Right lovely and beloved in Christ;1 give me leave to include you both in one Dedication, whom hearty love and affection hath conjoined together, and whom Gods ••ne ordinance hath made one. At the time of […] ••l•mne knitting of you together, there was […] important considerations a duty […] absolutely necessary, yet at ⟨image 3⟩such times not unseasonable. To supply that defect, I make bold now to present you with some passages of such a subject, as it is like, had then been handled, if opportunity had served. They are raw notes of a Sermon long since made on the like occasion: Which finding by me, and willing to embrace any opportunity of expressing my love there in any degree, where I justly owe so great a measure, I suddenly revised and prepared them for the pres•e. And albeit, in the revising of them I observed some defects, and could well have been content to have taken further time and pains for the better polishing, and the more orderly digesting of them, as also for the special applying of them to your selves, to whom now they are addressed: yet I supposed it would be much more convenient and behoovefull, without further delay, while the occasion is yet fresh, to present you with them as they are, that they might salute a New-married Couple at the entering in of the New-year. An exact treatise, or large discourse of Marriage Duties ⟨image 3⟩(though the Title be such) I hope they will not expect, that shall understand that they have here but the Substance of one Sermon, delivered, when it was, within the compass of little more then an hour, and upon the recollecting of my Meditations afterward, at the request of some, not much enlarged. And though I doubt not but you may meet with many profitable Treatises of the like Argument, yet I was desirous you should have somewhat thereof from my self. The truth of God, I wot well, is the same, and deserveth all due regard, by whomsoever it is delivered. But yet there is some efficacy added to it, when it is brought us by those whom we specially affect, and of whom we are persuaded that they do likewise in special manner affect us. Of this mutual affection between you both and my self, as there is in divers respects very great and just ground, so, I hope, there is no doubt at all made on either side of it.
RIght louely and beloued in Christ;1 giue me leaue to include you both in one Dedication, whome heartie loue and affection hath conioyned togither, and whome Gods ••ne ordinance hath made one. At the time of 〈…〉 ••l•mne knitting of you togither, there was 〈…〉 important considerations a dutie 〈…〉 absolutely necessarie, yet at ⟨image 3⟩such times not vnseasonable. To supply that defect, I make bold now to present you with some passages of such a subiect, as it is like, had then beene handled, if opportunitie had serued. They are raw notes of a Sermon long since made on the like occasion: Which finding by mee, and willing to imbrace any opportunitie of expressing my loue there in any degree, where I iustly owe so great a measure, I suddainly reuised and prepared them for the pres•e. And albeit, in the reuising of them I obserued some defects, and could well haue beene content to haue taken further time and paines for the better polishing, and the more orderly digesting of them, as also for the speciall applying of them to your selues, to whome now they are addressed: yet I supposed it would bee much more conuenient and behoouefull, without further delay, while the occasion is yet fresh, to present you with them as they are, that they might salute a New-married Couple at the entring in of the New-yeere. An exact treatise, or large discourse of Marriage Duties ⟨image 3⟩(though the Title be such) I hope they will not expect, that shall vnderstand that they haue here but the Substance of one Sermon, deliuered, when it was, within the compasse of little more then an houre, and vpon the recollecting of my Meditations afterward, at the request of some, not much enlarged. And though I doubt not but you may meete with many profitable Treatises of the like Argument, yet I was desirous you should haue somewhat thereof from my selfe. The truth of God, I wot well, is the same, and deserueth all due regard, by whomsoeuer it is deliuered. But yet there is some efficacie added to it, when it is brought vs by those whome we specially affect, and of whome we are perswaded that they doe likewise in speciall manner affect vs. Of this mutuall affection betweene you both and my selfe, as there is in diuers respects very great and iust ground, so, I hope, there is no doubt at all made on either side of it.
- 1•ungat Epistola, quos •unxit coniugium: imo charta non dividat, quos Chris• nec•it amor. Hi• ton. fere prefat, in Proverb.
