would begin where the Fire made an end and build some whole streets together And lastly that there may be a contribution of assistance to that work from all parts of England by men or moneyes or advice or whatsoever else may promote and further it yea from all parts of his Majesties Dominions As motives thereunto I have in intire chapters shewed the great consequence and importance of the rebuilding of London and that it be done with all convenient expedition and how that not only England but also Scotland and Ireland and indeed all Christendom is concerned therein at leastwise the protestant part thereof I have discoursed how pleasant the work of building is Chap. 39. also how much more profit may probably be made of building in London at this juncture of time than of laying out money most otherwaies yea how much it would be for the honour of those that have wherewithall to have a considerable share and proportion in the building of London I have likewise set before my reader the sad face of London at this day how pitifully it looks and how the mournful visage of it doth bespeak relief from all that see or hear of it Chap. 15. I have also in the same chapter taken notice of the many houses which are already built or begun to be built up and down here and there whereby a great obligation is laid upon Londoners to go forward with the City least they incur the name of foolish builders who begin to build and cannot make an end Lastly I have shewed how the protestant Religion and the principles thereof do as much oblige to works of charity such as is the building of Churches and Schools and Hospitals as any principles in the popish religion can do though that religion upbraideth ours with a dead faith which worketh not by love and doth arrogate all the charity to it self Thus good Reader have I given thee an account first of the Authour and nextly of his design or of the book it self and what thou art to expect in it Would I be so foolish as to boast of any thing contained in this work which becometh me not to do it should be of my having written so disinteressedly as I have done so like a man addicted to no party but studious of the good of the community or of the whole Church and state or as one that were unbiassed either by fear or favour as a person of a free and uningaged mind and that had never known such a thing as Interest as it standeth in opposition to religion reason equity conscience ingenuity mercy c. In which sense we take the word when we say of this or that man that he was acted or led by Interest for we commonly add and not by conscience or against conscience It was Interest made David to murther Uriah hoping thereby to have concealed his adultery and Ahab to take away the life of Naboth that he might get his vineyard and the Jews to suborn the misreporting of Jeremiah Jer. 20.10 Report say they and we will report it Interest in the sence I here disclaim it is nothing else but disingenuous self-love dishonest self-seeking an over-weaning and unjust addictedness to a mans self and to the party which he hath espoused a gift that blinds the eyes of the wise a love so blind as that it will not suffer men to see either the evil that is in themselves and their friends nor yet any thing that is good and commendable in others it is that principle which inclines men to Deifie or make Gods or rather Idols of some men whose persons they have in admiration for advantage sake and Devils or something almost as bad of others though they be not such He that acts from Interest is one that cares not how much hurt he doth to others in their names or estates or other concerns so he can but do himself any good as he counts good by means thereof he is one that pursueth his selfish designs right or wrong per fas nefas and will trample upon every thing that stands in the way thereof Jonah was transported by Interest when it displeased him exceedingly and he was very angry because that God had repented of the evil that he said he would do unto the Ninivites and did it not Jonah 3.10.4.1 That is he had rather all Nineveh had been destroyed in which were sixscore thousand persons that could not discern betwixt their right hand and their left than that himself should have been hardly thought of through the non-accomplishment of his prophecy which infamy too might have been prevented by the Ninivites considering that the threatning was not without this known reservation viz. that in case they repented not destruction should overtake them Interest is a strong bias which suffers no man to go right on as no bowle can go straight to the mark but must wheele about if it have a great bias Now if I can wash my hands in innocency from any thing I can do it in respect of that kind of Interest which I have now described its mingling it self with this book I have not written like a Lawyer that speaks all he can for his clients and takes no notice of any thing that makes for the adverse cause but rather as a just umpire or moderator that heareth or alledgeth what can be said on both sides and having so done gives to each its due and brings the business to a fair compromise as may though possibly it doth not give full content and satisfaction to both parties Yet when all this is said and done so captious and censorious is the age we live in that some will take offence at what I have written and possibly they most of all to whom there is least appearance of any offence given for some men such is their peevishness will be more angry if you do but look over their hedg than others if you had stollen their horse as I may allude to our proverb There are some that cannot bear any thing of a reproof though as much too mild for them as was that of Eli to his wicked sons though as prudently couched as was Nathans to David in the parable wherewith he surprised him yea there are whose property it is to take a reproof most hainously from their friends as if they would have none but enemies and those they counted wicked to chide them whereas David saith let the righteous smite me or as if it were the part of an enemy and not of a friend to reprove whereas the scripture saith Thou shalt not hate thy brother thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him Levit. 