God by the promise made to Solomon and so prevailed against the children of Ammon 3. Beware of giving way to the love of any one sin The love of sin hinders beleeving Sin will not act beleevingly nor faith sinfully It s the nature of sin to cause guilt and fear it expects not performances but repulses from God How can any one depend upon me for a courtesie who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me Besides the love of any one sin hinders from yeilding to the terms of the promise it would be loose and yet have God bound whereas he never made his promises to gratifie lust but to engage us to holinesse Nor will faith act sinfully Faith embraceth the whole word of God even precepts as well as promises and respects the rules prescribed as well as the rewards promised it works uniformly and it trusteth to God in the way of his commands not in the precipices of sin Trust in him and do good Psal 31.3 Besides it acts warily and in the eye of God and therefore holily and tells us that if we must not tell a lie to promote Gods cause much lesse to procure our own comforts 4. Limit not Good for the way of accomplishing of his promise This is the noted sin of Israel Psal 78.41 They limited the holy one of Israel they circumscribed him for the way of bestowing of mercy Dcum metiri suo modulo Cal. in loc within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions Whereas if hee will work who shall hinder him Faith triumphs over difficulties and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason knowing that things that are impossible with us Rom. 4.19 are easie with God This was the excellency of Abrahams so much commended faith that hee considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarahs womb were both dead Heb. 11.17 nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son which seemed to destroy both Gods faithfulnesse and his owne expectations And this is indeed the duty of beleevers only to consider who promiseth and who commands and neither to question what is promised though never so impossible nor to forbear what is commanded though never so unpleasing 5. When God affords thee creature-props trust not to them Men would never be distrustfull when the creature departs if they did not confide in it when it stayes If we would not account our selves the stronger for having worldly helps wee should not esteem our selves the weaker for the wanting them Could we live upon God alone in the use wee might live upon him alone in the losse of the creature It s a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon 2 Chron. 14.8.11 2 Chron. 17.14 15 2 Chron. 20.12 when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him adventur'd not upon so feeble a crutch but expresseth himself thus in his prayer Lord we have no power and we rest on thee and the later when his enemies made warre upon him though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men professing thus Lord we have no might neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingnesse 6. Trust God in the serving of his providence and in the use of such means as he hath appointed and sanctified He that will not do for himselfe what he can may not trust that God should do for him what hee would Though man liveth not by bread alone but by the word of blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God yet that word is by God annexed unto bread not to stones and that man shall not trust God but tempt him In viis custodiet nun quid in praecipitiis Bern. ser 14. in Psal Qui hab who should expect to have stones turned into bread If God hath provided staires it is not faith but fury to go down by a precipice thus Davids trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliah Jacobs supplicating of God made him not neglect the sending a present to his brother The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king second causes are to be used in obedience to Gods order not in confidence of their own help the creature must be the object of our diligence though not of our trust Faith while it causeth us to be so diligent in the use of meanes as if God did nothing for us causeth us so to withdraw our trust from the means as if God were to do all for us He who in observing the other rules hath also added this may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy lay the matter before God and humbly put him to the accomplishing part VER 6. And the Angls which kept not their first estate but left their own habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the judgment of the great day IN this second example of Gods severity which was exprest against the falne Angels these two parts are contained 1. The revolt and defection of the Angels 2. The ruine and downfall of the Angels I. In the first these three particulars are principally considerable 1. By whom this defection was made 2. From what this defection