39. 9. When Nadab and Abihu the two Sons of Aaron were consumed with Fire from Heaven for offering strange Fire before the Lord It is said that Aaron held his peace Lev. 10. 1 2 3. So when God hath consumed the City of London with Fire for the sins of the Inhabitants let them hold their peace because they have deserved it Let London be still and know that God is righteous let London lay her hand upon her mouth and her mouth in the dust let London close up her lips and seal them up with silence or if she open them let her mouth be filled with Confessions not with Complaints or if she complain let her complain to God but let her not complain of him if she complain let her complain against her self but let her not complain against God let her complain of her own sin and wickedness but not of Gods Judgement so righteous Let London wonder it is no worse with her when both her sin and her danger was so great let her wonder when God was so angry that he should put any restraint upon it that when wrath was come forth that it proceeded no further let her wonder that the Plague did not quite depopulate her and that the Fire did not wholly consume her let her wonder it is so well with her that she is not made a Desolation and say It is the Lords mercies we are not consumed Lam. 3. 22. 7. God doth expect that London should mourn for her sins We read Ier. 3. 21. A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the house of Israel When the terrible voice of Gods Judgements hath been heard in London God doth hearken for the voice of Weeping and Supplications this Gods voice doth call for when breaches were made in the City of David Isa. 22. 9. then did the Lord of hosts call to weeping and to mourning to baldness and to girding with sackcloth v. 11. and when instead hereof there was joy and gladnesse eating flesh and drinking wine the Lord is so angry that he threatneth surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die v. 13 14. See also what the Lord calls for to the Daughter of Sion under her Judgements Lam. 2. 18 19. Let tears run down like a river day and night give thy self no rest let not the apple of thine eye cease Arise cry in the night in the beginning of the Watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord. God doth not only expect that his Ministers and Priests should weep between the Porch and the Altar when sore Judgements are upon his Land as Ioel 2. 17. but also that the People should weep too that the Bridegroom should go forth of his Chamber and the Bride out of her closet as v. 16. that people should be afflicted mourn and weep that their laughter should be turned into mourning and their joy into heaviness Jam. 4. 9. He expects that those which escape his Judgements should be like Doves upon the mountains every one mourning for his iniquities as Ezek. 6. 16. London may mourn for her Judgements which have been so dreadfull but God expects they should mourn more for his displeasure which hath been the cause of these Judgements and most of all for their sins which have been the cause of his displeasure Weep London weep for thy sins which have been so many and provoking let thine eye affect thine heart When thou lookest into thy Burying places and thinkest how many of thy people have lately there taken up their habitation it should draw tears from thine eyes to think of thy sins which opened the doors of those Lodgings unto them Methinks when thou passest thorow thy ruinous Habitations and seest the heaps of Stones at the top of thy streets when thou viewest thy half-Churches and bare Steeples and ragged Walls and open Vaults and the dismal Solitude in those places which not long ago were full of people it should fill thine heart with sorrow for thy sins which have kindled such anger in the breast of God as to send the late dreadfull Fire which hath made such desolations Mourn London mourn put on Sackcloth thou seest in part what an evil thing and a bitter it is to offend a Holy and Jealous God the effects of sin here are fearfull sometimes what evil is there is sin then which is the cause of thy Ruines God looks now that the sinners of London should become Mourners We read of a Mark which was set upon the foreheads of them in Ierusalem which did mourn and cry out for the Abominations that were done in the midst thereof and they were separated from temporal destruction which was brought upon the rest Ezek. 9. 4. 6. God doth set a mark upon them that mourn in London for the sins of London and however he may deal with them in regard of temporal Calamities be sure he will separate them and preserve them from eternal destruction Methinks the fall of London calls for a Mourning like the Mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddo where Iosiah fell in battle Zach. 12. 11. And there should not only be publick mourning but also private mourning and secret mourning Families apart and Persons apart It becomes Christians now after such strokes of Gods wrath to keep secret Fasts to bewail Londons ruines especially to bewail Londons sins their eyes should weep in secret places for the Abominations committed in the City and bedew Gods feet with their tears that if possible they might turn away his displeasure 8. God doth expect that London should labour to pacifie his anger When God threatned to send the Sword and to cut off from Israel the head and the tail the branch and the rush in one day and to send the Famine so sore that they should eat every man the flesh of his own arm yet it is said For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa. 9. 14 17 20 21. And now God hath executed his Judgements of Plague and Fire in London have not we reason to fear that his anger is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still When the houses of London were consumed which were the fuel to the late Fire then the Fire quickly went out and if the sins of London had been consumed with the houses if the Inhabitants of the City had not brought forth their sins when they were forced to leave their goods behinde unto the flames then we should have reason to think that the Fire of Gods anger was gone out and his wrath turned away from the escaped remnant of London insomuch as the sins of London have been the fuel as it were to this Dreadful Fire but when so much sin after such Judgements is saved alive untouch'd and unmortified when the Plague of sin doth rage so much after the Plague of Pestilence is removed and the Fire of lust doth
GOD'S Terrible Voice IN THE CITY Wherein you have I. The sound of the voice in the Narration of the two late Dreadfull Judgments of Plague and Fire inflicted by the Lord upon the City of London the former in the year 1665 the latter in the year 1666. II. The interpretation of the voice in a Discovery 1. Of the cause of these Judgments where you have a Catalogue of London's sins 2. Of the design of these Judgments where you have an enumeration of the Duties God calls for by this terrible voice By T. V. Micah 6. 9. The voice of the Lord cryeth unto the City and the Man of wisdome shall see thy name Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it Printed in the Year 1667. TO All such of the CITY WHO Have seen the Desolations OF LONDON BY The late Judgments of PLAGUE and FIRE IT might have seemed more seasonable unto some if a work of this nature had come forth unto view more immediately after the sound of Gods terrible voice and execution at least of the last dreadfull Iudgment of the Fire because if a Man strikes whilst the Iron is hot it is likely to make the more deep impression which when it grows cool growes hard and unmalleable and if the hammer of the Word had been used when London was newly come forth of the Furnace some might think they would have yielded the more easily unto it's strokes and the better have received the fashion which this Hammer would work them unto and that since the fresh and lively remembrance of the judgement is more worn off it is to be feared that they are more cooled and hardned and therefore in likelihood it will be more difficult to effect a due impression of the Iudgements by the Word upon them yet besides that it was not in my thoughts to attempt this Work until the greatest part of the Winter was spent I may further adde that though a discourse concerning the Plague would have been most seasonable under the Iudgment it self when people who were generally taken off from their trading had room and time for retirement and consideration more than ever they had in their lives before and therefore were more likely to lay to heart what might be spoken or written unto them on that Subject yet the reason is not the same in the Iudgement of the Fire which however startling and astonishing was so far from giving them retiring time for consideration as the former Iudgement of the Plague had done that it did engage them unto more labourious works than ever they had not only while London was burning in removing what they could save of their goods from the Fire but also since in looking out new Habitations and fitting their Houses and Shops for Trades which hath given them occasion for so much distraction that I fear they could hardly settle their mindes to read and consider so seriously as they should what the Lord hath been doing with them speaking unto them by this Terrible Voice which hath sounded so loud in their ears but by this time I hope that the most have attained to some kinde of settlement at least so much as to give them leave to sit down and ponder upon the meaning of God in these strange and dreadful Iudgements of Plague and Fire in the City and therefore this Book may be more seasonable unto the most than if it had been written and presented to them immediately after the Fire had burnt them out of their habitations Friends It is high time for all of you to retire your selves and bethink your selves and wisely to consider Gods dealings with you to open your ear and labour to understand these speaking Iudgments least if God be provoked by your deafness and incorrigibleness to speak a third time it be in your utter ruine and desolation If these Papers be any wayes helpfull to revive in your memories the Iudgments themselves by the Historicall Narration which here you have of them to work your hearts to some sense of sin in discovery of the cause and to perswade you unto a ready compliance with Gods design in the declaring of what God now expects from you after such dreadfull executions as yours will be the benefit so I desire that God may have the whole glory and that you would make this return for my help of you to help me with your prayers that I may be the more helpfull to you in mine who am Your dearly affectionate friend and servant in the Lord. T. V. Gods terrible Voice IN THE CITY Psalm 65. part of the fifth Verse By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us INTRODUCTION SHall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it The Lyon hath roared who will not fear the Lord God hath spoken who can but Prophesie Am. 3. 6. 8. When the Pharisees spake to our Saviour to rebuke his Disciples for their loud praises of the Lord with Hosanna's he tells them If they should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out Luk. 19. 39 40. And we read in Habakkuk Chap. 2. 11. Of the stone crying out of the wall and the beam out of the timber making answer Certainly we in London have lately heard the cry of stones and walls of timber and beams in their fall and flames I mean in the late Dreadful Fire which hath laid out Ierusalem in heaps or rather we have heard the Voice of God in this and other terrible things which have come upon us Let none then rebuke if one so unfit do make an attempt to speak something of the meaning of Londons Fire or of Gods Terrible Voice in this and other Judgements when by the mouth of Babes God can declare his Will SECT 1. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us THis whole Psalm breathes forth nothing but grace and goodness unto the people of God from the beginning of it to the end yea in the verse of my Text where God speaks most terribly and righteously in the Judgements and Destructions which he bringeth upon their Enemies yet he is called the God of their Salvation and those terrible things by which God speaks are not only a righteous answer unto their Enemies sins but also a gracious answer unto his peoples prayers By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us I shall not speak of terrible things in the restrained sense as they befall the Enemies only of Gods people and the wicked whilst the righteous do escape and it may be hereby are preserved but as they may befall any people not excluding Gods people whom the Lord may answer by terrible things in righteousness Two Doctrines we may observe Doct. 1. That God doth sometimes speak unto a People by terrible things Doct. 2. That when God doth speak most terribly he doth answer most righteously First That God doth sometimes speak unto
nearest Relations and dearest Friends so that when the Disease hath first seized upon them and they have had the greatest need of succour they have left their friends in distress and flown away from them as if they had been their Enemies 2. A Deluge by Water is a Terrible Iudgement There have been several Floods which we read of in Histories that have suddenly broken in upon some places and overwhelmed Habitations and Inhabitants together But God never did and never will speak so Terribly by a Deluge of Water as by the great Deluge in the daies of Noah when the whole world was drowned thereby excepting Noah and those which were with him in the Ark. And because the Judgement was so dreadful and the History so affecting I shall set it before your eye out of Gen. 7. from the 11th ver to the end of the Chapter In the six hundredth year of Noahs life in the second moneth and the seventeenth day of the moneth in the same day were all the Fountains of the Great Deep broken up God withdrew the bounds which he had set to the great Sea so that the waters covered the earth as they did at the beginning and the Windowes of heaven were opened out of which God looked forth in anger upon the earth and powered forth a Viol of his wrath causing it to rain forty daies and forty nights in dreadful showres accompanied as is probable with stormy winds and hideous tempest which put the world into a fright and amazement when the Element of Air seemed to be changed into water and such a Torrent flowed in upon them on every side we may guess what fear they were over-whelmed withal but Noah and his Family were got into the Ark and the Lord shut them in then the waters encreased and bare up the Ark and it was lift up above the earth and the waters encreased and prevailed greatly upon the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Ark went upon the face of the waters so that all the high Hills and Mountains were covered fifteen Cubits Then all flesh died fowl and cattel and beast and every thing that creeped or moved on the earth and every man and Noah only remained alive and they that were with him in the Ark. God spake then terribly indeed unto the wicked world by the Flood which devoured them all together in the midst of their security and sin but God hath promised he will never speak thus by water any more 3. Fire is another terrible thing whereby God sometimes calls to contend by with a sinful People Fire is very dreadful when it hath a Commission from God and meets with much combustible matter and prevails without resistance God spake terribly by Fire unto Sodom and Gomorrah when he rained Fire and Brimstone on those Cities and consumed them See Gen. 19. from the 24th ver to the 29th The Lord rained fire and brimstone out of heaven and overthrew those Cities and the Inhabitants together and when Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the Land of the Plain he saw the smoke of the Country go up like the smoke of a Furnace God spake terribly though not so terribly to Ierusalem when he suffered their City to be set on fire by the Babylonians and their Temple to be burnt to the ground See Ier. 52. 12 13. But the most fearful Instances of Gods Terrible Voice by Fire are yet to come Thus God will speak by Fire unto Spiritual Babylon which may easily be proved to be Rome from Rev. 17. 18. She being the then great City which reigned over the Kings of the earth Babylons burning with fire you may read Rev. 18. 8 9 10 c. Therefore shall her Plagues come in one day Death and Mourning and Famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her And the Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoak of her burning standing afar off for fear of her torment saying Alas alas that great City Babylon that mighty City for in one hour is thy judgement come c. God spake terribly by fire when London was in flames of which in the application but he will speak far more terribly when Babylon shall be in flames and not only in part but wholly and utterly and irreparably burnt and turned into ashes when not only the City shall be consumed but also the Whore her self shall be hated and made desolate and devoured with fire by the Kings of the earth Rev. 17. 10. The last instance of Gods speaking terribly by fire will be the last day when the Lord Jesus Christ the Judge of Quick and Dead shall come down from heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance on all those that know not God and obey not the Gospel 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. And the Apostle Peter tells us that the heavens and the earth are reserved in store for fire against this day when the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements melt with fervent heat and the Earth and all the works therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 7 10. Then God will speak terribly by fire and above all most terribly to the ungodly world when he will sentence them unto and cast them into the Fire of Hell where they must dwell with devouring fire and inhabit everlasting burnings 4. The Sword is a dreadful Iudgement whereby God speaks sometimes very terribly especially when he draws it forth against his own and his peoples Enemies Hear how terribly God speaks as in Deut. 32. 39 40 41 42. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand For I lift up my hand to heaven and say I live for ever If I whet my glittering Sword and my hand take hold on Iudgement I will render vengeance to mine Enemies and reward them that hate me I will make mine Arrows drunk with blood and my Sword shall devoure flesh and that with the blood of the slain and of the Captives from the beginning of revenges upon the Enemies When God furbusheth his Sword and whets it when God girdeth his Sword upon his thigh and marcheth against his Enemies when he draweth his Sword and maketh slaughter with it when his Sword devoureth much flesh and is made drunk with the blood of the slain when God gives Commission to the Sword saying Sword go thorow such a Land as Ezek. 14. 17. And powers out his fury on the Land in blood as ver 19. So that the Sword is bathed in blood and garments are rowled in blood and the Land is soaked in blood when blood is powred forth like water and dead bodies are cast forth into the open field without burial and God makes an invitation to all
they made their heart like an Adamant stone least they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former Prophets Therefore came there a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts So also when God gave up Ierusalem to desolation and ruine see the sin which provoked the Lord hereunto 2 Chron. 36. 16. They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2. Because they do not hearken to the voice of his goodness and mercies The goodness and forbearance of God doth speak unto men from him and call upon them to forbear sin for shame to repent and return to him Rom. 1. 4. But when men despise the riches of his goodness and deafen their ear unto the language of his mercies and trample his patience under foot though God hath appointed a day of wrath hereafter wherein he will reckon with the whole ungodly World together and give them the just demerit of their sin yet sometimes his patience is turned hereby into fury and his anger doth break forth into a flame and consumes them by the blow of dreadfull temporal judgments 3. Because they will not hearken to the voice of lesser afflictions when Gods word is not heard he speaks by his Rod when his Rod is not heard he shoots with his arrowes strikes with his sword and if lesser afflictions be not minded then God speaks by more dreadful awakening judgments as the sins of men do precede the judgments of God so usually lesser judgments do precede greater judgments and as there are degrees and steps which men usually do make before they arrive to a great heighth in sin Nemo repentè fit turpissimus so there are degrees and steps which God usually doth take in inflicting his judgments for sin Look into one place for all which shews how God doth proceed from less to greater judgments Lev. 26. from the 15. v. to the 40 th when his statutes are despised and Covenant broken first he threatneth to send upon them consumption and a burning ague then he threatneth that they shall fall before their enemies and if they will not hearken to his voice in these judgments he threatneth to punish them seven times more for their sins and to make the Heavens as Iron and the Earth as brass and send a dearth amongst them And if they will not yet hearken he threatneth to send wild beasts which should devour their children and Cattel And if they would not be reformed by these things but still would walk contrary unto him he threatneth to walk contrary unto them and to punish them yet seven times more for their sins he threatneth to bring a sword upon them to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant and when they should be gathered together in their Cities to send the Pestilence amongst them and hereunto to adde the Famine And if they would not yet hearken unto God but still walk contrary unto him he threatneth that he will walk contrary unto them in fury and make them eat the flesh of their Sons and their Daughters and lay wast their Cities and make their Sanctuaries a desolation and upon them that are left alive he threatneth to send such faintness of heart that they should flee at the sound of a shaken leaf and fall when none pursued them and that they should pine away in their iniquities in the Land of their enemies Thus God proceeds by steps and degrees in the execution of his fierce anger upon a rebellious People when God speaks by ordinary diseases and is not heard then sometimes he sends a Plague and if after a Plague people will not return to him that smiteth them nor seek to pacify Gods anger which is kindled against them but walk so much the more contrary unto him he may walk contrary to them in fury and send fire into their Cities to devour their habitations And if the voice of the Fire be not heard he hath other judgments in readiness Sword Famine and the like And if temporal judgments be nâ—â— heeded he will bring upon them eternal judgments God is not heard any other way therefore he doth speak by such terrible things SECT IV. The Application God speaks sometimes to a People by terrible things THese few last years have given sad instances hereof in England especially the two last years in our City of London The voice of the Lord hath been in the City it hath been loud and full of terrour the Lord hath come forth against us with armed vengeance Frowns have been in his brow death and desolation in his looks thunder hath been in his voice flames of Fire in his hand the Pestilence hath gone before him and burning Coals at his feet He hath sent forth his Arrows which have scattered us and shot forth his lightnings which have discomfited us The Lord hath thundered in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice hail-stones and coals of fire the Lord hath visited us with storm and tempest and great noise yea he hath caused his glorious voice to be heard and shewed the lighting down of his arme with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of devouring Fire with scattering and tempest and hail-stones then the furrowes of the Earth were seen and the foundations of the City were discovered the Earth also shook because he was wrath and the Inhabitants of London trembled because of his fierce anger then the snares of death compassed us and the fears of hell gat hold on us and our hearts were moved within us as Trees when they are moved by the Wind. Dreadfull have Gods late judgments been in London the noise of which hath gone forth not only throughout the Land but also unto the outermost parts of the World Three things we should remark in this terrible voice of Gods judgments 1. The Iudgments themselves 2. The Cause of the Iudgments 3. The Design of the Iudgments In the first we have the sound of the voice In the two last the Interpretation of the voice 1. Concerning the Iudgments themselves Here I might speak of the judgment executed August 24th 1662. when so many Ministers were put out of their places and the judgment executed March 24th 1665. when so many Ministers were banished 5. miles from Corporations the former by way of introduction to the Plague which sometime after did spread in the Land but chiefly raged in the City the later by way of introduction to the Fire which quickly after did burn down London the greatest Corporation in England These judgments having been so lately and general in the Land and I presume so generally known with all their circumstances that it would be needless to give here a Narration of them But this I must say I could wish they were as generally believed to be judgments and accordingly laid to
