Marriage duties briefly couched together out of Colossians, 3. 18, 19. By Thomas Gataker…Marriage duties briefely couched togither out of Colossians, 3. 18, 19. By Thomas Gataker…

If nearness of bond therefore be a good ground of love; there being such a nearness between man and wife, as none between man and man can go nearer: it must needs bind the husband not only to love, but to love his wife with a love above all other love.

If neerenesse of bond therefore be a good ground of loue; there being such a neerenesse betweene man and wife, as none betweene man and man can goe neerer: it must needs binde the husband not onely to loue, but to loue his wife with a loue aboue all other loue.

To make use then of this point.

To make vse then of this point.

First, if a man be thus to love his wife, then the wife is no less to love her husband. For ^*Love, we say, is Loves load-stone: and there is the like reason for either. There is no action or affection so reciprocal as love; as between God and man; so between man and man. For example. If God be angry with us, ^*we are not to be angry with him again: ^*he may have just cause to be angry with us, we can have no just cause to be angry with him: If God hate us, yet we ought not to hate him: he may justly hate us, we cannot justly ⟨p. 34⟩hate him: if he show mercy on us, we cannot show mercy to him: we stand in need of his mercy, he hath no need of our mercy, for he is subject to no misery: If he be good to us, we can not be good again to him; for all