Expositions Upon Matthew 1-10, Treatise · Chapter 5 · Section 22
Remedies againſt Adultery.
1 Let every man keep to his own wife, 1 Cor. 7.1. compared with v. 9. this is the way to prevent burning. Prov. 5.15. Drink waters out of thine own Ciſtern, and running waters out of thine own well; as if he ſhould ſay, When burning luſt fires a man, there is need of water to quench it, the remedy which muſt quench it, is compared to a ciſtern and a pit. Now as every man had rather have waters within doors then fetch it abroad, ſo let every man have his own wife to quench the burnings of his deſires. Whereas he nameth running waters, he ſhowes that remedy of quenching luſts by ſtrumpets is like muddy water, which is trodden with the feet of many beaſts, but the other is clear; the effect hereof is ver. 16. Let thy fountains be diſperſed abroad, and rivers of water in the ſtreet. By fountains and rivers he means children flowing from his wife, as a fountain or ſpring. Beſides, ver. 16. Thy children thou haſt by her ſhall be thine own, and not ſtraugers, whereas children begotten on ſtrumpets are children of the people.
2 Get a dear love to thy wife, Pov. 5.19, 20. q.d. If thy wife ſhall be as the loving Hind and pleaſant Roe thou ſhalt never go after ſtrumpets, erre thou in her love, how? by overlooking a ſquint eye, a hard viſage, a dull underſtanding, which may ſeem deformities to others, do thou overlook them.
3 Believe the al-ſeeing eye of God beholds thee in every place. Prov. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and good. Prov. 5.21. Heb. 4.13. This kept Job from this ſin, Job 31.4. and Joſeph, Gen. 39.10.
This thought, that God ſees not, emboldens many to this ſin. Job 24.15. The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, ſaying, No eye ſhall ſee me. The more ſecretly thou doeſt, this ſin, the more abhorred it is of God, 2 Sam. 12.12. 2 Kings 17.9. Many perſons, when they are in ſtrange countries and ſecret places, venture to commit this ſin, as I have known ſome, who through horrour of conſcience have confeſt adulteries committed far from home.
4 Beware of venturing upon this ſin, upon hope of future repentance, for few have repented of this ſin, Eccleſ. 7.28. and thoſe who have repented, have had exceeding horrour in their conſciences for this ſin, as we ſee in David, Pſal. 51.8. None that go into her return again, Prov. 2.19. Neither take they hold of the paths of life. That is, very few do return.
5 Shun all occaſions and provocations to this ſin, as dalliance, wanton touches, and embraces, Prov. 6.27, 28, 29. As he that takes fire in his boſome muſt needs burn his garments, ſo the wanton touching of a ſtrange woman muſt needs fire the body and mind; and as he that goes barefoot upon hot coals muſt needs burn his feet, ſo he that goes in to his neighbours wife, though not in away of adultery, but in a way of private converſe, as walking, talking together in ſecret, eſpecially if there be any kind of touchings, without prayer and watchfulneſs, will be apt to be fired in his fancy, memory, mind, and will: as Tow preſently takes fire, if the fire do but touch it, ſo whoſoever wantonly toucheth a woman ſhall not be innocent. Women are to be honoured, but there is danger in their company, let us conſider their endeavours in ſecret to ſwallow up their neighbours, they judge of themſelves, whether they can make war againſt chaſtity, Juſtin Martyr ad Zenam. Joſeph ſhun'd all occaſions, as being in private with his Miſtreſs. To accompany with perſons noted for this ſin, is an occaſion, Pſal. 26.4, 5. the attire of an harlot is an occaſion alſo why women may be tempted to this ſin, Prov. 7.10. Hoſ. 2.2. Let her take away her fornications from before her face, and her adulteries from between her breaſts. The meaning is, ſhe wore the attire of an harlot in thoſe parts. There is a chaſtity of habit, which much preſerves the perſon that wears it from the aſſaults of aculterers: a ſign of wantonneſs held forth in apparrel or geſture, emboldens laſeivious perſons.