was made 3. Wherein this defection was made 1. It was made by the Angels 2. It was from their first estate and their owne habitation 3. It was 1. in not keeping the former and 2. In leaving the later II. In the second are considerable these two parts 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison they being in that reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse 2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the barr They being reserved c. unto the judgement of the great day In the former their punishment of the prison is twofold 1. Reservation in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darknesse In the later their punishment is considerable 1. In that to which they shall be brought viz to judgement 2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgement viz. at the great day I begin with the first part Part 1. their defection and revolt and therein I consider 1. The persons by whom this defection was made viz. the Angels EXPLICATION The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angels Angelorum nomen sacrae scrip turae peculiare prafani Scriptores Graeci per vocem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Latini Geniorum ferè exprimunt Synop. pur theol disp 12. p. 117. is a terme peculiar to the Scripture profane Writers among the Grecians expresse them
than the bereaving Job of his temporall estate namely Job 1.11 the denying of God and the blaspheming him to his face The excellency of the thing for which we contend should strengthen and quicken our resolutions in contending It should be a greater motive to our valour when Christ our Captain tels us we fight to preserve the faith than if he had told us we fight for our lands children wives lives For what are these to grace to glory to our souls to our God all which we lose in losing the faith What Satan in malice doth most assault we in wisdom must most defend 5. Of our selves we are too weak for spirituall conflicts Observ 5. All our strength is from another He who is barely by profession not really united to Christ will soon give in and turn his back in a day of battell he will be a souldier for shew Mat. 7.27 not for service He who is not built on the rock cannot oppose the floods Painted profession will not endure the washing Things which are not strongly joyned but loosly put together will part when thrown into the water so will Christ and the hypocrite in sufferings 6. Observ 6. Moderation is not alway commendable Moderation in bearing the chastisements of God Praedicare verbum Dei est derivare in se furorem totius inferni Satius est conturbari collidi coelum terram quam Christum non praedicari Maledict a sit charitas quae servatur cum jactura fidei in enjoying worldly comforts in enduring private injuries are all most Christian and commendable But moderation which hinders a reall and an earnest contending for faith is no better than lothsome lukewarmnesse I fear ther 's much time-serving neutrality sinfull halting and indifferency gilded over with the name of moderation accursed is that moderation whereby men will lose the faith to keep their estates and crack their consciences to save their skins The policy of these I never did admire and their happinesse I trust I shall never envy How soon learned is the wisdome of shunning troubles of self-preservation and tame silence when religion is endanger'd How easie is it to swim with the stream to hold with the strongest and how easily but alas how falsly is this called moderation 7. Observ 7. The War of Christianity is laborious and dangerous It will soon try our valour and not only the truth but the strength of our graces Religion is like cold weather good for those who are sound bad for rotten hypocrites They who go on to this sea for recreation will soon come back in a storm The more dangerous our conflict is the greater is that strength by which we are supported and the firmer should be our dependence upon it If Satan cease from fighting with us it 's a signe he hath conquered us It 's our wisdome when we have passed over light skirmishes to prepare for greater They who had endured a great fight of affliction Hob. 10.32.36 had still need of patience Though we must never despair of conquest yet also never presume of quietnesse nor expect to be delicate members under a thorny head 8. A Christian should be best when the times are worst Observ 8. and get good by others sins When others contend most against we should most contend for the faith Of the opposition of the truth by others we should make a spirituall advantage As God suffers nothing whereby he gets not glory so a Christian should observe nothing whereby he gets not some good As the faint and luke-warm assistance of friends so the fierce and furious opposition of enemies should make his contention for the truth the more holily vehement It was not only the expression of a gracious