Ornaments for the daughters of Zion, or, The character and happiness of a virtuous woman in a disocurse 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.

Ornaments for the Daughtes of Zion . OR , The Character and Happiness of A Virtuous Woman From the words of the Wise Woman In Proverbs 31. 30.

Favour is deceitful , and Beauty is vain , but A WOMAN THAT FEARETH THE LORD , She 't is that shall be praised .

IT may well be reckoned the brightest Honour of that Sex , which the Holy Spirit of God has declar'd worthy of a Chast and a Kind Honour from us ; That when the Fulness of Time was come , God sent forth his Son , made of a Woman . As a Woman had the Disgrace to go first in that horrid and woful Transgression of our first Parents , which has been the Parent of all our Misery ; so a Woman had the Glory of bringing into the World that Second Adam , who is the Father of all our Happiness . A Woman had the Saviour of Mankind in the Circumstances of an Infant Miraculously Conceiv'd within her ; and of a Mary was born that Holy Thing , which is called , The Son of God . There is a Woman , whom we do now without the mistakes , which made that expression the occasion of many Antient , and no less furious than curious Controversies , call , The Mother of Him that is God ; in as much as that very Flesh which was born of her , and which the Trembling Hereticks of this Age , do not now Tremble to vilifie and nullifie with frequent Blasphemies ; I say , That Visible Tangible Flesh , is Personally United unto the Second Person in the Adorable Trinity . Though we do not like the Popish Idolaters , for this cause , imagine that Blessed Virgin to have been free from Original Sin , when she was on Earth , nor now Implore her Mediation and Intercession in Heaven for us ; and though I do not think , that the Holy Ghost referr'd unto her peculiarly , as there are Expositors who think he does , when he says , The Woman that fears the Lord , she 't is that shall be praised : Yet we may safely account the Female Sex herein more than a little dignified . And how should it encourage all Women to seek a saving Interest in that Redeemer , who was Born of a Woman ! How should all Women make their Hearts a Lodging for that Lord , who in a Woman received The Body prepared for him !

The Second , or a priviledge not far from the Second Advancement of that Sex , may be esteemed , the Share which it has had in Writing those Oracles , which make us wise unto Salvation . As one Woman was the Mother of him who is the Essential Word of God , so divers Women have been the Writers of his Declarative Word . Though the Apostle does abundantly intimate unto us , that such Inspirations as compos'd the Scriptures are not now to be expected , when he gives the prohibition so much Transgress'd by the most Absurd Sect in our Days , That the Woman may not speak in the Church ; yet our God has Employ'd many Women to Write for the Chu●ch , and Inspir'd some of them for the Writing of the Scriptures . We have not only seen Women doing service for the Tabernacle by such Ingenious Writings as we find mention'd in the Catalogues of Beverovicius , Hottinger , and Voetius ; or such as that most accomplish'd Lady , Anna Maria Schurman has in our Age addressed the World withal ; for even the Books publish'd by that Sex , were enough to make a Library far from contemptible ; nor has even the New-English part of the American Strand been without Authoresses that would challenge a Room in such a Library : They to whom the common use of Swords is neither Decent nor Lawful , have made a most Laudable use of Pens ; and they that might not without Sin , lead the Life which old Stories ascribe to Amazons , have with much praise done the part of Scholars in the World : But we sometimes also find a Woman among the Amanuenses or Scribes of that Spirit , who moved holy Men to write the most sure Word of Prophecy . And how much does this oblige all Women to study that precious Bible , to the curious Workmanship whereof , the hand of a Woman has contributed ? How ready should Women be to Read the pages , upon which they may see transcribed the heavenly discoveries made by the God of Heaven to an holy Woman ; rather than to misspend their hours , and infect their hearts by the revolving of such Romances , as commonly leave a sensible Taint upon the minds of their unwary Readers ?

We have not only the Song of Deborah , the Song of Hannah , the Song of Mary , and the Prophecy of Huldah , in this matchless Book of our God ; but the Instructions of Bathshebah too , are entered in these blessed Registers . The thirty first Chapter of Proverbs contains a direction of Bathshebah to her darling Solomon . Solomon that in the fourth Chapter of this Book , records the Counsels of his Father , now in the last Chapter adds the Counsels of his Mother thereunto . So careful will wise Children be to remember the gracious Counsels of their godly Parents : We have Solomon here addressed by the name of Lemuel , which name some Interpreters judge to be a little and a loving imitation of his true Name ; as 't is useful with our Mothers , from the names of Edward and William , and the like , to form affectionate Appellations for us ; but others waving so small a consideration , do look upon Lemuel as one of the eight Names which the Jews do ascribe unto that Man of Name , and they tell us , that as Jedidiah proclaimed his being Beloved of the Lord , Lemuel signified his Belonging to the Lord . Some famous persons in the World , have been signaliz'd by that Character of being Mother taught ; such an one was our Solomon , who had not only a Father , that lest behind him Transcendent Songs for Solomon , but also a Mother , who taught him such things as the best should not be unwilling to learn . How free , how rich is the Grace of God unto Repenting Sinners ! Bathshebah , after a very scandalous Fall , becomes a very eminent Saint , yea a Prophetess of the Lord . Although a Woman may have been remarkable and notorious for sin , yet let her endeavour to make her Peace with God : It may be made , and she may enter into the Kingdom of Heaven , before others that have not had such wounds upon them .

't is evident , that the nine first verses of the Chapter , are spent in Reciting the most prudent and winning Lessons of Bathshebah to her Solomon . But it is conceived that the rest of the Chapter is only Solomons Reciprocation in the praises of Bathshebah . It is indeed a most lovely thing to see such Correspondencies of Desert and Duty , as make Children to count their Mothers worthy of their honour : Noble Romans have sometimes made Florid Speeches at the Funerals of their Mothers , and professed , That they had never in their Lives been reconciled unto them , inasmuch as ( they meant ) they had never fallen out : It is the happiness of a Mother sometimes to have such Sons as Nazienzen and Austin were unto theirs , whose Names are by their means forever Celebrated : although for the most part we see in mens Readiness to Slight their Mothers , the Reason why the Mother is put first in that Charge of our God . Ye shall fear every man his Mother , and his Father . It is the Opinion of others , That the Conclusion of the Chapter , is also the Composure of Bathshebah ; and that which confirms them in this Opinion is , The Skill in Houshold Affairs here manifested , which Carries a Little of a Female Aspect with it . However it be , we have here the Description of , A Virtuous Woman , in twenty two Verses , according to the Number and Order of the Letters , in the Hebrew Alphabet ; Every letter in due sequence beginning a several Verse . 't is reported , that Children among the Jews of old Learning to Write , had their Copies usually given them from those Portions of the Scriptures , which were drawn up with such an Alphabet of the Hebrew Letters in them ; whether that were so , or no , I am sure that Women among the Gentiles in our Days , Learning to Live , cannot easily find better Copies to follow , than those which are in our Context here set before them . It were to be wished , That the Sex which so often looks into the Glass , would sometimes cast an eye upon this part of that Sacred Word , which is compar'd unto a Divine Glass ; that they may see whether they have the Features , or Habits of The Virtuous Woman , on them . And I pray , let no Woman count her self so great a Lady as to put in her Exceptions , against that Stroke in the Character of the Virtuous Woman here ; She seeks Wooll and Flax , and Works willingly with her Hands , till she has procured the Alteration of the English Laws , wherein , Spinster , is a Term given to Women of the greatest Quality . When a Gentlewoman of Extraordinary Learning was presented before the first King of Great Britain , his first Question to her , was , Madam , Can you Spin ? And several of the most Renowned Emperours ▪ have not only Obliged their Daughters to Spin , but also Wore such Garments as those Princely Hands had prepared for them . The Cards at which many Gentlewoman Play wickedly with their Hands , are far more Debasing , than those Cards which fit the Wooll for the Wheel : and the Distaff is an Instrument of better Quality than the Dice . The Famous Queen Katharine , when persons of high Rank were sent unto her with a Message from King Henry , counted it no Disgrace to be found with a Skein of Red Silk about her Neck , at Work , with a Maid of Honour by her side . She that hath Bought a Field has not thereby Bought a Release from Domestick Businesses ; the Hands which Carve at the most Noble Tables , may be Laid unto the Spindle , without being Dishonourably Blistered or Dirted there .

't is a foolish Custom which the Jews have in Reading Solomons Book of Ecclesiastes ; that they Print the Last Verse but One , of it , over again in the Close of all , because they would have the remembrance and Impression of that Verse to be Stronger upon them , than that of the terrible verse which follows it . But having laid before you the Description of A Virtuous Woman , which closes up Solomons Book of Proverbs ; I must upon another Account Print , and ask the Daughters of our Common Mother to Read the last verse but one , over again ; 't is this .

FAVOUR is Deceitful , and Beauty is Vain ; but a Woman , that Fears the Lord , She 't is that shall be Praised .

The Words are , as one says of them , A Royal Garland set on the Head of a Virtuous Woman by the Hand of God . Some Interpreters do so Allegorize these Words , that they make this Virtuous Woman to be the Church of God . Indeed , there are more Women than Men , in the Church ; and the more Virtuous they prove , the more Worthy will the Church be , to be figured by , A Woman that Fears the Lord . Some Interpreters again , do so Sublimate the words , that they understand every Holy , Pious , Devout Soul by this Virtuous Woman . And it were well , if Women were generally so Virtuous , as that they might worthily impart unto every Godly Soul , the Denomination of , A Woman that Fears the Lord . Other Interpreters do suppose Virtue it self to be meant by the Virtuous Woman . But , we should be sorry , if a Virtuous Woman prove so rare a thing , as to afford a stile for a Parable rather than an History . I confess , Virtue it self , and the Names of all Particular Virtues , are Grammatically of the Female Gender ; and that the Things may Theologically abound in that Gender , is what we may thence take occasion to be wishing for . But after all , 't is a Real , Proper , Gracious Woman , that has her Character and Blessedness in these words Exhibited unto us . —

The first thing with which we are here treated is ,

I. THE CHARACTER of a Virtuous Woman .

And this Character is both Negatively and Positively offered . Negatively , 't is not a Deceitful Favour , or , a Vain Beauty that sets her off ; Women that have none but those things to Value themselves upon , are driven out from The Temple of Honour , here . But , Positively , 't is the Fear of the Lord that is her Commendation . 't is implied , not only that Favour and Beauty are poor things compar'd with the Fear of God , but also that they who have the Fear of God , will not Value themselves upon their Favour and Beauty . Yea , that there is a Favour and Beauty Opposite , Contrary , Destructive to the Fear of God . We may reflect upon the whole , in these Conclusions .

Conclusion . 1.

The Virtuous Woman counts the best Female Favour to be Deceitful , the best Female Beauty to be Vain .

By Favour is meant , a Comely Presence , an Handsome Carriage , a Decent Gesture , a ready Wit agreeably expressing it self , with all other Graceful Motions , and whatsoever procures Favour for a Woman among her Neighbours . The Virtuous Woman is willing to have this Favour , so far as is consistent with Virtue ; She counts it a Favour of God for one to be graced with it ; But still she looks upon it as a Deceitful thing . She is careful , that She do not hereby Deceive her self into proud Imaginations , and into an Humour , Conceited of her self , or Contemptuous towards others . Careful She likewise is , lest hereby She Decieve Unwary men , into those Amours which bewitching looks and smiles do often betray the Children of men , especially those that are but Children of men , into .

By Beauty is meant , a good Proportion and Symmetry of the parts , and a skin well Varnished , or that which Chrysostom calls , A good mixture of Blood and Flegm shining through a good Skin ; With all that Harmonious Air of the Countenance , which recommends it self , as a Beauty to the Eye of the Spectator . The Virtuous Woman is not unthankful for this Beauty , when the God of Nature has bestow'd any of it on her ; and yet she counts it no Virtue for her to be very sensible of her being illustrated with such a Beauty . But still she looks upon it as a Vain thing . She reckons it so Vain , that she has no Assurance for the continuance of it ; but that it is temporis & Morbi Ludibrium , as one of the Antients has descanted on it ; a thing neither Age-proof , nor Ague-proof . She sees that Vanity in it , which is upon the quickly Withering Roses and Lillies of the Field : Such a Vanity as that Sickbeds or Sun beams , or a thousand Casualties may soon destroy that Idol of the Amorites . And upon these thoughts , a Virtuous Woman takes heed of becoming so Deceitful and Vain , as many Women are tempted by their Favour and Beauty to become .

Conclusion 2.

There is a Favour so particularly Deceitful , and a Beauty so remarkably Vain , as that a Virtuous Woman would be loth to be Deformed with it .

The Favour whereat a Virtuous Woman has a particular Distast , is that which promiscuous Dancing is applauded for . The exercise of promiscuous Dancing is that which pretends to be a piece of Breeding which demands the Favour of Woman-kind ; but a Virtuous Woman esteems them deceived who count it so ; nor will she affect such an Exercise . Job recounts it as part of the Breeding which the Ungodly bestow upon their Children , in Chap. 21. 11. Their Children Dance . Now the Virtuous Woman is not fond of being that way employ'd . We read the Haughty Daughters of Zion described and threatned in Isa . 3. 16. as walking and min●ing as they go . Very Renowned Expositors conceive that Scripture to refer unto the Haughty Carriages learned in the Dancing School . The Apostle Paul in Rom. 13. 13. condemns Rioting ; and the Apostle Peter , in 1 Pet . 4. 3. condemns Revelling Now the most Learned Criticks in the Greek Tongue , judge Dancing to be the thing intended in the word there used by those Apostles . Moreover , the Reverend Assembly of Divines , in their Larger Catechism , very justly mention Dancings among the things forbidden in the Seventh Commandment of our God . Nor does the Levity of Dancings wherein persons leap and fling about so like Bedlams , that the wisest Men have call'd it , A Regular Madness , now agree well with the Gravity , which Holiness is to be accompanied withal . Such things as these are enough to make a Virtuous Woman to discard such Dancings from among the things of good report ; and leave them either to the Pagans , whose manner 't was to Dance in the Worship of Bacchus , or to the Monkeys , whom of old they brought forth to Dance at the Festival of Diana . Some of the more sober Papists have not stuck to say , The Dancer breaks the Covenant of God , made in Baptism ; he promised to renounce the Devil , and his Pomps : But when he enters into a Dance , he goes in the Pompous Procession of the Devil . They are not a few silly scrupulous Precisians , by whom these Dancings have been stigmatized . In the Primitive Times , more than one or two of the Fathers thundred against them as a Diabolical practice ; and whole Synods did prohibit the usage of them , even at Weddings as well as at other Seasons . Nor have Reforming Synods of later days in France , Holland , Poland , forborn to brandish the Sword of Church-Discipline , and provide Censures for any Dancers that might be found among their Communicants . Austin says , The miserable Dancer knows not , that as many paces as he makes in Dancing , so many steps he makes to Hell . And the blessed old Waldenses testified , In a Dance one breaks all the Ten Commandments of God . The most Eminent Reformers above an hundred years ago , concurred in witnessing against these Dances , as an Unlawful Recreation ; and among the English Divines , yea among the English Bishops , they have been decry'd by a Cloud of Witnesses ; they have branded our Dancers as the Capering Goats , that will not be found among the Sheep in the Day of the Lord . Shall we say it ? Even the Antient Romans , although they were Heathens , yet reputed skill in Dancing an Infamous thing . Scipio call'd a Dance , Impudent ; Salust call'd a Dance , Dishonest ; and they cited it as a Note of Infamy . Tully could say , A Dancer is doubtless either drunk or mad ; and he argued against some , that they must needs be Vicious , inasmuch as they were Dancers ; nor did Seneca think it any other than a matter of bitter complaint , That there were Dancing-Schools tolerated in the City . These are considerations enough to deter a Virtuous Woman from the Dances , which are now become so acceptable to This Adulterous Generation . Pardon me this freedom ; I had been worse than an Infidel , if I had not used it ; for I remember Plutarch himself enumerating the Qualifications of a Virtuous Woman ; gives this for one , She must not be a Dancer . The Daughter of Herodias has been so stigmatized , that a Virtuous Woman will not be for Dancing after her .

