The first part. Remember.

THe Lord God, which is the true [...], searcher and knower of mans heart, perceiuing the minde of man (as now polluted with many sinnes) to be either as hard to conceiue that which is good, as the Adamant stone is [...] be pier­ced: or as vnable to reteine in memorie that which ought to be euer remembre [...] as the soft waxe is to holde fast the image therein ensealed against the heate of the fire, and therein also not vnlike to the ayre that clas­peth againe after disclosing; doth often­times crie out vnto man by his Prophets, by his precepts, by his works, by his bles­sings and wonderfull iudgemēts, Remem­ber, Remember, and vseth all the wayes and meanes conuenient to perswade and drawe man to the right vse of his memory, [Page] and that so much the more, by how much nature fayleth in accomplishing this thing, and a diuine action supernaturall, (as it were, extreame to mans corrupt nature,) is required: for as the Stone by nature is deorsum tendens, descending to the centre, and the water which is not bound in, fléeteth abroade: so is mortall mans mind, prone alwayes to that which euill is, and neuer apt to goodnes, but by constraint; it soone forgetteth that which ought to be remem­bred, and busieth it selfe semblablie in that, which should be forgotten: and it is true indéede, that the heart of man is a vile thing and vnsearchable. Neither may we thinke, but that as in other things, so also in this, there is found a great abuse, which we must endeuou [...] to take away, before the vse can be effectuall, that is, The abuse of our memorie. by forgetting and putting out of mind the things that we learned a­misse, and which ought not to be reteined in mind. This forgetfulnes is a preparatiue to a good remembrance: A necessa­rie forget­fulnes. for as cléere liquor may not be kept in a vessell, before that the corrupt be powred out, and there must be a cleansing of the field, before it be sowne; so before mans mind can be made apt to that which is good, it must be cleansed from [Page] that which is euill. Therefore being per­swaded to Remember, let vs make way therevnto by a good forgetfulnes. Séeing wisedome cannot enter into a wicked heart, Sap. 1.3.4. Eccles. 11. verse. 10. and wicked thoughts separate from God, let vs take away griefe out of our hearts, and cause euill to depart from our flesh, and remember our Creator in y ^e dayes of youth. This is the wisemans rule: first, to forget, then, to remember: to remoue away euill, then to plant and mainteine the good.

The Lord himselfe is oftentimes forget­full (as the Scriptures testifie) of the sinnes and offences of penitent sinners, and he put­teth all their wickednes out of his holie re­membrance, that so he may remember them in goodnes, as Nehemiah prayed him to do for himselfe. Nehe. 13. verse. 31. And héerein would our Sa­uiour Christ haue vs to be like vnto our heauenly Father, not to kéepe the remem­brance of iniuries done against vs by our brethren, but willingly to forget and forgiue them, as neuer minding to reuenge them: héerein, Math. 5. A wicked memorie. Themisto­cles of A­thens. shall we declare our selues to be the children of our heauenly Father, as most ex­cellently he preacheth on the Mount. From this point do worldly men farre differ, when as they can with Themistocles not onely [Page] reteine in mind an iniurie, but séeke (for their profit) an vnhonest reuenge. But this man was censured to be too sharpe of memorie, which also himselfe confessed, whose words Cicero reporteth: Memini quae nolo, obli­uisci non possum, quae volo: That which I would not, do I remember, neither can I put out of my mind, that which I would forget. Of such an vngratious memorie was Iuno noted in Vergil, who reteining the displeasure cōceiued against the Troian Knight, did neuer giue ouer vexing and troubling him both by Sea and by land, till time she was reuenged, which was noted a matter worthy great reproch in such a per­sonage, and therefore he expostulateth:

Tantae ne animis coelestibus irae? that is,

Should heauenly hearts harbour such hatreds? And another pointeth at the fol­lie of such, Qui vir siem, &c. He shall sure­ly knowe my might, what I am, and what I can do, when I haue drawne out of his bloud. This kind of memorie is too much vsed among men, which they haue brought into an Arte, vnskilfull in the meane time of the right Art of Memorie in déede. Now loue & charitie is cold: faith is scarce found vpon the earth, the malice of man is great, [Page] and mischiefe being once conceiued, he tra­uaileth to bring her foorth, neither is he plea­sed, vntill he be eased: whose wood affection and fleshly bent, Ouid. eleg. 1. li. Ah tu ne dubita. &c. Gen. 4. another decyphereth thus:

Ah nothing but reuenge must ease my deadly wo!

In this sort curssed Caine remembred his brother Abel, enuying the acceptation of his Sacrifice before his owne, and there­vpon tooke occasion to kill him. Thus the Sonnes of Iacob challenged a cause of ha­tred against their brother Ioseph, and sold him away. Thus Haman in the Booke of Hester Hest. calling to mind, what the Prophet Samuel 1. Sam. had once done to Agag, and the A­malekites (from whome he descended) conspired against the whole stocke of the Iewes. Gen. 27. Thus Esau remembred that his bro­ther Iacob had both supplanted him in his birthright, and preuented him in the bles­sing, and therevpon resolueth: My father will dye shortly, and then I will kill Iacob my brother. Thus the Lords of Babylon, and the wise men there, enuying the excel­lencie of Daniell Dan. 6. in the spirit of Prophesie, and his royall fauour with the King, accu­sed him, and caused him to be throwne into the Lions denne. Thus Absalon remem­bred [Page] Ammon, and flew him vnder colour of fréendship. So the Scribes, the Pharises, and the high Priests, remembring how the Lord had often spoken against their pride, hypocrisie, and manifold abhominations, conspired together against him, and neuer left off, vntill they had nayled him to the trée. Finally, Gen. 3. the auntient enemie of Man­kinde, bearing in mind that malediction, which the Lord cast on him for his perniti­ous practise against man, leaueth not to persecute the Woman and her Child, as S. Iohn witnesseth in his Apocalyps. Reuel. 12. It séemeth a marueilous wisedome to the men of this world, to imitate him therein: but they shall finde (as S. Iames teacheth) that this wisedome is not of God: Iam. 3.15.16.17. for the wise­dome of God is pure, peaceable, gentle, easie to be intreated, full of mercie and good fruites, without iudging, without simulati­on. As for this wisedome of theirs, the same Apostle calleth it earthly, sensuall, and diue­lish: for where enuying and strife is, there is sedition, and all euill works. The craft and drift of the Deuill is, to set men by the eares, that they may worship him in such déedes of darkenes, Rom. 13. whiles he laugheth at their madnes and folly. Sic malus exultat [Page] daemon, &c. And séeing againe, that by the bloud of the Lamb he is ouercome, and his head crusshed, he reteineth a Dragons ha­tred, he trippeth on his héele, he casteth foorth water after the woman and her child, he draweth downe the third part of the Starres with his tayle, he rageth horribly, and stormeth sturdely, because his time ex­pireth shortly: As Leuiathan in the Sea without a hooke in his nostrels: as Behe­moth in wildernes, hauing no bridle in his Iawes, 1. Peter. 5. Iob. 1. and as a Lyon rampingly he wal­keth and stalketh, hippeth and skippeth frō one coast to another, séeking to deuoul. And for the readier accomplishing of his deuises according to his desire, do these his instru­ments worke also: whereby, as the head is full of poyson, the heart is replenished with malice, which boyling and raging cannot but breake out with such eagrenes, that soo­ner may the Tyger be tamed, then this mischieuous [...] and [...] consumer, and destroyer of men, be stopped from prosecuting his wood furie. Howbeit, Psalme. 2. The great crueltie of men. the dweller aboue laugheth these mad men to shorne. The Scythians are said to be so cruell and barbarous, that they eate and deuoure their parents & kinsfolks when [Page] they be dead, in stead of burying thē, among whome, the Essedonians and Massagetes, are chiefe: yet are they not indéed so barba­rous and cruell as these, who eate vp and deuoure their brethren, euen whiles they be liuing. Against such Cormorants crieth the Lord Wo, Wo. These burie not the dead, Isa. 5. but the liuing: these deuoure and eate the bodie of Iesus in his members, and it is to be feared, that many which come to the Table of the Lord, with pretence to eate the bodie of Christ, do only in this sort féede on him, by enuying their brethren, and persecu­ting his members. But what gaine they by this? euen that which Iudas gained, who, when he had deuoured his maister, and they that sate with him, fell headlong into an endlesse destruction. They may not onely say, Oleum & laborem perdidimus, we haue laboured in vaine, but also may iustly ac­compt with Iudas and the vngodly in hell, whose passions and groanes the wise man thus describeth: Sap. 5.7. Wee haue weried our selues in the way of wickednes and de­struction: what did Pride profit vs? what gaine hath the pompe of riches brought vs? It may be aunswered, so much profit as the fire in Mount Aetna, for it drieth vp [Page] the marrow within the bones, it macerateth the face, banisheth all good digestion, hurteth the mind, and tormenteth the soule: for the holy spirit of discipline flieth from deceite, Sap. 1.5.10.11. and withdraweth himselfe from thoughts that are without vnderstanding. The eare of iealosie heareth all things, and the noyse of the grudgings shall not be hid, &c. Ther­fore sayth the wise man: Eccl. 10.6. Be not angry for any wrong with thy neigbour, and do nothing by iniurious practises: Or thus (as another Translation yéeldeth.) Re­member not euery iniury of thy neigh­bour. Leuit. 19.17.18. And this is taken from Moses lawe to the old Israelites, saying: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart, but thou shalt playnely rebuke him, and suf­fer him not to sinne. Thou shalt not re­uenge nor wayte to do displeasure, or be mindfull of wrong against the children of thy people: but thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe: I am the Lord. This Law the Lord wrote in the hearts of his children from the beginning, and of which he expected obseruance, when he sayd to Cayne: Cayne, where is Abel thy bro­ther? Genes. 50. verse. 19. And this rule obserued Ioseph, who after many heauie iniuries receiued of hys [Page] bréethren, did neuertheles forget all, & spake kindly vnto them, saying, Feare not now, for I will nourish you and your children. And King Dauid answered to this lawe, 1. Sam. 25. verse. 3. who notwithstanding that Nabal did an­swere him churlishly, and Doeg currishly reuiled him, 2. Sam. 19. did yet at y ^t request of Abigael put away his displeasure conceiued against Nabal, and pardoned Shimei at his owne desire. Stephan the Protomartyr prayed for his persecutors, desiring God not to charge them with that sinne. And our Lord the true patterne of patience & pietie, pray­eth thus for the enuious Iewes that crucifie him, Father forgiue them, for they know not what they do. Neither hath this ver­tue shined onely in those whome the lawe of God directed, but also in the verie Gentiles in some sort, among which Aristides, not­withstanding he was exiled by the Atheni­ans, both forgaue them, and prayed for their good successe.

Héereby the godly persuaded themselues, The man that for­getteth the iniurie of his bro­ther, may the better come to God. that laying aside all displeasures, and for­getting manifold iniuries, though it were to seuenty times seauen, as Christ teacheth, they might with more safe hearts, and quiet consciences, approach vnto the throane of [Page] grace, with these and such like petitions: Remember not the sinnes of our youth­full dayes (O Lord: Psalm. 25.) Forget our iniqui­ties, and blot our transgressions out of thy mind. Forgiue vs our trespasses, as we forgiue them that trespas against vs. The Lord Iesus graunt vs the spirit of pie­tie and patience, to forgiue and forget the offences of our bréethren against vs.

Moreouer, Dauid in his 45. Psalme tea­cheth the Church, Psalm. 45. and therein euery mem­ber of the same, what should be forgotten, that her heauenly wooer Christ Iesus might be pleased in her: Another forgetful­nes com­manded in Scrip­ture more generall. Iohn. 3. Forget (saith he) thine owne people, and thy fathers house. Therevnto counselleth S. Paule in his E­pistle to the Rom. cap. 12. verse. 1.2. and in his 13. Chapter of the same, verses 12.13.14. This is that new birth, which Ni­chodemus with all his wisedome is not able to conceiue: and so difficult and hard for the fleshly man, which conceiueth not the things that be of God, as nothing is harder. And therefore as the valiant Cap­taine Vlysses being in Affrica, and percei­uing that his fellowes did continually lan­guish with the remembrance of their Coun­trie, Wife and Children, which they could [Page] not forget, caused them to taste of the Trée Lotos, (whereof, if a stranger eate, it is sayd he forgetteth his owne Countrey:) so our most excellent Captaine Christ produceth vnto vs his holy Word, the trée of life to be tasted, eaten, and disgested, with this com­maundement: Hearken ô Daughter, hearken ô Israel: he that hath eares to heare, let him heare: and happy is he that heareth the Word of God and kee­peth it: for by eating thereof, man liueth, he forgetteth old Adam, To forget old Adam and the fleshly af­fections of man, he casteth off the shooe from his féete with Moses, and draweth néere to the Lord, he meditateth on the Lawe of God day and night, and is satisfied with goodnes. By this was Paul put apart from the world. This quencheth out the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and loue of the world. This bringeth faith to iustifie man before God, and vertues to approue him be­fore men. This harboureth men in the bo­some of faithfull Abraham, whome the rui­nous habitation of Adam could not pre­serue. This draweth men from earthly Hierico, to heauenly Ierusalem, and per­suadeth Iaphet to dwell in the tabernacles of Shem. Peter tasting of this, Genes. 9. goeth foorth [Page] at the doore, and wéepeth for his sinne: Ruth Ruth. 2. the Moabitisse is hereby taken from her owne countrie and brought into Israel: and this pearle being so pretious, causeth a man to forsake all that hee hath, to sell all his wealth, to buy, purchace and obtayne it. The Lord graunt vs grace to bee in this poynt so forgetfull, that we neither remem­ber to commit, nor dare bée so bold as to at­tempt sinne: that wee neither dwell in the loathsome tents of Kedar, nor so much as sauour of the fleshly affections of impious and vngodly men.

