THis Scripture, and in ef­fect this whole chapter is a Scripture written for women; and more peculiarly a Scripture writtē in praise of wo­men; yet not glosingly to make them bet­ter than they be, but soberly and truly to shew the what they should be; A scripture Wherein as in a glasse are set out to our view all the perfections and ornaments, [Page 2] all the dignitie, beautie, dutie of a ver­tuous wife and holie woman. The diuell at the first began his temptation by prai­sing of the woman, by telling her, that if she knew her selfe, she wanted but one thing to make her like God; And from the diuel (I think) it comes, that so many men since, in euery age, haue so wantonly be­stowed their time, their wits, their pennes, and sometime their pensils too, either vainely to magnifie, or vily to embase the dignitie of women; the causes of which follie I take to be these, either for that ge­nerally they did not know them, and then they wrote foolishly, or for that somtime they doted on them, and then they prai­sed immoderatly, or else for that sometime they hated them, and then they railed fu­riouslie: But there are, to ratifie the pre­sent discourse and praise of women, three things, first God, by whose sprit it was conceiued: secondly Bathsheba a woman, by whose mouth it was taught: thirdlie, Salomon a man, yea the wisest of men, by whose pen it was endited, that is to say, God in spired it into the mother, the mo­ther [Page 3] taught it to Salomon her sonne, and then Salomon her sonne publisht it to the world: therfore if we speak of the know­ledge of a good woman, who knoweth her better than she her selfe? who know­eth her better than man that liueth with her? yea who knoweth her so well as God that made her? Againe, if in this descrip­tion any thing might seeme too much in praise, it was not a woman, but a man that wrote it; if any thing might seeme too grieuous or burdensome in precept, it was not a man, but a woman that impo­sed it; or if any thing might seeme either too much, or too little, or other wise than it should be, it was neither man nor wo­man, but God that first directed it: and thus in one description of a vertuous wife and holy woman (which is not any o­ther author, nor yet elsewhere in any part of Scripture) wee haue a man, a woman, yea God himself, and al out of one mouth speaking and conspiring; She that hath cares to hearelet her heare.

In the tenth verse of this Chapter, Sa­lomon makes proclamation, VVho shall [Page 4] finde a vertuous woman? which yet impor­teth not (as S. Augustine noteth) Inuenien­di impossibilitatem, sed difficultatem, Not as if to finde a vertuous woman were a mat­ter of impossibilitie, but yet for all that, a thing of some difficultie; and therfore he crieth her with her marks; She will doe her husband good, and not euill; She riseth while it is yet night; She putteth her hands to the wheele; She stretcheth out her hands to the poore; She openeth her mouth with wisedome, &c. Thus shewing sometime what shee doth, sometime what she is, sometime what she is worth, and somtime what she is like, as here; She is like a ship, &c.

She is indeed, and yet she scarse is, and therefore because she is so searse, it was needfull to shew, not only what she is, but also what she is like too; for how shall he finde her, that neuer saw her, that neuer had her, that scarse heard of her, how shall he find her, but by some sensible re­semblance of her? and therefore as Can­tic. s. when the Church cried her husband, ( I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you finde my welbeloued, &c.) she descri­bed [Page 5] him by resemblance: My welbeloued is white and ruddie, the chiefest of ten thou­sand, his head is like a gold, his eyes like doues, his cheekes like a bed of spices, his lippes like lilies, his legges like pillers of marble, euerie thing was like something; so of the ver­tuous woman it is said heere, that she is like a shippe; and Prou. 12. she is like a crowne, and in the Canticles sometime like a Rose, sometime like a Lilie, some­time like a garden of flowers, sometime like a spring of waters: In a word, she is like to many things, but as it is said vers. 10. Pearles and precious stones are not like to her.

She is like a ship (saith Salomon) and it may well be, for the world is like the Sea: for so saith S. John, Before the throne there was a sea of glasse, Reuel. 4. and that was the world, transitorie and brittle as glasse, tu­multuous and troublesome like the sea, wherein as the wind raiseth vp the waues, and one waue wallowes in the necke of another, so this troublesome life of ours begins in weeping, goes on in sorrow, and the ende of one woe is but the en­trance [Page 6] of another. O what time might a man aske to set downe all the miseries of this life! the feare, the care, the anguish that daily accompanieth the bodie and soule of man; the labours & sorowes cer­taine, the causualties vncertaine, the con­tentions and vnquietnes of them that liue among vs, sharpe assaults and op­positions of them that hate vs, but chiefly the vnfaithfulnes and treacherie of them that seeme to loue vs: against these stormes to saue men from drowning did God ordaine the woman, as a ship vpon the sea, that as Noah made an Arke, and by that Arke escaped the flood; so man by marrying with the woman might passe thorough all the labours of this life, vnto which doubtlesse God had respect when he said, It is not good for man to bee alone, let Ʋs make him a helpe meete for him; as much as to say, a ship to saue him, therefore he which hath no wife may seeme to be like Jonas in the sea, left in the midst of a mise­rable world to sinke or swim, or shift for himselfe; but then comes a wife like a ship and wasts him home: but ye must still re­member [Page 7] that Salomon speaketh here of a good wife, as vers. 10. VVho shall finde a Ʋertuous woman? For otherwise if shee which was made to comfort in euerie storme be stormie and troublesome her selfe, then is she not like a Ship, but like the sea, and then to bee so shipt, it were better with Ionas to be cast into the sea.

