Two marriage sermons the former on Prov. 19. 14. By Thomas Gataker B. of…Tvvo mariage sermons the former on Prov. 19. 14. By Thomas Gataker B. of…

To make some Use of these Points.

First,¹ Is a good wife such a special gift of God? then is Marriage questionless a Blessing, and no small one, of it self: one of the greatest outward Blessings ⟨p. 10⟩[…] ⟨p. 11⟩[…] ⟨p. 12⟩that in this world man enjoyeth.^e Blessed 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 shall 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:^f If 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^g the root whence they spring ought much more to be so esteemed.^h Behold, Children and the fruit of the womb, are the gift of God, saith ⁱSolomon. Children are the gift of God; but the Wife is a more special gift of God: she cometh 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,