Daughter of Ely Ickabod Ickabod The Ark of the Lord is taken Her Husband was kâ—lled and she falls in Travel 1 Sam. 4. 21. and being delivered she names the Child Ickabod saying the glory is departed from Israel because the Ark â—â— God was taken and because of her Father in Law aâ—â— her Husband and she said the glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken she names her Husbands death but once and her Fathers death but once but the Ark was taken twise for that she was most affected Is there any sorrow like unto my sorrow saith the Church why the waies to Zion mourn and are unfrequented Thus then the Saints and people of God will be affected when the Solemn Assembly doth lye under Reproach 2. This affection of theirs will continue with them and abide upon them they will not hang down their heads for a day and frolick it afterwards hang down their heads for a day in a Fast but as it is said of Ahab he walked heavily So they will walk Saith David in Psalm 42. My tears have been my meat day and night while they continually say unto me where is thy God When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me so you read it but it should be upon me I pour out my soul upon me as waters poured upon the ground For I had gone with the multitude I went with them to the house of God with the voice of joy and praise with a multitude that kept holy day My tears have been my meat day and night 't is not for a day and there 's an end but day and night This affection doth continue with them and abide upon them where ever they go they carry it as their burthen 3. Then also they will lay aside their Ornaments that they cannot rejoyce in their former comforts as they did before And the Lord said unto the Children of Israel that he would not go up with them I will send an Angel before you Exod. 33. and drive out the Cananite and the Amorite but saith he I will not go in the midst of thee then the children of Israel stript themselves of their Ornaments When the people heard these evil tydings they mourned and no man did put on his Ornaments For the Lord said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel ye are a stiffe necked peâ—ple I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee Therefore now put off thine Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee And the Children of Israel stript themselves of their Ornaments by the Mount Horeb And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the Camp afar â—ff from the Camp and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation And it came to passe that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation which was without the Camp The presence of the Lord was removed They were fain to go out unto the Tabernacle The presence of God was departed and God said he would not go with them and though he had promised them an Angel yet they fall a crying and weeping O the Presence of the Lord with us else we have no comfort and then they laid by their Ornaments So that look when the Solemn Assembly lies under Reproach then the Presence of the Lord is gon from the Solemn Assembly and therefore the Saints and Servants of God will and must lay by their Ornaments 4. The Saints and People of God will search into their own waies and turn from the evil of those waies that have had a hand in bringing in this reproach upon the Solemn Assembly They will search and turn In vain is the sense when there is no emendation Is it such a day as I have chosen for a man to hang down his head No To relieve the oppressed to take off the yokes and burthens Reformation But what is it a dull Reformation No but it is a Reformation lead on by prayer and fasting and it is such a prayer as is back'd with Reformation And thus the people of God are affected under the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly 3. But then secondly you will say What is there in this Reproach of the Solemn Assembly that the Saints and people of God should be so much affected with it What what not Only First The Lord himself is well pleased with and the Saints are well pleased in this sense in tâ—â— Reproach of the Solemn Assembly God himself is well pleased with it The Sacrifices of Gâ—d are a broken and a contrite heart An hard heart is Gods curse Lamentations 3. you read it thus Give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them 'T is not sorrow of heart for that 's a blessing but obstinacy of heart an hard heart so the Margent but in the Hebrew give them a heart with a Shield upon it that may fense off the blow That when any thing is spoken they may fence it off give them a fending heart a hard heart a hard heart is Gods curse A tender and a soft heart bleeding over the miseries of the Church it is Gods Sacrifice God is well pleased And the Saints and people of God they are well pleased in this sense It is Recorded of Nazianzen that knowing there would be freedom from sin in Heaven he desired to dye But then remembring that there would be no mourning for sin in Heaven nor for the miseries of the Church he desired to live Chusing rather to mourn for sin and the miseries of the Church than to be freed from sin here was a Spirit 'T is said of the true Griever he grieves and he doth rejoyce in his grief A man that doth truely grieve he doth grieve and he doth rejoyce in his grief So that in this sense of the Reproach of the Solemn Assembly God himself is well pleased therewith and the Saints are well pleased therein 2. But Secondly Do you ask what there is in the Reproach of this Solemn Assembly that the Saints and People of God should be so much affected with it I Answer There is a darkness falls upon the greatest Organ of Light The greatest Organ of light is ecclipsed all ecclipsed and the greater Vessel or Organ of light is ecclipsed the more dreadful is the Ecclipse The Sun ecclipsed that great Organ of light it is more dreadful The great Organ of light for the world it is the Solemn Assembly Now when a Reproach falls upon the Solemn Assembly the greatest Vessel and Organ of light is darkned and this is dreadful to those that look upwards But Thirdly Then the Name of the Lord is dishonoured The Reproaches of them that Reproached thee have fallen upon me And so the other way The Reproaches of them that Reproach us and the Solemn Assemblies are fallen upon thee O Lord and upon thy Name There are three or four things that God doth much delight in in the world
