be more commodious for Trade and that with respect both to buyers and sellers Buyers will not have far to go for their commodities and sellers by that means will have the more customers more Chapmen Moreover to joyn the new part of the City to the old at both ends and on both sides of the way would make it more speedily to look like a City even as a quarter of an hours discourse upon new matter joyned to half an hours repetition of that which is good and old passeth for a Sermon whereas a quarter of an hours discourse by it self would puzzle men what to call it and be laught at for a short come off A new City joyned to the old would be the Embleme of a sober comprehension mannaged to the best advantage of Church and State and of all good men whereas the scattering of houses some here some there at some distance one from another and all at a distance from the old building would be more the Embleme of an universal tolleration taking in Papists Quakers and every body else and which is best of the two I leave to other men to judge not to joyn the new and old together were to make as if they were two distinct Cities whereas indeed they are but two distinct parts of one and the same City united under the same Governors and Government and comprized within the same wall Drunken men use to see things double which are but single and it is an ill design to make things seem to be more than they are I love unity and that it should be owned to be where it is though I shall not curse the number two as one of the Ancients did for first wording from it I have given my reasons why what was last in the execution of the fire burning both wayes should be first in the intention and prosecution of the builder I will but moralize this head and dismiss it Sin like the fire hath made the greatest havock in the midst of us I mean upon the middle part of our lives not guarded by a harmless ignorance as was our youth nor yet by a preventing impotency as old age is Now the main work of a Christian should begin at the two ends of his life for so the two extremes may be called and the phrase of our latter end seemeth to imply a former end In matter of examination confession c. a Christian should begin at the beginning or hither end of his life In sin was I born Psa 51. but in point of meditation it is good to begin at the further or latter end of our lives proceeding from thence to serious reflections upon the midst and worst of them as God spake by Moses Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end DISCOURSE XX. That it would much conduce to the rebuilding of London to have a through search made how and by what means it was burnt I Charge no body with the burning of London but him that charged it upon himself that confessed and died for it But let others produce what they have to say if men will confidently affirm that London was destroyed by the treachery and cruelty of more persons than that one forementioned miscreant it is pity but they were punished if they can produce no probable grounds and reasons for what they say But if they have things to alledge in the case which do amount at least to a strong presumption and just ground of great suspicion that so it was it is great pity but that sent should be followed those footsteps traced and the utmost sagacity of wise and impartial men Magistrates and others imployed to fathom and discover what is at the bottom As Samuel said to Saul what meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the Oxen which I bear So say I what meaneth that doleful cry which is daily in our ears such and such have burnt our City That is soon said and may be as soon denyed but proof is all in all Some tell us There is a great cry but no wooll a great smoak of accusation but no fire or so much as a spark of guilt Still I say sub judice lis est When the law hath given a perfect lot in the case then and not till then shall we certainly know who is in the right That old dilemma will never be answered if it be enough to accuse who can be innocent if it be sufficient to excuse who will ever seem guilty Therefore there is a third thing that must of necessity be done and that is tryal to be made by sufficient Juries and the worthy Judges what validity there is in all and every the Allegations pro and con given in upon Oath what all the Plaintiffs can say against and all the Defendants can say for themselves do signify and amount to What moment all the circumstances produced and proved have and are of in the ballance of reason When that is done there is reason for every man to be satisfied and I hope it will be so Have our Laws provided that if the despicablest person that can be lye dead in the streets unknown to any body there present how he or she came by their death a jury shall be impanel'd and the Coroner shall sit upon it to give sentence what the cause of his or her death was And did not God himself by his servant Moses will and command the Isralites that if one were found flain in their land and it were not known who had flain him Deut. 21.1 All the elders of that City which was next unto the slain man should wash their hands over a Heifer that was beheaded and say our hands have not shed this bloud neither have our eyes seen it v. 6 7. And the Priests the sons of Levi shall come near and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried v. 5. which last words seem to imply that the persons who came to the place where the dead body lay or the heifer instead of the dead body were not acquitted by thir meer washing their hands in token of innocency as Pilate did nor yet by professing themselves not to have shed that bloud or to have known who did but that the sons of Levi in those daies had a spirit of discerning given them whereby they were able upon seeing and hearing such passages to judge whether the persons who appeared to purge themselves were guilty or not guilty For the text saith By their word shall every stroke be tried Did the Law of God inquire so strictly after the death of every man the time and manner of whose death was unknown and do the laws of our land do the like at this day and is it not highly reasonable that the death and destruction of a famous City the greater part of which lies slain in the streets to this day and buried in its
