N00500:75
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.
COUNSEL 4.
COVNSEL 4.
WHILE you thus maintain the, Fear of God, Let it very particularly discover it self in your keeping the purpose of the Psalmist, I will take heed unto my Ways that I Sin not with my Tongue; I will keep my Mouth with a Bridle. May it be as much, a Causeless, as it is a Common, Report concerning you▪ That your Tongues are frequently not so Governed by the, Fear of God, as they ought to be. The Faculty of Speech is of such a Noble and of such a Signal Figure in the constitution of Mankind, that it is a thousand ⟨p. 50⟩pities, it should be Abused; but Womankind is usually charged with a peculiar share in the Worlds Abuses of it. It is indeed a piece of great Injustice, that every Woman should be so far an Eve, as that her Depravation should be imputed unto all •he Sex. Nevertheless i• highly concerns you to do your part, that in Fames Trumpet, which is a Speaking One, you may be be•ter spoken of, as to the matter of your speaking. The Attainment which therefore I Recommend unto you, is that in Prov. 10.20. The Tongue of the Just, is as Choice Silver. A Woman is often valued according to the Silver t•at She h•s to bring unto them that will call her their Mistress, in order to their being Master of that. 'Tis a few, Pounds, Shillings and Pence, that makes her weigh heaviest in the Scale of the vulgar Estimation. •ut a Woman of a Silver Tongue is the person of whom we may most Reasonably say, She is not of Little Worth. As your Speech ought always to be True, and there should be no less an Agreement between your H•arts and Words, then between your Words and Things, ever speaking As you think, tho' it may be not All you think; lest you put Brass or Tin instead of Silver: so your Speech ought likewise to be Rare, like Silver, which is not so common as Copper or Iron is. Be careful that you don't Speak too soon, because you cannot fetch back and eat up, what is uttered; but Study to Answer. And be careful that you don't Speak too much, because that when the Chest is always open, every one counts there are no Treasures in it and the Scripture tells us, 'tis the Whore, that is Clamorous, and