for them; that they have their morning meal and their means of work in due season:—she is the general directress and provider. Such is the spirit of verse fifteenth, "She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens." And it is the spirit of the passage we must seek to extract:-the minute illustration of particulars in detail would be tedious and unprofitable. Hence we notice further, that she studies to preserve a discreet and happy medium—maintaining an equal distance between mean penuriousness and wasteful profusion and extravagance. First of all, she procures abundance, and that at the best markets:—verse 14. “She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar." It would be no recommendation to get from a distance what could be got equally well at hand-as good, and as cheap. The meaning therefore is— (and it were not amiss for statesmen sometimes to learn the lesson as well as wives) that she does not satisfy herself with getting at hand what she can get better and cheaper from afar. She spares no pains to provide what is good-what is suitable and wholesome-for all her household: and, as her industry enables her to go to the best markets, she is never at a loss for the requisite supplies. This is one part of her prudence. Then, with regard to the laying out of what she still has to spare, there is equal discretion. She lets nothing go to waste; but makes the most of every thing. She "gathers up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." And what does she with the surplus?—what does she with the produce of her industry? Does she spend it in what is trifling and useless-in what serves no purpose but the gratification of vanity? The answer is-verse 16. "She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard." Here is something valuable— something of real permanent use to the family:--and even with regard to this, observe, there is consideration before purchase the field and the price are carefully looked to, that she may not buy land that will yield no return; and that she may not give more for it than it is worth. And then, when she has made the purchase, she turns it to the best

account:-in the field, "with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard,"—the wine of which may at once supply the family and bring a profit from sale.

4. A further feature is liberal and kindly benevolence,open-hearted, open-handed, practical charity:-ver. 20. "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy." This implies, first, The spirit of tenderness and compassion:-a spirit lovely in all; and especially attractive in the female character. And the modes of expression used respecting the practical working of this compassion indicate two things—readiness, and liberality. Without doubt, charity, both in men and women, should be regulated in its exercise by judicious discretion; and in the previous parts of the character this bas been well provided for. It is right and necessary that sound judgment should be united with sensibility. To give way to every impulse of the latter without the intervention of the former, would often do harm instead of good. This is all true. Judgment must preside over the practice of charity. And yet, in woman especially, the sensibility of charity is better than the philosophy of charity. I would rather see a woman give, under the impulse of feeling, with a full heart and a melting eye, even in a case which to judgment might be somewhat questionable,-than hear her, in such a case, discuss with acuteness and zeal the principles of political economy, and freeze up her heart in the coldness of clear but icy calculation. It implies, secondly, the spirit of obedience to the divine will. We have that will beautifully and briefly expressed in the words of an inspired Apostle-"Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." The principle of labour is thus the spirit of benevolence as well as of self-love. The latter of course is first :-the supply of our own need and that of our families. But we are not to stop there. We are not to think that we have laboured enough when we have made out that object :-there is still an ulterior one. The wife here portrayed, while her husband and family have the prior claim, still looks, with the eye of benevolence, beyond

them, and stretches beyond them the hand of charity. And I may notice, further, That such a wife-thus faithful, thus active, thus prudent, thus kind,—is well entitled to full liberty in the exercise of her charity-in the delighted indulgence of her benevolent affections. She will, without doubt, in all cases of importance, seek to go along with him who is, or ought to be, the partner of all her feelings and all her wishes. But it would be harsh and cruel to stint and restrain such

a disposition in such a bosom. Where feeling has so complete an ascendency over judgment as to dethrone it altogether, and to produce a reckless, indiscriminating and really pernicious prodigality of almsgiving, greater restraint may be necessary. But this is no part of the character here depicted.

LECTURE XCVII.

PROV. XXXI. 10–31.

(SECOND LECTURE.)

5. The next thing which marks the good wife is-dress and establishment, in accordance with her station and condition in life: verse 22. "She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple."

The station of the wife described is evidently that of the higher rank of life. Lemuel's mother, being the mother of a prince, must be supposed to delineate the character of the wife of a prince,—although the elements of the character are such as ought to be found in wives of every degree. The character is an admirable one :—and its crowning feature is true piety. All the other features are in keeping with one another and with this. The obvious inference is, that it is not inconsistent in "a virtuous woman,”-in "a woman that feareth the Lord,”—to wear "silk and purple," or to have coverings of tapestry" in her house.-Observe by the way, the latter is another of the fruits of her own industry. It is the work of her own hands:-" she maketh herself coverings of tapestry;" so that her very elegancies are associated with exemplary conduct, with the active occupation of her time.

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It must be obvious that this is one of those subjects of a general description, which do not at all admit of anything like the precision of fixed and definite rule. The great matter is to be under the influence and the guidance of right

principle of a truly Christian disposition accompanied with sound and sober-minded discretion. The following remarks chiefly relative to dress, are in the spirit and partly in the letter of them, applicable also to furniture and household establishment generally.

i. While, as I have said, it cannot be inconsistent with the other parts of the character described, for a woman to have "her clothing of silk and purple," when such attire befits her rank and station, yet, observe, the first attention is to comfort: (v. 21.) "She is not afraid of the snow for her household for all her household are clothed with scarlet." The word rendered "scarlet" is on the margin “double garments." The original word signifies double; but some consider it as referring to the double dip or dye of the scarlet or purple colour. The connexion, however, decidedly favours the marginal rendering. Now to this consideration of comfort, there is often manifested a very senseless disregard; a disregard such as would evidently have been a flaw in the character before us. There are women to be found, who dress both themselves and their children for display. Comfort or no comfort, they must, as the first point, be fine and in the fashion. Winter or the dogdays, it is all one to them. If fashion and finery require them to shiver, shiver they must. They will risk the health of their families, and cherish the most pernicious principles in their bosoms, rather than not have them at the very top of the most approved style. Now, this is folly and something worse. The woman before you, makes the difference which nature and common sense point out:-silks in summer, and woollen in winter; single in sunshine, and double in frost and snow: "she is not afraid of the snow for her household;" for when the snow comes, she has not new clothing to make for it, but suitable raiment in readiness:-"all her household then are clothed in double garments."

ii. Dress and general style should be opposed to extravagance: that is, they should be in accordance with the real extent of a man's or woman's means. And the extent of means must be calculated by a variety of considerations;