A Church in the House; or, Family Religion

Among the salutations presented by the Apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians, 16: 19, was that from Aquila and Priscilla, and the church in their house. Some very good interpreters, I know, understand this of a settled, stated, solemn meeting of christians held at their house for public worship; and they were glad o? houses to meet in, where they wanted those better conveniences which the church was afterwards in her prosperous days accommodated with. When they had not such places as they could wish, they thankfully made use of such as they could get.

But others think it is meant only of their own family and the strangers within their gates, among whom there was so much piety and devotion that it might well be called a church, or religious house. Thus the ancients generally understood it. Nor was it only Aquila and Priscilla whose house was thus celebrated for religion, (here and Rom. 16: 5,) but Nymphas also had a church in his house, Col. 4: 15, and Philemon, 5: 2. Not but that others, to whom and from whom salutations are sent in Paul’s epistles, made conscience of keeping up religion in their families; but these are mentioned probably because their families were more numerous than most of those other families were, which made their family devo-, tions more solemn, and consequently more noticed.

In this sense I shall choose to interpret it, and hence to recomjneTid fcwiih, 7’eligimi, under the idea of a clmrcli in the house. When we see your public assemblies so well frequent-OR FAMILY RELIGIOiV. 5

ed we cannot but thank God and take courage; your diligent attendance on the ministry of the word and prayers is your praise, and I tmst, through grace, it redounds to your spiritual comfort and benefit. 13ut my subject at this time will lead me to inquire into the state of religion in your private houses, whether it flourish or wither there? Whether it be on the throne, or under foot there ] Herein I desire to deal plainly and faithfully with your consciences, and I beg you will give them leave to deal so with you.

The pious and zealous endeavors both of magistrates and ministers for the reformation of manners and the suppression of vice and profaneness, are the joy and encouragement of all good people in the land, and a happy indication that God has yet mercy in store for us. “If the Lord had been pleased to kill us, he would not have showed us such things as these.” Now I know not any thing that will contribute more to the furtherance of this good work than the bringing o family religion moi-e into practice and reputation. Here the reformation must begin. Other methods may check the disease we complain of, but this, if it might universally obtain, would cure it. Salt must be cast into these springs, and then the waters would be healed.

Many a time, no doubt, you have been urged to this part of your duty; many a good sermon perhaps you have heard, and many a good book has been put into your hands with this design, to persuade you to keep up religion in your families, and to assist you therein: but I hope a further attempt to advance this good work, by one who is a hearty well-wisher to it, and to the prosperity of your souls and families, will not be thought altogether needless, and that by the grace of God it will not be wholly fruitless: at least it will serve to remind you of what you have received and heard to this purpose, that you may hold fast what is oood, and reoent of what is amiss. Rev. 3: 3. The lesson then which I would recommend is this:

The fun)ilio3 of Christians should bo little Churches: or, Wherever we have a house, God should have a Church in it.

TTnliappy contests there have been, and still are, amonof wise and good men about the constitution, order, and government of churches; God by his grace heal these breaches, lead us into all truth, and dispose our minds to love and peace; that while we endeavor herein to walk according to the light God has given us, we may charitably believe that others do so too; lonofinof to be there where we shall be all of a mind.

But I am now speaking of churches concerning which there is no controversy. All agree that masters of families, who profess religion and the fear of God themselves, should, according to the talents they are intrusted with, maintain and keep up religion and the fear of God in their families, as those who must give account: and that families, as such, should contribute to the support of Christianity in a nation, whose honor and happiness it is to be a christian nation. As nature makes families little kingdoms, (and perhaps oeconomics, or rules of the household, were the first and most ancient politics;) so grace makes families little churches; and those were the primitive churches of the Old Testament, before *’ men began to call upon the name of the Lord “in solemn assemblies, and “the sons of God came together to present themselves” before him.

Not that I would have these family churches maintained in competition with, much less in contradiction to public religious assemblies, which ought always to have the preference: “The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob,” Psalm 87: 2, and so must we; and must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, under color of exhorting one another daily at home. Far be it from us to offer any thing that may countenance the invading of the office of the ministry, and the usurping or superseding of the administration of the ordinances. These family churches (which are but figuratively so) must be erected and maintained in subordination to those more sacred and solemn establishments. I proceed to show,

I. What that family religion is which will be as a church in the house. Churches are sacred societies, incoi-porated for the honor and service of God in Christ; devoted to God, and employed for him; so should our families be.

1. Churches are societies devoted to God, called out of the world, taken in out of the common to be inclosures for God: he hap set them apart for himself; and because he has chosen them, they also have chosen him, and set themselves apart for him. The Jewish church was separated to God for a “peculiar people, a kingdom of priests.”

Thus o?ir houses must he cliurclics; with ourselves we must give up our houses to the Lord, to be to him for a name and a people. All the interest we have, both in our relations and In our possessions, must be consecrated to God; as under the law all that the servant had was his master’s for ever, after he had consented to have his ear bored to the door-post. When God effectually called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees, his family assumed the appearance of a particular church; for, in obedience to God’s precept, and in dependence on God’s promise, they took all the substance they had gathered, and the souls they had gotten, and put themselves and their all under a divine conduct and government. Gen. 12: 5. His was a great family, the father of it was the father of all them that believe; but even little families, jointly and entirely given up to God, so become churches. When all the members of the family yield themselves to God, subscribe with their hands to be the Lord’s, and surname themselves by the name of Israel, — and the master of the family, with himself, gives up all his right, title, and interest in his house, and all that belongs to it, to God, to be used for him, and disposed of by him; here is a church in the house.

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