The Reading of Scripture as a Part of Family-Worship
The reading of the word of God in the daily service of the house seems entitled to a brief separate consideration. But after having already given such extent to our discussion, we may be allowed to omit many of those remarks, however important, which relate to Bible-reading in general, and which should be sought in other books. The daily reading of Scripture is a solemn and indispensable part of Family- Worship; one which we cannot consent to see omitted in any case. To do so, under pretext of saving time, or for any other reason, except in extreme occasions, is a wrong done to the household. The greatest misapprehensions prevail in regard to the extent of knowledge thus communicated. If a man had no other information of God’s will than that which was conveyed by hearing a portion read, twice a day, all his life, he might nevertheless acquire, not merely the sum of saving truth, for his own soul’s welfare, but a body of invaluable Christian instruction. But when we consider it as so much added to all other means of knowledge, we ought to admit that the agency is one too potent to be neglected. In every family, there are those who daily hear, who yet have no ability, or no willingness to read. To some, this is the only means of acquaintance with God’s word. To all, it brings that word before the mind under the most favourable circumstances. Truth is thus gently pressed upon the heart of infancy and youth, at a time when that heart is most ductile, and when it takes its most lasting mould. If we ask ourselves what are our earliest recollections in regard to the Scriptures, some of us will have to answer, that they are of incidents, or expressions, heard at Family- Worship. Much more than is commonly thought is actually understood by children, though not, perhaps, in that precise order which might be prescribed by pragmatical reformers in education. There is an absurd rage in some for making juvenile training a school of perpetual lexicography. Children may comprehend many a paragraph, without being able to “define” every word. There is such a thing as outline-knowledge, which precedes the filling-up of details: it is the method of nature; it is the way in which constant hearing of the word informs the infant mind. Even the high points of the range of Christian truth may cast their shadows over the child. A little one may gain life-long impressions from a great physical object, as from Niagara, or the Natural Bridge, though utterly incompetent to describe it; but not less truly may he derive truth from a great event, or a great argument of Scripture, though unprepared to stand an examination on it. Besides, there are a thousand things in the Bible, which are just as level to the babe as to the philosopher.
No trifling advantage is gained, when the mind is, from infancy, made familiar with the phraseology of Scripture. Persons who have been religiously educated often do not know how much there is in these venerated expressions, which carries no meaning, or conveys strange associations, to such as have not learned them in youth. Such an evil is effectually prevented by family reading of the word. The acquaintance of Scottish peasants with the text of inspiration is proverbial, and it is a noble foundation for that structure which is to be carried up by subsequent labours. The word of God is quite a different book to him who can recall no day in which he did not hear it read; as each of us may assure himself, by reflecting on the emotions raised within him by that single term, the family-bible.
When it is asked, how much of the Scripture is to be read in Family-Worship, we reply, the whole Bible. Not that any Judaic superstition should be allowed to creep in, as though we were bound to refuse all selection,
18* or to persevere through whole chapters of proper names and genealogies. Still, in general terms, we would saj, the whole Bible. And we prefer a leaning to the side of those who make no omissions, rather than to the fastidiousness which would exclude large portions of the record.
The order in which Scripture should be read in Family-Worship, may safely be left to that wisdom which “is profitable to direct.” It is a wholesome rule which prescribes the New Testament for the morning, and the Old Testament for the evening, and which goes through these in regular order, with such variations as circumstances and providential tokens may indicate. At least one chapter may be read at one time, carefully observing, that the existing division of chapters is a human arrangement, and that it often breaks the current of discourse. We are not ignorant of the numerous plans, such as that of the late Mr. McCheyne, for completing the whole Bible in a single twelvemonth. But after trial and reflection, we are disposed, to regard them all as attributing an undue importance to the compassing of this ^ork in the exact term of a calendar year; and we choose rather to leave this, with many similar details, to the discretion of the “wise householder.”*
The judgment of such a man as Philip Henry, in regard to the order of reading, is worthy of record. “He advised the reading of the Scripture in order; for though one star in the firmament of the Scripture differ from another star in glory, yet wherever God hath a mouth to speak, we should have an ear to hear; and the diligent searcher may find much excellent matter in those parts of Scripture which we are sometimes tempted to think might have been spared. How affectionately would he sometimes bless God for every book, and chapter, and verse, and line in the Bible.”! To this we may add the testimony of Mr. Cecil: “I read the Scriptures to my family in some regular order, and am pleased to have thus a lesson found for me. I look on the chapter of the day as a lesson sent for that day; and so I regard it as coming from God for the use of that day, and not of my own seeking.” J
* Luke xii. 42.
t Life of Philip Henry, p. 87, edition of the Presbyterian Board of Publication. I Cecil’s Works, vol. iii. p. 337.
