was he seen to speak to any one but still as it were studying of some speech he cryed Wo wo unto Jerusalem Thus for four years space say some for seven years and five moneths saith Josephus his voice never waxed hoarse nor weary till in the time of the Siege beholding what he fore-told them as he was walking upon the Walls crying Wo to Jerusalem wo to the Temple wo to all the People he added and wo to my self and as soon as the words were out of his mouth a stone came out of an Engine from the Camp that dashed out his brains These Prodigies were fore runners of Jerusalems desolation What Comets what Blazing Starrs what sheets of fire have been seen flye over London and what flames of fire have been seen over the City a little before it was laid in ashes I shall not now insist upon Certainly when a consuming fire shall be ushered in by other dreadful Judgements and amazing Prodigies it highly concerns us to set down and mourn But Secondly Who can look upon London as an Ancient City as a City of great Antiquity and not mourn over the ruines of it Our Chronologers affirm that the City hath stood Isa 23. 7. Jer. 5. 15. two thousand seven hundred and seventy odd years 'T is recorded by some that the foundation of London was laid in the year of the world 2862. London by some Antiquaries is called Troynovant as having been first founded by the Trojans London is thought by some to be Antienter than Rome That London was a very ancient City might several wayes be made good but what should I spend time to prove that which every one is ready to grant Josephus Josâ—ph p. 745. speaking of Jerusalem saith That David the King of the Jews having driven out the Caneans gave it unto his people to be inhabited and after four hundred threescore and four years and three moneths it was destroyed by the Babylonians And from King David who was the first Jew that reigned there untill the time that Titus destroyed it were a thousand one hundred seventy and nine years and from the time that it was first erected until it was by him destroyed were two thousand one hundred and seventy seven years yet neither the Antiquity nor riches nor the fame thereof now spread all over the world nor the glory of Religion did any thing profit or hinder it from being destroyed So it was neither the Antiquity nor the Riches nor the Fame nor the Greatness nor the Beauty nor the Glory nor the Religion that was there profest that could prevent Londons being turned into a Chaos in four dayes tim London that had been climbing up to its Meridian of worldly greatness and glory above two thousand years how is she made desolate in a few dayes and of a glorious City become a ruinous heap Physitians make the threescore and third year of a mans life a dangerous climacterical year to the Body Natural and Statists make the five hundreth year of a City or Kingdom as dangerous to the Body Politick beyond which say they Cities and Kingdoms cannot stand But Jerusalem and London and many other Cities have stood much longer and yet in the end have been laid desolate Now what true English-man can look upon Londons Antiquity and not mourn to see so antient a City turned into a ruinous heap But Thirdly What true English-man did ever look upon London as an honourable City as a renowned City as a glorious City that will not now mourn to see London laid in ashes London was one of the wonders of the world London was the Queen City the crowning City of the Land a City as Isa 23. 8. 'T is an Italiaâ— Proverb He who hath not seen Venice will not believe and he who hath not lived â—ometime there doth not understand what a City it is I shall leave the Application to the prudent Reader famous as most Cities for worldly grandeur and glory yea a City more famous and glorious than any City under Heaven for Gospel light and for the power of Religion and real holiness Psal 76. 1 2. In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion In London was God known his name was great in London and in London also was his Tabernacle and his dwelling place And as God was known in Judah not only by his word but also by his glorious works so God was known in London not only by his word but also by his glorious works And as God was known in Judah first by the multitude of his mercies but afterwards by the severity of his Judgements so God was known in London first by the multitude of his mercies but afterwards by the severity of his Judgements witness the sweeping Pestilence and the devouring fire that he sent amongst us And as God was known in Judah first by lesser Judgements and then by greater for he first lasht them with Rods and then with Scourges and at last with Scorpions so God was first known in London by lesser Judgements witness the Violent Agues strange Feavours Small Pox and small fires that broke forth in several places of the City and Suburbs but these having no kind no effectual operation upon us God at last made himself known in the midst of us by such a Pestilence and by such a Fire that the like was never known in that City before We were once the objects of his noble favours but we made our selves at last the subjects of his fury And as the Philosopher tells us corruptio optimi est pâ—ssima or as we find that the sweetest Wines become the tartest Vinegar so Gods heavenly favours and indulgencies being long abused they at last turned into storms of Wrath and Vengeance What English man did look upon Psal 101. 8. Isa 60. 14. Psal 48. 1. 8 c. Neh. 11. 1. Isa 18. 52. Dan. 1. 9. 24 London as the City of the great God as a holy City as that City wherein God was as gloriously made known and wherein Christ was as much exalted and Religion was as highly prized as in any part of the world beside and not mourn over it now 't is laid desolate 'T was long since said of Athens and Sparta that they were the eyes of Greece Was not London the eyes of England And who then can but weep to see those eyes put out Great and populous Cities are Look what the face is to the body that London was to England the beauty and glory of it as it were the eyes of the Earth and when these eyes are lost who can but sit down and sigh and mourn London was the joyous City of our Solemnities it was the Royal Chamber of the King of Kings it was the Mart of Nations it was the lofty City it was the top gallant of all our glory Now who can but shed tears to see this City laid even
work in our time Burning work is so odious and abominable so destructive hateful and hurtful a thing in the eyes of all true English men who have any sense of honour or conscience that I shall never wonder to see such who have either had a head or a hand or a heart in it of Arts and Crafts to bury for ever the remembrance of it Was not London the glory of England Was not London Englands Treasury and the Protestants Sanctuary Was not London as terrible to her enemies abroad as she was joyous to her friends at home Has not London been as dreadful to her forraign foes as the hand-writing upon the Wall was to Belshazzar Was not London the great Mountain that her Dan. 5. 5 6. enemies feared would be most prejudicial to their pernicious designs Was not London that great Rock against which Zech. 4. 7. many have dasht themselves in pieces Was not London as Briars and Thorns as Goads and Gulfs and two-edged The French the Dutch the Dane the Spaniard c. have at times experienced what Londons Treasure and force have been able to do c. Swords to all her enemies more remote and nearer home Had the French invaded us when London was in flames as many feared they would or had such risen up at that time in the bowels of the Nation whose very Principles lead them by fire and sword to make way for their Religion what doleful dayes had we seen and to what a low ebb might the Protestant Interest have then be brought What greater encouragement could be given to French Dutch Dane and all of the old Religion as they call it to make desperate attempts upon us than the laying of the City desolate by fire but 't is the glory of Divine Power to daunt and over-rule all hearts and counsels and to turn that to his Psal 76. 5. 10. Gen. 31. 24 29. Chap. 33 3 4. peoples greatest good which their enemies design to be their utter ruine We know Papists are no changelings their cruel bloody fiery Spirits and Principles are still the same Both King and Parliament have taken notice how vigilant The wâ—ful desolations that the Popish Party made by fire and sword amongst the Protestants in Ireland is written with the Pen of a Diamond and active they have been of late by what hath been discovered confessed proved printed c. Is it not more than probable that some influenced from Rome have kindled and promoted that dreadful fire that hath laid our City desolate The Statue of Apollo is said to shed tears for the afflictions of the Grecians though he could not help them Though none of us could prevent the desolation of London yet let us all be so ingenious as to weep over the ashes of London Who can look upon Londons glory as now sacrificed to the flames and made a burnt-offering to appease the wrath and fury as many say of a Popist Conclave and not mourn Sir We readily grant that 't is our duty to lament and Obj. mourn over the ruines and desolations of London yea same of us have so lamented and mourned over Londons dust and ashes that we have almost reduced our selves to dust and ashes and therefore what Cordials what Comforts what Supports can you band out to us that may help to châ—er up our spirits and to bear up our hearts so as that we may not utterly faint and sink neither under the sight of Londons Ruines nor yet under a deep sense of our many great and sore losses Now that I may be a little serviceable and useful to you in the present case give me leave to offer to your most serious consideration these following particulars by way of support First Consider for your Support and comfort that the great God might have burnt up all he might not have left one house standing nor one stone upon another 'T is true the greatest part of the City is fallen but 't is rich mercy Luke 19. 41. 44. that the whole is not consumed Though most of the City within the Walls be destroyed yet 't is Grace upon the Throne that the Suburbs are standing Had not God spared some houses in the City and the main of the Suburbs where would thousands have had a livelihood How would any Trade have been maintained yea how would the lives of many thousands have been preserved 'T is true the fire was very dreadful but God might have made it more dreadful â—e might have laid every house level he might have consumed all the goods and wealth that was there treasured up and he might have refused to have pluckt one man as a brand out of the fire He might have suffered London to Zech. 3. 2. have been as totally destroyed as Jerusalem was Mat. 24. 1 2. And Jesus went out and departed from the Temple and his Discipâ—es Mat. 24. 1 2. came to him to shew him the buildings of the Temple And Jâ—sus said unto them see ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown dâ—wn In these words Christ doth foreâ—ell the utter destruction and devastation of Jerusalem which came to pass by Titus and the Râ—man Army wasting all with fire and sword and evening with the ground that Magnificent Temple and City which was the glory of the See Joseph l. 7. c. 9 10 18. d. Bâ—l. Jud. world Though Titus by a strict Edict at first storming of the City forbad the defacing of the Temple yet the Souldiers burnt it and the City The Temple was burnt say some August 10. when it had stood five hundred eighty nine years and the City was burnt September 8. in the year of our Lord seventy one But why dâ—d Christs Disciples shâ—w him the buildings of the Quest Temple which they knew were not unknown unto him To move him to mercy and to moderate the severity of Answ that former sentence of leaving their houses desolate unto them Herod had been at a wonderful charge in building Matth 23. 38. and beautifying the Temple Josephus tells us that for Joseph lib. 15. Antiq. cap. 14. eight whole years together he kept ten thousand men at work about it and that for magnificence and stateliness it â—xceeded Solomons Temple The Dâ—sciples might very well wonder at these stately buildings at these goodly stately fair Stones which were as Josephus writeth fifteen cubits long twelve high and eight broad Now the Disciples â—ondly thought that Christ upon the full sight of these â—tately glorious buildings which to see laid waste was pity might have been so workt upon as to reverse his former sentence of laying all desolate But here they were mistaken for his thoughts was not as their thoughts Others think that the Disciples shewed Christ the stately buildings of the Temple that upon a serious consideration of the strengâ—h pomp stateliness greatness and
LONDON'S LAMENTATIONS OR A serious Discourse concerning that late fiery Dispensation that turned our once renowned City into a ruinous Heap Also the several Lessons that are incumbent upon those whose Houses have escaped the consuming Flames By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Word at S. Margarets New-Fish-street where that Fatal Fire first began that turned London into a ruinous Heap Una dies interest inter magnam Civitatem nullam There is but the distance of one day between a great City and none said Seneca when a great City was burnt to Ashes Come behold the Works of the Lord what Desolations he hath made in the Earth Psal 46. 8. LONDON Printed for John Hancock and Nathaniel Ponder and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil at the Sign of the Three Bibles or at his Shop in Bishopsgate-street and at the Sign of the Peacock in Chancery lane 1670. TO THE Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM TVRNER Knight Lord Mayor of the City of London Right Honourable IT is not my design to blazon your Worth or write a Panegyrick of your Praises your brighter Name stands not in need of such a shadow as mens Applause to make it more renowned in the World native Worth is more respected than adventitious Glory your own works Prov. 31. 31. praise you in the gates It is London's Honour and Happiness Tranquility and Prosperity to have such a Magistrate that bears not the Sword of Justice in vain and that hath not Rom. 13. 4. brandished the Sword of Justice in the defence of the friends of Baal Balaam or Bacchus My Lord had your Sword of Justice been a Sword of Protection to desperate Swearers or to cruel Oppressors or to deceitful Dealers or to roaring Drunkards or to cursing Monsters or to Gospel-despisers or to Christ-contemners c. might not London have laid in her Ashes to this very day yea might not God have rained Hell out of Heaven upon those Parts of the City that were standing Monuments of Gods mercy as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah Wo to that sword Gen. 19. that is a devouring sword to the righteous to the meek to the upright and to the peaccable in the land O happy Sword Psal 35. 19 20. under which all sorts and ranks of men have worshipped God in peace and lived in peace and rested in peace and traded in peace and built their habitations in peace and have grown up in peace Sir every man hath sit under your Sword as under his own Vine and Fig-tree in peace Words are too weak to express how great a mercy this hath been to London yea I may say to England The Ancients set forth all their gods with Harps in their hands the Hieroglyphick of Peace The Grecians had the Statue of Peace with Pluto the God of Riches in her arms Some of the Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman with a horn of plenty in her hands viz. all blessings The Orator hit it when he said Dulce nomen pacis the very name of Peace is sweet No City so happy as that wherein the chief Magistrate has been as eyes to the blind legs to the lame ears to the deaf a father to the fatherless a husband Job 31. to the widow a Tower to the righteous and a Terrour to the wicked Certainly Rulers have no better friends than such as make The three things which God minds most loves best below Heaven are his Truth his Worship and his People conscience of their ways for none can be truly loyal but such as are truly religious witness Moses Joseph Daniel and the three Children Sincere Christians are as Lambs amongst Lyons as Sheep amongst Wolves as Lillies amongst Thorns they are exposed more to the rage wrath and malice of wicked men by reason of their holy Profâ—ssion their gracious Principles and Practices than any other men in all the world Now did not God raise up Magistrates and spirit Magistrates to owne them to stand by them and to defend them in all honest and just ways how soon would they be devoured and destroyed Certainly the Sword of the Magistrate is to be drawn forth for the natural good and civil good and moral good and spiritual good of all that live soberly and quietly under iâ— Stobaeus tells us of a Persian Law Stobaeus serm 42. p. 294. that after the death of their King every man had five days liberty to do what he pleased that by beholding the wickedness and disorder of those few days they might prize Government the better all their days after Certainly had some hot-headed and little-witted and fierce-spirited men had but two or three days liberty to have done what they pleased in this great City during your Lordships Mayoralty they would have made sad work in the midst of us When a righteous Government fails then 1. Order fails 2. Religion fails 3. Trade fails 4. Justice fails 5. Prosperity fails 6. Strength and Power fails 7. Fame and Honour fails 8. Wealth and Riches fails 9. Peace and Quiet fails 10. All humane Converse and Society fails To take a righteous Government out of the world is to take the Sun out of the Firmament and leave it no more a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautiful Structure but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confused Heap In such Towns Cities and Kingdoms where righteous Government fails there every mans hand will be quickly engaged Gen. 26. 12. against his brother O the sins the sorrows the desolations and destructions that will unavoidably break in like a Flood upon such a People Publick Pâ—rsons should have publick Spirits their gifts and There is a great truth in that old Maxim Magistratus virum indicat In my Epistle to my Treatise call'd A Cabinet of Choice Jewels the ingenious Reader may find six Arguments to encourage Magistrates to be men of publick Spirits goodness should diffuse themselves for the good of the whole It is a base and ignoble Spirit to pity Cataline more than to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more than to pity the whole it is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad it is wrong to the Sheep to animate the Wolves it is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but Sir from this ignoble Spirit God has delivered you The Ancients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their Fountains intimating that they were or at least should be Fountains of the publick Good Sir had not you been such a Fountain men would never have beâ—n so warm for your continuance My Lord the great God hath made you a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good a publick Blessing and this hath made your Name precious and your Government desirable and your Person honourable in the thoughts hearts and eyes of all people Many may I not say most of the
office of Magistracy God charges him no less then three times in a Josh 1. 6 7. 9. breath as it were to be very couragious A Magistrate that is timorous will quickly be treacherous A Magistrate that is fearful can never be faithful Solomons Throne was supported with Lyons to shew that Magistrates should be men of metal and courage The Athenian Judges sate in Mâ—rs Acts 17. 22. street to shew that they had Martial hearts and that they were men of courage and metal The Grecians placed justice betwixt Leo and Libra to signifie that as there must be indifferency in determining so there ought to be courage in executing Where there is courage without knowledge there the eye of justice is blind and where there is knowledge without courage there the Sword of justice is blunt A Magistrates heart a Judges heart and his Robes must be both dyed in grain else the colour of the one and the courage of the other will quickly fade Why should not the Standard be of steel and the chief posts of the house be heart of Oak It hath been long since said of Cato Fabricius and Aristides that it was as easie to remove the Sun out of the Firmament as to remove them from justice and equity they were men of such couragious and magnanimous spirits for justice and righteousness No Scarlet Robe doth so well become a Magistrate as holy courage and stoutness doth As bodily Physitians so State-Physitians should have an Eagles eye a Ladies hand and a Lyons heart Cowardly and timo râ—us Magistrates will never set up Monuments of their Victories over sin and prophaneness It is very sad when we may say of our Magistrates as the Heathen did of Magistrates in his time they were very good si audeant quae sentiunt if they Cic. de Mil. durst but do what they ought to do My Lord had not the Lord of Lords put a great spirit of courage boldness and resolution Rev. 1. 5 6. Chap. 1â— 14. upon you you had never been able to have managed your Government as you have done counting the various winds that have blown upon you and the several difficulties and discouragements that have risen up before you My Lord once more give me leave to say that in a Magistrate justice and mercy justice and clemency ought to go hand Truth in Scripture is frequently put for Justice in hand Prov. 20. 28. Mercy and truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by mercy All justice will not preserve the King nor all mercy will not preserve the King there must be a mixture both of justice and mercy to preserve the King and to uphold his Throne and to shew that mercy is more requisite then justice the word Mercy is doubled in the Text. Justice without mercy turns into rigour and so becomes hateful Mercy without justice turns into fond pity and so becomes contemptible Look as the Rod of Aaron and King John thought to strengthen himself by gathering a great deal of money together but neglecting the exercise of mercy and justice clemency and lenity he lost his peoples affections and so after many endless turmoyls he came to an unhappy end he Pot of Manna were by Gods own Command laid up in the same Ark so must mercy and justice be preserved intire in he bosom of the same Magistrate mercy and justice mildness and righteousness leniâ—y and fidelity are a safer and a stronger Guard to Princes and people then rich Mines Munitions of Rocks mighty Armies powerful Navies or any warlike Preparations It is very observable that Christ is called but once the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in the Book of the Revelation and that is in Chap. 5. vers 5. But he is called a Lamb no less then nine and twenty times in that Book and what is this but to shew us the transcendent mercy clemency lenity mildness and sweetness that is in Jesus Christ and to shew that he is infinitely more inclined to the exercise of mercy then he is to the exercise of justice It is true Magistrates should be Lyons in the execution of justice and it is as true that â—hey should be Lambs in the exercise of mercy and clemency mildness and sweetness and the more ready and inclinable they are to the exercise of mercy where mâ—rcy is to be shewed the more like to Christ the Lamb they are God is slow to anger he abounds in pity though he be great in power Seneca hath long Psal 68. 18. Psal 103. 13 14. Hosea 11. 8. Vide Aug. de civit Dei l. 5. cap. 26. Orosius lib. 7. cap. 34. since observed that the Custom of anointing Kings was to shew that Kings above all other men should be men of the greatest sweetness and mildness their anointing being a sign of that Kingly sweetness and mildness that should be in them Theodosius the Emperour by his loveliness and clemency gained many Kingdoms The Goths after the death of their own King beholding his temperance patience and justice mixt with mercy and clemency gave themselves up to his Government When Cicero would claw Caesar he tells him that his Valour and Victories were common with the rest of his Souldiers but his clemency and goodness were wholly his own Neroes Speech hath great praise who in the beginning of his Reign when he was to subscribe to the death of any condemned person would say Uâ—inam nescirem literas I wish I did not know how to write I know there are a thousand thousand cases wherein severity is to be used But yet I must say that 't is much safer â—o account for mercy then for cruelty 't is best that the sword of justice should be always furbisht with the oyl of mercy My Lord in the management of your Government you have been so assisted and helpt from on high that stoutness and mildness justice and mercy justice and clemency hath like a silver thred run through all your Mayoralty and by this means you have very signally served the Interest of the Crown the Interest of the City the Interest of the Nation and that which is more then all the rest the Interest of your own Soul Rigour breeds rebellion Rehoboam by his severity by his cruelty lost ten Tribes in one day 1 Kings 12. 16. My Lord your prudence justice and moderation your burning zeal against the horrid hideous heady vices of this day your punishing of Oaths Drunkenness and the false Ballance your singular Sobriety and Temperance in the midst of all your high Entertainments your Fidelity and Activity your eminent Self-denial A self-seeking Magistrate is one of the worst of Plagues and Judgments that can befal a people he is a Gangrene in the head which brings both a more speedy and a more certain ruine then if it were in some inferior and less noble part of the body in respect of your Perquisites your unwearied Endeavours to see London raised out
