doth Gods stamp deface I shall conclude all with this earnest prayer to God that he would please of his infinite mercy timely to awaken the hearts of all those who are addicted to sin that by a speedy and serious repentance and forsaking of it they may escape that dreadful wrath which will be the portion of impenitent and unreformed Drunkards CHAP. VI. Of Uncleanness THE Nature of man is so vile and corrupt and so prone to this sin of Uncleanness that we had need use all care and caution lest while we are writing against it and endeavouring to beat it down we should any way stir it up and excite it In treating therefore of this Subject I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall shew the odiousness and heinousness of this sin and what great reasons we have to abhor it 2. Shall answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin do usually make for themselves 3. Shall give some directions and prescribe some remedies against it For the Fitst The Odiousness and heinousness of this sin may appear to us if we consider how strictly God hath forbidden it in his holy word and how severely he hath declared his displeasure against it And that man that is not awed by the declared will of his Creator I know not what will awe him 'T is in vain to think to convince a man of the evil and danger of any sin by other arguments whom the express word and declared will of God cannot convince I shall therefore set before you what God both in the old and new Testament declares concerning this sin and then leave every one to judge whether it be not our duty to abhor it and with all care and conscience to keep our selves from it Read therefore and well consider these following Scriptures Gen. 20.3 And God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him behold thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou hast taken for she is a mans wife Gen. 26.10 And Abimelech said what is this thou hast done unto us one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us Gen. 38.24 And it came to pass about three moneths after that it was told Judah saying Tamar thy daughter in law hath plaid the Harlot and also behold she is with child by whoredom and Judah said bring her forth and let her be burnt * Observe these things hapned before the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai Exod. 20.14 Thou shalt not commit adultery Lev. 18.20 Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbours wife to defile thy self with her V. 23. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thy self therewith neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto it is confusion V. 24. Defile not your selves in any of these things for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you V. 25. And the Land is defiled therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it and the Land it self vomiteth out her inhabitants Therefore commit not any of these abominations V. 28. That the Land spue not you out also when ye defile it as it spued out the Nations that were before you Lev. 20.10 And the man that committeth adultery with another mans wife the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death Deut. 22.22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband then they shall both of them die both the man that lay with the woman and the woman So shalt thou put away evil from Israel Verse 23. If a damsel that is a Virgin be betrothed to an husband and a man find her in the City and lie with her V. 24. Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of the City and ye shall stone them with stones that they die the damsel because she cried not out being in the City and the man because he hath humbled his neighbours wife So shalt thou put away evil from among you Job 24.15 The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twi-light saying no eye shall see me and disguises his face Prov. 2.16 When wisdom entreth into thine heart it shall preserve thee from the strange woman even from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 17. Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the Covenant of her God V. 18. For her house inclineth to death and her paths to the dead V. 19. None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Prov. 5.3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honey comb and her mouth is smoother than oyl Ver. 4. But her end is bitter as worm-wood sharp as a two edged sword V. 5. Her feet go down to death her steps take hold on hell V. 8. â—emove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house V. 9. Lâ—st thou give thine honour unto others and thy years unto the cruel V. 11. And thou mourn at last when thy flesh and thy â—â—â—y are consumed V. 12. And say how have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof V. 20. And why wilt thou my Son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger Prov. 6.23 For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light V. 24. To keep thee from the evil woman from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman V. 25. Lust not after her beauty inthine heart neither let her take thee with her eye-lids V. 26. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life V. 27. Can a man take fire in his bosome and his cloaths not be burnt V. 28. Can one go upon hot coals and his feet not be burnt V. 29. So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent V. 32. But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding he that doth it destroyeth his own soul V. 