A20559:559
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This then must be the first care if one have been a fornicator to repent for that. But if one have not yet, he must keep ⟨p. 55⟩and observe this second rule. Every married person must labour for pure and fervent love to his yoke-fellow. As Prou. 5. He wills men not to follow after the strange woman, but how shall I choose? he answers in 18. verse. Rejoice in thy wife of thy youth, and delight in her love continually. If married persons get fervent and pure love one to another, this will keep them safe, for it is not having of a wife, but the loving of her that makes a man live chastely, and it is not the having, but the loving of an husband that preserves a woman from whoredom, but if she have him, and yet hate him, and despise him, she is in danger every day, to be defiled. Fervent love then must be sought for. Not such as flesh can yield; for the nature of flesh is, as to be fond before, so to be ready after to find occasions and jars, and dislike, but it is a gift of God, and a spark that comes from heaven, and hath this virtue to make a man live chastely. But now if one will say, Adultery? Sure I will never be an adulterer, yet for all that he cares not for his own wife, but contemns and despiseth her, he hath no warrant to say so: nay he takes the next way to bring himself into the snares of adultery, by this first breach of the bond of marriage, in that he doth not love his wife.
This then must be the first care if one haue beene a fornicator to repent for that. But if one haue not yet, he must keepe ⟨p. 55⟩and obserue this second rule. Euerie married person must labour for pure and feruent loue to his yoake-fellow. As Prou. 5. He wils men not to follow after the straunge woman, but how shall I chuse? he answeres in 18. verse. Reioyce in thy wife of thy youth, and delight in her loue continually. If married persons get feruent and pure loue one to another, this will keepe them safe, for it is not hauing of a wife, but the louing of her that makes a man liue chastly, and it is not the hauing, but the louing of an husband that preserues a woman from whoredome, but if she haue him, and yet hate him, and dispise him, she is in danger euerie day, to be defiled. Feruent loue then must be sought for. Not such as flesh can yeeld; for the nature of flesh is, as to be fond before, so to be readie after to finde occasions and iarres, and dislike, but it is a gift of God, and a sparke that comes from heauen, and hath this vertue to make a man liue chastly. But now if one will say, Adulterie? Sure I will neuer be an adulterer, yet for all that he cares not for his own wife, but contemnes and dispiseth her, he hath no warrant to say so: nay he takes the next way to bring himselfe into the snares of adulterie, by this first breach of the bond of marriage, in that he doth not loue his wife.