that is not reducible unto mean thoughts of a mans self or not thinking of our selves more highly than we ought as the root and original of it One phrase whereby the Apostle expresseth Humility is this In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves Phil. 2.3 And to like purpose with that are those words Rom. 12.10 In honor preferring one another What but mean thoughts of a mans self doth make him in honor to prefer others and to esteem them better than himself neither need any man to misconceive of himself or think of himself worse than he is that he may think others better than himself that is secundum quid I mean so in one respect or other For they that in most things excel others are usually in some things excelled by them 1 Cor. 12.8 For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledg to another faith to another the gifts of healing to another prophecy to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues Humility gives a man to see and own what gift another man hath which he hath not or not in so eminent a degree and measure as another hath it So when the Apostle saith as it is Rom. 12.16 Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate or be contented with mean things as it is in the margent he adds that which if practised will cause men to condescend and that is Be not wise in your own conceits or have low thoughts of your selves Humble looks humble gestures humble speeches and expressions an humble modest plain garb and habit and self-abasing equipage as was that of Christ when he rode upon an asse the foal of an Asse so far as there is fincerity in those external appearances which I add because some in such things may but induere personam that is may but act a part do all spring from lowly thoughts of our selves as did the meek carriage of the Publican Luk. 18.10 And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner which last words give an account of all the former he was cast down with the thoughts of his being a great sinner and that made him do as he did Every man would think meanly of himself and be little in his own eyes if he did think soberly of himself and not more highly than he ought or hath reason to think for the scripture saith that every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Ps 39.5 and surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lye to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter than vanity Ps 62.9 We say of proud people that they do not know themselves and when we promise to humble them we say we will make them know themselves and most certain it is if the best and worthiest and happiest of men and women did throughly know themselves they could not be proud For how can he be proud who knoweth and is convinced that he hath many things to cast him down but no one thing that may justly lift him up all things considered Now that is every mans case Who laboureth not under natural defects finful defilements and Divine rebukes and all of these are just occasions of being cast down Doth the wise man glory in his wisdom alas how defective is it how little do the best Philosophers know of the true reasons of any thing in nature We know the use of things but litle of their causes our knowledg both of God and of the creatures is not so much by a thousand parts as is our ignorance Job speaking of God saith Lo these are parts of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him Job 26.24 Our wisdom in comparison of the wisdom of God is but foolishness yea compared with the wisdom of Angels yea of fallen Angels is but weakness He spake as truly as modestly who said This only do I know that I know nothing Hoc tantum scio me nihil scire viz. In comparison of the many things which he was ignorant of and yet he was one of the wisest men in the world that said it If the strong man glory in his strength how defective is that strength wherein he glorieth and how much more doth he partake of weakness How soon were Sampsons locks cut off and when that was done what became of his strength How easily can a disease such as it may be take hold upon the pillars of his house who thinks his body to be as it were an impregnable Castle and pull it presently about his ears as Sampson served the Philistines How defective must they needs be otherwise and in other respects who have so much of defect in their greatest excellencies and perfections few men excel in many things none in all and if such be the imperfection of mens greatest perfections how many defects and imperfections have all men to keep them humble Besides natural defects there are sinful defilements which is yet a more humbling consideration Ps 19.12 Who can understand his errors viz. the vast number the haynous nature of them Had we all kind of natural excellencies viz. wisdom strength beauty yet ought we to abhor our selves as in dust and ashes for our moral pollutions Devils want not for natural excellencies they have strength and wisdom far beyond any man in the world but being abominably wicked in spight of all that where in they excell we count them odious and despicable creatures S. Paul though an Apostle of extraordinary indowments both acquired natural and supernatural yet cried out as one that was vile in his own account Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death He that shall set his guilt against his gifts will find the former exceedingly to outweigh the latter and to minister to him much more cause of humility than the other can do of pride to have a heart deceitful above measure and desperately wicked as who hath not and together with that a life defiled with thousands of actual transgressions how much greater a cause of self abasement is it than to have a great deal of wealth power and wisdom can be of self exaltation One would think that Naamans leprosy should keep him humble though he were a great commander and is there not reason for us so to be upon every one of whom there is a worse leprosy though more invisible than was that of Naamans the leprosy of sin I mean Think but of sin under the notion of folly as both scripture and reason do represent it and sinners as fools and it will help to humble thee for who is not vile in his own eyes when he is conscious to himself that he hath notoriously plaied the fool as Tamar said to Amnon 2 Sam. 13.13 And
