yea or no whether the wrath of God be a rediculous thing yea or no. Oh feare and tremble at the thoughts of these things that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake and his joynts to tremble This is the first use The second use and all the use in the generall that shall be made of the point in hand Usâ— 2. is an exhortation to Repentance Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Oh Repent Repent betimes ere this wrath come upon you I have lately exhorted you to repentance by the mercies of God by his love and goodnesse and the sweet provision that he hath made he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you You need not say the work is too hard it is a thing impossible for us to repent You have heard where your strength lies I must now goe another way to worke and exhort you to repentance by the Judgments of the Lord the text which I am handling calls for it and the providences of the Lord they call for it also Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men saith the Apostle so must we do likewise Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place be thy rank or condition whatsoever it bee be thou in higher or meaner place Repent and that speedily before the indignation of the Lord come upon you to the uttermost I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to his baptisme it may bee looked upon as a kind of argument to presse the doctrine of repentance more closely on them Math. 3.7 who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come I may say concerning you of this place the wrath of God is already come it hath already appeared it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun that all that passe by you cannot but take notice of it Oh repent repent lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost Luke 13 4.5 Suppose yee those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloam fell slew them thinke yee that they were sinners aboue all men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all or that they were little sinners but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the businesse from themselves as if so be they that were slaine and made the immediate examples of Gods displeasure were the onely sinners in Jerusalem no he tels them their sins might be as great as any of the rest and therefore he advises them to look about themselves for unlesse they repented they likewise should perish Do not thinke my bretheren that the poore children that were crushed to death the men and women that had their armes and legs broken or disioynted their bodyes sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney or that there are no other sinners but theÌ„ amongst you Nay I tell you all except yee repent ye shall all likewise perish Vnlesse thou ô man or woman who ever thou art repent of thy drunkennesse lying covetuousnesse of thy coldnesse and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish the word saies it conscience tels thee so the damned in Hell they feele it to be so Oh what a strange passe are men come unto the wrath of God is revealed from heaven and yet they will not believe God hath testifyed it from heaven that every drunkard and swearer and prophane person shall certainly be damned and yet men will not believe 1. Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous c. why This is a plaine thing an evident a manifest thing a man may say it is dark at noone day if he will but this is cleare and beyond all doubt it selfe Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any unrighteous soule no uncleane thing shall ever enter there No if the holy and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrighteous soul shalt never get there and if the Saints and Angells stay in heaven thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there Oh think on this for the Lords sake From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction all the leaves in the Bible make against thee all the Judgments that ever God hath executed are cleare and plaine before thine eyes and yet men will not believe What will become of this Atheisticall generation There is no man feares there is no man considers his way Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodlinesse unrighteousnes doth bring his wrath upon them wil damne theÌ„ in the end they wil not believe it they will not lay it to heart The word that threatneth wrath the JudgmeÌ„ts of God they reveale make known this wrath the devils in hell they believe tremble at it the damn'd they feel it yet the stout hearted sonnes of men they care not for it 1. Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger then he Do we incense p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pha. exasperate and put the Lord himselfe to it to shew what he can do are we content the Lord should doe his worst doe we q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesâ—ch equall and compare our selves with him dare we justle and contend with him for mastery Oh fearefull are you come to this point let the Lord do his worst we shall deale with him and his wrath well enough Oh desperate forlorn man It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh repent repent Heb. 10.1 It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr Repent O England repent repent so say I to you O Witney repent repent otherwise I feare some more dreadfull plagues will befall you You that have ungodly neighbours servants or friends go to theÌ„ ask them what meane you to lie in your ignorance prophanenesse neglect of God and holy things still What do you love to be damned and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soone as you dye For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily if you do not I feare some worse thing will come next Certainely my Brethren the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy for so it should be called it was not a Comedy no no it was a Tragedy a dolefull Play it had a dolefull end a bloudy a sad end Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints the fearfull heart-piercing cries that saw the broken bones the disioynted armes the dead carcasses of so many children will say it was a Tragedy indeed a dolefull play and the wrath of God hath been
Tragi-Comaedia BEING A BRIEF RELATION OF THE STRANGE AND Wonderfull hand of God discovered at WITNY in the Comedy Acted there February the third where there were some Slaine many Hurt with severall other Remarkable PASSAGES Together with what was Preached in three Sermons on that occasion from Rom. 1.18 Both which May serve as some Check to the Growing Atheisme of the Present Age. By JOHN ROWE of G. C. C. in Oxford Lecturer in the Towne of WITNY It is time for thee Lord to work for they have made voyd thy Law Psal 119.126 Verily he is a God that judgeth in the Earth Psal 58.