1.26 Sum of Husband's Duties "All the duties of an husband are comprised under this one word: love."

Section 1.26. Of the Sum of Husbands' Duties.

Eph 5:25.—Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.

Husbands' Duties Most Pressed

From wives' duties the apostle proceeds to press husbands' duties. And he propounded to wives for a pattern, the example of the church, so to husbands he propounds the example of Christ: and [Eph 5:28-29] adds thereunto the pattern of a man's self, in regard of that natural affection which he bears to his body. Thus he added pattern to pattern, and does the more largely and earnestly press them, because husbands having a more honorable place, their failing in duty is the more heinous, scandalous and dangerous.

The apostle restrains the duties of husbands to their own wives, as he did the duties of wives to their own husbands. For though the same word be not here used which was before, yet a word of like emphasis is used: and as good reason there is that our English translators should have put in this particle own in this verse, as in Eph 5:22, for proof whereof read 1 Cor 7:2. Where [see Section 82] these two words are used and both of them translate own.

This I have the rather noted, because many who hold that a wife must have but one husband, conceit that a husband may have more wives than one: which conceit this particle own wipes away. All the duties of an husband are comprised under this one word: love.[4] Wherein that an husband might be the better directed, and whereto that he might be the rather provoked, the forenamed example of Christ, and of his love to the church, is very lively set forth: first generally in these words, even as Christ loved the church: and then more particularly in the words following.