or Odors betwixt him and thee If thou beest well eschew thy dearest acquaintance if thou beest sick thy dearest Acquaintance will flee thee A Lord shall scarce have a Page a Lady a Chambermaid to wait on them a Brother will scarce look on his Sister a Husband on his Wife or a tender Mother on her darling Infant a Beggar won't wear thy Marriage Suit if given him nor a Porter be hired to go on thy Errand though thou wouldst give him a Lease for life for his Journy Thy Gold is left to the Justice of a Servant and thy Breath is left to the mercy of a Nurse thou art dead whilst thou art unburied and thou art buried without any but Bearers to go along with thy Herse Of all Miseries the Pestilence is the fray of all dreadful things which can happen upon Earth this is the horror Oh that ye would cleanse the Streets with Repentance that This Infection might not breed in your Sins Purge the Air with Obedience that your Purity might preserve you from This Contagion above all feel the Plague of your Hearts that you may not feel this Plague in your sides A Pestilence would scatrer you thin you and carry you by heaps under ground Yet every House-keeper hath a Family about him the streets swarm with Inhabitants Oh know 't is a Bless to be able to number by Thousands Wherein are more than six score thousand 3. This doth shew That Numbers should be a Motive to Compassion Unkind is He that would grieve the Generallity Cruel is He that would destroy a Multitude which can scramble over heaps of slain Bodies It was the Voice of a Monster that wish'd Rome had but one Neck Onademus of Chios having supprest his Enemies his Friends wish'd him to expel every one that were opposite to him out of the City No said he They are too many to be too harshly used I am afraid said he That if I should be thus rid of all my Enemies my Friends would fall out among themselves When Lucullus took Amasiâ— it grieved him that the Souldiers had fired the City but he preserved the Citizens that so many might not be exposed to the Fury of Souldiers See here how general Misery hath drawn Commiseration from generous Spirits and indeed there can be no greater Act of Nobleness than to detest to be Author of a publick Calamity Oh that this consideration might powerfully stick upon all such who have an envious Eye on miserably dejected LONDON It was the solemn Petition of Moses to God That he would not kill all the People as one man Numb 14.15 Merciless then are Their Eyes and savage Their Bowels who can ruine Multitudes It was forbidden by the Law to destroy the whole Nest Deut. 22.6 Oh therefore let the Faces of a Generallity aw you Be amated at horrid Attempts wherein Multitudes are concern'd Tremble at MASSACRES Should not I spare Nineveh c. More 3. As to the Surplus More than six score Thousand Observe That God is exact in accounting He knew all the righteous persons that were fit to enter into the Ark he knew all that did not bow to Beal he knew all the Thousands and the surplus of them that were in Nineveh That there were six score thousand and more Should not I spare Nineveh c. Application This serves to exhort you to a Confidence in God in all Extremities for he which knows every particular Creature in so great a City he knows also every particular Accident which happens to us Be not like Porus King of India who took his Conquest by Alexander so heavily that though he had his life given him yet he would not for a great space eat any meat suffer his Wounds to be drest or be perswaded to live So if we be but crost in our Expectations or designs and cannot injoy that Liberty and Fulness we had we would starve upon Accidents or suffer our Wounds to rankle Oh sigh gently speak softly chide not with Providence roar not under Casualties fret not your selves into your Graves c. Remember ye have suffered nothing but what the Wisdom of God held convenient and the Providence of God is able to return double Moses fled for his Life and kept sheep yet afterwards became a mighty Ruler What do you suffer any thing out of Gods sight No his Ey is upon all your Tryals all your Miseries are scored up in Heaven He keeps a Catalogue of all your sufferings Oh therefore take Courage witness Patience express Confidence why should you be a fainting people under a knowing God when you are ready to complain murmur and vex restrain these distempered Passions by remembring you have a seeing and a searching God that hath taken notice of all your Sorrows reckoned up all your Losses Injuries Indignities and Extremities you know not better how many eyes you have in your head nor how many fingers you have upon your hands than he can bring-in a full Account of your Distresses That he is an observing God See here in Nineveh he can number out to her all her Thousands and the Surplus Wherein are more 2. This may serve to repress Sin Oh that you dare trespass against so knowing a God You know there are a Company of men who are all for Secrecy saying Who shall see Psal 64.5 yea setting their Mouths against Heaven saying How doth God know is there Knowledg in the most High But these shall suddenly hear God thunder and tell them These things hast thou done and I kept silence then thou thoughtest wickedly that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thy eys c. God could tell Adam of eating the forbidden fruit Cain of murdering his Brother Saul of sparing Agag David of slipping into his Neighbours Bed and covering the foulness of that guilt with the skin of a dead Husband Asapâ— of trusting in his Physicians Hezekiah of shewing his Treasure The Scribes and Pharisees of their secret Lusts which deserv'd stoning c. What dost think of drawing a Curtain before Heaven and to steal lew'd Attempts by casting Mists before the Eyes of the Al seeing God As he knows his own Decrees Honour Laws so he doth know all thy Trespasses Will ye force the Queen before me so will ye violate Laws in the Law-makers Presence What despise God's sight contemn his very Eyes Oh consider this ye that forget God which invent and attempt horrid and prodigious things as if you would exclude God out of the Room No no you can't he s in the midst of your PLOTS and the great Notetaker of all your Passages If the man that hid himself in a Cave that Hercules might not see him one day seeing him pass by the Caves mouth at the sight of him fell down dead then ye which tremble so much as ye must do if ye be not Atheists at the thoughts discerning God then when you see him with
to look up to Heaven to avert Vengeance Can these Bones live O Lord thou knowest Ezek. 37.3 There is nothing impossible to God but this is almost incredâ—◠〈◊〉 to the present View For I see that Men have not learned Nineveh's initiating 〈◊〉 less her compleating Graces they are not yet come to her Trepidations Percussions Astonishments Humi-cubations Macerations Syncopes of Greif Paroxisms of Conflicts gravitoned Accents of Prayer No people nourish the Flesh catch at the World follow Modes temporize with Changes and leave Perils to the Venture and Judgâ—ments to the Chance Happen what will they have not so much as a wrimpled Brow or a trembling Breast A Stork will fly faster from a cold Country or a Beast from a naked Sword than these from Plagues and Punishments When shall we see these two essential parts of Repentance amongst them The turning from their evil Ways anâ— from the Violence of their Hands 1. Their Evil ways do seem to have a Mist upon them they have not Eyes clear enough to see them or Hearts tender enough to lament them though they have strayed far enough from the prescript Rule of Obedience and never a precept warranting their lawless Paths yet they tread on and consider it not the Ignis Erraticus hath lead them aside and lay not to Heart over what Rocks and Precipices they do pass Oh that there should be such Declinations under the directing Ordinances or such Foot-prints amongst instructed Christians No man saith what have I done Many a Man saith what may I not do People look upon their Faces but seldom on their Consciences This clasped BOOK hath not been opened to view every leaf nor this deep Well searched to the bottom these many years Oh! how much Hyprocrisy Apostacy Bribery Flattery Blood Blasphemy Southsaying Sacriledg have been past over without the least check or fret If any Sins come under their Discovery they are the sins of the Age or the sin which Malignity have doom'd sins but they have neither Eye nor Tongues nor Hearts to spy out to speak out or reflect upon their proper sins though they be as bitter as Gall as red as Scarlet as venomous as the poison of Asps as black as Satan coming forth with a Steem of the bottomless Pit yet there is neither Sensibleness nor Conscientiousness of them they are their proper sins and as they have given them Conception and Birth so they bestow Education and Maintenance they may have a street-cry or pulpit noise sometimes but the sound is gon so soon as received they deny them conceal them extenuate them and justify them yea some are so impudent as to deride them Fools make a mock of Sin though it be to dance before a Calf of their own making to triumph over a captivated Sampson or to quaff in the Bowls of the Sanctuary or to present John Baptist's Head in a platter or to cry Hail to the King of the Jews when he is leading away to be crucified These or the like are the Expressions which they do make to their Sins rather than look agast upon them loath them bleed under them How many Sinners have ye yet seen that though they have done things contrary to the Torch Light of Nature and Sun-Light of Scripture the Tenor of their own Oaths and the Terror of a Catholick Church condemning them that have yet blush'd sob'd or rung a hand or bended a knee for them No they have done them and stand up in the defence of them after productions they do bestow upon them protection Now if People