The Beauty whereof a Virtuous Woman hath a remarkable dislike , is that which hath Artificial Painting in it . The usage of Artificial Painting is practised by many Women , who think thereby to be valued for a Beauty , which they are not really the owners of : But a Virtuous Woman will not be guilty of such a Vanity . There is a wicked Book that pleads for this ungodly practice ; but that good Lady uttered the Language of a Virtuous Woman upon reading such a Book , O Lord , I thank thee , that thou gavest me not Wit enough to write such a Book , u●less withal thou hadst given me Grace enough not to write it . Although it be not unlawful for a Person transiently to preserve or to restore her Native Complexion by convenient Medicines , when she is in any special danger of losing it ; yet for a Person to Paint her self , that she may make some ostenstation of a Complexion which God has not made her the owner of , is a thing that has heard ill among the most godly Christians ; nor will a Virtuous Woman easily be reconcil'd unto it ; lest when the Saints Rise as Tertullian wished he might at the Resurrection of the Righteous , To see whether the Angels are then carrying any Painted Ladies in their Arms to meet the Lord Jesus Christ with Joy ; there will be no such sight then to be met withal . The wicked Harlots of old Painted their Eyes , as 't is said in Ezek . 33. 40. Thou paintest thy Eyes ; understand it of their Eye-brows and Eye lids , which they ting'd with a preparation of Antimony to blacken them , and beautifie ' em . This was accounted an extraordinary Comliness ; and therefore about the Harlot is the Young Man advised in Prov. 6. 25. Let her not take thee with her Eye-lids . Of such Eyes 't was that Cyprian said , These are not Eyes with which our God is to be look'd unto ! And Jerom reckons 'em among scandalous Harlotries . Now this is one Argument which the Virtuous Woman has against the Painting of her Face in any part of it ; It is the Guise of an Harlot . An Adulterate Complexion is but agreeable to an Adulterous Condition . A Painted Face is but a Painted Sign hung out for advice to Strangers , that they shall find Entertainment there . 't is often the Whores Forehead which admits Paint upon it . 't is well if you do not find a Snake where you see a Painted Skin . Moreover , our Face is a Seat which has much of the Divine Image and Wisdom appearing in it ; and it is a vile Affront unto God , for a Woman to Deface the Workmanship of the Almighty there ; by such an Inversion , as the Hebrew word for this Painting signifies . Now , the Paint which is laid upon it , not only dis-figures the Face for the present , but also do's corrupt it and corrode it , and poison it , and hasten wrinkles and ruines thereupon : it will Rent the Face , as the Scripture speaks of it ; and I am sure , it should Rent the Heart , of them that use it . Besides , Our Lord Rebuked it , as a base Hypocrisie for Persons to alter their Faces that they might appear to be Fasting , when they were so indeed ; how much more basely Hypocritical is it , for Persons to alter their Faces that they might appear to be Comely when indeed they are not so ? There is no Sincerity in these Butterflies . It is a Cheat which there is no enduring of . The more Moral Heathen shew'd a great Indignation at it ; and shall we think a Vertuous Woman can allow of it ? And alas , what a World of Precious Time , is thus thrown away , by poor Creatures , who are so taken up with Painting of the Sepulchres in which their Souls lye Dead , as that they do little or nothing for the Beautifying of those Black , Forlorn , Forsaken Souls ? The sin committed in Paintings we must suppose committed in Patches too . When the Face is Patched the Heart is Rotten , the Heart has more Black Spots than the Face upon it . Some unhappy Ladies by the Just Judgment of God , have brought forth Children with Natural Patches on : so has Go● been offended at them . The Antients tell us , that the Devil was the Inventor of this Hellish Art ; and it can be nothing but either Lust or Pride ( both Bras of the Devil ! ) that shall dispose any to the using of it . If they that Please men , much more , I am sure they that thus Cheat men , cannot be The Servants of Christ ; Tertullian well calls them , The Handmaids of the Devil ; nor when they Paint their Bodies do they Glorifie the Lord with their Bodies . A Virtuous Woman would be loth to follow no better Patterns than Jezebel or Maximilla , both of which Woful Creatures have this related of them , That they Paint●d their Faces . For such would She leave these foul Paintings ; and now the old Picts are dead , She would not help to Revive that Pagan Generation or make her self a Sister to the Squaws in the Thickets of America . Nor would She be in the way of such Thunder-bolts , as Dr. Hall in Imitation of the blessed Ancients once darted against such Transgressors , Hear this , ye Plaister-faced Jezabels ; if you will not leave your Dawbings and your High Washes , God will one Day wash them off with Fire and Brimstone !

Conclusion . 3.

The Fear of God is that which the Heart of a Virtuous Woman is under the Power of . The Female Sex is naturally the Fearful Sex ; but the Fear of God is that which Exceeds ( and sometimes Extinguishes ) all other Fears in the Virtuous Woman . To state this matter aright , we are to know , That the Fear of God is an Old Testament Expression , as the Love of God is a New Testament one , for all true Religion whatsoever . It may then be said of a Virtuous Woman , That she is a Religious Woman ; She has Bound her self again to that God , whom She had by the Sin and Fall of her First Mother departed from ; She has a Love which does not cast out the Fear that is no Fault , but confirm and settle her in that Fear of God ; That all kind of Piety and Charity is prevailing in her Disposition ; That Sobriety , and Righteousness , and Godliness are Visible in her whole Behaviour ; and , that She does Justice , loves Mercy , and walks Humbly with her God . But that we may speak somewhat more particularly .

First , A Virtuous Woman has Awful as well as Real Apprehensions , That there is a God . When Jacob of old perceived the Presence of God , it is said , in Gen. 28. 17. He was Afraid . The Vertuous Woman in like manner Believes the Essence of God ; and that thought , God is , it raises a Sacred Fear of Him in her humble and moved Soul . She sees the Being of a God prov'd from the Works of Creation : even as he that made the Image of Minerva ingraved his own Name upon it so , that it could not be taken out without breaking all to pieces . The whole World is a Book , and all Creatures are the Letters in it , whereby She Spells out the Existence of a GOD . Even the Dumb , the Mute Creatures do loudly speak this Truth unto her she Considers , That the World had a Beginning ; inasmuch as 't is Older and Changing every Day : And that it could not have its Beginning from it self ; inasmuch as Nothing would then be the cause of Something . So , She sees , there is a GOD ; and She sees the Wisdom of a GOD , the Power of a GOD , the Goodness of a GOD , throughout the Universe . She sees likewise the Being of GOD plain in the Works of Providence ; which preserves all things in a most Excellent Order , Subordinate and Subservient unto a Glorious End. She sees the World like a Vast Army Composed of Quarrelsome , Contentious , Contrary things , and yet holding well together ; whereupon she concludes , There is a GOD who is the Wise General over all . She considers the extraordinary Occurrences in the World ; and when She sees Prophecies that exactly foretell what comes to pass many Ages after ; When she sees Miracles , that give Check to the Common Course and Road of Nature ; When She sees Prayers extraordinarily Answered , Good Men extraordinarily Rewarded , Ill men Extraordinarily Punished , She cries out , The Finger of a GOD is here ! She finds her self born with a Notion of a GOD , wherein she has not been by any Tradition or Policy of others Impos'd upon ; and She graciously Cherishes that Notion . All Ancient Histories hardly mention above Twenty Profest Atheists ; and of those that were counted such , there never was one , without frequent and vehement suspitions of a GOD . But all Tendencies to Atheism are most abominable to the Soul of a Virtuous Woman . She is not such a Fool , as to say with her Mouth , or to Think with her Heart , or to say in her Heart , and Wish , There is no God . The Being of a GOD is at once the Fear , and yet the Wish of her Godly Soul . If any Designing , Debauched Atheist , go to insinuate unto her ; That the Notion of GOD , and HEAVEN , and HELL , and an Immortal SOUL , is but a Trick of some cunning Divines . her Answer is with an Indignation , Speedy and Angry like a Flash of Lightning , Satan , be gone !

Next ; A Virtuous Woman has a most Reverent Respect and Regard unto all that has the Name of God upon it . They that have the Fear of God in them , are by Him so stiled , in Mal . 4. 2. You that Fear my Name . The Name of God is all that , whereby He makes Himself Known unto us ; and a Virtuous Woman will not Irreverently Use any such Thing , lest She should be held not Guiltless before the Lord . She will not utter the Titles of God in any Frothy and Foolish manner ; nor will she have a low opinion of His Attributes ; nor will she with a Carnal Spirit come unto his Ordinances . Yea , so far she is from Affronting the Name of God her self , that although she should be Dressed never so Fine , yet if she Chance to hear the Name of God Blasphemed , she can scarce forbear the Rending of her Clothes , as the Usage of the Jews was on such a Provocation ; be sure , it causes the Reading of her Heart . Especially , the Word of God , is what she Fears to Despise or Controul , or Disobey ; it may be said of her , She Fears the Commandment ; it may be said by her , My Heart stands in Fear of thy Word . Of the Precepts in that Word , it is then , Fear , Oh let me not break them ! Of the Promises there , 't is her Fear , Oh let me not fall Short of them ! Of the Menaces there , 't is her Fear , Oh let them never take hold of me ! And at the same time , the Virtuous Woman is very much Concerned , That the Name of God may be duely honoured in the World . Sanctify'd be thy Name is the first Petition of her Soul unto her Lord . She would not for the most Massy Wedges of Gold , ever do any thing , that may bring Reproach to the dear Name of God ; but she Studies , Contrives , Labours to Advance that Blessed Name as far as ever she can ; Oh ( she thinks ) How may the Name of my Good God , be by my means Exalted in the World !

Thirdly ; A Virtuous Woman is very circumspect and solicitous to avoid what the God of Heaven may be offended at . The Wise-man takes notice of this , as one Ingredient in the Fear of God , Prov. 16. 6. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil . And it is accordingly the desire of the Virtuous Woman , to shun all that Evil which God may be displeased at . She flies from every Known Sin , as from a direful Serpent , or from a deadly Poison ; because that she sees it offensive unto that God , who is of purer Eyes than to behold evil , and cannot look upon iniquity . What we read of Job , is likewise to be said of her , She is a perfect woman , one that fears God , and eschews evil . She cannot bear the thought of incurring the Anger of that God , who Overturns the Mountains in his Anger ; and she trembles before that God , at whose Voice even the Pillars of Heaven do tremble . She had rather undergo any miseries , than incur the intollerable and interminable Torments which the Omnipotent God has to inflict upon them that provoke him to Jealousie ; and upon that account she is fearful of every thing that may be provoking to her Holy Father . When she over-hears the Lord , saying , Oh do not the Abominable things that my Soul hates , her answer is in words like those that Joseph had unto his Brethren , Oh I dare not , cannot commit such things , for I fear God! If other Women will speak vainly , dress proudly , live lewdly , she can say as Nehemiah did of old , But so do not I because I have the Fear of God! The Exquisite Pen of a Dutch Lady hath Celebrated the Zeal of a Scotch Woman , who for her Zeal having her Leg tortured in that cruel Horrid Engine call'd the Boot , bravely said , My God I bless thee that thou hast given me a Leg to be thus used for thee ! Thus would this Person rather have all her Bones broken , than to sin so against God , that like David she must cry out of , Broken Bones .

Fouthly , A Virtuous Woman Labours to Please and Serve the great God , with the greatest of her cares . The Fear of God , is thus described by the Apostle , in Heb . 12. 28. Let us Serve God Acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear . And nothing is more Acceptable to the Virtuous Woman , than that she may Acceptably Serve her God . Let her be of never so High Rank , she thinks it no stoop for her , to be a Servant of that Lord , who has all the Angels in Heaven for his Ministers ; nor do's her Opinion vary from that of those Apostles who chose , to be call'd , The Servants of Jesus Christ , when they might have been called , His Kinsmen ; or of those Emperours , who valued it as one of their Prerogatives , to subscribe themselves , The Vassals of the Lord Jesus Christ ! Let her be of never so Low Rank , She will not stoop to be a Servant of the World , or of the Flesh , or of the Divel ; nor can she brook that the Curse of so being A Servant of Servants , ever should come upon her . When she contemplates that Lord , who is A greater than Solomon , she cries out , Happy are thy Servants ; Oh that I might be one of them ! And she would always be doing the will of God , in such a manner , as may be pleasing to Him . We read of One , He had this Testimony , that He pleased God . Now , That is the Testimonial to be given of the Virtuous Woman ; She aspires after the Imitation of the Lord Jesus , in , Doing always the things that please the Father . It is the Name of a good man , The man that pleaseth God ; and whatever Change the Name of this Woman may undergo , still she keeps that Name , The Woman that pleaseth God . How so ? Even because that she do's all she can in and for the Service of God ; and she would not leave Room for that Expostulation of the Lord , If I be a Master , where is my Fear ? No , as often as she says , Our Father , so often do's her Heart within her say , Our Master is in Heaven ! We read in the Bible , concerning , certain Women that Ministred unto Jesus ; and this Woman is Ambitious to be of that Blessed Company .

Fifthly , A Virtuous Woman does attend the Worship of God , with an Unwearied and Exemplary Diligence . The Proselytes , that of old were brought unto the Worship of the True God , are thus distinguished , in Psal . 115. 11. Ye that Fear the Lord . And the Virtuous Woman accordingly expresses her Fear of God . by Worshiping of Him that is Worthy to be Feared . It may with only the necessary Variation , be said of her , as it was of Cornelius long ago , She is a Devout Woman , and one that Fears God , and Prays to God , always . As the Almighty God was called , The Fear of Isaac ; because He was Worshiped by that Renowned man ; so may He be called , The Fear of the Virtuous Woman ; because this Woman will observe all the parts of that Worship which is due unto the Lord . There is the Natural Worship of God , whereto she is no less Piously Affected , than Constantly Accustomed . She is a Woman full of Prayer , and Perhaps it may be said concerning every Room of her House , She has Perfum'd it with her Prayer . Prayer is what she will be Early as well as often at ; and she is every Morning Jealous , lest like Origen , she give the Devil an advantage by omitting of it . She makes not her Closet a place for meer Trifles and Pictures , but for Prayers with Devoutest Meditations . She retires into her Closet every Day , that she may there have a Visit from the Eternal Bridegroom of her Soul ; and whatever Exercises may be at any time upon her mind , She does as Hannah did ; She Pours out her Soul unto the Lord , that she may be no more sad . Yea , she is not unacquainted with solemn Humiliations , and solemn Thanksgivings , upon the Just Occasions of them . She is a Woman whom Scriptures and Sermons are very dear unto : and it is not every Trifle ( as the want of a Garment , or a dread of the Weather ) that she will make her excuse for her Absence from the means of Grace . How fain would she be with Mary , always hearing the sweet Admonitions of her Lord , about , The One Thing Needful , and The Good part which cannot be taken way ! The Sabbath she calls Her Delight ; nor will she wast the Sacred hours of it , in the Naughty Superfluities of Diet and Rayment ; but be as often as well she can , in the Congregation of , The People of God ; and there , as her Voice makes a sound that shall be no Base , for the Musick of the Publick Psalms , thus her Heart is an Altar from whence , during the whole Solemnity , there ascend unto God , The Sacrifices which He desires . There is likewise , the Appointed Worship of God , whereto she counts her self most Indispensably Obliged . She cannot bear to be shut out from the Church of God , any more than Miriam from the Camp of old ; but whatever Longings ever may disturb her , she never has any more Craving and Raging ones than this , Oh God , Thou art my God , my Soul Thirsteth for thee , my Flesh Longeth for thee , to see thy Power and thy Glory in the Sanctuary ! Indeed among the Turks the Women do never go to Church ; but Christian Women would count it Hell upon Earth to be so debarr'd . She is Desirous to Eat and to Drink , where she may not Speak ; and having been Baptized , she is not satisfied until she come to Eat among the Friends , to Drink among the Beloved , of the Lord Jesus Christ . She will not make part of that Unworthy Croud , which throng out of Doors , when the Supper of the Lord is going to be administred , as if they were Frighted at it ; or had cause to say , The Table of the Lord is Polluted . She dares not indeed come without a Wedding Garment , but she will not stay away like those , whose only Real Apology can be , They are loth to be at the Pains of puting the Garment on . Although she sometimes counts her self as a Dog , yet like that Syrophenician Woman , she will ask for some Crumbs from the Table of the Lord . Having had her Soul Purify'd by Regeneration , she brings her Offerings to the Tabernacle . She presents unto the Church ( if it be asked for ) a sensible Account , like another Lydia , of some never to be forgotten Things which God has done for her Soul ; or at least , she makes the Church to understand , like Ruth of old , That she would come to Rest under the Wings of the God of Israel . Nor would she let the Buffetings of the Devil altogether discourage her from joining her self to some Holy Society of Believers , where she may have her Soul bound up in the bundle of Life . She was a Noble Woman of Bohemia , that left her Friends , her House , her Plate , and all , and because the Gates of the City were Guarded , Crept through the Common Sewer , that she might Enjoy the Institutions of the Lord Jesus Christ at another place where they might be had . Such is the esteem which a Virtuous Woman has for the Institutions of our Lord , she can say , Lord , I have loved the place where thy Honour dwells ! and when she can't Go , yet she 'll Creep to , The Habitation of His House .

