Occasionatus a man occasionate a mans Occasion or the Occasion of a man to serve as an aid and as a Second to man 3. The woman was made after the man for Adam was first formed then Eve 1 Tim. 2.13 4. 1 Tim. 2.14 The woman was first in the Transgression She was first deceived by the Serpent then she drew her Husband into the same deception hereby she was the cause and beginning of sin and ruine to all mankinde and though she was given to be a help to man yet she proved at first to be a great hurt and hindrance to him From this priority and causality of the woman in sin the Apostle infers and presseth subjection and silence upon her to the man and not to usurp Authority over the man 1 Tim. 2.11 12 14. upon this account she was more straitly subjected to her Husband For this was inflicted as a chastisement for sin upon the woman Gen. 3.16 that her desire should be subject to her Husband he should ruleover her which implies as some observe a further Rule then man had over her by Creation and with more trouble and grief unto woman-kinde So that the yoke is now become to her more hard and heavy to be borne Women may Object Object That was Eves fault to be deceived by the Serpent and to be first in the Transgression not ours Answ Eves punishment is yours therefore her fault is yours Her peculiar sin is the fall distinct from Adams is justly imputed to you or else her particular punishment distinct from Adams is unjustly inflicted upon you Eves fault is as much yours as Adams sin is ours This subjection of the wife to the husband was the ground of the womans wearing a vail or covering as a sign she is under the power and Authority of her Husband 1 Cor. 11.9 10. and subject to him Rebekah took a vail and covered her self when she saw Isaac Gen. 24.65 Therefore she was made out of the side not of the head that she might be under him not above him in place and power Sarah obeyed Abraham whose daughters all obedient wives are 1 Pet. 3.6 And the holy women in old Time who trusted in God were in subjection to their own Husbands to v. 5. and those wives that are not obedient to their Husbands are not good Tit. 2.5 In this sence as some conceive the woman is said to be The Glory of the man 1 Cor. 11.7 scilâ—by her subjection when she obeyes her Husband as man is the glory of God when he obeyes God This is the first Duty of the wife Submission a Comely Lesson for her to learn Disobedience in a wife is a fault even in a Queen much greater in a meaner woman even among Heathens much more among Christians that are better taught as in Queen Vashti Esther 1.12.20 2. 2. Reverence Eph. 5.33 Duty of the wife is Reverence to her husbands person all due respect to him as her head in word and deed in gesture and deportment Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord. 1 Pet. 3.6 she is as one saith crowned and chronicl'd for it Michal mocked her Husband David 2 Sam. 6.21 23. and God smote her with barrenness for it she was childless to her death The wises reverential respect to her husband is an honour to him and an Ornament to her self 3. 3. Helpfulnes Duty is Helpfulness to her Husband in every thing in his body to cherish that in his soul to tender that in his family to order that in his Estate to get at least to save and to dispose that aright not to spend or waste the same in his calling and affairs to promote them in his Name and Credit to preserve that in his secrets to lock them up in her bosom She ought to be a Help to him in every thing a hinderance in nothing Else she is a woman but not a wife and he that findes her doth not find a good thing Prov. 18.22 The wife should cherish her husband as the better part of her self For this very end God made her for man and maried her to man to be a help meet for him Gen. 2.18 If she be not a meet help for the man shee will not please satisfie and give content A wife is like a garment though the cloath it s made of be very good yet if it do not fit us it will not please us it wil be uneasy or uncomely we take no delight to wear it Conveniency causeth contentation If the wife be no meet help shaped and cut out as it were of purpose for the man to fit and sute him every way in his disposition conversation and occasions she will not sit close to the man as a garment doth to the body that fits it but hang loose or be ready to fall off and rather hinder then further him and not be an Ornament to him I commend Prov. 31. from 10. to the end as a Glass for all that would be good wives to look and dress themselves in or as a pattern to imitate or Rule to walk by every day A vertuous woman will do her husband good and not evil all the days of her life c. approve her self faithful to him in every thing that his heart may trust safely in her Pro. 31.11 12. For Mariage is Conjugium the fellowship of a yoak wherein the wife must bear one end and draw equally with her husband 4. 