lent towards its end, precipitate them into that ruinous folly we have before confidered: yet, fhould they happen to escape that, should it not force them from their widowhood, it will fure very ill agree with it. How preposterous is it for an old woman to delight in toys and trifles, fuch as were fitter to entertain her grand-children? to read romances with fpectacles, and be at masks and dancings, when he is fit only to act the antics? These are contradictions to nature, the tearing off her marks, and where the writ fifty or fixty, to leffen beyond the proportion of the unjust steward, and write fixteen; thofe who thus manage their widowhood, have more reason to bewail it at laft than at firft, as having more experimentally found the mischief of being left to their own guidance. It will therefore concern them all to put themselves under a safer conduct, by an affiduous devotion to render themselves up to the leading of the infallible guide, who, if he be not a covering of the eyes, to preclude all fecond choices, may yet be a light to them, for difcerning who are fit to be chofen: that if they fee fit to use their liberty, and marry, they may yet take the Apoftle's refriction with it, that it be only in the Lord, upon fuch fober motives, and with fuch due circumstances, as may approve it to him. It will not be improper to give fome particular rules to thofe ladies that are in the ftate of widowhood, which will direct them to the practice of the foregoing confiderations. Let them reflect, that God has now reftrained the former licence, bound up their eyes, and fhut up their hearts into a narrower compass, having also given them forrow to be a bridle to their defires; a widow must be a mourner, and fhe that is not, cannot fo well fecure the chastity of her proper ftate. It is against public honefty to marry another man while he is with child by her former husband; and of the fame fame it is, in a lefs proportion, to marry within within the year of mourning; it was anciently infamous for her to marry, till by common account the body was diffolved into its first principle of earth. A widow must restrain her memory and her fancy, not recalling or recounting her former permiffions and freer licences with any prefent delight, for the then opens that fluice which her husband's death and her own forrow fhave shut up. A widow, who defires that her widowhood should be a ftate pleafing to God, muft fpend her time as devout virgins fhould, in faftings, prayers and charity. A widow must forbid herself to ufe thofe temporal folaces, which in her former estate were innocent, but now are dangerous. The MISTRESS. tion they are under, to have any guard upon themselves with respect to their carriage to their fervants, that it is very likely what we have to fay on that fubject, may be reckoned either tedious or impertinent: but, when they have feriously confidered what we shall offer to them, they will fure not think it fo light a matter, as it may at first appearance feem to be. The infpection of the family falls ufually to the care of the wife, and tho' fhe be not fupreme there, yet the is to improve her delegated power to the advantage of all under it. The Apoftle fets it as the calling and indifpenfable duty of the married women, That they guide the houfe;' no: thinking it a point of greatnefs to remit.. the menage of all domellic concerns to a mercenary hoafekeeper. And indeed, fince it has been a fashio nable nable thing for the mafter to refign up his concerns to the steward; and the lady hers to the governante, it kas gone ill with most great families; while thefe of ficers ferve themselves inftead of thofe that employ them, raife fortunes on their patrons ruins,, and divide the fpoil of the family: the houfekeeper pilfering within doors, and the bailiff plundering without. Now to the well-guiding of the house by the mistress of it, I know no better or more comprehenfive rule, than for her to endeavour to make all that are hers to be God's fervants alío. This will fecure her of all thofe intermediate qualifications in them, in which her fecular interet is concerned; their own confciences being the bett fpy fhe can fet upon them, as to their truth and fidelity, and the beft fpur alfo to diligence and induftry. But to the making them fuch, there will need inftruction and difcipline. It is a neceffary part of the rulers care to provide, that none in their family fhould want the requifite means of inftruction. I do not fay that the mitrefs fhould fet up for a catechit or preacher, but that they take order they should be taught by thofe that are qualified to teach them. And that their furnishing them with knowledge may not ferve only to help them to a great number of ftripes, they are to give them the opportunities of confecrating it by prayer and devotion; to that end to have public divine offices in the family, and that not by ftarts or accidents, when a devouter gueft is to be entertained, and laid by when a profane, but daily and regularly, that the hours of prayer may be fixed and conftant as those of meals, and if it may possibly be, as much frequented. However, the miftrefs mult give bo.h her precept and example towards it. A Chriftian family fhould be the epitome of a church; but alas! how many among us lie under a perpetual interdict, and yet not from the ufurpation of any foreign power, but from the irreligion of the domeftic? one may go into feveral great families, and after fome stay there, there, not be able to fay, that the name of God was mentioned to any other purpofe than that of blafphemy and execration; nor a text of feripture, unless in burlefk and profane drollery. We need not wonder them at the universal complaint that is now made of ill fervants, when we reflect upon the ill government of fa milies. They that are fuffered wholly to forget their duty towards God, will not always remember it towards man. Servans are not fuch philofophers, that upon the bare urength of a few moral inftincts they will be virtuous; and if by a customary neglect of all things facred, they are once taught to look at nothing beyond this world, they will often find temptation enough here to difcard their honefly, as the most unthriving trade. And indeed, when the awe of religion is quite taken off from the vulgar, there will fcarce any thing elfe be found to keep them within any tolerable bounds; wherefore it is no lefs impolitic than profane to flacken the rein. It is not only the intereft, but the duty of all that have families, to keep up the esteem and practice of religion. It was one of the great endearments of Abraham to God, That he would command his houfhold to keep the way of the Lord;' And Joshua undertakes no lefs for the piety of his houfhold, As for me and my house, says he, we will ferve the Lord.'It is fure but reasonable, that where we ourselves owe an homage, we should make all our dependents acknowledge the fame. Befides, it is juftice in refpect of them; for where we entertain a fervant, we take the whole perfon into our care and protection, and are falfe to that undertaking, if we fuffer his foul, the most precious part of him, to perish. God who keeps account even of his meaneft creatures, will not patiently refent fuch a neglect of thofe who bear his own image, and were ranfomed with as great a price as their mafters were ; for with him there is no refpect of perfons. But But when piety is planted in a family, it will foon wis ther if it be not kept in vigour by difcipline. To have fervants feemingly devout in the oratory, and yet really licentious out of it, is but to convert one's house into a theatre, make a play of religion, and keep a set of actors to perfonate and reprefent it. It is necessary therefore to enquire how they behave themselves when they are off the stage, whether those hands which they lift up in prayer, are at other times induftriously applied to work; or thofe mouths with which they blefs God, are not elsewhere filled with oaths and curfes, fcurrilities and revilings; in a word, whether the form of Godliness be not defigned in commutation for fobriety and honesty. Indeed the governors of families ought to make a strict inspection into the manners of their fervants, and where they find them good, to affix fome fpecial mark of favour, by which they may be encouraged to perfevere, and others invited to begin. But where they find them vicious, there as eminently to discountenance, feverely to admo. nish them, and ufe all fit means for their reclaiming; and when that feems hopeless, to dismiss them, that they may not infect the reft. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump,' and one ill fervant like a perished tooth, will be apt to corrupt his fellows. Wherefore it is the fame in families that it is in more public communities, where severity to the ill, is mercy and protection to the rest; and were houses thus weeded of all idle and vicious perfons, they would not be fo overgrown, nor degenerate into fuch rude wilderneffes, as many, nay I' fear moft, great families now are. But as fervants are not to be tolerated in the neglect of their duty, fo neither are they to be defeated of any of their dues. Mafters are to give to their fervants that which is juft and equal; and it is certainly but justand equal, that they who are rational creatures, fhouldTM not be treated with the rigour or contempt of brutes. A fufficient and decent provifion, both in fickness and 1 |