which can turne your swordes into mattocks and speares into plowshares who can make the oxe and the lyon the beare and the lambe to feed together that is take out your felnesse and put into you an heart of Amity and consent Then shall you bee another while for the honor of that Ordinance with equall endeavors which all this while you have so reproched Vse 3 And thirdly let it bee admonition unto both parties and first let mee say this Enter not into marriage in a confidence of your owne strength when couples first meete together youth strength and carnall Confidence upon their owne meanes with fleshly content each in other makes them dreamâ— of a dry summer and thinke I shall not be mooved It wilâ—e alway hony moone with me as if the bitternes of an unquiet heart were passed away But poore soules you know no more your owne spirits then Hazaël did when hearing the Prophet telling what a cruell wretch he should proove he asked Am I a dog to do such things You dawb with untempered morter which will fall off in frosty wether But when experience hath schooled you and shewed you the discontents of marriage and with what bitter ingredients sin hath poysoned your hoped successes wheÌ„ husband prooves an unthrift wife an ill housewife businesse in the world crosse and left-handed when also cares feares losses charge of children sorrowes of the wombe and nursery bad children debts and straits come upon you at once none wherof you have grace to prevent oh then you see that your first merry meeting will not beare off all assaults And yet what should I speake of such things when a base heart in the middest of all contrary mercies pamperd with the creature but wickedly proud and unthankful can and oftner doth cause this woe to couples more then all adversity Oh this canker growes out of blessing oftner then affliction wherfore enter this estate with selfdeniall humble your selves bee as Ephraim who was as an heifer unused to the yoke but after he repented and smote upon his thigh Do you so beforehand and beg armor of God for the hardest bost not of the best ere you put off your harnesse the best will alway save it selfe Secondly know this That although the Lord should free you from such disasters yet marriage of it selfe without speciall grace will try of what mettall you are made Even meer continuance of time Custome and usuall society will by corruption procure a fulsomenesse satiety yea a wearinesse of each other Acknowledge therfore that this frame of your marriage will not stand alone it needes daily props to keep off an impatieÌ„t spirit For why The meer spirit that is in you lusts to envie enclines to crossenes elvishnesse and self willednesse of spirit when as yet there is no vexation without to cause it What need is there then to ply the Lord with prayer for the sweet uniting of your spirits and calming of your hearts That the peace of God passing understanding may fence or as the word is beleaguer and hemme in your soules or as a garison keepes a towne safe may preserve them with the knowledge of God and possesse them in patience Alas let all your whetting and provoking each other be reflected backe upon your owne selves fret with indignation against the Roote within purge out that leaven and then your hard hearts shall melt into teares for each other spend your time of jarring in prayer and earnest request to God for mercy and pardon That he would take off your rough edge and make you polished and squared stones to couch in the wall of this building which before could lye no way Oh! the Lord for ought you know may make you blessed meanes of each others conversion that you may blesse him that ever you met who so oft have cursed your owne eyes for seeing each other Let the fruite bee as God will sure I am the crosse of an uncomfortable yoake should perswade you rather to spend all your life in prayer then in Rebellion For its better if it must be so that God delay your desires whiles you are praying then whiles you are sinning and stopping the course of prayer Thirdly put on the Lord Iesus and he shall so furnish you that you shall not need to take any more thought how to fulfill your base lustes any more Put him on in his long suffering meeknesse bowels of compassion as the Apostle speaks which will not only prevent those evills of an unquiet and unsavory spirit through a well a payde heart but also will teach you to beare and lie under your Crosse and to bee as God will have you to bee Fight not against God but put on the Armour of peace as a Brestplate to beare off all the darts of distempers If the Lord will not be entreated one way ply him another Remember an heart armed with holy Resolution in this kynd is shot free and able to conquer a city The patient in spirit is better then the hasty and the end of a thing is better then the beginning Patience carryes with it halfe a release it is as it were boot in beame If then thy wife and thine husband cannot be wonne to consent yet if thou canst possesse thine owne spirit thou shalt conquer hers The best victories are by yeelding in this kind Strange is the nature of a quiet spirit it must prevaile at last because it will wayt till it have no nay But especially it hath this power in it to quench any fiery dart far better then any resistance and wrath If Cannon shot light upon the Wool-packe it loseth his force but if upon a stone wall it batters it to peeces and a soft answer puttes away wrath Bring Iesus into this ship he will allay all the waves bring this Arke into the campe of debate and it will make all whist and quiet when the Whirlewind ariseth suddenly from the heart of an unquiet man or woman and like to that tempest Iob 1. assaults every corner of the house to ruine it yet if this spirit of a soft voyce encounter it all wil be soft and calme on the sudden The cause why the house of Jobs children fell downe was because it was such a wynde as beset on every syde So it will fare with thee If when one wynd is arisen in the house theÌ„ by by another be up in the other corner to resist it woe to that house Then is the season of thy Calme O husband when thy wives heart is up in heat and then of thy quiet hert ô wife when thy husband fumes storms But if both be up at once be thou ô man the wiser and say It s now out of season for mee to meddle Else thou wilt throw downe thine house and destroy thine own peace The second blow makes the fray therefore while the cloude is as a mans hand
hypocrites can teach thee It will intercept all thy succours of lust thy provision to fulfill thy lustes When the Court is pulled downe who needes to feare suires in it It will cause thee not morally but from a Principle of grace to shunne all meanes motives provocations and snares of uncleannes which the Devill shall straw in thy way That so the oile being gone the flames may vanish It shall change thy uncleane thoughts affections eyes eares into cleane and pure ones If thy harlot meet thee and say It is I thou shalt answer but I am not I not my selfe Another is become that in mee which my cursed selfe was wont to bee The signe is pulld downe the Alehouse is let to a man of trade no more harlots nor adulterers come there new Lords new Lawes all old things are done away behold all things are become new I am redeemed with a price not to be mine owne if my Lord and Master will endure lust if any accord betweene Christs body and an harlot aske him leave and I obey else I am not my owne Oh! this Grace shall bring thy lust to the horns of the Altar binde it thereto with cords cut the throate of it with the sacrificing knife of the Priest Thy Priest will teach thee to do that office very handsomely to let out the ranke blood of thy lust and the strength and sway which it bare in thee yea it shall drag thine uncleane heart to Golgotha and naile it to the crosse of thy Priest with the same nailes which nailed the body of Christ It is happier to find out those Implements Crosse blood nayles tombe and all then ever Helen was or any Popish relique-monger and to make use of them too to better end then at this daie that Popish Covent of Friats do who have hired those places of the Turke built Temples Altais and silver floores in honor of the Passion It shall cry in thy soule Oh lust I wil bee thy death oh Concupiscence I wil be thy destruction The sting of fin is death and the strength of lust is the law But thanks be to God in Iesus Christ who hath condemned sin in the flesh mortified it by the flesh of his holy body hat neither guilt nor dominion might prevaile Pursue the victory the Lord is with thee thou valiant man and in this thy strength fight and lin not while through thy Captaine both sin and luste die in thee Sixthly returne to the Lord with full bent of soule to renounce all cleaving to the flesh and to cleave to him without seperation That grace which hath killed lust will quicken the life of purenesse in thy soule it will indeed make thee a tâ—ue Pentient not only to renounce uncleanes but to embrace a Chaste spirit and live a Chaste life to returne to God in a contrary practice of unblameablenesse all thy daies so farre as weaknesse will permit As he tooke off from thy jawes the yoke of servitude so he shall make his owne joake easie and his burden light He shal bee as one that layeth meate before thee thou shalt be so preserved by the sweetnes of grace that all the sweetnesse of lust of adultery of lascivi usnes shall stinke before thee so that they shall never have hope to recover thee into their possession any more And what then remayneth but when lust knowes not what to doe with thee then thine eare be bored with Gods awle that so thou maist bee his servant and walke in purenesse and holines all thy daies The Lord blesse this maine Direction with all other unto thee and remember none but Christ can heale this sore And so much for the former branch of Counsell to them who are onely guilty of the sin I passe lastly to the other who have revolted from this Grace once obteyned Lastly therefore if thy uncleannes be yet of a deeper die as beeing a revolt from the Grace of God and the vow of thy spirituall baptisme once made then know the Cure is somewhat different from the former Here then Remember that the seed of God in his dyeth not Therefore if once God hath awakned thee out of this thy relapse and the dead sleep of security under it which if he love thee he will do by some three string'd whip or other which hee shall make for thee as once he did for those defilers of his Temple by some crosse or stirring terrors of the word in thy soule then take Davids course Beseech the Lord first that the despaire and extreame horror which an ill conscience sicke of a relapse might worke in thee through unbeleefe added to it may gratiously bee kept off and so thine heart may be stayd from utter departing from the living God upon feare that he is wholly departed from thee Secondly remember that the covenant of God cannot be repealed it comprehends thee when thou canst not it Therefore apply those mercies of old and be comforted Thirdly take heed lest Satan confound and oppresse thy spirit by the conscience of thy base revolting sinning against such mercies and snarling thy soule with so many successive evills as thou hast heaped upon one another without an heart to get out For its an easie thing to lose a mans spirit and selfe in the divells maze Fourthly with a penitent heart for thy trechery that thou shouldest kick up thy heele against former mercies and covenants behold that promise of which I formerly spake and apply it unto thy soule as thou art able knowing that whatsoever Satan hath to gainsay the Lord Iesus was made all sinne both of rebellion against and also revolt from God that thou mightst be his righteousnesse and recover it having lost it Fifthly let the affliction of thy soule so deeply cease upon thee till through mercy it have soaked into thee and pierced thee as deepe as thy sinne hath peirced God as the tent must go as deepe as the sore is festered and fetch out the bottome scurfe content not thy selfe with such an humbling as thy slight heart would admit For this is one attendant of this sinne to be light and wanton and not to bee able to bee serious Therefore set thine heart to it mocke not God make not the remedy worse then the disease that thou shouldest even be fetcht in againe by Satans clawes ere thy repentance is finished which were to unsettle the work of God in thee and worke thy heart to a despaire of recovery It hath beene the portion of many uncleane ones never to get a serious spirit If therefore thine heart be once downe hold it as if thou shouldst keepe corke under water and trust it not pray thus withdraw from me all objects of vanity and teach me thy law gratiously Arraigne accuse condemne thy selfe judge thy selfe lest God judge thee and till God raise thee be content to lye low beare the indignation of the Lord because thou hast sinned and be
their humours and all for a penalty upon such as sleighted Gods ordinance to marry in the Lord that so the thing they sought might be a snare unto them True it is oftentimes the Lord orders it otherwise for the elect shall be brought home by one meane or other be they never so ill married the Lord can turne poyson into a medicine if he please and sin to good But it is ever best to seeke God in his way the question is not what God can doe but what he doth or will doe ordinarily Sure it is ordinarily these doubtful irreligious and clandestine matches are as basely carried as entred upon repentance it selfe being hard to get for the sin at firstâ— much lesse amendment of errors but rather an hardned heart an unsavory going through-stitch swallowing up much sorrow and none to pitty them that pittied not themselves in hasting sorrow upon them Reas 4 Lastly marriages are full of disproportions Now religion is fittest to levell and equall them of all other I confesse it to be the way of God that such equality as possibly can be attained should be in this condition as of yeeres education disposition breed estate and the like as in the next point shall appeare But what is more common then disparity in all yong are married to old rich to poore untaught to well trained harsh to amiable and the like How shall this be levelled Surely no way except religion compound it I doe not alway say it can for Religion it self hath no warrant to enter upon unequall marriage howbeit if it be so religion can best set all straight and eaven or else nothing can It is not her wealth which can procure content with a prophane froward wife it is not a good nature which will purchase love to a wastefull improvident wanton woman that playster is not broad enough for the sore No outward complement can ease or levell an inward unequalnesse onely grace can doe it if it may prevaile Grace will say thus Thy wife was but poore but she is loyall chaste wife provident saves her portion in seven yeeres that which makes her thus shall goe for her portion Thy husband is but a plaine man hath no great learning is none of the sweetest tempers but harsh and rough But religion shining through these clouds makes the best of an hard bargaine both of them perhaps are passionate and sudden but because Gods bridle is presently in their mouth their wants are the easilier endured And as I say this of marriage in generall so in particular of second matches wherein either incumbrances by former marriage children or the world frowning or suspition of fraud either way or in a word unsutable successe to expectation if in the throng of these religion step not in to mediaâ—e and moderate the controversie how endlesse may the breaches be But for all this Truth cannot want cavils or queries for first doe we not say some see very many couples doe very well who never observed any such strict course but hap't by better chance then good skill upon one another I answer you have lighted so perhaps rather in a negative way that you are free from many evils which pester others then in an holy positive way of grace or if so it s rather a lot of mercy then any good forecast of your owne if it be as you wish thank God who hath borne with your sinfull tempting of his providence and swerving from his way howbeit one swallow makes no summer neither ought it to prescribe a president unto others ten misse where one hits well And secondly I say all honour and successe in marriage must not be esteemed by outward league and peace together