Because I have spoken more 1than you can remember, if you ask me, what is most needful to bear away? In my opinion there is one saying of Paul, which is the profitablest sentence in all the 2Scripture, for Man and Wife to meditate often, and examine whether they find it in themselves as they do in other, least their Marriage turn to sin, which should further them in godliness. In the 1. Cor. 7. 32. it is said, The unmarried 3man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord, but he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. Likewise, The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord how she may be holy, but she that is ⟨p. 112⟩married, careth for the things of the world how she may please her Husband. As though their pleasing of God were now turned all to pleasing one another, and their carnal love had eaten their spiritual love, as the lean kine devoured the fat. Therefore it followeth in the next 4words, This I speak for your commodity: As though there were 5great commodity in remembering this watch word. All men have not the feeling of Gods word, or else such a sentence might be an anchor to all which are married, to stay them when any temptation goeth about this change, which Paul feared even in them which seared God before. If thou have read all this book, and art never the better, yet catch this flower before thou go out of the ⟨p. 113⟩garden, and peradventure the sent thereof will bring thee back to smell the rest. As the corps of Hazael made the passengers to stand, 6so I have placed this sentence in the door of thy passage, to make thee stand and consider what thou doest before thou marriest. For this is the scope and operation of it, to call the mind to a solemn meditation, and warn him to live in Marriage as in a temptation, which is like to make him worse than he was, as the Marriage of Jehoram did, if he use not Jobs preservative 7to be jealous over all his life. The allurements of beauty, the troubles about riches, the charges of children, the losses by servants, the unquietness of neighbours cry unto him that he is entered into the hardest vocation of all other:
Because I haue spoken more 1than you can remember, if you aske me, what is most needfull to beare away? In my opinion there is one saying of Paule, which is the profitablest sentence in all the 2Scripture, for Man and Wife to meditate often, and examine whether they finde it in themselues as they doo in other, least their Marriage turne to sinne, which should further them in godlinesse. In the 1. Cor. 7. 32. it is sayd, The vnmaried 3man careth for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord, but he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. Likewise, The vnmaried woman careth for the things of the Lord how she may bee holy, but she that is ⟨p. 112⟩married, careth for the things of the world how she may please her Husband. As though their pleasing of God were now turned all to pleasing one another, and their carnall loue had eaten their spiritual loue, as the leane kine deuoured the fat. Therefore it followeth in the next 4words, This I speake for your commoditie: As though there were 5great commoditie in remembring this watch word. All men haue not the feeling of Gods worde, or els such a sentence might bee an anchor to all which are married, to stay them when any temptation goeth about this chaunge, which Paule feared euen in them which seared God before. If thou haue read all this booke, and art neuer the better, yet catch this flower before thou goe out of the ⟨p. 113⟩garden, and peraduenture the sent thereof will bring thee backe to smell the rest. As the corps of Hazael made the passengers to stand, 6so I haue placed this sentēce in the doore of thy passage, to make thee stande and consider what thou doest before thou marriest. For this is the scope and operation of it, to call the minde to a solemne meditation, and warne him to liue in Marriage as in a temptation, which is like to make him worse than he was, as the Marriage of Iehoram did, if he vse not Iobs preseruatiue
- 1Conclusique
- 2A sentence for the married to think upon.A sentence for the maried to think vpon.
- 31. Cor. 7. 32.
- 4Gen. 41. 4.
- 5Vers. 34.
- 61. Sam. 1. 23.
- 72. Chro. 21. 6. Job. 9. 28.2. Chro. 21. 6. Iob. 9. 28.
