ment inflicted; but these instances must be very rare in comparison of those which permit of the delay of a few hours, and perhaps days. No complaint ought ever to be made by the master, at a moment when his own temper, or that of the servant, is excited; and as the casting off a sinner, is only done by the great Master of us all, after we have obstinately and repeatedly refused to repent and live, so ought we not to cast off a servant from being a member of our family, until he have repeatedly refused to observe the laws and ordinances of our house.

One of the most indispensable things, for the orderly regulation of a family, is punctuality in the observance of all that is fixed for stated times, with which nothing must be suffered to interfere. The period for rising in the morning and retiring to rest must not be infringed. Some servants must be up before the heads of the family, and before the children, and these should retire proportionably early to rest. The periods for meals, and for family worship, are generally observed with tolerable accuracy; but it is

no less essential to observe the times for seeing and giving directions to servants, and all others in our employment; for instructing the children, for private study, reading, exercise, and all other duties: for nothing except confusion can ensue, if, because a thing may be done at any time, therefore it is done indiscriminately at all times; and a wife or husband with desultory or unpunctual habits, will spend their life in incessant toil to accomplish ill, what a system of arrangement, accurately adhered to, would enable them well and with ease to perform. In large families the head servant must equally be a person of regular habits. As most men have some business, and as all, who have, are compelled more or less to be precise in their divisions of time; and as all who are not obliged to do a particular thing at a stated moment, are in danger of becoming unpunctual and desultory, it is more necessary for the wife than the husband to be on her guard against this, since it is a temptation more likely to befal her than him; and her home will be the more uncomfortable, the more she strives to

conduct it with propriety. It is discouraging to any one, who is labouring hard and conscientiously, to find their efforts useless, and yet this frequently happens merely from working upon a wrong plan, and from not bearing in mind, that "order is heaven's first law."

The Christian servant will perceive, that his master is God's appointed mean for furnishing him with house, food, and clothes; and that under whatever roof he sojourns, the interests of that master, in every part of his property, is to be his first concern. He must by no means suffer his master to be wronged, not only directly by seeing robbery in others, nor indirectly in committing, nor in suffering others to commit, waste. His examples must be Joseph and Daniel; and, by looking steadily to the Lord's appointment in this relationship, both master and servant will preserve their due proportionate respect for each other; the former will be saved from arrogance on the one hand, and the latter from insubordination and servility on the other, by remembering that they each

occupy the station in which the Lord has seen fit to honour them, by being his ambassadors of mercy to others, in that precise sphere in which, for that purpose, he causes them to move.

Every situation of life has its particular cross, and the difficulty attendant on the fulfilment of its duty in Christ, is that suffering for his sake which he will honour and bless. There is none more difficult than the religious government of a family. Servants are as fond of frivolity and dissipation as their superiors; but this must be repressed in a Christian household. The happiness of such persons consists in the gratification of their animal passions; frequenting theatres, dancing, drinking among the men, cards, dice, and finery of dress among the women; all these must be prohibited, and the last by no means the least, because its indulgence is usually among females of that class the first step to a life of vice and infamy: nevertheless, expensive dress to the utmost extent of, and even beyond, their lawful means, is commonly enjoined upon female servants in worldly fa

milies. These amusements being all considered harmless, irreligious servants dislike the restraint, and will either not enter, or not remain long in, families, where the indulgence of them is impracticable. Inferior servants, indeed, who are ignorant of their business, may be induced by high wages to abide for a while, but not knowing how to discharge the duties of their station, the domestic economy gets into confusion, the servants do not please their employers, disorder ensues, or double labour is thrown upon those among them who are better instructed. From all these causes combined, those masters who will say with Joshua, 66 as for me and my house we will serve the Lord," must find greater difficulty than those who care not for any thing so long as they get a certain quantum of good service, and allow their servants the indulgence of any pleasures which does not interfere with their own selfish ease. Hence too there are more frequent changes in religious families than in others.

Neither is the case greatly mended by an