CHAP. VIII. Ti1e fpecial Vutier of Husband; to 1heir Wiwr. §. t. H' E that will expc61: Duty or Comfort from his l!ifi, mull be faithful in doing the:au– ty of a Hmband. The fa~lmg of your felve! in zo•r OJIPH duty, may caufe the faihng of another to you, or at leall wil~ fom; other W~ as much ~f!MI: ,rou, and wliW be b1tteter to you in the end, than tf an hundrea fa~d of thctr amy to you. A good Husband will eaher make a good W1fe, or ~afily and prohtably en,due a bad one. I lhall the_rcfore give you Directions for your own part ofduty; asth~r. w~1ch your 1appmefs ts mofi concerned ni. • . . 9· 2. Dired:. 1. Tbe H~Uband mu}! undcrt•k.e tbe prznczpol port of loe Governmew of tbe wboh Jam•· D•r<ll· I• ly, even of tbt Wife her filf: And therefore J. He mull Iabour to be_h and a~le for1hat Government which he undeitakcth: This ability conftlleth t• In hahnefs ·and fpmual wtfdom, that he may be acquainted with the End to which he is to cdndufr them, and the ~ule by which he is to guide them ; and the principal works which they are t9 do. An ungodly ir~ligloqs man is both a ftunger and an enemy to the chiefell patt of family-government. 2· HIS ability ·confifieth in a due acquaintance with the works of his Calling, ana the labours in which hi, fervanti are to be employed. For he that is utterly unacquainted with lh'eir btlfinefs, will be very lllfit to govern them in it : unlefs he commit that part of their government to his Wife or aSteward hat is 1 acquainted w~ch it. 3· And he mufi be acquainte!! both with th'e'comihoh terrlp"cr and infirmit~s t)f mankind elm he may know how much is to b·e born with, arld alfo with the particular tem)er, and faults, and vir· tucs. of thofe whom he is.'o govlrn•. ·4· An~ .~t mufi have_'Pf~dmce to dre61: himfelf in all his nrnage to them ; and Jujltcc ro·doal wtth eve!Y one as •they1deferve, and Loll, to do them all the good he nn, for foul and body. I I. And. being thus .bte; he mull mako it his daily Work, and ef~cially be fure that !le govtrn himfilt; ~~h, -'that lils <'!!'\"Plc may lie 'bm of his go'vetn~ ment of others. ' • :u. L ·• • ,. 9· 3• Direct. 2. 1heH.,band mU}! fo ltnii?'Aur'b;rity·itnd t'Mie, ilm mith& pf (b,m may be omitted Dire/1. 2· vr concealtd, but both be exerci[EU a,.i maintained':.. LoverinllH10t be exercifed fo imprudently as to dcfiroy the exer<ife ofAuthority : And Authority in'ufi not ,bo ·t'xercifea over •..Wife fo MagiJ!u:ully and imperioufly, as to dellroy the ekercife bfllo"V<· As your LrnJe mufi be a: GJverilingLov~/o your Commands mull all be Loving Commands. Lofe not your J!l'llth'ority; for that wlll but di!llbl~ you from doing the Office of a HuJband to your Wife, or of a Maficr to your fervancs. Yet rnuft ir be maintained by no means inconfificnt with Conjugal Love; and therefore: not by fierceneiS or cruelty, by threatnings or firipes, ( unlcfs by diftrollion or Jo[s of reafon, they ceafe to be uncap1ble of the c.aniagc oth~rwife due to a Wife ). There are many cafes of equality in which Authority is not to be exercifcd ; hut there is no cafe of inequality or unworthinefs fo great, inwhich Conjugal Love is nor to be cxcrcifed : and therefore nothing'mufl: exclude it. ~· 4· Dir<61:. 3· It u the duty ofHmbands to pre(m< tbe Authority of tbeir Wives, over the Cbil· Direll. 3• Jrrn and Servant! of the family. for they arc joint·governours with d1em over all the inferiors. And 'the infirmities Of Women are apt many tim~s to expofe them to contempt: fo that Servants and Chit· dren will be apt to Ocight them, and difobey them, if the Husband intcrpofe not to preferve thcic honour and authority. Yet this mufi be done with fuch Cautions as thefe: r. ]ufiifie not any error, vice or weaknefs of your Wives. They may be concealed and cxczefed as far as rrpy be, bur never 1wned or dcfendeJ. 2. Urge not obedience to any unl~wfulCommand of theirs. No one hath Authority to contradiCt the Law of God, or difoblige any from his Governmenc. You will but diminifh your own authority with perfons of any underftanding, if you jutlitic eny thing that is againfi Gods auth<?rity. But if the thing commanded be lanful, though it may have fame inconveniences, you ..riluft n:buke the_difo~tdience of infcriours, and not fuffcr them to fleight the commands of your Wives, nor to {et theu own reafon and wills againfi them, and fay, We will not do it. How can they help you in Government, if you fuffcr them to be difobeycd. 9· 5• Dire&. 4• Alfo you muft preferve tbe Honour as ,.,u aJ the Awherity ofyour Wives. If thcy Dire/1. 4-· have any dilbonourable infirmities, chey are not to be mentior.ed by Children or Servants. As in the natural body we: cover mofi carefully the mefi dijhonozm~ble partr (for ou1· comely ptJrtt have no need) 1 Cor. 12. 23, 24· So mufi it be here. Children or Servants rnufi DC?t be fuffered to carry themfelves <ontemptuouflY or rudely towards them, n<:~r t? dcfpift therh, or [peak unmannerly, proud or dlfdain 4 fu1 words to them. The Husband mufi vindicate them from all fuch injury and contempt. ~· 6. Direct. 5·1he H_mband if to ex_ceU tbe Wife. in K110tvlrdge, and be her !eacber iu the matttrs Dirt€1. 5• that belbng to htr falv<~Uon. He rnult mfiruGt her m the Word of God, and dJicCl: her in part.icular duties,_and hc:lp her t? fubd.uc her own corruptio~s, and .labour to .confirm her againfi tempiltions: If lhc doubt of any thmg that he can refolve her m, lhe JS to ask hl5 refolutibn , and he to open ro Yyy2 her
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