But if she be good, she is like a Ship in­deed, and to nothing so like as to a Ship; for she sits at the sterne, and by discretion as by Card and Compasse shapes her course; her countenance and conuersati­on are ballased with sobernes and graui­tie; her sailes are full of winde, as if some wisedome from aboue had inspired or blowne vpon her; shee standeth in the shrowdes, and casteth out her leade, and when she hath sounded, she telleth (as Mi­chol did to Dauid) of depth and danger. 1. Sam. 19. 11. If by default she be grounded, she casteth out her ankers (as Rahab did) and by win­ding Joshua 2. 21. of her selfe, she gets afloate againe. If she spie within her kenning, any trouble to bee nigh, either she makes forward, if she finde her selfe able, or else with Pilats Matth. 27. 19. [Page 8] wife she sets saile away; She commands, and countermaunds each man to his charge, some to their tackling, some to the mast, some to the maine top, as if she, and none but she were Captaine, Owner, Master of the ship; and yet she is not Ma­ster, but the Masters mate; a royall Ship she is, for the King himselfe takes pleasure in her beautie, Psal. 4s. and if shee bee a Merchantstoo, then is she the Merchant royall.

Againe, as she is like a ship, considered in her self, and in her proper vertues, so is she likewife, being cōpared with her ow­ner too: She is like a Ship indeed, for first who soeuer marries, ventures; he ventures his estate, hee ventures his peace, he ven­tures his libertie, yea many men by mar­riage aduenture their soules too: for which cause the Israelites were forbidden to match their daughters with the Cana­nites, lest they should turne them from God, to serue other gods, Deut. 7. which Salomon notwithstanding did, and there­fore made (as some men thought) a shrewd aduenture of his soule. And ther­fore [Page 9] (euen to preuent too much aduen­ture likewise) is marriage compared to a ship, which of all artificiall creatures, is the most deliberatiue, for she sailes not, but by sounding, lest by her vnheedines she runne her selfe aground: In like ma­ner, neither man nor woman will at any time (if they bee wise) resolue either of mariage, or of any thing in mariage, but vpon the weightiest deliberation. He is set out for the image of a foole that said, Ʋillam emi, &c. I haue bought a farme, and I Luk. 14. 18. must needes goe out to see it, for hee should haue seene it first and bought it after; as it is said of the vertuous woman here, She considereth a field and gets it, vers. 16. that is, she thinkes of it first, and makes her pur­chase after; and when either man or wo­man forget this in mariage, they purchase ioy enough for the day of their mariage, and repentance enough for all the time after. It is said of Jepthaes daughter, Iudg. 11. that she went out to bewaile the daies of her virginitie; but in truth many mens daugh­ters may goe out to bewaile the daies of their mariage, yea and many men too [Page 10] looke back to the single life, as the Egyp­tians in the red sea looked backe to the land; Exod. 14. and so they are punisht with late re­pentance, like those foolish mariners Act. 27. who, because they tooke not counsell in the hauen, were forced to aduise vpon a wracke: and what is the cause of this? lack of forecast, because they sound not first whether it bee fit to marrie, or yet to marrie, or whether he bee fit, or she be fit, fit in degree, in disposition, in religion: and therefore as Salomon saith of vowing, so say we of marrying, Be not rash with thy mouth; but sound first and saile after, that is, deliberate first, and marrie after.

Again, she is like a ship for her vniuer­sall vse: A house is indeed to dwell in, but not to trauaile in, but a shippe is both to trauaile in, and as it were to dwell in too, to eate, and drink, and sleepe, and labour, and meditate, and pray too; as if to bee in a ship were to be in another earth, the wa­ter-world: In like manner a man hath a friend for pleasure, a seruant for profit, and sor vses to Godward a spirituall in­structor too, but a wife serues for al these, [Page 11] that is, for pleasure, for profit, and (if she be good) to bring her husband to good too.

