ON FAMILY RELIGION.

TRUE piety is a principle, which leads a man to honour God in every thing. It will have an influence upon him abroad, and at home; in society, and in solitude; upon common, as well as extraordinary occasions.

It is this principle which leads a christian to exercise a religious care over his family. And in this part of his conduct he shews not only the devout state of his affections, but likewise the soundness of his judgment. Every wise man sees the necessity of having some plan of domestic government, in order to preserve his house from being a scene of confusion and misery. And by what expedient can a christian better accomplish this purpose, than by endeavouring that every member of his family may feel the force of those principles by which he himself is made holy and happy.

It is easy to imagine how men of true piety will fill up this outline. In some particulars they may vary from each other; but there is one ancient and godly custom, which unquestionably will have a chief place with them all in the order of their households; I mean, the regular performance of religious worship.

The arguments in support of family religion lie in a small compass. They are at the same time so obvious to a serious christian, that it may almost seem unnecessary to insist upon them. It is scarcely possible that a man conversant with the holy scriptures, and truly concerned for the temporal and eternal interests of those who are under his care, can doubt of its being his duty to

worship God in his family. With such a man, the commendation given to Abraham* will have the force of an express injunction.

Moreover how reasonable a thing it is, that God should be honoured in that community which derives all its comforts from him. In a family, there are mercies received from God, of which all the members are equal partakers. How fit and becoming a thing is it, then, that all the members should join in acts of devout homage to their common Protector and Benefactor.

The assembling every day to worship the supreme Being has a tendency to produce the happiest effects in forming the conduct of our domestics. To recall the attention of a family frequently to God, tends to impress the members of it with an idea of his authority, and their dependence upon his providence. It holds forth religion to them as a duty not of occasional, but daily obligation. The constant reading of the holy scriptures, the frequent imploring of the pardon of sin, and petitioning for grace to act aright towards God and man, imperceptibly convey into their minds a knowledge of the duties which they owe to God, to themselves, and to each other.

Accordingly, we find that where religious order prevails in families, there a knowledge of right and wrong obtains: and although evil passions occasionly discover themselves, we do not see their unrestrained violence: the good effects of daily instruction, and daily worship, are manifest in the tempers and conduct of the domestics, amidst all their imperfections.

* Genesis xviii. 19.

On the other hand, in those houses in which instruction is never heard, nor any act of devotion seen, we observe a deplorable ignorance of moral obligation. We therefore cannot wonder that there should be so general a complaint of the behaviour of servants: for what means are there employed in many families to teach them their duty? How unlikely is it, that there should be a steady obedience rendered to man, where the fear of God is not inculcated, either by precept, or example!

If therefore we consult merely our own comfort, the best course we can pursue, is to tread in the steps of those godly men, whose houses were consecrated, by the daily performance of family worship. The comfort of families is so effectually destroyed by careless, idle, unfaithful, and dissolute servants, that a remedy for this serious and increasing evil would be generally accounted a very great benefit to the public. But there is no reason to believe that a radical cure will be obtained, till the almost exploded piety of former times is revived, by making religious instruction and worship a stated observance in our houses.

But there is another consideration which ought to have great weight with us. The regard we should pay to the welfare of society at large, obliges us to employ all those means which tend to the cultivation of religious principles. Families are the nurseries of the state. Parents, magistrates, senators, ministers of religion, were once children in a family, and have probably brought with them into their important stations, a strong tincture of the habits which prevailed where they