sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they may know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them The singular blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will bring upon us are 1. Spiritual they that conscientiously sanctifie the Sabbath they shall see and know the work of God the work of Grace upon their own Souls There are many precious Christians that have a work of God a work of Grace upon their own Souls who would give ten thousand worlds were there so many in their hands to give to see that work to know that work Oh but now they that sanctifie the Sabbath they shall both see and know the work of God upon their own Souls And they shall find â—he Lord carrying on the work of Grace and Holiness in their Souls they shall find the Lord destroying their sins and filling their hearts with joy and with a blessed assurance of his favour and love Isa 56. 6 7. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants Every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold on my Covenant Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my Altar for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people So Isa 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Now in the second place the other blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will invest us with are temporal blessings for so they follow in the Scripture last cited And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth here is honour and esteem and safety and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father Now the Land of Canaan was the Inheritance Gen. 28. 13. And Chap. 48. 4. which God promised to Jacob. Hereby is noted that comfortable provision that God would make for them that sanctified his Sabbaths Such as make the Sabbath their delight they shall never want protection nor provision God will be a Wall of fire about them and a Canaan to them But Fifthly Consider that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it self commands us to Math. 12. 8. Deut. 18. 18 19. hear did alter it from the seventh day to the first day of the week which we now keep For the holy Evangelists note that our Lord came into the midst of the Assembly on the two first days of the two weeks immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathing on them the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19-26 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace â—e unto you Look as Christ was forty days instructing Moses in Sinai what he should teach and how he should govern the Church under the Law so he continued forty days teaching his Disciples what they shoult preach and how they should govern the Church under the Gospel Acts 1. 2 3. Vntil the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen To whom also he shewed himself alive after his Passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And it is not to be doubted but that within those forty days he likewise ordained on what day they should likewise keep the Sabbath and 't is observable that on this first day of the week he sent down from Heaven the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles Acts 2. 1-4 And when the day of the Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance So that on that day they first began and ever after continued the publick exercise of their Ministry Christ who was Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. had a soveraign right to change and alter it to what day he pleased But Sixthly Consider that according to the Lords mind and Commandment and the direction of the Holy Ghost the Apostles in all the Christian Churches ordained that they should keep the holy Sabbath upon the first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches â—â— Galatia Even so do ye upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come In which words you may observe these five things First That the Apostles ordained this day to be kept holy therefore 't is of a Divine institution Secondly That the day is named the first day of the week therefore not the Jewish seventh or any other Thirdly Every first day of the week which sheweth its perpetuity Fourthly That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and he setled one uniform in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was universal 1 Cor. 14. 33. For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints Fifthly That there should be collections for the poor on that day after the other Ordinances were ended Now why should the Apostles require collections to be made on the first day of the week but because on that day of the week the Saints assembled themselves together in the Apostles time And in the same Epistle he protesteth that he delivered them no other Ordinance or Doctrine but what he had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread 1 Cor. 14. 37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. Now mark he wrote to them and ordained among them to keep their Sabbath on the first day of the week therefore to keep the Sabbath on that day is the very Commandment of the Lord. But Seventhly Consider the Apostles on that day ordinarily dispensed the holy Ordinances
Joh. 20. 19-26 Acts 20 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech until midnight 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 1 Cor. 11. 23. But Eighthly Consider such things as are named the Lords in Scripture are ever of the Lords institution As the Word of the Lord 1 Tim. 6. 3. The Cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. The Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 20. And so the Lords Day Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Now why does John call it the Lords day but because it was a day known to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Jesus who rose from death to life upon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles had planted which St. John calls the Lords day that he might the better stir up Christians to a thankful remembrance of their Redemption by Christs Resurrection from the dead But Ninthly Consider that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath is one of the best signs in the Bible that God is our God and that his sanctifying work is past in power upon us Ezek. 20. When the primitive Christians had this question put to them Servasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Lords day answered Christianus sum omittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot but keep it 20. And hallow my sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God So Exod. 31. 13. Speak thou also unto the Children of Israel saying Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Look as Circumcision and the Passeover were signs that the Jews were in Covenanâ— with God so likewise was the Sabbath Ezek. 31. 13. and because it was a sign of the Covenant between God and them Vers 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the sabbath to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant God tells them that they must observe it for a perpetual Covenant and hence it was that when they violated the Sabbath God accounted it the violation of the Covenant between him and them The sanctifying of the Sabbath in the primitive times was the main Character by which sincere Christians were differenced from others they judged of mens sanctity by their sanctifying of the Sabbath And indeed as there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a prophane heart then the prophaning the Sabbath so there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a gracious heart then a right sanctifying of the Sabbath But Tenthly Consider a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will 10. be a most sure and certain pledge pawn and earnest of our keeping of an everlasting Sabbath with God in Heaven Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God Gr. a sabbatism an eternal rest a sabbath that hath no evening Now mark if this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of Heaven then we must keep it till we come there For if we lose the pledge of a benefit we lose the evidence of that benefit whereof it is a pledge A man that is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. he is in Heaven on the Lords day there cannot be a more lively resemblance of Heaven on this side Heaven then the sanctifying of the Sabbath in a heavenly manner What is Heaven but an eternal Sabbath And what is a temporal Sabbath but a short Heaven a little Heaven on this side Heaven Our delighting to sanctifiâ— Gods Sabbath on Earth gives full assurance to our faith grounded upon Gods infallible promise that we shall enter into Gods eternal Rest in Heaven for so runs the promise Isa 58. ult Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The former part of the verse relates to earthly blessings but these words I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father that is with a heavenly inheritance for what is the heritage of Jacob but Canaan in the Type and Heaven it self in the Antitype But should I thus sanctifie the Sabbath should I be sure of going to Heaven yes for so it roundly follows in the next words The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But Eleventhly Consider that of all days God hath put the highest honour upon his Sabbaths by appointing his precious Ordinances in a special manner to be used on those days The Sabbath is a gold Ring and the Ordinances are as so many costly sparkling Diamonds in that Ring All the works of the new Creation are commonly wrought on this day this is the joyful day wherein ordinarily God gives spiritual sight to the blind and spiritual ears to the deaf and spiritual tongues to the dumb and spiritual feet to the lame That Exod. 12. 