for those purposes. But, generally speaking, the business of the woman is the care of her house and family; to relieve the man from the fatigue of domestic concerns; and to be, in this refpect, a help meet for him; and to fee, that what he provides, is prudently managed, and carefully preferved.

And thus I have gone thro' the several duties which the husband owes to the wife, viz. Love, Fidelity, and Support.

SERMON

EPHES. V. 33.

Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular, fo love his wife even as himself; and the wife fee that fhe reverence her husband.

I

Proceed now to the duties of the wife; and these are, Love, Fidelity, and Obedience.

First, She is to love her husband: and that, upon the fame principles, and for the very fame reasons, that he is to love her.

First, Because they are one flesh: For this caufe fhall a man leave father and mother, and fhall cleave unto his wife and they two fhall be one flesh. And in truth they are joined together upon terms of as intire and thorough a communion, as if they were one foul, and one body: and, fecondly, Because their interefts are, in all respects, perfectly the fame; which is the truest foundation of friendship. The husband's happiness naturally tends to make the wife happy, at

the fame time; and his mifery, to make her miferable; his riches make her rich; and his poverty makes her poor. It is always their interest to wish, and avoid, to defire, and to deteft the fame things: and furely to have the very fame intereft, the fame defires and averfions, to be happy in each other's happi'ness, and miferable in each other's mifery, are the strongest engagements, and the surest foundations of intire friendship, and perfect affection, that can poffibly be imagined.

Secondly, She is to be faithful to him: and as the reasons of fidelity are the fame both in the husband and the wife, the crime of infidelity is more shameful and fcandalous in the woman; because it is committed against the rules of a more reserved and virtuous education, and against the natural decency and modefty of the fex: and, at the fame time, is of far worfe confequence to the honour of families; because it brings a lafting stain of infamy along with it. And, what is worse than all this, it often robs the right heir of his inheritance, and substitutes a fpurious offspring into his place; an injury that is the more to be dreaded and avoided, because, when once it is committed, it is impoffible to be repaired. Thus

Thus much, however, may be said in honour of that fex, that this crime is lefs frequent among them; and rarely committed till the husband's infidelity, or ill conduct, hath first provoked to it. And this is the true reason why the infidelity of the wife reflects fo much scandal and dishonour upon the husband; because (generally fpeaking) his own vices and ill conduct have brought the evil upon him. And therefore the only true way of fecuring your own reputation in this point, as well as your wife's virtue, and the honour of your family, is to behave yourself with so much fidelity and tenderness towards her, as may intirely engage her affections, as well as her confcience, to you, and you only.

And indeed, let any man reflect seriously upon the treatment the generality of wives meet with from their husbands, and then think impartially, whether they have not too much reason to be provoked at their rudeness and neglect. Before marriage they are adored, and preferred before all the world; but foon, very foon after, they are flighted and disregarded, as if they were unworthy of common esteem; and they are flighted, for the

very fame reasons, for which they should be respectfully and tenderly treated. They obferve at the fame time, that their husbands can still treat other women with respect and complaifance: and that other men still continue to use them with respect and complaifance; and none, but the husband, flights and despises them: as if marriage, which is the strongest engagement to tenderness and affection, were but a privilege for contempt and rudeness. This is in truth provoking; and I am fatisfied, the generality of those women, who have been fo unhappy, and fo wicked, as to violate the marriage-vow, have been provoked to it, by the rudeness and neglect of their husbands; or urged to it, in revenge of their prior falfhood.

It is not indeed to be imagined, that men fhould treat their wives with the fame referve, and formal complaifance, after marriage; that, the freedom and eafe of friendfhip forbids: but why friendship and freedom should be a reason for ill treatment, I muft own I cannot conceive. I am sure they fhould be reasons of a very different conduct: and I believe there is not a righter rule in life, or of more importance for the prefervation