Jer. 17. 24. which if it shall be done Jer. 17. 25. Si custodieâ—ur Sabbatum Hierusalem flarebiâ— templum mirè frequentabitur This City shall remain forever Nothing can better encompass a City with walls barricado a City against danger preserve a City from decay and secure a City from ruine then when the Citizens are not more industrious in their shops on the week day then they are zealous in the Sanctuary and in their families upon the Sabbath God watcheth over that City for good where the due observation of the Lords day is most strictly practiced and the prophanation of it is most severely chastised The sanctification of the Sabbath can cause the state to Flourish It can fill the Court with splendor and glory Jer. 17. Extendit deus fructus hujus promissionis ad totum corpus postquam de proceribus locutus est simul adjungiâ— plebem fore fociam hujus benedictionis gratiae dei Calv. 25. If ye hallow my Sabbaths then shall there enter into the gates of this City Kings and Princes sitting on the throne of David riding in Chariots and on Horses c. Indeed Religion and so that eminent branch of it Sabbath-holiness is the beauty and lustre of Courts and that which fills them with glory as Gods presence in the cloud filled the temple with amazing and astonishing glory 1 Kings 8. 10 11. God indeed keeps Nations as they keep his day and when they are loose upon his Sabbath God is more indifferent in his protection over them and benedictions upon them It is very observable that God did most complain of Sabbath-pollution Ezek. 20. 13 16 21 24. Ezek. 22. 8 26. Ezek. 23. 38. immediately before the Jews going into Captivity When a people despise Gods Ministers and prophane Gods Sabbaths then there is no remedy Nay in our Nation of England immediately after the Book of sports was set forth for recreations and liberty upon the Lords day that bloudy civil War began which turned England into an Aceldaniaâ— 2. Chron. 36. 26. and it was infinite mercy that that field of bloud was not like that floud of waters in Noah his time to drown all the Nation and leave only one family surviving The sanctification of Gods day can bring prosperity to the Church It cannot only fill the throne but the temple with Deus erit modis omnibus beneficus ad populum si modò Sabbatum observent et puro corde se addicunt ad dei cultum cùm in templum ascendunt hilaritèr offerunt juge sacrificium ex vicinâ regione advenient cultores dei qui dres festos celebyem et pro more florebit Religio et vigebit in Sabbato observando immò et sacrificia laudis offerentur huc spectant omina sacrificia ut nomen dei celebretur c. Calv. glory and bless not only the shop but the sanctuary Our spiritual priviledges shall be like Aarons rod blossoming Numb 17. 8. If the Sabbath like the Sun shine hot with zeal and devotion Let us hear God speaking by the Prophet Jer. 17. 24 26. If they shall hallow my Sabbath c. They shall come from the Cities of Judah and from the places about Hierusalem and from the land of Benjamin and from the plain and from the south bringing burnt-offerings and sacrifices and meat-offerings and incense and bringing sacrifices of praise unto the house of the Lord. In this glorious promise are comprised all the Characters of a flourishing Church 1. Here is a multitude of worshippers they should flock to the house of God from all circumjacent parts from all adjacent quarters from the plain and from the mountains from Judah and from Benjamin the two most considerable tribes from the South c. And indeed a confluence of proselytes is the glory of a Church when believers are as the corn of the valley and not as grapes after a vintage Mic. 7. 1. Then the primitive Church became glorious to a wonder when thousands were added to it Acts 2. 41 47. Acts 4. 4. Acts 5. 14. Churches are then prosperous when believers flock as Doves to the windows Isa 60. 8. 2. Here is the variety of sacrifices burnt offerings meat offerings emblems of legal worship sacrifices of praise the evidence of worship Evangelical Gods Altar ever flourishes when there is most incense offered and the Church is in its best estate when the Saints have liberty to worship God in every Ordinance Variety of Ordinances is the joy and harmony of the Church 3. Here is likewise observable in this precious promise Christiani charitate et spiritu sancto ferveant quasi igne impetu quodam animi sint succensi ferveant ad officium faciendum the zealous affection of the profelytes they shall come from the Cities of Judah c. And indeed zealous Saints make a prosperous Church Zeal is the natural heat of holy duties and speaks us to be living sacrifices Rom. 12. 1 11. And our services to be lively services Heat is alwayes a sign of life as in naturals so in spirituals Nor is it to be over-passed that in this promise there is implyed Gods presence which is the true glory and flourish of every Church Levit 26. 