and prayed for their good successe Héereby the godly persuaded themselues The man that forgetteth the iniurie of his brother may the better come to God that laying aside all displeasures and forgetting manifold iniuries though it were to seuenty times seauen as Christ teacheth they might with more safe hearts and quiet consciences approach vnto the throane of grace with these and such like petitions Remember not the sinnes of our youthfull dayes O Lord Psalm 25. Forget our iniquities and blot our transgressions out of thy mind Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespas against vs. The Lord Iesus graunt vs the spirit of pietie and patience to forgiue and forget the offences of our bréethren against vs. Moreouer Dauid in his 45. Psalme teacheth the Church Psalm 45. and therein euery member of the same what should be forgotten that her heauenly wooer Christ Iesus might be pleased in her Another forgetfulnes commanded in Scripture more generall Iohn 3. Forget saith he thine owne people and thy fathers house Therevnto counselleth S. Paule in his Epistle to the Rom. cap. 12. verse 1.2 and in his 13. Chapter of the same verses 12.13.14 This is that new birth which Nichodemus with all his wisedome is not able to conceiue and so difficult and hard for the fleshly man which conceiueth not the things that be of God as nothing is harder And therefore as the valiant Captaine Vlysses being in Affrica and perceiuing that his fellowes did continually languish with the remembrance of their Countrie Wife and Children which they could not forget caused them to taste of the Trée Lotos whereof if a stranger eate it is sayd he forgetteth his owne Countrey so our most excellent Captaine Christ produceth vnto vs his holy Word the trée of life to be tasted eaten and disgested with this commaundement Hearken ô Daughter hearken ô Israel he that hath eares to heare let him heare and happy is he that heareth the Word of God and keepeth it for by eating thereof man liueth he forgetteth old Adam To forget old Adam and the fleshly affections of man he casteth off the shooe from his féete with Moses and draweth néere to the Lord he meditateth on the Lawe of God day and night and is satisfied with goodnes By this was Paul put apart from the world This quencheth out the lust of the flesh the pride of life and loue of the world This bringeth faith to iustifie man before God and vertues to approue him before men This harboureth men in the bosome of faithfull Abraham whome the ruinous habitation of Adam could not preserue This draweth men from earthly Hierico to heauenly Ierusalem and persuadeth Iaphet to dwell in the tabernacles of Shem. Peter tasting of this Genes 9. goeth foorth at the doore and wéepeth for his sinne Ruth Ruth 2. the Moabitisse is hereby taken from her owne countrie and brought into Israel and this pearle being so pretious causeth a man to forsake all that hee hath to sell all his wealth to buy purchace and obtayne it The Lord graunt vs grace to bee in this poynt so forgetfull that we neither remember to commit nor dare bée so bold as to attempt sinne that wee neither dwell in the loathsome tents of Kedar nor so much as sauour of the fleshly affections of impious and vngodly men Thus haue we seene what things we are chiefly to forget and shut out of memorie Now let vs beholde the true substance of memorie What to remember and so in the end descend vnto this particular example of Lots wife If wee would that GOD in goodnesse should remember vs and that our prayers may enter in before him Nehe. 13. verse 31. Ionae 2.7 as Nehemiah and Ionas sayd then must we not be forgetfull of that which he commaundeth to bée kept in minde And except the Lord in his mercie be mindfull of vs Gen. 8.1 Genes 19. verse 29. Psal 115. verse 12. as he hath bene of old time of his seruants Noah Lot Abraham Dauid Ionas Manasses and others to whome in extremitie hee sent comfort and helpe we may be compared to Sodoma and like vnto Gomorrha wee cannot stande in the congregation but bee confounded in iudgement wee shall want that which may helpe vs and finde whatsoeuer anoyeth vs and being banished from the benediction of Gods children shall incurre the heauie curse of his enemies And a most fearefull thing is it to be forgotten of the Lord. For there is nothing remayning but cursings in the towne and in the field going out and comming in in the basket and in the store in the bodie and in the land and in whatsoeuer is taken in hand a sick bodie and a faint heart maymed members and a doubtfull minde in the morning wishing for the euening Deut. 28. in the euening desiring the morning vengeance from heauen an hell vpon earth Of this portion drinketh the vngodly to whom there is no peace saith the Lord seeing they bee aduersaries to the Almightie and banished from his presence Isai 40. as cleane out of his mercifull remembrance The faithfull children remembring these things with considerate mindes haue resorted vnto the Lord praying him in goodnesse to remember them Thus prayed Salomon O Lord God 2. Chro. 6. verse 42. refuse not the face of thine annoynted Remember the mercies promised to Dauid thy seruant And so prayed that noble Captaine Nehemiah Nehe. 1.5.8 cap. 5.19 ca. 13.31 O Lord God