Family Worship.

The Psalmist seems to mark the religious man's door with this inscription. The singing of David's Psalms made up a great part of the devotions of the primitive Christians in the public assemblies, and privately in their families. What a pity is it that family religion should be so much neglected in this age? How beautiful is it for a family to join in the acts of divine worship; the master leading the devotion, and singing the praises of God, and the servants heightening the harmony, and the children, like birds, sweetening the whole with their more shrill voice! A man of God used to say, “This is the way to hold forth godliness, like Rahab's scarlet thread” to such as pass by our windows! And he further adds, “They do well who pray morning and evening in their families; but they do better who pray and read the scriptures; but they do best of all who pray and read and sing psalms.” It was the uniform practice among the members of the Reformed page 80 Church of France, to worship God in their houses by singing praise. An ingenious writer informs us, “That all ranks sing psalms, not only in the churches, but in their families; and no gentleman professing the reformed religion would sit down at his table without praising God by singing; yea it was a special part of their morning and evening worship, in their several houses, to sing God's praise.” It is not sufficient for heads of families to worship God for themselves in their closets, but they are to perform it in their private capacity in their families, after the example of Abraham who commanded his children and household to keep the way of the Lord.

—Old Author.