for them; for then there are more snares, both within and without. When marriageable, see that they have worthy persons in their eye, of good life, and good fame for piety and understanding. I need no wealth, but sufficiency; and be sure their love be dear, fervent, and mutual, that it may be happy for them. I choose not they should be married to earthly, covetous kindred; and of cities and towns of concourse, beware: the world is apt to stick close to those who have lived and got wealth there: a country life and estate I like best for my children. I prefer a decent mansion, of an hundred pounds per annum, before ten thousand pounds in London, or such like place, in a way of trade." He next addresses himself to his children. and that it is the way to have the love and blessing of God upon them. Sometimes separate them, but not long; and allow them to send and give each other small things to endear one another with. Once more I say, tell them it was my counsel they should be tender and affectionate one to another. For their learning be liberal. Spare no cost; for by such parsimony all is lost that is saved; but let it be useful knowledge, such as is consistent with truth and godliness, not cherishing a vain conversation or idle mind; but ingenuity mixed with industry is good for the body and the mind too. I recommend the useful parts of mathematics, as building houses or ships, measuring, surveying, dialling, navigation; but agriculture is especially in my eye: let my children be husbandmen and housewives; it is industrious, healthy, honest, and of good example: like Abraham and the holy ancients, who pleased by none in her time for her ed God, and obtained a good re- integrity, humanity, virtue, and port. This leads to consider good understanding; qualities not the works of God and nature, of usual among women of her worldthings that are good, and diverts ly condition and quality. Therethe mind from being taken up fore honour and obey her, my with the vain arts and inven- dear children, as your mother, tions of a luxurious world. Rath- and your father's love and delight. er keep an ingenious person in Aud though she be of a delicate the house to teach them, than constitution and noble spirit, yet send them to schools, too many she descended to the utmost tenevil impressions being commonly derness and care for you, perreceived there. Be sure to ob- forming the painfullest acts of serve their genius, and do not service to you in your infancy, cross it as to learning; let them as a mother and a nurse too: not dwell too long on one thing: I charge you, before the Lord, but let their change be agreea- honor and obey, love and cherish ble, and all their diversions have your dear mother. some little bodily labor in them. When grown big, have most care "Be obedient to your dear mother, a woman whose virtue and good name is an honor to you; for she hath been exceed "Next: betake yourselves to some honest, industrious course of life, and that not of sordid covetousness, but for example and to avoid idleness. And if you change your condition, and marry, choose, with the knowledge and consent of your mother if living, or of guardians, or those that have the charge of you. Mind neither beauty nor riches, but the fear of the Lord, and a sweet and amiable disposition, such as you can love above all this world, and that may make your habitations pleasant and desirable to you. And being married, be tender, affectionate, patient, and meek. Be sure to live within compass; borrow not, neither be beholden to any. Ruin not yourselves by kindness to others; for that exceeds the due bounds of friendship; neither will a true friend expect it. Small matters I heed not." After a great number of other affectionate counsels, he turus particularly to his elder boys. "And as for you, who are likely to be concerned in the government of Pennsylvania, I do charge you before the Lord God and his holy angels, that you be lowly, diligent, and tender, fearing God, loving the people, and hating covetousness. Let justice have its impartial course, and the law free passage. Though to your loss, protect no mau against it; for you are not above the law, but the law above you. Live therefore the lives yourselves you would have the people live; and then you have right and boldness to punish the transgressor. Keep upon the square, for God sees you: therefore do your duty, and be sure you see with your own eyes, and hear with your own ears. Entertain no lurchers; cherish no informers for gain or reven e; use no tricks; fly to no devices to support or cover injustice; but let your hearts be upright before the Lord, trusting in him above the contrivances of men, and none shall be able to hurt or supplant." We should like to see any private letter of instructions from a sovereign to his heir apparent, that will bear a comparison with the injunctions of this honest sectary. He concludes as follows. "Finally, my children, love one another with a true, endeared love, and your dear relations on both sides, and take care to preserve tender affection in your children to each other, often marrying within themselves,so as it be without the bounds forbidden in God's law, that so they may not, like the forgetting unnatural world grow out of kindred and as cold as strangers; but, as becomes a truly natural and Christian stock, you and yours after you, may live in the pure and fervent love of God towards one another, as becometh brethren in the spiritual and natural relation. "So farewell to my thrice dearly beloved wife and children. Yours, as God pleaseth, in that which no waters can quench, no time forget, nor distance wear away, but remains forever. "WILLIAM PENN "Worminghurst, 4th of 6th mo. 1682," ON PERFORMANCES AT ORDINATIONS: MR. EDITOR, As your instructive miscellany is read by many of the clerical profession, will you permit me respectfully to address to them a few suggestions on the subject of performances at ordinations? I think, I can say, that occasions of this kind excite in me an unusual degree of interest. But this interest has, in some instances, been exceedingly lessened by the want of consideration in the performers. You well know, Sir, that such solemnities usually consist of three prayers, a sermon, a charge, an expression of the fellowship of the churches, and sacred musick. The fault, of which I complain, is, that each performance seems at times contrived, as if it were a whole, and not a component part of numerous religious exereises. The error sometimes consists in selecting more musical pieces than are consistent with the due performance of the other parts. Sacred music is indeeed admirably adapted to such occasions; and it is often a relief from the tediousness of the other performances. Still great judgment is requisite, as to