ters of God, and matters of the world. Your first care must be, that the living od be duly worshipped by all in your house; to this end, you must read the scriptures, call upon the name of God among them, and catechise them in the principles of religion, that none under your roof may be ignorant of the great truths of the Gospel. To this end also, you must see that they sanctify the sabbath: you must carefully and constantly bring them to the public assemblies, and examine them afterwards how they profit thereby. If this care be wanting, you will want the blessing of God on all your other cares; wherefore let man and wife be principally helpful to each other in this business. When the husband is present, let him read and pray with his family, and teach them the fear of the Lord. In his absence, let his wife do these duties, or at least take care to see them done, and let both of them provide and allow convenient time and leisure for the same; and let each quicken the slackness of each other, if either begin to grow weary. If he is worse than an infidel who provideth not food for his family, what is he who lets their souls grow naked for want of that which is both food and clothing to them, I mean instruction in the things that pertain to life and godlines? Herein, then, let all husbands and wives be of one mind in the Lord, using all good means to plant and water piety in

the hearts of all that are under their care. As to matters of the world, first, they must appoint their inferiors such works and services as they are severally fit for, and then follow and look after them, that they may perform those services. Had not the Lord seen that inferiors would need this, he would not have made this difference in the family; but God saw that the best servants need this help, and therefore ordained governors, generally two, that the absense of one might be supplied by the presence of the other. Secondly, you must mark the carriage of your inferiors, and see what disorders do, or are ready to break in, whether openly or secretly, that they may either be prevented or resisted speedily.--Idleness, tailing, discord, and many other evils, are apt to steal even on good servants and children, which. the Lord well knowing, made rulers in the house to keep all in good order; and if this care be some trouble, yet the mischiefs which arise from the want of it are much more troublesome: whereas, if the eyes of the master and mistress be always open, much peace will follow in the house. Thirdly, you must join in admonishing, reproving, and if need be, correcting your inferiors; and in so doing, you must take care to maintain each other's authority to the full. If one encourage, the other must not oppose; if one reprove, the other must not defend. If he see cause to correct, she must not grow an

gry nor hinder; neither when she would correct must he save them out of her hands. Nay, suppose either should exceed, correcting either without cause, or above measure, the other must not find fault in hearing of the inferiors; but they must debate the matter between themselves, and keep their disagreements from appearing in the family; so, therefore, join hands, that your dissention may not blast the fruit of all your endeavours: so shall you preserve your authority, encrease your love to each other, and procure amendment in your inferiors.

Vol. IV. of the Works, p. 164.

HUSBANDS.

It is the duty of a husband to govern his wife, and to maintain her. The former implies that he keep his authority and that he use it; and first, every man is bound to keep himself in that place wherein his Maker hath set him, and to hold fast that precedency which God hath assigned him. The Lord hath entitled him your head, and he may not take a lower place. The contempt redounds upon God, which a man takes upon himself, by making his wife his master; but perhaps some will say, "all this is reasonable, if it were practicable. But there are some wives so proud, headstrong, and stubborn,

that their husbands cannot govern them." I answer, most men blame their wives; when the real fault is in themselves. Man cannot hinder a violent woman from assaulting his authority, but he may from winning it: not, indeed, by violence, but by skill; not by main force, but by a steady and wise proceeding. And first, let him endeavour to exceed his wife in goodness as he does in place; let him walk uprightly and religiously in his family, and give a good example to all in the house; then any reasonable woman will give him the better place, whom she sees to be the better person.-Take pains then to make thyself good, and that is the most compendious way to make thyself reverenced. This in general, but in particular, shun those evils that make a man seem vile in the eyes of those that are around him. The first of these is bitterness, sharp, tart carriage, reviling, passionate, provoking language, are fitly so called, being as offensive to the mind, as gall and wormwood to the palate. This bitterness shews folly, and works hatred, and therefore must needs be a great underminer of authority; for wherever want of wisdom is, there will ensue want of reverence. He that would retain his pre-eminence, must, secondly, avoid unthriftiness, another great enemy to reverence. Drunkenness, gaming, and ill company, are the three parts of unthriftiness; and whoever gives way to any of these, must

expect to be despised. Thirdly, lightness must be avoided by husbands, all foolish, childish be- " haviour, that wears no stamp of gravity or discretion, but savours of a kind of boyishness. If the husband puts a fool's coat upon his back, can he blame his wife for laughing at him? Cast, therefore; all those base evils from you, and strive for holiness and gravity of conversation, that your superiority, supported by such pillars, may stand upright and unshaken. But how is a man to use this authority, so that it may answer the end for which it is given? The end of it is, that he may present her to God, holy and without blemish; that he may so govern her, as to weaken every corruption, and strengthen every grace in her soul. In order to do this, he must temper the exercise of his authority, by justice, wisdom and mildness. Justice is the life and soul of government, without which it is no better than a dead carcase; wisdom is the eye of government, without which it is like a strong man stark blind. Mildness is the health and good constitution of government; and when they are all joined together, then the husband is as it were, God in the family, a resemblance of his sovereignty and goodness. Justice is to be exercised in recompensing and directing; for the first, a man must not so abuse his authority, as to enjoin any thing sinful: what God commands, he must not forbid ; what

S