heart but of such an one in a very gracious temper Psal 119.127 That because the wicked had made void Gods Law therefore did he love his Commandements above gold 9. Observ 9. It 's the duty and wisdome of Christians to observe directions for their spirituall conflict Who contends with a potent Adversary without considering how to encounter him To this end 1. Let us get a love to the Cause and Captain for which and whom we fight not fighting for fear of his wrath or love of his wages but affection to his interest A souldier of fortune will turn to that side where he shall be best paid but one to whom love is wages will keep to one side The Christian who seems now to fight for but yet loves not the truth will soon either leave it or fight against it 2. Let us not entangle our affections in worldly enjoyments Bid earthly comforts farwell when you go your spirituall expedition It 's pity to lose a victory for regarding the bag and baggage yet the love of the world hath made many a Christian lose both his courage and his crown 3. Let us not go forth in our own strength against our enemies A proud Christian will soon turn a coward A limb though swollen and big to sight is but weak and lame for service If God breath not a spirit of valour into us we shall faint Spirituall souldiers must fight upon their knees 'T is from God we fight of our selves we can do nothing but flie 4. Let faith consider Encouragements Our Cause is righteous and honourable our Captain wise valourous bountifull our supplies great and near our friends in all places if fighting prevailing and if not fighting praying for us our victory certain and sudden our reward massy and eternall VER 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ HEre our Apostle enters upon the third main part considerable in the Exhortation viz. the propounding sundry Arguments or reasons to inforce the embracing of the forementioned Exhortation of Contending for the faith against Seducers The Arguments or reasons used by him are reducible to these two Heads 1. The first is the dangerousness of the company of these Seducers to the Christians to whom he wrote This is set down in this 4th verse 2. The second is the downfall and overthrow of these Seducers amplified and proved from the 4th verse to the 17th verse 1. The dangerousness of the company of these Seducers to the Christians expressed in this 4th verse In this the Apostle describes 1. The entrance of these Seducers into the company of the Christians 2. The impiety of these Seducers who had thus gotten entrance 1. He describeth their entrance into the society of the faithful and that four wayes 1. From their nature they were men 2. From their indefinite number certain men 3. From their subtilty and slyness in getting in they crept in unawares 4. By cleering and vindicating their entrance from the exceptions or objections which the Christians might have raised against Gods
to despaip the tempted person knowing there 's not one of many who either beleeves or perseveres that he for his part hath hitherto resisted the motions of the Spirit and started aside from all inclinations to good and finding also by his own experience and now by Satans arguing who at last in part turns orthodox that by his own power he can no more beleeve then carry a Mountain But the opinion which makes Gods decree absolute arms a man against temptation to despair and gives him cause to blesse God as it hath made thousands to do that their salvation depends not upon fore-seeing what good courses out of their own free-will Incerta est mibide meipso voluntas Dei. Quid ergo tuane tibi voluntas de teipso certa est nec times Aug. de praed Sanc. c. 11. they would take and continue in that the bending of mens hearts to beleeve and persevere are the supernaturall fruits of Gods eternall decree and not the naturall fruits of mans depraved and frail free-will And though he be uncertain of the eternall will of God yet is he more uncertaine as Augustine saith of the strength and stability of his own Nor do I at all understand but that by the same reason whereby Arminians argue that the absolute decree tends to drive men to despair they must also grant that the decree doth the like as founded upon the prevision of mans impenitency for the Divine eternall prescience of future actions and events as much inferreth their absolute certainty and necessity as the decree of absolute Reprobation And therefore as 't is commonly observed the Schoolmen are as much troubled and * In ignorantia sola quietem invenio p. 1. q. 22. a 4. Cajetan though a learned man confesseth himselfe to be at a loss in resolving whether the prescience of God as whether Predestination imposeth a necessity on future events 4. Nor is this Doctrine of Reprobation injurious to a godly life It hinders not the use of the holy indeavors which God requireth of those who expect happiness and