to glorifie God to further the Church of God and common wealth to further righteousnes and truth to helpe the oppressed and afflicted to comfort the comfortles to releeue the widow and fatherles and to these ends to doe all other good workes which either the common duety of Christianity or our own priuate calling requireth of vs. Titus the Emperour of Rome when he had ouerpassed a day wherein he had done no speciall good deede no good turne to any man was wont to say Diemperdidi I haue lost a day Alas what a thing is it when a Christian man shall so spend a whole life as that in the end thereof hee may say Vitam perdidi I haue lost a life I haue liued so as that I haue neither done any faithfull seruice to God nor left any memoriall or example of any good that I haue done amongst men Seneca saith well that q Seneca de tranquil animi there is nothing more shamefull then an old man who hath no other argument to proue that he hath liued long but onely that he is old no good fruits no good effects by which it may be remembred that his life from time to time hath bene beneficiall to other men Euen so it is a long life is but a great reproch when by weldoing it hath left no testimonie of it selfe To which purpose it is worth the noting which Gregory obserueth that of good men it is sayd in Scripture that such a one or such a one died old and r Greg. Moral l. 35. cap. 15. full of dayes but neuer of an euill man as whereby wee should vnderstand that he is full of dayes who hath made good vse of his dayes and bestowed them in good deeds but otherwise we do but lose our dayes and by losing our dayes loose our selues also He that hath warned vs that we shall ſ Mat. 12. 36. giue account of our idle words doth thereby aduertise vs that we shall giue account of our idle houres and much more of our dayes and moneths and yeares which so many of vs bestow wholly in a manner in pleasure and vanity in riotousnesse and vnthriftinesse in sinne and wickednesse and therefore when they come to their end lye tumbling in their sicknesse t Esay 51. 20. like a wild bull in a net as the Prophet speaketh full of the wrath of the Lord without any hope without any comfort because their life hath bene such as hath yeelded them no hope or comfort towards God Blessed is he who when the summons of death commeth set thy house in order for thou shalt die can say to God as Ezechias did u Esay 38. 3. O Lord I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart 6 But this walking importeth not only mouing and stirring but mouing and going forward wherby we gain the way more more and come neerer and neerer to the end Euen so are we still to be gaining and growing and going forward in the wayes of God in all vertue and goodnes not to stand still at one stay and as it were to runne in one ring but as wee labour to thriue in the goods of this world so much more to encrease in those things whereby we may be x Luk. 12. rich in God y Psal 84. 7. To goe from strength to strength z Ro. 1. 17. from faith to faith a 2. Cor. 3. 18. from glory to glory b 2. Pet. 3. 18. to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ Thus doth Solomon instruct vs that c Pro. 4. 18. the way of the righteous shineth as the light which shineth more and more vnto the perfect day Which he that careth not to doe is as the man that spendeth of the stocke and groweth thereby to decay for d Gregor in Pastoral par 3. admonit 35. the soule of man in this world is like vnto a ship or boate as Gregory saith going against the stream which cānot rest in one place but by the sway of the water is caried downeward vnlesse it be still labouring to go vpward Therfore Bernard saith e Bernard in purific ser 3 Not to go forward in the way of life is to go backward f Idem epist 2 53. not to care to increase is to decrease g Idem epist 91. look where thou beginnest not to regard to grow better there thou quite giuest ouer to be good at all h August de verb. Apost ser 15. If thou say I haue enough saith Austin thou art gone thou art vtterly vndone 7 Lastly this growth requireth perseuerance continuance till we come to the end whereto our walking is directed The end is all in all to giue ouer before we come to the end though it be but in the last attempt is the losse of all our labour and reward Therefore i 1. Cor. 9. 24. so run saith Saint Paul that ye may obtaine which is k Heb. 3. 14 when we keepe sure vnto the end that beginning wherwith we are vpholdē that is hold fast to the end the true doctrine and faith of Christ wherewith we first began and is a sure foundation for vs to build vpon for l Mat. 24. 13. hee that continueth to the end saith our Sauiour Christ he shall be saued Many begin in the spirit and seeme for the time to be nothing but spirit and yet afterward end in the flesh and m Gal. 6. 8. of the flesh reape corruption Many n Luk. 9. 2. lay their hand to the plough and afterwards looke back and thereby are vnfit for the kingdome of God Therefore let vs hearken to Saint Iohn o 2. Iohn vers 8. Take heed to your selues that wee lose not the things that we haue done but that we may receiue a great reward We lose the things that we haue done when we growe weary of doing them p Gal. 6. 