Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A07314
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The mirrour of religious men, and of godly matrones Exhibited in the golden legends of these six famous and faithfull persons. Abraham & Sara, Isack [&] Rebecca: Iacob [&] Rahel. Very comfortable to be read of all the sonnes and daughters of such faithfull parents according to the promise, for the rectifying of their liues and the confirming of their faith. By I.M. Master in Arts.
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Maxwell, James, b. 1581.
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1611
(1611)
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STC 17702; ESTC S119447
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49,058
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174
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THE MIRROVR of Religious men and of godly Matrones EXHIBITED IN THE GOLden Legends of these six famous and faithfull Persons Abraham Sara Isack Rebecca Iacob Rahel Very comfortable to be read of all the sonnes and daughters of such faithfull parents according to the promise for the rectifying of their liues and the confirming of their faith By I. M. Master in Arts. LONDON Printed for E. White and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the gun neere the little north dore of Pauls 1611. TO THE RIGHT HONOrable Bruce-sprung noble Lord IOHN Lord Harington Baron of Exton and to the right noble and worthy the Lady ANNE his wife and the most vertuous Gouernesse of the moste gracefull yong Princesse Madam ELIZABETH Infanta of Albion all heauenly and earthly happinesse IT is the custome right honourable of such as set or send out any worke to publike viewe to make choyse of some worthy Person for the patronizing thereof So that I being about the publishing of certaine Essayes and Meditations of mine morall and diuine and among others of this present Pamphlet I began to bethinke my selfe of some conuenient Patron for the countenancing thereof And in end after that I had considered of the nature and kinde of the Subiect sufficiently and had weighed with my selfe the greatnesse of your humanity both towards Schollers and my Countrymen I was emboldened so much the more to publish it vnder the combined splendor of your vnited illustrious names In it one may see as in a cleere Mirrour or christall glasse a plaine and liuely representation of the sayth pietie and deuotion of the vprightnes charity compassion of the Temperance sobriety and moderation and of the diligence industrie honest conuersation of the godly Men and Women of olde namely of the six famous faithfull persons therein more particularly painted out In whose golden Legends I hope the sharpest-sighted shal not espie so much as the smallest spice of any fained fiction falshood or he the which thing no doubt many will deeme and esteeme a great rarity in a golden Legend In it one also may see a perfit patterre and picture of a perfit Seruant of God Man or Woman together with an exemplary proofe of Gods bountifull requiting and liberall rewarding of them for their seruice Therein likewise is as it were in a visible manner expressed to the eye the exceeding great care that Almighty God hath of his children euen of all such as doe commend their estate and commit their affaires vnto his fatherly prouidence Finally this little Mirrour doth afford diuers moral obseruations and instructions to the number of 68. touching the chiefe duties that men and women owe vnto God and likewise one vnto another namely such as doe mutually concerne husbands wiues parents and children maisters and Seruants Considering then that the nature of it is such and that it may serue somewhat for the furtherance of men and women chiefely those of the yonger sort in the exercise of soundnes of beliefe and of sincerity of life I am so much the more bold to implore your worthy Patronage therein and to pray your honours in the behalfe thereof to answere vnto the signification of your two christen names which doe import Grace and gracious and euen to grace this meane Testimonie of a dutifull minde with your gracious acceptance The which fauour if it shall please your honours to afford me I shall be encouraged to be a-about the shewing of some more ample signification of mine obseruancie towards the honour of your names And thus wishing in the meane time vnto a gracefull IOHN and ANNA such felicitie hap and honour as hath befaln vnto ABRAHAM SARA ISACK and REBECCA IACOB and RAHEL whose godlines and vertuousnes ye doe so happily imitate I rest Your Honours deuoted to all humble duties IAMES MAXWELL A SVMMARIE VIEWE of the chiefe contents of this present Legend-booke I. OF obedience vnto the Lords voyce page 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. II. Of faith in God of the wonderfull effects thereof 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. III. Of the religious care that should be in Parents for their children and in Masters mistresses for their seruants p. 12. 