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 woman 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 just occafion to the innocent party to diffolve that contract/. In the case of adultery after marriage, it is lawful for the innocent party to sue 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. Iviii. 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 visit theiniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants. v. 26. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth 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 spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you. VI. Al covered his brother's nakedness, they shall be childless. V./Mat. i. 18. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wife: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Jofeph, before they came together, she was found with child of the holy Ghost. v. 19. Then Joseph her husband 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, Joseph, 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 said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement. v. 32. But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adul Lev. xx. 19. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's fister, nor of thy father's fifter: for he uncovereth his nearkin: they shall bear their iniquity. v. 20. And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle'stery. nakedness: they shall bear their fin, they shall die childless. v. 21. And if a man fhall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath un Mat. xix. 9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: VI. Although the corruption of man be such as is apt to study arguments, unduly to put asunder 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 magistrate, is cause sufficient of diffolving the bond of marriage 0: wherein a publick and orderly course of proceeding is to be observed; and the persons concerned in it, not left to their own wills and difcretion in their own case p. T CHAP. XXV. Of the Church. HE catholick or universal church which is invisible, confifts of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered unto one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in alla. ry: and whosoever 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, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, tho' she be married to another man, VI. o Mat. xix. 8. He faith unto them, Mofes, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. v. 9. (See letter n.) 1 Cor. vii. 15. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a fister 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 asunder. P p Deut. xxiv. 1. When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness 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 wher she 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 sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be ris wife; v. 4. Her former husband who fent her away may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled: for that is abomination before the Lord, and thou shalt not cause the land to fin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. I. Eph. i. 10. That in the difpenfation 1 : II. The visible church, which is also catholick or univer fal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law) consists of all those throughout the world, that profess the true religion b, together with their children c; and pensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, 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 Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body. v. 27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish. v. 32. This is a great mystery: but I fpeak concerning Christ 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. b 1 Cor. i. 2. Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are fanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be faints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ 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: so alfo is Christ. 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 spirit. Pfal. ii. 8. Ask of me, and I faall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the is uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, 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, stood 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 cause 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. II. And again, Praise the Lord all ye Gentiles, and laud him all ye people. v. 12. And again Efaias faith, there shall be a root of Jeffe, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gen-tiles; in him shall the Gentiles truft. C 1 Cor. vii. 34. For the unbelieving 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 shall call. Ezek. xvi. 20. Moreover, thou haft taken thy fons and thy daughters, whom thou hast born unto me, and these hast thou facrificed unto them to be devoured: is this of thy whoredoms a small 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 also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. Gen. is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ d, the house and family of Gode, out of which there is no ordinary poffibility of salvationf. III. Unto this catholick visible church, Christ 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 promise, make them effectual thereuntog. 1 IV. This catholick church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less visible h. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administred, and publick worship performed more or less purely in themi. Gen. iii. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy feed and her feed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen. xvii. 7. And I will establish my covenant between ime and thee, and thy feed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting 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 cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind. Ifa. ix. 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall 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 hosts 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. Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily fuch as should be faved. III.g 1 Cor. xii. 28. And God fome-. hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Eph. iv. 11. And he gave some, apostles: and some, prophets: and fome, evangelists: and fome, pastors and teachers: v. 12. For the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 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 stature of the fulness of Chrift. 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 Ghost: v. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 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 spirit that is uporr thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall 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 V. The purest churches under heaven are subject both to mixture and errork: and fome have fo degenerated, as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan/. IV. Rom. xi. 3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. v. 4. But what faith the answer of God unto him? I have referved to myself 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 flee into the wildernefs, into her place: where she is nourished for a time, and times, and halfa time, from the face of the ferpent. (Rev.ii.andiii.chaptersthroughout.) 1 Cor. v. 6. Your glorying is not good: Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7.7. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Chrift our pafsover is facrificed for Never unto them, saying, 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 sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also, &c. v. 47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast 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 faller, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul fpirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Rom.xi. 18. Boaft not against the branches: but if thou boast, thou bearest 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; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standeft by faith. Benothigh-minded, but fear, .21. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed left he atso spare not thee. v. 22. Behold therefore the goodness, and severity of God: on them who fell, feverity, but towards thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou shalt be cut off. K m Mat. |