9. weary of well doing and leaue to go forward in that course wherein we haue well begun And thus much of the life of man set forth vnto vs by a walke 8 It followeth now that we speake of the conueniencie of this walke which standeth in walking together in company and fellowship which as the Prophets words leade vs to consider beginneth first at two as we find accordingly the first societie to haue bene betwixt two God and Man and the second betwixt two Man and Woman From whence spring all other societies which God hath ordeined for the behoofe of the life of man God made man of the dust of the earth that from the earth he might haue company to dwell with him in heauen but yet so as that first he would walke with man and would haue man to walke together with God here vpon earth Which duty of walking with God and of care to haue God to walke with vs though on our part it began but in one yet is
A VVEDDING SERMON PREACHED AT BENTLEY in Darby-shire vpon Michaelmasse day last past Anno Domini 1607. WHEREIN IS SET FORTH the Bond and Preseruation 1. The spirituall coniunction betwixt God and man 2. The Corporall marriage betwixt man and vvoman 3 The neighbourly societie betwixt man and man By R. ABBOT Doctor of Diuinitie Printed at London by N. O. for Roger Iackson dwelling in Fleetstreet neere to the great Conduit 1608. To the right worshipfull Sir John Stanhope Knight the Father of the bridegroome Knight my most louing and good Patron RIght worshipfull Knight my verie good Patron albeit I made a question of vsing your name for the publishing of so small a matter as this sermon is yet I easily resolued that sith it had pleased you to craue the copy thereof you would pardon mee to grace it with the dedication I might wel doubt to offer so little wher I owe so much but that I considered that small offices sometimes are testimonies of great affectiōs presumed that according to your wonted loue you would take the wil in good worth howsoeuer the worke seeme to bee of small import Accept it therefore I humbly pray you as a very thankfull acknowledgement of your great fauour towards mee both in calling me first to the place where now I liue and giuing me since such respect and countenance as whereby I haue with comfort and contentment enioyed the same And surely if therein I haue done in publicke any profitable seruice to the Church of God a great part thereof is to bee reputed to you who so freely and graciously of your owne voluntary accord and onely for the workes sake which I performed being my selfe wholy strange and vnknowne to you vouchsafed by your gift to free mee of that incessant labour wherein I had beene imployed before for the space of tenne yeares in reading and preaching in the Cathedrall Church and Citie of Worcestor and to setle mee in a place where I might more freely dispose of my selfe though not to withdraw my selfe from the seruice to which I had deuoted my selfe yet in some part to bestow my time to the common benefit of the whole Church which before was limited to one onely congregation Amidst which imployments either publicke or priuate if I attaine to doe any thing to yeeld you any helpe or furtherance in things appertaining to God and in Gods behalfe to answer the end wherat you aimed in your first acceptance of me I much reioyce therein and euer shal reioyce and thinke that houre or time happily bestowed wherein I shall be the helper of your ioy and 2. Co 1. 24 of that faith wherby you shall stand in the day of the Lord Iesus As for this sermon being but a countrey exercise if any shall thinke it not so well polished as that it should bee fit in this sort to goe abroad your approbation shall be my excuse and in that nature I commend it to you that haue desired it wishing with it to you and to your whole house all happines and honour and that the Oliue by my seruice implanted into your stocke may yeeld many branches to the enlarging and strengthning thereof so resting alwaies Yours in all dutie much bounden and deuoted R. Abbot A WEDDING SERMON PREACHED AT the mariage of Sir Iohn Stanhope Knight second son to the right worshipfull Sir Iohn Stanhope Knight of Eluaston in the same County to Mistres Oliue Berrisford now the Ladie Oliue Stanhope sole daughter and heire to Master Edward Berrisford of Berrisford Esquire Amos 3. 3. Can two walke together except they bee agreed THe words are but few yet fewe as they are doe minister matter of a large discourse of the bond and preseruation of spirituall amitie and coniunction betwixt GOD and mā of corporall marriage betwixt man and woman and of neighborly sacietie betwixt man and man The locall vse and application of the words is to shew a iust reason of Gods withdrawing himselfe frō them to whome he speaketh and therefore they giue vs occasion principally to consider what is the occasion of breach betwixt GOD and vs. But the same reason being takē from the affections dispositions of men in sorting thēselues one with another do lead vs also to consider wherein standeth either the maintenance or the breach disunion of those coniunctions societies which god hath ordeined amongst vs. The Prophet hauing in the first verse of the chapter called the children of Israel to heare the word of the Lord propoundeth to them in the second verse to call to minde the great loue and mercie wherewith hee had respected honoured them aboue al the nations of the earth You onely haue I knowne saith the Lord of all the families of the earth Where by knowing he meaneth acording to the scripture phrase the taking knowledge of them in speciall loue and kindnes to be their God to do them good when as hee passed by other nations as a stranger as if hee had no respect or regard vnto them Now wheras the consideration of this great mercie should haue moued thē to all thankfulnesse duty towards God they contrariwise a Esay 5. 