4. Chastity Tit. 2.5 Duty is Chastity of Conversation which followes from chastity of affection and disposition in the heart wives must abstain not onely from all acts but from all Appearances of lightness wantonnesse dalliance or unfaithfulness that their husbands who cast off ordinances and holy duties may by the holy and chaste conversation of their wives be gained to the Lord to have a liking and good opinion of the Gospel and the wayes of Christ in which they walk 1 Pet. 3.1 2. This should be the wises design upon her husband 5. 5. Fear Duty is Conjugal feare of offending or displeasing her husband She that is maried Saith Paul careth for the things of the world how she may please her husband 1 Cor. 7.34 Wives should couple chastity with fear in their carriage to their husbands not to cross or vex or greive them 6. 6 Modesty Duty of a wife is modesty of Apparel and of behaviour 1 Of Apparel 1 of Apparel not to affect costly gaudy attire new fangled fashions or to go above her rank or to give way to pride vanity excess therein or to account outward adorning as plaiting of the haire or wearing of Gold c. or decking of the body her chiefe Ornament but 1. A meek and quiet spirit the frame of the hidden man of the heart which is incorruptible which is of great price in the sight of God 1. Pet. 3.3 4. and a great Ornament in the sight of men For after this manner in the
because the Author hath no copy of it There have been hitherto some expectations that this loss might have been recovered that this spiritual Tract might have been added unto the former but now through long disappointments our hopes grow more faint If hereafter Gods good hand of providence should bring this Manuscript either unto the Author at Lincoln or to my self at London the Restorer thereof should be well recompenced and it should be forthwith published for common profit Christian Reader as the Author deserveth so he beggeth thy Prayers who is Octo. 15. 1657. Thy Friend and Servant in Christ Simeon Ashe Let the Reader be desired to amend these faults with his pen before he peruse the Bâ—ok ERRATA PAge 2. Line 4. for efficiency read efficient p 2. l. 6. f justification r. institution p. 5 l. 13 f Love r. Lover p. 6. l. 9. r. to act in to his Church p. 6. l. 32. f. justification r. institution p. 8 l. 9 f. Lincy r Lâ—nâ—ey Margent r. 1 Kings 11 â— 3 â— p. 14 in marg Col. 18. 3. r Col. 3 18. p. 15. l. ult l is r. in the salâ— p 18. l. 17. f follows r. flons p. 23 l. 25 f Proprietors r. Proprietaries p. 25 l 3. f spiritual r special p. 25 l. 5 f. walking r. wel-being p. 26. l. 19 f. adâ—ance r. clean marg r. 1 Kings 11. 2. p. 26. l. 34. f. communion r communication p. 27. l. â—5 f. parties r. partie l. 26. f. it is r. and is aptest l 32. f heaven 1 healers p 30. l. â— f. allunder r asunder l. 2. f contention r. contentation l. 16. f. wrest r wresâ—le l. 19. put out is p 31. marg r 1 Tim. 5 14. f. Tim. 2. 14. p. 33. l. 26. f. covenant r. government l. 30 f. exercises r. exercise p. 44. l. 1. â—â— r. to thrist p. 53. l. 13 f. fore-arned r. fore-armed p. 59. l. 3. f. our r. or l. 28. f. ours r. our p. 60 l 3. f. learn r leave p. 64. l. 29. f. word r. world p. 70. l. 3. f. fitted r. filled THE HONOUR OF MARIAGE There be four things considerable in it The Honour Duties Benefits Troubles of it I. The Honour of Mariage Heb. 12.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 MAriage is honourable in all saith Paul of high esteem and great account among all sorts of Persons high and low rich and poor and the bed considered in it self is undefiled Adam and Eve might have used it in their Innocencie This is common to all mankind Reas 1. from the Author Reas 1. From the efficiency or Author of it that is God 5 wayes 1 By justification Mariage is Gods ordidinance he first invented it and appointed it What is of God is excellent and honourable 2 By administration he maried Adam and Eve When he had builded the rib he took out of the mans side into a woman Gen. 2.22 he brought her to the man that is joyned her in mariage with him and God is said now to joyn man and wife together Math. 19.6 that is by his ordinance and by his providence 3 By Qualification of the Persons for a Matrimonial Relation