Hands you may ask where are those sweet places where we Traded Feasted Slept where we lived like Masters and shone like Morning Stars No the Houses are fallen and the Housholders dropt with them we have nothing but naked-Streets naked Fields for shelters not so much as a Chamber to couch down our Children or Repose our own Members when we are spent or afflicted with Sickness Wo unto us our Sins have pulled down our Houses shak'd down our City we are the most harborless people in the World like Foreigners rather than Natives yea rather like Beasts than Men Foxes have Holes and Fowls have Nests but we have neither Holes nor Nests our Sins have deprived us both of Couch and Covert we would be glad if an Hospital would receive us Dens or Caves shelter us the bleak Air or cold Ground are our only Shades and Refuges But alas this is but the Misery of Stone-work of Arches Roofs What will you say when you come Skin VVork Arms Necks and Bowels A Massacre May not your tender persons be touched Yes ye which have walk'd in State may then run the Streets in Distraction ye which have search'd out others with severity may be pluck'd out of your Corners With rigor ye which have been bowed to may then bow your Knees for Mercy with one Legg or half an Arm ye may begg the Preservation of the rest of your Members VVhat Inventions shall ye then be put to to secure your Lives what perhaps would you not give to save your selves and your Tears it may be will not secure you nor your Gold redeem you but your Veins must weep as well as your Eys and your Sides be watered as well as your Cheeks when your Sins shall shut up the Conduits of the City and only your Liver Conduit to run when they allow you no showers of Rain but showers of Blood to wash your Feet when you shall see no Men of your Corporation but the mangled Citizen nor hear no noise in your Streets but the crys the shreiks the yells and pants of gasping dying Men when among the throngs of Associates not a Man will own you your Friends hide their Head and your Servants flee from you when your Kindred are slain in one place your VVives in another your Children in a third and your selves at last it may be cut in two to increase the number of dead Carcasses when as populous as you are you shall be but numbred to the Sword as puissant as you are the Valiant shall be swept away As fine fed as you are you shall be fed with your own Flesh and made Drunk with your own Blood when your Trespasses have been so outragious that Vengeance doth deny you a being that you are thought fit for nothing but to be killed in the places where you committed the Crimes and to suffer the pains of Death within those Walls which you have cursed with your Sedoms Faces and Egyptian hard-Heartedness when your Politicians can no longer help you but must have their subtle Brains dash'd in pieces with yours nor your Lectures no longer save you but you must meet at the Congregation near the Shambles when this great City shall be but a great Chopping-board to quarter out the Limbs of Sinners or the great Altar whereon a whole City is to be Sacrificed Oh doleful day of new painting your Walls new paving your Streets new summoning a Common-Hall when all are called forth to nothing but to the derision of the insulting Adversary to have your Breasts to try the points of Spears your Sides the keeness of Swords your Heads the weight of Pole-Axes and Bodys to be made Foot-stools and your Dead Careasses steppings for truculent Foes to trample upon when there will be no pity upon the Aged nor compassion for the Young but heaps upon heaps tumbling of Garments in Blood and Swords made fat with slaughter Oh see what a crimson City crimson Sins will make Or if you escape the dint of the Sword and your Lives be given you for a prey shall not your Goods be a prey Yes some may be reserved out of the greatest MASSACRE when Men are weary of Killing a Retreat may be sounded and Men called off from the Slaughter yet can ye challenge your old Houses or bring your Keys to your old Chests No your Titles gone your Interest lost you have Sinn'd your Selves off your Propriety the Enemy is now House-keeper and Land-holder all 's forfeited to the Sword farewel Inheritances Purchases Leases Jewels as ye have gotten these perhaps unjustly so they shall be taken away unjustly violently gotten and violently they shall be taken away Vengeance from Heaven will have satisfaction for all your fraudulent Bargains cruel Pawns extorting Mortgages blooding of Widdows skinning of Orphans or as you have used your Goods for Pride and Bravery so you shall see all your Gallantry and new Fashions pluck't from you others shall spruce up themselves in your Dresses and your selves glad of the worst filthy Garment ye left behind or perhaps of a cast Garment of your Enemys and though God took you out of the Mire you never pluck't out others which stuck in the same Extremitys you have forgotten your own beginnings a great Company of these the City hath that the Poor and the suffering Gospel can thank them for little succour and Sympathy They which would grasp all shall loose all they shall be driven to live upon Alms and to go among the tattered crew They shall wish they had but one spare Bag which all the crys of the Distressed could not make them open or that they had but a few of those Mites which all the Teaâ—s of Necessity could not make them to scatter abroad no they would trust nothing in Gods hand and God will shut up all Hands and Hearts against them They had no Compassion and no Eye shall pity them if they be not slain in the heap yet they do but Live to see their own Misery Their Sins have made them Bankrupts and ruined them Oh that the loss of Money were the greatest mischief but there is a Treasure of greater value in Danger CONSCIENCE is ready to be rifled there is not an absolute Conquest made till the inward Man be in Fetters Thou must be a Slave in Principles oh t is a hard thing to be a Jew inwardly Pâ—pâ—ry sâ—â—â—â—p Thou must then bear the Fruit of the degenerate Plant or strange Vine pour out the Drink-Offerings of other Sacrificers follow the Sorcery of the Mistress of Witchcraft or learn Magick with them that are brought up in the Doctrine of Devils you must limp with this halting Age fit thy Mouth to shout That great is Diana of the Ephesiaâ—s thou must taunt thy Father spit in the Face of thy own Mother hiss away all thy true Brethren like the Jews thou must soon learn the Language of Canaan and Ashdod if they come under another Lord the Citizen is a double Slave
