the two pieces of wood which God commands Ezekiel to join together, and they became one in his hand. Ezekiel xxxvii. So marriage was ordained as an including rind, to make of two persons one flesh; from which union there ought to flow a constant circulation of kind offices and endearing attentions, as the vitial juices flow through the natural body; consequently husbands and wives, though blameless in point of conjugal fidelity, are still very guilty, if they live in indifference towards each other. A failure in point of affection does not, it is granted, break the marriage bond, as adultery; yet it defeats one principal end of its institution: for it was designed to unite the hearts of the married pair, and to produce a consummate friendship from the pleasing combination of two persons, whose interests are by this means made invariably the same. But, instead of these advantages, want of love in either party perverts the state of marriage into a most grievous burden and bondage.

Great stress is therefore laid upon this matter in the rule of a Christian's duty. Husbands and wives are commanded to shew the most affectionate regard to each other. The precept is immediately addressed to husbands, but it equally applies to wives. "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church." Ephes. v. In this command, observe the quick feeling which every man has of the least hurt done to his body, the constant aversion to every thing which would give it pain, and the incessant desire of its health and comfort, are chosen to represent the strength, delicacy, and perpetuity of conjugal affection.

And as the body partakes no less of your care and

love, on account either of its weakness, deformity, or disease, so no disagreeable qualities or perverse humours on either side can justify the other party in withholding the tribute of love. These faults indeed make it very difficult to behave with proper tenderness, and prove a severe trial of faith and patience, which yet, in the end, will certainly get the victory.

This tender affection is finely taught the husband in the conclusion of the precept, by directing him to copy the love of Christ for his church in his own to his wife. As if it had been said, you abundantly experience the care and affection of your Saviour, and see it exercised over your fellow-Christians; you see how he bears with your infirmities, and with many things in you exceedingly wrong and distasteful to him; yet he grows not cold to your welfare, nor rejects you from among his children. Shew you, therefore, the same tenderness to each other, which the whole church experiences from its head, and never think yourselves at liberty to yield to moroseness, or live without endearing expressions of mutual love.

Further, husbands and wives, who are Christians, must have their affection for each other spiritual, both in its foundation and effects. It must not be built chiefly on beauty of person, for this is one of the most fleeting things in nature, and incapable, even whilst it lasts, to maintain its enchanting power. Very often those who come together in rapture, enamoured with each other's form, soon grow cool in their regard, and hate one another as forcibly as they loved at first. Nor can there be any security that this will not sooner or later prove the case, when the cause of affection is so mean and sensual.

But, suppose even good sense, good manners, and a temper formed for friendship, engage the parties

to marry; even these amiable accomplishments, unless higher considerations concur, leave them in. danger of taking great disgust, and living unhappily together. For these accomplishments perfectly coincide with excessive love of pleasure, of the world, of independence. Hence it often comes to pass, that husbands and wives, who have no better foundation of their mutual love than those agreeable qualities by which they were so pleasing to each other on their first intimacy, are very miserable together at last. They find more restraint than they expected, and less entertainment; they cease studying to please, and evil tempers, before concealed, break out. Especially when misfortune produces a bitter change of condition, frequently the well-bred, sensible, agreeable husband and wife, changes with their circumstances, and grows a peevish, complaining, irksome companion.

The affection of Christian husbands and wives must stand upon a firmer basis. The husband must love his wife, not chiefly for her beauty, manners, or even the affection she bears to him, but as a creature of God, entitled by their union (which is of divine origin) to his tender affection. The Christian wife also must love her husband, not on account of the superiority of his understanding, the applause he receives, the honour of his condition, or the love he has for herself, but in obedience to the will of God, holy, just, and good, which requires her to dwell in love with her husband, with whom she is become one person. Where conjugal affection is not thus secured by conscience towards God, a thousand unforeseen accidents may raise a storm of contention; and some bitter expressions may escape in the heat of passion, which will eat as does a canker, consuming all enjoyment of the marriage state, if they do not cause an open separation.

Husbands and wives, on the contrary, governed by the authority and love of Christ, will be strongly united in the common source of their felicity, and the object of their highest adoration; for here they find a constant unalterable reason for mutual esteem and love.

SUNDAY XXXV.

CHAP. XXXV.

The Christian's Duty in the marriage State.

As the ground of affection between Christian hus bands and wives must be spiritual, so must the expressions and proofs of it. To be solicitous only in procuring a comfortable provision for your wife, that she may not be left destitute or dependent, when your diligence or frugality might prevent it, is the affection every man must feel, who is not sunk beneath a brute. On the other hand, the wife may express love to her husband by a most discreet management of the family, by cheerfully doing her utmost for its welfare, and by studying to make his life and home agreeable, yet be void of the least savour of Christian knowledge. Mutual and earnest endeavours to please each other are often found where the parties do a thousand things in open defiance of God's authority, and, instead of meek remonstrance, or disapproving silence on either side, they remain very well satisfied with each other's conduct. A perfidious sort of love this is, though every where prevalent. A confederacy against the truth and government of God, by which they

strengthen one another in unbelief and profaneness, and are principal instruments of each other's endless misery.

In a manner quite the reverse, will the affection of Christian husbands and wives for each other be discovered. Their spiritual good will be a chief and mutual concern. They will be tender-hearted inspectors of each other's conduct, meekly correcting errors, which unnoticed would have struck root, or pointing out faults before they are confirmed into habits. They will converse together on the power, the glory, the mightiness of God's kingdom, to increase their knowledge of his excellency, and love of his name. They will prompt each other to holy vigilance, and a diligent care and labour to please God, and encourage that sort of acquaintance and inti mates, whose principles, sentiments, and tempers, are animating and exemplary. As the nuptial union gives the parties much influence to be either greatly serviceable or hurtful to each other's eternal interests, they must look upon themselves as bound in conscience to use all their weight against the corruptions of the heart, against pride, unbelief, and worldly lusts, through which their salvation is most endangered.

Thus, with unspeakable advantage, Christian husbands and wives prove the spiritual nature of their conjugal affection: sure to find it equally constant in youth and age, sickness and health, indigence or plenty, lasting as their abode together, and redounding to their advancement in eternal glory after death.

True believers in Christ are the only persons capable of dwelling in the mutual exercise of such spiritual and permanent affection; since they only confess their innate depravity, and, under an humbling sense of their vileness, use with success the means of