Ahab and Iezabell accorded but how in mutuall combining for wickednesse and idolatry Still swine eat up all the draffe sometimes and if outward peace attended with wealth ease and welfare cannot hinder a prophane heart contempt of the Ordinances Sabbaths and wayes of God what advantage is it for a good marriage But it is objected put case that God converts them to himself I answer his mercy is the greater but yet so free that it cannot certainly be rested upon The grace of God which turnes all to their good whom he hath eternally loved must be no pretext for sinne Object 2 Againe others come in and cavill tush what need you be so nice grace may come in due season no time past and when it comes it never comes amisse I answer grace is precious at all times after marriage as well as before if a man were sure of it but what ground have any to presume of it without some word for it much more being against it God may be patient and say No time past but neither is he tyed to it and besides they that tempt him are most unlike to speed well Walke in his way and then indeed no time past God may yea and will convey his grace to a poore soule that waits for him Object 3 But its further objected the best by their leave have failed in their godly attempts and found worse wives then they sought I answer yet they may have peace in this that they have sought God to the uttermost he hath hidden himselfe from them in this particular as the Prophet said to the Shunamite but they have peace in their endevour and therefore have no cause to give God over but to hang upon him still to finde mercy in another way that is in the bush burning and not consumed that is that by your prayers God hath reserved mercy for them and meanes to grace their enterprises at last doing that for them in marriage which he did not before If the Lord please to heare them at last it shall be well and to such this free grace of his belongs who though they have bin disappointed a while yet it is in their obedience and so includes an hope of further audience and supply from heaven But I conclude if any carefull ones have yet miscarried surely ten times more have done so for lacke of it Object 4 But many religious ones may have perilous qualities and so dishonour marriage Answ If this be done in the green tree what shall be done in the dry what shall become of such as without restraint even out of the abundance of their evill heart bring forth such fruit with full purpose Adde to this their evill qualities come not from religion but because they are not religious enough to bridle and mortifie their lusts It s because they drowne the power of their religion in their owne sensuality and will detaining the truth in unrighteousnesse and no doubt such would be much worse if religion did not now and then step out to moderate Object 5 But if you tye us to such strictnesse to marry onely in the Lord what shall become of those persons that are not in the Lord. I answer Take you no thought for them take
famous peece of devotion old Anna a widow who for above sixty yeere dwelt in the Temple and ceased not to fast and pray goe on some of you had need to doe it for your husbands and your selves too for surely they doe it but little The closet of a good woman graceth her more to frequent then her still-house kitchin or parlour for therin she playes the good houswife for her owne soule being much in meditation there in prayer in brokennesse of heart confession renuing of Covenant As for Micol who scornes zeale in her husband hath none in her selfe oh let not thy soule come into her counsell Sutable to this piety to God is mercy and compassion to his Saints when the former Psal 16. 2. falls short of God let the later be tendered to his Assignes and Attorneys the Saints So saith Bathsheba she stretcheth out her hand to the poore yea reacheth it farre to the needy Some women cloth their owne with skarlet but suffer the poore to goe in rags Surely cotton or course cloath or canvis is due to these if skarlet to them Turne skarlet rather to common cloath then the poore goe oaked Women especially Ministers wives who if bad of all other commonly are worst must think themselves meant when Christ saith I was naked hungry in prison poore and sick and you clothed fed visited releeved mee Be blessed women if you bee wise Your husbands make you their almoners and stewards beware you proove not theeves that the poore should curse you A gift comes more tenderly from thee to a poore soule then from thine husband What sight of the basest Miser is so yrkesome as of an hard harted woman And what ornament so becomming a tender sexe as a mercifull heart to give and to give tenderly in compassion abundantly to six and seven Both are Bowells and a woman should have more by right then men Tabitha began betimes God would not have her die perhaps lest wives might lose the honor and example of mercie If being a maide shee had so many good workes to shew of linnen clothes made for the poore what did she being a wife And especially let women be harberours to all which belong to the household of faith but above all to poore of her owne sexe women or widowes It s no ill sight to see you in Prisons But if you cannot go to others send not them away empty who come to you And to make an end what grace should a Christian wife thinke strange But say as he once did A man I am and I deeme no gift of a man unbeseeming mee So thou woman speake I see not but it becomes mee to be loving patient wise wary prudent thankfull These are ingredients into the conversion as those spices reckoned up by Moses to make the holy oyntment and to cause thee to smell sweetly in the nostrils of God thy husband and all sorts one other St. Peter mentions confidence in God the sister of faith even now mentioned They trusted in God and walked without amasement he meanes such carnall and distrustfull feares as that sexe is full of Their daughters are you if you tread in their steps As the eye of thine owne handmaid is alway awefully carried to thee wayting for acceptance and and then shee is safe so let her teach thee as Gods handmayd to carrie thine towards him for the support of thy Spirit in the whole wheele of thy conversation for all other Gifts aswell as these to make it strong as the staves do the cart wheele that it cracke not in peeces More spices might have beene brought foorth but by these you may guesse wherof a womans sweet powder is made let us hast to the Confection For as not the single spices but the Apothecaries skill made Gods oyntments so not only these meer graces but the medly of them the temper of that spirit arising from them is that thing which makes the wife so gracefull This must come from that wise alsufficient skill of the spirit of grace which must teach her Reynes in the night season and put into her the spirit of gracefulnesse He who hath given a gift to the Bee to dispose that honey shee hath gathered from all flowers in so wise a manner that her workmanship makes all the beholders to admire it must in an higher kind teach her to make her graces into one compound and temper I say must enable her to lay them all so sweetly together and order her whole marriage course by the helpe of them that both every one may afford her speciall influence into it and all of them together may make her face to shine and the beauty therof to appeare gracefull to all the beholders Shee must beg of God this spirit by Prayer and as all the loose flowers of the Nosegay must be wisely ordred and put together and then bound together with a thred that they scatter not So the spirit of warinesse and wisedome must gird the loose loynes of her soule closely together and teach her to accommodate her selfe to every occasion offered in a sutable correspondence that there be no gulfe nor interruption no unequalnesse nor disproportion in her carriage No man shall need to paint an exact beautifull face nor teach her that is faire to shew it forth it shewes it selfe to all naturaly without trouble As Paul told Lisias That he was borne a free man of Rome it cost him nothing so where an heart is furnisht with grace it will without any difficulty expresse it and cast her savor abroad That which will make an hypocrite to toyle and sweate comes from grace with sweetnesse and facility yet I deny not but as that Glyceris shewd great skill in compounding the flowers of her posies and the Iewells of a Crowne must be skilfully set into it to make it glorious so the more carefull the woman shal be to marke the circumstances the seasons and all the occasions of her life so much the more wisely she shall be able to apply each of these graces to their objects and shew forth the lustre of all in her generall carriage And such as are the ingredients such must needes the compound bee if skill and discretion order it well Now the expression of all these in one is amiablenes that is the way whereby she utters her selfe and in it the lovely blush of them all appears humbly amiable mercifully amiable amiable in the comely carriage of all as her bodie is in the wearing of the most costly and best suted attire most comely and pleasing Especialy when the grace of this grace is added to it that this is not in a pang or good moode when all goes well but comes from a principle within which causes her to goe on in an uniforme course so that looke how you see her at one time you see her at another shee is alway her selfe and as a Virgin of a comely face although
stand its owne ground nor rest in one place cleave to one taske For the bent of spirit to one settled object studie calling or lawfull object will divert the vaine minde from frothie fancies and ideas of uncleane thoughts companies and allurements A spirit whose banks runne full of employment will hardly be unsettled but holdes Satan at staves end Aske thy gadding roaving heart whither she will whence shee comes and what is her busines as watchmen do Roagues Examine the ground and warrant of thy journeys travailes errands and wandrings up and downe forsaking thy station and family Set thy kinfe to thy throate if thou bee an Athenian dayly lusting after new places companies pleasures meetings and delight And whatsoever savors of carnall and sensuall desire know it cannot but threaten mischeefe and dispossesse thee of thy watch I speake still of such as in appearance have given their names to Chirst even these for I judge none let every man judge himselfe have so sarre taken liberties to themselves in the brink that they have fallen into the water One of them once much pleasing himselfe in admiring the features and beauties of women and stroaking the cheekes of one with Wantonnesse was by his wiser neighbour warned therof saying These crimson faces so he cald them will sadly cost you the setting on one day and so it fell out soone after for such an aspersion was soone after cast upon him whether true from man or just with God as brought his hoary head to the grave with sorrow To teach all such gnats to beware how neere they fly to the candle lest they bee burnt And thus much for inward abhorrings As touching outward I will repeat nothing before said in the chastity of Prevention onely whatsoever occasion threatens any affront to the fort of Chastity and the preseving of the whole man in integrity and honour renounce it And so much for the first of the foure heads of counsell against this sinne of uncleannesse to wit Abhorring of somewhat be spoken The second counsell is to meditate of somewhat And whereof Surely of such things as might helpe to quash and quell lust and that partly concerning the sinne it selfe and partly the penalties thereof And both these specialls of Meditation must be attended with two properties in generall First that this meditation be wise and secondly that it bee deepe First I say wise for I would have this noted that some things are of that nature that some kind of musing of them is rather an incensing of the heart unto the sinne then any checking thereof As are all such evills as border upon the sensuall appetite and concupiscible faculty of which sort especially is this sinne of uncleannesse Many complaine that they muse much of the odiousnesse therof that so they might abhorre it But they finde it more and more to follow their hand and to snare their spirit And so the remedy proves much worse then the disease And it fares with such as it doth with two men at variance who put their quarrels to comprimise But when wise men should set them at one they fall on ripping up all circumstances of unkindnes offered each to other that they part worse enemies then they met and so make the wound incurable So here men meditate of the sensuall and carnall occurrents of this sinne their base meetings words gestures unchaste lookes and acts under pretence of a purpose more fully to detest and abhorre them But by this meane the divel casteth fire into the drie powder of their concupiscence and inflameth them to it the more The reason is because the sense and fleshly familiarity of the thoughts doe prevaile against the spirituall hatred thereof So it fares in other temptations of an hideous nature as Atheisticall thoughts against the Majesty of God or blasphemous thoughts against the Scriptures or the essence and Attributes of God the basenesse whereof the more we plod upon especially while Satans wild fire is in the spirit the more we are snared therewith Therefore in such cases as these the practice of Elisha to the servant of Jehoram is to be followed Wee must pray against the tenacity thereof and force our selves to handle such thoughts roughly at the doore and in no sort to give place to them as knowing their Masters feet is not farre behind them Tosse not thoughts off and on about passages which tickle the fancy and wind in deeplier into it then it can bee rid thereof yea though they were most irkesome to it But take up the sinne in the whole lumpe and bundle muse of the bitter roote whence it comes as David did in his Meditations Incense thy soule against the body of corruption whence it flowes that wherein thy Mother conceived thee and thence descend to the fruits of it as the wound which it leaves upon the conscence the wrath of God which it pulls upon it selfe the curse of it how it makes all the soile barren blastes and wastes the grace of God or the least shew of any Keepe it thus at staves end but tamper not much with pitch lest we be defiled Such unwise meditation is not water to quench but oile to encrease the flame Secondly let this meditation be deepe and solemne both about the properties and the penalties of this sinne Touching the former the first meditation about it is how spirituall a wickednesse it is especially under the Cospell It s like Absaloms incest commited shamelessely in the sight of the Sun before all Israel It doth not onely sin against morall light of the naturall conscience but also against the grace of God and the remedy offered therby For the grace of God hath appeared to all and teacheth them to denie all ungodlinesse and fleshly lusts and to live soberly godly and purely in this present world Davids adultery was a morall act but yet inseparable from spirituall wickednesse for he resisted conscience in point not of morall light onely as any heathen might doe but of grace and mercy from God teaching him to abhorre it Yea this very thing was the thing that made the Lord so severely punish it both then and after even because hee fought against his spirituall light embracing a lust and the sweet of a base heart with the losse of that sweet mercy of God which he had tasted Yea against that sweet communion with God which hee had formerly enjoyed both which hee knew would bee wasted hereby as also that hereby the spirit of God was displeased and vexed with this rebellion and the effects thereof and hâ—s conscience gulled downe and defiled with sensuality and security yea hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne And hereby the enemies of God were caused to blaspheme God his worship and the generation of the righteous For our better conceiving of this point in my judgement the most weighty of all to gaster a soule from such Abomination let us observe how the holy
