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A17412	Sermons upon the ten first verses of the third chapter of the first Epistle of S. Peter Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painfull minister of Gods word, Nicolas Byfield. Wherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great varietie of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinitie largely discussed. Published since the authors death by William Gouge.	Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Gouge, William, 1578-1653.	1626 (1626)	STC 4235; ESTC S107153	186,240	252

and is freed from all miseries of this life and enjoyes the honour of all good workes Rev. 14.13 the bodie resting in the grave from all paine and labour as in a bed of rest till the resurrection Esa. 57.2 And into this degree of life eternall wee enter in by the gate of death The thirddegree of life eternall beginnes at the resurrection of our bodies at the last day and is enjoyed by body and soule for ever comprehending all possible consummation of felicity and glory in the heavens And into this wee enter by the gate of resurrection which is a kind of new begetting of us and therefore is called the resurrection of life Ioh. 11.25 and so the blessed in heaven are called the children of the resurrection and by that way the children of God Luk. 20.36 In the first degree life is imperfect in the second it is perfect in the third it is consummate And the use of this first point should be to warne men to looke to it that they enter into the first degree of eternall life while they are in this world or else they shall never get to heaven when they dye and therefore should strive for saving knowledge and to become new creatures or else it is in vaine to hope for heaven 2 For the second which is the originall of life it is greatly for the praise of it that it flowes from that life which is in God himselfe which is an unspeakable glory to the creatures that enjoy it With thee is the fountaine of life saith David Psal. 36.9 So he calls him the God of his life Psal. 42.8 Naturall life is but a sparkle that flowes from the life of our parents but spirituall and eternall life is kindled from that infinite light and life in God But yet not as Christ received we this life for he had it by naturall generation wee have it by a way unspeakeable from God but yet by Iesus Christ In him was life as the life was the light of men Iohn 14. He that hath the Son hath life Iohn 5.12 and he it is that is eternall life viz. to us vers 20. As there is no light in the visible world but from the Sunne in the sirmament so there is no life in the spirituall world but from God in Heaven which hath caused it to shine in our hearts by the Son of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Thus our life is called the life of God Ephes. 4.18 and Christ is said to live in us Gal. 2 20. Which should teach us greatly to admire and adore the excellency of Gods goodnesse and make us to rest our selves for ever under the shadow of his wings Psal. 36.7 8 9. But that this point may be more clearly understood we must consider of the originall of this life from God three waies First in respect of Ordination and so it flowes from Gods decree Hee hath ordained us unto life Acts 13.48 and our names are written in the booke of life Phil. 4.3 Secondly in respect of Merit it was bought of God by the death of the flesh of Christ. I give my flesh for the life of the world Iohn 6.51 This life will not be had without his death that we might live in eternall life hee must dye a temporall death And shall not this greatly inflame our hearts to love the Lord Iesus that gave himselfe for us that we should not perish but have everlasting life Thirdly in respect of operation or inchoation and so the fountaine of life is either without us or within us without us is the Word of Christ that is the immortall seede by which we are begotten unto life 1. Pet. 1.24 and so is called the Word of life Phil. 2.15 And the word is so as it is the word of Christ that is Gospel My words saith he are spirit and life Iohn 6.63 And that word considered as it is preached to the dead soules of men the dead shall Hear the voice of Christ and live Shall heare it note that Iohn 5.25 which should make us greatly to esteeme the preaching of the Gospel Within us the fountaine of life is the Spirit of Christ which is called the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.2 Now the Spirit of Christ that wee may live doth two things viz. it quickens the seed of the Word and unites us unto Christ as members of the mysticall body and then looke how the soule of man doth give life to every member of the body so doth the Spirit of Christ to every soule as a severall member of the mysticall body 3 For the third We shall not exactly know what the nature of eternall life is till it be perfected us or consummate yet by diverse words God hath let fall in Scripture we may ghesse at the nature of this life and in generall I thinke it is a kinde of celestiall light falling into the soule that doth to it that which naturall life doth to the bodie This S. Iohn shewing how Christ was the life of men saith hee was the light of men Iohn 1.4 And David having said With thee is the fountaine of life adds And in thy light wee shall see light Psal. 36.8 And so the promise to the penitent sinner was that his life should see the light Iob 33.28 So Christ saith he that followeth him shall have the light of life Mark it the Light of life Iohn 8.12 So that the life of our minds is knowledge in generall and in particular it is the saving knowledge of God and Iesus Christ as our Saviour saith expressely Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. And the reason why this knowledge doth most inlive quicken our hearts is because God in Christ is the most glorious subject of contemplation as being that highest good a very Ocean of goodnesse onely able to fill and ravish the heart of man and besides because God as our chiefe good can alone make the ravishment of the heart perpetuall and so last for ever which nothing else can doe But because everie knowledge of God hath not this effect to breed everlasting life in the heart of a man therfore I wil distinctly set downe what kind of knowledge it is that hath this effect and what is required that it may be right 1 It must be such a knowledge as discernes God to be the only true God and this rule excludes the Pagans from eternall life who though by the light of nature they might discerne the invisible things of God by the workes of the creation yet they so shut up those principles of naturall truth in unrighteousnesse that they set up creatures as God and gave the glorie of the true God to them Rom. 1. 2 It must be such a knowledge as ascribes into the Nature of God such an excellencie as can be exprest by no likenesse of any creature in heaven above or earth beneath or the waters under

Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God ave●ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.