Judgment of Fire pag. 128. to 132. The first Part of the Book Several Reasons to prove that this sin of Fornication cannot groundedly be charged upon any of the precious Servants of the Lord that did truly fear him in the City of London p. 132. to 137. These Expressions of giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh implies six things pag. 134 135 136 137. G. Of God His God notes three things pag. 176. The first Part of the Application There are three things in God to encourage Christians under all their fiery tryals pag. 178 179. Of the Gospel The slighting of the Gospel brings desolating judgments pag. 100. to 104. The first Part of the Book Six sorts of slighters of the Gospel pag. 104. to 108. Saints no slighters of the Gospel of Grace and of the Graces of the Saints proved by seven Arguments pag. 108. to 112. God by fiery tryals designs the reviving quickning and recovering of the decayed Graces of his people pag. 41 42 43. God by fiery tryals designs a further exercise of his Childrens Graces pag. 43 44 45 46. God by fiery tryals designs the growth of his peoples Graces pag. 46 47 48 49. God by fiery tryals designs the tryal of his peoples Graces and the discovery of their sincerity and integrity to the world pag. 49 50 51 52 53. Many Christians Graces in London were withering before the fiery Dispensation pag. 61 62. H. Of Heaven Heaven is a City that is built upon a fivefold foundation pag. 228 229. The first Part of the Application The resemblance betwixt Heaven and a City holds in nine respects pag. 229 230 231. Hand See the Hand of the Lord in this late fiery Dispensation Ten Arguments to work you to this pag. 1. to 38. Of Holiness In these days of the Gospel all Holiness of places is taken away pag. 141. to 146. I. Of Intemperance Intemperance brings desolating judgments pag. 75 76 77 78. The first Part of the Book Six things Intemperance robs men of pag. 78. to 84. Of Judgments In eight respects great judgments are like to fire 7 8 9. The ends of God in inflicting the late judgment of Fire in respect of the wicked are seven pag. 12 to 31. The ends of God in inflicting the late judgment of Fire in respect of the Righteous are at large discovered pag. 31 to 53. The Sword is a worse judgment then that of Fire pag. 91 92. The first Part of the Application Famine is a more dreadful judgment then that of Fire pag. 92 93 94 95. Dreadful Earth quakes are a more terrible judgment then that of Fire pag. 95 96 97 98. That judgment that befel Korah Dathan and Abiram a more terrible judgment then that which befel the burnt Citizens pag. 98 99. That judgment that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah was a worse judgment then that was inflicted upon the burnt Citizens pag. 99. Eight Arguments to encourage the burnt Citizens to commemorate the late judgment of Fire pag. 182 183 184. There are seven sorts of men that have cause to fear worser judgments then any yet have been inflicted on them pag. 222 L. Lamentation Lament and mourn that London is laid in Ashes pag. 38 39 40. Ten Considerations to work you to lament over London's ashes pag. 40. to 57. Of a Little The righteous mans little is better then the multitude of Riches that many wicked men enjoy this blessed truth is made good by an induction of eleven particulars pag. 197. to 212. Five ways shewing how a righteous man improves his little pag. 203 204. Of London The burning of London was ushered in by sad Prodigies anâ— dreadful fore-runners pag. 40 41 42. London was an ancient City a City of great Antiquity pag. 42 43. London was an honourable City a renowned City pag. 43 44 45. London was the Bulwark the strong Hold of the Nation pag. 45 46 47 48. London was a Fountain a Sanctuary a City of Refuge to the poor afflicted and impoverished people of God pag. 48 49. London was a City compact a City advantagiously situated for Trade and Commerce pag. 49 50. Englands worst Enemies rejoyce and triumph in London's Ashes pag. 50. London was once the City of our solemn Solemnities pag. 50 51 52. Hubert confest the fact of firing the first house in London pag. 52 53 54 55 56 57. Of Losses Seven great losses an inordinate love to the world will expose a man to pag. 59 60 61. The first Part of the Book Eight ways whereby the burnt Citizens may know whether in this world God will make up their losses by the late Fire or no pag. 76 77 78 79 80. The first Part of the Application There are ten choice Jewels that a Christian can never lose in this world pag. 156 157 158 159. Of Luke-warmness There was much Luke-warmness among many Professors in London pag. 57 58. Of Lying A trade or course of Lying brings the judgment of Fire pag. 112 113. The first Part of the Book The School-men reduce all sorts of Lyes to three pag. 113 114 115 116. The greatness of the sin of Lying exprest in four particulars pag. 116. to 123. Eight Arguments to prove that this trade this course of Lying cannot by any clear evidence be charged upon those that truly feared the Lord whose Habitations were once within the Walls of London pag. 123. to 128. M. Of Mercy It was a very great mercy to six sorts of men that they had their lives for a prey when London was in flames pag. 60 to 70. O. Objections Object I would say the Lord is righteous but by this fiery Dispensation I am turned out of house and home Answ Four ways pag. 135 to 148. Object I would justifie the Lord but I have lost my all as to this world Seven Answers you have from pag. 150 to 159. Object I would justifie the Lord though I am turned out of all but this is that which troubles me that I have not an Estate to do that good which formerly I have done Four Answers you have from pag. 159 160 161. Object I would justifie the Lord though he hath turned me out of all but God hath punished the righteous with the wicked this fiery Rod hath fallen heavier upon many Saints then upon many sinners How then can I say that the Lord is righteous Six Answers are given to this Objection pag. 161 to 166. P. Of Punishment Quest How will it stand with the unspotted Holiness Justice and Râ—ghteousness of God to punish a temporary offence with eternal punishments Seven Answers to this Question pag. 125 to 131. Q. Quest What are those sins that bring the fiery Dispensation upon Cities Nations and Countries Answ From pag. 53 to 168. The first part of the Book Quest What sins were there among the professing people in London that might bring down the fiery Rod upon them Answ Seven pag. 55 to 63. Quest Four Questions proposed pag. 63 64.
set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart THE Lord in this Chapter by the Prophet Esay doth foretell heavy things against the people and by the way marks the Lords dealings he ever gives warnings before he sends any plagues he lightens before he thunders that the people might not say they did not hear of it and that the wicked might be the more inexcusable and that the godly might make an Ark to save themselves in These words contain in them five â—â—veral things 1. The Author of this Destruction or Judgment 2 The Causes of it 3. The Judgment it self 4. Wâ—â— they were on whom this Judgment was inflicted 5. The Effect of it Now by Divine permission I will open these wordâ— in order to you For thâ— first the Author of it Now this is laid down by Quâ—stion and Answer Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the Robbers there 's the Question Did not I the Lord there the Answer God is the Author of all the Plagues and Judgments that befal a Nation Secondly The Causes why the Lord did this to a people that he had chosen to be a special people unâ—o himself to a people upon whom he had set his love to a people that he Deut. â— 5. 7. 8. Deut. 32. 10 11 12. had owned for his portion and that he had formerly kept as the Apple of his Eye and carried as upon Eagles wings Now the causes are set down fiâ—st more generally in these words Because they have sinned agaâ—nst the Lord. Secondly more particularly in these words For they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient to his Law The third thing observable in the words is the dreadful Judgments themselves that God inflicted upon his sinful people his sinning people and these you have in vers 25. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger not only his anger but the fury of his anger to shew the greatness of it the extremity of it Mark he doth not say that God did drop down his anger but he poured down hiâ— anger and indignation This Phrase he poured out is an allusion to the clouds pouring down of water violently all at once in an instant as they do many times in the Levant Seas in Egypt at the Indies and in several other parts of the Gâ—n 6. 11. world as they did in the Deluge when the windows of Heaven were broke open Now by this similitude the Lord shews the dreadfulness the grievousness the suddenness and the vehemency of the Judgments that were fallen upon them And the strength of Battel The Lord appears in Arms against them in the greatness and fierceness of his wrath he sent in a very powerful Enemy upon them that with fire and sword over-ran them and their Country and destroyed them on every side as you may see by comparing the 2 Kings 23. 33. ult with the 24. and 25. Chapters following And hath set him on fire round about That is say some all the Countries Cities and Towns round about Jerusalem were set on fire Yet be knew not Though God had burnt them up on every hand yet they took no notice of it they regarded it not they were not at all affected with the fiery Dispensations of Diod orus Siculus writes that in Aethiopia there is such a sottish insensible people that if you cut them with a drawn sword or slay their wives and children before their faces they are not at all affected with it nor moved at it Such brutes were these Jews God O the dulness the insensibleness the sottishness of the Jews under the most awakning and amazing Judgments of God! And it burned him This some apply to the City of Jerusalem it self God did not only fire the Cities and Towns round about Jerusalem but he also set Jerusalem it self into a flame Jerusalem which was beautiful for situation the joy of the whole Earth the Paradise and Wonder of the world is turned into ashes Yet be laid it not to heart or upon his heart as the Original runs O the monstrous stupidity insensibleness and blockishness of this people Though God had brought them low though their Crown was fallen from their head though their gloriâ—us City was turned into ashes and though they were almost destroyed by many smarting miseries and dreadful calamities yet they were not affected with the stupendious Judgments of God they were not awakned by all the flames that God had kindled about their ears they did not lay the Judgments of God to heart nor they would not lay the Judgments of God upon their hearts The fourth thing observable in the words iâ— the persons the people that were spoiled destroyed and consumed by fire and they were Jacob and Israel Who gave Jacob for a Isa 58. 2. Zach. 7. 5. Exod. 19. 5. spoil and Israel to the Robbers They were a praying people a professing people a fasting people a peculiar people a priviledged people and yet for their sins they became a destroyed people a consumed people a ruined people The fifth thing observable in the words is the little Effect the Judgments of God had upon them Now they were under such monstrous stupidity that they were not all awakned nor affected By Tiâ—us Vespasian their land became astage of blood and of all kind of barbarisms and now their so renowned City their Temple and Sanctum Sanctorum so fam'd all the world over was turned into ashes and laid level to the ground Buxtorf Synag Judaica cap. 5. c. 36. with the Judgments of God they regarded them not they laid them not to heart And as stupid and senseless were they when Titus Vespasiâ—n had laid their City desolate by fire and sword and sold thirty of them for one piece of silver as Josephus and other Historians tell us O Sirs since their crucifying of the Lord of Glory they have never laid their finger upon the right sore to this very day they wo'nt acknowledge their sin in crucifying of the Lord of Glory They confess they have sinned more then ever and therefore 't is that God hath more sorely afflicted them then ever but their cruelty to Christ their crucifying of Christ which ushered in the total ruine of their City and Country they cannot be brought to acknowledge to this very day though the Lord hath burnt them up on every hand and hath scattered them as dung all over the earth to this very day A Learned Writer tells us that they call Christ Bar-chozab the Son of a Lye a Bastard and his Gospel Aven Gilaion the Volume of Lyes or the Volume of Iniquity and us Christians Goiiâ—n that is Gentiles Edomites when they salute a Christian they call him Shed that is Devil They hate all Christians but none so much as those that are converted from Judaism to Christianity and all this after so great a burning and desolation that
five thousand of his Army in one night Eighthly By slighting of divine warnings you will tempt Satan to tempt your souls he that dares slight divine warnings will stick at nothing that Satan shall tempt him to yea he does to the utmost what lyes in him to provoke Satan to follow him with the blackest and sorest temptations Ninthly He that slights divine warnings dams up all the springs of mercy Psal 81. 11. to the end Jer. 7. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. 34. Isa 13. 14 15 16. and turns the streams of loving-kindness and favour another way Tenthly and lastly Slighting of divine warnings will be the Sword that will wound you and the Serpent that will sting you 〈◊〉 the Worm that will be still gnawing upon you especially 1. When your consciences are awakned 2. When you shall lye upon a dying bed 3. When you shall stand before a Judgment-seat Fourthly and lastly When you shall awake with everlasting flames about your ears Upon all these considerations take heed of slighting the warnings of God that you are under this day But Seventhly and lastly God inflicts great and sore Jâ—dâ—ments upon Persons Cities and Countries to put the world in mind of the General Judgment Who can think upon the Conflagration of our late glorious City and not call to mind the great and terrible day of the Lord Psal 50. 3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him As God gave his Law in fiâ—e so when he comes to Judgment in fire he will require it to shew himself a Judge and Revenger of it and to bring the world to a strict account for Eccle. 12. 13 14. Exod. 20. 18. Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. their breaking of it In the promulgation of the Law a flaming fire was only on Mount Sinai but when Christ shall come to execute vengeance on the transgressors of it aâ—l the world shall become a Bonfire In the promulgation of the Law there was fire smoak thunder and an earthquake but when Christ shall come in flaming fire to revenge the breaches of it the Heavens shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with servent heat so that not only a few Cities and Kingdoms but all this lower World shall be of a flame and therefore if any of the wicked should be so weak as to think to secure themselves by creeping behind the Lord they will but deceive themselves for the fire shall not only devour before him but it shall also devour round about him When an unquenchable fire shall be kindled above the sinner and below the sinner and round about the sinner Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Jer. 5. 14. how is it possible that he should escape though he should cry â—ut to the Rocks and the Mountains to fall upon him aâ—d to cover him from the wrath of the Lamb Isa 66. 15 16. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his chariâ—ts like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire 〈◊〉 by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slai◠〈◊〉 the Lord shall be many There is nothing more fearful or formidable either to man or beast then fire Now when God comes to execute his Judgments and to take vengeance on the wicked in this life as some curry the words or in the other life as others curry the words he will come in the most terrible and dreadful manner imaginable he will come with fire and he will render his rebuke with flames of fire or with fiery flames as some say or with flaming fire as others say 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved that Christ will come to Judgment in flaming fire is no Politick invention found out to fright men from their pleasures nor no Engine of State devised to keep men tame and quiet under the Civil powers nor no Plot of the Minister to make men melancholy or to hurry them into a blind obedience but it is the constâ—nt voice of God in the blessed Scriptures 2 Pet. 3. 10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Pareus is of opinion that that Pareus in Rev. 16. 18. fire that shall set all the world in a flame at last will be kindled and cherished by lightning from Heaven The Earth being smitten with lightning from Heaven shall be shaken and torn into ten thousand pieces and by fire utterly consumed now the Earth shall quake the Sea roar the Air ring and the World burn Now you shall look no way but you shall see fire you shall see fire above you and fire below you and fire round about you Christâ— fiâ—st coming was at Luke 2. 8. to vers 15. Psal 71. 6. tended with a general peace and with Carols of Angels he came as rain upon the mown grass silently sweetly into the world then a babe cryed in the manger but now Judahs Lyon will roar and thunder in the Heavens Then he came riding on an Asses Colt but now on the Clouds Then he was attended with twelve poor despised Apostles but now he shall be waited on with many score millions of Angels At his first coming he freely offered grace and mercy and 2 Thes 1. 7. pardon to sinners but now he will come in flames of fire to execute wrath and vâ—ngeance upon sinners and 't will be no small honour to Christ nor no small câ—mfort to the Saints nor no small torment to the wicked for Christ to comes in flames of fire when he comes to Judgment Saul Acts 22. 8. was astonished when he heard Jesus of Nazareth but calling unto him out of Heaven Herod was affrighted when he thought that John Baptist was risen again The Philistines Mark 6. 16. 1 Sam. 21. 9. Numb 7. 10. were afraid when they saw Davids Sword The Israelites were startled when they saw Aarons Rod And Juda was ashamed when he saw Thamars signet and staff and Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5. was amazed when he saw the hand-writing upon the Wall The Carthaginians were troubled when they saw Scipio's Sepulchre and the Saxons were terrified when they Hollingsheds Chron. saw Cadwallon's Image Oh how terrified amazed and confounded will wicked men be when they shall see that Christ whom they
have rejected betrayed crucified scorned opposed and persecuted come in flames of fire to pass an eternal Doom upon them I have read a story of two Souldiers Holcot in lib. Sap. that coming to the Valley of Jehosaphat in Judea and one saying to the other Here in this place shall be the general Judgment wherefore I will now take up my place where I will then fit and so lifting up a stone he sate down upon it as taking possession before hand but being sate and â—ooking up to Heaven such a quaking and trembling fell upon him that falling to the earth he remembred the day of Judgment with horrour and amazement ever after The case of this Souldier will be the case of every wicked man when Christ shall appear in flames of fire to pass an eternal Sentence of Condemnation upon all the Goats that shall be found on the left hand It is strange in this so serious a business Mat. 25. 41. to vers 46. of the day of Judgment and of Christs appearing in flaming fire which so nearly concerns the sons of men how mens wits will busie themâ—elves in many nice inquiries ye may meet with many such questions in the School-men as 1. How long is it to the day of Judgment 2. In what place of the world shall the Judgment-day be held 3. What kind of fire shall then be burning 4. Whether Christ shall come with a Cross carried before him As if Malefactors in the Gaol should fall a reasoning and debating what weather it would be at the day of Assises or of the Judges habit and retinue and never bethink themselves how to answer their Indictment that they may escape condemnation London's flames should put us in mind of Christs coming in flames of fire and the burning of London should put us in mind of the burning of the world when Christ shall come to judge the sons of men according to their works and the terror and dread of that fire and mens endeavours to escape it should put us upon all those holy ways and means whereby we may escape the fury of those dreadful flames that shall never be quenched And the Houses and Estates that were consumed by the devouring fire in London-streets should put us upon securing a house not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Prov. 8. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 6. 19 20 21. but one eternal in the Heavens and upon securing durable riches and an inheritance that fadeth not away and upon laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust nor thieves and let me adde nor flames can break through corrupt or steal or burn The more general any Judgment is the more it should put us in mind of the General day of Judgment Now the burning of London was a general Judâ—ment a Judgment that reaches from one end of the Land to another as I shall more fully evidence before I close up this Discourse and therefore it should remind us of the universal Conflagration of the whole World and the works thereof And thus you see the ends that God has in respect of the wicked in inflicting great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countrieâ— But pray Sir what are those â—igh and holy ends in respect Quest of the people of God thâ—â—â—od aims at by his inflicting of great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countries I suppose they are such as follow First To bring about those speciaâ— favours and mercies Answ that God intends them By the dreadful Judgments that God inflicted upon Pharaoh and upon his people and upon his Country God brought about the freedom and liberty of his people to worship him according to his own prescriptions The great difference and contest between God and Pharaoh was who should have their wills God would have his people to worship him according to his own mind but Pharaoh Exod. 5. 1 2. Exod. 7. 16. Exod. 8. 8. 20. 25. 27. 29. Exod. 9. 1. 13. Exod. 10. 3. 7. 8. 11. 24. Exod. 12. 31. Jer. 11. 4. Dan. 9. 12. was resolved to venture his all before they should have their freedom and liberty to serve their God Upon this God follows him with plague upon plague and never leaves spending of his plagues upon him till he had overthrown him and through his ruine brought about the freedom and liberty of his poor people The Babylonians were cruel enemies to Gods poor Israel and kept them in bondage yea in a fiery furnace seventy years At last God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus for his Churches sake and he by fiâ—e and sword lays Babylon waste and takes them Captive who had held his people in a long Captivity Now he by breaking the Babylonians in pieces like a potters vessel brought about as as instrument in the hand of God the freedom and liberty of Gods poor people as you may see by comparing that 45. of Isa 1 2 3 4 5 6. with that 1. Chapter of Ezra God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus to put forth a Proclamation â—â—r Liberty for the Jews to go to their own Land and to 〈◊〉 the House of the Lord God of Israel and then he graâ—â—â—â—â—ly stirs up the spirits of the people wisely and soberty to iâ—â—â—ove Turn to Obadiah and read from vers 11. to the end of the Chapter â—he liberty he had proclaimed Jer. 49. 1. Concerâ—â—â—â— the Ammonites thus saith the Lord Hath Israel no sons hath he no heir why then doth their King inherit Gad and 〈◊〉 people dwell in his Cities When the ten Tribes were carried away captive the Ammonites who dwelt near the Tribe of Gad intruded into it and the Cities of it but mark what God saith in verse 2. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that I will cause 〈◊〉 â—â—arm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites that was their chief City and it shall be a desolate heap and her daughters that is lesser Towns shall be burnt with fire then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs saith the Lord. God by fire and sword Here was Lex talionis observed they that invaded the inheritance of others had their own invaded by them would lay desolate the chief City of the Ammonites and her Towns and Villages that did belong to her and by these dreadful Dispensations he would make way for his people not only to possess their own Land but the Ammonites Land also I will leave the prudent Reader to make the Application We have been under greater and dreadfuller Judgments then ever this poor Nation hath groaned under in former times and who can tell but that the Lord by these amazing Judgments may bring about greater and better mercies and blessings then any yet we do enjoy The Rabins say of Civil Liberty that if the Heavens were Parchment the Sea Ink and every pile of Grass a Pen the praises of it could not be comprised nor expressed May we
