Sodome yet hee neuer destroied it so that this people may sing with the Prophet this encomiasticke of Gods mercy It is the Lond mercy Iere. 3.22 that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not And all this while that I speake of nothing else but the mercie of God this is a doctrine I know That maketh vp the mouth of a worldling O this sweete loue-song of Gods long suffering is a fit of musicke fitting a carelesse carnalist and to a dissolute liuer it is like Mercuries still pipe which plaied Argus his hundred eies asleepe at once Yea the whole world now adaies dreames on mercie loueth to heare of mercie hopeth of mercie presumeth on mercie wholly groundeth on mercie and hereby abuse all Gods mercie and because God is so patient and mercifull they presume thereof and make too holde with God tempting and prouoking him by continuall breach of his law according to that of the Wiseman Because ill workes are not presentlie punished men fearelesse commit mischiefe Thus Adam not seeing Euah presently to die stood a long time in a quandarie inter precem mulieris praeceptum creatoris as Bernard speaketh betwixt his Wifes demaund and his Creators commaund at last thinking GODS word winde Iere. 17.15 resolued and did eate Thus Israel gibed and iested at Gods threatnings by his Prophets a ich debar Ichoua iabo na where is the word of the Lord let it come now Thus the Psalmist inferreth the prophane abuses of Gods mercie Quomodo sciuit Deus Psal 73.11 Est scientia in excelso i. How came God to the knowledge of this Is there knowledge in him aboue And this contempt of Gods iudgements thundered out of his word and this abuse of Gods forbearance in not destroying stroying it was that crie which pearced the heauens from Sodome Now then to dash the mirth of Mercy-men which are the merry-men of the world and to tell them what they are to hold vnto for their presumption of mercy abuse of Gods patience and delay of repentance who though they liue neuer so dissolutely as though there were neither Heauen nor Hell God nor Diucll yet if they may haue but one houre to repent they aske no more they are safe and assure themselues of saluation if on their death-beds they haue but strength and libertie to breath out a poore peccaui and crie GOD mercie Vox Diaboli non hominis The voice of a Diuell not of a man Of all spirituall graces and giftes of God Repentance is the greatest which he daily offereth and when hee seeth both his mercie and repentance to bee skorned and grow in contempt that we still liue in sinne neuer leaue sinne vntill wee bee readie to die in sinne what mercie can such a wretch expect at his death who hath abused Gods mercie all his life And what kinde of repentance call ye that when if hee might haue liued anie longer would neuer haue dreamed of repentance Exed 16.28 It falleth out with Gods mercie as with Manna which God commaunded to be gathered early in the morning and reserued too long became corrupt So the true and heauenly Manna the Mercie of God it is sweetest when it is gathered and apprehended in the golden morning of a mans youth but when it is sought in the euening Eccle. 12.1 in a mans dotage and at a mans death when a man is weakest and not able to employ either hand eye eare or tongue Psal 135.17 like an Idole O this is a dangerous gathering of Manna and an vnseasonable seeking of mercy and to such Augustine giueth a cold comfort Maledictus qui offert florem iuuentutis suae Diabolo faecem senectutis Deo reseruat i. Cursed is he who offereth the prime of his youth to the Diuell and reserueth the corrupt dregs of his ould age for God Gregory vpon the watches mentioned inthe Gospell saith Matth. 24.25 that there bee three watches in a mans whole life wherein it behoueth him to bee carefull and as a wakefull and warie watch-man to keepe his watch The first is Childhood the second Youth and the last Olde age So that he which remissely passeth ouer his Childhood let him be more carefull of his watch in Youth and if he passe his Youth ouer his head dissolutely let him in any case looke to his last watch of Olde age Nam quos diù vt conuertantur tolerat non conuersos duriùs damnat i. Those whom God suffereth long in hope of their conuersion hee condemneth more grieuously not being conuerted And therefore the holy Ghost giueth a short day Hodiè si vocem eius audierîtis Psal 95.7 To day if ye will heare his voice This is the cause why many and most rich men make bad and vncomfortable ends and die so disquietly Luke 2.29 Gen. 49.33 that with olde Simeon they depart not in peace and with Iacob they plucke not their feete vp into the bed for that as Bion speaeth a dissolute life maketh a desperate end And surely for further veritie herein I could yet neuer obserue in my priuate experience which hath beene somewhat more then ordinarie in these cases that a worldly man the man of earth Psal 10.20 a morrow repenter or a mercymocker who in his life hath chiefely followed the world and the pleasures and proffits thereof euer made good end or desired to be dissolued but like Tantalus in hell Auido fugaces captantem ore cibos tortured not to taste of meate readie to fall in his mouth Such at their endes when they purposed to repent had no minde no ioy nor power to repent and when they presumed of mercy they perished in misery which the Wiseman in his obseruance complaineth of and lamenteth O Mors quà m amara est tui memoria homini pacificè viuenti in his Eccle. 