Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Generall reaſons to diſſwade all men from fornication.
TO which purpoſe let vsus in the next place propound ſome effectuall reaſons,§. Sect. 1. The firſt argument taken from Gods commandement. which may mooue all to an vnfained hatred of this ſin, who hauehave not vtterly caſt off all feare of God, and louelove of their owne happineſſe. The firſt argument may bee taken from Gods expreſſe commandement, whereby he hath ſtraitly prohibited theſe ſinnes of vncleanneſſe both in the old and new teſtament. Generally they are all forbidden in the ſeuenth commandement, Thou ſhalt not commit adulterie. So Deut. 23.17.Deut. 23.17. 1. Cor. 6.18. Heb. 12.16. There ſhall bee no whores of the daughters of Iſrael; neither ſhall there be a whorekeeper of the ſonnes of Iſrael. 1. Cor. 6.18. Flee fornication, &c. Heb. 12.16. Let there be no fornicator, or prophane perſon, as Eſau. Yea ſo farre off would the Lord hauehave all that profeſſe Chriſtianitie from acting of this ſinne, that he would not hauehave it once named amongſt them.Eph. 5.3. Eph. 5.3. But fornication and all vncleanneſſe, or couetouſneſſe, let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Saints. And therefore if we would approoue our ſelues to be Gods ſeruants, wee muſt rather yeeld obedience vntounto his will then to our owne luſts; and preferre his commandement, vntounto whom we are obliged in the manifold bonds of our creation, preſeruation, and redemption, before our ſinfull pleaſures.
Secondly,§. Sect. 2. The ſecond, becauſe it is a ſigne of ſuch a man as God hateth. we are to abhorre and flee from this ſinne of vncleannes, as being an infallible ſigne and a plaine badge of ſuch a man as God hateth. So it is ſaid, Pro. 22.14. The mouth of ſtrange women is as a deepe pit, he whom the Lord hateth ſhall fall therin. And contrariwiſe it is a ſigne of a good man whom God loueth,Pro. 22.14. to bee preſerued out of the harlots nets and ſnares, as the wiſe man alſo telleth vsus, Eccleſ. 7.28.Eccl. 7.28. I find more bitter then death, the woman whoſe heart is as nets and ſnares, and her hands as bands; he that is good before God ſhall bee deliuered from her: but the ſinner ſhall be taken by her. If therefore Courtiers and all loyall ſubiects doe carefully auoid the doing of thoſe things in their Princes ſight, which they are aſſured will prouoke his wrath,Pro. 19.12. and 20.2. and make them odious vntounto him, becauſe the Kings diſpleaſure is as the the roring of a Lion; and he that prouoketh him vntounto anger ſinneth againſt his owne ſoule; and on the other ſide, vſe all meanes which may giuegive them aſſurance of his louelove, becauſe his fauour is as the dew vponupon the graſſe, which preſerueth him from the ſcorching heat of all inraged enemies, and cauſeth him to grow and floriſh in all worldly happines: then how much more ſhould wee carefully auoide the committing of al ſinnes which make the Lord wrathfully diſpleaſed with vsus, whoſe anger and fierce diſpleaſure is preſent death of bodie and ſoule, in this world and in the world to come? How ſtudiouſlie ſhould wee imbrace thoſe holie vertues, which will aſſure vsus of his louelove, ſeeing his fauour is life, yea, the life of our life, our chiefe comfort whileſt wee liue on earth, and the principall part of our eternall happineſſe in the heauens.
Thirdly ,§. Sect. 3. Thirdly, we muſt auoide whoredome, as being a fruite of the fleſh. theſe ſinnes of vncleanneſſe are to be auoided as being the fruites of the fleſh, and the moſt ſinfull workes and effects of corrupted nature; and therefore the Apoſtle reckoning vp the workes of the fleſh, rangeth them in the firſt rancke, as being moſt readie to aſſault and encounter the ſpirit, and the fruites thereof. Gal. 5.19.Gal. 5.19. The workes of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are adulterie, fornication, vncleannes, wantonnes. The which corruptions wee are eſpecially commanded to mortifie and ſubdue, Col. 3.5.Col. 3.5. Mortifie therefore your members which are vponupon earth, fornication, vncleannes, the inordinate affection, and euill concupiſcence. 1. Pet. 2.11.And not without great cauſe are we to imploy our chiefe ſtrength in mortifying and ſubduing theſe filthie luſts of the fleſh; ſeeing, as the Apoſtle telleth vsus, they fight againſt our ſoules; and therfore if we doe not incounter them, they will aſſault vsus; if wee doe not maſter and ouercome them, they will ſurely giuegive vsus a ſhamefull ouerthrow: they are fruites of the fleſh, and notable ſignes of vnregeneration, which ſtoppeth the entrance into Gods kingdome, for except we bee borne againe, wee ſhall not enter into the kingdome of God, Ioh. 3.3.Ioh. 3.3. And as they diſpoſſeſſe vsus of our heauenly patrimonie, ſo they enter vsus into the certaine poſſeſſion of the helliſh inheritance; for they who walke after the fleſh in fulfilling the luſts thereof, they are not in Chriſt,Rom. 8.1.13. and conſequently hauehave not eſcaped condemnation; yea, whoſoeuer liue after the fleſh they ſhall die, euen the ſpirituall death of bodie and ſoule. If therefore wee would not march in the rancke of the vnregenerate, and fight vnderunder the conduct of the fleſh, whoſe victorie is our vtter ouerthrow and deſtruction; if we louelove eternall life, or feare euerlaſting death and condemnation in the helliſh torments; let vsus not nouriſh theſe filthie luſts, but vſe our beſt meanes, and imploy our ſtrongeſt forces, and moſt earneſt endeuours to mortifie and ſubdue them.