I. For the first, they take one another out of God's hands two ■ways.
1. When his directions are observed,
2. When his providence is owned and acknowledged.
1. When his directions in his word are observed; and so — [1.] As to the choice of parties. When a man seeketh out a help- meet for himself, he should in the first place seek out a helpmeet for himself in the best things ; for in all our deliberate and serious consulta- tions, religion must have the first place : Mat. vi. 33, ' Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof,' &c. A man's chief end should be discovered in all his actions, as it must guide me in my meat, and drink, and recreations, and the ordinary refresh- ments of the natural life, or else I do not act as a Christian. So much more in my most important and serious affairs, such as marriage i?, and upon which my content and welfare so much dependeth. Cer« tainly, he that would take God's blessing along with him, should make choice, in God's family, of one with whom he may converse as an heir with him of the grace of life. A Christian, saith the apostle, is at liberty to marry, uXka /xSvov iv Kvpia,, ' but only in the Lord,' 1 Cor
1G4 A WEDDING SERMON. [GeN. II. 22.
vii. 30 ; he is at liberty to rejoice, but in the Lord ; to cat, and drink and trade, but in tiie Lord; so to marry, but in tlie Lord. Religion must appear uppermost in all his actions, and guide him throughout. The mischiefs that have come by a carnal choice should be sulHcient warning to Cln-istians : Gen. vi. 2, ' The sons of God went in unto tlie daughters of men, and took' them wives, because they were fair.' They were swayed by carnal motives (or because rich, or nobly descended, it is all one), and what was the issue of it ? There came of them a mongrel race of giants, that rose up against God and his interest in the world. Many times, by a carnal clioice, all tlie good that is gotten into a family is eaten out, and within a little -while re- ligion is cast out of doors : Ps. cvi. 3.5, ' They were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works ; ' Neh. xiii. 25, 26, ' I con- tended with them, and made them swear by God, Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons ; ' 2 Kings viii. 18, ' He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel ; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.' Valens, the emperor, married with an Arian lady, and so was ensnared so far as to become a persecutor of the orthodox. The wife of the bosom hath great advantages, either to the perverting or the converting a man's heart to God; or else, if they should not prevail sofar,what dissonancyand jarrings are there in a family when people are unequally yoked, the wife and husband drawing several ways !
[2.] As to consent of parents. God here in the text, as the com- mon parent, taketh himself to have the greatest hand in the bestow- ing of his own children. He brought her unto the man ; and ordinary parents are his deputies, which must bring and give us in marriage, especially when young, and under their power. The scripture is ex- press for this: Exod. xxii. 17, 'If her father wholly refuse to give her unto him,' &c. ; 1 Cor. vii. 38, ' He that giveth her in marriage,' &c.
[3.] As to the manner of procuring it, that they labour to gain one another by warrantable, yea, religious ways, that we may lay the foundation of this relation in the fear of God ; not by stealth, or carnal allurements, or violent importunities, or deceitful proposals, but by such ways and means as will become the gravity of religion ; that weanednoss and sobriety that should be in the hearts of believers ; that deliberation which a business of such weight calls for ; and that re- verence of God, and justice that we owe to all ; that seriousness of spirit, and that respect to the glory of God with which all such actions should be undertaken : Col. iii. 17, ' Wliatsoever ye do, in woi-d or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.' When this is observed, we are said to lake one another out of God's hands.
[4.] Especially clearing up our right and title by Christ. Meats, drinks, marriage, they are all sanctified by the word and prayer, and appointed to be received by thanksgiving of them that believe and re- ceive the truth, 1 Tim. iv. 3-5. There is a twofold right — dominium jiolificiim, et cvanfjelicicm ; dominium poUlicrim fundatnr in j)'i'ovi- dentid, evangelicum in grcdid — political right is founded in God's providence, evangelical right in grace. We have a civil right to all that Cometh to us by honest labour, lawful ]nu-chase, or inheritance, and fair and comely means used ; which givetli us a right not only be-