2. An Expojition upoll the fure fin king and intoleraLlc, is that all thefe Burthcns mul1 fomctimes be born under the Difcontents and Murmurs of an unfdtisfied People. We h.~d need therefore to pr~y earneftly unto God, that fo great a Truft and fa great a Burthen being co~mltted unto M<Jgifl:ratcs, they may be indawed by him, thtough whom Kings re1gn, with Abilities to difcharge their Truft to his Glory, and the Comfort of their SubjeCts. Sec()ndly, The Account they m11fi: render at the laft Day is greater, and therefore they more need our Prayers than other Men. What they do is ufually of general Concernmenr, or clfe of general Influence; and therefore they mufi: anfwcr not only for themfelves, bnt for almoft the whole Nation, who either obey the Commands, or follow the Examples of their Governours: We fl1ould therefore efpecially pray for them, that having a greater account to make than other Men, they may at that Day appear before the 1\.ings of Kings with Boldnefs, and pafs from a corruptible Crow11, to a Crown of Glory and Immortality. ThirdiJ, Their Temptations are more, and therefore they more need our Pray· ers than other Men. For having all at Command ; the Pleafures, the Splendour, and Gayety of the World, are more likely to be Snares to them than others, who converfe not fo much with them. And belides, the Devil is more affiduous and fubtileinhis Temptations towards them than others: Becaufe if they can be perverted by him, they will prove great and mofteffectuallnftruments to promote his Kingdom. And therefore in Mi,aiah's Parable, 1 Kings 1.2. no fooncr had God asked the Qj.teftion, who Jhall pcrfuade Ahab? but there ftcps forth an evil Spirit, and un· dertakcs the Employment. Saran loves to be bulie about Princes and Rulers, becaufe there he thinks he can make the greateft Earnings. To tempt private Perfons, is but to tempt by Retail; but to tempt Princes, and to feduce the Rulers of a Land, this is to deftroy by WholefJlc: And therefore as they are cxpofed to more Temtations, fo lhould they be fupported and ftrengthned by more Prayers. Let us therefore heartily perform this Duty to them, and for th'cm; a Duty not more beneficial to them, than to our felves and the whole Nation: For if we can prevail for a Bleffing upon them, we our felvcs !hall certainly fuare in it, if by our fervent Prayers we can obtain ot God to beftow on£them Wifdom and Zeal, Holi· nefs and Piety, Peace and Profpcrity. Certainly our own fuare in thefe Mercies is worth the V~nturc we fend for them; and we fhall then fit fafely under the Shadow of our King, and he himfelf under. the Shadow of the Almighty. I have heretofore told you, that this Fifth Commandment comprehends in it not only the mutual Offices between Parents anrl Children, but generally all the Duties to which both Superiours and lnferiours ftand reciprocally bound: And therefore having already fpoken of the mutual Duties of Parents and Children, of Magiftratcs and SubjeCts; 1 !hall now proceed to confider the Duties of Husband and Wife: For in this Relation alfo, though it come nearer to an Equality than the former, there is a Superiority on the Man's part, and Subjection due unto him from the Woman. · And here, whilft I am treating of this SubjeCT, I befeech you give not way to any Levity of Mind, or Vanity of Thoughts:; think it not a light jocular thing, as too often the Marriage-Relation, and the Offices that appertain unto it, are accounted; for it is matter of Duty that I am now propoundi ng unto you ; and mat· terof Duty is no lefs than matter of Life and Death eternal. And therefore I charge you that you attend unto it, not to get Advantages of Sport and Merriment one with another, and to objeCt them each to other in a ludicrous and jelling way, as it is every where too common a Cuftom ; but attend unto it as a matter of as great Serioufhefs and Weight, as any that belongs unto the right ordering of your Chriftian Converfation; a matter that preffeth the Confciences to the due Obfer· vance and practice ot it; and, if defpifed or negletied, will prefs your Souls under Guilt, and fink them under Wrath. And certainly they who are fo vain as to think the Duties of this Relation to be of no great Concernment, muft needs like~ wife be fo impious as to impute trifling to the Holy Spirit of God, who hath fo frequently and with fo much Earneftnefs and Inftance, recommcaded them unto us. There is fcarce any one Epiftle wherein the Apoftles do not particularly inftft on thefe things; and certainly what was worthy their Care to write and teach, is worthy our Care to learn and Practife. The Duties therefore of Married Perfons are either fpecial or common. Special, arc
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