saving Faith Temperance Patience Godliness Repentance unto life strength against corruptions that he may abound in every good worke that he may be an Instrument of Gods glory here and a Vessell of Mercy hereafter And in thy drawing forth and improving thy parts thus for thy Husbands spirituall advantages men and Angels shall witnesse for thee that thou hast laboured to answer one end of Gods creating of thee that is to be a meet helper to thy Husband nay the spirit of God shall attest the same to thy own soule to thy comfort here and permanent happinesse hereafter Fourthly The duty of a wife to her Husband The fourth duty of the VVife to the Husband is a comely and Christian-like subjection to him she must not contend for equality with him much lesse superiority over him but must content her selfe in the same station or condition wherein the God of wisdom or that God who is wisdome it selfe hath set her Now that this is a duty take Scripture evidence for it for I know it will not down but sticks in the throat with too too many but to a mortified Christian a Command from God is enough to sweeten that which to flesh and bloud is as bitter as gall Col. 3.8 The Apostle saith Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as it is fit in the Lord. So Eph. 5.22 Wives submit your selves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord where marke the diversity of termes In the former place it is Wives submit c. as it is fit in the Lord But in this latter Wives submit c. as unto the Lord For some women may say we are willing to submit our selves to our own Husbands as it is fit in the Lord But what submission may be said to be fit in the Lord I answer That submission is fit in the Lord that hath respect to any Command the Husband shall lay on his wife which is grounded upon Scripture Precepts or Presidents Secondly That submission of Wives to their Husbands is fit in the Lord which is not forbidden in Scripture neither expresly nor implicitely neither plainely nor by necessary consequence but to answer such as would pretend scrupulosity when they intend only the discharging of themselves from all submission to their Husbands let them ruminate or chew the end upon the last terme where Wives are commanded to submit to their own Husbands as unto the Lord and see what they can gather from those words as a ground to satisfie their consciences for their non-submission Now because the Holy Ghost did foresee that women nay some good women would not fall down before this truth but endeavour to maintaine that rotten and unsound maxime viz. that the Wife is the Husbands equall therefore doth the Spirit of God in Eph. 5.23 which was last quoted lay down an undeniable reason why Wives should submit to their Husbands For saith he the Husband is the head of his Wife as Christ is the head of his Church And then in ver 24. the Spirit of God comes to a Corrollary or Conclusion thus Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be unto their own Husbands in every thing Now the reason here brought for the end beforesaid stands thus That as the Church doth submit to Christs Authority he being her head so must the wife submit to the Authority of her husband because he is the head likewise and that he is so consider also that of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.3 The head of the woman is the man Now Headship implies Authority that is beyond dispute and Authority requires subjection Let every soule be subject to the higher powers whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rom. 13.1 2. And none can deny but that Headship Authority and power is one and the same Yet further concerning this duty of the wife to her husband in relation to subjection to him mind that of the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet. 3.1 where he saith Likewise ye Wives be in subjection to your own Husbands Then in ver 6. he brings you a President for it and that from a singular woman Even as Sarai obeyed Abraham calling him Lord whose Daughters you are as long as you do well Now as it is a glorious priviledge to be a Son of Abraham in a spirituall sense so it is a high honour to be a Daughter of Sarai And thou who art a Christian-woman by no meanes forget that from the originall of time God did ordaine that the Husband should rule over his Wife Gen. 3.16 Nay the very Heathens thought it fit that every man should beare rule in his own house Hester 1.20 22. But some woman may say what if my husband be a Son of Belial One who hath no grace in him who beares not the Image of God but of the Devill Must a Christian be subject to a Heathen A Saint to a Devill incarnate I answer that if thou be so match'd in the Marriage Estate then thy condition is sad and very sad and much to be lamented But still it is a cleare truth that thou must be subject to even such a Husband in all his lawfull