guilt and stain of sin of its own nature and unpardoned endures eternally upon the soul and therefore what can follow but eternal torments The lasting continuance of sin is remarkably deseribed by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 17. 1. The sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the table of their hearts Not only written but engraven that no hand can deface it Slight not the commission of any sin it perishes not with the acting The least vanity hath a perpetuity nay an eternity of guilt upon it Sin leaving a blot in the soul brings the matter of Hell fire is eternally punished because there is still matter for that everlasting fire to work upon But Fifthly I answer Though death put an end to mens lives yet not to sins Hell is as full of sin as it is of punishment or torment Though the Schoolmen determine that after this life men are capable neither of merit nor demerit and therefore by their sins do not incurr a greater measure of punishment yet they grant that they sin still Though when the creature is actually under the sentence of condemnation the Law ceases to any further punishment yet there is an obligation to the precepts of the Law still Though a man be bound only to the curse of the Law as he is a sinner yet he is bound to the precept of the Law as he is a creature so that though the demerit of sin ceaseth after death yet the nature of sin remaineth though by sinning they do not incurr a higher and a greater degree of punishment yet as they continue sinning so it is just with God there should be a continuation of the punishment already inflicted But Sixthly I answer It is no injustice in God to punish temporal offences with perpetual torments God measureth the punishment by the greatness of the offence and not by the time wherein the sin was acted Murder Adultery Sacriledge Treason and the like capital crimes are doomed in the Judicatories of men to death without mercy and sometimes to perpetual imprisonment or to perpetual banishment and yet these high offences were committed and done in a short time Now this bears a proportion with eternal torments O Sirs if the offences committed against God be infinitely heinous why may not the punishment be infinitely lasting Sinners offences as Austin well observes are not to be measured temporis longitudine Aug. de Câ—vâ—t Dâ—â— l. 1. c. 11. by the length of time wherein they were done but iniquitatis magnitudine by the foulness of the crime and if so then God is just in binding the sinner in everlasting chains We must remember that God is a great and a glorious God and that he is an omniscient and an omnipotent God and that he is a mighty yea an almighty God and that he is a â—oly and a just God and that he is out of Christ an incomprehensible incommunicable and very terrible God and that he is an infinite eternal and independent God And Heb. 12. 29. 30. we must remember that man is a shaddow a bubble a vapour a dream a base vile sinful worthless Worm Now these things being considered must we not confess that eternity it self is too short a space for God to revenge himself on sinners in But Seventhly and lastly I answer Such sinners have but what they chose Whilest they lived under the means of Grace the God of Grace sat before them Heaven and Hell Glory Deut. 11. 26 27. Chap. 30 15. Heb. 2. 2 3. Chap. 10. 28 29. John 3. 14 15 16 17 36. Chap. 1. 11. and misery eternal life and eternal death so that if they eternally miscarry they have none to blame but themselves for choosing Hell rather than Heaven misery rather than glory and eternal death rather than eternal life Ah how treely how fully how frequently how graciously how gloriously hath Christ been offered in the Gospel to poor sinners and yet they would not choose him they would not close with him they would not embrace him nor accept of him nor enter into a marriage Covenant with him nor resign themselves up to him nor part with their lusts to enjoy him They would not come to Christ that they might have John 5. 40. Matâ—h 22. 2 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. life they slighted infinite mercy and despised the riches of Grace and trode under foot the blood of the everlasting Covenant and scorned the offers of eternal salvation and therefore 't is but just that they should lye down in everlasting sorrows How can that sinner be saved that still refuses salvation How can mercy save him that will not be saved by mercy yea how can Christ save such a man that will not be saved by him All the world can't save that man from going to Hell who is peremptorily resolved that he will not go to Heaven Sinners have boldly and daily refused eternal life eternal mercy eternal glory and therefore 't is but just that thâ—y should endure eternal misery And let thus much suffice for answer to the Objection But Sir pray what are those duties that are incumbent upon Quest those that have been burnt up and whose habitations are nâ—w laid in its ashes I answer They are these that follow Answ First See the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful fire acknowledge the Lord to be the Author of all Judgements and of this in particular 'T is a high point of Christian Prudence Lev. 26. 41. Mich. 7. 9. and Piety to acknowledge the Lord to be the Author of all personal or National sufferings that bâ—fall us Jer. 9. 12. Who is the wise man that may understand this for what the Land perisheth and is burnt up like a Wilderness that none passeth through It is very great wiâ—dom to know from whom all our afflictions come and for what all our afflâ—ctions come upon us God looks that we should observe his hand in all our sufferings Hear the rod and who hath appointed it God challenges all sorts of afflictions as his own special Administration Mich. 6 9. See this Text fully opened in my first Epistle to my Treatise on â—loset Prayer Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all thâ—se things Isa 45. 7. God takes it very hainously and looks upon it as a very great indignity that is put upon his Power Providence and Justice when men will neither see nor acknowledge his hand in those sore afflictions and sad sufferings that he brings upon them Of such the Prophet Isaiah complains Chap. 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see The hand the power of the Lord was so remarkable and conspicuous in the Judgements that were inflicted upon them as might very well wring an acknowledgement out
