Solomon's Description of a Good Wife

‘“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” — Proverns xxxi 10.

Ir any one should desire a book which combines grandeur of subject with beauty of expression; the sublimest theology with the soundest morality; the widest variety of topic, with an obvious unity of design; the most ancient history, with the most fascinating poetry; the profoundest philosophy, with the plainest maxims of human conduct; pathetiq narratives, with picturesque descriptions of character; in short, a book which shall as truly gratify the taste by the elegance of its composition, as it shall sanctify the heart by the purity of its doctrines; and thus, while it opens the glories of heaven, and prepares the soul for possessing and enjoying them, shall furnish a source of never-failing pleasure upon earth — lI say, if such a book be sought for, it can be found in the Bible, and only in the Bible. This precious volume more than answers the description just given. Where, in all the range of inspired or uninspired literature, can oe found a delineation of female excellence, (wi

35% not say equal to, but worthy to be compared with, that which forms the subject of the present discourse

We have here a picture, of which it is difficult to say which is the most striking, the correctness of the drawing, or the richness of the coloring. Both display a master’s hand, and though delineated three thousand years ago, it is still true to aature, when we have removed some of the effects of time, retouched some of the lines that have been clouded and obscured by length of years, and thrown ina few explanatory additions, to adapt it to modern habits. It is impossible to look at it without admiration and delight. It adds to the interest, to know that it is the production of a female artist. It is the description of a good wife, drawn by the hand of a mother, for the guidance of her son in the selection of a companion for life. They are “the words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.” Who this man was is a matter of uncertainty. It was not Solomon, as some have supposed. The original Hebrew has many Chaldaisms, which are found in no other part of the book of Proverbs, and which afford a cogent argument that it was written by another hand, and perhaps after the captivity. The whole passage is written with great art, being a kind of poem, containing twenty-two verses, of which each in succession, like some of the Psalms, begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Whoever Lemuel might have been, he had the privilege of a most eminent mother. “The admonitory verses with which the shapter commences, composed by this distinguished woman for her son, when in the flower of youth and high expectation, are an inimitable production, as well in respect to their actual materials, as the delicacy with which they are selected. Instead of attempting to lay down rules concerning matters of state and political government, the illustrious writer confines herself, with the nicest and most becoming art, to a recommendation of the gentler virtues of temperance, benevolence, and mercy, and to a minute and unparalleled delineation of the female character, which might bid fairest to promote the happiness of her son in connubial life.” What pattern of maternal excellence is this mother of King Lemuel, and we may well imagine, that in this inimitable portrait she drew her own likeness, What sons we should see, if all were blessed with such mothers as she was!

In taking up this delineation, we shall consider FirsT, the inquiry which introduces it. “‘ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” This interrogation implies the rarity and the worth of the object sought. The question might have been more forcible m those times than in ours, for such a blessing might have been, and no doubt was, more scarce than it is now. True it is, the picture is so admirable, that even now a perfect resemblance is not to be found everywhere. Yet, if extraordinary excellence is not often found, happily that which is far above mediocrity is by no means rare. And why should there not be in every

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female bosom an intense desire to rise to a perfect conformity to this beautiful pattern? How much more to be valued by her happy possessor is this, than all the jewels with which so many women are fond of being decked, or than the largest and the purest diamond in the mines of the east!

We proceed, SECONDLY, to consider the exquisite delineation of “the virtuous woman” now before us. But really I feel as if to touch it were to spoil it, and as though comments were almost like painting the tulip, perfumiag the rose, or attempting to add brilliancy to the sun.

Instead of following the order of the verses, and adopting the regular expository method, I shall give a formal arrangement, for the completion of which, in something like symmetrical relation of parts, I shall dislocate the verses and place them under separate heads and titles. The authoress reserves piety for the climax, or culminating point of her description, and winds up the whole thus: “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised.” I shall make this our starting-point. We would remark, that the family to which the matron here described is supposed to belong is one in good circumstances, to the prosperity of which her own conduct and wise management materially contribute. We shall consider —

I. Her piety, as set forth in the verses just quote” °° * the essence of true religion is compri wo — The fear of the Lord:”

which means the cultivation and exercise of all right and holy dispositions toward God. Yes, this is religion, to have the heart right toward God. And we hold that this is not merely the gilded ornament that towers upward to heaven, and crowns and beautifies the building at the apex, though it is all this; but it is more than this, for it is the base of the whole structure, and supports the noble pyramid of its varied excellences. It is this which makes them strong and stable, and insures at once their proportions and their perpetuity. True piety, instead of setting aside a single female excellence, clothes them all with a Divine sanction, harmonizes the demands of God with the claims of man, converts the ordinary duties of domestic life into a means of preparation for that glorious world where the social ties no longer exist, and softens the cares, anxieties and sorrows, with which woman’s lot in this world is but too often sadly oppressed. Whatever else a woman may be, without this she is lamentably deficient. ‘“Favor,” or as the word signifies, gracefulness, “is deceitful, and beauty ts vain.” The face of a beautiful woman ought to be an index of the mind; and when all is fair without, as it is said of the king’s daughter in the Psalm, all should be glorious within. Never does an ill-furnished mind and an ill-favored heart appear more revolting than when seen united, and in contrast, with personal attractions. And yet how often de elegance of manners, and loveliness of person, con. ceal dispositions which are in perfect contrast with them, and bitterly disappoint the man who has been captivated by them, and who in his choice of a wife has been led by no other considerations than Inere personal charms, “Let beauty have its due praise, and suppose what you will of it — suppose all that the poets say of it to be true, still the text tells you it is vazn, it is in its nature transient, fleetcng, perishing; it is the flower of the spring which moust fade in autumn; and when the blossom falls, if no fruit succeeds, of what value, I pray, is the tree? The grave is already opening for the most elegant person that moves, and the worms are waiting to feed on the fairest face that is beholden.” But religion is an excellance and a beauty which time can not corrode, old age wrinkle, disease spoil, nor death destroy; but which, after living and thriving amid all other decays in this world, shall flourish in the next in all the vigor of immortal youth.

