him who hath been so long filled with joys in the heavenly mansions I might speak of the carriage of the master in his sickness under the apprehensions of death when the spots did appear on his body he sent for me and desired me to pray with him told me he was now going home desired me to write to his friends and let them know that it did not repent him of his stay in the City though they had been so importunate with him to come away but he had found so much of Gods presence in his abode here that he had no reason to repent he told me where he would be buried and desired me to preach his funeral Sermon on Psal. 16. ult In thy presence there is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasures for evermore But the Lord raised him again beyond the expectation of himself friends or Physician Let him not forget Gods mercies and suffer too much worldly business to croud in upon him choak the remembrance and sense of God's goodness so singular but let him by his singularity in meekness humility self-denial and love zeal and holy walking declare that the Lord hath been singularly gracious unto him But when I speak of home concernments let me not forget to look abroad the Plague now increaseth exceedingly and fears there are amongst us that within a while there will not be enough alive to bury the dead and that the City of London will now be quite depopulated by this Plague Now some Ministers formerly put out of their places who did abide in the City when most of Ministers in place were fled and gone from the people as well as from the disease into the Countreys seeing the people crowd so fast into the grave and eternity who seemed to cry as they went for spiritual Physicians and perceiving the Churches to be open and Pulpits to be open and finding Pamphlets flung about the streets of Pulpits to be let they judged that the Law of God and nature did now dispense with yea command their preaching in publick places though the Law of man it is to be supposed in ordinary cases did forbid them to do it Surely if there had been a Law that none should practise Physick in the City but such as were licenc'd by the Colledge of Physitians and most of those when there was the greatest need of them should in the time of the Plague have retired into the Country and other Physitians who had as good skill in Physick and no license should have staid amongst the sick none would have judged it to have been breach of Law in such an extraordinary case to endeavour by their practise though without a license to save the lives of those who by good care and Physick were capable of a cure and they could hardly have freed themselves from the guilt of murther of many bodies if for a nicety of Law in such a case of necessity they should have neglected to administer Physick the case was the same with the unlicensed Ministers which stayed when so many of the licenc'd ones were gone and as the need of souls was greater than the need of bodies the sickness of the one being more universal and dangerous than the sickness of the other and the saving or losing of the soul being so many degrees beyond the preservation or death of the body so the obligation upon Ministers was stronger and the motive to preach greater and for them to have incurred the guilt of soul-murther by their neglect to administer soul-physick would have been more hainous and unanswerable that they were called by the Lord into publick I suppose that few of any seriousness will deny when the Lord did so eminently own them in giving many seals of their Ministry unto them Now they are preaching and every Sermon was unto them as if they were preaching their last Old Time seems now to stand at the head of the Pulpit with its great Sithe saying with a hoarse voice Work while it is called to day at night I will mow thee down Grim Death seems to stand at the side of the Pulpit with its sharp arrow saying Do thou shoot Gods arrows and I will shoot mine The Grave seems to lie open at the foot of the Pulpit with dust in her bosome saying Louden thy Cry To God To Men And now fulfill thy Trust Here thou must lye Mouth stopt Breath gone And silent in the Dust. Ministers now had awakning calls to seriousness and fervour in their ministeriall work to preach on the side and brink of the Pit into which thousands were tumbling to pray under such neer views of eternity into which many passengers were daily entring might be a means to stir up the spirit more than ordinary Now there is such a vast concourse of people in the Churches where these Ministers are to be found that they cannot many times come neer the Pulpit doors for the press but are forced to climb over the pews to them And such a face is now seen in the Assemblies as seldome was seen before in London such eager looks such open ears such greedy attention as if every word would be eaten which dropt from the mouths of the Ministers If you ever saw a drowning Man catch at a rope you may guess how eagerly many people did catch at the Word when they were ready to be overwhelmed by this over-flowing scourge which was passing thorough the City when death was knocking at so many doors and God was crying aloud by his judgments and Ministers were now sent to knock cry aloud and lift up their voice like a Trumpet then then the people began to open the ear and the heart which were fast shut and barred before How did they then hearken as for their lives as if every Sermon were their last as if death stood at the door of the Church and would seize upon them so soon as they came forth as if the arrows which flew so thick in the City would strike them before they could get to their houses as if they were immediately to appear before the Barr of that God who by his Ministers was now speaking unto them Great were the impressions which the Word then made upon many hearts beyond the power of Man to effect and beyond what the people before ever felt as some of them have declar'd When sin is ript up and reprov'd O the teares that slide down from the eyes when the judgments of God are denounced O the tremblings which are upon the conscience when the Lord Jesus Christ is made known and proffer'd O the longing desires and openings of heart unto him when the riches of the Gospel are displayed and the promises of the Covenant of grace are set forth and applyed O the inward burnings and sweet flames which were on the affections now the Net is cast and many fishes are taken the Pool is moved by the Angel and many leprous spirits and sin-sick-souls are cured
speaketh unto men with his Word by his Spirit when he doth thus effectually call them and he speaketh unto men also by his Spirit when he graciously visiteth them which are called when he teacheth melteth warmeth quickneth strengtheneth and refresheth them by his Spirit as they sit under the influence of his Ordinances when he speaketh peace unto their Consciences sheweth them his reconciled Face sheddeth abroad his love in their hearts and giveth such sweet comforts and ravishing joy as is unspeakable and full of Glory Ioh. 6. 45. Ioh. 14. 26. Luk. 24. 32. Psal. 143. 11. Eph. 3. 16. Act. 3. 19. Psa. 85. 8. Rom. 5. 5. Psa. 94. 19. 1 Pet. 1. 8. 2. God speaketh unto men by his Works and that either by his works of Creation or by his works of Providence 1. God speaketh by his works of Creation the Heavens have a voice and declare Gods glory Psa. 19. 1. and the Earth hath not only an ear to hear Isa. 1. 2. but also a tongue as it were to speak Gods praise We read of the Seas roaring and the Floods clapping their hands of the Mountains singing and the Trees of the wood sounding forth their joyful acclamations yea beasts and all cattel creeping things and flying fowl Dragons and all Deeps Fire Hail Snow Rain and stormy winde as they fulfill his Word so they speak and in their way declare what their Maker is or rather in them and by them God doth speak and make known something of himself Psa. 148. 7 8 10. c. We read of the Voice of the Lord in Power the Voice of the Lord in Majesty the Voice of the Lord upon the waters the Voice of the Lord dividing the flames of fire the Voice of the Lord shaking the Wilderness of Cadesh breaking the Cedars of Lebanon and the like which is the Voice of the Lord in the terrible noise of Thunder Psa. 29. 