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away Prov. 7 5. My Son keep my words that they may keep thee from the strange woman from the stranger which flattereth with her words V. 6. Fâ—â— at the window of my house I looked through my casement V. 7. And beheld among the simple ones a young man void of understanding V. 8. Passing through the streets neer her corner and he went the way to her house V. 9. In the twi-light in the evening in the black and dark night V. 10. And behold there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot and subtil of heart V. 11. She is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her house V. 12. Now is she without now in the streets and lieth in wait at every corner V. 13. So she caught him and kissed him and
mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit and he that is abhorred of God shall fall therein that is he whom God is highly offended with for some former wickedness shall in a just way of punishment be delivered up to this ruining sin 3. God declares that he himself will judge those that commit this sin Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge God will judge all other sinners but the Apostle seems to intimate that God will judge these in an especial manner 1. Because this sin being usually committed in secret man cannot so easily come to the knowledge of it nor can he prove it by sufficient witnesses 2. Many great and potent men are oftentimes guilty of this sin whom ordinary Magistrates either cannot or dare not or through remisness will not meddle with Therefore God will take the matter into his own hands and he himself will judge it And 't is a dreadful thing to fall into the hand of the living God Crimes among men are oftentimes extenuated by reason of the greatness of the Person that commits them But God will judge every man according to his works 4. 'T is a sin that is usually attended with hardness of heart and very often with final impenitence When once men have so far debauched their consciences that Adultery and Fornication seem small matters to them they are seldom recovered By frequent committing this sin they give their consciences such a dose of Opium that the lowdest threatnings of Gods word cannot awaken them The Prophet tells us Hos 4.11 that whoredom wine and new wine takes away the heart that is besot the understanding Terrible are those words Prov. 2.18.19 The house of the strange woman inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life O the extreme hazard and danger that all Adulterers and Fornicators expose their precious souls unto for a short pleasure Travellers * Doctor Browns travels into Germany p. 111. tell us that at Presburg Metz and some other places in Germany they have a strange way of executing capital offenders which is this They have an Engine made in the form of and finely dressed up like a young maid or Lady with her hands before her The malefactor being brought to the place of execution salutes her first and then retires But at his second salute she opens her hands and cuts his heart asunder Methinks this is a notable emblem and representation of the horrible danger that adulterers expose themselves unto by their lascivious embraces * Cito praeterit quod delectat permanet sine fine quod cruciat Aug. Which if they did but duly consider before-hand they would as much tremble to venture on them as the poor condemned Malefactor does to make his second salute to the fatal Engine 5. Adultery * Adulterium quasi ad alterius thorum accessus is one of the greatest plagues imaginable to private families For thereby a spurious bastardly brood is brought in to inherit and share the estate instead of a legitimate issue Like as the Cuckow layes her filthy eggs in another birds nest making it to hatch and nourish them as if it were its own off-spring So that this sin usually breeds dismal confusion and fatal jars and strifes in those miserable Families where it is found 6. 'T is a great mischief to the Church For by Lawful Wedlock among Christians a seed foederally holy is brought forth but by this sin a spurious and unclean brood 7. 'T is a sin that defiles a Land and provokes God to send down most heavy judgments upon it We read that the Land of Canaan where Israel dwelt spewed out the Nations that were before them for their uncleanness Lev. 18.27 28. And therefore every honest person should have a great zeal for chastity and an utter abhorrence and indignation against uncleanness as that which is a ruiner of a Nation and a mischief to the community by drawing down Gods Judgments upon it 8. 'T is a sin that exceedingly blots the name * A Learned man writing of a great Prince who was also a great Captain sayes of him that he was egregius bellator sed non adversus carnem suam So that great men one would think should be afraid of this sin lest they should be recorded to Posterity under the Characters of fiâ—thy persons There are few fornicators or adulterers who do not by great and solemn repentance and amendment of life break off that sin but leave an infamous name and memory to posterity Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 6.32 33. He that committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding He that doth it destroyeth his own soul A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away 9. It usually blasts the estate Prov. 6.26 By reason of a whorish woman a man is brought to a morsel of bread Job 13.10 'T is a fire that consumeth to destruction and will root out all their increase I appeal to every wise mans observation whether this be not usually the fruit of uncleanness 10. 