42. is here applicable It is a night to be much observed to the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the Children of Israel in their generation Those that are new-born are commonly new-born on this day and therefore 't is a day to be much observed to the Lord. Those that are converted are ordinarily converted on this day and therefore 't is that day of the Lord that ought to be observed by all the converted Israel of God Those that are edified are commonly most edified on this day O the sweet communion O the choice converse O the singular discoveries O the blessed manifestations O the excellent enjoyments that Christ vouchsafes to his people on this day O the discoveries of Grace O the exercise of Grace O the increase of Grace the progress in Grace O the comforts of Grace that God vouchsafes to his Chosen on this day Experience shews that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us and to increase our faith and raise our hope and inflame our love and to kindle our zeal and to enlarge our desires and to melt our hearts and to weaken our sins But Twelfthly and lastly Consider this that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will cross Satans grand design it will spoil his plot his master-piece Satan is a deadly enemy to the right sanctifying of the Sabbath witness the many temptations that many Christians are more troubled with on this day then they are on any other day in the whole week and witness the many vain wandring and distracting thoughts that many precious Christians are more afflicted with on this day then they are on all the days of the week beside and witness that high and hot opposition
Neh. 3. 1. Jer. 35. 11. is a soul out of Gun-shot no Devil shall there tempt no wicked men shall there assault no fire-balls shall be there cast about to disturb the peace of the heavenly inhabitants Secondly A City is compact it is made up of many habitations so in Heaven there are many habitations many Iohn 14. 2. Mansions In our common Cities many times the inhabitants are much shut up and streightned for want of room out in Heaven there is Elbow-room enough not only for God and Christ and the Angels those glistering and shineing Courteours but also for all bâ—lievers for all the elect â—f God Thirdly A City hath sundry degrees of pâ—rsons appertaining unto it as chief Magistrates and other Officers of Heb. 12. 22 23. sundry sorts with a multitude of Commoners So in Heaven there is God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and an innumerable company of Angels and â—aints Fourthly In a City you have all manner of provisions and useful commodities so in Heaven there is nothing wanting that is needful or useful Fifthly A City hath Laws Statutes and Orders for the better Government thereof 't is so in Heaven and indeed there is no Government to the Government that is in Heaven Certainly there is no Government that is managed with that Love Wisdom Prudence Holiness and Righteousness c. as the Government of Heaven is managed with Sixthly Every City hath its peculiar priviledges and immunities so it is in Heaven Heaven is a place of the greatest Rev. 3. 12. priviledges and immunities Seventhly Cities are commonly very populous and so is Heaven a very populous City Dan. 7. 10. Rev. 5. 11. Rev. 7. 9. Eighthly None but Free-men may Trade and keep open Shop in a City so none shall have any thing to do in Heaven Rev. 21. 27. but such whose name are written in the Lambs Book of Life Believers are the only persons that are inrolled as Freemen in the Records of the heavenly City Ninthly Cities are full of earthly riches and so is Heaven of glorious Riches there are no riches to the riches of Isa 23. 8. Rev. 21. the heavenly Jerusalem All the riches of the most famoâ—s Cities in the world are but Dross Brass Copper Tinn c. to the riches of Heaven O Sirs how should the consideration of these things work us all to look and long and to prepare and fit for this heavenly City this continuing City this City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Holy Ghost frequently calling believers Pilgrims sojourners strangers Heb. 11. 13. 1 Pet. 2 11. Psal 119. 54 doth sufficienâ—ly evidence that there is no abiding for them in this world this world is not their Countrey their City their home their habitation and therefore they are not to place their hopes or hearts or affections upon things below Heaven is their chief City their best Countrey their Col. 3. 1 2. most desirable home and their everlasting habitation and Luke 16. 9. Rev. 22. 17. therefore the hopes desires breathings longings and workings of their souls should still be heaven-ward glory-ward Oh when shall grace be swallowed up in glory when shall John 14. 2 3 4 we take possession of our eternal Mansions when shall we be with Christ which for us is best of all The late fire Phil. 1. 23. hath turned all ranks and sorts of men out of the houses where they once dwelt and it will not be long before death will turn the same persons out of their present habitations and carry them to their long homes Death will turn Princes Eccles 12. 5. out of their most stately Palaces and great men out of their most sumptuous Edifices and rich men out of their most pleasant houses and warlike men out of their strongest Castles and poor men out of their meanest Cottages The Princes Palace the great mans Edifice the rich mans house the warlike mans Castle and the poor mans Cottage are of no long continuance O how should this awaken and alarm all sorts and ranks of men to seek after a City which hath foundations to make sure their interest in the New Jerusalem which is above in those heavenly Mansions that no time can wear nor flames consume But Sixteenthly and lastly Was London in flames on the Lords Day and was the prophanation of that day one of those great sins that brought that dreadful judgement of fire upâ—n London that hath turned that glorious City into a ruinous heap then Oh that all that have been sufferers by that â—amâ—ntable fire and all others also would make it their â—usiness their work their Heaven to sanctifie the Sabbath â—nd to keep it holy all their dayes that the Lord may be no more provoked to lay London more desolate than 't is laid this day Let it be enough that this day of the Lord hath been so greatly prophaned by sinful omâ—ssions and by sinful commissions by the Immorality Dâ—bauchery Gluttony Dâ—unkenness Wantoâ—ness Filthiness Uâ—cleanness Rioting Revelling and Chambering that multitudes were given up to before the Lord appeared against them in that flaming fire that hath laid our renowned City in Ashes Let it be enough that the Lord has been more dishonoured and blasphemed that Christ hath been more reproached despised and reâ—used and that the Spirit hath been more grieved vexed provoked and quenched on the Lords Day than on all the other dayes in the week Let it be enough that on this day of the Lord many have been a playing when they should â—ave been a praying and that many have been a sporting when they should have been a mourning for the afflictions of Joseph And that many have been a courting of their Amos 6. 6. Mistrisses when they should have been a waiting on the Ordinances And that many have been fitting at their doors when they should have been instructing of their families and that many have been walking in the Fields when they should have been a sighing and expostulating with God in their Clossâ—ts and that many have made that a day of common labour which God hath made to be a day of special rest from sin from the world and from their particular callings Oh that all men who have paid so dear for prophaning of Sabbaths would now bend all their force strength power and might to sanctifie those Sabbaths that yet they may enjoy on this side eternity c. But you will reply upon me How is the Sabbath to be sanctified Quest I shall endeavour to give a clear full and satisfactory Answer Answ to this necessary and noble Question And therefore take me thus First We are to sanctifie the Sabbath by resting from all servil labour and work on that day Exod. 20. 10. But the Exod. 16. 29 30. Neh. 13 15 16 17 18. seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy
encrease the graces the comforts the communions and the enjoyments of his people But Thirdly There is the eye of fury and indignation Gods looks can speak his anger as well as his blows His fury is visible by his frowns Mine eyes shall be upon them for evil Gods sight can wound as deeply as his sword He sharpneth Job 16. 9. his eyes upon me sâ—ith Job Wild Beasts when they fight whâ—t thâ—ir eyes as well as their teeth He sharpneth his eyes upon me as if he would stab me to the heart with a glance of his eye he that waits on God irreverently or worships him car lesly or that prophaneth his day either by corporalla boâ—r or spiritual Idleness may well expect an eye of fury to be fixt upon him Jer. 17. ult Ezâ—k 22. 26 31. Bâ—t Sâ—venthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by pressing after immediate communion with God and Christ in all the duties â—sâ—lm 27. 4. â—salâ— 42. 1 2 â—sâ—â—m 43 4 Psaâ—m 63. 1 2 â—saâ—m 84. 1 2. of the day Oh do not take up in duties or Ordinances or priviledges or enlargâ—ments or meltings but press hard after intimate communion wiâ—h God in all you do Let no duty satisfie thy soul without communion with God in it Câ—n. 7. 4. The King is hil'd in the Galleries that is in his Oâ—dinances The Galleries the Ordinances without King Jesus be enjoyed in them will never satisfie the Spouse of Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Christ What is a purse without money or a Tâ—ble without meat or a Ship without a Pilot or a fountain without water or the body without the soul or the Sun without light or the Cabinet without the Jewels no more are all Ordinances and duties to a gracious soul without the enjoyment 2 Kings 2. 