Exposition of the Moral Law, Book 2 · Commandment 7

Exposition of the Moral Law · Book 2 · Commandment 7

p. 139Commandement. VII.

EXERCITAT. I. How vile a ſinne adultery is.

Exod. 20.14. Thou ſhalt not commit adultery.

WHen a man ſinneth, hee ſinneth either againſt God, againſt himſelfe, or againſt his neighbour; the Apoſtle layeth out this diviſion plainly: Tit. 2.12. We ſhould live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly, in this preſent world; holy before God, ſoberly towards our ſelves, and righteouſly towards our neighbour.

The adulterer ſinneth, firſt, againſt God; ſecondly, againſt himſelfe, and thirdly, againſt his neighbour.

Firſt, he ſinneth againſt God;The adulterer ſinneth againſt the three perſons of the Trinitie. hee ſinneth directly againſt all the three perſons of the Trinitie, againſt God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoſt.

Firſt, he ſinneth againſt God the father the creator;The adulterer ſinneth againſt God the father. when God created Adam, hee made him firſt one, then he made the man and the woman two, and thirdly by marriage, he made the man and the woman one againe;Adam created one at the firſt, then was made two and then one. And they two ſhall be one fleſh. Gen. 2.24. And then commeth the adulterer, and ſeparateth them whom God hath conjoyned and made one.

p. 140…e ſinneth againſt the Sonne.Secondly, the adulterer ſinneth againſt God the Son the redemer, Shall I then take the members of Chriſt and make them the members of an harlot? 1. Cor. 6.15. Is Chriſt divided? hee is like the naturall mother that will not have the child divided, hee will not have his members, to be made the members of an harlot.

He ſinneth againſt the Holy ghoſt.Thirdly, the adulterer ſinneth againſt the holy Ghoſt the Sanctifier, defiling the temple of his body; and as the uncleane converſation of the Sodomites grieved the ſpirit of juſt Lot. 2. Pet. 2.8. much more doth the uncleane converſation of the adulterer, grieve the good ſpirit of God.

The adulterer ſinneth againſt himſelfe.Secondly, the adulterer ſinneth againſt himſelfe; Firſt, againſt his owne body. How ſinneth hee againſt his owne body? He ſinneth againſt his owne body ſubjectivè, but in other ſinnes objectivè; for in other ſinnes the body is but the inſtrument, and the thing which he abuſeth is without the body; as when a murtherer killeth a man, the wrong and injurie is done to his neighbour; but when hee committeth adultery, the body is not onelyonly the inſtrument by which he committeth this ſinne, but alſo the thing it ſelfe which is abuſed; he ſinneth againſt his owne body making it the member of an harlot, and depriving it of the dignity which it had, and by bringing loathſome and vile diſeaſes upon it.

ALIENVS pro inimica apud Hebra….So he ſinneth againſt his owne familie, bringing in a ſtrange woman, Prov. 5.9. Leſt thou give thine honour unto others, and thy yeares unto the cruell. and Prov. 5.20. And why wilt thou my ſonne, be raviſht with a ſtrange woman, and embrace the boſome of a ſtranger.

foreign Spurius. foreign aliona labes. foreign Spurius a foreign tacere.So he ſinneth againſt the child begotten in adultery, he is called Mamzer, as ye would ſay, aliena labes, another mans blot; and the Hebrewes call him Shatuki, from ſhatak tacere, for when others are prayſing their parents, he muſt hold his peace, becauſe hee knew not who was p. 141his father; and the Iewes call the naturall children the olive and the vine, and the baſtard they called the bramble, and the Greekes call them foreign,foreign contumelia & foreign ſtupro, bruta etiam animalia foreign dicuatur cum petulantia ſunt & …aſ…rva. becauſe they are ſubject to contumelies. Ioh. 8.41. We be not borne of fornication: the Phyſitians call the ſhort ribs coſtas ſpurias, or baſe ribs, the Athenians had a place in Athens called Cynoſorgus, from foreign canis, and foreign in the Ionick tongue ſignifieth white, becauſe they offered a white dogge to Hercules: Firſt, they offered a dogge; quia canes promiſcue coeunt, then they offered it to Hercules, becauſe Hercules was a baſtard, therefore they uſed to ſay to a baſtard, foreign, that is, get you to the judicatory to be tried.

As the adulterer ſinneth againſt himſelfe,The adulterer wrongeth his neighbour. ſo hee ſinneth againſt his neighbour; Firſt, hee wrongeth the head of the family, taking from him,The wife called the delight of the eyes. her who ſlept in his boſome, eate of his morſels, and dranke of his cup. 2. Sam. 12.3. So hee taketh from him the delight of his eyes. Ezek. 24.16. So he wrongeth the reſt of his neighbours children, making them to be ſuſpected of baſtardie; for even as one peece of light money maketh the whole ſumme to be ſuſpected; ſo doth the baſtard mak the reſt of the children in the family to be ſuſpected. Pſal. 128.3. The children of the houſe are called olive plants:Children compared to olive plants. why are they compared to olive plants? as the olive plant will ſuffer no other graft of any other tree to be ingrafted in the ſtocke, ſo cannot the naturall children of the houſe abide a baſtard to be amongſt them. Iudg. 9.2. Thou ſhalt not inherite with us, becauſe thou art the ſonne of a ſtrange woman.

Compare this ſinne of adulterie with other ſinnes,Adulterie compared with murther. and yee ſhall ſee the vilenes of it: a murtherer when he hath committed a murther, his conſcience doth ſting him after the fact be done, but ſtollen waters are ſweet to the adulterer. Prov. 9.17. that is, hee hath no remorſe p. 142for the ſin, and he is led like the oxe to the ſlaughter, or as a foole to the correction of the ſtocks, till a dart ſtrike through his liver, as a bird haſteth to the ſnare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Prov. 7.22, 23.

Adulterie compared with fornication.Compare this ſinne with fornication, and yee ſhall ſee the vilenes of it. Chryſoſtome hath a good compariſon to this purpoſe,Simile. wee excuſe ſaith he the maſter of a ſhip, when the ſhip is caſt away by the ſtorme of weather; but if the ſhip be brought within the harbour, and then the maſter of the ſhip ſhould caſt her away, then he ſhould plead no excuſe: So ſaith he, when youth is unmarried, and carried away with the tempeſts of ſinfull luſts, they may ſeeme to have ſome pretence or excuſe to extenuat their fault, as not being married; but when they are come within the haven, or ſafe port of marriage; what excuſe can they have then?

Adulterie compared with theft.Compare this ſinne and theft together; theft taketh away a mans goods, but whoredome ſtealeth away oftentimes the right of a mans lands. The theife when hee ſtealeth, doth it for neceſſity, and hee will reſtore ſeven fold for it, but an adulterer cannot make reſtitution.Adulterie the greateſt theft. Prov. 6.31, 32. It is the greateſt ſort of theft that is, and therefore the Greekes called them foreign, fures conjugij.

Sinne added to another fault, to note the greatneſſe of it.When the Scripture appropriateth this word [Sin] to any particular ſinne, then it noteth a great ſinne; as this people hath committed a ſinne, that is, idolatrie; So whoredome by way of appropriation is called a ſinne, Luc. 7.37. And behold a woman in the citie which was a ſinner, that is, which was a proſtitute harlot.

The greatneſſe of this ſinne appeareth in this, there is a double end of marriage; Firſt, to beget children; Secondly, the remedy againſt luſt; but the adulterer delighteth in luſt, but not to beget children in this act, p. 143therefore it is moſt oppoſite to honourable marriage.

VnderUnder the law, the ſacrifice which was offered for the woman ſuſpected of adultery, is called oblatio recordationis; Num. 5.18. In all other ſacrifices the iniquitie was purged, and put away; but in this ſacrifice the ſinne of adultery is remembred, and there was no incenſe nor oyle added to this ſacrifice, which two ſignified, pleaſure and joy; there was nothing pleaſing to the Lord in it.

Laſtly, the greatneſſe of the puniſhment ſheweth the greatneſſe of the ſinne,The puniſhment of adulterie grievous. whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Heb. 13.4. and without ſhall bee dogges, ſorcerers, and whoremongers, &c. Revelat. 22.15. The whores houſe inclineth to death, foreignand her pathes [El rephaijm] to the Gyants. Proverbs 2.18. to that part of hell, where theſe damned monſters are.

The concluſion of this:Concluſion. Seeing adulterie is ſuch a fearefull ſinne, wee muſt ſhunne all occaſions which lead unto it; Remove thy way farre from her, and come not nigh the doore of her houſe. Prov. 5.8. When Potiphars wife tooke hold on Ioſephs cloak, he left the cloak behind him, and would not touch it againe; no more then David would drinke of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which was got with the hazard of mens lives.

p. 144EXERCITAT. II. Of the allurements of the Whore to adulterie, and how vile ſhe is being compared with wiſedome. Commandement. VII.

Prov. 9.14. Shee ſitteth at the doore of her houſe on a ſeat in the high places of the citie, to call paſſengers that goe by, &c.

The whore is wiſdomes Ape.THe whore is the Ape of wiſedome, for as the Ape in ſome outward geſtures imitateth man, but cannot reaſon as man doth, or ſpeake as hee doth: ſo the whore but imitateth wiſdome in ſome outward things, but not in true vertuous actions.

The whore counterfeiteth wiſedome in inviting her lovers.She counterfeiteth wiſdome; Firſt, wiſdome ſtandeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the pathes, Prov. 8.2. & ſhe calleth the ſonnes of men in the entrie of the gates. So doth the whore ſit in the corners & high places of the citie; and inviteth her lovers. Prov. 9.14.15.

Secondly, wiſedome hath her palace; She hath builded her houſe, ſhee hath hewen out her ſeaven pillars. Prov. 9.1. So the whore hath her chamber, and her bed decked with coverings, and perfumed with myrrhe, aloes, and oyntment. Prov. 7.16.

Thirdly, wiſedome hath her banquet; She hath killed her beaſts, ſhe hath mingled her wine: ſhe hath alſo furniſhed her table. Prov. 9.2. So hath the whore her banquet, her peace offerings: Prov. 7.14.

Fourthly, wiſedome inviteth the ſimple; Prov. 8.5. but the whore inviteth the fooliſh man, void of underſtanding. Prov. 7.7.

p. 145But ſe the difference, wiſedome hath a ſtately palace builded upon ſeven pillars, but the whore hath a bed decked with coverings, perfumes, and aloes, this bed dreſſed thus with ſuch perfumes, and ointments, might put the young man in minde that hee was going to his grave, for the bodies of the dead were embalmed with ſuch perfumes and ointments, and Her houſe is the way to hell going downe to the chambers of death, Prov. 7.27.

Wiſedome cryeth without, ſhee uttereth her voice in the ſtreets, ſhee cryeth in the chiefe places of concourſe, in the openings of the gates, in the citie ſhe utters her words. Marke the proceeding of wiſedome here in this gradation: Firſt, ſhe cryeth [bahhutz] without, that is,foreign foris foreign locus urbis patulus in quem Mercatores ac Venditores contrahendi et vendendi gratia conveniunt. foreign in capite tumltuantium id eſt turbarum. foreign ad fores portarum, ubi ſuprema Iudicum ſubſellia. ſhe cryeth as ſhe cometh out at the doore: againe, ſhe cryeth [barhhobhoth] in the ſtreetes, that is, in the place where buyers, and ſellers uſe to meete for exerciſing of merchandiſe. Thirdly, ſhee cryeth [beroſh homijoth] in the chiefe place of concourſe, that is, where both the chiefe of the people, and common multitude reſort, as 1. Sam. 14.38. Draw neare here all yee chiefe people. So Iud. 20.2. Fourthly, ſhe cryeth [hephithhe ſhegnarim] in the opening of the gates, that is, in the place where the Iudges, and the counſell ſate, ſhe is not afraid of the faces of great men, nor of the power of the Iudge. But the whore hath her crye, and ſhee cometh to the doore of her houſe, and to the ſtreetes, and to the corners of the ſtreetes, Prov. 7.12. but ſhe dares not be bold to come into the gates of the city, where judgement and juſtice are adminiſtred.

