May God, for Christ's sake, send his Holy Spirit, and bless this endeavour to give Him due honour in every family in the parish.

LXXVI.

TEXT PAPER,

Or, Thoughts to be taken home after hearing the Sermon, preached on Sunday, April 29th, 1838. Together with Texts to prove that they are according to God's Word, and to fix them on the mind.

Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. 1 Thess. v. 21.

FAMILY PRAYER. TEXT-Col. iii. 16-iv. 2.

THERE is nothing more important to Christian life than a right understanding of prayer. It is not only the means of habitual intercourse with God, by which heavenly things are so mixed up with our earthly concerns, that we may be kept from a spirit of worldliness which is apt to creep upon us all but it is also the proper method of expressing our dependance upon God-of acknowledging our duty to Him—and of placing ourselves in the way of receiving his mercies and blessings. Psa. cv. 4; Phil. iv. 6; John xiv. 13.

;

Each one ought to take this method of claiming God's goodness for himself in particular; and if he does not, he can have no right to be considered as a Christian. A number of persons living together in the same country become a nation, and as a nation they require special mercies and blessings from God, which they should join together nationally in asking by prayer. This leads to public prayer, by which all the members of the Church of Christ come together in bodies or congregations, to express their united wants as well as their personal need; and so are helping each other in seeking

the mercies which are necessary for each and for all. Acts ii. 42; Heb. x. 25; 1 Kings viii. 22, 23, 30.

But besides this there is a mode of prayer which is specially important, both as an evidence of Christian faith, and a means of particular blessings. This is the regular joining together of all the persons who form the same household for the exercise of family religion-FAMILY PRAYER.

There are four principal reasons which make family prayer in every case a distinct duty, and the truest wisdom.

I. A family consists of a number of persons who are all so joined together in this life, that it is impossible for any thing to happen to one of that number, without affecting all the others more or less. A child or a parent cannot be sick or die without every person in the family being distressed and troubled. If a child or a parent fall into sin, all the relations suffer more or less in consequence. If a servant be disabled by sickness, or be dishonest, or commit any sin, every one in that family feels the effects. So also every good thing that happens to one person in a family, is felt as a good to every other one in the same family. This makes it reasonable that all the members of the same family should join in taking the proper means for preserving each from evils, and bringing good to each, and therefore to all. The means is prayer to God, in which every family in a body should join, that, as one body, they may be blessed. 1 Cor. xii. 26, 27; Rom. xii. 15, 16; ix. 1-3; 2 Cor. i. 11.

II. The Scriptures assure us that there are great benefits promised simply to family relationship. The privilege by which children are brought to Christ through the appointed means of baptism, is altogether a family privilege; so that a father or a mother, becoming a Christian, has a right to bring the children to baptism, which heathen fathers and mothers have not. Instances of this privilege abound in Scripture. Acts ii. 39. (Remember that in the following texts the words

'house" and household" mean

family"). Acts xi. 14; xvi. 15, 33; Rom. i. 16. Much encouragement is given also in Scripture to expect a spiritual blessing on the tie of husband and wife. 1 Cor. vii. 14, 16; 1 Pet. iii. 1-7. The Scripture also places the duty of servants upon the ground that obedience to masters is to be done as to the Lord; and requires masters to rule as having a master in heaven. Eph. vi. 5-9; Col. iii. 22-25; iv. 1; 1 Tim. vi. 1, 2; Tit. ii. 9, 10. If such benefits are promised simply to family connexion, and if family duties are enforced upon the ground of obedience to God, it is plain there should be a family application for their fulfilment, and a family acknowledgment of God, which can only be done by FAMILY PRayer.

III. A special promise is given by Christ, that He will meet and attend at every collection of persons praying in his name; and that a blessing will follow when persons agree together to ask the same thing in prayer. This would seem particularly applicable to family prayer; because the number of persons mentioned as enough to bring this blessing is two or three; and even only two agreeing may plead the promise: no persons are so likely to be fully agreed about the things they ask of God as those who are so connected as is described in No. I. Matt. xviii. 19, 20; Rom. xvi. 5; 1 Cor. xvi. 19; Col. iv. 15; Philemon 2.

IV. It is a distinct duty to bring up children in the knowledge and service of God: and to use all the influence we have over others connected with us to lead them in the same way. Eph. vi. 4; Prov. xxii. 6; Psalm lxxviii. 5-7. There is no other means by which the head of a family can, of his own act, plainly fulfil this duty, except by regular family prayer. Every head of a family may, and ought to take care that his family attend the public worship of God: but by so doing he only takes advantage of the means provided by others for the purpose-a wise and profitable thing to do, but

not enough. By regularly calling his household to family prayer, he himself leads them in the way they should go, and does an act, of his own accord; which shews them plainly that he looks to God for all his family blessings, and teaches them to do the same. Gen. xviii. 19; Joshua xxiv. 19.

After shewing these four principal reasons for Family Prayer, it remains to point out the particular application of the text to the subject. In verses 16 and 17, religious exercises are spoken of in a way which shews they must be meant to be done by several persons together, in companies. Then to chap. iv. ver. 1, the different duties of wives, husbands, children, fathers, servants, and masters, are enforced and urged, upon religious grounds. No other duties are mentioned in this place, while all these are strictly family duties; and the word that immediately follows (verse 2) is “continue in prayer," &c. It can hardly be wrong to conclude that, taken in such a connexion, the meaning is "continue in family prayer," that you may be blessed in the performance of all these family duties.

QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION UPON

THIS SERMON.

1. Is family prayer used morning and evening in the house in which I live? and am I in the habit of joining?

2. Having a family myself, have I also daily prayer with them? If not, how can I answer for the neglect of this duty?

LXXVII.

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR TO HIS

FLOCK.

The present truth. 2 Pet. i. 12.

28 Oct. 1838.

TOGETHER With this there will be sent round the parish the forty-second number of the Cottager's Guide to the New Testament,' which closes the second volume of this work.* Those who have received the numbers regularly, and have preserved them, may have them bound up (with the addition of several useful indexes) in the same manner, and upon the same terms, as the first volume was bound. If any persons have lost any of the numbers, and wish to replace them, they must purchase the parts they have lost. Those who desire to have them bound, may send their numbers any time during the course of this week.

Your Pastor cannot come to the close of the second volume of this work, without expressing thankfulness to God for having thus helped on, and prospered this endeavour for His glory. It was undertaken for the use of the flock committed to his care; but it has been distributed in many other places besides this parish; and there is good reason to hope that it has not been without a blessing. It is now nearly four years since it was begun; and it is a serious consideration for the people of this parish, that month after month there has been left at the door of every house in the parish the simple explanation of a portion of God's Word, with directions how each person may apply the portion, and with instructions how

This work is published in monthly numbers, by Messrs. Nisbet and Co.