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ving our souls in life, through the silent watches of the night that our beds are not made our graves, and our sleep the sleep of death, ought to be thankfully acknow. ledged in the morning. While at the same time it becomes us to seek the divine blessing and direction through the day, with the forgiveness of all our sins for Christ's sake. In the evening we ought to acknowledge the divine goodness experienced through the day, pray for the pardon of the sins contracted therein, and im-plore the divine protection through the night.

3. Much of the Christian's exercise consists in secret prayer. None need complain for want of matter. By closely examining the heart, there will be found cause enough for crying to the Lord. The remainder of unsubdued corruptions-hardness and impenitency of the heart-want of due humility, and the prevalence of indwelling sin, will afford abundant matter of complaint at a throne of grace.

4. In the exercise of secret prayer the heart should be duly affected. All the sinner's wants should be spread before the Lord. All those secret sins which are unknown to any but the person's self, should be fully and unre. servedly confessed to God. Here the believer should wrestle with God for himself and others. Here the Lord's goodness must not be forgotten the sacrifice of praise and thankfulness must be rendered, and the multitude of his mer. cies gratefully remembered.

5. It is the duty of heads of fa. milies, not only to be much en gaged in the duty of secret pray.

er themselves, but to endeavor that all under their inspection carefully attend to it. All due encouragement should be given, and suitable instructions tendered, to the young and ignorant, together with pertinent reproofs and admonitions as the case may require.

6. The duty, as its nature is secret, so it ought to be done in secret. To speak aloud, or in a public manner, so as to be heard or seen by others, is contrary to the nature of secret prayer. It is a withdrawing from the world, that in secret the believer may pour out his heart unto the Lord, that he may be refreshed with his gracious presence. From whence he returns with encouragement and alacrity to the duties of the family, and to the meetings of the saints of God both private and public.

7. Audible words, however ne. cessary they be in social prayer, where others join with the speak. er, are not essential to personal prayer. Pious breathings of the soul towards God-ardent and holy ejaculations, are highly proper on many occasions, when the formality of words would be unsuitable and unbecoming. Such ejaculations ought to be much employed and cultivated. By these the soul, unknown to others, con. verses with God. These are swift messengers, who quickly find their way to heaven, and sel. dom return without an answer.

8. With private prayer, there ought to be frequently joined reading a portion of God's word; meditation upon some text of scripture, some Christian grace, or duty; and reflections on striking occurrences in God's provi. dence. Christians should, occa. sionally, devote some time to private fasting and prayer, accompanied with a solemn and formal act of personal covenanting, that they may thus be enabled to live and walk by faith, in the hope of eternal life.

CHAPTER II.-FAMILY WORSHIP.

Sect. 1. Every Christian fami. ly is a church in miniature. Fa. milies ought to be as temples con. secrated to the Lord. God de. mands the morning and evening sacrifice of family devotion. The blessing of the Lord, and his gra. cious presence are with religious families. They are the dwellings of the righteous, in which the voice of joy and health is heard. They are joyfully employed in proclaiming the wondrous works of the Most High. While on the contrary, the curse of the Lord enters into the families that call not on the name of the Lord. Their portion is appointed with the heathen, upon whom divine vengeance shall fall.

2. Every morning and every evening it behooves the head of the family to call together all under his charge for the purpose of worshiping God. He is to im. plore the divine blessing and as. sistance in the devotion to ac. knowledge theirunworthiness and unfitnese for duty-to seek the di. rection of the Spirit of God-to look for promised grace and strength through Jesus Christ, that they may worship God ac. ceptably. They are to sing a convenient portion of a psalm, and read for their instruction a portion of the Old and New Testament.

Lastly, to address the throne of grace in solemn prayer and sup. plication. In which they are to pray for themselves as a familyfor the whole church of Christ, and for all descriptions of man. kind. In all this the head of the family, or such as he shall ap. point, is to be their mouth unto God, the rest of the family solemnly and attentively joining in si. lence, except when the praises of God are sung, in which they ought all to join in a vocal and audible manner. In the absence or unfitness of the man, the duty de. volves upon the woman, or on some other fit person, if such be present, whom she may appoint.

3. It is the duty of all the members of the family, to be strictly attentive to, and deeply impressed with what is sung or read in family worship. Nothing is to be sung but some part of the "scripture psalms," to the exclusion of all paraphrases and imitations; and nothing read but some part of the inspired writings. These contain the will of God for our salvation. The duties enjoined, the commands given, and the doctrines taught, should be carefully observed, and resolutions formed in the strength of divine grace, for new and better obedience. The sins reproved should be closely brought home to the conscience. Good examples should be improved, and bad examples avoided. If gracious promises are given, the heart should be strictly examined, to see whether we are the characters to whom they are made, and from them, encouragement should be taken to go on, more cheerfully in the good ways of the Lord.

4. Catechising belongs to the duty of the head of the family. This should be attended to on every suitable occasion. The sabbath evening is generally a very proper season for this exer. cise. The head of the family should see to the spiritual instruc.. tion of those under his charge, that they grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, that they imbibe no here. tical or false doctrines, but drink in the pure milk of the word of God, that they may be fed thereby.

CHAPTER III.-PRIVATE SOCIAL WORSHIP.*

Sect. 1. Man is a social being. The author of the human constitution in its original formation, infused into it social principles, the exercise of which is not only a duty but a pleasure. Every faculty of the soul and member of the body ought to be enlisted under the banner of the cross, and devoted to the service of Christ. The moral obligation to society, and the duties appertaining thereunto, arise from the moral nature of man, a creature particularly formed for society.

