Prototypes, Example 11
THE ELVENTH EXAMPLE.
OF LOT, his VVife and Daughters.
AFter the Example of Abraham and his Family,Abrahams Contemporaries. wee come to thoſe that lived in the ſame Age with him, particular perſons and whole Cities and peoples. Among particular perſons I will begin with Lot, and then ſpeake a word of his wife and daughters.
For himſelfe,Lot. when and of what Mother he was borne, it is not recorded, but wee have notice of his Father, who was Haran the brother of Abraham, who died before his Father in the Countrey of Meſopotamia.
The death of Lot is alſo concealed in Scripture,His death is not mentioned in Scripture. ſo that we cannot acquaint you when he ended his daies, nor where.
But in his life we muſt obſerve what good is found in him and what evill, and ſecondly, what things he met withall in his life both good and bad.His vertues. He was a righteous man. 2 Pet. 2.8.
Firſt for his goodneſſe in generall, he hath the teſtimony of the Holy Ghoſt by the pen of S. Peter, that he was a righteous man. It is ſaid there, that God delivered juſt Lot, as alſo, that righteous man dwelling amongſt them vexed his righteous ſoule. This is proofe enough of his goodneſſe, and it was neceſſary for the cleering of his name, that the New Teſtament ſhould teſtifie of his righteouſneſſe, becauſe the narration of his life in the old leaves him in ſuch a caſe as would make the Reader afraid, leaſt hee had quite falne away from all goodneſſe, but Peters teſtimony is proofe enough, that the committing of that great ſinne did not take him of from the number of the righteous.
No ſinne is ſo great but repentance wipeth it ſo cleane away, that the offender is righteous and muſt be ſo eſteemed, notwithſtanding the grievouſneſſe of his crime. Now let each of us labour to get true righteouſneſſe, that though this title be not beſtowed upon him by the undeceivable pen of ſome Author of holy Writ, yet hee may heare it pronounced by our bleſſed Saviour at the laſt day, when ſtanding on the right hand he may be bleſſed with the bleſſing of the righteous. And let me be bold to turne my ſpeech unto you that have beene and are the grievouſeſt ſinners; If you lament your unrighteouſneſſe, reſt on Chriſts righteouſneſſe, and hereafter ſtudie righteouſneſſe in your lives, you ſhall enjoy the happineſſe of righteous men at laſt.
A twofold righteouſneſſe.There is a ſeeming righteouſneſſe, a meere Phariſaicall paint, when a man carries himſelfe blameleſly to men ward, at leaſt in reſpect of the groſſer acts of evill. This will ſave no man at the laſt, nor comfort him in time of temptation; there is a true and reall righteouſneſſe, which will undoubtedly ſave them which can be ſo happie as to get it, and of this true righteouſneſſe there are two ſorts, one of the Law, it ſtandeth in a perfect conformity of heart and life unto the exact rule of Gods Law,Gal. 3.21, 22. And if there had beene a Law given which could have given life, doubtleſſe righteouſneſſe ſhould have beene by the Law, but now the Scripture hath concluded all under ſinne, that the promiſe by the faith of Ieſus Chriſt may be given to them that beleeve: So now we muſt have a righteouſneſſe by promiſe, that is, by the Goſpell, for that of the Law is too high for us.
The righteouſneſſe of the Goſpell is twofold.And the righteouſneſſe of the Goſpell is twofold, one without us, performed by our bleſſed Saviour for us, as a ſurety paies the debt for the debters uſe and benefit, by which we ſtand juſt before God, and have our ſinnes pardoned and are accepted to ſalvation. When we have ſo ſeene our own miſery as to goe quite out of our ſelves and reſt alone upon Chriſt for all good things according to the promiſe. The other is within us, it is a gift beſtowed upon and wrought in us by the Spirit of God, alwaies and inſeparably joyned with the former, by which we are manifeſted to our ſelves and to others to be juſt, and it ſtandeth in a true deſire and indeavour to know and leave every ſinne forbidden by God, and to know and doe all good workes required, ſo that we ſtill continue to humble our ſelves for our failings, and to ſeeke unto God for pardon and helpe in and by Chriſt and his Spirit. This righteouſneſſe of faith which denominates him in whom it is righteous, you muſt all get, elſe you ſhall never attaine eternall life. It is a thing appointed of God in ſuch perfection of goodneſſe and wiſdome, that it cannot be found in any Hypocrite ſeeme he never ſo good, and will ſurely be found in any upright hearted man be he never ſo weake; never leave ſtriving till you have gotten it, and gotten certaine knowledge that you have it.
