together for Term of Life, if they are not fo agreed and united in Spirit, are like to have but little Comfort, Help, and Furtherance, if any, from each other in fpiritual Things; which is the Way that leads to true and lafting Comfort for ever. For fince without Faith, and an answerable Conversation, it is impoffible to please Ged, fuch married Folks as differ in Faith, and difagree in their religious Converfations, are not like to please God, nor one another; but may rather expect the contrary, with much Confufion, which doth naturally attend fuch Mif-matchings in that Condition of Life.

Again, Paul to the Corinthians (1 Epift. vii. 39.) faith, "The Wife

is bound by the Law as long as "her Husband liveth: But if her "Husband be dead, fhe is at Liberty "to be married to whom he will; That is

ONLY IN THE LORD." ancient Limit.

But

But this gives no Liberty for fuch to marry as are near of Kin; though otherwile duly qualified.

If any fhould object, that Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, married their near Kinfwomen; and thereupon fhould query, why it may not be as lawful for fuch Kindred now to marry, as it was for them then :

I answer, first, What they did in that Cafe then, was before the Law was given, which exprefly forbids it, Levit. xviii.

Secondly, Every reasonable Man is capable of confidering, that in thofe early Ages of the World there was a Neceffity for it; for Abraham, and those before mentioned of his Pofterity, lived not very long after the Flood, which gave a kind of new Beginning to the World, with respect to its being again replenished with People. For Abraham was born before the Death of Shem, according to

Scrip

Scripture - Chronology, about One hundred and fifty Years; and yet Shem was an hundred Years old when the World was drowned.

Thirdly, It is to be confidered, that People lived very long in those Days; fo that Generations paffed not away, nor did Kindred wear out fo faft as afterwards; which expofed thofe Patriarchs to it, by a kind of unavoidable Neceffity, and rendered it excufable in them. But there being no fuch Neceffity now, nor any Reason of that Nature, to induce any to marry their near Kindred; they who do so, plainly break the pofitive Law of God, which exprefly fays, "None of you shall approach "to any that is near of Kin to him," &c. Levit. xviii. 6. as also contrary to the Apostle's Advice, Phil. iv. 8. as not being of good Report, &c.

That Marriage is an Ordinance of God, I have already afferted; and now add, by way of Explanation,

that

that thereby two are made one, or infeparably joined together, for the Term of their joint Lives, by lawful Means; As first, in Spirit; Secondly, in Affection: And thirdly, in a folemn Covenant of Marriage, as well external and publick, as otherwise. Thefe are the Conditions, more or lefs, of all thofe which the Lord joins together; whom no Man may put afunder. And without thefe Conditions, the Marriage Union is not perfectly enjoyed.

Now, whereas I prefs for an Agree→ ment, and Unity of Faith, and religious Practices, in the Parties to be married, as effential to the Marriage which God makes; by Faith there, I mean that Faith, which the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apoftles held, which the true Church now holdeth, and which upholdeth the true Church (" for by Faith ye

stand," said the Apoftle to the Church of old, 2 Cor. i. 24.) which is the one true Faith, mentioned by

the

the fame Apostle, in Ephef. iv. 5. And although there be in the World Faiths many, or at leaft different Apprehenfions concerning Faith, and Pretences to it; yet, being inclined by the Law of Charity to conclude, that all who are serious do think their own particular Faith, Perfuafion, and Way, to be the right (elfe they would not continue it); what I have here written may ferve indifferently to all that profefs Faith in Christ. And yet, though I do not here give a more particular Definition of Faith, it doth not thence follow, that I am indifferent therein, or in Doubt about it; no, but it is to avoid Controverfy, and because I aim at Brevity, and choose rather to let the true Faith be manifefted by its Fruits, which the Apoftle James adviseth, Chap. ii. 18. Of which Fruits, what I here contend for is one, and not the leaft, to wit, That they who profefs Faith in Chrift Jefus, and are difpofed to marry, are religiously obliged to take care, that

they