41.1 quae sunt cius O Death how bitter is thy sting to a man that liueth securely in his substance So then for this point of delaying or rather decaying repentance and abuse of mercy I am of Bernards minde that among infinite delaiers hardly one is saued and of Hieromes opinion that such liuers seldome or neuer make a good ende Let then such as liue desperately without feare of iudgement and yet die presumptuous of mercy bee packing with this mittimus made by the prudent Counsellor Say not Eccle. 9.6 the mercy of the Lord is great hee shall put away the multitude of my sinnes For mercy and wrath make haste with him and his indignation shall rest vpon sinners and as it followeth in the seuenth verse Put not off from day to day for suddenly shall his wrath breake foorth and when thou art without care and secure thou shalt be destroied Let Sodomes destruction then become our instruction and let it be a fearefull Foelix quem faciunt vnto all those that feare not iudgements threatned abuse mercy offered and deferre repentance till the last cast Iulius Caesar
ABRAHAM SVTE FOR SODOME A Sermon Preached at Pauls Crâ—sse the 25 of AVGVST 1611. By ROBERT MILLES Preacher of Gedny fenne and Sutton St. Edmonds in Holland Lincolneshire LONDON Printed by William Hall for Mathew Lawe and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church yard at the signe of the Foxe 1612. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir WILLIAM WELBY Knight of the Honourable order of the BATH felicitie in this life and saluation in the next AS the Apostle to the elect Lady and her childreÌ„ whom he loued in the truth 2. Ioh. 1. So in singlenesse of the same spirite Right Worshipfull I consecrate vnto you this spirituall gift and plaine discourse whi h as an adiutor rather then an auditor in my proceedings you viua voce lately heard deliuered Cantare in foro was a Romaine absurditie and when a man speaketh wisely but once in his life hee must presently be in Print dixit insipies Such spitefull spirites are consuming Rachels at Leahs pregnancie Gen. 30. Egyptian flies in Jsraels fatnesse Exod. 1.12 muttering Sauls at Dauids successe 1. Sam 18.8 reproachfull Amaziahs at Amos industrie Amos 7.12 and such as Cum sua non edunt carpunt aliena let them either commend or amend approue or publish meum or suum The Orator spake better then these men doe Omnis nostra cura debet in hoc versari semper sipossumus vt boni aliquid efficiamus sin minùs vt certè nihil mali All the good J can in this regard is by Scire meum vt sciat alter and for sinister censure J answere with the Prophet Esay 49.4 My iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God Jt is fathered of Saint Hierome Secaesum flagellis ad tribunal Dei that hee was whipped before Gods seate for his incessant reading of humane Authors and that hee was accused there quod Ciceronianus non Christianus foret and therefore hee made a vow vtterly to abiure them And in this age of vanitie wherein prophane pamphlets are as dainty nouelties as Apes and Peacockes were in Salomons daies from Cilicia 1. Kin. 10.22 what can better beseeme Christians then to reade sacred Historie and to meditate in that which tendeth to edification Rom. 15.2 in eodem prato lepurem lacertum florem reperias if perhaps cinicall Alexander by cumical curiositie out of Sampsons dead Lyon extract poyson Iudg. 14.14 yet a well affected Apollos will finde foode and sweetenesse Sith importunity hath preuailed with mee among others spectare spectari I commend this labour Right Worshipfull to your acceptance and protection which if you shall please to patronise now floting like a poore Hollander in an Arke of reede in this Sea of glasse Apoc. 15.2 and iniuriously handled by prophane Philistines Tu patronus eris quando maiora canemus Your Worships in all integritie duly deuoted Robert Milles. Abrahams sute for Sodome GENESIS 18.32 I will not destroy it for tennes sake RIght Honourable right Worshipfull and blessed beloued Ignis non melius quam igne amor amore accenditur As the flame is continued by fire so friendship by reciprocall amity saith Ambrose And this was seene and obserued in GOD himselfe 1 Ioh. 4.10 the first friend and louer of mankinde towards his seruant Abraham the father of the faithfull For as God did manifest his professed loue by manifold promises to him and daily conference with him So Abraham againe repaied God lege talionis as it were for requitall obedience sacrifice praise