The man whose heart...

The Puritans often wrote of love and marriage in the context of God’s love for his people. Here are a few notable quotes.

Henry Smith (ca.1560–ca.1600) English Puritan minister in London.

“To honour marriage more yet, or rather to teach the married how to honour one another, it is said that the wife was made of the husband’s rib, Gen. ii. 22; not of his head, for Paul calleth the husband the wife’s head, Ephes. v. 23; not of the foot, for he must not set her at his foot. The servant is appointed to serve, and the wife to help. If she must not match with the head, nor stoop at the foot, where shall he set her then? He must set her at his heart, and therefore she which should lie in his bosom was made in his bosom, and should be as close to him as his rib, of which she was fashioned.”

“Therefore one saith, that marriage doth signify merry-age, because a play-fellow is come to make our age merry…”

“A Preparation for Marriage,” in The Works of Henry Smith: including Sermons, Treatises, Prayers, and Poems.

“Marriage doth signify merry-age” is often credited Thomas Gataker. Since Smith said one saith, he may have gotten the quote from Gataker. On the other hand, both Smith and Gataker may have gotten the quote from a previous source.

Thomas Gataker (1574–1654) English minister and member of the Westminster Assembly, who annotated the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Lamentations.

“…there is no society more near, more entire, more needful, more kindly, more delightful, more comfortable, more constant, more continual, than the society of man and wife…”

A Good Wife God’s Gift and, A Wife Indeed.

Thomas Hooker (1586–1647) Congregational minister and leading founder of the Connecticut Colony.

“The man whose heart is endeared to the woman he loves, he dreams of her in the night, hath her in his eye and apprehension when he awakes, museth on her as he sits at the table, walks with her when he travels, and parlies with her in each place where he comes.”

The Application of Redemption.

“That the Husband tenders his spouse with an endeared affection above all mortal creatures: This appears by the expressions of his respect, that all he hath, is at her command, all he can do, is wholly improved for her content and comfort, she lies in his bosom, and his heart trusts in her, which forceth all to confess, that the stream of his affection, like a mighty current, runs with full tide and strength…”

A Comment upon Christ’s Last Prayer in the Seventeenth of John.