2 11 12. so the text They shall come to the house of the Lord where the Lord will give them a meeting else these words were an Irony not a promise For to come to Gods house and he withdraw this is a judgment not a promise for the Sun may sooner want light then a promise sweetness If then the Divine Presence be inclosed in the promise what a glorious Psal 63. 3. thing is Sabbath-holiness For what can we enjoy more then a God His smiles are heaven his frowns are hell Our condition is calculated and computed according to the nearness of God to us or his remoteness from us if God be with us saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 31. Who can be against us I may say who can be above us Communion with God is our throne his absence is our dunghill Our condition 1 John 1. 3. is gradually advanced or depressed according to the degrees Omnia possidet qui illum possidet qui omnia possidet Aret. of Gods approach or retirement The hiding of his face is the blackness of darkness and his presence is the sweetness of every mercy the fulness of every Ordinance nay the glory of heaven it self It is the presence of God which fills the hearts of glorified ones with perpetual joy and their tongues with perpetual Hallelujahs And it is this presence which invites our holy observation of Gods Sabbath It is an elegant note of Origen I demand saith he When Manna first began to fall from heaven and it is apparent from the holy In nostrâ etiam die dominicâ semper pluit dominus Manna de coelo Orig. Scriptures that Manna was first given upon the Lords day for if as the Scripture saith
end or conclusion as Musculus well observes The Saints Eternal Rest shall not be disturbed with accidental afflictions Neither sorrow nor crying neither shall Luctus oritur ex morte amicorum et priâ—atione eorum quos charos habuimus non erit dolor quia mors non erit erepti nobis amici restituentur videndi salutandi c. there be any more pain Rev. 21. 4. In our heavenly rest we shall neither grieve for the loss of friends nor cry for the smart of troubles nor roar for anguish or pain but eternal ease and tranquillity shall sweeten our glorious Sabbath and we shall for ever be singing our requiems There shall be no spot and therefore no sorrow no guilt and therefore no grief affliction being the inseparable companion of sin and deviation The Saints Eternal Rest shall not be disturbed by persecuting afflictions Neither shall the Sun light upon them nor any heat Rev. 7. 16. By this heat we may truly understand Rev. 7. 16. the heat of persecution Mat. 13. 21. Satans rage and wicked mens fury may reach gracious but not glorified Saints The Church Militant but not the Church Triumphant Eph. 6. 16. Heb. 12. 22. Satan cannot throw his fiery darts into the New Jerusalem the City of the first born Here the Sun of persecution may arise and scorch the Saints but in glory there shall be no need of Sun for light Rev. 22. 5. much less for beams to burn but the Lord shall give them light which will be only the shining forth of eternal grace and favour the light of his own blessed countenance Our Eternal Rest shall not be disturbed by toyle or labour In the Earthly Paradise man was to dress the Garden Gen. 2. 15. and this he was to do in his state of innocency Luke 23. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. so that there was labour though no pain there was some kind of care though no corrosive But in Paradise above Rev. 2. 7. there shall be no minding of the fruits of the Earth but the Saints shall be alwayes tasting the joyes of Heaven What should we toyle with in our heavenly Sabbath with our hearts There is no corruption with our hands there is no want or capacity of addition with our enemies there is no temptation neither of fury from Satan or flattery from the world and what should we labour for To gain more there is no defect to be better there is a full and absolute perfection And therefore the rest of our present doth sweetly shadow forth the perfect rest of our future Sabbath Our Sabbath here resembles our Sabbath hereafter in its splendour and external beauty On our Christian Sabbath In Sabbato vestes mundiores induimus mutamus priores sic in Sabbato aeterno veterem hominem exuemâ—â— induemus novum dabitur sanctis ut se cooperiant bissino splendenti Chemnit we put on our best attire we array our outward man with our choycest and best apparel as well as adorn our inward man with holy and gracious dispositions The Sabbaths festival calls for our ornaments the deckings of our body we come to the assemblies of the Saints with the neatness and elegancy of our wear that both body and soul should be dressed to meet with their beloved nasty hearts and sordid cloaths if it may be prevented are both undecent on the Lords day When Joseph was to go into the presence of Pharaoh he changed his cloaths Gen. 41. 