WORSHIPFUL AND beloved in Christ; At the solemn knitting of you together, was this Sermon preached by that worthy Servant of God, and our common friend, now with God, then first (as I have heard him say) performing that office that then he did. Which of late lighting upon, among other his loose papers, I thought it would not be amiss rather to send it abroad, then to suffer it (as it might soon perhaps otherwise) to miscarry and so perish▪ The piety ⟨image 22⟩and pithiness of the discourse it self seemed to require no less of me: that which any judicious & religious, I assure my self, will with me easily acknowledge. The rarity likewise of the subject the rather incited me thereunto. He treadeth a track not so usually beaten. Of Marriage Sermons, that entreat of Marriage duties, there are extant not a few. Such as handle the religious managing of Marriage Feasts, I suppose not many; I remember not to have seen any. It is that, that this holy Man of God doth here principally insist upon: and it is a point very necessary, and of no small use. For to let pass that gross abuse, too too frequent among the profaner sort, that esteem such meetings never well seasoned, or aright celebrated, unless filthy discourse anda obscene songs be as common as any ordinary service; as if they were not dealing with a sacred ordinance of God, but were about the sacrilegious rites of some impure Idol; and so, like the idolatrous Jews, that turned b Bethel into c Beth-aven, making a Brothel-house of a Bride-house: As also to pass by the brutish and swinish ⟨image 22⟩disposition of those that think there is no true welcome, nor good fellowship, as they term it, unless there be deep carousing and drinking of healths to Bride and Bridegroom, and every idle fellows Mistress, till the whole companies wits be sod drowned in drink, that not religion only, but* reason it self is utterly exiled, and the meeting may well seem to be rather a drunken match then a Marriage Feast. To let pass, I say, the palpable looseness and lewdness of such: even the best at such meetings are too prone by over-sight, and forgetfulness of their duty to over-shoot themselves, and to exceed that Christian decorum that in such solemnities ought to be observed. It was not without cause thate Job was so jealous of his Children, what time they held their mutual meetings of somewhat the like nature.f
WORSHIPFVLL AND beloued in Christ; At the solemne knitting of you togither, was this Sermon preached by that worthy Seruant of God, and our common frend, now with God, then first (as I haue heard him say) performing that office that then he did. Which of late lighting vpon, among other his loose papers, I thought it would not be amisse rather to send it abroad, then to suffer it (as it might soone perhaps otherwise) to miscary and so perish▪ The piety ⟨image 22⟩and pithines of the discourse it selfe seemed to require no lesse of me: that which any indicious & religious, I assure my self, will with me easily acknowledge. The rarity likewise of the subiect the rather encited me thereunto. He treadeth a tracke not so vsually beaten. Of Mariage Sermons, that entreat of Mariage duties, there are extant not a few. Such as handle the religious managing of Mariage Feasts, I suppose not many; I remember not to haue seene any. It is that, that this holy Man of God doth here principally insist vpon: and it is a point very necessarie, and of no small vse. For to let passe that grosse abuse, too too frequent among the prophaner sort, that esteeme such meetings neuer well seasoned, or aright celebrated, vnlesse filthy discourse anda obscene songs be as common as any ordinarie seruice; as if they were not dealing with a sacred ordinance of God, but were about the sacrilegious rites of some impure Idoll; and so, like the idolatrous Iewes, that turned b Bethel into c Beth-aven, making a Brothel-house of a Bride-house: As also to passe by the brutish and swinish ⟨image 22⟩disposition of those that thinke there is no true welcome, nor good fellowship, as they tearme it, vnlesse there be deepe carousing and drinking of healths to Bride and Bridegroome, and euery idle fellowes Mistris, till the whole companies wits be sod drownd in drinke, that not religion onely, but* reason it selfe is vtterly exiled, and the meeting may well seeme to be rather a drunken match then a Mariage Feast. To let passe, I say, the palpable loosenes and lewdnes of such: euen the best at such meetings are too prone by ouer-sight, and forgetfulnes of their dutie to ouer-shoot themselues, and to exceed that Christian decorum that in such solemnities ought to be obserued. It was not without cause thate
- aQualia fuerunt veterum quorundā Epithalamia: & Jescenini versus de quibus Festus & Seruius ad Aen. l. 7. non, ut illi, ab opido Campano; nec à fascino, credo, depellendo sic dicti; sed à fascino, quod obscoenitatis notio•em habeat apud Horat. epod. 8. & Varro orig. lib. 6.Qualia fuerunt veterum quorundā Epithalamia: & Iescenini versus de quibus Festus & Seruius ad Aen. l. 7. non, vt illi, ab opido Campano; nec à fascino, credo, depellendo sic dicti; sed à fascino, quod obscoenitatis notio•em habeat apud Horat. epod. 8. & Varro orig. lib. 6.
- d[Greek or Hebrew]. Synes. de insom. Mergit mentē extrema potatio. Sen. ep. 12. Unde [Greek or Hebrew] dixit Pythagoras; [Greek or Hebrew] Chrysippus; Ebrietatē insaniam voluntariam Augustinus ad sacr. virg. & Basilius Ebriū [Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Synes. de insom. Mergit mentē extrema potatio. Sen. ep. 12. Vnde 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 dixit Pythagoras; 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Chrysippus; Ebrietatē insaniam voluntariam Augustinus ad sacr. virg. & Basilius Ebriū 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. quod de Ira. nescio quis apud Plut.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. quod de Ira. nescio quis apud Plut.
- eJob 1. 5.Iob 1. 5.
- fEccles. 11. 7, 10.