Doſt thou in thy heart ſee and acknowledge thy ſelfe to be a curſed ſinner, by reaſon of thy corrupt nature that is derived to thee from Adams loynes and thy wicked life, whereby thou thy ſelfe haſt actually tranſgreſſed the Law of God? Yes. Doſt thou confeſſe thy ſelfe altogether unable of thy ſelfe to ſatisfie for or deſerve pardon of any of theſe ſinnes, or to conquer and overcome them in thy ſelfe? Yes. Doſt thou acknowledge Jeſus Chriſt to be a ſufficient and perfect Saviour, ready and able to pardon thee and heale thee, and doſt thou even labour and deſire to reſt upon his merits and his Spirit for pardon of ſinne and true holineſſe? And doſt thou hereupon put on a reſolution, and proceede in an indeavour to caſt away all ſinne and to worke all righteouſneſſe, ſtill confeſſing and lamenting …hy faults and failings, and renewing thy requeſts for pardon and grace and thy purpoſes of amendment? Yes. I ſay then to that ſoule amongſt you that can truly make this anſwer to theſe queſtions, that he is a righteous man according to the language of the Goſpell, not righteous with Legall righteouſneſſe (for in that ſence never was any found ſince our firſt Parents falling from the ſtate of innocency, one alone, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt excepted, nor ever ſhall be to the laſt day, but righteous with the righteouſneſſe of the Goſpell, perfectly juſtified in the ſight of God and ſincerely ſanctified in himſelfe, yea though any ſuch amongſt you have many and ſtrong corruptions divers times ſtirring in you, and producing evill and wicked acts, yet if he perſiſt in lamenting them and renewing his repentance, as often as he findeth himſelfe an offender, yet is he a juſt man, yea if any have runne into moſt foule and groſſe ſinnes more then once, yet if he have now caſt away thoſe ſinnes, and be returned againe to his purpoſe and indeavour of godly living, he is a righteous man and ſhall be ſaved as was Lot. So much for Lots goodneſſe in generall.
Now I will ſpeake of thoſe particular good deeds which hee is commended for in Scripture. Firſt,Lots particular vertues. 1. He left his owne Countrey and Fathers houſe. he left his owne Countrey and Fathers houſe with his Grand-father Terah and his Unkle Abraham, this was a good deed and commendable. Indeed if hee were then a meere young man, not yet living as the Maſter of a family of himſelfe, but under the roofe of his Father, then the commendation is not great, for he might be then driven to it by the authority of his Grand-father, rather then be lead by any faith in himſelfe. But I ſuppoſe, he was then of age to make his owne choice of habitation, and might if it ſeemed good unto him, have ſtayed in Aram Naharaim as well as his Unkle Nahor did the Father of Rebekah, for in the yeere of the World 2079, Abraham left his Countrey, and in the yeere 2009 or thereabouts, Sodome was conſumed. So betwixt the comming out of Meſopotamia and the conflagration of Sodome were but about thirty yeares, but Lot had at that time two marriageable daughters, therefore it is likely that himſelfe was of a fit age at the time of his going out of the Countrey, to chooſe whether he would have gone or ſtaied. Well, Lot left his Countrey, and ſo ſhewed himſelfe a Pilgrim and ſtranger on earth together with Abraham, for though he inherited not Canaan, yet becauſe he left the falſe gods which were ſerved by his kindred in Meſopotamia, to ſerve the true God which Abraham went to ſerve, it prooveth, that hee had faith in that God and was accepted to life.