14. How much less doth neglect and despicableness become the presence of the Divine Majesty That which is civil and comly doth adorn holy worship and religion Mans body is Gods workmanship and is a piece of rare curiosity Psal 139. 16. The texture indeed and artifice of divine wisdome and power Non decuit sordidum prodire in regis conspectam civilitas decor pietatem et prudentiam ornat and therefore we must not eclipse the honour of this body by attiring it sordidly and more meanly then there is necessity when we come to worship God on his own day The best of our Garments sute the best of our dayes On the Subbath we meet our Bride-groome Mat. 18. 20. And Brides usually are dressed with the greatest care and exactness Fatui sunt Monachi aliique superstisiâ—sâ— qui in sorditie vestimentorum sanctimoniam ponunt Par. Indeed Pride of Apparel is a stain but decency is an Ornament to Gods blessed day nor must we put on our choicest attire to waste the time but to honour the day of a Sabbath Paraeus observes only foolish Monks place holiness in tattered and nasty garments but such rags are adequate and fit for such a mimical superstitious rout And so in our heavenly Sabbath we shall be cloathed Haec accipienda sunt de Beatorum munditie puritate laetitiâ perpetâ—â festivitate Ger. with brightness splendor and glory as with a garment Indeed it is a great question among Divines whether properly we shall be cloathed with rayment in our Eternal rest and it is by the most concluded the contrary Indeed there iâ— mention made of white rayment Rev. 4. 4. But this onely signifies purity as likewise of exact attire Rev. 19. 7. Scholasticè statuunt Beatos habituros vestes non quidem ex auro vel seriâ—o sed lùce But this only signifies perfection nay of fine linnen Rev. 19. 8. But this only signifies glory that kind of wear which becometh Kings Houses Mat. 11. 8. The Schoolmen observe that the blessed shall have garments but not of gold or silk but of light And indeed garments though never so rich would speak something of imperfection Garments Beati nudi erunt sed omni decore sulgebunt non plus de illis membris quà m nunc de gratiosis oculis erubescent Ansel are for adorning and that speaks want of Ornament they are for the repelling of the injuries of the weather which speaks an inferior condition not to speak of their primitive use which was to cover nakedness I might add garments are the veiles of modesty but glory is incapable of shame And therefore cloathing properly is not requisite in our heavenly Sabbath Adam in his innocency before the fall needed not raiment much less the Saints shall want it in a state of glory Indeed we shall put on our best apparrel in our Sabbath above but they shall be garments of innocency Rev. 7. 13. Sweet smelling odoriferous garments Psal 45. Cant. 4. 11. Rev. 19. 8. Exod. 28. 2. 8. Bright shining and illustrious garments Dan. 12. 3. Beautiful rare and comely garments Isa 52. 1. Garments of praise and glorious thanksgiving Isa 61. 3. Such garments the Saints shall wear in their future rest embroydered with all varieties of joy and happiness And indeed if there be so much ornament in a spirit of quietness and meekness 1. Chr. 16. 27. as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 3. 4. how ornamental must a spirit of
innocency more large and more lasting 3. Of Blindness Adam by soaring too high lost his sight and entailed that blemish upon all his off-spring Now God offers eye-salve to cure our blindnesse that we Quid est collyrium nisi illuminatio spiritus â—ellentis tenebras cordium atque excitantis veram dei agnitionem et dilectionem in fide justificatis ut in cernendâ suâ miseriâ et Christi beneficiis caeci esse desinant Par. Heb. 12. 17. Mat. 22. 5. Luke 15. 13. may see the salvation of the Lord and understand the things which belong to our peace Thus fraught with rich advantages and rare commodities is Gods blessed day which to triflle away is not so much trespass as frenzy our madness rather then our miscarriage Mariners do not sport with good winds nor Merchants with good markets nor Husbandmen with good seasons onely the Formalist slips his rare opportunities a blessing he shall not long enjoy though he seeks it carefully with tears The King of Saints Rev. 15. 3. makes a Feast on his own Resurrection day and the Guests more study excuses then appetite and are very dextrous to trifle away their own happinesse what remains to these spiritual prodigals but a fearful expectation of Judgement We may write a Mene Tekel Dan. 5. 25. upon the fairest pretences of these triflers who throw away the Heb. 10. 27. inestimable benefit of Sabbath-grace But let us observe the traces of these self-destroying Formalists Some trifle away their Sabbath in running from one place to another and fixing no where to hear a Sermon and enjoy the Ordinances of God Now they stay a little in one Church and presently slip away to another and happily visit a third if not a fourth and this hath been a great sin in the greatest City of the Nation Here I may say with our Saviour To whom shall I liken the men of this Generation Mat. 11. 