A Voice to the City Or A Loud CRY from HEAVEN TO LONDON Setting before her Her SINS Her SICKNESSE Her REMEDIES Mich. 6. 9. The Lords Voice cryeth to the City hear the Rod and who hath appointed it LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXV A Voice to the CITY OR A loud Cry from Heaven to London c. WHen iniquities are ripe and a sinful people have filled up their measure the holy and righteous God though he tarry long yet at last visits with severe Judgements and breaks out in fury against them and sayes them 〈◊〉 thus he did by the old World thus he did by Sodom and Gomorrah thus he did by Jerusalem it self when they despised his Mâ—ssengers and slew his Prophets till wrath brake out upon them and there was no remedy Now that you may not be cheated in the Causes of this so sad a Calamity nor be abused by a generation of hard hearted sinners whose God is their belly whose constant practise is to blind the people that their noon-spots may not be seen and to feed you with fallacies assigning that for a Cause which is not a Cause as in the Primitive times the Heathen Priests and their party would constantly perswade the Emperors and Rulers that all Defeats in Warr Plagues and Desolations came upon them for suffering the Christians to live amongst them I say that you may not be cheated in so weighty a concern I shall present to your view the express Causes assigned in the Scriptures for which God did send forth his destroying Aâ—gel to depopulate and they wast Cities and Nations 〈…〉 memorable Plagues we read of was â— Pharâ—â—h and his people Exod. 12. 29 30. At midnight the 〈…〉 all the first-born of Egypt and Pharoah rose up in the night he and all his servants and all the Egyptians and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not a house where there was not one dead that this was the Plague you may see v. 13. and Psalâ— â— 50 51. What was the reason of this what was Pharoahs provoking sin It wâ—â— oppression of the people of God be would not give them liberty to serve God he would not let them go they desired neither places of favour nor profit they petitioned not for the Temples nor Re 〈…〉 onely they would have liberty to serve God as 〈…〉 had appointed but this would not be granted therâ—fore teh Lord punisheth the Egyptians with this noysome disease 2. Another sore Plague we read of Numb 16. and the great cause of this was offering of strange fire humane inventions in the Worship of God and resisting Moses and Aaron the true Ministers of God it 's true the men that did this thing might seem to have humane Authority enough for so doing for they were persons of Honour Rank and Quality v. 2. They rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly famous in the Congregation men of renown and being thus assembled they would have fire and Sacrifices as liked them best or rather as suited best with their own lusts for fleshly Worship best agrees with fleshly Worshippers but the holy God who is very precise and jealous in point of Worship would not take it at their hands he ' 〈…〉 have no services but of his own making it must be fire from the Altar the Spirit of God that must inkindle our Sacrifices and the Institution of God that must warrant them hereupon God causeth the Earth to swallow up the Ring-leaders quick and their abettors were smitten with the Pestilence v. 41. Humane Inventions in the Worship of God have often times brought the plague upon his people See Psal 106. 29. Thus they vexed him with their inventions and the Plague brake in upon them They would needs adorn the Worship of God with Heathenish Customes and make it trimmer than God made but God abhors this and will not bear it So Ezâ—ck 9. there you have the destroying Angel sent forth to smite the City Jerusalem with the Pestilence his Commission very large to spare neither old nor young Maid nor suckling Child and the cause of this severe stroke you have assigned cap. 8. Those who had professed better things are now guilty of Idolatry they are engaged in heathenish rites and customs and besides this they were grown bloody persecutors and scoffers at Religion cap. 8. v. 17. Is it a light thing that they commit the abominations which they commit here for they have filled the Land with violence and have returned to provoke me to anger and lo they put the branch to the nose They had once left off Idolatry as abominable but now they are returned to the vomit now they are violent persecutors of such that will not wallow in the same mire with them now they are turned jeerers and scoffers so cap. 9 v. 9. and upon this God tells the Prophet v. 10 As for me mine eye shall not spare neither will I have pity but I will recompence their way upon their head so Ezek. 5. 