2. The society for which man was originally designed is twofold, divine and human, communion and fellowship with God, and mutual intercourse among the human family. Man, possessing a moral as well as a social nature, is thereby fitted fer religious society. This society is exemplified in the character of the church. She is the family of Christ, the body, of which he is the head. The members of Christ are members one of another. They are to

be joint and social worshipers of God, to meet often together and speak to one another about the glory of God and the concerns of their own souls.

3. Private social worship is a divine ordinance; all church mem. bers are bound, conscientiously to attend to it. None who despise or neglect it can with propriety be considered as regular members of the church of Christ. They are united in one body-one spi. rit-one faith-one Lord, and one baptism. It is accordingly the indispensable duty of such members of the church as are contiguous to each other, to form themselves into social meetings, for the purpose of worshiping God, and for their mutual edification. The members of such meetings are voluntarily to associate, at such times and places as shall be found most convenient for the whole. The society ought to receive satisfactory reasons for the non-attendance of such as may be absent from any meeting. If the members are not favored with the preaching of the word on sabbath days, it is their duty to attend to these meetings, as being the next social institution for the disciples of Christ, and then they ought to spend the usual time employed in public worship. On working days, both the times of meeting, and the time spent in each meeting, must be regulated by the circumstances of the members.

4. Heads of families ought to be careful to bring with them to social meeting, all their members that can attend, both male and female, old and young. In such meetings there is a perfect equality. They are in no sense official, but are predicated on the ground of private membership in the church. This equality does not, however, destroy the distinc. tions, which our Creator hath implanted in our nature, and enjoined in his law. The woman is still inferior to the man, and the younger to the aged. If at any time there be not male members sufficient in the meeting, women may be employed as the mouth of the society, in acts of worship. Great caution and prudence are however necessary in such cases. The duty, as in family worship, primarily belongs to the man.

* The society, or prayer meeting.-EDIT.

5. To such meetings it does not belong to propose to applicants terms of Christian commu. nion. The terms of the church's fellowship, are proposed to all candidates for membership by the judicatories of the church, who alone have the right of admitting to sealing ordinances. An agree. ment with these terms is there obtained from all who are admitted. On the footing of that profession, and not on the ground of any new declaration of terms of communion, do the members of the church hold religious fellow ship with one another.

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6. The religious society is not ecclesiastical judicatory.To try offenders in societies is foreign to their nature, and improper. The courts of Christ's house know not private societies in judgment. They exercise discipline on individuals only. Every regular member of the church is entitled to the enjoy. ment of the privilege of private social communion, as well as the other privileges of the church, until they be forfeited by scandal

attaching to his character; and of this forfeiture, the church judicatory alone are the competent judges. The members of the society to which he belongs should aid in bringing the offender to trial.

7. All societies possess the right of keeping themselves pure of purging themselves. The session is the representative of the congregation, and possess this right over the congregation. They only can admit to, or deprive of the privileges of the church, in relation to that congregation. But when there is no organized church, and no church session, the society have it in their power to keep themselves pure. re. They cannot indeed judicially try the case of the offender, but they may exclude him from their fellowship.

8. The great business of the meeting is prayer, praise, and Christian edification. The exercises of the meeting should all have this tendency. The members should consider themselves as engaged in worshiping God. Prayer for the divine blessing should precede the other exercises of the day. These may be diversified. Singing the praises of God, reading his word, and calling upon his name, mutual exhortation, catechising, versing on religious subjects, speaking to practical questions, or cases of conscience, reading sound authors on divinity, or expositions of the word of God, may all with propriety be used as exercises suitable for the meeting.

con.

9. Questions proposed for dis. cussion, ought to be well select.

ed. They ought all to have a practical tendency. Such asim. mediately concern the life of faith, and the conversation of the Chris. tian.

The meeting may be concluded by prayer, or singing a portion of a psalm.

CHAPTER IV.-PUBLIC WORSHIP.

Scct. 1. That God is to be worshiped publicly in the congrega. tions of his saints, is clearly taught in the scriptures of truth. His worship is instituted by himself. Human inventions have no place in divine institutions. The manner and order of public worship must be carefully collected from the sacred writings. To the law and to the testimony recourse must be had to ascertain every article of duty.

2. Appearing before God in his sanctuary is a most solemn thing. We then approach the awful pre. sence of God in acts of religious devotion. His jealousy burns exceedingly hot nigh his altar, and it becomes his worshipers to draw near with reverence and deep humility. Solemn preparation is highly necessary, previously to entering the courts of God's house. Prayer for the divine blessing to accompany his ordinances, to assist his ministers, and sanctify the word preached to the congregation.

3. When the congregation is to meet for public worship, care should be taken to assemble at the appointed hour of beginning, not suffering trivial causes to prevent their attendance. They are with out any religious ceremony to

VOL. I. DEC. 1831.

take their seats in a grave and becoming manner.

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THE ORDINARY SERVICES OF THE LORD'S DAY.

1. The congregation being as. sembled, the minister who con. ducts the worship, after solemnly calling on the people to worship God, is to begin with a short prayer, in all humility and holy fear, acknowledging the august majesty of the dread Sovereign of heaven and earth, before whom they in an especial manner present themselves their own vileness and unworthiness to tread his courts-their utter inabiliy of themselves to discharge the duties respectively incumbent upon them - imploring the divine assistance and blessing-the pardon of their sins, and acceptance of their persons and services, through the mediation, and for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The public worship being begun, the people are to attend wholly thereto, not indulging themselves in conversation or reading, except what may be referred to by the minister, much less in whispering, salutations, gazing, sleeping, or any irreverent and indecent behavior. And if any through necessity be detained till after the worship is begun, they ought not when they come into the public congregation, to betake themselves to their private devotions, but reverently join with the assembly in the exercise, in which they may be then engaged.

3. After prayer, the minister. shall proceed with some pertinent remarks, to call the attention of

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