Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 4 · Proverbs · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
THis Chapter containeth many good instructions, and warnings against divers Sins, and against Adultery also, which hath been so much inveighed against before; And,
First, He giveth warning against Surety-ship, whereby many men unadvisedly run a great hazzard to their worldly estate, and sometimes to their utter undoing, in ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. wherein both warning is given here against, and direction what to doe in case that a man be thus intangled, viz. To seeke with all diligence Vers. 1, 2.by all meanes to be delivered againe; as the timorous Roe, or young Hinde, or the Bird in a Net, who being in such danger take no rest, till they be againe at liberty; no more should a Surety, but partly by importuning his friend, for whom he is Surety, to keep touch, and to pay the Debt, that he may not be damnified, and partly by intreating the Creditor to spare him, and to exact his Debt of the Debtor. If it be demanded here, whether all Surety-ship be not forbidden? I answer no, but circumspection herein is prescribed, that a man may not be taken hereby, as it were in a Net, for Paul was Surety to Philemon for Onesimus; and the Wise man saith, An honest man is surety for his neighbour, but an impudent Eccl. 29. Vers. 14. Vers. 19.man leaveth him; And yet, ver. 19. he saith, A wicked man falleth into Surety-ship; as if it were by a Judgement upon him, that any man becommeth a Surety: but the scope of all is to shew, 1. That Surety-ship for any man may have danger in it, and therefore is generally to be taken heed of by those that would live comfortably in the world, of which it was last spoken, chap. 5. shewing that to this end he must keep constant to his owne Wife, and not be allured by Harlots.
Now aptly followeth another Charge against Surety-ship, the which will otherwise interrupt the joy of the Married, when a man must either pay anothers Debt to his great hinderance, or goe to prison; therefore hence comes the Proverb, Sponde, noxa propè, Be Surety, and hurt is neare. For the goods of this world are uncertaine, so that he who hath wealth now, and where withall to satisfie his Creditor, may soone become so poore, as not to be able to doe it, and then the Surety is lookt after; It is therefore here meant, that a man should not undertake, 1. For such as by evill courses bring themselves to poverty. 2. When for an honest man, not to engage himselfe very deep, to be sure, not beyond his owne present ability; so that although he be forced to pay, yet he may have where withall to live still. For thus to help a poore man that is in distresse, by being in Debt, through the hard-heartednesse of the Creditor, is to doe a great act of charity; and rich men are to be incouraged to undertake, and if need be to pay also in this case; but if otherwise thou hast inconsiderately undertaken, know that thou art in danger, and therefore doe as hath been said before, and seeking to the Creditor for mercy, humble thy selfe, and be not stout, so shalt thou come off with the lesse losse, which because some Sureties will not doe, they are forced to suffer al extremity.
Beda, Gregory, Chrysostome, Tho. Aquin. and Bernard, by the Surety here, Beda. Greg. Past. p. 3. The Allegory.allegorically understand the Pastor, who taking a charge of soules upon him undertaketh for them, so that he had need to be very carefull, lest any perishing now through his neglect, or default, God, who is yet a friend, touch not being kept with him, become a Stranger, and accordingly proceed against him with rigour, according to Bernard, who saith, God is a friend in thy undertaking, but a stranger Bernard. Amicus est in spousione, sed extrancus in exigenda ratione.in calling thee to an account. And Gregory, To be Surety for thy friend, is to put the danger of another mans soule upon thy conversation, for before thou begannest to be a Preacher unto him, thou wert free, now by thy owne words thou art bound, because he that speakes good words to others is first bound to keep them himselfe, and if he doth not, he is intangled; and it is just with God to exact so much good of thee, as thou hast commanded and required of others. And Chrysostome saith, The Rector must give account of all men, women, and children Chrysost.committed to him, wherefore he bringeth so great a sine upon his head, that I marvell how any Rector can be saved: but this is spoken more to terrifie, and to stirre up to circumspection, then to determine; for so it were enough to discourage any man from this office, and so to make the people Pastorlesse; whereas St. Paul 1 Tim. 3.incourageth hereunto, saying. He that desireth the office of a Bishop, desireth a worthy worke.
Goe to the Pismire thou sluggard, and consider her wayes, and learne wisdome. Vers. 6.Having given a charge against one great evil, namely Surety-ship, tending so much to the prejudice of the married in respect of thriving; now he giveth warning against another and that is Idlenesse; and he propoundeth the little Ant for an example of industry and providence, as if he had said; If the examples of holy men, and their increase in worldly wealth by industry, and the decree of God, that man should get his bread with the sweat of his browes, will not move thee, yet be moved in considering the industry, wit, and providence of this little Creature, of which Pliny writeth; That with often passing and repassing, they weare tracks Pliny. Aristotle.even in Rocks. And Aristotle, That they gather up and carry Corne shed, being upon the ground, greater then themselves, and when they have brought it to their barbour, they divide it, that it may not grow againe, and so be made unusefull for them, and being thus divided by gnawing it asunder, they observe faire dayes to lay it out into the Sunne to dry, that it may not grow musty.
To these Pismires we are sent, (because of them many things may, and ought to be learned, and we need not to goe farre to see them and their doings;
1. We may learne by their wearing the very way where they goe, although Note. stony hard, through often going, so as that furrowes be as it were made therein; That nothing is so difficult, but by labour we may overcome.
2. By their keeping to one track, one following after another, to keep all of us to the same way and streight path of vertue, and never to goe out of it.
3. If they having no King nor Leader doe thus, much more the people living under Teachers, and Leaders, ought to doe so, and being destitute of such at any time, not yet to desist; and that every one, as there is none of them but travelleth, …d laboureth thus, all the time that they can labour.
