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and striving to thwart one another, married Perfons would ftrive to win one anothers' Hearts more and more, with all manner of Kindneffes and Endearments.

3. Since our Saviour has left fuch a Blot on that fort of Uncleannefs committed by married Perfons, that on Account thereof he permits the Diffolution of the Marriage, let this Doctrine deter us from all Approaches to thofe Sins. Let Hufbands and Wives beware of every thing that may in the least create any Drynefs or Alienation of Affection from one another. Let them beware of those pretended Friends, but really worst Enemies, that bring Oil to inflame, inftead of Water to quench the Fire of Strife and Contention, when it is kindled between them and the Companion of their Life. Let every Approach of criminal Addrefs, fo foon as it is perceived, be rejected with Abhorrence. As this is true Honour, fo I am fure it is their true Intereft, both with relation to this World, and that which is to come.

So much for the first Thing I observed from our Saviour's Doctrine of Divorce, namely, That it is totally prohibited to us Chriftians, except in cafe of Adultery. The other Things I obferved from the Words, I must refer to another Opportunity.

Now God bless what ye have heard, that it may take Root in your Hearts, and bring forth Fruit in your Lives, to his Glory and your Edification and Salvation, through Jefus Chrift our Lord and Saviour. To whom, &c.

SERM.

SERMON XXII.

MATT. V. 31.

It hath been faid, Whofoever shall put away bis Wife, let him give her a Writing of Divorce

ment.

Ver. 32. But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his Wife, faving for the cause of Fornication, caufeth her to commit Adultery: and whofoever fhall Marry her that is Divorced, committeth Adultery.

H

The Second Sermon on this Text.

AVING, at the laft Occafion, difcourfed to you from thefe Words, there were two Things I obferved to be contained in them. I. The Doctrine of Divorce, as taught by many of the Jewish Doctors.

II. Our Saviour's Correction, and further Explication of that Doctrine.

After I had spoke to the first, the Doctrine of Divorce as taught by the Jewish Doctors, I came to the fecond, our Saviour's Correction and further Explication of that Doctrine. And in it, there were four Things I obferved as worthy of our Confideration.

1. That

1. That our Saviour totally prohibits the Parting of Man and Wife, except in the Case of Infidelity to the Marriage-Bed.

2. That he charges all the evil Confequences of fuch a Parting, except in the Case aforefaid, upon the Hufband that turns away the innocent Wife; be caufeth her to commit Adultery.

3. That notwithstanding the Strictness of the Marriage Bond, the Foundation of it being the Conjugal Fidelity they promife to one another, where that is broken, the Marriage may be dif folved.

4. That it is unlawful to marry the Divorced Wife; who, if innocent, ought to return to her Husband; if guilty, is to be deprived of the benefit of Marriage, while her Husband lives.

Now having at that time spoke to the first of thefe, our Saviour's prohibiting the Parting of Man and Wife, except in the Cafe of Infidelity to the Marriage-Bed; I intend now to confider the other Three as they lie in order: Which, together with fome Practical Inferences, shall be the Subject of my present Discourse.

II. The Second Thing then contained in the Words, is, that our Saviour charges the evil Confequences of Putting away the Wife, except in the Cafe of Infidelity to the Marriage-Bed, upon the Husband that turns her away. But I say unto you, that whofoever shall put away his Wife, faving for the Caufe of Fornication, caufeth her to commit Adultery. From which Part of my Text, there are two Things we may obferve. And I think they are both of great Ufe in a Chriftian Life.

1. The First is more general; namely, that whofoever commits any Sin, he is anfwerable,

not

not only for all the Neceffary, but for all the Probable Confequences of that Sin.

2. The Second is more Particular; namely, that thofe Quarrels of Man and Wife, which are attended with Parting, have very Terrible Confequences.

1. First, I fay, whofoever commits any Sin, is anfwerable not only for all the neceffary, but for all the Probable Confequences of that Sin. This I think is plain from the Words; for the Woman that was unjustly Divorced, might, notwithstanding, have abftained from Adultery; but yet, because by the turning her away from her Husband she was exposed to the visible Danger of that Sin, my Text faith, he caufeth her to commit Adultery. We see here what Confequences of our Sins we are refponfible for; not all the cafual Confequences which no Forecaft could foresee or prevent, but the natural and probable Confequences attending them. This, if duly confidered, would be a mighty Preservative against all manner of Sin; for for every Sin is attended with a great Train of evil Confequences, though at the fame Time we are fo blinded that we cannot fee, at least cannot fee beforehand, the Connexion between our Sins, and those evil Confequences. For Inftance, in the Sin of Drunkennefs, who can reckon up all the imprudent Words, and foolish indifcreet Actions, and dangerous Accidents that attend it; yet the Drunkard is answerable for them all. Nay, whether they do all actually happen or not; forafmuch as the Drunkard expofeth himself to them all, he is refponfible for all: And in this Sin of the Text, he that by ill Ufage, and Turning away, expofes a Wife to all the most defperate Shifts, though

by

1

by her own Virtue, and the Grace of God, fhe
may be preserved from many of those Temptations,
yet
forafmuch as he does what in him lies to ex-
pofe her to them, they may well be charged to
his Account. And in this Senfe it may well be faid
in my Text, he caufeth her to commit Adultery:
that is, he doth what in him lies to make her an
ill Woman, though, by the Grace of God, fhe
may chance to be preferved from it.

2. The Second Thing I obferve from this Part of my Text, is, that thofe Quarrels of Man and Wife, which are attended with parting, have commonly very terrible Confequences. Our Saviour mentions one here of driving the Wife upon ill Courses, and defperate wicked Shifts. But fome may perhaps reply, that though the Husband abandons and turns her away, he does not defire her to commit Adultery, but had rather, perhaps, that she should abstain from it. Yet while it is through his Means that the is driven into fuch Temptations, as are incident to one in her Circumstances, he is in a great Measure the Cause of both her Sin and Misery; not that she is to be excufed from any Sin fhe is guilty of, but that he is Acceffory to the chief part of the Criminalness of it. It is no hard Matter to Account how the unjust Husband, who turns away his Wife, is thus Acceffory to the Crimes which commonly follow upon fuch an abandoned State: For, 1. The Dishonour and Difgrace of it, is apt to throw her into Defpair, that she does not care what becomes of her; and is confequently tempted to lay afide that Vigilance and Guard fhe had formerly upon her Honour. 2. The Excess of Injuries and ill Ufage perhaps is greater than any ordi

nary

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