DirciJ. S. DirclJ, io. Direll. II· He 1) uty of Wiws. your relation. It is the vexation and ficknefs of your own minds: you find not your felves at cafe within,_ as long as you arc paffionate. And then it is the grief and difquietnefs of your Hr.lsbands: And bemg provok«l by you, they provoke you more: and fa your di{quietnefs increafeth; and your lives are made a weary burdm to you. By all means therefore keep down paffion and keep a compofed patient mind. , 9, 8. Dir.ect. 8: 1aJte betd of a proud and contenf~otu ~i{pofilion; and maintain ahumble. peaceab/f( temper. Pnde wtll make you turbulent and unqmet wtth your husbands, and contentious with your nei~hbours: lt will make you foolifh and ridiculous, in {hiving for honour and precedericy and envytDg thofe that exceed you or go before you: In a word, it is the Devils fin., and would mak~ you a flume and trouble to the world. But Humility is the healtb,the peace and the orn.zmem of the foul.. I Pet. 3· 4· A mtt~ '"d quiet fPiril i1 in the jigh1 nf Gad ofgreat price: (Write thofe words in your bed-chamber on the walls where they may be daily before your eyes.) Col. 3· I2· Put an a1 the tMi of ~ad, holy and beloved, bow_e~J of merry, kj1tdm[1, lmmblencp of mind, mcek,zuf!, longfoffering, foY... bc.Jnng oneaunther, andforgwmg one a1wther--- I'f th1s be the dUly of all to one another; much more of rt'ives to huJbandJ. 1 Per·5·5· Yea all ofyou be fubjttl oite to another, a.nrl be cloathed witb humility : for God refifltth tbe pruud andgiveth grace to the bumble. Proud women oft ruine their Husbands efiates, and guietnefs, and their own fouls. . 9· 9• Direcl:. 9· A}fell not achildifhgawdint(s of appartl, nor a vain or coftly. or lroubltfom curi•fity, m ·any tbmg about )Ou. Uncleannefs and nalhnefs IS a fault, but very fma\1 m CE:Impanfon of this pride and cmifiotJ 1• lt difhonourcth your Sex and felves to be fo childifh as to overmind fuch toyi!h things. If you wil111eeds be proud, be proud of fomewhat that is of worth and proper to a mall : To be proud of reafon or wifdom or learning or goodnefs, is bad enough : but this is to be JXOUd of fomtthing. But to be proud of fafhions and fine cloaths, of fpots and nakednds, of fumptuous entertainments, and neat rooms, is to be proud of your fhame and not your virtue ; and of that ·which you are not fo much as commendable for. And the eofi, the time ( 0 pretious time) which themfelves and their fervants mull: lay out, upon their dreffings, entertainments and other curiofities will be the Oume and farrow of their fouls, whenever God !hall open their eyes, and make them know what Time was worth, and what greater matters they had to mind. If vain and empty per.;. fons like your [elves, commend you fOr your bravery or curiofity, fo will not any judicious fobef per– fan, whofe commendation is much worth. And yet I rnufi here with grief take notice, that when fome few that in other matters feem wife and Religious, are themfelves a little tainted with thl · chi!di{h curiofity and pride, and let fall words of difparagement againtl thofe whofe drtfi and dwtU– ings and entertili1JmentJ are not fo curious as their own, this proves the greateft maintainer of this fin, and the moll notable fervice to the devil: for then :lbun<knce will plead this for this finful cu– riafity and pride; and fay, I {ha~ elfe be accounled bafe or fordid : tven [•eh and fuch wiU fpeal(. againjf me. Take heed, if you will needs be fuch your fc1ves, that you prate not againft others that are not as V3i1t and curioJH as you: For the nature of man is more prone to Pride and Vanil.J, than to Httmility, and the improvement of their 'timt and eoft in greater matters: and while you think that you fpeak but againft indecency, you become the Devils Preachers, and do him more fervice chart you confider of. You may as wifely fpeak againll people for ufing to eat or drink too little ; when there is not one of a multitude that liveth nor ordinarily in excefs : and fo excefs will get advintage by it. . ~· IO· DireCt. ro. Be fpeciaUy careful in the GtJvernment of yt~ur tongxu ; and In your word1 be few, and weU co•fidcred before y•u JPea~ thtm. A double diligeoce is needful in this, becaufe it is themofi common mifcarriage of your Sex: A laxative running tongue is fo great a difhonour to you, that I never knew a woman very full of words, but fhe was the pity of her friends, and the contempt of others ; who behind her back will make a CCorn o,f her, and talk of her as fome crackt– brained or half-witted perfon: yea though your talk be good, it will be tedious and contemptible, if it be thus poured out, and be too cheoap. Prov. ro. 19· In the multitudt of words tbere wantetb not fin, hut he that refraineth hi4lips is wife. You mun anfwer in judgement for your idle wordr, Matth. I 2· 36. You will take it ill to be accounted f.. IJ, and m1de the derifion of thofe that talk of you: Judge by the Scripture what occafion you give them. Ecclef. 5· 3, 7· A dream comerh by 1/Jt multitude of bufineji, and a fooiJ voice i< ·l(.nowit by mul1i1t<de of words : I11 the m~tltitude of dreams and many wordJ, there are divers vanitie1. Ecclef. xo. 12, 13, 14. "'be words ofawife manJ mattlh art gracioU<; bttl I he lip1 of a fool wiU [wallow up hintfelf: 1he begi11ning1 of the tmds of b~ mouth it foolifhntfi, and the end of hi< talk,_ i< mifchievouJ madm[1 : A foal al(o h f•U of w,rdJ. whereas a woman that i5 cautelous and fparing of her words, is commonly revetenced and fup– pofed to be wife. So that if you had no higher defign in it, but meerly to be well thought of and honoured by men, you can fcarce1y take a furer way, than to ltt your words be few and weighty : Though the avoiding of fin, and unquietnefs, Chould prevail with you much more• . 9· I I· _Dirtd:. I 1•. !Je wiUing and diligent in your proptr par1, •f 1he care and labour of 1he family. As the pumary provihon of maintenance belongeth moH to the Husband, fo the fccondary prov1fion within doors ; belongeth fpecially to the wite. Read ovcr and over tbe 3 1 Chop. of the Prov. Efpecially the care of nurfing your own children, and teaching them, and watching over 1 thetn when they are young; and alfo watching over the family at home, when your Husbands are abroad, is your proper work, ·
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