themselues to labour Nay séeing the deuill himselfe spends not his time idly they are worse then the deuill which suffer the dayes of worke to slide away without labouring in the workes of their vocation Idlenes as Barnard saith is a sink of all lustfull and lawlesse temptations What was the cause that Aegisthus became an Adulterer In promptu causa est desidiosus erat Idlenesse was the cause that prouoked him thereunto And if you will know the cause of so many robberies in the fields ryots in the stréets disorders in euery place in a word all these many more inconueniences procéed and grow from idlenesse for euen as that water that hath no currēt doth in short time corrupt become offensiue so that body or mind which exerciseth it selfe about no imployment becomes a very sinke of all lewdnesse disorder Salomon went by the field of the sluggard and lo it was all growne ouer with thornes and nettles had couered the face thereof And as the field of the slouthfull is couered with nettles and thornes so his body is ouer-growne with infirmities his minde corrupted with the infection of sinne his conscience destitute of a good testimony to it selfe and his soule voyd of all hope of eternall happinesse God hath placed vs in this world as labourers in his vineyard as souldiers in his campe as trauellers to séeke a countrey to rest our selues in as cursitors or runners in a race whereby wee may gather that idlenesse is not our profession for we cannot obtaine except we run the race we cannot ouercome except wée fight manfully we cannot haue that pennie except we labour in the vineyard the fruitles trée must be cast into the fire The vnprofitable seruant must be bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darknes Therefore whosoeuer rests here in this world where he should labour shal labour in the world to come where he thinks to rest Our Sauiour Christ promiseth his disciples that when he should rest they should rest also But when did our Sauiour Christ rest sayth Barnard not in this world for he went about doing good and reioyced as a mighty Giant to runne his course therefore his disciples must not looke to sit and rest them in this world It is a shame sayth Augustine that the Sunne whose going out is from the end of the heauen and whose compasse is to the ends of the same should take any man in his bed for may not the Sunne rightly say to such a sluggard I trauelled a greater iourney yesterday then thou didst and art thou in bed after me this morning It should séeme that in Iobs time there was very straight order taken for such as liued idly and vnthriftily for they were chased foorth from among men and euery one showted at them as at a théefe And the Apostle Saint Paul maketh a strict decrée against them that such as would not labour should not eate So much hath Idlenes bene alwayes detested among good men therefore no maruell if God brought such a fearefull destruction vpon Sodom whose Inhabitants liued in this abominable and detestable sinne But this people was not onely possessed with a carelesse and secure slumber of Idlenes in their bodyes but in their soules also they did not onely liue loosely and remissely in their ordinary vocations and callings but they liued without all feare of any imminent danger or future calamity that should fall vpon them for their wickednesse they liued sinfully in their liues securely in their hearts Their sinnes cryed for wrath but they cryed Peace peace there shall no harme happen vnto vs they prouoked the Lord to vengeance and yet they promised themselues safetie This slumber of the soule is worse then that of the body for it is a present forerunner of destruction when men shal say Peace and safety then shall come vpon them sudden destruction as trauell vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape Our Sauiour Christ dehorteth vs from this security by the fearefull example of the old world for whiles they in that age did eate and drinke and buy and sell and marry wiues and were marryed the flood came and drowned them all so if wée liue and lye snorting vpon the carelesse beds of sinfull securitie the wrath of God will come suddenly vpon vs and destroy vs. For this cause the Apostle perswadeth the feare of the Lord vnto men And S. Peter exhorteth men to passe the time of their pilgrimage here in this world in feare and Salomon pronounceth those blessed that liue alwayes in feare for they which harden their hearts shall fall into euill This security is one of the signes which shall goe before that great and finall destruction of the world at the last day and it is said that the day of the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night euen when men are in the dead sléepe of sinne then shall the last iudgement come vpon them Whiles the Mariner sléepes at the helme the ship is soone run against a rocke Iael doth easily strike a nayle in the temples of Sisera whiles he sléepeth vnder a couering Dauid comming vpon the Amalechites finding them eating and drinking and dancing slew euery man of them and recouered all the spoyle So when men feare nothing but passe their time in pleasures delights and vanities without feare of God or his iudgements then doth God come vpon them suddenly and destroyes them without mercy Therefore our Sauiour Christ giues euery one warning of this careles security and accounts him an ill seruant that shall say in his heart My master doth deferre his cōming and so beginneth to eate and drinke with the drunken and smite his fellow seruants The master of this careles and secure seruant shall come in a day sayth our Sauiour Christ when he looketh not for him in an houre that he is not aware of will cut him off and giue him his portion with Hypocrites where shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth Seing therefore this people of Sodom laboured of so dangerous a Lithargy they were iustly surprised with so strange and fearefull a iudgement The fourth sinne of Sodom was They did not strengthen y e hand of the poore they were vnmercyfull vncharitable and hard-hearted towards the néedy and surely they could not otherwise be for a proud heart a full belly and a vaine careles idle head neuer regards y e distressed estate of those that are in want and misery Other sinnes prouoke God to wrath and indignation but this sinne prouokes him to deny mercy and to become inexorable according to that saying of the Apostle There shal be iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy And the reason why God will shew no mercy to those that are mercylesse vnto the poore eyther in oppressing them or in not relieuing them is because he taketh all vnmercyfull and vncharitable
these silly dumbe creatures it is a maruell that they doe not break their league with man and shake off the yoke of obedience toward him It is a maruell that y e earth doth not rent in sunder vnder man as he walkes vpon it séeing it is so plagued with barrennesse for the sinne of man It is a maruell that our oxen and our horses with their hornes and hooues doe not make warre against vs séeing we are such vnrighteous tyrannicall Lords ouer them not content to haue their vse and seruice except wée plague them besides into such vndeserued vengeance of GODS wrath by our sinnes and transgressions Let vs therefore forbeare and eschew sinne and flye from it as from a Serpent séeing by it wée doe not onely draw downe Gods heauy iudgements vpon our heads but also wée plague our posteritie and the very dumbe and vnreasonable creatures into the wrath of Gods vengeance by our sinnes and transgressions And let vs further learne the perfect hatred of GOD against sinne who doth not onely punish it in maÌ„ which committeth it but in all things which any way serue man in his sinfull courses and let vs estéeme no sinne small séeing the infinite maiestie of God is offended by it infinite torments are prepared for it and nothing can satisfie for it but the inestimable price of Christes blood applyed to the conscience by a true and liuely faith Now it remaines that in the last place we examine the cause why the Lord brought such a fearefull destruction vpon this land and people There must néeds be some great cause that did exasperate the Lord to execute such a fierce strange iudgemeÌ„t vpon them The cause is not hard to be found out for nothing doth separate man from God but sinne nothing doth prouoke God to punish plague and destroy man but sin nothing doth draw downe the iudgements of God vpon man but sinne and sinne it was that mooued the Lord to reuenge himselfe thus seuerely vpon this land and people as it appeares by the wordes of Almightie God to Abraham Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is exceeding grieuous I will go downe now saith the Lord. Sin brought death into the world they are twinnes bred and borne in one day sinne and destruction are Relatiues admit the one and the other followes death and destruction