alleadge causes also for themselues whose imaginations the Wise man descrieth in his 2. Chapt. of the booke of Wisedome Sap. 2. where he telleth that the vngodly being not fully persuaded of a better life after this and therefore minding to take their fill of pleasure heere in despight of Gods threatnings in contempt of his promises without any cōtroulment or contradiction of the righteous which can not but speake against them they thus resolue and conclude against the righteous Let vs oppresse the poore man that is so righteous Will ye oppresse nay rather deale iustly Will ye hurt the poore nay rather helpe him Will ye do violence to the righteous man nay rather do him good But ye will not be restrained ye will oppresse him and why he is not for our profit he is contrary to our doings he checketh vs for offending he accounteth vs transgressors of discipline he bosteth himselfe of the knowledge of God he saith he is Gods sonne he is made to reproue our thoughts it greeueth vs to see him his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another sort he accounteth vs as bastards he abhorreth our wayes he commendeth only the latter end of the righteous therefore we will examin him with rebukes and torments we will condemne him to a shamefull death Alas ye miserable caitiffes be these your profound arguments Indéed these beseeme him that saith in the pride of his heart Sic volo siu iubeo stat pro ratione voluntas I will haue it so so I commaund it to be done my will is an argument forcible ynough This is the manner of dealing of the worldlings against the righteous So is Lot entertained Now séeing the case thus standeth The godly are to ioyne together in loue oh how ready should the godly be to ioyne together and liue in concord together a thing both godly and profitable as Dauid singeth Ecce quam bonum c. for the house is not desolate nor the kingdome confounded where loue and concord dwelleth and raigneth It is good for birds of one flight to flye together chickens of one hen to couch together shéepe of one fold to flock together strings of one instrument to sound in harmonie together members of one bodie to ioyne together and Christians of one calling to loue together as sonnes of one father brethren of one Christ and Saints of one God This is expressely commaunded by Christ this is the badge or recognizance whereby we be knowne and heereby we be assured of our translation frō death to life as S. Iohn saith And the Apostles speaking heereof lay oftentimes our Sauiour for a patterne before vs who commaunded his Disciples to loue together as he had loued them that was as one noteth Veraciter sine simulatione prudenter sine corruptione temperanter sub Dei dilectione generaliter sine exceptione That is without simulation truly without corruption wisely vnder the loue of God temperately without exception generally Heere is not taught the loue of Cayne to Abel of Saul to Dauid of Iudas to Christ but heere is the loue of Dauid to Ionathas of Ruth to Naomi of Paul to Barnabas of Christ to Iohn Againe heere is taught to loue not the errors but the vertues of our brethren to hate the sinne with loue of the person to loue not for wealth nor fauour nor strength but for that he is thy brother a Christian Yet so as this loue must not exceede the loue of our God whome aboue all things we must loue that in regard of that we must euen forsake all other things which may hinder vs from the same For whosoeuer loueth either father or mother wife or children yea or his owne life more then me saith Christ is not worthy of me heerein then is temperance learned Let vs loue hartely but yet in the feare of God and vnder his loue yet so reuerently as we may honor God in our loue Lastly we are taught by this rule to loue generally I say not all men alike for although God in mercie maketh his sunne to shine aswell on the euill as on the good and so they féele as it were the beames of Gods loue whereof they be most vnworthy yet hath he euer had an especiall loue to his own children The houshold of faith must be preferred before the worldlings as Iacob before Esau Isaac before Ismael Abel before Cayne Dauid before Saule Salomon besore Absolon Iohn before Iudas but I speake heere only of the brethren This rule is enioined to the flock vnder one shepheard to loue and embrace of what nation kinred toong or sexe soeuer they be Thus let vs loue without exception so shall we yeeld and obey as good childrē to our heauenly father so shall we shew our selues his schollers so shall we assure election to our selues so shall we be strong in our selues so shall we withstand our enemies on euery side and shine as lights in the middest of a crooked generation and thus haue we seene the entertainement of Lot in Sodom Now are we to consider how that this good man 5 The deliuerie of Lot notwithstāding the hatred of his Citizens obteined the loue and mercy of the Lord through whom not only himself was wonderfully deliuered from destruction bu also his aduersaries for a time fared the better for his presence P. Mart. in Gen. 19. It may be that now the prayer of Abraham had his effect in this that God destroyeth not Lot with Sodom For it is said that God remembring Abraham and therein his prayer tooke Lot out of the middest of the ouerthrowe Heereof it was that God was mercifull vnto him and therefore sent his Angell to deliuer him yea and when he delayed the Angell did euen perforce constraine him to flie But so much the rather in that Lot was also a righteous man whereof Dauid argueth no doubt among the semblable examples I neuer sawe the righteous forsaken And why Gen. 18. Gen. 18. should not the Iudge of all the world do according vnto right and who is righteous euen Lot in that by his faith he obteined mercie and therefore he is saued though by nature sinfull yet by the mercie of the Lord made righteous But frō what other example might Dauid gather this assurance was not Noah saued from perishing by water with his family when all the world was ouerwhelmed was not Abraham and Sara preserued in a strange land was not Isaac wonderfully preserued by the Angell when his father held vp the knife to haue killed him was not Iacob 〈…〉 Lords prouidence heere is his fault fall such is mans wisedome and therevnto it tendeth a note of disgrace in so godly a mā But God is yet mercifull vnto Lot yea and spareth for a time Sodom through him And heere obserue that whereas the Lord stayed the wrath of his rod from his enemies till time that Lot was gone out of Sodom least happely the righteous had
he also taught to King Pharao before whom Ioseph his sonne presented him How old art thou sayd Pharao to him he answered the whole time of my pilgrimage is an hundred and thirtie yeeres fewe and euill haue the daies of my life been He is a pilgrime A similitude neere one in effect with that of Iob likening man to a flower and with that of the Lord calling man dust For as the flower is oppressed with many annoyes in heate and cold and of short time and as the dust is now moyst on the grouÌ„d then drie flying in the winde without certeyntie or constanines So is the pilgrime a straunger from home looking to his place of rest and euer trauayleth till he come thether oppressed each while with many great daungers and miseries Hebr. 11.10.13 The fathers sayth the Apostle all dyed confessed themselues to be strangers and pilgrimes on the earth and that they sought for a Citie hauing a foundation whose builder maker is God Some say that this pilgrimage of man is set forth by the example of Hagar the handmayd of Sara Gen. 16.4 who flying from Abrahams house wandred in the wildernesse and was councelled by the Angell to returne agayne to her Mistris But Dauid truely confesseth 1. Pet. 2.11 I am a straunger and pilgrime with thee as all my fathers were And so may we say euery one of vs. Therefore let vs abstaine from fleshly lustes therefore let vs walke and not tarie Let vs not choose the lustes of sinne that hinder vs proceede wee towards Ierusalem that holy Citie and euer recognize our condition and duetie of life Here agayne wee be warned to looke backe to our former time what wee haue been that wee haue been vile sinners offenders agaynst God transgressors of his law straungers from the commonweale of Israell and slaues in Aegipt vnder the tyrannie of our spirituall Pharao Wee are also admonished to looke before vs both on things present and also to come If we be the children of God brought into his merneâ—ous light by Iesus Christ from bondage into freedome from sinne into righteousnesse from the power of the deuill to the grace of God let vs bee glad and reioyce in the Lord with continuall thankfulnesse If yet any be in ignorance in blindnesse in sinne in stubbornnes of heart and thereby contemne the Gospell let him feare tremble quake stand in awe of Gods iudgements but yet not forget a timely and fruitfull Repentance Neuer to bee merie nor sing nor leaue of to pray aske and craue pardon vntill a mercifull deliuerance as that birde which being ensnared neuer leaueth crying vntill he dye or bee deliuered And hauing future things before our eyes as markes whereto men shoote forget not but remember daylie and hourelie O thou mortall man that Mors non tardabit Death commeth on without tariyng Death hasteneth on thee respecting not any ornament or treasure either of bodie or minde For be thou neuer so fayre and well fauoured yet with fayre Absolon must thou dye though happely not in that sort and in the kingdome of death there is no difference betweene Nireus and Thersites Nireus Thersites of whom the Poets feigne the one to be the fayrest the other to be the most deformed of all them that came to Priamus pallace or Troy and that they striuing in hell after death who should bee preferred verdit was giuen Menippus being the Iudge that there was no difference betweene them Herevnto also commeth as well Diues as poore Lazarus aswell wise Salomon as foolish Nabal But thou braggest of thy parents Nobilitie and then art of gentle blood c. What of that Can these things deliuer thee No truely But hearken what I heare one say Te quide nobili generositate tuorum parentum tumescis superbia interrogo c. I demaund of thée saith hée which art puft vp in pride by meanes of thy noble Parentage whether those thy parents bee either dead or liuing If they be liuing knowe this it will not bee long ere they will dye for death commeth on them with speede If they bee dead then hearken what S. Augustine sayth Aug. de ver Inocen ca. vlt. Respice eorum sepulchra aliorum pauperum vide quis dominus quis pauper discerne si poteris vinctum à Rege fortem à debili pulchrum à deformi c. Behold their Sepulchres and the graues also of poore men and see who is the Lord who is the poore man discerne if thou be able betweene the King and the prisoner the strong man and the feeble the beautifull and the vglie Looke vppon their sepulchres and I suppose thou mayst not finde any great difference there betwene the rich man and the begger except peraduenture in this that in the rich mans graue thou maist finde a greater sauour of corruption than in the poore mans pit for that he was fed more delicately in his life than the poore man De. van seculi The same Augustine sayth againe in a certayne Sermon Considera c. Marke well the groanes of them that haue lately beene your companions what they haue béen what they now be and how vainlie their wealth serued to their profite Lo there is nothing of them remayning to bée seene but ashes which if they could now speake vnto you would vtter these words O ye vaine men to what ende doe ye so ouerlade your liues with vices sinnes Looke vpon our bones and thereby bee ashamed of your insatiable couetousnes Quod vos estis nos fuimus quodnas fumus vos eritis What you bee now haue we been and what now we bee shall you be hereafter O ye fooles remember that in one night Luke 12. that great foole mentioned in the Gospell had his soule rapt from him vncerteyne of his heyre O man remember what betided that glorious Rich man which was clothed in purple Luke 16. death taketh holde vpon and is throwne downe into torments notwithstanding the solemnitie of his funeralles Hug 〈◊〉 de â—â—ma Dic mihi sayth another vbi sunt amatores seculi qui tam magni fuerunt Dic quid eis profuit inanis gloria breuis latitia mundi potentia Tell me where be now the friends of this worlde become which haue been of such estimation Shewe me what their vaine glorie their short gladnesse their worldly pompe their fleshly pleasures their false riches profited them What is become of their laughter of their sport of their boasting Here see wee the corps giuen to the wormes and peraduenture their soules appoynted to perpetuall torments in another place Baruch also to draw men to the consideration of the power of God vpon the proude Potentates of the earth and to the mindfulnes of mans condition sayth Baruch 3.16.17.19 Where are the Princes of the heathen and such as ruled the beastes vpon earth They that had their pastime with the foules of the heauen that hoorded
