to fight one another, and the powers of heaven shall shake? How are we prepared, in what posture to enter into such a state as that is? It is a dismal thing to live a winter, a continual night, in such a place as you have heard Greenland to be: one would not do it, unless unavoidable necessity drove; and if one must, he would make provision for such a winter-night all that he could. How then are we provided for such a time?

great pouring of it forth, in Ezek. xxxvii. meant no doubt I sion, when the elements shall be as it were commissioned of the same time with this in the text, is preceded by such a forlorn and desolate state of the church, that it is represented by the emblem of a slaughtered army covering all the ground about with dead carcasses, till the Spirit of life enter into them, bring bone to bone, cover them with flesh, and form them all into a regular army of living men again, ver. 1—14. It imports, that almost a universal death, next to total, will be upon the church before this happy day. And do not we seem in a tendency thither? We seem to be descending gradually into the dark shady vale, the region of darkness and of death: nor must we expect it to be silent darkness; no doubt it will rather imitate that of hell, a region turbid as well as dark. A night seems approaching, that will be equally stormy and gloomy; for it is the season of God's anger. It is never to be thought, that he will be neutral towards us; if he be not a friend, he will be an enemy; when he ceases to be our light and life, and hope and joy, it cannot be but he must become an astonishing terror. "Be not a terror unto me, thou art my hope," says the prophet, Jer. xvii. 17. When he is not the one, he must be the other. Are we prepared to meet him in such a way and in such a time? It cannot but be a dreadful time, the time of managing his controversy: when he hideth his face in displeasure, that is not all, it is not a bare hiding. Observe that passage in Deut. xxxi. 17. "Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them:" and what then? It follows, "So that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not amongst us? and I will surely hide my face in that day;" as it follows again in ver. 18. This is to make a way for wrath; and when you can see him no longer, you shall hear from him in a most terrible way.

The case of the Christian church seems to be as Israel was represented, in Psal. cvi. 35, &c. They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works: and they served their idols, which were a snare unto them. And, ver. 39. Thus they were defiled with their own works; (now they are called their own, since they had adopted them, and so made them their own ;) and went a whoring with their own inventions. What follows there, and what may we expect to follow in the like case? "For this the Lord abhorred his own inheritance," ver. 40. Now take them who will, they are an abomination to the Lord, he seems to care no more for them. As to the former part, is not this manifestly our case; the Christian religion is in great part become paganish. We lately showed, how little good nominal Christianity doth to the world, where that only doth obtain. How plain is it, that Christianity hath let in paganism unto a dreadful degree! And now, when the time of controversy comes, the day of recompense and year of vengeance, which is in God's heart, how terrible a day will that be! When that day comes, that shall burn as an oven, and all the hemisphere as it were of the church be as a fiery vault! when the Lord shall bathe his sword in heaven, as the expression is in Isa. xxxiv. 5. as it were drench it with vivid celestial fire, that it may pierce like lightning when he shall whet his glittering sword, lift up his hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever, I will render vengeance to mine enemies: (Deut. xxxii. 40, 41.) when he shall set himself to contest with the Antichristian spirit, that hath lurked under the assumed and injurious pretence and profession of the Christian name; the apostatical, the worldly spirit, that hath entered into the church, and wrought in it with such malignity; that spirit of envy, malice, hatred, bitterness; that profane, atheistical spirit; that spirit of hypocrisy and formality! when he shall come to a direct contest and grapple with all among whom that spirit dwells and rules; how can we think but that will be a very dreadful day? And do we know how near it is? May it not for ought we know be even at hand? May we not be upon the very borders of that turbid darkness, in which all the rage of hell shall play its part, the spirits of men be let loose, the devils not yet bound and ready to do their uttermost, when they know their time is short; the very hour and power of darkness, when all things shall conspire to make the church a chaos and place of confu

