green and dry trees and that all these things were dark and of obscure to them they put off all the Prophet spoke as Allegorical as Mystical and as Aenigmatical and as dark visions and as dreams and imaginations and divinations of his own brain and therefore they needed not much mind what he said Now mark these Athâ—ists what do they do they provoke the Lord to kindle a fire a universal fire an unquenchable fire an inextinguishable fire in the midst of Jerusalem which is here termed a Forest by reason of its barrenness and unfruitfulness and the multitudes that were in it and because it was fit for nothing but the Ax and the fire Atheiâ—m is a sin that has brought the greatest woes miseries destructions and desolations imaginable upon the most flourishing Kingdoms and most glorious Cities in the World Holy Mr. Greenham was wont to say that he feared rather Atheism then Popery would be Englands ruine O Sirs were there none within the Walls of London that said in their hearts with Dâ—vids Atheistical Psal 14. 1. fool There is no God Caligula the Emperor was such a one and Claudius thought himself a God till the loud Thunder affrighted him and then he hid himself and cryed Claudius nâ—n est Dâ—us Claudius is not a â—od Leo the X. Hilderbrand the Magician and Alexander the vI and Juâ—w the II. were all most wretched Atheists and thought tâ—aâ— whatever was said of Christ of Heaven of Hell of the day of Judgment and of the â—mmortality of the Soul were but dreams impostures toys and old wives fables Pope Paul the III. at the time of his death said he should now be resolved of three Qâ—estions that he had doubted of all his life 1. Whether the Soul was immortal or no 2. Whether there were a Hell or no 3. Whether there were a God or no And another grand Atheist said I know what I have here but I know not what I shall have hereafter Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was turned in ashes The Atheist in Psal 10. 11. say He will never see and in Psal 94. 7. they rise higher they say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it They labour to lay a Law of restraint upon God and to cast a mist before the Eye of his Providence And in Isa 29. 15. they say Who seeth us who knoweth us And in Ezek. 9. 9. they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not These Atheists shut up God in Heaven as a blind and ignorant God not knowing or not regarding what iâ— done on the Earth they imagine him to be a forgetful God or a God that seeth not Psal 73. 11. they say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High Thus they deny Gods Omnisciency and Gods Omnipresency which to do is to ungod the great God as much as in them lyes Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was destroyed by fire O how did practicaâ— Atheism abound in London How many within thy Walls O London did profess they knew God but in their works did deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto Titus 1. 16. every good work reprobate O Sirs some there are that live loosely under the Gospel that run into all excâ—ss of riot and that in the face of all promises and threatnings mercies and Judgments yea in the very face of life and death of Heaven and Hell and others there are that sin freely in secret that can be drunk and filthy in the dark when the eye of man is not upon them Certainly those mens hearts are very Atheistical that dare do that in the sight of God which they tremble to do before the eyes of men How many are there that put the evil day far from them that flatter themselves in their sins that with Agage conclude surely the bitterness of death is past and that Hell and wrath is past and that they are in a fair way for Heaven when every step they take is towards the bottomless pit And divine vengeance hangs over their heads ready every moment to fall upon them Are there not many that seldom pray and when they do how cold how careless how dull how dead how heartless how irreverent are they in all their addresses to the great God Are there not many such Atheists that use no prayer nor Bible but make Lucian their Old Testament and Machiavel their New Are there not many that grant there is a God but then 't is such a God as is made up all of mercy and thereupon they think and speak and do as wickedly as they please And are there not some that look upon God as a sin-revenging God and thereupon wish that there were no God or else that they were above him as Spira did And are there not others that have very odd and foolish conceptions of God as if he were an old man sitting in Heaven with royal Robes upon his back a glorious Crown upon his head and a Kingly Scepter in his hand and as if he had all the parts and proportion of a man as the Papists are pleased to picture him Some there are that are so drowned in sensual pleasures that they scarce remember that they have a God to honour a Hell to escape a Heaven to secure Souls to save and an Account to give up And others there are who when they find conscience begin to accuse and terrifie them then with Cain they Gen. 4. 1 Sam. 18. 6. 10. Job 31. 24. Phil. 3. 19. go to their buildingâ— or with Saul to their musick or with the Drunkards to their cups or with the Gamesters to their sports Some there are that make their gold their God as the Covetous others make their bellies their God as the Drunkard and the Glutton Some make Honours their Amos 6. Math. 23. God as the Ambitious and others make pleasures their God as the Voluptuous Some make religious Duties their God as the carnal Gospellers and others make their moral vertues their God as the civil honest man Now what abundance of such Atheists were there within and without the Walls of London before the fiery Judgment past upon it The Scripture attributes the ruine of the old world to Gen. 6. Atheism and Prophaneness and why may not I attribute the ruine and desolation of London to the same Practical Atheists are enough to overthrow the most flourishing Nations and the most flourishing Cities that are in all the World But to prevent all mistakes in a business of so great a concernment give me leave to say That if we speak of Atheists in a strict and proper sense as meaning such as have simply and constantly denied all Deity then I must say that there was never any such creature in the world as simply and constantly to deny that there is a God It is an
remember this inordinate love to the world will expose a man to seven great losses Viz. First To the loss of many precious opportunities of grace Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul and Martha Acts 24. Luke 10. John 7. busied about many things had no time to hear Christ preach though never man preacht as he preacht Men inordinately in love with the world have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to Heaven Secondly To the loss of all heavenly benefit and profiâ— by the Ministry of the World nothing will grow where Ezek. 33. 31 32 33. Math. 13. 22. gold grows where the love of the world prevails there the Ministry of the Word will not prevail If the love of the world be too hard for our hearts then the Ministry of the Word will work but little upon our hearts Thirdly To the loss of the face and favour of God God doth not love to smile upon those who are still smiling upon Psal 30. 6. Isa 57. 17. the world and still running after the world The face and favour of God are Pearls of price that God bestows upon none but such whose conversation is Heaven and who have Phil. 3. 20. the Moon viz. all things that are changeable as the Moon Rev. 12. 1 2. under their feet God never loves to lift up the light of his countenance upon a dunghil-spirited man God hides his face from none so much and so long as from those who are still longing after more and more of the world Fourthly To the loss of Religion and the true Worship and Service of God as you may see by comparing of the Scriptures in the Margine together Many Worldings deal 2 Tim. 4. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 10. Jer. 5. 7. Deut. 32. 15. Hos 4 7. Hos 13. 6. with Religion as Masons deal with their Ladders when they have work to do and to climb c. O then how they hug and embrace the Ladder and carry it on their arms and on their shoulders but then when they have done climbing they hang the Ladder on the Wall or throw it into a corner O Sirs there is no loss to the loss of Religion a man were better lose his name his estate his limbs his liberty his life his all then lose his Religion Fifthly To the loss of Communion with God and Acquaintance with God A man whose Soul is conversant Deut. 8. 10 11. Jer. 2. 31. Chap. 22. 21. Psal 144. 15. with God shall find more pleasure delight and content in a desart in a den in a dungeon and in death then in the Palace of a Prince Mans summum bonum stands in his Communion with God as Scripture and Experience evidences nay God and I are good company said famous Doctor Sibs Macedonius the Hermit retiring into the Wilderness that he might with more freedom enjoy God and have his Conversation in Heaven upon a time there came a young Gentleman into the Wilderness to hunt wild beasts and seeing he Hermit he rode to him asking him why he came into that solitary place he desired he might have leave to ask him the same question why he came thither I came hither to hunt said the young Gallant and so do I saith the Hermit Deum venor meum I hunt after my God they hunt best who hunt most after Communion with God Vrbanus Regius having one days converse with Luther said it was Adam in vit Regii p. 78. one of the sweetest days that ever he had in all his life but what was one days yea one years converse with Luther to one hours converse with God Now an inordinate love of the world will eat out all a mans Communion with God A man cannot look up to Heaven and look down upon the Earth at the same time But Sixthly To the loss of his precious and immortal Soul Shemei by seeking his servant lost his life and many by Math. 16. 26. 1 Tim. 6. 9. an eager seeking after this world lose their precious and immortal Souls Many have so much to do â—n Earth that they have no time to look up to Heaven to honour their God to secure their Interest in Christ or to make sure work for their Souls But Seventhly To the loss of the world for by their inordinate love of the world they highly provoke God to stâ—ip them of the world Ah how rich might many a man have been had he minded Heaven more and the world less When men set their hearts so greedily upon the world 't is just with God to blast and curse and burn up all their worldly comforts round about them Fourthly Many in London were fallen under spiritual decays witherings and languishings in their graces in their comforts in their communions and in their spiritual strength They are fallen from their first love The flame of divine Rev. 2. 4. The Nutmeg tree makes barren all the ground about it so doth the spice of worldly love make the heart barren of grace Vâ—sin observes that the sins and barrenness under the Gospel in the Protestants in King Edwards days brought in the Persecution in Queen Maries days love being blown out God sends a flaming fire in the midst of them Many Londoners were fallen into a spiritual Consumption and to recover them out of it God sent a fire amongst them Many in London were withered in their very Profession where was that visible forwardness that zeal that diligence in waiting upon the Lord in his Ordinances that once was to be found amongst the Citizens of London And many Citizens were withered in their Conversations and Converse one with another There was not that graciousness that holiness that spiritualness that heavenliness that fruitfulness that examplariness that seriousness and that profitableness sparkling and shining in their Conversations and Converse one with another as once was to be found amongst them And many were withered in their affections Ah what a flame of love what a flame of joy what a flame of desires what a flame of delight what a flame of zeal as to the best things was once to be found amongst the Citizens of London but how were those mighty flames of affection reduced to a few coals and cinders and therefore no wonder if God sent a flaming fire in the midst of them and many were withered in their very Duties and Services how slight how formal how cold how careless how remiss how neglective were many in their Families in their Closets and in their Church-communions who heretofore were mighty in praying and wrestling with God and mighty in lamenting and mourning over sin and mighty in their groanings and longings after the Lord and who of old would have taken the Kingdom of Heaven by violence Math. 11. 12. There were many in that great City that had lost their spiritual taste they could not taste that sweetness in Promises 2 Sam. 19. 35 in
