Brothel-house yea a Cage of unclean Birds yea a very Hog-sty What horrid Profaneness what hellish Sacriledge is this Reas 4. Because the sin of Uncleanness is most offâ—nsive and displeasing to the holy Spirit of God Gen. 6 3. The Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man because he also is flesh and ver 6. It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart Corrupt Communication grieves the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 29 30. They that are sensual are destitute of the Spirit Jude ver 19. The stinking Lake of Sodom is not so unsavoury and loathsome to the Traveller that passeth by as the lewd and filthy person is to the most holy God Such are the abhorred of the Lord Prov. 22. 14. Reas 5. Because the sin of Uncleanness provokes God to indignation and augments his fierce wrath against vile sinners Jer. 5. 9. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Ephes 5. 6. Because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Where do the Guests of the strange woman lodge In such a Tavern or Ordinary nay they lodge in the depths of Hell Prov. 9. 18. Fornicators Adulterers unclean and effâ—minate persons and Abusers of themselves with mankinde have no inheritance in the Kingdome of God but are shut out among the Dogs and cast into the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 69 10. Gal. 5. 19 21. Eph. 5. 5. Rev. 21. 8 27. 22. 15. VSE I. Of Instruction This may serve to Vindicaâ—e the holy Name of God and clear in Throne in his dreadful Severity toward this vile and wicked Youth in making him a Pattern and Monument of his fierce Wrath and Indignation It may be some among us stand astonished and amazed at this fearfull and tremendous hand of God in making such a Youth a Childe of Religious Parents and that in his tender years such a Dreadful Example of Divine Vengeance I pray consider 1. The heinous and atrocious nature of his Sin and Transgression It is a Crying sin it makes a â—lamorous noise in the ears of the holy God it will not suffer God to rest in Heaven It doth not onely trouble our Israâ—l but it troubles and disquiets the God of Israel This his sin is exceeding grievous in the sight of God it is an Abomination it is Confusion It defiles the Land the Earth groans under the burthen of such Wickedness You pity his Youth and tender years but I pray pity the holy Law of God which is shamefully violated pity the glorious Name of God which is horribly profaned pity the Land which is fearfully polluted and defiled 2. Consider the Equity of Gods severe Dispensation towards this vile Youth The Lord hath proceeded slowly and leisurely and hath endured this wicked Youth with much long-suffering untill his sin grew to this prodigious height and cried for Vengeance For as he himself confesseth he lived in Disobedience to his Parents in Lying Stealing Sabbath-breaking and was wont to flee away from Catechism He would not hearken to the Voice of God and therefore he gave him up to his own hearts lust He was extremely addicted to Sloth and Idleness which is a great breeder and cherisher of Uâ—cleanness The standing Pool gathers filth and harbours Toads and filthy Vermine Lust is usually warm and stirring in idle bosomes He gave himself to Self-pollution and oâ—her Sodomitical wickedness He often attempted Buggery with several Beasts before God-left him to commit it at last God gave him over to it and he continued in the frequent practise thereof for several Moneths Being at length by the good hand of God brought under the Yoke of Government and Servâ—ce which might have bridled and restrained him from such wickednesâ— he violently brake away from his Master and with an high hand boldly and impudently like a childe of Belial shook off that Yoke of God casting reproach and disgrace upon his Master Having now obtained a licentious liberty he grew so impudent in his wickedness as to commit this horrid Villany in the sight of the Sun and in the open field even at Noon-day proclaiming his sin like Sodom Though he be a Youth in respect of years yet he is grown old in wickedness and ripe for Vengeance The Church cannot be cleansed untill this wicked person be put away from among us Ishmael stood in the same relation to the Church of God was younger in years yet being convict of a heinous Transgression though far inferiour to this before us was cast out and that according to the Commandment of God Gen. 21. 9 10 11 12. If we will not pronounce such a Villain Accursed we must be content to bear the Curse our selves The Land cannot be cleansed untill it hath spued out this Uâ—clean Beast The execution of Justice upon such a notorious Malefactor is the onely way to turn away the wrath of God from us and to consecrate our selves to the Lord and obtain his Blessing upon us Numb 25. 4. Hang them up before the Lord against the Sun that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel Exod. 32. 