A demonstration of family-duties: or Certaine propositions and reasons of them taken [ou]t of the holy Scriptures, tending to shew the necessity, nature, and manner of performance of such religious duties, as Christian families ought to spare some time unto from common affaires every day. By T.P.

XXX. PROPOSITION. For the more decent, orderly, and edifying performance of re∣ligious family-duties morning and evening daily, some one of the Family ought to be, as it were, the mouth of the rest, going before them in the reading of the Scripture, and in making their requests knowne by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving: And the others of the family ought to testify their assent onely by a reverend & silent attention, and at the end of prayers, saying Amen, or So be it.

PROOF. See both of these: First, for Scripture-exercise, 2 King. 22.10. Shaphan

read it (the booke of the law) before the ki•••• Josiah. Secondly, for prayer, Act. 27.35. Hee (the Apostle Paul) gave thanks to God in the presence of them all: that is, He being in the ship, and to eate something with the rest o•• the company, was, as it were, their mo•••••• in the requisite thanksgiving at that time. See also in our Saviour Christs course, whe•• he prayed with his disciples, John. 17.1. Th•••••• words speake Jesus, and lift up his eyes to heave•• and said, Father, &c.

I. REAS. Because the Lord, who is a God of order, and not of confusion, doth require a decent and orderly performance 〈◊〉〈◊〉 religious services, which is when one spea¦keth, & others keepe silence; as the Apostle Paul sheweth more fully, 1 Corinth. chap. 1•• and then concludeth thus, vers. 40. Let 〈◊〉〈◊〉 things be done decently, and in order.

II. REAS. Because an orderly perfor¦mance of religious services, is highly com¦mended and approved as prayse-worthy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the practisers and observers thereof, and indeed matter of special rejoycing to the be¦holders, and partakers thereof. See Colos. 2.5. Joying, and beholding your order, &c. The Apostle Paul rejoyced to behold the come order amongst the Saints at Colosse, an•• gave good approbation of the same.

OBSERV. Like as when religious wor¦ship

and service is performed in the publick & solemne assemblies, or Church-meetings; the Pastor or teacher is as their mouth to God, and as Gods mouth to them; as is shewed unto us, Nehem. 8.5, 6.

And Ezra opened the booke in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord the great God: and all the people answered Amen, Amen, with lifting up of their hands;

&c. So it ought to be in the per∣formance of family-duties: sith the families of Christians are, as it were, little Chur∣ches; as hath beene formerly manifested, Proposit. 28. Reas. 1.