of a third perfon, or to tranfgrefs any of the divine laws, fhe would be bound to obey God rather than man. And it is very

other respects

poffible that he might be in fo unreasonable and injurious in his injunctions, that she might with justice conceive herself exempted, as to those particular inftances, from the obligation of implicit fubmiffion to his authority. St. Paul directs children to obey their parents, and servants their mafters, " in all things (p)." Yet it is manifeft that his direction was not intended to reach to things finful, nor to other extreme cases which might be devised. It is reasonable, therefore, and it is also conformable to the general mode of conveying moral directions which is adopted in the Scriptures, to understand his ftrong declaration concerning the authority of a hufband as limited by reftrictions and exceptions, corresponding to those with which his equally strong declarations concerning

(p) Coloff. iii. 20. 22.

the

the authority of parents and of masters are manifeftly to be understood. But though in cafes fuch as have been fuppofed the duty of female obedience is suspended, it is suspended in these only. She who is commanded to "be subject to her head, the huf"band, as the church is fubject to Chrift, its "head," cannot reasonably doubt that obedience, when it can innocently be rendered, is a branch of her connubial duty.

A branch of duty in its nature fo important and extenfive, ought to be confidered antecedently to marriage with religious fcrupuloufnefs. And while the obligation is acknowledged, let not the ends for which it is impofed be mifconceived. Let not pride or ignorance be for a moment permitted to fuggeft that the Father of the universe, in allotting obedience to the wife, has difplayed a partial regard to the welfare and comfort of the husband. Eternal wifdom, incapable of error and of caprice, has in this dispensation confulted her happiness

no less than that of her affociate. Yoy admit that it was defirable to prevent or to leffen the bickerings, the conflicts, the pertinacious contrariety of plans and projects, which, in a state imperfect as human nature is, would perpetually arife and involve families in unceafing confufion, were each party free from any obligation to acquiefce

in the decifion of the other. By what method then, were we to confult the dictates of unbiaffed judgement, should we deem the object moft likely to be attained? Undoubtedly by the method which Providence has adopted; by affigning to one of the partners in marriage a fixed preeminence over the other. If this point be once conceded, there cannot be room for much hesitation as to the only remaining question: to which of the two parties would it be wifest and beft that the pre-eminence should be affigned? It is on man that the burden of the most laborious offices in life, of thofe offices which require the greatest

exertions, the deepeft reflection, and the

most

most comprehensive judgement, is devolved. Man, that he may be qualified for the dif charge of these offices, has been furnished by his creator with powers of investigation and of forefight in a somewhat larger meafure than the other fex, who have been recompenfed by an ample fhare of mental endowments of a different kind. It feems therefore an appointment both reasonable in its nature and most conducive to the happiness, not only of the man himself, but of his wife, of his children, and of all his connections, that he fhould be the perfon to whom the fuperiority should be committed. But Heaven has not left the wife destitute or neglected. Security is provided for her in various ways against an arbitrary and tyrannical exercise of power on the part of the husband. Some limitations to which his authority is fubjected have already been noticed. These he well knows. He knows too, that if he is entrusted with power, he acts under a proportionate responsibility, that he acts under the all-feeing eye of his future Judge. And if the Scrip

I

CHAP. XI.

L

CONSIDERATIONS ANTECEDENT TO

MARRIAGE.

me sah

N the preceding pages, which have had an evident and primary reference to the fituation of unmarried women, I have been under the neceffity of fpeaking largely concerning various duties, which appertain equally to those who are no longer fingle. I have therefore to entreat the reader, if of the latter defcription, ftill to regard the foregoing part of this treatife as addreffed also to herself; if of the former, to believe herfelf, even at prefent, concerned in many of the fubfequent obfervations, though they should seem to refer folely to a condition of life into which fhe has not yet entered.

It will be proper, however, before the duties of a married woman are particularifed,