so few backsteps comming from thenceward would thinke any other save that there they were devoured And who would dare to hasard himself upon such a point as whether he should come backe from thaâ—pit from which its ten to one if any at all returne That heathen Philosopher Xenocrates may teach us wisedome herein who was a Stoick of most exact chaâ—tity and morallity He having read to his scholers deep Lectures of austerity and abstinence from all pleasures seeming to his Scholers to speak more then he had strength to performe was attempted by them what he was they got an harlot of exquisit beauty and laid her in his bed to provoke him to folly But he according to his rules abhorring the temptation answered them he would not buy repentance at so deere a rate Surely if he who had no more to lose save his morrall conscience and feared lest the forfeit thereof would prove so irrecoverable what should we Christians say who have our soules to lose what should it profit to winne the world and lose them or what shall bee given in exchange of them And having no hope of recovering repentance any more how should they tremble at so great a losse In one word this I say that this sinne hath a wofull spirituall giddinesse and drunkennesse annexed unto it disabling the sinner from laying it to heart except strange mercie prevent him so that as Salomon speakes in comparing the two sexes so may I say in comparing these with other sinners I have seene of them one of a thousand to repent but of this scarse one of a thousand It s the Lords course to give over these sinners to their haunt and custome It s said of Queene Tomyris that having overcome Cambyses a bloody Tyrant in battell and surpris'd his person she cut off his head and sous'd in a barrell of blood saying satiate thy selfe with that whereof thou hast beene alway so insatiable So saith the Lord to the Adulterers since fleshly pleasure hath beene that which thou hast alway so hunted after fill thy selfe with it for ever Split thy soule against the rocke and stone-wall of my seventh Command at which thou hast so stumbled let that grind thee in peeces This curse of God sealing up the heart of the Adulterer gives him over to his owne sinfull sweetnesse so that the surfet thereof doth so wast and embezell the spirit of such an one that he walkes up and down staggering in the drunken pleasure of his uncleannesse he is quite a sleepe as Jona under the hatches If any of Gods Marriners Ministers I meane cry out Arise thou Adulterer call upon God and pray if possiâ—ly this tempest of wrath may bee prevented Alas hee is as that fellow upon the top of the mast ready to topple into the Sea and yet neither awakes nor feares any danger Once I knew and still there bee some alive who will beare me witnesse a most oâ—ious Adulterer of seventy yeare old who having long consumed his strength with harlots as he in the Proverbs wasted himselfe and all at last being laid in a barne good enough for him for no man could endure the vermin and savour which came from his rotten body was rèquested thus Potter so was his forename call upon God he replyed with his ordinary oathes Pox and woundes is this a time to pray thus he spake at death All his life long the season of Praier and Repenting was not come And now at his death lo it s gone As he merrily sayd of Marriage either it s not yet time or past time Oh! its just with God to bereave such of all list to apprehend any sound notion of their misery they are held off from capablenesse to mourne after God and in a following deceipt of sin even to death I heard once an Oxford man of worthy Memory in a Sermon relate of two students of eminent parts in that Vniversity who were sunke in a brutish Custome of Tobacco and Sacke and then into a loathsome habite of uncleane Pleasures and in time grew into such a slavish Impotency of spirit in those waies that when Necessity urged them to returne to their Chambers they could not there rest till they had pitcht a new meeting and so another till in time they grew so enfeebled and past all sense of Sobriety that with their pipes and Pots at their mouthes they were faine to be had into their beddes and so miserably died Alas no wonder If drinke and riot alone can do it how much more when lust is added to it as a threefold cord not easily broken Both streames meeting in one channel to overflow the bankes This is that Arrow of God shot through the livor of all such uncleane ones to be so enthralled to their lust that all sap of the spirit is dried up and a kingdome of uncleannes set up in their hearts and bodies to carry them beyond all hope of repenting Muse of this seriously if thou wouldest roote up the love of lust and kindle a deadly fewd with it never to be razed out Touching the outward Penalties what should I say Or what can I adde to that I have already said of Gods judgments against this sin Looke to the former doctrine Onely I adde this Exhortation Suffer not thy selfe when thou readest the judgments of God against the Name body person of an uncleane wretch to passe away without Meditation till they have wrought thy heart to a due abhorring therof yet lest I might seeme to mention this point for nothing let me adde one outward Penalty to all the former and that is That even Repentance it selfe is not able wholly to wast off the staine of this sin from the Committers of it Such is the wounde that those men give to the Name of God his religion and truth do suffer so deadly by their meanes that God in justice suffers them to expiate it by an outlasting infamy This was Gods threat to David Thou hast made the Enemies of God to blaspheme therfore lo the sword shall never depart from thy house nor reproach from thy name That same text which shall most eternize thee for a man according to Gods heart shall againe crocke thee saying Save in the matter of Bathsheba That 's a back blow yet just for he thought his secret conveyance would cover all but he saw not this That the thing he had done displeased the Lord therfore he must feele it to his smart His repenting God knew but yet that must not serve to quit him of a worke of sorrow as before I noted He that comitteth folly with a woman is destitute of understanding his blot shall never goe out Courts of men absolve such from all aspersions but when they are white and fayre in them they are foule and blacke in Gods No time no concealment of witnesses no dwelling farre off no oaths of purging no bribes must ever looke to doe it when as Repentance cannot do it Who
way of promise follow this worke hard It belongs to the hopelesse not to such as turne this hope to a snare Beg of the Lord to turne a terrified heart into a melting one that it is which must mould an uncleane soule to a cleane and chast one no hammer can doe this mercy must dissolve it in the fornace of grace Lin not till thou feele that heart which hath beene drencht in the sweetnesse of lust to bee steept in bitternesse over head and eares for thy wounding the Lord of life and his Virgin-pure flesh to death by thy unclennesse Looke not upon other sinners thy selfe wert murderer sufficient of his sacred person thou soughtest to destroy his Godhead as well as his flesh if it had beene in the power of thy sinne though there had been no other sinner in the world thou hadst beene enough And shouldst thou not care for thy base lust sake to kill not a man onely an innocent Vrija but the person of the Sonne of God If this melting spirit be wrought in thee by the spirit of grace thou shalt behold him ' as pierced willingly and of his owne accord for thee who didst as little deserve it as Judas the Traytor but yet seeing thou hast a melting heart which he wanted and canst with Peter weepe bitterly it s a signe that the curse shall turne to a blessing yea thou shalt see God so ordering the matter for thee and Christ so giving up his soule to the speares point of wrath for thee that thine eie shall behold another sight that is an enwrapped hope of forgivenesse in this satisfaction of his and of life in his Resurrection so that now thine horror shall turne to hope And know it only this glimpse of Sun-shine in thy dungeon of feare can dissolve thy hard heart and prepare thee for pardon Thirdly let this hope rip up all the seames of thine uncleane heart and all that filth which lay hid in the entralls thereof never like to have come to light had not God revealed it and uncased thee Let I say this seed of hope discover that which an habituall love of thy sinne would have smothered for ever For this opening and ingenuous confessing of thy sinne will make way for further mercy It s none of thy worke but the spirit of grace that makes way for it Now a franke heart is put into thee to be as open as ever thou wert close before yea and to take as much paines with thy selfe how thou maist give glory to God in a full confession and turning up that cursed poake of falshood from the bottome pouring out all thy sinne as ever thou tookest care before to sweare thine heart to an hellish secrecy It s with thee as with a woman who hath many old peeces of gold and jewells lying by her which she is loth to forgoe although shee might thereby make a summe for the purchase of faire house and land yet perhaps rather then quite forgoe the purchase she will fetch them all and poure them downe upon the table So when hope of mercy offers it selfe oh the pearle thereof exceeding all petty shreds wil make thee freely disburden thy soule of whatsoever loads it thy most beloved lusts I speake not now of abandoning the habits of them that 's mortification following after but of the cleere intention and meaning of thy heart to abandon without any base hollownesse Oh! thou desirest now to spare God a labour of proclaiming thy sin before men and Angells and if it were meet as it is where Gods ordinance may prevaile thou wouldest chuse that place ratherest to shame thy selfe in where the solemne presence of God his Angels and Church are gathered together Still I speake with caution if thy sinne have broken out publiquely but if thou hast kept it secret thou art not tied to make thy self publique nor to take witnesse except thy hard heart require it to confesse to others for the breaking thereof the reason is because the way of Church-correction for open sins is one and the Evangelicall correction of the spirit of Christ in private is another But usually these sinnes are open and therefore openly to be proclaimed in confession as in the committing If mercy have toucht thee at the heart never so little it will worke in thee as Gods voice in the Whale when she vomited up Jona upon the drie ground thou shalt no more take care what become of thy lust so thou maist be rid of it nor who shame thee so thou be shamed and sinne have her due Thou takest more care how God may be honoured in the abhorring of thy rebellion how others may be flaited from the like how thine owne heart may be melted upon melting not how thou may maist scape in an whole skinne and lie hardened in thy stie of uncleannesse No rather shall litter and whelpes and all be raked together and cast to the dunghill I tell thee of a sollemne thing rarely seene yet I will not say I have not seene such a confessing spirit Ephraim had it when shee smote upon her thie the Publicant the Prodgall the Theefe on the Crosse and here and there as a berry left upon the bush I have seene such as uâ—fained Penitent but when I did so I never pleased my selfe with any object like it I was almost ravisht with it and tooke it as a reall marke of the Lords pardoning of it in heaven which was so performed on earth And good cause for what shouldst thou care to nourish that in thy selfe which thou purposest for ever to be divorced from Therefore here on Lord say thou comes the most tainted Adulterer that ever lived These were my first allurements to silthinesse such and such companies I haunted such baites for my lust I maintained so many base harlots married or single I clave unto Such were the places I frequented the filthie Sonnets I sang the musique dauncings revellings and wantonnesse I was defiled withall yea such and such were the colors whereupon I hardned my heart in sinne such fees such bribes such perjuries such friends in Courts and Proctors I corrupted with mony and in this confusion I had lien for ever had not mercy cast an eie upon me No day no Sabbath or season of worship came amisse no light of conscience could beare downe my sinne no shame of world no patience of thine long winking at me no good education no hope of my friends no terror by thy judgments could disswade I sinned against all Here therefore I uncase my selfe oh Lord Against thee thee Lord have I done this villany in it selfe morall in me spirituall and in an high degree I was ever tainted even from the womb and this my sinne is but one of a thousand which the forge of my heart hath sent forth If for this thou hadst drown'd me in perdition even in the act burying mee up in the bed of my lust thou hadst beene
is a lesser degree of grace under this onely appearing in the seed tender and weake and that is of such as although they reach not so farre yet have their eye toward this bridegroome counting him one of ten thousand comparing selves with such as are married to him thinke themselves far inferiour wish their case were so happy abhorre their own treachery count the feet of such beautifull as wooe them to Christ thinke highly of the offer love to be such friends of the Lord Iesus and children of his Bridechamber full of tears affections and desires after it Even these are not to be excluded neither there is hope of such that they may come to be married to Christ in due time therefore it were unequall that for meere lacke of time and training they should be rejected rather if better faile in ordinary providence there being sufficient ground to hope that their little is in truth I dare not deny but a contract with such may be lawfull and the Lord may cover defects in mercy especially if the more forward party be industrious to improve a little to a greater measure in the other if the weaker party be teachable and in either of both there be a selfe-denying heart if God crosse their hopes to lye downe meekely at his feet humbled for sin the cause thereof and patiently taking up and bearing their crosse till God amend it By all this it appeares that Marrying in the Lord requires good consideration and that they who so marry have laid the foundation of future honour beforehand And who doubts but it had need be so for what hope is there that they who never sought it before should ever light upon it after Honour requires good breeding and it is a stud which except it subsist upon a good ground-cell will soone lye in the dust Rash and sudden attempts in this kinde doe but make way for shame and reproach onely marrying in the Lord prepares the soule for the worke it hath her tooles in readinesse to fall to the trade whereas the contrary is still to seek yea the very method of the Apostle in this Epistle shewes no lesse for he speakes of no marriage businesse before he have fully opened the doctrine of faith he layes that for the bottome and then comes in and tels such their Marriage is honourable Faith then is the hand and wheele which must frame a vessell for honour prepared as for all other so for this worke of marriage And in truth as it is all Religion upon point so it is the marriage ring which makes the soule one with the Lord and this ring is beset with many rich jewels all of them serving for the honour that is the well carrying and discharge of marriage duties One jewell is humility and selfe-denyall whereby the heart is tamed and humbled to this worke with all subjection and freed from that rudenesse and rebellion of spirit which makes it fit for nothing but it owne will and ends but this grace levels it to the obedience of this ordinance Another jewell is peace whereby the soule is so calmed and pacified within it selfe in the point of pardon and Gods favour that it can beare any affronts even as the shooes or brasse boots of the Souldier can walke upon rocks or pikes and feele no hurt so an heart well a paid in the Lord is calme and able to cleare the coast of all distempers and to goe through discontents and crosses such as an unquiet spirit cannot A third is purity which cleanseth the soule of many bad humours very unequall for marriage selfe-love pride disdaine wrath heart-burning jealousies and conceits and makes a man much fitter for marriage A fourth the last which I will name is righteousnesse that is the fellowship with Christs holy nature by which the soule partakes the properties of Christ qualifying it with wisedome influence strength meeknesse patience holinesse cheerfulnesse long-suffering and compassion which graces as they make him a meet head and husband for the Church so they make married couples meet heads and helpers for each other Faith I say doth draw from Christ all such abilities and graces as may prepare the soule to all the services which the marriage estate cals for Even as the spokes or staves of the wheele strengthen it for the good motion of it so doth faith strengthen this great master-wheele of conversation which is Marriage Reas 2 Againe except the honour of Marriage be forelaid in the entrance when the minde is free and impartiall how should it be like to be provided for in marriage it selfe Alas marriage hath her handsful of trial what grace is already wrought in the soule marriage will finde a gracious heart work enough at the best for it iâ— given to exercise grace It is not given to worke grace without singular mercy doe occasion it but to exerciâ—e it for what abundance of other distractions doe there fall out in this estate which as the Apostle tels us keepe off the soule from sitting close and comely to God The necessity of marriage-occasions are such as compell the parties each to please other in the matters of this life So that except single persons have well bethought themselves and fitted themselves with a stocke to live upon they will finde it an hard thing to act a true part on this stage upon the sudden rather they are like to finde except God alter it marriage to pul them from God to carry their spirits to worldlinesse unsetlednesse cares feares temptations lusts sometimes on the right hand by baits to carnall ease and jollity and otherwhiles on the left to snares and distempered passions of anger and impatience neither of which extremity favours religion but kils and damps it taking up all the time and leasure of the soul from attending the best things or at lest causing it to attend them lesser as good never a whit as we say as never the better Reas 3 Besides these reasons what hope have we that when we forsake Gods way he will be found of us in ours How just is it for him to forsake us and give us over to our owne by-ends and respects in our marriages and to suffer us to defile our selves more and more that as we entred badly so we should live worse and end worst of all As Paul saith The wicked waxe worse and worse deceiving and being deceived so may the Lord plague ungodly marriages by themselves and scourge them with their owne whip so that the husband should be deceived with the bad qualities of the wife and she by his one defiling the other more and neither doing any good to the other Wee see it thus daily uncleane men doe but teach their wives their trade that they might match them in their kinde carnall proud and bad wives draw their husbands to the like evils one must please another by concurring with
said the parents of Sampson but thou must needs goe among the uncircumcised Vow it that if God will betrust thee with one that is religious though another should be laid against her yet thy load-stone would draw the former Fiftly adde hereto the advice of the most judicious and impartiall friends that thou canft come by for though two eyes are too few yet he that will advise in this case must onely judge with one that is a single eye and looke but one way Such is the subtilty of sutours now a dayes that though their merit be never so small yet they will so goe to worke that their credit shall be good forestalling the truth by their interest either in a good Minister or man of note if they be but morall they will engage them by gifts if religious by seeming devotion to thinke well of them It s a sad thing to thinke what bad matches have bin made by the mediation of the best men being first deluded Alas how easie is it to make charity and credulity to be on mens sides the best have bin deceived about this businesse But the third person who neither soweth nor moweth by the bargaine is fitter to judge of this game then parties are And be assured that true intelligence is not easily come by in these interblending dayes yet as I have said thou hast a promise that God will hide no secret from thee if thou be his friend so that thou dost not pervert thine owne way and stumble at the offence which thou layest before thy selfe to thinke with erring Samuel that the annointed of the Lord is before him when it s no such thing but thy carnall conceit we easily beleeve that to be which we would have to be The judgement of the Church either is infallible in this kinde or else it s safter erring with it then hitting well without it Great is the cosenage of dissembling parties when they set themselves to sale by religious semblance Machiavels maxime is all in all viz. soundnesse of religion is difficult to be had and quits not the cost in the worlds esteeme shewes are easie and will serve the turne even as well Hence it is that few walke humbly and plainly most are content with shewes As that Scholler of Cambridge said If I may get my degree I have that I came for let learning goe where it will so these I am now upon sale hill if I be once sold I have enough And I should offend many honest hearts if I should discover what I know touching the humours of some malecontents in this kinde especially of the female sexe basely pretending that their conscience is the ground whereas it s but a stalking-horse serving to scrue themselves into some good opinion for marriage whereas their turnes not being served but their ends crossed they have bewrayed themselves in their colours to be but counterfeits A spirit for the nonce is needfull in this discerning worke therefore let inquistion be narrow and wise among them that are neither neerest the blood nor to the advantage by such a match Sixtly be very observative and carefull in your mutuall parlies together to marke the spirits of each other having first begged of God an understanding heart The eare saith Elihu trieth words as the furnance doth mettals the foole beleeves every thing but the wise ponder sayings So doe you And as I said of the helpe of other mens eyes and wits Establish thy thoughts by counsell for in the multitude of councellours there is peace so I say to your selves trust not so to others as to put and dash out your owne eyes and braines but consult with wisdomes oracle and aske it of him who gives and upbraides not There is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding as Paul saith the spirituall man judgeth of all things and is judged of none so here onely adde this They who have bin very wise in and for others yet in their owne case and this of affection especially have failed much and the proverbe is verified here Once all men have doted Put difference therefore betweene smooth words and neat passages of wit or conceits that come onely from the braine and betweene sound grounds planted in the heart Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speake to a wise hearer It s hard for a barren heart to dissemble fruitfulnesse or for a well-seasoned to seeme unsavory Question each with other not concerning persons but things not about preachers or Sermons or duties of religion or circumstances onely of abuses and corruptions of time for who is not up to the eares in this now adayes but concerning the reall worke of the Word by name how the Law hath quelled a proud heart and stopt the course thereof in evill how it is brought so low and to such a tamenesse as to crouch to God for the crums that fall from his table to be low in her selfe and lay aside all her ornaments glad to be equall to them of low degree and the like Looke not at the gifts of each other but try whether a meane opinion of our selves encreaseth as knowledge encreaseth aske each other what the nature of a promise is wherein the nature and life of faith consists Also how faith purifies the heart kils the strongest lusts and passions quickens the heart by a principle to all holinesse meeknesse patience mercy to the distressed and sorrow for the sinnes of others If these seeds be planted in the spirit they will subdue it unto God yea they will set a new frame within and make the countenance to shine And whereas it s objected Object few can so fully satisfie themselves in the degrees of each others grace Answ I answer try the substance and let degrees appeare in time it s well if grace in youth can creepe though it cannot goe though the forwarder it is the better if in the want of great measure yet the savour of these things breake forth out of the cloud and where bashfulnesse and modesty is the veile to cover some graces their 〈◊〉 parts be clothed with the more honour I know 〈◊〉 better care-marks to chuse good couples by then humility and modesty Despise not a little if these two be for as the Prophet saith There is a blessing in it Observe also how providence swayeth your mindes to or against each other observe each others disposition parts naturall guises and behaviour that which one thinks comely another distasts and some disproportion and unsympathy herein may cause religion to be meanly thought of And to end remember that this businesse borders much upon the outward man beware therefore that neither outward defects doe weaken nor their abilities doe forstall thy judgement either way from the due weighing of the best things in the ballance to or fro Slight defects will soone be supplied by religion
let not this marriage of mine deface these faire beginnings it is appointed for good let us therfore meet for the better not the worse Take me on further Lord as the child takes forth his lesson let the sun of my light and grace not go back but forward ten degrees in all my hearings Sacraments publique and private use of ordinances growing in the truth as it is in Iesus that together with judgement sweet affections againe with tender affections sound judgement may grow and increase in me And thus I have finished this point also of a Contract being the second peece of my Digression from the point intended to wit the honour of marriage both in the entrance of it whereof I have spoken in the first three Chapters and the continuance of it whereof in the Chapter following shall be treated CHAP. VI. Returne to the first Argument The Honour of Marriage in the preserving of it during the marriage life TO returne then whence we digressed now it followeth that we come to the second part of the Honour of Marriage standing in the carefull improving thereof in the marriage conversation It is the nature of honour to love attendance and they who have found an honourable marriage must wait upon it and keepe it so And it is a true speech That it is no lesse vertue to keepe a mans wealth name or honour then to purchase them Iob tells us that God hath denyed wisedome to the Estrich to looke to her egges to hatch them when she hath layd them she forgets the worke of laying and leaves them in the sand for the feet of wilde beast to destroy them The Apostle John willes that Lady and her children not to lose the good things they had gotten but to get a full reward It had beene better that some had married with farre lesse shewes of goodnesse and hope of thrift except they had kept it better For there is nothing so miserable as to have beene happy The praise of that good woman in the Proverbs is not that she was vertuous before entrance no it was her proofe and practice which made her honoured and her husband in her Many great Captaines have got a sudden crown upon uâ—eir heads but they have died with a bare title and lost it with more shame then the glory came too which they got it by It s not sayd that Zachary and Elizabeth were worthy couples in their entrance but both in their married course walked with God Paul doth not onely teach married ones to bee married in the Lord and no more but how to live together and maintaine conjugall affection and to keepe that knot by subjection compassion tendernesse and faithfullnesse Rest not in this as some Scholers doe that their names are up and then fall to idlenesse and prove dunces So many couples are like the Image made of gold in the head silver in the breast but worse and worse downeward They would have their marriage beare up it selfe whereas that is as she is used if she be not cautiously observed she will take a tetch depart and carry her honour away some husbands and wives through the slighting of religion as thinking it needles to acquaint themselves with God as Job saith in all their complaints wants and distempers others by loosenesse of heart in company whereof they make but small choice others pampering themselves with ease and wantonnesse lying open and naked to a unsuspected enemy soone blast that honour of their marriage which at the first they seemed not dishonourable to enter upon And others have done the like by improvidence by needlesse meetings gaming 's or the like idle courses others little observing each others temper and so preventing many discontents others also by presuming to find at the hands of another more respect and affection or expecting greater wealth and estate then they found grow to distates and debates then to seek stollen waters as weary of their owne cisternes And therupon growes a decay in their estates discredit among such as esteemed well of them poverty and imprisonment seperation from each other And what is all this save to cast their crowne into the dirt and to prophane it wilfully whereas had they resigned up themselves and the successe of all their hopes to God walking faithfully and keeping covenant both with him and themselves humbled themselves and submitted painfully to their callings of magistracy ministery or private life without ambitious reatching at matters above them they might have kept their crowne and garland fresh and green yea surely had they set themselves to embrace those graces of God in each partie to winne love and amity betweene them bearing with infirmities and covering them with tendernesse how flourishing had their head and honour continued without fading even to this day But it shall be enough in this place to touch only in the generall upon the equall necessity and coherence of this second duty with the former for all such as would preserve their honour inviolable That which I shall further say hereof may more seasonably come into the use of that discourse which shall ensue after we have cleered the point it selfe which because its large and will cost consideration let us enter upon it It may then be demanded wherein this art and skill consists of saving this honour of marriage so unsteined The answer is it stands in two sorts of duties whereof the former sort concernes both husband and wife jointly and undividedly to practice The latter concernes each of them in severall the husband apart and the wife apart Let us then begin with the former Those duties which concerne bothe equaly are foure First Iointnesse in religion mutuall love like loyall chastity and sutable consent Touching the first of religion my meaning is that as they are entred already with a religious spirit into their marriage so they must continue not only to be religious stil but to cleave mutually together in the practise of all such meanes of worship and duties of both tables as concerne them I say in the parts of religious conversation to God More plainely first that they be joint in the worship of God publiquely both ordinarily upon the Sabbath and occasionall at other times and seasons as also extraordinary The word must be heard by both jointly Sacraments mutually received prayers frequented and all the worship attended Secondly family duties concerning both themselves and their children and servants as reading of the Scriptures conferring of them prayer and thanksgiving exercising those whom God hath committed to their care in the principles of Godlinesse and the severall duties of inferiors The husband being the voice of God when they are both together touching which more shall be said in the severall offices belonging to the husband If he be absent and there be no man of better sufficiency to present whom both of them allow of then ought the wife to discharge the duty as hereafter shall