16. Indeed they are like Children in the Market who run from stall to stall to see every thing but buy nothing they are Overseers of an Ordinance they see the Sunt aliquid in omnibus et nihil in singulis goods of it carried away and their souls are nothing the richer by it these are wandring stars flying and so empty Clouds curiosity is their Principle and emptiness is their Character but let such consider the itch of vanity Jude v. 20. is usually rubbed into the scab of prophanenesse these general surveyors are seldom built up in the most holy faith these are onely initial scepticks they rove up and down Judges 7. 6. till at last they lose themselves they are like Gideons souldiers Hos 6. 4. who onely lap at an Ordinance as they did at the waters and so their righteousnesse is as the morning dew their Si aliqua necessitas oriatur urgentiori actione prandium est praetereundum Aug. contr urbic Epist 86. inconstancy is usually followed with darknesse of mind and deadnesse of heart Saint Augustine in a tract against Vrbicus tells us That in the Primitive times Sermons were not tyed up to an hour but were protracted to a greater length if any occasion required and Dinner-time was swallowed up in the duty Christians attending these prolonged services What a burden would this have been to these flitting Auditours this would have put their roving fancy into chains It was a Custome in the golden Age of the Church to follow those with censures Ecclesiastical who went out of the Auditory Ante finem tractatus non est exeundum Chrysost Hom. 83. in Matth. before the Minister had concluded his Sermon whether longer or shorter as a learned man notes And Chrysostom in his 83d Homily on Matthew severely reproves those who went out of the Church before the Minister had dismissed the people and positively affirms whoever goes out of the Assembly before the Congregation is dismissed shall give an Qui ante dismissionem exit ut fugitivus rationem reddet Chrys Concil Carth. Concil Aurel. Concil Agath Qui sacerdote veâ—bum faciente exibit terribili excommunicationis censurâ notetur Concil carth account to God as a fugitive The fourth Council of Carthage speaketh thus in the 24th Canon Whoever goes out whilst the Minister is preaching and continuing his discourse let him be branded with the terrible Censure of Excommunication To the same purpose Concil Aurelian Can. 28. An. 507. Concil Agathen Can. 47. which was held An. Dom. 306. And this is further observable from Antiquity that Chrysostom in his 19th Homily upon Genesis doth very much commend his Auditours who heard his admonitions with great alacrity nor were they offended with the length or prolixity of them but still kept up a vigorous and continued desire to hearken to him and persevered in this desire to the end And truly this deserved commendation It is said of our Saviours Auditours that they did hang upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 19. 48. his lips Luke 19. 48. so the Original word bears it And those who heard Paul waited on his Ministry till midnight Acts 20. 7. But how contrary are those gadding hearers we are treating of to the serious Congregation of Chrysostome to the fervent Auditors of our Saviour and to the unwearied Assembly who suckt in Gospel truth from the Apostles lips at midnight These trifling Proselytes they put Hag. 1. 6. their spiritual riches into a bag with holes and scatter their gleanings by the way Some trifle away their Sabbath in hearing some new thing These act the Athenian more then the Christian the old Acts 17. 21. beaten way of godlinesse is trite and worn out to them but if they hear of a new Preacher then they flock to him Quisquis es assertor novorum dogmatum Quaeso te ut parâ—as humanis auribus ut parcas fidei If they hear of some new opinion then they run after it this hath been a disease which hath raged in many parts of this Nation But these please fancy more then faith and study notion more then religion they remember not that Satan can transform himself into all shapes and as a Chamelian turn into all colours and feducers his emissaries can Hieron ad Pammach put on a silken mask and blend truth with errour to make it more plausible and the commodity more vendible The 2 Cor. 11. 3. smoothest tongues are oftentimes the Oratours of false Doctrine Micah 2. 11. ctrine as the finest paint stops up the deepest wrinkles Incautelous Isa 8. 20 Novelists consider not the advice of God by the Mat. 4. 4. Prophet Jer. 6. 16. Thus saith the Lord stand ye in the Luke 16. 29 wayes and see and ask for the old paths where is the good Mat. 11. 29. way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls 1 John 1. 4. They consider not the fervent asseveration of the Apostle Jer. 23. 16. Gal. 1.
