First, Is a good wife such a special gift of God? 1Then is Marriage questionless a blessing, and no small one, of it self: one of the greatest outward Blessings that in this world man enjoyeth. tBlessed is every one, saith the Psalmist, that feareth God, and that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat of the labour of thine hands: happy art thou, and it shall go well with thee. Thy wife •l be as the fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: and thy Children like the Olive plants round about thy table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth God. In the first place cometh the Wife, as the first and principal blessing, and the Children in the next. And surely to reason backward to that the Apostle doth: uIf the root, saith he, be holy, the branches also be holy: and, If the branches, say I, be holy, then the root that beareth them much more. So here, If the branches be blessed, the root that beareth them much more. If Children be a Blessing, then xthe root whence they spring ought much more to be so esteemed. yBehold, Children and the fruit of the womb, are the gift of God, saith zSolomon. Children are the gift of God; but the Wife is a more special gift of God: she cometh ⟨p. 13⟩in the first place, they in the second: And gifts are usually answerable to the greatness of the giver. It was a witty answer of a great Prince, when he was disposed to be rid of a bold begging Philosopher: he asked a groat of him, and the King told him, aIt was too little for a Prince to give; he requested the King then to give him a Talent, and the King told him, bIt was too much for a Beggar to crave. And surely God indeed in his special gifts to us, is wont cto regard not so much what is fit for us to ask or to expect, as what standeth with his goodness and greatness to give.
First, Is a good wife such a speciall gift of God? 1Then is Mariage questionles a blessing, and no small one, of it selfe: one of the greatest outward Blessings that in this world man enioyeth. tBlessed is euerie one, saith the Psalmist, that feareth God, and that walketh in his wayes. For thou shalt eat of the labour of thine hands: happie art thou, and it shall goe well with thee. Thy wife •l be as the fruitfull vine by the sides of thine house: and thy Children like the Oliue plants round about thy table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth God. In the first place commeth the Wife, as the first and principall blessing, and the Children in the next. And surely to reason backward to that the Apostle doth: uIf the root, saith hee, be holy, the branches also bee holy: and, If the branches, say I, be holy, then the root that beareth them much more. So here, If the branches bee blessed, the root that beareth them much more. If Children bee a Blessing, then xthe root whence they spring ought much more to bee so esteemed. yBehold, Children and the fruit of the wombe, are the gift of God, saith zSalomon. Children are the gift of God; but the Wife is a more speciall gift of God: shee commeth ⟨p. 13⟩in the first place, they in the second: And gifts are vsually answerable to the greatnes of the giuer. It was a wittie answer of a great Prince, when he was disposed to be rid of a bold begging Philosopher: he asked a groat of him, and the King told him, aIt was too little for a Prince to giue; hee requested the King then to giue him a Talent, and the King told him, bIt was too much for a Begger to craue. And surely God indeed in his speciall gifts to vs, is wont cto regard not so much what is fit for vs to aske or to expect, as what standeth with his goodnesse and greatnesse to giue.
- 1Use 1.Vse 1.
- tPsalm. 128. 1, 2, 3, 4.
- uRom. 11. 16.
- x[Greek or Hebrew]. Hierocles de nupt. apud Stob. ••m. 2. cap. 65.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Hierocles de nupt. apud Stob. ••m. 2. cap. 65.
- yPsal. 127. 3.
- zIs enim ex titulo Autor videtur.
- a[Greek or Hebrew]. Drachmam dare non est regium.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Drachmam dare non est regium.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. Tale• tum p•tere non est Cynicum. Antigonu• Thr•syll• apud Plut. in ap•phth. Et Sen. de benef. l. 2. c. 17.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Tale• tum p•tere non est Cynicum. Antigonu• Thr•syll• apud Plut. in ap•phth. Et Sen. de benef. l. 2. c. 17.
- cNon qu•ro quid te accipere deceat, sed quid me dare. Alexand. apud Sen. de benef. lib. 2. c. 16. Idem Perillo amic cū ad silias lcand taleta quinquaginta assignasset, is autem decem sufficere affirmasse. [Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. in apophth.
