the Lord has made in the midst of them 'T is true the length of those heavy Judgments under which they groan to this very day hath often puzled the Intellectuals of their Rabbies and hath many times put them to a stand and sometimes to break out into a kind of confession That surely their Judgments could not last so long but for crucifying of one that was more then a man There was one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of heir long captivity and extream misery And after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions Amos 2 6. of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver The selling of Joseph he makes the fiâ—st sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing and killing of Gods Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first they served four hundred years in Egypt for the second they wandred forty years in the wilderness for the third they were Captives seventy years â—n Babylon and for the fourth they are held in pitiful Captivity even till this day 'T is certain that the body of that people are under woful blindness and hardness to this very day And thus much for the opening of the words The 25. verse is the Scripture that I do intend to speak something to as the Lord shall assist Now the Proposition which I only intend to insist upon is this Viz. That God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great Doct. Calamities and dreadful Judgments that are inflicted upon Cities and Countries and in particular of that of fire Now that God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great Calamities and dreadful Judgments that are inflicted upon Cities and Countries will evidently appear to every mans understanding that will but take the pains to read over the 26. Chapter of Leviticus and the 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy with that 14. of Ezekiel from vers 13. to vers 22. That God is the Author or Efficient cause of this dreadful Judgment of Fire that is at any time inflicted upon Cities and Countries will sufficiently appear in these following Scriptures Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is to be understood of the evil of punishment and not of the evil of sin Amos 4. 11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrâ—w Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burnings yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Here I is emphatical and exclusive as if he should say I and I alone Amos 1. 14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah that is in the Metropolis or chief City of the Ammonites and it shall devour the Palaces thereof Rabbah their head-head-City was a cruel bloody covetous and ambitious City vers 13. And therefore rather than it should escape divine vengeance God will kindle a fire in the wall of it and burn it with his own hands Ezek. 20. 47. And say to the forrest of the South that is to Jerusalem that did lye South-wards from Chaldea hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the You will find this Scripture fully opened in the following Discourse Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flames shall not be quenched and all fuel from the South to the North shall be burnt therein verse 48. And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it it shall not be quenched Men shall see that 't was God that kindled the fire and not man and therefore 't was beyond mans skill or power to quench it or to over-master it Jer. 7. 20. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place upon man and upon beast and upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burn and shall not be quenched The Point being thus proved for the further opening of it premise with me these things 1. First That great afflictions dreadful Judgments are likened unto fire in the blessed Scriptures Psal 66. 12. We went through fire and water Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings Jer. 21. 12. O house of David thus saith the Lord execute Judgment in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings Lam. 2. 3 4. He hath cut off in his anger all the horn of Israel he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy and burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about he hath bent his bow like an enemy he stood with his right hand as an adversary and slew all that was pleasant to the eye in the Tabernacle of the Daughter of Zion he poured out his fury like fire Ezek. 15. 7. And I will set my face against them they shall go out from one fire and another fire shall devour them and ye shall know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them Ezek. 22. 20 21 22. As they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the furnace to blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you Thus you see that great afflictions great Judgments are likened unto fire But in what respects are great Afflictions great Judgments Quest like unto fire In these seven respects they are like unto fire Answ First Fire is very dreadful and terrible to mens thoughts spirits and apprehensions how dreadful was the fire of Sodom and the fire of London to all that were near it or spectators of it 'T is observable that some are set out in the blessed Scriptures as Monuments of most terrible and dreadful Vengeance whom the Kings of
five thousand of his Army in one night Eighthly By slighting of divine warnings you will tempt Satan to tempt your souls he that dares slight divine warnings will stick at nothing that Satan shall tempt him to yea he does to the utmost what lyes in him to provoke Satan to follow him with the blackest and sorest temptations Ninthly He that slights divine warnings dams up all the springs of mercy Psal 81. 11. to the end Jer. 7. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. 34. Isa 13. 14 15 16. and turns the streams of loving-kindness and favour another way Tenthly and lastly Slighting of divine warnings will be the Sword that will wound you and the Serpent that will sting you 〈◊〉 the Worm that will be still gnawing upon you especially 1. When your consciences are awakned 2. When you shall lye upon a dying bed 3. When you shall stand before a Judgment-seat Fourthly and lastly When you shall awake with everlasting flames about your ears Upon all these considerations take heed of slighting the warnings of God that you are under this day But Seventhly and lastly God inflicts great and sore Jâ—dâ—ments upon Persons Cities and Countries to put the world in mind of the General Judgment Who can think upon the Conflagration of our late glorious City and not call to mind the great and terrible day of the Lord Psal 50. 3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him As God gave his Law in fiâ—e so when he comes to Judgment in fire he will require it to shew himself a Judge and Revenger of it and to bring the world to a strict account for Eccle. 12. 13 14. Exod. 20. 18. Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. their breaking of it In the promulgation of the Law a flaming fire was only on Mount Sinai but when Christ shall come to execute vengeance on the transgressors of it aâ—l the world shall become a Bonfire In the promulgation of the Law there was fire smoak thunder and an earthquake but when Christ shall come in flaming fire to revenge the breaches of it the Heavens shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with servent heat so that not only a few Cities and Kingdoms but all this lower World shall be of a flame and therefore if any of the wicked should be so weak as to think to secure themselves by creeping behind the Lord they will but deceive themselves for the fire shall not only devour before him but it shall also devour round about him When an unquenchable fire shall be kindled above the sinner and below the sinner and round about the sinner Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Jer. 5. 14. how is it possible that he should escape though he should cry â—ut to the Rocks and the Mountains to fall upon him aâ—d to cover him from the wrath of the Lamb Isa 66. 15 16. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his chariâ—ts like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire 〈◊〉 by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slai◠〈◊〉 the Lord shall be many There is nothing more fearful or formidable either to man or beast then fire Now when God comes to execute his Judgments and to take vengeance on the wicked in this life as some curry the words or in the other life as others curry the words he will come in the most terrible and dreadful manner imaginable he will come with fire and he will render his rebuke with flames of fire or with fiery flames as some say or with flaming fire as others say 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved that Christ will come to Judgment in flaming fire is no Politick invention found out to fright men from their pleasures nor no Engine of State devised to keep men tame and quiet under the Civil powers nor no Plot of the Minister to make men melancholy or to hurry them into a blind obedience but it is the constâ—nt voice of God in the blessed Scriptures 2 Pet. 3. 10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Pareus is of opinion that that Pareus in Rev. 16. 18. fire that shall set all the world in a flame at last will be kindled and cherished by lightning from Heaven The Earth being smitten with lightning from Heaven shall be shaken and torn into ten thousand pieces and by fire utterly consumed now the Earth shall quake the Sea roar the Air ring and the World burn Now you shall look no way but you shall see fire you shall see fire above you and fire below you and fire round about you Christâ— fiâ—st coming was at Luke 2. 8. to vers 15. Psal 71. 6. tended with a general peace and with Carols of Angels he came as rain upon the mown grass silently sweetly into the world then a babe cryed in the manger but now Judahs Lyon will roar and thunder in the Heavens Then he came riding on an Asses Colt but now on the Clouds Then he was attended with twelve poor despised Apostles but now he shall be waited on with many score millions of Angels At his first coming he freely offered grace and mercy and 2 Thes 1. 7. pardon to sinners but now he will come in flames of fire to execute wrath and vâ—ngeance upon sinners and 't will be no small honour to Christ nor no small câ—mfort to the Saints nor no small torment to the wicked for Christ to comes in flames of fire when he comes to Judgment Saul Acts 22. 8. was astonished when he heard Jesus of Nazareth but calling unto him out of Heaven Herod was affrighted when he thought that John Baptist was risen again The Philistines Mark 6. 16. 1 Sam. 21. 9. Numb 7. 10. were afraid when they saw Davids Sword The Israelites were startled when they saw Aarons Rod And Juda was ashamed when he saw Thamars signet and staff and Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5. was amazed when he saw the hand-writing upon the Wall The Carthaginians were troubled when they saw Scipio's Sepulchre and the Saxons were terrified when they Hollingsheds Chron. saw Cadwallon's Image Oh how terrified amazed and confounded will wicked men be when they shall see that Christ whom they
world how many professing men in that great City were drest up like fantastical Anticks and women like Bartholomew-babies to the dishonour of God the shame of Religion the hardning of the wicked the grieving of the weak and the provoking of divine Justice When Darius changed the fashion of his Scabbard from the Persian manner into the Mode of the Greeks the Chaldean Astrologers prognosticated that the Persian Monarchy should be translated to them whose fashion he counterfeited Certainly that Nation may fear a scourge from that Nation or Nations whose fashions they follow Zepha 1. 8. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords Sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are cloathed with strange apparel This is a stinging and a flaming check against all Fashion-mongers against all such as seem to have consulted with French Italian Persian and all Outlandish Monsters to advise them of all their several modes and fashions of vice and that are so dextrous at following of them that they are more compleat in them then their patternâ— Certainly if ever such Wantons be saved 't will be by fire Strange apparel is part of the Old man that must be put off if ever men or women intend to go to Heaven What dreadful things are thundred out against those proud curious Dames of Jerusalem by the Prophet Isaiah who being himself a Courtier inveighs Isa 38. 16. ult as punctually against the noble vanity of Apparel as if he had even then viewed the Ladies Ward-robes And those vanities of theirs brought desolating and destroying Judgments upon them And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet Isa 38. 24 25 26. smell there shall be a stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well-set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sack-cloth and burning of instead beauty Thy men shâ—ll fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war And her gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground As light and slight as many make of vain Apparel yet Cyrian and Augustine draw up this Conclusion That superfluous Apparel is worse then Whoredom because Whoredom only corrupts Chastity but this corrupts Nature Seneca complained that many in his time were more sollicitous of their attire then of their good behaviour and that they had rather that the Common-wealth should be troubled then their Locks and set looks I have read of the Grecians that when they wished a curse upon their enemies it was this That they should please themselves in bad customs There are many who lift their heads high who seem to be under this curse this day Why doth the Apostle say saith one of the Ancients Above all things swear not Is it worse Austin Jam. 5. 12. to swear then to steal worse to swear then to commit adultery worse to swear then to kill a man No But the Apostle would fortifie us as much as he could against a postilent custom to punish the pestilent customs and fashions that were amongst us God sent the Pestilence in 1665. and the fiery Judgment in 1666. And the Lord grant that the bloody Sword in the hands of cruel Cut-throats that are brutish and skilful to destory be not sent amongst us some Ezek. 21. 31. other year to punish the same iniquity O Sirs what was more common among many Professors in London then to be cloathed in strange Apparel A la mode de France Mark those that affected the Babylonian Habit were sent Captives Ezek. 23. 15. to Babylon They that borrowed the fashions of the Egyptians may get their boils and botches Certainly such as fear the Lord should go in no Apparel but First such as they are willing to dye in Secondly to appear before the Ancient of Isa 26. 8 9 10. days in when his Judgments are abroad in the earth Thirdly to stand before a Judgment-seat But Secondly There was among many Professors of the Gospel in London much luke-warmness and coldness in the things of God the City was full of luke-warm Laodiceans The Rev. 3. 16 17. Math. 24. 12. love of many to God to his people to his ways and to his instituted Worship was cold very cold stark cold God destroyed the old World by water for the heat of their lusts and God has destroyed the City of London by fire for the coldness of their love that dwelt therein I have read of Anastatiâ—s the Emperor how God shot him to death with a Thunder-bolt because of his luke-warmness and formality But Thirdly There was a great deal of worldliness and earthly-mindedness and coyetousness amongst the professing people of London O Sirs the world is all shadow and vanity 't is filia noctis like Jonabs Gourd a man may set Jonah 4. under its shadow for a time but it soon decays and dyes The main reason why many Professors dote upon the world is because they are not acquainted with a greater glory Men ate Acorns till they were acquainted with the use of Wheat The Load-stone cannot draw the Iron when the Diamond is in presence and shall earthly vanities draw the Soul when Christ the Pearl of price is in presence Many of the Prosessors of London were great Worshippers of the golden Calf and therefore God is just in turning their golden Calf into ashes The world may well be resembled to the fruit that undid us all which was fair to the sight smooth in handling sweet in taste but deadly in effect and operation The world in all its bravery is no better then the Cities which Solomon gave to Hiram which he called Cabul 1 Kings 9. 13. that is displeasing or dirty The whole world is circular the heart of man triangular and we know a Circle cannot fill a Triangle If the heart of man be not filled with the three Persons in Trinity it will be filled with the world 1 Joh. 5. 7. the flesh and the Devil Riches like bad servants never stay long with one master what certainty is there in that which one storm at Sea one treacherous friend one false cath one ball of fire yea one spark of fire may strip us of O Sirs if you can gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles then go on and dote upon the world still All the things of this world are vain things they are vanity of vanities Eccle. 1. 2. all in Heaven count them vain and all in Hell count them vain a Jacobus piece is but as a chip to them Pearls are but as pebbles in their eyes Lazarus was a Preacher as some conceive and Dives a Lawyer sure I am that Lazarus in Heaven is now rich enough and happy enough and Dives in Hell is now poor enough and miserable enough Hâ— who makes his world his God while he is in the world what will he do for a God when he goes out of this world Well Sirs
Ordinances in Sabbaths and in the Communion of Saints that once they had tasted and found In spiritual things many Citizens could taste no more sweetness then in the white of an Egg. Many in that great City had lost their Job 6. 6. spiritual appetite they had lost their stomachs they did not hunger and thirst after God and Christ and the Spirit and Grace and the Light of Gods Countenance and pure Ordinances and the Fellowship of the people of God as once they did Now is there any thing more contrary to the Nature of God the Works of God the Word of God the Glory of God then spiritual decays Oh the prayers and the praises that God loses by decayed Christians Ah how do decayed Christians grieve the strong and stumble the weak and strengthen the hands of the wicked and lay themselves open to divine displeasure Many in London did like Mandrobulus in Lucian who offered to his God the first year gold the second year silver and the third year nothing and therefore no wonder if God sent a fire amongst them But Fifthly Their non-improvement of the mercies and priviledges that they were surrounded with and their non-improvement of lesser and greater Judgments that God had formerly inflicted on them and theiâ— non improvement of their Estates to that height they should have done for the supply of them whose wants bonds necessities and miseries did call aloud for supplies many did something a few did much but all should have done more Sixthly Those unnatural heats fiery contests violent passions and sore divisions that have been amongst them may well work them to justifie the Lord in his fiery Dispensations towards them for a Wolf to worry a Lamb is usual but for one Lamb to worry another is unnatural Cant. 2. 16. for Christs lillies to be among thorns is common but for these lillies to become thorns and to tear and rend and fetch blood of one another is monstrous and strange The Contest that was between the Birds about the Rose that was found in the way was fatal to many of them and issued in the loss of the Rose at last Seventhly and lastly There were many in London who were so very secure and so excessively taken up with their worldly comforts contentments and enjoyments that they did not lay the afflictions of Joseph 1 so kindly 2. so Amos 6. 6. seriously 3. so affectionately 4. so readily 5. so frequently 6. so lamentingly and 7. so constantly to heart as they ought to have done Upon all these accounts how well does it become the Citizens of London to cry out the Lord is righteous the Lord is righteous in all his fiery Dispensations towards us But to prevent mistakes and that I may lay no heavier a load upon the people of God that truly feared him and that had and have a saving interest in him then is meet and that I may give no advantage to prophane persons to father the burning of the City of London wholly mainly or only upon the sins of the people of God give me leave therefore to propound these four Queries First Whether all these seven sins last cited or most of them can be justly charged upon the body of those sincere Christians who lived then in London and whose habitations are now burnt up Secondly Whether those of the people of God upon whom any of the fore-mentioned sins are chargeable have not before the City was burnt daily lamented bewailed and mourned over those sins that might have been charged upon them either by their own consciences or others Thirdly Where and how it doth appear by the blesed Scriptures that ever God sent so great a Judgment of Fire as was poured out upon London upon the account of the â—ins of those that truly feared him be it those seven that have been already specified or any others that can be now cleaâ—ly and justly proved against them Fourthly Whether there are not some other mens sins upon whom in the clear evidence of Scripture-light this heavy Judgment of Fire may be more clearly safely and fairly fixt then upon the sins of those who had set up God as the great Object of their fear Now in Answer to this last Query give me leave to say First That sin in the general brings the dreadful Judgment of Fire upon a people marks personal afflictions and â—yals may come upon the people of God for tryal and to shew the Soveraignty of God as in the case of Job whose Job 1. John 9. afflictions were for tryal and not for sin the same may be said of the man that was born blind But general Judgments such as this fiery Dispensation was never comes upon a people but upon the account of sin This is evident in my Text Isa 42. 24 25. God set Jacob and Israel on fire and burnt them round about but 't was because they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his Law Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your heart ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings So Psal 107. 33 34. He turneth rivers into a wiâ—derness and the water-springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein The very Country of Jury as Travellers report which flowed once with milk and honey is now for fifteen miles about Jerusalem like a Desart without grass tree or shrub Ah what ruines â—oth sin bring upon the most renowned Countries and Ciâ—ies that have been in the world such is the destructive nature of sin that it will first or last level the richest the strongest and the most glorious Cities in the world So the Prophet Amos tells us that 't is sin that brings Gods sorest punishments upon his people Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus by which we are to understand the greatness of their iniquities and for four by which we are to understand the multitude of their transgressions I will not turn away the punishment thereof the same is said of Gaza verse 6. and of Tyrus verse 9. and of Edom verse 11. and of Ammon verse 13. and of Moab Chap. 2. 1. and of Judah verse 4. and of Israel verse 6. Now 't is very observable of every one of these that when God threatens to punish them for the greatness of their iniquities and for the multitude of their transgressions he doth particularly threaten to send a fire among them to consume the houses and the Palaces of their Cities so he doth to Damascus Amos 1. 4. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall devour the Palaces of Ben-hadad So he doth to Gaza verse 7. But I will send a fire on the Wall of Gaza which shall devour the Palaces thereof So he doth to Tyrus verse 10. But I
fire which was executed by Alexander the Great as Historians testifie 'T is not the Curtius lib. 4. Diod. Siculus lib. 17. strength nor riches nor situation nor trade nor honour nor fame nor antiquity of a City that can preserve it when God before-hand has by fire determined the destruction of it Tyrus was a City of the greatest Merchandising 't was a Ezek. 27. Isa 23. 5 6 7 8 9. City of mighty Trade they were set upon heaping up of riches by hook or by crook So riches came in though it â—ere at the door of oppression violence or injustice all was well The Traffick of Tyrus was great and the sins that attended that Traffick were very great and for these God sent a devouring fire amongst them which destroyed their Palaces and Treasuries and reduced their glorious City to ashes By the iniquity of their Traffick they had built Palaces and stately Houses and filled their Shops and Ware-houses and Cellars with rich and choice Commodities but when God brought Nebuchadnezzar upon them what the Chaldeans could not destroy by the Sword they consumed by fire turning all their glorious Palaces and stately Buildings and costly Shops and Ware-houses into ashes as Historians testifie So Ninive for greatness riches and antiquity was one of the noblest Cities in the world 't was the Capital and chief City of the Assyrian Empire and though God upon their repentance Jonah 3. humiliation did spare them for a time yet afterwards she returning to her old trade of robberies covetousness extortions fraud deceitful dealings c. God delivered her up as a prey into the hands of many of her enemies who wonderfully spoiled and pillaged her and at last God gave her into the hands of the Medes who brought her to a final and irrecoverable desolation according to the Prophesie of the Prophet Nahum Nahum 2. 10. She is empty and void â—nd waste and the heart melteth and the knees smite together â—nd much pain is in all loyns and the faces of them all gather blackness that is such blackness as is on the sides of a pot Verse 13 Behold I am against thee saith the Lord of Hosts See also Chap. 3. 12 13-15 and I will burn her chariots in the smoak The like Judgment fell upon Sidon and upon that rich and renowned City of Sabel Corinth which through the commodiousness of the Haven was the most frequented place in the world for the Entercourse Thucyd. of Merchants out of Asia and Europe and great and many were their sins about their Trade and Traffick and for these she was finally destroyed and turned into cinders and ashes by the Romans So Bribery is a sin that brings desolating and destroying Judgments both upon Persons and Places Amos 5. 10 11. For as much therefore as your treading is upon the poor and ye take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stones but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant vineyards but ye shall not drink wine of them for I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right Bribery is one of those mighty sins or one of those bony or big-boned sins as the Hebrew hath it for which God threatens to turn them out of house and home Bribery is a bony sin a huge sin a hainous sin a monstrous sin a sin that is capable of all manner of aggravations and therefore the Lord punisheth it with desolating Judgments Job 15. 34. And fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery or the receivers of gifts as both the Hebrew and the Septuagint may be read When wicked men build their houses their Tabernacles by pilling and polling by bribery cheating defrauding or over-reaching others 't is a righteous thing with God to set their houses on fire about their ears Thus Dioclesian had his house wholly consumed by Lightning and a flame of fire that fell from Heaven upon it as Eusebius tells De vita Constant lib. 5. us Upon such a generation of men as build their houses by bribery or oppression or deceit c. God many times makes good that word Job 18. 15. Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation and that word Micha 3. 11 12. The Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest Bribery and Covetousness had over-run all sorts of such as were in Power and Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical and for this Zion must be plowed as a field and Jerusalem become heaps and the Mountain of the House as the high places of the Forest By these exquisite terms the total and dismal desolation and destruction of Zion Jerusalem and the Temple that famous House that was once worthily reckoned one of the seven Wonders of the World is set forth unto us That Jerusalem that Gods Jer. 7. 4 5. House and Temple wherein they so much trusted and gloried should become as a mountainous Forest and Wilderness was incredible to them as the jumbling of Heaven and Earth together or the dethroning of God by taking the Crown from his Head and thrusting of him from his Chair of State and yet all this was made good according to that dreadful Prophesie of Christ There shall not be left one stone Luke 19. 43 44. upon another These are the sad effects of Bribery Covetousness c. So Prov. 29. 4. The King by judgment establisheth the Land but he that receiveth gifts or bribes overthrows it Ah London London were there none within nor without Prov. 17. 23. Psal 26. 10. thy Walls that did take a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of Judgment were there none whose right hands were full of bribes were there none like Samuels 1 Sam. 8. 3. Sons who turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted Judgment in the midst of thee were here no Rulers Hos 4. 18. nor others within nor without thy Walls that did love to say with shame Give ye or that asked for a reward or Micha 7. 3. that with Gehazi run after rewards or that were not ready to transgress for a piece of bread or that were not like the Prov. 28. 21. Hoâ—sleeches daughter still crying out give give Themistocles Prov. 30. 15. caused a brand of infamy to be set upon Athmius his children and all his posterity after him because he brought gold from the King of Persia to corrupt bribe and win the Grecians If all that were within and without the Walls of London that received bribes and run after rewards had a brand of infamy set upon them I am apt to think many of them would be
Gen. 6. with a Flood then the Sodomites were secure when God Gen. 19. 14. rained fire and btimstone out of Heaven upon them Mercury could not kill Argus till he had cast him into a sleep and with an inchanted Rod closed his eyes No more could the Devil have hurt these Sodomites if he had not first lull'd them asleep in the bed of security Carnal security opens the door for all impiety to enter into the Soul Pompey when he had in vain assaulted a City and could not take it by force devised this Stratagem in way of agreement he told them he would leave the Siege and make Peace with them upon condition that they would let in a few weak sick and wounded Souldiers among them to be cured They let in the Souldiers and when the City was secure the Souldiers let in Pompeys Army A carnal setled security will let in a whole Army of lusts into the Soul and this was the Sodomites case To sum up all those expressions in Jude vers 7. of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh do imply or take in these six things last mentioned which things will not stand with the truth of Grace or state of Grace and therefore those sins that are specified by Jude cannot be charged with any clear fair or full evidence upon the people of God who did truly fear him within or without the Walls of London But should this Treatise fall into any of their hands who have given themselves over to fornication or to go after strange flesh then I would say that it very highly concerns all such persons to lay their hands upon their loyns and to say we are the very men the sinners the monsters that have turned a rich and populous City into a ruinous heap But The ninth sin that brings the sore Judgment of Fire upon a People is prophanation of the Sabbath Jer. 7. ult But if you will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath-day and not bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched In this memorable Scripture you may observe 1. A specification of the Judgment that God will punish Prophaners of his Sabbath with and that is fire 2. The specification of the object that this fire shall fall upon viz. a City not a Town a Village or any other mean place but a City a stately City a populous City a trading City a secure City 3. Here is the specification of the City viz. not Isa 52. 1. Psal 48. 1-8 Psal 87. 3. Jer. 22. 8. every City neither but Jerusalem the City of Cities the best of Cities the beloved City the joyous City the glorious City the renowned City the crowned City the Metropolitan City the City of God the wonder of the World the joy of the whole Earth yet God thâ—eatens to destroy this Jerusalem with fire and flames for prophaning of his Sabbath But did God only threaten Jerusalem No for he executed his threatnings upon it as you may see in that So 2 Chron. 36. 17 18 19. Psal 74 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Kings 25. 8 9 10. And in the fifth month on the seventh day of the month which is the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylen came Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard a servant of the King of Babylon to Jerusalem And â—e Those Chaldeans that set Jerusalem on fire came from literal Babylon and whether those Chaldeans that first set London inflames came not from mystical Babylon I shal not here enquire nor dispute burnt the house of the Lord and the Kings house and al the houses of Jerusalem and every great mans house burnt he with fire And all the army of the Chaldees that were with the captain of the guard brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about The same you have Jer. 52. 12 13 14. The Jews were great prophaners of the Sabbath Nehem. 13. 15 16 17 18. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses as also wine grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victualâ— There dwelt men of Tyre also therein which brought fish and all manner of ware and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the sabbath-day Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaneing the sabbath Now this is observable that as they had prophaned the Sabbath so Nebuzaradon set their Temple on fire and their Noble mens houses on fire and all the considerable mens houses in Jerusalem on fire on their Sabbath day I know Jeremy saith it was on the tenth day Jer. 52. 13. which several of the Learned thus reconcile viz. That on the seventh day which was their Sabbath Nebuzaradon kindled a fire in their habitations and burnt them all quite down on the tenth Now Calvin upon the Text gives these Reasons of Gods severity against them for prophaning his Sabbath First because it was an easie Precept to cease from labour one day in seven and therefore they that would not herein obey were worthy of all severity as Adam for eating the forbidden fruit 2. Because the Sabbath was a sign of Exod. 31. 13. 17. Gods people by him peculiarly chosen and therefore not to rest now was a gross neglect of upholding the memorial of the greatest Priviledge that ever was bestowed upon mortal men 3. Because the Lord would by their keeping of a rest now from servile works draw them to a rest from the servile works of sin as he rested from the works of Creation To which others add a fourth viz. That it might always be remembred that the whole World was created by God that we might acknowledge his infinite Power and Wisdom herein appearing And others add a fifth viz. Because by keeping the Sabbath-day it being the day wherein all religious Duties were done all the exercises of Religion is meant which if it had been purely upheld both Princes Nobles Priests and People should have flourished for ever and never have known what 't was to have their houses set on fire about their ears Now is not famous London the sad Counterpane of desolate Jerusalâ—m a sore and unquenchable Fire hath turned Englands Metropolis into ashes and rubbish But That the Lord may appear most just and righteous in inflicting this dreadful Judgment of Fire upon those that prophaned his Sabbaths in London consider seriously with me these twelve things First That God hath fenced this
had set both their City and Temple in a flame before their eyes Now mark sudden and unexpected Judgements do alwayes carry a great deal of the anger and severity of God in them Deut. 7. 4. So will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly God being greatly angry with Jerusalem Isa 29. 1 2 3 4. He tells her that her Judgement should be at an instant suddenly ver 5. Psal 64. 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded Hab. 2. 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vex thee and thou shalt be for booties unto them Prov. 6. 14 15. Frowardness is in his heart be deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Here is a dismal doom not bruised but broken yea suddenly broken when they least dream or dread the danger And this without remedy there shall be no possibility of piecing them up again or putting them into a better condition Chap. 24. 22. Their calamity shall rise suddenly when they think that they have made all cock-sure then ruine and desolation lyes at their door Certainly there are no judgements so dreadful and amazing as those which come most suddenly and unexpectedly upon the sons of men for these cut off all hope they hinder the exercise of reason they cloud mens minds they distress mens spirits they marr mens councils and they weaken mens courage and they daunt mens hearts so that they can neither be serviceable to themselves nor their friends not the publick all this was evidently seen upon the body of the Citizens when London was in flames The more eminent cause have we to take notice of the hand of the Lord in that late fiery dispensation that has past upon us The year 1666. according to the computation of several sober wise learned men should have been the Christians Jubilee many mens expectations were high that Rome that year should be laid in ashes but it never entered into any of our hearts or thoughts that this very year London should be laid in ashes O unexpected blow Berlin in Germany who in the Pulpit Scultet Aâ—â—aâ— charged the Apostle Paul with a lie was suddenly smitten with an Apoplexy while the words were yet in his mouth and fâ—ll down dead in the place The Parson of Chrondal in Kent having got a Pardon from Cardinal Pool as the Popes Substitute in that work the next Lords Day in his own Parish presses all his people to do the lâ—ke with this Argument that he was now so free from all his sins that he could die presently and God presently so struck him in the Pulpit that he died and never spoke more As Bibulus a Roman General was riding in triumph in all his glory a Tyle fell from the house in the Street and knockt out his brains Otho the Emperour slew himself with his own hands but slept so soundly the night before that the Grooms of his Chamber heard him snort And Plutarch reporteth the like of Cato Lepidus and Aufidius stumbled at the very threshold of the Senate and died the blow came in a cloud from Heaven Sophocles died suddenly by excessive joy and Homer by immoderate grief Mr. Perkins speaks of one who when it thundered scoffingly said it was nothing but Tom Tumbril a hooping his Tubs and presently he was struck dead with a Thunderbolt Olympus the Arrian Heretick bathing himself Theatre of Gods Judgements lib. 1. ap 9. p. 64. uttered sad words against the blessed Trinity but suddenly a threefold Thunderbolt struck him dead in the same place Attilus King of the Huns proudly gave out that the Stars fell before him and the earth trembled at his presence and how he would be the scourge of all Nations but soon after he died by a flux of blood breaking out of his mouth which choaked him on his wedding-day King Henry the Second of France upon the Marriage of his Sister with the King of Spain was so puffed up that he called him self by a new Title Tres-heurâ—use Roy The thrice happy King But to confute him in solemnizing that Marriage he was slain at Tilt by the Captain of his Guard though against his will but not without Gods determinate counsel in the very beginning of his supposed happiness Now every one that is a man either of reason or Religion will certainly say that in these sudden Judgements that befell these persons there was the angry and displeased hand of God to be seen O how much more then should we see the angry and displeased hand of the Lord in that sudden dreadful fire that has turned our once renowned City into a ruinous heap Jer. 8. 15. In this year 1666. many thought that there had been many great and glorious things in the womb of Providence that would have been now brought forth but they were mistaken for unexpectedly London is laid in ashes But Thirdly Consider the force violence vehemency and irresistibleness of it despising and triumphing over all those Many Authors speak much of the Greek Fire some of which burnt the Saracens Fleet to be of such force that the Ancients accounted no other means would extinguish it but Vinegar And certainly several firâ—s that have been enkindled by Romish Jesuits have not been less turious weak endeavours that were used This Fire broke forth with that violence and raged with that fury and appeared in that dreadfulness and spread it self with that dismalness and continued for so long a time with that irresistibleness that discouraged hearts and weak hands with their Buckets Engines Ladders Hooks opening of Pipes and sweeping of Channels could give no check to it This fire broke in upon the Inhabitants like an Arm of the Sea and roared and raged like a Bear robbed of her Whelps until it had laid our glory in ashes When the fire was here and there a little allayed or beaten down or put to a stand how soon did it recover its force and violence and make the more furious onsets burning down Water-houses Engines Churches and the most strong pleasant and stately houses nothing being able to stand before its rage How soon did the flames mount up to the tops of the highest houses and as soon descend down to the bottom of the lowest Vaults and Cellars Stone walls and Brick-walls and those noble and strong Pieces of Architecture were all but fuel to those furious flames How did they march along Jehu-like on both sides of the Streets with such a roaring dreadful and astonishing noise as never was heard in the City of London before Londons sins were now so great and Gods wrath was now so hot that there was no quenching of the furious flames The Decree for the burning of London was now gone forth and none could reverse it The time of Londons fall was now come The fire had
the Sea The winds are Gods Posts they are sometimes messengers of mercy and sometimes messengers of wrath Psal 147. 18. He causeth his wind to blow The winds are at Gods command to come and go and go and come at his pleasure When there is nothing but a sweet smooth and silver calm on the Seas if God dos but give forth a word of command how soon are they thrown into Hills and Mountains and how dreadfully do the waves dash and clash one against another Psal 148. 8. Fire and Hail Snow and Vapours stormy Wind fulfilling his word Sometimes the word that God has to fulfill is a saving word and sometimes 't is a destroying word a drowning word a sinking word Now according to the word that God has to fulfill so do the winds alwayes blow The Lord hath the winds at command to be his Executioners and administrators either of destruction or preservation What are stormy winds at Sea or a Shore but the utterings of Gods voice in wrath and judgement Sometimes God is said to fly upon the wings of Psal 18. 10. 2 Sam. 22. 11. Psal 104. 3. the wind and sometimes he is said to ride upon the wings of the wind and sometimes he is said to walk upon the wings of the wind Now these things are spoken after the manner of men to shew that the winds are continually acted and governed by a Divine Power God flies upon the wings of the tempestuous winds speedily to execute the vengeance Exod. 15. 10. Exod. 14. 21. written and he rides and walks upon the wings of the more sâ—â—t easie and gentle gales of the wind that he may make good the mercies promised No creatures in Heaven or on Earth hath the winds at command but God solely and properly Every wind that blows has a commission under the Great Seal of Heaven to bare it out in all it dos If the winds should be examined questioned and required to give in a full and exact account of the many thousand Marriners that they have drowned and of the many thousand Ships that they have spoyled and destroyed and of the many ten thousand houses that they have blown down at some times and of the many score thousand houses that when the fire has been kindled they have helpt to consume and reduce to ashes at other times they would shew you the hand and seal of Heaven for all they have done The Soveraignty and greatness of God doth eminently shine and sparkle in this that the winds are originally in his hand He gathereth the wind in his fâ—st God keeps the Prov. 30. 4. royaltie of all the creatures in his own hand The winds are greater or lesser of a longer or shorter continuance according to the will and pleasure of the great God and not according to the workings of second causes The more civilized Heathens had this notion amongst them That the winds were under the Dominion of one Supream Power and therefore dividing the world among sundry Gods they gave the honor of the Winds to Aeâ—lus whom they ignorâ—ntly suppose had a power to lock them fast or to let them loose at his pleasure These poor besotted Heathens thought that their feigned God Aeâ—lus had power to govern and bridle the winds and to turn them this way and that way as a man governs the Charâ—ot in which he ridâ—th And many ignorant Atheistical wretches when the winds are boisterous and violent they are ready to say that there is conjuring abroad and that the Dâ—vil is at work but they must know that the Devil has not power of himself to raise one blast of wind no nor so much wind as will stir a sea ther. I know that the Devil is the Prince of the power of Ephes 2 2. the air and that when God will give him leave to play Râ—x for ends best known to himself he can then raise such storms and tempests both at Sea and a Shore as shall dash the stoutest Ships in pieces and remove Mountains and makâ— the most glorious Cities in the world a ruinous heap he can easily and quickly raze the foundations of the fairest the Job 1. 19. richest the strongest and the renownest and the oldest buildings in the world if God will but permit him But without Divine permission no Angel in Heaven no Devil in Hell nor no Witch on Earth can raise or continue the winds one moment Satans power over the wind is only a derivative power a permissive power but the Lords power over the wind is a supream power an absolute power an independant power Now O what eminent cause have we to see the hand of the Lord in that boisterous wind that continued four dayes and nights and that carried the fire to all points of the Compass to all parts of the City if I may so speak till our glorious City was laid in Ashes Oh how great were the sins of that people Oh how great was the anger of that God who united two of the most dreadfullest elements Fire and Wind to destroy our City and lay our glory in the dust When the Romans put fire to the Walls of Jerusalem at first the North Wâ—nd blew it furiously upon the Josâ—phus Aniq l. 7. c. 28. Romans themselves but suddenly the wind changing and blowing from the South as it were by Gods Providence saith my Author it turned the fire again upon the wall and so all was consumed and turned into ashes And this Eleazâ—r in his Oration to his companions takes special notice of where he saith Neither hath our Castle by nature inexpugnable Page 75 8. any thing profited us to our preservation but we having store of victuals and armour and all other necessaries have lost all hope of safety God himself opâ—nly taking it from us For the fire that once was carried against our enemies did not of it self return against us and unto the wall we built Suppose the Romans or some set on by the Conclave of Rome did at first â—et our City on fire by casting their fire-brands for by that means Jerusalem was set on fire or fire balls here and there yet how highly dos it concern us when we consider the furious wind that helpt on the fury of the fire to lay our hands upon our loynes and to say the Lord is righteous â—nd that our present ruine is but the product of incensed Justice c. When the Lord hath any service for the wind to do it is presently upon the march to run and dispatch his errands whether of indignation or of mercy If the Lord General of Heaven and Earth the great the supream Commander of the winds will have them to destroy a people and to help on the destruction of their houses when the flames are kindled or to break and dash in pieces their Ships at Sea it shall soon be accomplished 2 Chron. 20 37. Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy
nor ears never heard of before nor tongues never discoursed of before nor Pens never writ of before Beloved you know that 't is our duty to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord in the least Judgement and in every particular Judgement Oh how much more then dos it highly concern us to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord that has been lifted up against us in that late dreadful impartial universal fire that has burnt us all out of our habitations and laid our City desolate But Seventhly Consider the greatness of it the destructiveness of it Oh the many thousand families that were destroyed and impoverished in four dayes time Of many it might have been said the day before the fire who so rich as London was the lady-Lady-City where the Riches of many Nations were laid up I would rather be bound to weep over London than be bound to summ up the losses of London by this dreadful fire these and the very next day it might have been said of the same persons who so poor as these as poor as Job yea poor to a Proverb Jer. 21. 13 14. Behold I am against thee O inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in the forrest thereof and it shall devour all things round about it Some by the Forrest understand the fair and sumptuous buildings in Jerusalem that were built with wood that was hewen out of the Forrest of Libanon and stood as thick as Trees in the Forrest Others by the Forrest understand the whole City of Jerusalem with the Countrey round about it that was as full of people as a Forrest is full of Trees Others by Forrest understand the house of the Lord and the Kings house and the houses of the great Princes which were built with excellent matter from the Wood of Lebanon Jerusalem was 2 Sam. 5. 6. so strongly dâ—fended by nature that they thought themselves invincible as once the Jebusites did they were so confident of the strength of their City that they scorned the proudest and the strongest enemies about them But sin had brought them low in the eye of God so that he could see nothing eminent or excellent among them and therefore the Lord resolves by the Chaldees to fire their magnificent buildings in which they gloried and to turn their strong and stately City into a ruinous heap Though Jerusalem Psalm 125. 2. stood in a Vale and was environed with Mountains yet the upper part of it stood high as it were upon a rocky rising hill Now the Citizens of Jerusalem trusted very much in the scituation of their City they did not fear their being besieged straitned conquered or fired and therefore they say Who shall come down against us Who shall enter into our habitation Where is the enemy that has courage or confidence enough to assault our City or to enter into our habitations but God tells them that they were as barren of good fruit as the Trees of the Forrest were barren of good fruit and therefore he was resolved by the hand of the Chaldeans to hew them down and to fire their most stately Structures and to turn their glorious City in which they greatly trusted and gloried into a ruinous heap All which accordingly was done not long after by Nebuzaradan and his Army as you may see in Jer. 52. 12 13 14 15. How often hath the Citizens of London been alarm'd with the cry of fire which hath been as often extinguished before they could well know where it was and how it began but all former fires were but small fires but Bon-fires to this dreadful fire that has been lately amongst us In the twentieth year of the Reign of William the first so Sir Richard Bakers Chronicle p. 31. 47. great a fire happened in London that from the West-gate to the East-gate it consumed houses and Churches all the way This was the most grievous fire that ever happened in that City saith my Author And in the Reign of King Henry the first a long tract of buildings from West-cheap in London to Aldgate was consumed with fire And in King Stephens Reign there was a fire that began at London Stone and consumed all unto Aldgate These have been the most remarkable fires in London But what were any of these or all these to that late dreadful fire that has been amongst us London in those former times was but a little City and had Eccles 9. 14. but a few men in it in comparison of what it was now London was then but as a great Banqueting-house to what it was now Nor the consumption of London by fire then was Can. 2. 4. nothing proportionable to the consumption of it by fire now For this late lamentable devouring fire hath laid waste the greatest part of the City of London within the walls by far and some part of the Suburbs also More than fourscore Parishes and all the Houses Churches Chappels Hospitals and other the great and magnificent buildings of Pious or Publick use which were within that circuit are now brought into ashes and become one ruinous heap This furious raging fire burnt many stately Monuments to powder it melted the Bells in the Steeples it much weakned and shattered the strongest Vaults under ground O what Age or Nation hath ever seen or felt such a dreadful visitation as this hath been Nebuzaradan General to the King of Babylon first sets the Temple of Jerusalem on fire and then the Jos Aâ—t p. 255. A. M. 3356. Kings Royal Palace on fire and then by fire he levells all the houses of the great men yea and all the houses of Jerusalem are by fire turned into a ruinous heap according to Jer. 52. 12 13 14. what the Lord had before foretold by his Prophet Jeremiah Now this was a lamentable fire Some hundred years after the Roman Souldiers sackt the City and set it on fire and Jos Aâ—t p. 741. A. M. 4034. laid it desolate with their Temple and all their stately buildings and glorious monuments Three or four Towers and the Wall that was on the West side they left standing as monuments of the Romans valour who had surpized a City so Jos Aâ—t p. 745. strongly fortified All the rest of the City they so plained that they who had not seen it before would not believe that it had ever been inhabited Thus was Jerusalem one of the worlds wonders and a City famous amongst all Nations Luke 19. 41 42 43 44. Tacit. Aâ— 15. made desolate by fire according to the prediction of Christ some years before There was a great fire in Rome in Nero's time it spread it self with that speed and burnt with that violence till of fourteen
Regions in Rome there were but four left entire I know there are some who would make the world believe that this fire began casually as many now would perswade us that the late fire in London did but I rather joyn issue with them who conclude that Nero set Rome on fire and when he had done he laid it upon Aâ—no 64. the Christians and thereupon grounded his Persecution as all know that have read the History of those times Anno 80. Rome was set on fire by fire from Heaven say some it burned three dayes and nights and consumed the Capitol with many other stately Buildings and glorious Monuments it burnt with that irresistible fury that the Historian concludes that it was more than an ordinary fire And in the time of Commodius the Emperour there happened such a dreadful fire in Rome as consumed the Temple of Peace and all the most stately Houses Princely Palaces glorious Structures and rare Monuments that were in the City In the Reign of Achmat the eighth Emperour of the Turks Knolâ—'s General History of the Turks pag. 1275. about the beginning of November a great fire arose at Constantinople wherein almost five hundred Shops of Wares with many other fair Buildings were destroyed by fire so that the harm that was then done by fire was esteemed to amount to above two Millions of Gold But alas what was this fire and loss to the fire of London and the loss of the Citizens in our day In Constantinople in A. D. 465. in the beginning of September there brake forth such a fire by the water side as raged with that dread force and fury and violence four dayes and nights together that it burnt down the greatest part of the City the strongest and the stateliest houses being but as dried stubble before it It bid defiance to all means of resistance it went on triumphing and scorning all humane helps till it had turned that great and populous City once counted by some the wonder of the world into a ruinous heap This of all fires comes nearest to the late fire of London but what is the burning of a thousand Romes and a thousand Constantinoples or the burning of ten thousand Barbarous Cities to the burning of one London Where God was as greatly known and as dearly loved and as highly prized and as purely served as he was in any one place under the whole Heavens O Sirs 't is our duty and our high concernment to see the hand of the Lord and to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the least fires how much more then does it become us to see the hand of the Lord lifted up in that late dreadful fire that has laid our City desolate But Eighthly Consider how all sorts ranks and degrees of men were terrified amused amazed astonished and dispirited in the late dreadful fire that was kindled in the midst of us When men should have been a strengthning of one anothers hands and encouraging of one another hearts to pull down and blow up such houses as gave life and strength to the surious flames how were their hearts in their heels every one flying before the fire as men flye before a victorious enemy What a Palsie what a great trembling had seized upon the heads hands and hearts of most Citizens as if they had been under Cain's curse most men were unman'd and amazed and therefore no wonder if the furious flames received no check In former fires when Deut. 28. 65. 1 Sam. 13. 7. 14 15. Acts 1 12 Why stand ye gazing O the feebleness the frighâ—s the tremblings the distractions that was then in every house in every heart When a Ship is sinking 't is sad to see every man run to his Cabin when every one should be at the Pump or a stopping of Leaks Magistrates and People had resolved hearts and active hands how easily how quickly were those fires quenched But now our Rulers minds were darkned and confused their Judgements infatuated their souls dispirited and their ears stopped so that their Authority did only accent their misery and this filled many Citizens hearts with fear terror amazement and discontent these things being done the City quickly was undone Had the care and dâ—ligence both of Magistrates and People been more for the securing of the publick goâ—d than 't was for securing their own private interest much of London by a good hand of Providence upon their endeavours might have been standing that is now turned into a ruinous heap Troy was lost by the sloth and carelesness of her inhabitants and may I not say that much of London was lost by the sloth and carelesness of some and by the fears frights and amazement of others and by others endeavouring more to secure their own Packs and Patrimonies than the safety of the whole When London was in flames mens courage did flag and their spirits did fail the strong helpers stood helpless Some stood loking on others stood weeping and shaking their heads and wringing their hands and others walkt up and down the Streets like so many Ghosts Psal 76. 5. The stout hearted are spoiled or as the Hebrew runs the stout hearted have yielded themselves up for a prey which the Rabbins thus expound They are spoiled of their understandings and infatuated and none of the men of might have found their hands or as some read the words none of the men of riches that is rich men have found their hands or as others carry the words God took away their courage and their wonted strength failed them So when London was in flames how were high and low rich and poor honorable and base spoiled of their understanding and infatuated The Lord took away all wisdom courage counsel and strength from them So Judges 20. 40. But when the flamâ—s began to arise out of the City with a pillar of smoke the Benjamites looked behind them and behold the flame of their City ascended up to Heaven and when the men of Israel â—urned again the men of Benjamin were amazed for they saw that evil was come upon them These Benjamites were the very picture of oâ—r Citizens for when they saw the flame began to arise out of the City with a Pillar of smoke when they saw the flame of the City ascend up to Heaven O how amazed and consounded were they All wisdom courage and council was taken away both from Magistrate and People and none of them could find either heads hands or hearts to prevent Job 34. 19 20 24. Londons desolation In Psal 76. v. ult God is said to cut off the Spirits of Princes or as the Hebrew runs He shall slip off the Spirits of Princes as men slip off a bunch of Grapes or a Flower bâ—tween their fingers easily suddenly unexpectedly as he did by Senacheribs Princes Princes usually are men 1 Kings 19 36. of the greatest spirits and yet sometimes God dos dispirit them he slips off their spirits as men do a
was he seen to speak to any one but still as it were studying of some speech he cryed Wo wo unto Jerusalem Thus for four years space say some for seven years and five moneths saith Josephus his voice never waxed hoarse nor weary till in the time of the Siege beholding what he fore-told them as he was walking upon the Walls crying Wo to Jerusalem wo to the Temple wo to all the People he added and wo to my self and as soon as the words were out of his mouth a stone came out of an Engine from the Camp that dashed out his brains These Prodigies were fore runners of Jerusalems desolation What Comets what Blazing Starrs what sheets of fire have been seen flye over London and what flames of fire have been seen over the City a little before it was laid in ashes I shall not now insist upon Certainly when a consuming fire shall be ushered in by other dreadful Judgements and amazing Prodigies it highly concerns us to set down and mourn But Secondly Who can look upon London as an Ancient City as a City of great Antiquity and not mourn over the ruines of it Our Chronologers affirm that the City hath stood Isa 23. 7. Jer. 5. 15. two thousand seven hundred and seventy odd years 'T is recorded by some that the foundation of London was laid in the year of the world 2862. London by some Antiquaries is called Troynovant as having been first founded by the Trojans London is thought by some to be Antienter than Rome That London was a very ancient City might several wayes be made good but what should I spend time to prove that which every one is ready to grant Josephus Josâ—ph p. 745. speaking of Jerusalem saith That David the King of the Jews having driven out the Caneans gave it unto his people to be inhabited and after four hundred threescore and four years and three moneths it was destroyed by the Babylonians And from King David who was the first Jew that reigned there untill the time that Titus destroyed it were a thousand one hundred seventy and nine years and from the time that it was first erected until it was by him destroyed were two thousand one hundred and seventy seven years yet neither the Antiquity nor riches nor the fame thereof now spread all over the world nor the glory of Religion did any thing profit or hinder it from being destroyed So it was neither the Antiquity nor the Riches nor the Fame nor the Greatness nor the Beauty nor the Glory nor the Religion that was there profest that could prevent Londons being turned into a Chaos in four dayes tim London that had been climbing up to its Meridian of worldly greatness and glory above two thousand years how is she made desolate in a few dayes and of a glorious City become a ruinous heap Physitians make the threescore and third year of a mans life a dangerous climacterical year to the Body Natural and Statists make the five hundreth year of a City or Kingdom as dangerous to the Body Politick beyond which say they Cities and Kingdoms cannot stand But Jerusalem and London and many other Cities have stood much longer and yet in the end have been laid desolate Now what true English-man can look upon Londons Antiquity and not mourn to see so antient a City turned into a ruinous heap But Thirdly What true English-man did ever look upon London as an honourable City as a renowned City as a glorious City that will not now mourn to see London laid in ashes London was one of the wonders of the world London was the Queen City the crowning City of the Land a City as Isa 23. 8. 'T is an Italiaâ— Proverb He who hath not seen Venice will not believe and he who hath not lived â—ometime there doth not understand what a City it is I shall leave the Application to the prudent Reader famous as most Cities for worldly grandeur and glory yea a City more famous and glorious than any City under Heaven for Gospel light and for the power of Religion and real holiness Psal 76. 1 2. In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion In London was God known his name was great in London and in London also was his Tabernacle and his dwelling place And as God was known in Judah not only by his word but also by his glorious works so God was known in London not only by his word but also by his glorious works And as God was known in Judah first by the multitude of his mercies but afterwards by the severity of his Judgements so God was known in London first by the multitude of his mercies but afterwards by the severity of his Judgements witness the sweeping Pestilence and the devouring fire that he sent amongst us And as God was known in Judah first by lesser Judgements and then by greater for he first lasht them with Rods and then with Scourges and at last with Scorpions so God was first known in London by lesser Judgements witness the Violent Agues strange Feavours Small Pox and small fires that broke forth in several places of the City and Suburbs but these having no kind no effectual operation upon us God at last made himself known in the midst of us by such a Pestilence and by such a Fire that the like was never known in that City before We were once the objects of his noble favours but we made our selves at last the subjects of his fury And as the Philosopher tells us corruptio optimi est pâ—ssima or as we find that the sweetest Wines become the tartest Vinegar so Gods heavenly favours and indulgencies being long abused they at last turned into storms of Wrath and Vengeance What English man did look upon Psal 101. 8. Isa 60. 14. Psal 48. 1. 8 c. Neh. 11. 1. Isa 18. 52. Dan. 1. 9. 24 London as the City of the great God as a holy City as that City wherein God was as gloriously made known and wherein Christ was as much exalted and Religion was as highly prized as in any part of the world beside and not mourn over it now 't is laid desolate 'T was long since said of Athens and Sparta that they were the eyes of Greece Was not London the eyes of England And who then can but weep to see those eyes put out Great and populous Cities are Look what the face is to the body that London was to England the beauty and glory of it as it were the eyes of the Earth and when these eyes are lost who can but sit down and sigh and mourn London was the joyous City of our Solemnities it was the Royal Chamber of the King of Kings it was the Mart of Nations it was the lofty City it was the top gallant of all our glory Now who can but shed tears to see this City laid even
they that Lam. 4. 5. were brought up in Scarlet embraced dunghills They were scattered among the Heathen who did mock at their Sabbaths and Chap. 1. who trod their mighty men under foot yea they sought their bread with the peril of their lives And yet saith the Prophet Why Chap 5. 9. doth the living man complain Though City and Temple and Goods and Estates were all consumed in the flames yet some had their lives for a prâ—y And upon that very account they ought not to complain God might have â—urnâ—d them into ashes as he had turned their houses into â—shes and it was meer Grace that he did not which the Church wisely and ingeniously observes when she saith It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed She doth Chap. 3. â—2 not say 't is of the Lords mercy that our houses are not consumed but 't is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed nor she doâ— not say 't is of the Lords mercy that our goods are not consumed but 't is of the Lords mercy that we are not consum d The Church saw mercy much mercy tender mercy yea bowels of mercy as the word there imports that a remnant had their lives given them when their City and Substance was turned into ashes O Sirs others have lost their goods and their lives together and 't is miraculous mercy that you haâ—'t when mens wits were puzzel'd their hearts discouraged and their industry tirâ—d out When the wind was at the highest and the fire at the hottest and the hopes of most at the lowest that then you should be as brands pluckt out of the fire was glorious mercy c. In the Reign of Achmâ—t the eighth Emperor of the Turks Knolles his General History of the Turks p. 1244. a great fire arose in the City of Constantinople wherein many both men and women perished with above five hundred Shops and Ware-houses full of rich Merchandize most of which belonged unto the Jews of whom almost two hundred are said to be burnt These lost their goods and their lives together but so have not you the greater obligâ—tion lyes upon you both to think well of God and to speak well of God and to lay out your lives to the uttermost for God Certain Tartars at Constantinople in their insolency set fire upon a certain Jews house whereof arose such a terrible Knolles pag. 1266. fire as bâ—rnt not only many houses but a great many of the Jews themselves Here lives and estates went together Though Out-landish hands have set our City our houses on fire yet God has prâ—served our lives in the midst of the flames and this is a mercy more worth than all we have lost c. There was a stately Palace in Jerusalem that Solâ—mon had built which joyned near to the Temple this Palace Josephus the Jews abundantly anointed all over with Brimstone and Pitch so that when the Romans pursued the Jews unto this Palace they entered the Palace â—fter the Jews who went ouâ— again another way and shut up the Palace and set fire on the Gates which they had before anointed with Brimstone and Pitch and straight way the side walls of the house and the whole building began to be on a light fire so that the Romans had no way to escape because the fire compassed the house on every side The Jews also stood round about the Palace with their drawn Swords to cut off any that should attempt to escape the flames Now there was two and twenty thousand of the Romans destroyed in this fire Titus hearing the lamentable cry of the Romans that were compassed about in flames of fire made speed with all his Army to come and rescue them but the fire burnt so vehemently that he could save none of them Upon which Titus and his Army wept bitterly O Sirs when London was in flames if men of a Romish faith had compassed the City round about with their drawn Swords that none should have escaped the furious flames how dreadfull would such a day have been Whether such a thing was intended or designed and by any strange Providence prevented we shall know in the fittest season Numantium a City in Spain being besieged by the Romans and after it had born the brunt of War along time and made many desperate Sallies upon their enemies and were almost consumed with famine rather than they would bow their necks to the Roman yoke they barred their Gates and set all on fire and so burned themselves in the flames of their City that so they might leave the enemy nothing but ashes for his prey and triumph Here City and Citizens are destroyed together and 't is infinite mercy that this was not the fate the doom of the Citizens of London They and their City might have fallen together but God was good and a very present help in time of trouble O Sirs if not only your houses Psal 46. your shops your goods your wares but also your persons had been enclosed with flames and no possibility of escape how dreadful would the fire have been then O what tongue can express or heart conceive the sighs the groans the cryes the tears the gashful looks the horrible shrieks the dreadful amazement and the matchless astonishment that would have been upon all sorts and ranks of people that had been compassed round about with flames and could see no door of deliverance open to them O what a mercy is it that we are yet alive though we are stript of many comforts and contentments which formerly we have enjoyed Now here give me leave to open my self a little in these following particulars First What a mercy was this to all unregenerate and unconverted persons that they have had their lives for a Austin saith that he would not be a wicked man one half hour for all the world because he might die in that half hour and then he was undone for ever prey when London was in flames Had God by the flames or any other accident put an end to their natural dayes they might at this time have been a Rolling up and down in unquenchable flames Sinners Sinners the greatest weights hang upon the smallest Wyars Eternity Eternity depends upon your improvement of that time that life and those seasons and opportunities of Grace that yet you do enjoy That Rabbi hit it who said Nemo est cui non sit hora suâ— Every man hath his hour He who overslips that season may never meet with the like again all his dayes O Sirs to have a little more time to believe to repent to secure your interest iâ— Christ a changed nature a sanctified frame of heart a pardon in the bosom is a mercy more worth than ten thousand worlds To have a little more time to make your calling and election sure and to get the New Name and 2 Pet 1. 10. Rev. 2. 17. Heb. 11. 10. Chap. 12. 28. 1
the more he laboured to block up the way of Christ the more passible As they said once of the Graeciaâ—s in the Epigramm whom they thought invuâ—nerable We shâ—ot at them but they fail not down we wound them but do'nt kill them See Exod. 1. 10 11 12 13. Acts 8. Acts 14. it became And what ever of Christ he thought to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher thereupon he resolved to engage no further but retired to a private life All the oppositions that the Dâ—vil and his instruments had raised against the Saints in all the ages of the world hath not diminished but encreased their number For the first three hundred years after Christ there was a most terible perfecution Historians tell us that by seven and twenty several sorts of deaths they tormented the poor people of God In these hot times of persecution many millions of Christians were destroyed And yet this was so far from diminishing of their number that it encreased their number for the more they were oppressed and perfecuted the more they were encreased And therefore some have well observed that though Julian used all means imaginable to suppress them yet he could never do it He shut up all their Schools that they might not have learning and yet never did learning more flourish than then He devised all manner of cruel torments to terrifie the Christians and to draw them from their holy faith and yet he saw that they encreased and multiplied so fast that he thought it his bâ—st course at last to give over his persecuting of the Saints not out of love but out of envy because that through his persecution they encreased This was represented unto Daniel Dan. 2. 34 35. in a vision Dan. 2. The Kingdom of Christ is set forth there by a little stone cut out of the Mountain without hands without art or industry without Engines and humane helps The stone was a growing stone and although in all the ages of the world there have been many hammers at work to break this stone in pieces yet they have not nor shall not prevail but the little stone shall grow more and more till it becomes a great Mountain and fills the whole earth And let this suffice for Answer to the first Objection I would justifie the Lord I would say he is righteous though Object 2 my house â—e burnt up but I have lost my goods I have lost my estate yea I have lost my all as to this world and how then can I sâ—y the Lord is righteous how can I justifie that God which has even stript me as naked as the day wherein I was born c. To this I answer Answ First Dâ—dst thou gain thy estate by just or unjust wayes and means If by unjust wayâ—s and means then be silent before the Lord. If â—y just wayes and means then know that the Lord will lay in that of himself and of his Son and of his Spirit and of his Grace and of Heavens glory that shall make up all thy losses to thee But Secondly Did you improve your estates for the glory of God and the good of others or did you not If not why do you complain If you did the reward that shall attend you at the long run may very well bear up your spirits under all your losses Consult these Scriptures 1 Cor. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 9. 6. Eccles 11. 1. Gal. 6. 7 8. Isa 32. 20. Isa 55. 10. Prov. 11. 18. Rev. 22. 12. But Thirdly What Trade did you drive Christ-wards and Heaven-wards and Holiness-wards If you did drive either The Stars which have least circuit are nearest the Pole and men that are least perplexed with business are commonly nearest to God no Trade heaven-wards or but a slender or inconstant Trade heaven-wards and holiness-wards never wonder that God by a fiery dispensation has spoiled your Civil Trade Doubtless there were many Citizens who did drive a close secret sinful Trade who had their by wayes and back-doors some to uncleanness others to merry meetings and others to secret Gaming Now if thou wert one of them that didst drive a secret Trade of sin never murmur because thy house is burnt and thy Trade destroyed but rather repent of thy secret Trade of sin and wonder that thy body is not in the grave and that thy soul is not a burning in everlasting flames Many there were in London who had so great a Trade so full a Trade so constant a Trade that they had no time to mind the everlasting concernments of their precious souls and the great things of Eternity They had so much to There were many who sacrificed their prâ—ciâ—us â—â—me â—â—ther to 〈◊〉 the Mâ—niâ—tâ—r of sleep or to Baccâ—us the Gâ—d of Wine or to 〈◊〉 â—he Goddes◠〈◊〉 Bâ—auty 〈◊〉 iâ— all â—ere due to the Bâ—d the Tavern and the â—rothel-house Numb 22. 32. 2 Pet 1. 10. do on Earth that they had no time to look up to Heaven as once the Dake of Alva told the King of Fraâ—ce Sr. Thomas More saith there is a Devil called negâ—tiuâ— business thâ—â— carrieth more souls to Hell then all the Dâ—vâ—â—s in Hell beside Many Citizens had so many Irons in the fire and were cumbred about with so many things that theâ— wholly neglected the one thing necessary and therefore it was but just with God to visit them with a fiery Rod. Look as much earth puts out the fire so much worldly bâ—siness puts out the fire of heavenly affections Look as the earth swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram so much worldly business swallows up so much precious time that many men have no leisure to secure their interest in Christ to make their calling and election sure to lay up treasure in Heaven to provide for eternity and if this have been any of your cases who are now burnt up it highly concerns you to justifie the Lord and to say he is righteous though he has burnt up your habitatâ—ons and destroyâ—d your Trade 'T is sad when a crowd of worldly business shall crowd God and Christ and Duty out of dooâ—s Many Citizens did drive so great a Publick Trade in their Shops that their private Trade to Heaven was quite laid by Such who were so busie about their Farm and their Merchandise that they had See Luke 14. 16. 22. no leisure to attend their souls concernments had their City set on fire about their ears Matth. 22. 5. But they made light of it that is of all the free rich and noble offâ—rs of Grace and mercy that God had made to them and went their wayes one to his farm another to his Merchandise Ver. 7. But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his Armies that is the Romans and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City It is observable that the Exod. 20. 9. Vidâ— Exod. 29. 38 39. Numb 28. 3. Deut. 6. 6 7 8. Jews who were
set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart THE Lord in this Chapter by the Prophet Esay doth foretell heavy things against the people and by the way marks the Lords dealings he ever gives warnings before he sends any plagues he lightens before he thunders that the people might not say they did not hear of it and that the wicked might be the more inexcusable and that the godly might make an Ark to save themselves in These words contain in them five â—â—veral things 1. The Author of this Destruction or Judgment 2 The Causes of it 3. The Judgment it self 4. Wâ—â— they were on whom this Judgment was inflicted 5. The Effect of it Now by Divine permission I will open these wordâ— in order to you For thâ— first the Author of it Now this is laid down by Quâ—stion and Answer Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers there 's the Question Did not I the Lord there the Answer God is the Author of all the Plagues and Judgments that befal a Nation Secondly The Causes why the Lord did this to a people that he had chosen to be a special people unâ—o himself to a people upon whom he had set his love to a people that he Deut. â— 5. 7. 8. Deut. 32. 10 11 12. had owned for his portion and that he had formerly kept as the Apple of his Eye and carried as upon Eagles wings Now the causes are set down fiâ—st more generally in these words Because they have sinned agaâ—nst the Lord. Secondly more particularly in these words For they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his Law The third thing observable in the words is the dreadful Judgments themselves that God inflicted upon his sinful people his sinning people and these you have in vers 25. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger not only his anger but the fury of his anger to shew the greatness of it the extremity of it Mark he doth not say that God did drop down his anger but he poured down hiâ— anger and indignation This Phrase he poured out is an allusion to the clouds pouring down of water violently all at once in an instant as they do many times in the Levant Seas in Egypt at the Indies and in several other parts of the Gâ—n 6. 11. world as they did in the Deluge when the windows of Heaven were broke open Now by this similitude the Lord shews the dreadfulness the grievousness the suddenness and the vehemency of the Judgments that were fallen upon them And the strength of Battel The Lord appears in Arms against them in the greatness and fierceness of his wrath he sent in a very powerful Enemy upon them that with fire and sword over-ran them and their Country and destroyed them on every side as you may see by comparing the 2 Kings 23. 33. ult with the 24. and 25. Chapters following And hath set him on fire round about That is say some all the Countries Cities and Towns round about Jerusalem were set on fire Yet be knew not Though God had burnt them up on every hand yet they took no notice of it they regarded it not they were not at all affected with the fiery Dispensations of Diod orus Siculus writes that in Aethiopia there is such a sottish insensible people that if you cut them with a drawn sword or slay their wives and children before their faces they are not at all affected with it nor moved at it Such brutes were these Jews God O the dulness the insensibleness the sottishness of the Jews under the most awakning and amazing Judgments of God! And it burned him This some apply to the City of Jerusalem it self God did not only fire the Cities and Towns round about Jerusalem but he also set Jerusalem it self into a flame Jerusalem which was beautiful for situation the joy of the whole Earth the Paradise and Wonder of the world is turned into ashes Yet be laid it not to heart or upon his heart as the Original runs O the monstrous stupidity insensibleness and blockishness of this people Though God had brought them low though their Crown was fallen from their head though their gloriâ—us City was turned into ashes and though they were almost destroyed by many smarting miseries and dreadful calamities yet they were not affected with the stupendious Judgments of God they were not awakned by all the flames that God had kindled about their ears they did not lay the Judgments of God to heart nor they would not lay the Judgments of God upon their hearts The fourth thing observable in the words iâ— the persons the people that were spoiled destroyed and consumed by fire and they were Jacob and Israel Who gave Jacob for a Isa 58. 2. Zach. 7. 5. Exod. 19. 5. spoil and Israel to the Robbers They were a praying people a professing people a fasting people a peculiar people a priviledged people and yet for their sins they became a destroyed people a consumed people a ruined people The fifth thing observable in the words is the little Effect the Judgments of God had upon them Now they were under such monstrous stupidity that they were not all awakned nor affected By Tiâ—us Vespasian their land became astage of blood and of all kind of barbarisms and now their so renowned City their Temple and Sanctum Sanctorum so fam'd all the world over was turned into ashes and laid level to the ground Buxtorf Synag Judaica cap. 5. c. 36. with the Judgments of God they regarded them not they laid them not to heart And as stupid and senseless were they when Titus Vespasiâ—n had laid their City desolate by fire and sword and sold thirty of them for one piece of silver as Josephus and other Historians tell us O Sirs since their crucifying of the Lord of Glory they have never laid their finger upon the right sore to this very day they wo'nt acknowledge their sin in crucifying of the Lord of Glory They confess they have sinned more then ever and therefore 't is that God hath more sorely afflicted them then ever but their cruelty to Christ their crucifying of Christ which ushered in the total ruine of their City and Country they cannot be brought to acknowledge to this very day though the Lord hath burnt them up on every hand and hath scattered them as dung all over the earth to this very day A Learned Writer tells us that they call Christ Bar-chozab the Son of a Lye a Bastard and his Gospel Aven Gilaion the Volume of Lyes or the Volume of Iniquity and us Christians Goiiâ—n that is Gentiles Edomites when they salute a Christian they call him Shed that is Devil They hate all Christians but none so much as those that are converted from Judaism to Christianity and all this after so great a burning and desolation that
shall devour the bryars and thorns and shall kindle in the thickest of the forrest and they shall moont up like the lifting up of smoak So the burning lust of uncleanness Rom. 1. 27. They burned in lust one towards another So 1 Cor. 7. 9. It s better to marry then to burn And so Sodom was fiâ—st in a flame of burning lusts before it was burnt with fire from Heaven But this is not the fire that is here meant in the Proposition that we are upon But Fourthly Premise this with me fire is sometimes taken for the blessed Angels Psal 104 4. Who maketh his Angels Spirits his Ministers a flamâ—ng fire Hence it is that Heb. 1. 7. the Angels are called Seraphims which signifies burning or flaming ones and they are set forth by this name to note Isa 6. 2. their irresistable power for as there is no withstanding of the furious flames so there is no withstanding of these burning or flaming ones Jerom Musculus and several others are of opinion that the Angel that destroyed of Sennacheribs Host 2 Kings 19. 35. a hundred and fourscore and five thousand in one night that he did it by fire burning their bodies their garments being untoucht But the fire in the Proposition cannot be understood of the blessed Angels for several reasons not here to be alledged But Fifthly Premise this with me fire in Scripture is sometimes taken for Wars The fire of thine enemies that is the Wars that shall be amongst the Nations shall devour them Isa 26. 11 12. Chap. 29. 6 7. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord with a flame of devouring fire but the Nations that fight against the Altar shall be a dream Now fire in this sense is not to be excluded out of the Proposition But Sixthly Premise this with me fire sometimes notes the special presence of God in a way of special love and favour to his people in Exod. 3. 2. you read how the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed here was a representation of the Churches affliction that was then in Egypt a house of bondage Deut. 4. 20. in the midst of a fiery furnace But now the Lord was in the bush while the bush the dry bush or the Bramble-bush as the Hebrew word signifies was in a flaming fire In Seneh that Deut. 33. 16. you read of the good will of him that dwelt in the bush God was there in a way of merciful protection and preservation they were in the fire but the Lord was with them in the fire in all their fiery tryals God did bear them company But Seventhly Premise this with me in the blessed Scriptures we read of supernal fire of fire that came down from above and that 1. as a sign of Gods anger so fire came down from Heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah Gen. 19. 24. Also fire Numb 16. 35. came down from Heaven on them that offered incense in the conspiracy of Korah And so fire came down from Heaven 2 Kings 1. 10 11 12. 2 Chron. 7. 1. 2 Kings 18. 38. on the two Captains and their Fifties Secondly we read of fire that came down from Heaven as a sign and token of Gods favour And so fire came down from Heaven on the Sacrifice of Solomon and on the Sacrifice of Eliah God in those times did delight to shew his special love and favour to his precious servants by fire from Heaven But in the Proposition we are to understand not supernal but material fire But Eighthly and lastly Premise this with me fire is sometimes taken literally for that material fire that consumes Houses See 2 Chron. 36. 19. 2 Kings 19. 18. Chap. 21. 6. Psal 74. 7. Deut. 13. 16. Towns Cities and the most stately Structures Jer. 21. 10. For I have set my face against this City for evil and not for good saith the Lord it shall be given into the hand of the King of Babylon and he shall burn it with fire 2 Chron. 35. 13. And they roasted the Passover with fire Nehem. 1. 3. And they said unto me the remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province are in great affliction and reproach the Wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Chap. 2. 2 3. Wherefore the King said unto me why is thy countenance sad seeing thou art not sick this is nothing but sorrow of heart then I was very sore afraid and said unto the King Let the King live for ever why should not my countenance be sad when the City the place of my fathers sepulchres lyeth waste and the gates thereof are consumed with fire Now this material fire is the fire that is meant in the Proposition O Sirs God is as much the Author or Efficient cause of this Judgment of fire as he is the Author or Efficient cause of Sword Famine and Pestilence This I have in part proved already but shall more abundantly make it good in â—hat which follows But you will say Sir we know very well that God is the Author or Efficient cause of this dreadful Judgment of Fire as well as he is the Author or Efficient cause of any other Judgment that we have either felt or feared But we earnestly desire to know what the ends of God should be in inflicting this sore and heavy Judgment of Fire upon his â—oor people and in turning their glorious City into ashes This we are sure of that whoever kindled the fire God did blow the coal and therefore we shall not now consider what there was of mans treachery concurring with Gods severity in that dreadful Calamâ—â—y by Fire but rather inquire after the grounds reasons or ends that God aims at by that fiery Dispensation that has lately past upon us Now here give me leave to say that so far as the late Fire was a heavy Judgment of God upon the City yea upon the whole Nation the ends of God in-inflicting that Judgment are doubtless such as respect both sinners and Saints the righteous and the wicked the prophane and the holy the good and the bad Now such as respect the wicked and ungodly I take to be these that follow First That he may evidence his Soveraignty and that they may know that there is a God The prophane Atheist saith in his heart there is no God but God by his terrible Judgments Psal 14. 1. Psal 10. 4 5. Psal 50. 21. Eccle. 8. 11. Psal 24. 1. Dan. 6. 25 26 27. Isa 45. 9. Psal 2. 9 10 11 12. Hos 2. 8 9. startles and awakens the Atheist and makes him unsay what he had said in his heart When God appears in flames of fire devouring and destroying all before him then the proudest and the stoutest Atheists in the world will confess that there iâ— a God yea
his fury like fire when like a flaming fire he devours all our pleasant things and lays all our glory in dust and ashes we may safely conclude that his anger is fierce and that his wrath is great against us and therefore what eminent cause have we to fear and tremble before him God is a great and dreadful God Dan. 9. 4. A mighty God and terrible Deut. 7. 21. A great and terrible God Nehem. 1. 5. He is so in himself and he has been so in his fiery Dispensations towards us that the world by such remarkable severities may be kept in awe of him Generally fear doth more in the We are worthy saith Chrysostom of Hell if for no other cause yet for fearing Hell and the evil of punishment more then Christ Chrys Hom. 5. in Epist ad Rom. world then love As there is little sincerity so there is but little ingenuity in the world and that is the reason why many very rarely think of God but when they are afraid of him Many times Judgments work where Mercies do not win That famous Thomas Waldo of Lions the Father of the Waldenses seeing among many met together to be merry one suddenly fall down dead in the street it struck so to his heart that he went home a penitent it wrought to a severe and pious reformation of his life and he lived and dyed a precious man Though Pharaoh was not a pin the better for all the heavy Judgments that God inflicted upon him yet Jethro taking notice of those dreadful Plagues and Judgments that fell upon Pharaoh and upon his people and likewise upon the Amalekites was thereby converted and became a Proselyte as Rabbi Solomon noteth upon that 19. of Prov. 25. The world is so untractable that frowns will do more with them then smiles That God may keep wicked men in awe and in subjection to him he sees it very needful to bring common and general and over-spreading Judgments upon them Rev. 15. 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest O Sirs when the Judgments of the Lord come to be made manifest then it highly concerns all ranks and sorts of men to fear the Lord and to glorifie his Name How manifest how visible has the raging Pestilence and the bloody Sword and the devouring Flames of London been in the midst of us and O that our fear and dread and awe of God were as manifest and as visible as his Judgments have been and still are for his hand to this very hour is stretched out against us Isa 9. 12. But Thirdly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the Sons of men and upon Cities and Countries to express and make known his Power Justice Anger Severity and Indignation against sinners and their sinful courses by which See Jer. 14. 15 16. Lam. 4. 11. Jer. 4. 15. to verse 19. he has been provoked Deut. 32. 19. And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters Vers 21. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will provoke them to anger with a foolish Nation Vers 22. For a fire is kindled in my anger and shall burn unto the lowest Hell and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains Vers 24. They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat or with burning coals and with bitter destruction There is a knowledge of God by his Works as well as by his Word and by his Judgments as well as by his mercies In his dreadful Judgments every one may run and read his Power his Justice his Anger his Severity and his Indignation against sin and sinners 'T is irrevocable sins that bring irrevocable Judgments upon sinners whilst men hold on in committing great iniquities God will hold on in inflicting answerable severities When God cannot prevail with men to desist from sinning men shall not prevail with God to desist from destroying of them their habitations and all their pleasant things Jer. 2. 15. The young Lions roared upon him and yelled and they made his Land waste his Cities are burnt without Inhabitant Vers 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way When Nicephorus Phocas had built a mighty strong Wall about his Palace for his own security in the night time he heard a voice crying out unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O Emperour though thou buildest the wall as high as the clouds yet if sin be within it will overthrow all Sin like those Traitors in the Trojan Horse will do Cities Countries more hurt in one night then ten thousand open enemies could do in ten years Cities and Countries might flourish and continue as the days of Heaven and be as the Sun before the Almighty if his wrath be not provoked by their prophaneness and wickedness So that it is not any divine Aspect of the Heavens nor any malignant Conjunction of the Stars and Planets but the loose manners the ungracious lives and the enormous sins of men that lay Cities and Countries desolate Jer. 13. 22. And if thou say in thine heart wherefore come these things upon me wherefore hath the Lord sent plague sword famine and fire to devour and destroy and to lay all in ashes The Answer is For the greatness of thine iniquity God will in flames of fire discover his anger and indignation against sin and sinners The Heathen Herodotus Historian observes in the ruine of Troy that the sparkles and ashes of burnt Troy served for a lasting monument of Gods great anger and displeasure against great sinners The burning of Troy served to teach men that God punisheth great sinners with great plagues and certainly Londons being laid in ashes is a high evidence that God knows how to be angry with sinners and how to punish sin with the sorest of Judgments The Gods of the Gentiles were senseless stocks and stones not able to apprehend much less to revenge any injury done unto them Well therefore might the Philosopher be bold with Hercules to put him to his thirteenth labour in seething of his dinner and Martial with Priapus in threatning him to throw him into the fire if he looked not well to his Trees A child may play at the hole of a dead Asp and a filly woman may strike a dead Lyon but who dare play with a living Serpent who dare take a roaring Lyon by the beard O that Châ—istians then would take heed how they provoke the living God for he is a consuming fire and with a word of his mouth yea with the breath of his mouth he is able to throw down and to burn up the whole frame of Nature and to destroy all Creatures from
