more exposed to contempt than the spirit of meekness; it is mere folly with men,-that is no matter; this overweighs all their disesteem, It is with God of great price ; and things are indeed as he values them, and no other wise. Care not then what the world says. You are not to stay long with them. It is never right in any thing with us, till we attain to this, to tread on the opinion of men and eye nothing but God's approbation.

Ver. 5. For after this manner in the old time, the holy women also who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands;

6. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

THE apostle enforces his doctrine by example, the most compendious way of teaching. Hence the right way to use the scriptures is, to regulate our manners by them; as by their precepts, so by their examples. And for this end it is that a great part of the Bible is historical. There is not in the saints a transmigration of souls, but there is, so to speak, a oneness of soul, they being in all ages partakers of the self-same spirit. Hence, pious and obedient wives are here called the daughters of Sarah. Such women are here designated as-holy-believing-firm and resolute; not afraid with any amazement. Though by nature they are fearful, yet they are rendered of undaunted spirits, by a holy, clean, and pure conscience. Believing wives who fear God are not terrified ; their minds are established in a due obedience to God, and also towards their husbands.

Ver. 7. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them, according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. YOUR wives are subject to you, but likewise are

you

subject to this precept, by which all ought, in all stations, to be directed, and by which all shall one day be judged. And you are alike subject as they, parents as children, masters as servants, and kings as their subjects; all hold of a Superior, and it is high treason against the majesty of God for any, in any place of command, to dream of an unbounded, absolute authority, in opposition to him.

A spirit of prudence or knowledge, particularly suita ble and relating to this subject, is required as the light and rule by which the husband's whole economy and carriage is to be guided. It is required that he endeavour after that civil prudence for the ordering of his affairs, which tends to the good of his family; but chiefly a pious, religious prudence for regulating his mind and carriage as a Christian husband; that he study the rule of scripture in this particular, which many do not, neither advising with it what they should do, nor laying it, by reflection, upon their past actions, examining by it what they have done. Now this is the great fault in all practical things; most men know something of them, but inadvertency and inconsideration, their not ordering their ways by that light is the thing that spoils all.

Knowledge is required in the wife, but more eminently in the husband, as the head, the proper seat of knowledge. It is possible, that the wife may sometimes have the advantage of knowledge, either natural wit and judgment, or a great measure of understanding of spiritual things; but this still holds, that the husband is bound to improve the measure both of natural and of spiritual gifts, that he hath or can attain to, and to apply them usefully to the ordering of his conjugal carriage, and that he understand himself obliged somewhat the more, in the very notion of a husband, both to seek after and to use that prudence, which is peculiarly required for his due deportment. And a Christian wife, who is more largely endowed, yet will show all due respect to the measure of wisdom, though it be less, which is bestowed upon her husband.

Dwell with them. This indeed implies and supposes their abiding with their wives, so far as their calling and lawful affairs permit; but I conceive, that what it expressly means is, all the conversation and duties of that

estate; that they so behave themselves in dwelling with them, as becomes men of knowledge, wise and prudent husbands; which returns them usually the gain of the full reverence and respect due to them, of which they rob and divest themselves, who are either of a foolish or trifling carriage, or of too austere and rigid a conversation.

Giving honor unto the wife. This, I conceive, is not, ás some take it, convenient maintenance, though that is a requisite duty too and may be taken in under this word; but it seems to be chiefly a due conjugal esteem of them and respect to them, the husband not vilifying and despising them, which will be apt to grieve and exasperate them; not disclosing the weaknesses of the wife to others nor observing them too narrowly himself, but hiding them both from others and his own eyes by love; not seeing them further than love itself requires, that is, to the wise rectifying of them by mild advices and admonitions that flow from love. And to this the reasons indeed suit well. It seems at first a little incongruous, honor because weaker, but not when we consider the kind of honor-not of reverence as superior, for that is their part, but of esteem and respect, without which indeed love cannot consist, for we cannot love that which we do not in some good measure esteem. And care should be taken that they be not contemned and slighted, for of all injuries contempt is one of the most smarting and sensible, especially to weak persons, who feel most exactly the least touches of this. Every weak being is naturally peevish; whereas greater spirits are a little harder against opinion, and more indifferent to it. Some wives may indeed be of a stronger mind and judgment than their husbands, yet these rules respect the general condition of the sexes and speak of the females as ordinarily weaker.

