been righteous if he had destroyed us Think with your selves you that are alive and remain escaped how fearful would the Plague have been if it had come home to your houses you were afraid to hear of others houses visited and shut up what would you have been if it had entered your doors you were afraid when others were struck with the disease what would you have been if you had been struck your selves Sinners what would you have done if the arrow had pierced through your Livers if under such guilt and wrath you had been smitten when you had such a Plague of sin in your hearts if you should have had the Plague of Pestilence in your bodies if when you were so rotten and corrupt and defiled inwardly you should have had boyls and blanes and running sores outwardly if when conscience was so filled with guilt your bodies should have been filled with this disease In a word If when you had the marks of Hell and damnation in your souls you should have had the marks of inevitable death in your bodies Oh the dread that would have seised upon you The Judgement of the Plague might have been worse to you you might have spent above a year in Hell by this time among Devils and damned Spirits you might by this time have been inured to those torments which yet you could not have endured but must have endured for ever without any possibility of deliverance for ever Many of you who have escaped have your Families unbroken when other whole Families are swept away Suppose thy dear Wife had fallen or thy hopefull Children had been nipt by death in the very bud and your Families had been maimed the Judgement would have been much sorer on you None can say but God might have righteously punished London more severely by the Plague 2. God might have punished London also more severely by the Fire The greatest part of the City is fallen it might have been the whole Most of the City within the Walls is consumed the flames might have issued forth at all the Gates and consumed all the Suburbs too all the goods might have been burnt with the houses and all the Inhabitants with the Habitations The Fire though it burned dreadfully yet it began at one end and came on so slowly that most of the Inhabitants of London had time to remove themselves and the choycest of their goods some Livelihood was left and Materials for a future Trade Suppose the Fire had been so sudden or had been kindled in so many places that there had been no possibility of removing any thing except the persons themselves Suppose all the Silver and Gold and rich Plate of the City had been melted by this Fire that all the Wares and Merchandize all the Garments Beds and Houshold goods had been turned into ashes and many thousand Families that have been turned out of house had been turned out of all and quite bereaved of all their Substance so that nothing had remained to them for necessary use this would have been very sore Alas what would they have done whether would they have gone for relief Would the Court have supplyed them Could the Countrey have helped and maintained so many when so much impoverished themselves that in many places they are hardly able to live Could they have hoped for relief from foreign Nations Are not all the World almost our Enemies Is Charity so warm abroad Alas what would they have done Must not many of them have pined away in their wants and starved under Hedges for lack of suitable provisions This would have been dreadfull indeed Or suppose they had lugg'd their Goods out of London from the Fire and the whole City had been burnt down with all the Suburbs and no habitations left standing hereabouts what would they have done with their goods where would they have disposed of them How could they any wayes have continued their Trades Where could they have disposed of their persons How could they have lived this cold Winter Season Could they have struck up Booths presently fit for themselves to abide in which would have sheltred them from the injury of the weather where would they have had materials when all was burnt Alas what would they have done must not their goods have been spoyled by lying abroad would not they themselves who had been used to so much tenderness have quickly grown sick and died in the Fields would not thousands have starved for cold and what Provision could they have had for food and other necessaries Besides would they not have been a prey to Theeves and Cut-throats Would not many of their Enemies who laughed at the fall of the City have rejoyced much more and taken advantage to come upon them in their nakedness and butcher'd them without mercy But suppose the Fire that begun at one corner had been kindled in every Gate at the same time when all the Inhabitants had been asleep in their Houses and they had been inclosed with flames and no possibility of escape how dreadfull would the Fire have been then If when they awakened in the Morning they had seen the smoke ascending round about them and the Fire drawing neer to them if both ends of a street had been on Fire together and they in the midst and had heard with the roaring of the Fire a greater roaring of the People that were burning with the Houses O the ruefull looks Oh the horrible shrieks by women and children oh the dreadfull amazement and perplexity which would have been in such a place and case To be burnt alive is dreadfull but think what tortures would have been in the spirits of guilty sinners who had not made their peace with God that had slept out the Harvest and day of Grace that had made no Provision for death and Eternity The noise and roaring without would have been nothing to the lashes and tearings within them the Fire in their Houses would have been but small in comparison of the fire in their Consciences and the flames of Hell-fire which if awakened they would have seen just before them This Judgement of the Fire might have been more dreadfull than it was Persons are escaped Goods and Wealth much saved Houses standing to receive them Trade going on God might have punisht London more sorely in the same kinde 2. God might have punished London more severely in other kindes of Judgements 1. He might have brought upon them and upon the whole Land the Sword of a Foreign Enemy as he did upon Ierusalem and the land of Iudea for their sins which being so pathetically set forth by the Prophet Ieremy 4. v. 16. to the end I shall represent to the eye A Voice declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim make ye mention to the Nations behold publish against Jerusalem that Watchers come from a far Countrey and give out their voice against the Cities of Judah As Keepers of the Field they are against her round about
death O how welcome would such a messenger and tidings have been but when Ministers have preached the Gospel unto them which tells them how they should save their souls in danger of death and hell such tidings have had no relish with them as if they had no souls or were in no danger the light hath shined before them but there hath been a cloud in their eye they could not discern it or they have look'd upon it afar off they have not drawn neer and brought it home and set it up in their bosomes that they might order themselves and whole conversations according to its guidance and direction 4. The Hypocrites have been guilty of this sin these have drawn neerer to this light than any of the former so neer that they have seem'd to be cloathed with its beames they have lighted their Lamps hereby and have shined forth in a glorious blaze of an outward profession yet there hath been even in these an inward secret disrelish of the Gospel especially of some things in it there have been some secret rooms in their hearts into which they would not suffer the light to enter least it should discover those beloved Dalilah's which there they have nourished and brought up they have been rotten at the Core and have had some unmortified lust within which the World hath not taken notice of so that if the Gospel hath been received by them it hath been only in the outward form not in the inward power if the light hath been received it hath been without its heat and life Hence it hath come to pass that some of these Hypocrites who seemed to be Stars of the first magnitude have proved only Blazing-stars and Commets which in a short time have fallen and sunk into wilde opinions or fearful Apostacy 5. The Errone us have been guilty of this sin some and not a few in London under this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel which hath come from Heaven have lighted a Candle at the Fire of Hell and laboured to set it up in opposition to the true Light of the Gospel crying out New Light new Light Sathan himself hath appeared in London like an Angel of Light and employed his Emissaries and wicked instruments who have seemed to be Ministers of righteousness but have had a wolfish ravenous heart under the dress and cloathing of the sheep to vent many damnable and destructive opinions in our Church under pretence of new discoveries and revelations of the spirit and though this false and Taper-light could never abide the test and put forth any beams of convincing truth but darkned and disappeared upon the approach of the Sun where it shined in its power yet too many whose eyes were too fore to look upon the glorious beams of the Sun and yet withall their hearts too fearful to remain wholly in the dark without any shew of light did withdraw themselves from the former and sought after the later in dark corners where alone such rotten wood could seem to shine and such candles could give forth any light and choosing night rather than day they followed these false wandring fires though they were led by them into many a precipice It is sad to remember and seriously to consider what errours and strong delusions have abounded and prevailed in our Gospel-daies How many false teachers have there been among us which have crept in at unawares how many Jesuits and Priests sent from Rome and other places to rend and tear our Protestant Church to pieces that they might make way for the introduction of Popery at least to cast a disgrace upon Protestantism and delude many of us with the opinions they have broached and to confirm their own in their delusions thus many cunning learned Jesuits have disguised themselves in the habit of Taylors Shoo-makers and of other mechanical Tradesmen that they might seem to the people to have been taught those things by the Spirit which have been the product of much study thus these cursed villains of old ordained to condemnation have privily brought in damnable heresies some calling themselves Quakers others Ranters other Seekers others Antinomians others Brownists others Anabaptists putting themselves into any shapes that they might mis-lead and the better lye in wait to deceive poor souls some denying the Lord that bought them setting up the fancy of a Christ within them for their Saviour others denying the foundation undermining the Divine Authority of the Scriptures others labouring to overthrow the Doctrine of Justification and striking at most fundamental Doctrines in the Christian faith and all of them endeavouring to undermine the ministry of Christs institution and sending calling them Anti-Christian Baals Priests False Prophets doing what they could to bring them and their ministry out of esteem that they might the more effectually prevaile with the people to receive their false doctrines and arm them hereby against an undeceivement and sweetning their poison with good words and fair speeches they have deceived the hearts of the simple so that many did follow their pernicious waies by reason of whom the way of truth hath been evil spoken of and what ever good words they had they were but feigned words whereby they made merchandize of souls Whose judgment now a long time lingreth not and whose damnation slumbreth not 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. These the Apostle calls spots and blemishes sporting themselves with their own deceivings Wells without Water Clouds carried about with a Tempest Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Wandring stars unto whom is reserved blackness of darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2. 