19.17 A rebuke from an enemy seldom doth good because it is thought not to spring from love if then our friends must not reprove us neither we have excluded one ordinance of God which was appointed for good viz. Admonition and Reprehension We cannot indure our sawces should
Pretensions and Competitions even from those places which had themselves worn the Crown of Dignity whilst and so long as London was as several times it hath been and now partly is in the dust And now have I undeniably proved if I mistake not that these three Nations are highly concerned in the Restauration of London But now the question will be whether all the Protestant part of the world be so likewise as hath been affirmed tell me then whether England when it is its self be not able to yield a countenance and protection to Protestants all the world over to be a kind of covering upon all their glory If I am not deceived it hath done so particularly in the daies of Queen Elizabeth and may do so again As is the House of Austria to the Papists viz. their great prop and pillar so England hath been is or may be to the Protestants If then the strength and bulwark of Protestants be England and that the strength of England as hath been proved be London we may easily conclude by that sure Maxim Causa causae est causa causati that London is or may be the great bulwark and fortresse of the Protestant Interest and consequently that the whole Protestant World is concerned in the being and well-being of London This the great Zealots for Popery have known and do know too well who in order to the Propagation of that Religion have thought and do think nothing more requisite than that the City of London should be laid in ashes and continued there England being so mighty in shipping as it is at leastwise hath been or may be may be serviceable to them that professe the same Religion with its self not only near at hand but at the greatest distance and will be so if ever God shall cause the zeal and the prosperity of it both to revive together Let me add that if London flourish England cannot likely do much amisse and the most zealous part of the world as for the Protestant Religion will then prosper to the advantage of all others who make the same profession What is it then that not only England but Scotland and Ireland and not those Kingdoms only but any part of Christendome called Protestant can do or contribute towards the rebuilding of London whatsoever it be their own interest doth call upon them to do it with all their might If London rise not they are like to fall after it Shall we not hear of the kindnesses of Holland Sweden Denmark much more of all England and of Scotland and Ireland if they be able to do any thing towards poor desolate London let them be good to themselves in being good to it its interest is their own Help London now you know not how soon you may need its help and find it both a chearful and considerable helper in a time of need DISCOURSE XIV That the Protestant Religion and the principles thereof may contribute as much towards the building of Churches and Hospitals c. as ever Popery hath formerly done HOw many places are demolished by the Fire such as Churches and Hospitals which must be rebuilt if ever upon the accompt of Piety and Charity But where is that Piety and Charity to be found Methinks I hear the Papists vaunting themselves against Protestants extolling their Superstition above our true Religion and their Doctrine of Lies above the truth of ours telling us that they built most of those Churches and Hospitals which are now burnt down and must do it again if ever it be done as Peninnah when time was did upbraid Hannah Sam. 1.1 with her barrennesse so do they the principles of the Protestant Religion as if they could bring forth no good works As for their building those houses again there may be more reason for that than I shall presume to give but that if it must be our work our Religion will not as strongly invite us to do it as theirs would if they might build them for themselves that I utterly deny True it is if God stood in need that men should lie for him none were fitter to do him service than they whose Religion is full of lies and Legends but that he doth not but of such as say or report the Apostles of Christ to say Let us do evil that good may come of it the Scripture saith their damnation is just Rom. 3.8 We know full well their great Incentives to Charity and what falshoods they are telling the people that they must be saved by their good works that is by the merit of them that Christ hath merited to make their works meritorious talking much of opera tincta works died in the bloud of Christ how meritorious they are whereas theirs are rather died in the bloud of Christians and of holy Martyrs how men by their good deeds may satisfie the Justice