6 Beware of filthy talke, as ſcurrilous jeaſts: filthy talking argues a filthy heart, Matth. 12.34, 35. rotten communication is condemned, Epheſ. 4.29. Epheſ 5.4. many make their tongues, which ſhould be their glory, to be their ſhame. If ſo much uncleanneſs come out of the tongue, how much more is there in the heart? An angry diſpleaſing countenance, though there were no other reproof, were enough to ſilence ſuch wicked tongues.
7 Take heed of idleneſs, it was the cauſe of Davids ſin, 2 Sam. 11.1, 2. As the land until'd grows full of weeds, and the ſtanding pool of frogs and toads, ſo will the idle ſoul corrupt it ſelf. When the mind is intent on buſineſs, it hath no leaſure to wander about laſcivious objects.
8 Read and ſtudy Gods word, its a preſervative againſt this ſin, Prov. 2.10, 11, 15, 16. Prov. 6.23, 24. It preſerves thee from her flatteries, when ſhe ſhall profeſs ſhe loves none like thee, and if it were not to thee ſhe would not proſtitute her ſelf to any. This word hid in the heart preſerves the young man whoſe luſt is ſtrongeſt, Pſal. 119.9, 11. For perſons that fare daintily, live idly, and pray and read rarely, its a rare thing for them to be preſerved from this ſin.
9 Reſtrain thy thoughts from uncleanneſs, Job 31.4. Job would not think upon a maid in any laſcivious way. But of the heart proceeds adultery, Matth. 15.18, 19.
Ob. But there's ſweetneſs in this ſin.
Anſw. The more preſent ſweetneſs, the more the future bitterneſs.
2 Conſider how much more ſweet is peace of conſcience. Labour then to give an abſolute denial to this ſin when it is in the firſt motion: if we cannot put it out when it is but a ſpark, how can we put it out when it is in a flame?
10 Take heed of an adulterous eye, 2 Peter 2.14. Having Eys full of Adultery, that cannot ceaſe from ſin. When a City is beſieged care muſt be had of the Walls and Gates, Prov. 6.25. Let her not take thee with her Ey-lids, as if he ſhould ſay, if thou wouldſt not luſt after her do not look upon her.
V. 28. But I ſay unto you, whoſoever looketh upon a Woman to luſt after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart.
But I ſay unto you] Chriſt here comes to correct the depravement of the Phariſees, that they vvhichwhich kept themſelves from bodily Adultery, vvere free from all guilt thereof, But I ſay, that whoſoever looks upon a Woman to luſt after her hath already committed Adultery with her in his heart.
Whoſoever looks upon a Woman] Not accidentally, or looks upon her by reaſon of occaſion, or company: nor is it unlawfull for a Husband to look upon his Wife, or a Suiter upon a Maid or Widovv he ſues unto, but looking upon a Woman in a luſtfull vvay is condemned, vvhichwhich is contrary to the end of this Commandment, vvhichwhich is Chaſtity.
Concupiſcence is the Mother of Luſt, and the Eys are the Windovvs to let it in, and as Wrath is the Mother of Murder, ſo is Concupiſcence of Adultery. James 1.14, 15. Luſt conceiveth and bringeth forth ſin. Hence pray, Pſalm 119.37. Turn away mine Eys from beholding vanity.
The Phariſees depraved this Command tvvo vvays.
1 In that they did not underſtand it of invvard Concupiſcence, but of that vvhichwhich broke out into touches, kiſſes, or bodily Adultery.
2 That by this Lavv they thought vvas forbid the Concupiſcence of another mans Wife, but not of an unmarried Woman; but Chriſt ſays, that all luſtfull thoughts of a Woman though ſhe be not a Wife is unlavvfull.
