A20559:424
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thus must she imitate Sarah and good women as Peter saith, and in so doing she shall prove her self a daughter of Sarah a true christian. but contrarily if she behave her self rudely and unmannerly in her husbands sight to grieve him and offend him, she fails in the first and main duty of a good wife, and so far shall surely come short of all the rest.
Thus must shee imitate Sarah and good women as Peter saith, and in so doing shee shall proue her selfe a daughter of Sarah a true christian. but contrarily if she behaue her selfe rudely and vnmannerly in her husbands sight to greiue him and offend him, shee fails in the first and maine dutie of a good wife, and so far shall surely come short of all the rest.
The second duty of the wife is constant obedience and subjection. Now in what, and after what manner this obedience must be performed, the holy ghost doth declare. for in general there is no woman almost so rude, but she will yield that she must obey her husband; but in particular things there grows the question and in the manner of it there is the failing. Therefore the Apostle hath to put all out of doubt set down both the matter and manner. Ephes. 5. 24. As the Church is in subjection to Christ, so let the wife be to the husband in all things. For the things in which she must obey he says, in all things, ⟨p. 22⟩meaning in all lawful things. for the commandment of the husband is as it were the stamp of God set upon the thing commanded, and if she rebel against his commandment she rebels against God; the wife then must persuade her self that her husbands charge is Gods charge, and when he speaks God speaks, and therefore she must resolve to obey him in all things. Then for the manner he saith as the Church obeys Christ. Now we know that the Church obeys Christ willingly & cheerfully with a free heart, and though the things which Christ commands it be often times very contrary to nature, and no whit at all delightful to the flesh, yet the true Church will more set by the commandment of Christ then her own pleasure, and have a greater regard to please him then to serve the desires of the flesh. Therefore the wife must obey her husband in all things cheerfully and willingly without gainsaying. These be the duties of a worthy woman, of a daughter of Abraham and a christian wife. Which so far as she is careful to perform, so far as she may look that her husband should do the duty of a good husband unto her, or if he do not, yet God will reward her liberally. For such a woman is much set by of God, and that not with an idle affection that no body can see, but with such a working love as shall show it self by good effect outwardly in plentiful blessings on her soul and body, if she can frame for conscience sake to God, to yield a willing and free obedience to her husband in all lawful things & that with a meek & lowly carriage of her self proceeding from an holy fear and reverence of him being in Gods stead.