A bride-bush, or A wedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married personsA bride-bush, or A vvedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married persons

In a mad fit & passionate distemper, the wife of the best may sling forth, & be undutiful, but afterwards her hart will condemn her self, & justify him, and so he loseth not authority, though it be assaulted; yea, he recovers his own with advantage. And as in general, we prescribe a godly conversation in the family, to be the preserver and upholder of the mans authority; so specially must he be ⟨p. 20⟩counselled to shun and abandon three special and disgraceful evils, that have this effect, to make every man seem vile and base in all eyes that behold him thus defiled. The first is bitterness: So Paul willeth the husband; Be not bitter. The savour of violent and raging passions, will smell so loathsomely in the wives nostrils, coming from the husband, that she shall hardly choose, but first hate him, and despise him after. This distasteful bitterness of speech and behaviour, bewrays impotency of affection, and that great want of wisdom; and this will produce great want of reverence. If thou be an husband, and wouldest be regarded, tumble not thy self in those foul, dirty and stinking guzzles of passionate railing, striking, or the like. That which bewrays so great folly, must it not procure exceeding great contempt? Secondly, beware of unthriftiness, that is another great enemy to authority, and as a worm, rots and consumes the same. Whatsoever man gives himself to drinking, gaming, ill-company keeping, (which three vices go commonly together) shall at once lose his wit, wealth, estimation. When drink hath dispossessed reason, gaming providence, ill-company good conditions; the carriage will be foolish, wicked, beast-like, and the person base, hated, loathed. Never did unthrift keep his place, as not his money. For who can regard him that will not be worth any thing? Thirdly, lightness must be avoided, foolish behaviour and carriage, childish and unsober tricks, that have no print or stamp of gravity upon them; these expose a man to contempt. For if the husband put on a fools Coat, and take a babble in his hand, (and what else be these odd and toyish demeanours?) can he blame his wife, though she take up laughter at him? The bitter man is as a frantic head, troublesome: the unthrifty man as a scald head, fulsome: the light man, the Jester, as a giddy head, ridiculous.

In a mad fit & passionate distemper, the wife of the best may sling forth, & be vndutifull, but afterwards her hart will condemne her selfe, & iustifie him, and so he loseth not authority, though it bee assaulted; yea, he recouers his owne with aduantage. And as in generall, wee prescribe a godly conuersation in the family, to bee the preseruer and vpholder of the mans authority; so specially must hee be