SERM

FAMILY

I SAMU

Them that honour

THIS is God's rule. Them honour. Let a man make to God all the honour tha remembers Him and regard even when it is not likely it is inconvenient to hims be many excuses found f forgetting it; let a man li thus honoured by him will i honour him. He will caus remembering God is, on t a happy life and a successful In early years such a mar much: he may have been been passed by, he may ha he may have been pointe opposed, he may have bee have held on his way quie

whatever his youth may have been, his mature has been respected, his hoar hairs honoured, and dying day bewailed. Them that honour me I

honour.

And we all know how the opposite half of truth has been made good in every generation. that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. There those whose whole life has been one continued de ing of God. They have gone on as though it quite certain that no one of God's words was They have lived as if this world were all. And only so, but as if, even with regard to this world, with regard to such happiness as can be found b God knew nothing, and might be entirely disrega without fear of consequences. To what particular of folly or disobedience they may have surrend themselves, is of less moment: that has depended a thousand things; inclination, influence, rank, we companions, circumstances: but one thing has varied: they have disregarded God, they have p cally despised God: they have said in their h either that He cared not, or that He knew not, or He was not, and have lived from day to day on supposition, on that principle. Has not the advar life, has not the old age, has not the death-bed not the memory, of those men, proved, over and

ectly

present, not future; exer instead of waiting for the still, when we read in Sc from the dust of the eart contempt, do we not feel them of that contempt be there is an instalment of despised God, and an antic which is hereafter to be th here been ashamed of Chris These remarks are pe found their way into the special application of the su I have chosen it from one The topic of my Sermon thi I have reason to fear that home to some hearts in thi and conviction. Let them them. Let them listen s now to be spoken, and, ac so let them act. God gran

this practical, honest, and ea I need not spend a mo meant by the words, Famil prayer which is offered to or household. Such devotio

worshippers are not all of one age, or capacity station, or descent: but they have all somethin common: they form together one household, one so one community, combined together partly by ti nature, and partly by those of service required service rendered. It is a great mistake to sup that the union of a family, even with reference to members of it who are not made so by birth, is a or feeble bond. It is a connection, not only of m advantage, but also, where it is rightly understoo great kindliness and of strong attachment. Wh united family kneels down to pray to God-pa and children, master and apprentices, mistress servants, together-it is not a mere collection of lated units: there is a reality in the connection, is a unity in the aggregation, and therefore also is a meaning in the worship incommunicable to other.

I may take it for granted, further, that family ship has its well understood and (in all main fea uniform course. The reading of some portion of Word, with or without comment; and then a p read or uttered aloud, either from the heart o master of the family, or from our Church Prayer-1 or some other manual of devotion such as is where to be met with; this is the common ord

blishing and maintaining family.

1. And let me place to do, this paramount co honours God.

We are far too apt, all this object of worship. W ask, What can I get by p most profitable to my ow therefore? And prayer is bring back an answer; an substantial. But this is no say, this is not the highe Lord's Prayer itself begins cerning God, His name, Hi it says one word of our forgiveness, of deliverance fr and a very high object to of God upon earth: to see family, however much he n shall yet be reminded of truth every day: to provide might be so) in a particular p be, as it were, an altar built the fire of a periodical sacrif sight of all who dwell there honour due to God from tho