Thus Chrysostome, Ambrose, and Basil apply this Similitude, praising from Chrysost. Ambros.hence industry, and providence in our worldly Callings; but Augustine not only so, but also applying it spiritually, saith, We should learne of the Pismire in the summer of our prosperity, whilst we enjoy the meanes, to gather graines of consolation into the closets of our breasts, hiding them there against the winter of adversity, August. The Allegory.and then we shall have in secret within us where-with to be supported, and … pine and famish for want of spirituall repast.
Basil, and Cyril, by the graines to be gathered, understand Almes, which are Basil. Cyril. Alexand.laid up in Heaven, the benefit whereof they shall have that are charitable when the time cometh, that will be more terrible to the uncharitable, then any hardest winter. Clemens Alexand. saith, That the Heathen Poets thought it nothing derogatory from Jupiter, to tell, That he turned himselfe into the likenesse of a Pismire; and of Endimidosa begat the Myrmidons: hereupon some liken Christ to this little Creature, saying, That to him we are mystically sent to learne, and doe Cl. Alex.as our duty requireth; For as the Pismire consisteth of two parts, like Globuses joyned together in the midst; so Christ of two Natures; and as the hinder part is as it were dragged upon the earth after the fore part, but that is more erect, so Christs Humanity by his Divinity; Thus divers wits make divers applications: but I rest in the former, only let me adde one thing more out of Jerome; That Hierom.Pismires, when one amongst them is dead, carry it forth orderly and bury it.
And one Antizoes further saith, That in doing this none but black appeare, if any red or yellow chanceth to come amongst them, they fall upon it and teare it in peeces. Whither these things be true or no, Penes authores fides esto. The scope of this place is by the example of the Pismire to stirre men and women up to labour, and to fly idlenesse. 2. To doe this in time. 3. To be provident for time to come, keeping some-what, as we say, for a blacke winter.
Touching labour and industry; For labouring in our callings, not onelyonly the-holy Scriptures condemne the idle and flothfull, and streightly forbid this sinne, but also men led onelyonly by the light of nature, as Lavater sheweth. Draco the Lawgiver of the Athenians, adjudged the idle, and such as would not worke, to dye. The Lavater.Areopagites also punished the ilde, and suffered none amongst them, but such as being from time to time examined could shew that they had a trade of life wherein they laboured to get their living; and the Massilians did the like: And good reason, because of idlenesse come many soule and grosse sinnes, fleshly unleannesse, as was proved even in David, according to that saying, Otia si tollas, periere Cupidinis 2 Sam. 12.arcus.
The bow of Cupid cannot wound,
But where idlenesse doth abound.
2. Theft, lying, fraud, and deceit: for he that is in want, will rather steal, or cousen, or cheat, then starve, and he that liveth in idlenesse cannot but want, as it followeth v. 11
Thy poverty comes as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.Vers. 11.
3. All sinne, that the devill by his suggestions shall attempt to draw a man to, because idlenesse is his advantage, continuall labour keeps off his assaults, as Jerom sheweth well, saying, Pray, and when thou art weary of praying, read, and after reading labour, be alwayes doing something that is good, that the devill coming Hieron Epist.and not finding thee idle, may not be able to fasten any temptation upon thee.
4. Besides the sinnes caused by idlenesse to the hurt of the soule, much evill also cometh hereby to the body, and the outward state, of one of which is expresly Ovid. Cernis ut ignavum corrumpunt otia corpus, ut capiunt vit ium, ni moveantur, aquae.spoken v. 11. as hath been already noted; and another is, that the body is hereby corrupted, and so a foundation of sicknesse and death is laid, according to another saying,
Bodies by sloth doe much corrupt, and rot,
As water standing still, that runneth not.
2. For providence and saving that which a man hath gotten, the Pismire doth so, and likewise the Bee, which the Sept. Tr. bringeth in here also: and as August. noteth, Christ himself had a bag, wherein the money brought in unto him was kept to be afterwards laid out, as need should require; so also 1 Tim. 5. 8. whereas he saith, Care not for to morrow, and consider the foules of the aire which have no storehouses, &c. His meaning is, not to beat downe lawfull providence, and Muth. 6.frugall keeping the remainder of a mans goods for afterwards, but distracting cares, as the word foreign signifieth, when one is anxiously sollicitous about the means of living afterwards, being distrustfull of Gods providing for him, whereby a man greatly wrongeth his providence, which is over lesser things, and therefore much more over him, as made after his owne image; for Joseph is set forth for an example of that providence before spoken of, and it is plainly commended to us in the Pismire, who provideth her meat in Summer against Winter; yet it is a false collection, Aug. cont. Adimant. c. 24.which Adimantus the Manichean made from hence, for the justification of covetous hoording up of worldly treasures, against which August. writeth, confuting him by this, That the charge given here, is spiritually to be understood, as hath been said before, but this, saith he, Adimantus not understanding, inferreth hereupon, that the Scripture is contrary to it selfe, that of Christ to this of Salomon; but the best reconciliation of these places hath been already shewed.
For the third, that time must taken whilst it is, to do that which a man hath to do either for body or soul: to this tendeth the saying, Whilst years and strength suffer, Dum vires anni{que} sinunt tolerate laborem: Fronte capillata est, post est occasio calvi.take paines, old age will soon come on, and then thou canst not; and again, Time is hairy on the forehead, and so to be laid held upon, but bald behinde, so that if th… dost not now labour, afterwards it will be too late. He then, that will doe wisely must both in youth labour, that he may have wherwithall to live when he is old, and having gotten something, not to fall from his diligence and providence to live idlely and prodigally, but using the like industry and providence as long as he is able to his lives end. And in youth he must remember his Creator, beginning as Josiah Eccl. 12.and Timothy, betimes to feare God. Esau coming for his fathers blassing too late lost it, and many shall strive to enter in and shall not be able, if the Gen. 28.Master of the house hath shut to his doores, and be gone to bed. If the Ant or Bee should not labour the former part of the yeare, but deferre going out to seeke Luke. 13. 29.provision to live upon till the coming on of Winter, they must needs starve then, and dye; so he that in the time of his youth and strength, gathereth not for his soule, at Note. the approach of death, shall be destitute of that whereby he should live for ever, and so be shut out, as the foolish Virgins, that went then to get oyle in their lamps, but all in vaine.