them lâ—b de superstitione Sun and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire And the men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the Name of God which hath power over these plagues and they repâ—nted not to give him glory Vers 10. And the fifth Angel poured out his vial upon the scent of the Beast and his Kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds The top of the Judgment that is and shall be upon the wicked is this that under the sorest and heaviest Judgments that shall come This will be the case of all the worshippers of the Beast one day Deut. 8. 2. 15 16. upon them they shall not repent nor give glory to God they shall blaspheme the Name of God and they shall blaspheme the God of Heaven and they shall be scorched with great heat and they shall gnaw their tongues for pain but they shall not repent of their deeds nor give glory to that hand that smites them The fierce and fiery Dispensations of God upon the followers and worshippers of the Beast shall draw out their sins but they shall never reform their lives nor better their souls God kept the Jews forty years in the Wilderness and exercised them with many sore and smart afflictions that he might prove them and make a more full discovery of themselves to themselves and did not the heavy tryals that they met with in their wilderness condition make a very great discovery of that pride that unbelief that hypocrisie that impatience that discontent that self-love that murmuring c. that was wrapt up close in all their souls O Sirs since God has turned our renowned City into ashes what discoveries has he made of that pride that unbelief that worldliness that earthliness that self-love that inordinate affection to relations and to the good things of the world that discontent that disquietness that faint-heartedness that has been closely wrapt up in the spirits of many thousands whose habitations are now laid in ashes We try metals by fire and by knocking and God has tryed many thousands this day by his fiery Dispensations and knocking Judgments that have been in the midst of us I believe there are many thousands who have been deep sufferers by the late dreadful Fire who never did think that there had been so much sin and so little grace so much of the Creature and so little of God so much earth and so little of Heaven in their hearts as they now find by woful experience and how many wretched sinners are there who have more blasphemed God and dishonoured Christ and provoked divine Justice and abused their best mercies and debased and be-beasted themselves since the late Fire then they have done in many years before But Sixthly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countries that others may be warned by his severities to break off their sins and to return to the most High Gods Judgments upon one City should be advertisements to all other Cities to look about them and to Heb. 12. 29. tremble before him who is a consuming fire The flaming Rod of correction that is laid upon one City should be a Rod of instruction to all other Cities Jer. 22. 6 7 8 9. I will make thee a wilderness and cities which are not inhabited and many nations shall pass by this city and they shall say every man to his neighbour Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this great City Then shall they answer Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other gods and served them God punisheth one City that all others Cities may take warning There is no Judgment of God be it Sword Pestilence Famine or Fire upon any People City Nation or Country but what is speaking and Mich. 6. 9. teaching to all others had they but eyes to see ears to hear and hearts to understand Thus Tyrus shall be devoured with fire saith the Prophet Ashkelon shall see it and fear Zach. 9. 4 5. Gaza and Ekron shall be very sorrowful When Ashkelon Gaza and Ekron shall see the destruction of Tyre by fire it shall make them afraid of the like Judgment they shall be a little more concerned then some were at the Siege of Rhodes and then others were at the Ruine and Desolation of Troy by fire London's sufferings should warn others to take heed of London's sins London's Conflagration should warn others to take heed of London's abominations it should warn others to stand and wonder at the patience Rom. 2. 4 5. long-suffering gentleness and goodness of God towards them who have deserved as hard things from the hand of God as London have felt in 1665. and 1666. It should warn others to search their hearts and try their ways and break off their sins and turn to the Lord lest his anger should break forth in flames of fire against them and none should be able to deliver them It should warn others to Lam. 3. 40. fear and tremble before that Power Justice Severity and Soveraignty that shine in Gods fiery Dispensations towards us Ezek. 30. 7 8 9. And they shall be desolate in the midst Exod. 15. 14 15 16. Isa 13. 6 7 8. â—f the countries that are desolate and her Cities meaning Egypt shall be in the midst of the Cities that are wasted And they shall know that I am the Lord when I have set a fire in Egypt In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Aethiopians afraid and great pain shall câ—me upon them as in the day of Egypt for lo it cometh God by his secret Instinct and Providence would so order the matter as that the news of the Chaldeans inrode into Egypt laying all their Cities and Towns waste by fire and sword should be carried over into Aethiopia and hereupon the secure Aethiopians should fear and tremble and be in pain as a woman is that is in travel or as the Egyptians were when they were destroyed at the Red-sea or as they were when the Lord smote their first-born throughout the Land of Egypt Now shall the Aethiopians the poor blind Heathens fear and tremble and be in pain when they hear that Egypt is laid waste by fire and sword and shall not Christians all the world over fear and tremble and be in pain when they shall hear that London is laid waste that London is destroyed by fire What though Papists and Atheists have warmed themselves at the flames of London saying Aha so would we have it yet let all that have the Name of God upon them fear and tremble and take warning and learn righteousness by his righteous Judgments upon desolate London Isa 26. 8 9. London's murdering-piece should be Englands warning-piece to awaken them and to work them to
bethink themselves and to turn to him who is able by a flaming fire quickly to turn them out of all The Jews have a saying That if war be begun in another Country yet they should fast and mourn because the war is begun and because they do not know how soon God may bring it to their doors O Sirs London is burnt and it highly concerns you to fast and mourn and pray and to take the Alarm for you do not know how soon a fire may be kindled in your own habitations Now God has made the once famous City of London a flaming Beacon before your eyes he expects and looks that you should all fear before him Secure your interest in him walk humbly with him and no more provoke the eyes of his jealousie and glory The design of Heaven by this late dreadful Fire is not to be confined to those particular persons upon whom it hath fallen heaviest but 't is to awaken all and warn all When a Beacon is fired it gives warning as much to the whole Country as to him who sets it on fire or as it does to him on whose ground the Beacon stands We can neither upon the foot of Reason or Religion conclude them to be the greatest sinners who have been the greatest suffererâ— for many times we find that the greatest Saints have been the greatest sufferers both from God and men Job Job 1. 1 2 3 4. was a non-such in his day for holiness uprightness and the fear of the Lord and yet by the wind and fire from Heaven on the one hand and by the Sabeans and Chaldeans on the other hand he is stript of all his children and of a fair estate in one day so that in the morning it might have been said Who so rich as Job and in the evening Who so poor as Job Job was poor even to a Proverb Look as wicked men are very incompetent Judges of divine favours and mercies so they are very incompetent Judges of divine tryals and severities and whatever they may think or say I dare conclude that they who have drank deepest of this Cup of sorrows of this Cup of desolation and fire in London are not greater sinners then all others in England who yet have not tasted of this bitter Cup. But more of this when I come to the Application of the Point O Sirs I beg upon the knee of my soul that you will not slight this dreadful warning of God that he has given to the whole Nation in turning London into ashes To that purpose seriously consider First Divine warnings slighted and neglected will certainly bring down the greater wrath and vengeance upon you Levit. 26. 16 17 18. 21 23 24. 27 28. Amos 4. 7. 8 9 10 11. Jer. 25. 4. to the 12. vers Isa 22. 12 13 14. as you may clearly see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together Secondly Slighting of Judgments is the greatest Judgment that can befal a people it speaks out much Pride Atheism Hardness Blindness and desperate Security and Contempt of the great God To be given up to slight divine warnings is a spiritual Judgment and therefore must of all Judgments be the greatest Judgment to be given up to Sword Famine Fire Pestilence burning Agues and Fevers is nothing so great a Judgment as to be given up to slight divine warnings for in the one you are but passive but in the other you are active Thirdly Heathens Jonah 3. have trembled and mended and reformed at divine warnings and therefore for you to slight them is to act below the Heathens yea 't is to do worse then the Heathens who will certainly one day rise up in Judgment against all such who have been slighters of the dreadful warnings of Heaven Fourthly Slighting of divine warnings lays men Prov. 1. 24. to vers 32. open to such anger and wrath as all the Angels in Heaven are not able to express nor all the men on earth able to conceive Fifthly Slighting and neglecting of divine warnings speaks out the greatest dis-ingenuity stoutness and stubbornness that is imaginable The ingenuous child easily takes warning and to an ingenuous Christian every divine warning is as the hand-writing upon the wall Sixthly Slighting of divine warnings provokes God many tâ—mes to Dan. 5. 5. give up men to be their own Executioners their own destroyers Saul had many warnings but he slighted and neglected 1 Sam. 31. 4. Joh. 6. 70 71. Mat. 26. 21 22 23 24 25. Mat. 27. 5. them all and at last God leaves him to fall on his own sword Christ cast Hell-fire often into Judas his face Thou hast a Devil and wo to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed it had been good for that man that he had never been born But Judas slights all these warnings and betrays his Lord and Master and then goes forth and hangs himseâ—f It was a strange conceit of the Cerinthians that honoured Judas the Traitor as some divine Irenaeus Aug. de Haeresi and super-humane power and called his Treason a blessed piece of Service and that he knowing how much the death of Christ would profit mankind did therefore betray him to death to save the race of mankind and to do a thing pleasing to God Judas withstood all divine warnings Some report of Judas that he slew his father married his mother and betrayed his Master from within and without and you know how the Tragedy ended he dyed a miserable death he perished by his own hands which were the most infamous hands in all the world he went and hanged himself And as Luke hath it he fell head-long and burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out In every passage of his death we may take notice of divine Justice and accordingly take heed of slighting divine warnings It was but just that he should hang in the air who for his sin was hated both of Heaven and Earth and that he should fall down head-long who was fallen from such a height of honour as he was fallen from and that the halter should strangle that throat through which the voice of Treason had sounded and that his bowels should be lost who had lost the bowels of all pity piety and compassion and that his Ghost should have his passage out of his midst He burst asunder in the midst saith the Text and not out of his lips because with a kiss of his lips he had betrayed our Lord Jesus But seventhly By slighting divine warnings you will arm both visible and 2 Kings 6. 8 9 10 11. 16. 17. Exod. 14. Judg. 5. 19 20. Isa 37. 7 8 9. 36. invisible Creatures against you Pharaoh slights divine warnings and God arms the winds against him to his destruction Sisera slights divine warnings and the Stars in their Course fought against Sisera Sennacherib slights divine warnings and an Angel of the Lord destroyed a hundred fourscore and
men under their losses crosses tryals and sufferings from the people of God When they are under fiery tryals what an evil spirit what a desperate spirit what a sullen spirit what a proud spirit what a Satanical spirit what a hellish spirit do they discover they tell all the world that they are under the power and dominion of the God of this Phil. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 26. World But when the people of God are under fiery tryals they make conscience of carrying of it so as that they may convince the world that God is in them of a truth and that they are sincere and upright before the Lord however they are judged and censured as Hypocrites Deceivers Dissemblers and what not O that all that are sufferers by this fiery Dispensation would make it their business their work their Heaven so to carry it under their present tryals as to convince all gain-sayers of the sincerity integrity and uprightness of their hearts both towards the Lord his people his ways his Ordinances his interest and all his concernments in this world And thus much for the gracious Ends that God aims at in all those severe Providences and fiery Tryals that of late he has exercised his people with The next thing we are to inquire after is those sins for which the Lord inflicts so heavy a Judgment as this of Fire upon the Sons of men Now for the opening of this give me leave to propose this Question Viz. What are those sins that bring the fiery Dispensation that Quest bring the Judgment of Fire upon Cities Nations and Countries Now that I may give a full and fair Answer to this necessary and important Qâ—estion will you please to premise with me these four things First We need not question but that some of all sorts ranks and degrees of men in and about that once great and glorious City did eminently contribute to the bringing down of that dreadful Judgment of Fire that has turned that renowned City into Ashes doubtless Superiors and Inferiors Ministers and People Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants Rich and Poor Honourable and Base Bond and Free have all had a hand in the bringing down that Judgment of Fire that has turned London into a ruinous heap But Secondly Premise this with me viz. That 't is a greater Argument of humility integrity and holy ingenuity to fear our selves and to be jealous of our selves rather then others as the Disciples of Christ did Mat. 26. 21 22. And as they Math. 26. 21 22. did eat he said Verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray me And they were exceeding sorrowful and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I 'T is better for every man to do his best to ransack and search his own Soul and to find out the Achan the accursed thing in his own bosom Lam. 3. 40. Joshua 7. that has brought that dreadful Judgment of Fire upon us then for men without any Scripture-warrant to fix it upon this party and that this sort of men and that There is no Christian to him that smites upon his own heart his own â—â—east his own thigh saying What have I done The neglect of this duty the Prophet long since has complained of No man repents himself of his wickedness saying Jer. 8. 6. What have I done that is none comparatively So how rare is it to find a burnt Citizen repenting himself of his wickedness and saying What have I done Most men are ready to blame others more then themselves and to judge Math. 7. 1 2 3 4. others rather then themselves to be the persons that have brought down this Judgment of Fire upon us 'T was a good Saying of one of the Ancients Amat Deus seipsos judicantes Augustine non judicare God loves to judge them that judge others rashly but not those that judge themselves religiously But Thirdly Premise this with me in times of common Judgements common Calamities and Miseries other of the Saints and Servants of God have lookt upon their own sins as the procuring-causes of the common Calamity Thus David did in that 2 Sam. 24. 15. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed and there dyed of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men but mark the 17. verse And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the Angel that smote the people and said Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house And thus did good Nebemiah Nehem. 1. 3 6 7. And they said unto me The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire Both I and my fathers house have sinned we have dealt very corruptly against thee and have not kept thy commandments nor the statutes nor the judgments which thou commandest thy servant Moses Now certainly 't is as much our glory as our duty to write after these blessed Copies that these Worthies have set before us Alexander had somewhat a wry neck and his Souldiers thought it an honour to be like him How much more should we count it an honour to be like to David and Nehemiah in such a practice as is honourable to the Lord and advantagious to our selves But what Plutarch said of Demosthenes That he was excellent at praising the worthy Acts of his Ancestors but not so at imitating them is applicable to the present case and to many who have been burnt up in our day But Fourthly and lastly Premise this with me there were many sins amongst them that did profess to fear God in that great City which may and ought to work them to justifie the Lord and to say that he is righteous in his fiery Dispensations I may well say to the burnt Citizens of London what the Prophet Oded to them in that 2 Chron. 28. 10. But are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God But you will say What sins were there among the professing people in London that may and ought to work them to justifie the Lord and to say that he is just and righteous and that he has done them no wrong though he has burnt them up and turned them out of all I answer That there were these seven sins among others Answ to be found amongst many of them I say not amongst all of them all which call aloud upon them to lye low at the foot of God and to subscribe to the Righteousness of God though he has turned them out of house and home and burnt up their substance on every hand First There was among many Professors of the Gospel in London too great a conformity to the fashions of the
declares made by the Heathen the reproach of Christ himself Quomodo bonus magister cujus tam pravos videmus discipulos How can we think the Master to be good whose Disciâ—les we see to be so bad Epiphanius saith that in his days many shuâ—'d the society of the Christians because of the loosness and luxuriousness of their lives And Augustin confesseth that August de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 34. in his time the loose and luxurious lives of many who profest the Christian Religion gave a great advantage to the Manichees to reproach the whole Church of God and the ways of God The Manichees were a sort of people who affirmed that there were two principles or beginnings of things viz. a summum bonum and a summum malum A summum bonum from whence sprang all good and a summum malum from whence issued forth all evil Now the loose and luxurious lives of such as had a profession upon them hardned these in their errours and caused them with open mouth greatly to reproach and deeply to censure the sincerest Saints And Chrysostom preferred brute beasts before luxurious persons for they go from belly to labour when the luxurious person goes from belly to bed or from belly to Cards or Dice if not to something that is worse And Augustine well observes that God hath not given to man talons and claws to rent and tear in pieces as to Bears and Leopards nor horns to push as to Bulls and Unicorns nor a sting to prick as to Wasps and Bees and Serpents nor a bill to strike as to Eagles and Ostriches nor a wide mouth to devour as to Dogs and Lyons but a little mouth to shew that man should be very temperate both in his eating and drinking How applicable these things are to the luxurious persons that lived within and without the Walls of London before it was turned into ashes I shall leave the wise in heart to judge But Thirdly Those great and horrid sins that were to be found in maâ—y mens Callingâ— viz. excessive worldliness Prov. 28. 20. 22. See Josh 7. 15. 21. 24. 25. extortion deceit bribery c. these brought the sore Judgment of Fire upon us When men are so greedy and mad upon the world that they make haste to be rich by all sinful devices and cursed practices no wonder if God burns up their substance and turns their persons out of house and home The coal the Eagle got from the Altar the Sacrifice and carried it to her nest set all on fire So that Estate that men get by sinful ways and unwarrantable courses first or last will set all they have on fire He that resolves to be evil may soon be rich when the spring of conscience is screwed up to the highest pin that it is ready to crack when Religion is lock'd up in an out-room and forbidden upon pain of death to look into the Shop or Ware-house no wonder such men thrive and grow great in the world but all the riches such men store up is but fuel for the fire Hab. 2 9. Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousnâ—ss to his house that he He saith Chrysostom that locks up ill-gotten riches in his counting-house locks up a Thief in his countenance which will carry all away and if he look not the betteâ— to it his precious Soul also may set his nest on high that hâ— may be delivered from the power of evil Verse 11. For the stone shall cry out of the wall the beam out of the timber shall answer it Verse 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of Hâ—sts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity They had got great Estates by an evil covetousness and God was resolved that he would make a bon-fire of all their ill gotten goods and though they should venture their lives to save â—heir goods and quench the flames yet all should be but labour in vain according to that word Jer. 51. 58. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken and her high gates shall be burnt with fire and the people shall labour in vain and the folk in the fire and they shall be weary Though Babylon was a City of great same and state and riches and deservedly accounted one of the worlds nine wonders though the compass of the Walls was 365 furlongs or 46 miles according to the number of the days in the year and the heighth 50 cubits and of so great a bredth that Carts and Carriages might meet on the top of them yea though it was so great and vast a City that Aristotle saith that it ought rather to be called a Country then a City adding withal that when the City was taken it was three days before the furthest part of the City could take notice of it Yet at last according to the Word of the Lord it was set on fire and though the Inhabitants did weary and tire out themselves to quench the flames and to save their stately houses and ill-gotten riches yet all was labour in vain and to no purpose In the days of Pliny it was an utter desolation and in the time of Hierom it was turned into a Park in which the King of Persia did use to hunt So Ezek. 28. 18. Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy traffick therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee it shall devour thee and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee Verse 19. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee thou shalt be a terrour and never shalt thou be any more Tyruâ— among the Sea-bordering Cities was most famous and renowned for Merchandise and Trade for thither resorted the Merchants of all Countries for Traffick of Palestina Syria Egypt Persia and Assyria They of Tarshis brought thither Iron Lead Brass and Silver The Syrians brought thither Carbuncles Purple broidered Work fine Linnen Coral and Pearl The Jews brought thither their Honey Oyl Treacle Cassia and Calamuâ— The Arabians brought thither Lambs Muttons and Goats The Sabeans brought thither their exquisite Spices and Apothecary-stuff with Gold and precious Stones Now by fraud and deceit they grew exceeding rich and wealthy which in the close issued in their total ruine according to that of the Prophet Zacha. 9. 3 4. And Tyrus did build her self a strong hold and heaped up silver as the dust and fine gold as the mire of the streets Behold the Lord will cast her out and he will smite her power in the sea and she shall be devoured with fire The Tyriâ—ns did hold themselves invincible because of their siâ—uation being round about environed by the Sea but yet the Prophet tells them that though they were compassed about with deep waters yet they should be destroyed by
lye Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon thosâ— gracious Souls that feared the Lord within or without the Walls of London before it was turned into a ruinous heap But Eighthly and lastly Lyars are reckoned amongst the basest and the worst of sinners that you read of in all the Book of God Levit. 19. 11. Ye shall not steal neither deal falsely neither lye one to another Prov. 6. 16 17 18 19. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feeâ— that be swift in running to mischief A false witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren So the Apostle Paul setting down a Catalogue of the basest and worst of sinners he ranks lyars in the rere of them 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons So John numbers them amongst the damned crew Rev. 21. 8. That shall be sent to hell and that must perish for ever Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death In this Catalogue of the damned crew the fearful are placed in the Front and the lyars in the Rere See once more how the Holy Ghost couples lyars Rev. 22. 15. For without are dogs and sorcerers and murtherers and whoremongers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Thus you see in all these Scriptures that lyars are numbred up among the rabble of the most desperate and deplorable Wretches that are in all the world and therefore upon this account also I cannot charge the trade of lying upon them that feared the Lord whose habitations were once within or without the Walls of London The eighth sin that brings the Judgment of Fire is mens giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire In these words there are these three things observable First The places punished and they are Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them which were Admah and Zeboim Egesippus and Stephanus say that ten Cities were destroyed Deut. 29. 23. Hos 11. 8. and some say thirteen Cities were destroyed when Sodom was destroyed but these things I shall not impose upon you as Articles of Faith The overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them was total both in respect of the Inhabitants and the places themselves their sin was universal and their punishment was as universal That pride idleness and fulness of bread that is charged upon them by the Prophet Ezekiel did usher in those abominable Ezek. 16. 49 50. wickednesses that laid all waste and desolate Secondly The sins that brought these punishments viz. The giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh The first is Giving themselves over to fornication Now the word Fornication is not to be taken properly and strictly for that act of uncleanness that is often committed between persons unmarried but it is here to be taken for all sorts of carnal uncleanness The Heathen thought fornication no vice and therefore they made it a common custom and were wont to pray thus The Gods increase the number of the Harlots The second sin that is charged upon them is Their going after strange flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another flesh as the words in the Original run The Apostle in this modest and covert expression Going after strange flesh or other flesh or another flesh doth hint to us their monstrous and unlawful lusts that were against the Course Light and Law of Nature they gave themselves up to such filthiness as is scarce to be named among men they went after other flesh then what Nature or the God of Nature had appointed The Gen. 2. 21. ult great God never appointed that male and male but only that male and female should be one flesh 't is impossible that man and man in that execrable act should make one flesh as man and woman do The flesh of a male to a male must needs be another flesh The Apostle Paul expresseth their filthiness thus For even their women did change the natural Rom. 1. 26 27. use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly Chrysostom well observes on these words that whereas by Gods Ordinance in lawful copulation by Marriage two became one flesh both Sexes were joyned together in one by Sodomitical uncleanness the same flesh is divided into two men with men working uncleanness as with women of one Sex making as it were two The Genâ—iâ—es had left the God of Nature and therefore the Lord in his just Judgment left them to leave the order of Nature and so to cast scorn and comtempt upon the whole humane Nature Again There is another sort of pollution by strange flesh Levit. 18. 23. and that is a carnal joyning of a man with a beast which is prohibited Neither shalt thâ—u lye with any beast Oh what a sink of sin is in the nature of man the heart of man And as this pollution is prohibited so 't is punished with death And Chap. 20. 15. if a man lye with a beast he shall surely be put to death and ye shall slay the beast The Lord to shew the horridness and the hainousness of this beastly sin commands that even the poor harmless innocent beast that is neither capable of sin nor of provoking or enticing man to sin must be put to death Oh how great is that pollution that pollutes the very beasts and that makes the unclean more unclean and that doth debase the beast below a beast Now to this sort of pollution the beastly Sodomites had without doubt given up themselves The third thing observable in the words is the severity of their punishment Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire We commonly say that fire and water have no mercy and we have frequently experienced the truth of that saying When God would give the world a proof of his greatest severity against notorious sinners and notorious sins he doth it
by inflicting the Judgment of Fire when the Sodomites burned in their lusts one towards another Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord that is by an elegant Hebraism from himself it being usual with the Hebrews to put the Noun for the Pronoun as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together Gen. 1. 27. 1 Sam. 15. 22. 2 Chron. 7. 2. 1 Kings 8. 1. Now this fiery vengeance came not from any inferior cause but from the supream cause even God himself This brimstone and material fire that was rained by the Lord out of Heaven was not by any ordinary course of Nature but by the immediate almighty power of God Doubtless it was the supernatural and miraculous work of the Lord and not from any natural cause that such showers not of water as when the Old world was drowned but of material fire and brimstone should fall from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah to which add Adama and Zeboim for all these four Cities were burnt together God rained not sprinkled yea he rained not fire only but fire and brimstone for the increase of their torment and that they might have a Hell above ground a Hell on this sâ—de Hell They had hot fire for their burning lusts and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishness They burned with vile and unnatural lusts and therefore against the course of Nature fire falls down from Heaven and devours them and their stinking abominable â—â—lthiness is punished with the stench of brimstone mingled with fire Thus God delights to suit mens punishments to their sins yea that temporal fire that God rained out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah was but a fore-runner of their everlasting punishment in that Lake which burns with Rev. 21. 8. fire and brimstone for evermore The temporal punishment of the impenitent Sodomites did but make way to their Jude 7. eternal punishments as Jude tells us I readily grant that the fire of Hell was typified by that fire which fell from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah but I cannot conceive that the Apostle Jude in the place last-cited doth intend or design to prove that the Sodomites were destroyed by Hell-fire for in the History of Genesis to which the Apostle alludes there is no mention at all of hell-Hell-fire or of Eternal fire and doubtless the example that should warn sinners to repent of their sins and to turn to the most High is to be taken from the History in Genesis I cannot at present see how Sodom and Gomorrah can be set forth as an example to sinners by suffering the punishment of Hell-fire when the History is wholly silent as to any such fire Some to mollifie the seeming austerity of that Phrase which Jude uâ—es viz. Eternal fire read the words thus Were made an example of eternal fire suffering vengeance by which construction they gather that the fire which hath irreparably destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was a type and figure of that fire of Hell of that Eternal fire that is reserved for wicked men and by which sinners ought to be warned Others by eternal fire understand the duration of the effects of the first temporal punishment the soil thereabout wearing the marks of divine displeasure to this very day Several Authors write that the Air there is so infectious that no creature can live there Josephus Tertullian Augustine c. and though the Apples and other fruit that grow there seem pleasant unto the eye yet if you do but touch them they presently turn into cinders and ashes The stinking Lake of Asphaltes near to Sodom is left as a perpetual Monument of Gods Vengeance killing all fish that swimmeth in it and fowls that flye over it Others by eternal fire understand an utter destruction according to that 2 Pet. 2. 6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow that is utterly destroyed them making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly God hangs them up in Gibbets as it were that others might hear and fear and not dare to do wickedly as they had done What though it be said that the fire wherewith these Sodomites were destroyed was eternal yet there is no necessity to understand it of Hell-fire for even that very fire which consumed those Cities may be called Eternal because the punishment that was inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah by fire was a punishment that should last as long as the world lasted God resolved those Cities should never be rebuilt but remain perpetual desolations in all generations Now in this sense the word Eternal is often used in the Scripture Again the fire and brimstone that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah was a type and figure of that eternal fire or those eternal torments that shall be inflicted upon all impenitent sinners for ever and ever The sum of all is this that the Sodomites by giving themselves over to fornication and by going after strange flesh did provoke the Lord to rain Hell out of Heaven upon them they did provoke the Lord to rain material fire and brimstone both upon their persons and their habitations Now give me leave to say that doubtless the body of the inhabitants of that famous City which is now laid in ashaes were as free from giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh as any in any part of the Nation yea more free then many in some parrs of the Nation yea give me leave to say that I cannot see how these sins that are charged upon the Sodomites can be clearly or groundedly charged upon any of the precious Servants of the Lord that did truly fear him in that renowned City And my Reasons are these First Because in all their solemn and secret Addresses to the Lord they have seriously lamented and mourned over these crying abominations Secondly Because mens giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are such high and horrid sins against the Light and Law of Nature that God commonly preserves his Chosen from them He shall be an Apoâ—lo to me that can produce any one instance in the Old or New Testament of any one person that after real and through Conversion did ever give himself over to fornication and to go after strange flesh Aristotle calls beastiality a furpassing wickedness By the Laws of those two Emperors Theodisius and Arcadius Sodomites were adjudged to the fire In the Councel of Vienna the Templers who were found guilty of this sin were decreed to be burnt And among the Romans it was lawful for him who was attempted to that abuse to kill him who made the assault Tertullian brings in Christianity triumphing over Paganism because this sin was peculiar to Heathens and that Christians never changed the Sex nor accompanied with any but their own wives This and such like as Tertullian speaks
a great miracle and that he should prevail against all that Power was a greater and that after all he should dye in his bed was the greatest of all There are many thousand Instances more of the like nature but enough is as good as a Feast Eighthly The spiritual Judgments that God hath given such up to who have shed the blood of the Just speaks out their blood to be precious blood Oh the dreadful horrors and amazing terrors of conscience that such have been given up to Take a few Instances among the many that might be given The Vaivod that had betrayed Zegeden a godly man professed to Zegedine that he was so haunted with Apparitions Cicero and the Furies of his own Conscience that he could not rest day nor night Dionysius a cruel Tyrant a bitter Enemy Conscience is Gods Preacher in the bosom Conscience is mille testes a thousand witnesses for or against a man Conscience hath a good memory to all good men and good things was so troubled with fear and horror of conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a Rasor he used to sindge his beard with burning coals A sleepy conscience when awakned is like a sleepy Lyon when he awakes he roars and tears his prey It is like Prometheus Vultur it lyes ever gnawing Sin brings a stain and a sting Horror of conscience meets a man in the dark and makes him leap in the night and makes him quake in his sleep and makes him start in every corner and makes him think every bush is a man every man a Devil and every Devil a Messenger to fetch him quick to Hell By this Theodorick saw the face of a man in the mouth of a fish Nâ—ssus heard the noise of murther in the voice of birds Saundes ran distracted over the Irish Mountains This made Cain wander Saul stab himself Judas hang himself Arius empty his bowels at the stool Latomus cry desperately he was damned he was damned and Julian confess that he was conquered It makes man the Lord of all to be Slave to all Lord what is man Certainly 't is better with Evagrius to lye secure on a bed of straw then to have a turbulent conscience on a bed of Doune having Curtains embossed with Gold and Pearl But Ninthly and lastly The shedding of the blood of the Just is a sin of so high a cry and so deep a dye that for it God is resolved except men repent that he will shut them out Gal. 5. 21. Rev. 21. 8. Rev. 22. 15. 1 Joh. 3. 15. Math. 22. 7. of the highest Heaven and cast them down to the lowest Hell as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together and therefore certainly the blood of the Just is most precious blood Now seeing that the blood of the Just is such precious blood who will wonder if God sets such Cities and Towns and Countries into a flame about their ears upon whose skirts the blood of the Just is to be found Josephus speaking of the desolation of Jerusalem saith Because they have sinned against the Lord God of their Fathers in shedding the blood of just men and innocents that were within thee even in the Temple of the Lord therefore are our sorrowful sighings multiplied and our weepinâ—s daily increased 'T was the blood of the just the blood of the innocents that turned Jerusalem into ashes I have read of one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long Captivity and extream misery and after that he had proved that it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes The selling of Joseph he makes the first sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing of Gods Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first they served four hundred years in Egypt for the second they wandred forty years in the Wilderness for the third they were Captives seventy years in Babylon and for the fourth they are held in pitiful Captivity even till this day When Phocas that bloody Cut-throat sought to secure himself by building high Walls he heard a voice from Heaven telling him That though he built his Bulwarks never so high yet sin within blood within would soon undermine all Shedding the blood of the Just is a sin that hath undermined the strongest Bulwarks and that hath blown up and burnt up the most glorious Cities that have been in the World And who can tell but that the blood of the Just that was shed in the Marian days might now come up into Speeds Chronicle in Queen Mary remembrance before the Lord For in four years of her Reign there were consumed in the heat of those flames two hundred seventy seven persons viz. Five Bishops one and twenty Ministers eight Gentlemen eighty four Artificers one hundred Husbandmen Servants and Labourers six and twenty Wives twenty Widows nine Virgins two Boys and two Infants I say who can tell but that the blood of these precious Servants of the Lord hath cryed aloud in the ears of the Lord for vengeance against that once glorious but now desolate City Men of brutish spirits and that are skilful to destroy make no more of shedding the blood of the Just then they do of shedding the blood of a Swine but yet this hideous sin makes so great a noise in the ears of the Lord of Hosts that many times he tells the World by his fiery Dispensations that it cannot be purged away but by fire And thus much for the sins that bring the fiery Judgment our way now to the Application is plain THE FIRST PART OF THE Application 1. To see the Hand of the Lord in it Ten Considerations to work to this 2. To mourn under the sense of so great a Judgement WE come now to the Use and Application of this important Point The Explication of a Doctrine is but the drawing of the Bow the Application is the hitting of the Mark the white c. Is it so that God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great calamities and dreadful Judgements that are inflicted upon Cities and Countreys and in particular of that of Fire then First Let us see the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful Vse Fire that hath been upon us for certainly God is the Author permissively at least he is the great Agent in all those terrible Judgements that befall Persons Cities and Kingdoms Ruth 1. 13. 21. Psalm 39. 9. 1 Sam. 3. 18. Whosoever or whatsoever be the Rod it s his hand that gives the
