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…

The third duty of Love is ^*mutual Concord and agreement, and to this purpose a condescending to the wife in things equal and fit. The Husband must not think that, because h the wife is to submit her will to his will; therefore he is not to regard her pleasure ⟨p. 42⟩and contentment: he may say,² That that liketh me, must content her: and there is an end. For thy wife is not with thee as a servant or a slave, but as ⁱa companion, as a ^kyoke-fellow, standing on even ground with thee, though drawing on the least side. A master may well make his business be done after his own mind, not regarding his servants pleasure, because it is his own business, not his seruant•. But it is not so with thy wife: thou art to regard her pleasure as well as thine own will: because the business is as well hers as thine. And surely as ^lLove seeketh the things of others, as well as a m•ns own: yea oft before a mans own; ^mit seeketh an other mans gain with a mans own loss: so ⁿit will make a man regard the will, and pleasure & contentment of another as well as his own, yea ^oprefer it sometime even before his own. And undoubtedly if thou lovest thy wife & accountest her one flesh with thee, the same with thy self; her pleasure w•ll be thy pleasure, her contentment will be thy contentment; thou wilt to account it: there will be no true contentment to thee, while thou perceivest discontentment in her: and therefore wilt not needlessly cross her, to cause discontentment to her.