A SERMON ON LUKE XVII. 32. 371
and the wife lingered behind her husband ; for it is said, ' His wife looked back from behind him,' as inclining still to stay. Now when God would try their obedience, they were to despise their substance and fair dwelling they had left behind, and to show no signs of re- pentance that they were to come out ; but she looked back. And so shall we, if we be not fully loosened from the world, and our hearts cleave to any earthly thing. Affectation of worldly things draweth us from ready obedience unto God. Till we be thoroughly resolved, we are in danger. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, despised the riches, and pleasures, and treasures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 24-26 ; and so must all that would be safe ; not only leave these things at God"s call, but ' count them dung and dross,' Phil. iii. 8; reject them with detestation and abhorrency, so far as they are a temptation, if they would not come into the snare again.
[4.] There was ingratitude for her deliverance from that dreadful and terrible burning which God was bringing upon the place of her abode. When God meant to destroy Sodom, yet Lot found such favour tor himself and his family that, in the utter waste and desolation of four whole cities, he was only exempted, and the fifth city, which was Zoar, preserved for his sake. It is said, ' The Lord was merciful to him,' Gen. xix. 16. He could not pretend to it out of any merit ; and might have smarted ; for his choice showed weakness in not resting on God's word : ver. 19, ' I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.' Only this God required at his hands, that he and his family should make haste and begone. Now, to disobey God in so small a matter was in her great ingratitude. The sins of none are so grievous to God as of those that have received much mercy from him : Ezra ix. 13, 14, ' After such a deliverance as this, should we again break thy commandments ? ' To commit sin after mercy maketh it more provoking ; when the angels of God shall come in an errand from heaven. Nay, the Son of God was amongst them ; for one of the angels is called Jehovah, ver. 24 ; the Lord Christ was one of them. Oh ! think what it is to despise the mercy of Christ, who came from heaven to deliver us ; and shall it be slighted ?
2. Of her judgment. She was turned into a pillar of salt. The judgment was sudden, strange, shameful ; suitable to the punishment which lighted on the Sodomites.
[1.] It was sudden. Sometimes God is quick and severe upon sinners, surprising them in the very act of their sin ; as Lot's wife was presently turned into a pillar of salt. So Zimri and Cosbi unladed their lives and their lusts together, Num. xxv. 8 ; and Herod was smitten in the very act of his pride : Acts xii. 23, ' Immediately the angel of the Lord smote him ; ' Dan. iv. 33, ' The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar;' Dan. v. 30, 'In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.' Thus many times judg- ment overtaketh the wicked in the very instant of their sin ; and God will give the sinner no time. Therefore we should not tempt and pre- sume upon his patience. If you make bold to sin still, because you have done so long, and yet go unpunished for it, God may break in upon you in an hour that you think not of. The fly that playeth long with the flame yet is burnt at last. Lot's wife had warning to go out of
372 A SERMON ON LUKE XVII. 32.
Sodom over night, but she made no reckoning of that. She was com- manded in the morning, not only to go, but to make haste ; yet she cared not for that. When her husband and she prolonged the time, yet they were not punished for that ; and when they took liking of another place than the angel appointed (the angel saith the mountain, they Zoar), she is not punished for that. But when she would tempt God, and provoke him further, and look back, then Grod turned her into a pillar of salt. Surely it is the greatest mercy to have grace to repent ; but it is also a mercy to have space to repent : Rev. ii. 21, ' I gave her space to repent of her fornication,' &c. But God's patience must not be wearied.
[2.] It was strange. For here a woman is turned into a pillar of salt. Strange sins bring on strange punishment. When Aaron's sons offered strange fire to God, strange fire came from heaven and con- sumed them, Lev. x. 2. And Job telleth us in general, chap. xxxi. 8, * Is not destruction to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?' that is, some stroke of justice which is singular and remarkable, whether on persons or nations. The stupid world is not awakened by ordinary judgments, but looks upon them as some chance or common occin rence ; and therefore God is forced to go out of the common road, and diversify his judgments, that by some eminent circumstance in them he may alarm the drowsy world to take notice of his hand. As here ; when this woman had gone directly against God's command, and would not trust herself with his provi- dence, but out of corrupt affection hankered after the things she had left, God did severely punish her ; and her statue and pillar stood for a memorial to all others, to warn them, and season them, not to run into like transgression.