II. We next note here conjugal excellence.

“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.’ — 11, 12.

Those are good really, who are good relatively; and especially in wedded life. Confidence between man and wife is the basis of domestic happiness. There can not possibly be happiness where this is wanting. Suspicion and jealousy must drive felicity out of doors. In regard to the “virtuous woman,” her husband trusts her chastity. Her fidelity ° ble as the covenant of the Most

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High, and her purity unsullied as the light of heaven. What a torment is jealousy in the bosom of husband or wife! wormwood and gall are sweet to it. He trusts her fidelity in the management of his affairs, and knows that all his domestia interests are safe in her hands. With such a manager at home, he can go without anxiety to his daily business — travel to distant places — or remain, when necessary, by ever so long an absence, away from home. He shall have “no need of spoil:” shall have no necessity, through an improvident and unthrifty wife, for spoiling others of their property. “He need not,” says Matthew Henry, “be griping and scraping abroad, as those must be, whose wives are proud and wasteful at home.” She manages his affairs, so that he is always beforehand, and has such plenty of his own, that he is in no temptation to prey upon his neighbors. He thinks himself so happy in her, that he envies not those who have most of the wealth of this world; he needs it not — he has enough in having such a wife. Happy the couple that have such satisfaction as this in each other! It is too well known to be denied, that if many husbands make their wives wretched by their unkindness, many wives make their husbands poor by unthriftiness, Many a man has been tempted ta cheat his creditors through the improvidence, bad management, and extravagance of his wife. The ‘ virtuous woman” will study to do her husband good, and to avoid doing him evil, all the days of her life. She will de inventive, ingenious, and laborious to promote his comfort, his health, and his interests, will tmoothen by her sweet words his brow, when wrinkled with care; hush the sigh that misfortune extorts from his bosom; will answer with gentleaess the sharp words that in moments of irritation drop from his lips — and will do all this, not by fits and starts in genial moods, but continually.

But this is not all; for, on looking onward in the chapter, we find another reference to her conduct and influence as a wife. “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.” — 23. By the gates are meant the place of magisterial assembly and business, which, in ancient times, was in apartments over the gates of the city. In these public convocations, a good wife will make her husband known, and add to his public reputation in various ways. Her prudent conduct in her domestic arrangements will enable him to leave home with confidence to attend to public business. She is not so engrossing of his company as to prevent his becoming a public benefactor and blessing. By the happiness which she imparts to him at their own fireside, she sends him abroad, not with a downcast look, as if he had left a heavy trouble at home, or carried it everywhere with him; but with a cheerful countenance, as though he had just come from the scene and seat of his chief earthly bliss. By her proper care of his personal appearance, in the elegance and neatness of his apparel, and which, in anciext times, was the work of her hands; and especially by the force of her holy example sustaining and encouraging his excellence, she raises the honor and increases the respect of her husband. He is better known and more esteemed as the husband of such a wife. Can a woman rise to higher honors than this — to be so excellent and estimable as to augment the public respectability of her husband? Still, let husbands take care that they do not shine only in borrowed splendor, and stand indebted for all their esteem to their wives. Let them so act, and be such men, that the honor they receive on account of their wives be only an addition to the greater honor that belongs to themselves. It is the comfort and glory of a man, to be better known and more respected, on account of his wife; but it is to his discredit to be known and respected only by his wife. It is a poor, mean affair for a man to go through society with no better patent than his wife’s excellence. Such a woman must feel herself, though in one sense exalted, in another degraded, by being the wife of a man who has no public honor but what he derives from her. It must bring misery when the husband finds himself ever in a total eclipse of his wife; except, indeed, he be too stupid to feel it. Alas for the wife of such a man! Let this in. duce care and caution in the formation of the mar. riage-union. Unequal matches are not often happy ones.

IlI.. Observe, now, her industry as a woman.

“She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff” — 13, 19.

