is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels because it was firstly and chiefly prepared for them All impenitent sinners shall have the Devil and his Angels for their constant companions and therefore they shall be sure to shear with them in the extremity and inevitableness of their torments But Thirdly Our fire when it burneth it shineth it casts a light Our fire burns and in burning shines light is a natural property of our common fire 't is true the elementary fire in its own sphere shineth not because of its subtilness and the infernal fire of Hell shineth not because of its grosness Yet our ordinary fire being of a mixt nature hath light as well as heat in it and that 's our comfort It hath light to shew it self to us and to our selves and it hath light to shew others to us and us to others c. Some men can work as well as talk by the light of the fire Our fires have their beams and rayes as well as the Sun but the fire of Hell burns but it dos not shine it gives no light at all Infernal fire hath no light or brightness attending of it Matâ—h 25. 30. Chap. 8. 12. and therefore Christ calls it utter darkness or outer darkness that is darkness beyond a darkness I have read of a young man who was very loose and vain in his life and was very Dâ—eâ—â—â—lius Basil speaking of Hell fire saith Vim comburendi retinet illaminaâ—di amisit It retains the proâ—erty of burning it hath lost the property of shining fearful of being in the dark who after falling sick and could not sleep cryed out Oâ— if this darkness be so terrible what is eternal darkness Hâ—ll would not be so uncomfortable a Prison if it were not so dark a Prison Light is a blessing that shall never shine into that infernal prison In Jude v. 6. you read of chains of darkness It would be a little ease a little comfort to the damned in Hell if they might have but light and liberty to walk up and down the infernal coasts but this is too high a favour for them to enjoy and therefore they shall be chained and staked down in chains of darkness and in blackness of darkness that so they may fully undergo the scorchings and burnings of Divine wrath and fury for ever and ever In Verse 13. you thus read To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever The words are an Hebraism and signifie exceeding great darkness Hell is a very dark and dismal Region and extream are the miseries horrors and torments which are there The Poets described the darkness of Hell by the Cimmerian darkness There was a Territory in Italy betwixt Baiae and Cumae where the Cimmerii inhabit which was so environed with Hills and overshadowed with such hanging Promontories that the Sun never comes at it The darkness Exod. 10. 21. The words are figuâ—ative importing extraordinary blâ—ck darkness of Aegypt was such a strong and horrid thick darkness that it was palpable it might be felt Even darkness which may be felt The darkness that is here threatned is called darkness that may be fâ—lt either by way of an Hyperbole to signifie what an exceeding great darkness iâ— should be or else because the Air should be so thickneâ— with gross mists and thick foggy vapours that it might be felt or else because this extraordinary darkness should be caused by a withdrawment of the light of the celestial bodies or by drawing a thick curtain of very black clouds betwixt mens eyes and them Yet this horrid darkness was nothing to the darkness of Hell the darkness of Aegypt was but as an over casting for three dayes Exod. 10. 22 23. And there was a thick darkness in all the Land of Aegypt three dayes They saw not one another neither rose any from his place three dayes For three dayes they were deprived not only of the natural lights and lamps of Heaven but of all artificial light also 'T is possible that the vapours might be so thick and moist as to put out their Candles and all other lights that were kindled by them 'T is probable that they had neither light from Sun Moon or Stars above nor yet from fire or candle below so â—hat they were as blind men that could not see at all and as lame men that could not move from their places and so they sate still as under the arrest of this darkness because they could not see what to do nor whither to go God would teach them the worth of light by the want of it Some think that by that dreadful Judgement of thick darkness they were filled with that terror and horror that they durst not so much as move from the places where they were sate down But after these three dayes of darkness were over the Egyptians enjoyed the glorious light of the Sun again O but sinners are in Hell when they are in chains of darkness when they are in blackness of darkness they shall never see light more Hell is a house without light Gregory and all other Authors that I have cast my eye upon agree in this that though our fire hath light as well as heat yet the infernal fire hath only heat to burn sinners It has no light to refresh sinners and this will be no small addition to their torment A Philosopher being asked Whether it were not a pleasant thing to behold the Sun answered that that was a blind mans question Surely life without light is but a lifeless life But Fourthly Our fire burns and consumes only the body it reaches not it torments not the precious and immortal soul but infernal fire burns and torments both body and soul Now the soul of pain is the pain of the soul Matth. 10. 28. And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destâ—oy bâ—th body and soul in Hâ—ll If the Glutton in the historical Parable Luke 16. 24. who â—ad but one half of himself in Hell viz. his soul cried out that he was horribly toâ—mâ—nâ—ed in that flame What tongue can express or heart conceive how great the damneds torments shall be in Hell when their bodies and souls in the great day shall be re-united for â—orture Beloved it is a just and righteous thing with God that such bodies and souls that have sinned impenitently together should be tormented everlastingly together To this purpose the Hebrew Doctors have a very pretty Parable viz. That a man planted an Orchard and going from home Pet. Mart. was careful to leave such Watchmen as might both keep it from strangers and not deceive him themselves therefore he appointed one blind but strong of his limbs and the other seeing but a Cripple These two in their Masters absence conspired together and the blind took the lame on his shoulders and so gathered the fruit their Master returning and
