In South Cabolina. 591 



proper to it. They have fallen into a lukewarm state, out of •which, 

 we warn them, they must be aroused, or they will shortly add to 

 their present heartlessness the further guilt of actual transgression. 

 We exhort you all, brethren, to adhere to the good old way of stated 

 hours of prayer daily, as being calculated to preserve you in the 

 spirit of piety and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 

 Christ. 



Concerning Family Religion. — We exhort all heads of fami- 

 lies to be constant in family worship — reading the Scriptures after 

 a solemn manner, singing devoutly a hymn of praise to God, and 

 offering prayer at suitable hours, morning and evening, with their 

 families. Those who complain of a want of the gift of extempo- 

 raneous prayer we advise to use a form. And we admonish any 

 who habitually neglect this duty — who rise up and lie down without 

 acknowledging God in their families — to take shame to themselves, 

 repent, and remain no longer under the condemnation of those 

 whom the Scriptures reckon fit to be classed with the heathen ( Jer. 

 x. 25). Let the leaders of classes be particular to ascertain who 

 neglect this duty, and encourage them to amend; or let them know 

 that they can remain among us no longer than until we shall have 

 lost a reasonable hope of their amendment. 



Let all parents feel it their duty to teach their little children, be- 

 ginning at the age of two or three years, to kneel separately and re- 

 peat a short form ^f prayer before going to bed at night, and another 

 as soon as they are dressed in the morning. Let them begin early to 

 impress the minds of their children with the fear of the Lord; to 

 guard them against the profanation of the Sabbath-day; to cultivate 

 in them due respect for public worship, a quiet and sober demeanor 

 in the house of God, and the love of virtue and religion. We rec- 

 ommend Sunday-schools, in connection with the union of our own 

 Church, as a most efficient means of religious education, and we 

 earnestly advise their being instituted in every congregation. 



Master's we exhort to provide for the religious instruction of 

 their slaves. At a time when this subject is beginning to engage 

 the favorable attention of persons of other denominations — of some 

 who make no decided profession — we feel ourselves more than ever 

 bound to impress on your minds, brethren, its great importance. 

 Can we have done our duty as a Christian people if we suffer those 

 who are wholly at our will, by whose labor we have our wealth, 

 and who have souls to be saved as well as we, to live and die with- 

 out scriptural instruction, either destitute of religion or possessing 



