humor and vanity For through such a base custome it comes to passe that one learnes of another and now he is thought but a peasent who declines not this lawful provision of the Church Rather those who be of fashion and wealth should thinke it their honor to submit to this practice that they might give the better example to others and so approve the warrantablenes of their marriage and stop the gap of privacy and of clandestne matches without consent of parents a world of sutes upon pretended precontracts and as much sorrow to parents who by this disorder are robbed of their children and cannot understand of their marriage till it be past revoking Quest 2 The second question is what is to be thought of the marrying by a minister The question ariseth from the difference of other Countries fashions in this kind In the Scriptures we see it was civilly carried and dispatcht by the Elders in the gate and now in some of the reformed Churches we see it s performed in like sort officers being appointed to take their names to booke them in a Record and so with a short ceremony to dismisse them Answ But in my judgement the practice of our church to do it by the minister is every way most convenient For by this meanes the publiquenes of the action makes the matter more solemne awes the parties much more both before marriage to carry themselves so as they may not be ashamed to shew their faces in publike to justifie what they had done And if there were liberty given to parties in this kind to marry upon their private contracts what a world of sinne might ensue as in some to live in a course of defilement and to abuse each others bodies at their pleasures in others to leave each others even after the knowledge of each other besides making of that vulgar which cannot be preserved too warily I deny not but that possibly some persons so marring might do it without direct sin against God but what 's that to the scandall which is occasioned thereby we must so looke at that we doe lawfully in it selfe as not forgetting our rule that we procure things honest before men Whatsoever is pure and of good report that we must ensue and so the peace of God attends us not else Many acts may be good in the doers conscience which yet are subject to the suspicion and ill construction of others In such cases a man must aske this of himselfe if all should take such liberty to himselfe what would ensue of it And this would checke his proceeding The Iewes as the writers tell us had a strange way of contracting couples to wit for the better securing of the match they permitted the use of copulation for once to the parties and and no more till marriage upon a great penalty But finding great inconvenience to grow hereupon as no wonder it did they forbad any such course of contract and who so attempted it if it were proved he was scourged with rods openly for reproach sake So much for this second Quest Now a third question ariseth upon this that in our former discourse I have spoken of a lawfull contract that is lawfully entred upon betweene such as are within degrees permitted So that it s asked here whether cosen germans may marry To which this I say that I observe of late time many more Divines to encline to the affirmative then formerly have dome and some of them godly as well as learned and not onely so but which I wonder at seeing such novell and forbidden things are too soone runne upon that they do write for it and have determined the marriages of some in this way contrary to the affections of some of the parties bearing them downe by the judgement and giving occasion probably of snaring their conscience after when the crusted sore shall breake out again But to the point First for my part I should much rest in the generality of that charge Levit. 18. 6. None of you shall approach to any that is neare of kinne to him to uncover their nakednesse I am the Lord. I demand what is meant here by kinne Is not it to be meant both of such as are near in blood and also affinity And is there not very great nearnesse in blood betweene the uncles son and the uncles daughter Tremellius as learned a Iew as most of our later Iewish writers in his Diagram upon Levit. 18. at the end is so bold as to take it for granted That as its unlawfull to marry the uncle or the aunt so the hee and shee cousin germans cognatum cogratam saith he and yet alledgeth no Text for it as if he would have the matter taken for granted And in the Annotation upon the 6. verse he saith thus Of thy kin that is of those who are specified hereafter or which by Analogy of comparison with them are understood And who are they In the end of the Chapter hee tells us in his first Corollary The marriages of Collateralls either by affinity or consanguinity are forbidden to the fourth generation Is not this plaine enough And he addeth There was no use of it that the Holy Ghost should name them the case is so cleare I suppose the testimony of one such Iewish Textman as hee should overweigh the opinion of many novell writers But say these men if the Holy Ghost had beene against it might he not have named it I answer yes if he had thought good out an argument from negatives prevailes not Rather the not naming it strongly argues the thing out of question The Text mentions not the nakednesse of the daughter in lawes daughter among the forbidden particulars what then may a father in law marry such an one I thinke not The second degree is included in the first viz. Not uncovering the daughter in lawes nakednesse Yet here is nothing but affinity by marriage of the mother and is it not as rationall that although though the uncle or aunts sonne and daughter are not named farre nearer of blood