caft out, so some are not held out but by fasting and prayer. They that would keep themselves pure, must have their bodies in fubjection, and that may require, in fome cafes, a holy violence, 1 Cor. ix. 27.

3. Keeping of chafte and modeft company. Hence Solomon exhorts, Prov. v. 8, 9. " Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: left thou give give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel." How many have been ruined by the company they have fallen into, worse than they had fallen into a den of lions and wolves? Ill company wears off infenfibly the impreffions of virtue on people's fpirits; and if they be not at war with them, the maintaining of peace and converfe will make people like them.

4. Being bufied in fome honeft employment. Those that would be virtuous indeed, must not eat the bread of idleness. Honeft labour and business cuts off many temptations that idle perfons are liable to. Had David been in the field with his army, when he was rifing from off his bed in the eveningtide, 2 Sam. xi. 2. he had preferved his chastity when he loft it; and fo had Dinah, if she had been at her business in her father's house, when she went out to see the daughters of the land, Gen. xxxiv. 1.

5. Marriage, by those that have not the gift of continency. Hence fays the apostle, 1 Cor. vii. 2, 9. "To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. But if they cannot contain, let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn."-Neither marriage nor fingle life are in themselves morally good or evil, but indifferent. But that state of life is to be chofen by every one, that will moft conduce to their leading a holy life. So every particular perfon ought by themselves to ponder their gift, and other circumftances, which will let them fee what is fin and what is duty in this case.

6. Cohabitation and conjugal love and affection betwixt married perfons, without which that state will be no fence to purity, but a fnare. Hence Solomon fays, Prov. v. 19, 20. "Let her be as the loving hind, and pleasant roe; let her breasts fatisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my fon, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bofom of a stranger?"

7. Lastly, Shunning all occafions, and refifting all temptations, to the contrary, Prov. v. 8. forecited. So did Jofeph, Gen. xxxix. 8. It is a dangerous bufinefs to parley with them. The town that is content to capitulate with the enemy, is next door to furrendering. There are two fins that the scripture bids us flee from. 1. Idolatry, 1 Cor. x. 14. 2. Uncleannefs, 1 Cor. vi. 18. Why? Because they are bewitching evils. It is fafer to flee, than to ftand to fight

them.

SECONDLY, This command requires us to preferve the chaft ty of others, and that so far as we can, in their hearts, lip, and lives. For fo far as we might prevent the fin of others, and do it not, and much more when we occafion it, it becomes ours. Befides, that in preferving our own chastity, we preserve that of others, and fo the means conducing to the one do alfo conduce to the other. Our duty in this point may be reduced to these two heads.

1. That we may do nothing which may enfnare others. For whofoever lays the fnare is partner in the fin that comes by it. A lamentable inftance of this we have in Judah and his daughter-in-law: they were neither of them careful to preferve the other's chastity, and fo they fell each by another's fnare, Gen. xxxviii. 14, 15, 16. For this caufe mo deft apparel is here required, 1 Tim. ii. 9.; and a careful avoiding of all unfeemly behaviour, which may have a tendency to defile the minds of others, though we ourselves have no ill intention. Thus, Bathfheba's washing herself in a place where the might be seen of others, was the fad occafion of the fin that David and fhe were plunged into, 2 Sam. xi. 2. And truly where both grace and good manners are wanting, it is little wonder that people break their necks over one another.

2. That we do every thing incumbent on us to preserve the chastity of others, in heart, speech, and behaviour. Let married perfons live together in due love and affection to one another. Let each one be an example of purity to others. Let those whom ye fee in danger be refcued by all means, whether by force or perfuafion, as the circumstances require. And let none bring others guilt on their own heads, by being filent when they see the smoke, till the flame rife and discover itself. Let parents and masters do what they can to prevent the ruin of their children and fervants, by rebuking

any lightnefs about them, exhorting them, and praying for them; keeping them out of ill company, not fuffering them to be idle or vague, and seasonably difpofing of children in marriage. Our bodies are the Lord's; we are or ought to be the temples of God; the heart is the most holy place of the temple, and our speech and behaviour the holy place. Let us take heed we bring in no unclean thing there, but keep his temple pure; for if any defile the temple of God, him will God destroy.

II. I come now to fhew, what is forbidden in this command. It forbids "all unchafte thoughts, words, and

actions."

