of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear: whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price; for after this manner in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." (1 Pet. iii. 1— 6.) The directions here are very plain; the wife is not to become the teacher of her husband, because that would be usurping authority over him, and so subverting the ordinance of Christ, which must, by the subjection of the woman to the man, show forth that His church is in subjection to Him. The blessing which is promised to her for her husband's soul, is not to her teaching, but to her example without the word; to a deadness to

the finery and frivolity of dress, which is so great a snare to her whole sex, and which is specially inculcated here upon Christian wives. The connexion in which this injunction, to be simple and unadorned in her outward attire, occurs, is the more remarkable from its being mentioned in the case of a believing wife with an unbelieving husband; in which we should have been led to argue in our carnal wisdom, an exception might have been made in such unimportant things as dress, lest her husband should have been unnecessarily offended. But God's ways are not as man's ways; and instead of indulging in dress as a means of winning her husband, she is specially enjoined to abstain from it for very end.

that

In few things does the unsanctified character of female professors of religion show itself more clearly, than in their contempt for the directions given in the passage here quoted. This ought not to be. It comes of the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which comes of the world that is at enmity with God, and which ought to be mortified

and kept down. The mortification of lust, that is, the keeping down of desires to the level of God's written directions, is perverted by the Papists to become a meritorious suffering by the denial of a natural gratification; and scarcely less perverted by Protestants, who, although rejecting the popish idea of penance, consider it as an arbitrary command of God, to which they are to yield a constrained, irksome, and blind submission, merely because He requires it. This latter notion, if followed up, savours not a little of imputing tyranny to God; tyranny consisting in requiring that which it is not agreeable to give, without any reference to the welfare of those on whom it is enjoined. Such ideas must arise where the ordinances of God are not seen to be patterns of spiritual realities, and consequently the only channels in which blessings can flow. Thus in the case before us, our kind heavenly Father, desirous that the hearts of husband and wife should be knit in one holy fellowship and identity of communion, indicates the only path by which this can be effected. They, therefore, who believe God's word,

and are anxious to attain the end of their calling in each particular state in which they are, thankfully follow God's directions for the same: and the temporary gratification by disobedience, is not thought of in comparison of the joy, in its several kinds, which is set before them. In his epistle to Titus the apostle directs his son in the faith to "speak the things which become sound doctrine:" that "the aged women be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Tit. ii. 1-5.) It is in the fulfilment then of these duties, that the wife is to seek for the blessing of God upon her example, in producing an effect upon her unbelieving husband. Temptations not only vary with every situation, but with every age, and with every clime. The customs of worldly society modify all, and correct some, vices, whilst they

encourage others. To be "given to much wine," is seldom found in this country at the present time in any woman above the lowest class; but the "false accusation," which is more or less the inseparable companion of idle conversation and society, even though that society be composed of religious persons, and the not "keeping at home," are next to

wearing of gold, and the putting on of apparel," the most usual means by which Christian women now cause "the word of God to he blasphemed;" that is, lightly esteemed, and considered a thing which may be observed or not, with little or no detriment to the soul.

The Christian wife must expect to receive many taunts and many unjust reproaches, on account of her religion, from an unconverted husband. Perhaps she may be required by him to do some things which the word of God forbids her to do. In such circumstances she must refuse compliance: but instead of allowing her husband's unkindness to produce alienation, and sullenness, and discontent, let it rather stimulate her alacrity to the per