being not so much to be called offences as monsters and not to be named without holy detestation by Saints though they be committed without shame by Sodomites The Saxons who of old inhabited this Land Boniface strangled the Adulteress being taken and then burnt her body with fire and hanged the Adulterer over a flaming fire burning him by degrees till he dyed Opilius Macrinus an Julius Capitâ—linus Emperor caused the body of the Adulterer and the Whore to be joyned together and so burnt with fire Aurelianus caused the Adulterers legs to be bound to the boughs of two trees bent together and then violently being lifted up again his body was torn asunder And the Julian Law among the Romans punished Adultery with death by cutting off the heads of those that were guilty of that fact And the Turks stone Adulterers to death Zaleucus King of the Locrians ordained that Adulterers should have their eyes put out and therefore when his Son was taken in Adultery that he might both keep the Law and be compassionate to his Son he put forth one of his own eyes to redeem one of his Sons I have read of some Heathens that have punished this sin with a most shameful death and the death was this they would have the Adulterers or Adulteresses head to be put into the paunch of a beast where lay all the filth and uncleaness of it and there to be stifâ—ed to death This was a fit punishment for so filthy a sin In old time the Egyptians Diodor. used to punish Adulteâ—y on this sort the man with a thousand jerks with a reed and the woman with cutting off her nose but he who forced a free woman to his lusts had his privy members cut off But Thirdly Such who give themselves over to fornication overthrow the state of mankind while no man knoweth his own wife nor no wife knoweth her own husband and while no father knows his own children nor no children know â—heir own father Affinities and Consanguiniâ—ies are the joynts and sinews of the world lose these and lose all Now what Affinities or Consanguinities can there be when there is nothing but confusion of blood the son knoweth not his father nor the father the son But Fourthly These expressions of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies First Their making constant provisions for their base lusts O the time the pains the cost the charge that such Rom. 13. ult are at to make provision for their unsatiable lusts Secondly It implies an excessive violent spending of their strength beyond all measure and bounds in all lasciviousness and Sodomitical uncleanness Pliny tells of Cornelius Gallus Pliny lib. 7. and Q. Elerius two Roman Knights that dyed in the very action of filthiness Theodebert the eldest Son of Glotharius Pontanus Fulgos lib. 6. cap. 12. dyed amongst his Whores so did Bertrane Ferrier at Bacelone in Spain Giachet Geneve of Saluces who had both wife and children of his own being carnally joyned with a young woman was suddenly smitten with death his wife and children wondring why he stayed so long in his Study when it was time to go to bed called him and knockt at his door very hard but when no answer was made they broke open the doors that were locked on the inner side and found him lying upon the woman stark dead and her dead also Claudus of Asses Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris a desperate Persecutor of the Protestants whilst he was in the very act of committing filthiness with one of his waiting Maids was taken with an Apoplexy which immediately after made an end of him Many other instances might be produced but let these suffice Thirdly It implies their impudency and shamelesness in their filthiness and uncleanness they had a Whores forehead they proclaimed their lasciviousness before all the Jer. 3. 3. Chap. 6. 15. Isa 3. 10. Gen. 13. 13. world they were not ashamed neither could they blush hence 't is that the men of Sodom are said to be sinners before the Lord that is they sinned openly publickly and shamelesly without any regard to the eye of God at all Bring Gen. 19. 5. them out to us that we may know them O faces hatcht with impudency they shrowd not their sins in a mantle of secrecy but proclaim their filthiness before all the world they had out-sinn'd all shame and therefore they gloried in their shame they were so arrogant and impudent in sinning that they proclaimed their filthiness upon the house-top But Fourthly It implies their resolvedness and obstinacy in sinning in the face of all the terrible Warnings and Alarms that God had formerly given them by a bloody War and by Gen. 14. 10 11 12. the spoiling and plundering of their Cities and by taking away of their victuals fulness of bread was a part of their sin and now cleanness of teeth is made a piece of their punishment in Gods just Judgment and by Lots admonition Gen. 19. 