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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64987	Fire and brimstone from heaven, from earth, in hell, or, Three discourses I. Concerning the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah formerly, II. Concerning the burning of Æetna, or Mount Gibel more lately, III. Concerning the burning of the wicked eternally, with fire and brimstone / by Thomas Vincent ...	Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.	1670 (1670)	Wing V437; ESTC R23063	78,865	146

help or relief refuge faileth them and there is no escaping no enduring of this pain and yet they must endure it until extremity of pain doth take away all sence of pain The terrour of the Sodomits through apprehensions of their present and unavoidable death before them was great but surely the way and manner of it namely by Fire from Heaven did cause greater terrour If it had been an ordinary Fire of which some natural cause might have been assigned it had not been so much but when it was a miraculous fire from Heaven created on purpose by the Lord to destroy those Cities surely their dread was extraordinary they could not chuse but see the more immediate hand of God in it and withall his frown and dreadful displeasure with the Fire ●… Brimstone which fell down from Heaven upon their houses and bodies they had scalding drops of Gods wrath ●…ch fell down upon their consciences we may think what impressions they had of the wrath of the Sin-revenging God on their spirits which caused a great●… horror within than the bare apprehension of death in any shape could of it self effect when the guilt of so great Sins and the apprehensions of so great wrath did meet together in their consciences and they had no time nor way to get the guilt of Sin removed and the wrath of God appeased when conscience before asleep was awakened in the midst of flames when there was a Fire above the Sodomits the Fire of Gods anger Fire about and upon the Sodomits the fire which came down from Heaven Fire beneath the Sodomits the fire of Hell and fire within the Sodomits the fire kindled in their consciences O the horrour when Hell was already begun within them in the flashes and sparks of it words cannot utter the horrible anguish which then they had upon them CHAP. VI. Concerning the Persons that escaped 4 THe persons that escaped this dreadful judgement were Lot and his Family Like as it was in the Old World Noah was an upright man in his generation when the whole world besides were wicked and God provided an Ark wherein he saved Noah and his Family when all the kindreds and Nations of the world besides were drowned in the Deluge of Waters which was brought upon the Earth so also Lot being the only upright and righteous man in Sodom when all the City together with the neighbouring Cities were wicked God provided a Zoar for Lot whilst he brought a Deluge of fire upon those wicked Cities which consumed them and all the wicked together which dwelt in them 2 Pet. 2. 5 6 7 8. When the destroying Angels were sent unto Sodom God remembred righteous Lot and a mark for preservation was set upon his forehead because he did sigh and cry out for the abominations which were committed in the midst of the City And God remembred Abraham his Friend who had made intercession for Lot therefore he sent him out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the City wherein Lot dwelt CHAP. VII Concerning the Spectators of Sodom's burnings 5 COncerning the Spectators of this Judgement Abraham however remote his habitation was had a plain prospect of this Fire and burning of Sodom We read Gen. 19. 27 28. And Abraham gat up early in the morning unto the place where he stood before the Lord and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and toward all the Land of the Plain and beheld and lo the smoke of the Countrey went up as the smoke of a Furnace Abrahams heart did misgive him that those wicked Cities would not escape destruction what ever conditional promise the Lord had made unto him of their preservation therefore it is likely he arose and came to this place that he might see what became of the Cities and quickly he 〈◊〉 them to be all in flames by the great smoke which mounted up from them what his thoughts were is not mentioned but it is likely he was more than ordinarily affected with this more than ordinary Judgement such an appearance of God in the World clothed with such wrath and vengeance might well make even Abraham himself whatever Interest he had in God to quake and be astonished When he looked up to Heaven he saw God all in flames of anger when he looked down to the Earth he saw Sodom and Gomorrah all in flames of Fire He knew that Lot did dwell there and he did not know it may be but that Lot with his Family might be burning there and this might cause him to lift up his voice and weep be sure he knew that the wickedness of the Sodomits was very great and that the righteous of the place were very few if any when the Lord had promised him to spare the whole City for the sake of Ten righteous persons could they there have been found Ah Lord thought he what a wicked place is Sodom that it should not yeild Ten righteous persons O what an evil thing and a bitter is it to Sin against God and hereby to provoke him unto anger and what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God when his anger