An Essay on Family Prayer

The inspired aphorism — Godliness has the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come’” — beams with Divine glory and animating hope. Everything, therefore, that tends to promote godliness, tends in the same measure to increase our happiness and our usefulness — our meetness for the work of (xod here, and for His kingdom hereafter. That gracious dispensation, by which “God setteth the solitary in families,”” opens a wide

1 1 Tim. iv. 8. a Psalm lxviii. 6; Comp. cxiii. 9. and most important sphere for the extension of this holy principle. Here it is that a “seed is raised up for the service of the Christian families in their enlarging circles are as Howe beautifully expresses it ‘Divine plantations settled by God Himself for this very end and purpose to be nurseries of religion and It would appear indeed that family religion will be one of the distinguishing signs of that grand era, for which the Church is waiting with joyous expectation. — /« the latter days — at the same time, saith the Lord I will be the God of all the families of Israel,”. (not only the God of the nations but distributively, of their families,) “and they shall be my people,” Every means, therefore, of advancing family religion is a

1 Ps. xxii. 30. s Works, v. 396; Comp. Pa. xcii. 13.

s Jer, XXX. 24; xzzi. 1. component part of the constraining obligation — “hasting unto the coming of the day of Qod” AtDong the means conducive to this great end, family worship must take its place. For as personal religion cannot exist or be sustained without personal prayer; so neither can we identify family religion without family prayer or fail to number this daily privileged service as a most valuable ordinance of social godliness.

If it be asked on what ground of obligation it stands the reply is obvious. It is involved in the natural order of things. The holy ordinance of marriage was primarily appointed for the successive transmission of” a godly seed; ‘* yet this result cannot be obtained without an active ministration of all suitable means. Here then, we are brought to the family altar as a

1 2 Pet. iii. 12. Mai. ii 15.

B 2

mean indispensable for the due froitfulness of the social institution. For every such connexion forms a separate independent community, under the supermtendence of one head, and governed by its own laws, where each member is bound to the body by ties so sacred and tender, that all other affinities are comparatively loose and contingent. How naturally, therefore, are we led in this sphere of family unity to meet around the throne of our heavenly Father in mutual sympathy, acknowledging our many undeserved mercies, and telling out in behalf of each other the wants, sins, trials, and weaknesses common to us all! If the being of this society is from God, the acknowledgment of dependence upon Him in the daily service of prayer and praise is the revenue of glory justly due to His name.

Nay even the light of nature seems to inculcate this obhgation. For had not the heathen their household gods — their Lares and Penates, (alas! that the evidence of this should be found among the professed servants of God 1) to whom they paid their household worship, after their blind fashion? And shall they be more zealous in the honour of their base idols, than we in the worship of such a God as our God? The Jews, also, appear to have had their family sacrifices performed by the master as the priest in his own household — solemnities to which, probably, some allusion was intended in the institution of the Lord’s Supper.* And surely the command to offer the Lamb morning and evening — doubling the offering on the sabbath — is a significant indication of the

1 Gen. xzxi. 19, 30; zxxv. 2 — 4; Jud. xvliL 24.

3 Lake xxii. 7, 11, 17; comp. Ex. xU. 81; Fb. cxyL 12, 13.

Num. xxviii. 3 — 10. express will of God upon this matter. In fact if religion be a blessing to ourselves it must be equally so to our families; and while a due and suitable provision for their interests is a distinctive mark of our Christian profession, this expression of care for them is clearly according to the mind of

God-But however strong may be our ground

upon general principles we cannot thoroughly establish the obligation except upon the sure foundation of the word of God. “To the law then, and to the testimony; for if we speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in us,” *

And here we feel our ground in no degree weakened by the inability to produce any express letter of Scripture piecept. To insist

lTlm.v. 8. *Iaa.vlii 20.

upon the letter of Scripture as in all cases the necessary and indispensable ground of obligation we shall lose not only this but other important duties of the service of Grod {e. g. the Christian sabbath and infant baptism) which rest upon the demonstrable spirit and substance — not upon the open letter — of Scripture. It is not requisite for the perfection of Scripture as a rule of faith and conduct, that it should command every duty in plain words. Particulars deduced from general principles have the full authority. Inferences and conclusions legitimately drawn from Scripture are Scripture as well as what is laid down in plain terms. No code of laws enters into every minute principle of duty. Much is left to be inferred from the acknowledged principles. Nor would it be considered becoming to royal dignity to descend to the explanation or enforcement of every obUgation, when the public declarations are supposed to expound the law with sufficient distinctness; not to say that minute positive prescript, as regards the means of grace, might often, under impracticable circumstances, have been a needless wounding to a tender conscience. The general dispensation is a more complete test of our profession; whether our coldness in the service of God will avail itself of the want of literal prescript, in order to escape from the obligation of duties manifestly implied.

After all however — admitting the want of literal obligation — we contend for the substance, as necessarily and fully involved in the spirit of Scripture. And where the substance is found, it would be most unreasonable to throw it off, on the ground that the letter was not plainly enjoined.

Does the Christian duty lately mentioned to” provide specially for those of our own house/^ limit itself to those things necessary for the body? Can our household be provided for to the extent of the Divine requisition, where nothing is done for their souls — where there is no worship of God, no religious exercises, no holy instructions, no* godly admonitions? A rich table in a godless house feeds the body; but the soul is left to starve in utter destitution. The man who cares not for his own soul, is content to aee his family living in sin, and going down to hell with reckless indifference.

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