and because although the divine law made it punishable by death, yet-for the most part it ever passes in the world under a less severe punishment.

But whatever such persons think of themselves, or others think of them, "God (xpIVE) will judge" and condemn them, at the final judgment of the great day; they shall not be acquitted, but (having persisted in their detestable practice) they shall be eternally damned. And there is an emphasis in the expression, "God will judge;" wherein we may see, that the special aggravations of these sins expose men to a sore condemnation in a peculiar manner, 1 Cor. iii, 17; vi, 16-19. Although the state of men may be changed; and divine wrath due to those sins be finally escaped by repentance; yet it may be observed, that those who are habitually given up to these lusts of the flesh are of all others the most rarely brought to effectual repentance. §5. And we may observe,

1. Divine institution is sufficient to render any state or condition of life honorable.

2. The more useful any state of life is, the more honorable it is; the honor of marriage arises much from its usefulness.

3. That which is honorable by divine institution, and useful in its own nature, may be abused and rendered vile by the miscarriages of men.

4. It is a bold usurpation of authority over the consciences of men, and contempt of the authority of God, to forbid that state to any which God hath declared honorable to all.

5. Means for chastity and purity not ordained, nor sanctified to that end, will prove fartherances of impurity and uncleanness, or worse evils.

6. The state of marriage being honorable in the sight of God himself, it is the duty of them that enter

thereinto duly to consider how they may approve their consciences to God in what they do.

§6. 1. Conjugal duties regulated by the bounds assigned them by natural light, with the general rules of scripture, and subservient to the due ends of marriage, are honorable, giving no cause of pollution or shame.

2. Whatever slight thoughts men may have of sin, any sin, the judgment of God, which is according to truth, must stand for ever. To have slight thoughts of sin, will prove no relief to sinners.

3. Fornication and adultery are deserving of eternal damnation. If the due wages of all sin be death, much more of so great abominations.

4. Men living and dying impenitently in these sins; shall eternally perish; or an habitual course in them is utterly inconsistent with any spark of saving grace. See Ephes. v, 5; 1 Tim. i, 10; Rev. xxi, 8; xxi, 15.

VERSES 5, 6.

Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have, for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

$1. Transition from particular duties to what is more general. The Christian's universal walk before God; which should be without covetousness. $2. With contentment. 3. 4. Enforced by a divine promise. §5. The apostle's inference. §6, 7, Observations.

§1. FROM particular duties the apostle proceeds to

that which is more general, which relates to our whole course of walking with God. Our "conversation" here includes both the frame of our minds, and the moral manner of our acting, in all that we do about the things pertaining to this life; and because of this restriction of it to our actings about the things of this life, the apostle useth the word (Toños, mos, or mores) custom, and not the other word (avaspoon) which ex

presseth our universal walk with God, in all holy obedience, Phil. i, 27; iii, 20; Jam. iii, 13; 1 Pet. i, 15; 2 Pet. iii, 11; the ordering of our conversation aright in this matter is of great importance in our Christian profession; and for the direction of it the apostle gives this rule, that it be (ainaprugia) without covetousness. Covetousness (Piλapyupia) is an inordinate desire and endeavor after the enjoyment of more riches than we have, or that God is pleased to give us, proceeding from an undue valuation of them or love to them, 1 Tim. vi, 6—10; a vice this, which, by its effects, manifests itself always to be contrary to the light of nature, as *debasing the minds of men, making them useless, and exposing them to all manner of vile practices; hence it was always stigmatized by sober heathens, as one of the vilest affections of the human mind; and there is nothing which the scripture more severely condemns, or upon which it denounces more inevitable punishment. Covetousness is idolatry, Col. iii, 5; but hereof there are many degrees; where it is predominant, the scripture absolutely excludes those in whom it is from life and salvation, amongst the most profligate sinners; but there may be smaller degrees of inordinate desires after earthly things, in believers, which are a subject of mortification all their days: when men are spoiled of their goods, and in danger of losing all, it is apt to stir up in them earnest and inordinate desires after somewhat more than they have, and not to be content with what is present, which the apostle declares to be covetousness; this he would have us to be free from at all times, especially in times of persecution; to which he plainly had respect.

§2. In opposition hereunto we are enjoined to be ❝ content with such things as we have;" without complaining or repining at God's providential disposals

of our outward concerns; without envy at the more prosperous condition of others; without fears and anxious cares about future supplies; and without desires and designs of those things which a more plentiful condition than what we are in would supply us with; this contentment is with respect to (Tois Tap8o1v) "such things as are present;" as opposed to things which are not present with us in our present conditi on, and therefore denote "such things as we have:" yet are not things only intended, but in general the state and condition wherein we are, as of poverty, or afflictions, or persecutions, or of more enlargement in earthly things; see Phil. i, 11; and the measure of them, in ordinary cases, is food and raiment, as the rule is given us; 1 Tim. vi, 8, "having food and raiment, let us be therewith content;" not that we are allowed to be discontented if we want them; but that these are such a sufficiency as may be deemed a rational obligation to contentment; but among other evils that we may undergo for the gospel, we may be called to endure hunger and nakedness, Rom. viii, 35; and we are obliged to be therewith content; for contentment in things present doth not arise from any measure, great or small, of the things themselves which we enjoy, but depends on the presence of God with us, and the annexed reward, as follows:

§3. "For he hath said;" he who alone hath all being and existence in himself; he who is all in all; he who is over all, the supreme Disposer of all things in heaven and earth, in whose hand and power are all the concerns of men, who can do whatever he pleaseth; "he hath said it."

"I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." It is observed by all, that there is a vehement negation in

the latter clause, by a multiplication of the negative particles (8',, un,) seeing two of them are used in the former clause; the design of it is, to obviate all objections which fear and unbelief may raise against the assurance given, under a pretence of some peculiarity of circumstances; be they what they will, saith God, "I will not at any time, on any occasion, for any cause, leave thee or forsake thee."

In the negative expressions, positive blessings are contained, and those distinct also as the expressions are; by the one, the continuance of God's presence is intended; by the other, the continuance of his helps I will not leave thee; or withdraw my presence from thee; I will never forsake thee; or suffer thee to be helpless in any trouble.

Wherefore the vehemency of the expression, by the multiplication of the negative particles, is an effect of divine condescension; to give the utmost security to the faith of believers in all their trials.

§4. There is a promise to this purpose given to Solomon by David, in the name of God; "the Lord God, even my God, he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee," 1 Chron. xxviii, 20; and it is frequently repeated to the church, as to the substance of it, see Isa. xli, 10-13; but it is generally granted, that this promise is that which God made to Joshua, when he gave him in charge the great work of destroying the enemies of the church in the land of Canaan; Jos. i, 5, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee;" now though this promise was personal, and given to Joshua on account of that great and difficult undertaking; yet-seeing the dangers and difficulties which every believer is to undergo in the spiritual warfare, especially in times of persecution and extraordinary trials, are no less than those that Joshua underwent in his