a So far have I been from wallowing in the Mire of Uncleanneſs, or any groſs wickedneſs, wherewith you charge me, that I have ab- ſtained even from the leaſt occaſions and appearances of evil having made a ſo!emn reſoluticn within my ſelf, and a ſolemn Covenant and Promiſe to God, That I would not wantonly or luſtfully fix mine Eyes, or gaze upon a Maid, leſt' mine Eyes ſhould affe&t my Heart, and ſtir me up to further filthineſs. Hereby we plainly ſee, That that Command of Chriſt, Mat. 5. 29, was no new Command peculiar tothe Goſpel, as ſome would have it, but the very ſame which the Law of God revealed in his Word, and written in Mens Hearts by Nature,impoſed upon Men in the times of the Old Teſta- ment. Seealſo 2 Pet, 2. 14+ 1 John 2» 16. . 65. e. Indulge my ſelf in filthy and luſtful thoughts. . Seing I was obliged, and according- ly took care to guard mine Eyes:T was upon the ſame reaſon oblig- ed to reſtrain my Imagination. Or, . why then ſhould 7 conſider, or, con- template, . or look curiouſly, or thoughtfully, or diligently. Since 1 had made ſuch a Covenant, why ſhould Inot keep it ? c Which 1s em- phatically added, to thew that that Circumſtance which provokes the Luſt of others, had no ſuch power over him, and that he re- ſtrained himſelf from the very thoughts and deſires of filthineſs with ſuch Perſons wherewith the generalicy of Men allowed them- ſslves to commit groſs Fornication, as deeming it tobe either none, or but a very little fin. Withal he infinuats, with bow much more | caution he kept himſelf from Uucleanneſs with any married — 210
——
Lam. 4.8 & 5.10,
|
"Fchup. XXL.
4;
Gr.
& 15. 3-
mein bas lances of TuNtice,
Heb alie-
nation : So
*.Chr.16. te
9. Ch.34.21* Prov. 5.2b
Jer. 32-19-
f Heb. Lee a Rat” bin weigh May know mine 1niegrity 0.
7
2 For d what portion of God 3s there e, from above #2 and has inheritance of the Almighty from on highg ?
d The reaſon of my Continency and Chaſtity, was, the conſide- ration of God's Preſence,and Providence, and judgments. e War fruit or recompence might be expetted from God for thoſe who do {uch things ? Nothing but deſtruction, as it follows, v- 3+ I con- ſidered, that though theſe Pra&ices might at firſt pleaſe me,yer they would be bitterneſs in the latter end. f Anemphatical Ph: aſe to note, That how ſecretly and ſliely ſoever unchalt Perſons cerry the matter, ſo as Men canaot reprove or reproach them, yet there is one who ſtands upon an higher place, whence he hath the better proſpe&, who ſeeth both when, and in what manner, and with what deſign they do theſe things.
3 Is notdeltruction to the wicked f? and af ltrange puniſhments to the workers of iniquity ?
f Deſtruftion is their Portion. g Some extraordinary and dread- ful Judgment, which of right and courſe belongs to them, and on- ly to ſuch as they are, although it hath pleaſed God out of his So- veraign Power to inflict itupon me, who have lived in all good Conlcience before Him. Heb. an alienation or eftrangement, to wit, from God and from his favour : Had I been ſuch an one, I neither could nor ſhould have expetted any kindneſs or mercy from God, as now I do.
4 * Doth not he ſee my ways 5, and count all my ps ©
þ i, e. All my counſels and courſes : This is another reaſon why he was ſo circumipe& and exaG in reſtraining his Thoughts and Senſes, ard whole Man from ſinful Prad&iſes, becauſe he knew that _ would diſcern them, and therefore puniſh them ; as he ſaid
erle 3-
5 IfT have walked & with vanity, or if my foot hath haſted to deceit m2 ;
k i. e Converſed in the World, dealt with Men, / i* e. with Iy- ing, or falſhood, or hypocriſie, as this word 1s oft uſed, as Plog; 3: & 12. 3+ & 36. 3. Prov. 30. 8, andas the n:xt words explain it. m If when I have had any temptation or opportuni,y of enriching
my ſelf,by defggdding or wronging others, I have readily and gree- dily complicd with ir, as Hypccrates ( ſuch as you account me ) | uictro do, and have nor rejected and abhored it : for more is here underſtood than is expreſſed. The ſenſe is imperfe&,and ſuppolerh an Imprecation, which iseither un+erſtood,after the manner of the Hebrews, or expreſſed in the next Verlſe.
6 #Let mc be weighed in an even balance »,that God |
a
» This is either 1. an Imprecation ; or,rather 2. a Submiſſion to tryal,as the following words ſhew. The Senſe is,I am fo far from being conſcious to my ſelf of any Hypocriſie, or ſecret wickedneſs : whereby I have brought theſe unuſual Judgmen!s upon my ſelf, as | you traduce me, thar I deſire nothing more than ro have my heart - and life weighed in juſt Balances,and ſearched our by the All-ſceing God. 0 Heb. and ct him know (7. e. let him acknowledge and thew thar he knoweth and approveth : or let im make known to my | Friends and others, who ce:1ſfure or condemn me. Or, and he wil know ; (i. e. upon ſearch he will find out : which is ſpoken of God after the manner of Men : ) mine integrity. So this is an appeal to ' God to be witneſs of his ſincerity, and to vindicate him from the imputation of Hypocriſie. - _—
7. If my ſtep hath turned out of the way p, and mine ' heart walked after mine eyes q, and if any blot r hath! cleaved to mine hands :
? If Thave wittingly and willingly. and cuFomarily ( as you ac- cuſe me) ſwerved from the way of t:uth and juſtice which God hath preſcribed to me: For otherwiſe no Man here is ſo juſt, but he ſometimes takes a wrong Mp. Eccleſ. 7, 20. q If I have let my heart looſe ro covet and ſeek after forbidden things, which mine Eyes have ſeen ; wh:ch may defign either 1- the Luſt of Uncleannels ; j but of that he had ſpoken v. 1: and reneweth the diſcourſe, v- 9.Or rather, 2- the Luft of Coverouſneſs, which is called rhe luſt of the eyes," 1 John 2. 16+ partly becauſe it is oft cauſed by Sight, as Jo. 7. 21. and partly becauſe oft-times all the ſatisfattion 1t gives, 1s to
| pleaſe the tight, Ecclef, 5. 11. And this fin !s moſt legible in the ; following puniſhment, v, 8. where his loſs anſwers to this evil gain. | The Phrate notes the common method and progreſs of ſin, which | is to enter by the Eye to the Heart, Gen. 3. 6. Num. 15, 39 Ecclef.. : 2. 10. & 11. 9. r Or, blemiſh, to wit, any unjuſt gain» IfT have in my hands or poſſeſſion, any Goods gotten from others by fraud ; or violence, which would be a great icandal and a blor ro my re- putation. i
8 Then let me ſow, and let another eat s; yea, let ; my otf-{pring t be rooted our.