Exposition of the Ten Commandments, Commandment 7
The 7. Commandement. The Negatiue part.
It forbids all manner of vncleanneſſe, and fleſhly defilement, and all things that hurt or hinder chaſtitie in man or woman; and theſe things are either Inward or Outward.
Inward, in the heart, as namely, filthie imaginations, Matt. 5.28.and vnchaſte thoughts, Coloſſ. 3.5.and inward luſts and motions of the heart, to vncleanneſſe, whereunto the heart doth giuegive conſent; or purpoſes and deſires of the heart to any act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement, which are then moſt vile and moſt odious, when they are ſo violent and ſtrong, as that they continually boyle and burne within, and giuegive a man or a woman no reſt, but are euer ſtirring and prouoking them to the committing of ſome filthie act of vncleanneſſe.
Outward, and thoſe are either things going before the act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement, or the acts of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly pollution.
Things going before the act of vncleanneſſe & fleſhly defilement, are either further off, as preparatiues and prouocations to it, or neerer to it, than preparatiues and prouocations.
Further off, as preparatiues and prouocations to it; and thoſe are either ſuch things as ſtirre vp filthie luſt, and make the bodie fit for vncleanneſſe, or ſuch things as helpe forward the fitneſſe of the body for vncleanneſſe. Such things as ſtir vp filthy luſt, and make the bodie fit for vncleanneſſe, Ier. 5.8. Eze. 16.49. Rom. 13.13 Hoſea 7.6. Gen. 19.31, 33, 34, 35. Pro. 23.30, 31, 33. Iſay 5.11. Rom. 13.13 Epheſ. 5.18 Deut. 23.10and thoſe are,
Firſt, gluttony, or exceſſe in eating, and pampering of the bellie with meats.
Secondly, drunkenneſſe, or exceſſe in drinking.
Thirdly, luſtfull dreames, comming from ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe, from whence come nocturnall pollutions.
Fourthly, Idleneſſe, as when men or women ſpend their ſtrength, 2 Sam. 11.1. Eze. 16.49. 1 Tim. 5.13and the time God giues them, wherein they ought to be imployed in ſome honeſt labours of minde or bodie, in exceſſiue ſleeping, and in ſluggiſhneſſe, in eaſe and in doing nothing, but following their ſenſuall pleaſures.
Such things as helpe forward the fitneſſe of the bodie for vncleanneſſe, and thoſe are,
1 Any light, Ezec. 16.49vaine, immodeſt either ſetting out of the bodie, Prou. 7.10. 1 Tim. 2.9, 10. 1 Pet. 3.3. 1 Cor. 11.14. 2 King. 9.30. Ier. 4.30. Iſai. 3.16, 17, 18, 19, &c.or carrying of the bodie in diuers particulars, as namely, by riotous, laſciuious, gariſh, diſguiſed, and new-fangled attire, long ſhagge haire, by platting, curling, frizling, or powdering the haire, or by wearing falſe haire, painting the face, laying out of the naked breſts, ſtretching out of the necke, tinckling with the feet, and ſuch like.
2 The keeping company with laſciuious, wanton, Gen. 39.10 Pſal. 50.18. Prou. 5.8. & 7.7, 8, 9, 10. Eph. 5.5.7.and filthie perſons, and the frequenting of lewd houſes, houſes of filthineſſe.
3 Immodeſt, vnchaſte, ribald and filthie ſpeaking, Epheſ. 4 20. & 5.3, 4. Coloſſ. 3.8.
4 The reading of vnchaſte and filthie bookes, bookes of louelove matters, of dalliance and filthineſſe, 1 Cor. 15.33. Act. 19.19.
5 Idle and curious looking of men vpō women, or of women vponupon men, Gen. 6.2. & 39.7. & 34.1, 2.
6 The looking vponupon laſciuious, 2 Sam. 11.2 Iob 31.1. 2 Pet. 2.14. Numb. 15.1, 2, 3. Ezech. 23.14, 15, 16. Eph. 5.3, 4.filthie, and vnſeemely pictures, and the beholding of louelove-matters, and the light behauiour of men or women, repreſented and ſet out, not only by ſpeech, but by geſture, and by conueyances and deuices in ſtage-playes and comedies.
7 Immodeſt and wanton dancing, Exod. 32.6. Iob 21.11, 12. Mark. 6.21, 22.mixt dancing of men and women together in number and meaſure artificially, eſpecially after ſolemne Feaſts, and at merrie meetings.