Commands and further thou must not obey a godly husband And this the Apostle Peter in 1 Pet 3.1 2. doth hint at plainely Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own Husbands And then addes this as a reason to excite them to the performance of this duty that is That if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the Conversation of the wives while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with feare I see no cause to adde one word more to demonstrate that subjection in a wife to her husband is a duty she doth owe him But let me beseech thee that art a Husband that all the Commands thou dost lay on thy wife may be in the nature of requests and intreaties for know it that though thy wife be not equall to thee in power yet she is not so subordinate to thee as thy Children and Servants command service from them but desire thy Wife to be subservient to thee and if she have any commendable qualifications in her thou maiest be sure thou hast her heart to serve thee and therefore canst not want her hand Nay she will rejoice that at any time she hath any intimation of thy mind in any businesse that she is able to performe The fifth duty that the Wife doth owe unto her Husband is due and comly Reverence The fifth duty of the Wife to the Husband Wives must not only submit to their Husbands and obey them but they must reverence them likewise and this the Apostle doth charge them to performe Let the Wife see saith he that she reverence her Husband where observe that in the particle see there is an Emphasis it is an Emphaticall expression for it is as if he
12. the latter end of the 17. verse may be applicable here Provide things honest in the sight of all men He that doth not provide for his own especially such as are of his own Family hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5.8 Jacob tooke care for his own Family Gen. 30.30 But some may say that was after not only his Marriages but after he had many Children Therefore when his condition becomes mine I will take the like care but it may be I shall never have any Chargeable Family But for answer know that if thy condition did run parallell with his before and at the time of Marriage thou needst take no great care before-hand for first his Father was exceeding rich and had but two Children and no doubt but that Jacob had a large portion in due time of his Fathers estate though the Holy Ghost mention no such thing but secondly Jacob married with a very wealthy Family and his Father in Law had reason to maintaine him and his Charge and that liberally when Iacob was no way spating in his great pains and care to encrease Labans estate which indeed Laban himselfe doth acknowledge Gen. 39.27 When the Servant of Abraham was to go to Padan Aram to treat about a Marriage for Isaack his Masters Son it is very observable That in the first place he makes a Narrative to Bethuel and Laban of his Masters plentifull estate and then comes to the businesse of the desired Marriage he having implicitely made it appeare that his young Master was well provided for to maintain a Wife and any Charge God should cast on him Gen. 24.35 Doubtlesse there is much to be minded in the Lords owne method this way We know God did plentifully provide for Adam and Eve before they were and then surely before their Marriage But these things premised occasions a question to be propounded and that is Whether a man may not Marry untill he have Lands or stock in Money or in Goods and Chattels I answer that in case a man have neither of them yet if God have given him an honest Calling and a Heart to depend upon Divine providence in the use of lawfull meanes and in speciall find himselfe through free grace to have an interest in the promises of God for all good things He may conclude his call to Marriage is as cleare as the call of any person in the world upon his yearly revenue and stock in any kind for such a man shall have for necessity if not for delight except the Lord see a straight and wanting condition best in relation to his own glory and such a poore mans present good and eternall happinesse God hath promised the hand of the diligent shall make rich Pro. 10.4 and that he that laboureth shall be filled with bread Pro. 12.11 God will give his Beloved plenty with quiet sleep Psal 127.2 God telleth Abraham he was a God all-sufficient only bids him walk before him and be upright Gen. 17.1 First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof saith Christ and all other things shall be administred to you Mat. 6.33 read that place in Heb. 13.5 to all which Promises there might be a large addition if necessary only let me here adde that of Solomon Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it where note that these outward things are called blessings and indeed so they are which doth imply that we must beg them at the hand of God by Prayer