setled up he mounts Upon his Royal Steed Who prancing through the streets is prais'd For his victorious deed Just so my glorious blessed Prince With vict'ry on his side Being won with ghastly gaping wounds In triumph he must ride Down with a Chariot made of clouds From th' Palace-yard on high His Father sent to setch his Son In great solemnity Before he steps up to his seat Like Royal Prince he gave Rich-wonder-working gifts to 's friends And then he took his leave Strait at command the foaming winds With prancings up they fly Proud of the burthen that they drew A load of Majesty When he got home Oh! with what shouts Of joy did Heav'n resound When th' Father sat him on his Throne And there himself him crown'd Angels and Saints do all at once The Song of the Lamb sing As worthy of all honour praise Yea worthy to be King Sit there thou great Victorious Prince At thy Fathers right hand Bring down thine en'mies to thy feet Rule all by thy command HYMN V. The Souls Access LOrd hear my knocking 's hark my crys Want drives me to thy door Oh! chide not do not say Away I was here once before Where shall I go thou only hast That life none gives beside I went about the world to beg For life but all deni'd Thou art my God and Saviour To thee I naked creep Besmear'd in blood and tears I lie Lord pity see I weep If I have sin'd Lord thou hast di'd To free me thou wast sent And thou hast said I shall not die If that I will repent Justice Oh hold a while thy stroke Suffer a sinner plead It 's for my life one word and then Strike on and make me bleed If I had sin'd and would not yield But stoutly stand it out Thy wrath might then have broacht my heart And let my life run out If I had heard a Christ was come With open arms to save Had I not run for refuge there Mercy I might not crave Now Justice strike 't is done but see Where I incircled lye Within the folds of Jesus arms Strike in his arms I 'le die Chear up my heart the storm is o're Justice is ris'n and gone All thy accusers creep away Thy Christ is lest alone What blessed voice was that I heard My Son rise off thy knees Thy sins are pardon'd thou art free And I have paid thy fees Lord what a quick dispatch hast thou In grace giv'n to my cause I am arraign'd acquit set free By thy most gracious Laws Had I not guilty dar'd to plead Though fraught with Angels skill How sure my impannel'd conscience would Have sought and found the bill HYMN VI. The descent of the Spirit WHO knows the winds from whence they come Or whither they do go The holy breathings we receive Are from the Spirit ev'n so Sometimes its cooling gales we feel On Conscience all on fire Sometimes its cooling heats we find Our nummed hearts inspire This is that Holy Ghost that Christ Did promise for to send This is that pow'rful Spirit that Our stubborn hearts must bend Jerusalem the City was Design'd for his descent Thither the Christians at th' command Of th' Heavenly Angel went No sooner were they set but straight A mighty tempest rose Shook the foundations of the house Which they for pray'rs had chose Struck with amazement soon there fell Flames shap't both flat and long Which hovering light upon each head Much like a Cloven-tongue Those little fiery bushes were But wonders for to shew That th' wonder-working Spirit was Come down to men below For straight he tun'd each Christians tongue All Languages to speak The Parthians Medes and Elamites To them their minds might break Thousands of Salem flock to see This strange unheard-of thing They flock too fast for they forget Good hearts with faith to bring Some are amaz'd but others scoff Some praise but others say They have too much of tongue they 'r drunk With much new wine to day Oh injur'd God! how can'st thou bear These dreadful Blasphemies These wonders speak thy Gospel true They say it 's nought but lyes Scarce fifty days now past thy Son With nails they Crucifi'd And now to heap up sin on sin Thy Spirit they deride Instead of wrath Gods bowels yern Yet thinks them thoughts of Grace The bleeding Christ while Peter preacht The Spirit gave them chace Three thousand hearts at once he struck Who bleeding came and cri'd What shall we do we do believe On Christ we Crucifi'd O holy conquering Spirit thou Those souls did'st captivate This is a second wonder wrought Which we with Songs relate Oh let me find thy heats within As a refiners fire Purge from my heart all dross and sin This this is my desire HYMN VII First Part. THOU dreadful Judg whose Majesty Angels themselves adore That can't with open face thee see But clap their wings before When thou with whispers dost but chide The arch of Heaven doth quake Big-bellied clouds forth lightning bring And into thunders break When that thy wrath it doth but breathe Great storms of whirlwinds rise Hail snow and rain come tumbling down Whilest th' trembling sinner flies The lofty mountains stoop their heads To hide them in their vales Great men and Princes shrink for fear Their hearts and courage fails Some high and mighty Angels hatcht Treason against his Crown He spar'd them not but from their Throne With vengeance pull'd them down He chains of darkness on them laid As pris'ners doth them keep Against the great and terrible day When hardest hearts shall weep When the old world thy name forgot And laid aside their fears The gentle wrathful Heavens wept Drowns it with showers of tears When Sodom and Gomorrah burnt With fires of wanton lust With flakes of fir'd brimstone thou Those Cities burnd'st to dust Sion it self that darling hill In Salem that did stand Them both for slaying of thy Son Thou mad'st a fire-brand Our bleeding carcasses thy sword leaves reeking on the ground Yet after this we no more fear Than men fall'n in a swound Second Part. When thou O mighty God shalt come Riding upon the wind To judg the world Oh! in what place Will th' wicked refuge find How shall we hear thy shrill voice't trump Cleaving th' air asunder To wake our ashes in their graves With noise like claps of thunder Lord what a glorious train is that That on their wings do ride Look how they post in full career Thronging on either side Oh! they 're the Angels of the Lord Egypt's first-born that slay'd That took poor Lazarus soul that di'd And him in bosom laid The Trump shall sound and Michael then Th' Archangel strait shall cry Arise you dead to judgment come The Lord your lives must try Look how the wicked's bodies crawl Like Toads out of their den What ghastly fearful looks they bear They look like frighted men Why do you sinners now thus quake Call for your
