bought with a price; therefore glorify God with your body and in your spirit, which are his." Brotherly love? It is thus : "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." A forgiving temper? It is thus : "Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Benevolence to the poor ? It is thus : "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we, through his poverty might be made rich." And who but an apostle would have thought of enforcing conjugal affection by a reference to the love of Christ to his church. And he has done this; and has thus represented redeeming love, as a kind of holy atmosphere, surrounding the christian on all sides, accompanying him every where, sustaining his spiritual existence, the very element in which his religion lives, moves, and has its being. And this, indeed, is religion; not a name, not a creed, not a form, not an abstract feeling, not an observance of times and places, not a mere mental costume or holy dress which we put on exclusively for certain seasons and occasions; no; but a moral habit, a mental taste, the spirit of the mind, which will spontaneously appear in our language, feeling, and behaviour, by a reference to Jesus Christ, as the ground of hope, and the model of imitation.

In stating the duties especially enjoined on the two parties in the conjugal union, I shall begin with those of the HUSBAND. He is commanded to LOVE his wife.

As we have already shown, that this is a duty of both parties, the question very naturally arises. "For what reason is it so especially enjoined upon the husband ?" Why is he so particularly bound to the exercise of affection? Perhaps for the following reasons: 1. Because in the very nature of things, he is most in danger of failing in this duty. Placed by the Creator as "the head of the wife," and invested with a certain right to govern his household, he is more in peril of merging the tender sensibilities in the predominant consciousness of superiority. 2. Because he is actually more defi* Phil. ii. 5. 1 Cor. vi. 20. 1 John iv. 10 11, Ephes iv S2. 2 Cor. viii.. 9.

cient in this duty than the other party. This has ever been the case in Pagan and Mahomedan countries. In barbarous nations, especially, conjugal affection has ever been exceedingly weak, and it is probable, that even in the more civilized countries of Greece and Rome, it was not so generally strong and steady, as it has since been made by christianity. But without even going beyond the limits of christendom, it may be truly said, that husbands are usually more deficient in love than wives the latter, in my opinion, excel the former in tenderness, in strength, in constancy of affection. 3. Because a want of love on the part of the man, is likely to be attended with more misery to the other party : he can go to greater excesses in violence, in cruelty, in depravity. The want of this tender passion in him, is likely to have a still worse effect upon his own character, and the peace of the wife, than the want of it, in her; in either case, a destitution of this kind, is a melancholy thing but in him, it is on several accounts, the most to be dreaded.

The apostle lays down two models or rules, for a husband's affection; the one is, the love which Christ has manifested for his church; and the other, the love which a man bears for himself. ·

In directing your attention to the first, I shall exhibit the properties of Christ's love, and show in what way our affection should be conformed to his. Christ's love was SINCERE. He did not love in word only, but in deed and in truth. In him there was no dissimulation; no epithets of endearment going forth out of feigned lips; no actions varnished over with a mere covering of love. We must be like him, and endeavour to maintain a principle of true regard in the heart, as well as a show of it in the conduct. It is a miserable thing to have to act the part of love, without feeling it. Hypocrisy is base in every thing, but next to religion, is most base in affection. Besides, how difficult it is to act the part well, to keep on the mask, and to support the character so as to escape detection! Oh, the misery of that woman's heart, who at length finds out to her cost, that what she has been accustomed to receive and value as the attentions of a lover, are but the tricks of a cunning dissembler.

The love of the Redeemer was ARDENT. Let us, if we would form a correct idea of what should be the state of our hearts towards the woman of our choice, think of that affection which glowed in the bosom of the Saviour, when he lived and died for his people. We can possess, it is true, neither the same kind, nor the same degree of regard, but surely when we are referred to such an instance, if not altogether as a model, yet as a motive, it does teach us, that no weak affection is due, or should be offered to the wife of our bosom. We are told by the Saviour himself, that if he laid down his life for us, it is our duty to lay down ours for the brethren; how much more, for the "friend that sticketh closer than a brother." And if it be our duty to lay down our life, how much more to employ it while it lasts, in all the offices of an affection, strong, steady, and inventive. She that for our sakes has forsaken the comfortable home, and the watchful care, and the warm embrace of her parents, has a right to expect in our regard, that which shall make her "forget her father's house," and cause her to feel that with respect to happiness, she is no loser by the exchange. Happy the woman, and such should every husband strive to make his wife, who can look back without a sigh upon the moment, when she quitted for ever, the guardians, the companions, and the scenes of her childhood!

