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duty, and even to have excelled in it, is no exemption from the obligation of the reft. The duties of life and of religion run in a feries, one is linked with another, fuppofes it, cannot be feparated from it. To no purpose are children well educated, if through the indolence, folly, or vice of parents, they are launched into the world in doubtful, difhonourable, embarrassed or diftrefsful circumftances. What is it to me, that my fortune is prudently and frugally managed, if my perfon is neglected, my temper trifled with, my reputation facrificed, "my good name filched from me?" And what is the acquifition of a world, at the expense of my foul?

Let it be understood and remembered, that every word which has been faid of the obligation laid on woman, as "an help meet" for man, applies, with at leaft equal propriety and force, to man, as the helper and friend of woman. Does he poffefs fuperiority of any kind? It is evidently intended not to opprefs, but to fupport. His greater ftrength is given for her protection; his more vigorous or profound powers of thought are defigned to be her inftructor and guide. Whatever advantage, real or apparent, each may have above the other, Providence clearly wills to be employed for the comfort and benefit of the other. A contention of mutual affection, beneficence, forbearance, forgiveness, is the only ftrife which nature, reafon and decency permit to this ftate and relation.

We proceed to illuftrate female utility and importance in focial life, by certain noted examples from the facred record. May God fmile on every attempt to communicate useful truth. Amen.

History

History of Deborah.

LECTURE II.

JUDGES iv. 4, 5.

And Deborah a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, fhe judged Ifrael at that time. And he dwelt under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim: and the children of Ifrael came up to her for judgment.

THE unremitting attention paid by a wife and gracious Providence to the affairs of men, affords equal matter of wonder and gratitude, with the aftonishing power and skill difplayed in the firft formation of this great univerfe. Let us fuppofe the care of that Providence for a little while fufpended, and the world left to itself. Who is not fhocked in looking forward to the probable, the certain confequences of that remiffion? Behold inftantly the bars of the vast abyss burst afunder, and "hell itself breathing forth destruction to mankind." Behold the prince of the power of the air reigning and raging without control. Behold chaos and ancient night refuming their murky empire, and darkness covering the face of the deep; earth and air confounded; nature convulfed by the fury of contending elements, unreftrained by law; univerfal confufion and wild uproar prevailing.

Alas,

Alas, it is not neceffary to ftate the fuppofition fo high. To conceive the wretchedness of mankind, deprived of the conftant, fuperintending care of Heaven, it is needless to let loose the demons of the bottomlefs pit; it is needless to unbridle the fury of the ocean, or to affift the roaring winds in blowing up the fire into a hotter flame. Under the flightest alteration of the established order of things, all nature languishes. Remove, for a moment, the all-ruling, all-fupporting hand of the great Father of the univerfe, and lo, this fair and fertile region is overwhelmed with an inundation, and that, is burned to one pumiceftone, by the force of celeftial or fubterraneous fire. Here arifes, a race all males, like the fabled generation of warriors which fprung from the ferpent's teeth, armed at all points for mutual deftruction and flaughter; and there, a nation of timid, defenceless females, inviting violence and infult. But under that uninterrupted divine fuperintendence all goes on well; there is no schism in the body; every thing is found in its place, every thing performs its function. The exacteft proportion between male and female births is preferved; the robufter frame is ftill found united to the stronger mental faculties; the delicacy of the feminine form indicates, to the very eye, the fofter, gentler qualities of the fpirit which inhabits it; and nature affigns to each the limits of duty, and the sphere of usefulness and exertion.

But the great God is pleased to make himself known, not only by general conformity to established laws, but by occafional deviation from them. That the fons of men may know, it is according to his high will, that all creatures are, and think, and act,

The hiftory, which this evening comes under our review, exhibits a new thing in the annals of human nature; afferts the fovereignty of the Moft High over all perfons and events; places the female character and importance in a new, a ftriking, and a refpectable point of view; and thereby admonishes the one VOL. VI.

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fex to think of their own natural general fuperiority with deference, affection and honour to the manly excellencies of the female mind, when cultivated by a proper education, directed to a worthy object, and roufed into exertion by, a great and worthy occafion. Hitherto we have feen wife and good women, in the retired vale of domeftic life, their proper and peculiar fphere; Sarah co-operating, in the duties of hofpitality, with her venerable lord; Rebekah refreshing the weary traveller and the thirsty camel with water from the well, as they went on their way; Rachel and the seven daughters of Jethro tending their father's flocks, and making them to lie down under the fhade at noon; Miriam leading the feftive dance. and fong, in celebrating the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the triumphs of Ifrael; and Rahab giving fhelter to the perfecuted spies, and providing for the fafety of her father's houfe.

But we are now to contemplate female genius and talents forcing their way to public obfervation, and to everlasting renown: eclipfing mafculine fagacity and fortitude; the infpirer and the example of generous patriotifm and martial prowefs. We are to contem

plate feminine warmth and eagernefs, under the influence of prophetic infpiration, and blended with the dignity and integrity of the judgment feat; female fpirit, giving breath to the bloody trumpet of war, directing the movements of the embattled hoft, waking into facred, poetic rapture, and adapting the joyful strains of victory, to the mufical founds of the living lyre.

Ifrael had now enjoyed a bleffed repofe of fourfcore years; and are again corrupted by eafe and profperity. Their national character and conduct, are a ftriking reprefentation of thofe, of many individuals, whom we are daily meeting with in the world; who are capable of bearing neither profperity nor adverfity; whom it is impoffible to ferve or to fave; who by their perverfenefs or folly, are perpetually

ually undoing the kindeft defigns, and counteracting the most vigorous efforts of their friends in their behalf, and whom, at length, friends are conftrained to abandon in despair. Well has Nehemiah, their countryman, defcribed this character, and difplayed the patience and long-fuffering of God, in that recapitulation of their history, addreffed folemnly to Heaven, in the ninth chapter of his book; "And they took ftrong cities, and a fat land, and poffeffed houfes full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards and olive-yards and fruit-trees in abundance. So they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodnefs. Nevertheless, they were difobedient, and rebelled against thee, and caft thy law behind their backs, and flew thy prophets which teftified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Therefore thou deliveredft them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardeft them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them faviours, who faved them out of the hand of their enemies. But after they had reft, they did evil again before thee: therefore lefteft thou them in the hand of their enemies, fo that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried unto thee, thou heardeft them from heaven, and many times didft thou deliver them, according to thy mercies; and teftifiedft against them, that thou might eft bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but finned against thy judgments, which if a man do, he fhall live in them; and withdrew the fhoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Yet many years didft thou forbear them, and teftifiedst against them by thy Spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gaveft thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Neverthelefs, for thy great mercies fake thou didst not utterly confume C 2 them,

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