vp siluer and gold wherein men did trust and made no end of their gathering They bee come to naught and gone downe to hell and other men be come vp in their steades And to shewe that not only man which is compared to the grasse but also that all his wisedome and glory which is compared to the flower of the grasse by Saint Iames shall decay 1. Cor. 1.20 hearken what S. Paule expostulateth theron Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnes Herevnto hasteneth man and herevnto commeth his glorie in the ende which to remember is verie profitable for al men as Syracides saith and as Moses wished to his people Deut. 32. For men hauing once numbred their dayes they be moued to set their mind on wisedome as Dauid saith and hauing considered the manifold dayes of darkenes they will remember God the sooner in their youth Eccles. 11.2 as Salomon counselleth they will cast away the déedes of darkenes and put on the armour of light as Paul exhorteth that whiles the Sunne is not darke nor the light nor the Moone nor the Starres nor the Clowdes returne againe after the rayne Eccles. 12.2.5.6 before man go to the house of his age and the mourners go about the stréete and the dust returne to the earth as it was Thus must we remember our selues God graunt we forget not our selues When man forgetteth himselfe and his condition there is none euill which he will feare to commit God make vs mindfull of this Remember the latter Iudgement Fourthly because the houre of death is vncertaine and yet death which is most certaine bringeth man to the iudgement and this as was the other is a forceable Argument to stirre vs vp to examine our selues to cleare our selues to prepare our selues with Lamps burning in our hands and loynes girded with staues to the iourney with watchfull hearts euer listening when the Tromp shall sound to the battaile let vs in any wise imprint this memorandum in the tables of our mindes Our God shall come and will not be silent Psal 50. Mat. 25. Christ will come in the glorie of his Father and all the holie Angels with him sitting vpon the throane of his glorie Before him shall be â—rought all Nations to be iudged and be shall diuide them one from another as the Shepheard diuideth the Shéepe from the Goates And we shall all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ and giue accompts of all that we haue done Thus Enoch Iud. vers 14.15 the feauenth from Adam as Iude sayth prophesied Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saincts to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deedes which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him This thing did that holie man thinke vpon with due expectation which said that whatsoeuer he did he heard this dreadfull doome ringing in his eares Surgite mortui venire ad iudicium Arise ye dead come to iugement Oh remember this ye that forget God least he take you away and there be none to deliuer you For in déede when all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ there shall be no excuse allowed of the wicked to pacifie the terrible displeasure of the Iudge when the accusations shall be produced against them Then neither Goliah with his strength nor Croesus with his riches nor Haman with the Kings fauour nor Absalon with his beawtie nor Achitophel with his craftines nor any worldly man with his vanities shall be able to preuayle 5. Lots wife The last thing which I sayd we should remember at this time is Lots Wife which I referre to the latter part of my generall diuision whereof I mind to speake and God will in the after noone The Lord God of his mercie graunt vs grace to consider of his goodnes and mercies towards the children of men to put displeasure out of our hearts to forget our owne people and our fathers house and to worship the Lord by a thankefull and reuerent remembrance of him of our bréethren of our selues and the iudgement prepared that so with the true vse of memorie we may the better walke in our duties and tend to the end of our deliuerie which is to serue God in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life before him as Zachary singeth Luc. 2. Luk. 2. and that which vpon our preseruation is required as Dauid concludeth saying He brought them foorth from Aegypt with ioy and gladnes that they might keepe his statutes and obserue his lawes Psal 105.45 Which God graunt we may also kéepe and obserue to his glorie and our comfort in Iesus Christ our Lord to whome with the holie Ghost be all honor and glorie world without end Amen The end of the fyrst Sermon The second Sermon Lots Wife IN the former part we haue bin incited to the true vse of memorie by the consideration of the Action commaunded Remember Now are we likewise furthered in the same by the consideration of the subiect or matter héere mentioned namely Lots Wife Neither can it be impertinent to our purpose if also we call to mind as well Lot as his Wife in whome an excellent example of Gods mercie appeareth as of his fearefull iudgemeÌ„ts on her for as when light and darkenes swéete and soure fire and water and things contrarie are compared together either of them is the better discerned from other So by the consideration of Lot and then by conferring him with his wife and by noting the contrarie dispositions and lots of them both we shall in much better sort from either of them learne that which the holie Spirit by reseruing their examples for our memories will suggerate vnto vs. From Lot Lot is there learned the lot of a godly man in this life with a comfort vnto the godly through the mercie of God on him From Lots Wife Lots wife is learned the lot of the wicked in this world with a terror vnto all backsliders and wicked Apostates by the terrible iudgements of God on the wicked Sodomites and Lots Wife Therefore first beholding Lot himselfe therein consider these circumstances 1 Who this Lot was 2 By what meanes he came to Sodom 3 How he behaued himselfe in Sodom among the vngodly 4 What entertainement he found among them 5 How that God loued him and deliuered him not onely from the sinnes but also from the punishmeÌ„t of the Sodomites We finde in Gen. 11.27 that Lot was the Sonne of Haran What Lot was which was brother vnto Abraham who was contented as one beléeuing the Lord to accompanie his Vncle Abraham wheÌ„ he forsooke his owne Countrey and his fathers house out from Vr of the Caldees and went soiourning as a Stranger into the land of Canaan at the commandement
¶ Remember Lots wife Two godly and fruitfull Sermons verie conuenient for this our time lately preached on a Sunday in the Cathedral Church of S. Peters in Excester the one in the forenoone the other in the afternoone the same day By Iohn C. Math. 24. He that endureth to the end the same shall be saued AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Orwin and are to be solde by Edward White at the litle North-doore of S. Paules at the signe of the Gunne 1588. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull and vertuous Matrone Mistris Mary Woolton wife to the Right Reuerend Father in Christ Iohn Lord Bishop of Excester Grace faith and felicitie in the Lord. I Am not ignorant Right worshipful that worldly wittes doe desire to heare rather Eliphas Iob. 2. Bildad and Zophar the Themanite the Suhite and the Naamathite to paynt forth a bad matter eloquently than patient Iob to handle a very good cause with playnnesse and simplicitie To whose curious heads and itching eares mine harrish harmonie deuoyd of learned method vtterance grace may seeme altogether vnpleasant Howbeit I am not for all that all vnwilling vpon iust occasions now to publish that which before I neuer ment to make publicke otherwise then by worde only For I perswade my selfe of the goodnesse of my cause and aduenture to promise it both profitable and godly Besides that the candle once lightened is not for the Bushell but for the Table the talent taken in hand is not to be hidden but to be employed And the light that a Christian man hath in him must so shine on euery part as thereby the name of God may be glorified and the godly edified Neither ought a Christian to bee ashamed of Christ and of his word seeme it vnto worldlings neuer so contemptible Finally to commit that thing to perpetuitie which is for the benefite of the brethren any way is as commendable as it is profitable and oftentimes commaunded to bee done in the word of God as an especiall helpe for mans minde which being as water that sodainly loseth any impression without such memorandums doth very quickly forget things memorable and most necessary Therefore the Lord doth not only write his commandements in two tables of stone but also commaundeth Moses and after him the Prophets and lastly his seruaÌ„t Iohn to write the things which they had seene and heard being as Dauid sayth profitable for the posteritie and as Paule confirmeth for our learning that we which be the Lords may therby be the sooner furnished and prepared to euery vertue These things considered might sufficiently haue perswaded the penning of these two Sermons touching that notable memorandum which our Sauiour gaue to the Iewes Remember Lots wife yet calling to minde with what a diligent eare and attentiuenes your selfe listened to the matter vttered by your owne confession with the good liking and semblable commendations wherewith ye beautified the same at that time besides some desires of others thereunto esteeming the argument and matter right requisite for this time it prouokâ—d me to resume my pen with the more dexteritie readines to gather vp as it were into a store basket the fragmeÌ„ts of that spirituall banquet which were scattered abroad as iustly as I could to bee and remayne to and for the vse of them that had before tasted of the same hoping that they which liked it before will not loath it now nothing doubting by the grace of God but that it will be to his glorie and the benefite of his Church the only marke which I haue aymed vnto In respect whereof wee may not sticke if wee bee the Lords to hazard all the credit that wee haue yea and rather wish with Moses and Paule to be as Anathema among them of this world then that we should hold backe or thrust to obliuioÌ„ any thing that maie be to the aduauncement of the one or profite of the other Hauing therefore preserued by pen noted these words in a Booke I both commit and commend them to the Church of Christ and among the true members of the same especially to your Worship by whose often courtesies to me I am moued to thankfulnes and by whose happie choyce of good Mary her lot I am stirred vp to gladnesse the token signification whereof my good-will vttereth vnto you in this my present which though so simple in shewe is for the matter as pretious as pure gold tryed in the fire Therefore I pray you to accept it gladly to reade it at your conuenient leisure and repose the profite thereof in your breast that therby ye may both be comforted your self with Mary and also may the rather as otherwise ye are well able God be thanked perswade others not only women but also men to follow Christ in faithfull zeale godlinesse and vertue without wearines or fainting The Lord God graunt that the hearers and readers of this Booke may not only thereby the sooner tend to the right vse of memorie therein taught them but also learne to go foorth from Sodom to proceed and to hold on with iust Lot towards the goale of euerlasting life on the other side with wisdome to eschew the horrible sinnes and faults of Lots wife by the consideration of the fearefull iudgements of God on that vnhappie woman And euen thus I commend both my good Lord and your selfe to the Almightie Lord who blesse preserue and keepe you vnder the wings of his mightie protection From London the 28. day of Iune 1588. Your Worships to my power in Christ Iohn Carpenter O Lord open thou my lippes and my mouth shall shew foorth thy prayse Open the cares of thy people that they may heare and encline all our hearts to beleeue and followe those things that be taught vs in thy holie Word through Iesus Christ thy deere Sonne our Lord Amen Luke 17. Verse 32. Remember Lots Wife ALthough the Lord God be so holie and glorious Ezech. 