world how many professing men in that great City were drest up like fantastical Anticks and women like Bartholomew-babies to the dishonour of God the shame of Religion the hardning of the wicked the grieving of the weak and the provoking of divine Justice When Darius changed the fashion of his Scabbard from the Persian manner into the Mode of the Greeks the Chaldean Astrologers prognosticated that the Persian Monarchy should be translated to them whose fashion he counterfeited Certainly that Nation may fear a scourge from that Nation or Nations whose fashions they follow Zepha 1. 8. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords Sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are cloathed with strange apparel This is a stinging and a flaming check against all Fashion-mongers against all such as seem to have consulted with French Italian Persian and all Outlandish Monsters to advise them of all their several modes and fashions of vice and that are so dextrous at following of them that they are more compleat in them then their patternâ— Certainly if ever such Wantons be saved 't will be by fire Strange apparel is part of the Old man that must be put off if ever men or women intend to go to Heaven What dreadful things are thundred out against those proud curious Dames of Jerusalem by the Prophet Isaiah who being himself a Courtier inveighs Isa 38. 16. ult as punctually against the noble vanity of Apparel as if he had even then viewed the Ladies Ward-robes And those vanities of theirs brought desolating and destroying Judgments upon them And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet Isa 38. 24 25 26. smell there shall be a stink and instead of a girdle a rent and instead of well-set hair baldness and instead of a stomacher a girding of sack-cloth and burning of instead beauty Thy men shâ—ll fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war And her gates shall lament and mourn and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground As light and slight as many make of vain Apparel yet Cyrian and Augustine draw up this Conclusion That superfluous Apparel is worse then Whoredom because Whoredom only corrupts Chastity but this corrupts Nature Seneca complained that many in his time were more sollicitous of their attire then of their good behaviour and that they had rather that the Common-wealth should be troubled then their Locks and set looks I have read of the Grecians that when they wished a curse upon their enemies it was this That they should please themselves in bad customs There are many who lift their heads high who seem to be under this curse this day Why doth the Apostle say saith one of the Ancients Above all things swear not Is it worse Austin Jam. 5. 12. to swear then to steal worse to swear then to commit adultery worse to swear then to kill a man No But the Apostle would fortifie us as much as he could against a postilent custom to punish the pestilent customs and fashions that were amongst us God sent the Pestilence in 1665. and the fiery Judgment in 1666. And the Lord grant that the bloody Sword in the hands of cruel Cut-throats that are brutish and skilful to destory be not sent amongst us some Ezek. 21. 31. other year to punish the same iniquity O Sirs what was more common among many Professors in London then to be cloathed in strange Apparel A la mode de France Mark those that affected the Babylonian Habit were sent Captives Ezek. 23. 15. to Babylon They that borrowed the fashions of the Egyptians may get their boils and botches Certainly such as fear the Lord should go in no Apparel but First such as they are willing to dye in Secondly to appear before the Ancient of Isa 26. 8 9 10. days in when his Judgments are abroad in the earth Thirdly to stand before a Judgment-seat But Secondly There was among many Professors of the Gospel in London much luke-warmness and coldness in the things of God the City was full of luke-warm Laodiceans The Rev. 3. 16 17. Math. 24. 12. love of many to God to his people to his ways and to his instituted Worship was cold very cold stark cold God destroyed the old World by water for the heat of their lusts and God has destroyed the City of London by fire for the coldness of their love that dwelt therein I have read of Anastatiâ—s the Emperor how God shot him to death with a Thunder-bolt because of his luke-warmness and formality But Thirdly There was a great deal of worldliness and earthly-mindedness and coyetousness amongst the professing people of London O Sirs the world is all shadow and vanity 't is filia noctis like Jonabs Gourd a man may set Jonah 4. under its shadow for a time but it soon decays and dyes The main reason why many Professors dote upon the world is because they are not acquainted with a greater glory Men ate Acorns till they were acquainted with the use of Wheat The Load-stone cannot draw the Iron when the Diamond is in presence and shall earthly vanities draw the Soul when Christ the Pearl of price is in presence Many of the Prosessors of London were great Worshippers of the golden Calf and therefore God is just in turning their golden Calf into ashes The world may well be resembled to the fruit that undid us all which was fair to the sight smooth in handling sweet in taste but deadly in effect and operation The world in all its bravery is no better then the Cities which Solomon gave to Hiram which he called Cabul 1 Kings 9. 13. that is displeasing or dirty The whole world is circular the heart of man triangular and we know a Circle cannot fill a Triangle If the heart of man be not filled with the three Persons in Trinity it will be filled with the world 1 Joh. 5. 7. the flesh and the Devil Riches like bad servants never stay long with one master what certainty is there in that which one storm at Sea one treacherous friend one false cath one ball of fire yea one spark of fire may strip us of O Sirs if you can gather grapes of thorns and figs of thistles then go on and dote upon the world still All the things of this world are vain things they are vanity of vanities Eccle. 1. 2. all in Heaven count them vain and all in Hell count them vain a Jacobus piece is but as a chip to them Pearls are but as pebbles in their eyes Lazarus was a Preacher as some conceive and Dives a Lawyer sure I am that Lazarus in Heaven is now rich enough and happy enough and Dives in Hell is now poor enough and miserable enough Hâ— who makes his world his God while he is in the world what will he do for a God when he goes out of this world Well Sirs
Ordinances in Sabbaths and in the Communion of Saints that once they had tasted and found In spiritual things many Citizens could taste no more sweetness then in the white of an Egg. Many in that great City had lost their Job 6. 6. spiritual appetite they had lost their stomachs they did not hunger and thirst after God and Christ and the Spirit and Grace and the Light of Gods Countenance and pure Ordinances and the Fellowship of the people of God as once they did Now is there any thing more contrary to the Nature of God the Works of God the Word of God the Glory of God then spiritual decays Oh the prayers and the praises that God loses by decayed Christians Ah how do decayed Christians grieve the strong and stumble the weak and strengthen the hands of the wicked and lay themselves open to divine displeasure Many in London did like Mandrobulus in Lucian who offered to his God the first year gold the second year silver and the third year nothing and therefore no wonder if God sent a fire amongst them But Fifthly Their non-improvement of the mercies and priviledges that they were surrounded with and their non-improvement of lesser and greater Judgments that God had formerly inflicted on them and theiâ— non improvement of their Estates to that height they should have done for the supply of them whose wants bonds necessities and miseries did call aloud for supplies many did something a few did much but all should have done more Sixthly Those unnatural heats fiery contests violent passions and sore divisions that have been amongst them may well work them to justifie the Lord in his fiery Dispensations towards them for a Wolf to worry a Lamb is usual but for one Lamb to worry another is unnatural Cant. 2. 16. for Christs lillies to be among thorns is common but for these lillies to become thorns and to tear and rend and fetch blood of one another is monstrous and strange The Contest that was between the Birds about the Rose that was found in the way was fatal to many of them and issued in the loss of the Rose at last Seventhly and lastly There were many in London who were so very secure and so excessively taken up with their worldly comforts contentments and enjoyments that they did not lay the afflictions of Joseph 1 so kindly 2. so Amos 6. 6. seriously 3. so affectionately 4. so readily 5. so frequently 6. so lamentingly and 7. so constantly to heart as they ought to have done Upon all these accounts how well does it become the Citizens of London to cry out the Lord is righteous the Lord is righteous in all his fiery Dispensations towards us But to prevent mistakes and that I may lay no heavier a load upon the people of God that truly feared him and that had and have a saving interest in him then is meet and that I may give no advantage to prophane persons to father the burning of the City of London wholly mainly or only upon the sins of the people of God give me leave therefore to propound these four Queries First Whether all these seven sins last cited or most of them can be justly charged upon the body of those sincere Christians who lived then in London and whose habitations are now burnt up Secondly Whether those of the people of God upon whom any of the fore-mentioned sins are chargeable have not before the City was burnt daily lamented bewailed and mourned over those sins that might have been charged upon them either by their own consciences or others Thirdly Where and how it doth appear by the blesed Scriptures that ever God sent so great a Judgment of Fire as was poured out upon London upon the account of the â—ins of those that truly feared him be it those seven that have been already specified or any others that can be now cleaâ—ly and justly proved against them Fourthly Whether there are not some other mens sins upon whom in the clear evidence of Scripture-light this heavy Judgment of Fire may be more clearly safely and fairly fixt then upon the sins of those who had set up God as the great Object of their fear Now in Answer to this last Query give me leave to say First That sin in the general brings the dreadful Judgment of Fire upon a people marks personal afflictions and â—yals may come upon the people of God for tryal and to shew the Soveraignty of God as in the case of Job whose Job 1. John 9. afflictions were for tryal and not for sin the same may be said of the man that was born blind But general Judgments such as this fiery Dispensation was never comes upon a people but upon the account of sin This is evident in my Text Isa 42. 24 25. God set Jacob and Israel on fire and burnt them round about but 't was because they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his Law Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your heart ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings So Psal 107. 33 34. He turneth rivers into a wiâ—derness and the water-springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein The very Country of Jury as Travellers report which flowed once with milk and honey is now for fifteen miles about Jerusalem like a Desart without grass tree or shrub Ah what ruines â—oth sin bring upon the most renowned Countries and Ciâ—ies that have been in the world such is the destructive nature of sin that it will first or last level the richest the strongest and the most glorious Cities in the world So the Prophet Amos tells us that 't is sin that brings Gods sorest punishments upon his people Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus by which we are to understand the greatness of their iniquities and for four by which we are to understand the multitude of their transgressions I will not turn away the punishment thereof the same is said of Gaza verse 6. and of Tyrus verse 9. and of Edom verse 11. and of Ammon verse 13. and of Moab Chap. 2. 1. and of Judah verse 4. and of Israel verse 6. Now 't is very observable of every one of these that when God threatens to punish them for the greatness of their iniquities and for the multitude of their transgressions he doth particularly threaten to send a fire among them to consume the houses and the Palaces of their Cities so he doth to Damascus Amos 1. 4. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall devour the Palaces of Ben-hadad So he doth to Gaza verse 7. But I will send a fire on the Wall of Gaza which shall devour the Palaces thereof So he doth to Tyrus verse 10. But I
green and dry trees and that all these things were dark and of obscure to them they put off all the Prophet spoke as Allegorical as Mystical and as Aenigmatical and as dark visions and as dreams and imaginations and divinations of his own brain and therefore they needed not much mind what he said Now mark these Athâ—ists what do they do they provoke the Lord to kindle a fire a universal fire an unquenchable fire an inextinguishable fire in the midst of Jerusalem which is here termed a Forest by reason of its barrenness and unfruitfulness and the multitudes that were in it and because it was fit for nothing but the Ax and the fire Atheiâ—m is a sin that has brought the greatest woes miseries destructions and desolations imaginable upon the most flourishing Kingdoms and most glorious Cities in the World Holy Mr. Greenham was wont to say that he feared rather Atheism then Popery would be Englands ruine O Sirs were there none within the Walls of London that said in their hearts with Dâ—vids Atheistical Psal 14. 1. fool There is no God Caligula the Emperor was such a one and Claudius thought himself a God till the loud Thunder affrighted him and then he hid himself and cryed Claudius nâ—n est Dâ—us Claudius is not a â—od Leo the X. Hilderbrand the Magician and Alexander the vI and Juâ—w the II. were all most wretched Atheists and thought tâ—aâ— whatever was said of Christ of Heaven of Hell of the day of Judgment and of the â—mmortality of the Soul were but dreams impostures toys and old wives fables Pope Paul the III. at the time of his death said he should now be resolved of three Qâ—estions that he had doubted of all his life 1. Whether the Soul was immortal or no 2. Whether there were a Hell or no 3. Whether there were a God or no And another grand Atheist said I know what I have here but I know not what I shall have hereafter Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was turned in ashes The Atheist in Psal 10. 11. say He will never see and in Psal 94. 7. they rise higher they say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it They labour to lay a Law of restraint upon God and to cast a mist before the Eye of his Providence And in Isa 29. 15. they say Who seeth us who knoweth us And in Ezek. 9. 9. they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not These Atheists shut up God in Heaven as a blind and ignorant God not knowing or not regarding what iâ— done on the Earth they imagine him to be a forgetful God or a God that seeth not Psal 73. 11. they say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High Thus they deny Gods Omnisciency and Gods Omnipresency which to do is to ungod the great God as much as in them lyes Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was destroyed by fire O how did practicaâ— Atheism abound in London How many within thy Walls O London did profess they knew God but in their works did deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto Titus 1. 16. every good work reprobate O Sirs some there are that live loosely under the Gospel that run into all excâ—ss of riot and that in the face of all promises and threatnings mercies and Judgments yea in the very face of life and death of Heaven and Hell and others there are that sin freely in secret that can be drunk and filthy in the dark when the eye of man is not upon them Certainly those mens hearts are very Atheistical that dare do that in the sight of God which they tremble to do before the eyes of men How many are there that put the evil day far from them that flatter themselves in their sins that with Agage conclude surely the bitterness of death is past and that Hell and wrath is past and that they are in a fair way for Heaven when every step they take is towards the bottomless pit And divine vengeance hangs over their heads ready every moment to fall upon them Are there not many that seldom pray and when they do how cold how careless how dull how dead how heartless how irreverent are they in all their addresses to the great God Are there not many such Atheists that use no prayer nor Bible but make Lucian their Old Testament and Machiavel their New Are there not many that grant there is a God but then 't is such a God as is made up all of mercy and thereupon they think and speak and do as wickedly as they please And are there not some that look upon God as a sin-revenging God and thereupon wish that there were no God or else that they were above him as Spira did And are there not others that have very odd and foolish conceptions of God as if he were an old man sitting in Heaven with royal Robes upon his back a glorious Crown upon his head and a Kingly Scepter in his hand and as if he had all the parts and proportion of a man as the Papists are pleased to picture him Some there are that are so drowned in sensual pleasures that they scarce remember that they have a God to honour a Hell to escape a Heaven to secure Souls to save and an Account to give up And others there are who when they find conscience begin to accuse and terrifie them then with Cain they Gen. 4. 1 Sam. 18. 6. 10. Job 31. 24. Phil. 3. 19. go to their buildingâ— or with Saul to their musick or with the Drunkards to their cups or with the Gamesters to their sports Some there are that make their gold their God as the Covetous others make their bellies their God as the Drunkard and the Glutton Some make Honours their Amos 6. Math. 23. God as the Ambitious and others make pleasures their God as the Voluptuous Some make religious Duties their God as the carnal Gospellers and others make their moral vertues their God as the civil honest man Now what abundance of such Atheists were there within and without the Walls of London before the fiery Judgment past upon it The Scripture attributes the ruine of the old world to Gen. 6. Atheism and Prophaneness and why may not I attribute the ruine and desolation of London to the same Practical Atheists are enough to overthrow the most flourishing Nations and the most flourishing Cities that are in all the World But to prevent all mistakes in a business of so great a concernment give me leave to say That if we speak of Atheists in a strict and proper sense as meaning such as have simply and constantly denied all Deity then I must say that there was never any such creature in the world as simply and constantly to deny that there is a God It is an
