Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 3.pdf/161

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enlightened, practical religion. Nothing, be it remembered, but true affection, joined with true piety, can constitute a true marriage; without this, marriage is but a temporary union of convenience, and is merely external; but when the parties are united in one, because love is joined with wisdom, and goodness with truth, it is like its author, resembling Him in respect to His own divine and eternal marriage of Love and Wisdom.

Young women! suffer not yourselves to be unequally yoked, either in a natural or spiritual point of view. Diversity of sentiment in religion often induces much misery and suffering; and an eminent writer has declared that it is heinous for a woman to marry out of the church—that is, supposing a woman to belong to the Church, which believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only wise God our Saviour, it would be heinous for her to marry a man who denies His Divinity, and it would be equally heinous for a man to marry a woman so circumstanced. On these accounts, we repeat, diversity of sentiment in religion often induces much misery. The family temple often becomes the abode of strife and contention. Let the views of religion-harmonize, and peace is most likely to follow. The most important act in a young woman's life is the bestowal of her affections; let her look well to the man with whom she is about to link her destiny. Where there is a trifling with sacred things; where levity of manners and egotism associate themselves with vanity; where carelessness of duties and neglect of the advice of parents distinguish the individual; where extravagance and intemperance are united with neglect of civil duties, happiness need never be