the earth God must not be conceived of by any Images Images in the Church shut out the Papists from eternall life and Images in the heart to conceive of God by excludes the ignorant and carnall Protestants In the right conceiving of Gods Nature we must adore him that is like nothing in heaven or earth 3 It must be such a knowledge or vision of God as discernes him to be the chiefe good and onely happinesse to be desired and so all those persons that behold any thing in this life to be sought after as the chiefe felicity of their lives are excluded from eternall life And the things so esteemed the Scripture calls their gods so some make their bellies their gods some their riches some honour and the favour of men 4 It must be such a knowledge of God as conceives of him in Iesus Christ that is that sees the way how Gods infinite justice provoked by many sinnes is pacified by the attonement made by Iesus Christ as the Mediatour betweene God and man Ioh. 17.3 else the knowledge of God in respect of the contemplation of his justice will be so far from inliving our hearts that it would kill them if they had life and this rule excludes all such from eternall life as live in despaire of Gods mercie as Cain and Iudas These knowledges are such as without which life cannot bee had but yet in themselves doe not quicken the Soule and inspire it with life 5 It must be such a knowledge as doth nor only discerne aright the doctrine of the Nature of God and of the person and offices of Christ but doth discerne that God is ours in particular in Iesus Christ and fully reconciled to us and our portion for ever To know God to be our God in Christ is the very life of our soules Now because we discerne this in God two waies viz. by the light of faith beleeving the promises of the Word though we see him not and by the light of vision when we shall see him in his goodnesse face to face therefore is the former light called the light of faith and belongs to this life and the later light belongs to another world Hence our justification which is by faith is called The justification of life Rom. 5.18 This is a point which should bee of unspeakable comfort to the weake Christians that have attained to this knowledge for certainly this is eternall life in them as true as if they had th● glory of heaven already But now that true Christians may be the more infallibly setled in the knowledge of their interest in eternall life as it lyeth in the right knowledge of God to be ours in Iesus Christ I will adde certaine effects of this knowledge which shew not onely that it is right but also that it is very eternall or spirituall life for if it be a right knowledge 1 It raiseth in the dead heart of man spirituall senses that were never there before It makes the soule of a man able to heare Gods word that could never doe it before It gives sight in spirituall things and sense and feeling and spirituall tasts of Gods goodnesse and a favouring of spirituall things more than earthly 2. Cor. 2.15 Rom. 8 5. Psal. 36.8 Phil. 1.9 2 It is a knowledge with admiration it sets a mans heart upon a constant wondering at the glory of the things revealed He that hath this knowledge sees in a Mirrour he sees and wonders Nothing more ravisheth the heart than doth the word when it shew● him the glory of Gods grace to him 2. Cor. 3.18 Wicked men see but they see not in a Mirrour 3 It is a knowledge that works transformation it changeth a man into the likenesse of that it sees even from gl●ry to glory by the power of the spirit of Christ. The light comes into wicked men but leaues them the same men it found them for disposition and conversation but this light humbles the heart of a man for his sinnes and purifieth him from his most secret sinnes Act. 15.9 and besides prints upon him the Image of God and stirres him up to all the motives of life in doing good workes 2. Cor. 3.18 Col. 3.10 1. Ioh. 2 3. 3.24 4 It is such a light as is indelible and will abide the triall of manifold afflictions and gives life and joy still to the soule It doth not onely comfort in Gods house but will support us when we are gone home under the miseries of this present life 1 Pet. 1.7 The use should be to teach us all to blesse God for the Gospell that brings life to light and shewes us the love of God to us in Christ and for all the meanes by which the Gospell is preached to us in the life of it Oh how should wee bee beholding to them that helpe us to eternall life by leading us unto God this Ocean of goodnesse And withall wee should be wonderfully thankefull to God and for ever comforted if we can finde that wee have attained to the assurance of Gods love to us in Christ. Though our knowledge here bee but small and weake yet it is so rich as the tongue of man cannot utter if it be in any measure true and sincere Besides how should this fire our desires after wisdome and spirituall understanding in the word of Christ seeing it is our life and in the same degree wee encrease in eternall life that we