contentment and continuance of Love between Husband and Wife is this That there ought to be free Communication of mutual kindness and conjugal engagements one to and with another that mutual Benevolence and Bond of Marriage-Love at times convenient according to the Law of God and Nature read the blessed Apostles Direction 1 Cor. 7.2 3 4 5 c. and that Law of God Leviticus 18.19 and Leviticus 20.18 and Ezekiel 18.6 These Rules observed This Marriage-kindness at fit times is one means to cherish and preserve mutual conjugal Love between Husbands and Wives when as the denial of this loving kindnesse is a dangerous occasion of Breach and Disquietnesse yea sometimes it may prove of separation and an occasion of Damnable sin if God restrain not by his special Grace yet a Bridle must be to restrain Intemperance in all Delights least excess destroy both Souls and Bodies That is a general Rule Phil. 4.5 Let your moderation be known to all men the Lord is at hand He is present to see all our Actions and to bless or punish according to our Obedience or Disobedience to his Commandements Thus you have a seventh Gold-link of Love The eighth followeth The eighth Direction or Gold-link of Love And this is That Husbands and Wives be careful of and ready to shew their love to each others Souls as well as to their Bodies or Estates That Husbands love their Wives as Christ loved his Spouse the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.25 26 27. or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Husbands ought to take care for the beauty of their Wives Souls as well as of their Bodies that they may be lovely to Christ their heavenly Husbands as well as to them Cant. 4.7 as the Spouse of Christ is to him The Husband which taketh no care for his Wives soul how can he expect that God should bless him with a good Wife The Husband should pray daily for his Wife as St. 1 Thess 5.23 Paul did for his Christian Thessalonians That her whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Soul is better then a whole World Mat. 16.26 What is a man profited if he gain the whole World and lose his Soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul What saith that great and blessed Apostle He that provideth not for his own especially for them of his own houshold he hath denyed the Faith and is worse then an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 And if it be a Duty to provide for the Body of his Family or Houshold then much more for their most pretious and immortal Souls if it possible be in his power and most of all for his Wives Soul which is his second Self and is or ought to be most dear unto his Soul That her Soul may prosper as St. John did testifie of the Soul of his Beloved Gaius 3 John 1.2 That it may appear he loveth his Wife in Truth and so God may bless her unto him for the good of his Soul Body and Estate And so likewise Wives ought to be studious and careful for the good of their Husbands Souls as well as of the health of their Bodies and Estates This is a means by Gods blessing for the preservation of conjugal Love and gratious affections for true joy of Husband and Wife by the Grace and Power of Christ John 15.15 Phil. 4.13 For Husbands and Wives ought to be helpers and means in their places of each others Salvation this St. Paul intimateth 1 Cor. 7.16 requiring cohabitation and dwelling together and he expresseth a Reason What knowest thou O Wife whether thou shalt save thy Husband and how knowest thou O Man whether thou shalt save thy Wife That is be an outward means of Salvation by good Counsel or otherwise by Gods Blessing taking care of the means of Salvation for each other to their powers As the Wives may be a means to win their Husbands by their good Conversations 1 Pet. 3.1 2 3 4. As St. 1 Pet. 3.7 Peter directs So the Husbands may win their Wives if they follow St. Peters Counsel Live with their Wives as men of knowledge giving honour to the Wife as the weaker Vessel that their Prayers be not hindred And this is the greatest love which is shewed to the Souls of each other and a work of high esteem and unspeakable benefit James 5.20 Let him know saith St. James That he which converts a Sinner from the errour of his way shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a multitude of Sins And thus may a Husband or Wife be helper and means for their eternal mutual happiness if by loving and wise carriage and deportment each to other they can win and gain one or other or both from any evil he or she is subject unto praying to God daily for a Blessing upon their good Endeavours