bound together by the ties of natural affection and kindness, united in acts of family worship. This holy duty brings them together for a purpose most agreeable to his will, and therefore such a meeting must be well pleasing in his sight. It is as much as to say, Thou, O God, by thy providence, hast made of us one family, hast willed that we should depend on each other for many comforts, and that each should look to the other for assistance and kindness. We humbly present ourselves before thee in one body, and beseech thee to bless us. As we are joined in other things, we wish to be joined in acts of prayer and praise to thee, who hast done so much for us, and hast enabled us to do so much for each other. I repeat it, can God be so well pleased to see a family assembled, as at the season which they set apart for worshipping him? When can their voices be heard by him with so much satisfaction as when they are come together, and fall on their knees before him in prayer?

If the Lord Jesus bids us "

pray always and not faint," what is more suited to

warm your devotion, than the sight of your children, while you are intreating God's protection for them and yourselves? Surely if ever a parent has a more than common earnestness of feeling, it must be when he is surrounded by his wife and family, and they are all offering up together to their common Father, praises for past mercies, and prayers for future blessings.

Family prayer then comes recommended to you, as it appears, from these considerations: it is in the highest degree reasonable; it serves, as a bond of union, to increase the kindness which should already exist in the members of a family towards each other; it leads also, by the divine blessing, to peace of mind; it cannot fail of being acceptable to Almighty God; and it is calculated to call forth a peculiar warmth of devotion in parents, when' they see themselves surrounded by their children.

The time required for family worship is, as I have shewn, so short, as even in the morning to be no material hindrance to the business of the day; and at night

there must be abundant time for the performance of this duty.

For these reasons I earnestly invite you all to join, each morning and night, with your families in prayer to Almighty God. I have pointed out to you a prayer to be used with the Lord's Prayer, and the form of blessing from St. Paul, at the opening and the close of each day. May God give you grace to follow the rule which I have recommended, and bestow upon you the fruits of peace, and joy, and brotherly love; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, and by the aid of the Holy Spirit. To whom, the holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God, be praise, glory, might, majesty, and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON III.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF CHILDREN THE PATTERN FOR CHRISTIANS.

Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

WHEN Jesus Christ declares, as he does in the text, that none can become in heart and soul a Christian who does not receive the truths of the Gospel as a little child, it becomes our duty to enquire, what that frame of mind is which is necessary to render us the faithful servants of our crucified Master.

Now this will readily appear if we consider how children are accustomed to behave towards their parents.