pected servant; they take charge of every thing, give out every thing, interfere in every thing. This is to despoil a woman of her authority, to thrust her from her proper place, to insult and degrade her before her children and servants. Some, on the other hand, go to the opposite extreme, and take no share in any thing.. My heart has ached to see the slavery of some devoted, hard working, and ill used wives; after laboring all day amidst the ceaseless toils of a young and numerous family, they have had to pass the hours of evening in solitude, while their husbands, instead of coming home to cheer them by their society, or to relieve them for only half an hour of their fatigue, have been either at a party or a sermon: and then have these hapless women had to wake and watch the live long night, over a sick or restless babe, while the men whom they accepted as the partner of their sorrows, were sleeping by their side, unwilling to give a single hour of their slumber, though it was to allow a little repose to their toilworn wives. Why, even the irrational creatures shame such men ; for it is a well known fact, that the male bird takes his turn upon the nest during the season of incubation, to allow the female time to renew her strength by food and rest and with her, also, goes in diligent quest of food, and feeds the young ones when they cry. No man should think of marrying, who does not stand prepared to share, as far as he can do it with his wife, the burden of domestic cares. They should be helpful to each other in the concerns of personal religion. This is clearly implied in the Apostle's language. "For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?”* Where both parties are unconverted, or only one of them is yet a partaker of true piety, there should be the most anxious, judicious, and affectionate efforts for their salvation. How heathenish a state is it, to enjoy together the comforts of marriage, and then travel in company to eternal perdition; to be mutual comforters, on earth, and then mutual tormenters in hell; to be companions in felicity in time, and companions in torment through * 1 Corinthians vii. 16. eternity. And where both parties are real christians, there should be the exercise, of a constant reciprocal solicitude, watchfulness and care, in reference to their spiritual and eternal welfare. One of the ends which every believer should propose to himself, on entering the marriage state, is to secure one faithful friend, at least, who will be a help mate for him in reference to another world, and to assist him in the great business of his soul's salvation, and that will pray for him and with him; one that will affectionately tell him of his sins and his defects, viewed in the light of a christian; one that will stimulate and draw him by the power of a holy example, and the sweet force of persuasive words; one that will warn him in temptation, comfort him in dejection, and in every way assist him in his pilgrimage to the skies. The highest end of the connubial state is lost, if it be not rendered helpful to our piety; and yet this end is too generally neglected, even by professors of religion. Do we converse with each other as we ought on the high themes of redemption by Christ, and eternal salvation? Do we study each other's dispositions, snares, troubles, decays in piety, that we may apply suitable remedies? Do we exhort one another daily lest we should be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin? Do we practise fidelity without censoriousness; and adminster praise without flattery? Do we invite one another to the most quickening and edifying means of a public nature, and recommend the perusal of such instructive and improving books as we have found beneficial to ourselves? Do we mutually lay open the state of our minds on the subject of personal religion, and state our perplexities, our joys, our fears, our sorrows? Alas, alas, who must not blush at their neglects in these particulars? And yet, such neglect is as criminal, as it is common. Fleeing from the wrath to come, and yet not doing all we can to aid each other's escape! Contending side by side for the crown of glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life, and yet not doing all we can to ensure each other's success! Is this love? Is this the tenderness of connubial affection? This mutual help should extend to the maintainance of all the habits of domestic order, discipline and piety. The husband is to be the prophet, priest, and king of the family, to instruct their minds, to lead their devotions, and to govern their tempers; but in all that relates to these important objects, the wife is to be of one mind with him. They are in these matters, to be workers together, neither of them leaving the other to labor alone, much less opposing or thwarting what is done. "When the sun shines the moon disappears, when he sets, she appears and shines; so when the husband is at home, he leads domestic worship, when he is absent, the wife must ever take his place." Some men refer the instruction of their young children exclusively to their wives, and some wives, as soon as the children are too old to be taught upon the knee, think that they are exclusively the subjects of paternal care. This is a mistake in the important economy of the