3. In providing all things necessary for them that conduce to health, food and raiment, and that according to the decency and decorum of their estate ; for herein they imitate the care and providence of Christ, who hatli provided all things for his spouse ; food for their souls, gar- ments of salvation to cover their nakedness, healing grace to cure their distempers. So must the husband do for his wife. Jacob said. Gen. XXX. 30, ' Now when shall I provide for mine own house also ? ' We must provide for our own house, otherwise we incur that censure, 1 Tim, V. 8, ' But if any provide not for his own, and especially those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.' Certainly the wife must be comforted, cherished, and encouraged ; for among our own she is chief Those beastly prodigals that never provide for their families, but consume what is provided by the wife's care, spending all they can come at in whoring, playing, eating, drink- ing, never caring what becometh of wife and children, they neither have the love of husbands, nor the faith of christians, nor the nature of men, and are worse than the brute beasts ; they neither give their wives honour, 1 Peter iii. 7, nor decent maintenance, which they are obliged to, 1 Tim. v. 8.
4. In a care to preserve and defend her ; as Abraham had a care of Sarah, Gen. xx., and David of his wives when they were taken captives,, 1 Sam. xxx. 4, 5. But it is endless to run into particulars.
II. Let us now see by what reasons this is enforced.
1. The order of the creation. We pleaded that before for the woman's submission, that she was made out of man, after man, and for man. We plead the same argument now for the husband's duty of love to her ; for the apostle urgeth this in the same chapter, 1 Cor. xi. 11, 12. The former arguments were urged 1 Cor. xi. 8, 9, ' For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man ; neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.' Now let u& see what he saith for the woman : ver. 11, 12, ' Nevertheless, neither is- the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man ia
VeR. 25.] SERMONS UPON EPHESIANS V. 473
the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God.' The meaning is, though the woman was made out of man, or framed or formed out of Adam's rib, yet all the sons of Adam are born, conceived, and propagated by women, and by man and woman united by God, from whom all things are ; and therefore she ought to have her honour and love as well as the man, being both created by God. Add hereunto, that Jesus Christ hath honoured them in taking flesh of a womaU, and not of man, therefore the man must not wax proud and insolent, nor the woman be grieved ; or the husband must not abuse that superiority which God hath given him over his wife by harsh domineering and bitter carriage, but sweeten the yoke of subjection laid upon the wife by love.
2. It is a relation of love, instituted by God for that very end and purpose.
[1.] Friendship is necessary for man, because he is ^wov ttoKltlkov, a sociable creature, not made to live alone, but in company with others, Solomon telleth us, Eccles. iv, 9-12, ' Two are better than one ; for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow ; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat ; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him ; and. a threefold cord is not quickly broken.' The Egyptians in their hieroglyphics express the unprofitableness of a solitary man by a single millstone, which alone gi-indeth no corn, but with its fellow is very serviceable. Thus God appointed men to live in society, that they may be mutually helpful to one another.
[2.] Though man affects society, yet in our company we must use choice. The good will best converse and suit with the good ; for love and friendship is very much founded in suitableness. The godly have special love to the godly : Ps. cxix. 63, ' I am a companion of them that fear thee and keep thy precepts.'' Doves will not flock with the ravens, and it is unnatural when divers kinds are intermixed.
[3.] Though there be a love to all that fear God, yet some must be chosen for our intimacy. Our Lord Christ sanctified holy friendship : Mat. xvii. 1, ' Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain ; ' Mat. xxvi. 37, ' And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.' And when he raised Jairus's daughter, Luke viii. 51, 'He suffered no man to go in save Peter, James, and Jolm, and the father and mother of the maiden.' They were eKkeKTOiv iKXeKrorepoc, the most choice of those that he chose.