Againe, of all these same Ʋtensilia, (I meane of moueable instruments) a ship is the hugest and the greatest, and yet com­manded (as ye see) by the helme or sterne, a small peece of wood; so ought the wife (though a great commāder in the house) yet to be turned and ruled by a word of her husband. Salomon saith not, she is like a house (as many women be, as good re­moue a house as to disswade or weane them from their wils) but like a ship; not like Vashti the wife of Assuerus, whō all the power of the kingdome could not moue to come to her husband, no not to the King himselfe, Ester 1. but she must follow her husband, as the Israelites followed the clowdie piller in the wildernes, which Numb. 9. when it stood, they staied, and when it went they followed, and so must she.

Lastly, lest any man doate too much vpon this heauenly ship of earthly ioyes, we must remember, that as a ship is not a place of continuall habitation, but onely [Page 12] for passage, so is the societie of the wife, though comfortable and ioyfull for the time, yet lasting only for a time, a help to hold him vp & comfort him, during this transitory, short, and troublesome pilgri­mage; but thē there is another, a happier, a more lasting mariage with the Lambe, which neither departure, diuorce, nor death can separate, and for this wee must forsake father, mother, wife, children, goods, lands, &c. for this the liuing must renounce his life, the King must leaue his crowne, the Bridegrome must leaue his Bride, and the Bride must leaue her bed, because for this the Saints doe crie, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

But as the saying is in the schooles, Si­militudo non currit quatuor pedibus: Many things may be like, yet nothing like in all things. Therfore though a woman in ma­ny things be like a ship, yet in some things she must be vnlike, and some qualities of a ship she must not haue: As for example, one ship may belong to many Merchāts, and one Merchant may be owner in ma­ny ships; yet neither may one woman di­uide [Page 13] her loue to many men, nor one man diuide himselfe to many women, therfore Lamech spake with great incongruitie, yea it was like false Latin when he said, Heare yee wiues of Lamech, Genes 4. 23. for wiues admitno pluralitie when they bee construed with one husband, because (as the Prophet saith) though God at the first had abundance of spirit, yet he made but one; Mal. 2. but one woman of one rib, for the helpe and comfort of one man.

Secondly, of all the goods which men possesse, onely a ship cannot be housed: a man hath a shop for his wares, a barne for his corne, a chest for his mony, & a house wherein to hide his head, but no case to couer a ship; but so must not a vertuous woman bee, for it is a note of the vnchast woman, that her feete cannot abide in her house, but now she is without, now in the street, and lies in waite at euery corner, Prou. 7. 11. 12. So as who so seeth her seeth her al­waies gadding, that hee may salute her, as men salute at sea, Whither are ye bound? But Rachel and Leach are noted to bee in the house while Iacob was abroad in the [Page 14] field, Genes. 31. onely Dinah was a strag­ler, and set vp saile to Shichem, but she came home with shame, and made an ill voiage.

Thirdly, a ship of all things is moue­able, and carried with the winde; but so must not a good woman be, for of the ill woman it is said, Prouerbs 5. Herpaths are moueable, thou canst not know them: She is inconstant, light headed, and vaine, now she loues, anon she hates, now she obeies, anon she rebels; gentle and Kinde to day, crooked and vnkinde to morrow; for she sailes but by gusts, that all her goodnesse takes her by fits, like the good daies of an ague: and whereas Ruth shewed more Ruth 3. goodnes at her latter end than at her be­ginning, an ill wise she weth more good­nesse in one day of her beginning, than in seuen yeeres of her latter end: therefore such must remember what Salomon saith of the good woman here, she girdeth her loynes with slrength, that is, her minde with staiednes and constancie, ver. 17. and vers. 12. more plainely, She Will doe her husband good, and not euill, all the daies of her life, that [Page 15] is, she is as obedient and tractable after twentie yeeres triall, as at the day of her marriage.