commit your way your souls and your all unto God He is best kept that the eternal God keeps and if you commit your selves unto him and his keeping he will certainly keep you And thus have I given you these twenty directions that so you may not through an evil heart of unbelief be drawn to depart from the Living God SERM. IX Seasonable Truths for these Evil Times Luke 17. 32. Remember Lots Wife IN this Chapter our Lord and Saviour Christ tells us how it shall be in the latter day immediately before his second or his last coming which he declares by two Similitudes or Comparisons The first comparison is drawn from the days of Noah wherein he observes their security and their punishment Security As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be also in the days of the son of man They did eat they drank they marryed Wives they were given in Marriage ver 26. 27. The Punishment And the sloud came and destroyed them all The second Comparison is drawn from the days and times of Lot where you have their Security and their Punishment ver 18. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot They did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded The punishment ver 29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it Rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all The Rendition at the 30 ver Even thus shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed Whereupon he dehorts them from the world and the care thereof ver 31. In that day he which shall be upon the house top and his stuff in the house let him not come down to take it away and he that is in the field let him likewise not return back Which he presseth by divers Arguments The first is drawn from the example of Lot's Wife who for her looking back was turned into a Pillar of Salt The second Argument is drawn from the contrary good Whosoever saith he shall lose his life shall preserve it v. 33. The third is drawn from the separation that Christ hath made between the nearest Interest and Relations at that day ver 34. In that night there shall be two men in one bed the one shall be taken and the other left two women shall be grinding together the one shall be taken and the other left two men shall be in the field the one shall be taken and the other left I am now to deal with this first Argument drawn from the example of Lot's Wife who for her looking back to a worldly interest was turned into a Pillar of Salt Remember Lot's Wife and remember her at such a time and remember her upon such an account Christ would have us remember Lot's Wife There is a special time when Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us We are not only to read the Story of Lot's Wife we may forget that but we are frequently to consider and call it unto mind A time there is and a special time when Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us For the clearing and prosecuting hereof First We will inquire what of Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us Secondly Why Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us Thirdly How Lot's Wife is to be remembred us Fourthly What is the special time wherein Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us And Fifthly How we should so remember Lot's Wife as we may gain thereby Sixthly And what we should do that we may so profitably remember Lot's Wife 1. As for the first If it be said what of Lot's Wife is to be remembred by us I answer her Sin and her Punishment She was turned into a Pillar of Salt she was stricken with a sore Judgment A mortal deadly stroke she was not stricken as Miriam with a Leprosie but with a mortal deadly stroke she was stricken with Death 2. As she was stricken with a mortal deadly stroke so with a suddain stroke She had no time given her to repent It is a great mercy to die standing to die exercising of grace but to be stricken with death in the very height of ones sin in the very act of ones sin and to have no time given one to repent This is a great judgment and this befell her 3. As it was a suddain stroke so it was an immediate stroke From the hand of God immediately Immediate mercies are the sweetest mercies and immediate judgments are the sowerest judgments Thus she was stricken by the hand of God immediately 4. As she was stricken with an immediate stroke an immediate hand of God So this stroke it was an exemplary stroke for by it she was hanged up in chains as it were and Gibbited for all ages to take heed of To take heed of looking back declining and backsliding And she was stricken into a Pillar of Salt And if you ask why into a Pillar of Salt Why Salt saith one that by her example she might season others that by her example all of us might be warned to take heed of looking back to any worldly interest But I think also by her looking back she in some measure complyed and comported with the men of Sodom as they were smitten with brimstone fire and Salt Deut. 29. 23. And the whole Land thereof became Brimstone and Salt So she complying with them and returning in her heart and affections to them partaking with them in their sin doth partake with them also in their judgment and so was turned into Salt And into a Pillar of Salt that 's durable and of continuance As the everlasting Covenant is called a Pillar of Salt so her body for I speak not of her soul neither doth the Scripture speak any thing concerning that being turned into a material Pillar of Salt for the longer continuance that she might be an everlasting Monument and warning to all Generations to take heed of looking back declining and backsliding And thus she was turned into a Pillar of Salt That 's her Punishment As for her sin that did bring her into this condition it was exceeding great and hainous for there was much disobedience in it being directly contrary unto the express Commandement of God by the Angel In Gen. 19. The Angels said when they had brought them forth abroad Escape for thy life look not behind thee neither stay thou in all the Plain escape to the Mountain lest thou be consumed Here was an express Commandment that they should not look back It seemed to be no great matter for Adam to eat an Apple a forbidden Apple but being directly contrary to Gods express Commandement there was much disobedience in it And so though it seem'd no great matter to look back yet being directly contrary to Gods express Commandement There was much disobedience in it Again There might be much incredulity and unbelief in this thing for she might doubt whether God would fulfil his word in destroying Sodom as God had said and