though not in the descending line but collaterall then they yet their nakednesse must not be uncovered because the uncles and aunts may not Tell me if the wives brother or husbands sister had not beene named expresly had it been a thing lawfull to meddle with them I thinke not If the uncle bee directly forbidden to marry his neece or the aunt the nephew shall not their children be forbidden to marry also being but one degree lower As touching the argument from negatives it is so weake that it is gone into a proverbe and might not a thousand absurdities be as well proved by negation Dare these men argue thus against a Sabbath of the eighth day because it is no where translated expresly from the seventh to be the Christian Sabbath Againe what is more common through the Scripture then for particulars not named yet to be included in their generals It was not expressed in
houre of temptation which shall come for a triall upon all flesh Hee shall uphold thee in six troubles and the seventh shall not come neere thee The floods of great waters with all those plagues which God hath denounced against these shall not come neere thee Be cheerefull in the Lord therefore and still thou and thy wife cleave and cling to him deny your owne wils and carnall reason and trust to his eternall strength buckle with the worke of God faithfully and walke in his ordinance humbly till hee come and then he shall bring healing in his wings at last and in the meane time hee shall cause a voyce to sound behinde saying This is the way walke in it Hee shall order your pathes resolve your doubts prevent dangers and so preserve the soules of his Saints that thousands shall fall at his right hand and ten thousands at your left you going safe in the middest and so be brought safe and well through all extremities at last So much for Comfort and for this first Chapter CHAP. II. More full explication in what the honour of marriage consists being the ground of the Treatise ensuing viz. entrance and continuance Entrance first in marrying in the Lord handled BVT because there be many more Vses to be made of this point ere I come to them I desire further to open this truth and in particular to shew what the honour of this marriage is and in how many things it consists Honourable we see it is by that which hath bin said but the question is How married couples may attaine this honour To which I answer by two maine duties First procure it Secondly preserve it Procure it first by laying the foundation of it in honour for as the root is so will the branches be either honourable or reproachfull seeke therefore to enter into that estate according to God and his rules And then secondly having entred well into it manage it well also nourish the honour of it carefully and warily for it s no whit lesse vertue to keepe well then to seeke aright and many begin with great shew of honour who yet end in shame Touching the former of these there is a double rule of the word first to marry in the Lord secondly to marry aptly in the Lord. This is the ground of an honourable marriage when as thou art content to be taught by him who first put honour upon it to maintaine it For the former to marry in the Lord is to use our uttermost discreet diligence to seeke out such companions as in charity and likelihood are either already espouzed to the Lord Iesus their husband by faith and in token thereof sit close to him in obedience or an endeavourer thereto that is such as are in a faire and hopefull way of inclining to it These two I confesse differ but be ware lest thou attempt any marriage in which neither of these can be perceived To open my selfe a little they that are indeed actually married to Christ have bin truely drawne to him by his Elezier's and spokesmen by whose embassage God hath treated with them about this spirituall union betweene himselfe and them They have well digested the offer and with Abigail when sent for to be Davids wife confesse themselves to be so farre from worthinesse to be his Consorts and to taste of his marriage contents and benevolence that they are unworthy even to be fellow-servants with his children doorekeepers in his house or to wash and wipe the feet of his houshold So vile God hath made them in the sight of their owne eyes shewing them by his pure Law the basenesse of that conversation of theirs wherein they have walked as the doore alway rolling one way upon her hinges so they alway living in the same vices soked upon their old dregs that hereby he emptieth them of themselves dasheth that pride and vanity which puffed them up before so that alas they rather thinke that he is throwing them out of his presence for ever then marrying them in faithfulnesse to himselfe By this humiliation they come to be further acquainted with his pleasure That even to such wofull ones who have defiled their fathers bed worse then Reuben yea defaced his image yet to these most forlorne harlots and children of adulterers he is willing to be reconciled yea to seeke them out as that Leuite did his concubine yea after just cause of Divorce Iorem. 2. 