is not this City able to do I wish it may be able to examine and to extricate her self I cannot but love your City for her brest that she proved such a kind Nourse to them which had neither milk nor maintenance when upon the death of their Mother they were as exposed children All the gratitude which I can expresse is to piety this Nourse upon her sick-Couch and if I can preserve her alive upon her bed of anguishing till there may be some signes of her recovery I shall not cease to visit her and if she will admit me he as a ghostly Father to her that she may confesse her inward disease and apply that spirituall remedy which will certainly and can onely work her proper cure I thought once to have called in all the Nobility and Gentry of the Nation to joyn in this work for the Heralds office is in the City and why should not they which are comparable to fine gold cast in their talent for the advance of this pious design Yes they are too high if they do not humble themselves to the earth for her which all this while with a trusty hand hath kept their Pedegrees I would have invited the Reverendest of the Clergy to have assisted in this religious service for Sancta Maria de Arcubus is in the City why should not they deprecate judgements from her which hath retained for them a place where they have received their first Consecration Aaron doth carry upon his brest plate the names of the Tribes of Israel the Priests must not be absent from the Sacrifiâ—e these must weep between the Porch and Altar I would have drawn in all the Civill and common Lawyers to plead in Heaven for this City for they having been so often retained in her Counsell and learned all their honoured skill here the Inns of Court being nigh to the body of the City and Doctours Commons within the bowells of the City why should not they sollicit the highest Court for a release from her extremities I would have summoned-in all the Physitians to administer a soveraign potion to this City for their Colledge being within her walles and they having raised vast estates out of their City practise why should not they prepare an Elixir for her out of their suppled eyes rent-heartstrings extracted consciences to preserve her at an exigent yea I thought once to have sent down to all the Cities in the Kingdome to have repaired hither their selves or to have sent their faithfull substitute Proxey their conversion to officiate for the City in her greatest perill For seeing this is the Metropolis why should not all the Daughters do their duty to their Mother and wait upon her with their prayers and tears and humiliation and mortification yes they here vending all their commodities and buying here all their principall wares it is convenient that they should blesse her with their repentance which hath blessed them with revenue But because the most proper cure is that which is personall people being able to prepare their Antidote therefore ye knowing both the malady and the medicine what need I trouble others when ye are able if ye will to do the work your selves and to be your own Physitians And now that I have left you in your own hands setting Life and Death before you oh that I could speak to the City in generall that as all Nineveh so all your City would be unaninous to unite their repentance to keep off a judgement But I see such a complicated disease of bad opinions and such a cakexy of evill life amongst you some onely magnfying the virtues of the City others going on in an insensibility of any thing that it is either sin or danger that I despair to find the generality apprehensive either of disease or cure Acron could onely paint the Cypresse tree so there are some amongst you Erasm which can only draw the picture of their own self-grounds and selfe-ends why then should these mens pensils be desired to delineate this piece no I remember that Calcedon was called The Town of the blind because they would not suffer an experienced Workman to build their houses Pliny l. 5. c. ult And so such a blind City shall I leave you if I set on work half-sighted Architects which can neither see errours nor foresee hazards Therefore I set by all the humourous and vicious amongst you and apply my selfe onely to those which are truly religious which have the most conscience to discover sin and the most remorse to reconcile an offended God It is a singular work and there must be singular Agents engaged in it It is that great City and it must be that Great or good Party which must invert the state and avert the judgement of the City All ye then which are of mine own Religion and repentance be ye my Patrones out of affection the Cities out of relation deny not your own City nor me for your Cities sake this shall be my engagement and I hope not the Cities envy that I should desire you to do that for the City which the City will not do for it selfe I cannot expect you to be absolute Saints I my selfe am not innocent but I desire to be penitent and I besceech you let us both center together in this qualification Make this subject if ye can your Altar where ye may work an attonement or your Sanctuary where ye may find refuge howsoever make it your Crucifix or Sepulchre even to dye in mortifying exercises to procure the Cities release and rescue Ye have been