David 'Riith Bathlheba anJUriah. A nowrhar hewallowes in the bed of idl~n,elfe, he is.fir to invite renrarion. The indu. ftrious manharh no k1fure to fin. The •d•e harh neither le1fure nor power eo avoid ! fin; Exercife is ROt more wholcfome forthe body, ihenfor the Soule; the remiffion whcreofbreeds matter ofdifeafe in both: The water due bath been heated . foondl freezeth; the mofl acHve fpirit foonefl tyreth with !lacking ; The Earil; {lands flill,and is all dreg?es;theHeavens ever move,and are pure.We have no reafen to complainof the afliJuity ofwork; the royle ofa.ftion isanfwered by the benefit; Ifwe did klfe,we fhould fuffer more; Satan like an idle companion,ifhe find usbufie,Ayes back and fees it no time to entertain< vain purpofes with us; Wee cannotpleafehim betterthen by caning away ourwork, to hold chat with him; we cannot yeeld fo far re, and be gmltldfe. B Even Davids eyes have no fooner the lleep rubbed our ofthem, then they rove to wanton profpeC!s; He walks upon his roofe, and fees Bathjhebiwafhin~ her felf; inquires afrer hei,fends for hcr,follicits her to uncleannelfe.The fame fpimthatlhut up his eyes in an unfcafonable lleep,opens them upon anintifingobject; whiles fin bath fuch a Solliciter; it cannot wam either meaoes, or opportumry: I cannot think B.,hfl~tbacould be fo immodefl, asto walh her fe)fe openly, efpecially from he~ natural! uncleanndfe;Lufl is quick-fighted ;David hath efpyed her,where !hecould efpie no beholder: His eyes recoyle upon his heart, and have fmitttn him with fin; full ddir<. There canbe no fafery to that Soule, where the fenfes ore let loofe.Hecan never keep his covenant with God,rhat makes not a covenant with his eyes: It is an idle C ptefumprion to think the outward man may be free,whilesthe inward is fafe: Hee· is more then a man, whofe heart is not led by his eyes; be is no regenerate man, whofe ey« are not reftrained byhis heart. . Oh /iathjheb•, howwert thouwafhed from thine uncleanneffe, when tltou yeel. dedflto goeinto an adulterous bed~ nev.er were. thou fo foule,:rsnow when tho\1 were new wafhed i The worft ofNature IS cleanhneffe to the bell oflin:rhou had{\ been cleane ifrhouhadfl not wafl10d; yet forrhee, I know how to pleadinfirmity offexe,and the importunity ofa King; Ilurwhat fha\1 I fay for thee, 0 thou royal! Propher,and Prophetica\1 King oflfrael; where fhall I find ought toextenuate that crime, for whichGod himfelfe bath noted thee ~ Did not thine holy Prufellion teach theeto abhor re fuch a finne more then death~ Was nor thy Juflice wont to D puni!h this finne with no leffe then death~ Did not thy very calling call thee to a proteCtion and prefervation ofJullice;ofChaflity in thy fubjects ~ Didfl thou want !lore ofWives ofthine owne ~ Wert thou reflrayned from taking more~ Was there no beawry in lfrael, but in a Subjetls Marriage bed ~ Were thou over-coll,le by the vehement folicirations ofan Adulterelfe ~ Wcrt thou not the tempter, the Profecutor ofthis unc\eJnneffc ~ I fl1ould accufe thee deeply, tfthou hadfl not accufedthy fdfe; Nothing wanted to greaten thy finne,or our wonder, and feare. 0 God,whither do we goe ifthou flay us not~ Who everamongfl the rnillionsofrhy Servants could finde himfelfc furnifl1ed with flronger prefervatives againfl finne ~ Againfl whom could fuch a finne finde leffepretence ofprevaihng ~Oh keep· thou E us that prefmnpruous finnes prevaile not over us; So ondy !hall we befree from great offen'ces. The fuirsofKir.gsare Imperative; Ambition did now prove a Bawd to Lull, B>thjhehJyeoldeth to offendGod, to dilhonour herHusband,ro clogand wound her owne Soule, to abufe her body: Difhoneflygrowes bold, when it is countenanced withgrearnelfe. Eminent perfons had need be cardull of their demmds ; they fin by aurhoriry,rhat are follicired by the mighty. . Had B41hjhth• been mindful\ of her Matrimonial\ fidelity, perhaps, David had been foone checked in his inordinate defire 1 her facility furthers the finne. The : firll morioner ofevil! ismoll faulty; bur as in quartels, fo in offences, the fecond blow (which is the confenr) makes thefray, Good lofep/, wasmoved to folly by his great and beautiful!Miftris, this firefell upon wet Tinder, and therefore foone went out.. Sit\ne
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=