Wise. It is a deadly thing indeed, and therefore, by the Word of God his people are forbid to be joyned in marriage with them. {77d} Be not, saith it, unequally yoaked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what Concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel? And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols? {78a} There can be no agreement where such Matches are made, even God himself hath declared the contrary, from the beginning of the world. I (says he) will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman, betwixt thy seed and her seed. {78b} Therefore he saith in another place, they can mix no better than Iron and Clay. I say, they cannot agree, they cannot be one, and therefore they should be aware at first, and not lightly receive such into their affections. God has often made such Matches bitter, especially to his own. Such matches are, as God said of Elie’s Sons that were spared, to consume the eyes, and to grieve the heart. Oh the wailing, and lamentation that they have made that have been thus yoaked, especially if they were such as would be so yoaked, against their light, and good counsel to the contrary. Atten. Alas! he deluded her with his tongue, and feigned reformation. Wise. Well, well; she should have gone more warily to work: {78d} what if she had acquainted some of her best, most knowing, and godly friends therewith? what if she had engaged a Godly Minister or two to have talked with Mr. Badman? Also, what if she had laid wait round about him, to espie if he was not otherwise behind her back than he was before her face? And besides, I verily think (since in the multitude of Counsellors there is safety) that if she had acquainted the Congregation with it, and desired them to spend some time in prayer to God about it, and if she must have had him, to have received him as to his godliness, upon the Judgment of others, rather than her own, (she knowing them to be Godly and Judicious, and unbiassed men) she had had more peace all her life after; than to trust to her own poor, raw, womanish Judgment, as she did. Love is blind, and will see nothing amiss, where others may see an hundred faults. Therefore I say, she should not have trusted to her own thoughts in the matter of his Goodness. As to his Person, there she was fittest to judge, because she was to be the person pleased, but as to his Godliness, there the Word was the fittest Judge, and they that could best understand it, because God was therein to be pleased. I wish {79a} that all young Maidens will take heed of being beguiled with flattering words, with feigning and lying speeches, and take the best way to preserve themselves from being bought and sold by wicked men, as she was; lest they repent with her, when (as to this) repentance will do them no good, but for their unadvisedness goe sorrowing to their graves.