'T is a sin that very frequently wasts and destroyes the body The Apostle 1 Cor. 6.28 Exhorts to flee fornication because among other reasons 't is a sin that so much hurts the body In other sins that men commit commonly they abuse something without the the body as the drunkard doth wine but this sin hurteth and abuseth the body it self in a more remarkable manner by an intemperate and excessive exhausting the vital spirits and consuming the natural heat and moisture which are the preservers of health strength and life And besides this sin is frequently attended with that loathsom disease which makes the committers of it to rot and stink above ground So that if there be any men so sottish as not to fear Hell or punishment in another life yet methinks they should resolve to live chastly for fear of rotting their bodies by uncleanness and so shortning this life wherein they expect all their happiness The Apostle indeed in that Chapter before-mentioned uses another argument of another nature to true believers why they should keep themselves from uncleanness Verse 15. Know you not sayes he that your bodies are the members of Christ and will you take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid For as wedlock makes man and wife one body lawfully so fornication makes the fornicator and the harlot one body unlawfully Further he shews that the bodies of true believers are Temples of the Holy Ghost who is freely given of God to dwell in them and therefore their bodies ought to be kept pure and undefiled The Apostle therefore in this place uses these arguments to true believers and not impure Fornicators For their bodies are not members of Christ nor Temples of the
made namely that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents Head Gen. 3.15 And therefore Christ is said Rev. 13.8 to be a Lamb slain from the beginning that is in Gods Decree So that the Fathers that lived before he was offered injoyed the benefit of his Death and Sufferings They were saved merito pretii praestandi as we are saved merito pretii praestiti And of this Priesthood of our Saviour there is no end in regard of the virtue and efficacy of it And thus we see how Christ was our Priest and how he made atonement for our sins by his perfect obedience and sufferings His Person God-man was the Priest The Sacrifice was his humanity the Lamb of God without blemish The Altar which consecrated this Sacrifice and added merit to the sufferings of his humanity was his God-head And thus he made himself a Sacrifice for our sins Three things Christ hath done for us as our Priest 1. He hath obeyed the Law perfectly 2. He hath offered up himself a Sacrifice for our sins 3. He now lives to make intercession for us From all that hath been said we should learn these lessons 1. That Christs active and passive obedience is of sufficient value worth and merit to satisfie Gods Justice for all our sins For in that he voluntarily took on him our humane nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law his very active obedience becomes meritorious 2. That Christ did intend his obedience and sufferings for this end and purpose 3. That God has accepted of what Christ has done and suffered as a sufficient price for our Redemption 4. We should learn from hence highly to prize Christs Sacrifice 'T is the great relief we have against sin He has made satisfaction to Divine Justice so that God is now reconcilable to fallen Man in and through him 5. This should teach us to have a great care of our precious souls The great price paid to ransom them should teach us their worth We are wont to be exceeding careful to keep things that cost dear Never any thing cost more than the soul 6. Seeing Christ was Crucified for our sins we should learn from him to crucifie sin in our selves Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts 7. Seeing Christ suffered so much for us we should be content yea ready to suffer for him when ever he calls us to it 8. From the consideration of Christs intercession and the constancy and prevalency of it we should encourage our selves to go to God in and through him for help in all our needs He is a powerful advocate 9. The Consideration of Christs oblation of himself once for us and his continual intercession still performed in heaven for us should inflame our hearts with intire love to him He deserves our best our most inlarged affections We can never love him enough I come now to Christs third Office 3. Christ was a King Christ was a King God speaking of his Son Psal 2.6 says I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion Zech. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Zion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee He is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a colt the fole of an Asse This is applied to our Saviour Mat. 21.5 The Prophet Isaiah fully attests this Isa 9.6 7. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father The Prince of Peace Of the increase of his Government and Peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and of his Kingdome shall he sit to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And Luke 1.33 'T is said of Him He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end To which we may add Rev. 17.14 These shall make War with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings Now there is a twofold Kingdom belonging to Christ 1. Regnum Essentiale an essential Kingdom which belongs to him as God 2. Regnum Vicarium or a deputatory Kingdom and dominion which God gave him as Mediator This Kingdom Christ administers and his Kingly Office he executes several ways and by several royal Acts. 1. By gathering to himself a People out of the several Kingdoms and Nations of the Earth and making them willing by infusing his grace into their hearts to submit unto him 2. By giving them Laws by which they are to walk 3. By appointing to them Officers and Censures Eph. 4.11 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers V. 12. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ And so for censures and discipline he has appointed how an offending Brother should be dealt with 1. He should be privately admonished then in the presence of two or three And if he shall neglect to hear them then they must tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church then he must be unto them as an Heathen man and a Publican Mat. 18.15 16 17. 4. By restraining and curbing and subduing His and His Churches enemies Particularly 1. Sin that it shall not have dominion over those that are His. 2. The World with its baits and allurements 3. Satan delivering them from his temptations and wiles 4. Wicked and ungodly men Thus he executed his Kingly power in bringing destruction upon the Jews by the Roman Armies and that destruction is called his coming in his Kingdom Mat. 16.28 Verily I say unto you There be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom 5. Death it self 1 Cor. 15. He will despoil the Grave and make it give up all its Captives By judging the quick and dead at the last day And then this his Mediatory Kingdom He will render up to his Father 1 Cor. 15.24 Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father when he shall have put down all rule and authority and power 6. By supporting those that truly believe in him in all their afflictions here 7. By rewarding them in a most royal manner hereafter And thus much of the several ways whereby our Saviour executes his Kingly Office Now as to the quality of his Kingdom we are to know it is not of this World it is a Spiritual Kingdom John 18.36 Jesus answered My Kingdom is not of this World if my Kingdom were of this World then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered
drunkenness usually inflames the mind with anger and rage It teacheth the tongue to swear curse rail revile and slander and to deride Godliness and those that are good When the head is full of vapors the tongue is usually full of vanity and lewd discourse From drunkenness usually proceeds lust filthiness and uncleanness * Nunquam ebrium putabo castum Hieron Nay it makes thieves by breeding necessity and then emboldning to villany to supply that necessity The reason why Mahomet so severely prohibited his Disciples the use of wine they say was this Being once invited to dinner by a friend of his in his way thither he called at a house where as it happened there was that day a Wedding Being courteously invited to come in he found the company in a very gay humor full of love and kindness one to another and caressing one another in the most obliging manner Which pleasing humor he looked upon as the effect of the chearful spirit of the wine that was stirring among them and so blessed it as a sacred thing and departed In the evening calling again at at the same house in his return and expecting to find the love and kindness he had before observed to be augmented quite contrary he found the house full of broils and noise full of fighting quarrelling and all confusion The guests instead of imbracing were now throwing the Pots at one anothers heads This he perceiving to be the effect of the wine taken in excess he changed his former blessing into a curse and for ever after made it Haram or a cursed thing for any of his Disciples to drink wine But Mahomet should have considered that ab abuti ad non uti non valet consequentia The abuse of a lawful thing is no good argument against the use of it 11. Consider what a dreadful wo is denounced against such persons as purposely and designedly strive to make others drunk How many Prophets do thunder out their wo against it See Hab. 2.15 16. Esay 5.22 Joh. 1.5 Certainly that man buyes his merriment at a very dear rate that takes it with such a wo. O what an horrible impiety is it for any one to rejoyce in another mans sin whereby he is laid open and exposed to Gods fearful Judgments O what monsters are they that can take pleasure in seeing the drunkenness of their neighbours and make themselves sport in beholding their nakedness Surely there is not a greater sign of hardness of heart than for a man to make his own or another mans sin the matter of his glory and boasting or the matter of his joy and merriment God bless me and all my friends from such pleasures that have so dreadful a wo and curse annexed to them 12. Consider that drunkenness is often attended with dreadful judgments in this life We read that Amnon was murdered by his Brother Absaloms command when his heart was merry with wine * 2 Sam. 13.28 29. Nabal was struck dead by God shortly after his drunkenness 1 Sam. 36.38 Elah King of Israel was murdered when he was drinking himself drunk * 1 Kings 16.9 10. Belshazzar King of Babylon was slain that very night when they had been carousing themselves in the vessels of the Temple Thou seest O drunkard that God spared not Kings themselves in their drunkenness and thinkest thou that he will spare thee certainly a drunkard puts himself in the very way of Gods vengeance 'T is very observable what a strange kind of punishment God appointed for incorrigible drunkards and gluttons Deut. 21.18 19 20 21. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious Son which will not obey the voice of his Father or the voice his Mother and that when they have chastned him will not hearken unto them Then shall his Father and Mother lay hold on him and bring him out unto the elders of his City and unto the gate of his place And they shall say unto the Elders of his City this our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard And all the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he dye so shalt thou put evil away from among you and all Israel shall hear and fear Surely these were heinous crimes in Gods account when Parents themselves were to bring forth their own Son who was guilty of these crimes if they could not reclaim him to have him put to death by the Magistrate And you see further that youth was no excuse for these crimes whatever may by corrupt men be pretended 13. It is one of those sins that draw down wrath upon a Nation especially when it grows to be a general and epidemical vice And alas among us what City or Town or Village is there what Market or Meeting or Fair that is not defiled with drunkenness and when sin grows National it usually brings down National Judgments But 'T is most sad of all when persons of great quality and high place are addicted to this vice When the Priest * Ebrietas in plebeio est simplex peccatum in sacerdote multiplex quia multos offendit secum in eandem foveam ruinam traâ—it A. Lapid and the Prophet shall erre through wine Isa 28.7 and shall say come let us fill our selves with strong drink Isa 56.12 14. 'T is a sin that is very often attended with hardness of heart and final impenitence How few habitual drunkards have we known to reform and abandon their former wicked wayes Such drunkards are usually desperate incorrigible and impudent in their sins Now as perseverance in piety and godliness in spight of all opposition is a very high pitch of goodness so perseverance in wickedness in spight of all good counsel is the height of impiety 15. Drunkenness exposes a man to that desperate danger of dying drunk Think with thy self O drunkard what would become of thee if thou shouldst die in a drunken fit Would not thy case be very dangerous if not desperate This hath been the case of many a drunkard and it may be thy case for ought thou knowest However if thou goest on in this course of drinking and company-keeping thou wilt die a drunkard though thou dyest not drunk 17. Lastly this sin if continued in exposes a man to eternal misery The Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 6.10 No drunkard that is no impenitent drunkard shall enter into Gods Kingdom See also Gal. 5.21 Drunkards may scoff at their faithful admonishers and reprovers and brazen it out here but in the other world they shall be sure to pay dear for it Dives had his full Cups here but there not one drop to cool his tongue And so much of the heinousness of this sin 4. I come now to speak to the vain excuses that those * Improbitas praetextu nunquam careâ— Arist who are addicted to this vice do usually make for themselves 1. They will pretend that drinking and
with an impudent face said unto him V. 14. I have Peace-offerings with me this day have I paid my vows V. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee Verse 16. I have decked my bed with coverings of Tapestry with carved works with fine linnen of Egypt Verse 17. I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh Aloes and Cinnamon Verse 18. Come let us take our fill of love untill the morning let us solace our selves with love Verse 21. So with her much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lisp she forced him Verse 22. He goeth with her strait-way as an Ox goeth to the slaughter as a fool to the correction of the stocks Verse 23. Till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Verse 27. Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death Prov. 9.1 A f â—lish woman sitteth at the door of her house to call in passengers Verse 16 â—hoso is simple let him turn in hither and as for him that wanteth understanding she saith unto him V. 17. Stol'n waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant Verse 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell Prov. 22.14 The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein Prov. 23.27 A whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is a narrow pit Verse 28. She lieth in wait as for a prey and increaseth the transgressors among men Prov. 29.3 He that keepeth company with Harlots spendeth his substance Prov. 30.20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith she hath done no wickedness Eccles 7.26 And I find more bitter than death a woman whose heart is snares and nets and her hands as bands whoso pleaseth God shall escape her but the sinner shall be taken by her Jer. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods when I fed them to the full then they committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the Harlots houses Verse 8. They were as fed horses in the morning ever one neigheth after his neighbours wife Verse 9. Shall not I visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 29.23 Because they committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them even I am a witness against them saith the Lord. Ezek. 16.38 And I will judge thee as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousie Hos 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart Mal. 3.5 And I will come near to you to judgment and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages and the widow and the fatherless that turn aside the stranger from his right and fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts Mat. 5.27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time thou shalt not commit adultery Verse 28. But I say unto you whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her he hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mat. 19.17 Jesus said unto him if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments viz. thou shalt do no murther thou shalt not commit adultery c. Acts 15 20 29. But that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of Idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood From which if they keep themselves they shall do well Rom. 1.28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowlede God gave them over to a reprobate mind and to do those things which are not convenient Verse 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness fornication wickedness covetousness maliciousness c. 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind Verse 10. Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 7. v. 2. To avoid fornication let every one have his own wife and every woman her own husband Verse 19. But if they cannot contain let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn 1 Cor. 10.8 Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness V. 10. Idolatry witch-craft hatred variance emulations wrath strife sedition heresies V. 21. Envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like of the which I tell you now as I have told you in times past that they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named amongst you as becometh Saints Col. 3.5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affections evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience 1 Thes 4.3 For this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication V. 4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour V. 5. Not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge 1 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished V. 10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness c. V. 14. Having eyes full of adultery c. Judge v. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and whoremongers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye 2. This sin wherever it is found and continued in is a sign and mark of a man whom God hateth Prov. 22.14 The
Holy Ghost But it seems some filthy Hereticks in that time went about to perswade those Christians at Corinth that fornication was no sin or at least no great sin and the Apostle levels his arguments against such wicked suggestions as these 11. Adulterers and Adulteresses violate the sacred ordinance of marriage and the solemn covenant they made before God and before their friends as witnesses In our form of Matrimony the man solemnly promises that forsaking all others he will keep himself only unto the woman he marries as long as they both shall live And the woman does the like unto the man And therefore Adultery in either party is the most abominable breach of faith that can be imagined and they that are guilty of it what can they expect but vengeance from God 12. The Adulterer highly sinneth against him whose wife he defileth He robs him of the heart-love and affection of his wife which is an irreparable injury Besides he brings an odious nick-name and reproach upon him And which is to be taken notice of to the shame of our Nation as Dr. Hammond well observes the innocent and injured person he is by a kind of national custom laughed at and made the object of common scorn and obloquy whilst the filthy adulterer who robbed him of his honour is in the common vogue rather applauded at least passes without any such mark of infamy and contempt One or two such ponderous guilts as this as that reverend Author phrases * See Dr. Hammonds Sermons page 175. it are enough to ruine a Nation how light soever some profane wretches make of the matter 13. By the Law of God Adultery was to be punished with death Lev. 20.10 Deut. 22.22 And whereas other crimes were not capital nor to be punished with death except proved by two or three witnesses God permitted the jealous husband to make a special trial of his wifes chastity and honesty and gave him an extraordinary way and means for convicting of her if she were guilty when no witnesses could possibly be produced against her namely she was to drink of the water of jealousie which if she were innocent did not hurt her at all but rather did her good and made her fruitful But if she were guilty then upon drinking thereof her belly should swell and