Gen. 2.18 making the woman to be a help meet for the man and the Man to be a fit head and guide for the woman This is Gods work A prudent wife is from the Lord. Prov. 19.14 So is a loving Husband God makes them so 4 By Benediction God blesseth them together to make them partakers of al the Ends and comforts of mariage As he did Adam and Eve when he had made them and maried them Gen. 1.28 Gen. 33 5. he pronounced a large blessing upon them saying Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth Children and famlies Psalm 107.41 are Gods gifts 5 By Mission of his Angels which God sends forth to be ministring spirits to his servants for assistance in this business as to Abrahams Servant when his Master sent him to Mesopotamia to take a wife unto his son Isaac and to Ioseph Mary's Espoused husband Gen. 24.7.21.40 Math. 1.20 Math. 1.20 and 2.13 The Ministry of Angels about mariage by Direction and protection implyes it to be weighty and worthy in it self though unto many it seemeth Worldly and base Reas 2. from the subject and circumstances Reas 2. From the Subject and Circumstances of mariage at the first Who were the first couple whom God maried Adam and Eve who were the common Parents of all Man-kind of all the Kings Queens Princes and Nobles in the world yea of Jesus Christ according to the flesh Even he was The Son of Adam Luke 3.38 Where was mariage first Celebrated In paradise where God manifested his presence to our first Parents which made the place a Heaven upon Earth When was mariage first instituted and ministred In the time of mans Innocency before his fall Before sin entred into the world Therefore there is no sin in Mariage but mariage is now a Remedy against sin The persons place and Time of the first mariage or of mariage at the first doe put Honour upon it Reas 3 From Jesus Christ Reas 3. From Jesus Christ who highly honoured mariage not onely by chusing to be conceived and born of a woman Espoused to a man and by his presence at that mariage in Cana of Galilee where he wrought his first miracle John 2.1 2 10.11 and manifested forth his Glory by turning water into wine and by comparing the kingdom of Heaven to a weddin Mat. 22. feast But especially by chusing a Conjugal Relation to stand in to his Church as husband to wife and therein 1. To manifest and Communicate himself to her 2. To solace and delight himself with her 3. To gloryfie himself in her and her with himself for ever in Heaven This mariage is begun between Christ and his Church and every true believer in Espousal upon Earth Hosea 2.19 2 Cor. 11.2 and it is consummated in Heaven Revel 19.7 8 9. Blessed are they which are called to the Mariage-supper of the Lamb that is as some expound it the Time of Celestial Joyes Hence the Civil mariage between man and wife is made by Paul a figure or representation of the Mystical Mariage between Christ and his Church and every childe of God in respect of the union or neer conjunction of them This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh said Adam of his wife Gen. 2 23. we are members of his that is Christs body of his flesh and of his bones saith Paul of Saints and Beleivers Ephes 5.30 and of Conjugal Communion between them Therefore Paul concludes verse 32. This is a great Mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the Church as if he had said All I have written concerning husband and Wife sets forth the Matrimonial Relation and fellowship between Christ and his Church his expressions of love to her and interchangeably her duties
her own but her husband or better then her husband or shall a man love other mens wives or a woman love other womens husbands better then their own Peculiarity of Interest is a Ground of Speciality of love 3. 3 Union Ground of special love between them is union The Conjunction Husband and wise have one with another They two are in many respects as one person and so one together as they are not or should not be with any one besides in all the world to wit one flesh Gen. 2.24 as it were incarnated one to another Adam acknowledged this when God had made the woman for him and brought or maried her to him he said This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh to shew his Thankfulnes to God and love to his wife Gen. 2.23 as wondering at Gods goodness to him therein Mariage is a moral conjunction of two persons so as Man and wife are in Law one flesh by Gods Ordinance It is the strictest bond of any relation and therfore a fellowship of the dearest amitie nearer then that between Parents and Children Though