Prevalence of.

Lk. 16. 15. That which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God.

Jn. 13. 7. Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

1 Cor. 13. 9. We know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 12. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Lewdness.

367. Has lewdness been a common sin?

Gen. 19. 5. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Lev. 18. 22. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith-Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

1 S. 2. 22. Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle.

Jer. 3. 1. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers-Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lain with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms, and with thy wickedness.

Jer. 9. 2. O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers.

Deceitfulness of.

Jer. 23. 10. The land is full of adulterers.

Ezk. 22. 9. In the midst of thee they commit lewdness. In thee have they discovered their father's nakedness: in thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

Hos. 7. 4. They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker.

Mat. 12. 39. An evil and adulterous generation. Mk. 8.38.

Jn. 8. 4. Master, this woman was taken in adultery. 7. He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.

Gal. 5. 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness.

1 Pet. 4. 3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot.

368. Is lewdness a deceitful, alluring vice?

Pr. 5. 3. The lips of a strange woman drop as a honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother than oil.

Pr. 6. 23. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eye-lids.

Pr. 7. 10. There met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. 13. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto

Evils of.

him, 16. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

369. What evils are connected with lewdness?

Pr. 2. 18. Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

Pr. 5. 3. The lips of a strange woman drop as a honey comb-But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. 8. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and iny heart despised reproof.

Pr. 6. 26. By means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? 32. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding: he that doeth it, destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

Pr. 7. 22. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me, now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea,

Lewdness forbidden.

many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Pr. 9. 16. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.

Pr. 29. 3. He that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

Ec. 7. 25. I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Hos. 4. 11. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

Rom. 1. 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and received in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

1 Cor. 6. 18. He that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body.

370. Is lewdness forbidden?

Ex. 20. 14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Lev. 18. 20. Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her. 22. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith. Lev. 19. 29.

Pr. 31. 3. Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Hab. 2. 15. Wo unto him that giveth his neighbor

Lewdness threatened and punished.

drink, and puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Mat. 5. 27. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Rom. 13. 13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness; not in chambering and

wantonness.

Ep. 5. 3. But Fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient.

Col. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

1 Th. 4. 3. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not

God.

371. Has God threatened and punished lewdness?

Lev. 20. 10. The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Jer. 5. 7. How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlot's houses. They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the