gods and all Their Goddesses he vanities dare call Some him deride but others what he said Take him an Oracle and 's word obey'd Among the people hence divisions came All do each others gods contend to shame Some cry for crutches for their gods of wood And say they 're neither wise nor just nor good Room in the hospital Oh let them come Your gods are blind lame senseless deaf and dumb What is Diana but a lump of Gold ' Way with her Shrines that ev'ry where are sold The Silver and the Copper-smiths did hear These upstart Hereticks with no small fear One 'mong the rest Demetrius by name Unto his brethren he in fury came A man of upright stature as I guess But five foot high I judg no more nor less Of a pale face and of a long stretcht nose Yet of a sprightful eye as I suppose The last activity th' other envy notes But the long snout one that on money dotes And if you 'l add the tufts of hair that lye About his lips of a deep carrot-die The end of 's whiskers sinically ' rose Up straight t' guard his promontorial nose His garments such that Greek-wise swept the ground With a muff-cap hanging on side his crown Thus with grave countenance as it was fit He fetcht a hum and then most gravely spit Nodding his head on one side then on t'other He thus began to speak unto each brother Genteels you know Ephesians were your Sires And that you had your breeding 'mong the fires Your sp'rits should be warm to see th' foundation Of your divine and noble occupation Race't to the ground do you not all well know If this Sect do encrease it will be so If that Diana men no Goddess take No man her shrine will buy which we do make That she a Goddess be is it not fit When we by her our wealth and substance get Did not our ancestors her e're adore Must she be chang'd for gods ne'r known before Doth not all Asia and the world allow That she be worshipt and before her bow That her rich Temple is it not much pity Should now at length be slighted by this City Now brave Ephesian Coppersmiths I call You such that you prevent your Goddess fall Shall this one fellow with his witless crown Be let to turn the great world upside down The only feeble argument that he Doth urge to us is that no Deity Is made by hands of man you see How he brings hither new Philosophy I am no Sophy yet an answer I Will give to this poor silly fallacy Diana is a Deity you know And mans hands made her tell me i' nt it so Ergo he lies But yet he further sings Can any make them that have made all things To this I answer him I never yet Studied the point But I will never let My Goddess and my trade go down together But right or wrong I do not much care whether That you are of the very self-same mind I hope this day by your warm zeal to find When this long speech he sweetly forth had stutter'd He paus'd then made a stop then no more utter'd These things thus spoken by Demetrius Great is Diana of brave Ephesus They all with one continued voice did shout Throw down their hammers so they all run out Tuck up their aprons and do shrug the shoulder Run from their Masters whither never told her Throwing their arms and moving legs apace All seem'd as if they were to run a race With red-coats blew-coats and add to them yellow The streets do swarm and each the other follow Some with fall'n stockings others with one shoo Yet all resolve the race to hobble through One up Diana shouted th' other cries Down with all Taxes and Monopolies A third with loud and fearful far-fetcht Oaths Cursed the Senators as th' publick foes A fourth steps out asking what all this meant 'T was said because a good mans cloak was rent Others more gravely would the cause unfold Telling demurely that two women scold Began the fray that first by words then blows They pull'd and tugg'd and nimbly in they close Down they both fell to whom a stander-by Said it was no such matter he did lye He would have told his story but the rout All on a sudden up the streets they scout Yelping and yawling what each thought the best Though all did strangely differ from the rest As they were running 't happen'd that a Lad In a black shirt and a long apron clad I guest him Prentice to some Coppersmith In galloping his legs being tangled with His longer apron which did hang before him Tript up his heels another straight fell o're him A third o're him and so in heaps they lay All chang'd their notes to cry Oh stay stay stay My arm my leg another Oh my thigh You are too heavy on my back that lie Oh where 's my shoo 's you-sir have torn my shirt Another You-sir 't was that did me hurt Oh where 's my cap look there in kennel 't is Oh that 's not mine but that Fur'd cap is his As they got up one crys unto the other I prithee take thy knife and scrape me brother One toting fellow street-yarn oft that reels Came crawling out with breeches 'bout his heels When the rest saw that pitiful disaster They held their sides and fell to a loud laughter This stopt the rout a while in their swift race But up they get away they run apace Now up their throats they raise and do begin Agen to fill the City with a din. For two hours time this mad rout thus did hold Till that the Town-Clark came and it controul'd Telling Demetrius and the rest that they To right all wrongs by justice had their way And that their foul fault to such height did mount Of which he 's sure they could give no account So he dismist them and they went their way Most knowing not for what they met that day The FLINT THey say my soul 's a Flint My thoughts are sparks of reason Which her small cells do stint Unto an atoms prison They say this fire 's divine That from this flint doth flow Which will our eyes refine And God and nature show This most mysterious flame I did desire to know I to this flint straight came To see if it were so For heat I grope't about The Prison-walls felt cold Then I began to doubt The truth of what was told At length I did begin Their gates with strokes to shake I found then fire within For th' prison-doors I brake I struck agen and place't My breast the tinder-box Under which soon embrace't The fire that fell with knocks The candle of the Lord I then took up to light Which flame it did afford That it did burn out bright On this pure stream of flame Mine eye row'd to and fro And at the length I came Of fuel within to know Within my breast I found Loves taper without