1 2. to admit them to his bed againe themselves seeking no favour but fleeing from him as she from her Lord. By this unheard of love hee hath broken their whorish hard heart and forehead of brasse melted them into teares to see his bottomlesse and causelesse compassions as Zachary in chap. 10. ver 12. cals them especially while they by rejecting or sleighting it yea shutting him out and abhorring his love deserved to have his heart hardned and love to turne jealousie against them And now they consult whether they were better perish in their desolate courses or venture upon his love for a second reconciling At length seeing his scope to be to get himselfe a name in turning an harlots heart as bad as Mary Magdalen to her husband againe a thing which no man can doe to an whorish wife yea to make her more loyall and tender to him then she ever was ere she forsooke him I say at length she is convinced and casting her selfe downe at his feet as one that is loath to dishonour that love which she so much abused with a trembling and selfe-despairing heart begins to touch the hem of his garment to apprehend him to speak as he meanes and so becomes one againe with him neerer in covenant then ever bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Striving from that second renuing of love towards him to draw mighty encouragement and resolution not onely never to be faithlesse to him in her conjugall affections any more but also to returne the fruit of his deere love into his bosome againe to walke in all subjection to his lore and will to delight in denying her selfe that so she may be wel-pleasing in his sight whether in doing or suffering for him Thus abiding faithfull to him in the uttermost service she can doe she waits patiently for his coming that he may finde her in peace and well occupied at his coming and then make her glorious and like himselfe without spot or wrinkle This is a short description of a spouse of Christ and a sonne or daughter of Abraham and such an one in measure more or lesse is each soule married to Christ and of such no question needs to be made but they are in this first respect meet husbands and wives for each other But lest my words prove snares to any who come short of these and yet are loth to be debarred from marriage I adde that there
transcendent The world is now a dayes become a great snare each yong one scarce out of the shell tickles himselfe with the proposall of great hopes to himselfe and telling him His fortunes are great and he may marry in so and so high a degree and what is so high but his hopes may equall And thus not looking at his base beginnings and unlikelihoods of any thing but puffing up himselfe with offers with conceit of his owne worth he growes to thinke the world too narrow to chuse in And never I thinke was the spirit of the male-sex so vast as in this age wherein the multitude of the female sexe and the contempt thereof hath brought it to passe that every boy new out of his prentiship values himselfe by the scores and hundreths although scarce worth a groat besides his occupation And the most men deeme none be they never so religious which in our Fathers dayes would have bin counted rich matches fair or good enough for him except beauty and wealth in an higher degree then common make them so In so much that except parents overstraine and halfe exhaust themselves to dowre their daughters be they otherwise never so well brought up and deserving they lye by as no body Quest But what will some say Doe you envie our lot to be better now then in former times or is it unlawfull to marry to wealthy ones and our betters Answ I answer If God lay out a portion for you without your politicke ambitious seeking and such an one as whose portion in grace equals her estate yea such as in judgement desire you for your religion although you are inferiour otherwise I deny not but friends consenting it is lawfull God hath brought such a vantage to your hands But what is this to mens covetous and proud desires As one once said of his second match I will now have a gallant whatsoever it cost me and so he had such a one as he fancied But by that time he had wintred and summered her a while his bladder was so prickt that he sadly wisht he had one of his former wives sise and fashion as plaine as he then thought her to be I conclude thus overweene not your selves when there is little worth in you to equall the meanest women or husbands but moderate your spirits and marry in the Lord. Nothing hinders but the Lord and outward meanes may concurre as the case may stand and then the question is ended But if it be so that a match of 500. pounds be offred with the Lord and another of seven or eight hundreth without him or at least without any apparent hopes of him what then shall be done I answer other conditions being concurrent in any tolerable proportion despise the greater offer and take the lesser counting the misse of thy gaine happy and the gaine of her grace with that losse more happy Buy thy wife in such a case if thou be wise and let it appeare that Gods oracles are no tyes with thee If her price be above pearles I trow thou who wilt not part with a little gold or silver for it art well worthy for thy betraying her for a little pelâ—e to betray thy selfe to sorrow and to have bag and baggage and all Tell me in what marquet couldest thou traffique so well as to game a pearle for a little silver doubtlesse thy silver would not recompeâ—ce thy losse if thou shouldest chuse it with a farre lesse bargaine The times have bin wherein the man was to bring a dowry to the woman though I think they held not long I am sure Christs marriage is such to his beloved thinke thy selfe to be the man and aske thy selfe if not what thou wouldest give yet what thou wouldest forgoe for a good companion I thinke the dayes were never so rare for marriages in this kinde as now and yet the sorrowfull fruit of the contrary should bring this choyce into date againe It s a custome we know for men ambitious to buy honour rather then want it yea glad they are if they can so come by it Do you so Marriage is honourable buy it whatsoever it cost you and be glad you can get it so Let bad customes be no prescriptions and set a good one against a bad Fourthly let the Lord be much solicited by