growes foorth of sinne as fruite from the tree and therefore if we sin we may surely expect to be punished and if we be punished we need not doubt of the cause but we may safely thinke with our selues it is for our sinnes Therefore as we haue considered the punishment of Sodom so let vs consider the sins of Sodom which were the cause of her ouerthrow and destruction The Prophet Ezechiel doth make knowne vnto vs the sinnes of this people to be foure Pride fulnesse of bread idlenesse and vnmercifulnesse towardes the poore But these were not all the sins of SodoÌ„ for the Scripture layes downe another sinne practised amongst this people which because it did either beginne amongst them or was more practiseâ— amongst them then amongst any other people beside deriued the name from them and so holds it to this day but the Prophet doth reckoÌ„ the forenamed sinnes to be the sinnes of this people because they were the principall causes of that vnnaturall sin which wiâ—h the cry thereof brought such a fearefull vengeance vpon them In speaking of the sinnes of Sodom I will kéepe the same order that the Prophet obserueth in the place before cited placing Pride in the first ranke as though it were the Ring-leader to the rest and the roote from whence all other vices doe follow and so it is indéed and therefore it is called the Center in the sphere of mans life from whence are drawne lines to the circumference of iniquitie If a man haue any good gifts or qualities in him pride doth expell and abandon them if a man haue none pride will not giue place for any to enter and the first thing that pride works in maÌ„ is an irrespectiue care and an incurious respect of God hee cares not for God he séekes not for God hée doth not trust and relye vpon God nay he thinkes alwayes there is no God for the obiect of his pride is his God and in it he doth trust vpon it he doth relye and he sets it vp as an Idoll not onely in his owne heart but in the eyes and view of the world to the end all men may applaud admire honour and magnifie it as if a man be proude of his Nobilitie of his dignitie and greatnesse of his wealth and riches of his credit and estimation of his learning and wisdome of his apparel of his costly and goodly buildings or whatsoeuer else is the obiect of his pride he doth not onely set his heart vpon it himselfe séeking all meanes to vphold and maintaine it deriuing all his ioy and contentment from it depending vpon it as vpon the staffe and stay of his strength but he must haue all other men likewise to commit Idolatry with it and as the finger is alwayes where the paine is and the eye where the affectioÌ„ is so is the heart of a proud man alwayes setled fixed vpon y e thing whereof he is proud And therefore it is true that Dauid speaks of him he cares not for God he séekes not for God he thinks alwayes there is no God as he is thus careles inrespectiue of God so is he most iniurious to his neighbor in scorning disdaining despising vildly estéeming him Superbus nesâ—at esse socius A proud man acknowledgeth none to be his equall A proud man is alwayes contentious and by reason he is wholy possest with selfe-loue a man shall neuer haue iustice at his haÌ„ds for which cause Moses gaue warning to the Israelites not to chuse a King that should lift vp his heart aboue his brethren for when the chiefe Magistrate is proud and haughty all iustice and iudgement is peruerted he gouerns all things after the rule of his owne proud conceyts And euen as when a man winnoweth wheate the chaffe mounts aloft though it be light and vnprofitable but the wheate falls downe vnto the grouÌ„d though it be more precious and excellent then the chaffe eueÌ„ so when a proud man sits in gouernment vanity is preferred but iustice and iudgement are depressed Dauid complayneth of the proud that they had him excéedingly in derision and in another place that they imagined a lye against him noting vnto vs thereby that in the first place they scorne and disdayne all men and in the second place that they wrong maligne and deale vniustly with euery man Thus is a proud man fouÌ„d impious towards God iniurious to his neighbour not capable to receyue any good gifts or graces as a certain Philosopher told Alexander perceyuing his pride God
wife children by vnconscionable courses in his wages for the like was neuer heard of in Sodom Thus are wee vnmercifull in giuing vnmercifull in forgiuing vnmercifull in lending vnmercifull in paying vnmercifull in buying and selling so that it may iustly be said of vs which was said of the Sodomites They strengthen not the hand of the poore néedy Thus haue we found by comparing our sinnes with the sinnes of Sodom that wee are nothing behind them in our sinnes if we excéed them not wee are surely equall with them It is said of the sinnes of Sodom that they cryed in the eares of the Lord and surely our sinnes are as saucy and impudent as euer were theirs and if theirs cryed ours are not tongue-tide I warrant you we reach home to them with our wickednesse The sinnes of Sodom were growne to their full height so are ours For it is impossible that any man or womā in these dayes should adde any thing to the sins which they practise so that as in a general plague it is not such a maruell at those which dye as it is at those which escape so in this generall infection of sinne wherewith the world at this day is defiled wee are not so much to maruell that there be so many bad as that there be any good Now when the sinnes of a people grow to that height that they come to be crying sins then vengeance loyters not destruction comes spéedily When the LORD had taken knowledge of the cry of the sinnes of Sodom and had found their sins to be according to the cry euen the next day he rained fire and brimstone from heauen and destroyed them all So when the Lord shal finde our sinnes at their full height he will spéedily bring his iudgements vpon vs and destroy vs for as the husbandman thrusts the sickle into the Corne when it is perfitly ripe and as the Oxe is brought to the slaughter when hee is fat so destruction comes vpon men when the measure of sinne is fulfilled Now that our sinnes are at their height and are growne to their perfit ripenesse it is manifest because they are equall with the sinnes of Sodom as hath béen already prooued and also because there can not be any addition made in the seueral humors and dispositions of men to the sinnes which they practise But admit these two reasons shall not bee thought of trueth sufficent to confirme the height and ripenesse of our sins I will adde foure infallible arguments to proue the ripenesse of sinne First when sinne is directly committed against God against nature and against humane society of which sort our sinnes be they are directly against God witnesse our horrible swearing and forswearing and our fearefull blapheming of the most holy and blessed Name of GOD and our prophane vnhallowing of his Sabboth together with the contempt of his word and neglect of his Ministers They are against nature witnesse y e filthy sinne of Sodomy of which this Land of ours can not cleare it self as also the Incest the Parricide the Fratricide the Coosen-germane marriages which are committed amongst vs they are against humane societie witnesse our inclosing our ingrossing our cruelty extortion oppression robberies murders and such like Secondly the generality of sinne doth prooue the ripenes of sinne when not a few but a whole multitude are corrupt and such is our estate a generall infection of sinne hath runne ouer the whole Land so that except the Lord had left vnto vs a small remnant we should haue beene as Sodom and like vnto Gomorrah Thirdly the impudency of the sinner doth prooue the ripenesse of sin as when men are not ashamed to transgresse openly and also to bragge and boast of their sinnes and such haue we amongst vs as might be instanced by men of note if it were expedient to particularize Lastly when the sinner is not humbled nor amended by punishments iudgements inflicted vpon him it is a true marke that his sin is at the height and herein haue we shewed our selues to bee incorrigible The Lord hath threatned vs with warre he hath plagued vs with the pestilence hee hath pinched vs with scarcity dearth and yet wee are not bettered there is no turning vnto God but wee fall away more and more our sinnes therefore being at the height the fierce wrath of God must néeds be euen néere at hand and ready to be executed vpon vs. And will you haue such likely-hoods as may perswade the trueth thereof vnto vs Then wryte my words in tables y t they may bee monuments for later dayes for when your childrens childrē shall heare of them hereafter they will bee astonished at them The moneths of the yéere haue not yet gone about eight times in their courses wherein the Lord hath shewed more tokens of his intended approaching wrath then the agedst man in our Land is able