your won by the converfation of the wives-while they behold chafte converfation coupled with fear.". Does he embrace, and hold faft, the bleffed hope of eter-. nal life? That hope will be greatly enhanced by the profpect of enjoying it for ever in her fociety. His piety will become more ardent, by becoming focial-they will take fweet council together-they will with pleafure go to the houfe of God in company-they will dwell together as heirs of the grace of life, that their prayers may not be hindered-and whatfoever they agree to ask, concerning the falvation of their fouls, it fhall be granted them by their common Father who is in Heaven. In all these respects, my brethren, and many more which might be enumerated, a good wife is a help meet for her husband.Let us now, as we propofed, II. Suggest a few practical hints, to the fingle and the married, of both fexes, in relation to the subject. 1ft. This fubje& fimply, yet clearly, unfolds woman's nature, ftation, duty, use and end. This raises her to her proper rank and importance, and inftructs her how most effectually to support them; this forbids her to afpire after rule, for her Maker defigned her as an helper; this fecures for her affection and respect, for how is it poffible to hate or defpife what God and na ture have rendered effential to our happiness. If the intention of the Creator, therefore, is attended to, the refpective claims and duties of the fexes are fettled in a moment; and an end is put to all unprofitable difcuffion of fuperiority and inferiority, of authority and fubjection, in those whofe deftination, and whofe duty, it is, to be mutually helpful, attentive and affectionate. An ingenious commentator has observed, that the woman was made of a rib, taken out of the fide of the man--not out of his head, to rule him-not out of his feet, to be trampled upon by him-but out of his fide, to be his under his arm to be protected equal near his 2nd. Young women, this fubje&t fpeaks to you. You see what is your earthly destination. It is to be a helps meet for man. Keep this object fteadily in your eye. Let it direct you, from your earliest days of reafon, in the employment of your time--in the cultivation of your talents--in the improvement of your hearts-and in the formation of your manners. Let it influence you with regard to the books you read-the principles you imbibe-the models you imitate that, by the grace of god, you may qualify yourselves to become helps meet for your future husbands-able to train up their children in the way in which they should go-to fhare their profperity with moderation-to alleviate their afflictions by fympathetic tenderness-to improve their temporal interefts by your wisdom and your care-and to promote their eternal falvation by your example and your prayers, Ever keep in mind, my fair hearers, that the proper and peculiar sphere of good women, and good wives, is the retired vale of domeftic life.Study to excell, rather in the useful, than in the ornamental qualities of the female character.-Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth! and, as the only bafis of real, uniform, perfevering, perfonal, and relative virtue, endeavour to have your hearts established with grace. 3d. Young men, this subject speaks to you. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled; but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Say not that it is good for a man to be alone! the Lord God fays it is not; and who art thou that repliest against God? The practice of celibacy is one of the crying vices of our age and country-and is equally inimical to religion-to good morals-to public fpirit-and to human comfort. He who fays, or lives as if he thought, that it is good for man to be alone, gives the lie to his Maker-fins against the conftitution of his nature-dishonours his parents-defrauds another of one of the jufteft rights of humanity-and in a cafe too in which it is impoffible for her fo much as to complain-and expofes himself to commit offences against fociety which muft not be mentioned in this place. But in making. choice of a partner for life, what need is there of prudence!-of the advice of your best friends!-particularly of your parents!-and of the direction of heaven! In taking to yourselves wives, you are forming a connection which death only can diffolve-you are entailing on yourselves the greatest earthly curfe—or receiving one of the richest temporal bleffings! Guard then against the charms of external beauty-the brilliancy of wit-and the enchantment of wealth! Confider her education-the difpofitions of her heart-the qualities of her mind-her domeftic accomplishments-and, above all her piety! Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, fhe fhall be praised; her price is far above rubies; the heart of her hufband doth fafely truft in her, and he fhall have no need of spoil; fhe fhall do him good and not evil all the days of his life. 4th. Wives, the fubject fpeaks to you. It tells you that you are not to hinder your husbands, but to help them. An indolent, wafteful, contentious, imperious, unfaithful wife, is one of the greateft evils under the fun. I pity, from my heart, the unhappy man who has a bad wife. She is fhackles on his feet-a palfy to his hands-a burthen on his fhoulders-fmoke to his eyesvinegar to his teeth-a thorn to his fide-a dagger to his heart! Confider my fair hearers, how much your husbands have honoured you, by choofing you, in preference to all other women, to be their bosom, confidential friends-to take charge of their houses, their children, their property, and their happiness, till death fhall difolve the tender, the folemn, the important connection! Confider how much they do, and fuffer for your maintenance and comfort. While you are easy, and warm, and fafe, at home, they are exposed to ten thousand dangers, and labours, and hardships, by fea and by land-in the fummer's fultry heat-in the winter's piercing cold-confined to the receipt of customimmured within the walls of the study-buried in the bowels of the earth-toffed on the tempeftuous ocean-or bleeding on the field of war! And what is the chief reward they expect for all their toil, and trouble and danger? The obedience, fidelity, and affection of their wives. Confider how ftrongly these duties are recommended in the holy fcriptures.--Confider how folemnly you promised to discharge them in the temple--before the minifter-before the alter of God-on your wedding day! And, after all, will you be froward, peevifh, fullen, and ill-humoured? your |