andgodlyobfeeruation.c. orderof theChurch in their meetings,dtifthey vfeno charmes, nor vnhone$ orUnlawful meanes.Thirdly,thattheir'hearts befncerelyaffeetedtoGods holy ordinance,fo that firft 3, theyrefpea this end,to haue ahelper toGods kingdome,when each ofthem bath faid in their foules, Iwill feekeout one inwhom Imay fee mine owne image of faith,loue,holì- nes,&c . thatwill helpe me.to Gods kingdome. Againe, whentheydoe not marrie for ri- 4. ches,bcautic,or fuch like outward things : but haneadefire mutuallyto doe the duties which they owe one untoanother. Belides,they mutt haueadefireto batten thekingdome s' ofChrilt,by fulfilling fomuchas in them lietb the number ofthe ele& : and vfingit asa remedie againft incontinencie. And fo wefeecondemned hereall marrying of yongmen e, with oldwomen,when there can beno hope ofprocreation. a Vntoa gentlewoman thatwas afraide'that her good will was fufpe6tedto her bur- 'fouroronë band,beingfarrefromher,inthathereceiuednotthelettersthePenthim ,hefaid: If your be c'"demnn coefcience didexcufe you,hecould not.condemne you,and Godwill snake knowneyour aeqúàrr zr: heart untohim : ifyourowne heart tondemne you,tliencan he not excufeyou,nonot al- thoughhe thoughtverywell ofyou. 3 M a. louing husbandwill nottakeaway hisloue from his wifefor tome particular Simile, wancs,fo longas the keepeth herloue wholyand trulyvntohirn: fo the Lordwill notraft offhis louingkindnes to valor fpeciallwants,or frailtie inparticular commandements,fo longaswe generally labour to pleafe him. 4 When one askedhim concerning marriage,whether it Weregood tomarrie ; Peeing fometimes when concupifcence pricked him,hee wasmouedto ir,and fomeother time whenhefelt no fuch thing,hethought he mightabftainefrom it.He anfwered,manycome haftily into thatcalling, not vfing the meanesoftrying their elfatethroughly before; as namely,whether they byprayer, faffing,and auoyding all occauonsof concupifcence, hauethe giftofchafitie or no ? Manyvfe fome of the meanes,and not all : many vfe all themeanes,but a (mall time : thereforeit is good tovfe firft the meanes,notpart of them, butall ofthem : not for a while, but long. Iffo be that allthefe things willnot preuaile, attendupon theLords ordinance, and wane when the Lord (hall giue Tuft occa ion of vfingthat eltate,tohis glorieandourcomfort. He thoughtit tobe agood ceretnoniefor the father to gluehis daughter inmariage Thefather to beforethe congregation,if theeither be a virgin or a yongwidow, toPhew that themade g"Le the dough= nother owne match,but that themadeit by her fathersconfent. And being asked how it ter ánmmiage. fhouldbe ifthefather were dead,he faid,thenhe would not haue the mother todoeit, in thecongregation, but thought it good for the father in histeftament,wifelytoappoynt fomevicegerent to doe his dutie. If any mandoe this ratherat the appoyntment of the yongparties,tlianat theappoyntmentof theparents itisan-abufe. Nowthatthere muttconfntofpa. be inall lacvfull contraéis thecontent ofparents,lie fa : firft, children area parcofmens rests. goods,as inlab. Litappearethinthat Satan hauing commißion toáton thegoods oflob, did feafeon the children of lob. Secondly, if in thelaw a damfell might notperforme her vowUnto the Lord,herfather milliking it: then muchleffe,as it is probable,maya damfell performepromife ofmariagetoaman ,ierfather milliking it. 6 He faid,he couldnot away with Circle aswould marrie too boneafterthey had bu- Second ma a- reed their wiues,but that itwere betterfor abftaininga time, to thew themfelues humbled gernot to be Underneaththe hand ofGod in that crolfe : and to teffifle thatit was no light loue vie - hastened, to the parties whom they loued intheLord. For betidesthat, itis aimedunnaturall, to get another bodiein bed,before the formerbe rotten in thegraue : it isa thing ofeuill re- pore impugning common honeftie, al that it may offer offence unto the friends of the partiesdeparted,andglueoccafìon to thinkethattheir louewasbutlight,being foToone forgotten ;asaltofor that itmay giveoccafionof ieloune to theparties to bemarried and to their friends,in that they mayfeare thattheir lone willbe as light and little to them, as , it was to the otherbefore.And although any fettime for diners circumftancescannot bee prefcribed,yet vfuaily a yeerewere butfulñctent for thispurpofeofabflmence. Meditation,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=