But of all qualities a woman must not haue one quality of a ship, and that is, too much rigging. Oh what a wonder it is to see a ship vnder saile, with her tacklings, and her masts, and her tops, and top gal­lants, with her vpper deckes, and her ne­ther deckes, and so bedeckt; with her streames, flagges, and ensignes, and I know not what; yea but a world of wonders it is to see a woman created in Gods image so miscreate oft times & deformed, with her French, her Spanish, and her foolish fashions, that he that made her when hee lookes vpon her shall hardlie Know her, with her plumes, her fannes, and a silken vizard, with a ruffe like a saile, yea a ruffe like a rainebow, with a feather in her cap like a flag in her top, to tell (I think) which way the winde will blow. Esay made a proffer in the third of his prophecie to set out by enumeration the shop of these va­nities, Their bonnets, and their bracelets, and their tablets, their slippers, and their [Page 16] mufflers, their vailes, their wimples, and their crisping pinnes; of some where of if one should say to me as Philip sometime said to the Eunuch, Ʋnderstandest thou What thou readest? Act. 8. I might answere with the Eunuch againe, How can I with­out a guide? that is, vnlessc some Gentle­woman would comment on the text. But Esay was then, and we are now; now that fancy hath multiplied the text of fashions with the time; so as what was then but a shop, is now increased to a ship of vani­ties. But what saith the Scripture? The Kings daughter is all glorious within, Psal. 45. and as ships which are the fairest in shew, yet are not alwaies the fittest for vse; so neither are women the more to be estee­med, but the more to bee suspected for their faire trappings. Yet wee condemne not in greater personages the vse of or­naments; yea wee teach that siluer, silkes, and gold were created not only for the necessity, but also for the ornament of the Saints, in the practise where of Rebeccah a holy woman is noted to haue receiued from Jsaac a holy man euen earings, abil­ments, [Page 17] and bracelets of gold, Genes. 24. Therefore this it is wee teach for rules of Christian sobrietie, that if a woman ex­ceede neither decencie in fashion, nor the limits of her state & degree, and that she bee proud of nothing, wee see no reason, but she may weare any thing.

It followeth: She is like a ship. But what ship? a shippe of Merchants; no doubt a great commendation. For the kingdome of heauen is like a Merchant, Mat. 13. and Merchants haue bin Princes, Esay 23. and Princes are Gods, Psal. 82. The Merchant is of all men the most laborious for his life, the most aduentrous in his labour, the most peaceable vpon the sea, the most profitable to the land, yea the Merchant is the combination and vnion of lands and countries. She is like a ship of Merchants; there fore first to bee reckoned (as ye see) among the Laitie; not like a fishermans boate, not like S. Peters ship, for Christ did call no she Apostles. Indeed it is com­mendable in a woman when she is able by her wisedome to instruct her children, and to giue at opportunities good coun­sell [Page 18] to her husband: but when women shall take vpon them (as many doe) to build Churches, and to chalke out disci­pline for the Church, this is neither com­mēdable nor tolerable, for her hands (saith Salomon) must handle the spindle, vers. 19. the spindle or the cradle, but neither the Altar nor the Temple: for S. John com­mendeth euen to the elect Ladie not so much her talking, as her walking in the commandements, 2. loh. 5. 6. Therfore to such preaching women it may bee answe­red, as S. Bernard sometime answered the Image of the blessed Virgin at the great Church at Spire in Germany; Bernard was no sooner come into the Church, but the Image straight saluted him, and bad him, God morow Bernard. Whereat Bernard, well knowing the iugling of the Friers, made answere againe out of S. Paul, Oh (saith he) your Ladiship hath forgot your selfe, It is not lawfull for women to speake in the Church.

Againe, the Merchant is a profitable ship, to teach a wife in all things to ende­uour her husbands profit: but many wo­men [Page 19] are like water-pageants, made onlie for shew, like pictures in a table, good for nothing but to please the eye, no longer to be liked than they be looked on, yea so vnprositable and dissolute in the house, as no man would thinke them to bee wiues, but that at meales he findes them sitting at the vpper end of the table: whereas of the good wife it is said heere, that she will doe her husband good, and not euill, vers. 12.

Again, the Merchant is a painfull ship, and she must bee a painfull wife; not like a running pinnace to skoure from coast to coast, from house to house, as many A­thenian women do, who giue themselues to nothing, but idly & wantonly to heare and tel newes; for he that hath such a wife may thinke himselfe married to an Intel­ligencer; whereas S. Paul aduiseth such busie bodies to gouerne their owne hou­ses, 1. Tim. 5. as if intermedling with other mens did make them idle in their owne.

Againe, being like a Merchants ship, that is, hee being the Merchant and shee the ship, she must needs conclude she was made for him, and therfore a ship of traf­fique [Page 20] to enrich him, but not a pirate to spoile and rob him. To spoile and rob? as if a woman could robbe her husband? Indeede it hath ost been held a question disputable, though I in truth haue little minde to dispute it; yet I heare what is said to that purpose from the mouth of Eue, VVe eate of the fruite of the trees of the garden, genes. 3. VVe, therefore she puts in her selfe; and she eates of the trees indefi­nitely, therfore of all the trees in the gar­den, and therefore all was hers as well as Adams, and the womans in right as well as the mans. To which I answere, that all is hers in participation to vse, but Adams onely in discretion to dispose, which ap­peareth by two reasons, first, because the beasts were named by Adam and not by Eue, and to name is a note of dominion and authoritie: as when Joseph became Pharaohs seruant, and Daniel a captiue to the Chaldeans, they receiued from them other names; and we in our baptisme re­ceiue our names to acknowledge that we belong in right to Christ. Secondly, the whole world was giuen to Adam before [Page 21] Eue was made, so as hers was but an after­right, and if she haue any tenure at all, she holds in Capite, & she hath no title but by her husband: she therefore that vsurpeth absolute authoritie in the house, is no Merchant, but a pirate to the Merchant.