13 17. Iud. 13. And yet many of these were hearkned unto and adheared unto by too many in London rather than the true Gospel Ministers commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and ordained according to the Prescription of his Word Then many Lay-men some gifted who would have given a better account of their gifts at the great day had they kept their station and some without gifts but with a great measure of ignorance and confidence did step up sometimes into Pulpits often took upon them to preach in private invading the office and intruding into the work of Christs Embassadours which he hath appointed a peculiar office for and which he hath set a hedge about more than any other office we read of in Scripture but they ventured to break over the hedge I am confident to the affronting and displeasing of the great King whose representatives in the world his Embassadours are and not only silly women were led captive by the deceivers which crept in when so many took liberty to preach but also men who professed themselves to be wise and to have attained to a degree of light above the vulgar yet forsaking the Ministery and Ordinances of Jesus Christ appointed to continue unto the end of the world for the instructing perfecting and establishment of Saints in knowledge and faith they became fools and children tossed to and fro
because she hath been rebellious against me saith the Lord. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise within me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumpet the Alarm of Warr. Destruction upon destruction is cryed for the whole land is spoyled and my curtains in a moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumpet I beheld and all the Cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger for thus hath the Lord said The whole land shall be desolate for this shall the land mourn and the Heavens above be black The whole City shall flee for the noise of the Horsemen and the Bowmen they shall go into the Thickets and climbe up upon the Rocks every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoyled what wilt thou do though thou cloathest thy self with Crimson though thou deckest thy self with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy lovers shall despise thee they will seek thy life for I have heard a voice as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first childe the voice of the daughter of Zion that bewaileth her self that spreadeth forth her hands saying Wo is me now for my soul is wearied because of murtherers This might have been the Judgement and these the Complaints of London and England which would have been worse than Plague or Fire The Plague reached many but the Sword might have reached all the Fire devoured Houses but the Sword might have devoured the Inhabitants The Lord might have brought a Foreign Sword and open Invasion or he might have given up London to a more private sudden Butchery and Massacre by the hands of cruel Papists as was feared which would have been more dreadfull than the Massacre of the Protestants by the Papists in Paris because our numbers do so far exceed those which were in that City If bloody Papists had come into our Houses in the dead of the Night with such kinde of Knives in their hands as were found after the Fire in Barrels and having set Watch at every Streets end had suffered none to escape but cruelly slaughtered the Husband with the Wife the Parents and the Children together ripping up women with Childe and not sparing either the Silver hair or the Sucking Babe If there had been a cry at midnight They are come but no possibility of flying from them or making resistance against them if instead of heaps of Stones and Bricks in the top of every street there had been heaps of dead Bodies and the Kennels had been made to run down with gore-blood sure this Judgement would have been more dreadfull than the Plague or Fire which have been among us 2. God might have punished London with Famine which is a greater Judgement than the Plague or Sword If the Lord had broken the whole staff of bread and cut off all provisions of food from the many thousand souls that lived in and about the City how dreadful would this have been If a famine had been so sore in London that people should have been forced to eat one another and their own flesh as it was in Samaria and Ierusalem If instead of houses in London God should have made the people as fuel of the Fire in this judgement as is threatned Esa. 9. 19 20. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkened and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire no man shall spare his brother and he shall snatch on his right hand and be hungry and he shall eat on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arms If London had been forced through hunger to eat the flesh of their own arms and the fruit of their own bodies Oh what a dismal face would there have been in the City and how would death have been chosen rather than life in the by-us-unconceivable pain of gnawing hunger Those which dye by the Plague or are slain by the sword would be counted happy in comparison with them that live under such a judgement Lastly The righteousness of God in the judgements he hath inflicted on London appears in that he might instead of Plague and fire on earth have punished them with the plagues and fire of hell which such sins as we have reckoned up have abundantly deserved Tyre and Sidon now in Hell Sodom and Gomorrah under the vengeance of eternal fire were not guilty of such sins as London was guilty of And what are body plagues here in comparison of soul plagues hereafter what is a fire that burns down a City in comparison with the fire of hell which shall burn the damned and never be quenched God hath punished London no more than her iniquities have deserved God hath punished London less than her iniquities have deserved therefore in speaking most terribly he hath answered most righteously SECT 8. 3. COncerning the design of these judgements What doth God mean by this terrible voice by speaking such terrible things in the City of London The Lord hath not only spoken but cryed and shouted he hath lifted up his voice like a Trumpet and his voice hath not been inarticulate and insignificant but hath had a meaning and they that have an ear to hear may understand for as the voice of the Lord hath cryed in the City so the voice of the Lord hath cryed to the City Mic. 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City The man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Some take notice of the judgements themselves and the effects of them upon themselves and families They discourse of the Plague and how many dyed thereby that they have lost such a relation such a friend or neighbour was visited and dyed quickly They discourse of the Fire where it began how it increased and prevailed what day such a street fell and where their houses were consumed what they lost and how much they saved And it may be some speak of the hands of men that were suspected to enkindle and carry it on but few discourse of the hand of God which sent both Plague and Fire and what he means by such strange and dreadful judgements But the man of wisdom such as are wise do consider that these judgements spring not out of the dust but were sent down from Heaven They see Gods Name and Gods hand that hath been stretched forth upon London They know that both Plague and Fire have had their commission from the God of Heaven otherwise they could not have wrought with such force and power They
speaketh unto men with his Word by his Spirit when he doth thus effectually call them and he speaketh unto men also by his Spirit when he graciously visiteth them which are called when he teacheth melteth warmeth quickneth strengtheneth and refresheth them by his Spirit as they sit under the influence of his Ordinances when he speaketh peace unto their Consciences sheweth them his reconciled Face sheddeth abroad his love in their hearts and giveth such sweet comforts and ravishing joy as is unspeakable and full of Glory Ioh. 6. 45. Ioh. 14. 26. Luk. 24. 32. Psal. 143. 11. Eph. 3. 16. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 85. 8. Rom. 5. 5. Psa. 94. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 8. 2. God speaketh unto men by his Works and that either by his works of Creation or by his works of Providence 1. God speaketh by his works of Creation the Heavens have a voice and declare Gods glory Psa. 19. 1. and the Earth hath not only an ear to hear Isa. 1. 2. but also a tongue as it were to speak Gods praise We read of the Seas roaring and the Floods clapping their hands of the Mountains singing and the Trees of the wood sounding forth their joyful acclamations yea beasts and all cattel creeping things and flying fowl Dragons and all Deeps Fire Hail Snow Rain and stormy winde as they fulfill his Word so they speak and in their way declare what their Maker is or rather in them and by them God doth speak and make known something of himself Psa. 148. 7 8 10. c. We read of the Voice of the Lord in Power the Voice of the Lord in Majesty the Voice of the Lord upon the waters the Voice of the Lord dividing the flames of fire the Voice of the Lord shaking the Wilderness of Cadesh breaking the Cedars of Lebanon and the like which is the Voice of the Lord in the terrible noise of Thunder Psa. 29. 3 4 5 6 7 8. And there is no one work of the Lord though not with such a noise which doth not with a loud voice as it were in the Name of the Lord proclaim unto the Children of men how great and glorious the Lord is who hath given it its being and use and place in the world especially the work of God in the Make of man his body the members and senses his Soul the powers and faculties doth without a tongue speak the praise of that God who curiously framed the body in the womb and immediately infused the living soul Psa. 139. 14 15. Zach. 12. 1. 2. God speaketh by his Works of Providence and that both merciful and afflictive 1. God speaketh by his Merciful Providences by his patience and bounty and goodness he calleth men unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. He giveth witness of himself in giving rain and fruitful seasons Act. 14. 17. Gods providing mercies Gods preventing mercies Gods preserving mercies Gods delivering mercies the number of Gods mercies which cannot be reckoned the order and strange method of Gods mercies which cannot be declared the greatness of Gods mercies in the kinds and strange circumstances which cannot be expressed do all with open mouth call upon men from the Lord to repent of their sins which they have committed against him and to yeild all love thankfulness and obedience unto him 2. God speaketh by his afflictive Providences There is a voice of God in his Rod as well as in his Word Mic. 6. 9. Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it when God chasteneth he teacheth Psal. 94. 12. When God lifteth up his hand and strikes he openeth his mouth also and speaks and sometimes openeth mens ears too and sealeth their instruction Iob 33. 16. Sometimes God speaks by Rods more mildly by lesser afflictions sometimes God speaks by Scorpions more terribly by greater Judgements which leads to the second particular SECT II. 2. What are those terrible things by which God doth sometimes speak THe word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth he feared Terrible things are such great Judgements of God as do usually make a general impression of fear upon the hearts of people Take some instances 1. The Plague is a Terrible Iudgement by which God speaks unto men The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spake It is a speaking Judgement where God sends the Plague he speaks and he speaks terribly the Plague is very terrible as it effecteth terrour the Pestilence which walketh in darkness is called the Terrour by night Psal. 91. 5 6. The Plague is very terrible in that 1. It is so poysonous a disease it poysons the blood and spirits breeds a strange kind of venom in the body which breaketh forth sometimes in Boils and Blains and great Carbuncles or else works more dangerously when it preyeth upon the vitals more inwardly 2. It is so noysome a disease it turns the good humors into putrefaction which putting forth it self in the issues of running sores doth give a most noysome smell Such a disease for loathsomeness we read of Psa. 38. 5 7 11. My wounds stink and are corrupt my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh my lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my Kinsmen stand afar off 3. It is so infectious a disease it spreadeth it self worse than the Leprosie amongst the Iews it infecteth not only those which are weak and infirm in body and full of ill humors but also those which are young strong healthful and of the best temperature and that sometimes sooner than others The Plague is infectious and greatly infectious whole Cities have been depopulated through its spreading many whole families have received infection and death one from another thereby which is the third thing that rendreth the Plague so terrible 4. It is so deadly it kills where it comes without mercy it kills I had almost said certainly very few do escape especially upon its first entrance and before its malignity be spent few are touched by it but they are killed by it and it kills suddenly as it gives no warning before it comes suddenly the arrow is shot which woundeth unto the heart so it gives little time of preparation before it brings to the Grave Under other diseases men may linger out many weeks and moneths under some divers years but the Plague usually killeth within a few daies sometimes within a few hours after its first approach though the body were never so strong and free from disease before The Plague is very terrible it is terrible to them that have it insomuch as it usually comes with Grim Death the King of Terrours in its hand and it is terrible to them which have it not because of their danger of being infected by it the fear of which hath made such an impression upon some that it hath rased out of their hearts for the while all affections of love and pitty to their
feathered fowl to gather themselves together and feast themselves upon the carkasses of the slain as Ezek. 39. 17 18 19 20. When God comes with died garments from Bozrah Isa. 63. 1. When he gathereth the Nations and brings them into the valley of Jehoshaphat and thither causeth his Mighty Ones to come down against them Ioel 3. 2. 11. When the day of Gods indignation doth come and he makes such slaughter amongst his Enemies that the Earth doth stink with their carkasses and the Mountains do melt with their blood Isa. 34. 2 3. When God treadeth the Wine-press of his wrath without the City and the blood comes out of the Wine-press even to the horses bridles Rev. 14. 20. In a word when the Lord shall come forth upon his White Horse with his Armies and shall destroy the Beast and all the Powers of the earth that take part with him as Rev. 19. from the 11th ver to the end Then God will speak terribly indeed against his Enemies by the Sword then he will roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Ierusalem and that in such a manner as will make both the heavens and the earth to tremble Ioel 3. 16. And indeed God speaks with a Terrible Voice where-ever he sends the Sword and makes the Alarm of War to be heard as sometimes he sends it amongst his own people for their sin 1 Kings 8. 33. When God brings into a Land a people of another Language and Religion of a fierce countenance and cruel disposition and gives them power to prevail and bring the Land under their feet so that the Mighty Men are cut off by them and the Men of Valour crushed in the gate the young men fly and fall before them and there is none to make any resistance when they break in upon Cities plunder houses ravish Women and Maids strip and spoil and put all to the sword the young with the grey-head cruelly rip up women with-childe and without any pity on little Infants dash them against the stones God speaks more terribly by such a Judgement than by Plague or Fire 5. The Famine is a dreadful Iudgement whereby God speaks sometime unto a people very terribly when God stretcheth upon a place the lines of confusion the stones of emptiness as Isa. 34. 11. When God sendeth cleanness of teeth into Cities as Amos 4. 6. When God shooteth into a Land the evil Arrows of Famine and it becomes exceeding sore this is one of the most dreadful Judgements of all Judgements in this world far beyond Plague or Fire or Sword See how pathetically the Famine amongst the Iews is described by Ieremiah in his Lamentations Chap. 4. from the 4th ver unto the 12. The tongue of the sucking Childe cleaveth to the roof of his mouth fâ—r thirst the young Children ask for bread and no man breaketh it unto them They that feed delicately are desolate in the streets They that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghils For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown in a moment and no hand stayed on her The Nazarites were purer than snow whiter than milk they were more ruddy in body then Rubies their polishing was of saphire their vtsage is blacker than a coal they are not known in the streets their skin cleaveth to their lones it is withered it is become like a stick They that be slain with the sword are better than they which be slain with hunger for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the Earth The hands of the pittiful women have sodden their own Children they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce anger 6. The sixth terrible Iudgment is a Famine of the Word which is threatned Am. 8. 11 12. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will send a Famine in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a thirst for Water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North to the East and they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not finde it A Famine of the Word is a worse judgment than a Famine of Bread indeed few do really think so because the most judge according to sense but that it is so is evident to a Man of faith and consideration for as the soul is more excellent than the body and the concernments of the other life far beyond the concernments of this life so the provisions for the soul are more excellent than the provisions for the body and the means of getting eternal life to be preferred before the means of preserving temporal life and therefore by consequence the dearth scarcity of provisions for the soul must needs be a greater judgment than a scarcity of provisions for the body Unto which I might add that the Famine of the word doth usually bring with it many temporal judgments The burning of the Temple at Ierusalem and the failing of Vision was accompanied with slaughter by the sword and captivity of the Land 7. And lastly God speaks most terriblie unto a people when he sends divers of these Iudgments together as Lam. 1. 20. Abroad the sword bereaveth at home there is death when enemies without Plague and Famine within God speaks terribly when Fire and Sword goeth together or Sword and Famine or Famine and Plague or Famine of Bread and Famine of the Word These are some of the terrible things by which God doth sometimes speak SECT III. Why is it that the Lord doth speak unto a people 3. by such terrible things THe reason is because people don't hearken unto him speaking any other way God speaketh once yea twice but men perceive it not Iob 33. 14. Gods gentle voice is not heard or minded therefore he speaks more loudly and terribly that people might be awakened to hear Particularly God speaks thus terribly 1. Because People do not hearken to the voice of his word and messengers God speaks audibly by Ministers and when they are not regarded he speaks more feelingly by judgments he speaks first by threatnings when they are slighted he speaks by executions God first lifts up his voice and warns by his word before he lifts up his arme and strikes with his Rod when men grow thick of hearing the sweet calls of the Gospel God is even forced to thunder that he may peirce their ear when God speaks to the ears and they are shut God speaks to the eyes and other senses that his mind may be known especially when men obstinately refuse to hear God is exceedingly provoked to execute his terrible judgments upon them see Zach. 8. 11 12. But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear yea
doors of their houses upon them from whence they have come forth no more till they have been brought forth to their graves we may imagine the hideous thoughts and horrid perplexity of mind the tremblings confusions and anguish of spirit which some awakened sinners have had when the Plague hath broke in upon their houses and seized upon neer relations whose dying groans sounding in their ears have warned them to prepare when their doors have been shut up and fastned on the outside with an Inscription Lord have mercy upon us and none suffered to come in but a Nurse whom they have been more afraid of then the Plague it self when lovers and friends and companions in sin have stood aloof and not dared to come nigh the door of the house lest death should issue forth from thence upon them especially when the disease hath invaded themselves and first began with a pain and diziness in their head then trembling in their other members when they have felt boiles to arise under their arms and in their groins and seen blaines to come forth in other parts when the disease hath wrought in them to that height as to send forth those spots which most think are the certain tokens of neer approaching death and now they have received the sentence of death within themselves and have certainly concluded that within a few hours they must go down into the dust and their naked souls without the case of their body must make its passage into eternity and appear before the highest Majesty to render their accounts and receive their sentence None can utter the horrour which hath been upon the spirits of such through the lashes and stings of their guilty consciences when they have called to mind a life of sensuality and profaneness their uncleanness drunkenness injustice oaths curses derision of Saints and holiness neglect of their own salvation and when a thousand sins have been