11. and mild opposition It is observable that when they were smitten with blindness they wearied themselves to find the door God smote them with blindness both of body and mind and yet they continued groaping to find the door being highly resolved upon buggery and beastiality though they dyed for it O the hideous wickedness and prodigious madness of these Sodomites that when divine Justice had struck them blind their hearts should be so desperately set upon their lusts as to weary themselves to find the door But what will not Satans bond-slaves and fire-brands of Hell do Sottish and besotted sinners will never tremble when Phil. 2. 12. God strikes But Fifthly These expressions of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies the delight Rom. 1. 32. pleasure content and satisfaction that they took in those abominable practices They have chosen their own ways and their souls delight in their abominations They had Isa 66. 3. 2 Thes 2. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 13. pleasure in unrighteousness Luther tells us of a certain Grandee in his Country that was so besotted with the sin of Whoredom that he was not ashamed to say that if he might ever live here and be carried from one Whore-house to another there to satisfie his lusts he would never desire any other Heaven This filthy Grandee did afterwards breathe out his wretched Soul betwixt two notorious Harlots All the pleasure and Heaven that these filthy Sodomites look after was to satisfie their brutish lusts Hark Scholar said the Harlot to Apulcius it is but a bitter-sweet that you are so sond of and this the Sodomites found true at the long run when God showred down fire and brimstone upon them But Sixthly and lastly These words of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh implies their great setled security in those brutish practices The Old world was not more secure when God swept them away
call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble Oh the precious presence of God with a mans spirit will sweeten every fiery dispensation and take off much of the bitterness and terribleness of it In the gracious presence of God with our spirits lyes 1. Our greatest Happiness 2. Our greatest Honor. 3. Our greatest profit and advantage 4. Our greatest joy and delight 5. Our greatest safety and security The Bush which was a Type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it The gracious presence of God with a mans spirit 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. will make heavy afflâ—ctions light and long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet Gods gracious presence makes every burden light He that has the presence of God with Psal 55. 22. his spirit can bear a burden without a burden What burden Deut. 33. 27 29. can sink that man that hath everlasting Armes under him and over him and round about him But Secondly There is wisdom in God to encourage them under all their tryals There is wisdom in God so to temper Jer. 24. 5. Rom. 8. 28. and order all judgements afflictions crosses and losses as to make them work kindly and sweetly for their good Whilst God is near us wisdom and counsel is at hand God is that wise and skilful Physitian that can turn Poyson into Cordials Diseases into Remedies Crosses into Crowns and the greatest losses into the greatest gains What can hurt us whilst an infinite wise God stands by us But Thirdly There is strength power and omnipotency in God to encourage them There is nothing too high for Prov. 18. 10. Psal 46. 1 2. Isa 26. 4. Psal 3. 17. him nor nothing too hard for him he is able easily and speedily to bring to pass all contrivances You read of many who have been mighty but you read but of one Almighty Rev. 4. 8. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Chap. 11. 17. We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty Chap. 15. 3. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Chap. 16. 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say c. Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements Under all your fiery tryals an Almighty God can do mighty things for you And therefore it concerns you to encourage your selves in him even when you are stript of all O Christians it highly concerns you to beâ—r all your losses chearfully and thankfully In every thing give thanks saith the 1 Thes 5. 18. Apostle for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Chrysostom speaks excellently This saith he is the very Châ—ysost Toâ— 5. Hoâ—â—l 68. will of God to give thanks alwayes this argues a soul rightly instructed Hast thou suffered any evil if thou wilt it is no evil Give thanks to God and then thou hast turned the evil into good Say thou as Job said when he had lost all The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. What evil hast thou suffered What is it a disease This is no strange thing to us seeing our bodies are mortal and naturally born to suffer What dost thou want money this may be gotten here and lost here Whatsoever evils or losses therefore do oppress thee give thou thanks and thou haâ—â— changed the nature of them Job then did more deeply wound the Devil when being stript out of all he gave thanks to God than if he had distributed all to the poor and needy For it is much more to be stript of all and yet to bear it patiently generously and thankfully than for a rich man to give Alms as it here happened to righteous Job But hath fire suddenly taken hold upon thy house destroyed thy house and consumed thy whole substance Remember the sufferings of Job Give thanks to God who could though he did not have hindered that mischance and thou shalt be sure to receive as equal a reward as if thou hadst put all into the bosome of the indigent This he repeateth over again and saith thy reward being thankful is equal to his who gave all he had to the poor To