4. We may note again hence, how adorable the power and greatness of that spirit is, that can turn such a chaos, such a state of darkness and horror and confusion, into light and peace, into life and beauty, into harmony and glory. How adorable is that Spirit! how great and glorious should it be in our eyes upon that account! Let us use our thoughts as much as we will, we cannot make a too gloomy representation of the time just spoken of, wherein the Lord's face shall be hid, and the Spirit with held. But when we have dwelt in the contemplation of the sadness and dismalness of that time awhile, then what cause have we, and what advantage thence, to take our rise to greaten and heighten our thoughts concerning this blessed Almighty Spirit, that can make so happy a change as soon as it comes forth, as soon as the divine light shines again! What a change will it be! Amidst all those ca lamities that the church complains of, (Psalm lxxx.) see where they apprehend the redress to be. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved; which is repeated no less than three times in this psalm, ver. 3, 7, 19. We are cured all of a sudden, all things are redressed, if thou do but turn us and cause thy face to shine. How soon doth the appearance, the first visit of the sun to the horizon wherein we are, transform a region of darkness into pleasant light! Look upon that wretched state of things wherein the Christian church is, and wherein we may well expect it further to be, and in a deeper degree: if we think, that however when the Spirit is poured out, all is well, how adorable ought that Spirit to be to us! that mighty Spirit, that can even of a sudden new-create the world, make new heavens and new earth, diffuse its light and influence every where, clothe all with lustre and glory! And truly I believe we must be brought to bave higher thoughts of the Spirit than we have, before we see so good days as we would wish we might! Alas! how diminishingly is it conceived and spoken of amongst us! We have the name of the Spirit or of the Holy Ghost many times in our mouths, when our hearts ascribe not honour to him, we glorify him not as God in our conceptions: no, the notions of our minds and dispositions of our hearts are with too many, as if we had not "heard whether there be any Holy Ghost;" or as if it signified a mere nothing with us. But it concerns us to greaten our thoughts concerning the Spirit of the living God. When it works as the Spirit of nature, it renews the face of the earth, replenishes all the region with life. What would this creation be, if all divine influence were retracted and withheld, by which every thing lives, and which is attributed to the Spirit of God, as the active principle that works every where in the creation of the world, moving upon the abyss in the renewing of it from time to time? By him and from him there is such a thing as life in all the creation; he works all in all. But consider it also as a Spirit of holiness, of divine life and power in the Spirits of men; what a mighty Agent is that, that can spread such an influence every where, unto the remotest corners of this world! and can reach every heart of those that belong to God, and all at once; and pierce into them with so mighty power, that though all the art in the world cannot persuade and change the mind of a man, even in a matter of common concernment, if he be resolved, yet this Spirit can transform where it touches, and overcome, if it will, even in the first attempt! Oh! what homage should our souls within us pay to this Almighty Spirit! In how prostrate a posture should we be! How should we adore that Spirit, that can, when it will, fill all every where with light and life!

5. We collect further, that the grace of the Spirit is most admirably condescending, that it will ever vouchsafe to come down into such a world as this is; that there should be a time, in which such a favour is designed, as this, “ I will pour out my Spirit." Well may it be called the Spirit

of grace, the Spirit of all goodness and benignity and sweetness, that it will ever vouchsafe to visit our world, a world so drenched in impurity, and so environed with malignant darkness. How well does the name agree, "The Spirit of grace!" So hellish is the malignity, that would despise such a Spirit: he is called so on purpose, we may suppose, by the author to the Hebrews, to aggravate that malignity; And hath done despite to the Spirit of grace, Heb. x. 29. But how magnificently glorious is that grace, that will finally overcome this malignity! That this Spirit will come down, and spread its light and influences through so much deformity and pollution and darkness, as is every where in this world; that it should become a soul unto such a world! What if an angel of God would humble himself to become a soul to a worm, to animate a worm? but a stranger humiliation far it is, that the Spirit of God should become as it were a soul to such a world as this. God says, "I have poured out my Spirit upon it, and now, will no more hide my face." It should put our hearts into raptures. How should we fall down and adore the Spirit of life and grace! Wilt thou do this? wilt thou come down into such a world as this?

pect, that the aspects of Providence will be favourable, without a concurring effusion of the Divine Spirit: it is neither like to be; nor would be to any good purpose, if it should.