Here we may learn by way of Instruction That former Deliverance will not secure us from future Destruction She was delivered with a great Deliverance and yet destroyed with a great Destruction The like is said of the Israelites in the Epistle of Jude I will put you in remembrance though ye once knew this How that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that believed not Delivered and yet destroyed We are apt to think O we have been delivered thus and thus and therefore we shall not be destroyed God delivered them with an high hand and they were destroyed with an high hand Lot's Wife delivered with an high hand and destroyed with an high hand Former Deliverance will not secure us from future Destruction 6. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and live in our memory then here we may learn by way of Instruction 'T is ill sinning when God is punishing It 's good begging while God is giving but O 't is ill sinning while God is punishing If he be angry yea but a little blessed are all those that trust in him Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way The way What way Why in the way of his judgments When God is fetching his stroke at a people stand out of the way then of Gods stroke God was striking at Sodom and Lot's Wife came in the way of his stroke and she dyed for it It 's ill sinning when God is punishing 7. If that this story be true and live in your memory then here you may learn That those that are exemplary in sinning shall be exemplary in punishing She was the first that sinned this kind of sin and the first that fell under such a Judgement The Lord mark'd Jeroboam Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Why he was the first and God set a mark upon him This is that wicked Ahaz that in the time of his affliction sinned yet more What a mark did God set upon Judas in his life in his death Why he was the first that made a treacherous retreat from the Gospel He was the head of those Halbertiers that came to attatch Christ So an Apostate usually doth head the persecuting party but God set a mark upon him Those that are first in sin and those that are exemplary in sinning God will make exemplary in punishment 8. If this story of Lot's Wise be true and do live in our memory Then here we may see what an evil thing it is to mis-chuse in our chusing time Lot had two choises once he had a choice before when there was a difference between Abram's Servants and his Abraham condescends and gives him his choice Lot thou art my younger but I 'le yield for peace sake as we should all do for peace sake but Lot take thy choice all the Country was before him and he chose Sodom but God fired him out of that choice Now he was to go out of Sodom he and his Wife and Children were to go out of Sodom and Lâ—t saith God fly to the Mountain Not so my Lord there is little Zoar let me go thither and God let him have his choice and yielded to him but it cost him dear What an evil thing is it to mis-chuse in chusing times 9. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory Then here we may see by way of Instruction That though God will lay out an hiding place for his people in times of publick Calamity Yet if they sin in the way they may perish or miscarry in the very face of their hiding place It appears that Lâ—t had lost his Wife before he came at Zoar Gen. 19. 30. And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the Mountain and his two Daughters with him We don't read he lost her in Zoâ—r but in the way to Zoâ—r he would not go to the Mountain that God chose for him but to Zoar Now here in the way he sinned and in the way to this hiding â—lace he lost his Wife So that though God in time of publick Calamity may indulge or find out a hiding place for us yet if we sin we may perish even in the very way to our hiding place 10. If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory Then here we may learn by way of Instruction That 't is possible that a Religious Family may have a black mark of Gods Indignation Lot's Family was a Religious Family Never bear upon it that you are a Religious Family It 's possible that a Religious Family may have a black mark of Gods Indignation and possibly the death of one Relation may be a snare to the other We know the sin that Lot committed afterwards with his Daughters The death of this Relation a snare to the other and God doth know how to strike at one through the sides of another God strikes at Lot through the sides of his Wife God knows how to strike at one through the sides of another 11. Aâ—d the main of all is this If the story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our memory O what an evil thing is it to look back and to decline in declining times How quick was God with Lot's Wife for looking back She never sinned this sin before 't was the first sin that ever in this kind she committed and she might have said Why Lord It 's the first time that ever I committed it and indeed I was taken before I was aware thus to look back I did not consider well of What I did But God turned her presently into a Pillar of Salt God was quick with her Why For to shew thus much God will be quick with Apostates God will turn the Turners She turned to look back and God turned her into a Pillar of Salt And so for those that turn God will turn God will turn Turners God will be quick with Turners God will turn Turners into a Pillar of Salt God is quick with Apostates and such as do decline And thus I have given you these eleven things by way of Instruction As many I might give you in a way of Caution but the Instance only in one If this story of Lot's Wife be true and do live in our Remembrance By way of Caution Why should we not all take heed how we look back to worldly Interests in the day when the Son of man shall be Revealed or in this day of the Gospel when the Son of man is Revealed You see what became of Lot's Wife for her looking back and therefore why should we not all of us take heed how we look back or decline in this day that the Son of man is Revealed You will say what shall we do that we may not decline What shall