5. Nor may marriage itself, holy and honourable as it is, be used, as a pretence for giving a loose to our desires. Indeed, _It hath been said, Whosoever will put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement_. And then all was well, tho’ he alledged no cause, but that he did not like her; or liked another better. _But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication_ (that is, adultery; the word πορνεία signifying unchastity in general, either in the married or unmarried state) _causeth her to commit adultery_; if she marry again; _and whosoever shall marry her that is put away, committeth adultery_, ver. 31, 32.
All Polygamy is clearly forbidden in these words, wherein our Lord expresly declares, That for any woman who has a husband alive, to marry again is adultery. By parity of reason, it is adultery for any man to marry again, so long as he has a wife alive. Yea, altho’ they were divorced: unless that divorce had been for the cause of adultery. In that only case, there is no scripture, which forbids to marry again.
6. Such is the purity of heart which God requires, and works in those who believe on the Son of his love. And _blessed are they_ who are thus _pure in heart. For they shall see_ God. He will _manifest himself unto them_, not only _as he doth not unto the world_, but as he doth not always to his own children. He will bless them with the cleared communications of his Spirit, the most intimate _fellowship with the Father and with the Son_. He will cause his presence to go continually before them, and the light of his countenance to shine upon them. It is the ceaseless prayer of their heart, _I beseech thee, shew me thy glory_: and they have the petition they ask of him. They now see him by faith (the veil of flesh being made, as it were, transparent) even in these his lowest works, in all that surrounds them, in all that God has created and made. They see him in the height above, in the depth beneath; they see him filling all in all.
*The pure in heart see all things full of God. They see him in the firmament of heaven, in the moon walking in brightness, in the sun when he rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. They see him _making the clouds his chariots, and walking upon the wings of the wind_. They see him _preparing rain for the earth, and blessing the increase of it; giving grass for the cattle, and green herb for the use of man_. They see the Creator of all, wisely governing all, and _upholding all things by the word of his power_. O Lord, _our governor! How excellent is thy name in all the world!_
7. In all his providences relating to themselves, to their souls or bodies, the pure in heart do more particularly see God. They see his hand ever over them for good; giving them all things in weight, and measure, numbring the hairs of their head, making a hedge round about them and all that they have, and disposing all the circumstances of their life, according to the depth both of his wisdom and mercy.
8. But in a more especial manner, they see God in his ordinances. Whether they appear in the great congregation, to _pay him the honour due unto his name, and worship_ him _in the beauty of holiness_; or _enter into their closets_ and there pour out their souls before their _Father which is in secret_: whether they search the oracles of God, or hear the ambassadors of _Christ_ proclaiming glad tidings of salvation; or by eating of that bread, and drinking of that cup, _shew forth his death till he come_ in the clouds of heaven: in all these his appointed ways, they find such a near approach as cannot be exprest. They see him, as it were, face to face, and _talk with him, as a man talketh with his friend_: a fit preparation for those mansions above, wherein they shall _see him as he is_.
9. But how far were they from seeing God, who having _heard, that it_ had been _said by them of old time, [61]Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the_ Lord _thine oaths_: interpreted it thus, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, when thou swearest by the Lord Jehovah. Thou _shalt perform unto the_ Lord these _thine oaths_. But as to other oaths, he regardeth them not.
So the Pharisees taught. They not only allowed all manner of swearing in common conversation: but accounted even forswearing a little thing, so they had not sworn by the peculiar name of God.
But our Lord here absolutely forbids all common swearing, as well as false swearing: and shews the heinousness of both, by the same awful consideration, That every creature is God’s, and he is every where present, in all, and over all.