would shun wretchedness Mans industry must not cease about things or ends determined by Gods absolute unrevealed decree Though our endeavours doe not make the end otherwise quoad eventum then God did fore-determine it yet it was so determined by God as that it should never bee acquired without the use of our indeavours God doth not by the absolute decree of Election absolutely determine to save us whether we beleeve or not beleeve repent or not repent And therefore Faith and Repentance are not to be rejected nor doth he by the absolute decree of Reprobation determine to damne any whether they believe Bishop Davenant Gen. 4.7 Rom. 2.10 Cum praedestinatio ad finem includit media non potest hunc sperare qui ista negligit Prid. lec 1. or not believe repent or not repent Such absolute decrees saith a learned man are the absolute mistakings of the Arminians We may truly say to every man in the world elected or not elected as God to Cain If thou do well shâ—lt thou not be accepted And to every one that worketh good shall be glory c. Never did God make any decree to damn any man though he should beleeve and live righteously yea God hath published a quite contrary decree Whosoever beleeveth shall have everlalasting life John 3.16 And there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh Rom. 8.1 From a godly life we may conclude we are no reprobates and may make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 So that this doctrine is so far from quenching that it quickens holy endeavours seeing none but the unholy are ordained to condemnation and that we are as well ordained to the works of grace as the reward of glory Wilt thou not fear reprobation as Paul spake of fearing the civill Magistrate dothat which is good fear to do evil but if thou wilt upon hearing the doctrine of Gods absolute decree conclude that holinesse is vain and fruitlesse by the same reason resolve because the length of thy life is certainly decreed by God therefore thou wilt never either eat or drink to lengthen out thy life If but one man in the world were elected thou shouldest use the means appointed to life If but one man in the world were reprobated thou shouldest shun the wayes which lead to death 2. In regard of God there 's no chance Observ 2. nor any event by fortune All which ever was is or shall be was written before him as in a book In regard of men Vid. Aug. retr l. 1. c. 1. et Alex. Alens p. 1. q. 24. Deus cognoscit praeterita et futura praesentialiter temporalia aeternaliter mutabilia immutabiliter futura contingentia infallibiliter nature may seem to have many mischances being not as it were brought to bed with her ordinary effects But we who know the true God should acknowledge instead of chance only his divine providence That blind goddesse Fortune holds her Deity only by the tenure of mens ignorance Infinitely too weak is the axel-tree of Fortune for the least motion of the world to be turned upon it Punishments directed by Gods providence are not to be entertain'd as the pastimes of fortune That which is casuall to us is ordained by God 3. 3 Observ Occurrere periculo voluit Judas ne quos rei novitas turbaret Calv. in loc The faithfull should not be surprized with wonder at the disturbance of the Church by Seducers The opposition of the truth by such as would be and have been accounted its greatest maintainers is oft to Christians the most unexpected evil It may make an honest heart not only to fear its own apostacy from the truth but even to question whether ever heretofore it did embrace the truth or no. This fore-ordaining of many glistering professors to this condemnation should be a preservative from such a distemper Alas God did not only see through them when they were in their fairest appearances but fore-saw when they would prove before they either were men or were appearing Christians Church-disturbers are no men of yesterday He that fore-saw would have prevented their entrance into the Church had he not intended not only the preservation of his elect from them Mat. 24.24 but the benefiting of the elect by them 4. Observ 4. There 's no judging of any ones reprobation We are comanded to read over Gods oracles but we are not so much as admitted to look into his rolls Who is before of old ordained written down shall never be known till the books be opened There 's a peradventure of Gods giving repentance even to opposers 2 Tim. 2.25 De nullius hominis salute de sperandum quem Dei patientia sinit vivere de sui ipsius minime omnium Tanquam caput omnis noxiae tentationis repellatur ab animo Christiani haec mortifera conclusio
