Again it may teach women how to behave them selves in these duties that they may thereby gain as well favour with God, as love with their husbands at home, and a good report abroad: if they shall do all in obedience of God, if they shall do all aas unto God: as a Christian servant bserveth God and not man, so submitting themselves to God, not to man: while they regard God in their husbands, as che doth God in his master, and so do all das unto God, because they do eall for God, and for conscience of God. Else though they perform all outward duties, they go no further then heathen: if they do not so much, they come short of them: and fif they expect & desire to be accepted with God, they must go beyond them they must not only do all that they do; but do it *as they should do: do all for God, & then they do it to God. For as gthey relieve Christ in the poor, when they relieve them for Christ: so they obey Christ in their husbands, when they obey them for Christ. Not regard so much what their husbands deserve from them, as what God requireth of them: and as Christian subjects submit themselves *to good governors as unto God, to evil governors for God, or rather unto either of them both as unto God and in God: so submit themselves to their husbands be they good or bad, deserve ⟨p. 29⟩they well or evil of them, as for God, and in God, and unto God, in regard of the precept and enjoinment of God. hSo doing, as the Apostle saith, ithey shall be s•ued by child-bearing, so they shall be saved by Christian submission and obedience. As kthe servant that serveth not man but the Lord, shall from the Lord receive the inheritance of a son: so the woman that submitteth her self to her husband for God, shall for such her submission be eternally rewarded of God. And this withal may again serve well to take away that objection of faulty performance on the other part: If he do not his duty to me, why should I do min• to him? True: if thou oughtest it to him only, or principal•'y to him. But it is in the Lord, and for him that this duty is required of thee. Him thou owest it unto, whither thy husband do his or no; w hither he deserve it, or no, at thine hands.
Againe it may teach women how to behaue thē selues in these duties that they may therby gaine as well fauor with God, as loue with their husbands at home, and a good report abroad: if they shall do all in obediēce of God, if they shall do all aas vnto God: as a Christian seruant bserueth God and not man, so submitting themselues to God, not to man: while they regard God in their husbāds, as che doth God in his master, and so doe all das vnto God, because they do eall for God, and for conscience of God. Else though they performe all outward duties, they go no further then heathen: if they do not so much, they come short of them: and fif they expect & desire to be accepted with God, they must go beyond them they must not onely do all that they doe; but do it *as they should do: do all for God, & then they doe it to God. For as gthey releeue Christ in the poore, when they releeue them for Christ: so they obey Christ in their husbands, when they obey them for Christ. Not regard so much what their husbands deserue from them, as what God requireth of them: and as Christian subiects submit themselues *to good gouernours as vnto God, to euill gouernours for God, or rather vnto either of them both as vnto God and in God: so submit themselues to their husbands bee they good or badde, deserue ⟨p. 29⟩they well or euill of them, as for God, and in God, and vnto God, in regard of the precept and enioynment of God. hSo doing, as the Apostle saith, ithey shall be s•ued by child-bearing, so they shall be saued by Christian submission and obedience. As
- aEph, 5.22.
- bEph. 67.5. 1 Cor. 7.23. Col 3.23.
- cEph. 65.6. Colos 3.22, 24.
- dEphes. 5.22, & 6.5.
- eColos 3.22.
- fMath. 5.••.
- *Deus n•u tam verbis quam adverbus delectatur ••uiā fa••ū respi•it, quam modum […]. Melanch. b•nū, b•ne Austot. et•••.Deus n•u tam verbis quam adverbus delectatur ••uiā fa••ū respi•it, quam modum 〈…〉. Melanch. b•nū, b•ne Austot. et•••.
- gMath. 25.40.
- *