Thus haue we seene, what things we are chiefly to forget and shut out of memorie. Now let vs beholde the true substance of memorie, What to remember and so in the end descend vnto this particular example of Lots wife.

If wee would, that GOD in goodnesse should remember vs, and that our prayers may enter in before him, Nehe. 13. verse. 31. Ionae. 2.7. as Nehemiah and Ionas sayd: then must we not be forgetfull of that which he commaundeth to bée kept in minde. And except the Lord in his mer­cie be mindfull of vs, Gen. 8.1. Genes. 19. verse. 29. Psal. 115. verse. 12. as he hath bene of old time of his seruants Noah, Lot, Abraham, Dauid, Ionas, Manasses, and others, to whome in extremitie hee sent comfort and [Page] helpe, we may be compared to Sodoma and like vnto Gomorrha, wee cannot stande in the congregation, but bee confounded in iudgement, wee shall want that which may helpe vs, and finde whatsoeuer anoyeth vs: and being banished from the benediction of Gods children, shall incurre the heauie curse of his enemies. And a most fearefull thing is it to be forgotten of the Lord. For there is nothing remayning, but cursings in the towne and in the field, going out and com­ming in, in the basket and in the store, in the bodie and in the land, and in whatsoeuer is taken in hand: a sick bodie and a faint heart, maymed members and a doubtfull minde: in the morning wishing for the euening: Deut. 28. in the euening desiring the morning: venge­ance from heauen: an hell vpon earth. Of this portion drinketh the vngodly, to whom there is no peace, saith the Lord, seeing they bee aduersaries to the Almightie and bani­shed from his presence, Isai. 40. as cleane out of his mercifull remembrance.

The faithfull children remembring these things with considerate mindes, haue resor­ted vnto the Lord, praying him in goodnesse to remember them. Thus prayed Salo­mon: O Lord God, 2. Chro. 6. verse. 42. refuse not the face of [Page] thine annoynted. Remember the mer­cies promised to Dauid thy seruant. And so prayed that noble Captaine Nehemiah: Nehe. 1.5.8. cap. 5.19. ca. 13.31. O Lord God of heauen, the great and terrible GOD, that keepeth couenant and mercie for them that loue him and obserue his commandements, &c. I be­seech thee remēber the worde that thou commandest thy seruant Moses. Againe, Remember me (sayth he) in goodnesse. That patient man Iob in his great afflic­tions cryed out vnto the Lord: Remember that my life is but a wind. And King He­zekiah turning his face to the wall, 2. Kin. 20.3. prayed in this manner: I beseech thee, O Lord, re­member now, how I haue walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart, and haue done that which is good in thy sight. Baruch, in the behalfe of the captiue Israelites: Remember not (sayth he) the wickednesse of our fathers, but thinke vpon thy power, and thy name at this time. The Prophet Dauid, being moued with an excellent spirit, Psa. 74.20 and 137. Psal. 119. verse. 49. singeth vnto the Lord: Remember thy couenant and pro­mise: Remember Sion: be mindful of thy mercies, &c. Finally, the condemned théefe on the Crosse with our Sauiour, sayth vn­to [Page] him: Lord remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdome. These godly desires vttered with a faithfull heart haue not bene put backe, nor was the Lord vn­mindfull of his loue: but as he remembred Noah and euery beast and all the cattel that was with him in the Arke: and as Christ remembred Peter, Mary, Paule, & the théefe on the Crosse: Psal. 115. verse. 12. So (sayth Dauid in the be­halfe of all the faithfull) The Lord hath bin mindfull of vs, and he shall blesse vs, and he will blesse the house of Israel, he will blesse the house of Aaron, he will blesse them that feare the Lord, both small and great. Psal. 105. verse. 8.42. He hath been alwaies mindfull of his couenant and promise that he made to a thousand generations. Therefore let not the vngodly any longer say vnto the Lord: Depart from vs, Iob. 21.14 Sap. 2. wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies. Who is the Al­mightie that we should serue him? And what profite should we haue, if we should pray vnto him? For the candle of the vn­godly shall bee put out, their destruction hasteneth on them, their hope is as a drie thistle flower blowen of the winde: they leade their liues wantonly, and sodainly they go downe into hell. And as for vs, [Page] let vs put our trust in the Lord, and consider deeply and duely to what ende the Almigh­tie hath bestowed on vs that excellent trea­sure of Memorie: Let vs endeuour rightlie to vse the same by printing therein enough these fiue worthie things following. viz.

• 1 The Lord God, and his actions both of mercie and iudgement.
• 2 Our brethren, and that duetie wee owe them.
• 3 Our owne selues, what wee are, and wherevnto subiected.
• 4 The finall and generall Iudgement, for which wee must wayt and prepare our selues.
• 5 Lastly, this memorable example of Lots wife: and this last do I referre to the se­cond part of my generall dunsion, as the onely matter or subiect for the action commanded in my present text.

A good memorie is here re­quired.Now, if a man could remember with Cyrus King of Persia, who was able (as Solinus reported) to call euery one of his Souldiers by his proper name, when as his hoast was exceeding great: Or if a man had the mindfulnesse of that mayde which can hardly forget her attire, as Ieremy said: yet could we not reach herein to a sufficient [Page] perfection. But as for our selues, I feare me, we be so farre of, that we may rather be iustly compared to one Messala Coruinus, who albeit he was sometime a graue Se­natour in Rome, and much commended by eloquent Cicero for many vertues, did yet, a two yeeres before his death become so for­getfull, that he remembred not his owne name. Which kinde of forgetfulnesse hath come vnto diuers other also, either by infir­mitie of nature, or by extreame sicknesse, or by dotage, or by excessiue cares. And would to God, that our naturall infirmities, our sinfull agonies, our damnable dotings in blind affections, and our worldly carefulnes had not maymed vs with this maladie: then might we haue escaped that reproach of the Israelites: The Oxe knoweth his owner, Isay. 1. vers. 3. and the Asse the cribbe of his maister: but my people haue not knowne me: they haue forgotten me. Although wee cannot denie, but that we haue our earthen vessels with Agathocles, thereby to remē ­ber our originall: and with Peter haue heard the Cock crowing thrise in our eares, to put vs in minde of things memorable: yet it is true, that we haue forgotten oftentimes that we should minde, hauing our cogitations [Page] blinded with Satans enchantments, that sometimes we will not heare to obey the Word of God, be it preached neuer so wise­lie. This point of folly noteth S. Iames in the man, Iam. 1.23. that beholding his bodily face in a glasse, but going his way, forgetteth imme­diatly what manner of one he was. Héeere is great forgetfulnes, from the which the Lord kéepe vs. Let vs vse the talent lent vs, knowing that as well for that one, as for the tenne, an accompt is required, and a reckoning must be made: and that good ser­uant shall be commended with a double re­ward, when the vnprofitable wretch shall haue his talent taken from him, and him­selfe double punished. Remem­ber God and his Workes. Eccles. 12. verse. 1. Let vs remember the Lord and his meruailous works.

The wise Salomon commandeth vs to remember God, and therewith to obserue the time conuenient, saying, Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth, whiles the euill dayes come not, nor the yeeres approach, wherein thou shalt say, I haue no pleasure in them. To this duty did Moses often incite and stirre vp the for­getfull Israelites, who neuerthelesse, after innumerable benefites receiued of the Lord, remembred him not, Iudg. 8.34 but forgat y ^e Almighty [Page] that begat them, & God that formed them, Deut. 32. verse. 18.19.20, &c. which caused him in anger to correct them, to whet vp his glittering sword for them, and his hand to take hold of Iustice against them, to execute vengeance on them, and to reward them that hate him. This Dauid hauing considered, exhorteth thus: Seeke the Lord and his strength: Psal. 105. [...] Seeke his face continually. Remember the meruailous works he hath done, his wonders, and the iudgements of his mouth. And thus let vs remember the goodnes of the Lord first generally on all mē: next on his Church and holie congregation, and then on euerie particular member thereof: and considering the same, let vs ascribe all prayse, honor, thanks and maiestie to him for euer.

He hath not only created man, The mer­cie of God but in mer­cie preserued him, and prouided louingly for him. He maketh the Sunne to shine as well on the vniust, as on the iust, and giueth raine to them both, mouing all men to remember them, and without this dutie, they be tou­ched with intollerable ingratitude. But as for his Spouse the Church, Dauid singeth of his louing mercies and goodnes vnto thē in this manner. Psal. 115. He blesseth them aboun­dantly that feare the Lord both small and [Page] great: he encreaseth his graces towards them, euen towards them and their childrē: for they be the chosen generation, the royall Priesthood, the holie Ierusalem, and blessed of the Lord, that made heauen and earth. And therefore this especiall little flock hath the Lord wonderfully defended and kept vnto himselfe holy, safe, and vndefiled be­fore him. Although the holy Church is as a bush in fire burning, yet is it not consumed: though as a Ship tossed, yet not ouertur­ned: though as a woman trauailing, yet ne­uer dead; and though as a Vyne pruned, yet neuer sterued. And as for this particular branch of the Church wherein we liue, the verie land sauoring of the swéetnes of Gods mercie, we are forced to confesse, that the Lord hath not dealt with euery Nation as he hath dealt with vs, and do find by full ex­perience, that the Nation is blessed which hath the Lord for their God. Lastly, if e­uery particular man shall duely consider with himselfe, and remember how many ex­cellent blessings he hath receiued of the Lord to the beawtifying of his body and soule, oh God, how shall he be forced to prayse and blesse him in the same with endlesse com­fort? Aboue all, when there was neither [Page] sufficiencie of wood for burnt offerings in Libanus, The goodnesse of God in Christ. nor Cattell inough vppon the Mountaines of Israel for Sacrifices: when there was none able to treade the Wyne­presse, nor any able man to bind the strong man: when there was none able to breake downe the wall of separation betwéene God and man: nor to rent asunder the vaile of the Temple: when there was not so much as one sufficient for zeale, to stand vp in the gappe that was open, Ezech. 33. to turne away the Lords displeasure from man: then caused he his owne arme to helpe his Church, and euery member of the same: he sent his owne Sonne Iesus into the world, who to the comfort of his children, sayth, Lo, Psal. 16. heere am I, to do thy will, ô Father, as in the beginning of the booke it is written of me. And this is the same which euen vnto me (may euery Christian man say) is be­come Righteousnes against Sinne, wise­dome against folly, holynes against corrup­tion, and fréedome against bondage: my righteousnes by his resurrection; my wise­dome by his word; my holynes by his spi­rit; my redemption by his death. Oh that men would therefore prayse the Lord for his goodnes, and remember the wonderfull [Page] works wrought by him for the children of men! Oh that they would take vp the cup of Saluation with Dauid, and call vpon the name of the Lord, for all his benefites towards them. Psal. 116. Isai. 46. Exod. 20. Oh that they would re­member to sanctifie his Saboth. Remem­ber the lawe of Moses his seruant, and their sinnes in breaking that Lawe, and thereof be ashamed: and remember, that Iesus Christ of the séede of Dauid is raised againe from the death. 2. Tim. 2. verse. 8. Such and so great and maruailous is the Lord in his mercies vnto his children, after the purport of his promi­ses made to Abraham and Dauid his ser­uants. Remem­ber Gods iudgemēts on his e­nemies. But as for his enemies, which anger him with stubborne rebellion, which fight vnder the banner of Satan against him and his children, they be subdued to his iudgements which on them he hath decla­red, by rayning downe stormes and tem­pests, plagues and destructions, according to the effect of that communication & threat­ning, which Moses in Deutr. 28. doth de­nounce against them full of bitternes and woe, which also with the causes thereof, the Lord reiterateth in the 31. of the same, say­ing: Deut. 31.16.17. This people will rise vp and go a whoring after strange Gods of the land [Page] whether they go, and will forsake me, and breake the appointment which I made with them: and then my wrath shall waxe hoate against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and will hide my face from them, and they shall be consumed, and much aduersitie & tribulation shall come vpon them: so that they will say, Are not these troubles come vpon me, because God is not with me? How these Iudgements haue béene executed on the Israelites, it is mentioned in the bookes of the Iudges, Kings, and Chronicles of Is­rael, as in many other bookes of the holie Scripture: and how the remainder of these things méeteth with the future Apostates, S. Iohn descrieth in the ouerthrowe of Ba­bylon, with the great Whoare. Reuel. 18. Oh there­fore that men (considering this) would stand in awe and sinne not: Kisse the Sonne before he be angrie, and learne of Dauid truely to protest in this sort: Psal. 116. Psal. 77. vers. 8. &c. & 119.52 55. I haue set the Lord euer before my face: I remembred the yeares of the right hand of the Lord: I remembred the works of the Lord cer­tainly. I remembred (O Lord) thy won­ders of old, and I did meditate in all thy works, and did deuise of thine Actes. I [Page] remembred thy iudgements of old, euen the examples wherby thou declarest thy selfe to be Iudge of the world, and I haue bin comforted. And I haue remembred thy Name ô Lord in the night, (in the night when other sleepe) and haue kept thy lawe. Dauid did obserue this, Dauid teacheth the same to vs, and this must we also do. Remember God and his works.