of heauen the great and terrible GOD that keepeth couenant and mercie for them that loue him and obserue his commandements c. I beseech thee remēber the worde that thou commandest thy seruant Moses Againe Remember me sayth he in goodnesse That patient man Iob in his great afflictions cryed out vnto the Lord Remember that my life is but a wind And King Hezekiah turning his face to the wall 2. Kin. 20.3 prayed in this manner I beseech thee O Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight Baruch in the behalfe of the captiue Israelites Remember not sayth he the wickednesse of our fathers but thinke vpon thy power and thy name at this time The Prophet Dauid being moued with an excellent spirit Psa 74.20 and 137. Psal 119. verse 49. singeth vnto the Lord Remember thy couenant and promise Remember Sion be mindful of thy mercies c. Finally the condemned théefe on the Crosse with our Sauiour sayth vnto him Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome These godly desires vttered with a faithfull heart haue not bene put backe nor was the Lord vnmindfull of his loue but as he remembred Noah and euery beast and all the cattel that was with him in the Arke and as Christ remembred Peter Mary Paule the théefe on the Crosse Psal 115. verse 12. So sayth Dauid in the behalfe of
all the faithfull The Lord hath bin mindfull of vs and he shall blesse vs and he will blesse the house of Israel he will blesse the house of Aaron he will blesse them that feare the Lord both small and great Psal 105. verse 8.42 He hath been alwaies mindfull of his couenant and promise that he made to a thousand generations Therefore let not the vngodly any longer say vnto the Lord Depart from vs Iob. 21.14 Sap. 2. wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Who is the Almightie that we should serue him And what profite should we haue if we should pray vnto him For the candle of the vngodly shall bee put out their destruction hasteneth on them their hope is as a drie thistle flower blowen of the winde they leade their liues wantonly and sodainly they go downe into hell And as for vs let vs put our trust in the Lord and consider deeply and duely to what ende the Almightie hath bestowed on vs that excellent treasure of Memorie Let vs endeuour rightlie to vse the same by printing therein enough these fiue worthie things following viz. 1 The Lord God and his actions both of mercie and iudgement 2 Our brethren and that duetie wee owe them 3 Our owne selues what wee are and wherevnto subiected 4 The finall and generall Iudgement for which wee must wayt and prepare our selues 5 Lastly this memorable example of Lots wife and this last do I referre to the second part of my generall dunsion as the onely matter or subiect for the action commanded in my present text A good memorie is here required Now if a man could remember with Cyrus King of Persia who was able as Solinus reported to call euery one of his Souldiers by his proper name when as his hoast was exceeding great Or if a man had the mindfulnesse of that mayde which can hardly forget her attire as Ieremy said yet could we not reach herein to a sufficient perfection But as for our selues I feare me we be so farre of that we may rather be iustly compared to one Messala Coruinus who albeit he was sometime a graue Senatour in Rome and much commended by eloquent Cicero for many vertues did yet a two yeeres before his death become so forgetfull that he remembred not his owne name Which kinde of forgetfulnesse hath come vnto diuers other also either by infirmitie of nature or by extreame sicknesse or by dotage or by excessiue cares And would to God that our naturall infirmities our sinfull agonies our damnable dotings in blind affections and our worldly carefulnes had not maymed vs with this maladie then might we haue escaped that reproach of the Israelites The Oxe knoweth his owner Isay 1. vers 3. and the Asse the cribbe of his maister but my people haue not knowne me they haue forgotten me Although wee cannot denie but that we haue our earthen vessels with Agathocles thereby to remēber our originall and with Peter haue heard the Cock crowing thrise in our eares to put vs in minde of things memorable yet it is true that we haue forgotten oftentimes that we should minde hauing our cogitations blinded with Satans enchantments that sometimes we will not heare to obey the Word of God be it preached neuer so wiselie This point of folly noteth S. Iames in the man Iam. 1.23 that beholding his bodily face in a glasse but going his way forgetteth immediatly what manner of one he was Héeere is great forgetfulnes from the which the Lord kéepe vs. Let vs vse the talent lent vs knowing that as well for that one as for the tenne an accompt is required and a reckoning must be made and that good seruant shall be commended with a double reward when the vnprofitable wretch shall haue his talent taken from him and himselfe double punished Remember God and his Workes Eccles 12. verse 1. Let vs remember the Lord and his meruailous works The wise Salomon commandeth vs to remember God and therewith to obserue the time conuenient saying Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them To this duty did Moses often incite and stirre vp the