13 14. The Sea ebbs â—nd flowes the Mâ—on â—ncreaseâ— and decreases so it is with Saints in their communion with God in Ordinances sâ—metimes they rise and sometimes â—hey fall sometimes â—hey have more and sometimes less communion with God of God in them Moses had choice communion with God in the Mount and that satisfied him The Disciples had been with Jâ—sus and this was a spring of joy and life unto them John 20. 20. Then were the Disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Here is the Mantle of Elijah but where is the God of Elijah said Elisha So saith a gracious soul here is thâ—s Ordinance and that Ordinance but where is the God of the Ordinance Psalm 101. 2. O when wilt thou come unto me O Lord I come to one Ordinance and another Ordinance but when wilt thou come to me in the Ordinance when shall I be so happy as to enjoy thy self in the Ordinances that I enjoy The Waggons that Joseph sent to setch his Father were the means of bringing Joseph and his Father together All the Ordinances should be as so many Wagons to bring Christ and our souls nearer together Mans summum bonum stands in his communion with God aâ— Scripture and experience evidences Eâ—ghthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by labouring after the highest pitches of grace and holiness on this day Every Christian should labour after an Angelical holiness on Isa 58. 13. this day on this day every Saint should walk like an earthly Angel Mark the Sabbath is not only called holy but holiness to the Lord Exod. 31. 15. Six dayes may work be done but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord or as the Hebrew runs holiness to the Lord which shews that the day is exceeding holy and ought to be kept accordingly The Sacrifices on this day was to be double Numb 28. 9. And on the Sabbath day two Lambs of the first year without spot and two tenth deals of flower for a meat-offering mingled with Oyle and the drink-offering thereof The Sacrifices here appointed for every Sabbath day are full double to those appointed for every day ver 3. and yet the daily sacrifices the continual burnt-offering ver 10. was not omitted on the Sabbath day neither So that every Sabbath in the morning there was offered one Lamb for the daily sacrifice and then two Lambs more for the Sabbath and this was appointed 1. To shew the holiness of that day above other dayes and that God required more service from them on that day than he did on any other day Secondly To testifie their thankfulness for the worlds Exod. 20. 11. creation Thirdly To put them in remembrance of Gods bringing them out of Aegypt by a mighty hand and by a stretched Deut. 5. 15. out arm Fourthly For a sign of their sanctification by the Ezek. 20. 12. Heb. 4. Lord. Fifthly and lastly for to be a figure of grace and a sign of that rest in Heaven that Christ hath purchased for his people with his dearest blood Now mark as this day was a sign of more than ordinary favours from the Lord so he required greater testimonies of their thankfulness and holiness on this day than he did on any other day Every day should be a Sabbath to the Saints in regard of their ceasing to do evil and learning to do well but on the seventh day Sabbath our dutiâ—s and services should be doubled In Psâ—â— 92. which Psalm is titled a Psalm for the Sabbath there is mention made of morning and evening performances the variety of duties that are to be performed on this day may very well take up the whole day with delight and pleasure on this day in a more especial manner we should labour to do the will of God on earth as the Angels and Spirits of just men Heb. 12. 22 23. made perfect do it now in Heaven viz. wisely freely readily cheerfully saithfully seriously universally and unweariedly If we are not wanting to our selves God on this day will give out much of hâ—mself and much of his Christ and much of his Spirit and much of his grace into our souls But Ninthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by managing all the duties of the day with inward reverence seriousness John 4. 23 24. and spiritualness 'T is the pleasure of God that we reverence his Sanctuary Lev. 19. 30. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. Twâ—ce in this Chapter the observation of the Sâ—bbath is commanded that it may be the better remembred and that men may know that it is not enough to rest on that day but that rest must be sanctified by a reverent management of all their soul concernments in all our drawings nigh to God We must look that our hearts lye under a holy awe and dread of his presence To the commandment of sanctifying Gods Sabbath this of reverencing his Sanctuary is joyned Gen. 28. 16 17. because the Sabbaths were the chief times whereon they resorted to the Sanctuary The Jews made a great stir about reverencing the Temple they tell us that they were not to go in with a
staff nor shoes nor to spit in it nor when they went away to turn their backs upon it but go sidelong But doubtless the great thing God points at and expects from his peoples hands on this day is that they do worship him with inward reverence seriousness and spiritualness All other Worshâ—p abstracted from this will neither pleasure God nor profit us 1 Tim. 4. 8. For bodily exercise profiteth little Oh labour to be very spiritual in all the duties of this day Christ the Luke 1. 35 36. Matth. 3. 16. John 1. 32. Chap. 6. 36. Heb. 7. 26. Chap. 9. 14. 1 Tim. 3. 16. Lord of the Sabbath was spiritual in his conception in his life and conversation in his death and passion in his resurrection and ascension he was spiritual in his words in his works in his wayes and in his worship and therefore let us labour to be very spiritual in all we do on that day Again all the Ordinances of the day are spiritual viz. the Word Prayer Sacraments singing of Psalms c. and therefore we had need to be spiritual in all the services of that day Again the ends for which the Lords Day was appointed are all spiritual viz. the glory of God the illumination conversion and salvation of sinners and the edification confirmation consolation of Saints And therefore we had need be spiritual Ephes 6. 12. in all the duties of the day Again the grand enemies that we are to encounter with on this day are spiritual sin within and Satan without and therefore we had need be spiritual in all we do For there is no way to conquer spiritual enemies but by spiritual weapons and by spiritual 1 Cor. 10. 13. exercises Again grace thrives most and flourishes best in their souls who are most spiritual in their duties on the Lords Day Again the more spiritual any man is in his duties on the Lords Dayes the more secured and armed he will be against all spiritual judgments which are the sorest and dreadfullest of all judgements Again the more spiritual any man is in the duties of the Lords Day the more that man acts like the Angels in Heaven and like the Spirits of Heb. 12. 22 23. just men made perfect Again this will dâ—fference you from hypocrites formalists and all prophane persons An external observation of the Sabbath will difference you from Heathens but a spiritual spending of the Sabbath will difference you from hypocrites An hypocrite never rises so Luke 13. 14 15. high as to be spiritual in the Sabbaths of God Mark Sabbaths spiritually spent are a sure sign of a sincere heart and of a saving estate Now Oh that all these considerations Exod. 31. 13. might greatly provoke you and mightily encourage you to be very spiritual on the Lords Day and in all the duties of that day But Tenthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by being spiritual 10. tual in all natural actions and holy and heavenly in all 1 Cor. 10. 13. earthly enjoyments It is reported of a Scotch Minister that he did eat drink and sleep eternal life Luther tells us that though he did not alwayes pray and meditate but did sometimes eat and drink and sometime sleep yet all should further his account That 's a Christian worth Gold that hath learned that heavenly art so to spiritualize all his natural actions as that they shall turn to his account in the great day Zach. 14. 20 21. In that day shall there be upon the Bells Calâ—â—â— renders it stables of hoâ—ses which are the most stinking and contemptible places and yet these should be holily used or Bridles of the Horses Holiness unto the Lord. And the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowls before the Altar Yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of Hosts Here is holiness written upon the bridles of the horses they ride on and holiness written upon the cups and pots they drink in A holy and heavenly heart will be holy in the use of the meanest things that are for common use Something of sanctity should run through every piece of your civility Something of the spirit life and power of Religion you should shew in all parts of your common conversation on every day but especially on the Lords Day Tâ—rtullian speaking of the carriage of the Primitive Christians Teâ—tul Apollog at their meals saith 1. Our Table resembleth an Altar and our Supper a Sacrifice 2. Our Table hath nothing savouring of baseness sensuality or immodesty we feed by measure we drink by the rules of temperance 3. We speak and converse as in the presence of God every one repeateth what he knoweth out of the holy Scriptures and his own invention to the praise of God 4. As prayer began the Banquet so prayer concludes it If you beheld us you would say that we were not at Supper but at a Lecture of holiness Should not the practice of these Primitive Christians put all such Christians to a blush in our day who on the Lords Day are so carnal in the use of spiritual things and so earthly in the use of heavenly things That is a memorable expression that you have in Exod. 18. 