And touching labouring in youth, and providing even in respect of these worldly things, for afterwards; there be certaine considerations which may make any man so to doe, as namely either that he may then by some infirmity be disabled, or by sicknesse, which may continue long upon him, or his Trade, or course of life, may fail him▪ or lastly, times of scarcity may come, wherein it will not suffice, which he shall be able to get at that time to maintaine him, therefore let every one, whilst he is young, and hath strength, use the industry and providence before spoken of, as also that he may be the better able to beare the charges of wife and children, which may haply also then be much greater, and let none wastefully spend what by labour, or otherwise they have gotten, lest misery betide them in the end, when they shall have most need of this worlds goods. But let no man on the other side, that is addicted to the gathering of worldly goods, take advantage hence, to say, That if he, like the Pismire, give himselfe wholly to follow the world, and gather, none can blame him, although as some others, he goeth not so much to Sermons, or spends no time in prayer, and reading of the word. For although all diligence in the works of our callings onelyonly be commended to us here, and nothing be said expresly of any industry likewise to be used to get spirituall riches, yet both ch. 3. and 4. we are first and chiefly exhorted hereunto under the name of wisdome, and he is conversant about the chiefe merchandise of the world, in getting that which is better then gold, and most precious stones, that laboureth to get wisdome into his heart, and this is …e true feare of God, as is taught, Job 28. 28.
A naughty person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth, Heb. A man of Belial; That is, who casteth off the yoke, that lives licentiously. Having Vers. 12.stirred up to diligence by the example of the Pismire, and threatned poverty and want to the idle, now most aptly he subjoyneth an invective against such licentious ones, as, say the Wise-man what he can, will live still in idlenesse and sensuality, and so being brought to poverty, are bold to runne into all manner of sinne.
1. Froward speeches, that is, such as are prohibited in the word of God, oaths, curses, perjuries, blasphemies, railings, corrupt and filth communication, prophane, and vaine talke of all sorts; for froward speeches are contrary to right, and those are right which be according to the rule of righteousnesse, the word of God, wherefore they are froward that be contrary.
2 When the wicked are so curbed, that they durst not speak with their mouths, then they speake with their feet, winke with their eyes, teach with their fingers; Vers. 13.that is, by all these their members they make what signes they can to shew the malignity of their hearts.
3. If neither by outward signes they dare expresse themselves, yet they are of evill and perverse hearts, and although the evill thoughts here breake not out, yet they defile a man.
4. They make contention, and machinate mischiefe at all times; that is, they Vers. 14. Matth. 15. 19.are studying how to circumvent, and to doe mischiefe to the righteous without ceasing night and day, both whilst these righteous persons live, and when they are dead, as experience hath often taught. And for contention stirring up, this is verified in their stirring up of wars betwixt those of the same Nation, and for the rooting out of the faithfull, and it is a blacke brand of men most corrupt in heart, that they practice and devise the making of contention betwixt one neighbour, and another continually.
Lastly, for all this he sheweth what shall come unto them, Destruction shall Vers. 15.suddenly come unto them; this shall be the end of all licentious livers, neither shall any of them ever be delivered again. The Vulg. rendreth the word Belial, here Apostata, one that falleth away, but I see no reason to goe from the former reading, sith the word Apostate doth imply one that hath formerly imbraced the truth, but now is fallen from it.
About speaking with his feet, teaching with his fingers, &c. I finde divers Expositions made by divers; Gregory, whom Beda followeth, and Bernard expound it onelyonly in generall, that he sheweth by the inordinate motion of all these parts of Gregor. Beda. Bernard. Lyra.the body, the great wickednesse, either pride, or incontinency, or dissimulation that is in him. Lyra, he winketh with his eyes, that is upon the whorish woman in complying with her. He teareth with his feet, for so the Vulg. renders it, Heb. it is foreign fignifying cutting off, but he expounds it of wearing evill and filthy wayes by often going in them, as foot-paths are worn: He speaketh with his singer, by putting it out proudly shewing what he would have done, but without discretion or choice. But the word rendred speaking is foreign teaching, as in N. Tran. But Cajetan, He winkes with his eye, thus dissembling to him, whom he meaneth to Cajetan.hurt but shewing that mind to his complices; He tears with his feet, when by stamping, herewith he sheweth that he would have them, against whom, brought under his feet; He speaks with his fingers, he arrongateth so much knowledge to himself as to be able to point at the meaning with his finger, most exactly determining touching any thing. So that according to Cajet. three vices are here denoted out, 1. Dissimulation; 2. Cruelty; 3. Pride, and selfe-conceitednesse. Some expound all this of dissimulation onelyonly. Lastly, some by winking with the eye say, that Winking with eyes.divers things are set forth; 1. Fearfulnesse, for such as Pliny noteth, winke much. 2. Foolishnesse, for the foolish doe likewise. 3. Dissimulation, for which conniving is commonly used for dissembling. 4. Lasciviousnesse and pride, as Esa 3. the proud daughters of Jerusalem are said to walk with haughty eyes and stretched out necks, tinkling with their feet. 5. Derision in way of indignation, and hatred, as Psal. 35. They hated mee without a cause, and winked with their eyes. 6. Assentation or flattery. Againe, by speaking or tearing with the feet, is set Speaking with feet.forth either an applause given to that which is spoken by another, so Cicero; or according to the use at this day, a dislike by stamping with the feet, shewed. Cicero de Orator.2. Giving a signe with the foot by one wicked mans secretly treading upon the foot of another. 3. Stately and pompous going forth. Lastly, teaching with the fingers is either shewing by the lifting up of the hand a consent, or in way of scorne, or derision, Esa. 5. 8.or by signes giving the fingers what one would have done. Many wayes then, whereby the wicked expresse the great wickednesse that is in them, are here set forth, when they doe not plainly utter any thing with their tongues, but hereby it is shewed, that even these inordinate motions of the members coming from Note. an evill heart, are abominable before God, and the wicked shall bee judged therefore.
