pitiful and generous, and faves from evils of every kind, and communicates bleffings of every kind, as GOD gives him opportunity and ability. But it is proper to mention more efpecially these labours of love by women in more exalted stations, on account of the forwardness of fome, in these days, in blaming their zeal and exertions for instructing the young and the ignorant ; for promoting religious knowledge; for providing for the fick and the destitute; for contributing to the more general promulgation of the gospel, with all its bleffings, and privileges, and joys. It is their high honour, and it is the honour of the age, that many women in the higher ranks have been active and exemplary in these good works. We have already noticed the winning attractions and fuperior influence of female excellence. The women of rank and wealth distinguished for Christian charity are "fet upon a hill;" their activity, and zeal, and perfeverance, and success, attract attention, fecure approbation, diffuse a philanthropy of the pureft nature; they are," to use the strong language of the apostle, "workers together with GOD; they are the glory of "CHRIST; their praise is in the churches."

It is, however, in the family, in the church of their own children, and friends, and domestics, over which they prefide, that Christian matrons, with more certainty, and with more immediate effects, contribute to the great objects of Christian benevolence. This is the sphere in which they move with dignity. Order, and harmony, and peace, attend their steps. It must be with happy effects that a family, especially a large family, is diftinguished for regularity and decency, for the obfervation of the worship of GoD, and honouring the inftitutions of religion, with all the worth of character, and all the duties of life they exhibit, and promote, and fecure. Such matrons are the "falt of the "earth, they are lights of the world;" they fhall be praised.

III. WE have obferved, that their claim on our esteem and commendation does not depend on the ftation and circumstances in which pious women are placed. We know worth depends not on external condition. In the eye of difcernment and of intimate friendship, whoever fears GoD is truly eftimable: their excellence, manifested in the

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deepest poverty and affliction, is, in the fight of GOD, of great price. Let us give them all the credit of their good difpofitions and worthy behaviour. In the more diftinguished circumstances and ftations, however, the worth of fuperior female piety and excellence must be perceived by the fuperficial themselves; and few, I truft, are fo loft to a fenfe of right and wrong, of good and evil, as not to allow its claim on esteem and commendation. The worthlefs and wicked themselves feel and exprefs refpect and homage for the conduct and example that form men to order, to propriety, to harmony and enjoyment; in other words, to the diffufive goodness of the woman of fuperior influence that feareth the LORD.

BUT whatever others do, the worthy part of mankind will honour those who fear the LORD, and give them all the credit due to their excellence.

THE pious wife shall be honoured by her husband; he knows moft thoroughly her worth, and his obligations; and her every claim on esteem and commendation.

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THE pious mother fhall be honoured by her children, who have beheld and experienced her amiable and excellent qualities and character, and owe more than they can exprefs or duly estimate, to her affection and piety. To her friends, her memory is bleffed; her name is as ointment poured forth. The neighbourhood founds with her praise. She is praised especially by those who have largely and frequently experienced her compaffion and liberality, and her exertions to render them wife, and good, and happy.

To be a little more particular on this fubject, fincere esteem and praise vindicate the character and conduct of her that feareth the LORD.

THEY are not truly happy of whom all men of every character fpeak well; obloquy, and contempt, and perfecution, have seized on the excellent of the earth. "Marvel "not," fays our LORD, "if the world hate 66 you; it hated me before it hated you." While the world ridicules, or despises, or mifreprefents and calumniates thofe who fear the LORD, let us do them juftice; let us

wipe off the afperfions of ignorance, or envy, or malice; let us show, that which they called hypocrify was true religion and undefiled before GOD; that which they inveighed against as severity, was juft hatred and indignation of vice; that their forwardly condemned oftentation was true benevolence; that their fatirized and mean penuriousness was frugality and economy, for being enabled to do more good, and communicating and diffusing more happiness.

BUT this task, to which sometimes we may be called, in justice to worthy characters, in our neighbourhood, or at a distance, when alive, and after death, though neceffary, is less pleasant. It is an agreeable office to place their excellence in just points of light, to recount their virtues, to preserve and circulate the memory of their worthy conduct. All this is to be done, not in an oftentatious manner, indeed, not obtrusively or officiously, but as opportunity naturally offers, and as the occafion requires.

THERE is a ftill lefs equivocal method of manifefting respect, a more effectual proof