This is the Virtuous Woman ! It was very cruelly spoken by those two very Ancient Poets ; the first of which usually [ in his Comedies ] represented Women as very bad ; but the latter usually represented them , very good ; saying , The first represented what they are , the latter what they should be . I hope I have in this Discourse represented , not only , what all Women should be , but also , what very many of them Are . And for their Encouragement , we will now pass on unto ,

II . The HAPPINESS of a Virtuous Woman .

And this happiness is here summed up in that Word , She shall be Praised . Praise , Reputation , Commendation , is that which a Woman is very tender of ; 't is most appositely then , that the Recompences of a Virtuous Woman , are set forth by the Praise that should and shall be given her . Said the Apostle of old , If there be any Virtue , and if there be any Praise , Think on these things . Truly where there is Virtue , there will be Praise ; and the Virtuous Woman will have her Fear of God , recompensed with Praise from God , and be forever Glorious . We have these Conclusions therefore now before us .

Conclusion . 1.

The Fear of God will recommend a Woman to the Praise and so to the Choice of such men , as it may be desireable to have the good Opinion of ▪ For a Woman to be Praised , is for her to be Married , in Scriptural Phraseology ; thus 't is Lamented among the Judgments of God , in Ps. 78. 63. Their Maidens were noc Praised unto Marriage . Now the Fear of God is the best way for a Woman to dispose of her self to such a Marriage , as men usually Court none , but such as they hear much Praised , unto . When the Scriptuer speaks of the Marriage which Antichrist forbids unto his Filthy and Wicked Clergy , it calls it . The desire of Women . 't is that which Women that have any regard unto honour , will Desire , with Disdain to be otherwise enjoy'd ; like that ingenious Woman , who having her Chastity Sollicited , gave that answer , You must first give me , what you neither have , nor can have your self , and what yet you can give to me ; That was , A Chast Husband . The Truth is , to be Married unto a Vain , Wild , Ungodly man , is that which no Discreet Woman will Desire ; any more than to dwell with a Dragon . The Excellent Basilla chose to be beheaded , rather than Marry a Pagan Husband . But as for Prudent and Pious Men , 't will be their Desire to be Married unto such a Woman as is eminent for the Fear of God . There was a Woman of whom it could be said , in Ruth 3. 11. All the Town do's know that thou art a Virtuous Woman ; and you know that this Woman was not long without a good Husband , who had first been taken with her Praise . We say , Matches are made in Heaven ; and indeed the Woman who by the Fear of God , has made sure of a great Interest in Heaven , is most like to meet with such a Match as may give her cause to thank Heaven all her Days . 't is possible , that Unsanctify'd men , may Marry only for Portion or for Prettiness ; how often do those Respects give us to see Matches made in Hell ! and yet there are few men so Profane , as to look upon that Grace as undesireable in a Wife , of which they themselves are destitute ! But men that have the Fear of God in themselves , when they chuse the Companions of their Lives , will ordinarily chuse to have such , as they shall hear Praised for , The Fear of God ; when they do otherwise , the God of Heaven often pays 'em severely for it . It is an old Rule ,

Non solum est Oculis ducenda sed Auribus Uxor . ( i.e. ) He that would Marry , and be wise , Must chuse by Ears , as well as Eyes .

When a man of Understanding , do's understand that a Woman is prais'd for the fear of God , this is more than all other Favour and Beauty to him ; and so she comes to that Room in his well-guided Affection , which will survive the Death of all other Favour and Beauty whatsoever ; and which many Waters cannot Quench . Instead of saying as many do , There 's Money , and we 'll hope the fear of God will come in Time ; such a man will say , There 's the fear of God , and we 'll hope that all these things will be added : and if he be an Isaac , who prays much over and before his Marriage , he will pitch upon such a Wife as will not Hinder but Assist his Prayers afterwards . Moreover , the Woman that has , The fear of God , need not Fear , but that she should be prais●d among multitudes of her other Neighbours whom yet she cannot be Married unto . If any do Deride her , they are none but those absurd , foolish , giddy Creatures , that will one day change their song , and with bloody Tears will then wish , O that I had fear'd God like such an one ! All that have any sense of True-worth , or , whose good word is of any worth , will be sure to Admire her ; 't is a property in every Citizen of Zion , He honours them that fear the Lord ; but a vile person [ Such an one as do's not Fear the Lord ▪ ] is contemned in his Eyes .

Conclusion . 2.

The Wisdom which is in the fear of God , makes Praise to be the due of the Woman that is adorned with it . A wise Woman is justly a Prais'd Woman , and a Pris'd one , all over the World . The Wise Woman in the City of Abel , doubtless was more than a little Praised in the United Acclamations of that City . 't is said in Eccles . 8. 1. A mans Wisdom makes his Face to shine , and a Womans Wisdom does as much . No Favour , no Beauty is comparable to Wisdom ; and tho' a person were all over sparkling with peerless Pearls , yet this is a Favour and a Beauty before which , No mention shall be made of Pearls ; for the price of Wisdom is above Rubies . Now , who or where is the Wise Woman ? or what is true Wisdom ? The Claim has been long since laid , by many sorts of witty plodders , and crafty people in the World ; but the Apostle has put in that Bar unto their claim , That professing themselves to be Wise , they became Fools . If the Politician may challenge the praise of Wisdom , doubtless those four MARIES which in the last Age Sway'd the Scepters of so many Kingdoms with the Profoundest Policy , were Wise Women , and the Elizabeth which came after them , came not behind them . Thomyris that could lead an Army against the Persian , and Zenobia that could head an Army against the Roman Emperour , were Wise Women . The Sabinian Women which directed the Senate out of inextricable Difficulties , were Wise ones . It was a Wise Woman of Tekoa which could manage an Intreague at Court for the Lord General of Israel . If the Philosopher may Challenge the Praise of Wisdom , doubtless those were Wise Women who were Tutoresses , if I may call them so , to the old famous Professors of all Philosophy . The Daughter of Pythagoras who made Comments on her Fathers Books , was a Wise Woman ; and so was Hippatia formerly , who taught the Liberal Arts , and wrote some Treatises of Astrology ; and so Sarocchia more lately , who was ordinarily Moderatrix in the Disputations of the Learned men at Rome . The three Corinnae , which Equall'd , if not Excell'd the most Celebrated Poets of their Times , were Wise : and such Ladies as Olympias , or Trota , whose Physical skill , was the wonder of the Universe . The Empress Eudocia , who Composed Poetical Paraphrases on divers parts of the Bible , was a Wise Woman ; so was Rosuida , who compiled the Lives of Holy men , and Pamphilia who Penn'd no Despicable Histories ; and the French Lady , who a while since , published Homilies on the Epistle to the Hebrews ; and thus was the Lady Jane Grey , who so admirably could Read the Word of God in its Originals . There is Wisdom in these things ; and the Women which have had it , are therefore to be Praised . But , as the Apostle said , yet I shew unto you a more excellent way ; so I say , there is a greater Wisdom than all of this . It is the Assertion with which the Wise Man Begins the Book of Wisdom , in Prov. 1. 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Knowledge . Or as the Words of his blessed Father , whom he much Imitated in his Expressions , were , The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom . Or , as it may be read , the chief part of it . Here then , even in , the fear of God , is the Prima Sapientia , the chief , prime , grand Wisdom of a reasonable Creature . 't is a true saying , Non qui multa , sed qui Fructuosa scit , sapit ; Wisdom lies not so much in the Knowledge of many things , as in the knowledge of Useful ones . Now this is the Wisdom of a Woman that has the fear of God ; she has the Science that will carry her safe thro' all the Storms , all the Harms , all the Temptations of this World , unto the Haven of Heaven at the last ; she has the Wisdom , to Consider her latter End , and she is Wise unto Salvation . That admirable Woman , Olympia Fulvia Morata had very great accomplishments ; but that which most accomplish'd her , was , her embracing of true Religion with all manner of Persecution for it ; so that she could say , the World is now become contemptible to me . 't was this alone which Enabled her , when she lay a dying ▪ at near thirty years of Age , to see Heaven open for her , and say to her Excellent Husband , I am now full of Joy , and Sir , I know you now no more ! This then is the Praise that belongs unto such a Woman ; it is noted unto the praise of Abigail , She was a Woman of a good Understanding , and she was of a Beautiful Countenance . As for the Woman , that has a Beautiful Countenance without a good Understanding , as for her that is , Fair and Foolish , you can find where she is compared unto , A Swine with a Jewel in her Snout . But if a Woman have the fear of God , you now see , that whether she have a Beautiful Countenance or no , yet she has a good Understanding . And therefore such a Woman shall be praised among those Ladies whose Beautiful Aspect is particularly mentioned in the Scripture ; and whose Names make that Hexameter verse ,

Sarah , Rebecca , Rachel , Abigail , Bathshu , Abishag , Esther .

Conclusion . 3.

The Benefits obtained by , the fear of God , procure praises for the Woman that is endued with it . Said the Psalmist , in Psal . 31. 19. O how great is thy goodness , which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ! Such a profitable thing as the fear of God , must needs be a praiseworthy thing . Let us a little specifie the Blessings , and so the praises , which , the fear of God , is attended with . As for the Woman that has the fear of God ; attend now unto the praises of such a Woman .

This is the Woman whom the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ becomes , A Sun of Righteousness unto . 't is said in Mal . 4. 2. Unto you that Fear my Name , shall the Son of Righteousness arise . We find among the Representations of the Church , A Woman clothed with the Sun. Thus do you now see this Woman Clothed ! And as by Union she is got into the Lord Jesus Christ , who like the Sun is the Center of the World , and who like the Sun gives Life and Warmth , and Growth , unto her Soul ; so she is by him Clothed with all that Righteousness which Delivers from Death . She not only has an Inherent Righteousness , from the Lord Jesus Christ ; or a principle disposing her to render both unto God and Man their Dues ; but she also has the Imputed Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ , and being by the Grace of God allow'd an Interrest in the perfect Obedience of her Lord , as she now stands as without Fault before the Throne of God , Well may she be a praised Woman , who shall be such a Righteous one . We say , The Wife shines with the Husbands Rays . Behold here a Woman whose Husband is , The Sun of Righteousness .

This is the Woman whom the Angels of Heaven do most gladly Encamp about . We have received Information from the Invisible World , by Psal . 34. 7. That the Angel of the Lord Encampeth about them that Fear Him , and delivers them . A Woman is usually by Law under Covert ; but it is an Angelical Covert which this Woman has by the Law of Heaven placed over her ▪ She sometimes has an occasion for a Deliverance ; and the best Angel in Heaven , perhaps the same Angel that visited Mary of old , is upon the Wing to hasten it unto her . She has a continual , tho' it may be an Insensible Conversation , with Angels of better Account , than the Sons of God , which were entangled with the Daughters of Men , in the Antediluvian World ; these are her Guardians , her Protectors , and her Monitors . When she was first Converted unto God , she made Joy among the Angels , because of another Spirit come in to fill up the Room left in Heaven by the Apostate Legions : It gave a Triumph unto those Morning Stars , to see one that shall shortly come to move in Their Orb. And now she has Praise among the Angels ; they shout and say , Here is an Heir of Salvation ; and we have the welcome and happy care of looking after her .

This is the Woman , who takes a most Laudable course for her own Temporal prosperity . She is to be Praised as a Woman that prolongs her own Life . 't is said in Prov. 19. 23. The Fear of the Lord tendeth to Life . It keeps her from hastning an Untimely Death , upon her self , either by rash Wishes to Dye , or by the overmuch Wickedness which by the sentence of Providence become Capital , or by the Lusts which either Drown the Lamp , or Burn or Wear the Thred of Life away . She is to be Praised as a Woman that Consults her own Health . 't is said in Prov. 3. 7 , 8. Fear the Lord — It shall be Health to thy Navel , and Marrow to thy Bones . It keeps her from the Sins , which by being the Parents of Crudities and Obstructions , are the grand Parents of all Diseases ; and being thus forgiven her Iniquity , 't is likely she will not say , I am sick ; or be forc'd like the Woman in the Gospel , To spend all upon Physicians . She is to be Praised as a Woman that Preserves her own R●putation . 't is said in Prov. 22. 4. By the Fear of the Lord is Honour . It makes her acknowledged for one that has the Image of Christ and God upon her ; which is The One Thing that renders Honourable ; and while she makes it her business like another Dorcas to Honour her Master , He fulfills that word unto her , Them that honour me , I will honour ; and leaves her not cause for that complaint , Reproach has broken my Heart . She is to be praised as a Woman that effectually lays in for her self a Competent and Convenient Portion of Worldly Comforts . 't is said in Psal . 101. 5. The Lord hath given Meat unto them that Fear him . She will not be one of the Idle Souls that suffer Hunger ; but according to Gods Promise , which is her Storehouse , her House has in it , all the supplies which are needful for her Glorifying of God ; and having as much Manna as will carry her through the Wilderness , she do's not Crave after those Cumbersome Additions , which may hinder her passing through the Eye of the Needle : the Young Li●ns have not so good a Table ! she is to be praised as a Woman that procures a special Guard of God upon her , in an Evil Day . 't is said in Psal . 33. 18 , 19. The Eye of the Lord is upon them that Fear him , — to deliver their Soul from Death , and to keep them alive in Famine . Let things go never so bad , she can with Isaiah sing , the Forty Sixth Psalm , as being one of the Alamoth , or Head Persons , concerned in it ; she has the Blood of our Passover apply'd unto her , and so she is preserv'd in Christ Jesus , when the Destroying Angels are the Executioners of the Divine Wrath abroad ; She has Rahab's Threed for her Defence in the midst of Wasting Plagues , and she has a Mark upon her Forehead [ which I am sure the Garish Attire there used in our Days is not ! ] for her Preservation .

This is the Woman , who takes a most Laudable way for her own Eternal Prosperity too . She is to be praised , as a Woman that has made her Peace with God . It is said in Psal . 103. 11 , 12. Great is his Mercy towards them that fear him , As far as the East is from the West , so far hath he removed our Transgressions from us . He that was Born of a Woman has made satisfaction for all the Wrongs that her Sins have done to the most Holy Lord ; God for the sake of Christ has Releas'd her from whatever Punishment was ever due unto her , for whatever Transgression of his Law ; and thus , Being Justified by Faith , she has Peace with God . If any Afflictions come upon her , there are not Vindictive or Destructive , but purely Medicinal ; She sees they are to do her good in the latter end ; they are to make her partaker of Gods holiness ; they are to Work for her a far more Exceeding and Eternal Weight of Glory . She says like the Martyr , God is now Scowring of me , to set me bright on an high Shelf in Heaven for ever . She is to be prais'd as a Woman that is heard in her Prayer to God . It is said in Psal . 145. 19. He will fulfil the Desire of them that fear him , he also will hear their Cry , and he will save them . She is one who has her Hearts Delight in God , and so she has her Hearts Desire from God . Her Prayers are the Breathings which the Spirit of God have Enkindled in her , and the Power , and Wisdom of God , either in the Letter , or in the Better gives a good answer to them all ; the Almighty gives her a Right Will , which inclines her to ask of him , thing according to his Will ; and then he says , as unto Her of old , Be it unto thee , even as thou wilt . She is to be praised , as a Woman that gets her Soul Replenished with such Comforts as have a Fore taste of Heaven in them . It is said in Act. 9. 31. They were Edify'd , walking in the fear of God , and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost . The Holy Ghost Seals her with well-grounded and effectual persuasions of Gods having Loved her with an Everlasting Love . Hence , whatever troubles do come upon her , she feels a Word set home upon her , which causes her like Hannah , to be no more sad . She is to be Praised , as a Woman whom the Day of Judgment will bring Wonderful Glories and Rewards unto . It is said in Rev. 11. 18. The time of the Dead , that they should be Judged is come , that thou shouldest give reward unto them that Fear thy Name , small and great . She shall be one of the Early Risers in that Morning of the great Day ; when the Change for which her departed Soul has been waiting , is come , her Lord-Redeemer , shall say to her , Awake and Sing ▪ thou that dwellest in the Dust ; and she shall then be marvellously Changed into the Likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself ; She shall be made what Moses and Elias appeared in the Mount of God ; The Lord Jesus will then openly Absolve her and Applaud her ; and she shall sit with him on a Throne in the Regeneration ; her Heart may now even spring like John in his Mothers Belly , when she foresees the Approaches of the Lord . She is to be Praised , as a Woman who is to be made partaker of Life Eternal . It is said in Prov. 14. 27. The Fear of the Lord , is a Fountain of Life , to depart from the Snares of Death . Her Spirit shall be entertained with a transforming and refreshing Vision of God in the Lord Jesus Christ , amidst the Caelestial Regions of Light , with all the Sacred Inhabitants of those Regions . Her Body , shall also be made Incorruptible , and more Immortal than ever Eves in Eden was ; it shall be made Powerful , Fulgent , Nimble , Subtile , Spiritual , and after a sort Angelical . So shall she have a Fulness of Joy in the Presence of God , and Pleasures at his Right Hand for ever more . Here is the Woman that has the Fear of God! This is the Praise that belongs unto her .

