1First, Conjugal, betwixt Husband and Wife; and the great duty incumbent upon them is mutual love, in which many are deficient, and many are excessive, it being hard for such to let out their affections one to another so much as God commands, and no more than God allows; and both these extremes will terrify conscience when such come to dye. And this sin is more usually seen when death hath broken this Relation, than while God continueth them together; the Survivor then seeth he did not love his Wife, and the Wife, her Husband, with that degree of love as that Relation called for, or with a greater degree than was pleasing unto God, when the love of this Relation did diminish the love they should have to God: And how many breaches hath God made in this Relation to punish the sin of both extremes? It may be thy love was Immoderate, and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee: Or it may be thy love was deficient, and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee. When thou w•st sick, and thou thoughtest thou shouldest have died, did not thy Conscience then accuse▪ thee for one of these in thy Relation? And yet hath God spared thee and thy Wife, or thee and thy Husband, then what conscience did reproach thee for in this particular, if thou wouldst answer Gods mercy in sparing of thee, let this be reformed. There are many this day may be lamenting not so much the loss of this Relation, as that they did not walk suitably in this Relation while they were in ⟨p. 193⟩it, this being the sting of their affliction. Oh! methinks such as God hath continued in a Conjugal Relation in this time of great Mortality, should look upon themselves now more engaged to perform their mutual duties with more care and conscience than before. Such a one hath buried his Wife, and such a one hath buried her Husband, but God hath preserved you in your Relation, you cannot live answerably for this mercy but in a better discharge of your mutual duties. How would you wish you had loved your Relation, Wife or Husband, if God had taken either away by death, so do now when God continueth you both in life.
1First, Conjugal, betwixt Husband and Wife; and the great duty incumbent upon them is mutu•l love, in which many are deficient, and many are excessive, it being hard for such to let out their affections one to another so much as God commands, and no more than God allows; and both these extreams will terrisie conscience when such come to dye. And this sin is more usually seen when death hath broken this Relation, than while God continueth them together; the Surviver then seeth he did not love his Wife, and the Wife, her Husband, with that degree of love as that Relation called for, or with a greater degree than was pleasing unto God, when the love of this Relation did diminish the love they should have to God: And how many breaches hath God made in this Relation to punish the sin of both extreams? It may be thy love was Immoderate, and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee: Or it may be thy love was deficient, and therefore God hath taken thy Relation from thee. When thou w•st sick, and thou thoughtest thou shouldest have died, did not thy Conscience then accuse▪ thee for one of these in thy Relation? And yet hath God spared thee and thy Wife, or thee and thy Husb•nd, then what conscience did reproach thee for in this particular, if thou wouldst answer Gods mercie in sparing of thee, let this be reformed. There are many this day may be lamenting not so much the loss of this Relation, as that they did not walk sutablie in this Relation while they were in ⟨p. 193⟩it, this being the sting of their affliction. Oh! methinks such as God hath continued in a Conjugal Relation in this time of great Mortality, should look upon themselves now more engaged to perform their mutual duties with more care and conscience than before. Such a one hath buried his Wife, and such a one hath buried her Husband, but God hath preserved you in your Relation, you cannot live answerablie for this mercie but in a better discharge of your mutual duties. How would you wish you had loved your Relation, Wife or Husband, if God had taken either away by death, so do now when God continueth you both in life.
- 1Duties of husbands & wives, whom God hath spared in this Plague.
