The First Excuse

The First Excuse.

One man does so excuse himself: I want time for family prayer; especially in a morning, I can't spare the time.

This is a most horrid and wicked excuse. You madman, from whom have you all your time? All your time is given by God, and shall none of your time be given to God? What, no time to pray with your family? God knows you can find time to eat with your family, time to sleep with your family, perhaps, time to smoke with your family; and no time to pray with them? Once more,

What is it that does engross your time, and put by your prayer? 'Tis the world, the world! And is that such a portion indeed, as to bespeak your contempt of an eternal God, and of an immortal soul, in the pursuance of it. You shall quickly take an everlasting farewell of all this world; this world will not stand you in any stead ere long, when your soul, your soul shall be trembling on your cold lips, just ready (as the atheist said) to take a great leap in the dark. Yes, that very day, wherein you go abroad without your family prayers, may prove the very day, wherein an angry God may say — 'This day shall your soul be required of you.' And what a frenzy is this? To be extreme busy and earnest about the trifles of this world, while a precious never-dying soul is unprovided for? I wish that all prayerless houses had this admonition engraved on their walls: What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Could you see it engraved on those walls, with a hand writing, like what Belshazzar saw of old, it would no doubt amaze and startle you. Look into these leaves, and see it with a sharp style engraven here! Besides, family prayers are no real prejudice to secular affairs. They should not be long, tedious, burdensome; and they'll hinder no journey, no concern; all will prosper the better for them. In short, God will find an eternity to damn the man that cannot find a time to pray.