1. that no man can behold him and the verie Angels be vnable to susteine the brightnes of his face And on the other side man is so vncleane and ignominious Ier. 17.19 Genes 6. so stiffe-necked and stubborne hearted so wicked and abhominable that he is forced with the Publican to hang downe his head in great confusion with Daniel Dani. 9.4 Psal 8.4 Hebr. 2.6 to graunt the due desert of open shame with Dauid to admire that euer God would vouchsafe either to regard or remember man and that all men from the highest of them to the lowest can not but confesse with blushing faces that all men be not onely conceiued and borne in sinne but also bred and brought vp in the same being méere lyers and lighter than vanitie Psal 116. verse 11. Dan 9.11 Ezech. 18. verse 21. Psal 51.9 Yet because that to the Lord belongeth mercie and forgiuenes he turneth away his face from mans sinnes being euer mindfull of mercies He foretelleth men of his iudgements prouoked and giueth them
timely warning to eschewe the plagues deserued with a sweete prouocation of sinnes to fruitfull repentance either by comfortable arguments of his bounties to his obedient children Sap. 10. or by strange and fearefull examples of his iudgements executed on the rebellious and vngodly sinners In like manner our Lord Iesus Christ that true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and friend to mankinde imitating in this as in all other things his heauenly Father who of his loue to man according to the purport and effect of the auntient promise made to Adam and confirmed to Abraham Dauid and other godly Fathers in his mercy sent him into the world to bring all true beleeuers vnto life euerlasting doth not only by perfitting the worke of mans saluation which none could do but himselfe shewe great mercies vnto his beloued but also foresheweth both to them and all others a most miserable destruction imminent and ready to fall first on the Iewes and then on all others who after their stubbornes faithlesse ingratitude and Apostasie do despise the goodnes of God and he leaueth not vnwarned in the same all men to take heed of those future miseries that horrible sinners do purchase to themselues by producing this notable memorandum of the terrible iudgements of God euen on the wife of that righteous man Lot she going about to saue her life lost it and looking backe in her heart to sinfull Sodom from whence the Lord in mercy had drawne her with charge to proceede without retire God foresheweth his iudgements she perished from the right way betweene Sodom and Zoar in that great wrath kindled against her We reade in Genesis that when all flesh had corrupted his way on the earth Gen. 6.23 and the Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great on the earth and all the imaginations and thoughts of his heart were only euill in so much that he repented him of mans creation and was grieued in his mind he would yet in mercie though in the middest of wrath both foreshew the destruction following vnto his righteous seruant Noah whome he fauoured and gaue him also commission to diuulgate and publish the same to the world whome notwithstanding this vnreasonable sorrow conceiued he would in mercie spare for the space of an hundred and twenty yeares And moreouer for a perpetuall instruction to the posterities the Lord after that Noah had obteined rest made his Bowe in the Clowdes to be a token of the couenant thereon compacted which also beareth manifest Arguments both of mercy and iudgement to the comfort of the godly for whose benefit the promise was giuen to the confusion of the wicked for whome destruction waiteth And there is the blew colour of water to note for euer wherewith the world was destroyed and the red colour of fire to shew wherewith it shall perish 2. Peter 3. according to the Prophesie of S. Peter Genes 18. Afterward when the sinnes and abhominations of the filthy Sodomites had ascended vp and the loathsome cries of these execrable Sinners had pearced the Lords eares he determined thereon a mightie Plague which yet he threw not vpon them till time he had both warned them thereof and deliuered from the same his Seruants Abraham and Lot In the Booke of the Iudges it is mentioned that the Israelites oftentimes sinned against the Lord and incurred the plague of their transgressions whereof likewise they were forewarned and admonished to beware by Moses Iosuah Deut 28. verse 31. Iosh 24. and other the Seruants of God And besides that such destructions and miseries as ensued intollerable ingratitude to their posterities were told of by the holie Prophets and the persons on whome the inconueniences fell had yet certaine signes and tokens left to be as continuall remembrances vnto them The Prophet Samuel sayd to King Saul whiles he was yet King ouer Israel 1. Sam. 11 verse 23. and without feare of disgrace The Lord hath cast thee off from being King ouer Israel And this thing sayd he was also signified by the renting of his garment And so the Prophet Ahia the Silonite told Ieroboam 1. Kin. 11. verse 31. that the Lord had rent the Kingdome of Israel into 12. parts and this did he prognosticate by renting a newe Mantell into twelue péeces The Prophet Ieremy foreshewing a destruction to come proclaimeth thus in the Lords name Iere. 35.5 Behold I haue set pots of Wyne before the household of the Rekabites but they would not drinke obeying therein their fathers commaundement but as for you ye haue not hearkened vnto me as they hearkened vnto their father therefore I will bring vpon Iuda and vpon euery inhabiter of Ierusalem all the trouble that I haue deuised against them And this was certainly performed in his due time when as the Israelites for their sinnes were caried away captiue into Babylon their Citie being destroyed their Temple polluted and all their glorie shadowed 1. Cor. 10. S. Paule hauing declared both the mercie and wrath of God mercie in bringing the auntient Israelites out of Egypt wrath in ouerthrowing the rebellious people in the wildernes and turning per apostrophen to the Corinthians to whome he committeth this example warneth them thus Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heede that he fall not And thus did S. Peter Iude Iames and Iohn admonish them to whome they wrote Aboue all our Sauiour Christ willing to stirre vp not onely the Iewes but all men which rest in carelesse securitie Christ foreshewed the destruction of the Iewes and begin to bend backward foreséeing their ruine and miserable thraldome doth not only languish and powre foorth teares for the same thereby mouing vs if possible to wéepe for our selues but also prophesieth destructions and many heauie lots to fall on men in the world And to the ende they may the better be admonished séeing the consideration of other mens hurts may moue them to take héede he bringeth foorth the examples of the Niniuites of Tyre and Sidon of those on whome the Towre in Silo fell and of them whome Pilate slewe in the time of their Sacrifices of them that were drowned in the generall Floud and of the Sodomites And therevnto he addeth semblable Parables as of the Rich man and poore Lazarus of the vniust Steward and the wicked Mammon of the fiue foolish Virgins of the disobedient child the wicked husbandmen the ingratefull guests and such like Héere he setteth foorth vnto them the fearefull iudgements of God on Lots Wife willing them by her example to take heede of destruction not to looke backe from the plough but to hold on for feare of a greeuous and horrible destruction Therefore sayth he Remember Lots Wife A sentence very briefe yet a lesson not for idle Scholers fewe words yet not for dull hearers but as enough for a Sermon so a meete memorandum for a man during his life The Oracles and graue sayings of the wise men of yore
eased whose wood affection and fleshly bent Ouid. eleg 1. li. Ah tu ne dubita c. Gen. 4. another decyphereth thus Ah nothing but reuenge must ease my deadly wo In this sort curssed Caine remembred his brother Abel enuying the acceptation of his Sacrifice before his owne and therevpon tooke occasion to kill him Thus the Sonnes of Iacob challenged a cause of hatred against their brother Ioseph and sold him away Thus Haman in the Booke of Hester Hest calling to mind what the Prophet Samuel 1. Sam. had once done to Agag and the Amalekites from whome he descended conspired against the whole stocke of the Iewes Gen. 27. Thus Esau remembred that his brother Iacob had both supplanted him in his birthright and preuented him in the blessing and therevpon resolueth My father will dye shortly and then I will kill Iacob my brother Thus the Lords of Babylon and the wise men there enuying the excellencie of Daniell Dan. 6. in the spirit of Prophesie and his royall fauour with the King accused him and caused him to be throwne into the Lions denne Thus Absalon remembred Ammon and flew him vnder colour of fréendship So the Scribes the Pharises and the high Priests remembring how the Lord had often spoken against their pride hypocrisie and manifold abhominations conspired together against him and neuer left off vntill they had nayled him to the trée Finally Gen. 3. the auntient enemie of Mankinde bearing in mind that malediction which the Lord cast on him for his pernitious practise against man leaueth not to persecute the Woman and her Child as S. Iohn witnesseth in his Apocalyps Reuel 12. It séemeth a marueilous wisedome to the men of this world to imitate him therein but they shall finde as S. Iames teacheth that this wisedome is not of God Iam. 3.15.16.17 for the wisedome of God is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie and good fruites without iudging without simulation As for this wisedome of theirs the same Apostle calleth it earthly sensuall and diuelish for where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all euill works The craft and drift of the Deuill is to set men by the eares that they may worship him in such déedes of darkenes Rom. 13. whiles he laugheth at their madnes and folly Sic malus exultat daemon c. And séeing againe that by the bloud of the Lamb he is ouercome and his head crusshed he reteineth a Dragons hatred he trippeth on his héele he casteth foorth water after the woman and her child he draweth downe the third part of the Starres with his tayle he rageth horribly and stormeth sturdely because his time expireth shortly As Leuiathan in the Sea without a hooke in his nostrels as Behemoth in wildernes