It is not like to be; for why should we suppose it should? What is the church of God, when the Spirit is withdrawn and gone? what are they that call themselves of it, more than other men? If the Spirit be gone, what is it but an Aceldama? a Golgotha! a place of skulls, a place of carcasses! Do we think, that the Divine glory shall only serve to adorn sepulchres? that the more glorious and pleasing aspects of Providence shall only serve for that? You cannot long sever and keep off from death internal rottenness and corruption: and surely it is very unlikely, that God should take pleasure to discover himself and to display his glory among such, in the more remarkable works of his favourable providence.

And to what purpose would it be, if he should? What should we be the better for a state of external tranquillity and peace, if the Spirit be withheld? Sure you will think religion to be necessary at least to the church; otherwise what distinguishes that from another community of men? 6. We may note further, that the face of God shall never But what a sad frame of religion must there be, if the shine, but where he doth pour out his Spirit. His face Spirit of God be not in it? We cannot call that state proswill always remain hid towards the church, till the time perous to the church wherein the Spirit breathes not, uncomes that he pours out his Spirit. It will be of good less sensuality will be the felicity of the church, unless we service to consider this. Many vainly promise themselves think ourselves warranted to abandon all care of the soul, halcyon days without the consideration of any influence of and the belief of immortality and of a world to come, the Spirit connected with it; as if the aspects of Provi- as if these were only mistakes and delusions: for great dence could be favourable to them, and they could do well external prosperity to the church without the Spirit accomenough without the Spirit: if we can but enjoy peace and panying it, commonly issues in irreligion. That alone detranquillity, free trade, and liberty to walk without check serves to be esteemed a good state of things for the church or control in the ways that we like best, though without of God, wherein the people of God every where are workthe other; yet we are apt to think, that our happiness ing and framing for a blessed eternity: and that they will would be sufficiently provided for. But we are not to ex-never be without much of the Divine Spirit.

THE

OBLIGATIONS FROM NATURE AND REVELATION

TO FAMILY RELIGION AND WORSHIP,

REPRESENTED AND PRESSED IN

SIX SERMONS.

TO THE READER.

THE favourable acceptance, which the generality of serious Christians have given to Mr. Howe's late posthumous treatise concerning the prosperous state of the Christian Interest before the end of time, hath encouraged me to take the same pains in fitting for the press the following sermons of the same excellent author concerning Family Religion. The copy, transcribed by some unknown, but skilful hand, different from that by which the sermons already published were preserved, was communicated to me by my worthy friend Mr. Herman Hood.

In the treatise just mentioned, Mr. Howe speaks of this as one of the ways, by which we may hope that the Spirit poured out will produce the better state of religion which we are expecting, namely, by means of family order* more generally and vigorously set on foot among the professors of Christianity. And certainly we cannot reasonably entertain strong hopes of the revival of the power of godliness either in our own age or the succeeding, till this necessary part of the form of it becomes general among Christians. As long as a customary neglect prevails in seasoning the rising age with proper instructions in the families to which they belong; while our youth, that spring from parents or are intrusted with masters who bear a Christian name, grow up altogether disused from the daily exercises of social piety; the seed of the church will soon be lost among the men of the world, and religion must die away without some very supernatural reviving.

This just apprehension occasioned that agreement among the protestant dissenting ministers of this city, of which mention is made at the beginning of these discourses, that were preached in pursuance of it in the year 1693, to engage the attention of their several congregations at one and the same time to this very great and important duty. Mr. George Hammond at that time published a discourse upon the subject, at the desire of the united ministers; to which Mr. Matthew Barker annexed an appendix: and Mr. Samuel Slater printed a course of sermons upon the head. I have been informed, that that general endeavour had the good effect, by God's blessing, to dispose several heads of families to set up religious exercises in them.

Another effort was made lately with as general concurrence by our ministers in this city, on November 20, 1720, to enforce the same needful practice; I hope not altogether without success.

But still is there not too visible reason to fear, that the neglect of family religion is a growing evil among us? Without prying unnecessarily into the affairs of families, it is unavoidable to those who have any conversation in the world, to hear from such as have been servants or residents in the houses of many who make great pretensions to religion without doors, that there is no more acknowledgment of God among them in daily family devotion, than if they believed no such thing being.