aut mundi cura et ille cibrae immò mille temporalium rerum onera quae nos adigunt ad irregularitatem Chrysost homil 9. with drowsiness Mat. 26. 40. And yet our sweetest Saviour puts a good construction upon this failing And if the Apostles of Christ cannot hold up how shall ordinary Christians of the lower form in Christs School Few are vigorous as they should be on Gods holy day what would they do if every day must be a Sabbath This is impossible to flesh and bloud Man carries clogs about him to holy opportunities which yet are soon over he carries a naughty heart which is apt to wander and a faint nature which is apt to tire and a heavy eye which is apt to close besides he never leaves Satan behind him to be at least the shadow to darken the light and joy of Ordinances And therefore to assert a constant Sabbath an every day Sabbath is to throw a mountain upon an infant And 6. This opinion takes away all distinction between our Vltra hunc mundum est veri Sabbati observatio Orig. Sabbath on earth and our Sabbath in heaven In heaven indeed we shall keep a perpetual Sabbath and all shall be true which this opinion holds forth there shall be no labours no shops no merchandise All our employment shall be to celebrate the praises of God and the Lamb who sits upon the Throne Rev. 5. 13. But to fancy such a Sabbath in this life is to act the Prâ—soner who dreams of golden Rev. 4. 9 â—0 11. treasure pleasing delights sensual satisfaction and wakeing in the morning finds himself shackled in an iron chain and lockt up in a dark dungeon And let this be added to dream of a perpetual Sabâ—ath here and so lay aside the Lords day as groundless and useless is the next way to miss of an everlasting Sabbath above To make every day a Christian Sabbath is only a more subtle design to undermine the publick Ordinances Such would be every day in private that they may be no day in publick and so they set the closet against the Sanctuary and so the pretence of secret duty shall wholly subvert the reality of solemn worship For it is not to be imagined that all people should meet every day in publick and solemn assemblies Mark 14. 49. And how unsutable is this to a Saints spirit David his emphatical option and desire was to dwell in the Temple Psal Luke 19. 44. 27. 4. And he bewailed his loss of opportunities to go with Acts 17. 10. the multitude Psal 42. 4. The Jews kept the Temple worship Acts 18. 4. till they turned their backs upon the Messiah Paul Acts 13. 14. preached in the Synagogue and commanded the Hebrews not Joel 1. 14. to neglect the publick assemblies Heb. 10. 25. Now the Heb. 10. 25. drift of this wild fancy is to leave all Christians to their Certum est ad cessationem simplicem Sabbatum non suisse institutum sed ut convenirent Christiani ad ea pietatis eteercitia quae toti multitudini erant communia Riv. own private observations to their Chamber and closet duties that so there may be no use of publick Ministers publick Administrations publick Schools and publick Universities or a publick solemn day for divine worship and what is this but to bury all Order Discipline and Beauty in ruine and confusion This is to act Dioclesians part to destroy the devout ministry to act Julians part to shut up the Schools and so hinder all Knowledge and Learning and to run with Faustus Socinus to pluck up the Lords day and at last to slide into the blasphemies and insolence of Lucian and Porphiry to deride all Religion To make every day a Sabbath solemnly condemns the practice of the Church in all ages The Church of Christ never understood but one Sabbath in a week which is the blessed Lords day Shall we run it up to the fountain head and take a prospect of the practice of the Church in every Century In the purest times of the Church holy Ignatius the Disciple of the Apostle John the Martyr of Jesus Christ lays it upon Christians as they would shew any love to Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ignat. that they should keep holy the Lords day So zealous was this blessed man and Martyr for the observation of this particular day and it s most probable if not most certain that he should know the mind of God when he lay in the Apostle Johns bosom and John lay in Christs John 13. 