hauing no bridle in his Iawes 1. Peter 5. Iob. 1. and as a Lyon rampingly he walketh and stalketh hippeth and skippeth frō one coast to another séeking to deuoul And for the readier accomplishing of his deuises according to his desire do these his instruments worke also whereby as the head is full of poyson the heart is replenished with malice which boyling and raging cannot but breake out with such eagrenes that sooner may the Tyger be tamed then this mischieuous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consumer and destroyer of men be stopped from prosecuting his wood furie Howbeit Psalme 2. The great crueltie of men the dweller aboue laugheth these mad men to shorne The Scythians are said to be so cruell and barbarous that they eate and deuoure their parents kinsfolks when they be dead in stead of burying thē among whome the Essedonians and Massagetes are chiefe yet are they not indéed so barbarous and cruell as these who eate vp and deuoure their brethren euen whiles they be liuing Against such Cormorants crieth the Lord Wo Wo. These burie not the dead Isa 5. but the liuing these deuoure and eate the bodie of Iesus in his members and it is to be feared that many which come to the Table of the Lord with pretence to eate the bodie of Christ do only in this sort féede on him by enuying their brethren and persecuting his members But what gaine they by this euen that which Iudas gained who when he had deuoured his maister and they that sate with him fell headlong into an endlesse destruction They may not onely say Oleum laborem perdidimus we haue laboured in vaine but also may iustly accompt with Iudas and the vngodly in hell whose passions and groanes the wise man thus describeth Sap. 5.7 Wee haue weried our selues in the way of wickednes and destruction what did Pride profit vs what gaine hath the pompe of riches brought vs It may be aunswered so much profit as the fire in Mount Aetna for it drieth vp the marrow within the bones it macerateth the face banisheth all good digestion hurteth the mind and tormenteth the soule for the holy spirit of discipline flieth from deceite Sap. 1.5.10.11 and withdraweth himselfe from thoughts that are without vnderstanding The eare of iealosie heareth all things and the noyse of the grudgings shall not be hid c. Therfore sayth the wise man Eccl. 10.6 Be not angry for any wrong with thy neigbour and do nothing by iniurious practises Or thus as another Translation yéeldeth Remember not euery iniury of thy neighbour Leuit. 19.17.18 And this is taken from Moses lawe to the old Israelites saying Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart but thou shalt playnely rebuke him and suffer him not to sinne Thou shalt not reuenge nor wayte to do displeasure or be mindfull of wrong against the children of thy people but thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe I am the Lord. This Law the Lord wrote in the hearts of his children from the beginning and of which he expected obseruance when he sayd to Cayne Cayne where is Abel thy brother Genes 50. verse 19. And this rule obserued Ioseph who after many heauie iniuries receiued of hys bréethren did neuertheles forget all spake kindly vnto them saying Feare not now for I will nourish you and your children And King Dauid answered to this lawe 1. Sam. 25. verse 3. who notwithstanding that Nabal did answere him churlishly and Doeg currishly reuiled him 2. Sam. 19. did yet at that request of Abigael put away his displeasure conceiued against Nabal and pardoned Shimei at his owne desire Stephan the Protomartyr prayed for his persecutors desiring God not to charge them with that sinne And our Lord the true patterne of patience pietie prayeth thus for the enuious Iewes that crucifie him Father forgiue them for they know not what they do Neither hath this vertue shined onely in those whome the lawe of God directed but also in the verie Gentiles in some sort among which Aristides notwithstanding he was exiled by the Athenians both forgaue them
and prayed for their good successe Héereby the godly persuaded themselues The man that forgetteth the iniurie of his brother may the better come to God that laying aside all displeasures and forgetting manifold iniuries though it were to seuenty times seauen as Christ teacheth they might with more safe hearts and quiet consciences approach vnto the throane of grace with these and such like petitions Remember not the sinnes of our youthfull dayes O Lord Psalm 25. Forget our iniquities and blot our transgressions out of thy mind Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespas against vs. The Lord Iesus graunt vs the spirit of pietie and patience to forgiue and forget the offences of our bréethren against vs. Moreouer Dauid in his 45. Psalme teacheth the Church Psalm 45. and therein euery member of the same what should be forgotten that her heauenly wooer Christ Iesus might be pleased in her Another forgetfulnes commanded in Scripture more generall Iohn 3. Forget saith he thine owne people and thy fathers house Therevnto counselleth S. Paule in his Epistle to the Rom. cap. 12. verse 1.2 and in his 13. Chapter of the same verses 12.13.14 This is that new birth which Nichodemus with all his wisedome is not able to conceiue and so difficult and hard for the fleshly man which conceiueth not the things that be of God as nothing is harder And therefore as the valiant Captaine Vlysses being in Affrica and perceiuing that his fellowes did continually languish with the remembrance of their Countrie Wife and Children which they could not forget caused them to taste of the Trée Lotos whereof if a stranger eate it is sayd he forgetteth his owne Countrey so our most excellent Captaine Christ produceth vnto vs his holy Word the trée of life to be tasted eaten and disgested with this commaundement Hearken ô Daughter hearken ô Israel he that hath eares to heare let him heare and happy is he that heareth the Word of God and keepeth it for by eating thereof man liueth he forgetteth old Adam To forget old Adam and the fleshly affections of man he casteth off the shooe from his féete with Moses and draweth néere to the Lord he meditateth on the Lawe of God day and night and is satisfied with goodnes By this was Paul put apart from the world This quencheth out the lust of the flesh the pride of life and loue of the world This bringeth faith to iustifie man before God and vertues to approue him before men This harboureth men in the bosome of faithfull Abraham whome the ruinous habitation of Adam could not preserue This draweth men from earthly Hierico to heauenly Ierusalem and persuadeth Iaphet to dwell in the tabernacles of Shem. Peter tasting of this Genes 9. goeth foorth at the doore and wéepeth for his sinne Ruth Ruth 2. the Moabitisse is hereby taken from her owne countrie and brought into Israel and this pearle being so pretious causeth a man to forsake all that hee hath to sell all his wealth to buy purchace and obtayne it The Lord graunt vs grace to bee in this poynt so forgetfull that we neither remember to commit nor dare bée so bold as to attempt sinne that wee neither dwell in the loathsome tents of Kedar nor so much as sauour of the fleshly affections of impious and vngodly men Thus haue we seene what things we are chiefly to forget and shut out of memorie Now let vs beholde the true substance of memorie What to remember and so in the end descend vnto this particular example of Lots wife If wee would that GOD in goodnesse should remember vs and that our prayers may enter in before him Nehe. 13. verse 31. Ionae 2.7 as Nehemiah and Ionas sayd then must we not be forgetfull of that which he commaundeth to bée kept in minde And except the Lord in his mercie be mindfull of vs Gen. 8.1 Genes 19. verse 29. Psal 115. verse 12. as he hath bene of old time of his seruants Noah Lot Abraham Dauid Ionas Manasses and others to whome in extremitie hee sent comfort and helpe we may be compared to Sodoma and like vnto Gomorrha wee cannot stande in the congregation but bee confounded in iudgement wee shall want that which may helpe vs and finde whatsoeuer anoyeth vs and being banished from the benediction of Gods children shall incurre the heauie curse of his enemies And a most fearefull thing is it to be forgotten of the Lord. For there is nothing remayning but cursings in the towne and in the field going out and comming in in the basket and in the store in the bodie and in the land and in whatsoeuer is taken in hand a sick bodie and a faint heart maymed members and a doubtfull minde in the morning wishing for the euening Deut. 28. in the euening desiring the morning vengeance from heauen an hell vpon earth Of this portion drinketh the vngodly to whom there is no peace saith the Lord seeing they bee aduersaries to the Almightie and banished from his presence Isai 40. as cleane out of his mercifull remembrance The faithfull children remembring these things with considerate mindes haue resorted vnto the Lord praying him in goodnesse to remember them Thus prayed Salomon O Lord God 2. Chro. 6. verse 42. refuse not the face of thine annoynted Remember the mercies promised to Dauid thy seruant And so prayed that noble Captaine Nehemiah Nehe. 1.5.8 cap. 5.19 ca. 13.31 O Lord God of heauen the great and terrible GOD that keepeth couenant and mercie for them that loue him and obserue his commandements c. I beseech thee remēber the worde that thou commandest thy seruant Moses Againe Remember me sayth he in goodnesse That patient man Iob in his great afflictions cryed out vnto the Lord Remember that my life is but a wind And King Hezekiah turning his face to the wall 2. Kin. 20.3 prayed in this manner I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Baruch in the behalfe of the captiue Israelites Remember not sayth he the wickednesse of our fathers but thinke vpon thy power and thy name at this time The Prophet Dauid being moued with an excellent spirit Psa 74.20 and 137. Psal 119. verse 49. singeth vnto the Lord Remember thy couenant and promise Remember Sion be mindful of thy mercies c. Finally the condemned théefe on the Crosse with our Sauiour sayth vnto him Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome These godly desires vttered with a faithfull heart haue not bene put backe nor was the Lord vnmindfull of his loue but as he remembred Noah and euery beast and all the cattel that was with him in the Arke and as Christ remembred Peter Mary Paule the théefe on the Crosse Psal 115. verse 12. So sayth Dauid in the behalfe of