Land or create new Members of this Corporation that would sing a Hymn to him for such variety of Blessings alas ye possess much ye prize but little ye are more successful than sensible Oh consider in what an Eden God hath placed you ye are not only a City but above many Cities in the World Ye may be called That great City Should I not spare Nineveh that great City 2. This shews that the City is eminent with God if Ye do not withdraw his Affections from it he doth prize the City because its That great City the City cannot be too great for God if it be not too great for your Selves he is satisfy'd with your large Circuit if ye do not cast your selves out of your own Walls Make him Chief over the City and hold it in Fee under him as long as you will do but true Homage to him and he will deliver back again to you your Sword and Mace and Keys to keep for many Ages if ever ye perish your Blood be upon your own Heads Thy Destruction is of thy self O Israel Misery will never come from Gods Justice but from your own Wickedness his Rod will never be felt till the Scorner doth call for Stripes yet so lie loveth your Pavements if ye don't break them up he delights in your Buildings if ye don't pollute them he rejoyces in your Treasures if ye don't forfeit them Ye are blessed why are you sick of your own Felicity Do ye wish well to the City or desire to continue its Eminency No Methinks I see you bring â—ick-axes to dig down your own Walls and spring Mines to blow up your own Houses and kindle Sparks that will set the whole City in a Flame from one end to the other what means the City-Jars Differences and Distinctions of each other by several Names these if Wisdom prevent not will bring ruin to a City for a City doth signify no more nor less than the unity of Citizens and indeed if it want unity it is but a Tumult a wresting place a pitched Field and not a City the Towers are then undermining and the Walls shaking and falling A Miserable thing it is when their Tongues are divided and there is a strife in the City Psal 55.9 Scornful Men i.e. Turbulent and Factious bring the City into a sâ—are then is the City becoming a City of Destruction Epictetus said well That discord is the wit-foundring of a City Diodorus makes a sad relation concerning the Citizens of Argos falling into Dissentions and Distractions about Superiority which caused such a woful face of Misery and Desolation that no man lived in safety for many were Tortured to Death and others cut their own Throats that they might not be â—ortured yea certain Orators arising so stirred up the People against the Rich that no Man of Wealth was secure thirty of them were questioned tortured and slaughtered at once and after that two Thousand and two hundred afterwards the Orators out of Remorse refusing to accuse any more the Rage fell upon them and they were Murthered and Perished among the rest The Citizens of Constantinople falling into Contention in the seventh year of ustinian giving their popular pledge to raise Partys what Troubles did there break forth Citizens were Banisht Houses Burnt the Temple Defaced and the uproar nor ally'd until three Thousand were Slain when Carthage was divided how soon did it come to be an enslaved City Discords of Citizens have ever been Ominous and divers times fatal Beware O London Oh this Unity doth carry in it an universality of Felicity it is the Basis and Battle-ax to a City Hath God Built this City for his own Service and Worship No it seems to be a Bear-Garden or a Nest of Cockatrices Oh the hideous noises the filthy smells the dung-heaps the execrable Sins that are committed in this City It seems to be nothing but a fenced Vale for Miscreants and Anak ms to shelter themselves in to speak modestly I wont shew you the Faces of the Monsters or holâ— up the Gorgons Head in your sight but I will say in general That Gods Name is Dishonored his Truth Corrupted his Deity Blasphemed his Laws Violated his Messengers dispised Prayers but Customary Gales Praises but Ditties of Humour Sermons but Notional Speculations Sacraments but badges of affected Community the Saints Weep the Poor Cry and the Oppressed Roar Grace is turned into a Vizard and Religion into refined Policy and if I should reckon up all here 's enough to bury the ancientest Family in Oblivion to shake the greatest City in the World into scattered Stones to cast Adam out of Paradise again and to throw the Angels out of Heaven if they were in the greatest brightness Oh then that ye are the Contrivers of the fall of so great a City Is it nothing that you be held the Conspirators against the safety of the City Yes Cilicon that deluded the City of Mâ—lâ—tum with continually saying All things are well tell he had delivered it up into the hands of the Priennenses Zenias that carryed all fair to the City of Elis till he had brought it under the Lacedemonians Dorylâ—us Tacticuâ— which betrayed Eupator in his head City Baditzes that when the Saracens were ready to depart from Amorium sent a secâ—et Letter to tell them that if they would renew their Assault in such a place they might easily enter which they did and put the City to Slaughter all these are branded with Infamy for seeking the Destruction of their own Citys How much more then you which by your Prodigious Sins are plotting greater Treachery against your City than these For they brought but Armed Men into the City but your Sins are ready to bring down Hosts from Heaven yea to fetch Angels from above to be revenged on you for all your execrable Sins If the City doth fall we know whose HANDS to charge for the pulling it down Not the Hands of Justice but the Hands of Transgression that are guilty of this Fact they are your Provocations and Abominations that neither Profession nor Pulpits can restrain no Popish TRATORS nor Treacherous Friends are like your proditorious Sins those call in Gods Judgments open the City Gates put Arms into their Hands to slaughter on the right hand and on the left yea so inrage them that they will not leave wasting till they have left the City level with the ground the City has been great is great and may be great if your selves don 't conspire against its Greatness God would not destroy Nineveh because it was that great City Should I not spare Nineveh that great City 216 3. This shews the horror of the Citys desolation if ever it doth happen to perish for it is That Great City and it will be that great Casualty Oh the Dream be to our Enemys and the Interpretation to them that hate us Lot the Woman called Wickedness which doth sit in the midst of the Epha rather fly into
