King Iosias so much lamented by Ieremy and commended by the testimony of Gods spirit in the Scriptures What say you to many good men some drownd at sea some kild in fight some going well to bed and found dead in their beds do you affirme that sudden death to all these is a spiritual iudgement Surely concerning Iosias I answere that he dyed not a sudden death for he was wounded at Megiddo and after he was wounded he complayned to his seruants that he was very sicke wherevpon his seruants remoued him out of his owne charret into an other and afterward carryed him to Ierusalem and there he dyed Can Iosias be sayd to dye of a sudden death They doe but fâ—atter the world which countenance the sudden death of their friends with the example of Iosias for where it is sayd that he was taken in there nets the Prophet doth not meane by Nets the suddennes of his destruction but rather the cunning deuices and stratagems which his enemies vsed to worke his ouerthrow and so is Net taken Iob. 18.8 and in diuers other places besides And as for such as perish at sea they cannot be sayd to dye suddenly for when a man sets his foote into a ship he well knows that there is but halfe a foots breadth at the most betwéene him death so that a mans entrance into a ship to goe to sea is as it were an entrance into some dangerous sickenes and commonly there is some storme before a shipwracke which is a good premonition of ensuing danger when a man is vnder water he is not presently depriued of life but there is some reluctation of Nature in which time of reluctation there may be many a déep sigh sent vnto God for mercy and forgiuenes and as it is with those that goe to sea so it is with those that goe to fight who knoweth not that the chance of warre is vncertaine therfore when a man goes into the field to fight he should make account that he lies him downe vpon his sick-bed The Drums and Trumpets are to him as so many bells that sound forth his dolefull knell The Arrowes the Pikes the shot of all sort are messengers of death vnto him so that he cannot be said to die suddenly but that man dyes suddenly who being in perfect health and frée from all imminent danger is so depriued of life that there is no reluctation of Nature to bée perceiued And what are we to iudge of such Surely concerning such we are not onely to consider the present condition of their death but also to looke backe to their liues formerly past and if we find them to haue liued in al good conscience before God and men and to haue béene busied in some holy or charitable action at the howre of their death these men doubtlesse dye in the fauor of God sudden death is but a temporall iudgement vnto them it were against the rule of charitie piety to iudge otherwise of them for of what kind of death soeuer a iust man dyes it shal be wel with him his soule shal be at rest but if a man hath all his life time liued wickedly vnconscionably and be also taken by death in some vngodly vncharitable action out of al question suddeÌ„ death is a spiritual iudgment to such a man as it was to the Sodomites here in this place whom the Apostle S. Iude doth definitiuely condemne saying that they suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Let this therefore be the vse of all that hath bin said euen to pray against sudden death yet to liue alwaies so prepared for death that we may be ready at all times with the fiue wise virgins in the Gospel to go in with the bridegrome be partakers with him of al his pleasures which indure for euermore Now we are in the 2. place to consider the Author of this fearefull ouerthrow wherewith SodoÌ„ Gomorra were destroyed that was the Lord for the text saith The Lord rayned vpon Sodom Gomorrha brimstone fire froÌ„ the Lord out of heauen The phrase of spéech here vsed séemeth somwhat strange therefore diuers men haue diuersly interpreted it some haue thought it to be nothing els but a speach proper to the Hebrew tongue others haue thought it a redundancy of speach some againe haue thought that the holy Ghost would by this forme of speach note vnto vs a miraculous and extraordinary action aboue and beyond the course of nature but in reading the ancient fathers we may finde that they did vrge this place against certaine Hereticks of their time to proue the eternity of Christ So Marcus Arethusus in the Sirinian Counsell alledged these words against Photinus expounding them thus The Lord Christ to whom y e Father