N00500:121
Ornaments for the daughters of Zion. Or The character and happiness of a virtuous…Ornaments for the daughters of Zion. Or The character and happiness of a vertuous…
Ornaments for the daughters of Zion. Or The character and happiness of a virtuous woman: in a discourse which directs the female-sex how to express, the fear of God, in every age and state of their life; and obtain both temporal and eternal blessedness. / Written by Cotton Mather ; [Four lines in Latin from Tertullian, followed by a six line translation into English]Ornaments for the daughters of Zion. Or The character and happiness of a vertuous woman: in a discourse which directs the female-sex how to express, the fear of God, in every age and state of their life; and obtain both temporal and eternal blessedness. / Written by Cotton Mather ; [Four lines in Latin from Tertullian, followed by a six line translation into English]
printed by S.G. & B.G. i.e for Samuel Phillips, 1692
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.
II. But her Love to her Husband, will also admit, yea, and Produce the Fear of, A Cautious Diligence never to Displease him. 'Twas this which the Apostle Peter meant, when he Recommends unto the Women, A Chaste Conversation Coupled with Fear; and Paul, when he requires of the woman, To Reverence her Husband. While she looks upon him as, Her Guide, by the Constitution of God, she will not Scruple with Sarah, to call him, Her Lord; and though she do's not Fear his Blows, yet she do's Fear his Frowns, being Loth in any way to Grieve him, or cause an Head-ache in the Family by Offending him. She would have that famous Decree of the Persians mentioned in the Sacred Bible, That all the Wives give to their Husbands Honour both to Great and Small, to be as a Law of the Persians, altogether, Unalterable ▪ In every Lawful thing, she submits her Will •nd Sense ▪ to his, where she cannot with Calm Reasons Convince him of, Inexpediencies; and instead of Grudging or Captions Contradiction, she acts as if there were but One Mind in Two Bodies. If her Abraham give order, Make Ready quickly three Measures of Meal ▪ or •he like, 'tis as quickly done; If her Jacob say to her, I must have you go with me, she most readily yields unto him. When she is for Obeying him, In Omnibus Licitis [i▪ e. in every Lawful thing] she do's not English it, as once the Gentlewoman did, as far as my List i•. If his Unreasonable ⟨p. 80⟩Humours happen to be such, that she must g•ve some Diversion to them, she Remembers that Rule, In her Tongue is the Law of Kindness; 'tis by the Kindness, the Swee• ness, the Goodness of her Ex•••ssi•ns, that she gives Law un•o him. If she speak of him, tis not in such Terms as the Harlot uses in Proverbs, The Man; but it is with all manner of Respect: she will nor Blaze any Infirmity of his, nor will she Blast his Reputation; being indeed Sensible that whatever Ignominy she cast upon him, it infallibly Rebounds and Redounds upon her self: here she is a true Mila, that is, A Woman of Counsel. If she speak to him, 'tis not with Talkative and Unhandsome Interruptions, nor with any oher mis-becoming Isolencies; though he be never so much, a Chl yet she ver teas him with the Language of an Abigail. Though she be a Sarah, that is, a Mistress; yet she owns that she ha's, a Master;