APPLICATION .

But shall it now be seen , that Women will more generally aspire after this Character and this Happiness ? The petulant Pens of some Froward and Morose Men , have sometimes treated the Female Sex with very great Indignities ; Blades , I guess , whose Mothers had Undutiful Children , or whose Wives have had but cruel Masters . I am loth to shew my Catalogue , nevertheless whole Volumns have been written , to disgrace that Sex , as if it were , as one of those Unnatural Authors calls it , The meer Confusion of Mankind . Yea , 't is not easie to recount how many Licentious Writers , have handled that Theme , Femina nulla bona , No Woman is good ! [ or the men were bad that said so ] But , behold , how you may recover your Impaired Reputation ! the Fear of God will soon make it evident , that you are among the Excellent in the Earth . If any men are so wicked ( and some Sects of men have so ) as to deny your being Rational Creatures , the best means to consure them , will be by proving your selves Religious ones . I do assure you , and I have more than Luther to consent and concur with me , in this assertion , That the Actions of even the meanest Milk-maid or Cook-maid , when done in the Fear of God , are in the Account of God more Noble Things than the Victories of a Caesar ! Thus do I set before you , the way for you to be En●bled ; and thus Ennobled , many of you already are . When the Golden-mouth'd Ancient had so far forgot himself as to call a Woman , An Unavoidable Punishment , a Necessary Evil , a Desireable Calamity : With more such Iron words , he sees cause to add , Sermo est de muliere mala ; — My Speech is of a bad Woman ; and not of a good ; for I have known many ready to every good Work . 't is an Observation of Solomons which has been somewhat Improv'd against you , in Eccles . 7. 28. One man among a Thousand have I found , but a Woman among all those have I not found . Nevertheless , in your own Vindication , you may reply , that Solomon speaks of what is usual about the Courts of Princes ; and perhaps about his own Court especially ; A good man in such a place is a rare thing ; but a good Woman there , is a black Swan indeed ; Solomon himself Particularly had a Thousand Women to satiate his Exorbitant Lust ; and possibly he may intimate , that among all those he did not find One Woman truly Vertuous . Or , if this Reply be not satisfactory , you may enquire , whether Solomon spake not of such as are by Repentance recovered from the Snares of Whoredom , when once they have been therein entangled . For a Man to be reclaimed from the Sin of Uncleanness when once he has been given thereunto is rare ; but for a Woman to be snatch'd out of the Unclean Devils Hands , when once he has had any full Possession of her , is more extraordinary ! However it be , 't is plain , that as there were three Maries to one John , standng under the Cross of our Dying Lord , so still there are far more godly Women in the World , than there are godly Men ; and our Church Communions give us a little demonstration of it . I have seen it without going a Mile from home , that in a Church of between Three or Four Hundred Communicants , there are but few more than One Hundred Men ; all the rest are Women , of whom Charity will think no Evil . Possibly , One reason of it is , because there are more Women in the World than Men ; but this is not all the reason . It seems that the Curse in the Difficulties both of Subjection and of Child-bearing , which the Female Sex is doom'd unto , has been turn'd into a Blessing , by the Free Grace of our most Gracious God . God sanctifies the Chains , the Pains , the Deaths which they meet withal ; and furthermore , makes the Tenderness of their Disposition , a further occasion of serious Devotion in them . Now , God forbid that any of YOU , into whose Hands this little Treatise may come , should Contradict that Charitable Observation . And let me tell you , that most of You , have more Time to employ in the more Immediate Service of your Souls , than the other Sex is owner of , You are Ordinarily more within the House , and so may more mind the Work within the Heart , than We . Although I must Confess , 't is often otherwise ; Yet it is as often so , that you have little more Worldly Business , than to Spend [ I should rather say , to Save ] what others Get , and to Dress and Feed [ should I not also say , to Teach ] the little Birds , which you are Dams unto . And those of you that are Women of Quality are excused from very much of this Trouble too . Oh! how much might you do for GOD if you duely considered , The Price in your Hands to get Wisdom .

Well then ,

Counsel . 1.

The First thing unto which I would persuade you , is , to Pray most Instantly , Constantly , Importunately that the Fear of God , may be Planted in your Souls . The Fear of God , is indeed already begun in that Soul , which is insatiably desirous to be therewith replenished ; and Unutterable Groans after that Fear , will augment the Power of that , which it already argues the Presence of . Said Nehemiah , in Chap. 1. 11. O Lord , be Attentive to the Prayer of thy Servants , who desire to Fear thy Name . The Woman that most affectionately lays this desire before God , O that I may Fear thy Name , is already among the Servants of that God , and shall certainly have her desire accomplish'd . Pray Read , Believe , Practise that Word of God , in Prov. 2. 3 , 5. If thou Cryest after Knowledge , then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord . Crying is that which your Sex has its particular Easiness unto ; Behold , what your Cries , your Tears are best employ'd about . May it then be said about you , Behold she prays . and may your Prayer to the Lord put in suit that Promise of the Lord , in Jer . 32. 40. I will put my Fear in their Hearts . O plead earnestly for the fulfilment of that Great and Precious Word of our God , and say , Lord , Be it unto thy Handmaid according to thy Word .

Counsel . 2.

Having obtain'd the Fear of God , it should be your Ambition to be continually exercising of it . You are thus advised in Prov. 23. 17. Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the day long . Let your whole walk every Day , be a Walk with God ; and let every action in the day , be so done in the Fear of God , as that Holiness to the Lord , may be written thereupon . Be sure to Begin and Conclude the Day with God ; Rob him not of his Daily Sacrifice . In the Morning be able to say , Oh God , when I awake I am still with thee ; take a Mornings Dranght of Communion with God , first in your Closets , and then with your Houses , and of resolution to behave your selves as having The Lord always before you . In the Evening , recollect the Mercies which you have newly received of God ; and Examine whether you have been so Zealous , Watchful , Fruitful before God , as you should have been ? and whether you can lye down in Peace with Him ? Throughout all the Day , Interweave a Conscience of Duty , into all your motions , all your affairs . Let every Meal , every Sleep , every Visit , and all your Domestick Businesses , though it be but the Rocking of a Cradle , be done with an Eye to this , This is the Thing wherein I may perform a Service to God , and expect a Blessing from God ; This is what my God would have me to be about . Herewithal , intermingle many Salleys of Soul , towards Heaven every day ; by raising of some serious gracious , divine Thoughts from the meanest occurrents that are before you ; and by Pertinent Ejaculations to God , both in a way of Petition and of Thanksgiving upon all Occasions . This 't is to be , In the Fear of the Lord all the Day long , and Holy in every Turn !

Counsel . 3.

But at the same time you should use a good Caution against those that would Seduce you from the Fear of God . It is mention'd as the singular unhappiness of Women , in 2 Tim . 3. 6. Men having a Form of Godliness , but denying the Power thereof , — These Creep [ like Serpents , as they are ] into Houses , and lead Captive Silly Women , laden with Sins , led away with diverse Lusts . 't is noted of Seducers , that like their Father the Devil , the Old , the First Seducer , they have a special design upon the Weaker Sex , who are most easily gained themselves , and then fit Instruments for the gaining of their Husbands , to such Errors as cause them to lose their Souls at last . Simon Magus Traded with his Helena , and Montanus with his Maximilla , for the more effectual Propagation of their Heresies , as Jerom long since observed ; and as Ephiphanius tells us , Arius promoted his Blasphemies by first Proselyting seven hundred Virgins thereunto . That it is no new thing for Women to become very mischievous Adversaries unto the Truth , and so unto the Fear of God , is intimated from that instance in the Apostolical History , Acts 13. 51. The Jews stirred up the Devout and Honour able Women , and raised a Persecution against the Ministers of God . Indeed a Poison does never insinuate so quickly , or operate so strongly , as when Womans Milk is the Vehicle , which 't is given in . But may You be always upon your Guard , against the False Teachers in these Days ; and therefore become so well principled in your Catechisms , as that it may not be said of you , They are ever Learning and never able to come unto the Knowledge of the Truth . If you find your selves unable to fathom some Controversies which you see agitated in the Church of God , and if you must cry out , I have nothing to draw with , and the Well is deep , the most likely way to be kept from going out of the Way , is This ; mind what has the most obvious tendency to advance the Fear of God , in your Hearts and Lives ; mind what most magnifies Christ and nullifies Man , and recommends Practical Godliness ; 't is the Doctrine according to Godliness , which is the True Doctrine . Or if thou can't Penetrate so far , then mind how those men which are most eminent for the Fear of God , are most generally inclined ; mind what is most generally grateful to the Sober , Gracious , Patient , Heavenly , Mortify'd part of Mankind ; and on the other side , what the most Loose , Proud , Carnal , Railing , Profane , party chuse to fall in withal ; to Walk in the Way of good Men : is most probably to Walk in the good Way .

Counsel . 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 pitys , it should be Abus'd ; 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 the Sex . Nevertheless it highly concerns you to do your part , that in Fames Trumpet , which is a Speaking One , you may be better 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 that she has to bring unto them that will call her their Mistress , in order to their being Master of that . 't is a few Pounds , Shilling and Pence , that makes her weigh heaviest in the Scale of the vulgar Estimation . But 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 Hearts and Words , than 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 , 't is the Whore that is Clamorous , and the Fool , that is full of words . Let there be a comely Affability and Ingenuity at the same time , in all your Spe●ch , that it may be as grateful as a Bag of Silver would be to the Receivers of it ; and O let there be no Dross in your whole Communication . The Dross of your own Wrath , vented in scolding , fury , vile names ; the Dross of your own Worth , vented in boasting , bragging , self-ostentations ; the Dross of all Filthiness , vented in Baudy Talk about the Things which 't is a shame to speak ; let all this Dross be purged out of all your Speech . But instead thereof let your Speech , have so much Use in it , that your Discourse may bring as much Emolument as ready Silver to the Hearers of it ; that your Lips may Feed many , your Mouth may be a Well of Life , and your Tongue may be Health : and that ordinarily your Companions may not be a Quarter of an hour with you , before they may have cause to say of you , Her Discourse has been Meat , Drink and Physick to my Soul ! O that when you are talking you would imagine what the Prophet says , The Lord hearkened and heard , and acknowledge what the Psalmist owns , There is not a Word in my Tongue , but behold O Lord , thou knowest it altogether . I remember Tertullian relates , That the Primitive Christians did use to season their Feasts with very savoury Discourses ; and he gives this reason for it ; Ita fabulantur , ut qui sciant Dominum audire ; They Talk as knowing that the Lord Hears . Pray carry that in your Minds , and that will prevent the Impertinent Gossiping which you have been reproached for , that will make you bring forth such things as you may with Joy find entred in The Lords Books of Remembrance .

Counsel 5.

There is one particular thing more , which you shall see that your fear of God , extends it self unto ; and that is , your APPAREL , which you are often accused for transgressing in . Where the fear of God sanctifies the Heart , it will doubtless regulate the Habit . Pray let the fear of God , make you able to stand before the Word of God ; where Women are commanded in 1 Pet . 3. 2 , 3 , 4. to have a chast Conversation coupled with fear ; whose Adorning ( 't is added ) let it not be the outward Adorning , but let it be the hidden man of the heart . For after this manner in the old Time , the holy women also who trusted in God , adorned themselves . And in 1 Tim . 2. 9. That they adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shame-facedness and sobriety ; not with broidered Hair , or Gold , or Pearls , or costly Array ; but ( which becometh women professing godliness ) with good works . 't is true , that more Indulgence may be given to Women and Children in point of Apparel , than to Men ; they were the Wives , and the little Sons and the Daughters , which we find wearing most of Ornament among the Antient People of God ; and yet unto you also , has the God of Heaven given a Law , agreeably to which you are to Attire your selves . You shall permit me to lay before you , a few Maxims , every One of which are so many just Consequences from the Scriptures that have been given you .

I. For a Woman to expose unto Com-View those parts of her Body , which there can be no good End or Use for the Exposing of , is for her to expose her self unto the Vengeance of Heaven . There is indeed a covering of the Skin , which is but a black Mark of one that never yet had a covering for her Sin . The black Patches worn by too many Females , are indeed so many blew ones ; they are the Tokens of a Plague in the Soul . They are not , the spots of Gods Children , but the Dapples of a Leopard that will never , learn to do well . They are for the most part upon the Faces that never were washed in the Blood of the Lamb without Spot ; nor do they argue the Soul within to be one unto whom our Lord may say , Thou art all fair there is no spot in thee . But there is a Nakedness of the Skin which is also , and as much to be accounted Criminal . The Face is to be Naked because of what is to be known by it ; the Hands are to be Naked , because of what is to be done by them . But for the Nakedness of the Back and Breasts , no reason can be given ; unless it be that a Woman may by showing a Fair-skin enkindle a Foul Fire in the Male Spectators ; for which cause even Popish Writers have no less Righteously than severely Lashed them ; and for Protestant Women to use them , is no less inexcusable than it is abominable : nor did a Golden Mouth of old stick to say , The Devil sat upon them .

II . For a Woman to put her self into a Fashion , that shall prejudice , either her Health , or her Work . is to break all the other Eight Commandments as well as the Sixth and the Eighth , which are thereby notoriously violated . They that say , Pride feels no Cold , do often catch a Mortal Cold that they may please a foolish Pride , and the Heat of Hellflames is that which they thus hasten upon themselves . They that profanely say , As good out of the World as out of the Fashion , often follow such a Fashion as either hurries them out of the World , or unfits them for living in it . Creatures yet , than which none would be more loth to put on such a Pitch'd Coat of Martyrdome , as Nero clapp'd on the Backs of them that Worshipped our blessed Jesus to burn them in it . But what account can they give at last ? when Women go so , that they cannot Eat or Breath , be sure they cannot Work ; and it is just with God that they who cannot thus Work , should not be permitted long to Eat or Breath .

III . For a Woman to Wear what is not evidently , consistent with Modesty , Gravity , and Sobriety , is to wear not an Ornament , but a Defilement ; and she puts off those Glorious Virtues , when she puts on the Visible Badges of what is contrary thereunto . The command which requires any Grace , requires also the Sign of that Grace ; hence for a Woman with her Garish , Pompous , Flanting Modes , to hang out the Sign , upon which every Rational Beholder thinks he has Liberty to Read , There dwells a Proud , Light , Vain , Giddy , Trifling Soul , in that Carcase ! this is not according to God ; who says , Whatsoever things are Venerable , whatsoever things are Lovely , whatsoever things are of Good Report , think of these things . They that would approve themselves . The Daughters of Abraham , are to be The Daughters of Sarah too .

