1ft. "Is it lawful for a believer to marry with an unbeliever? 2d. "Is it expedient for a believer to marry with one of a dif ferent opinion in religion, and who worships God in a different place and mode, though a Child of God?" So With regard to the firft: let it be carefully obferved, that nothing can be lawful which God has directly or indirectly forbidden: now I cannot conceive but he hath forbidden this: "Be not un"equally yoked together with unbelievers;" therefore it is unlawful. The firft propofition will be granted. If it is faid with refpect to the fecond, that the apoftle only forbids chriftians to marry with heathens, and his words affect not the prefent cafe. It may be answered, they do affect the present case notwithstanding for there can be no real and specific difference between an unconverted perfon, though baptized in the name of Chrift, and an heathen. The difference can be only in the name and external things, which change not their nature and difpofition, nor their real character with God, who judgeth not according to appearance, but according to the heart. Is an heathen an enemy to God by wicked works? So is an unconverted chriftian. Is an heathen an idolater? is an unbelieving chriftian. He is either covetous, or a lover of pleasure, both which are idolatry. The heathen, and the merely nominal chriftian, act both from the fame principles, and with the fame intentions. Whereas there is a real and fpecific difference between a child of God and a child of fatan; the former is a partaker of the divine nature, 2 Peter i. 4. Has the Holy Spirit abiding within him. John xiv. 17. 1 Cor. ii. 12, and Rom. vii. 16. His body is a temple of the Holy Ghoft, and God dwelleth and walketh in him, 2 Cor. vi. 16. But an unconverted perfon, with all the refinements of birth, education, and the form of godlinefs, is at enmity with God, being only born after the flesh; for the carnal mind is enmity againft God, Rom. viii. 7. The devil worketh and reigneth in his heart, Luke xi. 24. Yea, he lieth in the wicked one, and is without God in the world, Eph. ii. 12. Now nothing can be more certain than that all are unlawfully married, whom God does not join together; and can we think that God will join a partaker of his nature, unto one poffeffed of the devil? Or that Chrift will unite one of the members of his myftical body, unto a limb of fatan? Can any thing be more unlikely, or more contrary to the nature and wisdom of God? Befides, let us confider the evils which have followed fuch unequal marriages, both in ancient and modern times, and we may eafily read their unlawfulnefs in the punishments entailed upon them. In the old world: the fons of God, i. e. the pofterity of righteous Seth, faw the daughters of men; i. e. the defcendants of wicked Cain, that they were fair, not that they were pious, and they took themselves wives which they chofe, not thofe which God chofe for them: and what was the confequence? By and by, we read of an univerfal defection from God, and godlinefs. Gen. vi. 5. "Then "Then God faw the wickednefs of man was great in the earth, and all the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart were only evil," and that continually. And what was the end and iffue of all? An univerfal corruption, brought on univerfal defolation: God determines to deftroy those who would not mortify the lufts of the flesh, but joined themfelves with the daughters of Belial, "Therefore the. Lord faid, I will deftroy from the earth the men which I have created." Though Sampion's wife, who was a daughter of the uncircumcifed, pleafed him hugely for a time, yet his affections were foon alienated from her, and what was the end thereof I need not inform you, Judg. xix. Mofes himself, fcarcely efcaped being flain of the Lord, for hearkening unto his Zipporah, and deferring the ordinance of the circumcifion, Exod. iv. 24. And you find Solomon, of a wife king, becomes an apifh dotard, and of a pious worshipper, becomes a grofs idolator, and all by means of strange wives, 1 Kings xi. 4, 5. When the old ferpent is in the heart of a wife who lyeth in your bofom, he has a fair opportunity of winding himself into yours alfo, Faithful Abraham had fuch a fenfe of this matter, that he could not die, and go to paradife contentedly, until he made his fteward take an oath in the name of the God of the whole earth, that he would not take a wife for his fon Ifaac, of the Canaanites where he dwelt, but from among his own kindred. Gen. xxiv. 3, 4. How very few inftances have we among ourselves in the present day, of the believing hufband or wife, converting the contrary party? But how many melancholy examples have we, of the