prayer both ordinary and extraordinary for this blessing beg hard for it rather then want I said before pay for it and now I adde pray for it pay and pray too and thinke it worth it Let the Lord see that your soule is deepely in love with it and will not be denied seeke to honour him for ever for it and count it not every mans case and you shall see what answer he will make you If prayer will not get it try if importunity will prevaile come for a wife as she Mat. 15. came for her daughter and refuse any nay this is the way to get it God will grant it thee rather then be wearied and yet he loves it with importunity Either God will heare you or else give you a reason which shall satisfie you which I adde because I beleeve that exceeding good marriage were not good for some that seeke it it would puffe them up and hurt them they rather need exercising marriages But this know God will not part with his jewels so easily as not to be sought to for them this blessing is like to that Ezek. 36. which the Lord so promised to give his people as yet he would besought too by them for it Commit thy way to Iehova and he shall effect it If thy wife be to thee as Samuel was a sonne to Hannah a wife of prayer thou maist the more rejoyce in her and say with Iacob Loe the wife which the Lord in mercy hath given his servant To the pure all are pure each gift is sanctified by prayer else if thou doe onely light well by accident as Nabal upon Abigail she shall be but a dry morsell to thee without favour or favour thou shalt finde her as he did a snare to thee 〈◊〉 helplesse helper God depriving thee of the staffe of â—read the true good of a good wife not onely a dry pit but even an encrease of thy judgement It is said Abraham called Eliezer his servant in this weighty businesse of chusing a wife for his son Isaac bidding him to put his hand under his thigh a solemn adjuration for assurance that he would not chuse him an heathenish wife but one of Terahs family the best which then could be had though not as it ought beyond the river how much more oughtest thou to put thy hand under the Lords in this case of thine owne marriage vowing that if he will provide a Rebecca for thee and make thy voyage prosperous thou wilt discerne as reall a providence as Eliezer saw in meeting of her at the well Is there never a wife for thee
for their owne ends provide for their children such contentfull matches as they desire but that 's not their fault God must helpe or else they cannot with the barne and winepresse But yet in such matches as are offered parents must beare sway stroke with their children though it is not in their power to afford them such as they wish yet this must not cause them to give up their Authority to their children to marry as they lift against rules mentioned And that which I say of parents themselves I say of Father or Mother in laws Gardians and Tutors who by them or by the law are left to oversee and order the waies of Children not yet able to guide themselves yea although they be of such years and discretion as perhaps a parent at least a step-father might permit them to themselves Yet it were the duty of such a childe to take lesse rather then more upon himselfe and to advise seriously with them ere he finish ought whether he have been well guided or no about marrying religiously or aptly Some parents I grant have exceedingly wasted their Title and infringed their Prerogative for such is their ignorance and injudiciousnesse in such affaires having in truth never understood in any degree what their owne marriage meant much lesse are fit to guide others also many are so vitious and so debauched with sinne that they have lost all ability to advise eyther in this or in any other weighty businesse but yet neither are these to be despised but to be honorably handled and especially if they shall desire to see and judge with other mens eyes and braines their children are to yeeld therto as well as to themselves What speciall reports do the Scripturs make of that care which holy and wise parents had of their childrens marriages How did Abraham adjure his servant to goe to the house of his fathers to chuse a wife for Isaac How doth the holy Ghost brand Esau for matching without Isaac and his mother Rebecca their consent to the heartbreake of them How doth Isaac and Rebecca charge Iacob to meddle with none of the Heathens And if any prerogative might have exempted any then might Sampson a Iudge in Israel have beene exempt who yet was not for although it came from God that he should marry that uncircumcized Philistin yet he would have his parents give their consent Give me her and when they saw the way of God they ceased But til then they argued as parents should do what is there no wife to be chosen for thee out of any of the families of Israel but thou must seek among the Philistins Not so much as Hagar that bond woman but it 's said that she tooke a wife for Ishmael out of the land of Egypt as if the holy Ghost should take it as granted that none of the Church should question it If a sonne might not alienate his fathers goods without his consent there least of all himselfe I say the Scripture testifies from the beginning that this authority did reside in the parent from God God himselfe the father of Adam Luc. 3 vlt. brought Eve to him he did not seek her himselfe A great and leading ground to the point And this prerogative God derived to parents notwithstanding the fall and forfeit of Adam for ever See Deut. 7. 3. Thou shalt not take to thy sonnes any wife of their daughters Iâ—rem 29. 