Chap. 3 I. An Expo/ition upon the Booke of J o a. Verf. 3. 3 2,5 There is a new and a ftrange difeafe peculiar touncleane perfons, . molt know how it is called, and many feele the fad effects of it we may well call it a new and a ftrange punifhtnent, becaufe it was not heardof till thefe latter Ages of the world: The Italian Neepolitans felt it firft,and now 'cis commonly called the French difeafe. How often doe they live and lye in grievous paine, who have been greedy of unlawful! and forbidden pleafures ? How often are fuch forc'd to fpend their time and flare upon medicines and Phyficians, topatch up a poore rotting carkaffe, which they have ruin'd by-their folly ? With what incurable aches are fuch tormented ? what feeblenes falls upon their limbes?how are their fences fpent and iupified ? How unfavory is the b-eath how in- fufferable the ftenchof there painted Sepulchers?what loathfome fores breake out upon them ? what armyes of difeafes affault them? howdoth old age haften upon them ? Howmany deaths doe they endure before theydy ? He that thus (owes to the flefb, flail ofthe flefh reape a plentiful! harveft of corruption. God finds out ftrange punifhments for there workers of iniquity. Hence Solomon gives this warning againf§ the whorifh woman. (Pro. 7. 25,26,27. ) Let not thine heart decline to her wayes, gee not affray in her pathet; for 'bee kath car{ donne many wound. ed, yea manyfirong men have been Pine by her, her houfe is the way to hell, going dasone to the Chambers of death. The fin of un- cleanenes doth not only wound the body, but kill it ; The flrange woman cafteth throngmen downe, rot only upon a bed of ficK- nes,but cfdeath:yea thee bathElaine many not in refpc& of their temporali but eternal life, thee fends them to hel as wel as to the grave. They whoare poffeffed with this uncleane Spirit, are not only fpiritually but ( upon the matter) corporally dead while they live ; And may be layd like him in theGofpel ( Mar&.5.3 ) who in another fence was poffeffed with an uncleane Spir.:, to have their dwelling among the tombes ; and when they dy indeed and goe to their tombes, what hope cat we have of their gong any whether but to del; and therefore it followeth in this piece ( v. 27. ) Her houfe ie the way to tel. For teeing in her houfe that courfe of finning is pra6tis'd & continued, which muff needs ( without repentance) end or conclude in bel, her houfe is juftiy called the way to hei. Thus, as at the firft, fo (till death work- tech by the woman, yet, as then, fo Hilf man cannot excu& him. felfe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=