This is in allusion to the customs of the times, and is a description of personal habits of manual labor and energetic employment. All textures of wool and flax, cotton and silk, were, before the invention of machinery, woven out of thread and yarn, spun by the hand, through the instrumentality of the distaff and the spindle. Nor was this oocupation confined exclusively to the laboring classes; for queens, princesses, and peeresses disdained not to be thus employed, amid the more courtly occupations of their rank.*

It is well worthy of attention, that out of the twenty-two verses of this elegant poem, eleven are taken up in setting forth the virtue and practice of

* Many of the classic authors refer to this. Homer, both in his Miad and his Odyssey, alludes to it. So does Virgil; and Ovid advises maidens, if they would have the favor of Minerva, to learn to use the distaff, to card, and to spin. Lucretia was found spinning with her maids, when her husband visited her from the camp. The wool spun by Tarquin’s wife with the distaff and spindle, long remained in the temple. Alexander the Great is said to have shown to the Persian princesses his garments made by his mother Our English records of female royalty furnish similar proofs of hand-industry. The magnificent, far-famed tapestry of Bayeux was the work of William the First’s queen. The messengers of Henry to Katherine of Arragon, announcing her divorce, found her with a skein of red silk round her neck, being at work with her maids. Beautifal memorials are still preserved of Queen Katherine Parr’s manual skill. — Bridges on the Proverbs.

the matron’s industry, in its various relations and duties. And her industry is represented as eminently utilitarian. Indolence ’s sometimes thought and said to be one of the failings to which women are exposed; especially in single, and more frequently in high life. It is censurable even there; how much more in the state of matrimony; and they who are given up to it as maidens, are in imminent peril of carrying the habit forward into the state of the wife, the mother, and the mistress. An indolent woman at the head of the domestic economy, must throw all into confusion. It is neither asked nor expected that her energies should be expended on works which belong to servants; but an active female, even where there are servants at command, might always find something to do without stepping out of her proper place. The mistress of an establishment, especially if she be also a wife and a mother, can never plead want of occupation as an excuse for personal laziness. What a sad example does such a woman set to her servants and her children! No vice is more contagious than this, nor is any example more likely to be imitated by those around.*

Simonides, a Greek poet, who lived very early in Grecian history, was the author of the oldest satire extant. He employed his sarcastic powers on the female sex. He tells us that the gods formed the souls of women out of those seeds and principles which compose several kinds of animals and elements; and that their good and bad dispositions arise in them according as such and such seeds and principles predominate in their constitations. The slut,

424 sOLOMON’S DESCRIPTION OF A GOOD WIFS.

IV. We next notice her thriftiness as a wife and female head of a family.

“She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard” — 16. “She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant” — 24. “She per. ceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night” — 18.*

the scold, the sluggard, the cunning, the variable, the obsequious, the morose, the vain, the ill-favored, and the industrious, are all treced back to their original prototypes; and perhaps the ingenuity of my readers, without any nelp from me, will enable them to recognize what animals and elements most appropriately set forth these qualities of human character. ‘‘ The tenth and last species,” says the poet, ‘‘ were made out of the bee; and happy is the man who gets such an one for his wife. She is altogether faultless and unblameable. Her family flourishes and improves by her good management. She loves her husband, and is beloved by him. She brings him a race of beautiful aad virtuous children. She distinguishes herself among her sex. She is surrounded with graces. She never sits among the loose tribe of women, nor passes away her time with them in wanton discourses. She is fall of virtue and prudence, and is the best wife that Jupiter can bestow on man.”

‘* IT shall conclude these iambics,” says the writer in the Spectator, ‘‘ with the motto of this paper, which is a fragment of the same author: ‘A man can not possess any thing that is better than a good woman, or any thing worse than a bad one.’” — Spectator, vol. iii. 200.

It may be doubted whether in the state of society to which this description belongs there were any manufacturers of househ ld stuffs, but such as were thus produced in families, and the demand having no other source of supply,

From these verses it is apparent that in early times women were extensively employed even in buying and selling, ia such matters as suited their sex; and did not withdraw their attention from other duties, in aiding their husbands to increase the wealth and comforts of their families. This manufactory in the house, this traffic with the merchants, this buying a piece of ground and planting a vineyard, sounds hardly feminine in our gars; but it gives us an insight into those times, and shows how little the tyranny of man over woman, which afterward prevailed in Eastern countries

stimulated domestic production to an extent of which we can hardly have any adequate conception. Many families would produce much more than they could consume, and, as there was always a demand and a profitable remuneration for such products, a thrifty housewife would be industrious herself, and keep all hands at work, especially at those articles, the fine linen and girdles, which were most in demand. The traveling merchants called at the homes of the people, bought up their articles, and then resold them. At the present day, we see offered for sale in Bastern towns, either at first or second-hand, the outer garments, spun and woven by the Arab females in their tents, the admired carpets made by the women of Persia, and even the rich embroideries and other elegant productions of the needle, which are prepared by the town ladies in their harems. — Kitto’s ‘“‘Daily Bible Illustrations” on this chapter. I can not lose this opportunity of recommending, in the strongest language and most emphatic manner [ can command, this invaluable series of books. I believe, for the elucidation of the historic parts of Scripture, there is nothing comparable witk them in the English or wy oth

or imenne. 36* as time rolled on, had yet been practiced. Woman is here seen as man’s companion, counselor and helper, even to the making of provision for the support of the family. Modern customs render this to a considerable extent, unnecessary. Worman’s place, ordinarily, is the parlor and the nursery, rather than the shop. Buying and selling are the business of the husband, and taking care of the family that of the wife; and the less, as a general rule, the latter has to do with the former the better. It is an indelible reproach to any man, to live in idleness upon the labors of his wife, and leave her to provide for the children also. A month’s labor at the treadmill, or a month’s penance on bread and water, would be a suitable regimen for such drones. Yet necessity dispenses with ordinary laws; and where there are no children to be provided for, or where their comfort and education can be attended to also, it is by no means an unseemly spectacle to witness a clever and devoted woman occasionally at the side of her husband in the scenes of his trade. This applies, of course, only to small concerns, for in large ones there is no need of it. No wife will feel herself degraded by such occupations. The grateful and affectionate smile of her husband, and the consciousness that she is lightening his cares and aiding him to support his family, will be an ample reward for her labor.*