Joh. 20. 19-26 Acts 20 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech until midnight 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 1 Cor. 11. 23. But Eighthly Consider such things as are named the Lords in Scripture are ever of the Lords institution As the Word of the Lord 1 Tim. 6. 3. The Cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. The Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 20. And so the Lords Day Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Now why does John call it the Lords day but because it was a day known to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Jesus who rose from death to life upon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles had planted which St. John calls the Lords day that he might the better stir up Christians to a thankful remembrance of their Redemption by Christs Resurrection from the dead But Ninthly Consider that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath is one of the best signs in the Bible that God is our God and that his sanctifying work is past in power upon us Ezek. 20. When the primitive Christians had this question put to them Servasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Lords day answered Christianus sum omittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot but keep it 20. And hallow my sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God So Exod. 31. 13. Speak thou also unto the Children of Israel saying Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Look as Circumcision and the Passeover were signs that the Jews were in Covenanâ— with God so likewise was the Sabbath Ezek. 31. 13. and because it was a sign of the Covenant between God and them Vers 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the sabbath to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant God tells them that they must observe it for a perpetual Covenant and hence it was that when they violated the Sabbath God accounted it the violation of the Covenant between him and them The sanctifying of the Sabbath in the primitive times was the main Character by which sincere Christians were differenced from others they judged of mens sanctity by their sanctifying of the Sabbath And indeed as there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a prophane heart then the prophaning the Sabbath so there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a gracious heart then a right sanctifying of the Sabbath But Tenthly Consider a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will 10. be a most sure and certain pledge pawn and earnest of our keeping of an everlasting Sabbath with God in Heaven Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God Gr. a sabbatism an eternal rest a sabbath that hath no evening Now mark if this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of Heaven then we must keep it till we come there For if we lose the pledge of a benefit we lose the evidence of that benefit whereof it is a pledge A man that is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. he is in Heaven on the Lords day there cannot be a more lively resemblance of Heaven on this side Heaven then the sanctifying of the Sabbath in a heavenly manner What is Heaven but an eternal Sabbath And what is a temporal Sabbath but a short Heaven a little Heaven on this side Heaven Our delighting to sanctifiâ— Gods Sabbath on Earth gives full assurance to our faith grounded upon Gods infallible promise that we shall enter into Gods eternal Rest in Heaven for so runs the promise Isa 58. ult Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The former part of the verse relates to earthly blessings but these words I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father that is with a heavenly inheritance for what is the heritage of Jacob but Canaan in the Type and Heaven it self in the Antitype But should I thus sanctifie the Sabbath should I be sure of going to Heaven yes for so it roundly follows in the next words The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But Eleventhly Consider that of all days God hath put the highest honour upon his Sabbaths by appointing his precious Ordinances in a special manner to be used on those days The Sabbath is a gold Ring and the Ordinances are as so many costly sparkling Diamonds in that Ring All the works of the new Creation are commonly wrought on this day this is the joyful day wherein ordinarily God gives spiritual sight to the blind and spiritual ears to the deaf and spiritual tongues to the dumb and spiritual feet to the lame That Exod. 12. 42. is here applicable It is a night to be much observed to the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the Children of Israel in their generation Those that are new-born are commonly new-born on this day and therefore 't is a day to be much observed to the Lord. Those that are converted are ordinarily converted on this day and therefore 't is that day of the Lord that ought to be observed by all the converted Israel of God Those that are edified are commonly most edified on this day O the sweet communion O the choice converse O the singular discoveries O the blessed manifestations O the excellent enjoyments that Christ vouchsafes to his people on this day O the discoveries of Grace O the exercise of Grace O the increase of Grace the progress in Grace O the comforts of Grace that God vouchsafes to his Chosen on this day Experience shews that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us and to increase our faith and raise our hope and inflame our love and to kindle our zeal and to enlarge our desires and to melt our hearts and to weaken our sins But Twelfthly and lastly Consider this that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will cross Satans grand design it will spoil his plot his master-piece Satan is a deadly enemy to the right sanctifying of the Sabbath witness the many temptations that many Christians are more troubled with on this day then they are on any other day in the whole week and witness the many vain wandring and distracting thoughts that many precious Christians are more afflicted with on this day then they are on all the days of the week beside and witness that high and hot opposition
that the drought was so great that all the Fountains and Rivâ—rs except Iber and Beâ—is were dried up so that the earth gaped in several places that whole fields were parted and that many who had thought to have fled into other parts were hindered and could noâ— get passage over these fearful openings of the earth Hereby Spain especially those places nearest the Mediterranean Sea being stripped naked of all Herbs â—nd the glory of Trees being dâ—yâ—d up exâ—ept a fâ—w Tâ—ees which were preserved upon the banks of the River Betis men and Beasts being consumed with thirst and famine was â—urned by this Jâ—dgement into a misâ—rable solitude and Wilderness The Royal line of the Kings was by this means All these things do the Histories of Spain report extinct and the poorer sort of men whose means were â—hort and provision small went into other places as they could conveniently and with all spâ—ed not being able to stand or stay out this six and twenty years misery In the Thâ—cyd Pelâ—ponnâ—sâ—an War at Potidea men eat one another When Vtica was besieged by Amilcar the Father of Hâ—nnibal men Polâ—b at one another the famine was so great amongst them At Antioch in Syria many of the Christians in the Holy War Turk Hist Fol. 18. through famine devoured the dead bodies of the late slain enemies At the siege of Scodra Horses were dainty meat yea thâ—y were glad to eat Dogs Cats Rats and the skins of beasts sod A little Mouse and Puddings made of Dogs Ibid. 4â—6 guts was sold at so great a price as exceeds all credit When Hâ—nnibal besieged Cassilinum the famine was so great that Val. Max. l 7 â—ap 6. Turk Hist a Mouse was sold for two hundred groats that is for three pound eighteen shillings and eight pence That was a sore famine in Samaria when an Asses head was sold for 2 Kings 6. 25. eighty pieces of silver that is say some for four or five pound Others say ten for a shekel of silver was with the Jews as much as two shillings six pence with us by this account an Asses head was sold for ten pound sterling In Edward the Seconds time Anno 1316. There was so great a famine that horses dogs yea men and children were stoln for food and the Thieves newly brought into the Parch Pilgrim p. 289. Spâ—ed 6. 4 Gaols were â—orn in pieces and eaten presently half alive by such as had been longer there In War Oppression Capâ—ivity and many other calamities much of the hand of man is to be seen but Famine is a deep evident and appâ—renâ— Judgement which God himself brings upon the sons of men by his own high hand Many or most of those calamities that are brought upon us by humane means are avoidable by humane helps but famine is that comprehensive Judgâ—ment that the highest power on earth cannot help against If the Lord do not help thee whence shal I help thee 2 Kings 6 27 out of the barn flâ—or or out of the Wine-press said the King of Israel in the famine of Samaria Ah London London if the Lord had inflicted upon thy inhabitanâ—s this sore Judgement of fâ—mine making the Heavens as Iron and the Earth as Brass Lev. 26. 19. Hab. 3. 17. Deut. 28. 23. If the Lord had cut off all thy delightful and necessary provisions and thy Citâ—zens had been forced to eat one another or every one to eat the flesh of his own arms and the fruit of his own body how dismal would thy condition have been Certainly such as have been swept away by the raging Pestilence ashore and such as have been slain by the bloody sword at Sea might very well be counted happy in comparison of those who should live and die under that lingering Judgement of a famine Doubtless famine is a sorer Judgement than either Sword Fire or Pestilence There be many deaths in a Dearth Famine is the top of all humane calamities as Bâ—sil termeth it extream hunger hath made Mothers Murtherers and so turned the Sanctuary of life into the Shambles of death Thirdly God might have overturned London and her inhabitants in a moment by some great and dreadful Earthquake as he hath done several great rich strong and populous Isa 13 1â— Psalâ— â—8 7. Cities and Towns in former times Under Tiberius the Emperour thirteen Cities of Asia fell down with an Earth-quake and six under Trajan and twelve under Constantine In Campania Ferraria in Italy 1569. in the space of forty hours by reason of an Earthquake many Palaces Fardentiâ—s Temples and houses were overthrown with the loss of many a man the loss amounting to forty hundred thousand pâ—unds In the year 1171. there was such a mighty Earthquake that the City Tripolis and a great part of Damascus in Antiochia and Hulâ—ipre the chief City in the Kingdom of Loradin and other Cities of the Saracâ—nâ— either perâ—shâ—d utterly or were wonderâ—ulâ—y defacâ—d In the year 1509. in â—he monâ—â—h of September theâ—e was so gâ—eat an Earthquake at Bodiâ— Constantinople thaâ— there were thâ—rtâ—â—â— thousand men destroyed by it and 〈◊〉 City mâ—sâ—râ—bly shattered and â—uâ—ned by it In tâ—e 〈◊〉 â—f Henâ—y the first the earth moved with so great a 〈…〉 many â—uildings were shaken down Sr. 〈◊〉 Bakers Chrâ—nocâ—e p. 47. and Mâ—lmâ—sbuâ—◠〈◊〉 â—hat the house wherein he sate was lifeed up wiâ—â— a 〈…〉 and at in third time settled again in the pâ—â—pâ—r plaâ—e Aâ—so in divers places it yiâ—lâ—ed forth a hidâ—oâ—â— no iâ— and cast â—â—rth flâ—mes In Lâ—mbardy there was â—n Earthquake that continued forty dayes and removed a Town â—â—to the place where it stood a great way off In Hoâ—eden the elevâ—nâ—â— year of the Reign of King Henry the second on the six and twentiâ—th dâ—y of January was so great an Earthquake Sr. Richaâ—d Baâ—â—rs Chronâ—cle p. 65. in Ely Nâ—rfolk and Suffolk that it overthrew them that stood upon their feet and made the Bells to ring in the Steeplâ—s In the four and twentieth year of his Reign in the Territory of Derlington in the Bishopwrick of Durham the earth lifted up her self in the manner of an high Tower and so remâ—iâ—ed unmoveable from morning till evening and then fell with so horrible a noise that it frighted the inhabitants thereâ—bouts and the earth swallowing it up made there a deep pit which is seen at this day for a testimony whâ—reof Leyland saith he saw the Pits there commonly calâ—ed See the Relation in Print Hell-Keitles In the year 1666. the Câ—ty of Raguzâ— was overthrown by a most dreadful Earthquake and all the inhabitants which were many thousands except a few hundred were destroyed and buried in the ruines of that City At Bâ—rn Anno 1584. near unto which City a certain Hill carried violently bâ—yond and over other Hills is reported by Polanus who lived in those parts to have covered a whole Polan Syntag. â—41 Village that had
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
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