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
Murder Incest and the like It is not unlikely but they count such an action as this meritorious in their kind of merit which in the issue they will finde to merit the flames of eternal Fine instead of a Crown of Glory which I wonder that in their way they can have the least hopes of I believe that the people will now take more heed of them and their waies and instead of promoting their cause I hope that a contrary effect is produced and that the before Indifferency of a generation more newly sprung up who did not know them is now turned into loathing and detestation of such a religion as can allow of such practises My work is not to declare what hath been proved against the Papists before the Honourable Committee of Parliament appointed to enquire into their insolencies and the proofs which have been given in concerning the Fire and who have been accessory thereunto No I would rather endeavour to turn peoples eyes from men to God for whoever were the instruments God was the Authour of this evil which hath come upon us there being no evil in the City that is evil of punishment which the Lord as a righteous and the supream Judge doth not inflict And surely more of the extraordinary hand of God than of any men did appear in the burning of the City of London God could have prevented men by discovering their plots as he did that of the Gun powder-treason before they had taken effect God could have directed and given a blessing unto means for the quenching of it when it was first kindled God who hath the winds in his Fist could have gathered in the Wind and laid it asleep or so turned it the other way that it should have been a defence to the City or God who hath the Clouds at his command and the Bottles of Heaven in his hand could have gathered his thick Clouds together and squeez'd them opend his Bottles and poured down Rain in abundance upon the City so that if the wind had blown as it did it should have blown water upon the fire which would quickly have put it out But the Heavens at that time were Brass no showring Clouds to be seen the Fire begins is quickly taken notice of though in the midst of the night Fire Fire Fire doth resound the streets many Citizens start out of their sleep look out of their windows some dress themselves and run to the place The Lord Maior of the City comes with his Officers a confusion there is councell is taken away and London so famous for wisdom and dexterity can now find neither brains nor hands to prevent its ruine The hand of God was in it The Decree was come forth London must now fall and who could prevent it No wonder when so many Pillars are removed if the Building tumbles the prayers tears and faith which sometimes London hath had might have quenched the violence of the fire might have opened Heaven for rain and driven back the winde but now the fire gets mastery burns dreadfully and God with his great Bellows blowes upon it which makes it spread quickly go on with such force and rage overturning all so furiously that the whole City is brought into jeopardy of desolation That night most of the Londoners had taken their last sleep in their houses they little thought it would be so when they went into their beds they did not in the lest suspect when the doors of their ears were unlockt and the casement of their eyes were opened in the morning to hear of such an enemies invading the City and that they should see him with such fury enter the doors of their houses break into every room and look out of their casements with such a threatning countenance As it is said Lam. 4. 12. The inhabitants would not have believed that the adversary should have entered the gates of Ierusalem so the Inhabitants of the City would not have believed that the Fire should have entred and prevailed to burn London to the ground That which made the ruin the more dismall was that it was begun on the Lords day morning never was there the like Sabbath in London some Churches were in flames that day and God seems to come down and to preach himself in them as he did in Mount Sinai when the Mount burned with Fire such warmpreaching those Churches never had such Lightning dreadful Sermons never were before delivered in London In other Churches Ministers were preaching their Farewel Sermons and people were hearing with quaking and astonishment Instead of a holy Rest which Christians have taken on this day there is a tumultuous hurrying about the streets towards the place that burned and more tumultuous hurrying upon the spirits of those that sat still and had only the notice of the eare of the quick and strange spreading of the Fire Now the Train-bands are up in Arms watching at every quarter for Outlandish men because of the general fears and jealousies and rumours that Fire-Balls were thrown into houses by several of them to help on and provoke the too furious flames Now Goods are hastily removed from the lower parts of the City and the body of the people begin to retire and draw upwards as the people did from the Tabernacles of Corah Dathan and Abiram when the earth did cleave asunder and swallow them up or rather as Lot drew out from his house in Sodom before it was consumed by fire from Heaven Yet some hopes were retained on the Lords day that the Fire would be extinguished especially by them who lived in the remote parts they could scarcely imagine that the Fire a mile off should be able to reach their houses But the evening draws on and now the Fire is more visible and dreadful instead of the Black curtains of the night which used to be spread over the City now the curtains are Yellow the smoke that arose from the burning parts seemed like so much flame in the night which being blown upon the other parts by the winde the whole City at some distance seemed to be on fire Now hopes begin to sink and a general consternation seiseth upon the spirits of people little sleep is taken in London this night the amazement which the eye and ear doth effect upon the spirit doth either dry up or drive away the vapour which used to binde up the senses Some are at work to quench the fire with water others endeavour to stop its course by pulling down of houses but all to no purpose if it be a little allayed or beaten down or put to a stand in some places it is but a very little while it quickly recruits and recovers its force it leaps and mounts and makes the more furious onset drives back its opposers snatcheth their weapons out of their hands seiseth upon the Water-houses and Engines burns them spoils them and makes them unfit for service Some are upon their knees in the
night pouring out tears before the Lord interceding for poor London in the day of its calamity but alas I fear there are too few weeping Ieremiah's at the throne of grace too few Moses's to stand in the gap too few Iacob's to wrestle with the Lord and hang about his arm Londons sins were too great and Gods anger against the City was too hot so easily presently to be quenched and allayed and if by the intercession of some a mitigation be obtained so that the Lord doth not stir up all his wrath utterly to destroy the place as he did Sodom and Gomorrah yet none can prevaile to call back that wrath and reverse that decree which is gone forth against the City The time of Londons fall is come the Fire hath received its commission from God to burn down the City and therefore all attempts to hinder it are in vain On the Lords day night the Fire had run as far as Garlick-hithe in Thames-street and had crept up into Cannon-street and levell'd it with the ground and still is making forward by the water-side and upward to the brow of the hill on which the City was built On Munday Grace-church-street is all in flames with Lumbard-street on the left hand and part of Fen-church-street on the right the Fire working though not so fast against the winde that way before it were pleasant and stately houses behind it ruinous and desolate heaps The burning then was in fashion of a Bow a dreadful Bow it was such as mine eyes never before had seen a Bow which had Gods Arrow in it with a flaming point It was a shining Bow not like that in the cloud which brings water with it and withall signified Gods Covenant not to destroy the world any more with water but it was a Bow which had Fire in it which signified Gods anger and his intention to destroy London with Fire Now the Flames break in upon Cornhill that large and spacious street and quickly crosse the way by the train of Wood that lay in the streets untaken away which had been pull'd down from houses to prevent its spreading and so they lick the whole street as they go they mount up to the top of the highest houses they descend down to the bottom of the lowest vaults and cellars and march along on both sides of the way with such a roaring noise as never was heard in the City of London no stately building so great as to resist their fury the Royal Exchange it self the glory of the Merchants is now invaded with much violence and when once the fire was entred how quickly did it run round the Galleries filling them with flames then came down staires compasseth the walkes giving forth flaming volleys and filleth the court with sheets of Fire by and by down fall all the Kings upon their faces and the greatest part of the stone-building after them the Founders statue only remaining with such a noise as was dreadful and astonishing Then then the City did shake indeed and the inhabitants did tremble and flew away in great amazement from their houses least the flames should devour them Ratle ratle ratle was the noise which the Fire struck upon the eare round about as if there had been a thousand Iron Chariots beating upon the stones and if you opened your eye to the opening of the streets where the Fire was come you might see in some places whole streets at once in flames that issued forth as if they had been so many great Forges from the opposite windowes which folding together were united into one great flame throughout the whole street and then you might see the Houses tumble tumble tumble from one end of the street to the other with a great crash leaving the foundations open to the view of the heavens Now fearfulness and terrour doth surprize the Citizens of London confusion and astonishment doth fall upon them at this unheard of unthought of Judgment It would have grieved the heart of an unconcern'd person to see the rufull looks the pale cheeks the tears trickling down from the eyes where the greatness of sorrow and amazement could give leave for such a vent the smiting of the brest the wringing of the hands to hear the sighs and groans the dolefull and weeping speeches of the distressed Citizens when they were bringing forth their wives some from their child bed and their little ones some from their sick bed out of their houses and sending them into the Countreys or some where into the Fields with their goods Now the hopes of London are gone their heart is sunk now there is a general remove in the City and that in a greater hurry than before the Plague their goods being in greater danger by the Fire than their persons were by the sickness Scarcely are some returned but they must remove again and not as before now without any more hopes of ever returning and living in those houses any more Now Carts and Draies and Coaches and Horses as many as could have entrance into the City were loaden and any money is given for help 5 l. 10 l. 20 l. 30 l. for a Cart to bear forth into the Fields some choice things which were ready to be consumed and some of the Countreys had the conscience to accept of the highest price which the Citizens did then offer in their extremity I am mistaken if such money do not burn worse than the Fire out of which it was rak'd Now Casks of Wine and Oyl and other commodities are tumbled along and the owners shove as much of their goods as they can towards the Gate every one now becomes a Porter to himself and scarcely a back either of Man or Woman that hath strength but had a burden on it in the streets It was very sad to see such throngs of poor Citizens coming in and going forth from the unburnt parts heavy loaden with some pieces of their goods but more heavy loaden with weighty grief and sorrow of heart so that it is wonderfull they did not quite sink under these burdens Munday night was a dreadfull night when the wings of the night had shadowed the light of the heavenly bodies there was no darkness of night in London for the Fire shines now round about with a fearful Blaze which yeilded such light in the streets as it had been the Sun at noon day Now the Fire having wrought backward strangely against the Winde to Billings-Gate c. along Thames-Street Eastward runs up the hill to Tower-Street and having marched on from Grace-Church-Street maketh further progress in Fen-Church-Street and having spread its wing beyond Queen-hithe in Thames-Street Westward mounts up from the Water-side through Dowgate and old Fish-street into Watling-street but the great fury of the Fire was in the broader Streets in the midst of the night it was come down Cornhill and laid it in the dust and runs along by the Stocks and there meets with another Fire which came down
astonishment and confusion that covers the face the dismall apprehensions that arise in the minds of most concerning the dreadful consequences which are likely to be of this fall of London How is the pride of London stained and beauty spoiled her arme broken and strength departed her riches almost gone and treasures so much consumed The head now is sick and the whole body faint the heart is wounded and every other part is sensible of its stroke never was England in greater danger of being made a prey to a forraign power than since the firing and fall of this City which had the strength and treasure of the Nation in it How is London ceased that rich City that joyous City one corner indeed is left but more than as many houses as were within the walls are turned into ashes The Merchants now have left the Royal Exchange the buyers and sellers have now forsaken the streets Grace-church-street Cornhill Cheapside Newgate Market and the like places which used some time to have throngs of traffiquers now are become empty of inhabitants and instead of the stately houses which stood there last Summer now they lie this Winter in ruinous heaps The glory of London is now fled away like a Bird the Trade of London is shattered and broken to pieces her delights also are vanished and pleasant things laid waste now no chaunting to the sound of the Viol and dancing to the sweet Musick of other Instruments now no drinking Wine in Bowls and stretching upon the beds of lust now no excess of Wine and banquettings no feasts in Halls and curious dishes no amorous looks wanton dalliances no ruffling silks and costly dresses these things in that place are at an end But if houses for sin alone were sunke and fuel for lust only were consumed it would not be so much but the houses also for Gods worship which formerly were a bulwark against the fire partly through the walls about them partly through the fervent prayers within them now are devoured by the flames and the habitations of many who truly fear God have not escaped and in the places where God hath been served and his servants have lived now nettles are growing owles are screeching thieves and cut-throats are lurking A sad face there is now in the ruinous part of London and terrible hath the voice of the Lord been which hath been crying yea roaring in the City by these dreadful judgments of the Plague and Fire which he hath brought upon us Thus you have the Narration of the judgments themselves SECT VII 2. Concerning the Cause of these Iudgments why hath the Lord spoken by such terrible things in the City of London IN giving an account hereof I shall make use of the second Doctrine observed from the words That when God speaks most terribly he doth answer most righteously They are Gods judgments and therefore they must needs be righteous judgments Can there be unrighteousness in God No in no wise for how then could he be God How then could he judge the world Let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. 5 6. Let God be righteous and all the world unrighteous for light may more easily depart from the Sun and heat be separated from the fire and the whole creation may more easily drop into nothing than God cease to be just and righteous in the severest judgments which he doth inflict upon the children of men If any profane mockers do reply against God and reflect upon his righteousness and goodness towards his own people because these judgments have fallen so sore upon London the Glory of the Land yea of the World for the number of godly persons as in scoff they call them which dwell in it if God were so righteous and favourable to the Godly would he bend his bow and shoot so many arrows amongst them as he did in the visitation by the Plague whilst he suffered so many notoriously wicked persons to escape would he send the Fire to consume so many habitations of the Godly whilst the houses of the most vicious and vile were preserved I shall labour to stop the mouths of such who are ready to open them against the King of Heaven by proposing to consideration these following particulars 1. That Gods way is sometimes in the Sea and his paths in the great Waters and his foot-steps are not known Psal. 77. 19. That his judgments are unsearchable and his waies past finding out Rom. 11. 33. And that even then he is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his works Psal. 145. 17. And when clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne Psal. 97. 2. And when his judgments are a great deep his righteousness is like the great Mountains Psal. 36. 6. We do not understand all the mysteries of nature neither are we acquainted with all the mysteries of State and if there be some mysteries in Gods way of governing the World and distributing temporal mercies and judgments which we do not apprehend in every thing the meaning of and cannot so fully trace Gods righteousness and goodness therein let us say it is because our eyes are shut and that we are covered with darkness Therefore let us shut our mouths too and seal up our lips with silence not daring in the least to utter any thing which may derogate from these attributes in God which are as inviolable and unchangeable as his very Beeing This might be said if the reason were more abstruse than it is 2. But secondly the reason of Gods judgments and righteousness therein with the salve of his goodness towards his own people may be apprehended if we consider 1. That these Judgments of Plague and Fire are both of them National judgments 1. The judgment of the Plague was National in as much as London was the chief City in as much as the Kings Court was here and most Countries had relations here and all Countries had concernments here moreover the Plague was not only in London and Westminster and and places neer adjacent but it was dispersed into the Countries at a farther distance as Cambridge Norwich Colchester and other Towns where it raged either the same or the next year as much proportionably as it did in London 2. The Judgment of the Fire which burned down only the City and left Westminster and the Suburbs standing and did not reach into the Countreys yet was a National judgment because London was the Metropolis of the Land because the Beauty Riches Strength and Glory of the whole Kingdom lay in London and it was not the inhabitants of the City who alone did suffer by this fire but the whole Land more or less do and will feel the smart hereof 2. These Judgments then being National it is not unreasonable to say that National sins have been the cause of them and if so we may readily finde a reason of Gods righteousness in these proceedings
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