forgetfull Israelites who neuerthelesse after innumerable benefites receiued of the Lord remembred him not Iudg. 8.34 but forgat the Almighty that begat them God that formed them Deut. 32. verse 18.19.20 c. which caused him in anger to correct them to whet vp his glittering sword for them and his hand to take hold of Iustice against them to execute vengeance on them and to reward them that hate him This Dauid hauing considered exhorteth thus Seeke the Lord and his strength Psal 105. ◠Seeke his face continually Remember the meruailous works he hath done his wonders and the iudgements of his mouth And thus let vs remember the goodnes of the Lord first generally on all mē next on his Church and holie congregation and then on euerie particular member thereof and considering the same let vs ascribe all prayse honor thanks and maiestie to him for euer He hath not only created man The mercie of God but in mercie preserued him and prouided louingly for him He maketh the Sunne to shine as well on the vniust as on the iust and giueth raine to them both mouing all men to remember them and without this dutie they be touched with intollerable ingratitude But as for his Spouse the Church Dauid singeth of his louing mercies and goodnes vnto thē in this manner Psal 115. He blesseth them aboundantly that feare the Lord both small and great he encreaseth his graces towards them euen towards them and their childrē for they be the chosen generation the royall Priesthood the holie Ierusalem and blessed of the Lord that made heauen and earth And therefore this especiall little flock hath the Lord wonderfully defended and kept vnto himselfe holy safe and vndefiled before him Although the holy Church is as a bush in fire burning yet is it not consumed though as a Ship tossed yet not ouerturned though as a woman trauailing yet neuer dead and though as a Vyne pruned yet neuer sterued And as for this particular branch of the Church wherein we liue the verie land sauoring of the swéetnes of Gods mercie we are forced to confesse that the Lord hath not dealt with euery Nation as he hath dealt with vs and do find by full experience that the Nation is blessed which hath the Lord for their God Lastly if euery particular man shall duely consider with himselfe and remember how many excellent blessings he hath receiued of the Lord to the beawtifying of his body and soule oh God how shall he be forced to prayse and blesse him in the same with endlesse comfort Aboue all when there was neither sufficiencie of wood for burnt offerings in Libanus The goodnesse of God in Christ nor Cattell
Schoolemaister vnto vs for euer how had the creation of the world the making of man the building of the woman the placing of them in pleasure and cause of their paine bin remembred How could the promise of the Lords mercie in Christ the drowning of the world the burning of Sodom the preseruing of Lot and the punishment of Lots wife bin brought to our knowledge Yea Moses himselfe would soone haue forgotten what was written in the tables of stone which he brake had not the Lord written it againe with his owne finger Neither had the precepts and lawes of the Lord bin remembred in the posteritie Deut. 11. had not the Lord commaunded the children of Israel to write them in the posts of their dores Deut. 17. c. and the Kings to coppy them out for their instruction And this charge was giuen to Isaias the Prophet Isai 30. Now go and write it before them in a Table and note it in a Booke that it may be for the last day for euer and euer And of this benefite Dauid speaking sayth This shall be written for the posteritie And had not the Lord giuen vnto them his Word to be a light to their féete and pathes a staffe to stay them a rule to direct them they could not but runne a whoring in ignorance with the heathens worshipping not onely birds fourefooted beasts and corporall images the Gods of Ekron Baalpeor Dagon Asteroth Moloch and such but euen the Deuill himselfe contrarie to that commaundement of God to them Deut. 6. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Againe had not the Lord commanded in his Word the Paschall Lamb to be eaten euery yeare had not the Serpent bin lifted vp in the wildernes had not Manna bin reserued had not circumcision bin giuen to Abraham Psal 78. the lawe and statutes to Israel they would soone haue forgotten altogether and turned the seruice of God into Idolatrie Finally we at this time would soone forget that excellent benefit offered vs in Christ Iesus had he not willed his Gospell to be preached and instituted his Sacraments with this commandement Do this in remembrance of me I knowe your memories be weake as the water and ye by nature forgetfull therefore yet do this one thing for my sake thereby to remember me and declare my death till I come Let vs therefore consider this and thereby remember God and his works Fourthly when God sawe how oftentimes he was shut out of mens minds especially when they were full and in prosperitie he vsed often to correct and punish theÌ„ with manie and sundrie aduersities to stirre them vp to consider of his goodnes and power Affliction bringeth men to God to remember him in their beds and to runne vnto him in their afflictions to call vpon him in