It is, however, a great unhappiness for the laboring classes of this and other manufacturing towns, that married

V. We notice, next, her judgment and skill in her domestic arrangements.

“She riseth, also, while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maid. ens” — 15. “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness” — 27. “Her candle goeth not out by night” — 19. ‘She is like the merchants’ ships: she bringeth her food from afar” — 14. “She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet:” or, as it should be rendered, “in double garments” — 21.,

How many points there are here worthy of notice and imitation! She knows the value of time, and redeems it, and makes the day as long as she can by early rising. Nothing wastes time more than unnecessary slumbers. Sleep is a temporary death, and no more of it should be taken than prepares for a healthful resurrection in the morning. Even the rising of our Lord from the grave took place very early in the morning, as if, among the minor lessons he would teach us by the very circum

women, who are not only wives, but mothers, are so extensively employed in our manufactories. In some cases it may be necessary, and even beneficial; but, as a general practice it is fraught with much discomfort to the family. And, in order to render it unnecessary, let the husband be more industrious, more sober, more temperate in all things; and forego the earnings of his wife at the manufactory, that she may be looking after her children, and providing him with a clean, comfortable, and well-ordered home. This takes away one temptation to frequent the ale-house.

stances of that wondrous and ghorious event, one ig, that our own morning figure of the resurrection, in rising from our bed, should take place early. A slothful woman, who wastes the precious hours of prime in bed, is a sad example to her family. How van she teach the valuable habit of early rising to her children and servants; or, how can she “look well to the ways of her household, and give meat to her maidens,” by setting in order her household affairs, if she leave not her dewny pillow till the day is far spent? And then, it is said of the good wife, “her candle goeth not out by night.” When the days are short and the nights long, she takes no advantage of this for the indulgence of sloth, Though early up to lengthen the day at that end, she is not in haste to retire to rest, and so shorten it at the other. Each hour has its work, and the work of the hour is done tm the hour. The ways of her household are the constant matter of oversight and inspection, And such is the fruit of her good management, that when winter comes, her servants and children need not fear frost or snow, for, both inside and out, they are protected from the cold. How interesting a scene is it, on a bleak, cheerless day, when the east wind is piercing, and the sleet is driving before it, to see a large family, through the activity of an industrious and kind mother and mis. tress, all clad in warm garments. In a complete sense of “looking well to the ways of her household,” it must include not only good housewifery, but a proper attention to their moral habits, their religious instruction, attendance on the means of grace, giving them time for secret prayer and reading God’s Word, the daily ordinance of family worship, the careful observance of the Sabbath, anxious watchfulness over their manners, habits, and connections; in short, considering servants, not as beasts of burden, not as mere mercenaries, but as a solemn and responsible trust for God and eternity. Who can have the claim to the title of a virtuous woman, who does not feel this weight of family responsibility ?* And what a responsibility! Let every mistress read it, tremble and pray. We most urgently enjoin all the acquirements of good and clever housewifery, of frugality without stinginess, plenty without profusion, attention without slavery, order without fastidiousness, dispatch without hurry, and elegance without extravagance, “This bear in mind,” said an accomplished writer, in giving his advice to his son, when he is directing him as to the choice of a wife, “that if she is not frugal, if she is not what is called a good manager, if she does not pique herself on her knowledge of family affairs, and laying out her money to the best advantage, let her be ever so sweetly tempered, gracefully made, or elegantly accomplished, she is no wife for a tradesman; and all these amiable talents will but open just so many ways to ruin, In‘ short, remember your mother, who was 80 exquisitely versed in this art, that her dress, her table, and every other purticular, appeared rather splendid * Bridges.

than otherwise; and yet, good housewifery was the foundation of all; and her bills, to my certain knowledge, were a fourth less than most of her neighbors, who had hardly cleanliness to boast, in return for their awkward liberality.” This is all true, and all good, as far as.it goes. But then, it is not enough, for to this must be added all that moral and religious oversight and care, which Mr. Bridges, in the above quotation, has so justly included in it.

VI. I may introduce now her conduct as a mother.

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed” — 28,

Happy the children of such a mother, who receive the lessons of wisdom taught them by her lips, as well as by the example of piety, prudence, and sobriety which she set them in her conduct. With their character formed under the plastic influence of her own, and the consciousness how much they owe to her influence, they rise up around her with feelings of gratitude and veneration; when surrounded with families of their own, they teach her grand-children to reverence her; and when she has descended to the tomb, they pour those blessings over her grave which they had during her life been accustomed to offer round her chair, or in their evening prayer for her welfare. Let it be the holy and honorable ambition of every mother to be crowned with the blessings of her children, which she that is foolish or sinful never can be. Let every mother seriously ponder what she would really wish her daughters to be; what by general cons ~ould be praised for being, and that

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Jet her be herself. The mother should be as perfect a model as possible for her daughters to imitate.