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onatus apud Stobaeum OXFORD Printed by L. LICEFIELD For HENRY CRIPPS Anno Dom. 1653. TO MY HONOVRED and much beloved Friends the Inhabitants of the Towne Parish of WITNY Dearely beloved in the LORD THE publishing of these few Papers both the precedent Narrative and the ensuing Sermons of right belong to You and you may challenge them as your owne Among you it was that these wonders of the Lord were seen and upon you it was that the Lord hath shewen himselfe marvelous Doe not quarrell with the Almighty for setting you up as the publik Theatre whereon he would manifest his holynesse justice other Attributes to the world We are his Creatures and it were enough if we could say no more but It is his pleasure to have it so Yet there is other reason why we should quiet and compose our selves and shake off all thoughts and reasonings that are apt to arise saying as the Church doth We will beare the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him Though you are the people that doe only suffer yet you are not they that are only aymed at The Lord hath spoken from heaven to the whole Nation by what he hath done amongst you and testified by a clear and eminent stroake against the monstrous unparraleld Atheisme irreligion profanesse which is walking up and downe in all places Though the Lord hath began with you yet he may not end with you If his dealing with you make not others wise their plagues may be farre greater then yours have been and if so it will be a mercy that you were corrected so soone and not suffered to goe on in your sinnes which would have brought heavier sorrowes in the end Amongst you it was that these meane Sermons had their rise which were not in the least intended for the Presse when first they were Preached But the desires of some amongst you to have written Coppies of them the longings and importunity of others to have them published the good of the Towne in generall which might seeme to require a stāding lasting remēbrance of these things seemed to be some call to me for the publishing of them To which I may adde the consideration of some little good the Lord I hope was pleased to doe by these plain and meane Sermons the hearts of some being a little awakened and the affection of others stirred and raised and some provoked to attend on the word thereby Which sparks being of the Lords owne kindling I thought it my duty to keep them alive as much as lay in me I hope you will beare with my rudenesse of speech and plain speaking the Lord being my witnesse that it is not a pleasure to me to make bare your nakednesse or discover your shame my ayme only being that you may lay to heart your sinnes seek pardon for them and reformation of them My care hath been as much as may be to abstain from all personall reflections and not to make use of any ones Name that I might not grieve the spirits of any by making them publike to the world although if I had insisted on some particulars the story might have been set forth with more advātage in the eyes of some Some enlargments there have been in the Sermons some larger explications of a few Scriptures it being not possible within such a scantling of time as is allotted to speake fully to all things Yet this you will find you have scarce any materiall passage omitted of what was Preached and the Additions which are I hope not altogether unprofitable or unnecessary Some Notes are put into the Margin which need not trouble the lesse skilfull Reader all obscurity being avoyded in the body of the Sermons themselves My humble desire and request to you is that you will not lay aside this little Book as soon as it comes into your hands though the things are mean and contemptible if you consider the person parts and years of him that brings them unto you and the manner of his delivering them yet are they great and of moment if you consider him that sends them to you so farre forth as the mind of God is revealed in them and his particular will made known concerning you Some few houres will serve to Reade over the whole Book and if at leasure times you put your Children or Servants to reade but a little it may be better then to let it lye moulding in your Windows Possibly you may meet with such a remembrace if the Lord work with it by his Spirit as you may blesse him for all your dayes I can only say as the Apostle doth with a little change Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for the people of Witny is that they may be saved I trust the Lord hath some of his election yet scattered amongst you sure I am there are some of his called and faithfull ones already to be found in the middest of you How long I may be left to speak to you I know not This I can asure you I pray and sigh at the throne of Grace for you as well as I can And I could wish I had better prayers and more sighs and groanes then my poore barren heart can afford There could not be a greater joy to me then to see the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus taking place in greaer power in your soules to see that high valuation and eager thirsts in the hearts of many of you after a poore despised neglected forsaken Christ whom the world but it may break our hearts to speak it begins to grow weary of though the world be not worthy of such a one Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus blesse you with the knowledge of himselfe and this his deare Sonne and grant that the savour of his knowledge may be spread amongst you more abundantly These are the constant prayers of Your unworthy Friend and Servant in the Gospell John Rowe A BRIEFE NARRATIVE OF The Play Acted at Witny the third of February 1652. Together with its sad and Tragicall End IT may not seem so proper nor be so pleasing to every Reader to set down all the Circumstances about this Play forasmuch that somewhat might be said touching the rise and originall of it the nature of the Play it self and the book from whence it
breath and had it not been for Bremo his fellow Actor he had been stifled but Bremo having recovered himselfe a little bare up the others head with his arme whereby he got some breath and so was preserved but both the one and the other were hurt Bremo being so sorely bruised as that he was fain to keep his bed for two dayes after and the Lady had her beuty mar'd her face being swoln by the hurt taken in the fall Some had their mouths so stuf'd with dust that they could hardly speak the people that came from the house made a pittifull moane some going in the streets and complaining here is a Play a sad Play indeed others crying out to them that met them as they are wont that have received some deadly wound oh I am kil'd Some cryed out that their Armes were broken others that their Leggs were broken some cursed the Players that ever they came to Witny and the players themselves wished that they had never came thither They that received no hurt were exceedingly affrighted insomuch that one of them that were present as I am credibly informed did say that he would not for as much as Witny was worth be in the like affright again though he were sure he should have no hurt Others said they would never goe to a play more and that it was a judgment Others have been so prophane as we hear to make a laughing-stock of it and some so desperate as to say they would go againe if it were to morrow next and too many apt to say it was but a chance a misfortune the beame was weak there were so many load of people there and the like But how sleight so ever the matter was made afterwards sure enough it is it was sad enough then It was one of the saddest and blackest nights that ever came on Witny Sad it was to see Parents carry home their Children dead in their armes sad it was to see so many bruised hurt and maimed and some as it were halfe dead that were not able to help themselves but were fain to be carryed away by their friends some on their backs some on chaires sad it was to hear the pitteous cryes of those that were not there bemoaning their distressed friends This was the sad end of this ungodly play And what was spoken in jest in the beginning of it by the just hand of God was made good in earnest The Comedy being turned into a Tragedy it had a sad Catastrophe ending with the deaths of some and hurts of many And as it was said before And make thee mourn where most thou joy'st So by the just hand of God came it to passe For in the midst of their mirth and jollity did this fall out in the middest of these amorous passages between Bremo and his Lady was this stroke given yea immediately before they expected the greatest pleasure and contentment For the Actors said the best of the play was still behind and a little after the hearts and fancyes of the Spectators were to be filled with the love-complements between Mucedorus and his Amadine So true was that Turning thy mirth into a deadly Dole The