Thomas Houston on implausible excuses for neglecting family worship

[Reformed Covenanter]

That the services of domestic worship may be instrumental in subserving this high purpose, two things are indispensable;— they should be performed with scrupulous punctuality, and formality should be carefully avoided. No multiplicity or variety of engagements — no plea of inability for conducting devotional services — no backwardness, from the presence of servants or strangers, can be sustained as valid excuses for the occasional or frequent neglect of a duty, on which so much of the benefit or happiness of the family depends.

To limit family worship to one part of the day, and to omit it, at times, from the interruption of business or society, is to neglect Heaven’s standing institute and to postpone the spiritual welfare of the household to the trivial, fleeting interests of the world. It is, in fact, to substitute a human invention for God’s appointed ordinance, and to render the spiritual and eternal interests of a family subservient to mere worldly caprice or convenience. ...

For more, see Thomas Houston on implausible excuses for neglecting family worship.

 

[Taylor]

Excellent excerpt. Very convicting, especially for those of us who were not left an example and are having, in essence, to be first-generation family worshippers.

On a more serious note, I thought you were Thomas Houston...

 

[Grant]

To limit family worship to one part of the day, and to omit it, at times, from the interruption of business or society, is to neglect Heaven’s standing institute

Is it a safe assumption that Thomas Houston is pointing to having family worship twice per day here? or am I missing something (more likely)?

P.S. Well from the full excerpt it appears he is merely aiming at our duty for "daily" family worship, which would imply once if i'm not mistaken.

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Is it a safe assumption that Thomas Houston is pointing to having family worship twice per day here? or am I missing something (more likely)?

P.S. Well from the full excerpt it appears he is merely aiming at our duty for "daily" family worship, which would imply once if i'm no mistaken.

I think by daily he means both morning and evening, which is why he says it is wrong to limit it to one part of the day. One point to ponder is how do we apply this principle to the modern situation in which the head of the household has a fairly long journey to and from work each day?

 

[Grant]

One point to ponder is how do we apply this principle to the modern situation in which the head of the household has a fairly long journey to and from work each day?

Very true. This made me go back and read the Westminster DOPW (Private Worship). It would seem to require having "Secret" of "Closet" devotion morning and evening and the family worship seems to have a standard of occurring at a set time each day, in other words at least once daily.

I was also reminded that the likely reason Family Worship has fallen on hard times is because of 2 things: 1. Family Heads neglecting & 2. Ministers and RE's failing to censure this neglect.

From the Westminster DOPW:

THE General Assembly, after mature deliberation, doth approve the following Rules and Directions for cherishing piety, and preventing division and schism; and doth appoint ministers and ruling elders in each congregation to take special care that these Directions be observed and followed; as likewise, that presbyteries and provincial synods enquire and make trial whether the said Directions be duly observed in their bounds; and to reprove or censure (according to the quality of the offence), such as shall be found to be reprovable or censurable therein. And, to the end that these directions may not be rendered ineffectual and unprofitable among some, through the usual neglect of the very substance of the duty of Family-worship, the Assembly doth further require and appoint ministers and ruling elders to make diligent search and enquiry, in the congregations committed to their charge respectively, whether there be among them any family or families which use to neglect this necessary duty; and if any such family be found, the head of the family is to be first adminished privately to amend his fault; and, in case of his continuing therein, he is to be gravely and sadly reproved by the session; after which reproof, if he be found still to neglect Family-worship, let him be, for his obstinacy in such an offence, suspended and debarred from the Lord’s supper, as being justly esteemed unworthy to communicate therein, till he amend.

 

[hammondjones]

Is it a safe assumption that Thomas Houston is pointing to having family worship twice per day here? or am I missing something (more likely)?

I may be wrong but I was thinking he was saying "don't say, 'well, we only have family worship in the morning, and this morning was crazy, so that's it for the day'".

But I might be off.

 

[Grant]

I may be wrong but I was thinking he was saying "don't say, 'well, we only have family worship in the morning, and this morning was crazy, so that's it for the day'".

But I might be off.

Brandon, that's a great thought and I think you might be right!