this frequently with aggravating Circumstances of the greatest Basenefs, and Treachery, and Ingratitude, and Cruelty, that can be imagined. Whatever fome máy plead, furely none can think fuch Behaviour defenfible; and moft furely they will not find it fo; for Marriage is honourable in all, and the Bed undefiled; but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge'.

The Crime of Adultery being fo great, it follows," that all improper Familiarities, which, though undefignedly, may lead to Adultery, and all imprudent Behaviour, which may give Sufpicion of it, is to be avoided as Matter of Confcience; that all groundlefs Jealousy is to be checked by those who are inclined to it, and difcouraged by others, as moft heinous Injuftice; and that every Thing fhould be carefully obferved by both Parties, which may endear them to each other. Ne Perfons therefore fhould ever enter into the MarriageBond with fuch as they cannot efteem and love: and all Perfons, who have entered into it, fhould use all Means, not only to preferve Efteem and Love, but to increase it: affectionate Condefcenfion on the Hufband's Part, chearful Submiffion on the Wife's; Mildness and Tenderness, Prudence and Attention to their common Intereft, and that of their joint Pofterity, on both Parts. It is ufually, in a great Meafure at leaft, from the Want of these engaging Qualities in one or the other, that Falsehood arifes. And if that doth not, fome other Evil will; too likely to produce Effects equally grievous, and therefore to be confidered as equally forbidden.

But now, from the mutual Fidelity required of married Perfons, I proceed, fecondly, to the Chastity and Modefty required of all Perfons.

Suppofing that only fuch as live fingle were to be guilty with each other; yet by Means even of this Licentioufnefs, in Proportion as it prevails, the Regularity and good Order of Society is overturned, the Cre dit and Peace of Families deftroyed, the proper Difpofal of young People in Marriage prevented, the due Edu

Heb. xiii. 4.

cation

cation of Children and Provifion for them neglected, the keenest Animofities perpetually excited, and the moft fhocking Murders frequently committed, of the Parties themselves, their Rivals, their innocent Babes: in fhort, every Enormity follows from hence, that lawless Paffion can introduce. For all Sins indeed, but especially this, leads Perfons on to more and greater: to all Manner of Falsehood to fecure their Succefs, all Manner of Difhonefty to provide for the Expensiveness of these Courses, all Manner of Barbarity to hide the Shame or lighten the Inconveniencies of them: till thus they become abandoned to every Crime, by indulging this one.

But let us confider the fatal Effects of it on the two Sexes, feparately. Women, that lose their Innocence, which feldom fails of being foon difcovered, lofe their good Name intirely along with it; are marked out and given up at once to almoft irrecoverable Infamy: and even mere Sufpicion hath in fome Measure the fame bad Confequences with certain Proof. It is, doubtless, extremely unjust to work up mere Imprudencies into grofs Tranfgreffions and even the greatest Tranfgreffors ought to be treated with all poffible Compaffion, when they appear truly penitent. But, unless they appear fo, a wide Diftinction between them and others ought to be made. And they who contribute, whether defignedly or thoughtlessly, to place good, bad, and doubtful Characters all on a Level, do moft prepofterously obfcure and debase their own Virtue, if they have any; keep Guilt in. Countenance, and defraud right Conduct of the peculiar Efteem which belongs to it: thus injuring at once the Cause of Religion and Morals, and the Interefts of Society. But befides the general Difregard, of which vicious Women will experience not a little, even in Places and Times of the moft relaxed Ways of thinking, they have a forer Evil to expect; of being, fooner or later, for the moft Part very foon, caft off and abandoned, with Contempt and Scorn, by their Seducers. Or even should they have Reparation made them by Marriage; this doth not take away the Sin at all, and

the

the Difgrace but very imperfectly: not to say, that it fill leaves them peculiarly expofed to the Reproaches and the Jealoufy of their Hafbands ever after.

And if Men, that feduce Women, are not looked on by the World with fo much Abhorrence, as Women that are feduced, at least they deferve to be looked on with greater. For there cannot eafily be more exquifite Wickedness, than, merely for gratifying of a brutal Appetite or idle Fancy, to change all the Profpect, which a young Perfon hath of being happy and refpected through Life, into Guilt, and Difhonour, and Diftrefs, out of which too probably fhe will never be difentangled, under the falfe and treacherous Pretence of tender Regard. If we have any Feeling of Confcience within us, we muft feel this to be moft unworthy Behaviour. And if the Ruler of the World hath any Attention to the moral Character of his rational Creatures, which is the nobleft Object of his Attention, that can be conceived, He muf fhew it on fuch Occafions: and therefore may be believed, when He faith He will.