and indeed God tels us as much Ezek. 36.37 and if you mind that Chapter you shall find that temporall things and of those we treate as well as spirituall are there promised but if you would speed when you aske these blessings take heed you regard not wickednesse in your hearts for if you do God will not heare you Secondly take heed you turne not your eares from hearing the Law of God for if you do your Prayers shall be abominable Pro. 27.9 Thirdly beware thou aske not these blessings to consume them on thy lusts for if you do you are like to misse of them James 4.2 3. Fourthly be sure thou aske no outward thing of God but with a willingnesse to be denied if he thinke it best It s an easie thing for such poore Ignorant Creatures as we are to be much mistaken about the nature of outward blessings and the fittest seasons for God to bestow and we to receive them But the Lord cannot be mistaken Most excellent to this purpose is the saying of Luther upon Psal 1â—0 1 God saith he in that he is good can give nothing but thaâ— which is good but we many times do crave that thing which is not good indeed but seemeth so to us Thus Luther Also Bernard is singular this way Brethren saith he as concerning your Prayers have no doubt but assure your selves that as soone as the word passeth out of your Mouth it is Written and Registred in Heaven in the presence and sight of God and either it shall be done as ye have asked or else it is expedient not to be done Thus far Bernard likewise Take heed be not inordinate but easily denied of God aske no outward things but on condition God see it expedient to bestow them for if thou wilt not be denied thou maiest have the seeming sweet meat but the reall sowre â—ace Rachel had when she must have Children or dye Gen. 30.1 but mind the issue of it Gen. 35.16 17 18 19. And so the Children of Israel must have flesh Num. 11.4 5 6. They cannot be satisfied without it but they had it as one well said with a vengeance as appeares in the 31 32 and 33. verses of this Chapter Lastly labour to promote the worship of God to thy power for else thy estate may be deplorable enough Hag. 1.6 But if it should be the good pleasure of the Lord to exercise thee with seeming want yet if he be also pleased to sanctifie such a condition to thee thou hast that which is more then equivalent to all outward mercies in the world Beloved if thou canst live upon God and enjoy a holy contentation in thy soule in the want of outward things thou art one of the richest men on this side Heaven labour then I say to have an interest in God in and through Christ Thus I hope I have put no discouragements on thee to stave thee off from taking the benefit and comfort of Marriage for want of Lands or stock in any kind but I rather desire thee to take it especially if thou canst not with comfort to thy body and safety to thy soul containe thy selfe longer in the single life which brings me to the next particular which is the second demonstration of a lawfull call to Marriage A second and cleare ground for Marriage A second and cleare ground demonstrating a mans call to enter into the Marriage life is when the Lord is
let them out at to thy danger or disgrace she will apply her selfe and imply her parts of grace to help thee with spirituall Cordials in times of spirituall desertion she will labour to further thee in the Religious and Civill government of thy Family both of Children and Servants She will be ready to draw with thee as a true Yoak-fellow in the plow of thy Calling to the utmost of her knowledge and strength with all dexterity She will with much frugality manage thy Family-expence She will labour to help thee against thy infirmities to prevent them if possible however to conceale them She will labour to comfort thee in times of sorrow and losses Isaac lost a deare precious and tender-hearted Mother and no doubt but he was very sensible of his losse and laid it sadly to heart yet betaking himself to a Wife who was indeed a very gracious Woman it is said he was comforted after his Mothers death Gen. 24.67 Lastly she will put forth her selfe to her utter most power with much paines of body and with much and enlarged deare and tender Affections of heart to help thee in times of losse oâ— health and when thou lyest conflicting with grievous paines and burthensome and perhaps loathsome diseases I have read in Reverend Mr Bolton his generall directions forâ— comfortable walking with God A Treatisâ— worth the weight of it in Gold in page 252 A Narrative which was borrowed from Vives of a president in this kind to which I desire to refer thee which is so singular that the whole world I am confident cannot producâ— any that ever did out-goe her in the dischargâ— of this duty Beloved in Christ I am so takeâ— up in my affections in walking in this Gardeâ— of pleasure and profit I had almost said iâ— Paradise