EVERY FAMILY A CHURCH.

BY THE

REV. W. G. COOKESLEY, M.A.,

ASSISTANT-MASTER OF ETON COLLEGE.

COLOSSIANS IV. 15.

The church which is in his house.

IS is not the only passage in which St. Paul has

THIS

spoken of a Christian family and household as forming a church. In the Epistle to Philemon he salutes "the church in his house;" and in the sixteenth chapter and fourth verse of the Epistle to the Romans, he greets "the church which is in the house of Priscilla and Aquila."

In its largest sense the word "church" signifies the universal body of Christian believers, whether in heaven or in earth. The same term is applied to national bodies, as we speak of "the Church of England," or "the Church of Rome." Lastly, a single household of believers is "a church;" and indeed the whole visible church of CHRIST may be contained in a single household; as, for instance, the family of Noah in the ark were at one time the only church of GOD upon earth.

It is not, however, in name only, nor merely as containing a body of believers, that a family is properly a church; but in every household, rightly organized and disciplined, there ought to be a representation of the real government of the church. And a consideration of several particulars in which this is true, may serve to give all of us better notions of our duties in our house

hold; it may teach us to sanctify with a glorious and heavenly character many of those offices of daily life which men are too commonly apt to look upon as of no very great dignity or importance.

If we regard a church as a building, its first and most important use is, to be a place for the celebration of the outward service of prayer to GOD; and every man's house ought, in this respect, to be a church. In every dwelling, whose owner desires the blessing of GOD to fall on it, there should be made the constant, daily oblation of prayer. Without this consecrating incense, it is idle to speak of a house as of a building dedicated to GOD.

If we speak of a church as of a society, we must admit the necessity of its consisting of various parts; each containing its several just subordinations and degrees. And, as in all societies, more especially in a church, it is necessary that there be a guiding and a governing head, so there must be in every house one head of a Christian family. In the system of patriarchal government, originally established amongst mankind, GOD decreed that the eldest or head of the family should combine in his person the glorious prerogatives of royalty and priesthood. And although subsequent revelations of the divine will, and the altered circumstances of the world have, of necessity, qualified this original institution, yet such parts of it as have not been interfered with should undoubtedly be maintained.

When, therefore, we have the example set before us of a church established in a house, it is impossible to take the first and most essential step towards following this example without investing the head of the family with at least so much of the priestly character as renders it his duty, no less than his privilege, to officiate as the priest of his household. What a glorious, but at the same

time what a responsible, dignity is his! He is, or ought to be, the centre of unity in his family, the object of general obedience and respect. He is the person to guide his flock by knowledge and advice; he is bound to explain, to the best of his ability at least, the oracles of GOD to those who depend on him. Much of the happiness or misery of the family must depend on his righteous or wicked management of the things entrusted to his care; and it is foolish to suppose that GOD should have committed such important offices to the hands of any man without exacting a proportionate responsibility.

And think of the wisdom of such a provision! For if every head of a family were to act, as he ought to act, under a deep sense of the importance of the office he fills; if he tried in all things to approve himself the minister and representative of GOD over his household, doubtless he would speedily meet with a plenteous reward, in the dutiful affection of his children; in the tranquil happiness and beaming faces of his fire-side. Prosperity must come to such a man with ten-fold joy; whereas adversity must fall on his head with diminished and insignificant weight. In the sweet and precious knowledge that his family are all knit together in the bond of Christian affection, and are all sanctified and blessed by the Spirit of GOD, he has a remedy against every calamity, a shield of defence against every accident, an impregnable fortress against the assaults of the world and the devil.

Think, then, how great and awful is the dignity of every head of a family! And think how terrible must be the condemnation of those who despise or abuse the solemn duties thus imposed on their situation!

Our Saviour was fond of addressing all his followers as members of one household; sometimes calling them

his "little children;" sometimes "his brethren." In his parables He was remarkably fond of comparing Himself to "the master of a house." He has apparently been most anxious to remind us of Himself by the most ordinary household circumstances, so that the daily occurrences of domestic life should ever suggest to us the precepts and example of our Redeemer. The Evangelists have recorded more anecdotes of our blessed Saviour in his domestic character than in any other; and He has often given us rules for our conduct in our household, by presenting us with a perfect pattern of behaviour in Himself.

For instance, at the period when He appeared upon earth, slavery was the condition of a large proportion of mankind; and, of course, much oppression and tyranny was exercised by the strong master over the weak servant. But to warn us not to despise any one for whom He died, and to remind us of Himself, CHRIST took upon Him the form of a servant, and declared that "He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."

We read that He discharged the most menial offices towards his own disciples; that He even condescended "to wash their feet" as they sat at table. How touchingly and wonderfully, by this great act of humility, has He not only warned us to be humble, but has taught us to remember that our Saviour and Redeemer was a servant. And he that is blessed with this world's goods, will, if he be wise and righteous, for his Saviour's sake always regard the spiritual no less than the domestic happiness of his servant with a special anxiety and care.

Men appear to have a natural love for their offspring; and, indeed, so active and strong is the power which this affection has over the human breast, that we might fancy it was almost unnecessary to give particular in

structions, or to enforce with emphatic earnestness and warmth so plain a duty as the care and protection of our children. Yet the history of the heathen world informs us, that so great is the natural lust after power in man, and so deep is his natural corruption, that the laws of nations the most civilized, and enlightened by art and genius, gave to the parent an absolute and irresponsible power over the life of the child; so that to murder a newly born infant was regarded not merely as an inoffensive, but even as a meritorious and patriotic action. But how beautifully has CHRIST taught us to love the infants of our household! commanding us not simply to cherish them for their guilelessness, and to fondle them for the sweetness of their beauty, but exhorting us to regard them with more than earthly affection, "because of such is the kingdom of heaven!" so that whenever we gaze with happiness and pride on the faces of the children. that dwell around our hearth, we should be reminded of the blissful and glorified innocence of the children of heaven!

Again, we know how little disposed the proud spirit and heart of a man is to yield to the authority, and to submit to the influence of a mother. But how beautiful an example of domestic love is furnished to us in the simple and touching expression of the mother of JESUS, that she had sought her son "sorrowing!" and in the observation of the Evangelist, that the child went down. to Nazareth, and was subject unto his parents! And so we find that, as He never failed in the dutiful affection owing to a mother, but even in his last agony on the cross with his dying breath made provision for Mary, and commended her to the care of the disciple whom He loved best; so she never forgot or forsook Him: but in all his perils seems to have been constantly near Him,