Gods Justice Whoredome punished.

VVHoredome is an inordinate desire of filthy and unhonest pleasures, being the leprosie of the soule, and a fire that shall devoure to destruction, and* root out mans increase.

Adultery

Is the incontinency of persons that are unmarried, or of person• wher∣of* one is married: as also is when men by impure thoughts do lust after any, which Christ forbids.

Fornication is the incontinency of persons that are unmarried.

1. The sinne is like a fornace, whose mouth is gluttony, the flame pride, the sparkles filthy words, the smoake an evill name, the ashes poverty, and the end shame and destruction: for that lust conceived bringeth forth sinne, and sin perfe∣cted bringeth forth death.

2. This sinne is more violent then all other sinnes, for of all the troubles and battles that Christians are to fight, this combate of chastity is most difficult, for that the wrestling is perpetuall and the victory rare.

3. This sinne doth not only pollute, contaminate and destroy the soule, but also* getteth a plague, dishonour and reproach, that shall never be put out, defileth the body, which is a member of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Ghost. •very sinne (saith S. Paul) that a man doth is without the body, but he that committeth* fornication, sinneth against his owne body, that is by prophaning it with carnall lusts and fleshly sin.

4. This sinne spoyleth the good name, weakneth and enfeebleth the strength,* taketh away beauty, hurteth the sound constitution, bringeth infinite diseases, which are both filthy and reproachfull, perisheth and blasteth the flower and blos∣some of youth, in not suffering it to bud and encrease, bringeth old-age before the* time, breaketh the forme and strength of the will, dulleth the understanding and maketh a man like unto the bruit beast, and like a fed horse, saith the Prophet Ieremy.

5. This sinne withdraweth a man from all honest studies and exercises, and draw∣eth him into the sea of carnall pleasures: It maketh young men foolish and re∣proachfull, and exposeth old-men to the shame of men, so that their talke is but of carnall delights.

The motives moving a man to this sin, are naturall corruption, gluttony, idle∣nesse,** scurrulous talke, a discovered dugge, a naked breast, frizled haire, artificiall painting, wanton apparrell, costly perfumes, a roling eye, an unchaste foot, hope of impunity, the accompanying with women, and idlenesse the chiefe of all of them.

Page  122Lay with

Abraham

Hagar, by whom he had a mocking Ishmael.*

Ammon

Tamar, he was therefore slaine by Absolom.

Absolom

Davids Concubine, his end after was hanging.

Abner

Sauls Concubine, he was after by Ioab slain.

Benjamites

A Levites wife, twenty five thousand were slain.

David

Bathsheba, Absolom his son lay with his Concubines.

Elies•onn•s

Women forbidden, they were slaine by the Philistines.

Iu•ah

Tamar his daughter in law: his conscience accused him.

Iacob

His wives handmaids: Reuben lay with one of them.

One Israelite

A Midianitish woman: both were by Phineas slaine.

Israelites

The daughter of Moab: Twenty foure thousand were slaine.

The incestuous

The wife of his father, hee was delivered over to Sa∣tan.*

Just Lot

His daughters, two cursed Nations came of them.

Old world

Women that they liked, they all perished in the floud.

•rodigall

Whores, he was with famine and hunger pined.

Reuben

His Fathers Concubine; he lost the dignity of birth-right.

Samson

Delilah, he lost his strength, haire, eyes and life.

Samsons wife

His companion, she was with her father burnt by the Phi∣listines.

Sodomites

Each other, they were burnt with fire from Heaven.*

Shechem

Dinah, hee was slaine with all the Shechemites by Si∣meon.*

Salomon

Women fo•bidden, the Lord raised adversaries against* him.

A•imelech and Pharaoh

Were both plagued with their wives, women and families, but* for taking Abrahams wife into their house.

Iohn by reproving Herod, by Herodias meanes lost his head.*

Ioseph after denying his mistris was a long time imprisoned.

The man

That committeth adultery shall die the death, with the woman* with whom he lyeth: Hee also that lyeth with his daughter in law shall die the death: Hee that lieth with a woman affian∣ced shall be scourged, that taketh a wife and her mother, shall both be burned, that uncovereth his brothers wife shall be cut of, that lyeth with another mans wife, his wife shall grinde to a∣nother.

The Priests daughter that playeth the whore shall be burned.*

The wife found to be adultresse, her belly did swell and thigh rot.

Bastards were forbidden to enter into the Congregation to the tenth de∣scent.

Bastards plants shall take no deepe root, nor lay a fast foundation.*

The hire of a whore brought to be offered to God, was abominable to him.

The man

• That accompanieth adulterers shall become impudent.*
• Rottennesse and wormes shall have him to heritage.

The Whoremonger

[Use] Destroyeth his owne soule, kindleth a fire which shall devoure** to destruction, rooteth out his increase, all bread is sweet to him, he will not leave off till he perish: Hee shall not en∣ter into the kingdome of God, he shall be judged by the Lord, and shal have his portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.

The Remedie against Whoredome.

1. Use labour, abstinence, temperance, prayer, stay the beginning while it is young, looke not unadvisedly on a woman, gaze not on a maid, but with Iob* make a covenant with thine eyes, heare no unhonest speeches, speake no unclean words, thinke on holy thoughts, in every temptation set before thee the presence of God, who beholdeth thee, the devill that will accuse thee, and thinke on the judgement that at last shall be pronounced against thee.

2. Remember that example of a modest Matron, who being tempted by a lascivi∣ous one, professing to doe any thing for her love, so as she would grant him his desire; after a long time, she called for a panne of coales, requesting him for her Page  123 sake to hold his finger in them but one houre: to which he answered, that it was* an unreasonable request: to whom she replyed, that seeing he would not hold so much as one of his fingers in a few Coales for one houre, she would not yeeld to doe that thing, for which she should be tormented body and soule in Hell for ever.*

3. Thinke on Demosthenes, who being demanded of Lais a famous Curtizan of Corinth a great summe of money to lye with her one night; he answered, he would not buy repentance at so deare a rate.

4. Set before thy eyes Ioseph, who being tempted by his wanton Mistresse, to lye* with her, answered, How can I doe this great wickednesse, and sinne against God? and forget not Pauls saying, What fruits have ye had in these things whereof ye are now ashamed? the end of them being death.

Use.

It should teach us as the Apostle counselleth, to Flie fornication, to possesse* our vessels in holinesse and honour, and to walk honestly as in the day, not in rio∣ting and drunkennesse, neither in chambering and wantonnesse, alwayes having in minde the law of God, Thou shalt not commit adulterie.

Reade Deut. 22. 20. Chap. 23. 18. Iob 24. 15. Prov 2. 16. Chap. 5. 3, 8. Cha. 6. 26, 12. Chap. 7. 7. Ezek. 23. 17. Prov. 9. 13. Chap. 23. 27. Ier. 5. 7. Levit. 18. 20. Wisd. 3. 16. Ecclus. 9. 1 Chap. 19. •. Chap. 23. 21. &c. Ephes. 5. 3. Gen. 20. 11. Exod. 22. 16. Le∣vit. 19. 20. Deut. 23. 18. Syr. 19. 3.