Things nearer to it than preparatiues & prouocations, & thoſe are,
1 The wearing of apparell not fit for the ſex, Deut. 22.5. Iob 24.15. Gen. 38.15.
2 Wanton kiſſing, and embracing, & vnchaſte touching and dalliance, Gen. 39.12. Prou. 7.13. Deut. 25.11, 12.
3 The mouing, and entiſing, and perſwading to the very act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly, pollution, Gen. 38.7, 10, 12. Prou. 7.14 to 21.
The acts of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly pollution, which are either with ones ſelfe or with others.
With ones ſelfe; and chaſtitie is hurt or hindered in man or woman with themſelues, 1 Cor. 6.9.by effeminat wantonneſſe, and by doing as Onan did, Gen. 38.9. when men or women abuſe their owne bodies, and by any way or meanes prouoke and procure themſelues to doe as he did.
With others, with one other alone, or with many others.
With one other alone, which is either by married perſons, man and wife betweene thēſelues, or by ſuch as are not maried one to another.
By maried perſons, man and wife betweene themſelues, and that either in reſpect of their entrance into mariage, or in regard of their after proceeding and vſe of mariage.
In reſpect of their entrance into mariage, Exo. 22.16, 17. Deut. 7.3. Ier. 29.6. 1 Cor. 7.38which is, when they company together and hauehave ſecret ſocietie one with another, as man and wife; and yet are either ſuch as entred into that ſtate without due conſent of their parents, neither hauing it at the time of their entrance, nor hauing gained it afterwards.
Or they are ſuch as ought not to hauehave maried together, being within the degrees of conſanguinitie or affinitie forbidden in the word of God, Leuit. 18, 6. to 18. & 20.20, 21. Mark. 6.18. 1 Cor. 5.1.
In regard of their after proceeding and vſe of mariage, and that two waies:
1 When they vſe the mariagebed intemperately and immoderately, not for procreation, or for yeelding the due beneuolence or debt one to another, or for the auoiding of fornication, but meerely for the ſatisfaction of their vnbridled pleaſures, 1 Theſſ. 4.4, 5. Hebr. 13.4.
2 When they vſe the mariagebed vnſeaſonably, and that is done two waies:
Firſt, if they know each other carnally, whileſt it is with the woman after the manner of women, Gen. 18.11. Leuit. 18.19. & 20.18. Ezech. 18.6. & 22.10.
Secondly, if they know each other carnally in the time of publike humiliation, in the time of a ſolemne Faſt, taken vp and vſed in regard of ſome grieuous calamitie, either imminent or like to fall on the Church or Common-weale, or alreadie vponupon it, 2 Sam. 11.11. Ioel 2.16. Zach. 12.12. 1 Cor. 7.5.
By ſuch as are not maried one to another, and that two waies:
1 When ſuch as are not maried one to another, doe commit ſome act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement one with another, which is vnnaturall, and againſt nature; and that is done three waies:
1 By Sodomitrie, which is vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed betweene them that are of one and the ſame ſex, Leuit. 18.22. & 20.13. Rom. 1.26, 27. 1 Cor. 6.9. 1 Tim. 1.10.
2 By beaſtialitie, which is vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed by man or woman with a bruit beaſt, Leuit, 18.23. and 20.15, 16.
3 By vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed by man or woman with the Deuill, as Witches doe, by their owne confeſſion, Gen. 3.1.
2 When ſuch as are not maried one to another, doe commit ſome act of vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie one with another, which is naturall, and according to the courſe of nature corrupted; and that is done two waies:
1 By committing the ſinne of Inceſt, which is vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed betweene man and woman that are neare in bloud, and of kindred one to another, either by conſanguinitie or affinitie, Gen. 19.33. to 37. & 35.22. & 49.4. & 38.18. 2 Sam. 13.14. Ezech. 22.11. Mark. 6.18. 1 Cor. 5.1.
2 By vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed betweene man and woman that are not neare in bloud, nor of kindred one to another, either by conſanguinitie or affinitie; and that is done two waies:
1 By fornication, which is vncleanneſſe and defilement of the bodie, committed betweene man and woman, being both ſingle and vnmaried perſons, Gen. 34.2. 1 Cor. 6.9.18. & 10.8. Heb. 13.4.
