covet. Rom. vii. 7. Therefore, when our Saviour preached on the Mount, He did not make, ordain, or publish any new law, nor did he make the law more Spiritual than when published at Mount Sinai; but he fet it forth, and vindicated it from the false gloffes of the Scribes and Pharifees, who, in their teaching, dwelt on the outward letter only, throwing a veil of obscurity over its spiritual sense and meaning. The feventh commandment was just as spiritual under the Old Teftament as under the New. The very thought of adultery in DAVID, was as finful as it would have been in Saint Paul. How then can it be imagined, that the commandment against adultery meant not as much in the times of Mofes and the prophets, as in the days of CHRIST and His Apoftles? or, in other words, as much under the Old Testament as under the New? How can it be thought to condemn any thing amongst Christians, which it did not equally condemn amongst the Jews? Whatsoever things the law faith, it faith to them that are under the law (whether Jews or Chriftians) that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before GOD. Rom. iii. 19. If then the law ever condemned polygamy as adultery, whoredom, or fornica

tion, it certainly does it now; but, as hath been fhewn, it never did condemn it in any one instance, not only from the beginning, by any conftruction put on the original marriage-inftitution, but also for 1500 years together after the giving the law at Mount Sinai; therefore it never has condemned it fince: for CHRIST gave no new meaning to this or any other of the commandments, but only vindicated and restored the old. What was murder is now murder-what was theft is now theft-what was adultery is now adultery-and what was none of these, is ftill none of these.

GOD's law is His will, and His will is His law; a change of one must infer a change in the other, and either of these a change in HIMSELF: an idea which is wholly irreconcileable with the fcripturecharacter of GOD, with whom there is no variableness, neither any fhadow of turning. James i. 17.

Men may cobble, and vamp, and alter, and repeal laws, and indeed it must be fo, as mischiefs, which efcape all human prescience and forefight, muft daily arife; but it cannot be fo with OMNISCIENCE. All things are present and open to Him. Heb. iv. 13. He ordained the propagation of mankind-He blessed them, VOL. I. K

and

and faid unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Gen. i. 28. He made the woman, and brought her to the man, and faid-A man fhall cleave to his wife, Gen. ii. 22, 24. (by which expreffion, according to St. Paul's * interpretation, 1 Cor. vi. 15, 16. is meant the act of copulation or marriage) and they fhall be one flesh-thus creating between them fo indiffoluble a bond, as never to be divided more. Though these words were fpoken immediately by ADAM, yet, doubtlefs, he fpake under the influence of the divine Spirit, as may appear from CHRIST's manner of applying the words, Matt. xix. 4, 5. and may therefore, as what Moses and the prophets spake under the fame holy influence, be ftyled-" The word of GOD." The circumfcription and regulation of the whole, was provided for by fixed, determined, and immutable laws, calculated. for all times, places, and ages of the world, wherein He fhould be pleased to make thein known. Thefe laws, on the establishment of the church, on its deliverance out of ÆGYPT, were given to MOSES, and enforced and explained by him, and the subsequent prophets, under

€

*See before, 19, 20, and note.

the

the immediate command and teaching of GOD; and continue, like the holy Lawgiver Himfelf, one and the fame for ever. Who may marry together, and who may not-what is a lawful marriage in GoD's account, and what is not fo, was not left to the uncertain or prefumptuous deter.. minations of mankind, but immutably fixed by written laws of GOD. To these it is our bounden duty to conform, and to say to all fubfequent inventions of men, as well those which forbid marriage entirely, as those who would put asunder thofe whom God hath joined together, under pretence of greater purity and holiness, as the angel did to PETER, Acts x. 15. What GOD bath cleanfed, that call thou not common or unclean.

I have mentioned the law being explained by the prophets. Thefe were extraordinary meffengers which God raised up and fent forth under a fpecial com-miffion; not only to foretell things to come, but to preach to the people, to hold forth the law, to point out their defec→ tions from it, and to call them to repentance, under the feverest terms of GOD'S displeasure, unless they obeyed. Their commiffion, in thefe refpects, we find recorded, If. lviii. 1. Cry aloud, fpare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet: shew my

K 2

people

people their tranfgreffions, and the house of Jacob their fins. This commiffion was to be faithfully executed, at the peril of the prophet's own deftruction, as appears from the folemn charge given to Ezekiel, chap. iii. 18. When I say to the wicked, Thou shalt furely die, and thou giveft him not warning, nor Speakeft to warn the wicked to fave his life, the fame wicked man fhall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine band.

These prophets executed their commiffion very unfaithfully towards GoD and the people, as well as moft dangeroufly for themselves, if polygamy was a fin against GOD's law; for it was the common practice of the whole nation, from the prince on the throne to the lowest of the people; and yet neither ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, nor any one of the prophets, bore the least testimony against it. They reproved them sharply and plainly for defiling their neighbours wives, as fer. v. 8; xxix. 23.-in which fifth chapter, we not only find the prophet bearing teftimony against adultery, but against whoredom and fornication, ver. 7. for that they assembled themfelves by troops in the harlots houses.

*

Jofephus calls it

prov-which answers to what

we mean by the word national.