it be sweet or no. Jesus Christ hath given us no commission to study the pleasure but the preservation of our people It s better that our people should be angry for not pleasing their lusts than that God should be angry for not profiting their souls 6. Observ 6. The truths of the word are to be known unchangeably Gal. 1.6 Ephes 4.14 Si fidem scrutari haesitando caeperimus omnium patiemur jacturam Theophylact. in Rom. 1. Col. 2.2 Helps hereunto see pa. 238 239. stedfastly once for all Christians must not be removed from the truth they must labour to be men in understanding and not be children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine They must be known by the truth as men say they will by the gift of a friend many years after 't is delivered Holy instructions must be entertaind with full assurance of understanding and look'd upon not as opinions but assertions more sure than what we see with our bodily eys A seepticall doubtfull staggering Christian will soon prove a falling an apostatizing Christian A Christian must be rooted and grounded in the love of the truth Ephes 3.17 Thus far of the first part of the verse viz. the Preface prefixed I come now to the second namely the Example propounded in these words How that the Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that beleeved not In the Example I consider 1. A famous deliverance The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt 2. A destruction following that deliverance Afterward destroyed 3. The meritorious cause of that destruction Vnbeleef Those that beleeved not I. The deliverance is contained in these words The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt EXPLICATION The greatnesse of this mercy in delivering the Israelites out of Egypt is frequently mentioned in Scripture Deut. 4.20 Lev. 26.13 Psa 77.15 16 19 20 Psa 78.12 13 14. and from ver 41. to 54. Psal 105. form ver 23. to 39. Psal 106. from ver 6. to 13. Psal 114.3 5. Isa 63.11 12 13 Psal 136. from ver 9. to 17. Acts 7.18 19 c. to 37. Besides the large historie thereof in the book of Exodus it 's prefixed briefly to the ten Commandments as a most prevailing motive to obedience and often set down as one of the most famous deliverances that ever God bestowed upon his Church And indeed so it was if we consider 1. What the Egyptians did to the Israelites in abusing them during their abode in Egypt 2. What God did both to the Egyptians and Israelites when he delivered the Israelites from the abuses of the Egyptians For the first 1. The Egyptians offered many cruell injuries to the bodies of the Israelites 2. By their heathenish idolatry they were great enemies to their souls The first of these the Scripture expresseth in setting down First The bondage and servitude of the Israelites whereby their libertie and ease were taken away Secondly The murderous Edicts which were given out for the taking away also of their lives First The cruel bondage of the Israelites was so great Exod. 20. that Egypt is call'd in Scripture the house of bondage and Egyptian bondage is even become a Proverb The Israelites were not more lovingly received by one Pharaoh Exod. 1.6 then they were cruelly retein'd by another They who of late were strangers are now slaves With Joseph died the remembrance of his love to Egypt Thankfulnesse to him by whom under God the lives and beings of the Egyptians were preserved is swallowed up in envie at the increase of his kindred and posterity The great fault of the Israelites is this that God multiplieth them To pull them down though by opposing of God and to make them as unfit for generation as resistance the Egyptians make them serve with rigour Exod. 1.13 14 and make their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and brick Every word notes Egyptian cruelty The word translated to make them serve signifies to oppresse by meer force 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hanc habet vim praepositio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frangere and it is a word noting properly a tyrannicall abuse of power and therefore translated by the Seventy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies such a proud and cruel domineering as is used by tyrants Nor is the word translated with rigour without an emphasis it signifies saith Cajetan a making them to serve even to the breaking of their bones It is added that the Egyptians made their lives bitter a word transferr'd from the body to the minde to note the grievousnesse and unpleasingnesse of a thing The same word is used Lam. 3.15 where the Church saith Hee hath fill'd me with bitternesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath made me drunk with wormwood And as Lorinus thinks Miriam the sister of Moses had that name given her which signifies bitterness because she was born in those times The Seventy in their Translation expresse this imbittering of the Israelites lives by a word which signifies the most sharp and cutting pains in child-bearing And much doubtlesse was this bitterness increased by the nature of the work wherein the Israelites were imployed which was in mortar dirt and brick and all manner of service of the field