WADSWORTH's Remains BEING A COLLECTION Of some few MEDITATIONS With respect to the LORDS SUPPER Three Pious LETTERS when a young Student at Cambridg Two Practical SERMONS much desired by the Hearers Several Sacred Poems and private Ejaculations By that late Eminent Minister of the Gospel Mr. THOMAS WADSWORTH With a PREFACE containing several Remarkables of his Holy LIFE and DEATH from his own Note-book and those that knew him best Heb. 13.7 Remember them which have the rule over you or are the guides to you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation Aliud est locis communibus laudare defunctum aliud desuncti proprias narrare virtutes Hieronimâ—s in vitâ Hilarionis LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1680. THE CONTENTS OF THE PREFACE THE Introduction Sect. 1. His Birth and Youth Sect. 2 3. His Life at the Vniversity Sect. 4. His thankefulness to God and resolution from experience Sect. 5 His experimentally differencing 'twixt carnal and spiritual love and joy Sect. 6 7 8 9. His experience upon the discovery of the Divine Majesty Sect. 10. His check to the lightness of his spirit Sect. 11. Observation about doubting and examining Christians Sect. 12 13. About a multitude of sins Sect. 14. About Security Sect. 15. Mortification Sect. 16 17. Rising of pride in the heart Sect. 18. Living above Duties Sect. 19. About a dull and dead state Sect. 20. And enjoyments Sect. 21. Concerning self-abasement and the exercise of humility in speaking Sect. 22. And the shunning of pride Sect. 23. The frame of his spirit in prayer with some special cases about prayer Sect. 24 25 26 27 28 29. About raisedness and dejection removing Objections Sect. 30 31. About carnal reasonings and Satans suggestions Sect. 32. 33. Of Gods love in outward mercies and waiting Sect. 34. Of not meeting God in Ordinances Sect. 35. Of mourning for others sins and praying for mortification of a particular corruption Sect. 36. Of his Call to Newington Sect. 37 38. His observing the fruit of his Ministry Sect. 39. His recommending Catechising Sect. 40. His unwearied and seasonable industry at and removal from Newington Sect. 41. His Lecturing and Preaching in London and ejection at Laurence Poultney Sect. 42. His holy prudent and cheerful conversation with a Case or two about merriness and tentations therein Sect. 43 44 45 46 47. Of raising Christian affections Sect. 48. And outward mercies Sect. 49. Of his Sabbath Sanctification Sect. 50. Of his affections to and prayers for his Relatives with thankefulness Sect. 51. Of his respect to his people and charity Sect. 52. Of his Marriages and Children Sect. 53. Of his Sicknesses Sect. 54. Of his last Sickness Sect 55 56 57 58 59. His Death Sect. 60. His Works formerly published Sect. 61. And his Remains with the Conclusion Sect. 62. SECTION I. TO the Publication of these Remains of that Man of God Mr. Thomas Wadsworth a large Preface of his holy Life and Death would have been acceptable but a Melchior Adam well instructed with materials cannot readily be found who might in a proper stile give him his due Yet as an Addition to what hath been already written by Mr. Bragge in a Sermon and an Epistle to it upon his Funerals by Mr. Baxter and Mr. Parsons Prefactory to the two last Sermons he himself Preached to his people it may not be amiss to acquaint the world II. That he was born of honest Parents Decemb 15. 1630 in the Parish of Saviours or Mary Overees Southwark But it seems whiles an Infant he had such a dangerous Thrush in his Throat that the Milk taken into his mouth not having a right passage came out at his Nose and he was grown so weak within the mouth that they even gave him over for dead Yea the nurse having him on her knee thought to have laid him out as a dead corpse only staid till after Dinner in which space she thinking he had expir'd with a groan he gave a Keck whereupon she presently put her finger into his throat and pull'd out a core which being remov'd open'd a free passage for the breast-milk in this weakness his Parents seeking God earnestly â—or his life did dedicate him to the Ministry if capable as Hannah did her Samuel to the Lord. When his Mother to whom he did evermore shew himself very obedient and of whose tenderness he would speak with thankfulness to the last someâ—imes towards her latter end would say He had â—ost her more pains in bearing and nursing than any â—f her other Children He would say pleasantly â—et far from any conceitedness but with an hearty â—cknowledgment of her motherly love and kindâ—ess Ah Mother when you brought forth me you â—â—ought a great Soul into the world They that knew him best had abundant proof that he really was such an one He did timely shew himself to be an ingenious and apt Scholar in the Free-school of that place of his Nativity where the strict and skilful Master encourag'd by his Fathers liberality found him every way ready to receive instruction till about the 10th year of his age he was fitted for Academical Studies When upon his Fathers frequent converse with the Reverend and Pious Dr. Samuel Bolton then the famous Lecturer of the Parish and the worthy Master of Christ-Colledg in Cambridg who had often examin'd him at his Fathers house and found him not only very Religiously dispos'd but well accomplisht with School-learning He was then remov'd to that Colledg under the Tutoridg of him who was afterwards Dr. Outram who had a great value for him as long as he liv'd III. Before he went to the Vniversity he shew'd himself to be one of a tender conscience for when a Boy having took a fair Tulip out of anothers Garden and given it to his Father who sometime after askt him where he had it upon his Father's admonition and his own acknowledgment of his youthful folly as Augustine did his 't was often after a great trouble to his spirit and did keep him humble and watchful So early did he begin to startle at the committing of the least sin For on a Lords-day going into the Work-house in his Fathers yard and there a little loitering he heedlesly clapt his hand on a Tenter-hook and tore his hand much Whereupon he resolv'd no more to mis-spend his time on the Lords-day but to addict himself wholly to the Religious Observance of it which resolution he was known to keep strictly ever after both at home and abroad IV. When at the Vniversity he made good Proficiency in that learning which might make him mostly instrumental for the winning of Souls to Christ that being mainly design'd by him in the service of his generation In order to which we find this young Student early associating with an honest Club of Scholars of his own and other Colledges as were not only