of God for their evil ones and expiate their sins how by eminent acts of Charity they may hereafter deliver themselves and others out of Purgatory with many more such cunningly devised fables wherewith they pick mens pockets We know there is truth enough in the world or rather in the Word of God to make men as charitable and free in that sense as it is fit they should be We distrust not the efficacy of Divine Truths as they do nor think them Nouns Adjective that cannot stand without our lies as if they were so many Substantives added to them We therefore tell men as the truth is that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be justified Gal. 2.16 but withall we tell them that good works are causa sine quâ non or things without which there is no salvation for faith without works is dead as a body without a soul and that there can be no love to God where there is no charity towards men 1 John 3.17 Who so hath this worlds good and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels from him how dwelleth the love of God in him He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how should he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.20 Therefore such as have wherewithall to shew mercy and to do good cannot be saved say we and this principle well considered were enough to make men charitable if we could add no more But then we say further that no one good work or deed of charity that is truly such shall go without a reward quoting and urging Mat. 10.42 with other Texts of like import Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only to one in the name of a Disciple verily he shall not loose his reward Nay more than so we tell men that the reward of charity and of good works truly so called is no lesse than Eternal Life though not of merit but of grace We charge them that are rich in this world as Paul bid Timothy to do that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing
be in the hands of Papists for that experience tells us if persons so accounted though not certainly known to be such be chosen to any place or places of considerable trust it presently openeth the peoples mouths and fills them as full of fears as they can hold Power is a kind of armour and men may be armed with power as formidably as with iron weapons We read of certain beasts Dan. 7.12 They had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged There is not a quiet Papist in England but I wish his life might be spared yea and his lawful way of livelihood that if a man of an estate he might enjoy it his Religion notwithstanding if a Tradesman he might be free to buy and sell and merchandize as well as other men and if he may do so to be deprived or debarred of power and arms will be but an easie suffering if it be any at all and I am sure much more for a publick good men to their private damage no reason they should be elected to power who would be an incouragement to evil doers and a terror to them that do â—ell one way for people to have dominion over their fears is for Papists in a Kingdome whose King and Laws are protestant to have no dominion over the people Yet I am really for it that setting aside power and Armes they should injoy every thing else so â—ong as they are peaceable for to strip them of their â—states and livelihoods or lawful wayes of subâ—ting meerely for their religion sake were unjust â—â—umane and the way to make them desperate Starving or almost starving of persons and famiâ—â—es is next to cutting of throats and therefore God forbid that Papists themselves should be so served let them have power to do good to themselves but none to do hurt to others then may Papists live happily and Protestants securely The manifestation of much zeal to hinder the growth of Popery it self would be one good way â—o secure the minds of men against the fear and â—read of Papists It would take off the chariot wheels of popery or make it drive on heavily if first of all Ministers and other learned men were excited and incouraged to write and preach against the most considerable and dangerous tenets of the Papists spaâ—ing their persons whilst they oppose their errors and so not contending against love though they contend earnestly for the Faith One I have heard of a person of worth and learning far above the rate of his years who was put upon this work by some in great authority and hath discharged it excellently well and brought forth an Elephant for so I call his book for the size of it in less than halfe the time that Elephants are said to go with their young There are also two other pregnant Divines no old men neither who have each of them given us an iliad in a nutshel a mass of Divinity and reason against popish doctrines within a small compass who as I am told have from persons of eminency received many thanks for the same and very good incouragement Were there many more that could come up to the first three as champions against popery and were they in all parts of England put upon it and quickned we might hope that popery would dwindle amongst us every day till at last it come to nothing Whosoever shall set himself to oppose the growth and spreading of popery in England will much promote this design by suppressing or preventing all such books in our native tongue as have lately come forth or are coming forth in favour of that Religion Those of more ancient date are so much dispersed already that there can be no recalling them and besides that men will hardly read them more than they have done whereas a new book