344 SERMON PREACHED OX THE ISLAND. 
said, < A prudent wife is from the Lord. The 
heart of her husband doth safely trust in her ; 
she will do him good and not evil all the days of 
her life. She openeth her mouth with wisdom ; 
and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She 
looketh well to the ways of her household, and 
eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children 
arise up, and call her blessed ; her husband also, 
and he praiseth her.' 
" Husbands and wives, excite each other in 
the path of duty. Form the holy resolution, 
that you and your house will serve the Lord ; 
and having made this resolution, persevere in it 
till death. Be diligent in reading the Word of 
God, and causing it to be read in your families. 
' Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye 
have eternal life,' is a precept of our blessed 
Lord ; and parents are in a peculiar manner 
bound to instruct their children in the knowledge 
of the Word of God. Family prayer is a duty 
as absolutely necessary as reading the Word of 
God ; for prayer is an excellent means to render 
reading effectual. We read that our blessed 
Lord, when He dwelt on earth, promised a 
peculiar blessing to joint supplications : ' Where- 
soever two or three are gathered together in my 
name, there am I in the midst of them.' And to 
this, that we are commanded by the Apostle to 
c pray always with all manner of supplication,' 
which, doubtless, includes family prayer. 
" Remember, the time will come, and that, 
perhaps, very shortly, when we must all appear 
before the judgment-seat of Christ, where we 
must give a solemn and strict account how 
