claims on our esteem and praise. The "woman who feareth the LORD, she shall be. praised."

PIETY adds beauty to the beautiful; but piety has charms and attractions in herself unfpeakably more winning and commanding, to all who have their "fenfes," i. e. their fpiritual difcernment and tafte, properly "exercifed," than all the elegance and brilliancy of corporeal form. We read of the beauty of holiness; in a pious woman it shines with peculiar brightness, and with happy effect.. The apostle Peter was fenfible of the happy influence of female excellence and piety; their chafte, correct, pure, and refined converfation, their inward adorning of a meek and quiet fpirit, winning their husbands to the obedience of the truth. The infidel and irreligious may be rendered thoughtful, may be led to perceive the truth, while they perceive the excellence of religion, in the example of holy men, but more especially of holy women,; their "light fo fhines before men, "that they feeing their good works," are constrained" to glorify their Father in hea"ven." If fuch is the influence of female piety

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piety and worth, according to the apostle's expectation, over infidels themselves; how benign and effectual muft it not be over thofe who already feel the power of godlinefs? They are highly delighted, they admire and venerate their worth and amiable qualities, they imitate them in their own temper, and behaviour, and conduct.

WHETHER a pious man or woman can do most for promoting the improvement, the holiness, and the happiness of the world, and of those among whom they dwell, cannot eafily be decided. Many women have done much; many women, in particular circumftances, have excelled. Might not we fay much of the influence of a pious young woman breaking the fascinating power of unhallowed pleasure in her admirers, and gaining and controlling the heart that is in danger of being carried away in the stream of diffipation and vice? In the circle of her own companions, has not a pious woman often gently corrected and restrained the giddy, fweetly perfuaded the forward? Has not she encouraged and emboldened her young pious friends in the profeffion, exertions, and con

ftancy

ftancy of goodness? Have they not, by her fuperior excellence, been determined (to use the expreffion of our LORD) to go and do "likewife?"

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But it is when she becomes a matron, the head of a family, a wife, and a mother, that the pious woman becomes highly refpectable, and a bleffing and a praise in her generation.

WHO is there that is not forward in the praises of friendship, and does not highly value the communications, the intereft, the confidence and fatisfactions of minds in unifon, when affection has been justified by experience, and increased by time? If worthy qualities produce esteem; if an acute mind, a tender heart, accurate obfervation, extenfive knowledge, general refpect, and much influence, unite in greatly enhancing friendfhip; what must they be in the wife of the bofom, whose refidence is always ours, and the term of the sweetest friendship is that of life itself? The conjugal duties are lightened, or rather, I should say, endeared, by remembering the Author and the objects of the inftitution

ftitution of marriage, by recollecting the apostle's comparison of CHRIST and the church, by a rifing family, the object of common cares, and promises and vows.

In her faithful bofom are poured his forrows; to her joyful heart are imparted his fatisfactions; by her foft foothings, adverfity's rough brow is fmoothed; by her wife counfels, intricacies and difficulties are made plain and easy; by her example, and advice, and prayers, the blandishments of profperity lofe their fatal influence, and dignity, and generofity, and ufefulnefs, are preferved and fecured; where perhaps folly, and extravagance, and vice, had been but too ready to enter, with all their degradations and wretchedneís.

THE two fpheres in which a pious woman moves, and where her excellence is especially confpicuous, are thofe mentioned by the wife man in the paffage before us; the one, that of the mistrefs of a family; the other, that of a mother.

IN different periods of fociety, and in the

various

various ranks and conditions of life, the actual exertions of the mistress of a family, and of the mother of children, may be very different, in perfect confiftency with worthy principles, and the practice and attainments of piety. But, if I mistake not, no fituation, in any period of fociety, exempts the mistress of a family and a mother, from concern and exertion. We well know, or can easily figure, the malign influence of unconcern, frivolity, and diffipation, in both characters; and turn, with respect and reverence, to the frugal, the industrious, and the pains-taking, who contributes to the independence, and profperity, and piety of her family; in whom her hufband repofes every confidence, and whose "children arife and call her bleffed." It is in this sphere, in the cares and exertions of maternal duty, that the excellence of female piety is, in a more particular manner, manifefted and enhanced.

THE wisdom and goodness of the Divine providence eminently appear in the love of offspring. Mothers, for the most part, experience this affection, to a higher degree. The ftrength of this affection reconciles them

to