LONDON's REMEMBRANCER A CALL AND PATERN For TRUE and SPEEDY REPENTANCE BEING An ABRIDGMENT of those many severe SERMONS By Thomas Reeve B. in Divinity INTITULED GOD's PLEA for NINEVEH The only seasonable Work that can be done in this day Jer. 18 7. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil way I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them Sam. 3.12 When I begin I will also make an end LONDON Printed for Th. Dawks 1683. * This is Abridg'd The Author's DEDICATION To the Religious Citizens of LONDON who are sensible of the Sins and do suplicate for the Safety of their CITY Honored Sirs and Citizens of a famous City c. I Call you out to a new Merchandize many of you have been negotiating in most of the known Cities of the World but did any of you yet Trade at Nineveh Let this be your Empory buy up her Commodities and set up an Exchange of her Wares others may call upon you to traffick elsewhere I direct you to this City Some of Nineveh's Ashes Sack-cloth men with new lips feet and hands would be more useful now than all the precious Rarities the richest Marts can afford Nineveh is the Place the way is beaten you shall never repent of the Journey 't is a renowned place in whose Ruins you may find Treasure enough to redeem you out of the present hazards and to prevent future Miserys Indeed I lay your Sandals before you yet be not discouraged ye shall go but like Merchant-Adventurers if ye be Industrious ye may drive a very advantagious Trade and come home laiden with the Riches of the same linger not set forth speedily and make a quick return and Millions shall bless you quarrel not who shall go first but walk peaceably and God Almighty prosper you Apply your selves to the right work and fall to right down Christianity let him be the best Man which can be most Zealous in this Religious Service 'T is hard to build a City and 't will be as hard to preserve it When a City is grown crazy with Sin they must be Master-Workmen that repair its decays or keep it from a Down-fall be ne'er so well prepared your Task requires almost Angelical puriâ—y and perfection to discharge Consider what ye are to do to wring a Spear out of the Almighty's Hand to turn back an Host of Judgments upon their March appear in 〈◊〉 2. compleat Harness and quit your selves like men But by what Citizens shall this 〈◊〉 done By them that are truly Religious and are sensiâ—le of the Sins and do supplicate for the safety of the City I Must have such as have the Sins of the City smarting upon their Hearts and the safety of the City ecchoing in their Lips I take no delight in hearing Citizens commended for exterior things such are The conspicuous Persons which are perspicuous in Graces and the Eys that see them bless them for their Piety whose chief Mart is in Heaven and Trade for such Riches as excel all the Treasurâ—s of Aegypt whose Hearts are knit to the City and whose Tongues are soliciting for it which weep over the Sins of the City and would even sacrifice themselves in Expiatory Dutys to prevent Judgments from it Pardon me I judg not the City by Furs and Gold-Chains c. These have no place but only the feeling Conscience and fervent Soul the rest I might send to C. M. Coriolanus who in the greatest necessity never tendred the well-fare of the Inferiors but lookt only to provide for his own Greatness and his great Ones and held the poorer Citizens to sad sufferings lest being supplyed with what they wanted they might be enabled to call him and the rest to account for their Injurys Having taken upon me a dolorous Service to whom should I apply my self but to the true Mourners in Jerusalem yes there are sins in the City and these sins do threaten Judgments All ye which do face the one and fear the other let me intreat You to sigh and sacrifice with me that the City being penitent neither the Peril nor perishing of the City may be dreaded To obtain this Blessing I confess I have as I can sanctify'd my self with some solemn Resolutions I desire you to enter into the same Vow with me not to desert the City with your Repentance and Devotion till a discharge be brought out of Heaven and the City settled in a Condition to be spared I hear a loud speech what is not this City able to do I wish it may be able to examine amd to extricate her self I cannot but love your City for her Breast that she proved such a kind Nurse to them which had neither Milk nor Maintenance when upon the Death of their Mother they were as exposed Children I thought once to have call'd in all the Nobility and Gentry of the Nation to joyn in this Work I would have Invited the Reverend of the Clergy to have assisted in this Religious service I would have drawn in all the Civil and Common Lawyers to plead in Heaven for this City I would have summoned in all the Physicians to have administred a soveraign Potion to this City I thought to have sent down to all the Citys in this Kingdom to have repaired hither themselves or send faithful substitutes their Conversion to officiate for the City in her greatest peril for seeing this is the Metropolis why should not all the Daughters do their Duty to their Mother and wait upon her with their Prayers Tears Humiliation and Mortification yes they here vending all their Commoditys and buying their principall Wares 't is convenient should bless her with their Repentance which hath blessed them with Revenue But because the most proper Cure is that which is personal people being able to prepare their Antidote therefore ye knowing both the Malady and the Medicine what need I trouble others when ye are able if ye will to do the work your selves and to be your own Physicians And now I have left you in your own Hands setting Life and Death before you Oh that I could speak to the City in general that as ALL Nineveh so ALL your City would be unanimous to unite their Repentance to keep oft a Judgment But I see such a Complicated Disease of bad Opinions and such 〈◊〉 Cakexy of evil Life amongst you some only magnifying the Virtues of the 〈◊〉 others going on in an Insensibility of any thing that it is either Sin or Danger that dispair to find the generality apprehensive either of Disease or Cure I remember that Calcedon was called the Town of the Blind because they would not suffer an experienced Work-man to build their Houses and so such a blind City shall I leave you if I set on Work half sighted Architects who can neither