governors as David saith how your fellowship with the good encreases what new blessings are fallen upon you in persons names trades posterity Marke also well where Satan most insuleth and where the hedge is lowest with you what corruptions as old sores breake out in their seasons which yet seemed to be quasht before what lustes of the heart lust of the eie or pride of life bubbles up from within Looke not each into him or her selfe but each into other as having interest deeply planted yet doe it not with curiosity but simplicity By this meanes both abundant matter and manner as oile to the lampe will offer themselves to nourish this ordinance all lust of sloth all rust of ease wearinesse will be filed off And a free heart to make God the umpire of your differences if any be as how can it be avoided but a roote of bitternesse within will lesse or more breake out the composer of your hearts the granter of your requests and the gracer of your marriages will be obtained And feare not lest this course should in time wearie you or alienation each from other should grow to distast this duty for the Lord who hath founded it will owne it and can blesse it and keepe out disorder and the sweet fruit of this service will so both prevent attend and follow you in all your waies that you shall feele your selves to walke each before other and both before God lesse loosely moresoundly and safely For why how can it otherwise be when both of you remember whom you use to goe to as to the oath and covenant both in your confessions on which you shame your selves for your faylings and in your requests craving pardon and purging and where you have done wel to praise him for support and to be thankfull for that administration and protection of his under which as his beloved you have bin all the day long I conclude therefore goe to God more jointly then ever hold and pull more hard and close together so oft as you go to the throne of grace especially when as with that good Jacob you are resolved not to cease wrastling till you be blessed compell him to send you away with your request else you cannot be answered Goe by a promise in your Advocate and say now Lord this new state of ours requireth new manners new selfedeniall new faith new life a donble portion of grace begge it therefore as Elisha did all that belong to you require a new part in you And who is sufficient for these Make your selves nothing and God all in all who can satisfie you Seperate not your selves in these duties as others doe in Congregations or others in boord and bed but say come let us pray together confesse give thanks I am as thou art my people as thine my horses as thine my thoughts affections members as thine By this meane love shall so grow that it shall outgrow all distempers you shall say of each other I never thought my wife had the tithe of that grace in her heart or that my husband had halfe that humblenesse compassion faith which now I perceive Those evills those infirmities which would for ever have estranged some and caused distast I see in him in her breed so much the more love to my soule sympathy and mercy This from this welspring of joint worship shall flowe streames of hony and butter as Iob speakes into all the lifeâ— Especially when crosses and streights shall befall you then shall God be neerest of all unto you and be afflicted with you in all because you have made him the God of your mounteynes he wil bee the God of you valleys also whenas others who never thus traded with him shal be sent to their Idolls and to shifte for themselves And as touching the first duties of mutuallnes viz. of these fowre jointnesse of religion and worship thus much CHAP. VII The second mutuall duty of the Married viz. Conjugall love handled I Now proceed to the second mayne and joint duty of the marryed which is conjugall Love For the better handling wherof it will not be amisse first to premise somewhat touching the nature of it and then to shew some reasons why it should bee jointly preserved adding some meanes wherby it may bee done and so concluding with use That infinitely and onely wise God who both upholdeth by his providence all his creatures in their kindes and subsisting and hath by one soule of harmony and consent accorded each with other for their mutuall ayde and support much more hath his hand in the accorde of reasonable creatures their fellowship and league together as without which they could not well continue in their welfare prosperity And therefore for the more sweete reconciling and uniting of the affections of one to another in every kinde of league and fellowship both the more generall and common standing in outward commerce and the more neer close as in friendship and marriage he hath accordingly planted in every nature sexe and person more or lesse Simpathy that the one not possibly beeing able to subsist without the other might by this tye each love the other and be knit to the other in union and affection This appeares even in the most remote contracts of buying and selling borrowing and lending wherin although the league stand rather in things then in persons yet even there is seene a generall kinde of love each man chusing to trade and traffique with them whose spirit and frame is most sutable to their owne When God meant to enrich the Israelites by the bounty of the Egyptians he darted in for the time such a sympathie into their hearts that they found favour in their eies so that nothing was then too deare for them jewels and gold and silver till they had impoverisht themselves And in those combinations of men which are grounded in law and civill order in commonwealths and corporations although there be a necessary bond to keepe all sorts within order and government yet there is to be observed between those members a more peculiar bond betweene some then others through a suteablenesse of disposition that is in them whereby for speciall causes the one doth more tenderly affect some one or other then the common body can affect it selfe This yet doth much more appeare in the league of friendship wherin we see God doth so order it that by a secret instinct of love and sympathy causing the heart of the one to incline to the other two friends have beene knit so close to the other that they have beene as one spirit in two bodies as not only wee see in Jonathan and David but in heathens which have striven to lay downe their lives for the safeguard of each other And that the finger of God is hert appeares by this that oftimes a reason cannot be given by either partie why they should be so tender each to other It being caused notby any profitable
lewels may bestollen out of thy boxe thy mony out of thy purse clothes out of thy wardrobe thy backe may be stript of thy costly attyre thy beauty blasted with age thy body weakned with sicknes sorrow thy name fullyed with infamy thy partes may decay But thy subjection no man shall rob thee of nor thine husband of that Crowne If thou preserve that in thy Cabinet as thy pearle it shall supply and restore all those losses in the esteem of thy husband This wil be the Trench of thy castle all darts will fall shorte of it as impregnable Subjection is the true Mother of love Sister of consent root of all other Matrimoniall service helpfulnes in the next chapter gracefulnesse in the next to that shall attend it as precious handmaydes And shee her selfe in the middle shall walke honorably and honor marriage above all other vertues Be it never so meanly thought spoken of by the Damish and Imperious women of the world yet shee will say If this bee to bee vile I wil be more vile yea those that would disdaine mee yet shal be compelled to honor mee and say Many daughters have done well but subjection hath surmounted them all And so much touching the first personall vertue of the woman to wit subjection be spoken CHAP. XIIII Which proceedeth on to the second peculiar duty of the wife that is Helpfulnesse I Now proceed to the second speciall duty of the wife which is helpfulnesse The former gift telles her that shee must not bee Rebellious This second tells her what shee should bee helpfull usefull It s not enough for her to be Negatively good not harsh not rude But shee must be positively good shee must also be helpfull This comprizes all her true usefull service to her husband and in speciall answers his Providence Shee must within doors lay all her helpfulnesse to his providence without doores that by both the whole frame without and within may be supported She was made subject by sin But helpfull by creation which yeeldes a choice prerogative to this vertue being of integrity not from corruption Of all the other Creatures saith Moses the Lord founde not any one which might bee a meete match for Adam wherfore he saide It is not meete the man should bee alone I will make him a meet helper and so he formed her of a rib out of his side while he slept In the former Chapter then we treated of a peaceable in this we must speake of a Profitable and in the next of an Amiable companion Quest But here in the very entry a Question is to be answered In how many things standes this helpfulnesse Answ I answere in three main thinges First cheefly in helpe to his Soule Secondly to his outward estate thirdly to the married condition as for instance to the honor of his Name the health of his body the welfare of his Children the government of his family the recovery out of any disaster the averting of dangers the advise about things weighty and difficult I begin with the first of these Touching which although I have noted before that shee is to be subject to her husband in matters of God yet this muzzles not the mouth of a good wife in helpfull concurrence but onely in bold usurpation Shee may without empeach to that cast in her mites into Gods treasury and bee an helpfull furtherer of his soule to all spirituall welfare and content in knowing beleeving and obeying so it be done with humility and meeknes Although shee is to aske her husband at home in respect of any usurpation yet as the case may require she may nay she must in due season being demanded reflect back the fruite of that mercy which the Lord hath shewed and the cost he hath vouchsafed her for the good of her husband And as the Lord hath gifted and graced many women above some men especially with holy affections so I know not why he should do it else for he was wise and is not superfluous in needlesse things save that as a Pearle shining through a Christall glasse so her excellency shining through her weaknesse of sexe might shew the Glory of the workman And how In beeing only lookt upon or wondred at as a bird of fine colors No but in reall Communicating of that Grace which she hath to her husband especially as also to others in private communion of Saints as occasion is offred One thingh here comes to my minde I would not be taken to patronage the pride and licentious impudency of women who having shaken off the bridle of all subjection to their husbands take upon them to expound the Scriptures in private assemblyes and to bee the mouth of God to both Sexes Not blushing one whit to undertake by the 4. or 5. houres together yea whole dayes if their vainglorious humor masked under the colours of humility may be suffred to interpret the word applying it according to their way by Reproofe comfort Admonition and the like as if Shee-preachers were come abroad into the world And yet these are such as dare oppose and confute the doctrine of faith and selfdeniall taught by the most able Ministers of Christ and tell their disciples that there is another way to be walled in and that is the way of the spirit which must give such a light to the soule and such an assurance of salvation as may rid us at once of all doubtings feares and unbeleefe and translate us into a confident and secure perswasion of the love of Christ without making question As for any waies meanes trialls motives signes whereby the soule may come to bee setled about the work of Regeneration these they abhorre as savouring of the flesh and not of the spirit of light and inward evidence In this kind they undertake most boldly to expound the Scriptures and to resist all who are of another mind Nor allow I others who defending themselves by the practice of the primitive Church when the extraordinary gifts of Prophecy flourished whereby the mooving of the spirit men to men and women to women did exprefle and utter their thoughts and judgements concerning divine truths which gift then was very necessary for the breeding up of Ministers Doctors and Proctors they wanting other helpes of furniture and supply but appertains not unto us who both have ordinary waies of supply and want that speciall presence of the spirit which that first Church had to guide and governe the use of such gifts orderly and peaceably to such endes as they belonged without schisme and confusion God indeed promised by Joel to the Church of the Gospell that he would poure out his pirit without difference to all ages sexes states of people But not in such a disorder that a woman should dare in publique or in a private place after a publique manner to declare truthes of Religion usurping over men and encroaching upon the laws of Christ Such immodesties and
borne it but lo she that are with me out of one dish dranke out of one cup dipt her morsels in the same vinegar lay in my bosome and was one with mee she hath beene as rottennes to my bones as smoake to mine eyes and as a continuall dropping Oh! if the eye be blind how great is that darkenes And if shee who was made for the choysest helper for what earthly comfort is like her who is like her self proove a plague and hurt to a man how great must that wound proove As the discord of brethren is therefore like the brasen barres of a Pallace because they are in place of neerest lovers so the hurt of a wife is unspeakebly intolerable because she breakes that law in pieces which ordeyned her to the contrary For there is a cursed generation of women out of measure sinfull whose cheefe revenge is to whet their teene upon their husbands and to kill their hearts not onely with despitefull tongues but also malitious attempts professing they do it to crosse them Such as these I deny not to be helpers for they helpe their husbands to a sad heart to a weary life to bitter complaints to such as they dare trust for if they had no bosomes to emprie it into their hearts would breake to an empty purse to a rotten name to a ragged coate they helpe them ere they have done â—o the sheete to the stockes to the Gallowes to hell it selfe without mercy by their severall hurtfull inventions Thus was not Abigail to Nabal though a beast if she had scorned him so farre as to renounce helpfulnes she would not have endangered her life for his safety but left him to shift for himselfe But such presidents as Dalila Iezabel Jobs wife and the like helplesse hurtfull wives joying rather in their husbands harmes and thrusting them forward when they are falling better sute to many of our wives then that out worne end of Abigails Alas such a patterne serves rather for wonderment then honor imitation Do wee not see how jolly and proud Dames set up a private wealth to themselves with neglect of the common good of husbands and families Have we not coy peeces that affect a singularity of Diet apparrel company losty carriage above and apart from their husbands Publique shame which yet now restrains most abuses not curbing these Are those helpers that jolly it out and ruffle it in the misery debts banqueruptnes and dejection of their husbands brave in their ruffes and cloathes when they are all ragged costly in their fare when they are faine to bite short sit at the upper end of the Table when Tom foole must stand with finger in hole behind the doore Are these helpers or harlots trow you How else should it be verefied of women which is foretold of al sorts by Paul in these latter daies They should be lovers of themselves proud unnaturall trecherous What traitor is like a bosome one And well might these proverbiall speeches arise that A man may thrive if he have his wifes good wil Or A mant hat marries a second wife with Children need take no thought to purchase house and land These argue that although the case may be otherwise in many wives yet generally it is dangerous especially in second marriages with widowes Vse 2 Secondly be it exhortation to all that would bee good wives that they be helpfull ones As once that worthy Divine Master Perkins wrote upon his study doore Thou art a Minister of the word that doe so should a good wife upon her palmes and fringes for an helper thou wert made this