This is a most pretious Gold-link of Love to preserve love and affection and happy peace and prosperity with Husbands and Wives during their lives Now I proceed to a ninth Gold-link A ninth Direction or Gold-link of Love in this Golden Chain of Love This is that Husband be an example to the Wife of Piety and Chastity Religious Love with care of Cherishing his Wife as the weaker Vessel especially in times of Sickness Weakness or other Infirmities as Christ was kind to his Disciples when they were troubled at the news of his Departure from them John 14.1 2 3. Let not your Hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in Me in my Fathers House are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And as Christ hath been to his Church and Children in all Ages especially in any sad Dispensation To speak comfortably as the Lord answered the Angel that spake for Jerusalem Zachar. 1.13 The Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words Or as Elkanah did to Hannah when peevish and spiteful Peninnah vexed her because she was barren And Elkanah said Hannah why weepest thou I and why eatest thou not I am not I better to thee then ten Sons I Sam. 1.8 And the wife ought to be careful not to provoke her husband by any unkind behaviour towards him but to be ready to shew her love to her husband in sickness and health and both to look to the example of Christ our heavenly husband The husband to love his wife as his own Body for he that loveth his wife loveth himself For no man yet ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it as the Lord doth the Church Ephes 5.28 29. Each followeth Christ his
27. And how odious such Marriages are to God you may find declared by the Prophet Mal. 2.11 12. And yet how many such are in the World Families where scarce a form of Religion is to be found Strangers from prayers to God nor Morning nor Evening Prayer to be heard although God reneweth his Mercies every Morning Lamen 3.22 23. and continueth his goodness to the Night Though he declare his most gracious Prefence with us Exod. 13.21 as it were by a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night although God hath been a Defence to their Tabernacles and they have dwelt safely by his goodness yet how many are there who little or nothing take notice of these daily Mercies or observe Gods goodnesse to glorifie him How far unlike are these in this to blessed Daniel Daniel 6.10 or religious King David Psal Psal 55.17 55. who kept acquaintance with God three times a day At morning and evening and noon day will I pray and that instantly and he shall hear my voice c. And therefore they are strangers from God when they should stand in need of his help and want that good which they might enjoy by keeping acquaintance with God of which Eliphaz doth witness Job 22.21 That gracious practice of secret Prayer which our Saviour directs unto Mat. 6.6 Thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut to thy door and pray to thy Father in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly How many spend so much time openly in vain that they have no leisure for secret Devotions to read and meditate of heavenly things which pertain to eternity or to poure out their Souls as Hannah did to God in Prayer 1 Sam. 1.15 Alas if sins of omission were the only irreligiousness or prophaneness in some Families it were lesse although for these men shall be called to an account at the Day of the last Judgment witness what our Blessed Lord and Saviour declareth Mat. 25.41 42. But their sins of Commission common breach of Gods Commandements witness little fear of God to be before their eyes What common swearing and taking of Gods name in vain forgetting that God threatens he will not hold such guitlesse that take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 or did men remember that of the Lord by the Prophet Jer. 5.7 How shall I Pardon thee for this thy Children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods Men yea Children would not swear so commonly by those things which they themselves will confesse are no Gods How difficult a thing is it to hire a Servant from amongst the common sort of People Read Rom. 12.14 Psal 109.17 18. And Mat. 5.34 35 36 37. James 5.12 but they are Swearers or Cursers or both and so Gods Name is dishonoured Children learn of Parents to be irreligious and this too often amongst the Rich as well as Poor I say but little of that common sin too often in greater Families inticing men to Drunkenness by that specious pretence of pledging Healths of Friends pressing men