4. 7. in steede of grapes brought forth wilde grapes for iudgement righteousnes oppression and cruelty so as that they seemed nothing lesse thē to know or regard him who had so graciously of his owne meere and voluntarie loue accepted them Hereupon the Prophet addeth Therfore I will visit you for all your iniquities saith the Lord implying herein that rule of iudiciall proceeding which our sauiour Christ setteth downe as a thing certainly determined with GOD b Luk. 12. 48 To whomsoeuer much is giuen of him much shal be required the greater mercie the greater iudgement the higher the place the more deadly the fall c Bernard in cant ser 84. they saith Bernard who for grace receiued seemed to be the greatest for not beeing gratefull become of least reckoning with God In effect therefore hee saith vnto them as ye haue beene best beloued so ye shal be most greeuously seuerely punished somewhat may in equitie bee remitted to others but all shal be required of you I wil visite you for all your iniquities saith the Lord. And that it might not seeme strange vnto thē that he who had vndertaken d Leuit. 26 11. 12. to dwell amongst them and to walke with them should thus cast them off leaue their company in the words which I haue proposed he appealeth to themselues and maketh them Iudges whether his doing therein bee any other but what they themselues out of their owne conuersation must needes iustify and make good Can two or wil two walke together except they be agreed Will any two of you sort your selues to conuerse liue together who haue no accord or agrement each with other It is expedient to haue company on the way and there is comfort in it but will any man be companiō
now belonging to vs all who are of that one who either seuerally or ioyntly ought to make it our happines and blisse to enioy this gracious amity and friendship with God Which mind the Prophet teacheth vs to put on when hee so often saith q Psal 33 12. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord and blessed are they whom he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance r Psa 144 15. Blessed are they who haue the Lord for their God Å¿ Psal 146. 5. Blessed is the man that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe and whose hope is in the Lord his God The reason whereof the Apostle teacheth vs when he saith t Ro. 8. 31. If God be with vs or on our side who can be against vs Be it that in wil and purpose they be against vs yet in act and deed they can effect nothing Which made the Prophet when he had but named u Esay 8. 8. 9. Immanuel God with vs to breake out into those words of defiance Girde your selues and ye shall be broken in peeces girde your selues and yee shall be broken in peeces take counsell together and it shall come to nought pronounce a decree and it shall not stand for God is with vs. Thus the people of God reioyce in the Psalme x Psal 46. 1 God is our hope and strength a very present helpe in trouble therefore will we not feare though the earth be moued and though the hils be caried into the midst of the sea though the waters thereof rage and swell and though the mountaines shake at the tempest of the same c. The Lord of hosts is with vs the God of Iacob is our refuge The Prophet Dauid is full of these meditations y Psa 27. 1. The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid z Psa 62. 6. 7. God is my strength and my saluation he is my defence I shall not be remoued in God is my health and my glory the rocke of my might in God is my trust a Psal 73. 25. Whom haue I in heauen but thee and what do I desire vpon earth in comparison of thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my life and my portion for euer Herein standeth the ioy and contentment of the godly poore man that though he want the wealth and glory of the world yet he hath the grace of God he walketh with God and hath God to walke with him which though it cary no shew to the world yet he more esteemeth thereof then of all the wealth of the whole world And without this what is all the pompe and glory of the world though a man haue whatsoeuer the world can yeeld him yet what is it all without God The rich man in the Gospell reioyceth in the abundance of his goods he saith to his soule b Luk. 12. 19. Soule eate drinke take thy pleasure thou hast goods layd vp in store for many yeares But it was answered to him from aboue Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule from thee and then whose shall those things be which thou doest possesse so is euerie man saith our Sauiour Christ that is rich in this world and is not rich in God He is a foole by the testimony of our Sauiour Christ who ioyeth to be rich in the goods of this world and neglecteth to be rich towards God rich in knowledge rich in faith rich in grace rich in good workes rich in all things whereby we should be fitted and prepared c Eph. 1. 