This just apprehension occasioned that agreement among the protestant dissenting ministers of this city, of which mention is made at the beginning of these discourses, that were preached in pursuance of it in the year 1693, to engage the attention of their several congregations at one and the same time to this very great and important duty. Mr. George Hammond at that time published a discourse upon the subject, at the desire of the united ministers; to which Mr. Matthew Barker annexed an appendix and Mr. Samuel Slater printed a course of sermons upon the head. I have been nformed that, that general endeavour had the good effect by God's blessing to dispose several heads of families to set up religious exercises in them. Another effort was made lately with as general concurrence by our ministers in the city, on November, 20. 1720, to enforce the same needful practice; I hope not altogether without success. But still is there not too visible reason to fear, that the neglect of family-religion is a growing evil among us? Without prying unnecessarily into the affairs of families, it is unavoidable to those who have any conversation in the world, to hear from such as have been servants or residents in the houses of many who make great pretensions to religion without doors, that there is no more acknowledgment of God among them in daily family-devotion, than if they believed no such being. I thought therefore, that it might be serviceable to publish this short set of discourses upon the argument; which appear to me to have placed the duty upon the most clear and indisputable foot, so as to be fit to reach all that are open to conviction; with a plainness for the greatest part suitable to the meanest capacity, and yet with a strength not to be evaded by the most judicious, and at the same time with a life and spirituality fit to impress every serious mind. It is no wonder to find people, who evidently discover a disaffection to religion, hardly drawn to the stated practice of its exercises in their houses. Till their hearts are touched with a lively sense and relish of true piety, it cannot be expected that they should be forward this way, but rather keep themselves in countenance in their neglect by the number of like examples among such as have not cast off all pretence to religion. The wonder is, that any, who give reason from the rest of their conduct for apprehending them in the judgment of charity to have religion at heart, yet should omit so. plain and profitable a duty. The common reasons alleged by such are, either their inability to express themselves properly in family-devotion; or an insuperable modesty, which will not allow them to speak before others with any freedom of thought or tolerable possession of themselves. And I freely allow, that the one or the other of these may be the case with persons sincerely religious, so far as to hinder them from the performance of family-worship to edification, at least at first, without the assistance of forms. But in God's name let none continue the omission of so plain a duty, out of a superstitious preju dice againt precomposed prayers. Our forefathers the puritans were far from having an aversion to forms as such. Nor is our dissent founded upon a dislike of all use of them even in public; we only declare against the use of some passages which appear to us excep tionable, and against being so tied down to them, as to be obliged invariably to use them without alteration or addition. Most sober writers have concurred in advising to make use of them in the cases mentioned, till people can arrive at more improvement of judgment and a greater presence of mind. Many dissenters have published "forms for the assistance of those" to whom they were needful: as in Mr. Baxter's family-book; Mr. Murray's closet-devotions, recommended by Mr. Henry: Mr. Henry hath published some himself, at the end of his method of prayer. And as Mr. Howe in one of the following discourses declares his judgment for the use of them, rather than the duty should be omitted; so his practice was agreeable. There is a small book in octavo, entitled "prayers for families," printed by Mr.Thomas Parkhurst without any author's name, about the year 1795; of which the late reverend Mr. Jeremiah Smith gave me this account many years ago. Upon the marriage of a daughter of the right honourable Philip Lord Wharton, the lady being desirous to have the worship of God kept up in the family into which she was entering, requested Mr. Howe, Mr. William Taylor then his Lordship's chaplain, and Mr. Smith, to draw up some prayers for that purpose. Mr. Smith, according to his usual modesty, declined bearing a part in the service. But Mr. Howe and Mr. Taylor complied with the request; and their composures were privately printed, and made use of in that Lady's family. I only mention these things, to prevent the misapprehension of any, as if in what I have said I had offered any thing singular. All who love religion in earnest, whether in or out of the public establishment, whether in their judgments they prefer praying by forms or otherwise, will I doubt not agree in this; that it is better that God should be worshipped either the one way or the other, both in secret, and in families, and in public assemblies, than that men should live in any of these respects, as without God in the world". For my own part, I should be glad that every head of a family were fully capable from time to time to represent the case of that under his charge with propriety and life, in supplication and praise and confession, according to all varying circumstances. where that cannot be, yet