_1Jii'eftio1JS for ciJoice i11 .Marriage. . §. 47 , ~eO. But how can I teU wiJO' are Godly, when thm if fo. much hypocrijie in the 11'1>7'/d l fil.;!<ft. A ufw. At leaf! you may know who is Vn,odly if it be palpably dtfcovered. l take not a barren k._nowltdge for ungodlinefs, nor a nimbk tongue for Godline!s : Judge of them by thn_r Lwt: fuch as a mans Love is, fuch is the Man : If rhey' L ove the word, and fervams a~d worfhtp oS God, and Lovea holy life, and hate the contrary, y.ou may clofe with fuch though thm knowledge be fmall, and their parts be weak : But lf they have uo Lot~t to thcfe, but had rather hve a coounon, careJef:t, carnal life, you may well avqid them as ungodly. . . , §. 48. Q!tc!t. But if ungodly ptr[onJmay marry, why may not I marry wllh one that u Ultg;odly l ~eft, A 11 ji"P· Though Dogs and Swine may joyn in Generating, it follo"':eth not men or w~men ruay JOyn with them. Pardon thecomparifon, (while Chrifl calleth the WICked Dogs and Swsne, Mat. 7• 6.) it cloth but {hew the ba.dne(<; of your conft:quencc. Vnbelievers may marry, and yet wt may not marry with rotbelievcrs : z Cor. 6. 14, 15, 16. f>t )'t not unequal[y yoak,s~ togetbe~ with. unbelievers.? For rrh;;tfcllowjhip batb righttoufnefi with unrighteolt[nejil and what commu11WJ h.1tb ltght wuhd"r]tnefs .? andWhat concord bath Chriji .with Btlial? or rr:hat partbath he that believeth n:i~h an Infidel ? aud what agmmrnt batb the Temple of God rvith Ido!J 1 For ye ort the T•mple of the bvmg God-_- whmfore cutn£ om from among them, and be ye [ep.1rau ]<~ith tfJt Lotd, and tot~ch not the unclean thmg, &c. : 9·49· Qudt.Butlma~e 1wdoubt bmthtymay be c011verted: Gcdca1tcall them'R'htn he wiU: If~ejr., 1here be but Love, tbey rviU e.zfif:y be rpon to be of tbe mind M th()Je tbry Lcvt are; An[rv. I· Then it fcnns beCJllfe you Love an tmgodly perfon you will bt eafi!y turned to be ungodly. If fo, you are not much bc.trc:r already. lf Love will not draw yeu ro tiJeir mind to be r~ngodty, why Chould you thin~ L ove will draw rhem to your mind to be Godly) Are you fironger in grace than they are in fin? 2· If you know well what Grace is, and what 'a finful unn:newed foul is, you would nOt think it fo eafie a matter to convert a foul. Why are there fo few converted if it be fo eafie a thing ? You cannot make your felves better by adding highqr degrees ce the grace yol! have: much Jefs can you m:tke another better, by giving them the grace ,which they have not. 3· It's true that God is ab!t ro convert them when he will; and it's true that for ought I know it may be done. But what of that ? Will you in fo weighty a cafe take qp with a mecr poAibility? God can make a beggar f!.icb, and for ought you know to the contrary, he wiO do it : And yet you will not therefore marry a Beggar? Nor will you marry a Leper becaufe God c3.n heal .him ? why then fhould you marry an ungodly perfan, becaufe God can convert him? [et it done firfi, if you love your peace and fafety ? ,. ~·50· Q:!e(\. Brdwbat if my Parents command me 10 marry"" u».godly per{on .~ An[rP. God ha- ~eft• ving forbidden ir, no Parent hath authority to command you to do fo greac a mifch1ef to your fdf, no mOie than to cut your own throats, or w diftnember your bodies. . §. 5r. Q;lefi. 15ut what if I bve a nece!Jity of marcying, and c.n get non< but an ungodly per [on? ~rjf. J Anfw. lf that be really your cafe, thlt your 1tcceffity be real, and you can get no other, I think it is lawful. 9· 52. <1!_ell. But Uit not better have agoad natured ptt{on tbat it ungodly, tha11 a11 iOnatttred per[on ~~J(~ lh.JI Urtlig,iou;, ( df many fuch are) l And may nut " b.1d man be a good h;uband ? Anfiv. 1. A bad man may be a good Taylor, or Shoemaker, or Carpenter, or Seaman, bccaufe the-re is no moral virrue · necdfary w the well· doing of their work. But a bad man cannot be fimpfy a good Magifirate, or Minifi:cr, orHusband, or Parent, becaufe there is ll'lllch moral Virtue neceffary to their duties. 2· A bad namre unmortitied and unramcd is inconfifient wirh true Godlinefs: fuch perfons may talk and profefs what they pleafc' bm if an)' man among you [eem to be rtligiau; and bridlttb not hi1 tonp,ur, bu1 drceiveth hH own heart, tbUmimt religion U vain, Jam. I· 26. 3• I did not fay that Godlineft alone is all that you muf\look after: Thoug~this be the firll, yet more is nccdfary-- . §·53. Direct. 7· Next to tbef~ar of <;od, ma~e chDice of a nature, or temperament that Unot too much Dire[f. 7• u;~fuiJable to you. Acroffnefs ot difpolitions will be a continual vexation; and you will have a domeOick War infread of Love. Efpecially make furc of thefe followjng qualiti<S. I· ihat there b~.: a Loving, and not a folfifl' nature, that hath no regard to another but for their own end. 2. That there be a NJture competently quiet an·d patient., and not intolerably froward, and unpleafable. 3· That lherebe acompetency of wit; for no one can live lovingly and comfortably with a fool. 4· That there be a competent bJ!mili.ty : For there is no quietnefs to be cxpeCled wi£h the proud. ~- That thtre be ·a power to be hiem, as.well as to fpeak ; 1-'or a. babling tongue is a continual vexatlm. 9· 54· DireCt. ~· Newt to G~.Jce and Nature, have a due and moderate Tl'[prfr tiJ Perfon, Edacation birtlf. Si a~~ Ejfau. 1· So far have rdpeCt eo the Perfon as that there be no unhealthfulncfi to make _your con– dmon ovcr-burdenfome; nor no fuch deformity as may hinder your affe&ions. 2. And {0 far have nfpect to Parentage and Education as [hat there be no great unfuitablcnefs ofmind, nor no prcjudicare opinions in Religion, whi'h may make you too unequal. Diffexing opinions in Religion axe much ~~re tolc.rable in perfons more dif\ant, than in fo near relations. And thofe that are bred too high m Jdlcnds and luxury, mufi have a through work of grace to make them fit for a low condition· ~n~ cure the Prjde and fe-;;fit.J!~ty which are ea.ken fo~ the honourable badges of their Gentility; And 1t IS fclrce con{Jdcrable hq\v R1ch fuch are: For then pride and luxury will make even with all and be fii\1 in greater want, than honcfl contented temperate poverty. , ~· 55· Direct. 9· If Gad c:aU JOlt tomarriage ta~e notice of the help1 and comfort I of tTJal condition, M Diretl. P• wdl af of' the binderattces antl tro_u',fes; th~t yo~ may chearfuUy JCrve G~d in it, .in the t;JCpellation of hH bhffinr.· Though mJns corrupttcn have hlled rnat and every ftate of life with(nares and troubles, yet from tilt b,ginning it was not fo; God appointed it for mutu~l h~lp, and as fuch it may b' ~frd. A•
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