finding out this subtilty punished them both together Now so shall it be with those two sinful companions the 2 Cor. 5. 10. 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9 10. soul and the body in the great day of our Lord. With Simeon and Levi they have been brethren in iniquity and so shall be in eternal misery As body and soul have been one in sinning so they shall be one in suffering only remember this that as the soul has been chief in sin so it shall be chief in suffering But O Sirs if a consumable body bâ— not able to endure burning flames for a day how will an unconsumable soul and body be able to endure the scorching flames of Hell for ever But Fifthly Our fire wasteth and consumeth whatsoever is cast into it It turns flesh into ashes it turns all combustibles into ashes but the fire of Hell is not of that nature the fire of Hell consumes nothing that is cast into it it rages but it dos not waste either bodies or souls Look as the Salamander liveth in the fire so shall the wicked live in the fire of Hell for ever They shall seek for death but they Rev. 9. 6. shall not find it They shall desire to die and death shall fly from them They shall cry to the Mountains to fall upon Rev. 6. 16 17. them and to crush them to nothing They shâ—ll desire that the fire that burns them would consume them to nothing That the Worm that feeds on them would gnaw them to Maâ—k 9. 44 46 48. nothing that the Devils which torment them would tear them to nothing They shall cry to God who first made Gen. 1. 26. â—hem out of nothing to reduce them to that first nothing from whence thâ—y camâ— But he that made them will not have mercy on them he that fâ—rmed them will not shew them so much Isa 27. 11. favour Semper comburentur nunquâ—m consumentur they shall alwayâ—s be burned but never consumed Ah how well Aug. This fire is poena inconsumpta Jerom. would it be with the damned if in the fire of Hell they might be consumed to ashes But this is their misery they shall be ever dying and yet never dye their bodies shall be alwayes a burning but never a consuming 'T is dreadful to be perpetual fuel to the flames of Hell What misery to this For infernal fire to be stâ—ll a preying upon damned sinners and yet never making an end of them The two hundred and fifty men that usurped the Priests Office were Numb 16. 35. consumed by that fire that came out armed from the Lord against them And the fire that Elijah by an extraordinary 2 Kings 1. 10. 12. spirit of prayer brought down from heaven upon the two Captains and their fifties consumed them The fierce and furious flâ—mes of hell shall burn but never annihilate the bodies of the damned In hell there is no câ—ssation of fire burning nor of matter burned Neither flames nor smoak Hell torments punish but not finish the bodies of men Prosper shall consume or choak the impenitent both the infernal fire and the burning of the bodies of Reprobates in thaâ— fire shall be preserved by the miraculous power and providence of God The soul through pain and corruption will lose its beate vivere its happy being but it will not lose its essentià liter vivere its essential life or being But Sixthly and lastly Our fire may be quenched and extinguished The hottest flames the greatest conflâ—grations have been quenched and extinguishâ—d by water Fires on our hearths and in our chimneys are sometimes put out by the Suns bâ—ams and often they die and go out of themselves Our fire is maintained with wood and put out with water but the fire of hell never goes out it can never be quenched It is an everlasting fire an eternal fire an Jerom was out when he said Iâ—feâ—num nihil esse nisi conscieâ—tiae horrorâ—m And 〈◊〉 was ouâ— who held that theâ—e are no other Hell furies than the stings of conscience unquenchable fire In Mark 9. from v. 43. to v. 49. this fire is no less than five times said to be unquenchable as iâ— the Lord could never speak enough of it Beloved the Holy Ghost is never guilty of idle repetiâ—ions but by these frequent repetitions the Holy Ghost wâ—uld teach men to loâ—k about them and to look upon it as a real thing and as a serious thing and not sport themselves with unquenchable flames nor go to Hell in a dream Certainly the fire into which the damned shall be cast shall be without all intermission of time or punâ—shment No tearâ— nor blood nor time can extinguish the fire of hell Could every damned sinner weep a whole Ocean yet all those Oceans together would never extinguish one spark of infâ—rnal fire The damned are in everlasting chains of darkness they are under the vengeance of eternal fire they are in blackness of darkness for Jude 7. 6. ever The smoke of their torment ascendâ—d for ever and ever and they shall have no rest day nor night The damned in hell Rev. 14. 11. O that word Never said a poor despairing creature on his death-bed breaks my heart They are lying Histories that â—ell us that Trajan was delivered out of Hell by the prayers of Gregory and Falconella by the prayers of Teclaes would fain die but they cannot Mors sine morâ—e they shall be alwayes dying yet never dead they shall be alwayes a consuming yet never consumed The smoak of their Furnace ascâ—nds for ever and ever Aeternis puniâ—ntur poenis They shall be everlastingly punished saith Mollerus on Psal 9. 17. And Musculus on the same Text saith Animi impiorum cruciatibus dâ—bitis apud inferos punientur The souls of the â—ngodly shall be punished in hell with deserved torments Vbi per mi lia millia annorum cruciandi nec in seculo seculorum liberandi saith August Myriades of years shall not determine or put a period to their sufferings Plato could say that who ever are not expiated but prophane shall go into hell to be tormented for their wickedness with the greatest the most bitter and terrible punishments for ever in that prison of hell And Trismegistus could say That souls going out of the body defiled were tost to and fro with eternal punishments Yea the very Turks speaking of the house of perdition do affirm That they who have turned Gods Grace Alcoran Mahom c. 14. p. 160. c. 20. p. 198. into wantonness shall abide eternally in the fire of hell and there be eternally tormented A certain Religious man going to visit Olympius who lived cloistered up in a Monastery near Jordan and finding him cloistered up in a dark Cell which he thought uninhabitable by reason of heat and swarms of Gnats and Flyes and asking him how he could endure to live in such a place he answered All this is but a