Fiue things which moue vs to remember God.There be (among other) fiue things which may moue vs, or perswade vs the ra­ther to this dutie. The first whereof is, the due cōsideration of the frame of the World, which a certaine Philosopher said was his 1 onely Library, for in beholding the same, he sawe the magnificence of Gods power, knew him therein, and kept him in memo­rie. Rom. 1. The verie Gentiles were occasioned héereby both to knowe and remember God, though they worshiped him not as they should, Psal. 19. as Paul reasoneth, Rom. 1. And as the Heauens declare the glorie of God, and the Firmament his handie worke, so the ex­cellent harmonie of all the creatures consen­ting therevnto, moueth the mind of man 2 to kéepe the register thereof. The second thing is the person of man, called by the Gréekes [...], a little World, [Page] wherein is the view (as it were) of all these things. The auntient Philosopher Tris­megistus draweth men to the knowledge and mindfulnes of God, In lib. de poten. & Sap. dei Dialog. 5. by the considerati­on of mans bodie. Age fili, saith he, circum­spice humani corporis opificium, cuius admo­nitione perdisce, quis tam pulchrae imaginis conditor, &c. Go to (my Sonne) looke a­bout the workemanship of mans bodie, by the admonition wherof learne perfitly, who is he which hath made so beawtifull an image. And perusing euery part and mem­ber of the body, he concludeth thus: Behold how many works of diuine Arte are in this one matter demonstrated, euery of which is most sightly and handsomly proportioned, and so, that euery of them yet differeth from other in his proper office. But who hath fra­med these things? what father? what mo­ther? Is it not that onely inuisible God, which of his owne will hath done them all? And another Philosopher saith, that a man hauing in his bodie so many ioynts & mem­bers, as there be dayes in the whole yeare, is thereby put in mind of Gods goodnes, and moued to remember him continually. Héerewith, if we consider the hidden trea­sures of the Soule, and so include the whole [Page] man, we shall be euen deuoured with zeale, and forced to sing ioyfully with Dauid: O Lord, Psal. 134.14. I will feare thee: for I am fearefully and wonderfully made, marueilous are thy workes, and that my soule knoweth right well.

3 Thirdly, the word of God written and preached vnto vs, The word of God. teacheth vs plainely, not onely what God is, what his will is: what he hath done, but also in what sort he is to be serued, and how to be remembred. Without this Remembrancer, he saw all our memo­rie to be forgetfulnes, all our knowledge, ignorance: all our wisedome foolishnes: all our policies péeuishnes, all our sight blind­nes: had not the Lord giuen vs his word written not onely in the heart, but euen in Tables of stone, brasse, iron, &c. to remaine a Schoolemaister vnto vs for euer: how had the creation of the world, the making of man, the building of the woman, the placing of them in pleasure, and cause of their paine bin remembred? How could the promise of the Lords mercie in Christ, the drowning of the world, the burning of Sodom, the pre­seruing of Lot, and the punishment of Lots wife, bin brought to our knowledge? Yea Moses himselfe would soone haue forgotten [Page] what was written in the tables of stone which he brake, had not the Lord written it againe with his owne finger. Neither had the precepts and lawes of the Lord bin re­membred in the posteritie, Deut. 11. had not the Lord commaunded the children of Israel to write them in the posts of their dores, Deut. 17. &c. and the Kings to coppy them out for their instructi­on. And this charge was giuen to Isaias the Prophet. Isai. 30. Now go and write it before them in a Table, and note it in a Booke, that it may be for the last day, for euer and euer. And of this benefite Dauid spea­king, sayth: This shall be written for the posteritie. And had not the Lord giuen vn­to them his Word to be a light to their féete and pathes, a staffe to stay them, a rule to direct them, they could not but runne a who­ring in ignorance with the heathens, wor­shipping not onely birds, fourefooted beasts, and corporall images, the Gods of Ekron, Baalpeor, Dagon, Asteroth, Moloch, and such, but euen the Deuill himselfe, con­trarie to that commaundement of God to them: Deut. 6. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onely shalt thou serue. A­gaine, had not the Lord commanded in his Word, the Paschall Lamb to be eaten euery [Page] yeare, had not the Serpent bin lifted vp in the wildernes, had not Manna bin reserued, had not circumcision bin giuen to Abra­ham, Psal. 78. the lawe and statutes to Israel, they would soone haue forgotten altogether, and turned the seruice of God into Idolatrie. Finally, we at this time would soone forget that excellent benefit offered vs in Christ Iesus, had he not willed his Gospell to be preached, and instituted his Sacraments with this commandement: Do this in re­membrance of me. I knowe your memo­ries be weake as the water, and ye by nature forgetfull, therefore yet do this one thing for my sake, thereby to remember me, and declare my death till I come. Let vs there­fore consider this, and thereby remember God and his works.

4 Fourthly, when God sawe how often­times he was shut out of mens minds, es­pecially when they were full and in prospe­ritie, he vsed often to correct and punish thē with manie and sundrie aduersities, to stirre them vp to consider of his goodnes and po­wer, Affliction bringeth men to God. to remember him in their beds, and to runne vnto him in their afflictions, to call vpon him in trouble, and glorifie him in his mercies. He well knew, that as the frozen [Page] with cold best thinketh of fire, the hungrie of meate, the naked of clothes, the prisoner of libertie, the condemned of pardon: so men be earnest to séeke after God, Hos. 5. and to remem­ber him, estéeming more of his mercie in time of wrath, then of his iudgements in time of grace. As for examples, King Ma­nasses in the prison remēbreth God, whome in his prosperitie he had forgotten. Ionas in the Whales belly remembreth that obe­dience to the Lord, which before was shut out of memorie. Psal. 51. Exod. 2. Ier. 31. Dauid in his miserie crieth peccani: Israel in Aegypt crie vnto the Lord, and Ephraim in captiuitie complayneth hartely.

Thus the Lord purgeth the golde from the drosse in the fire: thus winnoweth he the corne from the chaffe in the winde: thus scoureth he the rust from the yron on the fretting stone: thus driueth he the rebellious through fire and water, vntill they acknow­ledge with Nabuchadnezar, Dan. 4.25 37. that the most high hath power ouer the kingdomes of mē. The polluted vessell is with water washed, the raw flesh is seasoned with salt, the drop­ping vine must bee pruned with a knife: the weake stomackes must haue bitter worme­wood: the slow Asse a whip, the heauie Oxe [Page] the goade, the idle scholler correction, and the fleshly Christian sower affliction. This driueth home the lost sonne to his father, and the wanton daughter to her mother. And herein will the Lord begin at his owne house, and execute this iudgement on the trees that be greene, whatsoeuer become of the drie trees. And therefore, when we feele the touch of Gods iudgements either in minde, bodie or wealth, let vs know y ^e cause, and consider to what ende the same is inflic­ted, and seeke remedie thereof at the hand of God with Ephraim, Dauid, Peter & Mag­dalen. And so remember God, &c.

Fiftly and lastly, when the Children of 3 God after their repentance, Wonder­full deliue­rance. tryall and suf­ficient experience of the Lords Iustice and mercie, hee wonderfully deliuered to their great comfort, they haue a great occasion giuen them to remember God and to glori­fie him. Iudg. As in the time of Gedeon, when all hope was past, they had a marueilous deliuerance from Madian. As in the time of Sampson, Iudg. when all hope was quailed, they had a great victorie and deliuerance from the Philistines. As in the dayes of Saule, when Israel was oppressed by the Philistins againe. 1. Sam. 17. Goliah was ouerthrowne, and Is­rael [Page] deliuered. As also in the time of the Kings of Israel and Iuda, God gaue great victories to small hoasts agaynst mightie Nations. A great instigation of them to thinke on the Lord & his wonderful works. And because we haue receiued great things, and obtayned wonderfull deliuerances of of the mercie of our God, let vs not forget the same, but sing vnto him heartelie with songs of deliuerance.

The second thing that we are willed to 2 remember is, our bréethren. Remem­ber our brethren. First those a­mong them, that haue the ouersight of vs, and which speake vnto vs the word of God, as the Apostle chargeth, Heb. 13.7 whose end of con­uersation considering, we must follow their faith. And these be they which ruling well, are [...]compted worthie of double honour. Neither must we neglect to bestowe on thē our temporall things, which deliuer vnto vs the Spirituall treasure. And this is a part of that honor which we be commanded to yéeld to our parēts. Exod. 20. But how hardly the iudgement of man censureth these labouring persons, with what grudgings they yéeld to them of their wealth, and with what gainesaying the Ministery is furthered and relieued, all men may sée. This is not [Page] to remember, I [...]. 5. but forget thē. Wo vnto him that defraudeth the labourer of his iust hire whereof he is most worthie. The re­membrance of these is often mentioned in the Lawe: Le [...]. and so is that mindfulnes of our poore brother, Deut. 16. to whose néede we must not be gréeued to conferre. Pro. 31. Tob. This Bersabe also re­membred in her wise lesson to her yong Le­muel, Rom. 12. Prou. 31. And Tobiah to his sonne. S. Paul chargeth the Romaines and others, to giue chéerefully to the poore: 2 Cor. 9.7. to do good, and forget not to distribute: to remember the prisoners and the poore Saints, Heb. 13. Gal. 2.9. 1. Cor. 16.1. Ro. 15.26. Act. 10. and for such he himselfe caused diuers collections to be made, and thereto laboured with his hands. He commended them much of Ma­cedonia and Achaia for the same thing. The noble Nehemiah, mindfull of his poore bréethren, did neither craue that wages he should haue exacted, nor suffered any man else to oppresse them. But alas, there is a commō cry of the poore in euery place, whose faces be grinded with the extortions of the wealthie, and this pitie haue they found: Am I (sayeth Cayne) the keeper of my brother? is his ouersight or protection committed to me? am I bound to reléeue him? These persons be not of the mind of [Page] Christ, which saith: Weepe not Widowe, but of the mind that Diues that rich man was, who could rather permit poore Laza­rus to cry and dye at his gate without com­passion. But heare that terrible sentence a­gainst such vnpitifull people. Math. 25. When I was hungrie yee fed mee not, when I was thirsty ye gaue me no drinke: therefore depart from me ye cursed.

Vnto this dutie belongeth that, not to forget to deliuer the oppressed frō the hand of his oppressor. And that also, to be grate­full & thankefull to our bréethren that haue both laboured for vs, and comforted vs with their charities, whether they be poore or rich.

This thing not onely the verie Heathens haue taught, by painting foorth their three [...] or Graces: but also the verie brute beasts & birds, as y ^e Elephant, the Storke, yea the earth insensible, which yéeldeth to her tiller a double reward. But alas, among vs that be Christians, we oftentimes find this verified, No man remembreth the poore man, Eccles. 5.14.15. that by his wis [...]dome deli­uereth the Citie from the great King: Pharaohs Butler hath quite forgotten Io­seph, though he earnestly requested him to [Page] remember him to the King: Gen. 40. verse. 14. yea the vn­thankefull Sichemites haue not onely quite forgotten the goodnes of Gedeon towards them, Iudg. 9.18 but are likewise consent together with Abimelech, to rise vp against him and his house. Thus Ioas remembred the goodnes of Iehoida the Priest, which had bin his only stay and preseruation, in rising vp a­gainst Zacharias his sonne and killing him. 2. Chr. 24.20.21.22. It is great vnkindnes not to requite a be­nefite receiued: so it is to forget, or not to acknowledge it: but oh most horrible is that vnkindnes, which recounteth good things with euill things: from this kind of obliuion the Lord deliuer vs: and a true mindfulnes of our bréethren we beséech him to giue vs: and heerevnto may we be the better induced by the remembrance of our owne selues. 3 This is the third thing which we are wil­led héere to remember. Remem­ber our selues. To know our selues, is a profitable perswasion to the knowledge of God, & imitating of Christ in our duties.