unbelieving husband or wife, reconverting the other party to the world and the devil? And no wonder, that the ferpent and Eve twifted together, fhould be a cord ftrong enough to draw any of Adam's pofterity to eat of the forbidden fruit, as it did their father: Neither is it to be wondered at, that God fhould withhold his bleffings from matches of Satan's making. I therefore conclude upon the whole, that it is far from being lawful for a believer to marry with an unbeliever; and therefore to be avoided by all who would efcape the difpleafure of God, and would have his blefling upon them in that facred ftate. The other queftion fhall be confidered, but not having leisure at prefent, I muft exercife your patience till the next post. main your affectionate brother, I re J. O. The inexpediency of a Believer marrying with one of another My dear Friend, Opinion. Suppose by this time you have had the opportunity of perufing my lait; but I am at an uncertainty what your fentiments are concerning it, yet nevertheless according to my promise I will give you my thoughts on your fecond enquiry. "Is it expedient for a believer to marry with one of another "opinion? &c." I think, my dear friend, not in any wife: It is granted that it is lawful; but it will be found to be highly inexpedient in thefe particulars. 1ft. The greatest part of that fpiritual ftrength and comfort, which fhould, and may be given and received between a chriftian man and his wife, will be loft, and a foundation laid for perpetual jars and difputes. Although there may be difference of opinion in a nation without breach of charity, yet there fcarcely can be difference of opinion between man and wife, without alienation of affection. And the more fincere either, or both parties are, the more earnest they will be to have their own fentiments regarded. Though the work of God is for the fubftance of it, the fame in the minds of all men, yet it is not eafy to fay, what a difference, different opinions may make in many circumftances of it. They who are brought unto God by one fyftem of doctrine, have a vein of enjoyinents, a turn of experience, and a method of speaking peculiar to themselves; which does not fo exactly agree with any other. And what an inconceivable lofs muft it be, if but fome part of that help, which they might give to each other, is wanting. Nothing else can pobly make up their lofs. If they are loving, good natured, and generous people, they may poffibly. live together without outrageous quarrels; yet alas, this is but a little matter toward that good they should do to one another, in the great affair of their falvation! If you was to form an idea of the happiest couple in the world, you would conceive them to be of one heart, and of one way in all things, if poffible, but especially in matters of religion. A want of this, would give a notion of their want of happiness in each other; and you could not avoid thinking, but that as far as they were wanting in agreement in their opinion, they would be wanting in their felicity. 2d. Another thing which makes it inexpedient, is an hindrance in their private devotion. Mutual prayer is moft prevalent. "If two, (fays our Saviour) of you, fhall agree on earth, as touching any thing they fhall afk, it fhall be done for them of my Father, which is in heaven," Matt. xviii. 19. But how much of the energy, and profit of prayer will be loft, when perhaps one thinks it right only to pray with a book, and the other judges it quite preferable to pray as the fpirit fhall affift, and give him utterance. How uncomfortable is this difagreement: how many fweet and excellent bleffings are loft, for want of mutual prayer. It is a forry condition for a woman, in a married ftate, to receive little, or no benefit from her husband's prayers in private: would not every woman who makes religion her business and happiness, think it the greatest lofs fhe could fuftain ? and the disadvantage would be equally great on the man's part, 3d. Again; 3d. Again; the fame inconveniences would alfo occur in family as in fecret prayer. There would be continual hinderances to the performance of that duty, without which every family muft live. miferably, and be expofed to the difpleasure of God. "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen, and upon the families, which call not upon thy name.” 4th. Let it alfo be obferved, how uncomfortable and unfeemingly it would be in public worship, for those whom God hath made one flefh, and who live as fuch on the week day, to part on the Sunday and as foon, it may be, as they go out at their own door, to their public devotion, turn their backs and go different ways, as though they were