wind up your hearts to thankfulness and chearfulness under this late desolating Judgement Consider 1. God might have taken away all 'T is good to bless When a Gentleman in Atheis had his Plate taken away by Ahashueâ—us as he was at dinner he smiled upon his friends saying I thank God that his Highness hath left me any thing him for what he has left 2. He has taken away more from others than he has taken away from you ergo be thankful 3. You are unworthy of the least mercy you deserve to be stript of every mercy and therefore be thankful for any thing that is left God has a Soveraign right over all you have and might have stript you as naked as the day wherein you were born 4. God has left you better and greater merciâ—s than any those were that he has stript you off viz. your lives your limbs your friends your Relations yea and the means of Grace which is better than all and more than all other mercies ergo be thankful 5. The Lord has given those choice things to you as shall never be taken from you viz. himself his Son his Spirit which shall abide with you for ever his Grace which is an abiding seed and his peace which none can give to you nor take from you John 16. 1 John 3. 9. ergo be thankful though God has laid all your pleasant things desolate 6. Thankfulness under crosses and losses speak out much integrity and ingenuity of Spirit Hypocrites and prophane persons are more apt to blaspheme than to bless a taking God ergo be thankful The Ancients say Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris say a man is unthankful and say he is any thing Ingratitude is a Monster in nature say some a Solecism in Manners a Paradox in Grace damming up the course of donations divine and humane If there be any sin in the world against the Holy Ghost said Queen Elizabeth in a Letter to Henry the fourth of France it is ingratitude The Laws of Persia Macedonia and Athens condemned the ungrateful to death and unthankfulness may well be styled the Epitome of Vices Ingratitude was so hateful to the Egyptians that they used to make Eunuchs of ungrateful persons that no posterity of theirs might remain Well Sirs remember this the best way to get much is to be thankful for a little God loves to sow much where he reaps much Thankfulness for one mercy makes way for another mercy as many thousand Christians have experienced The Lords Impost for all his blessings is our thankfulness if we neglect to pay this Impost the commodity is forfeit and so will take it back Our returnes must be according to our receipts Good men should be
LONDON'S LAMENTATIONS OR A serious Discourse concerning that late fiery Dispensation that turned our once renowned City into a ruinous Heap Also the several Lessons that are incumbent upon those whose Houses have escaped the consuming Flames By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Word at S. Margarets New-Fish-street where that Fatal Fire first began that turned London into a ruinous Heap Una dies interest inter magnam Civitatem nullam There is but the distance of one day between a great City and none said Seneca when a great City was burnt to Ashes Come behold the Works of the Lord what Desolations he hath made in the Earth Psal 46. 8. LONDON Printed for John Hancock and Nathaniel Ponder and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil at the Sign of the Three Bibles or at his Shop in Bishopsgate-street and at the Sign of the Peacock in Chancery lane 1670. TO THE Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM TVRNER Knight Lord Mayor of the City of London Right Honourable IT is not my design to blazon your Worth or write a Panegyrick of your Praises your brighter Name stands not in need of such a shadow as mens Applause to make it more renowned in the World native Worth is more respected than adventitious Glory your own works Prov. 31. 31. praise you in the gates It is London's Honour and Happiness Tranquility and Prosperity to have such a Magistrate that bears not the Sword of Justice in vain and that hath not Rom. 13. 4. brandished the Sword of Justice in the defence of the friends of Baal Balaam or Bacchus My Lord had your Sword of Justice been a Sword of Protection to desperate Swearers or to cruel Oppressors or to deceitful Dealers or to roaring Drunkards or to cursing Monsters or to Gospel-despisers or to Christ-contemners c. might not London have laid in her Ashes to this very day yea might not God have rained Hell out of Heaven upon those Parts of the City that were standing Monuments of Gods mercy as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah Wo to that sword Gen. 19. that is a devouring sword to the righteous to the meek to the upright and to the peaccable in the land O happy Sword Psal 35. 19 20. under which all sorts and ranks of men have worshipped God in peace and lived in peace and rested in peace and traded in peace and built their habitations in peace and have grown up in peace Sir every man hath sit under your Sword as under his own Vine and Fig-tree in peace Words are too weak to express how great a mercy this hath been to London yea I may say to England The Ancients set forth all their gods with Harps in their hands the Hieroglyphick of Peace The Grecians had the Statue of Peace with Pluto the God of Riches in her arms Some of the Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman with a horn of plenty in her hands viz. all blessings The Orator hit it when he said Dulce nomen pacis the very name of Peace is sweet No City so happy as that wherein the chief Magistrate has been as eyes to the blind legs to the lame ears to the deaf a father to the fatherless a husband Job 31. to the widow a Tower to the righteous and a Terrour to