Nineveh beleiving the Prophet is spared 9. Foolhardiness the way to Ruine ib. The Pit is filld with persons of high Birth ib. The English addicted to Gluttony 10. If Heart changes every thing changes 11. A City is an Attrictive of pity 12. GOD the Cities Friend 13. A City a place of honor on 8 Accounts 14. A City should be a place of Example 15. A City a Pattern of Holiness 16. Reproof those delighting to destroy Citys 17. to mens blindness and stupidness ib. God no Enemy to Greatness 18. Such as God hath made great ought to be great in thankfulness 19. Look back to your Beginnings 20. Great Penitents are to save a City ib. Several famous Citys in the World yet all short of Nineveh 21 21. Nineveh emulated by Semeramis her Original Valour and Death 24 25. Ninevehs Excellencies 26. The Excellency of London above other Cities 28. Discord of Citizens brings certain Ruine to both Parties 29. Prodigious Sins another way to ruine Cities 30. Conquer'd Citizens most miserable 31. Conscience then a Sufferer too 32. Judgments marching rank and file bring ib. Fire 33. Massacres 34 35. Popery 36. Repentance represents to God every thing in us that should draw Compassion 37. Cleopatra's Pomp to meet M. Anthony 38. God a diligent Observer of the Penitent ib. Sin will bring Confusion upon a City if the Walls were Brass Guards Anakims 39. Happiness Carries Propriety with it 40. Greatness consists not in bare Titles 41. Present Bliss the Honored Bliss ib. God continues as well as conveys Blessings ib. Phillip K. of Macedon making his Oration to his Souldiers standing upon a Sepulchre 't was look'd upon as ominous 42. Man made by Deliberation 43. Macrinus's Son born with a Crown ib. Men the Treasure of a Câ—ty 44. Sinners worse than the filth of a City ib. Sacking Cities not so bad as slaughtering Citizens 45. The Lives of the Vanquished are not at the Mercy of the Conqueror ib. Dire Exampl of Cruelty at taking Cities ib. A great Blessing to abound with people 47. Bless God for preserving you from an other Plague 48. Plagues can depopulate Kingdoms ib. The Terror of the Plague 49. Numbers should be a Motive to Compassion a destroyer of Multitudes cruel 50. God is exeact in numbring he knows the Thousands and the Surpluss ib. Therefore chide gently with Providence 51. Dare not to sin against so knowing a God ib. God knows his Elect. 52. Man a wanting Creature 53. God glorious in Extremities ib. Poland miraculously delivered from the Heathens invading them ib God doth not discern where Man dot not discern 54. A door of Hope for impotent Persons 55. Compassion for the impotent ib. Physitians Eminent seve rallâ— contriving to prevent the Plague 48. Severe Censures have made the World a slaughter-house 55 Christianity I doubt hath not sanctified Judgment Seats Blood under Tribunals doth cry 56. What justifiable Ignorance is ib. Reproof for them that sin against their own Discernings ib. Infants and simple Men are highly cared for by God 57. The Necessity of Childrens Education 58. The great returnes Persons have made their Tutors 59. Infants rightly baptized have certain salvation ib. We should be tender of wronging Infants ib. Lycurgus's uprightness to an unborn Infant 60. Orphans out-cry against unjust Execut. 61. The highest of Cruelties to kill Infants 62. Innocency ground of divine Comiseration ib. God will conceal nothing that may tend to the advantage of his Saints And also 63. God a Restless Advocate for his Saints ib. Reproof for a Politician vaunting himself 64 God is most passionate for Mercy ib. Envy an incorrigible Sin ib. God is compassionate to the very Beasts And much Cattle ib. A d sobedient people cursed in the increase of their Kine 65. Tame Beasts forsaking Pastures and Wild Beasts running in the Streets ib. Men draw in Traces for want of Cattle ib. Man a Right to the Creature ib. Commiseration to Cattle taught to Men. 67. He is a beast that is barbarous to his beast ib. Plenty of Cattle an eminent Blessing ib Gods bounty in small things conspicuous 68. Where there is much Cattle there God expects much Commiseration ib. There should be much Circumspection in ordering a great Estate ib. Men have not a scape Goat to take away the sins of the People but they have a Kid to send to an Harlot ib. A Herod will perjure himself at a Strumpets Motion and behead a J. Bap. too ib. Several wayes the Devil prevails with Men to abuse Cattle 69. Where much Booty is will be much spight ib Pompey's Rich Spoils ib. Rape gives no just possession ib. Q. Fabius and Alcibiades c. not suffer the Souldiers to plunder the Citizens ib. Pekah King of Israel conquering Ahaz King of Judah is severely threatned for purposing to keep under the Children of Judah c. ib. The Authors pathetical Perswasions to Repentance backed with all manner of Reasons He greives that the City should lose it self for want of a proper Duty Repentance ib. Nineveh forth-with repented what not you ib. Lucius Silla blushed to see Pompey a young man ride in triumph before him ib. Sudden Judgment should affright and afflict you ib. Alexander Severus did cut in sunder the sinews of a mans hand because he falsly represented a case to him and will false Repentance go unpunished 72. Many wish your destruction and are sorry they can't make you miserable ib. Their Hearts boil Brains works Mouths foam ib. Enemies in the City ib. The sins threaten more Calamities then all the implacable Adversaries ib. The Dangers apparent the Misery will be unspeakable ib. THE LONDONERS Looking-Glass Or PATTERN for REPENTANCE Jonah 4.11 And should not I spare Nineveh that great City wherein are more than sixscore Thousand Persons that cannot discern between their right Hand and their left and also much Cartel GOD and the Prophet are here in earnest Dispute Jonah raging and God reasoning Jonah full of Passion and God full of Compassion Boni viri Lachrimabiles good Men should be ready to melt at Judgments Jonah was first unfaithful and next impatient Ah Jonah what thy God gentle and thou cruel Nineveh's Repentance in the time limitted prevented its Destruction God hath no Sword for the yielding but the obstinate How many Prophets have not been so successful in forty Years as Jonah was in forty Days God will not remain dumb in the case of his Saints but he will be a consulting and a conferring God both give reason and have reason for them he will plead with Cain for Abel's Blood with Abimelech for taking away Sarah from Abraham with Ahab for wresting away Naboth's Vineyard As the Faithful have the Arrows of Gods Deliverance 2. King 13.17 So they have the Argument of his Justification When a Soldier desired Aug. Caesar as his Gratious Emperor to Plead for him at the Bar he said no but I will allow an Orator I thank thee not for this said the Soldier for at
