"Question. What is the main duty of the wife? Answer. Subjection, or submission to her husband, (Genesis 3: 16).
Question. What does this subjection consist of? Answer. In these two things: an acknowledgment of his superiority over her. In her respect to him, as her superior.
Question. How does it appear that her husband is her superior? Answer. God has given it to him, (Genesis 3: 16). Nature teaches it, in the weakness of all females, and so, inferior to the males, (1 Peter 3: 7). His titles imply superiority, as lord (1 Peter 3: 6), guide (Proverbs 2: 17), head (1 Corinthians 11: 3). He represents Christ, and she represents the church, (Ephesians 5: 23). Woman was made for the man, not the man for the woman, (Genesis 2: 18, 1 Corinthians 11: 8-9).
Question. What reason is there for this acknowledgement? Answer. Because man is the ground of all true subjection, and obedience, as to the ordinance of God.
Question. How is she supposed to respect him? Answer. In two things: reverence and obedience.
Question. What is her reverence to him? Answer. Inward, or outward.
Question. What is her inward reverence? Answer. A high esteem of him, for his place’ sake, as her lord and head, by the ordinance of God, which is called fear, (1 Peter 3: 2) and reverence, (Ephesians 5), a reverential fear.
Question. Where is this fear manifested? Answer. By her care to please him, (1 Corinthians 7: 34). By her joy in pleasing him, (Proverbs 31: 12). By her grief in offending him.
Question. How is her outward fear or reverence shown? Answer. By her behavior and speech."
- (Kindle Locations 1338-1373). Puritan Publications. Kindle Edition.