12. And Aaron came and all the Elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses Father-in-law before God Now mark in See Deut. 12. 5 7. 1 Chron. 29. 21 22. The word Bread is used for all meat Gen. 3. 19. Chap. 31. 14. these words you have 1. The greatness of their courtesie for though Jethro was a stranger and no Israelite yet the Elders honoured him with their company And Aaron and all the Elders came to eat bread with Moses his Father-in law 2. The graciousness of their carriage They came to eat bread with him before the Lord. That is saith Calvin on the Texâ— in gloriam honorem Dei to the honor and glory of God Grace must spice every cup and be sauce to every dish or nothing will rellish well with him whose heart is set to sanctifie the Sabbath Aaron and all the Elders of Israel eat bread before the Lord that is they eat bread as in the presence of God Whilst they were eating of bread their hearts were under a reverential awe of God Dianâ—es Temple was burnt down when she was busie at Alexanders birth and could not be at two places together But God is present both in Paradice and in the wilderness at the same time he is present both at board and bed both in the family and in the Closet at the same time O that in all your natural civil Psalm 139. and common actions you would carry it as becomes his eye his presence that fills Heaven and earth with his glory But Eleventhly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by managing all the duties of the Sabbath with a spirit of holy joy and delight There is no garment that so well becomes the upright Psalm
of the tongue Now if these last have hit the mark how highly doth at concern us all to set a watch before the door of our lips at all times but especially on the Lords day Now considering how wonderful apt and prone Christians are to be speaking their own words Yea foolish vain worldly and unprofitable words on the Lords day Give me leave â—o offer to your serious consideration these four things First Where the Lord hath commanded the whole man to rest from servile works there he commands the hand to rest from working the foot from walking and the tongue from talking But in the fourth Commandment Thou shalt do no manner of work the Lord hath commanded the whole Exod. 4. 10. man to rest from servile works And therefore the tongue from talking of this or that worldly business But Secondly Those things which as lets hinder the duties of the Lords day are forbidden But worldly words as lets hinder the duties of the Lords day therefore worldly words are forbidden But Thirdly Where bodily works are forbidden there those things are forbidden which hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath as much or more than bodily works do but bodily works are forbidden in the fourth Commandment therefore worldly words which hinder more the sanctifying of the Sabbath than bodily works do are forbidden in the same Commandment That worldly words do hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath as much or more than bodily works is evident by this among other arguments that might be produced that a man may work alone but he cannot talk alone But Fourthly That Commandment which tyes the outward man from the deed done that Commandment ties the tongue from talking of the same But the fourth Commandment ties the outward man from worldly works and therefore that Command ties the tongue from worldly words Certainly all those persons that make the Lords day a reckoning-day with workmen as some do or a directing-day what shall be done the next week as others do or a day of idle talk about this worldly business or that or about this person or that or about this fashion or that or about this mans matters or that or about this pleasure or that or about this profit or that or about this mans calling or that or about this Gossips Tale or that c. All such persons are prophaners and no sanctifiers of the Lords Day I have been the longer upon this particular to confute and recover those Christians who give their tongues too great a liberty on the Lords Day Now in these fourteen particulars I have shewed you how the Sabbath is to be sanctified O Sirs as you desire to see London rebuilt as you desire to see London in as great or greater prosperity and glory as she hath been in as you desire to see her once more the Bulwark of the Nation As Psaâ— 48. 12 13. Cant. 6. 4. Isa 60. 15. you desire to see her a shield and shelter to her faithful friends at home and a terror and dread to her proudest enemies abroad As you desire that she may be an eternal excellency Zech. 2. 5. a joy of many Generations As you desire the Lord to be for ever a wall of fire about her and a glory in the midst of her Mâ—ke conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath in a right manner Make it your great business and work to sanctifie the Sabbath according to those fourteen Rules which I have now laid down I know there is a desperate opposition and contrariety in the hearts of carnal men to the strict observation of the Sabbath When Moses had first received a Commandment Exod. 16. 25. 31. concerning the observation of the Sâ—bbath his Authority could not so prevail with the Jews but that some of them would be gâ—dding abroad to seek Manna on the Sabbath day contrary to an express prohibition yea when it was death Chap. 31 13 14 15 16. to gather sticks on that day yet in contempt of Heaven it self one ventures upon the breach of the Law How sadly and frequently the Prophets have lamented and complained of the breach of the Sabbath I have in this Treatise already discovered and therefore need say no more of it in this place The horrid prophanation of this day in France Holland Germany Sweden and in thâ—se three Nations England Scâ—tland and Ireland and among all Protestants every where else is and must be for a sore lamentation The Sabbath in all Ages hath been more or less crucified between prophaneness and superstition as Christ the Lord of the Sabbath was crucified between two Thieves When the observation of the Sabbath came to be more sacred and solemn in publick performances which was about Nehemiahs time as is conceived presently after Satan stirred up some Hypocrites who â—un into such an extream of superstition that they held that they might not stir out of their places nor kill a flea and a thousand such like fooleries Yea some dangerous fooleries they laboured to distill into the people as that they might not draw a Sword to defend themselves in a common Invasion c. For a close remember this that there are no Christians in all the world comparable to those for the power of godliness and heighths of grace holiness and communion with God who are most strict serious studious and conscientious in sanctifying of the Lords day Such as are careless remiss light slight formal and carnal upon the Sabbath day they will be as bad if not worse on every other day in the Week The true reason why the power of godliness is fallen to so low an ebb both in this and in other Countreys also is because the Sabbath is no more strictly and conscientiously observed in this Land and in those other Countreys where the name of the Lord is made known The Jews were never serious in the observation of their Sabbaths till they smarted seventy years in Babylon for their former prophanation of it And who can look upon the ashes of London and not see how dearly the Citizens have paid for their prophaning of the Lords day And Oh that all these short hints might be so blest from Heaven as to work us all to a more strict serious and conscientious sanctifying of the Lords day according to those Directions or Rules that I have in this Treatise laid before you And thus I have done with those Duties that are incumbent upon those who have been burnt up by that late dreadful fire that hath turned London into a ruinous heap I come now to those Duties that are incumbent upon those whose habitations are yet standing as monuments of divine Wisdom Power and Grace O Sirs the flames have been near you a devouring fire hath consumed many thousand habitations round about you and you and your habitations have bâ—en as so many brands pluckt out of the fire O how highly doth it concern you seriously and freqâ—ently to lay to heart the singular goodness
