Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Secondly, for the persuasions and suggestions of lust, entertain no Treaty, have no commerce with it, be not¹ in its company alone, let it not draw thee away, sit not in counsel with it. Qui deliberant desciverunt, if it prevail² to get our ear▪ and make us listen unto it, it will ⟨p. 222⟩easily proceed further. As soon as ever Saint Paul was³ called, he immediately refused to confer with flesh and blood, which relation elsewhere making, he useth another expression, Whereupon O King Agrippa I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; intimating thus much, that⁴ but to hold a conference with the flesh is a beginning of disobedience. If our first mother Eve had observed this rule, not to deliberate, or admit any dispute with the Serpent, but had at first offer rejected his motion, with this peremptory answer, We have a Law given us, and servants must be ruled by their master and not by their fellows, It is fitter to obey God then to dispute against him, to execute his commands then to interpret them, she might have prevented that deluge of sin and calamity which by this one over-sight did invade the world. Therefore the Lord strictly commands his people, that when they were to succeed the nations whom God would cast out before them, and should dwell in their land, they should take heed that they were not snared by following them, neither should they enquire after their Gods saying. How did these nations serve their Gods▪ ⁵The very acquainting themselves with the forms of other mens idolatries might ensnare them. Therefore as soon as lust stirs and offers to persuade thee, start away from it as Joseph did, Come not nigh the door of a ⁶strange woman's house, though the first allurements seem modest and moderate, yet if the Serpent get in but his head, he will easily draw in the rest of his body, and if he should not, yet his sting is in his head.