A care-cloth

The holiness and good conditions of a companion, are ten times more available for the comfort of those, with whom he must converse, then the colour of his skin, or stuffing of his purse. He or she shall live worse than poorly, that liveth with a rich Nabal. Parents, destroy not your children, by matching them to miserable riches. Young men and women, destroy not your selves, by seeking a good outside, but let both parents and children judge, as God judgeth, and follow his counsel, that saith, Not the rich, not the fair, but, The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour. He takes the best course, to gain content in marriage, that chooseth not the finest body, the sweetest face, the greatest state, the largest portion, but the holiest heart, the richest soul, the beautifullest spirit, and the most virtuous man or woman. This is the foundation of welfare in marriage; lay this at first, thou canst never else rear up a comfortable building. Secondly, in other things (if with the former it may be), an equal yoke-fellow would be taken, of due proportion in state, birth, age, education, and the like, not much under, not much over, but fit and correspondent. Those matches do seldom prove but uncomfortable, where this rule is not observed. The rich and noble will likely despise, or set light by the poorer and meaner: so will younger do the ⟨p. 74⟩aged; and there is nothing but misery in marriage, if the yoke-fellows neglect one another. David was hardly drawn to be a Kings son in Law, being himself a mean man in Israel. His wisdom made him not hasty to over-prefer himself. Disproportioned marriages are seldom made, but out of sinister and corrupt intentions, and such intentions do never, almost, fail, to bring wretchedness to such, as are led by them. God himself hath set us the best copy of marriage that can be: he made Eve meet for Adam; she answered him, and he her in age, birth, and all things: he shall speed best, that follows nearest, this first president of Matrimony. We cannot have a wiser counsellor, then the Author of all wisdom; and he is surely deceived, that thinks to do better then God. Take therefore a yoke-fellow meet for thee; for the agreement of the married folk, is the best help against all troubles, and this is the surest way to procure agreement.

The holinesse and good conditions of a companion, are ten times more auaileable for the comfort of those, with whom he must conuerse, then the colour of his skin, or stuffing of his purse. He or she shal liue worse thē poorely, that liueth with a rich Nabal. Parents, destroy not your children, by matching them to miserable riches. Young men and women, destroy not your selues, by seeking a good outside, but let both parents and children iudge, as God iudgeth, and follow his counsell, that saith, Not the rich, not the faire, but, The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour. He takes the best course, to gaine content in marriage, that chuseth not the finest body, the sweetest face, the greatest state, the largest portion, but the holiest heart, the richest soule, the beautifullest spirit, and the most vertuous man or woman. This is the foundation of welfare in marriage; lay this at first, thou canst neuer else reare vp a comfortable building. Secondly, in other things (if with the former it may bee), an equall yoke-fellow would be taken, of due proportion in state, birth, age, education, and the like, not much vnder, not much ouer, but fit and correspondent. Those matches doe seldome proue but vncomfortable, where this rule is not obserued. The rich and noble will likely despise, or set light by the poorer and meaner: so will younger doe the