IV . As a Poor Woman may not aspire to go with a Bravery , which a rich or a great Woman may be allowed in , so neither may a rich or a great Woman extend her Bravery , beyond the allowance which God has given her . There is a Soft-Cloathing which our Lord Jesus does not seem to deny unto such Persons of Quality as are in Kings-Houses . But you have doubtless heard , what came of the Frog , which would not be content , except she might look as big as the Cow . The Ranks of People should be discerned by their Cloaths ; nor should we go in any things but what may be called Suits . The Woman which will go as none but those who are above her , do or can , shews her self to be as much out of her Wits as out of her Place . And she that will not Cut her Coat according to her Cloath , does but put a Fools Coat upon her ; she that will have more on her Back , than can readily come out of her Purse , deserves to be stript as the Fine Jay was of her borrow'd Feathers . Nevertheless , Vainglory may insinuate it self into the rich and great , as well as the poor ; and I am to Charge THEM , That they be not Highminded .

V. A Woman , whose Raiment is too Costly to leave her capable of attending the Duties of Justice and Mercy , commits but a piece of shining Thievery , in that cheating and cruel Finery . She that through Excesses in Attiring of her self , is unfitted for the payment of what she owes , either to her private Creditors , or to the support of the Government and the Ministry , by which her Civil and Sacred well-fare is watch'd unto , is utterly unworthy , either of Credit , or of any Civil or Sacred advantages . But there are Works of Charity as well as Works of Righteousness , which a Woman is also under such obligation to , that all Supe●fluities are to be retrenched for the sake thereof . It seems but reasonable that whenever we lay out any thing for purely Ornamental Superfluities , we should lay out as much in Cloathing and Feeding the distressed Members of the Lord Jesus Christ ; I doubt we shall make up very mean Accounts about our Talents , if we do not so .

VI . For an old Woman to flaunt it in a Youthful dress , is altogether as prodigious a Disorder , as for the Flowers of May to appear among the Snows of December . A Summer Dress will not suit a Winter Age . The Aged shew themselves to be twice Children , indeed , if they go like Children , and not put away Childish things . For a Woman that knows her self near her Winding Sheet , still to affect a Wedding Robe , is a Lightness than which there can be nothing more uncomely .

VII . For a Pious Woman to Preserve no Distinction from a Debaucht one , in her Apparel , where it may be done , is to leave her self without a Dislinction which might preserve her when the common and wasting Judgments of God are Punishing the strange Apparel in her Neighbourhood . It was well advised by Tertullian to the Matrons in his Days , Ut sit inter Ancillas Dei & Diaboli Discrimen , that the Handmaids of God would go so as to distinguish themselves from the Handmaids of the Devil ; and believe it , the plagues which come upon the Haughty Daughters of Zion , will make no difference between those that make none for themselves . We read concerning the Attire of the Harlot ; and the Woman that will Wear like such an one , will probably Fare like her in her Calamities . The Courtesans in some Nations of old , were known by Vails of a particular shape ; and it is pity but that Vertuous People should agree to avoid such Habits , as Vicious persons have signalized themselves withall .

VIII . When a Woman finds her Superfluous Accoutrements , to excite any Lust in her self , she should no longer carry about her the Flint and Steel that strike Fire into the Tinder of her Corruptions . If Maries Locks have entangled her self or others , it becomes her to turn them into a Towel for the feet of the Lord Jesus . To nourish and foment any Distemper in our minds , is for us to Wrong our own Souls , with a Phrensy greater than that of the Possessed Creature , which kept Cuting and Wounding himself among the Monuments of the Dead . For a Woman to indulge her self in a Gaiety , which as often as 't is put on , disposes her Soul to such a Vanity , as indisposes her to Devotion , or throws her into a frame disagreeable to that of a Stranger and a Pilgrim in the World ; this truly does not Adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour .

IX . The Woman that must be the Highest or the soonest in every New Fashion , will herein always keep the Old Fashion of a Proud Fool . It is required of us , Let your Moderation be known unto all men , but for a Woman to betray such a Levity , that nothing will please her but Changeable Taffata ; and it shall be as easie to make a Coat for the Moon as to accommodate her fickle Humour with One unto her mind ; or for her to betray such an Ambition , that none shall come to her Dimensions without an observable Exorbitancy . — this is quite contrary to a Chrisiian Moderation . If when our Lord should say , She seeks me early , 't is only the Gallantry of the Age that can say , She is an early seeker of me ; if when our Lord asketh of her , What dost thou more than others ? all her Answer must be , I flaunt it more , and I brave it more ! 't is but a miserable story that is to be told of her .

X. If a Woman spend more time in Dressing , than she does in Praying , or in Working out her own Salvation , her Dress is but the Snare of her Soul . An Holy Person among the Ancients , beholding of one that had been long standing at the Glass , fell a Weeping , and gave this Reason for it , There 's one that has this Morning spent far more time for her Body than I have done for my Soul . How many Ladies would retire from their Glasses with Weeping Eyes , upon their own Account , if their Eyes were ever turned Inward upon themselves , or Upward unto an Angry God , or Down-ward unto a Gaping Hell , as they are turned Awry to Behold Vanity ! When a Woman must be set out with almost as much Tackling , as would serve the Royal Sovereign , and must be so taken up with Decking a Body which is very shortly to feed the Worms , that her Soul which is to live through Eternal Ages , cannot be well Provided for , she loses her own Soul , and yet gains nothing of that , which if it were all gained , would not make up the loss .

XI . In times of terrible and general Calamity , 't is fit a Woman should abridge her self of that Liberty in her Garb , which at other times may be allow'd unto her . When the People are in Danger of Ruine , the voice of God unto them is , Put off your Ornaments . And as for a Woman to be splendidly Array'd upon a Day of Humiliation , is an Affront not only to the Angels that see how we look in our Sacred Congregations , but also to the God of Angels , before whom we should then appear in what is equivalent unto Sack-cloth ; so for her ordinarily to glitter with Costly Array , at a time when we are peculiarly to Humble our selves under the mighty hand of God , is to make her self like that Midian●tish Doxy , who had Zimri for her Gallant in the Face of the whole Congregation , which were Weeping before the Lord .

XII . The best Robes of any Woman are but vile Rags , if they either do find her Destitute of , or do not make her Concerned for The Clothing of her Soul . When Athanasius beheld a Woman gorgeously Attiring of her self , he melted into Tears , For ( said he ) all this preparation is for her Destruction . Truly a Woman is but Equipping her self against a Day of Slaughter , if a Bodily Equipage be all that she is furnished with . If she do not Put on the Lord Jesus Christ , what signifies all her Provision for the Flesh ? If she be not Array'd in the Fine Linnen clean and white , which is the Righteousness of the Saints . the Lamb of God will disdain to take notice of her . If she have not on The Wedding Garment , the King of Heaven will not acknowledge her as a Guest of His . Let her be , All glorious within , and from the Needlework of the Holy Spirit , Let have an under garment of Grace , upon which an upper garment of Glory shall shortly be induced , or else the Lord will see no Beauty in her . If she had no more than a Peascod out of which to make her a Gown and Hood , she would not be so unhappy , as if her Soul go without the White Rayment , which the Lord Jesus has Counsell'd her to Buy ( that is , to Beg ) of him .

These are the Lessons , by the Remembrance and Observance of which , you may be kept from such Transgression in your Apparrel as may say , There is no Fear of God before your Eyes .

Counsel . 6.

But , without your Faith in Christ , your Fear of God , is utterly to be despaired of . No good Fruit is to be expected from you , nor do I expect any good Fruit of all the perswasives unto the Fear of God , now used with you , unless by a Believing on , you come to an Union with , your Lord Redeemer , who has told you , without me you can do nothing . Whoever pretends to Write the Calling of a Vertuous Woman , and forgets to urge Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Root and Source of all true Virtue , has finely left out the One Thing Needful . There is nothing so needful for Women to be advertised of , as a Message like what was carried from the Lord Jesus to that Woman of old , Arise , the Master calleth thee ! The last thing which therefore is now set before you , is mention'd last because 't is the first thing that you are to set upon the practise of ; 't is that of Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ ; 't is the answering of the Invitations which that Blessed Lord has given you , Look unto me that you may be saved , and Come unto me that you may have Rest . We are told in Heb . 11. 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please God ; and we may therefore say , without Faith it is impossible to Fear God . It was when Faith in the promised Messiah was working in the Heart of our Father Abraham , that the Lord said , Now I know that thou Fearest me . Those two things are joined by the Psalmist , in Psal . 115. 11. Ye that Fear the Lord , Trust in the Lord . Except we come to a Trust in the Lord , for all our Blessedness to be graciously Communicated unto us through the Mediator . We discover our selves to be without the Fear of the Lord ; neither shall we ever grow in Grace , if we have not a sensible , affecting , fiducial Knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ . O that it may now be said of you , Woman , great is thy Faith ! and that whereas , Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God , you may beg of God this Gift , with a most becoming Importunity , Lord I would Believe , help my Unbelief .

That you may not want a Description of that Faith , with which you should so apply your selves to the Lord Jesus Christ , as that it may be said of you , Who is this Leaning upon her Beloved ? Let me distinctly entreat you , to pursue the experience of these two Attainments .

First , Get a Lively sense of your own Spiritual Death , Sinfulness and Wretchedness . Behold your selves hunted and haunted by the Avengers of Sin , and ready to be Destroy'd if a Refuge be not provided for you . When you hear the Voice of God , as a Judge enquiring after you , let it make you as much Afraid as your first Mother in the first Garden was . Take a view of your own Condition , as the Word of God has represented it ; and let no Creatures whatsoever then quiet the Agonies thence arising in your minds . Think on the terrible Wants and Woes of your Souls ; think on the guilt , and filth , and slavery wherein you are perishing every day ; think on the ever-burning Fire , and of the never dying Worm , which you are every day in danger of going down into ; think till you cry out , Oh Wretched Woman that I am ! Who shall deliver me ? Let not all the Pleasures and Profits , and Honours of this World allay the Distresses which your Souls are now cast into ; call 'em all , Miserable Comforters ! and Lying Vanities ! and Physicians of no value ! If Self now offer to procure your Deliverance , treat that Idol with Contempt , and unspeakable Disdain . As for any Righteousness of your own to answer the demands of the Law , acknowledge , 't is all filthiness ; as for any Strength of your own , to fulfil so much as the Commands of the Gospel , acknowledge , I have no Sufficiency ! pronounce your selves Lost , and write your selves , Wretched and Poor and Miserable , and Blind , and Naked .

Being thus Humbled , or having your Security in your Natural Estate so far disturbed , that you feel you must renounce all but Christ , all for Christ , then cast your selves upon the Lord Jesus Christ for all manner of good . Humbly , Hopefully , Joyfully go to him for all the Sure Mercies of the New Covenant ; for all the Benefits whereof it has pleased the Father there should in him all fulness dwell ; for all the Wisdom , Righteousness , Sanctification , and Redemption which he is to be made unto us . First , Accept the Lord Jesus Christ in His Word . When you hear the tender of a Jesus made unto you , Reply upon it , Lord , let me have a Jesus upon any Terms ! and like the Dying Martyr say , None but Christ ! None but Christ ! Ponder seriously , how the Lord Jesus Christ Executes the Office of a Prophet , and of a Priest , and of a King ; and when you are asked , whether you are willing to enjoy the Instruction of that Prophet , the Atonement of that Priest , and the Government of that King , let your sincere answer be , Lord , with all my Heart ! And then , Present the Lord Jesus Christ , in your Prayer . When you make any Request unto the Almighty , let the Merit and Virtue of the Lord Jesus Christ , be the Ground of your Hope to speed in all . The Mediation of the Lord Jesus , let that both Embolden your Applications to , and encourage your Expectations from , the God of Heaven . Particularly , when you Pray for the Favour of God , let this be your Dependence , The Lord Jesus Christ has made Satisfaction for us by his Obedience , and now he ever lives to make Intercession for us . When you Pray for any Counsel or Conduct , Relye upon this , Unto us a Saviour is given , whose Name is Wonderful , Counsellour ! When you Pray for any Succour or Supply , Relye upon this , There is a Man upon the Throne , by whom all the Wheels in the World are managed ! Oh let the view of a Sweet Jesus cause you to silence all your Dispair of Mercy , and say , Why art thou cast down , O my Soul , Hope in God , since he has provided a Jesus for thee . This is the Faith of Gods Elect . We read in 2 Tim . 3. 6. concerning Silly Women , Laden with Sins ; Creatures indeed , which do not feel their Load . But it is the Call of our Lord , in Mat . 11. 28. Come to me , all ye that are Heavy Laden . May you find your Souls Heavy Laden with a Mountainous Weight of Sins upon you ; and may you carry such awakened Souls unto the Lord Jesus , as unto him whom God has Exalted , that he may bestow both Repentance and Remission of Sins upon his Israel .

That so the Address now made you , may as well be Agreeable as Effectual , give me leave to press it , under the Notion of a Marriage whereof the Son of God now makes you most Condescending Overtures . Never were you treated with such an Important and Concerning Affair , as that which I now challenge your Earnest Heed unto ; and therefore let the Words once used by a Woman , be now with a little Alteration Mine , Intreat me not to leave thee , or to return from following after thee ; for I must prevail with thee to take my God and my Christ , as thine for ever . The Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ are called , The Friends of the Bridegroom ; Now let one of them inform you , That the Prince of Life , the Lord of Glory , the King of Heaven , makes unto you , even unto sinful worthless you , a Motion of a Marriage with Himself . O do not slight the Motion of such a Transcendent Match ! but , that I may speak in the Apostles Language , Let me Espouse you to one Husband , that I may present you , as a Chast Virgin to Christ . We read in Rev. 19. 6 , 7. There is A Voice as it were of a Great Multitude , and the Voice of Mighty Thunders , saying , Hallelujah , let us be glad and rejoice for the Marriage of the Lamb is come , and his Wife has made her self Ready ! Could I speak with a Voice like that of Mighty Thunders , I would now call upon a Great Multitude that they would make themselves ready for a Marriage with the Lamb of God . O don't refuse a Match with the Lamb , lest you incur the Wrath of the Lamb ; or indeed , lest He become a Lion , and He Tear you to pieces , while there is none to Deliver . Methinks , there should not need many Arguments to perswade you unto such a Marriage as you now have the Tenders of . If there do , then Consider the Necessity of this Marriage . The Apostle speaking of a Woman , being not married unto another Man in a time of Raging Persecution , says , in 1 Cor . 7. 40. She is happier if she so abide . But for a Woman that is not Matried unto the Lord Jesus Christ , wo to her , if she so abide ! she is horridly undone , and interminably and intolerably ruin'd , if she so abide ! If this be not enough , then Consider the Utility of this Marriage . When a Woman is Married unto a Neighbour , she is made owner of what he is , and of what he has ; and a Beggar may be made an Empress when a mighty Prince has taken her . But let a Woman be Married unto the Lord Jesus Christ , and what follows ? 't is no less than that in 1 Cor . 3. 22 , 23. All things are yours , and ye are Christs . Oh! what unsearchable Riches , are you made presently partakers of . If this avail not , Consider , then the Excellency of the Person , who Courts you to the Marriage . 't is said of Him , in Cant . 5. 16. He is altogether lovely ; and can't you Love such an one ? He is , the Desire of all Nations ; and will not you Desire Him ? He is , The Pearl of great Price ; and will you set no Price upon Him ? He is , The Christ of God ; and O why should not you say , Let Him be my Christ for ever ? And if none of all this will break your Hearts , let it be Considered , that it is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who has made the First Offers of this Astonishing Match . We forlorn Creatures , by the Hedges and in the Di●ches of Hell , never durst have dreamt of such an Exaltation , if that Glorious Monarch himself had not made the First offers of it ; He was himself Made of a Woman , on purpose that so he might be Married unto the Children of Men ; and the Souls of Women as well as of Men are capable of this Mistical Marriage . This Illustrious Lord , who is infinitely Higher than the Kings of the Earth , does now himself do so strange a thing , as to Beseech you , That you would accept of him as the Husband of your Souls ; and that you would be willing to have an interest in that priviledge , Thy Maker is thy Husband , and thy Redeemer ; The Lord of Hosts is his Name ; and thy Redecmer . O Heart of Adamant , which these Considerations do not Overcome and Mollify !