Lastly, she is like a Merchants ship, that is, a friendly fellow and peaceable com­panion to him, but not a man of warre to contend with him. For he that made her neuer built her for battaile sure; she was built for peace, and not for warre, for Merchants weepe to thinke of warre: therefore she must not for euery angrie word of her husband betake her selfe in­to the gunne-roome ftraight and there to thunder, to charge & discharge vpon him with broad words, or as marriners say at sea, to turne the broad side; like Zippo­rah the wife of Moses, to raile vpon him, Thou art indeede a bloudie husband, Exod. 4. this is no shippe of Merchants, this is the Spite, I thinke: and therfore no marucile, if many men thus shipt doe wish them­selues a shore, and that vntimelie death might take such a wife for a prize. When [Page 22] Eliezer went a wooing for Isaac his masters sonne, the triall by which he proposed to prooue a fit wife for Jsaac was this, that if (saith hee) when I say to a maide, Giue mee drinke, she say againe, Drinke, and I will giue thy Camels also, shee without more adoe should bee a wife for Isaac, Genes. 24. that is, as Theodoret expoundeth it, If shee were gentle; not like that woman Ioh. 4. Christ asked her water and she called him Iew: How is it that thou a Jew askest water of me a Samaritane? For though there bee many sinnes incident to women (as there bee (to speake vnpartiallie) as many to men) yet no vice in a woman so vnwo­manly as this; yet if Adam had been fu­rious the matter had been lesse, for he was made of earth, the mother of iron and steele, the murthering mettals; but the woman shee that was made of so tender mettall to become so terrible, the weaker vessell so strong in passion, yea to looke so faire and speake so foule, what a con­trarietie is this? There was great reason sure to cōpare a good woman to a snaile, not onely for her silence and continuall [Page 23] keeping of her house, but also for a cer­taine cōmendable timorousnes of her na­ture, which at the least shaking of the aire shrinks back into her shell; and so ought the wife to do, if her husband but speak to play all hid and vnder hatches, and to put out a flag of truce as Abigail did to Da­uid, and to say to her husband, as Rachel to her father, Let not my Lord be angrie, Gen. 31. Like a lilie among thornes (saith Salomon) so is my loue among the daughters, Cantic. 2. Like a lilie first, not like a nettle: againe, like a lilie among thornes, as shewing pa­tience in the sorest pouocation. Sara indeede was peaceable, and so were ma­ny more, yet their praise was lesse, in as much as they had meeke husbands, for she is a monster that liueth not meekly with a meek husband, but she that is yoakt with a Nabal, a churle, a foole, as Abigail was, and beares that patiently, shee may say with Deborah, in the fifth of the Iudges, O my soule thou hast marched Ʋaliantly: And there shall more true honor grow to you by such patience, than if souldierlike yee did preuaile by furie & violence; and the [Page 24] worse your husbands bee, the more shall your vertue shine, which in affliction shi­neth most, like starres twinckling in the night; & if it be grieuous to finde matter of patience there where ye lookt for com­fort and protection, yet it shall haue in tho end a reward, and in the Interim a singular admiration, and, as Mary saith of her self, All generations shall call such blessed.