I rejoice to know or to hear of a family, that seriously and solemnly calls upon the Lord in any way. Those who begin with a form, may find themselves gradually emboldened to go farther; and either totally in time lay that way aside; or sometimes pray the one way and sometimes the other, as they fiud the temper of their spirits to be; or, if they cannot get over the difficulties, which first made it necessary for them to use the assistance of other's composures, yet they may be able gradually to intersperse a sentence here and there suitable to special occurrences in their family, without any tremor. But And after all, whether our words flow from the abundance of the heart, or we endeavour to excite affections answerable to what the words before us suggest; if the God who knows the heart sees sincerity and true devotion in the worshipper; it will undoubtedly be accepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to that which he hath not. I commend these discourses to the perusal of all serious christians, though of differing persuasions in lesser matters, earnestly begging, that by God's blessing they may reach the end of the author in preaching them, and of the transcriber in preparing them for public view; namely, the revival of religion in families, and by that means the diffusing of it far and wide in the present generation and in those which are to come. I am Your hearty well-wisher Presedtt-street, JOHN EVANS. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. THIS is the magnanimous resolution of that great and good man, Joshua, notwithstanding the supposed revolt of all the people of Israel from God, who had been bound to him by the most sacred and endearing ties. "Though you," says he, should all go off and apostatize from God, even to a man, after all the great and glorious things that he hath wrought among you and for you; that shall not alter me: through his grace, the course that I will take, and that mine shall take, whom I can have any influence upon or any power over, shall be the same it was. I and my house will serve the Lord notwithstanding. Though you should all turn pagans and idolaters to a man, that shall not overturn the religion of my family or of my closet, but there shall be serving of the Lord still." It hath been an unanimous resolution among the ministers of indulged congregations in and about this city, to insist upon the subject of family-worship, even all at once, at least as many as to whom it was possible; and to begin upon it this very day, as I doubt not they generally do. And I should as little doubt the approbation and concurrence of divers other reverend persons in the ministry, who are not of that character, if there had been the same opportunity of consulting them and of knowing their sense; that is, of as many as do seriously desire and covet to ace the prosperous and flourishing state of serious, vital and • Preached December 25th, 1693 practical religion and godliness in our days. But they, who could confer and agree to concur in such an endeavour as this, have done it with all the cheerfulness and unanimity that could be thought. Indeed, since that resolution was taken, a providence hath occurred among us, which some might reckon would have diverted and altered it for the present: a farther breach, which God hath made upon our congregation, by the late decease of a considerable and very useful member of it, worthy Mr. Collet, of whom divers might expect to hear a distinct account given them; apprehending, that it would not be so much an ornament to him or to his name when gone, as a means of instruction to them who are left behind. But I am under restraint as to this; partly by my relation; but more principally by his own express prohibition, who declared his unwillingness to be made the subject of a funeral sermon. And that prohibition was equal (as any might understand,) to the most copious one that could have been made by way of commendation. For it more represented the temper of his spirit, than my words could have done; the meekness, the humility, the modesty of it; and was most agreeable to the habitual frame, from whence the way of his walking proceeded; steady, but still and without noise; and shewed how wilfing he was, that his exit out of this world might be with as much silence, as his course through it was. Yet however, had I been to have preached a funeral sermon upon his account, I should never have laid aside for that the thoughts of this text. For I could not have found one in the whole Bible, from whence I might have more taken occasion to represent him, as to his person and as to his family, as an example of both personal and domestical religion, single and family godliness. And indeed were they who profess godliness generally in these respects like him, there would be much less need of preaching upon such a subject, or of taking up such a resolution as you have heard hath been general in reference thereunto. But it hath been generally apprehended and feared, by them whom God hath set as watchmen amongst us, that the case is' too much otherwise; and that the religion of families languisheth, or indeed hath no place at all in many families, where yet there is a profession of and a pretence unto godliness above the common rate. For my own part, I do not know that there. is this sinful omission with any of you that have families; 1 do not know that there is: and therefore I cannot be understood, without great injury to me, to intend a reflection upon any particular person. But yet for all that, I cannot think a discourse upon this subject needless: for it is possible, many may be |