3 4 5 6 7 8. And there is no one work of the Lord though not with such a noise which doth not with a loud voice as it were in the Name of the Lord proclaim unto the Children of men how great and glorious the Lord is who hath given it its being and use and place in the world especially the work of God in the Make of man his body the members and senses his Soul the powers and faculties doth without a tongue speak the praise of that God who curiously framed the body in the womb and immediately infused the living soul Psa. 139. 14 15. Zach. 12. 1. 2. God speaketh by his Works of Providence and that both merciful and afflictive 1. God speaketh by his Merciful Providences by his patience and bounty and goodness he calleth men unto repentance Rom. 2. 4. He giveth witness of himself in giving rain and fruitful seasons Act. 14. 17. Gods providing mercies Gods preventing mercies Gods preserving mercies Gods delivering mercies the number of Gods mercies which cannot be reckoned the order and strange method of Gods mercies which cannot be declared the greatness of Gods mercies in the kinds and strange circumstances which cannot be expressed do all with open mouth call upon men from the Lord to repent of their sins which they have committed against him and to yeild all love thankfulness and obedience unto him 2. God speaketh by his afflictive Providences There is a voice of God in his Rod as well as in his Word Mic. 6. 9. Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it when God chasteneth he teacheth Psal. 94. 12. When God lifteth up his hand and strikes he openeth his mouth also and speaks and sometimes openeth mens ears too and sealeth their instruction Iob 33. 16. Sometimes God speaks by Rods more mildly by lesser afflictions sometimes God speaks by Scorpions more terribly by greater Judgements which leads to the second particular SECT II. 2. What are those terrible things by which God doth sometimes speak THe word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth he feared Terrible things are such great Judgements of God as do usually make a general impression of fear upon the hearts of people Take some instances 1. The Plague is a Terrible Iudgement by which God speaks unto men The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he spake It is a speaking Judgement where God sends the Plague he speaks and he speaks terribly the Plague is very terrible as it effecteth terrour the Pestilence which walketh in darkness is called the Terrour by night Psal. 91. 5 6. The Plague is very terrible in that 1. It is so poysonous a disease it poysons the blood and spirits breeds a strange kind of venom in the body which breaketh forth sometimes in Boils and Blains and great Carbuncles or else works more dangerously when it preyeth upon the vitals more inwardly 2. It is so noysome a disease it turns the good humors into putrefaction which putting forth it self in the issues of running sores doth give a most noysome smell Such a disease for loathsomeness we read of Psa. 38. 5 7 11. My wounds stink and are corrupt my loins are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh my lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore and my Kinsmen stand afar off 3. It is so infectious a disease it spreadeth it self worse than the Leprosie amongst the Iews it infecteth not only those which are weak and infirm in body and full of ill humors but also those which are young strong healthful and of the best temperature and that sometimes sooner than others The Plague is infectious and greatly infectious whole Cities have been depopulated through its spreading many whole families have received infection and death one from another thereby which is the third thing that rendreth the Plague so terrible 4. It is so deadly it kills where it comes without mercy it kills I had almost said certainly very few do escape especially upon its first entrance and before its malignity be spent few are touched by it but they are killed by it and it kills suddenly as it gives no warning before it comes suddenly the arrow is shot which woundeth unto the heart so it gives little time of preparation before it brings to the Grave Under other diseases men may linger out many weeks and moneths under some divers years but the Plague usually killeth within a few daies sometimes within a few hours after its first approach though the body were never so strong and free from disease before The Plague is very terrible it is terrible to them that have it insomuch as it usually comes with Grim Death the King of Terrours in its hand and it is terrible to them which have it not because of their danger of being infected by it the fear of which hath made such an impression upon some that it hath rased out of their hearts for the while all affections of love and pitty to their
heart for I fear that the great insensibility which people have been under of these judgments because they have not reached the Flesh and their sottish inconsideration of Gods dreadfull displeasure herein hath provoked the Lord to send such judgments as have come nearer to sense that they might perceive God was angry indeed before and that his greater displeasure in the former might be known by his more sensible displeasure in the latter Let London seriously consider whether her Gospel priviledges were not her best defence against temporal calamities and whether since her slighting abuse and forfeiture and Gods seisure and stripping her so much of these she hath not been laid naked to those heavy strokes of extraordinary judgments which she hath lately received London had the Gospel Ordinances powerfull pure plentifull Ministers excellently qualified and rarely furnished with ministerial abilities London had as many burning and shining lights as any one such spot of ground under the cope of heaven Not to speak of their abilities for preaching and defence of the truth such gifts of prayer London Ministers had which were no small defence of the City as I believe no City in the World could parallel O what prayers have there formerly been in London Pulpits especially on dayes of solemn humiliation how have the spirits of Ministers been carried forth sometime in prayer for several hours together without tautologies and vain repetitions in such variety of affectionate enlargements and with such raisedness and transports of spirit as if they had been just leaving the body and going to live and abide with God and would converse no more with men or worldly things In their confessions of sin how have they rak'd into the dunghill of a rotten heart and laid abroad its inward filthiness how have they trac'd the foot-steps of its deceitfulness through the maze and wilderness of its many windings and turnings how have they peirced into the very bowels of sin and ript it up as it were to the back-bone bringing forth its very entrals to open view how have they anatomiz'd as it were the body of death in all the parts and members of it discovering withall the several diseases of every part with their cause and manner of working and all this in such pathetical cutting expressions accompanied with such brokenness and bleeding of heart as no form can imitate or effect In their supplications for the pardon of sin for spiritual and heavenly riches O with what feeling and fervour did they express themselves O with what faith and importunity did they wrestle and plead at the Throne of Grace for such favours beyond the importunity of poor prisoners through the grates or poor beggars at the doors when they are most earnest for relief yea how did they besiege God as it were and seem as if they would scale the walls of Heaven it self and take the Kingdome of Heaven with violence and force how have they even pressed in upon God with the dint of argument and laid hold on him with the hand of faith resolving not to let him go without a blessing In their supplications for the Church and Land they have behaved themselves as if they had no private concernments But how did they bear London upon their hearts when they came to the throne of grace what yearning bowels had they towards and for