But it is possible the Women to whom I write , may find their Hearts complying with the Proposals of the Blessed Saviour , when they see those Proposals more distinctly laid before them . It is therefore Desired , First , That you would Renounce all other Lovers besides the Lord Jesus Christ . It is the Demind of our Lord Jesus , in Hos . 3. 3. Thou shalt not play the Harlot , and thou shalt not be for another man , so will I also be for thee . You have indeed given your First Loves , unto the Idols of your Souls ; but O where are your Wonderments that the Son of God should not be averse after all , to make you , His ! Although the Priest of old , might not Marry a Widom ; yet our Magnificent High Priest , Jesus , is willing to Marry a Soul that has been fearfully Vitiated and Prostituted ; Thou hast play'd the Harlot with many Lovers , yet return again unto me saith the Lord . But that which the Lord now expects of you is , to forsake and and shake off , all the old Oppressours of your Souls for ever . Unto the Flesh now say , I will not have thy Lusts to be my Laws any more ! Unto the World now say , I will not seek my chief good among thy Vexatious Vanities any more ! And unto the Devil say , I will no more be among thy Slaves , whom thou leadest Captive at thy will ! Resolve , that if ever these Other Lords do after this obtain any thing from you , it shall be by the Violence of a Rape , which you will never cease crying to Heaven for help against . And it is Then , desired that you would receive the Lord Jesus Christ , With and For all His Mercies . Receive him with the Wish of your Souls , to be by him Furnished and Provided with all manner of good , and by him to bring forth Fruit unto him . Receive him freely , fully , firmly , hoping to live on him , to him , and with him World without End. Fall down like Mary in the Garden crying out , Rabboni ; O my Lord ! my Lord ! With a Transported Affection say unto him , Lord , be thou mine , make me thine , and let my Jesus be for ever the Beloved of my Soul ! and upon your own Souls lay that charge continually , Hearken , O Daughter ; He is thy Lord , and Worship thou him ! But receive him also very Thankfully ; for if when the Servants of David came to Abigail , saying , David sent us unto thee , to take thee to him , to Wife , 't is reported in 1 Sam . 25. 41. She bowed her self on her face to the Earth , and said , Behold , let thine Handmaid , be a Servant , to Wash the Feet of the Servants of my Lord . Much more , when our Heavenly David , sends to Marry your Souls unto himself , it becomes you , most humbly to cast your selves at His Feet , and adore his goodness with never ending Hallellujahs . It was uttered with some Extasie , by that Woman of Old , Whence is this to me , that the Mother of my Lord should come to me ! But surely then , you have cause to say with as Rapturous Elevations and Acclamations of your Souls . O whence is this to me , that my Lord himself , should not only come , but also give himself , to such a Wretch as I am ! In the mean time , let not your want of a Dowry discourage you from receiving of that Rich Lord , who has infinitely more than The Earth and the Fulness thereof . Many a Poor Soul is Afraid of receiving the Lord Jesus Christ , because they have nothing to bring unto him ; they see themselves vile , forlorn , lothsome , and think they , Will the Glorious Jesus Look upon such an One ! Yes , that he will ; nor will he look upon any but such as count and feel themselves to be such : and can venture to throw themselves into his Arms. notwithstanding their being so . You must come to the Lord Jesus , with such Acknowledgements as these ; Lord , if thou Marry me to thy self , I have horrible Doubts upon me , which thou must answer for . I have nothing but Guiltiness , Wretchedness , Ignorance and Slavery , to recommend me to thy favours , that , and some little sense of that , is all that I have to bring unto thy Majesty . With all that , I now cast my self upon thee , and according to thy Glorious Grace , I must now be thine for ever .

I Pray , that this matter may be brought unto a happy Issue before we part . Reader , As an Embassador , for Christ , I do in the stead of Christ beseech you , That you would be Married unto that Lord Redeemer . Will you give your Consent unto the motion ? Give but that and the Match is made ; and so , Blessed you , that ever you were Born ? Let your Hearts within you , now answer , I will , and you will make this , The Day of your Espousals , and the Day of the Gladness of your Hearts . Hear the sweet Voice of the Lord Jesus , from the Lofty Battlements of Heaven , this Day calling upon you . His Voice is , Art thou willing , that my Righteousness , and Satisfaction , and Intercession , be that alone which may purchase for thee all thy Blessedness ? Reply , Lord , I am willing . His Voice is , Art thou willing that my Teaching and my Eye-salve , should lead thee in the way of peace ? Reply , Lord , I am willing . His Voice is , Art thou willing , that I should set up my Kingdom in thee , and strengthen thee against all the Enemies thereof ? Reply , Lord , I am willing . Behold . the Knot is now ty'd ; and it won't be long before the Consummation of it , and your Cohabitation with the Lord . The Lord Jesus will shortly fetch you away to the Mansions in his Fathers House ; and so you shall Be for ever with the Lord . What shall I say more ? Let me plead with you like a Servant of my Lord : If you will deal kindly and truly with my Master , tell me ; Will you go to the Son of God for Life , or no ? What is your Answer ? Oh! let it be like that which Rebeckah made , in Gen. 24. 42. I will go . I have only this to tell you , That you 'll spend Eternal Ages in Praising of God for sending this little Book into your hands . If this may be the Result and Effect of your perusing it . But Oh! the incredible Torments of that Wrath , which is reserved for , The Children of Unperswadeableness .

I Therefore now bow my Knees unto thee , O Father of Spirits , That a Day of thy Power may come unto the Reader of these Lines , and that she may be made willing in this Day of thy Power , to give her Self and her Love unto the Eternal Son of thy Love ; AMEN . And let her that Reads also say , AMEN and AMEN .

COUNSEL . 7.

And yet there is this one thing more , which Women are to be advised unto ; Namely , To maintain , The Fear of God , in every condition of Life , into and thorow which the , will of God may carry them . There are particularly , Four States , in one of which all Women are , and to most of which , perhaps most Women come . Let there be set before you , the portraiture of , A Virtuous Woman , in each of those Four States ; and let it be your study to answer that portraiture by the Fear of God , in all . While I manage this Discourse , I shall take the liberty to touch now and then upon the signification of such NAMES as are most usual with the Female Sex ; partly , because it is a Curiosity which you would willingly be entertained with ; but cheifly , because I may make some Lessons the more easily remembred , yea , and the more thoroughly attended by that Curiosity . At least I hope , I shall not meet with such an hard Fate , as that German Divine who telling his Auditory , that Ursula signified , A litttle Bear , a Woman of that Name caused such an Up-roar among the Women against him , as drove him out of the Town .

The Virtuous MAID .

't is the wish of the Psalmist , in Psal . 144. 12. That our Daughters may be as Corner Stones , Polished after the Similitude of a Palace . The Name of Pernel , [ or Petronella ] which signifies , A pritty little Stone , has been sometimes put upon a Daughter . And now behold , A Virtuous Daughter is here styled , A Polished Corner Stone by the Spirit of God ; She is indeed a Margaret , that is to say , A precious one . It seems 't is a thing that more than a little sets off the happiness of a People , when the Young Women among them have Accomplishments which render them , like the Tall , Fine , Costly Pillars , that are usually at the Gates of Palaces . The most Christian Jew in his Translation of that place , makes the wish to run , That our Daughters may be — the Building of the Temple . And indeed it is no small happiness unto a People , when the Young Women among them , do Build the Temple of God , and become Stones fit for a Room in that Building . It has doubtless been a most Encouraging thing unto some one Gathered Church of the Lord Jesus Christ , to see about Thirty or Forty Gracious Young Women , in two or three years time ( as perhaps there have been seen ) Addressing them for their Sacred Communion at the Table of the Lord . Now 't is by , The Fear of God , that a Maid may become one of these Happy Daughters . A Virtuous Maid , will not Count her self too Youg to be concerned about , The Fear of God , but she Obeys that Call , Remember thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth ; She believes that word , Behold , Now is the accepted Time , Behold , now is the Day of Salvation ! And let us now see what her Carriage is .

I. Such is her Devotion , that while she prudently avoids the Reading of Romances , which do no less Naturally than Generally inspire the minds of Young People with Humours , that are as Vicious as they are Foolish ; on the other side , she Piously Reads the Bible Every Day , and she thence fetches those Humble and Holy , and seriou● Prayers which do obtain for her , all manner of Grace to help in a Time of Need . The Name of Agatha , of A good one , is that which for this cause pertains unto her ; and she is an Anna , or an Hannah , which is to say , A gracious one .

II . Such is her Purity , that while she will not suffer the least Behaviour or Expression to proceed from her , which may Savour of obscaenity ; so neither will she Permit , much less Invite , the Dalliances of any Wanton Creatures which may design any thing besides what is Honourable on her ; nor will she Endure to hear any talk that shall not sound innocently , without bestowing the rebuke of , at least that which for her sake we stile , A Maiden-Blush upon it . She is an Agnes , that is , A Chast one . The Name of Catharine , that is , A Puritan , agrees well unto her ; and she had rather have it , though with a scornful Nick-name , than go without it .

III . Such is her Modesty , that she chooses to be Seen rather than Heard wherever she comes ; And instead of that Confidence in Repartees and Railleries which passes for Good-breeding with a Debauched Generation , or instead of being like those who ( as one says ) More Bridle in their Chins , than their Tongues , she counts Tace , which in English is , Hold your Peace , a Name sometimes worn by some of her Sex , to be a Rule always to be heeded by her self . But if she be constrained at all to speak , she still is an Eulalia , or , A Well-spoken One ; and though she will not be , As an Hind let loose , yet she will ever , Give Goodly Words .

IV . Such is her Industry , that she betimes applies her self to learn all the Affairs of Housewifry , and besides a good skill at her Needle , as well as in the Kitchen , she acquaints her self with Arithmetick and Accomptanship , [ perhaps also Chirurgery ] and such other Arts relating to Business , as may enable her to do the Man whom she may hereafter have , Good and not Evil all the days of her Life . If she have any Time after this to learn Musick and Language , she will not loose her Time , and yet she will not be proud of her Skill ; though the Name of Lora , that is , Learning , ( which the Saxons had in use among them for their Women ) should justly belong unto her . She would with all good Accomplishments be a Ruth ; which is to say , A Filled one .

V , Such is her Discretion , that while 't is too absurdly counted a Great Curse to be an Old Maid , she makes her Single State a Blessed one , by improving her Liesure from the Encumbrances of a Family , in Cairing for the Things of the Lord , that she may be Holy both in Body and in Spirit : And when she sees what Liberty she thereby has , To serve the Lord without Distraction , she calls her self a Beatrice , that is , A Blessed Woman . She does not Vow a perpetual Virginity , lest her Vow should happen to expose her ; while there are Devils as well as Angels , which do not Marry , nor are given in Marriage . But yet instead of using any Hasty Method to get into the Married Row , and instead of taking a Bad Husband meerly to avoid the little Reproach of having None , she do's by her Gravity and Holiness , convince all the World , that her present circumstances are of Choice rather than Fo●ce ; and the longer she is in them , the more she do's Consecrate her self unto the Lord

VI . Such is her Obedience , that as 't was none of her manner to seek a Match for her self , by putting her self into a Flanting Dress , knowing that such a Dress would make a Wiseman afraid of her , and it were better to have no Husband , than to have such a Buzzard as could be caught by any Cassandra's [ or Women that set Men on fire ] in the Snares of an extravagant Gaity and Bravery ; so when a Match do's offer himhimself unto her , she wisely leaves it unto the Reasonable Judgment of her Parents or Guardians , whether he be indeed a Match for her , or no ; nor will she dispose of her self without their Consent , Conduct and Blessing in it . Indeed she reckons this is a proper Test , by which a Real and a Worthy Lover may be try'd ; Let my Superiors , that have the Disposal of me ▪ know your Mind ! so doth she make her self an Abigail , or her Fathers Joy : and not a Dinah , that is , a Judgment unto him .

This is a Virtuous MAID ! And those Virgins which are so Sacred among the Ancient Romans ; as to be made the Sanctuaries of the greatest Reverence , did not more deserve all Respect and Honour , than the Virgins which thus manifest , The Fear of God . But we hope it will not be long before she becomes a WIFE ; which will render her a Mary , that is , an Exalted one ; and let us now see , what a Virtuous one .

The Virtuous WIFE .

WHEN Mr. William Whately , was going to Publish a Book which insisted much on the Duties of a Wife , he Dedicated the Book to his Father-in-law ; and in the Epistle , after Solemn Thanks unto him for his bestowing on him , A most Excellent and Virtuous Wife , he adds ; I have been the better able to show , what a Good Wife should be , by finding the full Duty of a Wife continually performed unto me , in my own House ; most easily therefore might I set out a Picture of that ( says he ) which is hourly conversant before my Eyes . I cannot say that I am any farther ; but I have cause to render unto Heaven my daily and Hearty Thanks , that I am thus far , advantaged for my describing of A Virtuous Wife ; and if I thus Publish this Mercy of God unto my self , the unworthiest of Men , let me not be Censured as if my Freedom were a Folly ; not only because those Eminent Persons Budaeus and Paraeus have before me , in Print Celebrated each of them the worth of his Virtuous Wife , but also because the Wise Man reckons it among the priviledges of a Virtuous Wife , in Prov. 31. 28. Her Husband also , he Praiseth her .

It was a great abuse which the Ancients who doted upon Virginity , put upon those words of the Apostle , in Rom. 8. 8. Those that are in the Flesh cannot please God ; when they supposed all Married Persons to be those intended . A Virtuous Wife is one that pleaseth God , as much as if she were cloistered up in the strictest and closest Nunery ; and therewith , yea , therein she pleaseth a Virtuous Husband also ; she studies to render her self a true Mabel , or Amiable person , in his Eyes ; and a Right Evodias , or , One of a Good Savour to him . You shall now hear her Qualities .

I. As for her Love to her Husband , I may say , 't is even strong as Death , many waters cannot quench it . neither can the Floods drown it . She can like Sarah , Rebeckah , Rachel , freely leave all the Friends in the World for his Company ; and she looks upon that charge of God unto his Ministers , Teach the Young Women to Love their Husbands , as no less profitable , than highly reasonable . When she reads that Prince Edward in his Wars against the Turks , being stabbed with a poisoned Knife , his Princess did suck the poison out of his Wounds with her own Royel Mouth ; she finds in her own Heart a principle disposing her to show her own Husband as great a Love . When she reads of a Woman called Herpine , who having her Husband Appoplex'd in all his Limbs , bore him on her back a Thousand and three Hundred English Miles to a Bath , for his Recovery ; she finds her self not altogether unwilling to have done the like . When she reads of those famous Women , who after a hot Siege in the Castle of Winsberg , having obtained this liberty from therir enraged Enemies , That they might themselves go out , and also take any one thing they could carry with them ; very bravely took up each one her Husband . and so delivered them : She applauds the Example and would follow it . And when she reads of that Generous Young Woman , Clara Cerventa , who having for her Husband one Valdaura , that prov'd full of most loathsome Diseases , yet she tended him with all the care and cost imaginable , and sold her Jewels to maintain him ; and at his Death , after ten long years of Languishment , she reply'd unto her Friends who would rather have Congratulated her Deliverance , That she would freely lose the best of her Enjoyments to purchase her Dear Valdaura again ! She resolves the Imitation of such a Carriage , while she bestows an Admiration on it . Her Affections were not at first founded on the Estate or Beauty of her Husband ; and therefore These happen to be consumed , Those do out-live their Funeral , 't is her Piety towards the Commandment and Ordinance of God , that Inspires her Affections ; and so they do not grow cold like a Smiths red hot Bar of Iron , when taken out from the Fire of a misplaced Lust . When she addresses him , with such a Compellation , as , LOVE , her Heart goes with her Lips , and she means what she speaks .