the quantity to be sung, as well as to the manner of performing it, lest a service, otherwise highly delightful, should excite disgust, instead of conducing either to entertain. ment or to edification. Another error, on such occasions, is, when the preacher in the applicatory parts of his sermon completely anticipates the charge, and thus not only unnecessarily increases the length of the services, but obliges the person, who gives the charge, to repeat sentiments and oftentimes expressions, which have already been fully delivered and enforced. Sometimes the charge itself is injudiciously extended to the length of a moderate sermon. Sometimes the right hand of fellowship is given by one, who repeats many of the topics more properly belonging to the sermon and the charge. But the greatest evil, which I have lamented in the exercises at ordinations, has been the injudicious length of the prayers. have known each of these to be longer, than would be thought reasonable for all the devotional exercises on a common occasion of worship. The consequence has been, not only that the several prayers have embraced, for the most part, the same topics, but have also consisted of the same expressions. It is impossible, under such circumstances, for the attention of the most devout to be suitably engaged. Let it be considered, that our houses of worship, on such occasions, are generally thronged; and, of course, that many are in uncomfortable situations. Some, coming from a distance, are greatly fatigued, and, being obliged to stand throughout the exercises, are liable to be overburdened by long prayers. Besides, many thoughtless persons would be more likely to receive serious impressions, were the de votions less wearisome, and more appropriate. Is it not highly desirable, that ordination prayers should possess all the interest, of which they are susceptible? It seems reasonable, that the consecrat. ing prayer, as it is understood to constitute the essence of ordination, should embrace a greater variety of topics, than the other prayers. Let then the introductory and concluding devotions be so framed, as not to interfere with the leading solemnities of the occasion. Let the person, who opens the solemnities, confine his attention to some such subjects, as the following. Let him adore the perfections of that omnipresent Being, who delights "in the assembly of his saints." Let him acknowledge, that "holiness becometh God's house forever." Let him seriously and feelingly pray, that every thing may be done "decently and in order." Let him supplicate a blessing upon each of the exercises distinctly. If he confine himself to this range, his devotions may be short and impressive, and they will not interfere with the other services. Let the closing prayer consist, as is usual with such prayers in public worship, of a comprehensive summary of the sentiments contained in the discourse, expressed in a devotional form. Thus let the pious gratitude of the audience for the occasion, which assembled them, and for the transactions of the day, be uttered with such brevity, and yet such particularity, as shall interest all, but those, who have no relish for "the beauty of holiness." By some such arrangement, which propriety itself suggests, our ordination services might be rendered more effectual auxiliaries to the great interests of religion, They might thus be adapted, by the blessing of God, more generally to attract the worldly and to affect the thoughtless, instead of oppressing them with weariness, and filling them with disgust. ECCLESIASTES. GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD. to inspire the humble with confidence in the government of God, amidst the perplexities and af THE history of Joseph is both interesting and instructive. While it displays the envious and cruel character of his breth-fictions of the present state, and ren, and his own virtue and piety, it illustrates the wisdom of God in overruling the designs of wicked or deluded men, and making them subservient to his own benevolent purposes. The narrative is particularly adapted especially under such trials as result from the evil dispositions, or the passions and prejudices of fellow beings. "When Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him." While their pious father was living, they felt in a measure seeure from the resentment of Joseph. His love and veneration for his father was so fully displayed, that they probably felt satisfied, that he would do nothing to them, which would grieve their aged parent. But judging of Joseph by what they had found in themselves, and had observed in others, they were naturally filled with anxiety for their own safety, as soon as their father was laid in the grave. They knew that they deserved punishment, and they expected their cruelty to their brother would now be avenged or requited. "And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, thy father did command before he died, saying, so shall ye say unto Joseph; Forgive, I pray thee, now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now we pray thee, forgive the trespass of thy brethren and the servants of the God of thy father." Whether indeed Jacob had given such directions to his guilty sons, or whether they invented this story to influence the mind of Joseph, is not very certain; but nothing could have been better adapted to excite his compassion. "And Joseph wept when they spake unto him; and his brethren also went and fell down be fore his face; and they said unto him, we be thy servants." Jo seph was the governor of Egypt, and the second ruler in the kingdom, and, as they very well knew, he had it in his power to save or to destroy them according to his pleasure; to pass over their transgression, or to revenge the injury they had done to him. The tem per of Joseph was therefore brought to a fair test. "And Joseph said unto them, fear not; for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not, I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." Behold the man! the man in whom God delights! How dignified, and yet how amiable! How pious towards God, and how tender towards his injurious brethren! How opposite to that haughty and revengeful spirit, which is commonly found in men of exalted rank. "Fear not," said he, to his guilty and anxious brethren-"am I in the place of God?" to pardon your transgressions, or to avenge the wrongs you did unto me. Both pardon and vengeance belong to God. He did not excuse them from blame: "But as for you, ye thought evil against me:" It is proper that you should be sensibie of your sin, and humble yourselves before the forgiving God. He did not however dwell long on their offence, but turned their attention to the benevolent design of Jehovah, and his overruling providence: "God meant it |