of men When the body returneth to the Eccles 12. 7. earth as it was the Spirit shall return to God who gave it O Sirs the soul being immortal it must be immortally happy or immortally miserable Certainly there is no wisdom nor policy to that of securing the everlasting welfare of your souls All the honours riches greatness and glory of this world are but chips feathers trâ—fles pâ—bbles to your precious and immortal souls and therefore before all and above all other things make sure work for your souls if they are safe all is safe but if they are lost all is lost and you cast and undone in both worlds Chrysâ—stom observeth that whereas God hath given many other things double two eyes to see with two ears to hear with two hands to work with and two feet to walk with to the intent that the sailing of the one might be supplyed by the other he hath given us but one soul if that be lost hast thou another soul to give in recompence for it If you save your souls though you should lose all you have in this world your loss would be a gainful loss but if you lose your precious souls though you should gain all the world yet your very gains will undo you for ever You have found by the late dreadful fire that there is no securing of the things of this world and therefore make it your business your work to get a Christ for your souls grace for your souls and a Heaven for your souls that so though all go to wrack hâ—re yet your souls may be saved in the day of Christ What desperate madness and folly would it have been in any when London was in flames to mind more and endeavour more to save their Lumber than their Jewels their goods in their Shops than their Children in their Cradles or their Wives in their Beds but it is a thousand times greater madness and folly for men to mind more and endeavour more to secure their temporal estates than they do to secure their eternal estates But The thirteenth duty that is incumbent upon those who have been burnt up is to get a God for their portion You Psalm 16. 5. Psalm 63. 26. have lost your earthly portion your earthly possâ—ssions O that you would now labour with all your might to get God Psal 119. 57. Jer. 10 16. Lam. 3. 24. for your portion If the loss of your earthly portions shall be so sanctified to you as to work you to make God your portion then your unspeakable losses will prove inconceivable gain unto you O Sirs God is the most absolute need ful and necessary portion the want or the loss of earthly portions may afflict and trouble you but the want of God for your portion will certainly damn you it is not absolutely necessary that you should have a portion in Gold or Silver or Jewels or Goods or Houses or Lands or Lordships but it is absolutely necessary that you should have God for your portion Suppose that with the Apostles you have no certain dwelling place nor no Gold nor Silver 1 Cor. 4. 11. Acts 3. 6. Luke 16. 20 21. in your purses Suppose with Lazarus you have never a rag to hang on your backs nor never a dry crust to put in your bellies Suppose with Job you should stript of all your worldly comforts in a day yet if God be your portion you are happy you are really happy you are signally happy you are greatly happy you are unspeakably happy you are eternally happy However it may go with you in this world yet you shall be sure to be glorious in that other world To have God for thy portion O man is the one thing necessary for without it thou art for ever and ever undone If God be not thy portion thou canst never enjoy communion with God in this world if God be not thy portion thou canst never be saved by him in the other world Will you consider a little what an excellent transcendent portion God is 1. He is a present portion he is a portion in hand he is See my Matchless Porâ—â—on from p. 8. to p. 107. where all these particulars are fully proved a portion in possâ—ssion 2. God is an immense portion he is a vast large portion he is the greatest portion of all portions 3. God is an all-sufficient portion 4. God is a pure and unmixed portion God is an unmixed good he hath nothing in him but goodness 5. God is a glorious a happy and a blessed portion he is so in himself and he makes them so too who enjoy him for their portion 6 God is a peculiar portion a portion peculiar to his people 7. God is a universal portion he is a portion that includes all other portions 8. God is a safe portion a secure portion a portion that none can rob a believer of 9. God is a suitable portion No object is so suitable and adequate to the heart as he is 10. God is an incomprehensible portion 11. God is an inexhaustible portion a portion that can never be spent a spring that can never be drawn dry 12. God is a soul satisfying portion he is a portion that gives the soul full satisfaction and content 13. God is a perminent portion an indeficient portion a never failing portion a lasting yea an everlasting portion 14. And lastly God is an incomparable portion God is a portion more precious than all those things which are esteemed most precious Nothing can make that man miserable that has God for his portion nor nothing can make that man happy that hath not God for his portion O Sirs why do you think that God by his late fiery dispensations has stript you of your earthly portions but effectually to stir you up to make him your only portion c. But The fourteenth Duty that is incumbent upon them that have been burnt up is to make God their habitation to make Ponder seriously on these Scriptures Psal 91. 2 9 10. Psal 71. 3. Psal 57. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 8 9 10. Ezek. 11. 16. God their dwelling-place Psal 90. 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place or place of retreat in all generations or in generation and generation as the Hebrew runs it is an Hebraisme setting forth God to be the dwelling place of his people in all generations before the flood and after the flood The Israel of God in all their troubles and travels in their wilderness condition were not houseless nor harbouâ—less God was both their hiding place and their dwelling place He that dwelleth in God cannot be unhoused because God is stronger than all 'T is brave for a Christian to take up in God as in his Mansion-house It was a witty saying of that learned man Picus Mirandula viz. That God created the earth for Beasts ro inhabit the Sea for Fishes the Air for Fowls the Heavens for Angels and Stars and therefore man hath no
place to dwell and abide in but God alone Now the great God has burnt up your dwelling places make him your dwelling place your habitation your shelter your place of retreat your City of refuge Certainly they dwell most safely most securely most nobly most contentedly most delightfully and most happily who dwell in God who live under the wing of God and whose constant abode is under the shadow of the Almighty Let the loss of your habitations lead you by the hand to make choice of God for your habitation There is no security against temporal spiritual and eternal judgements but by making God your dwelling place How deplorable is the condition of that man that hath neither a house to dwell in nor a God to dwell in that can naither say this house is mine nor this God is mine that hath neither a house made with hands nor yet 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. 1 John 4. 13. Chap. 3. 24. one eternal in the Heavens 'T is a very great mercy for God to dwell with us but it is a far greater mercy for God to dwell in us and for we to dwell in God For God to dwell with us argues much happiness but for we to dwell in God this argues more happiness yea the top of happiness There is no study no care no wisdom no prudence no understanding to that which works men to make God their habitation No storms no tempests no afflictions no sufferings no Judgements can reach that man or hurt that man who has made God his dwelling place He that hath God for his habitation can never be miserable and he that hath not God for his habitation can never be happy That God that has once burnt you out of your habitations can again burn you out of your habitations and if he should how sad would it be that God has once and again burnt you out of your habitaâ—ions and yet you have not made him your habitation c. But The fifteenth Duty that is incumbent upon those who have been burnt up is to make sure an abiding City a City See my Treatise on Assurance that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Hâ—b 13. 14. For here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come These words are a reason of his former exhortation to the belâ—evâ—ng Hâ—brews to renounce the world and Ver. 13. â—o take up Christs Cross and follow him as is clear by this causal particle for It is a probable conjecture made by some 〈◊〉 as Estius observeth that St. Paul speaks prophetically of the Estiâ—s Exposit iâ— loc destruction of the City of Jerusalem which was then at hand and that in a short time neither that City nor the Countrey about it would be an abiding place for them but driven from thence they should be and be forced to wander up and down and therefore they were to look for no other abiding place but Heaven Here we have no continuing City The Adverb translated here is sometimes used for place and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more strictly for the particular place where one is as for that place where Peter was when he said It is good for us to be here or more largely for the whole earth and so it is taken Matth. 17. 4. here for it is opposed to Heaven For the present we have no abiding City but there is an abiding City to come and that 's the City which we seek after This earthly Jerusalem is no abiding City for us this old world the glory of which is wearing off is no abiding City for us but Jerusalem that is above the heavenly City the City of the great King the City of the King of Kings This world is a wilderness Rev. 21. 2. Chap. 1. 5 6. and believers as Pilgrims and strangerss must pass through it to their heavenly Canaan This world is no place for bâ—lievers to continue in they must pass through it to an abiding City to a continuing City to a City that hath foundations Heb. 11. 10. For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Plural Number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used foundations for emphasis sake this City is said to have foundations to shew that it it a firm stable immoveable and enduring City which the Apostle opposeth to the Tabernacles or Tents wherein Abraham and the other Patriarchs dwelt while they were on earth which had no foundations but were moveable and carried from place to place and easily pulled down or overthrown or burnt up bâ—t Heaven is an immoveable firm stable and everlasting City Heaven is a City that is built 1. Upon the foundation of Gods eternal good will and Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. 2 Tâ—m 2. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. Rom. 9. 11. Chap. 11. 5 7. 2 Peâ— 1. 4. Heb. 6. 17 18 19 20. pleasure 2. That is built upon Gods election to eternal glory 3. That is built upon the foundation of Christs eternal merits and purchase 4. That is built upon the foundation of Gods everlasting Covenant of free rich infinite soveraign and glorious grace 5. That is built upon the immutable stability of Gods promise and oath Heaven is built upon the foundation of great and precious promises and upon his oath who is faithfulness it self and cannot lye Now O what a strong City what a glorious City what a continuing City what a lasting yea what an everlasting City must Heaven needs be that is founded upon such strong and immoveable foundations as they are Heaven hath foundations but the Earth hath none the earth hangs upon nothing as Job speaks Job 26. 7. Nineveh Babylon Jerusalem Athens Corinth Troy and those famous Cities of Asia were strong and stately Ciâ—ies in their times but where are they now Both Scripture and History doth sufficiently evidence that in all the Ages of the world there hath been no firm stable or continuing City to be found and the Divine Wisdom and Providence hath ordered and that partly to work the sons of men to put a difference betwixt the things of this world and the things of Heb. 2. 5. Col. 3. 1. Heb. 12. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. the world to come and partly to wean them from the world and all the bravery and glory thereof and partly to awaken them and stir them up to make sure a Kingdom that shakes not riches that corrupt not an in inheritance that fadeth not away a house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heavens and a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heaven is styled a City to set out the excellency glory and benefits thereof The resemblance betwixt Heaven and a City holds in these respects among others First A City is a place of safety and security so is Heaven a place of the greatest safety and security A soul in Heaven
encrease the graces the comforts the communions and the enjoyments of his people But Thirdly There is the eye of fury and indignation Gods looks can speak his anger as well as his blows His fury is visible by his frowns Mine eyes shall be upon them for evil Gods sight can wound as deeply as his sword He sharpneth Job 16. 9. his eyes upon me sâ—ith Job Wild Beasts when they fight whâ—t thâ—ir eyes as well as their teeth He sharpneth his eyes upon me as if he would stab me to the heart with a glance of his eye he that waits on God irreverently or worships him car lesly or that prophaneth his day either by corporalla boâ—r or spiritual Idleness may well expect an eye of fury to be fixt upon him Jer. 17. ult Ezâ—k 22. 26 31. Bâ—t Sâ—venthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by pressing after immediate communion with God and Christ in all the duties â—sâ—lm 27. 4. â—salâ— 42. 1 2 â—sâ—â—m 43 4 Psaâ—m 63. 1 2 â—saâ—m 84. 1 2. of the day Oh do not take up in duties or Ordinances or priviledges or enlargâ—ments or meltings but press hard after intimate communion wiâ—h God in all you do Let no duty satisfie thy soul without communion with God in it Câ—n. 7. 4. The King is hil'd in the Galleries that is in his Oâ—dinances The Galleries the Ordinances without King Jesus be enjoyed in them will never satisfie the Spouse of Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Christ What is a purse without money or a Tâ—ble without meat or a Ship without a Pilot or a fountain without water or the body without the soul or the Sun without light or the Cabinet without the Jewels no more are all Ordinances and duties to a gracious soul without the enjoyment 2 Kings 2. 13 14. The Sea ebbs â—nd flowes the Mâ—on â—ncreaseâ— and decreases so it is with Saints in their communion with God in Ordinances sâ—metimes they rise and sometimes â—hey fall sometimes â—hey have more and sometimes less communion with God of God in them Moses had choice communion with God in the Mount and that satisfied him The Disciples had been with Jâ—sus and this was a spring of joy and life unto them John 20. 20. Then were the Disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Here is the Mantle of Elijah but where is the God of Elijah said Elisha So saith a gracious soul here is thâ—s Ordinance and that Ordinance but where is the God of the Ordinance Psalm 101. 