soon whatever be the notic not live. Do not have on yo ed or (which is much the s duty. It will lie very heav have to feel then, that, in ad you may have to answer fortion, acts of injury to your you have also to excuse your of the souls of your family, by a denial of the means of gr in the congregation, or as home. These are thorns in lest yours be strewn with them I anticipate many blessin this family religion amongst us fuse the terms family prayer an may be punctuality in the one, But, without the one, the oth the family are not gathered for recognition, in any particular ho the family; then consider how ing the risk of the separate m worshipping God, not serving Personal religion is a distinct from family religion: we can im its separate members served G nevertheless had no public re It is very easy for a careless master w say, I har family worship, but I hope we all serve God equally in private: has that master ever seriously reflected the opportunities which his household enjoy of ser God in secret? Has each child, has each appren has each servant, his place for private worship, his time for private worship? Are you ignorant in many cases there may be interruptions offered other inmates of the same chamber, to the exe of individual worship? that in all cases there are tem tions, strong temptations, to neglect it; work begin at an early hour, and hours of rest too short alr to leave much margin for secret prayer night morning: and, when the day has once begun, and tasks of the day have set in, and each one is hurr to and fro to discharge household duties, or is a prisoner in the shop or in the counting-house, scarcely leisure so much as to eat, it is a mocker talk of moments being spared for devotion, unless piety, unless the charity, unless the humanity, of employer secures them for all by making it a rul the house that at certain times all shall assemble worship? Then, while all other sounds are hushe the one office of reading the Word of God and of pra there will be secured at least one brief interval, brief intervals, in each day, for self-recollection which are in his ears, and wh for all, could furnish, still H accept the offering which gi what it can and yours, in ar ness of feeling that you, b have made that prayer po have been impracticable; you of life for one who might have drawn down upon you heart that promised blessing be watered also himself... Them honour. THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINI WAYWARDNESS AND WISDOM. ST LUKE VII. 35. But wisdom is justified of all her children. THE preaching of our Lord was extremely sim Always grave, always reverent, always, in the bes senses, dignified, it was yet, at the same time, alw level to human capacities, just because it disdai not to address human nature and to draw its illus tions from human life. Processes of husbandry of domestic economy, occupations of poor people of working men, operations of nature and of Provider incidents of fortune and instincts of the heart, all w used by Him as illustrations of divine truth, and thing regarded as too mean or too common to elevated and consecrated into a vehicle of holy doctr The context affords a singular example of this of adaptation. There the very games of children laid under contribution for a sacred purpose. pastimes of childish leisure, and the whims and capr which are sometimes to be noticed in them, are as an illustration of the temper and conduct of Whereunto shall I liken and to what are they like? Teacher were Himself for th characterize the disposition like the question which He ciples before working a m we satisfy these men with bred And this He said to prove disciple; for He Himself kne thus in the passage before a comparison, yet He Hims say. They are like children and calling one to another, a unto you, and ye have not da you, and ye have not wept. pleasing you, gay and grav none. We played you a live dance; a pathetic dirge, and n to play at marrying, or to pla imitate a wedding festivity, or you would have neither: so modating, so wilful, so cros it with you grown-up men. just what these little perverse their companions. God has tr He sent you one messenger, gloom: John the Baptist came |