looke to mind the end of thy creation carry it with thee as thy charge I was made for an helper Not for an helper on way and an hurter ten but an only helper So that as Law is the soule of the state the soule is wholly and in each finge of the body so should my helpfulnesse begin at husband and animate all the family But especially it should be the life of my husband his soule I am bound chiefly to helpe by godly counsell his spirit I must helpe by my cheerfull behavior his body I must cherish with my best benevolence his name I must tenderly honour his sorrowes I must wisely mitigate his joyes I must sympathize his dangers I must prevent his health and state I must uphold and when I have thus done as the Bee gathering hony as the Sheep bearing a fleece as the Oxe plowing the ground as the builder framing the house not for their owne uses but the commodity of others so must the helpfull wife all these I have done not for my selfe but for my husband Yea looke what instinct Nature Art hath put into these creatures that hath grace and helpfulnesse put into me An helper I was made for this oh Lord let me look to If I do it of a willing vertuous mind there is praise If not yet a necessity is layd upon me and wo to me if I be not an helper who ever shunned or waived the end of their creation but vengeance pursued them as traytors to Nature to heaven I was not made for my selfe but for another each part of the house claiming a part of me As he said once to a coy Virgin thy virginity is not all thine to dispose of in part it s thy parents father hath a stroke in it mother another and kindred a third Fight not against all but be his whom they would have thee So say I to thee being a wife and an helper Thy womanhood thy helpfulnesse is not thine it s thy husbands his body state posterity claime it from thee he laies claime to all not as that Tyrant did all thy wives silver and gold is mine but as one that is invested in all thou hast by peculiar providence I live not by rule or examples the unhelpfull shall not teach me to be a hurter the helpfull shall not so teach me as if I followed for their sake only but for his who hath subjected me to helpfulnesse Vse 3 Lastly its incouragement to all good wives to looke off from the degenerate practice of this world which might pull them from this vertue If she be such an helper to thee oh husband as I have said comfort thy selfe in her comfort and encourage her thy selfe against all dismayments And if shee bee so towards a lewed companion who hath not the grace to prise her let mee here from God encourage her God requite thee poore soule for the world cannot thine husband will not God make his way the strength of the upright in the thankfulnesse of both Thou canst doe no more then thou canst If a bad husband will yet ruine all well yet as long as thou couldest thou hast held carte on wheeles The Lord shall be thy helper the strong helper of an helpefull wife Others shall helpe thee Thou shalt not bee forsaken in thy greatest straits And touching this second duty
Ghost hath described it Read and ponder that Heb. 3. 12. where the Apostle in effect tells us that this is the nature of all sinne committed against the light and it hath these degrees as the words doe expresse Take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God but exhort one another lest you be hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne Marke first there is an evill heart of aversnesse from God and enmity or alienation from God in each child of old Adam Thus David confesseth himselfe guiltie hereof in committing Adultery Secondly this being unsuâ—dued in the soule by the word breaketh out into outward and morrall evills as ill humors in the body into soares and botches So saith our Saviour an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart brings forth evill things for out of the heart proceed all such draffe that 's the nest and forge of them all Both these make the heart an evill heart Thirdly this evill heart and these evill workes become evill workes of unbefeefe That is whereas God hath ordeined a blessed remedy of pardon and clensing of both loe the love of an evill heart to her evill workes will not suffer it to parte with them but chuseth rather to forsake mercy it selfe They that embracelying vanities forsake their owne mercy And our Savior plainly This is the condemnation of the world that light came into the world But loved darknes rather then light because their workes were evill Iesus Christ receaved by faith would have destroyd such workes But men loving them and that darkenes which nourisht them more then light they added drunkennes to thirst that is unbeleefe to morral sins And so sins which at the first were but dipped in the colour of Nature beeing died in graine by contempt of light became spirituall evills consisting in a treacherous refusall of grace that it might nouzle it selfe in sin more and more which by embracing of grace it might have beene rid of So that this unbeleefe defending it selfe in the practise of darknesse causeth the soule to be guilty of horrible villany against the grace of God and that spirit of Christ which offreth it selfe to purge and wash it from sin Fourthly by this meanes there followes a Delusion and Defilemen of the soule by the sweetnes and deceitfullnesse of sin That is a Desertion of the soule wherby it s left by the just hand of God to the errour of her own way choyce to bee as it desired to bee so that it becomes of avoluntarily a necessarily seduced heart thinking evill to be good feeding upon ashes as a perverted appetite will do upon coales or chalke it suffers conscience to be blindfolded and baffled and the accusing power thereof to become a defiled power so that though it know sin to be sin as this of Adultery yet beeing luld asleepe upon Dalilas lap it feeles no sting but dreames of ease as Samson and David who differd not in this from Balaam save onely in this that the spirit susteind and reserved their judegments that they sinned not upon the last practicall understanding and choice of free will but by prevention and temptation But to their owne sense they had shaken off the spirit Fifthly from hence proceeds hardning of heart in the sin against the recourse and checks of conscience Thus David beeing once defiled and snared so that he could go neither backward nor forward he grew so hardned that he resolved upoÌ„ al those waies wherby his sin might be concealed extenuated defended and that with odious Circumstances which what was it save as much as in him lay to put off the spirit of God and to fulfill his lust providing that he might not be unsettled And lastly in some uncleane ones although the Elect cannot goe so farre hence proceeds a departing from the living God a disabling of the spirit from returning back to him again through an heart which cannot mourne relent repent so finally a powring foorth of the heart to all other sin without controll or restreint yea some go so farre herein that they fight not only against the revealing light of the spirit but against the spirit it selfe out of malice And what wonder if the restreyning power of the spirit be taken from such as have despised the saving power of it Now to gather up all into one how wofull an hazard doe all they run as play the uncleane beasts under the cleere light of the Gospel How do they lay the stumbling blocke of their owne iniquities before themselves For although I deny not a possibility of returning so long as the spirit is greeved onely except it be despited also yet who knoweth how farre he may go in his descent beeing not able to stop himselfe And as for the Elect how many beare themselves upon it till they proove errant hypocrites This Meditation therfore let all such ponder deeply who are given to slight this sin what God may do for ignorant ones as Paul speakes I say not though we see but few of these repent But for them that sin wilfully after light it s far worse A second object of meditation against this sin is the Peculiarnesse of it from other sins That of the Apostle is notable for this fly fornication why All other sins parte from the bodie this abides in it what 's that Other sins of wrath theft swearing the like abide not in but passe away from the instrument acting them I say not in guilt but in act of cleaving But this of uncleannesse as it leaves no lesse scarre in the Body then they rather more so it leaves a far greater and more loathsome stayne in the body causing it to bee a more yrkesome dwelling for the spirit of God to bee more loathsome to it selfe and beares marke in the open sight of others of it owne filthines If God then have set such a mark of this sin upon the bodie as upon no other and now much more then when Paul speakes if other sins in comparison are without but this within it others by the body out of the body this by et and in it that is it is a more reall and bodily sin requiring more of a sinner for the perfecting of it then others yea forfeiting a peece of the body in the committing of it how odious is it Againe if it bee a more fulsome vice and hardlier washtout as before hath beene said If it shut God out of his Temple yea out of Poarch and all I conclude it behooves all to beware lest they conceive that a more slight sin then others which God hath branded with more peculiarnesse then others I do not here speake of that loathsomnesse which followes the act of that before But I say The Lord loathes these leprous walles what should such a one have to doe with Praier Reading Hearing Sacraments whose lips eys
just yea thy deserting of my spirit cutting off my daies and sending me into the hottest place of hell had beene little enough for me But oh if thou shalt wash this spot away and cleanse me with hyssop I shall be whiter then the snow what I am is not the thing confusion belongs to me for it it s all I can plead But there is mercy with thee that thou maist bee feared and some little hope hath opened my heart to confesse my sinne as rather relying upon thy word then upon my owne feares that thou wilt deale rigorously and of mine owne mouth as thou moughtst condemne mee Fourthly thou must not thus walke onely with thy Penance fagot upon thy shoulders and the sheet of thy shame upon thy back as one shut out and excommunicated from the Assemblies upon whose face thy father hath spit But thou must set before thine eyes a double promise One this That if the Lord shall once accept thee all thy former sins shall never bee so imputed as to cast thee off Looke that place in Jeremy full of Comfort If an harlot be divorced from her husband shall he returne to her any more No surely But loe thou Adulterer thou harlot you have defiled the Bâ—d which I made Honorable yet I will deale better with you returne and I will accept you sayth the Lord And what upon thaâ— Surely it shal bee with thee in my accompt as if thou hadst never sinned The Lord will open to such a fountaine for sin and uncleannes This may seeme as a cable to the eye of a Needle such mercie for so gracelesse a wretch yes bee encouraged for the Lord lookes not at the greatnesse of the sin if thy Traytors heart distrust him not but at the expression of his owne grace and getting himselfe a name in pardoning it that where sin hath abounded grace might abound much more A dog will catch at this moisell and poison himselfe for he will sin to try a conclusion But this must not east off a poore penitent soule who hath sinned alreadie and beene carried by the streame of his Sensuality Neither must an hypocrite be bolstred nor yet the grace of God to his own frustrate And secondly consider What thou hast beene the Lord lookes not at he beholdes thee in his Son as washed purified therfore wil bee honored even by these members which have most served the lusts of thy uncleannes The Lord delights to see it so if once the property bee altred Witnesse Mary Magdalene so highly honored by Christ to bee the first witnesse of his Resurrection and so enrolled in the book of God that wheresoever the Gospell should come her Name should be honorable How did our Lord Iesus admit her to come to his body and with those eyes handes wherewith shee had beheld embraced those tresses and forelocks which had allured so many uncleane lovers yet he was content to be washed annointed and wiped what exceeding love is this thus to restore an Adulterer to his blood and to entertayne him to that dignity and service which he had forfeited Try thine owne heart in this Case no other Medicine save this made of the blood of Christ can satisfy for thy sin nor wash off the guilt and stayne of it Beleeve this promise apply this blood and this wil bee a true seed of abhorring it for ever Fayth will carry thee to the Crosse of the Lord Iesus tell thee thus I have seene him bleed and breath out his last conflict with wrath and overcome it for the full expiation of thy uncleannes if it could have overcome him thou hadst lost the day for ever but seeing he got the victorie thy sin shall not damne thee so long as he prevailed against death and hell for thee Christ onely can make a divorce between thee and thy sin Till he shed his pretious blood in the defiance of sin the soule and sin could never be made Enemies Onely death which separated his soule and body asunder can divide them If then thou seekest no other morrall shifts nor carnall Popish waies of abhorring this sin at least dost rest in no other all is well Thou takest a sure course to part with it for ever I Come in therfore and claspe to this pardon offred thee in the promise sue it out and apply it to thy soule Perhaps thy base heart will chuse rather to lose it then to take it Gods way But consider since God will not stoope to thy way and there is but one way to come to him bee it never so unwelcome stoope to that way and come in Any way of thine own dawbing with untempered mortar will please thy flesh better then this But seeing in them thou must perish by this thou maist bee saved to use Esai's wordes in the promises there is continuance in the other lying vanity cleave to this and know this onely can satisfy God and change thy lepers skin therfore venture upon this If thou canst possibly perish in beleeving this perish yet know much more sure it is thou must perish except thou beleeve If thou like those nasty lepers sit still in the city die thou must no shift of it here thou mayst live value thy life at no greater rate then the life of a desperate man is worth if elswhere there were hope thou mightst shrug at it But worse then thou art thou canst not bee if thou finde more favour then thou deservest count it for a vantage But howsoever do not preferre assured death before hope of recovery nor lose it for venturing Fiftly rest not here neither but if more mercy be shewed thee then thou lookedst for for God is best to a sinner when he is past pleading then let this perswade thee to follow him for further Grace I meane when the guilt of thy Conscience is gone sue to him for Repentance for the mortifying and subduing the rage power defiling and snaring property of thy sin And begin with the roote kill there first begin not with Adoni-bezek at the fingers endes Christ stabbes the old man at heart first As himselfe told the Pharisee nothing which comes from without can defile the man But that which defiles the man comes from within From the heart proceed as other sins so uncleannes and all the fruits Therefore either purge the roote first or else let all alone Thou shalt fynde this a new worke Yet that faith which hath washt thy Conscience and inner man from guilt and feare and hell Can purge thee a second way from all slavery to thy lust Mercy will act the part of a Priest it will both set an eternall oddes betweene thee and thy lust And it will mortify thy Concupiscence dayly till it be quite dead It will trvely set thee on mourning Truely worke thee to an hearty indignation against thy selfe It will teath thee the art of sinne detesting which no wit of man no skill of