to recount of in so small a time The winds haue beene so outragious violent as though the foure ends of heauen had conspired to turne the foundations of the earth vpside downe The anger of the clouds hath béene powred downe vpon vs in such abundance as hath béene both vnseasonable for the time and vnprofitable for the earth The heauens aboue vs haue beene turned to brasse and the earth beneath vs into iron which hath wrought such effects that the child vnborne shall speake of it The sea with vnwonted inundations hath attempted to bring the Land within the territorie thereof The fire as an Ambassadour of the last vengeance hath most fiercely raged in all parts of our Land Treasons many mighty mōstrous neuer before heard of or imagined haue beene plotted and contriued against our most dread Soueraigne our Quéene and Royall Issue intending the vtter ouerthrow of Kingdome State and Countrey The Commons haue risen pretending themselues wrongd in their commons indangering the common peace and tranquillitie of the Common-wealth The arrowes of a woful pestilence haue beene cast abroad at large in all the quarters of our Land A present dearth without scarcity doth pinch vs bringing pouerty like a way-faring man vpon vs. Our Summer is turned into Winter our cheapenesse of all things into dearth The skies lowre vpon vs because their Creatour is angry at vs. The Sunne hideth from vs his gladsome light as though wee were not worthy to inioy it The clouds night and day do let fal showres of teares bemoaning the miseries which God hath determined to bring vpon vs. And thus all the creatures doe threaten and foreshew our approching destruction yet wee more sencelesse then y e insensible creatures neither feare any thing nor suspect any thing Well there must bee an end of sinning or else God will make an end of vs. There must be a turning vnto God or else God wil not turn vnto vs. If our sins be the sins of Sodom our iudgement must bee the iudgement of Sodom There must
be some end of our sinnes or if Moses and Samuel with all the holy Angels were amongst vs to bestow both their preaching and their prayers that wee might be saued they should saue but their owne soules and neither vs nor our sonnes and daughters Wee are not sinners of yesterday wee are not Nouices in the schoole of Sathan but we haue long troden the pathes of vngodlinesse wearied our selues in the wayes of wickednesse We haue wearied the tongues of y e Lords Ministers and grieued the soules of those Preachers that haue bin sent vnto vs in séeing their labour lost vpon vs they haue preacht in season out of season they haue brought out of their treasures things both new old they haue giuen vs milke and strong meat they haue come in the spirit of gentlenesse and with a rod they haue entreated threatned preached mercy preached iudgement and yet all this without successe for we haue beene like y e deafe Adder stopping our eares refusing to heare the voice of the Charmer charming swéetly vnto vs. Hearken now I pray you and bee iudges your selues O ye inhabitants of England if y e men of Sodom might haue had those meanes to haue drawne them to repentance which you haue had would they not haue broght forth fruits more worthy of repentance then you haue done Therefore shall they rise vp in y e day of Iudgement against you Let this Alarum giuen you by SodoÌ„ her Cities be a warning vnto vs all to eschew their sins lest we burn in their iudgements Let vs al froÌ„ the highest to the lowest fall downe and knéele before the Lord our maker let vs lye low before the footstoole of his Maiesty and with all submission both of body and minde acknowledge our sinnes preuent the intended wrath of God against vs by our true hearty repentance For the Lord is our God and will and must be serued of vs hée is our Lord wil and must be honoured of vs he is our Father will and must be obeyed of vs he is our Iudge and dreadfull Reuenger and will eyther bee feared of vs or else hee will reuenge himselfe vpon vs. FINIS Mâ—r. 14.9 Gen. 22.3 Psal 119 147 148. 1. Sam. 1.19 Esay 56.9 Exod. 16 13. 2. Kings 3.20 Acts 2.15 1. Pet. 2.15 The destructioÌ„ of SodoÌ„ and Gomorrha the most fearefull example of Gods veÌ„geaÌ„ce that euer was inflicted in this world vpon maÌ„kind for sin If we practise the sinns of SodoÌ„ we shall taste of the iudgments of Sodom Fiue causes why Sodom was destroyed The suddennes of SodoÌ„s destruction Doctrine Vengeance shal suddenly ouertake the vnrepentant sinner Iob 34.20 Gen. 19.26 Num. 25.8 Numb 19.34 Sudden death is one degree more fearefull then death Suet. in vita Caesar Pro. 6.15 Wee ought to pray against sudden death 1. Tim. 5.8 Lam. per. tot How to iudge of those which dye suddenly 2. Chron. 35.23.24 Lam. 4.20 Who are sayd to dye suddenly Sudden death not alwayes a spiritual iudgement Amb. de obit Val. Iude. 1.7 Mat 25.10 The Author of Sodoms ouerthrow â—erâ— fict Pâ—trusab Alâ—aco Guil. Par. Strabo Against those that ascribe strange accidents to naturall causes Gen. 1.14 Against the vanitie and incertaintie of iudiciall Astrologie In assert fidei cap. â—lt Amos 3.6 Iere· 14.22 Ps 147.4 Hierom. in Esay cap. 27. CanoÌ„ 16. Deut. 4.19 Micah 6.9 Doct. God the Author of al such things as befall man Iob 1.21 Iob. 19 21. 2. Sam. 16.10 Vse 1. Iames. 5.13 Vse 2. Psal 39.9 Vse 3. The maner of Sodoms destruction Gen. 7.12 Exod. 9.23 Reasons why God brought this maner of destruction vpon Sodom and Gomorrha Reason 1. Reason 2. Gen. 14.10 Leuit 10.2 Luke 16.24 Reason 3. Gen. 19.13 Iob 7.20 Ps 23.1 Ps 18.2 Deut. 28.12 Hos 2.21 2. Sam. 16.3 2. Sam. 29.16 Exod. 1.16 The generality of SodoÌ„s destruction The largenesse of the countrey of Sodom Gen. 14.2 Gen. 19.22 The excellency of the countrey of Sodom Ezech. 16.49 Doctrine Nothing can priuiledge either place or person from Gods vengeance against sinne Ps 107.34 Ps 50.2 Ps 87.2 Ps 132.13.14 Man woman child destroyed in Sodoms ouerthrow Psal 82.7 Ier. 22.24 1. Kings 22.31 The greatest men doe oftentimes taste first of Gods iudgements Dan. 5.30 ChildreÌ„ destroyed as wel as those of elder yeeres Reason 1. Reasons why Infants were destroyed Reason 3. Reason 4 Doctrine Parents euen in regard of their childreÌ„ ought to liue conscionably Esay 57.3 20. All liuing creatures destroyed in Sodoms ouerthrow Psal 8. The cause of Sodoms destruction was sinne Gen. 18.20 Ezec. 16.49 The sins of Sodom Gen. 19.5 Pride A proud man cares not for God Ps 10.4 Ps 10.4 A proud man is iniurious to all men Deut. 17 20. Ps 119.51.69 A proud man not capable of grace Psal 36.11 Pro. 16.18 Amos 6.8 Iam. 4.6 Zeph. 2.10 Ier. 50.31 32. The second sinne of Sodom fulnes of bread Gluttony the deuils baite Amos. 6.4.6 Ier. 5.8 Psal 69.23 Pro. 23.20 Ier. 16.8 Hos 13.6 Eccleâ— 5.11 Meat drinke to be taken like a medicine Fiue cautions to be obserued in eating drinking Numb 11.6 Plutar. in Rom. Apoph Caution 3. 4 1. Sam. 2 13 14 15. Gen. 25.30 Sine me haurire Trâ—mel Esay 22.13 14. Fulnesse of bread most displeasing vnto Almightie God Esay 22 12. The third sin of Sodom was idlenesse Luk. 13.7 Idle persons a burthen to the earth Pro. 6.6 All creatures in heauen earth hell painefull in their places but onely man Iob. 1.7 2. Pet. 5.8 Iob. 1.7 2. Pet. 5.8 Idlenesse the sinke of all lawlesse temptations Pro. 24. Idle persons corrupt both in body minde This world no place of rest Iob. 30 5. 2. Thess 3.10 A second kind of Idlenes which was in the Sodomits 2. Thess 5.3 Matt. 24.23 24. 2. Cor. 5.11 1. Pet. 1.17 Pro. 28.14 Securitie a forerunner of destructioÌ„ Iudg. 4.21 1. Sam. 30.16 17. Mat. 24.48 The fourth sinne of Sodom Iames. 2.13 God the Gardian of the poore Esay 3.15 Ps 12.5 6. Though God beare with other sins yet he will not beare with the sinne of vnmercifulnes Pro. 22.23 The prayers of the vnmercifull are abominable Pro. 21.13 Psal 104.21 Psa 147.9 Hoseâ— 2.21 Gen 4.10 Amos. 5.11 Iob. 20.20 The sin of vnmercifulnesse prouoketh God to punish a whole land Amos 8.4 8. The vnmerciful shall haue the curse of God which is wo euerlasting The last sinne of Sodom Rom. 7.8 A comparison between the sins of SodoÌ„ and the sinnes of England The pride of England equall to the pride of SodoÌ„ Iudges 5.16 Fulnes of bread in England equall to that of Sodom Amb. Epist 82. ad Eccle. ver Suet. in vita Vitell. sect 13. Idlenes of England equall to that of Sodom Suet. in vita Clau. 33. WaÌ„t of mercy and charity in England without comparison Pined in Iob tom 2. in cap. 31. Against Inclosers Esa 5.8 9 10. Tho. More Eutop lib. 1. Gen. 13.11 and 19.29 Against Engrossers Amos 8.5 C. de Mâ—n lib. Iube Against vsury Against the vnmerciful dealing of work masters Sinnes of England crying sinnes The sinnes of England at the ful height The height and ripenesse of sinne prooued by foure arguments More tokens of Gods wrath against vs within fewe yeeres then of long time before There must be a turning vnto God on our parts before God will turn vnto vs.
