to be a few such ministers in every church of large extent. Yet no one ought to be constrained, or even persuaded, to choose this plan of life Nor should any one adopt it, unless it be the object of his deliberate and devout preference And even, after having adopted it, for a time, he ought to feel himself at full liberty to retract, and assume the conjugal bond, whenever he is fully persuaded that he can serve the church better by taking this course.

2. My next counsel, however, is, that, in general, EVERY SETTLED MINISTER SHOULD

CONSIDER IT AS HIS DUTY, AS WELL AS HIS

PRIVILEGE, TO BE A MARRIED MAN. I give this advice, because I am deliberately of the opinion, that the matrimonial connexion, when formed in wisdom, and in the fear of God, is by far the happiest union which the society of this world furnishes; and which, when really happy, approaches nearer than any other to the bliss of better society on high. I am so far from thinking that a state of celibacy is a state of greater "perfection" than any other, as some religionists have taught, that I am wholly unable to read the second chapter of Genesis, to say nothing of any other scripture, without coming to a directly opposite conclusion. But while all the 'considerations verifying the early declaration of our Maker, that it is not good for man to be

alone, which apply to other men, apply equally to him; there are additional considerations, which show that a happy matrimonial union is of peculiar importance to a minister. If he be married, his female parishioners will have more confidence in him, and feel more freedom in approaching him. He will himself, also, in this case, be delivered from a great many embarrassments and temptations which would other wise beset his ministerial intercourse with the younger females of his congregation. A man who knows, from experience, what domestick affections, duties, and trials import, will know better how to enter into the feelings and wants of his people on similar subjects, than would be possible for one in a different situation. A pastor, though unmarried, might, and undoubtedly ought, on suitable occasions, to preach on the duties of husbands and wives, parents and children, &c. ; yet it is manifest that, on this class of subjects, a bachelor will, commonly, be a less skilful, as well as a less impressive preacher, than he who is not only a pious, exemplary divine,but also an exemplary husband and father.

If, therefore, you had nothing else in view than your ministerial usefulness, I should say, if you become a settled pastor, by all means be married. The celebrated Richard Baxter, somewhere in his practical works, asks this

question "Ought a clergyman to marry?" His answer is "Yes; but let him think and think, and think again, before he does it." So say I. For if there be an important step in the course of a minister's life, this, certainly, is one. The following sentences from Dr. Clarke's valuable "Letter to a Methodist Preacher," before quoted, though couched in strong language, are yet, I think, not too strong. "Marriage to you can never be an indifferent thing: it will make or mar you; it will be a blessing or a curse to you. It will either help you to heaven, drive you to hell, or be a heart-rending cross to you while you live. Nor will a bad or improper marriage affect yourself alone: it may be the ruin of every child that issues from it. And, dreadful as this is, it may not rest there; they may propagate the plague to interminable generations, and millions be injured, if not lost, by your improper or vicious marriage. Take this step, then, with that godly fear, and serupulous caution, which a man should do, who feels that he has his all at stake."

3. Be not in TOO MUCH HASTE TO FORM A MATRIMONIAL ENGAGEMENT AND ESPECIALLY

TO BE MARRIED. I say a matrimonial engagement, because, though not all, yet a number of the evils which result from a premature marriage, frequently flow from a premature affiance. When a theological student marries before he

has closed his preparatory studies, and, of course, before he has any certain prospect of a settlement,he runs the risk, not only of embarrassing and retarding his professional career, both as to comfort and usefulness; but is really in danger of drawing upon himself something like professional ruin. He could hardly take a step more directly calculated to interrupt his studies, if not to cut them short; and even while they nominally continue, to render them less composed, deep and successful. But this is not the worst. When a candidate for the ministry prematurely marries, he exposes himself to the strongest temptation to seek license to preach before he ought, and before he otherwise would; to press forward to ordination, and a pastoral charge, before he has passed through that leisurely training, both as a student and a licentiate, which is of incalculable importance; and even to indulge a degree of impatient urgency in obtaining a settlement, which may lower his dignity in the view of those who observe it, and even interfere essentially with all his professional prospects. I have repeatedly known instances in which the premature marriages of theological students have impeded them in their studies to a distressing degree; have been the means of hurrying them into the ministry before they were at all prepared for it; have led them to take measures for obtaining

settlements, which their own impartial judgments, in other circumstances, would have rejected with scorn; and, in a word, for many years, proved such an incumbrance to them; such an obstacle both to their comfort and use. fulness, as they could never be persuaded to believe possible, until taught by painful experience. It is true, this is not always the consequence of forming matrimonial contracts or connexions with indiscreet haste. But, if I mistake not, it is in a majority of cases; and I am clearly of the opinion that there is no profession more likely to suffer by such imprudent haste than the clerical.

Besides; no candidate for the sacred office can tell, till he actually enters it, where the Head of the church may cast his lot. He ought to hold himself ready to follow implicitly the leadings of Providence. But if he be already married, or under a matrimonial engagement, before he comes to this point in his course, it may be utterly impracticable for him to go in the direction which he most fondly desires, and which all his pious friends consider as, in itself, most desirable. Or, it may be, that, in spite of every difficulty which his marriage or engagement presents, he may be shut up to a particular course; and then he may find himself compelled to take a beloved companion into a situation which she never anticipated; for which