Heere might we be put in mind of our e­state and condition in this land, which to re­member, is most profitable, that being ad­monished by others examples, we may (af­ter Pauls caueat) take heed we fall not, al­though we thinke we stand. 1. Cor. 10. And let it be re­membred, [Page] that as the fiue talents gained fiue other, so is it expected, that our great a­boundance of Gods blessings, should yéeld semblable thankefulnes, the want whereof bringeth dread and fearefulnes: by the con­sideration of the vnprofitable seruant, the disobedient sonne, the barraine fig trée, and vnfruitefull Vine: and I pray God, that in this our time of peace, we do remember not only of whome we receiue it, but also what belongeth to the same: I ayme only to that, which I should with many more words ex­presse But more particularly let euery man looke into his owne estate and condition, as deriued from the common condition of all men, as fold and subdued to sinne, and there­by to infirmities, miseries, and death. To this point the Apostle bringeth all mē, when he saith, All men haue sinned, and héereof tooke that generall calamitie his originall, Thou art dust (sayth God to Adam after his transgression) and into dust thou shalt returne againe. This is particular to eue­rie man, and this is generall to all men. Heereof is man called mortall, flesh, grasse, vani [...]e, a vapour, a lyer, a corrupt feede, the child of inconstancie, and dust. Let men re­member this, what man is, that they may [Page] not waxe proude, A man doth sel­dom re­member himselfe. being but dust and ashes. But alas, this is so hard a thing for them, as nothing is harder, to perswade them selues what they be, what their life is. And therefore, whiles they note the condition of their tenures, whether they hold their land in fee simple, fee tayle, terme of life or yéeres, and accompt when their leases may expire, they neuer remember the condition of their owne liues, how good or euill they bee, they note not how they drawe to ende, and thinke not of death, which lingreth not.

This was that notable and wise saying, which Symonides, Simonides who (as Cicero repor­teth first found out the arte of Memorie) vttered before Pausanias the Lacedemo­nian King at his banquet, being willed by the King to speake something excellent and of importance: Remember, thou art a man, saith he. The King hearing it, tooke it scornefully at the first: But afterward being shut vp in prison and in miserie, where also he dyed with famine, he called to minde that word of Symonides with great sorrowe, saying: The words were in deede of great importance, but I through mad pride e­steemed them nothing. The like in a ma­ner read we of rich Croesus, who in prospe­ritie [Page] forgat himselfe, and what Solon had taught him, till time that Cyrus brought him to recognize his estate and miserie with imminent execution of death. But Philippe of Macedonia did more wisely prouide for his memorie, when a boy cryed to him euery day: Philippe, Remember thou art but a man. And this is common to euery one: he is a man: then mortall: then subiect to mise­ries: then of short life and continuance. This is the effect of Iobs description of man: He hath but a short time to liue, Iob Man is a Pilgrim. yet re­plete with many miseries: he commeth vp as a flower from the earth: he florisheth a little while vpon the earth: he is cut downe and withereth in the earth. Which also I­saiah in his 40. Chapter: Isa. 40. [...]. Ia. 1.11. 1. P. 1.1 [...]. S. Iames in his first Chapter, and Sainct Peter in the first Chapter of his former Epistle do effectual­lie applie. Man commeth from a sinfull wombe, liueth in a wretched place, & goeth to a ghastfull gulfe. Remember this. Olde father Iacob was most mindfull of this, which he also taught to King Pharao, be­fore whom Ioseph his sonne presented him. How old art thou? (sayd Pharao to him) he answered: the whole time of my pilgrimage is an hundred and thirtie yeeres, fewe and [Page] euill haue the daies of my life been. He is a pilgrime. A similitude neere one in effect with that of Iob likening man to a flower, and with that of the Lord calling man dust. For as the flower is oppressed with many annoyes in heate and cold and of short time: and as the dust is now moyst on the groūd, then drie, flying in the winde, without cer­teyntie or constanines: So is the pilgrime, a straunger from home, looking to his place of rest, and euer trauayleth till he come the­ther, oppressed each while with many great daungers and miseries. Hebr. 11.10.13. The fathers (sayth the Apostle) all dyed & confessed themselues to be strangers and pilgrimes on the earth; and that they sought for a Citie hauing a foundation, whose builder & maker is God. Some say, that this pilgrimage of man, is set forth by the example of Hagar, the hand­mayd of Sara: Gen. 16.4 who flying from Abrahams house wandred in the wildernesse, and was councelled by the Angell to returne agayne to her Mistris. But Dauid truely confes­seth: 1. Pet. 2.11. I am a straunger and pilgrime with thee, as all my fathers were. And so may we say euery one of vs. Therefore let vs ab­staine from fleshly lustes: therefore let vs walke and not tarie. Let vs not choose the [Page] lustes of sinne that hinder vs: proceede wee towards Ierusalem that holy Citie, and e­uer recognize our condition and duetie of life. Here agayne wee be warned to looke backe to our former time, what wee haue been: that wee haue been vile sinners, offen­ders agaynst God, transgressors of his law, straungers from the commonweale of Isra­ell, and slaues in Aegipt vnder the tyrannie of our spirituall Pharao. Wee are also ad­monished to looke before vs, both on things present, and also to come. If we be the chil­dren of God brought into his merne [...]ous light by Iesus Christ, from bondage into freedome, from sinne into righteousnesse, from the power of the deuill to the grace of God: let vs bee glad and reioyce in the Lord with continuall thankfulnesse. If yet any be in ignorance, in blindnesse, in sinne, in stub­bornnes of heart, and thereby contemne the Gospell: let him feare, tremble, quake, stand in awe of Gods iudgements: but yet not forget a timely and fruitfull Repentance. Neuer to bee merie nor sing, nor leaue of to pray, aske and craue pardon, vntill a merci­full deliuerance: as that birde, which being ensnared neuer leaueth crying vntill he dye or bee deliuered. And hauing future things [Page] before our eyes, as markes whereto men shoote: forget not, but remember daylie and hourelie (O thou mortall man) that Mors non tardabit, Death commeth on with­out tari­yng. Death hasteneth on thee, re­specting not any ornament or treasure ei­ther of bodie or minde. For be thou neuer so fayre and well fauoured, yet with fayre Ab­solon must thou dye (though happely not in that sort) and in the kingdome of death there is no difference betweene Nireus and Thersites, Nireus. Thersites. of whom the Poets feigne, the one to be the fayrest, the other to be the most deformed of all them that came to Priamus, pallace, or Troy: and that they striuing in hell after death, who should bee preferred, verdit was giuen ( Menippus being the Iudge) that there was no difference be­tweene them. Herevnto also commeth, as well Diues, as poore Lazarus: aswell wise Salomon, as foolish Nabal. But thou brag­gest of thy parents Nobilitie, and then art of gentle blood, &c. What of that? Can these things deliuer thee? No truely. But hear­ken what I heare one say: Te, quide nobili generositate tuorum parentum tumescis su­perbia, interrogo, &c. I demaund of thée (saith hée) which art puft vp in pride by meanes of thy noble Parentage, whether [Page] those thy parents bee either dead or liuing? If they be liuing, knowe this, it will not bee long ere they will dye: for death commeth on them with speede. If they bee dead, then hearken what S. Augustine sayth: Aug. de. ver. Inocen. ca. vlt. Respice eorum sepulchra, & aliorum pauperum, & vi­de quis dominus, quis pauper, discerne si pote­ris vinctum à Rege, fortem à debili, pulchrum à deformi, &c. Behold their Sepulchres, and the graues also of poore men, and see, who is the Lord, who is the poore man: dis­cerne if thou be able, betweene the King and the prisoner, the strong man and the feeble, the beautifull and the vglie. Looke vppon their sepulchres, and I suppose, thou mayst not finde any great difference there, betwene the rich man and the begger, except perad­uenture in this, that in the rich mans graue thou maist finde a greater sauour of corrup­tion, than in the poore mans pit, for that he was fed more delicately in his life, than the poore man. De. van. seculi. The same Augustine sayth a­gaine in a certayne Sermon: Considera &c. Marke well the groanes of them that haue lately beene your companions, what they haue béen, what they now be, and how vain­lie their wealth serued to their profite. Lo, there is nothing of them remayning to bée [Page] seene: but ashes, which if they could now speake vnto you, would vtter these words: O ye vaine men! to what ende doe ye so ouerlade your liues with vices & sinnes? Looke vpon our bones, and thereby bee ashamed of your insatiable couetousnes. Quod vos estis, nos fuimus, & quodnas fu­mus, vos eritis: What you bee now, haue we been, and what now we bee, shall you be hereafter. O ye fooles, remember, that in one night, Luke 12. that great foole mentioned in the Gospell had his soule rapt from him, vncerteyne of his heyre. O man, remember, what betided that glorious Rich man which was clothed in purple: Luke. 16. death taketh holde vpon, and is throwne downe into torments, notwithstanding the solemnitie of his fune­ralles. Hug [...] de [...]ma. Dic mihi (sayth another) vbi sunt a­matores seculi, qui tam magni fuerunt? Dic, quid eis profuit inanis gloria, breuis latitia, mundi potentia? Tell me, where be now the friends of this worlde become, which haue been of such estimation? Shewe me, what their vaine glorie, their short gladnesse, their worldly pompe, their fleshly pleasures, their false riches profited them? What is become of their laughter? of their sport? of their boa­sting? Here see wee the corps giuen to the [Page] wormes, and peraduenture their soules ap­poynted to perpetuall torments in another place.

Baruch also, to draw men to the conside­ration of the power of God vpon the proude Potentates of the earth, and to the mindful­nes of mans condition, sayth: Baruch. 3.16.17.19. Where are the Princes of the heathen and such as ruled the beastes vpon earth? They that had their pastime with the foules of the heauen, that hoorded vp siluer and gold, wherein men did trust, and made no end of their gathering? They bee come to naught, and gone downe to hell, and o­ther men be come vp in their steades.

And to shewe, that not only man, which is compared to the grasse, but also that all his wisedome and glory (which is compared to the flower of the grasse by Saint Iames) shall decay: 1. Cor. 1.20. hearken what S. Paule expo­stulateth theron. Where is the wise? where is the Scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made the wis­dome of this world foolishnes? Herevnto hasteneth man, and herevnto commeth his glorie in the ende: which to remember is ve­rie profitable for al men, as Syracides saith, and as Moses wished to his people. Deut. 32. For [Page] men hauing once numbred their dayes, they be moued to set their mind on wisedome, as Dauid saith: and hauing considered the ma­nifold dayes of darkenes, they will remem­ber God the sooner in their youth, Eccles. 11.2. as Salo­mon counselleth: they will cast away the déedes of darkenes, and put on the armour of light, as Paul exhorteth, that whiles the Sunne is not darke, nor the light, nor the Moone, nor the Starres, nor the Clowdes returne againe after the rayne: Eccles. 12.2.5.6. before man go to the house of his age, and the mourners go about the stréete, and the dust returne to the earth as it was. Thus must we remem­ber our selues. God graunt we forget not our selues. When man forgetteth himselfe and his condition, there is none euill which he will feare to commit. God make vs mindfull of this.

Remem­ber the latter Iudge­mentFourthly, because the houre of death is vncertaine, and yet death which is most cer­taine bringeth man to the iudgement, and this, as was the other, is a forceable Argu­ment to stirre vs vp, to examine our selues, to cleare our selues, to prepare our selues with Lamps burning in our hands, and loynes girded with staues to the iourney, with watchfull hearts euer listening when [Page] the Tromp shall sound to the battaile: let vs in any wise imprint this memorandum in the tables of our mindes: Our God shall come, and will not be silent. Psal. 50. Mat. 25. Christ will come in the glorie of his Father, and all the holie Angels with him, sitting vpon the throane of his glorie. Before him shall be [...]rought all Nations to be iudged, and be shall diuide them one from another, as the Shepheard diuideth the Shéepe from the Goates. And we shall all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ, and giue accompts of all that we haue done.

Thus Enoch, Iud. vers. 14.15. the feauenth from Adam (as Iude sayth) prophesied. Behold, the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saincts, to giue iudgement against all men, and to rebuke all the vngodly a­mong them of all their wicked deedes, which they haue vngodly committed, and of all their cruell speakings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him. This thing did that holie man thinke vpon with due expectation, which said, that what­soeuer he did, he heard this dreadfull doome ringing in his eares, Surgite mortui, venire ad iudicium, Arise ye dead, come to iuge­ment. Oh remember this ye that forget [Page] God, least he take you away, and there be none to deliuer you. For in déede, when all stand before the tribunall seate of Christ, there shall be no excuse allowed of the wic­ked, to pacifie the terrible displeasure of the Iudge, when the accusations shall be pro­duced against them. Then neither Goliah with his strength, nor Croesus with his ri­ches, nor Haman with the Kings fauour, nor Absalon with his beawtie, nor Achi­tophel with his craftines, nor any worldly man with his vanities, shall be able to pre­uayle.