11 12. Wherefore as 〈◊〉 saith the Lord God surely because thou hast defiled my Sanctuary with all thy detestable things and with all thy abominations therefore will I also diminish thee neither shall mine eye spare neither will I have any pity a third part shall dye with the Pestilence and with Famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee c. 3. We read of another great Plague Numb 25. there were two ingredients in the provoking-provoking-cause of this Pestilence the one was Idolatry v. 2 3. they joyned themselves to Baal-Peâ—r and bowed down to Heathen Gods the other was their abominable uncleanness they were become debauched Whoremongers and Adulterers impudent open-faced Letchers as v. 5 6. Behold one of the Children of Israel brought a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the Congregation of the children of Israel Now the person to whom this gaudy Harlot was brought by his ranting Pimp was none of the common sort no ordinary person but a Prince which made the crime the greater v. 14 Now the name of the Israelite was Zimri the Son of Salâ— a Prince of the chief House among the Simeonites and the name of the Midianitish was Cosbi the daughter of Zur he was head over 〈◊〉 people and God was angry with Israel for having among them such loud and lothsome sins when such as should have been examples of Honor Honesty and Sobriety to the inferior people were Encouragers of all manner of leudness this provoked God to send the Plague among them 4. Another sore Plague we read of 2 Sam. 24. and the reason was because David though a good King and a man after Gods own heart in most things yet for the sinfulness of his people was left to be tempted by Satan to a carnal conâ—idence and vain boasting in the arm of flesh and therefore would needs have a Muster-rowl of all
the Militia in Israel he 〈◊〉 send his Captain-General and other Commanders to muster up in every Province the men that were capable of bearing arms that he might see his strength and take confidence in them but God would not take this at his hands whereas David had been brought to the Crown meerly by the hand of God had lived an exile for a considerable time was hunted up and down from one Countrey to another had no safe abiding place and at last was lifted into the Throne by a meer hand of providence though annointed King long before Now for David to forget that God that saved him restored him and so eminently honored him and to rely trust in the multitude of an Host to rest upon an arm of flesh and secure himself under the wings of a numerous Militia this provoked God so highly that he sent forth the Pestilence and slew in a short time seventy thousand men 5. Another sore Plague we read of Numb 11. and the sinne that provoked God to smite them at this time was their lothing Manna and lusting after some other delicacies they remembred the flesh-pots in Egypt and lusted after them 〈…〉 was not food for their ustentation but food for their 〈…〉 stentation Psal 8. 18. They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust When men cannot be content with the good things of a fruitful Land but must have such rarities extracts cullises quintessences as will prompt and provoke them to uncleanness this provokes God to anger this God hath expresly forbidden Rom. 13. 14. Make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof But if one Warning will not serve the turn but you must take this course see what will be the issue Numb 11. 33. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chawed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great Plague And as the persons that were guilty of this same were the great ones so the Judgement fell principally upon them Psal 78. 30 31. They were not estranged from their lusts but whilâ— the meat was yet in their mouths the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen men of Israel The Apostle tells us these things were written for our example lest we also be made an example 1 Cor. 10 11. There is also a spiritual meaning of this History by Manna is meant Jesus Christ and the Gospel-nourishment John 6. 31 32 33. Our Fathers did eat Manna in the desart as it s written he gave them bread from Heaven to eat Then Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Moses gave you not the bread from Heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven for the Bread of God is he that cometh down from Heaven and giveth life to the World it did typifie Spiritual Food 1 Cor. 10. 3. They did all eat the same spiritual Food it shadows out the secret 〈◊〉 enjoyments of Christ in his Ordinances Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna And by the flesh-pots of Egypt is typified carnal Ordinances fleshly services calculated meerly for the honor and interest of carnal men Rev. 11. 8. Their dead bodies also shall lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt So that Egypt also hath a spiritual meaning viz. a fleshly bondage and tyrannical imposition as to the Worship of God therefore when men shall be weary of Jesus Christ shall loth spiritual food soul searching and coverting Ordinances soul-comforting Communion with Christ and hanker after and contribute their uttermost endeavours for soul-starving soul-enslaving fleshly Worship that may best comport with their lusts this great sin provokes God to send the Pestilence amongst them There are many other causes for which God sends this Pestilence amongst a provoking people and for which in an extraordinary manner he sweeps away with the besome of destruction and makes them sick with smiting them As Amos 2. 4 5. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they have despised the Law of the Lord and have not kept his Commandements and their lies have caused them to err after the which their fathers have walked When a people shall forsake the holy ways of God both as to conversation and worship and be led by their own lusts and fall back to the sins of the generation that went before them for which God in the sight of all men punished them this is a provoking sin And ver 6. there is another sin mentioned as a cause of wrath and mortality 〈…〉 people and that is selling the people of God and bartering away their lives and liberties for gain trade and profit Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Israel and for four I wil◠〈◊〉 turn away the punishment thereof because they haue sold the righteous for Silver and the poor for a pair of Shooes In a word the great God is come out to plead with this Nation for all her abominations he hath the same controversie with this Land as he had with backsliding Israel Hos 4 1. 