and praiers so that both their affections mutually were reuiued and preserued by such friendly meanes euen as fire is maintained by fuell Among sundrie signes of Gods fauour toward Abraham God was neuer more familiar with him then in this Dialogue and neighbourly parlce betwixt them two in behalfe of the Sodomites For when God purposed in his secret and sacred wisdome to destroy the Citie of Sodome whose sinnes cried for vengeance from heauen hee first after the manner of men paused on the matter and was loath to doe it before hee had taken the aduise of a friend or before he made Abraham whom the Apostle tearmeth Gods friend priuie to his purpose Iam. 2.23 Shall I hide from Abraham that which I doe Vers 17. Heereupon Abraham assured of Gods loue began to argue and to reason the case with God and often crauing pardon for his boldnesse hee told the Lord that it stood not with his iustice and credit who is high Lord chiefe Iustice of the whole world to destroy the righteous with the wicked and there fore desired him if there could be found fifty good men in the Citie to spare it for their sake which God of his mercy wherewith hee alwaies tempereth his iudgements fauourably granted and easily yeelded vnto Abraham straightway goeth with a priuie search through the Citie of Sodom and at last after much labour lost hee returned to God with a non est inuentus and then after the manner of courtly Petitioners Qui timidè rogat negare docet Hee that asketh faintly teacheth how to bee denied flatly as Seneca speaketh Abraham proceeded further and still vnder correction for his presumption hee obtained from God a writte ad melius inquirendum and then hee falleth from fifty to fiue and fortie then to forty so to thirty nay to twenty and at last remembring that God would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.23 he vrgeth him with his promise and now the sixt time he praieth the Lord to spare Sodom if it shall affoord but tenne righteous persons And in these words God setteth downe his rest and finall resolution and bids Abraham take it for an answere and so content himselfe I will not destroy it for tens sake So that my discourse at this time for your fairing right Honourable right Worshipfull and blessed Brethren may bee called Abrahams sute for Sodom wherein for methode and memory sake I will tie my selfe to three parties which shall stand in stead of three parts First in God his slownesse in executing iudgement and punishing sinne Secondly in Abraham the sympathie and compassion of the godly for their brethren Thirdly in Sodome wherein ten righteous persons coulde not be found the small number of the faithfull and fewnes of good men in the Church Among all the names of God in the whole and holie Scripture Drut 32.6 Esay 63.16 Malac. 1.6 Matth. 23.9 2. Cor. 6.18 1. Pet. 1.17 there is one more familiar comfortable and delightsome to his children then all therest and that is the name of Father which he most commonly practiseth in nature For as affectionate fathers and indulgent parents in correcting their children giue an admonition before hand rebuke goes before the rod and a warning before the whipping So it pleaseth our heauenly Father in executing due punishment for our sinnes to giue vs a caueat before his capias and alwaies to warne vs before he
I had almost saide many an honest Tradesman Of the second Philosopher the Epicure I spake before in fulnesse of bread and therefore I leaue him to his pleasure which is his Summum bonum The third is the Peripateticke who vsed to dispute walking and in this order are Cunny-catchers who like the Diuell are alwaies compassing the Earth and still going vp and downe seeking whome they may dououre Iob. 2.2 1. Pet. 5.8 These cunning Philosophers walke from Inne to Inne from East to West from Towrehill to Tyburne and there I leaue them and with Sathan can turne themselues into an Angell of light full of good words and with Iudas embrace a man with a courtly boonecongee and at parting cut a mans throate and empouerish many a plaine dealing countrey guest with cousenage in copartnership The fourth idle Bee or sect of Philosophers is the Stoike who vsed to keepe their acts and disputations standing And these I call your mimicall Comaedians and apish actors who with Thraso thunder out sesquipedalia verba a heape of inkehorne tearmes to the tenour of a poore Colliar and with a ridiculous Tu quoque moue many a foole to laugh at their owne follies And further the licentious Poet and Player together are growne to such impudencie as with shamelesse Shemei they teach Nobilitie Knighthood graue Matrons ciuill citizens and like Countrey dogs snatch at euerie passengers heeles Yea Playes are growne now adaies into such high request Horresco referens as that some prophane persons affirme they can learne as much both for example and edifying at a Play as at a Sermon O tempora O mores O times O manners tremble thou Earth blush yee Heauens and speake