a son of Thespis to a minister of the gospel; a well written play to a good sermon; or the crowded assembly to the company and conversation of the followers of the Lamb. She is "glad when they say, let us go up to the house of the Lord;" she delighteth greatly in his commandments, and is the companion of those who excel in virtue.

A gracious woman is sincere and upright in heart; her eye is single: she lives a life of humble faith, of holy love, of ardent, fervent prayer. She is a woman of one business; religion is that business: her house is a temple, her closet a holy place, and her family a church, instructed and disciplined according to the rules and precepts of the gospel.

A gracious woman loves her family, and is truly alive to their temporal and eternal interests. If a wife, she loves her husband, conceals his infirmities, and studies to promote his happiness and honour. If a mother, she loves her children, and brings them up in the fear of God. If a mistress, she treats her domestics with kindness, and directs their attention to eternal as well as temporal things. If a relative, she has a most affectionate and pious regard for all who are allied to her by the tender ties of consanguinity. Indeed, her benevolent heart expands with Christian affection to every member of the great human family. She does good to all; she prays for all, not excepting her enemies, (for even gracious persons sometimes have enemies) but their enmity is not only forgiven, but also forgotten; every idea of it is swallowed up in overflowing love to their immortal souls.

A gracious woman strives to grow in grace, and advance in the knowledge of God her Saviour in all things. She presses towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Cleansing herself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, she perfects holiness in the fear of God. Having an eye to the recompence of reward, she goes on from grace to grace, from strength to strength, till she appears perfect before the God of gods in Zion.

A gracious woman feels deeply interested in the salvation of sinners; prays devoutly for the peace and prosperity of Zion, and rejoices greatly in the enlargememt of the Redeemer's kingdom. Publick institutions for this purpose receive her aid ;she fills the sails which waft the Missionary-gives energy to the press of the Bible Society-distributes pious tracts among the poor-comforts and instructs the penitent sinner confirms by her counsel and example the wavering believer, and by her prayers holds up the hands of the ministers of the gospel.

A gracious woman is, according to her power, the friend of the poor, the sick, the stranger, the widow, the fatherless: she feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, is eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, cars to the deaf. She comforts the afflicted,

pouring the balm of consolation into their troubled spirits. She also pities the wandering and unfortunate of her own sex, and strives to bring them back to the paths of piety and virtue.

A gracious woman is a kind and sympathisiug friend; her sweet words are like a precious ointment, and her prudent counsels impart wisdom. Her constancy gives stability to the wavering -her tenderness alleviates the sorrows of the distressed-her smile dispels the gloom of the disconsolate, and her tender hand smooths the pillow of the dying. She is a friend, not only in the sunshine, but also in the storm-not only in prosperity, but also in adversity-not only in health, but also in sickness-not only in life, but even in death; as she is the most tender, she is also the most constant earthly friend.

A gracious woman is supported by the hope of immortality. Feeling, in common with all the pious, that here there is no continuing city, no abiding place, no unmixed pleasure, no durable happiness; that this is a state of trial, a vale of tears; she therefore sets her affections upon things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God; looking not at temporal but eternal things, she aspires after a mansion in her Father's houseafter the rest which remains for the people of God. To this one object, to find a place in heaven after the trials and duties of life are over, all her prayers, her faith, her patience, her zeal, and piety are directed; she lives for this, and for this she dies. What a truly honourable character, how worthy of admiration, respect, and imitation!

Now the honour of the gracious woman is an honour peculiar to her sex, and sheds a lustre on her duties in society, her piety, and benevolence, her constancy, humility, patience, fidelity, and purity. In her we do not seek, nor would we wish to find, those masculine virtues so necessary and useful in man, and by which he is fitted for the more active and laborious duties of life, and at the same time distinguished from the softer sex. Indeed, I admit that there are many virtues common to the sexes; but even these, in order to please and profit in woman, must bear the peculiar stamp of the feminine character; though as firm, though as ardent as in man; they must still retain all that softness, all that tenderness, all that modesty, which is the peculiar beauty and ornament of the sex, to produce their proper effect, and secure their due meed of praise.

God himself honours the gracious woman, and was pleased to ordain that she should be the favoured instrument of healing the breach of which woman was unhappily the cause. Messiah was graciously promised-" the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head!" And when in the fulness of time this promise was to be fulfilled, a virgin was the honoured instrument which infinite mercy selected, for the gracious purpose of conveying

the blessings of salvation to a lost world and although this honour was peculiarly and superlatively the privilege of the Virgin Mary, it also dignifies the character of every gracious woman; of every woman who endeavours, by her personal piety, benevolence, and zeal, to lessen the evils which sin has brought into the world, and to promote the happiness of the human race. Good men honour the gracious woman with an honour very different from that which is paid to a beautiful face, a fine shape, or elegant accomplishments. The former is the immediate gift of God, and is pleasing to the discerning beholder, and advantageous to the possessor, because adorned with modesty, piety, and virtue; the latter is merely incidental. These are fading. Favour obtained by these is deceitful and vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised; she truly adorns the female character; she lays hold on our best affections; she retains our esteem when youth, and health, and beauty fail. The longer she lives the more powerful her influence over us becomes; and when we follow her to the grave, it is with liveliest feelings of affection, grief, and admiration.