the City how many teares have they shed in bewailing her sins how have they stood in the breach when the Lord hath been coming forth against this place how have they held his arme when it hath been lifted up to strike how have they stood weeping between the Porch and the Altar crying spare thy People O Lord and do not destroy London and many times have they prevailed to appease Gods wrath and turn away his fierce anger which hath been kindled against us Gospel-Ordinances and Gospel-Ministers were the safe-guard of London the glory and defence But when the Ordinances were slighted and the Ministers were mocked and misused by some who called themselves Professors and both were fallen so much in the esteem of the most and London did not yield the fruit which God looked for under such dressing of which more when I come to speak of Londons sins God is provoked not only to call for some of his Messengers home to himself but also to suffer the rest which were most consciencious to be thrust into Corners This this did presage London's near approaching ruine and desolation though few did believe it and because they did not believe it and were insensible of Gods wrath in this judgment therefore their danger was the greater of the other judgments which have come upon them when so many stakes were pluckt out no wonder if the hedge be broken when so many Pillars were removed no wonder if the building tumble to the ground But I proceed to give a narration of the later judgments of Plague and Fire SECT V. THe Plague so great so lately should not be forgotten yet lest the fire more lately and propotionably more great and the amazing fears which since have risen within us should shuffle former thoughts out of our minds and rase out the impressions which by the Plague we had and should labour to retain to our dying hour therefore I shall give a brief narration of this sad judgment and some observations of mine own who was here in the City from the beginning to the end of it both to keep alive in my self and others the memory of the judgment that we may be the better prepared for compliance with Gods designe in sending the Plague amongst us It was in the year of our Lord 1665. that the Plague began in our City of London after we were warned by the great Plague in Holland in the year 1664. the beginning of it in some remote parts of our Land the same year not to speak any thing whether there was any signification and influence in the Blazing-star not long before that appeared in the view of London and struck some amazement upon the spirits of many It was in the moneth of May that the Plague was first taken notice of our Bill of Mortality did let us know but of three which died of the disease in the whole year before but in the beginning of May the bill tels us of nine which fell by the Plague just in the heart of the City the other eight in the Suburbs This was the first arrow of warning that was shot from Heaven amongst us and fear quickly begins to creep upon peoples hearts great thoughts and discourse there is in Town about the Plague and they cast in their minds whether they should go if the Plague should increase Yet when the next weeks Bill signifieth to them the disease from 9 to 3. their minds are something appeased discourse of that subject cools fears are husht and hopes take place that the black cloud did but threaten and give a few drops but the wind would drive
doors of their houses upon them from whence they have come forth no more till they have been brought forth to their graves we may imagine the hideous thoughts and horrid perplexity of mind the tremblings confusions and anguish of spirit which some awakened sinners have had when the Plague hath broke in upon their houses and seized upon neer relations whose dying groans sounding in their ears have warned them to prepare when their doors have been shut up and fastned on the outside with an Inscription Lord have mercy upon us and none suffered to come in but a Nurse whom they have been more afraid of then the Plague it self when lovers and friends and companions in sin have stood aloof and not dared to come nigh the door of the house lest death should issue forth from thence upon them especially when the disease hath invaded themselves and first began with a pain and diziness in their head then trembling in their other members when they have felt boiles to arise under their arms and in their groins and seen blaines to come forth in other parts when the disease hath wrought in them to that height as to send forth those spots which most think are the certain tokens of neer approaching death and now they have received the sentence of death within themselves and have certainly concluded that within a few hours they must go down into the dust and their naked souls without the case of their body must make its passage into eternity and appear before the highest Majesty to render their accounts and receive their sentence None can utter the horrour which hath been upon the spirits of such through the lashes and stings of their guilty consciences when they have called to mind a life of sensuality and profaneness their uncleanness drunkenness injustice oaths curses derision of Saints and holiness neglect of their own salvation and when a thousand sins have been set in order before their eyes with another aspect than when they looked upon them in the temptation and they find God to be irreconcileably angry with them and that the day of grace is over the door of mercy is shut and that pardon and salvation which before they slighted is now unattainable that the grave is now opening its mouth to receive their bodies and hell opening its mouth to receive their souls and they apprehend that they are now just entring into a place of endless wo and torment and they must now take up their lodgings in the inferiour regions of utter darkness with devils and their fellow damned sinners and there abide for evermore in the extremity of misery without any hopes or possibility of a release and that they have foolishly brought themselves into this condition and been the cause of their own ruin we may guess that the dispairful agonies and anguish of such awakened sinners hath been of all things the most unsupportable except the very future miseries themselves which they have been afraid of In August how dreadful is the increase from 2010 the number amounts up to 2817 in one week and thence to 3880 the next thence to 4237 the next thence to 6102 the next and all these of the Plague besides other diseases Now the cloud is very black and the storm comes down upon us very sharp Now death rides triumphantly on his pale horse through our streets and breaks into every house almost where any inhabitants are to be found Now people fall as thick as leaves from the trees in Autumn when they are shaken by a mighty wind Now there is a dismal solitude in London-streets every day looks with the face of a Sabbath day observed with greater solemnity than it used to be in the City Now shops are shut in people rare and very few that walk about in so much that the grass begins to spring up in some places and a deep silence almost in every place especially within the walls no ratling Coaches no prancing Horses no calling in Customers nor offering Wares no London cries sounding in the ears if any voice be heard it is the groans of dying perions breathing forth their last and the funeral knells of them that are ready to be carried to their graves Now shutting up of visited houses there being so many is at an end and most of the well are mingled among the sick which otherwise would have got no help Now in some places where the people did generally stay not one house in an hundred but is infected and in many houses half the family is swept away in some the whole from the eldest to the youngest few escape with the death of but one or two never did so many husbands and wives die together never did so many parents carry their children with them to the grave and go together into the same house under earth who had lived together in the same house upon it Now the nights are too short to bury the dead the whole day though at so great a length is hardly sufficient