for the novelty sake and in expectation of some new thing that hath not been said before will have many readers Popish arguments are not so weighty but that we dare let schollars peruse them and therefore I have said nothing of the suppression of those popish books which are in the latine tongue but only in the English lest comon and ignorant people should thereby be seduced Now Papists of all men ought not to quarrel with us if we deny the common people the use of their books in their mother tongue as being unsafe for them sith they withhold the book of God the holy scriptures from the Laity under pretence of their being in danger to wrest the same to their own destruction If truth can hurt men what will not errour do A heedful suppression of all Novel English popish books would be greatly to the suppression of all popular fears as with respect to Papists We have severe Laws if I mistake not against those persons who compass sea and land to make people Proselytes to the Romish religion making them thereby two-fold more the children of hell than themselves at leastwise in this respect that they perswade them to believe those gross errours which they have more wit than to believe themselves so binding heavy burthens upon others which they themselves will not touch with the least of their fingers I think the law is wont to accuse and indict them as for seducing the Kings Subjects from their Allegiance which to do is a great crime but do they not also seduce men from their Allegiance to the King of Kings These are a seed of evil doers and must be look't a ter Ants do bite the corn which they carry to their mole-hils to the end it may not sprout again so far forth I wish them bitten It is too much that they take upon them to make a God or Idol of Wafers let them not make fools or which is worse Idolaters of men Let them not by their meats or poisons rather destroy those for whom Christ died As long as Papists have liberty for themselves and their families they have little reason to complain if they have no liberty to make other families such as themselves If seducing Jesuits be narrowly watcht and punished both the fear of Papists and popery it self will be much diminished What a buzzing is there in the ears of people concerning some preachers no professed Papists neither who seem to affect the language of Ashdod and to the great amusement of people make their pulpits eccno to Rome ever and anon Who speak sometimes at such a rate as if they had a Pope in their belly or had a mind to appear as popishly affected as they durst The lashers out of popery are the men who have all along fomented the Jealousies of the people and made them fear they should be over-run with Papists as the sluggards ground is said to be with weeds If such men were taught either to preach more honestly and orthodoxly or else for ever hereafter made to hold their peace the justice done them might greatly abate the peoples fears as their hetorodoximony have inflamed them Whilst
East-wind and made it dry Land that the Israelites might pass over Exod. 14.21 And probable it is that the turning of the Wind brought the Sea back again upon the Egyptians And I am much deceived if the Wind and Weather which were much against us in the time of the Fire have not been as much with us and for us since that I mean in reference to the warmth and openness of the Weather which are much what the effects of Winds suitable thereunto Job 37.9 Cold cometh out of the North And v. 17. How thy garments are warm when he quiateth the earth by the South-wind Sith then this last Winter God hath made the Heavens to hear the Ruines and the Ruines to hear the Artificers and the Artificers to hear the cryes of the poor dejected Citizens longing to be restored you know to what I allude why should we dispair of another London at Land more then heretofore at Sea where we have known two already When I consider how speedily many difficult cases and perplext controversies relating to Builders and Proprietors have been brought to an end either by the clearness of the Law made for that purpose or prudence of the Judges or extraordinary peaceableness of the parties concerned or by means of all three together I cannot but look upon it as a good presage that this poor City shall be built again For this methinks is a kind of sudden and unexpected clearing and taking away of that Rubbish which did most of all threaten to obstruct the buildings for who that hath observed how long some one controversie about the title of Houses or Lands being tryed after the usual way and not as in the Act for building is provided doth ordinarily depend some a longer time then I hope the whole City will take up in rebuilding would not have thought that Law-suits and Impleadings one of another would have been so endless that the City the building whereof must needs wait upon the determination of such matters would never have had a beginning But blessed be God it is evident to us by some hundreds of houses already built and many more Foundations laid that an incredible number of Titles are already determined even so many as might have taken up a whole Age in an ordinary course of Law And hence also may we feed our selves with hope that the like dispatch will be made in and about those Causes which are yet unheard or more if more can be sith by variety of Precedents and parallel cases the work of determination will be easier every day then other This good harmony gives me great hope and may do the like to others for why may not a City