HEBREWS 13. 4.

Marriage is honorable in all, and the Bed undefiled; but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge.

I

am very fenfible, O Chriftians, that the

Subject these Words lead us to treat upon is rather of a delicate Nature. To infift upon it, is, in our Opinion, neceffary; but to fpeak in fuch a Manner as not to give just Offence to the Ear of Chastity; Matter of Ridicule to the unclean and brutish Soul; and fo as may be of Ufe to the Congregation in general; is not fo eafy as by fome may be imagined. This one Thing however we would affure you off, and it is what we would with you ever to retain in Memory, That all our Discourses are meant to do good; to convince the straying Soul of it's Danger; to awaken the Formalift to see the Folly of his self-righ

teous

teous Dependance; to comfort, caution, encourage, and lead forward the true Believer in the narrow, peaceful Way of Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs; and thus, at laft, to present you pure, spotlefs, faultlefs, before the Prefence of the divine Glory, with exceeding Joy.

This, my Brethren, this is our fole Design in preaching the Gospel among you. For this, for this alone, in a public Capacity, we defire to live. To this, by the Grace of GoD, all other Things do and fhall give way. For your Sakes we defire to spend and be spent, though we are well perfuaded, the more Pains we are at for your Salvation, the lefs fhall we be efteemed by many. But, Thanks be to GOD, "none of these Things move us, neither count we our Lives dear unto ourselves, fo that we may finish our Course with Joy, and the Miniftery, which we have received of the Lord Jefus, to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God".

Christianity is by no Means confined to one partial View of Things. No: It contains a

complete

complete and finished Syftem of Doctrines and Morals. All that is neceflary to be believed; whatever is neceffary to be done, is taught with a Perfpecuity and Plainnefs levelled to the meaneft Capacity.

The Doctrine contained in the Text is entirely of a practical Nature, and by no means of the leaft Importance among thofe made known to us in the Pages of Inspiration. Marriage is honorable in all, and the Bed undefiled; but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge.

I have not chofen thefe Words out of an idle Curiofity of faying Something from them out of the common Way; but because I am fully convinced there is great Need, upon this, as well as upon other Subjects, "to cry aloud. and not to spare; to lift up our Voice like a Trumpet, and to fhew you your Tranfgreffions", in this Refpect as well as others, "and to point out to you your Sins".

Let us enter upon the Subject.

When God Almighty created the Angelic World he was pleased to form at first, perhaps

an

an innumerable Multitude, thoufands of thousands, and ten thousand Times ten thoufand. And this because they were created with Natures incapable of propagating their own Kind. But when the fame all-powerful Being spoke our World into Existence, he was pleased to proceed in a fomewhat different Manner. Instead of forming at firft a countlefs Number of rational Beings, he made but two, the Male and his Female; Each of them with rational Souls endowed; each of them perfectly of the fame Nature, Species, or Kind; but varying in their Formation for the fole Purpose of propagating the human Race.

So formed was the first happy Pair; fo formed have fince been all their Sons and Daughters, that Nature fecretly, yet powerfully, conftrains them to feek the Gratification of Defire. Such however is the Wisdom, and such the fupreme Goodness of our Creator and Governor, that he has made fufficient Provifion by which even thefe may be gratified, in perfect Harmony with the Will of God, the Good of Society, and the Happiness of all the Individuals of the Sons of Men. [Having

Having formed our firft Parents in a State of comparative Perfection, GoD was pleased to inftitute the Ordinance of Matrimony. The Woman, we are affured, "is Bone of Man's Bones, and Flesh of his Flesh, and was called Woman, because fhe was taken out of Man. Therefore fhall a Man leave his Father and his Mother, and fhall cleave unto his Wife; and they shall be one Flesh." This is the original Institution. And it is worth while to observe, that Jefus Chrift is so far from oppofing, or altering the fame, that he explains and confirms it in the clearest Terms.

The Pharifees came unto him, tempting him and faying, Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife for every Cause? He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he who made them at the Beginning, made them Male and Female? And faid, For this Cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother, and fhall cleave to his Wife; and they twain shall be one Flefh. Wherefore they are no more twain but one Flesh.