In my last sermon I gave directions to. young mothers in reference to the early training of their vhildren; let me now give a few hints to those whose children are rising up around them, or have become young men and women. I say, then, be much at home yourselves, and that is the way, if your temper, spirit, and conduct be loving and agreeable, to keep them at home. Make them fond of your society, by causing them to feel that you are fond of theirs. Throw an air of cheerfulness over the circle. A mother’s smile is the sunshine of the domestic group, in which all delight to bask. Be happy yourselves, and you will then make your children happy around you. And yet let it not be a cheerfulness that degenerates into levity. Nothing can be more unseemly than a frivolous mother, indulging in undignified mirth, or frothy, gossiping, or slanderous discourse, in the midst of grown-up sons and daughters, To be called a “rattle’ is no commendation of a mother. Of all subjects on which a discreet mother will never joke with her children, love and courtship will be the last. A wise and good woman will avoid all trifling with matters of such delicacy and importance. To her sons she will exhibit in herself the model after which she would wish them to choose a wife; and to her daughters, the pattern she would wish ther to copy, should they ever become wives and mothers themselves. There should be a high and digné- fied bearing, softened by the tenderest affection; and a kindness and affability uncorrupted by a low familiarity. Her authority should insure the prompt obedience of her children, whatever be their age, as her wisdom should attract their confidence, and her love their gratitude and affection. She must be thus their companion, counselor, and comforter, and by the frankness of her own disposition encourage theirs. They must be so treated as to be made to feel that they have no momentous secrets they could wish to conceal from her. And especially should she exhibit to them all the holiness, the meekness, the consistency, the beauty and attractiveness of true religion; the sanctifying, humbling. spiritualizing power of genuine godliness in pros-” perity, and all its Divine support and heavenly consolation in adversity, that they may be won by her example to piety, and thus rise up not only on earth, and in time, but in heaven, and through all eternity, to call her blessed.

VII. She -is not destitute of taste and elegance.

“She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple” — 22.

Though not addicted to the pride of dress, and the vanity of ornaments, she maintains, even by its external, conventional signs, her rank and station in society. Her wardrobe and her furniture are in keeping with her circumstances, her virtues, and her industry. And it is right they should be. No, my female friends, religion is not at war with elegance and good taste. It is itself the “‘deauty of holiness,” and the richest and purest moral taste. Neither despise nor idolize these matters. Be neither a sloven nor a dressed doll; neither the slave nor the cynic of fashion; neither excite disgust by your want of attention to little matters of order, becomingness, and ornament: nor court admiration by splendor and expensiveness. Be consistent in all your modes with your station. Affect not the pride of meanness any more than that of magnificence. And as to the elegant occupations for leisure hours of modern times, we refer you back to what, in former sermons, we have said on the subject of accomplishments,

VILL Note her prudence tn speech.

“She openeth her mouth in wisdom” — 26.

She thinks before she speaks; and therefore neither introduces a bad subject, nor disgraces a good one by an improper manner of discoursing upon it, She has too just a sense of the value of the gift of speech, and too accurate an idea of the power of words for good or for evil, to employ them in idle gossip, petty scandal, or slanderous backbiting. She is neither too taciturn, knowing that. speech is given to be employed; nor too talkative, equally knowing that “in the multitude of words there wanteth not sin”’ — Prov. x. 29. The apostle James saith: “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man.” This, perhaps, is still more true of a woman, inasmuch as she is thought to have a greater propensity to loquacity. The gift of speech is never more adorned than whea employed in the soft and gentle tones of woman’s vuice, uttering the words of wisdom and kindness; never more dissonant and repulsive than when her tongue is voluble in folly or falsehood, malice and passion. Have we not atl known husbands, of whose time a large portion has been employed in explaining the mistakes, correcting the follies, healing the feuds, and repairing the mischiefs of wives who opened their mouths, but not in wisdom? While on the other hand, has not many an Abigail, by her discreet and timely interposition and wise address, averted the storm that was gathering over the family from the churlish language of Nabal, her husband? Blessed is that woman who knows how to charm, to repose the troubled thoughts of an angry or a vexed husband — who can discern when to be silent, and when to speak; and how by the sweet harpings of her voice to lull his agitated mind, and drive the evil spirit out of his breast. Ah! it is at home that this wisdom of speech is most wanted. What stormy scenes sometimes arise from the absence of it, which drive peace from the family, and fill it with harsh discords and fear. ful strifes! —

IX. Is benevolence no part of the spirit and conduct of the virtuous woman? Let the text reply.

“In her tongue is the law of kindness” — 26. “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy” — 20.