children have their flesh and bone from their Parents yet they are not one flesh with their Parents Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wise This Gen. 2.24 was the sanction of mariage All Society must be left that this between man and wife may be kept This is Pauls rule Let not the wise depart from her husband 1 Cor. 7.0.11 â—â—â—ach 2 16. and Let not the Husband put away his wife for God hates putting away The wife must be an individual companion of life The saying of the Philosopher that perfect friendship is onely between two is most true in this case between man and wife because they two are by mariage made one 4 Necessity The 4 Ground of spiritual love between them is Necessity of the one for the other even for their being as well as for their walking In both these respects we may understand that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.11 Neither is the man without the woman neither is the woman without the man in the Lord. The man is not without the woman nor can be because man now is conceived and born of a woman The woman is not without the man Job 14.1 because she is now begotten of man so that they are mutual Causes the one of the other The woman hath her Generation froÌ„ the man the man hath his conception and birth from the woman They cannot be much less be well the one without the other The Husband should look at his wife as Causa sine qua non a help he cannot well be without for God said It is not good that man should be alone and the woman should look at her husband under the same notion It is not good for the woman to be alone Therefore the husband should not insult over his wife because oâ— his superiority over her nor the wife be discouraged because of her inferiority or subjection to him because they have need the one of the other as fellowes to bear and draw in one yoke together Now mutual Necessity should breed mutual love between them What is so dear unto the wife as the childe of her Womb Isa 49 15. yet the husband should be dearer to her as Eâ—kanah said to Hannah 1 Sam. 1.8 Am not I better to thee then ten sons 3 3 Common duâ—â— is Communion Common duties between Husband and wife is communion which flowes from the union of their Persons by mariage for union is the ground of Communion or communication of their bodies souls goods and respects 1. 1 Of bodies Of their bodies by mutual benevolence performed by the one to the other 1. Gor. 7.3.4 2 By cohabitation 1 Pet. 3.7 or dwelling together unless it be for a time and upon necessary Occasions 3. by conjugal fidelity reserving themselves intirely and peculiarly proper the one for the other as Christ and his Church doth Hosea 3.3 2 2 Of souls Of their souls for the spiritual good of both The heart as well as the body should be common between Husband and wife One saith that both the body and the soul are united together in Mariage Conjugal love will make hearts advance together as well as bodies as amical love doth friends The Soul of Jonathan was knit with the Soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul 1 Sam. 18.1 as lustful love makes the souls of unclean persons to cleave together as well as their bodies as Shechems soul clave to Dinah Jacobs daughter whom he defiled Gen. 34.3 1 Kings 11.3 and Solomon clave unto many strange women in love But I shall speak more of this Soul communion between maried persons in the fourth common duty 3 3. Of Gods Of their Goods and Estates labours and indeavours a joynt fruition thereof for mutual benefit and Comfort 4 4. Of respects to their kindred Also there should be a communion of due respect and loving kindness to the kindred and friends that pertain to either partie The Husband and Wife lie as corner-stones in the wall to joyn several alliances and kindreds together and ought to carry very respectfully to their Affinity contracted by Mariage Esau's wives offended greatly in grieving the hearts of their Husbands parents Gen. 26.35 4. 