13. 14. 139. 142. 143. 144. 145 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 158. IIII. Of the qualities of a good Seruant P. 14. 15. 16. 17. V. Of the charity pitty compassion equity and peaceable disposition that ought to be in christians P. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 70. 71. 92. VI. Of Gods blessing and rewarding of such as serue him and waite on him p. 3. 25. 26. 27. 28. 57. 58. 59. 65. 66. 67. 68. 76. 107. 116. 119. 120. VII Of Gods raising vp of the despised and of his casting downe of the despisers p. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. VIII Of the subiection modestie and shamefastnes that ought to be in Christian women p. 52. 53. 79. 80. 81. IX Of Beauty and Bounty in women p. 54. 55. 56. 57. 71. 72. 109. 110. 111. X. Of Gods presence assistance in the time of the godly mans aduersity and affliction p. 66. 67. 68. 69. 101 102. 123. 124. 126. 127. 130. 131. 132. XI Of diligence and industrie that ought to be in Christian men and women p. 73. 74. 104. 105. 106. 111. 112. XII Of the humility and humanity that ought to be in Christian men and women p. 75. 133. 134. XIII Of the heart-fasting that ought to be in such parties as are about mariage before that they be hand-fasted p. 76. 77. 107. XIIII Of parents and friends blessing and well aduising of the married couple p. 78. 79. XV. Of the excellency of a vertuous wife and of the great account that her husband should make of her p. 82. 83. 84. 88. 93. XVI Of the feruent loue that ought to be betweene married folkes p. 85. 87. 88. XVII Of the great efficacy of the righteous mans prayer p. 88. 89. 90. 91. XVIII Of Gods loue and fauour and of the great efficacy thereof p. 95. 96. 97. 124. 125. 126. XIX Of the patience innocency and modesty that ought to be in Christians p. 98. 99. 100. 102. 103. 112. XX. Of Gods remembring of his children after a seeming forgetfulnes p. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. XXI Of the Christians patient waiting on God and of the good issue thereof p. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. XXII Of the thankefulnes that ought to be in Christians towards God for benefits receiued p. 121. 122. 138. 139. XXIII Of the care and charge that Gods Angels haue of the afflicted and godly p. 127. 128. 129. 130. XXIIII Of Christians acknowledging of Gods gratiousnes and of their owne vnworthines p. 135. 138. XXV Of the great vanity of Idols or shop-Gods of golde siluer p. 140. 141. 142. ERRATA Page 8.
godly Isack after his prayer in one good wife found a treasure of good things and in one blessing receiued many Instruction 33 blessings To teach vs that prayer is the proper meanes to pull downe vpon vs aboundance of Gods good things and as Rebecca performed the duties of a vertuous wife in her husbands behalfe so did Isack play the part of discreete and louing husband towards her Gen. 24.67 For it is said that he loued Rebecca and was comforted in her and by her after his mothers death for as I said before out of Siracides the grace of a good wife reioyceth her husband Eccles 26.1.2.13 and doubleth the nomber of his dayes And as it is recorded that he loued Rebecca so is it also Gen. 26.8 that he reioyced and sported with her according to that which the wise man inioyneth saying Eccles 9.9 Reioyce with thy wife which thou hast loued all the dayes of the life which God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne And the holy Apostle as he enioyneth wiues to be of holy behauiour sober temperate discreete Tit. 2.2.3.4.5 Colloss 18 19 Ephes 5.25 28. chast keeping at home subiect louers of their husbands and of their children so likewise he exhorteth husbands to loue their wiues as their owne bodyes and not to be bitter Instruction 34 vnto them for he that loueth his wife saith he loueth himselfe If a mans wife be of a sweet and gracious disposition then ought the husband to ioyne his sweetnes to his wiues except he meane to shew himselfe a beast yea worse then a beast in being bitter and sowre in the behalfe of his vertuous wife And if otherwise she be of a more bitter vnpleasing disposition then behooueth then he must shew himselfe wise in allaying the sowrenesse and bitternes of his wines behauiour with the sweetenesse of his patient and gentle inclination in labouring to reclaime her by all kinde of faire perswasions and enducements of loue Thus the