You muſt all learne to be ready to forſake falſe gods and cleave to the true, if ever you deſire to inherit ſalvation. Now the falſe gods that we are in danger to ſerve, are the World, and the things of the World, and our ſelves, Pleaſure, profit, credit, eaſe, and the like, theſe be your Idols, theſe be the things that men in our times and Countries doe erect as it were ſtumbling blocks unto themſelves, the belly, the backe, the purſe, the profits and contents of this world, theſe we ſeeke for more then for Gods favour, theſe wee long for more then grace, to get or keepe theſe we leave the waies of God, we give our affections and thoughts more to theſe then unto God, and will not obey his bleſſed Commandements farther then theſe wicked Idols will give us leave. Now you can no more ſerve God and Mammon and the belly, then you can ſerve God and Dagon or Aſhtaroth, or God by Iupiter and Iuno. The Lord hath imployed mee now thirty yeares or thereabouts, to call you from following theſe unhappy Idols, at length rid your hands of them and doe the ſame thing in effect, that Lot did when hee left his Countrey and came into the land of promiſe with Abraham.
2. Hee was troubled at the evill converſation of the Sodomites. 2 Pet. 2.8.But another good deed of Lots we reade of, and that is, he vexed his righteous ſoule from day to day with the uncleane converſation of the Sodomites, and it is ſaid, he was labouring againſt, for ſo much the word in proper ſignification of it doth expreſſe. He was burdened with it, and even laboured under it as under a burden, hee was alſo upon the rack with it. He grieved ſo for it, that hee would faine have amended it, and not finding that poſſible it was a torture unto him to ſee it growing more and more. This is a good thing to grieve at the common faults and ſinnes, I beheld the tranſgreſſour and was grieved, Pſal. 119.136.Pſal. 119.158. and in another place, Rivers of teares guſh out of mine eyes, becauſe men keepe not thy Law. If wee hate ſinne, if wee love the glory of God, or the ſoules of men, we muſt needs be grieved to ſee that done which our ſelves hate, and which tendeth to Gods diſhonour and the damnation of men. If we grieve for ſin we ſhall be preſerved from the contagion of it, and keepe our ſelves unſpotted in the common pollution: but if wee have not ſo much grace as to bewaile it, we ſhall quickly ſhew our ſelves ſo weake as to fall to the imitating it at leaſt in ſome degrees. Yea the Prophet Ezekiel noteth, that the mourners were marked out for deliverance, as Noah was in the deſtruction of Sodome and Gomorrha.
Now come let mee enquire of you my Brethren. Doe you take the ſinnes of others heavily? doe they pierce your hearts with ſorrow? Are they burdens to you? Ah, how many doe rather rejoyce, in ſeeing other mens evills in ſecret, and joyne with them in the ſame exceſſe of riot, are glad to ſee and heare lewdneſſe from others,So in drunkenneſſe. and to joyne with them it. What are theſe? how farre from deſerving to be called righteous? But even of thoſe that be righteous (as wee hope there are ſome) ſo farre inferiour are they to Lot in goodneſſe, though having farre better meanes then any Sodome affoorded, they ought alſo to be better perſons, that few teares ſerve them, and little ſorrow is found in them for the common ſinnes. The common oathes, curſing, Sabbath-breaking which are every where rife, doe not grieve them at all. One little trifling loſſe or croſſe hath made them more take on with ſorrow, then all the diſorders of the Land. It is but weake goodneſſe that is not ſenſible of the contrary both in it ſelfe and others too, and it is but little ſenſible of it that is but little grieved for it.
If you ſay, our land is not like Sodome that wee ſhould live in it ſo as Lot did there.
I anſwer, God be thanked in ſome things it is not, and in publike the faults breake not out that there were done openly, but many of the ſonnes of Sodome are bare-fac'd amongſt us, and wee looke upon them without remorſe. You muſt be ſorry that you have not beene more ſorry for the publike iniquity. Surely if a ſcourge come it ſhall take you away with the reſt, becauſe you have not ſhewed your zeale of Gods glory and deteſtation of ſinne in the rebellions of the reſt.