bring the Judgement of the Fire and if they will still walk contrary to God they must expect that God will walk contrary to them untill he have consumed them 9. A Ninth sin of London is Profaneness and a loose and frothy spirit especially in the Youth and springing generation I do not tax all for I am confident there is a serious and godly Youth growing up But O that there were not reason to say that the generality of Youth is profane and wicked as well as those who are grown more mature in wickedness And this Profaneness hath shewed it self In 1 Profane using Gods Name 2 Profane breaking of Gods Day 3 Profane scoffing at Gods People 1. In profane using of Gods Name How grosly hath the third Commandment been broken in the City how hath the great and dreadfull Name of the Lord God which should make men to tremble in the mention of it and command their spirits into aw and reverence been vainly taken by many and used to fill up the sentence of their ordinary discourse And not only so but how hath the Name of God been tossed in the black mouths of the Children of darkness and even torn in pieces by their hideous Oaths and Execrations What an hellish noyse hath the sound of full-mouth'd Oaths made sometimes in the streets enough to make the hair stand on end of one who hath a sence of the greatness of that Majesty upon his spirit which hereby is so audaciously affronted Oh the Swearing that hath been used by Londoners in buying and selling Many Parents have been so addicted to this sin in their Families that their little Children have no sooner learned to speak but they have also learned of them to swear by the Name of God which hath been all the teaching of God that they have given them a devilish teaching indeed which hereafter they will curse and bann them for in Hell But if you should have laid your ears unto the Taverns and Ale-houses and Whore-houses and other Devil-houses once standing in London and harkened to the speeches of many of the Devils Imps in their drinking and gaming and other lewd practises especially when a little cross'd and vexed Oh what language of Hell might have been heard How have those cursed Villains in the heat of their wine and anger shot vollies of Oaths in the face of the God of Heaven and whetting their tongues like a sharp sword they have not feared to wound the name of God when they have received any injury from men O what poyson of Asps hath there been under their lips but a worse poyson of sin in their hearts from the evil treasure and abundance of which these oaths and blasphemies have proceeded But who can find words to set forth the evil of this sin which hath not the temptation of pleasure advantage or honour as other sins have and therefore is a great argument of a monstrous wicked heart And who can express Gods displeasure for this sin for which he makes sometimes a whole land to mourn And hath not this sin provoked the Lord to utter his angry voice in Plaguing and burning the City that they might fear to abuse his Name any more 2. In profanc breaking of Gods day Sabbath breaking was an ordinary sin in London I say not it was so much broken in doing the ordinary works of the particular callings but in that which was worse How many did spend the Sabbath in eating to excess and drinking till they were drunk in sleeping in walking into the fields in sports and recreations Many wholly neglected the worship of God on that day and instead of that did the Devil more service on the Lords day then all the days of the week besides The many weeks of Sabbaths which London had in the time of the Plague methinks did reprove London for their profaning of the weekly Sabbath And the great fire I will not call it bon-fire because so destructive to London which was begun in the City on the Lords day did reprove London for those lesser fires I will not call them bon-fires because so offensive to God which not long before were kindled in the streets on that day which called for other kind of work Not to speak any thing whether there were any just occasion for those fires and ringing of bells most of which were melted before they were rung so generally again and such a shew of mirth and rejoycing at that time The Citizens carrying forth their goods and lying in the fields with grief and fear might put them in mind how often they had walked out into those fields on the Lords day for their recreation when they should rather have been hearing the word preached or if that were over repeating it in their own families giving and receiving instruction or in their closets at the throne of grace or employed in meditation As God delights in those that call his Sabbaths a delight and makes sweet promises to them so he is highly displeased with Sabbath breakers and hath denounced severe threatnings against them Jer. 17. 27. If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day I will kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem which shall devour the Palaces thereof and shall not he quenched 3. In profane scoffing at Gods people The name of a Saint and Godly man hath been ridiculous to many prophane Spirits in London and used by them in a way of reproach How have Gods people especially the more strict and zealous been made the drunkards song and laughed at in the streets Horrid impiety as if it were matter of more shame to be like the Holy God than to be like the Foul Devill and to be employed in the work of angels than to drudge in Satans chains No wonder if God is angry with such a place where such vipers have had their abode Prophaness is a great sin that hath brought ruine upon us 10. A tenth sin of London is Pride This sin being so odious to God so destructive where it abounds and so universal in London I shall speak of it the more largely both in regard of the inward workings and the outward expressions of it which when opened I believe there are none that will be able to say they are wholly free from it 1. In regard of the inward workings of pride Oh how hath the poison of this sin envenomed the spirits of the most in a very high degree How many self-admirers have there been in London who have been puft up with an overweening conceit of their own excellencies What high touring swelling thoughts have they had of themselves What secret self-pleasing and lifting up themselves in their own esteem Some esteeming themselves for that which is matter of shame admiring themselves for their own wit and parts when they have lain fallow and not been employed for God or when they have been employed to his dishonour when they have been wise but it hath been to do
to them but they love not humility in themselves for they will stoop to none Thus some also out of a secret design of pride have discommended others behinde their backs that they might be thought to exceed them whom they could correct and finde fault withall they have laboured to bring down others that they might set up themselves And the same design of Pride they have had in commending others to their faces and exalting them in words above themselves not from a reall esteem which they have had of them above themselves but only that they might draw forth a commendation from them Such expressions of pride have been to be found in Professors and have been more latent but I shall speak of the more gross and open expressions which have been generall in the City We read of the pride of the Daughters of Ierusalem Isa. 3. 16 c. They were haughty and walked with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they went and making a tinckling with their feet and what was it they were proud of See from v. 18. to v. 25. Their ornaments their Cauls their Tires their Chains their Bracelets their Mufflers their Tablets their Head-bands their Rings their Iewels their changeable suits of Apparel and the like And hath there not been this pride in London Were not the Daughters of London like the Daughters of Zion for pride and haughtiness Was there any place in England that could shew such pride of Apparel as London could shew which the Female sex were not only guilty of Was there any fashion though never so antick and apish which London did not presently imitate Who can count the Cost which hath been lavished out in Cloathing and rich Apparel some pinching their Bellies and Families to lay it out on this Lust. This Pride of Apparel is very shamefull and absurd Cloaths being the Badge of Apostasie which were not made use of till after the fall therefore the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Cloathing comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prevaricated and it is as if a Thief should be proud of his Shackles or any Malefactor of his mark of disgrace At least the gaudy attire of many persons hath signified the emptiness and frothy minde within and that they have had nothing to set them forth but their Cloaths I might also add the pride which the daughters of London have had of their Beauty though it be but skin-deep and the Body but a skinfull of dirt and the choycest beauty without discretion like a Jewel hanged at the ear or nose of a Swine And the Lord knows what monstrous and defiled and deformed insides the most of those have had who have been so fair and adorned outwardly Many in London have been proud of their fine cloaths and fair faces and others of their fair Shops and stately houses Pride has hung about the neck like a Chain and covered them like a garment instead of the cloathing and Ornament of Humility which before God is of so great price Now God is highly offended with the sin of Pride God resisteth the proud 1 Pet. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth as it were set himself in battell array against them Pride goes before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall Prov. 16. 18. Pride was one of Sodoms sins which City was burnt with fire from Heaven Ezek. 16. 49. The Scriptures speak of Three Cities that were burnt for this sin of pride among other sins namely Sodom Ierusalem and Babylon And may not London come in for a fourth The botches and blains and loathsome sores in the bodies of many when the Plague was in London and the burning of so much fewel of pride by the Fire methinks were a very loud reproof and rebuke of London for this sin 11. An eleventh sin of London is fullness of Bread or intemperance in eating this was another of the sins of Sodom God did feed London with the finest of the Wheat and gave plenty of Corn and Flesh and other Provisions but how have they abused Plenty by their Intemperance and Luxury O the excessive Feasting in Halls and private Houses of them whose Estates have been more plentifull What indulging hath there been to the Appetite as if self-denyal in regard of the Appetite were no duty or an enemy and with the Poor to be shut out of doors What curiosity of Palat and daintiness have many in London had so that Air Earth Sea must be ransackt to please them and all would not do What loathing have they had of ordinary food Many good creatures of God must be cut and mangled and spoyled to make them new dishes which however pleasing have but spoyled their stomachs and bred diseases in their bodies Some have not eaten much but have been so choice that scarce any food hath pleased them and that not through sickness of body but wantonness of mind others have been pleased with their food and overpleased and all their pleasure hath been therein All whose God as the Apostle speaks Phil. 3. hath been their belly Such like the Rich man Luk. 16. 19. have fared sumptuously and deliciously every day O the excessive cost that some have bestowed upon their Tables daily O the excessive quantity of Meat that some have devoured O the excessive time that hath been wasted in pampering the flesh What rioting and banqueting hath there been daily in London many feeding themselves without fear as if gluttony were not any sin at all How many have been like fed Horses in the City or like fatted Oxen who as the Apostle Iames speaks have lived in pleasure and been wanton and nourished themselves as in a day of slaughter Jam. 5. 5. and as Hos. 13. 6. According to their pasture so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten Me. This kinde of Intemperance hath so strangely brutified many that they have been even degenerated into Beasts only that they have been more unusefull for hereby they have unfitted themselves for all kinde of service as if they were born only to eat but withall they have prepared themselves for those ruining and slaughtering Judgements which have come upon the City 12. A twelfth sin of London is Idleness a consequent of the former only that Idleness hath been more generall this was also a sin of Sodom I will not say but many Citizens of London were diligent in their Calling but how many idle Vagrant persons were there in the City What Idleness in many of the Youth if not held in the more strictly and some breaking forth and lavishing away stollen time which was not at their own dispose whatever strictness was used Moreover what an ill example for idleness did many Governours themselves give to their children and servants When Masters were idle abroad no wonder that Servants were idle at home when Mistresses were idle in their Chambers no wonder if the Kitchin did
God will judge Heb. 13. 4. which should make them afraid I have heard of Smithfield haunts and Moore-field walks whither there hath been too great a resort from the City under the shadow of the wings of the night about these deeds of darkness the words and signs which such lewd persons have used to signifie their minds one to another I am unacquainted withall the many Whorehouses under the name of Alehouses about London by report have had too many customers and if the Constables had been as zealous at other times as they were when the strict Press was in the City to disturb those Conventicles they might possibly have found more of that Coat and Tribe who should have given better example If there have not been publick Stews in London as in other Cities in the World yet have not some made their own houses little better some men bringing in their whores in little better than publick view and of the other Sex some by the open weare of naked breasts and their light attyre and carriage have enticed the eye and courtship and after basely prostituted their bodies to the lusts of filthy Ruffians O the boyling burning lusts that have been in London O the wanton eyes and looks the speculative uncleanness and secret self-pollutions the obscene and filthy speeches the toying and lustful dalliances and the gross actual uncleannâ—ss which God hath been witness to every day in London This sin of uncleanness doth debase the spirit made at first after Gods own image defiles both soul and body which should be the Temple of the Holy-Ghost and renders men unfit for communion with an holy God who is of such pure eyes that he cannot approve of the least iniquity much less of this which is so gross and not only so but doth exceedingly provoke him unto anger and jealousie This may be one sin that hath brought down such fearful judgements upon the City we read of twenty and four thousand men that fell in one day by the Plague for the sin of fornication Num. 15. 9. and have not many thousand inhabitants and habitations of London fallen for this sin It is said of the Israelites Hos. 7. 6. they have made ready their heart like an Oven while they lye in wait their Baker sleepeth all night in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire Have not the hearts of many in London been like an Oven for lust and themselves like Bakers putting fewel into it and stirring it up and if whilest they have lain in wait and have not had present opportunity for satisfaction of their lusts they have seemed to be asleep yet no sooner hath the Morning light of a fit occasion offered it self to their adulterous eyes but their adulterous hearts have burned within them and broken forth into a flaming fire in the actual commission of the sin And hath this been the practice only of the Court and of Westminster side hath not the cursed Leaven of this common sin of the times spread it self also in the City Therefore the Lord also hath made ready his wrath as in an hot Oven and though like a Baker he hath seemed to sleep while he lay in wait and delayd to execute his judgments yet in the Morning of his great provocation by this and other sins his anger hath broke forth like a flaming fire from whence that fire hath been kindled which hath burnt the greatest part of London down to the ground Ier. 5. 8 9. When the Israelites were like fed horses in the morning every one neighing after his neighbours Wife The Lord speaks to them in his wrath Shall not I visit for these things shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this 15. A fifteenth sin of London is Drunkenness This sin hath been more visible and apparent I believe that scarcely any Nation under Heaven hath proportionably more Taverns and Ale-houses than England and no place in England so many as London and its adjacent parts and of all the many thousands of these houses I believe there hath been scarce any but could give many instances of this sin Besides the many private houses where this sin hath been practised How have men risen early in the morning to follow strong drink and continued unto night till wine inflamed them Isa. 5. 11. Come ye say they and I will fetch wine and we will fill our selves with strong drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa. 56. 12. The corners and beds full of vomit the reelings about the streets the contentions and wranglings the wounds without cause the redness of the eyes and such like have been to evident a demonstration of mens tarrying too long at the Wine and distempering themselves with excessive drinking Prov. 23. 29 30. To be overtaken with drunkenness is a great sin which makes men more bruitish than their very Horses who will not exceed their measure in drinking except they be forced to it by Barnacles and if none in the City had yielded to receive the drench of a cup beyond the measure without Barnacles upon their noses I suppose that with their horses they would have been more sober and hereby prevented many distempers of body and worse distempers of mind and which is worst of all much dishonour of God as well as of themselves which excess in this kind hath been the cause of But for men to follow after this sin and make it their trade and common practice to delight in it and seek for their God and chief happiness in a cup of Wine or Ale and to grow men of might in drinking to exceed the bounds by many degrees without reeling to entice others to it yea to force them to drink healths that ungodly practice which would not in the least promote anothers health but was likely to destroy their own through the excess which such practices do introduce to take pleasure in drinking down others under their feet and after to glory in their shame and wickedness this is a sin that doth so far exceed bruitish that it becomes devilish and doth highly provoke the Lord to pour forth his fury like water upon the places where such sins are committed And hath not London been guilty of this sin of drunkenness with the aggravations of it Have not some of Londons Magistrates been guilty who should have punished this sin and too many Ministers who should have reproved it both by word and example of sobriety And for such to be seen drunk and reeling in the streets was very shamefull and a great provocation Have not the late judgements in some sort pointed out this sin the dizziness of head and reeling of persons that have been smitten with the Plague the flaming of the heart of the City and reeling of the houses and tumbling of them to the ground by the fire methinks were a reproof of the dizziness and reelings about the streets and houses of such persons as had
this one sin which some Professors also in the City have been guilty of to the shame of their Profession for which the Lord hath sent the Fire to burn down the City to awaken us to fly from this sin as we would escape the future Fire of Hell 20. Another sin of London is couzening and defrauding This sin hath been the product of Covetousness and the companion of Lying and how ordinary hath it been among Tradesmen which many have been so accustomed to that it hath been as easie to perswade the Aethiopian to change his skin as to perswade them to leave off their Couzening This they have lookt upon as even essential to their Trade at least as necessary to their Gains yea some have pleaded a necessity thereof to get a Livelyhood for themselves and Families But there is no necessity of any sin Duties are necessary but sins are never necessary and the gain which is gotten by sin is like the gain of a Garment which hath the Plague in it which if it bring warmth for the present quickly also may bring sickness and death and if Couzening brings gain into the purse it presently brings the Plague into the heart and quickly will bring the pain and punishment of Hell To defraud another in dealing is but a more covert way of stealing and it is as lawfull to take a Purse upon the High-way as to take a Shilling by fraud in the Shop the difference lies only in the degree the nature of the sin which is Theft is the same in both And the Lord as he hath expresly forbidden this sin so he hath threatned to avenge it 1 Thess. 4. 6. That no man go beyond or defraud his Brother not only in a greater thing but in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such The several ways which Tradesmen have had of defrauding would be too large for me to speak of neither am I so skilfull as to understand The falsifying of Weights and Measures is gross a sin practised among the Iews of old which God threatens to punish them for Hos. 12. 7. Ephraim is a merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand And both their sin and Gods anger are set forth Mic. 6. 10 11 12 13. Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the houses of the wicked and the scant measure which is abominable shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and with the bag of deceitfull weights For the rich men thereof are full of violence and the Inhabitants thereof have spoken lyes and their tongue is deceitfull in their mouth Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee in making thee desolate because of thy sins And was it not thus with London Did they not falsifie Weights and Measures and falsifie Commodities and speak falsly concerning the price of them and take unconscionable gains and yet profess kinde usage of their Customers whom they did most exact upon But if I could I should not open the cunning wayes which some have found out of defrauding and over-reaching least any should learn and be enticed to practise the sin by the very reproof of it as I have heard some have done Now such persons who have gotten their wealth by defrauding and over-reaching their brethren bring themselves into such a snare of the Devil that very few ever get out but are dragg'd by him thereby into hell because it is not bare grieving for this sin which is necessary to the obtaining of a pardon but restitution is necessary they must refund they must restore either to the parties themselves or to the poor what they have gotten wrongfully if they be able if not as much as they have otherwise they cannot be saved No salvation came to Zacheus till he was resolved upon restitution of what he had wrongfully gained Luke 19. 8 9. God smites his hand at dishonest gain Ezek. 21. 13. and this is one sin which I believe God hath smitten London for 21. The one and twentyeth sin of London is Prodigality and Profuse spending Some have spared too much through covetousness others have spent too much through prodigality Liberality is a great vertue and bountiful charity an excellent grace which London hath not been without but prodigality is a great sin Thus some have spent above their degree lavishing out their Estates on their tables on their houses on their cloathes but the worst prodigality hath been in that which men have lavished out in the satisfaction of their lusts in drunkenness gaming whoring and the like and especially those who have spent profusely that which hath been none of their own but what they have taken up on credit of others have been most grosly guilty of this sin And unto this sin of prodigality and profuseness I may refer the sin of excessive mirth and jollity which hath been in London there is an harmless mirth which is lawfull and there is a spiritual chearfulness which is the duty of Christians though in times of great sin and affliction of Gods people sackcloth and mourning doth become Christians and some expressions of joy which are more carnal should be much forborn But I am speaking of the mirth of such who have had the least ground for mirth of any namely the wicked unto whom no peace nor joy in that estate doth belong for Them to be so excessively merry and Jovial and frolick expressing it in their prophane obscene and scurrilous jesting in their musick singing and dancing in their ranting roaring and carousing in many wastfull and profuse wayes of spending when the Church is in sackcloth and lies a bleeding as too many in London have done surely God hath been offended with this and hath been provoked to send down his judgements to alter the cheer of London and hereby to put them into mourning which they were so averse unto Had they foreseen the Plague and how many of them should have fallen by it surely it would have damped their mirth had they foreseen the burning of the City of London and that their houses should have fallen by the fire surely their laughter would have been turned into heaviness These judgements they could not foresee but future Judgment far more dreadful they might have foreseen which should have made an impression of sorrow upon them if possibly by repentance they might avoid and escape it Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heaviness Jam. 4. 9. Such mourning if for sin might be a means to prevent future miseries and eternal woe and weeping others they have reason to mourn for those miseries which will come upon them Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you Jam. 5. 1. but for prophane wicked persons to sing and rejoyce just upon the brink of the grave and hell is very unreasonable and an aggravation of their other sins 22. The twenty second sin of London