Arboreus, keeping to Vulg. Translation an apostate, saith, That an hereticall Arbor.teacher, who is fallen, from the true faith, is here set forth in his colours, He wink; with his eyes, by looking disdainfully, tears with his feet, by proudly setting his steps in a composed manner, and speaks with his singers, petulantly stretching them in acting his part, as if he went beyond all others: yet all pointing with the finger, is not here condemned, nor all beckning with the hand, or stretching the hands out in teaching: for John the Baptist pointed out Christ with the finger, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, and Paul beckned with the hand to procure silence, whilst spake, and the Lord saith, I have stretched out my hands all the day long to a stiff-necked and gain-saying people.
Six thing doth the Lord hate, the seventh is an abomination to him, a proud looke, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent bloud, an heart devising wicked Vers. 16, 17, 18, 19.imaginations, feet that run to mischief, a false witnesse, and him that soweth discord amongst brethren. Touching pride, this is first named, because it was the first sinne, against which the wrath of God was provoked both by the Angels that fell, Jam. 4. 6. Esa. 2.and by Adam and Evah, and still God despiseth, and is ready to pull downe all that be proud, and hath done it from time to time, as Pharaoh, Sennacharib, Nebuchadnezzar, and Herod, with many more. And for the coherence of these words with the former, it is to be noted, that he beginneth with haughty eyes, and then goeth to the hands, that shed innocent bloud, and after this to the feet, that run to every evill way, as before he had taxed these three members for the wickednesses hereby expressed: From whence it seemeth most probable (whatsoever conjectures have been before delivered) that haughty eyes are the winking eyes there spoken of the feet tearing, such as goe to evill, the fingers or hands speaking or teaching, are the hands shedding bloud; for thus as by a lively voice with his hands, the murtherer speaketh and teacheth, how desperately wicked and sinfull he is, although he saith nothing. And so he fitly resumeth the same argument againe after the laying open of such wicked persons, and what remedilesse destruction they should come to, here shewing how odious they are to God, so that none other end can be expected by them; and as he there censured the froward tongue, and the heart machinating evill cogitations also; so here the lying tongue, and the false witnesse, speaking lyes with his tongue, to the doing of greatest mischiefe, are mentioned as two other of the six things hated by the Lord, and then such an heart.
Lastly, as there he is said to make dissention, so here, to make it amongst brethren, and this seventh, as an abomination, the Lords soule is said in speciall to abhor, for this is the Heb: expression, and so the Vulg. renders it, wherein yet a soule is but improperly ascribed to him, nothing else being hereby meant, but as in New Translation, to him, and it is so spoken, because men use commonly so to speak, when they would shew the greatest detestation of any thing.
Next unto the haughty eyes, followeth a lying tongue; the first God hateth, because so diametrically opposite unto him: for man to be elate is in effect to equalize himselfe to God, who onelyonly is high and excellent, and expects that all men should look lowly before him, as if a subject should set him up a throne by his Kings throne, Esa. 14. 12.as proud Lucifer is accused to have done.
The second God hateth, because man being his creature, and made after Gods Joh. 8 44.image, is by lying made like the devill.
3. Hands that shed innocent bloud, for this is a breach of the first expresse law of God given after the Floud, He that sheddeth the bloud of man, by man shall his bloud be shed, and the reason is rendred, For after the image of God made Gen 9.be him. God tenders his image as his glory, for so man is said to be the image and 1 Cor. 11.glory of God: kill a man then and strike at Gods glory, and destroy that; therefore most hainous must this needs bee, yet not all shedding of mans bloud, but of the innocent. But of killing see more upon Command. 6. in my Catechisme.
4. The heart devising evill, if thou breakest not out into murther, yet if thy heart be bent to cruelty through the hatred that is in thee, and thou studiest how to be revenged upon him, whom thou hatest, as all the malicious doe, God hateth thee for this, for he seeth into the heart, and this hatred, and these malicious plottings are murther before him, although they never come into act, for which it is said, He that hates his brother is a murther. A point to be considered by them, that account 1 Joh. 3. 12.Note. their thoughts as no sinnes, so that they never doe, as they in their mindes devise, yet this toucheth not those, that have evill thoughts come into their mindes, for which they are humbled, and whereof they heartily repent; For God doth not hate, but pardon such, and to this he labours to bring us all by declaring how he hateth the very imaginations of the heart, if they be evill.
5. The feet that runne to mischiefe, for this commonly followeth after mischievous imaginations in the minde, to goe to this or that evill, to commitadultery, fornication, theft, idolatry, or any other, as going to Wizards, or Witches in time of sicknesse or losse: So that under this, all other foule sinnes are comprehended, besides those before and after named. There needs not then any question to be moved here, as Lavater doth, whether these be all the grossest sinnes that are, and answereth Lavater.no, but these are specified, because by worldly men not accounted so great, which cannot hold, because no sinne is even amongst such counted greater then murther, and false witnessing. But this Query is prevented, if thy feet running to mischief, or to evill▪ as foreign signifieth, we understand any other notorious wickednesse, as hath been said.