They that eate of wiſedomes banquet, it ſhall be marrow to their bones, Prov. 3.8. but they that eate of the whores banquet, ſhall mourne at the laſt, when their fleſh, and their body are conſumed, Venus abantiquis foreign dicta.therefore the Greekes called Venus foreign, ſolvens vel diſſolvens membra.

Wiſdome mixeth her wine with ſpices, but the whore hath her cup of fornication mixed with Philtra, or inchantments, p. 146Revel. 17.4. poculum foreign, a cup of abomination, and filthineſſe of her fornication, Wiſedome hath length of dayes in her right hand, Prov. 3.16. but the whores feete goe downe to death, and her ſteps take hold on the grave, Prou. 5.5.Whores of old haunted amongſt the graves. The whores of old were ſhut out of the citie, and dwelt by themſelves, and when they committed their villanie,Hadrianus Turnebus, lib. adverſ. 13.19. they went to ſecret places amongſt the graves, therefore they called them buſtuartas moechas, de ſcortis inter buſta atque monumenta proſtantibus: the whores who haunted among the graves to hide their filthineſſe: and the Seventy allude to this, Ierem. 1. How ſayeſt thou I am not polluted, I ſaw thy wayes in the valley▪ the Seventy hath it, I ſaw thy wayes amongſt the graves.

Wiſedome bringeth riches in her left hand, Prov. 3.16. but the whore bringeth a man to a morſell of bread, Prov. 6.26. and ſtrangers are filled with his ſtrength, that is,ROBVR pro divi…ijs. his riches, for ſtrength is put for riches, Hoſ. 7.9. Iob. 30.24. And he mourneth when all is ſpent, Pro. 5.11. in the originall it is [Nahamta ba…hharithecha] which properly ſignifieth to roare as the hungry lions doe when they are hungerbit.foreign ne forte rugias vel gemas in no…iſſimis tuis foreign rug…ſt, fremuit leonum famelicorum proprie. Such was the crie of the forlorne ſonne, after that hee had waſted all his goods upon whores, when hee ſaid, I periſh with hunger, Luc. 15.17.

Wiſedome cometh with honour in her left hand, Prov. 3 16. but the whore bringeth ſhame, Prov. 5.14. I was almoſt in all evill in the midd ſt of the congregation and aſſembly, that is, I was eſteemed an infamous ſinner, So Luc. 7.3. Behold a woman in the city which was a ſinner, that is, who was eſteemed a publicke and infamous ſinner, and ſo publicans and harlots are joyned together, as infamous and notorious ſinners.

Who ſo findeth wiſedome findeth life, Prov. 8.35. but whoſoever haunteth with a whore giveth his yeares [leaczari] to the cruell, foreign Crud…lis, proprie v…num Aſp…lu….Prov. 5.9 [aczar] properly ſignifieth p. 147the poiſon of the aſpe, Deut. 32.33. which breedeth no paine at the firſt, but the poiſon is deadly and cannot be cured; The lips of a ſtrange woman doe drop as the honey combe, but her end is bitter as worme-wood, ſweet things breed choller, but bitter things diminiſh choler; the faire ſpeeches and ſongs of the whore ſeeme to be ſweete and pleaſant, but being digeſted they turne to bitterneſſe, but ſpirituall ſongs as Davids, although they ſeeme bitter at the firſt, yet they are comfortable in the end, and Sweeter then the honey and the honey combe, Pſal. 19. Therefore Salomon willeth the young man to deliver himſelfe from the ſtrange woman that flattereth with her words, Prov. 2.16. nitzal eſt furto ſe eripere, foreign furto ſe eripuit, vel proripuit.to ſteale himſelfe out of her bonds, who keepeth him ſo in fetters.

As the Lord ſaid to the Iſraelites, that hee had ſet life and good, and death and evill before them, Deut. 30.15. So the Lord here ſets death and life before men, the way of wiſedome, and the pathes of the whore, that they ſhould chooſe the one and decline the other.

EXERCITAT. VII. The adulterous eye is a motive to adultery. Commandement. III.

2. Pet. 2.14. Having their eyes full of adultery.

THe motives which draw men to this ſinne, are firſt, the members of the body, and they are thoſe two eſpecially, the eye and the tongue; and the ornaments of the body, either naturall, or artificiall; naturall, as the haire; artificiall, as apparell.

p. 148Adultery firſt bred in the heart.Adultery is firſt bred in the heart, out of the heart cometh adultery and murther, Matt. 15.19. Apolidorus in his dreame, as Plutarch teſtifieth, dreamed that the Scythians tooke him, and fleyed the skinne off him, and boyled him in a caldron, and in the meanetime, while hee was thus tormented in the caldron, his heart ſaid ſecretly unto him, Ego tibi horum ſum cauſa; the heart is the cauſe of all filthineſſe, and therefore if wee would keepe this Commandement, wee muſt Gird the loynes of of our mindes and be ſober, 1. Pet. 1.13. that is, our ſinfull paſſions, and eſpecially our luſt, which hindereth us in the way.foreign Si pellectus fuit animas meus. Iob. 31.9. If mine heart hath beene deceived by a woman: [im niphta libbi;] it is the ſame word which is uſed, Exod. 22.16. If a man intice a maid: and 1. King. 22.20. Who ſhall deceive Ahab: It is the heart that deceiveth a man, therefore the heart ſhould chiefely be looked unto, for it is the hardeſt taske of all to keepe it. It was well ſaid by one of the Fathers, Non puto ullum qui clauſerat coelum oratione, It is a hard taske to keepe the heart aright.quod clauſerat animam à cogitatione; & faciliùs eſt coelum obſerare quam animam; I beleeve not that hee who ſhut the heavens by his prayer, could ſhut his heart from evill thoughts, and that it is an eaſier thing to ſhut the heavens, then the heart.

Adultery ſheweth it ſelf in the eye.This adultery cometh from the heart to the eyes and there is a great affinity betwixt the heart & the eye, the one is cauſa, and the other is occaſio to this ſinne; and the eye is the bawd, who goeth betwixt the object and the heart; and there is ſuch affinity betwixt the heart and the eye,Deſires are attributed to the eyes. that deſires are attributes to the eyes, Eccl. 2.10. I with-held not from mine eyes, whatſoever they deſired. So Gen. 45.20. Let not your eyes ſpare the ſtuffe. So 1. Sam. 24.10. Mine eye ſpared thee.

The eyes are the occaſion, but it is the heart that muſt yeeld to the deſire or deny it,The eye is the occaſion, but the heart is the cauſe of ſinne. the eye importunes us much; therefor Iohn calleth it, The luſt of the eye; 1. Ioh. p. 1492.16. So Num. 15.39. That ye goe not a whoring after your owne eyes: and Peter ſaith, That their eyes are full of adultery: in the Greeke it is foreign Pleni adulterae, foreign.full of the whore, as if the whore were ſeene ſitting in the eye of the adulterer, but it is better read, Full of adultery; for it is the manner of the Hebrewes, to put the epethite for the ſubſtantive; as Deut. 29.19. Vt addat ehrietatem ſitienti, proſiti, here the epethite ebrius, Regula Hebraeorum. The epethite put for the ſubſtantive.is put for the ſubſtantive, ebrietas: ſo here adultera, the epethite, is put for adulterium, the ſubſtantive.

To make a covenant with our eyes is that which is required of us here; there is a great diſcord betwixt the regenerate mind and the ſinfull members, and therefore the regenerate part had need to take good heed to them, or elſe they will deceive it.

Iob made a covenant with his eyes, Iob. 31.9. Not onelyonly to reſtraine the firſt conſent, and ſinfull motion, but alſo the ſight it ſelfe; and it was his ſtudie, Reducere ſpeciem ſenſus externi, ad eandem ſpeciem cum interno; as the Schoolemen ſay, to make his eyes anſwerable to his heart, as his heart was clean from adulterie, ſo he would have his eyes alſo.

Simply to behold a woman is not a ſinne, but curiouſly, and with a ſinfull eye to looke after a woman, and luſt after her, that is ſinne. Matt. 5.28. the Apoſtle ſaith, 2. Cor. 4.18. Looke not at things which are ſeen, but at things which are not ſeene, foreign, is ſo to looke,When it is ſin to looke upon a woman. as the archer looketh to the marke; hee that beholdeth a woman this wayes, hath an adulterous eye, He that looketh on a woman, Matt. 5.28. foreign, is not onelyonly to looke with the eye, but alſo with the heart.Some of the heathen have plucked out their eyes. Some of the heathen knowing how unruly the eye was, have pulled out their eyes, and they thought them moſt happy that were blinde. And Seneca ſaid, Nonne intelligis partem foelicitatis noſtra eſſe caecitatem: but they were miſtaken, Chriſt p. 150willeth us to pull out our ſinfull eye, Matt. 5.29. take luſt from our eye, which is a member of our ſinfull body, and then the eye of it ſelfe is a good member of the body.

We ſhould not looke upon the nakedneſſe of others.The eye is the ſpeciall occaſion to this ſinne, therefore men ſhould not deſire to ſee the nakedneſſe of others; Sem and Iaphet went backward that they might not ſee their fathers nakedneſſe. Rabbi Abraham held that it was not lawfull to behold the creatures when they were ingendering,The angels when they apeared were cloathed. becauſe of the corruption of mans nature, which is ſtirred up to ſinne by ſuch ſights; the angels who are bleſſed ſpirits, and have no concupiſcence, yet when they appeared in the likeneſſe of men, they appeared cloathed, Act. 1.10. and the Seraphins wings covered their feet, Eſay. 6.2. For reverence of the Majeſty of God, they covered that part which the Scripture calleth our feete. Deut. 28.57. Gen. 49.10.

Nature teacheth us to cover our nakedneſſe, therefore when a man hath committed a ſinne, he bluſheth, the blood, as it were, would cover the ſinne, Verecundia celat turpem actum, & erubeſcentia ceſſat a turpi actu.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, although wee had need to looke to all our ſenſes, to our taſte, Prov. 23.1. to our touch, Eccleſ. 6.1. yet wee have more neede to looke unto our noble ſenſe of hearing, for Evill communication corrupts good manners. 1. Cor. 15.33. but moſt of all wee have need to looke to our ſight, and we ſhould do with it as the Romans of old did with their priſoners, they never went abroad but they had their keeper joyned with them, therefore they ſaid, Vna catena continet tam mili tem quam reum, ſend never thine eyes abroad, but ſend their keepers with them.

p. 151EXERCITAT. IV. How the tongue breaketh this Commandment by filthy ſpeeches. Commandement. VII.

Epheſ. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.

BEfore man fell hee needed no cloathes to cover his nakedneſſe, but after the fall, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Wee put honour upon our uncleane parts, 1. Cor. 12.23. So before the fall, no ſpeech had beene uncomely, but ſince the fall ſuch is the corruption of the heart of man when hee heareth filthy ſpeeches, that hee is provoked by them; therefore when the holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh of ſuch things,foreign. hee covereth them with modeſt and comely termes.

And firſt wee ſhall obſerve,The modeſty of the ſpirit of God on the Scriptures in giving comely termes to things. that there are no proper names in the Scripture giuen to that part of the bodie which diſtinguiſheth the ſexes in man or woman, as in other languages, and that is done for modeſties ſake, ſometimes the Scriptures call it fleſh. Gen. 17.13.23.Caro. Levit. 15.2.19. Ezek. 16.26. and 23.20. ſo it is called a mans ſhame, Deut. 25.11.Pudor. The woman that putteth out her hand, and taketh a man by his ſhame: hence it is that all filthineſſe is called confuſion, Philip. 3.9. Thirdly it is called his nakedneſſe, per Antiphraſin, Nuditas.becauſe it ſhould not be naked; Levit. 18.6. Nahum. 3.5.Pes. So it is called the feete; Eſay, 7.20. I ſhall ſhave the haire of the feete: ſo Deut. 28.57. and Exod. 4.25. and the thigh,Femur. Numb. 5.21. And the Lord cauſe thy thigh to rot, ſo p. 152Exod 1.5. All the children which came out of Iacobs thigh; and the Apoſtle calleth them Vncleane parts, Membra ignobiliora; foedus circumciſionis. foreign1. Cor. 23. and Targum upon Ruth, for modeſty calleth this member foedus circumciſionis, and the Hebrewes call it [beth boſheth] domus pudoris, and [abhar hamiſhgabh] membrum Coitus, ſo digitus: ſo [beth hamiſhtarim] domus abſconditorum, and the mans is called his arrow, and the womans her quiver, Sagitta. Pharetra.Eccleſ. 6.6. Shee openeth her quiver to every arrow.

When they deſcribe the action it ſelfe, they ſet it downe in moſt comely termes:Arare. Iud. 14.18. If ye had not plowed with my heifer: ſo the Latines following them ſay fundum alienum arat, Revelare alam.and they call the adulterer agricola, ſo revelare alam: Deut 22.30. He ſhall not diſcover his fathers skirt. Molere.So to grinde, Let my wife grinde to another man, Iob. 31.10. So to bow downe, Let another bowe downe upon her. Incurvare.ſo Seminabitur ſemine, Num. 5.28. that is,Seminari ſemine. her husband ſhall lie with her and ſhee ſhall conceive. So to eate,Edere. Bibere.She wiped her mouth and ſaid, ſhee did it not, Prov. 30.20.Effundere aquam. ſo to drinke, and the water is put for ſeed: Hee ſhall poure out his water out of buckets, Aqua pro ſemine.Num. 25.59. and Prov. 7.9.foreign. Stolne waters are ſweete: ſo foreign, to goe together. Matt. 1.19. ſo to touch, I ſuffered thee not to touch her, Tangere.Gen. 20.6. and 1 Cor. 7.1. It is not good for a man to touch a woman, Dare poma. Legere nuces.hence cometh intacta virgo, amongſt the Latines, and the Latines uſed to expreſſe theſe actions in modeſt termes,mutum peccatum. foreign as dare poma, legere nuces, for theſe kinde of fruits were ſet upon the table of Priapus, and the Schoolemen call the ſin of Sodome, mutum peccatum. So the Maſorets have changed one word into another for modeſtie,foreign Deut. 28.30. Thou ſhalt betroth a wife, and another man ſhall lie with her: they have changed [ſhagal] ſubagitare, into [ſhacabh] concumbere, and their tradition in the Talmud is col hammikraoth haccethubhim bethorah legannai korin othan leſhebhah; p. 153omnes voces quae ſcriptae ſunt in lege obſcene, legunt eas honeſte.

But yee will ſay, Ob. were there any words ſet downe in the law in uncomely termes, that there needed more modeſt words to be put in their place?

When the holy Scriptures were written, Anſw. When the ſcriptures were written, there were no uncomely termee.theſe words were comely and modeſt, and gave no offence to the hearer, but the corruption of man is growne ſince; and many words are ſo degenerate, that chaſte eares cannot heare them without offence; many words are degenerate now, which in our fathers time ſounded well enough.

The concluſion of this is:Concluſion. Let us ſtudie to be modeſt in our words, as well as to be holy in our actions; many men are aſhamed now that their nakedneſſe ſhould bee ſeene, but they are not aſhamed to lay out their nakedneſſe in filthy and beaſtly ſpeeches.

EXERCITAT. V. That the dreſſing of the hare is a motive to the ſinne of adulterie. Commandement. VII.

1. Pet. 3.3. Let not your adorning be that outward adorning, of the plating of the haire.

THe haire hath a fourefold uſe: Firſt,The haire of the head hath a fourefold uſe. it hath a naturall uſe, to be the womans ornament and her glory. 1. Cor. 11.14. It is the womans glory, but it is a ſhame for the man to weare long haire, which is the womans ornament. Iob. 5.5. The robbers ſwallow up their ſubſtance, p. 154in the Hebrew it is Tzamim, foreignthe hairie ones; Nebuchadnezzar when hee lived amongſt the beaſts, then his haire did grow;foreign and the divells are called Shegnarim, hirſuti. Levit. 17.7. They ſhall no more offer their ſacrifices Leſhegnirim, to the hairy ones, that is, to the divells; they are called hayrie ones, becauſe they appeared in the forme of Satyres or wild Goates; Abſolon who gloried in his long haire was caught by it.

Secondly, the haire hath a morall uſe: Levit. 19.32. And thou ſhalt riſe before the hoary head. Thirdly, it had a ceremoniall uſe, as the Nazarits haire. And laſtly, men have found out a prophane uſe to make it an occaſion to uncleanneſſe.

The abuſe of the haire, and that foure wayes.The haire is abuſed; Firſt, when it is dyed and made of another colour, then the naturall colour of it; Which of you, ſaith Chriſt, can make one haire black or white. Mat. 5.36.

Secondly, the haire is abuſed when the locks are hung out to be ſeene of others;Iunius in Cant. 4.1.Song 4:1 a modeſt matron hideth them. See Cant. 4.1. Oculi tui columbini prae crine tuo, that is, thy haire is bound up like the modeſt matrons, and not hung as the haire of the ſtrumpet; the locks of the haire are called Mahhlephoth, foreign mutationes. foreign mors.mutationes; and our death is called Hhalephah, mutatio; Ioh. 14.14. and the Hebrewes give the reaſon why the locks are ſo called, becauſe the locks change firſt; when our haire beginneth to change, it is praeludium mortis, the forerunner of death; if men and women would remember this, they would glory little in their haire.

Thirdly, it is abuſed in plateing and frizeling of it. 1. Pet. 3.3. So women abuſe their haire when they cut it like a mans haire. 1. Cor. 11.6. It is a ſhame for a woman to be ſhorne.

And laſtly the haire is abuſed, when they borrow falſe haire, Pea; eſt mulier alienam caeſariem geſtans.

p. 155Defects of nature may bee ſupplied, Obj. therefor to borrow haire for ornament is not to abuſe it.

We may ſupply the perſonall defects in nature, Anſ. What defects in man or woman are to be ſupplyed. Two ſorts of defects, perſonall and naturall.or the occaſionall wants; a man wanteth a legge, hee may put a legge of wood in place of it; but naturall defects which are incident to all the ſonnes of men ſhould not be ſupplied by art. Example, the wrinckling of the face is naturall to all old women; this is a naturall defect and not perſonall: therefore to paint the face to cover this defect is altogether unlawfull, ſo to dye the haire and make it of another colour.

The Lord hath given oyle to make the face to ſhine, Ob. therefore the face may be painted.

God when he giveth the uſe of his creatures to men, Anſw. A fourfold uſe of Gods creatures, for neceſſity and for delight, and as typicall, and as nationall cuſtomes.he gave firſt for neceſſity; ſecondly, he gave them for delight, as the wine to cheare the heart, and the oyle to make the face to ſhine; thirdly, hee gave the Iewes ſome things for ceremony; fourthly, he permitted ſome things to them for the nationall cuſtomes, as to the Iewes to annoynt their faces with oyle: So hee biddeth the Iewes rent their hearts and not their cloathes; the Lord hath given us the comfortable and naturall uſe of the oyle, but he hath not given us that nationall cuſtome of the oyle to annoynt our faces with it, no more then in the day of humiliation to rent our cloathes.

When women paint their faces as Iezabel did, they are aſhamed of nature, and would amend Gods handy worke; hypocrites are called in the Syriack, facetakers Naſaph bappa, foreignbecauſe they take a counterfeit face upon them, and make a ſhew of that which they have not: as there is morall hypocriſie, ſo there is artificiall hypocriſie; foreign, is that which is the contrary;foreign. this is nativa pulchritudo, & non fucata.

Women ſhould ſtudie to adorne the hid man of the heart, and not to delight in theſe outward ſhewes;What things we ſhould labour to adorne. Mary p. 156Magdalen when ſhe was converted, wiped Chriſts feet with the haire of her head, wherewith ſhee had entiſed her lovers before; wee have a notable example of the Roman matrons,Plutarch. de fauore. what they did with their haire in defence of the Capitoll; when the Gaules beſieged the Capitoll, the Romans had no ſtrings for their croſſe-bowes to defend the Capitoll, and the hiſtory telleth us the women did ſhave off their haire to make ſtrings to the croſſe-bowes, that they might defend their gods, and therefore they ſay, aedem veneri calvae conſecrarunt; if they would cut their haire (the greateſt ornament) for the defence of their heatheniſh gods; what a ſhame is it for women who profeſſe themſelves Chriſtians to make their haire to bee an occaſion to make others to ſinne.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, wee muſt mortifie ſinne in all the parts of the body, and the ornaments of it ſhould be comelie.

EXERCITAT. VI. Of whoriſh apparell. Commandement VII.

Prov. 6.10. There met him a woman with the attire of an harlot.

Why we ſhould not be proud of our apparell.OVr apparell at the firſt was inſtituted to cover our nakedneſſe, therefore wee ſhould not be proud of our apparell; man in his beſt eſtate is but a worme (as the Hebrewes ſay) cloathed with the excrements of the worme, he is but expectatio vermium, and ſhall be conſumed p. 157with wormes, why then ſhould hee be proud of his apparell?

Chriſt ſaith, Mat. 6.29.A compariſon betwixt the cloathing of Salomon and the cloathing of the Lilies. that Salomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of the Lilies; the glory of Salomon was bur artificiall, but the glory of the Lilie was naturall; now the perfection of art is to imitate nature, and as farre as nature exceedeth art, as farre doth the Lilie exceed Salomon in all his glory.

Secondly,Salomons cloathing was borrowed, but not the Lilies. how many things was Salomon beholden to, when hee was dreſſed up this wayes? hee was beholden to the earth for the Gold, to Egypt for the linnen, to the ſilke-worme for the ſilke, and to the ſhellfiſh for the purpure; and if every one of theſe ſhould have claimed their owne, Salomon ſhould have beene ſtript out of all, and ſhould have ſtood up like Eſops Crow, who borrowed a feather of every foule; but the Lilie was beholden to none: therefore the Lilie exceeded Salomon in all his glory.

Thirdly, when Salomon was adorned this way,Salomons cloathing was to cover his ſhame, but not the Lilies. his ornaments were but the covering of his ſhame, and hee had no more cauſe to bragge of theſe, then a thiefe had of a ſilke rope, or if a man ſhould bragge of a plaiſter laid to his filthie ſore: but the Lilie carrieth no marke of ſhame, therefore the Lilie exceeded Salomon in all his glory.

Fourthly,There was but one Salomon richly cloathed, but all the Lilies of the field were ſo. there was much adoe to get one Salomon decked this wayes, bur all the Lilies of the field were decked alike; therefore the Lilie exceeded Salomon in all his glory; there is ſmall reaſon then why men and women ſhould ſo glory in their apparell.

