A virtuous wife is the crown of her husband: Who shall find such a one? for her price is far above the pearls. 1. She is true to her husband's bed; such as the heart of her husband may trust to, as knowing that she is tied to him by the covenant of God: not wanton and unchaste; such one as I once saw from the window of my house; I looked through my window, and saw among the fools, and considered among the children a young man wanting wit, who passed through the street by her corner, and went toward her house, in the twilight in the evening, when the night began to be black and dark, so as he thought himself unseen: and, behold, there met him (the same he sought for) a woman with a harlot's fashion; and close in heart, as open in her habit. She is babbling and perverse; whose feet (contrary to the manner of all modest wives, which only attain honour) cannot abide in her house, but are ever gadding. Now she is without the gates, now in the streets, and lieth in wait in every corner; or, at the least, sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city; so she (not staying to be solicited) caught him by the neck, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have the flesh of peace-offerings, (both good cheer and religion pretended) this day have I paid my vows: therefore I came forth, on purpose to meet thee that I might earnestly seek thy face, of all others; and now, how happy am I, that I have found thee! I have decked my bed with ornaments, with curtains, and strings of Egypt: I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon, that we may lie sweet; Come, go, let us take our fill of loves, until the morning, let us take our pleasure in dalliance: fear nothing, For my husband is not at home, he is gone a journey far off, neither needest thou to doubt his return; for, he hath taken with him a bag of silver, and will come home at his set day: sooner he cannot, this she said: what followed? By the abundance of the sweetness of her speech, she caused him to yield:

and with the flattery of her lips, she enticed him; and straightways he follows her, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as a fool to the stocks for correction, till a dart strike through his liver, the seat of his lust; or as a bird hasteneth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is against his own life: thus she doth, and when her husband returns, she wipeth her mouth and saith, I have not committed iniquity. 2. She is dutiful and obedient; by a soft answer appeasing wrath: not hateful; for whom, a whole world is moved: not stubborn, not quarrellous: for, the contentions (and brawlings) of a wife, are like a continual dropping in the day of rain: a discomfort to the husband; a rotting to the house. So, It is better to dwell in a corner of the house-top than with a contentious woman in a wide house. And though, for society, Two be better than one; yet, It is better to dwell alone in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman. For herein as his grief cannot be avoided, so his shame cannot be conceived. For, He, that hideth her, hideth the wind; and she is as oil in his right hand, that uttereth itself. Pr. xii. 4. xxxi. 10. xxxi. 11. ii. 27. vii. 6. vii. 7. vii. 8. vii. 9. vii. 10. vii. 11. xi. 16. vii. 11. vii. 12. xxiii. 28. ix. 14. vii. 13. vii. 14. vii. 15. vii. 16. vii. 17. vii. 18. vii. 19. vii. 20. vii. 21. vii. 22. vii. 23. xxx. 20. Ec. xv. 1. Pr. xxx. 21, 23. xix. 13. xxvii. 15. xxv. 24. Ec. iv. 9. Pr. xxvii. 19. xxvii. 16.

3. SHE is moreover prudent, and discreet. A wise woman buildeth her house, but the foolish destroyeth it with her own hands: and, as a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which lacketh discretion. 4. She is careful and house-wife-like; so as She will do her husband good, and not evil, all the days of her life: For as for her actions in her own person, whether you look to her labours: She seeketh wool and flax, and laboureth cheerfully with her

hands. She riseth while it is yet night: She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She putteth her hands to the wheel, and her hands handle the spindle: or whether to her bargains; She considereth a field, and getteth it, and with the fruit of her hand she planteth a vineyard. She is like the ship of merchants, she bringeth her food from far: she feeleth that her merchandise is good, her candle is not put out by night: she maketh sheets and selleth them, and giveth girdles unto the merchants; or whether to her liberal provision; (1.) For her husband, who is known in the gates (by her neat furnishing) when he sits with the elders of the land: (2.) For herself, She maketh herself carpets, fine linen and purple is her garment: (3.) For her servants, She feareth not the snow for her family, for all her family is clothed with scarlet: (4.) For the poor, She stretcheth out her hands to the poor, and putteth forth her hands to the needy. For her oversight of her family; She giveth the portion to her household, and the ordinary (or stint of work) to her maids: she overseeth the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. For her speeches; she openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of grace is in her tongue. Lastly, Strength, and honour, is her clothing; and in the latter day she shall rejoice. So worthy she is in all these, that her own children cannot contain, but rise up and call her blessed; and her husband shall praise her, and say, Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou surmountest them all: Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vanity; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised: Since therefore she is so well deserving, Give her of the fruit of her own hands, and let her own works praise her. Pr. xiv. 1. xi. 22. xxxi. 12. xxxi. 13. xxxi. 15. xxxi. 17. xxxi. 19. xxxi. 16. xxxi. 14. xxxi. 18. xxxi. 24. xxxi. 23. xxxi. 22. xxxi. 21. xxxi. 20. xxxi. 15. xxxi. 27. xxxi. 26. xxxi. 25. xxxi. 28. xxxi. 29. xxxi. 30. xxxi. 31.

