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…

Now I speak to one which is a mother so soon as she is married:¹ therefore peradventure you look that I should show the duty of stepmothers. Their name doth show them their duty too, for a stepmother doth signify a stedmother, that is, one mother dieth, and another cometh in her stead: therefore that your love may settle to those little ones as it ought, you must remember that ye are their stedmother, that is in stead of their ⟨p. 68⟩mother, and therefore to love them, and tender them, and cherish them as their mother did. She must not look upon them like Rehoboam, who told his people that he would be worse unto them then his predecessor; for then they will turn from her, as his subjects did from him: but she must come to them as David came to the people after Sauls death, and said,² Though your master Saul be dead, yet I will reign over you: so she must say to them, though your mother be dead, yet will I be a mother: so the children will love her as much as their father. Further, these children are orphans, and therefore you must not only regard them as children, but as orphan children.³ Now God requireth a greater care over widows and Orphans,⁴ than over any other women or children.

Now I speake to one which is a mother so soone as she is married:¹ therefore peraduenture you looke that I should shewe the dutie of stepmothers. Their name dooth shewe them their duetie too, for a stepmother doth signifie a stedmother, that is, one mother dieth, and another commeth in her stead: therefore that your loue may settle to those little ones as it ought, you must remember that ye are their stedmother, that is in sted of their ⟨p. 68⟩mother, and therefore to loue them, and tender them, and cherish them as their mother did. She must not looke vpon them like Rehoboam, who tolde his people that hee would be worse vnto them then his predecessour; for then they will turne from her, as his subiects did from him: but she must come to them as Dauid came to the people after Saules death, and sayd,