The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
IT is now time that we bring him downe from the Univerſity into the CountreyHis coming from Oxford, 01579. with ſuch proviſion as he hath both of learning and religion, eſpecially ſeeing his carefull and provident Father now cals for him home, otherwiſe to diſpoſe of him. For being now for ripeneſſe of yeeres and maturity of age fit for marriage; his Father conſidering he was the firſt borne of his ſtrength, the choiceſt plant of his ſtocke, and chiefeſt branch of his vine, began to caſt about where he might beſtow him, ſeat him and ſet him in the inheritance of the Lord. After a while, by godly, and good meanes, a daughter of one M.Hardware, a worthy and wiſe Gentleman, having been twice Major of the city of Cheſter, His father beſtowes him in marriage, 1580.was commended to the Father, and ſo by him motioned unto his Sonne. Which motion from his Father, he did entertaine with ſuch reſpect and reverence, as became an obedient Sonne, well knowing and acknowledging that he was unto him in Gods ſtead, for directing and diſpoſing of him in this buſineſſe. And ſo not long after, upon the mutuall love,In a godly family. and aſſent of the parties, and due and joynt conſent of the Parents, they were matched and married together in the feare of God.
This was a godly entrance upon Gods Ordinance, the whole carriage of the buſineſſe being ſo warrantable on all ſides, as that it was (through Gods bleſſing) in the proceeding, as well as in the beginning, moſt comfortable to all that had any part or portion in the ſame.
For here the Father doth not marry his Sonne an infant, or under yeeres, before he have diſcretion to know what he doth, and how to mannage that eſtate. Nor doth the Sonne, being come to yeeres, through the rage of luſt, ſteale himſelfe from his Father, and by wanton attempts, and raſh and fooliſh contracts, prevent his Fathers choice, and beſtow himſelfe at his owne pleaſure. Here the Father in a ſeaſonable time,With a godly young gent. without any long delayes, provides his Sonne a wife out of a good family, a godly young woman; for quality, and equality, birth and blood, yeeres and ſtate, true religion, and good diſpoſition, well conſorting to himſelfe and his Sonne.
And here the Sonne,With mutuall conſent. in all due ſubjection to his Fathers choice, doth with his beſt affection receive and take his wife from his Fathers hand. Here is the mutuall conſent of the Parents liking and allowing of the match. And here is the ground of the Childrens love and aſſent to their own marriage, even the mutuall agreement and conſent of their Parents.Xenoph. 7. Cyropaed. A matter the|more remarkable in theſe dayes, and well worthy not onelyonly obſervation, but imitation alſo of all parents and children in their matrimoniall contracts, eſpecially of gentlemen, and ſuch as are of the better rank and condition amongſt us in theſe parts. For here we have many both Gentlemen and others ſo earthly minded, and covetouſly affected, that (ſo ſoone as ever their children peepe out of the ſhell) they begin to plot and provide ſome one match or other for them, little regarding where they ſet or ſow, graffe and plant, modò ob rem: Yea the Thiſtle in Lebanon will not ſpare to ſend to the Cedar in Libanon, 2 King 14.9.ſaying, Give thy daughter unto my ſonne to wife,Otherwiſe than many parents do though a wild beaſt in Libanon do tread downe the Thiſtle for his pride and paines in ſo doing. Nay the Cedar will not be aſhamed to give his ſonnes and daughters to match with the daughters and ſonnes of the Thiſtle,2 Chron. 25.18. the greateſt with the meaneſt, if the Thiſtle be clad with thiſtle downe, if land and living, wealth and riches, gold and ſilver may be had to ſatisfied their luſt after filthy lucre therewithall. I have ſeene a Gentleman, yea more than one, or two either, very carefull to have his horſe of a generous race, his hawke of the beſt aiery, his hound of the beſt brach, his ſpaniell of the beſt litter, his cattle of the beſt breed, to ſerve his humour and his pleaſure, when yet he hath had very little care or conſcience, to place and plant his children in ſuch a religious ſtock and family, as might give him any good hope of a godly iſſue,Where luſt and lucre make the motion. and off-ſpring, for his better comfort and credit afterwards. Luſt, and lucre made Shechem and his father Hamor, ſo eager, and earneſt to marry with Dina Iacobs daughter, The ſoule of my ſonne, ſaith Hamor, longeth for your daughter: And to draw on their people to joyne with them in giving their ſonnes and daughters to them alſo, they could both ſay, Shall not their cattle, and their ſubſtance, and every beaſt of theirs be ours? It was not any love unto that religion which they ſaw in Iacob and his children, but their inordinate deſire after their wealth and ſubſtance, which made them ſo earneſtly to importune Iacob, to match and marry with them.
And the fathers dropſie and the ſonnes phrenſie make up the match.It is not much otherwiſe, I feare, with many of us, where the fathers dropſie and the ſonnes phrenſie doe either motion or make up many of our marriages. Witneſſe hereof, in parents ſuch fiſhing for heires, ſuch catching up of Wards, ſuch purſuing of their profits, ſuch hunting after carnall contentmets, ſuch aſpiring of great hearts after great houſes, ſuch combining of coſens, in couſening and cheating practices, to pleaſure their friends by the ſpoile of their neighbours, as either the Gentiles never heard, nor ſaw, either named, or practiſed; or if they did, they would have beene very much aſhamed, that ſuch things ſhould have beene committed without ſhame amongſt them.
Witneſſe alſo in children, their brutiſh and baſe luſts, who having made their fleſh proud by pampering, do now (to ſatisfie their ſenſuall affections) contemne and caſt off all feare of God and man, Magiſtrate or Miniſter, Father or Governour, and ſo ſtealing themſelves from their owne Parents, and robbing other parents of their deare children, they doe in the rage and heat of their burning luſt, either like fed horſes neigh after their neighbours wives,Gen. 36.24. or run and ruſh together like Anah his aſſes and mares, to beget and bring forth mules, a baſtard brood, or a froward and a wicked generation.
But it was farre otherwiſe with this couple of whom we now ſpeake,They live together in peace and love. who coming together in the feare of God according to Gods holy ordinance, did alſo continue together, with ſuch mutuall comfort and contentment, that through the bleſſing of God (he dwelling with her as a man of knowledge, and ſhe with him as a faithfull helper) they poſſeſſed their veſſels in holineſſe,Papbnutius Epist. 31. Nicaen. Synod. Hist. Trip. l. 2. c. 14. and in honour, preſerved their chaſtity in the eſtate of matrimony, and ſaw the fruit of their bodies, as branches of their vine, and their ſonnes and daughters as Olive plants round about their table, for the ſpace of ſeventeene yeeres together.