exercised in hearing the word of God prayer Vpon which grounds you that are of the Parish of S. Antholins in London you y t are the hearers of the morning Lectures there are worthily to be cōmended the one because you haue founded a Lecture in that place at the fittest time of the day which as hath bin prooued is the morning wherein appeares your godly wisdome The other for repayring to heare the said Lecture wherin appeares your zeale and deuotion Many Cōgregations haue done religiously in this kinde but you surmount them all for howsoeuer the word is to be preached in season and out of season and no time or season is vnfit for the hearing of the same yet they are to bee commended aboue the rest which make choyce of the fittest time for this purpose There bee some which dare deride and slander this morning exercise but this ought not to derogate from the worthines excellency of it for I neuer heard of any action were it neuer so holy and vertuous but it alwayes had aduersaries to impeach it And this is a sure argument vnto me that it is a seruice acceptable vnto God aboue other of the same nature because it is more depraued slandered than any other for the more diuine that any action is the more enuy hath the deuil at it Let none therfore be discouraged or take offēce at this Lecture if they heare it any way euil spoken of but let this be my exhortation both to you that mayntayne it to you that repayre to heare it that you be not weary of well doing for so is the will of God that by continuing in well doing you may put to silence the ignorance and malice of foolish men Yours in the Lord Robert Gray AN Alarum to England Gen. 19.23 24 25. 23. The Sunne did rise vpon the earth when Lot entred into Zoar. 24. Then the Lord rayned vpon Sodom and Gomorra brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heauen 25. And ouerthrew those Cities and all the plaine and all the Inhabitants of those Cities and all that grew vpon the earth MAny and fearefull haue bene the iudgements which Almighty God from time to time hath executed vpon man for sinne But of all the examples of Gods vengeance this which he shewed vpon Sodom and Gomorrha for their impiety is most horrible and dreadfull for whose eares do not tingle whose flesh doth not tremble whose hart doth not melt to heare of such a sudden strange and mercilesse fire as this was which like a showre of raine fell vpon these cities and destroyed them Wée read of the torments of hell that they are vnspeakeable and as the heart of man cannot imagine the ioyes which are prepared for the godly no more can the heart of man imagine the miseries which are reserued in hell for the wicked and vngodly Now of all the iudgements which God hath inflicted vpon man in this world there is none which doth more resemble the paines of hell then this wherewith Sodom and Gomorrha were ouerthrowne Esay 30.33 it is sayd that in Tophet there is burning fire and a riuer of brimstone is there sayd to kindle it and Reuel 20.21 it is sayd that the diuell was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone and Reuel 21.8 all the wicked and vngodly are threatned to haue their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death So that the torments of hel and the iudgement wherewith Sodom and Gomorrha were destroyed are fire and brimstone As therfore the torments of hell are vnspeakable and passe all other torments so this vengeance which the Lord inflicted vpon Sodom and Gomorrha resembling hell torments is the most grieuous and fearefull vengeance which euer was executed vpon any people in this world for this cause ought we more duly and seriously to consider it to the end that the horrour and dread thereof might strike and imprint a feare and trembling in our hearts to offend so great and mighty a God which is able to punish and destroy the vngodly euen in this world with such horrible and fearefull punishments And surely if euer we stood in néed of precepts to admonish vs of counsell to forewarne vs or of examples to terrify vs we now stand in néede of them in this hard and flinty-hearted age of the world wherein neyther precepts nor counsell nor examples of other folkes harmes can any thing preuayle with vs to make vs beware what things soeuer were written before were all written for our learning all people before vs haue bene made examples for vs yet nothing can moue vs or make vs wise but wée are as inrespectiue of Gods iudgements and as carelesse of his displeasure as though we had neuer read or heard any thing and so resolute are we in our impenitency that if we should see Sodom and Gomorrah burning before our faces the fearefull beholding of so strange an obiect might happely breede admiration and wonderment in vs but repentance and amendement of life it would not But Sodom lyes in the ashes of her destruction and wée haue raked by the remembrance of her in the ashes of obliuion Sodom is not so much as heard of by report in the day of our pride her destruction was a wonder indéed but we confirme the old prouerb The greatest wōder lasts but nine dayes And as the smoke of her and of her land sometimes ascended into the clouds and so vanished in like maner the remembrance of her and of her destruction is perished like smoke and forgotten as though it had neuer bene yet wée practise her sinnes and are corrupted more then shée in all her abominations shée is a younger sister to vs in iniquity and we iustify her in all our transgressions What a madnes is this to forget the iudgement wherewith she was destroyed and to practise her sinnes which was the cause shée was destroyed This is to be penny wise pound foolish for we may be well assured that if we practise her sinnes we shall taste of her iudgements Therefore in her name I haue vndertaken to giue an Alarum to this City and this land to eschew the sinns of Sodom lest they burne in the iudgements of Sodom and for the same purpose I haue made choise of this parcel of Scripture contayning a true plaine and perfit relation of that feareful ouerthrow which Almighty God brought vpon Sodom and her Cities for their abominations In which ouerthrow we haue foure things especially to consider 1. The suddennes of it it was by Sun-rise 2. The author of it which was the Lord from the Lord out of heauen 3. The maner of it which was with fire brimstone 4. The generality of it all the plaine and all the Inhabitants of the Cities all that grew vpon the earth were destroyed in this ouerthrow Lastly the cause of this sudden fearefull generall ouerthrow which was sinne
baggage of ransome or tribute hoped for but when they saw the heauens open aboue their heads and sending downe fire and brimstone vpon them whē they saw their houses on fire about their eares no place of refuge or safegard to flye vnto no meanes to escape when they felt the fire fall vpon their soft and tender bodyes as thick as rayne when they felt it scorche their flesh when they saw one another lye sprawling vpon the ground drawne to like a scrowle of parchment with y e scalding heat of the fire none able to help another none able to cōfort another what a miserable face of a citie was there thinke you quis talia fando temperet a lachrymis For the Lord rayned vpō these cities brimstone fire from the Lord out of heauen Now the reasons which moued the Lord to send this strange and terrible iudgement vpon these cities and people were especially 3. This God so wonderfull in power might and so feareful in his punishment had before this time drownd the world for sin but the people of Sodō Gomorrha were nothing terrified with that iudgemēt but were as wreched wicked in their courses as if they had heard of no exāple of Gods wrath against sin therefore now God sends fire to destroy them to let all the vngodly of the earth know that all the Elements and all creatures in heauen earth and hell are readie and prest to take vengeance vpon man for his sin when it pleaseth God to command enioyne them the Lord is not so bare of iudgements that he hath but one kinde to reuenge himselfe vpon y e vngodly he hath more thē one arrow of vengeance to the bow of his wrath he hath water to drawn thée fire to consume thée plague pestilence to destroy thée dearth famine to pine thée a thousand grieuous diseases to bring thée to thine end The earth is at his beck to open and swallow thée vp quick the Angels are at his commandment to strike 〈…〉 sudden death The deuils wayt vpon his will and if he bid them goe they haue power to tempt thée to bee thine owne butcher and executioner as to hang thy selfe to throw thy selfe downe headlong and break thy neck to cut thine own throat This God would haue y e sinner know And therefore let all the vngodly of the world feare this God trēble at his iudgmēts be careful cōscionable to serue please him take héed how they offend him for if they prouoke him he wil not spare them They haue not so many wayes to anger him withall as hée hath plagues punishments to destroy them withall And from hence an impenitent sinner may gather that there is no place of safety nor security for him a walled citie is no place of defence for a sinner his house is no castle vnto him his bed is no place of safegard for him for in al these places God hath messengers of death and destruction to attach him The second 〈◊〉 why the Lord brought this kind of iudgement vpon these cities people was y t the maner of their punishmēt might be suteable correspondēt to the maner of their sin for wheras they burned in the filthy lust of concupiscence one towards another against the order course of nature the Lord to punish this vnnatural heat of lust in thē brought a supernatural fire vpon them as they delighted in the filthy odious pleasure of sin defiled themselues with the hellish contagion of impietie so the Lord punished them with brimstone mingled with fire that as their sins made them stinke in the nosethrills of Almighty God so they might be choked stifled with the detestable stinking smell of brimstone as the Lord made the punishment of this people suteable to their sinne so he would haue al sinners know y t wherewith a mā sinneth by the same also shal he be punished for it was not vnpossible to the Almighty hand of God which made all the world of nought to haue drowned this people their land with the ouerflowing streames of Iordan or to haue deliuered them into the hands of y e foure kings as once before or to haue sent the infectious noysom pestilence among them but God chose rather to destroy thē with fire