Page:Wedding-ring, fit for the finger, or, The salve of divinity on the sore of humanity (2).pdf/16

 objects. To blaſt thy helper is to blame thy Maker. In a word, we took our riſe from their bowels, and may take our reſt in their boſoms.

2. Is the woman to be a help to the man? Then let the man be a help to the woman — What makes ſome debtors to be ſuch ill pay-maſters, but becauſe they look at what is owing to them, but not at what is owing by them. If thou wouldſt have thy wife's reverence let her have thy reſpect. To force a tear from this relation, is that which neither befits the huſband's authority to enjoin, nor the wife's duty to perform. A wife muſt not be ſharply driven but ſweetly drawn Compaſſion may bend her, but compulſion will break her.—Huſband and wife ſhould act towards each other with conſent, not by conſtraint. There are four things wherein the huſband is a meet-help to the wife.

1. In his protection of her from injuries. It is well obſerved by one, That the rib of which woman was made was taken from under his arm: As the uſe of the arm is to keep off blows from the body, ſo the office of the huſband is to ward off blows from the wife ——The wife is the huſband's treaſury, and the huſband the wife's armoury: In darkneſs he ſhould be her ſun for direction; in danger he ſhould be her ſhield for protection.

2 In his providing for her neceſſities. The huſband muſt communicate maintenance to the wife as the head conveys influence to the members; thou muſt not be a drone, and ſhe