29. Consecrate your selves to day to the Lord even every man upon his Son and upon his Brother that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day VSE II. Of Exhortation unto us all To sanctifie the Name of God in this tremendous Dispensation in making such an one amongst us a Sign and an Example of Vengeance When Nadab and Abibu were burnt with fire for offering strange fire before the Lord Mâ—ses said unto Aaron This is that which the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh to me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10. 3. This is the right interpretation and true improvement of such signal and judicial Strokes viz. To sanctifie the Name of God according to his Word and give him the honour and glory due unto his Name Psal 9. 16. The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah This is a deep Meditation Let us look upon this sad and woful Example with diligent Observation let it sink down into our hearts ponder and weigh it in the Causes Circumstances and Aggravations thereof Let our thoughts dwell upon this lasting Monument of Divine Wrath. Content we not our selves with transient thoughts in contemplating such a permanent Sign and Example of Vengeance left God lose of that Honour and Glory which he expects from us and we fail of that Spiritual fruit which we might and ought to reap thereby Quest How should we sanctifie the Name of God in this tremendous Dispensation Ans I. In general Fear and Tremble before this holy Lord God Isa 8. 13. Sanctifie the Lord
The Cry of Sodom ENQVIRED INTO Upon Occasion of The Arraignment and Condemnation OF BENJAMIN GOAD For his Prodigious Villany Together with A Solemn Exhortation to Tremble at Gods Judgements and to Abandon Youthful Lusts By S. D. Isa 26. 9. When thy Judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Psal 119. 118. Thou hast troden down all them that erre from thy statutes for their deceit is falshood ver 119. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross therefore I love thy Testimonies ver 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgements 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul Cambridge Printed by Marmaduke Johnson 1674. Christian Reader IT is a solemn Expression of the Kingly Prophet the sweet Singer of Israel Psal 36. 6. Thy Judgements O Lord are a great deep too great a deep to be fathomed without the help of Scripture-direction Had not the Most High condescended to give us poor silly worms the Comment of his Word upon the more abstruse and less discernable passages of his Works how hard had it been for us to have found out and understood the true sense and meaning of many his darker dispensations Amongst many other this might have been looked at as astonishingly strange that the worst of sins should be perpetrated in some the best of Places and Societies that Enormities not so much as named amongst Gentiles should be found among Christians had not the Oracles of God unfolded and laid open the Mystery of such otherwise inscrutable Sâ—crets of his profound Providence It was in the Sanctuary that the distrâ—ssed Psalmist saw a plain and easie way out of the perplexing Intricacies of those sad Tentations in which he had been so far bewildered and well-nigh lost Psal 73. 16 17. By Scripture-Light in the forementioned case we may easily discern not onely that it is but how it comes to pass and be informed That the holy and blessed God is never more gloriously Just then when most dreadfully Severe against such as despise and will not obey his Gospel No Judgements are more direfull and to be dreaded then Spiritual nor are any nearer such then they who have and improve not but set light by and abuse the Gospel and Grace of our Lord Jesus The ground often rained upon which yet brings forth nothing but thorns and briers is rejected and nigh to cursing and its end is to be burned Heb. 6. 7. 8. It was thus of old Psal 81. 10 12. Open thy mouth wâ—â—e and I will fill it But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels How unquestionably righteous the holy God is in such Severity against his own people will be abundantly evident to all who shall consider how trimendous his dealings have been with poor ignorant Heathen If such who have had and abused but that glimmering Star-light which to weak eyes so dimly shineth from the Works of Creation and Providence have been so terribly treated that as the Apostle expresseth Rom. 1. 18 to the end of the Chapter The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who imprison the truth in unrighteousness So that because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God He gave them up to uncleanness to filthy practices to vile affections and at last to a reprobate minde Of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who have troden under foot the Son of God continuing to sin under and against a far more glorious Light then ever the Heathen had An awfull and not to be forgotten Instance of this so formidably solemn a Truth was the sad Occasion unto our Reverend Brother the Pious and Judicious Author of the ensuing Discourse to lift up his voice like a Trumpet His eminent faithfulness in so doing we cannot but approve It 's surely no season for Watchmen to be silent