youroto her husband. Let the wife fee that the re#6 verence her husband."

The reverence here required is not that obfequious flavish kind of submishion, which oriential polygamists haughtily demand of the women of their Haram, who

are afraid with no finall amazement *." But a kind of refpect which the piety and good fenfe of the wife will teach herois due to the rank her husband holds in the creation; and which her good nature, and the tender affection the feels for him, will difpofe her to pay dim. Abtribute not exacted on his part, but} cheerfully rendered on hers; he remembering that'

themanais by the woman," and the that "the wo * man was created for the man + That understanding, fagacity, and knowledge of the world in which the husband, who is the head of the woman ‡," is fuppofed to excel; and that strength, refolution, and firmness of mind with which Providence has endowed him for the purpofe especially of defending the rights and promoting the interefts of his family, justly entitle him to her reverence and obedience. She will therefore be in fubjection to her bufband, even as "Saráh obeyed Ahraham, calling him Lord ||;" and “fubmit herself unto him, as unto the Lord §, and "as it is fit in the Lord ." Nor will he forget that," as it is her duty to yield to his opinion in all those matters especially on which the qualities just mentioned enable him to determine better than her, so there are questions which it will be his interest and prudence to fnbmit to her decifion : cifion for the fame apoftle who has admonished "wives to fubmit themselves to their own að m bns and diów grisinqeḥ af ghod suf' husbands,” iw susța Cor.xi.9025

* Pet. ii

* Pet. iii. 5, 6.

"hufbands," has alfo exhorted us all to fubmit "ourselves one to another in the fear of God §."

not

That reverence then which the text requires is founded in reafon and affection, and will exprefs itfelf in various ways, which will not fail to contribute greatly to their mutual welfare and happiness His character for piety, good-fense, and prudence, the will on every occafion endeavour to place in fuch a point of light, as to attract the regards of all her acquaintance, and more especially of his children and fervants, affecting to outfhine him in any of these excellen cies, Fond of viewing him through the flattering, but commendable, medium of conjugal partiality, his vir-”. tues will magnify in her tender eye, and his imperfections recede from her view. His temper fhe will affi duously confult, and by yielding to his will, in inflances where confcience is not concerned, the will gain an afcendency over him, which the will fecurely enjoy without feeming to poffefs it. Efteem, and affection will be fo blended in her breast, that her sweet and refpectful demeanour towards him in her house, and among all her connections, will frike every obferver as the foft impulse of nature, rather than the refult of ftudied prudence. In fhort, a reverence thus Aowjug from love, and expreffing itself in inftances too numerous to be here recited, will not fail to fecure.to: her in return the tribute of admiration and esteem, as well as affection and delight., t

Whether any who called themselves Chriftians in the early age of the church, were defective in the du ty here enjoined, and that might give occafion to the mode of expreffion ufed in the text, "Let the wife 3m usa cap fee.

"fee that: fhe reverence her husband," is not for me to fay it is, however, plain from the general tenor of the apostle's reafoning in this context, that he meant rather to allure each party to their duty by the gentle perfuafions of affection and wintereft, than to impel them to it by the stern dictates of authority

Having thus explained the duties recommended in our text, we might proceed to enforce them by a great variety of arguments-arguments taken from nature, reafoa, intereft, the good of fociety, the confent of the wifeft and beft of men, ftriking examples held upto our view in the fcriptures, and the pofitive command of God. But waving thefe, we shall confine ourfelves to thats argument on which the apoftle fo largely and fo happily infifts in this context, and which is addreffed to all the noble paffions and generous feelings of a truly Chriftian heart: I mean, the relation fubfifling between our Saviour and his church... "Wives, fubmit yourfelves unto your own husbands, "as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of "the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the church, "and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as "the church is fubject unto Chrift, fo let the wives "be to their own hufbands in every thing. Hufbands,

love your wives, even as Chrift alfo loved the church, "and gave himself for it: that he might fanctify and "cleanfe it with the washing of water, by the word, "that he might prefent it to himfeif a glorious church, "not having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing: but "that it should be holy and without blemish. So "ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies: "he that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For noe man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and "cherisheth

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"cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church for weare members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones

Here allow me to defcant,aifew moments on the love which Chrift bears to his church, and on the du ty his church owes, and is fincerely difpofed to rend der to himaudo eid bedradɔ bas hedihuon "noife?

7. As to Chtift, how tranfcendently great is the love he bears to his church sid to to ì noifɔstreg

He, the Son of God, deigned to affume human fature, and, at an expence which angels cannot compute, to espouse the church to himself. He gave him"felf for it!" Hear, O heavens and beraftonished, O earth! Corruptible things, fuch as filver and gold, could not redeem us. A ranfom, like that paid for the Ifraelitish church, even the blood of the first born of Egypt, was not of fufficient value. Nothing lefs would avail than his own most precious blood-the blood of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Such was the price juftice demanded, fuch the price love rendered. He was made flesh and tabernacled among us. He bore our griefs and carried our forrows; and at length, on a crofs, without the gates of Jerufalem, he offered his life a facrifice for fin. BeBold Him, Chriftian, extended on the accurfed tree! fee the vital blood flowing in purple torrents from his wounded heart his heart, the feat of loves! of love that paffeth knowledge for hath heut nited the church to himself: Sosis! hel become

the head of the church, and the Saviour of the boeidy; and we members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." We were unworthy of fuch an union; and incapable in our depraved ftate of thofe ex

alted joy's which refult from it. He has however provided the neceffary means for " fanctifying and clean

fing us, even the influences of his Spirit, and the "inaduations of his word." And in due time, having, by a thousand expreffions of the most endearing affection, "nourished and cherished his church, he will “prefent it to himself, a glorious church, without im"perfection, spot, or blemish." Thus" prepared as

a bride adorned for her husband," the marriage fhall be confummated. A voice fhall be heard out of heaven, faying,Behold the tabernacle of God is “with men, and he will dwell with them, and they 64 fball be his people, and God himself shall be with it them, and be their God * "

8

And now hath Christ thus loved his church ?—loved it with a love fo free, generous, ardent, and conftant? Ought not ye husbands, I mean you more efpecially who are the friends and difciples of Christ, to imitate his example? Impreffed with a deep fense of this unparalleled instance of friendship and benignity, ought not your breaks to glow with an affection towards your wives, refembling that which he bears to you? It is an argument addreffed to the tendereft feelings of your hearts, it is irrefiflible.-On the other hand, ‚ândi alging myewa muid fotiv on sat -25 From the duty which Chriftians readily acknowledge they owe to to the divine Saviour, in return for his love to them, there arifes a powerful ar¬ gument, if fuch be needful, to perfuade the wife to reverende her husband, in return for the love he bears towards her. o ydniowan sow > N Cearod a b xs slodt to stun bovargab no ni eldono Attention belia *Rev. axi. 2, 3.