fire which was executed by Alexander the Great as Historians testifie 'T is not the Curtius lib. 4. Diod. Siculus lib. 17. strength nor riches nor situation nor trade nor honour nor fame nor antiquity of a City that can preserve it when God before-hand has by fire determined the destruction of it Tyrus was a City of the greatest Merchandising 't was a Ezek. 27. Isa 23. 5 6 7 8 9. City of mighty Trade they were set upon heaping up of riches by hook or by crook So riches came in though it â—ere at the door of oppression violence or injustice all was well The Traffick of Tyrus was great and the sins that attended that Traffick were very great and for these God sent a devouring fire amongst them which destroyed their Palaces and Treasuries and reduced their glorious City to ashes By the iniquity of their Traffick they had built Palaces and stately Houses and filled their Shops and Ware-houses and Cellars with rich and choice Commodities but when God brought Nebuchadnezzar upon them what the Chaldeans could not destroy by the Sword they consumed by fire turning all their glorious Palaces and stately Buildings and costly Shops and Ware-houses into ashes as Historians testifie So Ninive for greatness riches and antiquity was one of the noblest Cities in the world 't was the Capital and chief City of the Assyrian Empire and though God upon their repentance Jonah 3. humiliation did spare them for a time yet afterwards she returning to her old trade of robberies covetousness extortions fraud deceitful dealings c. God delivered her up as a prey into the hands of many of her enemies who wonderfully spoiled and pillaged her and at last God gave her into the hands of the Medes who brought her to a final and irrecoverable desolation according to the Prophesie of the Prophet Nahum Nahum 2. 10. She is empty and void â—nd waste and the heart melteth and the knees smite together â—nd much pain is in all loyns and the faces of them all gather blackness that is such blackness as is on the sides of a pot Verse 13 Behold I am against thee saith the Lord of Hosts See also Chap. 3. 12 13-15 and I will burn her chariots in the smoak The like Judgment fell upon Sidon and upon that rich and renowned City of Sabel Corinth which through the commodiousness of the Haven was the most frequented place in the world for the Entercourse Thucyd. of Merchants out of Asia and Europe and great and many were their sins about their Trade and Traffick and for these she was finally destroyed and turned into cinders and ashes by the Romans So Bribery is a sin that brings desolating and destroying Judgments both upon Persons and Places Amos 5. 10 11. For as much therefore as your treading is upon the poor and ye take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stones but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant vineyards but ye shall not drink wine of them for I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right Bribery is one of those mighty sins or one of those bony or big-boned sins as the Hebrew hath it for which God threatens to turn them out of house and home Bribery is a bony sin a huge sin a hainous sin a monstrous sin a sin that is capable of all manner of aggravations and therefore the Lord punisheth it with desolating Judgments Job 15. 34. And fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery or the receivers of gifts as both the Hebrew and the Septuagint may be read When wicked men build their houses their Tabernacles by pilling and polling by bribery cheating defrauding or over-reaching others 't is a righteous thing with God to set their houses on fire about their ears Thus Dioclesian had his house wholly consumed by Lightning and a flame of fire that fell from Heaven upon it as Eusebius tells De vita Constant lib. 5. us Upon such a generation of men as build their houses by bribery or oppression or deceit c. God many times makes good that word Job 18. 15. Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation and that word Micha 3. 11 12. The Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest Bribery and Covetousness had over-run all sorts of such as were in Power and Authority whether Civil or Ecclesiastical and for this Zion must be plowed as a field and Jerusalem become heaps and the Mountain of the House as the high places of the Forest By these exquisite terms the total and dismal desolation and destruction of Zion Jerusalem and the Temple that famous House that was once worthily reckoned one of the seven Wonders of the World is set forth unto us That Jerusalem that Gods Jer. 7. 4 5. House and Temple wherein they so much trusted and gloried should become as a mountainous Forest and Wilderness was incredible to them as the jumbling of Heaven and Earth together or the dethroning of God by taking the Crown from his Head and thrusting of him from his Chair of State and yet all this was made good according to that dreadful Prophesie of Christ There shall not be left one stone Luke 19. 43 44. upon another These are the sad effects of Bribery Covetousness c. So Prov. 29. 4. The King by judgment establisheth the Land but he that receiveth gifts or bribes overthrows it Ah London London were there none within nor without Prov. 17. 23. Psal 26. 10. thy Walls that did take a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of Judgment were there none whose right hands were full of bribes were there none like Samuels 1 Sam. 8. 3. Sons who turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted Judgment in the midst of thee were here no Rulers Hos 4. 18. nor others within nor without thy Walls that did love to say with shame Give ye or that asked for a reward or Micha 7. 3. that with Gehazi run after rewards or that were not ready to transgress for a piece of bread or that were not like the Prov. 28. 21. Hoâ—sleeches daughter still crying out give give Themistocles Prov. 30. 15. caused a brand of infamy to be set upon Athmius his children and all his posterity after him because he brought gold from the King of Persia to corrupt bribe and win the Grecians If all that were within and without the Walls of London that received bribes and run after rewards had a brand of infamy set upon them I am apt to think many of them would be
by inflicting the Judgment of Fire when the Sodomites burned in their lusts one towards another Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven The Lord rained brimstone and fire from the Lord that is by an elegant Hebraism from himself it being usual with the Hebrews to put the Noun for the Pronoun as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together Gen. 1. 27. 1 Sam. 15. 22. 2 Chron. 7. 2. 1 Kings 8. 1. Now this fiery vengeance came not from any inferior cause but from the supream cause even God himself This brimstone and material fire that was rained by the Lord out of Heaven was not by any ordinary course of Nature but by the immediate almighty power of God Doubtless it was the supernatural and miraculous work of the Lord and not from any natural cause that such showers not of water as when the Old world was drowned but of material fire and brimstone should fall from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah to which add Adama and Zeboim for all these four Cities were burnt together God rained not sprinkled yea he rained not fire only but fire and brimstone for the increase of their torment and that they might have a Hell above ground a Hell on this sâ—de Hell They had hot fire for their burning lusts and stinking brimstone for their stinking brutishness They burned with vile and unnatural lusts and therefore against the course of Nature fire falls down from Heaven and devours them and their stinking abominable â—â—lthiness is punished with the stench of brimstone mingled with fire Thus God delights to suit mens punishments to their sins yea that temporal fire that God rained out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah was but a fore-runner of their everlasting punishment in that Lake which burns with Rev. 21. 8. fire and brimstone for evermore The temporal punishment of the impenitent Sodomites did but make way to their Jude 7. eternal punishments as Jude tells us I readily grant that the fire of Hell was typified by that fire which fell from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah but I cannot conceive that the Apostle Jude in the place last-cited doth intend or design to prove that the Sodomites were destroyed by Hell-fire for in the History of Genesis to which the Apostle alludes there is no mention at all of Hell-fire or of Eternal fire and doubtless the example that should warn sinners to repent of their sins and to turn to the most High is to be taken from the History in Genesis I cannot at present see how Sodom and Gomorrah can be set forth as an example to sinners by suffering the punishment of Hell-fire when the History is wholly silent as to any such fire Some to mollifie the seeming austerity of that Phrase which Jude uâ—es viz. Eternal fire read the words thus Were made an example of eternal fire suffering vengeance by which construction they gather that the fire which hath irreparably destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was a type and figure of that fire of Hell of that Eternal fire that is reserved for wicked men and by which sinners ought to be warned Others by eternal fire understand the duration of the effects of the first temporal punishment the soil thereabout wearing the marks of divine displeasure to this very day Several Authors write that the Air there is so infectious that no creature can live there Josephus Tertullian Augustine c. and though the Apples and other fruit that grow there seem pleasant unto the eye yet if you do but touch them they presently turn into cinders and ashes The stinking Lake of Asphaltes near to Sodom is left as a perpetual Monument of Gods Vengeance killing all fish that swimmeth in it and fowls that flye over it Others by eternal fire understand an utter destruction according to that 2 Pet. 2. 6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow that is utterly destroyed them making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly God hangs them up in Gibbets as it were that others might hear and fear and not dare to do wickedly as they had done What though it be said that the fire wherewith these Sodomites were destroyed was eternal yet there is no necessity to understand it of Hell-fire for even that very fire which consumed those Cities may be called Eternal because the punishment that was inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah by fire was a punishment that should last as long as the world lasted God resolved those Cities should never be rebuilt but remain perpetual desolations in all generations Now in this sense the word Eternal is often used in the Scripture Again the fire and brimstone that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah was a type and figure of that eternal fire or those eternal torments that shall be inflicted upon all impenitent sinners for ever and ever The sum of all is this that the Sodomites by giving themselves over to fornication and by going after strange flesh did provoke the Lord to rain Hell out of Heaven upon them they did provoke the Lord to rain material fire and brimstone both upon their persons and their habitations Now give me leave to say that doubtless the body of the inhabitants of that famous City which is now laid in ashaes were as free from giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh as any in any part of the Nation yea more free then many in some parrs of the Nation yea give me leave to say that I cannot see how these sins that are charged upon the Sodomites can be clearly or groundedly charged upon any of the precious Servants of the Lord that did truly fear him in that renowned City And my Reasons are these First Because in all their solemn and secret Addresses to the Lord they have seriously lamented and mourned over these crying abominations Secondly Because mens giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are such high and horrid sins against the Light and Law of Nature that God commonly preserves his Chosen from them He shall be an Apoâ—lo to me that can produce any one instance in the Old or New Testament of any one person that after real and through Conversion did ever give himself over to fornication and to go after strange flesh Aristotle calls beastiality a furpassing wickedness By the Laws of those two Emperors Theodisius and Arcadius Sodomites were adjudged to the fire In the Councel of Vienna the Templers who were found guilty of this sin were decreed to be burnt And among the Romans it was lawful for him who was attempted to that abuse to kill him who made the assault Tertullian brings in Christianity triumphing over Paganism because this sin was peculiar to Heathens and that Christians never changed the Sex nor accompanied with any but their own wives This and such like as Tertullian speaks
they betrayed their trust they betrayed the lives of men into the hand of divine Justice and the Souls of men into the hands of Satan they polluted the Sanctuary they polluted the Holy things of God by managing of his Worship and Service in a prophane carnal way and with a light slight perfidious spirit and by perverting the true sense of the Law in their ordinary teaching of the people They did violence to the Law or they contemned removed or cast away the Law as the Oriâ—inal runâ— the Hebrew word here used signifies also to ravish Their Prophets and Psal 50. 17. Priests did ravish the Law of God by corrupting the Law and by putting false glosses upon it and by turnâ—ng of it intâ— such shapes and senses as would best suit the times and please the humours of the people Now for these abominations of their Prophets and Priests God denounces a dreadful Wo against the City of Jerusalem in vers 1. Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city Lam. 4. 11-13 The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce â—nger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured â—he foundation thereof For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquity of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her God sent a consuming flame into Jerusalem which did not only burn the tops of their houses but also the foundations themselves leaving no mark whereby they might know where their houses stood nor any hopes of building them up again But why did God kindle such a devouring fire in Jerusalem which was one of the World wonders and a City that was not only strong in situation and building and deemed impregnable but a City that was Gods own Seat the Palace of his Royal residence yea a City that the Lord had for many years to the admiration of all the world powâ—rfully and wonderfully protected against all those furious â—ssaults that were made upon her by her most potent and mighty Adversaries Answ For the sins of her Prophets â—nd the iniquities of her Priests as God himself testifies who can neither dye nor lye You may see this further confirmed if you please but seriously to ponder upon these Scriptures Mich. 2. 11. Isa 30. 10 11. Jer. 5. ult Hos 4. 9. Isa 9. 16. Lam. 2 14. Ezek. 3. 18. Ezek. 22. 25 26. 31. Jer. 23. 11. 14 15. 39 40. Look as the body Natural so the body Politick cannot be long in a good constitution whose more noble and essential parts are in a consumption The enormities of Ministers have the strongest influence upon the souls and lives of men to make them miserable in both worlds Their falls will be the fall and ruine of many for people are more prone to live by Examples then by Precepts and to mind more what the Minister does then what he says Praecépta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but Examples do perswade The Complaint is ancient in Seneca That commonly men Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem The people commonly make the Examples of their Ministers the Rules of their Actions and their Examples pass as current among them as their Princes Coyn. The Common-people are like tempered Wax easily receiving impressions from the Seals of their Ministers vices They make no bones of it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves by following the lewd Examples of their Ministers The Vulgar unadvisedly take up crimes on trust and perish by following of bad Examples I will leave the serious Reader to make such Application as in prudence and conscience he judges meet But Eleventhly Sometimes the sins of Princes and Rulers bring the fiery Dispensations of God upon Persons and Places Jer. It is a strange saying in Lipsius viz. That the names of all good Princes may easily be engraven or written in a small Ring Lips de Constantia lib. 2. cap. 25. 38. 17 18 23. Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of Hosts the God of Israel if thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the King of Babylons Princes then thy soul shall live and this city shall not be burnt with fire and thou shalt live and thine house But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babylons Princes then shall this city be given into the hands of the Chaldeans and they shall burn it with fire and thou shalt not escape out of their hand but shalt be taken by the hand of the King of Babylon and thou shalt cause this city to be burnt with fire Oâ— as the Hebrew runs Thou shalt burn this city with fire that is thou by thy obstinacy wilt be the means to procure the burning of this City which by a rendition of thy self thou mightest have saved So Jer. 34. 2. 8 9 10 11. compared with Chap. 37. 5. to vers 22. Judges and Magistrates are the Physitians of the State saith B. Lake in his Sermon on Ezra and sins are the diseases of it what skills it whether a Gangrene begins at the head or the heel seeing both ways it will kill except this be the difference that the head being nearer the heart a Gangrene in the head will kill sooner then that which is in the heel Even so will the sins of great Ones overthrow a State sooner then those of the meanest sort 2 Sam. 24. 9. to vers 18. But Twelfthly The abusing mocking and despising of the Messengers of the Lord is a sin that brings the fiery Dispensation Turn to these two pregnant Texts and ponder seriously upon them for they speak close in the case upon a People 2 Chron. 36. 15 16 17 18 19 Math. 23. 34. 37 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate Here is used the present for the future to note the certainty of the desolation of their City and Temple and their own utter ruines and about forty years after the Romans came and burnt their City and Temple and laid all waste before them They had turned the Prophets of the Lord out of all and therefore the Lord resolves to turn them out of all O Sirs will you please seriously to consider these six things First that all faithful painful conscientious Ministers or Messengers of the Lord are great Instruments in the hand of the Lord for stopping or steming the tide of all prophaneness and wickedness in a Land which bring all desolating Isa 58. 1. and destroying Judgments upon Cities and Countries 2. For converting Souls to God for turning poor sinners from Acts 26. 15 16 17 18. Dan. 12. 3. darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ 3. For promoting of Religion Holiness and Godliness in mens hearts houses and lives which is the only way under Heaven to render Cities Countries and Kingdoms safe happy and prosperous 4. For the weakning of the Kingdom of
is a choice mercy to have God at hand and the creatures at hand when wâ— most need them So 't is a fore Judgement to have God at a distance and the creatures remote when they should be oâ— most service and use unto us Certainly Gods arming of thâ— Element of fire against us and his denying at the same time water unto us cannot but be a signal of his great indignation against us And therefore it highly concerns us to see thâ— hand of the Lord in that late lamentable fire that has been amongst us But Secondly Consider the suddenness and unexpectedness of this Judgement Who among all the burnt Citizens did ever expect to see London laid in ashes in four dayes time Gods Judgements many times seize upon mens persons houses and estates as the Souldiers did Archimedes whilst he was busie in drawing lines in the dust Isa 64. 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for When the Citizens saw London in flames they might truly have said This is a terrible thing which we looked not for we were minding our business our Shops our trades our profits our pleasures our delights we were studying and plotting and contriveing how to make our selves and our children great and rich and high and honourable in the earth and it never entered into our thoughts that the destruction of London by fire was so near at hand as now we have found it to be Isa 47. 7 8 9 11. Thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever so that thou Babylon bore it self bold upon the seventy years provision laid up before hand to stand out a Siege and upon its strength and riches but for all this 't was taken by Cyrus didst not lay these things to thy heart what things we the Judgements of God that were threatned neither didst remember the latter end of it Therefore hear now this thou that art given to pleasures that dwellest carelesly that sayest in thine heart I am and none else besides me I shall not sit as a widow neither shall I know the loss of children But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day the loss of Children and Widowhood they shall come upon thee in their perfection Evil shall come upon thee and thou shal s not know from whence it riseth and mischief shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know Was not London the Lady City of our Land Did the inhabitants of London lay those Judgements of God to heart that they either felt or feared Did London remember her latter end Were not most of the inhabitants of London given to sinful pleasures and delights Did they not live carelesly and securely Were they ever so secure and inapprehensive of their danger than at this very time when the flames broke forth in the midst of them They had newly escaped the most sweeping Plague that ever was in the City and Suburbs but instead of finding out the plague of their hearts and mourning over the Plague of their 1 King 8. 37 38. Isa 9. 13 14 15. Jer. 8. 6. hearts and repenting of the evil of their doings and teturning to the Most High they returned to their fins and their Trades together from both which for a time the Plague had frighted them concluding in themselves that surely the bitterness of death was past They thought that the worst was past and that after so dreadful a storm they 1 Sam. 15. 32. should have a blessed calm and dreamed of nothing but peace and quiet and safety and Trade striving with all their might to make up those losses that they had sustained by the Pestilence They having escaped the Grave when so many score thousands were carried to their long homes were very secure they never thought that the City which had been so lately infected by a contagious Plague was so near In the Moneth of Septemb. the Plague was at the highest and in the same Moneth the flames of London were at highest Doubtless there is some mysterie in this sad Providence London was Judgement-proof Plague-proof in Septemb. 65. and therefore God set London in flames in September 66. being buried in its own ruines they never imagined that the whole City should be put in flames to purge that Air that their sins had infected And therefore no wonder if desolation came upon them suddenly in a moment in one day No marvail that so great a Fire was kindled in the very heart of the City and they not see the hand that kindled it nor have no hands nor hearts to quench it Judgements are never so near as when men are most secure 1 Thess 5. 3. The old world was very secure until the very day that Noah entered into the Ark. Luke 17. 27. They did eat they drank they married wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all Luther observeth that it was in the Spring that the flood came when every thing was in its prime and pride and noing less looked for than a flood They neither believed nor regarded Noahs preaching nor his preparations for his own and his childrens security but merrily passed without intermission from eating to drinking and from drinking to marriage till the very day that the flood came and swept them all away Their destruction was foretold them to a day but they were drown'd in security and would take no notice of Noahs predictions nor their own peril They had made their guts their God they had buried their wits in their guts and their brains in their bellies and so were neither awakened nor bettered by any thing that either Nâ—ah said or did and so they perished suddenly and unexpectedly So Sodâ—m was very secure till the very day that fire and brimstone was rained from Heaven about their ears ver 28 29. Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot They did eat they drank Gen. 19. 23. 24. they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodom but Sodom was as soon taken out of the world their fair sunshine morning had a foul dismal evening they had a hansel of Hell on this side Hell they past through fire and brimstone here to an eternal fire in Hell as Jude speaks So Jude 7. the Jews were deadly secure before the first and latter destruction both of their City and Countrey by sword and fire Compare these together Amos 6. 3. Lam. 4. 11 12. Ezek. 12. 22 27 28. Hab. 1. 7. Luke 2. 19 41 42 43 44. All the world could not perswade them that their Temple and City should be laid in Ashes till the Chaldeans at one time and the Romans at another