to light the dead that fall therein into their beds Now we could hardly go forth but we should meet many coffins and see many with sores and limping in the streets amongst other sad spectacles methought two were very affecting one of a woman comming alone and weeping by the door where I lived which was in the midst of the infection with a little Coffin under her arm carrying it to the new Church yard I did judge that it was the mother of the childe and that all the family besides was dead and she was forced to coffin up and bury with her own hands this her last dead childe Another was of a man at the corner of the Artillery-wall that as I judge through the diziness of his head with the disease which seised upon him there had dasht his face against the wall and when I came by he lay hanging with his bloody face over the rails and bleeding upon the ground and as I came back he was removed under a tree in More-fields and lay upon his back I went and spake to him he could make me no answer but ratled in the throat and as I was informed within half an hour died in the place It would be endless to speak what we have seen and heard of some in their frensie rising out of their beds and leaping about their rooms others crying and roaring at their windows some comming forth almost naked and running into the streets strange things have others spoken and done when the disease was upon them But it was very sad to hear of one who being sick alone and it is like phrantick burnt himself in his bed Now the plague had broken in much amongst my acquaintance and of about 16. or more whose faces I used to see every day in our house within a little while I could finde but 4. or 6. of them alive scarcely a day past over my head for I think a moneth or more together but I should hear of
when the sins of the Land are so obvious and so hainous He is a great stranger in England that doth not know how wickedness hath abounded in these later years his eyes must be fast shut who doth not see what a deluge of profaneness and impiety hath broken in like a mighty torrent and overflowed the Land that hath not taken notice of those bare-fac'd villanies which have been committed amongst us which is a great question whether any ages before us could parallel we read in Scripture of Sodom and Gomorrah and the wickedness sometime of Ierusalem Profane Histories and Travellers make mention of Rome Venice Naples Paris and other places very wicked but who can equal England which calls it self Christian and Protestant for such desperate and audacious affronts and indignities which have been offered to the Highest Majesty by the Gallants as they are called of our times How was Hell as it were broke loose and how were men worse than those which in our Saviours time were possest with devils who cut themselves with stones and tore their own flesh even such who went about like so many Hell-hounds and incarnate devils cursing and banning swearing and blaspheming inventing new oaths and glorying therein delighting to tear the name of God and to spit forth their rancour and malice in his very face and can we then be at a loss for a reason of Gods righteousness in his thus punishing England by beginning thus furiously with London When there were so many Atheists about London and in the Land who denied the very being of God when so many Gentlemen who lookt upon it as one piece of their breeding to cast off all sentiments of a Deity did walk our streets and no arguments would work them to a perswasion of the truth of Gods being shall we wonder if the Lord appears in a terrible way that he might be known by the judgments which he executeth When so many denied the Divine Authority of the Scriptures the very foundation of our Christian faith and reckoned themselves by their principles amongst Turks Pagans and other Infidels however they called themselves Christians and hereby put such an affront upon the Lord Jesus Christ the only Son of the most high God is it strange that the Lord should speak so terribly to shew his indignation when there was such blowing at and endeavours to put out that light which would shew Men the way to Heaven such hatred and opposition against the power of godliness when the name of a Saint was matter of derision and scorn when there was such wallowing in filthy fornication and adultry in swinish drunkenness and intemperance when such oppression bribery such malice cruelty such unheard of wickedness and hideous impiety grown to such a heighth in the Land may not we reasonably think that such persons as were thus guilty being in the Ship were a great cause of the storme of Gods anger which hath made such a shipwrack The Plague indeed when it was come made little discrimination between the bodies of the righteous and the bodies of the wicked no more doth grace the difference is more inward and deepe it is the soul begins to be glorifyed hereby and hath the seed of eternal life put into it when it doth pass the new birth but the body is not changed with the soul the body remains as it was as frail and weak and exposed to diseases and death as before and as the body of any wicked person and therefore the infectious disease of the Plague coming into a populous City the bodies of the righteous amongst the rest receive the contagion and they fall in the common calamity there is a difference in the manner of their death and a difference in their place and state after death as hath been spoken of before but the kind of death is the same So the fire doth make no discrimination between the Houses of the godly and the Houses of the ungodly they are all made of the same combustible matter and are enkindled as bodies infected one by another indeed the godly have God to be their habitation and they are Citizens of the new Ierusalem which is above a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God an abiding City which the fire cannot reach and their persons are secured from the flames of eternal fire in Hell but they have no promise nor security for the preservation of their Houses from fire here in this World The judgments of the plague and fire being sent work according to their nature without distinguishing the righteous But if we further enquire into the reason why the plague was sent the last year and such a plague as hath not been known this forty year which raged so sorely when there was no such sultriness of weather as in other years to encrease it and why the fire was sent this year and such a fire as neither we nor our fore-fathers ever knew neither do we read of in any History of any so great in any place in time of peace what shall we say was the cause of these extraordinary national judgments but the extraordinary national sins It was an extraordinary hand of God which brought the plague of which no natural cause can be assigned why it should be so great that year more then in former years but that sin was grown to greater heighth and that a fire should prevaile against all attempts to quench it to burn down the City and that judgment just following upon the heels of the other what reason can be assigned but that Englands sins and Gods displeasure hath been extraordinary God is a God of patience and it is not a light thing will move him he is slow to anger it must needs be then some great provocation which makes him so furious he is highly offended before he lifts up his hand and he is exceedingly incens'd before his anger breaks forth into such a flame for my part I verily think if it had not been for the crying abominations of the times which are not chiefly to be limited to the City of London and if the means of Gods prescription according to the Rule of his Word which England sometime could had by England been made use of that both Plague and Fire had been prevented 3. Moreover it may be said that some particular persons by some more peculiar and notorious sins in the City may have provoked the Lord to bring punishment upon the whole place if the Land were not so generally profane and wicked the heathen could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A whole City may be punished for the wickedness of one Man yea we read of David though so good a man yet when he numbred the people a small sin in comparison with the sins of some others in our days God was provoked to send such a dreadful Plague not on himself but upon his people that there dyed 70000 men by it in three days and David said I have