Apparell is ordained to diſtinguiſh the eſtates and conditions of men, the nobler from the baſer,Apparell ordained to diſtinguiſh …exes. They who are in Kings houſes weare ſoft apparell. Mat. 10.18. and the Kings daughters in thoſe dayes wore a partie coloured gowne … …om. 13.18. And ſhe had a garment of diverſe p. 158colours. So the nobler ſort in Iſrael wore white cloathes, Eccleſ. 9.8. Let thy cloathes bee white, therefore they were called [Horim] candidi; foreignand the baſer ſort wore black cloathes. Prov. 22.29. Non ſtabit cum obſcuris, that is, with the baſer ſort.

Againe apparell was inſtituted to diſtinguiſh ſexes, The man ſhall not put on the womans apparell. Deut. 22.5.

Laſtly, apparell was inſtituted for commoditie, when they travelled with the ambulatorie Arke through the wildernes, then their cloathes were ſhort, but when they came to Canaan, they had foreign, cloathes reaching to their feet. Revelat. 1.13. But the devill hath found out another uſe of apparell.foreign ornatus meretricius. Prov. 7.10. She met him with [Shith tzonah,] the attire of a whore, this is a garment which becommeth not an honeſt woman; and as in the warres, juſta eſt percuſſio gerentis hoſtilem teſſaram, they may bee juſtly killed who weare the enemies badge in the warres; ſo may thoſe who weare the whoriſh garments: There is nothing that ſheweth the vanity of the mind, more thē apparell doth. Luc. 7.25. They that weare ſoft apparell, The apparell ſheweth the vanity of the minde.foreign, the Apoſtle; 1. Cor. 6.9. transferreth it to the minde foreign, molles, the apparell ſheweth the effeminatneſſe of the minde.

Some ornaments lawfull in themſelves.Some ſort of ornaments and apparell are lawfull in themſelves, and the Lord onelyonly condemneth the abuſe of them; a chaine of it ſelfe is a thing lawfull, and it is lawfull for a man of place to weare it, but if hee weare pride with it, as a chaine, Pſal. 73.6. then it is an abuſe of the ornament:foreign i…nis. foreign incantare. So Lahhaſh is called an eare-ring, and Lahhaſh is called incantare, to bewitch or entice, when one weareth an eare-ring to entice or bewitch with it, then it is the abuſe of the ornament.

Thoſe ornaments which the matrons of old uſed, as Rebeccha and Sarah, as bracelets and eare-rings, they are not unlawfull. 1. Pet. 2.5. For after this man… was the p. 159holy women of old time adorned, who truſted in God, where the Apoſtle inſinuateth, that there was much more gravity, and comelineſſe in that age,Ornaments from which the ſpirit of God borroweth compariſons, are lawfull. then there is now; Secondly, theſe ornaments are lawfull in themſelves, from which the ſpirit of God borroweth compariſons in decking of the Church;foreign Redimicula ornamenti colli fuerunt. the abuſe of theſe is onelyonly condemned, and not the uſe. Eſay. 3.20. Hakkiſhurim, the Lord applieth this to the ornaments which he beſtoweth upon his Church. Ier. 2.32. Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire, the Seventy foreign, faſciae pectoralis. So Ezek. 16.11. the holy Ghoſt borrowes compariſons from ornaments and deckings of the body; I cloathed thee with broidered worke, I ſhod thee with badgers skinnes, and I put bracelets upon thine hand, and jewels upon thy forehead; the uſe of theſe is lawfull, but the abuſe is onelyonly condemned.

Theſe ornaments which have any neceſſarie uſe in the bodie, are lawfull, and the abuſe is onelyonly cenſured. Eſay. 3.20. [Batte hanepheſh] domus animae, foreign domus animae.the ſoule here is put for the breath of the ſoule; and becauſe they breathed in theſe maskes, therefore they are called the houſe of the ſoule; the maske is a neceſſary ornament for the ſafety of the face, therefore the abuſe is onelyonly condemned here. So 1, King. 20.38. Mutavit ſe in ſudario, that is, he changed himſelfe in putting a ſcarfe upon his face; the Chaldee hath it Megnaphar, foreign pulvis. foreign ſudarium.which ſignifieth to keepe the duſt from the eyes; it is not [Epher] pulvis here, but [Aphar] fudarium, this is a neceſſary covering for the face.

The perſons who may uſe theſe ornaments are the rich rather then the poore. 2. Tim. 2.19. The Apoſtle forbiddeth the women to adorne themſelves with gold, pearles or coſtly aray: What perſons may weare ornaments lawfully.The Chriſtians at that time for the moſt pare were of the poorer ſort, for not many noble were called. 1. Cor. 1.8. hee blamed thoſe who adorned p. 160themſelves above their ranke.

Secondly, it is more lawfull for thoſe who are in the court, then thoſe who are in the countrey to weare theſe ornaments; They that are in Kings houſes weare ſoft apparell. Mat. 11.18.

Thirdly, it is more lawfull for married women to dreſſe themſelves, than for widowes, that ſo they may pleaſe their husbands: She that is married careth how to pleaſe her husband. 1. Cor. 7.34. but when women dreſſe themſelves this wayes, they muſt have a care to adorne the hid man of the heart alwayes: the maids before they were married in Iſrael uſed to goe forth to the vineyards cloathed in white, to dance in the day of expiation. Iudg. 20.21. and they ſaid, O young men lift up your eyes upon us, and ſee which of us yee will chooſe; looke not to beauty, becauſe it is deceitfull; neither to riches, becauſe they take their wings and flie away; but chooſe her who feareth the Lord.

Women muſt not doe that which is lawfull unleſſe it be expedient.Chriſtian women muſt remember not onelyonly what is lawfull, but alſo what is expedient; they have wealth enough, and their husbands allow them; yet they muſt remember the expediencie, and how farre it is lawfull for them to extend their Chriſtian liberty. 1. Cor. 10.26. The Apoſtle ſheweth us, That the earth is the Lords, and the plenty thereof; therefore it is lawfull for us to eat of any thing; and againe, The earth is the Lords and all that is therein; therefore wee ſhould not eat to offend others; it was better for them to ſpare their Chriſtian liberty, then to extend it too farre to the offence of others.

That apparell is unlawfull which men borrow from ſtrange nations, not contenting themſelves with the ancient formes of their countrey. Zeph. 1.8. I will puniſh all ſuch as are cloathed in ſtrange apparell; foreignſuch as were theſe. 2. Chron. 20.1. [Mehagnammonim] who p. 161counterfeited the Ammonites in their apparell, and geſtures, and ſuch are the gariſh women in theſe dayes, who cannot ſatisfie themſelves enough with new formes, who daily change with the moone, that a tailor can hardly ſhape a coat for her; they may be compared to the ſhips of Tyrus, whoſe boards were of the firre trees of Shenir, whoſe maſts were from Lebanon, whoſe oares were from Baſhan, and their benches of the ivory of Chittim, their ſailes from Egypt, and the purple that covered them from the iles of Eliſhah, Ezek. 27.5, 6, 7. ſo theſe women have their ornaments from India, Spaine, France, Italie, &c. and all to make up a proud barke in Tyrus. Nazianzen writing againſt the pride of women (who borrow from ſundry creatures, ornaments to dreſſe themſelves) compareth them to Pandora that goddeſſe whom the Poets faine to be ſent to Epimetheus by the gods,Simile. with a barrell having all ſort of miſchiefe encloſed in it, that they might be avenged upon him for the deceit of his brother Prometheus: ſo the whoriſh woman is that Pandora, by whom the divill, the world, and the fleſh have ſent a barrell, in which all ſort of vanities is incloſed to plague the inſolent and looſe youth, who is given to filthineſſe.

Theſe ornaments are altogether unlawfull, which are put upon parts of the body that ſhould be covered; the women, Eſay. 3.20. did weare [hazegnadoth] a garter of worth about their legge,foreign periſcillis ornamenta pedum. which the Prophet blameth in them, and for this purpoſe they made their cloathes the ſhorter, that their legges might be ſeene; modeſty ſhould have taught them to cover that part with their cloathes, the abuſe of this ornament is not onelyonly condemned here,foreign but likewiſe the very uſe of it in women. So Eſay 3.16. The daughter of Zion [g…bhu] altae ſunt, they did weare high ſhoes to make them p. 162ſeeme the taller; Which of you (ſaith Chriſt) can adde one cubit to his ſtature, foreignMatt. 6.27. ſo to weare ornaments upon the baſeſt parts, Eſay 3.18. I will take away [hagnaccaſim] their ornaments about their feete, which made them goe as if they had beene fettered, the very uſe of theſe ornaments are condemned here, and not the abuſe onelyonly.

Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, the holy women, Exod. 30. gave their looking glaſſes for the making of the braſ…n altar (for of old their looking glaſſes were made of braſſe) ſo ſhould Chriſtian women now renounce theſe ornaments of vanity, and decke the hid man of the heart.

EXERCITAT. VI. What uncleane perſons were called dogges. Commandement. VII.

Deut. 23.18. Thou ſhalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dogge, into the houſe of the Lord thy God for any vow.

WE have ſpoken of the occaſions which lead to the breach of this Commandement;Wherein the actuall breaking of this command ſtands. now it remaineth to ſpeake of the actuall tranſgreſſion of it; and it is broken either by unlawfull conjunction, or unlawfull ſeparation.

God hath put in ſome fowles, a ſhadow of chaſtity to teach men to ſhun filthineſſe and uncleaneneſſe; the turtle dove maketh choice but of one mate,The example of the unreaſonable creatures do teach men chaſtity. to teach man and woman to live in holy wedlocke; the lioneſſe p. 163when ſhee hath joyned her ſelfe with the leopard, before ſhe come to the lion againe, ſhe will waſh herſelfe that the lion may not ſmell her, to teach the adulterous woman what a filthy thing adultery is, When ſhe wipeth her mouth and ſaith, ſhe did it not, Prov. 30. but the moſt memorable example of the beaſts is, the example of the mare, w^ch Ariſtotle maketh mention of:Ariſt. lib. 9. de hist. …i …lium, cap. 47. the King of Scythia had a mare of moſt excellent brood, which brought forth moſt excellent coalts, amongſt the reſt ſhe had one which excelled them all; the king was deſirous that this coalt might horſe his damme, that ſo he might have an excellent brood of them, but the coalt, when he was brought to his damme, would not horſe her; the king ſeeing this, hee cauſed them to cover the damme, that he might not know here, but he perceiving afterwards that it was his damme, run away and caſt himſelfe over a ſteepe rocke, and brake his necke; is not this a memorable example to teach men and women to flie inceſtuous adultery; for as God hath put ſome ſhadow of chaſtity in unreaſonable creatures, to teach man to eſchew uncleaneneſſe; ſo the Lord ſetteth before us moſt filthy and uncleane beaſts, to teach man not to be like unto them.

A dogge is a moſt uncleane and filthy creature,The moſt vile creatures teach men to abſtaine from uncleaneneſſe. which goeth publikely and promiſcuouſly to generation, and therefore theſe were called Cynici Philoſophi, who were not aſhamed publikely in the ſight of all to lie with women.

By dogge is not meant, Deut. 23.18. a dogge properly called a dogge, but Cynaedus, or meritorius, An adulterer metaphorically called a dog.who is unſatiable in luſt like a dogge, and that it is meant of ſuch a dogge, the reaſons are theſe.

Firſt, becauſe the whore and the dogge are joyned together here: ſecondly, the Scripture applyeth this word dogge to filthy whoremungers: When Iſhboſheth p. 164objecteth to Abner that hee lay with his fathers concubine Rizpah, what anſwered hee? An perſona canina ego? Am I a filthy perſon like a dogge, who hath no care to whom I joyne my ſelfe.