23. And Ignatius calls the Lords day the Queen of dayes and therefore all dayes are not equal but every day of the week is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol. secund inferiour to this Supream of dayes Justin Martyr who lived in the second Century relates the practice of the Church in his time telling us That on Sunday solemn Conventions of people meet together in Villages or Cities for the exercices of divine worship This holy man and Martyr who sealed the truth of Christ with his bloud is the unbiassed Historian of Sabbath observation in the most orient and glorious times of the Church when the truths of God were warm newly dropt from the mouth and heart of Christ Then Euseb Hist l. 4. c. 22. the Lords day was call'd Sunday for reasons hereafter to be shewn not Saturday not Friday not every day but it was the best and highest of dayes and was solemnly set apart Tertul. de Idol c. 14. for solemn and Gospel-worship Dionysius Corinthiacus who lived in the third Century speaks of his observation of Prima Sabbati est initium dierum et tunc ecclesia erecta perficiebat deprecationes Basil the Lords day and the same attests Tertullian who was his Contemporary and speaks largely of the solemn keeping of that blessed day One day is still solemnized not every day no more then every one in a Nation can be crowned and wear the badge of Supremacy Basil who lived in the fourth Century calls the Lords day the beginning of dayes and every Greek Letter is not Alpha And this renowned Father saith That the Church then devoutly poured out their prayers to God And with him joyn Chrysostom Ambrose Augustine Hilary those bright and burning lights of the Primitive Church whose copious descants upon this holy day it will be too much to set down Now this opinion hath no patronage from antiquity unless it be from the mistake of Clemens or the figurative fancy of allegorizing Origen In the darkest times of the Church when it was overspread with palpaâ—le darkness even then Authority commanded Exod. 10. 21. Sabbath-observation one solemn day not every day that was a strange notion in the very midnight of the Church When the clouds were thickest so much brake forth to lead the Christian World to keep one day every week to the Lord. Charles the
very act of their abominations when they were most busied in their sports in their worldly employments or in their vain and frothy pleasures But for the better discovery of diviné justice in the pursuits of it upon Sabbath-breakers 1. I shall search the Scriptures of God 2. I shall trace the Providences of God And in both these glasses we may easily discern the severities of the Almighty upon the violatours of his holy day Judgement hath not slumbered but hath awakened and taken hold on them Let us cast our eye on sacred Writ and we shall see God executing temporal judgements upon those who have prophaned his day If a poor man gather but a few sticks upon the Sabbath he must die for it Numb 15. 33 34 35 36. he must be stoned into his grave stones must be his death but not his tomb and this not by a suddain heat and passion of the people but by an express command of God himself Object But and if it be objected this was under the rigour of the Law Answ It is answered God forgets not his judgements against Sabbath-breakers in the times of the Gospel Eutichus sleeps at a Sermon on a Lords day and he dies for it Acts 20. 9 10. and it was a miracle he ever came to life again Indeed much may be said to extenuate his crime He was a young Profanatio sabbati iram intulit non tantùm in domum sed in civitatem immò in Israelem dei populum man and a younger Christian it was late in the night the proper time of sleep and rest Paul had preached very long and had extended his discourse to an unusual enlargement and though the spirit is willing the flesh is weak Mat. 26. 41. yet notwithstanding all this Eutichus falls down dead By this example we may feel the heat of divine displeasure against the prophanation of Gods holy day Both in the times of the Law and of the Gospel we may discern the revenges of God against this sin It is Sabbath-breaking can devour Palaces Places of honour Jer. 17. 27. the beauty and the Neh. 13 17 18 19. ornaments of the most flourishing City or Kingdom Palaces they are the pride of Architecture the extrinsique glory of a Nation they are the habitations of the most Renowned Princes the Court and Council-house of Kings and yet Sabbath-breaking can turn all these into a flame Nay this sin can kindle a fire in the Gates places of Power wherein the safety and strength of a City doth consist Jer. 17. 27. the Gates where justice is done the constant bull-works of the place whereunto they are fastned the chief guard of the town This sin of defiling Gods day can petar those gates and not only open but consume them But the Citizen will still have some relief if the gates be burnt yet the shops are remaining though safety be lost yet trade continues therefore God saith he will lay waste Cities Levit. 26. 2 31. He will destroy Gates and Shops and all But the Professours replyes though our Cities are consumed our Sanctuaries still remain and though we have lost our Pallaces which are the glory of the Prince and our Cities are waste which are the dwelling of the people yet we have our sanctuaries which are the delight of the Saint and we can yet drive a spiritual trade No saith God Sabbath-pollution shall lay the Cities waste and shall bring their sanctuaries into desolation Levit. 