God 1 Tim. 2. 11. â—2 How far the wife may undertake the service of God in her family Yâ—t with Cautions Caution 1. Women denied this libertie must be pacient Exod. 21. 6. 2. Branch Of practice Matter of the world Limitations of subjection in worldly things Prov. 31. May the woman of her selfe give to Charitable uses Ordinarily she may not But in some cases she may In publique miseries of the Church Decision of the doubt 3. Branch Her subjâ—ction in marriage converse manifold In Attyre 1. Pet. 3. 3. In gesture and composition of body Domesticall Converse must be subject Rom. 12. Matt. 11. 30. Shee must hee subject abroad In her tongue and Company Subject â— In point of Nurâ—ery Ruth 4. 16. Admonition Shun Rebel Iron Exod. 4. 25. 1. Cor 7 10. Exhortation of wyves to subjection The second speciall Duty of the wife helpfulnesse Gen. 2. 18. Wherein stands this vertue of helpfulnesse In 3 Branches In Gods matters Impudency of usurping women in matters of God eaxed Joel 2. 28. Admonition to all usurping women in matters of God Conditions of modest wives in actâ—ng of Gods matters Judg. 13. 23. Sam 1. 25. 2. Generall Helpfulnesse in matter of estate described Prov. 31. Wives must not have any peculiar wealth apart from their husbands but in common 1. Tim. 3 1. 2. If they desire any stroake in dispensing the matters of the husband they must deserve it by good carriage Three branches of womans providence Act of Providence to bring somewhat in Pro. 31. Women must bee their husbands storers and Treasurers Matt. 13. â—2 Is her Dispensing Provident wives right hand must not know what their left doth â— King 3. Act. 19. 35. Admonition to the wife against this Evill Eccles 7. Branch 3 Of the womans providence in the conjugall life It stands in sundry particulars To his person Soule Iob 2 9. Act. 5. 5. 1 Kings 18. To his health of body His good Name His family In al difficulties Bearing hardship Reproofe What kind of helpers wastfull wyves are Exâ—â—rtation Encouragement to helpfull wives The third peculiar duty of the wife gracefulnesse Wâ—vâ—s must be graâ—â—ous and gracefull What gracefulnesse is Two things in this Matter of it Grace Humility 1 Pet. 3. 4. Selfe deniall Iudges 4. 21. Faith For the truth of it 2. Pet. 1. 2. 2. Theâ—â— 3. 2. For the life of â—t Esai 63. 3. Heb. 11. Grace Innocency Zeale and prety 1 King 17. 9. Luke 8. 3. Mens hearts not generally so tendet and zealous as womens if they be right Grace Mercy and Compassion Math. 25. 36. Act. 9. â—6 Confidence with others 1. Pet. 3. 5 6. Forme is temperature of them Is the sweete union of all into one compound Act. 22. 28. Vse of this point Instruction Dâ—fference of Couples wherin it stands Cant. What a bad gracelesse wife is Admonition Gracefull wives must expâ—esse it to then husbands Husbands that are happy in the grace of theâ—r wives must returne the like Generall uses of the whole greatise Reproofe and Admonition to good Couples Branch 1. Look out and compare your lot with others Condole the unhappines of others R. R. of I. K. And bee hâ—mbâ—â—d Ioh 21. 18. Guide others to good Choice 2. King 7. Branch 4. Exhortation to live love and leave 1 Cor. 7. 21. Eccles 2. 5. Instruction Marriage is a shadow of that spirituall un oÌ„ of Christ and the Church In their meetings and marriage And how Their mutual Converse What Christis â—o the Church What shee is to him Conclusion of the Treatise Preamble to the Appendix Why the latter part to this Text is handled God deales wite his owne by Iudgments Heb. 12. ult Nah. 1. 3. Nahum 1 3. Habac. 3. 19. Mica 7. ult The godly have a slavâ—sh part in them and free 1. Cor 6. 10 1â— Eph. 5. 6. 1. Thess 4. 6. Adultery a great sin God will have all uncleannes layd open in her colors as odious Mal. 3. 5. Digression shewing that fornication is a great sin Act. 15. 1. Pet. 4. 34. Homil. 22. in 2. ad Corinth Homil. 12. ad popul Antioch In 1. ad Corin homil 1. 18. Gregor Nâ—ssen 〈◊〉 1. ad Corinth Tertull de pudâ—â—t cap. 1. Reason why Vncleannesse is a very neer naturall Corruption Men are prone to blanch over this sin 1. Cor. 10. This sinne inchanâ—eth and bribeth the judgement Jude 10. Adultery is very full of colours and excuses to hide it selfe under Eithâ—r for pâ—evention or sâ—opping of mouth That sensuality might have strong disswasives Gods judgements against it Branch 1. Mat. 1. 19. Gods deerest servants not exempt from this generall sentence 1. Pet. 4. 18. Branch 2. The of-spring of the Adulterer excluded from the Tabernacle many ages Branch 3. Old Penalty of Adultery death without remedy Numb 5 18. 19. Branch 4. Severe judgments executed upon Adulterers Both in Scripture Num. 25 7. 8. And in experience Branch 5. Marks of wrath â—pon Soule Name When as men have failed God hath struck in 1 Pet. 1. 18. Marke 3. Beggery Marke 4. Coherence of uâ—cleannesses Marke 5. It s the Divels nest egg 2 Sam. 11. c. Marke 6. Marke 7. The body Prov. 5. 10. 11. 〈…〉 the uncleare Pro. 26. 19. Admonition to all uncleaneâ—nes Deface not Gods way To prevent the sinne Conclusion of it 2. King 10. 3. 4. 5. Rev. 2. 14. 2 Sam. 10. 12 Instruction to be subdued by t'â—ererrors of God Mark 13. 37. Fotward professors beware of his snare Profession cannot dispence with this sinne 1 Cor. 10. 10. Exhortation Councells three First Counsel Abhorring somewhat Thyne owne selfe Things to be abhorred Thoughts of Contemplative uncleannes Iames 4. 8. Things to be abhorred Colors and Excuses of it All inward fomenters All outward temptations Second Counsell Meditate of sóme what 2. Properties of it 1. It must be wise Psal 51. 2. Propertie It must be deepe about the properties and penâ—dties Of the â—pâ—â—itu â—â—nesse of this sinne Steps of spirituall sinne An evâ—ll heart Evill workes Unbeleefe Iona. 2. 8. Ioh. 3. 9. Delusion and defilemen Hardnes of heart Departing from the living God 1. Tim. 1. Things to be meditated of the peculiarnefle of this sin That other sins are out of the body but this is as it were within it Seperatâ—s from God 1. Cor. 5. And from the Church by Excommunication either inflicted or deserved The spirit of God Excommunicates him in the Court of his owne Conscience Secondly he must meditate of the penalties of this sin In word Awofuâ—l gidâ—y druâ—kâ—nnes disabling the Sinner from repenting A fearefull example of a debauched Adulteâ—er urged M. Bol. Meditation of the temporall penalties of uncleannâ—sse Third Counâ—â—ll Pâ—â—câ—sing of somewhat Whom this coâ—cernes especially Viz. 2. Sorts Such as are guilâ—y of it onely 1. Branch Adulterers ought to humble themselves for it Luc. 1. An â—bâ—â—sement under the mighâ—y hâ—nd of God They must gather hope out of the promise to pardon it See and consider Jerem. 3. 2. 3. Branch 3. Gâ—orâ—fie God in the confession of it This is as their bringing of their curiot's books and burning them Act. And why Agravation oâ— sinne needfâ—â—â— for uncleane Penitents Set before thine eies the promises Ier. 3. 2. 3. The second Beleeve the promise Esay 64 5. Hereby thy heart must be changed from it and part with it Branch 5. Sue out the destroying power of sin from Christ Return to the Lord in chastity for ever The second generall in practice for such as have revolted to it againe 1 Counsell What such are to do 2 Counsell 3 Counsell 4 Counsell 5 Counsell 6 Counsell 7 Counsell John 2 Cor. 7. 8 Counsell 9. Counsel 10. Counsel Caveat Magistrates to whom this work belongs must looke strictly to the Censure of God â—er 15. 19. Jonah 2. 8. 9.
the Prophet had enjoyned thee some great thing shouldst thou not have done it much more to wash and be cleane So I say if the service were farre greater wouldst thou not admit that when the scope is Marry and bee happy Oh but is it enough say these that we be precise in worship and religion and in our conscience to God but we must be so strict in marriage So strict how strict wouldst thou not take as much paines for a purchase Nay for a good Horse or a good Hawke wouldest thou presume both were good enough if price enough were set upon their heads No sure but the rather thou wouldest looke to thy bargaine So doe here thinke not a wife unquestionable because of her price enquire of her true value when thou art married and art stung with his or her unquietnesse unfaithfulnesse uncleannes oh then what injunction should be put upon thee which thou wouldst not yeeld unto to be eased of such a burden in a right way But I cannot promise thee thou shalt prevaile then so well as thou maist prevent it now Doe as some Gentlewomen doe they will take no maids to traine they will have them trained to their hand or else none What will not a foole doe out of season to shunne sorrow when he hath smarted but in season that he might not smart he will not stirre a joynt nor wet his finger To verifie that of Salomon To the foole God gives toile and vexation for his portion because he wil not be wise for his own ease But I have before purposely handled this point I willl trench no more upon it So much for this use of reproofe A second use then to finish all is exhortation to contracted couples to prise their contract for the use of it I shall not need to joy them of it that now they have their desires accomplished that will come alone but let it be their care to sactife themselves and their marriage for time to come It was the custome of the Church of the old Testament to offer sacrifices to God upon solemn occasions as upon solemne meetings of the family when warres were attempted upon any speciall service of God to be performed as fasting thanksgiving Sabbaths circumcision of the children recoveries from sicknesse enjoying of any blessing Hezekia and Jonah deliverd offered sacrifices made songs and vowes Marriage therefore being a speciall change of estate such as befalls once in the life should have no lesse solemne preparation for entrance into it The entry of yong ones into this condition cannot but amase the thoughts and possesse the spirits and powers of the soule more then ordinarily striking jealousie into them least their succes should not answer their expectation and they should not be happy in each other So that upon whom should all this care and burden be cast save Iehova who hath said to married ones as well as others In nothing take thought but in all things commending your selves to God by prayer and and cast your care upon him for he careth for you Let this be your care even the promise of God Yea in the verse immediately following this text of Marriage the Apostle meets with this corruptions in couples let not your conversation be in covetousnesse for he hath said I will not faile thee nor forsake thee It is no easie thing to stirre up a dead heart to reflect meditations of our future estate take this time therefore now the thoughts and passions of of the soule are up in armes now the iron is hot strike some impression of God faith in his alsufficiency and providence into your selves And as the Lord of the Mannor at each alienation comes in for his herriot so now at this your change pay God his fine the best jewell of all you have devote your selves give up your soules to him with mutuall consent rest not in the praiers of others but set close your selves to the Lord in your own supplications both apart and together without seperation Astronomers call the twelve days of the Nativity Criticall for the twelve moneths of the whole yeare the daies of your entry upon marriage should be even such for looke how the constitution and frame of them is so may you expect the time of your marriage will be either for Gods use and the honor of your marriage or for your owne ends Vnblest entrances have naughty successes Recognize with your selves what the solemne opinion and hope is which the Lord his Church and your selves have conceived of you Tremble to thinke how wofull a defeat it were to frustrate them and your selves Acknowledge God to be the ordainer of this estate looke what rules he hath directed you unto for an happy life in this kinde muse of them set your hearts unto them and let them sinke deeply into your hearts take the Lord as a solemne witnes of your intents and purposes to walke by rule as you looke for peace And by strong resolutions bind your fickle hearts as with cords to the Altar and pray God to set his seale to them that they may prove as good silver in the performing as they seemed in the promising And more particularly these two things I advise you unto First looke what especiall base distempers and lusts you have found to sway in you either formerly or since your purpose of marriage labour to purge them out that you may not carry defiled bodies or spirits into the married estate As Physitians at the end of a disease give their patient a clensing potion to expell all scurfe of bad humours remaining so doe you you are entring into a pure and honourable estate honour it before by burying all your Idols and cashiering your base lusts that they crowd not in with you into the wicket of marriage lest if you shall dare to carry an uncleane froward covetous discontented and unsavoury heart with you into that estate the Lord shall accurse you and make them as Judas his sop unto you to defile you for ever after To the pure all things are pure but to the impure every thing even the very minde and conscience are defiled Secondly look what feeble seeds of knowledge and grace were sowne before marriage you ply and attend them carefully for time to come Promise yea secure the Lord beforehand that no contentment of flesh no humouring of each other no reaching at commodity shall so forestall you that this worke of God should be forgotten by you rather lay all sacrifices by the Altar and renew your Covenant both Gods with you and yours with him tell the Lord thus When my husband my wife first met me I was very busie in grounding my selfe in the principles of knowledge the sight of sinne to humble me the truth of the promise to cast me out of my selfe upon the armes of mercy I was occupied about the doctrine and use of regâ—neration union and the new creature now
God sendes thee to the Lord Iesus As he loved his Church and gave himselfe for it to the death that shee might escape it so oughtst thou to redeeme thy wife in case of such a danger when thy bearing will laten the blow from her When the Lord Iesus was taken by the souldiers If yee seeke mee saith he let these my chickens depart Take not the damme on the neast with her birdes Let these be free let all the danger light upon my selfe If then this tendernesse must extend to life it selfe surely then well may this tribute of an inferior ranke be shewed But I cease to discourse the point any further Well then will some kind husband say wherein stands this respect and honor which I owe to my wife I should be loth to wrong her of ought which she might plead through my ignorance or which my selfe if I knew it could beteame her well in hope there shal be no love lost that thy wife will requite it when as in the next point shee shall come to the like triall I will do her thee this favor here to lay out her Priviledge and thy duty But first it s not amisse againe to recognize breefly that which I spake of the modell the Canon of this Duty which the Apostle layes downe thus As Christ loved his Church Before he had sayd He that loveth his wife loveth himselfe But knowing that selfe is sometyme an ill judge and crooked rule he amends it by a better even the Golden Rule of that honor and respect of Christ towards his Church which never fayles or exceedes the mediocrity What is thē that indulgence tendernesse which thy selfe wouldst either wish or look for from Christ thy head Teach thy self therby thy office to thy wife in the measure of thy Grace tender it to her Dost thou desire alway to be accepted of him find grace in his sight Let thy wife finde the like from thee Wouldest thou have him doe all thy workes in thee and for the Show thou the like Grace to her do thou likewise require not the uttermost service from her but let her doe all in the comfort of thy love acceptance Wouldest thou have him compt all thy deeds not according to strict law and performance of full measure but according to sincerity of endeavor Do thou also so esteeme of hers according to the will and affection whence they proceed though they faile never so in degree Wouldst thou have him to esteeme thee according to the better and not the worser part So doe thou interpret her Wouldst thou have him save thee from sorrow So protect thou her and let thy love be her banner Wouldst thou have him to feed thee and fight for thee to bee thy Protector and Champion Should he stave off thine Enemies and catch their woundes in his owne side which should else light on thee Wouldst thou have him to stop the mouth of each dog from barking or biting thee yea even to keep each cold wynd from nipping and blasting thee Even so stand thou betweene