5. Lots wife.The last thing which I sayd we should remember at this time, is Lots Wife, which I referre to the latter part of my generall diuision, whereof I mind to speake (and God will) in the after noone. The Lord God of his mercie graunt vs grace to con­sider of his goodnes and mercies towards the children of men: to put displeasure out of our hearts, to forget our owne people, and our fathers house, and to worship the Lord by a thankefull and reuerent remem­brance of him, of our bréethren, of our selues, and the iudgement prepared, that so with the true vse of memorie, we may the better walke in our duties, and tend to the end of [Page] our deliuerie, which is to serue God in ho­lines and righteousnes all the dayes of our life, before him, as Zachary singeth, Luc. 2. Luk. 2. and that which vpon our preseruation is re­quired, as Dauid concludeth, saying: He brought them foorth from Aegypt, with ioy and gladnes, that they might keepe his statutes, and obserue his lawes, Psal. 105.45. Which, God graunt we may also kéepe and obserue, to his glorie, and our comfort in Iesus Christ our Lord, to whome with the holie Ghost, be all honor and glorie, world without end. Amen.

The second Sermon. Lots Wife.

IN the former part, we haue bin incited to the true vse of memorie, by the considerati­on of the Action commaun­ded, Remember. Now are we likewise furthered in the same, by the [Page] consideration of the subiect or matter héere mentioned, namely, Lots Wife. Neither can it be impertinent to our purpose, if also we call to mind, as well Lot, as his Wife, in whome, an excellent example of Gods mer­cie appeareth, as of his fearefull iudgemēts on her: for as when light and darkenes, swéete and soure, fire and water, and things contrarie are compared together, either of them is the better discerned from other. So by the consideration of Lot, and then, by conferring him with his wife, and by noting the contrarie dispositions and lots of them both, we shall in much better sort from ei­ther of them learne that, which the holie Spirit, by reseruing their examples for our memories, will suggerate vnto vs.

From Lot, Lot. is there learned the lot of a godly man in this life, with a comfort vn­to the godly through the mercie of God on him.

From Lots Wife, Lots wife. is learned the lot of the wicked in this world, with a terror vnto all backsliders and wicked Apostates, by the terrible iudgements of God on the wicked Sodomites, and Lots Wife. Therefore first beholding Lot. himselfe, therein consider these circumstances.

• [Page] 1 Who this Lot was.
• 2 By what meanes he came to Sodom.
• 3 How he behaued himselfe in Sodom a­mong the vngodly.
• 4 What entertainement he found among them.
• 5 How that God loued him, and deliuered him not onely from the sinnes, but also from the punishmēt of the Sodomites.

We finde in Gen. 11.27. that Lot was the Sonne of Haran, What Lot was. which was brother vnto Abraham, who was contented (as one beléeuing y ^e Lord) to accompanie his Vncle Abraham, whē he forsooke his owne Coun­trey, and his fathers house, out from Vr of the Caldees, and went soiourning as a Stranger into the land of Canaan, at the commandement of the Lord God. And héereby is he noted to be of the faithfull: as also more effectually by that, when being a­mong the wicked, he neuertheles feared the Lord in all things. The Wiseman, Sapi. 10.6. Sap. 10.6. 2. Pet. 2. calleth Lot, The Righteous man. And S. Peter in his 2. Chapter of his second Epistle calleth him Iust Lot. Righteous in déede and iust both before God and man: Before God, by the forgiuenes of sinne, through mercie and apprehension of righte­ousnes [Page] by faith. Before men, as well by his godly conuersation and vertues, as also in respect of the wicked Sodomits, before whome, he was farre preferred. Thus was he a righteous man. And heereof it was, that he liued so vnspotted among the wic­ked, vexing his righteous soule, that he saw the two Angels comming into Sodom, and rose vp to méete them, Gen. 18. that he bowed him­selfe with his face to the ground, and inuited them gladly to his house, that he entertained them reuerently, and defended them against the rage of the Sodomits: that he beleeued the words of the Angels, and most obedi­ently followed them, departing frō Sodom without desire to retire: that he contemned the sinnes and societie of the Sodomits, and forsaking all the trust of the world, depended onely on the mercie of God, whom he knew to be able and willing to prouide a better habitation for him. But it is a thing worth the noting, how Lot came into Sodom, 2. How he came to Sodom. which was vpon two occasions, the one, by his vnhappie departure from his Vncle A­braham: the other, by the foolish lust of his eye in his vnhappie choice. For as we reade in Gen: 13.6. Gen. 13.6. when these two godly persons Abraham and Lot were greatly increased, [Page] and their flocks could not pasture together in one countrey, without contētion betwéene their seruants: it was the counsell of Abra­ham, that to eschue that inconuenience be­tweene them, being as brethren, they should sunder themselues and their flocks one from another, and therein he did not sticke to giue the choice vnto Lot, saying vnto him: Is not the whole land before thee? Depart I pray thee from me: If thou wilt take the left hand, then will I go to the right: Or if thou go to the right hand, then I will take the left. So when Lot beheld the Countrey, he perceiued that all the playne of Iordane was watered euery where: for it was (before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrhe) as the Garden of Eden. And so Lot chose vnto him all the plaine of Ior­dan, yea, he pitched his Tent euen to So­dom. But hinc ille lachrymae, wo vnto thée seely Lot, Lots vn­happie choice. for whiles thou goest about to please thine eye, thou woundest thine heart, thou lustest for the plaine, but the bushes in­close thée: thou delightest in the waters of Iordan, but thou art in danger of the fire of Sodom: thou thoughtest thou haddest got­ten thee into heauen, Aug. de ci. Dei. 21. but thou art come to the gate of hell. Sodom is faire and fruit­full, [Page] but thou must not taste of their fruites, Egesippus. for their Apples fall to dust and scinders if thou touch them, their hearbs be hurtfull, and death is in their pot. To be plaine, there is bona terra, mala gens, a good Countrey, but a wicked people: for it is truely sayd, Gen. 13.13. that the men of Sodom were wicked, Cause of separatiō. and exceeding sinners against the Lord. This separation betweene A­braham and Lot, came of contention and strife, a cause of diuision euen among bree­thren: this contention and strife grew, of the aboundance of worldly wealth, a cause of much discord euen betweene the children of one parentage, whereof there be too many examples, besides commō experience. This choise of Sodom, came of the lust of the eye, which ensnareth many men by the hooke of voluptuousnes, and draweth them to hor­rible inconueniences, as innumerable testi­monies, with semblable examples, and our daily experience do also witnes at the full. Beware of contention about these vayne earthly things, beware of a desire to be made rich, beware of lust of the eye, and pleasure of the flesh, which is in the world (as Iohn saith) and is an enemy to the Lord. And if this good man could not rule himselfe there­in, [Page] neither eschew some paine thereof ensew­ing: Let vs not presume to promise our selues safetie and ease in these pricking thornes.

Now may we see in what sort Lot 3 How Lot liued there liued in Sodome among the vngodly. It is a ve­rie difficult thing for a man to escape the in­fection of the plague, whereas the very ayre is corrupted. It is not easie to touch pitch, and not be therewith defiled, and to stand in the furnace of fire with the three children, and not haue asmuch as a heare burned, is altogither of Gods power, and not of mans wit. Lot is in Sodome, as in a place of in­fection, as in the pit of pitch and furnace of vncleannesse, and yet is he there righteous among them. Yet as a Lillie among the thornes, as a childe among the Scorpions, and as a woman groning in trauaile, he en­dureth it. As a preacher of righteousnes, he ceasseth not; as a Pellican in the wildernesse he reioyceth not: but preacheth, prayeth, A cause of Lots so­rowe. la­menteth, and vexeth his righteous soule: as mooued therevnto by their great sinnes, to beholde, how wickednesse was extolled, and vertues trodden downe: how right was exi­led, and wrong dealing in price: how sinnes did abound; and righteousnesse, faith and [Page] truth was scarce found: and he sawe the An­gell (whereof Iohn speaketh) Reuel. 10. to put his right foote on the Sea, Aret. in Apo. 10. vers. 1.2. but his left on the earth, when the wicked seemed more to flourish in worldly sway and estimation than the godly, which had none honor at all. The Prophet Ieremie Ieremy. 9. Lam. 1. liuing among the like kinde of people, was forced to vexe his minde with their vngodlinesse, and the con­sideration of their payne ensuing: (as it can not be but a greefe vnto a godly man to see the people so obstinate, indurate and wicked to their own destruction:) and thus he brea­keth out: Oh that my head were full of water & mine eyes a fountaine of teares, that I might weepe day and night for the slayne of the daughter of my people! A­gayne: Oh that I had in the wildernesse a wayfaring mans cottage, that I might leaue my people, and go from them: for they be all adulterers and an assembly of rebels. Hereof was our Sauiour Christ mooued to weepe ouer Ierusalem. I would to God the godly men now had not the like occasion giuen them to vexe their godlie mindes: but it is truely sayd, and too truely verified: Loue waxeth colde, and the Sonne of man readie to come vpon vs: faith star­teth [Page] aside and is scarcely found but as a pil­grime on the earth. Tongues are bent as bowes to shoote foorth lyes, but for the truth they haue broken strings: they proceed from euill to that which is worse, and care not for the knowledge of God: neither brother, nor friend, nor neighbour may be trusted. This is a cause of confusion and plague, the Lord of his mercie deliuer vs. 4 His enter­teynment in Sodom See now (I pray you) what good Lot gayned by his being in Sodom: his desire of pleasures procured him payne: his hope of friendship, nothing but afflictions. First, being among the So­domites, Lot had many af­flictions and daun­gers amōg the Sodo­mites. he was taken prisoner with his wife and all his substance, together with the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrha, by Am­raphel King of Shinar, Arioch King of E­leasar, Chedarlaomer King of Elam, and Tidal King of the Nations, in great daun­ger of his life. Well, the vngodly may bée sometimes fauoured by the meanes of the godly men among them: but this is sure, that the godly can haue no good by ioyning hands with the vngodly, or being among them. The tares may be suffered for a time, because of the corne: but in the meane while, the corne is annoyed by the growing vp of the tares with it. Therfore Pharaos Court [Page] is no place for Moses to wayt in, nor Puti­phars house for Ioseph to serue in, nor Bal­tazars feast for Daniel to banquet in, nor Nabucadnezars glorie for Sidrach to wor­ship in, nor the open land for Dina to gad in, nor the high Priestes pallace for Peter to come in, nor Sodom a Citie for iust Lot to inhabite in. It is commaunded: Come out from Babilon my people, least ye be pol­luted with their sinnes, and so take parte of their plagues.

And although we learne (as afterward it shall be declared) that the banishing hence of the righteous, hasteneth destruction on the rest; The vn­godly can not abide the righ­teous a­mong them. yet cannot the vngodly haue quiet mindes vntill they haue extirpated and roo­ted out al the godly from among them. The same wee see in this example of Lot, who could not enioy the benefite of any Superse­deas among the Citizens of Sodom. He did not only vexe his righteous soule there with beholding their sinnes, but also he was violētly oppressed with their crueltie. They rushed in vpon him saying: Thou art come hether, Gen. 19. but as a straunger among vs, and wilt thou bee our Iudge? Thou art no towne borne child, nor citizen of ours, nor of this countrie, thou art not of our societie and [Page] companie, nor of our conditions: we did ne­uer beare thee such good will to make thee a Iudge ouer vs, or to bee tryed by thy deter­mination: no, but wee will deale worse with thee, then with these men, whom thou har­borest.

Oh good Lot! couldest thou so long time abide there, where thou couldest neuer bee welcome? What gaynest thou among such vngodly persons? Thou mayst say: Only this, a triall of my patience and pietie: An experience of the great might and mercie of the Lord. Such is Lots enterteynment in Sodom. God graunt that his children may be betimes warned to take heed of such en­terteyners: and that wee our selues be not contented to yeeld hatred vnto them, that deserue to be welcome among vs.

Another affliction had this good man, Lots own wife was an affli­ction to him. which peraduenture did touch him neerer, namely by this, that his owne wife which lay in his bosome, and should of all other be a comfort vnto him, became a griefe and co­rasiue to his heart.

It was no small griefe to Dauid, that his owne sonne, sought after his life: And our Sauiour protesteth with no little sorow of soule, that the same which eate bread [Page] with him, lifted vp his heele agaynst him. And it may bee, this godly man would not haue stayed so long in Sodom, had not his wife been a vehement cause thereof.