18. to the rich and glorious inheritance of the saints of God In a word the life of the body is the soule and the life of the soule is God and as the body dieth in the departure of the soule so is the soule yea the whole man dead when he is left of God Without God what is all our life but a shadow which sheweth to be something and indeede is nothing what but a dreame which mocketh a man and maketh him beleeue that he is a king when he is but a peasant that he is rich and abounding in treasure when he is a very beggar d Esay 29. 8. that he is well refreshed at a goodly banquet when he is readie to die for hunger He saith afterwards Me thought it was thus and thus but he findeth it nothing so Euen so the glory of worldly state flattereth men and perswadeth them that they are the only fortunate and happy men when indeede being strangers to God and deuoide of his grace they are found in the end to be most wretched and vnhappie of all other e Psal 49. 14. Their beautie is consumed when they are caried from their houses to their graues death staineth the pride of all their glory and vpon the Beere it is written as to Baltasar vpon the wall f Dan. 5. 26. Mene God hath numbred thy kingdome and hath finished it thou hast henceforth no kingdome no glory nothing but confusion and shame but sorrow and paine because thou hast liued without God and art for euer dead to him 9 Now it enamoureth euery mans affection and mind to haue God to walke with him euery man will pretend a desire to haue it so and a hope that it is so But that wee may not deceiue our selues we are diligently to consider vpon what condition it is that God yeeldeth himselfe to walke with vs and to continue with vs when he hath begun This condition the Prophet telleth vs is agreement with God who will by no meanes condescend to walke with vs vnlesse we haue care to accord and agree with him And what is our agreement with God but our agreement with the word of God by which he is present amongsts vs and by the fame imparteth himselfe vnto vs. g Aâ—gust d verb. dom ser 1. If thou sinne faith Saint Austin the word of God is thine aduersarie and how canst thou be sayd to agree with God when thou art at variance with Gods word As touching this point the Apostle Saint Iohn notably well instructeth vs h 1. Ioh. 1. 5. God is light and in him is no darknesse at all if we say that we haue fellowship with him and walke in darknesse we lie and the truth is not in vs but if we walke in the light as he is in the light which what is it else but to agree with him then we haue fellowship one with another he with vs and we with him and the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all our sinnes More particularly to expresse what it is to walke in the light and to agree with God it is sayd vnto vs i Mat. 5. 48 be ye perfect as your heauenly father is perfect k Luk. 6. 36 be yee mercifull as your heauenly
father is mercifull l Ephes 5. 1 be ye followers of God as deere children and walke in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs m 1. Pet. 1. 15. as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation as it is written n Leuit. 11. 44. Be ye holy for I am holy o 1. Ioh. 3. 3 Euery one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure On the other side p 2. Cor. 6. 14. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse sayth Saint Paul What communion hath light with darknes what concord hath Christ with Belial c. Wherefore come out from amongst them and separate your selues sayth the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I well receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie This is our accord and agreement with God he is cleane and therefore will not haue vs to touch any vncleane thing What shall we say then of those parti-colored Christians and worshippers of God who will be one where cleane and another where vncleane who haue faire faces and foule feete who on the one side shake hands with God and on the other side with the Diuell yea lift vp the left hand to praye to God and throwe stones at him with the right hand who pretend by faith to knowe God by their works deny him who offer vnto Christ a sponge of hollow profession and giue him therein to drinke the vinegre of euill conuersation who as Saint Austin sayth q August in Psal 40. Worship God for the world to come and the Diuell for this present world They go about a thing impossible to ioyne together those things which can by no meanes stand together heauen and hell God and the Diuell Christ and Belial true faith and wicked life What can two walke together except they be agreed Can there be true faith to saluation where there is that life to which God hath certainly threatned destruction can there be one foote in heauen with God when the other foote is with the Diuell in hell Let no man deceiue himselfe either let him make himselfe a whole burnt offering to the Lord as well in workes as in faith as well in conuersation as in religion or else God will wholly reiect him hee agreeth not with God and therefore God will haue no company or fellowship with him 10 It remaineth now to speake of humane societie wherein wee walke together one with another according to those diuerse bonds of coniunction wherewith God hath tied vs to be respectiue each to other To which societie God hath so framed the nature condition of man as that concerning temporall life it were better for a man not to be at all then to be alone Of the benefit whereof Solomon instructeth vs when he saith r Eccles 4. 