when Heaven-daring sins are calling aloud for Vengeance We willingly Commend it to the Press and serious perusal of all into whose hands it may come heartily praying it may by a blessing from above become successfull unto all that good intended and hoped for in making it thus publick John Sherman Urian Oakes Thomas Shepard The CRY of SODOM Enquired into GEN. XVIII 20 21. And the Lord said Because the cry of Sodom and Gâ—morrah is great and because their sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know BEhold the solemn Inquisition which the Lord made concerning the abominable filthiness of the Sodomites which cried unto Heaven for vengeance In the description whereof observe 1. The fearfull Aggravation of their wickedness The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous Sodom and Gomorrah were ancient Cities in the Land of Canaan situate in the Vale of Siddim bordering upon the Tribe of Judah There were two other Cities which perished with them viz. Admah and Zeboim Deut 29. 23. but Sodom and Gomorrah are onely named in my Text because as they were the most notable and famous for estate and greatness so they were the most notorious and infamous for sin and lewdness Ezek. 16. 46. Sodom and her daughters The sins of Sodom were many and great but that which was the most grievous of all was their abominable filthiness in all manner of Vncleâ—nness Ezek. 16. 49 50. Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride fulness of bread and abundance of Idleness was in her and in her daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy and they were haughty and committed abomination before me This their wickedness cried unto Heaven for vengeance A figurative expression holding forth the heinousness and notoriousness of their sin and wickedness It made a clamorous noise in the ears of the Lord so that he could not rest nor be quiet in Heaven by reason of the horrid cry of their horrible lewdness which sounded continually in his ears 2. The Assertion and Vindication of Divine Justice and Equity in the Judicial process against them I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know These words are spoken after the manner of men but are to be understood after the manner of God Local descension is not compatible to the Omnipresent nor external information to the Omniscient The Lord is every-where present and is not capable of any local motion nevertheless he is said to go down in respect of the visible form and manner wherein he revealed himself at this time appearing in the
of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread The fearful Judgements of God executed upon the wicked ought to strike a holy fear and dread of God into the hearts of the Hearers and Spectators thereof R. v. 15. 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name For thou onely art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thâ—e for thy judgements are made manifest This is that which the Lord expects and looks for When the Enticer to Idolatry is stoned to death the Lord saith All Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is amongst you Deut. 13. 11. When the presumptuous Contemner of the Sentence of the Supreme Council is put to death the Lord saith All the people shall hear and fear and do no more presumptuously Deut. 17. 13. When the False Witness is punished according to his demerit the Lord saith Those which remain shall hear and fear and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you Deut. 19. 20. When the Stubborn and Rebellious Son is stoned to death the Lord saith All Israel shall hear and fear Deut. 21. 21. When God cut off the Nations made their Towers desolate laid their streets waste and destroyed their Cities the Lord said to Judah Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction Zeph. 3. 6 7. It hath been the ancient manner and commendable practise of the people of God to tremble at the execution of Gods Judgements upon the wicked When Pharaoh and all his host were drowned in the Red Sea Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses Exod. 14. 31. Ananias and Sapphira being convict of horrible Hypocrisie and Dâ—ssimulation of â—acrilegious Fraud and prodigious Lying and presumptuous tempting of God yea and of mutual Agreement and Conspiracy therein were smitten by Gods immediate hand and fell down dead at the Apostles feet and great fear came upon all the Church and upon as many as heard these things Acts 5. 11. Davids observation of the grievous mischief that ensued upon the vile and vicious courses of the wicked how the Lord trod them down as the mire of the street and put them away like dross and cast them out to the dunghill it made not onely his Soul but also his flâ—sh even his whole man to tremble before God and to be horribly afraid of the like sins lest he or his should incur the like Wrath and Vengeance Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgements And indeed there are many and weighty Reasons why the execution of Judgements upon the wicked should make such awfull impressions upon the hearts of the Spectators For 1. There are sins with the Spectators as well as with the Sufferers which deserve the like Judgements 2 Chron. 