II . But her Love to her Husband , will also admit , yea , and Produce the Fear of , A Cautious Diligence never to Displease him . 't was this which the Apostle Peter meant when he recommends unto the Women , A Chast 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 Blowes , yet she do's Fear his Frowns , being loth in any way to grieve him , or cause an Head-ake 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 and Sense to his , where she cannot with calm Reasons convince him of Inexpediencies ; and instead of grudging or captious 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 the like , 't is as quickly done ; If her Jacob say to her , I must have you go with me , she most readily yields unto him . If his Unreasonable Humours happen to be such , that she must give some diversion to them ▪ she remembers that Rule , In her Tongue is the Law of Kindness ; 't is by the kindness , the sweetness , the goodness of her expressions that she gives Law unto him . If she speaks of him , 't is not in such Terms as the Harlot uses in Proverbs , The Man ; but it is with all manner of respect : She will not 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 Milea , that is , A Woman of Counsel . If she speak to him , 't is not with Talkative and Unhandsome Interruptions , nor with any other mis-becoming Insolencies ; though he be never so much a Churl , yet she ever treats him with the Language of an Abigail . Though she be a Sarah , that is , a Mistriss ; yet she owns that she has a Master : And like a Sarah of old , she will not so much as take in , or cast out a Servant without Consulting Him ; nor will she receive any Guests or Goods into her House , unless like the Shunamite , she may have her Husbands Approbation ; and she will have at least some Implicit or General Consent of His , before she will exercise any Secret Bounties with his Possessions . His Anger will not cause her to swallow a Reproof with discontent , and his Foundness will not make her to forget the Honour that she owes unto him . Indeed there is a Store of Michols in the World ; Michol , is as much as to say , Who is all ( in the House ) but She ? But let us leave it unto such Michols alone , To despise their Husbands in their Hearts ; God will punish them .

III . But her Fear of Displeasing her Husband , most remarkably appears in the Peace that she preserves with him ; and her Antipathy to all Contention , unless it be that of Provoking one another to Love and Good works . A Susan she is , that is , A Lilly ; but never A Briar to him : Nor will she give him cau●e to call her Barbara . She will have no such Passion towards her Husband as may make her worthy to be called , A Fury ; but if he be himself in a Passion , she strives with the Soft Answers of Meekness to mollifie it first , and so to overcome it : She is a true Rachel , that is to say , A Sheep under the greatest Exasperations . A Reverend Person seeing once a Couple that were very Cholerick , yet live most lovingly and peaceably together , demanded of them Whence it was ? And the man made him this Answer , Sir , When my Wife is in a Passion I yield unto her ; and when I am in a Passion she yields unto me ; so that we never are in our passionate fits together ! The Good Woman will make it her endeavour to attend the last part of this Contrivance ; and will give small or no occasion for the first . The Marriners Counts it Bodes well to see Two Fire-Balls appearing in a Ship together ; but our Good Woman counts Two Fire-Balls in an House together , to Bode ill as the worst of Omens ; nor will she be a party to maintain a Civil War within the Walls of her Dwelling . She thinks that if there be nothing but Fire ! Fire ! in the House , 't is a sign that God , who is The God of Peace , is not graciously present there ; as the Jewish Rabbins have noted upon the Hebrew Names of Ish , an Husband , and Ishah a Wife ; out of which if you take the two Letters which make the Name of Jah , there will remain only Esh , Esh , that is , Fire ! Fire ! The old Heathen took Gall from the Nuptial Sacrifices and threw it behind the Altar , to intimate that all Bitterness is to be thrown away by all Married People ; Mercury , or good Language , is to stand by Venus . And this Woman accordingly , puts away All Bitterness , Anger , Clamour , and Evil speaking ; She is a Right Rebeckah , which carries The blunting or hindring of Contention in the signification of it ; and a right Shelomith , which is to say , A Peaceable one .

IV . But she is for Plenty as well as Peace in her Houshold ; and by her Thriftiness makes an Effectual and Sufficient Reply unto her Husband . when he does ask her , as he must , Whether he shall Thrive or no ? She is a Deborah , that is , A Bee for her Diligence and Industry in her Hive . As on the one side she will have none in her House to Want , so on the other side , she will have all of them to Work ; or as the Holy Spirit of God expresses it , She looks well to the ways of her Houshold , and Eats not the Bread of Idleness . Her Husbands Gains are so managed by her Housewifry and Providence , that he finds it his advantage to let her keep the Keys of all ; and she will so regulate all the Domestick Expences , that he shall not complain of Any thing Embezzled . Her very Fore-cast is as useful as much of her Husbands Business ; and the Pennies that she saves do add unto the heaps of the Pounds that are got by him . He has a rich Portion with her , meerly in her Prudence ; that is it which renders her a Jerusha , or an Inheritance unto him . She is particularly careful , that she do not bear such a Sail of Gallantry , either in her Table or Apparel , or her Furniture as may sink her Husband ; nor will she be one of those Women , who ( as one says ) are now such skilful Chymists , that they quickly turn their Husbands Earth into Gold ; only they pu●sue the Experiment too far , making that Gold too volatile , and let it all Vapour away in insignificant , though Gaudy Trifles . That Woman deserves the Name of Dalilah . that is , Povert● ; [ unless you will enter upon so hard a Name as Jezabel , that is , A wo to the House ; ] whose Discretion shall not be better than a Dowry to her Owner .

VI . And this Thriftiness is accompany'd with such a Fidelity to her Husband , as that she will not give a Lodging to the least stragling or wandring Thought of Disloyalty in his Bed ; lest by her parling with wicked Thoughts , the Devil should insensibly decoy her to the Deeds which God will Judge . She is a Dove , that will sooner die than leave her Mate ; and her Husband is to her , The covering of her Eyes , at such a rate , that she sees a Desireableness in him , which she will not allow her self to behold or suppose in any other ; neither will she look upon Another , any more than the Wife of Tygranes , who after the Wedding of Cyrus , whom every one did commend as the rarest Person in the Company ; being by her Huband ask'd What she thought of him ? Answered roundly , In truth I looked at no Body there , but you , my Husband . A Wanton had as good Eat Fire , as go to Enkindle any False Fire , or Fools Fire in her Holy Breast ; she accounts Adultery to be as the Law of Moses adjudged it , A Capital Crime ; and if the Egyptians of old cut off the Nose of the Adulteress , or , if the Athenians tore her in pieces with wild Horses , rather had she undergo the Pain of such things than commit the Crime . She is a Gertude , or All true , in the Marriage Covenant . Yea , she will even Abstain from all appearance of Evil ; and as 't is abominable unto her to entertain the least groundless and causless Jealousie of her Husband , or to Torture and Expose her own Soul by the uneasie Frenzy of uncharitable surmizes concerning him ; so she will not give him the least opportunity to think hardly of her . She will not therefore be too much from Home , upon concerns , that perhaps to him are Unaccountable : But if the Angels do Enquire , where she is , her Husband may reply as once Abraham did , My Wife is in the Tent . Although her Husband be not such an Egyptian as to deny her Shoes ; yet her usage of them is , as if like a Scythian , she had the Axle-tree of the Chariot which carried her home after her Wedding , burned at the Door ; and she is willing to be painted as the Wives of th● Ancients were , with a Snail under her Feet . She affects to be an Esther , that is , An Hidden One . But if a foolish and froward Husband will wrong her with unjust suspicions of her Hon●sty ▪ , she will thence make a Devout Reflexion upon her Disloyalty to God ; but at the same time very patiently vindicates her Innocency to man : And the more patiently , because the Water of Jealousie procures greater Blessings to those that have it Unrighteously and Abusively Imposed upon them .

VI . But her Fidelity is no where more signalized , than in her Sollicitude for the Eternal Salvation of her Husband . O how unwilling she is that the Precious and Immortal Soul of her poor Husband , should go from her Arms , to make his Bed among the Dragons of the Wilderness for ever ! The Apostles Exclamation , What knowest thou O Wife , but thou mayest save thy Husband ? Is her Apprecation , O that I may ! Chrisostoms note upon it is , That the Wife is to remind her Husband of what was delivered in the Church . Truly , though a Woman may not Speak in the Church , yet she may humbly Repeat unto her Husband at Home what the Minister Spoke in the Church , that may be Pertinent to his condition . Thus every Paul may have Women that labour with him in the Go●pel . Vast Opportunities are those that a Woman has to bring over her Husband unto real and serious Godliness . And a Good Woman will Use those Opportunities . An Esther , a Witty Esther , what can't she do with the most haughty Husband in the World ? Wat may not a Godly Domitia , or a Godly Monica do , for the Souls of their Unconverted Husbands ? If her Husband be a Carnal , Prayerless , Graceless man ; she will not leave off her Ingenious Perswasions , till it may be said of him , Behold he I rays ! If her Husband be under the Power of any Temptation , she will do what she can to prevent his Destruction , as that famous Woman did for the City of Abel . She would merit the Name of an Eunice , that is , A good Conquerer , by Conquering of her Husband unto the liking of all that is Good . Instead of saying to him , Curse God ? She pursues him with Loving , Winning , Unwearied Sollicitations to Fear God , and Serve God , and Never be weary of well doing . Instead of being a Dalilah , that shall entangle him in the Cords of Death , she do's all she can to be a Priscilla , that shall more fully aquaint him with the Things Pertaning to the Kingdom of God .

This is a Virtuous WIFE ! And such an one she will be , although her Husband should be very disobliging to her ; She considers , 't is to the Lord I confess the difficulties that some Unhappy Wives do meet withal , are such that if they be not very Virtuous Wives they cannot possibly conform to these Directions ; but this I would say , their being Virtuous is the most likely way to provide against their being Unhappy . But if the Case of any such Wife should be so remarkably hard , that her Husband proceeds to abuse her with a Cudgel [ an Hard Case indeed ! that a Brides Bush ever should have any Cudgels growing in it ! ] I know not what further Advice to give her : Only THIS ; Let the Candidness of her Behaviour be her Charm against the Assaults of such a Devil ; and if that would further help to lay such a Friend , I am content she should Read unto him , not only the Laws of God and Man against that Barbarity , or the Opinion of old Cato That for a man to beat his Wife , was as bad as Sacriledge ; but also the Emphatical Words of the Blessed Ancients in the Church of God , Loudly Thundring against this Inhumanity ; and particularly those of the Renowned Chrysostom , which are to this Purpose ; ( if you will allow me the Translating of them ) It is the highest Ignominy , not of the Wife , but of the Man , for a Man to beat his Wife . But if thou hast an Husband that will do so , bear it patiently ; and know thou shalt have Rewards hereafter for it , as well as Praises here . As for You , Man , Let me admonish you , that there is no Fault so great , as may compel you to to beat your Wives . Your Wives did I say ? 't is a Dishonour for a Man to bestow blows upon his Maid ; and much more upon his Wife — We might learn this from the Law-givers among the Gentiles , who take away a Wife from the Man that has beaten her , for indeed he is a Man unworthy of a Wife . Such a Man , if he may be call'd a Man , and not rather a Beast , is to be counted a Murderer of his Father or Mother . If a Man must leave his Father and Mother for the sake of his Wife , by the Ordinance of God ; what a mad wretch is he that shall abuse Her , for whom his very Parents were to be forsaken ? Indeed there is not a simple Frenzy in this thing ; an Intollerable Disgrace do's also accompany it . At the Sighs and Cries of the Abused Wife , all the Neighbourhood run to the Base Fellows House , as for the rescue of a Prey fallen into the Talons of a Wild-Beast that had broken in . And such a Rascal were better be Buried alive , than show his Head among his Neighbours any more . See Hom. l. 26. in 1 Ep. ad Corinth .

But wishing all Good Women , a deliverance from such Monsters of Husbands , we will suppose our Virtuous Wife now grown a Mother ; and see how she acquits her self .

The Virtuous MOTHER .

THE Apostle Wills , That the Younger Women Marry , and Bear Children ; and as 't is too soon for them to Bear Children till they Marry , so 't is ordinarily expected , that they will Bear Children when they Marry . If a Virtuous Wife be deny'd the blessing of Children , her not Bearing is not a Trial that she cannot Bear . She humbly addresses the God of Heaven , like Hanah , for that Gracious and Powerful Word of his which makes Fruitful , as remembring , That Children are an Heritage of the Lord , and the Fruitful Womb is his Reward ; But she will not impatiently long like Rachel , Give me Children or I die , lest she die by her having of those Children . Much less , will she have so little Wit as to suspect her own Eternal Happiness , because of her Natural Barrenness , like those mistaken little Women who having thus argued from that Scripture , She shall be saved in Child bearing ; Very fine indeed ! As if Child-bearing were no less a condition in the Covenant of Grace , than Repenting and Believing ! But her Natural Barrenness is rather improv'd by her as an occasion of her Eternal Happiness , by the Spiritual Fulness whereto she is thereby excited and assisted ; it causes her to be more Fruitful in all ●he good works of Piety and Charity ; more Fruitful in her endeavours otherwise to Serve her Generation after the will of God ; more Fruitful in all these things whereby , The Heavenly Father may be Glorified : And she will consider with her self , What Service of God , and his People , and my own Soul have I now a Leisure for ?

Nevertheless if our Virtuous Woman become a Parent , we shall see what a Virtuous Mother she will approve her self .

I. She is no sooner sensible that she has Conceivrd , but she presently and solemnly , and perhaps with Fasting as well as Prayer , applies her self to the God of Heaven , that he would with his own Holy Spirit Fill and Shape what is in her ; and that what is to be Born of her , may be An Holy Thing . She accounts the Treasure now lodged in her to be of more account than all the Riches of a Thousand India's , inasmuch as 't is a Never dying Soul , by which the Almighty God may for ever be Glorify'd . And as therefore she carefully avoids all that may prejudice the Formation of the Infant in her , so she loves it aforehand with a due Earliness and Earnestness that the Infant may be Sanctified in the Womb . She is not inordinately set upon having an Infant of one Sex , more than another ; but her great concern is that which a Big-bellied Woman once recorded in a Legacy left written as her Desire for her Unborn Infant , That she may be a Mother to one of Gods Children ! Suppose it be a Daughter , which usually ( and perhaps needlesly ) is less long'd for ; yet if it may be a Bethia , that is , A Daughter of the Lord ; or a Diana , that is , A Diughter of God , she has her Choice ; and she is freely willing that God should have the Proporti ning of Sexes in the World .

II . That she may be Saved in Childbearing , She continues in Faith , and Charity , and Holiness , with Sobriety , all the Months of her Time ; and puts her Husband also upon the exercise of those Virtues , that it may not only be [ She ] but [ They ] that so Continues . By Faith she relies upon the Lord Jesus Christ , who was Born of a Woman , for the Salvation both of her Soul and of her Babe , if God should not permit her to out-live the Dangerous Agonies of her Travails : By Faith she depends upon the Power , and Wisdom , and Goodness of God , for her seasonable Deliverance . Like Sarah , Judging him Faithful who has promised . The Burden which is in her , she does by Faith Transfer into the Omnipotent hands of that God , whose invitation to her is , Cast thy Burden on the Lord ; and she searches the Bible , especially the Psalter , for words to plead with the Lord upon this great Affair : That word particularly is a support unto hee , Isa . 41. 10. Fear thou not , for I am with thee ; Be not dismay'd , for I am thy God ; I will strengthen thee , yea , I will help thee , yea , I will uphold thee with the Right Hand of my Righteousness ; and that word in Psal . 34. 22. and that in Psal . 37. 5. and that in Psal . 42. 11. and that in 1 Cor . 10. 13. and that in 2 Cor . 12. 9. and that in Heb . 13. 5. And her Faith or Faithfulness to her Consort , is at the same time such as do's Adotn the Doctrine of God her Saviour By Charity she professes to the Lord Jesus Christ , Thou knowest that I love thee ; and she can say as that Martyr , who unto the Persecutors that threatned they would berave her of the Companion of her Life , answered , Christ is my Husband , you can't strip me of him ! By Charity she Loves the Brethren , and by suitable kindnesses engages them that have an interest in Heaven , to Pray for Prosperity . The Sacred Fire of her Charity flames especially towards the Man of her Desires , whom she Loves with a pure Heart servently ; and this Charity helps her To endure all things . Her Holiness causes her to Dedicate all that she has as well as all that she is , unto the Service of God ; her Holiness makes her spend her time in much Devotion , and use all manner of Exactness and Watchfulness over all her ways ; her Holiness dispoles her to be ready for whatever Event the Sovereign God may order for her ; and so Ready , that she can without amazement Lay by the Linnen wherein she would be Laid out , in case like Rache ! she have such Hard Labour , that her Soul Depart . Her Sobriety renders her a true Sophronia , and causes her with Modesty to govern all her Speeches and Passions ; with Temperance like Manoahs Wife , to forbear noxious excesses in Eating or Drinking ; and with Chastity to Mortifie all inclinations unto whatever shall be Loose , Lewd , Lascivious . Being thus prepared for the Hour , when The Anguish of bringing forth her Child is upon her , she is then found composing her self with hope in God ; and resolving Lord , at what Time I am afraid , I will put my Trust in thee ! Indeed the blessed Sabina , crying out when she Travelled in Prison , and being asked , How she would endure the Torments and Burnings which her Enemies had prepared for her ? Answered , I now bear the punishment of my Sin ; I shall then suffer Martyrdom for my Saviour . But a pregnant Christian will moderate her Complaints in the Hour , when Pangs take hold on her , because They have been brought by Sin , and because , There is a Saviour who thus came into the World .

