Females are frequently compelled to tarry at home on Sabbath mornings, to prepare a luxurious dinner for the family. This is an unnecessary labor, and should be dispensed with. It might be shown on physiological principles, that feasting on a day when the body is but little exercised, is injurious to health. But aside from this consideration, the practice should be discountenanced as one interfering with that moral and religious improvement, for which the Sabbath was instituted. The family is better without such a dinner, than with it. Let the body on that holy day, partake of plain and simple food; but let the mind feast and luxu riate upon things heavenly and divine-let it eat of that bread of life, which nourishes the moral sensibilities, strengthens the soul, and gives life and vigor to all the better traits of man's nature. No occupation that can possibly be dispensed with, no circumstances that can be avoided, should be allowed to detain any portion of the family from public worship, whenever the congregation assem bles to adore and praise the King of kings.

Much depends upon habit, in attending church. Whoever allow themselves to be absent one Sabbath, without good reason, will be the more easily induced to tarry at home the next. Those who have habituated themselves to spend their Sundays in listlessness or amusement, find it difficult to become constant attendants on public service. It requires no small struggle to introduce a change of this description. But those who are the most

in the habit, find the least impediment in their way, and experience the greatest enjoyment while sitting in the temple of the Most High. They feel it to be their Father's house, their spiritual residence, their home; and often do they find it to be "the very gate of heaven to their souls."

It is important that all who have any regard for religion, should strive to establish it as a settled habit, to turn their footsteps on each succeeding Sabbath to the courts of the Lord. To aid in accomplishing an end so desirable, they should frequently review in their minds the whole subject of divine worship—its nature and object, its influence on individual and national prosperity and happiness, and all the salutary and inconceivably important benefits which it bestows upon mankind. Looking at the subject in this point of view-estimating the public worship of God by what it has already done for the world, and what it may and will do hereafter-who can fail desiring the time speedily to arrive, when all shall unite in the exclamation of Israel's sweet singer-"How amia ble are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord."

CHAPTER VIII.

BEHAVIOR IN CHURCH.

"O happy souls that pray

Where God appoints to hear!

O happy men that pay

Their constant service there!"

In order to be benefited by attendance upon the public worship of God, it is necessary to be actuated by right motives, and to be governed by certain rules of propriety. The object of congregating in the house of prayer, is not to converse upon the ordinary topics of the day, or to make observations on the dress or appearance of the congregation, or to doze away an hour in a dreaming revery, in which visions of "loss and gain," "good bargains," "high profits," flit across the half conscious mind! So far from this, the true object of worship is to improve the mind, purify the heart, enlarge the affections, and strengthen the love we bear to God and to fellow-man. To the extent that we fail in experiencing these iniluences, do we neglect the advantages a kind Providence has placed within our reach. But how many forget that temples are reared, and the Gospel ministry established, for,

these purposes. How many attend church mere ly "to see and be seen!"

I have known people who, on returning from worship, could describe the dress of almost every individual in the congregation-especially of any strangers who were present. This shows how their time was occupied during divine service, and in what estimation they hold the actual worship of God. It indicates that they are much more quick to notice a new dress or riband, than a new truth in the discourse of the speaker-that they are more ready to discern the set of a garment on their neighbor, than the application of a moral reproof to their own consciences. This class of hearers are so graphically described in the following anecdote, that I cannot omit its insertion.

"Well, Laura, give me a short sketch of the ser mon. What was the text?"

"Oh, I don't know. I've forgotten-but would you believe it! Mrs. V. wore that horrid bonnet of hers! I couldn't keep my eyes off of it all meeting time; and Miss T. wore that new shawl which must have cost fifty dollars. I wonder her folks don't see the folly of such extravagance and there was Miss S. with her pelisse-it's astonishing what a want of taste some folks exhibit."

"Well, if you have forgotten the sermon, you have not the audience; but what preacher do you prefer, this one or Mr. A ?"

"Oh, Mr. A., he is so handsome and graceful, what an eye, and what a set of teeth he has!"

If any of my readers shall discover their own portrait in this discriminating young lady, I trust it may do them good. Let it induce them, here. after, to pay less attention to the personal appearance of either preacher or congregation, and devote more of their thoughts to the services in which they have assembled to engage,

Every worshipper should strive to be in church at a seasonable hour. There are few things more disagreeable than for loiterers to be dropping in, after the exercises have commenced. They themselves lose whatever has passed before their entrance, besides disturbing the audience, and interrupting the services. One mark of punctuality and love of the Gospel, is always to be seated in the appropriate place before the commencement of worship.

I will here also remark, that the habit of congregating around the doors and entries of the church, and remaining in conversation until the moment for the exercises to begin, or until they have actually commenced, is one that should be abolished. It is indecorous to make the house of God a public exchange, for conversation on business and worldly affairs in general. On arriving at the house of worship, every individual should immediately proceed to be seated. Propriety of appearance not only calls for this, but it is well to allow the mind a brief period to call in its thoughts, and become composed and prepared for the high and holy exercises in which it is to engage.