The whore and the dog compared together.Hierome upon Eſay 6. ſaith, the dogge and the whore are well joyned together; for the dogge, when as hee ſhould keepe and watch the houſe, and run ſeldome abroad, yet in his uncleaneneſſe hee runneth here and there, and joyneth and coupleth himſelfe indifferently to any: ſo doth the whore who ſhould keepe her ſelfe at home, and be domi-porta; yet ſhee wandereth abroad, and ſeeketh after ſtrange lovers. Pro. 7.12. Now is ſhee without, now in the ſtreets, and lyeth at every corner. The modeſt and chaſt woman is compared to the vine that groweth by the ſides of the houſe: Pſal. 128.3.

Queſt. What ſort of uncleaneneſſe may this word dogge be rightly applyed to?

Anſw. There is a filthineſſe that is, Praeter naturam corruptam, which is againſt corrupt nature, and there is a filthineſſe, which is ſecundum corruptam naturam, according to corrupt nature, 1. Cor. 5.1. It is reported that there is a fornication committed amongst you, and ſuch a fornication as is not once named amongſt the Gentiles, Iob. 36.14. They die in youth, foreignand their life is [bakkedeſhim] among the unclean. And theſe ſorts of uncleaneneſſe may be taken up after this manner; firſt, quando ſervatur ſexus, ſed non ordo, as when a man committeth adultery with a woman. So quando non ſervatur gradus, as in inceſt. Secondly,Foure ſorts of uncleineneſſe. quando ſervat ſpeciem non ſexum, and theſe the Apoſtle calleth foreign, 1. Cor. 6.9. 1. Tim. 1.10. Levit. 20.13. and this is called foreign, abomination. Thirdly, quando not ſervant ſexum nec ſpeciem, ſed genus tantum, this is beſtiality. And laſtly, quando neo ſervatur genus, nec ſpecies, nec ordo, as when one lyeth with uncleane ſpirits, which are called Incubi, or Succubi, p. 165and the Schoolemen obſerve, that the Lord in the firſt creation forbiddeth theſe ſorts of uncleaneneſſe: firſt, there was not a fit helpe found amongſt the beaſts to man,God forbideth all theſe ſorts of uncleaneneſſe in the creation. hence they inferre that a man ſhould not lie with a beaſt. Secondly, when God created man and woman, hee created them male and female, to teach us not to confound our ſexes, for then they cannot increaſe and multiply. Thirdly, when God created the woman, hee created her out of the ſide of man, to teach us that collaterall marriages are onelyonly lawfull marriages, but not in the line directly, either aſcending or deſcending; and it is to be obſerved that there is but one word tebhel, mixtio vel confuſio, when a man lyeth with a beaſt, Levit. 18. So when a man lyeth with his daughter in law, this is alſo called tebhel, to teach us what an horrible ſinne it is, quando non ſervatur ſpecies, ſo quando non ſervatur gradus.

Vncleaneneſſe againe,Vncleaneneſſe according to corrupt nature. eſt ſecundum naturam corruptam, according to corrupt nature, it is either fornication or adultery; thoſe who delight in this filthineſſe, and lie ſtill in it, are dogges: Abner purged himſelfe of this uncleaneneſſe, Am Ia dogges head? 2. Sam. 3.8. See how this ſinne changeth men and women into dogges, and ſalt bitches. When Nabuchadnezzer was caſt out of his kingdome, hee had the heart of an oxe in him, although hee had the ſhape of a man; ſo theſe filthy creatures although they have the ſhape of men and women, yet they carry the heart of a dogge within them.

And as the holy Ghoſt termeth them dogs,foreign a foreign paſcere foreign armare. ſo he calleth them fed horſes. Ier. 5.8. They were as fed horſes in the morning, every one neighed after his neighbours wife [ſuſim mevuzanim] from [Zun] paſcere, but the critickes of the Iewes reade it in the margent [mejuzanim] id eſt, duro pene praediti, â [jazan] armare.

p. 166Concluſion.The concluſion of this is, let us remember that fearefull ſentence, Revelat. 22.15. For without are dogges, and let us ſtudie to be holy, that wee be not excluded out of that holy city.

EXERCITAT. VIII. Whether David might marry Bathſheba after that hee had committed adultery with her. Commandement VII.

Pſal. 51. In the inſcription, When Nathan the Prophet came unto him, after hee had gone in to Bathſheba.

THere be two things which may ſeeme to hinder Davids marriage with Bathſheba: Firſt, the uncleaneneſſe of Bathſheba, and a number of her ſinnes concurring together, ſhewing no repentance in her. Secondly, that action of the common law, Nemo ducat cam quam adulterio polluit.

The ſinne of Bathſheba aggravated.Firſt, let us looke unto the ſinnes of Bathſheba, ſhee did waſh her ſelfe in a place where ſhe might be ſeene by the king,Iuſtin. lib. 1. and expoſed her chaſtity this wayes, not unlike unto the hiſtory of Candaules, he having a faire and a beautifull wife,Simile. one of his ſouldiers, named Gyges, ſaw her naked, ſhee was grieved that ſhee ſhould have beene ſeene naked of any, except of her husband, ſhee concluded that one of the two ſhould die, that ſhee might be the wife onelyonly of one who had ſeene her naked: Gyges killed the king Candaules, and then married the queene. So David ſaw Bathſheba naked, killed p. 167Vriah, and then married Bathſheba. When Iulia the mother of Caracalla opened her breaſts before him, he ſaid,Spartianus. vellem ſi liceret: what replyed the whore to him? Si libeat, licet, an noſti te imperatorem leges dare & non accipere? ſo wee may thinke that Bathſheba thought the ſame, yeelding ſo to David.

Secondly, compare her fact, and the fact of her huſband Vriah: hee was but a Hittite, a ſtranger and a proſelyte, yet hee would not goe up to his owne bed to lie with his wife, when the arke and his maſter Ioab were in the fields; but ſhe being a borne Iew, and trained up in the exerciſes of religion, yet would go in to another man when the arke of the Lord, and her husband both were in the fields.

Thirdly, it may be alledged that ſhe mourned not for her husband a ſufficient time, Et quod non perſolverat juſta marito ſuo, that ſhee mourned not for her huſband the appointed time;Theodoſius lib. 1. logum de ſecundis nuptijs. c. 21. for they were infamous by the civill law, who married a ſecond wife, or a ſecond husband, before a yeare was expired, or ten moneths at the leaſt.

Fourthly, that ſhee married him who killed her huſband, her religious husband, her couragious husband, who was one of Davids worthies; and here it may be ſaid of her as the Prophet ſaid of Achab when hee killed Naboth, and tooke away his vineyard, occidiſti, poſſediſti, 1. King. 21. So Bathſheba conſenting to the killing of her husband Vriah, poſſeſſed David for her husband.

Although Bathſheba's ſinne cannot be excuſed,The weakeneſſe of Bathſheba excuſed. but that it was adultery that ſhee committed, yet to exaggerate her faults too farre, this is Satans part and not the part of a charitable Chriſtian.

She was waſhing her ſelfe in the garden, but not of purpoſe to be ſeene of the king; and ſhee was in her legall purification waſhing her ſelfe, 2. Sam. 11.4. and p. 168David ſent for her, and lay with her, for ſhe was now purified from her uncleaneneſſe.

She went in to David when her husband and the arke were in the fields: but conſider the weakeneſſe of the woman, and the infirmity of her ſexe, ſhe was but a ſheepe, as Nathan calleth her, and might eaſily be deceived by David. David would have made Vriah her husband drunke with wine that he might have gone in, and lien with his wife, and now hee maketh her drunke with faire promiſes, that hee might lie with her; Thou ſhalt be queene, &c.

Queſt. But ſhe mourned not for her husband.

Anſ. She mourned for her husband, 2. Sam. 11.26. But how long ſhee mourned for him, the time is not ſet downe, Eccleſ. 22.12. Seven dayes doth a man mourne for him that is dead, and in the Scriptures wee read but thirtie that they mourned at the moſt, Deut. 34. ſo long they mourned for Moſes, and when it is ſaid, Gen. 50.3. That the Egyptians mourned for Iacob threeſcore and ten dayes, How long they mourned for the dead.it is to be underſtood thus, that there were thirty dayes ſpent in mourning, and the reſt in embalming of the body.

And whereas ſhee is charged, as privie to the killing of her husband, the hiſtory ſheweth no ſuch thing, and in charity wee ſhould thinke rather that ſhee knew not of the killing of him.

Arguments proving Bathſheba's repentance.Arguments proving her repentance, both before that David had married her, and likewiſe after.

Firſt, ſhee is reckoned amongſt our Lords predeceſſours Arg. 1 as well as Rahab, and Tamar, to ſhew us, that ſhee repented of this ſinne from her heart: and here Hieromes ſaying is to be marked; Notandum (inquit) in genealogia Chriſti nullam ſanctarum mulierum aſſumi, ſed illas quas Scriptura reprehendit, ut qui propter peccatores venerat, de peccatoribus natus, peccatum deleret: that is, p. 169it is to be marked that none of the holy women are reckoned in Chriſts genealogie, but ſuch as the Scripture reproveth for ſome ſinne, that hee who came into the world for ſinners, and who was borne of ſinners might aboliſh and deſtroy ſinne; and as Rahab the harlot repented her of her whoredome before Salmon married her; ſo did Bathſheba repent her of her adultery before David married her. Arg. 2

Secondly, when David married her; 2. Sam. 12.24. the text ſaith, he comforted her; foreign Penituit. Conſolatus eſt.the Lord granteth conſolation onelyonly to penitent ſinners, as to her after her fall and repentance; and therefore the word Nahham ſignifieth firſt to repent. 1. Sam. 15.35. and then to comfort; Eſay. 40.1. becauſe none getteth comfort but thoſe who repent firſt. Arg. 3

Thirdly, 1. King. 1.21. Otherwayes, when the King ſhall ſleepe with his fathers, I and my ſonne ſhall bee counted offenders; which ſheweth that God had pardoned her ſinne, and that ſhee was loath to draw on another new guilt upon her. Arg. 4

Fourthly, ſee the holy inſtruction which ſhe gave to her ſonne Lemuel, ſhe was a Propheteſſe and had revelation from the Lord. Prov. 31.2. It is not for Kings to drinke wine, nor for Princes ſtrong drinke; and ſhe calleth him the ſonne of her vowes, whom ſhee had conſecrated to the Lord by many vowes; all which ſhew the repentance of this holy woman. Arg. 5

Fiftly, Salomon calleth himſelfe the ſonne of thine handmaid. Wiſ. 9.5. In which epithet his father David delighted very much before: Pſal. 116.16. Truly I am thy ſervant, I am thy ſervant, the ſonne of thine handmaid, where they allude to that cuſtome under the law,foreign. for thoſe who dwelt with their maſters, and begot children within the houſe, the children were called [Ben bethe] vernae domus; they were not counted their fathers p. 170children,What meant by the ſon of the handmaid. or their mothers chilren, but their maſters children. So would David and Salomon ſay, wee are begotten of faithfull parents, and of faithfull mothers within the covenant, and therefore we belong to thee as juſtly, as the children of the ſervants borne within the houſe, doe belong to their maſter.

Arg. 6 Sixtly, David ſweareth to Bathſheba that her ſonne ſhould ſucceed & granted her requeſt, and ſee how Nathan the Prophet adviſed her in all her buſineſſes; all which ſheweth that ſhe hath beene a holy woman, and repented her of her former adultery.

Arg. 7 Laſtly, ſee how much Salomon honoured her, being his mother, he ſet her at his right hand, and it is chiefly to bee ma…ked, that the Lord would not have the child begotten in adultery to live, leſt a baſtard ſhould ſucceed to the kingdome, or that he being alive might be a reproach continually to his mother.

The ſecond reaſon alledged, why David might not marry Bathſheba, was, becauſe he had polluted her with adulterie; Nemo eam ducat quam adulterio polluit.