in Drink Read Hab 2 2.15 16. A dreadful Woe to such contrary to that Law and Practice of that Moral Prince King Ahasuerus that none should compel to Drink Hester 2.8 But every one be free to drink what he pleased a shame to men that professe themselves Christians I know in divers great Families there is civility if not a religious respect to avoid these sins But when these abound and men or women rashly unite themselves in Marriage what hope of constant happy Love to continue between Husband and Wife during life I proceed to a second Gold-link of Love between Husband and Wife The second Gold-link of Love that in choice of a Wife or Husband as respect is to be had for likenesse and agreement in Religion so likewise to equality or likeness of qualities and conditions as near as possible For as St. Paul adviseth not to be unequally yoaked with Unbelievers so he presseth his Counsel with a good Argument What fellowship saith he hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what Communion hath Light with Darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 So even right reason will instruct us and daily experience witness that contrary Dispositions of nature or too great inequalities seldom live comfortably together as Fire and Water will not agree the one exsiccateth or quencheth the other But like rejoyceth and delighteth with the like Observe this Rule then for this is a second Direction or Gold-link of Love to preserve Love between Husband and Wife A third Direction A third Direction or Gold-link of Love or Gold-link of Love followeth And this is That some fit respect be had to the age of the Parties to be married for a young man of twenty to marry an old woman man of above three-score or for an old man of fourscore to marry a young woman under twenty is not agreeable because one chief end of Marriage is in danger to be frustrate Gen. 1.27 28. which is Posterity to be brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord as Sr. Paul intimateth Ephes 6.4 Although it is more fit for a very old man to marry a young woman in hope of Posterity then for a very old woman past child-bearing to marry a young man Equality and conveniency do best agree together for the preservation of Conjugal Love between Husband and Wife and this is a third Gold-Link in this Gold Chain of Direction to keep and bind Love fast between Husband and Wife during their Lives The fourth Direction A fourth Direction or Gold-link of love or Gold-Link of Love in a marriage Union there ought to be likenesse and agreement of affection a mutual love and likeing of each others persons and qualities and a knitting and uniting of Hearts together in a right ordered and well grounded Love before the joyning of Hands on the Wedding-Day For where there is an Antipathy or contrariety of Natures or dislike of Persons or Conditions there seldome is a continuance of sweet agreement and satisfaction one to and with another and so Marriage proveth a Bondage instead of a sweet freedom in a happy enjoyment of each other in the Lord as St. Paul desired to enjoy and have joy of Philemon in the Lord St. Paul his Epistle to Philemon verse 20. in whom what we enjoy is a blessing by Christ whereas if the Hearts be truly knit together and united in Love as the heart of Jonathan to David 1 Sam. 18.1 who loved him as his own Soul the Love will be wonderful as was Jonathans to David passing the love of Women 2 Sam. 1.26 Although the love of good women to their Husbands hath been wonderful as Records of ancient Histories do witnesse at full I mean not a light unconstant passionate Love taken upon sight of Beauty or Riches or some such uncertain foundation which is deceitful
and vain as King Solomon witnesses First of Riches Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thy Eyes upon that which is not for Riches certainly make themselves Wings and fly away as Eagles towards Heaven They are uncertain 1 Tim. 6.17 and not to be trusted in And again the like for Beauty Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vanity But a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prov. 31.30 When a right grounded love in the fear of the Lord which is praise-worthy is permanent and will endure for life I know upon some occasions A prevention of Objection there may want time and opportunity of such a familiar Converse with each other which may be helpful to such a well grounded love as between great Princes who are constrained to Wooe and intercede sometimes by Ambassadors as Isaac Genesis 24 1 2 63. that religious Prince did by the religious