2. O when wilt thou come unto me O Lord I come to one Ordinance and another Ordinance but when wilt thou come to me in the Ordinance when shall I be so happy as to enjoy thy self in the Ordinances that I enjoy The Waggons that Joseph sent to setch his Father were the means of bringing Joseph and his Father together All the Ordinances should be as so many Wagons to bring Christ and our souls nearer together Mans summum bonum stands in his communion with God aâ— Scripture and experience evidences Eâ—ghthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by labouring after the highest pitches of grace and holiness on this day Every Christian should labour after an Angelical holiness on Isa 58. 13. this day on this day every Saint should walk like an earthly Angel Mark the Sabbath is not only called holy but holiness to the Lord Exod. 31. 15. Six dayes may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord or as the Hebrew runs holiness to the Lord which shews that the day is exceeding holy and ought to be kept accordingly The Sacrifices on this day was to be double Numb 28. 9. And on the Sabbath day two Lambs of the first year without spot and two tenth deals of flower for a meat-offering mingled with Oyle and the drink-offering thereof The Sacrifices here appointed for every Sabbath day are full double to those appointed for every day ver 3. and yet the daily sacrifices the continual burnt-offering ver 10. was not omitted on the Sabbath day neither So that every Sabbath in the morning there was offered one Lamb for the daily sacrifice and then two Lambs more for the Sabbath and this was appointed 1. To shew the holiness of that day above other dayes and that God required more service from them on that day than he did on any other day Secondly To testifie their thankfulness for the worlds Exod. 20. 11. creation Thirdly To put them in remembrance of Gods bringing them out of Aegypt by a mighty hand and by a stretched Deut. 5. 15. out arm Fourthly For a sign of their sanctification by the Ezek. 20. 12. Heb. 4. Lord. Fifthly and lastly for to be a figure of grace and a sign of that rest in Heaven that Christ hath purchased for his people with his dearest blood Now mark as this day was a sign of more than ordinary favours from the Lord so he required greater testimonies of their thankfulness and holiness on this day than he did on any other day Every day should be a Sabbath to the Saints in regard of their ceasing to do evil and learning to do well but on the seventh day Sabbath our dutiâ—s and services should be doubled In Psâ—â— 92. which Psalm is titled a Psalm for the Sabbath there is mention made of morning and evening performances the variety of duties that are to be performed on this day may very well take up the whole day with delight and pleasure on this day in a more especial manner we should labour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels and Spirits of just men Heb. 12. 22 23. made perfect do it now in Heaven viz. wisely freely readily cheerfully saithfully seriously universally and unweariedly If we are not wanting to our selves God on this day will give out much of hâ—mself and much of his Christ and much of his Spirit and much of his grace into our souls But Ninthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by managing all the duties of the day with inward reverence seriousness John 4. 23 24. and spiritualness 'T is the pleasure of God that we reverence his Sanctuary Lev. 19. 30. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. Twâ—ce in this Chapter the observation of the Sâ—bbath is commanded that it may be the better remembred and that men may know that it is not enough to rest on that day but that rest must be sanctified by a reverent management of all their soul concernments in all our drawings nigh to God We must look that our hearts lye under a holy awe and dread of his presence To the commandment of sanctifying Gods Sabbath this of reverencing his Sanctuary is joyned Gen. 28. 16 17. because the Sabbaths were the chief times whereon they resorted to the Sanctuary The Jews made a great stir about reverencing the Temple they tell us that they were not to go in with a
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
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
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
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
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
being not so much to be called offences as monsters and not to be named without holy detestation by Saints though they be committed without shame by Sodomites The Saxons who of old inhabited this Land Boniface strangled the Adulteress being taken and then burnt her body with fire and hanged the Adulterer over a flaming fire burning him by degrees till he dyed Opilius Macrinus an Julius Capitâ—linus Emperor caused the body of the Adulterer and the Whore to be joyned together and so burnt with fire Aurelianus caused the Adulterers legs to be bound to the boughs of two trees bent together and then violently being lifted up again his body was torn asunder And the Julian Law among the Romans punished Adultery with death by cutting off the heads of those that were guilty of that fact And the Turks stone Adulterers to death Zaleucus King of the Locrians ordained that Adulterers should have their eyes put out and therefore when his Son was taken in Adultery that he might both keep the Law and be compassionate to his Son he put forth one of his own eyes to redeem one of his Sons I have read of some Heathens that have punished this sin with a most shameful death and the death was this they would have the Adulterers or Adulteresses head to be put into the paunch of a beast where lay all the filth and uncleaness of it and there to be stifâ—ed to death This was a fit punishment for so filthy a sin In old time the Egyptians Diodor. used to punish Adulteâ—y on this sort the man with a thousand jerks with a reed and the woman with cutting off her nose but he who forced a free woman to his lusts had his privy members cut off But Thirdly Such who give themselves over to fornication overthrow the state of mankind while no man knoweth his own wife nor no wife knoweth her own husband and while no father knows his own children nor no children know â—heir own father Affinities and Consanguiniâ—ies are the joynts and sinews of the world lose these and lose all Now what Affinities or Consanguinities can there be when there is nothing but confusion of blood the son knoweth not his father nor the father the son But Fourthly These expressions of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies First Their making constant provisions for their base lusts O the time the pains the cost the charge that such Rom. 13. ult are at to make provision for their unsatiable lusts Secondly It implies an excessive violent spending of their strength beyond all measure and bounds in all lasciviousness and Sodomitical uncleanness Pliny tells of Cornelius Gallus Pliny lib. 7. and Q. Elerius two Roman Knights that dyed in the very action of filthiness Theodebert the eldest Son of Glotharius Pontanus Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 12. dyed amongst his Whores so did Bertrane Ferrier at Bacelone in Spain Giachet Geneve of Saluces who had both wife and children of his own being carnally joyned with a young woman was suddenly smitten with death his wife and children wondring why he stayed so long in his Study when it was time to go to bed called him and knockt at his door very hard but when no answer was made they broke open the doors that were locked on the inner side and found him lying upon the woman stark dead and her dead also Claudus of Asses Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris a desperate Persecutor of the Protestants whilst he was in the very act of committing filthiness with one of his waiting Maids was taken with an Apoplexy which immediately after made an end of him Many other instances might be produced but let these suffice Thirdly It implies their impudency and shamelesness in their filthiness and uncleanness they had a Whores forehead they proclaimed their lasciviousness before all the Jer. 3. 3. Chap. 6. 15. Isa 3. 10. Gen. 13. 13. world they were not ashamed neither could they blush hence 't is that the men of Sodom are said to be sinners before the Lord that is they sinned openly publickly and shamelesly without any regard to the eye of God at all Bring Gen. 19. 5. them out to us that we may know them O faces hatcht with impudency they shrowd not their sins in a mantle of secrecy but proclaim their filthiness before all the world they had out-sinn'd all shame and therefore they gloried in their shame they were so arrogant and impudent in sinning that they proclaimed their filthiness upon the house-top But Fourthly It implies their resolvedness and obstinacy in sinning in the face of all the terrible Warnings and Alarms that God had formerly given them by a bloody War and by Gen. 14. 10 11 12. the spoiling and plundering of their Cities and by taking away of their victuals fulness of bread was a part of their sin and now cleanness of teeth is made a piece of their punishment in Gods just Judgment and by Lots admonition Gen. 19. 11. and mild opposition It is observable that when they were smitten with blindness they wearied themselves to find the door God smote them with blindness both of body and mind and yet they continued groaping to find the door being highly resolved upon buggery and beastiality though they dyed for it O the hideous wickedness and prodigious madness of these Sodomites that when divine Justice had struck them blind their hearts should be so desperately set upon their lusts as to weary themselves to find the door But what will not Satans bond-slaves and fire-brands of Hell do Sottish and besotted sinners will never tremble when Phil. 2. 12. God strikes But Fifthly These expressions of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies the delight Rom. 1. 32. pleasure content and satisfaction that they took in those abominable practices They have chosen their own ways and their souls delight in their abominations They had Isa 66. 3. 2 Thes 2. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 13. pleasure in unrighteousness Luther tells us of a certain Grandee in his Country that was so besotted with the sin of Whoredom that he was not ashamed to say that if he might ever live here and be carried from one Whore-house to another there to satisfie his lusts he would never desire any other Heaven This filthy Grandee did afterwards breathe out his wretched Soul betwixt two notorious Harlots All the pleasure and Heaven that these filthy Sodomites look after was to satisfie their brutish lusts Hark Scholar said the Harlot to Apulcius it is but a bitter-sweet that you are so sond of and this the Sodomites found true at the long run when God showred down fire and brimstone upon them But Sixthly and lastly These words of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies their great setled security in those brutish practices The Old world was not more secure when God swept them away
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
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
Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. James 1. 1â— 1 Pet. 5. 4. White Stone that none knows but those that are the favourites of Heaven To have time to make sure a City that hath foundations a Kindgom that shakes not Riches that corrupt not an inheritance that â—adeth not away a house not made with hands but one eternal in the heavens To have time to make sure to your selves a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory a Crown of immortality are mercies bâ—yond all the expressions and above all the valuations of the Sons of men The Poets paint Time with wings to shew the volubility and swiftness of it Sumptus pretiocissimus tempus time is of precious Sophocles Phocilides cost saith Theophrastus Know time lose not a minute saith Pittacus Aelian gives this testimony of the Lacedaemonians That they were hugely covetous of their time spending it all about necessary things and suffering no Citizen either to be idle or play Titus Vespasian having spent a day without doing Suetonius any man any good as he sate at Supper he uttered this memorable and praise worthy Apothegme Amici diem perdidi My friends I have lost a day O Sirs will not these poor Heathens rise in Jâ—dgement against all those that trifle and fool and sin away their precious time Take heed of crying cras cras to morrow to morrow O play not the Courtier with your precious souls the Courtier doth all things late he rises late and dines late and supps late and goes to bed late and repents late Remember that Manna must be gathered in the morning The Orient Pearl is generated of the morning dew There is nothing puts a more serious frame into a mans Spirit than to know the worth of his time 'T is very dangerous putting off that to another day which must be done to day or else undone to morrow Nunc aut nunquam Now or Never was the saying of old If not done now it may never be done and then undone for ever Eternity depends on this moment of time What Beroaldus speakâ— of a Fool who cried out Oh Repentance Râ—pentance where aâ—t thou where art thou Repentance would not many a man give for a day when it is a day too late Whilst many blind Sodomites have been groping to find a door of hope God has rained Hell out of Heaven upon them The seasons of Grace are not under your locks and keyes Many thousand poor sinners have lost their seasons and their souls together Judas repented and Esau mourned but neither timely nor truly and therefore they perished to all eternity The damned in Hell may weep their eyes out of their heads but they can never weep sin out of their souls nor their souls out of Hell c. O that the flames of London might be so sanctified to every poor sinner who have had their lives for a prey in that doleful day that they may no longer neglect those precious seasons and opportunities of Grace that yet are continued to them lest God should swear in his wrath that they should never Heb. 2. 