Schoolemaister vnto vs for euer how had the creation of the world the making of man the building of the woman the placing of them in pleasure and cause of their paine bin remembred How could the promise of the Lords mercie in Christ the drowning of the world the burning of Sodom the preseruing of Lot and the punishment of Lots wife bin brought to our knowledge Yea Moses himselfe would soone haue forgotten what was written in the tables of stone which he brake had not the Lord written it againe with his owne finger Neither had the precepts and lawes of the Lord bin remembred in the posteritie Deut. 11. had not the Lord commaunded the children of Israel to write them in the posts of their dores Deut. 17. c. and the Kings to coppy them out for their instruction And this charge was giuen to Isaias the Prophet Isai 30. Now go and write it before them in a Table and note it in a Booke that it may be for the last day for euer and euer And of this benefite Dauid speaking sayth This shall be written for the posteritie And had not the Lord giuen vnto them his Word to be a light to their féete and pathes a staffe to stay them a rule to direct them they could not but runne a whoring in ignorance with the heathens worshipping not onely birds fourefooted beasts and corporall images the Gods of Ekron Baalpeor Dagon Asteroth Moloch and such but euen the Deuill himselfe contrarie to that commaundement of God to them Deut. 6. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Againe had not the Lord commanded in his Word the Paschall Lamb to be eaten euery yeare had not the Serpent bin lifted vp in the wildernes had not Manna bin reserued had not circumcision bin giuen to Abraham Psal 78. the lawe and statutes to Israel they would soone haue forgotten altogether and turned the seruice of God into Idolatrie Finally we at this time would soone forget that excellent benefit offered vs in Christ Iesus had he not willed his Gospell to be preached and instituted his Sacraments with this commandement Do this in remembrance of me I knowe your memories be weake as the water and ye by nature forgetfull therefore yet do this one thing for my sake thereby to remember me and declare my death till I come Let vs therefore consider this and thereby remember God and his works Fourthly when God sawe how oftentimes he was shut out of mens minds especially when they were full and in prosperitie he vsed often to correct and punish theÌ„ with manie and sundrie aduersities to stirre them vp to consider of his goodnes and power Affliction bringeth men to God to remember him in their beds and to runne vnto him in their afflictions to call vpon him in trouble and glorifie him in his mercies He well knew that as the frozen with cold best thinketh of fire the hungrie of meate the naked of clothes the prisoner of libertie the condemned of pardon so men be earnest to séeke after God Hos 5. and to remember him estéeming more of his mercie in time of wrath then of his iudgements in time of grace As for examples King Manasses in the prison remeÌ„breth God whome in his prosperitie he had forgotten Ionas in the Whales belly remembreth that obedience to the Lord which before was shut out of memorie Psal 51. Exod. 2. Ier. 31. Dauid in his miserie crieth peccani Israel in Aegypt crie vnto the Lord and Ephraim in captiuitie complayneth hartely Thus the Lord purgeth the golde from the drosse in the fire thus winnoweth he the corne from the chaffe in the winde thus scoureth he the rust from the yron on the fretting stone thus driueth he the rebellious through fire and water vntill they acknowledge with Nabuchadnezar Dan. 4.25 37. that the most high hath power ouer the kingdomes of meÌ„ The polluted vessell is with water washed the raw flesh is seasoned with salt the dropping vine must bee pruned with a knife the weake stomackes must haue bitter wormewood the slow Asse a whip the heauie Oxe the goade the idle scholler correction and the fleshly Christian sower affliction This driueth home the lost sonne to his father and the wanton daughter to her mother And herein will the Lord begin at his owne house and execute this iudgement on the trees that be greene whatsoeuer become of the drie trees And therefore when we feele the touch of Gods iudgements either in minde bodie or wealth let vs know the cause and consider to what ende the same is inflicted and seeke remedie thereof at the hand of God with Ephraim Dauid Peter Magdalen And so remember God c. Fiftly and lastly when the Children of God after their repentance Wonderfull deliuerance tryall and sufficient experience of the Lords Iustice and mercie hee wonderfully deliuered to their great comfort they haue a great occasion giuen them to remember God and to glorifie him Iudg. As in the time of Gedeon when all hope was past they had a marueilous deliuerance from Madian As in the time of Sampson Iudg. when all hope was quailed they had a great victorie and deliuerance from the Philistines As in the dayes of Saule when Israel was oppressed by the Philistins againe 1. Sam. 17. Goliah was ouerthrowne and Israel deliuered As also in the time of the Kings of Israel and Iuda God gaue great victories to small hoasts agaynst mightie Nations A great instigation of them to thinke on the Lord his wonderful works And because we haue receiued great things and obtayned wonderfull deliuerances of of the mercie of our God let vs not forget the same but sing vnto him heartelie with songs of deliuerance The second thing that we are willed to remember is our bréethren Remember our brethren First those among them that haue the ouersight of vs and which speake vnto vs the word of God as the Apostle chargeth Heb. 13.7 whose end of conuersation considering we must follow their faith And these be they which ruling well are â—â—compted worthie of double honour Neither must we neglect to bestowe on theÌ„ our temporall things which deliuer vnto vs the Spirituall treasure And this is a part of that honor which we be commanded to yéeld to our pareÌ„ts Exod. 20. But how hardly the iudgement of man censureth these labouring persons with what grudgings they yéeld to them of their wealth and with what gainesaying the Ministery is furthered and relieued all men may sée This is not to remember Iâ— 5. but forget theÌ„ Wo vnto him that defraudeth the labourer of his iust hire whereof he is most worthie The remembrance of these is often mentioned in the Lawe Leâ—â—â— and so is that mindfulnes of our poore brother Deut. 16. to whose néede we must not be gréeued to conferre Pro. 31. Tob. This Bersabe also remembred in
perished among the wicked which God forbid as Abraham praied So do we see that commandement of the tares heere verified Let them yet alone least whiles ye weed out them yee pluck vp also the corne The Angels said plainely to Lot whē they willed him to hasten vnto Zoar We can do nothing vntill thou be come thither And this is a generall thing that whē God determineth to extirpate and roote out Nations When good men be taken hence plagues may be feared to follow Kingdomes and people he first taketh away the godly from among them and leauing only a confused heape of vngodlie persons a free passage is giuen to the execution of his iudgements When we see therefore that good men do slide from vs let vs feare of a iudgement ensuing with repentant hearts turne vnto the Lord and craue mercie in time conuenient The Prophet Ezechiel telleth that when the Lord could find no zealous man among them Ezech. 22.31 he powred out his wrath and consumed them Isaiah Isa 57.1 saith that the righteous men do dye and be taken away from the euill that commeth after them And Dauid witnesseth Psal 12. that the godly men be gone and the wrath of God recompenceth the remaynder Examples héereof we haue many Among which we remember that when Noah Noah was gone from the world and was enclosed in the Arke the water foorthwith fell downe vpon the world and drowned it Whē King Hezekiah Hezekiah was layde to his Fathers in peace the plague fell downe vpon Iuda which the Lord had by promise restrained all the time of his life The like in effect is mentioned of Iosias Iosias Christ his Apostles being departed from Ierusalem and not one left there but counterfeit Iewes Christ and the Apostles and notorious euill sinners all the plagues that tended to the vtter destruction of that City immediatly followed Matth. 22. Thy house is left desolate for yee shall not see me hencefoorth c. So heere Lot Lot the righteous man being gone out of Sodom the Lord rained vpon them fire and brimstone from heauen Aug. de ciu dei 21 Solinus Egesippus and consumed them all and their Countrie as many auncient Testimonies especially the holie Scripture reporte The consideration hereof might moue euen the vngodly to wish for and desire the peace of Ierusalem gladlie to enterteyne and reteyne the societie of righteous Lots among them And when they perceiue them departing to dread great iudgements imminent 1. Sam. 3. as the daughter of old Eli did who hearing that the Arke of God was taken away from Israel cried out in great feare Now is the glorie gone from Israel for the Arke of God is taken away And thus much for the person of Lot Now are wee come to the view of Lots wife Lots wife Wherein wee are to consider First what she was Secondly what sinnes are chiefly noted in her Thirdly what was her plague or punishment This woman by all likelihood was of the Cananites but farre vnlike the woman of Canaan that cryed after Christ for her daughter And it may easely bee gathered that Lot maried this woman either in or about Sodom whereas he pitched his tent partly for that wee do not finde in the historie that she came thether with him as Sarai did with Abraham partly for that she had such an earnest desire to stay and dwel there among them And it is true Canaanites bee mixt with the Israelites that notwithstanding the commaundement of God to the contrarie some Canaanites are not onely dwelling but also ioyning vnto them of Israel which cannot do them any good but euill as long as they liue As long as the godly man soweth corne in this world will the enuious man cast in his tares among While the net is in the Sea the bad fishes wil be taken together with the good whiles the Mustard seede groweth vp to a tree the birds of all sorts will rowst vnder the same The beastes of al kinde will be found in the Arke and Cham wil couch betwene Shem and Iaphet Gen. 10. and growe to a mightie nation to diuide their Tabernacles asunder that now the Lords flocke in respect of all the rest is called little As if the Lord had chosen of all birdes one Doue of all beastes one Sheepe of all trees one Cedar in Libanus of all pittes one Riuer Iordan of all hilles one Sion of all people one Israel of al Cities one Ierusalem out of all Sodom Lot but not Lots wife As all the world to Noah all Baals Priestes to Elias all the rebellious Israelites to Ioshua Ios 24 All Ierusalem to Christ and his Apostles So is Sodom to Lot yea and with them his owne wife This is not Sarah to Abraham nor Rebeccah to Isaak nor Hester to Ashuerus nor Susanna to Ioachim nor Elizabeth to Zacharias nor Mary to Ioseph but here is so heauie a yoke as good Lot could not well beare and such a burden as he was not able to bring forth from Sodom to Zoar. Here is a curst Xantippe to a learned and patient Socrates here is a murmuring Annah to an holie Tobiah yea more yet than that here is a disdaynfull and mocking Micholl to a zealous Dauid and a cursed woman to a blessed Iob. But wee may note in her some particular sinnes and eschew them the better by the consideration of her euill successe for the same First we note in her infidelitie 1 Infidelitie For she beleeued not the words of the Angels which sayd We be come hither to destroy this place And herein she ioyned hands with all her kinne in that citie who esteemed the report of Lot touching the wordes of the Angels as fables vainely inuented or shee thought that God would haue spared so beautifull a thing notwithstanding the Angels words So Thomas was incredulous and would not beleeue the words of them which sayd they had seene Christe after his death But yet blessed are they which haue not seene and yet haue beleeued Sarah Heb. 11. that woman is commended for her fayth by the Apostle The wife of Manoah also is commended in that shee beleeued the Angels words to her Iudg. 13. Anna also the mother of Samuel Rahab Ruth Mary Martha Elizabeth Damaris and other like women are for their faith praysed but Lots wife is diffamed by her vnbeleefe This is the subtiltie of Satan Satans craft to take away a mans faith first to pull out faith from mans heart which being once gone he knoweth that man is neither able to resist him nor to quench his fierie dartes He doth therein as the Rauen which first picketh out the sheepes eye and afterward deuoureth his bodie And faith is in a man the eye of the soule Satan knoweth that faith is the pillar whereon our building standeth Therefore he shaketh it to cast downe our building He knoweth that