reforms whâ— returns to the Most High who smites upon his thigh whâ— sayes what have I done who finds out the Plague of hiâ— Isa 1. 16 17 18. Psalm 106. Hos 12. 4. own heart who ceaseth from doing evil who learns to do well who stirs up himself to take hold of God who stands in the gap who wrestles and weeps and weeps and wrestles to turn away those judgements that this day threatens us So long as sin remains rampant and men continuâ— impenitent there is reason to fear a worse scourge than any yet we have been under Pharaohs stubbornness did but Exod. 9. 17. increase his plagues the more stout and unyielding we are under judgements the more chains God will still put on Eccles 5. 8. When his hand is lifted up we must either bow or break Such as have been under the smart rebukes of God and John 5. 14. will not take Christs warning to go their way and sin nâ— more have reason to fear his inference that a worse thing will come upon them The face of present Providences looks dismal dreadful sufferings seem to be near very near even at our very doors Yet to prevent fainting we must Isa 26. 20. remember that God never wants chambers to hide his people in till his indignation be over past God hath wayes enough to preserve his wheat even when the whirl-wind carries away the chaff God can find an Ark for his Noahs when a flood of wraâ—h sweeps away sinners on every hand and God can provide a Zoar for his Lots when he rains fire and brimstone upon all round about them Look as God many times by lesser mercies fits his people for greater mercies so God many times by lesser judgements fits his people for greater judgements and who can tell but that the design of God by the late Judgements of Fire Sword and Pestilence is to prepare and sit his people for greater judgements That God might have inflicted greater judgements than any yet he has inflicted upon us I have already proved by an induction of particulars that greater judgements may be prevented and our present mercies continued and â—ncreased it highly concerns us to repent and to turn to the Most High There are seven sorts of men who have high cause to fear worser Judgements than any yet have been inflicted upon them 1. Such who scorn and deride at the Judgements of God Isa 5 19. Jer. 17. 15. and Chap. 20. 8. 2 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. 2. Such who put off the Judgements of God to others who cry out O these Judgements concern such and such but not us 3. Such who are no wayes bettered nor reclaimed by Judgements 4. Such as grow worser and worser under all the warnings and judgements as Pharaoh and Ahaz did Isa 1. 5. Jer. 5. 3. 2 Chren 28. 22 23. 5. Such as make no preparations to meet God when he is in the way of his Judgements Amos 4. 12. 6. Such who are careless Gallioes that do not so much as mind or regard the warnings of God the judgements of God Isa 5. 12 13. 7. Such as put the evil day far from them as they did in Isa 22. 12 13. and as they did in Amos 6. 3. and as the inhabitants of Jerusalem did a little before their City was laid desolate Some Writers tell us that though the Jews had a great many warnings by prodigious signs and fearful apparitions Hegesippus Josephus c. before Jerusalem was besieged and the City destroyed yet most of them expounded the meaning of them in a more favourable sense to themselves than ever God intended till the dreadful vengeance of God overtook them to the utmost It is the greatest wisdom and prudence in the world to prepare and fit for the worst The best way on earth to prevent Judgements from falling upon us or if they do fall to sweeten them to us is to prepare for them But The twelfth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to secure the everlasting welfare of their precious and immortal souls O Sirs Londons Ashes tell you to your faces that you cannot secure your Houses your Shops your Estates your Trades but the eternal well being of your souls may be secured Every burnt Citizen carries a Jewel a Pearl of price a rich Treasure about him viz. a Divine Matth. 16. 26. soul which is more worth than all the world As Christ who only went to the price of souls as told us There is Psalm 19. 1 2. much of the Power Wisdom Majesty and Glory of God stampt upon the stately fabrick of this world but there is more of the Power Wisdom Majesty and Glory of God stampt upon an immortal soul The soul is the glory of the Creation What Job speaks of Wisdom is very applicable to the precious Job 28. 13 16 17. soul of man Man knows not the price thereof It cannot be valued with the Gold of Ophir with the precious Onyx or the Sapphire The Gold and the Chrystal cannot equal it and the exchange of it shall not be for Jewels of fine Gold The soul is a beam of God a heavenly spark a coelestial plant it is the beauty of man the wonder of Angels Psalm 45. 13. Epictetus and many others of the more refined Heathens have long since said that the body was but the Organ the soul was the man the Merchandize the envy of Devils and the glory of God O how richly and gloriously hath God embroydered the soul The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought Gold The soul is divinely inlaid and enamel'd by Gods own hand The soul is of an Angelical nature it is of a divine Offspring it is a spiritual substance capable of the knowledge of God and of union with God and of communion with God and of an eternal fruition of God The soul is an immortal substance and that not only per gratiam by the grace and favour of God as the body of Adam was in the state of innocency and as the bodies of Saints shall be at the resurrection but per naturam by its own nature having no internal principle of corruption so as it cannot by any thing from within it self cease to be neither can it be annihilated by any thing from without Fear not them which kill the body Matth. 10. 28. but are not able to kill the soul Some have observed to my hand that there are three sorts of created spirits the first of Gregory c. those whose dwellings is not with with flesh or in fleshly bodies they are the Angels the second of those which are wholly immersed in flesh the souls of beasts which rise out of the power of the flesh and perish together with it the third is of those which inhabit bodies of flesh but rise out of the power of the flesh nor dye when the body dyeth and these are the souls
the face of the Earth Some Heathen Philosophers thought anger an unseemly Attribute to ascribe to God And some Hereticks conceived the God of the New Testament void of all anger They imagined two Gods the God of the Old Testament was in their account Deus justus a Deity severe and revengeful But the God of the New Testament was Deus bonus the good God a God made up all of mercy they would have no anger in him but Christians do know that God proclaims this Attribute among his Titles of Honour Nehem. 1. 2. God is jealous and the Lord revengeth and is furious he reserveth wrath for his enemies 'T is the high-way to Atheism and Prophaneness to fancy to our selves a God made up all of mercy to think that God cannot tell how to be angry and wroth with the sons of men Surely they that have seen London in flames or believe that 't is now laid in ashes they will believe that God knows how to be angry and how to fix the tokens of his wrath upon us But Fourthly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the sons of men and upon Cities and Countries that they may cease from sin receive instruction and reform and return to the most High as you may evidently see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together Gods corrections should be our instructions his lashes should be our lessons Isa 26. 9. Psal 94. 12. Prov. 3. 12 13. Chap. 6. 23. his scourges should be our School-masters his chastisements should be our advertisements And to note this the Hebrews and the Greeks both express chastising and teaching by one the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Masar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paideia because Job 36. 