6. A false witnesse, that speaketh lyes, this is an higher degree of sinne, then bare lying, as tending to the overthrowing and undoing of men! so that a Common-wealth is by false Witnesses over-thrown, and the well being of any State; for which, false Witnesses are by God adjudged to beare the same punishment, that he should have done against whom they came, to the losse of goods life, or liberty; for in witnessing before those, to whom the power of Judicature is committed, false VVitnesses doe not only lye, but sweare falsly, against which Gods curse as a great flying book is prepared.
7 The sower of dissention amongst brethren; That is, the Tale-bearer, and Zech. 5.Back-biter, the evil counsellour stirring up the Prince against his Subjects or them against him; the husband against the wife, Parents against their children the wife, children, or servants, against husband, father, or master; one kinsman or friend, or neighbour against another; for the word Brethren is not to be restrained to those that come of the same parents, but to be extended to the whole Church, or Nation, where the truth is imbraced, as Abraham said to Lot, We are brethren; and the Kings subjects are said to be his brethren, Deut. 17. See Gen. 13. 8.also, Matth. 23. 8. 1 Joh. 3. Matth. 18. &c. the Tale-bearer then, that by telling to one what another said of or against him, soweth the seed of dissention and is of all other sinners an abomination to the Lord, and so are all incendiaties to strife and warre, by counselling, commanding, or compelling thereunto; for sowing dissention any way is a sowing of the seed of bloud-shed, and that not of a few but many times of thousands, so that such are greater sinners then the shedder of the bloud of one, or two, of which it was spoken before; yea, if a man be but a Tale-bearer, he is said to stand against the bloud of his neighbour. But it is to be Levit. 19. 16.noted, that he saith not contention amongst any, but brethren; for otherwise Christ sowed dissention, when by his coming the Father was against the Sonne, and the Sonne against the Father, the Mother against the Daughter &c. It is therefore to be understood, that there are some with whom we are not to have peace, as the Note. Israelites might not with the Canaanites; That is, Apostates, that fall away from the truth, sometime received and held in the Church of God, when the greatest light shined therein, as did in the Apostles dayes; and dissention with such is not here taxed, or in any other place, but rather commended and required, as Jud. Epist. where he writeth to Christians to contend for the Faith; and touching the Whore of Babilon, it is said, Render to her double, according to that Revel. 18.which she hath done in shedding the bloud of the Saints: and the Word of God riding out upon a white Horse, and Armies of God following after, kill and slay Revel. 19.abundantly.
The Levites also are called to goe with their swords among Apostate Brethren, Exod. 32.that had so foulely sinned with the golden Calfe, and to kill and slay them, without sparing their nearest Kinsmen, and are therefore afterwards blessed. See also, Deut. 13. Wherefore the Papists cannot justly object against us, the Ministers of Deut. 33.the reformed Religion, That we are sowers of dissention, because by our teaching so great a breach is made in the Church, and so much fighting and bloud-shed hath followed hereupon, for the foundation of this dissention was long agoe laid by their Apostasie from the Truth to so many grosse errours, whereof there is no ground in the Apostles writings; for they to whomsoever these are discovered, are bound to quit themselves from them, whatsoever followeth thereupon, and for so doing cannot be counted sowers of the dissentions that follow, but they that seeke by force to reduce them to their vomit againe. Yet I cannot justifie those of our Religion, that being Subjects have sought by taking up Armes to purchase themselves the liberty of professing it, as our brethren in France at the first did, whereby occasion of much Civil Warre and bloud-shed was given, which could not be suppressed againe in forty years, neither could they ever prevaile to bring it to be the Religion of the Kingdome, but when most, to have it only tolerated.
But our Fore-fathers of England patiently waiting upon God, when they were persecuted in the time of Queene Mary, were soone delivered from her tyranny, and were blessed with a glorious Queene of their owne profession, who setled it for the Religion of the Kingdome, that of Popery being no more so much as tolerated here. For that was away to which the French were transported by preposterous zeale, and not according to the rule at first given by our Lord, With patience possesse your soules; and followed by a cloud of Witnesses for three hundred yeares together, whilst heathen Persecutions lasted, there being none in all that time that sought by force of Armes to obtaine this liberty, but by patient laying downe their Lives: And so God in his good time blessed them with an Emperour, that did the like in all the Romane Monarchy, that Queene Elizabeth did here in England. But we, since after more then eighty yeares enjoyment of the Gospel, and withall of prosperity and peace unparalleld in any age, have stirred up dissention amongst our selves, entering into Warres, and that not as they in France, but Protestants against Protestants: Thus, whilst we pretended a more thorow and glorious Reformation, bringing in a Babel-like confusion, and aspersing our Religion, alwayes hitherto unspotted with the soule crimes of Disloyalty, bloud-shed, and rapines. The Lord open our eyes yet at length, that we may see into our errours, and there may be an healing of our sins and miseries.
My Son, keep thy Fathers commandements, and forsake not the Law of thy Vers. 20.Mother. Salomon having, chap. 5. given a charge against the foule sinne of Adultery, and Fornication, and disswaded here-from by considering the misery and want that Whoremongers fall into through Gods just Judgement upon them; and in the former part of this chapter against Surety-ship and idlenesse, and the evill courses that idle persons coming to want take into, all which make greatly against the happinesse of the married in this life; now he returnes to the same theame against Adultery againe, and prosecutes it to the end of this chapter; and in this verse, and ver. 21, 22, 23, 24. as one that enters upon an Argument of great moment.
He againe makes a Preface, as chap. 5. 1. and as chap. 1. 8. to move the the more, he propounds it not only as his command, but of his mother also; and as chap. 3. 17. and 4. 10. 12. So here sheweth againe, how safe he shall be, that applied his heart to walke so wisely, as his commandements teach, upon which I will say no more here, but referre the Reader to that which hath been already said upon those places.
