light and life into the abodes of darkness and death,—has waked up the slumbering energies of the Christian world, is driving before it the clouds of ignorance and superstition, by pouring into the youthful mind the wholesome, simple truths of God's Book. Every Church should be a Sabbath school, and all the brethren and sisters should, to the utmost of their ability and opportunity, foster and sustain the glorious enterprize. Baptists, as they have ever claimed the Bible as their only rule of faith and practice,' and have acknowledged no other book of doctrine and discipline, should be foremost in the labors of this blessed institution.

6. Her influence on the world.

Humanity depraved is so poor a thing, that it is difficult, if not impossible, to say what it will not do. Some of our own sex have such a poor, not to say contemptible, opinion of female intellectuality, as to intimate that all the 'weaker' vessels are to be found only among the other sex. It would be a blessing to the world if it were so; but so it is not. Weakness has not fallen upon the daughters of Eve alone. That disposition which leads. any of our sex to smile with self-complacency at the claims set up in behalf of female worth, may be adduced as proof; and may, very properly, be referred back for its paternity to a more barbarous and less enlightened age, than the one in which it is our happy privilege to live. It is certain that the illiberal abuse poured upon the female sex is founded in ignorance and folly. The truly sensible and well informed entertain far better, and far more just sentiments, in relation to female utility and importance in the scale of being; and are ever disposed to ascribe to female capacity and worth, more than female modesty and wisdom are disposed to assume or even receive. No good man has ever wished to see the female character undervalued or degraded; and perhaps very few good women have ever violently coveted stations and employments which belong peculiarly to men. rivalship and competition of the sexes are altogether ridiculous and absurd. Each has its distinct dignity and influence, and mutual concession is the truest wisdom in the one and the other.

The

Let us not conclude, then, that a pious lady is going beyond the appropriate sphere of her action, when she carries with her into the world the religion of Christ-that religion which throws a charm around her by giving softness, gentleness and ease, to her manners; and which makes her firm, without stubbornness; serious, without sadness; lively, without levity; and lovely, without dissimulation:-that religion, emphatically, which enables her, in all her associations with the world,

'To tread low-thoughted vice beneath the foot,

And soar above this little scene of things.'

In the circles of her own sex especially, an intelligently pious

woman may be eminently successful in assisting and encouraging those who are serious and inclined to unite with the Church. 'A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver' -no matter if a woman should speak it. It may be sanctified to the spiritual peace of the enquiring soul, and it may dispose the halting convert to halt no more. The woman at the well of Samaria, when she heard the Son of God, ran off in all the raptures of a heaven-born spirit, leaving her water pot and telling the people of her delightful interview-'Is not this the Christ?' Many of the inhabitants of the village believed on him, 'because of the words which she spoke.' What a blessed privilege! to speak of Jesus and be owned as an instrument in the salvation of others! Woman may, and should speak of the goodness of God. It is no mark of piety in a woman, (or man either) to be dumb on the subject of religion. For a lady to be able to speak with a kind of enthusiastic fluency in relation to her flower-garden, and to be lifeless and speechless when the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the valley is the theme, is a reproach to her Christian character. For the toilet-table of her apartment, or the center-table of her parlor, to be loaded with the books of fiction, or the pamphlets of fashion, and be destitute of the Bible and of religious periodicals, is a reproach,—a shameful reproach,—to her head and her heart.

'Religion never was designed to make our comforts less.' Genuine piety does not make its subject gloomy, harsh, or impolite in the society of others. It dignifies, ennobles and elevates the character, and gives to the feelings a tenderness and sweetness which ever render its possessor more lovely to all. How easily, then, may the pious lady approach unconverted females, and, with the tenderness and kindness characteristic of her sex added to the sincerity and warmth of pious feeling, urge upon them the importance of repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

That spiritual peace depends much on spiritual deportment and practice, is confirmed by the word of God and the experience of all his saints. Women and men who live lives of practical godliness enjoy most of the life and power of religion in their souls. 'It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.' It is good-for man or woman. But an eminently pious and zealous woman often appears to the eye of the sluggardly, frozenhearted professor, like an enthusiast. Hence it not unfrequently happens that some of our own delinquent sex are disposed to cry, 'enthusiasm,'-'wild fire, fanaticism'-monomania,' and the like, when pious females are found ahead of them in holy living-when religion is the theme of their conversation, and the work of the Lord, the business of their lives. This is doubtless one of the Devil's weapons, put by him into the hands of such professors for their own unholy defence. Disposed, as too many

of our own sex are, to undervalue the powers of the female mind, they feel perfectly justified in turning away with a sneer of contempt, believing that public sentiment, (their only rule for determining right and wrong,) will screen them from public odium. Indeed it is to be regretted that it sometimes does. Though it may seem severe, yet we cannot forbear stating it as our decided opinion, that many of the male members of the Churches are not what pious females ought to be-fall far behind that attainment which religious females ought to be expected to make.

