Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-10-22
FAMILY WORSHIP.

Afamilyis little community ofmom.
Sbers bound together by the most inti-
mate relations and no community eau
prosper without the cementing aud hal.
loving Influences Of religion. How
Gun this bc found where the worship Of
God is not daily rcndcredq Admitting
the duty, and estimating tie privilege
and advantages of it, question often a.
rises What is tho best method of dis
charging it, Circumstances may mod
iry the best mode for its observance, but
there arc so,us general principles which
arc always applicable.
/. The exercise Of family worship
morning and evening, should no per.
formed at seasoaable hours, while the
mind is fresh, and mono Of the members
are oppressed with sleep.
Q. Domestirs and others connected
with the family should be present, for
all have precious interest connected
with the exercise.
3. The service should be performed
atrcgplar aud stated hours, that tho fam
lily may be trained to punctuality and
system.
A. The prayer should be short, so as
not to 10 wearisomc.
5. Tho prayer should be. ftrreat, that
the members Of the family may feel it
TO be Il transaction with God and not a
mere farm.
6. 1t should specify cirtamstaacesin
which ,hcy arc interested sas family,
} that they may feel that all their con-
Germs are known to God. and that they
duly unite in special confession, thanks
giving, or suppIication.
Z. Ii should be offered in the name
and jaith of Jesus, in humble confidence
of his grace and promise as tho hearcr
ofstpraycr, aud in the faithtnlucss ofhis
covenant.
Family worship, thus conducted, i'm
pressiyc!y teaches religion by insensiblc
degrees, when accompanied by consist
snt example, and by the wise, saluiary
and benelicent exercise Of authority and
influence. Such worship will render
the bond between parents and children,
aud in the members Of household,
doubly dear and close. Is it not 10 be
feared and lamen,el that family worship
is much neglected, within the bosom Of
the Church, or, if not neglected, is per.
formed in hurried aud formal manner,
without punc,uali'y, and devoid of suit
able feeling aud INTEREST," The religion
and worship of the closet and family
will revive and be strengthened togcth-
or. pHEsL
The Lowell Era furnishes The follow
ing incident, which has moral for all
classes of readers:
ADying Mans Message TO a Prayer !
t-rl,.. Meeting.
One Of the citizens of the place. ven
.serable in age by more than three score
and ten years, had sickened, sand was
stretched on his dying bed. He had de-
layed the great interest Of immortality
for many long years, not having pray
, ed las he stately to God until after he
was three score. About, this time, the
sickness, earnest Christian fai,hfulness,
and death of pious daughter, turned
his attention to a preparation for eter-
nity, and drew from him some solemn
promises.
He then commemorate life Of prayer,
which, he told friend in his dying
hours, he had maintained without in-
corruption, even for a single day; still
he had notmadc profession ofrelig:on,
and consequently had failed to perform
many of those duties binding upon a
believer in God aud a subject Of divine
grace, and lie therefore was in trouble.
Doubts perplexed aud worried him, and
lie could not realize how God could be
so aseresfa1 as to save him after he had
spent almost all his life in sin. And
now hisSboly was diseased, racked with
pain, aud a9times he had but little use
Of his mind, and hc would frequently
call for his intimate friend and on one
occasion, in the stiffness Of the night,
land / think it was the night before his
teathl, indeep anxiety, that spoke vol
urnes of thought, asked, " Do you think
! am safe :" and after receiving encour-
agemont from his friend, he would ut
Ter his dying message Tor his impenitcnt
acuuaintanccs. Tell them, he said, re-
peatedly, "tell them sick bed is
poor place toprcparc for death"
How a Minister Becomes Great,