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But we must not bring forward both at once. We conclude with a reflection or two, on what has been fuggested from the history of Deborah.

1. It expofes the folly of defpifing or undervaluing any defcription of our fellow-creatures in the lump. All national reflections are founded in ignorance and folly; and the defpifers have often paid dear for their infolence and prefumption. The illiberal abuse fo indifcriminately poured upon the gentler fex, is of the fame nature. It generally comes from men fomething worse than the worst part of womankind. The truly fenfible, and the truly brave, entertain far better and far more just fentiments of female utility and import ance in the scale of being; and are ever difpofed to afcribe to female capacity and worth, more than female modesty and wisdom are difpofed to affume, or even to receive. No good man ever wished to fee the female character undervalued or degraded; and perhaps very few good women have ever violently coveted stations and employments which belong peculiarly to.men. But as nature delights in producing variety, as well as uniformity, it is not to be wondered at, if we fometimes meet with men more filly, timid and frivolous, than the most infignificant of the other fex; and on the other hand, women as daring, as enlightened, as magnanimous, as publicspirited as the first among mankind. The rivalship, however, and competition of the fexes, is altogether ridiculous and abfurd. Each has its diftinct, and both have their conjoined dignity and usefulness-and mutual conceffion is the trueft wifdom in the one and in the other.

But, II, however weak and contemptible the inftrument were in itself, from the hand that wields it, it be. comes mighty and refpectable: and the history before us becomes, and that not darkly, a typical reprefentation of the gospel of Chrift, which was "to the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness." Pride and felf-fufficiency fmile at the idea of a female prophet,

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prophet, a female judge, a female poet, a female politician, a female warrior; and yet, in truth, women have filled all thefe offices, with credit to themselves, and with satisfaction to the public. And "who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb or deaf, or the feeing, or the blind?" In the honoured lift of those who through faith fubdued kingdoms, wrought righteoufnefs, obtained promifes, ftopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, efcaped the edge of the fword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens," female names too ftand recorded with commendation and renown. And "what haft thou, O man, but what thou haft firft received?" -"God hath chofen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife; and God hath chofen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and bafe things of the world, and things which are defpifed hath God chofen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flefh fhould glory in his prefence.'

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III. As the great Ruler of the world never can want an inftrument to fave, fo he is always provided with inftruments to punish. "He is wife in heart and mighty in ftrength; who hath hardened himself against him and hath profpered ?" The haughtieft of monarchs is at length conftrained to "praife and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whofe works are truth, and his ways judgment, and thofe that walk in pride he is able to abafe." "By a strong hand and ftretched-out arm," Pharaoh is at length compelled to "let Ifrael go." "Humble" then "thyfelf," O man, "under his mighty hand." "Be wife now, O ye kings, be inftructed, ye judges of the earth, ferve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling."

The next Lecture will carry on the history of Debo.. rah, in connexion with that of Jael. I conclude the prefent, with calling on the female part of my audience to blefs God, that while he has carried fome of

their fex, through the moft arduous employments, most eminent stations, and most hazardous enterprises, not only with safety, but with applaufe, he is pleased, in general, to put their talents and their virtues to a trial lefs fevere; and let them remember, that after all which has been, or may be faid, in praise of the few who have acted wifely and well upon the public theatre, to the generality," the poft of honour, is a private station,'

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Hiftory

History of Deborah.

LECTURE IIL

JUDGES iv. 21-23.

Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went foftly unto him, and fmote the nail into his temples, and faftened it into the ground: (for he was fast asleep, and weary) fo he died. And behold, as Barak purfued Sifera, Jael came out to meet him, and faid unto him, Come, and I will fhew thee the man whom thou feekeft. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sifera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples. So God fubdued on that day Fabin the king of Canaan before the children of Ifrael.

WHEN we confider how frequent, how violent, and

how fudden are the tranfitions from condition to condition in human life, pride appears to be a mystery of folly, below contempt. To behold a rational being affuming confequence on an empty, unmeaning title; or from the poffeffion of a little wealth, that bird of paffage, eternally on the wing; or from beauty and ftrength, which accident or disease may blast in a moment, and which the lapfe of a very few years certainly will impair; to behold a man putting confidence in princes, or feeding on the applaufe of a multitude; to hear him faying to himfelf, "Soul, take thy reft; thou haft much goods laid for up many years."

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6. My

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mountain ftandeth strong; I fhall never be moved." All this is calculated to excite derifion, not refentment; and when reafon and experience ponder what the end may be, anger finks into pity. Not only is frail man every moment at the mercy of a Being, almighty to fave and to destroy; but the proudest and mightiest is every moment in the power of the weakest and meaneft of his fellow-creatures. The tongue of the wretch whom thou despisest, may ruin thy reputation for ever. The crawling infect in thy path is armed with deadly poifon against thy life. That nodding wall threatens to crush thee to pieces. Arm thee at all points, as well as thou canft, malice or hatred, envy or revenge will still find some part unguarded; and, bleeding to death, thou shalt find thou wert not invulnerable.

Those who are diftinguished by their rank, their abilities, or their virtues, attract the notice of many obfervers, and create to themselves many open and many more fecret enemies. The hiftory of Sifera, the captain of the host of Jabin, king of Canaan, is a ftriking illustration of most of these remarks. In him, we see a man rendered infolent by fuccefs, intoxicated with prosperity, betrayed into difgrace through confidence of victory, the dupe of confidence in his own ftrength, and then the victim of confidence, equally unwife, in the fidelity and attachment of a stranger. We behold him in the morning, advancing to the unequal conflict at the head of a mighty and hitherto invincible host; in the evening, a bleeding corpfe, fallen ingloriously by the hand of a woman.

Deborah, the prophetess of Ifrael, having transfused the patriotic ardour of her foul into Barak, not only directs him what he should do, but offers herself as the companion of the expedition which fhe had planned. With ten thoufand men of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali under his command, Barak takes poffeffion of Mount Tabor, meaning to act only on the defenfive, till Providence fhould point out an occafion of acting to advantage. The rashness and impetuofity of

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