Lord from heaven having given a check to such wanton sports teaching men what they must look for and that he will not bear with such grosse open profanenesse in such an age of light as this is That he will so farre take notice of the Atheisme and profanenesse of men in this world as shall keep the world in order though he hath reserved the great and full recompence for another day and place ROM I. XVIII For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who hold the truth in unrighteousnesse IT may seeme strange to some of you to heare such a text read The Preface What is love so soone turned into wrath The last time I was called to speak unto you upon a Lords day the first words of the text were God is love 1 Joh 4.8.9 pure love goodnesse and sweetnesse all love as it were made up of love Now the text beginnes with the wrath of God heavy wrath dreadfull astonishing wrath enough to break in pieces the hardest heart to heare it but so much as mention'd It s the wrath of God Its wrath from heaven its revealed wrath 't is manifested and declared in open sight This is a great change indeed may some one say to passe from the sweetest Love to the most terrible and dismall wrath But the Lord himselfe hath changed the text and it is he that hath given it by that which he hath wrought in the midst of you and done in the face of the whole Towne Can you look back upon that late sad and astonishing Providence of which as many as heare their eares tingle at it their hearts shake and tremble at it can you I say look upon this strange wonderfull Providence and not see this written in Broad and Capitall letters and even laid before you in what is come to passe That the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Be not prejudiced my Brethren doe not mistake me I am not come to grate upon your soares neither to make wider your yet bleeding wounds God foribd no I pitty and pray for those among you that are yet weake and infirme beseeching the Lord to heale them and restore them that they may live to testify their thankfulnesse and Repentance My work is as a poor unworthy Embassadour and servāt of the Lord to help you to understand what the meaning of the Lord is for certainly so great a thing could not be in vaine The Lords voice crieth unto the citie saith the Prophet Micah 6.95 And the man of wisdome shall see thy Name heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it There is a voice gone out to you of this place and it is the Lords voice his Name is written upon what was done but the other week this name of his is wrirten with faire and legible characters that he which runnes may read this voice of his it doth not whisper it doth not mutter no it cries it speakes aloud it will be your wisdome to heare this voice Every rod hath a voice in it the meanest and most petty afflictions speak something from God Great and mighty strokes eminent and remarkable Judgments from heaven they have a loud voice and if such be not heard they bring speedy ruine Let not any among you say the Preacher is come to vent himselfe and his own Passions and we expected some thundering sermon after this No no I am not come to that purpose but in all humility and seriousnesse to beseech you to consider what the mind of the Lord is and I have beg'd from the Lord as well as I could wisedome and direction to know what I should speak be not such enemies to your selves and to that good the
Lord intends you this day as to say when you come home we have heard a sermō of Judgment and that is all we expected some such thing Do not so ill requite the Lord and his word but harken to the counsels of his word and be obedient to the same The scope of the Apostle in this Epistle The Coherence is to set downe the true way of mens Justification and salvation which he affirmes to be by the pure grace of God and not by the works of men This way or modell of God in saving men the materiall principle from whence both their Justification and Salvation must arise viz imputed righteousnesse he calls the righteousnesse of God in the verse before the text which is so called because the righteousnesse by which men are saved is a righteousnesse of Gods finding out and of his own bestowing and not any such thing as men have either framed and devised themselves or were able to work out by any thing that they could doe This righteousnesse he saies is revealed in the Gospell it is the Gospell that chalkes out this modell and plat-forme of righteousnesse and life and by this way must men be justified and saved and not by their owne workes this is the maine proposition which he layes down in the 17 verse In the text we have the first proof or argument to make that assertion good the argument stands thus The workes of all men in the world whether Jewes or Gentiles ever since the fall of Adam they are wicked ungodly unrighteous workes therefore they cannot be saved by them the argument is very cleare and strong here All men deserve wrath the utmost wrath displeasure and vengeance of God by thei◠owne workes therefore they cannot deserve his love favour or good will they are so far from deserving his love that they deserve the quite contrary This is the coherence For explication of the words The wrath of God By wrath we are to understand wrath in the Root and in the Fruit in the cause The opening of the Text. and in the effect God is highly displeased with men by reason of sin he loathes their wayes and abhorres their practises he beares a bitter and a deadly hatred against all the wickednesse which men commit and he hath an inward quarrell if we may so speak a secret grudge in his heart against men themselves for the same this is wrath in the root or cause And then againe he inflicts plagues and punishments the most dreadfull curses and fearfull judgments on men by reason of sin all which are visible and signall tokens of his displeasure and manifest proofs that he cannot endure them nor any of their wayes this is wrath in the fruit or effect Is revealed from heaven There may be a twofold sense of this a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simpliciter significat Pau lus manifestius esse quam ut quisquam inficiari possit Dominum è caelo in omnes ac singulos homines indignari Beza 1. The sense may be it is revealed clearly and manifestly as much as if it were by a voice from heaven The Lord God Almighty the blessed and most holy God he proclaimes it from heaven and cries aloud in the eares of all the world that he is deeply offended with all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse which men cōmit that he will certainly call them to an account and punish them for it In Psalm 14 2. it is said The Lord looked from HEAVEN upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seek God now here it is said his wrath is revealed from heaven God is no idle spectator he doth not carelessly behold the actions of men as if so be they might doe what they listed and he not discerne or not be moved at it no he looks down from heaven upon the children of men Jehovah from the heavens looked down upon the sons of Adam so one reads it He looks with a watchfull observant eye his eye is intent and fixt upon all the sons of Adam upon the whole raceof mankind and for what is all this curious search made it is to see if there were any that did understand and seek God But was he well pleased when he found it otherwise no surely finding all to be corrupt that they were all gone aside that they were all together becōe filthy that there was none that did good no not one that they were workers of iniquity v. 1.3.4 he gives out the sentence he pronoūceth it from heaven he proclaimes it in the eares of all the world that he is highly offended and his wrath is gone out against men by reason of these things Psalm 4.2 O ye sons of men how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing how long will ye run mad on sin and be so desperately adventerous in the waies in which you walk But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe verse 3 Take it for granted that JEHOVAH that is the Highest Lord the Majesty of heaven and earth he is provoked and incensed by all these waies and it is the godly man that he lookes after know ye Jehovah hath marvelously seperated a gratious saint to him so Ainsworth It is the pious devout holy soul that Jehovah regards and he hath marvelously seperated him or selected in wondrous sort b segregavit Graecum Latinum mirificavit quod verbum non est alienum a proposito ubi bi de opilione ad regiam dignitatem evecto agitur neque a Grammatica cùm verba quae mirabile facere separare Hebraice significant fimilia sint atque idcirco suas fignificatiōes facile confundere possint ex regula Grammaticorum usn Hebraicae linguae Muis in loc he hath put him in another rank set a mark of excellency upon him he hath set him in opposition to the wicked ungodly men and such as love vanity whome he hath set on another file whose names are written in his black book and hath marked them out as the objects of his wrath this is illustrated Psal 11.4 5 ver The Lord is in his holy temple The Lords throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eye-lids tries the children of men The Lord trieth the righteous but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth Another sense may be the wrath of God is revealed from heaven that is it is manifested by evident cleare remarkable plagues and Judgments from heaven God hath discovered to all the world that he is an utter enemy to all the sin wickednesse and ungodlinesse of men because he hath punished in all generations wicked and ungodly men with most fearfull plagues and judgments he hath shewen signes and tokens from heaven so that all men have seene his hand Pareus A learned expositor understands this phrase from Heaven as that which is opposed to the opinion of prophane men who ascribe the
so be they venture on it 2. The second way whereby the wrath of God is manifested is the light of the word Now this is twofold 1. The light of the Law 2. The light of the Gospell 1. It is manifested by the light of the Law the Law threatning nothing but death curses plagues and vengeance to all sin and ungodlinesse whatsoever Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 wouldst thou know whether the wrath of God hangs over men by reason of sin doe but read the 28. Chap. of Deuteron There you shall find curse upon curse In the 15. verse it is said all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the city and cursed in the field cursed shall be thy basket and cursed in thy store v. 20. The Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to doe untill thou be destroyed and untill thou perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken me The Law threatneth nothing but wrath it worketh wrath Rom. 4.15 It causes a sense of wrath by threatning wrath to all the transgressors of it 2. Is it otherwise in the gospell no the gospel that reveals wrath too The wrath of God is revealed from heaven As much as if the Apostle should say we the Apostles and Embassadours of God do bring this message from heaven and publish it in our gospell to the world that the wrath of God is due to men by reason of sin all men by nature are under wrath already they are children of wrath Eph. 2. and there is a day which is comming when this wrath shall come upon them to the utmost if they doe not believe and repent Obj. Yea but the gospell reveales Christ salvation pardon of sin An. True this is the first intention of the gospell Heb 2.3 and the first offer which it makes but if men neglect so great salvation if they will not stoop to gospell tearms and submit to what it commands if they will not repent and believe then there is so much the more wrath Mark 1.14.15 and the heavyer vengeance Heb. 10.28.29 He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under foot the sonne of God Besides the gospell teacheth that God will judge the secrets of mens hearts Rom. 2.16 In the day when God shall judge the hearts of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospell Thy secret pride covetousnesse ambition thy secret thefts adulteries thy secret scorning of the word and ordinances these must be all judged the Gospell that hath said so much in effect It is according to the Doctrine of the gospell that there must a generall judgment passe on all a mans sinnes and therefore on the secrets of their hearts his inward and most secret sins It is according to my gospell saith the Apostle that men must be judged why where had Paul said so In that samous sermon of his Acts 17.30.31 And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him frō the Dead Or else he saies according to his gospell because this was the tenor of the gospell a part and portion of the gospell one of the most ordinary and usuall Doctrines therein revealed he and the rest of the Apostles going up and down and preaching the day of judgment unto men bringing that as a maine argument why they should repent and believe because that there was a day a comming when they must be called to a reckoning for all their sinnes So likewise it is the gospell that saies 2. Thes 1.7.8.9 The Lord Jesus shal be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire takeing vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 4. 4. Part. The fourth thing for the prosecution of the Doctrine was to make proof that this wrath of God towards sin and sinners hath been confirmed and made good by sundry judgments inflicted upon sinners from time to time Now here we need not stand long the whole Book of God is full of cleare and pregnant examples to this purpose You all know the story of the old world it is said expressly God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly 2. Peter 2.5 You have all read or heard the judgment that befell Sodom and Gomorrah It is recorded with a speciall note Gen. 19 24. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven The name of the Lord is used twice here to shew that it was a speciall hand from heaven that brought this e Hebraismus est pluit Dominus a Domino de coelo pro Dominus pluit a se de coelo Vatab. The Lord did this by himselfe as it were it was not a chance or accident as some call the most fearfull judgments that ever have been executed it was not the ill Crasis and disposition of second causes no it was an immediate hand from heaven it was Jehovah that did it We might instance in the examples of f Exod. 14. Pharaoh and his Host which were drowned in the red sea in the examples of g Numb 16. Korah Dathan Abiram of h Isai 37. Senacherib and diverse others From the old Testament we might passe to the New and speak of the ends of Judas Ananias and Saphira Herod These things you all know much also might be fetched from Histories sacred prophane to consirme this Ecclesiasticall Histories are full of examples in this kind M. Fox in his Book of Martyrs hath a speciall tract to shew the fearfull ends of severall of the most Eminent persecutors of the Church and people of God 5. 5 Partic. The Last thing for the clearing of the Doctrine is to shew the grounds and reasons of this why God takes this course many times in this world to inflict upon notorious sinners some remarkable judgments might it not be thought sufficient that there are eternall punishments reserved for them The reasons therefore why God doth this are these 1. Reason 1. He doth it to put a stop to the Atheisme that is in the world The foole hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 The Atheist sayes we may doe as we list the Lord sees