brimstone from heauen to giue notice to all posterities y t as they sin so shal they be punished Aarōs sonnes offred strange fire vpon the Altar therfore a strange fire from heauen destroyed them Samson suffering the eyes of his mind and the light of his reason to be extinguished was for his punishment depriued of his bodily eyes and lost the comfortable sight of this world And as he suffered himselfe to be captiuated and inthralled to the wil of a woman so was he made a slaue to the will of his vncircumcised enemies compelled by them to grinde in a mill like an horse then which there could not be a more seruile seruitude And it séemeth by the example of Diues that in hel there shal be some thing in the torments of the damned which shall haue some correspondency with their sinnes for Diues being vnmerciful in the world while he liued can finde no mercy nor compassion when he is dead either in hell or heauen he that would not giue a crum of bread to Lazarus in his life time cānot now get a drop of water to coole the typ of his tongue Howsoeuer therfore there be generall torments in hell for the damned yet it should séeme that there shall be some particular thing in their torments which shall haue some semblance with their sins the reason is because they might to their greater griefe be put in minde of their sinnes which were the cause of those tormēts The third last reason why the Lord from heauen sent downe this strange feareful iudgement vpon these cities people was because their sinnes cryed vp to heauen therefore God answered the cry of their sins with a punishmēt from heauen And this God doth to let vs sée how sin turneth heauen into hell and maketh the mercifull Sauiour of mākind to be an vnmerciful destroyer of mankind God is by nature a preseruer of men The shepherd of Israel A refuge for men to fly vnto for safegard succour but such is the strong effects of sin and so strangely worketh it with God y t of a preseruer of men it makes him a destroyer of men of a shepheard it makes him a leopard of a lambe a lyon The heauēs by nature giue rayne vnto the earth in due season to make it fruitefull and fertile to bring forth things necessary for the vse of man But sinne makes the heauens to bée brasse vnto vs causeth them to send downe fire brimstone storme tempest to make the earth barren fruitles destroy both man beast from off
the earth Most miserable then is the estate and condition of a people or a land when the sinnes of that people or land become to be crying sinnes for in vaine is it for a people or a land to cry for mercy vnto God wheÌ„ their sins cry for vengeance In vaine doest thou hold vp thine hands or lift vp thine eyes to y e heauens for fauor when thy sins with their cry haue sollicited against thée for iudgement When Ziba hath once accused Mephibosheth vnto Dauid it is in vaine for Mephibosheth to excuse himselfe so if thou hast practised sin so long that it now beginnes to cry vnto heauen God that is in heaueÌ„ wil heare the cry thereof he will send downe some strange punishment or other vpon thée to destroy thée As Abigail therfore preuented the wrath of Dauid by méeting him before he came at her husband so preuent thou the cry of thy sins méete God with thy repentance before the cry of thy sinnes bring him downe to take vengeance vpoÌ„ thée cry thou for mercy before thy sins cry for iudgement stop the mouth of thy sins with contrition sorrow stil their cry with repentance amendment of life as Pharaoh dealt w t the children of the Israelites in Egypt so deale thou with thy sins kil them in the birth neuer let theÌ„ trouble the house with their cry so shalt y u find God mercifull vnto thée the heauens fauorable vnto thée otherwise if thy sins send their cryes before thée into heauen look for some fearefull iudgemeÌ„t froÌ„ heauen to light vpoÌ„ thée The fourth thing we are to obserue in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is the generality of the destruction Wherein we are to consider 3. things First that the whole countrey was destroyed Secondly the whole people man woman and child old and young were all taken away in this iudgement Thirdly all that grew vpon the earth which Tremelius calls foetum terrae the brood of the earth whatsoeuer the earth brought foorth or nourished was all destroyed in the destruction of these cities Concerning the countrey we are to consider it in two respects First in regard of the largenesse and greatnesse of the countrey and secondly in regard of the excellency of the countrey The largenesse of the countrey may be considered either in the number of cities which it contained or in respect of the scite and circuite of the soyle within the compasse and territories whereof it was bounded Concerning the greatnes of this country in respect of y e cities thereof Moses describeth them to be fiue Sodom Gomorrha Admah Zeboim Zoar which was also called Bela of these fiue cities foure were ouerthrowne in this iudgement of fire and brimstone as you may read Deut. 29.23 for Zoar was preserued at the entreaty of Lot And the cause why Sodom Gomorrha are onely named in this place which we haue now in hand is because these were the chiefe cities of this countrey more populous then the rest more abounding in wealth and more abominable in their sinnes The first thing then which we are to consider concerning the generality of this destructioÌ„ is that not villages but cities not one or 2. cities but 4. cities not 4. poore base beggerly cities but foure great populous rich cities were ouerthrowne in this fearefull ouerthrow executed w t fire brimstone The second thing to be considered in the largenesse of this countrey is the scite and circuite of it which was as Pliny reporteth one hundred miles in length 25. miles in bredth But Iosephus whose report is thought more true and certaine describeth this countrey to bée but thréescore and twelue miles long ninetéene miles broad Whereby we gather that not a fewe fields or acres of ground not a small parcel or quantity of ground but a large country was ouerthrowne in this destruction Concerning the excellency of this countrey Moses sets it foorth vnto vs Gen. 13.10 by comparing it to the Garden of God or to that part of the land of Egypt which is watered with the ouerflowing streames of the riuer Nilus so that out of all question this countrey of Sodom Gomorrah was a most goodly countrey fertil pleasant delightfull for as Paradise was watered with the swéete fresh wholsome waters of Euphrates Egypt with y e faire soft sliding streames of Nilus so this land of Sodom lying aloÌ„gst the ouerflowing banks of IordeÌ„ might wel be compared to either of them for all â—ind of riches pleasures and delights And surely the sins of this countrey declare that it was a goodly rich pleasant countrey for as it is in the prophecy of Ezechiel the sins of this country were pride fulnes of bread and abundance of idlenes The pride of this people shewed their riches their fulnesse of bread the fruitfulnesse and fertilitie of the soyle and the abundance of idlenes in this people shewed the pleasures and delights of the countrey but how populous soeuer this countrey was by reason of the cities that were in it how large and great soeuer this countrey was in respect of the soyle and circuit of it how rich fruitfull and pleasant soeuer this countrey was the Lord ouerthrew those cities and al the plaine euen the whole countrey with fire and brimstone so that it is now as vnpleasant as euer it was pleasant for there arise such filthy and foggy vapours and mists out of the ground as none is able to abide the smell of them and as Borchardus reporteth the neighbour mountaines are made barren with the contagion thereof and how fruitfull soeuer it was before the desolation of it vndoubtedly it is now as fruitles and barren the waters are so bitter and vnsauoury that nothing liues in them for if any fish doe happen to fal into the waters of this country out of the riuer Iordan by reason of the inundation of y e said ryuer they dye presently no grasse growes in the countrey Trées there be which beare fruite which outwardly séemeth very faire but within y e rine there is nothing but dust ashes And lastly this countrey is now as desolate as euer it was beautiful and goodly for there is not a man inhabiting there no creature abiding there not a cottage or a houell standing in all the countrey for the Lord destroyed all the cities and al the whole countrey with fire and brimstone FroÌ„ whence we for our instruction may learne and know that when Almighty God takes vengeance vpon any land or countrey for sinne he respects neither greatnesse nor excellency nor goodlinesse nor beauty nor any other outward thing whatsoeuer A fruitfull land maketh hée barren a populous countrey makes he waste a beautifull countrey makes he desolate and all this he doth for the sinne of the people that dwell therein Though Babylon sit as a Quéene and saith she is no widow neither shall sée any