Servant of his honourable Father Abraham I call Abraham honourable for he is stiled a mighty Prince Genesis 23.6 And this Ambassadour went to intercede for a Wife for Isaac This done by his Masters Command and no doubt with Isaac's consent who was advised by his Father in choice of his Wife as Rebeckah was by her Parents who willingly sent her with Abraham's Servant yet so as Rebeckah first was asked her consent also as you may read at large Gen. 24.57 58. Gen. 24. Thus religious Isaac walking out into the Fields at Eventide to meditate and pray Gen. 24.63 espieth his Rebeckah coming goeth on to meet her and bringeth her into his Mothers Tent and she became his Wife and he loved her Gen. 24.67 Thus a good choice with love and Gods blessing made a happy Marriage to both their joyes and no doubt to the joy of aged Abraham that blessed Father of the Faithful And thus you have a fourth Gold-link in this Gold Chain of Love I will give you but one Preparative Gold link of Love more A fifth Direction or Gold link of Love And this is That not only Parents consent and blessing may be had if possible as no doubt Isaac and Rebeckah had and their blessing And she blessed Rebeckah and said be thou the Mother of thousands of millions Gen. 24.60 and let thy Seed possess the Gate of those that hate thee But that by their Parents provision or thy own wisdom there be care taken that one or both have an estate for convenience and comfortable maintenance if not of great Riches yet to have what Agur prayed for Prov. 30.8 9. To be fed with food convenient least want of Necessaries occasion Complaint and that breed Differences and Love receive a Dampe and an Abatement and so marriage which should be a Merry-Age prove an Age of Sorrow Sadness and Discontent yea of Sin and wickedness sometimes for although the Husband taketh the Wife and the Wife the Husband for better or worse for Richer or Poorer yet if God of his free Grace in Christ give not a contentednesse of spirit and humblenesse of mind to submit to Divine Providences and to know and learn as St. Paul did Phil. 4.11 12 13. In every estate to be content Both Souls and Bodies may repent such Marriages and wish they had been wiser when it is too late Before God made Man and Woman our first Parents Adam and Eve and married them together He first made the World Gen. 1.27 28. and enriched them with Dominion over the Creatures Gen. 2.23 24. for their comfortable living in a married estate Gen. 1.1 2 c. He gave them plentiful Provision for them and their Posterity Gen. 9.1 2 3 4. as he did after to Noah Thus should Parents take Care for their Children or Children for themselves to preserve Love between Husband Wife during lives Thus much for pre-considerations before Marriages Now a sixth Gold-link of Love A sixth Direction or Gold-link of Love for a joyful happy life in a married estate is that the married Parties ought to labour for a daily increase of Graces 1 Pet. 3.7 2 Pet. 3.18 and to get assurance that they are both of them married to Christ Eph. 5.31 32. and have the Lord Jesus for their heavenly Husband and so be married one to another in Christ as Christ is to his Spouse the Church Hos 2.19 20. Happy is the Soul which is married to Christ Isa 9.6 He is an everlasting Father to take care and provide for his Spouse the Church Rev. 1.18 A heavenly Husband that never dieth but liveth ever to provide for his beloved Spouse for every Soul that is united in marriage to him Isa 54.5 He is a blessed Husband whose Name is the Lord of Hosts and our Redeemer Mat. 18.20 Mat. 28.20 a Saviour who hath promised to be present with his Church his Beloved to the end of the World And to deliver in greatest danger Isa 43.1 2 3 4. in fiery Afflictions it shall not burn them in watry they shall not be drowned There is no better yea none so good a Husband as Christ none to be loved so much as our heavenly Huband the Lord Jesus Therefore we ought to labour daily for a blessed increase of our love to Christ because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 And as we ought to be enflamed every day more and more in love to Christ So ought Husbands and Wives to endeavour truly to cherish increase and preserve mutual Love to and with each other as the Apostle St. Paul prayeth for his Christian Ephesians Eph. 3.17 18 19. that Christ may dwell in their Hearts by Faith that being rooted and grounded in Love they may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height of that love of God which passeth Knowledge they may be filled and satisfied with the fulnesse of God So Husbands