civious attire endeavour to draw others to lust, though no evil follow, yet these temp- ters shall be punished, because they offered poison to others though they would not drink. — 6. Take heed of evil company. Serpunt vitia et en proximian quemque transi- Hunt, Sen. Sin is a disease very catching ; one man tempts another to sin, and hardens him in sin. There are three cords to draw men to adultery : the inclination of the h6art, — the persuasion of e^^l company, — and the embraces of the harlot ; and this three- fold cord is not easily broken, Ps. cvi, 18., " A fire Avas kindled in their company." I may allude to it, the fire of lust is kindled in bad company. — 7. Beware of going to plays. A play-house is oft a preface to a whore-house. — Ludi prcebent semina nequi- tice. We are bid to avoid all appearance of evil: are not plays the appearance of evil? Such sights are there as are not fit to be beheld with chaste eyes. Both Fathers and Councils have shewn their dislike of going to plays. A learned divine observes, that many have on their death-beds, confessed with tears, that the pollution of their bodies hath been occasioned by going to plays. — 8. Take heed of mixed dancing. Instrumenta luxuria in'pudia. From dancing, people come to dalliance one with another, and from dalliance to unclcanness. There is, saith Cah in, for the most part, some un- chaste behaviour in dancing. Dances draw the heart to folly by wanton gestures, by unchaste touches, by lustful looks. St. Chrysostom did inveigh against mixed dancing in his time. " We read (saith he) of a marriage-feast, and of virgins go- ing before with lamps," Mat. xxv. 10., ' but of dancing there we read not.' Many have been ensnared by dancing ; as the duke of Normandy and others. Salta- tio ad adulteras non pudicas pertinet, Amb. Chrysostom saith, where dancing is, there the devil is : I speak chiefly of mixed danc- ing. And, whereas we read of dances ir» scripture, Exod. xv., those were sober and modest. They were not mixed dances, but pious and religious, being usually accom- ])anied with singing praises to God. — 9. Take heed of lascivious books, and those pictures that provoke to lust. (1.) Books. As the reading of the scripture doth stir up
OF THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
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love to God, so reading of bad books doth stir up the mind to wickedness. I could name one who published a book to the world full of effeminate, amorous, and wanton expres- sions : before he died, he was much troubled for it, and did burn that book, which did make so many burn in lust. (2.) And to las- civious books, I may add lascivious pictures, which bewitch the eye, and are the incen- diaries of lust. They secretly convey poi- son to the heart. Qui aspicit innocens as- pect u Jit Jiocms. Popish j)ictures are not more prone to stir up idolatry, than unclean pictures are to stir up to concupiscence. — 10. Take heed of excess in diet. When gluttony and drunkenness lead the van, chambering and wantonness bring up the rear. Vinuin f omentum libidhiis : any wine inflames lust; and fulness of bread is made the cause of Sodom's unclean ness, Ezek. xvi. 49. The rankest weeds grow out of the fattest soil ; uncleanness proceeds from excess, Jer. v. 8., Wlien they were fed to the full, " every one neigjiod after his neighbour's wife." Get the 'golden bridle of temperance.' God allows recruits of na- ture, and what may fit us the better for his service ; but beware of surfeit. Excess in the creature clouds the mind, chokes good affections, provokes lust. St. Paul did keep under his body, 1 Cor. ix. 27. The flesh pampered is apt to rebel, — Corpus impin- guatam recalcitrat. — 11. Take heed of idle- ness. When a man is out of a calling, now he is fit to receive any temptation. We do not use to sow seed in fallow-ground : but the devil sows most seed of temptation in such as lie fallow. Idleness is the cause of sodomy and uncleanness, Ezek. xvi. 49. Wiien David was idle on the top of his leads, then he espied Bathsheba, and took Jier to him, 2 Sam. xi. 4. Hierom gave his friend this counsel, to be always well-em- ployed in God's vineyard; that when tlie devil came, he might have no leisure to lis- ten to a temptation. — 12. To avoid fornica- tion and adultery, let every man have a I'haste, entire love to his own wife. Eze- kiel's wife was the desire of his eyes, chap. \xiv. 16. When Solomon had dissuaded from strange women, he prescribes a reme- dy against it, Prov. v. 18., " Rejoice with the wife of thy youth." It is not the hav-