hath committed all iudgement did rayne from the Lord Iehouah his Father brimstone and fire out of heauen So that Almighty God by his Sonne did execute this fearefull vengeance vpon Sodom and her Cityes There was neuer any thing which hapned in the world eyther so miraculous or extraordinary but there haue bene euer some which haue eyther douted of the truth of it or disputed about the true cause of it Some haue doubted vpon the truth of Noahs floud Others haue attributed the cause thereof to the constellation of the Starrs or to fatall necessity Concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha there be that do attribute it to the nature of the soyle for the country say they being full of pitch slime and other combustible matter the fire that destroyed these cities did burst forth of the earth Which assertion of theirs is cleane contrary to the Scripture here in this place which sayth that it came from heauen And amongst vs at this day if any strange accidents do happen eyther in the Ayre or in the Earth or in the Waters we referre them to some naturall cause or other being vnwilling as it were to acknowledge God to haue a hand in them And why should we be so willing to séeke out causes in nature for such things as fall foorth strangely in the world and so vnwilling to intitle the God of nature in them God made the Starres and the Planets and the rest of the celestial bodies of that kind to be for signes and seasons dayes and yéeres and this is the right and lawfull vse of them by their creation Let them be for signes saith Almighty God but not for causes Astra demonstrant non necessitant The Starrs doe sometimes foreshew such things as happen but they are not the inforcing causes of such things as happen Most impious therefore and blasphemous it is to ascribe these things to the influence and operation of the Stars for it is to rob God of his honour to derogate from his power to ouerthrow his prouidence and to tye God to secondary and subordinate
and iniquity The suddennesse of Sodoms destruction appeares in that the History reporteth that it happened by the Sunne-rise in the morning so that their destruction came vpon them vnawares Ouer-night they were all gathered together about Lots house to breake open his dores and in the morning their owne houses crackle about their eares are burnt ouer their heads and they themselues consumed in the same fire They made Lot and his ghests haue an ill night but now they themselues haue a worse morning for in their sinfull beds did the fire take them or if they were risen from their beds a showre of fire and brimstone gaue them a wofull good morrow And though this fire and brimstone came downe in a showre of rayne yet it was such a showre as was not discerned before it came the Skye was not ouercast the Sunne was not ouershaddowed with clouds nor the firmament with gloomy and thicke darkenesse as vsually it is before other showres but the Sunne did rise as fayre and bright vpon the earth as at other times so that there was no cause to expect or feare such a showre and by reason it hapned so soone in the Morning it took some of them in their beds some asléep some not throughly wakened some apparrelling themselues others preparing themselues to go about their sundry occasions but none of them dreaming of such an hot seruice as to haue fire and brimstone to their breakefast When Almighty God brought that vniuersall floud vpon the old world Noah was a Preacher vnto them of that age and by preparing the Arke he gaue them warning what was intended towards them In like maner when Iericho was layd leuell with the ground the ruines of that City were in a maner made manifest vnto the Inhabitants thereof by the seuen dayes compassing of it about and the sound of the trumpets did as it were sound foorth their destruction vnto them and euen vnto Pharaoh was Moses sent still the day before to forewarne him and giue him knowledge of the plagues which should ensue the day after but in this destruction of the Sodomites there was no man to forewarne them of it no prediction to foretell it no signe to demonstrate it so suddenly doeth vengeance take them euen vnawares and when they little thought of any such matter From whence growes this instruction vnto vs that such as continue and goe on still in their wickednes without repentance shall suddenly be destroyed before they be aware God sendeth downe his vengeance suddenly vpon the wicked