I thought therefore, that it might be serviceable to publish this short set of discourses upon the argument; which appear to me to have placed the duty upon the most clear and indisputable foot, so as to be fit to reach all that are open to conviction; with a plainness for the greatest part suitable to the meanest capacity, and yet with a strength not to be evaded by the most judicious, and at the same time with a life and spirituality fit to impress every serious

mind.

It is no wonder to find people, who evidently discover a disaffection to religion, hardly drawn to the stated practice of its exercises in their houses. Till their hearts are touched with a lively sense and relish of true piety, it cannot be expected that they should be forward this way, but rather keep themselves in countenance in their neglect by the number of like examples among such as have not cast off all pretence to religion. The wonder is that any, who give reason from the rest of their conduct for apprehending them in the judgment of charity to have religion at heart, yet should omit so plain and profitable a duty.

The common reasons alleged by such are, either their inability to express themselves properly in family devotions; or an insuperable modesty, which will not allow them to speak before others with any freedom of thought or tolerable possession of themselves.

And I freely allow, that the one or the other of these may be the case with persons sincerely religious, so far as to hinder them from the performance of family-worship to edification, at least at first, without the assistance of forms. But in God's name let none continue the omission of so plain a duty out of a superstitious prejudice against precom

* Christ. Interest, p. 576.

posed prayers. Our forefathers the puritans were far from having an aversion to forms as such. Nor is our dissent founded upon a dislike of all use of them even in public; we only declare against the use of some passages which appear to us exceptionable, and against being so tied down to them, as to be obliged invariably to use them without alteration or addition. Most sober writers have concurred in advising to make use of them in the cases mentioned, till people can arrive at more improvement of judgment and a greater presence of mind. Many dissenters have published forms for the assistance of those" to whom they were needful as in Mr. Baxter's Family Book; Mr. Murray's Closet Devotions, recommended by Mr. Henry: Mr. Henry hath published some himself, at the end of his Method of Prayer. And as Mr. Howe in one of the following discourses declares his judgment for the use of them, rather than the duty should be omitted; so his practice was agreeable. There is a small book in octavo, entitled Prayers for Families," printed by Mr. Thomas Parkhurst without any author's name, about the year 1695; of which the late reverend Mr. Jeremiah Smith gave me this account many years ago. Upon the marriage of a daughter of the right honourable Philip Lord Wharton, the lady being desirous to have the worship of God kept up in the family into which she was entering, requested Mr. Howe, Mr. William Taylor, then his lordship's chaplain, and Mr. Smith, to draw up some prayers for that purpose. Mr. Smith, according to his usual modesty, declined bearing a part in the service. But Mr. Howe and Mr. Taylor complied with the request; and their composures were privately printed, and made use of in that lady's family.

I only mention these things, to prevent the misapprehension of any, as if in what I have said I had offered any thing singular. All who love religion in earnest, whether in or out of the public establishment, whether in their judgments they prefer praying by forms or otherwise, will I doubt not agree in this; that it is better that God should be worshipped either the one way or the other, both in secret, and in families, and in public assemblies, than that men should live in any of these respects, as "without God in the world."

For my own part, I should be glad that every head of a family were fully capable from time to time to represent the case of that under his charge with propriety and life, in supplication and praise and confession, according to all varying circumstances. But where that cannot be, yet I rejoice to know or to hear of a family, that seriously and solemnly calls upon the Lord in any way. Those who begin with a form, may find themselves gradually emboldened to go further; and either totally in time lay that way aside; or sometimes pray the one way and sometimes the other, as they find the temper of their spirits to be; or, if they cannot get over the difficulties, which first made it necessary for them to use the assistance of others' composures, yet they may be able gradually to intersperse a sentence here and there suitable to special occurrences in their family, without any tremor.

And after all, whether our words flow from the abundance of the heart, or we endeavour to excite affections answerable to what the words before us suggest; if the God who knows the heart sees sincerity and true devotion in the worshipper; it will undoubtedly be accepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to that which he hath not.

I commend these discourses to the perusal of all serious Christians, though of differing persuasions in lesser matters, earnestly begging, that by God's blessing they may reach the end of the author in preaching them, and of the transcriber in preparing them for public view; namely, the revival of religion in families, and by that means the diffusing of it far and wide in the present generation and in those which are to come.

