their successor in the arms, and heart, and house of their husbands? They trembled for their children, and seemed at that sad moment, to have become willing to be forgotten, provided their babes could find a second mother in her that was to fill their place. Let me then become the advocate of fatherless or motherless children, and entreat, for the sake, both of the living and the dead, a due regard to the comfort of these orphans.

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Nor should less deliberation be exercised by the party who is about to take, or invited to take the care of another person's children. Have they love enough for the parent, to bear the burden of care for his sake? Have they kindness enough, temper enough, discretion enough, for such a situation, and for such an office? There is no difficulty where the children are lovely in person, and amiable in temper; but when they have no personal attractions, no charms of mind, no endearments of character, then is the time to realize the truth of Mr. Jay's expression, a wife may be supplied, a mother cannot." The man or the woman that can act a parent's part towards a froward and unlovely child, must have more than nature, for this belongs only to a real parent, they must have principle and kindness, and need have grace. Let all who are invited to take the superintendence of a family, ask themselves, if they possess the requisites for the comfortable and satisfactory discharge of its duties. Let them enquire whether it is likely they can be happy in such a situation themselves; for if not, they had far better

never enter it, as their unhappiness must inevitably fill the whole family circle with misery.

It cannot be sufficiently deplored, that all suitable preparation for the marriage state, is usually put aside for the busy activities of vanity, which in fact, are but as dust in the balance of the conjugal destiny. Every thought, and anticipation, and anxiety, is too often absorbed in the selection of a house, and furniture; and in matters still more insignificant and frivolous. How common is it for a female to spend those hours, day after day, and week after week in communion with her milliner, debating and discussing the subject of the colour, and form, and material, in which she is to shine forth in nuptial splendour, which ought to be employed in meditating the eventful step, which is to fix for life her destiny, and that of her intended husband; as if the great object were to appear a gay and fashionable bride, rather than to be a good and happy wife. And most pitiable is it to see some mothers, ministering to this folly, and flattering the vanity of their daughters, instead of preparing them by judicious and seasonable counsels, for discharging the duties of that new and important connexion, into which they are about to enter. "Study," said an old author, riage, before you enter into it. be borne, there are snares to be avoided, and manifold obligations to be discharged, as well as great felicity to be enjoyed. And should no provision be made ? For want of this, result the frequent disappointments

"the duties of marThere are crosses to

of that honourable estate.

Hence that repentance

which is at once too soon, and too late. The husband knows not how to rule; and the wife knows not how Both are ignorant, both conceited, and

to obey.

both miserable."

IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE SHALL

DIRECT THY PATHS.

CHAPTER IV.

THE DUTIES OF PARENTS.

"Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." EPHES. vi. 4.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

PROVERBS XXxii. 6.

"And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

DEUT. vi. 6, 7.

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

MAL. iv.

Ir is an interesting and important era in the history of domestic life, when the husband and wife receive the new names of father and mother, and become united by the supplemental tie, which is furnished by the little helpless stranger, so lately introduced into the family. Who that has felt them, can ever forget the emotions awakened by the first gaze upon the face of his child, by the first embrace of his babe. Little.

however, do the bulk of mankind consider, what a weight of obligation, what a degree of responsibility, that child has brought into the world with him for his parents. In the joyousness with which the mother lavishes her fond embraces upon her boy, and in the paternal pride with which the father looks on this new object of their affection, how rarely does either of them revolve, in deep seriousness, the future destiny of this new idol of their hearts; or consider how nearly that destiny is connected with their own conduct. Parental obligations are neither felt nor known by multitudes. How then can they be discharged? Rushing into the connexion of marriage under the mere impulse of passion, without forethought, without prudence, multitudes become parents, before they have one right view, or one right feeling, in reference to the duties of the parental relationship; to which they come with scarcely any other preparedness, than that mere animal fondness for their young, which they partake of in common with the irrational creation; but not with that same instinctive ability, "to train them up in the way they should go." Who can wonder at the disordered state of society at large, or be surprised at the aboundings of evils and miseries in our world, that looks at the manner in which domestic duties are neglected. When I consider what poor, ignorant, thoughtless, frivolous, wicked creatures are often seen at the head of households, I can only ascribe it to the interference of an all wise and powerful providence, that society is not far more chaotic than it is.