' It remains that those that have wives be as if they had none.'
1. That is the first particular ; for before they had asked him cases of con- science about marriage, and that makes him speak of it. All the particu- lars have dependence one upon another. Those that marry will have occasion to weep, that is next, for there will be cause. There will be loss of husband, or wife, or child, and there is somewhat always ; family crosses attend upon marriage. And therefore he adds weeping after marriage.
And then because there is joy. * A woman brings forth in sorrow, but she joys when a man child is born,' as Christ speaks, John xvi. 21. There is joy in children, and there is a mutual joy in that sweet conjugal friend- ship, there is much joy ; and therefore as there is weeping, so there is joy in marriage.
' And those that buy, as if they possessed not.' There must be buying where there is wife and children ; there must be looking to posterity ; and then all this enforceth, ' using of the world.' And men when they enter into that estate, they enter into the world ; as we use to say, they begin the w^orld anew. They enter into the world ; for there are many things necessary to maintain that society. Therefore we see one thing depends upon another. He joins all together, aiming especially at one thing, at that kind of life especially.
46 THE SPIRITUAL MAn's AIM.
Now in every one of these particulars, he gives a Hberty to do the thing. You may marry, you )nay weep, you may joy, you may buy, you may use the worid. But as there is a liberty, so there is a danger ; you may, but you may not go too far. And therefore with a liberty he gives a restraint. Do them, but take heed you overdo them not. And this restraint is backed with reason ; he hath reason for his restraint. ' The time is short ; ' and therefore there is danger, lest you shoot yourselves too far, lest you pass too deep into these things. ' And the fashion of this world passeth away ; ' all things here pass away. Therefore it is in vain for you to be overmuch m those things that are passing things.
And then you are, brethren, called to greater matters ; so there is a liberty, a danger, and a restraint upon the danger ; and likewise a reason to back it in every pai'ticular.
(1.) The Ubertij : We may marry. It is not questioned. There is not only a liberty, but it is an honourable estate, and necessary ; honoured in paradise, honoured by Christ's presence ; a liberty by which the church is upheld, heaven is increased. It was the devil that brought in a base esteem of that honourable condition. In popery, they rather will be the members of an harlot, than the head of a wife. It was the devil that brought in those abominable opinions and writings to disparage that honour- able condition, and so it must be thought.
(2.) But there is a danger ; and that is the main thing. You that have wives, ' be as if you had none.' There is a great danger in a double re- spect. A danger in the things, and a peril if we go too far in them. That is, there is a great hazard, and we shall go overfar in that condition, and a danger that it tends to.
For instance, those that have'wives, have they not been drawn away by their wives, as Solomon was, to idolatry ? 1 Kings xi. 4. Is there not a danger of being drawn away ? And in being drawn away is there not a hazard to our souls ? Did not sin come in that way ? Was not Adam led away by his wife ? And how many men perish by being too uxoitous* by being too flexible in that kind ? If they had remembered the apostle's precept to marry as if they had not, they would not have been so drawn away. Because there is a danger, there is a restraint : ' Let those that have wives be as though they had none.' What ! to use them as if they had none ? To care for them as if they had none ? No ; that is not the meaning ; * but to be as if they had none.' That is, let them be as resolute for God's truth, as if they had no wives to hinder them ; let them be as willing to suff'er crosses, if God call them, as if they had none ; let them be as ready to good duties, if it fall within their calling, as if they had none ; let them avoid distracting cares, and worldly incumbrances, as if they had none ; let them not pretend their marriage for baseness and worldliness, and for avoiding of crosses and afflictions when God is pleased to call them unto them ; let them not pretend marriage for their doubling in religion and dis- sembling, ' I shall undo my wife and children,' ' Let them be as if they had none,' for Christ hath given us direction to hate all for Christ. A man is not worthy of Christ and of religion, that undervalues not wife and children and all, for the gospel. If things stand in question, whether shall I stick to them or to Christ, my chief husband ; I must stick to Christ. The reason is, the bond of religion is above all bonds. And the bond that binds us to Christ it abides when all bonds cease ; for all bonds between husband and wife, between father and children, they end in death; but the * That is, ' wifely ' = wife over-loving. — G.