2 By adultery, which is vncleanneſſe or defilement of the bodie, committed betweene man and woman, being either both of them maried perſons, or one of them a maried perſon, or at leaſt contracted, Gen. 26.10. Leuit. 18.20. & 20.10. 2 Sam. 11.4. Ier. 5.7.8. 1 Cor. 6.9. Heb. 13.4. Deut. 22.22. And Inceſt, Fornication, or Adultery is moſt vile, and moſt odious, when it is committed by violence and force, which is called Rape, Gen. 34.2. Deut. 22.25. 2 Sam. 13.14.
The acts of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly pollution of the body, committed with many others, and that two waies:
1 By vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement, committed by man or by woman with many others at large, as when a man commits filthineſſe with many women, whatſoeuer they be; or when a woman doth proſtitute her bodie to many men, and commits filthineſſe with many men, whatſoeuer they be, Leuit. 19.29 Deut. 23.17. Ezech. 16.28, 29. Hozea 4.2.
2 By vncleanneſſe & defilement of the body, Gen. 4.14. & 2.14. Deut. 17.17 Mat. 19.5. Leu. 18.18. Malac. 2.15committed by man or by woman, with many others, to whom they ſeeme to be bound by the bond of mariage; as when a man hath more than one wife at one and the ſame time, and hath carnall copulation with them: or when a woman hath more than one husband, at one and the ſame time, and hath carnall coniunction with them.
The Affirmatiue part of the ſeuenth Commandement.
It requires in generall two things:
1 Chaſtity both inward and outward, which is cleanneſſe and puritie both of the ſoule and of the bodie of man or woman, touching the matter of generation. And inward chaſtitie, and cleanneſſe, and purity of the ſoule of man or woman, touching the matter of generation, ſtands in a freedome by grace from fleſhly concupiſcence, Matt. 5.28. & 15.19. 1 Cor. 7.34 Coloſſ. 3.5.the heart being by grace free from filthie vncleanneſſe and vnchaſte thoughts, and from inward filthie luſts, and from purpoſes and deſires to any act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement.
And outward chaſtitie, and cleanneſſe, and puritie of the bodie of man or woman touching the matter of generation, Gen. 39.8, 9, 10, 12. 1 Cor. 7.1. 1 Theſſ. 4.3, 4. 1 Tim. 4.12 Reuel. 14.4ſtands in not putting in execution the concupiſcence of the fleſh in any act of vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement, in any kind whatſoeuer, either with themſelues or with others, be it with one other or with many others.
2 A carefull vſing of ſuch things as are helpes to preſerue chaſtitie, and doe tend to the preſeruation of cleanneſſe and puritie both inward and outward, both of the ſoule and of the body of man or woman, touching the matter of generation, and thoſe are ſeuen things:
1 The feare of God eſpecially, a feare of God in reſpect of his Word and Commandement, that forbids vncleanneſſe and fleſhly defilement both of ſoule and body, in any kind whatſoeuer, Gen. 20.11. & 39.9. Eccleſ. 7.28.
2 A true delight in the word of God, and in his holy ordinances, Pſal. 119.9. Prou. 2.10.16. & 5.1, 2, 3. & 6.20. to 24.
3 Modeſtie or ſhamefaſtneſſe, which is an holy abhorring of all filthineſſe and fleſhly defilement, accompanied with a carefull obſeruing of Chriſtian comlineſſe, and with a certaine griefe and feare, leſt any thing vncomely ſhould bee committed, Epheſ. 5.3.4. which is to be expreſſed,
1 In the ſpeech and in the words of men and women, namely, in decent talke and chaſte ſpeeches, they vſing as ſeemely words as may be choſen, when they are to mention things that may moue bluſhing, and vſing little and ſubmiſſe ſpeech, Gen. 4.1. Pſal 51. in the title, Prou. 10.19. & 7.11.
2 In countenance and geſture, and the carriage of the bodie and outward behauiour, men and women ſo looking and carrying their eies and countenances, as that they neither thereby expreſſe the filthie luſts of their owne hearts, nor giuegive iuſt occaſion to ſtirre vp the concupiſcence of heart in others, and in grauitie in their carriage and outward behauiour, Gen. 24.65. Iob 31.1. Prou. 6.25. & 7.13. Ier. 3.3. Tit. 2.3.7.
