[o11jugal Duties. 9• 27· DireCt. I)· If yote are marritd to oJtt that if, ~~deed a~ i_nfidei, or '"' unr.odly perfoJt; yc't Snbdir. 13: (tep 11 p aU the Conjugal Love which i1 dJte for the relaticm fab_t. Though you cannot love them a~ trHe ChriJNanr, yet love them as Husband or Wife. Even Heathens are bound tO Lov~ thofe that are thus related to .them: The Apollle hath determined the cafe, 1 Cor. 7. that Chtifiians mull perform their Duties ro Husbands orWives (hat are Unbelievers : The faults ot ~nothq dif~harge you not from your duty. As Satan hath deceived fame by feparating principles about Church-communi?nl to deny almo£\: all Gods Ordinances to many, to whom they are due; fo duth .he t~us .decc1vC: fame: perfans in family-relations, and draw them from the duties which ·they owe for one anothers -"""' good. , . . . . §. 28, Dirc·6f. If· Jo;•n to!?tthcr in frcqteent and ftrvtnt ~rayer '· Prayer ?oth forcet~e mind into Suhdir. If• fame compofedne!s and fobnety, and affeCl:eth the hean wah ~he prtfenc~ and MaJdty 1 of God. Pray alf.o f 9 r tach otiJer when you are in fecret; rhat God may do that work which you mott ddirc upori each others hearts. . . . . , .. 9· 29· Diner. '5· Lafily, Hdp each other by an exempl"y life:. Be tint your fclves whiCh you defire Subdir. If• your Husband or Wife tbould be: Excell tn meeknefs, and humtl~ty, and ch:.nty, an~ ~utJfulaefs, and dil 1 gence, and fdf-denyal, and patience, as far as you do excellm pro~effio~ ?f Reltg1on. Sr. P~ttr faith, that even thofc that will not be won by the Word, may be won wJthout tt by rhe Converfauon of their Wives, r Ptt. 3· r. That is, the excellency of Religion may fo far appear to them, by the fruits of it in their Wives Converfations, as may firll incline them to think well and honourably ofir, and fo to enquire into the nature and reafon of ir, and to hearken to their Wives; and all this without the publickMinifiry. A life ofundiffembled holincfs, and heavcnlinefs, and fclf·denyal, and mecknefs, and love, and mortiticarion, is a powerful Sermon; which if you be conthntly preaching before thofe that arc fiill near you, will hardly mifs of a good effect. Works are more palpably tignificant and perfwafive, than words alone. 9· 30. Ditecr. 7· Anotlm greae Co•jugal duty ;,, to be helpful to each other for the health and com- Dire/J. 7• fort of their B'H:lics. Not to pamper each others fletb, or cheri£h the vices of pridt;orfloth, or glut- Rom. 13 q_, tony, or volupt~eotifilefs in e01.ch o'her; but to fur~h~r the health an~ chea~fulnefs ?f t.he Eody, t? tit it IToh · 19 , 1 1: for the fervice of the {ouJ and God. Such chenfhmg or pleafing ot the Fle01, whtch ts unlawfulm cacfl Gen.\. 1 s. 3 perfon to himfelf, is alfo unlawful (ordinarily ) to u(c to another. But fuch as you may ufe for your felfl you may ufe alfo for )'OUr Wife or Husband. Not to live above your Eftatcs, nor as fcrvanrs ro your guts, to ferve the appetites of one another by ddicious fare ; but to be careful ofthat health, wirhout which your lives will be made unferviceable or uncomfortable: And this mull proceed)ram fuch a love: to one another as you have to your fe:lves: And that both in time of Hta/th and Sick,.nefi. 9· 3•· •· In Health, you mufi be careful to provide for each other (not fo muchpleafint as) whol– fome food, and to keep each other from that which is hurtful to your health; diffwading each othci from GlHitony and Idlcmfs, rhe two great Murderers of mankind. If the bodies of the poor, in hunger, and cold, and nakednefs mufi be relieved, much more of thofe that are become as your own Relh. 9· 32· 2. Alfo in Sicknc[r, you are to be tenderly regardful of each other; and no!to be fparing of . any coil or pains, by which the health of each other may be rellored, or your fouls confirmed, and Gen. s 7 • ,J, your comforts chetitbed. You mufi not lathe the Bodies of each other in the mofi lothfom fidmefs, _ nor £bun them through loathing; no-more than you wo.uld do your own. Prov. 17. 17· A friend E?b S :9,31· lovetb at aU timu, and a brother U born for advtrfity: Much IDIJre rhofe that are fo nearly bound for {0~ 19 ' '1· ficknefs and health, rjll death fhall feparate tpcm. It is an odious fin to be aweary of a ftck or fuf~ 0 2 ' 9 ' fering friend, and ddirous that God would take them, meerly that you may be eafed cf the trouble. And ufuaily fuch perfons d() meet with fuch meafure as they meafured to otherS; and thofc that they look for help and comfort from, will perhaps be as weary of them, and as glad to be r~d of them. ·9· B• Direet. 8. Another duty ofHJUbandJ a~d Wivu; ;, to be helpful to each other in their worldly Dirt/J. 8. bujimfs, "nd ejlatet. Not for worldly ends, nor with a woildly mind; but in obedience to God See Prov. ~to who will have them Labour, as well as pray, for their daily bread; and hath determined that iu the G.cn. J 1· 40. f~eat ~f their b~o!Ys they Chall eat t~eir bread; and that fix dayes they {hall labo~r a1_1d_ do all that ;~~~~;!~. r.f. they have to do. and th~the that wtll not work.mufi not eat. The eare of thc1r alf:nrs doth lye & 5 • s. upon th<.m both, and netther of them mufi cafi 1t off and live in idlenefs: ( unlefs one of them be ah Ideot , or fo widc:fs , as to be unfit for care , or fo fick or lame , as to be untie for labour.) 9· 34· Oiretl. 9· A/fo you mu{! be c.reful of the larrfu! honour and good namtt of one another. Dire/J. 9 • "! ou mull not dzvulge, bu~ c~nceal the dttbonourable failings of each other : (as Abigait, except m any cafe cornpaffion or }Ufi1ce require you to open them ro any one for a cure or to dear the rSam. H..ar. truth.) .The reputation of ~ach other mull b~ as dear to you as you~ own. It is a finful and unf;ith- ~:~~t ~~ 1 ~~· ful praCbc~ of ~l~ny, borh Hus?ands and Wtves, who among thetr companions are opening the 2 Sam. 1 1. 7~ fa~~ts and mfirmmes.of ~ach .othe~, which they are bound in tcridcrnefs to cover. As if they per- Prov. 4c 18. cetved not that by d1fhonourmg one another, they difh9nour thernfelves. Love will cover a multi- Eccld 7. 3· tude of faul~s, r P~t·4· 8. Nay, many difafft&ed P.ievifh perfons will aggravate all the faults of one ~~~%~6·. ~~. another behmd the1r backs to firangets i ~nd fomettmes flander them, and fpeak mole than is rrurh. Gen §. u , :.~. ~any a .man hath been put to cl~ar hts good name frOm the flanders of a jealous or a pall}... ortat< W1fe: And an open cnelJly IS not capable of domg one fo much wreng as !he that is in y YY his
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