often at the Pulpit and learned much perhaps for information but one Sermon practised is better then a thousand heard if ye have any Christianity in you let the abridgement of it be found in repentance neither your soules nor your City can be blessed by you with a virtue more beneficiall If ye had the understanding of Joseph the knowledge of Daniel the wisdome of Solomon or the insight into all those secrets which were revealed unto St Paul in the third heavens ye these were but glimmering speculations without repentance To have the loyns girt up and the lamps burning is more then to divide the waters of Jordan to fetch water out of the Rock to command the Sun to stand still in the midst of heaven to remove mountaines or to raise the dead * The Lady Capell of Oxted lay speechless a long time by fervent prayer was restored to speech and dyed in a most ravishing manner Mr. Gale in S. Johns street distracted and despairing by prayer recovered his senses dyed calmly peaceablely Christianly A Gentleman in Bishops Court in Grayes-Inn-lane visited assaulted by the Devil by prayer within the space of three days was delivered from that Obsession Mr. Barmes in Fountain Alley in Holborn having for halfe a year almost starch sometime hot somtimes cold rained through his tiled house into his Kitchin and nothing seen in the
found this to his cost for he was enforced to besiege it three years and he had never taken it Haec totius terrae imperium olim magna pompa maximisque viribus nulli postea regioni aequandum tenuit Ar. Mont. Scimus illam non modo similem fuisse magnis urbibus quales hodiè multae in Europa sunt sed superaste omnia quaecunque praecipuum nomen obtineret Calvin in 4. Jonae Cui par magnitudine neque fuisset antea neque esset futara Ribera in 3. Jonae but for the rising of the River Arias Montanus saith that the height of the walls was an hundred foot in height and the breadth of them so large that three Carts could go abreast upon them the Towers were a 1500 and two hundred foot high and that it was such a stately City that it commanded the Empire of the Earth to which none was yet equall either for Pomp or Force Calvin saith It was not like to our Cities in Europe but it did exceed them all which of them soever have had the greatest fame and renown So that now ye see what is spoken here by the Spirit of God concerning Nineveh is no hyperbole as when we say that a thing is whiter then snow sweeter then holly clearer then the Noon-day No man may have his nimieties of expression his diffluences redundances superjections and transiliences of speech but the Scripture doth not blandish over-phrase extra-fame any thing truth it self cannot falsify Nineveh here hath from God but her just commendation for it was singular and supreme a great City and That great City Should not I spare Nineveh that great City From hence observe that Eminency hath an eminent respect with God Almighty he is loth to pluck down that City which he hath suffered to rise up to the heighth of greatnesse Jerusalem was become a prime City the joy of the whole Earth the perfection of beauty how doth our Saviour weep when he looketh upon Jerusalem weep why weep what is he offended at such a delectable object do the Towers or the Bulwarks the Fort of Sion or the Temple grieve his eyes no he doth weep because he was to shed the first tears but Jerusalem ere long was to weep her self blind to weep her self dead it was an antient City and she was now crumbling away to her first dust it was a great City and she was now demolishing to her first stone yea Not one stone shall be left upon another the very thought of her misery makes our Saviour cry out Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou hast killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent unto thee that blood wil fetch out all the blood in thy veines those stones will dash out thine own brains thou wouldst not be gathered therefore thou shalt be scattered thou wouldst not come under my wings therefore thou shalt fall under other Nation 's claws thou hadst an house but thy house shall be left desolate unto thee Thus ye see that though Jerusalem had been the Cutthroat and Executioner of his Prophets yet becaushe she had been a place of eminency it cannot but grieve him to see how shee hath brought this blood of Martyrdome upon her self to gush to death with the blood of revenge and how her stones of persecution will be the stoneheap that will crush the head of a whole City with direfull curses Christ cannot think of this accident without grones nor look upon this sad fate without tears Ephraim had been another famous City how is God pained to the heart to behold Ephraim in danger When Ephraim spake there was trembling sure I am when God doth speak against Ephraim there is trembling Ephraim is joined to Idols let her alone alone how long see how soon God doth renew his presence and pitty to Ephraim Thou hast gone saith God to the Assyrian and sent to King Jareb and these could not heal thee But what shall Ephraim be without remedy these cannot heal thee shall none heal thee yes alas sick Ephraim if thou wilt thou shalt not yet fester to death in these wounds I saith God offer to be thy Physitian Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee Hos 6.4 He will teach Ephraim his own shame him in his exorbitances represent to him what a mixed piece and a clammy patch he is become a meer Time-server and Newter Ephraim is mixed amongst the people a cake not turned Hos 7.8 yea he will call him simple to his face Ephraim is a silly Dove without heart v. 11 yea and he will plead kindnesse to him ask Ephraim if this be the fruit of his affection instruction protection Oh Ephraim did I never do thee any courtesies was I never usefull and beneficiall to thee yes I taught Ephraim to go taking him by the armes I drew him with the cords of a man with the hands of love and I was as one that took off the yoak from his jaws and laid meat unto him Hos 11.3.4 Thus God will hint defection accuse of folly and intimate favour he will counsell and chide admonish and rebuke rather than he will repell and reject he will never leave till Ephraim leave old strayings and come to new tracks till Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard and observed him I am like a green firr tree from me is thy fruit found Hos 14.8 yea when God is constrained to be rough against Ephraim how is it as if a Father should dishinherit or tear out the bowells of his own heir Is Ephraim my dear Son is he my pleasant child since I spake against him I earnestly remembred him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31.20 With such a heavinesse if ever God doth deliver up Ephraim to judgment shake down his walls bring the yoak of captivity into his streets Oh Ephraim how shall we part how shall I separate my heart from thee thou hast done much unto me yet Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee There is a saying in the sixth of Micah 9. That the Lords voyce cryeth unto the City What City What cry A City saith God that I have fetched the stones of it out of a far Country for I have brought you saith God out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of servants yea I appointed Master-workmen to go along with the materialls and advance the buidling I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam v. 4. and I yet further preserved the quarry-pieces whereof the City should be framed by might and miracle that they might not be seased upon scattered and dashed in pieces by the way for Oh my people remember what Balack the sonne of Moab consulted and what Baalam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal Thus farre I have gone for this City nay I never left it till in despight of all opposition and maugre all practisings against it I raised it up to
Adversary for an alms out of his own fulnesse And happy were ye if I could here make an end and the last Post were arrived which could bring evill tidings of the miseries upon taking of Cities but I must bring in Jobs fourth Messenger of sad news for after all other extremities conscience at last comes to her punishment this also must be made a Captive and wear the slaves-chain the walls are not only broken but the Altars digged down men are not only locked out of their houses but their Temples their goods are not only forced from them but they are deprived of the Pearl their liberties are not only lost but their freedome of the Ordinances pure doctrine and worship and faith are in bondage and the soul is enthralled Cincta obsidient civitas sucâ—ensa cum omni â—opuâ—â— conflagravit Ens l. 8. c. 11. A whole City in Phrygia because it would not yield to Dioclesians decree to change religion was compassed about with armed men and the City withall the Citisens in it burnt to ashes In the City of Alexandria Julian comming to take possession of it because the Christians would not turn Heathens but shewed up and down the skulls of them which they found were remaining of such as had been sacrificed in the worship of Mythra Amicus amicum frater fratrem parentes liberos percutiunt in mutuam caedem corruunt Socrat. l. 3. c. 2 Victor de persec Vandal the enraged Heathens wounded most stoned some strangled others some were slain with a sword and others were crucifyed friend spared not friend nor brother his brother nor Parents their own Children Hunerick was no sooner Conquerour but in all the Cities which he had subdued he commanded alteration of religion and not being obeyed in it he instantly killed or banished five thousand of Bishops Priests and men of all orders Yea it were infinite to relate the several cruelties and tortures that Cities have undergone in point of conscience when they have been enforced to come under the yoak of the Conquerour But this is a thing so evident that there need no OEdipus to expound the riddle nor Antiquity searched into to find out the Annals of forepast miseries Conscience hath been an old slave upon such accidents men that will not permute a God and suffer their faith to be new-stamped must either run or dye for it Oh then if ever your sins bring in Gods Judgements into your City marching rank and file see the variety of sorrows ye must weep under as happily as ye now seem to live ye must have another face of wretchednesse amongst you whatsoever present comforts ye now enjoy yet then nothing but exigents and dysasters your looking-glasse will be snatcht away your Mirrour cracked your bright Diamond shivered in pieces this goodly City of