abide that for there is nothing more contrary to the crosse of Christ than Pride Except ye humble your selues and become as children ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen sayth Christ Pride bringeth men with speede to Babel yeeldeth confusion shame and fall I would to God there were not found too many possessed with this deuil among vs who albeit they bee called Christians whose méekenesse they should followe do yet in the pride of their hearts disdaine simple Iesus and his word and that were it not for the loue of worldly estimation and wealth would euen openly contemne the profession of humble Iesus The Lord stop the great inconuenience of this sinne to the casting downe of proud Lucifer and his members that the glorie of Iesus Christ might be the better embraced euen in humilitie Another fault we note in this vngracious woman that is wanton and worldly pleasure 4 Worldly pleasure which was of force to withstand her proceeding Sodom was a pleasant Countrie as the garden of Eden so well watred and the Apples and fruites therein most beautifull to the eye Video meliora proboque c And hereon Appetite tooke occasion to contend with reason and in her preuayled that with Medaea she could now dispute and thus resolue yet wil I follow my pleasures be they neuer so noysome and eate these apples be they neuer so venimous though I see that which is wholsomer and cannot but commend it These snares doth Satan cast before the hungrie foules to take them merily singeth when he deceiueth The Syrenes sing sweetly the Lamaei shine beautifully the Serpent suggesteth subtiltie and the deuill promiseth al the glorie of the world to them that worship him But they reason for themselues and will coyne excuses although he that had maried a wife had none excuse at all Shall I abandon worldly pleasures I am yet but a yong man Shal I not haue a wanton eye I am but a girle Shal I loose the assurance of my delights here and trust to an vncerteyntie Take heede O yong man Eccle. 11. and knowe that an accompt shall bee called of thy youthfull yeeres and a payne will ensue these pleasures The Apples of Sodom bee fayre to behold but touch them and they fall to sinders and the stinging Hydra lyeth vnder the golden swarth Remember that Heuah lost the true pleasures of Paradise by following her pleasant appetite Esau for a messe of pottage and his worldly pleasure did lose both the birthright and blessing the man that had wedded himselfe to his delights could not enioy the benefite of the mariage feast and Lots wife for the wanton pleasures of Sodom lost the saftie of Zoar and turning from heauen was deuoured of hell Remember what our Lord sayd Whosoever loveth either father or mother wife or children or any thing in the world more than me is not worthie of me And remember what father Abraham sayd to the proude rich man in hell Sonne sayth he remember that thou in thy life time haddest thy pleasure but contrariwise Lazarus received paynes but now he is comforted and thou art punished Arguing a matter of Iustice to giue torments and paynes after death to them that haue giuen themselues to pastime and pleasure in this life which also S. Iames Iam. 5. in a manner confirmeth in his 5. Chapter Remember that Moses hauing hereof right consideration did not only put off his shooes from his feete the clogges that might haue hindred him from comming to the Lord and from doing his duetie Exod 3. but also he chose affliction with the people of God in the wildernesse Heb. 11. before the pleasures of sinne in Egypt for a season The Lord in his mercie perswade vs with Iaphet to departe from the societie and pleasures of Cham and 〈◊〉 dwell in the tabernacles of blessed Shem that we may not serue the deuill among the manie of this world in these vaine and fleshlie pleasures which confounded Sodom and with them Lots wife Further wee note in this woman a distrust of Gods prouidence mixt with worldly carefulnesse 5 Distrust of Gods prouideÌ„ce worldly carefulnes inconueniences which alway followe infidelitie O woman thou distrusting one thing takest care for many things Doest thou thinke that the great omnipotent God is not thereby ritch and liberall mightie and most willing to prouide for his children Could not he haue giuen thee enough without Sodom And wilt thou distrust him and care for thy selfe without him Wilt thou looke backe to the things left behinde thee in Sodome The Hebrew text hath it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is his wife looked back behind her Which the Greeke translation yeeldeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is She looked backe or had respect to the things behind her or on that which she had left in Sodom She thought that God would not haue so well prouided for her elswhere as she was prouided for in Sodom therfore she had a carefull desire of the things left behinde her and a mind to prouide for her self Thus the Israelites in the Wildernesse distrusting God wished for the flesh and fare of Egypt agayne Oh that she had remembred the goodnesse of God to Abraham and her owne husband Lot She neuer sawe the righteous forsaken nor his seede to begge Behold he feedeth the yong Rauens that crye vnto him and will he not feed his own children Do bodily fathers offer vnto their childreÌ„ not stones but bread and not Scorpions but fishes and shall not our heauenly father giue good things to such as aske theÌ„ of him Shall the birdes feede their Chickens and the beastes their young and will not he feede his children O woman what meanest thou Would to God this maladie had not also infected vs then would we not by such indirect meanes as wee vse endeuour to prouide for our backe and our bellie then would wee not so murmur agaynst God as we do with mindes neuer content But some do decipher themselues hereby to be not true sonnes but bastards For if we assure our selues to bee his children and be our father then also do wee assure our selues of his prouision for vs that he â—eepeth vs as the apple of his eye and not suffer one hayre of our head to perish much lesse our life He fed Eliah by the ministerie of Rauens he sent meate to Daniel in the Lions denne he fed an hundred Prophets by the hand of Obadiah in Caues he gaue water to Sampson from the Iaw bone of an Asse and honie from the dead carcasse of a Lion the widowes had their oyle and flower encreased in the famine He gaue Manna from heauen water from the Rocke and Quayles from the ayre vnto the Israelites In Samaria there is plentie of flower on a sodayne and our Sauiour Christ feedeth sometime 4000. sometime 500. persons with fine loaues and two fishes and yet more is taken vp in fragments then was layd downe
in the whole Why then should we murmur Why should we excessiuely care for the morrowe and vexe our mindes Let vs rather applie our vocations according to the rule of his word with the ordinarie and lawfull meanes and affixe our mindes on him and trust in his mercie knowing that man liueth not by bread only but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The Israelites cryed for flesh they haue it and dye thereof for their murmuring distrust And so Lots wife distrusting God she murmureth in mind she bendeth back as though her owne care had been better than Gods grace for her saftie but she hath a reward Remember her distrust and worldly carefulnes 6 Foolish pitie Another fault we find in this faithles woman as cords of vanitie do euer linck together to pull men from God and that is foolish pitie which is also too common among vs. She was moued for her friends and old acquaintance whose companie and conditions she loued which she should rather haue hated and she thought it a pitifull thing that sinners should be punished Psa 101.3 I hate theÌ„ saith Dauid to the Lord that hate thee and am grieved with them that rise vp against thee Psal 15.4 being persuaded that he only should dwell in the Lords tabernacle and rest vpon his holy hill in whose eyes a vile person is contemned Therefore he saith againe Psal 26.5 I have hated the companie of the evill a froward heart shall depart from me Psa 101.7 I will knowe none evill person for thus saith the Lord There shall no deceitfull person dwell in my house Let Magistrates take heed of foolish pitie Remember how King Saul for pitying Agag the Amalakite was reproued and plagued that Achab for letting go of Benhadad King of Siria was reprehended endangered On the other side Remember what Iehu did to Iezabel and the wicked house of Achab without compassion and that he was promised by the Lord for doing this thing his sonnes should surely sit on the throane after him to the third and fourth generation Remember also what a good report zealous Phinehas obtained wheÌ„ with his sword he flewe Zimri and Cozbi and ceassed the plague which was accounted vnto him for righteousnes throughout all generations And it is for euery man to be zealous in the Lords cause with Christ who was deuoured with the zeale of his fathers house not to giue ayme to sinne nor suffer the honor of the Lord God of Israel to be prophaned but to desire with heart the conuersion of sinners to withstand their open abhominations to reproue sinne and by lawfull meanes to séeke the execution of iustice against sinne euery maister in his house euery father in his family and euery true Christian in his place is to take heed that he withstand sinne in his seruants in his children in his brethren though with reprehension with due correction and the lawfull execution of the end of iustice as the case or cause shall require without foolish pitie But how negligently this is obserued the verie streetes of the Citie do testifie when as seruants children and those that should knowe how to measure their words with discretion be nothing fearefull to sweate and blaspheme the holy name of God in their common conferences neither do they shame to commit sinne openly as Sodom did and there is found no iust Lot to reproue them but there be found too many maisters fathers and others that with Lots wife will rather giue ayme vnto their vngodlines and be vnwilling in hart that any correction reprehension or punishment at all should be giuen them Remember Lots wife Another fault is found in this vnhappie woman slouth and negligence 7 Slouth and negligence in hir iourney foorth There is none excuse can be admitted against the Lords commandement neither the stammering toong of Moses that could not speake nor the tendernes of Ieremy being but a child nor the simplicitie of Dauid the least among his brethren nor the pouertie of Gedeon so meane nor the bashfulnes of Ionas so fearefull nor the former life of Saul a persecutor may iustly offer excuses of delayes in their lawfull vocation But séeme the thing neuer so hard strange obscure vneasie or impossible Note this if the Lord once bid vs to procéede we may not bée slacke nor negligent nor refuse to obeye And this is taught vs by many examples Peter in prison is commanded to rise vp quickly and so he did Acts. 12. Zacheus being called from the figge tree by our Sauiour he coÌ„meth downe quickly The children of Israel did eate the Passouer hastely as they were commanded and Paul doth the worke of the Lord without negligence as the Spirit moueth him We must strike whiles the iron is hoate and seeke the Lord whiles he may be found for the tyde carieth for no man We must knock in time Isa 55. Eccles. 3.1 and enter in before the gate be shut for there is a time of mercie and a time of wrath of mercie whiles Abraham praieth and Lot is yet in Sodom of wrath when Abraham ceasseth to pray and Lot is departed Do not then say when ye are called by the word of the Lord to come to him I am but young and too young to serue God yet I will serue him when I am old say not I will first go and burie my father I wil go bid theÌ„ farewell at home neither make delayes or excuses by buying Oxen fyning farmes marying wiues but to day if ye will heare the Lords voice harden not your hearts The Lord promiseth not to stay for you till to morrow though he promise that at what time soeuer ye repent he will forgiue you Therefore delay not he only winneth the goale that runneth swiftly he obtaineth the victorie that striueth valiantly he entreth into the gate that waiteth carefully and he is heard worthely that craueth timely Runne then make haste the day is at hand the time is vncertaine the enemie is strong Sodom is sinfull the Angels be come to destroy the vngodly the cale is taken the Lord is not intreated the nomber of the godly is small there is none to stop the Lords wrath not one to stand vp in the gap for the Citie that can be heard and the fire will not be â—uenched therefore it is more then time to flye hence Heereat Lot with his two daughters do runne hence with his speede but his wife hath many heauie clogs she is slouthfull negligent full of delayes and is ouertaken with destruction Lastly this vngodly Woman being by the deuill the world and the flesh 8 Apostacie so mightely hindered froÌ„ the good course now thereby in the end maketh shipwrack of all together for she doth apostate and turne backe from the Lord to Sodom There be two kinds of returnes 2. kinds of returne the one good commendable the other wicked and abhominable It is a