And now ſet you to it, ſet you to it, it is ſaid, that Lot did put his ſoule upon the racke, he was an actor in this ſorrow, he put himſelfe upon it. I ſay he was even willing to exerciſe himſelfe in grieving for their naughtineſſe, and he ſtrove to make his ſorrow piercing. O you muſt labour to doe this as well as any other good worke, to chafe and grudge and be furious againſt ſuch a ſinner and ſuch a ſinner, to jeſt, ſcoffe, and gird, or raile, and bitterly inveigh againſt ſuch and ſuch ſinnes, be ſuch ſtraines and flaſhes of wit and anger, as may be found in men of no true holineſſe, but to get alone and even ſell over himſelfe to ſighing, mourning, and lamentation for the common ſinnes that are every where runne into, this can hardly be aſcribed to any thing but true piety, if the ſinnes be ſuch as doe not in any particular reſpect touch a mans ſelfe in way of wrong and injury. Indeed to grieve for ſuch ſinnes of others, may ſeeme in ſome reſpect as a more difficult thing, ſo a more ſure ſigne of truth then to grieve for ones owne ſinnes, you ſhall ſee men driven to teares for their owne offences in reſpect of ſhame or loſſe, and ſometimes terrour of heart, but grieving for the common ſinnes can hardly proceed from any thing but charity to them as they be men, and hatred againſt ſinne as it is ſinne. If a meere friend of our owne have offended, wee are ſo tender of his reproach, becauſe it is ſomewhat linked with our owne, that many men can blubber for it exceedingly. O let us love the Common-wealth ſo well and the ſtate of mankinde, as to yeeld ſome of our ſorrow to quicken us in prayer againſt their ſinnes.
3. Hee was hoſpitall.And now a third good deed of Lots is, hee was hoſpitall in that unhoſpitall Citie, you know hee entertained the Angels. Herein he did follow the ſteps of his Unkle Abraham, it is a good thing when a man carries the vertues which hee hath ſeene amongſt his friends as it were home with him, or about him whetherſoever hee goes, and becomes a practitioner of them in all places. Of Lots hoſpitality you may reade, Gen. 19.2, 3. he intreated the Angels whom he tooke for men to lodge in his houſe, and gave them the beſt entertainement he could, yea and hazarded himſelfe to defend them from the inſolent attempt of the brutiſh Sodomites. This is a worke worthie to be imitated to be given to hoſpitality, forget not to entertaine ſtrangers, Heb. 13.2. 1 Pet. 4.9.uſe hoſpitality one to another without grudging. Gajus hath this commendation, that he was the Hoſt of the Church, Rom. 16.23. and a Miniſter is expreſſely commanded to be hoſpitall. This is a rich mans duty, I meane his that hath ſome indifferent proportion of wealth, he that hath but one bed or roome muſt lie abroad himſelfe, or ſit up all night if he lodge ſtrangers. But of thoſe that have to ſpare, the Lord requireth a free communicating of what they have to others. May not wee be ſtrangers? may not our children and neere friends be ſtrangers? will not our hearts tell us? that it would bee a very ill part in them that ſhould in ſuch caſe neglect us.
But I am to commend unto you a kinde of hoſpitality ſomewhat of another nature, a ſtranger of any faſhion by meanes of Innes, which it ſeemes that age did not know, is able to be hoſpitall to himſelfe with his money, even to buy all things needfull: but alas you have poore neighbours and kinſmen in the ſame Towne, or neere hand inhabiting, O invite them to your houſes, make them cheerefull with a good meale now and then, that have little provided at home. This Hoſpitality hath beene formerly much practiſed at this ſeaſon of the yeare,Chriſtmas. and certainely it is a fit ſeaſon to practiſe it. If wee would ſhew our ſelves glad for our Lords comming into the world, let us refreſh his poore members that they may rejoyce with us. Some men be not rich enough to invite many of their wealthie neighbours, but many be of ſo much ability that they may well invite thoſe of lower ranke, to whom their owne ordinary proviſion will be better then a banquet to ſome wealthier perſons. Let Lots example commend unto you this hoſpitality.
Another good deed we have of Lot, He went out, and earneſtly,4. He intreated the Sodomites to deſiſt from their villany. yet lovingly and gently intreated the Sodomites to deſiſt from their villany, My Brethren I pray doe not ſo wickedly, and againe, to theſe men doe nothing, for therefore came they under my roofe, Gen. 19.7, 8. He would faine have ſtopped theſe miſcreants from their abominable attempt; If we ſee men ruſhing into ſinfull courſes wee ſhall doe a good office of charity if with all good termes and gentle language we diſſwade them from wickedneſſe. If wee muſt reproove after a ſinne, ſure wee muſt diſſwade aforehand: Eli diſſwaded his ſonnes from perſiſting in evill, Abigail diſſwaded David from murder; what ſinne wee hinder not to our beſt power, that we cauſe to be written in our owne ſcore, and inwrap our ſelves within the guilt of it. Who would not intreate his neighbour hard not to drinke a cup of poyſon? If therefore any man have done the contrary, inſtigated others to ſinne, and egged them forward rather then held them back, ſurely his offence is great, he hath beene not alone a helper but a father of the fault, and unleſſe hee repent muſt anſwer for it as much as the principall. But though you have not forgotten your duty in ſo high a degree as to moove others to evill, yet if you have ſo much neglected your duty as to forbeare to diſſwade and hinder them, either out of careleſneſſe or feare, you are to be humbled for it, as an effect of want of love and zeale. And now I pray you doe this good office often, if you ſee a man going about an evill thing, take up Lots words and ſay, I pray you Brethren doe not ſo wickedly, intreate him to forbeare the doing of the like for the future. A loving intreaty will ſometimes proove of great efficacy. Had they beene any but Sodomites, Lot ſhould not have beene ſo churliſhly rejected.