they wife her harmes and cover her head in the storme raine not only with thy cloake but thy best protection against any annoiance Wouldst thou have Christ afflicted with thee in all thy troubles to pitty thee suffer with and susteyne thee by his patience courage long suffring So let thy blood run in her veynes and thy marrow in her bones sustaine her like wise by thy meeknes and long-sufferance shee is also flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone Dost thou expect at last that he should at last redeeme thee out of all thy troubles Dost thou also as far as lyes in thee seeke rest for her from all hers let no enemy of hers encounter her alone but know he hath a double enemy to fight against noteasy to contest with Thine are hers hers are thine rejoice to see herrid of all if God see good which way it seemes best to himselfe to deliver her meane time be thou active passive in all with her In a word whatsoever thou wouldst have Christ do for thee the same doe for her for this doubtlesse is to be conformed to thine head and to do the part of an honoring and respective husband to her These generalls had need be branched out into some particulars else perhaps it will not be easie for every one to conceive them These therfore that follow may serve First let this respect begin at her soule procure to that the cheefe good that it may fare well The tender love of Christ stands in this that he gave himselfe for the Church why Not to make her such as shee her selfe woulde not to give her the full swinge and swaye of her owne will But to wash her to purge her to sanctify her as peculiar to himselfe having neither spot nor wrinkle So do thou begin with this and this shall guide all the rest Thinke not this to be thy tendernesse to thy wife to deale by her as David by Adonija whom his father would never from his youth speake a wry unto that is aske him what dost thou But rather in this is thy tendernes if by any wayes of God allurements yea milde and well seasoned reproofes if need be thou mayst be an instrument of her good It s not tendernes but exceeding and degenerate softnes in an husband that because his wife is well pleasing to him in some carriages therfore he should rather suffer her to go on in deep ignorance of God and her selfe and go the broad way to perdition rather then he would grieve her or speake one worde amisse especialy to be so base and remisse that when he knows he might winne her by his loving tendernes he shoulde rather neglect her by his Carelessenes No if thou be tender truly her soule wil bee thy principall object and thou wilt present to her those tender mercies of Christ those bowels of compassion in him to the church never linning till Christ hath by his blood washt her soule from the naturall uncleannes of it forgiven her and taken away her guilt and blemishes If her face were stayned with some spots how studious would he bee to tell her of them that she might wash them off how much more that Christ Iesus might call her his Hephziba and Beulah his dove faire one and pretiously beloved that he might behold her washt and cleane as the sheep comming from the rivers to shearing from her scurffe accepted of God and as much as flesh may bee without spot or wrinckle eyther of guilt or apparant corruption a vessel purged and prepared for every good worke No worke so honorable as this to make thy wife a vessel of honor to God first and then for marriage Thus Paul describes that tendernesse of Christ and yet that washing and rinsing of her must cost some hardnesse save that Mercy and love oversweetens it and
then it will seeme plesant Nourish and cherish and hate not thy owne flesh in this first respect as Nathans lambe in the true bosome of the Lord Iesus the tenderest husband that ever was Secondly this thy Respect and Tendernesse must reach to her person and that in her Safegard and Defence Thy wife walkes under God in the shaddow of thy wings and protection Thou must bee as a vaile to her eye to keep off the dint of all lust and strange desires as Abimelec told Sara of Abraham As the eyelid is made by nature a tender filme and very mooveable and watchfull to the body of the eye that no dust or mote fall into it to offend it so must the tender husband come betweene the least aspersion of reproach and infamy cast upon the name of his wife wrongfully And when thou art dead let her rest safe in the Ark of Gods protection by the benefit of thy living prayers before sent up for her to the throne of grace that God would be an husband to the widdow that so even when dead yet thou mayst speake But while thou art living thou must bee as a wall of fire to her let everie one that hath ill will to thy wife as many will have even for that which deserves honor knowe that they maligne thy selfe Nay herein love her better then thy selfe that thou wiltright some wrongs done to her which perhaps if done to thy selfe thou wouldst passe by more strongly Let her Name and honor bee as sweet oyntment unto thee The husband who shall content himselfe in the generall love of his wife beeing yet supinely negligent of her repute or enduring any within doores or without to disesteeme her without sharpe rebuke or to bee knowne himselfe to see any of her weaknesses with the least contempt is not worthie to have the comfort of her vertues or the love of a religious companion The like I say of her body both in health and sicknesse Whatsoever diet or warmth or shelter either at home or abroad by thy selfe or others thou seest necessary for the preserving her in health and vigor from the least assault or impression that neglect not keepe away wether distemper disease for her be as a Physitian according to the discretion thou hast and the knowledge of her bodylie frame and infirmities in the absence of better helpe Prevent all dangers from her which possibly might assault her and what soever sorrow or sad newes ill and sudden accidents thou deemest would disquiet her turne them away if it bee within thy power or keepe them from her notice lest they might overthrow her spirit or weaken her body Yea as our Lord Iesus did so do thou if a danger must needs ceaze upon thee provide it may not come to her knowledge or as little amaze and affright her as may bee In her diseasednesse neglect no meanes which either thy counsell purse or friends can helpe her to advise for soule physicke for body attendance and nursery to person Grudge not that shee lyes upon thine hand But as thou wouldst have I say not her but Christ himselfe to tender thee in thine so do thou her in her defects Let it appeare to her cleerly that her life is precious and her losse would be uncomfortable If the poore Shunamite seeing her child dead lockt it up in the Chamber hasting to the Prophet proventing al pudder to her husband aldisquiet in the family by taking it upō her selfe how much more should the husbands wisedome and tendernes reach to thy wife that no Sicknesse or Sorrow might ever ceaze upon her more deeply then needs must if thou canst keep it off Say not with unnaturall Nabals Thou tookest her not for sicknesse but for health for better not for worser knowing that good wives in their health lay up desert enough to be tendred in their sicknesse The wife is not for nothing sayd to bee under her husbands covert Doe thou as Boaz did to poore Ruth upon the cold floore in the chill night spread the lap of thy garment over thy beloved I charge you sayth the husband in the Canticles O yee danghters of Ierusalem watch by my spouse sit by her and keepe silence wake her not untill she please Good reason shee have more rest thē thou let thy waking be her security gaster her not up too early sluggish women will not good ones should not be waked too soone Shee is alway in griefe that for thee by thy meanes what day weeke moneth is she free through the yeer breeding bearing nursing watching her babes both sick that they might be well and well lest they be sicke If she lose a childe by the hand of God or by casualty her tender heart takes more thought for it in a day then thy manly spirit can in a moneth the sorrow of all lies upon her Shee had need to be eased of all that is easeable because she cannot be eased of the rest We reade in the fable that the male sparrow once accused the female for that she did not so much take paines in building of their nest as he did But she replied There was cause why shee should pleade exemption Shee had all the trouble of laying the egs of sitting of hatching feeding them and therfore some reason she should be spared in the building of the nest let him do that who did nothing else and she prevailed And shall not shee who alleageth for her selfe with more reason Get her asleep if thou can but awake her not till she please And tell mee shall not her ease be thine Or canst thou have any if she want Little dost thou thinke of those gripings checks pangs wherewith she walketh whē as thou goest through stitch with thy matters with an hardy courage If all wives be not so I speak not so much in their behalfe but the good wife is usually so yeeld her this fruite of tendernes it s all the milke thou givest Yea let thy hollow cheeks pale face sad heart be as a Calender in which others may read thy wives infirmities their number their measure and how long they have continued I speak not Rhetorique unto thee but Divinity As and husband must loath uxoriousnesse so much more Stoicall insensiblenes remembring who it is who sayth Erre in her love let thy soule know no other objects while shee lives let them be abhorred And when she hath breathed out her last yea even when she lyes by the walles yea in the mouldes yet then is there another honor due to her memory when shee is not even this that thy hand be upon thy side for the losse of another rib thy sweet companion Mourne not for her without hope like an heathen shee is not lost but sent before but yet as Abraham as Jacob so mourne thou even till the dayes thereof be accomplished Bee not as the horse as the
should imagine a possibility of it seeing what the name of David Lot Salomon till this day suffer for it As a blur in faire cambrique so is this alway cast upon him as his shame God doth not usually upbrayde his people But this he alway casts him in teeth withall yet this Caution I adde by the way It is not lawfull hereby to condemne whom God hath justified but to cover it rather for our parts But for caution to others the Lord will rather make a Record of it and hang it on the file then it shal be forgotten And when we heare the uncharitable imputations of men fret not at them but say God is in it he will keep it on foot he will checke the soule with it and caufe the guilty therof to possesse the sin of their youth as Iob did If God shall conceale the shame of any guilty of this sin let them prayse him and make an end of all in his privy Chamber of mercy and Repentance that so his open judiciall proceeding in court may be stopped Let this also adde some weight of terror and divorce thee from this sin whip the slaves backe with this rod But the son will be drawne by love So much for this second of Meditation The third and last is to practise somewhat And this is the mayne of all other helpes to rid us of this muscheefe And it consists of sundry particulars Touching all which let the Reader understand that they properly concerne such as have beene actually defiled with uncleannesse in one kind or other And these men are either guilty of their Crime during their estate of ignorance and unregeneracy or else such as have revolted from that grace which they have either soundly or seemingly received To both I would give some advise and first to the former To that then which hath beene abundantly spoken of the Terrors of God against this sin let this only be added That all those men whose hearts God shall touch for it doe lay them close to their hearts that as that pearking presumptuous Asahel was met with and pierced in the fifth rib by Abners speare so may these wild creatures be in their ventrous provoking of God Surelie such a giddy lightnes is in every uncleane heart yea the religious they cannot be solid when as they would they are so drunken with this sin except the law or else that old Simeon speakes of which must open and let out the thoughts of many hearts do let out these wild and unbrideled affections And as that Asahel 2. Sam. 2. being once darted through was tame enough and stopt in his wantonnes so let thy soule be earnest with God to step out of his ordinary way to make an high sence and sharpe hedge of Thornes which he doth but for few in this kind yea to set an Angell before the doore of that harlot shaking a sword that thou mayst no more venture to returne This will not bee till a fire bee thrust into thy soule to feele the intolerable wrathe of God upon all Whoremongers which may so sting thee that as a man scalt or burnt hath small joy or mirth so the feeling of thy selfe in the suburbs of hell may cause thee to feele small list or edge to thy former occupation Hell my freind is no paynced sire on the wall such as thou seest in Alehouses to make drunkards merry but is kindled with the breath of God who hath vowed to bee a terrible judge and consuming fire to all defilers of themselves with whores or harlots single or married yet entreat him that this terror of his may not be extreeme and desperate as his was of whom I last spake ending in violent laying of hands upon himselfe and preventing of Repentance but rather breake the force of lust pull down thy jollity that it may bee as sad an object to thee as was the murthering of the Lord of life to Peters hearers Act. 2. 37. And not onely so but stoop and quaile under this terror of God wee see prisoners at the barre doe not descant or quarrell with the Iudge all their language is confession and supplication for why They know the Iudge hath them at advantage their lives stand at his curtesie Do thou likewise Will God judge Adulterers Stoop then at his barre hee can save or destroy Other Iudges admit appeale themselves may and must be judged their judgements may bee questioned disannulled they sit but upon the breath and life of a man Not so the Lord hee is Iudge of the high Court a Soveraigne King and Iudge If hee once passe sentence no revocation it toucheth the life of thy precious soule This should affright all uncleane persons What suing and seeking is there to the Iudges of spirituall Courts if they threaten but the sheet Oh! but here 's a greater Iudge that can damne thee in hell for ever No bribes prevaile here he is like that enemy of Babell who should scorne all gifts and bee above gold and silver Submit therefore under his hand confesse thy damnation is just lie prostrate upon the earth with thy mouth in the dust and say oh thou the Soveraigne God of the Creatures enemie of all uncleane wretches if thou send mee to hell I have nothing to alleadge if I perish I may thanke my selfe thou hast power to destroy Tremble at this Soveraignty doe not quarrell nor shift with him there is nothing to be pleaded save meere favour I can say nothing why the sentence of death should not be pronounced against me Secondly seeing all repentance stands not in a preparative go on be earnest with God to give thee a glimpse of hope in the Lord Iesus who was made all sinne and this by name not onely for David but for the nature of man and for thine and hath satisfied the wrath of this Iudge that he might say deliver him I have accepted a ransome The law of Moses knew no such attonement stoning and strangling was the end of it As the Iudge tells some felons that the law hath no mercy for them their sinnes exceed it so here But the Gospell affords more grace refuseth to pardon no sinne no offence which the soule can be humbled for I grant this will not easily enter so debauch't a spirit to dream of a possibility of such a grace For when that conscience which was so deeply benummed is once stirred to the bottom it becomes as sensible as ever it was senselesse before and while conscience holds under bondage it s no easie thing to fee such an hope of grace by the Gospell But yet in this thy amasement utter losse an despaire in thy selfe thou must wait upon God who can sustaine thy bottomlesse spirit from sinking altogether till in due time he open a crevis of light into thy dark dungeon And when it shall please him to turne thine eie towards some likelihood of finding mercy in the