-- Of the frequency and seasons of Family Worship.
Object. IV. 'Many masters of families cannot pray in their families without a book, and that is unlawful.'
Answ. 1. If their disability be natural, as in idiots, they are not fit to rule families; if it be moral and culpable, they are bound to use the means to overcome it; and in the mean time to use a book or form, rather than not to pray in their families at all.
Of the Frequency and Seasons of Family Worship The last part of my work is to speak of the fit times of family worship.
1. Whether it should be every day? 2. Whether twice a day? 3.
Whether morning and evening? Answ. 1. Ordinarily it should be every day and twice a day: and the morning and evening are ordinarily the fittest seasons. 2. But extraordinarily some greater duty may intervene, which may for that time disoblige us. And the occasions of some families may make that hour fit to one, which is unfit to another. For brevity I will join all together in the proof.
Arg. I. We are bound to take all fit occasions and opportunities to worship God. Families have daily (morning and evening) such occasions and opportunities; therefore they are bound to take them.
Both major and minor are proved before. Experience proveth that family sins are daily committed, and family mercies daily received, and family necessities daily do occur. And reason tells us, 1. That it is seasonable every morning to give God thanks for the rest of the night past. 2. And to beg direction, protection, and provisions, and blessing for the following day. 3. And that then our minds are freest from weariness and worldly care. And so reason telleth us that the evening is a fit season to give God thanks for the mercies of the day, and to confess the sins of the day, and ask forgiveness, and to pray for rest and protection in the night. As nature and reason tell us how oft a
man should eat and drink, and how long he should sleep, and what cloathing he should wear; and Scripture need not tell you the particulars: so if Scripture command you prayer in general, God may by providence tell you when and how oft you must pray.
Arg. II. The Lord's prayer directeth us daily to put up such prayers as belong to families; therefore, &c. "Give us this day our daily bread."
It runs all in the plural number. And the reason of it will oblige families as well as individual persons.
Arg. III. From 1 Thes. 5:17. "Pray without ceasing; in all things give thanks." Col. 4:1, 2. "Masters give to your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving." Col. 3:17.
"Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus; giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Phil. 4:6. "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." It is easy for a man that is willing to see, that less than twice a day, doth not answer the command of praying "without ceasing,—continually,
—in every thing,—whatsoever ye do," &c. The phrases seeming to go much higher.
Arg. IV. Daniel prayed in his house thrice a day; therefore less than twice under the Gospel is to us unreasonable.
Arg. V. 1 Tim. 4:5. "She that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayer night and day."
Night and day can be no less than morning and evening. And if you say, this is not family prayer, I answer, 1. It is all kind of prayer belonging to her. 2. And if it commend the less, much more the greater.
Arg. VI. From Luke 6:14. 2:37. 18:17. Acts 26:7. 1 Thes. 3:10. 2 Tim.
1:3. Rev. 7:15. Neh. 1:6. Psal. 88:1. Josh. 1:8. Psal. 1:2. which shew that night and day Christ himself prayed, and his servants prayed, and meditated, and read the Scripture.
Arg. VII. Deut. 6:7. 9:19. It is expressly commanded that parents teach their children the Word of God, when they "lie down, and when they rise up;" and the parity of reason, and conjunction of the Word and prayer will prove, that they should also pray with them lying down and rising up.
Arg. VIII. For brevity sake I offer you together, Psal. 119:164. David praised God seven times a day; and 145:2. "Every day will I bless thee." Psal. 5:3. "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up." 59:16.
"I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the mornings." 88:13. "In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee." 92:12. "It is good to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises to thy name, O Most High: to shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." 119:147, 148. "I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried, I hoped in thy word: mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate on thy word." 130:6. "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning, I say more than they that watch for the morning." The priests were to offer
"sacrifices" and "thanks to God every morning:" 1 Chron. 23:30.
Exod. 30:7. 36:3. Lev. 6:12. 2 Chron. 13:11. Ezek. 46:13–15. Amos 4:4. And Christians are a "holy priesthood, to offer up sacrifices to God, acceptable through Jesus Christ," 1 Pet. 2:5, 9. Expressly saith
David, Psal. 55:17. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud, and he shall hear my voice." So morning and evening were sacrifices and burnt offerings offered to the Lord; and there is at least equal reason that Gospel worship should be as frequent: 1
Chron. 16:40. 2 Chron. 2:4. 13:11. 31:3. Ezra 3:3. 2 Kings 16:15. 1
Kings 18:29. 36. Ezra 9:5. And no doubt but they prayed with the sacrifices. Which David intimateth in comparing them, Psal. 141:2.
"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." And God calleth for prayer and praise as better than sacrifice, Psal. 50:14, 15. 23.
All these I heap together for dispatch, which fully shew, how frequently God's servants have been wont to worship him, and how often God expecteth it. And you will all confess that it is reason that in Gospel times of greater light and holiness, we should not come behind them in the times of the law: especially when Christ himself doth pray all night, that had so little need in comparison of us. And you may observe that these Scriptures speak of prayer in general, and limit it not to secresy: and therefore they extend to all prayer, according to opportunity. No reason can limit all these examples to the most secret, and least noble sort of prayer. If but two or three are gathered together in his name, Christ is especially among them.
If you say, that by this rule we must as frequently pray in the church assemblies; I answer, the church cannot ordinarily so oft assemble: but when it can be without a greater inconvenience, I doubt not but it would be a good work, for many to meet the minister daily for prayer, as in some rich and populous cities they may do.
I have been more tedious on this subject than a holy, hungry Christian possibly may think necessary, who needeth not so many arguments to persuade him to feast his soul with God, and to delight himself in the frequent exercises of faith and love; and if I have said less than the other sort of readers shall think necessary, let them know that if they will open their eyes, and recover their appetites, and feel their sins, and observe their daily wants and dangers, and