III . When she is well Delivered , she is a true Judith or a Praising One ; Oh! how is that Thankful Question immediately working in her Breast , What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits ? When she finds her self strong enough to Hear and Think , she make● The hundred and Sixteenth Psalm to be Read unto her ; and when she Contemplates what a Million of Mercies there are in the Birth of one Perfect Child , she would , if it were Proper , Name every one Mehetabel , that is , How good is God! However she now Devotes her Child unto God , saying with Hannah , I have lent it unto the Lord as long as it Lives ; even every Daughter shall be a Bathsheba , that is , A Daughter of an Oath , to God , that so she may be a Bathshua , that is , A Daughter of Salvation from the Lord . And she desires the Baptism of it , not as the Formality of putting a Name upon it , nor as an opportunity for Dressing and Showing of it , but that thus Coming into the Bond of the Covenant , it may Pass under the Lords Tything Rod , as a Lamb set a part for him . And how Ardent are her Groan's as if she were even Travelling in Birth again , that her Child may be washed in the Laver of the New Birth betimes !

IV . Her care for the Bodies of her Children , shows it self in her Nursing of them her self , if God have made her Able for it , and it Easie for her . She is not a Dame that shall scorn to Nourish in the World , the Children whom she has already Nourish'd in her Womb : If like Sarah she be a Lady , yet she counts it not below her to be a Nurse . If God have granted her Bottles of Milk on her Breast , she thinks that her Children have a Claim unto them . It shall not be her Niceness , but her Necessity and Calamity , if she do not Suckle her own Off-Spring ; and she will not from Sloth and Pride , be so Unnatural as to give Cause for that Exclamation . The Sea Monsters draw out the Breast , they give suck to their Young ones ; But the Daughter of my People is become Cruel , like the Ostrich in the Wilderness , who is hardened against her Young ones , as though they were not hers . Now having Nurs'd her Young ones , 't is her next care that they be well provided , as with such Conveniencies as belong to their present state , so with such Callings and Portions as may hereafter make them serviceable in their Generation ; and when they are grown Marriageable , her Discretion and her Tenderness is yet more Eminently seen in her Matching of them .

V. But her Zeal for the Spirits of her Children , is that which do's most Eat her up ; O how concerned she is , that they may be Brought up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord ! When she first received her Children , she imagined the Immortal God committing them to her charge , as the Princess of Egypt unto the Mother of Moses , Here , Take this Child , Nurse it for me , and I 'll give thee thy Wages . Wherefore she becomes a Martha , that is , A Teacher , to them all . She begins with them while they are upon her Knees , and instructs them how to fall down in Prayer upon their own . She will not put them upon Revenge , by asking them to give her a Blow that she may B●●tt any thing that vexes them ; but she fears they will soon Learn That , and every other Vice without a Teacher . The First Liquors that she puts into those Little Vessels , are Histories and Sentences fetch'd from the Oracles of God , and and Institutions How to Pray in Secret unto their Heavenly Father . She then proceeds to make 'em Expert in some Orthodox Catechisms , and will have 'em Learn to Read and Write , as fast as ever they can take it ; and so she passes to the other parts of an Ingenuous Education with them . She is like another Bathsheba , always instilling into their Children something that is Wise and Good ; and she keeeps up that Authority over them that they Fear as well as Love her ; and they dare not Refuse what she shall Command . Unto her Instruction she also joyns an Inspection of them ; so that she is very gravely Inquisitive into their Employments , their Companies , their Experiencies : Nor will she spare Corrections where there Miscarriages do call for the Rod ; and she will not overlay them with her Sinful Fondness , lest God make them Cross●s to her , for her being afraid of Crossing them in their Exorbitancies . And besides the Example of all Virtue that she sets before them , she is frequently Praying with them , as well as for them , That they may be saved . She pursues the Lord with such Cries for her Children as the Canaanitess used , Lord , Heal my Child , that is annoy'd by a Devil ! and such as Monica used for Aushtin , upon which a great Person said unto her , 't is impossible that a Child of so many Tears should ever Perish ! And she will carry them one after another alone into her Closet with her , where she do's wrestle with God for them all , professing I will not let thee go , except thou Bless them . Her Children being thus well Brought up , she will do as the Lady Cornelia did unto the Ladies who expected she would show them her Jewels , as they had shown her Theirs ; even Bring forth her well Educated Children as her Jewels .

VI . If she meets with any Disasters in her Children , by her Patience and her Piety she turns them into Benefits . 't is possible her Children may Sin , but this causes her presently to reflect upon the Errors of her own Heart and Life , and especially upon any defect in her conduct unto them ; So she is put upon The Repentance which is not to be Repented of . 't is also possible her Children may Die , but she is not then like the overwhelmed Women of Bethlehem , Weeping for their Children , and not willing to be Comforted because they are not . Instead of saying like Jacob , All these are against me ; she rather says with Joseph , God may mean it unto God . She do's not Roar like a Beast , and Howl , I cannot bear it ; but she rather says , I can take any thing well at the hands of God . She follows them to the Grave as a very moderate Mourner , with Hopes that God is carrying on the Everlasting designs of His Grace in her Soul by these Dispensations ; and with Hopes that their Souls are gone to be With Christ , which is by far the best of all . She look'd upon her Children as meer Loans from God , which he may call for when he please ; and she quietly submits , if God say , Give them up , you have have had them long enough ! Of old such as could not Encounter an Affliction patiently , were condemned therefore , To wear Womens Cloaths ; but the Cloaths of our Good Woman , will not be a Bar to her bearing of this Affliction patiently . She parts with her Children in such Terms as Jerom on that occasion directs his Friends unto ; Lord , thou hast now taken from me , the Children which thou hadst first given to me ; I do not complain that thou dost now Receive them ; I give Thanks that ever thou didst at first bestow them . She has already pluck'd out a Right Eye , and cut off a Right Hand for God ; and so she can readily part with another Limb at a call of his : Yea , though the Death were never so awfully circumstanced , yet she says , The will of the Lord be done ! And she will not let one Sorrow swallow up the sense of a Thousand , a Million of Mercies , but she approves the Temper of that Good Woman , who having Two Children by a violent stroak taken from her , handsomely took up the Third , and said , Blessed be God that has left me this ! If they were Infant Children ; whereof she is bereaved , she Assures her self , that the Lord is their God , and so they can't be miserable . No , Let me go to them , ( saith she ) They shan't return to me . If they were Adult Children , she Comforts . her self that they might have The Root of the Matter in them , under whatever Clods of Airiness or Bashfulness it might have been concealed ; and that whatever suspicious marks might have been upon them , they might seek and find mercy , Between the Stirrup and the Ground . So she takes that Counsel , Refrain thy Voice from Weeping , and thine Eyes from Tears , for thy Work shall be Rewarded .

This is the Virtuous MOTHER ; And she is one that also counts her Servants to be after a sort her Children too : She Guides the House according to her Office prescribed by the Apostle ; so that with a Motherly Deportment unto them , with an Obliging , but yet Reserved Carriage towards them , and with a Charitable Regard unto the Everlasting Welfare of their Souls : You may see her acquitting her self evermore as a Virtuous Mistress likewise in the Family . But there is danger lest she become a Widdow before she die ; if she do , let us now take notice of her Frame and Mein , in the Sorrowful Condition that is now come upon her .

The Virtuous WIDOW .

THE Vast Numbers of Poor Widows in every Neighbourhood , make it very suspicious that our Virtuous Mother may at some time or other tast the Sad , Sowre , Tear-ful Cup of Widdow-hood . If this be the Portion of her Cup , we must suppose that she gives her Husband a Decent Burial ; that is , as on the one side , a Funeral that shall not be below his Figure , so on the other side , a Funeral that shall not be above her Estate ; and while she dislikes the expensive Humours of Poland , where two or three Funerals coming one upon another , are so extravagantly Chargable as to Ruine a whole Family : She nevertheless will give as Honourable an Enterment as ever she can to the Forsaken Mansion of the Soul which was dearer to her than the World .

Conceiving our Virtuous Woman to have her Widows Vail upon her , we may behold her demeaning her self as a most Virtuous Person in it .

I. Her Grief on the Death of her Husband is Great , and yet Wise , and as Wisely Great as Greatly Wise . Her Mourning is more like a still Rain , than a loud Storm ; and instead of Bellowing Passions which usually moulder aawy into a total and the coldest Forgetfulness , faster than the Corpse of the Husband in the Grave ; she has a Silent but a Lasting sorrow ; and yet that sorrow moderated by a Filial Submission to the hand of that Glorious God , before whom she Opens not her Mouth any more than humbly to say , Lord , thou didst it . She will not by intemperate Vexations and Afflictions of her self , make her self like the Frantick Women in the East-Indies , which burn themselves to Death in the Fire wherein they consume the Dead-Bodies of their Husbands ; but yet she calls her self Marah , saying , The Lord has dealt bitterly with me !

II . It is now her main study and solace to have an Interest in that Promise , Isa 54. 5. Thy Maker is thy Husband . And therefore like her whom the Apostle calls A Widow indeed , she Trusteth in God , and continueth in Supplications and Prayers Night and Day . She considers her self as now more than ever belonging to the Family of God ; with a perswasion that he will certainly and Faithfully Provide for her . Hence also the time that she formerly spent in Conversation with her Husband , she now spends in Sutplication to , and Meditation on her God ; and by an extraordinary Devotion , she seeks to find all that in the Alsufficient JESUS , which may repair the absence of the best Husband upon Earth . She is an Elizabeth , or one to whom the Fulness of God in the Promise of God is enough .

Moreover , if she be capable of st , she will now more abound in all the Exercises of Charity towards her needy Neighbours ; whether she have the Name of Alice or no , yet according to the signification of it , She 'll be Noble : And she will be an Helena , or an Eleanor , which is to say , as much as Pitiful : Her Visits , her Bounties , and her Succcours to the poor are now increased rather than abated , with her new Leifure for them ; and if she be a Person of Quality , she becomes yet more excellent for this Quality - What is a Lady in true and old English , but a Loaf dian , that is , A Bread server ? Or one that will give Loafs of Bread unto the Indigent . She is both an Anna a Widow which departs not from the Temple , but serves God with Fastings and Prayers Night and Day ; and a Dorcas , A Widow full of Good Works and Alms-Deeds . Thus will she to better purpose than once another Woman did , explain the Riddle of Sampson by finding Honey in a Carcase : Promoting the Life of her own Soul , by the Death of him whom she loved as her own Soul . Much less will she ever venture to do any thing unworthy the Character and Relation of that Petson ( if he were a Worthy Person ) whose Relict she is now become .

III . She reckons that she must now be Father as well as Mother to the Orphans with whom she is left Entrusted ; and their Fathers beloved Image on them , dos farther Augment , yea , Double her Care concernlng them . While her Husband was Alive she still acted as a Deputy Husband , for the maintaining of all good Orders in the House , when he was out of the way . And now her Husband is Deceas'd , she thinks that upon the Setting of the Sun , the Moon is to Govern ; and there shall not be one Prayer the less performed , or one Fault the more indulged among her poor Lambs , because he is gone . The Kindred of her Expired Husband are also still welcome and grateful to her , upon his Account . But she is now particularly more Sollicitous than ever to teach her Children how to obtain that Favour of God , When my Father is gone , the Lord shall take me up . Some Women have the Names of Men a little altered , as Jaquet ( from Jacoba ) Joanna , Joan , Jane , Jennet ( all from John . ) Thomasin , Philippa , Frances , Henrietta , Antonia , Julian , Dionysià , and the like . But all our Widows are thus put upon doing the Works of Men ; may their God help them !

IV . She is not Forward and Hasty now to take the Liberty which the Scripture does Give unto Younger Widows ; that is , to Marry . While she has one Eye Weeping for her Departed Husband , she has not the other open to see Who comes next ? Nor will she think an Ephesian Matron a fit Copy for her . She counts it no hard Law , which even the Ancient Pagans kept with great severity ; That no Widow should Marry within Ten or Twelve Months after the Death of her Husband : And she wonders that any Christians ordinarily can Marry sooner . If she had a Good Husband , his Memory has been so Embalmed with her , that she cannot presently make room in her Affections for another . If she had a bad Husband , the Cross felt so heavy , that she will be Slow to be Sure that it been't renew'd upon her . But if after a convenient stay she do Marry , it shall be , Only in the Lord ; unto a Man that shall be neither Heretical in his Principles , nor Exorbitant in his Practices ; and unto one that may be proper for her . Wherefore also if she be very Old , she will not without special causes marry one that is very Young ; suspecting that such a pretended Lover may Court Hers more than Her ; and that if there be too much ( as perhaps a score of years ) Inaquality of Age , it may otherwise Prove as Temptatious , as it Looks Indecent . Indeed Jerom tells us of an Old man at Rome who had Buried Twenty Wives , which he took one after the Death of t'other ; and that he then took the Twenty first , who also had Buried Nineteen Husbands ; but methings they were an Ugly Couple . And the Woman whereof Buxtorf relates in his Talmudic Lexicon , that she Buried Eleven Husbands , and had then an Epitaph of Eleven Verses bestowed upon her self , deserved sure the last stroak of her Epitaph , which was to this purpose , A Woman fit to have no Bed but a Cold Grave .

V. When she is Match'd unto a Second Husband , whom she will never twit with any Reflecting and Uncomely Remembrances of her First ; She is more than ordinarily sollicitous to be A Good Mo●her-in-Law , if she must be one at all ; and so do her part for the removing of those Imputations which Mother-in-Law have generally laboured under . She knows that the way for her to have the Blessing of Heaven upon Her Children , is for her to make her self a Blessing to His ; and Unkindnesses to the Motherless little Birds which now call her their Dam , will certainly be repay'd by the Just Revenges of God . She is therefore so far from the partiality of that Mother-in-Law , who when her own Child hurt a Child of her Husbands by throwing of a Stone , Whipped the Child that felt the Stone , for standing in the way of the Child that slung it ; that she makes no observable difference between his Children and hers ; unless it be This , that she Corrects hers her self , and refers his to him ; and yet for her at any time to inform her Husband of any ill Manners in his Children , is a thing whereto she has an Aversion so extream , that she will never do it , unless upon extream Necessity . Indeed she Essays to be such a Wife unto him , that she may not merit the Name which the Second Wise of Lamech had ; Namely , Zillah , or , but A Shadow of a Wife : Much less would she be as the First of them was called , an Anah , that is , An Affl●cter to him .

VI . At length Old Age comes upon her ; and Prisca , or Priscilla , that is . An Old Woman , is her Title ; but by an Hoary Head found in the way of Righteousness it is that she now Challenges the Honour of A Saint , even from those abusive Tongues , which use to traduce for A Witch , every Old Woman , whose Temper with her Visage is not eminently Good . She thoroughly studies every particle of the Apostolical Charge , That the Aged Women , be in behaviour as becometh Holiness ; not make bates , not given to much wine , Teachers of good things ; That they may Teach the Young Women : And the nearer she comes to her End , the more acquainted she is with Him that is from the Beginning . She is not impatient of being Esteemed Old ; and styled Bilhah , that is , Fading ; nor do's it offend her , as once an English Queen , to be told that , That Age hath sprinkled its Meal upon her Head . But she keeps longing for the Day , when the Lord Jesus will send his Angels to fetch her unto the Regions of Everlasting Light and Life , and keeps wishing Oh come Lord Jesus ! till she arrive to be For ever with the Lord .

This is a Virtuous WIDOW . God grant that our Widows may not be Multiply ' d ; but for them that are , God grant that they may be thus Virtuous ! That is it which will render them all Jochebeds , which is , Most Glorious Ones .

I now Praise thee , O my God for thy Assisting my Endeavours to describe the Praises of the Virtuous Woman ; and rely upon thy Grace in thy Son , that these my poor Labours may be Accepted and Succeeded among the Daughters of thy People . AMEN .

FINIS .