bethink themselves and to turn to him who is able by a flaming fire quickly to turn them out of all The Jews have a saying That if war be begun in another Country yet they should fast and mourn because the war is begun and because they do not know how soon God may bring it to their doors O Sirs London is burnt and it highly concerns you to fast and mourn and pray and to take the Alarm for you do not know how soon a fire may be kindled in your own habitations Now God has made the once famous City of London a flaming Beacon before your eyes he expects and looks that you should all fear before him Secure your interest in him walk humbly with him and no more provoke the eyes of his jealousie and glory The design of Heaven by this late dreadful Fire is not to be confined to those particular persons upon whom it hath fallen heaviest but 't is to awaken all and warn all When a Beacon is fired it gives warning as much to the whole Country as to him who sets it on fire or as it does to him on whose ground the Beacon stands We can neither upon the foot of Reason or Religion conclude them to be the greatest sinners who have been the greatest suffererâ— for many times we find that the greatest Saints have been the greatest sufferers both from God and men Job Job 1. 1 2 3 4. was a non-such in his day for holiness uprightness and the fear of the Lord and yet by the wind and fire from Heaven on the one hand and by the Sabeans and Chaldeans on the other hand he is stript of all his children and of a fair estate in one day so that in the morning it might have been said Who so rich as Job and in the evening Who so poor as Job Job was poor even to a Proverb Look as wicked men are very incompetent Judges of divine favours and mercies so they are very incompetent Judges of divine tryals and severities and whatever they may think or say I dare conclude that they who have drank deepest of this Cup of sorrows of this Cup of desolation and fire in London are not greater sinners then all others in England who yet have not tasted of this bitter Cup. But more of this when I come to the Application of the Point O Sirs I beg upon the knee of my soul that you will not slight this dreadful warning of God that he has given to the whole Nation in turning London into ashes To that purpose seriously consider First Divine warnings slighted and neglected will certainly bring down the greater wrath and vengeance upon you Levit. 26. 16 17 18. 21 23 24. 27 28. Amos 4. 7. 8 9 10 11. Jer. 25. 4. to the 12. vers Isa 22. 12 13 14. as you may clearly see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together Secondly Slighting of Judgments is the greatest Judgment that can befal a people it speaks out much Pride Atheism Hardness Blindness and desperate Security and Contempt of the great God To be given up to slight divine warnings is a spiritual Judgment and therefore must of all Judgments be the greatest Judgment to be given up to Sword Famine Fire Pestilence burning Agues and Fevers is nothing so great a Judgment as to be given up to slight divine warnings for in the one you are but passive but in the other you are active Thirdly Heathens Jonah 3. have trembled and mended and reformed at divine warnings and therefore for you to slight them is to act below the Heathens yea 't is to do worse then the Heathens who will certainly one day rise up in Judgment against all such who have been slighters of the dreadful warnings of Heaven Fourthly Slighting of divine warnings lays men Prov. 1. 24. to vers 32. open to such anger and wrath as all the Angels in Heaven are not able to express nor all the men on earth able to conceive Fifthly Slighting and neglecting of divine warnings speaks out the greatest dis-ingenuity stoutness and stubbornness that is imaginable The ingenuous child easily takes warning and to an ingenuous Christian every divine warning is as the hand-writing upon the wall Sixthly Slighting of divine warnings provokes God many tâ—mes to Dan. 5. 5. give up men to be their own Executioners their own destroyers Saul had many warnings but he slighted and neglected 1 Sam. 31. 4. Joh. 6. 70 71. Mat. 26. 21 22 23 24 25. Mat. 27. 5. them all and at last God leaves him to fall on his own sword Christ cast Hell-fire often into Judas his face Thou hast a Devil and wo to that man by whom the Son of Man shall be betrayed it had been good for that man that he had never been born But Judas slights all these warnings and betrays his Lord and Master and then goes forth and hangs himseâ—f It was a strange conceit of the Cerinthians that honoured Judas the Traitor as some divine Irenaeus Aug. de Haeresi and super-humane power and called his Treason a blessed piece of Service and that he knowing how much the death of Christ would profit mankind did therefore betray him to death to save the race of mankind and to do a thing pleasing to God Judas withstood all divine warnings Some report of Judas that he slew his father married his mother and betrayed his Master from within and without and you know how the Tragedy ended he dyed a miserable death he perished by his own hands which were the most infamous hands in all the world he went and hanged himself And as Luke hath it he fell head-long and burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out In every passage of his death we may take notice of divine Justice and accordingly take heed of slighting divine warnings It was but just that he should hang in the air who for his sin was hated both of Heaven and Earth and that he should fall down head-long who was fallen from such a height of honour as he was fallen from and that the halter should strangle that throat through which the voice of Treason had sounded and that his bowels should be lost who had lost the bowels of all pity piety and compassion and that his Ghost should have his passage out of his midst He burst asunder in the midst saith the Text and not out of his lips because with a kiss of his lips he had betrayed our Lord Jesus But seventhly By slighting divine warnings you will arm both visible and 2 Kings 6. 8 9 10 11. 16. 17. Exod. 14. Judg. 5. 19 20. Isa 37. 7 8 9. 36. invisible Creatures against you Pharaoh slights divine warnings and God arms the winds against him to his destruction Sisera slights divine warnings and the Stars in their Course fought against Sisera Sennacherib slights divine warnings and an Angel of the Lord destroyed a hundred fourscore and
five thousand of his Army in one night Eighthly By slighting of divine warnings you will tempt Satan to tempt your souls he that dares slight divine warnings will stick at nothing that Satan shall tempt him to yea he does to the utmost what lyes in him to provoke Satan to follow him with the blackest and sorest temptations Ninthly He that slights divine warnings dams up all the springs of mercy Psal 81. 11. to the end Jer. 7. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29. 34. Isa 13. 14 15 16. and turns the streams of loving-kindness and favour another way Tenthly and lastly Slighting of divine warnings will be the Sword that will wound you and the Serpent that will sting you 〈◊〉 the Worm that will be still gnawing upon you especially 1. When your consciences are awakned 2. When you shall lye upon a dying bed 3. When you shall stand before a Judgment-seat Fourthly and lastly When you shall awake with everlasting flames about your ears Upon all these considerations take heed of slighting the warnings of God that you are under this day But Seventhly and lastly God inflicts great and sore Jâ—dâ—ments upon Persons Cities and Countries to put the world in mind of the General Judgment Who can think upon the Conflagration of our late glorious City and not call to mind the great and terrible day of the Lord Psal 50. 3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him As God gave his Law in fiâ—e so when he comes to Judgment in fire he will require it to shew himself a Judge and Revenger of it and to bring the world to a strict account for Eccle. 12. 13 14. Exod. 20. 18. Heb. 12. 18 19 20 21. their breaking of it In the promulgation of the Law a flaming fire was only on Mount Sinai but when Christ shall come to execute vengeance on the transgressors of it aâ—l the world shall become a Bonfire In the promulgation of the Law there was fire smoak thunder and an earthquake but when Christ shall come in flaming fire to revenge the breaches of it the Heavens shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with servent heat so that not only a few Cities and Kingdoms but all this lower World shall be of a flame and therefore if any of the wicked should be so weak as to think to secure themselves by creeping behind the Lord they will but deceive themselves for the fire shall not only devour before him but it shall also devour round about him When an unquenchable fire shall be kindled above the sinner and below the sinner and round about the sinner Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Jer. 5. 14. how is it possible that he should escape though he should cry â—ut to the Rocks and the Mountains to fall upon him aâ—d to cover him from the wrath of the Lamb Isa 66. 15 16. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his chariâ—ts like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire 〈◊〉 by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slai◠〈◊〉 the Lord shall be many There is nothing more fearful or formidable either to man or beast then fire Now when God comes to execute his Judgments and to take vengeance on the wicked in this life as some curry the words or in the other life as others curry the words he will come in the most terrible and dreadful manner imaginable he will come with fire and he will render his rebuke with flames of fire or with fiery flames as some say or with flaming fire as others say 2 Thes 1. 7 8. And to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved that Christ will come to Judgment in flaming fire is no Politick invention found out to fright men from their pleasures nor no Engine of State devised to keep men tame and quiet under the Civil powers nor no Plot of the Minister to make men melancholy or to hurry them into a blind obedience but it is the constâ—nt voice of God in the blessed Scriptures 2 Pet. 3. 10-12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat Pareus is of opinion that that Pareus in Rev. 16. 18. fire that shall set all the world in a flame at last will be kindled and cherished by lightning from Heaven The Earth being smitten with lightning from Heaven shall be shaken and torn into ten thousand pieces and by fire utterly consumed now the Earth shall quake the Sea roar the Air ring and the World burn Now you shall look no way but you shall see fire you shall see fire above you and fire below you and fire round about you Christâ— fiâ—st coming was at Luke 2. 8. to vers 15. Psal 71. 