not neither doth he consider good and evill are all one to him and he regards it not or as they which are described in Job chap. 21. v. 14.15 They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Now when men are come to this passe he will make them acknowledge him whether they will or no. The Lord is marvelous patient and long-suffering he knowes how to right himselfe and to be even with the sinner in the end but if men will breake all bounds if they will deny the majesty above if they will soff at his word and make a mock of sin if they will pluck up all religion by the very roots he will not he cannot any longer endure it it stands him upon to keep up his authority in the world he will be own'd and acknowledged as God among his creatures If nothing else will make the proud sturdy hearts of men to stoop and yeeld to him his Judgments shall Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God It is the voice of the Lord to the proud ones of the world It seems they would not know that there was a God or at least that the God of Israel was he that was the true God therefore was it that they were so mad against his people v. 6. the Heathen raged but what is the next newes that we heare He uttered his voice the earth melted As proud and as stout as they are no sooner doth He speak but their spirits flag faint those great and mighty ones who feared none and car'd for none they became as dead men he uttered his voice or as some read it he gave his voice Who is this He look back upon the former verse and you will quickly see 't is God that utters his voice No sooner doth God speak a word but their hearts faile them Let him but shew himselfe of whom they made a mock but a little before and question'd whether there was any such one and then they feare and tremble they shrinke and dare not hold up their heads And why doth the Lord doe all this Why doth he drive them to such a stand The end is set down at the 11. verse He will be known as God amongst the worst of men Be still and know that I am God and then it followes I will be exalted among the heathen I will be exalted in the earth That wicked Pharaoh one of the worst of mē who blasphēed against heavē said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel goe I know not the Lord neither wil I let Israel goe Exod. 5.2 This bold this proud wretch after he had seene the hand of the Lord lifted up and felt his plagues he is forced to know who the Lord was and to let Israel goe 2. 2 Reason The Lord doth this to render men in excusable Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest Judgest how is that that judgest men worthy of death by sin that was Gods verdict and sentence touching sinners and this all men knew by the light of nature and had the same judgement and apprehention of it in themseves as it is c. 1. v. 32 when as a man knowes by the light and checks of his own conscience that the wrath of God is due unto him by reason of sin when he sees all the curses that are revealed in the Law and the fearfull vengeance denounced in the gospell against all unbelieving and unrepenting sinners this makes him greatly inexcusable but when he shall see the judgments of God executed before his eyes and many of the same ranck and kind of sinners struck dead in the midst of their abominations if yet he goe on in the same sins this makes him beyond measure inexcusable If a man should see an hundred theeves or robbers hung up one after another at severall assises and yet after this this man himselfe should play the theefe who would pity that man if he came to the same end he knowes thee very to be an unwarrantable dangerous thing the law if against it and many have been punished for it from time to time before his eyes this makes him inexcusable so it is in this case If God take other men in the midst of their sins if he take them in the midst of their drinking quaffing and carousing as he did Belshazzar in the midst of his cups or strike them with some secret and sudden blow in the midst of their chambering and wantonesse as he did the young man in the proverbs who when he went to the harlots house had a dart struck through his liver Chap. 7.23 or by an immediate hand from heaven and an Angell sent to that purpose shall punish them in the midst of their pride tyranny and persecution as he dealt with Herod If after all this when a man hath seen such cleare and manifest Judgments from heaven on the persons of others he shall live in the same or worse sins if he shall continue a drunkard an adulterer a persecutor and opposer of the saints and of religion after all this who can say this man is not justly punished The word is plaine and expresse against such and such sinnes the end and issue of them is there revealed and the judgments of God have ratifyed it and confirmed it this man is left without all excuse Now God will have every mouth to be stopped and all the world become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 3. Reas 3. The Lord inflicts judgments upon some that they might be for examples unto others 2. Peter 2.6 Turning the citties of sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow makeing them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly Here is both the judgment and the reason of it expressed He turned them into ashes and he condemned them with an overthrow he had condemned their wickednesse before in his owne thoughs and adjudg'd them worthy of some severe plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phav and that plague must be nothing lesse then a totall destruction a totall overthrow he would so destroy them as to make an utter end of them for that is the meaning of the word And why would he do so it was to make thē an example he set them up as an example he had prepar'd thē for an example in his own thoughts before he had fitted and designed them for it now this is the edition and setting forth as it were of what he had fram'd and contriv'd before Saint Peter had mentioned two great editions of the wrath of God before one was in the Angels that fell He cast them down to hell v. 4. Here was wrath indeed Another was in the old world He brought in the floud upon a whole world v. 5. here was
revealed from heaven it is revealed from heaven against thee O Witny If there be any mockers or scoffers in the congregatioÌ„ that are come to deride the word I say if there be any such though I hope better things of the most of you yet if there be any secret scoffer in a corner I shall say to him as Job did to his friends when they had made light of his calamity and said it was just Job 11.3 Suffer me that I may speake and after that I have spoken mock on You that make so light of the hand of God laugh at all his judgements heare the message which the Lord sent if after that ye have a mind to mock then mock ye on take your fill of laughter and it may be you may have your belly full of mocking another day Brethren mistake me not my aime is not to make you sad though it is fit indeed you should be humbled for your sins Alas what pleasure can it be to the proor servants and messengers of the Lord to make any one sad No no it is your good and happinesse it is the welfare and happinesse of this place I aime at and I hope by that time you have heard all I have to say you will be convinced that it is so indeed Let me speak to you as the Apostle doth to his Corinthians 2. Cor. 11.1 Would to God you could bare with me a little in my folly and indeed beare with me And then at the 20 verse for ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you if a man take of you if a man exalt himselfe if a man smite you on the face Many I feare are apt to plead for their lusts and corruptions for their games and sports which have devoured them and consumed them and brought them low and is there not as much reason they should beare with the word which comes in all plainnesse and faithfulnesse to doe them good Certainly my brethren the hand of the Lord is lifted up the great and dreadfull God the King of the whole earth hath