3. Heb. 3. 18. enter into his rest O Sirs yet you have a world of gracious opportunities and O that God would give you that heavenly wisdom that you may never neglect one gracious opportunity though it were to gain a whole world God by giving you your lives in the midst of those furious and amazing flames has given you time and opportunity to secure the internal and the eternal welfare of your precious and immortal souls which is a mercy that can never bâ— sufficiently prized or improved But Secondly What a mercy was this to poor doubting staggering Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames For by this means they have gained time to pray down their doubts and to argue down their doubts and to wrestle and weep down their doubts c. Christ ascended to Heaven in a cloud and the Angel ascended Acts 1. 9 10. Judg. 14. 20. to Heaven in the flame of the Altar 'T is ten to one out this had been the case of many doubting trembling Christians had they dyed when London was in flames I know 't is good getting to Heaven any way though it be in a whirlewind of affliction or in a fiery Chariot of temptation or in the flames of Persecution or in a cloud of fears doubts and darkness but yet that man is more happy that gets to Heaven in a quiet calm of inward peace and The whole Scripture saith Luther doth principally aim at this thing that we should not doubt but that we should hope that we should trust and that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountiful a gracious and patient God to his people in the fair Sunshine of joy and assurance 'T is a good thing for a man to get into a safe Harbour though it be in a Winter night and through many Storms and tempests hazards dangers and deaths with the loss of Masts Cables and Anchors but yet he is more happy that gets into a safe Harbour in a clear calm fair Sun-shiny day top and top-gallant and with Colours flying and Trumpets sounding The prudent Reader knows how to apply it O that al poor doubting Christians would seriously lay this to heart viz. That for them to have time to have their judgements and understandings enlightned their doubts resolved their objections answered their consciences setled and their souls assured that all is well and shall be for ever well between God and them is a mercy more worth than all the world But Thirdly What a mercy was this to poor languishing declining and decaying Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames There werâ— a great many in London who were fallen from their first love and whose Sun was set in a cloud There were many whose Graces were languishing whose comforts were declining Rev. 2. 4. whose souls were withered and whose communion with God was greatly impaired Many within and without the Walls of London had a Worm knawing at the root of their Graces they had lost their spiritual rellish of God of Christ of Ordinances as dying men lose their rellish Dying men can rellish nothing they sip or eat or drink they had lost theâ—â— spiritual strength and they knew it not as Sampson had lost hâ—s natural strength and knew it not O what an Image of deaâ—â— Judg. 16. 20. was upon their highest professions Now for these men to livâ— for these men to have time to get their Graces repaired their comforts revived their spiritual strength restored their soulâ— fatned and their communion with God raised O what a matchless what an incomparable mercy is this But Fourthly What a mercy was this to poor clouded deserted and benighted Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London
they are houseless monyless breadless friendless tradeless as ever they were when they were most surrounded with all the comforts of this life Wo wo would be to the people of God if their happiness should hang upon the comforts of this world which like a Ball are tost from man to man a Ball of fire a storm at Sea a false Oath a subtle enemy a treacherous friend may easily deprive a man of all his earthly blessings at a clap Now who so miserable as that man whose blessedness lyes in earthly blessings But The Fifth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That the Lord will certainly one way or another make up all their losses to them Sometimes God makes up his peoples outward losses by giving them more of himself more of his Son more of his Spirit more of his favour more of his John 16. Grace as he did by the Disciples of Christ When God takes away your carnals and gives you more spirituals your temporals and gives you more eternals your outward losses are made up to you Now this was the very case of those believing Hebrews who were turned out of house and home and who were driven to live in holes and caves and dens of the earth and who had lost all their goods not Heb. 11. having a Bed to lye on or a Stool to sit on nor a dish to drink in and who had lost all their Apparel not having a ragg to hang on their backs and therefore cloathed themselves in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in Ver. 3 4. Heaven a better and an enduring substance When under outward When God takes away Christians estates in this world Manet altera Coelo he looks for a better in Heaven losses God shall seal to his people a Bill of Exchange of better and greater things than any they have lost their losses then are made up to them If a man should loose several baggs of Counters and have a Bill of Exchange sealed to him for the receiving of so many baggs of Gold would not his loss be abundantly made up to him When God takes away our earthly treasures and seals up in our hearts a Bill of Exchange to receive all again with interest upon interest in eternal treasures then certainly our losses are abundantly made up to us If men should take away your old cloathes and give you new your Raggs and give you Robes your Chaff and give you Wheat your Water and give you Wine your Tinn and give you Silver your Brass and give you Gold your Pibble and give you Pearls your Cottages and give you Royal Palaces certainly you would have no cause to complain you would have no cause to cry out undone undone If God takes away your houses your goods your Trades your honors and gives you more of himself and more Grace and more Assurance of Glory he dos you no injury It is an excellent change to get eternals for temporals If God takes away your earthly riches and makes you more rich in Grace in spiritual comforts in holy experiences in divine employments then you are no loseâ—s but gâ—eat gainers What are all the necessary comforts of this life to union and communion with God to interest in Christ to pardon of sin to peace of conscience and to that loving kindness that is better than life or better Chaiim Psal 63 3. than lives as the Hebrew runs If you put many lives together there is more excellency and glory in the least discovery of divine love than in them all Many a man has been weary of his life but never was any man yet weary of the love and favour of God The least drop of Grace the least Cant. 2. 3 4 5 6 7. smile from Heaven the least cast of Christs countenance the least kiss of his mouth the least embrace of his arm the least hint of his favour is more worth than ten thousand worlds That Christian cant be poor that is rich in Grace nor that Christian can't be miserable that has God for his Rev. 2. 8 9. Lam. 3. 24. John 14. 1 2 3 4. Heb. 11. 37 38. Rev. 2. 17. John 4. 30 31. portion That Christian can't be unhappy who hath a mansion prepared for him in Heaven though he hath not a cottage to hide his head in in this world nor that Christian has no cause to complain of want of food for his body whose soul is feasted with Manna with the dainties of Heaven with those rarities that are better than Angels food He that hath but raggs to cover his nakedness if his soul be cloathed with the garments of salvation and covered with Isa 61. 10. the Robe of Christs Righteousness he has no reason to complain When Stilpo the Philosopher had his Wife and Children and Countrey all burnt up before him and was asked by Demetrius what loss he had sustained answered That he had lost nothing for he counted that only his own which none could take from him to wit his virtues Shall blind Nature do more than Grace Shall the Heathen put the Christian to a blush Again Sometimes God makes up his peoples outward losses by giving in greater outward mercies than those were that he took from them as you may see by comparing the first Chapter of Job and the last Chapter of Job together Job had all doubled to him I have read of Dionysius how he Pluâ—arch took away from one of his Nobles almost his whole estate and seeing him as cheerful and contented as ever he gave him all that he had taken from him again and as much more God many times takes away a little that he may give more and sometimes he takes away all to shew his Soveraignty and then he gives them all back again with interest upon interest to shew his great liberality and noble bounty That is a lovely loss that is made up with so great gain But Sir How shall we know or probably conjecture whether Quest in this world God will make up our worldly losses to us or not If you please to speak a little to this question it may be many wayes of use unto us Now that I may give you a little light to the Question give me leave to put a few Questions to such who have been sufferers by the late fiery dispensation First Did you make conscience of improving your estates to the glory of God and the good of others when you did enjoy them or did you only make them subservient to your lusts If you have laid out your estates for God and for his Deut. 32. 15 16. Hos 4. 7. James 4. 3. childrens good 't is ten to one but that the Lord even in this world will make up your losses to you But if you mis-improved your estates and turned your mercies
saith Plato is not to encrease our heaps but to diminish the covetousness of our hearts And saith Seneca Cui cum paupertate bene convenit pauper non est A contented man cannot be a poor man I have read of another Philosopher who seeing a Prince going by with the greatest pomp and state imaginable he said to some about him See how many things I have no need of And saith another It were well for the world if there were no Gold in it But since its the fountain whence all things flow it s to be desired but only as a pass to travel to our journeys end without begging When Croesus King of Lydia asked Solon one of the seven wise men of Greece who in the whole world was more happy than he Solon answered Tellus who though he was a poor man yet he was a good man and content with that which he had So Cato could say as Aulus Gelâ—ius reports of him I have neither House nor Plate nor Garments of price in my hands what I have I can use if not I can want it Sâ—me blame me because I want many things and I blame them because they cannot want Now shall Nature do more than Grace Shall the poor blinded Heathen outstrip the knowing Christian O Sirs he that can lose his will in the will of God as to the things of this world he that is willing to be at Gods allowance he that has had much but can now be satisfied with a little he that can be contented to be at Gods finding he is of all men the most likely man to have all his losses made up to him But Eighthly and lastly Are your hearts more drawn out to have this fiery dispensation sanctified to you than to have your losses made up to you Do you strive more with God to get good by this dreadful Judgement than to recover your lost goods and your lost estates Is this the daily language of your souls Lord let this fiery calamity be so sanctified as that it may eminently issue in the mortifying of our sins in the encrease of our Graces in the mending of our hearts in the reforming of our lives and in the weaning of our souls from every thing below thee and in the fixing of them upon the greathings of Eternity If it be thus with you 't is ten to one but God even this world will make up your losses to you But The sixth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery diâ—pensation 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 Isa 66. 15. 16. 22. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like Isa 9. 5 6. Psalm 66. 12. â— whirle-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire and by his sword or by his sword of fire will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remain The great and the glorious things that God will do for his people in the last dayes are set forâ—h by new heâ—vens and new earth and Isa 65. 17. Joâ—l 2. 1 2 3 4 5 30 31 32. Zeph. 3. 8 9. these God will bring in by fiâ—ry diâ—pensations The glorious dstatâ— of the universal Church of Jâ—ws and Gentiles on earth is no lower an estate than that oâ— a new heâ—vâ—n and a new earth Now thâ—s blessed Church-State is usheâ—â—d into the world by fiâ—ry Judgements By fiâ—ry dispensations God 2 Pet. 3. 10 11 12 13. will put an end to the glory of tâ—â—s old wâ—rld and bring in the new Look as Gâ—d by a waâ—â—ry Dâ—luge made way for one new world so by a fiery Dâ—luge in the last of the last Gen. 9. â—ee our new Anotationists oâ— Isa 65. Isa 17. oâ— Chap. 66. 15 16 22. and on Rev. 21. 1. dayes he will make way for another new world wherein shall dwell righteousness as Peter speaks All men â—n common speech call a new great change a new world By fiery dispensations God will bring great changes upon the world and make way for his Sons reign in a more glorious manner than ever he has yet reigned in the world Rev. 18 Chap. 19. Chap. 20. and Chap. 21. The summ of that I havâ— in short â—o offer to your consideration out of these Chapters is this Babylon the great is fallen is fallen How much she hath glorified her self so much sorrow and torment shall be given her Her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And after these things I heard a great voice of much people c. Saying Alleluiah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for truâ— and rightâ—ous are thy judgements for he hath judged the great Whore that hath corrupted the earth and hath avenged the blood of his Saints And again they said Alleluiah And the four and twenty Elders said Amen Alleluiah And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty thunderings saying Alleluiah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth And the Beast and the false Prophet were cast into the lake of fire And the rest were slain with the sword But the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand years in the new Heavens and new Earth to whom the Kings of the earth and Nations of the world bring their honour God by his fiery dispensation upon Babylon makes way for Christs Reign and the Saints Reign in the New Heavens and new Earth But The seventh Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That by fiery dispensations God will bring about the ruine and destruction Psalm 50. 3 of his and his peoples enemies Psal 97. 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about Heb. 3. 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet Ver. 7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction and the curtains of the Land of Midian did tremble Ver. 12. Thou didst march through the Land in indignation thou didst thresh the Heathen in anger Ver. 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine anointed thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation even to the neck Sâ—lah Jer. 50. 31 32. Behold I am against thee O thou most proud saith the Lord God of Hosts for thy day is come the time that I will