The Canoniſts underſtand this axiome with theſe caveats.

Firſt, if the adulterer and the adultereſſe have made a mutuall promiſe when her husband was alive.

Secondly, if the adulterer and the adultereſſe have lived together.

Thirdly, if the adulterer had intended the death of his wife, or the adultereſſe had intended the death of her husband; in theſe caſes the Caſuiſts doe not permit them to marrie. To grant liberty for the adulterer to marry the adultereſſe, were to open a doore to all uncleanneſſe, and becauſe there are few of them that ſeriouſly repent them of their ſinne, therefore that liberty ſhould not be granted, that the adulterer and the adultereſſe ſhould marry together.

p. 171Concluſion. The concluſion of this is: Davids example in marrying Bathſheba, both in their repentance, and in Gods approbation of the marriage was extraordinarie, therefore it ſhould not be made an example or preſident for others to doe the like.

EXERCITAT. IX. Againſt Polygamie. Commandement. VII.

Levit. 18.17. Thou ſhalt not take a woman to her ſiſter.

THe Lord diſchargeth here a man to marry two wives at once,What is meant by ſiſter here. by [Siſter] here is not meant a naturall ſiſter, for that the Lord diſcharged before. Lev. 18.16. Thou ſhalt not uncover the nakedneſſe of thy brothers wife; therefore thou ſhalt not uncover the nakednes of thy wives ſiſter, but by [Siſter] here is meant any other woman. The Carraim amongſt the Iewes, and they who followed the literall ſenſe, expound the words thus; Thou ſhalt not take a woman to her ſiſter, that is, thou ſhalt not marry two wives at once; but the Phariſees who gave way to Polygamie interpreted the words thus; thou mayſt not marrie two ſiſters, but thou mayſt marry two other women; the Carraim who did interpret the words thus, thou ſhalt not marry two wives at once, ſaid, qui multiplicat uxores, multiplicat veneficas; and they ſaid, that it was not permitted to the King to have many wives, therefore it is lawfull to none to have many wives; but the Phariſees p. 172gave way to it and taught it.

Reaſons to prove that it is not the naturall ſiſter here ſpoken of.Now the reaſons to prove, that by ſiſter here is not meant a ſiſter properly taken are theſe.

Neither ſhalt thou take a woman to her ſiſter to vexe her Levit. 18.18. but the wives in Polygamie are called angentes, or vexers. 1. Sam. 1.6.

Reaſ. 2 Secondly, that which was forbidden in the firſt inſtitution, and afterwards renewed by the Prophets; would Moſes paſſe it by and not forbid it? but this Polygamie was forbidden in the firſt inſtitution. Mat. 19.5. 1. Cor. 6.16. and 7.39. Rom. 7.2. and Mal. 2.3. but wee can ſhew no place in Moſes law againſt Polygamie except this, and Deut. 17.10. where hee forbiddeth the King to multiplie wives.

Reaſ. 3 Thirdly, that ſiſter is underſtood here, whom the man might marry after the death of his wife; but a man might not marry his wives ſiſter properly taken after the death of his wife, therefore it is meant of another ſiſter; and the Lord addeth, Thou ſhalt not take a woman to her ſiſter in her life time, becauſe it was uſuall among the Iewes to have more wives at once.

Obj. A man might marry his brothers wife & raiſe up ſeed unto him, therefore a man might marry his wives ſiſter.

Anſw. A man if hee had a wife of his owne, hee might not marry his brothers wife to raiſe up ſeed to him; Boaz who raiſed up ſeed to his next kinſman was not married, and N. refuſed to raiſe up ſeed to him, becauſe hee was married, and had children of his owne; and therefore the Chaldee Paraphraſt upon Ruth 4.Ioſephus lib. 5. antiquil. Cap. 14. Non poſſum redimere, quia uxorem habeo; and Ioſephus inclineth to this, that it was the unmarried brother that behoved to raiſe up ſeed to his eldeſt brother, and foreign, is not meant of him that tooke one wife to another, but of him that married his brothers wife; hee not being married.

p. 173Secondly, he might marry his brothers wife, Ob. therefore he might marry his wives ſiſter.

That followeth not, Anſw. hee might marry his brothers wife to raiſe up ſeed to his brother, who was a type of Ieſus Chriſt, who ſhould never want a ſeed in his Church; but hee might not marry his wives ſiſter, for then he raiſed not up ſeed to his brother.

This Polygamie is contrary to the firſt inſtitution of God, for God made one man and one woman,Polygamie is contrary to the law of God. and not one man and two women at the firſt. Iudg. 5.30. Dederunt puellam, & duas puellas uni viro, Have they not divided to every man a damoſell or two damoſels? This ſheweth the great confuſion that was then, and the ſcarcitie of men, and multitude of women; and Thomas obſerveth well, that man doth ſomething which agreeth to him ex natura generis, as to beget; Secondly, he doth ſomething ex natura ſpeciei, as hee is a reaſonable creature, to beget a reaſonable creature; and thirdly, he doth ſomething as a faithfull man, marrying one wife, and herein he repreſenteth Chriſt; and ſhe repreſenteth the Church. Although polygamie bee not againſt the two firſt, yet it doth directly croſſe the laſt, the reſemblance betwixt Chriſt and his Church; therefore the faithfull man ſhould have but one wife.

If it were lawfull for a man to have more wives at once,It was never permitted for a woman to have moe husbands at once. then it ſhould bee lawfull for a woman to have more husbands at once; but it was never permitted amongſt any people for a woman to have two husbands at once, therefore it is not lawfull for a man to have moe wives at once; The reaſon of the connexion, the Apoſtle giveth, the man hath not power over his owne body but the wife, and the wife hath not power over her owne body but the husband. 1. Cor. 7.4.

It may bee alledged that women have had two huſbands at once, Ob. as well as men have had two wives at p. 174once, for Paul ſaith, 1. Tim. 3.9. If ſhee hath beene the wife of one husband, hee meaneth not here, if a widow marry againe; therefore it may ſeeme that ſhe hath had moe husbands at once.

Anſw. Two ſorts of Digamie.There are two ſorts of digamie; direct digamie, and indirect digamie; direct digamie when one hath two husbands at once; indirect digamie when one was put away, and they married another, and in this ſenſe it may be ſaid, that the woman had two husbands; by the law of God ſhee might not divorce from her firſt huſband, but it was permitted amongſt the Iewes, and commanded amongſt the Gentiles; for by the law of God ſhe was ſtill the wife of the firſt husband, if ſhee had not beene repudiate for adultery.

Ob. If it was not lawfull for a man to have moe wives at once, why is it commanded in the law that a man ſhould not disinherite the childe of the hated woman for the child of the beloved. Deut. 21.15.

Anſw. Some lawes are permiſſive ſome definitive.Some lawes are permiſſive, and others are definitive; I call theſe permiſſive, when the law permitteth the firſt part for the hardneſſe of the peoples hearts, but then it reſtraineth the abuſe of it by inhibitions, that it ſhould not exceed; the law tolerateth uſurie, this is the permiſſive part of the law; it doth not command this, then in commeth the reſtraint, that they ſhall not exceed ſuch an annuitie, this is the definitive part of the law. So the law permitteth a man to have moe wives, and then it commeth in and reſtraineth the abuſe that might follow upon it; Thou ſhalt not disinherite the child of the hated woman for the child of the beloved.

Polygamie a middle ſin betwixt fornication and adultery.The Divines make this ſinne of polygamie a middle ſinne betwixt fornication and adultery, leſſe then adultery, and greater then fornication.

Queſt. How can that be leſſe then adultery, which was once adultery?

p. 175If we conſider the ſinne in it ſelfe, it is ever adultery,In what caſe polygamie is a ſinne. but conſider it, firſt, upon Gods part, who paſſeth by this ſinne, not puniſhing it; and upon their part, who through a generall cuſtome thought it no ſinne, then it may be ſaid to be leſſe then adultery. Chriſt ſaid to the Iewes, If I had not ſpoken unto you, yee ſhould have no ſin. Ioh. 15.22. that is, if the truth had not beene clearely declared unto you, your ſinne had beene the leſſe, but becauſe I have ſpoken ſo clearely unto you, that aggravateth your ſinne. This extenuated the ſinne of the Iewes, becauſe the Prophets ſpake little or nothing againſt polygamie, as they did againſt adultery: When Iuda lay with Tamar, taking her to bee a common harlot, his ſinne was the leſſer; but ſhee knowing that hee was her father in law, her ſinne was the greater: Polygamie was a ſin of ignorance amongſt the Iewes: but if a man ſhould marry moe wives at once now, it ſhould be flat adultery.

But God gave the wives of Saul into the boſome of David. 2. Sam. 12.8. Obj. therefore hee allowed this polygamie.

To put them in his boſome is to put them in his ſubjection, Anſw. In what caſe God is ſaid to give Sauls wives to David.for David could never have married the wives of Saul, for that had beene inceſt.

Whether did God diſpenſe with the Iewes to marry many wives or not? Queſt.

None could ever ſhew this diſpenſation, Anſw. and if ever God had given a diſpenſation, would he not eſpecially have given it after the floud? It pleaſed the Lord to paſſe over this ſinne. Rom. 3.25. he called them ſinnes paſſed by, through the long forbearance of God.

What is the difference betwixt a ſinne paſſed by, Queſt. and a ſinne pardoned?

All ſinnes are pardoned to the children of God in Gods eternall decree; Anſw. but hee is ſaid to paſſe by their p. 176ſinnes when he doth not chaſten them for them,A difference betwixt ſinnes paſſed by and pardoned. as he doth for other ſinnes; and when hee pardoneth other knowne ſinnes, he pardoneth theſe unknowne ſinnes together with them; when David got pardon of his adultery, hee got pardon likewiſe of his polygamie which he knew not to bee ſinne. When David got pardon of his adulrery in his owne ſenſe, he behaved likewiſe to have pardon in his owne ſenſe of his murther, becauſe it was a knowne ſinne to him likewiſe, but theſe ſinnes which he knew not, the generall remiſſion ſerved for them.

The difference betwixt a married wife and a concubine.Let us compare the married wife and the concubine together, and ſhew how they differ.

foreign Habebant dotem uxores non concubine.Firſt, the married wife differed from the concubine by contract and ſolemnitie of marriage; but when hee married the concubine, there was neither contract nor ſolemnitie of marriage.

Secondly, they differed in their titles, for the cheife and principall wife was called [Shagal] conjux, foreignſhe was the principall and cheife of all the Kings wives. Neh. 2.6. Dan. 5.2. Quae ſemper tori jus habet, the concubines were admitted but ſome times;foreign Domina, hera. and the married wife was called [Gebhereth,] the miſtres of the houſe. Gen. 18.8. but theſe concubines had never this title.

Thirdly, they differed in their intertainement, for if the King had taken moe concubines, hee might have made them aromatorias and apothecarias for his ſpices, and cookes and bakers, and the common ſort he might have made them ſocarias, which they could not have done to their wives ſolemnly eſpouſed.

Foure things proper to the concubines, and fine to the wives.Fourthly, when they married theſe concubines, they ought them but foure things; victum, amictum, debitum tempus, & cohabitationem; food, rayment, due benevolence, and cohabitation; but hee was to give five things to his wife whom hee had ſolemnely taken, p. 177victum, amictum, debitum tempus, cohabitationem, & honorem: food, raiment, due benevolence, and hee was bound to dwell with her, and to honour her.

