without judgment or forethought, into the most important connexion, to choose at random, or as fancy, or paffion fhall dictate, a partner for life, a bofom friend and companion, is by no means fetting out wifely, or laying a fure foundation for happinefs. And fhould thofe who fet out in this manner, drag their exiftence painfully along, and find the garland of matrimony fo haflily gathered, entwined with nettles, as well as rofes, and even with ferpents among the flowers, they will have no reason to condemn the ftate, but their own imprudence. Where there is a neceffary union of perfons, of cares, and of interefts, there a union of hearts and affections is indifpenfable. This fhews, that the exercise of judgment and deliberation is requifite to matrimonial and domeftic happiness. For a congeniality of nature, a fimilarity of tafte, and a cordiality of affection, which are all effential ingredients in the compofition of nuptial felicity, are too delicate flowers to bloom on every bush, or to be gathered by an undiflinguifhing hand. a ferene fatisfaction refults from the fteady performance of duty, and the conftant exercife of mutual tenderness-fo, negligence, coldness and unfaithfulnefs, will inevitably incur blame, and produce uneafinefs. Vain therefore, is the hope of conjugal and domeftic endearment, where there is the want of conjugal affection and duty.

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That there is a neceffary intermixture of troubles with joys in a family flate, is readily acknowledged: And fo there is in any ftate. But it is the part of manly wisdom, to palliate the evils which cannot be cured; it is the part of patience, to bear, without complaining, the evils which cannot be palliated; and it is the part of religion to annihilate leffer evils, and to turn every evil into a good.--With fuch difpofitions, qualifications and aids as

thefe, husbands and wives, parents and children, will be happy in themfelves, and in one another, and conftitute a happy family. Let a man, then, who is fetting out in life, and wishes to lay a foundation for domeftic peace and enjoyment, choose a partner, who will be likely to harmonize with him, in all the laudable pursuits of his station, and in all the joys and forrows, of which his honest and feeling heart may be fenfible; and let him form the refolution which a renowned Ifraelitish ftatefman and father formed of old, and every one will allow that he makes a hopeful beginning.

For my part, I cannot figure to myfelf a scene more pleafing among human beings, than a family cemented by the endearing fympathies of nature, and united still more ftrongly by the tendernefs of a cultivated affection and efteem, and all under the governing influence of prudence and religion.-The happy pair, who are the heads of fuch a family, experience the moft delightful fenfations in viewing the innocence and the improvements of their rifing offspring, and in contemplating their future usefulness and profperity. And the children of fuch a family, both loving and dutiful, enjoy the livelieft fatisfaction in feeing, and mak ing one another, and their parents happy.

True, indeed, it is, that neither fympathy, nor union, nor innocence, nor virtue, nor religion, will fhield a family from the inroads of misfortune, from the attacks of difeafe, nor from the depredations of death. But a family, where harmony prevails, tenderness endears, and religion prefides, is in the best preparation to receive, and in the best difpofition to bear, the most painful allotments.

What feafon' first the veffel, keeps the tafle.-Creech.

THOUGH reafon and the moral powers of the foul, were given to regulate and control human beings in all their conduct; though the foul being rational and immortal, be fo fuperior to the body, which is only earthly and perishable; yet, fuch are the difadvantageous circumftances under which we are born, educated and live, that the body is always a clog, a tempter, a depreffing weight, to the foul. In infancy and childhood, our rational faculties expand and gather frength, but flowly. Whereas our bodily wants, weakneffes and cravings, are fo early, numerous and importunate; and our paffions and affections, which owe their exiftence, ftrength and predominance, principally, to the animal part, operating, and being accuftomed to be gratified, fo long be fore reafon and the moral fenfe have power and efficacy to regulate and control them, that we contract a habit of attending principally to the body, and of being governed by its inclinations. The body gets the tart of the foul in the race of life. The appetites and paffions, like ill weeds, grow fafter than our intellectual powers, and those ne

ceffary and beautiful plants, the dictates of the judgment and confcience, and the virtues of felf government. The apartments of the fancy are filled much earlier, and flowed much clofer, with vanities, with falfe appearances, with pictures that are enchanting, but unfubftantial, than the memory is with manly fentiments, with the decifions of reafon, and with the maxims of regular conduct. Indeed, fuch is often the perverfenefs of nature, the ftrength of the appetites, paffions, and of wrong habits, even in early life, that they carry away the man in fpite of his better judgment, and the remonftrances of confcience, in spite of the advice and admonition of friends, and the powers of the world to come. Hence the importance of an early, virtuous education, and the neceffity of feasonable, fteady and prudent attention in the government, and regulation of children and youth, and of the greatet vigilance and refolution in the perfons themselves. Hence, it is not fo much to be wondered at, that among the poor and ignorant, humannature fhould be greatly debafed, and pitifully deformed. The poor are commonly ignorant themfelves, and bring up their children in ignorance. Many of them cannot fpare time, nor are they generally capable, nor do they feel the fpur of ambition, to form the minds and the manners of their children, to intelligence, virtue and usefulness. Hence the importance and wifdom of maintaining well regulated and well furnished free fchools, either by legal establishments, or private liberality.

Ignorance is a blot on the human mind: But viciousness is a much more difhonorable blemish in the human character, among a free, enlightened and highly privileged people. An ignorance of focial, moral and religious duties, neceffitates a: proportionable deficiency in the condu&t. Igno

rance and vice, too often generate and ftrengthen each other, fubfift and grow together. Here is a double debafemant; and this redoubles the demand for an early, judicious education of children.

But as worth is not always the companion of riches; as ufefulnefs does not always keep pace with the advantages for it; as men in honorable ftations, are not, in every inftance, the greatest patriots and benefactors; as learning and ability, are fometimes found apart from morality and religion, fo ignorance and honesty, poverty and virtue, are fometimes united in the fame character, and in the fame family. Where perfons have but little knowledge in their heads, and yet poffefs and cherish an honeft difpofition; where they are in low circumftances, and yet, according to their capacities, are induftrious, peaceable and pious, they difcover greater manlinefs, and are greater bleflings to the world, and ornaments to human nature, than those who live in wealth and fplendor, and yet riot in luxury and diffipation; or those who have had the advantages of a polite or learned education, and yet are vicious in their hearts and manners. The ftrongest natural abilities, the greatest refinements of tafte, the richest endowments of the understanding, the most elegant accomplishments of the perfon, as they are not to be compared with the excellencies of the heart, with the habits and exercifes of virtue and piety, fo the former can never compenfate the want of the latter. Hence, the importance of attending principally to the morals of youth in their education, and of difciplining their hearts and manners with greater affiduity than their understandings.

The training up of youth, and fitting them to be happy in themfelves, and ufeful to others, to be blefings to their friends, and ornaments to their