there was one much Cattle And also much Cattle Thus you have seen many things concerning a City Infants and Cattle possibly such as you never heard of before sure I am there 's neither of these but have something memorable in them If the stone called Cappotes whereupon Orestes sate when he was recovered of his Madness was laid up and preserved to Posterity then how much ought this place to have an everlasting Record where so many things have been free from impending Ruine Nineveh was famous what should I do in conclusion but look about for the City I cannot find the same City but shall I not the like Nineveh is fallen but can it not rise out of the Ashes Oh that I should lose the City for want of due search or that this City of yours should LOSE it self for want of a proper Duty Can ye not change the name of your City yes Strasburgh was once called Silberthal but being made the Exchequer of the Roman Tribute 't was called Argentina so cannot ye for that remarkable Accident in the Text REPENTANCE part with your own Name to be called Nineveh Is it Impossible to make you such a City what doth hinder give me but your Affections set but your hearts to the Work and the City is raised in an Instant change but your Consciences and ye shall presently change your Name Oh Argentina oh Nineveh When shall I see thee why should I not forthwith see thee If ye love a Sermon if ye love your selves if ye love Safety ye ought to do THIS for 't is not this great City of yours not the multitude of your Persons nor the plenty of your Cattle which will make you HAPPY unless Nineveh doth inclose all these I mean unless Repentance doth give you Title and Testimony Safegard and Security Have Nineveh's Target and fear no Darts have Nineveh's Propitiatory and fear no avenging God Will you alter your Name change your Lives Prepare such a Mercy-Seat to appear upon within your walls Oh that ye can think of Nineveh and not be asham'd of your selves Nineveh was Heathenish you are Christian Nineveh had but one Prophet ye have had many Nineveh had the Cry but of one day or a few days ye have had the Crys of many years yet when will ye match Nineveh in Attention Submission Ashes Sackcloth Fasting Prayer and Reformation Lucius Sylla an old Dictator blushed to see C. Pompey a young man to tryumph before him so may not you count it a highâ—d sparagement to you to see Nineveh but newly entred into Religion a very Tyro to ride in the Tryumphant Chariot before you which are grown grey-headed under profession ye would be spare but when will ye seek God with Nineveh's penitent Heart Oh let sudden JUDGMENT as much afflict you and affright you remorse as much humble you and change you as they did Nineveh as Plato was called Socrates jun. because he so much resembled his Master so ye for resembling this City may be called Nineveh the younger If your Peril be as great let your prevention be equal else in coming short in Pacification ye fall short in the Preservation for can God and ye tread the same ground if ye walk by his side as Enemys No if ye rend away from God by Disobedience he will pluck you off though you were as a signet upon his right hand VVhere is Capernaum lifted up to Heaven in Priviledges Where are the 7 Golden Candlesticks VVe have had personating men long enough when shall we have true penitents Alexander Severus did cut-asunder the Sinews of a mans hand which did present him with a false Brief of a case and do we not fear punishing for offering to God a counterfeit Repentance will ye dissemble to the last and jeopard the ruine of a whole CITY How far can you imagine that ye are off from the collusions of Justice every Corner of your City doth seem to tremble under the voice of a threatning GOD Oh your Sins do cry and Vengeance is awaked with the Voice of them the Heavens are offended with you and the Earth doth seem to rise up in tumults amongst you There are MANY which do WISH your Destruction and are sorry they cannot make you the Miserable of the Earth they consult sad things concerning you yea conspire against you night and day their Hearts do boil their Brains do work their Mouths do foam and they would willingly be stretching out their hands to shake you and shiver you Ye have Enemys within your City ye have Enemys in your own Consciences your sins do threaten MORE Calamities to you than all your inveterate and implacable Adversaries which you have upon Earth how can you oppose such irresistible forces No no though you had Guards of Gyants and every common Souldier were an Ashibench the head of whose Spear weighed 300 shekels of Brass yet your Sins will beat you down before your Enemies Oh stand up in your own Defence open the right Arsenal Have the Armour of righteousness on the right and on the left use Nineveh Weapons to fight This Battle Vanquish all your sins by crying lowder for Mercy than