will not discern their Sins how will they ever disclaim them if they will not look upon their evil ways how will they ever turn form their evil ways what little likelihood what small hopes of Conversion and Reformation 2. Turning from the violence of their hands is a thing as improbable For are there any gentler or juster times to be expected Will Men pare their Nails soften their Palms No I don't see so much as sense of Jnjury or a shame of Oppression Not so much as an Adonibezek's remose for Cruelty Threescore and ten Kings have I c. Nor an Ahab's fright upon a Bloody Fact to be confounded so that c. People do not so much as question their Estates which they have gotten by forged Cavillation or ask forgiveness for their wrongs or make restitution for their ill gotten goods much less will desist from their damnifying Courses Tyranny doth flow in with a high â—age The Earth is covered with violence as it was in the dayâ—s of Noah Gen. 6.9 A man would think that Aegypt's iron Furnace or Babylon's iron Yoak were amâ—ngst us Here is digging of Pits taking up all with the Angle swalowing People alive as the Grave eating Fruits without Mony breaking the Arms of the fatherless afflâ—cting Gods Heritage the Rulers being as roaring Lyons as the Scripture saith and the Judges as the Wolves of the Evening devouring with such Fury that they leave not the Bons till the Morrow Some groping for Bribes with Felix Some requiring mens right Eyes to condescend to a peace with Naash Some pronouncing sentence of death upon a framed Information with Jezabel's Judges Some not being ashamed to run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward How many Houses are build with crying Stones and cemented with bloody Morter The Times are full of much Fraud and Force Invention and Circumvention Domination and Conculcation Men injoying Preys with as much Satisfaction as Birthrights and possessing Rifles with as quiet a Conscience as just Earnings Oh! when will the Whip depart out of this City when will the wild Beast's teeth fall out of their heads when will the Hammers leave beating or the Mill-Stones leave grinding when will Repentance so reduce this City to Equity that there need neither Tribunal to rectify Injuries or Pulpit to touch Conscience for Extortion People in general will scarce take notice of their Cruelty much less will they take away the Crime they will scarce feel their rough hands much less will they turn from the violence of their hands Thus then you see how the City is in a dangerous deplorablestate full of stupendious sins and yet full of stupid Impenitency a professing City and yet far from Evangelical Purity How then may the City Walls shake and every Cittizens Heart be daunted expecting some exemplify'd Judgment for these enormous Transgressions Will God ever be dared with challenging Trespasses or mockd with phannatick Formalities will the noise of the Sermon-Bells or the sound of the Gospellizing Tongues be able to pacify an incensed God No he may seize you in your Streets where you are defying him in your full strength or take you at Church where you are deluding him perhaps with Temple-Cheats Who ever resisted the Lord and prospered God may send the Flood when thou art in the midst of thy Quaffings and Dalliances Fire may come from Heaven when the Sun is shining brightly in thy
answered That Aegina the head City nourished up none but good Children See how much good one City-Example will do for Virtue and may not one City-Example do as much Evil for Vice Yes the City doth sell her Examples as well as her Commodities and her Sins as well as her Wares yea the quick Trade doth run in Crimes and she sends down them by whole-sale into the Country this Plague in the City infests the whole Nation a whole Land may curse a City for bad Presidents If the City be full of perversness Ezek. 9.9 the Disobedience will spread to all parts If the City be bloody Nahum 3.1 it s enough to sell Chopping-Knives to their Customers elsewhere What pure Worship will be left in the Land if the chief Citys of the ten Tribes set up Golden Calves the whole Religion will seem to be nothing but a Bleating Crib to the Honour of these new Deitys people far and near will Swear by the sin of Samaria The Lust of Corinth made all Greece a Brothel-House the Intemperance of Plintine turn'd Egypt in a tipling Booth Sidon first found out fine Silk and it corrupted all Nations with gaudy Attires Guarde Jesdi and Hispaa being accustomed to lye with their Sisters and Mothers it taught all Parthia Incest Ye see a Citys bad Examples is like a Gangreen it will not rest where it begun but infects all the Members and at last the Vital parts This in general but particularly As God hath made you a City so do you principle out Goodness to the Land what a shame is it for the sowrest Fruit to grow upon the top Branches the worst Scholars to be in the upper Form what shall the Men in Russet teach Thee in thy Furs the Leathern Girdle the Gold Chain the Swain the Citizen c. A Citizen should shew his Customers the best Patterns of holy Life and open the Pack of Religious Presidents a City should be the Burse of Virtuous Demeanours Oh therefore hath God given you Honor maintain it let the Wheel of Virtue stir here and the Morning Star of Grace shine here let not the miery way be cleaner than your Paved-streets and the Thatched shuds be neater then your Tiled Houses Let not the Country-Man when he comes among you be loathed with your Intemperance or recoil at the Sight of your Fraud or blush at you Neutrality or deride your Pride hiss at your Malice frieze at your Indevotion â—or drop down dead with seeing the Blood of Oppression sprinkled on the Stones in the Street Prepare choice Sights for the Country mans Eyes that he may go home and say I have seen the Phenix of Religion the Paradise of Piety the Temple of the Holy Ghost the Suburbs of Heaven I have learned Grace out of every Citizens Mouth and bought Bargains of Sanctity at every Shop enough to stock my self and supply my Neighbours thus ye shall see your selves a flourishing City when ye are as full of Professors as ye are of Traders of Saints as Merchants when you have Traffick'd for Godliness at every Port and fetch'd home the true Pearl further then the Indies Remember To whom much is given much will be required You should have a Priority of Duty because ye have a priority of Dignity A City should serve God before others because God would spare a City before others should I not spare Nineveh IV. This shews that if God will spare a City because a City that the City should spare it self nor suffer her immunitys to be infringed when she can preserve them nor her Rights to be be injured when she can vindicate them This were for a Citizen to dig down the Wall of its own City and to unbody it s own Corporation V. This Reproves them that instead of sparing take delight to destroy Citys Oh what Thunder claps come out of many Mens Mouths to shake down such glorious Ornaments What Furnaces do there burn in many Mens Breasts to consume such Ensigns of Art and Architecture Can they not walk freely in the World unless they stamp down Citys under their Feet Do they desire to Shine in the VVorld like Blasing Comets Or to Scorch all before them like Brands taken out of the Infernal Pit How justly might they Crouch for a piece of Silver which care not in an humour to melt away the Riches of so many Ages How ill do they deserve an House to hide their Heads in which care not in a hellish Fury to expose so many Citizens to the bleak Air Should I not spare Nineveh a great City VI. This further shews That a City is at the Height of Impiety when the Time of her fate and fall is come Such have rejected all warnings we are a very urging People that have lost the Benefit of a sparing God Do Judgments Threaten the Nation Oh then that I could shake Men into an apprehension of their manifest and monstrous Guilts Do ye dread any charging Plague Then why do ye not find out your challinging Sins Do your Ears Glow and do ye suspect no bad News Do ye seem to see nothing but Rods and Rasours and Yoaks and Fetters and yet are ye so Blind that ye can see nothing of the violating of Gods Laws Must God lock up your Doors before you will consider what bad Tennants ye have been Must he pluck away all your Wares before you will consider the Sins of your Trading Have ye lost your Ears your Eyes your Tongues your Wits your Consciences Do ye dance upon your Thres-holds when ye are ready to Stagger with amazement Do ye walk with stretched out Necks when your Necks are ready to stoop down with the weight of Judgments Do ye add Thirst to your Drunkenness when the Cup of Astonishment is ready to be put to your Lips Do you scorn the Menaces of Scripture when all the Curses that are written in the Bible and those which are not written are ready to fly in your Faces do you abuse Sermons when the Pulpits shake before dropping You have often said the City must suffer and that the end of all must be dismal Do you say it and not fear it or fear it and not flee from it O if thou hadst known it in this thy day c. GREAT 181 This Attribute Great is next to be discours'd Observe That Greatness in it self is pretious in Gods Account How can the great God but affect that which is great Great is the highest Title of Honour that can be given to the most flourishing Princes upon the Face of the Earth as the great Mogul the great Cham the great Turk to be great then is of high esteem among Men and is it not as highly prized by God Almighty No marvel if God doth so plead for the preservation of Nineveh for it was no vulgar City but a Great City Yes the greatness of it was a great inducement to God to restrain the imminent Danger of it 1. Because it had been long