Vnequall yokes.Here then let vs learne to take heede vn­der what yokes ye submit your selues, and with what wiues ye ioyne. Ios. 24. It was sayd of the women of the Nations: they will be vn­to you, snares, prickes in your eyes, and whippes on your sides: they will allure you, seduce you, drawe you to Idolatrie. Did not Salomon the King of Israel sinne in these things? Nehe. 13.24. Did not the daughters of men defile the childrē of God? Gen. 6. Was not Iezabell a pricker forward of Ahab to euery mis­chiefe? Did not Saule prouide Michol to be a snare vnto Dauid? and did she not mocke at him openly? Did not Iobs wife greeue him in the bitternesse of his heart? Was not Esau blamed for taking wiues of the Hit­tites, a griefe of minde to old Isaak and Re­beccha? Therefore Iacob was straitly charged by his parents to eschew such wo­men. Abraham sware his seruant, that he should not take a wife for Isaak of these na­tions: and a lawe was ratified by Moses to that ende. 1. Cor. 7. This is Paules charge: Beare not the yoke with Infidels. Let vs take [Page] heede then of vnequall matches. The man which is vnwilling to be drowned, doth not cast himselfe desperatly into the Sea: and it is agaynst nature for a person to seeke comfort of that which by nature yeeldeth corrasiues and griefes. Lots wife being by nature euill, could not do any good to her husband in all her life. A great affliction.

This thing also is general, that the god­ly, wheresoeuer they come, shall be as wel­come vnto the worldlings, as water to the fire, as Lot was to Sodom. Christ telleth this playnlie: Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake. And Iohn his holy A­postle sayth: Marueile not my brethren, though the world hate you. Doth not Cain enuie Abel? Is not the olde world a­gaynst Noah? Ismael agaynst Isaak? Esau agaynst Iacob? Doth not Saule enuie Da­uid for his victorie? Do not the Lords of Babilon hate Daniel for his pietie? Do not all the Nations conspire together a­gaynst Israel? Yea more yet: though E­phraim deuoureth Manasses, and Manasses deuour Ephraim, yet do not they both ioyne hand in hand to deuoure Iuda the Lords in­heritance? As Pilate agaynst Herod, and Herod agaynst Pilate, but both of them a­gainst [Page] Christ? what concord betweene fire and water? what peace betweene Christ and Belial, may be found? But yet, why doth the world thus hate the children of God, whom they haue rather cause to loue? The children of God be brethren at amitie in themselues, whose societie Satan séeketh to diuide, that his owne arme may be the stronger, and that one house may fall vpon another. They be the redeemed from the earth, & from the power of darknes, whome he seeketh againe to drawe vnto him: they follow the Lamb wheresoeuer he goeth, to the great griefe of Satan: they be not of the world, but chosen out of the world, therefore they be hated, but haue the worldlings any iust cause of hatred giuen them? no truely, for as Christ was hated without a cause of them that should haue rather loued him, so are his childrē. Yet they alleadge causes al­so for themselues, whose imaginations, the Wise man descrieth in his 2. Chapt. of the booke of Wisedome: Sap. 2. where he telleth, that the vngodly being not fully persuaded of a better life after this, and therefore minding to take their fill of pleasure heere in despight of Gods threatnings, & in contempt of his promises, without any cōtroulment or con­tradiction [Page] of the righteous, which can not but speake against them, they thus resolue and conclude against the righteous, Let vs oppresse the poore man that is so righte­ous. Will ye oppresse, nay rather, deale iustly. Will ye hurt the poore? nay rather helpe him. Will ye do violence to the righ­teous man? nay rather do him good. But ye will not be restrained: ye will oppresse him, and why? he is not for our profit: he is contrary to our doings: he checketh vs for offending: he accounteth vs transgres­sors of discipline: he bosteth himselfe of the knowledge of God: he saith he is Gods sonne: he is made to reproue our thoughts: it greeueth vs to see him: his life is not like other mens: his wayes are of another sort: he accounteth vs as bastards: he abhorreth our wayes: he commendeth only the latter end of the righteous, therefore we will ex­amin him with rebukes and torments, we will condemne him to a shamefull death. Alas ye miserable caitiffes, be these your profound arguments? Indéed these beseeme him that saith in the pride of his heart, Sic volo, siu iubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas: I will haue it so, so I commaund it to be done, my will is an argument forcible [Page] ynough. This is the manner of dealing of the worldlings against the righteous: So is Lot entertained. Now séeing the case thus standeth, The god­ly are to ioyne to­gether in loue. oh how ready should the god­ly be to ioyne together, and liue in concord together? a thing both godly and profitable, as Dauid singeth, Ecce quam bonum, &c. for the house is not desolate, nor the king­dome confounded, where loue and concord dwelleth and raigneth. It is good for birds of one flight to flye together, chickens of one hen to couch together, shéepe of one fold to flock together, strings of one instru­ment to sound in harmonie together, mem­bers of one bodie to ioyne together, and Christians of one calling to loue together, as sonnes of one father, brethren of one Christ, and Saints of one God. This is expressely commaunded by Christ: this is the badge or recognizance whereby we be knowne, and heereby we be assured of our translation frō death to life, as S. Iohn saith. And the Apostles speaking heereof, lay oftentimes our Sauiour for a patterne be­fore vs, who commaunded his Disciples to loue together, as he had loued them: that was (as one noteth) Veraciter sine simulati­one: prudenter sine corruptione: temperanter [Page] sub Dei dilectione: generaliter sine exceptione. That is, without simulation truly: without corruption wisely: vnder the loue of God temperately: without exception generally. Heere is not taught the loue of Cayne to Abel, of Saul to Dauid, of Iudas to Christ: but heere is the loue of Dauid to Ionathas, of Ruth to Naomi, of Paul to Barnabas, of Christ to Iohn. Againe, heere is taught to loue not the errors, but the vertues of our brethren, to hate the sinne with loue of the person: to loue not for wealth, nor fauour, nor strength: but for that he is thy brother a Christian. Yet so as this loue must not exceede the loue of our God, whome aboue all things we must loue: that in regard of that, we must euen forsake all other things which may hinder vs from the same. For whosoeuer loueth either father or mo­ther, wife or children, yea, or his owne life, more then me (saith Christ) is not worthy of me: heerein then is temperance learned. Let vs loue hartely, but yet in the feare of God: and vnder his loue, yet so re­uerently, as we may honor God in our loue. Lastly, we are taught by this rule, to loue generally, I say not all men alike: for al­though God in mercie maketh his sunne to [Page] shine aswell on the euill, as on the good: and so they féele as it were the beames of Gods loue, whereof they be most vnworthy: yet hath he euer had an especiall loue to his own children. The houshold of faith must be pre­ferred before the worldlings, as Iacob be­fore Esau, Isaac before Ismael, Abel before Cayne, Dauid before Saule, Salomon be­sore Absolon, Iohn before Iudas, but I speake heere only of the brethren. This rule is enioined to the flock vnder one shepheard, to loue and embrace, of what nation, kinred, toong or sexe soeuer they be. Thus let vs loue without exception, so shall we yeeld and obey as good childrē to our heauenly father: so shall we shew our selues his schollers: so shall we assure election to our selues: so shall we be strong in our selues: so shall we with­stand our enemies on euery side, and shine as lights in the middest of a crooked genera­tion, and thus haue we seene the entertaine­ment of Lot in Sodom.

Now are we to consider, how that this good man, 5 The deli­uerie of Lot. notwithstāding the hatred of his Citizens, obteined the loue and mercy of the Lord, through whom, not only himself was wonderfully deliuered from destruction, bu also his aduersaries for a time fared the better [Page] for his presence. P. Mart. in Gen. 19. It may be that now the prayer of Abraham had his effect in this, that God destroyeth not Lot with Sodom. For it is said, that God remembring Abra­ham (and therein his prayer) tooke Lot out of the middest of the ouerthrowe. Heereof it was, that God was mercifull vnto him, and therefore sent his Angell to deliuer him: yea and when he delayed, the Angell did euen perforce constraine him to flie. But so much the rather, in that Lot was also a righteous man: whereof Dauid argueth (no doubt) among the semblable examples, I neuer sawe the righteous forsaken. And why Gen. 18. Gen. 18. should not the Iudge of all the world do according vnto right? and who is righteous? euen Lot, in that by his faith he obteined mercie: and therefore he is saued (though by nature sinfull) yet by the mercie of the Lord made righteous. But frō what other example might Dauid gather this as­surance? was not Noah saued from peri­shing by water, with his family, when all the world was ouerwhelmed? was not A­braham and Sara preserued in a strange land & was not Isaac wonderfully preserued by the Angell, when his father held vp the knife to haue killed him & was not Iacob [...] [Page] Lords prouidence, heere is his fault & fall: such is mans wisedome, and therevnto it tendeth: a note of disgrace in so godly a mā. But God is yet mercifull vnto Lot, yea and spareth for a time Sodom through him. And heere obserue, that whereas the Lord stayed the wrath of his rod from his ene­mies, till time that Lot was gone out of Sodom, least happely the righteous had pe­rished among the wicked, which God for­bid, as Abraham praied. So do we see that commandement of the tares heere verified, Let them yet alone, least whiles ye weed out them, yee pluck vp also the corne. The Angels said plainely to Lot, whē they willed him to hasten vnto Zoar, We can do nothing vntill thou be come thither. And this is a generall thing, that whē God determineth to extirpate and roote out Na­tions, When good men be taken hence, plagues may be feared to follow. Kingdomes, and people, he first ta­keth away the godly from among them, and leauing only a confused heape of vngodlie persons, a free passage is giuen to the exe­cution of his iudgements. When we see therefore that good men do slide from vs, let vs feare of a iudgement ensuing, & with repentant hearts turne vnto the Lord, and craue mercie in time conuenient. The Pro­phet [Page] Ezechiel telleth, that when the Lord could find no zealous man among them Ezech. 22.31. he powred out his wrath, and consumed them. Isaiah Isa 57.1. saith, that the righteous men do dye, and be taken away from the euill that commeth after them. And Dauid witnesseth, Psal. 12. that the godly men be gone, and the wrath of God recompenceth the remaynder. Ex­amples héereof we haue many. Among which we remember, that when Noah Noah. was gone from the world, and was enclosed in the Arke, the water foorthwith fell downe vpon the world, and drowned it. Whē King Hezekiah Hezekiah. was layde to his Fathers in peace, the plague fell downe vpon Iuda, which the Lord had by promise restrained all the time of his life. The like in effect is mentioned of Iosias, Iosias. Christ & his Apostles being departed from Ierusalem, and not one left there, but counterfeit Iewes, Christ and the A­postles. and no­torious euill sinners, all the plagues that tended to the vtter destruction of that City, immediatly followed, Matth. 22. Thy house is left de­solate, for yee shall not see me hence­foorth, &c. So heere, Lot Lot. the righteous man, being gone out of Sodom, the Lord rained vpon them fire and brimstone from [Page] heauen, Aug. de ciu. dei. 21 Solinus. Egesippus. and consumed them all, and their Countrie, as many auncient Testimonies, especially the holie Scripture reporte.

The consideration hereof might moue euen the vngodly, to wish for and desire the peace of Ierusalem, & gladlie to enterteyne and reteyne the societie of righteous Lots among them. And when they perceiue them departing, to dread great iudgements im­minent, 1. Sam. 3. as the daughter of old Eli did, who hearing that the Arke of God was taken a­way from Israel, cried out in great feare: Now is the glorie gone from Israel, for the Arke of God is taken away! And thus much for the person of Lot.

Now are wee come to the view of Lots 1 wife. Lots wife. Wherein wee are to consider: First, 2 what she was. Secondly, what sinnes are 3 chiefly noted in her. Thirdly, what was her plague or punishment.

This woman by all likelihood was of the Cananites, but farre vnlike the woman of Canaan that cryed after Christ for her daughter. And it may easely bee gathered that Lot maried this woman either in or a­bout Sodom, whereas he pitched his tent: partly for that wee do not finde in the histo­rie that she came thether with him, as Sarai [Page] did with Abraham: partly for that she had such an earnest desire to stay, and dwel there among them. And it is true, Canaa­nites bee mixt with the Israe­lites. that notwith­standing the commaundement of God to the contrarie, some Canaanites are not onely dwelling, but also ioyning vnto them of Is­rael: which cannot do them any good, but euill as long as they liue. As long as the godly man soweth corne in this world, will the enuious man cast in his tares among. While the net is in the Sea, the bad fishes wil be taken together with the good: whiles the Mustard seede groweth vp to a tree, the birds of all sorts will rowst vnder the same. The beastes of al kinde will be found in the Arke, and Cham wil couch betwene Shem and Iaphet, Gen. 10. and growe to a mightie nation to diuide their Tabernacles asunder: that now the Lords flocke, in respect of all the rest, is called little. As if the Lord had cho­sen of all birdes one Doue, of all beastes one Sheepe, of all trees one Cedar in Li­banus: of all pittes, one Riuer Iordan: of all hilles, one Sion: of all people, one Israel: of al Cities, one Ierusalem: & out of all So­dom, Lot: but not Lots wife. As all the world to Noah: all Baals Priestes to Elias, all the rebellious Israelites to Ioshua. Ios. 24 All [Page] Ierusalem to Christ and his Apostles. So is Sodom to Lot, yea and with them his owne wife. This is not Sarah to Abra­ham, nor Rebeccah to Isaak, nor Hester to Ashuerus, nor Susanna to Ioachim, nor Elizabeth to Zacharias, nor Mary to Io­seph: but here is so heauie a yoke, as good Lot could not well beare, and such a burden as he was not able to bring forth from So­dom to Zoar. Here is a curst Xantippe to a learned and patient Socrates: here is a mur­muring Annah to an holie Tobiah, yea more yet than that: here is a disdaynfull and mocking Micholl to a zealous Dauid, and a cursed woman to a blessed Iob. But wee may note in her some particular sinnes, and eschew them the better by the consideration of her euill successe for the same.