nor ears never heard of before nor tongues never discoursed of before nor Pens never writ of before Beloved you know that 't is our duty to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord in the least Judgement and in every particular Judgement Oh how much more then dos it highly concern us to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord that has been lifted up against us in that late dreadful impartial universal fire that has burnt us all out of our habitations and laid our City desolate But Seventhly Consider the greatness of it the destructiveness of it Oh the many thousand families that were destroyed and impoverished in four dayes time Of many it might have been said the day before the fire who so rich as London was the Lady-City where the Riches of many Nations were laid up I would rather be bound to weep over London than be bound to summ up the losses of London by this dreadful fire these and the very next day it might have been said of the same persons who so poor as these as poor as Job yea poor to a Proverb Jer. 21. 13 14. Behold I am against thee O inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in the forrest thereof and it shall devour all things round about it Some by the Forrest understand the fair and sumptuous buildings in Jerusalem that were built with wood that was hewen out of the Forrest of Libanon and stood as thick as Trees in the Forrest Others by the Forrest understand the whole City of Jerusalem with the Countrey round about it that was as full of people as a Forrest is full of Trees Others by Forrest understand the house of the Lord and the Kings house and the houses of the great Princes which were built with excellent matter from the Wood of Lebanon Jerusalem was 2 Sam. 5. 6. so strongly dâ—fended by nature that they thought themselves invincible as once the Jebusites did they were so confident of the strength of their City that they scorned the proudest and the strongest enemies about them But sin had brought them low in the eye of God so that he could see nothing eminent or excellent among them and therefore the Lord resolves by the Chaldees to fire their magnificent buildings in which they gloried and to turn their strong and stately City into a ruinous heap Though Jerusalem Psalm 125. 2. stood in a Vale and was environed with Mountains yet the upper part of it stood high as it were upon a rocky rising hill Now the Citizens of Jerusalem trusted very much in the scituation of their City they did not fear their being besieged straitned conquered or fired and therefore they say Who shall come down against us Who shall enter into our habitation Where is the enemy that has courage or confidence enough to assault our City or to enter into our habitations but God tells them that they were as barren of good fruit as the Trees of the Forrest were barren of good fruit and therefore he was resolved by the hand of the Chaldeans to hew them down and to fire their most stately Structures and to turn their glorious City in which they greatly trusted and gloried into a ruinous heap All which accordingly was done not long after by Nebuzaradan and his Army as you may see in Jer. 52. 12 13 14 15. How often hath the Citizens of London been alarm'd with the cry of fire which hath been as often extinguished before they could well know where it was and how it began but all former fires were but small fires but Bon-fires to this dreadful fire that has been lately amongst us In the twentieth year of the Reign of William the first so Sir Richard Bakers Chronicle p. 31. 47. great a fire happened in London that from the West-gate to the East-gate it consumed houses and Churches all the way This was the most grievous fire that ever happened in that City saith my Author And in the Reign of King Henry the first a long tract of buildings from West-cheap in London to Aldgate was consumed with fire And in King Stephens Reign there was a fire that began at London Stone and consumed all unto Aldgate These have been the most remarkable fires in London But what were any of these or all these to that late dreadful fire that has been amongst us London in those former times was but a little City and had Eccles 9. 14. but a few men in it in comparison of what it was now London was then but as a great Banqueting-house to what it was now Nor the consumption of London by fire then was Can. 2. 4. nothing proportionable to the consumption of it by fire now For this late lamentable devouring fire hath laid waste the greatest part of the City of London within the walls by far and some part of the Suburbs also More than fourscore Parishes and all the Houses Churches Chappels Hospitals and other the great and magnificent buildings of Pious or Publick use which were within that circuit are now brought into ashes and become one ruinous heap This furious raging fire burnt many stately Monuments to powder it melted the Bells in the Steeples it much weakned and shattered the strongest Vaults under ground O what Age or Nation hath ever seen or felt such a dreadful visitation as this hath been Nebuzaradan General to the King of Babylon first sets the Temple of Jerusalem on fire and then the Jos Aâ—t p. 255. A. M. 3356. Kings Royal Palace on fire and then by fire he levells all the houses of the great men yea and all the houses of Jerusalem are by fire turned into a ruinous heap according to Jer. 52. 12 13 14. what the Lord had before foretold by his Prophet Jeremiah Now this was a lamentable fire Some hundred years after the Roman Souldiers sackt the City and set it on fire and Jos Aâ—t p. 741. A. M. 4034. laid it desolate with their Temple and all their stately buildings and glorious monuments Three or four Towers and the Wall that was on the West side they left standing as monuments of the Romans valour who had surpized a City so Jos Aâ—t p. 745. strongly fortified All the rest of the City they so plained that they who had not seen it before would not believe that it had ever been inhabited Thus was Jerusalem one of the worlds wonders and a City famous amongst all Nations Luke 19. 41 42 43 44. Tacit. Aâ— 15. made desolate by fire according to the prediction of Christ some years before There was a great fire in Rome in Nero's time it spread it self with that speed and burnt with that violence till of fourteen
Regions in Rome there were but four left entire I know there are some who would make the world believe that this fire began casually as many now would perswade us that the late fire in London did but I rather joyn issue with them who conclude that Nero set Rome on fire and when he had done he laid it upon Aâ—no 64. the Christians and thereupon grounded his Persecution as all know that have read the History of those times Anno 80. Rome was set on fire by fire from Heaven say some it burned three dayes and nights and consumed the Capitol with many other stately Buildings and glorious Monuments it burnt with that irresistible fury that the Historian concludes that it was more than an ordinary fire And in the time of Commodius the Emperour there happened such a dreadful fire in Rome as consumed the Temple of Peace and all the most stately Houses Princely Palaces glorious Structures and rare Monuments that were in the City In the Reign of Achmat the eighth Emperour of the Turks Knolâ—'s General History of the Turks pag. 1275. about the beginning of November a great fire arose at Constantinople wherein almost five hundred Shops of Wares with many other fair Buildings were destroyed by fire so that the harm that was then done by fire was esteemed to amount to above two Millions of Gold But alas what was this fire and loss to the fire of London and the loss of the Citizens in our day In Constantinople in A. D. 465. in the beginning of September there brake forth such a fire by the water side as raged with that dread force and fury and violence four dayes and nights together that it burnt down the greatest part of the City the strongest and the stateliest houses being but as dried stubble before it It bid defiance to all means of resistance it went on triumphing and scorning all humane helps till it had turned that great and populous City once counted by some the wonder of the world into a ruinous heap This of all fires comes nearest to the late fire of London but what is the burning of a thousand Romes and a thousand Constantinoples or the burning of ten thousand Barbarous Cities to the burning of one London Where God was as greatly known and as dearly loved and as highly prized and as purely served as he was in any one place under the whole Heavens O Sirs 't is our duty and our high concernment to see the hand of the Lord and to acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the least fires how much more then does it become us to see the hand of the Lord lifted up in that late dreadful fire that has laid our City desolate But Eighthly Consider how all sorts ranks and degrees of men were terrified amused amazed astonished and dispirited in the late dreadful fire that was kindled in the midst of us When men should have been a strengthning of one anothers hands and encouraging of one another hearts to pull down and blow up such houses as gave life and strength to the surious flames how were their hearts in their heels every one flying before the fire as men flye before a victorious enemy What a Palsie what a great trembling had seized upon the heads hands and hearts of most Citizens as if they had been under Cain's curse most men were unman'd and amazed and therefore no wonder if the furious flames received no check In former fires when Deut. 28. 65. 1 Sam. 13. 7. 14 15. Acts 1 12 Why stand ye gazing O the feebleness the frighâ—s the tremblings the distractions that was then in every house in every heart When a Ship is sinking 't is sad to see every man run to his Cabin when every one should be at the Pump or a stopping of Leaks Magistrates and People had resolved hearts and active hands how easily how quickly were those fires quenched But now our Rulers minds were darkned and confused their Judgements infatuated their souls dispirited and their ears stopped so that their Authority did only accent their misery and this filled many Citizens hearts with fear terror amazement and discontent these things being done the City quickly was undone Had the care and dâ—ligence both of Magistrates and People been more for the securing of the publick goâ—d than 't was for securing their own private interest much of London by a good hand of Providence upon their endeavours might have been standing that is now turned into a ruinous heap Troy was lost by the sloth and carelesness of her inhabitants and may I not say that much of London was lost by the sloth and carelesness of some and by the fears frights and amazement of others and by others endeavouring more to secure their own Packs and Patrimonies than the safety of the whole When London was in flames mens courage did flag and their spirits did fail the strong helpers stood helpless Some stood loking on others stood weeping and shaking their heads and wringing their hands and others walkt up and down the Streets like so many Ghosts Psal 76. 5. The stout hearted are spoiled or as the Hebrew runs the stout hearted have yielded themselves up for a prey which the Rabbins thus expound They are spoiled of their understandings and infatuated and none of the men of might have found their hands or as some read the words none of the men of riches that is rich men have found their hands or as others carry the words God took away their courage and their wonted strength failed them So when London was in flames how were high and low rich and poor honorable and base spoiled of their understanding and infatuated The Lord took away all wisdom courage counsel and strength from them So Judges 20. 40. But when the flamâ—s began to arise out of the City with a pillar of smoke the Benjamites looked behind them and behold the flame of their City ascended up to Heaven and when the men of Israel â—urned again the men of Benjamin were amazed for they saw that evil was come upon them These Benjamites were the very picture of oâ—r Citizens for when they saw the flame began to arise out of the City with a Pillar of smoke when they saw the flame of the City ascend up to Heaven O how amazed and consounded were they All wisdom courage and council was taken away both from Magistrate and People and none of them could find either heads hands or hearts to prevent Job 34. 19 20 24. Londons desolation In Psal 76. v. ult God is said to cut off the Spirits of Princes or as the Hebrew runs He shall slip off the Spirits of Princes as men slip off a bunch of Grapes or a Flower bâ—tween their fingers easily suddenly unexpectedly as he did by Senacheribs Princes Princes usually are men 1 Kings 19 36. of the greatest spirits and yet sometimes God dos dispirit them he slips off their spirits as men do a
to the ground to see this City sit like a desolate Widow in the dust Such a sight made Jeremiah to lament Lament 1. 1. How doth the City sit solitary speaking of Jerusalems ruine that was full of people How is she become as a widow She that was great among the Nations and Princes among the Provinces How is she become tributary Let prophane ignorant superstitious and Popish desamers of London say Jer. 9. 1 2 3. Ezek. 9. 4. 6. what they please yet doubtless God had more of his mourning ones and of his marked ones in that City than he had in a great part of the Nation beside There was a time when London was a faithful City a City of righteousness a City of Renown a City of Praise a City of Joy yea the Paradise of the world in respect of the power and purity of Gospel-Ordinances and that glorious light shined in the midst of her Who can remember those dayes of old and not mourn to see such a City buried in its own Ruines Under the whole Heavens there were not so many thousands to be found that truly feared the Lord in so narrow a compass of ground as was to be found in London and yet lâ— London is laid in the dust and the Nations round gaze and wonder at her desolation Who can but hang down hiâ— head and weep in secret for these things But Fourthly who did look upon London as the Bullwark a the Strong-hold of the Nation that can't mourn to seâ— their â—ullwark their Strong hold turned into a ruinous heap Psal 48. 12 13. Walk about Sion and tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her Bullwarks confider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following Sion had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but at last the Chaldeans at one â—er 52. 12 13. Luke 19. 41 45. time and the Romans at another laid them all waste So London had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but they are now laid desolate and many fear and others say by male-content Villains and mischievous Forreigners of a Romish faith London was once terrible as an Army with Cant. 6. 10. Banners How terrible were the Israelites encâ—mped and bannered in the Wilderness unto the Moabites Canaanites c. Exod. 15 14 15 16. So was London more than once terrible to all those Moabites Canaanites that have had thoughts to swallow her up and to divide the prey among themselves How terrible were the Hussites in Bohemia to the Germans when all Germaâ—y were up in arms against them and worsted by them London hath been as terrible to those that have been cozen-Germans to the Germans London was once a Battel-ax and Battel-bow in the hand of the Almighty which he has wielded Jer. 51. 20 Zech. 9. 10. Chap. 10. 4. Ezek. 21. 31. against her proudest strongest and subtillest enemies Was not London the Head City the Royal Chamber the glory of England the Magazine of Trade and Wealth the City that had the Strength and Treasure of the Nation in it Were there not many thousands in London that were men of fair estates of exemplary piety of tried valour of great prudence and of unspotted Reputation and therefore why should it seem impossible that the fire in London should be The French were then drawn down to the Sea side and great were the fears of many upon that account Remember the Gun-Powder Plot. the effect of desperate designs and complotments from abroad seconded and incouraged by male-contents at home London was the great Bullwark of the Reformed Religion against all the Batteries of Popery Atheism and Prophaneness and therefore why should any English man wonder if these uncircumcised ones should have their heads and their hands and their hearts engaged in the burning of London Such whose very Principles leads them by the hand to blow up Kings Princes Parliaments and Reformed Religion to make way for their own Religion or for the good old Religion as some are pleased to call it such will never scruple to turn such Cities such Bulwarks into a ruinous heap that either stands in their way or that might probably hinder their game In all the Ages of the world wicked Dan. 11. 24 39 men have designed the ruine and laying waste of Christians Bulwarks and Strong-holds in order to the rooting out of the very name of Christians as all know that have read any thing of Scripture or History and therefore why should any men think it strange if that Spirit should still be at work Was ever England in such eminent danger of being made a prey to forreign power or of being rid by men of a forraign Religion and whose Principles in Civil Policy are very dangerous both to Prince and People as it hath been since the firing of London or since that Bullwark has been Gen. 31. 24 29. Chap. 33. 1 4. 2 Kings 19. 27 28 32. turned into a ruinous heap Had not the great God who laid a Law of Restraint upon churlish Laban and upon bloody Esau and his four hundred bloody cut-throats and upon proud blasphemous Senacherib laid also a Law of restraint upon ill-minded men what mischief might they not then have done when many were amazed and astonished and many did hang down their heads and fold their hands crying alas alas London is fallen and when many had sorrow in their hearts paleness upon their cheeks and trembling in all their joints yea when the flames of London were as Dan. 5. 5 6. terrible to most as the hand-writing upon the wall was to Belshazzar How mightily the burning of London would have retarded the supplies of men money and necessaries which would have been needful to have made opposition against an invading enemy had we been put to it I shall not here stand to dispute Whilst London was standing it could raise an Army and pay it when it had done London was the Sword and sinews of War but when London was laid in ashes the Citizens were like Sampson when his hair was cut Judg. 16. 18 19 20. Gen 34 25. off and like the Sechemites when they were sore Beloved the People of God have formerly made the firing of their strong holds matter of bitter Lamentation as you may see in 2 Kings 8. 11 12. And he setled his countenance stedfastly until he was ashamed till Hazael blushed to see the Prophet look so earnestly upon him and the man of God wept and Hazael said why weepeth my Lord and he answered because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire well and what will he do when their strong holds are in flames or turned into a ruinous heap why this you may see in the following words and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dasâ— their children and rip up their women with child Other Kings of Syria had born an immortal
vessels of Honour Commonly the most afflicted Christians are the most golden Christians Zechary 13. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God The fire of London was rather Physick than Poison there was more of a Paternal chastisement than there was of an extirpating vengeance in it and therefore certainly it shall work well it shall issue well The ninth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That there was a great mixture of mercy in that dreadful Judgement of fire that has turned London into a ruinous heap At the final destruction of Jerusalem there was not one stone left upon Luke 19. 41. 45. another This might have been thy case O London had not mercy triumphed over Justice and over all the plots and designs of men Though many thousand houses are destroyed yet to the praise of free grace many thousand houses in the City and Suburbs have been preserved from the rage and violence of the flames What a mercy wâ—s that that Zâ—ar should be standing when Sodom was laid in ashâ—s Gen. 19. And what a mercy was this that your houses should be standing when so many thousand houses have been laid desolate Is more than a third part of the Ciâ—y destroyed by fire Wâ—y the whole City might have been destroyed by fire and all the Suburbs round about it But in the midst of wrath God has remembred mercy in the midst of great seveâ—ity Psalm 136. 23. God has exercised great clemency Had the fire come on with that rage fury and triumph as to have laid both City and Subâ—rbs level we must have said with thâ— Church The Lâ—rd is â—ighteous Had the three Children their Songs Lam. 1. 18. in the midst of the fiery Furnace and why should not they have their Songs of praise whose housâ—s by a miraculous Providenâ—e were preserved in the miâ—st oâ— Londons flames O Sirs what a mixture of mercy was there in this fiery calamity that all your lives should be spared and that many of your houses should be preserved and that much of your goods your wares your commodâ—ties shouâ—d be snatcht as so many fire-brands out of the fire If ever there were an obligation put upon a people to cry Grace Grace Grace the Lord has put one upon you wâ—o hâ—ve bâ—â—n shâ—â—â—rs in that mixture of mercy that God has exâ—ended to â—he many thousand sufferers by Lâ—ndons flames Had this Jâ—dgement of fire been inflâ—cted when tâ—e raging Pâ—stilence swâ—pt away some thousands every Week and when he City was even left naked as to her inhabâ—tants and when the whole Nation Josh 2. 9 10 11. was under a dreaâ—ful â—â—ar â—reâ—bling anâ— dâ—smayedness of spirit might there not have been far greater desolations both of houses goods and lives in the midst of us Had God conâ—ended with London by Pesâ—ilence and fire at once who would â—â—ve lodged your persons in their beds or your goods in heir Barns Had these two dreadful Judgements met Londoners would have met with but few frienâ—s in the world Well when I look upon Londons sins and deserts on the onâ— hand and upon the principles old hatred plots designs rage and wrath of some malicious persons on the other Ezek. 25. 15. hand instead of wondering that so much of the City and Suburbs is destroyed I rather wonder that any one house Tacitus writing of Rome saith Sâ—quituâ— clades omâ—ibus quid â—bi pâ—r violâ—â—â—iam igâ—ium accideraâ— gravior atque aâ—â—oior Aâ—â—al lib. 15. p. â—91 It was rich mercy that it was not so wiâ—h Loâ—don in the City or Suburbs is preserved Whilst London was in flames and all men under a high distraction and all tâ—ings in a sad confusion a secret subtle designing powerful enemy mâ—ght have risen up in the midst of you that might have spoiled your goods ravâ—shed your wives defloured your daughters and after all this have sheathed their swords in all your bowels and in that it fell not out thus what cause have Londâ—ners to bow for ever before preventing and restraining Grace Since the creation of the world God has never been so severe in the execution of his most dreadful Judgements as not to remember mercy in the midst of wrath When he drowned the old world who before were drowned in lusts and pleasures he extended mercy to Noah and his family When he rained Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah turning those rich and pleasant Gen. 19. Cities into ruinous heaps he gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey And when by fire and sword he had made Jerusalem a dreadful spectacle of his wrath and vengeance Isa 6. 11 12 13. Jer. 5. 10. 18. yet then a remnant did escape This truth we Citizens have experienced or else we and our all before this day had been destroyed Every Citizen should have this Motto written in characters of Gold on his fore-head It is of Lam. 3. 22. the Lords mercies that we are not consumed God might have made London like Sodom and Gomorrah but in the day of his anger some beams of his favour darted forth upon your London By which means the hopes of some are so far revived as to expect that London yet may be re-built and blest That 's a dreadful word When he begins he will make an end 1 Sam. 3. 12. Jer. 4. 4. Chap. 21. 12. and the fire of his wrath shall burn and none shall quench it These eradicating Judgements had certainly fallen upon London had not the Lord in the midst of his fury remembred mercy If the Lord had not been on our side may London now Psalm 124. 1 2 3. say if the Lord had not been on our side when the fire rose up against us then the fire had swallowed us up quick when its rage was kindled against us Doubtless God ne-never mingled a cup of wrath with more mercy than this Tâ—ough the fire of London was a very great and dreadful fire yet it was not so great nor so dreadful a fire as that of Sâ—dom and Gomorrah was for that fire of Sodom and Gomâ—rrah First It was a miraculous fire a fire that was besides beyond and against the course of Nature Gen. 19. 24. Then They sinned agaâ—nâ—t the light and course of nature and theâ—efore they were destroyâ—d against the course of nature by fire from Heaven the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire frâ—m the Lord out of Heaven Fire mingled with brimstone hath bâ—en found 1. Most obnoxious to the eyâ—s 2. Most loathsome to the smell And 3. Most fierce in burning He hit the mark who speaking of fire and brimâ—â—one sâ—id