own ruines and ashes I say that the means and causes thereof should be inquired into Nay how great a care did the Law of God take to satisfie those husbands one way or other upon whom the spirit of jealousie came though there were no witness to prove that against their wives which they were jealous of Yea if the husband were jealous of his wife and she were not defiled Numb 5.13 14. Though the thing he was jealous of could not be proved yea though the woman was not guilty nevertheless she was to offer the jealousy offering v. 18. to purg her self by an Oath v. 19. and to drink of the bitter water v. 18. and all this was no prejudice to the wife in case she were innocent nay it was an advantage to her for v. 28. it is said If the woman be not defiled but be clean then she shall be free viz. First from the curse or mischief which the bitter water would otherwise have brought upon her v. 19. If thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness be thou free from this bitter water which causeth the curse v. 19 Secondly from the jealousy and suspicion of her husband which would not otherwise have been taken off And one benefit more she was to have by it expressed v. 28. And shall conceive seed that is if she were barren before she should after that have a Child and if she had any formerly she should have more If so much were done to satisfie the jealousy of one private man may nothing reasonably be expected to satisfie and take off the jealousies of thousands if not millions of men and women in City and country in a matter of higher consequence than is that injury which a husband receiveth by the unchastness of his wife though that injury be very great yet this I say was greater For this was a fault not to be pardoned if proved whereas Joseph though a just man when he suspected his espous'd wife to have been unlawfully with Child thought to have past it by and not to have made her an example Mat. 1. How desirous were the Philistines that were smote with Emrods to know whither God had done them that great evil or whether it were not some chance that had hapned to them 1 Sam. 6.9 Was their Plague of Emrods greater than our plague of Fire If not why should we less inqure after this how it came than they after that To inform our selves how the Fire came to pass is not a point of curiosity but of great use For could it be made out at leastwise with great probability that it was the immediate hand of God and as it were Fire from Heaven that did consume our City that circumstance would so much promote our humiliation to think that rather than suffer us to go unpunished God should work a miracle to destroy us And then again upon other accounts it might make much for our comfort to know that men had no hand in the doing of it For if God himself did do it immediately we may hope the like will not be done again in many ages to come For as God after he had once drowned the world did presently promise he would do so no more so it is scarcely to be paraleld amongst the providences of God that he should burn the same City twice in a short time He useth to pause and as it were to deliberate long upon such strange acts of Judgment as those are expostulating with himself and with them as of old How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I make thee like Admah and like Zeboim my bowels are turned within me c. But they that suspect it was burnt by men till that jealousie be removed will always be in fear that they whom they mistrust to have destroyed it once if undiscovered will attempt to destroy it again as soon and as often as they can Now in case the bitter water of a through examination shall confirm the thing they were jealous of viz. that London was fired by Instruments and it shall come to light who those Instruments were it is all the reason in the world they should be made examples that others may hear and fear and do no more so wickedly I reckon the danger would be over for one Age at least as to that sort of men that should once be proved and owned to have burnt the City so firmly as they would be bound to their good behaviour and so watchful an eye as would be held over them from that time forward All opposition made to the sifting out that business doth vehemently encrease the jealousies of men for he that doth well cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest but they that have done evil hate the light lest their deeds of darkness should be reproved One would think that whotsoever is suspected being indeed innocent should be more earnest than any other persons to come to a strict scrutiny that themselves might be vindicated Methinks the chast Wife that had a jealous Husband should and could not but long for the bitter water as knowing it would be so far from causing her belly to swell and her thigh to rot that it would keep her name from rotting and make her of a sorrowful suspected Wife to become a joyful Mother If all men can wash their hands in innocency as from the burning of London I heartily wish that God would bring forth their righteousness as the light and their judgement as the noon day It is pity they should suffer so much as in their names who had no hand in it and if any had besides that poor Hubart who was executed upon that accompt the strangest instance that ever was if he burnt such a City alone to suffer in their names only is not sufficient But now I think of it there lately came down a Command or Commission to the City to take examinations upon oath of all matters relating to the fire which was done accordingly and the injunction to do it was I know accepted with all humble thankfulness and as well resented by many as ever any thing was That considered I must excuse what I have said with that of the Poet He that recommends what is done already thereby commends him that did it Qui monet facias quod jam facis ille monendo laudat What Solomon saith in another case I shall allude to in this After so much enquiry as hath been made already upon the oaths of sufficient persons many of whose depositions are now extant and after all that are like to be hereafter made by vertue of the Authority then granted if there be any guilt at the bottom Whosoever hideth it hideth the wind and the oyntment of his right hand which bewrayeth it self Prov. 27.16 DISCOURSE XXI That the countenance of Rulers expressing much zeal and earnestness to have the City up again and a sad sense of its present ruines would put much life