6. Give your children wives And Paul He who gives his virgin to marriage doth well c. Neither is it sufficient which Bellarmine the chiefest Papist of all who opposeth this truth in his 19. cap. of Matrimony and that out of the Councell of Trent Session 14. for most of other Papists do oppose him in it replies that this text onely implyes Marriages ought not to be made without the privity of parents for Gods charge doth not only shew what ought to be done but that else the Marriage is frustrate as appeares Exod. 22. 16. Where it is left to the parent to deny Mariage in a case of uncleannes which else urged Marriage Much more then in coole blood See also Numb 30. 4. If a parent might frustrate a vow to God much more a private civill act of his child to marry Neither is this meant as Bellarmine dreams of a Mayd under yeeres but simply of one under covert though of 20. yeeres old and so the Ebrew word Nagnar is taken Iob. 1. 19. and so another Iesuite upon this text confesseth a parent might frustrate any vow whatsoever See Gal. 4. A sonne differs not from a servant being under his father he can dispose of nothing in the house of his fathers goods without consent how much lesse himselfe who is the foundation of the family as in the Ebrew word Ban notes Another Papist Espencaeus in his booke of clandestine marriages professeth the like against Bellarmine in the last Chapter save one Heathens have constantly beene of this minde Gen. 34. Sichem craves of Hamor to get him Dinah Catullus Plautus Terence Latine Poets Sophocles a Greek one all both Comick and Tragique who speak the customes of their times do intimate the same One of them brings in the father distasting his sonne for a clandestine marriage thus Callst thou me thy father Needst thou me for a father Hast thou not found thee out a family a wife and children against my mind The sonne answers I yeeld up my selfe father to thee impose any task command me what thou wilt Wilt thou have me divorce the wife I have Wilt thou have me marry or not I will beare it as I may Justinian shewes the meaning of the civill law lib. 1. Instit Tit. de Nuptiis Then are marriages good when made by consent of such as whose power they are under it is Beza his speech in his Tract of Poligamy and Divorces Civil laws about necessity of parents consent are more knowne more cleere more holy then that any man can be ignorant of them can darken or can abolish them Paulus the Civilian in his Title touching the right of marriages saith Marriages cannot consist except all in whose power the parties are consent Hottoman a famous Civilian speaks the same in his book of chast marriages part 4. The Councel of Eliberis mentions the judiciall law of Moses confirming it If a Damosel have bound her selfe by oath or promise in her fathers house and he gainsay it it 's frustrate A Canon of Basil addeth marriages otherwise made are counted but whoredomes I conclude with Erasmus no Scripture no Testimony of valew can be alledged against this Truth If it be asked whether upon the fathers consenting the mother dissent from the mariage or contrary wise what is to be said I answer The mothers consent makes for the better being but the fathers for the being it selfe thereof for hee is the head of the wife and of the family Vse 1 This may be a
the fourth Command that a man might not gather stickes on the Sabbath day yet because in generall God had charged that no dressing of meat or bodily labour should be then done but all be dressed and provided before therefore the Lord commanded him to bee stoned by vertue of the generall Commandement And are not these weake bottoms for men to warrant their owne or other means marriages because the contrary is not forbidden when as that is forbidden which is if not further off yet full as farre It is objected that many of the Patriarchs did thus marry and are no whit impeached for it I answer if that be a reason then let us marry our halfe sister as Abraham did Sara for so hee justifies himselfe to that Abimelech yet in deed shee is my sister for shee is the daughter of my father by my mother in law Doe we not know how Terahs family after it came to Mesopotamia and subsisted there was farre divided from the other families of Shem and therefore straitned much in their choice Cursed Chams family they were expresly forbidden to marry in as being the nation which God would root out and give it the posterity of Abraham where then should they marry but within their owne narrow family And wee may well thinke they did as well as then could be done and made such a shift as they did for even those they married were Idolaters which was forbidden if it could have beene shunned but one necessity pardoned another better Idolaters under no curse then accursed Canaanites If they had had larger breadth had they so ventured But they much presse the example of Caleb his giving of Achsa his daughter to Othniel her coufin german To which I answer If it had beene as they say yet it was not in coole blood but upon a condition made in generall to any but falling out as it did it might have beene an exemption by an extraordinary occasion But the thing was nothing so for Othniel is called the sonne of Kenaz by the same liberty of speech which calls Christs kinsmen his brethen He was not the sonne of Kenaz Calebs brother but the son of his sons son so Tremellius upon the place Brother saith he that is one descending from his brother two or three Generations remooved Each Grandchild and each Nephew or sonne of Nephew is called a sonne by the phrase of the holy Ghost But I list not here to take off every objection I returne Put case I should grant them their desire that because cozen germans are not named therefore they are allowed yet methinkes there be abundance of things which prudentially might move men to