Thoughts on Family Worship by James W. Alexander

Author:James W. Alexander
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-09-09T16:00:00+00:00

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55 Gen. 20:11.

56 Psalm 119:46.

Chapter 10

The Influence of Family Worship in Perpetuating Sound Doctrine

Those for whom these pages are chiefly intended are in nothing more fully agreed than in this, that every portion of divine truth is precious, and that every deviation, however small, from the faith once delivered to the saints, is most earnestly to be deprecated. Hence unusual care was taken by our pious forefathers, in so framing compendious forms of doctrine, and so inculcating them upon the infant mind, and so exacting adherence to them from church-officers, as might best preclude departures from the original, covenanted, testimony. This has not been unobserved by our adversaries, and we are familiar, as a church, with the charge of being stiff, opposed to innovations, and tenacious of the traditions of the elders.

Though no human guards can maintain sound doctrine, we must, nevertheless, avail ourselves of every lawful means. There is a constant tendency to deflect from the line of true direction. It arises from the depraved nature, and has manifested itself in every successive age, from that of the Apostles downwards. Hence the necessity for God’s frequent and gracious interposition, in the way of reformation and revival. Thus the great work which was wrought by the instrumentality of Luther, was a clearing away of wood, hay, and stubble, errors and abuses which had been built on the primitive foundation. The early Lutheran church was, comparatively, pure. But even before the death of that mighty man of God, tares began to be visible among the wheat, and those who succeeded him allowed serious errors to creep in, especially in regard to the decrees of God. In the eighteenth century this dereliction of the old faith became more and more striking, until, in the present day, not only Arminianism and Pelagianism, but Arianism, Sabellianism, Socinianism, and that form of Atheism which is called Pantheism, are known to prevail among preachers and professors. And though we rejoice in manifest tokens that God is arising to have mercy on that land, we have still to lament the wide departures of multitudes from the truth. In Geneva, the very place of Calvin’s teaching, and of his death, the growth of heresy had been so rapid, that until the late gracious awakenings which have raised up witnesses for the doctrines of the gospel, the whole body of the ministry had gone astray. The case of Boston and of Harvard College is well known to all our readers. In England, a large number of the churches called Presbyterian have become Unitarian. The piety of ancestors conveys no hereditary blessing to their children. Nor do we believe it to be the purpose of God to connect perpetuity of faith with any form of external service, however excellent. Yet we are deeply persuaded, that among the means which he is pleased to use for this end, one of the most prominent is Family Worship. If anything has been attained by our investigations thus far, it has been shown, that Family Worship is promotes piety.

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