Wives should be subject to their husbands :

203

regard our security and our very life, let us keep our Shepherd SECT. in our eye, submit ourselves to his pastoral inspection, and iv. cheerfully follow him, in whatsoever path he shall condescend to conduct us.

SECT. V.

Christian wives are exhorted to submit themselves to their husbands, and to study the ornaments of their minds, rather than of their persons; and likewise husbands are exhorted to treat their wives in a becoming and honourable manner, from a tender sense of those infirmities to which the sex is peculiarly liable. 1 Pet. III. 1-7.

1 PETER III 1. IKEWISE, ye

jection to your own

husbands; that if

without the word be

I

1 PETER III. 1.

V.

1 Pet.

HAVE been discoursing of the duty of a SECT. servant; let me now likewise consider those of some other relations; and particularly urge any obey not the it upon you, O ye Christian wives, that ye [be] iii. 1 word, they also may in subjection to your own husbands, in all things just and lawful; that if any of them be disobewon by the conversation of the wives. dient to the word of the gospel, and have refused to yield to all the other mighty arguments by which Christianity is supported, they may, without attending upon the word, be gained over, to the love and practice of it, by the amiable and edifying deportment of [their] wives: 2 While they be- Particularly, beholding your chaste and spotless 2 hold your chaste con- conversation, in the fear of God, and with a due reverence to your husbands, for his sake, 3 Whose adorn- and not merely on constraint. Be careful 3 ing let it not be that to behave in every respect as becomes those outward adorning of whose happiness it is to be acquainted with the plaiting the hair,and great principles of Christianity; and particularly consider, how they should influence your conduct in the adorning of your persons.a And as to this, let it not be merely external, nor consist in the plaiting and braiding the hair,

versation

with fear :

coupled

Whose adorning, &c.] Plutarch quotes a passage from Crates, in which he observes, in words greatly resembling these, "That neither gold, nor emeralds, nor pearls, give grace and ornament to a woman; but all those things, which clearly express, and set off her gravity, regularity, and modesty." Pracept. Cong p 86. But St. Peter's precept is enriched with a variety of much more noble and agreeable VOL. 6. 27

thoughts; especially when recommending virtue as the ornament of the hidden man, incorruptible, and precious in the sight of God, the truest judge of beauty and perfection.

b Let it not be, &c.] This is not to be interpreted as absolutely prohibiting the ornaments of dress, but only the making these things our chief concern. Compare John vi. 27; with 1 Tim. v. §.

204

V.

1 Pet.

iii. 4

5

And should study internal ornaments.

even the ornament of

SECT. or in putting on chains of gold about the neck, of wearing of gold, or ear rings, or bracelets of gold on the arms, or of putting on of or in wearing of sumptuous and splendid ap- But let it be the apparel; 4 But let your ornament be of a much hidden man of the parel: more glorious nature; let it consist in a well heart, in that which regulated temper of mind, in having the hidden is not corruptible, man of the heart rightly formed: let it be seat- a meek and quiet ed in what is more incorruptible by far than spirit, which is in gold, or gems, which, stable as they are, may the sight of God of in time wear away, and are liable to a variety great price. of accidents; I mean, in the beautiful and harmonious disposition of a meek and quiet spirit, silently submitting to the conduct of your husbands, and gently accommodating yourselves to them as far as reasonably you can; which argues an inward wisdom and goodness, that is highly precious in the sight of God himself; who looks with comparative contempt on those little artifices by which the notice of vain men is often attracted. This has 5 For after this long been the prevailing fashion in God's manner in the old family; for so the holy women also, who hoped time, the holy woin God, and served him in the integrity of their ed in God, adorned hearts, long since, adorned themselves, being, themselves, being in agreeably to the exhortations I have been giv- subjection unto their 6 ing you, in subjection to their own husbands: As own husbands; you may particularly recollect in the instance obeyed Abraham, of Sarah, who you know obeyed Abraham her calling him lord: husband, calling him constantly, when she spoke whose daughters ye of him, her lord, though she was not only of are as long as ye do well, and are not the same family with him, but was herself in afraid with any aso peculiar a manner dignified by God, and mazement. had her name changed in token of her being a mother of many nations, and of the veneration in which she was to be held in all succeeding ages. Remember therefore the character of this excellent woman, whom those of you, who are of Jewish extraction, are so fond of calling your mother; and whose daughters you indeed are, so long as ye do well, and preserving, by such a conduct, your inward tranquillity and fortitude, are not meanly terrified, so as to act out of character, with any amazement,