forbeare these marriages First notwithstanding the long time that this Tenet hath possessed the spirits of some men yet we see the blemish and crock of it is yet unwasht out yea cleaves still and abides upon it The mindes of men cannot yet put it on as a garment fit for their back still it s a generally questioned thing among the most and even by such as are with much adoe urged to it by such as thinke they see further then all men yet scarse is the doubt exempt of out them but they stagger I make not this an absolute reason but a suspition and prejudice against it And why should any man chuse rather endlessely to beat his braine to evince a thing of so doubtfull truth then yeeld to the contrary practice which no man can doubt of Is it not wisdome to doe that which is safest Can faith and doubting stand together And can that be done without sinne which is not done in faith but wavering Surely the Plaister which men study to make for this sore is far too narrow to cover it Againe the scruple being unremooved what apudder doth it cause among Gods people especially what jealousie strangement and dislikes among the kindred We should aime at all communion not alienation Besides when God hath vouchsafed so great breadth and liberty who should strengthen himself by mixture of bloud and as Nicodemus saith going into his mothers wombe to be borne againe Not to speake of that observation that God hath not blessed it with such encrease or integrity of affection And it s not to conclude among those things that are pure and of good report And surely if this be a great reason of unlawfulnesse of marriage betweene degrees forbidden because thereby that naturall honour and awefull esteeme of parents and consequently of such as are neere of kin unto them is imbesselled and violated for what is more repugnant to respect and honour then the familiarity of carnall commixtion then I am sure the reason holds as well betweene cozen germans as others of kin for nature hath put as due and chast a respect of honour betwene them as betweene those who are namely forbidden in Leviticus But the former is avowed by many writers one whereof I produce Augustin his speech de Civit. Dei book 13. cap. 16. I know not how it comes to passe that there is a kind of naturall instinct in the modesty of man and that praiseworthy that to whomsoever he oweth any shamefast and chast honour for kindreds sake from the same person he restraines any marriage affection which even the chastity of marriage blusheth to violate Quest 3 But to proceed here is another question wherein doth a contract differ from marriage since that the substance of matrimoniall union stands in the contract what is there more in marriage it selfe or what reasons are there for the dissolution of the one which are not for the other Answ I answer There is great oddes betwixt the strength of a contract and the strength of compleat marriage For the strength of the former stands forcible by the private conâ—ent of the parties I meane this that although God be in a contract yet so as the parties which consented may also dissent when they finde that consent did hinder the private good of their married estate And so when it appeares that the one partie is unqualified for the other through many evills that break by after intelligence then they that made it may breake it But marriage hath a strength by publique consent of the law and the custome of men and therefore it s above all strength of private promises and admits no dissolution by private consents The union of contracted ones is an union of imagination or of affection so long as it s within such boundes But the union of marriage is an union of state and condition standing in right and law above all private affection If private contracts be broken off as they ought not without consent there is private satisfaction given to the parties but if marriage be broken off there is publique scandall given beyond all satisfaction The regard wherof tieth the hands of married ones behind them from all liberty of consent to dissolve the knot because as it concernes the body of the state to see sinne
blessing Looke about thee and see what objects God hath planted for thy bounty to be bestowed upon Thy wealth if it be a standing poole will stinck and baine thee If it be a streame it will be sweet and all the bulke shall be pure unto thee As in the Manna all had their due the plenty of the gatherer of much abounded to the supply of him that lacked By the decaies of others God trieth thee If when blessing comes in upon thee thou welcomest it with an evill eie saying This is little enough to pay debts this will do well to encrease my stocke this is for the clothing of my children I will spend this upon costly apparell for my wife and all that comes is onely for thine owne use and thou shrinkst up the bowels of thy compassion so much the more know this will destroy all as a Canker bred in a fayre apple No say thus This plenty will serve mee and God too part of this shall supply the defects of my faythfull Minister poor decayed neighâ—our such a poor widdow such poore Orfans poor Students at Vniversity hast thou such an heart to the poor members of Christ that no complaints may be heard in thy streets that thou and they may meete together and worship God with the more joyfull hearts that the Gospell and religion of God may be supported both in peace and especially in persecution It s a signe that God meanes to make thy horne full and thy winepâ—esse to burst with new wine well continue doe so still try the Lord if he will not requite thee Thy goodnesse cannot reach unto the Lord himselfe let it extend to his saints such as excell in vertue