8 9 10. and chap. 33. 19 20. the latter is the true end of the former according to that in the Proverb Smart makes wit and vexation gives understanding Whence Luther fitly calls affliction Theologiam Christianorum Levit. 26. Deut. 28. 2 Chron. 7. 13 14. Amos 4. 6. to verse 12. Isa 9. 13. Jer. 5. 3. Jer. 6. 29 30. Ezek. 23. 25 26 27. The Christian mans Divinity Jer. 6. 8. Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a land not inhabited Zeph. 3. 6 7. I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passed by their cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is no inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwellings should not be cut off However I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings By all the desolations that God had made before their eyes he designed their instruction and reformation From those words Judg. 3. 20. I have a message from God unto thee O King said Ehud Lo his Ponyard was Gods message from whence one well observes That not only the vocal admonitions but the real Judgments of God are his Errands and instructions to the world God delights to win men to himself by favours and mercies but 't is rare that God this way makes a conquest upon them Jer. 22. 21. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity Deut. 32. 14 15 16 17. Jer. 5. 7 8 9 10. Psal 73. 1. 10. saith God but thou saidst I will not hear and therefore 't is that he delivers them over into the hands of severe Judgments as into the hands of so many curst School-masters as Basil speaks that so they may learn obedience by the things â—hey suffer as the Apostle speaks It is said of Gideon he took Judg. 8. 16. bryars and thorns and with them he taught the men of Succoth Ah poor London how has God taught thee with bryars and thorns with Sword Pestilence and Fire and all because thou wouldst not be taught by prosperity and mercy to do justice to love mercy and to walk humbly with Mich. 6. 8. â—am 3 32 33. Isa 28. 21. Schola crucis schola laciâ— â—y God God delights in the Reformation of a Nation but he doth not delight in the desolation of any Nation Gods greatest severity is to prevent utter ruine and misery If God will but make Londons destruction Englands instruction it may save the Land from a total desolation Ah London London I would willingly hope that this fiery Rod that has been upon thy back has been only to awaken thee and to instruct thee and to refine thee and to reform thee that after this sore desolation God may delight to build thee and beautifie thee and make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many generations But Isa 60. 15. Fifthly God inflicts sore and great Judgments upon the sons of men that he may try them and make a more full discovery of themselves to themselves Wicked men will never believe that their lusts are so strong and that their hearts are so base as indeed they are 2 Kings 8. 12 13. And Hazael said Why weepeth my Lord and he answered Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the Children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child And Hazael said But what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing And Elishu answered The Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be King over Syria Hazael could not imagine that he should be as fierce cruel murderous and merciless as a dog that will tear all in pieces that he can come at It could never enter into his thoughts that ever he should do such cruel barbarous horrid and inhumane acts as the Prophet spoke of but he did noâ— know the depth of his own corruption nor the desperateness nor deceitfuâ—ness of his own heart Isa Jer. 17. 9. 8. 21. And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall frâ—t themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward When Judgments are upon them then their wickedness appears rampant They shall curse their own King for not defending protecting or relieving of them they shall look upon him as the cause of all their wants sorrows and sufferings and as men overwhelmed with misery and full of indignation they shall fall a cursing of him And they shall curse their God as well as their King that is say some the true God who deservedly brought these plagues upon them Their God that is say others their Melchom to whom they had sacrificed and in whom they see now that they vainly trusted So those desperate wretches under the Beast Rev. 16. 8 9. And the fourth Angel poured out his vial upon thâ— Plutarch observes that it is the quality of Tygers to grow mad and tear themselves in pieces if they hearbut Drums or Tabers to sound about
himself both in the Old and New Testament And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God merciful and Exod. 34. 6. gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth So Moses in his Song He is a God of truth and without iniquity Deut. 32. 4. Isa 65. 16. just and right is he So Esay He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth So the Psal 31. 5. Psal 86. 15. Psalmist Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Again Thou O Lord art plenteous in mercy and truth So in the New Testament Let God be true and every man a lyar Again They themselves shew how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Though God can make a Rom. 3. 4. Gen. 1. Chap. 6. world with a word of his mouth and mar a world with a word of his mouth yet he can neither dye nor lye Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began yea it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye Now by all these plain pregnant Texts 't is most evident that lying is most opposite and contrary to the very Nature Essence and Being of God and therefore no wonder if the anger and wrath of God rises high against it But Secondly Consider this that pernicious Lyes and Lyars are very destructive to all humane Societies Kingdoms and Common-wealths Lying destroys all Society all Commerce and Converse among the Sons of men Man as the Philosopher observeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature Speech is the means whereby men have society and commerce one with another Now lying perverts that order which the God of truth hath appointed to be among the Sons of men 'T is the will and pleasure of God that the Sons of men conversing together should by their words and speeches and discourses impart and communicate their minds designs intentions and meanings one to another for the mutual good of one another and for the profit and benefit of the whole Now if there be nothing in mens words but lying deceit and fraud instead of truth what can follow but confusion and desolation When the language of men was confounded so that one could not tell what another spake then presently followed the dissolution of their combination for the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth and they left off to build the City when Gen. 11. 