rise up by Unity and agreement as well as fall by division why may not the former be as powerful to lift up even from the dust as the latter is to throw it down If God please to grant the people of England as good and easie an accord in all other matters I shall yet hope all will be well I see a diligent hand at work for and towards the rebuilding of the City and that increaseth my hope that it will be done When God forsook London for a time and gave it up to the flames we may remember that men forsook it also I mean a great part of its Inhabitants made it their only care and business to secure their goods but did in effect say let the City go But now I find that Citizens are as active and officious in restoring as ever any of them for all were not so did seem remiss and careless in preserving of it methinks every body is huge intent upon it and what his hand findeth to do in it doth it with all his might and that in despite of all both real and supposed discouragements I know not the man whom in this case I can call a Sluggard and wish him without wronging him to go to the Ant and learn his ways all are as busie as so many Ants hastning to and from their several Mole-hills not a few were so intent upon it that when materials could scarce be had for love or money when Coals were three or four pound a Chaldron when Bricks and Timber bore an excessive rate all would not beat them off from building as if they had been as fond of houses within the Walls of London as ever Rachel was of children who cryed out Give me children or I die You might see by the respects which Citizens paid and do yet pay to the dust and ruines of London how they hanker after it not for what it is but for what they hope it shall be Do not as many as had wont to be concerned in those affairs visit the Ruines yearly call every Parish by its former name observe its bounds chuse Officers upon the very place chuse Aldermen and their Deputies for every Ward that is unsupplyed nominate Church-wardens Constables c. as if it might be said of London as was said of Lazarus that he was not dead but slept and all thorough the desire they have it might be raised again for they do know it is more then asleep yea no less then dead and buried A careless unactive heartless posture was that in which London was destroyed and now I see the quite contrary to that it makes me hope it is about to be restored wherewithall did the Psalmist perswade himself That the time to favour Sion yea the set time was come Psa 102.13 The reason he gives us is For thy people take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof v. 14. If that were a good argument that God would arise and have mercy upon Sion as doubtless it was else the Psalmist would not have used it we have said and evinced the same thing as concerning London viz. such an affection towards it as the people of God in those daies had towards their desolate Jerusalem Far be it from me to think that so much love care and pains so many heads and hands and hearts as are set at work about our City with earnest prayers for the restauration of it will all produce nothing What though God had a sufficient controversie against the old City as for which to suffer it to be burnt may it not be said that possibly he hath not the same against another City though standing or intended to stand in the same place so that notwithstanding his permitting the former to be burnt he may permit another to be built in the room of it Though such things were done to the dry Tree to which I may compare the old City must the like or something as bad be done to the green Christ argues from the green Tree to the dry with a quanto magis What then shall be done to the dry but not vice versâ God destroyed the Old World but did he not nevertheless make a new one and that in the same place where the old one stood and peopled it out
Prophesie but one by one and the rest hold their peace verse 31. and that the spirits of the Prophets should be subject to the Prophets ver 32. and such like things which are not arbitrary but in their own nature necessary and without which in the judgement of all men there would be meere confusion Now as in Religion from such things and such alone as are absolutely necessary there arisethâ— beautiful Order which is of great advantage anâ— applauded by the very light of Nature So I say 〈◊〉 this inferiour affair of Architecture though beautâ— and ornament as such were not at all look'd after yet if other things which are indispensably needful as safety and security is be provided for something of beauty and handsomeness will follow oâ— course and when it flows from thence ought in no case to be found fault with but to be well accepted and commended And this I take to be a just Apology for building London with Brick though that kind of building be more stately thaâ— the former was even after so sad a calamity Brick buildings as they are not the meanest and cheapest so neither are they the most curious and chargeable but of a middle sort And verily 〈◊〉 medio consistit virtus It is good to shun both extreams even in Religion it self in which as meâ— ought not on the one hand to be pompous and superstitious putting it as it were into the dresse oâ— a Harlot or making as if it came to court our seâ—ses and fancies so neither on the other hand 〈◊〉 be rude and slovenly as if the out-side of a cup 〈◊〉 platter might well be nasty if the in-side were bâ— clean When we see a City built with Brick how maâ— it serve to put us in mind of our beginning