Lust not after her beauty, &c. The whorish woman brings a man to a morsell Vers. 25. Vers. 26.of bread. After the Preface, the Commandement followeth, and because the Harlot by her beauty insnareth men, and specially by her wanton alluring eye, a waming is given here-against, which is inforced with divers reasons. 1. Because the fruit of Adultery or Whoredome is poverty: for although some Adulteresses allure men by gifts, which they give most shamelesly to them, yet most commonly when they have taken a man with the snare of their beauty, they draw rich gifts from them, and thus in time they are wasted in their estates, and improverished and brought so low, that they want even bread, as the Prodigall did.
Thus Cajetan, who distinguisheth also the words of this verse, applying the Cajeta.first to an Harlot by trade or profession, A Whore brings a man to a morsell of bread, the last to a wife of another man, an Adulteresse, A woman hunts for the Precious life of a man, or as the word signifieth, his soule; although she takes nothing, yet by her he looseth much more then an Whores hire, his life, if the Law be prosecuted against him, because the punishment of Adultery is death, and his soule for ever, of which our Lord saith; What shall it profit a man to win the whole world, and to loose his soule?
Notable upon this is the saying of Augustine, O how great iniquity is this August. Lib. de houest. mulier.Adultery, how great a perversnesse! the soule redeemed by precious bloud of Christ, is thus for the pleasure of an houre given to the Devill, a thing much to be lamented and bewailed, when that which delighteth is soone gone, that which tormenteth, remaineth without end.
This exposition of a man being brought to a morsell of bread by an Harlot is generally followed, and agreeth best to the Hebr. foreign, but the vulg. tenders it, The price of an Harlot is scarce one bread; expounded commonly by such as follow that reading of a little matter, that is given to her, but withall the soule is hazzarded, which is farre more precious; and to approve this, they bring for example, Judah giving a Kid to his Daughter-in-Law Thamar, in the habite of an Whore, to lye with her, which was in those dayes a thing of small value. And the Athenians made a Law, that a small gift only should be given her, as Suida… saith. And thus Augustine understanding this place saith, turning it yet to another sence. The pleasure of whoredome is no more, but as of a peece of bread, which a man being hungry eates greedily with delight, but it is soone done and digested, and then he is hungry againe, but the losse sustained is unspeakeable and everlasting, namely, the losse of the soule. Some by this bread understand, that which is by Hunters given to a wild Beast, so made, as that the Beast eating it, is cast into a sleep, and so easily taken.
This last seemeth to me the best, and the Hebr. will beare it being thus rendred, word for word; By reason of the whorish woman, even a crust of bread, a woman hunts after the precious soule of a man; That is, offering, or giving only a peece of bread, as it were, as the cunning Hunter dealeth by the Beast, when shee yeeldeth the use of her body to him, she taketh and destroyeth his soule; the pleasure that he thus hath, being no more then that of a peece of bread to the hungry for the present, but of as evill consequence, as the bread confected purposely by the Hunter, being eaten by the beast. The Reader may follow either this, or the first exposition, for it agreeth well either way, but if the first be followed, here are two evils coming by Adultery, and Whoredome, the one extreame poverty, the other the losse of the soule, enough to prevaile with any man to make him fly this soule sinne, and not to be taken with the Harlots beauty: touching which, heare therefore what Chrysostome saith; When thou seest a faire woman looking with a Chrysost.pleasant countenance upon thee, pull off her skin, and then thou shalt see all the vilenesse of her elegancy; dwell not upon the outward aspect, but pierce in thy cogitation into her inner parts, and what shalt thou see there, but bones, veines, and sinews? And againe, thus having seene her beauty outwardly, and her deformity inwardly, thou wilt say, that the finenesse of her body is nothing else but a sepulcher plaistered and whited over, but full of filthinesse within.
Againe, looke not upon a womans beauty, for that soone passeth away, but woundeth, and the wound hereby made passeth not away, but remaineth and stayeth, even as an Hart wounded by the dart of the Hunter, although he escapeth away, yet he dyeth of his wound. And Ambrose saith, The eye of the Harlot is the snare of the Lover, in alluding to that, womans hunting after a mans soule.
Doe but think then (O man full of lust) that when beauty appeares, a Net is spread for thee, as by a Fowler before a Bird a Net is spread; and seeing this, be not more foolish then the silly Bird, before whom the Net is spread in vaine if it be seene, for then she flyeth away, and keepes afarre off, as was said before, chap. 1. 17.
Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his cloathes not be burnt? Can he goe Vers. 27. Lavater.upon coales, and his feete not be burnt? Because, as Lavater hath it, some are not moved by that which hath been said, but harden themselves to the committing of this sinne, upon this ground, That whatsoever affections by seeing are stirted up in them, yet they shall goe no further, but they will keep them within their owne breasts, and so they shall never hurt them.
Against this a Comparison is here taken from Fire, as if he had said; The eyeing of beauty in a woman, is like unto the opening of the bosome to take in fire, or treading with the feete upon fire, but neither of these can a man doe without burning; no more can he fix his eyes upon beauty, or with his affections, which are the feete of his minde, goe as it were hereupon, but the fire of lust, by this meanes kindled, will burne within him, and hurt and bring him to much paine and losse afterwards, if the burning proveth not unquenchable, and utterly destructive. Note. And if beholding alone hath this dangerous effect, much more kissing and wanton dalliance, for which chambering and wantonnesse are censured, as fruits of the flesh, excluding out of the Kingdome of heaven.
Nilus following this comparison taken from Fire, saith, She is more dangerous then Gal. 5. 19. Nilus; Orat. 20fire, because if a man feeles himselfe burne by fire, he goeth from it, and is pained, but from this fire burning he goeth not, but comes nearer, instead of paine, feeling nonothing but delight till that he be destroyed hereby.