encrease in acquaintance with God in Christ and therefore aboue all gettings we should be getting understanding And finally it shews the woful estate of ignorant persons that are careless of the study of the word of God and of hearing of the Gospel preached This is their death wil be their eternal death if they prevent it not by repentance and sound redeeming of the time for the service of the soule about this sacred knowledge 4 Now for the fourth point the things that nourish life are greatly to be heeded both to shew us what we should apply our selves to and with what thankefulnesse to receive the meanes of our good herein 1 Wee must know that the principall cause of the nourishment and encrease of spirituall life is the influence of vertue from Christ our mysticall head by the secret and unutterable working of the spirit of Christ which is therefore called the Spirit of life because it both frees us by degrees from the feares of death and from the power and blots of sinne Rom. 8.2 and withall it quickens and encreaseth life in us for the better exercise of righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 2 The contemplation of Gods favour and presence doth wonderfully extend and inflame life in us To marke God any where or by any experience to finde effectually his loue and to taste of the sweetnesse of his goodnesse this is life from the dead better than all things in naturall life It doth a godly mans heart more good than all things in the world can doe as

with them as if they were guilty of murther To hate a godly man is murther in the sight of God and deprives a man of eternall life 1. Ioh. 3.14 15. and prooves him that is guilty of it to bee a person that abides in death And it is in vaine to plead that they love God for if a man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for hee that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom hee hath not seene And it is Gods peremptory commandement that hee that loveth God love his brother also ● Ioh. 4.20 21. Yea this Doctrine affordeth matter of reproofe to divers that goe for true Christians and so for many faults As first it reprooveth those that have the faith of Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1 c. This is a fault in the richer sort and such as stand upon their worldly greatnesse they rest in their shew of respect and love to some Ministers or to some great persons that answer to their owne ranke but wholly neglect the acquaintance and entertainement and fellowship of poore Christians and thereby not onely displease God but much darken their owne evidence in this signe of the love of the brethren because they shew not their love to all the Saints as they might and ought Secondly it reprooveth intemperate Christians that sinne against brotherly love by rash censuring and condemning of their brethren especially when they become divulgers of censure and stand out as accusers of their brethren This is a divellish sinne for it is the divells speciall sinne to be an adversary and an accuser of the brethren Rev. 12.10 so that hee is a divell incarnate that useth this course Rom. 14.3 10 13. Iam. 4.11 12. 5 9. Thirdly it reprooveth the great worldlinesse that is discerned in divers Christians that are so hardly drawne to shew compassion and mercy to poore Christians when they are in distresse They have this worldly goods and yet shut up the bowells of their compassion from their brethren though they see they have need and therefore how dwelleth the love of God in them 1. Iohn 3.17 Fourthly it reprooves the great aptnesse to contention that appeares in many that easily fall into discord from thence into suites of Law against their brethren which is cleerely condemned in these Scriptures both by example and prohibition Gen. 13.8 Act. 7.26 1. Cor. 1.10 6.5 Fiftly it greatly reprooveth such as by their opinions or practise offend and grieve weake Christians and cause them to stagger or stumble or bee unsetled in the good way of God and so endanger not onely their present consolation but as much as in them lyeth their salvation also Mat. 18.6.1 Cor. 8 11 12 13. Thus of the use for reproofe Vse 2. Secondly this Doctrine may serve for instruction and so it should prevaile with us to desire endeavour to expresse and preserve amongst us brotherly love that it may be and continue and encrease amongst all such as feare God Heb. 13.1 And to this end divers rules are to be observed for that brotherly love may continue 1 We must not fashion our selves according to this world but avoide all needelesse conversation with wicked men Rom. 12.1 2. 2 Wee must take heede of and avoide such as sow difcord or cause diuisions amongst men whether they be such as goe about to seduce men in opinions Rom. 16.19 Gal. 5. 