under his Eye Should I not spare Nineveh that great City 7. This doth shew That no Earthly Eminency is certain for God once spared Nineveh that great City but now that great City is wasted Pappas saith That Repetance at Jonah's Preaching saved Nineveh an hundred years but afterwards being puffed up with happy success it felt an avenging God Cartwright lately travelling those parts saith he saw some pieces and broken VValls of it The most Judicious VVriters hold that after Arbaces had taken it from Sardanapalus it continued under the Medes in some flourishing condition till the time of Gyaxares son of Phraartes who began to destroy it and Astyages his Son levelled it with the ground Oh then what stability is there in any earthly greatness That great City hath had both her Obiit and her Funeral Oh that our Hearts could trample upon the Earth as our Feet do that our Consciences could renounce the World as well as our Profession doth how many great Familys have we seen decay how many great Citys have we found laid in the Dust Baldness is come upon Gazah Jer 47.5 Yea Nineveh that was the Crown Imperial of the whole World hath now lost her Diadem that great City hath not one of her Thousand five hundred Towers or one of her splendid Palaces to be seen Oh then why are ye enamoured upon your beautiful Empress Do you dwell in the inchanted City Or are you out of the dint of Vengeance Do you not fear Judgments what should make you so confident Nineveh's Circuit was more large her Walls more strong her Streets more populous her Treasures more abundant her Dominions more ample than yours then why may not you drop as well as Nineveh is fallen Are your Sins less No you have four Sins within your Walls and yet I will except Fraud Pride Partiality and Bribery that shall justify Nineveh from being the more Guilty Sinner Four Sins what are they I know you are good at asking questions and apter to sciscitate than to eliminate therefore because I have often heard you told of these things and yet could never see you blush but rather rage not softned with ministerial Zeal but rather hardned therefore I shall not speak where the Lord hath commanded to keep silence Amos. 5.13 nor throw abroad his Pearls but where he hath directed me to cast them nor impart his Holy things but where he hath injoyned me to give them Mat. 7.6 If you command the Prophets saying Prophecy noâ— Amos 2.12 and the time be come about that no Man must strive nor reprove one another for the People are as they with strive with their Priest Hos 4.4 then why should we reiterate that which we have had Preached upon the House top and made plain upon Tables and for fear I should be charg'd to bring in a railing Accusation I shall say only as Michael did the Lord rebuke thee But these Sins are such That if you had Walls of Brass and Guards of Anakims they will make every beam of the House and stone in the Building cry out Confusion to you and nothing but Conversion will save you and I doubt whether I shall see Nineveh's Repentance among you Oh that The Jonah were born that would cry effectually in the Streets Oh That the Auditors were yet so prepared that they could listen to a Message from Heaven with Nineveh's Ears Oh be ye smitten to the Earth wallow in the Ash-heap weep till ye cannot shed a Tear more reform till there 's not a Sin left for Conscience to turn new spy unto and so may Repentance be your Preservative a kind of Guardian Angel to the City and with Nineveh be spared and if spared I wish ye not to be secure for if you Fast and fall to your old Riot or put on Sack-cloth and change this for new Fashions c. the renewing your former Sins will but renew former dangers therefore your Repentance must not only be fervent but firm not only unfeigned but unchangeable Remember Nineveh she humbled her self and was Pardoned she repented and was spared but she repented but for a time and was spared but for a time she turned to be Nineveh the Wicked and she happened to be Nineveh the Miserable Third general Wherein are more than sixscore Thousand Persons which cannot discern between their right hand and their left and also much Cattle We are come to the Description wherein are more c. observe herein these two particulars 1. The principal Commoditys wherein are sixscore thousand persons which cannot discern between their right hand and their left 2. The less principal Commoditys and also much Cattle 1. For the Principal Commoditys in which these parts are considerable 1. The Receptacle wherein 2. The Season are 3. The Treasure Persons 4. The Quantity sixscore Thousand 5. The Surplus more 6. Qualification which cannot discern c. 1. For the Receptacle wherein Elsewhere had been no Credit to Nineveh but that Nineveh had these choice things this is the Honor wherein Obs That Happiness must carry with it an Appropriation the Appropriation is the Approbation of it what matter though Thousands be recorded for fortunate Persons if thou bee'st not in the Catalogue neither Well-fare nor Honour Law nor Gospel peace of Conscience nor Joys of Heaven are useful to us if we have not a proper Title to them Therefore be not mistaken you see 't was Nineveh's Happiness to have this Felicity with a restriction or in the proper ubi wherein Application 1. This reproves such who know Blessings only by hear-say is not this a wandring kind of Comfort to see fullness abroad and want at home Psammenitus told Cambyses Domestical Miseries are greater than can be exprest by Tears Oh Let us not be given too much to visit the state of others but let us observe our own Condition whether the right Blessing be in the right place 2. This shews that some enjoy distinct felicity for though this were not to be seen elsewhere yet in Nineveh it was to be found wherein It was L. Minutius only that got the Golden Bullock and Zelislaus that had by Bodislaus the third the Golden Hand given him for his Valour Particular preheminencies happen as God doth command the Blessing Oh then be privy to your own Priviledges use not things conferred as if they were inbred 3. This shews Greatness doth not consist in bare Title but in effectual Demonstration for Nineveh is not only that great City but that great Receptacle wherein Wo to them that are only voiced up to be Great but setting aside their own Tumour and the peoples Rumour there is no greatness to be seen in them shall these go for great Professors No great Impostors great Expressions must justify great Titles Are. 2. The Season Are wherein are not there were but are Obs Hence that present bliss is the honored Bliss what Beauty 's in a consumed thing That is true Happiness which is come to no Diminution
LONDON's REMEMBRANCER A CALL AND PATERN For TRUE and SPEEDY REPENTANCE BEING An ABRIDGMENT of those many severe SERMONS By Thomas Reeve B. in Divinity INTITULED GOD's PLEA for NINEVEH The only seasonable Work that can be done in this day Jer. 18 7. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil way I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Sam. 3.12 When I begin I will also make an end LONDON Printed for Th. Dawks 1683. * This is Abridg'd The Author's DEDICATION To the Religious Citizens of LONDON who are sensible of the Sins and do suplicate for the Safety of their CITY Honored Sirs and Citizens of a famous City c. I Call you out to a new Merchandize many of you have been negotiating in most of the known Cities of the World but did any of you yet Trade at Nineveh Let this be your Empory buy up her Commodities and set up an Exchange of her Wares others may call upon you to traffick elsewhere I direct you to this City Some of Nineveh's Ashes Sack-cloth men with new lips feet and hands would be more useful now than all the precious Rarities the richest Marts can afford Nineveh is the Place the way is beaten you shall never repent of the Journey 't is a renowned place in whose Ruins you may find Treasure enough to redeem you out of the present hazards and to prevent future Miserys Indeed I lay your Sandals before you yet be not discouraged ye shall go but like Merchant-Adventurers if ye be Industrious ye may drive a very advantagious Trade and come home laiden with the Riches of the same linger not set forth speedily and make a quick return and Millions shall bless you quarrel not who shall go first but walk peaceably and God Almighty prosper you Apply your selves to the right work and fall to right down Christianity let him be the best Man which can be most Zealous in this Religious Service 'T is hard to build a City and 't will be as hard to preserve it When a City is grown crazy with Sin they must be Master-Workmen that repair its decays or keep it from a Down-fall be ne'er so well prepared your Task requires almost Angelical puriâ—y and perfection to discharge Consider what ye are to do to wring a Spear out of the Almighty's Hand to turn back an Host of Judgments upon their March appear in 〈◊〉 2. compleat Harness and quit your selves like men But by what Citizens shall this 〈◊〉 done By them that are truly Religious and are sensiâ—le of the Sins and do supplicate for the safety of the City I Must have such as have the Sins of the City smarting upon their Hearts and the safety of the City ecchoing in their Lips I take no delight in hearing Citizens commended for exterior things such are The conspicuous Persons which are perspicuous in Graces and the Eys that see them bless them for their Piety whose chief Mart is in Heaven and Trade for such Riches as excel all the Treasurâ—s of Aegypt whose Hearts are knit to the City and whose Tongues are soliciting for it which weep over the Sins of the City and would even sacrifice themselves in Expiatory Dutys to prevent Judgments from it Pardon me I judg not the City by Furs and Gold-Chains c. These have no place but only the feeling Conscience and fervent Soul the rest I might send to C. M. Coriolanus who in the greatest necessity never tendred the well-fare of the Inferiors but lookt