He

The love of Christ to his church was SUPREME. gives to the world his benevolence, but to the church his complacency. "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee," said the prophet, "is mighty; he will save thee, he will rejoice over thee, with joy; he will rest in his love; he will joy over thee with singing." So must the husband regard his wife, above all else; he must "rest in his love." He should regard her not only. above all without his house, but above all within. She must take precedence both in his heart and conduct not only of all strangers, but of all relatives, and also of all his children; he ought to love his children for her sake, rather than her for theirs. Is this always the case? On the contrary, have we not often seen men, who appear to be far more interested in their children than in their wives; and who have paid far less attention to the lat

ter than to grown-up daughters? How especially unseemly it is, for a man to be seen fonder of the society of any other woman, than that of his wife, even where nothing more may be intended than the pleasure of her company. Nor ought he to forsake her in his leisure hours, for any companions of his own sex, however interesting might be their manners or their conversation.

The love of Christ is UNIFORM. Like himself, it is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Conjugal affection should have the same character: it should be at all times, and in all places alike the same at home, as abroad; in other person's houses, as in our own. Has not many a wife to sigh and exclaim-"O that I were treated in my own house, with the same tenderness and attention that I receive in company.' "" With what almost loathing and disgust must such a woman turn from endearments, which under such circumstances, she can consider as nothing but hypocrisy. Home is the chief place for fond and minute attention; and she who has not to complain of the want of it there, will seldom feel the need or the inclination to complain of a want of it abroad, except it be, those silly women, who would degrade their husbands, by exacting not merely what is really kind, but what is actually ridiculous.

The love of the Redeemer was PRACTICAL and LABORIOUS. He provided every thing by his mediation for the welfare and comfort of the church, and at a cost and by exertions of which we can form no idea. It has been already declared, that both parties are to assist in the cares of life. A good wife cannot be an idle one. Beautiful is her portraiture, as by the wise man. "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She layeth her hand to the spindle and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor, yea she reacheth forth her hand to the needy. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth amongst the elders of the land. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth

not the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates." PROVERBS XXXI. This exquisite picture, combining as it does industry, prudence, dignity, meekness, wisdom and piety, cannot be too frequently or minutely studied, by those who would attain to high degrees of female excellence. The business of providing for the family, however, belongs chiefly to the husband. It is yours, my brethren, to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of carefulness, and to drink if necessary, the waters of affliction, that you may earn by the sweat of your brow, a comfortable support for the domestic circle. This is probably what the apostle meant, when he enjoined us to give honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel: the honor of maintainance, which she in consequence of the weakness of her frame, and the frequent infirmities which the maternal relation brings upon her, is not so well able to procure for herself. In most barbarous countries, and in some half civilized ones, the burden of manual labor falls upon the female, while her tyrant lord lives in indolence, feeding upon the industry of the helpless being whom he calls a wife, but treats as a slave. And are there no such idle tyrants in our age and country, who so long as they can live in indolence, and gratify their appetites, care not how they oppress their wives? Wretches who do little or nothing for the support of the family? How utterly lost to every noble and generous sentiment must that man be whose heart cannot be moved by the entreaties or tears of an interesting woman, and who can hear in vain her pleadings for his child at her breast, and his child by her side, and who by such appeals cannot be induced to give up his daily visits to the tavern, or his habits of sauntering idleness, to attend to his neglected business, and stay the approaching tide of poverty and ruin. Such a creature is worse than a brute, he is a monster; and it seems a pity, that there is no law and no convict ship to bear him away to