The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 25 – Part 26
Woman]
Obſerve we hence,
Doct. Not onelyonly the guilt, but the ſtaine of ſin is done away with the teares of true Repentance. This is that which takes away Rebuke from all faces, Iſa. 1.26.
De hac igitur dixiſſe Prophetam puto, ejuſmodi eſt in qua via mulieris &c Pro. 30.20. &c. Haec enim virtus Chriſti eſt Domini, ut quā vis peccator ſit, qui ejus unda ablatus fuerit, denno in virginem reparatus, non meminerit ante quod fecerit—Fit que virgo fide Chriſti, qui fuerat Adulter corruptione peccati. Ambroſ. Ser. 30S. Ambroſe in a Sermon ſpeaking of the woman of Samaria's converſion (who was an Harlot) yet now by Chriſt converted and waſhed from her ſins, conceiveth this to be the meaning of that Proverbe, Such is the way of an adulterous woman, ſhe eateth and wipeth her mouth, and ſaith, I have done no wickedneſſe, and addeth further, that ſuch is the vertue of Chriſt our Lord, that although he be a ſinner who is waſhed in his water, yet thereby hee is restored to be a Virgin, &c. and ſo made a Virgin by the Faith of Chriſt, who was an adulterer by the corruption of Sinne.
This way the unchaſteſt woman may ſo wipe her mouth, as to ſay I have done no wickedneſſe: By a penitent Confeſſion of her fault, her Virginity ſhall be reſtored: ſo was this womans in my Text. And ſo was Davids, whoſe Palme-branch of Virginity through the plentifull teares of his Repentance, did ſo flouriſh againe, that though hee was taken in Adultery in his younger yeares, yet in his Old-age a virgin was found by him in his Bed
Uſe. 1 Let this Direct us how to judge, and what to thinke of thoſe, who have repented them of former ſins; think not worſe of them for what they have bin, but thinke the better of them for what they are. Object not to David his Murther and Adultery: To Peter his Denying of his Maſter: To Matthew that he was a Publican: To Mary that ſhe was an Harlot, &c. But magnifie the riches of Gods grace, who hath forgiven ſuch great Offenders: Where God hath remitted, take we heed how we dare object, I know the day when you were thus or thus: This is to fling the filth of ſin into that face which God hath waſhed, a thing God cannot endure.
Vſe 2 And let this Encourage us to take this courſe to regaine that credit which hath bin loſt by ſinfull courſes. At the birth of Iehabod away went Glory: And credit once loſt is like water ſpilt upon the ground, which if recollected, yet it hath loſt the purity, and is ever after full of ſoyle:Ezek. 18.21, 22 Jer. 31.34. Notwithſtanding Reformation will doe much with God, and bring us ſo farre into his Favour, as that he will remember what we have bin no more, nor once mention our former faylings: Looke as the Father of the Prodigall dealt with him, ſo will God deale with thee, he gives kiſſes not ſtripes to his offending ſonne.Peccanti filio dat oſcula non flagella; vis amoris non videt delicta, ſic curat filij vulnera, ne forto cicatricē, ne forte filio naevum relinqueret, Chryſ. Ser. 3. The force of Love would ſee no faults, he ſo healeth his ſons wounds, as that he might not by chance leave a ſcarre, or the leaſt freckle in his ſonne (as one obſerves) And he received him with greater tokens of favour then his elder Brother, who never brake out into that Riot. So will God deale with thee; he will be ſo farre from upbraiding thee with thy former looſe life, as that he will honour thee the more, if thou beeſt truly Penitent. To whom did our Saviour ever more honour then to Zacheus (that converted Publican) to whoſe houſe he came uninvited, and brought with him the beſt news that ever came to that converts care? Who had more favour from Chriſt then this Penitent Citizen ſpoken of in our Text, Out of whom he had caſt ſeven Divels? Her ſpikenard he hath ſo mingled with the ointment of the Goſpell, Mat. 26.13.that whoſoever ſmelleth the ſavour of life from the Doctrine of it, ſhall have a ſent alſo of thoſe ſweet Perfumes which ſhe ſpent upon her Saviour.