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
see Gods Name that is the glorious attributes of his name displayed God proclaimed his Name before Moses when he caused his goodness to pass before him and discovered himself to be the Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful slow to anger abundant in lovingkindness goodness and truth Exod. 34. 6. And God hath proclaimed his Name before London in causing his judgements to come upon the City and hath declared himself to be the Lord the Lord God Holy and Iealous a God that can be angry when much provoked and yet righteous in the severest judgements which he doth inflict A man of wisdom may see Gods Name in Londons judgements and as he may see power and righteousness in Gods name so he may see grace and goodness in the name of God which hath passed before the City he may see and know that God hath a gracious meaning and design of good to London in these judgements he may see Gods name and hear Gods voice and what it is that he speaketh by the rod. On that London were thus wise that they would open their eyes and see Gods Name Gods hand so just and righteous as also open their ears and hear Gods voice and understand Gods design so gracious and so much for their good O that God would open the ears of London and bend them to the discipline of his judgements that with the loss of friends and relations by the Plague and of houses and goods by the Fire they may not lose the good of these Judgements too though of another kind yet of far greater value which God intends them The enquiry then is What meaneth the Lord by the Plague and by the Fire in the City what doth he call for by this terrible voice and look for in London that these judgements may turn to their advantage The duties which God expects from London after such desolations by the Plague and Fire are these 1. God expects that London should awake London hath been asleep both the foolish and the wise Virgins have been asleep and when such a voice hath come down in these judgements which have been revealed from Heaven crying in the midnight of their carnal security Behold the great God is come forth from his place and is entred into London in fury surely all should awake and arise and prepare to meet him seeing none can flee from him God hath seemed to be asleep while he exercised so much patience towards London his arm slept in his bosome but now the Lord hath been awakened with the loud cry of England and Londons sins his arm hath awaked and put on strength and vengeance Awake then O London awake open thine eyes draw thy curtains come forth of thy bed look out of thy windows Apparitions Apparitions strange sights to be seen Behold Heaven is opened and God is come down upon earth cloathed with garments of lightning God is come down in his Majesty and looks upon London with a terrible countenance Behold the amazing terrour of God in the late strange and prodigious Judgements What! doest thou not see him surely thou art fast asleep still thine eyes are closed the vail is before them Awake London Awake open thine ears Harke Oh the Trumpet that hath been sounding from Heaven over the City exceeding loud Oh the Thundrings of the terrible voice of the Angry God! the voice of the Lord hath been powerful and very dreadful What! canst thou sleep under such a noise surely thou art dead asleep dead in sin and security What will awaken thee if these Judgements do not awaken thee If a shrill and loud trumpet do not pierce thine ears will soft musick enter if the sound of Cannons be not heard can any expect that Pistols should It when the Lyon roareth in thine ears thou canst sleep still will soft whispers awaken thee What will awaken thee if the loud voice of these judgements do not awaken thee The Lord called upon thee before by his Ministers by his mercies now he hath shouted in thine ears by his Judgements Awake London Awake Thou hast been rouzed out of thine habitation methinks thou shouldest be rouzed out of thy security What! sleep when dying dying by the plague and tumbling into the grave what sleep when burning burning by the fire and tumbling into desolation What! sleep in a storm when winds are blowing and waves roaring sea entring and ship sinking What meanest thou O sleeper could the Heathen Ship-master say in such a case unto Ionah chap. 1. 5 6. when he lay fast asleep in the sides of the ship Arise call upon thy God if God will think upon us that we perish not And may not I say What meanest thou O sleepy London hast thou not perceived the storm that hath beaten so fiercely on thy head dost thou not perceive that thy ship is shattered and broken and the Sea is coming in amain and thou art in danger of sinking and that quickly unless some speedy course be taken for prevention And yet canst thou sleep still Awake arise call upon thy God if so be he will think upon us that we perish not God calls upon sleepy sinners to awake Suppose you were under the power of cruel enemies that had killed your husbands or wives or dear children and friends and you knew not how soon they might fall upon you and cut your throats could you sleep securely in the same house with such persons You are under the power of Tyrannicall lusts which are far worse enemies you are under the reigning power of sin which hath brought the Plague into the City and whereby some of you have been deprived of these relations and you know not how soon sin may bring death upon your selves not only the first but the second death not only temporal but eternal death and deprive you not only of life but happiness and all hopes of the least share in it for ever And yet can you sleep securely with sin in your hearts with such an enemy with such a viper in your bosomes When the Fire was in London I believe few of you could take much sleep for divers nights together when the Fire was burning in your streets and burning down your houses you could not sleep in your houses least the Fire should have burned your persons too And when the Fire of lust is within you and burning within you when the fire of Gods anger is kindled above you and burning over you and the fire of hell so dreadful and unextinguishable is burning beneath you and you are hanging over the burning lake by a twine thred which ere long will untwine of it self and may ere you are aware and suddenly be cut or snapt asunder and then you must drop into the midst of flames can you sleep under the guilt and power of sin when you are in such danger Awake sinners awake God doth not burn you presently but warns you first he burns your houses that you might awake and scape a more
and do no more so wickedly Because God was patient formerly you presumed because sentence against your evil works was not speedily executed therefore your hearts were hardened and resolved in your evil ways Because the Lord kept silence you thought he was altogether such an one as your selves You thought it may be that he took no more notice of you than you did of him or that you had no more reason to fear him than he had to fear you You thought it may be that God had forsaken the Earth or had hidden his face and should never see your wickedness And oh how bold have you been how audacious and fearless in sin You were afraid to offend man though a Worm and yet you have not been afraid to offend God the King of the whole World Mens Laws have kept you from some sins but the Laws of God have not put upon you the least restraint You have lived and sin'd as if there were no God or as if he had been so gentle and milde and mercifull that you might do any thing to him and he not be displeased with you or as if though he were displeased yet his displeasure were not to be regarded and that he had no power to execute vengeance upon you But now Gods patience hath in a great measure been turned into fury Now sinners you may perceive a little that God can be angry and when his anger is kindled but a little if it doth express it self so dreadfully what dreadfull expressions will there be of it when it breaks forth into an open flame If his anger be such in the day of some lighter temporal Judgements what will it be in the day of the Revelation of the treasures of it upon all the wicked at the appearance of Jesus Christ But Gods vengeance now in these Judgements should work your hearts to a fear and awe of this righteous Judge who hath done such executions in the City it should bridle and stay you in that fearless course of sin in which you were rushing on as the Horse rusheth into the battle When Balaams Ass saw the Angel stand in the way with a drawn Sword he was afraid and would not go forward though spurr'd on and beaten by his Master And when God stands in the way with his Sword of Judgement which hath made such slaughter already and is lifted up again to strike you methinks you should be afraid and turn back It is the way to Hell that God stands in by his Judgements and will you break through all into those flames Oh stand in awe and sin not commune with your own hearts Consider what hath been doing in London and who hath done these things You have neerly escaped it may be with your lives Oh learn to fear the glorious and fearfull Name of the Lord God in these dreadfull Judgements And as God doth expect that the World and his Enemies should stand in awe of him so also much more that the righteous and his people should Some it may be when God gave them free access to him and admitted unto familiarity with him and encouraged them to boldness and confidence and strowed their path with nothing but Mercy it may be might abuse his goodness and forget to mingle faith and love with due reverence and respect and began to be too sawcy with God and peremptory and did not consider their originall and distance and forgat the severity which they deserved for sin Therefore God appears in the way of these Judgements with such terrible rebukes that his own people might be brought unto a due awe and fear of his Name that if they love him they may fear him too if they pray with boldness they may pray also with reverence if they rejoyce in his goodness they may tremble also at his Judgements 3. God doth expect that London should now search and try their wayes When God had punished Ierusalem with dreadfull Judgements in the Lamentation of which the Prophet Ieremiah doth spend a Book see what use and improvement he calls upon the People to make hereof Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our wayes and turn again unto the Lord. This was the practice of David in the day of his trouble Psal. 77. 6. I commune with mine own heart and my spirit made diligent search It hath been a day of Gods wrath in London a day of trouble and distress a day of wasting and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness as it was in Ierusalem Zeph. 1. 15. There have been dark and thick Clouds over London which in part have broken into dreadfull storms and amazing Tempests of Gods anger expressed in the late Judgements and all have been the product of Londons sins which may yet produce far worse effects London is then called upon with a loud voice to search and finde out those sins which have been the troublers of the City I suppose that true Citizens would be forward to search after those persons that had a hand in the first kindling and carrying on the Fire which burned their Habitations to the ground give me leave and I shall make a discovery of Londons Incendiaries how you may finde the persons how you may trace their footsteps what marks they bare what their Names are and where their abode and need I lead you far in the search The sinners the sinners of London did kindle the Fire of London it was sin which fired the first house and sin was like Oyl poured upon the flames which put such fury unto them that none could withstand untill the greatest part of the City was fallen and turned into ashes the Swearers the Sabbath-breakers the Adulterers the Drunkards the Unrighteous the Prophane and the like sinners have been Londons Incendiaries and had a hand in pulling down this and other judgements upon the place where they lived and is it hard to find out these persons are they gone far from the place of their former abode the skirts of London are remaining and if you turn up the skirts or turn your eye under them and look into the houses standing about the City may you not find many of these persons these vile sinners inhabiting who are still blowing hard at the Fire of Gods anger and pulling hard with cords of vanity and sin for further judgements Search London search and find out thine enemies thy destroyers hast not thou destroyed thy self Search and find out thy sins which have brought such mischiefs and ruines upon thee Sinners enter into your closets retire into your selves take the candle of the Lord and look into your inner rooms make a strict search into your hearts find out those filthy Lusts which lodge in dark corners and bring them forth to be slain read over the old records of your lives consult the Register of your Consciences revolve in your minds your former sins take the glass of the Word and look upon your faces
increased over our heads faster than our years have done Since we have been governours of others we have had no government upon our own spirits and have endeavoured to lead those under our charge with us in the way to Hell instead of labouring to draw them into the way of Heaven by our example command and perswasions and we have filled up all our relations with sin instead of filling them up with a duty If we have not murdered any with our hand we have murdered many with our tongue swords have been in our lips and bitter reviling speeches in our mouths heart murder we have been guilty of O the inordinate anger that hath boiled in our hearts O the envy and malice which have gnawed our spirits and been working daily within us and especially those persons have been most hated by us who have had thine image upon them and have been best beloved by thee we have scorned them and looked upon them as mean-spirited people we have separated them from our company as those who damp and spoil our mirth by their words and looks of reproof yea we have persecuted them as seditious and factious persons when in truth it was their holiness and conversation that did contradict and condemn our wicked practices which did stir up our anger against them we have scoft at them who have prayed for us and we have lookt upon them and dealt with them as our enemies because so to our lusts who were the best friends to our souls and above all things desired our Salvation Thou hast given us Corn and Wine and Oyle and plentiful provisions for our body but we have abused thy mercies by our intemperance and luxury we have been guilty of drunkenness and gluttony we have indulged our flesh and sensual appetite we have lived in pleasure and been wanton we wallowed like so many swine in the mire and dung of some filthy sins which it is a shame to speak of we have had eyes and hearts full of lusts and adultery and have broken forth into such vile actual sins of uncleannesses as would raise blushes in modest cheeks to hear but the mention of we have been unjust and unrighteous in our dealing have wronged and defrauded our neighbour though thou hast threatned to be avenged on all such persons O the lyes we have spoken the slanderous backbiting speeches we have uttered O the discontentment murmuring envying evil concupiscence inordinate affection and wicked distempers which have been in our spirits and though we have broken all thy Laws and are guilty of such notorious sins yet O the impentency and hardness of our hearts though no Salvation is attainable but by Christ who is freely tendered unto us yet O the unbelief of our hearts and neglect of our own Salvation We have sinned we have sinned against thee and what shall we do unto thee O thou preserver of men God expects that London should make Confession of their sin and it could be wish'd that London would joyn together like one man in this work but if this cannot be and they want common mouths to open their hearts and sins before the Lord in particular Confession let every one of them be a Mouth to himself and get into his Closet and there acknowledge Londons sins and if those who are most guilty do neglect this work let Gods people do it in their room and confess not only their own sins but also the sins of the profane and wicked where they live and that not only because God is dishonour'd but also because they are in danger of being ruin'd by the unbewail'd sins of others 5. God doth expect that London should be humble under these Iudgements God inflicted Judgements on the children of Israel in the Wilderness to humble them Deut. 8. 16. and he promiseth after the sorest distresses which he brings his people into for their sins to remember his Covenant if their uncircumcised heart be humbled Levit. 26. 40 41 42. Yea he promiseth to exalt such in due time who humble themselves under his mighty hand 1 Pet. 5. 6. Gods mighty hand hath been stretched forth upon London God expects that London should be humble he hath humbled them by his Judgements he expects that they should humble themselves under his Judgements God hath stained the Pride of London he expects that they should let down their plumes he hath brought them down and he expects that they should lye low he hath brought Poverty upon many of them in regard of their Estates and he expects that all of them should be poor in regard of their Spirits he hath made many of them mean in regard of their Condition and he expects that their disposition and affection should be accordingly God hath laid many Persons in the dust by the Plague and he hath laid many Houses in the dust by the Fire and he expects that those which survive and remain after such Judgements should lay themselves in the dust for their sins Humble thy self them O London humble thy self before the Lord lick the dust of his feet put off thy Ornaments and gird thee with Sackcloth cloath thy self with Humility God hath spit in thy face wilt thou be proud of thy beauty again he hath burnt the City with Fire wilt thou be proud of thy Buildings and stately Edifices any more he hath consumed much of the fuel of thy pride and he expects that thy pride should be abated and that thou shouldest abase thy self and humble thy self before him 6. God doth expect that London should accept of the punishment of their iniquity Levit. 26. 40 41 42. If my people shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their Fathers and be humbled and accept the punishment of their iniquity then will I remember my Covenant and remember the land God expects that London should justifie him in the severest Judgements which he hath inflicted upon them as they should acknowledge their sins so they should acknowledge their demerit and that the Lord hath punished them no more yea that he hath punished them less than their iniquities have deserved As they should bring a bill of Inditement against themselves so they should bring a bill of Acquittance of God God expects that they should say as Neh. 9. 33. Thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Or as Dan. 9. 7 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces because we have sinned against thee Let not London murmure or repine let not London finde fault and complain of God because of his Judgements Lam. 3. 39. Why doth the living man complain a man for the punishment of his sin God hath opened his mouth and spoken terribly but let London shut her mouth because God hath spoken Righteously God hath spoken with a loud Voice let London be in deep silence I was dumb I opened not my mouth saith David because thou didst it Psal.
