Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
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A27955
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The batchelor's directory being a treatise of the excellence of marriage, of its necessity, and the means to live happy in it : together with an apology for the women against the calumnies of the men.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing B260; ESTC R16542
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89,843
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268
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vertue from 〈◊〉 insults and violence After all this should one admire â—â—t in all well regulated States such â—â—â—â—nite care has been taken to cause aâ— exact observation of Marriage â—s it a wonder that in the Republick of Lycurgus the haters of it should 〈◊〉 excluded from publick sports Speâ—â—â—cles and entertainments Can one 〈◊〉 surprised that in the Commonâ—â—alth of Plato Batchelors of 35 â—â—â—rs were accounted infamous In 〈◊〉 â—ord it is miraculous that in all â—es and even amongst the barbaâ—â—â—s Nations a particular deference 〈◊〉 been payed to married men and â—â—â—t Marriage has been much more â—â—eemed than Celibacy It is Sir 〈◊〉 foundation of the world and the â—â—â—xhaustable source of Families 'T is â—â—â—t which gives Citizens to Cities â—â—â—abitants to Provinces and Subjects 〈◊〉 Kingdoms 'T is that which afâ—â—â—ds Kings to People and People to Kings 'T is that which furniâ— the Country with Labourers the Tâ—bunals with Judges the Churches wâ— Preachers and the Armies with Soâ—diers 'T is that which has produâ— Heroes on Earth and Gods in Hâ—ven Poets have married Gods 〈◊〉 well as Men. Saturne had his Cebâ— and Jupiter his Juno both which hâ— been Mothers of several of those fâ— Divinities which Pagan antiquity fâ—merly adored In a word 't is Mâ—riage that gives life to Arts and Sâ—ences That keeps up Traffick Tâ— maintains Societies and to whicâ— owing the greatest part of those whâ— some Laws and prudent Disciplinâ— without which the world would 〈◊〉 but a Cavern of Thieves Can it 〈◊〉 too much esteemed after this Aâ— needs there any more to prove tâ— nothing is better or more excâ—lent if you except a real conâ—nence Yes Sir there is required morâ— for one may make appear that it such in a manner yet more convâ—cingly You will be satisfied of 〈◊〉 if you consider it with me Fiâ— â—he bond of the most perfect most â—et and most wholsome of all huâ—â—e conjunctions And Secondly 〈◊〉 â—he exercise of the most lawful â—â—st agreeable and most absolute auâ—â—â—rity of the world Nothing unquestionably is more â—â—â—fect than this union in respect 〈◊〉 its subject to its end and to its â—â—nner Marriage unites Man and â—oman that is to say what there 〈◊〉 of most excellent and most perfect 〈◊〉 the corporeal nature what resemâ—â—â—s â—s in it self all the Beautys of this â—â—eat Universe what alone is of â—â—re value than all the other Creaâ—â—es together In fine what by the â—â—derstanding and reason with which 〈◊〉 is endowed to the exclusion of 〈◊〉 other Creatures has merited â—â—e glorious name of the Image of â—od What do you imagine to be the â—â—st part of this subject It is a â—elestial Soul It is an immortal â—pirit an angelical and immaterial â—â—bstance It is a being that partakes 〈◊〉 some sort of that of God himself â—eneca goes yet further When he considers its excellency he will havâ— it to be God himself who that aâ— I may say is come to lodge withiâ— our bodies Quid aliud voces animan nisi Deum in humano corpore hospitem Sen. Ep. 32. 'T is thaâ— makes St. Austin say 〈◊〉 That after God nothing is betteâ— than the Soul Anima post Deum nihil melius As to the Body which is the other part that Marriage unites it the Man and woman we may affirm that as miserable as it is in relation to its substance and to the various accidents to which it is subject it is notwithstanding the most perfect and most excellent work of Nature in respect of its composition which as the Psalmist so ellegantly asserts is all embroadery of its aim which is to serve as an organ to the Soul and to be as it were its Ornament Corpus est vestimentum animae says St. Chrysostom The Body is the Garment of the Soul and in a word of its use which is to be imployed in the most noble most necessary and most important actions of life Behold then the first perfection of â—â—raiage viz. That it unites Boâ—â—â—s and Souls that it joynes togeâ—â—â—r the two finest Creatures in the â—orld That it is a composition that iâ— most rare and