and Wives being rooted and grounded in Love may be satisfied with each others Love as that wise King Solomon adviseth Prov. 5.18 19. I speak not of a meer carnal Love which will not make their Souls happy but of a right Conjugal Love between Man and Wife well rooted and rightly cherished which will make their Lives delightful and hath Gods blessing of perseverance in true love united unto it with joy to the end Cant. 2.3 Cant. 8.6 7. like the Love of Christ to his Church A Tree new set or planted may easily be plucked up again But if it hath taken root and be well grown it will abide both wind and weather and a true fervent Love many Waters cannot quench it as Solomon speaks of that Love between Christ and his Church it will endure during the Lives of the Lovers to their Rejoycings as being sealed with Constancy and setled in the Heart This is a sixth Gold-link of Love A seventh Direction A seventh Direction or Gold-link of Love or Gold-link of Love to enjoy happy
Golden Rule Mat. 7.12 to do to each other as they would be done by And if any unkindness hath been not to rest quietly untill there be a Reconciliation Sleep not untill they can sleep in Love and loving Embracements of each other say in any neglect of Love or in any occasion of Breach would I have Christ my Lord and spirituall husband so unkind to me as I am to my wife and may the wife say would I have Christ so unkind to me to forsake my soul or withdraw his love from me as I have done from my husband and so may the husband say in respect of his wife This mutual care of kindnesse is a precious Gold link of Love to bind love fast during life A tenth Direction or Gold-link of love The tenth Direction or Gold link of Love Husbands and wives must take heed their love be rightly qualified First let Love be without Dissimulation This is that Rule of the Holy Ghost recorded by the Apostle St. Paul Rom. 10.9 Secondly Let love be without Bitterness so the same Apostle Coloss 3.19 Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them Nor ought wives to be such to their husbands Love and Bitterness connes agree well together Psal 64.3 this is contrary to love to shoot out Arrows even bitterness or bitter actions instead of pleasant and lovely Sinilitude This is to mingle Gall with Honey or soure sharp Vinegar with sweet Wine it will make all distasteful a husband must not be like unto a Crab Orange or Lemon fair on the outside to the shew and soure and bitter within pleasing with sugared words abroad Sweet-heart before Company and of a froward and perverse Disposition at home or in private nor must the wife be so to the husband Eph. 5.1 2. but both walk in true Love as Christ hath loved us The eleventh Direction The eleventh Direction or Gold link of Love or Gold link of Love to preserve mutual love between husband and wife is mutually fidelity and faithfulnesse each to other according to the marriage Covenant they ought to forsake all other and keep mutually onely to themselves so long as they both shall live Yea they ought to be very careful to avoid all occasions of jealousies of or against each other and to hate jealousie as a most dangerous enemy except there be evident and sure ground of each others disloyalty and sinful Breach of the marriage Covenant The Jews were a very jealous People jealous of their wives upon slight occasions and often put their wives away with a Bill of Divorce for slight occasions and causes which did not break the Bands of Matrimony against which our Saviour speaks Mat. 5.31 32. Mat. 19.3 4 5 c. The Jews were so jealous That upon small suspition they would forbid their wives to keep any Company in secret with any of whom they were jealous and if after the wife was thus forbid before two witnesses as the Jewish Doctors declare if she was proved to be in secret with such a Maymony in misn com 2. See Mr. Ainsworth in Numb 5. one The husband brought her before the Magistrate and she was to be put to the Tryal of seu honesti by the bitter water of Jealousy which if she were guilty would cause her Belly to swell and her Thigh to rot as you may read in that Law for Trial of jealousy Numb 5.11.12 to the end And ver the thirtieth The Text saith That when the Man is free from Iniquity Mâ—ymoâ—y in Jotaâ— cap. 2. sect 8. the Woman guilty beareth her Iniquity Therefore amongst the Israelites it is said See Mr. Ainsworth in Num. 5.30 That no man which had himself been guilty that way could bring his wife to this Tryal The guilty man could not bring his wife to this Tryal of bitter Water Rom. 2.1 that is by this bitter water