set in order before their eyes with another aspect than when they looked upon them in the temptation and they find God to be irreconcileably angry with them and that the day of grace is over the door of mercy is shut and that pardon and salvation which before they slighted is now unattainable that the grave is now opening its mouth to receive their bodies and hell opening its mouth to receive their souls and they apprehend that they are now just entring into a place of endless wo and torment and they must now take up their lodgings in the inferiour regions of utter darkness with devils and their fellow damned sinners and there abide for evermore in the extremity of misery without any hopes or possibility of a release and that they have foolishly brought themselves into this condition and been the cause of their own ruin we may guess that the dispairful agonies and anguish of such awakened sinners hath been of all things the most unsupportable except the very future miseries themselves which they have been afraid of In August how dreadful is the increase from 2010 the number amounts up to 2817 in one week and thence to 3880 the next thence to 4237 the next thence to 6102 the next and all these of the Plague besides other diseases Now the cloud is very black and the storm comes down upon us very sharp Now death rides triumphantly on his pale horse through our streets and breaks into every house almost where any inhabitants are to be found Now people fall as thick as leaves from the trees in Autumn when they are shaken by a mighty wind Now there is a dismal solitude in London-streets every day looks with the face of a Sabbath day observed with greater solemnity than it used to be in the City Now shops are shut in people rare and very few that walk about in so much that the grass begins to spring up in some places and a deep silence almost in every place especially within the walls no ratling Coaches no prancing Horses no calling in Customers nor offering Wares no London cries sounding in the ears if any voice be heard it is the groans of dying perions breathing forth their last and the funeral knells of them that are ready to be carried to their graves Now shutting up of visited houses there being so many is at an end and most of the well are mingled among the sick which otherwise would have got no help Now in some places where the people did generally stay not one house in an hundred but is infected and in many houses half the family is swept away in some the whole from the eldest to the youngest few escape with the death of but one or two never did so many husbands and wives die together never did so many parents carry their children with them to the grave and go together into the same house under earth who had lived together in the same house upon it Now the nights are too short to bury the dead the whole day though at so great a length is hardly sufficient to light the dead that fall therein into their beds Now we could hardly go forth but we should meet many coffins and see many with sores and limping in the streets amongst other sad spectacles methought two were very affecting one of a woman comming alone and weeping by the door where I lived which was in the midst of the infection with a little Coffin under her arm carrying it to the new Church yard I did judge that it was the mother of the childe and that all the family besides was dead and she was forced to coffin up and bury with her own hands this her last dead childe Another was of a man at the corner of the Artillery-wall that as I judge through the diziness of his head with the disease which seised upon him there had dasht his face against the wall and when I came by he lay hanging with his bloody face over the rails and bleeding upon the ground and as I came back he was removed under a tree in More-fields and lay upon his back I went and spake to him he could make me no answer but ratled in the throat and as I was informed within half an hour died in the place It would be endless to speak what we have seen and heard of some in their frensie rising out of their beds and leaping about their rooms others crying and roaring at their windows some comming forth almost naked and running into the streets strange things have others spoken and done when the disease was upon them But it was very sad to hear of one who being sick alone and it is like phrantick burnt himself in his bed Now the plague had broken in much amongst my acquaintance and of about 16. or more whose faces I used to see every day in our house within a little while I could finde but 4. or 6. of them alive scarcely a day past over my head for I think a moneth or more together but I should hear of
the death of some one or more that I knew The first day that they were smitten the next day some hopes of recovery and the third day that they were dead The September when we hoped for a decrease because of the season because of the number gone and the number already dead yet it was not come to its height but from 6102. which died by the Plague the last week of August the number is augmented to 6988 the first week in September and when we conceived some little hopes in the next weeks abatement to 6544 our hopes were quite dashed again when the next week it did rise to 7165. which was the highest Bill And a dreadful Bill it was and of the 130. Parishes in and about the City there were but 4 Parishes which were not infected and in those few people remaining that were not gone into the Country Now the grave doth open its mouth without measure Multitudes multitudes in the valley of the shadow of death thronging daily into eternity the Church-yards now are stufft so full with dead corpses that they are in many places swell'd two or three foot higher than they were before and new ground is broken up to bury the dead Now Hell from beneath is moved at the number of the guests that are received into its chambers the number of the wicked which have died by the Plague no doubt hath been far the greatest as we may reasonably conclude without breach of charity and it is certain that all the wicked which then died in sin were turned into Hell how then are the damned spirits now encreased some were damning themselves a little before in their oaths and God is now damning their souls for it and is passing the irreversible sentence of damnation upon them Some were drinking Wine in bowls a little before and strong drink without measure and now God hath put another cup into their hands a cup of red Wine even the Wine of the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty some were a little before feasting their senses pleasing their appetite satisfying the desires of the flesh and being past feeling had given themselves up to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness but now their laughter is turned into mourning and their joy into howling and woe Now they have recovered their feeling again but instead of the pleasures which they felt and their sensual delights which took away the feeling of their consciences they are made to feel the heavy hand of God and to endure such anguish and horrour through the sense of Gods wrath as no tongue can express Now the Atheists believe there is a God and the Anti-scripturists is convinced of the truth of Gods Word by the execution of Gods threatnings in the Word upon them Now the covetous and unjust the malicious and cruel the scoffers and profane begin to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire and the ignorant person with the civil who are unacquainted with Jesus Christ are not excused yea the hypocrites with all impenitent and unbelieving persons are sent down to the place of weeping and surely hell wonders to see so many come amongst them from such a City as London where they have enjoyed such plenty of such powerful means of grace and place is given to them even the lowest and hottest where Iudas and others are of the chiefest note Yet Hell doth not engross all that dye by the visitation some there are though not the first or most who have room made for them in the mansions which are above the Plague makes little difference between the righteous and the wicked except the Lord by a peculiar providence do shelter some under his wing and compass them with his favour as with a shield hereby keeping off the darts that are shot so thick about them yet as there is little difference in the body of the righteous and of others so this disease makes little discrimination and not a few fearing God are cut off amongst the rest they dye of the same distemper with the most profane they are buried in the same grave and there sleep together till the morning of the resurrection but as there is a difference in their spirits whilst they live so there is a difference and the chiefest difference in their place and state after their separation from the body Dives is carryed to Hell and Lazarus to Abrahams bosome though he dyed with his body full of sores Devils drag the souls of the wicked after they have received their final doom at the Bar of God into utter darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth but Angels convey the souls of the righteous into the heavenly Paradise the new Ierusalem which is above where God is in his glory and the Lord Jesus Christ at his right hand and thousand thousands stand before him and ten thousand times ten thousand administer unto him even an innumerable company of Angels and where the spirits of all just men and women made perfect were before gathered where there is fulness of joy and rivers of eternal pleasures running about the Throne of God the streams of which do make glad all the Inhabitants of new Jerusalem Now the weak prison doors of the body are broken down and the strong everlasting Gates of their Fathers Palace are lifted up and the Saints are received with joy and triumph into glory and they come with singing into Zion and everlasting joy in their hearts and all sorrow and sighing doth fly away like a cloud which never any more shall be seen Now the vail is rent and they enter the holy of holies where God dwells not in the darkness of a thick cloud as in the Temple of old but in the brightness of such marvelous light and glory as their eyes never did behold neither could enter into their heart to conceive there they have the vision of Gods face without any eclipse upon the light of his countenance there they have the treasures of Gods love opened and his armes to receive them with dearest and sweetest embracements which kindles in their hearts such a flame of love so ravishing and delightful as words cannot utter there they are entertained by the Lord Jesus Christ whom in the World they have served and he that shewed them his grace which they have wondred at when they were in the body doth now shew them his glory which they wonder at much more There they are welcomed by Angels who rejoyce if at their conversion much more at their coronation there they sit down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of their Father there they find Moses and David and Samuel and Paul and all the holy Martyrs and Saints which have dyed before them amongst whom they are numbred and placed who rejoyce in their increased society And as there is a great difference between the condition of the souls of the righteous and the wicked who dyed by the same disease of the Plague after
