his bosom, and administer consolation to his heavy heart, and thus heal his wounded spirit.

In this lecture it will not be proper to notice the motives which may have induced the union, concerning the duties of which, we are to discourse. It is formed. The tie cannot be broken. The connection cannot be dissolved. Now, the inquiry isHow shall domestic peace be secured? What duties must be discharged by each, to the end, that the journey of life may be tranquil, lovely and happy? These are questions of great moment-fraught with unspeakable importance to the parties.

As the husband stands at the head of the domestic circle, the duties which belong to him, must be noticed first; and although many different opinions prevail with regard to the duties he must perform, we need not err, if we suffer ourselves to be guided by the voice of inspiration. No duty is more clearly set forth in the sacred volume, than that which the husband owes to the wife. Guided by the light, which emanates from the holy page of divine truth, I remark:

I. THE HUSBAND MUST PROVE HIMSELF A PROTECTOR.

The wife, when she leaves her father's mansion, and puts herself under the care of her husband, looks to him for protection. He is the only being on earth to whom she can go in the hour of her calamity, for redress, with confidence. There were

others, who would have gladly stepped forth in her defence; but, now her situation is changed, and circumstances render it improper for them to interfere. She has virtually renounced the world, from which she has selected one, to whom she cleaves with undivided affection; and he must be unworthy the name of husband, who would suffer the wife of his choice, to appeal to him in vain. At all times, he should make it a point to exercise protection, and defence; that she may feel assured, that her call for his protecting arm to be stretched forth, will not be made in vain. For in this, he makes good the ordinance of nature, secures her affection, and confidence, and entitles himself to the praise, and good opinion, of all righteous citizens and neighbors.

II. THE HUSBAND MUST PROVIDE FOR THE WANTS OF HIS COMPANION.

There is good reason to believe, that much of the domestic infelicity, with which the world abounds, arises from the improvidence of the husband, or head of the family. It very seldom happens, that discord and strife reign in that house, where the husband provides the comforts of life, according to his ability, and means. And when he neglects to provide those things, which are absolutely requisite to comfort, he ought to blame no one but himself, if discord makes its appearance, followed by misery.

I say the husband must provide; for the holy man of God declares — ' He that provideth not for his

own, especially for those of his own household, has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.' And when I speak of his providing, I do not refer simply to furnishing his family with enough to eat, drink, and wear and procuring a house to shelter them from the storm, and wood to keep them warm for, this is no more than the merciful man does for his beast. He must provide for the mental comfort of his wife. He must seek to make her happy. He must take as much pains to accomplish this object, now that he is married, as he did before he was married. Therefore, he must not render her unhappy through inattention. How often do wives suffer from neglect; and can a husband reasonably expect domestic felicity, when he neglects its cultivation? He cannot. Let the husband look well to the wants of his family, and strive, by an observance of the smaller, as well as the weightier matters, to render the situation of his companion agreeable, and the members of his household, contented and happy. Let him prefer home to every other place; and never suffer the opinion to become established in the mind of his wife, that he returns home, only, when he can find no where else to go.

A wife will readily submit to the absence of her husband, when duty or business require it; but the idea, that he abandons her society, because he can find more agreeable companions elsewhere, does not satisfy her; and the thought, that he once devoted

all his spare hours to her, will haunt her, (as the spirits of departed enemies, haunt the lovers of the marvellous,) whenever he neglects her; if she be sensible of his indifference. The husband, therefore, should look after the small items in the sum of happiness, if he would establish the reign of peace and concord, within his borders. For, however trifing and insignificant these may appear, they are, nevertheless, of untold importance to domestic felicity.

III. THE HUSBAND MUST LOVE HIS WIFE.

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He must not only love her, but love her as himself. Husbands,' saith Paul, 'love your wives, even as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it- so ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies; he that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth, and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.' Then again, in the language of the text Let every one of you in particular, so love his wife, as himself."

even

Self love is the husband's standard. His affection for his wife, must be regulated by his love for himself. This is a correct standard, and by it the path of duty is made plain before him. No one is so destitute of the power of perception, as not to know the strength of his devotion to his own person; and but very few are so weak in judgment, as to be unable to decide what will be the course pursued by

the man, who is under the influence of that spirit which teaches us to do unto others, as we would that they should do unto us. The same affection care, attention, watchfulness, and love, which the husband bestows upon himself, must be exercised to wards his wife. This is needful to retain her affec tion, and secure her peace of mind. It was by a course like this, that he secured her affections and it must be by the same process, that those affec tions can only be perpetuated.

In reference to this particular, the husband has on ly to inquire how he first obtained the affections of his wife, in order to know what course he must pursue, to retain them. This object was accomplished, by love and unwavering kindness. Let the same be done now, and the warm and mellow emotions of conjugal tenderness, will be kept alive on the altar of the pure and virtuous heart. For no female can be so dead to kindness, as to render hatred in return for habitual love.

It is not love in profession barely; that will not answer the purpose. It must be love in reality in word and action. To say we love, and then act as though we hated, will do but little good. Love must be manifested in every thing the husband says and does.

IV. THE HUSBAND MUST NOT BE BITTER AGAINST

HIS WIFE.

'Husbands,' says the author of our text, 'love