that I should not be able to leave iâ— and that for thy sake untill I had gathereâ— more flowers to bind together to present theâ— with to enamour thee to labour to gaine a parâ— therein Yet because when thou shalt take notice of the duty the Wife doth owe to thâ— Husband which so far as she is a meet helpeâ— she will endeavor to discharge I presumâ— thou wilt be able to adde to this Nosegay and â— doubt not but they will be perswasive arguments to carry thy affections in seasonablâ— time that way and in the meane time makâ— thee speake with much reverence of this blessed Ordinance of God I shall here having â—easonable occasion note by the way That â—rom this last particular viz. that comfortable â—ociety is one end that persons may aime at in Marriage doth appeare ground sufficient to â—ustifie the Marriage of Ancient persons and â—uch as have over-lived the yeares for generaâ—ion though they cannot in some way be means of encreasing the Church yet they may use â—ny meanes to live comfortably in the Church If you should demand the question of Ancient Married persons whether they find the Marriage estate comfortable to them in their old Age or not They would readily returne you an Affirmative Answer that if God should â—ake away either of them that the surviver could not live with comfort When God took away old Sarah by death from old Abraham Gen. 23.2 â—he mourned and wept for parting with her which doth imply he had comfort in her though he could have no Children by her but this being a meer unnecessary Nicety we shall â—pend no more words about it and shall also â—desist from further prosecuting the ends to be â—imed at in Marriage which you may perceive to be three first the glory of God in the propagating his Church Secondly the subduing our corruptions and fleshly lusts Lastly the enjoyment of comfortable society We are in the next place to come to consider some things of the meanes we are to use to obtaine a meet helper The first meanes to obtaine a good wife The first meanes to drive on so pretious a designe by as the gaining a meet helper is prayer The Lord takes it as his own prerogative in a speciall manner to be the bestower of good Wives House and Riches are the Inheritance of the Fathers but a vertuous Wife is the gift of God Pro. 19.14 Beloved in the Lord there is no gift the Lord bestoweth but is richly worth asking and how can we aske but by Prayer It is a mercy that God will let us know where a mercy is lodg'd Now this mercy as well as others is lodg'd in Heaven Every good gift and every perfect giving is from above and commeth down from the Father of Lights Jam. 1.17 Faithfull Prayer hath a long Arme it can reach from Earth to Heaven labour then to improve prayer aright for the obtaining this blessing and waite upon God in the use of other meanes and doubt not of good speed I am very confident that these mercies are fullest of juyce that are given us from Heaven as in answer to faithfull prayer how full of splendor will thy Wife be in thy eye when thou look'st on her as given from Heaven And by the way let me adde that happy are those Wives that are obtained by the faithfull prayers of their Husbands For they shall be best beloved and most prized because they are received by their Husbands as a love-token sent them from Heaven The Servant of Abraham was well acquainted with the meanes to gaine a good Wife for his Masters Son Aske some how they come by such and such a thing and they will tell you they got it with a silver hooke and such a hooke they have that will bring them any thing in if you will beleeve them But this godly servant was furnished with silver and gold enough to make use of a hooke or hookes to have driven on his designe by but he was better furnished than so son he had the gracious hooke of Prayer and with that he penetrates Heaven and there lies he tugging till he had obtain'd the mercy of a good Wife and meet helper for his young Master The same course must thou take for to obtaine this mercy for thy selfe and thou maiest receive incouragement to walke first in this way of seeking God by prayer before any other meanes be used if thou wilt but take a survey diligently of the blessed event the servant of Abraham had of his going to God for direction in this case And so a blessing on his journey As he that takes a wife without consent of Parents can looke for no portion with her so be sure that he that takes a wife without the Lords consent as he doth in a sense that begs her not of him by prayer can looke for no comfort and comfort is the portion which God gives with his Daughters nay on the contrary such a man may expect discomfort instead of comfort and a curse instead of a blessing God knows how to meet with thee and to cause all thy Gourds of comfort to wither make thy self certaine of