mourning yet her plagues shall come vpon her in one day death sorrow and famine and she shall bee burnt with fire The disciples woonder at the faire and goodly building of the Temple but our Sauiour Christ tells them that there should a time come euen the time when God should visit that people for their sinnes at which time there should not one stone be left vpon another of all that beautifull building that should not bée throwne downe We therefore of this land and citie ought to take this Alarum for a warning giuen vs by Sodom other places most excellent eminent in their times yet al destroyed ouerthrowne for their sins and impieties for though England be a Paradise for pleasure a storehouse of wealth and a rich Exchequer of all plenty and delights And though London be the Kings Chamber the seat of the Nobles the Mart of rich and worthy Marchants indéede the beauty of the whole land yet if God once visit this land and citie for the sinnes of the inhabitants thereof neither this nor that neither the largenes of their territories nor their beauty excellencie riches or multitude of people shall excuse them but he will make them as Sodom and like vnto Gomorrha If God would haue spared any place for the outward worthinesse of it he would haue spared Zion in which place the Lord appeared in perfit beautie and of which place God gaue this testimony that he loued the gates of Syon more then all the habitations of Iacob And in another place the Lord hath chosen Syon saying This is my rest for euer here wil I dwell for I haue a delight therein And yet this place is so defaced spoyled and ruinated at this day that it lyes abhorred desolate being a cage of most vncleane birds and a filthy denne of Turkes miscreants and Infidels And how can England or London secure themselues or promise any immunity of Gods iudgements vnto themselues by reason of any outward worthinesse or excellency wherewith they séeme to be blest aboue other Nations for whensoeuer God shall visit this Land City for their sinnes nothing shall exempt vs frō his iudgements except we preuent them by repentance Concerning the generality of this Iudgement which the Lord brought vpon Sodom and Gomorrha it is furthermore said that he destroyed all the Inhabitants of those Cities the whole people of the Land not men onely but women too not men women onely but men women and children euen all the Inhabitants of those Cities perished in this ouerthrow not the poore onely but poore and rich not the base and inglorious Pezant but the Noble and honorable amongst them not the subiect but their Kings and Rulers not those which were in the field but all that were in the cities euen all the Inhabitants of those cities were ouerthrowne in this destruction So that as God spares no place for any respect of outward excellency no more doth he spare any person for his owne worthinesse or eminency but when he brings his Iudgements vpon man for sinne the wise and the foole perish both together the King that sits vpon the Throne and the begger that sits vpon the ground they beare both a part and drinke of the same cup when he is angry This the Spirit of God doth testify vnto vs by the Prophet Dauid You shall dye like men and ye Princes shall fall like others And the Prophet Ieremy tells Ieconiah King of Iuda that though he were the signet of the Lords right hād yet he should be pluckt from thence No title of honour eminency or excellency can frée a man from Gods iudgements The plagues of Egypt were vpon Pharaoh as well as vpon the people And therefore Kings and Princes and the honorable and renowmed personages of the world must not flatter themselues nor suffer the pompe of y e world to deceiue them for whether their honour and dignity consist in authority or in wealth and riches or in the voluptuousnes and pleasure of life none of these can frée them from GODS iudgements Nay if we marke the procéedings of God in the execution of his iudgements we shall often sée that the mē in chiefest place do soonest taste of his iudgements Ahab king of Israel was first slaine in the battell at Ramoth Gilead Among all the people that met Iehu as he went to Izreel we read of none that was slaine but the 2. kings Iehoram king of Israel Ahaziah king of Iudah .1000 princes did profane the golden and siluer vessels which were brought out of the Temple at Ierusalem together with Belshazzar King of the Chaldeans as also did his wiues and concubines yet the Scripture makes mention of none that was slayne that night but onely the King This should teach Kings and Rulers and such as are of note and place to take no more liberty of sinning vnto themselues then those of the vulgar sort and condition for they are as subiect to Gods Iudgements as the meanest among the people But now wonder all ye that read this History let your hearts melt with griefe and your eyes be resolued into teares of sorrow when you heare that not onely those of discretion yéeres but euen children Infants and sucking babes that hangd vpon their mothers brests which knew not their right hand from their left which neuer cōmitted sinne actually were also destroyed in this ouerthrow The tendernesse of their age might haue pleaded for them they stucke to their mothers brests as Apples to their trées they could not speake stand nor helpe themselues Their innocency harmelesse simplicity might haue pleaded for them they knew not their right hand from their left they could not distinguish betwéene good euill right wrong straight and crooked Those of elder yéeres had iudgement will in themselues therfore they were iustly punished for their transgressions but what had these infants done which had not as yet attayned to yéeres of discretion But so fierce is the wrath of God against sinne that nothing could excuse these silly infants for the Lord destroyed all the inhabitants of these cities he reserued neyther man womā nor child aliue Neyther was there any cruelty or iniustice in God in destroying the childrē of Sodom together with those that were of elder yéeres discretion for foure reasons may be yéelded of this action The first reason why the infants and sucking babes in Sodom were destroied aswell as those of elder yéers was because they were the branches of such cursed trées children of such vngodly parents for howsoeuer it be true that the Lord speakes by the Prophet Ezechiel that the child shall not beare the fathers sin it is true also that the Lord himselfe speaketh in the second Commandement He will visit the sinne of the fathers vpon the children So that if a wicked and vngodly man beget a child that child shal not beare the
sinne of the parents spiritually and eternally if it walke in good wayes and betake it selfe to holy and vertuous courses but if the childe of vngodly parents liue neuer so carefully and conscionably according to Gods will yet the Lord will visit the sinnes of the parents vpon it corporally temporally and if it walke in the wayes of the parents it shall beare the sinnes of the parents eternally also But admit that a childe of vngodly parents neuer come to commit sinne actually the Lord in his iustice may visit the sinnes of the parents vpon that childe both temporally and eternally because it is of the same nature that the parēts are euen as the Hunts-man finding a litter of some noysome obnoxious beastes killes them though they neuer did harme because their nature is to doe harme if they liue euen so God in his iustice may destroy the very infants and sucking babes both temporally and eternally though they neuer committed sinne actually because their nature is corrupt and tainted by propagation from their parents But you will say vnto mée The like may bée sayd of the children of godly parents No For the godly haue a promise that God will not onely bée their GOD but the GOD of their séede also so that if the children of the godly dye while they hang vpon the brest or in the wombe yet there is hope of mercy by reason of the promise but if the children of the wicked dye before they be of power to commit sinne actually there is no hope of mercy but a fearful expectatiō of iustice because there is no promise of mercy belōging vnto them You sée then the reason why God destroied those infants sucking babes of Sodom with this temporall iudgement of fire brimstone euen because they were children of vngodly parēts And if he hath destroyed them eternally he hath done no more then in his iustice he might because he neuer made promise of mercy vnto them The second reason why God destroyed these children was to increase the griefe and sorrow of their parents for commonly the miseries of our children are more grieuous vnto vs then our owne miseries Dauid tooke the death of his sonne Absalō so heauily that hée wisht hée had dyed for him And out of question when this people saw their children lie sprawling in the fire scorcht and burnt with the heate thereof when they heard them scréeke and cry and could not helpe them it was as grieuous vnto them as their owne miserie and therefore the Lord did it euen to increase and inlarge their sorrow The third reason why the Lord destroyed these children was because they should not walke in the wicked abominable waies of their parents for if they had liued the nature which they drew from their parents would haue drawne them to the sinnes of their parents lest therefore these children should haue traced the sinfull steps of their parents the Lord takes them away in the same destruction with their parents The last reason why these children were destroyed was because GOD would leaue none of that wicked brood to remaine vpon the earth there were ouer-many of that ranke already and therefore the Lord to the end he might roote out the memorie of this people he destroyed children and all Whereby man is taught to liue holily iustly and soberly in this world forasmuch as a man is not wicked onely to himselfe but to his posteritie also The wickednesse of the parents lyes heauily vpon the children and therefore if thou hast no regard of thine owne soule yet haue a respect of thy children and for their sakes cease to doe euill The Prophet Esay summons the children of Witches the séed of the adulterer and of the whore and the children of the rebellious hée summons them all before God and he layes this heauie iudgement vpon them There is no peace to the wicked saith my God It is a fearefull thing to be the child of an Usurer of an Adulterer or Whore of a Drunkard of a murtherer of a blasphemer or of any other notorious wicked person whatsoeuer for surely God will visit the sinnes of the parents vpon the children as he hath threatned in the commandement temporally liue the children neuer so well but temporally and spiritually both if the children doe walke in the wayes of their parents Last of all concerning the generalitie of that destruction which the LORD brought vpon this Countrey and people it is said that Hee destroyed all that grew vpon the earth or as Tremelius hath learnedly translated the same wordes thus All that the earth brought forth and nourished all cattell and beasts of the field all creeping things and whatsoeuer was vpon the face of the earth was destroyed in this ouerthrow And here we may iustly wonder at the iudgements of God which he extendeth not only vnto man which hath iudgements will nor vnto babes and sucklings which are tainted with corruption by the propagation of nature from their parents but also to vnreasonable creatures which neuer sinned but are subiect to vanitie against their willes which doe not offend their Creator but follow the law of their creation and shall neuer come into iudgement yet these creatures as void of sinne as of reason are oftentimes plagued and destroyed for the sinne of man Thus was the earth cursed for the sinne of Adam Thus were al these creatures destroyed with the floud for the sinne of that age and yet we may say of them as Pithagoras sometimes said Quid meruistis oues placidum pecus Quid meruere boues animal sine fraude What haue these poore sillie creatures deserued that they should bée punished nay destroyed hauing neuer offended Wée are the sinfull wretches of the world workers of all iniquitie deseruing not to be scourged with rods but with Scorpions We I say being onely nocent cause innocencie it selfe to be punished for our transgressions Behold then O sinfull man thine owne vngraciousnesse thou doest not only procure vengeance to thy selfe by thy sinne but to euery thing else that doth serue thy sinfull vse Man by his creation is a Lord and a high commander vpon the earth for as it is in the Psalme he hath dominion ouer all the workes of God all things are put in subiection vnder his feet all sheepe and oxen yea and the beastes of the field the birdes of the ayre the fishes of the sea and whatsoeuer walketh thorow the pathes of the seas So that man in reason should content himselfe with this dominion and Lordship which he hath ouer the creatures and not séeke and procure the destruction of them Man should satisfie himselfe with the vse and commoditie of these creatures and not seeke the ruine and wracke of these poore bond-seruants both by ill intreating them himselfe and by prouoking God with his sinne to plague punish and destroy them And surely but that the prouidence of God doth restraine