euen when they cry Peace Peace and all is well then doth vengeance come suddenly vpon them as sorrow commeth vpon a woman trauayling with child This Elihu noted in his experience They dye suddenly sayth he meaning the wicked and the people shal be troubled at midnight that is when they looke not for it and they shall passe foorth meaning the iudgements of God and take away the mighty without hand that is quickly or contrary to all expectation Many and fearefull are the examples which we haue in the Scriptures concerning this matter Lots wife turning her head awry was her selfe at that very instant turned into a pillar of salt Zimry and Cozby were both slaine amidst their filthines Belshazzar in the height of his feasting reuelling and banquetting had his iudgement laid vpon him Dauid being astonied at the sudden destruction of the wicked maketh an exclamation by way of admiration concerning this matter Psalm 73.19 Oh how suddenly sayth he are they destroyed perished horribly consumed And surely the sudden destruction of the wicked is not onely terrible to them y t are striken with it but it causeth as many to wonder as eyther heare of it or behold it When the earth opened swallowed vp Corah Dathan and Abiram with their wiues and children they themselues did not onely send foorth pittifull and rufull outcryes at the suddennes of their owne destruction but all Israel that were about them fled at the cry of them death come it neuer so gently yet it is most terrible dreadfull to nature because it destroys nature but sudden death is a degrée more fearefull then death because death is the way of all flesh and it is appoynted for all men once to dye and therefore it is wisedome patiently to beare and not to feare that which cannot be auoyded but sudden death is neyther common to all nor necessary for any but it is like a Kains marke set vpon some few for examples sake to warne others to feare and liue preparedly In all worldly reason it is better to dye in a moment then of a long languishing sickenes Therefore Caesar was wont to say Repentinus inopinatus finis vitae est commodissimus But howsoeuer a long languishing sickenes is grieuous to nature and tedious to flesh and blood yet therein a man hath time to compose and set himself in order to dispose and set his house in order to yeld back his spirit to God which gaue it with old Simeon to sing that Swanlike song Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word to giue testimony to the world that he dyes in the true faith of Christ and in loue and charity with all men so that he leaues a good report behind him which as Salomon sayth is better then a precious oyntment But as for him that dyes suddenly he can do none of these things and therefore he leaues a suspition behind him neyther can the iudging Nature of man hardly beléeue charitably of him For indéed to say the truth where God will haue mercy he commonly giues time to craue mercy but when he strikes suddenly it is a fearefull signe that he meanes to haue no mercy for so he threatens to the vngodly His destruction shall come suddenly he shal be destroyed speedily without recouery These things being duly considered we haue iust cause to pray with the Church in her Liturgy From sudden death good Lord deliuer vs. But you will say that we ought continually to liue so prepared and prouided for death that we should be ready at all times steale it neuer so suddenly vpon vs. True it is such in déed should be our readines and preparation But yet this is no good argument that therefore we should not pray against sudden death for thus I will instance against it Euery man is bound to prouide for his family things honest and necessary for their reliefe and mainetenance and he that doth not so is worse then an Infidell yet euery man notwithstanding must pray Giue vs this day our dayly bread Our prouision for bread must not hinder our prayer for bread neyther must our preparation for death hinder our praying against sudden death But you will say vnto me Doe you condemne all that dye suddenly or doe you thinke that sudden death is alwayes a spirituall iudgement What say you to good
