They went to Baal-Peor

They went to BAAL-PEOR.

Many loathsom and obscene things are reported concerning this Baal-Peor, this god that was the god of the (Moabites) that is unfit for chast ears to hear, therefore we shall not mention such things. Much filthiness was committed in the worship of this their Baal-Peor, and yet (says God) notwithstanding all my love to their fore-fathers, whereby they might have drawn an argument that they should have had blessings upon themselves, if they had continued in the waies of their forefathers, yet they went from me & went to Baal-Peor. From where the Notes are:

First, the more shameful any thing is, the more abominable is it to forsake God. It's an abominable thing to forsake God, for the gaining of Heaven and Earth (if it could be gained by it) but for to forsake God for a Baal-Peor, God takes this [illegible]: (but that we met with before.)

Secondly, this is the evil of mans heart, that there is no evil so base and shameful, but he is ready to forsake the blessed and glorious God, that he may cleave to that. As it is reported of the Panther, that it does love the dung of man so well that if it be hung up at a height, it will leap and skip for it till it bursts in pieces. So, many there are that are set upon such base things, that they are content to part with all good that there is in God and Jesus Christ, if they may but have them, they are content to undo themselves to all eternity.

Thirdly, so to leave God, as to give up our selves to baseness and wickedness, Oh! this is most abominable. To be over taken with a sin is vile, but for one to give up himself, or her self to wickedness, this is abominable: and yet this is that that many are guilty of. At first perhaps sin is fair-mannerd, and says, Do but take some dallies with me at first, but after the soul begins to give up its self in a most desperate way in sinful courses. Many an Apostate does thus that had some comfort before in God, but now having gotten a haunt of wickedness they have lost all their comforts in God and Christ, and now says this desperat soul, I cannot have comfort in God and Christ, and therefore I will have it in the satisfying of my lusts. Oh! my Brethren, what a shame is this? So far as you are able to be guilty of shaming even God Himself and Jesus Christ; therefore in (Hebrews 6:6) Apostates are said, to put Jesus Christ to open shame. And an Apostate that leaves the waies of God and separates himself to his lusts, he does put the Lord Jesus Christ to an open shame. Oh! how should Gods people separate themselves for the Lord, and be wholly his, seeing Idolaters separate themselves to their Idols? Let them look upon themselves as a people separated for the Lord.