sayd he is able to giue wisdome vnto men but Alexander is so proud that there is no place for wisdome to take place in him And lastly a proud man is in danger to lose those good gifts and qualities which hée already hath according to that old prouerbe Inficit egregios adiuncta superbia mores Where pride is there all excellent conditions are infected and poysoned so that they eyther dye or grow so weake that they are not able to performe any good office or duety This made Dauid pray Let not the foot of pride come against mee for well he was assured that if pride set in a foot against him hee should haue extreme wrong offered him Pride then being one of the sins of Sodom it is manifest that there was no religion there no séeking after God nor any care of his worship or seruice neither was there any iustice iudgement or equitie in the land but all kinde of oppression and wrong all grace goodnesse was exiled thence neither was there any place for vertue godlinesse in that place and therefore no maruel it was if God brought such a fearefull destruction vpon such a proude place and people for pride brings alwayes destruction with it as Salomon saith Pride goes before destructiō and an high minde before a fall So that a man is neuer néere a mischiefe till hée grow proud for thē he procures Gods hatred towards him as it is in y e Prophet The Lord hath sworne by himselfe I hate the excellency of Iacob And this hatred that God beares against pride prouoketh him to resist the proud to crosse them and by sundry meanes to reuenge himselfe vpon them This shall they haue for their pride sayth the Prophet The Lord will be terrible vnto them as he hath threatned by the Prophet Ieremy saying Behold I come vnto thee O proud man And The proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him vp and I will kindle a fire in his cityes and it shall deuoure all about him All these threatnings against pride did the LORD bring vpon Sodom and her Cityes in such sort as they are héere remembred for an example vnto all posterityes the same threatnings he will likewise bring vpon all those that are infected with it The second sinne of Sodom was fulnes of bread By bread is signified all such meats drinks as are vsed for the nutriment of the body which this people of Sodom did vse with such saturity and ingurgitation as did not relieue nature but destroy Grace Nature is content with a little Grace with lesse but where this fulnesse and repletion of bread is there nature is depraued and grace destroyed This sinne is the baite which the diuell vseth to prouoke men to yéeld vnto all his temptations for as the Faulconer when he would call his Hawke to his fist doth not hold out his bare fist vnto her but sheweth her a piece of flesh vnto which shee willingly comes and so is taken so the deuill when he would tempt a man to any sinne he offers him the baite of deliciousnesse knowing that the more the body is repleate the more emptie is the soule of all grace and goodnesse One cause why Diues was so vnmercifull towards poore Lazarus was because he fared deliciously euery day for a full belly is neuer touched with the féeling of others miseries The cause why the Israelites were not sorry for the affliction of Ioseph nor pitied the distressed estate of their brethren was because they ate the lambs of the flocke and the calues of the stall and drunke their wine in bowles The cause why euery man among them neyed after his neighbours wife was because they did rise in the morning like fed horses And the cause why they committed idolatry and worshipped the golden calues which Aaron made them was because they cram'd themselues excessiuely with meat drinke and that made them forget God which had done so great things for them Whereby it is euident that the repletion of the belly is the confusion of the soule and that the deuill hath the greatest aduantage against vs to tempt vs and wee the least strength to withstand him in this repletion and fulnesse of bread therefore Dauid calleth the table of delicious féeders a snare for euen as birds are caught in that place where they come to féed euen so are they that fare deliciously caught in the Deuils net whiles they féed For this cause the Wise man forbids vs to bée companions with those which cramme themselues with flesh lest by eating and drinking excessiuely we giue the deuil aduantage to tempt vs to some grieuous sinne And in like maner did Almighty God forbid the Prophet to go into y e house of feasting to sit there to eate and drinke for as he saith in another place When men are filled their hearts are exalted and then they forget God And as this fulnesse of bread plungeth the soule into many inexplicable dangers makes it subiect to diuers temptations so is this vnmeasurable féeding hurtfull obnoxious to the body for when the stomake receiueth such aboundance so many kindes of meat and drink it is oppressed rather then relieued Therefore saith Salomon that the saciety of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe his body is so distempered by his féeding that his quiet rest departeth from him We estéem the goodnes of a medicine not by the pleasantnes nor by y e great quantity but by the wholesome good operation of it so ought we to estéeme of meat not by the deliciousnesse of it nor by the abundance of it but by the health it bringeth to our bodyes Nothing bréeds a surfet sooner then this fulnesse of bread out of all doubt this vnmeasureable féeding hath brought many to an vntimely death If therefore thou wilt kéepe thy body in health vse thy meat and drinke as thou vsest medicines that is seldome and in small measure for in fiue things doe wée especially offend in eating and drinking First when wee make it our first worke in the morning being no sooner out of our beds but our minde is vpon our meat for which cause Salomon denounceth a wo vnto that land whose Princes eat in the morning for such as eate in the morning are fit for nothing all the day after Secondly wée offend in eating and drinking when we are too curious and nice in our dyet not contenting our selues with ordinary and common meates and drinkes but longing after strange and vnusuall things and those must be most costly and curiously drest this was the sinne of the Israelites which loathing Manna desired flesh for their lust for which curiositie of theirs God destroyed them euen whiles the meat was in their mouthes And the Emperour Augustus did cause one Erotes a Lieutenant in Egypt to bée naild to the mast of a ship
because hée bought a Partridge and ate it And our Sauiour Christ noteth curious féeding as a fault in the rich Glutton euen because he fared deliciously The third sinne in eating drinking is when we eate and drinke without measure not respecting what will suffice nature Our Tables are called mensae as some thinke a mensura to teach vs to measure our appetite and not to eat drinke vnmeasurably for euen as that raine which comes downe méekely and gently vpon the earth doth most good and makes the earth most fruitfull so that meate which is taken in measure doth most benefit the body and soule and this is the measure wée must obserue wée must not eat much but rather for necessitie then for lust then we must not eate nor drinke often and lastly wee must not eate nor drinke of diuers and sundry sorts for all these things doe make our eating and drinking sinfull and hurtfull Fourthly we offend in this kinde when we study and deuise what to eate or drinke These persons are compared to those beasts which are alwayes either eating or chewing the cud so these persons are either alwayes eating or deuising what to eate This was the sinne of the sonnes of Hely they were not content with those parts of the sacrifice which the Law had prouided for them but they found out new deuices and sometimes they would haue sodden flesh sometime they would haue raw sometime without fat and sometime fat and all These deuisers are they that make their belly their God Lastly we offend in eating drinking when wee gréedily deuoure the creatures like dogs which haue it no sooner in their mouthes but it is down their throats This was y e sin of Esau who comming hungry from hunting desired his brother to féed him quickly or to suffer him to deuoure those red pottage But he had better haue taken more leysure and eaten more aduisedly for he lost the prerogatiue of his birth-right by his gréedinesse And because man should not deuoure his meat and drinke with gréedinesse Nature hath giuen man a lesse mouth then many creatures which are lesse then he to teach man by so small a receptacle to receiue his meate drinke with time and leysure Thus haue we heard the fiue things wherein wee offend in eating and drinking Now this fulnesse of bread is such a grieuous sinne in the sight of God that hee hath sworne hee will neuer purge it And the reason is because we are called to other duties Non nati sumus ad libidinem hoc possimus facere sed non est opus nostrum Wée are not borne into the world neither do we liue in the world to giue our selues to delicious full féeding to feasting and banquetting nor to fulfill our owne lusts and desires wée may doe these things if wee will runne head-long into our owne