In nothing more quickly did the corrupt nature of man vent itself, than in inordinate concupifcence, which brought fhame along with it, as its juft punishment; which makes it hard to fpeak of it, and fo much the rather that corrupt nature is apt, through Satan's influence, to turn the very commandment against it unto an occafion of fin. Therefore, though there is a neceffity of fpeaking fomething on it, we cannot enlarge with that freedom upon it that we can do on other commands. Sift your hearts, then, as in the prefence of a holy God, who will call us to an account in this matter before his tremendous judgment-feat, and hear his holy law, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

In this short abbreviate of the law of God, where one fin is expressly condemned, under it are forbidden all fins of the fame kind. So here the whole dunghill of filthinefs is fet before us for our abhorrence, and deteftation of our fouls, as we would not bring down the wrath of God on us. Here then all grofs acts of filthinefs are forbidden. As,

1. All unnatural lufts, not to be mentioned without horror; filthy fellowship with devils, as the guilty do fuppofe; Sodomy, perfons abufing themselves with thofe of their own fex, Rom. i. 24.-27.; beastiality, Lev. xviii. 22. And to these we may add inceft, which is betwixt perfons within the forbidden degrees of confanguinity or affinity, Lev. xviii. 6. Concerning which this is to be obferved, that a man must hold at the fame distance from the relations of his wife as his own, and contrariwife, Lev. xx. 14.; and fuch unnatural mixtures can never be fanctified by marriage.

2. Adultery, where one of the parties, or both, are mar

ried. In this cafe the aggravations of the fin of the mar ried party will be justly charged upon the fingle perfon; and for both, "whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.' Heb. xiii. 4. And bigamy and poligamy are adultery; for the vile fact cannot be fanctified, but made worse, by marriage with the adulterer or adulterefs, Hof. iv. 10. "They fhall commit whoredom, and fhall increase."

3. Fornication, which is betwixt fingle perfons, Col. iii. 5, 6. "Mortify your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleannefs, &c. For which things fake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of difobedience." Whoredom is a fin that without repentance is a fad badge of a fubject of Satan, Eph. v. 5. “No whoremonger nor unclean perfon-hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God and Chrift." And a vast inconsistency there is betwixt being a member of Christ, and that of a harlot, 1 Cor. vi. 15.

4. Rape, or forcing a person to filthinefs, Deut. xxii. 25. This is a capital crime by the laws of God and men.

5. Secret uncleanness in a person by themselves alone, whether they be waking, Eph. v. 12.; or fleeping, at least so far as they have occafioned it to themselves by their own corrupt imaginations.

6. Laftly, Immoderate and unfeasonable use even of the marriage-bed, and much more of the bed of whoredom. Mark thefe paffages, 1 Theff. iv. 3, 4. 1 Cor. vii. 5. If. lviii. 13. Ezek. xxii. 10. and xviii. 6.

These are the feveral kinds of vilenefs here forbidden. But this command goes further, and forbids three forts of uncleanness befides.

1. Uncleanness in heart, all fpeculative filthiness, unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections, tho' people do not intend to pursue them to the grofs act, Matth. v. 28. "Whofoever looketh on a woman to luft after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Chap. xv. 19. "Out of the heart proceed-adulteries, fornications." Thefe fall not under the eye of men, but are open to the eye of God, who will judge accordingly. A voluntary thought of these things is dangerous, a delightful rolling of them in the heart is uncleanness before God, and a vitiated habit, whereby on every light occafion these filthy sparks are kindled in the heart, is worst of all, and most abominable.

2. Uncleannefs in words, all filthy communications and

obfcene language, Eph. iv. 29. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth." They are the discoveries of a filthy heart; for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh," contrary to nature, propaling those things which nature teaches to keep fecret. They are fnares to the hearers; and to speak of them for delight, is to act the filthiness in words, when they cannot do it otherwife. Neither will the art fome have in dreffing up their filthy notions in figurative terms excufe; but these in some fort are most dangerous, because the devilifh wit displayed in them makes them more sticking; and fo by means of the like phrafes occurring in holy exercises, they are the readier even to defile these. Of this fort are filthy songs and ballad finging; and the delightful liftening to fuch things, as the fimple youth did to the fpeeches of the adulterous whore, Prov. vii. 18.-21.

3. Uncleanness in actions. Befides the grofs acts, there are others leading thereunto, which are here also forbidden. As,

(1.) Wanton looks: there are "eyes full of adultery," 2 Pet. ii. 14. "wanton eyes," If. iii. 16. : "If. Even a look for unlawful carnal delight is the venting of the impurity of the heart; and though it be only from levity and curiofity, it is finful, as a mean leading to evil.

(2.) Impudent and light behaviour, and immodeft gestures, If. iii. 16. indecent poftures, contrary to religion and good manners. These are hellish matters of sport, that defile the actors, and those that are witneffes to them without abhorrence. And on this ground ftage-plays and filthy pictures are amongst the things forbidden in this command, Ezek. xxiii. 14.-16.

(3.) Luxurious embraces and dalliances. These are as fmoke going before the flame, and were practised by the adulterous whore, Prov. vii. 13.

Now, as all these are here forbidden, fo all occafions and incentives to luft are forbidden, all that has a tendency to corrupt our own or neighbour's chastity. (1.) Immodest apparel, Prov. vii. 10. God appointed apparel, [1.] For neceffity, to cover our fhame and nakedness [2.] To diftinguifh fexes; [3.] To distinguish callings, the more noble from the meaner fort. The devil has found out the fourth, to be enticements to luft.

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