Fiftly, they differed in their poſterity,OnelyOnly the children of the freewoman ſucceeded to the inheritance. for the children of the free woman ſucceeded to the inheritance; but not the children of the concubines. It is true by ſingular prerogative, Iacob gave to the ſonnes of the concubines their portion among the tribes, but the children of other concubines ſtayed not in the houſe, but were ſent out with gifts, Gen. 25. and the children of the concubines were called the free womans children, Gen. 16.2. Go in unto mine hand maid, it may be that I obtaine children by her: and therefore Rachel and Lea are put for them and their handmaids, Ruth. 4.11. and wee may ſee how the children of the concubines were more ſervile then the children of the free-women, therefore, Galat. 4.23. they are called the children of the bond woman, and they did things rather for feare then love; this the Lord ſheweth, Deut. 27. when hee divided the tribes, he ſet thoſe who were borne of the free women, Rachel and Leah, upon the hill to bleſſe, but thoſe who came of the handmaids, hee ſet them upon the hill of curſing, as being of a more ſervile and baſe minde. Ruben for his inceſt loſt this priviledge, and was ſet among the children of the handmaids, and Zabulon the youngeſt ſonne of Leah is ſet amongſt them to make up the number.

Whether was the concubine a wife properly or not? Queſt. Anſw.

Yes, Gen. 30.9. Leah gave Zilpah for a wife unto her husband, therefore when it is ſaid, he tooke her [leiſha, foreign] in uxorem, it ſhould not be tranſlated, uxoris loc…, but verily for his wife; ſo I ſhall be unto you [Leadona,] ideſt, vere Deus. Hoſ. 13.12. Servavit Iſrael [leiſha] propter uxorem, Gen. 29. An non pro Rachaele ſervivi tibi. 2. Sam. 20.3. David ſhut up his concubines, and they were p. 178in widdowhood untill the day of their death; if they were widdows, then they were married before, and the children begotten betwixt them were truely their fathers children, and not baſtards.

Object. But it is ſaid, that the Levites concubine played the harlot with him, then it may ſeeme that the concubine was not a wife.

Anſw. foreignScortata eſt contra eum, [gnal] non cum eo, Ezek. 16.16. and when ſhe fled from him ſhe was juſtly puniſhed for her uncleaneneſſe. Iud. 19.

The differences betwixt the concubines and the whore.Againe let us conſider how the concubine and the whore differed: the concubine made a diviſion and rent betwixt the man and his wife when hee married her, therefore ſhe is called Pilagiſh from Palag-iſh, foreign Concubina, quaſi foreign dividero virum.dividere virum, that hee could not errare in amore ejus; as Salomon ſaith, Prov. 5. but the whore maketh a totall ſeparation betwixt the man and the wife.

Againe they differed in their ends; marriage hath a double end, the firſt end is the begetting of children, the ſecond end is a remedie againſt luſt; the whore deſireth not the firſt end for the procreation of children, neither deſireth ſhee the laſt end of marriage, the holy remedy againſt luſt; the Polygamiſt aimeth at the firſt end, to have children; but not at the laſt end, for avoiding of luſt, for this diverſitie of concubines made a way rather to increaſe luſt, then to quench it, They ſhall commit whoredome and not increaſe, Hoſ. 4.10. this is a judgement pronounced againſt polygamiſts, and not againſt adulterers, for they longed for children, where as the other longe for none; the word in the originall is ijpparedu. foreign mula.Pered in the originall is called a mule, as if ye would ſay, they ſhall play the mule; the mule is a beaſt very libidinous, but begetting nothing. So theſe polygamiſts, although they long for children, yet the Lord threatned them with want of children. An example of p. 179this wee ſee in Salomon, although hee had many concubines yet hee had but one ſonne; and hee was alſo a foole.

The concluſion of this is,Concluſion. we are to bleſſe our Saviour who hath reduced marriage to the firſt inſtitution, that one man ſhould have but one wife, Matt. 19.5.

EXERCITAT. X. Of Divorce. Commandement. VII.

Matt. 19.9. Whoſoever putteth away his wife, except it be for fornication, committeth adultery.

WE have ſhowne how this Commandement is broken by unlawfull conjunction, now it remaineth to ſpeake how it is broken by unlawfull ſeparation.

The Hebrewes call repudium, cerith, exciſio, foreign Exciſio, Repudium. foreign Libellus exciſionis. foreignand they call the bill of divorce Sepher cerithoth, libellus exciſionis, becauſe the woman was cut off from the familie of her husband, and had liberty to goe where ſhe pleaſed. And the Chaldees call it net pitturin, and the Rabbins call it giruſh, expulſio, and the latter Rabbines call it riphudin, from the Latine word repudium; and the Greekes call it foreign and the bill of divorce they call it foreign: Divortium, Ariat Montanus.was when the man gave the bill of divorce to the woman; Repudium was when the woman gave the bill of divorce to the man.

There was a great queſtion betwixt the houſe of Sammai, and the houſe of Hillel concerning divorces.foreign. p. 180Sammai held that it was lawfull for a man to put away his wife onelyonly for adultery;The difference betwixt the Schoole of Sammai and Hillel concerning divorce. and he expounded theſe words, Si invenerit nuditatem in ea; that is, if ſhee hath committed adultery. But Hillel and his followers extended this word nuditas to all ſorts of filthineſſe, as to the leaſt ſort of offence that is, becauſe it is ſaid in the text, Si non invenerit gratiam in oculis ejus, Deut. 24.1. and they who asked the queſtion of Chriſt, ſeeme to be of the opinion of Hillel; for they ſay, is it lawfull for a man to put away his wife for every cauſe? Matt. 19.3. Ben Syra who was a follower of Sammai, being asked of a man,foreign who had a great ſhrew to his wife, whether hee might divorce from her or not, he anſwered Os quod cecidit in ſorte tua, rode illud.

When Moſes ſpeaketh of divorces which were uſuall amongſt the Iewes, he ſpeaketh of thoſe divorces which were for light cauſes and not for adultery;How Moſes is to be underſtood when hee ſpeakes of divorce. Moſes words, Deut. 24.1, 2, 3. ſhould not be read thus, If ſhee hath found no favour in his eyes, then let him write her a bill of divorce: but thus hypothetically: If ſhe hath found no favour in his eyes, and if he write her a bill of divorce & put her away &c. If he were ſpeaking of lawfull divorce for adultery, then it ſhould be tranſlated in the imperative mood, Let him write her a bill of divorce, and let him put her away, as the words of Chriſt implie, Matt. 19.9. that for adultery it is lawfull for a man to put away his wife; but that which Moſes ſpake hypothetically they tooke it abſolutely. So Ioh. 21.22. If hee tarry till I come what is that to thee? that which Chriſt ſpake hypothetically, they tooke it abſolutely, as if Chriſt had ſaid that Iohn ſhould not die till he came againe.

The reaſon to prove that Moſes is ſpeaking here, Deut. 24. of unlawfull divorces, and not for adultery; is this, verſ. 4. Her former husband may not take her home againe to wife, after that ſhe is defiled by him, and defileth p. 181herſelfe: Huttamaah is a compound word,foreign ex Hithpael et Hophal compoſitum: Sic Iudg. 9.9. foreign ex Hiphil & Hophal, ſenſus eſt, veſtriſnever bis perſuaſa ita miſſam facere pinguedinom meam, iuxta Hiphil, et ea ipſa quo que priver et deficiar, iuxta Hophal, nihil que amplius habeam in me commenbile.Judg 9:9 for the Hebrewes uſe to compound two conjugations, and it ſignifieth ſhe was defiled by her husband, and ſhe defiled her ſelfe; ſhee was defiled by her husband, becauſe hee put her away unjuſtly, and gave her occaſion to commit adultery, and ſhee defiled her ſelfe, who being unjuſtly divorced, yet would marry another and ſo commit adultery; for Chriſt ſaith, Matt. 5.23. Whoſoever ſhall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but whoſoever ſhall put away his wife, ſaving for the cauſe of fornication, cauſeth her to commit adultery; and whoſoever ſhall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery; if hee had put away his wife for fornication, ſhe had not beene polluted by him, but onelyonly ſhe had polluted herſelfe, if ſhe had married another.

But it may be ſaid, Deut. 24.3. Object. foreign Nuditas.If he have found ſome nakedneſſe in her, [gnervath] nakednes in the Scripture is taken for filthines and adultery, then it may ſeeme that Moſes is ſpeaking here of unjuſt divorce.

Nakedneſſe is taken for other ſorts of filthineſſe then for adultery, the Seventy tranſlate it foreign, Anſw. Nakedneſſe is taken for adultery.rem turpem; and Ionathan turneth it, tranſgreſſionem rei, They put away their wives for many other cauſes beſides adultery, as for blemiſhes in their perſons, ſcolding and brabling, and ſuch.

But Malachi ſeemeth to approve this ſort of divorce for light cauſes, If thou hate her, put her away, Obj. ſaith the Lord. Malac. 2.16.

It ſhould not be tranſlated, Anſ. if thou hate her put her away, ſaith the Lord, but this wayes, the Lord hateth putting away.

Moſes did not ſimply allow here the putting away of their wives for ſuch light cauſes, but if they would put away their wives for ſuch light cauſes, then hee biddeth them write a bill of divorce to them; the Lord p. 182allowed not that an Iſraelite ſhould marry a captive heathen, but if hee will marry ſuch a one, then let him ſhave her head, and put on her mourning apparell, and mourne for ſo many dayes, that by theſe meanes the Iſraelites love might be abated, and ſo might leave her. So Moſes liked not of theſe divorces, but if a man will put away his wife for ſuch cauſes, then let him write her a bill of divorce.

Queſt. What uſe was there of this bill of divorce amongſt the Iewes, for if a woman was taken in adultery ſhe was ſtoned to death, if ſhee was ſuſpected of adultery, they gave her the bitter waters to drinke, and if her husband tooke her to be an adultereſſe and the fact was not publikely knowne, hee put her away ſecretly, as Ioſeph would have done Mary, Matt. 1.

Anſ. The ſpeciall uſe of the bill of divorce was when they put them away for light cauſes.If the Magiſtrate had done his duty after that ſhee was knowne to be an adultereſſe, then in that caſe ſhee needed not a bill of divorce; but for their remiſſeneſſe the husbands were oftentimes forced to give the bill of divorce to their adulterous vvives, and eſpecially vvhen the Ievves came under the ſubjection of the Romans, then moſt uſually they gave the bill of divorce for adultery, becauſe the Romans had no reſpect to the lavv of God, putting the adultereſſe to death; therefore their husbands vvere glad to be rid of them, by giving them the bill of divorce.

The cauſe of giving the bill of divorce amongſt the Iewes.The cauſe of many divorces amongſt the Ievves was the multitudes of their wives which they had. They who travell amongſt the Turkes at this day, teſtifie, that there is no cauſe ſo much pleaded in their judicatories as divorces; and the reaſon they give to be this, becauſe of the multitude of their wives.

When the man gave the bill of divorce to the woman,How the bill of divorce was written. the cauſe of the divorce was written in the bill, and the woman did ſhew the bill of divorce before the p. 183Iudges, and the children did alſo keepe the bill of divorce, to be a teſtimony that their mother was not an harlot, and the Lord alludeth to this forme, Eſay 50.1. Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement, whom I have put away? as if the Lord would ſay,Alluſion. I put not away your mother, but ſhe went away willingly from mee.

When they wrote this bill of divorce the Iewes wrote it in a long letter, but the Romans wrote it in few words, res tuas tibi habeto.

The bill of divorce was given by the man to the woman at the firſt, to be a ſigne of her innocencie,The man gave the bill of divorce to the woman at the firſt. and of his wrong dealing with her; and as Tamar, when ſhee ſhewed to Iuda his ring, and his ſignet, Iuda ſaid, ſhe is more righteous then I am: ſo the man putting away his wife for no juſt cauſe, and the woman ſhewing the bill of divorce to her husband, hee might juſtly ſay, ſurely ſhe is more righteous then I.