precious in the esâ—â—â—ce of things This kind of Union 〈◊〉 seen no where else nor in any oâ—her subject The Conjunction of the Stars is a Union purely corporâ—al the Copulation of Beasts is a Union purely carnal Fornication is a Union of Body without Soul And Friendship as strong as it may be betwixt two friends is notwithstanding but a U ion of Souls without Body There is nothing but Marriage that truly unites Bodies and Souls togather Its second perfection consists in its â—nd which according to nature is to multiply men according to grace is to encrease the number of the Elect and according to Nature and Grace to retain the Sexes in the â—ounds of Wisdom Modesty and Honesty in removing the disorders of debauchery What can be more worthy of God and Man than this End I say in the last place that tâ—â— manner of this Union likewise makâ— up one of its beauties Marriage dotâ— not only joyn the Bodies it also â—nites the Souls 'T is much I confess but there is still something incomparably greater It not only unitâ— Bodies and Souls but O surprisinâ— wonder of two Bodies and twâ— Souls it makes one and the samâ— Person Man and Wife says Jesâ— Christ are no more two but one flesâ— Aristotle affirms of a real friendship that it is a soul which inhabits 〈◊〉 two Bodies But the union of Marrâ—age is still much more intimate Theâ— are no more two Bodies but one single Body no more two Souls but onâ— single Soul They are no longer twâ— Bodies tyed to one Soul No longer two Souls confounded in one Body 'T is a something I know noâ— what which is not absolutely one oâ— t'other but is more than both and cannot be expressed Possibly the Comick Poet thought of nothing less than to represent to us the wonder of this Union when he made the diverting peice of his 〈…〉 â—nphytrion It is notwithstanding â—hat he doth after the most natuâ—â—â— way imaginable in the Scene of â—â—e two Sofias He makes them to 〈◊〉 of so perfect a resemblance that â—â—ey look upon one another as one â—â—d the same person They are not 〈◊〉 all distinguishable They are two 〈◊〉 number yet but one in action and â—ovement They always speak by I and not by We. They do not say â—ou art there and I am here but I am there I am here Plautus expresses 〈◊〉 in his Language with an emphasis â—e cannot render in ours What you would persuade me no body ever heard says Amphytrion to Sosia that one man should be at the same time in two different places Nemo unquam homo antehac Plaut Amphyt Act 2. Sc. 1. Vidit nec potest fieri tempore uno Homo idem duobus locis ut simul sit By what inconceiveable art could it be that thou wast at the same moment here and in
Death it self that puts an end to all doth not always conclude this because it doth not only unite the Bodies It unites also the Souls Trajicit fati littora magnus amor Propert. lib. 1. Eleg. 19 Sen. Agam. Act. 2. Amor jugalis vincit ac flectit retro It is likewise very fertile and the fruits which it produces are more precious than all the Gold of the Indies Thy Wife says the Prophet shall be in thy House as 〈◊〉 Vine abounding in fruits Psal 128.3 â—nd thy Children like Oâ—â—ve branches round about thy table In 〈◊〉 word as I have already said noâ—hing is more disinteressed than the â—ove of a Wife She loves her Husâ—and for the sake of himself and beâ—ause she is easily persuaded that in â—is respect nothing ought to appear â—ore aimable to her To know its whole extent and how â—ar it goes you need only to read â—he Song of Songs in the Bible There â—ou will perceive the Air and disâ—over the secrets of a certain pleaâ—ure which charms the heart and â—ransports the Soul in spight of it â—elf It is filled with expressions so â—ender and figures so effecting that â—ne must be harder than a Rock not â—o be wrought upon therewith I 〈◊〉 now very well that the principal â—esign of the Holy Spirit that diâ—tated to Solomon was to represent â—o us the flames of the Divine Love â—nd the mystical union of Christ and â—is Church But we can never be â—ble to frame to our selves the excellency thereof unless we supposâ— the same things in the conjugal union since the one is imploy'd there in as the lively Image of the other This being so it is impossible to express the sweetness and satisfactioâ— of a happy Marriage This wise Kinâ— speaks to us of it in such magnificeâ— terms and exposes to our eyes aâ— its delights in so pleasant a manneâ— that one is transported almost out 〈◊〉 himself One talks of nothing theâ— but of my Love my particular Frienâ— my Dove my perfect one my Sisteâ— my Spouse of surfeiting with Lovâ— of Myrrhe of