sinne of the parents spiritually and eternally if it walke in good wayes and betake it selfe to holy and vertuous courses but if the childe of vngodly parents liue neuer so carefully and conscionably according to Gods will yet the Lord will visit the sinnes of the parents vpon it corporally temporally and if it walke in the wayes of the parents it shall beare the sinnes of the parents eternally also But admit that a childe of vngodly parents neuer come to commit sinne actually the Lord in his iustice may visit the sinnes of the parents vpon that childe both temporally and eternally because it is of the same nature that the parēts are euen as the Hunts-man finding a litter of some noysome obnoxious beastes killes them though they neuer did harme because their nature is to doe harme if they liue euen so God in his iustice may destroy the very infants and sucking babes both temporally and eternally though they neuer committed sinne actually because their nature is corrupt and tainted by propagation from their parents But you will say vnto mée The like may bée sayd of the children of godly parents No For the godly haue a promise that God will not onely bée their GOD but the GOD of their séede also so that if the children of the godly dye while they hang vpon the brest or in the wombe yet there is hope of mercy by reason of the promise but if the children of the wicked dye before they be of power to commit sinne actually there is no hope of mercy but a fearful expectatiō of iustice because there is no promise of mercy belōging vnto them You sée then the reason why God destroied those infants sucking babes of Sodom with this temporall iudgement of fire brimstone euen because they were children of vngodly parēts And if he hath destroyed them eternally he hath done no more then in his iustice he might because he neuer made promise of mercy vnto them The second reason why God destroyed these children was to increase the griefe and sorrow of their parents for commonly the miseries of our children are more grieuous vnto vs then our owne miseries Dauid tooke the death of his sonne Absalō so heauily that hée wisht hée had dyed for him And out of question when this people saw their children lie sprawling in the fire scorcht and burnt with the heate thereof when they heard them scréeke and cry and could not helpe them it was as grieuous vnto them as their owne miserie and therefore the Lord did it euen to increase and inlarge their sorrow The third reason why the Lord destroyed these children was because they should not walke in the wicked abominable waies of their parents for if they had liued the nature which they drew from their parents would haue drawne them to the sinnes of their parents lest therefore these children should haue traced the sinfull steps of their parents the Lord takes them away in the same destruction with their parents The last reason why these children were destroyed was because GOD would leaue none of that wicked brood to remaine vpon the earth there were ouer-many of that ranke already and therefore the Lord to the end he might roote out the memorie of this people he destroyed children and all Whereby man is taught to liue holily iustly and soberly in this world forasmuch as a man is not wicked onely to himselfe but to his posteritie also The wickednesse of the parents lyes heauily vpon the children and therefore if thou hast no regard of thine owne soule yet haue a respect of thy children and for their sakes cease to doe euill The Prophet Esay summons the children of Witches the séed of the adulterer and of the whore and the children of the rebellious hée summons them all before God and he layes this heauie iudgement vpon them There is no peace to the wicked saith my God It is a fearefull thing to be the child of an Usurer of an Adulterer or Whore of a Drunkard of a murtherer of a blasphemer or of any other notorious wicked person whatsoeuer for surely God will visit the sinnes of the parents vpon the children as he hath threatned in the commandement temporally liue the children neuer so well but temporally and spiritually both if the children doe walke in the wayes of their parents Last of all concerning the generalitie of that destruction which the LORD brought vpon this Countrey and people it is said that Hee destroyed all that grew vpon the earth or as Tremelius hath learnedly translated the same wordes thus All that the earth brought forth and nourished all cattell and beasts of the field all creeping things and whatsoeuer was vpon the face of the earth was destroyed in this ouerthrow And here we may iustly wonder at the iudgements of God which he extendeth not only vnto man which hath iudgements will nor vnto babes and sucklings which are