August. Fire doth little hurt if it be shaken off so soone as it flyeth upon us, August. Serm. 250. de temp.but if delay be made before this be done, it burneth; so seeing beauty hurteth not, but fixing the eye upon her eyes cannot possibly be without burning, the heart is now be witched with the eye by the eye. And he distinguisheth betwixt fire here spoken of in the bosome, and siery coales, upon which one goeth with his feet; the fire in the bosome is some beautifull woman, a stranger of the better sort beheld with pleasure; the burning coales under the feete set forth a Maid-servant, with lust towards whom by too much familiarity thou mayest also be taken and burned, although she be of an inferiour condition, as it were, under thy feet. Some expound it of a blemish thus gotten, that is not worne away againe; some hence condemne not only fixing the eye, but the slightest conversing with her that may be, as he that with his bare feete goeth upon burning coales, cannot be without all hurt hereby, make what hast he can to get off. And because the Garment burning is spoken of, Basil noteth, That it is dangerous to meddle with a woman, although a garment be between thee and her, for lust is stirred up even by the touch of her garment, Basil.vers. 29.
So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife, who so toucheth her shall not be Vers. 29.innocent; That is, as he that goeth upon burning coales cannot but be hurt, so he that goeth in unto his neighbours wife, that is by lying with her, he is hurt, as it were by fire in his bosome, and if he doth not so, but only toucheth, or wantonly kisseth her, he shall not escape without all hurt: God counts not him that goeth but thus farre as an innocent man, he is even by this blemished before him, although Note. carnall men count this as nothing; a good lesson for wanton men, that will be kissing and hugging of any woman that cometh in their way; hereby let them learne to leave this sinfull custome, as making them guilty before God, as well as Adultery, though not so greatly.
There is also according to some, another thing intimated in saying, Fire in his besome; that is, the lustfull person may thinke that his wickednesse shall be kept secret, but that is impossible as for him, that hath fire in his bosome, to conceale it, for it will burne his garments and so cause a smell, whereby it shall be perceived; so such foule sinnes will come out.
Here finally a comparison is made betwixt a thiefe and an adulterer, He is not despised that stealcth to satisfie his hunger &c. His punishment that stealeth indeed Vers. 30, 31, 32, 33.is great, although he be miserably poore, for if he be found, and hath not wherewith to make restitution, by the Law of God he was to be sold for a servant, and so restitution was to be made, but the adulterer by the same Law was to dye, and the whorish womans husband, whom he had desiled, he might be sure, would prosecute the Law against him to the uttermost, and not be pacified, although he would give him great gifts, yea all that he hath, because he hath robbed him of his chiefest treasure, for which he cannot make him amends whatsoever he doth. Chrysost. saith, that adultery is not onelyonly greater then theft, but then Idolatry, because the adultresse is to be put away, but the idolatresse to dwell still with her Chrysost.husband, if she will; some others affirme it to be greater then any other evill committed 1 Cor. 7.against man, except Treason against the Prince, so greater then perjury, because bringing more detriment to the Commonwealth. But to hold to the comparison made by Salomon, as most apt, because both theft, and adultery are acted in secret, both are great wrongs, and as hunger putteth on to the one, so an evill appetite to the other, a question ariseth here, because he saith, That he shall restore Exod. 22.sevenfold, and another because it is added. And give all his substance; for in the Lawfour-fold or five-fold is the greatest restitution appointed, and in some case but twofold. Some say that in other Nations a sevenfold restitution was required, but this is onelyonly conjecturall; Some that two and five are put together to make seven, if part of the thing stolne remaineth alive and part be gone, for the one two-fold restitution being made, for the other five-fold; Some by sevenfold understand a perfect and full restitution, because the number of seven, is a number of perfection: and this doe I prefer as most probable. For the other question And is sometimes in Hebrew put for Or, and so it is meant, or give all his substance, whereby it seemeth, that if a thiefe had any worldly goods, although not sufficient to countervaile the worth of that which was stolne twice or foure times over, yet the man robbed must accept of these as a satisfaction, but if he had not then he was to be sold, and with his price restitution to be made, because Exod. 22. it is ordained that he should be sold, here in case he hath not enough to satisfie for the thing stolne, that hee should give all his substance. But why is it said, The thiefe is not despised in the case here put? and in Vulg. Latine, It is no great fault; Is there any necessity that dispenseth with Gods Law, Thou shalt not steale? Stealing, by whomsoever, 1 Cor. 5. Gal. 5. 19.is condemned for so great a sinne, as that whosoever doth it, shall not inherit the Kingdome of heaven. A poore man therefore howsoever put to it, for food or raiment▪ or other necessaries, ought rather to perish bodily, then by stealing to hazard his soul: It is so far from being a little sin, as that it is sometime linked with the foul Psal. 50.sin of adultery, Thou sawest a thiefe, and didst runne with him, and tookest part with the adulterer, and a charge is given against it, as well under the New Testament, as under the Old. Let him that stole, steale no more, but worke with his Eph. 4. 28.hands the thing that is good. The scope therefore of this place is not to extenuate this sinne, that any man in want may be bold to commit it, but to aggravate the sinne of adultery, as farre more heinous. The thiefe is infamous, and all honest men are averse from such as will steale, and from having to doe with them; but the poor man who is just and true, they esteem well of, though he be very poore, and are ready to be helpfull to him, as there is good reason, because he liveth by precept, being industrious and painfull in his calling, and not wasting what he getteth by running Note. to any excesse of riot, as others doe, and so either by idlenesse or drunkennesse, come to be cloathed with rags, and to be ready to starve through hunger; for such feare not God, and therefore are none of his poore members, neither doth any good spoken of the poore pertaine to them, as that they receive the Gospel, and are rich in faith, for these are the priviledges onelyonly of the poore that worke, and abhor from all stealing and injustice. Wherefore David declaring to what poore he Psal. 16.did good, saith, To the Sa…nts, and such as excell in vertue, and Christ in rewarding the Charitable, praiseth not the feeding or giving drinke to any, but his poore members, but giving to them he praiseth and rewardeth, which should Matth. 25.make us to order our charity with this discretion, as David saith of the righteous, He distributeth and giveth to the poore, he ordereth his wayes with discretion. Psal. 112.We ought indeed to do good to all, but especially to those of the houshold of faith, Rom. 12.yea to enemies when they hunger; but this is to be done more sparingly to prevent perishing through want onelyonly, not to maintain them in their idle wayes, but reproving them therefore that they may cease from a vagabond and idle life, and so the evills that follow by maintaining such may be prevented, and not daily increased as now they are.
