through as much of the night, as can be spared from necessary repose.

19. "She layeth her hands to the spindle, and "her hands hold the distaff.” Such manual operations as are suited to her sex, she reckons not any disparagement to her quality. Her fingers show a dexterity that is alike pleasing in the performance, and beneficial in the effects.

20." She stretcheth out her hand to the poor : she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." yea, Those hands, which she employs with so much diligence for the advantage of her family, she fails not to stretch out with equal alacrity for the relief of the indigent. She is not so engrossed by the cares of her own household, as to forget the claims of those who have no habitation. In Her frugality never degenerates into parsimony, but always ministers to munificence. The poor, whether nearer or more remote, share liberally in her bounty.

21. "She is not afraid of the snow for her "household: for all her household are clothed with "scarlet." Her bounty in the mean while is accompanied with such discretion, that her own family and servants are in no danger of suffering by it. They are provided against the hardest winter; they have changes of raiment for the several seasons; and when they are to wait upon her, or to appear on any particular occasion that requires it, she is careful to have them clothed with a degree of splendour.

22. "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry : "her clothing is silk and purple." The furniture of her house is noble. Her own apparel corresponds with it. She is not ignorant of what belongs

to her rank; and she supports it with a magnificence so much the more conspicuous for being principally her own handiwork.

Her

23. "Her husband is known in the gates, when "he sitteth among the elders of the land." attention to the appearance of her husband is not less than to her own. When he comes into the courts of judicature, and takes his place amongst the senators of the country, he is distinguished by the richness and elegance of the robes which she has prepared for him. The beholders pronounce him a happy man in having such a wife as does him honour in public as well as private, and who, by easing him of all lesser cares, leaves him at full liberty to devote himself to the most important transactions.

24. She maketh fine linen and selleth it, and "delivereth girdles unto the merchant." Her industry to provide for her family is such, that she follows more arts than one or two; making, for example, beside other articles already named, fine linen, embroidered belts, and girdles of different kinds curiously wrought, which she sells at a considerable price to the Phenician merchant.

25."Strength and honour are her clothing; and "she shall rejoice in time to come." Although in every thing she makes, whether for sale or for use, she displays a just taste of what is both beautiful and splendid, still it must be remembered, that her chief ornaments are a firm and constant mind, a modest and becoming deportment, a manner of dealing with all, that is honourable, uniform, and generous; which, joined to her other qualities before mentioned, free her from all fear about future events, and prepare her to meet af

fliction, decay, and even death itself, with serenity and hope.

26.She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and "in her tongue is the law of kindness." Add to the rest this particular praise, that as she preserves the due mean between taciturnity and loquaciousness, so she loves not to talk on foolish and frivolous subjects, but on such as are serious and useful; on which, when she can introduce them with propriety, she is sure to deliver herself pertinently and gracefully. Her language on all occasions is soft and pleasing, expressive of a gentle mind, and a tender heart. From the same fund, she is led to embrace every opportunity of inculcating on all around her, kind affections and mutual concord.

27." She looketh well to the ways of her "household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.' In her own house most especially she is studious of conveying edification. She observes the motions, and inspects the manners of every one there, whom she neither suffers to go abroad at their pleasure, nor to labour at home without proper instruction: a concern, which might alone be thought sufficient to employ her; insomuch that if she did nothing else she would yet deserve the bread she

eats.

28.

"Her children arise up, and call her blessed : "her husband also, and he praiseth her." Happy the children of such a mother, whose maternal care for their provision, but much more for their education, cannot fail of exciting their love and gratitude very early, and of disposing them, when grown up, to honour her person and venerate her virtues! Happy beyond expression the husband of such a wife! He can never commend her suf

ficiently. While he attempts the favourite subject, he is so struck with her surpassing worth, that he cannot restrain himself from crying out,

29. "Many daughters have done virtuously; but "thou excellest them all." The number of those women who have acted worthily, who have mightily advanced their families, and nobly served the generations in which they lived, is not small. They are well entitled to applause, and I give it them with pleasure; but there never was any comparable to Thee. Thy merits, thou best of women, and most beloved, thy merits far, far transcend them all!

30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; "but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be "praised." A good complexion and fine shape are, no doubt, engaging. A graceful mien and lovely features are yet more so. But as the greatest beauty soon fades, and at last vanishes, so, alas! many ill qualities may lie concealed under all these fair appearances; such, indeed, as utterly to dis-. appoint every hope of happiness from that quarter. A truly pious woman, one who is governed throughout by a sense of duty, and who to all her other excellent qualities adds that reverence for God, which gives them at once elevation and stability-she, and she alone, is the completely amiable object, who will always impart delight, and always deserve approbation.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and "let her own works praise her in the gates.' Let all conspire to extol her character; for I cannot do it enough. Let her never want her just tribute of commendation. While some are magnified for their high birth, some prized for their great fortune, others admired for their singular beauty, and

others cried up for attainments of no intrinsic, or of no considerable value; let her personal conduct, and her superior qualities, be celebrated with peculiar honours in the largest assemblies; where, indeed, if all men should be silent, that conduct and those qualities would resound her praise.

What a description is here! Can you attend to it without emotion? Or have modern manners so warped your minds, that the simplicity of ancient virtue, instead of appearing to you an object of veneration, looks romantic and ridiculous? Tell me then in good earnest, were the women of those days the less estimable, or the less attractive, that they did not waste their lives in a round of dissipation and impertinence, but employed them in works of ingenuity and usefulness, of piety and mercy; that even women of the first rank amongst them as we are informed by the oldest and best authors, held it no diminution to apply their hands to different kinds of manufacture; that they took great delight in such occupations; and finally, that good housewifery, in all its extent, was reckoned an essential qualification of every matron?

I am sufficiently sensible of the influence that the customs of different ages and nations have on the modes of thinking that successively obtain; nor do I expect, that in this land called Christian, which ought to be unequalled on account of its attainments, as much as it is on that of its advantages, our mothers or our daughters, in general, will be persuaded by any thing preachers can say, to emulate the humble grandeur of many a noble lady, of many a fair princess, in former generations. Yet I am not without hope, that some of them may be induced to copy, though at a distance, those modest but exalted originals.