death O how welcome would such a messenger and tidings have been but when Ministers have preached the Gospel unto them which tells them how they should save their souls in danger of death and hell such tidings have had no relish with them as if they had no souls or were in no danger the light hath shined before them but there hath been a cloud in their eye they could not discern it or they have look'd upon it afar off they have not drawn neer and brought it home and set it up in their bosomes that they might order themselves and whole conversations according to its guidance and direction 4. The Hypocrites have been guilty of this sin these have drawn neerer to this light than any of the former so neer that they have seem'd to be cloathed with its beames they have lighted their Lamps hereby and have shined forth in a glorious blaze of an outward profession yet there hath been even in these an inward secret disrelish of the Gospel especially of some things in it there have been some secret rooms in their hearts into which they would not suffer the light to enter least it should discover those beloved Dalilah's which there they have nourished and brought up they have been rotten at the Core and have had some unmortified lust within which the World hath not taken notice of so that if the Gospel hath been received by them it hath been only in the outward form not in the inward power if the light hath been received it hath been without its heat and life Hence it hath come to pass that some of these Hypocrites who seemed to be Stars of the first magnitude have proved only Blazing-stars and Commets which in a short time have fallen and sunk into wilde opinions or fearful Apostacy 5. The Errone us have been guilty of this sin some and not a few in London under this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel which hath come from Heaven have lighted a Candle at the Fire of Hell and laboured to set it up in opposition to the true Light of the Gospel crying out New Light new Light Sathan himself hath appeared in London like an Angel of Light and employed his Emissaries and wicked instruments who have seemed to be Ministers of righteousness but have had a wolfish ravenous heart under the dress and cloathing of the sheep to vent many damnable and destructive opinions in our Church under pretence of new discoveries and revelations of the spirit and though this false and Taper-light could never abide the test and put forth any beams of convincing truth but darkned and disappeared upon the approach of the Sun where it shined in its power yet too many whose eyes were too fore to look upon the glorious beams of the Sun and yet withall their hearts too fearful to remain wholly in the dark without any shew of light did withdraw themselves from the former and sought after the later in dark corners where alone such rotten wood could seem to shine and such candles could give forth any light and choosing night rather than day they followed these false wandring fires though they were led by them into many a precipice It is sad to remember and seriously to consider what errours and strong delusions have abounded and prevailed in our Gospel-daies How many false teachers have there been among us which have crept in at unawares how many Jesuits and Priests sent from Rome and other places to rend and tear our Protestant Church to pieces that they might make way for the introduction of Popery at least to cast a disgrace upon Protestantism and delude many of us with the opinions they have broached and to confirm their own in their delusions thus many cunning learned Jesuits have disguised themselves in the habit of Taylors Shoo-makers and of other mechanical Tradesmen that they might seem to the people to have been taught those things by the Spirit which have been the product of much study thus these cursed villains of old ordained to condemnation have privily brought in damnable heresies some calling themselves Quakers others Ranters other Seekers others Antinomians others Brownists others Anabaptists putting themselves into any shapes that they might mis-lead and the better lye in wait to deceive poor souls some denying the Lord that bought them setting up the fancy of a Christ within them for their Saviour others denying the foundation undermining the Divine Authority of the Scriptures others labouring to overthrow the Doctrine of Justification and striking at most fundamental Doctrines in the Christian faith and all of them endeavouring to undermine the ministry of Christs institution and sending calling them Anti-Christian Baals Priests False Prophets doing what they could to bring them and their ministry out of esteem that they might the more effectually prevaile with the people to receive their false doctrines and arm them hereby against an undeceivement and sweetning their poison with good words and fair speeches they have deceived the hearts of the simple so that many did follow their pernicious waies by reason of whom the way of truth hath been evil spoken of and what ever good words they had they were but feigned words whereby they made merchandize of souls Whose judgment now a long time lingreth not and whose damnation slumbreth not 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. These the Apostle calls spots and blemishes sporting themselves with their own deceivings Wells without Water Clouds carried about with a Tempest Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Wandring stars unto whom is reserved blackness of darkness for ever 2 Pet. 2. 13 17. Iud. 13. And yet many of these were hearkned unto and adheared unto by too many in London rather than the true Gospel Ministers commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and ordained according to the Prescription of his Word Then many Lay-men some gifted who would have given a better account of their gifts at the great day had they kept their station and some without gifts but with a great measure of ignorance and confidence did step up sometimes into Pulpits often took upon them to preach in private invading the office and intruding into the work of Christs Embassadours which he hath appointed a peculiar office for and which he hath set a hedge about more than any other office we read of in Scripture but they ventured to break over the hedge I am confident to the affronting and displeasing of the great King whose representatives in the world his Embassadours are and not only silly women were led captive by the deceivers which crept in when so many took liberty to preach but also men who professed themselves to be wise and to have attained to a degree of light above the vulgar yet forsaking the Ministery and Ordinances of Jesus Christ appointed to continue unto the end of the world for the instructing perfecting and establishment of Saints in knowledge and faith they became fools and children tossed to and fro
