532 / 652
522
A
REFORMATION
SERMON.
before, yet sinners
of
various
kinds were
much more nu-
merous, more public
and
more shameless.
The
streets
rung
with
oaths and blasphemy
;
the taverns
were nightly
witnesses
of
lust and
drunkenness;
open houses
of abo-
mination
were
maintained
with
many inhabitants,
and
the
fields
were
polluted
with lewdness
in
the
very face
of
heaven,
in the sight
of
the sun
or
stars.
But
those who
have been engaged
in cleansing this
sink
of
sin,
and
driving
impudent
crimes into
dark corners,
those
who
have fought against the
powers
of
darkness
with
so
great
success,
can enlarge
on this reflection plentifully.
You
may most
effectually
convince yourselves,
that
crimes
will
grow
numerous
and shameless
again,
if
you
forbear
the
prosecution.
III.
Consider
that
sinners
are provoked
and irritated
by war proclaimed
against
them
;
their
rage
is
double,
and they
will
use
their utmost
efforts to revenge
by
aug-
menting their
forces
and
their
crimes
;
poor
revenge,
that
rebounds against
themselves with fiercer violence,
and shoots the sting
deeper
into their
own
hearts
;
that
treasures
up
more
wrath
for
their
own souls,
and
bigger
measures
of damnation
!
Praised
be
the Lord,
that
this
their
rage
is
impotent,
while
the
men
of
reformation
maintain
the war
;
"
Though the
wicked
join
hand
in
hand, yet
they
are not unpunished
;"
Prov.
xi.
21.
But
you have
awakened their
malice,
so
that
you
may
expect
abounding
villanies,
if
you cease
to resist
them.
Some foolish men
indeed
have
unjustly made this 'your
reproach,
and
cry out,
"
It
is
you have
provoked
them
to break
out
into unknown and uncommon
wickedness,
by
shutting up
all
the avenues
of
common sins." But
this
is
a charge very hard
to be proved
;`
for
it
is
possible
that
the
same wickedness
was
practised
before,
though
discovered
but
of, late
by
your industry and
courage.
The
rising sun must
not
be
charged
with
the
scenes
of
blood and murder,
which
it
only
reveals.
Besides,
were
such
sins seldom
committed before,
yet it
does
by
no
means
follow
that
reformation
is
the cause
of
them
now
:
I
believe
there
were no
reformers'in
Sodom; or
if
there
.were,
surely
Lot
must
be
one
:
Now
Lot
through
the
prevalence
of
fear
was
once tempted to expose
his
daugh-
ters
and permit
a
common
sin,
but
this did
not restrain
the
people
from
their
mad
pursuit
of
unnatural
violence.