12 2. Pet. 3.16 or such as make contention in practise A little leaven of dissenting or discord may leaven the whole lumpe 3 Wee must take heed that wee be not ensnared or entangled with vaine glorious desires after worldly greatnesse whether in Church or Common wealth Therefore Christ chargeth his Disciples not to be called Rabbi because they and all the godly were brethren Mat. 23.8 Gal. 5. ult 4 If wee would preserve brotherly love wee must take heede of conceitednesse and wilfulnesse of judgement wee must not bee wise in our selves but rather in lowlinesse of minde esteeme another mans gifts and judgement better than our owne and shew it by making our selves equall to them of the lower sort Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.16 Prov. 12.15 5 Wee must take heed of worldlinesse and selfe-love and the minding of our own things and studying of our ends in conversing 1. Cor. 13 5. Phil. 2.4 6 Wee must take heede of overmuch retyrednesse and neglecting of comfortable and profitable fellowship with our brethren Heb. 10.25 Phil. 1.6 Psal. 133.1 These are things wee must avoid There are divers things likewise to be done that we may preserve brotherly love as 1 Wee must provoke one another to love by all words and carriages that may bee without flattery or dissimulation Heb. 10.24 2 Wee should strive without complement to shew the sound proofe of our love in all our actions and by the fruits of it in all well-doing strive to approve our selves to God and before men in this thing 2. Cor. 8.24 3 In all things wee doe to or for the brethren we should strive to doe them after a loving and respective manner Let all your things bee done in love faith the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.14 4 Wee must strive to be rightly ordered towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us And that wee shall be if wee soundly practise these foure Rules 1 If wee know any fault by our brother and feele that it doth tempt us to alienation wee must then remember the charge given Levit. 19.17 which is not to suffer our hearts to hate him but give a vent unto our hearts by a plaine and discreet reproofe 2 Wee should be soundly setled in judgment that there are infirmities in the best though wee know them not and so to looke for it as when they doe breake out wee should shew our selves ready to beare their infirmities and forbeare them if they bee meere frailties choosing rather to crosse our selves than to irritate or provoke them in their weakenesse Rom. 15.1 2. 3 If any brother trespasse against us we should shew our s●lves easie to be entreated and willing to practise the rule given by our Saviour even to forgive him if he offend unto seventy times seven times when he saith it repenteth him Mat. 18.21 4 If wee have done any wrong we should make hast to be reconciled and seeke it with willing acknowledgement and readinesse to make satisfaction Mat. 5.23 24. Onely wee must remember about this doctrine of the love of the brethren that there are three caveats to be looked to 1 That wee misplace not our affections upon false brethren for there are false brethren that will creepe in privily many times for corrupt ends Gal. 2.4 2. Thes. 3.13 2 That if any brother be scandalous or walke inordinately or will not be subject to the forme of doctrine and the publike ministerie then such a one is to be avoided onely he must be

SERMONS UPON THE TEN FIRST VERSES OF THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE FIRST Epistle of S. PETER Being the last that were preached by the late faithfull and painfull Minister of Gods word NICOLAS BYFIELD Wherein Method Sense Doctrine and Vse is with great varietie of matter profitably handled and sundry heads of Divinitie largely discussed Published since the Authors death by WILLIAM GOUGE LONDON Printed by H. Lownes for George Latham at the brazen Serpent in Paules Church-yard 1626. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR HORATIO VEERE Knight Lord Veere of Tilbery and Generall of the English Forces in the service of the high and mightie Lords the States Generall of the united Provinces in the Neatherlands And to his pious and vertuous Consort the Lady Mary Veere such encrease of Grace as may bring them to fulnesse of Glory RIGHT HONOVRABLE THe Almighties gracious acceptation of such Oblations as are brought to him encourageth sons of men to offer their Sacrifices on the Altar of his Grace Like ground of encouragement have to lay this Oblation on the Altar of your Honours patronage Of your gracious acceptation thereof these reasons assure me 1. This Impe now presented to your Honours is a twinne to that Posthumus which was heretofore presented to and accepted of your Honours 2. This together with his other brothers was by their owne Father while he lived devoted to your Honours To divert them otherwaies would bee plaine plagium 3. Your Honours did many waies manifest a very good respect to the forementioned Father of this Orphane 4. This Impe it selfe is a goodly Impe and giveth assured hope of doing much good to Gods Church 5. Your Honours high esteeme of all good and faithfull Ministers of their function of their labours and works is well knowne 6. Your Honours mutuall entire affection and