been righteous if he had destroyed us Think with your selves you that are alive and remain escaped how fearful would the Plague have been if it had come home to your houses you were afraid to hear of others houses visited and shut up what would you have been if it had entered your doors you were afraid when others were struck with the disease what would you have been if you had been struck your selves Sinners what would you have done if the arrow had pierced through your Livers if under such guilt and wrath you had been smitten when you had such a Plague of sin in your hearts if you should have had the Plague of Pestilence in your bodies if when you were so rotten and corrupt and defiled inwardly you should have had boyls and blanes and running sores outwardly if when conscience was so filled with guilt your bodies should have been filled with this disease In a word If when you had the marks of Hell and damnation in your souls you should have had the marks of inevitable death in your bodies Oh the dread that would have seised upon you The Judgement of the Plague might have been worse to you you might have spent above a year in Hell by this time among Devils and damned Spirits you might by this time have been inured to those torments which yet you could not have endured but must have endured for ever without any possibility of deliverance for ever Many of you who have escaped have your Families unbroken when other whole Families are swept away Suppose thy dear Wife had fallen or thy hopefull Children had been nipt by death in the very bud and your Families had been maimed the Judgement would have been much sorer on you None can say but God might have righteously punished London more severely by the Plague 2. God might have punished London also more severely by the Fire The greatest part of the City is fallen it might have been the whole Most of the City within the Walls is consumed the flames might have issued forth at all the Gates and consumed all the Suburbs too all the goods might have been burnt with the houses and all the Inhabitants with the Habitations The Fire though it burned dreadfully yet it began at one end and came on so slowly that most of the Inhabitants of London had time to remove themselves and the choycest of their goods some Livelihood was left and Materials for a future Trade Suppose the Fire had been so sudden or had been kindled in so many places that there had been no possibility of removing any thing except the persons themselves Suppose all the Silver and Gold and rich Plate of the City had been melted by this Fire that all the Wares and Merchandize all the Garments Beds and Houshold goods had been turned into ashes and many thousand Families that have been turned out of house had been turned out of all and quite bereaved of all their Substance so that nothing had remained to them for necessary use this would have been very sore Alas what would they have done whether would they have gone for relief Would the Court have supplyed them Could the Countrey have helped and maintained so many when so much impoverished themselves that in many places they are hardly able to live Could they have hoped for relief from foreign Nations Are not all the World almost our Enemies Is Charity so warm abroad Alas what would they have done Must not many of them have pined away in their wants and starved under Hedges for lack of suitable provisions This would have been dreadfull indeed Or suppose they had lugg'd their Goods out of London from the Fire and the whole City had been burnt down with all the Suburbs and no habitations left standing hereabouts what would they have done with their goods where would they have disposed of them How could they any wayes have continued their Trades Where could they have disposed of their persons How could they have lived this cold Winter Season Could they have struck up Booths presently fit for themselves to abide in which would have sheltred them from the injury of the weather where would they have had materials when all was burnt Alas what would they have done must not their goods have been spoyled by lying abroad would not they themselves who had been used to so much tenderness have quickly grown sick and died in the Fields would not thousands have starved for cold and what Provision could they have had for food and other necessaries Besides would they not have been a prey to Theeves and Cut-throats Would not many of their Enemies who laughed at the fall of the City have rejoyced much more and taken advantage to come upon them in their nakedness and butcher'd them without mercy But suppose the Fire that begun at one corner had been kindled in every Gate at the same time when all the Inhabitants had been asleep in their Houses and they had been inclosed with flames and no possibility of escape how dreadfull would the Fire have been then If when they awakened in the Morning they had seen the smoke ascending round about them and the Fire drawing neer to them if both ends of a street had been on Fire together and they in the midst and had heard with the roaring of the Fire a greater roaring of the People that were burning with the Houses O the ruefull looks Oh the horrible shrieks by women and children oh the dreadfull amazement and perplexity which would have been in such a place and case To be burnt alive is dreadfull but think what tortures would have been in the spirits of guilty sinners who had not made their peace with God that had slept out the Harvest and day of Grace that had made no Provision for death and Eternity The noise and roaring without would have been nothing to the lashes and tearings within them the Fire in their Houses would have been but small in comparison of the fire in their Consciences and the flames of Hell-fire which if awakened they would have seen just before them This Judgement of the Fire might have been more dreadfull than it was Persons are escaped Goods and Wealth much saved Houses standing to receive them Trade going on God might have punisht London more sorely in the same kinde 2. God might have punished London more severely in other kindes of Judgements 1. He might have brought upon them and upon the whole Land the Sword of a Foreign Enemy as he did upon Ierusalem and the land of Iudea for their sins which being so pathetically set forth by the Prophet Ieremy 4. v. 16. to the end I shall represent to the eye A Voice declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim make ye mention to the Nations behold publish against Jerusalem that Watchers come from a far Countrey and give out their voice against the Cities of Judah As Keepers of the Field they are against her round about
because she hath been rebellious against me saith the Lord. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise within me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumpet the Alarm of Warr. Destruction upon destruction is cryed for the whole land is spoyled and my curtains in a moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumpet I beheld and all the Cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger for thus hath the Lord said The whole land shall be desolate for this shall the land mourn and the Heavens above be black The whole City shall flee for the noise of the Horsemen and the Bowmen they shall go into the Thickets and climbe up upon the Rocks every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoyled what wilt thou do though thou cloathest thy self with Crimson though thou deckest thy self with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy lovers shall despise thee they will seek thy life for I have heard a voice as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first childe the voice of the daughter of Zion that bewaileth her self that spreadeth forth her hands saying Wo is me now for my soul is wearied because of murtherers This might have been the Judgement and these the Complaints of London and England which would have been worse than Plague or Fire The Plague reached many but the Sword might have reached all the Fire devoured Houses but the Sword might have devoured the Inhabitants The Lord might have brought a Foreign Sword and open Invasion or he might have given up London to a more private sudden Butchery and Massacre by the hands of cruel Papists as was feared which would have been more dreadfull than the Massacre of the Protestants by the Papists in Paris because our numbers do so far exceed those which were in that City If bloody Papists had come into our Houses in the dead of the Night with such kinde of Knives in their hands as were found after the Fire in Barrels and having set Watch at every Streets end had suffered none to escape but cruelly slaughtered the Husband with the Wife the Parents and the Children together ripping up women with Childe and not sparing either the Silver hair or the Sucking Babe If there had been a cry at midnight They are come but no possibility of flying from them or making resistance against them if instead of heaps of Stones and Bricks in the top of every street there had been heaps of dead Bodies and the Kennels had been made to run down with gore-blood sure this Judgement would have been more dreadfull than the Plague or Fire which have been among us 2. God might have punished London with Famine which is a greater Judgement than the Plague or Sword If the Lord had broken the whole staff of bread and cut off all provisions of food from the many thousand souls that lived in and about the City how dreadful would this have been If a famine had been so sore in London that people should have been forced to eat one another and their own flesh as it was in Samaria and Ierusalem If instead of houses in London God should have made the people as fuel of the Fire in this judgement as is threatned Esa. 9. 