FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232  
233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   >>   >|  
rime shall be followed by a punishment so _natural_ to it? A punishment _in kind_, as I may say; which if it only ends in forfeiture of life, following the forfeiture of fame, must be thought merciful and happy beyond expectation: for how shall they lay claim to the hope given to persons in their circumstances that _they shall be saved in child-bearing_, since the condition is, _if they _CONTINUE _in faith and charity, and _HOLINESS _with_ SOBRIETY. Now, my honoured mother, and my dear Miss Darnford since I am upon this affecting subject, does not this text seem to give a comfortable hope to a good woman, who shall thus die, of being happy in the Divine mercies? For the Apostle, in the context, says, that _he suffers not a woman to teach, nor usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence_.--And what is the reason he gives? Why, a reason that is a natural consequence of the curse on the first disobedience, that she shall be in subjection to her husband. "For," says he, "_Adam was_ NOT _deceived; but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgression._" As much as to say--Had it not been for the woman, Adam had kept his integrity, and therefore her punishment shall be, as it is said, "_I will greatly multiply thy sorrow in thy conception: in sorrow shall thou bring forth children--and thy husband shall rule over thee_." But nevertheless, if thou shalt not survive the sharpness of thy sorrow, thy death shall be deemed to be such an alleviation of thy part of the entailed transgression, that thou shalt _be saved_, if thou hast CONTINUED in faith and charity, and HOLINESS with SOBRIETY. This, my honoured parents, and my dear friend, is _my_ paraphrase; and I reap no small comfort from it, when I meditate upon it. But I shall make you as serious as myself; and, my dear friend, perhaps, frighten you from entering into a state, in which our poor sex suffer so much, from the bridal morning, let it rise as gaily as it will upon a thoughtful mind, to that affecting circumstance, (throughout its whole progression), for which nothing but a tender, a generous, and a worthy husband can make them any part of amends. But a word or two more, as to the parting with our honoured company. I was a little indisposed, and they all would excuse me, against my will, from attending them in the coach some miles, which their dear brother did. Both ladies most tenderly saluted me, twice or thrice a-piece, folding their kind arms about
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   208   209   210   211   212   213   214   215   216   217   218   219   220   221   222   223   224   225   226   227   228   229   230   231   232  
233   234   235   236   237   238   239   240   241   242   243   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

husband

 

honoured

 

sorrow

 

punishment

 

affecting

 

friend

 
SOBRIETY
 
transgression
 

reason

 

deceived


forfeiture

 

HOLINESS

 

charity

 

natural

 

frighten

 

entering

 

bridal

 

thoughtful

 

circumstance

 
suffer

morning

 

meditate

 

parents

 

CONTINUED

 

alleviation

 

entailed

 

paraphrase

 

comfort

 
progression
 

brother


attending

 

ladies

 

folding

 

thrice

 

tenderly

 
saluted
 

excuse

 

worthy

 

generous

 

tender


amends

 
indisposed
 

company

 

parting

 

suffers

 

context

 
Apostle
 

Divine

 

mercies

 
persons