the seventy thousand that died of the Plague though Davids sin were the occasion yet the meritorious cause was in them Certainly there is no man that hath been a sufferer by this late dreadful Fire but upon an easie search into his own heart and life he may find matter enough to silence himself and to satisfie himself that though God has turn'd him out of his habitation and burnt up all his comforts round about him yet he has done him no wrong Surely in the burning of the City of London there was more of the extraordinary hand of God than there was of the hand of Papist or Atheist God if he had pleased could have prevented brutish and skilful men to destroy Ezek. 21. 31. and burn by discovering of their hellish plots before they had taken effect as he did Ahitophels 2 Sam. 17. 10. to the 24. and as he did Tobiahs and Sanballats Neh. 4. 7. to v. 16. And as he did the Jews who took counsel to kill Paul Acts 9. 23 24 25. Acts 23. 12. to 25. And as he did that of the Gun-Powder-Treason And God could have directed and spirited men to the use of the means and then have given such a blessing to the means as should have been effectual to the quenching of it when it was first kindled but he would not which is a clear evidence that he had given from Heaven a commission to the Fire to burn with that force and violence as it did till all was laid in ashes Now that you may the better see and acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the late dreadful Fire that has been amongst us Consider seriously with me these ten following particulars First Consider the intemperate heat the drought of the season such a hot and dry Summer as that was has not been known for many years How by this means every mans habitation Nah. 1. 10. Joâ—l 2. 5. By this parching season every mans house was prepared for fuel was as stubble fully dry prepared and fitted for the burning flames Before God would strike fire he made our houses like tinder When fuell is wet and green what puffing and blowing must there be to kindle a fire and to make it burn but when fuell is light and dry it is so conceptive of fire that even the very smell of fire puts it into a flame And this was poor London's case for every mans house had lain long a Sunning under the scorching beams of the Sun and much brightness of weather which made every thing so dry and combustible that sparks and flakes of fire were sufficient to set mens houses all in a flame about their ears Now this finger of God we are neither to overlook nor yet deny 't is our wisdom as well as our work Exod. 8. 19. to see not only the finger but the hand of the Lord in every circumstance that relates to that fore Judgement of fire that we are still sighing under 'T is God that withholds seasonable showers and that causeth it to rain upon one City Amos 4. 7. and not upon another The Earth cannot open her bowels and yield seed to the Sower and bread to the Eater if not 1 King 17. 1 2. Job 38. 31. Doubtless there was much wrath in his that the Water-house which served much of the City with water should be burnt down in a few hours after the fire first began To want a proper â—emedy when we are under a growing misery is no small calamity 'T is sad with the people that have nothing to quench the furious flames but their own tears and blood To be stript of water when God strikes a people with that tremendous Judgement of Fire is wrath to the utmost watered from above nor the Heaven cannot drop down fatness upon the Earth if God close it up and withhold the seasonable showers This the very Heathens acknowledged in their fictions of Jupiter and Juno God only can make the Heavens as Brass and the Earth as Iron and restraiâ—â—â—he Celestial influences Can man bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bonds of Orion Can any but God forbid the Clouds to drop fatness Surely no. Beloved drought and scantness of water upon a Land a City c. is a Judgement of God 'T is no small misery to have the streams dried up when the fire is at our doors Jer. 50. 38. A drought is upon her waters and they shall be dried up for it is the Land of Graven Images and they are mad upon their Idols Jer. 51. 35 36. The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitant of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee and I will dry up her Sea and make her Springs dry Now mark what follows ver 37. And Babylon shall become heaps a dwelling place for Dragons an astonishment and an hissing without an inhabitant When God comes to plead the cause of Zion against Babylon not by words but by deeds by blowes by terrible Judgements When he comes to burn up the inhabitants of Babylon and to turn them out of house and home he first dryes up her Sea and makes her Springs dry Haggai 1 11. And I called for a drought upon the Land and upon the Mountains and upon the Corn and upon the new Wine and upon the Oyl and upon that which the ground bringeth forth and upon Men and upon Cattel and upon all the labour of the hands 'T is God that brings droughts and rain and that opens and stops the Clouds the bottles of Heaven at his pleasure Jer. 14. 2 3 4. Judah mourneth and the gates thereof languish they are black unto the ground and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up And their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded they covered their heads They muffled up their heads and faces as a token of great grief and sorrow as close mourners do with us Because the ground is chapt for there was no rain in the earth the Plowmen were ashamed they covered their heads There are many calamities that are brought upon us by humane means that are also avoidable by humane helps but drought and want of water â—specially when a devouring fire is kindled in the midst of a people is no small judgement of Heaven upon that people to want water when the house is all in flames is a high evidence of Divine displeasure We had no rain a long time before the fire and the Springs were low and the Water-works at the Bridge-foot which carried water into that part of the City that was first in flames were burnt dowâ— the first day of the fire And was there not wrath from Heaven in this Surely yes Look as 't
is a choice mercy to have God at hand and the creatures at hand when wâ— most need them So 't is a fore Judgement to have God at a distance and the creatures remote when they should be oâ— most service and use unto us Certainly Gods arming of thâ— Element of fire against us and his denying at the same time water unto us cannot but be a signal of his great indignation against us And therefore it highly concerns us to see thâ— hand of the Lord in that late lamentable fire that has been amongst us But Secondly Consider the suddenness and unexpectedness of this Judgement Who among all the burnt Citizens did ever expect to see London laid in ashes in four dayes time Gods Judgements many times seize upon mens persons houses and estates as the Souldiers did Archimedes whilst he was busie in drawing lines in the dust Isa 64. 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for When the Citizens saw London in flames they might truly have said This is a terrible thing which we looked not for we were minding our business our Shops our trades our profits our pleasures our delights we were studying and plotting and contriveing how to make our selves and our children great and rich and high and honourable in the earth and it never entered into our thoughts that the destruction of London by fire was so near at hand as now we have found it to be Isa 47. 7 8 9 11. Thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever so that thou Babylon bore it self bold upon the seventy years provision laid up before hand to stand out a Siege and upon its strength and riches but for all this 't was taken by Cyrus didst not lay these things to thy heart what things we the Judgements of God that were threatned neither didst remember the latter end of it Therefore hear now this thou that art given to pleasures that dwellest carelesly that sayest in thine heart I am and none else besides me I shall not sit as a widow neither shall I know the loss of children But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day the loss of Children and Widowhood they shall come upon thee in their perfection Evil shall come upon thee and thou shal s not know from whence it riseth and mischief shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know Was not London the Lady City of our Land Did the inhabitants of London lay those Judgements of God to heart that they either felt or feared Did London remember her latter end Were not most of the inhabitants of London given to sinful pleasures and delights Did they not live carelesly and securely Were they ever so secure and inapprehensive of their danger than at this very time when the flames broke forth in the midst of them They had newly escaped the most sweeping Plague that ever was in the City and Suburbs but instead of finding out the plague of their hearts and mourning over the Plague of their 1 King 8. 37 38. Isa 9. 13 14 15. Jer. 8. 6. hearts and repenting of the evil of their doings and teturning to the Most High they returned to their fins and their Trades together from both which for a time the Plague had frighted them concluding in themselves that surely the bitterness of death was past They thought that the worst was past and that after so dreadful a storm they 1 Sam. 15. 32. should have a blessed calm and dreamed of nothing but peace and quiet and safety and Trade striving with all their might to make up those losses that they had sustained by the Pestilence They having escaped the Grave when so many score thousands were carried to their long homes were very secure they never thought that the City which had been so lately infected by a contagious Plague was so near In the Moneth of Septemb. the Plague was at the highest and in the same Moneth the flames of London were at highest Doubtless there is some mysterie in this sad Providence London was Judgement-proof Plague-proof in Septemb. 65. and therefore God set London in flames in September 66. being buried in its own ruines they never imagined that the whole City should be put in flames to purge that Air that their sins had infected And therefore no wonder if desolation came upon them suddenly in a moment in one day No marvail that so great a Fire was kindled in the very heart of the City and they not see the hand that kindled it nor have no hands nor hearts to quench it Judgements are never so near as when men are most secure 1 Thess 5. 3. The old world was very secure until the very day that Noah entered into the Ark. Luke 17. 27. They did eat they drank they married wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all Luther observeth that it was in the Spring that the flood came when every thing was in its prime and pride and noing less looked for than a flood They neither believed nor regarded Noahs preaching nor his preparations for his own and his childrens security but merrily passed without intermission from eating to drinking and from drinking to marriage till the very day that the flood came and swept them all away Their destruction was foretold them to a day but they were drown'd in security and would take no notice of Noahs predictions nor their own peril They had made their guts their God they had buried their wits in their guts and their brains in their bellies and so were neither awakened nor bettered by any thing that either Nâ—ah said or did and so they perished suddenly and unexpectedly So Sodâ—m was very secure till the very day that fire and brimstone was rained from Heaven about their ears ver 28 29. Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot They did eat they drank Gen. 19. 23. 24. they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodom but Sodom was as soon taken out of the world their fair sunshine morning had a foul dismal evening they had a hansel of Hell on this side Hell they past through fire and brimstone here to an eternal fire in Hell as Jude speaks So Jude 7. the Jews were deadly secure before the first and latter destruction both of their City and Countrey by sword and fire Compare these together Amos 6. 3. Lam. 4. 11 12. Ezek. 12. 22 27 28. Hab. 1. 7. Luke 2. 19 41 42 43 44. All the world could not perswade them that their Temple and City should be laid in Ashes till the Chaldeans at one time and the Romans at another
now received its commission under the Broad Seal of Heaven to burn down the City and to turn it into a ruinous heap and therefore it defied and contemned all remedies and scorned to be supprest by humanâ— attempts Who ever kindled this fire God blew the coal and therefore no arts counsels or endeavours of men were able to quench it If God commission the Sword to walk abroad and to glut it self with blood who can command it into the Scabbard again No art power or policy can cause that Sword to lie still that God has drawn in the Nations round us untill it hath accomplished the ends for which he has drawn it As to our present case when I weigh things in the ballance of right reason I can't but be of opinion that had Magistrates and People vigorously and conscienciously discharged their duties much of London by the blessing of God upon their endeavours that is now ruined might happily have been preserved When in a storm the Ship and all the vast treasure that is in it is in danger to be lost 't is sad to see every Officer and Marriner to mind more and endeavour more the preservation of their Chests Cabins and particular interests than the preservation of the Ship and the vast treasure that is in it Now this was just our case Cicero Lib. 1. Ep. 15. ad Atticum in his time laughed at the folly of those men who conceited that their Fish-ponds and places of pleasure should be safe when the Common-wealth was lost And we may well mourn over the folly and vanity of those men who were so amazed confounded distracted besotted and infatuated if not worse as not to improve all heads hands hearts councils and offers that were made for the preservation of the City This is and this must be for a lamentation that in the midst of publick dangers all ranks and sorts of men should take more care for the preservation of their trifling Fardels for so is any particular mans estate though never so great when compared with the riches of a Rich Trading Populous City than they do for the preservation of the publick good That there might have been rational and probable anticipations of those dreadful conflagrating progresses I suppose all sober men will grant that these were either hid from some mens eyes and seen by others and not improved was Londons wo. When London was almost destroyed then some began to blow up some houses for the preservation of that little that was left and God blest their endeavours but had some had encouragement who long before were ready for that work and who offered themselves in the case ' â—is vâ—ry probâ—ble that a great part of London might have been preserved But what shall I say Divine Justice dos as eminently sparkle and shine in the shutting of mens eyes and in the stopping of mens ears and in the hardning mens hearts against the visible and probable means of their outward preservation as in any one thing This we must seriously consider and then lay our hands upon our mouths and be silent before the Lord. The force and violence of this fire was so great that many that removed their goods once twice thrice yea and some oftner yet lost all at last The fire followed them so close from place to place that some saved but little and others lost all Now how well dos it become us in the rage and fury of the flames to see the hand of the Lord and to bow before him as this fire being like Time which devours all before it Jerusalem was the glory and beauty of the whole Earth and the Temple was one of the worlds wonders but when Titus Vespasian's Souldiers had set it on Josâ—phus fire it burnt with that rage and fury that all the industry and skill that ever could be used imagined or thought on could not quench it though Titus would gladly havâ— preserved it as a matchless monument They threw both water and the blood of the slain into it but it burnt with that violence that nothing could extinguish it King Herod for eight years together before the ruine of it had imployed ten thousand men at work to beautifie it but when once 't was on fire it burnt with that fierceness that there was no preserving of it the Dâ—cree of Heaven been gone out against it c. But Fourthly Consider the swiftness of it It flew upon the wings of the wind that it might the sooner come to its journies end It ran along like the fire and hail in Aegypt destroying and consuming all before it The Apostle James Psalm 18. 10. Exod. 9. 23 24. James 3. 6. 2. The winds are the Fan of Nature to cool and purge the Aâ—r. But at this time God brought the winds out of his Treasury to scatter the flames of his indignation that so London might become a desolation speaks of fierce winds The wind was so boistrous that it scattered and carried the fire the flames sometimes one way sometimes another in despite of all the restraints resistances and limits that the amazed Citizens could have set to it I shall not trouble you with the various notions of Philosophers concerning the wind partly because they will do no service in the present case and partly because our work is to look higher than all natural causes All that either is or can be said of the Wind I suppose may be thus summed up that it is a creature that may be 1. Felt 2. Heard and Little understood Very wonderful is the rice of the Winds when it is so calm and still upon the Seas that scarce a breath of air is perceivable upon a sudden the wind is here and there and every where Eccles 1. 6. The wind goeth toward the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits Psal 135. 7. He bringeth the wind out of his treasuries But what those treasuries are and where they are no man on earth can certainly tell us The Wind is one of the great wonders of the Lord in which and by which the Lords Name is wonderfully magnified Psal 107. 24 25. They that go down to the Sea see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep What wonders He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind although some thing may bek nown of this creature in the natural causes of it yet it is a wonder John 3. 8. above all that we can know of it What the Wind is and from whence it comes and whither it goes none can tell God is the great Generalissimo and Soveraign Commander Mat. 8. 27. Num. 11. 31. Isa 27. 8. Num. 11. 13. Gen. 8. Exod. 1. 10. Chap. 13. of the Winds so that a blast of wind cannot pass without his leave licence and cognizance Jonah 1. 4. But the Lord sent a great wind into the Sea and there was a mighty Tempest in
to the ground to see this City sit like a desolate Widow in the dust Such a sight made Jeremiah to lament Lament 1. 1. How doth the City sit solitary speaking of Jerusalems ruine that was full of people How is she become as a widow She that was great among the Nations and Princes among the Provinces How is she become tributary Let prophane ignorant superstitious and Popish desamers of London say Jer. 9. 1 2 3. Ezek. 9. 4. 6. what they please yet doubtless God had more of his mourning ones and of his marked ones in that City than he had in a great part of the Nation beside There was a time when London was a faithful City a City of righteousness a City of Renown a City of Praise a City of Joy yea the Paradise of the world in respect of the power and purity of Gospel-Ordinances and that glorious light shined in the midst of her Who can remember those dayes of old and not mourn to see such a City buried in its own Ruines Under the whole Heavens there were not so many thousands to be found that truly feared the Lord in so narrow a compass of ground as was to be found in London and yet lâ— London is laid in the dust and the Nations round gaze and wonder at her desolation Who can but hang down hiâ— head and weep in secret for these things But Fourthly who did look upon London as the Bullwark a the Strong-hold of the Nation that can't mourn to seâ— their â—ullwark their Strong hold turned into a ruinous heap Psal 48. 12 13. Walk about Sion and tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her Bullwarks confider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following Sion had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but at last the Chaldeans at one â—er 52. 12 13. Luke 19. 41 45. time and the Romans at another laid them all waste So London had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but they are now laid desolate and many fear and others say by male-content Villains and mischievous Forreigners of a Romish faith London was once terrible as an Army with Cant. 6. 10. Banners How terrible were the Israelites encâ—mped and bannered in the Wilderness unto the Moabites Canaanites c. Exod. 15 14 15 16. So was London more than once terrible to all those Moabites Canaanites that have had thoughts to swallow her up and to divide the prey among themselves How terrible were the Hussites in Bohemia to the Germans when all Germaâ—y were up in arms against them and worsted by them London hath been as terrible to those that have been cozen-Germans to the Germans London was once a Battel-ax and Battel-bow in the hand of the Almighty which he has wielded Jer. 51. 20 Zech. 9. 10. Chap. 10. 4. Ezek. 21. 31. against her proudest strongest and subtillest enemies Was not London the Head City the Royal Chamber the glory of England the Magazine of Trade and Wealth the City that had the Strength and Treasure of the Nation in it Were there not many thousands in London that were men of fair estates of exemplary piety of tried valour of great prudence and of unspotted Reputation and therefore why should it seem impossible that the fire in London should be The French were then drawn down to the Sea side and great were the fears of many upon that account Remember the Gun-Powder Plot. the effect of desperate designs and complotments from abroad seconded and incouraged by male-contents at home London was the great Bullwark of the Reformed Religion against all the Batteries of Popery Atheism and Prophaneness and therefore why should any English man wonder if these uncircumcised ones should have their heads and their hands and their hearts engaged in the burning of London Such whose very Principles leads them by the hand to blow up Kings Princes Parliaments and Reformed Religion to make way for their own Religion or for the good old Religion as some are pleased to call it such will never scruple to turn such Cities such Bulwarks into a ruinous heap that either stands in their way or that might probably hinder their game In all the Ages of the world wicked Dan. 11. 24 39 men have designed the ruine and laying waste of Christians Bulwarks and Strong-holds in order to the rooting out of the very name of Christians as all know that have read any thing of Scripture or History and therefore why should any men think it strange if that Spirit should still be at work Was ever England in such eminent danger of being made a prey to forreign power or of being rid by men of a forraign Religion and whose Principles in Civil Policy are very dangerous both to Prince and People as it hath been since the firing of London or since that Bullwark has been Gen. 31. 24 29. Chap. 33. 1 4. 2 Kings 19. 27 28 32. turned into a ruinous heap Had not the great God who laid a Law of Restraint upon churlish Laban and upon bloody Esau and his four hundred bloody cut-throats and upon proud blasphemous Senacherib laid also a Law of restraint upon ill-minded men what mischief might they not then have done when many were amazed and astonished and many did hang down their heads and fold their hands crying alas alas London is fallen and when many had sorrow in their hearts paleness upon their cheeks and trembling in all their joints yea when the flames of London were as Dan. 5. 5 6. terrible to most as the hand-writing upon the wall was to Belshazzar How mightily the burning of London would have retarded the supplies of men money and necessaries which would have been needful to have made opposition against an invading enemy had we been put to it I shall not here stand to dispute Whilst London was standing it could raise an Army and pay it when it had done London was the Sword and sinews of War but when London was laid in ashes the Citizens were like Sampson when his hair was cut Judg. 16. 18 19 20. Gen 34 25. off and like the Sechemites when they were sore Beloved the People of God have formerly made the firing of their strong holds matter of bitter Lamentation as you may see in 2 Kings 8. 11 12. And he setled his countenance stedfastly until he was ashamed till Hazael blushed to see the Prophet look so earnestly upon him and the man of God wept and Hazael said why weepeth my Lord and he answered because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire well and what will he do when their strong holds are in flames or turned into a ruinous heap why this you may see in the following words and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dasâ— their children and rip up their women with child Other Kings of Syria had born an immortal
hainous and horrid fact which he had never committed Doubtless both Judge and Jury were men of more wisdom Justice and conscience than to hang a mad man upon his own bare confession The German Luc. Hist p. 613. p. 519 520. Histories tell us what encouragement men of a Romish faith have had from Rome to make way for their Religion throughout Germany by fire and sword and when some of those Incendiaries have been taken in setting houses on fire they have confest that there have been many more in combination with them who by all the wayes they could were to consume Silefia and other parts with firings When the Spanish Armado came against this Nation in 1588. with Hisp F. 184 185. an Invincible Navy as they counted it they hâ—d two thousand eight hundred forty three Great Ordnance twenty eight thousand eight hundred and forty Marriners Souldiers and Slaves rowing in Gallies with innumerable Fire-balls and Granado's in order to the making of England desolate by Fire and Sword Did not F. Parsons Doleman and Holt the Speeds Hist p. 1178. Luc. Hist p. 298 299. Jesuit draw other Incendiaries into a combination to fire the Royal Navy with wild-fire in Queen Elizabeths Reign for which they were stretcht at Tyburn A. D. 1595. on that very day when King James was crowned when the generality Luc. Hist p. 509 510 511. of the people were intent upon that noble spectacle five were suborned by the Jesuits to set London on fire in several places but were frustrated as â—s evident upon Record Mr. Waddesworth did depose both in writing and viva voce at the Lords Bar that one Henry alias Francis Smith Compl. Hist p. 443 449. Roy. Favouâ— p. 54 55. Rom. Mr. Pâ—â—ce 31. alias Lloyd alias Rivers alias Simons before the beginning of the Scotch Wars did tell him in Norfolk where he met him That the Popish Religion was not to be brought in here by disputing or Books of Controversie but with an Army and with fire and sword Pope Martin the fifth sent Cardinal Julian who was name sake and near of kin to Julian the Apostate with an Army of fourscore thousand to root out Hussites or Protestants in Bâ—hemia where they burnt up their Towns and at the same time Albertus his Assistant burnt up five hundred of their Villages It was Philip the Second of Spain who said That he had rather lose all his Provinces Thuanus than seem to grant or favour any thing which might be prâ—judicial to the Catholick Religion It was Cardinal Granveilanus who was wont to say That be would reduce the Catholick Religion Gasper in all â—â—aces though one hundred thousand men were to be burned in an hour It was the Spanish Ministers of State who Anno 1580. declared openly in the Pacification of Colen That the Protestants would be very well served if they were stripped of all their goods and forced to go seek new Countreys like Jews and Egyptians who wander up and down like Rogues and Vagabonds The Meter Hist de reb Belg. l. 15. Duke of Alba a bloody Papist sitting at his Table said That he had taken diligent pains in rooting out the tares of Heresies having delivered eighteen thousand men in the space of six years only to the hands of the Hang-man From the begining of the Jesuits to 1580. being the space of thirty The fact of Faux was horrid and sanguinary and you know who set him on work years there were almost nine hundred thousand Protestants put to death in France Spain Italy Germany England and other parts of Christendom Men of that Religion that burnt the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes are men of such bloody desperate Principles that they will stick at nothing that may be a means to advance the Romish Religion Some men besides the Romans have practised most prodigious things and all to raise themselves a name in the world Serustus at Geneva gave all his goods to the poor and his body to be Anno 1555. Calvin burnt and all for a name for a little glory among men The Temple of the great Goddess Diana which was one of the worlds wonders was set on fire when Alexander was born by Herostratus a base fellow and this he did That he might be talkt of when he was dead So Judas and Sadoc Josephus Aâ—t l. 18. c. 1. p. 463 with their seditious Sect burnt down the Temple of Jerusalem and all the beautiful Buildings in the City And at another time when the Romans had set the Temple on fire Titus by entreaties and threatnings did all he could to perswade the Souldiers to extinguish the fire but could not prevail with them They seeing the Gates of the inward Lib. 7. de Bello Jud. ca. 10. p. 737. Temple to be Gates of Gold thought that the Temple was full of money and that they might have a rich booty and therefore regarded not their Generals commands Titus did all he could to quench the Flames but a certain Souldier fired the Posts about the doors of the inward Temple and presently the flame appearing within Titus and and his Captains departed and so every one stood looking upon it and no man sought to extinguish it Thus the Temple was burnt by the hand of a single Souldier against Titus his mind One man that is of a cruel Spirit and of cruel Principles may do a world of mischief Take that instance of Nero who malitiously raised the first Persecution Pareus on the Revelatioâ— pag 110. against the Christians pretending that they were Incendiaries and Authors of the burning of Rome whereas he himself had most wickedly done it But this barbarous act of his was fathered upon the Christians and accordingly they suffered severely for it Another Author saith Nero succeeded Caligula in the Government and in no less fierceness The Treasury of Ancient and Modern times page 321 322. and cruelty because he was a man in whom if possible it might be all the other cruâ—lties were â—nclosed and all else that could by men be imagined for without any regard of sanctified things or persons of like quality private or publick he caused the City of Rome to be set on fire with express prohibition not to quench it or any man to make safety of his own goods So the fire continued seven dayes and seven nights burning the City and he being on a high Tower some small distance off clapped his hands and joyed to behold this dismal spectacle so far exceeding all humanity The wisest Prince that ever swayed a Scepter hath told us That one sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9. 18. Who can summ up the mischief that a few ill-minded men may do in a little time The same Devil the same lusts the same wrath the same rage the same revenge the same ends the same motives that have put others upon burning work informer times may probably have put some upon the same
work in our time Burning work is so odious and abominable so destructive hateful and hurtful a thing in the eyes of all true English men who have any sense of honour or conscience that I shall never wonder to see such who have either had a head or a hand or a heart in it of Arts and Crafts to bury for ever the remembrance of it Was not London the glory of England Was not London Englands Treasury and the Protestants Sanctuary Was not London as terrible to her enemies abroad as she was joyous to her friends at home Has not London been as dreadful to her forraign foes as the hand-writing upon the Wall was to Belshazzar Was not London the great Mountain that her Dan. 5. 5 6. enemies feared would be most prejudicial to their pernicious designs Was not London that great Rock against which Zech. 4. 7. many have dasht themselves in pieces Was not London as Briars and Thorns as Goads and Gulfs and two-edged The French the Dutch the Dane the Spaniard c. have at times experienced what Londons Treasure and force have been able to do c. Swords to all her enemies more remote and nearer home Had the French invaded us when London was in flames as many feared they would or had such risen up at that time in the bowels of the Nation whose very Principles lead them by fire and sword to make way for their Religion what doleful dayes had we seen and to what a low ebb might the Protestant Interest have then be brought What greater encouragement could be given to French Dutch Dane and all of the old Religion as they call it to make desperate attempts upon us than the laying of the City desolate by fire but 't is the glory of Divine Power to daunt and over-rule all hearts and counsels and to turn that to his Psal 76. 5. 10. Gen. 31. 24 29. Chap. 33 3 4. peoples greatest good which their enemies design to be their utter ruine We know Papists are no changelings their cruel bloody fiery Spirits and Principles are still the same Both King and Parliament have taken notice how vigilant The wâ—ful desolations that the Popish Party made by fire and sword amongst the Protestants in Ireland is written with the Pen of a Diamond and active they have been of late by what hath been discovered confessed proved printed c. Is it not more than probable that some influenced from Rome have kindled and promoted that dreadful fire that hath laid our City desolate The Statue of Apollo is said to shed tears for the afflictions of the Grecians though he could not help them Though none of us could prevent the desolation of London yet let us all be so ingenious as to weep over the ashes of London Who can look upon Londons glory as now sacrificed to the flames and made a burnt-offering to appease the wrath and fury as many say of a Popist Conclave and not mourn Sir We readily grant that 't is our duty to lament and Obj. mourn over the ruines and desolations of London yea same of us have so lamented and mourned over Londons dust and ashes that we have almost reduced our selves to dust and ashes and therefore what Cordials what Comforts what Supports can you band out to us that may help to châ—er up our spirits and to bear up our hearts so as that we may not utterly faint and sink neither under the sight of Londons Ruines nor yet under a deep sense of our many great and sore losses Now that I may be a little serviceable and useful to you in the present case give me leave to offer to your most serious consideration these following particulars by way of support First Consider for your Support and comfort that the great God might have burnt up all he might not have left one house standing nor one stone upon another 'T is true the greatest part of the City is fallen but 't is rich mercy Luke 19. 41. 44. that the whole is not consumed Though most of the City within the Walls be destroyed yet 't is Grace upon the Throne that the Suburbs are standing Had not God spared some houses in the City and the main of the Suburbs where would thousands have had a livelihood How would any Trade have been maintained yea how would the lives of many thousands have been preserved 'T is true the fire was very dreadful but God might have made it more dreadful â—e might have laid every house level he might have consumed all the goods and wealth that was there treasured up and he might have refused to have pluckt one man as a brand out of the fire He might have suffered London to Zech. 3. 2. have been as totally destroyed as Jerusalem was Mat. 24. 1 2. And Jesus went out and departed from the Temple and his Discipâ—es Mat. 24. 1 2. came to him to shew him the buildings of the Temple And Jâ—sus said unto them see ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown dâ—wn In these words Christ doth foreâ—ell the utter destruction and devastation of Jerusalem which came to pass by Titus and the Râ—man Army wasting all with fire and sword and evening with the ground that Magnificent Temple and City which was the glory of the See Joseph l. 7. c. 9 10 18. d. Bâ—l. Jud. world Though Titus by a strict Edict at first storming of the City forbad the defacing of the Temple yet the Souldiers burnt it and the City The Temple was burnt say some August 10. when it had stood five hundred eighty nine years and the City was burnt September 8. in the year of our Lord seventy one But why dâ—d Christs Disciples shâ—w him the buildings of the Quest Temple which they knew were not unknown unto him To move him to mercy and to moderate the severity of Answ that former sentence of leaving their houses desolate unto them Herod had been at a wonderful charge in building Matth 23. 38. and beautifying the Temple Josephus tells us that for Joseph lib. 15. Antiq. cap. 14. eight whole years together he kept ten thousand men at work about it and that for magnificence and stateliness it â—xceeded Solomons Temple The Dâ—sciples might very well wonder at these stately buildings at these goodly stately fair Stones which were as Josephus writeth fifteen cubits long twelve high and eight broad Now the Disciples â—ondly thought that Christ upon the full sight of these â—tately glorious buildings which to see laid waste was pity might have been so workt upon as to reverse his former sentence of laying all desolate But here they were mistaken for his thoughts was not as their thoughts Others think that the Disciples shewed Christ the stately buildings of the Temple that upon a serious consideration of the strengâ—h pomp stateliness greatness and
into encouragements to sin then you have more cause to fear that the Lord may farther blast you than you have to hope that God will make up your losses to you But Secondly Did you daily and seriously labour to enjoy much of God in all those worldly enjoyments which formerly you were blest withal If so 't is very probable that the Lord may make up all your losses to you But if you made a God of your worldly enjoyments if they had more of your thoughts and hearts and time than God himself had then you have more cause to fear a further curse than to expect a future blessing Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2. â—ut Thirdly Did your hearts commonly ordinarily habitually lye low under your worldly enjoyments Abraham under all his worldly enjoyments was but dust and ashes and Gen. 13. 17. Chap. 32. 10. Jacob under his was lâ—ss than the least of all mercies And so David under all Gods royal favours his heart lyâ—s low Psal 22. 6. But I am a worm and no man David in the Arabick Tongue signifies a Worm to which he seems to allude Tâ—e word in the Hebrew for Worm is Tolagnath which signifies such a very little Worm that a man can very hardly see it or perceive it Tâ—ough David was high in the world yet he was little yea very little in his own eyes Was it commonly mostly thus with you when your comforts compâ—ssed you round about If so then 't is very probable that the Lord in this world will make up all your losses to you But if your blood did commonly rise with your outward goods and if your hearts did usually so swell under your worldly enjoyments as to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord Exod. 5. 2. that I should obey his voice or to say with Nebuchadnâ—zzâ—r Who is that God that can deliver you out of my hands or to Dan. 3. 15. say with those proud Atheists Who is Lord over us or to Psalm 12. 4. Jer. 2. 3. say with those proud Monsters We are Lords we will come no more unto thee c. then you have great cause to fear that God that hath yet some further controversie with you and except you repent will rather strip you of what you enjoy than multiply further favours or blessings upon you But Fourthly Since God has burnt up your worldly goods have you been servent and frequent with God that he would burn up those lusts that have burnt up your comforts before your eyes Have you pleaded hard with God that a Spirit of burning might rest upon you even that Spirit of burning Isa 9. 2. Chap. 4. 4. which alone can burn up your sins your dross Since London hath been laid in ashes have you made it your great business to treat and trade with God about the destruction of those sins that have laid all desolate If so then you have cause to hope that God will turn your captivity and make up all your losses to you Job 42. 10. But Fifthly Since God has turned you out of all are you turned turnnearer and closer to himself though you havâ— been prodigals yet have you in the light of Lâ—ndons flâ—mes seen and Luke 15. found your way to your Fathers housâ— thâ—n God will make up all your losses to you When Judgements are so sanctified as to bring a people nearer to himself then God will drop down mercies upon them Hos 2. 18. ult But Sixthly Has the fire of London been as a pillar of fire to lead you Canaan ward Heaven-wards Has God by burning Exod. 13. 21 22. up the good things of this world caused you to set your hearts and affections more than ever upon the great things of another world If so then 't is a hundred to ten but that the Lord will make up all your losses to you But Seventhly Are your hearts under this fiery dispensation brought into such a quiet submission to the good will and pleasure of God as that you can now be contented to be at Phil. 4. 12 13 14. Gods finding at Gods allowance Can you now be contented to be rich or poor to have much or little to be high or low to be something or nothing to have all again or to have nothing but necessaries again Are you now willing that God shall choose for you Can you sit down satisfied with Gods allowance though it be far short of what once you had Content is the Deputy of outward felicity and supplies the place where its absent A contented frame of heart as to all outward occurrences is like Ballast to a Ship which will help it to sail boldly and safely in all waters When a mans mind is conformable to his means all is well One brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian thus What is thy faith Have I promised thee these things What wer 't thou made a Christian that thou shouldst flourish here in Augustine upon Psaâ—m 12. this world 'T is an excellent expression that Bellarmine hath in his Catechism Suppose saith he a King having many children of several ages should apparel them in Cloth of Gold now he that is sixteen years old hath more Gold in his Robe than the Child that is but five or six years old yet the child would rather have his own garment than his elder Brothers because 't is fitter for him Surely the fittest estate is the best estate for us Look as a great Shoe fits not a little foot nor a great Sail a little Ship nor a great Ring a little Finger so a great estate is not alwayes the fittest for us He tâ—at hath most wants something and he that hath least wants nothing if he wants not a contented Spirit O Sirs let not Heathens put you to a blush He that can be content to be at Gods finding as a Guest at a Epiâ—tâ—â—â—s Eâ—chiâ—id c. 21. Table that takes what is carved for him and no more hâ— needs not fawn upon any man much less violate his conscience foâ— the great things of the world When a mans heart is brought down to his condition he is then temptation-proof Wheâ— one told the Philosopher that if he would but please Dionysius he need not feed upon green hearbs the Phâ—losopher replied If thou wer 't but content to feed upon green hearbs thou needest not flatter Dionysius A man that can be contented with a little will keep his ground in an hour of Temptation Diogenes the Cynick housed in his Tub and making ever with his victuals and the day together being invited tâ— a great Feast could say I had rather lick Salt at Athens thaâ— feast with Craterus Diogenes had more content with his Tub. to shelter him from the injuries of the weather and with his wooden dish to eat and drink in than Alexander had with the conquest of half the world and the fruition of all the honoâ—s pompâ— treasures and pleasures of Asia The way to true riches
visit thee And the most proud shall stumble and fall and none shall raise him up and I will kindle a fire in his Cities and it shall devour all round about him There is nothing more fearfull or formidable either to man or beast than fire and therefore by fiery dispensations God will take vengeance on the wicked This will be the more evident if you please but to consider to what the wicked are compared in Scripture First They are compared to stubble and chaffe which the fire doth easily consume Isa 5. 24. Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaff so their root shall be as rottenness and their blessom shall go up as dust Nah. 1. 10 For while they be folden together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry Mark that word fully dry and so as it were prepared and fitted for the flames Secondly The wicked are compared to thorns and how easily doth the flaming fire consume them Isa 27. 4. Fury is not in me Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in Battel I would go through them I would burn them together Isa 33. 12. And the people shall be as the burnings of lime as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire Mark 't is not said as thorns standing and rooted in the earth and growing with their moisture about them but as thorns cut up as dead and dry thorns which are easily kindlâ—d and consumed c. Thirdly The wicked are compered to the melting of wax before the fire and to the passing away of smoak before the wind Micah 1. 4. Psal 8. 2. Fourthly and lastly The sudden and certain ruine of the wicked is set forth by the melting of the fat of Lambs before the fire Psal 37. 20. But the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of Lambs which of all fat is the most easiest melted before the fire they shall consume into smoak shall they consume away The fat of Lambs in the Lev. 3. 15 16 17. Sacrifices was wholly to be burnt and consumed Thus you see by the several things to which wicked men are compared that God by fiery calamities will bring ruine and dâ—stâ—â—ction upon his and his peoples enemies Such as have burnt the people of God out of house and home may in this world have burning for burning God loves to retaliate Judg. 1. upon his peoples enemies Sâ—ch as have clapt their hâ—nds at the sight of Londons flamâ—s may one day lay their hands upon their loinâ— when they shall find Divine Justice appearing in flames of fire against them But The eighth support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispâ—nsation is this viz. That Consult these Scriptures Isa 1. 25. Chap. 27 3 9 10 11. Zech. 13. 9. Heb. 12. 10. Hosea 2. 6. Acts 14. 22. John 16. ult Jer. 29. 11. all shall end well all shall work for good God by this fiery dispensation will do his people a great deal of good God cast Judah into an Iron furnace into a fiery furnace but it was for their good Jer. 24. 5. Like these good figs so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the Land of the Chaldeans for their good Psalm 119. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted Though afflictions are naturally evil yet they are morally good for by the wise sanctâ—fying over ruling Providence of God they shall either cure the Saints of their spiritual evils or preserve them from spiritual evils Though the Elements are of contrary qualities yet Divine Power and Wisdom hath so tempered them that they all work in an harmonious manner for the good of the Universe So though sore afflâ—ctions though fiery tryals seem to work quite cross and contrary to the Saints Prayers and dâ—sires yet they shall be so ordered and tempered by a skilful and omnipotent hand as that they shall all issue in the Saints good At the long-run by all sorts of fiery tryals the Saints shall have their sins more weakned their Graces more improved and their experiences more multiplied their evidences for Heaven more cleared their communion with God more raised and their hearts and lives more amended God by fiery tryals will keep off from his people more tryals God loves by the Cross to secure his people from the curse and certainly 't is no bad exchange to have a cross instead of a curse God lead the Israelites about and about in the Wilderness forty years together but it was to Deut. 8. 2. 16. humble them and prove them and do them good in their latter end God lead them through fire and water that is Psal 66. 12. â—hrough variety of sore and sharp afflictions but all was in order to his bringing them forth into a wealthy place God stript Job to his Shift but it was in order to his clotheing Compare the first and last Chapter of Job together of him in Scarlet he brought him low but it was in order to his raising him higher than ever he set him upon a Dunghil that he might the better fit him to fit upon a Throne Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Gen. 42. 36. Benjamin away all these things are against me saith old Jacob but yet as old as he was he lived to see all working for his good before he went to his long home Under all fiery dispensations God will make good that Golden Promise Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God Mark the Apostle doth not say we suppose or we hope or we conjecturâ— but we know I know and you know and all the Saints know by daily experience that all their sufferings and afflictions work together for their good the Apostle doth not say de futuro they shall work but de praesenti they do work All second causes work together with the first cause for their good who loves God and who are called according to his purpose The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work together is a Physical expression Look as several poisonful ingredients put together being well tempered and mixed by the skill and care of the prudent Apothecary makes a Soveraign Medicine and work together for the good of the Patient So all the afflictions and sufferings that befall the Saints they shall be so wisely so diviâ—ely tempered ordered and sanctified by a hand of Heaven as that they shall really and signally work for their good Those Gen. 50. 20. dreadful Providences which seem to be most prejudicial to us shall in the issue prove most beneficial to us Look as vessels of Gold are made by fire so by fiery dispensations God will make his people Vessels of Gold 2 Tim. 2. 20 21.
