The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

To show how a modest countenance, and womanly shamefastness do commend a chaste wife, it is observed that the word Nuptiae, which signifieth the marriage of the woman, doth declare the manner of her marriage: for it importeth a covering, because the virgins which should be married, when they came to their husbands, for modesty and shamefastness did cover their faces: as we read of Rebekah,¹ which so soon as she saw Isaac, and knew that he should be her husband, she cast a veil before her face, showing that modesty should be learned before marriage, which is the dowry that God addeth to her portion.

To shew how a modest countenance, and womanly shamefastnes do commend a chast wife, it is obserued that the word Nuptiae, which signifieth the mariage of the woman, doth declare the manner of her mariage: for it importeth a couering, because the virgins which should be married, when they came to their husbands, for modestie and shamefastnesse did couer their faces: as we read of Rebeccah,¹ which so soone as she saw Isaac, and knew that he should be her husband, she cast a vaile before her face, shewing that modestie should be learned before mariage, which is the dowrie that God addeth to her portion.

1. 1Gen. 24. 65.

The third sign is her speech, or rather her silence;¹ for the ornament of a woman is silence: and therefore the law was given to the man rather then to the woman, to show that he should be the teacher, and she the hearer▪ ²