PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

Duty lind Efficacy oj Pray!,., 27!
had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a
mountain aport to pray." l\tlatt. vi. 6. xiv. 23.
11. fumily Prayer"
The peculiar use of family piety sonsists in its influence
upon servants, and the young members of a
family, who want sufficient seriousness and reflection
to retire of their o,~ ~ accord to the exercise of private
devotion", and whose attention you cannot easily
command in public worship. The example also
and authority of a father and master act in this way
\\~ith the greatest force; for his private prayers~ to
\\,hich his children and servants are 110t witnesses,
act not at all upon them as examples ; and his attendence
upon public worship they will readily impute
to fashion, to a care to preserve appearances,
to a concern for decency and character, and t{) many
moti\1€S besides a sense of duty to God. Add to
this, that forms of public worship) in proportion as
they are more cOlnprehensive, are always les.-; intere~ting
than family prayers; and that the ardonr of
devotion is better supported, and the '?ympathy more
e.asily propagated, through a small assembly connected
by the affections of d omestic society, than in the
presence of a mixed congregation.
III.
Pubiic TiJTorsbip.
If the worship of God be a duty of religion, public
worship is a necessary instiution; forasmuch as
\\9itlloUt it, the greater part of mankind would exereise
no religious worship at all. .
These as:,enlblies afford also, at the same time, opportunities
for moral and religious instruction to
!hose WIlD ()tl1er\vi~c \\'ould receive neLle. Il~ all
llrotestant, aJld in 1110st Christian countries, the clel'l1ent~
of IJCltural religion, and the important parts
of the evangelic history, are familiar to the lowest of
the- peopk-. This compdent degree and general dif­
,'u)ion of religious kn,)wledge among:;t all orders of
Christians, \\'hich will appear a great thing when
'()Clpal-C(i \vitll t11c il1teJlectllai COildition of barba.
'.. ':~ '.l·~ Tl:l~!(~n~ ... ran fairl", 1 !}~ill1c, he ascribed to no
I. .r