'£he fourth S E R M 0 N • The Lake of Sodome, • andLots_Wives PiUar. Theone,thepunifu,mento~ ref 0• lute Jirme; the other, of famt vertue. For, theSodomztes are an example of Impe– nitent wilful! Sinners : and Lots Wife of imperfeverant and relapfing righteous perfons. Both thefe are inic; but CHRIS1-,ofb6tbthefe,takeththelatteronely. For twd [orts of nien there are, for which thefe t\vo Items are to be fitted : I To thofe i~ fiate of Sin that arewrong;theLake of Sodoihe : • To thofe.in ftate ofGrace,thar are Deui.J'·l•· well (iffo tl1eycan keepe them) Lots wives Pillar. To the firft in fiateof Sin, Mojis propoundeth the Vine ofSodome andgrapes of Gomorra,qH£ contac1a cinerefczmt, that ler.s. if yee but touch them,rurne toafoes. To the other infiate ofgrace, CH R I s There •· Lots wives Pillar. To the one, Ieremie crieth, ~icecidit, adjiciat t<t rejiergat. To the ~ Co•. ' 08,.. other, Sai• Parel : J!.!!j flat, vidtat necadat. Agar,~hat is departed from t.Abrahams en.••·• · houfe,with her face toward Egypt,theAngel!calleth to returne,and not to perfevere: Gcn.•9·'7· Ltts Wife, that is gone out of Sodome, and in the right way toZoar, the Angellwil– leth to perfevcre and not to rerurne. So that, to them this Memento is by CHRIIr diw2ed, that being departed from the errours of J?r, are gone out from theSinnes of Sodome,are entredinto the profellion ofthe truth,or into the courfe o,faverruous life. So that if we lay it to our [elves, welhalllay it aright; that L'ots Wife beeour examplc,and that \Ve [prinkle ourfelves with the fait ofher Pillar,nept~tefcamm,thac we rurne not againe to folly;or fall away from our owne fiedfaftne!fe. And, ifirbee meant to us, needfull it is, that we receive it. A point (no doubt) of important conft. deration and necellirie, as well for Religion, to cal on ; as for our :2'(gt11reto heare of. Firfi, for Religion : her &lory it is, no ldfe, to be able to lhewAntiq11os Difcipu. [ps, old Profeffours, as MIMjtm was, than daiiy to convert and make newProfelytll. Mmh..... s. And therefore, with CH R 1 s r, weemufinoteverbedcalingwirhreniteadme; lolu> •S+ but fomerimes too, with Manete in mt_; Th~thath hispl_ace: Not everwithjlimuli, goades to mClte men to; but, orher-whrt,, With C/avz,nades to faften them in. For, as :l'(gturebath thought requifite as well·the Bre{ls to bringup,as theWombe to brin• forth : And Philofophy holdeth tueri of no leffe regard thanqu,erere: And with rh~ Lawyers, habendutnis not the only thing,but Tenendum aeedfull too: And rhe Phyflti– a» as car~full of the regiment, and fearefull ofthe recidivation, as of thed!feajeaod cur~: SoDivinitie is refpecrive roboths borh;tolay the ground-worke furely Necor– ruat,rhat it lh.rke nor with E(ay's Niji credideritu;and,to roofe it carefully,7X.! ptrplt~. !t!·n·•.!·••· at, that it raine not thorowandrottheprincipals,withPallls,Siperman(eru,alioqt~in .excideru & tu. Needfull then for Religion, to call on thisvertue: and, as for Religion, to call on ; fo, for our Nature to be called on : Wherein,as there is tme!lum quid, a tender part not able to endure che croffe, forwhi~hweneedtheverrue of Patie'!ce : s~ IS there alfo d..J_,.,eJ, 7l, aflitting ht~mollr, not able to endure the tedioufnelle of any thing long; for which we no leffe need the verrue of. Perfewrance. ThePropbrt (in Pfal.78.sr· the78. Pfal,m)faith,our Nature is as aBow, which when it isbet\t to his full,except it be followed hard,rill it befureand fall:, fiarrs backe againe, and is as far offas ever it was.The Apojlle_compareth it toflefh (as it is) which wil!Jine[alept~tefcere,and ifit be not cornu{,ofit fclfe bring forth cmuption. And to he!pe this our evil! inclination ~odi,'6· !· 8 forward,there be-in all Ages dangerousexamples,to draw us on.The Ifraelites,afrcr - utn ·' ~;.4: th~y had paffed the red Sea and all the perils of the defart, and were now comeev~n to the·borders of Canaan, even there fay, Bene mbis erat in JEgypto, we were better m :!Egypt: Let tu make a CAptaine and retutnt thithtr. TheRomans (inthe1(ftv) at the fidl, fo glorious Profeffours, that Sr. Patll[aith,Ailthe worldJfafieof tluirfaitk: Rom r.s:. Afrer, when trouble awfe, and Saint Pa11l was calledcoram, of the fame Romans hee ~ Tim.4.16• faith, Nemomihi ddft~it,fedomnes de(emmmt, None frond by rrte, All 01r0nke away• .f>nd inrhefe dangerous dayesof ours, The falling away quire of divers, and fo~e Matth.ar.. 11 : fuch,as have faid ofthemfelves (withP_et_er) Et(I om11es, no~ ego; and others havefatd ban.•-!•· of them, Etjiom~es, nonzlle: The dechnmgo(others, whtch(asDame/s Image) de· ·· · ·· ooyby degrces;from ahr•doffine Goldfall toajilvrr brq1,and from thence to loyn:f
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