the wicked Certainly Rulers have no better friends than such as make The three things which God minds most loves best below Heaven are his Truth his Worship and his People conscience of their ways for none can be truly loyal but such as are truly religious witness Moses Joseph Daniel and the three Children Sincere Christians are as Lambs amongst Lyons as Sheep amongst Wolves as Lillies amongst Thorns they are exposed more to the rage wrath and malice of wicked men by reason of their holy Profâ—ssion their gracious Principles and Practices than any other men in all the world Now did not God raise up Magistrates and spirit Magistrates to owne them to stand by them and to defend them in all honest and just ways how soon would they be devoured and destroyed Certainly the Sword of the Magistrate is to be drawn forth for the natural good and civil good and moral good and spiritual good of all that live soberly and quietly under iâ— Stobaeus tells us of a Persian Law Stobaeus serm 42. p. 294. that after the death of their King every man had five days liberty to do what he pleased that by beholding the wickedness and disorder of those few days they might prize Government the better all their days after Certainly had some hot-headed and little-witted and fierce-spirited men had but two or three days liberty to have done what they pleased in this great City during your Lordships Mayoralty they would have made sad work in the midst of us When a righteous Government fails then 1. Order fails 2. Religion fails 3. Trade fails 4. Justice fails 5. Prosperity fails 6. Strength and Power fails 7. Fame and Honour fails 8. Wealth and Riches fails 9. Peace and Quiet fails 10. All humane Converse and Society fails To take a righteous Government out of the world is to take the Sun out of the Firmament and leave it no more a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautiful Structure but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confused Heap In such Towns Cities and Kingdoms where righteous Government fails there every mans hand will be quickly engaged Gen. 26. 12. against his brother O the sins the sorrows the desolations and destructions that will unavoidably break in like a Flood upon such a People Publick Pâ—rsons should have publick Spirits their gifts and There is a great truth in that old Maxim Magistratus virum indicat In my Epistle to my Treatise call'd A Cabinet of Choice Jewels the ingenious Reader may find six Arguments to encourage Magistrates to be men of publick Spirits goodness should diffuse themselves for the good of the whole It is a base and ignoble Spirit to pity Cataline more than to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more than to pity the whole it is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad it is wrong to the Sheep to animate the Wolves it is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but Sir from this ignoble Spirit God has delivered you The Ancients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their Fountains intimating that they were or at least should be Fountains of the publick Good Sir had not you been such a Fountain men would never have beâ—n so warm for your continuance My Lord the great God hath made you a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good a publick Blessing and this hath made your Name precious and your Government desirable and your Person honourable in the thoughts hearts and eyes of all people Many may I not say most of the
Job lies on its dung-hill London like the Jewes lies Job 2. 8. in its ashes Esther 4. 3. And therefore it highly concerns all Londoners to put on sackcloth and ashes But Ninthly Surely such as have lookt upon London as the City of their solemnities such can't but weep to see the City of their Solemnities laid desolate Isa 33. 20 Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities or meetings Zion is here called a City because it stood in the midst of the City The City of Jerusalem was very large and Zion stood in the midst of it and 't is called a City of Solemnities because the people flocked thither to hear the Law to renew their Covenant with God to call upon his name and to offer Sacrifices O Sirs was not London the City of our Solemnities the City where we solemnly met to wait upon the Lord in the beauty 1 Chron. 16. 29. Psal 29. 2. of Holiness the City where we offered prayers and praises the City where we worshipped the Lord in Spirit and in truth the City wherein God and Christ and the great things of eternity were revealed to us the City wherein many thousands were converted and edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost the Acts 9. 31. City where we had the clearest the choicest and the highest enjoyments of God that ever we had in all our dayes the City wherein we have sate down under Christs shadow with great delight his fruit has been sweet unto our taste the Cant. 2. 3 4 5 6. City in which Christ has brought us to his banqueting house and â—is banner over us has been love the City in which Christ has Staid us with flaggons and comforted us with Apples the City in which Christs left hand hath been under our heads and his right hand hath imbraced us The City wherein the Lord of Hosts hath made unto his people a feast of fat things a Isa 25. 6. feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined London the City of our Solemnities is now laid desolate and therefore for this why should not we be disconsolate and mourn in secret before the Lord This frame of Spirit hath been upon the people of God of old Zeph. 3. 