9 Two are better then one for they haue better wages for their labour if they fall the one will lift vp his fellow but wo to him that is alone for he falleth and there is not a second to lift him vp also if two sleepe togither there shal be warmth but to one how should there be warmth and if one ouercome him two shall stand against him and a threefold coard is not easily broken In which words he giueth vs to vnderstand that whether we respect commoditie for wealth or help for weaknes or comfort for cherishment or defence against violēce all these benefits are yeelded vnto vs by societie and company but being alone are bereft of all Ratio oratio reason and speech which are the two things wherby the nature of māso much excelleth all the creatures of the world what vse haue they especially our speech if wee haue none with whom to reason to whom to speake Those excellent vertues of prudence patience iustice mercy fortitude and the rest what do they serue for if there bee not society of life for the emploiment thereof yea the rule of christian life which is directed vnto vs from God wherein standeth it for the most part but in precepts of charity and loue and of yeilding help comfort each to other So doth Saint Paul instruct vs ſ Phil. 2. 4. Looke not euery man on his owne things but euery man also on the things of other men and hereof proposeth himselfe for an example t 1. Cor. 10. 3. Euen as I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saued Thus againe he teacheth vs u 1. Thes 5. 11. Exhort one another and edify one another admonish them that are vnruly comfort the feeble minded beare with the weake be patient towards all men So doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes x Heb. 10. 24. Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the fellowship that wee haue amongst our selues but let vs exhort one another c. And thus we see in the gospel that our Sauiour Christ at the last day shall specially recount those good workes of charitie and compassion the vse whereof is in the societie of men and which without society haue no place y Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you c. I was hungry and ye gaue me to eate I was thirsty and ye gaue me drinke I was naked and ye clothed me c. Thus is sociall life commended vnto vs as the fittest course wherin to bestow our selues that we may come to God 11 The more may wee wonder that so many so great mē haue bin possessed with that superstitious admiration of eremiticall and solitarie life as the only diuine heauenly state by which notwithstāding they forsooke the fellowship which the Apostle commendeth withdrew themselues from those good offices and dueties which God requireth to bee performed to other men As if they were wiser then God in determining to themselues a more excellent kinde of life then that which God had commended in the exercise of brotherly loue As if they were better then the Patriarches the Prophets the Euangelists the Apostles who all liued in the societie and frequency of the Church As if it should be a good answer vnto Christ at that day to say Lord we haue not done those workes which thou speakest of but left the same as fitting men of more weake vnperfect state and went our selues into the wildernes where wee could do good to none but onely afflicted our selues and z Col. 2. 23 spared not our bodies by watching fasting and lying on the ground What we had we left it at once vowed neuer to haue any thing againe so that though thou shouldest starue for hunger and thirst or perish for cold yet we would thenceforth haue nothing to releiue or succour thee a Mat. 25.
regard and care so to cary themselues each to other as that there may be accord peace betwixt them Otherwise if they be yokefellowes agree not but one draw one way and another another way what doe they but gall the necks and breake the hearts one of another what is the husband in this case but a tyrant to his wife what is the wife to the husbaÌ„d but according to the quality of the ribbe whereof shee was made a crooked rib in stead of a help a hurt in stead of a woman a wound and a wo to man The scripture telleth vs that GOD is the l Heb. 13. 20. God of peace m Cor. 14. 33. not the author of confusion but of peace n Psal 68. 6. vulgat that hee maketh them to be of one mind that dwell in a house If the worke of God be peace if he make them of one minde that are in a house what shall we say of them who vnmake that which God hath made and maintaine war in stead of peace what doe they but destroy the worke of god and turne him out of dores that hee may haue no place to dwell with them we read that when God would speake to Elias the Prophet there o 1. King 19. 