How far the portion of Scripture which is read shall be expounded, must depend on the gifts of the officiating person, and the circumstances and character of his family. The all-important thing undoubtedly is the word of revelation. Yet it is good to have every thing which may render this more plain, or carry it to the heart. Situated as most families are, the continuous reading of an entire commentary is scarcely to be thought of. Great profit has, however, been derived from skilful selections from such works as Scott’s Notes, Matthew Henry’s Exposition, the humbler works of Burkitt, Ostervald, and Brown, Doddridge’s Expositor, and Home on the Psalms. The author of “Line upon Line,” has produced a convenient manual of select passages, with comments, for this very purpose, entitled, ‘’ Light in the Dwelling.’* Other books, not commentaries, may be occasionally used in short portions, such as Jay’s “Morning and Evening Exercises,” Mason’s ‘’ Spiritual Treasury,” and Hawker’s “Poor Man’s Morning Portion.” On the Lord’s-day, where there is no public worship, it is exceedingly to be desired that Christian families should add to their usual service the reading of a good sermon: it would, above all things else, make up for the lack of more stated ordinances.
Oral exposition, by the father of the family, is a more difficult work, and should not be attempted without due consideration. It is certainly desirable, that a passing remark should now and then be thrown in, to explain a hard word, prevent a misconception, or apply a divine sentence to the heart. “I make no formal comment on the Scripture, ‘^ says Mr. Cecil, “but when any striking event or sentiment arises, I say, Mark that! see how God judges of that thing! Sometimes 1 ask what they think of the matter, and how such a thing strikes them.” A suitable pause, after some remarkable passage, is often itself a comment. The father may often with profit select a verse or more, from the morning lesson, to be meditated on, or committed to memory during the day.*
There are certain persons, who, by their
* From the notes taken on domestic expositions, the pious daughters of a living minister have found materials for a published volume. We allude to “Family Expositions on the Epistles of St. John and St. Jude. By the Rev. E. Bickersteth, rector of Wotton, Herts. London, 1846.
station, or their gifts, may seem called -upon to enter more freely than others upon the work of exposition: and here we would again cite Philip Henry. ‘’ What he read in his family he always expounded, and exhorted all ministers to do so, as an excellent means of increasing their acquaintance with the Scriptures. His expositions were not so much critical as plain, and practical, and useful, and such as tended to edification, and to answer the end for which the Scriptures were written, which is to make us wise unto salvation. And herein he had a peculiar excellence, performing that daily exercise with so much judgment, and at the same time with such facility and clearness, as if every exposition had been premeditated; and very instructive they were, as well as affecting to the auditors. He often admired that saying of TertuUian’s, ‘I adore the fulness of the Scriptures;’ and sometimes that, Scriptura semper hahet aliquid relegentihus When sometimes he had hit upon some useful observation that was new to him, he would say afterwards to those about him, How often have I read this chapter, and never before now took notice of such a thing in it! He put his children, while they were with him, to write these expositions; and when they were gone from him, the strangers that sojourned with him did the same.”*
This is a branch of the subject on which we do not use any urgency, because few have the gifts of Philip Henry, or of Cecil. There are, no doubt, many men who would find themselves less at home in the colloquial exposition of a chapter, than in a laboured discourse. While few things are better than a timely, judicious exposition, nothing can be worse than the opposite abuse. We durst not give an indiscriminate exhortation to the duty, lest we should subject some poor family to the infliction of tedious, ignorant, erroneous, or overheated harangues, under the name of expounding Scripture, at family-prayer. But where a Christian parent feels himself called to engage in this service, with due preparation, and reliance on God, he may look for blessed results.
The manner of reading the Bible in the family is of great importance Our judgment is, that too much care cannot be bestowed on this point. If any thing should * Life, pp. 87, 88.
be well read, it is Gods message. Half its meaning, and almost all its effect, are sometimes suffocated and lost, by a sleepy, monotonous, stupid, careless, inarticulate, drawling, or what is worse, an affected delivery.