shewen himselfe in the midst of you I could have hoped there would not be found a man in this place that was come to that height of Atheisme as to say this not was the hand of God this was not a judgement it was only a chance a mis-fortune such a thinge might fall out the house was weak the beam was not strong enough to support such a multitude I could here cease speaking to such a man and desire a corner to turne aside weep in even power out rivers of teares in his behalf It was that which made the Prophet cry out in the like case Isai 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see How was the Lords hand lifted up Do but read the former verses and you will find in the 9. verse we heare of his judgements being abroad and in the 10. verse we heare of favour shewen to the wicked Let favour be shewen to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse The Lords hand was lifted up in a way of judgment and in a way of mercy it was his righteous judgment that some were cut off and it was his mercy that others were spared and yet when his hand was lifted up so Emenently they would not see The Lord hath shewen both his severity and his goodnesse amongst you severity to them that sufferred and goodnesse to you that were preserved Is it not the Lords goodnesse or to returne to the Prophets expression is it not a favour shewen to thee that thou hast thy life giventhee when others were crushed to death is it not a favour that thou art safe and sound when others had their limbes broken their bodies grievously bruised Oh this was that which so moved the Prophet or the church her selfe that is brought in speaking in that chapt that she knew not well how to beare it Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see It is a patheticall speech and it savours of somewhat a grieved and troubled spirit Oh the hard-heartednesse the pride and stoutnesse that is in men not to see when the Lords hand is so lifted up What is thy heart flint and thy Bowels made of brasse will not wrath from heaven great wrath affect thee Read what followes in the same verse They will not see but they shall see Thou winkest with thine eyes now but the Lord will open them at last thou wilt not believe this is the wrath of God thou wilt believe it to purpose another day and it may be that day is not far off That I may shew you the wretchednesse of this disposition not to see and acknowledge the Lord in such great things but to lay them upon chance misfortune second causes and the like Consider 1 This is a meer heathenish temper the Heathens could not do worse then so the Philistines they said if the matter fell not out so and so as they had cast it it was not the hand of the Lord that smote them but it was a chance that happened 1. Sam. 6.9 shall we make our selves Philistines shall we compare our selves with the worst of the heathens Nay some of the heathens have acknowledged the r Vide Lipsium Physiolog Stoic l. 1. Dissert undecimá et seq Arrian lib. 1. cap. 6. 12 mo Jamblich de vitâ Pythag. cap. 28. Stobaeum Eclog. Physic lib. 1. cap. 3. Providence of God in such Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroâ—l in aur carm paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matters t Nec Homerus hoc nescivit qui de Graecis adflictis causam reddit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lips diss 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. apud Sâ—obaeum in Phys they lookt upon evills befalling them as the just punishments of their sinnes they have feared and trembled at the things that have come to passe as acknowledging a Divine Power that was the cause of them u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroc in Aur. Car. The x Circa religiâ—nâ—â— talem accepimâ—â— Tomtrua sulgura paulo â—nâ—â—rmius eâ—pavescchat Suct in Augustâ— Roman Emperours yea those among them who have been most y Ausus interdum non solum vultum attollere sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refert Casaub de Caligula ex Dione prophane wicked and at sometimes have contemned God religion it selfe and have lookt the judgments of God in the face with pride scorne at other times they have been surprized with a Panick feare If they heard but z Nam qui De os tantopere contemneret ad minima tonitrna fulgura connivere caput obvolvere advero majora proripere se estrato sub lectuque condere solebat Sue Calig thundering lightning they would croutch under their bedds and hide their heads fearing that some plague from heaven was comming upon them The Historian reports of
mind to satisfy himselfe may read Mr Prin's Histrio-Mastix where there are many Pages to this purpose There is one instance so neere a kin to that of Witny that it may not be omitted Vpon the 13 of January Anno 1583. being the Lords day an infinite number of people men women and children resorted unto Paris garden to see Beare-baiting playes other pas-times and being all together mounted aloft upon their scaffolds and galleries and in the midst of all their jollity and pastime all the whole building not so much as one stick standing fell down miraculously to the ground with much terror and confusion in the fall of it five men and two women were slaine out right and above one hundred and fifty persons more sore wounded and bruised whereof many dyed shortly after some of them having their braines dashed out some their heads all to quasht some their leggs broken some their armes some their backs some one hurt some another there being nothing heard there but woefull screekes cries wch did even pieree the skies children there bewailng the death and hurts of their parents Parents of their children wives of their Husbands and Husbands of their Wives so that every way from foure of the Clock in the afternoone till nine at night especially over London bridge many were carried in and led betwixt their friends and so brought home to their houses with sorrowfull heavy hearts like lame cripples 4. Much more might be said to proove the abominablenesse of these playes from the rise and originall of them they being the inventions of the Heathens devised and framed on purpose to honour their l Graeci omnium suâ—rum â—udorum â—â—lennitaâ—um atque adeo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods withall especially Bacchus their Drunken God from whence stage players were called Bacchus his handy-crafts-men FroÌ„ the maine ends lookt at in them m aiâ— Athâ—nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed cum veri Dei notitiam aâ—â—â—serunt idâ— Bacchum festivitatis authorem dixerunt haue scenicos ludos consecrarunt huic dramaticam poeâ—m universam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicarunt quaÌ„ antiquiâ—mi hoâ—â—nâ— cam ob caâ—sam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellarunt sâ—enicâ— hiâ—â—ienes ideo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seâ— per dicti IIs aa Casaub de Satvr Grae. Poâ—s Rom. Satyâ—a m Equidem Comaediae smis non fere alius crat Gracis quam latitia hilaritus Cael Rhod. lib 6. at quae sequuntur ne referam vetat pudor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinfull mirth and jollity From the ordinary concomitants effects and fruits of them But these have been so largely handed by Dr. Reynolds Mr. Prinne and others that it would be needlesse to repeat them There hath been said enough already to prove stage playes to be sinfull And if so that we may returne to that where we left Is it not a judgment if a man be taken in the midst of his sinnes When Nadab Abihu were smitten by the Lord in the midst of their sinnes was it not a judgment a sore judgment The story you have Levit. 