Prescot-Street,
May 11th, 1726.

I am

Your hearty well-wisher

for your best interests, JOHN EVANS.

SERMON L.*

Josh. xxiv. 15.

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. THIS is the magnanimous resolution of that great and good man, Joshua, notwithstanding the supposed revolt of all the people of Israel from God, who had been bound to him by the most sacred and endearing ties. "Though you," says he, "should all go off and apostatize from God, even to a man, after all the great and glorious things that he hath wrought among you and for you; that shall not alter me: through his grace, the course that I will take, and that mine shall take, whom I can have any influence upon or any power over, shall be the same it was. I and my house will serve the Lord notwithstanding. Though you should all turn pagans and idolaters to a man, that shall not overturn the religion of my family or of my closet, but there shall be serving of the Lord still."

the prosperous and flourishing state of serious, vital, and practical religion and godliness in our days. But they, who could confer and agree to concur in such an endeavour as this, have done it with all the cheerfulness and unanimity that could be thought. Indeed, since that resolution was taken, a providence hath occurred among us, which some might reckon would have diverted and altered it for the present: a further breach, which God hath made upon our congregation, by the late decease of a considerable and very useful member of it, worthy Mr. Collet. Of whom divers might expect to hear a distinct account given them; apprehending, that it would not be so much an ornament to him or to his name when gone, as a means of instruction to them who are left behind.

But I am under restraint as to this; partly by my relation; but more principally by his own express prohibition, who declared his unwillingness to be made the subject of a funeral sermon. And that prohibition was equal (as any might understand) to the most copious one that could have been made by way of commendation. For it more represented the temper of his spirit, than my words could have

was most agreeable to the habitual frame, from whence the way of his walking proceeded; steady, but still and without noise; and showed how willing he was, that his exit out of this world might be with as much silence, as his course through it was..

It hath been an unanimous resolution among the minis-done; the meekness, the humility, the modesty of it; and ters of indulged congregations in and about this city, to insist upon the subject of family worship, even all at once, at least as many as to whom it was possible; and to begin upon it this very day, as I doubt not they generally do. And I should as little doubt the approbation and concurrence of divers other reverend persons in the ministry, who are not of that character, if there had been the same opportunity of consulting them and of knowing their sense; that is, of as many as do seriously desire and covet to see

* Preached December 10th, 1693.

Yet however, had I been to have preached a funeral sermon upon his account, I should never have laid aside for that the thoughts of this text. For I could not have found one in the whole Bible, from whence I might have

It is the latter of these, which it suits our purpose to speak unto; though we shall in the close, God willing, And it is possible too, that it may serve for the confirm-look back upon the other two, as there will be occasion. ation of such in that good course, as may be tempted to de- The text will give it, and the series of the discourse will sist from it. For have none ever come within the compass lead to it. So that, that which is left as the designed subof your knowledge, who have for some time continued to ject of my present discourse, is family religion; the relipractise and keep on foot the worship of God in their fa- gion that belongs to a family as such, and which it belongs milies, but have at length abandoned it and given it over? to a family as such to set on foot and to keep on foot in the That is a far fouler case. Turpiùs ejicitur, quàm non ad- family. mittitur: It is a more ignominious thing to throw your religion and your God out of your families, than never to have admitted them. I would labour to fortify all, as much as is possible against that temptation.

And here I cannot but be apprehensive, that wherever there is among professed Christians a disinclination and aversion from such a course and practice as this, there wil be (that they may give themselves a relief, that they may have some pretence and shelter against the urgency of what may be said in such a case) an aptness clamorously to insist and cry out; "But where is your proof? what proof have you, that there ought to be such a thing as faAnd even to us all, who are ever so resolute in the pre-mily religion? where is it required, that we must so, and sent use and for the continuance of this holy course. it may so often, or in such and such a continued course, attend be useful for our quickening to manage this holy work upon God in the performance of family duties, and the exwith more seriousness, with more vigour, with more spi-ercises of domestical religion?" I doubt not, but by the rituality, and to better purpose, than we have been any of us wont to do.