anâ— first extraction of our end and dissolution and especially of the manner of every true Believers resurrection from the dead What is Brick but Clay or red Earth burnâ— and whence had Adam his name but from Adam which signifieth red Earth Gen. 3.19 till thou return unto the ground for out of it wast thou taken Nâ— only our bodies but our souls do yet dwell in houses of Clay whose foundations is in the dust for what else are our bodies Job 4.19 Dust thou art Gen. 3.19 And God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2.7 And may not the houses of Clay Dust or Brick we dwell in mind us as whence we came so likewise whither we are going viz. to the ground whence we came Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Now we bring the earth up to us and place it about us and over our heads but the time hastneth in which we must go down to it and make our beds in the bosom of it Into this Mothers womb every of us must enter the second time and be born again at the Resurrection of the dead And of that Resurrection also may our City when it shall be all of Brick put us in mind for then after so great a death as it had by the Fire will it rise again much more handsom and beautiful than it was before So shall the bodies of Believers which having been sown in corruption shall be raised in incorruption and having been sown in weakness shall rise in power 1 Cor. 15. and shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ though before they were vile bodies c. Yet further How much we are beholden to that mean creature which we tread upon every day the Earth I mean may be brought to our remembrance when we view our houses of Brick and what is Brick but Earth From the dirty dungy despised Earth have we meat drink sauce corn wine oyl linnen which we must cloath our selves with whilst we live and amongst other things the very houses we do and must dwell in as well living as dead I write not this to make my self and others more in love with this Earth which we are apt to be too much but to the end our great dependance under God upon so despicable a creature may make us yet more vile in our own eyes and our trampling upon that which we are so much beholden to though that we may do may mind us of our trampling where we may not viz. upon the Name and Honour of God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy Can we behold those Bricks which our houses are and must be made of and not look back upon that sad trade which the poor Israelites were made to follow in Egypt viz. of making Bricks a double tale of Brick yea without straw too save what was of their own gathering and can we chuse but think of the parallel case of all such poor Citizens as have houses to build at almost a double charge but not wherewithal to do it Neither may we forget how seasonably the children of Israel were delivered when their task of Brick was doubled for then came Moses cum duplicabantur lateres But it is high time to put a period to this Chapter and wherewith can I do it better than by some such solemn wish as this that if the Lord please the new City which we expect may endure as much longer than the old did as Bricks in themselves are more durable than Rafters and that the prosperity of Londoners may be so great whilst it standeth that whensoever their Bricks shall fall they may be able to rebuild with hewen stones and when their Elms and Oaks shall be worn out they may be able to change them for Cedars DISCOURSE VI. Of ill burnt Bricks and that great care should be taken to build the New City with good Materials WIll any trash serve for the building of our new City was London so lately destroyed by the burning of its materials and shall it quickly be destroyed again for want of materials that is Bricks duly burnt Do we look for another Fire to burn our Bricks over again It is said of Ephraim Hos 7.8 Ephraim is a Cake not turned meaning not throughly baked that was spoken in a mysterious and shall the same be true of London in a mechanical sense Why do men make more hast than good speed either build as may last or not at all If they that have Bricks to sell have no more Conscience than to offer such as are stark naught you that are to buy should have more care and discretion than to accept of them Is it for cheapness sake that you make use of such unfit Commodities then are you penny-wise and pound-foolish I see no men are such losers as they that are over-saving none so prodigal though sore against their wills as are the greatest misers So some men sue at the Law for great things which they justly claim and lose their cause by starving it and others when sick neglect advice and dye as it were to save charges To such our homely Proverb is but too applicable They will lose a sheep to
