of her disobedience, those diseases that will early consume her frame, and put it beyond the power of violating his law. Dyspepsia, liver disease, and the numerous other fashionable maladies, are only so many avengers of God's violated law. Had she labored willingly with her hands, she would in all probability have lived to old age, and been mourned at death for her good deeds which she had done. But she has been idle, and has squandered not only her health but her talents; and her moral influence has been as little felt as her physical labors. What reproach has she cast upon her Maker's wisdom, in thus intimating that He has bestowed on us powers which it is unwise to use !

Nor is this all; in her sinful conformity to the world she casts contempt upon her Creator. When God had finished the work of creation, He pronounced it very good. Was not the form of the woman made sufficiently graceful, that it need not be perpetually remoulded and cast after a pattern all unlike its original? Every other animal, save the human, yields a willing assent to the allwise Mechanist; but the refinement of human genius is perpetually suggesting some new change. What impression would be produced upon the mind of a heathen, who should see only the transformation of the human form wrought by our fashionable milliners in the space of a year? Would he not feel that they had no gratitude, no confidence in the wisdom of their God, but were seeking to improve upon his workmanship? Let him add to this the knowledge of that single apostolic precept, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works ;" and what, think you, would be his opinion of your sincerity? Would he not justly say that you imposed upon

his credulity, by thus seeking to enforce upon him those laws which you treat so contemptuously?

Beloved, reflect upon your position for a moment, remembering that you are continually in the presence of him who knows your hearts better than you can know them; who is perfectly aware of every secret spring by which your actions are moved, and who is to be your Judge in the day of final account. Ask yourselves seriously whether you have been governed by one sincere desire to conform to God's laws in such a manner that you might glorify his wisdom, by showing their perfect adaptation to the highest good of being. Has the desire to prove your affiliation to Christ ever led you to say sincerely, "Wot ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Have you conformed to his holy example and precept, by laboring diligently with your hands, by visiting the sick and the imprisoned, by feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked; by bringing the poor that are cast out to your house? Have you ever felt that it is sinful for Christians to indulge in extravagant dress and equipage, and that it is imperatively binding on them to take up the cross and follow Christ, through evil as well as through good report? Are you ready like him, to look after the weak and erring? to seek out such as have been tempted, and restore them? to strive in every possible way to bring back the wanderer to his Father's mansion? If you have not in some good degree conformed to these requirements, you cannot lay claim to the promises. You are not the follower of him of whom the prophet declared, "Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows ;" and in the heavenly world you can lay no claim to the precious privileges of the saints. If you have sown to the flesh, you must of the flesh reap corruption. You cannot be with Jesus a partaker of the glory of restoring the world to the state from which it fell; you have neither contributed to

subdue the soil, and to recover it from the curse pronounced upon it, nor to the restoration of your race from the sin and suffering incident to a fallen condition. As you have not followed Christ in his humiliation, you cannot claim any part in his exaltation.

Nor think this a matter lightly regarded by your Heavenly Father. The threatenings and expressions of strong displeasure against those who hold his laws in such utter contempt, abound as fully through the Scriptures, as do the promises of grace and mercy to those who delight to honor his commands. It is no light thing thus to treat the offers of redeeming mercy, and to say boldly, "We will not have this man to reign over us." But it is even more insulting to the majesty of Heaven, for us to say with our lips, He is our King, and yet by every act to deny our allegiance. O, it is a fearful thing to treat with such despite the grace so freely offered; and to refuse to publish the offer of salvation to a fallen world. Christ has made all things ready, and yet we turn from his gracious offers, and follow the vanity of our own hearts.

SECTION IV.

Character of a Foolish Woman.

"Such was the shadow fools pursued on earth
Under the name of pleasure; fair outside,
Within, corrupted, and corrupting still.
Ruined and ruinous her sure reward.
Her total recompense, was still, as he,
The bard, recorder of Earth's Seasons, sung,
Vexation, disappointment, and remorse.'
Yet at her door, the young and old, and some
Who held high character among the wise,

Together stood, and strove among themselves
Who first should enter, and be ruined first.
Strange competition of immortal souls!

To sweat for death! to strive for misery!"-POLLOK.

We will now proceed to quote some passages of scripture, which show conclusively the displeasure with which God regards those who refuse to obey his commandments, and take pride in setting at nought his counsels.

"Moreover Jehovah hath said:

Because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
And walk, displaying the neck,

And falsely setting off their eyes with paint;

Mincing their steps as they go,

And with their feet lightly tripping along;

Therefore will the Lord humble the head of the daughters of
Zion;

And Jehovah will expose their nakedness.

In that day will the Lord take from them the ornaments
Of the feet-rings, and the net-works, and the crescents;
The pendants, and the bracelets, and the thin veils ;

The tires, and the fetters, and the zones,
And the perfume-boxes, and the amulets;
The rings, and the jewels of the nostrils;
The embroidered robes, and the tunics;
And the cloaks, and the little purses;
Transparent garments, and the fine linen vests ;
And the turbans, and the mantles;
And instead of well-girt raiment, rags;
And instead of high-dressed hair, baldness;
And instead of a zone, a girdle of sackcloth;

A sunburnt skin, instead of beauty.
Thy people shall fall by the sword;
And thy mighty men in the battle.

And her doors shall lament and mourn;

And desolate shall she sit on the ground."

LOWTH'S Translation of Isa. 3: 16-26.

Such was God's threatening against the daughters of Zion, and how fearfully has it been fulfilled. And were

not their vices precisely of the same character that are common now? Let us see.

The bad woman of the present day is neither loved of God, nor respected by good and sensible men; for she is neither useful, profitable, benevolent, nor holy; but idle, wandering about from house to house, a tattler, busy-body, speaking things which she ought not already turned aside after Satan. She walks disorderly, works not at all, but is haughty; walks with stretched forth neck, wanton eyes, mincing as she goes, and makes a tinkling with her feetdecks herself in the most gaudy, fantastic, expensive, unbecoming, burthensome, injurious, and ridiculous manner which can be devised, together with numberless ornaments, such as head-bands, artificial flowers, veils, ear and finger-rings. She thinks little of Christ and the bliss of heaven, and less of saving the world ready to perish-has tears to shed when crossed in her extravagant desires, but none because God is dishonored, Christ rejected, and mercy spurned. She loves to make fashionable calls, parties, and expensive displays in dress and furniture— seeks the praise of men, but not the approbation of her conscience and God. Though she may sometimes visit and give to the poor and needy, yet she despises them. She is always talking, laughing, sporting, dressing-killing time, but never improving it. She refuses to dress, and eat, and drink, and talk, and visit, and sleep, with a single eye to the glory of God, and the good of man-squanders her time in idleness, or vain and sinful amusements— reading novels and other light, trifling, and injurious works -runs or sends daily to the store or shop, the milliner or mantua-maker—annoying the merchant, clerk, a father, brother, or husband; spending all she can get (not earning, for she earns not even the first article of food she eats, much less the things she puts on).

The word of inspiration informs us that

every wise wo