340 MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. it a foolish and senseless custom ; but he declared his sentiment with freedom, that " we might all share enough in the grace that was said for a dinner, without putting on such a demure counte- nance, and such grave airs, as if we were at church in the midst of divine service." Profane and foolish speech ! but it is hard to say, whether more foolish or more profane. Tell me, Asebion, is our addressing the God of heaven with prayer and praise at meals no part of divine service ? Is God never worshipped but. when it is done at church ? Little do these creatures think what a dangerous thing it is to trifle with an almighty Being, even in the smallest act of worship'! Did the great God ever appoint tooth -picks to be the sacred utensils of our asking a blessing on food ? Or is a cloud of snuff the incense that must ascend with this prayer ? How thoughtless are these mortals, and how unconcerned about the serious and important things of religion ? They behave with such a regard- less air, as though grace before meat were a needless old fashioned ceremony as though it were enough for the chaplain to worship their Maker for the whole family ; or that when they speak to the Majesty of heaven for a blessing on their food, there was no need of a composed countenance, or any shew of bodily reverence.- - Yet Asebion and Asebina every morning ask their father's bles- sing on their knees. Methinks I would ask them, " Why so solemnly on your knees for your father's blessing, and so utterly negligent of all solemnity and outward decencies when you seek a blessing from God ?" After I had written this paper, I lent it to a friend, who put it into the hands of Sedentius, and desired him to read it. In the perusal of it, he seemed pleased, and gratified with the just reproof of such irreligion, and chewed his satisfaction by an ap- proving smile, till he came to the close ; there he paused a little, and a grave dejected air spread over his countenance : " Well said he, I hope these young gentry will learn to be more devout while the provisions of the table is blessed, but I take my share also in the reproof; nor will I indulge any more appearance of irreverence for time to come in these domestic and daily acts of worship :. I and my fathers before me have sat down to meat these forty years, and never asked a blessing till after we were all seated ; but my children shall learn of me to stand up and adore the God who made and feeds us, nor shall our seats nor our consciences upbraid us with any appearances of indecency in our addresses to the living God.. "d C It bath been suspeetei that Sedentius reproves himself here without any joist reason, since our Saviour seated the multitude on the grass before he Messed the food : Luke ix. e d John vi., aid the apostles were sitting at the Paschal table when Christ inetltated the Lord's- supper, and blessed the elements.
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