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whet is no lett" is as applicable to the concerns of the soul as the body. Let me exhort you to seek strength from heaven for the performance of it; to conquer that sinful shame and unmanly cowardice, which keeps you from it. Earnestly pray in secret, that God would give you wisdom and resolution to discharge your duty. Be frequently offering up that petition of the disciples, "Lord, teach us to pray :" and remember and plead the promise of the Spirit, as a Spirit of grace and supplication. The more your temptations to neglect or omit this duty encrease, be the more diligent in your applications to the throne of Grace. And let us all remember, that the more serious and lively we are in our secret devotions, the better prepared we shall be for social worship. If there are any here, who once maintained family worship, but have east it off, I look upon them with pity and with horror; as persons in whose hearts the love of the world hath destroyed the love of God; who have "left off to be wise to do good, and who had better never have known the way of righteousness than thus to have forsaken it." And if I could have the least hope, that any motives would prevail upon them, I would urge them to return to their duty but I fear they are grown past feeling. Upon the whole, let me beseech those, who neglect this duty, to consider the arguments and motives, which have been urged for the

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practice of it, and to judge of them as in the sight of God. If you will not do this, it shows a bad cause and a guilty conscience: and it is not in my power to do any thing more than pray, that God would convince you of your error and restore your souls to the way of duty and happiness. If you will go on to neglect it, I am persuaded you will have an ill opinion of yourselves for so doing. Your own consciences will be uneasy. am sure you cannot be satisfied in your own minds; and in consequence of these repeated addresses, your consciences will be yet more uneasy. "The remembrance of these exhortations and arguments will (as a serious writer expresseth it) continue to torment you, if it cannot reform you: and, if you do not forsake the house of God, as well as exclude him and his worship from your own houses, you will meet with further uneasiness: for new exhortations and admonitions will arm reflection with new reproaches. In this uncomfortable manner you will probably go

on,

till what hath been the grief and shame of your life, becomes the affliction of your dying bed nor will I presume to assure you, that the God, whose worship you have thus neglected, will answer your last cries for pardon. The best that you can expect, from your consciousness of this guilt is, to pass trembling

* Doddridge.

to your final doom. But whatever that doom be, you must acquit your minister, who hath given you this faithful warning. And these discourses (transcribed as it were in the records of divine omniscience) shall testify, that a matter of so great importance hath not been wholly neglected, nor coldly and slightly urged, by one, that wisheth well to you and your families, and watcheth for your souls, as one that must give account." And as it will be his joy before the bar of God, that he hath given you these admonitions, so he earnestly wishes and prays, that it may then be your joy, that you have faithfully and obediently received them.

AMEN.

DISCOURSE VI.

A SERIOUS ADDRESS TO THOSE WHO PRACTISE FAMILY WORSHIP.

PSALM ci. 2.

I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when

wilt thou come unto me! I will walk within my house

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I AM once more to address you, my ren, concerning family worship. I have largely laid before you the many arguments from reason and scripture for it; and endeav oured to show the insufficiency of those excuses, which are often made for the neglect of it. In my last discourse, I seriously expostulated with those, who have hitherto lived in the neglect of it. And, if any, after all, will live and die in this neglect, I must leave them to answer for it in the presence of God. I am now, in the last place,

VII. To make a serious address to those who practise family worship.

Our text very well suits such an address : because it contains a good resolution of David, and a good prayer suitable to such resolution. His resolution is, I will behave myself wisely, in a perfect, or upright way; meaning, undoubtedly, the way of religion. I will walk

within my house with a perfect heart; I will conduct the affairs of my family, and especially the worship of it (for we have before shown, that David did keep up family worship and bless his household); I will conduct it, saith he, with thought and prudence; with integrity and steadfastness. There shall be

no omissions or neglects of this duty in my family; but I will keep on in an even, steady course. And then, there is a good prayer ; O, when wilt thou come unto me! afford me and my family thy presence; teach me wisdom; make me steady and uniform in my religious conduct, and regular in my devotion; and continually dwell in my house! such should be the resolution, and such the frequent prayer, of every head of a family. And I would now particularly exhort, that it be the resolution and prayer of those, who maintain family worship. It is the character of many of you that you do so, and I heartily rejoice in it, and bless God for it. I shall therefore address myself to you that are heads of praying families-to the several members of your families-I shall add a short word of exhortation to single persons, and so conclude the subject.-I shall address,

I. To the heads of praying families.

Let me exhort you (my dearly beloved) to reflect on what you have done, with pleasure and thankfulness-to proceed in this duty with steadiness, regularity and seriousnessto consider how it is capable of being im

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