The Virtuous Woman

A virtuous woman is a woman of spirit, who has the command of her own spirit and knows how to manage her affairs, one that is pious and industrious, and a help meet for a man. A virtuous woman is a woman of resolution, who, having espoused good principles, is firm and steady to them, and will not be frightened with winds and clouds from any part of her duty. The difficulty of meeting with such a one: "Who can find her?" This intimates that good women are very scarce, and many that seem to be so do not prove so; he that thinks he has found a virtuous woman may be deceived. But he that designs to marry ought to seek diligently for such a one, to have this principally in his eye, in all his enquiries, and to take heed that he be not biased by beauty or elegance, wealth or parentage, dressing well or dancing well; for all these may be and yet the woman not be virtuous, and there is many a woman truly virtuous who yet is not recommended by these advantages. The unspeakable worth of such a one, and the value which he that has such a wife ought to put upon her, showing it by his thankfulness to God and his kindness and respect to her, whom he must never think he can do too much for. Her price is far above rubies, and all the rich ornaments with which vain women adorn themselves. The more rare such good wives are, the more they are to be valued.

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Well girls, here is the standard we are to live up to, according to Matthew Henry. It's a high one, and only the Lord's help can cause anyone to attain it.