4. Furtherance of the salvation one of another Common duty is to further the salvation and soul good one of another as given of God to that end Husband and Wife should labour to gain one another to Christ and help one another to Heaven What knowest thou O wife saith Paul but thou mayest be a means to save thy Husband and whâ—t knowest thou O man but thou mayest save thy wife However this ought to be the Serious indeavors of both If thou know not whether thou shalt yet try whether thou canst To this end Extend your desires and labours in three particulars 1 To heal infirmities the one seeth in the other as pride passion discontent folly vanity excess or the like Take the fittest Time when the parties may best be wrought upon it is aptest to take Impressions or is in a tractable ductile frame and chuse the best manner to doe it in a taking efficacious way Beg wisedom of God for it rightly to observe what is amisse in a yoke-fellow to heal it or to cover it Happy is that couple whom God makes Heaven of Spiritual Infirmities or Spiritual Physitians one to another The wife should be a second Conscience to her Husband a bosome Monitor to tell him privately of his faults to amend them 2 To increase Graces mutually and to incourage one another to the Exercise of them as of faith love patience of prudence piety charity sobriety and the like 3 To Excite and Encourage unto duties and to provoke one another unto good works and to quicken and sharpen or edge
and your breaking it or keeping it Hence it is called the Covenant of God this ingageeth and obligeth you strongely to all Matrimonial duties Prov. 2.17 Covenant breakers even in wedlock God will judge 4. 4 This will be a good example The good Carriage of Husband and wife each to other according to the Gospel will be a good example or patern to all other Relations in the family to set them a copy or teach them how to carry therein and to put them in order Without this all would be out of frame the children unruly and disobedient and the servants unfaithful and disorderly So much of the Duties of Mariage Now followes the third thing considerable in mariage III. The Benefits of Mariage WHich may be referred to five heads They are 1. Personal 2. Domestical 3. Political 4. Ecclesiastical 5. Universal 1. 1 Personal Benefits The Personal Benefits of Mariage appertaining to the parties themselves are 4. to wit 1. Society 2. Sanctity 3. Copartnership 4. furtherance of the mystical Mariage between Christ and the soul 1. 1 Society Society God made man a sociable Creature in respect both of the Constitution of his body and disposition of his minde and said Gen. 2.18.19.20 It is not good for man to be alone Though God made Adam lord over all the Creatures and brought them to him to give names to them all as a sign of his soveraignty and authority over them yet for all this man was alone for among all the creatures there was not found a help meet for him or like to him in Nature a fit and sutable Companion that should be alter ego a second self to him God set all the creatures before him ere he gave him a wife that as some think he seeing their sexes might desire to have a help in his kind and nature also God saw it was not good for the irrational living creatures to be alone Gen. 7.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore he created them male and female in Heb. cal'd the man and his wife for the increase of their kind to this end God bid Noah take into the Arke two of every sort of living things to keep them alive they shall be male and female Gen. 6.19 20. and God created them male and female together but he did not so in mankind for Adam was first formed then Eve Though it be said in Gen. 1.27 that God created them that is Adam and Eve male and female yet not together This is an anticipation The 27 28. verses of Gen. 1. chap. are to be made up with the 17 18 19. verses of the 2. chapter together into one Relation This was the Cause of the Creation of the woman because Adam was alone God saw Adam Solitary and defective till he had a wife I will make him saith God a help commodious for him God created the woman by deliberate Councel as before he had done the man Gen. 1.26 27. Let us make man in our Image The creation of the woman was the work of the Trinity as well as of the man When Adam saw no other fit help for him among all the Creatures it might make him the more prize a wife and count it better to lose a rib then to lack a wife to want part of himself then not to have a second self A wise was the Complement of all to Adam and a Recovery of his lost Rib. If Adam in Innocency when he was perfect in body and soul and when the whole world was his own stood in need of a wife even for society to be his Companion and it was not good for him that was so happy to be alone much less for poor sinful sickly miserable man since the fall what need hath he of a wife even for Society Eccles 4.9 10. Two are better then one saith the Preacher that is fully verified in conjugal Society though this onely is not meant here but that society in all sorts of affaires is better than Solitariness 2. Sanctity 2 The Second Benefit of mariage is sanctity to prevent sin and keep us pure from Pollutions of flesh and spirit 1. 