It followeth in the text: She bringeth her sood from a farre. As ye haue heard what she is like, so now likewise what she doth too; for being is knowne by doing, as the tree is knowne by the fruite. Alas it is a small thing, yea it is nothing to bee like, for copper oft times is like good coyne, and the diuell is like an angel of light, and if euill women were not like to many things, which indeede they are not, they could not deceiue so many as they doe: therefore the next thing is to consider what she doth; She bringeth her foode from a farre. she bringeth, first, therefore descri­bed pacie aduer sa non auersa, with her face, not with her backe toward: for when a ship goeth foorth, euery man murmureth [Page 25] for that it carrieth, the Merchant himselfe feareth lest it miscarrie; but when it re­turneth, there is ioy for that it bringeth. And where Salomon saith she bringeth, hee meaneth not that shee bringeth in with her, as if a wife were to bee chosen by her dowrie; for the worst wiues haue many times the best portions, and the best wiues (such as Ester was) haue oft times none at all. Indeede the manner of the world is now to seeke wiues, as Judas betrayed Christ, with Quantum dabis, What will yee giue? and if the father chance to say with Peter, Aurum & argentum non est mihi; let her thē be as obedient as Sarah, as deuout as Anna, as vertuous as the Virgin Mary, yetal this is nothing, Quaerenda pecunia pri­mùm est, other things may mend it, but monie makes the match. Therefore this was not it which Salomon meant by bring­ing: for a good wife though she bring in nothing with her, yet through her wise­dome and diligence great things come in by her; she brings in with her hands, for she putteth her hands to the wheele (saith Salomon) vers. 19. and indeed if her worke [Page 26] doe not counteruaile her meate, then is euery finger of her hand like a theese in the house. Againe, if she be too high to staine her hands with bodily labour, yet she bringeth in with her eye, for she ouer­seeth the waies of her household (saith Salo­mon) and eateth not the bread of idlenes, vers. 27. Againe she bringeth in by her fruga­litie, for she holdeth it a point of consci­ence, neither to fare more daintily, nor to attire her self more trimly, than may stand with her husbands state: for if shee waste more than she bring in, & her victualling amount to more than her whole voiage, that Merchant was ill aduised that man­ned her foorth, and it had been good for him to be alone. But as the saying is, that many men marrie their executors; so is it true likewise, that many men marrie their executioners: and as the sinne of Adam began at Eue, so the ruine and confusion, the extortion, oppression, griping of te­nants, yea and sacriledge of many men beginneth at the pride of the woman; for now euerie Ladie of the latest edition if her husband haue bribed out but an end [Page 27] of an office, yet she reuels & playes Rex, and she must haue her Coach, though but to crosse from the Church-stile to the Church-porch: and whereas those Israe­litish women, Exod. 38. when the Instru­ments of the Tabernacle were to bee made, gaue in their deuotion their very Looking-glasses toward it; yet now the forbidden apple is pulled, the Church is robbed and spoiled, a Patrone will scarse passe away a poore Parsonage, but with a reseruation of his owne tithes, and all to maintaine French Hoods, Ruffes, Lawnes and Looking glasses: whereas of the ver­tuous wife it is said vers. 11. of the Chap­ter, that her husband shall have no neede of spoile.

But what bringeth she in? She brings in foode; in which word Salomon pointeth her out a houseworke, as she is a housewife, and the worke assigned is the feeding of the household: for wee reade that Abra­ham fetcht a calfe from the field, but Sarah had her charge to dresse it in the Tent, Genef. 18. and Samuel telleth the people, that their King when they had him, would [Page 28] take not their sonnes, but their daugh­ters, and make them Cookes and Bakers, 1. Sam. 8. and in the fifteenth verse of this Chapter it is said directly, that shee giueth the portion to her household, and the ordinarie to her maides. But that which we reade food, some translate it bread, she bringeth her bread; and it may well be, for bread is the staffe of life, and when like Merchants we haue runne round about the world to fetch in the riches of euery countrie, yet all is but to clothe the backe and feed the bellie: therefore hauing foode and raiment, (saith S. Paul) let vs there with bee content: 1. Tim. 6.

Againe, as he is not the best Merchant to the Common-wealth which bringeth in toyes and trifles, but he which bringeth in such things as best may serue necessitie; so neither is shee alwaies the best wife which is most adorned with trickes and qualities, but she that endeuoureth most to that which is most necessarie. And I thinke surely that bread is expresselie na­med here, as to frame her whole conuer­sation, so chiefly her mouth with sobrie­tie: [Page 29] for many women are of the minde of the Israelites in Egypt, Manna is no meate with them, but they must haue Quatles, and all must bee daintie, (though to the vndoing of all) like Eue the wife of Adam, whom of all the trees in Paradise none might serue, but that which was the bane of her husband, and the lesse they want, the more wanton and daintie mouthed they be. Now sure if Cyrus had had such a wife hee must needes haue worshipt her, for he had no other reason to worship the Idoll Bell, but only because it spent him so many sheep, so many measures of flower, and so many pots of wine euery day: but euerie meate was not made for euerie mouth; only bread was made for all; and neither man nor woman haue warrant to aske for more than for their daily bread.