men also who trust

6 Even as Sarah

Not terrified with any amazement.] from those alarms and terrors which a Many have apprehended this last clause is perverse and rebellious contest with supesuggested as an argument to persuade them rior power might bring along with it, to do well, that they would be preserved and which would indeed prove as injuri

Husbands should treat their wives honourably.

as being heirs toge

205

V.

1 Pet.

or danger, which may meet you in the way of SECT. your duty. The want of a becoming and necessary fortitude in this case, would indeed be attended with fatal consequences, and render iii. 6 7 Likewise, ye hus. you unworthy of so honourable a title. And 7 bands, dwell with that the duty of the wife may be rendered them according to knowledge, giving more easy and agreeable, and ye husbands honour unto the may have more reason to expect it to be wife as unto the cheerfully performed, let it be your care likeweaker vessel, and wise that ye dwell with [your wives] according ther of the grace of to knowledge, and in such a manner as becomes life that your pray- those who have been instructed in that great ers be not hindered. system of wisdom and duty, the gospel of Christ. And particularly be careful so to order your affairs, that you may not be prevented from allotting an honourable and comfortable subsistence to the woman,d for this is a piece of respect which is due to the tenderness and infirmity of her sex, as being upon the whole the weaker vessel, less able to endure the fatigue of labour, and subject to various indispositions which peculiarly require succour and accommodation. See therefore that this duty be properly and carefully performed, that your hearts may be endeared to each other; and upon the whole, converse together, as (those who are] joint heirs of the grace of eternal life, and are solicitous, that your behaviour may be correspondent to so exalted a hope, and may be so ordered in every respect, that your joint prayers may not be hindered, nor the pleasures of

ous to their peace as to their character. But the structure of the Greek sentence makes it evident, that he speaks of the condition on which they were to preserve the characters of daughters of Sarah. Possibly the apostle might have in his mind the instance in which Sarah acted beneath her usual character, when through fear and sudden amazement she denied her having laughed. Gen. xviii. 15. And if he had, it is the design of this sentence to intimate, that though in that instance she failed, she generally acted in a very different manner: but as the hint is very oblique, I choose not to express it very strongly in the paraphrase, though I have indeed glanced upon it.

Allotting an honourable subsistence to the woman.] The reader may see a very different, and truly I think, a very unjustifia ble interpretation of these words in Dr:

Whitby; which I shall not so much as transcribe. It is to be remembered, that many of the Christians were persons of low rank in life; which might make such a precept of maintaining their wives decently, and not subjecting them to harder labour than they could bear, (which they might be tempted to do from their indi gent circumstances,) exceeding proper. The sense of the word run, (as signifying subsistence or maintenance, J is so much confirmed by 1 Tim, v. 17, that I think I need say no more to vindicate it.

That your prayers may not be hindered.] These words seem strongly to intimate the great importance of social prayer; as, when we shortly expect to unite in acts of domestic devotion, a concern not to be notoriously unfit for it, will be a guard upon our general behaviour.

206

Reflections on our relative duties.

V.

SECT. devotion impaired by any secret alienation of heart, but rather be increased by the strictest union and sincerest affection.

verse

IMPROVEMENT.