to his VVife Now this he should do the more carefully that is walke in a good conversation before his wife because most men and women in the world are apt to be led by example good or bad more than by precept The examples of Superiours are of â—n attractive nature to Inferiours especially if the Inferiour do love and reverence the Superiour as the wife doth if her heart be married â—o her Husbands there is an intrinsecall principle in her to carry out her desires and endeavours to tread in his steps she will endeavour â—o imitate her Husband in his words and actiâ—ns The VVives of Jacob were brought up in â—dolatry but they hauing better examples set â—hem by their Husbands of worshipping the â—ue God they will be of his Religion Their â—ather worshipped false Gods Gen. 31.19 30. But they will pray to the true God it is said God hearkened unto Leah Gen. 30.17 then â—oubtlesse she prayed that must be implied â—en in ver 22. God hearkened unto Rachel â—o sure she had also prayed Mahlon and â—hilion take them wives in Moab who were â—otorious Idolaters but from their Husbands â—imples they had learned to serve the true â—od of Israel Ruth especially was brought to constant love of the true God for when her other in Law had put her upon the triall and â—d perswaded her Sister to returne backe â—aine to her people and to her gods yet â—e would by no meanes follow her Mothers â—ounsell nor her Sisters Apostatizing examâ—e but strongly adheres to the true God of â—ael and will forsake Countrey and deare naâ—rall friends besides rather than depart from â—e God of her Husband read the whole â—hapter of the first of Ruth Thus we see that good examples from Husbands may gaine upon the spirits of their wives some good Affections to goodnesse and care to imitate the best Patterns Now as good examples in Husbands may with Gods blessing produce glorious and comfortable effects upon the hearts and in the Conversations of good wives so on the contrary bad examples from Husbands before their wives may bring them to the height of all wickednesse and pertinaciousness in those their perishing waies without the infinite mercy of God in Christ Of which take a president or two in 1 King 16.25 it is said that Omri wrought evill in the eyes of the Lord and did worse than all that were before him And then in ver 30. it is said that Ahab the Son of Omri did evill in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him VVhere by the way we see the Son imitates the Father in his wicked waies Now as Ahab was a worshipper of false Gods so he was an enemy to the Prophets of the true God for proofe whereof mind the 9 10. and 17. verses of the 18. Chap. of 1 King Also Chap 21.20 so again in Chap. 22.8 where he plainely saith he hated Micaiah but observe how his accursed wife Jezebel followeth his vile way of persecuting Elijah she hates and seekes his life 1 Kings 19.2 But if it be said it is to no purpose this way to insert passages of wickedness relating to Omri and Ahab they were not Husband and VVife but Father and Son I answer it is true they were so but that is taken notice of only to prove Ahab was a wicked man before he had Jezebel to wife who did stir him up to wickednesse 1 Kings 21.25 for she might be both a follower of his bad examples as doubtlesse she was and yet a provoker of him to abundance of notorious vilenesse But take a president cleare from all exception from Ananias and Saphira his wife Ananias observing the forwardnesse of many true Chistians whom God had blest with some temporall Estates in the time of others great extremities by reason of poverty in times of persecution that they were willing to sell all and communicate it to others which held out the life of love to Christ Ananias I say observing this he plaies the close hypocrite and bids as faire to maintaine the name and forme of a Christian as others did but he detaines a part of the money in a private way for to maintaine him and his wife yet pretends and affirmes the contrary His wife Saphira follows his example of hypocrisie joynes with him in false affirmations and so both perish together Acts 5.1 to the end of ver 10. Beloved Thou that art a Husband as chiefly in relation to God and thy own soule hast need to walke accurately with all circumspection in the whole course of thy life to beware of any scandalous waies out of pitty to thy poore yoak-fellow that by thy example thou lead her not into the way of sin and so to hell for ever without the infinite and boundlesse mercy of God For if thou be carelesse herein Dives in Hell will rise up in judgement against thee at the last day for in that place of torment he had some charity as we may say to his poore Brethren I know it is but a Parable but yet there is much in Parables and thou hast none on Earth to the soule of thy poore wife yet this I must grant that in Hell there can be no charity for that is a grace and so cannot be there but to speake