only to provide for his own Greatness and his great Ones and held the poorer Citizens to sad sufferings lest being supplyed with what they wanted they might be enabled to call him and the rest to account for their Injurys Having taken upon me a dolorous Service to whom should I apply my self but to the true Mourners in Jerusalem yes there are sins in the City and these sins do threaten Judgments All ye which do face the one and fear the other let me intreat You to sigh and sacrifice with me that the City being penitent neither the Peril nor perishing of the City may be dreaded To obtain this Blessing I confess I have as I can sanctify'd my self with some solemn Resolutions I desire you to enter into the same Vow with me not to desert the City with your Repentance and Devotion till a discharge be brought out of Heaven and the City settled in a Condition to be spared I hear a loud speech what is not this City able to do I wish it may be able to examine amd to extricate her self I cannot but love your City for her Breast that she proved such a kind Nurse to them which had neither Milk nor Maintenance when upon the Death of their Mother they were as exposed Children I thought once to have call'd in all the Nobility and Gentry of the Nation to joyn in this Work I would have Invited the Reverend of the Clergy to have assisted in this Religious service I would have drawn in all the Civil and Common Lawyers to plead in Heaven for this City I would have summoned in all the Physicians to have administred a soveraign Potion to this City I thought to have sent down to all the Citys in this Kingdom to have repaired hither themselves or send faithful substitutes their Conversion to officiate for the City in her greatest peril for seeing this is the Metropolis why should not all the Daughters do their Duty to their Mother and wait upon her with their Prayers Tears Humiliation and Mortification yes they here vending all their Commoditys and buying their principall Wares 't is convenient should bless her with their Repentance which hath blessed them with Revenue But because the most proper Cure is that which is personal people being able to prepare their Antidote therefore ye knowing both the Malady and the Medicine what need I trouble others when ye are able if ye will to do the work your selves and to be your own Physicians And now I have left you in your own Hands setting Life and Death before you Oh that I could speak to the City in general that as ALL Nineveh so ALL your City would be unanimous to unite their Repentance to keep oft a Judgment But I see such a Complicated Disease of bad Opinions and such 〈◊〉 Cakexy of evil Life amongst you some only magnifying the Virtues of the 〈◊〉 others going on in an Insensibility of any thing that it is either Sin or Danger that dispair to find the generality apprehensive either of Disease or Cure I remember that Calcedon was called the Town of the Blind because they would not suffer an experienced Work-man to build their Houses and so such a blind City shall I leave you if I set on Work half sighted Architects who can neither
see Errors nor forsee Hazards Therefore I do set-by all the Humorous and Vitious amongst you and apply my self only to those that are truly Religious which have the most Conscience to discover sin and the most Remorse to reconcile an offended God It is a singular Work and there must be singular Agents in it It is That great City and it must be that Great or Good party which must invert the state and avert the Judgment of the City Lord who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh and that I should bring forth the Children of Israel out of Aegypt Exod. 3.11 So who am I that I should summon a whole City to Repentance and bring such vast numbers out of the bondage of their Corruption and Destruction Yet God hath given the Motion and he may by such a Stammering Tongue make his Message effectual who knows but this Cake of Barly-Bread may overturn the Medianites Tent That this Lump of dry Figs may heal the Soar That this Clay and Spittle may open the Eyes of the Blind Bring forth your Repentance and what may not such an Hester appearing do to reverse a Decree God is not so offended with the City but Repentance can end the distaste I set before you Nineveh not half so glorious in being Potent as being Penitent Jonah doth denounce a Judgment God doth pronounce a Pardon the Prophet must not spare and yet God doth spare The Prophet hath Threatned them into Repentance then God doth not Threaten but Comfort not adjudg and accurse but accept and acquit Repentance doth renew the People and revoke the Sentence The Prophet was very opposite to it but God doth bring in very apposite Reasons to satisfy his Contradicting spirit God doth plead for the City and doth plead against his own Prophet This is the Dilemma how the Prophecy may stand and the City may stand The Prophecy is obey'd and therefore there could be no overthrow there was Repentance and therefore there could be no Rejection and Revenge this is the middle way which God doth make use of to answer the Dilemma God will not approve of his Prophets if they do not proclaim Judgment Tho the Prophets must thunder yet God doth keep the thunder-bolt in his own hand A sinful people must be warned a penitent people must not be destroy'd This is one of the Riddle 's of God's Mercy which Jonah not being able to unfold God doth expound it doth God shew Jonah how he could prophesy no less and yet how he himself could spare no less Shouldst not thou thus cry should they not thus reform should I not thus spare God had taught Jonah many things and now he doth reveal to him the Aenigma of his merciful Justice how Justice and Mercy may meet together in the same subject without Violation to either The Prophet was in great blindness concerning this secret and the City had like to have paid dearly for his want of understanding but God satisfy'd the Doubt and saved the City Oh that we could see such a Riddle in your City and thus explained Jonah now doth cry but is God believed the overthrow is proclaimed but do Men fly from it the City is warn'd 〈◊〉 is it humbled 't is threatned but shall is be speared Oh that the Citys willful Imâ—â—â—â—â—â—ncy after millions of Crys should not be a greater Riddle how it can be speared 〈◊〉 Gods inclination to Mercy after serious Repentance is a Riddle fully expounded before and half expounded now that the City may be spared As intelligent as this City doth seem to be I wish it could answer one Question Is it Nineveh Is there expression or almost expectation of such humbling for this end is this Câ—y sent forth 〈…〉 this time and Oh that the Prophet might only cry or so cry that he might cry up a 〈◊〉 â—ineveh Be not deaf but open the Ears of others that ye may not be my Patrons only 〈◊〉 of the City not of her sins but of her Repentance If ye fail in this work the City 〈◊〉 past Remedy Be as penitent as you can and diffuse Repentance to others have ye burâ—â—â—â—ed Consciences draw others to fell the weight of those guilts which may sink them into Ruine The City is in Peril what is the Preservative Policy may invent much but I know none but that of Repentance To prevent a general Overthrow shall we ever see a general Conversion What will Men leave their Seats of Honour and apply themselves to Sick-cloath Ashes Fasting mighty Crys turning from their evil Ways and from the Violence of their Hands Oh that we could see such a beautiful City to honour our Nation and to bless it self But I fear this is but a City of Desires and that it is not harder to build up Jerusalem to her first Glory than to raise up such a City amongst us every Stone in this City may sooner be altered and new-laid rather than Mens Minds and Consciences I doubt whether penitent Duties were ever truely intended amongst us and I am very jealous whether ever or no we shall see them really exprest Men can rather shoot the Gulf climb the Alpes go a pilgrimage over the whole Earth than repent All the Difficulties which ye ever met with are not like this Streight I confess here doth appear to be much Religion in the City but what Repentance is there or if Repentance is it that of Nineveh No here are Sins enough to overthrow a City but is there Repentance enough to have it spared The Earth never saw greater Provocations but when shall it be said Heaven never saw greater Propitiation People are much for Paterns but not for Imitation Vnless it be of that which is wicked as Swearing and Whoring c. wise Men may devise Forms but where are the vertuous Men that will conform to them No as a Beast neighed to Alexander's Horse which was painted but the Spectators expressed no such Repect to Alexander's Image it self whereupon Apelles said That he had painted the Horse better than the Prince So Bruites will be more affectionate to those things which do resemble their Nature than we to those things which should direct our Manners Here is a choise Picture Nineveh limmed out with Tears and Graces and a Frame made for it even this Record in holy Scripture but when shall we behold the Paralel Oh Citizens and Religious though you have some Skill in Painting yet can you draw Nineveh to the life in orient Colours amongst you No were it to preserve the City from Fire and Sword yet will ye readily be thus abased and changed ye may be but it will be with a great Difficulty For the present what Signs are thereof such Prostration Consternation Renovation No they which have committed horrible Sins may rather have Forms of seeking God to confirm themselves in theis Wickedness than many here which are liable to eminent Dangers have any evident Expressions to fall to the Earth or