10.1.2 Oh cease to speake against the God of heaven any more in this sort Certainly it was a judgment and a manifest judgment it was wrath from heaven yea it was wrath from heaven against you in this place Suffer me to give you this observation All that were killed were the people of Witny they were your children your sonnes and your daughters that were slaine Why should five of Witny be slaine outright and not any one of other places This CoÌ„edy was acted in other places but it was in Witny only that it proved a Tragedy O Witny Witny the Lord is angry with thee and there are severall sins among you that the Lord points out by this judgment 1. There is the sin of Prophanenesse amongst you how many are there in this place that are given only to drinking sporting merriments and pas-times I have too sadly observed it in passing the streets people will sit drinking in an Ale-house making themselves merry with a Fiddle whereas they will not step over their threshold to heare a Sermon Oh this is the very depth of prophanenesse when men care not for God they care not for his word they care not for his ordinances they care not for the great things of salvation but are still calling for their sports and merriments they will be jovall and merry that they will Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any prophane person as Esau that is an unhallowed and unsanctifyed person one that still lyes in his naturall filth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why what is the Character of such a one it is added who for one morsell of meat sold his birthright You of this place have had the Gospell amongst you Christ and salvation is offered heaven and happinesse stand waiting on men few men care for this few men bid Christ and salvation welcome are not many apt to say what need of all this preaching was it not better with us when we had lesse Many think it much to afford one houre in a week to heare a Sermon but they say come let us eat and drink and make our selves merry let us dance it and card it and be joviall whilst we may and I would to God there may be none such found among you that will sit up whole nights at Cards and Dice that can sit day after day many houres together in an Asehouse that grudge a few minnutes to be spent in the service of God Oh! desperate prophanenesse abominable wickednesse the God of heaven hath revenged this prophanenesse this day Do but thinke with your selves what the place was where the hand of the Lord was seen was it not in such a Kind of place where such meetings use to bee I speake not of that Particular house but that it should be in an Inne Taverne or Ale-house such a Kind of place to which the people of this place are so much adicted which they haunt so much spend so much time in Is there nothing to be learn't from this Doth the Lord point out nothing of the sin of this place herein The sinne of drunkennes is to rife common amongst you the drunkards are reeling in your streets they are open and obvious to the view of all I my selfe have been too sad an eye-witnesse 2. Another sin that may be feared to be amongst you is the sin of uncleannesse Is there no fornication no adultery in secret corners no such things as chambering and wantonesse to be found amongst you Examine well what all your songs carolls are which are so often sung at your dores in your houses are there none of them base filthy obscene It argues too too light and wanton a spirit that so many scores yea some hundreds should be at a lascivious play Oh this is a fearful sin the sin of uncleannesse fornication adultery and those things that border on it These sins
there them that hold such and such things In thee O Pergamos are found such monstrous and abominable Doctrines in thee are found such as maintaine thē will stand for them with thee it is that they have their seat and residence Are there not to be found in thee O Witny corrupt licentious abominable Doctrines hast thou not also them that hold them that contend for them with might maine Are there none amongst you that make a mock of sin that make sin nothing that hold there is no such thing as sin Are there none amongst you that deny the great fundamentall Doctrines which are the very hinges pillars and foundations of all religion denying the resurrection the immortality of the soule election and reprobation Heaven and hell that deny the damnation of any and maintaine the salvation of all that can take away the scriptures the whole Bible and religion it selfe all at once are there none such as these are These are sad provocations black and dismall provocations I would feigne believe some poore soules are led aside through weaknesse and simplicity and are beguiled through the subtility of that old serpent whose wiles they are ignorant of The good Lord deliver them that they perish not It s a dangerous thing to stumble at the fundamentalls of religion and godlinesse although it be through weaknesse But if there be any such who obstinately and pertinatiously maintaine such Doctrines against cleare and convincing light formerly shining on them against the truth which sometimes they owned and professed they are in a sad and fearfull case Read the Epistles of St. Peter and Jude and there you will see the ends of those men 2. Pet. 2.1 They bring upon themselves swift destruction v. 3. Their Judgment now of a long time lingereth not and their damnation slumbereth not Ep. Iude v. 4. who were before of old ordained to this condemnation If a man out of despight make a mock of Preaching sabbaths ordinances if there be any worse place in hell it is reserved for that man You see what the sinnes are which are found amongst you I have now shewen you your wounds my next work is to endeavour the healing of them and indeed that was my maine intention it was not a pleasure to me to search and lance your your soares yet that was necessary to a cure The maine exhortation pressed on you hath been an exhortation to repentance to serious to speedy repentance And that which remaines is to give more particular direction what your carriage and deportment ought to be under the present hand of God There are these foure things you ought to set before you and to have in your eye 1. The work of Humiliation 2. The work of Reconciliation 3. The work of Reformation 4. The work of Remembrance for so it may be called laying it as a solemne charge upon your selves to keep in remembrance this strange and wonderfull providence 1. The first Duty to be set upon is the work of Humiliation I do not meane you should set upon it in your own strength but take the strength of Christ with you and the strength of the spirit with you and then you may go on You have sinned greatly oh humble your selves greatly before the Lord Manasseth did so after his great sinnes 2. Chron. 33.12 And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers Every particular soule should humble himselfe for his particular sinnes and say Good Lord what have my sinnes been that such wrath should come upon Witny in my dayes Every family should mourne and lament over the sinnes of that family Husbands should mourne apart and the Wives a part children a part and servants a part every one mourning for his owne personall sinnes and the family sinnes In the 12. Zachar. 11. we read of a great mourning a great mourning indeed as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon When was that When that good King Iosiah was slaine 2. Chron. 