7 8. one asked brick saith a Rabbin another brought clay and R. Sal. The Hebrew Doctors say that at this dispersion there were seventy Nations with seventy sundry languages Gen. 49. 6. Psal 120. 2. Jer. 9. 1. to the 6. then they fell together by the ears and one dashed out the others brains and by thls means their communion was dissolved and God brought on them the evil which they sought to prevent vers 4. But surely a lying tongue is a far worse enemy to Society then an unknown tongue and much better it is for a man to have no society at all then with such as he cannot believe what they say or if he do he shall be sure to be deceived by them Concerning such we may well take up the words of Jacob O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united And pray with David Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue Jeremiah did so loath and abominate the society of Lyars that he had rather live in a Wilderness then live among them or have any thing to do with them Lyars destroy that Communion and Society that by the Law of God Nature and Nations they ought to preserve and maintain Lying dissolves that mutual trust that we should have with one another for hereby all Contracts Covenants and Intercourse of dealings between man Mendax hoc lucratur ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur and man which is as it were the life of the Kingdom or Common-wealth are quite overthrown When men make no conscience of lying nor of keeping their word any further then either fear of loss or force of Law compelleth them all Civil communion is at an end There can be no trust where there is no truth nor no Commerce with those that cannot be trusted The Scythians had a Law that if any man did duo peccata contorquere bind two sins together a lye and an oath he was to lose his head because this was the way to take away all faith and truth among men Had this Law been put in execution in London I have reason enough to fear that many Ciâ—izens would have lost their heads long before they had lost their houses by the lâ—te dreadful Fire Now seeing that pernicious lying a course a trade of lying is so destructive to humane Society why should we wonder to see the Lord appear in flaming fire against it But Thirdly Consider that lying is a sin that is most odiouâ— and hateful to God yea a sin that makes men odious and hateful to him Lying is repugnant unto God for God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of Titus 1. 2. Isa 65. 16. truth and therefore lying cannot but be odious to him God is said not only to forbid a lye but to hate a lye A lye 't is an abâ—mination Now we abominate that which is contrary to our natures Amongst those things that are an abomination to the Lord a lying tongue is reckoned Prov. 6. 16 17. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look a lying tongue or as the Hebrew runs a tongue of lying that is a tongue that hath learned the trade and can do it artificially a tongue that is accustomed to lying a tongue that is delighted in lying So Verse 19. A false witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren Among these seven things abominated by God lying is twice repeated to note how great an abomination lying is in the eye and account of God Prov. 12. 22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord not only offensive or odious but abominable Lyars pervert the end for which God created speech which was to give light to the notions of the mind and therefore the Lord loaths them and plagues them in this life with great severity as you may see in those sad instances of Gehazi whose lye was punished 2 Kings 5. 20. to the end Acts 5. 5. to the 11. Esth 3. 8 9 10 11. with a perpetual leprosie upon himself and his posterity and of Ananias and Sapphira who for their lying were punished with present and
sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they may know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them The singular blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will bring upon us are 1. Spiritual they that conscientiously sanctifie the Sabbath they shall see and know the work of God the work of Grace upon their own Souls There are many precious Christians that have a work of God a work of Grace upon their own Souls who would give ten thousand worlds were there so many in their hands to give to see that work to know that work Oh but now they that sanctifie the Sabbath they shall both see and know the work of God upon their own Souls And they shall find â—he Lord carrying on the work of Grace and Holiness in their Souls they shall find the Lord destroying their sins and filling their hearts with joy and with a blessed assurance of his favour and love Isa 56. 6 7. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants Every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold on my Covenant Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my Altar for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people So Isa 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Now in the second place the other blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will invest us with are temporal blessings for so they follow in the Scripture last cited And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth here is honour and esteem and safety and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father Now the Land of Canaan was the Inheritance Gen. 28. 13. And Chap. 48. 4. which God promised to Jacob. Hereby is noted that comfortable provision that God would make for them that sanctified his Sabbaths Such as make the Sabbath their delight they shall never want protection nor provision God will be a Wall of fire about them and a Canaan to them But Fifthly Consider that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it self commands us to Math. 12. 8. Deut. 18. 18 19. hear did alter it from the seventh day to the first day of the week which we now keep For the holy Evangelists note that our Lord came into the midst of the Assembly on the two first days of the two weeks immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathing on them the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19-26 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace â—e unto you Look as Christ was forty days instructing Moses in Sinai what he should teach and how he should govern the Church under the Law so he continued forty days teaching his Disciples what they shoult preach and how they should govern the Church under the Gospel Acts 1. 2 3. Vntil the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen To whom also he shewed himself alive after his Passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And it is not to be doubted but that within those forty days he likewise ordained on what day they should likewise keep the Sabbath and 't is observable that on this first day of the week he sent down from Heaven the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles Acts 2. 