yours all in sherds ye may seek for a threshold of your antient dwellings for a Pillar of your pleasant habitations and not find them all your specious Mansions and sumptuous Monuments are then gone not a Porch Pavement Seeling Tarrasse Staircase Gallery Turret Lanthorn Balcony Bench piece of a Skreen pane of a window post nail stone or dust of your former houses to be seen No with wringing hands ye may ask Where are those sweet places where we traded feasted slept where we lived like Masters and shone like Morning-stars no the houses are fallen and the Housholders dropt with them we have nothing but the naked streets or naked fields for shelters not so much as a Chamber where to lodge a Friend or to couch down our Children or repose our own members when we are spent with weariness or afflicted with sicknesse Wo unto us our sins have pulled down our houses shaken down our City we are the most harbourlesse seatlesse people in the world we live rather like Forraigners than Natives yea rather like beasts then men Foxes have holes and the fowls of the air have nests but we have neither holes nor nests our sins have deprived us both of couch and covert we would be glad if any Hospitall or Spittle would receive us Dens and Caves the bleak Air or cold ground are now left unto us as our only Shades and Refuges But this is but the misery of stonework of Arches Dormans Roofs but what will ye say when it doth come to skin work arms necks and bowels may not your dear persons come to be joined in the hazard and your tender persons touched yes ye which have walked the streets in state may then run the streets in distraction ye which have searched out others with severity may then be plucked out of corners by others with rigour ye which have been bowed unto with reverence may tâ—en bend your knees for mercy with one leg or half an arm ye may beg the preservation of the rest of your members what inventions shall ye then be put to to secure your selves yea perhaps what would ye not give to save your lives and your tears it may be will not rescue you nor your gold redeem you but your veynes must weep as well as your eyes and your sides be watered as well as your cheeks when your sinns shall shut up all the Conduits of the City and suffer only the Liver Conduit to run when they allow you no showres of rain but showres of blood to wash your streets when ye shall see no men of your Incorporation but the mangld Citisen nor hear no noise in your streets but the crys the shrieks the yells and pants of gasping dying men when amongst the throngs of Associates and Confederates not a man will own you or come near you when your Customers will slip from you your Friends hide head and your servants flee out of your fight when ye shall see your kindred slain in one place your wives in another your children in a third and your selves at last it may be cut in two to encrease the number of dead Carkasses When as populous as yeare ye shall be but numbred to the sword as puissant as ye are the valiant shall be swept away as sine fed as ye are ye shall be fed with your own flesh and made drunk with your own blood when your trespasses have been so outragious that vengeance doth deny you a being that ye are thought fit for nothing but to be killed in the place where ye have committed the crimes and to suffer the pains of death within those walls which you have cursed with your Sodoms faces and Aegyptian hard heartednesse when your Politicians can no longer help you but must have their subtle brains dashed in pieces with yours nor your Lecturers can no longer save you but ye must meet together at the Congregation near the Shambles when this great City shall be but a great Chopping-board to quarter out the limbs of sinners or the great Altar wherein a whole City is to be sacrificed Oh dolefull day of new-painting your walls new-paving your streets new-summoning of
never a judicious Protestant before us or shall wisdome take her first breath or last gaspe with us was never grace before in the Church did the spirit begin to blow and flame and anoint onely in these dayes if there were any good thing or good man conveyed unto us from former times why have they been so dis-esteemed How are the Churches abiliments gone even to her swadling-clouts How are the Martyrs legacies swallowed up even to the laver they gave to new-born Infants Our Saviour the Jewes said had a Devill and what Saint hath not seemed to be possessed How many Stars though never so bright shine in their proper Orbs how many Angels though never so celestial watch over their true Churches What are Gifts Graces Mortification Devotion Evangelicall Doctine or Angelicall extasies dayes dedicated to piety and persons consecrated to contemplation with some people How are the mighty overthrown and the weapons of war destroyed oh tell it not in Gath nor publish it not in the streets of Askelon lest the Daught rs of the uncircumcised triumph lest Rome should say that her Inquisition or Stakes could not have made a quicker dispatch of eminent Protestants than our differences and passions Oh let us be so far reconciled that God the spirit repentance innocency zeal supernatural affections and fruits all pious things and heavenly persons may have just esteem let men have