express some trouble if any of the lower rank in the world did bring him some small thing for though he did thankfully own their kindness yet he would let them know he would not be burdensome to them He us'd to be very grateful for favours though never so small But more notably thankful to God One bringing him a little cordial-water after his Preaching not being well with his eyes lifted up to heaven he said What am I or my Fathers house that God is so mindful of me a poor creature Oh! blessed be God His impartiality in judging causes amongst those of his acquaintance who referred themselves to him was own'd to be very remarkable And he us'd to advise his friends often to take care and watch for opportunities to seek God by private prayer He himself was a great man in Prayer And we find this Anagram of his Name Thomas Wadsworth under his own hand viz. Ah! Os tu oras Deum which is as much as to say in English Thou openest thy mouth in prayer to God You know it is given us as a remarkable character of Paul after his Conversion Behold he prayeth Acts 9.11 LII Having a door open'd to him at Theobalds for the preaching of the Gospel though he met with many difficulties yet being encouraged there where he was concern'd to abide most for the health of himself and family not for any other gain but rather the impairing of his estate by the conflux of Hearers to whom his labours were very acceptable He accounted it needful to stir them up to the participation of all Ordinances according to Gospel-order which notion they readily closed with under his Administration Upon which to prevent any jealousie amongst his people in London and Southwark he told a member of his society to this purpose Peradventure because I have not any maintenance from you you may think I look not upon my self to be therefore so much engag'd to you but fear it not for I think my self to be every jot as much engag'd to you as if I had my whole maintenance from you for my great Lord and Master knowing you are not so able hath provided for me another way yet nevertheless to do you service so that sith God by his Providence hath setled me amongst you and hath enclined your hearts to embrace my Ministry fear not my leaving of you He was one ever ready to deny himself his own due right that thereby he might provide for the welfare of souls committed to his charge yea and to do what he could to encourage others in that great work His Charity as well as self-denial was manifested to his distressed brethren in the Ministry in making Collections for them both at Deadmans-place and Theobalds and he had a singular faculty to dispose his Hearers to give liberally distributing all that was collected and more to several in such proportions as in their circumstances he judg'd most convenient as was evident from his particular accounts of that matter and the grateful acknowledgments of those who received the benefit he practised according to Paul's Directory for a Bishop 1 Tim. 3.3 he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one not given to filthy lucre and one not covetous He shew'd great love to the poor in relieving of them and conversing with them He would often say He rejoic'd to send them away cheerful because they were Gods creatures and 't was like God to make the hearts of the poor merry And he would not have those of his Family to be too hard in buying things of poor people saying their hearts would be glad if they had a good price given to them for their Commodities they brought to sell A further instance we have of his freedom from prevailing covetousness and his real self-denial beyond exception When T.S. the Son of his second Wife was very dangerously sick of the Small pox though 600 l. would have come to him and his if this Son-in Law had then died not being then at age yet he did call his Religious friends again and again to join with him in solemn prayer for his recovery And when his prayers were prevalent upon his restoration to health he solemnly return'd thanks to God which upon the expence of circumstances did signally evidence the integrity of his generous soul and may well be transmitted to posterity for imitation LIII Whiles he was at Newington many overtures were made to this eminent Minister for the change of his condition but he closed with none of them having early fixed his eye upon one to whom after full knowledg and mature deliberation he made known his affection Her Parents consented that this their Daughter a vertuous young Gentlewoman should match with this man of God She was of a good family being the younger daughter of Henry Hastings Esq of the Parish of Newington-Butts Her name was Elizabeth Hastings which this Religious and Poetick lover did from his certain knowledg of her piety and zeal for God thus Annagrammatize Big zeal hateth sins By her he had born to him Octob. 3. 1661 a Son named Henry-Hastings but the pious Mother of him did not live above ten days after his birth for she departed this world on Octob. 13. following betwixt eight and nine of the Clock of that Lords-day morning And this fair blossom their Son was soon cropt off for about a month after viz. Novemb. 15th on Friday morning he died at Nurse This disconsolate Widower bereft of a meet yoke-fellow and likewise amov'd from his Ecclesiastical Wife at Newington having so journ'd for a time with his friend Mr. Sedgwick whiles a Batchelor and then remov'd to Mr. de Luna's as above about two years after the decease of his first wife and child being recommended to a vertuous Widow Mrs. Margaret Sharp Daughter to Henry Gibs of Bristol Esq and Relict to Mr. Thomas Sharp Merchant about Novemb. 1663 he married her she having then a Son by Mr. Sharp her former Husband who had also left Lucy Sharp a Daughter by his former Wife this Daughter being consumptive did not long survive the Marriage of her Mother-in-law but in her sickness did greatly bless God for her being thereby related to Mr. Wadsworth whose instructions and prayers she found to be successful for the good of her precious soul She died about the 16th year of her age Mr. Wadsworth living then for his better health mostly at Theobalds but came to preach to his Congregation in Southwark he prevailed with his Wife to dwell there with him By her he had born to him Octob. 10. 1666 Josiah Whose Mother became sickly and Jan. 3. 1667 left him motherless and his Father a sorrowful Widower again In his sorrows he had drawn up a notable character of this his second Wife giving an account of her piety but he so dispos'd of that it is not to be found amongst any of his Papers This only Son Josiah liv'd about five years and an half to the comforting