6. tended with a general peace and with Carols of Angels he came as rain upon the mown grass silently sweetly into the world then a babe cryed in the manger but now Judahs Lyon will roar and thunder in the Heavens Then he came riding on an Asses Colt but now on the Clouds Then he was attended with twelve poor despised Apostles but now he shall be waited on with many score millions of Angels At his first coming he freely offered grace and mercy and 2 Thes 1. 7. pardon to sinners but now he will come in flames of fire to execute wrath and vâ—ngeance upon sinners and 't will be no small honour to Christ nor no small câ—mfort to the Saints nor no small torment to the wicked for Christ to comes in flames of fire when he comes to Judgment Saul Acts 22. 8. was astonished when he heard Jesus of Nazareth but calling unto him out of Heaven Herod was affrighted when he thought that John Baptist was risen again The Philistines Mark 6. 16. 1 Sam. 21. 9. Numb 7. 10. were afraid when they saw Davids Sword The Israelites were startled when they saw Aarons Rod And Juda was ashamed when he saw Thamars signet and staff and Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5. was amazed when he saw the hand-writing upon the Wall The Carthaginians were troubled when they saw Scipio's Sepulchre and the Saxons were terrified when they Hollingsheds Chron. saw Cadwallon's Image Oh how terrified amazed and confounded will wicked men be when they shall see that Christ whom they
ashamed to walk the streets who have once carried it with a very high hand Ah London London were there none within nor without Hos 12. 7. Amos 8. 5. Deut. 25. 13. thy Walls that had the ballance of deceit in their hands and that loved to oppress falsifying the ballances by deceit and that had in their bags divers weights that did sell by one measure and buy by another that had wicked ballances Micha 6. 11. and the bag of deceitful weights in their hands their Houses their Shops their Ware-houses Well suppose there were many such within and without the Walls of London what of that why then I would say First Such run counter-cross to divine Commands Levit. 19. 35 36. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment in metâ—yard in weight or in measure Just ballances just weights a Levit. 19. 13. Mark 10. 19. 1 Cor. 7. 5. just Ephah and a just hin shall ye have Ezek. 45. 10. Ye shall have just ballances and a just Ephah and a just bath Deut. 25. 13 14 15. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a small But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be lengthned in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee We have a common Saying Weight and measure is Heavens treasure But Secondly Such persons and such practices are an abomination to the Lord Deut. 25. 16. For all that do such things and all that do unrighteousness are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Prov. 11. 1. A false ballance is abomination to the Lord. Prov. 20. 10. Divers weights and divers measures both of them are alike abomination to the Lord and a false ballance is not good Now mark the very weights and measures are an abomination to the Lord how much more the men that make use of them But Thirdly Such act counter-cross to Gods delight Prov. 11. 1. A just weight is his delight Prov. 16. 11. A just weight and ballance are the Lords They are commanded by the Lord and commended by the Lord and they are the delight of the Lord. But Fourthly Such act counter-cross to his Nature which is holy just and righteous and to all his administrations Ezek. 18. and Chap. 33. 17. 20. 29. which are full of righteousness justice and equity But Fifthly Such act counter-cross to the very Light and Law of Nature by not dealing by others as they wouâ—d have Math. 7. 12. others deal by them They are the very botches of the Land and enemies to all Civil Society But Sixthly Such stir up the anger and indignation of God against themselves Ezek. 22. 13. Behold therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made or at thy covetousness as some render the Hebrew word or at thy money gotten by fraud and force and over-reaching and cheating of others as others render it God is here said to smite his hands at their dishonest gain to note the greatness of his anger wrath and indignation against them and his readiness and resolvedness to take vengeance on them by animating iâ—stigating encouraging and stirring up the Chaldeans to destroy their persons by the Sword and to consume their riches and houses by fire Chap 21. 17. God has no hand to smite but this is spoken after the manner of men who oftentimes express the greatness of their wrath and rage by smiting their hands one against another God to shew the greatness of his spleen and rage in a holy sense against them for their dishonest gain expresses it by the smiting of his hands 1 Thes 4. 6. That no man go beyond or defrand his brother in any matter because thâ—t the Lord is the avenger of all such first or last vengeance will reach them who make it their business their trade to ovâ—r-reach others But Seventhly Such act counter-cross to the Examples of the most eminent Saintâ— To the Example of Moses Numb 16. 15 I have not takâ—n an ass from them neither have I hurt one of them Of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 3 4 5. Of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luke 1. 5 6. Of Paul Acts 24 16. yea to the Examples of all the Apostles Judas excepted 2 Cor. 1. 12. Chap. 7. 2. Receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man But Eighthly and lastly Such act counter-cross to their own everlasting happiness and blessedness 1 Cor. 6. 8 9. Nay you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Unrighteous persons may hear much of Heaven and talk much of Heaven and set their faces towards Heaven but they shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven God himself has lockt fast the gate of blessedness against the unrighteous and therefore all the world shall never be able to open it Heaven would be no Heaven but a Hell if the unrighteous should inhabit there To sum up all If such persons run counter-cross to Gods commands if their persons and practices are an abomination to the Lord if they act counter-cross to Gods delight and to his Nature yea to the very Light and Law of Nature to the best Examples and to their own happiness and blessedness is it any wonder then to see divine Justice set such mens houses on fire about their ears and to see the flames consume such Estates as were got either by fraud or force by craft or cruelty c. Now the gaining of the things of this world by hook oâ— by crook or by such wicked courses and cursed practices thaâ— we have been discoursing on I cannot charge upon the peoplâ— of God that did truly fear him whose habitations were oâ—ce within or without the Walls of London because such practices would neither stand with Grace nor with the Honour of God nor with the Credit of Religion nor with the Law of God nor with the Law of Nature nor with the Peace of a Saints Soul Besides 't is very observable to me that those that have the ballances of deceit in their hand are called Caananites in that 12. of Hos 7. He is a merchant thâ— ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress Heâ— He is Canaan that is a meer natural man that hath no common honesty in him a money-merchant one that cares noâ— how he comes by it so he may have it one that counts all good fish that comes to his net though it be through cunning contrivances or violent practices But Fourthly Desperate incorrigibleness and unreformedness under wasting and destroying Judgments brings the desolating Judgment of Fire upon a people Isa 42. 24 25. Who Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Turn to that Jer. 30. 23 24. gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned For they would not walk in his ways neither
looking upon every duty as your dignity and by Prov. 8. 34 35. Psalm 27. 4. Psalm 42. 1 2 3 4 5. Psalm 63. 1 2 3 looking upon every work of that day as carrying a reward with it Psalm 19. 11. And in keeping of them there is great reward not only for keeping but also in keeping of Gods commands there is great reward A gracious soul would not exchange the joy the peace the comfort the assurance the communion the delight the satisfaction that it enjoyes in the wayes of obedience before pay day comes before the Crown be put on before the full reward is given out for all the Crowns and Kingdoms of this world David was a King a great and glorious King yea the best King in all the world and yet he esteemed it as a very high honour to be the lowest Officer a door-keeper in Gods house Psâ—lm 84. 10. A day in thy Courts iâ— better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God or I had rather sit at the threshold as the Hebrew runs than to dwell in the tents of wickedness 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are the men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom said the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomons servants O then how many thousand times more happy are they who hear Christ in his Ordinances who see Christ in his Ordinances and who enjoy Christ in his Ordinances on his own day Of all dayes the Sabbath Day is the day wherein Christ carries his people into his Wine-cellar wherein he brings them to his Banqueting house and his banner over them is love This is the day wherein he stayes his Cant. 2 4 5 6. people with Flaggons and comforts them with Apples and wherein his left hand is under their head and his right hand doth embrace them O the sweet communion the sweet discoveries the sweet incomes and that blessed presence and those glorious answers and returns of prayer that the Saints have had on Sabbath dayes Christ in his Ordinances on the Sabbath day doth as Mary open a box of precious Ointment which diffuseth a spiritual savour among them that fear him Though many slight Ordinances and many deny Ordinances and many oppose Ordinances and many Many in these dayes are like old Barzâ—llaâ— that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids Feasts and Musick 2 Sam. 19 35. fall off from Ordinances and many pretend to live above Ordinances and under that pretence vilifie the Ordinances as poor low weak things yet the beauty and glory of Gods Ordinances will one day convince the world of the excellency of the Saints Ezek. 37. 