A20559:561
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.
Thirdly, will we be kept from this foul and monstrous sin we must mark the rule of Solomon. Eccles. 7. 28. I find more bitter then death, the woman whose heart is as nets and snares, and her hands as bands. He that is good before God shall be delivered from her, but the sin shall be taken by her. He shows how one may escape the lewd woman, and keep himself free from her snares, namely, be a good man, walk religiously & keep peace with god, else he shall sure be taught. He shows why God suffers filthy strumpets, & harlots to lie upon the earth, namely, that they may be as a gaile or prison to keep wicked sinners, & chains, wherein to hamper all ungodly persons, they be as fowlers to catch hypocrites that have not the true fear of God, that those which be hateful to God for other sins may be made hateful to men also for this sin. For when men provoke God by sins that he hates as much, but be less subject to disgrace in the world, then he gives them up to those sins that may shame them, & bring them into contempt before the world. And it not as most men say alas he was an honest man till he slipped into this fault; no, had he been honest before, God would not have delivered him up to this vile sin. But because he was wicked before, therefore God punisheth sin with sin, and makes him more wicked outwardly, that his inward wickedness might appear to his disgrace; he hath lived irreligiously in the first table, and now God in vengeance gives him over also to live unrighteously in the second. These be the means to keep one pure, namely, an upright life that one live in no other sin that breaks off peace betwixt God and him. And to take delight in the word of God, and use all good means to get a pure & fervent love to the yokefellow, and to purge out by godly sorrow, that venom of fornication, if any have been committed before, that else would infect the heart with adultery; for marriage cannot kill lust, only repentance can do that, and marriage is an help to a penitent man to preserve his chastity.
Thirdly, will we be kept from this foule and monstrous sinne we must marke the rule of Salomon. Eccles. 7. 28. I find more bitter then death, the woman whose heart is as nets and snares, and her hands as bands. He that is good before God shall be deliuered from her, but the sinne shall be taken by her. He shewes how one may escape the lewd woman, and keepe himselfe free from her snares, namely, be a good man, walke religiously & keepe peace with god, else he shal sure be taught. He shews why God suffers filthy strumpets, & harlots to ly vpō the earth, namely, that they may be as a gaile or prison to keepe wicked sinners, & chains, wherin to hāper all vngodly persons, they be as fowlers to catch hypocrites that haue not the true feare of God, that those which be hatefull to God for other sins may be made hatefull to men also for this sin. For whē men prouoke God by sins that he hates as much, but be lesse subiect to disgrace in the world, then he giues thē vp to those sinnes that may shame them, & bring them into cōtempt before the world. And it not as most men say alas he was an honest man till he slipt into this fault; no, had he been honest before, God would not haue deliuered him vp to this vilde sinne. But because he was wicked before, therefore God punisheth sinne with sinne, and makes him more wicked outwardly, that his inward wickednesse might appeare to his disgrace; he hath liued irreligiously in the first table, and now God in vengeāce giues him ouer also to liue vnrighteously in the second. These be the means to keep one pure, namely, an vpright life that one liue in no other sinne that breaks off peace betwixt God and him. And to take delight in the word of God, and vse all good means to get a pure & feruent loue to the yoakfellow, and to purge out by godly sorrow, that venime of sornication, if any haue beene committed before, that else would infect the heart with adulterie; for mariage cannot kill lust, onely repentance can doe that, and marriage is an helpe to a penitent man to preserue his chastitie.