the world There is not in any thing a greater contrarietie to God for it is contrarie not only to his will but to his very nature for he is Truth it selfe and the Scripture saith He cannot lye for then he should deny himselfe Job 8.44 The Divell is said to be the father of it He taught it first to Eve and he still cherisheth it as the surest pillar of his dark kingdome God hates it yea he hates it with a loathing Pro. 12.21 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. It is a sinne against the good of humane Societie for truth is the foundation of justice and justice of peace Darke people doe all the mischiefe But for remedie 1. Consider your dignitie There is a saying in better authours then those I blamed even now That the simple word of a Prince should be of as great force as the eath of a private man Let Ladies and great women yea all women have it in their thoughts that they were made after the Image of God which is truth It will not become those smooth foreheads to have rough and shaddowy and clouded intentions What saith St Paul Col. 3.9 10. Lye not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created him 2. Consider That a deceiver forfeits reputation You shall bind all alwayes to mistrust never to beleeve you 3. Consider That treacherie is in some respect beyond Atheisme It is worse to owne God and yet to mocke him then not to acknowledge him for this is to give a Testimony of the contempt of God and of the fearing of men before him 'T is base to be a Coward to men and stout to God But I have dealt so fully with this sinne in The Hypocrite Discovered that I now forbeare to enlarge any farther upon this point CHAP. XI The beautie of holinesse The Rule of Devotion A serious exhortation to the Reading of the Scripture IV. PIetie and Religiousnesse This is of all others the most Orient and full of brightnesse They say that Jewels steeped in Honey have more lustre so all accomplishments are made more beautifull by Pietie Otherwise though a woman were so made up that as another Pandora she had all morall graces and perfections bestowed upon her yet she would be wretched and unworthy without this If one had a Cabinet made all of pure gold enameled and enchased set about every where with Diamonds and large Pearles on the outside and that the curiosity and exquisitenesse of the workmanship should exceed the richnesse of the matter would not every body think the owner of this Cabinet worse then mad that should sill it with dirt and filth or put it to no other use then to keepe nasty rags or little stickes and strawes Such are those excellent pieces that are of a goodly outward frame of winning behaviour of seeming modestie sweet in conversation wise and learned in discourse but within prosane irreligious and without any savour of Godlinesse Zech. 15.7 1 Chr. 16.19 Isal 50.2 Holinesse is Beautie The true worship of God is call'd so by the Prophet Zacharie and by David yea the Perfection of Beautie The Apostle hath witnessed it of Gospel Ordinances 1 Cor. 3.9 that the Ministration of Righteousnesse exceeds in glory And he tels us in the eighteenth verse that one cannot be conversant in those Ordinances but he shall receive a lustre from them that as Moses being with God and seeing God came away with a shining face So we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. God himself is glorious in holinesse as the Israelites sang it unto his praise when they came forth of Egypt Ex. 15.11 And the Apostle tels us that the Graces which are the Daughters of Gods Spirit are lovely Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are lovely saith he if there be any vertue think on these things We many times commend a curious piece in Picture it drawes and entices a distinguishing eye But as Plato said if Vertue could be drawne every one would love it so if it were possible to shadow out the true Lincaments of Holinesse to the eye who would not be ravished with delight I confesse I doe extraordinarily love a Picture when it is done by a good hand But me thinks none can come neare A Mary alone in Meditation A Magdalene weeping A Lydia attending with much earnestnesse to the Word Oh imagine but the Beautie of the Tecla's the Marcella's the Paula's the Eustochium's the Fabiola's the Eudoxia's eminent and famous in their generations for Pietie Some thinke Religious Circumspection makes bad and darke faces Dissembling formalitie will indeed oft-times study a disguised sowrenesse but Godlinesse though it will be the Mistresse of the looks and dresse and make all composed and sober yet it doth nothing to scare one away or to affright any from following the same vertues The Bodies Beautie compared with the Souls is as if one should equall a Torch to the Sunne The body is but as the greene Mosse on the side of a Rocke the Soul is the Diamond