tainted with corruption by the propagation of nature from their parents but also to vnreasonable creatures which neuer sinned but are subiect to vanitie against their willes which doe not offend their Creator but follow the law of their creation and shall neuer come into iudgement yet these creatures as void of sinne as of reason are oftentimes plagued and destroyed for the sinne of man Thus was the earth cursed for the sinne of Adam Thus were al these creatures destroyed with the floud for the sinne of that age and yet we may say of them as Pithagoras sometimes said Quid meruistis oues placidum pecus Quid meruere boues animal sine fraude What haue these poore sillie creatures deserued that they should bée punished nay destroyed hauing neuer offended Wée are the sinfull wretches of the world workers of all iniquitie deseruing not to be scourged with rods but with Scorpions We I say being onely nocent cause innocencie it selfe to be punished for our transgressions Behold then O sinfull man thine owne vngraciousnesse thou doest not only procure vengeance to thy selfe by thy sinne but to euery thing else that doth serue thy sinfull vse Man by his creation is a Lord and a high commander vpon the earth for as it is in the Psalme he hath dominion ouer all the workes of God all things are put in subiection vnder his feet all sheepe and oxen yea and the beastes of the field the birdes of the ayre the fishes of the sea and whatsoeuer walketh thorow the pathes of the seas So that man in reason should content himselfe with this dominion and Lordship which he hath ouer the creatures and not séeke and procure the destruction of them Man should satisfie himselfe with the vse and commoditie of these creatures and not seeke the ruine and wracke of these poore bond-seruants both by ill intreating them himselfe and by prouoking God with his sinne to plague punish and destroy them And surely but that the prouidence of God doth restraine
be some end of our sinnes or if Moses and Samuel with all the holy Angels were amongst vs to bestow both their preaching and their prayers that wee might be saued they should saue but their owne soules and neither vs nor our sonnes and daughters Wee are not sinners of yesterday wee are not Nouices in the schoole of Sathan but we haue long troden the pathes of vngodlinesse wearied our selues in the wayes of wickednesse We haue wearied the tongues of y e Lords Ministers and grieued the soules of those Preachers that haue bin sent vnto vs in séeing their labour lost vpon vs they haue preacht in season out of season they haue brought out of their treasures things both new old they haue giuen vs milke and strong meat they haue come in the spirit of gentlenesse and with a rod they haue entreated threatned preached mercy preached iudgement and yet all this without successe for we haue beene like y e deafe Adder stopping our eares refusing to heare the voice of the Charmer charming swéetly vnto vs. Hearken now I pray you and bee iudges your selues O ye inhabitants of England if y e men of Sodom might haue had those meanes to haue drawne them to repentance which you haue had would they not haue broght forth fruits more worthy of repentance then you haue done Therefore shall they rise vp in y e day of Iudgement against you Let this Alarum giuen you by SodoÌ„ her Cities be a warning vnto vs all to eschew their sins lest we burn in their iudgements Let vs al froÌ„ the highest to the lowest fall downe and knéele before the Lord our maker let vs lye low before the footstoole of his Maiesty and with all submission both of body and minde acknowledge our sinnes preuent the intended wrath of God against vs by our true hearty repentance For the Lord is our God and will and must be serued of vs hée is our Lord wil and must be honoured of vs he is our Father will and must be obeyed of vs he is our Iudge and dreadfull Reuenger and will eyther bee feared of vs or else hee will reuenge himselfe vpon vs. FINIS Mâ—r. 14.9 Gen. 22.3 Psal 119 147 148. 1. Sam. 1.19 Esay 56.9 Exod. 16 13. 2. Kings 3.20 Acts 2.15 1. Pet. 2.15 The destructioÌ„ of SodoÌ„ and Gomorrha the most fearefull example of Gods veÌ„geaÌ„ce that euer was inflicted in this world vpon maÌ„kind for sin If we practise the sinns of SodoÌ„ we shall taste of the iudgments of Sodom Fiue causes why Sodom was destroyed The suddennes of SodoÌ„s destruction Doctrine Vengeance shal suddenly ouertake the vnrepentant sinner Iob 34.20 Gen. 19.26 Num. 25.8 Numb 19.34 Sudden death is one degree more fearefull then death Suet. in vita Caesar Pro. 6.15 Wee ought to pray against sudden death 1. Tim. 5.8 Lam. per. tot How to iudge of those which dye suddenly 2. Chron. 