HOLY MATRIMONY FROM THE SACRED SCRIPTURES

 

Ephesians 5:32. This is a great sacrament: but I speak in Christ and in the church.

VER. 32. This… sacrament, (or mystery).., in Christ, and in the Church. This sacrament, in construction, must be referred to what immediately went before, ie. to the conjunction of marriage betwixt man and wife: and this is called a great sacrament, or mystery, as representing the union or spiritual nuptials of Christ with his spouse, the Church.

Genesis 2:24. A man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh.

VER.24. One flesh, connected by the closest ties of union, producing children, the blood of both. 5 Paul, Eph. V 23. Discloses to us the mystery of Christ’s union with His church for ever, prefigured by this indissoluble marriage of our first parents.

Malachias 2:15. Keep then your spirit, and despise not the wife of thy youth.

VER. 15. His Spirit. Eve received a soul from God, like Adam. Heb. "one did it not, and he had the," & C. Sept, vary. The text is very obscure. See. Cap. Orit iv. p.317 - A strange god did not make women. The human race is best propagated where polygamy and divorces are rejected.H

Proverbs 19:14. House and riches are given by parents : but a prudent wife is properly from the Lord.

VER.14. Properly. Sept. ‘fitted by." H. – Hence the Fathers dissuade marrying with infidels.

S.Amb. in Lu xvi. - All good comes from God.

Ecclesiasticus 26, 3-4. A good wife is a good portion, she shall be given in the portion of them that Fear God, to a man for his good deeds. – Rich or poor if his heart is good, his countenance shall be cheerful at all times.

Proverbs 18:22. He that hath found a good wife, hath found a good thing, and shall receive a pleasure from the Lord. He that driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good wife, driveth away a good thing: but he that keepeth an adulteress, is foolish and wicked.

VER.22 Good wife. Good is not in Heb. But should be understood, as it is expressed in Sept. of Complut ( C ) and Alex 11 – He that die occurs not in flab. Sixtus V. dic. But it is found in Sept. and Arab. The Syriac omits the last sentence. – Wicked. 5. Aug. had frequently asserted that a divorce was only of counsel: but this he retracted, when he reflected on this text. Ret. I 19. – The Hebrews, Athenians, and Romans, followed the same practice with adulteresses. Seldan. ux.iii 16. Dam. in Nenram, die. – Harm as (past. i 4.) prescribes that the penitent shall be received again, but not often. In case of divorce, the Fathers still permit not a second marriage, that the parties maybe reconciled. They enjoin the husband to put away only such as are incorrigible. 5. Aug. Adul.ii 3.0.

Ecclesiasticus. 36:26 He that possesseth a good wife , beginneth a possession: She is a help like to Himself, and a pillar of rest.

VER. 26. Good, is not in Greek, but the context shews that it is necessary. H. – By concord small possessions increase, as by discord the greatest are lost. W.

Mark. 10:6-9. From the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female.- For this a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.- And they two shall be in one flesh.- What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

VER. 6. But from the beginning of the world it was not thus; for then God only formed one man and one woman, that they might be exclusively and invariably attached to each other.

VER. 7. Hence it is written, (Gen. 2:24, and Matt.19:5) A man shall leave father and mother, and adhere to his wife.

1 Corinthian .7:7. Every one hath his proper gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that.

VER 7. But every one hath his proper gift from God, so that some prudently embrace a single life, and also make a religious vow of always living so, as it has been practised by a great number both of men and women in all ages, ever since Christ’s time. Others have not this more perfect gift: they find themselves not disposed ,to lead, or vow a single life, they marry lawfully.

Romans 7:3. Whilst her husband liveth she shall be called an adulteress if she be with another man.

VER.3. S. Paul here compares the law to a husband whom a wife cannot quit, nor be married to another, as long as the husband liveth, without being and adultress.

Mark 10:11. Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

VER. 11. Not only is all ‘putting away’ forbidden but also re-marriage after doing so.

Matthew 19:6. What God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

1 Corinthians. 7:15. If the unbeliever depart let him depart. For a brother or sister is not under servitude in such cases. But God hath called us in peace.

VER.15. St. Paul speaks of two that were joined by a contract of marriage, when both of them were infidels and that one of them is converted to the Christian faith: we do not read of any precept that Christ gave, as to those marriages, but the apostle seems to order by his apostolical authority, that they continue man and wife, unless the party that remains still an infidel, will needs depart; then, says the apostle, let such an one depart. There is also another case, to wit, when the man or woman remaining an infidel, will not live without continual injuries and blasphemies against God and the Catholic religion, so that there can be no pecce on that account betwixt them. In these two cases, according to the canons of the Church, it is looked upon as no marriage, so that the party converted may marry another. And this seems grounded on the reason, which the apostle here gave, that God hath called us in peace.

Tobias 4.13. Take heed to keep thyself, my son, from fornication, and beside thy wife never endure to know a crime.

VER 13. Crime, or any commerce with another. 1I – Gr. And Heb. Add conformable to the law, (El xxxiv 16) " And take not a strange woman, who may not be of thy father’s tribe, as we are the sons of the prophets, Noe, & c… All these married from among their brethren, and were blessed in their children, and their seed shall inherit the land". H.

