The man who hath affluence and honor; who is respected or envied abroad, is but a wretch, if his retirements are unquiet; if his family connexions are peevish and disagreeable, and the inferior members rise in rebellion and refuse obedience to his reasonable requirements, or neglect the duties of their stations.  Fidelity and affection in the nearest relations, yields the greatest temporal felicity; the want of them occasions the most pungent grief which is experienced in life; that which arises from sense of guilt excepted.

The part acted by every member of a family, effects the whole.  None can rejoice or mourn alone.  All participate in the joy or grief.  All are affected by the discharge, or neglect of relative duties:  Joy and sorrow keep pace with them.

Neither are the evils which arise from these abuses to be avoided by celibacy, without incurring others of a serious nature.  Man is formed for society.  An help meet was necessary even in Eden.  To have remained alone would have rendered an earthly paradise a tiresome place.  Therefore was a suitable companion given of God, to crown the joys of innocence.

The comfort and advantage of the members is manifestly one design of family institution; but where the duties of the several relations are neglected, or counteracted, the ends are frustrated, and the blessing changed into a curse.  “It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman.”  And the woman, who instead of a kind and virtuous companion, is joined to a tyrant, or a man of Belial, must have sorrow upon, sorrow, till death comes to her relief.

But the design of family institution expressed in the last clause of the text—­That he might find a godly seed, will be chiefly attended to.

We are here taught that God made one, and only one to be man’s companion and helper—­that he might seek a godly feed.  One is necessary for this purpose; more would rather hinder than help.  With one there is a joint interest; more would cause divisions.

To answer the ends proposed, the connexion must be for life.  It must not be left to the parties or either of them, to dissolve it at pleasure, as the Jews of that age contended.  This liberty the prophet shews to be contrary to the spirit and design of marriage.  He observes that though God had the residue of the Spirit—­all power, and could easily have made many, he made only one, to be the companion and helper of man—­that this indicated the design of marriage to be an indissoluble connexion, which was ordained to continue till death.  This which is intimated in the text, is confirmed by our Savior in his reply to the Pharisees who questioned him on this subject. *

* Matthew xix. 3-10.

In farther discussing our subject, after a few desultory observations on the importance of education, especially parental education, we shall inquire in what ways, and by what means parents are required to fed a godly seed.