properly it was a fruit of selfe-love he knew he had led his Brethren by his example into the way of sin and that leades to Hell and that if they should come there it would aggravate his horrour and guilt And truly if thou shouldst shun giving evill examples to thy wife on that ground that is out of selfe-love it were better to do it so than not at all for we see it by daily experience that such as the Husband is the Wife is divers times the same if he be zealous in good duties and frequent therein if he be full of selfe-deniall and of patience under the Rod of God resigning himselfe to be at his dispose if he be of an humble spirit full of Temperance Sobriety Love and of a pitifull and tender heart to those that are in misery and ready to every good worke and labouring to hold forth the power of godliness in Mortification and Vivification in dying to sin and living to righteousness If he labour to live by faith against sense If he labour to worship God publikely privately and secretly I say if the Husband have these graces these qualifications and Divine Operations O how will a gracious wife heave and strive pant after and gaspe for spirituall vigour in the strength of God to imitate the same in her sweet precious heavenly and Angelicall Husband Ah Deare heart let me beg of thee and beseech thee with all the obsecrations in the world that thou wouldst give thy wife no worse examples than those for hereby thou shalt glorifie God Edifie and build up thy wife in grace discharge a grand Matrimoniall duty and gaine demonstrations of thy present gracious condition here and
the Palsie and grievously tormented he goes in person to Jesus Christ who was a Physitian both for body and soul and humbly beseecheth him for his servants cure and through the free grace of Christ obtains it its good to goe to God in the first place for supplyes of all the wants of our selves and our relations Hee that is in misery ought to bee comforted of his neighbour as it is in the Geneva Translation Job 6.14 Now if Neighbours must put forth themselves to comfort or relieve and help such as are in any misery How much more must Governours of Families labour to perform this duty to their sick and distempered servants the inference is undenyable A good man is mercifull to his beast saith one Translation And another saith A righteous man regardeth the life of his Beast Proverbs 12.10 And how much better is a man than a sheep Mat. 12.12 But it is much to be bewailed that many servants who have in their health and strength well discharged their duties to their Masters yet find small comfort and regard from them when the hand of God is fallen upon them for they are then either sent home to their poor and indigent Parents to take care after or else mued up in a hole and small attendance and lesse allowance of means for their good provided for them such Governours of Families are cursed and hard-hearted persons and pity it is that ever good servants should step over their Thresholds to serve them for such have neither mercy nor justice in them neither grace nor good nature And yet of this stamp and hell-bred crew there are great swarms but let them take heed God is just their owne children be not so served when they are servants to others but I wish them better speed We might here adde a Word concerning seasonable Recreations to be allowed to servants for they may stand in great need of them sometimes after long and sore labour to quicken their spirits and to enliven them with all alacrity to return to their imployment we say Whet is no let And without doubt if Masters would grant it them they would be rather gainers by in the quick and wel-managing their businesses than losers But when Masters grant this liberty as before said I would advise them to take much care that the Recreations allowed be lawfull the time seasonable and their servants company civill or else both Masters and servants may repent the one that they gave the liberty and the other that they so ill improved the same In the second place it is the duty of Masters c. The second outward duty that Masters owe to their servants to allow their servants sufficient wages for their labour and to pay it to them when it is due If they have not sufficient wages they cannot maintaine themselves for the preservation of health and decency both which must be allowed nay and more too if their deserts challenge the same servants may spend thoughts of changing their estate we say service is no heritage and must they make no preparation in order thereunto That were absurd to thinke would you that are Masters have your servants barely live You would not like that if you would be pleased to put your selves in their condition But in the second place it is the duty of Masters to pay their servants their wages in due time and that is when it is due by the conditions of the Contract