The man had the power to give the bill of divorce to the woman at the firſt, but afterwards the woman gave the bill of divorce to the man alſo, Marc. 10.12. and if a woman put away her husband, and be married to another, ſhee committeth adultery.Ioſephus, lib. 15. cap. 11. Salome the ſiſter of Herod was the firſt woman who gave the bill of divorce to her husband Chryſtoberus; and Ioſephus addeth, that the law onelyonly permitteth the man to give the bill of divorce to the woman, and that it was not lawfull for the wife who was repudiat to marry, but by the commandement of her former husband; the firſt part, that the husband ſhould give the bill of divorce, is ſet down in the law: but this latter part, that they might not marry againe but by their husbands conſent, is not in the law, for that came in by cuſtome and not by the law, for the woman might leave the husband when ſhee had a juſt cauſe, and marry againe without his conſent.

When the wife was repudiat from her husband for Queſt. p. 184no lawfull cauſe, and married another, & bare children to him,Forum Poli. Fori. whether were theſe children baſtards or not?

They were baſtards in foro poli, before God; but not in foro fori, in the courts of men.

The concluſion of this is; Let no man ſeparate that which God hath conjoyned; and let no man conjoyne that which God hath ſeparated.

EXERCITAT. VIII. How man and woman may live chaſtly in holy wedlocke together. Commandement VII.

Prov. 5.19. Let thy wife be unto thee as the loving hinde, &c.

SAlomon ſaith, Prov. 5.15. Drinke waters out of thine owne ceſterne, here by a modeſt kinde of ſpeech, hee willeth a man to content himſelfe with his owne wife. Concupiſcence or luſt in the Scriptures is compared to burning,Luſt called burning and thirſt. 1. Cor. 7.2. and the Prophet alludeth to this ſort of thirſt, Ier. 2.25. Withhold thy foote from being unſhod, and thy throat from thirſt: the remedy againſt this burning and thirſt is holy marriage, which quencheth it, but whoredome rather increaſeth it: I have forbidden thee, would Salomon ſay, the company of thoſe beaſtly whores, and now I ſhew thee the way how thou mayſt live chaſtly in holy wedlocke, then he ſubjoyneth, Let thy fountaines be diſperſed abroad, and rivers of waters in the ſtreete, verſ. 26. or divide thy waters in the ſtreete; here hee giveth a reaſon wherefore marriage ſhould be preferred to adultery, becauſe ſeldome children are p. 185begotten of adulterers, and if they beget any,Adulterers often times aſhamed of their children. they are aſhamed of them, that they ſhould be called their children: firſt, ſeldome they beget any, they ſhall commit whoredome and ſhall not encreaſe, Iipparidu; pered is called a Mule, which is a beaſt which is much given to luſt, and yet begetteth nothing; and if they beget any children, they are aſhamed of them, and the children likewiſe are aſhamed of their fathers; and therefore the Hebrewes call them Shatuki, from ſhatak, tacere, foreign ſpurius a foreign tacere.the father will not profeſſe ſuch a child to be his, nor the child profeſſe the father to be his father.

And rivers of waters in the ſtreets, that is, when thou knoweſt them to bee thine owne children, then thou haſt power to direct them and guide them, and ſee that they marry by thy direction, for even as men draw water conduits which way they will, ſo ſhould the parents lead the children in their marriages.

Let them be onelyonly thine owne, that is,Imperativum pro fu…uro. they ſhall onelyonly be thine owne, and thou mayſt bee aſſured when thou doſt marry a chaſt woman, that thy children are thine owne, and not a ſtrangers with thee, to inherite and poſſeſſe that which thou haſt purchaſed. Pſal. 127.4. Children are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruite of the wombe is his reward, and thy children ſhall bee like arrowes in the hand of a mighty man. Then Salomon returneth to his firſt advice, let thy fountaine be bleſſed, and rejoyce with the wife of thy youth.

The firſt preſervative to keepe man and wife in purity, is to live chaſtly before they bee married; ſo did Iacob, Gen. 49.3. Ruben thou art my might, and the beginning of my ſtrength; Iacob knew not a woman before he was married, but Eſau was a prophane man and a fornicator. Heb. 12.16.

The ſecond remedie is, for a man to delight himſelfe with his wife; Let her bee like a loving Hinde unto thee, p. 186and as a pleaſant Roe, and let her breaſts ſatisfie thee at all times. The wife compared to the Hind.Prov. 5.19. the Hinde is a loving creature, and followeth the male; the Hinde is ardent in her love, and they are ready one of them to helpe another, ſo ſhould the man and his wife; let her breaſts ſatisfie thee at all times,foreign inebriant te. in the Hebrew it is, [Ieravucha] inebrient te: ſee how the Holy ghoſt willeth a man to delight himſelfe with his owne wife, therefore he addeth, Cur erres cum extranea [Tiſhge] to wander as beaſts doe,foreign erravit, proprie beſtiarum eſt. who make not choiſe of one mate. And contrary to this chaſt love is, when a man thinketh that ſtollen waters are ſweet. Prov. 9.17. and is not content to drinke out of his owne ciſterne. Prov. 5.15. he ſhould call his wife the delight of his eyes. Ezek. 24.16. So ſhould the wife content her ſelfe with the love of her husband; Let him kiſſe me with the kiſſes of his mouth. Cant. 2.

This chaſte love the longer that it continue, the ſtronger and ſweeter it is;INEBRIARI in re a morum quid. and the longer that it is kept, it is the more fragrant; the love betwixt the whore and the harlot, is not a permanent love. Prov. 7.18. Come let us be drunke with love untill the morning, yet it is the ſame word that is uſed to expreſſe that chaſte love betwixt the husband and the wife: Prov. 5.17. but it differeth very much from that love; this word Rabha to bee drunke,VERBVM mediae ſignificationis, quid. is verbum mediae ſignificationis, as the Hebrews marke, that is, it may be taken either in a good part, or in an evill; but vergit ſaepius in extremum, it declineth to the extremity if it be not taken heed unto. So Pſal. 90.10. Dies annorum noſtrorum & ſuperbia eorum, labor, & dolor; the dayes of our yeares and their ſtrength is labour and ſorrow;foreign in the originall it is [Rohebam] ſuperbi…: why i… the ſtrength of our eares called pride? becauſe often times it enclineth to pride.Why the ſtrength of our yeares is called pride. So [Rabha] to bee drunke, ſignifieth firſt, to be merrie ad hilaritatem onelyonly, as Gen. 43.34. and Iob. 2.10. and Pſal. 23. Calix meus p. 187ebrius eſt, my cup runneth over, and this the Holy ghoſt alloweth; but there is another ſort of drunkenneſſe which vergit in extremum, and this the Lord condemneth. So in the matter of marriage, for the man and the wife to bee moderatelie drunke with this love, the Lord alloweth this; but this exceſſe of love which is betwixt the whore and the harlot, this the Lord condemneth.

Secondly, the pure love betwixt the man and the wife continueth and endureth,The love betwixt the whore and the harlot is not permanent. but the love betwixt the whore and the harlot is but for a ſhort time, therefore ſhe ſaith, Prov. 7.18. Let us take our fill of love untill the morning; it laſteth but for one night, and then degenerateth into hatred, as Amnon hated Tamar more then ever he loved her. 2. Sam. 13.15.

The third way how to keepe and intertaine this love, is for the man to reſpect his wife,The whore ſpeaketh diſdainfully of her husband. and the woman to honour her husband. Prov. 7.19. when the whore enticed the young man unto her houſe, marke how diſdainefully ſhe ſpeaketh of her husband; The man is not at home, in contempt ſhe calleth him the man, foreignſhe calleth him not [Bagnale] my lord, or [Iſshi] my man; when once they turne their hearts and affections from their husbands, then there is an open way made for adultery; when the Scripture ſpeaketh of the husband Deut. 28.56 it calleth him vir ſinus, becauſe hee ſleepeth in his wives boſome;The wife called the wife of the boſome, and thoſe which we keep in our boſome we love them dearely, ſo the wife is called uxor ſinus. Micah. 7.5. who ſleepeth in her husbands boſome. So 2. Sam. 12.3. ſo ſhe is called uxor adoleſcentiae ejus. Prov. 1.18. to remember what love hee bare to h…r in her youth, and therefore hee ſhould not deſpiſe h…r in her age.

The fourth way to live chaſtly,Married perſons are to beare with others infirmities. is to beare every one with the infirmity of others, this was the fault of Iobs p. 188wife. Iob. 19.17. My breath is ſtrange to my wife.

The firſt way is, to remember the children gotten betwixt them, which ſhould bee the pledges of their love. Iob. 19.17. Although I entreated her for the childrens ſake of mine owne bowels.

And as it is the way to keep them in holy wedlock when they are married, to keepe their veſſels in purity before they be married; ſo to teſtifie their love, the widow after her husband is dead, ſhe ſhould live as a widow indeed and not in pleaſure. 1. Tim. 5.6. For then ſhe is dead while ſhe is alive; and ſo the man ſhould live chaſtly, untill he be called to a new marriage, to teſtifie his love to his former wife; the women amongſt the Iewes when they ſpake of their husbands that were dead, they ſaid, memoria ejus ſicut vinum Lebani.

They deſired to be buried together.Laſtly, to teſtifie their mutuall love; of old, they deſired to be buried together; ſo was Abraham and Sarah, Iſaac and Rebecka, Iacob and Rachel.

Of the puniſhment of adultery.

NExt unto ſpirituall adultery the Lord hath puniſhed this bodily whoredome; the firſt world was drowned for this ſinne. Gen. 6.2, 3, 4. and for this ſinne the Lord deſtroyed with the plague twenty foure thouſand. Num. 25.9. For this ſinne the tribe of Benjamin was almoſt rooted out. Iudg. 19.28. for this ſin Davids houſe was puniſhed both with inceſt and with bloud.

As the Lord puniſhed this ſinne himſelfe, ſo he will have it puniſhed by the Magiſtrate;foreign Iniquitas Iudicum, id eſt, quaerenda, cognoſcenda & punienda a Iudicibus. foreign iniuria quae ſit mihi. in the dayes of Iob it was c…pitall. Iob. 31.11. For this is an heynous crime, yea, [G…avon pelilim] eſt iniquitas judicum, that is, that which the Iudges ſhould puniſh; and not the iniquitie which the Iudges commit. So Gen. 16.5. [Hhamaſi] injuria mea, is not the injurie which I doe, but the injurie p. 189which is done to me, ſo in the dayes of Abimelech. Gen. 26.11. Hee that toucheth this man or his wife, ſhall ſurely be put to death. So amongſt the heathen it was capitall, as amongſt the Egyptians, Ioſeph for ſuſpected adultery, was put in the priſon with thoſe who were executed; and in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzer roſted the adulterous Prieſts in the fire. Ier. 29.22. and if wee ſhall obſerve how the jealous husband will not ſpare in the day of vengeance. Prov. 6.34. we ſhall ſee what a juſt judgement befalleth the adulterer, when the jealous husband killeth him in ſudden paſſion,Alluſion. and Salomon alludeth to this, Hee goeth after her ſtraight way till a dart ſtrike through his liver. Prov. 7.23. and why thorow his liver? his liver was the part of the body in which his uncleane luſt lodged, therefore the dart pierceth this part eſpecially, and the part by which a man offendeth moſt, in that he is moſt commonly puniſhed.

The Egyptians uſed to cut off the noſe and the eares of the Adultereſſe, and the Prophet alludeth to this ſort of puniſhment, Ezek. 23 25. They ſhall deale furiouſly with thee; they ſhall take away thy noſe and thine eares.