where the spread Eagle was first plumed and flew out of her Nest into the Imperial Arms and not only here began to look towards the East and West but chiefly because when Constantine had resolved to build a glorious City and had laid the Foundation in Asia some say in three several places the Eagles would not suffer the Workmen to go forward but took up their Tools in their Bills and Claws and carryed them to Byzantine where this once Famous City was built and something sightly still be it but for the Mosques State-houses Alms-houses and the Seraglio Tlascalan the goodly City in Guastacan of large extent so much shining afar off that Ferdinando Cortez thought at first sight of it that it had been built of pure Silver Cusco which hath in it one of the goodliest Market places in the World deck'd with rich and sumptuous Buildings for every Courtier was commanded there to build a Palace the whole City seeming to be nothing but one large Chest heaped with Silver and Gold Imperial And now I have thus done I must bring you back to Nineveh and say That none of these Citys in their greatest Glory is able to equal Beams of Majesty with Nineveh 1. It was called Megalopolis the great City the original says A City to God or a City for God as if fitter for God than Men to dwell in 2. 'T is That great City from the duration of it what City upon Earth had such an uninterrupted Felicity as Nineveh Some say for 1500 years others for 1400 all agree for above one Thousand 3. For the vast Wealth it had for Bilesus joyning with Arbaces being present at taking and burning of it beg'd of Arbaces after sacking and rifling it to have barely the Ashes of it to be bestowed upon him which was freely granted he got thereby an incredible Estate being an hundred Millions of Talents of Gold and a Thousand Millions of Talents of Silver besides the Heaps of such Coin as was gathered up in the several corners of the City 200 Well then let it be for that great Treasure the great City 4. For the great Emulation that was born against it for many did malign the honour and greatness of it among the rest Semeramis This Semeramis from being a base Child as some say from being an exposed Child as most averr by the Mercy of Shepherds was taken up and fostered till ripe years and then appearing to be a Peerless Beauty she was presented to the Vice-Roy of Syria who being rapt at the sight of her received her both Joyfully and Thankfully and Married her to his Eldest Son Menon The Vice Roy being summoned to wait upon Ninus in an expedition He with his Son and Daughter went together according to Custom into the Wars Ninus casting his Eyes upon Semiramis thought her too rich a Jewel for a Subject to use wrested her from Menon who strangled himself and made her his Bride being fonder of her then all the other Beautys which were his Lust-Baths Semiramis seeing she had the Victor in Fetters made use of her opportunity secretly envying Nineveh's glory and ambitious to do something that should out-beam Niveveh she beg'd leave to build a City her self her Prince not being able to deny her any thing granted her Suit and furnished her with Treasure she instantly pitcht upon Babylon and thought to make it the Mirrour of Architecture and the Nymph of Citys the Walls indeed were esteemed as one of the Wonders of the World But because she saw she had a restraint in her boundless desires so long as Ninus lived she presented another Petition viz. That he would give her leave to step out of his Bed-chamber into the Throne and Reign as an absolute Prince for some short time some say but for one day others for two and others for five Ninus being infatuated with passionate Affection granted it Oh prodigious new Prince what mischief may be perpetrated in a little space for Semiramis before the last Minute of her stinted Government got her Husband to be made away Well she being foot-loose wading through her Husbands blood she dedicated all her Husbands Treasure to the shrine of Babylon But because vast expences will drain even Princes Coffers she finding a decay of Riches goeth forth to dig the Gold Mines abroad Mustering an Army she marcheth forth with such a Besom of Soldiers that she was able to sweep all the Earth as she went In this Expedition she Conquers the Ethiopians and so returning back with Fame and Spoil she invades the Sagdians H rcamans Parthenians Arachosians Araspians Parmisedans and many more Kingdoms where being Victorious she brought home the Wealth of all these Countrys as a present to Babylon And when all this was spent she carries her Purse abroad again to be filled Her next Trace was to India and there she carries such a vast Army that not Tamarlain Cignis Pompey the great Augusius the mighty the great Cham the great Turk the Mogul the Emperor of China Metuzama Atabaliba no not Ziba the Ethâ—â—pian or Xerxes himself nor any I could read of ever appeared in the Field with such Pomp and Power for she had in her Camp three Millions of Foot-men five hundred Thousand Horse-men and a hundred Thousand Chariots as many Camels whereupon Men rid with Swords of four Cubits long and as many Camels and Horses to bear Burdens and go upon Errands and as many Elephants which some say were natural others artificial and two Thousand Ships carryed upon Camels Backs to convey her Soldiers over Rivers others say there number were ten Thousand with this formidable Army she passed the River Gâ—â—ges and entered Staurobates's Dominions defeated him and harressed his Country some say the contrary but 't is a groundless assertion for the current of all ancient Writers avouch That she conquer'd Staurobates She dyed at Bactria where she being warned by the Oracle of Jupiter Hâ—man That the time of her Death drew nigh she called all her Captains and Commanders about her causing them to Swear Allegiance to her Son and so resign'd up the Empire to him the EPITAPH she caused to be Ingraven upon her Tomb was Here lyes Semiramis the Great whosoever will open this Tomb shall find Treasure enough which Darius some say Cyrus attempting he found nothing but a Paper with these Words If thou were not a bad man a d insatiable after Gâ—ld thou wouldst not have disturb'd the Sepulchre of the Dead So long as Semiramis sate on the Throne and Reigned and Fought for Babylon it had her Eye her Tongue Head and Hand yet once an undutiful Hand-Maid for she rebelled once against her the news coming to Semiramis while she was Combing her Hair she took it so offensively That shâ— Vowed n verâ— to dress her Head till she had reduced her to Obedience which she really performed for half Drest as she was she marcht away and laid such a streight Siege to the City that she brought down