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden By Solemn Assemblies are meant their several conventions at those set times which God had appointed them viz. on the weekly Sabbath the new Moons Deut. 16. the stated Feasts and Fasts which they were bound to observe Now for the want the lack the loss of those Solemn Assemblies such as did truly fear the Lord were solemnly sorrowfull Of all losses spiritual losses are most sadly resented by gracious souls When they had lost their houses their estates their Trades their relations their liberties and were led captive to Babylon which was an Iron Fornace a second Aegypt to them then the loss of their Solemn Assemblies made deeper impressions upon their hearts than all their outward losses did The Jews were famous Artists they stand upon record for their skill especially in Poetry Mathematicks and Musick but when their City was burnt and their Land laid desolate and their Solemn Assemblies broken in pieces then they could sing none of the Songs of Psalm 137. 1 2 3 4 5. Zion then they were more for mourning than for musick for sighing than for singing for lamenting than for laughing Nothing goes so near gracious hearts as the loss of their Solemn Assemblies as the loss of holy Ordinances health and wealth and friends and Trade are but meer Ichahods to the Saints Solemn Assemblies and to pure 1 Sam. 4 17 18. Ordinances When the Ark was taken Eli could live no longer but whether his heart or his neck was first broken upon that sad tydings is not easie to determine When Nehemiah understood that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and that the Gates thereof were burnt with fire 2 Kings 25. 8 9 10. and that the whole City was laid desolate by Nebuzâ—radan and his Chaldean Army he sits down and weeps and mourns and fasts and prayes he did so lay the burning of the City of their Solemnities to heart that all the smiles of King Artaxerxes could not raise him nor rejoice Neh. 1. 3 4. Chap. 2. Jer. 52. 12 13 14. him It was on the tenth day of the fifth moneth that Jerusalem was burnt with fire and upon that account the Jewes fasted upon every tenth day of the fifth moneth Now shall the Jews solemnly fast and mourn on the tenth day of the fifth moneth during their Captivity because their Zech. 7. 3. City and Temple and Solemn Assemblies were on that day buried in ashes and turned into a ruinous heap and and shall not we fast and mourn to see the City of our Solemnities buried in its own ruines But Tenthly and lastly That Incendiary that mischievous Villain Hubert confest the fact of firing the first house in Pudding Lane though he would not confess who set him at work and accordingly was executed at Tyburn for it There were some Ministers and several other sober prudent Citizens who did converse again and again with Hubert and are ready to attest that he was far from being mad and that he was not only very rational but also very cunning and subtile and so the fitter instrument for the Conclave of Rome or some subtle Jesuit to make use of to bring about our common wo. It was never known that Rome or Hell did ever make use of mad men or fools to bring about their Divilish Plots Now who can look upon the dreadful consequences the burning of a renowned City that followed upon the firing of the first house and not mourn over Londons desolations Hubert did confess to several persons of note and repute that he was a Catholick and did further declare that he believed confession to a Priest was necessary to his salvation And being advised by a Chaplain to a person of Honor to call upon God he repeated his Ave Mary which he confest was his usual prayer Father Harvey confest him and instructed him and we need not doubt but that he absolved him also according to the custom of the Romish Church Hubert died in the profession of the Romish faith stoutly asserting that he was no Hugonite I know that men of the Romish Religion and such who are one in Spirit with them would make the world believe that this Hubert who by order of Law was executed upon the account of his own publick and private confessions was mad distracted and what not But what mad men do these make the Judge and Jury to be for who but mad men would condemn to such a shameful death a mad man for confessing himself guilty of such a
hath a Soveraign Right and an absolute Supremacy over the creature he is the only Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords he is the Judge of 1 Tim. 1. 15. Gen. 18. 25. the whole world And shall not the Judge of all the earth do right But Sâ—condly I answer There is a Principle in man to sin eternally and therefore it is but just with God if he punish him eternally The duration of torment respects the disposition of the delinquent Poenae singulorum inaequales intentione Aqain poenae omnium aequales duratione If the sinner should live ever â—e would dishonor God ever and crucifie the Lord of Glory ever and grieve the Spirit of Grace ever and transgress a righteous Law ever and therefore 't is just with God to punish such sinners for ever If the sinner might live eternally â—t si pâ—ccatoâ—â— aeternum viâ—â—â—â—t in aeterâ—â—m pâ—ccaret he would sin eternally if he might live still he would sin still Though the sinner loses his life yet he dos not lose his will to sin Sinners sin as much as they can and as long as they can and did not the grave put a stop to their lusts 〈◊〉 si vâ—li◠〈…〉 their hearts would never put a stop to their lusts The sinner sins in his eternity and God punishes in his eternity The sinner never loses his will to sin his will to sin is everlasting and therefore 't is but just with God that his punishment should be everlasting A will to sin is sin in Gods account God looks more at the will than at the deed and therefore that being lasting the punishment must be so The mind and intention of the sinner is to sin everlastingly eternally if the sinner should live alwayes he would sin alwayes and therefore as one saith Quia mens in hac vita Gregory nunquam voluit carere peccato justum est nunquam caret supplicio Because the mind of man in this life would never be without sin it is just that it should never be without punishment in the life to come Many of the men of the old world lived eight or nine hundred years and yet faith and repentance was hid from their eyes that patience forbearance long-suffering gentleness and goodness which should 1 Pet. 3. 