28. 10. Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God If we ransack our own hearts and search and try our wayes we shall finde such sins with us as may justly provoke Divine Wrath and Vengeance Our cursed Natures are propense and inclined to all manner of sins Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man is onely evil continually Gen. 6. 5. The heart is the Seed-plot of Murther Adultery Fornication Lasciviousness and of all manner of iniquity Mat. 15. 19 20. The gross and flagitious practâ—ses of the worst of men are but Comments upon our Nature Who can say I have made my heart clean The holiest man hath as vile and filthy a Nature as the Sodomites or the men of Gibeah Yea there are many actual sins and transgressions with us which if God should enter into judgement with us would bring heavy wrath upon us In many things we all offend There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not 2. The holy and just God hateth sin where-ever he seeth it and is impartial in the execution of Justice 1 Pet. 1. 17. If ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear The Judgements that light upon some are testimonies of the jealousie of God and his severity against all sin The Lord hates sin now as much as ever he did formerly Whoredome Adultery Self-pollution and Sodomy are as odious and abominable in his sight now as ever they were heretofore 3. Gods End in inflicting remarkable Judgements upon some is for Caution and Warning to all others The Sodomites suffering the vengeance of eternal fiâ—e are set forth for an Example not of Imitation but of Caution and Admonition Jude ver 7. 2 Pet. 2. 6. Lots wife looking back became a Pillar of Salt to season after-generations Luke 17. 32. Korah and his Company became a Sign to warn all succeeding Ages to beware of Faction and Sedition Numb 26. 10. The destructive Calamities that befell the Israelites in the Wilderness happened for Ensample and are written for our Admonition 1 Cor. 10. 6 11. Christs Severity against Jâ—zabel and her Paramours is an Instruction to all the Churches Rev 2. 22 23. Behold I will cast her into a bed and them that commit Adultery with her into great Tribulation except they repent of their dâ—eds and I will kill her Children with death and all the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works 4. Fearful Judgements do likewise abide all other impenitent sinners as well as those that are made Examples Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 3 5. The particle likewise is to be understood of the certainty not of the similitude of punishment Perdition is the certain portion of every impenitent sinner Without Repentance there is no escaping the Wrath of the Almighty 5. The fear and dread of the Majesty of God upon the sight of the Mischief that follows upon any sinful and wicked course will make men wise and wary Smite a scorner and the simple will beware Prov. 19. 25. When the scorner is punished the simple is made wise Prov. 21. 11. The fear of God will curb and restrain men from the like sins All Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you Deut. 13. 11. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil Prov. 14. 16. The fear of God will reduce and recover such as are fallen into the like Snares and Temptations Jude ver 23. Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Bold and presumptuous sinners cannot be saved except they be made afraid of the Wrath and Vengeance of God If lewd and filthy persons be not scared and frighted out of their vile Haunts and lasâ—ivious
Courses by the Terrour of Wrath and Judgement there is no hope of their Salvation All these Considerations are a sufficient Conviction of our duty in reference to this sad and woful Spectacle before us Hath the Lord singled out one of our Congâ—egation Apprehended and Arrâ—igned him for his Abominable Lewdness cast him out of his Visible Kingdome delivered him into the hand of Satan made him an Anathema yea and cut him off by the hand of Justice and sâ—â—ept him away as dung and filth from the face of the earth Let no man insult over him nor yet flatter himself in his sins but let us all learn to fear and tremble before the Lord who walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks having his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass and will have all the Churchâ—s to know that he starcheth the reins and hearts and rendreth unto every man according to his works We have often heard the voice of the Word and have neglectâ—d and despised it now hearken to the Voice of the Rod and of him that hath appointed it Such Judgements as these have a voice a loud voice a clamorous voice a dreadful voice calling to all Israel to Hear and fear and do no more so wickedly The denunciations of Wrath against vicious and unclean persons have for a long time sounded daily in our ears and have not been believed nor regarded by many behold now the Execution of Vengeance upon this lewd and