family, the members of which are never too young to be taught and disciplined by the father, nor too old to be admonished and warned by the mother he may some times have a great influence in awing the rude spirits of the younger branches; while her soft pursuasive accents may have delightful power to melt or break the hard and stubborn hearts of the older ones. Thus they who have a joint interest in a family, must attend to them in the exercise of a joint labor. They must be helpful to each other in works of hu manity and religious benevolence. Their mutual influence should be exerted, not in restraining, but in stimulating zeal, compassion, and liberality. What a beautiful picture of domestic life is drawn by the pen of the Old Testament historian. "And it fell on a day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick, and it shall be, that when he cometh to us, he shall turn in thither. And it fell on a day that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber, and lay there."* Every part of this scene is lovely. The generous and pious wish of the wife, to provide accommodations for a destitute and dependant prophet; her prompt and prudent effort to interest her husband in the scheme of her benevolence; her discreet and modest keeping of her place in not acting without his permission; her dignified claim of a right to be associated with him in this work of mercy, for said she, let us make a little chamber on the wall; all is delightful, and as it should be on her part: and no less so on the part of the man; for there was no surly refusal, no proud rejection of the plan, because it did not originate with him, no covetous plea for setting it aside, on the ground of expense. Delighted, as every husband should be, to gratify the benevolent wishes, and support the liberal schemes of his wife, so far as prudence will allow, he consented; the little chamber was erected, and furnished by this holy pair, and soon occupied by the prophet: and never was a generous action more speedily or more richly rewarded. Elisha had no means of his own, by which to acknowledge the kindness; but he who said in after times, "he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward," took upon himself, as he does in every instance, the cause of his necessitous servant, and most munificently repaid the generous deed. A lovelier scene is not to be found on earth, than that of a pious couple, employing their mutual influence and the hours of their retired companionship, in stirring up each other's hearts to deeds of mercy and religious benevolence; not Adam and Eve in Paradise, with the unspotted robes of their innocence about them, engaged in propping the vine, or trailing the rose of that holy garden, presented to the eyes of angels a more interesting spectacle than this. What a contrast does such a couple present, to the pairs which are almost every where to be found, whose calculations are not what they can save from unnecessary expense to bestow upon the cause of God and humanity, but what they can abstract * 2 Kings iv. 8-11. or withhold from the claims of benevolence, to lavish upon splendid furniture, or domestic luxuries. Are there no wives who attempt to chill the ardor, to limit the beneficence, to stint the charities of their husbands; who, by their incessant and querulous, and almost quarrelsome suggestions, that he is doing too much for others, and too little for his own family, drive the good man, notwithstanding he is lord of his own property, to exercise his liberality in secret, and bestow his charities by stealth? And what is oftentimes the object of such women? nothing more than the pride of ambition, or the folly of vanity. Only that they might have these taxations and parings of charity, to spend upon dress, furniture, and parties. Perhaps the question will be asked, whether it is proper for a wife to give away the property of her husband in acts of humanity, or religious benevolence? Such an inquiry ought to be unnecessary; for no woman should be driven to the alternative of either doing nothing for the cause of God and man, or doing what she can by stealth. A sufficient sum ought to be placed at her disposal, to enable her to enjoy the luxury of doing good. Why should not she appear in her own name upon the honorable list of benefactors, and shine forth in her peculiar and separate glory, instead of being always lost in the radiance of our recorded mercy? Why should she have no sphere of benevolent effort? Why should we monopolize to ourselves the blessings of those that are ready to perish? It is degrading a married female to allow her no discretion in this matter, no liberty of distribution, no power to dispense, even in cases that concern her sex, but to compel her to beg first of a husband, that which others come to beg of her. however, she be unhappily united to a Nabal, a churl, whose sordid, grasping, covetous disposition, will yield nothing to the claims of humanity or religion, may she then make up for the deficiency of her husband, and diffuse his property unknown to him? I am strongly tempted to answer this question in the affirmative; for if in any instance we may deviate from the ordinary rule, and taking the man at his own word, which he uttered when in the solemn act of matrimony, he said, "with If, |