19 20. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkened and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire no man shall spare his brother and he shall snatch on his right hand and be hungry and he shall eat on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arms If London had been forced through hunger to eat the flesh of their own arms and the fruit of their own bodies Oh what a dismal face would there have been in the City and how would death have been chosen rather than life in the by-us-unconceivable pain of gnawing hunger Those which dye by the Plague or are slain by the sword would be counted happy in comparison with them that live under such a judgement Lastly The righteousness of God in the judgements he hath inflicted on London appears in that he might instead of Plague and fire on earth have punished them with the plagues and fire of hell which such sins as we have reckoned up have abundantly deserved Tyre and Sidon now in Hell Sodom and Gomorrah under the vengeance of eternal fire were not guilty of such sins as London was guilty of And what are body plagues here in comparison of soul plagues hereafter what is a fire that burns down a City in comparison with the fire of hell which shall burn the damned and never be quenched God hath punished London no more than her iniquities have deserved God hath punished London less than her iniquities have deserved therefore in speaking most terribly he hath answered most righteously SECT 8. 3. COncerning the design of these judgements What doth God mean by this terrible voice by speaking such terrible things in the City of London The Lord hath not only spoken but cryed and shouted he hath lifted up his voice like a Trumpet and his voice hath not been inarticulate and insignificant but hath had a meaning and they that have an ear to hear may understand for as the voice of the Lord hath cryed in the City so the voice of the Lord hath cryed to the City Mic. 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City The man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Some take notice of the judgements themselves and the effects of them upon themselves and families They discourse of the Plague and how many dyed thereby that they have lost such a relation such a friend or neighbour was visited and dyed quickly They discourse of the Fire where it began how it increased and prevailed what day such a street fell and where their houses were consumed what they lost and how much they saved And it may be some speak of the hands of men that were suspected to enkindle and carry it on but few discourse of the hand of God which sent both Plague and Fire and what he means by such strange and dreadful judgements But the man of wisdom such as are wise do consider that these judgements spring not out of the dust but were sent down from Heaven They see Gods Name and Gods hand that hath been stretched forth upon London They know that both Plague and Fire have had their commission from the God of Heaven otherwise they could not have wrought with such force and power They
in it and see how many spots it will discover which you never before did perceive not beauty spots but spots of deformity Plague-spots Death-marks Hell-tokens such as will bring upon you inevitable misery unless they be wiped off Take the Rule of the Word and measure your actions by it and you may quickly perceive how much they have fallen short how crooked they have been Rectum est index sui obliqui compare your actions with the straight rule of Gods Law and you may find out many irregularities If you do not find out your sins your sins will find you out and Gods judgements will find you out and if you be found out in your sins woe be to you O the horrour which will be upon your consciences when ruining judgements are inflicted upon you particularly and you cannot escape when Death looks you in the face and comes with the sting of sin in its mouth to devour you But O the horrour you will be under hereafter if you be taken away in your sins when your souls shall be summoned immediately after their separation unto the barr of God where you will be searched and tryed and condemned to everlasting torment by an inevitable and irreversible sentence of the Judge himself O therefore hearken to the voice of God in these temporal judgements on the City after which you still remain alive through infinite patience which calls upon you to search and try your wayes that you may escape more fearful judgements which may be preparing for you labour to find out your sins which are the cause of all judgements temporal and eternal and to help you in your search after sin read the Catalogue I have given you of Londons sins and examine your selves thereby be very serious and thorow and impartial in this search sequester your selves often from all company ease your mind of the load of worldly business leave the carriages at the bottom of the hill strive against temptations and indispositions to the work set your selves in the Presence of the Heart-searching God beg the help of his spirit to discover to you what hath displeased and provoked him search after sin as offensive to God and as destructive to your selves as your worst enemy as the cause of Plague and Fire in London and as that which will bring the Plagues and Fire of Hell upon you if it be not found out and subdued 4. God doth expect that London should acknowledge their sins unto him When the Prophet had directed the people to search and try their wayes after the execution of such Judgements upon them Lam. 3. 40. see the following direction v. 41 42. Let us lift our hearts with our hands unto God in the Heavens we have trangressed and have rebelled c. thus the Prophet doth confess the sins of Ierusalem Chap. 1. 8 9. Ierusalem hath greatly sinned therefore she is removed Her filthiness is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully and thus the Daughter of Zion as she bewaileth her affliction so she acknowledgeth her transgression v. 17 18 20. Zion spreadeth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandment Behold O Lord for I am in distress my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Thus Daniel after dreadful judgements maketh confession of the sins of the people of Israel chap. 9. 4 5 6. I prayed unto the Lord and made my confession and said O Lord the great and Dreadful God we have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and thy judgements neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the land and v. 11 12. Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law by departing that they might not obey thy voice therefore the curse is poured upon us and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him And he hath confirmed his word which he spake against us and against our judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole Heaven hath it not been done as it hath been done upon Jerusalem God doth expect that London should find out their sins and having found them that they should make confession of them O that the Prophane and ungodly generation in London whose sins have been enumerated in the Catalogue would be perswaded to get alone by themselves and consider their evil wayes and what the consequents of their sins have been in bringing down temporal Judgements what the consequence of their sins is like to be even the bringing upon them eternal Judgements and that they would fall down and prostrate themselves at Gods foot and covering their cheeks with shame and blushing because of their filthiness and foul sins under the view of so holy an eye that they would acknowledge their transgressions unto him not only in general but also particularly with their heinous aggravations O that with an inward deep sense with a bleeding broken heart they would fill their mouths with confessions that they would take to themselves words and say We have rebelled against thee O Lord and done wickedly and grievously offended thee so foolish have we been and ignorant of thee we have been worse than beasts before thee the Oxe acknowledgeth his owner and the Ass his master but though we are thy creatures and live upon thy bounty and are daily at thy finding yet we have not acknowledged thee and have had less consideration than those creatures who have had no reason we have been a sinful people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that have been corrupters who have forsaken thee and by our wickedness provoked thee to anger We have been stubborn and disobedient serving thine enemies the devil and our own lusts but have neglected yea refused to serve and worship thee in our families and closets living as if there had been no God in the world We have seldom if ever taken thy Name into our mouths unless it hath been in vain unless in our Oaths and Curses We have prophaned thy Sabboths and defiled thine ordinances and have often been more wicked on the Lords day than any day of the week besides When we were children we disobeyed our Parents but disobeyed thee much more who didest command us to honour them when we were children in years we were grown Men and Women in sin when we were weak in body we were strong in spirit to commit iniquity we learnt the trade of sin before any other and were apt Schollars in the School of the Devil when dull and blockish to learn any thing which was good we were wise to do evil when to do good we had no understanding our iniquities have
11. he will be your refuge under oppression and present help in time of trouble Psal. 46. 1. he will be your rock and fortress your high tower to defend you or your deliverer to redeem you out of all your troubles trust in God alone for all things if you make use of creatures do not lean and stay upon them for they will slip from under you but stay your selves on God O the peace and quiet which this will yield in shaking troublesome dayes when others hearts tremble within them and are moved like leaves upon the approach of danger you shall not be afraid of evil tydings but have your hearts fixed trusting in the Lord Psal. 112. 7. 13. God doth expect that London should have Death in continual remembrance This God expects from the Judgement of the Plague the Death of so many thousands a week in London gave such a spectacle of Mortality and Preached such a Sermon in the City as should bring the remembrance of Death into their minds every day of their lives the death if it were but of one or two should put you in mind of your later end but when you have seen so many go down into the pit before you it should inscribe the remembrance of death more deeply upon your mindes the record of which you should look daily into the gates of the City in the year of the Plague seem'd to have this inscription upon them All Flesh is Grass Let that word sound every day in your ears and remember your bodies are exposed to the stroke of death every day and though you have out-lived the Plague that yet Death hath you in the chase and will ere long you know not how soon overtake you remember your glass is running and will quickly be run out and therefore all the dayes of your appointed time as you should remember so you should prepare for your great change God expects that the remaining inhabitants of London should be prepared well for death now when they have had death so much in their view some of you have been sick of the Plague and brought to the very brink of the Grave all of you have been in danger of the Plague when the disease was so sore and raging I fear most of you were unprepared for death at that time and had you dyed then that it would have been with horrour and I believe that there are few of you but did in the time of your fears and danger make vows and promises if the Lord would shelter you from the arrows which flew about you and spare your lives then that you would lead new lives and be more carefull to prepare for your change so that Death should not take you so unprovided any more God expects the fulfilling of your promises and that you should live up to the vowes which you made in the time of your distress and so provide your selves whilest you are well that the messenger of Death may have a welcome reception when ever he summoneth you to leave this world 14. God expects that London should retain great impressions of Eternity You have had the door of Eternity set wide open in your view when so many were thronging in at the door and I believe you had deeper apprehensions of Eternity in those dayes than ever you had in your lives take heed that those impressions do not wear off and that you lose not those apprehensions especially when you are drawing every day nearer and nearer thereunto Think often of the vast Ocean of Eternity without bottome or bank on the other side into which the whole stream of time will empty it self and how quickly the small rivulet of your appointed dayes may fall into it Think often of the unalterable state of Joy or Misery which you must enter into at the end of your course think how thin and short the pleasures of sin are in this life in comparison of the horrible and endless torments of hell and how light and momentaneous the afflictions of Gods people are here in comparison with the exceeding and eternal weight of glory prepared for them in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. 15. God doth call upon London by the Fire which burnt down the City to secure themselves against the Fire of Hell London's Fire was Dreadful but the Fire of Hell will be a thousand-fold more Dreadfull The Fire of London was kindled by man be sure some second cause was made use of herein but the Fire of Hell will be kindled by God himself Isa. 30. 33. Tophet is ordained of old for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it The Fire of London burnt the houses of the City and consumed much of the goods but the Fire of Hell will burn the persons of the wicked Matth. 15. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting Fire The Fire of London did burn most but not all the houses in the City some are yet remaining but the Fire of Hell will burn all the persons of the wicked not one of them shall escape and remain The Fire of London was extinguished and did last but four dayes but the Fire of Hell will be unextinguishable it will burn for ever it is called everlasting Fire in which the damned must lye and burn eternally without any possibility of ever getting forth If you had known before of Londons Fire where it would begin and how it would spread and seize upon your houses surely you would have taken some course for the prevention of it you know before of the Fire of Hell the Word of God hath revealed it O take some course for prevention of it at least for securing of your selves against it when the Fire was burning in London you did fly from it least it should have consumed your persons as well as houses O fly from the Fire of Hell into which your persons will be thrown if you go on in sin fly from the wrath which is to come fly unto Jesus Christ who alone can deliver you 16. God doth call upon Londoners by the Fire to be like Strangers and Pilgrims in the World God hath burned you out of your habitations that he might loosen your affections from houses and riches and all things here below that he might unsettle you unhinge unfix you that you might never think of Rest and Settlement in the Creatures as long as you live God calls upon you by this Judgement to take off your hearts from this world which is so very uncertain and to be like Strangers and Pilgrims upon the earth who are to take up your lodging here but a few dayes and nights in your passage to the other world God expects you should live as those who have here no certain dwelling place and therefore that you should not lavish away too much of your thoughts and affections and time about these