man and wife i. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred nearer in blood than he may of his own, nor the wo man of her husband's kindred nearer of her blood than of her own k. V. Adultery or fornication committed after a contract, being detected before marriage, giveth juft occafion to the inno cent party to diffolve that contract /. In the cafe of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to fue out a divorcem, and, after the divorce, to marry another, as if the offending party were dead n. i Mark vi. 18. For John had faid unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Lev. xviii. 24. Defile not yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I caft out before you. v. 25. And the land is defiled: therefore I do vifit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itfelf vomiteth out her inhabitants. v. 26. Ye fhall therefore keep my ftatutes and my judgments, and thall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that fojourneth among you: v. 27. (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled.) v. 28. That the land fpue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it fpued out the nations that were before you. * Lev. xx. 19. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fifter, nor of thy father's fifter: for he uncovereth his near kin: they fhall bear their iniquity. v. 20. And if a man fhall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they fhall bear their fin, they fhall die childless. v. 21. And if a man fhall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath un VI. Al covered his brother's nakedness, they fhall be childless. V. / Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jefus Christ was on this wife: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph, before they came together, the was found with child of the holy Ghoft. v. 19. Then Joseph her hufband being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. v. 20. But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the holy Ghost. m Mat. v. 31. It hath been faid, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. v. 32. But I fay unto you, that whofoever shall put away his wife, faving for the cause of fornication, caufeth her to commit adultery: and whofoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. Mat. xix. 9. And I fay unto you, Whofoever fhall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and fhall marry another, committeth adulte VI. Although the corruption of man be fuch as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put afunder those whom God hath joined together in marriage; yet nothing but adultery, or such wilful desertion as can no way be remedied by the church or civil magiftrate, is caufe fufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage o: wherein a publick and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the perfons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and discretion in their own case p. TH CHAP. XXV. Of the Church. HE catholick or univerfal church which is invisible, confifts of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered unto one, under Chrift the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in alla. ry: and whofoever marrieth her which is put away, doth commit adultery. Rom. vii. 2. For the woman which hath an husband, is bound by the law to her husband fo long as he liveth: but if the husband be dead, she is loofed from the law of her husband. v. 3. So then, if while her husband liveth, fhe be married to another man, fhe fhall be called an adulterefs: but if her husband be dead, fhe is free from that law; fo that she is no adulterefs, tho' fhe be married to another man. VI.. Mat. xix. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardness of your hearts, fuffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not fo. v. 9. (See lettern.) I Cor. vii. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fifter is not under bondage in fuch cafes: but God hath called us to peace. Mat. xix. 6. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God II. The hath joined together, let no man put afunder. p Deut. xxiv. 1. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that the find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found fome uncleannefs in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and fend her out of his house. v. 2. And when fhe is departed out of his house, she may go, and be another man's wife. v. 3. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and fendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife; v. 4. Her former husband who fent her away may not take her again to be his wife, after that the is defiled: for that is abomination before the Lord, and thou fhalt not cause the land to fin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. I. Eph. i. 10. That in the dif penfation 1 II. The visible church, which is alfo catholick or univerfal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law) confifts of all thofe throughout the world, that profefs the true religion b, together with their children c; and is penfation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Chrift, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him. v. 22. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,v. 23. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Eph. v. 23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Chrift is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. v. 27. That he might prefent it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it fhould be holy, and without blemifh. v. 32. This is a great myftery: but I fpeak concerning Chrift and the church. Col. i. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. II. 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Christ Jefus, called to be faints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jefus Chrift our Lord, both theirs and ours. I Cor. xii. 12. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: fo alfo is Chrift. v. 13. For by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one fpirit. Pfal. ii. 8. Afk of me, and I fall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermoft parts of the earth for thy poffeffion, Rev. vii. 9. After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, ftood before the throne, and before the lamb clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Rom. xv. 9. And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy, asit is written, For this caufe I will confefs to thee among the Gentiles, and fing unto thy name. v. 10. And again he faith, Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. v. 1I. And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people. v. 12. And again Efaias faith, there fhall be a root of Jeffe, and he that shall rife to reign over the Gentiles; in him fhall the Gentiles trust. c1 Cor. vii. 34. For the unbeliev ing husband is fanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is fanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Acts ii. 39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God fhall call. Ezek. xvi. 20. Moreover, thou haft taken thy fons and thy daughters, whom thou haft born unto me, and thefe haft thou facrificed unto them to be devoured: is this of thy whoredoms a fmall matter, v. 21. That thou haft flain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them? Rom. xi. 16. For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is alfo holy; and if the root be holy, fo are the branches. Gen. Chap. XXV. is the kingdom of the Lord Jefus Chrift d, the house and family of Gode, out of which there is no ordinary poffibility of falvation f. III. Unto this catholick vifible church, Chrift hath given the miniftry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the faints, in this life, to the end of the world: and doth by his own prefence and spirit, according to his promife, make them effectual thereuntog. IV. This catholick church hath been fometimes more, fome-. Gen. iii. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed: it fhall bruife thy head, and thou fhalt bruise his heel. Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their generations, for an everlafting covenant; to be a God unto thee, and to thy feed after thee. Mat. xiii. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind. Ifa. ix. 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end,upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth even for ever: the zeal of the Lord of hofts will perform this. Eph. ii. 19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the faints, and of the houshold of God. Eph. iii. 15. Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. f Acts ii. 47. Praifing God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as fhould be faved. III. g 1 Cor. xii. 28. And God hath fet fome in the church, first apoftles, fecondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diverfities of tongues. Eph. iv, 11. And he gave fome, apoftles: and fome, prophets: and fome, evangelifts: and fome, paftors and teachers v. 12. For the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the miniftry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift: v. 13. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Christ. Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Ghoft: v. 20. Teaching them to obferve all things" whatfoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Ifa. lix. 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, faith the Lord, My fpirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, fhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy feed, nor out of the mouth of thy feeds feed, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. IV. Rom 145 fometimes lefs vifible h. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gofpel is taught and embraced, ordinances adminiftred, and publick worship performed more or lefs purely in them i. V. The pureft churches under heaven are fubject both to mixture and errork: and fome have fo degenerated, as to become no churches of Chrift, but fynagogues of Satan 7. Never IV. Rom. xi. 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they feek my life. v. 4. But what faith the answer of God unto him? I have referved to myfelf feven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Rev. xii. 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where the hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thoufand two hundred and threefcore days. v. 14. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that the might fee into the wildernefs, into her place: where fhe is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the ferpent. (Rev.ii.and iii. chapters throughout.) I Cor. v. 6. Your glorying is not good: Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? V. 7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our paffover is facrificed for us. V. 1 Cor. xiii. 12. For now we fee through a glafs, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then fhall I know even as al.oI am known. (Rev. ii. iii. chapters.) Mat. xiii. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,30. Another parable put he forth unto them, faying, The kingdom of. heaven is likened unto a man, who fowed good feed in his field: But while men flept, his enemy came and fowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was fprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares alio, &c. v. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was caft into the fea, and gathered of every kind. Rev. xviii. 2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, faying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Rom. xi. 18. Boaft not against the branches: but if thou boaft, thou beareft not the root, but the root thee. v. 19. Thou wilt fay then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. v. 20. Well; becaufe of unbelief they were broken off, and thou ftandeft by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear. V.21. For if God fpared not the natural branches, take heed left he alfo fpare not thee. v. 22. Behold therefore the goodness, and feverity of God: on them who fell, feverity, but towards thee, goodnefs, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwife thou fhalt be cut off. m Mat. K 1 |