Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. That whoredome is the puniſhment of other ſinnes.
BVt as whoredome is in it ſelfe a grieuous ſin,§. Sect. 1. That vvhoredome is in it ſelfe the puniſhment of other ſinnes. and the cauſe of much other wickedneſſe; ſo likewiſe it is accompanied with many grieuous puniſhments, and that both as it is in it ſelfe a puniſhment of other ſinnes, or as it is puniſhed by God with many fearefull iudgements. In it ſelfe it is the puniſhment of other wickedneſſe; for the harlot (as the Wiſe man ſaith) is like a deepe pit of deſtruction; hee with whom the Lord is angrie, (namely, for their other ſinnes) ſhall fall therein: as it is Prou. 22.14. and 23.27. So Eccleſ. 7.28.Pro. 22.14. and 23.27. Eccl. 7.28. I find more bitter then death, the woman, whoſe heart is as nets and ſnares, and her hands as bands; hee that is good before God, ſhall be deliuered from her, but the ſinner ſhall be taken by her. By which places is implied, that whoredome is like a deepe pit or dungeon, into which ſinners fall in Gods iuſt diſpleaſure; and the harlot like a ſtrong and mercileſſe iaylour which holdeth men in thraldome (with whom God is angrie,) in the chaines of luſt; out of which they cannot, nor deſire not to eſcape. Yea in truth the fornicator is in farre worſe caſe then ſuch a miſerable captiue: for the dungeon taketh away the comfortable light of the Sun, and ſo depriueth him of the vſe of bodily ſight; but fornication blindeth the vnderſtanding which is the eie of the ſoule, and taketh away the light of reaſon, as hath been ſhewed. In the dungeon he is ſtripped of his goods, & liueth in penurie; but by this ſin the fornicator ſtrippeth himſelfe, and like an vnnatural theefe, robbeth and ſpoileth his own ſtate to beſtow it vponupon harlots, til he be brought vntounto extreame pouertie. Out of the dungeon the captiue cannot eſcape, though hee much deſire his libertie; out of this lothſome pit he will not eſcape, but remaineth a voluntarie ſlaue to an odious ſtrumpet, and his owne filthie luſts, till by death he is brought forth to the bar of Gods iudgemēt, to receiue the ſentence of eternall condemnation.
More eſpeciallie whoredome is the puniſhment of idolatrie,§. Sect. 2. VVhoredome is the puniſhment of idolatrie. as it plainly appeareth Rom. 1.23.24. For becauſe the idolatrous Gentiles turned the glory of the incorruptible God, into the ſimilitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birds and foure footed beaſts, and of creeping things: therefore alſo God gaue them vp to their harts luſts, Rom. 1.23.24.vntounto vncleanneſſe, to defile their owne bodies betweene themſelues, &c. So becauſe the Iſraelites went a whoring after idols; therfore ye Lord gaue ouer their daughters and ſpouſes to their owne filthie luſts, to become harlots and whores, and would not reſtraine them from their whordomes by his fatherlie chaſtiſements. Hoſ. 4.12.13. The like experience we hauehave at this day in ye Papiſts,Hoſ. 4.12.13 who becauſe they are the moſt ſhamefull idolaters of the whole world, therefore being giuen vp of God to their owne vncleanneſſe, they doe alſo exceede in fornication, whoredome and filthie Sodomie; as the hiſtories of all times doe plainely teſtifie, and as common fame at this day ſoundeth their infamie in this behalfe in eueryevery mans eares.
Secondly,§. Sect. 3. VVhoredome is the puniſhment of the contempt of Gods vvord. whoredome is inflicted as a puniſhment vponupon thoſe who are contemners of Gods word, and oppoſe themſelues againſt the Preachers thereof; for becauſe men will not ſuffer themſelues to be guided with the light of Gods truth, therefore the Lord giueth ouer both them and theirs, to be blinded with their owne filthie luſts, and to be ouerruled and miſlead by their vncleane paſſions, till they fall vnrecouerablie into the ſinne of whoredome; and becauſe they diſhonour the Lord by deſpiſing his word, hee will cauſe their wiues and daughters to diſhonour them with their fornications and adulterie. Of the former we hauehave an example in the Iſraelites, who when they moſt contemned Gods word and deſpiſed his Prophets, did alſo moſt exceede in filthie whoredome; and in the haters and perſecutors of Gods true religion & faithfull ſeruants at this day, as namely, the Turks, Papiſts and Familiſts, who as they aboue all others contemne the pure and vndefiled word of God, ſo alſo are they of all other men moſt ſtained and defiled with whoredome, and all manner of vncleanneſſe, as not onlie Turkie with the large dominions thereof, but alſo Spaine and Italie doe ſufficiently teſtifie and prooue. Of the other we hauehave an example in Amaziah the Prieſt, who becauſe he deſpiſed Gods word, and oppoſed againſt the Prophet Amos, had this heauie puniſhment denounced againſt him: Amos 7.16. Thou ſaist, Amos 7.16.Prophecie not againſt Iſrael, and ſpeake nothing againſt the houſe of Iſhak. 17. Therefore thus ſaith the Lord, thy wife ſhall bee an harlot in the citie, &c.
And thus it appeareth that whoredome is the puniſhment of other ſinnes, and that no ſmall puniſhment,§. Sect. 4. That whoredome is a fearefull puniſhment. ſeeing thereby ſuch great ſinnes, as idolatrie and contempt of religion are puniſhed by the Lord who holdeth ſome proportion betweene the puniſhment and the ſinne. And as it is great in it ſelfe, ſo in this reſpect it is more grieuous, in that the whoremonger rather eſteemeth it his chiefe delight then his puniſhment, and ſo ſecurely continueth vnderunder the bondage of it and his other ſinnes, without ſenſe of ſmart, and conſequently without remorſe of conſcience; for when the paine of the puniſhment exceedeth not the pleaſure of the ſinne; the pleaſure doth more delight the malefactors, then the puniſhment doth terrifie them; whereof it commeth to paſſe that hauing a proſperous gale in their opinion to blow them on forwards in their euil courſes, they are giuen ouer to a reprobate mind, and continue in their ſinne without griefe or wearineſſe.