SeÌ„d thy treasure to heaven before thee cast thy bread upon the waters trust God after many daies if thou trust God it shal returne againe Many rich husbands professe religion but all their serving of God is no other theÌ„ the poorest ChristiaÌ„ may performe to pray heare conferre But as for the dutie they owe to God as rich men they cast it behind their backe They thinke that their workes should hinder their faith and so hoard up hundreths yea thousands together but do nothing till God by degrees wast and consume both them and their posterity as a moth and at last roote them up quite out of the land of the living Beware of this curse therfore Seventhly if any affâ—onts losses ill successe or discontents befall thee in thy course of providence by ill debtors servants children looke up in thine innocency with cheerfulnes to the smiter aswell as in thy gaynes Both are alike from him even to weane thee from the sweet milke of those brests which thou art loth to be weaned from to knocke thee off from hence and to prepare thy spirit for better welfare Bee patient Trades are as the sun which though it set over night yet returnes in the morning Iobs latter dayes after he had been tried prooved happier then the former And when both the mizer and waster shall both be left to want the Lord yet shall susteyne thee and thy faith which yet the world thinks will buy no meate in the marquet shall be such currant pay in heaven that it shall purchase thee abundance upon earth To conclude let all thy providence determine in this full point That hereby thine heart may rejoice thou and thy wife enjoying the fruite of thy travaile that thou mayst not be like to them that roste not that they got in hunting For what hath a man of all that sore travaile and labor which as a poore son of Adam he hath taken here under the sun save that a man eat and drinke and cheere his heart in the goodnes of the giver and rejoice in the wife of thy youth let her share with thee I meane not as Iob saith That he kisse his owne hande and magnify the Idoll of his provident head saying All this hath mine hand gotten nor that he soake himselfe in the Creature and set himselfe to looke upon the sun in her brightnes and the Moone in her encrease adoring the outward meanes and denying the Almighty this were Idolatry and Sacriledge No but quietly and thankfully praysing God and rejoycing as those Israelites were charged to do when they brought their first fruites in all which they put forth their handes unto Taking with a loving right hand that which God reacheth out causing themselves to serve him with a glad heart for all which the Lord hath don for them Better thus then as many do pursing and stopping up in holes corners in an ragge or in the ground perhaps here one debtor running away with an hundreth there another cheater with fifty or perhappes a theese digging thorough stealing as much in another kynd To the wicked God gives toyle and vexation of body of spirit more discontent then all their plenty can breed peace wheras the rest of the Righteous is sweet bee their portion more or lesse thorough the good will of him that dwelt in the bush added to their Providence See then that it be so that thou play not the block under all mercies so that neither a good day should mend nor a bad paire thee But first for thy outward condition proportion thine expences according to thy revenews as neer as thou canst keep downe thine heart and then its lawfull for thee to live according to thy meanes Cut thy coate according to thy cloth rather living at an under then an over rate as knowing its easier to fall then to rise and yet understanding what scantling God allowes yet better be a cheerfull dispenser then a base niggardly grudger at the use of what God hath given As the good woman sayde husband better spend it freely as God sendes it then knaves run away withall TheÌ„ for thy spirituall course let thine heart be doubly and trebly cheerfull in the Lord saying with her my Soule magnifies the Lord and my flesh rejoices in his salvation If I ought to make him my strength in the lowest adversity although neither vine should beare grapes nor the olive her fruit although there were neither Calfe in the stall nor bullock in the flocke how much more then when my pathes are anoynted with oile and my streames run full of butter and hony And so much if not too much for the answere of this question wherin providence standes Vse 1 I conclude all with use and first of reproofe for this point is fruitfuâ—l in unfruitfulnes first how many husbands are there who contrary to the vowes made to their wives in this behalfe at their entry upon marriage cast off this burden from themselves lay it wholly upon the weake shoulders of their wives In the mean while themselves bearing themselves upon the fidelitye or thedrudgery of the wiâ—e at home go abroad and open the sluce and floodgates of prodigality and
