Page images
PDF
EPUB

as the profanation or neglect of it is in every respect pernicious, both to particular persons and to societies.

And if these things are so, how many who now hear me ought to blush, and be ashamed to lift up their faces either before God or man? But as reformation is the great object which I have in view, 1 shall spare the reproof which I once intended to give; and instead of upbraiding you for the time past, I shall rather entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, to behave more dutifully for the time to come. And my exhortation shall be chiefly directed to parents and masters of families, to whom the commandment seems to be principally addressed. It is true, the expression "within thy gates," may relate to the gates of a city as well as of a particular house; and then it would intimate to us this truth, that it is the duty of magistrates to secure the observance of this day, by the exercise of that power and authority with which their public station invests them. But as there would be less occasion for the interposition of civil authority, if parents and heads of families would mind their proper work, to these I shall more directly address what I have to say. And I must tell you in the name of God, that you are strictly accountable, not only for your own conduct, but likewise for the conduct of all within your houses on this holy day. Hear how the commandment runs: "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates." You see that you are charged with the immediate inspection, not only of your children and servants, but likewise of the stranger who sojourns with you, over

whom you have no jurisdiction or authority through the rest of the week.

I should be glad to know what those who keep houses of public entertainment think of this doctrine. A respectful complaisance and readiness to serve are the general duties of your station. But there is one day of the week on which God permits, nay commands you, to take rest to yourselves, and to keep your doors shut against idle and profane of what rank soever, and to restrain such as necessity brings to your houses from every thing that is profane, either in speech or behaviour. If any shall question your authority, this precept is your charter, vesting you with the same power over the stranger that is within your gates, as over your own children and servants; and even charging you to exercise that power, as you would not incur the wrath of Almighty God. Did you know that you possessed so high a privilege? I hope, for your own sakes, that you did not; and now that I have told you the secret, I pray that God may give you wisdom and courage to improve it.

To conclude: Let all of us be persuaded to pay a proper regard to this divine precept. If we have any concern for the glory of God, for the honour of our Redeemer, for the welfare of our country, or for our own comfort and happiness, either in this world or the world to come, let us make conscience of the important duties of the Lord's day, that after having finished our course on earth, we may be fixed as pillars in the temple above, and may spend an eternal Sabbath in the presence of God and of the Lamb. Amen.

142

SERMON XLV.

2 SAMUEL Vi. 20.

Then David returned to bless his Household.

FROM the example of this great and good man, I propose to recommend to you the important, but much neglected duty of family-worship. And I have chosen the example of a king for two reasons.

1st. Because the actions of one in that elevated station are commonly more regarded than those of a meaner person. "The poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard;" but if one arrayed in royal apparel make an oration from a throne, the people shall give a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." This partial regard is indeed a sore evil under the sun; but in the present case, it is possible to bring good out of it, by making that pomp or splendour, which so often covers the deformity of vice, a mean of throwing a lustre upon religion, and of rendering a thing so truly excellent in itself more respectable in our eyes.

2dly. It is but too obvious, that the neglect of family. worship prevails chiefly among those who either are, or imagine themselves to be, of a better rank than others; nay, some who were punctual in the performance of this duty while their station and circumstances were low, have been observed to lay it aside, when, by the bounty of Providence, their state became more prosperous. This presents us with a very melancholy prospect, and threatens nothing less than the utter extinction of family

religion. For if once it becomes a maxim, that this duty is below the rank of a gentleman, then every one who affects to be thought of that rank will forbear it. In this case, it is impossible to foresee where the evil may stop; as there are few people in the world who do not imagine that they either are, or deserve to be, of equal consideration with their neighbours. I have therefore thought it necessary to pitch upon nothing lower than a royal example, that the vanity of no man may take it amiss when I call upon him to follow it.

We have an account, in the preceding verses, of David's bringing up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into his own city. This was done with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet; the king himself, girded with a linen ephod, attending the solemnity, with the highest expressions of thankfulness and joy. When the ark was set in its place, in the midst of the tabernacle that was prepared for it, then David, as we read in the 17th verse, offered burnt-offerings and peaceofferings before the Lord, and afterwards dismissed the assembly with presents which he dealt among all the people, having first blessed them in the name of the Lord of hosts. This he did as the Father of his people. But he did not stop here. The duties of his public office and character did not make him forget what was incumbent upon him in his private capacity; for, as my text informs

us,

"Then David returned to bless his household;" i. e. to pray with them and for them, and probably to offer up his family-thanksgivings for the great national mercy which he had been celebrating in the public assembly. From this plain and instructive passage of Scripture-history I shall take occasion, in the

First place, To prove, that it is the indispensable duty of all to whom God hath given families, to wor

ship God publicly in their own houses; or, that every man is bound, according to the example of David, "to bless his household." In the

Second place, I shall show you the reasonableness of this duty. And then, in the

Third place, I shall represent to you the advantages which accompany the practice of it, and the pernicious consequences which must follow from the neglect of it.

I BEGIN with proving, that it is the indispensable duty of all to whom God hath given families, to worship God publicly in their own houses. This is a truth which even the light of Nature doth very plainly teach us. A family is a society connected together by such strict ties, that every argument for the propriety of private prayer is equally conclusive for that of family devotion. Of this even the Heathens were sensible; for besides their tutelar deities, who were supposed to preside over cities and nations, and who had public honours paid to them in that character, we read of household-gods, whom every private family worshipped at home as their immediate guardians and benefactors.

But the light of Scripture affords us a more clear and satisfying discovery of our obligations to this duty, as well as of the proper manner of performing it. It reveals to us that great Mediator, by whom we have access to the throne of grace, and through whom all our religious services are accepted by God. It not only represents prayer as a privilege which we are permitted to use, but expressly requires it as a duty which we are bound to perform. Thus we are commanded, "In every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, to make our requests known unto God; to pray always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and to continue in prayer." And it is observable, that this last exhorta

« PreviousContinue »