If you ſay, I ſhall but looſe my labour.
I anſwer, Firſt, what if you doe? you have loſt many worſe labours. Secondly, I ſay who can tell? why will you thinke ſo hardly of your Brother?
Why I have tried already?
I anſwer, God may give better ſucceſſe now. Againe I anſwer, though he hearken not, you ſhall not looſe your labour, for you ſhall ſhew love and obey Gods commandement and receive a reward from him.
Yet another good deed of Lots was that he fought to deliver his ſonnes in Law, and perſwaded them to get them out of Sodome too.5. He ſought to deliver his ſons in law. We ſhould labour not alone to get out of Sodome our ſelves, but to helpe others out alſo, whether it be out of the ſinnes or out of the puniſhment of Sodome. We ſhould deteſt that ſelviſh humour which prevaileth with many, if themſelves eſcape danger, they care not what becomes of others. O ſelfe-love is a fruit of brutiſhneſſe, charity of a right underſtanding. Live not like beaſts, if they ſee perill approaching, they runne away for their owne ſafe-guard and never conſider of the reſt: let us ſtrive to draw as many as we can out of ſin and miſery.
6. For a good while he kept cloſe to his Unkle Abraham.The laſt good thing I will note, though it ſhould have beene brought in before as being done before, was this, for a good while together hee kept cloſe to his Unkle, went with him into Egypt, came with him out of Egypt and dwelt neere him, I meane in Canaan. It is a good thing to love the company of good men, and delight to dwell with or neere them, and happier had it beene for Lot if hee had not ſuffered himſelfe to be divided from his Unkle. Let men learne to count it a great happineſſe to dwell neere to good neighbours, and let them take heede that a little thing doe not ſeparate them from ſuch. And ſo much for Lots goodneſſe.
His faults. 1. He choſe to dwell in a fertile place among ſinfull men.Now his badneſſe. And I will begin there where he began, firſt to ſhew it. He choſe rather to dwell in a rich fertile place amongſt vile ſinfull men then with ſome earthly inconveniencies with a godly and faithfull man, ſo ſhewing too great a love to riches, and too ſmall a love to goodneſſe. I beſeech you if any of you be ſo minded that you will take notice of it as a fault. To be ſo much ingaged to earthly things, that for the more eaſie obtaining of a large quantity thereof, a man can be content to pitch his Tents in Sodome and to dwell there, is too great a proofe of a worldly minded man. It was the beginning of Lots ruine. In choice of your habitation looke chiefely to the good of the ſoule. If you doe not, be aſſured that ſome way or other God will croſſe you as he did Lot. We ſhall leſſe beare out thoſe faults with impunity for which the godly in Scripture have ſmarted before us, becauſe men did not receive warning by the dealing of God with them. The brother is whipt more ſeverely that ſeeing another brother corrected before him was bold yet to ruſh into the ſame fault. Doe not commit the fault that coſt Lot ſo deare a price. Leave not a good place for the ſoule to get a great benefit for the body; let not the world ſway you, neither wholy nor chiefely in chooſing the place of your habitation. Lot ſhould have ſaid, Unkle, ſo much content and good doe I receive from your good ſelfe unto my ſoule, that I will make an hard ſhift afore I will leave you, yea I will rather abridge my cattell then looſe your company, or at leaſt, I will be content to take a place neere you though it be not ſo fat and fruitfull as ſome other places: Doe you, as your owne underſtanding (now that you ſee the whole carriage of things) will teach you, that Lot ought to have done. And ſo much for this fault.
