rufhing into the Prefence of God by adding this dreadful one to them, fhould earnestly defire Space to repent", which, by his Grace, the worft of Sinners may do, and be forgiven. If their Misfortunes or Sufferings make them weary of Life: he hath fent them these with Defign, that they fhould not by unlawful Means evade them, but go through them well: whether they be inflicted for the Punithment of their Faults, or the Trial of their Virtues. In either Cafe, we are to fubmit quietly to the Difcipline of our heavenly Father: which he will not fuffer to be heavier than we can bear, whatever we may imagine; but will fupport us under it, improve us by it, and in due Time release us from it. But in any Cafe for Perfons to make away with themfelves, is to arraign the Conftitution of Things which he hath appointed; and to refufe living where he hath put them to live: a very provoking Initance of Undutifulness, and made peculiarly fatal by this Circumflance, that leaving ufually no Room for Repentance, it leaves none for Pardon: always excepting, where it proceeds from a Mind fo difordered by a bodily Difeafe, as to be incapable of judging or acting reafonably. For God knows with Certainty when this is the Cause, and when not and will accordingly either make due Allowances, or make none. And if deftroying ourselves be a Sin, doing any Thing wilfully or heedlefsly, that tends to our Deftruction, mult in Proportion be a Sin. Where indeed Neceffity requires great Hazards to be run by fome Perfons for the Good of others: as in War, in extinguifhing dan gerous Fires, in feveral Cafes which might be named; or where Employments and Profeflions which fomebody or other muft undertake, or fuch Diligence in any Employment as Men are by Accidents really called to use, impair Health and fhorten Life; there, far from being thrown away, it is laudably fpent in the Service of God and Man. But for any Perfon to bring on himself an 9 Rev. ii. 21. untimely untimely End, by adventurous Rafhnefs, by ungoverned Paffion, by an immoderate Anxiety, or by an obftinate or careless neglect of his own Prefervation, is unquestionably finful. And above all, doing it by Debauchery or immoral Excefs, is a moft effectual Way of ruining Soul and Body at once. Let us therefore be confcientioufly watchful against every Thing which may provoke, or entice us, to be injurious, either to others or ourselves. And God grant, that we may fo regard the Lives of our Fellow-Creatures, and fo employ our own, that we may ever please the Giver and Lord of Life; and having faithfully lived to him here, may eternally live with him hereafter, through Jefus Chrift our only Saviour. Amen. LECTURE XXV. Seventh Commandment. IN fpeaking to this Commandment, it is proper to begin with obferving, that as in the Sixth, where Murder is forbidden, every Thing which tends to it, or proceeds from the fame bad Principle with it, is forbidden too fo here, in the Seventh, where Adultery is prohibited, the Prohibition must be extended to whatever elfe is criminal in e fame Kind. And therefore, in explaining it, I fhall treat, firft of the Fidelity which it requires from married Perfons, and then of the Chaf tity and Modefty which it requires from all Perfons. Firft of the Fidelity owing to each other from married Perfons. Not only the Scripture-Account of the Creation of Mankind is a Proof to as many as believe in Scripture, that the Union of one Man with one Woman was the original Defign and Will of Heaven; but the remark able able Equality of Males and Females born into the World is an Evidence of it to all Men. Yet notwithstanding it must be owned, the Cohabitation of one Man with feveral Wives at the fame Time was practifed very anciently in the darker Ages, even by fome of the Patriarchs, who were otherwife good Perfons; but, having no explicit revealed Rule concerning this Matter, failed of difcerning the above-mentioned Purpose of God, and both this Error and that of Divorce on flight Occafions, were tolerated by the Law of Mfes. But that was only as the Laws of other Countries often connive at what the Lawgiver is far from approving. Accordingly God expreffed, particularly by the Prophet Malachi, his Diflike of thefe Things. And our Saviour both tells the Jews, that Mofes permitted Divorces at Pleasure, merely because of the IIardness of their Hearts, and peremptorily declares, that whosoever shall put away bis Wife, except it be for Fornication, and fhall marry another, committeth Adultery". Now certainly it cannot be lefs adulterous to marry a Second without putting away the First. Nor is Polygamy (that is, the having more Wives than one at once) prohibited in holy Writ alone, but condemned by many of the