that sparkles within it Oh that the principall care were for the setting forth and preserving this Beautie It was a Law that Constantine made that none should erect any Marbles or Columnes or other rarities of Antiquitie in the Suburbs or Countrey villages because he intended that the City of Constantinople should be full of Ornaments and the rich Store-house of those collections What then do they deserve that forget and forsake and rob the inward City the Soul to bestow their Iewels upon their eares their foreheads their brests which are but only the Souls suburbs What strange creatures are they that dresse up the hand-maids and suffer the Mistresse to goe in ragges This is it then that I have reserved to the last place to commend That there may be a speciall endeavour of Holinesse 1 Pet. 3.11 A holy Conversation as Peter cals it Jam. 3.13 A good Conversation as Iames Psa 50.23 A Conversation ordered aright as David expresseth it But in other Scriptures Gen. 5 24.1â—.1 Luke 1.6 it is said to be a walking with God It must be according to Gods will and Councels For otherwise Devotion is subject to many illusions Nothing is more counterfeited or disfigured then Religion As the Lacedemonians dressed up their Gods after the fashion of the City so many make up a Religion after their own humour I have much wondred to heare of the strange and odde apprehensions of Religion in some great personages who had found out a way of joyning God and pleasures together And had made it almost all one to serve God and entertain themselves at a Masque Augustine tels us of Marcellina that she
graces it might be easy to produce many instances out of Scripture and to fit them with other Histories but I forbeare as intending chieflie to speake to the next point CHAP. V. Soule glory is chiefest What Soule glory or Inward beautie is I have more briefely passed thorough the first point which though it be true and the Truth of it necessarie to be knowne yet may be abused by some weake spirits to Selfe-slatterie It is a glasse into which if some doe looke it may be they may be proud But the other glasse that I am now to hold forth I would invite All to look into and often for I hope it will not be without profit The point as I propounded it in the beginning is II. That the highest improvement is that of the Soul and the greatest glorie of women is Soul-glory It was an inward and spirituall glorie that did commend the daughter of the King of Egypt according to the expression of that holy man whosoever he was in King Solomons Court who at the time of the marriage celebration composed a song which he fitted upon Shoshannim those six-stringed instruments of musick which David the late King had brought into the Quire and raised his heart to the contemplation of the sweet and heavenly Mysterie of the Union betwixt our Lord Iesus Christ and his Church This was his maine designe but his ground-worke was the Praises of that incomparable Payre King Solomon and Pharaohs daughter and he hath set forth those Praises with such High and yet apt Expressions that he hath shewed himselfe who ere he were a master in his facultie And no doubt both the Subjects of his Pen were very praise-worthy as for Solomon we know who he was and the Lady though the daughter of a stranger yet most probably was a Proselyte and not only converted from Gentilisme to the true Profession of Religion then but subdued powerfully and effectually to grace and holinesse which seemes to be the reason of that expression Psal 45.13 The Kings daughter is all glorious within I know there are some that doe thus interprete it That she was not only drest in Gold of Ophir and in rayment of Needle-worke when she shewed her selfe abroad and appeared in the eye of Solomons people but also was richly clothed with wrought gold when she sate within the house to entertain the King But I am most inclined to receive another interpretation That as she had a goodly and beautifull presence so she had a richer and a fairer soul because I suppose Solomons wise choyce would be of an excellent woman A Princesse no doubt of all inward accomplishments of which her Sexe was capable It is not then so much a comely feature or a gracefull deportment as the Qualification of the mind a right frame of Spirit Without this beautie it selfe is uncomely according to that of the same Solomon Prov. 11.22 As a Iewell of gold Nezem the Hebrew word is used both for an eare-ring and Nose-Iewell it is the same word Isa 3.21 The Nose-Iewell in use among the Iewish women was tyed with a string upon the forehead and so hung downe to the Nose As a Iewell of gold saith he in a swines snout so is a faire woman which is without discretion The sense of the Proverbe is plaine As it were a very ridiculous object to behold a dirtie Swine with Diamonds or Pearles dangling at the