Though women are generally more pious and warm-hearted in the service of God than men; yet it is not to be doubted that the standard of female piety is too low amongst us. It is probable that at this place, however, it is not below that of many others. But if the standard of female piety is too low, to what cause is it attributable? May we not fear that the cause may be found at OUR door? We are not what we should be. Our standard is not occupying that high ground it should, and woman, (ever ready to shrink to the back-ground,) has to occupy at a fearful distance from her true position. Who among you, brethren, pray daily in your families? Who among you daily read the word of the Lord and bow before him at the family altar? No wonder then that our sisters so rarely do this, when it is so much neglected by those whose more immediate duty it is. While you have been remiss, and by your example encouraged others to be so, it is probable your pious wife, in her lonely hours of meditation, has said with a deep sigh from her heart a hundred times over, 'If I were in my husband's place I would try to pray in the family.' Husband of that godly wife, will you not try to pray? Wife of that delinquent husband, will you not help him? You would most willingly lay your hand to any of his worldly interests to assist him, and surely you would not withhold in helping him to lay up treasure in heaven. Provide the candle, at night, and lay the books before him, and ask him once. Probably this will be enough. It will, if he loves you, and his children, and his God, as he should. What a delightful sight-a father, and his beloved wife and tender offspring, all on their knees, before the Lord their Maker, pleading for the bread of life! And who was instrumental in bringing him to the family altar? YOU, THE WIFE OF HIS HOLY VOW. AMEN.

EXTRACTS.

1. The manner of Lydia's conversion-The manner of Lydia's conversion ought not to be overlooked. Her heart was opened. There is something gentle, as well as effectual, in the representation. The Spirit of God not only operates by a variety of instruments, but by a considerable diversity of modes. He descends on Sinai in tempests, and on Calvary in smiles. Some

6

times his manifestations are terrible, and sometimes soothing; sometimes he breaks, and sometimes opens the heart. In Scripture we are furnished with illustrations of this diversified. operation. Manasseh, who made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen,' and who 'would not hearken' to divine monitions, was taken by the Assyrians among the thorns, and bound with fetters, and carried to Babylon.' He who was unaffected, either by mercies or menaces, in his prosperity, when he was in affliction, besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him; and he was entreated of him and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then, Manasseh kew that the Lord he was God.' Paul, who breathed out threatening and slaughter against the Christian Church, was suddenly struck to the earth by a miraculous light from heaven, and from a persecutor transformed into an apostle. The Philippian jailer exclaimed amidst his terrors, "What must I do to be saved?' and was not only prevented from committing suicide, but directed to heaven by the doctrine of his apostolic prisoner, which through grace he cordially received; 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thine house.' On the other hand, Samuel, Timothy, and Lydia, were drawn with bands of love, They heard the whispers of mercy, and felt the attractions of grace. Each of their hearts, like that of Lydia, was opened. Passion subsided, prejudice withdrew, ignorance melted away. They were not taken by storm, but made willing in the day of his power.'

2. The effects of her religion.-Previous to her embracing the gospel she united business with piety. She was 'diligent in business,' but this did not preclude her being 'fervent in spirit.' As a seller of purple she could only have become rich-the acme, indeed, and summit of human wishes, but a miserable barter for real and everlasting happiness; as a hearer of Paul, she might and did become wise unto salvation.

Every thing is beautiful in its season. We must not wander from our proper business under pretence of religion, nor must we neglect religion upon a plea of business. Religion does not require a relinquishment of our calling and station in society, but no civil engagement can justify a disregard of religion. We may sell our purple-but we must also attend to the instructions of the ministry and the word of God. If we imitate Lydia in diligence, let us not forget to imitate her in piety. wicked to aver, that the concerns of this world and those of another interfere; because an ardent religion is not only compatible with worldly occupations, but promotes both their purity and integrity, if it does not secure their success.-Cox's Fem. Biog

It is vain and

THE

BAPTIST PREACHER.

VOL. III.

May, 1844.

NO. 5.

THE RECORDING OF THE DIVINE NAME:

A Sermon, delivered at St. Stephen's Meeting House, King & Queen Co., Va., on its being first opened for divine worship, December, 24, 1843: by Rev. W. Southwood, Pastor of the

Church.

To the members of the Church, by whose Christian benevolence and liberal subscriptions, the house, for the public Worship of God in the ancient parish of St. Stephens, was designed and erected, who, from too high an estimate of his worth, called one so unworthy of such a charge, to watch over their spiritual interests, as a shepherd under Christ, and to feed them with divine knowledge, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit:-and, to all who have rendered their aid in the building: and, to all who are friendly to the effort, to record the Lord's name in this place, the following discourse is respectfully inscribed, by THE AUTHOR.

Vineyard, King & Queen, January 1, 1844.

'In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.' Ex. xx: 24.

God, who is at once infinitely lovely, and awfully terrible, encourages man, who has deformed and polluted himself by vices the most pernicious, and sins the most heinous, to make His name the wall of his defence, and the wing of His mercy the covering under which he may repose. All defiled as we are, he who is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and who cannot look upon iniquity, hath promised to sprinkle clean water upon us, that we may be clean; and notwithstanding we have rebelled against him, he is saying to us who are in arms against his governmentCome now and let us reason together; and like a tender father he continues to address us:- Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? He looketh upon the earth and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills and they smoke. The eyes of all wait upon him and he giveth them their meat in 10 Vol. 3.