is stirr'd up and doth burn thus like fire And if Abraham could so clearly discern the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the Inhabitants of Zoar who dwelt so near might more clearly discern it An allarm they have in the morning which doth startle and awaken them they are called forth out of their houses to see this dreadful and tremendous sight The noise of Fire Fire Fire doth sound in their ear Fire from Heaven Fire in the Air Fire on the Earth Sodom on Fire Gomorrah on Fire Admah and Zeboim on Fire every place near them on Fire this they hear this they see the flames all about are very visible and very terrible O with what ruful countenances do they look upwards towards Heaven from whence the Fire did come and forwards towards Sodom and Gomorrah where the Fire was kindled they see all the Cities together in flames which being all cituated upon the Plain without any Mountain or Hill between they might in the Fields or on the tops of their houses have an easie prospect of And surely the Sinners of Zoar are now affraid and fearfulness doth exceedingly surprize the guilt●… surely their consciences now are awakened ●…nd do cause a trembling within them when they see God's vengeance executed in flaming fire upon their fellow-sinners before them Alas wo be to us who can endure such devouring fire who can bear such horrible burnings Hath Sodom and Gomorrah provoked God to destroy them with Fire from Heaven what then will become of us who have shared with them in the same guilt and have deserved the same punishment O whether can we flee to hide us from the wrath of God and shelter us from his fiery indignation Lot also who though he did not look back as his Wife did before he got into Zoar yet from thence no doubt

such when the Mountain was dissolved and did melt with fervent heat into Floods of burning Fire might look upon Death the utmost the fire could bring upon them with an unappaled countenance yea with great considence and comfort because of their well-grounded hopes of rest and happiness in Heaven whose habitation prepared for them there is beyond the reach of any Earthly Fire to consume But no wonder if the blind Superstitious Papists whose worship is mingled with such vanity and Indolatry be filled with such dread and horrour especially the more notorious Sinners amongst them surely the consciences of the most are now awkened the stings and lashes whereof no doubt above all other things did at this time encrease their terrour But what course do they take for the diverting Gods anger which so visibly did break sorth in these Flames and Fire from the burning Mountain and for the prevention of the threatned ruine they do not betake themselves to their knees to Fasting and Prayer in any way of Gods prescribing they do not apply themselves by Faith unto the Blood of Christ to appease the wrath of the angry God No. The Relation telleth us that The Religious appeared every where with much devotion carrying in Procession their Reliques especially those of St. Agatha the famous Martyr of Catania in which they reposed no small confidence followed by a great multitude of people mortifying themselves with Whips and other signs of penance And at another time The Bishop of the place followed by the Clergy Secular and Regular and an infinite number of the people went in solemn Procession out of the City of Catania unto Monte de St. Sophia carrying out with greatest Devotion their choicest Reliques and upon an Altar erected in view of the Mountain exposed them where they celebrated Masse and used exorcismes accustomed upon such extraordinary occasions Thus blind and sottishly Superstitions these people are But is the anger of the Lord hereby appeased No it is so much the more encreased and they cannot charm the noise and flames of the Mountain with all their Exorcismes But all the while they continue in their Superstitious exercices It is said The Moantain ceased not as before with excessive roaring to throw up it's smoke and flames with extraordinary violence and abundance of great stones were carried thorow the air some of them falling within their view though as ten miles distant from the eruption This was an open rebuke of them for their Superstition ●…o odious and abominable in the ●…ight of God CHAP. VI. Concerning the cause of the Eruption of Mount Aetna THe Supreme cause of the flames and fiery streams which brake forth from the Bowels of Mount Aetna was the Lord who is not only Ens Entium the Being of Beings but also Causa Causarum the Cause of Causes whatever was the second God was the first cause all the works of Nature in the World being effected by him who is the God of Nature in and by him every thing hath as it 's being so also it 's vertue and operation It is said Iob 9. 