6. 5. Job 21. 12. Dan. 5 23. Amos 6. 4. burning from burning in sin to burning in Hell from burning in flames of lusts to burning in flames of torment except there be sound repentance on their sides and pardoning Grace on Gods O Sirs in this devouring fire in these everlasting burnings Cain shall find no Cities to build nor his posteriâ—y shall have no instruments of Musick to invenâ— there none shall take up the Timbrel or Harp or rejoyce at the sound of the Organ There Belshazzar cannot drink Wine in Bowls nor eat the Lambs out of the flock nor the Calves out of the midst of the Stall In everlasting burnings there will be no merry company to pass time away nor no Dice to cast care away nor no Cellars of Wine wherein to drown the sinners grief There is everlasting fire Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for thâ— Devil and his Angels This terrible sentence breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone terror and horror dread and wo. The last words that ever Christ will speak in this world will be the most tormenting and amazing the most killing and damning the most stinging and wounding Depart from me there iâ— rejection Pack begone get you out of my fight let me never see your faces more It was a heavy doom that was past upon Nebuchadnezzar that he Dan. 4. 25. should be driven from the soâ—iâ—ty of men and in an extremity of a sottish melancholly spend his time amongst thâ— Beasts of the fiâ—ld but that was nothing to this soul killing word depart from me It was nothing to mens being cast out of the presence of Chrâ—st for ever The remembrance Berâ—ard in Psal 91. of which made one to pray thus O Lord deliver me at the great day from that killing word Depart And what saith another This word Depart the Goats with horror hears Sphynx But this word Come the Sheep to joy appears Basil saith That an alienation and utter separation from God Basil Asc Etic c. 2. Chrysost in Mal. Hom. 24. is more grievous than the pains of Hell Chrysostome saith That the torments of a thousand Hells if there were so many comes far short of this one to wit to be turned out of Gods presâ—nce with a Non novâ— vos I know you not What a grief were it here to be banisht from the Kings Court with Aâ—solom or to be turned out of doors with Hagar and Ismael or to be cast out of Gods presence with cursed Cain But what is all this to a mans being excommunicated and cast out of the presence of God of Christ of the Angels and out of the general Assembly of the Saints and Congregâ—tion of the first born to be Heb. 12. 22 23. secluded from the presence of God is of all miseries the greatest The serious thoughts of this mâ—de one say Many do abhor Hell but I esteem the fall from that glory to be a greater punishment than Hell it self 't is better to endure ten thousand Thunder-claps than be deprived of the beatifical vision Certainly the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven If those precious souls wept because they Acts 20. 38. should see Pauls face no more how deplorable is the eternal deprivation of the beatifical vision Depart from me is the first and worst of that dreadful sentence which Christ shall pass upon sinners at last Every syllable sounds horror and terror grief and sorrow amazement and astonishment to all whom it doth concern Ye cursed there is the malediction But Lord if we must Cursings now are wicked mens Hymns but in Heâ—l they shall be their woes Rev. 16. 9. 11 21. depart let us depart blessed No depart ye cursed you have cursed others and now you shall be curst your selves you shall be curst in your bodies and curst in your souls you shall be curst of God and curst of Christ and curst of Angels and curst of Saints and curst of Devils and curst of your companions Yea you shall now curse your very selves your very souls that ever you have despised the Gospel refused the offers of Grace scorned Christ and neglected the means of your salvation Oh sinners sinners all your curses all your maledictions shall at last recoyle upon your own souls Now thou cursest every man and thing that stands in the way of thy lusts and that crosses thy designs but at last all the Curses of Heaven and Hell shall meet in their full power and force upon thee Surely that man is cursed with a witness that is cursed by Christ himself But Lord if we must depart and depart cursed Oh let Of this fire you had need of some Devil or accursed wretch to descant saith One. us go into some good place No Depart ye into everlasting fire There is the vengeance and continuance of it You shall go into fire into everlasting fire that shall neither consume it self nor consume you Eternity of extremity is the Hell of Hell The fire in Hell is like that stone in Arcadia which being once kindled could never be quenched If all the fires that ever were in the world were contracted into one fire how terrible would it be Yet such a fire would be but as painted fire upon the Wall to the fire of Hell If it be so sad a spectacle to behold a malefactors flesh consumed by piece-meales in a lingering fire Ah how sad how dreadful would it be to experience what it is to lie in unquenchable fire not for a day a moneth or a year or a hundred or a thousand years but for ever and ever If it were saith One but for a thousand years I could bear it but Cyril seeing it is for eternity this amazeth and affrighteth me I am afraid of Hell saith Another because the Worm there Isâ—dor clar Orat. 12. never dies and the fire never goes out For to be tormented without end this is that which goes beyond all the bounds of desperation Grievous is the torment of the Dionys in 18. Apocaâ—yps Fol. 301. damned for the bitterness of the punishments but it is more grievous for the diversity of the punishments but most grievous for tâ—e eternity of the punishments To lye in everlasting torments to roar for ever for disquietness of heart to rage for ever for madness of soul to weep and grieve and gnash the teeth for ever is a misery Matth 25. ult beyond all expression Bellarmine out of Barocius tells of De arte moriendi a learned man who after his death appeared to his friend complaining that he was adjudged to Hell torments which saith he were they to last but a thousand thousand years I should think it tollerable but alas they are eternal And it is called eternal fire Jude 7. I have read of a Prison among the Persians which was
and they provoked to avoid them and secure themselves against them Doubtless the serious thoughts of hellish pain while men live is one blessâ—d way to keep them from those torments when they come to die Another gives this pious counsel Let us earnestly importune the Lord that this knowledge whether the fire of Hell be material or not be never manifested to us by experience 'T is infinitely better to endeavour the avoiding Hell fire than curiously to dispute about it Look as there is nothing more grievous than Hell So there is nothing more profitable than the fear of it But what difference is there between our common fire and Hell Obj. fire I answer a mighty difference a vast difference Take it Answ in these six particulars First They differ in their heat no heart can conceive nor no tongue can express the exquisite heat of infernal fire were all the fires under Heaven contracted into one fire yea were all the Coles Wood Oyle Hemp Flax Pitch Tarr Brimstone and all other combustibles in the world contracted into one flame into one fire yet one spark of infernal fire would be more hot violent dreadful amazing astonishing raging and tormenting than all that fire that is supposedly made up of all the combustibles the earth affords To mans sense there is nothing more terrible and afflictive than fire and of all fires there is none so scalding and tormenting as that of brimstone Now into that lake Rev. 14. 10. Chap. 21. 8. The fire in a Lantskip is but ignis pictus a painted fire and the fire of Purgatory is but ignis fictus feigned fire Now what are these to Hell fire which burns with fire and brimstone for ever and ever shall the wicked of the earth be cast Infernal fire far exceeds ours that are on our Hearths and in our Chimneyes in degree of heat and fierceness of burning Our fire hath not that terrible power to scorch burn torment as the fire of Hell hath Our fire as Polycarpus and others say compared to Hell fire is but like painted fire upon the Wall Now you know a painted fire upon the Wall will not hurt you nor burn nor affright you not torment you but the fire of Hell will beyond all your conception and expression hurt burn affright and torment you The fire of Hell for degrees of heat and fierceness of burning must wonderfully surpass our most furious fires because it is purposely created by God to torment the creature whereas our ordinary fire was created by God only for the comfort of the creature The greatest and the hottest fires that ever were on earth are Alsted but Ice in comparison of the fire of Hell Secondly There are unexpressible torments in Hell as well as unspeakable joyes in Heaven Some who write of Purgatory tell us that the pains thereof are more exquisite though of shorter continuance than the united torments Bâ—llarm de Parg. l. 2. c. 14 Bâ—llâ—rm de Aeâ—â—r Faeli Saâ—â—â— l. 1. c. 11. that the earth can invent though of longer duration If the Popes Kitchin be so warm how hot is the Devils Furnace A Poetical Fiction is but a Meiosis when brought to shew the nature of these real torments the lashes of Furies are but petty scourgings when compared to the stripes of a wounded conscience Tytius his Vulture though feeding on his Liver is but a Flea-biting to that Worm whick gnaweth their hearts and dieth not Ixion his Wheel is a place of rest if compared with those Billows of Wrath and thaâ— Wheel of Justice which is in Hâ—ll brought over the ungodly the task of Danaus his Daughter is but a sport compared to the tortures of those whose souls are filled with bitterness and within whom are the arrows of the Alâ—ighry the poison whereof doth drink up their spirits Hell is called a Furnace of fire which speaketh intolerable heat a Matth. 13. 42. Luke 16. 28. Matth. 5. 25. 5. 22. place of torment which speaketh a total privation of ease A Prison which speaketh restraint Gehenna from the valley of Hinnom where the unnatural Parents did sacrifice the fruit oâ— their bodies for the sin of their souls to their merciless Idols the which word by a neighbour Nation is retained to signifie a Rock than the torture of which what more exquisite It is called a Lake of Fire and Brimstone than the torment of the former what more acute than the smell of the latter what more noisome But Secondly Our fire is made by the hand of man and must be maintained by continual supplies of fuel take away the Coals the Wood the combustible matter and the fire goes out but the infernal fire is created and tempered and blown by the hand of an angry sin revenging God Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is A River of Brimstone is never consumed by burning fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it and therefore the breath of all the Reprobates in Hell shall never be able to blow it out Our fire is blown by an aiery breath but the infernal fire is blown by the angry breath of the great God which burns far hotter than ten thousand thousand Rivers of Brimstone The breath of Gods mouth shall be both Bellows and fuel to the infernal fire and therefore Oh how terrible and torturing how fierce and raging will that fire be If but three drops of Brimstone should fall upon any part of the flesh of a man it would fill him so full of torment that he would not be able to forbear roaring out for pain and anguish Oh how dreadful and painful will it be then for damned sinners to swimm up and down in a Lake or River of Fire and Brimstone for ever and ever There is no proportion between the heat of our breath and the fire that it blows O then what a dreadful what an amazing what an astonishing fire must that needs be which is blown by a breath dissolved into brimstone Gods wrath and indignation shall be an everlasting supply to Hells conflagration Ah Sinners how fearful how formidable how unconceivable will this infernal fire prove Surely there is no misery no torment to that of lying in a torrent of burning Brimstone for ever and ever Mark this infernal fire is a fire prepared by God himself to punish and torment all impenitent persons and reprobate rebels who scorned to submit to the Scepter of Christ Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared Matth. 25. 41. for the Devil and his Angels The wisdom of God hath been much exercised in preparing and devising the most tormenting temper for that formidable fire in which the Devil and his Angels shall be punished for ever and ever Not as if it were not prepared also for wicked and ungodly men but it
