A Mirror both for Saints and Sinners, Treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Examples of Chastity, and Modesty.
THe way to heaven is up the hill all the way, and the uncleane adulterer with his rotten Lungs, and wasted Loines cannot climbe up it. Virgins which are not defiled with women, are they which follow the Lambe in white whithersoever he goes. The frequency of the sinne of uncleannesse amongst Christians, brings dishonour to God, scandal to their profession, and a wound to their own souls, and many of the Heathen will rise up in judgement in the last day against such: as these following Examples will more fully declare. Chastity.
Commended, Mat. 19. 12. 1 Thes. 4. 4. 1 Pet. 3. 2. 1 Cor. 7. 37. 1 Tim. 2. 9.
Commanded, Tit. 2. 5. 1 Pet. 3. 3, &c.
Scriptural Examples, Isaac, Gen. 25. 20. Joseph, Gen. 39. 8, 12. Boaz, Ruth. 3. 13. Job, chap. 31. 1. Tamar, 2 Sam. 13. 12.
Other Examples: Pericles the Athenian being made Admiral of the Athenian Fleet, together with Sophocles, who was joyned in the commission with him, as they were going towards the haven, they met a beautiful young boy, whom Sophocles earnestly beholding, highly commended his beauty, to whom Pericles answered: Sophocles, a Governour must not onelyonly have his hands, but also his eyes chaste, and clean. Plut.
Agesilaus King of Sparta was a great lover of chastity, and as he was a great conquerer of others, so also he conquerred his own lusts: In his journey he would never lodge in private houses where he might have the company of women but ever lodged either in the Temples, or in the open fields, making all men the witnesses of his modesty, and chastity. Plut.
Alexander M. being in the heat of youth shewed an admirable example of chastity, when having taken the mother, wives, and daughters of Darius, which were women of admirable beauty, yet he neither by word or deed proffered them the least indignity, thinking it a greater honour to overcome himself, then his adversaries: and when he looked upon other captive Ladies that excelled in stature, and beauty, he merrily said. Persides oculorum dolores esse: That the Persian women were a disease of the eyes: and yet he looked on them but on so many statues: And understanding that two of his Captaines under Parmenio had ravished two of the Persian wives, he wrote to him to enquire after the matter, and if he found it true, that he should cut of their heads, as of beasts borne for the hurt of mankinde: he also wrote him word that he himself was so farre from contemplating the beauty of Darius's wife, that he would not so much as suffer her to be commended in his presence: and that he was so careful of their chastity that they lived in his camp, shut up in their tent, as if they had been in a Temple. Plut.
Appius Claudius, one of the Decemviri of Rome, seeking to ravish a Virgin that was daughter to Virginius; her father to preserve her chastity, slew her, and complaining to the souldiers, whereupon that forme of Government was abolished. Eutropius.
Pub. Scipio Africanus warring in Spain took New Carthage by storme, at which time a beautiful and Noble Virgin fled to him for succour to preserve her chastity: he being but twenty four years old, and so in the heat of youth, hearing of it, would not suffer her to come into his sight for fear of a temptation, but caused her to be restored in safety to her father. Aure Victor.
Amongst the Lacedaemonians when any maid was to be married, she was laid in the dark; and the groom, being neither drunk nor finelier apparrelled then ordinary, after his moderate supper, secretly went to the place where she lay, and having untied her girdle, and stayed a while with her, stole away to the place where he used to lie amongst other young men, and thus he continued, and onelyonly sometimes met with his wife in private, till he had a childe by her, after which they boldly met together in the day-time: This was a means to preserve chastity, and modesty amongst them Plut.
Cassander sending some to murther Olympias the mother of Alexander M. she met them with an unappaled countenance, and without once changing colour, received the sword into her bosome, and finding death to approach, she sat down, and covering her feet with her haire, and her garments, she took care that nothing unseemly should appear about her body after death. Diod. Sic.
Aurelian an Heathen Emperour was so careful to preserve the chastity of women, that one of his souldiers being found guilty of lying with his hostesse, he commanded that the heads of two young trees should be bowed down▪ and the souldiers legs tied thereto, which being suddenly let go, tore him into two peeces.
Emme the mother to King Edward the Confessour, being charged for incontinency with Aldwin Bishop of Winchester, to clear her self from that imputation, being hoodwinked, went barefoot over nine-coulters red hot in Winchester Church withoutany harme (an usual kinde of trial in those dayes then called Ordalium) making her chastity by so great a miracle famous to posterity. Cam. Brit. p. 211.
In the time when the barbarous and bloody Danes raged here in England, they coming to Coldingham, a Nunnery on the hither part of Scotland: Ebba the Prioresse, with the rest of the Nunnes cut off their own noses, and lips, choosing rather to preserve their Virginity from the Danes, then their beauty, and favour: and yet for all that the Danes burnt their Monastery, and them with all in it. Cam. Brit. Scot. p. 10.
Our Henry the sixth was so chaste a Prince, that when certain Ladies presented themselves before him in a Maske with their haire loose, and their breasts uncovered (he being then at mans estate, and unmaried) immediately rose up and departed the Presence, saying, Fie, fie, forsooth, you are much too blame. Sp. Chron.
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from Fornication: that every one of you should know how to possesse his vessel in sanctification, and honour.
1 Thes. 4. 3, 4.