they do for your Ruin escape Vengeance by flying from your Provocations before Indignation hath attach'd you your City is Threatned take heed you do not sleep out the hour of your Security Presumption may subvert let Contrition deliver you the time may be short the VVork is great the Danger is Apparent the Misery will be unspeakable pluck down your haughtiness surcease from Obstinacy your City walls do shake let your Hearts shake your Buildings are loose upon their Foundation groundsel them better by Mortification ALL your Goods are ready to be SACRIFISED to Vengeance bring forth your Sin-offering before the sparks have taken fire If there be any listning to a Warning credence of Threatning obedience to Counsel foresight of Danger sting of Guilt or obligation to Duty PITY the City and PETITION for the City shed Lakes of Tears of the City wear Sackcloth lest you go NAKED Fast lest you STARVE sit upon the Ash-heap lest ye be brought to an Ash-heap creep upon your Knees lest ye do creep into Corners shut up your selves in your Closets lest ye be shut up in Dungeons fly to Heaven lest ye fly OUT of the Land Confess your Sins lest Justice do read the Bill to your Faces Condemn your selves lest ye be sentenced without Reprieve Look upon your Errors with Passions be humbled with Conflicts repent with Agonies appease with Fire reconcile with Ropes weep with Torrents pray with shrieks cleanse with Nitre attend at the Court of Audience lay it out at Gods Judgment-Seat wash in Jordan till the Leprosy be departed wrastle with the Angel till ye have got the Blessing Leave not one greivance in Heaven to prosecute you not one Injury upon Earth to accurse you be perfectly renewed that you may be perfectly secuted Thus if I can now leave you with bleeding
and sedulity bestowed upon it as a great Project or Fancy we have Brains and Arms enough for other business but for the Citys preservation we have neither Pregnancy nor Proness we think to save so great a City without laying both Shoulders to her Support or calling for the two Master-Workmen Body and Soul to do their utmost for her Preservation this great City hath not so much regard shown her as a great Beast or a great Picture Oh how tender we are of these how negligent of This we walk in the City and discern no Breaches in it gaze upon it and behold not its side cracking All Nations admire our City but we slight it and neglect it we have neither affection to her Well-fare nor compassion over her Ruin yet forty days and Nineveh shall be distroyed let it be destroyed for we wont keep it from sinking or burning who is frighted at Gods Threatnings c. when I read what great things Heathens have done to pacify the Gods I am astonished to see with how cheap Sacrifices we would procure an attonement for the City Oh the City doth look pale fetch Blood into her Cheeks by your Pity the City doth crack prop her up with your Petitions 't is sick cure her with your Conversion I have no Martial Tongue to wish you to Fight and Kill but I desire you to Plead and Pray bring forth your right Artillery the stout Hands I call for are Supplicating Hands the bright Harness I require is the compleat Armour of Righteousness not Field but Temple-Ammunition I press for no Camp but Closet-Ordnance oh that the Penitent were discharging with his Eyes and the Supplicant shooting with his Lips Oh that our hearts were edged with Repentance and our Tongues sharp pointed with Devotions the Soldiers I desire are Intercessors the Captains I long for are Advocates Oh that I could gather the Company together summon all the Trained Bands see them all stand in Battle-Array and say to God Almighty oh cast away our Sins and rinse us not in Vengeance for 't is a great City for then multitudes must feel thy Displeasure many must be soaked in ruin if thou puttest the Cup of Astonishment to our Mouths vast numbers must be drunk with this fatal Bowl Oh bring forth your strongest Shore to under-set this Building and with your whole Estate redeem this Jewel Oh Citizens where are your City Bowels City Groans City Crys Oh the great Pride Riot Lust Oppression Malice Perfidiousness Apostacy Heresy and Blasphemy of this City doth require a Catholicon and Composition of all Penitential Ingredients to purge out the several noxious humours out of this diseased Body great Sins and great Judgments do necessitate a great Repentance Broken Hearts trickling Eyes penitent Petitioners where shall feel see or hear you are ye at ease in Zion when the Gates of Zion are ready to lament Are ye asleep with Sampson when the Philistins God 's Judgments are upon you O no sigh in the Temple that you do not Sob in the Street groan in your Closet that you do not roar in the Fields wash the City in Tears that it be not washed in Blood Remember that it is a great City and in great Danger and therefore express great