eclipfe the Radiancy, or Contaminate the purity of their Souls. 'Twas the advice of an Heathen Moralist, Revere thy felf and 'twas very wholesome counfel: for next our due Veneration to God, a Reverence to our felves, is the most fevere controller of all exorbitancies. How can a Soul that remembers its Celestial extraction, wallow it felf in the mire, stoop to any fordid degenerous practices? Tis faid of Themiftocles, that feeing once a rich booty about the dead Corps of his Enemies, he touched it not, but pointing to another, faid, take thou that, for thou art not Themiftocles. If then a little military fame could fo elevate his thoughts, 'tis a fhame that any who carry an im mortal Spirit about them, should not be raised above all the contemptible baits of this fublunary World. Why Should they not with the like difdain turn over all fenfual inordinances to meer Animals, and Creatures that have no higher principles than that of

fenfe,

fenfe, whilft themselves foar up to thofe more fublimated pleasures, which are at God's right hand for evermore, Pfalm 16. 11.

We may therefore conclude, that whatever vicious impotence Women are under, it is acquir'd, not natural; nor deriv'd from any illiberality of God's, but from the ill managery of his bounty. He has placed within them a Pillar of Cloud and Fire, fufficient to fhelter and conduct them through all the storms, all the intrica cies that can concur in their journey to Canaan, if they will forget that more intrinfick part of their being, live as if they were all body, reject the Manna, and rave after the Quails; that destruction which will thereby be induced, they must own to Spring from themselves. Let them not charge God foolishly, or think that by making them Women, be neceffitated them to be Proud or Wanton, Vain or Peevish; fince 'tis manifeft he made them to bet

ter purposes, was not partial to the other Sex, but that having, as the Prophet fpeaks, abundance of spirit, Mal.2. be equally difpenfed it, and gave the feeblest Woman as large and capacious a Soul, as that of the greatest Heroe.

Nay, give me leave to fay farther, that as to an Eternal well being, he feems to have placed them in more advantageous circumftances, than he has done Men. He has implanted in them fome native propenfions, which (as I fhall hereafter have occafion to obferve) do much facilitate the operations of Grace upon them. Befides, there are many temptations to which Men are expos'd that are out of their road. How hard is it for a Man to converfe in the World, but he shall be importun'd to Debauchery and Excels, muft forfeit his Sobriety, to maintain the Reputation of a fociable Perfon? Again, how liable are they by a promifcuous Converfation, among variety of humours, to meet with affronts, which

the

the Maxims of Honour will tell them, must (in fpight of all Christ's interdicts) be reveng'd? And this engages them in Quarrels, Jometimes in Murders. Now none of these are inci. dent to Women: they must in these and fome other inftances attack temptations, violently ravish guilt, and abandon their Sex, the whole Oeconomy of their eftate, e're they can divest themselves of their innocency. So that God feems in many particulars, to have clofelier fenced them in, and not left them to thofe wilder excurfions, for which the customary liberties of the other Sex afford a more open way. In Short, they have fo many advantages towards Vertue, that tho' the Philofopher made it one of his folemn acknowledgements to God, that he had made him a Man, not a Woman: yet I think Christian Women have now reason enough to invert that form, and to thank God that he made them Women, and not Men.

But we know advantages which are only in fpeculation, are looked on with Some diffidence, 'till there have been Jome practical experiment made of them; I fhall therefore evidence the problem by demonstration and inStance; defiring my Readers to meafure the poffibilities of their arriving to eminent degrees of Vertue and Piety, by what others have attain'd to. I fhall not fetch examples of Morality from heathen Women,because I am now upon an higher strain; (yet many fuch might be brought to the reproach of many Women, who pretending to more, fall infinitely fhort of that:) 'tis Chriftian Vertue that I am now recommending, and which has been eminently exemplified in many of their Sex. How many Women do we read of in the Gof pel, who in all the duties of affiduous attendance on Christ, liberalities of love and refpect, nay, even in zeal and courage, furpaffed even the Apoftles themselves? We find his Crofs fur

rounded,