eares and a Pendant or Nose-Iewell hanging on the brow tumbling it self into the next puddle or rooting in a filthy steaming dunghill even such a sight and altogether as uncomely is a woman of a pleasant shape but otherwise ignorant rude and wanton And as for Ornaments they doe not adde any value to the person nor can they commend one to God for heare what the Apostle saith speaking unto women chaste and holy Your adorning 1 Pet. 3.3 4. let it not be that outward of plaiting the haire and of wearing of gold or of putting on of Apparell but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price The painted Iezabel was a wretched woman as King Iehu cals her 2 Ki. 9.30 though she were a Kings daughter She was vile in Gods eyes and in mans She thought her selfe fine when she had painted her self and look'd out at the window but was indeed loathsome as wanting this Soul-glory Let us then enquire what Soul-glory or inward beautie is Every son and daughter of Adam are naturally vile and filthy We were all polluted in our bloud Ezek. 16.6 and might justly have been cast out to the loathing of our persons in the day that we were borne Psal 51. King David acknowledges this and therefore cryes out for washing purging cleansing Our parents were infected with Leprosie and we are their uncleane issue Job 14.4 for Who can bring a cleane thing out of an uncleane saith Iob. And his friend Eliphaz notably confirmes it Job 15.14 15 16. What is man saith he that he should be cleane and he which is borne of a woman that he should be righteous Behold the heavens are not cleane in Gods sight How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquitie like water Where is then the Remedie or how come any to be cleane The Apostle hath opened this Mysterie writing to the Corinthians where he speakes of those that lye in their sinnes 1 Cor. 6.11 And such saith he were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God There is a double cleannesse 1. A washing from the guilt of sinne This is to be Iustifyed in the name of the Lord Iesus who is that fountaine opened for sinne and for uncleanenesse as the Prophet Zacherie speakes Zach. 13.1 where he useth two words to import both actuall and original guiltines the one is hhattaath Sinne the other is Niddah seperation for uncleanenesse alluding to the time of the womans Seperation upon the bringing forth of any child This was the Designe of Christs comming into the world and giving himselfe for the Church that he might cleanse it Ephes 5.26 27. and present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish And thus being justifyed by Christs taking our guilt upon him 1 Ioh 1.7 by his blood we are cleansed from all sinne standing cleare and acquitted at the Tribunal as if we had never been uncleane by guilt fully and perfectly But 2. There is a washing also from the pollution and filth of sinne being sanctifyed by the Spirit of our God And this is it that I am now principally upon This is the Renewing of the whole man or according to S Pauls expression A learning of
be sit to lye upon a blocke to receive the sword of persecution Oh let those Ladies those brave ones consider they professe a crucified Saviour and serve not a God crowned with Roses and Pearles But I insist not much upon this there is one thing only that I cannot thinke of without indignation nor speake of but with passion that is of Love-spots and Painting Oh the earnest and holy zeale of the Antients against this I would rather speake in their words then mine owne Tertullian bitterly he cals painted women Ancillas Diaboli The Devils wayting-women and urgeth that it is neither agreeable to the Creation nor the Resurrection I remember I once made use of and alluded to a Similitude of Cyprians in the presence of some great women of qualitie Suppose one should come into the Kings gallerie and daube some other colours over a picture that the King had hung there being the work of an excellent Artist would not the King be much displeased at it You are Gods owne workmanship doe ye despise his hand that ye presume to alter it and pretend to mend it Hierome directing Laeta how to bring up her daughter tels her of a woman that was graviter percussa the heavie hand of God was upon her because she suffered her daughter to paint and he cals such The Violators of the Temple of Christ and he loades it with much infamie that it is The inflamer of young men The fomentation of lusts The discoverie of an unchast mind Yea the Fathers doe generally speake in that manner When the case was put to Augustine by his friend Possidonius he determines it to be an Adulterous fallacie And Ambrose goeth so farre that he saith it is worse then Adulterie and he gives reasons for it I am loath to speake so fully but yet I professe my self a very enemie unto it and so I doe to spotting