combined and united; so that that which is the one's is the other's: their meums and tuums are confounded together, and their fortunes make a common stock wherein they are partners with one another, and are entitled to the promiscuous use and enjoyment of it. And being sharers in the same interest, they ought to be mutually helpful, and bear a part of each other's cares and burdens: for when they are both entitled to the same fortunes and interests, it is by no means just that the one, like a slothful drone, should dwell at ease in the hive, and devour the honey, whilst the other, like a laborious bee, goes forth, and toils to gather it. These are the common rights and dues which husband and wife owe to one another. But then the husband having the superiority, hath a right to be reverenced and obeyed by his wife in all things that are fair and honest, to be entertained with a gentle behaviour, addressed to with soft entreaties, and treated with a sweet compliance: and therefore for a woman to behave herself perversely towards her husband, to control his will in indifferent matters, and if he will not yield, to teaze and weary him with her sour looks, or clamorous words, or provoking deportment, is not only a great dishonour to her own head, but a high and shameful injustice, for which she must one day account to God, as well as for her other iniquities. And then, on the other hand, the wife being no otherwise inferior to the husband than the body is to the soul, or the bosom to the head, ought not to be treated by him as his slave and servant, but as a part of himself, i. e. with all lenity and forbearance, tenderness and complaisance; and, as Plutarch saith, "the husband's em

"pire over the wife ought to be soft and cheerful," to be alloyed and sweetened with the greatest condescension and officiousness: and that soul is not more unrighteous to its body, that starves, or macerates, or evil entreats it, than the husband is to his wife, who behaves himself churlishly, sourly, or imperiously towards her. Col. iii. 19. Husbands, love your wives, saith the apostle, and be not bitter against them: i. e. Be not morose and rough, stern and severe in your carriage towards them; but be sure you use them with all that honourable regard, prudent compliance, and endearing familiarity, that is due to them as they are parts of yourselves.

5. There is the relation of friend and friend, which I put next to that of husband and wife, because it is next to it in respect of nearness and affinity. For friendship is the marriage of souls, and interests and counsels, the union or exchange of hearts, the clasp of mutual affections, or true loveknot that ties men's hearts and minds together. For as for the matter of friendship, it is love and charity; but as for the form of it, it is charity appropriated to such particular persons; so that charity is friendship in common, and friendship is charity enclosed. In a word, charity is friendship expanded, like the force of the sun when he rises above the horizon, and shines upon the world; but friendship is charity contracted, like the rays of that glorious light drawn into the centre of a burning-glass, and made more warm and active by their union. When therefore men have contracted particular friendships, and espoused their souls and minds to one another, there doth from thence arise a new relation between them, beyond what common charity creates; from

which new relation there accrue new rights to the related parties. For mutual friendship is not a metaphysical nothing, created merely for contemplation, for such as are contracted in its holy bands to stare upon each other's faces, and make dialogues of news and prettinesses, or to look babies in one another's eyes; but it is a substantial and important virtue, fitted for the noblest purposes, to be an alloy to our sorrows, an ease to our passions, a discharge of our oppressions, a sanctuary to our calamities, a counsellor of our doubts, a repository of our secrets, and an improvement of our meditations; a champion to our innocence, and an advocate for our interest both with God and men: to these brave purposes serves every real friendship; and without these, it is only the empty name and shadow of friendship. When therefore men combine and unite together in this close and near relation, they give each other a right to themselves to all the above-named uses and purposes, to be guides and comforts to each other in their doubts and sorrows, monitors and remembrancers in their errors and oblivions, shelters and refuges in their oppressions and calamities, and 'faithful trustees and secretaries to each other's confidences and thoughts. These are the great rights of friendship, which whosoever detains or withholds from his friend is a false and unjust correspondent in that brave and noble relation: for when we mutually contract particular friendship with one another, it is to these great purposes, or it is not friendship; and when to these purposes we have once joined hands, and struck particular amities with one another, we are bound by the ties of common honesty and justice, so far as we are able, to make good our

contract to all those intents and purposes it extends

to.

6. There is the relation of masters and servants. For between master and servant there are mutual engagements, which are either expressed in their contract or implied in their relation; and whether there be any formal contract between them or no, their very relation is an implicit bargain, and supposes a mutual engagement to one another. By being a servant to another, I put myself into his hands and disposal, and devote my time and pains and labour to him; by virtue of which he acquires a just right to my time and service, my fidelity and cheerful obedience: and therefore if, either by gaming, loitering, or company-keeping, I alienate my time from him; or if by my sloth and idleness I rob him of my pains and labour, or by my hypocritical eyeservice, or betraying his trusts, or wasting or embezzling his goods, I deprive him of my truth and fidelity; or if, lastly, by my stubbornness, and obstinacy, I purloin from him my duty and obedience, I am a dishonest and unjust servant, and, however I may escape now, must one day expect to give an account to my just and all-seeing Master in heaven. Accordingly in scripture servants are enjoined to obey their masters in all things, Col. iii. 22. and to do service to them with good will, Eph. vi. 7. to serve them with singleness of heart, not to purloin their goods, or answer them again in a froward and surly manner, Tit. ii. 9, 10. Since then they stand obliged to these duties, both by precept of scripture and the natural engagement of their relation, it is plain they cannot act contrary thereunto, without openly transgressing the laws of God, and trespass

ing on the rights of men. And so on the other hand, by being a master to another, I stand engaged to maintain and protect him in my service, to pay him the wages, or teach him the trade for which he serves me; not to out-task his ability, nor impose any thing on him but what is tolerable and merciful; to correct him with gentleness, prudence, and mercy, and not to restrain him too rigidly from fitting and healthful recreation; and above all, to admonish him of his faults, instruct him in his duty, and give him all cheerful encouragements to welldoing. For I ought to consider, that I am master of a man of the same kind with myself, that hath a right upon that account to be treated humanely; which if I do not, instead of being a just master, I am a savage tyrant; and also I should consider that I am master of an immortal man, who upon that account hath a right to be treated religiously, that hath a soul to be saved, and an eternal interest to be secured; which if I take no care of, I treat him rather as my dog than my servant, as a beast that perishes, than as a man that is to live for ever. So that if any of these ways I am wanting to my servant, I am a transgressor of that rule of righteousness that is founded in my relation to him; and though the crying necessities of his soul and body cannot penetrate my ears, nor move my adamantine bowels to à more just and pious treatment; yet the cry of those wrongs and injuries I do him by my unjust, inhuman, and irreligious usage, will certainly penetrate the ears of God, and provoke his vengeance to a dire retribution of it.

7. There is the relation of trustees to those that trust them: for he who trusts another doth thereby