Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-09-04
g5isteNal!v.
A SERMON.

- ~ J' 'Ss'N /" ~ 'i1e'o goa sbHy
80 faid solomon, the prince of ga'antry
sai Solomon ouyht TO know The foft mo-
men, fpen, by the Jewiih Monarch in con.
JsgI endearnents and f~eeteR daIliaace with
she enchanting fair, bore teftimony, no doubt,
20 the truth of his allertion; AMI, when fur
rounded with his numerous wives, he had
good right to conclude, that he was ia pos
felton, not only of one good tbisg, bur of three
6sad,ej.
The age q po'igsmy is happily pan and
on the threihold of domeflic felicity, render
ed doubly pleaGng by the fascinating fmile
of her we love, have the deep drawn preju-
dices & superficial msxims of harbarou,, orien.
cal nations been facri6ced, and the fhrine of
executive individual affection, erected on
the ruins of divided friendlhip. For myfelf,
have no heitasioa in declaring. that, in my
opinion, one wife, particularly modern one,
is amply fufficient for one hufband or in 9th
er words, one good thing at time is enough to
anfwer all the purpofes of huma life.
In diicufing my fubject, fhall divide i.
into two general heads, an d proceed, by way
Of Enquiry, to afcertain-Frit, what is a wife
Secondly, in what fenfe fhe can be conft-
cred good Ting And lally, fhall wind up
the intereiting fubjett, by brief improve
nent of the whole.
Frft-What is wife And here, to pre-.
vent the cavis of cenforous and malignant
world, it may be necef1ary for the preacher,
to HAT truth, which the midnight curtain.
Lecturers OF many hopeless Beuediet, if they
could be obtained, would confirm, beyond
the poilbility of doubt, viz-that wives, as
well as other fubunary things, very naturally
divide themfelves into two permanent
elaiies-,he good and the bad-or the fre,ful
and unfretful. Blu, as Solomon meant to in.
eiude only the better clafs. ll,all take il for
granted, there was Eight omiiIion in ms text,
aad prelume that the idea which he intended
10 communicate was that good WIFE was
ag'0a Disg in family, and treat the matter
accordingly.
Agood wife is being feleded by benign
Providence, to fcatter the rofes of sonteut-
nent and itrew the dark and ferpentine paths
Of life with the choiceft, the mon fadelefs flow.
ers and is truly the Ian ben gift of God to
man" Formed to charm, to allure and fafci-
nate the whole foul of an affeGt;onate hufbsnd,
lhe can, at any tlns, transfuie portion of
her own fpirt into bis, and by the powerful
magic OF fmile change in a moment the Bit
ter draughts of his e1iffence, to dreams of the
mon delicious nectar. II isa fel6ih race, I'M
kihd-aud doe, the GckIe goddefs, Fortune,
frown dildanfully on his wretched profpects
He retires ferenely from the empty bunle of
mankind and fondIy piilowing his aching
head on her fnowy boiom, he applies his fer
vid lipsto hers, generously glowing with hope
and love, aad drin Ks long oblivion to his
wrougs aud Injuries. This brings me to my
feeond propol,ion, WIN what fenfe he
can be conlidered good thing p
have already, in iome measure, anticipated
an anfwer to this ~ ,ftion, in the preceding
lection of nv fcrmon, beca ufe the two points
we're very nearly, not to FAY infeparabIy, con-
ueeted together. 4
A good WIFE may be conlidered gsoif5i.r !.
nay, the very beft OF things, when fhe fills up
the meafure of her domeltie duties, and pre-.
Gdes with Pleafure over the concerns of
thriving family She is the centre of tina,
powerfully attractive fyaem, in which involve
with uniform motion, all the hewitt ching graces,
all the homeborn deli ghts of refined and tram
gull love She gives a new charm, and adds
an exauifte delight to all the bandifhments
of focal life. Solitude is Granger where ihe
dwell, and melancholy psuiing over his
mournful ftory, dares not approach her con-
fecrated maniion. Here is the Glver wand
which chafes away the demon of forrow, and
reltores the funfhine of her foul. In her right
hand fhe holds health, happiness, and dawning
honours; aud in her left an inverted mirror,
rejecting the lovelieit objects in creation.
come now to the
IMPROVEMENT.
Stranger whoever thou art, who ftandcih
alone amid the aorms Of the world, labour in.
eeGantly, and with all thy might, to obtain
that good thing mentioned in my text. A
little wooisg will aufwer the purpoie, and
procure thee jewel of ineilimable value
Does tsy heart pant for glory, and the brow
tern wNh the vi9orie, of battle. or defire
the b.oodaar,d laurtls of the conqueror
paninl the puerils dream. aud let fober realon
shafe the dcluive vihon from thy foul. A
wif. will fofien the afper,:y of thy temper
and frooh Thy brow, cLuded with fadneis
She will kindly watch 0tsr thy bed Of eek