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 thatbread, 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.
[62]I say unto you, swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne. And thereforethis is the same as to swear by him, who sitteth upon the circle of the heavens: [63]nor by the earth: for it is his footstool; and he is as intimately present in earth as heaven: neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King, and God is well known in her palaces. [64]Neither shalt thou swear by thy head; because thou canst not make one hair white or black: because even this, it is plain, is not thine but God’s, the sole disposer of all in heaven and earth. [65]But let your communication, your conversation, your discourse with each other, be yea, yea; nay, nay: a bare, serious affirming or denying; for whatsoever is more than these, cometh of evil: ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἔστιν· is of the evil one; proceedeth from the devil and is a mark of his children.
10. That our Lord does not here forbid, the swearing in judgment and truth, when we are required so to do by a magistrate, may appear, 1. From the occasion of this part of his discourse, the abuse he was here reproving, which was false swearing and common swearing; the swearing before a magistrate being quite out of the question. 2. From the very words wherein he forms the general conclusion, Let your communication, or discourse, be yea, yea; nay, nay. 3. From his own example; for he answered himself upon oath, when required by a magistrate. When [66]the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us,whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God? Jesus immediately answered in the affirmative, Thou hast said (i.e. the truth). Nevertheless (or rather, Moreover) I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 4. From the example of God, even the Father, [67]who willing the more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. 5. From the example of St. Paul, who, we think had the Spirit of God, and well understood the mind of his master. [68]God is my witness, saith he, to the Romans, that without ceasing, I make mention of you always in my prayers: to the Corinthians, [69]I call God to record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth: and to the Philippians. [70]God is my record, how greatly I long after you, in the bowels of Jesus Christ. (Hence it undeniably appears, that if the apostle knew the meaning of his Lord’s words, they do not forbid swearing on weighty occasions, even to one another: how much less before a magistrate?) And lastly, from that assertion of the great apostle, concerning solemn swearing in general, (which it is impossible he could have mentioned without any touch of blame, if his Lord had totally forbidden it) [71]Men verily swear by the greater, (by one greater than themselves) and anoath for confirmation is to them the end of all strife.