Yea, I wish
that some be not murderers of fathers and mothers by their thoughts,
while they secretly long after and desire their death, that the
inheritance may be theirs, and that they may be delivered from
obedience to their parents. 1 Tim. 1:9. This is a sin in the house,
in the family; a sin that is kept close; but God sees it, and has
declared his dislike against it, by an implicit threatening to cut
them off that are guilty of it. Eph. 5:1-3.
Many that have had very hopeful beginnings for heaven, have, by
virtue of the mischiefs that have attended unlawful marriages, Deut.
7:4,5; 2 Cor. 6:14, miserably and fearfully miscarried. Soon after
such marriages, conviction, the first step towards heaven, hath
ceased; prayers, the next step towards heaven, have ceased;
hungerings and thirstings after salvation, another step towards the
kingdom of heaven, have ceased. In a word, such marriages have
estranged them from the word, from their godly and faithful friends,
and have brought them again into carnal company, among carnal
friends, and also into carnal delights; where and with whom they
have, in conclusion, both sinfully abode and miserably perished.
Servants are goers as well as comers: take heed that thou give them
no occasion to scandal the gospel when they are gone, for what they
observed thee unrighteously to do when they were with thee.
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