discreete husband may amend that male-pleasing humour of his wife whereas by vsing bitternes in her behalfe he shall turne his wiues wormwood into gall of aspes and make her ten folde more bitter and sowre then she was at first Thus then in the person of Instruction 35 godly Isack and vertuous Rebecca are all husbands and wiues taught to labour by all meanes to be a comfort and ioy one vnto another Wiues to loue in most entire manner their husbands to reuerence and obey them with all subiection submission of body and minde and to be alwayes a matter of ioy and comfort vnto them and husbands on the other part to make much of their wiues to loue them entierly and to esteeme of them as their greatest ornament their best portion their dearest inheritance their surest helpe their strongest piller their sweetest comfort their richest pearle and in one worde as their most glorious crowne Gen. 25.21 24.63.64 Rebecca was barren for a time but the Lord at the prayer and entreatie of her husband Isack made her to beare Thus Isack as by prayer he had obtained a vertuous wife so by prayer he purchased at Gods hands for his wife the strength and ability to Instruction 36 conceiue and to beare children Wherein we finde that saying of the Apostle verified Iam. 5.16 The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be feruent Gen. 20 17 18. Abraham was a righteous man and at his prayer Abimelechs wife ceased to be barren and Abimelech himselfe was healed Deut. 9.20 21. Num. 12.10 Moses was a righteous man and at his prayer Aron purchased pardon for his idolatrie and Miriam was cured of her leaprie Num. 16.47.48 Aron was a righteous man and at his prayer the plague ceased from the people Samuel was a righteous man 1. Sam 7.8 9.10.11.12 and at his prayer the Isralites scattred ouercame the Philistims Eliah was a righteous man 1. King 17 17.18.19 20.21.22.23 18.45 and at his prayer he obtained raine after the drought of three yeeres and restored his hostesse sonne to life Likewise at his prayer the two captaines ouer fifty with their fifties sent by Ahaziah to apprehend him 2. King 1.7.8.9.10 11.12.13 were deuoured by fire from heauen and the third captaine with his fiftie at the Prophets desire were preserued Elisha was a righteous man and at his prayer the Shunamite conceiued bare a sonne to her husband being old 2. King 4.12.13.14 15.16.17 31.33.34 35.36 and that after long barrennes whome afterwards he also restored againe to life being dead likewise at his prayer the men that the king of Sirya had sent to apprehend him 2 King 18 2.23.24 was smitten with blindnes And the 42. children that mocked him were torne in peeces by two Beares out of the Forrest The Prophet sent by God to Ieroboam to reproue him was a righteous man and at his prayer Ieroboams hand being first dried vp was restored 1. King 13 6 So great is the force of a righteous mans prayer It openeth the windowes of heauen to giue raine after long drinesse and the wombe of women to beare after long barrennesse As the Apostle saith through God I am able to doe all things So through prayer is the righteous man able to obtaine all things And as Isack had his recourse vnto God by prayer Gen. 25.22.23.28 to make his wife fruitfull so She hauing conceiued and feeling the children in her wombe to striue together it is said that she went to aske the Lord concerning the meaning of Instruction 37 that matter Wherein men and women are taught in euerie difficultie to haue their recourse vnto God by prayer for this hath been alwayes the custome of Gods people both women and men It was reuealed vnto her that the elder should serue the yonger and that Iacob should be more acceptable vnto God then Esau and therefore the holy woman loued Iacob more then Esau Gen. 27.6.10 and by her counsaile and prudence he got the blessing from his brother Esau for whome the Lord blesseth and loueth shall be blessed and loued of the best men likewise And when as Esau in reuenge had intended to slay Iacob Rebecca which by interpretation is asmuch as contention hindered did indeede and in effect answere vnto her name and therefore to Instruction 38 hinder this mortall and bloudy strife betweene her two children she sent Iacob away to Haran to her Brother Laban there to tarrie vntill Esaus fiercenes were asswaged Gen. 27.41 42.43.44.45 In which doing Rebecca as she bewraied both her wisdome and her peaceable disposition So hath she left vnto all women wiues and mothers an example of imitation to preserue peace and to preuent strife and contention amongst her children and seruants Happie then was godly Isack to haue receiued at the Lords hands such a vertuous wife and peaceable wife as was Rebecca for a peaceable woman and of gaod