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Gen_34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
Ver. 2. Saw her, he look her, and lay with her.] Ut vidit, periit. By those windows of the eyes and ears, sin and death often enter: through them the devil throws balls of wild fire into the soul, and sets all into a combustion. Visus, colloquium, contactus, osculum, concubitus, do too oft one succeed another. {a} See to the five senses, if ye would keep out the enemy. Shut up the five windows, if ye would have the house, the heart, full of light, saith the Arabian proverb. Joseph’s mistress cast her eyes upon him; but when she laid hands on him, she was the more inflamed, and set agog, as it were. The viewing, touching, or familiar talking with a woman, either without necessary occasion, or then, without prayer for holy affection, is dangerous, saith a grave divine. {b} Thou mayest not look intently upon what thou mayest not love. Democritus the philosopher pulled out his eyes, that he might not look upon forbidden beauties. This was no part of his wisdom: but it shall be ours, by mortification, to pluck the wanton eye out of old Adam, and to set it sober into the new man: to get that occulum irretortum, that well-ordered eye, that Job had; {Job_31:1} that Joseph had; that Gregory Nazianzen had, who could óïöñïíéæåéí ôïõò ïöèáëìïõò , tutor his eyes; that Charles V, Emperor of Germany, had, who would shut the casements, when at any time he saw fair women afar off, or heard that such were to pass by his window {c} It is not safe to pry into the beauty of a fair woman. Circe {d} often used allusively. may enchant us, the cockatrice slay us with her sight. "Let her not take thee with her eyelids," saith Solomon; {Pro_6:25} as larks, while they gaze in a glass, are taken in a hunter’s net. {See Trapp on "Gen_6:2"} {See Trapp on "Gen_26:7"}
{a} Mars videt hanc, visamque cupit, potiturque cupita. - Ovid.
{b} Time Well Spent, by Ezek. Culverwel, p. 53.
{c} Saepe clausit fenestram, ne inspiceret formosiores foeminas, &c. - Par., Hist. Profan., p. 908.
{d} In Greek and Latin mythology the name of an enchantress who dwelt in the island of Aea, and transformed all who drank of her cup into swine.