11. he will be your refuge under oppression and present help in time of trouble Psal. 46. 1. he will be your rock and fortress your high tower to defend you or your deliverer to redeem you out of all your troubles trust in God alone for all things if you make use of creatures do not lean and stay upon them for they will slip from under you but stay your selves on God O the peace and quiet which this will yield in shaking troublesome dayes when others hearts tremble within them and are moved like leaves upon the approach of danger you shall not be afraid of evil tydings but have your hearts fixed trusting in the Lord Psal. 112. 7. 13. God doth expect that London should have Death in continual remembrance This God expects from the Judgement of the Plague the Death of so many thousands a week in London gave such a spectacle of Mortality and Preached such a Sermon in the City as should bring the remembrance of Death into their minds every day of their lives the death if it were but of one or two should put you in mind of your later end but when you have seen so many go down into the pit before you it should inscribe the remembrance of death more deeply upon your mindes the record of which you should look daily into the gates of the City in the year of the Plague seem'd to have this inscription upon them All Flesh is Grass Let that word sound every day in your ears and remember your bodies are exposed to the stroke of death every day and though you have out-lived the Plague that yet Death hath you in the chase and will ere long you know not how soon overtake you remember your glass is running and will quickly be run out and therefore all the dayes of your appointed time as you should remember so you should prepare for your great change God expects that the remaining inhabitants of London should be prepared well for death now when they have had death so much in their view some of you have been sick of the Plague and brought to the very brink of the Grave all of you have been in danger of the Plague when the disease was so sore and raging I fear most of you were unprepared for death at that time and had you dyed then that it would have been with horrour and I believe that there are few of you but did in the time of your fears and danger make vows and promises if the Lord would shelter you from the arrows which flew about you and spare your lives then that you would lead new lives and be more carefull to prepare for your change so that Death should not take you so unprovided any more God expects the fulfilling of your promises and that you should live up to the vowes which you made in the time of your distress and so provide your selves whilest you are well that the messenger of Death may have a welcome reception when ever he summoneth you to leave this world 14. God expects that London should retain great impressions of Eternity You have had the door of Eternity set wide open in your view when so many were thronging in at the door and I believe you had deeper apprehensions of Eternity in those dayes than ever you had in your lives take heed that those impressions do not wear off and that you lose not those apprehensions especially when you are drawing every day nearer and nearer thereunto Think often of the vast Ocean of Eternity without bottome or bank on the other side into which the whole stream of time will empty it self and how quickly the small rivulet of your appointed dayes may fall into it Think often of the unalterable state of Joy or Misery which you must enter into at the end of your course think how thin and short the pleasures of sin are in this life in comparison of the horrible and endless torments of hell and how light and momentaneous the afflictions of Gods people are here in comparison with the exceeding and eternal weight of glory prepared for them in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. 15. God doth call upon London by the Fire which burnt down the City to secure themselves against the Fire of Hell London's Fire was Dreadful but the Fire of Hell will be a thousand-fold more Dreadfull The Fire of London was kindled by man be sure some second cause was made use of herein but the Fire of Hell will be kindled by God himself Isa. 30. 33. Tophet is ordained of old for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it The Fire of London burnt the houses of the City and consumed much of the goods but the Fire of Hell will burn the persons of the wicked Matth. 15. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting Fire The Fire of London did burn most but not all the houses in the City some are yet remaining but the Fire of Hell will burn all the persons of the wicked not one of them shall escape and remain The Fire of London was extinguished and did last but four dayes but the Fire of Hell will be unextinguishable it will burn for ever it is called everlasting Fire in which the damned must lye and burn eternally without any possibility of ever getting forth If you had known before of Londons Fire where it would begin and how it would spread and seize upon your houses surely you would have taken some course for the prevention of it you know before of the Fire of Hell the Word of God hath revealed it O take some course for prevention of it at least for securing of your selves against it when the Fire was burning in London you did fly from it least it should have consumed your persons as well as houses O fly from the Fire of Hell into which your persons will be thrown if you go on in sin fly from the wrath which is to come fly unto Jesus Christ who alone can deliver you 16. God doth call upon Londoners by the Fire to be like Strangers and Pilgrims in the World God hath burned you out of your habitations that he might loosen your affections from houses and riches and all things here below that he might unsettle you unhinge unfix you that you might never think of Rest and Settlement in the Creatures as long as you live God calls upon you by this Judgement to take off your hearts from this world which is so very uncertain and to be like Strangers and Pilgrims upon the earth who are to take up your lodging here but a few dayes and nights in your passage to the other world God expects you should live as those who have here no certain dwelling place and therefore that you should not lavish away too much of your thoughts and affections and time about these
uncertain things which are of so short a continuance and with which you cannot have a long abode God hath by his Judgements crucified the World very much before you and he expects that the world should be crucified in you God hath poured contempt upon the world and set a mark of disgrace thereon he hath cast dirt upon the face where you fancied before so much beauty to lye and he expects that you should fall in esteem and grow out of love with the world and never go a whoring from him to the creatures any more 17. God calls upon London to make him their habitation Psal. 90. 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling places in all generations God is the hiding-place and he is the dwelling-place of his people you have lost your dwellings by the Fire make God your habitation and dwell in him to whom you may have constant resort and in whom you may have a sure abode Get possession of this house by your union to God through his Son and when you are in keep possession abide in this honse do not wander from him and turn your selves out of doors by breaking of his houshold laws make God your home and labour to be much acquainted at home spend your time with God and give your hearts to him Rest and repose your selves in God daily look for all your provisions in him and from him walk in him and with him Make God your habitation 18. God calleth upon London to seek after an abiding City Heb. 13. 14. We have here no continuing City but we seek one to come London hath reason to say the former therefore let London do the later you have seen the City fall by the Fire seek after a City which hath more lasting foundations and is of such strong building that neither time can wear and weaken nor flames of Fire reach and consume I mean the New Ierusalem which is above the Heavenly City whose builder and maker is God there are Mansions abiding places for the Saints Ioh. 14. 2. there the wicked will cease from troubling and the weary will be at rest seek after this City labour for a title to it lay up your Treasure in it get your affections set upon it above all Trades drive a Trade for Heaven which in the issue will yield you the best returns 19. God doth expect that London should labour to build his House The neglect of Gods House I believe hath been a great cause of the fall of so many Houses in the City by Fire God expects that now you should endeavour the building of his House otherwise I do not think that God will build again your Houses you may have an Act of Parliament for building the City and set Workmen about it but unless God do enact it too the building will never go forward unless God build the City the Workmen will labour in vain Read and consider the Prophesie of Haggai Set about the work of Reformation more vigorously especially in the House and Worship of God 20. God doth expect that Londoners should dedicate themselves and Families unto him You have broken your Baptismal and other Vows and God hath made great breaches upon you for your Infidelity now renew your Vows give up your selves to God avouch him to be your God and avouch your selves to be his People and live accordingly Take up Ioshuah's resolution that whatever others in the Land do that you and your Families will serve the Lord Make it your only business in the World to serve God let Religion have an influence upon all your actions do nothing without the Warrant of Gods Precept let your Conversation be such as becometh the Gospel govern your Families in the fear of God fill all your Relations with duty learn more righteousness by Gods Judgements and be quickned by them unto a more holy and strict walking And if you yield such Fruits as these which God expects after his plowing and harrowing of you if you open your Ear to the Terrible Voice of the Lord which hath uttered it self in the City and with full purpose of heart set about the practice of the duties he expects and calls for then you may hope that he will yet build you up and plant you that he will close your breaches and raise up your ruinous Habitations that he will make you glad according to the Years wherein he hath afflicted you and give you to see good dayes instead of those evil which you have seen and felt then the Lord will rejoyce over you to do you good and make London like Mount Zion where he will pitch his Tent and take up his Habitation then he will compass you about with the Bulwark of Salvation and prevent those further utterly Desolating Judgements which you are in danger of yea the Lord will be as a wall of fire round about you and the Glory in the midst of London from whence his Praise and your Fame shall sound throughout the whole World FINIS Soli Deo Gloria Hab. 3. 5. Psal. 18. 13 14. Isa. 29. 6. Isa. 30. 30. Psal. 18. 45 7. 5. Isa 7. 2. Psa. 21. 9. Num. 16. 27 31 32. Gen. 19. Luk. 13. Isa. 5. 4 5 6 Isa. 15. Ioh. 15. 6 Heb. 6. 7. Gal. 5. 19 24. Mat. 12. 43 44 45. Eccl. 9. Psal. 50.
heart for I fear that the great insensibility which people have been under of these judgments because they have not reached the Flesh and their sottish inconsideration of Gods dreadfull displeasure herein hath provoked the Lord to send such judgments as have come nearer to sense that they might perceive God was angry indeed before and that his greater displeasure in the former might be known by his more sensible displeasure in the latter Let London seriously consider whether her Gospel priviledges were not her best defence against temporal calamities and whether since her slighting abuse and forfeiture and Gods seisure and stripping her so much of these she hath not been laid naked to those heavy strokes of extraordinary judgments which she hath lately received London had the Gospel Ordinances powerfull pure plentifull Ministers excellently qualified and rarely furnished with ministerial abilities London had as many burning and shining lights as any one such spot of ground under the cope of heaven Not to speak of their abilities for preaching and defence of the truth such gifts of prayer London Ministers had which were no small defence of the City as I believe no City in the World could parallel O what prayers have there formerly been in London Pulpits especially on dayes of solemn humiliation how have the spirits of Ministers been carried forth sometime in prayer for several hours together without tautologies and vain repetitions in such variety of affectionate enlargements and with such raisedness and transports of spirit as if they had been just leaving the body and going to live and abide with God and would converse no more with men or worldly things In their confessions of sin how have they rak'd into the dunghill of a rotten heart and laid abroad its inward filthiness how have they trac'd the foot-steps of its deceitfulness through the maze and wilderness of its many windings and turnings how have they peirced into the very bowels of sin and ript it up as it were to the back-bone bringing forth its very entrals to open view how have they anatomiz'd as it were the body of death in all the parts and members of it discovering withall the several diseases of every part with their cause and manner of working and all this in such pathetical cutting expressions accompanied with such brokenness and bleeding of heart as no form can imitate or effect In their supplications for the pardon of sin for spiritual and heavenly riches O with what feeling and fervour did they express themselves O with what faith and importunity did they wrestle and plead at the Throne of Grace for such favours beyond the importunity of poor prisoners through the grates or poor beggars at the doors when they are most earnest for relief yea how did they besiege God as it were and seem as if they would scale the walls of Heaven it self and take the Kingdome of Heaven with violence and force how have they even pressed in upon God with the dint of argument and laid hold on him with the hand of faith resolving not to let him go without a blessing In their supplications for the Church and Land they have behaved themselves as if they had no private concernments But how did they bear London upon their hearts when they came to the throne of grace what yearning bowels had they towards and for the City how many teares have they shed in bewailing her sins how have they stood in the breach when the Lord hath been coming forth against this place how have they held his arme when it hath been lifted up to strike how have they stood weeping between the Porch and the Altar crying spare thy People O Lord and do not destroy London and many times have they prevailed to appease Gods wrath and turn away his fierce anger which hath been kindled against us Gospel-Ordinances and Gospel-Ministers were the safe-guard of London the glory and defence But when the Ordinances were slighted and the Ministers were mocked and misused by some who called themselves Professors and both were fallen so much in the esteem of the most and London did not yield the fruit which God looked for under such dressing of which more when I come to speak of Londons sins God is provoked not only to call for some of his Messengers home to himself but also to suffer the rest which were most consciencious to be thrust into Corners This this did presage London's near approaching ruine and desolation though few did believe it and because they did not believe it and were insensible of Gods wrath in this judgment therefore their danger was the greater of the other judgments which have come upon them when so many stakes were pluckt out no wonder if the hedge be broken when so many Pillars were removed no wonder if the building tumble to the ground But I proceed to give a narration of the later judgments of Plague and Fire SECT V. THe Plague so great so lately should not be forgotten yet lest the fire more lately and propotionably more great and the amazing fears which since have risen within us should shuffle former thoughts out of our minds and rase out the impressions which by the Plague we had and should labour to retain to our dying hour therefore I shall give a brief narration of this sad judgment and some observations of mine own who was here in the City from the beginning to the end of it both to keep alive in my self and others the memory of the judgment that we may be the better prepared for compliance with Gods designe in sending the Plague amongst us It was in the year of our Lord 1665. that the Plague began in our City of London after we were warned by the great Plague in Holland in the year 1664. the beginning of it in some remote parts of our Land the same year not to speak any thing whether there was any signification and influence in the Blazing-star not long before that appeared in the view of London and struck some amazement upon the spirits of many It was in the moneth of May that the Plague was first taken notice of our Bill of Mortality did let us know but of three which died of the disease in the whole year before but in the beginning of May the bill tels us of nine which fell by the Plague just in the heart of the City the other eight in the Suburbs This was the first arrow of warning that was shot from Heaven amongst us and fear quickly begins to creep upon peoples hearts great thoughts and discourse there is in Town about the Plague and they cast in their minds whether they should go if the Plague should increase Yet when the next weeks Bill signifieth to them the disease from 9 to 3. their minds are something appeased discourse of that subject cools fears are husht and hopes take place that the black cloud did but threaten and give a few drops but the wind would drive
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
Thred-needle-street a little further with another which came up from Wall-brook a little further with another which comes up from Bucklers-bury and all these four joyning together break into one great flame at the corner of Cheap-side with such a dazling light and burning heat and roaring noise by the fall of so many houses together that was very amazing and though it were something stopt in its swift course at Mercers Chappel yet with great force in a while it conquers the place and burns through it and then with great rage proceedeth forward in Cheapside On Tuesday was the Fire burning up the very bowels of London Cheapside is all in a light fire in a few hours time many Fires meeting there as in the center from Soper-lane Bow-lane Bread-street Friday-street and Old-change the Fire comes up almost together and breaks furiously into the Broad-street and most of that side of the way was together in flames a dreadful spectacle and then partly by the Fire which came down by Mercers Chappel partly by the fall of the Houses cross the way the other side is quickly kindled and doth not stand long after it Now the Fire gets into Black-fryers and so continues its course by the water and makes up towards Paul's Church on that side and Cheap-side Fire besets the great building on this side and the Church though all of stone outward though naked of houses about it and though so high above all buildings in the City yet within a while doth yield to the violent assaults of the conquering flames and strangely takes Fire at the top now the lead melts and runs down as if it had been snow before the Sun and the great beames and massy stones with a great noise fall on the Pavement and break through into Faith-Church under neath now great flakes of stone scale and peel off strangely from the side of the Walls the Conqueror having got this high Fort darts its flames round about now Pater-noster-rowe Newgate-market the old Baily and Ludgate-hill have submitted themselves to the devouring Fire which with wonderful speed rusheth down the Hill into Fleet-street Now Cheap-side Fire marcheth along Iron-monger-lane old Iury Lawrence-lane Milk-street Wood-street Gutter-lane Foster-lane Now it runs along Lothbury Cat-eaten-street c. From Newgate-Market it assaults Christ-Church and conquers that great building and burns through Martin's lane towards Alders-gate and all about so furiously as if it would not leave a House standing upon the ground Now horrible flakes of fire mount up the sky and the yellow smoke of London ascendeth up towards Heaven like the smoak of a great Furnace a smoak so great as darkned the Sun at noon-day it at any time the Sun peeped forth it looked red like blood the Cloud of smoak was so great that travellers did ride at noon day some miles together in the shaddow thereof though there were no other cloud beside to be seen in the sky And if Munday night was dreadfull Tuesday night was more dreadfull when far the greatest part of the City was consumed many thousands who on Saturday had Houses convenient in the City both for themselves and to entertain others now have not where to lay their head and the fields are the only receptacle which they can find for themselves and their goods most of the late Inhabitants of London lye all night in the open Ayr with no other canopy over them but that of the Heavens The fire is still making towards them and threatneth the Suburbs it was amazing to see how it had spread it self several miles in compass and amongst other things that night the sight of Guild-hall was a fearfull spectacle which stood the whole body of it together in view for several hours together after the fire had taken it without flames I suppose because the timber was such solid Oake in a bright shining coale as if it had been a Pallace of gold or a great building of burnished Brass On Wednesday morning when people expected that the Suburbs would be burnt as well as the City and with speed were preparing their flight as well as they could with their luggage into the Countreys and neighbouring Villages Then the Lord hath pitty on poor London his bowels begin to relent his heart is turned within him and he stayes his rough wind in the day of the East wind his fury begins to be allayed he hath a remnant of people in London and there shall a remnant of houses escape the wind now is husht the Commission of the fire is withdrawing and it burns so gently even where it meets with no opposition that it was not hard to be quenched in many places with a few hands now the Citizens begin to gather a little heart and encouragement in their endeavours to quench the Fire A check it had at Leaden-hall by that great building a stop it had in Bishopsgate-street Fen-church-street Lime-street Mark-lane and towards the Tower one means under God was the blowing up of houses with Gunpowder Now it is stayed in Lothbury Broad-street Coleman-street towards the gates it burnt but not with any great violence at the Temple also it is stayed and in Holbourn where it had got no great footing and when once the fire was got under it was kept under and on Thursday the flames were extinguished But on Wednesday-night when the people late of London now of the fields hoped to get a little rest on the ground where they had spread their beds a more dreadful fear fals upon them than they had before through a rumour that the French were comming armed against them to cut their throats and spoil them of what they had saved out of the Fire they were now naked and weak and in ill condition to defend themselves and the hearts especially of the females do quake and tremble and are ready to die within them yet many Citizens having lost their houses and almost all that they had are fired with rage and fury and they begin to stir up themselves like Lyons or like Bears bereaved of their whelps and now Arm Arm Arm doth resound the Fields and Suburbs with a dreadful voice We may guess at the distress and perplexity of the people this night which was something alleviated when the falsness of the alarm was perceived Thus fell great London that ancient City that populous City London which was the Queen City of the Land and as famous as most Cities in the world none so famous for the Gospel and zealous profession of the reformed Religion And yet how is London departed like smoak and her glory laid in the dust how is her destruction come which no man thought of and her desolation in a moment how do the Nations about gaze and wonder how doth the whole Land tremble at the noise of her fall how do her Citizens droop and hang down their heads her Women and Virgins weep and sit in the dust Oh the paleness that now sits upon the cheeks the