they were put upon the most sordid and servile imployment Philo and Josephus with others report 2. Antiq. c. 5. that the works of the Israelites were meer drudgeries the most mean and dirty as scouring of pits the casting up of banks to keep out inundations the digging and cleansing of ditches and carrying the dung out of the Cities upon their shoulders And it 's said Psal 81.6 I removed his shoulder from the burden and his hands were delivered from the pots And that which yet made their servitude more extreme and bitter was that being in these dirty drudgeries of mortar and brick Exod. 5.10 the tale of the bricks is by the taskmasters laid upon the people though the straw wherewith to make brick be denyed them The poor Israelites now take more pains to please and yet please their cruell masters lesse than ever before They are commanded to gather straw and yet cruelly beaten because while they were gathering of straw they were not making of brick that is because they performed not impossibilities and did not make straw as well as brick Do what may be is tolerable but do what cannot be is cruell Hereupon the Israelites cry and complain to Pharaoh of their want of straw and their plenty of stripes In a word all that they desire is that they may but work as for wages they desire none In stead of relieving them he derides them and with a cruelly cutting scoff and a sarcasticall insultation he wounds their very wounds and tells them against hisown knowledg they are idle they are idle Hereupon
fire of zeal for God the more hotly burning by how much the cold of prophanenesse is the more increased but as this shews the strength of grace so yet doth that grace the greatnesse of Gods power Insteed of imitation let us bewayle the sins of the times and what we cannot bear down for the good of others with a stream of power let us for our owne overcome with a floud of teares 3. Corrupt greatnesse is very influentiall upon Observ 3. and into inferiors The lesser Cities sinn'd after the same manner with Sodom and Gomorrha Jeroboam the son of Nebat made Israel to sin Ephraim walked after the Commandment Hos 5.11 When the sin which we love is joynd with that greatnesse which we admire needs must it be very drawing Rev. 13.3 All the world wondred at the beast which had received power and authority Let those who are powerfull in place take heed lest they bee strong to sin Exod. 2.2 Dan 3.18 Amandus est generator sed praeponendus est Creator Tert. l. 1. de idol c. 12. Jussum est principis ore Galieni Quod princeps colit ut colamus omnes Aeternum colo principem dierum Factorem dominumque Galieni Prud. Hyrn 6 for if they improve their power against God they shall be powerfully punish'd by God Who so causeth the righteous to go astray in an evill way he shall fall himself into his own pit Prov. 28. Without the sins of others our own would be insupportable if unpardoed and 't is too much to be so much as a follower in sin The Examples yea the injunctions of the best the greatest are limitted and bounded by the pleasure of a greater The Midwives of Egypt and the three servants of God threatned with the fiery furnace are standing monuments of religious disoebdience Fear God is put before that of Honouring the King Our earthly is below our heavenly Father he who begat us is to be beloved but he who created us is to be preferred The greatest the richest cannot put in security to save us harmlesse at the day of Judgement for following their example even their followers shall be punish'd Admah and Zeboim the daughters of Sodom sinn'd and smarted in like manner with Sodom 4. Observ 4. How fitly is the title of Spirituall Sodom bestowed upon Rome Sodom hath now met with her match Not to speak of that cloystred crew of Sodomiticall shavelings Vid. Speeds History the Leprosie of whose sin had eaten so deeply into the wals of their Monasteries in England Bale de act Rom. Pont. Bishop Jewel defens Apol. p. 354. Sleid Commen ad annum 1550 Constans fuit opinio Casam Pauli secundi gratiam prae ce teris egregiè au cupatum sibi ad purpuratorum patrum decus aditum paravisse quorum in cortu clamà pontifice adnumera tus cum esset ac designatus invida mox sug gerentium ex prorbatione turpi lasciviae notâ culpatus c. Job Imperialis Musae um Historic pag. 27. Tolle de Ecclesiâ honorabile conjugium nonne reples eam concubinariis incestuofis masculorum concubitoribus Bern. Cant. ser 66. A lupanari ad missam unus tantum passus Rivet that the justice of God both pulled down them and pluck'd up their foundations but look upon their holy Fathers and their purple Cardmals their Mitred Prelates and you shall find a second Sodom raised out of the ashes of the former My pen is ashamed to write what I read concerning the two Juliusses the second and third Sixtus the fourth Paul the third Leo the tenth Prodigious was that impure Monster John Casa Arch-Bishop of Beneventum