pieces with a Pen-Knife If Cyril meddle with the great Juliar he shall be hewn asunder and his Liver eaten up by the Heathens p. 79. If Ignatius reprehend Bardas for his vitious life he shall be lock'd up in a Sepulcher for many years afterwards banished and at last slain The high-brest Worldlings cannot endure a Check the Throne and the Robe make men conceive themselves superiour to all Reproof how do they snuff and snarl fume and rage shew their Tusks and put out their Stings look like Leopards and sparkle like Basilisks if they be rebuked or threatned A Jonah's cry fills all the Country with Tumults they storm upon their Throne and Vow by their Honours they will be revenged one had better anger all the Witches and Conjurers provoke all the Centaurs and Minotaurs in the World than menace this haughty spirited Generation the Devil has his strongest Chains upon the rich mens Heels he is most Prince where disdainful men sit on the Throne or wear the Robe Have Rich men no Souls to save or will Riches secure them against Divine Vengeance cannot God cast down thy Throne and tear in pieces thy Robe smite thee upon the Throne and strip thee naked for all thy Robe is a Golden Night-Cap a Head-piece or a Velvet Jacket a Breast-Plate against his Judgments why then doth not Greatness stoop as well as Poverty c. 8. An Humble Dress for the King doth cover himself with Sack-cloth What shall a King put on Sack-cloth and shall we put on Silks and Sattins Cloth of Silver and Gold What be as Sumptuous as Lords as Gorgeous as Princes and yet is this dread of Judgments dismayed Repentance oh feat Converts oh spruce Penitents where there is humiliation for Sin there must be a mournful habit else 't will be said Thy spirit is not very sad thy dress is so trim loose attire shews a dissolute mind Penitents are not busy in Haberdashers Mercers Feather-makers or Perfumers shops No Micah doth appear stript and naked 1.8 Isaiah doth go bare-foot 20.2 the Israelites do not put on their Ornaments nor best Garments Pouder Wigs Spangles Cuts Jags Frizles Crispings Purple and Crimson are fitter for Swart-rutters and Ruffians than for true Penitents If there were no other Provocations in the Land yet there were fuel enough for consuming Judgment in peoples excessive and unlimited Pride our patch't faces are enough to make us Monsters in Gods eyes our long Tails to sweep all Blessings out of the Nations if one should search the Wardrobes Cabinets Complexion-Bottles a man would wonder that the flying Book of Curses had not already lighted upon this exotick Island or that this Theater of Vanity were not burnt down with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven What would this good man have said if he had lived in this Debauched Generation this Age of Whoring Swearing Cursing Perjury an Age wherein Godliness i.e. God-likeness is perfectly hated and those most like the Devil only in esteem and repute See the Postscript 9. An High Abasement the King doth not leave his Throne to take up an inferiour Chair but he sate upon Ashes O therefore upon the day of thy Repentance let high Birth high Crests high Looks high Titles all elate inflate lofty stately imaginating ingrandising preheminencies and priviledges be forgotten and count thy self the Bran of the Bolter the sweeping of the Floor a scuttle a span-full of Ashes you see how the King of Nineveh by this loud cry of Jonah makes Ashes his Penitential Stool 10. A restraint of Delicacies A Fast is proclaimed and kept when men are preventing a Ship-wrack quenching a Fire pacifying an incensed God and averting Judgments they have no time to Carouse c. Esther and her Maidens fasted three whole days together when we are Petitioning for Mercy we must not come with Meat sticking in our Teeth nor belch in Gods face with our full Stomachs when we are begging for our Lives No hollow Cheeks sunk Eyes gnawing Bowels macerated Sides fainting Spirits are better than swollen Faces swallowing Throats reaking Stomachs eyes starting out with fatness 11. The whole strength is ingaged all go to the work Kings Nobles Citizens and all sorts of Men. Where the Danger is common there should be an unanimous prevention 12. A memorable thing done in Repentance the Ninevites made their Beasts to fast and wear Sack-cloth Prophaneness can bring forth Prodigious things and shall Repentance bring forth no eminent thing 13. An anguish for Sin Every Street of the City doth Proclaim her Mourner 14. An acknowledgment of Sin ch 3. ver 8. This must not be a formal Repetition of Error in general but every Trespass which doth come to our Knowledg must be rehearsed upon our Tongues end oh therefore unravel your Lives sweep the hid corners rake the Canels lay open the secrets of your Heart and Lives disburthen your Consciences let the festered Corruption run out at the mouth of the Wound speak out the Errors and tell all the Crimes in Gods Ear. 15. Reparation for Sin The Ninevites had offended God many ways and now they bring the opposite Vertues they return back to God what is his own as well as they can and clear the Arrearages c. 16. Devout Supplication they cryed mightily unto God The Penitent must not only be sollicitous but a Solicitor How many have Filed off the Fetters of their Sins escaped out of the Keepers hands shut up the mouth of Hell and stood spotless among the pure Angels by the benefit of Prayer Moses by lifting up his hand struck down the Amalekites Hezekiah by crying to him that lived between the Cherubims fetcht an Angel from Heaven to destroy a Hundred Four Score and Five Thousand in a Night Asa but by saying Help O Lord we rest on thee and are come out against this Multitude dispersed an Army of Ten Hundred Thousand and I am confident as great things may be done in this Age by Prayer for the people of God as hath been done in any since the Creation a Christian is never higher than when creeping upon his Knees not stronger than when he is stretching out his hands towards Heaven by looking upwards than others can do by Plotting beneath The People of God count Prayer their chief Engine the effectual fervent Prayer of the Righteous availeth much Nineveh cryed mightily 17. Renovation of Life Repentance without Reformation is a mocking of Almighty God is like running into the Pest-House where we first got our Plague-sore Henry the Fifth cast off his old Companions when he began to Reign Isaeus when a rare Lady was shewed him and asked whether she was not fair and fit for his Dalliance he answered I know not for I have given over to be guided by my Eyes What dost thou Repent and keep thy Whore in thy House What wilt dy in her Arms and yet be counted a Penitent a Godly Person c. 18. A Reformation of Oppression Nineveh had been a Cruel Bloody City
and remembred how many there were that could accuse them of Cruelty and Tyranny that is a formal Repentance where men are sensible of their damnifying injurious Courses Oppression is of a Scarlet Hue 't is put among crying Sins shall God remove Judgments when men are removing Land-marks Shall God cast away his Rod when men are chastising with Scorpions He must not expect to taste of free Mercy that eats others Fruits without Money 'T is in vain for any to Sigh for Compassion when the poor Cry for Vengeance which swallow up People as the Grave Prov. 1.12 which Groundsel their Estates with Damages Roof them with Detriments Plaster them with the Brains of Widows and Hang them with the Skins of Orphans c. He that is the Pleader for the Poor will not be the Patron of Oppressors till they have cured their Blood-shorten Eyes let them not look up to Heaven for Pardon Application 1. This doth shew that Mercy is the Priviledg of the Penitent 2. Where there is great Provocation there may come a Pacification 3. This doth shew that Pacification is to be resolved on not according to Profession but Repentance 4. This may shame our Perverseness and Obstinacy What Nineveh the Mistress of Witchcraft which was mad upon her Idols and built Altars to shameful things doth she Repent and not we who pretend to have the Light of the Knowledg of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ Was Nineveh spared and must we be Judged hath the Idolater more propensity to Repentance than the Christian 5. This doth shew the Excellency of Repentance is not that a rare Vertue that hath qualified Nineveh to be spared yes all her Pomp glorious Walls sumptuous Palaces Riches melodious Musick Conquests abroad Triumphs at home Street-Lustre Court Splendor fall short of the Magnificence of Repentance Oh the beauty of these Ashes the fineness of this Sack-Cloth the Nourishment of this Fasting the Musick of these Cries her Habit Heart and Spirit changed When the King is Chief Mourner the Nobles Citizens and Beasts fellow Mourners with him and nothing but sitting upon Dung-hills Sighing like Distracted men Groaning like Dying persons counting Plagues their Doom and Hell their just Desert True Penitents abhor themselves History tells us That Solomon King of Hungary caused himself to be five times dragg'd through the open Streets in detestation of his Sinful Life N.B. 6. This puts us upon Tryal whether we that would be a Pardoned people are a Penitent people Repentance saved their Laws and their Lives That kept the Crown upon the Kings head the Nobles in their Courtly Equipage the Merchants in their Splendor it prevents Detriment it ratifies Liberties confirms their Immunities renews their CHARTER they are still Proprietors in all their Fees Lords of all their Royalties and by Repentance thou hast saved a flourishing City c. thou didst make them cry mightily that no other Cries might be heard in this City but those of Devotion 't was Thou that taughtst them that Secret and Mystery how to prevent eminent Dangers all this it did for Nineveh oh that I could say it would do as much for London if ye are as Penitent as Nineveh ye shall be as prosperous as Nineveh 't is true ye have lived in the Lords eye but ye have sinned before the Lord exceedingly ye tread upon Gods