vessels of Honour Commonly the most afflicted Christians are the most golden Christians Zechary 13. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God The fire of London was rather Physick than Poison there was more of a Paternal chastisement than there was of an extirpating vengeance in it and therefore certainly it shall work well it shall issue well The ninth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That there was a great mixture of mercy in that dreadful Judgement of fire that has turned London into a ruinous heap At the final destruction of Jerusalem there was not one stone left upon Luke 19. 41. 45. another This might have been thy case O London had not mercy triumphed over Justice and over all the plots and designs of men Though many thousand houses are destroyed yet to the praise of free grace many thousand houses in the City and Suburbs have been preserved from the rage and violence of the flames What a mercy wâ—s that that Zâ—ar should be standing when Sodom was laid in ashâ—s Gen. 19. And what a mercy was this that your houses should be standing when so many thousand houses have been laid desolate Is more than a third part of the Ciâ—y destroyed by fire Wâ—y the whole City might have been destroyed by fire and all the Suburbs round about it But in the midst of wrath God has remembred mercy in the midst of great seveâ—ity Psalm 136. 23. God has exercised great clemency Had the fire come on with that rage fury and triumph as to have laid both City and Subâ—rbs level we must have said with thâ— Church The Lâ—rd is â—ighteous Had the three Children their Songs Lam. 1. 18. in the midst of the fiery Furnace and why should not they have their Songs of praise whose housâ—s by a miraculous Providenâ—e were preserved in the miâ—st oâ— Londons flames O Sirs what a mixture of mercy was there in this fiery calamity that all your lives should be spared and that many of your houses should be preserved and that much of your goods your wares your commodâ—ties shouâ—d be snatcht as so many fire-brands out of the fire If ever there were an obligation put upon a people to cry Grace Grace Grace the Lord has put one upon you wâ—o hâ—ve bâ—â—n shâ—â—â—rs in that mixture of mercy that God has exâ—ended to â—he many thousand sufferers by Lâ—ndons flames Had this Jâ—dgement of fire been inflâ—cted when tâ—e raging Pâ—stilence swâ—pt away some thousands every Week and when he City was even left naked as to her inhabâ—tants and when the whole Nation Josh 2. 9 10 11. was under a dreaâ—ful â—â—ar â—reâ—bling anâ— dâ—smayedness of spirit might there not have been far greater desolations both of houses goods and lives in the midst of us Had God conâ—ended with London by Pesâ—ilence and fire at once who would â—â—ve lodged your persons in their beds or your goods in heir Barns Had these two dreadful Judgements met Londoners would have met with but few frienâ—s in the world Well when I look upon Londons sins and deserts on the onâ— hand and upon the principles old hatred plots designs rage and wrath of some malicious persons on the other Ezek. 25. 15. hand instead of wondering that so much of the City and Suburbs is destroyed I rather wonder that any one house Tacitus writing of Rome saith Sâ—quituâ— clades omâ—ibus quid â—bi pâ—r violâ—â—â—iam igâ—ium accideraâ— gravior atque aâ—â—oior Aâ—â—al lib. 15. p. â—91 It was rich mercy that it was not so wiâ—h Loâ—don in the City or Suburbs is preserved Whilst London was in flames and all men under a high distraction and all tâ—ings in a sad confusion a secret subtle designing powerful enemy mâ—ght have risen up in the midst of you that might have spoiled your goods ravâ—shed your wives defloured your daughters and after all this have sheathed their swords in all your bowels and in that it fell not out thus what cause have Londâ—ners to bow for ever before preventing and restraining Grace Since the creation of the world God has never been so severe in the execution of his most dreadful Judgements as not to remember mercy in the midst of wrath When he drowned the old world who before were drowned in lusts and pleasures he extended mercy to Noah and his family When he rained Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah turning those rich and pleasant Gen. 19. Cities into ruinous heaps he gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey And when by fire and sword he had made Jerusalem a dreadful spectacle of his wrath and vengeance Isa 6. 11 12 13. Jer. 5. 10. 18. yet then a remnant did escape This truth we Citizens have experienced or else we and our all before this day had been destroyed Every Citizen should have this Motto written in characters of Gold on his fore-head It is of Lam. 3. 22. the Lords mercies that we are not consumed God might have made London like Sodom and Gomorrah but in the day of his anger some beams of his favour darted forth upon your London By which means the hopes of some are so far revived as to expect that London yet may be re-built and blest That 's a dreadful word When he begins he will make an end 1 Sam. 3. 12. Jer. 4. 4. Chap. 21. 12. and the fire of his wrath shall burn and none shall quench it These eradicating Judgements had certainly fallen upon London had not the Lord in the midst of his fury remembred mercy If the Lord had not been on our side may London now Psalm 124. 1 2 3. say if the Lord had not been on our side when the fire rose up against us then the fire had swallowed us up quick when its rage was kindled against us Doubtless God ne-never mingled a cup of wrath with more mercy than this Tâ—ough the fire of London was a very great and dreadful fire yet it was not so great nor so dreadful a fire as that of Sâ—dom and Gomorrah was for that fire of Sodom and Gomâ—rrah First It was a miraculous fire a fire that was besides beyond and against the course of Nature Gen. 19. 24. Then They sinned agaâ—nâ—t the light and course of nature and theâ—efore they were destroyâ—d against the course of nature by fire from Heaven the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire frâ—m the Lord out of Heaven Fire mingled with brimstone hath bâ—en found 1. Most obnoxious to the eyâ—s 2. Most loathsome to the smell And 3. Most fierce in burning He hit the mark who speaking of fire and brimâ—â—one sâ—id
Faâ—illime incenditur pertinacissime fervet c. Dâ—ffiâ—â—lâ—ime extinguitur It is easily kindled violently fuellâ—d and hardly exâ—inguished Brimstone and all that vast qâ—antity of sulphureous fiery matter by which those rich and popâ—lous Ciâ—ies were â—urned into ruinous heaps were never produced by naturâ—l causes nor after a natural manner no culinaâ—y fire being so speedy in its consumptions but immedâ—ately by Gods own miraculous power and allmighty aim But thâ— fire that has laid London in ashes was no such miraculous or extraordinary fire but such a fire which Divine Providence permitted and suffered to be kindlâ—d and carrâ—ed on by such means instruments and concurring circumstances as hath buried our glory under heaps of ashes But Secondly The fire that fell upon Sodom â—â—d Gomâ—rrah consumed not only the greater part of thosâ— Cities but the whole Cities yea and not only Sodom and Gomorrah but all the Cities of the Plain except Zoar which was to be a Sâ—nctuary to Lot but the fire of London has not destroyâ—d the whole City of London Many hundred may I noâ— say thousands houses are yet standing as monuments of Divine Power Wisdom and goodness and the greatest part of the Suburbs are yet preserved and all the rest of the Cities of England are yet compassed about with loving kindnâ—ss and mercy and I hope will be reserved by a gracious Pâ—ovidence as shelters as Sanctuaries and as hiding places to poor Englands distressed inhabitants But Thirdly The fire that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah did consume sume not only places but persons not only houses but inhabitants but in the midst of Londons flames God was a Zech. 2. 5. wall of fire about the Citizens in that day of his fiery indignation he was very tender of the lives of his people Though the Lumber was burnt yet God took care of his Treasure of his Jewels to wit the lives of his people But having spoken before more largely of this particular let this touch now suffice Fourthly Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire suddenly and unexpectedly they were destroyed by fire in a moment Lam. 4. 6. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my peâ—ple is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment and no hands The Judgemenâ—s of God upon the Jews were so great that they exceeded all credit amongst their neighbour Nations stayed on her Sodom and Gomorrah sustâ—ined no long siege from forreign forces neither were they kept long in sorrows and sufferings in pains and misery but thâ—y were quickly and suddenly and instantly dispatched out of this world into another world Men had no hand in the destroying of Sodom no mortal instrument did co-operate in that work God by his own immediate power overthrew them in a moment Sodom was very strangely suddenly and unexpectedly turned upside down as in a moment by Gods own hand without the help of armed Souldiers Whereas the Chaldeans Armies continued for a long time in the Land of Judah and in Jerusalem vexing and â—laguing the poor people of God Now in this respect the punishment of the Jews was a greater punishment than the punishment of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment But that fire that has turned London into a heap of ashes was such a fire that was carried on gradually and that lastâ—d four dayes God giving the Citizens time to mourn over their sins to repent to lay hold on everlasting strength and to mâ—ke peace with God But Fifthly and lastly Sodoms and Gomorrahs Judgement is termed Eternal fire which expression as it refers to thâ— Jude 7. places themselves do import that they were irrecoverablâ— destroyed by fire so as that they shall lye eternally waste Those monstrous sinners of Sodom had turned the glory of God into shame and therefore God will turn them both into a Hell here and a Hell hereafter God will punish unusual sinners with unusual Judgements The punishment by this fire is lasting yea everlasting 't is a standing monument Deut. 29. 23 of Gods high displeasure We never read that ever God repented himself of the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah those Cities are under a perpetual destruction and so shall continue to the end of the world if we will give credit to Authors of great credit and reputation It well Strabo Solinus Tacitus Plinius Josâ—phus c. becomes the wisest and best of Christians seriously to consider how God setteth forth the destruction of his Churches enemies Isa 34. 8 9 10 11. For it is the day of the Lords Vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Zion And the streams thereof shall be turned into Pitch and the dust thereof into Brimstone and the Land thereof shall become burning Pitch It shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall go up for ever from generation to generation it shall lye waste none shall pass through it for ever and ever But the Cormorant and the Bittern shall pâ—ssâ—ss it the Owle also and the Raven shall dwell in it and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptinâ—ss In these words you have a rhetorical description of that extream devastation that God will bring upon the enemies of the Church in way of allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomoâ—rah But I hope Lâ—ndons doom is not such for God has given to thousands of her inhabitants a Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zech. 12. 10. which is a clear evidence that at the long run they shall certainly carry the day with God I have faith enough to believe that God will give Londons mourners beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness And that London may yet be called Isa 61. 3. a City of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified I hope that God will one day say to London Arise shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is Isa 60. 1 2. risen upon thee the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee By what has been said 't is evident enough that there has been a great mixture of mercy in that fiery dispensation that has past upon London And therefore why should not this consideration bear up the hearts of the people of God from fainting and sinking under their present calamity and misery But The tenth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of 10. God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz That there are worse Judgements than the Judgement of fire which God might but has not inflâ—cted upon you Let me evidence the truth of this in these five particulars First The bloody Sword is a more dreadful Judgement than that of fire Fire may consume a mans house and his estate but the Sword cuts off a mans life Now at what a poor
ninety families in it one half house only excepted wherein the Master of the Family with his Wife and Children were earnestly calling upon God Oh the terror of the Lord and Oh the power of servent prayer At Pleures in Rhetia Anno 1618. Aug. 25. the whole Town was over-covered Alst Chronol with a Mountain which with its most swift motion oppressed fifâ—een hundred In the dayes of Vzziah King Amos 1. 1. of Judah there was such a terrible Earthquake that the people with fear and horror flâ—d from it Zâ—ch 14. 5. Yea ye shall flee liko as ye flâ—d from before the Earthquake in the dayes of Uzziah King of Judah The Jâ—wish Doctors affirm that this amazing Earthquake fell out just at that instant time when Vzziah offered Incense and was therefore smitten with a Leprosie but this is but their conjecture However this dreadful Earthquake was an horrible sign and presage of Gods wrath to that sinful people Josephus tells us that by Antiq. l. 9. c. 11. it half a great hill was removed out of its place and câ—ried four furlongs another way so that the High-way was obstructed and the Kings Gardens utterly marred The L. 15. c. 7. same Author further tells us that at that time that Caesar and Anthony made tryal of their Titles in the Actian War and in the seventh year of the Reign of King Herod there happened such an Earthquake in the Countrey of Judaea that never the like was seen in any other place so that divers Beasts were slain thereby and that ten thousand men were overwhelmed and destroyed in the ruines of their houses The same Author saith that in the midst of the Action War Josephus lib. 1. c. 14. de Bello Judaico about the beginning of the Spring time there happened so great an Earthquake as slew an infinite multitude of Beasts and thirty thousand people yet the Army had no harm for it lay in the open Field Upon the report of this dreadful Earthquake and the effects of it the Arabians were so highly encouraged that they entered into Judea supposing that there were no men left alive to resist them and that they should certainly conquer the Countrey and before their coming they slew the Embassadors of the Jews that were sent unto them Ah London London if the Lord had by some terrible Earthquake utterly overthrown thee and buried all thy inhabitants under thy ruines as he hath dealt by many Cities and Citizens both in former and in these latter times how dreadful would thy case then have been ovâ—r what now it is Certainly such Earthquakes as over whelm both Cities and Citizens are far greater Judgements than such a fire or fires that only consumes mens houses but never huâ—ts their persons God might have inflicted this sore Judgement upon thee O London but he has not therefore it concerns thee to be still a crying Grace Grace But Fourthly God might have inflicted that Judgement both upon City and Citizens that he did upon Korah Dathan and Abiram and all that appertained to them Numb 16. 31 32 33 34. And it came to pass as he had made an end of speaking all these words that the ground clave assunder that was under Such Virgins that had been defloured the Heathen buâ—ied aâ—ive accounting that the sorest of all punishments them And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses and all the men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit and the earth closed upon them and they perished from among the Congregation And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them for they said lest the earth swallow us up also Whilst Moses spake these words saith Josephus and intermixed them with tears the earth trembled and shaking began to remove after such a manner as when by the violence of the wind a great Josephus Antiq l. 4. c. 3. billow of the Sea floateth and is tossed hither and thither hereat all the people were amâ—zed but after that a horrible and shattering noise was made about their Tents and the earth opened and swallowed up both them and all that which they esteemed dear which was after a manner so exterminate as nothing remained of theirs to be beheld Whereupon in a moment the earth closed again and the vast gaping was fast shut so as there appeared not any sign of that which had hapned Thus perished they all leaving behind them an example of Gods Power and Judgements And this accident was the more miserable in that there were â—o one no not of their kinsfolks or allies that had compassion of them so that all the people whatsoever forgetting those things which were past did allow Gods Justice with joyful acclamations esteeming them unworthy to be bâ—moaned but to be held as the plâ—gue and perverters of the people O what a dreadful Judgement was this for persons to be buried alive for houses and inhabitants and all their goods to be swallowed up in a moment What tongue can express or heart conceive the terror and astonishment that sell upon Korah Dathan and Abiram when the earth which God had made firm and established by a perpetual Decree to stand fast under mens feet was weary of bearing them and therefore opened her mouth and swallowed them and aâ—l thâ—ir concernments up Ah London London If the earth had opened her mouth and swallowed up all thy houses and inhabitants with all thy goods and riches in a moment Would not this have been ten thousand thousand times a greater Judgement than that fiery dispensation that has past upon thee But Fifthly and lastly God might have rained Hell out of Heaven upon you as he did upon Sodom and Gomâ—rrah and Gen. 19. this would have been a sorer Judgement than what he has inflicted upon you If God by raining fire and brimstone from Heaven had consumed your persons houses richâ—s and relations would not this have beâ—n the heighth of Judgement and infinitely more terrible and dreadful to you than that fiery dispensation that has consumed part of your estates and turned your houses into ashes Now by these five things 't is most evident That there are worse Judgement than the Judgement of fire which God in Justice might have inflâ—cted upon you But free-mercy has so interposed that God has not stirred up all his wrath and though he has severely punished you yet it is less than your iniquities have deserved Ezra 9. 13. and therefore let this consideration support and bear up your hearts under all your prâ—sent sorrows and sufferings But Elevently Though your houses are burnt and your habtations laid desolate yet your outward condition is noâ— worse than Christs was when he was in the world The estate and condition of Christ was low yea very low and mean in this world Witness hâ—s own relation when he was upon the earth
himself though at first his heart was in a strange violent motion yet he recovers himself and stands still before the Lord. you hold your peace now your houses are devoured by fire What were your houses to Aarons Sons All the houses in â—he world are not so near and dear to a man as his children are In this story concerning Aaron and his Sons there are many things remarkable As 1. That he had lost two of his Sons yea two of his eldest Sons together at a clap 2. These two were the most honourable of the Sons of Aaron as we may see Exod. 24. 1. in that they only with their Father and the seventy Elders are appointed to come up to the Lord. 3. They were cut off by a sudden and unexpected death when neither themselves nor their Father thought their ruine had been so near What misery to that of being suddenly surprized by a doleful death 4. They were cut off by a way which might seem to testifie Gods hot displeasure against them for they were devoured by fire from God They sinned by fire and they perished by fire Look as fire came from the Lord before in mercy so now fire is sâ—nt from the Lord in Judgement Certainly the manner of their death pointed out the sin for which they were smitten Now what Father had not rather lose all his children at once by an ordinary stroke of death than to see one of them destroyed by Gods immediate hand in such a terrible manner 5. They were thus smitten by the Lord on the very first day of their entring upon that high honour of their Priestly Function and when their hearts were doubtless full of joy now to be suddenly thunder-struck in such a Sun-shine day of mercy as this seemed to be must needs add weight to their calamity and misery 6. They were cut off with such great severity for a very small offence if reason may be permitted to sit as Judge in the case They were made monuments of divine vengeance only for taking fire to burn the Incense from one place when they should have taken it from another And this they did say some not purposely but through mistake and at such a time when they had much work lying upon their hands and were but newly entred upon their new employment Now notwithstanding all this Aaron held his peace It may be at first when he saw his Sons devoured by fire his heart began to wrangle and his passions began to work but when he considered the righteousness of God on the one hand and the glory that God would get to himself on the other hand he presently checks himself and layes his hand upon his mouth and stands still and silent before the Lord. Though it be not easie in great afflictions with Aaron to hold our peace yet it is very advantageous which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that they do prudently and patiently bear and conceal their troubles sorrows and anxieties they shall attain to comfort at last What the Apostle saith of the distressed Hebrews after the spoyling of their goods Ye have need Heb. 10. 34 36. of patience the same I may say to you who have lost your houseâ— your Shops your Trades your all you have need yea you have great need of patience Though thy mercies are few and thy miseries are many though thy mercies are small and thy miseries are great yet look that thy spirit be quiet and that thou dost sweetly acquiesce in the will of God Now God hath laid his fiery Rod upon your Psalm 39. 9. See my Mâ—lâ— Châ—istâ—aâ— under the smarting rod where the excelleâ—cy of patiâ—nce the evil of impatience is largely set forth backs it will be your greatest wisdom to lay your hands upon your mouths and to say with David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it To be patient and silent under the sharpest Providences and the sorest Judgements is as much a Christians glory as it is his duty The patient Christian feels the want of nothing Patience will give contentment in the midst of want No loss no crosâ— no afflâ—ction will fit heavy upon a patient soul Dionysius saith that this benefit he had by the study of Philosophie viz. That he bore with patience all those alterations and changes that he met with in his outward condition Now shall Nature do more than Grace Shall the study of Phiâ—osophy do more than the study of Christ Scripture and a mans own heart But The fourth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burned up is to set up the Lord in a more eminent degree than ever as the great object of their fear Oh how should we fear and tremble before the great God who is able to turn the most serviâ—eable and useful creatures to us to be the means of destroying of us Hâ—b 12. 28. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Verse 29. For our God is a consuming fire Here are two Arguments to work the Saints to set up God as the great object of their fear The first is drawn from the terribleness of Gods Majesty He is a consuming fire The second is drawn from the relation which is between God and his people Our God What a strange Title is this of the great God that we meet with in this place and yet this it one of the Titles of God expressing his nature and in which he glories that he is called a consuming fire Thâ—se words God is a consuming fire are not to be taken properly but metaphorically Fire we know is a very terrible and dreadful creature and so may very well serve to set forth to us the terribleness and dreadfulness of God Now God is here said to be a consuming or devouring fire The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is doubly compounded and so the signification is augmented and encreased to note to us the exceeding terribleness of the fire that is here meant When God would set forth himself to be most terrible and dreadful to the sons of men he dos it by this resemblance of fire which of all things is most terrible and intolcrable Deut. 4. 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendered consuming doth properly signifie devouring or eating it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to devour and eat and by a Metaphor it signifieth to consume or destroy God is a devouring fire a eating fire and sinners and all they have is but bread and meat for divine wrath to feed upon Deut. 9. 3. See Psal 50 3. Isa 33. 14. Deut. 28. 58. Vnderstand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth before thee as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and
he shall bring them down before thy face so shalt thou drive them out and dâ—stroy them quickly as the Lord hath said unto thee What more violent what more irresistible what more terrible than fire O how much therefore dos it concern us to set up that God as the great object of our fear who hath armed and commanded this dreadful creature the fire to destroy us in many or in most of our outward concernments as to this world Jer. 10. 11. At his wrath the earth shall shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Job 13. 11. Shall not his Excellency make you afraid and his dread fall upon you Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Hab. 3. 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet Verse 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entered into my bones and trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Ah London London it highly concerns thee to tremble and quiver and stand in awe of that great and glorious God who hath sent so many thousands to their long homes by a sweeping Pestilence and who hath by a dreadful fire turned thy ancient Monuments and thy stately buildings into a ruinous heap That Christian is more worth than the Gold of Ophir who fears more the hand that hath laid on the fiery Rod than the Rod it self That prudent and faithful Counsel which the Prophâ—t Isaiah gives should alwayes lye warm upon every burnt Citizens heart Isâ— 8. 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread But The fifth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to be conâ—ented with their present condition When The Poets bring in the feigned Gods each one conâ—â—nt with his 〈◊〉 Office 〈◊〉 Estate 〈…〉 Miâ—eâ—va with Sciencâ—s 〈◊〉 with Eâ—â—onence 〈◊〉 with â—â—ve Juâ—iter â—ith Hâ—aven and Plâ—â—o with Hell a mans mind is brought down to his means all is well Contentation of mind under all the turns and changes of this life makes a Believer Master both of the little and great world of unruly desirâ—s within himself and of temptations in the world without Contentment â—n a mans presenâ— coâ—dition will yield him a little Heaven in the midst of all the great Hells that he meets with in this world Contentation is a hidden treasure that the Believer will carry with him to the third Heaven where an exceeding weight of glory and contenâ—ation with full satisfaction to his desiâ—es will be added to that little stock of contentment that he has obtained in this world Contentation in every condition is no other but the House of God and the gate of Heaven as Jacob once speaks of that gracious manifestation of God Gen. 28 God dwells in a contented heart and a contented heart dwells in God Contentment is that Porch wherein the Believer waits for an entrance into an house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. O labour much with God that your hearts may be brought fully under the power of these divine commands 1 Tim. 6. 8. Having food and rayment let us be therewith content Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be withâ—ut covetousness or without the love of Silver as the Grâ—ek word siâ—nifies and be content with such things as you hâ—ve Contâ—nsi praesentibus So Beza and others be content with things preâ—ent The believing Hebrews had been plundâ—â—ed â—f â—ll they had in this world when the Apostle gâ—ve forth this Royal command Hâ—b 10. 34. and yet the Apostle requires them â—o be content 'T is as much the duty of a Christian â—o be â—ontent when he has nothing as when all the world smâ—les upon him Christians are Souldiers Strangers Travellers Pilgrims and therefore it concerns them to make shift with little things yea with any thing in this world The Israâ—lites had no gay clothes nor no new clothes in their wilderness condition but God made their old clothes to be all clotheâ— to them and that was enough Jacob did not indent with God for Junkets or Ornaments but for food and rayment Gen. 28. 20. If God will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on then shall the Lord be my God Nature is content with a little Grace with less though nothing will satisfie those mens hearts whose lusts are their Lords We shall never want a penny in our Purses to bear our charges till we get to Heaven and therefore let us be content with our present portion in this world Phil. 4. 11 12. I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to he hungry both to abound and to suffer need In these words you have first the vicissitude of Pauls outward condition at one time he abounds at another he is abased at one time he is full and at another time he suffers need 2. You have the sweet and gracious composure of his spirit and this is expressed in two singular acts The first is his contentation of mind in all conditions I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content The second is his prudent and pertinent comportment with his present condition I know both how to be abased and how to abound 3. You have the way how he attained this contentation of mind in all condititions I have learned saith he I am instructed this lesson of contentment he did not learn at the feet of Dr. Gamaliel but in the School of Jesus Christ Contentment in every condition is too high a lesson for any effâ—ctually to teach but Jesus Christ O Sirs in the grave it is all one who hath had all and who hath had none What folly is it to lay up goods for many years when we cannot lay up one day for the enjoyment of our goods Christ who never mis-called any calls him fool who had much of the world under his hands but nothing of God or Hâ—aven in his heart Zâ—pirus the Persian was contented to sustain the cutting off his Nose and Ears and Lips to further the enterprise of his Lord Darius against proud Babylon So Christians should be contented to be any thing to do any thing or to suffer any thing to further or promote the glory of God in this world All this whole world is not proportionable to the precious soul All the riches of the Indies cannot pacifie conscience nor secure eternity nor prevent death nor bring you off in the day of Judgement and therefore be contented with a little All the good things of this world are but cold comforts they cannot stretch to eternity they will not go with us into another world and therefore why should the want of
laborious how industrious are men to add spots to spots bâ—gs to bags houses to houses and lands to lands and Lordships to Lordships as if there were no Hell to escaps nor no Heaven to make sure O Sirs the voice of God in that fiery dispensation that has lately past upon us seems to be this O ye Citizens of London whose habitations and glory I have laid in dust and ashes set loose from this world and set your affections upon Col. 3. 1. Heb. 11. 13. Jâ—r 50. 6. Mich. 2. 10. things above Lâ—ve in this world as Pilgâ—ims and Strangers Remember this is not your resting place never be inordinate in your love to the world nor in your delight in the world nor in your pâ—rsuit of the world any more Never spend so many thoughts upon the wâ—rld nor never send forth so many wishes after the world nor never spend so much precious time to gain the world as you have formerly done Take off your thoughts take off yoâ—r hearts take off your hands from all these uncertain things Remember it will not be long before you must all go to your long home and a little of the world will serve to bear your charges till you get to Heaven Remember I have burnt up your City I have poured contempt upon your City I have stained the pride and glory of your City that so seeing you have here Heb. 13. 14. no continuing City you may seek one to come Remember I have destroyed your houses that so you may make sure a house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. I have taken away your uncertain Riches that so you may make sure more durable Riches I have spoiled many of your Prov. 8. 18. Phil. 3. 20. brave full Trades that so you might drive a more brave full Trade towards Heaven Oh that I had no just grounds to be jealous that many who have been great losers by the fire are now more mad upon the world and more eagerly carried after the world than ever they have been as if the great design of God in setting them on fire round about was only to enlarge their desires more after the world and more effectually to engage them to moil and toil as in the fire to lay up treasure for another fire to consume Before I close up this particular let me offer a few things to your consideration First Are there none of the burnt Citizens who seek the world in the first place and Christ and Heaven in the last place that are first for earth and then for Heaven first for Matth. 6. 33. John 6. 27. the world and then for Christ first for the meat that perisheth and then for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life The old Poets note was first for money and then for Christ But Secondly Are there none of the burnt Citizens whose love and hearts and affections are running more out after the world than they are after God and Christ and the 1 Tim. 6 9. Jer. 17. 11. great things of eternity Are there none of the burnt Citizens that are peremptorily resolved to gain the world what ever it costs them The Gnosticks were a sort of Professors that made no use of their Religion but to their secular advantages and therefore when the world and their Religion stood in competition they made no scruple no bones of renouncing their profession to enjoy the world Oh the deadness the barrenness the listlesness the heartlesness to any thing that is divine and heavenly that dos alwayes attend such Christians who are resolved to be rich or great or some body in the world what ever comes on 't O the time the thoughts the strength the spirits that these men spend upon the world whilst their souls lye a bleeding and eternity is posting on upon them Men that are highly and fully resolved to be rich by hook or by crook will certainly forget God undervalue Christ grieve the Spirit despise Sâ—bbaths slâ—ght Ordinances and neglâ—ct such gracious opportunities as might make them happy for ever Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul though the hearing of a Sermon might have saved Act. 24. 24. ult hit soul But Thirdly Are there none of the burnt Citizens who spend the first of their time and the best of their time and the Pythagoras saith that time is Anima Coelâ— the soul of Heaven And we may say it is a Pearl of price that cost Christ his blood most of their time about the things of the world and who ordinarily put off Christ and their souls with the least and last and worst of their time The world shall freely have many hours when Christ can hardly get one Are there none who will have their eating times and their drinking times and their sleeping times and their buying times and their selling times and their feasting times and their sporting times yea and their sinning times who yet can spare no time to hear or read or pray or mourn or repent or reform or to set up Christ in their families or to wait upon him in their closets Are there not many who will have time for every thing but to honour the Lord and to secure their interest in Christ and to make themselves happy for ever Look as Pharaohs lean Kine eat up the fat so many now are fallen into such a crowd of worldly business as eats up all that precious time which should be spent in holy and heavenly exercises Fourthly Are there none of the burnt Citizens who daily prefer the world before Christ yea the worst of the world before the best of Christ The Gergesins preferred their Swine Matth. 8. 28. ult before a Saviour they had rather lose Christ than lose their Hoggs They had rather that the Devil should still possâ—ss their souls than that he should drown their Piggs They preferred their Swine before their salvation and presented a wretched Petition for their own damnation For they besought him who had all love and life and light and grace and glory and fulness in himself that he would depart out of Col. 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. their coasts Though there be no misery no plague no curse no wrath no Hell to Christs departure from a people Yet Hos 9. 12. The Reubinites preferred the Countrey that was commodious for the feeding of their Cattle though it were far from the Temple far from the Means of Grace beforâ— their interest in the Land of Canaan men that are mad upon the world will desire this Bernard had rather be in his Chimney corner with Christ than in Heaven without him At so high a rate he valued Christ There was a good man who once cryed out I had rather have one Christ than a thousand worlds Another mourn ed because he could not prize Christ enough But how few burnt Citizens are of these mens minds It was a sweet prayer of one
Neh. 3. 1. Jer. 35. 11. is a soul out of Gun-shot no Devil shall there tempt no wicked men shall there assault no fire-balls shall be there cast about to disturb the peace of the heavenly inhabitants Secondly A City is compact it is made up of many habitations so in Heaven there are many habitations many Iohn 14. 2. Mansions In our common Cities many times the inhabitants are much shut up and streightned for want of room out in Heaven there is Elbow-room enough not only for God and Christ and the Angels those glistering and shineing Courteours but also for all bâ—lievers for all the elect â—f God Thirdly A City hath sundry degrees of pâ—rsons appertaining unto it as chief Magistrates and other Officers of Heb. 12. 22 23. sundry sorts with a multitude of Commoners So in Heaven there is God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and an innumerable company of Angels and â—aints Fourthly In a City you have all manner of provisions and useful commodities so in Heaven there is nothing wanting that is needful or useful Fifthly A City hath Laws Statutes and Orders for the better Government thereof 't is so in Heaven and indeed there is no Government to the Government that is in Heaven Certainly there is no Government that is managed with that Love Wisdom Prudence Holiness and Righteousness c. as the Government of Heaven is managed with Sixthly Every City hath its peculiar priviledges and immunities so it is in Heaven Heaven is a place of the greatest Rev. 3. 12. priviledges and immunities Seventhly Cities are commonly very populous and so is Heaven a very populous City Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 5. 11. Rev. 7. 9. Eighthly None but Free-men may Trade and keep open Shop in a City so none shall have any thing to do in Heaven Rev. 21. 27. but such whose name are written in the Lambs Book of Life Believers are the only persons that are inrolled as Freemen in the Records of the heavenly City Ninthly Cities are full of earthly riches and so is Heaven of glorious Riches there are no riches to the riches of Isa 23. 8. Rev. 21. the heavenly Jerusalem All the riches of the most famoâ—s Cities in the world are but Dross Brass Copper Tinn c. to the riches of Heaven O Sirs how should the consideration of these things work us all to look and long and to prepare and fit for this heavenly City this continuing City this City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Holy Ghost frequently calling believers Pilgrims sojourners strangers Heb. 11. 13. 1 Pet. 2 11. Psal 119. 54 doth sufficienâ—ly evidence that there is no abiding for them in this world this world is not their Countrey their City their home their habitation and therefore they are not to place their hopes or hearts or affections upon things below Heaven is their chief City their best Countrey their Col. 3. 1 2. most desirable home and their everlasting habitation and Luke 16. 9. Rev. 22. 17. therefore the hopes desires breathings longings and workings of their souls should still be heaven-ward glory-ward Oh when shall grace be swallowed up in glory when shall John 14. 2 3 4 we take possession of our eternal Mansions when shall we be with Christ which for us is best of all The late fire Phil. 1. 23. hath turned all ranks and sorts of men out of the houses where they once dwelt and it will not be long before death will turn the same persons out of their present habitations and carry them to their long homes Death will turn Princes Eccles 12. 5. out of their most stately Palaces and great men out of their most sumptuous Edifices and rich men out of their most pleasant houses and warlike men out of their strongest Castles and poor men out of their meanest Cottages The Princes Palace the great mans Edifice the rich mans house the warlike mans Castle and the poor mans Cottage are of no long continuance O how should this awaken and alarm all sorts and ranks of men to seek after a City which hath foundations to make sure their interest in the New Jerusalem which is above in those heavenly Mansions that no time can wear nor flames consume But Sixteenthly and lastly Was London in flames on the Lords Day and was the prophanation of that day one of those great sins that brought that dreadful judgement of fire upâ—n London that hath turned that glorious City into a ruinous heap then Oh that all that have been sufferers by that â—amâ—ntable fire and all others also would make it their â—usiness their work their Heaven to sanctifie the Sabbath â—nd to keep it holy all their dayes that the Lord may be no more provoked to lay London more desolate than 't is laid this day Let it be enough that this day of the Lord hath been so greatly prophaned by sinful omâ—ssions and by sinful commissions by the Immorality Dâ—bauchery Gluttony Dâ—unkenness Wantoâ—ness Filthiness Uâ—cleanness Rioting Revelling and Chambering that multitudes were given up to before the Lord appeared against them in that flaming fire that hath laid our renowned City in Ashes Let it be enough that the Lord has been more dishonoured and blasphemed that Christ hath been more reproached despised and reâ—used and that the Spirit hath been more grieved vexed provoked and quenched on the Lords Day than on all the other dayes in the week Let it be enough that on this day of the Lord many have been a playing when they should â—ave been a praying and that many have been a sporting when they should have been a mourning for the afflictions of Joseph And that many have been a courting of their Amos 6. 6. Mistrisses when they should have been a waiting on the Ordinances And that many have been fitting at their doors when they should have been instructing of their families and that many have been walking in the Fields when they should have been a sighing and expostulating with God in their Clossâ—ts and that many have made that a day of common labour which God hath made to be a day of special rest from sin from the world and from their particular callings Oh that all men who have paid so dear for prophaning of Sabbaths would now bend all their force strength power and might to sanctifie those Sabbaths that yet they may enjoy on this side eternity c. But you will reply upon me How is the Sabbath to be sanctified Quest I shall endeavour to give a clear full and satisfactory Answer Answ to this necessary and noble Question And therefore take me thus First We are to sanctifie the Sabbath by resting from all servil labour and work on that day Exod. 20. 10. But the Exod. 16. 29 30. Neh. 13 15 16 17 18. seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy
LONDON'S LAMENTATIONS OR A serious Discourse concerning that late fiery Dispensation that turned our once renowned City into a ruinous Heap Also the several Lessons that are incumbent upon those whose Houses have escaped the consuming Flames By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Word at S. Margarets New-Fish-street where that Fatal Fire first began that turned London into a ruinous Heap Una dies interest inter magnam Civitatem nullam There is but the distance of one day between a great City and none said Seneca when a great City was burnt to Ashes Come behold the Works of the Lord what Desolations he hath made in the Earth Psal 46. 8. LONDON Printed for John Hancock and Nathaniel Ponder and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil at the Sign of the Three Bibles or at his Shop in Bishopsgate-street and at the Sign of the Peacock in Chancery lane 1670. TO THE Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM TVRNER Knight Lord Mayor of the City of London Right Honourable IT is not my design to blazon your Worth or write a Panegyrick of your Praises your brighter Name stands not in need of such a shadow as mens Applause to make it more renowned in the World native Worth is more respected than adventitious Glory your own works Prov. 31. 31. praise you in the gates It is London's Honour and Happiness Tranquility and Prosperity to have such a Magistrate that bears not the Sword of Justice in vain and that hath not Rom. 13. 4. brandished the Sword of Justice in the defence of the friends of Baal Balaam or Bacchus My Lord had your Sword of Justice been a Sword of Protection to desperate Swearers or to cruel Oppressors or to deceitful Dealers or to roaring Drunkards or to cursing Monsters or to Gospel-despisers or to Christ-contemners c. might not London have laid in her Ashes to this very day yea might not God have rained Hell out of Heaven upon those Parts of the City that were standing Monuments of Gods mercy as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah Wo to that sword Gen. 19. that is a devouring sword to the righteous to the meek to the upright and to the peaccable in the land O happy Sword Psal 35. 19 20. under which all sorts and ranks of men have worshipped God in peace and lived in peace and rested in peace and traded in peace and built their habitations in peace and have grown up in peace Sir every man hath sit under your Sword as under his own Vine and Fig-tree in peace Words are too weak to express how great a mercy this hath been to London yea I may say to England The Ancients set forth all their gods with Harps in their hands the Hieroglyphick of Peace The Grecians had the Statue of Peace with Pluto the God of Riches in her arms Some of the Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman with a horn of plenty in her hands viz. all blessings The Orator hit it when he said Dulce nomen pacis the very name of Peace is sweet No City so happy as that wherein the chief Magistrate has been as eyes to the blind legs to the lame ears to the deaf a father to the fatherless a husband Job 31. to the widow a Tower to the righteous and a Terrour to the wicked Certainly Rulers have no better friends than such as make The three things which God minds most loves best below Heaven are his Truth his Worship and his People conscience of their ways for none can be truly loyal but such as are truly religious witness Moses Joseph Daniel and the three Children Sincere Christians are as Lambs amongst Lyons as Sheep amongst Wolves as Lillies amongst Thorns they are exposed more to the rage wrath and malice of wicked men by reason of their holy Profâ—ssion their gracious Principles and Practices than any other men in all the world Now did not God raise up Magistrates and spirit Magistrates to owne them to stand by them and to defend them in all honest and just ways how soon would they be devoured and destroyed Certainly the Sword of the Magistrate is to be drawn forth for the natural good and civil good and moral good and spiritual good of all that live soberly and quietly under iâ— Stobaeus tells us of a Persian Law Stobaeus serm 42. p. 294. that after the death of their King every man had five days liberty to do what he pleased that by beholding the wickedness and disorder of those few days they might prize Government the better all their days after Certainly had some hot-headed and little-witted and fierce-spirited men had but two or three days liberty to have done what they pleased in this great City during your Lordships Mayoralty they would have made sad work in the midst of us When a righteous Government fails then 1. Order fails 2. Religion fails 3. Trade fails 4. Justice fails 5. Prosperity fails 6. Strength and Power fails 7. Fame and Honour fails 8. Wealth and Riches fails 9. Peace and Quiet fails 10. All humane Converse and Society fails To take a righteous Government out of the world is to take the Sun out of the Firmament and leave it no more a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautiful Structure but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confused Heap In such Towns Cities and Kingdoms where righteous Government fails there every mans hand will be quickly engaged Gen. 26. 12. against his brother O the sins the sorrows the desolations and destructions that will unavoidably break in like a Flood upon such a People Publick Pâ—rsons should have publick Spirits their gifts and There is a great truth in that old Maxim Magistratus virum indicat In my Epistle to my Treatise call'd A Cabinet of Choice Jewels the ingenious Reader may find six Arguments to encourage Magistrates to be men of publick Spirits goodness should diffuse themselves for the good of the whole It is a base and ignoble Spirit to pity Cataline more than to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more than to pity the whole it is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad it is wrong to the Sheep to animate the Wolves it is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but Sir from this ignoble Spirit God has delivered you The Ancients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their Fountains intimating that they were or at least should be Fountains of the publick Good Sir had not you been such a Fountain men would never have beâ—n so warm for your continuance My Lord the great God hath made you a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good a publick Blessing and this hath made your Name precious and your Government desirable and your Person honourable in the thoughts hearts and eyes of all people Many may I not say most of the