20. have lead them to aspeedy repentance to a serious repentance to a thorough repentance to that repentance that was never to be repented of was only made use of to patronize their lewdness and wickedness This is certain wicked men left to themselves will never be weary of their Peccant iâ— aeterâ—o sâ—o ergo pâ—â—iâ—â—tâ—r in aeterâ—o Dei Augustâ—ne The sinner alwayes sinned in his eternity therefore he shall alwayes be punished in Gods eternity sins nor never repent of their sins and therefore God will never be weary of plaguing them nor never repent of punishing thâ—m The sinner never leaves his sin till sin first leaves him did not death put a stop to his sin he would never cease from sin This may be illustrated by a similitude thus A company of Gamesters resolve to play all night and accordingly they sit down to Chess Tables or some other Game their Candle accidentally or unexpectedly goes out or is put out or burnt out their Candle being out they are forced to give over their Game and go to bed in the dark but had the Candle lasted all night they would have played all night This is every sinners case in regard of sin did not death put out the candle of life the sinner would sin still Should the sinner live for ever he would sin for ever and therefore it is a righteous thing with God to punish him for ever in hellish torments Every impenitent sinner would sin to the dayes of eternity if he might but live to the dayes of eternity Psal 74. 10. O God how long shall the adversary reproach Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever For ever and evermore or for ever and yet for so the Hebrew loves to exaggerate as if the sinner the blasphemer would set a term of duration longer than eternity to sin in The Psalmist implicitely saith Lord if thou dost but let them alone for ever they will certainly blaspheme thy name for ever and ever I have read of the Crocodile that he knows no Maximum quod sic he is alwayes growing bigger and bigger and never comes to a certain pitch of Monstrosity so long as he lives Quam diu vivit crescit Every habituated sinner would if he were let alone be such a Monster perpetually growing worser and worser But Thirdly I answer That God against whom they have sinned is an infinite and eternal good Now a finite creature can't bear an infinite punishment intensively and therefore he must bear it extensively They have sinned impenitently against an infinite Majâ—sty and accordingly their Sin is 〈◊〉 Deâ—m 〈◊〉 against an infiâ—ite Majesty punishment must be infinite Now because it cannot be infinite in râ—gard of the degree men being but finite creatures and so no capâ—ble of infinite torments at one time therefore their punishment must be infinite in the length and continuance of it What is wanting in torment mâ—st be made up in time Every sin is of an infinite nature because of the infinite dignity of the person against whom it is committed and therefore it deserveth an infinite punâ—shment which bâ—cause it can't be infinite secundum intentionem in the intention and greatness of it It râ—maineth that it should be infinite secundum durationem in râ—spect of the dâ—ration and Vâ—de August l. 21. c. 11. de Câ—vâ—tate De. â—ontinuance of the same Mark all punishments oâ—gâ—t to be levied according to the dignity of him against whom the offence is committed Words against common persons bear but common actions words against Noble men are scandala magnatum great scaâ—dals but words against Princes are Treason So the dignity oâ— the peâ—son against whom sin is committed dos exceedingly aggravate the sin To strike an inferiour man is matter of Arrest but to strike a King is matter of death Now what an infinite distance and disproportion is there between the Lord of Hosts and such poor crawling Worms as we are he being holiness and we sinfulness he fulness and we emptiness he omnipotency and we impotency he Majesty and we vanity he instar omnium all in all and we nothing at all Now to sin against such an infinite glorious Majesty deserves infinite punishment But Fourthly I answer Though the act of sin be transient yet it leaveth such a stain upon the soul as is permanent and continueth in it evermore and evermore it disposeth the sinner unto sin if it be not pardoned and purged out by mercy and Grace and therefore it is but just that this perpetual purpose of sinning should be punished with perpetuity Aâ— long as the guilt of sin remains punishments and torments will remain of pain The