The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air Maâ—th 8 20. have nests or resting places where they go to rest as under a Tent like as the Greek word properly imports But the Son of man hath not where to lay his head He doth not say Kings have Palaces but I have none nor he dos not say that rich men have Houses and Lands and Lordships to entertain their followers but I have none But the Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Christ was willing to undeceive the Scribe and to shew him his mistake thou thinkest O Scribe by following of me to get riches and honor and preferment and to be some body in the world but thou art highly mistaken for I have neither Silver nor Gold Lands nor Lordships no not so much as a house to put my head in When I was torn I was born in a Stable and laid in a Mâ—nger and now Luke 2. 17. Chap. 8. 3. Maâ—th 17. 27. I live upon others and am maintained by others I am not rich enough to pay my Trâ—bute and therefore do'nt deceive thy self The great Architect of the world had not a house to put his head in but emptied himself of all and became poor to make us rich not in gooâ—s but in Grace not in Phil. 2. 7 2 Cor. 8. 9 Christi Paupertas meum est patâ—imoâ—iam Ambros worldly wealth but in the treasures of another world He that was heir of both worlds had not a house of his own to put his head in Christ lived poor and died poor As he was born in another mans house so he was buried in another mans Tomb. Austin observes when Christ died he made no Will he had no Crown-lands only his Coat was left and that the Souldiers parted amongst themselves Are you houseless are you penyless are you poor and low and mean in this world So was Christ Remember the servant is not greater than his Lord. 'T is good seriously to John 13. 16. ponder upon that saying of Christ The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord It is enough for Matth. 10. 24 25. the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord. If Joab the Lord General be in Tents it is a shame for Vâ—iah to take his ease at home in a soft bed It is unseemly 2 Kâ—ngs 11. 11. to see the Head all begored with blood and crowned with Thorns and the members to be decked with Roses and Jewels and to smell of rich Odors Spices and Perfumes Art thou in a worse condition than Chrisl was in this world Oh no no. Why then dost thou murmur and complain Why dost thou say there is no sorrow to thy sorrow nor no suffering to thy suffering O Sirs it is honor enough for the Disciples of Christ to fare as Christ fared in this world Why should the Servant be in a better condition than his Lord Is not that Sâ—rvant happy enough that is equal with his Lord Did the burnt Citizens but seriously and frequently meditate and ponder upon the poverty and low estate of Christ whilst he was in this world their hearts would be more calm and quieâ— under all their crosses and losses than now they are But Twelfthly Though your houses are burnt and your habitations laid desolate and you have no certain dwelling place c. yet your outward condition in this world is not worse than theirs was of whom this world was not worthy Lam. 5 2. Our inhâ—ritance is turned to strangers our houses to Aliens Psalm 107. 4 5. They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them 1 Cor. 4. 11. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place Heb 11. 37 38. They wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins being destitute afflicted tormented They wandered in desarts and in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth Some of the learned by their wandering up and down in Sheep skins and Goat skins do understand their disguising of themselves for their better security One well observes from the words That they did Chrysostome not only wander and were removed from their own habitation but that they were not quiet even in the Woods Desarts Mountains Dens and Caves of the earth but were hunted by their Persecutors from Desart to Desart and from Mountain to Mountain and from Den to Den and from one Cave to another But hereupon some might be ready to object and reply These were the very worst of the worst of men Surely these Object were very vile base and unworthy wretches these were the greatest of sinners c. Oh no They were such saith the Holy Ghost of whom Answ the world was not worthy The Heathenish world the poor blâ—nd ignorant Atheistical world the prophane superstitious Idolatâ—ous oppressing and persecuâ—ing world was â—ot worthy of them that is they were not woâ—â—hy 1. Of their presence and company 2. They were not worthy of their prayers and tears 3 They were not worthy of their counsel and advice 4. They were not worthy of their gracious lives and examples In this Scripture you may plainly see that their wandering up and down in Desarâ—s and on the Mountains and in Dens and in the Caves of the earth is reckoned up amongst those great and dreadful things that the Saints suffered in that woful day Those precious souls that dwelt in Caves and Dâ—ns and wandered up and down in Sheep skins and Goat skins might have rustled in their Silks Sattins and Velvets they might Nebuchadnâ—zzar like have vaunted themselves on their stately Turrets and Palaces if they would have wounded their consciences and have turned their backs upon Christ and Religion Now if the burnt up Citizens of London would but seriously lay to heart the sad dispensations of God towards his choicest worthies then their hearts would neither faint nor sink under their present losses crosses and sufferings But Thirteenthly and lastly There is a worse fire than that which has turned London into a ruinous heap viz the fire of Hell which Christ has freed believers from There is unquenchable fire Matth. 3. 12. He will burn up the chaffâ— Luke 3. 17. Matth. 18. 8. with unquenchable fire There is everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. The sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Wicked men who are now the only burning Jolly fellows of the time shall one day go from burning to Some devout Personages caused thâ—s Scripture to be writ in letters of Gold upon their Chimney pieces B. of Betty in France in his Draught of Eternity Gen 4. 17. Amos
12. Eccles 9. 18. One sinner destroyeth much good O then what a world of good will a Rabble of sinners destroy Princes and people continue to do wickedly together then they shall be consumed together Zeph. 1. 12. I will search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil Verse 13. Therefore their goods shall become a booty and their houses a desolation Verse 17. And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blind men because they sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust and their flesh as the dung Verse 18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole Land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Now if any of you whose houses are laid desolate have had your spirits imbittered and engaged against the poor people of God for practising as Christ and his Apostles did Then lay your hands upon your mouths and say the Lord is righteous though he has turned us out of house and home and laid all our pleasant things dâ—solate Certainly all that legal and ceremonial holiness of places which we read of in the Old Testament did quite vanish and expire with the Types when Christ who is the substance at which all those shadows pointed came into the world I have neither faith to believe nor any reason to see that there is in any separated or consecrated places for Divine Worship any such legal or ceremonial kind of holiness which renders Duties performed there more acceptable Mâ—râ— â—n Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pagâ— unto God than if performed by the same persons and in the like manneâ— in any other places Doubtless Christ by his coming in the flesh hath removed all distinction of places through legal holiness this is clear by the Speech of our Saviour to the Samaritan woman concerning the abolishing of all distinction of places for Worship through a ceremonial holiness John 4. 21. Jesus saith unto her woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father The publick Worship of God was now to be restrained to no place as formerly it was to the Temple at Jerusalem That is to no place for its ceremonial holiness which may render the parts of Divine Worship more acceptable to God than if performed elsewhere Because those Types which sanctified the places formâ—rly were now to be taken away when Christ the substance was come And the body of the Ceremonial Worship being now to expire and the partition wall taken down that the Gentiles might be admitted to worship God in spirit and in truth It could not possibly be for these Reasons That the true Worship of God should be tyed and fixed to any one such Temple as was at Jerusalem any more The Temple at Jerusalem was a mean of Gods Worship and part of their Ceremonial Service and a Type of Christ but our Temples saith my Author are not a part Weeâ—nes 1. Vol. Chrâ—stâ—an Synagogue p. 110. of the Worship of God nor Types of the body of Christ Neither are we bound when we pray to set our faces towards them They are called places of prayer only because the Saints meâ—t there and if the Saints meeting were not in them they were but like other common places The Temple of Jerusalem sanctified the meetings of the Saints but the meeting of the Saints sanctifies our Temples Herods Temple at Jerusalem was so set on fire by Titus his Souldiers that it could not be quenched by the industry of man and at the same time Apolâ—o's Tâ—mple at Delphi was utterly overthrown by Earth-quakes and Thunder-bolts and neither of them could ever since be repaired The concurrence of which two Miracles saith mine Author evidently sheweth Godw. Aâ—tiq Hâ—b that the time was then come when God would put an end both to Jewish Cerâ—monies and Hâ—athenish Idolatry that the Kingâ—om of his Son might be the better established The time of Christs death and passion was the very time that God in his eternal counsel had set for the abrogation of the Ceremonial Law and all ceremonial holiness of places As soon as ever Christ had said It is finished and had given up John 19. 30. â—he ghost immediately the Vail of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottom and from that very hour there Matth. 27. 51. was no more holiness in the Temple than in any other place By the death of Christ all religious differences of places is taken away So that no one place is holier than another Before the coming of Christ the whole Land of Canaan because it was a Type of the Church of Chrâ—st and of the Kingdom of Heaven was esteemed by Gods people a better and holier place than any other in the world And upon that ground among others Jacob and Joseph were so Gen. 47. 29 31. Chap. 49. 29. desirous to be buried there And in the Land of Canaan some places are said to have been more holy than others viz. Such as wherein God did manifest himself in a special and sensible manner So the place where Christ appeared to Moses in the fiery Bush is called Holy Ground and so was that wherein he appeared to Joshua And the Mount Exod. 3 5. Josh 5. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 18. whereon Christ was transfigured is called by Peter the Holy Mount But these places were no longer accounted holy than during the time of this special presence of the Lord in them So Jerusalem was called the Holy City yea at the very moment Matth. 4. 5. Chap. 27. 53. of Christs death it is called the Holy City because it was a City set apart by God for a holy use a City where he was daily worshipped a City that he had chosen to put his name upon Though Jerusalem was a very wicked City yea the wickedst City in all the world counting the means they enjoyed yet 't is called the Holy City and so doubtless in respect of separation and dedication it was hâ—lier than any other City or place in the world besides So the Temple in Jerusalem is nine times called the Holy Temple Psal 5. 7. 11. 4. 65. 4. 79. 1. 138 2. Jonah 2. 4 7. Mich. 1. 2. Hab. 2. 20. because it was a more holy place than any other place in Jerusalem Now mark though all the parts of the Temple were holy yet some places in it were holier than other some This may be made evident three wayes First There was a place where the people stood separated from the Priests Luke 1. 10. And this was so holy a place that Christ would not suffer any to carry any vessel through it
commanded six dayes to labour were also commanded to offer Morning and Evening Sacrifice daily They had their Morning Sacrifice when they entred upon their work and they had their Evening Sacrifice when they ended their work Their particular callings did not steal away their hearts from their general callings The Jews divided the day into three parts the first ad Tephilla orationem Wâ—emse Mor. Law p. 223. to prayer the second ad Torah legem for the reading of the Law the third ad Malacha opus for the works of their lawful callings Although they were dayes appointed for work yet they gave God his part they gave God a share of them every day God who is the Lord of all time hath reserved to himself a part of our time every day And therefore mens particular callings ought to give way to their general calling But alas before London was in flames many mens Oh that I could not say most mens particular callings swallowed up their general calling The noise is such in a Mill as hinders all intercourse betwen man and man So many of the burnt Citizens had such a multitude of worldly businesses lying upon their hands and that made such a noise as that all intercourse between God and them was hindered Seneca one of the most refined Heathens could say I do not give but only lend my self to my business I am afraid this Heathen will one day rise in Judgement against those burnt Citizens who have not lended themselves to their business but wholly given up themselves to their business as if they had no God to honour no souls to save no Hell to escape nor no Heaven to make sure But Fourthly Job lost all and recovered all again he lost a fair estate and God doubles his estate to him So David Compare the first and last Chapters of Job together lâ—st all and recovered all again 1 Sam. 30. 18. And David recovered all that the Amalakites had carried away and David rescued his two wives Ver. 19. And there was nothing lacking to them neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither spoil nor any thing that they had taken to them David recovered all Here the end was better than the beginning but the contrary befell the Amalekites who a little before had framed Comoedies out of poor Ziklags Tragoedies In the beginning of the Chapter you may see that David had lost all that ever he had in the world All the spoil that he Verse 1 2 3 4 5. had taken from others were gone his Corn gone his Cattel gone his Wives gone and his City burnt with fire and turned into a ruinous heap so that he had not a house a habitation in all the world to put his head in he had nothing left him but a poor grieved madded and enraged Army The people spâ—ke of stoning of him but what Verse 6. was the event now why David recovers all again O Sirs when a Christian is in greatest distress when he hath Remember that of Zeno who said he never sailed better than when he suffered shipwrack lost all when he is not worth one penny in all the world yet then he hath a God to go to at last David encouraged himself in the Lord his God A Christians case is never so desperate but he hat still a God to go to When a Christian has lost all the best way to recover all again is to encourage himself in the Lord his God God sometimes stripâ— his people of outward mercies and then restores to them again those very mercies that he had stript them off I have read a story of a poor man that God served fâ—ithfully and yet was oppressed cruelly having all his goods taken from him by an exacting Knight whereupon in a melancholy humour he perswaded himself that God was dead who had formerly been so faithful to him and now as he thought had left him It so fell out that an old man met him and desired him to deliver a Letter into the hands of his oppressor upon the receipt and perusal of which the Knight was so convinced that immediately he confessed his fault and restored the poor man his goods which made the poor man say Now I see that God may seem to sleep but can never dye If God has taken away all yet remember that God has a thousand thousand wayes to make up all thy losses to thee which thou knowest not of therefore do'nt murmur don't fret do'nt faint nor do'nt limit the Holy One of Israel If thou madest no improvement of thy house thy estate thy Trade then 't is thy wisdom and thy work rather to be displeased with thy self for thy non improvement of mercies than to be discontented at that hand of Heaven that hath deprived thee of thy mercies Remember Oh ye burnt Citizens of London that you are not the first that have lost your all Besides the instances already cited you must remember what they suffered in the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the Hebrews and you must remember that in the Ten Persecutions many thousands of the people of God were stript of their all and so were very many also in the Marian dayes who shrugs or complains of a common Lot It was grace upon the Throne that thou enjoyedst thy house thy estate thy Trade so long and therefore it concerns thee to be rather thankful that thy mercies were continued so long unto thee than to murmur because thou art now stript of all But Fifthly When all is gone yet mercy may be near and thou not see it When Hagars Bottle was empty the Well Gen. 21. 19. of Water was near though she saw it not Mercies many times are never nearer to us than when with Hagar we sit down and weep because our bottle is empty because our streams of mercy are dried up The Well was there before but she saw it not till her eyes were â—pened Though mercy be near though it be even at the door yet till the great God shall irradiate both the Organ and the object we can neither see our mercies nor suck the breasts of mercy Christ the spring of mercy the fountain of mercy was near the Disciples yea he talked with the Disciples and yet they Luke 24. 15. knew him not Look as dangers are nearest to wicked men when they see them not when they fear them not As Haman Esther 6. was nearest the Gallows when he thought himself the only man that the King would honour And so when Sisâ—ra dreamed of a Kingdom Jael was near with her Hammer Judges 4. and her Nail ready to fasten him to the ground And so when Agag said Surely the bitterness of death is past Samuel 1 Sam. 15 32 33. stood ready with his drawn Sword to cut him in pieces in Gilgal before the Lord. So when Pharaoh said They are entangled Exod. 14. 3 Cha. 15. 9. 10. in the Land the Wilderness hath shut
from questioning the lawfulness of erecting a Pillar of Brass or Stone to commemorate the late dreadful fire according to an Act of Parlâ—ament that is now before us But Page 108. The ninth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to see the vanity mutability and uncertainty of all worldly comforts and enjoyments and accordingly to 1 Tim. 6. 17. 1 John 2. 17. Heb. 11. 25. set loose from them and to get their affâ—ctions weaned from them Behold in four dayes time a glorious City is turned into a ruinous heap and a little world of wealth is laid in ashes and many hundreds of families almost reduced to beggaâ—y And are not these loud Sermons of the vanity mutability and uncertainty of all earthly things That 's good advice Solomon gives Prov. 23. 4 5. Labour not to be rich Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle towards He saith not they take wing but they make them and not the wings of a Hawk to fly away and to come again to a mans Fist but the wings of an Eagle to fly quite away heaven All certainty that is in riches is that they are uncertain Riches like bad servants never stay long with one Master Did not the Citizens of London see their riches flying away from them upon the wings of the fire and of the wind when their own and their neighbours habitations were all in flames O Sirs what certainty can there be in those things which Balls of Fire Storms at Sea false Oaths or treacherous friends may in a few dayes yea in a day an hour deprive us off God can soon clap a pair of wings upon all a man has in this world And therefore he acts safest and wisest who sits most loose from the things of the world Riches are not for ever and the Crown doth not Prov. 27. 4. endure to every generation This Adonibezek Belshazzar and many other great Princes have found by experience as Scripture and Histories do sufficiently testifie In all the Ages of the world the Testimony of Solomon holds good Eccles 1. 2. Vanity of vanity saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity The things of this world are not only vain but vanity in the abstract They are excessive vanity vanity of vanities yea they are a heap of vanity vanity All in Heaven write vanity of vanities upon all sublunaries and all in Hell write vanity of vanities upall sublunaries and why should not all on earth write vanity of vanities upon all subluminaries 1 Kings 9. 13. Gen. 3. of vanities And this the burnt Citizens have found by sad experience the world is all shadow and vanity its like Jonah's Gourd a man may sit under its shadow for a while but it soon withers decayes and dyes He that shall buâ— weigh mans pains with his pay his miseries with his mercies his sorrows with his joyes his crosses with his comforts his wants with his enjoyments c. may well cry out Oh the vanity and uâ—certainty of all these earthly things Though the world in all its bravery is no better than the Cities which Solomâ—n gave to Hirâ—m which he called Cabul that is displeasing or dirty All the great the gay the glorious things of the world may fitly be resembled to the fruit that undid us all which was fair to the sight smooth in handling sweet in taste but deadly in operation A man may be happy that is not wealthy witness Lazarus and Heb. 11. those worthies of whom this world was not worthy But how hard a thing is it for a man to be happy that is wealthy Matth. 19. 24. It is easier for a Camel or Cabel-ropâ— as some render it to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God There are several expositions upon these words First Some say that there was a little gate in Jerusalem called the Needles-eye which was so low and little that it was impossible for a Camel to enter in at it with his bâ—rden and therefore when Camels came that way they took off their loads and the Camels themselves were forced to stoop before they could pass through that gate some think that our Saviour alludes to this But Secondly Others interpret it of a Cabel-rope or Cord and then thus they expound the words A man cannot bâ— any means possible put a Cable through a Needles eye but if he untwist it he may by thred and thred put it thorough Thirdly Others say these words are a proverbial Speech for the Talmud had a Proverb Are ye of Pambeditha who can cause an Elephant to go through a Needles eye Those of Pambeditha were great Braggers they would boast to others that they could do very great things and very strange things Hence came that Proverb amongst them It is easier to cause an Elephant to go thorough a Needles eye than to do thus or thus Now our Saviour useth the word Camel because he was better known to them It was usual say others with the Jews to say when difficult matters were promised Hast thou been at Pamâ—editha where Camels go through the eyes of Needles But Fourthly and lastly the plain and simple meaning of this Proverbial Speech is doubtless this viz. That it is as impossible for such a rich man to be saved that trusteth in his riches and that sets a higher price upon his riches than upon Christ and that will rather part with Christ than part with his riches and that will rather go to Hell rich than to Heaven poor as it is for a Camel to go thorough the eye of a Nâ—edle The Proverbial Speech say others notes the difficulty of rich mens being saved Hab. 2. 6. Wo to him that ladeth himself with thick Clay Thick Clay will sooner break a mans back than satisfie his heart And O what a folly and madness is it for a man to be still a loading of himself with the Clay of this world In Gen. 13. 2. 't is said that Abraham was very rich in Cattel in Silver and in Gold the word i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gravis fuit he was very heavy to shew that riches that Gold and Silvâ—r which is the great God of the world the Paradise the all in all the great Diana that all the world magnifies and worships are but heavy burdens and rather a hinderance than a help to Heaven and happiness Though the rich man in the Gospel fared and lived like a Gentleman a Gallant a Knight a Lord yet when he dyed he went to Hell Though Mammon as Aretius and Luke 16. many others observe is a Syriack word and signifies riches yet Irenaeus derives Mammon of Mum that signifies a Spot and Hon that signifies riches to shew that riches have their spots and yet O how in love are men with these spots how Isaiah 5. 8.
