though sometimes, living in the country, he had a great household; yet he would have not only his children and sojourners (if he had any) and domestic servants, but his workmen and day-labourers, and all that were employed for him, if they were within call to be present, to join with him in this service; and as it was an act of his charity many times to set them to work for him, so to that he added this act of piety, to set them to work for God. And usually when he paid his workmen their wages, he gave them some good counsel about their souls: yet if any that should come to family worship were at a distance, and must be staid for long, he would rather want them than put the duty much out of time; and would sometimes say at night, "Better one away than all sleepy."

The performances of his family worship were the same morning and evening. He observed, that under the law, the morning and the evening lamb had the same meatoffering and drink-offering, Exod. xxix. 3841. He always begun with a short, but very solemn prayer, imploring the Divine presence and grace, assistance and acceptance:

particularly begging a blessing upon the word to be read, in reference to which he often put up this petition: "That the same Spirit that indited the Scripture, would enable us to understand the Scripture, and to make up something to ourselves out of it that may do us good:" and esteeming the word of God as his necessary food, he would sometimes pray in a morning, that "our souls might have a good meal out of it," he commonly concluded even this short prayer, as he did also his blessings before and after meat, with a doxology, as Paul upon all occasions, "To Him be glory," &c. which is properly adoration, and is an essential part of prayer.

He next sung a psalm, and commonly he sung David's psalms in order, throughout; sometimes using the old translation, but generally Mr. Barton's: and his usual way was to sing a whole psalm throughout, though perhaps a long one, and to sing quick; (yet with a good variety of proper and pleasant tunes) and that he might do so, usually the psalm was sung without reading the line betwixt (every one in the family having a book;) which he preferred much before the common way of singing where it might con

veniently be done, as more agreeable to the practice of the primitive church, and the reformed churches abroad; and by this means he thought, the duty more likely to be performed "in the spirit, and with the understanding;" the sense being not so broken, nor the affections interrupted, as in reading the line betwixt. He would say, that a Scripture ground for singing psalms in fami lies might be taken from Psalm cxviii. 15. "The voice of rejoicing and of salvation, is in the tabernacles of the righteous;" and that it is a way to hold forth godliness (like Rahab's scarlet thread, Josh. ii. 17,) to such as pass by our windows.

He next read a portion of Scripture, taking the Bible in order; he would sometimes blame those who only pray in their families, and do not read the Scripture: in prayer we speak to God, by the word he speaks to us; and is there any reason (saith he) that we should speak all? in the tabernacle the priests were every day to burn incense, and to light the lamps; the former figuring the duty of prayer, the latter the duty of reading the word. Sometimes he would say, Those do well that pray morning and evening in their

families; those do better, that pray and read the Scriptures; but those do best of all that pray, and read, and sing psalms; and Christians should covet earnestly the best gifts.

He advised the reading of the Scripture in order; for though one star in the firmament of the Scripture differ from another star in glory, yet wherever God hath a mouth to speak, we should have an ear to hear; and the diligent searcher may find much excellent matter in those parts of Scripture, which we are sometimes tempted to think might have been spared. How affectionately would he sometimes bless God for every book, and chapter, and verse, and line, in the Bible!

What he read in his family, he always expounded; and exhorted all ministers to do so, as an excellent means of increasing their acquaintance with the Scripture. His expositions were not so much critical as plain, and practical, and useful; and such as tended to edification, and to answer the end for which the Scriptures were written, which is to make us wise to salvation. And herein he had a peculiar excellence, performing that daily exercise with so much judgment, and at the same time with such facility and clearness, as if

every exposition had been premeditated; and very instructive they were, as well as affecting to the auditors. His observations were many times very pretty and surprising, and such as one shall not ordinarily meet with. Commonly in his expositions he reduced the matter of the chapter or psalm read, to some heads; not by a logical analysis, which often minceth it too small and confounds the sense with the terms; but by such a distribution as the matter did most easily and unforcedly fall into. He often mentioned that saying of Tertulian's, "I adore the fulness of the Scriptures;" and sometimes that, Scriptura semper habet aliquid relegentibus. When sometimes he had hit upon some useful observation that was new to him, he would say afterwards to those about him, "How often have I read this chapter, and never before now took notice of such a thing in it!" he put his children, while they were with him, to write these expositions; and when they were gone from him, the strangers that sojourned with him did the same. What collections his children had, though but broken and very imperfect hints; yet, when afterwards they were disposed of in the world, were of good