J%/ature's Good night. 17 Society is the mofl precious comfort in Nature, the riche[} jewel in her Cabinet: Adam was not in perfe& Paradife,not happy without it. And of all (ocieties with Man,thatof a Wife is neereft, being made ofhis own rib ; and dearefl,lying in his own bofome. Her affedtion was great as fonathans,wonderful and paffing the love of women, z Sam. 2. z6. Marriage made her hìrsband and her one flefh, but love made them one foul. She married not only his perfon, but his interefts and concernment., loved' his loves,wifhed his defire,as infeparableas Ruthand her mother-in law, Ruth 1.r6,i7, not to be parted but by death. She owed him an affeétion equal to her life, being often ready to lay itdown'for his prefervation, as appears by her fwoning at any news might threaten ill to him, as if her foul conceived it but duty to be bail for her husband. The head of the woman ie the man, r Cor. It. 3. fo her husband wore the principality, fhe received influence from him, and gave conformity to him : Rat avertuorea moment's ie a crownto that head,Prov.t z.14. fo the gave fafery, plenty, and honour to her head, as Crows may lignifie. The heart of her husband did fafely trmff in her, fhe did do him good and not ill all the days of her life. Longer the is not obliged; Till death NJ depart was their agreement : Death ends her natural relation, and enters her into a Divine ; which fhe began here by her Religion. Her Religion was not as her Sex Female; that is, all face and tongue, but pure and folid, not defpifrng the form, but delighting in the power of god- linefs. She attired not her devotion as the Lacedemonianr did their Gods, accord- ing to the feveral fafhions of each City, fo to gain reputation from man ; but the perfevered in the conftant fubflantialsof Religion, fo to gain grace and favour fromGod. Holinefs and righteoufnefs arethe fum and tenour of the Covenant 'twixt God and Man ; holinefs to God, and righteoufnefsand Jul.' dealing to- wards' Man. Thefe two duties The had fo learned from her two Husbands (the flrft being aCivilian, this lafl a Divine) that the proved a very perfeét proficient in both. Thus the having donher duty on earth, let us do our duty to her laid under it: which I leave with you in the command of Chrift for his Sfpoufe; Csint. 8.4. Ichargeyou ó ye daughters of Jersefalem, that ye firnot rap, nor awake her. Te daughters ! for your tonguesaremoil bufie,and mofl afperfive,youfoonefl both make faults and find faults: do not you awake her with loud and libellous defamatíons,nor with clofeand corner.whifperings: leeyour filence fuffer hererrors (for who can fay he is pure?) to fleep with herafhes. And if you will be Hiring, rouie and awake your own droufi'e foulsfrom the fleepof fin, thatwhen you dye you may ref in Chrift, as our hope is.this our Sifter doda: That we with her and the refi departed in the true faith and fear of Gods mof holy name, may at the lafl beawakened to poffefs the confummate blifs bothof body and foul,inthat Hateof an eternal and everlafling conjunFlion inglory, which was purchafed by the Bloud, and ispromifed by the Spirit of the Lord ,Jefsu Chrift. To whomwith Father and HolyGhofl, beglory and honour, nowand forever. Prey.; 1.11>I 5. Religion. F S. Ccccc
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