her thigh rot and so the woman should be accursed among her people So that rather than God would have this heinous sin of adultery go unpunished he himself appointed an extraordinary way for the discovery of it Nay before this law was given it seems it was in use among Gods own people to punish adultery with death For Judah adjudged Tamar his daughter in law to be burnt for this sin as appears Gen. 38.24 14. The very Heathens by the light of nature adjudged adultery to be a capital crime and to deserve death For instance Nebuchadnezzar roasted two men in the fire for it as we read Jer. 29.23 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the Captivity of Judah which are in Babylon saying the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab whom the King of Babylon roasted in the fire because they have committed villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my name which I have not commanded them Among the Athenians Draco's Law made adultery capital Among the Romans 't was a law of the Twelve Tables Moechum in adulterio deprehensum necato so also by the lex Julia it was made capital Thus we see that the punishing adultery with death seemed a thing very fit and just and a matter of common equity among the more civilized Nations and was not meerly a judicial Law proper and peculiar to the Common-wealth of the Jews only Other Nations that did not inflict death upon adulterers yet punished them with tortures almost as bitter as death The Aegyptians decreed that the nose of the adulterer should be cut off and the adulteress should be beaten with a thousand stripes almost to death * Diodor Sicul. lib. 1. cap. 6. Zaleucus the King of the Locrenses made a Law that the adulterer should loose both his eyes Which Law his own Son transgressing that he might be just in keeping up the vigor of the Law and yet shew some mercy to his Son Aelian var hist lib. 13. he caused one of his Son's eyes to be put out and one of his own By which it plainly appears what a detestation was in the hearts of civilized Pagans guided only by the light of natural conscience against this sin And so much of the first particular the odiousness of this sin and the great reasons we have to abhor it 2. I come now to answer the vain excuses that men who are addicted to this sin are apt to make for themselves There is no sin so odious but love to it and frequent committing of it will in a sort reconcile even the judgment to it and make it seem either no sin or but a little sin and easily pardonable Let us consider therefore what are the excuses such men do usually make for themselves 1. They alledge that Poligamy or having more wives than one was practised among the Jews Answ One man and one woman were conjoyned in the Primitive institution Gen. 2.24 compared with Matth. 19.5 For this cause shall a man leave Father and Mother and cleave to his wife and they twain * Tò duo non exprimitur Gen. 2.24 sed necessario subauditur nam de duobus tantum ibi sermo est non pluribus unde dictum uxori suae non uxoribus suis Hinc damnatur Polygamia ut quum dictum est uxori suae numero singulari not they three or four shall be one flesh And the special reason why plurality of wives was connived at among the Jews was for the fuller peopling of that Nation they being the only people in Covenant with God and being but few among many enemies encompassing of them their strength and safety depended much in an ordinary way upon their number and increase and therefore some inordinancy was connived at for their multiplication but never absolutely allowed or approved of But though their having more wives than one for the aforesaid reasons was connived at yet fornication was punished severely among them and adultery with no less punishment than death 2. They alledge that David was an Adulterer and Solomon had many wives Answ David sinned heinously therein and 't is easier to forbear this sin than to undergo the sorrows and punishment that David underwent for it For besides the bitterness that his Soul was in for it his Son Absolom rebelled against him drove him out of his Kingdom and openly defiled his wives And this sin is left as a perpetual blot upon his name and memory As for Solomon his sin was so great that it almost ruined him and his Kingdom Ten of the twelve Tribes fell off from
his house as soon as his Son came to the Kingdom and though his own experience taught him to say more against this sin than is said by any other in the Old Testament yet it is a controversie among Divines whether ever he were perfectly recovered and at last saved or no. And is this an incouragement to any man to imitate him in this sin 3. They alledge that Our Saviour did not condemn the woman taken in adultery John 8. Answ Our Saviour asks the woman whether any man had condemned her according to the Law made in that case whereby he intimates that if the sentence of death had been lawfully passed upon her he would not have repealed it for he came not to violate the law but to fulfill it But our Saviour himself refused to condemn her because he came not into the world to execute the office of an earthly judge but of a mediator who was to procure the pardon of our sins through his merits and intercession He came not to condemn but to save and to give his life a ransom for many And therefore he would not execute the office of a Magistrate in adjudging her to death but of a Minister in calling her to repentance and amendment of her life And so much by way of answer to the excuses that such as are addicted to this sin do use to make for themselves 3. I come now in the last place to give some directions and to prescribe some remedies against it 1. Frequently pour forth thy soul in fervent and earnest prayer unto the Lord that he would please to keep thee from this sin and all tendencies to it When Paul prayed so earnestly to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan God answered my grace is sufficient for thee my strength shall be perfected in thy weakness 2 Cor. 12.8 9. 