Aloes of Aromatiâ— smells of passing the day with hâ— well-beloved under the shade of Palm Trees and amidst the flowers of Pomâ—granets and the night on the bosoâ— and between the breasts of the faireâ— amongst Women All this t is truâ— ought to exalt our minds above thâ— objects of the senses and to put before our eyes the ineffable sweetneâ— of our Communion with Jesus Chrisâ— the real Spouse of our souls Buâ— who doth not see yet further thaâ— man ought to find in the union of Marriage well near the same pleasures â—â—at the faithful discover in their uâ—â—on with God since the first is as 〈◊〉 were the Plan and Model of the â—â—â—ond and that the pleasures of the â—â—â—ond cannot be real if the pleasure 〈◊〉 the first is not so In fine I add that nothing is more â—holsome than this union Marriage 〈◊〉 of it felf the undoubted way to â—â—radise If an infinite number of â—â—rsons go astray and make it the â—â—y of Hell it is because they practise â—â—t its pure maxims and remove â—â—emselves from the ends which it â—â—oposes God has instituted it to be 〈◊〉 excellent remedy for Man against â—â—continence and by consequence to â—â—ntribute wonderfully to his Salvaâ—â—â—n by carrying him to Wisdom and â—â—nctity He likewise design'd it for â—â—m to be a perpetual means of inâ—â—easing his vertues One has a Wife â—â—e has a Husband They must be â—â—ved They must be supported And 〈◊〉 spite of their proper infirmities â—â—ey must make it a continual joy to â—â—ssess one another by a love of â—â—mplaisance which appears in no other Society One has Children they must be instructed One must labour to make them good in their kinds They must have examples of goodness One must instill into their minds wholsome principles In a word one must endeavour to save them Can one afford them for their Salvation the cares which Nature and Grace require without taking some for ones own One has troubles One has displeasures One has tribulations Alas who has not O quam dura premit miseros conditio vitae Cornel. Gall. â—leg 2. O! how hard a state of life oppresses the miserable One must digest them in patience One must receive them with humility from the hand which dispences them One must recollect all the motions of real faith and hope to avoid being overwhelm'd with their weight and to discern through all these miseries that hand of God who delivers when it is time and who by an adorable dispensation oftentimes makes of them in a Christian Marriage a source of Benediction and Grace as they are one of Salvation and Sanctification It is Sir with the virtue of a Batchelour and that of a married Man as with avarice and liberality This requires nothing but communication That has nothing for its aim but restriction One has the hand always open because it loves to diffuse it self and the other has it always shut because it has no pleasure in gifts The vertue of Celibacy with the men of this world is a dead virtue that is of no use nor profits any body Which made Tertullian say very eloquently Malo nullum bonum quam vanum Tertull. lib. 1. de pud Quid prodest esse quod esse non prodest It is an idle barren particular virtue and which terminates in the sole subject to which it is fastned In a word it is a virtue of a carnal temparament or prudence which has nothing of nobleness in it self and which if one examines it near will appear to be founded upon the motives of a soft delicacy The virtue of Marriage on the otherside is a living and fructifying virtue It is a productive virtue which tends only to multiplication It is a publick virtue It is a virtuâ— of example Omnibus patet It is 〈◊〉 virtue of choice and election It iâ— a virtue of force and victory and iâ— only so upon the account of the greaâ— difficulties it has to engage with Virtus dum patitur vincit as a Poet says Virtue whilst it suffers conquers Certamen aufer ne quidem virtus erit Without opposition and engaging their would be no virtue In a word it is a virtue of usefulness and profitable to all the world There is none perhaps but this to which one may justly apply these two verses of Sententious Horace Aeque pauperibus prodest locupletibus aeque Hor. Ep. l. 1. Ep. 1. Aeque neglectum pueris senibusque nocebit 'T is equally advantagious to the poor and rich And the neglect of it brings equal damage to Boys and Old Men. After having shewn you the excelâ—ency of Marriage with relation to the â—dvantage of its union it is not unâ—t to make it appear to you with â—elation to the authority it confers By nature we love to rule and to be â—uperior The design of making themâ—elves equal to God