But to returne to that, for which stealing is here spoken of by way of comparison, extenuating this sinne thus, doth no more justifie him that steales for necessity, Ezek. 16. Matth. 12.then the condemning of the Jewes, in comparison of the Sodomites, justified them, The abomination of adultery appeareth hereby to be the greater because the adulterer doth more vilely then the thiefe; 1. For that necessary inforceth the one, but there is no necessity to inforce the other, but either he hath a wife of his owne, to whom he may goe in for the necessity of his nature, or if he hath not, he may take one. 2. Such a thiefe steales but a little bread or cloath, but the adulterer stealeth away the heart of another mans wife, which is more to him then all worldly wealth, yea he robbeth his family of credit, his children being by this meanes counted bastards, and of his inheritance, and goods which goe to strangers, yea and of his goods also, that by his whorish wife are given unto him, and in his absence spent upon him. 3. The thiefe stealing brandeth not the party from whom with a note of disgrace by this fact, but the adulterer doth the husband of such a wife▪ he undergoeth the odious name of a Cuckld, a Baud to his wife, if he suffereth this wrong, and seeks not to bring the Adulterer to condigne punishment, and his wife turned an harlot also. The consideration of this, should make Adulterers ashamed, and not being guilty of so soule an evill, lift up their heads, as worthy still to be well accounted of; for the thiefe, whom thou so much despisest is nothing so Note. wicked and vile, as thou Adulterer art. And therefore great is the imperfection in our Lawes, whereby a poore thiefe is hanged, but the Adulterer goeth unpunished; whereas the Law of God is onelyonly for restitution, unlesse in case of breaking Levit. 20. Deut. 22.into an house in the night, but for stoning the adulterous to death. And amongst the heathen, lead onelyonly by the light of nature, death hath also been the punishment. The Saxons who of old inhabited this land, strangled the Adulteresse being Boniface Mogunt. Episc.taken, and then burnt her body with fire, and hanged the Adulterer over a flaming fire, burning him by degrees, till he died, as Boniface Archbishop of Mognuts writeth in his Epistle to a King in this land, who being a Christian lived in Adultery. Julius Capitolinus writeth of Opilius Macrinus an Emperour, that he caused the bodies of the Adulterer, and the Whore to bee joyned together, and so burnt with fire. Aurelianus caused the Adulterers legs to be bound to the boughs of two trees bent together, and then violently being lifted up again, his body was torne asunder. And the Julian Law amongst the Romans punished Adultery with death by cutting off the head. Lastly, the Turkes stones Adulterers to death. Amongst many people that be Christian, it is not now so, but the Adulterous goe scot-free▪ onelyonly being put to a little penance, and this seemeth to have been grounded upon John 8. where to the woman, taken in Adultery, Christ saith, when he had asked her, Hath no man condemned thee? and she answered, No man, Lord: Neither doe I condemne thee. But it is to be noted, that hee saith not thus, but after he heard that no man passed sentence against her, hereby intimating, that he would not interrupt the course of the Law, but if according to it, she had been proceeded against, he would not have released her, but she being brought to be judged by him, and condemned to dye, he did no more in effect, but put off from him the Judicatory office, as he did also Luke 12. the time now not Note. being for him to judge, but to convert, and forgive, and save; make up therefore the defects of your Lawes, ye Law-givers in respect of Adultery, and pull downe their excesse against theft without violence, remembring him, that hath said, Not one jot or title of the Law shall passe, till all be fulfilled; For what are the penalties annexed to Gods Laws, but parts thereof? Lavater conjectureth, that connivency Matth. 5. 20.and lenity towards the Adulterous sprang first from the forced single life of Priests Lavater.with whom it would have gone hardly for their incontinency, if this Law had still been kept up.
But for so much as we are separated from that superstition, let the Law returne, in Gods name, to the ancient course againe, without which we cannot be altogether, but onelyonly almost good Christians, yea good Naturalists, or truly rationall: For the revenge, which he saith, the man wronged will take in this case, it is conceived, Vers. 34.that this is not meant of slaying the Adulterer immediately with his owne hands, but by prosecuting the Law against him, because private revenge is forbidden, and this were the way to send him hence without repentance, and so into everlasting destruction; yet the Law favoureth a man wronged in this case so farre, Rom. 12.that it suffereth him to goe unpunished, if through extreme impatience at so great an indignity, he being transported with jealousie, slayeth the Adulterer taken in the act. And hereof Cassiodor yeeldeth this reason, it is naturall in other living creatures to be inraged at wrongs done them in this kinde in their females as in the Hart Cassiodor.being at deadly feud with another Hart about the Doe, the Ram pushing with his borne with all his might in the like case, and the Horse and Bull likewise; yet it cannot be said, it is no sinne in him that thus revengeth his owne wrong for the reasons before going, and therefore every man is rather to be exhorted to refraine himselfe, and commit it to publike judicature.