Her kindness begins with thoughts, goes on to words, and ends in works. In her heart, it is as a principle of charity; upon her tongue, as a law to dictate gentle, and soothing, and pleasing words, She speaks, and her expressions are as the droppings of the honeycomb, or the falling of the dew But her mercy is in her hand, as well as in her heart, and upon her lips, She does not merely say to the hungry and shivering, “Be ye warmed, and be ye filled,” but she giveth them wherewith to satisfy their hunger and clothe their limbs. And her kindliness of disposition is the golden thread which runs through all her life, and binds up all her actions, not only into a womanly but saintly benevolence. Her spindle and distaff, so industriously employed, are worked not for herself alone, but for the poor and needy. She is not so taken up with those within the circle of her family, as to forget those that are without. Her benevolence is like a spring, which not only refreshes and fertilizes the spot where it gushes up and makes all verdant round its margin, but flows onward to carry its benefits to those at a distance. She adorneth herself with “silk and purple,” and maketh “coverings of tapestry” for her own habitation, and clotheth her household in scarlet; but then, also, like Dorcas, she maketh garments for the poor. Oh, how beautifully does this feature of kindness come into the portrait; how does this diamond of mercy sparkle amid the other jewelry of this charming character. What a blank would the absence of it have made. How we should have turned away not with admiration, but with disgust, from this industry, frugality, conjugal affection, good housewifery, maternal excellency, prudence, and elegance, if all these virtues had been exhibited in the iron setting of selfishness, instead of the gold of mercy. If this pattern-woman for all household virtues had been presented to us so swallowed up in her own well-provided-for family, as to care nothing for the starving and naked families around her; why, then, a dark shadow would have fallen upon this otherwise bright character, and its luminousness would have passed at once, if not into total, yet into partial eclipse. But it is not so. Mercy, like a mid-day sun, rises upon the scene, and sheds its luster upon all. Christian women, you, you, must be the brightest patterns of kindness and mercy which our selfish world contains, and add to temperance, patience, and godliness, Christian kindness and charity.

X. Such a character can not be unnoticed or unacknowledged; nor can such excellence pass through the world without admiration and commendation; and we now, therefore, note the honor and esteem with which she is treated.

“Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come” — 25. ‘“Her husband also, and he praiseth her’ — 28. “Many daugh.- ters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all” — 29. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall te praised” — 30. “Give her of the fruits of her nands, and Jet her own works praise her in the gates’ — 31.

She seeks not human applause, and therefore acts no theatrical part; nor for the sake of praise, affects display. Content with the love and esteem of her husband, the veneration and affection of her children, and the respect of her friends, she is not anxious to obtrude herself upon public attention, to shine in brilliant circles, or to have even her excellence made the subject of general commendation. Still unsought praise will be given her. Spontaneous tribute and free-will offerings of honor and respect will be paid her. Her husband will be the first to perceive, and the foremost to acknowledge her excellence. If a grateful man, he will make hor sensible of his Just appreciation of her excellences, not by mere fondling and caresses, but by respect for her judgment and character; by commending her to her children, and bidding them follow her example. Cases do sometimes occur of men so inferior to their wives, and so conscious of that inferiority, as to be jealous of their ascendency in the family, and to be envious of the talents and the virtues they can not imitate. A husband, blessed with such a woman as is described in this chapter, should not be backward, on suitable occasions, to let others know the estimate he forms of her character. True it is that a wise man will not be ever talking of his wife’s excellences; but he will, at proper seasons, feel a pride and a pleasure in exalting her in pu»lic estimation, and the publio will not fail to give her the fruits of her doings, “Let every one,” says Bishop Patrick, “extol her virtue. Let her not want the just commendation of her pious labors. But while some are magnified for the nobleness of their stock from whence they sprang, others for their fortune, others for their beauty, others for other things let the good deeds which she herself hath done be publicly praised in the greatest assemblies, where, if all men shall be silent, her own works will declare her excellent works.” And to use the poetic language of another prelate, ‘‘The crown which her own hands have thus formed, shall be placed upon her head, as it were by general consent, even in this life; and her good deeds celebrated in public assemblies, shall diffuse an odor grateful as the smell of Eden, or as the cloud of frankincense ascending from the holy altar. When her task is ended, the answer of a good conscience, and the blessings of all around, sweeter than the sweetest music, shall chant her to her repose, till awakened on the great morning of the world, descending angels shall introduce this daughter of Jerusalem into the joy of her Lord.”*

Such, then, is the character of the virtuous woman, as delineated by the mother of King Lemuel. By expanding the miniature as it was drawn by the pen of inspiration into a large and full-length picture, have, perhaps, done injustice to the subject. If so, let those who are of this opinion perpetually and closely study the original as it is found in the

Bishop Horne.

book of Proverbs. “There,” says Matthew Henry, in his quaint style, “is shut up this looking-glass for ladies, which they are desired to open and dress themselves by; and if they do so, their adorning will be found to praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