Shinar then take her flight to this City and here rest upon her Base For if the City come to be Visited there are not Tongues enough in the City to utter all the Miseries that such Judgments will bring upon us The M sery of the City when Judgments approach Our Cheeks may look pale our Eyes drop and our Hearts tremble at the apprehension of such a fatal day Sure I am Troy will fall from her very Culmen it is Ilium the great and great will be the Infelicity of such a Curse 't was Troy novant 't is Troy le Grand and it will be Troy le Extinct Do Citys fall with a small Crush No Let me carry you to the broken Walls and lead you through the Ruins of other Citys Heliâ—â—olis once a City beautiful in Buildings is now razed not a foot-step to be seen either of its City or Temple Thebes destroyed all but one Port Sidena utterly ruined and a Curse laid on all Men by Cressus that should offer to rebuild it All the Citys in Phocis in the Holy War wasted by the Amphyctions I might shew you the like of Troy Carthage Cyropolis Myrenae Alba and many other glorious Citys laid so desolate that it would be hard to find a stone of the old Foundation And well were it that the Rage had but extended to bare Walls but Citys and Citizens often perish together The Misery of poâ—r Conquered Citizens the Walls of Stone and the Walls of Flesh had the like Battery the Pick-ax and Hammer brought forth for the one the Sword and the Pole-ax for the other oh what Murders and Massacres have happened at the destruction of Citys The Citizens of Eretria being inclosed as it were in a Net were all put to the Sword The Citizens of Scotussa in Thessaly being called forth into the Market to hear the Laws of Conquest the Elder Men were made away by Bow-men and Dart-men which lay in Secret the Young Men hewn to pieces and the Women and Children sold for Slaves under the Crown as they call it the City of Sybaris in Greece Which had once twenty five Citys under the Jurisdiction of it and led out above an hundred Thousand Men against Crotoniates being at last taken by their Adversarys were for the most part drowned by the River which they let into the City and those which escaped that Death perished by the Soldiers Swords and 't was well they suffered but a common Death for in many places they were put to Death with Torture and Extremity M. Fluvius by the Counsel of Pollia did not only kill the Tusculanes but whipt them grieviously and then struck off their Heads with an Ax. The â—ocrenses first defiled the Bodys of their Captives with Lust then they thrust Needles into their Fingers-ends keeping them in pain then they beat them to Death in a Mortar and cast them into the Sea Lucius Cataline was wont to destroy his Enemys first by breaking their Arms and Thighs then by cutting off their Ears then by plucking out their Tongues paring off their Noses and tearing out their Eyes and at last by beheading Henry 6. Conquering the Sicilians did seith some to Death in hot Cauldrons others he fryed to Death others he sewed up in Sacks and threw them into the Sea he put Brazen Crowns on the Heads of some full of Nails some he set upon a Brazen Chair made red Hot some have been so Savage to their Enemys that they have sown them up in the Bodys of new slain Beasts and there let them lye tell they have rotted and been devoured by Beasts some have tyed hungry Vultures to the heels of their Captives which might eat out their Bowels by pieces and have sprinkled the Faces of their Hospital Gods with the Blood of their slaughtered Enemys as if they had done a most pious work and did offer a most pleasant Sacrifice and they have consecrated their Instruments of Cruelty calling them Holy Swords and Sacred Spears Nor will they spare your Goods no these were the foments of the War the leading-staff of the March ye are the Drudges they are the Heirs Are not these the common Accidents upon rifling Citys When Mahomet the Great did win Constantinople he was astonish'd at the Wealth he did meet withal and 't is a Proverb among Turks that if any grow suddenly rich They â—avâ— been at the Siege of Constantinople These are the Ruines of Estates upon the loss of Citys the Keys wrested out of their Hands their Treasure scattered and the rich owners must then wander about for relief to beg and kiss the feet of their Adversarys And happy were it the Misery of taking Citys would end here The wâ—rst of Miserys is Conscience becomes a sufferer but after all CONSCIENCE comes to her punishment this also must be made a Captive and wear the Slaves Chain Men are not only locked out of their Houses but out of their Temples not only their Goods are gone but they are deprived of the PEARL their Liberties are not only lost but their Freedom of the Ordinances Pure Doctrine pure Worship and Faith are in bondage and the Soul is inthralled A whole City in Phrygia because it would not change its Religion was compassed about with Armed Men her City and Citizens both burnt to Ashes In the City of Alexandria Julian coming to take Possession of it and because the Christians would not turn Heathens his Soldiers wounded most stoned some strangled others some were slain with the Sword others crucified friend spared not friend nor Brother his Brother nor Parents their own Children Hunerick was no sooner Conqueror but in all the Citys he conquered he commanded alteration of Religion and not being obeyed he instantly Banished five Thousand Bishops Priests and Men of all Orders 't were infinite to relate the Cruelties and Tortures that Citys have undergone in point of CONSCIENCE when they come under a Conquerour It is a thing so evident Records need not be scarch'd to prove that Conscience has been an old Slave upon such Accidents That Men who will not permute a God and suffer their Faith to be new stamp'd must either run or dye for it 220 N. B. Oh if ever your Sins bring in Gods Judgments into your City marching Rank and File see the variety of Sorrows you must weep under As happy as ye seem to be ye must have another Face of Wretchedness amongst you whatsoever your present Comforts are yet Then nothing but Exigents and Dysasters The Fire time your Looking-Glasses will be snatch'd away your Mirrour crack'd your Diamond shivered in pieces this goodly City of yours all in shreds ye may seek for a Threshold or Pillar of your ancient dwellings but not find one all your spacious Mansions and sumptuous Monuments are then gone not a Porch Pavement Seeling Stair Case Turret Lanthorn Bench Skreen Pane of a Window Post Nail Stone or Dust of your former Houses to be seen No with wringing
