2. 3· An Expojition upon the ------ love as Chrift loved the Church, who for her fake ftripp'd himfclf of his Glory, and voluntarily humbled himfelf, firft to the Dufi:, and then to the Death, the cruel and curfed Death of the Crofs. 3dly. We ought fo to love them, as to interpofe and fi:cp in between them and Danger, and rather fufter it to faH upon our felves than them; for fo Chrift loved the Church, and gave himfclf for it, redeeming it from the \\Trath of God, by his own undergoing it, and delivering it from Death, by fulfering Death for it. 4Jhly. We ought (o to love them, as to indea\•our to promote the Spiritual Good of their Souls, and by good Counfels and Inftruaions infinuate into them, the Love of Piety.and Holinefs, that fo as Chrift fan(Hfiet~ the Cl1urch his Spoufe, we may alfo fanChfy ours, and prefent them unto God wtthout Spot or \Vrinkle or any fuch thing. In thefe four things we are to rove our \Vivcs even as Chrift loved his Church by bearing with and pardoning their Weakneffes, by being willing to fubmit t; many Inconvcnicncies for thei r fakes, by interpofing our fel ves between them and Danger : And Iaftly, by indeavouring to promote their fpiritual Good and Benefit. And thus much of the firft Duty, which is Love; on which I have infilted the Ion- &Cr, bec_ufe it cdmpt:chend~ all oth~r Duties in it.. For where there is this fincere and cOnJug~l Affe8:U>n! although tt may have dttfer:nt !'Vlethod_s of _expr_effing it felf, according to the d1fferenr tempers of Men; yet It wtll certainly 10 this, as in all other cafes, command the whole Train and Retinue of other Alfetl:ions tc wait upon it, and fee that nothing be wanting to the Good of the ObjeCt on which it is fixed. I fha\1 therefore be the briefer in the reft. Secondly, Another Duty of the Husband is provident Care for his Wife: He ought (faith the Apoll!e) to nourilh and chcrilh her, as Chrill doth the Church ; he mufi: therefore impart unto her, ac.cording to.bisRank and Ability, whatfoever may be for her Neceffity or Comfort, and not wafte tha.t in Riot and Excefs among his . lewd and wicked Companions, Companions that the Devil hath given him 1 which ought to be for the Support of her whom God bath given him for his Companion; and who in the mean whi~e bath nothing to feed on but her Sorrows, nothing to drink but her Tears. See how deeply the Apoftle bath ftigmatized filch W• etches; 1 Tim. 5· 8. if any J'vfan provide not for his own, and tfpecially for thofe of hu own Houfe, he hath denied the Fmth, arul is worfe than an Infidel. Thirdly, Another Duty that Husbands owe their Wives, is ProteCHon from Dan• gers, when they are in Jeopardy; and therefore when the Amaleki res had burnt Ziklag, and with the reft of the Prey had taken Davzd's Wives; he pudiles them with no more than fix hundred Men, though they were a great Haft, and refcues his Wives from their Captivity, 1 Sam. 30. 18. And indeed the \Veaknefs and Feeblenefs of thlt Sex being more helplefs in Dangers than ours, and lefs able to relieve themfelves, calls for this ready Aid and Succour from us; and he who is fo churlifh as not to afford it, is fo unnatual alfo as to fuJfer a part of himfelf to perilh. A Wife is compared in Scripture to a fruitful Vine; now a Vine is a weak tender Plant, and requires Support, and the HuSband fhould be as the Honfc~ftde for her Stay and Support; and therefore Woman was at fi rfl: made of a Rib taken from under the Mans Arm; the Office of the Arm is to repel and keep otr Injuries, which fignifi~s unto us that the Husband ought to defend his Wife from all Wrongs and Injuries that lhe may be expofed unto. Fourthly, Another Duty is lnftrudion and Direction. Therefore the Husband. is called her Head, the Seat and Fountain of Knowledge and Wifdom, Ephef. S• 23. The Husband is the Head of the Wife, even as Chr1ft is the Head of the Church. And therefore as all Direction and Confolation is derived from Chrilt; fo fhould the Husband lilrewife derive down and communicate Knowledge, and Comfort, and Guidance to the Wife; called therefore her Guide, Prov. 2. 17. And St. Peter re· quires of Husbands that they fh.ould dwell ":'ith their Wives according f:O Know.. ledoe, to be able to advife and Inform them m all emergent Cafes, efpeCJ all con... cer~ing God and their Souls: Whence St. Paul injoyns Wives, 1 Con mh. '4 .3)· That if they roil! ler~~m 471J thing, they muft ask their Husbands at home ; and t het eto re much more is it required of the Husband, that he Jhould have laid up a good ~toclc of Knowledge, and be able to teach them, left fuch as creep in to Houfc:s.and le:td captive filly Women, infnare their \V"ives. For filch is the fub t ilty of Decei ve s, following therein the Method of the old Serpent, that they fidt beg in wit h the VlumJJ.
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