mischiefe but this is not our calling it is not that wee are bound to doe it is not the worke which we are commanded and inioyned to performe and therefore as it is Crimen laesae maiestatis a capitall and treasonable crime for an Embassadour to execute his charge contrarie to the limitation of his profession euen so it is most displeasing vnto Almightie God when we walke contrary to our calling crossing the end of our creation No maruell then if Almightie God tooke such a fearefull vengeance vpon this people which walkt so contrary vnto him filling themselues with bread and cramming themselues with flesh when indéed the Lord calles men to wéeping and mourning to baldnesse and girding about with sackcloth The third sinne of Sodom and her people was idlenesse which was twofold in this people First they gaue themselues to their ease to vnthriftinesse and sluggishnesse not following their callings laboriously and industriously but liuing loosely and remissely giuing themselues to all dissolute and vnthriftie courses This may be gathered out of the 19 Chapter of Genesis the 4. verse where it is said that all the men of the Citie euen from the yong to the olde all people out of all quarters compassed Lots house about to haue the mē brought out vnto them that they might know them From whence it may be gathered that they were an idle and vnthrifty company giuing themselues to no good employment but rather to vaine dissolute exercises The second kinde of idlenes in this people was a careles security a certaine respectles regard wherewith they were so possessed that they neuer thought vpon dangers they feared nothing Abraham had slaine y e fiue kings which would haue made them tributarie hee recouered all the spoyle and gaue it to the King of Sodom so that now they had no enemie to be afraid of they had peace plenty and therefore they liued idly that is securely carelesly fearing no dangers preuenting no mischiefes As the pride of this people prouoked God to resist them and as their fulnes of bread gaue the deuill a greater aduantage to ouercome them by his manifold temptations so their Idlenes made them a burthen to the Earth They were a coomber and a surcharging trouble to y e place of their abode liuing vnthriftily vnprofitably both to themselues and to the land where they dwelt The figge trée in the Gospell being barren and vnfruitfull is sayd to trouble the ground so those persons which liue idly do but trouble the world ouercharge the earth for which cause the Bée driueth from the hiue the Drone which takes no paines but deuoures the hony which others by their great labour do get bring in teaching the Magistrates of the earth their duty which is to correct with all sharpnes of discipline those vnthrifty and vnseruiceable Drones which liue idly in the common wealth trifling out their time in continuall lazines as though there neuer had a law bin giuen to the sonnes of Adam to labour nor to the daughters of Eue with the sweat of their browes to get their liuing Salomon sendeth the sluggard to the Pismire to consider her wayes and to learne wisdome for she hauing no guide gouernor or ruler prouideth meat in Summer gathereth food in haruest Man therfore may be much ashamed of himselfe that hauing reason to guide him nature to direct him law to gouerne him grace to rule him lims strong able for performance yet prouideth not gathereth not laboureth not but like a Drone consumes his dayes in idlenes liuing vnprofitably and vnseruiceably both to himselfe and others God sanctified not his rest before he had finished his labour The Angels in heauen attend in their places and stand before their Creatour and with all alacrity readinesse and industry fulfill his will The deuill himselfe is said to compasse the earth and to walke about séeking whom he may deuoure Séeing therefore God Angels Bees Pismires and the despised wormes of the earth do all of them in their kindes places giue
dealing with the poore to be an iniury done vnto his owne person according to that saying of Salomon He that oppresseth the poore reprocheth him that made him Thus you may well perceiue that all the wrong that is done to the poore the LORD doth take it as done to himselfe for in euery place throughout all the whole Scripture the Lord GOD doth professe himselfe to bée the Gardian and kéeper of the poore and néedy and acknowledgeth them to be his Wardes and Pupils and therefore God wil reuenge himself in iustice without mercie vpon all those which either deale vncharitably or iniuriously with them Whereupon the Lord expostulates the matter with his people and demaunds of them What they had to doe to grinde the faces of the poore As though it were a thing that they could not iustifie And to the end that all the cruell and vnmercifull of the world might know that GOD will not suffer the wrongs that are done to the poore to escape vnreuēged hee proclaimes it to the world by the Prophet Dauid that for the comfortlesse troubles sake of the needy and because of the deepe sighing of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and helpe euery one from him that swelleth against him and will set them at rest As if he should say Though I passe ouer other sinnes and beare with patience other indignities though I sit still and winke at other transgressions yet when the case concernes the poore when my Orphans and Wards are wronged then I will vp saith the Lord I le beare no longer but I will reuenge their cause and relieue them For which cause Salomon giues al the vnmercifull dogges of the world warning not to bite nor deuoure these silly shéepe for the Lord will defend their cause saith he spoile the soule of those that spoyle them The poore saith S. Augustine are Gods barnes in which except we lay our earthly treasures of pittie and compassion in this world we shall not finde that heauenly treasure of euerlasting life in the world to come Many and fearefull are the plagues which are threatned against those which deale vnmercifully with the poore Their prayers are abominable the Lord will not heare them though they cry vnto him in the bitternesse of their soule He that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore shall also cry and not be heard In which words Salomō doth giue vs two things to vnderstand first that the vnmercyfull men shall crye how rich how honorable how potent and mighty soeuer they be yet the Lord will lay some grieuous thing or other vpon them eyther in health or in sicknesse eyther in this world or in the world to come that shall make them cry as vpon their death-bed the guiltynesse of their owne conscience the feare of death the horrour of hell and dread of damnation If God lay these things vpon them they wil be inforced to cry but if not yet certaynly they shall cry in hell with their fellow Diues for cry they shall as Salomon sayth but the second thing is they shal not be heard The Lions roare and the Lord heareth them The young Rauens cry and he heareth them he heares the heauens he heares the blood of those that are murthered and indéede he heares all things but an vnmercyfull man he shall cry and not be heard Diues is a notable president to all those that are dogged and hard-hearted towards the poore he cryed not in this world he had his pleasure as many more rich men haue but for all that the saying of Salomon proued true vpon him for though he cryed not in this world yet he cryed in hell I am tormented in this flame But was he heard Alas no he could not haue so much as a drop of cold water graunted him This therefore is one plague and a fearefull one also which shall happen to all vnmercyfull cruell and vncharitable persons They shall cry and not be heard The second misery that shall befall those that do not strēgthen the hand of the poore nor succor them in their miseryes is they shall not inioy y e things which they chiefly desire to inioy their present hope shal be frustrate and when they think thēselues to be the surest of their wished desires euen then shal they be depriued of al their hopes and shall neuer sée the fruites of their labours This doth the Lord threaten by the Prophet Forasmuch he sayth as your treading is vpon the poore ye haue built houses of hewne stone but yee shall not dwell in them yee haue planted pleasant vineyards but yee shall not drinke wine of them This is the miserie of the vnmercifull they shall purchase for others to inherite they shall builde houses for others to dwell in they shall get and scrape together but others shall inioy their hopes and carry away the fruits of their labours Nabal that foolish Churle may serue for an example to confirme the truth of this vnto vs who out of his hard and incompassionate heart denyed his bread his water and his flesh to Dauid and his followers in the wildernesse This Nabal did sheare his shéepe but he neuer liued to sell his wooll he made a great feast but hee neuer digested his meate for he became as a stone and dyed in tenne dayes after So shal the hopes of all the vnmercifull bee frustrate and they shall not be partakers of their wished desires but leaue their labours for others to inioy Now if the sinne of vnmercifulnes did onely prouoke God to inflict priuate and particular punishments vpon men it were the more to bee borne withall but indéed it procureth the fierce wrath of God and his heauy iudgements vpon a whole land and against a people or nation in generall For so the Lord hath threatned by his Prophet Heare this ye that swallow vp the poore that yee may make the needy of the land to faile shall not the land tremble for this and euery one mourne that dwelleth therein So that vnmercifull men do not onely prouoke the vengeance of God vpon themselues but to the land wherein they inhabite and to the people of the land where they dwell No maruell then if the Lord God brought such a feareful and strange punishment vpon Sodom and Gomorrah and the people of that country séeing this sinne of vnmercifulnesse was rooted amongst them so that they did not strengthen the hand of the poore The last miserie that shall befal vnmercifull men is that last and dreadfull speech which shall be pronounced vnto them at the day of iudgement Depart yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the deuil and his angels Then shal al the vnmerciful of the world know and féele to their wofull experience that there is a God that reuengeth the cause of the poore and néedie Then they shall pay deare for all that they haue gotten by oppressiō and wrong and by