11. went before the LORD a mightie strong winde which rent the mountaines and brake the rockes but the Lord was not in the wind and after the winde came an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake after the earthquake came fire but the Lord was not in the fire and after the fire came a soft still voice and therin the Lord spake Euen so is it in this case where in a house there are the teÌ„pestuous and stormy winds the earthquakes and raging fires of brawles and contentions of quarrelling and vnquietnes the Lord is not there the Lord is in the soft and still and louely voice betwixt the husband and the wife For the preseruing of this concord and peace betwixt man and wife there are three things specially to bee required religion affection and patience Religion deliuereth the precepts of walking together affection practiseth them patience remooueth those stumbling blockes which befall in the way to the interrupting and weakening both of religion and affection Religion and the feare of God as it is generally the foundation of all humane happinesse and felicity so must it in speciall bee accounted the ground of all that comfort and blisse which man and wife desire to find in the enioying each of other It hath speciall promises made vnto it by God to the man p psa 112. 1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that hath great delight in his commandements to the woman q pro. 31. 30. Fauour is deceitfull and beauty is vanitie a fit of an ague staineth it time decayeth it old age weareth it quite out but the woman that feareth the Lord she shall be blessed r 1. Tim. 4. 8 Godlinesse saith the Apostle is profitable for all things and hath the promises both of this life and of that that is to come They therefore whom it concerneth to walke together both for the things of this life and for the obtaining of the life to come must learne to account Å¿ 1. Tim. 6. 6 godlinesse great gaine and then thinke they thriue best when amidst their worldly thrift they best thriue in religion towards God The feare of God worketh that t 1. Pet. 3. 4 meeke and quiet spirit which Saint Peter commendeth and namely in the wife which as it is a thing with God much set by so it is a thing louely and amiable amongst men and betwixt maried persons yeeldeth that contentment and sweetnesse that holdeth them from repenting of that society which is become so ioyous and comfortable vnto them It is a prety obseruation which u Aben Ezra in prou 2 â—7 apud Pag nin in Lexic 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Iewish Rabbine giueth of the Hebrew words before mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ish the man or the husband and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ishah the woman or the wife that there is contained in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iah which is the name of God the letters and vowels whereof being taken out there remaineth nothing to be made of the rest but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esh and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esh that is to say fire and fire Whereby hee would giue to vnderstand that if God be not betwixt the husband and the wife if there be not in them the feare of God and conscience of duty towards him nothing can bee expected betwixt them but fire and fire fire of debate and strife fire of vexation and grieuance fire of Gods curse consuming and wasting both them and theirs But if God bee in their hearts if they haue in them the feare of God howsoeuer there may be sometimes vpon occasions offence and anger yet farre is it off from danger of separation and there is paine till the breach be repaired and healed againe 17 Religion prescribeth to husband and wife the bounds within which they are to walke each with other the duties which they are to performe one to another for the preseruing of that peace and agreement which God requireth It setteth foorth x Ephes 5. 23. the husband to be the wiues head not onely to import that he is to be her director and y Pro. 2. 17. guide as the head is of the body but as the head in naturall compassion and loue stoopeth and inclineth it selfe to the debilities and weaknesses of the meanest part of the body and vseth the tongue to aske and the eare to heare and the eye to looke for the easing and helping thereof and though he cannot preuaile for the curing of it yet doth not in mad furie torment his owne flesh nor aggrauateth or exasperateth the maladie but still cherisheth the part and maketh the best of all so and much more ought the husband to yeelde the same affection and honour to his wife to apply the vnderstanding and discretion that God hath endewed him with aboue his wife to the couering and hiding of her imperfections and infirmities alwayes to make the best of them and either medicinally to cure them if it may be or with patience to beare what hee cannot cure considering alwayes his wife to be made not of the basest or vilest parts as if she were to be reputed or intreated like his vassall or slaue euen the very heathen man accounting it z Bodin de repub lib. 1 cap. 3. ex Catone a point of sacriledge for a man to strike his wife but of a part neerest to his heart and therefore that shee hath still right aboue all other to challenge a place there On the other side it teacheth the wife to remember her selfe as not made of the foot to be troden vpon so neither of the head to be as a master