worth in their cyes and preciousnesse in their hearts to tender and honour every thing that is prime and hath a preheminence sealed upon it God ye see would here spare Ninev h because it had eminency in it it was That great City Should not I spare Nineveh that great City Fifthly This doth shew That we all ought to aim at eminency that seeing That great City was so acceptable to God we should look to be of the new Corporation to have the best Burgesship to be Citizens with the Saints and of the houshould of God That it may be said these are the men of an excellent spirit Prov. 17.27 A Kingdom of Priests Exod. 19.6 which walke worthy of the Lord Col. 1.10 of whom this world is not worthy Heb. Laus vita omni commendatione superior Monod Greg. Naz. in vit Basil Ejus virtutem pro lege fere omnes habuerunt Id. ibid. Totius patriae decus Amb. in Orat. sun de ob Satyri Nunc in Pauli chorum pervenerunt ante Coronas suas Chrysostom Adv. Jud. Orat â— 1.1 Solvamus bono principi stependarias lachrymas Amb. de obit Valent. Orat. fun t. 3. 11.38 and which are counted worthy to obtaine that world Luk. 20.35 Oh rare Worthies when praise and life is above commendation yea when men come to such an exactnesse of conversation that their virtue is to the world as a Lan lyea their graces are so resplendent that they brighten the place where they dwell and are as it were the Ornaments of the whole Country Yea they seem to be in heaven before their translation and to be in the Quire of Paul before they receive their Crowns they have the affectionate votes of the people whilst they live and their stipendary â—ears when they dye Oh what Magnifico like to such a Professor What Citizen like to such a Saint What are all these glorious structures to the lively stones of God's building what are your artificial Ornaments to spiritual endowments what is the magnificence of a City to the prerogative of adoption no the robe of Righteousness doth excel all your Mercers wares one ingot of grace is to be preferred before all the wealth of your City Oh therfore a less number of Traders and a greater of Gospellers fewer Citizens and more Saints For what conspicuousnesse like to that of Religion what eminency like to that of Regeneration no if ye want your Christian interest ye have onely parchment priviledges your happinesse doth not go beyond your City-walls The savour of lise unto life is not to be bought amongst all your Perfumers the true Pearl is not to be purchased from all your Jewellers Oh therefore that I could cause you to take the true City oath and make you true freemen in heaven otherwise your best tenure is in a painted Portall and your heaven is in an Exchange ye are never enfranchised till ye have the liberties of redemption nor right Traders till ye are making bargaines at the free mart of the spirit nor wealthy Citizens till ye have the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Oh then that ye would remove your Traffique have your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your City commerce or conversation in heaven that ye would seek for durable riches bagges that do not wax old a stock of graces these are greater riches then the treasures of Egypt that ye would think your security to consist not in Bulwarks Stantious maentnibus mentibus morthus â—ug de civitate Dei lab 1. c. 33. Non Imperatorem sed salui m erâ—plamputabant â—g in in orat sun de obit Valent. but in the Towers of your religious constancy that ye might say our walls spirits consciences and conversations are remaining firm that your demonstrations might be so celestiall as people might be drawn to blesse you whilst ye are living and to bewail you when ye are dead that they might think that not only your persons but salvation almost were taken from them at your departure as Saint Ambrose said of Valentinian Think not of your City that had a first Builder but think of the City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God think not upon your City-seal but the seal of the living God Oh remember that this City hath keyes too for without shall be dogs therefore be so qualified that ye may enter in through the gates into the City Oh happy thou that dost go in this City-Livery that art a prime Citisen in this Corporation for then thou art risen to the heighth thy soul is blessed God will spare That great Saint for his eminency when for eminency he doth spare That great City Should not I spare Nineveh that great City Sixthly this sheweth that Repentance doth present to Gods ey every thing in us that might draw compassion as Niceveh here being penitent God hath before him all the motives which might incline him to spare it it was a City a great City and that great City that as the women from the wall had variety of arguments why Abel should be spared and the woman of Tekoah why Absalon should be called from banishment and Bathsheba why Solomon should be designed to the Throne so repentance doth exhibit to God all the instances impulsions instigations extimulations that should make God propense to favour As it is the nature of a Rhetorician to speak not onely â—acundè elegantly but aecundè fluently Pectus refertum habuit Plato Victor var. Lect. l. 9. c. 5. In instruendo dislipatus esset Cicero in Bruto Sttabo l. 13. and