10. He doth great things past finding out yea and wonders without number amongst the Mirabilia Dei the wonderful works of God this is none of the least In Miracles God doth work more immediately and in wonders God doth work more remarkably than in ordinary works Moreover this Eruption of Fire which made such a dreadful devastation of houses carried with it the plain face of a Judgement and every judgement it is from God as the Judge of the World God is in no wise the Author of Sin but he is the Author of all penal evil the anger of the Lord did not only smoke but break forth into a Flame it was the breath of the Lord that did kindle this Stream which overturned and swallowed up so many Habitations And surely the Inhabitants of the place had been blowing up the Coals of Gods anger before by their Sins It was not without cause from themselves that this judgement was brought upon them The distance of this Place from Rome is but little and the difference between them in Idolatry and all sort of wickedness is reported to be lesse Sicily hath drunk deep of the Cup of Fornication which is in the hand of the Romish Whore and God made some of them drink something of the Cup of his Wrath and Indignation yea Sodomy it self is of frequent practice in those parts and God brings ruine like unto that of Sodom upon their houses by Streams of Fire and Brimstone though through infinite patience their persons were preserved The cause under God of these dreadful Eruptions was the Fire in the Bowels of the Mountain which meeting with a large quantity of combustible matter and kindling it could not be contained in so streight room but with such noise and violence brake forth in such flames and streams at the mouth and sides When this Fire was first kindled is not known the burning of the Mountain being more ancient than any History can remember What the Poets feign concerning the War of the Gyants with the Gods and their casting down great Enceladus with Thunder and keeping him down with vast Mountains and this of Aetna being thrown upon his head that this Fire was kindled by his hot breath is as ridiculous as it is fabulous Some are of the opinion that there are Fountains of Fire under ground as well as of Water and that in the bosom and bowels of the Earth God hath layd up Treasures of this Element enclosing it in vast Caverns as in so many Store-houses which Subterranean Fire they assign to be the cause of hot Bathes and that Mount Aetna as also Vesuvius with other flaming Mountains which Geographers and Travellers tell us are to be seen in all the parts of the World are the breathing holes of this Fire but the Scripture is wholly silent of any such work of God there we read of the Earth and the gathering together of the waters and the Fountains of the great deep but nothing of any Fountains of Fire mingled with either of these Elements and the laying up of this Element in store in a place so low when naturally it tendeth upwards is not easie to conceive besides who ever hath descended into the depths of the Earth to search and find out these depths of Fire Iustin giveth other reasons of this Fire Lib. 4. Ca●… 1. Est antem terra tennis fragilis cavernis quibusdam fistulisque ita penetrabilis ut ventorum tota ferme flatibus pateat nec non ignibus generand●…s n●…triendisque soli ipsius naturalis materia quippe intrinsecus stratum sulphure bitumine traditur quae res facit ut spiritu cum igne inter interior a luctante frequenter compluribus l●…cis nunc flammas nunc vaporem nunc ●…umum eructet Indo denique Aetnae montis per tot socula durat incendium The meaning in brief is this The earth in

that place being so thin and hollow and penetrable by the Winds and the nature of the soil so Sulphurious and so fit matter for the begetting and nourishing of Fire the motion of the Wind closed in doth kindle the Fire which bel●…heth forth in smoke and flames and hence it is that the burning of Aetna hath endured for so many ages Unto which he addeth a little after speaking of the fall of the Waters Eade●… caus●… etiam Aetnae Montis ●…erpetuos ignes f●…cit Nam aquarum ille con●…ursus r●…tum secum spiritum in imum sundum trahit atq●…e ibi suffecat●… tamdiutenet donec per spiramenta Terrae diff●…sus nutrimenta ignis incendat The cause of Aetna's perpetual Fire is from the great and perpetual fall of the Water near at hand which carryeth down the Wind and Air and suffo●…ateth it at the bottom whence it breatheth away through some crevices of the Earth towards the Mountain and this kindleth and bloweth up the Flames Another assigneth the cause more clearly thus ●… tnam constat ab ●…a parte qua Eurus Affricus flant habere speluncas plenas Sulphuris ad Mare deduct as Haespeluncae recipientes in se fl●…ctus ventum creant qui agitatus ignem gignit ex Sulphures Mount Aetna saith he that way which the East and South wind do blow hath Caverns and Vaults full of Sulphur which reach so far as the S●…a which Vaults receiving into them the Waves of the Sea Wind is begot hereby which Winds being violently moved doth beget the Fire out of the Sulphur and therefore afterward he telleth us that as the East and South Wind do blow so this Mountain doth more on lesser vomit up sparks and fire Lucretius Lib. 6. doth set forth the cause Primum totius subcava Montis Est natura fere ●…ilicum suffulta cavernis Omnibus est porro in spelu●…eis ventus are c. The Mountain Aetna hollow is throughout With stones of Flint it's Cave are lin'd about Whereby it is held up The wind is there In every Cave begot by moved Air Through motion heat's engender'd i●… the Earth Thence fire springs forth and flames have birth Besides against the Mountain's Roots the Main Break her swoln Waves and swallow them again From whence unto the top of it's ascent The undermining Caves have their extent Through which the Bellows breath and cast forth flames With showers of stones ashes Thus concerning the cause of Aetna's burning which as to the second cause may rather be guessed at then fully understood CHAP. VII The Use of the Burning of Aetna THese late dreadful Eruption of Fire and Brimstone from Mount Aetna should carry our eyes upward unto God the Author hereof The Lord hath been lately upon the Earth he hath shown himself in great Majesty a Fire hath devoured before him and it hath been very tempestuous round about a smoke hath gone out of his mouth and Coals have been under his feet he hath clothed himself with flames and of late appeared very terribly in these Europaean parts he hath not only kindled fires in houses and Cities turning them into ashes and ruinous heaps but he hath also kindled a fire in a great Mountain which hath broken forth with a great flame We read Psal. 27. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of Majesty the voice of the Lord is upon the Waters the God of Glory thun●…reth the voice of the Lord●… upon many Waters the voice of the Lord shaketh the Wilderness and maketh Lebanon to Ship like a young Unicorn Such Majesty and Power hath been in Gods voice which was heard from this Mount the voice of the Lord hath sounded from the Earth the God of Glory hath thundered out of the bowels of a great Mountain whereby the foundations thereof have been so shaken as if he would have overturned it in his anger Formerly the Lord brought forth streams of Water out of the hard Rock and lately he hath brought forth streams of Fire out of the deep Earth This is the Lord 's doing and it should be marvellous in our eyes If we wonder at the work let us wonder more at the Worker if we admire to hear of such floods of fire we have more reason to admire Gods infinite Power who hath effected this Use 2. The Relation of Aetna's burning should awaken impenitent Sinners out of their carnal security whilst they consider the hand of God herein and that this God who kindled such a Fire in the Mountain is highly incensed against them so long as they allow and indulge themselves in any Sinful practices and that the Fire of Gods anger which is kindled in his breast against them is ten thousand times more dreadful than the Fire which was kindled in the bowels of the Mountain yea that God is preparing the Fire of Hell for them which shall burn them everlastingly if they do not repent that God who hath power to kindle a Fire in the Earth hath power to kindle the Fire of Hell and he that hath power to keep alive the fire of this mountain for some thousands of years hath power to keep alive the Fire of Hell unto Eternity this he can do and this he will do and oh how fearful a thing will it be to be thrown into everlasting flames of which more largely in the next discourse Awake then all ye Sons and Daughters of sleep and security ye children of night and darkness and all ye workers of iniquity Look up and see how powerful and terrible the Lord is and how unable you are to make resistance when once his hand shall take hold on vengeance Gods anger now doth but smoke against you ere long it will break forth into a flame which will burn to the lowest Hell and never shall be extinguished Let me therefore perswade you to break off your Sins by repentance and apply your selves to Christ by Faith that the anger of the Lord towards you may b●… appeased and that being reconciled you may escape the dreadful effects of his displeasure CHAP. VIII Concerning the burning of London that may be Use. 3. THe Relation of Aetna's burning should lead us unto the consideration of the Burnings which may be and the Burnings which will be First Consider the Burnings which may be our dear and beloved City of London may be burnt again with fire and that not only ●…he Suburbs and Southwark and remaining Timber houses which the last Fire spared but also the New-built Houses of Brick many of them have been tryed that they can burn for no Building on Earth is a sufficient defence against Fire I don't think we are in danger of any such Fire as that of Aetna to break forth from under our feet out of the bowels of the Earth but we may be in danger of a Fire Forged in Hell I mean some Develish wicked men may be contriving again the burning of the City It is not long since this

your selves upon him with a renouncing of your own righteousness accepting of him and his righteousness resigning up your selve●… unto him putting your neck under his Yoke have you received the spirit enabling you to pray mortifying Sin and quickning you unto all the duties of new obedience Hereby you may know the change of your estate If your hearts remain unhumbled unbroken for 〈◊〉 If you are strangers unto the work of Faith ●…nd never truely closed with Jesus Christ if you ●…re without the Spirit of Christ and under the power the reigning power of any Sin if you live in the neglect of prayer secret and with others and of the great Salvation which the Lord Jesus hath purchased if you have a form of Godliness but are without the power thereof you will be found foolish Virgins at last which will have no admittance into the Bride-chamber you will be found hypocrites whose portion is the burning Lake and it will be impossible for you to escape the damnation of Hell Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation CHAP. VII 2. Use of admiration at the security the wicked showing the cause thereof ARe the burnings of Hell so certain being threatned by God! are they so dreadful beyond any burnings that ever have been both in regard of feirceness and duration and are they indeed prepared for the wicked and all graceless Christless persons as their deserved portion and are the most of the children of Men wicked ungracious unrighteous unregenerate unbelievers who are already condemned to this place of torment Ioh. 3. 