LET us observe with a pleasing attention, how greatly solici tous all the apostles are, not only to establish the doctrines of Christianity, but to inculcate its precepts; particularly those, which refer to the relative duties of life. The comprehensive argument by which St. Peter enforces those of one peculiar re1 lation, may be considered also as enforcing all the rest; I mean, the tendency of our exemplary behaviour, to win over those who are without the word, or are disobedient to it. In this manner let us all plead the cause of our Lord and Master. And this silent, 2 this winning eloquence will, by the Divine blessing, be powerful and effectual. The veil of modesty is decent in all, and an humble caution, and fear of offending, are to be considered as duties of universal obligation. But if the weaker sex are comS, 4 manded to aim at a noble superiority to the concerns of this animal life, and to the parade and vanity of dress, it may with greater reason be expected from men, who boast of their superior understanding and larger experience. They, not only from Christian humility, but, one would think, even from a manly pride, should be raised above such childish ornaments, in contriving and adjusting which, many who are styled rational creatures, spend much too large a portion of their precious time, and for the sake of which they neglect the cultivation and embellishment of their intelligent and immortal part, and the securing a happiness that will never have an end: as if glittering in the eyes of our fellow worms were so desirable a thing, that it were worth 4 while, for the sake of it, to expose ourselves to condemnation from God! Let the hidden man of the heart be more our care; and when that is rightly governed, the proper conduct of our external behaviour will be natural and easy.

7

Let us labour to walk according to knowledge, to behave as those who have been well instructed in the science of the gospel, in comparison of which all other sciences are ignorance and vanity. Let us be ready to make allowance for the natural infirmities of those about us. Especially, let husbands consider those of their wives (not as an encouragement to oppression, than which nothing could be more ungenerous, but) as an engagement in all honour and conscience, to a tender and respectful behaviour. How becoming and amiable is such conduct in those who through Divine grace are heirs of eternal life! And if a due care be not maintained on this head, there will be an indisposition for social and for secret prayer; and when the pleasures

The apostle exhorts them to be unanimous.

207

V.

of devotion are destroyed or embittered, it is not to be expected SECT. any other kind of pleasure, worth the regard of a rational creature, can long continue.

SECT. VI.

The apostle urges various arguments on the Christian converts, to engage them to an inoffensive, benevolent, and useful life and conversation, and to a steady courageous adherence to their relig ion amidst all opposition. 1 Pet. III. 8—17.

1 PETER III. 8.

all of

one of another; love

1 PETER III. 8.

vi.

1 Pet.

Not 9

FINALLY, be ye conclude this head; my brethren, [be] all secT. one mind, unanimous, guarding against all unnecessahaving compassion ry occasion of contention ; be sympathizing, as brethren, be piti-full of brotherly love to all Christians, compas-i ful, be courteous : sionate to those that are in distress, and friend9 Not rendering ly to all those that need your assistance; evil for evil, or rail- returning evil for evil, nor reproach for reproach; ing for railing but but on the contrary, rather blessing, even to contrariwise, blessing; knowing that ye those that curse you, according to our Lord's are thereunto called, precept; knowing that to this purpose ye were that ye should in- called to the profession of Christianity, that ye herit a blessing. might inherit a blessing immense and eternal; the expectation of which, (considering its infinite importance,) may well keep your spirits calm and composed, whatever be the injury and ill usage you may meet with from your fellow 10 For he that will men. For this you know is the language of 10 love life, and see the Psalmist, and it ought never to be forgotgood days, let him refrain his tongue ten, (Psal. xxxiv. 12,13,) What man is he that from evil, and his would love life, in the truest sense of loving lips that they speak and enjoying it, and would see good, prosperous, no guile. and happy days? let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit : 11 Let him es- Let him turn away from the practice of all that 11 chew evil, and do is evil, and do good to the utmost extent of his good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. power; let him seek after peace, and resolutely pursue it, even though it may appear to fly 12 For the eyes away from him. For the favourable eyes of 12 of the Lord are over the Lord [are] continually set upon the righteous,

He that would love life, &c.] The apostle here urges in favour of the virtues he recommends, that by these the comforts of life will be secured, ver. 10, 11; the favour

of God engaged, ver. 12; and the malice of men in a great measure disarmed, ver. 13, &c. And these three arguments are indeed of very great weight and importance.