But what meaneth Salomon by that, From a farre, she bringeth her soode from a farre? Surely not to answere that which is Prouerbially said, That farre fetcht and deare bought is fittest for Ladies, as now adaies what groweth at home is base and homely, & what euery one eates is meate [Page 30] for dogs, and wee must haue bread from one countrie, and drinke from another, and wee must haue meate from Spaine, and sauce out of Italy: and if wee weare any thing, it must bee pure Venetian, Ro­mane, or Barbarian; but the fashion of all must bee French: and as Seneca saith in another case, Ʋicti Ʋictoribus leges dede­runt, we giue them the soile, and yet they must giue vs the fashion. Therefore this was not Salomons meaning, but from a farre either hath respect to the time, A longinquo tempore, as it seemeth to be expounded in the verie next words, She riseth while it is yet night, and giueth the portion to her house­hold, &c. He doth not say, shee meeteth it at the doore, as shee that riseth to dinner, and then thinkes her daies worke halfe done, and for euery sit of an idle feuer be­takes her straight to her cabbin againe, and if her finger but ake, shee must haue one stand by to feede her with a spoone: This is no shippe of Merchants, this is the Mary Slug; but she bringeth it from a farre, that is, shee taketh care of it, and dispo­seth of it from the first, yea and before [Page 31] the first hand that toucheth it.

Or else I take this from a farre to be far­ther yet, euen ab vltimis naturae, from the first and furthest principles of nature. As for example, If shee will haue bread, shee must not alwaies buy it, but she must sow it, and reape it, and grinde it, and as Sarah did, Gen. 18. she must Kneade it and make it into bread. Or if she will haue cloath, she must not alwaies runne to the shop or to the skore, but she begins at the seede, she carrieth her seede to the ground, of the ground shee gathereth flax, of her flax shee spinneth a threed, of her threed she weaueth cloath, and so she comes by her coate: The verie words of Salomon vers. 13. of the chapter, She seeketh wooll and flax, and laboureth cheerfully with her hands.

Or else I take this from a farre to be far­ther yet, euen from the gates of heauen, from whence by her deuotion and godlie conuersation shee draweth downe the blessings of God vpon her house. The barren Rachel praied, and so did Anna too, and by their prayers obtained childrē of the Lord. Now sure if the prayer of a ver­tuous [Page 32] woman were so powerfull, as a­gainst the course of nature to deriue and fetch children from a barren wombe, how much more shall it command the meaner blessings on the house? And therefore as a wicked woman is a sea of euils, so a ver­tuous woman is a heauen of beautie, and there is none so faire as she that feareth God: nay what speake we of beautie? for fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is Ʋanitie, vers. 30. of the Chapter: and as the pain­ting of a ship by weather and by water is washt away, so shall all carnall beautie by sorow, age and sicknes euen wither and waste into wrinkles; but she that feareth the Lord (saith Salomon) she shall bee praised. Praised? yea honoured and admired; The starres in the night, the Sunne at noone day shall not shine so bright as she: for hee that goes by her doore shall point at her, and hee that dwels by her shall enuie him that hath her; and cuery man shall say, Blessed be he the that made her, happie is he that begat her, renowned is shee that bare her, but most happie, renowned, and rich is he that hath her: and as euen now, [Page 33] so I say againe, All generations shall call such blessed.

Well, to make vse of this in seuerall Application to the King. kindes; I most humbly beseech your Ma­iesty first to admit of a particular applica­tion to your selfe. It is said Matth. 12. that the Queene of the South came to heare the wisedome of Salomon, but we may say conuersiuely and truly, that the wisdome of Salomon is come to the King of the North: for your Maiestie is to vs indeede a royall Merchant, not only for the vnion of holy marriage, which yokes & couples one sex with another, but as Merchants doe by intercourse of traffique, for knit­ting and combining one kingdome with another. And I will not say it is kingly, but diuine and heauenlie to vnite into one things of diuided nature: for thus did God create the world, first he made things, and then he matcht them; first he created, and then hee coupled them; of man and woman he made one in mariage, of body and soule hee made one man, of sea and land hee made one earth, of heauen and earth he made one world; but then came [Page 43] the diuell vpon the stage, and his part was againe to diuide what God had vnited, first man from God, then man from man, and that diuersly, first in the very bond of blood and kinred, Cain from Abel the brother from the brother; then distin­guisht by religions, the sonnes of God and the daughters of men; then dispersed by their seuerall habitations, the Iles of the Gentiles, and the Tents of Sem, and then distracted & torne into diuers king­domes, the kingdome of Judah, and the kingdome of Israel; therefore doubtlesse a glorious worke it were of Judah and Is­rael againe to make one kingdome: for if it be so gracious in Gods eies to doe right and iustice to a stranger, how much more to loue a stranger, but most of all to take away the name of a stranger? The King of Kings be Pilot of your ship, yea thrice blessed and happie be your Maiesties endeuour therein.

