ered indeed as speaking from a regard to our welfare, a love to our souls, he is the friendly monitor: but as to our obligation to obey, and the danger we incur by trangression, there he is nothing less than a Sovereign. It is at your peril to cast any of his words behind your 'See that ye refuse not Him that

back. speaketh.'

CHAPTER III.

THE EVILS OF TRANSGRESSING THE INJUNCTION

VARIOUSLY VIEWED.

Ir people were as easily satisfied in receiving truth as they are in opposing it; if no more was needful to influence the practice than to produce conviction; it might be unnecessary to enlarge after the adduction of the preceding arguments. But alas! in spiritual concerns men venture their souls on such trifling evidence, as, were it to govern them in their temporal affairs, would lead their fellow crea

tures to conclude that they were either madmen or idiots. Here we need 'line upon line; precept upon precept.' Let us then specify some of the disadvantages and injuries that arise from an infraction of this law among professors of religion. And here we may observe,

That it scandalizes others. It counteracts, discourages, and confounds ministers. It injures the minds of your fellow Christians. It proves a distress to the strong, and 'a stumbling-block to the weak.' It turns that 'which is lame out of the way.' To your pious relations, it occasions the most painful regret and

anxiety. 'And Esau was forty years old

when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, who were a grief of mind unto Isaac and Rebekah. And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?'

It excites suspicion of your own religion. At least it shows that you are not alive to its

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principles and privileges: that if you ask its advice, you can follow your own opinion; and that if you profess to please it, you are not afraid to offend it. Would you marry an enemy of your own, before you believed there was a change of disposition wrought in him? And why? Because you love yourselves— this would prevent it. And if the love of God prevailed in your hearts, would you marry an enemy to God before you discerned in him an evidence of conversion? Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee, and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies.' 'What do ye more than others?' Should not the line of distinction between the church and the world be not only real, but visible? Should not the Christian universally appear? Are not his choice and refusal, as well as his sorrow and joy, to evince the empire of religion? 'Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' These are the injunctions of God. And we are to

esteem all his commandments concerning all things to be right, and to hate every false way."

Again. We call upon you to remember the duties enjoined upon Christians with regard to their households. The discharge of these duties in married life requires union, countenance, assistance. They cannot be performed to advantage, if at all, where in the heads of the family, there is a contrariety of convictions, dispositions, and pursuits. Peter therefore enforces his admonition upon husbands and wives by this motive, 'that your prayers be not hindered.' For imagine the case we are condemning. Does the man seek the glory of God in all he does, and the woman her own glory? Does the woman make the will of God her rule, and the man his own will? Instead of striving together, they draw adversely, and the design of the union is defeated. Are there children? Some will be likely to adhere to the father; some to the mother. Are there servants? Some will be likely to attach themselves to the master; some to the mistress. Thus the husband and wife will probably keep a perpetual watch over each

other, unwilling to lose any of their respective influence; and the house will be divided against itself.

We observe also, that we personally need

every assistance we can receive in our passage to heaven. There is surely enough in ourselves, and in the way we travel, to keep us back without engaging any one constantly to retard our progress, either by opposition or diversion! What need often have we of counsel in spiritual darkness and doubts; of comfort in soul-trouble; of stimulation by reproof or example in our religious languors! 'Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but wo to him that is alone when he walketh: for there is not another to help him up.' He is a friend indeed, who knows the road, will journey with us, and afford us seasonable succour: but what assistance is to be derived from one who has no eyes or hands, or who is going in a contrary direction? Is it enough when we want daily and hourly support, that a companion will not try to interrupt us?