1 Cor. vii. 16. What knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shall save thy husband ? or how knowest thou, 0 man, whether thou shalt save thy wife ?
WE, who live under laws generally known and acknowledged, have little conception what difficulties arose to the Church in the apostolic age, from the licentious habits of many upon their first conversion to Christianity. Those who had been brought up as heathens saw no evil in concubinage : and those who had been educated as Jews imagined that they were still at liberty to put away those with whom they had been united in the bonds of matrimony. In some respects, the very habits and ordinances of pious men amongst the Jews tended to confirm the Christian converts in their errors. They were not aware, that some things were tolerated among the Jews, and, on some particular occasions, even enjoined, which yet were ^o'S,\t\\e\y forbidden by the Christian code. It will be remembered, that, after the Babylonish Cap- tivity, many of the Jews who had returned to Canaan " took wives of the people of the land," and thereby greatly provoked the Lord to anger. On that occa- sion, Ezra commanded all of them to put away their wives and children ^ Hence, when persons had been converted to Christianity, a doubt arose in their minds, whether they were not bound, or at least authorised, to separate themselves from their unbelieving part- ners. This case had been stated to the Apostle, for his opinion respecting it : and he, by God's special command, forbad any such measure. Even if a person, being a Christian, had so far forgot his duty to God as to connect himself in marriage with an unconverted person, he was not at liberty to divorce her from him ; but he must exert himself to the uttermost to effect the conversion of his unbelieving partner. This was the line prescribed equally to all,
a Ezra ix. 2 — 4. and x. 2, 10, 11, 44.
174 1 CORINTHIANS, VII. 16. [i960.
whether men or women : and agreeably to that rule they were all bomid to conduct themselves, whatever difficulties might lie in their way.
The words thus explained will lead me to shew you,
I. The duty of persons in wedded life —
Persons once brought into a marriage union should from thenceforth live, as it were, altogether for each other, even as the Lord Jesus Christ is incessantly occupied in promoting the welfare of his Church: and, as the Church is ever seeking to advance the honour of her divine Head, each should seek continually the other's salvation —
[If there be a oneness of sentiment between the parties, this will be easy. But whatever diversity of sentiment there may be between them, the duty is still the same ; and it should be performed with unremitting diligence. It is not to be supposed that such unions will often be found, as existed fre- quently in the primitive Church, when, through the conversion of one party to the Christian faith, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, a believer and an infidel, were joined together. But between Christians, as converted to Christ, or yet in a state of unregeneracy, there is scarcely a less difference than between persons of different religions. And this difference exists to a great extent wherever the Gospel is preached in sincerity and truth ; and the duty of each party is then pre- cisely the same as that which bound the converts from Judaism or idolatry to their unconverted partners. The utmost possible forbearance was to be exercised towards the person who was yet under the power of heathen darkness or Jewish superstition : and so should it be towards one who is yet in bondage to the world ; and who, perhaps, is irritated and enraged at the change that has been wrought in the mind of his dearest companion. Great allowance should be made for him. We must not expect him to see with our eyes : and, if he express grief or vexation at our conduct, we must con- sider how ive should have felt, if the change had been wrought in him, and we had yet continued under our former blindness. Grateful to God for the mercy vouchsafed to us, we should implore the same in his behalf: yea, we should " labour earnestly in prayer for him night and day," that God may open his eyes, and impart to him the salvation which we have experienced. We should remember, that the change has been wrought in us; and that therefore there is, so to speak, a