CHAPTER XXIII.

Match-making.—­Section I.:  The Relation of Parents to the Marriage Choice of their Children.—­The Bridal Hour.  A Home-Crisis.  The Bride’s Farewell.  Have Parents a right to take any part in the Marriage Choice of their Children?  This Right Proven from their Relation to their Children, from the Inexperience of Children, from Sacred History.  The Patriarchal Age.  Judaism.  The Christian Church.  The Extent of this Right.  The Duties it Involves.  Moral Control.  Coercive Measures.  Improper Parental Interposition.  Its Sad Effects.  Persuasive Measures.  Should Parents Banish and Disinherit Children for their Marrying against their will?  Paley.

Section II.:  False Tests in the Selection of a Companion.—­The Mere Outward.  How we determine Unhappy Matches.  The Manner of Paying Addresses.  The Habit of Match-Making.  Tricks of Match-Makers.  The Sad Fruits.  Book Match-Makers.  Their Auxiliaries.  The Evil.  How Parents may Preserve their Children.  False Influences.  Smitten.  Outward Beauty.  Impulsive Passion.  Falling in Love at First Sight.  Wealth.  Rank.  English Aristocracy.  Nepotism.  Snobbishness.

Section III.:  True Tests in the Selection of a Companion.—­Judicious Views of the Nature and Responsibilities of the Marriage Institution.  Our Forefathers.  Reciprocal Affection.  Paley.  True Love.  Adaptation of Character and Position.  Fitness of Circumstances, Means, and Age.  Religious Equality and Adaptation.  Only in the Lord.  The Sad Effect of Inequality.  Should Persons Marry Outside of their Own Branch of the Church?  Sin and Curse of Disobedience to the Law of Religious Equality.  Duty of Parents in reference to Religious Equality.  All Matches not made in Heaven.  Law of Moses.  Abraham.  Historical Instances of the Fruits of Disobeying this Law.  Reasonableness of the Law.  The Primitive Christians.  Sense of the Christian Church.  Address to Christians.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The children’s patrimony.—­The Question this Involves.  Not Confined to Wealth.  A Good Character and Occupation.  True Religion.  How Parents should proceed in the Distribution of their Property.  Why they should give only a Competency.  The Rules to Determine a Competence.  Paley.  What the Law of Competence Forbids.  Penalties of its Violation.  History.  Impartiality.  Paley.  The Infatuation of many Parents.

CHAPTER XXV.

The promises of the christian home.—­Two Kinds.  Divine Promises to Parents and Children.  Those of Punishment.  Law of Reproduction.  Iniquity of the Parents upon the Children.  Promises of Reward.  In this Life.  John Q. Adams.  In the Life to Come.  God’s Fidelity to His Promises.  They are Conditional.  When they become Absolute.  Popular Objections.  Compatibility between Promises and Agencies.  Paul.  Moses.  Promises made by Parents.