First we note in her infidelitie. 1 Infidelitie For she beleeued not the words of the Angels which sayd: We be come hither to destroy this place. And herein she ioyned hands with all her kinne in that citie, who esteemed the re­port of Lot, touching the wordes of the An­gels, as fables vainely inuented: or shee thought y ^t God would haue spared so beau­tifull a thing, notwithstanding the Angels words. So Thomas was incredulous, and [Page] would not beleeue the words of them which sayd, they had seene Christe after his death, But yet blessed are they, which haue not seene, and yet haue beleeued. Sarah, Heb. 11. that woman is commended for her fayth by the Apostle. The wife of Manoah also is com­mended in that shee beleeued the Angels words to her. Iudg. 13. Anna also the mother of Sa­muel, Rahab, Ruth, Mary, Martha, Eliza­beth, Damaris, and other like women are for their faith praysed: but Lots wife is dif­famed by her vnbeleefe.

This is the subtiltie of Satan: Satans craft to take away a mans faith. first to pull out faith from mans heart, which being once gone, he knoweth that man is neither able to resist him, nor to quench his fierie dartes. He doth therein as the Rauen, which first picketh out the sheepes eye, and afterward deuoureth his bodie: And faith is in a man, the eye of the soule. Satan knoweth, that faith is the pillar whereon our building standeth. Therefore he shaketh it to cast downe our building. He knoweth that faith is as a Tower which giueth vs two aduan­tages agaynst him: namely, to defende our selues thereby from him, and to cast out from thence the strokes of thundring Or­dinances to annoy him. Therefore he first [Page] aymeth to our faith.

Heb. 11. Ephe. 6. 1. Pet. 1. Rom. 9. 1. Cor. 10. Rom. 11.The Apostle shewing the commodities of faith by the examples of Abraham, Isa­ak, Iacob, Sarah, and other Saincts, doth thereto oppose the infidelitie of such as haue thereby purchased iust paynes for recom­pence. Adam by his vnbeleefe, with Eua, were cast out of Paradise: the Iewes wan­ting faith could not come into the land of promise, but perished in the wildernesse: he that beleeued not the Prophet, was trodden on in the gate of the Citie: Zacharie was dumbe because he did not beleeue the worde of the Angell: the Apostles were checked for their vnbeléef, and Lots wife is plagued. The world is reprooued for sinne by the ho­lie Ghost, Io. 16. because they beleeue not: as if vn­der this one sinne al other sinnes were com­prehended, and well worthie: for without faith it is impossible to please God, seeing whatsoeuer is done, is sinne. The Iewes, by their vnbeleefe, were not onely vnworthie that Christ should work any myracle among them in his owne countrie [...] but also they a­lienated the fauour of God from them and their children. This is if grieuous sinne.

Let vs take heed of vnbeleefe and eschew the payne therof, by a perfect faith in Christ. [Page] Let vs beleeue the voyce of the Angell: let vs hearken vnto our greate Archangell Christ and his word preached by his Mini­sters, that wee may beleeue: for faith com­meth by hearing, and faith hath more com­modities, than I am able to expresse at this time. When Satan desired to sift vs as wheate, Christ prayed that our faith might not fayle. The Lord therefore helpe our vn­beleefe, and encrease our faith in vs euer­more, that thereby we may hasten from So­dom with righteous Lot, and not stay, or turne thether agayne, to perish with his vn­righteous wife.

Secondly, in her is noted the sinne of dis­obedience. 2 Disobe­dience. Lot obeyed the voyce of the An­gels, and departed from Sodom, without retyre or looking backe: but she disobeyed that voyce in looking backe. And no mar­uaile, for she beleeued not. For obedience is not expected from infidelitie, no more than the standing of an house without a founda­tion, or sweete fruite to growe on the tree that hath a bitter roote. She would not come forth to Zoar to saue her felfe there. She looked back to Sodom. Though obedience be better than Sacrifice, as Samuel sayd to Saule, & to hearken is better than the blood [Page] of Goates, and disobedience is as the sinne of witchcraft: yet she obeyeth not, she hear­keneth not, but rebelleth. Although it was commaunded by the Lord, enioyned by the Angell: Gen. 19. Deut. 28. and obedience hath a promise of the best thing in the lande, and disobedience a commination of plagues which surely bee performed, and that not the hearers of the lawe be iustified but the doers: yet is she dis­obedient. Would to God, the most part in these dayes did not followe her therein. Take heede of the iudgements thereunto belonging. Saule for disobedience is reiec­ted, and his kingdome taken from him. The man of God was slayne of a Lion, 1. Sam. 15 1. Kin. 13. because he did eate bread in the old Prophets house, contrary to Gods expresse commandement. The good King Iosiah, in that he obeyed not the Lord, speaking out of the mouth of Neco King of Egypt, yet a wicked King, was striken that he dyed. The fathers in the wildernesse perished through disobedience, yea and many that did things with a good intent, yet disobediently, were surely repro­ued and punished. Vssah touched the Arke as it was falling, with entent to stay it vp: it apperteyned not to him, therefore is he striken. Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of [Page] Aaron tooke straunge fire in their Censors, thinking they did well, but being contrarie to the commaundement, they haue therfore a grieuous punishment. In these, yea euen in these persons was this sinne punished. But what of that? Shall we then thinke to escape vnpunished for the like, yea and grea­ter breaches of Gods holie commaunde­ment? Heb. 10.20 29. Deut. 19.15. If he that despiseth Moses law dyeth without mercie vnder two or three witnes­ses; of how much greater punishment sup­pose ye shall he bee worthie of, which hath troden vnder foote the Sonne of God, and hath counted the bloud of the Couenant, wherein he was sanctified, an vnholy thing: and hath done despight vnto the Spirite of grace? 1. Pet. 4.17. The time is come that iudgement beginneth at the household of God: and if it begin there, what shall be the end of them that beleeue not the Gospell? I begin (sayth the Lord) to plague the Citie whereon my name is called, Ier. 25.29. and thinke you, I will suffer you to escape? No, ye shall not go quite. Take heede then of this sinne of Lots wife. Wee do reade of other women, which haue gotten both fauour and commendation by obedience to GOD and their owne husbands; but Lots wife looseth [Page] all good reporte, yea her life and health too, through disobedience.

The third fault we note in her, is Pride: 3 Pride. this thing did the deuil ioyne to infidelitie & disobedience of Euah; who would willingly be as God. So this woman aspiring aboue degree, therby contemneth the simple estate of her owne husband, and the worde of the Lord. Oh how much better had Christian humilitie beseemed her! It is the best orna­ment of a faithfull person. Abraham was beautified therewith, when comming before the Lord, he accompted himselfe vile dust and ashes, vnworthie to speake vnto his Maiestie. This Dauid also had, when he daunced bare before the Arke, though Mi­choll his owne wife disdained him thereat. This vertue did Christ himselfe embrace, who oftentimes fell on his face to the earth, when he prayed, yea and yeelded himself to the great contempt of the Crosse. Humili­tie lifteth that vp into heauen, which pride assayeth to cast downe in hell. The humble and lowe degree of Mary the Lords hand­mayd is esteemed, and she accompted bles­sed: the poore Publican is [...], Dauid obteyneth mercie: but the proude Phariste Antiochus, Senacherib, Herod, and other [Page] proude persons haue been cast downe. Lots wife in her pride disdayned the vocation of her husband, she contemned the Countrie whereinto he was going from Sodom, she thought scorne to make such a chaunge, and to endure in steede of pleasure affliction: for delicate fare, hunger and colde: for ease, tra­uayle: for fine apparell, Camels hayre: for seeled houses, Caues of earth: for Iuorie beddes, the harde stones, or grasse in the fieldes: in steede of companie, solitarinesse: for mirth, mourning: and sorrowes for so­lace. She disliked now after so many weal­thie pleasures in Sodom, to become as a Pellican in Wildernesse, as a doue alone mourning, as the sparrowe on the house top sorrowing. She could not abide that, for there is nothing more contrary to the crosse of Christ, than Pride. Except ye humble your selues and become as children, ye cannot enter into the kingdome of hea­uen, sayth Christ.

Pride bringeth men with speede to Ba­bel, yeeldeth confusion, shame and fall. I would to God there were not found too ma­ny possessed with this deuil among vs, who, albeit they bee called Christians, whose [Page] méekenesse they should followe, do yet in the pride of their hearts disdaine simple Ie­sus and his word, and that were it not for the loue of worldly estimation and wealth, would euen openly contemne the profession of humble Iesus. The Lord stop the great inconuenience of this sinne, to the casting downe of proud Lucifer and his members, that the glorie of Iesus Christ might be the better embraced euen in humilitie.

Another fault we note in this vngracious woman: that is, wanton and worldly plea­sure, 4 Worldly pleasure. which was of force to withstand her proceeding. Sodom was a pleasant Coun­trie, as the garden of Eden, so well watred, and the Apples and fruites therein most beautifull to the eye. Video me­liora pro­boque, &c And hereon Appetite tooke occasion to contend with reason, and in her preuayled, that with Medaea she could now dispute, and thus resolue: yet wil I fol­low my pleasures, be they neuer so noy­some, and eate these apples be they ne­uer so venimous, though I see that which is wholsomer and cannot but commend it. These snares doth Satan cast before the hungrie foules to take them, & merily sing­eth when he deceiueth. The Syrenes sing [Page] sweetly, the Lamaei shine beautifully, the Serpent suggesteth subtiltie, and the deuill promiseth al the glorie of the world to them that worship him.

But they reason for themselues and will coyne excuses, although he that had maried a wife had none excuse at all: Shall I aban­don worldly pleasures? I am yet but a yong man. Shal I not haue a wanton eye? I am but a girle. Shal I loose the assurance of my delights here, and trust to an vncerteyntie? Take heede, O yong man: Eccle. 11. and knowe that an accompt shall bee called of thy youthfull yeeres: and a payne will ensue these plea­sures. The Apples of Sodom bee fayre to behold; but touch them, and they fall to sin­ders: and the stinging Hydra lyeth vnder the golden swarth. Remember, that Heuah lost the true pleasures of Paradise, by fol­lowing her pleasant appetite. Esau for a messe of pottage, and his worldly pleasure, did lose both the birthright and blessing: the man that had wedded himselfe to his de­lights, could not enioy the benefite of the mariage feast: and Lots wife for the wanton pleasures of Sodom, lost the saftie of Zoar, and turning from heauen, was deuoured of [Page] hell. Remember what our Lord sayd: Whosoever loveth either father or mother, wife or children, or any thing in the world more than me, is not worthie of me. And remember what father Abraham sayd to the proude rich man in hell: Sonne, (sayth he) remember that thou in thy life time haddest thy pleasure, but contrari­wise Lazarus received paynes: but now he is comforted and thou art punished. Arguing a matter of Iustice to giue tor­ments and paynes after death to them that haue giuen themselues to pastime and plea­sure in this life: which also S. Iames Iam. 5. in a manner confirmeth in his 5. Chapter. Re­member that Moses hauing hereof right consideration, did not only put off his shooes from his feete, the clogges that might haue hindred him from comming to the Lord and from doing his duetie: Exod 3. but also he chose af­fliction with the people of God in the wil­dernesse, Heb. 11. before the pleasures of sinne in E­gypt for a season. The Lord in his mercie perswade vs with Iaphet to departe from the societie and pleasures of Cham, and [...] dwell in the tabernacles of blessed Shem, that we may not serue the deuill among the [Page] manie of this world in these vaine and flesh­lie pleasures, which confounded Sodom, and with them Lots wife.