26 27 28. I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore I doubt not but there are many thousands of the precious servants of the Lord who are able to tell this poor blind dark world from their experience that they have seen and felt and tasted and enjoyed more of God in his Ordinances on this day thaâ— ever they have enjoyed on any other day But Fourthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by rising as early in the morning as your age strength health and ability Psal 139. 18. Gen. 22. 3. Job 1. 5. and bodily infirmities will permit Abraham rose up early in the morning to offer up his only Son And Job rose up early in the morning to offer up burnt-offerings So David my voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning Psalm 5. 3. will I direct my prayer unto thee or martial my prayer as the Hebrew runs and will look up or will look out as a watchman looks out of his Watch-Tower to discover an approaching enemy So Psalm 130 6. My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee That this may the more work and the better stick seriously confider of these hints c. First God is the first Being and therefore of right deserveth to be served first If you can find any being before Dan. 7. 2â— Chap. 2. 20 21 22. the being of that God who is blessed for ever let that being be served first if not as I am sure you can't then let the first being be first served But Secondly As God is the first being so he is the best being he is the choicest and chiefest good and therefore ought to be first minded and served Psal 4. 6. Psal 73. 25. Psal 144. 15. But Thirdly As God is the best being so he is the greatest being as he is the choicest and the chiefest good so he is the Mal. 1. ult greatest good the greatest Majesty the greatest Authority and therefore he ought to be first served But Fourthly God gives the greatest rewards and the fullest rewards and therefore he ought to be served first He gives Psalm 19. 11. Matth. 5. 12. 2 John 8. a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. A Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. A Crown of glory James 1. 12. A Crown of immortality What han't men done what won't men do what do'nt men do for earthly Crowns A Crown is the top of Royalty and how many Princes have swum through the blood of thousands to their earthly Crowns O how much more active for God should that glorious Crown make us which he has laid up for all that love him But Fifthly Christ rose early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and why should not we Mark 1. 35 36. make it our business our work our Heaven to write after so noble a Copy we cannot glorifie Christ more than by our conformity to him than by imitating of those blessed patterns that he hath set before us But Sixthly and lastly The children of Israel rose up early in the morning on the Sâ—bbath day to oâ—â—er up burnt-offerings Exod. 32. 4 5 6. and peace-offerings to an Idol So Papists Turks and Heathens are early in the mornings at their devotions and the Harlot rises early in the morning to trapan the lustful youth Prov. 7. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thee or as it runs in the Hebrew In the morning came I forth to meet thee Now how should this put Christians to a holy blush to see the very basest and worst of people to take more pains to go to Hell than themselves do to go to heaven Shall they rise early to serve their Idols and shall not we rise early to serve our God and save our souls O Sirs did you but love Christ more and
we then put off God with a part of a day Shall we be worse than the Heathens Shall we act below Heathens Shall nature shall blind devotion do more than Grace The Lord forbid But Thâ—rteenthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by such an abstinence or moderate use of all your lawful comforts conâ—entments and enjoyments as may tender you most apt and fit for the sanctification of the Sabbath Let your moderation â—e known among all men alwayes but especially on the Lords day be moderate in your eating drinking entertainments Phil. 4. 5. c. Oh how do many by their immoderate use of lawful comforts on this day indispose and unfit themselves for the duties of the day It is a Christians duty every day to eat and drink soberly Titus 2. 11 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to us teaching us to live soberly in this present world It is both the duty and the glory The Greeks call Sobriety the Keeper and Guard of Wisdom of a Christian to be temperate in his diet A little will satisfie nature less will satisfie Grace though nothing will satisfie mens lusts Sobriety is a gift of God whereby we keep a holy moderation in the use of our dyet Prov. 23. When thou sittest to eat c. consider diligently what is before thee and put the knife to thy throat That is be very careful and circumspect in taking thy food bridle thine appeâ—iâ—e take heed thou dost not exceed measure He may endanger his health his life his soul that gives way to his greedy appetite Some read the words thus For thâ—u puttâ—â—t a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite Thou shortnest thy life and diggest as it were thine own grave with thine own teeth Meat kills as many as the Musket the Board as the Châ—ysost Sword I know that the bodies stomacks callings constitutions and climates wherein men live differ and therefore In the hot Eastern Countreys men have lived long with parâ—hed Corn and a Cake but their example is no rule for us Phil. 3. 18 19. no such particular Rules as to eating and drinking can be laid down as shall be binding to every one Yet this is certain that a man that eats or drinks so much on the Lords Day as oppresses nature and as unfits him for praying working or hearing work or reading work or closet work that man is guilty of intemperance Such who feed till they unfit themselves for service are Belly-Gods Paul wept over such in his day and so should we in ours Thou shouldst use thy food O Christian as a help and not as a hinderance to thee in thy Christian course A full belly never studies well nor never prayes well nor never hears well nor never reads well nor never repeats well nor never doth any thing well either on the Lords day or any other day What a shame is it to see a Christian a slave to his palate on any day but especially on the Lords day I may use the creatures so as to support and chear nature but not so as to clog it and weaken it and debase it I may use the creatures as my servants but I must never suffer them to be my Lord. Daniel was very temperate in his diet Though there was not a greater born of a woman than John the Baptist yet his Dan. 1. 8. Matth. 11. 11. fare was but Locusts and wild-honey A little bread was Basils provision Hilarion did seldom eat any thing till the Sun went down and then that which he did eat was very mean Jerom lived with cold water and a few dry'd Figgs And Augustine hath this expression concerning himself Hoc Lâ—b 10. Confessionum me docuisti Domine c. Thou Lord hast taught me this that I should go to my meat as to a medicine his meaning was that he went to his meat not to satisfie his appetite but to repair nature And Luther made many a meal with Bread and â— Heâ—ring Socrates Anacharsis Cyrus Caesar Herodicus Augustus and many other Heathens were very temperate in â—hâ—ir diet The old Gaules were very sparing in their diet â—nd used to fine them that out-grew their Girdles These Hâ—athens will one day rise in judgement against those nominal Christians who are intemperate both upon the Lords day and other dayes also But Fourteenthly and lastly You must sanctifie the Sabbath â—y abstâ—ining from speaking your own words The Spouses lips are like a thread of Scâ—rlet they are red like a thread of Cant. 4 3. scarlet in discoursing of a crucified Christ and they are thin like a thred of scarlet and not swelled with frothy empty worldly discourses on the Lords dayes or on other dayes Such words as will neither profit a mans own soul nor better â—thers are not to be spoken on the Lords day It is Gods express pleasure that we should not speak our own words on his day Isa 58. 13. Nâ—r speaking thine own words Caesar passing through the streets of Rome and seeing many of the Ladies Pluta ch in the life of Peâ—icles playing with little Dogs Monkies and Baubones askt them if the women in that Countrey had no children So when men spend the Lords day in playing sporting toying or talking of this or that trifle of this or that person of this or that fashion of this or that vanity we may ask them whether they have no God no Christ no Heaven no Promisâ—s no Experiences no Evidences to talk of There are Matth. 12. 36. Alexander forgave many sharp swords but never any sharp tongues c. many idle talkers of every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account at the day of Judgement An idle word is a profuse or needless word used rashly or unadvisedly wanting a reason of just necessity bringing neither honor to God nor edification to others nor conducing to any profitable end And as there are many idle talkers so there are many over-talkers and they are such who spend a hundred words when ten will serve the turn And as there Eccles 5. 2 3. are many over-talkers so there are many that are only talkers that can do nothing but talk To fall under the power Prov. 14. 23. or scourge of these mens tongues is to fall under no easie persecution And as there are many that are only talkers so there are many that are unprofitable talkers The beginning of the words of their mouth is foolishness and the end of his Eccles 10. 13. talk is mischievous madness And as there are many unprofitable talkers so there are many unseasonable talkers that place one word where another should stand A wise man Eccles 8. 4. discerneth time and judgement And as there are many unseasonable talkers so there are many rash talkers who speak Chap. 5. 2. first and think afterwards God hath set a double bar about the tongue the teeth and