him who hath been so long filled with joys in the heavenly mansions I might speak of the carriage of the master in his sickness under the apprehensions of death when the spots did appear on his body he sent for me and desired me to pray with him told me he was now going home desired me to write to his friends and let them know that it did not repent him of his stay in the City though they had been so importunate with him to come away but he had found so much of Gods presence in his abode here that he had no reason to repent he told me where he would be buried and desired me to preach his funeral Sermon on Psal. 16. ult In thy presence there is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasures for evermore But the Lord raised him again beyond the expectation of himself friends or Physician Let him not forget Gods mercies and suffer too much worldly business to croud in upon him choak the remembrance and sense of God's goodness so singular but let him by his singularity in meekness humility self-denial and love zeal and holy walking declare that the Lord hath been singularly gracious unto him But when I speak of home concernments let me not forget to look abroad the Plague now increaseth exceedingly and fears there are amongst us that within a while there will not be enough alive to bury the dead and that the City of London will now be quite depopulated by this Plague Now some Ministers formerly put out of their places who did abide in the City when most of Ministers in place were fled and gone from the people as well as from the disease into the Countreys seeing the people crowd so fast into the grave and eternity who seemed to cry as they went for spiritual Physicians and perceiving the Churches to be open and Pulpits to be open and finding Pamphlets flung about the streets of Pulpits to be let they judged that the Law of God and nature did now dispense with yea command their preaching in publick places though the Law of man it is to be supposed in ordinary cases did forbid them to do it Surely if there had been a Law that none should practise Physick in the City but such as were licenc'd by the Colledge of Physitians and most of those when there was the greatest need of them should in the time of the Plague have retired into the Country and other Physitians who had as good skill in Physick and no license should have staid amongst the sick none would have judged it to have been breach of Law in such an extraordinary case to endeavour by their practise though without a license to save the lives of those who by good care and Physick were capable of a cure and they could hardly have freed themselves from the guilt of murther of many bodies if for a nicety of Law in such a case of necessity they should have neglected to administer Physick the case was the same with the unlicensed Ministers which stayed when so many of the licenc'd ones were gone and as the need of souls was greater than the need of bodies the sickness of the one being more universal and dangerous than the sickness of the other and the saving or losing of the soul being so many degrees beyond the preservation or death of the body so the obligation upon Ministers was stronger and the motive to preach greater and for them to have incurred the guilt of soul-murther by their neglect to administer soul-physick would have been more hainous and unanswerable that they were called by the Lord into publick I suppose that few of any seriousness will deny when the Lord did so eminently own them in giving many seals of their Ministry unto them Now they are preaching and every Sermon was unto them as if they were preaching their last Old Time seems now to stand at the head of the Pulpit with its great Sithe saying with a hoarse voice Work while it is called to day at night I will mow thee down Grim Death seems to stand at the side of the Pulpit with its sharp arrow saying Do thou shoot Gods arrows and I will shoot mine The Grave seems to lie open at the foot of the Pulpit with dust in her bosome saying Louden thy Cry To God To Men And now fulfill thy Trust Here thou must lye Mouth stopt Breath gone And silent in the Dust. Ministers now had awakning calls to seriousness and fervour in their ministeriall work to preach on the side and brink of the Pit into which thousands were tumbling to pray under such neer views of eternity into which many passengers were daily entring might be a means to stir up the spirit more than ordinary Now there is such a vast concourse of people in the Churches where these Ministers are to be found that they cannot many times come neer the Pulpit doors for the press but are forced to climb over the pews to them And such a face is now seen in the Assemblies as seldome was seen before in London such eager looks such open ears such greedy attention as if every word would be eaten which dropt from the mouths of the Ministers If you ever saw a drowning Man catch at a rope you may guess how eagerly many people did catch at the Word when they were ready to be overwhelmed by this over-flowing scourge which was passing thorough the City when death was knocking at so many doors and God was crying aloud by his judgments and Ministers were now sent to knock cry aloud and lift up their voice like a Trumpet then then the people began to open the ear and the heart which were fast shut and barred before How did they then hearken as for their lives as if every Sermon were their last as if death stood at the door of the Church and would seize upon them so soon as they came forth as if the arrows which flew so thick in the City would strike them before they could get to their houses as if they were immediately to appear before the Barr of that God who by his Ministers was now speaking unto them Great were the impressions which the Word then made upon many hearts beyond the power of Man to effect and beyond what the people before ever felt as some of them have declar'd When sin is ript up and reprov'd O the teares that slide down from the eyes when the judgments of God are denounced O the tremblings which are upon the conscience when the Lord Jesus Christ is made known and proffer'd O the longing desires and openings of heart unto him when the riches of the Gospel are displayed and the promises of the Covenant of grace are set forth and applyed O the inward burnings and sweet flames which were on the affections now the Net is cast and many fishes are taken the Pool is moved by the Angel and many leprous spirits and sin-sick-souls are cured
many were brought to the birth and I hope not a few were born again and brought forth a strange moving there was upon the hearts of multitudes in the City and I am perswaded that many were brought over effectually unto a closure with Jesus Christ whereof some dyed by the Plague with willingness and peace others remain stedfast in Gods wayes unto this day but convictions I believe many hundreds had if not thousands which I wish that none have stifled and with the Dog returned to their vomit with the Sow have wallowed again in the mire of their former sins The work was the more great because the instruments which were made use of was more obscure and unlikely whom the Lord did make choice of the rather that the glory by Ministers and people might be ascrib'd in full unto himself About the beginning of these Ministers preaching especially after their first Fast together the Lord begins to remit and turn his hand and cause some abatement of the disease From 7155 which dyed of the Plague in one week there is a decrease to 5538 the next which was at the latter end of September the next week a farther decrease to 4929. the next to 4327. the next to 2665. the next to 1421. the next to 1021. then there was an encrease the first week in November to 1414. but it fell the week after to 1050 and the week after to 652. and the week after that to 333. and so lessened more and more to the end of the year when we had a Bill of 97306. which dyed of all diseases which was an encrease of more then 79000 over what it was the year before and the number of them which dyed by the Plague was reckoned to be 68596 this year when there were but 6 which the Bill speaks of who dyed the year before Now the Citizens who had dispers'd themselves abroad into the Countries because of the Contagion think of their old Houses and Trades and begin to return though with fearfulness and trembling least some of the after-drops of the storm should fall upon them and O that many of them had not brought back their old hearts and sins which they carryed away with them O that there had been a general repentance and reformation and returning to the Lord that had smitten the City The Lord gave them leisure and Vacation from their Trades for the one necessary thing which had they improved and generally mourned for sin which brought the plague upon the City had they humbly and earnestly sought the Lord to turn from his fierce anger which was kindled against London it might have prevented the desolating judgment by Fire But alas how many spent their time of leisure in toys and trifles at best about feeding and preserving their bodies but no time in serious minding the salvation of their souls and if some were a little awakned with fear whilst the plague raged so greatly and they lookt upon themselves to be in such danger yet when they apprehended the danger to be over they dropt asleep faster than before still they are the same or worse than formerly They that were drunken are drunken still they that were filthy are filthy still and they that were unjust and covetous do still persevere in their sinfull course couzenilng and lying and swearing and cursing and Sabbath-breaking and pride and envy and flesh-pleasing and the like God-displeasing and God-provoking sins of which in the Catalogue of London's sins do abound in London as if there were no signification in Gods judgments by the Plague some return to their Houses and follow their worldly business and work as hard as they can to fetch up the time they have lost without minding and labouring to improve by the Judgment and Gods wonderfull preservation of them others return and sin as hard as they can having been taken off for a while from those opportunities and free liberties for sin which they had before most began now to sit down at rest in their houses when the Summer was come and the Plague did not return now they bring back all their Goods they had carried into the Country because of the Plague they did not imagine they should be forced to remove them again so soon Thus concerning the great Plague in London SECT VI. I Proceed now to give a Narration of the judgement of the Fire in which I shall be more brief it being dispatcht in fewer daies then the Plague was in months It was the 2. of September 1666. that the anger of the Lord was kindled against London and the Fire began It began in a Bakers house in Pudding-lane by Fishstreet-hill and now the Lord is making London like a fiery Oven in the time of his anger and in his wrath doth devour and swallow up our habitations It was in the depth and dead of the night when most doors and sences were lockt up in the City that the Fire doth break forth and appear abroad and like a mighty Gyant refresht with Wine doth awake and arm it self quickly gathers strength when it had made havock of some houses rusheth down the hill towards the Bridge crosseth Thames-street invadeth Magnus-Church at the Bridge foot and though that Church were so great yet it was not a sufficient Barracado against this Conqueror but having scaled and taken this Fort it shooteth flames with so much the greater advantage into all places round about and a great building of houses upon the Bridge is quickly thrown to the ground Then the Conquerour being stayed in his course at the Bridge marcheth back towards the City again and runs along with great noise and violence through Thames-street Westward where having such combustible matter in its teeth and such a fierce Winde upon its back it prevails with little resistance unto the astonishment of the beholders My business is not to speak of the hand of man which was made use of in the beginning and carrying on of this Fire The beginning of the Fire at such a time when there had been so much hot weather which had dried the houses and made them the more fit for fuel the beginning of it in such a place where there were so many Timber houses and the shops filled with so much combustible matter and the beginning of it just when the Winde did blow so fiercely upon that corner towards the rest of the City which then was like Tinder to the Sparks this doth smell of aPopish design so hatcht in the same place where the Gunpowder plot was contriv'd only that this was more successful The world sufficiently knows how correspondent this is to Popish principles and practises those who could intentionally blow up King and Parliament by Gunpowder might without any scruple of their kinds of conscience actually burn an heretical City as they count it into ashes for besides the Dispensations they can have from his Holiness or rather his Wickedness the Pope for the most horrid crimes of