latter which are more visible now and apparent for as God being so slow to anger hath not been quickly moved to such indignation but as we have reason to think that his wrath hath been a long time boiling in his breast before it was raised to this heighth as to boile over and pour down Plague and Fire upon the City of London so we may reasonably infer that sins committed by London long agoe were the fuel put under that caused this boiling of his anger which because other judgments have not wrought the kindly effect of repentance the Lord hath been provoked to express this way which hath been more feeling and dreadfull Moreover when I reckon up London's sins I would not reflect alone upon any one party in as much as all parties have sinned and I believe the Lord hath been offended with all as in his judgments he hath made no difference that all might be awakened to see their faults with sorrow and shame And if it were fit I would begin here with my self being perswaded that my sins more then thousands of others have helpt to fill up the Viol of Gods anger but as I go along I shall endeavour by the grace of God to apply to my self the sins which conscience will accuse of that I may bewail and amend and I would beseech every one of you that cast your eyes upon these lines to do the like and to compare them with those lines which are written in the Book of your consciences and where you finde a transcript read and read again consider and lay to heart get to your knees confess and labour to drop at least some teares into the Bottle which if this little Book might help gather from your eyes and you could be perswaded to pour forth such waters before the Lord they might help to quench the violence of the Fire of Gods anger which we have reason to fear is still burning against us SECT VIII A Catalogue of London's sins which have provoked the Lord to speak with so terrible a voice in the City 1. THe first sin of London is slighting of the Gospel The Gospel in England hath above this hundred years shined forth out of the clouds of Popery and Antichristianisme which before did over-spread the Land and in no place of England hath the Gospel been preached with greater power and purity than in London and what entertainment hath it found hath it been valued according to its worth and excellency hath it been received as if it had come down from the God of Heaven expressing his love and good-will towards the children of Men as if it had brought such good newes and tidings as salvation by Jesus Christ Read the elogium which the Apostle Peter gives of the salvation made known by the Gospel 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you searching what or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into The Prophets of old did enquire and search but did not so clearly understand the Gospel as now it is revealed our Saviour tells his Disciples Luke 10. 24. That many Prophets and Kings had desired to see the things which they saw and had not seen them and to hear the things which they did hear and had not heard them for indeed this mystery was hid from ages and generations which God then made manifest unto the Saints Col. 1. 26. And the Apostle Paul tells us that though the ministration of the Law were glorious in so much that it made the face of Moses to shine unto whom the Law was revealed upon the Mount yet that it had no glory in comparison with the ministration of the Gospel whose glory did so far excell 2 Cor. 3. 7 10. the mysteries of Gods wisdome and love revealed in the Gospel being so glorious surely are worthy of acceptation and esteem especially when the Angels who are not so much concerned desire to look into these things unto whom it is said Eph. 3. 10. Is made known by the Church the manifold wisedome of God And yet these great things which have been reported by them who have preached the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven have been undervalued in London The Gospel hath been slighted in London and though some have been more notoriously guilty yet who can altogether excuse themselves from this sin Now that the conviction may be more full I shall charge the sin more particularly 1. The ignorant persons in London have been guilty of this sin the light of the Gospel hath shin'd about them but they have mufled up themselves in darkness and suffered Sathan to keep them hood-wink'd least the light of the glorious Gospel should enter and lead them out of his snare thousands in the City have been affectedly ignorant though they have had means of knowledge so near and so easy to come by multitudes have perished out of London and multitudes still remain in their ignorance O the neglect that there hath been of learning Catechisms and how few have endeavour'd to acquaint themselves with the Principles of the Christian Religion that they might have the more full and clear understanding of the Gospel 2. The vicious and profane have been guilty of slighting the Gospel how many such persons have there crouded and are still crouding out of London into Hell when the light of the Gospel shined upon them which would have guided them in the way to Heaven because this light hath been too troublesome in its discovery and reproof of their dear and sweet sins they have hated it and endeavoured to fly as far as they could from it or to shut their eyes as hard as they could against it 3. The civil persons also have been guilty there have been many sober Citizens and Matrons civil youths and virgins who have been free from the gross pollutions which are in the World through lust who have been diligent in their calling just in their dealings courteous and sweet natur'd in their demeanour and yet without the least degree of the power of godliness without which it is impossible they should be saved alas none of these have given any warme welcome unto the Gospel in their hearts which hath been so long preached in the City the kindness of a friend hath been esteemed by them but the kindness of God hath not been regarded if a Messenger had come and told them how they might save their estates when in danger of loss or how to save their relations when in danger of
with every mind of doctrine by the slight of them which led them aside Eph. 4. 11 12 13 14. Now all these persons have been slighters of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Ignorant the Profane the Hypocrite and the Erroneous and if you place them all in one company how few will there remain in London that have sincerely and heartily imbraced the truth as it is in Jesus and upon whom the Gospel hath made a powerful and saving impression And even amongst those that have been affected and converted by the preaching of the Gospel and had it greatly in esteem at first hearing and believing how was their esteem of the Gospel fallen and their affection cooled did not Gospel-ordinances begin to loose their worth and excellency and grow tedious and wearisome unto them O how generally unthankful was London for the Gospel priviledges and liberties yea many began to be very nice and wanton the Gospel was not relished unless it were served up with such neatnesses dressings in which some Ministers possibly did too much endeavour to please themselves and the people and then the sauce was more relished than the food it selfe and the appetite of many was so spoiled that plain wholsome soul-saving truths would not down with them Londoners began to be glutted with the Gospel and like the Israelites in the Wilderness their souls began to loathe the Mannah which came down from Heaven a strange curiosity there was in spiritual pallates which in many turned to a loathing of the food in so much that the Gospel became a burden unto them and thence it was that many turned away their ears from the truth and were turned unto errours and they could not indure to hear sound doctrine but having itching ears heaped up unto themselves teachers according to their lusts 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. And those that continued stedfast in the truth did not duly prize the Gospel none of them according to its dignity and worth No wonder then if God grows angry at such contempts and affronts as were hereby offered unto him and easeth them so much of their burden and withdraws the food so much which they grew so weary of No wonder that he suffers so many of their teachers to be thrust into corners and so much withdraws the beams of that light which was so much abused and when they are not sensible of his displeasure in this no wonder if he sends the Plague and Fire to awaken them unto a sensibility When the King sent forth his servants to call the guests to the Wedding-feast and they make light of it and excuse themselves and go away one to his Farm another to his Merchandize and the remnant took his servants and entreated them spightfully and slew them The King was wroth and sent forth his Armies to destroy those murderers and burn their City Matth. 22. from v. 1. to v. 8. God hath sent forth his fervants to call Londoners to this Feast how many invitations have they had to come unto Christ to accept of him to save them and feed upon him from whom alone they can get any Spiritual nourishment but how many in London have had their excuses they have been following their Merchandize and other business and could not come and what entertainment his servants hath had the Lord knows I do not say that London hath entertained them despightfully and slain them but have not their message been slighted by London and is it a wonder then if the King that sent them be wroth and send a Fire to burn down the City No greater favour could be shewed no greater priviledge could be enjoyed than to have the Gospel powerfully preached and ordinances purely administred but hath it been generally so accounted in London hath not Merchandize and thriving in the world which yet they have not thrived in been preferred before this by many thousands in the City when God hath been at such an expence to work out a way for mans salvation when he hath discovered such wonders of astonishing Love in sending his only begotten Son out of Heaven to cloath himself in our flesh that therein he might purchase life and salvation for us who were sunk so low from our Primitive state by sin and were exposed to death and wrath unavoidable endless misery in Hell and hath sent his Embassadours of peace to bring unto us the glad tidings hereof and in his name to make known the thing the Authour the tearms the way and to intreat us that we would accept of life and reconciliation to God who without any injury to himself could ruin us everlastingly and get himself a name thereby and yet when the Gospel is preached that we should undervalue and slight both messenger message surely this hath been an affront to the Lord who hath sent his Embassadours on this errand and doth carry with it such ingratitude as cannot be paralleld No doubt but this sin of slighting the Gospel is a prime sin which hath provoked God against London to come forth in such fury and if London do not repent the sooner and labour to recover its relish and esteem for the Gospel and make more evident demonstrations of it I fear the Lord will quite remove the Gospel from them and then nothing is like to follow but desolation and wo God doth not remove his glory at once but by steps first the glory of the Lord departs from the Inner-court to the Threshold of the house Ezek. 10. 3 4. from the Threshold of the house to the Door of the East-gate v. 18 19. then it goes from the midst of the City and standeth upon the Mountain Chap. 11. 23. The Gospel is the glory of London and hath the glory of the Lord made none of these removes is it not come forth of the Inner-court hath it not left the Threshold is not a departing of it quite from the City threatned will any thing recover it if we do not recover our appetite and prize and cry after it If the Gospel go God will go the Gospel being the sign and means of his special presence and wo be unto us when God shall depart from us Hos. 9. 12. And if God depart with the Gospel farewel peace and prosperity in England nothing I dare be confident but temporal misery and ruine will be the consequent if the Ecclipse bring such misery what will the quite darkning of the Sun doe 2. The second sin of London is Vnfruitfulness in such a fertile soile This sin hath been an attendant upon and a consequent of the former London was not only a Goshen but an Eden God chose out London to be his Garden he hath hedged it planted watered prun'd and manur'd it no place in the world hath had more plenty of the means of grace God hath given the former and the latter rain and sweet dews of Heaven both morning and evening did fall upon this place in the morning seed was sown and in
the evening the hand was not with-drawn plentifull and powerfull hath preaching been in London in season and out of season on the Sabbath day and on the week day but hath London answered all Gods care and cost hath not God come for many years together seeking fruit and found nothing but the leaves of profession hath he not often threatned to cut down the unfruitfull Trees and not suffer them to cumber his ground any longer and when through the intercession of the Vine-dresser he hath spared them this year and another year hath not the same unfruitfulness still remained what could the Lord have done more to his Vine-yard than he hath done wherefore then when he looked for Grapes brought it forth only leaves or wilde Grapes And is it then to be wondred at if the Lord pluck down the hedge thereof that it might be eaten up by the wilde Boar and Beast of the field if he break down the wall thereof and make it waste and desolate Is it to be wondred at if he with-hold the Clouds that they rain not on it and suffer briars and thorns to spring up in it where the Plants did grow The Vine when it is unfruitful is the most unuseful of all Trees it is fit for nothing but the fire and the Lord hath threatned to gather the unfruitfull branches and to cast them into the fire and burn them and the Earth which drinketh in the rain that often falleth upon it and instead of herbs meet for the use of him by whom it is dressed bringeth forth nothing but bryars and thorns God rejecteth and curseth and in the end burneth O the unfruitfulness of London O the briars and thorns which have flourished in this ground whereby the seed of the Word hath been choaked O the hemlock the thistle and the wormwood that have sprung up in the furrowes of the field O the tares that have abounded and overtopped the wheat and how little good Corn hath there been brought forth O the wilde Olive Trees which have grown up in Gods Garden and wilde Figges and wilde Grapes which the Figg-Trees and Vines of God have yielded unto him O the leanness of his sheep in such fat pasture O the barrenness the barrenness of London under such plentifull showers of the Word instead of the fruits of righteousness which are to the praise and glory of God there have been the fruits of unrighteousness and wickedness which are to Gods dishonour instead of the fruits of the spirit which are love joy peace gentleness meekness temperance goodness faith there have been the works of the flesh fornication uncleanness lasciviousness hatred variance emulations wraths strifes seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like of which the Apostle tells us that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdome of God And those who have not abounded in the grosser works of the flesh very few of them have been very fruitfull in good works London hath had the means of grace and yet most of them without grace few of them have much grace London hath had powerfull Ordinances but but what powerful effect have they produced what have they to shew of all their Prayers and Sermons and Sacraments have they attained unto a great measure of mortification is grace grown up to a great heighth what evidences what experiences have the best got which they might have got had they been more diligent Give me leave a little more particularly to instance the unfruitfulness of London in regard of repentance faith love and new obedience the fruit which God so much looketh for and so much delighteth in 1. Where have been the fruits of Repentance in London Calls there have been to repentance frequent fervent reason for repentance sins numerous hainous need of repentance that judgments temporall eternall might be diverted that pardon happiness might be obtained and yet O the impenitency and hard-heartedness of London few bleeding hearts under the sharp sword of the Word little tenderness under the most melting discourses few converts and penitent persons did the most powerful preaching especially before the Gospels eclipse bring forth in London converting work was at a great stand though there were so many unconverted persons in the City and by the impenitency and hardness of heart in London Gods treasures of wrath have been filled up which in some measure he hath opened in these late judgments that he hath inflicted and yet the great day of his wrath is stil to come Rom. 2. 4 5. 2. Where have been the fruits of Faith in London how hath unbelief abounded the great Gospel sin more dangerous than any other and more hainous in London than in any other place O the thick vail of unbelief which hath hid Gospel mysteries and things afar off from the eyes of this people O the evil heart of unbelief which hath shut the door against the Lord Jesus Christ who hath knocked so long for entertainment O the sottishness of London to believe no more when truths have been made so plain and clear when promises have been made known so great and sure when Christ hath been preached and tendered and when Heaven hath been reveal'd and proffered and when all have such need for the most to shut the eye and ear and heart and through unbelief to refuse to give God the lye and turn upon him the back to give Christ a wound and tread his blood underfoot to give the spirit a repulse and send him away griev'd from the heart as men do by their unbelief this sin doth provoke the Lord to great displeasure 3. Where have been the fruits of love in London O the want of love to God and one to another the grace of love is necessary and sweet and hath been much pressed but little exercised in London there hath been much love of the World but little love of the Father hatred of the brethren hath abounded but there was little brotherly love burning anger there hath been litle burning love burning lusts litle burning love inordinate carnal love little true spiritual love carnal love hath exceeded the bounds but spiritual love hath been in a very low degree and when love in London hath waxed cold is it a wonder if Gods anger hath waxed so hot and broken forth into such flames as we have seen 4. Where have been the fruits of new obedience in London and expression of love to Jesus Christ by keeping of his commandments though his commandments are not grievous 3. A third sin of London is hypocrisy in the profession of religion This sin exceedingly prevailed in the late times when profession of religion was grown into fashion religion was neer in the mouths of most but far from the reins there was a general face of religion but it was no more than skin-deep It was seated in the countenance not rooted in the heart how many painted sepulchres had we in London outwardly fair and
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
