oo Chap. 3o. An Expofttion upon the Booke cf f o a. Verf. t himonly from thinking upon a rnaide, and not from thinking ( in the fenceexpounded ) uponother women ? For theclearing of this doubt; I anfwer. ;'71í'r. Firft , The word (Betbulah) hereufed, may be taken in ge- P.1!erftm n neral for any or every faire and beautiful woman,whether maide, abff;a.'h furni. wife, or widdow. So we read ( Yoe! i. 8.) Lament like avirgin fur nonnun a; (or young widdow-woman )girded with fackcloettbfor the hnf- chra murrerefi- band ofher math. vevi,gn,(í five Secondly, yob fpeaketh by name only of a maide or virgin, 511, ßold' becaufe fuch in the flower ofyouth are molt beautifull, and fo moti alluring, and therefore if theywere as dead to him , furcly much more other women in whom there was leffe provocation to that folly. If a man will not drink,: intemperately of thebelt wine, much lef;e will he of that which is bate and difperited, He i, elf cam that dotti not lull after the fairefl face, is above the temptation forma magi.: of adeformed or unhandfome peice. Chattily is moll affauited pucaiciva. and bez riled by beauty. This was the reafon which Tome HiCto- rians give why iIlex.inder the great would not fuller thofe moll beautiful Perfian Virgins the Daughters ofDarius to be brought into his prefence,left he who had conquered fuck mighty Armies of men, fhould himfelfe be conquered by thofe Captive - women. So then, 70b inftanceth the prefervation of his chattily, v.here it was molt difficult to preferve it ; And having fo farre conquered all folicitations frommaiden-Beauty, that he would not fo much as thinke upon a maide, he might well conclude himfelfe a con- queror ( through grace) over all affaults from women-kind. Thirdly, 7,6 might fay, why then Could I think; upon a maide ? To fhew, that ifhe made confcienceofthe letter fin,then much more ofehe Greater. Fornication or the committing of folly with a maide, ( though it be a verygreat fin and to her an irreparable difhonc,r) is yet a leffer fin then adulrery,which is the committing offollywith another mans wife. And therefore alfa 3cb fpecially acq fits him felfe of and_protefls againit that former wickednes,that he might give evidence howmuch he abhorred the latter. - Fourthly fob a little after (v, g, io.) purgeth himfelfe ex- preffely from all Adulterous cosnplotments or embracements, and therefore herehe fpeakes only of his freedome from chofe other finfull and defiling thoughts about any tingle or unman. vied
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