when the sins of the Land are so obvious and so hainous He is a great stranger in England that doth not know how wickedness hath abounded in these later years his eyes must be fast shut who doth not see what a deluge of profaneness and impiety hath broken in like a mighty torrent and overflowed the Land that hath not taken notice of those bare-fac'd villanies which have been committed amongst us which is a great question whether any ages before us could parallel we read in Scripture of Sodom and Gomorrah and the wickedness sometime of Ierusalem Profane Histories and Travellers make mention of Rome Venice Naples Paris and other places very wicked but who can equal England which calls it self Christian and Protestant for such desperate and audacious affronts and indignities which have been offered to the Highest Majesty by the Gallants as they are called of our times How was Hell as it were broke loose and how were men worse than those which in our Saviours time were possest with devils who cut themselves with stones and tore their own flesh even such who went about like so many Hell-hounds and incarnate devils cursing and banning swearing and blaspheming inventing new oaths and glorying therein delighting to tear the name of God and to spit forth their rancour and malice in his very face and can we then be at a loss for a reason of Gods righteousness in his thus punishing England by beginning thus furiously with London When there were so many Atheists about London and in the Land who denied the very being of God when so many Gentlemen who lookt upon it as one piece of their breeding to cast off all sentiments of a Deity did walk our streets and no arguments would work them to a perswasion of the truth of Gods being shall we wonder if the Lord appears in a terrible way that he might be known by the judgments which he executeth When so many denied the Divine Authority of the Scriptures the very foundation of our Christian faith and reckoned themselves by their principles amongst Turks Pagans and other Infidels however they called themselves Christians and hereby put such an affront upon the Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of the most high God is it strange that the Lord should speak so terribly to shew his indignation when there was such blowing at and endeavours to put out that light which would shew Men the way to Heaven such hatred and opposition against the power of godliness when the name of a Saint was matter of derision and scorn when there was such wallowing in filthy fornication and adultry in swinish drunkenness and intemperance when such oppression bribery such malice cruelty such unheard of wickedness and hideous impiety grown to such a heighth in the Land may not we reasonably think that such persons as were thus guilty being in the Ship were a great cause of the storme of Gods anger which hath made such a shipwrack The Plague indeed when it was come made little discrimination between the bodies of the righteous and the bodies of the wicked no more doth grace the difference is more inward and deepe it is the soul begins to be glorifyed hereby and hath the seed of eternal life put into it when it doth pass the new birth but the body is not changed with the soul the body remains as it was as frail and weak and exposed to diseases and death as before and as the body of any wicked person and therefore the infectious disease of the Plague coming into a populous City the bodies of the righteous amongst the rest receive the contagion and they fall in the common calamity there is a difference in the manner of their death and a difference in their place and state after death as hath been spoken of before but the kind of death is the same So the fire doth make no discrimination between the Houses of the godly and the Houses of the ungodly they are all made of the same combustible matter and are enkindled as bodies infected one by another indeed the godly have God to be their habitation and they are Citizens of the new Ierusalem which is above a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God an abiding City which the fire cannot reach and their persons are secured from the flames of eternal fire in Hell but they have no promise nor security for the preservation of their Houses from fire here in this World The judgments of the plague and fire being sent work according to their nature without distinguishing the righteous But if we further enquire into the reason why the plague was sent the last year and such a plague as hath not been known this forty year which raged so sorely when there was no such sultriness of weather as in other years to encrease it and why the fire was sent this year and such a fire as neither we nor our fore-fathers ever knew neither do we read of in any History of any so great in any place in time of peace what shall we say was the cause of these extraordinary national judgments but the extraordinary national sins It was an extraordinary hand of God which brought the plague of which no natural cause can be assigned why it should be so great that year more then in former years but that sin was grown to greater heighth and that a fire should prevaile against all attempts to quench it to burn down the City and that judgment just following upon the heels of the other what reason can be assigned but that Englands sins and Gods displeasure hath been extraordinary God is a God of patience and it is not a light thing will move him he is slow to anger it must needs be then some great provocation which makes him so furious he is highly offended before he lifts up his hand and he is exceedingly incens'd before his anger breaks forth into such a flame for my part I verily think if it had not been for the crying abominations of the times which are not chiefly to be limited to the City of London and if the means of Gods prescription according to the Rule of his Word which England sometime could had by England been made use of that both Plague and Fire had been prevented 3. Moreover it may be said that some particular persons by some more peculiar and notorious sins in the City may have provoked the Lord to bring punishment upon the whole place if the Land were not so generally profane and wicked the heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A whole City may be punished for the wickedness of one Man yea we read of David though so good a man yet when he numbred the people a small sin in comparison with the sins of some others in our days God was provoked to send such a dreadful Plague not on himself but upon his people that there dyed 70000 men by it in three days and David said I have
Woman with childe and they shall not escape 1 Thess. 5. 3. And if some of this untoward and wicked Generation do drop away without a remarkable temporal destruction God will make his righteousness evident to them in the other World when he claps up their souls close Prisoners in the lowest dungeon of Hell appointing black Devils to be their Jaylors flames of fire to be their cloathing hideous terrours and woe to be their food Cain Iudas and other damned tormented spirits to be their companions where they must lye bound in chains of darkness till the judgment of the great day and when the general assize is come and the Angels have blown the last Trumpet and gathered the elect to the right hand of Christ then they will be sent with the Keys of the bottomless Pit and the Prison will be opened for a while and like so many Rogues in Chains they shall together with all their fellow sinners be brought forth and finde out the dirty flesh of their bodies which like a nasty ragg they shall then put on and with most rufull looks and trembling joynts and horrible shreeks and unexpressible confusion and terrour they shall behold the Lord Jesus Christ whom in life time they despised and affronted come down from Heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance upon them who will sentence them to the flames of eternal fire and drive them from his Throne and presence into utter darkness where they must take up their lodging for evermore Then Then there will be a clear revelation of the righteous and dreadful judgments of this great God unto the world and upon this accursed generation But more fully to clear up the reason of London's judgments and the righteousness of God herein God hath indeed spoken very terribly but he hath answered us very righteously London was not so godly as some speak by way of scoff no! If London had been more generally godly and more powerfully godly these judgments might have been escaped and the ruins of the City prevented No! it was the ungodliness of London which brought the Plague and fire upon London There was a general Plague upon the heart a more dangerous infection and deadly Plague of sin before there was sent a Plague upon the body there was a fire of divers lusts which was enkindled and did burn in the bosome som tâ—mes issuing out flames at the door of the mouth and at the windows of the eyes of the inhabitants before the fire was kindled in the City which swallowed up so many habitations We have fallen thousands of persons into the grave by the Plague thousands of houses as a great monument upon them by the fire and whence is it we are fallen by our iniquities Hosea 14. 1. the Crown is fallen from our heads and what is the reason because we have sinned against the Lord. Lam. 5. 16. God hath spoken terribly but he hath answered righteously as he gives great and especial mercies in answer unto prayer so he sendeth great and extraordinary judgments in answer unto sin there is a voice and loud cry especially in some sins which entreth into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath 1 Sam. 5. 