If, however, a wife devoid of all that constitutes her real excellence, shall run counter to this beautiful picture — if instead of being the glory of her husband, she shall seek to rival him, and shall either attempt in the domestic firmament to be the greater light to rule the day, or to throw him into eclipse, before whom she should be content with partial obscuration; if instead of being content to be praised by him, and deeming his approving smile a worthier object of ambition, and a richer reward than the gaze of admiration and the language of flattery from strangers; if she be a wife who opposes wantonly his tastes, or neglects his comfort; who contemns his opinion, and contradicts him with asperity, and resents with unseemly heat his real or unintentional slights; who exhibits indolence but not industry in the management of his household, and either by slovenliness allows all things to sink into uncleanness and confusion, or by extravagance hastens on the approach of poverty and ruin; who neglects even her children, and causes them to rise up In grief and shame for their mother; who gives her maidens constant occasion for reproach and complaint, on account of her ill-temper and worse Cconduct; who is restless and uneasy at home, but need of you, domforting the afflicted, forming os supporting charitable institutions, seconding a pious minister in his ]Jabors — in short, in every good work for which God appears to have expressly reserved your liberty. Or embrace, for you may, a yet vaster sphere. Embrace the world, if you will, provided it be in the spirit of charity. In fine, accomplish your mission so faithfully, that when the hour of your death shall arrive, all may rejoice in, the happy isolation which permitted you thus to devote yourself; and that, amid the tender regrets which shall follow your mortal remains to the tomb, it may no longer be discerned, in the sacrifice which you have made, whether you were wife or sister, or aunt or mother, relative or stranger.”

It can not fail, I think, to impress every reader of this beautiful description of the ‘‘ virtuous woman,” that the delineation includes chiefly the active virtues of the female character. It is the bustling, energetic, and prosperous female, surrounded by circumstances that call forth her industrious assiduities, invest her with power, and array her with public honor; rather than the quiet, gentle, and retired sufferer, struggling with adversity, or crushed by oppression, whose virtues consist of submission to the will of God; and patient, uncomplaining endurance of the wrongs of man, perhaps of her husband; and the brightness of whose character is heavenward, to be admired by God and angels, rather than earthward, to be seen and extolled by men. To the latter we would say, look up with believing prayer to God, for the grace that is neces. sary to fill your dark sphere with the illumination of that holy virtue, which, with lunar radiance, shines brightest by night. Little of the glory of te character which we have been describing may fall upon you in those secluded shades amid which you are called to dwell. In solitude, with no eye to pity, no voice to soothe, no hand to help, you may be called to drink the cup of sorrow. Well, drink it, as did the greatest and holiest sufferer that ever passed through our vale of tears, saying, “The cup which my Father giveth me to drink, shall I not drink it?” and the time will come, when he who loveth you better than you love yourself, shall wipe away all tears from your eyes. To those who, by divine grace, are copying the pattern set before them in this discourse, and are in circumstances to do so, I would say, Over all these fine traits of active, energetic character, cast the vail of gentleness, modesty, and humility. Let the passive virtues of your sex blend with, and soften the active ones. Be sure to single out that lovely feature, “the law of kindness is on her tongue.” With all this masculine energy in womanly conduct, unite feminine tenderness and softness. Whatever else in character you may be, still be a woman, with all a woman’s grace and loveliness; and while, as a wife, a mother, and a mistress, you wield the authority, and exert the influence which belongs to you, remember still, there is one in the family — I mean your husband — whose authority is still higher than your own, and

444 GOLOMON’s DESCRIPTION OF A GOOD WIFE.

that it is at once your duty, and will be for your happiness, meekly atd gracefully, though not abjectly and crouchingly, to bow to him.

Young women, I beseech you to make yourselves

familiar with this exquisite passage of Holy Writ.

It must be a study for you. There is much, very much, to be learned from it. You will heré see that piety is the broadest and most solid basis of all female excellence, and so far from interfering with temporal duties, will, wherever it is genuine, quicken attention to them. Godliness is profitable for all things, and helps the pursuit of all that is lawful. There is not a good quality of character, nor a single earthly interest, which it will not effectually promote. Do not allow yourselves to be imposed upon by the misrepresentations of its enemies, who would persuade you, if they could, that piety is unfriendly to general character, and inimi- * eal to personal happiness; that it enjoins duties unfriendly, and forbids pleasures essential to youthful enjoyment. Upon examination, however, it will be found that this objection to it, like all others, is founded upon air. Is there a virtue ora practice which can adorn or bless humanity, which it does not enjoin? And as to its more solemn, and what some would consider its more sorrowful duties — I mean repentance — I would remind you that these are not the only exercises of true religion; for there is the joy unspeakable of faith, as well as the grief of contrition; and that the latter leads on the former, just as the shower in the sultry heat of summer portends and produces a cooler atmosphere. Religion forbids no pleasures, but such as are injurious to the soul, and substitutes the substance of happiness for its shadows. It resembles fine country in spring, where the hedges bloom, end every thorn produces a flower.

Perhaps it will be thought by some it is a pity that a delineation of the virtuous man, equally minute, comprehensive, and impressive, had not been drawn by the same hand which gave us this picture of female excellence. In default of this, however, it is observable how much of what is here said may be copied into the character and conduct of the other sex. There is scarcely a rule of conduct here presented, which may not, with a little change, be observed by the husband, the father, and the master. This virtuous woman’s fidelity to her husband, personal industry, good management, and diligence in her family, consideration for the com: fort and necessities of others, kindness of speech and pity for the poor, courtesy to all, and especially her sincere and practical piety, belong to her hus. band, and are required of him, as well as of herself. These virtues are appropriate to both sexes. They are the general principles of excellence, though adapted here to the female sex, And therefore we recommend husbands to study this portraiture, not only to see what their wives should be, but what is required of themselves also.