trouble and glorifie him in his mercies He well knew that as the frozen with cold best thinketh of fire the hungrie of meate the naked of clothes the prisoner of libertie the condemned of pardon so men be earnest to séeke after God Hos 5. and to remember him estéeming more of his mercie in time of wrath then of his iudgements in time of grace As for examples King Manasses in the prison remeÌ„breth God whome in his prosperitie he had forgotten Ionas in the Whales belly remembreth that obedience to the Lord which before was shut out of memorie Psal 51. Exod. 2. Ier. 31. Dauid in his miserie crieth peccani Israel in Aegypt crie vnto the Lord and Ephraim in captiuitie complayneth hartely Thus the Lord purgeth the golde from the drosse in the fire thus winnoweth he the corne from the chaffe in the winde thus scoureth he the rust from the yron on the fretting stone thus driueth he the rebellious through fire and water vntill they acknowledge with Nabuchadnezar Dan. 4.25 37. that the most high hath power ouer the kingdomes of meÌ„ The polluted vessell is with water washed the raw flesh is seasoned with salt the dropping vine must bee pruned with a knife the weake stomackes must haue bitter wormewood the slow Asse a whip the heauie Oxe the goade the idle scholler correction and the fleshly Christian sower affliction This driueth home the lost sonne to his father and the wanton daughter to her mother And herein will the Lord begin at his owne house and execute this iudgement on the trees that be greene whatsoeuer become of the drie trees And therefore when we feele the touch of Gods iudgements either in minde bodie or wealth let vs know the cause and consider to what ende the same is inflicted and seeke remedie thereof at the hand of God with Ephraim Dauid Peter Magdalen And so remember God c. Fiftly and lastly when the Children of God after their repentance Wonderfull deliuerance tryall and sufficient experience of the Lords Iustice and mercie hee wonderfully deliuered to their great comfort they haue a great occasion giuen them to remember God and to glorifie him Iudg. As in the time of Gedeon when all hope was past they had a marueilous deliuerance from Madian As in the time of Sampson Iudg. when all hope was quailed they had a great victorie and deliuerance from the Philistines As in the dayes of Saule when Israel was oppressed by the Philistins againe 1. Sam. 17. Goliah was ouerthrowne and Israel deliuered As also in the time of the Kings of Israel and Iuda God gaue great victories to small hoasts agaynst mightie Nations A great instigation of them to thinke on the Lord his wonderful works And because we haue receiued great things and obtayned wonderfull deliuerances of of the mercie of our God let vs not forget the same but sing vnto him heartelie with songs of deliuerance The second thing that we are willed to remember is our bréethren Remember our brethren First those among them that haue the ouersight of vs and which speake vnto vs the word of God as the Apostle chargeth Heb. 13.7 whose end of conuersation considering we must follow their faith And these be they which ruling well are â—â—compted worthie of double honour Neither must we neglect to bestowe on theÌ„ our temporall things which deliuer vnto vs the Spirituall treasure And this is a part of that honor which we be commanded to yéeld to our pareÌ„ts Exod. 20. But how hardly the iudgement of man censureth these labouring persons with what grudgings they yéeld to them of their wealth and with what gainesaying the Ministery is furthered and relieued all men may sée This is not to remember Iâ— 5. but forget theÌ„ Wo vnto him that defraudeth the labourer of his iust hire whereof he is most worthie The remembrance of these is often mentioned in the Lawe Leâ—â—â— and so is that mindfulnes of our poore brother Deut. 16. to whose néede we must not be gréeued to conferre Pro. 31. Tob. This Bersabe also remembred in
vp siluer and gold wherein men did trust and made no end of their gathering They bee come to naught and gone downe to hell and other men be come vp in their steades And to shewe that not only man which is compared to the grasse but also that all his wisedome and glory which is compared to the flower of the grasse by Saint Iames shall decay 1. Cor. 1.20 hearken what S. Paule expostulateth theron Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisdome of this world foolishnes Herevnto hasteneth man and herevnto commeth his glorie in the ende which to remember is verie profitable for al men as Syracides saith and as Moses wished to his people Deut. 32. For men hauing once numbred their dayes they be moued to set their mind on wisedome as Dauid saith and hauing considered the manifold dayes of darkenes they will remember God the sooner in their youth Eccles. 11.2 as Salomon counselleth they will cast away the déedes of darkenes and put on the armour of light as Paul exhorteth that whiles the Sunne is not darke nor the light nor the Moone nor the Starres nor the Clowdes returne againe after the rayne Eccles. 