utter ftrangers to each other. Who could bear the thoughts of this? If they love not one another they are moft wretchedly miferable; if they do, it renders this feparation more difficult fill. But, 5th. What müft become of the education of the children? This hereby, will be rendered almost impracticable. If they are both of them confcientious in their profeffion, they will be loth that their children fhould not be educated in the fame way which they judge to be the beft in the world, and in which they place, and find their fupreme happiness. How hard will it be for a tender mother to fee her children, brought up, before her eyes, in a way fhe difapproves? And will it not be equally hard for the loving and obedient wife, to thwart her husband's counfels to his children, and caution them against that, unto which he warmly advises them? And yet one of these fhe muft do. She has but this alternative either to difoblige her husband, or offend her confcience. It will be equally difficult to the hufband to fee his children trained up in the way he would not have them to go; and yet he will find it difficult to grieve a loving and tender wife. So that between the two, the children will remain uneducated, or taught in their tender age, to halt between two opinions, and in their advanced years have no religion at all. These things are of great weight with me, and I believe will be with every one who thinks of them. They will, I hope, ever deter me from taking fo indirect and dangerous a ftep. And I pray God they may have the fame weight with my dear friend. I heartily commend you to the providence and direction of Almighty God, while I remain your affectionate brother, J. O. An easy and expeditious method of extinguishing FIRE in MMEDIATELY lay upon the fire in the grate or range, a large fork-full of wet horfe-litter from the ftable or dunghill. If it be properly managed, the fteam afcending from the litter will extinguifh the flame in the Chimney, perhaps in less than a minute. Care must be taken, that the litter be not fo moift as to to put out the fire in the grate or hearth, because then no fleam can afcend; and likewife, that the litter be not too dry, for in that cafe it would break out into a flame, and increase, instead of leffening the evil. It is likewife neceffary to continue to make the fteam to afcend, until the fire in the Chimney is entirely extinguished. This method has not only been found fuccefsful when used in the narrow Chimneys of towns, &c. but alfo in the wide, fpacious Chimneys that are frequently met with in the kitchens of country farmers. And it is likewife obvious, that any materials may be used on this alarming accident, to produce a fufficient body of fteam to fill the Chimney, provided that thofe materials have fuch a quantity of moisture as to prevent them bursting out into a flame. -ge, An Account of the melancholy Death of one Jofeph M- HE E lived eftranged from God, in a courfe of open rebellion and actual tianfgreffion against him; violating his law, trampling upon his authority, and adding iniquity unto iniquity; walking in the ways of his evil heart, and in the fight of hist eyes; not confidering "that for all these things God would bring him into judgment;" and that he was treasuring up for himfelf wrath against the day of wrath; "Satan having blinded his eyes and hardened his heart. It may be neceffary to obferve here, that amongst other vices, he was much addicted to the brutal practice of cock-fighting. 66 When he was near thirty years of age, it pleafed God to afflict him with a violent fever, when there was little hope of his recovery. He now began to be alarmed; his confcience, which till that time feemed to have been afleep, was roufed; the fear of death was on every fide; yea the unutterable pangs of hell got hold on him; and the keeneft fenfibility of being expofed to eternal punishment conftrained him to cry out in the bittereft anguifh; not fo much for the pardon of his fins, as to have his life fpared; for the thought of dwelling with everlafting burnings (which was all he dreaded) was what he could not endure. (faid he) that God would spare me a little longer! -O that he "would fuffer me to live, that I may turn to him, and become a new man!" Many fuch things as thefe he uttered, when he thought death was approaching near him, and its terrors took hold of his mind; then he made the moft folemn vows and proteftations to forfake his wicked practices and cleave unto the Lord with full purpofe of heart, upon condition that he would raife him up again; promifing to part with all his fightingcocks, and never to be guilty of any of thofe fins that he had formerly committed. 66 |