2. Use fasting and abstinence and beating down the body This unclean Devil goes not out by any means so soon as by fasting and prayer A weak body indeed must be carefully supported but a wanton and unruly body must be carefully subdued * Antisthenes his wish to his enemies was hostium filiis coâ— ingat n delitiis vivere 'T is storied of a virtuous maid that to rid her self of an importunate Suitor she told him that if he had that affection for her which he pretended he should manifest it by joyning with her in a resolution she had made which was that for twenty dayes together she would eat nothing but bread and drink nothing but water The young man though very unwillingly yet to satisfie her undertook it But when he had observed it about ten dayes he found his body so mortified and enfeebled that he had no mind to marry and so his Mistress was delivered from her importunate Suitor This story applies it self And if any shall say that abstinence is an hard lesson let such consider that the suffering of hell fire and the wrath that is to come is a thousand times harder 3. Labour that the fear of God may rule in thy heart This was that which kept Joseph innocent Gen. 39.9 and preserved him from the inticements of his lewd Mistress how can I do this great wickedness and sin against God The fear of God in the heart is a great preservative against this sin 4. Reverence thy conscience and hearken to it and mark what it speaks to thee now lest hereafter it speak to thee in a more terrible manner hear it voluntarily now lest it force thee to hear it hereafter against thy will when it will be thy tormentor It is reported of a chast woman that being tempted by a fornicator she desired him first to hold his finger in the fire a litâ— bâ—while which when he refused she said why should I then burn in hell for you 5. Labour to cast out of thy mind all unclean thoughts and phansies Drive them out with abhorrence as our Saviour did the buyers and sellers out of the Temple Take heed of speculative wantonness Vnclean thoughts usually infect and corrupt the heart and stir up in it unclean lusts and inclinations and heart defilement makes way for corporal Remember what our Saviour sayes Matth. 5.24 Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart There are fornicators in heart and adulterers in heart as well as in outward act Therefore sayes Solomon keep thy self from the evil woman and lust not after her beauty in thy heart Prov 6.25 A great means to prevent uncleanness lyes in this to keep a holy government over our thoughts and to abhor and cast out lustful thoughts out of our minds with detestation 6. Keep a strict guard and watch over thy outward sences particularly thine eyes * Oculi sunt in amore duces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut est in veteri verbo and ears Job said he had made a Covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 that is he was carefull to keep his eyes from gazing upon and his mind from thinking upon a maid so as to lust after her Stop thy ears also against all filthy and unclean discourse For filthy tales and stories do strangely corrupt the Phansie and stick odiously in the memory Therefore if thou be so unhappy at any time as to fall into such company where such discourse is used and such tales are told shew thy dislike of them and be sure never to tell them again For such discourse is pestilential and infectious 7. Be diligent in thy particular calling and keep thy mind well imployed Otia si tollas periere cupidinis arcus Avoid idleness * Quaeritur Aegystus quare sit factus adulter In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Facito aliquid operis ut semper inveniat te diabolus occupatum Vitium libidinis facile ex otio nascitur Nam dâ—finitio amoris est animae vacantis passio Chrysost in Math. and you take away a great occasion to lust 'T is observed of David that when he was idle he fell into that dreaful sin of adultery A laborious diligent person hath his body subdued and his mind imployed and taken up with better things The rich and the idle are usually the persons that are most under this temptation 8. Keep modest and sober company where thou shalt neither see nor hear any thing unseemly Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be named among you as becometh Saints sayes the Apostle Ephes 5.3 Evil communication corrupts good manners 1 Cor. 15.33 The filthy talk and tales and stories and sonnets of some profane persons how exceedingly do they corrupt the minds of others Let dogs and crows feed on Carrion Rational men loath such rotten and abominable stuff True Chrians abhor all impure discourse and all immodest actions 9. Shun and avoid such things as may be occasions incentives and temptations to this sin Such as these 1. Lascivious dancings I say lascivious For