1 Cor. 7.2 From outward acts of uncleanness To avoid fornication let every man have his owne wife saith Paul and every woman her own husband 2 From inward Lusts Ver. 9. It is better to mary then to burn Mariage is a meanes to prevent burning in lust Mariage is a preservation of chastity and prvention of heart adultery which our Saviour makes to be to look on a woman and lust after her Math. 5.28 Though mariage was instituted before there was sin and Adam needed it not as a Remedie against Incontinency but upon another account But since the fall it is of necessary and soveraign use to prevent sin and to procure or promote our sanctincation that we may possess our vessels in holines and Honour not in the lost of conpiscence Thes 4.3.4 5. This is the will of God 3. 3 Copartnership Benefit is Copartnership in all conditions better and worse As yoke fellows to take part and share equally together therein 1. To be a solace and comfort one to other in adversity as in sickness poverty disgrace What a great comfort is a loving tender husband to his dear wife in her sickness and she the like to him in his Prov. 17.17 As a brother is born for adversity so many couples finde cause to say that they were maried together for a time of adversity and that God brought them together to be mutual helps and comforts at such a time as this Judg. 13.22 23. as he did Esther to the kingdom Esther 4.14 how did Mancahs wife comfort him when he was plunged deep into fear of death 2. To be companions in joy the delight one of another in prosperity the desire of the eyes as Ezâ—kiels wife was Ezech. 24.16 Eccles 9.9 and the joy of the heart to live joyfully and comfortably together as Abraham and Sarah Gen. 26.8 Isaac and Rebekah did Abâ—melech looking out through a window saw Isaac sporting or laughing and rejoycing with his wife Which implies some pleasing familiarity or sign of love and delight between them Husband and wife are glasses to look one anothers face in and echoes of delight refreshments and reflections or repercussions of pleasure and joy the one to the other and mutual chearings each of other 4 4 Furtherance of the Mystical Mariage Benefit of Mariage is the Furtherance of the Mystical Mariage between Christ and the Soul Both Husband and wife should improve their conjugal Relation and fellowship together to promote the Communion of their souls with Christ as the Spiritual huband thereof To this end we should do three things 1. 1. To look at Christ as our Husband Hoseah 2.19 20. To look at Jesus Christ our Maker and Redeemer as our Husband Isa 54.5 as maried to us Jer. 3.14 and at
a wife so as if he had none but a wife neither a God to serve nor a soul to save as if a wife was summum benum the chief good But he that hath a wife as if he had none will say though I have maried a wife that shall be no impediment to me but I will come to Jesus Christ in his Ordinances and endeavour to bring my wife with me to Christ However I will come though she hang back and will not come with me 3. 3 That wee will go to heaven alone heaven-ward That if our Mariage do not help us God-ward and Christ-ward it shall not hinder us and that we will goe to Heaven alone if our yoak-fellowes will not goe along with us rather then to Hell with company When these and the like are our resolves and endeavours then we have Husbands or wives as if we had none 2. We that have wives may be as if we had none by not suffering our Mariage to be a means of sin unto us either Immediately or Mediately 1. Inmediately in our selves by breeding in our hearts 1 Either distrust by reason of the greatness of our charge and smalness of our means 2 Or discontent because of the mani old troubles we meet with therein When we indeavour to overcome distrust and suppress discontent and to â—rust God for our families to provide for them as well as for our single selves if we were alone and to be as patient in bearing our mariage Crosses as our own personal trials when we are content to take the better with the worse together therein and both as from the hand of God as Job answered his wife Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shal we not receive evil then we that have wives are as if we had none 2 Let not Mariage be a means of sin to us 2. When we suffer not our mariage to be a means of sin to us Mediately by our yoak-fellowes being Instruments of Tentations to us unto sin to draw us from God and good 1. To idolatry superstition or will 1 Of