2. The Lord hath a controversie with the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledg of God in the land by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery the land breaketh forth and blood toucheth blood therefore shall the land mourn Oh how many High-way thefts open murders do cry for vengeance at this day in this lothsom ranting open-faced violence villany blasphemy and debauchery To make up the sum of their provocations to compleat their destruction their Priests who should have stood in the gap to have stayd the â—lague who should have warned them by their Doctrine lead them by their exemplary conversation were as bed as the worst v. 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge and ver 9. There shall be like priest like people and I will punish them for their wayes and reward them for their doings Add one place more Zeph. 1 where God threatens to consume all things from the land â—ay to bring such terrible desolation that the great men and rich men shall fall down under the stroke and shall not be able to avoid the calamity ver 14. 15 16 17 18. The great day of the Lord is near and hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord the mighty men shall cry there bitterly that day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distress and I will bring distress on men that they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung neither their Silver nor their Gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of
Priest hath turned away my wrath from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake amongst them that I consumed not the Children of Israel in my jealousie Wherefore say behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace and he shall have it and his seed after him c. Up and be doing ye Magistrates of this great City let your zeal run in the right channel against the enormous sins of the times But be it known unto you if you shall be negligent and remiss in this work God wil raise up Saviours God wil spirit some or other that shall execute Judgement and Justice and you shall fall in your iniquities 4. The fourth Plague was for carnal confidence in an Aâ—m of flesh Bâ—cause alâ— the Arms and Strength of a Nation is for you therefore you are secure boast your selves and are confident you shall never be broken you may remember that as valiant Armies as succesful Militia's and as victorious â—leets have been in other hands yet how easily did the great God for causes best known to himself take away the hearts and take the people out of the hands of those men who in their day were the terror of the Nations round about them be not high-minded but fear for if it hath been done thus to the green Tree what shall bed done to the dry Tree lay to heart that Scripture Jer. 17. 5 6 Cursed be the man that maketh flesh his A 〈…〉 and whose heart departeth from the Lord for he shall be like the Heath in the Desart and shall not see when good cometh but shall in habit the parched places of the Wildeness And as to the diverting the judgments procured by this sin I advise all persons who have been hightned by their carnal confidences to do as David did 2 Sam. 24 10. And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done take away the iniquity of thy Servant for I have done foolishly And v. 17. And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the Angel that smote the people and said I have sinned and done wickedly but these sheep what have they done let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my Fathers house Here was a tender Magistrate that preferred his peoples welfare before his own Oh that great persons would behold with compassion how many thousands their sins have hurried to the grave and that they would repent and turn to the Lord 5. The fifth great Plague was for loathing Manna did lusting after Quarles if there were no other argument to persons of honour But the grandure and noble house-keeping of their Ancestors their constant Tables and Entertainments to the Gentry Yeomanry of the Country which now is wasted upon a few invented Kickshaws to pamper lust while their empty Mansions in the Country and the hungry bellies of poor neighbours grumble and mourn for their luxury whilst their God is their belly their glory their shame their lust the end for which they live and what a sad reckoning will there be at last when God shall call them to account how they have bestowed all that Treasure he put into their hands and they have nothing to answer but Our cursed Lusts have swallowed up our Time our 〈◊〉 our Bodies our Soul As for you that have slâ—ghted Jesus Christ and the Gospel and have returned to Egypt see the just judgment of God upon you threatned to such Lzek. 20 24 25. Because they had not executed my judgements but had despised my Statutes and polluted my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their Fathers Idols wherefore I gave them also Statutes that were not good and Judgements whereby they should not live Let all 〈◊〉 and backsliders remember from whence they are fallen and repent let that dreadful word awaken you Heb. 10 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Let all those who after long banishment and punishment for former sins have been restored again and brought every man again to his place and yet go on in their old provocations let them read Jer. 12. 