S. Of the Sabbath Prophanation of the Sabbath brings the judgment of Fire pag. 137 138 139. Twelve Arguments to prove that God hath been very just and righteous in inflicting the late dreadful judgment of Fire upon those that prophaned his Sabbaths in London pag. 139 to 149. Six Arguments to prove that this abominable sin of prophaning the Sabbath cannot with any clear evidence be charged upon the people of God that did truly fear him within or without the Walls of London pag. 150. Burnt Citizens should sanctifie the Sabbath all their days pag. 232. The first Part of the Application Fourteen ways we should sanctifie the Sabbath pag. 233 to 263. Of the Sins of the professing people of London There were seven sins among the professing people in London that ought to work them to justifie the Lord though he hath burnt them up and turned them out of all pag. 55 to 63. The first Part of the Book Of the several Sins that bring the fiery Judgment upon Cities and Coâ—nâ—â—ies First Gross Atheism practical Atheism brings desolating judgments pag. 67 to 75. Secondly Intemperance pag. 75 to 84. Thirdly The sins that were to be found in the Citizens Callings pag. 84 to 92. Fourthly Desperate incorrigibleness and unreformedness under former wasting and destroying Judgments brings the Judgment of Fire upon a people pag. 92 93 94. Fifthly Insolent and cruel oppressing of the poor brings desolating Judgments upon a people pag. 95 to 100. Sixthly Rejecting the Gospel contemning the Gospel and slighting the free and gracious offers of Christ in the Gospel brings the fiery Dispensation upon a people pag. 100 to 104. Seventhly A course of Lying a trade of Lying brings desolating Judgments upon Cities and people pag. 112 to 128. The eighth sin that brings the Judgment of Fire is mens giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh pag. 128 to 133. The ninth sin that brings the Judgment of Fire upon a people is profanation of the Sabbath pag. 137 to 151. Tenthly The prophaneness lewdness blindness and wickedness of the Clergie brings the Judgment of Fire pag. 151 152 153. Eleventhly Sometimes the sins of Princes and Rulers bring the Judgment of Fire upon persons and places pag. 153. Twelfthly The abusing mocking and despising of the Messengers of the Lord brings the fiery Dispensation upon a people pag. 153 154. Thirteenthly Shedding of the blood of the just is a crying sin that brings the Judgment of Fire and lays all desolate pag. 154 to 168. Of Sin and of Gods Peoples Sins By fiery tryals God will make a fuller discovery of his peoples sins pag. 34 35. By fiery tryals God designs the preventing of sin pag. 35 36. By fiery tryals God designs the imbittering of sin to his people pag. 36 37 38. By fiery tryals God designs the mortifying and purging away of his peoples sins pag. 38 39 40. 41. Sin in the general brings the judgment of Fire upon a people pag. 64 65 66 67. Twelve obâ—ervable things about sin pag. 218 219. The first Part of the Application Thirteen â—upports to bear up their hearts who have either lost all or much or most of what they had in this World The first support is this the great God might have burnt up all be might not have left one house standing pag. 57 to 60. The second support is this viz. That God has given them their lives for a prey pag. 60 to 70. The third support is this viz. This has been the Common Lot the common Case both of sinners and Saints pag. 70 71. The fourth support is this viz. That though they have lost much as they are men as they are Citizens Merchants Tradesmen yet they have lost nothing as they are Christians as they are Saints as they are the Called of God pag. 71 72 73. The fifth support is this viz. That the Lord will certainly one way or another make up all their losses to them pag. 74 75 76. The sixth support is this viz. That by fiery Dispensations the Lord will make way for the new Heavens and the new Earth he will make way for the glorious deliverance of his people pag. 80 81 82. The seventh support is this viz. That by fiery Dispensations God will bring about the ruine and destruction of his and his peoples enemies pag. 82 83. The eighth support is this viz. That all shall end well all shall work for good pag. 83 84 85. The ninth support is this viz. That there was a great mixture of mercy in that dreadful judgment of Fire that turned London into a ruinous heap pag. 85 86 87 88 89 90 91. The tenth support is this viz. That there are worse judgments then the judgment of Fire which God might but has not inflicted upon the Citizens of London this is made good five ways from pag. 91 to 99. The eleventh support is this viz. Your outward condition is not worse then Christs was when he was in the world pag. 99 100 101. The twelfth support is this viz. That your outward condition in this world is not worse then theirs was of whom this world was not worthy pag. 101. 102. The thirteenth support is viz. There is a worse fire then that which has turned London into a ruinous heap viz. the fire of Hell which Christ has freed Believers from pag. 102 to 125. T. Of the Text. The Text opened pag. 1 2 3 4 5. The first Part of the Book Of Thankfulness Six Arguments to encourage Christians to thankfulness and cheerfulness under the late dâ—solating Judgment of Fire pag. 179 180 181. The first Part of the Application W. Of Divine Warnings and the danger of slighting them Ten Arguments to work men to take lâ—â—d of slighting Divine Warnings pag. 23 to 28. The first Part of the Book Of the Wicked The Wicked are compared to four things in Scripture pag. 82 83. The first Part of the Application Of the World and the Vanity of it and of a worldly Spirit The Vanity of the World discovered pag. 184 185 186 187. Ten Arguments to prove that a worldly spirit still hangs upon the burnt Citizens pag. 187 to 193. Ten Maxims for the burnt Citizens seriously and frequently to dwell upon as they would have their affections moderated to the things of this World pag. 193 to 216. How we may lawfully desire the things of the World exprest in three Particulars pag. 216 217. There was a great deal of Worldliness among the professing people of London pag. 58 59. The first Part of the Book An inordinate love to the World will expose a man to seven great losses pag. 59 60 61. ISAIAH 42. 24 25. Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers did not I the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his Law Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath
Babylon roasted in the fire Jer. 29. 21 22. of them 't is said shall be taken up a curse when any imprecated sore vengeance from the Lord upon any one 't is said The Lord make thee like Ahab and Zedekiah whom the Kings of Babylon roasted in the fire 'T is very dreadful and terrible for a man to have the least member of his body frying in the fire but how terrible and dreadful must it be for a mans whole body to be roasted in the fire so are the Judgments of the Lord very terrible and dreadful to the children of men My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I Psal 119. 120. am afraid of thy Judgments Hab. 3. 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble But Secondly Fire is very painful and tormenting in which respects Hell-torments are compared to fire so are great Afflictions and Judgments they are very painful and tormenting Isa 26. 17 18. they put a Land into sore travel next to the pangs of Conscience and the pangs of Hell there are none to those pangs that are bred and fed by terrible Judgments But Thirdly Fire is of a discovering nature it enlightens mens eyes to see those things that they did not see before so do the terrible Judgments of God enlighten mens minds and Rev. 15. 4. Ezek. 21. 3 4 5 6 7. understandings sometimes to know the Lord. Hence 't is that after Judgments threatned God doth so often tell them that they shalâ— know the Lord Sometimes God by his Judgments enlightens mens minds to see such an evil in sin that they never saw before and to see such a vanity mutability imporency and uncertainty in the Creature that they never saw before and to see such a need of free-grace of â—ich mercy and of infinite favour and goodness that they never saw before and to see such Majesty and terribleness Psal 66. 3. 5. in God which they never saw before Job 37. 22. With God is terrible Majesty But Fourthly Fire is probatory and refining and so are the Judgments of God they will try what metal men are made of they will try whether men are sound and sincere or hypocritical Isa 1. 25. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Acts 26. 28 29. and hollow whether men are real Christians or nominal Christians whether they are throughout Christians or almost Christians whether their graces are true or counterfeit and whether they have much or but a littâ—e grace Isa 31. 9. The Lords fire is in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Zacha. 13. 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you Stars shine brightest in the darkest night Torches are the better for beating Grapes come not to the proof till they come to the press Spices smell sweetest when pounded young Trees root the faster for shaking Vines are the better for bleeding Gold looks the brighter for scouring and Juniper smells sweetest in the fire The Application is easie But Fifthly Fire is of a consuming and devouring nature as we have lately found by woful Experience Psal 18. 8. There went out a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his Isa 66. 15 16. Psal 21 9. Jer. 17. 4. Ezek. 38. 19 20. nouth devoured Jer. 15. 14. A fire is kindled in my anger which shall burn upon you Ezek. 22. 31. Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Natural fire is a great devourer but mystical fire the fire of divine wrath is infinitely a greater devourer men may stand before a natural fire but no man has ever bin able to stand before the devouring fire of divine wrath The anger and wrath of God against wicked men is exceeding hot 't is a burning fiery flaming wrath against which they are never able to stand Isa 27. 4. Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together Bryars and thorns are as well able to stand before a devouring fire as wicked men are able to stand before the smoaking wrath of that God which is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. Sixthly Fire breaks out suddenly and unexpectedly in an hour in a moment when no man thinks of it when no man looks for it as you see by that late dreadful fire that in a few days turn'd a glorious City into a ruinous heap So the Judgments of God they come suddenly and unexpectedly upon the sons of men witness the Judgments of God that came upon the old world Sodom and Gomorrah Nadab and Math. 24. 37 38 39. Gen. 19. Abihu Corah Dathon and Abiram 1 Thes 5. 3. For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Security is a certain fore-runner of desolation and destruction The Apostle by the similitude he uses shews that the destruction of the wicked is 1. certain 2. sudden 3. inevitable But Seventhly Fire is impartial it makes no difference between rich and poor high and low honourable and base bond and free male and femaâ—e c. So the Judgments of God are impartial they reach all sorts and ranks of persons But Eighthly and lastly Fire is violent and irresistable we have had as dreadful a proof of this in the late dreadful Conflagration of London as ever any people have had since the Lord Jesus was on earth So are the Judgments of God violent and irresistable witness the raging Pestilence and the bloody Sword that in 1665. and 1666. has sent many score thousands to their long homes And thus you see how that Metaphorically or Typically great and sore Judgments do resemble fire But Secondly Premiâ—e this with me fire is sometimes attributed unto God Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a consuming fire sometimes fire is attributed to Christ Mal. 3. 2. But who ray abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope And sometimes fire is attributed to the Holy Ghost Mat. 3. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is with that fiery Holy Ghost that Spirit of Judgment and of burning wherewith the filth of the Daughter of Zion is washed away Isa 4. 4. But Thirdly Premise this with me the word Fire in Scripture is sometimes used by the Holy Ghost to set forth sin by Isa 9. 18. For wickedness burneth as the fire it
have rejected betrayed crucified scorned opposed and persecuted come in flames of fire to pass an eternal Doom upon them I have read a story of two Souldiers Holcot in lib. Sap. that coming to the Valley of Jehosaphat in Judea and one saying to the other Here in this place shall be the general Judgment wherefore I will now take up my place where I will then fit and so lifting up a stone he sate down upon it as taking possession before hand but being sate and â—ooking up to Heaven such a quaking and trembling fell upon him that falling to the earth he remembred the day of Judgment with horrour and amazement ever after The case of this Souldier will be the case of every wicked man when Christ shall appear in flames of fire to pass an eternal Sentence of Condemnation upon all the Goats that shall be found on the left hand It is strange in this so serious a business Mat. 25. 41. to vers 46. of the day of Judgment and of Christs appearing in flaming fire which so nearly concerns the sons of men how mens wits will busie themâ—elves in many nice inquiries ye may meet with many such questions in the School-men as 1. How long is it to the day of Judgment 2. In what place of the world shall the Judgment-day be held 3. What kind of fire shall then be burning 4. Whether Christ shall come with a Cross carried before him As if Malefactors in the Gaol should fall a reasoning and debating what weather it would be at the day of Assises or of the Judges habit and retinue and never bethink themselves how to answer their Indictment that they may escape condemnation London's flames should put us in mind of Christs coming in flames of fire and the burning of London should put us in mind of the burning of the world when Christ shall come to judge the sons of men according to their works and the terror and dread of that fire and mens endeavours to escape it should put us upon all those holy ways and means whereby we may escape the fury of those dreadful flames that shall never be quenched And the Houses and Estates that were consumed by the devouring fire in London-streets should put us upon securing a house not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Prov. 8. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 6. 19 20 21. but one eternal in the Heavens and upon securing durable riches and an inheritance that fadeth not away and upon laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust nor thieves and let me adde nor flames can break through corrupt or steal or burn The more general any Judgment is the more it should put us in mind of the General day of Judgment Now the burning of London was a general Judâ—ment a Judgment that reaches from one end of the Land to another as I shall more fully evidence before I close up this Discourse and therefore it should remind us of the universal Conflagration of the whole World and the works thereof And thus you see the ends that God has in respect of the wicked in inflicting great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countrieâ— But pray Sir what are those â—igh and holy ends in respect Quest of the people of God thâ—â—â—od aims at by his inflicting of great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countries I suppose they are such as follow First To bring about those speciaâ— favours and mercies Answ that God intends them By the dreadful Judgments that God inflicted upon Pharaoh and upon his people and upon his Country God brought about the freedom and liberty of his people to worship him according to his own prescriptions The great difference and contest between God and Pharaoh was who should have their wills God would have his people to worship him according to his own mind but Pharaoh Exod. 5. 1 2. Exod. 7. 16. Exod. 8. 8. 20. 25. 27. 29. Exod. 9. 1. 13. Exod. 10. 3. 7. 8. 11. 24. Exod. 12. 31. Jer. 11. 4. Dan. 9. 12. was resolved to venture his all before they should have their freedom and liberty to serve their God Upon this God follows him with plague upon plague and never leaves spending of his plagues upon him till he had overthrown him and through his ruine brought about the freedom and liberty of his poor people The Babylonians were cruel enemies to Gods poor Israel and kept them in bondage yea in a fiery furnace seventy years At last God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus for his Churches sake and he by fiâ—e and sword lays Babylon waste and takes them Captive who had held his people in a long Captivity Now he by breaking the Babylonians in pieces like a potters vessel brought about as as instrument in the hand of God the freedom and liberty of Gods poor people as you may see by comparing that 45. of Isa 1 2 3 4 5 6. with that 1. Chapter of Ezra God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus to put forth a Proclamation â—â—r Liberty for the Jews to go to their own Land and to 〈◊〉 the House of the Lord God of Israel and then he graâ—â—â—â—â—ly stirs up the spirits of the people wisely and soberty to iâ—â—â—ove Turn to Obadiah and read from vers 11. to the end of the Chapter â—he liberty he had proclaimed Jer. 49. 1. Concerâ—â—â—â— the Ammonites thus saith the Lord Hath Israel no sons hath he no heir why then doth their King inherit Gad and 〈◊〉 people dwell in his Cities When the ten Tribes were carried away captive the Ammonites who dwelt near the Tribe of Gad intruded into it and the Cities of it but mark what God saith in verse 2. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that I will cause 〈◊〉 â—â—arm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites that was their chief City and it shall be a desolate heap and her daughters that is lesser Towns shall be burnt with fire then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs saith the Lord. God by fire and sword Here was Lex talionis observed they that invaded the inheritance of others had their own invaded by them would lay desolate the chief City of the Ammonites and her Towns and Villages that did belong to her and by these dreadful Dispensations he would make way for his people not only to possess their own Land but the Ammonites Land also I will leave the prudent Reader to make the Application We have been under greater and dreadfuller Judgments then ever this poor Nation hath groaned under in former times and who can tell but that the Lord by these amazing Judgments may bring about greater and better mercies and blessings then any yet we do enjoy The Rabins say of Civil Liberty that if the Heavens were Parchment the Sea Ink and every pile of Grass a Pen the praises of it could not be comprised nor expressed May we
5. Hos 2. 6 7. burnt child dreads the fire Sin is but a bitter sweet 't is an evil worse then Hell it self Salt brine preserves from putrefaction and salt Marshes keep the sheep from rotting and so sharp Tryals severe Providences preserve the Saints from spiritual putrefying and from spiritual rotting The Rabbins to keep their Scholars from sin were wont to tell them that sin made Gods head ake and Saints under fiery tryals do find by experience that sin makes not only their heads but also their hearts ake and by this means God preserves his people from many sins which otherwise they would certainly fall into Beloved God by his fiery Dispensations has destroyed many or most of your outward comforts but little do you know the horrible sins that by this means the Lord has preserved you from A full Estate lays men most open to the greatest sins the worst of shares and the deadliest temptations The best of men have fallen foulest under their highest worldly enjoyments witness David Solomon Hezekiah c. Under your outward fulness how low was your communion with God how languishing were your Graces how lean were your Souls and how was your spring of inward Comforts dryed up How little had God of your thoughts your hearts your time your strength O Sirs how bad would you have been by this time if God had not removed those things that were but fuel to your lusts and quench-coals to your grace Well often think of this 't is a greater mercy to be preserved from sin yea from the least sin then 't is to enjoy the whole world But Thirdly By severe Providences and by fiery Tryals God designs the imbittering of sin to his people When God shall come and burn up mens comforts round about them then they will cry out Ah what a bitter thing is sin that puts God upon burning work then they will speak that language to their own Souls that the Prophet once spake to the Jews Jer. 2. 15. They made his land waste his cities are burnt with fire Vers 17. Hast thou not procured these things to thy self Vers 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts So Chap. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thy heart Yea now they will say that sin is bitternesses in the abstract and in the plural number also according to that of the Prophet Hosea Hos 12. 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly or with bitternesses as the Hebrew has it Relations and friends may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and conscience may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and good books may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and men under terrours and horrours of spirit may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and the fore and heavy Judgments of God upon others may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and the Spirit by his secret whispers may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and Ministers may tell us that sin is a bitter thing they may tell you that 't is bitter to God it being the only thing in all the world that he has revealed his wrath from Heaven against and that is contrary to the Nature of God the Law of God the Being of God the Glory of God and the grand Designs of God They may tell you that 't is bitter to Christ witness his crying out in the bitterness of his Soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and witness the sorrows and heaviness of his Soul and his sweating clods of blood When he hung upon the Cross they gave him gall and vinegar to drink but no gall was so bitter to him as your sins They may tell you that sin is bitter to the Spirit of God Gen. 6. 3. Eph. 4. 29. for nothing grieves him and provokes him and vexes him but sin They may tell you that sin is bitter to the good Angels every sin that you commit is as a dagger at their hearts there is nothing in all the world so bitter to them as to see their Lord and Master daily yea hourly crucified by sinners fins They may tell you that sin is bitter to the evil Angels it being the only thing for which they were banished the Court of Heaven and turned down to the lowest Hell where they are kept in chains of darkness to the Judgment Jude 6. of the great day They may tell you that sin is bitter to the worst of men witness Adams hiding of himself and Gen. 3. 10. Math. 27. Gen. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 20 21 22. Judas his hanging of himself and Cains crying out My burden is greater then I am able to bear They may tell you that 't is bitter to the Creatures who groan under their burdens and who long to be delivered from that bondage that the sin of man hath subjected them to and yet for all this we will not feelingly affectionately experimentally say that sin is bitter till God comes and burns us up Lam. 4. 11. And gives us gall and wormwood to drink Chap. 3. 19 20. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me O Sirs how bitter should sin be to you who have seen London all in flames Certainly God by burning up your sweet pleasant and delightful things would teach you to taste a greater bitterness in sin then ever O happy Fire that shall render God and Christ and Heaven and Promises and Ordinances more sweet and sin more bitter to poor sinners Souls Doubtless one of Gods great designs by this late Judgment of Fire is to imbitter sin to all sorts of men When Judgments imbitter our sins to us then they work kindly powerfully effectually and then we may conclude that there was a hand of love in those Judgments and then we shall justifie the Lord and say with the Church Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against him or as the Hebrew runs Because I have imbittered him he is righteous in all the sore judgments that he hath inflicted upon me for I have imbittered him against me by my most bitter sins But Fourthly By severe Providences and fiery Tryals God designs the mortifying and purging away of his peoples sins Isa 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee to wit to correct or chastise thee and purely purge away thy dross or drosses Dan. 11. 35. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Gods fire is in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31. 9. and take away all thy tin or tins in the plural number Some by dross understand gross
iniquity and by tin glittering hypocrisie For as tin is very like unto silver so is hypocrisie very like unto piety Others by dross understand persons that are openly prophane and by tin such as are inwardly unsound The words are a Metaphor taken from them that try metals in the fire purging from precious silver all drosâ— and tin The Jews who were once silver were now turned into dross and tin but God by fiery tryals would burn up their dross and tin their enormities and wickednesses and make them as shining Christians in grace and holiness as ever they were So Isa 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin God by the Babylonish Captivity would as by fire purge away the iniquity of Jacob and to shew the certainty of it he instanceth in their darling-sin viz. Idolatry when he maketh all the stones of the Altar as chalk-stones that are beaten in sunder the Groves and the Images shall not stand up Idolatry was the great sin for which God sent them into Captivity Now how they were purged from this sin after their return out of Captivity appears by their History take one instance for all Pilate being by Tiberius to be Josephus pag. 617. The Jews hated and feared Idolatry as much as the burnt child dreadâ— the fire Governor over the Jews caused in the night-time the Statue of Caesar to be brought into Jerusalem covered which thing within three days after caused a great tumult among the Jews for they who beheld it were astonished and moved as though now the Law of their Country were prophaned For they hold it not lawful for any Picture or Image to be brought into the City At their lamentation who were in the City there was gathered together a great multitude out of the fields adjoyning and they went presently to Pilate then at Caesarea beseeching him earnestly that the Images might be taken away out of Jerusalem and that the Laws of their Country might remain inviolated When Pilate denied their Suit they prostrated themselves before his house and there remained lying upon their faces for sive days and nights never moving Afterwards Pilaâ—e sitting in his Tribunal-seat was very careful to call all the Jews together before him as though there he would have given them an Answer when upon the sudden a Company of armed Souldiers for so it was provided compassed the Jews about with a triple rank the Jews were hereat amazed seeing that which they expected not then Pilate told them that except they would receive the Images of Caesar he would kill them all and to that end made a sign to the Souldiers to draw their Swords The Jews as though they had agreed thereto fell all down at once and offered their necks to the stroke of the Sword crying out that they would rather lose their lives then suffer their Religion to be prophaned Then Pilate admiring the constancy of the people in their Religion presently commanded the Statues to be taken out of the City of Jerusalem All the hurt the fire did the three Children or Dan. 3. 23 24. rather Champions was to burn off their cords Our lusts are cords of vanity but by fiery tryals God will burn them up Zecha 13. 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed The best of men are but men at the best they have much corruption and dross in them and they need â—efining and therefore God by fiery tryals will refine them â—ut not as dross or chaff which are burnt up in the fire but â—s silver and gold which are purified in the fire he will so â—efine them as that they shall leave their dregs and dross behind them Look what the fire is to the gold the file to the Iron the fan to the wheat the sope to the cloaths the salt to the flesh that shall fiery tryals be to the Saints But what shall be the fruit of their refining Answ They shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God By fiery tryals God will purge out our dross and make vertue shine All the fiery tryals that befal the Saints shall be as a potion to carry away ill humors and as cold frosts to destroy the vermine and as a tempestuous Sea to purge the wine from its lees and as the North wind that dryeth up the vapours that purges the blood and that quickens the spirits and as a sharp Corrosive to eat out the dead flesh The great thing that should be most in every burnt Citizens eye and heart and prayers and desires is that the Fire of London may be so sanctified as to issue in the burning up of their lusts and in the purging away of the filth of the Daughter of Zion Isa 4. 4. Jerom reports of Plato how he left that famous City of Hieronym contra Jovinian lib. 2. Athens and chose to live in a little ancient Village almost overturned with tempests and earth-quakes that being often minded therein of his approaching desolation he might get more power over his strong lusts and learn to live a more vertuous life then ever he had lived before O Sirs if God by this fiery Dispensation shall make you more victorious over your strong lusts and help you to live more vertuous lives you will have cause to bless him all your days though he has turned you out of house and home and burnt up all your comforts round about you But Fourthly By severe Providences and fiery Tryals God designs these four things in respect of his Childrens Graces First He designs the reviving quickning and recovering of their decayed graces By fiery tryals he will inflame that love that was even key cold and raise that faith that was Rev. 2. 4. Jam. 1. 2-12 2 Cor. 12. 10. fallen asleep and quicken up those hopes that were languishing and put life and spirits into those joys and comforts that were withering and dying God under fiery tryals lets his poor children see how that by their spiritual decays he has been dishonoured his Spirit grieved Religion shamed the mouths of the wicked opened weak Saints staggered strong Saints troubled Conscience wounded and their Souls and Graces impaired and by these discoveries he engages them to the use of all those holy and heavenly helps whereby their decayed graces may be revived and recovered Many creatures that have been frozen and even dead with cold have been revived and recovered by being brought to the fire God by fiery tryals will unfreeze the frozen graces of his people and put new life and spirits into them As the Air is sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy and as the Sea is sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing and as the tree of the field are somtimes flowering green and growing and
shall put them to a full improvement of that blessed stock of grace that he has intrusted them with The fire that came from Heaven was to be kept continually burning that it might never go Levit. 6. 13. out God loves to see the graces of his Children in continual exercise Neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing anâ— grace is the stronger for acting we get nothing by dead and useless habits Talents hid in a napkin gather rust the noblest faculties are imbased when not improved in exercisâ— 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God which is in thee 'T is an Allusion to the fire in the Temple which was always to be kept burning All the praise that God has from us in this life is from the actings of grace 'T was Abrahams acting of faith that set the Crown of Glory upon the Lords Head O Sirs look narrowly to it that you fail not in the activity and lively vigoâ— of your graces Look to it that your graces be still acted exercised and blown up that so they may be still flaming and shining the more you exercise grace the more you strengthen it the more you increase it Repeated The more a man plays upon an Instrument the more dextrous he grows Math. 25. 27. Prov. 10 4. acts strengthen habits t is so in sin and 't is so in grace also The more the little child goes the more strong it grows by going Money is not increased by lying in a Chest but by trading The more any member is used the stronger ' t is As the right hand is most used so 't is commonly strongest The diligent hand â—akes rich A little stock well husbanded will daily increase when a greater stock neglected shall decay and come to nothing The exercise of grace will best testifie both the truth and the life of your graces Grace is never more evident then when 't is in exercise When I see a man rise and walk and work and exercise his arms I know he is a real man a living man The more the fire is blown up the sooner 'tis seen to be fire There are many precious Christians who are full of fears and doubts that they have no love to God no saith in God no hope of Glory c. but the best way under Heaven to put an end to these fears and doubts is to be fervent in exerting actâ— of love of faith of hope c. The non-exercise of grace cast Adam out of Paradise it shut Moses and Aaron out oâ— Numb 20. 12. Caanan it brought Jacob into fourteen years hard service and bondage for had he exercised faith hope patience c. â—s he should have done he would never have got the blessing by indirect means as he did it provoked the Lord to strike Luke 1. 18 19 20. Heb. 3. 17 18. Zacharias dumb it shut thousands of the Jews out of the Land of Caanan I dare not be so harsh so rash and so uncharitabâ—e as to think that none of those that died in the Wilderness had the habits of faith the seeds of grace in their souls but 't was their non-acting of faith that kept them out of the holy Land as it did Moses and Aaron according to what I hinted but now Beloved by these instances among many others that might be produced you see that God hath dealt very smartly and severely with his choicest Servants for their not exercising of their graces as they ought to have done And though I dare not upon many accounts say that for the Saints not exercising and improving their graces God has turned London into a heap of Ashes Austin write upon that day wherein he shewed no acts of grace diem perdidi I have lost a day Oh how many days have we lost then for which God might justly visit us yet I dare say that this neglect of theirs may be one thing that added fuel to that Fire Well Sirs you had not long since many outward comforts to live upon but the Lord has now burnt them up that so he might lead you forth to live in a daily exercise of grace upon himself upon his power upon his all-sufficiency his goodness his faithfulness his fulness his graciousness his unchangeableness his promises And if this fiery Dispensation shall be so sanctified to us as to work us to a further activity of grace and to a further growth and increase of grace we shall be happy Citizens though we are burnt Citizens But Thirdly By severe Providences and by fiery Tryals God designs the growth of his people in grace Usually the graces of the Saints thrive best when they are under a smarting Rod. Grace usually is in the greatest flourish when the Saints are under the sorest tryals The snuffing of the Candle makes it burn the brighter God beats and bruises his links to make them burn the brighter he bruises his spices Rom. 5. 3 4. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4 5 6. to make them send forth the greater aromatical savour Fiery tryals are like the Tezel which though it be sharp and scratching it is to make the cloth more pure and fine God would not rub so hard were it not to fetch out the dirt and spots that be in his people The Jews were always best when they were in their lowest condition Well-waters arising from deep Springs are hotter in the Winter then they are in the Summer Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights and so do the graces of the Saints shine brightest in the darkest nights of affliction and tribulation God will sometimes more carry on the growth of grace by a Cross then by an Ordinance yea the Lord will first or last more or less turn all fiery tryals into Ordinances for the helping on the growth of Heb. 12. 10. Jam. 1. 3 4. 1 Pet. 1. 6 7. grace in his peoples souls Look as in the lopping of a tree there seems to be a kind of diminution and destruction yet the end and issue of it is better growth And as the weakning of the body by Physick seems to tend to death yet it produceth better health and more strength And as the ball by falling downward riseth upward and as water in pipes descends that it may ascend So the Saints spiritual growth in grace is carried on by such divine methods and in such ways as might seem to deaden grace and weaken it rather then any ways to augment and increase it We know that winter is as necessary to bring on harvest as the spring and so fiery tryals are as necessary to bring on the harvest of grace as the spring of mercy is Though fiery tryals are grievous yet they shall make us more gracious Though for the present we cannot see but that such and such severe providences and fiery tryals as the loss of house estate trade friends will redound much to our prejudice and damage yet in the
the heels and hurled him over-board and then the storm ceased and the Sea was quieâ— It will be hard to name an Atheist either in the holy Scripture or in Ecclesiastical Histories or in Heathen Writings which came not to some fearful end and therefore no wonder if Austin would not be an Atheist for half an hour for the gain of a million of worlds because he knew not but God might in that time make an end of him I have been the longer upon this Head because Atheist and Atheism did never so abound in this Land as it hath done these last years And that you may the clearer see who they are that have brought that sad Judgment of Fire upon that once glorious City of London Ah London London 't was the gross Atheism and the practical Atheist that was within and without thy Walls that has turned thee into a ruinous heap Mark I readily grant that there is the seeds reliques stirring and moving of Atheism in the best and holiest of the Sons of men but then 1. They disallow of it and discountenance it 2. 'T is lamented and bewailed by them 3. They oppose it and conflict with it 4. They use all holy and conscientious means and endeavours to be rid of it 5. By degrees they get ground against it and therefore God never did nor never will turn Cities or Kingdomâ— into flames for those seeds and remains of Atheism that are to be found in the best of Saints 't is that Atheism that is rampant that raigns in the hearts and lives of sinners as a Prince raigns upon his Throne that brings desolating and destroying Judgments upon the most flourishing Kingdoms and the most glorious Cities that are in the World But Secondly Luxury and Intemperance bring desolating and destroying Judgments upon Places and Persons Joel 1. 5. Awake ye drunkards and weep and howl all ye drinkers of In Ecclesiastical History you may read of one Drunkard who being toucht with his sin wept himself blind but the Drunkards of our days are more apt to drink themselves blind then to weep themselves blind wine because of the new wine for it is cut off from your mouth Verse 19. O Lord to thee will I cry for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flames have burnt all the trees of the field Verse 20. The beasts of the field cry unto thee for the rivers of the water are dryed up and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness Luxury is a sin that brings both famine and fire upon a people it brought the Chaldeans upon the Jews who by fire and sword laid all waste The Horses of the Caldees destroyed their Pastures Vines Fig-trees Pomegranates c. which grew in many places of the Land and their Souldiers set their houses on fire and so brought all to ruine Amos 6. 1. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion Verse 3. That put far away the evil day Verse 4. That lye upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall Verse 5. That chant to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick like David Verse 6. That drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Josâ—ph Verse 7. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Verse 8. The Lord God hath sworn by himself saith the Lord God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his palaces therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein Verse 11. For behold the Lord commandeth and he will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts Luxury is a sin that forfeits all a mans enjoyments that turns him out of house and home Samaria was a very glorious City and a very strong City and a very rich City and a very populous City and a very ancient City c. and yet Luxury and Intemperance turned it into ashes it brought desolating and destroying Judgments upon it The rich Citizens of Samaria were given up to mirth and musick to Luxuries and excesses to riotousness and drunkenness to feasting and carousing and by these vanities and debaucheries they provoked the Lord to command the Chaldeans to fall on and to spoil them of their riches and to lay their glorious City in ashes So 't was Luxury and Intemperance that provoked the Lord to rain Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah Luxury turned those rich and populous Gen. 18. Cities into ruinous heaps Ah London London the Luxuries and excesses the riotousness and drunkenness the mad feasting and carousing that have been within and without thy Walls that have been within thy great Halls Taverns and other great Houses hath turned thee into ashes and laid thy glory in the dust O you burnt Citizens of London what shameful spewing hath been in some of your Feasts as if Sardanapolus Apicius and Heliogabalus were still alive How often have many of you poured into your bodies such intoxicating drinks as hath many times laid you asleep stript you of your reason took away your hearts robbed you of your selves and laid a beast in your room Drunkenness is so base so vile a sin that it transforms the Soul deforms the body bereaves the brain betrays the strength defiles the affections and metamorphoseth the whole man yea it unmans the man Cyrus the Persian Xenophon Monarch being demanded of his Grandfather Astyages why he would drink no wine answered For fear lest they give me poyson for saith he yesterday when you celebrated your Nativity I judged that some body had poysoned all the wine they drunk because at the taking away of the Cloth not one of all those that were present at the Feast arose in his right mind Hath it not been thus with many of you if it hath lay your hands upon your mouths and say the Lord is righteous though he hath laid your houses in ashes Anacharses used to say that the first cup of wine was for thirst the second for nourishment the third for mirth and the fourth for madness but what would he have said had he lived within or without the Walls of London these last six years Ah London London were there none Isa 5. 22. Hab. 2. 17. within nor without thy Walls that were strong to drink and that gave their neighbour drink and that put the bottle to them to make them drunk that they might look on their nakedness Were there none within nor without thy Walls that with Marcus Antonius Darius Alexander the Great c. did boast and glory and pride themselves in their great abilities to drink down any that should come into their Company Were there none within nor without thy Walls O London
spent a great Estate in luxurious living jesting at his own folly he said that he had left nothing for his Heir more then air and mire Philip King of Macedon making War upon the Persians understood that they were a luxurious people he presently withdrew his Army saying it was needless to make War upon them who by their Luxury would shortly overthrow themselves But Sixthly Intemperance robs men of everlasting happiness and blessedness it shuts them out from all the glory of that upper world and tumbles them down to the lowest Hell as Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Luke 16. 19. 'to the 26. you may see in that great instance of luxurious Dives The intemperate mans table proves a snare to his Soul fulness breeds forgetfulness wantonness blockishness and stupidity and therefore no wonder if God shuts the gates of glory against intemperate persons Look as no Leper might be in Numb 5. Judg. 12. Chap 7. Deut. 23. the Camp of Israel and as no Gileadite might pass over Jordan and as no fearful man might enter into the wars of Midian and as no bastard might enter into the Sanctuary So no luxurious person shall enter into Heaven Of all sorts of sinners the luxurious sinner is most rarely reformed the Adulterer may become chast the Thief may become an honest man the Swearer may obtain a sanctified tongue But how rare is it to see a luxurious person repent break off his sins close with Christ and walk to Heaven Luxurious persons Math. 21. 31 32. Luke 23. 43. eat and drink away their Christ yea they eat and drink away their Souls nay they eat and drink away their own Salvation They that serve their own bellies serve not the Rom. 16. 10. Lord Jesus Christ and therefore they shall never raign with him in the other world Certainly that man that makes Phil. 3. 19. his belly his God shall be for ever separated from God All Belly-gods shall at last be found in the belly of Hell the intemperate person hath his Heaven here his Hell is to come Now he has his sweet cups his merry cups his pleasant cups O but there is a cup of shame and sorrow and this shall be their portion for ever and ever The intemperate person Psal 11. 6. hath been a gulf to devour many mercies and therefore he shall at last be cast into a gulf of endless miseries In a word Intemperance is another sin a breeding sin 't is a sin that is an inlet to all other sins we may well call it Gad for behold Deut. 32. 17. 24. Jer. 5. 7 8 9. a Troop cometh O the pride the oppression the cruelty the security the uncleanness the filthiness the prophaneness that comes trooping after Intemperance And therefore Aristotle concludes that double punishments are due to Drunkards first for their drunkenness and then for other sins committed in and by their drunkenness Now seeing that Intemperance and Luxury is so great a sin is it any wonder to see divine Justice turn the most glorious Cities in the world into a ruinous heap when this sin of Intemperance is rampant in the midst of them Ah London London the Intemperance and Luxury that has been within and without thy Walls has brought the desolating Judgment of Fire upon thee that has laid all thy glory in ashes and Rubbish How many great houses where there once within and without thy Walls that should have been publick Schools of Piety and Vertue but were turned into meer Nurseries of Est 1. 6 7. Luxury and Debauchery How have the â—ules of the Persian Civility been forgotten in the midst of thee How many within and without thy Walls did make their belly their God their Kitchin their Religion their Dresser their Altar and their Cook their Minister whose whole felicity did lye in eating and drinking whose bodies were as sponges and whose throats were as open sepulchres to take in all precious Liquors and whose bellies were as graves to bury all Gods Creatures in And how have many men been forced to unman themselves either to please some or to avoid the anger or wrath of others or else to gain the honourable Character of being a high Boy or of one that was strong to drink among oâ—herâ— or to drink down others O the drunken Matches that have been within and without thy Walls O London the Lord has seen them and been provoked by them to kindle a fire in the midst of thee Luxury is a sin that never goes alone it hath many other great sins aâ—tâ—nding and waiting on it it is as the Nave in the wheel which turning about all the Spokes turn with it Idleness fighting quarrelling jewling whoring cheating stealing robbing Prov. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. are the hand-maids that wait on Luâ—ury and therefore no wonder if God has appeared in flames of fiâ—e against it I have been the longer upon this Head because Luxury Intemperance is one of the great Darling-sins of our Age and day 't is grown to Epidemical not only in the City but in the Countries also and 't is a very God-dishonouring and a God-provoking and a Soul-damning and a Land-destroying sin and O that what I have writ might be so blest as to put some effectual stop to those notorious publick Excesses and Luxuries that have been and still are rampant in most Parts of the Land But now Beloved this sin of Luxury and Intemperance I cannot charge with clear and full evidence upon the people of the Lord that did truly fear him and sincerely serve him whose habitations were once within or without the Walls of London nay this I know that for this very sin among others their Souls did often mourn before the Lord in secret And truly of such Christians that live and wallow in Luxury and Intemperance if we compare their lives and Christs Laws together I think we may confidently conclude Aut haec non est Lex Christi aut nos non sumus Christiani Either this is not Christianity or we are not Christians And thus Tâ—rtullian Cyprian Justin Martyr and others concluded against the luxurious and intemperate Christians of their times Salvian relates Salvianus de Gratia Dei lib. 4. how the Heathen did reproach such luxurious Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gospel of Christ to be a reproach Where said the Heathen is that good Law which they do believe where are those Rules of Godlinesâ— which they do learn They read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles Writings and yet are drunk they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives And Ponormitan having read the 5 6 and 7 Chapters of Mathew and comparing the loose and luxurious lives of Christians with those Rules of Christ concluded that either that was no Gospel or the people no Christians The loose and luxurious lives of many Christians was as Lactantius
were they obedient unto his Law Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Levit. 26. 27 28. 31 32 33. And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then will I walk contrary unto you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto desolations And I will bring the Land into desolation and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it And I will scatter you among the Hea then and will draw out a sword after you and your Land shall be desolate and your Cities waste Isa 1. 5. 7 8. Why should you be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint your Country is desolate your Cities are burnt with fire your Land-strangers devour it in your presence and it is desolate as over-thrown by strangers And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers as a besieged City Amos 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11. And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. And also I have withholden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest and I caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another City one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered So two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig-trees and your olive-trees increased the palmer-worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. By all these Scriptures 't is most evident that desperate incorrigibleness and unreformedness under wasting and destroying Judgments brings the fiery Dispensations of God upon a people Ah London London how long has the Lord been striving with thee by his Spirit by his Word by his Messengers by his Mercies and by lesser Judgments and yet thou hast been incorrigible incurable and irrecoverable under all God lookt that the Agues Fevers small Pox strange Sicknesses want of Trade Poverty that was coming on like an armed man upon thee with all the lesser Fires that have been kindled in the midst of thee should have awakned thee to repentance and yet under all how proud how stout how hard how obdurate hast thou been God lookt that the bloody Sword that the Nations round hath drawn against thee should have humbled thee and brought thee to his foot and yet thou hast rejected the remedy of thy recovery God lookt that the raging devouring Pestilence that in 1665. destroyed so many ten thousands of thy Inhabitants should have astonished thee and have been as a Prodigy unto thee to have affrighted thee out of thy sins and to have turned thee to the most High But yet after so stupendious and amazing Judgments thou wast hardned in thy sins and refusest to return By all these divers kinds of Judgmenâ—s how little did God prevail with thy Magistracy Ministry or Commonalty to break off their sins to repent and to abhor themselves in dust and ashes Hath not God spent all his Rods in vain upon thee were not all sorts of men generally seven times worse after those wasting Judgments then they Jer. 24. 2 3. were before and therefore thou hast cause to fear that this is that which hath kindled such a devouring Fire in the midst of thee and that hath turned thy glory into shame thy Riches Palaces and stately Houses into ashes When after the raging Pestilence men returned to the City and to their Estates and Trades c. they returned also to their old sins and as many followed the world more greedily then ever so many followed their lusts their sinful courses more violently then ever and this has ushered in thy desolation O London The Physitian when he findeth that the potion which he hath given his Patient will not work he seconds it with one more violent and thus doth the Chiâ—urgion too if a gentle plaister will not serve then he applies that which is more corroding and to prevent a gangrene he makes use of his cauterizing knife and takes off the joynt or member that is so ill affected So doth the great God when men are not bettered by lesser Judgments he sends greater Judgments upon them God was first as a moth to Ephraim Hos 5. 12. 14. which consumed him by little and little but when that would not better him and reform him then the Lord comes as a Lyon upon him and tore him all to pieces If the dross of mens sins will not come off he will throw them into the melting-pot again and again he will crush them harder and harder in the press of his Judgments and lay on such Irons as shall enter more deep into their Souls If he strike and they grieve not if he strikes again and they tremble not if he wounds and they return not then 't is a righteous â—hing with God to turn men out of house and home and to â—urn up their comforts round about them Now this has been thy case O London and therefore God has laid thee desolate in the eyes of the Nations Now this desperate incorrigibleness and unreformedness under wasting and destroying Judgments I cannot groundedlâ— fix upon those who did truly fear the Lord within and without the Walls of London because they made it their buâ—iness according to the different measures of grace they had â—eceived to mourn under wasting Judgments and to lament aâ—ter the Lord under wasting Judgments and to be betâ—ered and reformed under wasting Judgments and noâ— only â—o understand but also to obey the voice of the Rod. Theiâ—â—arnest prayers strong crys bitter tears sad sighâ— and heavy groans under wasting Judgments may sufficiently evidence that they were not incorrigible under wasting Judgments But Fifthly Iâ—solent and cruel oppressing of the Poor is a sin that brings desolating and destroying Judgments upon a people God sent ten wasting Judgments one after another upon