Ground but ye have polluted the Lords Land turned Bethel into Beth aven a House of Prayer into a Den of Thieves ye are rather Jesreel than Israel Sodom than Nineveh you would be Reprieved but where are your Qualifications for a Pardon you may match Sins with Nineveh nay Sodom it self but can you match its Repentance No see how you can clear your selves upon Tryal Look over the former heads viz. 1. Nineveh heard Gods Messenger 2. Nineveh was not curious in its Counsellors a Stranger was received 3. Nineveh doth endure sharp Doctrine 4. Nineveh doth apprehend danger for they believed God they verily thought the state of their City was near Destruction at the brink of Ruine but we defy such Seditious Preachers Tumultuous Prophets Calamity is but their Jealousy Peril but their Peevishness We are a Righteous people and not to be punished a formidable people and not to be frighted they are a scandalous and audacious people which terrify us with Judgments we have Spears enough as the French King said having 200000 Soldiers at his Heels to uphold the Heavens if they should fall This is the Confidence and Fool-hardiness of this Age though the Clouds gather yet we think of no Storm though the Ship leaks we think of no Wreck though the House be on Fire yet they stir not our Ditch is the Sea none can swim over to us all our Ports are lock't But Treachery can fill us with a foreign Enemy and lay open our Ports to them c. none can force an entrance Dangers are but the Melancholy Apprehensions of Male-Contents or Dreams of Lunatick Teachers 5. Nineveh doth not delay Repentance but how do we weary God with expectation c. 6. Nineveh had stirring motions Jonah but delivers his Message and there 's Honour given to it for the King of Nineveh rose up but when will we stir or descend a Degree our proud heart cannot shrink up c. when sad Tidings was brought to Job he rose up but no news or need will make us stir We sit in the seat of the scornful or like Babylon sit as a Queen as if we should see no sorrow we are negligent in things most important 7. Nineveh doth not think of Greatness for the King is first in the action but alas our Great ones are such good Leaders they must have the Path beaten Greatness which should be exemplary thinks it self exempted those which should be in the Front come in the Reer 't is a rare thing for an Obadiah to be one of Gods Nobles or for a Daniel to open a Window towards Jerusalem The Lions Whelps are a long time before they come to their Feet they do not stir under a Month nor walk under seven The Devils Prison is fill'd with Persons of high Birth and Fortunes he hath honorable Slaves they go in Scarlet wear Gold Chains ride in Coaches Whore Swear Ram and Damn and Drink Health's at norate c. 8. They have an Humble Dress the King puts off his Robe he and the whole City puts on Sack-Cloth we are so far from Repentance at heart that we have it not on our Backs if we are Penitents We are spruce ones 9. Nineveh hath the height of abasement they sate upon the Ash heap but we upon the Bullion-heap or Bullet-heap or Building-heap we think of great things rather than Confusion we never dissemble more than when we talk of our weakness we will not think of the Ash-heap because we imagine all the Flames of Divine Vengeance cannot turn this Nation into a Bon-fire or Burn us to nothing c. 10. Nineveh had a
restraint of Delicacies for they neither did eat Meat nor drink Water Cato told Julius Caesar That he only came Sober to Destory the Common-Wealth but we cannot come sober to preserve the Common-Wealth we cannot shut up our mouths to fence out a Judgment nor loose a Meals Meat to obtain a Blessing 'T was truly said by Jovius That the English Nation above all others upon Earth was most addicted to the Throat if a true account could be brought in for one years Table Expence in this Nation what a large Bill of Fare would there be I doubt whether the Spanish Indies would defray one years Charge Oh that we could send the Glutton and Wine-bibber out of the Nation then there might be some hopes of Sacrificing a true Sin-Offering we are too lusty and vigorous too full fed and drencht in Liquors to Repent true Repentance must be lean and meager c. 11. They put their whole strength to the work but we think a small company will suffice to do the Church work a few are enough to prevent Judgments and preserve the Land 12. They had a memorable thing to testify their Repentance for they made their Beasts to fast What do we do to the honour of Repentance we are for the via trita the beaten road 13. They had an Anguish for Sin the whole City is a Mourner but we are the joyous City the Tabret and the Harp do not depart from us 14. Nineveh confesseth her Sins but alas our Mouths will not open no man saith What have I done we rather hide our Sins than bring them to light we love not to shew our Raggs tell our Debts or open our Sores no we will Plead Not Guilty and be prest to Death rather than confess the Indictment Peccavi I have sinned is too big a word to get out of a Sinners mouth we desire powerful Teaching Thundering c. but we would have it against others Sins and not our own c. 15. Nineveh made some Reparation he that had seen Nineveh in Pomp and Pride Crisped and Curled Bathed in Pleasures as a ruling City but now as a ruful City dejected ashamed blushing pronouncing her self unmeet to be seen or known fitter to pine above ground or to rot under ground than to draw Breath above ground he would think Nineveh was about to make amends for all her excess for every strip of this Sack-Cloth every handfull of the Ash-heap the Bowels griping for Food the Beasts lowing for Fodder do testify Nineveh to be a most satisfying Creature O Londoners how long will it be before ye be brought to make this Reparation for Sin Another Life doth require another Diet when our Hearts change every thing about us should have a change I know there is no compensant satisfaction of Justice for Sin but of hatred against Sin not as a cause of reconciliation but as a sign of Detestation not as a cleansing from the Curse but as a horror of the Trespass not as an Instrument of Justification but as an Adjunct of Mortification not to procure Innocence but to declare Humility and shall we renounce Sin without smiting it at parting or give it a farewell battering there is nothing more offensive to Sin than to see it self abased and its opposite in its place there is no Repentance without a Holy Revenge which is making a Reparation 16. They had devout Supplication they cry mightily we must not look for mighty Comforts without mighty Cryes God sits on his Throne but none make Addresses to him 17. Nineveh hath a Renovation of Life Let them turn every one from their evil ways but alas He that was filthy is filthy still not one Tract altered some amazement no amendment a little Humiliation but no Reformation We would rather Teach Repentance than Practise it what VVhoremonger hath yet unclapsed his hands with his VVhore c. were there ever so many Unregenerating Sermons the Moors are black still Time-may turn there may be several variations in humane affairs but not in humane Actings Men are resolv'd and settled they will not turn from their evil ways Who has believed our Reports c. was ever so many Alarums sounded and so few mind it many may watch over Souls but who wins Souls Faith and Repentance are the two great Lights of the Church but now Eclipsed 18. Nineveh was touched with Oppression for 't is not barely said Let every one turn from his evil way but likewise from the violence of his Hands If God should demand according to Law hand for hand Exod. 21.24 what a dismembred Nation would there be the hand of the Avenger would persue too many Whether they wash them yea or no I know not sure I am their hands are full of Blood Thus at large you have seen Nineveh's Repentance O that Face could answer Face in the Water ye have acknowledged Sin but do you come with Mineveh's Confession ye have been soliciting Heaven but did ye ever awaken God with Nineveh's mighty cry VVe are immured little hopes of a Goal-Delivery Now we come from the Name of the place to the Nature of the place That Great City wherein c. God himself doth produce Reasons why he should spare Nineveh and that because it was no Family or Village or Borrough but a City and no obscure City but a vast large great City there are three things considerable the subject City the attribute Great the eminency That That Great City 159 For the subject City hence observe That a City in it self is an Attractive of Pity Gods great Providence is seen in the greatest things what more Beautiful than a City There is a great weight in the name of a City all Men are carryed to a City as to a place of the greatest honour Solomon compares the strength of Affection to a strong City Prov. 1.8.19 And Isaiah saith That there are houses of Joy in the joyous City Isai 32.13 Yea God doth Animate Jeremiah to deliver his Message with Confidence for he had made him like a fenced City Jer. 1.18 What offerings were there appointed to be at the Building of a City Ezek. 4.8 and what Solemnities were there used at the Dedication of the Wall of a City Nehem. 12.27 God himself as he would not be without a Law an Ark a Tabernacle So he would hot be without a City which is called the City of God yea how dear a City is to God may appear by the name of it in Hebrew which comes from a word that signifies to stir up as if God by the name of a City were stirred up to provide for it Indeed he keepeth the City and his Eyes are towards the City And it is Graven upon the Palms of his Hands 1. A City is a good resting place 2. Citys are places of meeting for the seed of the City is as the Gravel Esai 48.19 It doth multiply Merchants like the Stars of Heaven Nahum 3.16 3. Cities are places of order