Heathens themselves, who alledge against it very plain and forcible Reafons. It is inconfiftent with due Degree of mutual Affection in the Parties, and due Care in the Education of their Children. It introduces into Families perpetual Subjects of the bittereft Enmity and Jealoufy; keeps a Mul titude of Females in moft unnatural Bondage, frequently under Guardians fitted for the Office by unnatural Cru elty and tempts a Multitude of Males, thus left unprovided for, to unnatural Lufts. In civilized and wellregulated Countries therefore, fingle Marriages have either been established at firft, or prevailed afterwards on Experience of their Preferableness; and a mutual Promife of inviolable Faithfulness to the Marriage-Bed 2 Mal, ii. 14, 15, 16. 2 Matt. xix. 8, 9. hath hath been underflood to be an effential Part of the Contract: which Promife is with us moft folemnly expreffed in the Office of Matrimony, by as clear and comprehenfive Words as can be devifed. And unless Perfons are at Liberty in all Cafes to flight the most awful Vows to God, and the moft deliberate Engagements of each to the other; how can they be at Liberty in this, where public Good and private Happiness are fo deeply interefted? : Breaches of plighted Faith, as they must be preceded by a Want of fufficient conjugal Affection in the offending Party, fo they tend to extinguish all the Remains of it and this Change will be perceived, and will give Uneafinefs to the innocent one, though the Cause be hid. But if it be known, or merely fufpected by the Perfon wronged, (which it feldom fails to be in a little Time) it produces, from the Make of the human Mind, in warmer Tempers, a Refentiment fo ftrong, in milder, an Affliction fo heavy, that few things in the World equal either. For Love is ftrong as Death, Jealoufy is cruel as the Grave, the Coals thereof are Coals of Fire 3. And with whatever Vehemence they burn inwardly or outwardly it can be no Wonder; when perfidious Unkindnefs is found in that nearest Relation, where Truth and Love were deliberately pledged, and ftudioufly paid on one Side in Expectation of a fuitable Return'; and when the tenderest Part of the Enjoyment of Life is given up beyond Recall into the Hands of a Traitor, who turns it into the acuteft Mifery. To what a Height Grief and Anger on one Side, and Neglect ripened into Scorn and Hatred on the other, may carry fuch Calamities, cannot be forefeen: but at least they utterly destroy that Union of Hearts, that reciprocal Confidence, that Opennefs of Communication, that Sameness of Interefls, of Joys and of Sorrows, which conflitute the principal Felicity of the married State. And befides, how very frequently do the Confequences of thefe Tranfgreffions 3 Cant. viii. 6. affect, affect, and even ruin, the Health or the Fortune, it may be both, of the blameless Perfon in common with the other; and perhaps derive down Diseases and Poverty to fucceffive Generations! These are Fruits which Unfaithfulness in either Party. may produce. In one it may produce yet more. A Woman, guilty of this Crime, who, to use the Words of Scripture, forfaketh the Guide of her Youth, and forgetteth the Covenant of her God, brings peculiar Difgrace on her Hufband, her Children, and Friends; and may bring an illegitimate Offspring to inherit what is the Right of others: nor is the Infamy and Punishment, to which the expofes herself, a lefs dreadful Evil for being a deferved one. And if Falfehood on the Mens Part hath not all the fame Aggravations, it hath very great ones in their Stead. They are almoft conftantly the Tempters: they often carry on their wicked Defigns for a long Time together: they too commonly use the vileft Means to accomplish them. And as they claim the ftricteft Fidelity, it is ungenerous, as well as unjust, to fail of paying it. All Men muft feel how bitter it would be to them to be injured in this Refpect; let them think then what it is to be injurious in it: and fince the Crime is the fame when committed by them, as when committed against them, let them own that it deferves the fame Condemnation from the Judge of the World. The Lord hath been Witness, faith the Prophet, between thee and the Wife of thy Youth, against whom thou dealeft treacherously; yet is fhe thy Companion, and the Wife of thy Covenant. Therefore take Heed to your Spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the Wife of his Youth". It will be fafeft, but I hope it is not neceffary, to add, that an unmarried Man or Woman, offending with the Wife or Husband of any one, being no lefs guilty of Adultery than the Perfon with whom the Offence is committed, is confequently an Accomplice in all the Wickednefs and all the Mifchief abovementioned; and |