Benevolence and Rectitude in Married Life
[
Testimonies for the Church 2:380-383
(1868).]
Those professing to be Christians should not enter the marriage
relation until the matter has been carefully and prayerfully considered
from an elevated standpoint, to see if God can be glorified by the
union. Then they should duly consider the result of every privilege
of the marriage relation, and sanctified principle should be the basis
of every action. Before increasing their family, they should take into
consideration whether God would be glorified or dishonored by their
bringing children into the world. They should seek to glorify God
by their union from the first, and during every year of their married
life. They should calmly consider what provision can be made for
their children. They have no right to bring children into the world to
be a burden to others. Have they a business that they can rely upon
to sustain a family, so that they need not become a burden to others?
If they have not, they commit a crime in bringing children into the
world to suffer for want of proper care, food, and clothing. In this
fast, corrupt age these things are not considered. Lustful passion bears
sway, and will not submit to control, although feebleness, misery, and
death are the result of its reign. Women are forced to a life of hardship,
pain, and suffering, because of the uncontrollable passions of men who
bear the name of husband—more rightly could they be called brutes.
Mothers drag out a miserable existence, with children in their arms
nearly all the time, managing every way to put bread into their mouths
and clothes upon their backs. Such accumulated misery fills the world.
[76]
Passion Is Not Love
There is but little real, genuine, devoted, pure love. This precious
article is very rare. Passion is termed love. Many a woman has had her
fine and tender sensibilities outraged, because the marriage relation
allowed him whom she called husband to be brutal in his treatment
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