A bride-bush, or A wedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married personsA bride-bush, or A vvedding sermon compendiously describing the duties of married persons

9. It must be also matrimonial: We are to love our friends, our kindred, our neighbours, yea foreigners, and our utter enemies, even all men every-where: but the nuptial love of yoke-fellows, is a special and peculiar love, far more dear and inward than all, or any of all these. It is the fixing of their hearts in the good liking each of other, as the only fit and good match that could be found under the Sun for them. The husband must rest his heart in his wife, as the best wife that the world could have yielded him. The wife must settle her very soul upon her husband, as the best husband that might have been had amongst men for her. Thus doing, they should love perfectly; thus striving to do, they love entirely. They may lawfully think others better men or women, but none a better husband or wife for them than their yoke-fellow: for this were to admit the desire of changing, which cannot stand with true love. Who would change his Child with any man? Every mans own son pleaseth him best, though perhaps his qualities displease; so should the husband, so the wife. They therefore that are still upbraiding each ⟨p. 9⟩other with the by-past matches, which they might, or should have had, love not soundly, though they may smile upon each other. Marriage-love admits of no equal, but placeth the yoke-fellow next of all to the soul of the party loving; it will know none dearer, none so dear. And of this quality is the love we require.

9. It must be also matrimoniall: Wee are to loue our friends, our kindred, our neighbours, yea forreiners, and our vtter enemies, euen all men euery-where: but the nuptiall loue of yoke-fellowes, is a speciall and peculiar loue, farre more deare and inward than all, or any of all these. It is the fixing of their hearts in the good liking each of other, as the onely fit and good match that could bee found vnder the Sunne for them. The husband must rest his heart in his wife, as the best wife that the world could haue yeelded him. The wife must settle her very soule vpon her husband, as the best husband that might haue beene had amongst men for her. Thus doing, they should loue perfectly; thus striuing to doe, they loue intirely. They may lawfully thinke others better men or women, but none a better husband or wife for them than their yoke-fellow: for this were to admit the desire of changing, which cannot stand with true loue. Who would change his Childe with any man? Euery mans owne son pleaseth him best, though perhaps his qualities displease; so should the husband, so the wife. They therefore that are still vpbraiding each