Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-15
alistellanrous Reaaina.
OUR FAMILY WORSHIP.
Absolutely Essential to Wholesome
Spiritual Growth.
(By Rev. ]. B. Swami,

of which he stands in need; ana the
more pressing the need, the more
strongly will he urge his plea. When
one asks for favor and is indifferent
as to whether it is granted he cannot
be so intensely in earnest as the one
who pleads for bread for himself and
starving children. The father, as a
rule, has the interest of his family at
heart. In every request his children
are included. When he asks for en-
ployment it is that his children may
have food and raiment. He is infiu-
enced by a sense of duty to, or love for
his family. He feels that the respon-
sibility of providing for their temporal
wants falls on him. Thus it is in spir-
itual matters. He asks Of God certain
things of which he stands in need.
The father is the regularly constituted
head of the family; he is the God-ap-
pointed head. In the Patriarchal period
and under the Mosaic dispensation, the
| father was the priest Of the family.
This office, so far as we know, has
never been relegated to another. It's
true that there are other means by
whic! children may obtain religious in
struction. We have houses for public
worship, where Gods Word is explain
ed, and we have Sabbath schools where
the children are more specially taught
religious truths. But these are not
| intended to take the place Of home
training, neither does it relieve in the
| least degree the father Of his duty to
his children, nor to deprive him Of his
religious office. The Christian faith
er is better fitted fer the children's
religious training than any one else.
| This grows out of the natural relations
to them. He is more deeply concerned
about them than any other man is or
can be, and he loves them more in
tensely than any other man does or
can. His interest in them Is matter
of daily concern and his love for them
| never slackens. His children know
this. Hence he can exercise greater
influence over them than any other
person. They have unbounded conf
dence in him and love him better than
they love any other man. Thus 1t Is
reasonable to suppose that the father
is better fitted for the religious train
ing of his own children than any one
else Besides, the children will receive
such instructions from him mere read
lily than from any other person. Thus
the father who neglects the religious
training of his children robs them Of
their dues and disregards his God ap-
pointed office. While 1t is true that
children believe that everything the
father does Is right, it is also true
are right that their father fails to do.
Sometimes they feel this keenly. Chill
dren have been known to grieve over
their fathers neglect of family wor-
ship. I read of little girl who said
she loved to visit a certain home be-
cause the father had family prayer.
She expressed the wish that her faith
er would do as this man did. Yes,
children enjoy family worship. While
they know that they are the objects
Of their fathers love, they do not know
that they are the object Of his prayers.
Ask them If their father prays for
them. They must answer, I'VE do not
know; we have never heard him." Sure
ly it must be sore trial to them to
make such a confession. While 1t is
true that children love their father
with all the tenderness Of their young
hearts, it is also true that they cannot
have that reverence for him they would
have if he gathered them around the
family altar night and morning and
implored Gods blessing upon them.
Now in regard to the excuses men
give for the neglect Of this duty.
First, The want Of an express injunc-
ton of it in the Scriptures. 1t is true
that there is not any passage of Scrip
ture which in as many terms enjoins
family worship in distinction from
other modes of worship. But this
would a'so excuse from the observance
the Christian Sabbath, and also from
admitting females to the Lords Sup
per. These are nowhere expressly
commanded in the Bible. We are
taught some things from inference.
Several passages refer to this subject
in a manner too evident to leave rea-
sonable doubt that family worship was
their immediate subject. Read Joshua
xiv, IS, i.e., But as for me and my
house. we will serve the Lord" Again,
in I Tim. ii. s: II will therefore that
men pray everywhere" Surely the
family must be included in this. Then
the Lords Prayer is a special prayer,
and it seems plainly to have been in
tended for the family, rather than for
secret or public use. OF course, the
substance Of it should be used in all
forms of prayer. But we pray: GIVE
us this day our daily bread" This
petition is to be used every day. Then
we say, Our Father" not my Father
So it must be intended for more than
one. How delightful and how encour-
aging to every father and mother to
rather their offspring around the fam
ily altar and be able to say, on bend
ed knees: Lord, here are we and the
children which Thou hast given us?"
Second. Some give timidity as an eX-
cuse. oh, l cannot pray with my fam
w. l am ashamed to. This is, to say
the least, an unhappy excuse. If they
and their children were starving for
bread, they would not be too timid to
urge their plea, even in the presence
Of their children. Were thev as deeply
interested in obtaining spiritual bread
they would not be too bashful to ask
for it in the presence of their chill
dren.
Third, Some give as an excuse for
neglecting this duty the character OF
those who were reared in prayerless
homes. One will say, My children
never heard me pray, yet they are as
consistent members Of the church as
any children l know" This may be
true, but to whose credit is it charged
CuraIv NOT to tho father 7 have known