The Calvin Chrysostom Isa 25. 8 9. Prov 9. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Isa 55. 1 2 3. Jews have the honour to be first called to the Marriage-feast they are invited by the Prophets and afterwards by the Apostles to partake of Christ and of all his royal Benefits and Favours which are displayed in the Gospel God the Father was very willing and desirous to make up a match between Christ and the Jews and between Christ and the Gentiles and he is here called a King to declare his divine Majesty and to set forth the stateliness and magnificence of the Feast Marriage-feasts that are usually made by Kings are full of joy and full of state full of splendor and glory who can sum up the variety of dishes and dainties that then the Guests are feasted with The variety of the glorious excellencies favours and mercies of Christ that are discovered and tendered by God in Gospel-offers in Gospel-ordinances is the Wedding-feast to which all sorts of sinners are invited but here you see they slight and scorn and contemn both Master of the feast and the matter of the feast and all those servants that were sent to invite them to the feast and hereupon the King was wroth and sent forth his armies the Romans as most Interpreters do agree and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City About forty years after the death of Christ the Lord to revenge the blood of his Son the blood of his servants and the contempt of his Gospel upon the Jews brought his Armies the Romans against Jerusalem who by fire demolished their Temple and City and by sword and famine destroyed eleven millions of men women and children and those that escaped fire Josephus de bell Judaic lib. 7. sword and famine were sold for slaves and scattered among all the Nations Christ and the way of Salvation by him is the subject matter of the Gospel The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rendered Gospel signifies glad Tydings good News and certainly Salvation by Christ is the best news 't is the greatest and the gladest tydings that ever was brought to sinners ears What the Psalmist had long before said of the City of God Glorious things are spoken of thee that I may Psal 87. 3. truly say of the blessed Gospel Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou Gospel of God The Gospel is called the glorious Gospel of the blessed God The Gospel is a glorious 1 Tim. 1. 11. Gospel in respect of the Author of it and in respect of the Pen-men of it and in respect of the glorious discoveries that it makes of God of Christ of the Sâ—irit of Heaven and in respect of its glorious effectâ— in turning of poor sinners from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto Acts 26. 18. God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified Certainly Solomons natural History in which he treated of aâ—l Trees from the Cedar to the Hysop of all Beasts Fowls and creeping 1 Kings 4. 33. Some are of opinion that it was burnt by the Chaldees together with the Temple others think that it was abolished by Ezekiah because the people idolized it as they did the Brazen Serpent things was a very rare and incomparable piece in its kind yet one leaf yea one line of the Gospel is infinitely more worth and of greater importance to us then all that large Volume would have been For what is the knowledge of Trees and Birds and Beasts and Worms and Fishes to the knowledge of God in Christ to the knowledge of the great things of Eternity to the knowledge of a mans sinful estate by Nature or to the knowledge of his happy estate by Grace doubtless to a Soul that hath tasted that the Lord is gracious there is no Book to this of the Bible Acts 19. 19. When the Lord had made it the day of his glorious Power to their Conviction Conversion and Salvation they burnt their costly Books of curious Arts. And no wonder for they had found the power and the sweet of a better Book even of Gods Book upon their hearts Luther speaking of the Gospel saith That the shortest line and the least letter thereof is more worth then all Heaven and Earth he tasted so much of the sweetness of the Gospel and saw so much of the glory and excellency of the Gospel that he would often say to his friends that he would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible Rab. Chiia in the Jerusalem Talmud saith that in his account all the world is not of equal value with one word out of the Law Israel had three Crowns as the Talmud observes 1. of the King 2. of the Priest 3. of the Law but the Crown of the Law was counted by them the chiefest of the three then what is the Crown of the Gospel to all those upon whom the Gospel is come in power 1 Thes 1. 5 6 7. How divinely did that Poet speak who said He could read God in every leaf on the Tree and that he found hiâ— Name written on every green herb and shall not we read God and Christ and Grace and Mercy in every leaf yea in every line of the Gospel The Bible saith Luther is the only Luther com in Gen. cap. 19. Book all the books in the world are but waste paper to it so highly did he prize it and so dearly did he love it Conâ—empt of the Gospel is a great indignity cast upon the great God and a great indignity cast upon Jesus Christ for though the Law was delivered by Moses yet the Gospel was delivered by Jesus Christ And if they escaped not who despised Heb. 2. 3. Chap. 10. 28 29. him that spake from earth of how much sorer punishment are they worthy that contemn him that speaks from Heaven If the Book of the Law happen to fall upon the ground the Jews custom is presently to proclaim a Fast O Sirs what cause then have we to fast and mâ—uâ—n when we see the glorious Gospel of God fallen to the ground scorned despised contemned and trampled upon by all sorts of sinners Contempt of the Gospel is a sin of the greatest ingratitude In the Gospel God offers himself his Son his Spirit Hierom reports of Vzzah that his shoulder was shrunk up and witherâ—d he carted the Ark when he should have carried it on his shoulder therefore that part was branded for it his Grace his Kingdom and all the Glory of another World Now for men to despise and contemn these offers is the highest ingratitude and unthankfulness imaginable and therefore no wonder if God burn such men up and turn them out of house and home Such justly deserve the worst of Judgments who despise the best of mercies The strongest and the sweetest wine always makes the sharpest vinegar the freest the richest and the choicest offers of mercy
Command more strongly about then he has any other and all to prevent our transgression of it and the more effectually to ingage us to the keeping of it holy Now here observe First It is marked with a Memento above all other Commands Exod. 20. 8. Remember the sabbath-day to keep it holy and that partly because we are so desperately apt and prone to forget it and partly because none can keep it holy when it comes that do not remember it before it comes and partly because this is one of the greatest if not absolutely the greatest of all the Commandments it is sometimes put for all the Ten it is the Synopsis of them all and partly because Philo Judaeus saith that the fourth Commandment is a famous Precept and profitable to excite men to all kind of vertue and piety the observation of all the Commandments depends chiefly upon the observation of this fourth None walk so much after the Spirit on other days as they who are most in the Spirit on the Lords day There are none that walk so close with God all the six days as those that keep closest to God on the seventh day In the due observation of this Command obedience to all the rest is comprised and partly because this Command has least light of Nature to direct us to the observation of it and partly because the forgetting of this Duty and prophaning of this Day is one of the greatest sins that a people can be guilty of it is a violation of all the Decalogue at once it is a sin against all the concernments and Commandments of God at once But Secondly It is delivered both negatively and affirmatively which no other Command is to shew how strongly it binds us to a holy observation of it Thirdly It hath more Reasons to enforce it then any other Precept viz. its equity Gods bounty his own Pattern and the Days benediction Fourthly It is put in the Close of the first and beginning of the Second Table to note that the observation of both Tables depends much upon the sanctification of this Day Fifthly It is very considerable also that this Command is more frequently repeated then others of the Commands are Exod. 20. 31. Exod. 14. 34. Exod. 24. 35. Levit. 19 3. Levit. 28. 30. God would have Israel know in these Scriptures last cited that their busiest times as earing and harvest yea and the very building of the Tabernacle must give way to this Precept Secondly Consider that God is highly pleased and delighted with the sanctification of his Sabbaths Jer. 17 24 25. Now in this promise he shews that the flourishing estate both of Church and State depends greatly upon the sanctification of this day Two things are observable in this promise First the duty unto which the promise is made and that is in vers 24. 2. Observe the reward that is promised and that is twofold 1. The first concerns the Common-wealth and Civil State vers 25. as if he should say I will maintain the honour and dignity the wealth and strength the peace and safety of this Nation The second blessing that is promised concerns the Church and state of Religion vers 26. As if he should say my solemn Assemblies shall be duely frequented and I will continue my own Worship in the purity liberty and power of it But Thirdly Consider that all publick Judgments and common Calamities that ever befel the people of God are imputed by the Holy Ghost to no sin more then to the prophanation Prophaners of the Sabbath were to be put to death they were to be cut off Exod. 31. 14 15. This Scripture includes not only death inflicted by the Magistrate according to that Numb 35. 36. but also the immediate stroke of God when that was neglected If you turn to that Ezek. 20. 13. 21. you shal find that God threatens Sabbath-prophanation with his consuming fire Now what City Gates Palaces stately Structures strong Holds can stand before divine fury of the Sabbath 2 Chron. 36. 17 18 19 20 21. turn to it So Nâ—hâ—m 13. 15 16-18 Ezek. 22. 26 -31 Her Priests have violated my law and have prophaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prothane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths and I am prophaned among â—hâ—m Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath their own wâ—y have I recompensed upon their own heads saith the Lord God Levit. 26. 31 32 33. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto desolation and will not smell the savour of your sweet odâ—uâ—s And I will bring the land into dâ—solation and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it And I will scatter you among the Heathen and will draw out a sword after you and your land shall be desolate and your cities waste I but what iâ— the reason why God brings those two terrible Judgments of Fire and Sword upon them The resolution of this Question you have in vers 34. 35. Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths as long as it lyeth desolate and ye be in your enemies land even then shall the land rest and enjoy her sab baths As long as it lyeth desolate it shall rest because it did not rest in your sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it The land did not rest in your sabbaths saith the Lord when ye dwelt upon it But when 't is eased from the wicked weight of such Inhabitants which brought upon it heavy curses and toyled and tyred it out with continual tillage it shall then rest and be at quieâ— According to the Law of God the Land should have rested every seventh year Levit. 25. 3. But they got out the very heart of the land to spâ—nd on their lusts but saith God I will ease the land of such inhabitants and then it shall in a Lam. 1. 7. manner take its recreation then it shalâ— rest and take its own pleasure Where there is not a resting from sin there Sabbaths are not truly kept Prophaning the Sabbath brings most desolating and destroying Judgments upon a professing people The first blow given to the German Churches was on the Sabbath-day For on that day Prague was lost the Sabbaths were wofully prophaned amongst them their Nobility thought it was for their not trimming and beautifying of their Churches but better and wiser men concluded it was for their prophaning of the Lords day Some are of opinion that the Flood began on the Lords day from that Gen. 7. they being grown notorious prophaners of the Sabbath The Council of Matiscon in France attributed the irruption of the Goths and Vandals to their prophanation of the Sabbath But Fourthly Consider there are singular blessings which the sanctifying of the Sabbath will crown us with Ezek. 20. 12. Moreover also I gave them my
that he in his instruments Rev. 2. 10. makes against the strictest observers of that day and witness his constant prompting and spurring such on to the prophanation of the Sabbath whose examples are most dangerous and encouraging to wicked men as Magistrates Ministers Parents and Masters c. and witness his strong endeavours constant attempts crafty devices and deep policies that he has made use of in all the Ages of the World to keep people off from a religious observation of the Sabbath yea and to make them more wicked on that day then on any other day of the week May I not say then on all other days of the week I have been the longer upon this ninth Particular partly because of the weightiness of it and partly to encourage the Reader to a more close and strict observation of the Sabbath and partly to justifie those that are conscientious observers of it and partly to justifie the Lord in turning London into ashes for the horrible prophanation of his day The Sabbath-day is the Queen of days say the Jews The The Sabbath-day differs as much from the rest of the days as the wax doth to which a Kings Great Seal is put from ordinary wax Sabbath-day among the other days is as the Virgin Mary among Women saith Austin Look what the Phenix is among the Birds the Lyon among the Beasts the Whale among the Fishes the Fire among the Elements the Lilly among the Thorns the Sun among the Stars that is the Sabbath-day to all other days and therefore no wonder if God burn such out of their habitations who have been prophaners of his day Ah London London were there none within nor without thy Walls that made light of this Institution of God and that did offer violence to the Queen of days by their looseness and prophaneness by their sitting at their doors by their walking in Moor-fields by their sportings and wrestlings there and by their haunting of Ale-houses and Whore-houses their tossing of Pots and Pipes when they should have been setting up God and Christ and Religion in their Families and mourning in their Closets for the sins of times and for the afflictions of poor Joseph How did the wrath and rage of King Ahasuerus smoak against Haman Esth 7. 8 9 10. when he apprehended that he would have put a force upon the Queen And why then should we wonder to see the wrath of the Lord break forth in smoak and flames against such a generation that put a force upon his day that prophaned his day the Queen of days Ah Sirs you have greatly prophaned and abused the day of the Lord and therefore why should any marvel that the Lord has greatly debased you and laid your glory in dust and ashes In these late years how has prophaneness like a flood broke in upon us on the Lords day and therefore it highly concerns all the prophaners of the day of the Lord to lay their hands upon their hearts and to say the Lord is righteous the Lord is righteous though he has laid our habitations desolate Who is so great a stranger in our English Israel as not to know that God was more dishonoured on the Sabbath-day within and without the Walls of London then he was in all the other six days of the week and therefore let us not think it strange that such a fire was kindled on that day as has reduced all to ashes What Antick habits did men and women put on on this day what frothy empty airy discourses and intemperance was to be found at many mens Tables this day How were Ale-houses Stews and Moor-fields filled with debauched sinners this day No wonder then if London be laid desolate Now this abominable sin of open prophaning the Sabbaths of the Lord I cannot with any clear evidence charge upon the people of God that did truly fear him within or without the Walls of London For first they did lament and moâ—rn over the horrid prophanation of that day Secondly I want eyes at present to see how it will stand either with the truth of Grace or state of Grace for such as are real Saints to live in the open prophanation of Gods Sabbaths Thirdly because an ordinary prophaning of the Lords Sabbaths is as great an Argument of a prophane heart as any that can be found in the whole Book of God Fourthly because Sabbath-days are the Saints Market-days Prov. 10. 5. Prov. 17. 16. Isa 25. 6. Math. 5. 47. the Saints harvest-days the Saints summer-days the Saints seed-days and the Saints feasting-days and therefore they will not be such fools as to sleep away those days much less will they presume to prophane those days or to toy and trifle away those days of Grace Fifthly what singular thing do they more then others if they are not strict observers and conscientious sanctifiers of the Lords day â—ixthly and lastly of all the days that pass over a Christians head in this world there are none that God will take such a strict and exact account of as of Sabbath-days and therefore it highly concerns all people to be strict observers and serious sanctifiers of that day Now upon all these accounts I cannot charge such throughout Saints as lived within or without the Walls of London with that horrid prophanation of the Sabbath as brought the late fiery Dispensation upon us and that turned a glorious City into a ruinous heap Whatever there was of the hand of man in that dreadful Conflagration I shall not now attempt to divine but without a peradventure it was Sabbath-guilt which threw the first Ball that turned London into flames and ashes When fire and smoaking was on Mount Sinai God was there but when London was in Exod. 19. 18. flames and smoak Sabbath-guilt was there Doubtless all the power of Rome and Hell should never have put London into flames had not Londons guilt kindled the first coal But We come now to the Use and Application of this important Point Tenthly The prophaneness lewdness blindness and 10. wickedness of the Clergy of them in the Ministry brings the Judgment of Fire and provokes the Lord to lay all waste before him Zeph. 3. 4-6 Her Prophets are light and treacherous persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have done violence to the law I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate I have made their street wâ—ste that none passeth by their cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant Their Prophets and Priests were rash heady and unstable persons they were light faithlâ—ss men or men of faithlesness as the Hebrew runs They were neither faithful to God nor faithful to their own Souls nor faithful to others Souls they invented and feigned Prophesies of their own and then boldly maintained them and imposed them upon their Hearers they were prophane and light in their carriages they fitted their Doctrines to all fancies humours parties and times
they betrayed their trust they betrayed the lives of men into the hand of divine Justice and the Souls of men into the hands of Satan they polluted the Sanctuary they polluted the Holy things of God by managing of his Worship and Service in a prophane carnal way and with a light slight perfidious spirit and by perverting the true sense of the Law in their ordinary teaching of the people They did violence to the Law or they contemned removed or cast away the Law as the Oriâ—inal runâ— the Hebrew word here used signifies also to ravish Their Prophets and Psal 50. 17. Priests did ravish the Law of God by corrupting the Law and by putting false glosses upon it and by turnâ—ng of it intâ— such shapes and senses as would best suit the times and please the humours of the people Now for these abominations of their Prophets and Priests God denounces a dreadful Wo against the City of Jerusalem in vers 1. Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city Lam. 4. 11-13 The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce â—nger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured â—he foundation thereof For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquity of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her God sent a consuming flame into Jerusalem which did not only burn the tops of their houses but also the foundations themselves leaving no mark whereby they might know where their houses stood nor any hopes of building them up again But why did God kindle such a devouring fire in Jerusalem which was one of the World wonders and a City that was not only strong in situation and building and deemed impregnable but a City that was Gods own Seat the Palace of his Royal residence yea a City that the Lord had for many years to the admiration of all the world powâ—rfully and wonderfully protected against all those furious â—ssaults that were made upon her by her most potent and mighty Adversaries Answ For the sins of her Prophets â—nd the iniquities of her Priests as God himself testifies who can neither dye nor lye You may see this further confirmed if you please but seriously to ponder upon these Scriptures Mich. 2. 11. Isa 30. 10 11. Jer. 5. ult Hos 4. 9. Isa 9. 16. Lam. 2 14. Ezek. 3. 18. Ezek. 22. 25 26. 31. Jer. 23. 11. 14 15. 39 40. Look as the body Natural so the body Politick cannot be long in a good constitution whose more noble and essential parts are in a consumption The enormities of Ministers have the strongest influence upon the souls and lives of men to make them miserable in both worlds Their falls will be the fall and ruine of many for people are more prone to live by Examples then by Precepts and to mind more what the Minister does then what he says Praecépta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but Examples do perswade The Complaint is ancient in Seneca That commonly men Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem The people commonly make the Examples of their Ministers the Rules of their Actions and their Examples pass as current among them as their Princes Coyn. The Common-people are like tempered Wax easily receiving impressions from the Seals of their Ministers vices They make no bones of it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves by following the lewd Examples of their Ministers The Vulgar unadvisedly take up crimes on trust and perish by following of bad Examples I will leave the serious Reader to make such Application as in prudence and conscience he judges meet But Eleventhly Sometimes the sins of Princes and Rulers bring the fiery Dispensations of God upon Persons and Places Jer. It is a strange saying in Lipsius viz. That the names of all good Princes may easily be engraven or written in a small Ring Lips de Constantia lib. 2. cap. 25. 38. 17 18 23. Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of Hosts the God of Israel if thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the King of Babylons Princes then thy soul shall live and this city shall not be burnt with fire and thou shalt live and thine house But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babylons Princes then shall this city be given into the hands of the Chaldeans and they shall burn it with fire and thou shalt not escape out of their hand but shalt be taken by the hand of the King of Babylon and thou shalt cause this city to be burnt with fire Oâ— as the Hebrew runs Thou shalt burn this city with fire that is thou by thy obstinacy wilt be the means to procure the burning of this City which by a rendition of thy self thou mightest have saved So Jer. 34. 2. 8 9 10 11. compared with Chap. 37. 5. to vers 22. Judges and Magistrates are the Physitians of the State saith B. Lake in his Sermon on Ezra and sins are the diseases of it what skills it whether a Gangrene begins at the head or the heel seeing both ways it will kill except this be the difference that the head being nearer the heart a Gangrene in the head will kill sooner then that which is in the heel Even so will the sins of great Ones overthrow a State sooner then those of the meanest sort 2 Sam. 24. 9. to vers 18. But Twelfthly The abusing mocking and despising of the Messengers of the Lord is a sin that brings the fiery Dispensation Turn to these two pregnant Texts and ponder seriously upon them for they speak close in the case upon a People 2 Chron. 36. 15 16 17 18 19 Math. 23. 34. 37 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate Here is used the present for the future to note the certainty of the desolation of their City and Temple and their own utter ruines and about forty years after the Romans came and burnt their City and Temple and laid all waste before them They had turned the Prophets of the Lord out of all and therefore the Lord resolves to turn them out of all O Sirs will you please seriously to consider these six things First that all faithful painful conscientious Ministers or Messengers of the Lord are great Instruments in the hand of the Lord for stopping or steming the tide of all prophaneness and wickedness in a Land which bring all desolating Isa 58. 1. and destroying Judgments upon Cities and Countries 2. For converting Souls to God for turning poor sinners from Acts 26. 15 16 17 18. Dan. 12. 3. darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ 3. For promoting of Religion Holiness and Godliness in mens hearts houses and lives which is the only way under Heaven to render Cities Countries and Kingdoms safe happy and prosperous 4. For the weakning of the Kingdom of
Satan and Antichrist the weakning of whose Kingdom is the glory safety and security of the Land 5. For the turning away of wrath either felt or feared 6. For the bringing down of the greatest weightiest and noblest of James 5. 16 17 18. temporal favours and blessings upon Cities and Countries as might be proved from scores of Scripture And therefore The first on the 24. of August and the other on the 2. of September never marvel if God revenges the abuses done to them in flames of fire It was on a Sabbath that the publick liberty of the painful faithful Ministers of London was terminated and came to an end and it was on a Sabbath that London was burnt Thirteenthly Shedding of the blood of the Just is a crying sin that brings the Judgment of Fire and lays all desolate Ezek. 35. 4 5. 7. I will lay thy cities waste and thou See Ezek. 21. 28. 31 32. And Chap. 25. 3 4 5. shalt be desolate and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred or hatred of old and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity in the time that their iniquity had an end Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth Vers 10. Because thou hast said these two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possessit whereas the Lord was there Vers 11. Therefore as I live saith the Lord God I will even do according â—o thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them and I will make my self known among them when I have judged thee Vers 12. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel saying They are laid desolate they are given us to consume or devour Vers 13. Thus with your mouth you have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me I have heard them Vers 14. Thus saith the Lord God when the whole earth rejoyceth I will make thee desolate Vers 15. As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate so will I do unto thee Thou shalt be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it and they shall know that I am the Lord. The Edomites were deadly enemies to the Israelites their hatred was old and strong and active against them and they took hold on all occasions wherein they might express their rage and cruelty against them both in words and works And therefore Psal 137. 7. when the Babylonians took Jerusalem they cryed Rase it Rase it even to the foundation thereof When the Babylonians entred Jerusalem many of the Jews fled to the Edomites for succour they being their brethren but instead of sheltring them they cruelly destroyed them and greatly insulted over them and were glad of all opportunities wherin they might vent all their rage and malice against them that so they might the better ingratiate themselves with the Babylonians Now for these cruel practices and barbarous severities of theirs towards the poor afflicted and distressed Israel of God God is resolved to bring utter desolation upon them Vers 3. Thus saith the Lord God Behold O mount Seir I am against thee and I will stretch out my hand against thee and I will make thee most desolate Or as the Hebrew is Shemamah Vmeshammah desolation and desolation Now this doubling of the Hebrew word shews the certainty of their desolation the speediness of their desolation and the greatness and throughness of their desolation Jer. 26. 14 15. See vers 8 9. 11. As for me behold I am in your hand do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you But know ye for certain that if you put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof That was good counsel which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan Persecutor God will surely make Inquisition for our blood therefore saith he if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy Country which must be responsible when God comes to visit for blood So Lam. 4. 11. 12 13. The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce anger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured the foundations thereof The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquities of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her The Prophets and the Priests enraged the people against them and ingaged the Civil Power against the just and the innocent to the shedding of their blood But this innocent blood could not be purged away but by fire To shed the blood of the Just is a most crying sin and that for which God has turned the most glorious Cities in the World into ashes Jerom upon the Text saith that the Prophets and Priests shed the blood of the Just in the midst of Jerusalem by drawing them into errour which is to the destruction of the Soul But Calvin upon the Text well observes this cannot stand because just men are not so destroyed but the wâ—cked only that take no heed to their false teaching Therefore saith he the true Prophets of God are meant by the just for whom they had Prisons Dungeons and Stocks to put them into and sometimes stoning or otherwise tumults which they stirred up among the people whereby their blood was shed Rome has much of the blood of the Saints upon her skirts and for this very sin she shall be utterly burnt with fire as you may see at large if you will please to read the 18. Chapter Rev. 16. 6. Rev. 17. 6. Rev. 19 2. Rev. 18. 24. of the Revelations at your leisure Though Rome was a Cage of unclean Birds and full of all manner of abominations yet the sin that shall at last burn her to ashâ—s is the blood of the Saints mark though the people of God are in Babylon and may partake of her Plagues and fall under the fiery Dispensation with her it is not the sins of the Saints but the sins of Babylon that bring the Judgment of Fire upon Babylon Mark the people of God may live in a City that may be burnt to ashes and yet their sins may not be the procuring causes of that Judgment Lot lived in Sodom and Gen. 19. had his failings and infirmities as well as other Saints but it was not his sins that brought the Judgment of Fire upon that City but the sins of the Citizens as the Scripture assures us But
which he presently began to do but God soon cut him off Thomas Blavar one of the Privy Counsellors of the King of Scots was a sore Persecutor of the people of God in that Theatrum Historicum Land when he lay on his dying-bed he fell into despair and cryed out that he was damned he was damned and when the Monks came about him to comfort him he cryed out upon them saying That their Masses and other trash would do him no good for he never believed them but all that he did was for love of money and not of Religion not respecting or believing that there was either a God or a Devil a Hell or a Heaven and therefore he was damned there was no remedy but he must go to Hell and in this case without a sign of repentance he dyed A Popish Magistrate having condemned a poor Protestant to death before his execution he caused his tongue to be cut out because he should not confess the truth but the Lord did retaliate it upon him for the next child he had was born without a tongue Cardinal Crescentius was a most desperate Persecutor of the people of God he was the Popes Embassador to the Anno 1552. Council of Trent and being one night busie in writing to his Master the Pope a huge black Dog with great flaming eyes and long ears dangling down to the ground appeared to him in his Chamber and went under the Table where he sate Upon which the Cardinal was amazed but as as soon as he had recovered himself he called his Servants to put out the black Dog that was come into his Chamber but they lookt round about his Chambers and the next Chambers but could find no black Dog upon which the Cardinal fell presently sick with a strong conceit which never left him till his death still crying out Drive away the black Dog drive away the black Dog which seemed to him to be climbing up his Bed and in that humour he dyed After the Martyrdom of Gregory the Bishop of Spoleta Flacchus Phil. Lonicer the Governour who was the Author thereof was struck with an Angel and vomited up his entrails at his mouth and dyed Mammea Agrippitus when he was fifteen years old because Cent. 3. cap. 12. he would not sacrifice to their Idols was apprehended at Preneste and whipt with Scourges and hanged up by the heels and at last slain with the Sword in the midst of whose torments the Governour of the City fell down dead from the Tribunal-seat Gensericus King of the Vandals an Arrian was a most Sigeb in Chron. cruel Persecutor of the Orthodox Christians he was possessed of the Devil and dyed a most miserable death in the year 477. Herod the Great who caused the Babes of Bethlehem to be Euseb Hist. slain hoping thereby to have destroyed Christ shortly after was plagued by God with an incurable disease having a slow and slack fire continually tormenting of his inward parts he had a vehement and greedy â—â— fire to eat and yet nothing would satisfie him his inward bowels rotted his breath was short and stinking some of his members rotted and in all his members he had so violent a cramp that nature was not able to bear it and so growing mad with pain he dyed miserably Herod Antipas who beheaded John Baptist not long after Euseb Hist falling into disgrace with the Roman Emperor with his incestuous Herodias the Suggester of that murther they were banished and fell into such misery and penury that they ended their wretched lives with much shame and misery Herod Agrippa was a great Persecutor of the Saints he was Acts 12. Joseph Antiq. lib. 19. cap. 7. eaten up of worms in the third year of his Raign as Josâ—phus observes He went to Caesarea to keep certain Plays in the Honour of Caesar the Gown he was in as the same Author relates was a Gown of Silver wonderfully wrought and the beams of the Sun reflecting upon it made so it glister that it dazled the eyes of the Beholders and when he had made an end of his starched Oration in this his Bravery his Flatterers Acts 12. 21 22 23. extolled him as a God crying out 'T is the voice of a God and not of a man Whereupon he was presently smitten by the Angel of the Lord and so dyed with worms that eat up his Joseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 13. entrails the blow the Angel gave him was an inward blow and not so visible to others and his torments more and more increasing upon him the people put on sack-cloth and made supplication for him but all in vain for his pains and torments growing stronger and stronger every day upon him they separated his wretched soul from his loathsom body within the compass of five days Euseb Hist Caiâ—phas the high Priest who gathered the Councel and suborned false Witness against the Lord Christ was shortly after put out of his Office and one Jonathan substituted in Euseb Hist lib. 2. cap. 7. his room whereupon he killed himself Not long after Pontius Pilate had condemned our Lord Christ he lost his Deputiship and Caesars favour and being fallen into disgrace with the Roman Emperour and banished by him he fell into such misery that he hanged himself Oh the dreadful Judgments that were inflicted upon the chief Actors in the Ten Persecutions Shall I give you a brief account of what befel them Nero that Monster of men who raised the first bloody Persecution to pick a quarrel with the Christians he set the City of Rome on fire and then charged it upon them under which pretence he exposes them to the fury of the people who cruelly tormented them as if they had been common burners and destroyers of Cities and the deadly enemies of mankind yea Nero himself caused them to be apprehended and clad in wild beasts skins and torn in pieces with Dogs others were crucified some he made Bonfires of to light him in his night-sports To be short such horrid cruelty he used towards them as caused many of their enemies to pity them But God found out this wretched Persecutor at last for being adjudged by the Senate an enemy to mankind he was condemned to be whipt to death for the prevention whereof he cut his own throat Domitian the Author of the second Persecution against the Christians having drawn a Catalogue of such as he was to kill in which was the name of his own Wife and other friends upon which he was by the consent of his Wife slain by his own Houshold-servants with Daggers in his Privy-Chamber his body was buried without Honour his Memory cursed to posterity and his Arms and Ensigns were thrown down and defaced Trajan raised the third Persecution against the Church he was continually vexed with Seditions and the vengeance of God followed him close For first he fell into a Palsie then lost the use of his senses afterwards
works and the Ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish Bâ—â—stâ—roâ—s winds at Sea or a shore are the arrows of God shâ—t out of the bended bow of his displeasure they are one of the lower tier of his indignation that is fired upon the â—â—ildren of men Nahum 1. 3. The Lord hath his way in the whirle wind and in the storm and in the clouds are the dust of â—is feet The great Spanish Armado that came to invade our Land in 88. were broken and scattered by the winds So that their dice games were frastrated and they sent into the bottom of the Sea if not into a worse bottom And when Charles the V. had besieged Algier that Pen of Thieves both by Sea and by Val. Max. Christiae page 132. Land and had almost taken it by two terrible Tempests the greatest part of his great Fleet were destroyed as they did lye in the Harbour at Anchor Ships Houses Trees Steeples Rocks Mountains Monuments can't stand before a tempestâ—ous wind 1 Kings 19. 11. A great strong wind rent the Mountains and brake in pieces the rocks What more strong than Rocks and Mountains and yet they were too weak to stand before the strength of a tempestious wind Oh the terrible execution that God doth many times by the winds both at Sea and ashore Psal 18. 7. The earth shook and trembled the foundations of the Hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth ver 8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it ver 10. He rode upon a Cherub and did flie yea he did flie upon the wings of the wind ver 12. His thick Clouds passed hailstones and coals of fire verse 13. The Lord also thundred in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice hail stones and coals of fire c. The fire in London carried the noise of a whirle-wind in it and that made it so formidable and terrible to all that beheld it especially those that lookt upon it as a fruit of Gods displeasure The wind was commissionated by God to joyn issue with the raging fire to lay the City desolate I think the like dreadful instance can't be given in any age of the world We can't say of the wind that blew when London was in flames that God was not in the wind as 't is said in that 1 Kings 19. 11. For assuredly if ever God was in any wind he was remarkably in this wind witness the dismals effects of it amongst us to this very day Had God been pleased to have hindered the conjunction of these two Elements much of London might havâ— beâ—n standing which now lyes buried in its own ruines I grant that 't is probable enough that those that did so long before prophesie and predict the barning of London before it was laid in ashes were the prime contrivers and furtherers of the firing of it but yet when they had kindled the fire that God by the bellows of Heaven should so blow upon it as to make it spread and turn like the flaming Sword in Paradise Gen. 3. ult every way till by its force and fury it had destroyed above two third parts in the midst of the City as the phrase â—s Ezek. 5. 2. This is and this must be for a sore lamentation God wbo holds the winds in his fist who is the true Aeâ—lus Psalm 13. 5. Mark 4. 39. could either have lockt them up in his treasures or have commanded them to be still or else have turned them to have been a dâ—fence to the City God who holds the bottles of Heaven in his hand could easily have unstopt them Gen. 7. 11. he could with a word of his mouth have opened the windows of Heaven and have poured down such an abundance of rain upon the City as would quickly have quencht the violence of the flames and so have made the conquest of the fire more easie But the Lord was angry and the Decree was gone out that London should be burnt and who could prevent it To close up this particular consider much of the Wisdom Power and Justice of God shines in the variety of the motions of the wind Eccles 1. 6. The wind goeth toward the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits The wind hath its various circuits appointed by God when the wind blows Southward Northward Westward or Eastward it blows according to the Orders that are issued out from the Court of Heaven Sometimes the wind begins to blow at one point of the Compass and in a short time whirles about to every point of the Compass till it comes again to the same point where it blew at the first yet in all this they observe their circuits and run their compass according to the Divine appointment As the Sun so the winds have their courses ordered out by the wise Providence of God Divine Wisdom much sparkles and shines in the circuits of the winds which the Lord brings out of his treasure and makes them serviceable sometimes to one part of the world and at other times to other parts of the world Exod. 14. 24. Jonah 1. 4 Chap. 4. 8. 'T is the great God that appoints where the winds shall blow and when the winds shall blow and how long the winds shall blow and with what force and violence thâ— winds shall blow The winds in some parts of the world have a very regular and uniform motion in some moneths of the year blowing constantly out of one quarter and in others out of another In some places of the world where I have been the motions of the wind are steady and constant which Marriners call their Trade-wind Now by these stated or setled winds Divine Providence dos very greatly serve the interest of the children of men But now in other parts of the world the winds are as chaâ—geable as mens minds The Laws that God layes â—pâ—n thâ— winds in most parts of the world are not like the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not One day God layes Dan. 6. 8. a Law upon the winds to blow full East the next day to blow full West the third to blow full South the fourth to blow full North yea in several parts of the world I have known the winds to change their motions several times in a day Now in all these various motions of the winds the Providence of God is at work for the good of mankind That there is a dreadful storm in one place and at the same time a sweet calm in another that a temâ—â—â—tuous storm should destroy and dash in pieces one fleet and that at the same instant and in one and the same Sea a prosperous gale should blow another fleet into a safe harbour That some at Sea should have a stiff gale of wind and others within sight of them
should lye becalmed That some Ships should come into harbour top and top gallant and that others should sink down at the same harbours mouth before they should be able to get in is all from the Decree of God and that Law that he has laid upon the winds That terrible tempâ—stuous wind that affrighted the Disciples and that put them not only to their wits end but also to their faiths end was allayed by a word of Christs mouth Matth. 8. 26. He arose and rebuked the winds and the Sea and there was a great calm O Sirs when London was in flames and when the winds were high and went their circuits roaring and makeing a most hideous noise how easie a thing had it been with Jesus by a word of his mouth to have allayed them but â—e was more angry with us than he was with his Dâ—â—ciples who were in danger of drowning or else he would as cerâ—ainly have saved our City from burning by rebuking the winds and the flames as he did his Disciples from drowning by rebuking the winds and the Seas I have bâ—en the longer upon this fourth particular that you may the more easily run and read the anger of the Lord in those furious flamâ—s and in that violent wind that has laid our City desolate 'T is true Astrolâ—gers ascribe the motions of the winds to special Planets The Eâ—st wind thâ—y ascribe to the Sun the West wind to the Moon the South wind to Mars and the Nâ—rth wind to Jupiter but those that are wise in heart by what I have said concerning the winds may safely and and groundedly conclude that God alone hath the Sâ—pream power of the winds in his own hand and that he alone orders directs and commands all the motions of the winds And therefore let us look to that terrible hand of the Lord that was lifted up in that fierce wind that did so exceedingly contribute to the turning of our City into a ruinous heap Bâ—t Fifthly Câ—â—â—ider the extensiveness of it How did this dreadful fire spread it self both with and against the wind Within the Walls of the City there were eighty one Parishes consumed For every hour the fire lasted there was a whole Parish consumed â—ill it had gained so great a force as that it despised all mens attempts It quickly spread it self from the East to the West to the destruction of houses of State of Trade of Publick Magistracy besides Mynes of Charity it spread it self with that violence that it soon crumbled into ashes our most stately Habitations Halls Chappels Churches and famous Monuments Those Magnificent Structures of the City that formerly had put stops and given châ—cks to the furious flâ—mâ—s falls now like stubble before the violence of a spreading fire This fire like an Arm of the Sea or like a Land-flood broke in suddenly upon us and soon spread it self all manner of wayes amongst us it ran from place to place like the fire and haâ—l in Aegypt now 't was in this Street and anon in that Now this Steeple is on fire and then that Exod. 9. 13 Now this place of Judicature is laid in ashes and then that Now this Hall is in flames and then that Now this Parish is burnt down to the ground and then that Now this Ward is turned into a ruinous heap and then that Now this Quarter of the City is level wiâ—h the ground and then that Now this Gate of the City is demolished and consumed and then that The adversary hath spread out his band upon Iam. 1. 10. all her pleasant things saith the Prophet lamentingly and and we may say sighingly the fire hath spread out its hand upon all our pleasant things upon all our pleasant Houses Shops Trades Gardens Walks Temples c. The Plague the year before did so rage and spread that it emptied many thousand houses of persons and now this dreadful fire hath so spread it self that it has not left houses enough for many thousands of persons to dwell in there being more than 13000. houses destroyed by the furious flames Sin is of a spreading nature and accordingly it had spread it self over all parts of the City and therefore the Lord who delights to suit his Judgements to mens sins sent a spreading fire in the midst of us The merciless flames spreading themselves every way in four dayes time laid the main of our once glorious City in ashes a Judgement so remâ—â—kable and past president that he that will not see the hand of the Lord in it may well be reckoned amongst the worst of Atheâ—sts But Sixthly Consider the impartiality of it It spared neither Sinners nor Saints young nor old rich nor poor honourable nor base bond nor free Male nor female buyer nor seller borrower nor lender God making good that word Isa 24. 1 2. Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof And it shall be as with the people so with the Priest or with the Prince for the Hebrew word signifies both as with the servant so with his Master as with the maid so with the Mistris as with the buyer so with the seller as with the lender so with the borrower as with the taker of usury so with the giver of usury to him In the day of the Lords wrath that was lately upon us all orders ranks and degrees of men suffered alike and were abased alike the furious flames made no difference they put no distinction between the Russet Coat and the Scarlet Gown the Leathern Jacket and the Gold Chain the Merchant and the Tradesman the Landlord and the Tenant the Giver and the Receiver There is no difference Fire hath made Equal the Scepter and the Spade Ezek. 20. 47. Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devâ—ur every green Tree in thee and every dry Tree the flaming flâ—me shall not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shall be burnt therein I have in the former part of this Treatise given some light into these words The fire the flames in the Text takes hold of all sorts of people rich and poor Lord and Lad high and low great and small strong and weak wise and foolish learned and ignorant Commanders and Souldiers Rulers and ruled So did the late lamentable fire in London take hold of all sorts and degrees of men as the Citizens have found by sad experience The fire like the Duke of Parma's Sword knew no difference ' twiâ—â— Robes and Rags 'twixt Prince and Peasant Eccles 9. 1 2. 'twixt honourable and vile 'twixt the righteous and the wicked the clean and the unclean 'twixt him that sacrificed and him that sacrificed not 'twixt him that sweareth and him that seareth an oath The Judgement was universal the blow reacht us all the flames brake into every mans house such a dreadful impartial universal fire eyes never saw before
or else a waiting upon the Lord in his publick Ordinances Fire in thâ— night is terrible to all but mostly to such whose spirits and bodies were tired out in the preceding day Wasting and destroying Judgements are sad any day but saddest when they fall on the Lords Day For how do they disturb distress and distract the thoughts the minds the hearts and the spirits of men So that they can neither wait on God nor wrestle with God nor act for God nor receive from God in any of the duties or services of his day And this the poor Citizens found by sad experience when London was in flames about their ears Certainly the anger and wrath of God was very high and very hot when he made his day of rest to be a day of labour and disquiet When his people should have been a meeting hearing reading praising praying For the Lord now to scatter them and to deliver them their substance and habitations as a prey to the devouring fire what dos this speak our but high displeasure That the fire of Gods wrath should begin on the day of his rest and solemn Worship is and must be for a lamentation In several of those Churches where some might not preach there God himself preacht to the Parishioners in flames of fire And such who loved darkness rather than light John 3. 19. Exod. 19. 16 17 18. because their deeds were evil might now see their Churches all in a flaming fire What a terrifying and an amazing Sermon did God preach to his people of old in Mount Sinai when the Mount burned with fire And so what terrifying and amazing Sermons did God preach to the Citizens on his own day when their Temples and their habitations were all in flames Instead of holy rest what hurries were there in every street yea in the spirits of men Now instead of takeing up of Buckets men in every Street take up arms fearing a worse thing than fire The Jealousies and Rumors that fire balls were thrown into several houses and Churches by such that had no English tongues but out-landish hands to make the furious flames flame more furiously were so great that many were at a stand and others even at their wits end Now relations friends and neighbours hastened one another out of their houses as the Angels hastened Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19. 15 16 17. Such were the fears and frights and sad apprehensions that had generally seized upon the Citizens Not many Sabbaths before when men should have been instructing of their families what bonfires what ringing of Bells and what joy and rejoycing was there in our Streets for burning the Dutch Ships in their Harbour where many English and others were highly concerned as well as the Dutch little did they think who were pleasing and warming themselves at those lesser fires that the great God would in so short a time after kindle so great a fire in the midst of their Streets as should melt their Bells lay their habitations in ashes and make their Streets desolate So that those that were so jolly before might well take up that sad lamentation of weeping Jeremiah The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob and hath not pittied he hath thrown down in his Lam. 2. 2 3. wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Jâ—dah he hath brought them down to the ground He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about May we not soberly guess that there were as many strict observers and sanctifiers of the Lords Day who did turn away their feet from doing their Isa 58. 13. pleasure on Gods holy day and that did call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord and honourable within the Walls of London as in a great part of the Nation besides Now for the Lord of the Saâ—bath to kindle such a devouring fire in such a City and that on his own day O what extraordinary wrath and displeasure dos this speak out When God by his Royal Law had bound the hands of his people from doing their own works for him now to fall upon his strange work and by a flaming consuming fire to turn a populous City a pious City an honourable City and an Ancient City into a ruinous heap what indignation to this indignation O Sirs it highly concerns us to take notice of the Judgements of the Lord that fall upon us on any day but especially those that fall upon us on his own day because they carry with them more than a tincture of Gods deep dâ—splâ—asure In the Council of Paris every one labouring to perswadâ— unto a more religious keeping of the Sabbath Day When Concil Paris lio 1. cap. 50. they had justly complained that as many other things so also the obsâ—rvation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Chrâ—stian lâ—bâ—rty in that men too much followed the deligâ—â—s of the world and their own worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous They further add For many of us have been eye witnesses many have intelligence of it bâ— the relation of others that some men upon this day being about their husbandry have been strucken with Thunder some have been maimed and made lame somâ— have had their bodies even bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and have consumed to ashes and many other Judgements of God have been and are daily inflicted upon Sabbath Breakers Stratford upon Sluon was twice on the same day twelve moneth being the Lords Day almost consumed with fire The Theatre of Gods Judgements pag. 419 420. chiefly for prophaning the Lords Day and contemning his word in the mouth of his faithful Minister Feverton in Devonsâ—ire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed saith my Author was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preachers that God would bring some heavy Judgement on the Town for their horrible prophanation of the Lords Day occasioned châ—efly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of April 1598. God in less than half an hour consumed with a sudden and fearful fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-house and the Alms-houses or a few poor peoples dwellings where a man might have seen four hundred dwelling houses all at oâ—â—e on â—ire and above fifty persons consumed with the flames And on the fifth of August 1612. fourtâ—en years since the former fire the whole Town was again fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poor people with the School-house and Alms-houses Now certainly they must be much left of God hardned in sin and blinded by Satan who do not nor will not see the dreadful hand of God that is lifted up in his fiery dispensations upon his own day But Tenthly and lastly Consider That the burning of London 10. is a National Judgement God in smiting of London has smitten England round the stroke of God upon London was When one member in the natural