3 In apparell, 1 Tim. 2.9, 10. 1 Pet. 3.3, 4men and women are to couer their bodies with decent and comely apparell, and that decencie and comlineſſe in apparel ſtands in two things: Firſt, in couering the whole bodie with it, ſome parts excepted, as the hands and face, for neceſſities ſake, Gen. 3.10.21. Deut. 28.48. Ezech. 16.7, 8. Secondly, in being decent and comely for the forme and faſhion of it, which is, when it is according to the ſexe, and according to the office and calling, order and degree, that men or women hauehave in the ſocieties of men, publike or priuate, and according to their abilitie, and framed according to the ancient cuſtome of the place and Countrie where they liue, and to the example of the graueſt, and the moſt godly, and ſober minded men and women of their owne place, order, degree and age, Deut. 22.5. Matth. 11.8. Zephan. 1.8. 1 Cor. 11.16. Philip. 4.8. 1 Pet. 3.5.
4 Temperance or ſobriety, which is a moderate and ſober vſe of ſuch things as belong to the bodie, Gal. 5.23. 1 Tim. 3.2. Tit. 1.8. & 2.12. 2 Pet. 1.6.agreeable to time, place, and perſons, which is to be exerciſed and expreſſed,
1 In diet, Pro. 23.29. to 33. Eccle. 7.10. Luke 21.34 Ephe. 5.18. 1 Cor. 9.27 2 Cor. 6.6.men and women vſing meats and drinkes, ſo farre forth as they may ſerue to refreſh nature, and to make them fit for the ſeruice of God and man, and ſometimes in conuenient abſtinence, abſtaining from the neceſſarie and ordinarie food of their bodies, for a time, as need doth require, and as their ſtrength may beare, without aboliſhing and deſtroying nature.
2 In ſleepe, men and women taking ſo much ſleepe as may make them better able to doe all the good duties that concerne them towards God and men; Pro. 20.13. 2 Cor. 6.6. & 11.22.ſometimes refraining from ſleep, and watching as need requires, and as they are able, ſo as it be not to the deſtruction of nature.
3 In lawfull pleaſures and honeſt delights, men and women vſing them only ſo farre forth as they be no prouocations to fleſhly luſt, nor hinderances to them in good duties towards God or man, Rom. 13.14. 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. Gal. 5.13.
5 In diligence and painfulneſſe in good duties: 2 Sam. 11.2, 3, 4. Ezech. 16.49. 1 Tim. 5.13men and women are euer to be doing ſome good thing, either in their generall callings, as they be Chriſtians, or in their particular callings. And the beſt good thing wherein they are to be diligent and painfull, is prayer to God, that he would purifie and purge their hearts from filthie luſts, 2 Cor. 12.7, 8.
6 In the ſingle eſtate, hauing not the gift of continencie, taking the benefit of holy mariage, when other meanes auaile not, 1 Cor. 7.2.9.36. 1 Tim. 4.3.
7 In the ſtate of mariage, the huſbands affecting of his wife, and the wifes affecting of her huſband, as they ought to affect one the other, and alſo the doing of that one to the other that ought to be done, for the preſeruing of pure louelove, and of ſound and heartie affection betweene them, and for the keeping of themſelues faithfull and conſtant one to the other: and they affect one the other as they ought, Ephe. 5.25.29. Col. 3.19. Tit. 2.4. Prou. 5.18, 19. Gen. 24.67when they louelove one another with a feruent and pure louelove, expreſſing that in delighting in the louelove one of another continually, and cheriſhing one the other as they are able. And they doe that one to the other that ought to be done, for the preſerving of pure louelove and of ſound and heartie affection betweene them, and for the keeping of themſelues faithfull and conſtant one to the other three waies:
1 By their quiet and comfortable dwelling together in one place, with no longer abſence of either from other, than ſhall be either on neceſſary occaſion, or with mutuall conſent, Deut. 24.5. Prou. 7.20. 1 Cor. 7.10.12.13. 1 Pet. 3.7.
2 By ſo carrying themſelues one to the other, as that they giuegive no iuſt occaſion, either by word, deed or geſture, to ſuſpect one the other of lightneſſe or vnfaithfulneſſe, but ſo as they may hauehave good cauſe to repoſe truſt and confidence each in the other, whether preſent or abſent, Prou. 31.11.
3 By yeelding due beneuolence one to the other, in the right and lawfull vſe of the mariage bed; vſing it temperatly and ſeaſonably, and with prayer to God for a bleſſing vponupon it, 1 Cor. 7.3, 4, 5. Heb. 13.4. Gen. 25.21. 1 Sam. 26.27. 1 Tim. 4.5.