Luke 16.18. Every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

1 Corinthians 7.10-11. To them that are married, not I, but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife .

VER. 10. But to them that are married, &c. He tells these persons that they ought not to part, or if a separation for weighty reasons can be allowed, neither party can marry another.

1 Corinthians 7.39-40. A woman is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband die, she is at liberty; let her marry to whom she will: only in the lord – But more blessed shall she be, if she so remain, according to my counsel: and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

VER. 39-40. Second marriages, then, were regarded by the Apostle as perfectly lawful, though as he adds, he feels that they are less blessed than perseverance in widowhood.

Ephesians 5.22-24. Let women be subject to their husbands, as to the Lord: - Because the husband Is the head of the wife; as Christ is the Head of the Church. – Therefore as the Church is subject to Christ, so also let the wives be to their husbands in all Things.

VER 23. Because the husband is the head of the wife. Though S. Paul here speaks of a man, who is a husband, we may rather translate man than husband, being the same sentence and same words as 1 Cor. xi. 3. Where even the Prot. Translation has, that the man is head of the woman. – He (Christ) is the saviour of his mystical body, the Church: though some expound it, that the husband is to save and take care of his wife, who is as it were his body. Wi.

Ephesians 5.25-26. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the Church, and delivered Himself for it: - That He might sanctify it cleansing it by the laver of water in The word of life.

VER. 26. Cleansing it by the laver of water, in the word of life. By this washing is generally understood the sacrament of baptism; and by the word of life, not the word of the gospel preached, but the words or form used in the administration of baptism, according to Christ’s institution: but this is not so certain. Wi.

Ephesians 5.28-29. So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his Wife, loveth himself. – For no man ever hated his own flesh: but nourisheth And cherisheth it , as also Christ doth the Church.

VER 28-29. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. S. Paul would have this a love like that which a man hath for himself, or for his own flesh, when they are now joined in wedlock, and are become as it were one flesh and one person, as to a civil life and society.

1 Timothy 2:13-15. Adam was first formed then Eve.- And Adam was not seduced: but the woman being seduced, was in the transgression. – Yet she shall be saved through child-bearing: if she continue in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.

VER 13-14. Adam was first formed…and was not seduced. That is, was not at least seduced first, as the woman. Wi.

VER 15. She shall be saved by bearing children, &c. and performing other duties of a wife, with a due subjection to her husband, taking care to serve God and bring up her children in the faith of Christ, in piety, &c. Wi. – This would perhaps be more properly rendered, from the Greek, by the bringing up of her children in faith, charity, and holiness. This is the duty of the woman; upon the faithful discharge or neglect of which she must expect her salvation, or reprobation, to hang. Thus repairing the evil which the first of all women brought upon man, by seducing him to evil. V.

Ephesians 5:33. Let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself: and let the wife reverence her husband.

Colossians 3:18-19. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as it behoveth in the Lord.- Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter towards them.

 

 

1 Peter 3:1-6. In like manner also let wives be subject to their husbands: that if any believe not the Word, they may be won without the Word, by the conversation of the wives, Considering your chaste conversation with fear. – Whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold or the putting on of apparel:But the hidden man of the heart in the incorruptibility of the of a quiet and a meek spirit, which is rich in the sight of God. – For after this manner heretofore the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands. – As Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord: whose daughters you are.

VER 1-6. Let wives &c. In the first six verses he gives instructions to married women. 1. By their modest and submissive dispositions to endeavour to gain and convert their husbands, shewing them such a respect as Sara did ( whose daughters they ought to esteem themselves) who called Abraham her lord, or master; (Gen.xviii.12) 2. To be modest in their dress, without vanity; 3. That women take the greatest care of the hidden man, ie. of the interior disposition of their heart, which he calls the incorruptibility of a quiet and a meek spirit; 4. Not fearing any trouble, when God’s service or the duty to their husbands require it. Wi.

1 Peter 3:7-9. Ye husbands, likewise dwelling with them according to knowledge, giving honour to the female as to the weaker vessel, and as to the – coheirs of the grace of Life, that your prayers be not hindered. – And in fine be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble: - Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this you are called, that you may inherit a blessing.

VER 7. Husbands, &c. His advice to husbands: 1. To carry themselves towards their wives with knowledge, prudence and discretion; 2. Not in any imperious manner, but treating their wives with respect and honour, though a wife be the weaker vessel both in body and mind; 3. Considering themselves and their wives to be joint heirs with them of God’s graces and favours, both in this world and the next; 4. That their prayers and duty to God be not hindered, neither by too great a fondness and compliance, nor by disagreements and dissensions. Wi.

VER 8. Be ye all of one mind. These instructions are not only for man and wife, but for every one, to whom in general these virtues are recommended. And every one’s duty is comprised in these few words of Ps. xxxiii. "Turn away from evil, and do good…. The eyes of the Lord are upon the just… But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things," &c. Nothing can hurt you, and you need fear no menaces, no terrors, if with zeal you follow and adhere to what is good. Wi.