a Lamb do there they saw thee in their ravenous jaws about to tear thy heart to suck out all thy blood and leave thee dead Have I not sat and read and read and wept in viewing over the story and could they forbear that with their watry eyes saw this scene then acted But whither O whither O ye blinded Jews are ye dragging this my Lord My spirit begins to faint I now can look no longer my heart now begins to swell with grief it must now break or I must vent it at mine eyes in streams Look see the Hammer and Nails the Hammer lift up to strike Bloody man thou durst not sure surely thou dost not know whose hands and feet thou art now piercing it is the Prince and Saviour of the world Foolish heart see how thou art mistaken look see it 's done the nails are driven to the head see how the crimson tears run trickling down his hands and feet and see how hardened hearts be laughing at it Oh silly foolish blinded men what laugh you at This very Christ whom now you mock shall be your Judg this very man Jesus whom you have thus abused shall come attended with thousands of Angels with the sound of Trumpets and shall sit upon your life and death Him whom you now have nailed to a Cross hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour What then will you do when that great and terrible day of the Lord shall come How will you look him in the face whom you have spit on How will you dare to speak a word for your selves to him whom you have nailed to a tree and crucified His wounds in hands side and feet shall all bear witness against you and his innocent blood that you have spilt shall cry aloud about the throne for vengeance against you your flouts shall then be turned into tears and your taunts into lamentations And how will you then look and cry when God passeth sentence on you and thrust you down to Hell to bear the punishment of your sins this is the Lord that came to spare your lives yet your wickedness spared not his and how at length can you think to escape with yours But once again look up my soul and see what is become of thy nailed and crucified Lord Ah me he is not quite dead look how he gasps and pants for life Oh how his looks are changed How pale and wan do I see his cheeks the blood and all the spirits are quite drawn from them Methinks he should be dead for see how weak his neck is grown that it is not able to support his head that lyes a dying on his bleeding breast What yet not dead see how he shakes and stirs his dying limbs what gasps and groans do I hear him fetch as if his soul were strugling to get out Hark hark he speaks Oh let me catch the last breath of my dying Saviour What saith my Lord Hark what dost thou not hear what My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I am amazed to hear these words How couldst thou suspect thy Fathers love How could he be far from thee who was one with thy self But Oh! this is but the voice of his Manhood and not of his Godhead It was the voice of the dying and bleeding Man Jesus not the voice of the God Jesus But Oh my Lord what are those pains and gripes thou feelest that brings forth these complainings But why do I ask this question hath he not been all this while a drinking up the cup his Father gave him the bitter and sowr and poysonous cup of his Fathers wrath which I and all the world had else drunk of he just now swallowed down the last mouth full of the dregs whose bitter noisome taste hath sent forth these doleful lamentations for mark he had no sooner spoke these words but he gasped his last The causes of his Death And must the Son of God be humbled thus must he that was from everlasting raised and advanced above every name in heaven and earth he that lay in the arms and breast of God loved by the Father and his only Son honoured adored admired and beloved of ten thousand times ten thousands of Angels But must this God leave all this glory and change that sweet Heavenly and delightsome Palace for so mean so low so dirty a cottage as to be born a man And must his entertainment at first be no better than a stable or a manger could give him No sooner must he begin to live but must an enemy assault his life Must he travel up and down this earth and spend his time and strength in preaching glad tidings to miserable undone men and fill the world with signs and wonders and not deserve so much of men as a house to dwell in or a hole to put his head in and after all this humble holy long-suffering life must he be thought of by this unthankful and unbelieving world as one not worthy to live and not have a breathing in that air which he both made and gave them to breathe in but must he at length be laid hold of by a traiterous Judas that he had once taken for one of his own Apostles and must he suffer all this But ah alas what is this must he be also crowned with thorns and must he sweat and bleed Oh far more than tongue can utter Oh astonishing condescension thus did the Son become a servant and learn'd obedience by his sufferings and served a three and thirty years apprenticeship in the pain and travel of his soul here on earth a longer time than Jacob served for his beloved Rachel and that because he loved us better and therefore gave a better dowry for us But had I lived to have seen this Prince of Glory thus disguis'd this Eastern Sun thus benighted in a cloud this glorious God thus wrapped up in rags of flesh should I have known him or not my sensual heart I doubt thee much wouldst thou have cleaved to him loved him better than thy life and have said Though all leave thee I will not and with Paul I am willing and ready not only to be bound but to die for thee What thinkst thou Oh my soul couldst thou have left Husband Wife Father and Mother and all the rest of thy friends and have sold all that thou hast and followed him what him whom the Prophet foretold Isa 53.23 He hath no form or comeliness in him that you should desire him he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs Tell me tell me couldst thou have divorced thy self from all and have taken this seemingly uncomely person for thy Lord and only Husband Ah me I do not know my heart but surely had I known him as I do now know him I should not have stuck at any thing for him For what if his Face did want comeliness seeing it came so with tears and grief