better humour than the rest who both by his example and counsel did most promote peace and love amongst the rest of my children I would let that child know that no natural or moral excellency whatsoever could more have indeared him to me than that hath done and on the other hand that the greatest excellency of wit and beauty would not with me expiate and compensate that vice or ill temper which is contrary thereunto viz. a disobliging provoking carriage a harsh and unkind disposition Now what I have said touching the way and means of promoting love in a particular family will appear more pertinent to the title of this Chapter if an expression which St. Paul useth 1 Cor. 4.6 be here considered of these things I have in a figure transferred to my self and to Apollos Having propounded divers other means for the promoting of an universal love though not every where under that name that of prayer to God that universal remedy ought by no means to be passed over in silence with which I shall close this Chapter O God thou art stiled love it self for we read 1 John 4.16 that God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Gal. 5.21 We are variance emulations wrath strife envyings c. These are the works of our flesh which are manifest howbeit thou hast said He that loveth not his brother abideth in death and whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer 1 John 3.15 We pray thee do thou cause brotherly love to be and to continue amongst us give us to be kindly affectioned one to another then shall we experiment what thou hast said viz. How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded his blessing even life for evermore Ps 133. DISCOURSE XLIV That the grace of Humility and the exercise thereof might conduce much to the rebuilding of the City CAn London be lifted up after it hath been so much cast down can there be Pride in London after it hath been so much humbled by so great a Plague so great a fire so great a dearth of trade you may as well ask whether it were possible for the heart of Pharach to be hardned after so many Plagues and yet the last left it rather more hard than the first sound it How proud are the fallen Angels themselves though God hath laid them as low as Hell insomuch that the Devil tempted our Saviour to fall down and worship him Alas how many lives hath pride after it hath been in deaths often as one would think I say after it hath been exposed to many deaths yet said behold it lives Pride is one of the sponte nascentia one of those weeds which spring up of its own accord and never need to be sown We find these expressions Job 8.11 Can the rush grow up without mire can the flag grow without water the meaning is they cannot rise up or pride themselves as one rendreth it the word being the same as is used for pride Prov. 15.25 and Isa 16.6 unless the rush have mire to cherish it and the flag have water but Pride in men and women is such a thing that it will spring up where one would think there were no water to cherish it it will blaze out where one would think there were no fewel to feed that fire men will be proud of any thing rather than be proud of nothing proud of their shame glorying in that as the Apostle speaks before they will be ashamed of their pride To be humble is one thing and to have cause for it is another Pride was a sin that crept into Paradise and ever since it hath crept in every where and discovers it self to be in every heart more or less Surely the fire as great as it was hath not consumed all dross I doubt such demonstrations as the Prophet gave of the Israelites their pride Isa 3.16 may be given of ours after all that we have suffered The daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth necks walking and mincing or tripping softly as it is in the margent as they go and making a tinkling with their feet If lofty eyes if eye-lids lifted up Prov. 30.13 if a proud look be signs of pride as Solomon doth intimate that they are if a haughty supercilious countenance if a stately disdainful carriage be demonstrations of pride there is still to great a remainder of that sin even in London it self if an affection in persons to live above the rate of their condition to habit themselves as if they were richer than they are out of a desire to be thought so mearly for the honour of being accounted rich If exercising mens selves in things that are too high for them if an unwillingness in men and women to leave of their ornaments as did the Israelites when God threatned to depart from them Exod. 33.4 Do shew a want of humility then I am sure humility is wanting When God did but threaten to come down in the midst of the Israelites and consume them he said by Moses therefore now put off thine ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee Exod. 33.14 God hath actually consumed us and yet we have refused to put off our ornaments I mean such and so many as so great a judgment did call upon us to lay aside Do not some live at the same height in all respects as they did before the City was burned though they themselves were great sufferers thereby as if they were resolved not to chang countenance or to seem moved in the least at any thing that God had done against them like sturdy boyes that will not shed a tear though they are whipt till the bloud come If we for our parts be not throughly convinced that we were worthy of so great a punishment as to have our City burnt and to sustain all that loss which any of us for our own particular did sustain thereby and that we really deserve never to see our own houses built again much less the whole City together with them if we think it was for other mens sins only and not for ours amongst the rest that God gave London to the flames or that it was not from any controversie that God had with London that it was burnt or from any controversy that God had with us that our particular houses were burnt but meerly from the malice and treachery of men I say if we so think we are unhumbled to this time then do we in our hearts contend with God and charg him foolishly and sure I am that only of pride câ—meth that contention If to this day we are seeking great things for our selves viz. a great renown by the houses we have built or do intend to build which is more than a convenient memorial if we are ambitious