laborious how industrious are men to add spots to spots bâ—gs to bags houses to houses and lands to lands and Lordships to Lordships as if there were no Hell to escaps nor no Heaven to make sure O Sirs the voice of God in that fiery dispensation that has lately past upon us seems to be this O ye Citizens of London whose habitations and glory I have laid in dust and ashes set loose from this world and set your affections upon Col. 3. 1. Heb. 11. 13. Jâ—r 50. 6. Mich. 2. 10. things above Lâ—ve in this world as Pilgâ—ims and Strangers Remember this is not your resting place never be inordinate in your love to the world nor in your delight in the world nor in your pâ—rsuit of the world any more Never spend so many thoughts upon the wâ—rld nor never send forth so many wishes after the world nor never spend so much precious time to gain the world as you have formerly done Take off your thoughts take off yoâ—r hearts take off your hands from all these uncertain things Remember it will not be long before you must all go to your long home and a little of the world will serve to bear your charges till you get to Heaven Remember I have burnt up your City I have poured contempt upon your City I have stained the pride and glory of your City that so seeing you have here Heb. 13. 14. no continuing City you may seek one to come Remember I have destroyed your houses that so you may make sure a house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. I have taken away your uncertain Riches that so you may make sure more durable Riches I have spoiled many of your Prov. 8. 18. Phil. 3. 20. brave full Trades that so you might drive a more brave full Trade towards Heaven Oh that I had no just grounds to be jealous that many who have been great losers by the fire are now more mad upon the world and more eagerly carried after the world than ever they have been as if the great design of God in setting them on fire round about was only to enlarge their desires more after the world and more effectually to engage them to moil and toil as in the fire to lay up treasure for another fire to consume Before I close up this particular let me offer a few things to your consideration First Are there none of the burnt Citizens who seek the world in the first place and Christ and Heaven in the last place that are first for earth and then for Heaven first for Matth. 6. 33. John 6. 27. the world and then for Christ first for the meat that perisheth and then for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life The old Poets note was first for money and then for Christ But Secondly Are there none of the burnt Citizens whose love and hearts and affections are running more out after the world than they are after God and Christ and the 1 Tim. 6 9. Jer. 17. 11. great things of eternity Are there none of the burnt Citizens that are peremptorily resolved to gain the world what ever it costs them The Gnosticks were a sort of Professors that made no use of their Religion but to their secular advantages and therefore when the world and their Religion stood in competition they made no scruple no bones of renouncing their profession to enjoy the world Oh the deadness the barrenness the listlesness the heartlesness to any thing that is divine and heavenly that dos alwayes attend such Christians who are resolved to be rich or great or some body in the world what ever comes on 't O the time the thoughts the strength the spirits that these men spend upon the world whilst their souls lye a bleeding and eternity is posting on upon them Men that are highly and fully resolved to be rich by hook or by crook will certainly forget God undervalue Christ grieve the Spirit despise Sâ—bbaths slâ—ght Ordinances and neglâ—ct such gracious opportunities as might make them happy for ever Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul though the hearing of a Sermon might have saved Act. 24. 24. ult hit soul But Thirdly Are there none of the burnt Citizens who spend the first of their time and the best of their time and the Pythagoras saith that time is Anima Coelâ— the soul of Heaven And we may say it is a Pearl of price that cost Christ his blood most of their time about the things of the world and who ordinarily put off Christ and their souls with the least and last and worst of their time The world shall freely have many hours when Christ can hardly get one Are there none who will have their eating times and their drinking times and their sleeping times and their buying times and their selling times and their feasting times and their sporting times yea and their sinning times who yet can spare no time to hear or read or pray or mourn or repent or reform or to set up Christ in their families or to wait upon him in their closets Are there not many who will have time for every thing but to honour the Lord and to secure their interest in Christ and to make themselves happy for ever Look as Pharaohs lean Kine eat up the fat so many now are fallen into such a crowd of worldly business as eats up all that precious time which should be spent in holy and heavenly exercises Fourthly Are there none of the burnt Citizens who daily prefer the world before Christ yea the worst of the world before the best of Christ The Gergesins preferred their Swine Matth. 8. 28. ult before a Saviour they had rather lose Christ than lose their Hoggs They had rather that the Devil should still possâ—ss their souls than that he should drown their Piggs They preferred their Swine before their salvation and presented a wretched Petition for their own damnation For they besought him who had all love and life and light and grace and glory and fulness in himself that he would depart out of Col. 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. their coasts Though there be no misery no plague no curse no wrath no Hell to Christs departure from a people Yet Hos 9. 12. The Reubinites preferred the Countrey that was commodious for the feeding of their Cattle though it were far from the Temple far from the Means of Grace beforâ— their interest in the Land of Canaan men that are mad upon the world will desire this Bernard had rather be in his Chimney corner with Christ than in Heaven without him At so high a rate he valued Christ There was a good man who once cryed out I had rather have one Christ than a thousand worlds Another mourn ed because he could not prize Christ enough But how few burnt Citizens are of these mens minds It was a sweet prayer of one
tempted with money and preferment he answered The fashion of this world passeth away as the waters of a River that runs by a City or as Basil in 40. Martyrs In Queen Maries time when some offered a certain Martyr money he refused it saying I am going to a Countrey where money will bear no price a fair picture drawn upon the Ice that melts away with it Pecuniam da quae permaneat c. Give money said he that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish I have read of a mortified Christian who being tempted with of fers of money to desert his Religion gave this excellent answer Let not any think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ It was an excellent answer of one of the Martyrs when he was offered riches and honours if he would recant Do but offer me somewhat that is better than my Lord Jesus Christ and you shall see what I will say to you Thus you see that men that are crucified to this world don't only resist but also triumph over all the glittering temptations of a tempting and enticing world And O that such a spiriâ— might rest upon all those whose habitations are laid desolate But Tenthly and lastly Are there no burnt Câ—tâ—zens who go to the utmost of their line and liberty for the gaining of the â—hings of this world Ah how near the Pits brink how near the borders of sin how near the flames of vengeance how near the infernal fire do many venture to gain the things oâ— this world And what dos this speak out but an inordinaâ—â— love of this world O Sirs what do all these things evidence but this that though God has fired many men out oâ— their houses yet the inordinate love of this world is not fired out of their hearts O Sirs to moderate your affections to the things of this world and to put a stop to your too eager pursuit after earthly things seriously and frequently dwell upon thâ—se teâ— Maxims First That the shortest surest and safest way to be rich is to be content with your present portion The Philosopher Eccles 5. 12. could say He that is content wants nothing and he that wants content enjoyes nothing One might have riches yet be very poor One might have little yet have all and more Sâ—condly He who is contented with a little will never be satisfied with much he who is not content with pounds Much Treasure stoppeth not a Misers mouth saith the Proverb will never be satisfied with hundreds and he who is not content with a few hundreds will never be satisfied with many thousands Eccles 5. 10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor be that loveth abundance with increase Money of it self cannot satisfie any desire of Nature If a man be hungry it cannot feed him if naked it cannot clothe him if cold it cannot warm him if sick it cannot recover him A circle cannot fill a triangle no more can the whole world fill the heart of man A man may as soon fill a Chest with Grace as an heart with wealth The soul of man may be busied about earthly things but it can never be filled nor satisfied with earthly things Air shall as soon fill the body as money shall satisfie the mind There is many a worldling who hath enough of the world to sink him who will never have enough of the world to satisfie him The more an hydropical man drinketh the more he thirsteth So the more money is encreased the more the love of money is encreased and the more the love of mony is encreased the more the soul is unsatisfied 'T is only an infinite God and an infinite good that can fill and satisfie the Gen. 15. 1. precious and immortal soul of man Look as nothing fits the ear but sounds and as nothing fits the smell but odours so nothing fits the soul but God Nothing below the great God can fit and fill animmortal soul Nothing can content the soul of man but the fruition of God God never rested till he Nature hath taught all men to seek after a summum boâ—um made man and man can never rest till he enjoyes his God Every man has a soul within him of a vast capacity and nothing can fill it to the brim but he that 's fulness it self Should we knock at every creatures door for happiness they would all answer us round that it is not in them The man in Plutarch that heard the Philosophers wrangle about summum bonum one placing of it in this and another in that went to the Market and bought up all that was good hopeing among all he should not miss of happiness and yet he mist of it The soul of man is of so glorious a make that nothing below him that made it can satisfie it The summ of all that the creatures amount to according to Solomons reckoning is vanity and vexation of Spirit Vanity and vexation is the very quintescence of the creature and all that can possibly be extracted out of it Now if vanity can satisfie or if vexation can give content if you can gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles than go on and dote upon the world still and be alwayes enamoured with a shadow of perishing beauty Oramuzes the Enchanter boasted that in his Egg all the happiness in the world was included but being broken there was nothing in it but wind and emptiness But Thirdly 'T is infinitely better to have much of God of Christ of the Spirit of Holiness and of Heaven in our hearts with a little of the world in our hands than to have much 2 Cor. 6. 10. of the world in our hands and but a little of God and Chrâ—st in our hearts 'T is infinitely better to be rich towards Gâ—d and poor towards the world than to be poor towards God and to be rich towards the world There are some very Eccles 5. 12. Prov. 11. 24. rich who yet are very poor there are others who are very poor and yet are very rich 'T is infinitely better to be poor men and rich Christians than to be rich men and poor Christians But Fourthly The best and surest way under Heaven to gain much of the world is to mind the world less and God and Christ and Grace and Heaven more 1 Kings 3. 9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a people Ver. 10. And the Speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing Ver. 11. And God said unto him because thou hast asked this thing and hast not asked for thy self long life neither hast asked riches for thy self nor hast asked the life of thine enemies but hast asked for thy self understanding to discern judgement ver 12.
place to dwell and abide in but God alone Now the great God has burnt up your dwelling places make him your dwelling place your habitation your shelter your place of retreat your City of refuge Certainly they dwell most safely most securely most nobly most contentedly most delightfully and most happily who dwell in God who live under the wing of God and whose constant abode is under the shadow of the Almighty Let the loss of your habitations lead you by the hand to make choice of God for your habitation There is no security against temporal spiritual and eternal judgements but by making God your dwelling place How deplorable is the condition of that man that hath neither a house to dwell in nor a God to dwell in that can naither say this house is mine nor this God is mine that hath neither a house made with hands nor yet 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. 1 John 4. 13. Chap. 3. 24. one eternal in the Heavens 'T is a very great mercy for God to dwell with us but it is a far greater mercy for God to dwell in us and for we to dwell in God For God to dwell with us argues much happiness but for we to dwell in God this argues more happiness yea the top of happiness There is no study no care no wisdom no prudence no understanding to that which works men to make God their habitation No storms no tempests no afflictions no sufferings no Judgements can reach that man or hurt that man who has made God his dwelling place He that hath God for his habitation can never be miserable and he that hath not God for his habitation can never be happy That God that has once burnt you out of your habitations can again burn you out of your habitations and if he should how sad would it be that God has once and again burnt you out of your habitaâ—ions and yet you have not made him your habitation c. But The fifteenth Duty that is incumbent upon those who have been burnt up is to make sure an abiding City a City See my Treatise on Assurance that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Hâ—b 13. 14. For here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come These words are a reason of his former exhortation to the belâ—evâ—ng Hâ—brews to renounce the world and Ver. 13. â—o take up Christs Cross and follow him as is clear by this causal particle for It is a probable conjecture made by some 〈◊〉 as Estius observeth that St. Paul speaks prophetically of the Estiâ—s Exposit iâ— loc destruction of the City of Jerusalem which was then at hand and that in a short time neither that City nor the Countrey about it would be an abiding place for them but driven from thence they should be and be forced to wander up and down and therefore they were to look for no other abiding place but Heaven Here we have no continuing City The Adverb translated here is sometimes used for place and this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more strictly for the particular place where one is as for that place where Peter was when he said It is good for us to be here or more largely for the whole earth and so it is taken Matth. 17. 4. here for it is opposed to Heaven For the present we have no abiding City but there is an abiding City to come and that 's the City which we seek after This earthly Jerusalem is no abiding City for us this old world the glory of which is wearing off is no abiding City for us but Jerusalem that is above the heavenly City the City of the great King the City of the King of Kings This world is a wilderness Rev. 21. 2. Chap. 1. 5 6. and believers as Pilgrims and strangerss must pass through it to their heavenly Canaan This world is no place for bâ—lievers to continue in they must pass through it to an abiding City to a continuing City to a City that hath foundations Heb. 11. 10. For he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Plural Number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used foundations for emphasis sake this City is said to have foundations to shew that it it a firm stable immoveable and enduring City which the Apostle opposeth to the Tabernacles or Tents wherein Abraham and the other Patriarchs dwelt while they were on earth which had no foundations but were moveable and carried from place to place and easily pulled down or overthrown or burnt up bâ—t Heaven is an immoveable firm stable and everlasting City Heaven is a City that is built 1. Upon the foundation of Gods eternal good will and Ephes 1. 3 4 5 6. 2 Tâ—m 2. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3 4 5. Rom. 9. 11. Chap. 11. 5 7. 2 Peâ— 1. 4. Heb. 6. 17 18 19 20. pleasure 2. That is built upon Gods election to eternal glory 3. That is built upon the foundation of Christs eternal merits and purchase 4. That is built upon the foundation of Gods everlasting Covenant of free rich infinite soveraign and glorious grace 5. That is built upon the immutable stability of Gods promise and oath Heaven is built upon the foundation of great and precious promises and upon his oath who is faithfulness it self and cannot lye Now O what a strong City what a glorious City what a continuing City what a lasting yea what an everlasting City must Heaven needs be that is founded upon such strong and immoveable foundations as they are Heaven hath foundations but the Earth hath none the earth hangs upon nothing as Job speaks Job 26. 7. Nineveh Babylon Jerusalem Athens Corinth Troy and those famous Cities of Asia were strong and stately Ciâ—ies in their times but where are they now Both Scripture and History doth sufficiently evidence that in all the Ages of the world there hath been no firm stable or continuing City to be found and the Divine Wisdom and Providence hath ordered and that partly to work the sons of men to put a difference betwixt the things of this world and the things of Heb. 2. 5. Col. 3. 1. Heb. 12. 28. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. the world to come and partly to wean them from the world and all the bravery and glory thereof and partly to awaken them and stir them up to make sure a Kingdom that shakes not riches that corrupt not an in inheritance that fadeth not away a house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heavens and a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heaven is styled a City to set out the excellency glory and benefits thereof The resemblance betwixt Heaven and a City holds in these respects among others First A City is a place of safety and security so is Heaven a place of the greatest safety and security A soul in Heaven
