light peculiarly simple and beautiful. He compre- hends both under one single term : " Wives, submit : Husbands, love."" Thus far we are prepared to ap- prove of his requisitions ; the duties respectively belonging to the two parties-being generally acknow- ledged. But, if I should proceed to place these requisitions in their true light, and insist upon them in their full extent, I am not sure that I should not excite, amongst the less-instructed part of us at least, a measure of surprise. Yet I am not afraid, but that, if in the former part of my observations I should ap- pear to bear somewhat hard upon the female sex, I shall, before I close the subject, find a perfect acqui- escence on their part, when they shall see what pro- vision God has made for their happiness in wedded life. But I shall be careful to speak nothing myself: I shall only bring before you what the Apostle has spoken : and if his demands appear to be too severe, I shall shelter myself under his wing ; being well as- sured that you will all yield to his authority, without gainsaying.
You must have observed, that in all the passages of Scripture where the relative duties are insisted on, those of the inferior are always stated first. Nor is this without reason : for they are all enjoined by God : and, however difficult they may appear, espe- cially where the superior neglects to perform the duties assigned to him, they must all be observed from a regard to the authority of that God who has imposed them ; nor must any one imagine, that his duties are a whit the less incumbent on him because the superior neglects his. Power, in whomsoever it is vested, is God's : and the person bearing it, so far as it is truly committed to him, is God's representative and vicegerent. And I conceive, that this is the reason of that order, which, from being uniformly observed in the Scriptures, we may well suppose to have been wittingly and wisely fixed.
The submission of the wife to her husband must be entire, cheerful, uniform, " as unto the Lord," because the husband is as truly the head of the wife,