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
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
Make thy Son dear very dear exceeding dear only dear and precious to me or not at all But do all burnt Citizens lift up such a prayer I suppose you have either read or heard of that rich and wretched Cardinal who profest that he would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise But Fifthly Are there no burnt Citizens who follow the world so close that they gain no good by the word like Ezekiels hearers and like the stony ground Some Writers Ezek. 33. 31 32 33. Matth. 13. 22. say that nothing will grow where Gold grows Certainly where an inordinate love of the world grows there nothing will grow that is good A heart filled either with the love of the world or with the profits of the world or with the pleasures of the world or with the honours of the world or with the cares of the world or with the business of the world is a heart incapacitated to receive any divine counsâ—l or comfort from the word The Poets tells us of Licaons being turned into a Wolâ— but when a worldling is wrought upon by the word there is a Wolf turned into a man yea an incarnaâ—e Devil turned into a glorious Saint Thâ—refore the Holy Ghost speaking of Zâ—cheus whose soul was set upon the world brings him in with an Ecce behold Luke 19. 2. as if it were a wonder of wonders that ever such a worldling should be subdued by Grace and brought in to Christ But Sixthly Are there no burnt Citizens that are very angry and impatient when they meet with opposition disappointments or procrastination in their earnest pursuing after the things of the world Balaam was so intent and mad upon the world that he dâ—sperately puts on upon the drawn Numb 22. 21. to 35. Sword of the Angel Are there no burnt Citizens who are so intent and mad upon the world that they will put warmly on for the world though the Lord draws and conscience drawes and the Scriptures draw their Swords upon them But Seventhly Are there no burnt Citizens who are grown cold very cold yea even stark cold in their pursuit after God and Christ and Heaven and holiness who once were for taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence who were Matth. 11. 12. As a Castle or Town is taken by Storm so eagerly and earnestly set upon making a prey or a prize of the great things of that upper world that they were highly and fully resolved to make sure of them whatever pains or perils they run thorough Aristotle observes that Dogs can't hunt where the smell of sweet flowers is because the sweet scent diverteth the smell Ah how has the scent of the sweet flowers of this world hindered many a forward Professor from hunting after God and Christ and the great things of eternity The Arabick Proverb saith That the world is a carkass and they that bunt after it are Dogs Ah how many are there who once set their fâ—ces towards heaven who now hunt more after earth than Heaven who hunt more after Terrestial than Celestial things who hunt more after nothingnesses and emptinesses than they do after those fulnesses and swetnesses that be in God in Christ in the Covenant in Heaven and in those paths that lead to happiness When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was there was presented to him in a dream saith the History a Pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Basil is such a one all on a light fire for God Before London was in flâ—mes there were some who for a time were all on a light fire for God who now are grown either cold or luke-warm like the luke-warm Laodiceans Rev. 3. 14 19. But Eighthly Are there no burnt Citizâ—ns whose hearts are filled with solicitous cares and who are inordinately troubled 2 Cor. 7. 10. grieved dâ—jâ—cted and overwhelmed upon the account of their late losses and what dos this speak out but an inordinate love of these earthly things When Jonahs Gourd Jon. 4. 6. ult withered Jonah was much enraged and dejected 'T is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall Ah how many are there in this day who turning their faces towards their late lost mercies their lost Shops Trades Houses Riches do so bitterly and excessively lament and mourn Jer. 31. 15. that with Rachel they refuse to be comforted and with Jacob they will go down into the Grave mourning Heraclitus Gen. 37. 35. the Philosopher was alwayes weeping but such a frame of Spirit is no honour to God nor no ornament to Religion One cryes out How shall I live now I have lost my Trade another cryes out What shall I do when I am old another cryes out What shall I and my six Children do when you are dead another cryes out I have but a handful of Meal in the Barrel and a little Oyl in the Cruise and when that is spent I must lye down and dye 1 Kingâ— 17. 12. c. 1. There is a holy sadness which arises from the sense of our sins and our Saviours suffâ—rings this is commendable 2. There is a natural sadness which sometimes rises from sickness weakness and indisposition of body this is to be pitied and cured 3. There is a sinful sadness which usually is very furious and hath no ears and is rather cured by Miracle than precept this usually flows from the loss of such near and dear comforts upon which men have in ordinately set their hearts and in the enjoyment of which they have promised themselves no small felicity Oh that such sad souls would seriously râ—membâ—r that there is nothing beyond remedy but the tears of the damned A man who mâ—y notwithstanding all his losses and crosses be found walking in the way to Paradise should never place himself in the condition of a little-Hell And he that may or can hope for that great-all ought not to be excessively sad for any losses or crosses that he meets with in this world But Ninthly Are there no burnt Citizens who to gain the world do very easily and frequently fall down before the temptations of the world And what dos this speak out but their inordinate love to the world That man who is as Numb 22. 15. to 23. Josh 7. 20 21 22. Jude 11. soon conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted by the world that man is doubtless in love with the world yea bewitcht by the world The Champions could not wring an Apple out of Milo's hand by strong hand but a fair Maid by fair means got it presently The easie conquests that the temptations of the world make upon many men is a fair and a full evidence that their hearts are greatly endeared to it Luther was a man weaned from the world and therefore when honours preferments and riches were offered to him he despised them So when Basil was
Behold I have done according to thy words Lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee v. 13. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honours so that there shall not be any among the Kings like unto thee all thy dayes This is more generally and fully expressed in 2 Chron. 1. 12. Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee and I will give thee riches and wealth and honour such as none of the Kings have had before thee neither shall there any after thee have the like Solomon desired wisdom of the Lord and the Lord granted him his desire and cast in riches and wealth and honour as an over plus which he did not so much as once desire God won't be wanting to them in Temporals who in their desires and prayers are most carried out after spirituals Matth. 6. 33. First seek the The shorter cut to riches is by their contempt it is great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covers least saith Socrates and Seneca Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall he added to you or over-added He who before all and above all other things seeks Grace and Glory shall have the things of this world cast in as an over-plus as a handful to the sack of grain or as inch of measure to an Ell of Cloath or as paper and pack-thred is given into the bargain 1 Tim. 4 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come There is Earth as well as Heaven Bread as well as Grace and Rayment as well as Righteousness and the lower springs as well as â—e upper springs to be sound in the precious promises Abraham 2 Pet. 1. 4. and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Job and Nehemiah and Mordicai and David and Hezekiah and Josiah and Jehosaphat and Daniel and the three Children or rather Champions made it their business to be holy to walk with God to maintain communion with God and to exalt and glorifie God and you know how the Lord heaped up the good things and the great things of this world upon them I verily believe if men were more holy they would be more outwardly happy if they did but more seriously and earnestly press after the great things of that upper world the Lord would more abundantly cast in the things of this lower world upon them But when men are immoderately carryed out in seeking after the great things of this world 't is just with God to blast their endeavours and to curse their mercies to them Jer. 45. 5. Mal. 2. 2. But Fifthly 'T is better to get a little of the world than to get much of the world 't is better to get a little of the world justly and honestly than to get much of the world unjustly and dishonestly A little of the world blest is better than much of the world curst Solomons Dinner of Gen. 22. Prov. 3. 33. Chap. 15. 17. Dan. 1. green Hearbs Daniels Pulse Barly Loaves and a few Fishes and Johns rough Garment blest are better and greater mercies than Dives his Riches Purple Robes and dainty fare curst But Sixthly The greatest outward gain cannot counter-vail the least spiritual loss Be it but a dram of Grace oâ—â— Psal 30. 6 7. cast of Gods countenance or an hours communion with him c. Suppose a man could heap up Sâ—lver as the dust Job 22. 24. Chap. 27. 16. Matth. 4. and Gold as the streams of the Brook that he could gain as much as the Devil promised Christ viz. all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them yet all these could not make up the least spiritual loss He that shall exchange the least spiritual favour for the greatest outward good shall but with Glaucus and Diomedes exchange Gold for Copper he shall with the Cock in the Fable part with a Pearl for a Bâ—rley Corn. Chrysostom compareth such to workers in Mines who for a little wages do alwayes hazard and sometimes lose their lives Menot a French Preacher compareth them to a Hunts-man that spoileth a Horse worth many pounds in pursuit of a Hare not worth so many pence Pareâ—â— compares them to a man that with much ado winneth Venice and as soon as it is won is hanged up at the Gates of the City When such a one shall at last compute what he hath gained and what he hath lost he will certainly conclude that he hath but a miserable bargain of it But The seventh Maxim is this viz. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked the Psalm 37. 16. righteous mans mite is better than the wicked mans millions A little that is a competent and mean portion though yet but very little one little piece of Gold is more worth than a bagg of Counters one little Box of Pearls is more worth than many loads of Pâ—bbles And so a little that a righteous man hath is better than the abundance of the wicked Is better than the riches of many wicked Hamon which is the word here used is from Hamah which signifies multitude of riches or great plenty or store of riches from this Hebrew word Hamon Riches are called Mammon The Luke 16. 9 11 13. little that the righteous man hath is better than the multitude or store of riches that the wicked have Out of these words you may observe these following particulars 1. Here is the righteous mans portion and the wicked mans portion as to this world the righteous man hath but little the wicked has much 2. The righteous man hath but little but the wicked has riches 3. The righteous mans little is a better portion than the riches of the wicked 4. The righteous mans little is better than the multitude of riches that the wicked have 5. The righteous mans little is better than the multitude of riches that many wicked men enjoy Now for their sakes who have been burnt up and have but little of the world left them I shall make good this blessed truth by an induction of these eleven particulars First The righteous man hath a better tenure â—o this little than wicked men have to their multitude of riches The righteous man holds his Tenure by vertue of his marriage union with Christ who is the heir of all things We had an Heb. 1. 2. equal right in the first Adam to all the good things of this world but in his fall we lost our original right to the good things of this world But now the righteous man by the second Adam has recovered his right to all he enjoyes Rom 8. 32. How shall he not with him a so freely give us all things 1 Cor. 3. 21. All things are yours v. 22.
