Imatges de pàgina
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that it is for his life; for she hath cast down many wounded; yea many strong men have been wounded by her; her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. Prov. 7. Paul says, Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, (Heb. 13: 4,) and they shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6: 9. Gal. 5: 19. Eph. 5: 5. And not only they that commit the crime, but they that look on a woman to lust after her, have committed it already in their heart; therefore it becomes necessary to pluck out the offending eye that lusteth after impurity and incontinence, and cast it away; for it is profitable that one of the members should perish, and not that the whole body should be cast into hell. Verse 29.

Concerning the offending members which Christ tells us we should pluck out and cast from us, we are to understand, that man is composed or constituted of two parts, the one terrestrial, and the other celestial; as Paul says, There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul, the last. Adam was made a quickening spirit: howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, (observe) but that which is natural; and af terwards that which is spiritual. 1 Cor. 15.

Now in the natural body we possess an impure, unchaste and animal principle, and

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as long as we live after the will of the flesh we bring forth carnal and impure fruits, as Paul declares, The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have old you in time past, that they which do such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5); they not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Rom. 1: 32.

But Christ says, Pluck out these members, and cast them from you, that the whole body may not be cast into hell. Verse 30. 1. Paul says, Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry; for which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience. Col. 3. Also: know ye not, that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? for the two (saith he) shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Cor. 6.

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Therefore, O ye men, who languish in inordinate affection, and go after strange women

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till you have satisfied your devilish appetency, think upon your latter end, and repent, and abandon your accursed and disgraceful course of life; pluck out your appetent and impure eye, and cast it from you, lest you be cast into hell, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. Mark 9. Put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Eph. 4. Col. 3. Col. 3. For to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. Rom. 6: 16. Therefore I counsel you with Paul, that ye yield no longer your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead: and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Rom. 6:13. For sin shall not have dominion over you, if you yield yourselves to Christ and suffer his grace to reign over you. Verse 14. Oh, I think it is time that you awake and take counsel from Christ, that you may be eternally happy. Oh, but think of the dreadful burning hell that threatens you if you die in your sins! Therefore I repeat it, Awake! awake! for the judge standeth at the door prepared to recompense

every man according to his works; if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Rom. 8. Oh God! grant that this may make a deep impression upon the minds of all who are yet in bondage to sin, that they may daily learn, and sensibly feel in their souls, the tremendous doom that is suspended over them on account of their heinous crimes, and may thereby repent and humble themselves under the hand of thy power, to the preservation of their souls, through Jesus Christ, Amen.

II.

For as much as the world by sin and vice has fallen from its primitive state, Christ has by his gospel reinstated the original order of things, which the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh. Rom. 8: 3. For because of the hardness of men's hearts, Moses gave them a writing of divorcement, and permitted them to put away their wives: but from the beginning it was not, so (Matt.. 19: 8. Mark 10: 5, 6); therefore hath Christ restored the marriage state to its original condition, saying, It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement (Num. 24): 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 marrieth her that is divorced, committeth adultery. Verse 32. For from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Mark 10. Luke 16: 18. Paul says, no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth it and cherisheth it. Eph. 5: 29. Therefore, since the man and wife are one flesh, they ought not to live together in hatred and discord, but should love and serve each other, should bear patiently with one another in all crosses and tribulations; the wives should submit themselves unto their husbands in the fear of God, as unto the Lord, (Eph. 5: 22,) even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. 1 Pet 3: 6. Likewise the husbands ought to dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Verse 7. O that this rule might be adopted by all who live in the married state, and that they would love each other as their own flesh, then would contention, bickering and discord find no admittance into their society, and their daily exercise would be patience, harmony and peace.

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