1-4 And when the day of the Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance So that on that day they first began and ever after continued the publick exercise of their Ministry Christ who was Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. had a soveraign right to change and alter it to what day he pleased But Sixthly Consider that according to the Lords mind and Commandment and the direction of the Holy Ghost the Apostles in all the Christian Churches ordained that they should keep the holy Sabbath upon the first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches â—â— Galatia Even so do ye upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come In which words you may observe these five things First That the Apostles ordained this day to be kept holy therefore 't is of a Divine institution Secondly That the day is named the first day of the week therefore not the Jewish seventh or any other Thirdly Every first day of the week which sheweth its perpetuity Fourthly That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and he setled one uniform in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was universal 1 Cor. 14. 33. For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints Fifthly That there should be collections for the poor on that day after the other Ordinances were ended Now why should the Apostles require collections to be made on the first day of the week but because on that day of the week the Saints assembled themselves together in the Apostles time And in the same Epistle he protesteth that he delivered them no other Ordinance or Doctrine but what he had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread 1 Cor. 14. 37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. Now mark he wrote to them and ordained among them to keep their Sabbath on the first day of the week therefore to keep the Sabbath on that day is the very Commandment of the Lord. But Seventhly Consider the Apostles on that day ordinarily dispensed the holy Ordinances
Satan and Antichrist the weakning of whose Kingdom is the glory safety and security of the Land 5. For the turning away of wrath either felt or feared 6. For the bringing down of the greatest weightiest and noblest of James 5. 16 17 18. temporal favours and blessings upon Cities and Countries as might be proved from scores of Scripture And therefore The first on the 24. of August and the other on the 2. of September never marvel if God revenges the abuses done to them in flames of fire It was on a Sabbath that the publick liberty of the painful faithful Ministers of London was terminated and came to an end and it was on a Sabbath that London was burnt Thirteenthly Shedding of the blood of the Just is a crying sin that brings the Judgment of Fire and lays all desolate Ezek. 35. 4 5. 7. I will lay thy cities waste and thou See Ezek. 21. 28. 31 32. And Chap. 25. 3 4 5. shalt be desolate and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred or hatred of old and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity in the time that their iniquity had an end Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth Vers 10. Because thou hast said these two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possessit whereas the Lord was there Vers 11. Therefore as I live saith the Lord God I will even do according â—o thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them and I will make my self known among them when I have judged thee Vers 12. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel saying They are laid desolate they are given us to consume or devour Vers 13. Thus with your mouth you have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me I have heard them Vers 14. Thus saith the Lord God when the whole earth rejoyceth I will make thee desolate Vers 15. As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate so will I do unto thee Thou shalt be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it and they shall know that I am the Lord. The Edomites were deadly enemies to the Israelites their hatred was old and strong and active against them and they took hold on all occasions wherein they might express their rage and cruelty against them both in words and works And therefore Psal 137. 7. when the Babylonians took Jerusalem they cryed Rase it Rase it even to the foundation thereof When the Babylonians entred Jerusalem many of the Jews fled to the Edomites for succour they being their brethren but instead of sheltring them they cruelly destroyed them and greatly insulted over them and were glad of all opportunities wherin they might vent all their rage and malice against them that so they might the better ingratiate themselves with the Babylonians Now for these cruel practices and barbarous severities of theirs towards the poor afflicted and distressed Israel of God God is resolved to bring utter desolation upon them Vers 3. Thus saith the Lord God Behold O mount Seir I am against thee and I will stretch out my hand against thee and I will make thee most desolate Or as the Hebrew is Shemamah Vmeshammah desolation and desolation Now this doubling of the Hebrew word shews the certainty of their desolation the speediness of their desolation and the greatness and throughness of their desolation Jer. 26. 14 15. See vers 8 9. 11. As for me behold I am in your hand do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you But know ye for certain that if you put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof That was good counsel which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan Persecutor God will surely make Inquisition for our blood therefore saith he if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy Country which must be responsible when God comes to visit for blood So Lam. 4. 11. 12 13. The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce anger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured the foundations thereof The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquities of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her The Prophets and the Priests enraged the people against them and ingaged the Civil Power against the just and the innocent to the shedding of their blood But this innocent blood could not be purged away but by fire To shed the blood of the Just is a most crying sin and that for which God has turned the most glorious Cities in the World into ashes Jerom upon the Text saith that the Prophets and Priests shed the blood of the Just in the midst of Jerusalem by drawing them into errour which is to the destruction of the Soul But Calvin upon the Text well observes this cannot stand because just men are not so destroyed but the wâ—cked only that take no heed to their false teaching Therefore saith he the true Prophets of God are meant by the just for whom they had Prisons Dungeons and Stocks to put them into and sometimes stoning or otherwise tumults which they stirred up among the people whereby their blood was shed Rome has much of the blood of the Saints upon her skirts and for this very sin she shall be utterly burnt with fire as you may see at large if you will please to read the 18. Chapter Rev. 16. 