Divine Poems, Commandment 7
Commandment VII.
VII: Thou ſhalt not Commit advlterie. &c.
When this Figure thou haſt ey'd,
Think how theſe two Wantons dy'd,
And what horror was therein,
When Death took them in their Sin,
Hurrying them from their delight,
To an Everlaſting Night.
Mind it well, and mind it ſo,
That thou ſtill may'ſt careful grow,
From thoſe evils to be free,
Which this Law forbids to thee.
Comman. VII.
Commit thou no ſuch Act unclean,
As here Adultery, doth mean.
BEhold this Figure, you, who take delight,
To give the Reins to wanton Appetite:
And, ſay within your ſelves; why may not we,
Struck ſuddenly, in our Polutions be,
As well as theſe and others, who have bin,
Attatched in the very Act of Sin?
Conſider this and tremble: For no year
Wheels round, but, we of one or other hear
Thus taken; That, you might forſake the ſnare,
And others be forwarn'd of coming there.
Permit Adultery, and none ſhall breed
Without a Mungrel and a mingled ſeed,
Allow ſuch mixtures and none then ſhall know,
On whom the dues of birth-right to beſtow,
Save a bleſt Faction. And what havoke then
Will Trecherys and Murthers make of Men?
And, who will careful be to foſter that
Which no man owns, and Brutiſh Luſt begat?
So needful was this Law, that here to dwell
Without it, were to live the life of Hell
With Fiends incarnate, whoſe licentiouſneſs
Their own and others miſchiefs would increaſe.
Be therefore thankful for it; and declare
Your thankfulneſs with diligence and care
In keeping of it; that you may have reſt
From ſorrows here, and be hereafter bleſt,
And leſt your Duties from you, may be hidden,
Obſerve that by this Precept is forbidden,
Not only ſuch uncleanneſs as polluteth
A Married Bed; but, that it thoſe reputeth,
Offenders too, who ſimply fornicate
Or in a married or unmarried ſtate,
Abuſe their Members in the wanton fact
Of any lawleſs or uncomely Act;
Which appertaineth to that fleſhly ſin,
Which by this Law hath interdicted bin.
No breach of Wedlock was perchance in that
Bold Zimri did with Cosbi perpetrate,
Yet vengeance followed on it, to affright
All thoſe who in Laciviouſneſs delight,
Young Onan climed not his neighbours bed,
Yet God for his tranſgreſſion ſtruck him dead.
And let the ſhameleſs wantons of our days,
Who boaſt (as of a deed that merits praiſe)
How many untouch't Virgins they deflowr'd
Leſt by a ſudden Plague they be devour'd,
For leſs than that of which theſe villanies boaſt,
Full Three and Twenty Thouſand lives did coſt
In one days round; and it may forfeit them
Their freedom in the new Jeruſalem.
To ſhun groſs wantonneſs will not ſuffice,
Unleſs the wandrings of Adulterous eyes,
Laſcivious touches intermixt among
The temptings of a luſt provoking tongue,
Bewiching ſmiles, And Geſtures, which intice,
Both mind and body to embrace this Vice,
With ſuch like Cycean Charmings, be ſuppreſt,
Which help transform a Man into a Beaſt,
Nay if the ſecret longings of the Heart,
We labour not (with all our ſtrength) to thwart,
When they incline to Luſt; we thereby ſhall
Be guilty, though in Act we never fall.
If therefore blameleſs we would ſtill abide,
We muſt ſome precious Antidotes provide
Againſt this Poyſon. We muſt careful prove
Far from us, all occaſions to remove,
Which may allure: And they are ſuch as theſe
Vain Songs and Poems, which are made to pleaſe
A wanton ear, and movingly expreſs
The longings and the acts of Wantonneſs.
Obſcoen Diſcourſe; Laſcivious Company;
The giving of an opportunity,
(That may be ſhunn'd) to ſuch as we do know
Are not ſo baſhful as to let it go.
Theſe are occaſions, of eſpecial note,
…s Bounds to this Offence, not ſo remote,
But, that they bring it eaſily to paſs,
Yea, otherwhile before it purpos'd was,
And, for that Cauſe, this Law commands doth lay
That we remove thoſe from us far away.
Nor are thoſe all the temptings unto luſt,
But there be others which avoid we muſt
As much as theſe; Fantaſtical attires,
And wanton dreſſings kindle luſtful Fires.
This makes them ſo eſteemed, and ſo ſought,
That otherwhile they are full dearly bought,
That ſome to play the Harlot have been fain
Thoſe various coſtly Dreſſings to maintain.
Oft viſitings, and ſpending of the day,
With ſuch as trifle half their time away
…n Complements, (and intercourſe between
Each other, but to ſee or to be ſeen.)
Ev'n theſe things blow the Flame, and many a one
By ſuch impertinencies, is undone.
The faring delicately in exceſs,
The common ſin of beaſtly Drunkenneſs,
Are here Attatch'd, Arraign'd and Sentenced,
For often cauſing an Adulterous Bed.
Conſtrained marriages made up by Friends,
For Honour, Wealth, or ſuch improper ends,
Both partys very frequently undo,
And cauſe Adulterys and Murthers too.
Where Youth and Age of too unequal years
Together match; both Jealouſies and Fears
Are Gueſts, and rarely have ſuch weddings bin
Without occaſions of this filthy ſin.
If, therefore of this Crime we would be clear,
Let us endeavour alwaies to forbear
All ſuch as theſe, as well as to eſchew
A groſs Adultery, and ſo purſue
Each means which may be helpful to acquire
A blameleſs practice and a clean deſire.
That we may Soul and Body beautify
With every flower of Spotleſs Chaſtity.
For, carnal whoredom was long ſince a gin
By Satan forged for the bringing in
Of Ghoſtly Fornications moſt impure,
And frequent Teſtimonies may aſſure
That they who love ſtrange fleſh as many do,
Will change their God with ſmall perſwaſions too.
LORD from theſe vanities direct our eyes
Which may at unawares the Heart ſurprize;
The Law within our members we do find
Doth croſs the Law that's grafted in our mind.
That which we hate we are intic'd unto,
And what we love we often fail to do.
Our Will thou haſt renew'd but in the Deed
We are not, yet, enabled to proceed
With ſuch a Conſtancy as we deſire,
Nor with ſuch pureneſs as thou doſt require.
Make perfect what in me thou haſt begun,
Compel me, that I after thee may run.
…et not the world adulterate in me
The Love which I have promis'd unto thee;
Although my waies be crooked in thy ſight,
… reſerve thou my affection ſtill upright.
And let thy Love ſo keep my heart in awe
That I may ſtill be blameleſs of this Law.
Amen.