and Legat Apostolicall who wrote a book in commendation of the sin of Sodomy and printed it at Venice and by the license of Julius the third were other books set forth in praise of that villany Perpetuall will be the infamy of that Johannes imperialis a Popish Writer who published a book in commendation of this Arch Bishop Casa and others of the same stamp wherein he writes That when Pope Paul the second observe his Holinesse endeavoured to advance the said Casa to the dignity of a Cardinall he was by some persons enviously upbraided and blamed for lasciviousnesse Nor will Rome ever be or be accounted other then as Sodom a mother of Harlots and a stable of uncleanness a fit place for the seat of the beast so long as her lawes for prohibiting of Marriage and permitting of Whoredome are in force 5. Observ 5. How hellish black is the depraved nature of man The fountaine surely was filthy and poysonfull that sent forth such streams of Sodomiticall uncleanness Sodoms lake of Brimstone is not half so unsavoury as were their streams of Fornication nor were these so filthy as that springing puddle of polluted nature from which they issued Who reads not without horror and amazement the overflowing of this sin of Sodom into the lives of those accounted the best of heathen and the wisest of Philosophers Rom. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. O. rat 1. Contra. Jul. pag. mini 78. Laert. in vita Platonis Lego partem semenâ—ae Atticae in Socraiem corruptorem a dolesâ—entium pronuntiatam Tert. Apol. cap 46. to whom that which might he known of God was manifest who professed themselves wise and yet burned in lust one toward another Tertullian and Gregory Nazianzen charge this foul abomination upon Socrates himself and others upon Aristotle Zeno and Periander but most of all upon Plato how unworthy the name of divine Who might not be more then amazed to read that Solon and Licurgus should make laws as they did according to Chrysostome for the toleration of this sin To the fountain of this Heathenish filthinesse we are led by the Apostle when he declares that Rom. 1. this uncleannesse was Through the lusts of their own hearts What cause of humility have the best when they consider they were born with the nature of the blackest Sodomites And how greatly should they praise and admire that love whereby and laver wherein they were washed and sanctified To conclude this What is there in the world for which tears and blushing seem to be made but for the pollution of that nature which is the same with that of a Sodomite 6. Nor yet should the most deeply defiled Observ 6. Zech. 13.1 either in nature or practise despair Even Sodomites returning shal be accepted and washing in the fountain set open even for their uncleannesse shall be cleansed The blood of Christ can wash from the sins of Sodom Even a people as bad as Sodomites have been invited by and unto mercy for Isai 1.10 the Prophet calls the Jewish Princes the Princes of Sodom and their people the people of Gomorrha that is such Princes and people as matched Sodom and Gomorrha in wickednesse and yet he inviteth them unto repentance with proffer of mercy and promise of pardon and
severest punishing of offenders and not wound like murderers to destroy but like Chyrurgeons to cure and to prevent the spreading of sin yea punishment 8. Observ 8. It should be our great desire by all our own sufferings for sin to prevent the like sin in and sufferings of others We must not be like those that have the Plague who love to inffect others with it A gracious heart rather desires to hear of converts by his falls and woes then to have companions in either They who have been by sin examples of imitation should pray that by their sufferings they may become examples of Caution How rare is this heavenly temper in sufferers Most Christians when they are in troubles only desire the removall of them perhaps the sanctifying of them to themselves but who prayes for the sanctifying of them unto others It s ordinary for men under their sufferings to have thoughts of impatience against God and of revenge against the instrument of their troubles but unusuall for men to have aimes of benefiting beholders by their troubles If the Lord would throughly affect us with love to his glory and hatred to sin we should be willing to have the house pulled down upon our own heads so as sin may be destroyed in others and hereby we may do more good at our death then we have done throughout our whole lives The sinners of these laters times sin more heinously then they who lived in former ages Observ 9. The sins committed by those who have others for an example are greater then those committed formerly though they be the same for kind He who falls by stumbling at the same stone at which he dash'd who went before him falls without apology Wee in these times stand upon the shoulders of those who lived