6. Rev. 17. 6. Rev. 19 2. Rev. 18. 24. of the Revelations at your leisure Though Rome was a Cage of unclean Birds and full of all manner of abominations yet the sin that shall at last burn her to ashâ—s is the blood of the Saints mark though the people of God are in Babylon and may partake of her Plagues and fall under the fiery Dispensation with her it is not the sins of the Saints but the sins of Babylon that bring the Judgment of Fire upon Babylon Mark the people of God may live in a City that may be burnt to ashes and yet their sins may not be the procuring causes of that Judgment Lot lived in Sodom and Gen. 19. had his failings and infirmities as well as other Saints but it was not his sins that brought the Judgment of Fire upon that City but the sins of the Citizens as the Scripture assures us But
Sea how many millions of ages would pass before they could make up one River much more a whole and when that were done should he wâ—ep again after the same manner till he had filled second a third a fourth Sea if then there should be an end of their miseries there would be some hope some comfort that they would end at last but that shall never never never end This is that which siâ—ks them under the most tormenting terrors and horrors Drexelâ—ius makes this Observation from the words of our Saviour John 15. 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and it is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned Where he observeth that the words do not run in the Future Tense he shall be cast forth and shall be cast into the fire and burned but all in the Present Tense he is cast forth is withered men cast them into the fire and they are burned This saith he is the state and condition of the damned They are burned that is they are alwayes burning When a thousand years are past as it was at first so it is still they are burned after a thousand thousand years more as it was before so it is still they are burned If after millions of years the question was asked What is now their state and condition what do they What suffer they how doth it fare with them there can be no other answer returned buâ— they are burned continually and eternally burning Socinians say There will come a time when the fallen Angels and the wickedst men shall be freed from infernal torments And Augustine speaks of some such merciful men in Aug. l. 21. c. 17. c. 18. c. 19 c. 20. c. 21. c. 22. de Civitate Dâ—i his time And Origen held and taught that not only impenitent Christians but even Pagans and Devils after the term of a thousand years should be released out of Hell and become as bright Angels in heaven as they were before But these dangerous fancies and ungrounded opinions fall flat before the clear evidence of those sad and serious truths that I have now tendered to your consideration And thus I have shewed you the difference between our Fire and Hâ—ll fire Now O ye Citizens of London who truly fear the Lord and who are united to Christ by faith know for your everlasting comfort and support that Christ has secured you from infernal Fire from everlasting Fire from unquenchable Fire from eternal Fire and from the Worm that never dieth as you may see clearly and fully by comparing the Scriptures in John 3. 17. 18 36. Luke 1. 68 69 70 71 74. Rom. 6. ult Chap. 8. 1. 31 32 33 34 35. 37. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Chap. 15. 54 55 56 57 58. 1 Thess 1. ult Rev. 20. 5 6. the Margent together Christ by his blood hath quenched the violence of infernal flames so that they shall never scorch you nor burn you hurt you nor harm you Nebuchadnezzars Fiery Furnace was a Type of Hell say some Now look as the three Children or rather Champions had not one hair of their heads sindged in that Fiery Furnace so Hell Fire shall never singe one hair of your heads Your interest in Christ is a noble and sufficient security to you against the flames of Hell Pliny saith that nothing in the world will so soon quench fire as Salt and Blood and therefore in many Countreys where they can get plenty of blood they will use salt and bâ—ood rather than Water to quench the Fire If you cast water on the Fire the Fire will quickly work it out but if you cast blood upon it it will damp it in a moment O Sirs Christs blood has so quenched the flames of Hell that they shall never be able to scorch or burn those souls that are interested in him The effusion of Christs blood is so rich and available saith my Author Leo de Pas Serm. 12. c. 4. that if the whole multitude of captive sinners would believe in their Redeemer not one should be detained in the Tyrants Chains All those spots that a Christian finds in his own heart shall first or last be washed out in the blood of the Lamb. 1 John 1. 7. The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all our sins Now such as are washed and cleansed from their sins in the blood of Jesus such shall never experimentally know what everlasting burnings or a devouring Fire means Such as are washt in Christs blood needs no purifying by Hells flames Pliny saith of Polium that it is a preservative against Serpents Sâ—re I am that thâ— blood of Christ is an effectual preservative against all infernal Serpents and infernal torments You believing Citizens who have set up God as the object Nâ—ro haâ—l a Shirt made oâ— a Salamanders â—kin so that iâ— he did walk through the fire in it it would keep him from burning O Sirs Christ is the true Saâ—amanders skin that will certainly keep every gracious soul from burning in everlasting flames of your fear and whose hearts are enflamed with love to Christ know for your everlasting refreshment that Christ has freed you and secured you from everlasting Fire from unquenchable Fire from eternal Fire and therefore bear up sweetly bear up cheerfully under that Fiery dispensation that has past upon you What is the burning of your houses and substance to the burning of bodies and souls in Hell What was the Fire of London to infernal Fire What is a Fire of four or five dayes continuance to that everlasting Fire to that unquenchable Fire to that eternal Fire that you have deserved and that free-Grace hath preserved you from A frequent and serious consideration oâ— Hell Fire as I have opened it unto you and of your happy deliverance from it may very well bear and cheer up your hearts under all your greatest sufferings by that dreadful Fire that has turned beloved London into a ruinous heap Sir You have been a discoursing about hellish torments but for the further clearing up of the truth we desire your serious Answer to this sad Question viz. How will it stand with the unspotted Holiness Justice and Object Righteousness of God to punish a temporary offence with eternal punishments for the evil of punishment should be but commensurate to the evil of sin Now what proportion is there betwixt finite and infinite Why should the sinner lye in hellish torments for ever and ever for sinning but a short time a few years in this world I judge it very necessary to say something to this important Answ Question before I come to discourse of those Duties that are incumbent upon those Citizens whose houses are turned into a ruinous heap and therefore take me thus First Gods Will is the Rule of Righteousness and therefore what he doâ—h or shall do must needs be righteous He is Lord of all he