according to the Law of Jealousy afore But it is most certain That it is the duty both of the husband and wife to be careful by power from Christ to avoid all occasions of jealousy in both according to that Rule of God's word and Direction of the Holy Ghost by the Apostle St. Paul To abstain from all appearance of Evill 2 Thess 5.22 And that ancient Law of God Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind But thou shalt fear thy God I am the Lord. And pressed again by the blessed Apostle Rom. 14.13 Let us not judge one another any more but judge thus rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way I must avoid occasion of sin my self and I must not give occasion of sin to another nor of this sin of unjust jealousy to my husband or to my wife For many are the miseries may follow to husband or wife jealousie is the rage of a man therefore he will not spare in the day of Vengeance He will not regard any Ransome neither will he rest content though thou givest many Gifts witnesse King Solomon Pro. 6.34 35. And jealousie is cruel as the Grave the Coals thereof are Coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame witnesse the spirit of God Can. 8.6 This taking care to avoid all occasion of jealousy is a powerful means to preserve Conjugal Love between husband and wife But much more the Grace of fidelity and constant care of faithfulness each to other according to that sacred Bond of Marriage The husband ought to be careful to be faithful to his wife forsaking all other witnesse the spirit of God Prov. 5.18 19. Let thy Fountain be blessed and rejoyce with the Wife of thy youth Let her be as the Loving Hind and Pleasant Roe Let her Brests satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravished alwayes with her Love And the same Spirit of God speaketh the same again Prov. 6.23.24 25 c. The Commandement is a Lampe and the Law a Light and reproof of Instruction is the way of life to keep thee from the evil Woman which flattereth with her Tongue and from the flattery of the Tongue of the strange woman Lust not after her beauty in thy Heart neither let her take thee with her Eye-lids For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of Bread and the Adulteress will hant for the precious life Can a man take Fire in his Bosome and his Clothes not be burnt Can one go upon hot Coales and his feet not be burnt So he that goeth into his Neighbours wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent This sin of Adultery or Fornication breaketh the Command of the great God Who is a consuming Fire Heb. 12.29 The Law of that All-seeing every where present God Jer. 23 23 24. before whose Eye Prov. 5.21 Heb. 4.13 Mat. 12.36 Amos 4.13 all things are open and naked whatsoever we can speak do or think The command of this
4. 1 Sam. 1.15 nor poured out our soul to God like Hannah and therefore if any discomfort or disagreement have fallen out between us we may well thank our selves that we have not had wisdome and power to do better 1 Chron. 15.13 because we have not sought them at God's hand James 4.2 3. or not in a right manner for although thou God doest freely promise Blessings to his Church yet he will be enquired of Ezek. 36.37 and pray'd unto by his Children for his Graces or any the like mercies O therefore most gracious Father I most humbly intreat thee give 〈◊〉 me and my wife truly humble and penitent and contrite hearts Mic. 6.6 Isaiah 57.15 16. for this and all our former failings and give us wisdome and strength of grace for the time to come rightly to perform our duties to thee our God and mutually one to another whilst we live that so our Marriage may be a joyful and Christian-like merry-age indeed Prov. 5.18 19 20 21. to thy glory and our comfort to the end of our lives O then give us grace I most humbly beseech thee to fly all occasions of discord or disagreement that there may never be any such breach between us thy Servants as there hath been between too many Husbands and Wives in the World Let it be far from us upon any discontent unkindly to separate one from another 1 Cor. 7.5 except it be with consent for a time that we may give our selves to fasting and prayer and come together again willingly and joyfully as we ought to do And if either of us have failed in our Choice in not following the Apostles Rule to have been careful to marry in the Lord or any other Scripture Directions to have been considered better before hand 1 Cor. 7.39 for our comfortable Communion in Marriage I most humbly beg pardon for that which is past for the Merits sake of my dear