Neh. 3. 1. Jer. 35. 11. is a soul out of Gun-shot no Devil shall there tempt no wicked men shall there assault no fire-balls shall be there cast about to disturb the peace of the heavenly inhabitants Secondly A City is compact it is made up of many habitations so in Heaven there are many habitations many Iohn 14. 2. Mansions In our common Cities many times the inhabitants are much shut up and streightned for want of room out in Heaven there is Elbow-room enough not only for God and Christ and the Angels those glistering and shineing Courteours but also for all bâ—lievers for all the elect â—f God Thirdly A City hath sundry degrees of pâ—rsons appertaining unto it as chief Magistrates and other Officers of Heb. 12. 22 23. sundry sorts with a multitude of Commoners So in Heaven there is God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and an innumerable company of Angels and â—aints Fourthly In a City you have all manner of provisions and useful commodities so in Heaven there is nothing wanting that is needful or useful Fifthly A City hath Laws Statutes and Orders for the better Government thereof 't is so in Heaven and indeed there is no Government to the Government that is in Heaven Certainly there is no Government that is managed with that Love Wisdom Prudence Holiness and Righteousness c. as the Government of Heaven is managed with Sixthly Every City hath its peculiar priviledges and immunities so it is in Heaven Heaven is a place of the greatest Rev. 3. 12. priviledges and immunities Seventhly Cities are commonly very populous and so is Heaven a very populous City Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 5. 11. Rev. 7. 9. Eighthly None but Free-men may Trade and keep open Shop in a City so none shall have any thing to do in Heaven Rev. 21. 27. but such whose name are written in the Lambs Book of Life Believers are the only persons that are inrolled as Freemen in the Records of the heavenly City Ninthly Cities are full of earthly riches and so is Heaven of glorious Riches there are no riches to the riches of Isa 23. 8. Rev. 21. the heavenly Jerusalem All the riches of the most famoâ—s Cities in the world are but Dross Brass Copper Tinn c. to the riches of Heaven O Sirs how should the consideration of these things work us all to look and long and to prepare and fit for this heavenly City this continuing City this City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Holy Ghost frequently calling believers Pilgrims sojourners strangers Heb. 11. 13. 1 Pet. 2 11. Psal 119. 54 doth sufficienâ—ly evidence that there is no abiding for them in this world this world is not their Countrey their City their home their habitation and therefore they are not to place their hopes or hearts or affections upon things below Heaven is their chief City their best Countrey their Col. 3. 1 2. most desirable home and their everlasting habitation and Luke 16. 9. Rev. 22. 17. therefore the hopes desires breathings longings and workings of their souls should still be heaven-ward glory-ward Oh when shall grace be swallowed up in glory when shall John 14. 2 3 4 we take possession of our eternal Mansions when shall we be with Christ which for us is best of all The late fire Phil. 1. 23. hath turned all ranks and sorts of men out of the houses where they once dwelt and it will not be long before death will turn the same persons out of their present habitations and carry them to their long homes Death will turn Princes Eccles 12. 5. out of their most stately Palaces and great men out of their most sumptuous Edifices and rich men out of their most pleasant houses and warlike men out of their strongest Castles and poor men out of their meanest Cottages The Princes Palace the great mans Edifice the rich mans house the warlike mans Castle and the poor mans Cottage are of no long continuance O how should this awaken and alarm all sorts and ranks of men to seek after a City which hath foundations to make sure their interest in the New Jerusalem which is above in those heavenly Mansions that no time can wear nor flames consume But Sixteenthly and lastly Was London in flames on the Lords Day and was the prophanation of that day one of those great sins that brought that dreadful judgement of fire upâ—n London that hath turned that glorious City into a ruinous heap then Oh that all that have been sufferers by that â—amâ—ntable fire and all others also would make it their â—usiness their work their Heaven to sanctifie the Sabbath â—nd to keep it holy all their dayes that the Lord may be no more provoked to lay London more desolate than 't is laid this day Let it be enough that this day of the Lord hath been so greatly prophaned by sinful omâ—ssions and by sinful commissions by the Immorality Dâ—bauchery Gluttony Dâ—unkenness Wantoâ—ness Filthiness Uâ—cleanness Rioting Revelling and Chambering that multitudes were given up to before the Lord appeared against them in that flaming fire that hath laid our renowned City in Ashes Let it be enough that the Lord has been more dishonoured and blasphemed that Christ hath been more reproached despised and reâ—used and that the Spirit hath been more grieved vexed provoked and quenched on the Lords Day than on all the other dayes in the week Let it be enough that on this day of the Lord many have been a playing when they should â—ave been a praying and that many have been a sporting when they should have been a mourning for the afflictions of Joseph And that many have been a courting of their Amos 6. 6. Mistrisses when they should have been a waiting on the Ordinances And that many have been fitting at their doors when they should have been instructing of their families and that many have been walking in the Fields when they should have been a sighing and expostulating with God in their Clossâ—ts and that many have made that a day of common labour which God hath made to be a day of special rest from sin from the world and from their particular callings Oh that all men who have paid so dear for prophaning of Sabbaths would now bend all their force strength power and might to sanctifie those Sabbaths that yet they may enjoy on this side eternity c. But you will reply upon me How is the Sabbath to be sanctified Quest I shall endeavour to give a clear full and satisfactory Answer Answ to this necessary and noble Question And therefore take me thus First We are to sanctifie the Sabbath by resting from all servil labour and work on that day Exod. 20. 10. But the Exod. 16. 29 30. Neh. 13 15 16 17 18. seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy
the lips that men should not speak rashly Words once spoken cannot return A man that thinks before he speaks seldom repents of what he speaks Silence is far better than rash speaking or than vain speaking c. O Sirs the tongue is the nimble Interpreter of the heart If there be piety or iniquity at the bottom of your hearts Matth. 12. 43 44. your tongues will discover it The stream riseth not above the fountain We know not what mettal the Bell is made of by the Clapper What is in the Well will be in the Bucket What is in the Ware-house will be in the shop So what is in the heart will be in the mouth if there be any thing of God of Christ of grace of heaven of hell of sin of the world of self in the bottom of your souls your tongues will discover it Man saith one is like a Bell and his tongue Plutarch like the Clapper So long as this standeth still he may be thought to be without any flaw craze or crack in him but let it once stir and then he discovers himself presently No man can so change himself but his heart may sometimes be seen at his tongues end Men watch Interpreters Oh that on the Lords day especially you would make more conscience of watching your tongues if the tongue be not watched it will be sins Solicitor General it will be a Bawd to all lusts it will plead for sin and defend sin and lessen sin and provoke to sin and shew the pleasure of the heart in sin There are but five Virtues of the tongue reckoned up by Philosophers but there are twenty several sins of the tongue reckoned up by Peraldus The Arabians have a Proverb Take heed thy tongue cut not thy throat Many a mans tongue James 3. 3. 11. The Holy Ghost sheweth the mischief of the tongue by the several characters by which he brands it He calls it the flattering tongue the double tongue the deceitful tongue the the lying tongue the perverse tongue c. Psalm 52. 2. Prov. 18. 21. Eccles 10. 12. Psalm 19. 4. Psalm 73. 9. Mat. 28. 13 15. has cut his throat that is it hath been his ruine Our Chronicles make mention of one Burdet a Merchant who living at the Sign of the Crown in Cheap-side in the dayes of King Edward the fourth in the year 1483. jestingly said to his Son that he would leave him heir of the Crown meaning the Sign of the Crown where he lived for which he was apprehended and within four hours hanged drawn and quartered The tongue is often like a sharp Razor that instead of shaving the hair cuts the throat If a man do not look well about him he may every day be in danger of dying by his tongue Life and death saith Solomon are in the power of the tongue Gaping mouth'd men are noted for fools by Lucian and a better and a wiser man than Lucian hath told us That the lips of a fool will swallow up himself Ah how good had it been for many that they had been born dumb The tongue can easily travel all the world over and wound mens names and credits in this Countrey and that in this City and that in this Town and that in this Family and that it can in a trice run from one place to another here it bites and there it tears in this place it leaves a blot and in that it gives a wound and therefore you have cause to watch your tongues on every day but especially on the Lords day There are many whose tongues do more mischief and travel further on the Sabbath day than they do on all the other dayes of the week You ought to keep a strict Guard upon your tongues every day but on the Lords day you should double your Guard Satan without you and that strong party that he hath within you will do all they can so to oyle your tongues on that day as to make you miscarry more wayes than one if you do not carefully look about you Are there none on that day that do watch your Jer. 20. 10. It is better for a man to watch and stop his own mouth by silence than to have it stopt by others reproofs words to deride you and jear you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words either to ensnare you or trapan you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words that they may find matter if possible either to reprove you or to reproach you Yes Are there none on that day that do watch your words that do hang upon your lips expecting to be instructed edified confirmed comforted and strengthned by you Yes Well then if this be your case how highly it doth concern you on this day to watch your words I shall leave you to judge O Sirs all your words whether good or bad are all noted and observed by God as you may see by comparing the Scriptures Psalm 139. 4. Isa 59. 3. Jer. 33. 24. Chap. 44. 25. Mal. 3. 16 17. Job 42. 7. Matth. 12. 37. in the Margent together If a person were by us that should book all our words from Sabbath day morning to Sabbath day night and the like on other dayes would we not be very careful what we spoke Why God is by and hears all Athenodorus a Heathen used to say that all men ought to be very careful of their actions and words because God was every where and beheld all that was done and said And Zeno a wise Heathen affirmeth that God seeth and taketh notice of our very thoughts how much more then of our words O Sirs how many men and women are there that are choice of what they eat that are not choice of what they speak that are curious about the food which goes into their mouths lest it should hurt or poyson them who are no wayes curious about the words that go out of their mouths lest they should hurt or poyson others Oâ— all the members in the body there is none so serviceable to Satan as the tongue And therefore Satan spares Jobs tongue his grand design being not to make Job a begar but a blasphemer Job was blistered all over by Satan only his tongue was not blistered Satan thought by that member to work Job to fight against God and the peace of his own soul It is queried in the Schools what was the first sin of the first Angel that fell for they assert that one fell first then the rest Now there are very many opinions about it Some say it was envy others discontent and some say it was their refusing to undertake the charge that was given to them to Minister unto man Others think it was a spiritual luxury others ingratitude The most and best say pride but wherein that pride consisted is not easily determined nor by them unanimously resolved and by some it is as confidently observed that it was a sin
ye shall certainly drink ver 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not be unpunished I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth saith the Lord of Hosts When Jerusalem hath drunk of the cup if God be God the Nations round shall certainly drink of it God hath begun with London poor London hath drunk deeply of the cup of Gods fury and therefore let the Nations round repent or prepare to drink of Londons cup. Most of those sins that bring the fiery Rod if not all are to be found in all the great Cities of the world And therefore let all the great Cities in France Spain Italy Germany Holland England Ireland Scotland c. take warning by Londons desolation and prepare to meet the Lord in the way of his fury let them cease from doing evil and learn to do well let them repent in dust and ashes lest they are laid in dust and ashes Let them break off their sins lest God throws down their walls and habitations by furious and devouring flames Let all those whose habitations are still standing remember that the same sins the same wrath and the same malicious hands that has laid so many thousand habitations desolate can lay theirs also desolate except they reform and turn to the Most High Fifthly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy to shew much love bowels pity Gen. 18. Psal 102. 13. 2 Cor. 11. 29. and compassion to those who are burnt up and turned out of all who are houseless harbourless and pennyless this day God takes it well at our hands when we pity those whom he thinks meet to punish One of Gods great ends in punishing of some is to stir up pity and compassion in others towards them It should melt your hearts to see other mens substances melted in the flames God hath threatned an Obad. 12. 13. evil an only evil without the least mixture of mercy to such as shew no mercy to those in misery Whoever have James 2. 13. behâ—ld London in its former prosperity and glory that cannot lament to see London laid desolate The ashes of London seems to cry out have pity upon me O my friends They that Jâ—b 6. 14. will not lament upon the burnt Citizens as the greatest objects of their pity may one day be ingulfed under the greatest misery He was a Nâ—bal a sapless fellow who shut up all bowels of pity against David in his misery They were cursed â— Sam. 25. 10 â—â— â—salm 137. 6 7 8. Edomites who did behold the râ—iâ—e of Zion and noâ— mourn over it Let all burnt Citizens remember that usually God pities them most whom men pities least but burnt Citizens are not to be mocked or menaâ—ed but mourned over Sixthly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy to lift up a prayer for all those as are fallen under this heavy judgement of fire When Numb 11. 1 2 3. 2 Kings 19. 4. you are in the Mount be sure you bear the sad condition of the burnt Citizâ—ns upon your hearts Nehem. 1. 3. And they said unto me the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the Province are in great affliction and reproach the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burnt with fire Well what doth Nehemiab do Answ He lifts up a prayer for them verse 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. O Sirs your prayers must not be penâ— or confined to your own private interests but extended to the benefit of all Gods suffering servants Philo the Jew discoursing of Aarons Ephod which he put on when he went to pray saith it was a representation of the whole world having in it all colours to represent the condition of all states of all people whatsoever 'T is brave when we are in the Mount to bear the conditions of others upon our hearts as well as our own especially theirs whom the hand of the Lord hath severely reacht The best of men Rom. 1. 9. 2 Tim. 1. 3. have been much in prayer for others witness Moses David Job Jeremiah Daniel Paul And it is very observable that our Lord Jesus Christ who is our great pattern was very much in this noble work for you shall find in John 17. that he puts up but one petition for himself in verse 1. which petition is repeated again in verse 5. And all the rest of his time he spent in praying both for the converted and unconverted Now shall our Lord Jesus Christ put up many requests for others and but one for himself and shall we put up all our requests for our selves and not one for others Among the Persians he that offered Sacrifice prayed for all Herodot lib. 1. his Countrey men These Persians will one day rise in Judgement against many who are called Christians and yet make no conscience of lifting up a prayer for those that are under the afflicting hand of God He that prayeth for himself and not for others is fiâ—ly compared by some to an Hedge-hogg who laps himself within his own soft down and turns his Brissels to all the world besides The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of prayer hath been shut up Oh that we had not cause to fear that since the burning of London the door of prayer both for our selves and one another hath bâ—en too much shut amongst us O that all you whose habitations are standing would seriously consider 1. That none need prayer more than the burnt Citizens 2. You do not know how soon their case may be yours the same hand or hands that hath made them desolate may make you desolate also 3. Else what do you more than others Matth. 5. 47. 4. To pity and pray for those that are in misery is honourable and commendable 5. 'T is one of the most compendious wayes in the world to prevent all those calamities and miseries that now you fear and that you think you shall shortly feel 6. To lift up a prayer for those whose sufferings have been sore is no costly nor chargeable duty and therefore buckle to it But Seventhly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy seriously to consider that some mens escaping of very great Judgements is not properly a preservation but a reservation to some greater destruction witness those Kings who escaped the edge of the Gen. 14. and Chap. 19. compared Exod. 14. 28. 1 Kings 19. Sword and were afterwards destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven and witness Pharaoh who escaped all the ten plagues of Egypt in order to his being buried with his Host in the red Sea And witness Sennacherib who escaped the Sword of the destroying Angel in order to his falling by the swords of his own Sons Upon what discontentment
Make thy Son dear very dear exceeding dear only dear and precious to me or not at all But do all burnt Citizens lift up such a prayer I suppose you have either read or heard of that rich and wretched Cardinal who profest that he would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise But Fifthly Are there no burnt Citizens who follow the world so close that they gain no good by the word like Ezekiels hearers and like the stony ground Some Writers Ezek. 33. 31 32 33. Matth. 13. 22. say that nothing will grow where Gold grows Certainly where an inordinate love of the world grows there nothing will grow that is good A heart filled either with the love of the world or with the profits of the world or with the pleasures of the world or with the honours of the world or with the cares of the world or with the business of the world is a heart incapacitated to receive any divine counsâ—l or comfort from the word The Poets tells us of Licaons being turned into a Wolâ— but when a worldling is wrought upon by the word there is a Wolf turned into a man yea an incarnaâ—e Devil turned into a glorious Saint Thâ—refore the Holy Ghost speaking of Zâ—cheus whose soul was set upon the world brings him in with an Ecce behold Luke 19. 2. as if it were a wonder of wonders that ever such a worldling should be subdued by Grace and brought in to Christ But Sixthly Are there no burnt Citizens that are very angry and impatient when they meet with opposition disappointments or procrastination in their earnest pursuing after the things of the world Balaam was so intent and mad upon the world that he dâ—sperately puts on upon the drawn Numb 22. 21. to 35. Sword of the Angel Are there no burnt Citizens who are so intent and mad upon the world that they will put warmly on for the world though the Lord draws and conscience drawes and the Scriptures draw their Swords upon them But Seventhly Are there no burnt Citizens who are grown cold very cold yea even stark cold in their pursuit after God and Christ and Heaven and holiness who once were for taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence who were Matth. 11. 12. As a Castle or Town is taken by Storm so eagerly and earnestly set upon making a prey or a prize of the great things of that upper world that they were highly and fully resolved to make sure of them whatever pains or perils they run thorough Aristotle observes that Dogs can't hunt where the smell of sweet flowers is because the sweet scent diverteth the smell Ah how has the scent of the sweet flowers of this world hindered many a forward Professor from hunting after God and Christ and the great things of eternity The Arabick Proverb saith That the world is a carkass and they that bunt after it are Dogs Ah how many are there who once set their fâ—ces towards heaven who now hunt more after earth than Heaven who hunt more after Terrestial than Celestial things who hunt more after nothingnesses and emptinesses than they do after those fulnesses and swetnesses that be in God in Christ in the Covenant in Heaven and in those paths that lead to happiness When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was there was presented to him in a dream saith the History a Pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Basil is such a one all on a light fire for God Before London was in flâ—mes there were some who for a time were all on a light fire for God who now are grown either cold or luke-warm like the luke-warm Laodiceans Rev. 3. 14 19. But Eighthly Are there no burnt Citizâ—ns whose hearts are filled with solicitous cares and who are inordinately troubled 2 Cor. 7. 10. grieved dâ—jâ—cted and overwhelmed upon the account of their late losses and what dos this speak out but an inordinate love of these earthly things When Jonahs Gourd Jon. 4. 6. ult withered Jonah was much enraged and dejected 'T is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall Ah how many are there in this day who turning their faces towards their late lost mercies their lost Shops Trades Houses Riches do so bitterly and excessively lament and mourn Jer. 31. 15. that with Rachel they refuse to be comforted and with Jacob they will go down into the Grave mourning Heraclitus Gen. 37. 35. the Philosopher was alwayes weeping but such a frame of Spirit is no honour to God nor no ornament to Religion One cryes out How shall I live now I have lost my Trade another cryes out What shall I do when I am old another cryes out What shall I and my six Children do when you are dead another cryes out I have but a handful of Meal in the Barrel and a little Oyl in the Cruise and when that is spent I must lye down and dye 1 Kingâ— 17. 12. c. 1. There is a holy sadness which arises from the sense of our sins and our Saviours suffâ—rings this is commendable 2. There is a natural sadness which sometimes rises from sickness weakness and indisposition of body this is to be pitied and cured 3. There is a sinful sadness which usually is very furious and hath no ears and is rather cured by Miracle than precept this usually flows from the loss of such near and dear comforts upon which men have in ordinately set their hearts and in the enjoyment of which they have promised themselves no small felicity Oh that such sad souls would seriously râ—membâ—r that there is nothing beyond remedy but the tears of the damned A man who mâ—y notwithstanding all his losses and crosses be found walking in the way to Paradise should never place himself in the condition of a little-Hell And he that may or can hope for that great-all ought not to be excessively sad for any losses or crosses that he meets with in this world But Ninthly Are there no burnt Citizens who to gain the world do very easily and frequently fall down before the temptations of the world And what dos this speak out but their inordinate love to the world That man who is as Numb 22. 15. to 23. Josh 7. 20 21 22. Jude 11. soon conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted by the world that man is doubtless in love with the world yea bewitcht by the world The Champions could not wring an Apple out of Milo's hand by strong hand but a fair Maid by fair means got it presently The easie conquests that the temptations of the world make upon many men is a fair and a full evidence that their hearts are greatly endeared to it Luther was a man weaned from the world and therefore when honours preferments and riches were offered to him he despised them So when Basil was