Can a man take fire in his bosom,.... A whore is compared to fire, and is so called by the poets (o); and it is a saying of Pythagoras, "it is a like thing to fall into fire and into a woman (p);'' the Hebrew words "esh", "fire", and "ishah", "a woman", have some affinity in sound; and the phrase of taking it "into the bosom" fitly expresses the impure embraces of a harlot; and his clothes not be burned? he cannot, it is impossible; and equally vain is it to think that a man can commit whoredom and it not be known, or he not hurt by it in his name and substance, or in his body, soul, and life. (o) Plauti Bacehides, Act. 4. Sc. 9. v. 15. "Accede ad ignem hunc", Terent. Eunuehus, Act. 1. Sc. 2. v. 5. (p) , apud Maximum, Eclog. c. 39.