Learn vve then Job's Leſſon, cap. 31.1. I have made a Covenant with mine Eys, why then ſhould I think upon a Maid? Alſo Prov. 6.25. Luſt not after her Beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her Ey lids. What though ſhe be beautifull, yet is Beauty fading; if ſhe be honeſt ſhe is none of thine, if ſhe be a Strumpet conſider hovv filthy her ſoul is.
Beſides, remember hovv Abimelech vvas taken vvith Sarahs Beauty; remember hovv Sichem vvas foil'd looking on Dinah, Potiphar's Wife looking on Joſeph, David on Bathſheba, Amnon on Thamar. As our Mother Eve at firſt vvas foil'd by the Eye, Gen. 3.6. ſeeing the forbidden Fruit vvas pleaſant to the Eye ſhe took it, Sampſon vvas alſo taken vvith looking upon Dalilah.
Therefore as the Sun on a ſudden darts out Beams, and the Clouds lightening, ſo doth beauty and feature dart out the beams wherewith it ſhoots the arrows of love and deſire into the hearts of perſons: therefore if at any time the Eys ſhould go out, let the minde call back the Eys, as from nets and ſnares laid for the ſoul. In other creatures there is a natural ſhineſs of ſnares laid for them, let there be ſo in us. And what I ſay of wanton lookings we may apply to wanton liſtenings and touchings. And alſo that wanton looking which is Adultery in Men towards Women, is Adultery in Women who ſhall luſtfully look upon Men. foreign alſo ſignifies ſollicitations, Can. 4. Syn. Neocaeſarienſis.
Hath committed Adultery with her already in his heart] Though men can neither ſee nor puniſh the Adultery of the heart, yet God ſees it. Such a ſpeech Job 31.7. If my heart have walked after mine eys, and any blot (he means of uncleanneſs) hath cleaved to my hands, then let me ſow, and another reap, yea let my Off-ſpring be rooted out. God looks into the heart, he ſees the mind and purpoſe, which diſtinguiſheth evil deeds; a Thief is a Thief before he puts forth his hand to ſteal: Wickedneſs is laid open by the doing, but doth not then begin; the mind becomes adulterous if it ſet before it the image of pleaſure that might be had with ſuch a party, and ſhall deſire it. Tertul de poeniten. The will is the beginning of the deed, which is not then freed, when ſome difficulty hinders the Commiſsion of the thing will'd; neither can the will in this caſe be excuſed by the inability of perfecting that which it wills.
For application, 1 Be humbled for all your wanton lookings and luſtings you had in the ſtate of nature and ignorance, as the prodigal in the return to his father. Other ſins are confeſt in prayer, let this alſo.
2 Admire the grace of God to converted ſouls, that can look upon a woman without luſting after her, Tertul. de Velandis Virg. A Chriſtian looks upon a woman with ſafe eyes, he is blinde in his minde toward luſt.
3 Caution of us for the guiding of the eye, not to fix it on any object that may ſtir up luſt, neither luſtful books, nor pictures, nor mixt dancers, neither to fix our eyes upon the beholding the beauty of wanton women. Beauty indeed may be beheld, that as in other works God may be praiſed, ſo in that, and therefore when one ask'd a certain Philoſopher what there was in beauty that it was ſo deſired? he told him, it was a blinde mans queſtion: onelyonly let us be wary herein that we dwell not too long on ſuch objects, leſt our hearts ſhould be carried after our eys, and as reſtraint at all times ſhould be upon our ſight, ſo eſpecially when we come to worſhip God. Eccl. 5.1. Look to thy feet when thou entereſt into the houſe of God: it's a Syneedoche, for all the affections of ſoul and members of body.
4 Exhortation to cleanſe our fleſh and ſpirit from all unchaſte and unholy luſts, Jam. 4.8. Cleanſe your hands and purifie your hearts, from what? Even from all filthineſs of the fleſh and ſpirit. Thy body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt, do not defile it, 1 Cor. 6.19.