corruption cannot recover it by faith and this disquiets them the losse of a pig a chicken will vexe by consent because there is a worse vexer within But as wee know if a woman had found a pearle worth an hundreth pound shee would be overjoyed Christ speakes but of a groate so that if she should heare she had lost one of her goslings it would little affect her so if this faith were within the bosome the losses of toies the occasions of common anger in the family would cease That would change all as Christ calmed the sea And secondly for the life of it what gold is so precious as is the triall of faith Marriage is as full of troubles as a Crowne of cares Sorrow there is sufficient to each day to a womaÌ„ by name breeding bearing bringing forth many losses she meetes with false aspersions feare of debts wrong of ill neighbors and enemies deprivall of health her deerest children sundry diseases ill successes what were then the life of a woman under all these but miserie if she beleeved not in the son of God and hoped for a good end That although she cannot say All is yet she may say All shal be well when the houre of Redeemed ones is come This life of faith wil make the bush though it burne yet not to consume and will bring the Son of God to walke with her in the hot fornace who wil keep away the savor as wel as the power of fire from theÌ„ Therfore Sara and the widow of Zarepta and of Shunem and Rebecca are brought in as beleevers in that cloude of witnesses as well as Abraham and Isaac and Iacob So base is that speech of some Atheists that women must meddle with no faith but wrap themselves up in their husbands A fourth grace is Innocency and truth A compound of two in one The one is a brestplate of defence the other a Golden Girdle to gird all other graces of Gods spirit close to her These I grant are peeces or Armor for Champions but I understand my selfe to speake of women Captains and conquerors as I tolde you before and you know fayth is no effeminate grace though feminine but overcomes the world And why should a shield of Faith which serves to defend both the body and the Armour of it too go without a Brestplate and a girdle Debora if shee will go into the feeld shee must be armed and a woman is not free from assaults and perill shot and darts aswel as a man in this feeld of the worlde therfore must learne to put on this armour God hath no other for men then women though women must not put on mens apparrel yet they must be clad in the same armor of light That will make them shot-free The Emperor Charles the 5. went among the thickest of his souldiers and tolde his men That a true Emperor was never shot with a Bullet But I am sure of this That this Brest plate is armor of proofe An innocent hermelesse quiet woman shall not be ashamed to meete her enemies in the gates yea though it were of hell wheÌ„ things come to be debated her uprightnes and righteousnes shall deliver her Innocency shal be her defence against evill tongues abroad truth against an ill conscience within wheras the guilty and treacherous woman will betray her selfe and lose the day That very harlot true in nothing but that shee was the infants mothe â—by her truth escaped the swords censure A miescheevous woman or a woman-lyar who can endure And who would not go or ride a far journey to see this other warlike woman Those Heroines of whom story and Poëts so talke as Penthesilea and the like were not so gracefull a sight nor those Amazons that seared off one dug that they might shoot were no such spectacles as these women clad in innocency and truthe Their name is more fragrant then sweet oyntment and there is no dead fly to make it stinke A fifth grace is zeale and prety For the former it serves to make the woman a stirring housewife for God as Diligence makes her so for her husband Meeknesse in her own matters well becomes her who is earnest in Gods If a woman man would be hot and fiery let her turne it to God and for his cause and this will make her coole and calme in her own As bleeding on the arme by art stops unnaturall bleeding by fluxe so zeale for God cooles the heat of corrupt passion to man This grace becomes this sexe the rather because it argues truth of grace for else calmenesse of her frame naturally carries her to flatnesse and fulsomnesse It must be with a Christian woman as it is in nature with the female sexe of the creatures Nature hath put a fircenesse into the female because of the impotency thereof therefore the she Beare the Lyonesse are the most raging and cruell But grace makes that naturall impotency of the woman turne impotency for God as to provoke her husband with sweet affections for his servants and worship It was a great praise for the sexe that God would send his Prophet in the famine rather to try the piety of the widdow of Zareptha an heathen then any of the sonnes of Israel And it was the honour of those wealthy women Joanna the wife of Herods Steward and other the like to be the pious supporters of the Lord Iesus his body when hee had not whereon to lay his head And at this day if estimation be made God is as much if not more honoured with the forwardnesse of women then of men their nature being fearfull hath ever beene proner to superstition as in Ezekiel those women that wept from Tammuz those devout Grecian Gentlewomen stird up by the Iewes against Paul and where they are out of the way none are worse But grace overruling corruption turnes superstition into zeale and devotion into religion and then its comely Mens spirits are hardier doe not so easily feare Majesty tremble at judgemnts beleeve promises shun sinne love good as women so that when they are in the way none are better none sooner embrace the Gospell if it come a new to a place none more readily joine together in communion none more tender hearted to the distressed and such as suffer for Christs name God hath his women that wove scarlet and twined linnen for his Tabernacle as Manasseh had for his Idolls Oh! how sweet a sight is it to see these Votaries not of the Pope but the Lord Iesus who can thinke of that honorable Countesse of Richmond and Derby without admiration the founder of so many Colledges and Hospitalls I omit to speake of all whose praise is in the gospell wee have many worthy momen in our daies exceeding men in these pieties and zealous duties Oh goe on hold your daily entercourse with God! keepe quarter with heaven have your conversation where your treasure is and with that