Idolatry 1 Kings 11.4 Deut. 13 6 8 9. worship as Solomons wives turned away his heart after other Gods Under the law an Enticer to Idolatry though she were the wise of their bosom was to be put to death 2. Apostacy Job 2.9 2 To Apostacy from God or blasphemy against God to fall from integrity or sted fastness and to think or speak ill of God Jobes wife tempted him thereunto doest thou still retain thy integrity curse God and die Such like are the designes some wives have upon their Hutbands to draw them from the Truths wayes and ordinances of God into errours heresies by-wayes c or licentiousness Or to discourage their hearts from pious duties and courses as Michal sought by her mocking to do unto David from dancing before the ark 3. 3 Injury To Injury to doe our neighbour wrong in taking by unjust wayes their house land or goods from them as Jezebel did Naboths vineyard from him for her Husband Ahab to chear him up when he was sick with grief and indignation upon Naboths denial of his vineyard to him Ahab desired it upon a valuable consideration but Jezebel his wife took the vineyard violently from Naboth 4 Any breach of Gods command by taking away his life 4. Or to a breach of any even the least of Gods commandments Eve tempted her husband Adam to eat forbidden fruit which was the transgressing of a law of Trial hereby she brought sin and death upon herself and her Husband and upon all their posterity Let this by the way be a caution to women to beware Satan do not abuse them in making them his instruments or Agents to entice or tempt their Husbands to any sin as pride malice revenge vanity covetousness or the like Now when we are alway watchful and careful lest Satan should surprize us by coming to tempt us unto sin in or by a conjugal Companion Math. 16.22.23 one so dear and near to us lying in our bosomes as he thinks we will suspect no evil from nor serpent in as Satan came to tempt Christ in Peter therefore we ponder well what counsel intreaties our proposals are made to us by our yoak-fellowes as well as by strangers which both Ahab and Solomon neglected to do Or when they do perswade or intice us to any evil whatsoever either of Omission or Commission against God or man we strive strenuously to resist all their suggestions tentations and solicitations and set our selves as a wall of brass to repel them all that they cannot prevail no nor enter or peirce us As Job not onely rejected his wifes perswasion but gave her a sharp reprehension for it Thou speakest as one of the foolish women as David resolutely replied his wife Michals discouraging scoff Then we that have wives are as if we had none and ye that have husbands are as if ye had none 3. 3 Honor christ for your Husband We that have wives or Husbands may be as if we had none by having Christ for the Husband of our souls and by having holy fellowship with him and by delighting our selves in him in the embraces and solaces of his love and in the cherishing comsorts of his presence When Christ is dear to ours souls above all our relations yea above all the world and we are willing to leave father and mother wife and children house and lands and all for Christ that is 1. To follow Christ in the Regeneration as his disciples to follow the Lamb whither-soever he goeth Revelat. 14.4 2. To be willing to suffer the losse of all for Christ as Paul did 3. Phil. 3.8 To learn them all to go to Christ as best of all for us then we have wives as if we had none This Christ requires of all that would be his Disciples or be accounted worthy of him Luc. 14.26 even to hate father and mother wife and children that is to love them lesse then him and to be willing to leave them all for him Hereto Christ makes a large promise of a hundred fold now in this time and in the world to come eternal life Mark 10.29.30 Galeatius Caracciolus that Noble Marquess of Italy or rather the most Excelent Theophilus did forsake parents and wife and children and all his friends and renounnced all his wealth and Dignitie because as he said he could not injoy both Christ and them He was a rare example of leaving all a very great all of Relations Possessions Honours and pleasures for Christ rather then to injoy all without Christ Notwithstanding the strongest workings and wrestlings of natural affections within him and the powerfullest and most heart breaking Solicitations of his friends by prayer Tears and Arguments to the Contrary and the deep and sore Agonies and Conflicts he had in himself about it yet through the Grace of Christ he overcame them all for