upon the same grounds But to leave these Pageants I returne to my modest woman I allow her a lawfull difference of apparell according to the difference of her qualitie and estate Only I would have them to consider that they are to give honour to their Clothes and not their clothes to them Let them despise and renounce the vanities of their Sexe and as the Iewish women gave up their looking-glasses to Gods service Exod. 30. so let them give up their nicenesse and braverie for heaven Elias neglected his Mantle when he went up in the fiery Chariot so where the mind is raised to an heavenly ambition there will not be so many thoughts of outward decking Remember only 1. That sin brought in Clothes 2. That Clothes are a Monument of our shame 3. That the best ornament is that of the inner man Say not then This with Lace will doe well but this or this will doe well with Discretion Modestie and Grace CHAP. VIII Humility a Grace of great Ornament Womans Subjection The question whether women may be Teachers II. HVmility This is the sweetest of Graces The fittest for great Personages Those stars that are highest seeme least The sea is not bigger though many rivers empty themselves into it and it keepes the same taste and temper though an abundance of fresh water be poured into it out of the clouds It becomes those upon whose Birth and beautie both riches and honors are heaped to be still the same neither swollen nor freshed This grace that makes you low in your own eyes sets you high in the sight of God For so saith the Apostle expressely the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3 4. is in the sight of God of great price It is the most attractive the most winning grace Thus Hester gained upō Ahasuerus and Abigail upon David But the greatest women lose themselves by pride Iezabel by her arrogancie made her selfe contemptible her owne servants threw her out of the window and she was eaten of doggs Let great ones consider they were made of the same flesh and shall be resolved into the same dust the Philosopher could not discerne any difference in a charnalhouse betwene the sculls of Kings and beggars but that which is of most weight is that they shall answer before the same Eternal Iudge at the same tribunall Boast not of extraction it is not Birth but new birth that shall be availeable Be not poisoned with flatteries She that is extolled in verses may be loathsome before God Be not proud of cloths it may be all the worth is in the out-side A porter may as well be proud of his load The walls of a chamber that is covered with rich hangings are in the same condition with the back and shoulders of a bravely-decked foole Challenge not the eyes of every beholder as if it were their duty to doe obeysance to your beautie for beautie is but clay well coloured As for riches and honors a sneaking player might as well be proud of the part he beares upon the Stage You will be undrest in the Tyring house of the grave lay all these off Set before your eyes the great examples of Humilitie Ruth the daughter of the King of Moab if we may receive the generall opinion of the Rabbins or if that be not so probable yet one that we may well suppose to have bin of good qualitie in her own country as being wife of Mahlon the elder brother of the family of Prince Naasson yet she accounts her selfe scarce equall to one of the maid servants in the house of Boaz. Ruth 2.13 And Abigail speakes the like language 1 Sam. 25.41 Behold saith she to David let thine hand-maid be a servant to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Elizabeth though the elder woman and the better for outward qualitie yet challenged not respects and visits from Mary but was even confounded with it as too great a weight of honor that Mary vouchsafed to come to see her Luk. 1 42. Whence is this to mee that the Mother of my Lord should come to me And as for Mary her self when the Angel had told her things sufficient to have overwhelmed a weake spirit unable to beare and digest honor She returnes Luk. 1.38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Consider with what earnestnesse the Apostle presseth this dutie Ephes 4.1 ◠I the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walke worthy of the Vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowlinesse and meekeness Col. 3.12 with longsuffering forbearing one another in love And in another place put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowells of mercies kindnesse humblenes of mind meekenesse longsuffering forbearing one another These are the garments that sit best upon Gods chosen people such as are holy and beloved of God 1. The bowells of mercie Dorcas is most famous for the coates which she made for widdowes 2. Kindnesse This is the exercise of that compassion which is in the bowells If the heart be open the