That fo far as any one shuns Adulteries of every Kind as Sins, fo far he loves Chastity.

74. BY Adultery, in the seventh Com

mandment of the Decalogue, in a natural Senfé, is not only meant Whoredom, but also all obfcene Acts, all wanton Difcourfe, and all filthy, unclean Thoughts; but by committing Adultery in a spiritual Senfe is meant, to adulterate the good Things of the Word, and to falfify it's Truths; and in a fupreme Senfe, by committing Adultery is meant to deny the Lord's Divinity and to profane the Word: These are the feveral Kinds of Adultery. The natural Man, by Means of his rational Light, may know, that by Adultery is meant every obscene Act, all wanton Difcourse, and every filthy Thought, but he doth not know that by committing Adultery is also

meant,

meant, to adulterate the good Things of the Word, and to falfify it's Truths, and ftill lefs that it means the denying the Lord's Divinity and profaning the Word; hence he doth not know, that Adultery is fo great an Evil, that it may be called effentially diabolical; for who foever is principled in natural Adultery, is also in spiritual Adultery, and vice verfâ; that this is the Cafe, will be demonstrated in a particular Treatife concerning MARRIAGE. But they are at once in Adulteries of every Kind, who by Virtue of Faith and Life do not make Adulteries Sins.

75. The Reason why fo far as any one shuns Adultery, fo far he loves Marriage, or what is the fame Thing, fo far as any one fhuns the Lafcivioufnefs of Adultery, fo far he loves the Chastity of Marriage, is, because the Lasciviousness of Adultery and the Chastity of Marriage are two Oppofites, wherefore so far as Man is not in one, fo far he is in the other: The Cafe

I 3

Cafe in this Refpect is as was described above, n. 70.

76. It is impoffible for any one to know what is the Chaftity of Marriage, unless he thuns the Lafcivioufnefs of Adultery as Sin; a Man may know that in which he is, but he cannot know that in which he is not; if he knows any Thing, in which he is not, by Defcription, or by thinking about it, ftill he knows it only as in a Shade of Obfcurity, and involved in Doubt, wherefore he doth not fee it in a clear Light, and extricated from Doubt, until he is in it; in the latter Cafe therefore he knows, but in the former Cafe he may be faid to know and not to know. The Truth is, that the Lafciviousness of Adultery and the Chaftity of Marriage compared with each other are like Hell and Heaven compared with each other; and that the Lafcivioufnefs of Adultery makes Hell with Man, and the Chastity of Marriage makes Heaven with him. The Chastity

Chastity of Marriage however is not given to, abide with any one, unless he fhuns. the Lasciviousness of Adultery as Sin: See below, n. III.

77. From what hath been faid it may without Ambiguity be concluded and feen, whether a Man be a Christian or not, yea, whether he hath any Religion or not: For whofoever by Virtue of Faith and Life doth not make Adulteries Sins, he is not a Chriftian, neither hath he any Religion: But on the other Hand, whofoever shuns Adulteries as Sins, especially if he has an Averfion thereto in Confideration of their being Sins, and still more if he abominates them on that Account, he hath Religion, and if he be in the Christian Church, he is a Chriftian. But more will be seen on this Subject in the Treatife concerning MARRIAGE: In the mean Time fee what is faid upon it in the Treatife on HEAVEN AND HELL, n. 366 to 380.

78. That by Adulteries are also meant obscene Acts, loose wanton Difcourse, and filthy Thoughts, appears plain from the Lord's Words in Matthew, "Ye bave beard that it hath been faid by them of old Time, thou shalt not commit Adultery; but I fay unto you, that whsfoever shall look upor a Woman to luft after her, hatb already committed Adultery with her in his Heart," v. 27, 28.

79. That by committing Adultery, in a fpiritual Senfe, is meant to adulterate the Good of the Word, and to falfify it's Truth, appears from the following Paffages, Babylon bath made all Nations drink of the Wine of her Fornication," Rev. xiv. 8. "The Angel faid, I will fhew thee the Judgment of the great Whore, that fitteth upon many Waters, with whom the Kings of the Earth have committed Whoredom," Rev. xvii. 1, 2. " All Nations have drunk of the Wine of the Wrath of her Fornication, and the Kings of the Earth have committed Whore