Further, wee note in this woman a di­strust of Gods prouidence mixt with world­ly carefulnesse; 5 Distrust of Gods prouidēce & worldly carefulnes. inconueniences which alway followe infidelitie. O woman, thou distru­sting one thing, takest care for many things. Doest thou thinke, that the great omnipo­tent God is not thereby ritch and liberall, mightie and most willing to prouide for his children? Could not he haue giuen thee e­nough without Sodom? And wilt thou di­strust him and care for thy selfe without him? Wilt thou looke backe to the things left behinde thee in Sodome? The Hebrew text hath it thus, [...] that is, his wife looked back behind her. Which the Greeke translation yeeldeth, [...]. that is: She loo­ked backe, or had respect to the things behind her, or on that which she had left in Sodom. She thought that God would not haue so well prouided for her, elswhere, as she was prouided for in Sodom: therfore she had a carefull desire of the things left be­hinde her, and a mind to prouide for her self. [Page] Thus the Israelites in the Wildernesse, di­strusting God, wished for the flesh and fare of Egypt agayne. Oh that she had remem­bred the goodnesse of God to Abraham and her owne husband Lot. She neuer sawe the righteous forsaken, nor his seede to begge. Behold, he feedeth the yong Rauens that crye vnto him: and will he not feed his own children? Do bodily fathers offer vnto their childrē not stones but bread, and not Scor­pions but fishes: and shall not our heauenly father giue good things to such as aske thē of him? Shall the birdes feede their Chic­kens, and the beastes their young, and will not he feede his children? O woman, what meanest thou? Would to God this maladie had not also infected vs; then would we not by such indirect meanes as wee vse, ende­uour to prouide for our backe and our bellie: then would wee not so murmur agaynst God, as we do with mindes neuer content. But some do decipher themselues hereby to be not true sonnes, but bastards. For if we assure our selues to bee his children, and be our father, then also do wee assure our selues of his prouision for vs, that he [...]ee­peth vs, as the apple of his eye, and not suf­fer [Page] one hayre of our head to perish, much lesse our life. He fed Eliah by the ministerie of Rauens: he sent meate to Daniel in the Lions denne: he fed an hundred Prophets by the hand of Obadiah in Caues: he gaue water to Sampson from the Iaw bone of an Asse, and honie from the dead carcasse of a Lion: the widowes had their oyle and flo­wer encreased in the famine. He gaue Man­na from heauen, water from the Rocke, and Quayles from the ayre vnto the Israelites. In Samaria there is plentie of flower on a sodayne: and our Sauiour Christ feedeth sometime 4000. sometime 500. persons with fine loaues and two fishes, and yet more is taken vp in fragments, then was layd downe in the whole. Why then should we murmur? Why should we excessiuely care for the morrowe and vexe our mindes? Let vs rather applie our vocations accor­ding to the rule of his word with the ordi­narie and lawfull meanes, and affixe our mindes on him and trust in his mercie, knowing that man liueth not by bread only, but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The Israelites cryed for flesh, they haue it and dye thereof for their [Page] murmuring distrust. And so Lots wife di­strusting God, she murmureth in mind, she bendeth back, as though her owne care had been better than Gods grace for her saftie: but she hath a reward. Remember her di­strust and worldly carefulnes.

6 Foolish pitie.Another fault we find in this faithles wo­man (as cords of vanitie do euer linck to­gether to pull men from God,) and that is foolish pitie, which is also too common among vs. She was moued for her friends and old acquaintance, whose companie and conditi­ons she loued, which she should rather haue hated: and she thought it a pitifull thing, that sinners should be punished. Psa. 101.3 I hate thē (saith Dauid to the Lord) that hate thee; and am grieved with them that rise vp a­gainst thee: Psal. 15.4. being persuaded that he only should dwell in the Lords tabernacle, and rest vpon his holy hill, in whose eyes a vile person is contemned. Therefore he saith a­gaine: Psal. 26.5. I have hated the companie of the evill, a froward heart shall depart from me, Psa. 101.7 I will knowe none evill person: for thus saith the Lord, There shall no deceit­full person dwell in my house. Let Magi­strates take heed of foolish pitie. Remember [Page] how King Saul for pitying Agag the Ama­lakite, was reproued and plagued: that A­chab, for letting go of Benhadad King of Siria, was reprehended & endangered. On the other side: Remember what Iehu did to Iezabel and the wicked house of Achab, without compassion, and that he was pro­mised by the Lord for doing this thing, his sonnes should surely sit on the throane after him to the third and fourth generation. Re­member also, what a good report zealous Phinehas obtained, whē with his sword he flewe Zimri and Cozbi, and ceassed the plague, which was accounted vnto him for righteousnes throughout all generations. And it is for euery man to be zealous in the Lords cause with Christ (who was deuou­red with the zeale of his fathers house) not to giue ayme to sinne, nor suffer the honor of the Lord God of Israel to be prophaned: but to desire with heart the conuersion of sinners, to withstand their open abhomina­tions, to reproue sinne, and by lawfull meanes to séeke the execution of iustice a­gainst sinne: euery maister in his house, e­uery father in his family, and euery true Christian in his place, is to take heed that [Page] he withstand sinne in his seruants, in his children, in his brethren, though with repre­hension, with due correction, and the lawfull execution of the end of iustice, as the case or cause shall require without foolish pitie. But how negligently this is obserued, the verie streetes of the Citie do testifie, when as ser­uants, children, and those that should knowe how to measure their words with discreti­on, be nothing fearefull to sweate and blas­pheme the holy name of God in their com­mon conferences: neither do they shame to commit sinne openly as Sodom did, and there is found no iust Lot to reproue them: but there be found too many maisters, fa­thers, and others, that with Lots wife will rather giue ayme vnto their vngodlines, and be vnwilling in hart that any correction, re­prehension or punishment at all should be giuen them, Remember Lots wife.

Another fault is found in this vnhappie woman, slouth and negligence 7 Slouth, and neg­ligence. in hir iour­ney foorth. There is none excuse can be ad­mitted against the Lords commandement, neither the stammering toong of Moses that could not speake, nor y ^e tendernes of Ieremy being but a child, nor the simplicitie of Da­uid [Page] the least among his brethren, nor the pouertie of Gedeon so meane, nor the bash­fulnes of Ionas so fearefull, nor the former life of Saul a persecutor, may iustly offer ex­cuses of delayes in their lawfull vocation. But séeme the thing neuer so hard, strange, obscure, vneasie or impossible, Note this. if the Lord once bid vs to procéede, we may not bée slacke nor negligent, nor refuse to obeye. And this is taught vs by many examples: Peter in prison is commanded to rise vp quickly, and so he did. Acts. 12. Zacheus being called from the figge tree by our Sauiour, he cō ­meth downe quickly. The children of Israel did eate the Passouer hastely as they were commanded, and Paul doth the worke of the Lord without negligence, as the Spirit moueth him. We must strike whiles the iron is hoate, and seeke the Lord whiles he may be found, for the tyde carieth for no man. We must knock in time, Isa. 55. Eccles. 3.1. and enter in before the gate be shut: for there is a time of mercie, and a time of wrath: of mercie, whiles Abraham praieth, and Lot is yet in Sodom: of wrath, when Abraham ceasseth to pray, and Lot is departed. Do not then say, when ye are called by the word of the [Page] Lord to come to him: I am but young, and too young to serue God yet: I will serue him when I am old: say not, I will first go and burie my father, I wil go & bid thē farewell at home: neither make delayes or excuses by buying Oxen, fyning farmes, marying wiues: but to day, if ye will heare the Lords voice, harden not your hearts: The Lord promiseth not to stay for you till to morrow, though he promise that at what time soeuer ye repent, he will forgiue you. Therefore delay not, he only winneth the goale that runneth swiftly, he obtaineth the victorie that striueth valiantly, he entreth into the gate, that waiteth carefully, and he is heard worthely, that craueth timely. Runne then, make haste, the day is at hand, the time is vncertaine, the enemie is strong, Sodom is sinfull, the Angels be come to destroy the vngodly, the cale is taken, the Lord is not intreated, the nomber of the godly is small, there is none to stop the Lords wrath, not one to stand vp in the gap for the Citie that can be heard, and the fire will not be [...]uen­ched, therefore it is more then time to flye hence. Heereat Lot with his two daugh­ters do runne hence with his speede, but [Page] his wife hath many heauie clogs, she is slouthfull, negligent, full of delayes, and is ouertaken with destruction.

Lastly, this vngodly Woman being by the deuill, the world, and the flesh, 8 Apostacie. so migh­tely hindered frō the good course, now there­by in the end maketh shipwrack of all toge­ther: for she doth apostate and turne backe from the Lord to Sodom. There be two kinds of returnes, 2. kinds of returne. the one good & commen­dable, the other wicked and abhominable. It is a good thing to turne vnto the Lord, and to change our selues, [...], by true Repentance, to amend & become new creatures in Christ. This is that new birth which Christ sheweth to Nicode­mus, Iohn. 3. and this bringeth mercie and forgiuenes in Christ, righteousnes, holines, and eternall glorie. But it is a dangerous thing to turne back againe, being cōparable to the dog that resumeth his vomit againe, and to the sowe being washed, to her wal­lowing againe in the mire. She went from Sodom, and séemed to procéede well for a time with her husband: but she should also haue quite forgotten her owne people, and her fathers house: she being in the féeld, [Page] should not haue turned backe to that she left in the Citie. Héere be two in one bed, the one receiued, the other forsaken. An hypo­crite An hipo­crite. giueth a shew of that which is not: so did Lots wife: but now it is apparant what she is, when with Demas she leaueth Paul, and turneth back to Sodom ward. Nothing feigned is of continuance, nor an hypocrite can long conceale the malice of his mind, Quis enim relaverit ignem? Cayne gaue a faire shew for a time, he sacrificed as Abell did, though not with Abels heart. King Saul shewed many resemblances of vertue, but wherevnto that grew, it appeared plain­ly in his disobedience. 2. King. King Ioas in the life­time of Iehoida the Priest, by whome he was instructed, procéeded with commenda­tion: but Iehoida being taken away, he plainely deciphereth himselfe, by murthe­ring the Prophet, and committing wicked­nes against God. Absalom stale away the hearts of the people: Oh that I were King (saith he) then would I do iustice? but his hypocrisie in the end appéered most publik­ly. Iezabel had her Prophets, and when Naboth should be put to death, she preten­ded holines by proclaiming a fast▪ &c. but her [Page] wickednes is bewraied and punished. So Herod pretended a desire to go and worship Christ, whē he determined to murther him: and Iudas was for the poore in open shewe, because he bare the bagge, and would de­ceiue the poore. Thus the verie Deuil him­selfe being most execrable wicked, will yet transforme himselfe into an Angell of light, till he hath brought foorth the lumpe of his lewdnes, to the dishonor of God, and hurt of men:

And so secretly doth he wrap vp his deuises, that when he hurteth most, he will pretend greatest honestie. And thus Lots wife be­wrayeth her secret folly in the end, by her bending backe. She now fully declareth what she is, by forsaking her vocation and backsliding.

Learne heere by the way, that the worke of the Lord must not only be taken in hand, but also continued: The work of the Lord must be continued in token thereof, Ioseph hath his long coate, and the verie tayles of the beasts were sacrificed with their bodies, and he that is vnworthy, and continueth not in his calling accordingly, hath this censure [Page] layd on him by the holy Ghost, Episcopatum cius accipiat alter, Acts. 2. Psal. 109. Let him be taken away, and another put in his place.

It had bin good for thée, thou Wife of Lot, to haue called to mind thine Aunt Sa­rah, Abrahams Wife, who béeing faith­full, denied not, but most willingly consen­ted to follow her husband at the commande­ment of God, from Vr of the Caldees, with a long iourney and great danger, into an vnknowne and strange land, to her great commendation, and how that God had eue­rie way prouided mercifully for her, but she forgat all, being blinded with impietie: I pray God we be not forgetfull with Lots wife.

There haue bin many good wo­men.We haue heard of many good women sithence then, that do teach vs continuance, and an obedient willingnes in our duties. What is said of Rebekah? she left her fa­thers house, and accompanied Abrahams seruant vnto Izhak her husband with great chastitie: also Leah and Rahel the wiues of Iaakob came with him from their fathers house willingly: Naomi goeth with her husband Elimelech into Moab, when foode wanted in Israel. Moreouer, Rahab of [Page] Ierico, Zipporah the wife of Moses, Anna the wife of Tobias, and Sarra his sonnes wife, Mary the mother of Christ, and many other good women, haue most worthely de­clared their faith by christian constancie: thus ought we to do: and so should Lots wife haue done: for these women before mentioned, were righteous in their liues, and be in memorie with the Saincts: but this vnhappy woman by bending backe from her husband, and so from God, is no­ted to be vnrighteous and infamous among the reprobate for euer.

Oh that we were frée from such women! and all men from their infections: but it is to be feared, that too manie in these our dayes, euen now whiles the Gospell is yet preached, and the Sonne of righteousnes giueth vs light, do refuse to follow their husbands, and them that are willing to fur­ther them, I will not say into the moun­taines, but euen into the Church where the word of God is preached. If Lots wife was punished then for that, alas what iudgements remaine for these? This I say, ta [...] héede of backsliding. Remember the iudgements of God on such hypocrites [Page] and Apostates. Remember Lots wife.