wicked Youth whom God hath Hanged up before the Sun and made a Sign and an Example an Instruction and Astonishment to all New-England which is as a Divine Seal annexed to all the former Comminations Is there any root of bitterness among us that beareth gall and wormwood who hath not onely heard the words of the Curse pronounced but hath also seen the Curse executed in this dreadful manner and yet is not afraid to go on impenitently in the same sins even in Idleness in Stubbornness in Lying in Stealiâ—g in Profaning the Lords-day and in all manner of Carnal Uncleanness but blesseth himself in his heart and saith I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart and adde drunkenness to thirst I shall have peace though I live in Self-pollution in Fornication in Sodomy and Bestiality Know that your sin is inexcusable and your destruction inevitable The Loâ—d will not spare you but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shâ—ll smoke against you and all the Curses that are written in this book shall lie upon you and the Lord shall blot out your name from under heaven Deut. 29. 18 19 20. God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psa 68. 21. When the sight or report of Gods Judgements executed upon the wicked doth not awe the heart nor deter from the like ungodly practises it is a great aggravation of sin and provocation of wrath Jer. 3. 8. And I saw when for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel committed Adultâ—ry I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and plâ—yeâ— the har lot also For any to go on in the sin of Uncleanness after such a solemn Warning as this it is to sin presumptuously it is to sin in contempt of the Holmess of God in contempt of the Jealousie of God in contempt of the fierce Wrath and Indignation of the Almighty He that will rush into the Gulf and cast himself into the Whâ—rlpool where he hath seen his neighbour drowned before his eyes he is a wilful Self-murtherer Go to now ye wanton and lasâ—ivious persons go on in your Frolicks and mad Pranks take your swinge in your lusts and vicious courses He that is unclean lâ—t him be unclean still he that is filthy let him be filthy still He that is addicted to Self-pollution let him continue herein still he that is a Fornicator let him be a Fornicator still he that is a Sodomite let him be a Sodomite still he that is a Beast let him be a Beast still Make haste and fill up your measure run through all sorts of vile lusts work all uncleanness with greediness Justifie this poor Condemned Wretch in all his Villany Be a Comfort to your lewd Predecessors who are long since gone down to the lowest Hell and lie in the nether parts of the bottomless Pit There are your Voluptuous Fathers the renowned Epicâ—res that lived before the Flood There is your Lâ—bidinous Mother Jezabâ—l with all her Paramours There are your Filthy Sisters Sâ—dom and her Daughters There are your wicked Brethren Ouan the unclean Son of Judah Hophui and Phinehas the Belial-sons of Eli Amnon and Absolom the Incestuous Sons of David There are your Vâ—nereous Kinsmen the Nicolaitans the Guosticks the Menandriâ—ns and innumerable others Hasten you after your lecherous Kâ—ndred into the stinking Lake sit down with your Brethren and Sisters in the depths of Hell As you have partaken with them in their sordid Pleasures partake with them also in their Plagues and Torments Let thy lustful Body be everlasting Fuell for the unquenchable fire Let thy lascivious Soul be eternal Food for the never-dying Worm Let Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish be thy portion world without end Hell from beneath is moved to meet thee and is ready to entertain thee All your fellow-guests wait and long for your Company Your judgement of a long time lingreth not and your damnation slumbereth not Shall it be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement then for those that embrace not the Gospel How terrible and dreadful then shall be the Condemnation of such who notwithstanding their Profession of the Gospel justifie Sodom in all her Abominations II. In particular Let me commend unto you these few Directions 1. Let the awfull Apprehension of the Wrath of God which hath lighted upon this Youth be a Bridle to curb and restrain the rest of our Youth and all others from indulging themselves in any kinde of Carnal Uncleanness God is mercifully willing to prevent the ruine of our lewd and vicious Youth therefore hath he set before them this awfull Example for their Admonition and Caution He hath cut off this rotten and putrid Member thâ—t he might prevâ—nt the spreading of the Infection In this tremendous Providence the Lord saith to all wanton and lascivious persons as Abner said to Asahel Turn aside lest I smite thee to the ground If after this solemn Warning any shall refuse to turn aside from the eager pursuit of their vile Lusts they are worthy to be smitten not onely to the ground but even to the bottom of Hell Wherefore in the fear of God hearken to the Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the Soul With