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shall pnt away his wife, except it he for fornication, and shall marry an- other, committeth a-lnltery : and wlio- so marrietli her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry\
11 But he said xmto them. All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
12 For there are some eunnchs, which were so born from ^7/ c/;' mother's womb : and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men : and
there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuch?; for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
13 Tlien wore there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray : and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little chil- dren, and forbid them not, to come unto me : for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
In these verses we have the mind of Christ declared on two subjects of great moment. One is the relation of husband and wife. The other is the light in which we should regard little children, in the matter of their souls.
It is difficult to overrate the importance of these two subjects. The well-being of nations, and the happiness of society, are closely connected with right views upon them. Nations are nothing but a collection of families. The good order of families depends entirely on keeping up the highest standard of respect for the marriage tie, and on the right training of children. We ought to be thankful, that on both these points, the great Head of the Church has pronounced judgment so clearly.
With respect to marriage, our Lord teaches, that the union of husband and wife ought never to he broken off, except for the greatest of all causes, namely, actual un~ faithfidness.
In the days when our Lord was upon earth, divorces were permitted among the Jews for the most trifling and frivolous causes. The practice, though tolerated by Moses, to prevent worse evils — such as cruelty or murder —