to the generation following So may I say walk now about London mark yee well her pallaces c. that yee may tell the generation to come how many goodly buildings were in London within less than two years after the greatest part of it was burnt to the ground This is the Lords doing and should be marvellous in our eyes Have not men as instruments contributed something and that considerable towards the rebuilding of the City such I mean as had no houses there of their own to build and ought they not to be thankfully acknowledged for what they have done I doubt not but many had a hand in the forementioned Act that had no private concern in London So to eye men as to overlook God is the greater fault of the two but to overlook men when and wherein they deserve to be thankfully eyed is likewise a fault Ezra hath set us a good pattern Ezra 7.27 Blessed be the Lord God which hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord v. 28. And hath extended mercy to me before the King and his counsellors and before all the Kings mighty Princes c. Here though the chief honour and praise was ascribed to God yet the King and his Counsellors and Princes were owned also The King is said to have beautified the house of God though God to have put it into his heart so to do Whensoever favours are received be they great or small thanks becomes a debt and it is but just to pay it How should they look to prosper who can pay what they owe and will not and when it is but thanks that is owing or expected who cannot pay it It is a perverse thing to withhold thanks from them that have deserved at our hands out of a conce it they might have deserved more They that do for us more than they might have done be it more or less have earned our thanks and more it is like they will do if they find us thankful Some will scatter their bread upon the waters by way of trial whether they shall find it again I mean they shew lesser kindnesses at the first to see if they shall find men thankful and when they have found them so they open the hands of their bounty much more wide and their latter favours are such as speak the former to have bin but a kind of earnest It is like that Leaper who alone of all the ten that were cured did return to give thanks had some favour above all the rest added to his cure it being usual with God to thank men I mean to reward them for their thanks And who knows but that our Rulers may have farther intentions of kindness towards the poor City exceeding all that they have done for it already I had almost said as the last cloud which Elijah saw did exceed the first 1 Kings 18. if such a thing were possible if they shall but experiment that they are owned and acknowledged as I hope they will be in and for what they have done already Tertullus that great orator spoken of Acts. 24. may inform us of the best rhetorick wherewith to prevail for future kindness who being about to court Felix to be his friend against Paul bespake him as followeth v. 2 3. Seeing that by thee we injoy great quietness and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence We accept it always and in all places most noble Felix with all thankfulness DISCOURSE XXXI That to seek much unto God by Prayer and Fasting for success would be one of the best wayes to promote the City ALL great undertakings and such is the building of our City should be usherd in and carried on with prayer and fasting In every thing by prayer and supplication let your request be made known to God is the rule given Philip. 4.6 And if by prayer in every thing then doubtless by fasting also in things of greater weight and moment ought our requests to be made known Prayer alone can do much but joyned with fasting it may prevail yet more Our Saviour speaking of a sort of Devils saith This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fâ—sting Mark 9.29 He saith not by prayer only but by fasting also Satan is the great obstructer of every good work 1 Thes 2.18 We would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us Never had that fowl fiend a greater mind to obstruct the building of any City in the world Jerusalem only excepted than I believe he hath to obstruct the building of London How shall we cast him out but by prayer and fasting Six other evil Spirits there are if I may not call them Devils which do vehemently oppose the rebuilding of London and must be cast out by the means forementioned First the spirit of Fear Discouragement and Despondency Nehemiah 4.10 And Judah said the strength of the bearers 〈◊〉 burthens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that 〈◊〉 are not able to build the Wall And our adversaries said they shall not know neither see till we come in the widst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease v. 11. This one spirit should it so rage and domineer as God might suffer it to do might utterly prevent the building of London But what think you of the Spirit of Envy and malice is not that as bad That Spirit opposed the building of Jerusalem and so it will of London so far as it can or dare Nehemiah 2.10 When Sanâ—allat and Tobiah heard of it it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel Nehem. 4.9 The breaches began to be stopped then they were very wroth and conspired all of them to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it Another evil Spirit which doth or may hinder the building of London is that of Jealousie and suspicion not only in but of and concerning that City This Sanballat made great use of to hinder the building of Jerusalem Nehem. 6.6 It is reported among the heathens said he that thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayest be their King c. So some men have the unhappiness to be jealous of their wives though as chast women as are in the world and others are so wicked as to perswade them to it now this impertinent as well as evil spirit must be kept or cast out by prayer and fasting that London may be rebuilt A spirit of anger and discontent may obstruct the building of London as much as any of the rest if God should leave that spirit to do its worst So sullen as the discontents of men do sometimes make them they will enterprize nothing but will hide their hands in their bosomes and not so much as bring it to their mouths again as is said of the slothful man Prov.