Humiliation if you have any Remnant of Grace any Reverence to Gods Laws any Sense of Sin any dread of an Omnipotent God consider and correct try and cleanse weep and reform God would spare if ye would but prepare for Mercy but ye must be fervent Petitioners and Solemn Converts for 't is a great City that you wish to be spared Should I not spare Nineveh that great City 196 THAT For Eminency THAT That is the Paragon and Gem of Citys Here I might have run over all the World and give you an Account of all the Famous Citys that have been therein and of all the glorious Excellencies of each of them Yet was there ever any greater than Nineveh No former times had not its like nor latter time its equal 1. Had not former times Thebes in Egypt that opened an 100 Gates Corinth that with her strong Castle built upon the Acro-Corinth was called one of the Fetters of Greece Telesine which contained in it once 16000 Families Carthage which was 21 Miles in compass Babylon which amazed Alexander to see her stately Walls her pensil Gardens which seemed to hang in the Air her artificial Groves where Trees seem'd to grow without any Earth about them her lofty Castle and miraculous kind of Bridg built over the Euphrates Rome which was built so loftily that Augustus Caesar was forced to make a Law that no Man should build above 70 foot high which was so large that it contained in it 7 Hills 37 Gates and 400 000 Men under the Cense and so full of rare Spectacles that it was accounted an earthly Bliss to see Rome in her flower As former Ages had none so neither have latter times had Citys to stand in Competition with Nineveh I confess one may read of excellent Citys in these days viz. Odia in Siam 't is said to have above 40 000 Familys Calecut in Malavar doth stretch out three Miles by the Sea-shoar Mandao is so large and so full of Provisions that it maintain'd a siege 12 years against Miramudus the great Mogul Cambria is reported to have in it 800 000 persons Nanquin hath in it besides a large number of people 10 000 Ships which are able with the Marriners that go in them to make a goodly City Quinzay honored with 12000 Bridges and a Lake in the midst of the City of thirty Miles compass with two Islands wherein are gorgeous Houses and magnificent Palaces Grand Cair as some write hath in it 18000 streets so that Selimus the great Conqueror was three days going through it and had such a number of people that they counted it nothing to lose every seven years in a great Plague 300000 persons Hispua called new Casbin which the proud Persians call half the World the compass whereof can't be rid about in less time than a whole day Musco that Wooden City hath sixteen Churches and the Princes Palace with 17 Turrets three great Bulwarks and 25000 Soldiers for a constant Guard Cambalu the Seat of the Crim Tartar who is called the Shadow of Spirits is 28 Miles in compass and hath in it a mighty confluence of Merchants in so much that 't is said There are 10 000 Carts to have come formerly every year laden with Silks from China and besides other Inhabitants 't is said to have 15000 Astrologers in it Vienna famous for beautiful Temples stately Monasteries and a magnificent Palace for their Emperors but it hath no great quantity of Ground nor multitude of Inhabitants but as the Court doth replenish it Paris 10 Miles in compass hath lofty and curious Buildings and 600 000 Citizens besides Soldiers and Scholars of which last there are a multitude by reason of their 55 Colledges Constantinople
Hands you 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 naked-Streets naked Fields for shelters not so much as a Chamber to couch down our Children or Repose our own Members when we are spent or afflicted with Sickness Wo unto us our Sins have pulled down our Houses shak'd down our City we are the most harborless people in the World like Foreigners rather than Natives yea rather like Beasts than Men Foxes have Holes and Fowls have Nests but we have neither Holes nor Nests our Sins have deprived us both of Couch and Covert we would be glad if an Hospital would receive us Dens or Caves shelter us the bleak Air or cold Ground are our only Shades and Refuges But alas this is but the Misery of Stone-work of Arches Roofs What will you say when you come Skin VVork Arms Necks and Bowels A Massacre May not your tender persons be touched Yes ye which have walk'd in State may then run the Streets in Distraction ye which have search'd out others with severity may be pluck'd out of your Corners With rigor ye which have been bowed to may then bow your Knees for Mercy with one Legg or half an Arm ye may begg the Preservation of the rest of your Members VVhat Inventions shall ye then be put to to secure your Lives what perhaps would you not give to save your selves and your Tears it may be will not secure you nor your Gold redeem