And this further may be considered, that there is a mutual need of this honoring, which consists in not despising and in covering of frailties, as is even implied in this, that the woman is not called simply weak, but the weaker, and the husband, who is generally or should be the stronger, yet is weak too; for both are vessels of

earth, and therefore frail; both polluted with sin, and therefore subject to a multitude of sinful follies and frailties. But as the particular frailty of their nature pleads on behalf of woman for that honor, so, the other reason added is taken, not from their particular disadvantage, but from their common privilege and advantage of grace as Christians, that the Christian husband and wife are equally co-heirs of the same grace of life.

As being heirs together of the grace of life. This is that which most strongly binds all these duties on the hearts of husbands and wives, and most strongly indeed binds their hearts together and makes them one. If each be reconciled unto God in Christ, and so an heir of life and one with God, then are they truly one in God with each other and this is the surest and sweetest union that can be. Natural love hath risen very high in some husbands and wives; but the highest of it falls very far short of that which holds in God. Hearts concentering in him are most and excellently one. That love which is cemented by youth and beauty, when these moulder and decay, as soon they do, fades too. That is somewhat purer and so more lasting, which holds in a natural or moral harmony of minds; yet these likewise may alter and change by some great accident. But the most refined, most spiritual, and most indissoluble, is that which is knit with the highest and purest Spirit. And the ignorance or disregard of this is the great cause of so much bitterness, or so little true sweetness, in the life of most married persons; because God is left out, because they meet not as one in him.

Heirs together. Loath will they be to despise one another, who are both bought with the precious blood of one Redeemer, and loath to grieve one another. Being in him brought into peace with God, they will entertain true peace betwixt themselves and not suffer any thing to disturb it. They have hopes to meet one day where is nothing but perfect concord and peace; they will therefore live as heirs of that life here, and make their present estate as like to heaven as they can, and so a pledge and evidence of their title to that inheritance of peace which is there laid up for them. And they will not fail to put one

another often in mind of those hopes and that inheritance, and mutually to advance and further each other towards it. Where this is not the case, it is to little purpose to speak of other rules. Where neither party aspires to this heirship, live they otherwise as they will, there is one common inheritance abiding them, one inheritance of everlasting flames; and as they do increase the sin and guiltiness of one another by their irreligious conversation, so that which some of them do wickedly here, they will have full cause for doing there; cause to curse the time of their coming together, and that shall be a piece of their exercise for ever. But happy those persons in any society of marriage or friendship, who converse together as those that shall live eternally together in glory. This indeed is the sum of all duties.

Life. A sweet word, but sweetest of all in this sense! The life above is indeed alone worthy the name, and this we have here, in comparison, let it not be called life, but a continual dying, an incessant journey towards the grave. If you reckon years, it is but a short moment to him that attains the fullest old age; but reckon miseries and sorrows, it is long to him that dies young. O that this only blessed life were more known, and then it would be more desired!

Grace. This is the tenor of this heirship, free grace: this life is a free gift. No life so spotless either in marriage or virginity, as to lay claim to this life upon other terms. If we consider but a little what it is and what we are, this will be quickly out of question with us; and we shall be most gladly content to hold it thus, by deed of gift, and shall admire and extol that grace which bestows it.

That your prayers be not hindered. He supposes in Christians the necessary and frequent use of this, takes it for granted, that the heirs of life cannot live without prayer. This is the proper breathing and language of these heirs, none of whom are dumb; they can all speak. These heirs, if they be alone, they pray alone; if heirs together and living together, they pray together. Can the husband and wife have that love, wisdom, and meekness, which may make their life happy, and that blessing