2. He continued to dwell in Sodome among great ſinners.Now againe, worldlineſſe continued to grow ſtronger in Lot, for hee continued to dwell in Sodome, even though they were exceeding great ſinners. It was well done that he grieved for their ſinnes, it would have beene better done if he had forſaken the City. Hee might have departed of his owne accord with farre leſſe loſſe, then God forc't him out at length. Sure it is a fault, if a man can poſſibly remove, to make his conſtant aboad in an extreame wicked place, where heinous and foule ſinnes are uſually and impudently committed, for if a mans ſelfe eſcape the infection, yet it is too too probable that his children ſhall be defiled, and catch the ſinnes of the places as the daughters of Lot and moſt of his ſervants did, for had they beene righteous they ſhould have eſcaped with him. And moſt times if any man that hath any the leaſt goodneſſe, doe ſuffer himſelfe to be ſo neighboured, it is a fruit of ſome carnall paſſion or other, in favour of which he hardens himſelfe to endure ſuch a miſerable thing, as the continuall hearing and beholding of great wickedneſſe. Let us take heed no ſuch thing in inveigle us to pitch out Tents in any Sodome.
But againe, Lot I think, offended in going about to match his daughters with any of the wicked generation of the Sodomites. What could he finde none other in all the world to give his children for wives but to two wicked men in that wicked City? Would he be content to have his children, his childrens childrens children, and all his poſterity to live in that little hell, and to be indangered unto the like abhominations? Surely the love of the world prevailed here with him more then it ought to have. It is a fault too common with us, many a Father is regardleſſe how bad the place and family be into which he matcheth his daughter, ſo the ſtate be good. Be the Towne as bad as Sodome, and the perſon as prophane as theſe men, yet a good living will make them to plant their children in ſuch a garden, as it were, or wilderneſſe rather. I cannot conceive but that this is a proofe of mans too high eſteeming of outward things, and I beſeech you Fathers learne of Lot, provide better for the placing of your children.
Another fault of Lots is,3. He offered his two daughters to the Sodomites. that he did offer his two daughters to the Sodomites, ſaying. Doe to them what ſeemeth good in your eyes. Out of a deſire to ſave his gueſts from villany he proſtitutes thoſe that ſhould have beene dearer to him then any gueſts: and ſo would redeeme the ſtrangers from wrong with the hazard of his childrens chaſtity. He is to be ſomewhat excuſed by the preſent occaſion, in that hurrie and diſtemper he had not leaſure to conſider well of the thing he did, but through haſt was puſhed forward to doe ſo great an hurt unto the two maides. Hee doth evill here that good may come of it, a thing that S. Paul would never allow, for he ſaith concerning it, God forbid. The doing of evill is ſimply ſinfull,Rom. 6.2. the ſuffering of evill not ſo, wherefore a man ſhould reſolve rather to be a patient in the greateſt evill then an agent in the farre leſſer. In doing any evill a man doth diſobey God and tranſgreſſeth his Law, in ſuffering it he doth alone receive miſery to himſelfe: now the greateſt miſery is not ſo great an evill as the leaſt ſinne. It behooveth us to take heed that our carnall reaſon doe never ſo over-ſway us, no not on the ſuddaine, that wee ſhould conſent to act any evill for the procuring of any good. And if wee have done otherwiſe, wee are to impute it to our ſelves as a great weakeneſſe,4. He lingred in Sodome till the Angels tooke him by the hand. and ſo to confeſſe it and humble our ſelves for it before God.
Againe, Lot lingred in Sodome till the Angels tooke him by the hand and in a kind of gratious violence ſet him in ſafety againſt his will. Willing hee was to eſcape the deſtruction which was now falling upon Sodome, but loath he was to ſave his life at ſo deare a rate as the looſing of all his ſubſtance. It is a ſinne to cleave ſo faſt in affection to goods, as not to be willing with the loſſe of all to ſave out lives. He loves riches too well that will caſt his life upon great danger for the ſaving of them, and not gladly leave them all to free his life from perdition. Satan could ſay, Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will hee give for the redemption of his life. Job 2.4.If wee have at any time found our heart ſo glewed to wealth, that we have beene lingring about it, to the manifeſt indangering of our lives, much more our ſoules, we ſhould even heartily condemne our ſelves for too great lovers of riches.