sincere and sweet conversation and carriage one towards another is a lively representation and evident demonstration of the truth of that doctrine concerning Husband Wife which is principally handled in this Treatise 7. Your Honour my good Lord hath all your daies been a valiant and faithfull Champion for the Church maintaining her safety and liberty with the perill of your owne life wherein though Communis Mars bellique casus sit incertus yet successe hath oft crowned your valour instance among other famous victories the incomparable conquest by your Honours more than ordinary courage obtained in New-port-field Can now doubt be made of your Honours favour in countenancing this child of the Church 8. Your Honour my good Lady was a diligent frequenter of his Ministery who preached these Sermons and hearing the distinct points when they were first out of the Pulpet uttered so approved them as oft you desired the publishing of them For they were Cygnean songs the last and sweetest of all 9. As the sacred Scriptures so good Commentaries thereon such as this is area solace to your Honours in reading whereof you have manifested much delight Finally many and great are the favours and kindnesses which from time to time your Honours have done to the Publisher of this worke which as in duty he is bound he willingly taketh this occasion in all humility and with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge The premises considered the said Publisher confidently resteth upon your Honours patronage and boweth his knees before the Throne of Grace for a mercifull Remembrance and bountifull Remuneration of that Goodnesse which your Honours have done to the Church of God to the poore Members and faithfull Ministers thereof and in speciall to the Author of this Commentary yea and to the Publisher thereof Your Honours much obliged William Gouge Black-Friers London 25. Ian. 1625. AN EXPOSITION of part of the third Chapter of the first Epistle generall of PETER 1. Pet. cap. 3. vers 1.2.3.4 Likewise let the Wives be subject to their Husbands that even they which obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conversation of the Wives 2. While they behold your pure conversation which is with feare 3. Whose apparelling let it not be outward as with broyded hayre and gold put about or in putting on of apparell 4. But let the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by FRom the thirteenth verse of the former chapter to the eight verse of this chapter the Apostle exhorts to such duties as concern particular Christians and so either in the Common-wealth where he exhorts subjects from verse 13. to 18. or in the Family where he exhorts eyther servants verse 18. to the end of the former chapter or wives and husbands in the first seven verses of this chapter So that in these first seven verses the Apostle intreats of the duties betweene man and wife and first sets downe the wives duety from vers 1. to 7. and then the mens duetie in the seventh verse In laying downe the wives duty hee proceeds in this order First he briefly propounds the substance of her duty in the first words Wives be sub●ect Secondly hee expounds upon it by shewing divers particular things she must expresse in her conversation as Amiablenesse vers 1. Chastitie and Feare vers 2. Mecknesse vers 3.4 Then thirdly he confirmes all by two reasons both taken from example first of godly women in generall vers 5. secondly of Sarah in particular vers 6. Before I set upon the particular parts of the Text divers things would be noted in generall First in that this Apostle and other Apostles thinke it fit with such effectuall termes when they write to the Churches to give such speciall charge to Husbands and Wives it shewes That God doth greatly desire that they should in a speciall manner be carefull to leade an orderly and comfortable life together Whatsoever in domesticall matters is sometimes omitted in the Text yet seldome in any place that treats of family-duties is the duty of Husbands and Wives left out Here it is vehemently urged and so in the Epistle to the Ephesians which should worke in all that feare God a care and conscience of these duties and of carrying themselves in the best manner they can one towards another Now the substance of an orderly life betweene man and wife is to love one another with all constancy tendernesse and fidelity to shew one heart in all things helping one another to doe the duties of the family especially in the service of God and in carrying the crosses may light upon them in their callings encouraging and comforting one another honoring one another before others and bearing one with another in respect of infirmities and each of them striving to doe exactly the duty that belongs to each Now that men and women may bee carefull hereof many motives may be alledged and ought to be thought upon 1 Because this society betweene one man and one woman in marriage was instituted of God himselfe and was the first society that he brought into