14 15 16 17. Thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neighbours that touch mine inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit behold I will pluck them out of their Land and pluck out the House of Judah from amongst them and it shall come to pass after I have plucked them out that I will return and have compassion on them and will bring them again every man to his Heritage and every man to his Land and it shall come to pass if they will diligently learn the wayes of my people to swear by my Name The Lord liveth as they have taught my people to swear by Baal then shall they be built up in the midst of my people but if they will not obey I will utterly pluck up and destroy that people saith the Lord. A 〈…〉 your Priests more proud bloody persecuting prophane and superstitious then ever Is not that word fulfilled in them Ezek 22. 25 26. There is a conssiracy of the Prophets in the midst of her like a roaring Lyon raving the prey they have devoured souls they have taken the Treasure and precious things they have made hen many Widows in the midst thereof her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and prophane neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths and I am prophaned among them Nay if they have put any difference at all it hath been by contempt and reviling persecuting and worrying the godly encouraging and taking into their bosome the ungodly as Ezek. 13. 22 23. Because with lyes ye have made the heart of the righteous sad whom I â—a 〈…〉 made sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked that be should not return from his wicked way by promising him life therefore ye shall see no more vanity for I will deliver my people out of your hand Amen Art not many of your Gentry more debauched more full of blasphemous Oaths more enemies to boliness sobriety and civility than they were before Assure your selves both one and other God will fulfil this word upon you even utterly to root you out except you repent And as to the common sort who have been encouraged by your example are they not wretchedly poluted nothing but swearing cursing drunkenness and among them Hell is broke loose and the very Reins of Modesty and Humanity are relaxed so that God may justly spread your Carkases as dung upon the face of the Earth and make room by your destruction for a more righteous and sober generation Now therefore to conclude You that have any tenderness left that have not quite transformed your selves to Beasts and Devils you that would escape Hell you that can with any remorse behold the dying-pale-face of this Nation stabb'd at the heart by these sins of yours Oh tremble at the fierce wrath of God that is gone forth against you and abhor your selves for all your abominations there is yet some encouragement left for you to turn and be saved 2 Chr. 7. 13 14. If I send the Pestilence among my people if my people that are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked 〈◊〉 then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their Land Be humbled for and turn from all your wicked wayes and be upon your faces in the dust for mercy and pardon before the destroying Angel arrest you and you be brought to the Bar of Divine Justice where every impenitent sinner will receive this sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels To you that fear the Lord and tremble at his righteous Judgments 1. Be not over-confident that you shall not fall in this common calamity for though the generality of Gods people shall be ensafed yet we have deserved by our sins to perish in this Wilderness and 〈…〉 of this Dâ—sease to humble the rest and to harden the ungodly 2. Be not surprised with a pannick fear be not slavishly timerous for this rugged nasty Messenger comes on your Fathers Errand and his business is to call you home to your Fathers House and you have your Fathers Promise to be with you in the midst of the Valley of the shadow of death 3. Be much in mourning for your own sins and the provoking sins of others and hereby you will be entituled to a Protection Ezek. 9 Set a mark upon them that sigh and mourn for all the abominations that are committed and a charge is given to the destroying Angel that he comes not near such 4. Be flying into special Providence Psal 91. 5. Be eying Jesus Christ our merciful and tender High-Priest who will stand between the living and the dead our Passover who is sacrificed for us and the blood of sprinkling shall save us from the Plague of the Plague the guilt of sin 6. Keep up secret Communion with God that if you should be shut up and no body suffered to come nigh you yet God may be with you as he hath promised and stand by you as he did by Paul 1 Tim. 4. 16 17. At my first Answer no man stood with me but God stood by me and comforted me Lastly The voice of this Dispensation to you is that you set your hearts and your houses in order Isa 38. i. e. Get all scores cleared between God and your Immortal Souls in the Blood of Jesus Christ and so settle your Estates which God hath blessed you with in this World that when you dye Christ himself may entertain you with a Come ye blessed of my Father c. Matt. 25. 34 35. FINIS