you but your Veins must weep as well as your Eys and your Sides be watered as well as your Cheeks when your Sins shall shut up the Conduits of the City and only your Liver Conduit to run when they allow you no showers of Rain but showers of Blood to wash your Feet when you shall see no Men of your Corporation but the mangled Citizen nor hear no noise in your Streets but the crys the shreiks the yells and pants of gasping dying Men when among the throngs of Associates not a Man will own you your Friends hide their Head and your Servants flee from you when your Kindred are slain in one place your VVives in another your Children in a third and your selves at last it may be cut in two to increase the number of dead Carcasses when as populous as you are you shall be but numbred to the Sword as puissant as you are the Valiant shall be swept away As fine fed as you are you 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 you are thought fit for nothing but to be killed in the places where you committed the Crimes and to suffer the pains of Death within those Walls which you have cursed with your Sedoms Faces and Egyptian hard-Heartedness when your Politicians can no longer help you but must have their subtle Brains dash'd in pieces with yours nor your Lectures no longer save you but you must meet 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 whereon a whole City is to be Sacrificed Oh doleful day of new painting your Walls new paving your Streets new summoning a Common-Hall when all are called forth to nothing but to the derision of the insulting Adversary to have your Breasts to try the points of Spears your Sides the keeness of Swords your Heads the weight of Pole-Axes and Bodys to be made Foot-stools and your Dead Careasses steppings for truculent Foes to trample upon when there will be no pity upon the Aged nor compassion for the Young but heaps upon heaps tumbling of Garments in Blood and Swords made fat with slaughter Oh see what a crimson City crimson Sins will make Or if you escape the dint of the Sword and your Lives be given you for a prey shall not your Goods be a prey Yes some may be reserved out of the greatest MASSACRE when Men are weary of Killing a Retreat may be sounded and Men called off from the Slaughter yet can ye challenge your old Houses or bring your Keys to your old Chests No your Titles gone your Interest lost you have Sinn'd your Selves off your Propriety the Enemy is now House-keeper and Land-holder all 's forfeited to the Sword farewel Inheritances Purchases Leases Jewels as ye have gotten these perhaps unjustly so they shall be taken away unjustly violently gotten and violently they shall be taken away Vengeance from Heaven will have satisfaction for all your fraudulent Bargains cruel Pawns extorting Mortgages blooding of Widdows skinning of Orphans or as you have used your Goods for Pride and Bravery so you shall see all your Gallantry and new Fashions pluck't from you others shall spruce up themselves in your Dresses and your selves glad of the worst filthy Garment ye left behind or perhaps of a cast Garment of your Enemys and though God took you out of the Mire you never pluck't out others which stuck in the same Extremitys you have forgotten your own beginnings a great Company of these the City hath that the Poor and the suffering Gospel can thank them for little succour and Sympathy They which would grasp all shall loose all they shall be driven to live upon Alms and to go among the tattered crew They shall wish they had but one spare Bag which all the crys of the Distressed could not make them open or that they had but a few of those Mites which all the Teaâ—s of Necessity could not make them to scatter abroad no they would trust nothing in Gods hand and God will shut up all Hands and Hearts against them They had no Compassion and no Eye shall pity them if they be not slain in the heap yet they do but Live to see their own Misery Their Sins have made them Bankrupts and ruined them Oh that the loss of Money were the greatest mischief but there is a Treasure of greater value in Danger CONSCIENCE is ready to be rifled there is not an absolute Conquest made till the inward Man be in Fetters Thou must be a Slave in Principles oh t is a hard thing to be a Jew inwardly Pâ—pâ—ry sâ—â—â—â—p Thou must then bear the Fruit of the degenerate Plant or strange Vine pour out the Drink-Offerings of other Sacrificers follow the Sorcery of the Mistress of Witchcraft or learn Magick with them that are brought up in the Doctrine of Devils you must limp with this halting Age fit thy Mouth to shout That great is Diana of the Ephesiaâ—s thou must taunt thy Father spit in the Face of thy own Mother hiss away all thy true Brethren like the Jews thou must soon learn the Language of Canaan and Ashdod if they come under another Lord the Citizen is a double Slave