For this reason, we are altogether convinced that the portion of Scripture should, in general, be wholly read by the head of the family. We often complain, with justice, of the interruption of the sense, occasioned by the breaking up of the passage into verses; but this evil is made tenfold worse, when each verse is pronounced by a different person. However the mode of reading in rotation may seem to awaken attention, it is clearly injurious to the effect. No one would ever think of reading any secular paragraph of lively interest, such as a letter, or news from Europe, in this manner. It gives the solemn service too much the air of a school-lesson, with all the worst annoyances of the school, such as the spelling out of words, mispronunciation, and mistakes, losing the place, and divers mishaps tending to the ludicrous. The solemn service of God should not be made a school-lesson. Let each have his book, but let it be felt that the Scriptures cannot be read too well, by the best reader in the house; and there is a propriety in having it pronounced with all solemnity and expression, and without interruption, by him who has the reverence of all present. Such is our decided opinion,* which, however, we would not for a moment seek to impose as a yoke on that liberty which we dearly prize in all divine service.
It is so far from being a matter of indifference, how, or by whom, the Scriptures shall be read in Family- Worship, that particular care should be bestowed on a due preparation for this work by every head of a family. Supposing him to be a man not familiar with every part of the Bible, there would be nothing amiss in his reading over with great attention, in private, the chapter to which he is about to attend with his family. No one need consider it beneath his dignity to make good reading his special study, not in the way of rhetorical rule and elocutionary trick, (far be it from us to recommend the emptiest of all pretences!) but by fully understanding the language, and deeply entering into the spirit of the passage. At the tireside, or in the .pulpit, this will do more than all the 19 orotund mouthing, and ‘’ start theatric, practised at the glass.” It has often been asserted, that the reading of a chapter, by the late Dr. John M. Mason, was as good as another man’s exposition; and we have heard a clergyman say, that he would walk ten miles to hear Dean Kirwan repeat the Lord’s Prayer. We have seldom felt the power of delivery more, than in hearing Summerfield rehearse a passage of Scripture, without comment.* It is true, we cannot, with all our study, hope to be Kirwans, Masons, or Summerfields, but we may keep ourselves from being intolerably bad. From the acme of their elocution, there is an unbroken descent, down to the halting, hnmdrum, listless,, careless, and therefore profane manner, in which the sacred oracles are sometimes read at Family- Worship.
Bible-distribution, now in so happy a progress, should lead to family Bible-reading. Happy would be our nation, if every house possessed, not only the volume, but this use of it. It is not enough that we lay the volume at every man’s door. We do not claim for it the virtue of a charm, or a talisman, which
* It was 2 Corinthians vi. 1 — 12.
FAMlLY-VvOKSHIF. 215
shall save him who lies asleep. Though we strive to furnish the book, it is not the mere furnishing of the book which is to save the world. Yet the storehouse of medicine is not the less necessary, because some will not use it. It is the book in which all have a common interest: it is the onhj such book. Since the great efforts made during our century for this object, certain high-church mockers have sneered at an alleged superstitious adoration of the Bible, which the objectors have been pleased to name BiUiolatry. They have declare, that the word of God was more venerated, and souoht more eaorerly, when it was hard to reach, and when the massive folio of the sixteenth century used to be chained fast to a pillar in some English church. Now, while we acknowledge that a loaf of bread is more valued in a ship on short allowance, or in the famine of a siege, than on the tables of plenty, we are not the less desirous that every man should have his loaf.
We bless God for handing down his precious word, not only by the church, but by the family. We have received it from our fathers, and we would transmit it to our latest posterity. Family-instruction in the Scriplures goes very far back: “Thou shalt teach them, diligently unto tlmj children, and shalt talk of them, when thou sittest down, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.“* The modern Jews resemble the Papists in some things, but they have never become idolaters, and they have never withheld the word of God from the laity. It has been read in every synagogue for centuries, and is so read to this hour: it is read in every Hebrew house every day. It is our hope, that the day will come when at least as much as this may be said of Christians all over the world. Let us send down the word of God to our descendants. When I look at the folio Bible which was my grandfather’s, I cannot bear the thought that it should stop with me. Human generations change, but God’s truth abides.” For all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man is like the flower of
* Deuteronomy vi.
grass: the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever.”* This is the word which we desire may be read in the houses of our oifspring, when Christ shall appear.