betweene you and them Mal. 3.5 God threatens to be a swift witnesse against this particular sin of oppressing the hireling in his wages amongst other sins Now a man may be guilty of this sin as well in deteining due wages in relation to time of paiment of it as in over-reaching a servant in contract for it turne to that place Deut. 24.14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired servant at his day thou shalt give him his hire neither shall the sun go down upon it The Labourer is worthy of his hire Luk. 10.7 Masters give unto your servants that which is just and equall Col. 4.1 James tels you that the detaining wages from Labourers cryeth and the cries of them are entred into the cares of the Lord of Sabbath James 5.4 And surely when ever the Lord gives an eare to cries whether the cry of Innocent bloud as that of Abel Gen. 4.10 or any other occasion some fearfull vengeance doth fall upon the heads of such as cause them to ascend and therefore the Apostle James bids those worldlings houle for those miseries that should come upon them Now you that are Masters c. as you would keep off the curse prevent the cry The third duty of Masters to their Servants In the third and last place the dutie of Masters c. to their servants is to be liberall to them at times of parting in case they have been servants a considerable time and have been diligent and faithfull and so a blessing to them Deut. 15.12 13 14. So Prov. 17.2 There be many Masters who are strangers to this duty even in the knowledge of it and more in the practice thereof Yet some I dare not say in conscience to the performance of this duty but rather from the freenesse of their nature doe upon the matter that which is equivalent hereunto namely those that if their servants part from them by Marriage will give them beneficiall wedding dinners and sometimes divers peeces of necessary houshold-stuffe which is a great advantage to them and this is so laudable a thing that I could wish all would more practice the same provided they prevent all abusivenesse of the Creature by luxury and excess and disorder of every kind at such meetings Thus you see that Governours of Families do owe three duties to their servants in relation to their outward conditions First to allow unthem meat drinke and all other necessaries for their comfortable subsistance Secondly to yield them sufficient wages And lastly to be liberall to them at time of parting And thus by the gracious assistance of God we have finished all that was proposed at first to be considered of by such as desire to enter into the Marriage estate relating to the duties which each person in that condition of life owe one to another and both of them to such as God shall set under them viz. to children and servants But here it will be of some concernment to take notice of what duty children and servants owe unto Parents and Masters that they may call upon them to performe the same where we shall first observe the duties Children owe unto their Parents and then the duties of Servants to their Masters c. In the first place it is the duty of Children to yield unto their Parents all due Reverence and Honour The first duty Children owe unto their Parents this duty is expresly commanded by God in Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother which the Apostle Eph. 6.2 takes notice
of livelihood somtimes to enjoy society of choise friends there be none of these but may give a man a cleare call somtimes to remove his habitation he must if he be a Christian obey God herein Now take this for a most undeniable truth that whatever passage of Divine providence will warrant the lawfulnesse of the Husbands change of place of dwelling will also warrant the Wives call to travell with her Husband and to live with him wheresoever he pitch his Tent. Marke the Apostles phrase 1 Cor. 9.5 Have we not power to lead about a Sister a Wife as well as other Apostles and as the Brethren of the Lord and as Cephas where you may note that the Apostles the Brethren of the Lord and Cephas did lead about their wives which they could not have done against their wills and Paul doth challenge the same priviledge as due to him as well as to the other But to add a cleare demonstration to this truth yet further by joyning presidents to priviledges consider the practice of Sarah when God cals Abraham to leave his country and go into that which he would shew him she goeth with him Gen. 12.5 When God cals him the second time to remove that is to go into Egypt because of the Famine in the Land where he did live you shall find his wife did go with him ver 10 11. who did also returne with him Chap. 13.1 Againe when God cals Isaac to go to Gerar to sojourne there for a time and that by reason of Famine too Rebekah his wife goes with him Gen. 26.1 7. But in a speciall manner mind the practice of Leah and Rachel they