O head if euer any Sodomite vttered such blasphemie within thy gates Did the diuell euer speake thus impiously in this conflict with the Archangell Iude 9. To compare a Iasciuious Stage to this sacred Pulpet and oracle of trueth To compare a silken counterfeit to a Prophet to Gods Angell to his Minister to the distributer of Gods heauenly mysteries And to compare the idle and scurrile inuention of an illiterate bricklayer to the holy pure and powersull word of God which is the foode of our soules to eternall saluation Lord forgiue them they know not what they say So that this Sodomitic all fin of idlenesse is hatched vnder her wings another broode neglect of Gods word disobedience to authority theft and the very nurserie of sinne Now I come to the last and least sinne of Sodome Contempt of the poore this commeth behinde all the rest ashamed to shew it selfe as the theese hanging backe from the barre The infinite number of poore soules in this our yron age their hard lodging at our barred gates their continuall clamors in our stopped eares and their slender reliefe from our shut hands are able to make me to fill this Sanctuary and holy place with nothing else but Echoes of Charitie Charitie seemeth to bee so hard among vs as thogh it were neuer heard of amongst vs. Exod. 17.6 But as Moses with one stroke of his rod enforced water from the flintie rocke so my desire is that the hearts and soules of the vncharitable mooued at this instant with my light touch of Charity may hereafter extend and powre foorth fresh springs and streames of liberalitie Of all good works which wee doe in this life and they are not many there is none more acceptable to the Almighty then workes of mercy whereunto Christ comfortably to encourage vs in our charitable course promiseth out of his free mercy an immortall Kingdome for reward Matth. 25.3 Come yee blessed And if rich men would aske me the high way to heauen I would answere them as the sonne of God did the young man Math. 19.21 Goe and sell and giue to the poore In speaking of Contempt of the poore this sinne of Sodome I beseech you in a short exhortation onely right Honourable right Worshipfull and beloued in the Lord not to heare me but the word of God for I dare say with Iob I am full of matter Iob 32.18 and the spirit within mee compelleth me Demetrius King of Macedon in the fiege of Rhodes especially tendred and preserued the picture of Protogenes And to rich men such as contemne the poore I present for their fayring an image or picture to carrie with them into the Countrey not to be hung in their Hals or painted in their Parlors only Iere. 17.1 but to be imprinted with a pen of yron or the point of a diamond in the table of their hearts and this picture it is the embleme or portraiture of Charity to put them in remembrance of the poore Matth. 13.9 and Let him that hath an eare to heare heare A naked Child with a merrie Countenance couered in a clowd with a bloudie hart in the right hand giuing hony to a Bee without wings Now as Sampson said to his guests Vnlesse yee had ploughed with my heifer yee could not haue found out my riddle So this mysterie must haue an interpreter and the meaning is this Charity is figured a Child because the charitable ought to bee humble and curteous as a Child Mat. 18.2 Chariy is pictured naked for that Charity seeketh not her owne 1. Cor. 13.5 Charity looketh merily with a pleasant countenance 2. Cor. 9.7 God loueth a cheerefull giuer Charitie is couered with a clowd Almes Matth. 6.2 and workes of mercie ought to bee done priuately without vaine-glorie or ostentation Charity holdeth a bloodie heart in the right hand A good man is mercifull and lendeth Psal 112.5 and his heart alwaies goeth and agreeth with his hand Charity offereth hony to a Bee without wings that is relieueth and helpeth such poore as for want of wings for want of some limme or member of their body impotencie and infirmitie cannot labour for honie cannot worke for their liuing And such a practitioner in Charitie was that good and iust man Iob as himselfe to the shame of our worldlings confesseth Iob. 29.12 I deliuered the poore that cried and fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him I was eyes to the blinde and feete to the lame O I feare me that wee haue many that beholde pictures looke one Caesars picture their coyne but few that looke on or like this picture of Charitie Prou. 22.9 or haue a good eie that be charitable to the poore Leuit. 16. The Leuiticall Priest entred once a yeare into the holiest place and the Romanes noted such as once yearely entred not into their Templum Misericordiae Thus deale our rich Cormorants in exercising Charitie they once by the yeare perhaps respect the poore nay once in their liues like the Swine which is profitable at his death or with the Mole which seeth onely at her end they at their deaths thinke they purchase heauen by a halfepenie dole or a Christmas dinner O blessed Brethren and