Gen. II. 22.] a wedding sekmon. 165
fore men, but before God ; not by virtue of their laws, but his f^rant. By a providential right, all wicked men possess all outward things, which they enjoy as the fruits and gifts of his common bounty, it is their portion, Ps. xvii. 14. Whatever falleth to their share in the course of God's providence, they are not usurpers merely for possess- ing what they have, but for abusing what they have. They have not only a civil right to i)revent the encroachments of others by the laws of men, but a providential right before God, and are not simply re- sponsible for the possession, but the use. But then there is an evan- gelical or new-covenant right. So believers have a right to their creature comforts by God's special conveyance, that sweeteneth every mercy, that it comes wj-apt in the bowels of Christ. ' The little which the righteous hath is better than the treasures of many wicked ; ' as the mean fare of a poor subject is better than the dainties of a con- demned traitor. And this we have by Christ, as the heir of all things, and we by him, 1 Cor, iii. latter end. So all those things do belong to them that believe, as gifts of his fatherly love and goodness to us in Christ. As we take our bread out of Christ's hands, so we must be married to Christ before married to one another ; the marriage cove- nant should be begun and concluded between Christ and you.
[5.] For the end. The general and last end of this, as of every action, must be God's glory, 1 Cor. x. 31, and Col. iii. 17. A Chris- tian's second-table duties and first-table duties should have on them Holiness to the Lord. All the vessels of Jerusalem must have God's impress. More particularly our increase in godliness, and the propa- gation of the holy seed must be aimed at. Where one person is a believer, much more where both, they beget sons and daughters to God ; ' but now are they holy,' 1 Cor. vii. 14. But those out of the church beget sons and daughters to men, merely to people the world. Seth's children are called ' sons of God,' Gen. vi. 1, 2. In the careful education of children, the church is upheld.
2. When his providence is owned and acknowledged. It is the duty of them that fear God to own him upon all occasions, especially in such a business. Heathens would not begin such a business with- out a sacrifice. There is a special providence about marriages. God claimeth the power of match-making to himself, more than he doth of ordering any other affairs of men : Prov. xix. 14, ' Kiches and honours are an inheritance from our fathers ; but a good wife is from the Lord.' Inheritances pass by the laws of men, though not without the inter- vention of God's providence, who determineth to every man the time of his service, and the bounds of his habitation, where every man shall live, and what he shall enjoy. The land of Canaan was divided by lot ; but marriage is by the special destination of his providence, either for a punishment to men, or for a comfort ajid a blessing. Here providence is more immediate, by its influence upon the hearts of men ; here providence is moxc strange and remarkable, in casting all circumstances and passages that did concern it. Estates fall to us by more easy and obvious means, and, therefore, though nothing be ex- empted from dominion of providence, yet a good wife is especially said to be of the Lord. So also Prov. xviii. 22, ' Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.' A wife
1G6 A WEDDING SERMON. [GeN. II. 22.
tluit is a wife indeed — one that deserveth that name — he that findetli her, it is a chance to him, hut an ordered thing hy God. He hath not only ex])erience of God's care, hut his goodness and free grace to liini in that particular. Well, then, God must he owned, sought, glorified, in this particular. The hushand, in the catalogue and inventory of his mercies, must not forget to bless God for this, and the wife for the hushand. The Lord was gracious in providing for me a good com- panion ; I obtained favour from the Lord. God is concerned in this Avhole aflair, he brought the Avoman to the man ; he giveth the por- tion, which is not so much the dowry given by the parents, which is httle worth, unless his blessing be added with it, as all the graces and abilities by which all married persons are made helpful one to another. He giveth the children, Ps. cxxvii. 3, ' Lo, children are an heritage from the Lord ; ' their conception and formation in the womb is from God. Parents know not whether it be male or female, beautiful or deformed. They know not the number of the bones, and veins, and arteries. He giveth them life ; a sentence of death waylayeth them as soon as they come into the world. He giveth them comfort ; there is a great deal of pride, and arrogancy, and self-willedness in all the fcons and daughters of Adam, which makes them uncomfortable in their relations. A wife would soon prove a Jezebel, and not an Abigail, and a husband a Nabal, and not a David, by Satan's malice and our own corruption ; a help would soon become a snare. They that would perform the duties of this relation need strongly to be sup- ported with the assistance of God's Spirit. ' Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,' Eph. vi. 10. So that, since God giveth all, surely his providence must be owned and acknowledged ; and you ought to say, tliis is the wife God hath chosen for me, and this is the husband God hath chosen for me.