inflamed and distempered themselves with excessive drinking 16. A sixteenth sin of London is perverting of judgement This is a God-provoking sin when none calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth when men make to themselves crooked paths and there is no judgement in their goings yea when judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afarr off and truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter when truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey c. as the Prophet speaks Isa. 59. When Magigistrates are lovers of gifts and followers after rewards when they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them then the Lord cryeth Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries and aveuge me of mine enemies Isaiah 1. 23 24. I cannot charge London deeply with this sin not having been my self present much in their Courts of Judicature and I would hope that justice hath taken place here as much as in most Cities in the world but when I read what the Lord saith concerning Ierusalem Jer. 5. 1. Run ye too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it and when withall I consider the dreadfull judgments of God upon the City of London whereby the glory of the Magistracy and government of the City is so much stained I would submit it to enquiry whether there hath not been a failure and perverting of judgment in the City whether bribes and rewards have not blinded the eyes and the edge of the Law hath not been turned against well doers instead of evil doers wheâ—her the Fatherless and the Widdow have not been sent weeping to their heavenly Father to complain of injustice It is not a time to cover faults but to confess and leave them least unavoidable ruine come upon us when it will be too late 17. A seventeenth sin of London is Covetousness How universally hath this sin reigned in the City so that it may almost be said of London as it was of Ierusalem Jer. 6. 13. From the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness Those who have been free from gluttony drunkenness adultery and the like expensive sins have on the other hand addicted themselves to the sin of covetousness I do not charge all but oh how almost universal hath this sin among tradesmen been which hath evidenced it self both in their getting and keeping riches 1. In getting what eager desires after the world and their obtaining an estate by their trades What studies and consultations what wracking the brains and torturing the wits to find out the best way of thriving in the world what earnest prosecutions have there been and laborious endeavours rising up early and sitting up late and wearying the body and the mind all the day eating the bread of carefulness and mingling the drink with sollicitousness crouding up the whole time with worldly business so that their own health hath been disregarded as well as the worship of God neglected in the families of these worldlings and all to scrape a little worldly riches together which some have mist of notwithstanding all their endeavours and if they have obtained yet they have remained more poor in contentment than when they were more poor in their estates for as their estates have increased so their desires have increased and been farther off from satisfaction as they have enlarged their shops and trades and wealth hath flowed in upon them so they have enlarged their desires like Hell and like the Grave have never said It is enough when they have added bag to bag and house to house the more cares and fears and sometimes piercing sorrows have accompanied their gains but far have they been from finding the contentment and comfort in their riches that they looked for 2. This covetousness hath appeared in keeping what they have gotten keeping I say for covetous persons have had little heart to spend though in necessary uses what they have scraped together they have had wealth but the use of it they have not had it hath been to them like a treasure in a chest of which they had lost the key or like another mans money in their keeping which they must not meddle withall Whatever abundance they have had in the bag and in the coffer their families have been in want the table hath been penurious the back and belly have been pinched they have lived at a meaner rate than those that have been of a meaner degree The poor might starve at their doors no pitty towards others in want and misery and the least pitty towards themselves whilest they have saved for fear least afterwards they should want they have all along wanted whilest they have been saving and it may be at last they have lost what they have been keeping to the unexpressible grief and it may be breaking of their hearts which have been so set upon these things This sin of covetousness in some hath had deeper rooting in most hath had too much footing and in all hath been very heinous and abominable before God This sin is termed Idolatry in Scripture and the covetous are stigmatized with the name of Idolaters Col. 3. 5. Ephes. 5. 5. It is heart idolatry forbidden in the first commandment That thing we make a God to our selves which we chiefly affect if it be the world then we make the world our God which is inconsistent with the true love of God the Father the only true God 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him This sin of covetousness is hateful to God and provokes his wrath Isa. 57. 17. for the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him Hath not God smitten London with the plague and fire among other iniquities for this iniquity of Covetousness When London was eagerly pursuing after the World and all minding and seeking their own Interest without any regard to the Interest of Gods glory and Kingdom or care of their soul-interest and salvation which their worldly business would not allow time for did not the Lord send a Plague to put a stop to their Trade and gave them time to seek him and to make their peace with him in their retirements which they could not or rather would not finde before And when they returned with more eagerness to their Trades after the Plague was a little over that they might fetch up if they could what they had miss'd by that intermission did not the Lord send a Fire to consume much of that which they had set their hearts upon and in large legible Letters write Vanity upon this Idol which so many had worshipped Let London consider and lay to
heart this sin of Covetousness 18. The Eighteenth sin of London is Extortion thus Covetousness hath expressed it self more grosly in some I shall not here discourse concerning Usury but the extorting Use which some have taken of those who have been in want the taking Use upon Use and grinding the faces of the Poor in their distress no doubt is a great sin and very offensive to God How many Extortioners have there been in London who have enriched themselves by impoverishing of others who panting after the dust of the Earth on the head of the Poor have lent Money to them not for their help but to catch them at an advantage that so without mercy they might catch away all that they had not leaving them so much as a Bed to ly on Thus some have been like Lyons for Cruelty and like Evening Wolves unt the poor tearing their flesh from their bones and reserving their very bones to gnaw in the morning as the Prophet speaks Zeph. 3. 3. This sin of Extortion was one of the abominations reckoned up by the Prophet Ezekiel for which God was so highly offended with Ierusalem chap. 22. 12. Thou hast taken Vsury and increase and hast greedily gained of thy Neighbour by Extortion and hast forgotten me for this and other sins there mentioned it is said v. 3. Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my Wrath. Unto this sin of Extortion I may add severall other wayes that many in the City have had of getting Estates which some may dispute for the lawfulness of and because so common and gainfull the sin is little heeded but when the Lord hath been contending with the whole City and hath inflicted a generall stroke upon Tradesmen yea one stroke upon another and hath trodden their Trade under his feet as seeming to be offended with something therein methinks they should be awakened and open their eyes and impartially search and labour to finde out whatever it is that doth offend him whatever seeming disadvantage may come to them thereby And if they will not hearken God can take away the remainder as he hath done a great part and so force them to a sense of their sin One sinfull way of getting Estates and I am perswaded displeasing to God is engrossing and monopolizing of Commodities which many in London have done that having all the Commodities of that kinde in their hands they might make their own Market and set their own price upon them which if they sold as cheap as otherwise they would do or as others do when they are shared into many hands as possibly some may I could not condemn the thing But when by getting the whole into their hands they hoist and raise the Price far beyond the just Value which they necessitate people to give and that only that they might enrich themselves this I dare confidently affirm to be unlawfull and my reason is because hereby they prefer a lesser good before a greater namely the enriching of themselves and their Families before the more publick good of making the Commodity more cheap to the Commonwealth If they say the injury which they who buy of it will sustain they being so many will be very small and inconsiderable but the good they shall get hereby will be great and they may be in a better capacity of doing good I answer that none ought to do the least injury for the reaping of the greatest advantage It being absolutely unlawfull to do evil that good may come thereby and the damnation of such will be just Rom. 3. 8. and consequently a greater injury will come to themselves than to those whom they injure yea the Injury will be greater than the Good which they obtain And as for their being in a capacity of doing more good I believe that such persons if they do spend such gains are more forward to spend them on their lusts than to lay them out in Charitable uses I have not heard that the greatest Monopolizers in London have been the most charitable persons If I were more acquainted with the mysteries of Trades in the City I fear I might finde out more than one Mystery of Iniquity among them If the Lord would put into the hearts of Magistrates and Citizens to look into Trades and to consider the equity that they bear and take some course for rectifying abuses in them it might be one way to obtain a more favourable aspect from Heaven and the Lord might revive again the Trade of London which now is dying and sinking to the ground 19. A Nineteenth sin of London is Lying It is said of Nineveh Nah. 3. 1. that it was a City full of lies O the Lies that have been in London who can reckon them Lies in the streets loud lies which have been cryed false News which we daily hear Lies in the Chambers secret lies privy false tales which are whispered in the ears Lies in the Shop trading lies lies told in buying and selling Officious lies which some tell to do their friends a kindness Mischievous lies which some tell to do another an injury We read of some that bend their tongue like their bow for lies that will not speak the truth but teach their tongue to speak lies Jer 9. 3 5. How many Liars have there been in London What age is free from this sin The Children have learned to lie as soon as they have learned to speak What house hath been free How have Tradesmen been guilty of lying which some account a necessary adjunct to their Trade without which they could not live How many Servants have excused one another and themselves when they have committed faults with their lies But of all lies mischievous lies have been the worst which some have invented to do an injury to their neighbour such lies are more immediately begotten by the Devil the Father of lies and such liars are his most genuine Off-spring But all lies in a sense are mischievous lies they are mischievous to the party that tells them even the Officious liar cannot do so much kindness to his Friend by his lye as he doth injury to himself What! will a man stab himself to do his Friend a courtesie he that wounds his Conscience doth worse he that gains in his Trade by his lye loseth more than he gains A bag of Gold is not to be compared with inward peace and the favour of God better than life which by this sin is lost Surely the Lord being a God of Truth is much offended with this sin of lying God delights saith Solomon in them that deal truly but lying lips are an abomination to him Prov. 12. 22. Lying was one sin of Israel for which their land did mourn Hos. 14. 2 3. And God threatneth to give all liars their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. Methinks that one place should make all liars to tremble And is not
is envying And this sin was to be found not only in Women which envied others that exceeded them in beauty of body in cloaths and dressing and such like toyes but also in men who envied them who were of the same trade which had better houses and shops more custome and wealth than themselves as Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea this envying was to be found among many Ministers who envied others that had better parts and more learning greater applause and more auditors than themselves There was a spirit among us which lusted to envy Jam. 4. 5. which besides the great torment that it brings to the spirit where it reigns is a very great provocation to the Lord. 23. The twenty third sin of London is slandering and backbiting which hath been the consequent of the former The ninth commandment hath been exceedingly broken in London especially in a private way of bearing false witness against the neighbour and wounding his reputation by a slanderous tongue some inventing lyes and raising slanders which they have in their consciences known to be false others taking up slanders readily believing them without any just proof This sin you have set forth with a caution to take heed of such persons Ier. 9. 4 5. London hath been full of backbiters and tale-bearers and too many professours have been guilty of this sin few have entertained backbiters with an angry countenance which as the wind driveth away rain would have driven them out of sight I might here add the hatred of one another that hath been in London much through slanders the emulation that hath risen from hatred the wrath that hath risen from emulation and the wrath of God which hath arisen from these and other works of the flesh spoken of Gal. 5. 19 20. 24. The twentyfourth sin of London is murmuring and that not only in want and under losses and crosses but also in fulness and plenty Many Farmers in the Countrey have murmured at the plenty and cheapness of Corn many tradesmen in the City have murmured at the plenty of the commodities which they have dealt in because however such plenty is a publick and unspeakable mercy yet they have had the less private advantage which hath been chiefly regarded by them Yea some in their murmuring have wished for a Plague that the survivers might have the better trade And I have heard that a Fire also hath been wisht for to take off the plenty of such commodities that the remainder might bear the higher rate Is it a wonder then if God have sent Plague and Fire which some have called for by such murmuring speeches The Israelites in the Wilderness were plagued for their murmuring and the murmuring company of Corah that were not swallowed up with him were consumed by a fire from Heaven 25. The twenty fifth and last sin of London which I shall speak of is Carnal security another of Sodoms sins It is said of the Sodomites Luk. 17. 28 29. In the days of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all When London had provoked God so highly by so many sins yet how secure were they before his judgements broke forth upon them they eat and drank they bought and sold c. They sate at ease and put far from them the evil day as Amos 6. they were still and at rest little expecting such changes as have come upon them and taking little care to prevent them they were secure and trusted in arms of flesh broken reeds which have alwayes failed And I might add here as a cause of the security of some the presumptuous confidences of future events which belong only to God to foreknow which some have taken upon them so absolutely to determine as if they had looked into the book of Gods decrees or had an infallible revelation from him of what should come to pass O the good dayes that some have looked for upon the presumption of what they had no ground for Great expectations many had of the Fall of Antichrist and Babylon in the year 1666. and other events limiting times which God hath not clearly revealed which is an entrenching upon Gods prerogative and I believe a greater provocation than such persons are aware of This may be one reason why London is fallen instead of Babylon in this year of such expectation and presumption By this time it may be the Reader may be wearied with reading as I am with thinking and writing of Londons sins But how hath the Lord been wearied with the bearing of them how hath he been pressed with the weight of them as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves Amos 2. 13. If when you have read of Londons judgements withall you consider Londons provocations you must needs acknowledge that God is righteous in that he hath punished London no more than they have deserved for these sins 2. GOds Righteousness will further appear if we consider that he hath punished London less than her iniquities deserved 1. God might have punished London deservedly with more dreadful judgements here and that both in the same and another kind 1. God might have deservedly punished London worse in the same kind 1. In the judgement of the Plague It was a dreadful Plague indeed but God could have made it more dreadful where he shot one arrow he might have shot an hundred he visited many families he might have visited every family and swept every house with the beesome of destruction Though so many fell yet I believe that five parts in six of the inhabitants of London were preserved God might have taken away the five parts and have left but one alive yea it might have been said of London as it was of Israel Amos 5. 2 3. The Virgin of Israel is fallen she shall rise no more the City that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred God might have made every hundred that dyed by the Plague a thousand he might have sent out his arrows after all the inhabitants of London that were gone into the Countrey and smitten them wheresoever he found them or he might have met with them upon their return home and given commission to Death to lay hold on them assoon as they entred into their doors He might have depopulated the City of London by the Plague so that every house should have had dead Corpses lying and none to bury them He might have made our Plague wonderful fearful and of long continuance We that have survived so great a mortality have reason to say that deservedly it might have been greater that we deserved as much or more to fall for our more heinous sins than thousands that are gone down into the pitt surely it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed he was merciful in sparing of us he would have