26. 2 31. This sin shall destroy Cities Shops as well as Gates Sanctuaries as well as Palaces Necessaries as well as Accessories it shall lay all waste and depopulate In the same Holy Writ we meet with God executing spiritual judgements upon Sabbath-breakers In the 8th of Amos vers 5. we find the Jews weary of Gods Sabbath that was their disgust which should have been their delight Isa 58. 13. and how doth God chastise them for this transgression We may read Amos 8. 11 12. He will send a famine of the Word among them God will cure the surfet of his Sabbath with a famine of his precious Word And of all judgements this is the sorest A famine of the Word is the loss of the best food the bread of life a starving of the best part the soul of man a loss which can never be compensated not with the treasures Job 23. 12. of Gold and Silver a loss which can never be terminated it Israelitae in Assyriorum potestatem erunt tradendi inter quos cessare debuit quicquid ipsis reliquum erat publici cultus externi et illud merebantur quia nihil praeter externam pompam retinuerunt Rivet may and will be bemoaned to all eternity Wo wo wo saith Luther Where there is a Church and no Preaching Minister none to break the bread of life By such a judgement Great Cities become like dark dens and the most lovely Goshen is turned into a bruitish Aegypt Where there is a famine of the Word the Sun sets at noon day and the most magnisicent Courts are transformed into the most loathsome dungeons Prov. 29. 18. Now when men cease from Sabbaths the holy and due observation of them then it is just with the Almighty that Sabbaths should cease from men men sinfully forget Gods Sabbaths and God judicially causeth Sabbaths to be forgotten Lam. 2. 6. And when the Sabbath of God leaves a Nation the God of the Sabbath goes a way too And woe to that Nation when God departs from it Hos 9. 12. The sin of prophaning Gods Day can wear out the very prints of Christ and write Lo-Ammi upon a Kingdome Mal. 4. 2. and Lo Ruhamah upon a City or a Family The wise man Necessitas praedicationis ver bi ex absentiae ejus incommodo arguitur populi scil nuditate quae nuditas potest esse ex indumentorum aut armorum carentiâ Cartw. saith Where there is no vision the people perish Prov. 29. 18. And to this perishing condition Sabbath-prophanation brings a people It can chase Christ out of a Family City or Kingdome and when the Sun leaves us we are all in the dark There goes a story of Nazianzene that being about to leave a place where he preached for some time a good man cries out O Nazianzene wilt thou go away and carry the Holy Trinity with thee Sure it is Father Son and Holy Ghost forsake such as are violatours of his Holy Day and what then is left to the unhappy sinner the absence of God strips the soul of its Ornaments nay of its Ordinances of its beauty nay of its breasts and carries away divine truth which is both its Guardian and its Nurse Nay God punisheth the breaches of his Sabbath with eternal judgements The great day of Gods general judgement Erit tunc sine fâ—uctu poeniâ—â—â—tiae dolor poenae inanis gloriatio et ineffiâ—ax deprecatio Cypr. is now approaching and hastening with a speedy flight when as such who sin
should bear rule in Londons calamity And it is not to be overpassed that every one was more industrious to save his goods then his City his particular interest then the publick concernment as if every Cabin was not concerned in the whole ship And it is worth our nothing that blowing up of houses that effectual means of preservation was either hid or gainsaid until it was too late and then we found out the remedy when the disease had killed us Our flames were at the highest in the same moneth when the Plague was at the highest viz. Doleful September The Jews had their black dayes Zach. 8. 19. for the taking of their City for the burning of their Temple c. And London hath its black moneth In this we are more unhappy then the Jews they had a moneth to celebrate their delivery from Egyptian bondage Exod. 12. 2. viz. their joyful Nisan We have our moneth too but it is to bemoan the loss of Englands glory our sorrowful September Surely there is some mystery in Providence that the Plague and the Nisan quod 〈◊〉 est Xonticus mensis primus in festis Judâ—icis est ordinatus â—òd per hunc Hebraeos ex Egypto â—â—uxit deus Jâ—hovah hic measis imtium â—â—cebat 〈◊〉 Aequinoâ—iâ—â— Joseph Fire of London should meet in the same moneth Is it because God would give London but one full year for repentance Or that the latter judgment falling in the same moneth should be a sharp remembrance of the former Or was it that both the judgments falling in Sept. should prognosticate that England should be in the fall of the leaf However the circumstance of time is a significant astâ—risk to point out Gods most critical wrath and to alarm our seasonable and speeâ—y repentance O fatal Autumn to use the Prophets words when the spoiler fell upon our fruitful vintage and inheritance Jer. 48 32. That this dreadful fire should fall out in the year 1666. is not to be pretermitted The year according to the computation of most men of the Christians Jubilee the expectations of many were then upon the wing and not a few were upon their watch-tower not only supplicating but confidently Hâ—b 2. 