A20559:558
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Now the use that we must make of this is; That sith it is so foul a sin and yet our nature is subject to fall into, as David, after many corrections and humiliations, after many mercies and benefits when he was some thing well in years, and had the remedy also, yea and as the corruption of those times was, many wives, yet fell into his foul sin. This loathsomeness of the sin and the proudness of our nature to commit it, should move us to use those means and preservatives which might keep us from it. For if David did fall into it, to his great woe and to some blotting also and blemishing of his name, then we must not be secure and think our selves safe. But the means to make a man live chastely in marriage, are these. First, if there have been fornication before marriage that is a secret poison that lurks within, and if it be not staid it will break out to adultery. Therefore that fire must be quenched by true repentance, and so it shall never flame out into adultery; but else it will certainly have his vent: an old fornicator shall be an new adulterer, I mean by an old fornicator, such an one as hath committed fornication before marriage without repentance, for he hath a wild fire within, that will not keep within long, but will make him burn in lust as fast as before. And it may be said of him as GOD said to Cain, thy sin lies at the door; so his old sin lies at the door ready to catch him, yea it will let him have no peace, but lies in wait, dogs and pursues him, and meets him at every turn till it have brought him to naught, unless he by repentance first bring it to naught.
Now the vse that we must make of this is; That sith it is so foule a sinne and yet our nature is subiect to fall into, as Dauid, after many corrections and humiliations, after many mercies and benefits when he was some thing well in yeares, and had the remedie also, yea and as the corruption of those times was, many wiues, yet fell into his foule sinne. This lothsomnes of the sin and the proudnesse of our nature to commit it, should moue vs to vse those meanes and preseruatiues which might keepe vs from it. For if Dauid did fall into it, to his great woe and to some blotting also and blemishing of his name, then we must not be secure and thinke our selues safe. But the meanes to make a man liue chastly in mariage, are these. First, if there haue beene fornication before mariage that is a secret poyson that lurkes within, and if it bee not stayd it will breake out to adulterie. Therefore that fire must be quenched by true repentance, and so it shall neuer flame out into adulterie; but else it will certainly haue his vent: an olde fornicator shall be an new adulterer, I meane by an old fornicator, such an one as hath committed fornication before mariage without repentance, for he hath a wilde fire within, that will not keepe within long, but will make him burne in lust as fast as before. And it may be said of him as GOD said to Caine, thy sinne lyes at the doore; so his old sinne lies at the dore readie to catch him, yea it will let him haue no peace, but lies in wait, doggs and pursues him, and meetes him at euerie turne till it haue brought him to naught, vnlesse he by repētance first bring it to naught.