VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 44rl
became a snare to him. Well, then, this is her office and duty of Kervice still, which by God she is deputed unto. She is to be a help before him, that is, to minister unto him ; as when they sought a wife for David : 1 Kings i. 2, ' One that may stand before the king.' Now this is the duty of all good wives : Frov. xxxi. 12, ' She will do him good, not evil, all the days of her life ; ' that is, she studieth to do- good to her husband, and to prevent the evil that may come unto him ; whereas foolish wives pluck down the house they should build up, Prov. xiv. 1, proving moths in their husband's estates by their idleness and wastefulness ; thorns in their sides, vexing those whom they should comfort ; snares, by perverting those whom they should draw to God and quicken in godliness, corrupting the cliildren and family whom they should instruct. In short, this we learn by this point, that the- woman is not man's guide, but his help ; and those abilities which God hath given her are for obedience, not for government ; the man being ruler and governor, but the wife is his helper and partner in the cares of the family. Assistance is her business, not chief command.
[6.] In not disposing servants or the estate without the husband's leave or consent. Servants : when Sarah thought herself wronged or despised by Hagar, yet she puts her not away till she had sought the husband's permission, and made her complaint to him : Gen. xvi. 6^ ' Behold, thy maid is in thy hand ; ' before she could do nothing to her. But now as to the disposing of the estate there is a greater difficulty. Certain it is she may not take wastefully of her husband's substance to spend at her pleasure ; but she is not utterly barred of works of mercy ; for this duty lietli upon all : ' To communicate and distribute forget not.' And it is said of the good wife, Prov, xxxi. 20, ' She stretcheth forth her hands to the poor ; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy,' She hath not only some small pittance to give to the poor, but a larger bounty for the needy and deeply necessitous ; therefore it m said, ' She reacheth out her hands ; ' that is, distributeth to them in a more plentiful measure. And we read, Luke viii, 3, that ' Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, ministered unto him of their substance ; ' that is, supplied him with necessaries. Our Lord Jesus could have given them more than he received, but he would leave an example, Now whence this stream of bounty should be fed, whether of that which is personally their own and reserved in marriage, or by express leave and consent of the husband, as the Shunamite sought her husband's consent to entertain the prophet, 2 Kings iv. 8-10, or by general consent, when his heart trusts in her, and he referreth things to her dis- cretion, or she being bound to show mercy as well as the husband, she has not so far a joint interest in the estate to convert some of it discreetly and wisely to holy and charitable uses ; whether from one or all these, I will not now dispute. The discussion might do more hurt than good, because of the unseasonableness and the calumnies of evil- minded persons.
II. The grounds and reasons,
1. The law of nature written by God's own finger in the hearts of men. We read of those who were heathens, that they enacted a law and decree : Esther i, 20, 22, ' That every man should bear rule iu his-
442 SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. [SeR. XXVII.
own house ; and that all the women should give honour to the husband, both great and small ; ' and that upon the queen's not vouchsafing to come to the king when he sent for her, they thought it an example of an evil taint, and pernicious to their household power. Indeed both anciently and to this very day, great is the power of the husbands over their wives in Persia. Now shall heathens see that which christians do not ?
2. God's ordination, which a holy heart dareth not disobey. Now God hath expressly commanded it in his word in the text ; so Col. iii. 18, ' Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord ; ' Titus ii. 5, ' To be obedient to their own husbands ; ' 1 Peter iii. 1, ' Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands.' And where not ? A gracious heart will say, If God hath required me to be subject, I will be subject. They dare not enlarge themselves where God hath straitened them. The sight of God's will is instead of all reasons ; as for their duty in general : 1 Thes. iv. 3, ' For this is the will of God, even 3'our sanctification ; ' so for this particular duty of obedience to superiors : 1 Peter ii. 15, ' So is the will of God, that ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.' Well, then, if God, who hath the power of disposing of his creatures, and who is to be obeyed in the person of the husband, hath connnanded this, this silenceth all debates and mutterings to the contrary.