12.2.5.6 before man go to the house of his age and the mourners go about the stréete and the dust returne to the earth as it was Thus must we remember our selues God graunt we forget not our selues When man forgetteth himselfe and his condition there is none euill which he will feare to commit God make vs mindfull of this Remember the latter Iudgement Fourthly because the houre of death is vncertaine and yet death which is most certaine bringeth man to the iudgement and this as was the other is a forceable Argument to stirre vs vp to examine our selues to cleare our selues to prepare our selues with Lamps burning in our hands and loynes girded with staues to the iourney with watchfull hearts euer listening when the Tromp shall sound to the battaile let vs in any wise imprint this memorandum in the tables of our mindes Our God shall come and will not be silent Psal 50. Mat. 25. Christ will come in the glorie of his Father and all the holie Angels with him sitting vpon the throane of his glorie Before him shall be â—rought all Nations to be iudged and be shall diuide them one from another as the Shepheard diuideth the Shéepe from the Goates And we shall all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ and giue accompts of all that we haue done Thus Enoch Iud. vers 14.15 the feauenth from Adam as Iude sayth prophesied Behold the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saincts to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly among them of all their wicked deedes which they haue vngodly committed and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him This thing did that holie man thinke vpon with due expectation which said that whatsoeuer he did he heard this dreadfull doome ringing in his eares Surgite mortui venire ad iudicium Arise ye dead come to iugement Oh remember this ye that forget God least he take you away and there be none to deliuer you For in déede when all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ there shall be no excuse allowed of the wicked to pacifie the terrible displeasure of the Iudge when the accusations shall be produced against them Then neither Goliah with his strength nor Croesus with his riches nor Haman with the Kings fauour nor Absalon with his beawtie nor Achitophel with his craftines nor any worldly man with his vanities shall be able to preuayle 5. Lots wife The last thing which I sayd we should remember at this time is Lots Wife which I referre to the latter part of my generall diuision whereof I mind to speake and God will in the after noone The Lord God of his mercie graunt vs grace to consider of his goodnes and mercies towards the children of men to put displeasure out of our hearts to forget our owne people and our fathers house and to worship the Lord by a thankefull and reuerent remembrance of him of our bréethren of our selues and the iudgement prepared that so with the true vse of memorie we may the better walke in our duties and tend to the end of our deliuerie which is to serue God in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life before him as Zachary singeth Luc. 2. Luk. 2. and that which vpon our preseruation is required as Dauid concludeth saying He brought them foorth from Aegypt with ioy and gladnes that they might keepe his statutes and obserue his lawes Psal 105.45 Which God graunt we may also kéepe and obserue to his glorie and our comfort in Iesus Christ our Lord to whome with the holie Ghost be all honor and glorie world without end Amen The end of the fyrst Sermon The second Sermon Lots Wife IN the former part we haue bin incited to the true vse of memorie by the consideration of the Action commaunded Remember Now are we likewise furthered in the same by the consideration of the subiect or matter héere mentioned namely Lots Wife Neither can it be impertinent to our purpose if also we call to mind as well Lot as his Wife in whome an excellent example of Gods mercie appeareth as of his fearefull iudgemeÌ„ts on her for as when light and darkenes swéete and soure fire and water and things contrarie are compared together either of them is the better discerned from other So by the consideration of Lot and then by conferring him with his wife and by noting the contrarie dispositions and lots of them both we shall in much better sort from either of them learne that which the holie Spirit by reseruing their examples for our memories will suggerate vnto vs. From Lot Lot is there learned the lot of a godly man in this life with a comfort vnto the godly through the mercie of God on him From Lots Wife Lots wife is learned the lot of the wicked in this world with a terror vnto all backsliders and wicked Apostates by the terrible iudgements of God on the wicked Sodomites and Lots Wife Therefore first beholding Lot himselfe therein consider these circumstances 1 Who this Lot was 2 By what meanes he came to Sodom 3 How he behaued himselfe in Sodom among the vngodly 4 What entertainement he found among them 5 How that God loued him and deliuered him not onely from the sinnes but also from the punishmeÌ„t of the Sodomites We finde in Gen. 11.27 that Lot was the Sonne of Haran What Lot was which was brother vnto Abraham who was contented as one beléeuing the Lord to accompanie his Vncle Abraham wheÌ„ he forsooke his owne Countrey and his fathers house out from Vr of the Caldees and went soiourning as a Stranger into the land of Canaan at the commandement