18. And by consequence every moment while such in danger of being drag'd sorth to execution Here then we may sit down and wonder at the senslesseness and carnal security of such persons especially of those who sit under the light of the word which doth make discovery of all thi●… most plainly unto them what ever their danger be what ever their Sins which have deserved Hell what ever Gods threatnings of everlasting burnings what ever execution there is and hath been upon other Sinners like themselves yet they are without any fear they are fast asleep in Sin and very secure though their conscience be full of guilt their hearts full of lust their lives full of Sin though their steps are carrying them forward in the broad way which leadeth unto destruction though death hath them upon the chase and is at their heels though the wrath of God pursueth them hard and is at their backs though the day wherein they must give an account and be punished for their iniquity hasteneth greatly and the Judge standeth at the door yet they care not they fear not none of these things do move them none of these things do trouble them they eat and drink and sleep and buy and sell and plant and build and go on in a sinful course as if they should live here eternally or as if their Soul should perish with their body and all these things foretold in the Word concerning future retributions were but meer fables First Some are thus secure through an Athistical perswasion that there is no God because they are enemies unto God and live in a course of Rebellion against him and so it is their Interest and desire that there should be no God therefore they do what in them lyeth to work themselves unto this perswasion there are too many in our age who endeavour to wear off all sentiments of a deity from their mind 's that they might Sin freely without any check and control that hereby they might arm themselves against the thrusts and wounds which the Sword and Arrows of Gods threatnings would otherwise give unto them and that by this means they might still the noise of their clamorous and accusing consciences which otherwise would give them no rest under such Heaven-daring provocations as they daily are guilty of But such persons if they will not believe the engravings of God which are upon the face of the Universe the impress of infinite power and an invisible Deity on his works which are visible unto the eye they shall not remain long under their Atheistical apprehensions but he will make them to know and feel that there is a God by the immediate impressions of his wrath upon their Souls and the dreadful flames of Hell-fire which his breath will kindle to burn their bodies everlastingly Secondly Others are secure notwithstanding their danger through a fond perswasion that there is no Hell that there is no account to be given no judgement to be passed no punishment to be endured after this life but that death puts a total end to their being and that for ever We read in the Book of Wisdom Chap. 2d of the reasonings which such have Our life is short and in the death of a man there is no remedy neither was there any man known to return from the Grave For we are born at all adventure and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been for the breath in our Nostrils is as smoke and a little spark in the moving of our heart which being extinguished our body shall be turned into ashes and our spirit shall vanish as the soft Air our life shall pass away as the trace of a Cloud or like a Mist driven by the Beams of the Sun our time is a very shaddow that passeth away and after our end there is no returning for it is fast Sealed that no Man cometh again Hence they are secure and encourage themselves in wicked and licentious practices Come on therefore let us enjoy the good things that are present let us fill our selves with costly Wines and Ointments and let no flower of the spring pass by us let us crown our selves with Rosebuds before they be Withered let none of us go without his part of our voluptuousness for this is our portion and our lot is this Such persons they live like Beasts and they would perswade themselves that they shall dye like beasts that there is no immortality of the Soul that there will be no resurrection of the body and by consequence no punishment of both in Hell whereas right reason will evince that the Soul being a spiritual substance will survive the Body which the wiser Heathens have acknowledged and the Scripture doth clearly reveal this and that the body shall be raised again at the last day and both the soul and body of the wicked be eternally tormented in Hell which Scripture being the Word of God which no carnal reason could ever yet disprove these things are as certain as God as true Thirdly Others if they have not drunk in those Atheistical and Anti-Scriptural perswasions which some are besotted and intoxicated withall yet are secure and senseless of their danger through their ignorance or misapprehensions of God they conceive him to be made up all of mercy that there is no fury in him that however sinful they are or have been yet that God is more