good thing to turne vnto the Lord and to change our selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by true Repentance to amend become new creatures in Christ This is that new birth which Christ sheweth to Nicodemus Iohn 3. and this bringeth mercie and forgiuenes in Christ righteousnes holines and eternall glorie But it is a dangerous thing to turne back againe being coÌ„parable to the dog that resumeth his vomit againe and to the sowe being washed to her wallowing againe in the mire She went from Sodom and séemed to procéede well for a time with her husband but she should also haue quite forgotten her owne people and her fathers house she being in the féeld should not haue turned backe to that she left in the Citie Héere be two in one bed the one receiued the other forsaken An hypocrite An hipocrite giueth a shew of that which is not so did Lots wife but now it is apparant what she is when with Demas she leaueth Paul and turneth back to Sodom ward Nothing feigned is of continuance nor an hypocrite can long conceale the malice of his mind Quis enim relaverit ignem Cayne gaue a faire shew for a time he sacrificed as Abell did though not with Abels heart King Saul shewed many resemblances of vertue but wherevnto that grew it appeared plainly in his disobedience 2. King King Ioas in the life-time of Iehoida the Priest by whome he was instructed procéeded with commendation but Iehoida being taken away he plainely deciphereth himselfe by murthering the Prophet and committing wickednes against God Absalom stale away the hearts of the people Oh that I were King saith he then would I do iustice but his hypocrisie in the end appéered most publikly Iezabel had her Prophets and when Naboth should be put to death she pretended holines by proclaiming a fast c. but her wickednes is bewraied and punished So Herod pretended a desire to go and worship Christ wheÌ„ he determined to murther him and Iudas was for the poore in open shewe because he bare the bagge and would deceiue the poore Thus the verie Deuil himselfe being most execrable wicked will yet transforme himselfe into an Angell of light till he hath brought foorth the lumpe of his lewdnes to the dishonor of God and hurt of men Et gandet se nesciri sua facta lateri Et nocuisse tamen sed non nocuisse videri And so secretly doth he wrap vp his deuises that when he hurteth most he will pretend greatest honestie And thus Lots wife bewrayeth her secret folly in the end by her bending backe She now fully declareth what she is by forsaking her vocation and backsliding Learne heere by the way that the worke of the Lord must not only be taken in hand but also continued The work of the Lord must be continued in token thereof Ioseph hath his long coate and the verie tayles of the beasts were sacrificed with their bodies and he that is vnworthy and continueth not in his calling accordingly hath this censure layd on him by the holy Ghost Episcopatum cius accipiat alter Acts. 2. Psal 109. Let him be taken away and another put in his place It had bin good for thée thou Wife of Lot to haue called to mind thine Aunt Sarah Abrahams Wife who béeing faithfull denied not but most willingly consented to follow her husband at the commandement of God from Vr of the Caldees with a long iourney and great danger into an vnknowne and strange land to her great commendation and how that God had euerie way prouided mercifully for her but she forgat all being blinded with impietie I pray God we be not forgetfull with Lots wife There haue bin many good women We haue heard of many good women sithence then that do teach vs continuance and an obedient willingnes in our duties What is said of Rebekah she left her fathers house and accompanied Abrahams seruant vnto Izhak her husband with great chastitie also Leah and Rahel the wiues of Iaakob came with him from their fathers house willingly Naomi goeth with her husband Elimelech into Moab when foode wanted in Israel Moreouer Rahab of Ierico Zipporah the wife of Moses Anna the wife of Tobias and Sarra his sonnes wife Mary the mother of Christ and many other good women haue most worthely declared their faith by christian constancie thus ought we to do and so should Lots wife haue done for these women before mentioned were righteous in their liues and be in memorie with the Saincts but this vnhappy woman by bending backe from her husband and so from God is noted to be vnrighteous and infamous among the reprobate for euer Oh that we were frée from such women and all men from their infections but it is to be feared that too manie in these our dayes euen now whiles the Gospell is yet preached and the Sonne of righteousnes giueth vs light do refuse to follow their husbands and them that are willing to further them I will not say into the mountaines but euen into the Church where the word of God is preached If Lots wife was punished then for that alas what iudgements remaine for these This I say taâ—â—â— héede of backsliding Remember the iudgements of God on such hypocrites and Apostates Remember Lots wife 3. The punishment of Lots wife This wretched bodie escapeth not without her rewarde and punishment and so much the sorer is she plagued for that once she began to followe but afterward looked backe and forsooke him It had been much better for her neuer to haue come forth from Sodom then being come foorth agayne to returne Of this turning about speaketh the Apostle to the Hebrewes Chap. 6.4 and Chap. 10.26 saying It is impossible for such to bee renewed by repentance for there remayneth no more Sacrifice for sinnes but a fearefull expectation of the Iudgement and violent fire which shall deuoure the adversaries This is a terror to them that consider both the sinne and the iudgement but a bitter hell and torment to them that feele the same Let the Magistrate the Minister the people the citie the countrie and our whole land by the due consideration hereof bee humbled in feare and pray heartely to the Lord to deliuer them from this outragious euill Lots wife is plagued but doth not her husband herein helpe her The husband helpeth not the wife in this plague Note here The preheminence of the good man cannot serue the euill woman herein Then take heede waxe not bold on other mens vertues trust not to others oyle Absalom was Dauids sonne and Esau first borne vnto Izhak but what of that They be both reiected haue faith in God haue faith in your selues the iust man liueth by his owne faith and not by anothers faith Though Daniel Noah and Iob had been there yet could not this vngodly woman escape no albeit Abraham prayed for the Sodomites and among them for her yet she perisheth because she remayned
euill Lot perisheth not among the wicked but Lots wife being wicked And although his two daughters for his comfort in his great sorowe are with him brought foorth from Sodom yet may not they boast of their merites but rather stand in awe anâ— sinne no more Neither can it profite any man that his father mother wife brother or sister are godly and accepted with the Lord Ezek. 18. except that himselfe do immitate and resemble them truely in godlinesse Therefore Lots wife being wicked escapeth not with the iust man but perisheth But what plague ouertooke this vngodlie woman The manner of her plague A plague of bodie and torment of soule But leauing her soule to the secrete iudgements of God among the sinfull Sodomites with whom she perished we finde it mentioned in the Scripture Gen. 8. That she was turned into a pillar of Salt standing as a monument to the posterities Inasmuch as she was a chaungeling she was chaunged she turned about and she is turned A sodayne chaunge and straunge Metamorphosis not faigned by the Poets but wrought in deede by the power of God testified by his holie Spirite wrote in a booke by Moses his seruant and remembred by our Lord Christ for our instruction The Poets faigne transformations of shapes some into birdes some into beastes some into trées some into stones but a more true Metamorphosis we haue testified in the Prophesie of Daniel of Nabucadnezzar the Monarke of the earth who became as a beast of a brutish and sauage minde Yet here a more maruailous transformation A righteous mans wife is turned into a pillar of Salt Her minde was not only monstrous in her life but her bodie also a note of inconstancie and iniquitie in her death I knowe that some of the Hebrewes haue giuen this Interpretation Pet. Mar. in Gen. Et fuit cumulus vel statua salis And there was an heape or pillar of Salt not of Lots wife but of the earth which she sawe behind hâ—â— when she looked backe to Sodom She did see say they the earth or the land and it was an heape of Salt by reason of the burning but this Interpretation is ouerthrowne by these reasons First the daughters of Lot would not haue vrged seede of their father Sap. 10.7 had their mother been then liuing Secondlie the Wise man sayth of her for the remembrance of the vnfaithfull Soule there standeth a pillar of Salt Thirdly Iosephus witnesseth that he sawe such a pillar of Salt Fourthly S. Augustine is of the opinion that such a thing was done in deed that is in Salem versam esse vxorem Lothâ— Lots wife was chaunged into a pillar of Salte Lastly Christ himselfe noteth in her a straunge punishment when talking of the Iewes Apostasie and latter destruction he sayth Remember Lots wife So we gather that this is to be vnderstood of the woman her selfe and therefore as wee receiue it doth Munster translate Et facta est statua Salis She was made a Salt stone or pillar She is turned into a pillar or stone A stone to note the hardnesse of her heart which the true prophesie of the Angels and the words of her husband could not mollifie A stone to note her coldnesse in the true Religion wherein zeale is required and heat of Gods grace A stone to note the nature of such as like stones will rather resist the drops of rayne than receiue moysture as the obstinate and stubborne hearts accustome to do A stone to note her barrayne breast and vnfruitfull faith A stone not of the corner but cast aside and set alone though not in Ierico yet not in Ierusalem but betweene them both not in Egypt nor yet in Canaan but in the wildernesse where many haue perished for want of faithfull continuance She halteth betweene both And therefore is she loathed of the Lord and abandoned of good men She standeth as a pillar not for any goodnesse in her selfe but to note her vngodlinesse foolishnesse and plague She is famed but yet with diffame as Horostratus who to get him a name set the temple of Diana on fire She was respited a while for her husbands sake but now is she plagued for her owne sinnes Sodom nothing helpeth her for it cannot helpe it self Her glorie is turned into shame by her returne which she gayned before by her comming foorth She desperatly falleth headlong into misfortunes and might if God would haue incurred the plagues of Kain for his murther of Saule for his disobedience of Nabal for his foolishnesse of Iezebel for her sorceries of Athaliah for her treacheries of Antiochus for his blasphemies but yet she hath another kinde of plague for she is turned into a pillar of Salt Salt signifieth sometimes discretion Why she is turned into Salt Col. 4. the word of God Doctrine And Salt is good if it want not sauour And the Apostle would that our Doctrine bee so seasoned Plinie Plin. lib. 31. cap. 2. vseth a Metaphor taken from the vse of Salt In all meates it is vsed in steede of a Sawce to eschew greedinesse and surfeyte Neither can a man well liue without Salt So necessarie an element is it Such are the ornaments of mans life And it is commaunded in the lawe that euery Sacrifice shall be seasoned with Salt to note that no Sacrifice can please God Leuit. 