or abatement where the Spring doth not fail where the Might and Magnificence Honor and Splendor of a People is as apparent as ever when not former but present times do shine with bright Felicity wherein are Application 1. See here the Stableness of Gods Providence 't is as easy with him to continue as to convey a Blessing Nineveh had been and still is happy wherein are Would we not fly from God he would never be weary of spreading his Wing over us would we not cast off his Protection we might continually take Sanctuary in him I AM THAT I AM immutable invariable Ever to stand and never to fall is a Divine and Miraculous thing yet this might be our fixed State if we would perpetuate our Obedience Be perswaded to preserve your Felicity we are not quite deprived of Blessings No wherein are VVhat are and are not are we weary of VVelfare loath Manna Yes we are satiated with Comforts we do what we can to grieve Providence and exasperate a Blessing God we make Gaps in our Hedg drive away Angels from Watching over us and force God to turn his Back upon us c. Oh the horrid Sins which are committed amongst us as if we would invite in Devils and make this land a Cage of unclean Spirits We are sick of our happiness and doubtless desire a change 'T is said of Alexius Comnenus that when upon day of his Inauguration he subscribed the Creed in a slow trembling manner it was an ominous sign to all what a wicked Man he would prove and how the ruin of the Empire was at hand Philip the last King of Macedonia before the great Battle with Flaminius stept up upon a Sepulchre to make an Oration to his Soldiers it foretold the bad Event of the Fight so we who have trod upon so many dead Heads of famous Martys which at first conveyed to us our Faith and Worship 't is a kind of Prediction that this at last will befal our Church Is this the way to preserve Blessings No oh why shall we compel happiness to swim over Sea and carry so many Blessings a-long with it as we would be glad with wringing hands to recal Oh I speak in a timely hour your Sins I hope have not made God to abhor the excellency of Jacob. 3. This may teach us Constancy is Providence Constant and not Obedience Is God unchangeable in Mercies and not we in Sincerity Is there any thing more injurious to God or scandalous to Profession than Inconstancy the firm Christian is the memorable Christian oh therefore preserve your Religion as you would your Fathers Inheritance as you would your Eyes why should you not be as firm in Faith as God is in Providence he gives Blessings and doth continue them Nineveh is as rich in them as ever wherein are Persons 3. We come now to the Treasures Persons Obs That These Persons are the Worlds perfections Man was made little lower than the Angels Psal 8.5 If they were Intellectual he was Wise if they were indeficient he was immortal If they were bright he was shining Crowned with Glory and Honor if they had Heaven he Paradise if they had Revelations be Mysterys if they had Joys he Ravishments c. Take Man according to his proper Nature and lie is a rare Creature and so as a Quintessence extracted out of the Virtue of the whole Creation He was made by Consultation the rest of the Creatures God made by his Authority there was but a Fiat let there be made and every thing received a Being but Man was made by Deliberation Faciamus Hominem let us make Man as if there were so many Secrets and things of Consequence to be considered in Man that the Wisdom of the whole Deity was summoned to conclude upon them he was made a Lord. The Son of Macrinus is said to be born with a Crown on his Head Sure I am Man at first was constituted a Prince Scanderbeg 't is said came out of his Mothers Womb with the shape of a Sword in his Hand but Man carried the commanding Sword for all Creatures were made subject to him Man was made to be the draught of Gods own Face or the Creature wherein the Creator might seem if it were possible to be effigiated or represented Let us make Man according to our Image and Similitude Aug. Caesar seemed to carry spots like Stars upon his Breast Pythagoras had a Thigh like Gold and was every where so Beautiful that his Scholars thought him to be Apollo Magnes of Smyrna was so comely that he was carryed from City to City to be seen the Magnesians were so taken with him that the very sight of him bereft them of their Judgment Antinous a Bithinian was so admired by Adrian the Emperor for his rare Features that at his Death he built a Temple for him at Mantinea a City in Egypt and stamp'd his Image upon his Coin Demetrius Poliercetes was so surpassingly fair that his Physiognomy could not be taken by any Painter But what are all these to amiable Adam when God had viewed every thing he had made he only said It was good but so soon as Man was Created 't is said God saw every thing he had made and behold 't was very Good Gen. 1.31 Application 1. This serves to exhort Man to know his Excellency Man if thou dost oppose God and despise thy Superiour I know not how to make thee mean enough But if thou dost submit to God and honor thy Superiour I know not how to make thee great enough 2. This doth serve present to the City Treasures these living Souls are your lasting Excellencies it g ieveth me to see with what wonder ye look upon other things and with what contempt upon your Citizens with what care ye preserve other things with what disdain ye over-look these in their Extremities with what violence ye do push at these with Thigh and Shoulder and beat them to pieces Is there a more dying groan than for the neglect of these living Souls Is there a shriller yell among you than the passionate Cry of the Oppressed Let there be less Pride and Cruelty and more Charity and Equity The Blessings of a City are the Persons of a City wherein are Persons 3. This doth exhort these Persons that seeing they are Treasures they do not diminish their own Worth Oh that ye should live to the Honour of the City and that ye live to the Ignominy of it the Mire in the Streets is not worse than the filth of your Behaviours that the great Blemishes within the Walls are the Skars of your Conversations your LUSTS Riots Pride and Prophaness do more shame the City than all your Sinks and Dung-hills in it do you look to preserve the City No you go about to drown it for there is a Ditch of Sins oh 't is a dangerous thing to a City when Sin doth walk up and down the Streets with a Sodoms Face Guilt appearing