Yea ſo hearty and cordiall is this Phyſicke of Repentance as that it reſtores (as you have heard) your Ʋirginity and Chaſtity, yea your ſtrength and youth: You ſhall be freſher and livelier (with the ſnake) after the caſting off your old Skin: And (as Livie writeth of Scipio) he never looked ſo freſh, not ſeemed ſo beautifull in the Eyes of his ſouldiers, as after his recovery from a dangerous ſickneſſe, which he tooke in the Camp: So ſhall it be with you, you ſhall I looke moſt lovely in the Eyes of God and his Church upon your true Repentance and Confeſſions. But if otherwiſe you will ſtill perſiſt in an evill courſe the guilt of ſin you ſhall carry with you, but the ſtaine of ſin you ſhall leave behind you; as we read of thoſe, Ioh. 10.8. who though they were long ſince dead and rotten, yet our Saviour ſaith, They (are) thieves and robbers: Not (were ſo) but ſtill are ſo. For, though they were dead, yet their ſin abided, and their names ſhall for ever be branded with it.
This woman. Text. ]
Other women might be ſeene of Simon, but this woman in a ſpeciall manner he muſt obſerve,
Doct. The beſt women are beſt worthy ſeeing.
The like obſervation to this we have made on the Parable of the Good Samaritane, pag. 223.
Vſe 1 I content my ſelfe with a word or two by way of Application, wiſhing that women would ſtrive to become the beſt patternes of Modesty, Meekeneſſe, Sobriety, &c. that they may be worthy of imitation.
Vſe 2 And in imitating others that they would caſt their Eyes on Sarah, Rebecka, Anna, Deborah, Abigaile, and ſuch like as theſe,Pudore vilis, a mictu dives, genas picta. Etenim quia verum decorem naturae habere non poteſt, adulterinis fucis affectatae pulchritudinis lenocinatur ſpeciem, non veritatem, Amb. de abel & Cain cap. 4. who in Scripture are propoſed as beſt patterns for their imitation.
There is a woman deſcribed by Salomon (Prov. 7.) Firſt, by her Attire, verſ. 10. It was the attire of an Harlot, which S. Ambroſe thus ſets forth: She is baſe in ſhameleſneſſe, glorious in her cloathes, painted in her cheeks; for becauſe ſhe cannot have the true comelineſſe of nature, by falſe dawbings ſhe borrowes the ſhew (not the truth) of an affected beauty. And for the attire of her inward man, ſhe is ſubtile of heart, her heart is ſnares and nets, as we ſhewed before out of Eccleſ. 7.26.
Next ſhe is ſet forth, by her Behaviour and Carriage, verſ. 11. & 12. Her Tongue is as lowd, as herſelfe is lewd: It is ready for all Eares, and is as common as her ſelfe. Her will that is ſtiffe and ſtubborne as her body is looſe: Her Feet cannot abide in her owne houſe: She is given to gadding as faſt as her tongue to going: Now ſhe is without, now in the ſtreets: Diſcovering by her often remooving, her unſtable mind; and in every corner ſhe lieth in waite to do ſome miſchiefe, and ſurprize a booty. This woman is to be Beheld (for ſo the Wiſe man adviſeth) [Behold] there met him, &c. What he himſelfe had ſeene and obſerved, he wills others to obſerve too; yet not to imitate and follow, but to avoid and ſhun: Who ſo ſhall otherwiſe obſerve ſuch an one as this, they are like the old Aegyptians, who paſſed by the beauty of the world, as the Sunne, Moone, and Starres without obſervation, but if they met with a Cat or Crocodile, they would fall down and adore. And thus much of the duty here required. Now for the Perſon enjoyned with it.