4. When God speaks by terrible things he makes but a righteous return to this cry And though these Judgments of Plague and Fire are National judgments and may be the product of National sins and I verily am perswaded that God was more highly provoked by some that dwelt out of the City than with those which dwelt in it I mean the profane and ungodly generation who chiefly did inhabit more remotely and that God being so provokt was the more ready to strike and let his hand fall so heavy upon London yet since many of the ungodly crew were got into the City it self and most in the City that were not of them did not dare to commit their impieties yet made themselves guilty by not mourning for them and labouring in their place what they could after a redress and since London it self hath been guilty of so many crying sins as I shall endeavour to shew Gods righteousness in the terrible things of London will be evident especially if we consider 1. That God hath punished London no more than their iniquities have deserved 2. That God hath punished London less than their iniquities have deserved 1. God hath punished London no more than their iniquities deserved Great sins deserve great Plagues and have not the sins of London been great Let us make an inquity after Londons sins Here I shall offer some sins to consideration and let London judge whether she be not guilty and whether the Lord hath not been plaguing her and burning her and possibly yea probably will bring utter ruin and desolation upon her except she see and mourn and turn the sooner It is out of dear and tender love to London with whom I could willingly live and die that I write these things to put them in mind of their sins that they might take some speedy course for a redress and turning away the fierce anger of the Lord which is kindled against them for sin lest he next proceed to bring utter ruin upon them surely they have not more reason to think that Gods anger is turned away since the fire than they had to think it was turned away after the Plague but rather they may conclude that though the fire of the City bee quenched yet the fire of Gods anger doth burn still more dreadfully than the other fire and that his hand is stretched out still to destroy Therefore O all yee inhabitants about Londâ—n open your eyes and ears and hearts and suffer a word of reproof for your sins and deal not with this Catalogue of your sins as Iehojakim did with Ieremiah's roll who burnt it in the fire not being able to bear his words but do with it as Iohn did with his little book eat it and digest it though it be bitter in the mouth as well as in the belly it is bitter Physick but necessary for the preservation of a sick languishing City which is even ready to give up the Ghost And here I shall begin with more Gospel-sins which though natural conscience is not so ready to accuse of yet in the account of God are the most heinous sins And I would have a regard not only to latter but also to former sins which possibly may now be more out of view and forgotten and which some may be hardned in because the guilty have not been so particularly and sensibly punished though Gods sparing of them hath been in order to their repentance or their punishments in some kinde hath been accounted by them no punishments or their punishments have been mistaken and their hearts have swelled against instruments made use of by God therein instead of accepting of the punishment of their iniquity and humbling themselves deeply before the Lord. I say I would call to remembrance former sins as well as
and even in them they are sweyed by some carnal Motives which are the secret spring to the wheel of all external services And O how abominable is all such Worship in the sight of God Hath not Formality in Worship been one sin of London which hath helpt to fill up the Ephah when the means God hath appointed for the turning away of his anger is used in such a manner that it self becomes a provocation no wonder if his wrath break forth without remedy 5. A fifth sin of London is Division amongst Professors different perswasions have made wide breaches and divisions in London and through Divisions have arisen great animosities and contentions unto the shame of Christianity and the Protestant Religion and hath not God been provoked to anger hereby hath not he contended with Professours and by the common scourge he hath brought upon them called aloud unto them for a union and more hearty accord and affection then formerly they have had and hath not he given them liberty and opportunity had they minded and cared to make use of it for meeting together in order unto healing but have professours of different parties been sensible of Gods meaning in the scourge upon their backs have they hearkened unto Gods call have they laid hold of and improved opportunities for closing up their wide breaches I hope some closing in affection there hath been amongst some but how rarely hath it been to be found and when there are such breaches still amongst us is it not just with God to make further breaches upon us as he hath done by his judgements 6. A sixth sin of London is neglect of Reformation Neglect of 1 Personal 2 Family 3 City 4 Church Reformation 1 Neglect of Personal reformation in Heart Life 1. Who in London have seriously and very diligently endeavoured the Reformation of their hearts when so unclean and polluted who have laboured to get them washed when such roots of bitterness have been springing forth and such weeds of Lust have been growing there who hath endeavoured to pluck them up outward neatness there hath been in London washing and rincing rubbing and scowring but O the inward sluttishness they who have had clean houses and clean garments and clean faces and hands have had foul hearts who have taken care every day to rince and scowre their inside to bring their hearts to the fountain set open for sin and uncleanness and to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit that they might arrive every day unto greater perfection in holiness they who have been careful to dress their bodies every day have been very careless in dressing their hearts neglecting to put on the white robes of Christs righteousness which alone can cover their spiritual nakedness and deformity and to get the jewels of grace which alone can adorn the soul and render it amiable in the sight of God Heart work is hard work and it is so hard that most have let it alone they have been discouraged with the difficulty the opposition of Sathan and Lust to this work hath been so strong that they have been quickly overpowered upon their first attempts and endeavours after a change and rectifying of the disorders which they have perceived Heart work is secret work many have employed themselves in the more open work of religion few have taken pains with their hearts in secret many take heed to their tongues what they speak and before whom to their hands what they do to their feet whither they go but few take heed to their hearts Murder Adultery Theft and the like sins have been committed in the heart by many who would have been afraid and ashamed of the outward acts O the unwatchfulness there hath been in London over the heart Citizens have watched their gates and watched their streets and watched their houses but how few have watched their hearts what cometh in and what goeth forth how few have set a watch before the door of their lips and ears and other senses which are the inlets of sin and upon their hearts from whence are the issues of sin how few have kept their hearts with all diligence how few have laboured to govern their thoughts to rule their passions to subjugate their wills to Christ and to deliver up all their affections to his dispose and obedience Heart reformation hath been much neglected 2. Who in London have endeavoured Life-Reformation as they should how few have there been effectually perswaded to put away the evil of their doings from before the eyes of the Lord to cease from evil and have learned to do well How few have broken off their sins by Repentance and throughly amended their ways measuring out their actions by the Rule of the word how few have got the Law of God written in their hearts and the transcript thereof in their lives exemplifying the precepts thereof in their conversations how few in London have been like so many Epistles of Christ in whom the will and grace of their Master might be read who have troden in Christs steps walking as he walked and followed him in the way of obedience and self-denyal who have shined like so many lights in dark places and times adorning their profession and living as becometh the Gospel Great irregularities there have been in the lives of most Londoners little Gospel-reformation little making Religion the business little holy exact living If a stranger had looked into our City and observed the lives of the most and not known them to have had the name of Christians would not he have judged them to be Heathens yea many of them in their dealing to be worse then Turks and Infidels Thus Personal Reformation hath been neglected 2. A great neglect there hath been of family reformation in London How few have with Ioshuah resolved and accordingly endeavoured that they and their houses should serve the Lord how few have set up Religious worship in their families have not many hundred houses in the City been without family-prayer in them from one end of the week to the other and is it strange that the Lord hath burned down those houses wherein the inhabitants would not vouchsafe to worship him And where there hath been some prayer in many families it was but once a day and that so late at night and when the body hath been so tryed and sleepy and the soul so dull and unfit for Gods service that the prayers have been no prayers or lost prayers such which instead of pleasing him have provoked him to anger how few did labour to instruct their families Catechize their children and servants to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord hath not God threatned to pour out his wrath upon irreligious families Ier. 10. 25. 3. Neglect of City-reformation have not the Magistrates of London been faulty here let them ask their own consciences whether to the uttermost of their power according to the trust and opportunity the Lord
