pany. But, Procul, O procul effe profani-Let all fuch profane abufers of the rites of convivial intercouffe be driven hence. You will fay then, What must we talk about 702 What! furely people of good fenfe, and fuch you with to be confidered, cannot be at a lofs for fubjects to difcourfe of. Let the whole ftock of your little party be fairly brought to market, and there will be no want of useful and pleasant commodities to traffic with. Are you all strangers to hiftory, bufinefs, nature, morality, and religion? No. These fources then will furnish an ample fupply for the entertainment of the evening. Suppofe fome one were to relate a remarkable incident in the ftory of his ancestors, his family, or his country; upon that tale would hang another, and these pleafantly told would not fail to inftruct and amufe.Suppofe the converfation fhould turn upon matters of trade and commerce, may it not be so managed as to divert, at the fame time it informs?-Or if a curious queftion refpecting any of the works of nature is started, think you that fome prefent of a fprightly imagination, are not capable of inveftigating it, so as to create admiration and pleasure ?Young people have memories and why may they not be allowed to recite productions of innocent wit and pleafantry in po. étic numbers Who fhall be offended at the entertainment? Or if the attention should be led by fome circumftance to a point of morality, may not the difcuffion of it, for half an hour, very agreeably engage your judgment and paffions-Some events of a fingular kind may have happened to this or that perfon, in the courfe of the pall year, either efcapes from immi - nent nent danger, or the acquifition of fome unexpected good. Why may not fuch events, with all the cir cumftances of them, be related, and fo the whole company become fharers with their friend in his happiness, and enjoy with him a grateful remembrance of the feasonable interpofition of Providence —I will add, if there is a prudent, pious, cheerful Chriftian in the circle, why may he not be allowed to throw in now and then a hint or reflection of a religious kind? It may fhed light on the mind, and do good to the heart, without favouring of affectation, or tending to give difguft. And fuch hint or reflection leading on to further difcourfe of the fame nature, (if it meet the approbation of the company) will put them all, it is to be hoped, into a temper to attend. 5. To the duties of family worship. I am aware the very mention of family worship on thefe occations, will be apt to give offence to fome fort of people. But why? Is there any thing in this fervice incompatible with the cheerfulness of a feftival? Surely it is not, at least it ought not to be, a tedious, formal, uninterefting bufinefs. And if there is a stated feafon for it in the houfe where we are affembled, what decent fatisfactory reafon can be affigned for fetting it afide? It will not take up much time: and to lay your minds are fo diffipated that you cannot compofe yourselves to it, is, in effect, to fay that your mirth has exceeded the bounds of prudence, And will fuch excufe be pleafing to God, or to yourfelves, on the reflection? How disingenuous to make your duty to him, from whom you derive all the pleafures of convivial intercourfe, fervilely yield to your ungenerous abufe of thofe pleafures! On the contrary, will not a quarter of an hour, spent in prayer and praise to God, be likely to have the happiest and most falutary effect It will recall your wandering thoughts and paffions to the fupreme Good. It will revive in your breasts a pleafant remembrance of your obligations, as a family, to the Father of mercies. It will put you in perfect good humour with one another, and send you to your several houses, and your reft, with eafy minds, if not joyful hearts. And now to this arrangement of circumstances, relative to family affociations, we might oppose the irregularities too frequent on fuch occafions, and draw an argument from thence to enforce what we have been recommending. But I do not mean here to lead you into houfes where grofs immoralities are practifed. Scenes of intemperance, lewdnefs, and profaneness, fuch as drew down the vengeance of Heaven upon the families of Job, Eli, Aaron, and others, are too painful to be held up to the view of a virtuous mind. And no perfon who has any regard to decency, will hefitate a moment to determine, whether the pleasures of an evening, spent in the manner we have recommended, are not far preferable to thofe of lawless mirth and diffipation. But what I mean to obferve is, that the little trifling amufements, mentioned above as proper for children, and very allowable on thefe occafions; should not wholly engrofs the time of grown people. Such diverfions may for a while give pleasure, but is that pleasure comparable to the entertainment refulting from the rational amufements we have propofed? The freely difcourfing on fubjects civil, moral, and divine, is a manly, cheerful, and improving way of spending our our leisure hours. Knowledge thus circulated, with all the aid that variety of wit, imagination, and reason can give it, will entertain and enrich the whole company; and the focial affections hereby excited, will enliven the animal spirits, and add a glow of real pleafure to the heart. Every one will be delighted with this gainful commerce, carry away with him the most agreeable reflections, and impatiently wish for the next return of these convivial meetings. DISCOURSE XII. HEAVEN CONSIDERED AS A FAMILY. JOHN xiv. 2. In my Father's boufe are many manfions; if it were not fo, I would have told you: 1 prepare a place for you. A go to MONG the many figures ufed in fcripture, to represent the blessedness of heaven, none is more inftructive and pleasing than that of a Family. Domeftic connections are the first in nature, and if the duties refulting from them were rightly discharged, they would be productive of the noblest enjoyments. With the affiftance, therefore, of this figure, we propofe now to lead you into a contemplation on the joys of heaven; and from thence to derive an argument in favour of those tempers and duties which have been fo largely explained and recommended in the preceding difcourfes. Now it will be neceffary, at our entrance on this delightful fubject, to prefent you with the picture of a family that approaches as near to perfection as poffible. Such a picture we shall draw. Excufe me if the colouring is too high, We mean it fhould |