Chap. 24. An Expofstion upon the Book of J O B. Vert. r s . and what guide foever the wife forfakech , file cheifly forfaketh God who is her chief guide,andforgerterh the covenant ofher gad, that is,the covenant which God gave her in reference to that pars titular eftate ofruarriage.Everybeliever is in covenant with God, in reference to his fpirituall eftate,but a married perfon hula a co- venant withGod in reference to that civil! flate;And Adultery is the breach of thiscovenant. Secondly, This thews the finfullneffe ofAdultery,that it is a fin which cannot becommitted alone there is alway'es a double fin,in this fin ofadultery,two are defiled with it at once.inwhich lance it is worfe then murther,and theft ; For thefe may be corn- mitted,and but one defiled with the finfullneffe of them. He that robs is guiltyof ftealíng,not he that is robbed ; He that murders is guiltyofblood,not he that is murdered ; But in Adultery, the Agent and patient are both alike guilty of uncleaneneffe ; The defilement reacheth both. Thirdly, The evil! of this fin appeares, by the many and mani- fold evills which it brings with it, Solomon bath let them forth very particularly and fully (`pre. 6. 26, 27, 28, 29, 3o ) Lult not after her (that is, after the firange woman) in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids, ( why not ? Firf'c , thou mayeft be undone in thy outward Elate) by means of a whoril7i woman aman is brought to a piece ofbread, ( that is, he is ruir,'d in all hebath by it,andbrought to fo low an ebbe ofpoverty,that he hath fcarce the worth of apiece of bread left) 4nd (which is both a fecond and a worfe evil!) the adultereffe will ;lint for the precious life, which may eitherbe underflood ofthe natural! life, ( fometimes the adulterer is rrurther'd by the adultereffe) or of that which is a more precious life then the natural even the life of the foule,or theeternal! goodand happineffeof the foul,fhe cares not todeftroy body, and fouie for ever (fo her luit may be fa- tisfied ) that's the gaine which the adultereffe purfues ; fhe hunts for the precious life, the life of the foule.Thirdly,Solomon defcribes the evili of this fin in the 27and 28 verles, by the guilt which it inevitably brings with it ; Can a man take fire in hie bo((me, and his cloaths not be burnt ? toys a mangoe upon hot coals and his feete not be burnt ? Se he that 1oetbinto his neighbours wife, whofoever ?cucbeth herfha/l not be innocent, that is he (hail Purely be very guilty. As ifhe had Paid, You can no more retain your innocen- Eeee cy, 577
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