take away the Sins of the People or a Colt to lend to thy Saviour thou hast a Kid to send to thy Harlot as Judah had or thou maist ride Post upon some Creature with Letters to the high Priest to persecute the Church as Saul did where there are much Cattle there may be many Abuses How doth the Devil imploy his Souldiers A Pharaoh he can employ to make the people whom he spights to sigh under heavy Burdens and he can make Ahab sick for Naboth's Vinyard he can lure an Absalom to pluck the Crown from his Fathers head and to commit the most detestible sin that ever the Sun beheld to lye with his Fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel an Ahaz he can make restless till he hath corrupted Religion even set up an idolatrous Altar by the Altar of the Lord an Herod he can prevail with to perjure himself at a Strumpets motion and behead J. Baptist whom not long before he had heard with reverence Oh what will not wealth make men do who have gored the world more than these fat Bulls of Basan Oh mighty men fear no Laws dread no Pulpits the most unnatural things do not daunt them the most odious things do not shame them to secure themselves and to satisfy their Lust to pollute the Earth and blaspheme Heaven they have much Cattle and they will use them as they please VVealth makes this City insolent he that hath but one Kid or Lamb would be careful how he imploys them but the much Cattle being the Surfet begets all manner of Diseases in people Some of your Cattle have been bestow'd in Gifts think of your first Presents Some have been spent in Entertainment and have ye had noble Guests No consider what Spots are in your Feasts Some Cattle have travelled for it and have none but good Riders back'd them No I doubt Zidkijah hath rod one to Ahab heartning hm to fight against Ramoth Gilead and a Balaam hath rode another to curse the People of God an Achan hath rode a third to catch the Babylonish Garment and the wedg of Gold a Jehu hath got on the fourth to knock down Baal's Altars to keep up Jeroboam's golden calves a Haman hath leap'd the fifth to get a cruel Decree signed to put all the Jews to death But perhaps he that sitteth in Heaven will not suffer their design to take place but there hath been some fruitless Journeys tho there hath been old riding for it 5. This may serve to perswade all persons to forbear from Injury where Cruelty may cause great Detriment there is much Spight born against those places where there is much Booty the humor of the Age is to be thrusting their hands into heaps and to carry away rich Plunder To leave a Land which is as Eden before them like a wilderness Joel 2.3 and to find out as a Nest the riches of a people c. that as Lucullus when he took Tigranocerta he carried away 8000 Talents of stamped Coin and as Belisarius overcoming Gilimer the Vandal he carried away from Tricaranum in Africk such infinite sums of Money that such heaps were never seen before at one time and Pompey from his Conquest in Asia brought home Tables of pure Pearl Moons of Gold and Cups of Myrrh and a Closet of exact Gem and a four-square Mountain set with Harts Lyons huge Apples and a large Vine of Gold and the rare statues of Mars Minerva and Apollo of the same Metal so our Bullys wo'd be fingring such preys and be at the like Riflings But is Rape a just Possession No the Quarrel had need be very just else the Depredation is utterly unlawful the power of the Sword is not alwayes a justifiable Judg it may bring-in Conquest but not always Right to sacking therefore Q. Fabius would not suffer the Souldiers to touch any thing of the Citizens saying 'T is enough we have subdued them let us leave the Gods offended to these Tarentines Aristides overcoming the Persians at Marothon tho there was plenty of Gold and Silver would not himself nor suffer his Souldiers to touch any thing Probus Augustus in all his many Conquests took nothing but Dart and Arms. Charles the V. at the Battle of Pavy would suffer his Souldiers to take no Spoil But for men of the same Religion in Opinion is a sad thing that if Battles be fought Victory should not satisfy But that they should carry the Vanquished to Dungeons and make a general stripping amongst them I finde the contrary in Scripture for when Pekah King of Israel had conquerd Ahaz King of Judah and had taken of all sorts 200 000 Captives and much Spoil and carried them to Samaria But the Prophet reprehends him sharply saying Because the Lord your God was wrath with Judah he hath delivered them into your hand and ye have slain them in a Rage which reacheth up to Heaven and now ye purpose to keep under the Children of Judah and Jerusalem as servants and handmaids unto you But are there not with You such SINS against the Lord your God Now therefore hear me and deliver the Captives again which ye have taken prisoners of your Brethren for the fierce wrath of the Lord is toward you wherefore certain of the Children of Ephraim stood up against them which came from the War and said Bring not in the Captives hither for this shall be a Sin upon us against the Lord ye intend to add more to our Sins and to our trespass though our trespass is great and the fierce wrath of God is against Israel So the army left the Captives and the spoil before the Princes and all the Congregation and the men which were named by name rose up and took the Prisoners and with the spoil clothed all that were naked amongst them and arayed and shod them and gave them meat and gave them drink and anointed them and carried all that were feeble of them upon asses and brought them to Jericho the City of Palmtrees to their Brethren so they returned to Samaria 2 Chron. 28.9 .... 15. According to this famous Precedent use Favour and Tenderness to all of your Family as 't were and Faith of your own Region and Religion and though they may fall under your subduing hand let them not fall under your spoiling hand Though Brothers may fall out with each other and there may be trying of Masteries yet not binding of hands and carrying him away Slave or picking his Pockts and leaving him a Beggar I see it in Practice but I find it not a Scripture for this were not to defend a Right but to destroy an Interest and not to fight for conscience or conquest but covetousness and cousenage oh it is a dreadful thing to vanquish and undo to subdue and subvert to make an absolute waste in a day nay an utter ruine in an hour No thou shouldst shew more equity because thy Brother had once Ability and express more compassion because