himself though at first his heart was in a strange violent motion yet he recovers himself and stands still before the Lord. you hold your peace now your houses are devoured by fire What were your houses to Aarons Sons All the houses in â—he world are not so near and dear to a man as his children are In this story concerning Aaron and his Sons there are many things remarkable As 1. That he had lost two of his Sons yea two of his eldest Sons together at a clap 2. These two were the most honourable of the Sons of Aaron as we may see Exod. 24. 1. in that they only with their Father and the seventy Elders are appointed to come up to the Lord. 3. They were cut off by a sudden and unexpected death when neither themselves nor their Father thought their ruine had been so near What misery to that of being suddenly surprized by a doleful death 4. They were cut off by a way which might seem to testifie Gods hot displeasure against them for they were devoured by fire from God They sinned by fire and they perished by fire Look as fire came from the Lord before in mercy so now fire is sâ—nt from the Lord in Judgement Certainly the manner of their death pointed out the sin for which they were smitten Now what Father had not rather lose all his children at once by an ordinary stroke of death than to see one of them destroyed by Gods immediate hand in such a terrible manner 5. They were thus smitten by the Lord on the very first day of their entring upon that high honour of their Priestly Function and when their hearts were doubtless full of joy now to be suddenly thunder-struck in such a Sun-shine day of mercy as this seemed to be must needs add weight to their calamity and misery 6. They were cut off with such great severity for a very small offence if reason may be permitted to sit as Judge in the case They were made monuments of divine vengeance only for taking fire to burn the Incense from one place when they should have taken it from another And this they did say some not purposely but through mistake and at such a time when they had much work lying upon their hands and were but newly entred upon their new employment Now notwithstanding all this Aaron held his peace It may be at first when he saw his Sons devoured by fire his heart began to wrangle and his passions began to work but when he considered the righteousness of God on the one hand and the glory that God would get to himself on the other hand he presently checks himself and layes his hand upon his mouth and stands still and silent before the Lord. Though it be not easie in great afflictions with Aaron to hold our peace yet it is very advantageous which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that they do prudently and patiently bear and conceal their troubles sorrows and anxieties they shall attain to comfort at last What the Apostle saith of the distressed Hebrews after the spoyling of their goods Ye have need Heb. 10. 34 36. of patience the same I may say to you who have lost your houseâ— your Shops your Trades your all you have need yea you have great need of patience Though thy mercies are few and thy miseries are many though thy mercies are small and thy miseries are great yet look that thy spirit be quiet and that thou dost sweetly acquiesce in the will of God Now God hath laid his fiery Rod upon your Psalm 39. 9. See my Mâ—lâ— Châ—istâ—aâ— under the smarting rod where the excelleâ—cy of patiâ—nce the evil of impatience is largely set forth backs it will be your greatest wisdom to lay your hands upon your mouths and to say with David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it To be patient and silent under the sharpest Providences and the sorest Judgements is as much a Christians glory as it is his duty The patient Christian feels the want of nothing Patience will give contentment in the midst of want No loss no crosâ— no afflâ—ction will fit heavy upon a patient soul Dionysius saith that this benefit he had by the study of Philosophie viz. That he bore with patience all those alterations and changes that he met with in his outward condition Now shall Nature do more than Grace Shall the study of Phiâ—osophy do more than the study of Christ Scripture and a mans own heart But The fourth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burned up is to set up the Lord in a more eminent degree than ever as the great object of their fear Oh how should we fear and tremble before the great God who is able to turn the most serviâ—eable and useful creatures to us to be the means of destroying of us Hâ—b 12. 28. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Verse 29. For our God is a consuming fire Here are two Arguments to work the Saints to set up God as the great object of their fear The first is drawn from the terribleness of Gods Majesty He is a consuming fire The second is drawn from the relation which is between God and his people Our God What a strange Title is this of the great God that we meet with in this place and yet this it one of the Titles of God expressing his nature and in which he glories that he is called a consuming fire Thâ—se words God is a consuming fire are not to be taken properly but metaphorically Fire we know is a very terrible and dreadful creature and so may very well serve to set forth to us the terribleness and dreadfulness of God Now God is here said to be a consuming or devouring fire The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is doubly compounded and so the signification is augmented and encreased to note to us the exceeding terribleness of the fire that is here meant When God would set forth himself to be most terrible and dreadful to the sons of men he dos it by this resemblance of fire which of all things is most terrible and intolcrable Deut. 4. 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendered consuming doth properly signifie devouring or eating it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to devour and eat and by a Metaphor it signifieth to consume or destroy God is a devouring fire a eating fire and sinners and all they have is but bread and meat for divine wrath to feed upon Deut. 9. 3. See Psal 50 3. Isa 33. 14. Deut. 28. 58. Vnderstand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth before thee as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and