one flesh, live in eternal brawls, wrangles and contradictions, What is their house but a Babel ?— Amidst such a tumultuous scene, Can the members unite their hearts and voices in the daily worship of their Creator? Or, Will God regard their offering, or accept it with good will at their hands? God is not the author of confusion, but of things be done decently and in order.

peace.

Let all

2. If social worship, and the religious education of children, are duties incumbent on all heads of families, then there ought to be a knowledge of the nature, a belief of the principles, and a regard to the duties of religion, in all who enter into the married state. The ignorant, the unprincipled, the profane, when they unite to become the heads of a household, are often the guilty instruments of bringing forward a family for ruin. Let none think themselves qualified for so important a trust, until they have acquired such a knowledge of religion, and possess such a sense of its importance, as to be able and disposed to maintain those duties of piety, government and instruction, which are expressly enjoined on all who are placed in that station. What, then, you will ask, Are none but the godly allowed to marry? Know, my pert young friend, none who marry are allowed to be ungodly. Remember, religion is of importance to you now in your single capacity; and its importance will be vastly increased, when you become the head of a family; for then you will stand in a connexion with others, whose virtue and happiness will much depend on your conduct.

And you, my brethren, who have children growing up under your care, realize your obligation to bring them forward on the stage of life, furnished with such religious knowledge and sentiments, that when they, in their turn, shall become heads of famlies, they may transmit religion to another genera

tion. For this purpose, you must maintain the
worship of God in your houses, in the manner
which has been recommended. Perhaps there are
some who study evasions and excuses, and deter-
mine to continue in their neglect. But after all
you can say, I dare appeal to your conscience,
whether there is not such evidence of the indispen-
sable obligation of this duty, as would be more than
enough to satisfy you in any case,
any case, where your mind
stood previously indifferent. I dare appeal to your
conscience, whether you are restrained from pray-
ing in your family, by a persuasion that it is an un-
scriptural and unwarrantable practice; or by an ap-
prehension that it will bring guilt on your soul, and
misery on your family. I dare appeal to your con-
science, whether your neglect of family worship is
not owing more to a spirit of indifference, than to a-
ny real scruples in the matter. Bring the question
home, for once, to your conscience, Whether you
did not first omit it through disinclination, and then
seek reasons to justify the omission? It was not a
sense of duty that dictated the neglect; but previ
ous neglect that suggested your evasions of the du-
ty. However easy it may be, in the days of pros-
perity, to reconcile your minds to a prayerless life,
yet in the day of family adversity, when your chil-
dren are by death torn from your embraces, or
when you feel yourselves under his arrest, the re-
ffection on such a life will pierce you through and
through. Encouraged by God's gracious prom-
ises in favour of the godly and their houses, and
awed by the threatenings of his wrath against the
families which call not on his name, adopt the res-
olution of the pious captain of Israel As for me,
and my house, we willserve the Lord.

1

SERMON XVI.

A Christian Family helping their Minister.

ROMANS xvi. 3, 4, 5

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus; who for my sake have laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

AQUILA, and his wife Priscilla, the two persons whom Paul here salutes, are several times named in his epistles, and always mentioned with particular marks of friendship and esteem. His first acquaintance with them was at Corinth. It is said in the 18th chapter of the Acts, Paul came to Corinth, and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Aquila was by nation a Jew; the place of his birth was Pontus, a province in lesser Asia, where great numbers of Jews inhabited; and he had lately made his residence in Rome. But a company of thieves in Judea, having fallen on one Stephanas, a servant of the emperour, robbed his baggage, and slain the soldiers who guarded it, an edict was passed, requiring all Jews to leave that city. In conse

quence of this edict, Aquila, with his wife, came to Corinth, and there wrought in his occupation, which was that of a tent maker.

He is said, by the ancients, to have been a man of great learning. St. Jerom makes mention of him and of his writings. He says, the books of the prophets were, by this learned Jew, translated from the Hebrew into the Greek language, for the benefit of the Greeks. From this translation, which was extant in his time, he makes frequent quotations.

Paul, coming from Athens to Corinth, meets with Aquila, takes lodging in his house, and abides there for some time, working with him in his occupation, as he had leisure; but preaching every sabbath, in the synagogue, to Jews and Greeks, who resorted thither to hear him. It was probably at this time, that Aquila and his wife first gained the knowledge and professed the faith of the gospel. As they enjoyed Paul's company for some time in their own house, as well as heard him preach statedly in the synagogue, they doubtless became well instructed in the nature and evidence of the Christian religion. Accordingly we find, that they were able to expound to Apollos the way of God more perfectly, than he had before understood it.

Paul's residence with them laid a foundation for a close and intimate friendship, which we find remaining until the time of his death. In his second epistle to Timothy, which he wrote in his last bonds, when he was ready to be offered, he remembers them in his salutations.

How worthy they were of his affection and esteem, we learn from the character given of them in the words which we have chosen for our text. With united attention they had helped Paul in his labours for Christ. With the hazard of their own lives they had preserved his for the service of the

churches. And while they promoted the general interest of religion, they were careful to maintain it in their own family. They had a church in their house.

The contemplation of the character and example of these pious persons, will bring home to us some instructions in our own duty.

I. This godly couple appear to have been happily united in all their concerns, and especially in the great concerns of religion.

On all occasions they are both mentioned together; neither of them is once named without the other. They were one flesh, and one spirit. They appear as patterns of conjugal union. They dwelt together in days of tranquility, and jointly shared in the calamities of banishment. With united hands they laboured in the occupation by which their household was supported. Wherever one went or resided, the other attended; whatever bu. siness employed one, the other assisted; and in their salutations to the churches, both unite. When Paul salutes one, he salutes the other; he speaks of both as his helpers in Christ; he acknowledges both, as having laid down their necks for him; and he commends both as presiding in their house, and rendering it a church of Christ. Aquila had such understanding in the things of religion, that he was able to instruct Apollos, a man mighty in the scriptures of the old testament. And Priscilla had made such proficiency in Christian knowledge, that she was able to assist him in expounding the way of the Lord.

Thus cemented by love, sharing together in all changes of condition, uniting in the labours of life, and cooperating in the duties of religion, they must have enjoyed all the felicities, which can spring from the conjugal relation.