Ver. 1. My son, attend unto my wisdom.] Aristotle could say that young men are but cross and crooked hearers of moral philosophy, and have much need to be stirred up to diligent attendance. Fornication is by many of them held a peccadillo; and Aristotle spareth not to confess the disability of moral wisdom to rectify the intemperance of nature; which also he made good in his practice, for he used a common strumpet to satisfy his lust. Ethic., lib. vii. cap. 3,4.
Ver. 2. That thou mayest regard discretion.] Or, That thou mayest keep in thy thoughts, as Job did, (Job 31:1) “Why then should I think upon a maid?” “Out of the hearts of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,” &c., saith our Saviour. (Mark 7:21) Many men’s hearts are no better than stews and brothel houses, by reason of base and beastly thoughts and lusts that muster and swarm there, like the flies of Egypt. “There is that leviathan, and there are creeping things innumerable.” (Psalms 104:25,26) Yea, the hypocrite, who outwardly abstains from gross sins, yet inwardly consenteth with the thief, and partaketh with the adulterer, (Psalms 50:18,19) that is, in his heart and fancy, supposing himself with them, and desiring to do what they do. This is mental adultery, this is contemplative wickedness. So it is also to recall former filthiness with delight. She multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot. (Ezekiel 23:21) Surely as a man may die of an inward bleeding, so may he be damned for these inward boilings of lust and concupiscence, if not bewailed and mortified. (Jeremiah 4:14) “The thoughts of the wicked are abominable to the Lord.” (Proverbs 15:26) To look and lust is to commit adultery. (Matthew 5:28) Therefore “desire not her beauty in thy heart.” (Proverbs 6:25) And that thy lips may keep knowledge.] As Joseph did in answering his wanton mistress; (Genesis 39:7-9) as he in Augustine did, that replied to his minions, Ego sum -It is I, at ego non sum -but it it is not I.
Ver. 3. For the lips of a strange woman drop.] Take heed therefore how thou exchange any words at all with her. But if thou be first set upon, as Joseph was by his mistress, and as Franciscus Junius was by those impudent queans (harlots) at Lyons, in France (whither he was sent by his father for learning’s sake), who night and day solicited him; then to keep thee from the bitter sweet lips of these enchantresses, “let thy lips keep knowledge”; answer them (as Joseph did) with “the words of truth and soberness”; (Acts 26:25) with “gracious and wholesome words,” (1 Timothy 6:3) such as have a cooling and healing property in them; with Scripture language, which the devil and his agents cannot answer or away with. When, therefore, thou art tempted to this or any like sin, say No—I may not, I dare not; for it is forbidden in such a place, and again in such a place, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9) “Lo this is the way, walk in it.” Let thy lips keep knowledge, and it shall keep thee from the lips of a strange woman, though they drop as a honeycomb, and seem to have plenty of pleasure and sweetness in them. Drop as a honeycomb.] But is like that honey spoken of by Pliny that had poison in it, as being sucked out of poisonous herbs and flowers. In the Cadiz voyage, at Alvelana, three miles from Lisbon, many of our English soldiers, under the Earl of Essex, perished by eating of honey, purposely left in the houses, and spiced with poison, as it was thought. How much better is it to be preserved in brine than to rot in honey! to mortify lusts, than to enjoy them! (Romans 8:13) Voluptatem vicisse voluptas est maxima, saith Cyprian, nec ulla maior est victoria, quam ea, quae cupiditatibus refertur. There is no such pleasure as to have overcome an offered pleasure; neither is there any greater conquest than that which is gotten over a man’s corruptions. Jun. in Vita sua. Speed. xii. 10. De bono pudicit.
Ver. 4. But her end is bitter as wormwood.] The pleasure passeth, the sting remaineth; for in the froth of this filthy pleasure is bred that hell worm of guilt that never dieth. “ Principium dulce est, sed finis amoris amarus: Laeta venire Venus, tristis abire solet.” Diana of the Ephesians was so artificially portrayed, that she seemed to smile most pleasantly upon such as came into her temple, but to frown at those that went out. So doth sensual pleasure. Heus tu scholastiae, dulce et amarum gustulum carpis, &c., said the harlot to Apuleius; hark, scholar, it is but a bitter sweet that you are so fond of. Plus aloes quam mellis habet; knowest thou not that there will be bitterness in the end? The chroniclers have observed of our Edward III that he had always fair weather at his passage into France, and foul upon his return. Such is the way of the harlot; the sin committed with her is as the poison of asps. When an asp stings a man, it doth first tickle him so as it makes him laugh, till the poison by little and little get to the heart, and then it pains him more than ever before it delighted him. See Luke 6:25,16:25 Heb 12:15,16 Job 13:26 Ec 7:27,28. In amore multum est amari. Dulcis acerbitas amarissima voluptas. -Tertul. Plutarch. Speed, Walsing.