1. expecting some glorious thing to be brought to pass in the world Some Prophetick spirits did peremptorily foretell either that the Turks half-moon should be in the ecclipse or else that the Popes triple crown should totter and fall they waited to hear that Mechaâ— was subverted or Rome destroyed not dreading no not in a thought that London should be burned Most men seemed to behold Providence in travel and they looked for some glorious Birth But in this Vox populi non fuit vox Dei The voice of the people was not the voice of God Our storm fell when most looked for a fair day so that we may take up the moan of the Prophet Jer. 8. 15. We looked for peace but no good came and for a time of health and behold trouble And with Jephtah his Daughter Judg. 11. 37 38. we may bewail as she her Virginity so we our Londons glory now sacrificed to the flames and made a Burnt offering to appease the wrath as most say of a Popish Conclave This tremendous fire fell not upon Sodom but upon Hierusalem where there were many believing Abrahams righteous Lots patient Jobs praying Daniels and weeping Ezraes London was an Empory of Religion as well as of Merchandise and there did Christ feed his flocks at noon Cant. 1. 7. with his warmest love and his greatest light Cant. 1. 7. London was the Goshen of the Church where the Gospel Sun shone in its greatest vigour Here were living Temples of God surpassing the beauty of the temple of the old Jerusalem where Grace not Art was most visible and observable In London there was a Bourse of spiritual merchants a City it was blessed with the best of Ministers and the most refined Professors and it was the Center of holy Reformation yet London was laid in ashes Divine Providence seemed to go out of its wonted course of sweetness and mercy to pour wrath and contempt upon this lovely Theatre of Piety Here were ten righteous persons nay thousands nay without doubt ten thousands yet the hand of the Lord was stretched out to destroy London In this judgment the Axe was laid to the root of the tree Mat. 3. 10. And God did shoot his sharpest arrows against the green tree and what will he do to the dry Now judgment began at the house of God 1 Pet. 4. 17. This was the emphasis of Judgment the Luke 23 31. best City in the world for serious Christians for practical godliness was buried in its rubbish But may not Christs moan be here mentioned Mat. 23. 37. O Hierusalem Hierusalem 2 Chron. 36. 16. Jer. 10. 25. which killest the Prophets and stonest them who are sent unto thee behold your house is left unto you desolate The first on the 24th of August and the other on the 2d of September There were too many chased away the Prophets and then London became desolate Nay note on a Sabbath the publick liberty of the faithful Ministers of London was terminated and came to an end and on a Sabbath London was burned This fire of London was an unparallel'd judgment no age hath produced the like conslagration never so great a Jer. 19. 3. a flame from so small a spark the firing of an House proved the burning of a City Here were no sieges of an enraged One wave of wrath upon the neck of another Jer. 39. 8. Nebuchadnezzar subvertit domos vulgares aut potius domos vulgi fuit etiam domus publica in quâ celeâ—rabantur publicae nuptiae convivia jaculationes c. Adricom enemy no throwing of Granadoes whose very noise proclaim death and ruine Jerusalem was set on fire but it was first by the puissant hand of Nebuchadnezzar and afterwards by the power of Titus the Roman Rome was set on fire but it was by the hand of a Valiant though barbarous Gensericus the Vandal Persepolis was set on fire but it was by the hand of an infatuated Alexander But London is in flames by an invisible hand whether from Heaven by the hand of God or from Hell by the hand of some cursed Jesuit is not so clearly discovered but time may uncase the mystery Sed adhuc sub judice lis est Most probable it is there was never such a fire in the world all circumstances being considered Let us look upon the dispatch of this fire Sometimes a whole street burnt within less then an hour nay it is to be marked with a Selah of observation that there were burned within the walls of the City eighty one Parishes besides divers of those sixteen remaining mutilated and exceedingly maimed a considerable part of them being consumed and then we may consider that the raging flames were not pent up within the walls but brake