that thou hadst just now sinned and broke that law which threatned death and upon the breach doth find thee guilty Think that thou sawest a flaming Cherubim a messenger of the Court of Heaven flirt in at that door and arrest thee for High treason and give thee a summons to rise from the seat thou sittest on to make a sudden answer for thy life Look then my soul Ah! I lookt just now I see that door wide open What 's this a spirit Ah me I am undone for I have sinned I think the room shakes under me or else 't is my heart that 's trembling What 's this I hear I must now answer for my life Oh what shall I say I know not what I have sinned my Conscience tells me that I have sinned the witness within will cast me I see the Inditement writ with blood on my heart the pride sensuality and the earthliness of which I am charged with I am not able to deny one tittle Oh for a mountain to cover me Oh whither shall I go whither shall I fly That Bed these Curtains this Closet cannot hide me My Mother Father Wife or Child cannot help me O who then shall I run whither I know not vengeance will find me out where ever I go Oh cursed and subtil Satan are all thy fair promises and inticements come to this O my wicked cursed foolish heart that ever I should believe him before my Creator that told me the day I sinned I should surely die Oh that for a little simple transient pleasure I should so madly hazard my eternal life and now I must be cast to Hell to bear the punishment of my folly Think once again think that this were the day and this the very place in which God should come and sit in Judgment on thee Methinks I see the Heavens bow themselves Oh what a crackling do I hear in the Clouds look yonder see who comes it is my Judg his countenance is as a flame of fire he utters his voice like Thunder the mountains skip or rather shake or rather tremble Now now is the time of my utter destruction near at hand Oh how shall I look him in the face his looks do already affright me I shall not say one word and I have not one friend that will say one word for me It 's true I see a terrible glorious Troop of Angels that do attend him but they are all his friends and therefore all my enemies I dare not speak a word to them and alas if I should they are all but his servants and fellow-creatures with my self alas they cannot yea they will not help me It 's true there is one that one that seems as one with God the beams of whose countenance are far brighter than all the Host of Heaven Besides if God have a Son it may be it is he methinks he is a mirrour of his Fathers Glory but this I know not be what he will he cannot pity me a sinner the doors of hope are all shut up and now as a miserable wretch I must prepare to hear my sentence the Judg is set and with trembling heart and joints I stand a prisoner at the bar for my life and now I must attend his call God speaks Sinner where art thou The Sinner answers Lord here am I. God speaks How darest thou thus abuse my Grace and kindle up my zeal against thee that now as stubble it will consume thee Is this the thanks that thou hast returned for all the love that I have shewed to thee Must I make a whole world and give it to thee and as if that was too little I bid thee freely take my self and all and would not this content thee Was I not as a father to thee the time thou lovedst me and didst obey me Did I not make thy seat a Paradise and strewed thy paths with pleasure Did I not rejoice over thee as a young man over his bride What evil hast thou found in me that thou shouldst thus rebelliously revolt and break my Laws and for a trifle sell my favour and hazard my eternal pleasures Speak sinner was it not so The Sinner answers My God these weeping eyes and bended knees confess so much God speaks Had I not told thee that sin would have cost thee thy life then thou hadst had some excuse have I said it and will the great God change Sinner thou must die I told thee so before and now I tell thee again the God of Heaven cannot lye Get thee gone thou cursed wretch into eternal flames and keep that Devil company in chains and torments with whom thou hast rebelled against me and go see what pleasure thou hast in sinning The Sinner answereth Thou great God and terrible Judg I do confess thy sentence just but if there be any bowels of mercy in thee pity me or I die for ever Mercy mercy Lord for I am thy creature the workmanship of thy hands If there be any thing in the trembling heart and hands and knees of this thy sentenced prisoner that will move compassion Oh pity pity a condemned sinner God speaks What! stays he longer to trouble my patience I say be gone thou cursed though thou art my creature know that my wrath hath kindled on better creatures than thou art get thee to Hell and the howling Devils will tell thee as much The Sinner speaks Ah wo wo wo to me for ever cursed I am and cursed must I go for ever My Righteous Judg and ye Glorious Angels adieu for ever Live live for ever blessed and happy in his love I might have lived and joyed and gloried in that God that made both ye and me but like a wretch that I am wo that ever I was born I sold his favour and so my eternal life for a thing of nought a vain lust a sinful pleasure that lasted but for a season and I go I go into eternal flames What says my heart to this Methinks the very thoughts of it do make my heart to quiver and my flesh to shake all round about me I feel no strength in all my joints God speaks So so I am glad something moves thee But think again that the Devil did take hold of thee and drag thee from the place thou sittest on to Hell suppose the Father frowning on thee and all the Angels shouting thee down to Hell and glorying in thy damnation but think again thou sawest when all were joying to see thee sentenced to Hell that he that sat just by the Judg whom thou thoughtest even now to be his Son but knewest it not Look look methinks I see him rise off his Throne see see how the Angels fall to adore him methinks he is a coming near thee Oh how my heart doth tremble Oh what will he torment me before my time Ah me my doom is great enough already Sinner speaks Thou wilt not send me to a worser place than Hell my Judg hath passed my
