Perkins - BX9318 P47 1613 v3

d nExpojition ofChrifls M.""h-s. V.28, worfcr then theft, &c. then we mufl: wifh that A in all pl~ccs, .it were as fcucrcly puniHH:d as thch: is;fo~·ould fam1lics be reformed, a.nd be– come good ScminJ.ries, boch for Church and common wealth. Sccotldly, the gricuoufiH~ffe ofGodsvvrath againihhis finnc., muH admo– nifh cucry one to be ....varc thereof, for it brings the bc(ome ofdcflruClion, to fwccpc all away·, both in Church and common wealth. of. But this finnc is little regarded , and made a !i11all matter with many, who can bee coment to come with Chrifiian {":trcs into the a!lCmblics , aud yet will bring \\ith them idle :md curio~s, yea adulterous eyes; but fuch pcrfons whtch fo abufc their fight, to the di01onour ~fCod,muH know,that they are adulterers be.forcGod:and howfocucr they may pcrf"\'adc themfclues,that grace enters in~ to their. hearts by hearing, yet vndonbtcdly by their idle curious eyes, Sathan emcrs into their foulc, and kccpes out GoJs word, ·whereby the foulc fhould bee rcnued, Wee therefore mull here bcadmonifhed,to take heed hovv we vfc the fight of our eyes, cfpccially when wee v. :z.8. 'But lfoy 'Vntoyou, that rPhofoouei loo{eth on a rPomanto lu~ after her , hath committedadulteryr~ith heral~ readie in hiJ heart. . Here our Sauiour Chri!t laies down the true fenfc of this comman.dcmcnt, and as we fee, he fpeakcth as the La•v-giucr and Prophet of his church, who harh abfolutc power to giue lawes, and to expound the fame. B14t ~Jt~.y vnto yo~t: The Ph:uifics faid there was no adulterie , but that which was outward, and bodily; but Chrill plainely confilteth thar, and faith, hee that loolzyth on a woman to luft ~fter h~ :that is, either itllooking on her, lulleth : or by loo– king, lu!lcth afccr her: thatis)...dcfircth to in– ercafe his luft, hu hatbcommittedadutteric·witb heralreadic i.n hMbear-t. Herett\~nourSauiour Chrill ferteth downe two things touching the interpretation of this lawe : Eidt, the occafion of adulterie, which is looking to bsfl. Secondly, that the lu!l: ofthe heart, that is, the motion &: inward inclination of the heart vmo this fin~tc, is adu!teric before qod, though it ncutr come into a&ion. . For the occafi.on :To looke vpon a woman, is not finnc, but m:1y bee done lawfully; yea, thereby 2. man or woman may g1orifie God, as , ,_ !Gog, the £2!!:fmc of She>a, by beholding' Salomons 10 . s. perfon, and heaqng his wifdomc, did take oc... ca.fion to glorifie God : but here is meam the ~~~;::~;g abufc·of the fight: that is, the idle looking, or curious looking ofmen vpon womco, or wo– men vpmt mcn.Now idle looking,is when one lookcth without iu!t caufc;as when a man loo– keth w.ith intellt to lull: Thus did th~fonneJ of Godhehold the da~ghtcrsofmen, Gcncfis, 6. z. by whofc looking c:1me lufi, :1nd for ll!fl: came J.Gen "·1· the flood: iO Potifm wife b fidt, lift 7!f> her , G'"·l<- <J<S vpon Iofeph, .and then /ujlcdafierhim,and Dinah c lacoh.r daughtet \VCnt out to fee the daughters-ofthe countrie,& to be fccn ag:1iric, aud fo \V hen Shcchm; faw her, he luficd afteF her, and r3uis:bcd her:- fO the Prophet 1Jauid, d :.. S.1m.u. d liuing in peace and fccuritic, call- bis eic idly ::.. 3· and curiou£1y vponBathjhcba, as fhce was wafhing her fclfe, whefcupon he lufled after her, I and fo committed both Adulteryand mureher. This idle and cmious looking, Sai-nt Peter· callcth c tV1 adu!t~rous eie, both bcc:1ufc i·t ''-P"·'· ' 41 i~ginrierofluH, and the increafcr thereB arc in the a{fcmblies ofthe Saints, and holy ex– crcifes : and to preuem this cuill, it were to be wifhed, that men and women would fort thc~nfc:lucs,and not be mingled in the congre– gation, vnldfe it were the husband ·with his own.c wife. Againc, ifthe idle and curious eye be the beginning of adulteric , then wee mull lcarnc , "''ith care to gouernc our eyes, as th(: fcruants ofGod hauc done. Dauidprayed the Lord to f lz.eepc his eyes from regarding vanity: f PC. 1151 •i1· and lob, becaufe hec would avoid vnchall thoughts, gmad~a coHenant witbhis ein, not to glob. p.1, look! on a maide. Now, as looking to lull is here forbidden; fo by proportion arc all other like oc.cafions C vnro adulterie: as fi1·ll, reading of vnchall & W3.nton books ofloue matters, vfing light and wanton talke. Many are giucn to thefe kinds of delights, but they mull know, that therein they finne grieuouily.; for they haue not only aW'lntOn eye, but a lafciuiou~ tongue alfo." Secondly,the aCting of ..! fuch Plaies &Comcd,ies, the matter whereof, is the reprcfcntarion ofthe light bchauiour of rr.cn~nd women; for therein are idle and curious lcokcs fct forth to the eie, which ought not to Ex:c, beeing here condernncd.Thirdly, the wearing ofvaincand light attire, ,,·hereby oth!:rs 3re prouoked to calf their eyes vpon them vnto hl!t ;· for if the light and wanton eye bee condemned, then that which caufcth it , is much 1-nore condemned. This-ought to be regarde~; for ligln and Ocnflonrof Jduhc:fic hue forbid· d. en. D forraine attire is a fccrct protdfion of an vn– ch3fte heart. Fourth!y mixt dauncing of men and v.:omcn, in time and me;J.fure, for therein ls more occafion and provocation vnto lull, then by the bare beholding ofeach other.with the c-ie. Fit[ly, cui\I companie: fo :1re the ·words 5 of the Apo1Ue Paul out of an HeathenPoet, h t.Cous. h EmllconHerjings, cormptgoodmar.ners: vvhich ~:~n~ndcrin may well include that vnft'cmdy c~nuerfingof TtwJc.. men with women, not warranted e:thcr by the gcnerall, or parti<~tlar ~ailing; S~xtly,thc pam6. pcring of the bo~1e wu~ damuc_ rneatcs, or fhong drinkes;th1s was tne finne l ofSodomc: iE-z:ck. ~~and it is much more an occaGon of lufi ~ thGU 49 • the bare fioht ofrhe eie. Scauemhly, Idlenelfe & laz.indf~in not·cmployit:g: the body in fomc honefl calling, for thereby a!fo.is lufi: incited. · 7 And _----=-

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