up at once David's resolution, "Surely I will not go up into the tabere of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give p to mine eyes, nor slumber to mine eyelids, until I out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty I of Jacob." Let me beseech you lose no time-not a gle day. Difficulties may be multiplied; but only set ut it in faith and prayer, wisely and vigorously, and y will all vanish. Say firmly, as Jacob did to his household, I to all that were with him, "Put away the strange gods t are among you, and be clean, and change your garnts, and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make re an altar unto God."{ And may those who have attended to this duty, find the ts that have been given, an additional help to the permance of it; and also feel pledged, by their prayers and ructions, to bring into the family in the day the characwhich they have manifested, and the graces which they uested in their united devotions. But let them not think, as some have been ready to think, ta discharge of this duty will absolve them from the stant practice of daily morning and evening devotions secret. He who prays only before others, has much reato suspect that he prays to be seen of men, and has no I love to God, nor true knowledge of the nature of yer. THE term "social" may be applied to all kinds of prayer which we join with others, but it is here restricted to the ced prayer of Christian friends, distinct from public and family v accusto and whe with and f and exampl ily worship. It would be well if Christians were more ustomed than they are to sanctify their occasional meetby prayer, and to meet also for the purpose of uniting rayer to obtain those blessings which they need. The icular promise given to united prayer has led many to ctise this both as a privilege and as a duty. "If two of should agree on earth as touching any thing that they 1 ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is eaven."* Ve have scriptural examples to encourage us to the perance of this. When Peter was in prison, "prayer was le without ceasing of the church unto God for him;"t when he came to the house of Mary, the mother of n, he found there "many that were gathered together, ying." When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, y comforted each other by social prayer. "Paul and Siprayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners rd them." "When Moses' hands were heavy, Aaron Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and other on the other side, and his hands were steady until going down of the sun." Bishop Hall remarks on this, oubtless Aaron and Hur did not only raise their hands their minds with his; the more cords the easier draught. on was brother to Moses. There cannot be a more broly office than to help one another in our prayers, and xcite our mutual devotions. No Christian may think it 1gh to pray alone: he is no true Israelite that will not eady to lift up the weary hand of God's saints."|| nd as social prayer is a duty binding generally on all istians, so there is a special reason for it in some parlar relations. Husband and wife should pray together, and for each other; the Apostle appears to suppose do so, when he adds, as a reason for some directions n to them, that our prayers be not hindered."T here are some things which seem peculiarly to call for l prayer. Let me especially mention the state of the ch of Christ in our own country, and throughout the d, as calling for our attention. The various precepts examples in the word of God on this subject, and the sent remarkable signs of the times, evidently require Christian's remembrance of this in all his social pray. David gives us a solemn direction, and a copy of his yer and determination on this subject; "Pray for the ce of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee. ace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. - my brethren and companions' sake, I will now say, ace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord God, I will seek thy good." This will lead to prayers the enlargement of the borders of Sion, by the converof the heathen. Isa. lxii. Nor should the state of your n nation be forgotten. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. St. Paul hoped for deliverance from his difficulties by the rinthians, "helping together by prayer" for him, and s supposes that Christians will unite in prayer for their ister. Remember then your minister in your social meet-s: it will bring a blessing on him and yourselves also. y should not those members of a family who are under full influence of real religion unite, at stated periods, in ying for those of their relatives that are careless and ardless of its holy truths? There are various other gs of general and personal, or local interest, that need be here specified, which afford suitable subjects for soprayer. is a proof of the low state of religion among us, that y, and those even real Christians, (for of them only I k,) can meet and part in our day without praying toer. Is it feared that this might be counted strange and mmon? this is only a weak objection. The devoted stian is an uncommon character, and must expect to ten reproached for unnecessary strictness and preciseHave you reason to think that this would be an unome service? surely, then, you should not voluntarily uch in the society of those who would think it such. Or not another reason be, that the conversation, even g those who have professed to renounce the world and nities, is often so trifling, so worldly and so vain-sc about man, and so little about God, and Christ, and ord, and his love, that your souls are unprepared and ed for communion with him?‡ Watt tians, w like wh reason 1 saints, : ings wi pray wit a spirit |