The Case for Singleness

This was written by a young woman named Margaret Charlton before she became the wife of puritan pastor Richard Baxter in 1662. They were both chided for marrying because of their mutual appreciation of singleness as the best means of serving God. She writes:

“Let me not forget the time when I seemed near death. What comfort had I then in creatures? What ease from them? Was not all my hope in God? All creatures shewed me that side on which vanity was written, and they had nothing which could satisfy my soul. Though I had as much mercy in means and friends as I could possibly desire, yet all this was nothing to me. The trouble of parting with them was much more than the comfort of enjoying them and so it will be with me still, which should teach me to keep my heart loose from the creature, and not over-love any thing on this side heaven. Why should my heart be fixed where my home is not? Heaven is my home, God in Christ is all my happiness and where my treasure is, there my heart should be. Come away, O my heart, from vanity; mount heavenward, and be not dead, or dull, if thou wouldst be free from trouble, and taste of real joy and pleasure. Hath not experience yet taught thee, that creature-comforts, though they may be roses, have their pricks ? Canst not thou be content to look on them, and smell them at a distance, and covet no other use while thou art in the garden where they grow and be content to leave them there behind thee? If thou must needs have them in thy bosom, thou must scratch thy fingers to get them and when thou hast them, though the smell awhile delight thee, they will quickly wither, and are gone. Away then, O my carnal heart, retire to God, the only satisfying object. There mayest thou love without all danger of excess! Let thy love to God be fixed and transcendent. Amen.”

Paul would add “If you do marry, you have not sinned... But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.” (1 Corinthians 7:28)