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ing the higher Degree of Christian Holiness and Virtue; and forbids the Diffolution of Marriage by any Thing else but Infidelity to the Marriage Covenant. It is an eafy Thing, at first Sight, to fee which of all these Inftitutions is the most perfect; which does moft equal Justice to both Sexes; which enjoys most of the Happiness of Friendship, and which tends moft to the careful Education of Children, and the good Provifion for the Family, and the quiet Government of it.

An happy Institution, where Christians live up to it; but where they take the Liberties of Heathenifm under the name of Chriftians, this facred Religion ferves only for their greater Condemnation.

2. This Obfervation concerning the more exact Rules of Chriftianity, with Relation to the difference of Sex, doth naturally lead us to another Inquiry, why our Saviour thought fit to abridge Chriftians of thofe Liberties which were indulged to God's own People the Jews? This is plainly to be gathered from our Saviour's Doctrine. For thofe Liberties were not allowed them, because they were most rational in them felves: God who made all in the Beginning, defigned one Help Meet, one Female to one Male, and he has wifely ordered it in his Providence fince, that there is much about an equal Number of both Sexes born into the World; a fufficient Indication that by the Voice of Nature, equal Meafures fhould be dealt to both Sexes, and that Polygamy and Divorce ought not to be allowed to one Sex, more than to another. What was the Reafon then of that greater Indulgence

Indulgence to the Jewish Men? Our Saviour tells us elsewhere, it was because of the Hardness of their Hearts. For God fits his Precepts to our Capacities. The Jews being bred up in greater Ignorance of a future State, it is no wonder if they were more carnal, and had they been tied up to fuch ftrict Rules, it would have drove them to more defperate Courfes, of Poison and Murder, to get rid of their Wives. But the Light of the Gospel being far greater than that of the Law of Mofes, the Promises and Threatnings of it much clearer, the Precepts more Spiritual, the Grace accompanying it more Plenteous, the Spirit of it, not the fierce Spirit of Elias, but the mild and gentle Spirit of Chrift; we are likewise more capable of being weaned from the more Brutal Liberty indulged the Jews, and of being confined to the Primitive Inftitution of Marriage, which is a facred Friendship for Life: And therefore this teaches us another part of our Duty and Character, which is, to Govern and Bridle our unruly Paffions, and to become more fitted for Friendship and Society for Life.

3. It being very plain here, that the unruly Paffions of Men are charged with all the terrible Confequences of them upon others, as it is faid here, that he who putteth away his Wife, faving for the caufe of Fornication, caufeth her to commit Adultery; this fhould teach us to be very Serious and Confiderate, and endeavour to have in View all the Confequences of our Actions, that we may fee as far into them as is poffible, and contrive them accordingly. Moft of the Errors of those who are not down-right Unbelievers,

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are owing to a fhort-fightedness, and want of Confideration. It is not much to be doubted, that if, when we are about to do an ill Action, we could have a clear Forefight of all the evil Confequences that attend it, fuch a fearful Profpect would fcare us from the Commiffion of it. But the Devil dreffes up the Bait of his Temptations fo Artificially, that we cannot discover the fatal Hook which is under them. Yet this is moftly our own Fault, for God has taken care to acquaint us that the Wages of Sin are Death; and the Experience likewife we have, both in our felves and others, is fufficient to fill us full of ghaftly Apprehenfions of the bad Effects of our finful Courfes; but we do not exert our Facul ties; we fuffer our felves to be fo blinded with the prefent feeming Satisfaction there is in a finful Course, that we look no further. It is true, this blindness is often from Unbelief, as it is faid, 2 Cor. iv. 4. that the God of this World bath blinded the Minds of them which believe not. But it is true likewife, that want of Senfe and Confideration, is a great part of Unbelief, or of that which we call a dead Faith, a Faith which operates no more upon us, than if we had it not. This Incogitancy and Inconfideration is frequently occafioned by fome ftrong Paffion, which, like a mighty Torrent, carries the Thoughts all violently one way, that the Man cannot use the fedateness and calmnefs which is neceffary to Confideration. It fhould be our part then to observe thefe ftrong Paffions and Inclinations in our felves, and by giving our Minds a contrary Byafs, to bring them as near as we can to a calmnefs and coolnefs of Thought, by which we

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may be enabled to View as far as may be, into the Confequences of our Actions, both upon our felves and others, that by that Means we may nip Sin in the Bud, before it produces its Fruits of Shame and Mifery.

4. I fhall make but one Inference more from the Subject of my Text; and that is, Since all Divifions between Man and Wife have such fatal Confequences, and feeing the Chriftian Religion encourages fo much their Friendly Living together, and difcourages fo much their Separation; let all who are engaged in that State, study by all the Arts of Conjugal Love and Friendfhip, to make it eafy and pleafant to each other. And in order to this, let them endeavour to poffefs themselves with a dreadful Apprehenfion of the Terrible bad Confequences of their having any lafting differences with one another: For befides the intolerable Uneafinefs of fuch a Temper, it is attended with fuch a train of Evils, that I am fure the gratifying of no Humour or Paffion can compenfate. From hence it is, that being weary of their Home, they take to a perpetual gadding Abroad, to the Neglect of their Family and Bufinefs: This expofes them to ill Company and Temptations, and one Vice brings on another, and repeated evil Actions beget evil Habits. All this is followed with Lofs of Honour, Difgrace, the Frowns of Friends, Want, Poverty, further Alienation of Affection, an irreconcilable Temper, Jealoufy, Rage, Revenge, and all the bad Shifts which an abandoned, forlorn, desperate Condition puts them upon. All which might be prevented by a little Confideration, joined with Humility and good Tem

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per. To conclude, it is true in this, if in any Thing in the World, that our Duty and our Interest are closely linked together; and that, (a) Godliness is profitable for all Things, having the Promife of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come. If ye know these Things, hapif ye do them.

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Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let us render, as is due, all Praise, Honour, and Glory, Might, Power, and Dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

(a) 1 Tim. iv. 8.

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