them take heed and beware of covetousness For a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possâ—sseth Whether we consider mans life in the length and continuance of it or in the comfort of it It consists not in riches for no man lives a day longer or merrier for his riches Though possessions are useful to sustain life yet no man is able to prolong his life or to make it any thing more happy or comfortable to him by possessing more than he needs or uses 'T is not the Golden Crown that can cure the head-ache nor the Velvet Slipper that can case a man of the Gout nor the Purple Robe that can fray away a burning Feaver Mark the life of man is so far from consisting in the enjoyment of these earthly things that Jer. 17. 11 many times they hasten a man to his long home Many a mans Coffer has hastened him to his Coffin and as many a man has lost his finger for his Rings sake so many a man has lost his life for his Purses sake In all the Ages of the world many a man has deeply suffered for his means Naboth lost his life 1 Kings 21. Plutaâ—ch in vita Syllae for his Vineyards sake Quintus Aurelius in the dayes of Sylla lost his life by reason of his Lands Many a mans means Josâ—â—hus When Zeliâ—uâ— Emperor of Constantinople had taken Aeâ—ypt he found a great deal of Treasure there and the Souldiers asking of him what they should do with the Citizens of Aegypt having found a great treasure among them O saith the Emperor Hang them all up for they are too rich to be made slaves has hanged him Many a man has deeply suffered for his means sake The Romans ript up the bellies and bowels of the Jews to search for Gold The Americans had been more safe had they had less Gold They thought Gold was the Spaniards God But how the Spaniards played the Devil to get their Gold I shall not at this time take pleasure to relate Now if our temporal life consists not in any of these earthly things then certainly our spiritual life consists not in any of these earthly things For what Religious duty is there that a bâ—liever can't do though he has neither money in his Bagg nor dainties on his Table And as our spiritual life consists not in any of these earthly things so our eternal life consists not in any of these earthly things for as all the treasures of this world can't bring a soul to Heaven so they cannot keep a soul from dropping down to Hell This worlds wealth that men so much desire May well be likened to a burning fire Whereof a little can do little harm But profit much our bodies well to warm But take too much and surely thou shalt burn So too much wealth to too much wo dos turn But The ninth Maxim that I shall lay down to put a stop to your too eager pursuit after the things of this world is this viz. That there is no rest to be found in any earthly enjoyments Rest is the centre at which all intellectual natures as well as natural bodies aim at A man that is inordinately in love with the world can never be at rest The Drunkard sometimes rests from his cups and the unclean person from his filthiness and the swearer from his Oathes and the Idolater from his Idols but the worldling is never at rest his head and heart are still a plodding and a plotting how to get and how to keep the things of this world Eccles 5. 12. The sleep of the labouring man is sweet whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to slâ—ep These three Vultures care of getting fear of He that is â—ich in conscience saith Austin sleeps more soundâ—y than he that is richly clothed in Purple Luke 12. 20. keeping and grief of losing feed day and night upon the heart of a rich and wretched worldling so that his sleep departs from him Sometimes his abundance lyes like a lump of Lead heavy upon his heart so that he cannot rest Sometimes his conscience dos so lash and launce and gâ—uâ—e him for what he has got by indirect wayes and means that he cannot sleep Sometimes God himself will not suffer him to sleep Sometimes God shews him the hand-writing upon Dan. 5. 5 6. the wall sometimes he terrifies him with dreams and sometimes he throws hand-fulls of Hell fire in his face as once he did into Judas's and this hinders his rest Sometimes Matth. 26. 24. by their excessive eating and drinking their gluttony their delicious fare they overcharge nature which causeth indâ—gestion and malignant vapours whereby sleep is wholly removed or else much disturbed Earthly riches Augustâ—ne are an evil Master a treacherous Servant Fathers of flattery Sons of grief a cause of fear to those that have them and a cause of sorrow to those that want them and therefore what rest is there to be found in the enjoyment of them The Prior in Melancthon rolled his hands up and down in a Had a man as much honoâ— and dignity profit and pleasure as himself could wish or the â—orld afford yet within twenty four hours he would be weary of all and must go to sleep Basin full of Angels thinking to have charmed his Gout but this could give him no case no rest Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward the sixth tells a story of a rich man who when he lay upon his sick bed one came to him and told him that he was a dead man that he was no man for this world as soon as ever the sick man heard these words saith Latimer he cryed out must I die Send for a Physitian Wounds side heart must I die Wounds side heart must I dye and thus he continued crying out Wounds side heart must I dye Must I dye and leave these riches behind me All the riches that he had heaped together could give him no rest nor quiet when the King of terrors knockt at his doors All the good things of this world have more or less of the Thorn in them And therefore what rest can they give Achans Golden wedge proved a wedge to cleave him and his garment a garment to shrowd him In Spain they lived happily until fire made some Mountains vomit Gold but what miserable discords have followed ever since It is only Heaven that is above all Winds and Storms and Tempests neither hath God cast man out of one Paradise for him to think to find out another Paradise in this world But The tenth and last Maxim that I shall lay down to put 10. a stop to your too eager pursuit after the things of this world is this viz. That it is a very high point of Christian wisdom and prudence alwayes to look upon the good things and the great things of this world as a man
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
looking upon every duty as your dignity and by Prov. 8. 34 35. Psalm 27. 4. Psalm 42. 1 2 3 4 5. Psalm 63. 1 2 3 looking upon every work of that day as carrying a reward with it Psalm 19. 11. And in keeping of them there is great reward not only for keeping but also in keeping of Gods commands there is great reward A gracious soul would not exchange the joy the peace the comfort the assurance the communion the delight the satisfaction that it enjoyes in the wayes of obedience before pay day comes before the Crown be put on before the full reward is given out for all the Crowns and Kingdoms of this world David was a King a great and glorious King yea the best King in all the world and yet he esteemed it as a very high honour to be the lowest Officer a door-keeper in Gods house Psâ—lm 84. 10. A day in thy Courts iâ— better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God or I had rather sit at the threshold as the Hebrew runs than to dwell in the tents of wickedness 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are the men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom said the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomons servants O then how many thousand times more happy are they who hear Christ in his Ordinances who see Christ in his Ordinances and who enjoy Christ in his Ordinances on his own day Of all dayes the Sabbath Day is the day wherein Christ carries his people into his Wine-cellar wherein he brings them to his Banqueting house and his banner over them is love This is the day wherein he stayes his Cant. 2 4 5 6. people with Flaggons and comforts them with Apples and wherein his left hand is under their head and his right hand doth embrace them O the sweet communion the sweet discoveries the sweet incomes and that blessed presence and those glorious answers and returns of prayer that the Saints have had on Sabbath dayes Christ in his Ordinances on the Sabbath day doth as Mary open a box of precious Ointment which diffuseth a spiritual savour among them that fear him Though many slight Ordinances and many deny Ordinances and many oppose Ordinances and many Many in these dayes are like old Barzâ—llaâ— that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids Feasts and Musick 2 Sam. 19 35. fall off from Ordinances and many pretend to live above Ordinances and under that pretence vilifie the Ordinances as poor low weak things yet the beauty and glory of Gods Ordinances will one day convince the world of the excellency of the Saints Ezek. 37. 26 27 28. I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore I doubt not but there are many thousands of the precious servants of the Lord who are able to tell this poor blind dark world from their experience that they have seen and felt and tasted and enjoyed more of God in his Ordinances on this day thaâ— ever they have enjoyed on any other day But Fourthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by rising as early in the morning as your age strength health and ability Psal 139. 18. Gen. 22. 3. Job 1. 5. and bodily infirmities will permit Abraham rose up early in the morning to offer up his only Son And Job rose up early in the morning to offer up burnt-offerings So David my voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning Psalm 5. 3. will I direct my prayer unto thee or martial my prayer as the Hebrew runs and will look up or will look out as a watchman looks out of his Watch-Tower to discover an approaching enemy So Psalm 130 6. My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee That this may the more work and the better stick seriously confider of these hints c. First God is the first Being and therefore of right deserveth to be served first If you can find any being before Dan. 7. 2â— Chap. 2. 20 21 22. the being of that God who is blessed for ever let that being be served first if not as I am sure you can't then let the first being be first served But Secondly As God is the first being so he is the best being he is the choicest and chiefest good and therefore ought to be first minded and served Psal 4. 6. Psal 73. 25. Psal 144. 15. But Thirdly As God is the best being so he is the greatest being as he is the choicest and the chiefest good so he is the Mal. 1. ult greatest good the greatest Majesty the greatest Authority and therefore he ought to be first served But Fourthly God gives the greatest rewards and the fullest rewards and therefore he ought to be served first He gives Psalm 19. 11. Matth. 5. 12. 2 John 8. a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. A Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. A Crown of glory James 1. 12. A Crown of immortality What han't men done what won't men do what do'nt men do for earthly Crowns A Crown is the top of Royalty and how many Princes have swum through the blood of thousands to their earthly Crowns O how much more active for God should that glorious Crown make us which he has laid up for all that love him But Fifthly Christ rose early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and why should not we Mark 1. 35 36. make it our business our work our Heaven to write after so noble a Copy we cannot glorifie Christ more than by our conformity to him than by imitating of those blessed patterns that he hath set before us But Sixthly and lastly The children of Israel rose up early in the morning on the Sâ—bbath day to oâ—â—er up burnt-offerings Exod. 32. 4 5 6. and peace-offerings to an Idol So Papists Turks and Heathens are early in the mornings at their devotions and the Harlot rises early in the morning to trapan the lustful youth Prov. 7. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thee or as it runs in the Hebrew In the morning came I forth to meet thee Now how should this put Christians to a holy blush to see the very basest and worst of people to take more pains to go to Hell than themselves do to go to heaven Shall they rise early to serve their Idols and shall not we rise early to serve our God and save our souls O Sirs did you but love Christ more and
the lips that men should not speak rashly Words once spoken cannot return A man that thinks before he speaks seldom repents of what he speaks Silence is far better than rash speaking or than vain speaking c. O Sirs the tongue is the nimble Interpreter of the heart If there be piety or iniquity at the bottom of your hearts Matth. 12. 43 44. your tongues will discover it The stream riseth not above the fountain We know not what mettal the Bell is made of by the Clapper What is in the Well will be in the Bucket What is in the Ware-house will be in the shop So what is in the heart will be in the mouth if there be any thing of God of Christ of grace of heaven of hell of sin of the world of self in the bottom of your souls your tongues will discover it Man saith one is like a Bell and his tongue Plutarch like the Clapper So long as this standeth still he may be thought to be without any flaw craze or crack in him but let it once stir and then he discovers himself presently No man can so change himself but his heart may sometimes be seen at his tongues end Men watch Interpreters Oh that on the Lords day especially you would make more conscience of watching your tongues if the tongue be not watched it will be sins Solicitor General it will be a Bawd to all lusts it will plead for sin and defend sin and lessen sin and provoke to sin and shew the pleasure of the heart in sin There are but five Virtues of the tongue reckoned up by Philosophers but there are twenty several sins of the tongue reckoned up by Peraldus The Arabians have a Proverb Take heed thy tongue cut not thy throat Many a mans tongue James 3. 3. 11. The Holy Ghost sheweth the mischief of the tongue by the several characters by which he brands it He calls it the flattering tongue the double tongue the deceitful tongue the the lying tongue the perverse tongue c. Psalm 52. 2. Prov. 18. 21. Eccles 10. 12. Psalm 19. 4. Psalm 73. 9. Mat. 28. 13 15. has cut his throat that is it hath been his ruine Our Chronicles make mention of one Burdet a Merchant who living at the Sign of the Crown in Cheap-side in the dayes of King Edward the fourth in the year 1483. jestingly said to his Son that he would leave him heir of the Crown meaning the Sign of the Crown where he lived for which he was apprehended and within four hours hanged drawn and quartered The tongue is often like a sharp Razor that instead of shaving the hair cuts the throat If a man do not look well about him he may every day be in danger of dying by his tongue Life and death saith Solomon are in the power of the tongue Gaping mouth'd men are noted for fools by Lucian and a better and a wiser man than Lucian hath told us That the lips of a fool will swallow up himself Ah how good had it been for many that they had been born dumb The tongue can easily travel all the world over and wound mens names and credits in this Countrey and that in this City and that in this Town and that in this Family and that it can in a trice run from one place to another here it bites and there it tears in this place it leaves a blot and in that it gives a wound and therefore you have cause to watch your tongues on every day but especially on the Lords day There are many whose tongues do more mischief and travel further on the Sabbath day than they do on all the other dayes of the week You ought to keep a strict Guard upon your tongues every day but on the Lords day you should double your Guard Satan without you and that strong party that he hath within you will do all they can so to oyle your tongues on that day as to make you miscarry more wayes than one if you do not carefully look about you Are there none on that day that do watch your Jer. 20. 10. It is better for a man to watch and stop his own mouth by silence than to have it stopt by others reproofs words to deride you and jear you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words either to ensnare you or trapan you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words that they may find matter if possible either to reprove you or to reproach you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words that do hang upon your lips expecting to be instructed edified confirmed comforted and strengthned by you Yes Well then if this be your case how highly it doth concern you on this day to watch your words I shall leave you to judge O Sirs all your words whether good or bad are all noted and observed by God as you may see by comparing the Scriptures Psalm 139. 4. Isa 59. 3. Jer. 33. 24. Chap. 44. 25. Mal. 3. 16 17. Job 42. 7. Matth. 12. 37. in the Margent together If a person were by us that should book all our words from Sabbath day morning to Sabbath day night and the like on other dayes would we not be very careful what we spoke Why God is by and hears all Athenodorus a Heathen used to say that all men ought to be very careful of their actions and words because God was every where and beheld all that was done and said And Zeno a wise Heathen affirmeth that God seeth and taketh notice of our very thoughts how much more then of our words O Sirs how many men and women are there that are choice of what they eat that are not choice of what they speak that are curious about the food which goes into their mouths lest it should hurt or poyson them who are no wayes curious about the words that go out of their mouths lest they should hurt or poyson others Oâ— all the members in the body there is none so serviceable to Satan as the tongue And therefore Satan spares Jobs tongue his grand design being not to make Job a begar but a blasphemer Job was blistered all over by Satan only his tongue was not blistered Satan thought by that member to work Job to fight against God and the peace of his own soul It is queried in the Schools what was the first sin of the first Angel that fell for they assert that one fell first then the rest Now there are very many opinions about it Some say it was envy others discontent and some say it was their refusing to undertake the charge that was given to them to Minister unto man Others think it was a spiritual luxury others ingratitude The most and best say pride but wherein that pride consisted is not easily determined nor by them unanimously resolved and by some it is as confidently observed that it was a sin