But the gracious woman is honoured most by those who know her best. A slight, a partial acquaintance does not afford sufficient opportunity to discover the true motives by which pious persons, especially females, are influenced, and the real value of their characters. We must know them intimately, we must know them long, to discover all their good qualities, and make due allowance for their imperfections. We must follow them into their families, to their closets, to the abodes of misery, to the beds of the afflicted, to the couches of the dying, properly to appreciate their worth. Female excellencies are "not ostentatious, nor obtrusive, but retired;" and opportunities are seldom afforded to bring them into publick view. And yet their effects are not the less certain or salutary; like the gentle stream which glides silently along, fertilizing the fields through which it flows, the gracious woman, under the influence of a Saviour's love, diffuses blessings all around: The community in which she lives, the church of which she is a member, her more intimate acquaintance, but especially her own family, are benefitted by her piety, and instructed by her pious example.

What a beautiful and striking description is given by Solomon of such a woman, especially in the domestic circle:-" Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far beyond rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil, all the days of her life. She secketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants' ships, she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she stretcheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry, her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates."-Prov. xxxi. 10, to the end.

But shall the gracious woman be honoured only in this life? No, a gracious woman retaineth honour; as it grows with her years and strengthens with her decay, so it forsakes her not in the moment of dissolution; the eternal God is her refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. This is secured to her by the Divine promise, by obedient faith, by purifying hope, by patient continuance in well-doing to the end of her Christian. race; her memory is blessed by those she leaves behind, and having loved and followed Christ in the regeneration, she is honoured of the Father in the abodes of immortality: having confessed Christ before men, he will confess her before his Father and his holy angels.

The remains of a gracious woman, our much-esteemed friend and sister, Mrs. Newton, now lie before you; and we are assembled to-day not only to convey her body to the silent tomb, the dark and narrow house, but also to honour her memory, to praise redeeming love on her behalf, to profit by the remembrance of her example, and to apply the healing balm of consolation to the minds of her deeply-afflicted family and friends. I shall, therefore, as proposed, now lay before you an epitome of her Christian experience and pious life, chiefly furnished by her muchafflicted husband.

Mrs. Newton was called early in life to seek the Lord. When about fifteen years of age she was awakened (by the ministry of some of the Methodist preachers who first visited this town) to a sense of her lost estate, and the necessity of obtaining salvation

by the forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ Jesus; and soon after was admitted a member of the Methodist society, and evinced her sincerity as a seeker of the Lord, by a constant attendance on all the means of grace, and by abstaining from all those evils which the Word of God forbids. She walked for some time in great heaviness, and had to wade through deep waters, arising from her peculiar situation; (she met with some painful opposition at home, in her first setting out in the way of religion, but not, I believe, from her excellent father;) but being fully persuaded that she was right, she persevered in the path of duty, looking for salvation by grace through faith; and encouraged by the preachers of the gospel, and many pious friends who took her by the hand, some of whom are now present,) she soon became steadfast and immovable. She was often much blessed in her soul while attending the ordinances of God's house, and enjoyed an antepast of heaven in the love and favour of her Redeemer, before she received the direct witness of the Spirit of God, testifying with her spirit that she was a child of God. The time when she first received this pledge of love is not exactly known, as some parts of her diary or journal of God's gracious dealings with her soul, (and which it appears she was in the habit of keeping till within a short time of her decease,) are missing; but from what remains it appears, that although of a very diffident disposition, often doubting of her state, and inclined to write bitter things against herself, she nevertheless enjoyed peace in her soul through the pardoning love of God.-But the state of her mind will best appear in her own words. On the last sabbath of the past year she writes thus:-" Dec. 27. This is the last sabbath of the year; and I bless God I can number it among the most profitable I have enjoyed through the whole twelvemonth; though frequently deprived (by ill health) of the privilege of joining in publick worship, I found a present Saviour at home, and think I can truly say my soul was in a praying frame through the day, that I had in some degree fellowship with the Father and the Son, through the ever-blessed Spirit." A blessed testimony this of her discipleship! On the first Lord's-day of the present year she writes as follows:-"January 3, 1819. What a mercy that I live to behold the first sabbath in this new year! One I knew who saw the commencement of the year is this day in eternity! thousands of others, whom I knew not, doubtless have shared the same fate; solemn consideration! how brittle a thread is human life; how uncertain in its duration, how frail in its texture ! and yet we see thousands of our fellow-mortals living as if it had an infinite duration, and as if this was the only sphere in which they would be called to act, as if their chief happiness consisted in accumulating the perishing treasures of earthly things: Oh, strange infatuation! Oh, fatal delusion! awful indeed will be