2. As it is lengthened to all men.
First, As it is limited to one man: And so it is taken particularly: Man, for the first man. When all other creatures had their mates, Adam wanted his; though he was the emperor of the earth, and the admiral of the seas, yet in Paradise without a companion; though he was truly happy, yet he was not fully happy; though he had enough for his board, yet he had not enough for his bed; though he had many creatures to serve him, yet he wanted a creature to solace him; when he was compounded in creation, he must be completed by conjunction; when he had no sin to hurt him, then he must have a wife to help him: It is not good that man should be alone.
Secondly, As it is lengthened to all men: And so it is taken universally, Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage is honourable unto all. It is not only warrantable, but honourable. The whole trinity hath conspired together to set a crown of glory upon the head of matrimony.
1. God the Father. Marriage was a tree planted within the walls of Paradise; the flower first grew in God’s garden.
2. The Son. Marriage is a crystal glass, wherein Christ and the saints do see each other’s faces.
3. The Holy Ghost, by his overshadowing of the blessed virgin. Well might the world when it saw her pregnancy, suspect her virginity; but her matremonial condition was a grave to that suspicion: without this, her innocency had not prevented her infamy; she needed a shield to defend that chastity abroad which was kept inviolable at home.
Too many that have not worth enough to preserve their virginity, have yet will enough to cover their unchastity; turning the medicine of frailty into the mantle of filthiness. Certainly she is mad that cuts off her leg to get her a crutch; or that venoms her face to wear a mask.
Paul makes it one of the characters of those that should cherish the faith, 1 Tim. iv. 3. not to forbear marriage; which is not only lawful but also honourable; to forbid which, is damnably sinful, and only taught by the influence of devils. One of the Popes of Rome sprinkles this unholy and impure drop upon it, Carnis pollutionem et immundiliem.
It is strange that should be a pollution which was instituted before corruption; or that impurity which was ordained in the state of innocency; or that they should make that to be a sin, which they make to be a sacrament; strange stupidity!—But a bastard may be laid at the door of chastity, and a leaden crown set upon a golden head. Bellarmine (that mighty atlas of the Papal power) blows his stinking breath upon it: “Better were it for a priest to defile himself with many harlots, than to be married to one wife.”—These children of the purple whore prefer monasteries before marriages, a concubine before a companion.—They use too many women for their lusts, to choose any for their love.—Their tables are so largely spread that they cannot feed upon one dish. As for their exalting of a virgin-state, it is like him that commanded fasting, when he had filled his belly. Who knows not, that virginity is a pearl of a sparkling lustre? but the one cannot be set up, without the other be thrown down: No oblation will pacify the former, but the demolishing of the latter. Though we find many enemies to the choice of marriage, yet it is rare to find any enemies to the use of marriage. They would pick the lock that wants the key, and pluck the fruit that do not plant the tree. The Hebrews have a saying, “that he is not a man that hath not a wife.” Though they climb too high a bough, yet it is to be feared that such flesh is full of imperfection, that is, not tending to propogation: though man alone may be good, yet, It is not good that man should be alone. Which leads me from the subject to the predicate, It is not good.