A glorious espousal. A brief essay, to illustrate and prosecute the marriage, wherein our…

And indeed, the Crime of Adultery [I have seen an Horrible Thing, saith the Lord!] has in this thing a very singular Aggravation. As it is the blackest and vilest Injustice that can be committed, and a most Flagrant Perjury violating a most solemn Oath of GOD; So it is an abominable Breach upon that Conformity to the Union between our SAVIOUR and His People, where of Marriage is Ordained for an Exhibition. Shall not I visit for such Things, saith the Lord, & shall not my Soul he avenged on the Married, who do such Things? Indeed, tho' some Countries make it Capital, yet for the most part, An Evil & Adulterous Generation so prevails, that the Crime rarely meets with any due Punishment among the Children of Men, But GOD will not let this wickedness ⟨p. 41⟩of them who forget the Hand joined in Hand, go unpunished. 'Tis marvellous to see, how Adultery is punished by the more immediate Providence of a Holy and a Righteous GOD, who of all the secret Wickedness, I know it, & am a Witness of it, saith the Lord! The Criminals are pursued in their Estate. A Fire, one can scarce imagine, How, does Consume their Increase. They are followed with one strange Impoverishment after another upon them. They are punished in their Offspring. The Hope of their Family is cut off by premature Mortality; or Lives to consume their Eyes & grieve their Hearts. They are punished, with a wounding dishonour on their Name, & a Reproach that is never to be wiped away. Into what a Bed of Tribulation, does the LORD, who says of such Things, I hate them! by'nd by throw these Malefactors! Their Hearts are first prodigiously Hardened; but afterwards they fall into Terrors of GOD. Anon, with & from the Impure Flames that were ever glowing in them here, they go down to Eternal Burnings. Behold the Justice of Heaven in all of this. The Affront given to a Glorious CHRIST, in the Crime, is ⟨p. 42⟩enough to procure all of this; Great Plagues and of long continuance.

And indeed, the Crime of Adultery [I have seen an Horrible Thing, saith the Lord!] has in this thing a very singular Aggravation. As it is the blackest and vilest Injustice that can be committed, and a most Flagrant Perjury violating a most solemn Oath of GOD; So it is an abominable Breach upon that Conformity to the Union between our SAVIOUR and His People, where of Marriage is Ordained for an Exhibition. Shall not I visit for such Things, saith the Lord, & shall not my Soul he avenged on the Married, who do such Things? Indeed, tho' some Countries make it Capital, yet for the most part, An Evil & Adulterous Generation so prevails, that the Crime rarely meets with any due Punishment among the Children of Men, But GOD will not let this wickedness