Fifth Commandment. J 51 ought to wear on their Heads; and which in the Pri'!litive !imcs covere~ nor on· ly their Heads but all their Face, as a Guard to their Moacfty, and a ::>crccn to keep off loofe ;nd wanton Eyes. And this Veil is c,allcd Power, to llgnifie that they were under the Powct and Authority of their Husbards. But tl~c Men were uncovert.d in their Alfen~blies, as the A;poft]e tells _llS1 ver. 4· to fign1fie, th~t they had nothing over them, but were fupenour to ail vlfible Crcattu es, a1)d fubje8:on~ Iy nntoGod. This Power, or Veil, \A/omen were to wear bccaufe of the Angels. Not as * Ttrtulli:m did. grofiy conceive from that ~ Propt(r Ang;lat, foil •. 9~1 miftaken Text, Gen. 6. 2. To hid~ thctr Beauty from the fight and ~~~~~;;c: }::~,~~~;~~:~~ i!!(peClio': of An&el~ (for what Vc1lcould do tl~at, or how can An- __ Jeba erg(JadumbrPi f.t.. gels be afi.eCtc_d _with Corpore~! Beauty?) But Clther by Angels, arc cic:J r~tm p~ricu!QfJ. qu<f ufq ;. a4 meant the Mu11ftcrs of the Church, before whom thcyarcto fhew Cxlum{"andal•Jlcldataeft.1er~ Modcfty and Bafhfulncfs; 6\· clfc perhaps the Cclcftid Angels, tu!. de v,rg. Vel· num. 7· who are always prefent and attending in the A!Tcmblies and Con¥ gregations of the 'Faithful; and therefore Women fhould not do any thing unbecoming and unfeemly before them: Or laftly, becaufe the Angels themfclves do revcrenceC.hrift, who is their Head, and in token of their Subjection unto him are faid to veil and cover their Faces: And therefore Women alfoin token of thei; If~t. 6. 2, SubjeCtion t~ their Husb~nds, who are their ~eads, _as C~ritt is of the Church, fuould Jikew1fe cover then· Heads and Fuces wuh a Veil. So we find, Gen. 2+· 65. That when Rtbtkah faw lfa.tc coming towards her, fhe took a Veil and covered her fclf as a fign of her Subjection to him. And this SubjcEtion is recommended unto them by the Example of holy Women to whofe PraCtice they ought to conform _their own: So I Pet. 3· 5· Holy ~Vormn; who trufted in God, bting in Subjtflion to thur own Husbands. And St. Po~ul gives it in charge to Tir~s, to exhOrt \Vivc~ that they be di.fcrut, chaftc, ktcpcrs m IJ01m, good, obeditnt to rheu own Husbands, T!t. 2. 5· And lumfelf exhorts them to the fame DUty, Colof. 3. 18. Wiws, fubmit )'OUr felves unto )OUr own Husbands, tU it i1 fit in the Lord. The Commands are fo many and fo exprefs, that there is fcarcc anv other Duty which the Scripture doth uq~,c with fo much lnftance and Earncftnefs, with fuch preffing Rcafons and inforci"ng Motives, as this of the Wives Obedience The Duty is frequently cxprefs'd, Subm~r yourJcbes; and the manner of perform in" it , Be fubjtCf as to the Lord; [ubmir in tht Lord; which Phrafe carries in it three Thi~gs: A Motive. A Direltion. Arid, A LimitatiOn. Firft, A Motive to Obedience: It is done to the Lord. And though through the froward and peevifh Humours of the Husband, they may have no other En- I. couragement to obferve and obey him; yet to the confdentious Wife this will be Encoura~ement enough, that the Lord will accept aud rew.1rd their Obedience· tht.ir heavenly Husband jefus Chrift will account it as a Service done unto him: For Marriage being a -r:ype of our My~ical Union unto Chrift, he efpecially is concerned that the Duties of that Relauon be performed fo, as to bear fame Pro.. portion to that Spiritual Myfrery. Stcondly, A Direc:tion .how to perform it; it mu.ft be as to the Lord. She muft obey 2 . her Husband not only Wlth a defign of pleafing htm, but the Lord Chrift. For were it not that God commands it from them as part of their Duty and Obedience to him, it might fometimes feem very fit that humourfom and felf-.:will'd Men fhould be crofs'd, and that thofe whQ have no other Reafon but their Will, fhould fail of that Obfervance and Obfequioufnefs which they tyrannically expect. But then confider, it is not the Husband only that commands, but the Lord, and the \Vife rnuft eye his Sovereign Authority, through the Authority of her Husband· and then it will appear, that though there be no neceffity iu what is required yet' there is a neceffity fhe fhould perform what is required. ' Thirdly, The words import likewife a Limitation of her Obedience. The VVife 3 • rnuft fubmit and obey, but in the Lord, and as to the Lord: That is o1ily in lawful things, wherein by her Obedience to her Husband, fhe mav not ~ffend againft Go~. And excepting this, in all other cafes the \Vife is ahfolute!""y bound to obey the Wtll and Commands of her Husband, to the utmoft of her Power. 'Tis true he abu'feth
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