2. but that which is done with discretion And therefore it is charged Ne auferes Sal faederis dei tui de Sacrificio tuo Thou shalt alwaies vse Salt in euery gift which thou shalt offer vnto mee by reason of the Couenant which I haue made with thee And for the doctrine of truth the Apostles be called Sal terrae The Salt of the earth for as Salt is bitter to the taste and fretteth away the corruptions of the flesh so is the truth vnto sinfull man Howbeit this miserable woman is by that nothing the better inasmuch as that which is now in her serueth wholie to the vse of other and not of her selfe She is like in this to the heart of a poysoned man which as some say will not burne but waxe hard in the fire as a stone and will become a soueraigne medicin for others against poison She standeth therefore a piller of Salt for a document vnto others which by her example flying the like punishment are the happier Besides that she is salt in another sense for salt doth not only note discretion wisedome doctrine and such but also it signifieth barraines for euery place of the earth where salt is found saith Pliny Plin. li. 31. cap. 7. is barraine and apt to no fruite Therefore Abimelech as we reade in the ninth Chapter of the booke of the Iudges Iudg. 9. sowed salt in Sichem And so speaketh Zephenaiah Zeph. 〈◊〉 As I liue sayth the Lord of hoastes the God of Israel surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorah euen the breeding of Nettles and Salt pits and a perpetuall desolation And such a place doth Isaiah Isai 34.13 describe in his 34. Chapter speaking of the destruction of the Sinagogue a worthie figure whereof appeareth in this woman he that readeth it let him vnderstand it And thus haue we séene the punishment and plague of Lots vnfaithfull and so vnequall yokefellow Oh remember this ye that forget God O kisse the Sonne Psal 50. Psal 2. least he be angrie and so ye perish from the right way if his wrath be kindled against you euen but a little Oh put away displeasure out of your hearts Eccl. 12.1 and remoue evill from your bodyes in season for childhood and youth is but vanitie Let vs consider to what ende we haue our mindes and memories giuen vs let vs with thankefulnes remember God and his mercies towards vs let vs thinke of our sinnes and amend our liues with faithfulnes let vs knowe the time of our visitation with watchfulnes let vs beware of those horrible sinnes noted in Lots wife and eschue the danger of her punishment with godlie carefulnes Let the Magistrate continue his calling without wearines the Minister go too and hold on the Plough without loathsomnes the people procéede in their calling without sluggishnes the Citie to fight in faith without faintnes the Countrey to be religious without malitiousnes and the whole land to serue the Lord without fearefulnes Let this perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tabernacles of Shem let this moue Ioseph to eschue the polluted bed of Potiphar euery chaste Susanna to denie the desire of the vngodlie Elders euery Shiphrah and Puah as they did in Aegypt to feare the Lord and not men Let this stirre vp Mordecai to prouide for the safetie of his people Quéene Hesther to pray for her selfe and her people and euery faithfull Abraham to forsake old Adam and the affections of man Let vs all with that kinglie Prophet David desire to be rather doorekeepers in Gods house then to dwell in the Tabernacles of the vngodly Let vs with Moses rather choose affliction with the people of God in the Wildernes than the pleasures of Sinne in Aegypt Let vs desire rather Hierusalem than Ierico and Canaan before Babylon Let vs flye from Sodom and Gomorah with iust Lot and not returne againe with Lots wife Psal 1. Let vs procéede from vertue to vertue and be fruitfull in the same Let vs set God euer before our faces as our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs and let vs with S. Paul fight a good fight keepe on the good course continue to the end constantlie without fainting expecting faithfully that eternall Crowne of glorie which all such as by the bloud of Christ the immaculate Lamb haue bin Victors shall be crowned with in his euerlasting Kingdome This grace and blessednes the Almightie graunt vnto vs for Iesus Christ his sake to whome with the holie Ghost three persons and one most mightie and eternall God be ascribed all honor might maiestie and dominion now and for euermore Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of the Lord God And héereby is he noted to be of the faithfull as also more effectually by that when being among the wicked he neuertheles feared the Lord in all things The Wiseman Sapi. 10.6 Sap. 10.6 2. Pet. 2. calleth Lot The Righteous man And S. Peter in his 2. Chapter of his second Epistle calleth him Iust Lot Righteous in déede and iust both before God and man Before God by the forgiuenes of sinne through mercie and apprehension of righteousnes by faith Before men as well by his godly conuersation and vertues as also in respect of the wicked Sodomits before whome he was farre preferred Thus was he a righteous man And heereof it was that he liued so vnspotted among the wicked vexing his righteous soule that he saw the two Angels comming into Sodom and rose vp to méete them Gen. 18. that he bowed himselfe with his face to the ground and inuited them gladly to his house that he entertained them reuerently and defended them against the rage of the Sodomits that he beleeued the words of the Angels and most obediently followed them departing frō Sodom without desire to retire that he contemned the sinnes and societie of the Sodomits and forsaking all the trust of the world depended onely on the mercie of God whom he knew to be able and willing to prouide a better habitation for him But it is a thing worth the noting how Lot came into Sodom 2. How he came to Sodom which was vpon two occasions the one by his vnhappie departure from his Vncle Abraham the other by the foolish lust of his eye in his vnhappie choice For as we reade in Gen 13.6 Gen. 13.6 when these two godly persons Abraham and Lot were greatly increased and their flocks could not pasture together in one countrey without contētion betwéene their seruants it was the counsell of Abraham that to eschue that inconuenience betweene them being as brethren they should sunder themselues and their flocks one from another and therein he did not sticke to giue the choice vnto Lot saying vnto him Is not the whole land before thee Depart I pray thee from me If thou wilt take the left hand then will I go to the right Or if thou go to the right hand then I will take the left So when Lot beheld the Countrey he perceiued that all the playne of Iordane was watered euery where for it was before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrhe as the Garden of Eden And so Lot chose vnto him all the plaine of Iordan yea he pitched his Tent euen to Sodom But hinc ille lachrymae wo vnto thée seely Lot Lots vnhappie choice for whiles thou goest about to please thine eye thou woundest thine heart thou lustest for the plaine but the bushes inclose thée thou delightest in the waters of Iordan but thou art in danger of the fire of Sodom thou thoughtest thou haddest gotten thee into heauen Aug. de ci Dei 21. but thou art come to the gate of hell Sodom is faire and fruitfull but thou must not taste of their fruites Egesippus for their Apples fall to dust and scinders if thou touch them their hearbs be hurtfull and death is in their pot To be plaine there is bona terra mala gens a good Countrey but a wicked people for it is truely sayd Gen. 13.13 that the men of Sodom were wicked Cause of separatiō and exceeding sinners against the Lord. This separation betweene Abraham and Lot came of contention and strife a cause of diuision euen among breethren this contention and strife grew of the aboundance of worldly wealth a cause of much discord euen betweene the children of one parentage whereof there be too many examples besides commō experience This choise of Sodom came of the lust of the eye which ensnareth many men by the hooke of voluptuousnes and draweth them to horrible inconueniences as innumerable testimonies with semblable examples and our daily experience do also witnes at the full Beware of contention about these vayne earthly things beware of a desire to be made rich beware of lust of the eye and pleasure of the flesh which is in the world as Iohn saith and is an enemy to the Lord. And if this good man could not rule himselfe therein neither eschew some paine thereof ensewing Let vs not presume to promise our selues safetie and ease in these pricking thornes Now may we see in what sort Lot 3 How Lot liued there liued in Sodome among the vngodly It is a verie difficult thing for a man to escape the infection of the plague whereas the very ayre is corrupted It is not easie to touch pitch and not be therewith defiled and to stand in the furnace of fire with the three children and not haue asmuch as a heare burned is altogither of Gods power and not of mans wit Lot is in Sodome as in a place of infection as in the pit of pitch and furnace of vncleannesse and yet is he there righteous among them Yet as a Lillie among the thornes as a childe among the Scorpions and as a woman groning in trauaile he endureth it As a preacher of righteousnes he ceasseth not as a Pellican in the wildernesse he reioyceth not but preacheth prayeth A cause of Lots sorowe lamenteth and vexeth his righteous soule as mooued therevnto by their great sinnes to beholde how wickednesse was extolled and vertues trodden downe how right was exiled and wrong dealing in price how sinnes did abound and righteousnesse faith and truth was scarce found and he sawe the Angell whereof Iohn speaketh Reuel 10. to put his right foote on the Sea Aret. in Apo. 10. vers 1.2 but his left on the earth when the wicked seemed more to flourish in worldly sway and estimation than the godly which had none honor at all The Prophet Ieremie Ieremy 9. Lam. 1. liuing among the like kinde of people was forced to vexe his minde with their vngodlinesse and the consideration of their payne ensuing as it can not be but a greefe vnto a godly man to see the people so obstinate indurate and wicked to their own destruction and thus he breaketh out Oh that my head were full of water mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slayne of the daughter of my people Agayne Oh that I had in the wildernesse a wayfaring mans cottage that I might leaue my people and go from them for they be all adulterers and an assembly of rebels Hereof was our Sauiour Christ mooued to weepe ouer Ierusalem I would to God the godly men now had not the like occasion giuen them to vexe their godlie mindes but it is truely sayd and too truely verified Loue waxeth colde and the Sonne of man readie to come vpon vs faith starteth aside and is scarcely found but as a pilgrime on the earth Tongues are bent as bowes to shoote foorth lyes but