are willing to leave their Fathers house and kindred not being enforced by Famine to enjoy society with Jacob their husband Gen. 31.4 to the end of ver 18. As Ruth said to Naomi her mother in Law Where thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge and where thou dyest I will dye and there will I be buried The Lord do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me Ruth 1.16 17. So must every Christian wife say to her husband where thou livest I will live and where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried for nought but death shall part thee and me By all which it doth or may appeare that it is the duty of the wife to her husband to Cohabit with him in what place soever God shall call him and if she performe not this duty she disables her selfe to the observation of others But in case first that the husband will live in a Popish Countrey out of either a superstitious or fantasticall end or humour The wife is not bound to follow him for she must look more after the true worship of God and the salvation of her own soule than after any outward comfortable condition in the world Or secondly if the Husband be an unbeliever and doth not like to live with a believing wife then such a wife is at liberty if I mistake not the Apostle to live from him 1 Cor. 7.13 15. But lastly in case the husband do violate the Covenant of Marriage by Adultery Fornication c. Then if the wife please she may forsake him which by necessary consequence may appeare from the words of Christ Mat. 5.32 Chap. 19 9. For if the husband may put his wife away for such breach of Marriage-Contract why not the wife put away her husband on the like occasion But if upon ordinary occasion the wife shall refuse the performance of this duty to her husband she doth make void and null one speciall end of Marriage and so sins against God the ordainer of that happy estate also against her Husband in depriving him of his due comfort and lastly against her soule and conscience as contracting sin and guilt and against her body in a violent cutting the thread of her chiefest externall felicity So much for this particular duty from the wife to the husband In the third place The third duty of the VVife to the Husband the duty of the Wife to her Husband is to improve her spirituall abilities to be helpfull to him in the best things for the good of his soule to stir him up to good duties when she takes notice of any remissnesse and carnall security in him by sweet exhortations and holy conference she must labour to quicken him against a spirituall Lethargy which if it seize on him will so becloud and benight his senses that he shall have neither head nor heart with any cheerefulnesse of spirit to walke with his God which if his wife discerne him inclining to but in a speciall manner captivated under she had need to bestir her selfe to salute him often with such Texts of Scripture as these viz. Luk. 9.62 1 Cor. 9 the later part of ver 24. Phil. 3.13 14. Rev. 2.4 and the begining of ver 5. Rev. 3.15 16. Luk. 17.32 Ezek. 18.24 26. She must labour to stir him up to love and good workes and therein follow the example of the Shunamite 2 King 4 9 10. thou that art a Wife read the place and follow the Precept She must labour to strengthen her Husbands faith when he shews most weakenesse After Manoah had offered a sacrifice to God the Angell of the Lord did wonderfully in the presence of him and his wife The good Mans faith began to faile We shall dye saith he because we have seen God want of faith was like to kill the poore man Now his wife steps in very opportunely and labours to strengthen his faith If saith she the Lord would have kill'd us he would not have told us these things nor accepted a Sacrifice at our hands Judg. 13.20 22 23. so she makes good that place in Eccl. 4.9 10. Two are bettter than one for if one fall the other will lift up his fellow but woe be to him that is alone for he hath not another to help him up Truly there is a marvellous Sympathy betweene Husband and Wife in all conditions I meane when they live and love together as man and wife one will labour to support another And one thing let me put thee on in a speciall manner that is be sure as thou dost desire to improve thy gifts and parts for the good of thy Husbands soule That thou do never neglect to pray for him As Aaron did beare the names of the Children of Israel before the Lord on his two shoulders for a memoriall Exod. 28.9 12. So be thou sure to beare the remembrance of thy Husbands poore soule upon thy heart when thou art to appeare before the Lord in thy Closet-worship that thou maiest prevaile with God for a blessing for him that he may be heavenly and spirituall in all his deportments toward God and toward manâ— that in the strength of Gods grace he may be a selfe-denying and a selfe-mortifying Christian That he may be furnished with