And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her.
Ver. 10. And it came to pass, as she spake, &c.] A violent temptation valiantly withstood and vanquished; and that by the force of the fear of God, that powerful grace where it may bear sway. Alexander, Scipio, Pompey, tempted with the exquisiteness and variety of choicest beauties, forbare that villany; not for conscience' sake, or fear of God, whom they knew not, but lest thereby they should stop the current of their victories, and obscure the glory of their remarkable valour. But what saith Cyprian? As it is the greatest pleasure to have overcome pleasure, so there is no such victory as that that is gotten over a man's lusts. This none but a Joseph fearing God can do. For "the fear of the Lord is pure," saith David: Psa 19:9 it "is to hate evil," not forbear it only, saith Solomon; and he instanceth in inward evils, as pride, arrogancy, &c., so unchaste thoughts, lustful vipers, and hankerings after strange flesh. These the fear of God purgeth upon and represseth; not suffering a man to sin, though he could do it so closely and covertly that the world should be never the wiser. Lo, this is chastity: and it differs herein from continency, which is the best we can say for those heathens aforementioned. The continent person refrains the outward act of uncleanness, either for love of praise or fear of punishment, but not without grief; for inwardly he is scalded with boiling lust. Whereas the chaste man, like St Paul's virgin, 1Co 7:34 is "holy both in body and in spirit"; and this with delight, out of fear of God and love of virtue. Now, if upon such a ground we can refuse proffered pleasures and preferments, resolving rather to lie in the dust with Joseph than to rise by wicked principles, the trial is as sound as if we had endured the tortures of the rack. Heb 11:35
As she spake to Joseph day by day.] Satan will not be said with a little, nor sit down by a light repulse. A man must give him a peremptory denial (απαρνησασθω) again and again, as our Saviour did; and yet the tempter departed not, but for a season. He is called Beelzebub, that is, the Master Fly, because he is impudent as a fly, and soon returns to the bait from which he was beaten. He will be egging us again and again to the same sin, and try every way to overturn us. Many times he tempts by extremes, as he did Mr John Knox, on his deathbed; first, to despair, by setting before him his sins; and, when foiled there, afterwards to presumption, and challenging of heaven as his due, for his many good works, and zeal in the Scottish Reformation. a So he dealt here by Joseph. He first set upon him on the left hand, when he sold him for a slave; and when this prevailed not, he sets here a Delilah to tickle him on the right side, and to tie him with the green withes of youthful pleasures. Sed pari successu: but he lost his labour. Joseph was semper idem; famous for all the four cardinal virtues, if ever any were. See here in this one temptation, his fortitude; justice; temperance; and prudence, in that he shuns the occasion; for he would not only not lie with her, but not "be with her," saith the text: and that a man is indeed, that he is in a temptation; which is but a tap to give vent to corruption.
To lie by her, or to be with her.] "Keep thee far from an evil matter," saith Moses. Exo 23:7 "Come not nigh the door of" the harlot's "house," saith Solomon. Pro 5:8 "Flee fornication," saith Paul. 1Co 6:18 And "Flee youthful lusts." 2Ti 2:22 Not abstain from them only, but "flee" them, as ye would do a flying serpent. These are God's commandments: and they are to be "kept as the sight of the eye." Pro 7:2 The Nazarite might not only not drink wine, but not taste a raisin or the husk of a grape. Num 6:3-4 The good Christian is taught to "abstain from all appearance of evil"; 1Th 5:22 and to "hate the very garment that is spotted by the flesh." The devil counts a fit occasion half a conquest; for he knows that corrupt nature hath a πανσπερμια, a seed plot of all sin: which being drawn forth and watered by the breath of ill company, or some other occasion, is soon set awork, to the producing of death. Satan cheats us, when he persuades us that it is no conquest, except we beat away the temptation, yet keep the occasion by us. God will not remove the temptation till we remove the occasion. And in such case to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," is to thrust our finger into the fire, and then pray it may not be burnt. A bird while aloft is safe; but she comes not near the snare without danger. Solomon thought himself wise enough to convert his wives, and not be corrupted by them. But "it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods," &c. 1Ki 11:4 He that can shun or remove the occasion, of his own proper motion, as Joseph did, he is the man; this is grace; here is a victory.
a Mr Perkins.