be the following, taken, as before, from the Prayer Book.

"Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perits and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ."

This also should be followed by the Lord's Prayer; and the whole may close, as in the morning, with the words of St. Paul.

Now who will say that the two short prayers which I have pointed out for the family worship, morning and evening, with the still shorter blessing of St. Paul, would take up more time than they could spare? Yet can we doubt that this would be favourably received by Almighty God, when presented with "a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart?" If there would be sufficient time for offering up the short prayers I mention in a morning, before the members of the family go out to their daily labour, there can be no doubt that there would be more leisure for joining in family worship, short as I propose it to be, in the evening: the work of the

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day is then ended, and, when supper is finished, what would be more proper, or more suited to that frame of mind which a Christian family, ought to possess at the close of a day, when they have each shared in the divine bounty, which has carried them through their labour, given them food, to refresh them, and which now holds forth the prospect of sleep to prepare them for the business of the morrow? what would be more proper, or more suited to Christian gratitude and faith, than that the whole family should kneel down and commit themselves, in earnest prayer, to the protection of that gracious Father, "in whom they live, and move, and have their being ;" and who gave up, for their sakes, to a painful death, that "beloved Son, in whom he was well-pleased?"

They who are accustomed to meet morning and evening for this purpose of family worship, will feel a satisfaction in thinking that they have been thus employed. It will help to check any bitterness of feeling, and we may humbly trust that God's blessing will follow a practice, which, when conducted with seriousness

and reverence, cannot fail of being approved by him. God's favour may not indeed be shewn by extraordinary marks of worldly prosperity, but it will be attended with peace of mind, contentment, cheerfulness, and kindness of feeling towards all around. These are the proper fruits of obedience to God's will, and these are among the best gifts which, as far as respects this life, are bestowed by the Holy Spirit.

What sight can be more welcome to Almighty God, and what sight can be more pleasing to all who have the welfare and happiness of their fellow-creatures at heart, than to behold a family united by this bond of daily worship? We may conceive the Almighty Father to look down from heaven upon them, as they are kneeling before him, and to say, These are my beloved children, my ears are open to their prayers. "Where, two or three are gathered together," says Christ, "there am I in the midst." Who would not wish to engage for himself and his family the

↳ Matt. xviii. 20.

attention and favour of Him who is to be their future judge, who is known to be more ready to hear than we to pray, and is prepared to give more than we ask for or deserve & doua steeds be a low afd

You would consider it a great advan tage if you had an opportunity of bringing yourselves and family into the notice of an earthly king: you would think no time ill-spent which was employed in winning his favour. Would you not readily wait upon him with all your children, and, if he was busy, stay till he had leisure to receive you? Would you not rejoice if, after a while, he permitted you to appear before him, and listened with attention to any requests which you might make for yourselves or much them? Is there not then a stronger reason for presenting yourselves and your families, morning and evening, before the King of kings? You well know that he is always ready to hear you; he has no engagements to take him off from attending to all who come before him; he is never weary of listening to those who worship him" in spirit and in truth," and must rejoice to see all, whom he has already

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bound together by the ties of natural affection and kindness, united in acts of family worship. This holy duty brings them together for a purpose most agreeable to his will, and therefore such a meeting must be well pleasing in his sight. It is as much as to say, Thou, O God, by thy providence, hast made of us one family, hast willed that we should depend on each other for many comforts, and that each should look to the other for assistance and kindness. We humbly present ourselves before thee in one body, and beseech thee to bless us. As we are joined in other things, we wish to be joined in acts of prayer and praise to thee, who hast done so much for us, and hast enabled us to do so much for each other. I repeat it, can God be so well pleased to see a family assembled, as at the season which they set apart for worshipping him? When can their voices be heard by him with so much satisfaction as when they are come together, and fall on their knees before him in prayer?

If the Lord Jesus bids us "pray always and not faint," what is more suited to