dreadful fire Awake sinners when will you awake how often how long how loud shall God call upon you before you will arise Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Iesus Christ shall give thee life A little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest What! can you sleep any longer now Was not this your tone long ago when you were under the calls of the Word and is it the same under the Rod too What will awaken you or when do you think you shall be awakened if still you lye down in the Bed of security and love to slumber upon the lap of pleasure and after a little startle sleep faster than before Ministers have preached and you have slept under their Sermons but when God hath preached methinks you should awake When Paul preached to Felix a Sermon of Judgement Felix trembled God hath preached One nay Two Sermons of Judgement and that more feelingly than Paul could methinks you should awake and not drop asleep so soon because God gives you a little respite to learn his Sermon before he preach the third Sermon which may be your last and ruining Sermon If you do not awake by the sound of his Judgements before you you shall awake by the sense of his Judgements upon you If the Plague and Fire of London do not awaken you you shall be awakened by the plagues and fire of Hell which you shall see and feel but not be able to flee from as here you might do if presently awakened God calls upon sleepy Sinners to awake and God calls upon drowsie Saints to awake and was there not great need were not the Ionahs gone down into the sides of the Ship and lying on Pillows Were not the wise Virgins turning foolish sleeping with the rest untrimm'd and undress'd Had there not of late a strange torpour and benummedness seized upon the spirits of Gods own people Was not the ancient vigour and activity which once they had in the ways and Worship of God much abated and decayed before these Judgements came upon London Awake then ye drowsie Saints awake put on your Garments which you have laid aside to the discovery of your Nakedness shake your selves from the dust which hath covered and sullied your faces and loosen the bands of sleep God hath been thundring your Father hath been angry and displeased with you as well as with others Your God hath spoken in his Jealousie and he hath spoken in his fury he hath spoken with a loud voice in righteousness and in Judgement Awake ye Children your Father is stirring and knocking and calling yea he hath entred your Chamber and smitten you on this side and that and yet will you not arise He hath been crying in your Ears now he is looking and harkening whether you will cry in His and what you will say and do for the prevention of the ruine of England which he seems to be threatning It is high time to awake out of sleep for now is the utter destruction of the City and Nation neerer it may be than you believe or imagine Awake then put off your Cloaths of night and darkness in which you have been sleeping and put on your Garments of light Cloath your selves with humility and begirt you with all your graces and get you to Gods knee hang about his arm put your selves in the breach It may be the Lord may think upon us that we perish not 2. The Lord doth now after his speaking by terrible things expect that London should stand in awe of him Gods Judgements made this Impression upon David Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of thy judgements And see how the Prophet Habakkuk behaved himself when God spake with a terrible Voice chap. 3. 2 c. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid when God came down from Teman the Holy One from Mount Paran Selah when the Pestilence went before him and burning Coals went forth at his feet when the Nations were drove asunder the everlasting Mountains were scattered and the perpetual hills did bow when the Tents of Cushan were in affliction and the Curtains of the land of Midian did tremble when God did ride upon Horses and his Bow was made quite naked when the Sun and Moon did stand still in their habitations at the light of his arrows that went forth at the shining of his glittering Spear when God did march through the land in his indignation and walk through the Sea with his horses and did wound the head out of the house of the wicked and did strike through habitations with his staves at this the Prophet is afraid his Belly trembled his lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into his bones c. And when God hath come down from Heaven the Holy One from Mount Sion Selah When the Pestilence hath gone before him and burning Coals at his feet when the Lord drove London asunder scattered the Inhabitants and made the stately buildings to bow and fall whose rearing up none can remember when the Tents of London have been in affliction and the Curtains of the City have trembled when Death hath been riding upon Horses and his Bow hath been made quite naked when the Heavens have been astonished at Gods Judgements and the Sun and Moon have hid their heads in their Habitations at the shining of his glittering Spear When the Lord hath marched through the City in his indignation hath wounded the heads of so many wicked with his arrows and struck through so many Habitations with his staves Oh how should London tremble and quiver and stand in awe of this glorious Majesty at the voice of these terrible Judgements Read and apply what the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isaias Chap. 33. 13 14. Hear ye that are far off what I have done and ye that are neer acknowledge my might The sinners of Sion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall inhabit everlasting burnings v. 18. Thine heart shall meditate terrour where is the Scribe where is the receiver where is he that counted the Towers Methinks the sinners now in London should be afraid and fearfulness should surprize the Hypocrites when God hath sent so many of their number into the Everlasting burnings of Hell by the Plague and by such a devouring Fire hath consumed so many Habitations Tremble ye Sinners at this and be ye horribly afraid all ye workers of iniquity God hath come down with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet He hath taken his weapons in his hand and hath appeared in London as a furious Enemy should not this make the sinners in the City to quake and strike a dread upon the spirits of the rebellious When the Lord hath spoken thus and done thus because of our sins should not London yea all England hear and fear
if he do not severely scourge you for this sin here he will be sure to torment you for this sin for ever Turn ye Drunkards from your evil wayes vomit up your sin by repentance weep and mourn for all your sinfull mirth and jollity and take heed of returning with the Dog and licking up the Vomit which you have disgorged avoid the occasions of this sin shun the company of such as have been your tempters take heed of coming into the places where you have been drawn in to commit it make a Covenant with your feet that they may never lead you out of the way of God into such places where you have been so often overtaken curb and restrain your appetite take some kind of holy revenge upon your selves deny your selves some things which are lawfull in themselves because occasions of sin unto you and instead of filling your selves with Wine or strong Drink unto drunkenness and excess labour to be filled with the spirit and by the spirit to mortifie this and all other deeds of the body and rather let the wicked wonder at you and speak evil of you for your sobriety than God hate you and bring destruction upon you for your intemperance 2. Adulterers Turn from your evil wayes come out of the unclean bed wallow not any longer in this besmearing mire are you fallen into the ditch get up and come forth with speed and wash your garments from the spots which they have received are you taken in the net and ensnared in adulterous embracements deliver your selves like a Roe from the net of the Hunter and like a Bird from the snare of the Fowler Lust not after the beauty and enjoyment of Adulterous Women let not the soft and sweet language of their lips entice you nor the sparkling motions of their eyes enflame you put not fire into your bosomes and take heed of walking upon burning Coals why will you consume your body and time and substance which cannot be redeemed why will you bring upon your selves a wound and dishonor which cannot be wiped off Why will you be like Oxen which go to the slaughter and be such fools as to bring upon your selves destruction Turn from your evil wayes dare not to go forward in that way which leads unto death and hell Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4. God hath shot his arrows into the City and wounded many Adulterers for this sin that had before defiled and wounded themselves by it and will you go on till a dart pierce thorow your Liver the beginning of the sin is sweet like honey but will not the end of it be more bitter than wormwood and if a little short pleasure of the flesh be so desirable will not the extream endless pain it will produce be intollerable can you be content to lye so many millions of years under the horrible tortures of Hell for a little present sensual delight which when reaped cannot yield you satisfaction is it sweet to fall into the arms of an adulterous woman and will it not be bitter yea a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10. 31. especially when he is irreconcileably angry and his anger burns like fire which is devouring and unquenchable you have seen the Fire which hath burnt down the City how dreadfull it was the fire of Lust within you is worse and the Fire of Hell beneath you which is preparing for you and unto which by this sin you are hastening is a thousand fold more dreadfull of which more by and by and yet will you go on O Turn from your adulterous wayes come not near the door of such houses where you have had incentives to Lust and opportunities for such lewd practices make a Covenant with your eyes the spark is catcht at the eye not only from it but also by it the spark that falling upon the tinder of an adulterous heart puts it into a flame do not look upon the Maid or Woman that you may not think do not think that you may not lust do not touch that you may not desire to taste do not toy least you be caught do not come too near the brink least you fall into the stream before you are aware take heed of speculative uncleanness as you would be kept from actual uncleanness take heed of self-pollutions as you would be kept from adultery with others avoid occasions of this sin come not into such Company and places where you may have opportunity to commit it flee youthfull lusts which warr against the soul keep your mindes pure and chaste resist the first suggestions to this sin quench the fire when it begins to kindle look to the issue and consequents of this sin remember that the holy eye of God is upon you in your most secret retirements and he will ere long call you to an account 3. Swearers turn from your evil wayes Remember the Third Commandment unto which a Threatning is annexed of Gods charging guilt especially upon the breakers hereof Exod. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain The very use of the Name of God irreverently is a breach of this Command but to swear by the Name of God in ordinary discourse is a gross breach of it which as it affronts God highly so it will bring Condemnation certainly upon the guilty that do not repent and forbear When God hath made your Mouths and given you tongues to speak his praise which then are your glory will you profane the Name of this God and turn not only the glory of God but also your own glory into shame and dishonour and that when you have not the motive and incentive as to flesh-pleasing sins Herbert Take not his Name who made thy mouth in vain It gets thee nothing and hath no excuse Lust and Wine plead a pleasure Avarice gain But the cheap Swearer through his open sluce Le ts his soul run for nought as little fearing Were I an Epicure I could hate swearing Look into Deut. 28. 58 59. what threatnings the Lord doth denounce there against such as do not fear his Name and surely it is for want of fear and awe of Gods Name that any are so bold as to swear by it or take it in vain If thou wilt not fear this glorious and fearfull Name THE LORD THY GOD then the Lord will make thy Plagues wonderfull and the Plagues of thy seed even great Plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance c. Hath not God plagued and burned the City of London amongst other sins for this of Swearing and yet will you swear still and provoke the Lord to further wrath when you have seen in part how fearfull the Name of God is in the Judgements which he hath executed will you
go on still to profane his Name Do you not fear future Judgements will not the Name of God be displayed more dreadfully before you when he opens the Treasures of his wrath and sends his Son in flaming Fire to take vengeance upon sinners and yet will not you fear this Name of God Swearers with what confidence can you pray to God what hopes can you have when you use Gods Name in Prayer that you shall have the least audience or acceptance when you abuse his Name so much and cast such dishonour upon it by your Oaths If you do not pray now as Swearers seldom do will you never be driven to your knees will you never be brought to such extremities that no creature shall be able to give you any relief and with what face can you then look up to God will not your callings upon the Name of God be in vain as you have taken his Name in vain will not God laugh at your Calamity and though you cry and shout will not he shut out your Prayer and barr the door of Mercy upon you for ever Swearers turn from your sin make a Covenant with your mouth set a Watch before the dore of your lips use Gods Name in Prayer and reverently in discourse do not swear by it or take it in vain any more get an awe of this Name upon your hearts which will be an excellent means to keep you from this sin 4. Lyars turn from your evil wayes We read Acts 5. at the beginning of Annanias and Sapphira who were smitten with sudden Death for the sin of Lying it is said they fell down at the Apostles feet and gave up the ghost And hath not the sin of Lying been one ingredient in the meritorious Cause of the fall of so many persons and houses by the Plague and Fire in the City of London This sin of Lying the Apostle doth in especial caution the Colossians and Ephesians against after the wonderfull grace of God in the renovation of them according to his Image Col. 3. 9. Lye not one to another seeing ye have put off the Old man with his deeds And have put on the New man c. Eph. 4. 24 25. Having put on the New man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Put away lying and speak every man truth to his Neighbour And this sin I may caution Londoners against after the dreadful anger of God expressed in the Desolations which he hath made amongst them by his late Judgements Lye not one to another any more but speak every one Truth to his Neighbour The Lord is a God of truth and he cannot lye do you labour to be men of truth such as will not lye The Devil is the Father of Lyes and Lyars Ioh. 8. 44. and which is most eligible to be Children of God or Children of the Devil A lying tongue is one of the seven Abominatitions which the Lord hateth Prov. 6. 16 17. And is there any good you can get by your lying comparable to the evil of rendring your selves hatefull and abominable in the sight of God Is it needfull for you sometimes to speak lyes Is it not a thousand fold more needfull for you alwayes to speak truth are you likely to gain so much by the former as by the later what is a little outward Emolument in comparison with inward Peace are you likely to lose so much by the later as by the former what is the loss of external temporal things in comparison with the loss of your Souls and Happiness for ever Is it needfull to lye that you may excuse your faults this makes them double Herbert Nothing can need a lye A fault which needs it most grows two thereby Parents warn your Children against this sin of Lying do not spare the Rod of Correction where you finde them guilty pass by twenty other faults rather than this Lying is the first link in the Chain of a thousand gross sins rap off their fingers from the first link least the Chain after grow too strong for you to break Masters indulge not your Servants in this sin the resolution of David was Psal. 101. 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Especially take heed of leading Servants to this sin by your Example above all of putting them upon this sin by your perswasions or commands for besides the guilt of their sin which hereby you incurr your dammage is like to be more than your advantage by their lyes If you put them upon lying for you they will put themselves upon lying to you and if you deceive others in some things by the former they are likely to deceive you deservedly in greater things by the latter Young ones take heed of Lyes do nothing as may need the cloak and excuse of a lye and if you be overtaken with a fault never deny it when examined but with sorrow acknowledge it as you would gain favour with God and man Take heed of this sin betimes lay aside lying before it grows into a Custom which will be hard to leave Old ones break off this sin before you be dragg'd by the chain of this sin into the Fire of Hell which is the threatned punishment thereof Rev. 21. 8. Be not too hasty in speech least this sin issue forth at the door of your lips before you are aware speak always as in the hearing of God who knows whether your words and heart do agree and who will one day call you to an account for this sin and except you repent punish you for it severely in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone 5. Slanderers turn from your evil wayes The sin of slandering is one of the worst sorts of Lying and the teeth of slanderers are compared to spears and arrows and their tongue to a sharp sword Psal. 57. 4. and when they utter their slanders they bend their bowe and shoot their arrows they whet their sword and wound therewith the reputation of others which they are bound to be as carefull of as their own Psal. 64. 34. Slanderers are false-witnesses who lay to the charge of others such things as they know not Psal. 35. 11. they are Lyons who tear in pieces the good Name of others they are Serpents whose words are stings and full of deadly poyson they are compared to mauls and swords and sharp arrows Prov. 25. 18. yea they are like mad men who cast about fire-brands and arrows and death Prov. 26. 18. By this sin you wound others and are guilty of tongue-murder but you wound your selves more I mean your Consciences and are guilty of self-murder of soul-murder and the poyson of such speeches is not so venemous and deadly in regard of your Neighbours good name as it is in regard of your own spirits which are invenom'd and will be destroyed hereby without the application of the blood of Christ for pardon and healing
offended with Hypocrites what good will a Form do you without the Power of godliness what good will showes do you without sincere and substantial service what benefit will you get by counterfeit Graces if your Graces be not reall if your Repentance and Faith and Love and the like be feigned how uneffectual will they be to procure pardon and peace and salvation are you content to lose all your Bodily Exercise and to have all your heartless lifeless Duties rise up one day in Judgement against you What advantage will you get by a bare Profession of Religion especially in such times when profession if it be strict is discountenanced and Professors if their Lamp shine with any brightness and they carry any great sail expose themselves to danger And if you have not Sincerity which alone can yield you the true and sweet fruits of Religion you are like to lose all and of all others to make your selves most miserable you may suffer from Men because you have a Profession and you will suffer from God because you have no more than a Profession What then should you cast off your Profession No so you would turn Apostates and may fall into the sin against the Holy Ghost which will bring upon you inevitable Damnation but lay aside your hypocrisie and become sincere be that in truth which you are in show labour for sincerity in regard of your State and labour for sincerity in regard of your Duties Sinners God calls upon all of you to turn from your evil wayes by his thundering Voice Turn presently let the time past be sufficient wherein you have fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the minde go not a step forward in the way of sin least you meet with destruction suddenly and perish without remedy Turn universally say not of any sin as Lot did of Zoar It is a little one cast away all your transgressions and let no iniquity have dominion over you for the future Turn heartily from an inward Principle of hatred to sin and love to God and not from outward Considerations and meerly upon the account of sins dreadfull consequents Turn constantly and with full purpose of heart never to return unto your evil wayes of sin any more 10. The Lord doth expect after such Iudgements that London should seek him That they should not only turn from their evil wayes but also that they should turn unto him that hath smitten them and seek the Lord of Hosts Isa. 9. 13. We read Am. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is falen she is forsaken and none to raise her up whereupon God calls to this duty v. 4 5 6 8. Thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live but seek not Bethel c. seek the Lord and ye shall live least he break forth like fire in the house of Joseph and devour and there be none to quench seek him who made the seven Stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning c. the LORD is his Name and it follows v. 15. It may be the Lord will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph And when this Duty is neglected see the Threatning v. 16. Wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the high wayes Alas alas and they shall call the Husbandmen to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing And now London is fallen doth not the Lord call upon them that they would call upon him and as they would turn away his anger and prevent their utter ruine that they would seek him who can turn the shadow of death into the Morning and the blackest night of affliction into a day of Prosperity and Rejoycing London seek the Lord that ye may live that there may be a reviving after the years of such death and ruines seek the Lord before the decree bring forth some other Judgement and ye pass away like Chaffe before the Whirlwinde in the day of the Lords fierce anger it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of this great City God expects that London should now pray at another rate than heretofore they have done It is said Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God and when God had consumed Israel because of their iniquities the Prophet complains Isa. 64. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Had the Prayers of London been such as they should have been such as they have been the Desolations of London might have been prevented God expects that London under such Chastisements should pour out Prayers before him Isa. 26. 16. God hath spoken terribly unto them he expects that they should cry mightily unto him God expects that London should meet him in the way of his Judgements not only with weepings for their sins that they have provoked him unto so great displeasure but also with Supplications for his Mercies When Iacob was devoured and his dwelling-place laid waste Psal. 79. 7. you have their prayer v. 8 9 c. O Remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O Lord God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And the Church under desolating Judgements doth in prayer express her self very pathetically Isa. 63. 15 c. Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies are they restrained Doubtless thou art our Father c. We are thine return for thy servants sake c. and chap. 64. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people God hath been pleading and contending with London by his Judgements and God doth look that London should plead with him in prayer for his Mercies London seek the Lord of Hosts who hath come forth against you in battel and wounded you with his sharp arrows and yet hath not laid down his weapons get to your knees hang about Gods feet and arms fill your mouths with arguments to stay him in the course of his Judgements let not the Apple of your eye cease from weeping that you have displeased him and let not your tongue cease from humble and earnest Entreaties that he would pardon you and remove his displeasure from you Seek the Lord humbly put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be any hope God hears the Cry of the Humble and will not despise their Prayer Psal. 10. 17. Psal. 102. 17. Seek the Lord diligently He hath promised to be found of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. God looks for earnest hearty fervent Prayer There is a sweet Promise which God makes