Hands you may ask where are those sweet places where we Traded Feasted Slept where we lived like Masters and shone like Morning Stars No the Houses are fallen and the Housholders dropt with them we have nothing but naked-Streets naked Fields for shelters not so much as a Chamber to couch down our Children or Repose our own Members when we are spent or afflicted with Sickness Wo unto us our Sins have pulled down our Houses shak'd down our City we are the most harborless people in the World like Foreigners rather than Natives yea rather like Beasts than Men Foxes have Holes and Fowls have Nests but we have neither Holes nor Nests our Sins have deprived us both of Couch and Covert we would be glad if an Hospital would receive us Dens or Caves shelter us the bleak Air or cold Ground are our only Shades and Refuges But alas this is but the Misery of Stone-work of Arches Roofs What will you say when you come Skin VVork Arms Necks and Bowels A Massacre May not your tender persons be touched Yes ye which have walk'd in State may then run the Streets in Distraction ye which have search'd out others with severity may be pluck'd out of your Corners With rigor ye which have been bowed to may then bow your Knees for Mercy with one Legg or half an Arm ye may begg the Preservation of the rest of your Members VVhat Inventions shall ye then be put to to secure your Lives what perhaps would you not give to save your selves and your Tears it may be will not secure you nor your Gold redeem you but your Veins must weep as well as your Eys and your Sides be watered as well as your Cheeks when your Sins shall shut up the Conduits of the City and only your Liver Conduit to run when they allow you no showers of Rain but showers of Blood to wash your Feet when you shall see no Men of your Corporation but the mangled Citizen nor hear no noise in your Streets but the crys the shreiks the yells and pants of gasping dying Men when among the throngs of Associates not a Man will own you your Friends hide their Head and your Servants flee from you when your Kindred are slain in one place your VVives in another your Children in a third and your selves at last it may be cut in two to increase the number of dead Carcasses when as populous as you are you shall be but numbred to the Sword as puissant as you are the Valiant shall be swept away As fine fed as you are you shall be fed with your own Flesh and made Drunk with your own Blood when your Trespasses have been so outragious that Vengeance doth deny you a being that you are thought fit for nothing but to be killed in the places where you committed the Crimes and to suffer the pains of Death within those Walls which you have cursed with your Sedoms Faces and Egyptian hard-Heartedness when your Politicians can no longer help you but must have their subtle Brains dash'd in pieces with yours nor your Lectures no longer save you but you must meet at the Congregation near the Shambles when this great City shall be but a great Chopping-board to quarter out the Limbs of Sinners or the great Altar whereon a whole City is to be Sacrificed Oh doleful day of new painting your Walls new paving your Streets new summoning a Common-Hall when all are called forth to nothing but to the derision of the insulting Adversary to have your Breasts to try the points of Spears your Sides the keeness of Swords your Heads the weight of Pole-Axes and Bodys to be made Foot-stools and your Dead Careasses steppings for truculent Foes to trample upon when there will be no pity upon the Aged nor compassion for the Young but heaps upon heaps tumbling of Garments in Blood and Swords made fat with slaughter Oh see what a crimson City crimson Sins will make Or if you escape the dint of the Sword and your Lives be given you for a prey shall not your Goods be a prey Yes some may be reserved out of the greatest MASSACRE when Men are weary of Killing a Retreat may be sounded and Men called off from the Slaughter yet can ye challenge your old Houses or bring your Keys to your old Chests No your Titles gone your Interest lost you have Sinn'd your Selves off your Propriety the Enemy is now House-keeper and Land-holder all 's forfeited to the Sword farewel Inheritances Purchases Leases Jewels as ye have gotten these perhaps unjustly so they shall be taken away unjustly violently gotten and violently they shall be taken away Vengeance from Heaven will have satisfaction for all your fraudulent Bargains cruel Pawns extorting Mortgages blooding of Widdows skinning of Orphans or as you have used your Goods for Pride and Bravery so you shall see all your Gallantry and new Fashions pluck't from you others shall spruce up themselves in your Dresses and your selves glad of the worst filthy Garment ye left behind or perhaps of a cast Garment of your Enemys and though God took you out of the Mire you never pluck't out others which stuck in the same Extremitys you have forgotten your own beginnings a great Company of these the City hath that the Poor and the suffering Gospel can thank them for little succour and Sympathy They which would grasp all shall loose all they shall be driven to live upon Alms and to go among the tattered crew They shall wish they had but one spare Bag which all the crys of the Distressed could not make them open or that they had but a few of those Mites which all the Teaâ—s of Necessity could not make them to scatter abroad no they would trust nothing in Gods hand and God will shut up all Hands and Hearts against them They had no Compassion and no Eye shall pity them if they be not slain in the heap yet they do but Live to see their own Misery Their Sins have made them Bankrupts and ruined them Oh that the loss of Money were the greatest mischief but there is a Treasure of greater value in Danger CONSCIENCE is ready to be rifled there is not an absolute Conquest made till the inward Man be in Fetters Thou must be a Slave in Principles oh t is a hard thing to be a Jew inwardly Pâ—pâ—ry sâ—â—â—â—p Thou must then bear the Fruit of the degenerate Plant or strange Vine pour out the Drink-Offerings of other Sacrificers follow the Sorcery of the Mistress of Witchcraft or learn Magick with them that are brought up in the Doctrine of Devils you must limp with this halting Age fit thy Mouth to shout That great is Diana of the Ephesiaâ—s thou must taunt thy Father spit in the Face of thy own Mother hiss away all thy true Brethren like the Jews thou must soon learn the Language of Canaan and Ashdod if they come under another Lord the Citizen is a double Slave
the Lord your God hath blessed you and ye are as the Stars of Heaven for Multitude yea that ye are a great People that cannot be numbred Ye know your Bounds but do ye know the vastness of your Inhabitants Ye have the double Blessing amongst you the Blessing of the Basket and the Store Deut 28.5 and the Blessing of the Brest and the Womb Gen. 49.25 What a large Ordinary is this City what a spacious Bed-Chamber what a Spring of People is there here The Breath of Life never stirred quicker in such a quantity of Ground Nature here doth shew her Organizing Art and this is one of her gendring Receptacles The Myrmidons were so many that they were said to be begotten of Pismires this City doth so abound with People that it may be called one of the Ant-heaps of the Earth Living Persons do here so abound that they seem rather to be struck out then brought forth their increase is so plentiful that they come up like Spring-flowers to garnish the City or that they were rained down from Heaven Oh Look about you and see if these persons be your Treasures how fast your Mint doth go and what incredible heaps ye have in banks ye are the Skin'd and Flesh'd City the true Corporation indeed for here are enow to make up not only a body Politick but a Republick of Bodys if all your Bodys should appear at once you 'd scarce have street-room enough they would adorn the City more than Hangings of Arras at your Publick shews your Suburbs do vy Multitudes with the City But are the People Treasures are you affected with these Treasures Have ye done honor to the Lord of the Mine that the City is sprinkled scattered heaped and wedged with these Treasures Did all the Bells in the City ever Ring the Trumpets Blow and the Wind Instruments play I mean your thankful Lips make Melody to the Lord for the People No I doubt ye have forgot your People that though they dayly Face you and their Clappers strike in your Ears yet that ye are both Blind and Dumb in extolling God for this favour What Hecatombs have ye ever offered for this numerous Blessing Have ye ever sung Hosannah in the highest for this high Mercy I question whether ye have an Altar in the City for this Service for that Persons in great Multitudes are a great Blessing ye may see it here by Nineveh who had it mentioned as her great Felicity to reckon Persons by Thousands wherein are six score thousand Persons 2. This shews your present Blessing that you are preserved in your Thousands Ye are yet a populous City and the Lord God if it be his Blessed Will make you a Thousand times more as you are Deut. 1.11 But if the Arrow that flyeth at Noon-day should glide among you A 2d Plague how many wounded Breasts would there be If Hippocrates were among you with his pretious Odours and sweet Oyntments to perfume places If Mindererus were shooting off Guns in every Street to dissipate the Air. If Quercitan and Avicen were prescribing the strictest Rules of Dyet if Galen and the whole Tribe of the most expert Physicians that ever lived were teaching you to make Pills Electuaries Pomanders Cordials c. to make new Fires and Fumigations of Storax Calamint Labdanum and an hundred other Materials to expel ill scents yet they may be all ineffectual to prevent that irresistible stroke For I am not yet resolved with Vido Vidio That Kindred take the Infection sooner from one another than from Strangers because of the assimilation of Blood nor with Minderer us that Virgins are more subject to it than married Women because the Spirits are fluid and retained and so apt to putrify nor that a Man being well Dieted may escape Infection because Socrates if it be true lived in many Plagues being a Man of high Temperance But I hold that a Plague is the Hand of God as David called it and the Sword of the Lord as Chron. 