what a great deal of this plague is upon London and truly Sirs this is a worse plague than that of the Pestilence this plague exceeds the Plague of Sixty-five and exceeds the great plague of the Fire for which you humble your selves this day It is worse than Plague and Fire why because those other plagues are but the litter of this Coccatrice eggs all hatched in this womb of sin London's blindness London's hardness of heart under the light of the Gospel was the cause of London's Fire and London's Pestilence It were well if there were a Fast-day appointed all over England to bewail this great plague of blindness of mind and hardness of heart this judicial blindness and hardness that is as it were spread like a leprosie all over England this is a plague we are not sensible of little affected with Why because it is invisible in the soul The fire that flamed and cast a dreadful smoke and affected our senses looked like Sodom yea like Hell it self these we are affected with and when we see our dying friends look pale and see them gasp and groan this we are affected with but for blind souls dead souls poysoned souls poysoned with sin being full of sin and full of Hell gasping and dying and going to Hell no body is affected with this how few hearts are affected with this and those least upon whom this plague is 2ly There is another sort of evils and those are such that reach the body Is there any evil in a city but I have done it That is Is there any punishment upon the body there is not My Brethren you never know God aright you never adore him aright you never fear him aright till you can see him concerned with every thing that you meet with in the world yea every evil God doth look so narrowly unto all that you are and have that there is not one hair of your heads can fall to the ground without his Providence there is not an aking head but God hath a hand in it the least pain on your body that is inflicted it is by a direction from God There is not one evil in a whole City no not among all the inhabitants of a City but I have done it saith the Lord all the crossings of your family all of them every one of them whatever be the second causes that are at work God is the first he is the first great wheel There is not an evil all those burning feavers agues all the pains of the Stone or Gout all those Plague-sores those Boils and Blains let the disease be what it will what it can as it is a punishment God is the author of it God inflicts it And then there is another sort of evils there are many of them indeed but another that which respects the estate there is not one evil that may befall your estate in this world but God is the author of it Would you in London but believe this it would be of great use to you you never lose one farthing but God knoweth of it and he hath a hand in it You never trust a man and he deceiveth you but God giveth you up to be deceived by that man You never trusted a man that breaketh through poverty but God knew it before hand and gave you up to lend him or to trust him There is not a Ship miscarrieth by Sea but it is of the Lord it miscarrieth Oh that you were but well acquainted with this Doctrine then would you learn to acknowledg God in all your ways and in all his works of Providence that you meet with in the world and if there is none of these evils can follow your estate without God then surely London could not be burnt without God for if the least evil how much more the greatest evil So that here you see it was the Lord Jehovah that burnt this City a few years since he burnt it to ashes he would not have the fire stopt he would have it go on raging till it had finished his Decree he would have it so the Lord hath done it he owneth it this day that you are met together and hath in his Providence sent me to tell you that God burnt London God burnt it Do not therefore much trouble your selves about Instruments though likely some might be wicked instruments in it yet it was God that did the thing I have done it saith the Lord. Doubtless it it of an humbling consideration to us this day now we are come before the Lord. But then the question will be in the Third place How may God be said to be the author of all punishment How is it that God doth burn Cities destroy Families Kingdoms how doth he do it There are two ways that God may be said to be the author of all the punishments that are in the world First God is the author of them by his decreeing of them Secondly God is the author of them by seeing to means that shall certainly execute them God in his Decree appoints the end and God in his Providence provides the means too so that if they be decreed by God and these Decrees executed by God then God may truly be said to be author of them I have done them saith God First Then God is the author of all punishment in a City in as much as when ever these evils come upon a City or people they are first decreed by God they do not come by chance they are of Gods laying on as the Prophet intimateth God hath determined of them before hand and this will be clear if you do but consult several like cases when evils have befallen a world of people and befallen Cities they came not accidentally but they came by the determinate counsel of God We will give you some of these instances One of the most universal plagues that God ever poured down upon this world was that of the Deluge when he drowned it Why whence come these waters from God Who drowned the World I did saith God What didst not thou spare except those eight persons man woman nor child no not one I spared none of them but drowned them all What was it done rashly inconsiderately as men use to do in a passion doing that in haste that they repent at leisure No no God thought of it long before sixscore years before the world was drowned it was determined of God it should be drowned he had passed his Decree upon it for their iniquities Gen. 6.7 And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created I will do it saith God from the face of the earth both man and beast and the creeping things and the fowls of the air for it repenteth me that I have made man I will do it saith the Lord. Lord when wilt thou do it I will do it saith he about sixscore years hence I will give them so much time to repent in to see what they will do vers 3. For