Hearbs sweep the house cleave wood and kindle the fire and do such like things c. Sâ—condly The Heathens did use to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness before they would offer Sacrifices to several of their Gods They had as Authors write their stone pots of water set at the doors of their Temples where they used to wash before they went to Sacrifice Thirdly The works of the day are great and glorious and what excellent works are there in nature but requires some previous preparation c. Fourthly Consider the Dignity Majesty Authority and Purity of that God with whom you have to do in all the duties of the day When men are to converse and treat with earthly Princes or to give them entertainment how do they prepare and make ready And will you carry it worse towards 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. the King of Kings and Lord of Lords than men do carry it towards mortal Princes whose breath is in their nostrils and whose glory shall assuredly be laid in the dust c. Fifthly Consider if you do not prepare your selves beforâ— hand for that day of the Lord and all the duties of that day what difference will there be between you and the worst of Hypocrites Formalists Superstitious or prophane persons who rush upon holy duties as the Horse rusheth into the Battel Dost thou dress up thy house thy Husband thy self thy children so do the worst of persons If you do not prepare for the dutiâ—s of the day and to meet with God in those duties what singular thing do ye Matth. 5. 27. Sixthly Consider what blessed yearnings you have made on those Sabbaths wherein you have been prepared to meet with the Lord and to manage the duties of those dayes O the joy the peace the comfort the communion the satisfaction the enlargements that you have then met with and on the other hand consider what poor yearnings you have made of it when you have been careless and rash and have not prepared your selves for the duties of the day and for the enjoyment of God in those duties Oh how flat how cold how dull how dead how straitned have you been on those Sabbâ—ths wherein you have not prepared to meet with the Lord c. But you may say Wherein doth our preparation for the Sabbath Quest consist In these three things Answ First In a holy care so to order all our worldly business and affairs on the day before that they may not encrease upon us on the Lords Day to trouble us or distract us in the duties of that day Secondly In putting iniquity far from you in laying aside all superfluity of naughtiness that you may receive the ingrafted Job 11. 14 15. James 1. 12. word with meekness which is able to save your souls When the vessel is unclean it sowres quickly the sweetest liquors that are poured into it And so when the heart is filthy and unclean it loses all the good it might otherwise gain by Ordinances If the stomach be foul it must be purged before it be fed or else the meat will never nourish and strengthen nature but encrease ill humours So the souls of men must be purged from soul enormities and gross impieties or else they will never gain any saving good by Ordinances 2 Tim. 2. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work c. Thirdly In acting your graces in all the duties of the day Sleepy habits will do you no good nor bring God no glory all the honour he hath and all the comfort and advantage Isaiah 50. 10. you have is from the active part of grace and therefore you must still be a stirring up the grace of God that is in you 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God that is in thee I know the Apostle speaks of the Ministerial gift but it is as true of the work of grace for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies grace as well as gift Stir up the grace of God in thee Mark the phrase it is a remarkable phrase for in the Original it is to blow up thy grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as a man blowes up a fire that growes dull or is hid under the ashes blow up the grace of God in thee Some think that it is a Metaphor taken from a spark kept in ashes which by gentle Calvâ—n and others blowing is stirred up till it take a flame Others say it is an allusion to the fire in the Temple which was alwayes to be kept burning Look as the fire is encreased and preserved by blowing so are our graces preserved and encreased by our acting of them We get nothing by dead and useless habits Talents hid in a Napkin gather rust Look as the noblest faculties are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised So the noblest graces are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised Grace is bettered and made more perfect by acting neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing and so are our graces for acting We had need pray hard with the Spouse Cant. 4. ult Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit Satans grand design is not to keep men from going the round of duties nor yet to keep men from attending on Ordinances but his grand design is to hinder the exercise of grace All other exercises without the exercise of grace will do a Christian no good as you may see Luke 22. 31 32 33. 1 Tim. 4 8 Isa â—â— 1 -8 Neh. 7. 4 5. 6. by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together The more grace is exercised the more corruptions will be weakned and mortified As one buâ—ket in the Wâ—ll rises up the other goâ—s down so as grace rises higher and higher corruptions fall lower and lower There was two Lawrâ—ls at Rome and when the one flourished the other withered so where grace flourishes corruptions wither As the house 2 Sam. 3. 1. of David grew stronger and stronger so the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker So as grace in its exercise grows stronger and stronger So sin like the house of Saul will every day grow weaker and weaker If you keep not grace Mark 4. 40. in exercise it may most fail you when it should stand you most in stead If a man uses a knife but now and then he may have his knife to seek when he should use it That Sword grows rusty in the scabbard that is used but now and then You know how to apply it But Thirdly You must sanctâ—fie the Sabbath by looking upon the enjoyment of Sabbaths and Ordinances as your great happiness by