35.23.24 Lam. 4.20 Who are sayd to dye suddenly Sudden death not alwayes a spiritual iudgement Amb. de obit Val. Iude. 1.7 Mat 25.10 The Author of Sodoms ouerthrow â—erâ— fict Pâ—trusab Alâ—aco Guil. Par. Strabo Against those that ascribe strange accidents to naturall causes Gen. 1.14 Against the vanitie and incertaintie of iudiciall Astrologie In assert fidei cap. â—lt Amos 3.6 Iere· 14.22 Ps 147.4 Hierom. in Esay cap. 27. CanoÌ„ 16. Deut. 4.19 Micah 6.9 Doct. God the Author of al such things as befall man Iob 1.21 Iob. 19 21. 2. Sam. 16.10 Vse 1. Iames. 5.13 Vse 2. Psal 39.9 Vse 3. The maner of Sodoms destruction Gen. 7.12 Exod. 9.23 Reasons why God brought this maner of destruction vpon Sodom and Gomorrha Reason 1. Reason 2. Gen. 14.10 Leuit 10.2 Luke 16.24 Reason 3. Gen. 19.13 Iob 7.20 Ps 23.1 Ps 18.2 Deut. 28.12 Hos 2.21 2. Sam. 16.3 2. Sam. 29.16 Exod. 1.16 The generality of SodoÌ„s destruction The largenesse of the countrey of Sodom Gen. 14.2 Gen. 19.22 The excellency of the countrey of Sodom Ezech. 16.49 Doctrine Nothing can priuiledge either place or person from Gods vengeance against sinne Ps 107.34 Ps 50.2 Ps 87.2 Ps 132.13.14 Man woman child destroyed in Sodoms ouerthrow Psal 82.7 Ier. 22.24 1. Kings 22.31 The greatest men doe oftentimes taste first of Gods iudgements Dan. 5.30 ChildreÌ„ destroyed as wel as those of elder yeeres Reason 1. Reasons why Infants were destroyed Reason 3. Reason 4 Doctrine Parents euen in regard of their childreÌ„ ought to liue conscionably Esay 57.3 20. All liuing creatures destroyed in Sodoms ouerthrow Psal 8. The cause of Sodoms destruction was sinne Gen. 18.20 Ezec. 16.49 The sins of Sodom Gen. 19.5 Pride A proud man cares not for God Ps 10.4 Ps 10.4 A proud man is iniurious to all men Deut. 17 20. Ps 119.51.69 A proud man not capable of grace Psal 36.11 Pro. 16.18 Amos 6.8 Iam. 4.6 Zeph. 2.10 Ier. 50.31 32. The second sinne of Sodom fulnes of bread Gluttony the deuils baite Amos. 6.4.6 Ier. 5.8 Psal 69.23 Pro. 23.20 Ier. 16.8 Hos 13.6 Eccleâ— 5.11 Meat drinke to be taken like a medicine Fiue cautions to be obserued in eating drinking Numb 11.6 Plutar. in Rom. Apoph Caution 3. 4 1. Sam. 2 13 14 15. Gen. 25.30 Sine me haurire Trâ—mel Esay 22.13 14. Fulnesse of bread most displeasing vnto Almightie God Esay 22 12. The third sin of Sodom was idlenesse Luk. 13.7 Idle persons a burthen to the earth Pro. 6.6 All creatures in heauen earth hell painefull in their places but onely man Iob. 1.7 2. Pet. 5.8 Iob. 1.7 2. Pet. 5.8 Idlenesse the sinke of all lawlesse temptations Pro. 24. Idle persons corrupt both in body minde This world no place of rest Iob. 30 5. 2. Thess 3.10 A second kind of Idlenes which was in the Sodomits 2. Thess 5.3 Matt. 24.23 24. 2. Cor. 5.11 1. Pet. 1.17 Pro. 28.14 Securitie a forerunner of destructioÌ„ Iudg. 4.21 1. Sam. 30.16 17. Mat. 24.48 The fourth sinne of Sodom Iames. 2.13 God the Gardian of the poore Esay 3.15 Ps 12.5 6. Though God beare with other sins yet he will not beare with the sinne of vnmercifulnes Pro. 22.23 The prayers of the vnmercifull are abominable Pro. 21.13 Psal 104.21 Psa 147.9 Hoseâ— 2.21 Gen 4.10 Amos. 5.11 Iob. 20.20 The sin of vnmercifulnesse prouoketh God to punish a whole land Amos 8.4 8. The vnmerciful shall haue the curse of God which is wo euerlasting The last sinne of Sodom Rom. 7.8 A comparison between the sins of SodoÌ„ and the sinnes of England The pride of England equall to the pride of SodoÌ„ Iudges 5.16 Fulnes of bread in England equall to that of Sodom Amb. Epist 82. ad Eccle. ver Suet. in vita Vitell. sect 13. Idlenes of England equall to that of Sodom Suet. in vita Clau. 33. WaÌ„t of mercy and charity in England without comparison Pined in Iob tom 2. in cap. 31. Against Inclosers Esa 5.8 9 10. Tho. More Eutop lib. 1. Gen. 13.11 and 19.29 Against Engrossers Amos 8.5 C. de Mâ—n lib. Iube Against vsury Against the vnmerciful dealing of work masters Sinnes of England crying sinnes The sinnes of England at the ful height The height and ripenesse of sinne prooued by foure arguments More tokens of Gods wrath against vs within fewe yeeres then of long time before There must be a turning vnto God on our parts before God will turn vnto vs.