Regular family worship is one of the forgotten habits of family discipleship in the 21st century. But lest we imagine that the 19th century was a golden age of family worship, listen to James Waddel Alexander, in his book Thoughts on Family Worship:
In a period when the world is every day making new inroads on the church, it has especially invaded the household. Our church cannot compare with that of the seventeenth century in this regard. Along with Sabbath observance, and the catechising of children, Family-Worship has lost ground. There are many heads of families, communicants in our churches, and (according to a scarcely credible report) some ruling elders and deacons, who maintain no stated daily service of God in their dwellings. It is to awaken such to their duty that this volume has been prepared.
Alexander covers the following topics in his book:
1. The Nature, Warrant, and History of Family Worship
2. The Influence of Family Worship on Individual Piety
3. The Influence of Family Worship on Parents
4. The Influence of Family Worship on Children
5. The Influence of Family Worship on Domestics
6. Family Worship as a Means of Intellectual Improvement
7. The Influence of Family Worship on Domestic Harmony and Love
8. The Influence of Family Worship on a Household in Affliction
9. The Influence of Family Worship on Visitors, Guests, and Neighbors
10. The Influence of Family Worship in Perpetuating Sound Doctrine
11. The Influence of Family Worship on the Church
12. The Influence of Family Worship on the Commonwealth
13. The Influence of Family Worship on Posterity
14. Practical Directions as to the Mode of Conducting Family Worship
15. The Reading of Scripture, as a Part of Family Worship
16. Psalmody, as a Part of Family Worship
17. The Household Exhorted to the Duty of Family Worship
18. Difficulties and Objections - Conclusion
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