1 Corinthians 7:5
Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Marriage under this verse rests on mutual consent and self-restraint, and it forbids a husband to treat his wife as if she exists only to gratify his lustful passions. Sexual union is therefore not a matter of unchecked desire but of deliberate, shared agreement that honors restraint. That restraint requires regard for the wife's weakness and for her need for time to recover from childbearing before further union and its consequences.
It also requires regard for whether the family can feed, clothe, educate, and properly care for the children already born. It further requires regard for the wife and mother's need for time and opportunity to cultivate her mind and to devote herself to religious work. To bring children into the world as fast as possible when parents lack means to support them, and mothers are left without strength, time, or care for their offspring, does not glorify God, and in such unsupported conditions a sterile condition is not the worst condition to be in.