Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 1 · Section 94
§. 94. Of applying the word to our ſelues.
The direction for a particular application of their owne proper duties to either of them is here eſpecially to be noted. In this direction two things are to be obſerued.
1. That eueryevery particular perſon apply to himſelfe that which by a Miniſter is indefinitly deliuered to all. EueryEvery one foreign.of you in particular, ſaith the Apoſtle: which is as much as if he had thus more largely expreſſed his minde, I hauehave laid downe ſuch generall duties as all husbands and wiues without exception of any of what ranke or degree ſoeuer they be are bound vntounto; which though by name I hauehave not ſeuerally deliuered to euerie one, one by one, but generally to you all, yet doe euerie one of you apply thoſe things to your ſelues in particular.
2. That eueryevery one apply his owne peculiar dutie vntounto himſelfe. LoueLove being peculiar to an husband, to him he ſaith, Let him louelove his wife: and reuerence being peculiar to a wife, to her he ſaith, let the wife ſee that ſhe reuerence her huſband.
The direction in eueryevery of thoſe ſeuerall Epiſtles which were ſent to the ſeuen Churches of Aſia, (in theſe words, He that Reu. 2. 7.hath an eare, let him heare what the Spirit ſaith to the Churches) doth teach euerie member in any of thoſe Churches to apply to himſelfe that which was deliuered to the whole Church: ſo doth a like xLuk. 8. 8.exhortation which Chriſt with an exclamation made to the people whom he taught in parables: and this declaration of the extent of Chriſts counſell, what I ſay to Mar. 13. 37.you, I ſay to all. To this purpoſe many precepts giuen to whole Churches, and to all ſorts of people are ſet downe in the ſingular number as giuen to one, as, Awake THOV that Eph. 5. 14.ſleepeſt. THOV ſtandeſt by faith: be not thou high minded &c.Rom. 11. 20.
The life and power of Gods word conſiſteth in this particular Reaſon. The life of Gods word in application.application thereof vntounto our ſelues. This is to mixe faith with hearing: faith, I ſay, whereby we doe not only beleeue the truth of Gods word in generall, but alſo beleeue it to be a truth concerning our ſelues in particular: and thus will eueryevery precept thereof be a good inſtruction and direction on to vsus to guide vsus in the way of righteouſneſſe: eueryevery promiſe therein will be a great incouragement, and conſolation to vsus to vphold vsus, and to make vsus hold on: and eueryevery iudgement threatned therein will be a curbe, and bridle to hold vsus in, and to keepe vsus from thoſe ſinnes againſt which the iudgements are threatned. But otherwiſe, if we bring not the word home to our own ſoules, it will be as a word ſpoken into the aire, 1 Cor. 14 9.vaniſhing away without any profit to vsus. Nothing maketh the word leſſe profitable, then the putting of it off from our ſelues to others, thinking that it concernes others more then our ſelues.
That we may make the better vſe of this doctrine, let vsus obſerue both what are generall duties belonging to all Chriſtians, and apply them as particular to our ſelues: and alſo what duties appertaine to ſuch perſons as are of our place, calling, and condition, and more eſpecially apply them to our ſelues: let all manner of husbands, and all manner of wiues of what ranke or degree ſoeuer they be that ſhall read the duties hereafter following, know that they are ſpoken to them in particular. Let Kings and Queenes, Lords and Ladies, Miniſters and their wiues, Rich men and their wiues, Poore men and their wiues, Old men and their wiues, Young men and their wiues, all of all ſorts take them as ſpoken to them in particular. It is not honour, wealth, learning, or any other excellency, nor meanes of place, pouerty, want of learning, or any other like thing that can exempt an husband from louing his wife, or a wife from reuerencing her husband. He that ſaith eueryevery one, excepteth not any one. Therefore eueryevery one in particular doe yee ſo. The like application may be made to all Parents and children, Maſters and ſeruants, concerning their duties.