imitate Though eating and drinking and cloathing were necessary and called for some time yet the excess of time spent about these things if not worse was no better than idle time Many especially of the Females in the City have spent so much time in the Morning in their beds if not in sleeping at least in idle foolish Fancies and so much time after in neat and curious dressing their bodies that they have had no time before Dinner for Prayer or Reading no time to dress their Souls and the Afternoon being far spent in eating and drinking the rest of the time hath run away either in Visitings or Entertainments wherein if not worse vain idle unprofitable things have been the chief if not the only subject of their discourse and by that time they have again refreshed themselves with food at night they have been too sleepy and unfit for Prayer and the Service of God And thus many careless Women in the City have lived in ease and idleness from one end of the Week and one end of the Year unto another But methinks the Lord hath by his terrible things in London spoken unto them much in the same language as he did Isa. 32. 9 10 11. Rise up ye Women that are at ease hear my voice ye careless Daughters give ear to my speech many dayes and years shall ye be troubled ye careless Women tremble ye Women that are at ease be troubled ye careless ones strip ye make ye bare and gird sackcloth upon your loyns But I would not charge this sin of idleness only upon the female sex many men have been more shamefully guilty especially those who have mispent so much time in gaming not to speak of excess in eating and drinking and other time-consuming sins which are reproved in their proper place O the time that many have spent in gaming Some recreations wherein the body is exercised may be lawful and necessary at some time so they do not steal away too much of their time and affections but for men to sit at games as hard as schollars at their books what rational plea can be used for such wicked idleness Thus silver and gold and great estates have been consumed and O the golden hours the dayes and nights and precious time that have been lost in gaming Thus some have run out of all and removed into the Country to hide their shame after their high port in the City some have gone into the high wayes not to beg but to do that which is far worse which in some hath had a dreadful conclusion And not only this kind of Idleness hath brought poverty but also that heedless slothful spirit which many of the City have had in their callings which hath made them blemishes to the City and hath been an helper on of our ruine 13. A thirteenth sin of London is unmercifulness another of Sodom's sins Ezek. 16. 49. She strengthened not the hands of the poor and needy I shall not blame the whole for this sin for the charity of London hath sounded throughout the land and throughout the world But yet have not many of the great men of the City been guilty of unmercifulness who though more able yet have been less forward to contribute to the relief of such as have been in distress It hath been the comfort of some who have lost much by the fire that they had saved what before they had given to the poor by putting it out of the reach of moth or rust or thieves or flames of fire But oh what marble bowels have some had towards the poor so that they could whatever abundance they had by them beyond what themselves did make use of as freely part with so many drops of their blood as pieces of money though to help some of the needy and distressed members of Jesus Christ not considering that the Lord Jesus is the Heir of all things and whatever estate they had they were but his stewards and that relief of the needy is a debt which though man cannot require it of them yet God can and is it unequal if for want of payment of Gods debts which they owed out of their estates by vertue of Gods command to the poor the Lord hath dispossest them of his houses and burnt them with fire and taken away part of the estates which he gave them because they have employed them no more for his glory 14. A fourteenth sin of London is Vncleanness another sin of Sodom their sin indeed was unnatural uncleanness I would hope that this sin hath been little known and practised in the City But Fornication and Adultery have been too common Indeed there hath not been that boldness and impudency in this sin as elsewhere there hath not been that whores forehead so generally in London and declaring the iniquity like Sodom but let the consciences of many Londoners speak whether they have not been secretly guilty of this sin Would it not be a shame to tell of the chambering and wantonness and privy leudness which hath been committed in London suppose that in all the remaining Churches the sin of uncleanness should be reproved and all both men and women that have been actually guilty of it should be forced by an inward sting of conscience as sometimes those were upon the words of our Saviour that accused the woman taken in Adultery immediately to go forth out of the place what a stir would there be in some Churches what an emptying of some Pews what a clearing of some Iles and how few would there be remaining in some places Suppose a visible mark were put by God upon the foreheads of all Adulterers in the City of London as God put a mark upon Cain after he had been guilty of murther would not many who walk now very demurely and with much seeming innocency walk with blushes in their cheeks would not many keep house and hide their face and not stir abroad except in the night or if in the day would they not shuffle thorow the streets and hate the fashion of little hats and the court-mode of wearing them behind their head and rather get such whose brims are of a larger size which might the more conveniently cover their brows And would not many unsuspected and seemingly modest women also stain their cheeks with a vermilion dye upon their husbands or friends search into their countenance would not many of them walk with thick hoods and wear continually deep fore-head-cloaths as if they were troubled with a perpetual head-ake that they might hide their shame from the view of man This sin is so nasty and filthy that whatever swinish pleasure is found in the commission of it usually those that are guilty unless the brow be brass are ashamed that it should be known the holy and jealous eye of God hath seen them in their filthiness their secret sins are set in the light of his countenance which above all should make them ashamed Whoremongers and Adulterers
Slanderers forbear your backbiting slanderous speeches forbear devouring words which swallow up the good name of your neighbours let not your throats be like open Sepulchres to entombe their Reputation Take heed your tongues do not utter slanders and reproaches devised by your selves be carefull also that you do not spread such Calumnies as others have devised Receive not any accusation against your Neighbours without good proof drive away backbiting tongues with an angry countenance and if you must hear of others faults let love conceal them as much as may be from the knowledge of others rather speak to themselves what you hear and reprove them if the things be scandalous with prudence love and a spirit of meekness Remember the command Tit. 3. 2. Speak evil of no man And take heed of the sinfull practice of the Women described 1 Tim. 5. 13. They learn to be idle wandring about from house to house and not only idle but Tatlers also and busie-bodies speaking things which they ought not Where your tongues have been instrumental to wound others and your selves withall by slanderous speeches make use of the same instrument for healing labour to heal your selves by Confession of your sin to God and to heal others by acknowledging to them the wrong you have done them labour to lick whole their fame and by good words to promote their esteem which you have unjustly taken away Labour for so much humility and brotherly love as to be as tender of their good Name and fame as your own and in honour to preferr them above your selves which will make you ready to hide their faults and keep you from evil furmises and evil slanderous speeches 6. Revilers turn from your evil wayes Reviling and slandering often go together as proceeding both from the same root of malice and hatred yet sometimes the malice is kept more close when Warr is in the heart and mischief is inwardly devised and the Name secretly wounded with slanders behinde the back the tongue doth flatter and like a Honey-comb doth drop nothing but sweet words before the face The sin of Reviling is open and spits forth rancour and malice into the face and breaks forth into bitter speeches for the shame and disgrace of such persons against whom they are spoken though Revilers disgrace themselves more by the weakness and ill government of spirit which hereby they discover Revilers refrain your angry bitter speeches Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice Eph. 4. 31. Do not quarrel and contend do not break forth into brawls and clamours and bitter reviling speeches against such as give you no occasion but desire to live at peace with you and if others are angry and quarrel with you labour to pacifie their anger do not stir up the coals by your bitter retorts when you are reviled revile not again like our Saviour 1 Pet. 2. 23. Render not evil for evil nor railing for railing but contrariwise blessing 1 Pet. 3. 9. The second blow breeds the quarrel and the second reviling word breeds the strife give to a hard speech the return of a soft answer Prov. 15. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger And Prov. 25. 15. Long forbearance is of great perswasion and a soft tongue breaketh a bone there is a marvelous force in a meek reception of bitter speeches to appease anger and molifie the spirits of those which are most fierce whereas grievous and bitter returns stir up unto greater contention Revenge not your selves with the hand neither revenge your selves with the tongue revile not your enemies but love them and pray for them and do good to them feed and cloath them and heap coals upon their head Matth. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 19 20. Be gentle shewing all meekness to all men Tit. 3. 2. especially revile not your friends take heed of stirring up strife in the house where you live be of a peaceable disposition above all take heed of reviling Christs friends Gods children revile not the Saints remember that no revilers especially such revilers that persevere in that sin shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 10. and when the Lord Jesus cometh at the last day he will execute judgement upon the ungodly for their hard speeches which they have spoken against him in speaking against his people Iude 15. Revilers govern your tongues If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that mans religion is vain Jam. 1. 26. would you govern your selves well according to Scripture rules bridle and govern your tongues Jam. 3. 3 4. Behold we put bits into the Horses mouths that they may obey us and we turn about their whole body Behold also the Ships which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds yet they are turned about with a very small helm withersoever the governour listeth Put a bit upon this little member and you may the better have all the rest at command and keep your selves in when otherwise vented passions like wilde horses without rains may carry you into many a precipice when otherwise the fierce storms of your minds may break forth and drive you upon rocks and shelves and shipwrack both soul and body together There is a world of iniquity in the tongue which defileth the whole body the tongue is a fire which setteth on fire the whole course of nature and it self is set on fire of Hell y. 6. get the former fire quenched get the heat of your tongues cooled as you would escape the latter fire I mean the fire of Hell from whence the former fire doth proceed and unto which it will certainly bring you The tongue is full of deadly poison it is an unruly evil which no man can tame when by art the wildest beasts may and have been tamed v. 7 8. others cannot tame your tongues but you may get them tamed your selves put them under the government of Christ and he will tame them get your passions tamed within and you may tame this member which is the instrument that they make use of to vent themselves in your revilings keep guard and sentinel before the door of your lips and watch your words that you offend not with your tongues 7. Persecutors turn from your evil waies Forbear persecuting the people of God who desire your good and are the best safeguard and defence by their prayers and faith of the places where they live from miseries and destruction is it good for you to hew at the bough on which you stand over such a deep into which if you should fall it will be impossible for you to recover your selves again is it good for you to pull at the Pillars of the house which if you pluck down will bring the house upon you and bury you in its ruines is it good to put your selves under the burdensome stone which will grinde you to