against the law of their mind; which too often: brings them into captivity to the law of sin, and this will be their burden, under which they will groan, as long as they are in the flesh; for if we say · that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Hence the spiritual warfare, the severe conflicts of the divine life; hence the necessity of putting on the whole armour of God; and hence the repeated exhortations to watch, stand fast · in the faith, and be strong; to look unto Jesus, who is the finisher as well as the author of faith; and through him to obtain the victory -Bur there is no promise which secures them, when they yield to temptations, from the possibility of backsliding, or even from falling into such sins as wound the reputation of religion and give great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Can therefore their conduct, which ought to be a practical comment upon the divine law, when it becomes the reverse, disannul the obligation to obedience? Will their personal piety justify their deviations from the commandments of God, or will it be right and safe for others, to take encouragement from their backslidings to commit the same crime?

David was a pious man-but could the sins of which he was guilty abrogate the decalogue, or recommend such enormous transgressions to the imitation of others? Peter was a pious man-But could his denial of his Lord frustrate the divine law or suggest any argument to render falsehood and profanity innocent and commendable? Let God be true, but every man a liar. The law of God is the rule of conduct. Not the acts of men, not even of the most advanced saints. Sin, wherever it exists, and by whomsoever it is perpetrated, is that abominable thing which God hates and will assuredly punish. This awful and interesting truth is confirmed by the divine procedure in the instance of David. humble penitent was pardoned, but a train of desolating judgments afflicted his family, and filled his cup with bitterness. So far from lessening the evil, when committed by his own people, it becomes enhanced, and sinn them, is exceeding sinful. If they be indeed regenerate and pious, the Lord "will take away their sin; they shall not die. There is redemption through the blood of Christ; even the forgiveness of sins." Grace will prevail; and when the obstacle to their being received again into communion shall be removed, either by the

The

death of the sister whom they had married, or by the separation of the parties, they will not only profess contrition for having offended the Church, but also for the sin itself, by which they have offended their God.

To their divine Saviour the penitent transgressors are referred; but let not their conduct, in committing this crime, be any more suggested as an example to be imitated. And let the Churches indulge the hope that whatever others may do,* no members, and especially none who are esteemed for their pie. ty, will never again excite grief, and cause offence, by marrying a SISTER IN LAW.

* 1 Cor. v. 12, 13.

SECTION X.

TESTIMONY.

WHEN a proposition has been demonstrated, and the objections supposed to militate against it are refuted; nothing more can be demanded to confirm its truth, and render it worthy of all acceptation. Human testimony is not requisite to establish the meaning or augment the authority of the law of God. His law possesses its own intrinsic evidence, and is its own interpreter. But if it can be shown that the greatest and best men, who in different ages, adorned the Christian Church, have unequivocally concurred in adding their decided testimony, and have professed exactly the same sentiment; it will at least induce a favourable attention to the arguments, and convince the unprejudiced reader, that the expositions and reasonings are not rash and inconsiderate.-A few only will be selected from a numerous host; which shall be closed with docu

ments of importance to the Reformed Dutch Church.

In several Ecclesiastical COUNCILS it was decreed, "That all marriages within the prohibited degrees were incestuous and void; and that the contracting parties should be cast out of the communion of the Church." The marriage with a sister in law was expressly mentioned and included within the prohibited degrees. In this decision the Church was supported by the civil law of the Roman Empire after it became Christian, which expressly interdicted such marriages, and pointedly forbade a man to marry the wife of a deceased brother, or the sister of a deceased wife. See inter alia, "Fratris uxorem ducendi, vel duabus sororibus conjungendi penitus licentiam summovemus, &c. we absolute

withhold the liberty of marrying the wife of a brother, or joining in wedlock with two sisters." Casar. Cod. Lib. v. Tit. v. de Incest. nupt. Leg. 5.

Among the FATHERS IN THE GREEK CHURCH, as they are called; ORIGEN upon Levit. 20. CHRYSOSTOM, Homil. 71 on Mat. 22.; and BASIL, unite in asserting the universal and unchangeable