Redeemer And now O blessed Lord give us thy heavenly Grace that we may follow the Directions of thy most holy word set before us Psal 119.105 and truly and religiously seek by all good means the eternal Salvation of both our Souls that we may be happy here and hereafter O give us wisdome to cherish love and increase it in one towards and with the other And let there be no bitterness between us in word or deed give us contentedness of mind with our present Condition 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8. Keep us truly faithful to each other according to our Marriage-Covenant in obedience to thy Command and fear of thy heavenly Majesty who art present in all places and before whose all-seeing-eyes all things are open and naked that we have done or shall do all the dayes of our lives Jer. 23.23 Give us I most humbly intreat thee Heb. 4.13 Prov. 6.34 35. Cant. 8.6 wisdome and power to avoid all occasions of jealousie that our hearts may truly trust one another in the Lord Numb 5.14 that peace and happiness may be our portion all our dayes help us by thy spirits grace to pray one for another and to seek thy blessing upon our selves and for our Children which thou hast or shalt in thy goodness graciously give thy Servants Gen. 33.5 inable us to bring them up in the fear and nurture and admonition of thee O Lord that they may fear and honour thee as their heavenly Father Prov. 1.7 Prov. 10.27 and obey us as is fit in thee our Lord as their earthly Parents that a blessing may be upon us and upon them and their Posterity to many Generations If it be thy blessed will bless I pray thee our Servants and our substance which thou hast or shalt bestow upon us It is thy blessing Prov. 10.22 O Lord which maketh rich and addeth no sorrow with it Be gracious I most humbly beseech thee to thy Church thorough the World Blesse these Nations and in them our most gracious King and his Royal Queen with his Royal Family and his Kingdoms with all Estates and Orders of Men in Church and in Common wealth Grant O Lord that Truth and Peace Zach. 8.19 Righteousness and Love with the Gospel of Peace may be a blessing to these Nations to Us and Ours to the end of the World if it be thy blessed will and pleasure Hear thy unworthy Servant most merciful God and grant that what I have asked according to thy Will and whatsoever else thou knowest necessary for this life or that happy life to come I most humbly beg them further in that Prayer which Christ Jesus hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. A special Closet or secret Prayer for a Wife to seek the Lord for her Self and her Husband and Family that they may have grace and strength from God through Christ to perform their mutual Duties to each other live happily together and enjoy Gods blessing upon them and theirs for ever O Most loving God Isa 63.16 and my most tender Father in Jesus Christ Thou art Love and thy holy Spirit hath witnessed that he who dwelleth in Love 1 Joh. 4.16 dwelleth in thee O God and thou in him thou who didst require by thy blessed Son Jesus Mat. 5.44 That we should love our Enemies Eph. 5.25 and much more our Friends Husbands their Wives Titus 2. and Wives their Husbands and those that are near related unto them Behold 1 Sam. 1.11 I thy unworthy Hand-Maid a woman feeble in devotion 1 Pet. 3.7 the weaker Vessel who standeth in great need of thy strength and the help of thy spirit of grace Rom. 8.26 to inable me to seek thy face Psal 27.8 which I should be fearful to do but that thou hast not said to the Seed of Jacob Isa 45.19 Seek my Face in vain yea thou hast promised they that seek thee early shall find thee O let me find thee gracious Lord this day Prov. 8.17 and find help from thee in time of need Heb. 4.16 Thou in thy most wise Providence hast brought me into the Covenant-Bonds of holy Marriage with my dearly beloved Husband Mal. 2.14 15. we have taken one another for better or for worse for richer or for poorer to love and to cherish one another in sicknesse and in health and to keep us faithful to each other until death separate us I find by direction from thy word that there are many duties both proper to each and common both to Husband and Wife which by experience we may find without strength of grace from thee in thy Christ our Saviour we are not able to fulfil our very Natures are corrupt Psal 53.1 2 3. and we are subject sometimes to fretting passions provocations and vain desires 1 Sam. 1.6 Isa 32.4 yea subject to rashness and rash anger peevish discontent Act. 19.36 Pro. 21.19 Pro. 25.24 contention and frowardness