Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

Let me therefore speak unto you young maidens, and require you to follow Rebekah in this kind, keep your selves pure, suffer not your selves to be won away with any solicitations for all occasions of sin. Be not haughty in conceit of your own strength to withstand any allurement, but fear God, and beseech him to keep you by virtue of his fear, else many a boasting maiden hath been forced out of her own experience to confess, that this offence cannot be prevented by bragging. I say therefore, let the fear of God, and an humble heart, and a careful shunning of evil opportunities be the preservers of your chastity. And if any of you have been corrupt, and vitiated, though it be known to none but God and your selves, see that you be greatly humbled, and truly penitent for it.

Let me therefore speake unto you young maidens, and require you to follow Rebekkah in this kinde, keep your selves pure, suffer not your selves to be won away with any solicitations for all occasions of sin. Be not haughty in conceit of your own strength to withstand any allurement, but feare God, and beseech him to keep you by vertue of his feare, else many a boasting maiden hath been forced out of her own experience to confesse, that this offence cannot be prevented by braging. I say therefore, let the feare of God, and an humble heart, and a carefull shunning of evill opportunities be the preservers of your chastity. And if any of you have been corrupt, and vitiated, though it be knowne to none but God and your selves, see that you be greatly humbled, and truly penitent for it.

The custom of many is, if they can conceal themselves in this kind, and that they prove not with child, to the public reproaching of themselves before men, not at all to grieve for the sin committed, though it be nevertheless abominable in Gods sight, because of such concealing it; yea, some there be that add murder also to filthiness, using means of abortion to themselves, or of hindering themselves from conceiving, by wicked reaches, and devises: But the all-seeing eyes of God do discover their lewdness, and will make their offences known to all the world, and that so much the more to their disgrace, and destruction, by how much they have declared themselves to be more wicked, in fearing men, and not God. Indeed if the matter come to open knowledge, they weep, and take on, showing evidently, that ignominy goeth nearer to their hearts than sin, and that they care not how lewd they be, if their lewdness come not to light. But I say, be you careful to prevent secret sins in this kind, and tender the health of your souls more than the credit of your names, and undo that sin by unfeigned repentance, which will else make you odious to God, though you hide it never so closely from men. And let Parents also carry a watchful eye upon their daughters, not giving them liberty to range up and down at unfit times, to unfit places, lest it befall them as it did Dinah, Jacobs daughter, when she gave her self leave to gaze abroad to see the fashions of the daughters of the country. And I must also speak to young men, which go a wooing to young maidens, that they suffer not themselves to be so far transported with unlawful, and unruly desires, as to pollute those before marriage, or assay to solicit them whom they pretend to love so, as to make them their wives. If they love them, let them keep them so worthy to be beloved, and enter not into Gods Ordinance,