the times to be drunk and commit adultery sobriety is laughed at a scornful defiance is bid to the Law of God and Ministers have now much ado to perswade men that these things are sins It is for London's impudence in sin that God burnt London Secondly they are not only the bare sins of London but God is angry with them for these sins under the preaching of the Gospel Alas if you were drunk you might be drunk and God never have burnt the City if you swore and forswore and had been some of the Americans that had no Law nor Prophets nor Christ nor Apostles nor Ministers you might have sworn and cursed and God would have stood still and let you alone and only took a course with you at death burned you then in Hell But since God hath taken England for his people and London for his people and sent Christ to be preached and sent Ministers and gifted them and bid them cry and cry aloud believe it God will not take your sins as he takes the sins of others No Sabbath-breaking is a greater sin in London than it is in the Northern parts of this Kingdom Why you have more means you have the Gospel in a greater light And you Parents in London and Masters for you to neglect your Families God taketh it worse at your hands than he doth at those in the Country Why you should know better God hath given you more means to know the preciousness of servants and childrens souls therefore you should look more carefully after them Your sins are committed against Gospel-light and therefore more dangerous therefore God punishes you Thirdly sins after vows of reformation did London never promise God solemnly to reform if you have forgotten it God hath not London hath been under a promise to reform How to reform to entertain Christ and the Gospel and to improve it better to promote his Ordinances and to reform their Families every one in their places If you have broken your Vows and thrown them behind your backs God is still alive to punish for it Ay your sins are greater too than others Why because they are against more mercies temporal mercies in some respects than the Countries about In the time of the Civil War when all the Country almost was laid wast London was not touched there were Cities besieged Cities burnt Cities and Towns laid waste and desolate people beggered and undone every where London did thrive all the while God had a great reckoning with London London a people of so much means so many mercies so many deliverances so much of the Gospel and yet London a drunken London a covetous London an adulterous London Believe it God hath now at length reckoned with you and hath begun to pay off your old and long score and I fear he hath not yet done with you Christ hath been neglected the Spirit grieved Ministers rejected hated persecuted Sabbaths prophaned London full of pride covetousness lying swearing luxury drunkenness and all these under the Gospel and all these committed with a brazen face impudently for these things God is angry with you for these things God sent the Pestilence for these things sake God brought the fire If this be true here is another Inference followeth Have our sins burnt our City and brought so many thousands by the Pestilence to the grave Oh that we could be ashamed of our sins confess them with shame be humbled for our sins learn to hate our sins beg of God for grace to conquer our sins Oh that there might be a separation between sin and us that the great separation between God and us may be prevented Is God angry with London it is for sin Oh be rid of your sins let us all this day search our hearts and try our reins and see what iniquity is in us what personal sins what Family-sins what City-sins what Church sins let us see how far we contributed to the burning of London and Oh that we might by repentance and reformation crucifie those sins that burnt London this would be a good work and without this work in vain do you fast this day God told Israel when they came fasting and mourning before him there in the Prophet Isaiah That they should cease to do evil and learn to do well and then come and fast and pray and then faith he Let us reason together if you will cease to do evil and learn to do well Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool So I say in the name of the Lord to you this day you are about praying to God that he would be at peâ—ce with London let all of us cease to do evil what evils those evils that I have named have any of us been guilty of London's pride the Lord help every one of us to resolve for to crucifie that sin and to resolve we will not have a hand any more in burning London Which of you would not part with pride to save so great a City let your ornaments be sober as become men and women professing Godliness Those that have been guilty of drunkenness let them be drunk no more take up that resolution those that have been guilty of injustice in their callings let them resolve they will never more sin to get an estate and that they will rather live and die beggars Believe it that is not the way to die beggars if you come to resolve upon it For God can bless you in his way more than you can gain by walking in your own sinful ways Resolve to lye no more cozen no more swear no more are there any unclean let them be unclean no more Have you broken the Lords-day and prophaned that do so no more Resolve every one of you in your places that for the future you and your Families will endeavour to spend the whole Lords-day in serving God and looking after the Salvation of your Souls Again take up a resolution to give Christ a greater acceptation a better acceptation stand with your hearts wide open to the offers of Salvation do not neglect and slight Salvation when God offers it When you despise his Son you despise God himself They that receive me saith Christ receive him that sent me So those that reject Christ reject God the Father When you come hither and Christ is offered and you will not entertain him you reject God you will not entertain God See that the Gospel may come in its efficacy and power upon your souls God is angry with every Citizen that hath not after all the offers of Salvation accepted of it Every impenitent unconverted sinner because of his impenitency and unconvertedness he had a hand in the firing the City Let us I say repent of our sins let us forsake those sins whereby we have provoked the Lord against us But you will say How if we should we shall leave thousands and ten