Ladies and Gentlewomen, I beseech Application to Ladies & Gentlewo­men. you mistake me not, and impute no par­tialitie to mee. If I haue said anything sharplie, yet know that I haue said no­thing [Page 35] against the good, but all againste­euill women, yea nothing against the sex, but all against the sinnes of women. To which if any replie: And why not (I pray) aswell against the sinnes of men? I answer, that he which imposeth so much vpon the weaker vessell, importeth much more to the stronger. There is a dutie required of the parents to the childe, as well as of the child to the parents; yet the spea­keth expresly to the childe, Honour thy fa­ther and mother, but nothing to the pārets, that they being in order of nature and in wisedome superiour, might suspect their dutie to be written in themselues.

Againe (Right Honourable in both Application to the ma­ried. sexes) The cause of this meeting, the ioy of this day, yea the mysterie and little image of this great intended Vnion, Let me be bold (I beseech you) in termes of modestie to make applicatiō to you. You are here met to be matcht, that is, to bee married, and mariage (as the Apostle faith) is honourable in all, but thrice honourable in you, first honourable in the institution as in all other: secondly in your persona­ges [Page 36] being honourable aboue other, but thirdly in your countries the most ho­nourable of all other: for simply to mar­rie ioynes sex and sex, to marrie at home ioynes house and house, but your mar­riage ioyneth land and land, earth and earth, onely Christ goes beyond it, who ioynes heauen and earth.

Therefore first to you, the honourable Application to the Bride­groome. Merchant of this honourable ship; you haue heard what is said, that mariage is a sore aduenture, and therefore as mari­ners vpon the sea in the day time look vp to the Sunne, and in the night to the Pole starre, so looke you vp day and night to God, and God shall giue you good ship­ping therein. A married man (they say) hath the charge of three cōmonwealths, for hee is a husband of a wife, a father of children, and a master of seruants, and he hath daily need of God who should guide all these. Therefore first loue God, and to proue that loue, loue also her whom God hath giuen you: for if (as S. Iohn saith) He that loueth not his brother, &c. how much more, he that loueth not his wife whom [Page 37] he daily seeth, how shall hee loue GOD whom he neuer saw? and indeed there is no religion nor goodnes in that man that loueth not a faithfull and loyall wife. And say not you loue, vnlesse you loue to the end; for much water cannot quench loue, Cantic. 8. for loue endureth all things, belee­ueth all things, and suffereth all things: ther­fore if there grow by the wife any cause of griefe, yet you must remember shee is the weaker vessell; God therein exerci­seth your wisedome in reforming, and your patience in bearing it; and with whom will a man beare, if not with his owne wife? If at any time you haue occa­sion to exercise your authoritie yet you must remember, it is authoritie tempered with equalitie; the wife is therefore to be gouerned with loue, not ouerruled by tyrannie. And let all husbands know this for a rule all things, that the wife shall much better do her dutie to her husband, when the husband doth his owne dutie in example before.

And let me speake one word to you Application to the Bride. this honourable Ship; you are turned by [Page 38] Gods prouidence to the right of a Mer­chant stranger, yet herein happy, that you neede not as Pharaohs daughter to sor­get either your owne people, or your fathers house. All the time of your life you haue bin gathering for this day, therfore learne to practise now, what you haue learned before, that is, to honour, to loue, and to obey, and then at last you shall come to rule: for a good wife by obeying of her husband rules him; but she that obeyeth not is like the conspiracy of Corah against Moses and Aaron. Besides, remember your badge is not as of that ship Act. 28. not Ca­stor and Pollux, for I finde neither super­stition nor idolatrie in any part of your familie, but I finde among other things a sheafe of wheate and a handfull of wheate ad­unanced vpon your sterne, therefore doubtlesse it will be expected that Plen­tie, peace and prosperitie come in with you I might referre you for paternes of true vertue, as S. Paul sometime referred Timotly, to Lois and Eunica, a grandmo­ther & a mother; and indeed this chapter of Salomon is entituled, The prophecy or les­son [Page 39] which his mother taught him: and if you remember the many good lessons your mother hath taught you, then shall I need to say no more, then shall you be like Ra­chel and Leah, which twaine did build vp the house of Israel: then shall you bee a ship indeed, for you shall bring your selfe and your husband to the hauen, euen to that which Sea-men call Promontorium bo­nae spet, The hill or hauen of good hope, that is, to heauen; and when this mariage is dislolued, you shall marrie at last with the Lambe. In the meane time doe worthi­ly in Ephratah, and be famous in Brittanie, liue to a hundred, grow into thousands, and your seede possesse the gate of his enemie.

And God almightie who brought vs all hither by the institution and helpe of holy marriage, hee bring vs at last to that happie and endlesse societie with his Son, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed al praise, power and dominion now and for euer, Amen.