The lips of a strange woman drop as an honey-comb, and her mouth is smoother then oyl: But her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edged sword.
The Text here presents you with a strange woman; with whom though I desire not to procure you a familiar acquaintance, yet I'le give you such cognizance of her, and excite that abhorrency of her baseness in all your minds, that if any have heretofore been sick for want of her company, he shall now be as sick of it; after I have made it appear that this [[1]]beautiful Siren, having a Womans face, ends in the Serpents tail; and discovered, not onely the Virgins-face of this unsatiable Harpye, but her cruel talons also shrowded under her wings. That you may therefore (as[[2]] Amnon
did upon Tamar) bolt the door upon this strange woman, and no longer endure the whoredoms of this painted Jezebel; I'le endeavour to characterize her to you, and by the infallible clue of Truth conduct you through all her intricate and winding Labyrinths. Be pleased therefore, for the explication of the word [Strange] to take notice, that this Epithite was by the Græcians attributed to their common Prostitutes, which they called ξενας, strangers: And hence, I conceive, it was that the Comœdian called [[3]]Glycerium who was thought to live by the unlawful submission of her body, Peregrinam, a stranger, a strange woman. But I have onely hitherto told you her name; I shall now therefore proceed further to describe her to you by her sordid actions, which will ascertain you of those miseries which are her constant waiting-women or attendants. That I may therefore speedily prosecute my design, She is one whom not Argus's hundred eyes, nor brazen walls, nor the most vigilant Guards can secure from her lascivious incontinency: the bars and [[4]]hedges which Nature has made for her
tongues confinement are not sufficient to restrain it within the limits of a modest discourse; and should we lock up her impure lips with a command of silence, yet could we never limit the infiniteness of her lascivious thoughts, with which she would as freely commit fornication, as if she were at liberty, and in the enjoyment of the greatest voluptuary; and we may say of her what Scipio in another case said of himself, [[5]]She is never less alone than when alone. She tricks her self up with such variety of gauderies as if she were to expose her body to bring the Devil to her lure, and tempt the Tempter himself to love her; and were that opinion of Tertullian true, That the Devils and fallen Angels had carnal commerce with the Daughters of Men, and they should desire one to satisfie their lustful appetite, I'de recommend the strange woman in the Text unto them; who (like Circe) is an amiable Sorceress, and when she hath once charmed her Gallant with youthful blood sparkling in his veins, and beauty dancing in his face, into the endless Circle of her lust, hee'l find a difficult [[6]]recovery.
[[7]]Physitians tell us, that the reason we have in Feverish distempers our Paroxysme but every second, third, or fourth day, and not at every circulation of the blood about the body, is, because the blood when it arrives to the heart must acquire such a degree of corruption before it can effect it, and therefore because this corruption is not sensible before many circulations have been performed, it cannot so soon create a Paroxysme: But in this impure and libidinous strumpets heart 'tis far otherwise; for she endures the Paroxysmes of the Fever of Lust every hour and moment, and the circulation of her lusts in her heart is sooner performed then that of her blood. Medea had not more damnable Arts to preserve youth and beauty then she, who has perfectly attain'd the Art of making new beauty, new hair, and counterfeit teeth; and not thinking she hath charms enough to render her amiable, has recourse to the Merchants, as unto Natural Magick, to buy there what Nature would not give her, and to make her self liked in spight of Nature's disfavours; and being accustomed to
varnish over her decayed Cheeks, and the ruines of a good Face, with the fresh colours of an adventicious Paint, she by her licentiousness seems to usurp the power and liberty of Painters, who (according to the Poet) [[8]]were priviledg'd to do what they pleased; and (to say truth) she is an exact Painter in all her actions; for the varnishes over the deformed and execrable Name of Whore, with the flourishing Title and Colour of a Lady of pleasure: and whilest she discourses to her Gallant of the unlawful use of her body, she colours it over with the title of a great and incomparable favour; and (Mahomet-like) perswades all her adorers, that there's no Paradise but that of carnal fruition, and the gratification to a domineering Lust: But I fear that this Paradise she puts them in will prove but a Fools Paradise; for I believe they'l quickly conclude, That the sulphureous flames which Ætna's fiery paunch continually vomits into the Air bear not so forcible and durable a heat as the Calentures of her lustful blood; and that the poyson'd garment dipt in the Centaur's blood, which caused
Hercules to burn in living flames, had had not such vigour and vehemency as her enflamed Lust. Whilest I hear one Historian talk of Sempronia, and give her this character, [[9]]That she oftner courted men to her embraces then she was courted by them, I fancy he makes mention of the strange woman in the Text: and whilest I hear another report, that Julia arrived to that heighth of licentiousness, [[10]]That she would leave nothing undone which she could basely commit, either by Action or Passion, judging that lawful which pleased her humour best, me thinks he characterizes our strange woman to us. King Solomon (understanding a hot Prostitute) tells us, Prov. 6. 27. a man cannot take fire into his bosom, but he must be necessarily burnt; and I believe that many of the Gallants of our time, who have thought onely to warm and cherish their lusts at this she-fire, have at last been soundly burnt by taking her into their bosomes: for this strange Woman is not like the Glow-worm, that carries only a counterfeit heat, nor of so cold a constitution as the Moon was when she embraced Endymion; but he that
embraces her shall find the same entertainment the Satyr did, that kiss'd the fiery coal and burnt his lips; and we may say of her, what the tyrant Nero once said of himself and his mother Agrippina, "[[11]]That there can nothing come of her into the world but what is detestable and accursed." This Helena is hot enough to inflame Troy; this Hecuba can bring forth nothing but a Fire-brand. Though the Toad hath a precious Stone in her head, yet her body is poysonous: And so, though this Strange Woman may wear a handsome countenance, and for her superficial and skin-deep beauty seem an inestimable Jewel, yet, if we view her throughly, we shall discover the venom of her impure body; for, though her lips drop as an honey comb, and her mouth is smoother then oyl, yet her end is bitter as wormwood, and sharp as a two-edg'd sword. Upon which two Verses of the Text, as upon two pillars, I build this practical Proposition,