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
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
shape and likeness of a man The Lord seeth the most secret wickedness and knoweth our thoughts afar off and needeth not to make any search or enquiry nevertheless that he might clear up the Equity of his tremendous dispensation toward Sodom and set an Example unto Civil Judges to take exact cognizance of the Cause and after accurate Examination to proceed to Sentence and Judgement He condeseendeth after the manner of men to make Proof and Triall of the truth and weight of that horrid Cry which came up to Heaven against the filthy Sodomites I will see whether they have done altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an fecerint consummationem whether they have made a full end whether they have finished their sin and filled up the measure of their iniquity and if they have I will proceed to execute Vâ—ngeance upon them Thus Abraham understood the Lords expression as appeareth by his Intercession Wilt thou also destroy c. ver 23. Doct. Abominable Filthiness and Uncleanness is a Crying Sin and grievous Wickedness in the account of God for which he maketh diligent Inquisition and executeth dreadfull Vengeance The Sodomites were extremely wicked prodigiously unclean monstrously profuse in all manner of lechery obscenity and lasciviousness Gen. 13. 13. The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners befâ—re the Lord exceedingly Wherefore the Lord visited them with the Sword and brought them into servitude and bondage to their Enemies to whom they continued in subjection twelve years Gen. 14. 1 4. During this time righteous Lot coming and dwelling amongst them bare witness against their unclean and impious conversation 2 Pet. 2. 7 8 but these shameless Miscreants in stead of being bettered either by Afflictâ—on or Admonition grew far worse and added Perfidiousness and Rebellion to the rest of their wickedness wherefore the Lord whetted the Sword against them the second time overthrew their Armies sent the people into Captivity and their goods became a prey to their Enemies Gen. 14. 10 11. Nevertheless through the wonderful patience of God they were rescued by the hand of Abraham for Lots sake and the Lord spared them yet fifteen years longer But in stead of being gained or reclaimed thereby they increased and multiplied their wickedness and filled up the measure of their sin growing so impudent and outragious in their Villany and Lewdness that the Cry thereof went up to Heaven and the Lord himself came down in the likeness and similitude of a man accompanied with two of his holy Angels to make search and diligent Inquisition concerning their clamorous and crying Wickedness and upon Triall found it to be most prodigious Witness their Beastly incivility and rage against those Heavenly Guests the two holy Angels which lodged in the house of righteous Lot Gen. 19. 4 5. wherefore the Lord destroyed them with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven ver 24 25. and turned the whole Country into a standing stinking Lake Now that no man may plead ignorance nor be able to say another day that the Ministry did not acquaint them with the nature and heinousness of this Transgression let us with holy modesty in the fear of God enquire Quest 1. What is that Abominable Vncleanness which crieth in the ears of the Lord of Hosts and hastneth divine Vengeance Answ It is expressed by and comprehended under those two terms Fornication and going after strange flesh Jude ver 7. Fornication being taken in a large sense comprehends not onely Whoredome and Self-pollution but also Adultery Matt 5. 32. and Incest 1 Cor. 5. 1 Going after strange flesh comprehends Sodomy and Bestiality These are the severall sorts of Abominable Uncleanness which cry for Vengeance 1. Self-pollution when a man practiseth uncleanness and commits filthiness with his own body alone This was the sin of Onan the second Son of Judah who out of envy and malignity against his Brother deceased lest he should raise up seed to him abhorred the lawful use of the Marriage-bed and most impurely defiled himself Which fact of his was so detestable in the sight of God that he slew him by his immediate hand and suffered not such a Villain to live upon the face of the earth Gen. 38. 9 10. Seducers are called fâ—lthy dreamers that defile the flesh Jude ver 8. Some learned Interpreters understand it properly of their defiling their bodies by nocturnal Pollutions This is a hatefull and an odious sin and usually the fruit and punishment of impure thoughts and fâ—â—cies in the day-time It seemeth that these Impostors were so addicted to lasciviousness as our English Annotators observe that they did not onely practise it being awake but also dreamed of it and defiled themselves in their sleep Yea the truth is their Spiritual dreams which I think are properâ—y intended viz. their Erroneous and Heretical Opinions were unclean speculations turnings the grace of God into lasciviousness ver 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into profuâ—â—ness in Luxâ—ry and Uncleanness and issued in all manner of carnal pollutionâ— 2. Whoredome the viâ—iating of a single woman Deut. 23. 17. There shall be no Whore of the daughters of Israel Lev. 19. 29. Do not prostâ—r 〈◊〉 thy daughter to cause her to be a Whore leâ—t the land fall to whoredome and the land become full of wickedness Ephes 5. 5. This ye know no Whoremonger nor unclean person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God 3. Adultery the violating of the Marriage-bed This is a hâ—inoâ—◠〈◊〉 yea it is an iniquity to be punished by the Judges It is a fire that consumeth to destruction Job 91. 11 12. The Adulterer and 〈◊〉 Adulteress shall surely be put to death Lev. 20. 10. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4. 4. Incest Uncleâ—nnâ—ss committed by parties that are near of Kin between whom there is Consanguinity or Affiâ—ity within the degrees prohibited by the Law of God Lev. 18. 6. None of â—ou shall approach to any that is near of Kin to him to uncover thei◠〈…〉 Lord. This was the sin of Reâ—ben for which he was degraded from his Dignity and deprived of his Birth-right Gen. 49. 4. 1 Chron. 5. 1. Amnon and Absalom and Herod the Teâ—rarch made themselves infamous by this kinde of wickedness The Coâ—inthians were required by the Apostle to deliver the incestuous peâ—son to Satan Cor. 5 4 5. 5. Sodomy filthiness committed between pâ—â—ties of 〈◊〉 same Sex when Males with Males and Females with Females work wickedness If a man lieth with mankinde as he lieth with a woman both of them have committed an abomination they shall surely be put to death their blood shall be upon them Lev. 20. 13. This sin raged amongst the Sodomites and to their perpetual Infamy it is called Sodomy Against this wickedness no indignation is sufficient The Athenians puâ— such to death Theodosius and Arcâ—dius adjudged such to be Burnt Amongst the Romans it was lawful for a man to kill him that made such an assault upon him 6.