It is recorded, That godly masters of families have been careful of their Families, to keep them fixed unto God in worship; Of Joshua it is said, Josh. 24.15. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. He engageth not only for himself, but for his whole household also, in order to the public serving of God, and that in opposition to those, who would serve other gods, which was also done, and might in time coming be done, by families as such, as well as by singular persons, or by more numerous and public assemblies; as we see Gideon’s father had an altar for Baal, Judges 6.25. And though the men of the city did also worship that idol, and were careful of keeping of it, verses 28-30. Yet it is particularly called the altar, which Gideon’s father had; and when Gideon brake it down, it is said, verse 27, He feared his father’s household, as well as the men of the city: Whereby we see, That his father and his father’s household were particularly engaged in this idolatrous worship, So we see what care David resolved to take, in ordering his Family. Psalm 101. and 1 Sam. 6. after he had blessed the whole congregation, verse 18. It is said of him, verse 20, That he returned to bless his own house. So in the New Testament, we read, Acts 10.2. of Cornelius, who feared God with all his house, and prayed always: Which must include praying with his house. And it is likely that Daniel prayed with his Family. Dan. 6.10. Both in regard, that that was more easy to be observed by his adversaries, than his closet-praying would have been; and in regard that hereby his testimony against that sinful decree, was the more public, which zeal for God had now prompted him to. See Job’s practice, Job 1.5.
~ John Brown of Wamphray
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