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
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
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
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.