Another ſinne in Lot, was, that he was too timerous and durſt not commit himſelfe to the Mountaines (whither yet he was faine at length to flie) for feare leaſt ſome or other miſchiefe might befall him there, and therefore was he ſo over-importunate for the ſparing of that City, becauſe it was little, might he not as well have truſted the Angels direction as his owne conceits, and ſought and expected ſafety in the Mountaines, when they commanded him to eſcape thither. Doubtleſſe, it is a fault not to truſt God with our welfare, but to caſt in our heads, what evill may befall us there where he doth ſend us for ſafety. Let us not yeeld to our owne fancies, nor frame perill to make us diſcontent with that eſtate to which God doth call us, for we ſhall finde at length, that our owne hopes will deceive us, and we ſhall be never the farther of from danger, becauſe we followed our owne heads. Let mee goe to Zoar (ſaith he) and my ſoule ſhall live, but after, he found that his ſoule could not live with comfort there. Live where God would have us live, and looke for his protection there where it ſhall pleaſe him to appoint us to live.
6. Hee was twice drunken.Now I come to his two laſt offences, he ſuffered himſelfe to be made drunken by his daughters two ſeverall times, one ſhortly after another. You ſee how a good man may be overtaken with grievous ſinnes, and drawne by thoſe whom he loveth and truſteth to grievous abhominations. O let us feare our ſelves and pittie others, and take heed wee ſuffer not our neereſt friends to be a ſnare unto us. Eſpecially beware of drunkenneſſe, it is not alone a great offence it ſelfe, but laies us open to all other crimes. Make a man drunken, and he will eaſily be drawne to defloure his owne daughter. Keepe your ſelves from exceſſive drinking of wine or ſtrong drink. It is raging, it is mocking, it will change you into very beaſts, and make you runne into ſuch crimes, as your ſoules at other times would even loath to thinke of. Labour to be temperate, or elſe you do hardly be chaſte and modeſt. Deprive not your ſelves of reaſon by pleaſing your palate, expoſe not your ſelves to the danger of the fouleſt of all ſinnes, by ſo baſe a pleaſure as ſatisfying the taſt with the reliſh of this liquor. And all you Governours and Magiſtrates, ſet your ſelves with all diligent ſeverity to prevent and beate downe drunkenneſſe; if this offence abound, all other evills will abound with it.
Now wee come to Lots benefits. Firſt,His benefits. 1. God gave him repentance. God drew him out of his ſinnes and gave him repentance, elſe S. Peters words had not beene true, that called him a juſt man. O how great a mercy of God is this? not to call us from the ſtate of corruption at firſt, but when wee have almoſt departed backe againe to folly, to recall us from our grievous ſinnes, and heale our wounded ſoules, by cauſing us to repent unfainedly. Preſume not on this mercy, but if you have found it, praiſe God moſt earneſtly for it, and let not the greatneſſe of ſinne diſcourage you from returning unto God againe, for ſuch is his grace, that he will readily receive you after ſuch wandrings.
Againe, you ſee that God gave him riches great ſtore, the Lord can give the ſame to other of his people with as plentifull a hand, but if hee doe not, you ſee in Lot what cauſe there is not to murmure; for riches did undoe Lot almoſt, and therefore was God faine to take them all againe, becauſe hee could not ſo uſe them as not to ſet his heart too much upon them. If God hath beene pleaſed to grant you theſe things, let Lots example make you carefull to keepe your hearts from being too much inamoured of them.
Further,2. He and his were delivered out of the burning of Sodome. Lot obtained a gracious deliverance for himſelfe and his wife and his daughters out of the burning of Sodome, hee lamented their ſinnes and eſcapeth the puniſhment. Learne the beſt way to ſave your ſelves from common ſtroakes, even by bewailing the common ſinnes, and prooving your ſelves to be righteous perſons. Yea, God yeelded much to Lots weakeneſſe in granting him leave to goe to Zoar, and ſaving that City alſo for his ſake. Surely God is as ready alſo now to paſſe by weakeneſſes, and will much more willingly grant the better digeſted petitions of his ſervants.
Now Lots miſery,His afflictions were foure. firſt hee was taken Captive and loſt all his goods. Secondly, hee loſt his goods againe in Sodome. Thirdly, his Wife. Laſtly, hee was plagued with wicked children, that drew him to grievous offences. Prepare to looſe all you have, eſpecially if you finde your ſoules over-earneſtly addicted to them, and cauſe not God to pull them out of your hands by ſetting your hearts upon them. Prepare your hearts to looſe your yoake-fellowes by ſome ſtrange and unexpected accidents. Prepare to have your children naught and wicked, and take heed that your owne folly in chooſing for wealths ſake an evill place of habitation be not an inſtrument of making them ſuch, yea learne to be thankfull that God hath yet ſaved you from ſuch miſeries, and make your ſmaller croſſes ſeeme lighter to you then elſe they would, by comparing them with theſe ſo heavie and burdenſome croſſes.
Now what became of Lot after all this, the Scripture doth not ſpeake, and therefore here wee leave and will ſpeake two words of his Wife alſo: firſt, the benefits ſhee received. Secondly, the ſinne ſhee committed. Thirdly, the puniſhment that fell upon her.
Lots wife. Her benefits. 1. Delivered from Captivity.The benefits ſhee received were two, firſt ſhee was redeemed from the Captivity of the Kings that had taken her ſelfe, Husband, Daughter and whole Family priſoners in the Conqueſt of Sodome, where they dwelt at that time, and upon their deliveance neither ſhee nor her husband had the grace to conſider of it, and to remoove from Sodome and dwell againe in ſome better place neerer Abraham. 2. Delivered out of the burning of SodomeSecondly, ſhee was delivered out of the burning of Sodome together with her Husband and Daughters, ſaving that ſhee made the benefit unprofitable to her ſelfe by her ſinning.
Her ſin, ſhee looked back to Sodome.And her ſinne though it ſeemed little in reſpect, yet indeed was very great. The matter was ſmall, the tranſgreſſion was great, as in great poyſon, fullneſſe may be found in a ſmall quantity of liquor, even in a drop or leſſe then a drop. Shee was forbidden by the Angell that ſent her forth to looke backe to Sodome and yet expreſſely againſt that charge ſhee did looke backe, the cauſe of that prohibition may ſeeme to have beene this, the Lord knowing her too eager affection to the goods ſhee left behinde her, would have her now caſt off that inordinate paſſion, and accepting the goodneſſe of God in giving her her life for a prey, not ſo much as to turne and looke towards Sodome, but truſt God for goods who had now vouchſafed them life, but ſhee belike thinking (as many of us would have thought) as good die as be ſent away a beggar and deſtitute of all things, could not keepe her heart conſtant in taking notice of the great benefit of eſcaping the fire, but out of griefe to leave houſe and all after her, turned backe to ſalute them once againe with her eye. This ſinne was compounded of diſobedience to God ſpeaking in the Angell, and diſ-eſteeme of the preſent mercy and over-grieving the loſſe of her wealth.
Take heed you give not your ſelves leave to commit a thing expreſſely forbidden, for uſually much naughtineſſe concurreth to produce ſuch an act, ſo the Lord that ſearcheth the heart accounteth that great, which your blindneſſe maketh you to eſteeme nothing, and ſo to puniſh it many times with ſome heavie puniſhment. As it befell this woman,Her puniſhment. her puniſhment was to be turned into a Pillar of ſalt. The Lord inſtantly ſmote her with death, and taking her ſoule from her body changed the body into a pillar, which whether it be called a pillar of ſalt, becauſe it was of that matter, or becauſe of the everlaſting continuance of it, as an everlaſting Covenant is called a covenant of ſalt, I cannot determine. The latter ſeemeth to mee the more probable, howſoever ſhee is ſet forth to us for an example, by which wee may informe our ſelves thus much, that when God hath chaſtened us and by our chaſtiſements taken pittie upon us and granted us deliverances, and yet wee profit ſo little by both as to continue faulty in the ſame faults, wee ſhall then finde his hand more heavie upon us by ſome exemplary blow, as it is noted by David, that though the Lord brought the people out of Egypt, yet hee did after deſtroy them in the wilderneſſe that did not beleeve. Let us feare leaſt the Lord ſet us up alſo as Monuments of his juſt ſeverity when hee findes us not reformed by former goodneſſe and gentleneſſe. (*⁎*)