John Dod

[VirginiaHuguenot]

John Dod, English Puritan (1549 -- August 1645) was a major Puritan whose live and influence spanned the first and second Reformations. He was known for his 'Sermon on the MALT' and his exposition on the Decalogue, which earned him the title 'The Decalogist,' among other notable writings. His first wife was the daughter of Nicholas Bound, and his second marriage was performed by his friend William Gouge.

Among his many sayings, one of my favorites is: "Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions." He also said: "I have no reason to complain of any crosses, because they are the bitter fruit of my sin. Nothing shall hurt us but sin; and that shall not hurt us, if we can repent of it. And nothing can do us good but the love and favour of God in Christ; and that we shall have if we seek it in good earnest. Afflictions are God's potions, which we may sweeten by faith and prayer; but we often make them bitter, by putting into God's cup the ill ingredients of impatience and unbelief. There is no affliction so small but we shall sink under it, if God uphold us not: and there is no sin so great but we shall commit it, if God restrain us not. A man who hath the spirit of prayer hath more than if he hath all the world. And no man is in a bad condition, but he who hath a hard heart and cannot pray." (Brooks, Lives of the Puritans, Vol. III, p. 3).

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

John Dod's Sermon on the Word 'MALT':

Certaine Drunkards, retorning from a merry meeting at a Country Alehouse, by the way overtooke a Preacher: who in a Sermon, he had lately made against Drunkenes, amongst other bitter reproofes, (as the seete Lyquore fellowes construed it) had tearmed them Malt-Wormes. whefore they agreed to take him, & by violence compell him to preach them a Sermon, appointing him his Theame to be

M A L T
...
Beloved,

I am a little man, come at a short warning, -- to deliver a brief discourse -- upon a small subject, -- to a thin congregation, -- and from an unworthy pulpit.

Beloved, my text is

M A L T.

Which cannot be divided into words, it being but one; nor into syllables, it being but one; therefore, of necessity, I must reduce it into letters, which I find to be these;

M.--A.--L.--T.

M -- my beloved, is Moral.

A -- is Allegorical.

L -- is Litteral.

AND

T -- is Theological.

The moral is set forth to teach you drunkards good manners; therefore,

M -- my Masters

A -- All of you

L -- Listen

T -- to my Text.

The allegorical is when one thing is spoken, and another is intended; the thing expressed is MALT; the thing signified is the oil of MALT, which you Bacchanals make

M -- your Meat,

A -- your Apparel,

L -- your Liberty,

AND

T -- your Text.

The litteral is according to the letter

M -- Much

A -- Ale

L -- Little

T -- Thrift.

Now to wind up the whole and draw to close take with you the characteristic of a drunkard.

A drunkard is the annoyance of modesty.

The spoil of civility.

His own shame.

His wife's sorrow.

His children's curse.

His neighbor's scoff.

The alehouse man's benefactor.

The devil's drudge.

A walking swill bowl.

The picture of a beast.

And, monster of a man.

F I N I S.

-- Memorials of John Dod, p. 7[/quote]