Job lies on its dung-hill London like the Jewes lies Job 2. 8. in its ashes Esther 4. 3. And therefore it highly concerns all Londoners to put on sackcloth and ashes But Ninthly Surely such as have lookt upon London as the City of their solemnities such can't but weep to see the City of their Solemnities laid desolate Isa 33. 20 Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities or meetings Zion is here called a City because it stood in the midst of the City The City of Jerusalem was very large and Zion stood in the midst of it and 't is called a City of Solemnities because the people flocked thither to hear the Law to renew their Covenant with God to call upon his name and to offer Sacrifices O Sirs was not London the City of our Solemnities the City where we solemnly met to wait upon the Lord in the beauty 1 Chron. 16. 29. Psal 29. 2. of Holiness the City where we offered prayers and praises the City where we worshipped the Lord in Spirit and in truth the City wherein God and Christ and the great things of eternity were revealed to us the City wherein many thousands were converted and edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost the Acts 9. 31. City where we had the clearest the choicest and the highest enjoyments of God that ever we had in all our dayes the City wherein we have sate down under Christs shadow with great delight his fruit has been sweet unto our taste the Cant. 2. 3 4 5 6. City in which Christ has brought us to his banqueting house and â—is banner over us has been love the City in which Christ has Staid us with flaggons and comforted us with Apples the City in which Christs left hand hath been under our heads and his right hand hath imbraced us The City wherein the Lord of Hosts hath made unto his people a feast of fat things a Isa 25. 6. feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined London the City of our Solemnities is now laid desolate and therefore for this why should not we be disconsolate and mourn in secret before the Lord This frame of Spirit hath been upon the people of God of old Zeph. 3. 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden By Solemn Assemblies are meant their several conventions at those set times which God had appointed them viz. on the weekly Sabbath the new Moons Deut. 16. the stated Feasts and Fasts which they were bound to observe Now for the want the lack the loss of those Solemn Assemblies such as did truly fear the Lord were solemnly sorrowfull Of all losses spiritual losses are most sadly resented by gracious souls When they had lost their houses their estates their Trades their relations their liberties and were led captive to Babylon which was an Iron Fornace a second Aegypt to them then the loss of their Solemn Assemblies made deeper impressions upon their hearts than all their outward losses did The Jews were famous Artists they stand upon record for their skill especially in Poetry Mathematicks and Musick but when their City was burnt and their Land laid desolate and their Solemn Assemblies broken in pieces then they could sing none of the Songs of Psalm 137. 1 2 3 4 5. Zion then they were more for mourning than for musick for sighing than for singing for lamenting than for laughing Nothing goes so near gracious hearts as the loss of their Solemn Assemblies as the loss of holy Ordinances health and wealth and friends and Trade are but meer Ichahods to the Saints Solemn Assemblies and to pure 1 Sam. 4 17 18. Ordinances When the Ark was taken Eli could live no longer but whether his heart or his neck was first broken upon that sad tydings is not easie to determine When Nehemiah understood that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and that the Gates thereof were burnt with fire 2 Kings 25. 8 9 10. and that the whole City was laid desolate by Nebuzâ—radan and his Chaldean Army he sits down and weeps and mourns and fasts and prayes he did so lay the burning of the City of their Solemnities to heart that all the smiles of King Artaxerxes could not raise him nor rejoice Neh. 1. 3 4. Chap. 2. Jer. 52. 12 13 14. him It was on the tenth day of the fifth moneth that Jerusalem was burnt with fire and upon that account the Jewes fasted upon every tenth day of the fifth moneth Now shall the Jews solemnly fast and mourn on the tenth day of the fifth moneth during their Captivity because their Zech. 7. 3. City and Temple and Solemn Assemblies were on that day buried in ashes and turned into a ruinous heap and and shall not we fast and mourn to see the City of our Solemnities buried in its own ruines But Tenthly and lastly That Incendiary that mischievous Villain Hubert confest the fact of firing the first house in Pudding Lane though he would not confess who set him at work and accordingly was executed at Tyburn for it There were some Ministers and several other sober prudent Citizens who did converse again and again with Hubert and are ready to attest that he was far from being mad and that he was not only very rational but also very cunning and subtile and so the fitter instrument for the Conclave of Rome or some subtle Jesuit to make use of to bring about our common wo. It was never known that Rome or Hell did ever make use of mad men or fools to bring about their Divilish Plots Now who can look upon the dreadful consequences the burning of a renowned City that followed upon the firing of the first house and not mourn over Londons desolations Hubert did confess to several persons of note and repute that he was a Catholick and did further declare that he believed confession to a Priest was necessary to his salvation And being advised by a Chaplain to a person of Honor to call upon God he repeated his Ave Mary which he confest was his usual prayer Father Harvey confest him and instructed him and we need not doubt but that he absolved him also according to the custom of the Romish Church Hubert died in the profession of the Romish faith stoutly asserting that he was no Hugonite I know that men of the Romish Religion and such who are one in Spirit with them would make the world believe that this Hubert who by order of Law was executed upon the account of his own publick and private confessions was mad distracted and what not But what mad men do these make the Judge and Jury to be for who but mad men would condemn to such a shameful death a mad man for confessing himself guilty of such a
rate do men value the whole world when it stands in competition with their lives He very well knew that man was a very great life lover who said Skin for skin or Job 2. 4. skin upon skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life God might have brought upon England I and upon London too the Sword of a forreign enemy as he did upon Jerusalem and the Land of Judea In that one only City of Jerusalem during the time or the siege by Vespasians Armies which Josephâ—s de Bello Jud. were made up of Romans Syrians and Arabians there died and were killed a thousand thousand At this time there were slain in all Judea in several places to the number of twelve hundred and forty thousand Jews The whole City of Jerusalem flowed with blood insomuch that many parts of the City that were set on fire were quenched by the blood of them that were slain In seventeen years time the Carthaginian War only in Italy Spain and Sicily consumed and wasted fifteen hundred thousand men The Civil Wars between Pompey and Caesar swallowed down three hundred thousand men Caius Caesar did confess it and gloried in it that eleven hundred ninety and two thousand men were killed by him in Wars Pompey the great writ upon Minerva's Temple that he had scattered chased and killed twenty hundred eighty and three thousand men Q. Fabius killed an hundred and ten thousand of the Gauls C. Marius put to the sword two hundred thousand of the Cimbrians Aetius in that memorable battle of Catalonia slew an hundred sixty and two thousand Hunnes Who can number up the many thousands that have fallen by the bloody sword in Europe from the year 1620 to this year 1667. Ah London Londâ—n thy Streets migâ—t have flowed with the blood of the â—â—am as once the Strâ—ets of Jerusalem Paris and others have done Whilst the fire was a devouring thy stately â—ouses aâ—d Palaces a Forreign Sword might have been a destroying thine inhabitants Whilst the furious flames were â— consuming thy goods thy wares thy substance thy riches a close and secret enemy spirited counselled and animated from Rome and Hâ—ll might have risen up in the midst of theâ— that might have mingled together the blood of Husbands and Wives and the blood of Parents and Children and the blood of Masters and Servants and the blood of rich and poor and the blood of the honourable with the blood of the vile Now had this been thy doom O London which many feared and others expected what a dreadful day would that have been 'T is better to see our houses on fire then to see our Streets running down with the blood of the slain But Secondly God might have inflicted the Judgement of famine upon London which is a more dreadful Judgement Gen. 45. 46. Joel 1. 2. Chap. 2. 3. Jer. 24. 10. Ezek. 6. 11. 2 Sam. 21. 1. than that of fire How sad would that day have been O London if thou hadst been so sorely put to it as to have taken up that sad lamentation of weeping Jeremiah Mine eyes do fail with tears my bowels are trouâ—led my liver is poured upon the earth for the destruction of the daughter of my people because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets They say to Lam. 2. 11 12. their Mothers where is corn and wine when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the City When their soul was poured into their Mothers bosom Arise cry out in the night in the Verse 19. beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord lift up thy hands towards him for the life of thy young children that faint for hunger in the top of every street Shall the woman eat her fruit and children of a span Verse 20. long The tongue of the suckling child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young children ask bread and no man Chap. 4. 4 5. breaketh it unto them They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in skarlet embrace dunghils Her Nazarites were purer than snow they were whiter Verse 7. than milk they were more ruddy in the body than â—ubies their polishing was of Saâ—hir Their visage is blacker than a coal Verse 8. they are not known in the streets their skin cleaveth to their bones it is withered it is become like a stick They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with Versâ— 9. hunger for thâ—se pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the field The hands of the pitiful women have sodden Verse 10. their own children they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people We have drunken our water for monâ—y Chap. 5 4 Verse 6. our wood is sold unto us We have given the hand to the Egyptians and Assyrians to be satisfied with bread We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the Verse 9. Wilderness Our skin was black like an Oven because of the terrible Verse 10. Lâ—b 6. c 16. dâ— Bello Judaâ—co famine So great was the famine in Jerusalem that a Bushel of Wheat was sold for a talent which is six hundred Crowns and the dung and raking of the Ciâ—y Sinks was held good commons and such pinching necessities were they under that they acted against all piâ—ty honesty humanity c. Women did eat their children of a span long yea the hands of pittiful women did boyl their own children and men eat one other yea many did eat the flesh of their own arms according to what the Lord had long before threatned Isa 9. 19 20. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkned and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire no man shall spare his brother And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry and he shall eat on the left hand and they shall not be satisfied they shall eat every man the flesh off his own arm In the Reign of William the first there was so Sâ— Ricâ—aâ—d Bakâ—â—s Chronocle p. 26. great a Dâ—arâ—h and famine especially in Northumberland that men were glad to eat Horses Dogs Cats and Rats and what else is most abhorrent to nature In Honorius's Reign there was such a scarcity of all manner of provision in Rome that men were even afraid of one another and the common voice that was heard in the Kâ—rk was Pone pretium humanae carni Set a price on mans flesh In Italy when it was wasted by the Goths under Justinian the famine was so great that in Picene only fifty thousand persons died with hunger and not only mans flesh was made meat of but the very excrements of men also In the Reign of Hubid King of Spain there was no rain for six and twenty years together so
light matter that I may escape eternal torments â— can endure the stinging of Gnats that I might not endure the stinging of conscience and the gnawing of that Worm that never dies this heat thou thinkâ—st griâ—vous I can easily endure when I think of the eternal fire of Hell these sufferings are but short but the sufferings of hâ—ll are eternal Certainly infernal fire is neither tolerable nor terminable The extremity and eternity of hellish torments is set forth by the Worm that never dieth Christ at the close of his Sermon makes a threefold repetition of this Worm Mark 9. 44. Where their Worm dieth not And again ver 46. Where their Worm dieth not And again ver 40. Where their Worm dieth not and their fire goeth not out Certainly those punishments are beyond all conception and expression which our Lord Jesus doth so often inculcate within so small a pace In Hell there 's nothing heard but yells and cryes A Pentelogia dolor inferni In Hell the Fire never slacks nor Worm never dyes But where this Hell is plac'd my Muse stop there Lord shew me what it is but never where To Worm and Fire to torments there No term he gave they cannot wear Prudentius the Poet. If after so many millions of years as there be drops in the Ocean there might be a deliverance out of hell This would yield a little case a little comfort to the damned O but this word Eternity Eternity Eternity this word Everlasting Everlasting Everlasting will even break the hearts of the damned in ten thousand pieces There is scarce any pain or torment here on earth but there is ever some hope of ease mitigation or intermission there is some hope of relief or delivery but in hell the torments there are all easeless remediless and endless Here if one fall into the fire he may like a brand be pulled out of it and saved but out of that fiery Lake there is no redemption That Majesty that the sinner hath offended and provoked is an infinite Majesty Now there must be some proportion betwixt the sinners sin and his punishment and torment Now the sinner being a finite creature he is not capable of bearing the weight of that punishment or torment that is intensively infinite because it would be his abolishing or annihilating and therefore he must bear the weight of that punishment or torment that is extensively infinite namely duratione infinita infinite in the continuance and endurance What is wanting in torment must be made up in time Everlasting Fire and everlasting punishment in the New Testament Matth. 25. 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9 10 c. Vide August l. 21. c. 23. c. 24. de civitate Dei is directly opposed to eternal life to that blessed state of the righteous which will never have an end And therefore according to the Rules and Maximes of right reason doth necessarily import a punishment of the same duration that the reward is Now the Reward of the Saints in that other world is granted on all hands to be everlasting to be eternal and therefore the punishment of the damned can't be but everlasting and eternal too The Rewards of the Elect shall never be ended therefore the punishment of the damned shall never be ended because as the mercy of God is infinite towards the elect so the Justice of God is infinite towards the Reprobate in hell The Reprobate shall have punishment Drexel without pity misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without compassion mischief without measure and torment without end All men in misery comfort themselves with hope of an end The Prisoner with hope of a Gaol-delivery the Marriner with the hope of his arrival in a safe harbour the Souldier with hope of victory the Prentice with hope of liberty the Gally-slave with the hope of ransome only the impenitent sinner hath no hope in hell He shall have end without end death without death night without day mourning without mirth sorrow without solace and bondage without liberty The damned shall live as long in hell as God himself There is not a Christian which doth not believe the fire of heâ—l to be everlasting Dr. Jackson on the Creed l. 11. c. 23. shall live in heaven their imprisonment in that Land of darkness in that bottomless pit is not an imprisonment during the Kings pleasure but an imprisonment during the everlasting displeasure of the King of Kings Suppose say some that the whole world were turned to a Mountain of Sand and that a little Wren should come every thousandth year and carry away from that heap one grain of sand what an infinite number of years not to be numbred by all finite beings would be spent and expired before this supposed Mountain could be fetcht away Now if a man should lye in everlasting burnings so long a time and then have an end of his wo it would administer some ease refreshment and comfort to him But when that immortal Bird shall have carried away this supposed Mountain a thousand If the fire of Hell were terminable it might then be tolerable but being endless it must needs be easeless and â—emediless We may well say of it as one doth O killing life Oh immortal death Bellar. de arte moriendi l. 2. c. 3. times over and over alas alas man shall be as far from the end of his anguish and torment as ever he was He shall be no nearer coming out of hell than he was the very first moment that he entered into hell Suppose say others that a man were to endure the torments of hell as many years and no more as there be sands on the Sea-shore drops of water in the Sea Stars in heaven leaves on the trees piles of grass on the ground hairs on his head yea upon the heads of all the sons of Adam that ever were or are or shall be in the world from the beginning of it to the end of it yet he would comfort himself with this poor thought Well there will come a day when my misery and torment shall certainly have an end But wo and alas this word Never Never Never will fill the hearts of the damned with the greatest horror and terror wrath and rage amazement and astonishment Suppose say others that the torments of hell were to end after a little Bird should have emptied the Sea and only carry out her Bill full once in a thousand years Suppose say others that the whole world from the lowest earth to the highest heavens were filled with grains of sand and once in a thousand years an Angel should come and fetch away one grain and so continue till the whole heap were spent Suppose say others if one of the damned in hell should weep after this manner viz That he should only let fall one tear in a hundred years and thesâ— should be kept together till such time as they should equâ—l the drops of water in the
of them that it was the Lord that had stirred his wrath and indignation against them and yet they wilfully and desperately shut their eyes against all the severities of God and would not behold that dreadful hand of his that was stretched out against them O Sirs God looks upon himself as reproached and slandered by such who will not see his hand in the amazing Judgements that he inflicts upon them Jer. 5. 12. They have belied the Lord and said it is not he or as the Hebrew runs he is not Such was the Atheism of the Jews that they slighted divine warnings and despised all those dreadful threatnings of the Sword Famine and Fire which should have lead them to repentance and so tacitely said the Lord is not God such who either say that God is not omniscient or that he is not omnipotent or that he is not so just as to execute the Judgements that he has threatned Such belie the Lord such deny him to be God Many feel the rod that cannot hear it and many experience the smart of the rod that don't see the hand that holds the rod and this is sad How can the natural man without faiths prospective look so high as to see the hand of the Lord in wasting and destroying Judgements By common experience we find that natural men are mightily apt to father the evil of all their sufferings upon secondary causes sometimes they cry out this is from a distemper in nature and at other times they cry out this is from a bad Air Sometimes they cry out of the malice Plots envy and rage of men and at other times they cry out of Stars Chance and Fortune and so fix upon any thing rather than the hand of God But now a gracious Christian under all his sufferings he overlooks all secondary causes and fixes his eye upon the hand of God You know what Joseph said to his unnatural Brethren who fold him Gen. 45. 7. for a slave Non vos sed Deus 'T was not you but God that sent me into Aegypt Job met with many sore losses and sad crosses but under them all he over-lookt all instruments all secondary causes he over-looks the Sabeans and the Chaldeans and Satan and fixes his eye upon the hand of God The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be Job 1. 21. the name of the Lord. Judas and Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and Herod and the bloody Souldiers had all a deep hand in the sufferings of Christ but yet he over-looks them all and fixes his eye upon his fathers hand The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it This cup was John 18. 11. the cup of his sufferings Now in all his sad sufferings hâ— had still an eye to his Fathers hand Let us in all our sufferings write after this Copy that Christ has set before us But of this I have spoken very largely already and therefore let this touch suffice here Secondly Labour to justifie the Lord in all that he has done Say the Lord is righâ—eous though he hath laid your City desolate When Jerusalem was laid desolate and the Wall thereof broken down and the Gates thereof were burnt with fire Nehemiah justifies the Lord Chap. 9. 33. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou Nâ—hâ—m 1. 4. So Maâ—â—â—câ—us the Emperour justified God when he saw his Wife and Children butchered before his eyes by the Trayâ—or Phocas and knew that hâ—mself should soon after be stewed in his own Broth cryed out Just art thou O Lord and just are all thy Judgements hast done right but we have done wickedly The same Spirit was upon Jeremiah Lam. 1. 1 4 8. How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people Hâ—w is she become as a Widow She that was great among the Nations and Princâ—ss among the Provinces How is she become tributary The wayes of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn feasts all her Gates are desolate her Priests sigh her Virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandment The same Spirit was upon David Psal 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy Judgements are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me So Psal 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works This Maxim we must live and dye by though we don't alwayes see the reason of his proceedings 'T is granted on all hands that voluntas Dei est summa perfectissima infallibilis Regula divinae justitiae Deus sibi ipsi lex est The will of God is the chiefest the most perfect and infallible Rule of Divine Justice and that God is a Judge to himself Shall Gen. 18. 25. not the Judge of all the earth do right In this Negative question is emphatically implyed an Affirmative Position which is that God above all others must and will do right because from his Judgement there is no appeal Abraham considering the Nature and Justice of God was confidently assured that God could not do otherwise but right Hath God turn'd you out of house and home and marred all your pleasant things and stript you naked as the day wherein you were born yes Why if he hath he hath done you no wrong he can do you no wrong he is a Law to himself and his righteous Will is the Rule of all Justice God can as soon cease to be as he can cease to do that which is just and right So Psa 97. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him Righteousnâ—ss and Judgement are the habitation of his throne Clouds and darâ—nâ—ss notes the terribleness of Gods administrations though God be very terrible in his administrations yet righteousness and judgâ—ment are the habitation of his Throne It hath been a day of Gods wrath in London a day of trouble and distress a day of wasting and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds Zeph. 1. 15. and thick darkness as it was once in Jerusalem yet righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his Throne or as it may be translated are the foundation of his Throne Gods Seat of Judgement is alwayes founded in righteousness So Daniel 9. 12. And he hath confirmed his words which he spake against us and against our Judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem Ver. 14. The Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice God is only righteous he is perfectly righteous he is exemplarily righteous he is everlastingly righteous he is infinitely righteous and no unrighteousness dwells in him There are four things that God can't do Psal 92. 15. Job 36. 23. 1. He can't lie 2. He can't die 3. He ca'nt deny himself Nor 4.
commanded six dayes to labour were also commanded to offer Morning and Evening Sacrifice daily They had their Morning Sacrifice when they entred upon their work and they had their Evening Sacrifice when they ended their work Their particular callings did not steal away their hearts from their general callings The Jews divided the day into three parts the first ad Tephilla orationem Wâ—emse Mor. Law p. 223. to prayer the second ad Torah legem for the reading of the Law the third ad Malacha opus for the works of their lawful callings Although they were dayes appointed for work yet they gave God his part they gave God a share of them every day God who is the Lord of all time hath reserved to himself a part of our time every day And therefore mens particular callings ought to give way to their general calling But alas before London was in flames many mens Oh that I could not say most mens particular callings swallowed up their general calling The noise is such in a Mill as hinders all intercourse betwen man and man So many of the burnt Citizens had such a multitude of worldly businesses lying upon their hands and that made such a noise as that all intercourse between God and them was hindered Seneca one of the most refined Heathens could say I do not give but only lend my self to my business I am afraid this Heathen will one day rise in Judgement against those burnt Citizens who have not lended themselves to their business but wholly given up themselves to their business as if they had no God to honour no souls to save no Hell to escape nor no Heaven to make sure But Fourthly Job lost all and recovered all again he lost a fair estate and God doubles his estate to him So David Compare the first and last Chapters of Job together lâ—st all and recovered all again 1 Sam. 30. 18. And David recovered all that the Amalakites had carried away and David rescued his two wives Ver. 19. And there was nothing lacking to them neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither spoil nor any thing that they had taken to them David recovered all Here the end was better than the beginning but the contrary befell the Amalekites who a little before had framed Comoedies out of poor Ziklags Tragoedies In the beginning of the Chapter you may see that David had lost all that ever he had in the world All the spoil that he Verse 1 2 3 4 5. had taken from others were gone his Corn gone his Cattel gone his Wives gone and his City burnt with fire and turned into a ruinous heap so that he had not a house a habitation in all the world to put his head in he had nothing left him but a poor grieved madded and enraged Army The people spâ—ke of stoning of him but what Verse 6. was the event now why David recovers all again O Sirs when a Christian is in greatest distress when he hath Remember that of Zeno who said he never sailed better than when he suffered shipwrack lost all when he is not worth one penny in all the world yet then he hath a God to go to at last David encouraged himself in the Lord his God A Christians case is never so desperate but he hat still a God to go to When a Christian has lost all the best way to recover all again is to encourage himself in the Lord his God God sometimes stripâ— his people of outward mercies and then restores to them again those very mercies that he had stript them off I have read a story of a poor man that God served fâ—ithfully and yet was oppressed cruelly having all his goods taken from him by an exacting Knight whereupon in a melancholy humour he perswaded himself that God was dead who had formerly been so faithful to him and now as he thought had left him It so fell out that an old man met him and desired him to deliver a Letter into the hands of his oppressor upon the receipt and perusal of which the Knight was so convinced that immediately he confessed his fault and restored the poor man his goods which made the poor man say Now I see that God may seem to sleep but can never dye If God has taken away all yet remember that God has a thousand thousand wayes to make up all thy losses to thee which thou knowest not of therefore do'nt murmur don't fret do'nt faint nor do'nt limit the Holy One of Israel If thou madest no improvement of thy house thy estate thy Trade then 't is thy wisdom and thy work rather to be displeased with thy self for thy non improvement of mercies than to be discontented at that hand of Heaven that hath deprived thee of thy mercies Remember Oh ye burnt Citizens of London that you are not the first that have lost your all Besides the instances already cited you must remember what they suffered in the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the Hebrews and you must remember that in the Ten Persecutions many thousands of the people of God were stript of their all and so were very many also in the Marian dayes who shrugs or complains of a common Lot It was grace upon the Throne that thou enjoyedst thy house thy estate thy Trade so long and therefore it concerns thee to be rather thankful that thy mercies were continued so long unto thee than to murmur because thou art now stript of all But Fifthly When all is gone yet mercy may be near and thou not see it When Hagars Bottle was empty the Well Gen. 21. 19. of Water was near though she saw it not Mercies many times are never nearer to us than when with Hagar we sit down and weep because our bottle is empty because our streams of mercy are dried up The Well was there before but she saw it not till her eyes were â—pened Though mercy be near though it be even at the door yet till the great God shall irradiate both the Organ and the object we can neither see our mercies nor suck the breasts of mercy Christ the spring of mercy the fountain of mercy was near the Disciples yea he talked with the Disciples and yet they Luke 24. 15. knew him not Look as dangers are nearest to wicked men when they see them not when they fear them not As Haman Esther 6. was nearest the Gallows when he thought himself the only man that the King would honour And so when Sisâ—ra dreamed of a Kingdom Jael was near with her Hammer Judges 4. and her Nail ready to fasten him to the ground And so when Agag said Surely the bitterness of death is past Samuel 1 Sam. 15 32 33. stood ready with his drawn Sword to cut him in pieces in Gilgal before the Lord. So when Pharaoh said They are entangled Exod. 14. 3 Cha. 15. 9. 10. in the Land the Wilderness hath shut
such things either trouble our thoughts or break our hearts The whole world is but a Paradisâ— for fools 't is a beautiful but deceitful Harlot 't is a drâ—amed sweetness and a very Ocean of Gall. There is nothing to be found in it that has not mutability and uncertainty vanity and vexation stampt upon it And therefore he can't be happy that enjoyes it nor he miserable that wants it And why then should not he be contented that has but but a little of it The greatest outward happiness is but honied poison and therefore don't shrug nor faint because thou hast but little of the world All thy crosses and losses shall be so tempered by a hand of Heaven as that they shall become wholesome Medicines they shall be steps to thy future glory they are thy only Hell thy Heaven is to come And therefore be contented in the midst of all thy sorrows and suâ—â—erings Remember that many times they who have most of the world in their hands have 'T is only an infinite good and infinite God that can fill and satisfie the soul of man Plato could say The mind is not satisfied nor quieted â—ill it return thither from whence it came least of God of Christ of the Spirit of Grace of Heaven in their hearts And remember that a man wâ—re better to have much of God with a little of the world than to have much of the world with a little of God God alone is a thousand thousand felicities and a world of happiness the only life and light Algerius the Martyr being swallowed up in a sweet fruition of God found more light in his Dungeon than was without in all the world O Sirs if upon casting up of your accounts for another world you find that Heaven is your home the world your footstool the Angels your Attendants your Creator your Father your Judge your Brother the Holy Spirit your comforter if you find that God is ever with you ever bâ—fore you evâ—r within you ever round about you and ever a making of provision more or less for you why should you not be contented with your present condition with your present proportion be it more or be it less But The sixth Duty that lyes upon those who have bâ—en burnt up is to mourn to lye low to keep humble under this dreadful Judgement of fire under this mighty hand of God When Zicklag was burnt by the Amalekites David and the people lifted up their voices and wept until they had no 1 Sam. 30. 1 2 3 4. power to weep They wept their utmost they wept themselves even blind They did not Stoically slight that fiery Rod but prudently laid it to heart Tears are callâ—d the blood of the soul Now a shower of tears a shower of blood they poured out to quench those flames that the Amalakites had kindled When they saw their City laid desolate by fire their sorrow was so great that they were over-burthened with the weight of it And therefore they sought ease in venting their sorrow in a shower of tears And so when Nehemiah understood that the wall of Jerusalem was Neh. 1. 3 4. broken down and the gates thereof were burnt with fire he sate down and wept and mourned certain dayeâ— Some Authors report that the Jews to this day come yearly to Naziaâ—zeâ— ad Hieron c. the place where Jerusalem the City of their fathers stood which was by Titus and Adrian destroyed by fire and sword and upon the day of the destruction of it weep over it Oh how well dos it become all burnt Citizens to Deut. 8. 16. Lev. 26. 40 41 42. Luke 14. 11. Dan. 5. 22. Augustine saith that the first second and third Virtue of a Christian is humility If I were asked saith he what is the readiest way to attain true happiness I would answer the first the second the third thing is humility humility humility As often as I was asked I would say humility Humility doth not only entitle to happiness but to the highest degree of happiness Matth. 18. 4. stand and weep over the ashes of London and greatly to abase themselves under that mighty hand of God that has been lifted up against them 1 Pet. 5. 6. Humble your selves under the mighty band of God that he may exalt you in due time Ah London London how hath the mighty hand of tâ—e Lord been lifted up against theâ— how hath he by flames of â—ire laâ—d all thy glory in the dust The Lord by â—ire Swoâ—d 〈◊〉 Pâ—stileâ—câ— hath greatly humbled thâ—e Aâ—d O wâ—eâ— shall it oncâ— be that â—â—ou wilt bâ— humble under â—â—e mighty hand of God! 'T is one tâ—iâ—g to be humâ—led by Jâ—â—gements 't is another thing to be humbâ—e under Judgâ—mâ—â—ts There have been many Natâ—oâ—s Citiâ—s aâ—â— particular pâ—rsoâ—s who have been greatly humbled by amazing and aâ—â—oâ—â—sâ—ing Judgements who yâ—t nâ—vâ—r had so much grace as to lye humble under thosâ— Judgâ—mâ—â—ts Whâ—n Gods hand is lifted up very high he expects that our hearts should fall very low To be poor and proud is to be douâ—ly misâ—rable If mens spirits are high when their estates are low the next blow will be more dreadful God has laid our habitations in dust and ashâ—s and he expects that we should even humble our selves in dust and ashes The only way to avoid Cannon shot is to fall down flat on the ground The Application is easie Humility exalteth he that is most humble shall be most honourable Moses in his Wilderness-condition was the meekest man on earth and God made him the most honourablest calling him up unto himself in the Mount and making of him the Leader of his people Israel Gideâ—n was very little in his own eyes The least in his Fathers house in his own apprehension and God exalted him making him the deliverer of his Israel He that is little in his own account is alwayes high in Gods esteem When one asked the Philopher What God was a doing he answered That his whole work was to lift up the humble and cast down the proud Those brave creatures the Lyon and the Eagle were not offered in Sacrifice unto God but the poor Lamb and Dove was offered in Sacrifice to note to us that God regards not your brave high lofty spirits and that he is all for such that are of a Dove-like and a Lamb-like spirit They say if dust be sprinkled upon the wings of Bees their noises humming and risings will quickly cease The Lord in the late fiery dispensation has sprinklâ—d dust and ashes upon us all And Oh that our proud noises hummings and risings of heart might cease from before the Lord who is risen out of his holy place Ah London London thou hast been proud of thy Trade and proud of thy Strength and proud of thy Riches and proud of thy stately Buildings and Edifices bâ—t God has now laid all thy glory in dust and ashes And therefore it highly concerns thee to
Hearbs sweep the house cleave wood and kindle the fire and do such like things c. Sâ—condly The Heathens did use to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness before they would offer Sacrifices to several of their Gods They had as Authors write their stone pots of water set at the doors of their Temples where they used to wash before they went to Sacrifice Thirdly The works of the day are great and glorious and what excellent works are there in nature but requires some previous preparation c. Fourthly Consider the Dignity Majesty Authority and Purity of that God with whom you have to do in all the duties of the day When men are to converse and treat with earthly Princes or to give them entertainment how do they prepare and make ready And will you carry it worse towards 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. the King of Kings and Lord of Lords than men do carry it towards mortal Princes whose breath is in their nostrils and whose glory shall assuredly be laid in the dust c. Fifthly Consider if you do not prepare your selves beforâ— hand for that day of the Lord and all the duties of that day what difference will there be between you and the worst of Hypocrites Formalists Superstitious or prophane persons who rush upon holy duties as the Horse rusheth into the Battel Dost thou dress up thy house thy Husband thy self thy children so do the worst of persons If you do not prepare for the dutiâ—s of the day and to meet with God in those duties what singular thing do ye Matth. 5. 27. Sixthly Consider what blessed yearnings you have made on those Sabbaths wherein you have been prepared to meet with the Lord and to manage the duties of those dayes O the joy the peace the comfort the communion the satisfaction the enlargements that you have then met with and on the other hand consider what poor yearnings you have made of it when you have been careless and rash and have not prepared your selves for the duties of the day and for the enjoyment of God in those duties Oh how flat how cold how dull how dead how straitned have you been on those Sabbâ—ths wherein you have not prepared to meet with the Lord c. But you may say Wherein doth our preparation for the Sabbath Quest consist In these three things Answ First In a holy care so to order all our worldly business and affairs on the day before that they may not encrease upon us on the Lords Day to trouble us or distract us in the duties of that day Secondly In putting iniquity far from you in laying aside all superfluity of naughtiness that you may receive the ingrafted Job 11. 14 15. James 1. 12. word with meekness which is able to save your souls When the vessel is unclean it sowres quickly the sweetest liquors that are poured into it And so when the heart is filthy and unclean it loses all the good it might otherwise gain by Ordinances If the stomach be foul it must be purged before it be fed or else the meat will never nourish and strengthen nature but encrease ill humours So the souls of men must be purged from soul enormities and gross impieties or else they will never gain any saving good by Ordinances 2 Tim. 2. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work c. Thirdly In acting your graces in all the duties of the day Sleepy habits will do you no good nor bring God no glory all the honour he hath and all the comfort and advantage Isaiah 50. 10. you have is from the active part of grace and therefore you must still be a stirring up the grace of God that is in you 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God that is in thee I know the Apostle speaks of the Ministerial gift but it is as true of the work of grace for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies grace as well as gift Stir up the grace of God in thee Mark the phrase it is a remarkable phrase for in the Original it is to blow up thy grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as a man blowes up a fire that growes dull or is hid under the ashes blow up the grace of God in thee Some think that it is a Metaphor taken from a spark kept in ashes which by gentle Calvâ—n and others blowing is stirred up till it take a flame Others say it is an allusion to the fire in the Temple which was alwayes to be kept burning Look as the fire is encreased and preserved by blowing so are our graces preserved and encreased by our acting of them We get nothing by dead and useless habits Talents hid in a Napkin gather rust Look as the noblest faculties are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised So the noblest graces are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised Grace is bettered and made more perfect by acting neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing and so are our graces for acting We had need pray hard with the Spouse Cant. 4. ult Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit Satans grand design is not to keep men from going the round of duties nor yet to keep men from attending on Ordinances but his grand design is to hinder the exercise of grace All other exercises without the exercise of grace will do a Christian no good as you may see Luke 22. 31 32 33. 1 Tim. 4 8 Isa â—â— 1 -8 Neh. 7. 4 5. 6. by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together The more grace is exercised the more corruptions will be weakned and mortified As one buâ—ket in the Wâ—ll rises up the other goâ—s down so as grace rises higher and higher corruptions fall lower and lower There was two Lawrâ—ls at Rome and when the one flourished the other withered so where grace flourishes corruptions wither As the house 2 Sam. 3. 1. of David grew stronger and stronger so the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker So as grace in its exercise grows stronger and stronger So sin like the house of Saul will every day grow weaker and weaker If you keep not grace Mark 4. 40. in exercise it may most fail you when it should stand you most in stead If a man uses a knife but now and then he may have his knife to seek when he should use it That Sword grows rusty in the scabbard that is used but now and then You know how to apply it But Thirdly You must sanctâ—fie the Sabbath by looking upon the enjoyment of Sabbaths and Ordinances as your great happiness by
then they will bow and tremble under a sense of the Soveraignty of God The Soveraignty of God is that golden Scepter in his hand which he will make all bow to either by his Word or by his Works by his Mercies or by his Judgments This Scepter must be kist and submitted to or else fire and sword desolation and destruction will certainly follow Jer. 18. 2 3 4. 6. Arise and go down to the potters house and there will I cause thee to hear my word Then I went down to the potters house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel that seemed good to the potter to make it O house of Israel cannot I do with you as the potter saith the Lord. Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel The Jews were so stupid and sottish that verbal teaching without signs would not work upon them and therefore the Lord sent Jeremiah to the potters house that he might see by what the potter did that though he had made them a People a Nation a Church a State yet he could as easily unmake them and mar them as the potter marred the vessel that he had made God would have this people to know that he had as much power over them and all they had as the potter had power over the clay that he works upon and that he had as much both might and right also to dispose of them at his pleasure as the potter had over his clay to dispose of it as he judged meet Nay Beloved the potter has not such an God hath jus ad omnia jus in omnibus a right to all things a right in all things absolute power over his pots and clay as the Lord has over the Sons of men to make them and break them at his pleasure and that partly because that the clay is none of his creature and partly because without God give him strength he has no power to make or break one vessel God by the Prophet would have the Jews to know that 't was meerly by his good pleasure and grace that they came to be so glorious and flourishing a Nation as they were at this time yea and further to know that they were not so great and rich and flourishing and setled and built but that he could as easily break them and mar them as the potter could the Isa 64. 8. vessel that was under his hand Ah Sirs God by that dreadful fire that has destroyed our houses and burnt up our substance and banished us from our habitations and levelled our stately Monuments of Antiquity and Glory even with the ground has given us a very high evidence of his Soveraignty both over our persons and all our concernments in this world Ah London London were there none within nor without thy Walls that did deny the Soveraignty of God that did belye the Soveraignty of God that did slight the Soveraignty of God that did make head against the Soveraignty of God Were there none within nor without thy Walls that did say We are Lords and we will come no more unto thee That did say Is not this great Babylon is Jer. 2. 31. Dan. 4. 30. Lam. 4. 12. not this great London that we have built That did say the Kings of the Earth and all the Inhabitants of the World would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy the flaming and consuming fire should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem into the Gates of London That Exod. 5. 2. did say Who is the Lord that we should obey his voice That did advance a worldly Soveraignty above and against the Soveraignty of God and Christ Ah London London if there were any such within or without thy Walls then never wonder that God has in a flaming and consuming fire proclaimed his Soveraignty over thee and that he hath given such Atheists to know from woful experience that both themselves and all their concernments are in the hands of the Lord as the clay is in the hands of the potter and that the sorest Judgments that any City can fall under are but the Isa 5. 16. demonstrations of his Soveraign Prerogative Psal 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Judgments which he executeth the Power Justice and Soveraignty of God shines most gloriously in the execution of his Judgments upon the world Secondly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the Sons of men that the world may stand in awe of him and that they may learn to fear and tremble before him when he Consult these Scriptures Exod. 15. 14 15 16. Josh 2. 10 11. Rev. 15. 4. appears as a consuming fire he expects that the Nation should tremble and that the Inhabitants should fear before him 1 Sam. 16. 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake and came to Bethlehem and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming and said comest thou peaceable Shall the Elders of Bethlehem tremble for fear that Samuel came to denounce some grievous Judgment against them and shall not we tremble when God has executed his terrible Judgments 1 Kings 21. 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29. upon us Shall Ahab tremble and humble himself and fast and lye in sackcloth when Judgments are but threatned and shall not we tremble and fear before the great God who has actually inflicted upon us his three great Judgments Pestilence Sword and Fire Shall the Ninevites both Princes Jonah 3. 3 4. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Nobles and people tremble and humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes when God doth but threaten to over-throw their great their rich their populous City and shall not we tremble and lye low before the Lord when we see great London rich and populous London laid in ashes before our eyes When the hand of the Lord was stretched out Exod. 15. 15 16. See 2 Kings 6. 30. and Chap. 7. 6 7. 15. Jer. 4. 7 8 9. against the Egyptians the Dukes of Edom were amazed and the mighty men of Moab trembled Ah how severely has the hand of the Lord been stretched out against London and all her Inhabitants and therefore what cause have we to be amazed and to tremble before that God who has appeared in flames of fire against us Lam. 2. 3 4. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel he hath drawn back his right hand before the enemy and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about He bent his bow like an enemy and poured out his fury like fire God burnt down their City their Temple their Gates their Princely Habitations their glorious Structures in the fierceness of his anger and in the greatness of his wrath O Sirs when God falls upon burning work when he pours out