But fuppofing Men not to corrupt the innocent, but to fin with fuch alone as make a Profeffion of Sin; yet even this Manner of breaking the Law of God hath most dreadful Confequences. It hinders the Increase of a Nation in general. It leaves the few Children, that proceed from these Mixtures, abandoned to Mifery, Ufeleffness, and Wickednefs. It turns afide the Minds of Perfons from beneficial and laudable Employments to mean fenfual Pursuits. It encourages and increases the most diffolute and in every Senfe abandoned Set of Wretches in the World, common Proftitutes, to their own miferable and early Deftruction; and that of Multitudes of unwary Youths, who would elfe have escaped. It debafes the Heart, by the Influence of fuch vile and profligate Company, to vile and profligate Ways of thinking and acting. It fometimes produces Quarrels, that are immediately fatal: fometimes Friendships, that are equally fo, to every valuable Purpose of Life. It leads Men to Extravagance and Profufion, grieves all

that

that wish them well, diftreffes thofe who are to fupport them, and drives them to the most criminal Methods of fupporting themfelves. It tempts Men to Exceffes and Irregularities of every Kind, waftes their Health and Strength, brings on them painful and opprobrious Diseafes, too often communicated to thofe, whom they afterwards marry; and to their miferable Pofterity, if they have any. By all thefe Mifchiefs, which for the moft Part come upon them in the Beginning of their Days, the Remainder of them is ufually made either bort or tedious, perhaps both. With great Wisdom therefore doth Solomon exhort: Remove thy Way from the strange IVoman, and come not nigh the Door of her Houfe: left thou give thine Honour unto others, and thy Years unto the cruel: left Strangers be filled with thy Wealth, and thou mourn at the last, when thy Flesh and thy Body are confumed, and fay, How have I hated Inftruction, and my Heart defpifed Reproof; and I have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers. For the Ways of Man are before the Eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his Goings. His own Iniquities fhall take the wicked, and he fhall be holden with the Cords of his Sins".

It is very true, the Sins of the Flefh do not always produce all the bitter Fruits which I have mentioned. But then fuch Inftances of them, as at first are imagined the fafeft, frequently prove extremely hurtful; or however intice Perfons on to worfe, till they come at Length to the most flagrant and pernicious. Very few, who tranfgrefs the Scripture-Bounds, ever ftop at those Lengths, which themselves, when they fet out, thought the greatest that were defenfible. Liberties, taken by Men before Marriage, incline them to repeat the fame Liberties after Marriage; and also to entertain the most injurious Jealoufies of good Women, grounded on the Knowledge which they have formerly had of bad ones. Their paft Succeffes einbolden and incite them to new and more flagitious Attempts: and by Appetites thus indulged, and Habits contracted, they are carried on perpetually further and further, till they come to be

Wifd. ii. 1.

Prov. v. 8-13, 21, 22.

guilty,

guilty, and fometimes merely for the Sake and the Name of being guilty, of what they would once have trembled to hear propofed.

But fuppofing they keep within the Limits of what they at firft imagined to be allowable: is Imagination, (and Reafon, when biaffed by Paffions, is Nothing better) the Teft of Truth? Suppofing their Behaviour could be harmlefs otherwife, is not the Example dangerous? Will or can the World around them take Notice of all the pretended Peculiarities that diftinguish their Cafe, and preferve it from being a Sin, while other Crimes, to which at first Sight it is very like, are confeffedly great ones? or will not all, who have bad Inclinations or unfettled Principles, take Shelter under their Practice, and either defpife their Refinements, or eafily invent fimilar ones for their own Use?

But further yet: if it be argued, that Offences of this Nature may by Circumftances be rendered excufable, why not others alfo? why may not Robbery, why may not Murder be defended, by saying, that though undoubtedly in general they are very wrong, yet in fuch or fuch particular Occurrences, there is on the Whole little Hurt, or none at all, done by them, but pervery haps Good? And what would become of the human Race, were fuch Pleas admitted? The Ends of Government can be attained by no other than by plain, determinate, comprehenfive Laws, to be fteadily obferved: and no one's Inclinations, or fanciful Theories, are to decide, when they bind, and when not: but Deviations from them are criminal, if on no other Account, yet because they are Deviations: though differently criminal indeed according to their different Degrees. Thus in the Matter before us, what approaches nearer to Marriage is, ordinarily fpeaking, fo far lefs blameable, than what is more diftant from it: but nothing can be void of Blame, and of great Blame, that breaks the Ordinances of God or Man. For even the latter, if they oblige the Confcience in any Cafe, muft oblige it in this, where public and private Welfare is so effentially

con: