Family Worship has many great and obvious advantages. Besides the all-important benefits of a directly religious kind, in promoting piety and drawing down the blessing of God, and of him who both promised his presence to two or three meeting together and asking anything in his name, it promotes order, regularity, and propriety of behaviour in a household. The very submission to the God of all, which it expresses and cherishes, promotes the spirit of submission and obedience in the family. It checks unseasonable levity, rebukes disorder, quarrelling, or unruly passions, which cannot consist with family devotion. Either the one or the other must cease. It invests the parent and master with the most venerable of all characters,— that of a servant of God; and where the naturul affection of parents and children, and the proper kindness on the one hand, and respect on the other, of masters and servants, are hallowed and deepened by the benign and solemn feelings of religion, love, peace, and obedience will reign through the family. The principles and examples of Scripture entirely harmonize with these views. We do not expect to find particular precepts on this head; because, as we have seen, the reasons that enforce prayer on man as an individual, enforce it on him in all his relations; and it is worthy of remark, that all God's commands are addressed to him as an individual ;—" Thou shalt, or shalt not " do this or that, binding on him every where and at every time. Wherever there are social blessings and duties, social prayer to God is due. But we may expect examples of these principles in the Scriptures; and accordingly there are many. Thus Abraham was commended for his observance of family religion, and that too in connection with the promise, that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed, Gen. xviii. 19. Eli was punished for not religiously training and ruling his family. Joshua resolved, that as for him and his house, he would serve the Lord. Job was in the constant practice of family religion; David, Daniel, and others. Our Lord and his apostles joined in domestic prayer; and that inimitably beautiful and comprehensive form of prayer dictated by our Lord, is a social or family prayer, and that on the principles we have above laid down.

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Many difficulties are pled as an apology for neglecting this duty; especially, some plead that they cannot overcome their natural reluctance and timidity to engage in prayer in the presence of others. We cannot attach much importance to this as a reason for neglecting the duty; though we doubt not it prevails to a great extent. It is therefore highly necessary to remove it. With such a form as this in his possession, no one may plead such an apology. There is in this work ample matter and variety as a help to beginners; and even what may very useful to stir up devotion, and supply varied expression to the more experienced Christian. It is with this view and not to supersede the practice of extempore prayer, that this work has been projected; and both publishers and contributors would deeply regret if this were the result. They believe, on the other hand, that it will greatly tend to furnish such matter and expression for prayer, as will soon enable any one who devoutly uses it to dispense with forms altogether.

There is, however, in this country, what we cannot but consider a very unreasonable prejudice against the use of forms in all circumstances. It has arisen from the fearful evils and abuses arising out of the shameless and idolatrous forms of Popery, mumbled over by a lazy and corrupt priesthood, without feeling, and almost without decency; succeeded by the cruel and insane attempts to force upon a reluctant people, forms containing sentiments and rites which they abhorred. Yet it is a well known fact, that our early reformers prepared and used forms in the worship of God, and the sentiments of our forefathers on this head may be gathered from the following passage in the Directory for Family Worship, usually bound up

with the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland, and containing many wise and excellent directions :—

"So many as can conceive prayer, ought to make use of that gift of God; albeit, those who are rude and weaker may begin at a set form of prayer, but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves (according to their daily necessities) the spirit of prayer, which is given to all the children of God in some measure," &c.

We need not refer to the form left by our Lord as an example of such a practice; where his disciples were taught to “say "the same words. Indeed, what are all the passages of Scripture usually adopted in extempore prayer? what are the apostolic benedictions, but forms of prayers? ? We every day more and more admire the wisdom and piety of our forefathers, who permitted them when necessary, while they did not encourage them where they can be dispensed with. We greatly venerate the practices of our Church, and the habits they have cherished among our people. We are persuaded that it is highly advantageous, in order to keep alive the spirit of devotion, to leave the mind unfettered by fixed forms; and that there are times and circumstances in the providential and spiritual history of a pious soul and a pious family, for which no previous foresight can provide suitable expression at a throne of grace, and which will overflow all the artificial channels previously prepared. In such cases it would be most improper that the spirit should not be left to its free and unfettered exercise.

Having such views, we, with many others, hailed the present attempt of the enterprising publishers of this work with much satisfaction. The Christian world is deeply indebted to them for the extensive circulation of many religious works of the most useful kind; and which have been of great service in reviving and promoting religion in districts of the country where it had fallen low. We have occasion to know, that the present undertaking has been a valuable treasure to many, and especially to families with females at their head; or where the usual head of the family has been absent or unqualified from sickness or inability. We have had high satisfaction in superintending the publication of a work, which, from the great success it has already attained, promises, by the blessing of God, to be extensively useful to generations yet to come. May God be pleased to vouchsafe his Holy Spirit to crown this anticipation with an abundant increase in the fruits of righteousness, which are, by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Amen.

GLASGOW, 1841.

JAMES GIBSON.

ALPHABETICAL LIST

OF THE

CLERGYMEN WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS WORK.

LIST OF THE CONTRIBUTORS

FAMILY WORSHIP,

ARRANGED IN THE ORDER OF THE PORTIONS THEY HAVE WRITTEN.