I. What she should not be.

1. Provoking. Eph. vi. 4. Prov. xv. 1. Gal. v. 26.

2. Easily provoked. 1 Cor. xiii. 5. Jam. i. 19.

3. Brawling. Prov. xxi. 9; xxv. 24.

4. Contentious. Prov. xix. 13; xxi. 19; xxvii. 15.

II. What she should be.

1. Gentle. 1 Thess. ii. 7. 1 Pet. iii. 4. Children are soon frightened by rough words, or rough treatment.

2. Forbearing. Eph. iv. 2. Col. iii. 13. If you cannot bear with your children, who will?

3. Patient. 1 Thess. v. 14. Eccles. vii. 8. A mother has need of great patience.

4. Loving. Tit. ii. 4.

III. In your daily temper take Christ as your example.

‘Consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary, and faint in your minds.’ Heb. xii. 3.