35.23.24.25 Oh that was a dreadfull a terrible Judgment to have such a Prince taken from them and this occasioned a great mourning the text saies all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for Iosiah All were turned mourners then and there was no one but bare a part in these lamentations Ieremiah the Prophet he lamented for Iosiah and the singing men and the singing women spake of Iosiah in their lamentations unto this day Their singing was turned into mourning and their rejoycing into lamentation You have had a great many singing men and singing women in this place such as would goe frō doore to doore singing their songs and carolls to make themselves and others mirth Oh! it were well if your singers were turned into mourners if your harpers were turned into lamenters if insteed of al your songs carols dācings you would now come and weep together and say as Ieremiah doth Lament 3.1 How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger How hath the Lord covered poore Witney with a cloud in his anger and as it is in the 4. verse He hath bent his bow like an enemy he stood with his right hand as an adversary he powred our his fury like fire Complaine as the Church also doth in Lam. 3. with a little change in the expression We are the people that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath v. 3. Surely against us is he turned he turneth his hand all the day v. 4. our flesh our skin hath he made old he hath broken our bones Thus I say cōe weep together every soule should weep every family should weep the whole Town should weep and indeed it were well if God would put it into your hearts to keep a day of weeping to set apart some solemne day to fast and pray and weep and humble your selves before the Lord. Say unto the Lord as it is Lam. 1 18. The Lord is righteous for we have rebelled against his commandements and as the Church bemoanes her selfe Lam 3.39 40 41 c. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens We have transgressed and rebelled thou hast not pardoned Thou hast covered with anger and persecuted us thou hast slaine thou hast not pittied 2. Aime at Reconciliation The Lord is displeased he hath been highly provoked oh labour to get his anger removed and his wrath pacifyed Run apace to the Lord Jesus entreat him to stand betweene you and his fathers wrath go to him speedily go to him immediately before farther wrath breake forth It is not all our teares though we could poure out whole rivers of thē that can wash away one sin no no in that day 't is spoken immediately after the mention of that
be in the whole towne Away now with all your sinfull sports and merriments away with all your cards and dice singing dancing and such like vanityes Insteed of these things set up Catechizing praying in the family morning and evening and let one neighbour come to another and say come let us go to heaven together and seek the Lord together Jerem. 50 4.5 In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going weeping they shall ge seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that shall not be forgotten Oh what a blessed change would this bee if young and old rich and poor husbands and wives parents and children masters and servants would all joyne together if they would come weeping together and seek the Lord if all the people in this place would set their faces towards Heaven and toward Religion and say Come let us joyne our selves in a perpetuall Covenant we will strike in with the Lord this day and we will never alter our choice more it shall be a Covenant that shall never be forgotten If you would all resolve this day Come we will goe to Zion with our faces thitherward We will go where the word is preached and where the ordinances are set up and where the worship of God is celebrated oh we will neglect the word no more we will neglect the ordinances no longer This is one of the last requests I have to leave with you oh do not neglect the opertunityes of hearing the word and comming to the Ordinances as you have done For the Lords sake you that are masters of families come your selves and bring your children and servants along with you you that have friends bring your friends with you Go weeping as they did and say oh we have neglected the word and neglected Christ and neglected salvation but we will neglect them no more Let that prophecy be fulfilled of you which was spoken Isai 2.3 And many people shall goe and say Come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Load to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem Redeeme an houre in the week day to heare the word your callings will not prosper ever the worse 4 The last thing I have to propound to you by way of direction is the Duty of Remembrance Forget not the Wonderous workes which the Lord hath wrought When mercyes or Judgements are new and fresh we are apt to speak of them and to be affected with them but a little time weares them out of our minds and blots them quite out of our Remembrance Oh take heed of this Bind this sad Providence for a signe upon your hands and let it be as Frontlets between your eyes Set it down in your Almanacks and keep a Register of the Day oh this was the black and dismall day of Gods visitation on poor Witny It were good if you kept some solemne day every yeare as a remembrance of this sad and heavy stroke For as great mercyes require great and and solemne praises so do great judgments require great aed solemne humiliation They speake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day and made them an Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written in the Lamentations 2. Chron. 35.25 It seemes they had a constant remembrance of that judgment the losse of good Josiah they speak of him to this day It was a constant practise amongst them to remember that sad stroke and they had a solemne Book of Lamentations appointed to mourne for this judgment Luke 17.32 Remember Lots wife We have not many such Remembers in all the Book of God upon so speciall an occasion they may easily be all reckoned up and therefore here is some speciall thing hinted to us Here was a speciall monument of Gods judgment on a woman that was hankering after her old pleasures she had been used to the delights and contentments of Sodom and she was loath to part with these she lookt back to the Sodom of her former pleasures and contentments and whilst she is looking back she became a Pillar of salt Oh remember this saith our Saviour Remember Lots Wife There is an accent put on this You of this place have been hankering after sports and merriments you have been mightily set on these things and the Lord hath shewen his displeasure by an Eminent hand and a streched out arme Oh remember this remember the Tragicall story at the White Hart. You have heard now at large what your duty is in generall it is to fall upon the work of Repentance You have likewise been directed particularly how to carry your selves in that work and what the particular Duetyes are which are to be done by you and what the Lord expects from each of you in your severall rankes and places That which remaines is only in the close of all to adde a motive or two to that which hath been already said to presse that which is your duety on you 1. If you do not repent some worse thing will come upon you It may be the Lord may send a Fire next to consume all your houses it may be he may send the pestilence among you to devoure you or if not that a famine the Lord hath wayes enough to punish unrepentant sinners Read over that 26. of Leviticus there you will see what the Lord threatens in such a case v. 23.24 If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seaven times for your sinnes v. 27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seaven times for your sinnes If you think to wax stout and stubborne against the Lord he will be as stout against you if you walk contrary to him he will doe so to you and if one judgment will not do it he will follow you with a second a third and if you still harden your hearts against him he will cōe against you in Fury he will summon up all his wrath and vengeance and if he be able to break and ruine you to be sure he will do it Oh it is a dreadfull word v. 17. I will set my face against you and that in the 28. verse I even I will chastise you As much as if he should say I the great God I that made heaven and earth and can turne the foundation of it upsidedown whē I please I will set my selfe against you I will engage all my