21.12 So that when where or by what means God will strike is uncertain but 't is certain wheresoever God doth lift up his Hand he will strike home Is there any thing more terrible than the Pestilence No 't is the noisom Pestilence Psal 91.3 and if this stench come up into your Nostrils ye are gone 't is a Weapon so sharp that 't is able to leave a Nation without an Heir for I will smite them with the Pestilence and dâ—s-inhâ—rit them Numb 14.12 If this pale Horse come to Neigh in our Streets he 'le dash many Thousands into their Graves Numb 16.49 14700 dyed in one Plague and Numb 25.9 24000 dyed in another And 70000 dyed in a third 2 Sam. 25.15 The Ectenae a people of Boeetia with their King were all destroyed with a Plague so the Hyantes and Aeones came in their stead to people the Land At Rome in the Reign of Commodus there dyed for a great while 2000 Men a day In Africa there dyed in one Plague 1100000. Under Gallus's there dyed so many in the East West and South that many Countrys seemed so destitute of Inhabitants and for a long time remained uninhabited which occasioned St. Cyprian to write his Book de Mortalitate In this City how often have there dyed ten and twenty thousand in one Plague In Edward the thirds time in the space of one year there were buried in one Church commonly called Cistertians above 50000 persons how many then were buried elsewhere And may not the like happen again God's hand is not shortned there are now more people among you and more sins If the Pestilence doth once discharge how many will be slain at one Shot it will chase men out of their Dwellings as if there were some fierce Enemy pursuing them and shut up shop-doors as if Execution after Judgment were served upon Merchants There will then be no other Musick than doleful knels nor no other Wares carried up and down but dead Corps it will change Mansion houses into Pest-houses and rather gather Congregations into Church-yards than Churches the Markets will be so empty that scarce Necessaries will be brought in a new kind of Brewers will set-up oven Apothecaries to prepare Diet-drinks People are afraid to eat Meat lest they should eat it out of infected Shambles or to wear Rayment lest it should be stitch'd up with the Plague they shall lye down without the least Spot seen upon them and rise up with GOD's Tokens upon them yea with the Carbuncle scalding in the Flesh like a Fire-coal They shall walk well out from their Houses and drop down before they get home again In the time of a Pestilence Fly quickly go far and return slowly every Disease turns into the Plague Come not nigh thy soundest Friend within the distance of two Cubits nor within the distance of infected Persons the space of six Cubits beware lest the Wind blow upon thee from him or lest there be any Sun Fire
Hearts sobbing Breasts suppliant Tongues abased Bodies frayed Souls purified Consciences and rinsed Conversations ye are Nineveh and your City may yet prosper For you see how God pleaded out his Case for Nineveh and freed his Clyent the City was humbled and preserv'd REPENTANCE prevented her overthrow not a man was smitten though there were multitudes of Persons not a Beast was destroy'd though there were much Cattle Go and do thou likewise Do likewise and enjoy likewise Oh that I could be such a Jonah to you that I could cry out Such a City That I could make you thus to believe GOD and serve GOD your Humiliation should free you from all Horrors your Dejection from all Dangers your Devotion and Reformation from all Exigents Your VValls should not be battered your Bulwarks not demolished your Palaces not laid waste your Temples not shut up your shops not risted your Persons not MASSACRED nor your Cattle slaughtred But your Liberties Lives Goods Royalties your Ordinances your Oracles holy Altars holy Priests holy Vessels holy Shew bread holy Incense and Holy of Holies even all your Spiritual Prerogatives and Church privileges should be ratified to you upon Earth you should continue a safe People and florishing City yea after you have served God in his Church ye should serve him in his Temple he should translate you from this City to the City of the New Jerusalem that after you have injoyed all the Preferments of the material or mystical City ye might have the joyes and pleasures of the glorious City even the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus VVhich that ye may have the Lord grant for his Mercys sake Amen FINIS The POSTSCRIPT By the Author of this ABRIDGMENT 'T Was the earnest Desire of my Soul after the Prosperity of this famous and renouned City of LONDON which ingag'd me to abridg and publish these prophetick Sermons In the doing whereof I am perswaded that none will it having been my Care all-along the Work that none should blame me for injuring the worthy Author For if any should take the Pains to trace me through the whole they will finde that I have omitted nothing essentially necessary whereby the Work may be maimed and the Design considered viz. Brevity that the substance of the Work may be had for a small Price Nor is there in any one leaf of the Original things of less Moment inserted here and those of more weighty Concern omitted This were a Fault I could not forgive my self nor could the Chiding of wise and sober persons more discompose me than my own Breast would be disturb'd of it self c. These Sermons were preached in this City about the Year 1655 or 1656 Their whole design was then to beget in the Hearers a hatred of SIN and to press them to a speedy REPENTANCE by representing the Wrath and Vengeance Plagues and Judgments which God pours down upon Mortals for their Offences Therefore their Publication now cannot but be supposed seasonably time'd For alas alas within these few years there hath sprung up out of the Bottomless Pit I had almost said a Generation of what shall I call them Devils in the shape of Men and Women who designing to Debauch this Age have by amazing Examples succeeded too well in their Undertakings for by their Lying Swearing Cursing Whoring Cheating Drinking Perjury Hypocrisy Blasphemy c. they out-brazen Heaven it self and bid Defiance to the God thereof thereby ripening themselves for Destruction except Repentance prevents Well then If Judgments were as our Author saith upon their March Rank and File so many years past what man of Understanding is there that do's not see them drawn up and presenting wanting only the Word from the God of Hâ—sts Read Pages 48 49. Now then Suppose He begins with another Plague among Us come Oh ye Paterns I had almost call'd ye Patrons too of Wickedness you with the rest of them both male and female that have been poisoned by your Examples fall all to this work of Repentance I say where will YOU secure Your selves from the VVrath that is coming VVill those By-places of Secresy where You and your Misses to speak modishly have Caress'd together secure you No no. You may Remember what shift you made to shun the last Do ye think ye will not be met with now VVhat because God in his Infinite VVisdom was pleased not to make a Visible plain Distinction of his Love and Hatred to persons but the honest man dy'd of it as well as the dishonest those that were faithful to the Marriage Bed are seiz'd by it equal wth those that have been false to that sacred Tye He that fears an Oath hath had God's Tokens when he that flouds out Oaths hath been free c. There 's no Reason for all this but that 't is the pleasure of the Almighty for Should GOD in the Plague-time or by any other distinguishing Judgment pick out sweep or hurry away the most profligate Debauchees He 's and She 's 't were enough to Scare SINS of all sorts out of the World This were in effect to answer Dives's presumptuous Petition Luke 16.27 For who would play Zimri's and Cosbi's parts if they expected before the end of the Act to feel a Phineaâ—'s spear and so I might bring in Examples of all Sins c. But God deals not thus with poor Mortals No no If the Threatnings of his VVord won't deter us from Sin If his Promises wo'nt invite and allure us to a holy Life his infinite Wisdom directs to no other Means but according as our Obedience is to his Word so will it go with us to all Eternity And yet some times God doth hang up sad Examples of his Justice too Oh! when Judgments stand ready sho'd not Mortals stand prepar'd for an Eternty the Godly are by a holy Life willing always ready to submit to the good Pleasure of the Almighty and to such Judgment is no Judgment and if it periods their natural Lives it does at the same Moment initiate an eternal one of Happiness But for the others I mean those that None can with the largest degree of Charity imaginable admit to belong to God as such till true Repentance hath capacitated them How should these together with the civiler sort of Sinners the Hypocrites Lyers unjust the Rebellious Disobedient the sly Adulterers c. fall upon their Knees and with Tears in their Eyes implore divine Mercy in time before it be too late For should Judgment seize these be it of what kind it will Wo's upon wo's will be their Portion what Tongue can express what Heart can conceive as the Joyes of the first so the Pain Anguish and Torments of the other which will be endless easeless and remediless If those bodily Miseries mentioned page 34 will be so exquisite as they may be managed by an Enemy how dreadful and astonishing will it be when these frightful and scaring ones shall be but as fiery