Bat. whe “f -sz is sufficient for these

‘things f: <7 whose sufficiency is of

God; and He, to the docile and humble petitioners at the footstool of His grace, will ever be. stow that gracious aid which is equal to the exigency of every case. In reminding you of your various duties, and calling upon you to construct a character which, after exhibiting to the admiration of every beholder on earth its graceful proportions, shall endure with unfading beauty and undiminished yrandeur through eternity; I would also remind you of your own indecision, feebleness of purpose, exposure to temptation, and consequent necessity of divine assistance. To obtain this help you must have faith in Christ, the source of all spiritual efficacy, and earnest prayer to God, and none shall seek this grace in vain.

I ravus close a series of discourses, on which, in consequence of the rarity of the effort and the delicacy of the subject, I entered, not indeed. without some hope, but with much fear and trembling. So far as the pleasure of my own mind in preparing and preaching these sermons, and the monthly attendance upon their delivery from the pulpit, are concerned, my expectations have been more than realized. In laying down rules, pointing out defects, and the occasional comparison of the excellences and the faults of the sexes, I have had a somewhat difficult task to perform, and in the performance of which 1 can scarcely presume to hope I have given satisfaction to all parties. I must be contented, and it is no small matter to be so, with the conviction that I have endeavored to hold the balance with steady and impartial hand; and in this I have satis. fied my own conscience. I have praised, where praise was called for, and that was very often, but ny commendation has not degenerated into flattery; and I have blamed, when blame was just, but. il has been without acrimony. My object has been to promote the happiness of both sexes, by improving the character of that one on which so much of the happiness of both depends; and to advance the welfare of society by purifying its earthly source. How far I have succeeded it is impossible I should ever know, and in the absence of certainty must be comforted with the pleasures of hope.

I have looked upon woman as related to both worlds, as being bound to this by the ties of a wife, a mother, and a mistress; and to that which is to come, by the grander and more enduring bond of immortality; and therefore, as having not only social excellence to obtain, but that which is individual in special relation to God, and heaven, and eternity. I have contemplated you, my young friends, as the future wives, mothers, and mistresses of the next generation, and have endeavored to prepare you for discharging the functions of these momentous relationships. It has been my aim in these sermons, to open and prepare for you a smooth passage through this earthly state, gathering out as many stones, and planting as many flowers, as I could. And imperfect as may have been my counsels, and defective as may have been my views, Iam confident that if my advice be taken and my rules observed, though there may be much sorrow in reserve for you, there will not be wanting a tolerable share of consolation ard happiness. It will be your fault, not mine, if life be a dreary blank — a desert without an oasis — a wilderness without a spring.

But I have looked beyond this world, to that state, where I see you, with all these tender ties dropped from around you, and you yourself stand. ing alone in your individuality and immortality. I am duly aware, and I wish you to be so, that you sustain a personal relationship to God, which requires an appropriate and prescribed line of conduct toward him, and for the neglect of which, no other duties, excellences, or merits whatever, can be a substitute. It is not merely what you have been as & woman in society, or as a wife, a mother, or a mistress in the family, but what you have been toward God, that will decide your lot in the day of judgment. You may have been the most exalted, and noble, and learned of women, the most faithful of wives, the most devoted of mothers, and the kindest of mistresses; but if all this, while you have not had repentance toward God, faith in our Lord Jesus, arid true holiness, these domestic virtues, as they had in themselves no relation, and in their performance, no reference to God, so in the end they will meet no recompense from him, and instead of hearing him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” you will hear nothing more thar “They had their reward.”

Young women, contemplate your situation as I do, and as I now present it to you. There, further than the eye can reach, stretches out the vast plain of earthly existence, with all its varied landscape, its numerous roads, its busy population, its duties, its pleasures, and its dangers: and there are you, traveling across it, and needing guidance, assistance, protection, and comfort by the way. Step by step you are going on, never stopping, but ever advancing — to what? To that boundless ocean of eternity which lies beyond, on which you must soon embark, and on which so many of your fellow-travelers are every hour adventuring.- Yes, yes, you are emigrants passing through time to embark for eternity; and ought you not, like other emigrants, to prepare for the voyage, and for the country to which you are going? Shall your attention be so taken up with the plain across which you are trav. eling, as to forget your embarkation upon the ocean that lies beyond it? Does one of all the emigrants which are now crowding to our colonies, forget for a waking moment, after his determination is fixed, that he is soon to leave his country for one across the sea? Oh,no. And will you forget that you must soon — how soon you know not; perhaps next year, or next month — emigrate to eternity? By what motive shall I induce you to prepare for eternity? What? Only by itself, for if eternity be not strong enough to induce you to prepare for eter. nity, by what other motive can I hope to succeed?

I now, in conclusion, refer you to that day, and that scene, when the results of all ministerial efforts — and of this among the rest — for the spiritual welfare of mankind, shall be ascertained and made public. Before that dread tribunal you and I must appear. Not an individual that has heard, or that shall read these discourses, will be absent; and among the things then to be brought into judgment will be this feeble, yet sincere and earnest, endeavor for your spiritual benefit. In reference to some of whom it will be said, 1 fear, I have been “the savor of death unto death;” while it is my prayer and my expectation, that to others I have been “the savor of life unto life.” May there be very many of the latter description! ‘“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. For ye are our glory and joy.