PARENTS.

SECT. 5.

Provision,

Who owe to their children, Instruction,

Correction.

PARENTS and Children are the next pair; which do give much joy to each other: Children's children are the crown of the elI i

VOL. VIII.

ders, and the glory of the children are their fathers: To which purpose, the parent oweth to the child, 1. Provision. A good man shall give inheritance to his children's children. All the labour, wherein he hath travailed, he shall leave to the man that shall be after him. And who knoweth whether he shall be wise or foolish? yet shall he rule over all his labour, wherein he hath laboured, and shewed himself wise under the sun. Here are therefore two gross vanities which I have seen: the one, There is one alone, and there is not a second, which hath neither son nor brother: yet there is none end of his travail, neither can his eye be satisfied with riches; neither doth he think, For whom do I travail, and defraud my soul of pleasure? The other contrary; riches reserved to the owner thereof for their evil. And these riches perish in his evil business; and he begetteth a son, and in his hand is nothing. 2. Instruction and good education for, He, that begetteth a fool, (whether naturally, or by ill-breeding) begetteth himself sorrow, and the father of a fool can have no joy. And, therefore, Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old, he shall not depart from it. 3. Correction: He, that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he, that loveth him, chasteneth betime; for foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: the rod of correction shall drive it from him: yea, there is yet great benefit of due chastisement; for, The rod and correction give life; but a child set at liberty makes his mother (who is commonly faulty this way) ashamed: yea, more than shame, death and hell follow to the child upon indulgence: (only) If thou smite him with the rod, he shall not die: If thou smile him with the rod, thou shalt deliver his soul from hell. Though thy son therefore be tender and dear in thy sight; Correct him, and he will give thee rest, and will give pleasures to thy soul wherefore, Chasten him while there is hope; and let not thy soul spare, to his destruction. The son, that is of a great stomach, shall endure punishment: and though thou deliver him, yet thou shalt take him in hand again. Pr. xvii. 6. xiii. 22. Ec. ii. 18. ii. 19. iv. 8. v. 12. v. 13. i. 8. Pr. xvii. 21. xxii. 6. iii. 24. xxii. 15. xxix. 15. xxiii. 13. xxv. 14. iv. 3. xxix. 17. xix. 18. xix. 19.

Their duties: Submission to correction.

Care of their parents' estate,
Lof their own carriage.

A wise son rejoiceth the father, and the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; whereas the foolish is the calamity of his parents: Contrarily, If thou be a wise son, or lovest wisdom, thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. Such an one is, first, obedient; for, a wise son will hear and obey the instruction of his father, and not forsake his mother's teaching; yea, in every command, he will obey him that begot him, and not despise his mother when she is old; not upon any occasion cursing his parents (as there is a generation that doth :) for, He that curseth his father, or mother, his light shall be put out in obscure darkness: not mocking and scorning them; for, The eye, that mocketh his father, and despiseth the instruction of his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles eat it: and not obedient to counsel only, but to stripes, He, that hateth correction, is a fool: and he, that regardeth it, is prudent. For, those corrections that are for instruction, are the way of life: therefore, he that hateth them shall die. Secondly, careful both 1. of their estate: He, that robbeth his father and mother, and saith it is no transgression, is a companion of a man that destroyeth; and 2. of his own carriage: for, a lewd and shameful child destroyeth his father, and chaseth away his mother. Let therefore even the child shew himself to be known by his doings, whether his work be pure and right: so his father's reins shall rejoice, when he speaketh, and doth righteous things. Pr. xv. 20. x. 1. xxiii. 24. xix. 13. xxix. 3. xxiii. 25. xxxi. 1. i. 8. xxiii. 22. vi. 20. xxx. 11. xx. 20. xv. 20. xxx. 17. ii. 1. xv. 5. vi. 23. xv. 10. xxviii. 24. xix. 26. xx. 11. xxiii. 16.