of old and therefore ought to see further we may behold by what meanes they stood where also and how they fell and how by either they sped More exactnesse in working and walking becomes us who have more light to guide us How happy were we if as we strive to excell our forefathers in other arts we did not come behind them in that heavenly art of a holy life though their helps were fewer then ours It is a common observation concerning our buildings that though they are of more curious contrivement yet lesse substantiall and durable then those of old time Non tulit nos sine exemplo◠ut inveniat sine delicto vel tollat sine patrocinio I fear this may be more truly said of our religion then of our buildings It will be more tolerable at the last day for those who lived in the times of Sodom then for sinners in these days upon whom the ends of the world are come Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Surely as we pay dearer for our worldly commodities we must pay much dearer for our sinfull pleasures then our fore-fathers have done We had better never have heard of Sodoms ruin then not to mend our lives by the example 10. Observ 10 It s our duty to make an holy improvement of the worst things which fall out in the world Even Sodom and Gomorrha were our examples and we should make lye to cleanse us of their ashes A good man should sail as they say of skilfull Mariners with every wind and as Samson take honey out of the carcass of the Lion Vespasian raised gain out of an excrement the Estrich concocts iron Even the waters of jelousie which rotted the bellies and limbs of some made others healthfull and fruitfull The sins of the worst should and sometimes do teach the godly to walk more closely and humbly with God Were we not wanting to our selves the sin of Sodom might be to us felix culpa an happy fault But alas most men more imitate then shun the sins of others nay which is much worse they rather take occasion to oppose deride and so get hurt by seeing the holy strictnesse of the godly then to grow more watchfull and holy by observing the sinfull loosenesse of the wicked But here is the excellency of grace to make a man like David Therefore to love the Commandments of God Psal 119. i 27. because wicked men make void the Law 11. Observ ult It is our wisdome to learn how to behold the examples of caution which God hath set forth especially in Scripture with most advantage to our souls Against that which God shews we must not shut our eyes To this end 1. Let us give our assent to the truth of examples as delivered in Scripture which doth not only relate the judgments themselves but their causes also the supreme God the deserving sin Faith takes into its vast comprehension every part of Gods word It hath been the Divels policy to strike at the truths of Scripture-stories either by denying or adulterating them * Prophani quidam ex Schola Porphirii ut miraculū elevarent Confinxerunt Mosem peritissimum naturae observasse fluxum refluxum maris Erithraei refluente illo suos traduxisse Riv. in Exod. Porphiry to overturn the miraculousnesse of the Israelites passing through the Red sea saith that Moses took the advantage of a low ebbing water and so went through safely which the Egyptians not understanding were drowned by the flowing of the water Strabo likewise perverts the truth of this story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Graeci Scriptores Sodomam cum vicinis civitatibus eam ob causam incendio periisse sentiunt quod regio illa cavernosa esset sulphurea atque ita hujusmodi exitio obnoxia Muscul in 19. Gen. by attributing it to naturall causes and reporting that these cities were seated on a soyl sulphureous and full of holes from which fire breaking forth consumed them Examples of the dreadfullest aspect will never affright us from sin when we look upon them in the Divels dress Let us not sport at examples and make them our play-fellows Read not the example of Lots wife as the Poeticall fiction of turning Niobe into a stone What judgement thou readest beleeve though never so severe never so farre beyond thy apprehension 2. Look upon examples with deep and diligent observation They must sink into us we must set our hearts to them Steep our thoughts in them and ponder them in their certainty causes severity Posting passengers cannot be serious observers of any place How profitable is it sometime to dwel in our meditations upon these monuments of divine justice Assent must be followed with consideration Transient thoughts become not permanent examples 3. Look upon these examples with an impartiall examination Enquire within whether was such an one whom vengeance overtook a greater sinner then I am Ask thy conscience that question which the Prophet put to the Israelites are there not with me even with me the same sins against the Lord Ransack thy soul to find out the traytor hide not that in