LONDON'S LAMENTATIONS OR A serious Discourse concerning that late fiery Dispensation that turned our once renowned City into a ruinous Heap Also the several Lessons that are incumbent upon those whose Houses have escaped the consuming Flames By THOMAS BROOKS late Preacher of the Word at S. Margarets New-Fish-street where that Fatal Fire first began that turned London into a ruinous Heap Una dies interest inter magnam Civitatem nullam There is but the distance of one day between a great City and none said Seneca when a great City was burnt to Ashes Come behold the Works of the Lord what Desolations he hath made in the Earth Psal 46. 8. LONDON Printed for John Hancock and Nathaniel Ponder and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alley in Cornhil at the Sign of the Three Bibles or at his Shop in Bishopsgate-street and at the Sign of the Peacock in Chancery lane 1670. TO THE Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM TVRNER Knight Lord Mayor of the City of London Right Honourable IT is not my design to blazon your Worth or write a Panegyrick of your Praises your brighter Name stands not in need of such a shadow as mens Applause to make it more renowned in the World native Worth is more respected than adventitious Glory your own works Prov. 31. 31. praise you in the gates It is London's Honour and Happiness Tranquility and Prosperity to have such a Magistrate that bears not the Sword of Justice in vain and that hath not Rom. 13. 4. brandished the Sword of Justice in the defence of the friends of Baal Balaam or Bacchus My Lord had your Sword of Justice been a Sword of Protection to desperate Swearers or to cruel Oppressors or to deceitful Dealers or to roaring Drunkards or to cursing Monsters or to Gospel-despisers or to Christ-contemners c. might not London have laid in her Ashes to this very day yea might not God have rained Hell out of Heaven upon those Parts of the City that were standing Monuments of Gods mercy as once he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah Wo to that sword Gen. 19. that is a devouring sword to the righteous to the meek to the upright and to the peaccable in the land O happy Sword Psal 35. 19 20. under which all sorts and ranks of men have worshipped God in peace and lived in peace and rested in peace and traded in peace and built their habitations in peace and have grown up in peace Sir every man hath sit under your Sword as under his own Vine and Fig-tree in peace Words are too weak to express how great a mercy this hath been to London yea I may say to England The Ancients set forth all their gods with Harps in their hands the Hieroglyphick of Peace The Grecians had the Statue of Peace with Pluto the God of Riches in her arms Some of the Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman with a horn of plenty in her hands viz. all blessings The Orator hit it when he said Dulce nomen pacis the very name of Peace is sweet No City so happy as that wherein the chief Magistrate has been as eyes to the blind legs to the lame ears to the deaf a father to the fatherless a husband Job 31. to the widow a Tower to the righteous and a Terrour to the wicked Certainly Rulers have no better friends than such as make The three things which God minds most loves best below Heaven are his Truth his Worship and his People conscience of their ways for none can be truly loyal but such as are truly religious witness Moses Joseph Daniel and the three Children Sincere Christians are as Lambs amongst Lyons as Sheep amongst Wolves as Lillies amongst Thorns they are exposed more to the rage wrath and malice of wicked men by reason of their holy Profâ—ssion their gracious Principles and Practices than any other men in all the world Now did not God raise up Magistrates and spirit Magistrates to owne them to stand by them and to defend them in all honest and just ways how soon would they be devoured and destroyed Certainly the Sword of the Magistrate is to be drawn forth for the natural good and civil good and moral good and spiritual good of all that live soberly and quietly under iâ— Stobaeus tells us of a Persian Law Stobaeus serm 42. p. 294. that after the death of their King every man had five days liberty to do what he pleased that by beholding the wickedness and disorder of those few days they might prize Government the better all their days after Certainly had some hot-headed and little-witted and fierce-spirited men had but two or three days liberty to have done what they pleased in this great City during your Lordships Mayoralty they would have made sad work in the midst of us When a righteous Government fails then 1. Order fails 2. Religion fails 3. Trade fails 4. Justice fails 5. Prosperity fails 6. Strength and Power fails 7. Fame and Honour fails 8. Wealth and Riches fails 9. Peace and Quiet fails 10. All humane Converse and Society fails To take a righteous Government out of the world is to take the Sun out of the Firmament and leave it no more a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a beautiful Structure but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confused Heap In such Towns Cities and Kingdoms where righteous Government fails there every mans hand will be quickly engaged Gen. 26. 12. against his brother O the sins the sorrows the desolations and destructions that will unavoidably break in like a Flood upon such a People Publick Pâ—rsons should have publick Spirits their gifts and There is a great truth in that old Maxim Magistratus virum indicat In my Epistle to my Treatise call'd A Cabinet of Choice Jewels the ingenious Reader may find six Arguments to encourage Magistrates to be men of publick Spirits goodness should diffuse themselves for the good of the whole It is a base and ignoble Spirit to pity Cataline more than to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more than to pity the whole it is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad it is wrong to the Sheep to animate the Wolves it is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but Sir from this ignoble Spirit God has delivered you The Ancients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their Fountains intimating that they were or at least should be Fountains of the publick Good Sir had not you been such a Fountain men would never have beâ—n so warm for your continuance My Lord the great God hath made you a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good a publick Blessing and this hath made your Name precious and your Government desirable and your Person honourable in the thoughts hearts and eyes of all people Many may I not say most of the
his fury like fire when like a flaming fire he devours all our pleasant things and lays all our glory in dust and ashes we may safely conclude that his anger is fierce and that his wrath is great against us and therefore what eminent cause have we to fear and tremble before him God is a great and dreadful God Dan. 9. 4. A mighty God and terrible Deut. 7. 21. A great and terrible God Nehem. 1. 5. He is so in himself and he has been so in his fiery Dispensations towards us that the world by such remarkable severities may be kept in awe of him Generally fear doth more in the We are worthy saith Chrysostom of Hell if for no other cause yet for fearing Hell and the evil of punishment more then Christ Chrys Hom. 5. in Epist ad Rom. world then love As there is little sincerity so there is but little ingenuity in the world and that is the reason why many very rarely think of God but when they are afraid of him Many times Judgments work where Mercies do not win That famous Thomas Waldo of Lions the Father of the Waldenses seeing among many met together to be merry one suddenly fall down dead in the street it struck so to his heart that he went home a penitent it wrought to a severe and pious reformation of his life and he lived and dyed a precious man Though Pharaoh was not a pin the better for all the heavy Judgments that God inflicted upon him yet Jethro taking notice of those dreadful Plagues and Judgments that fell upon Pharaoh and upon his people and likewise upon the Amalekites was thereby converted and became a Proselyte as Rabbi Solomon noteth upon that 19. of Prov. 25. The world is so untractable that frowns will do more with them then smiles That God may keep wicked men in awe and in subjection to him he sees it very needful to bring common and general and over-spreading Judgments upon them Rev. 15. 4. Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy Judgments are made manifest O Sirs when the Judgments of the Lord come to be made manifest then it highly concerns all ranks and sorts of men to fear the Lord and to glorifie his Name How manifest how visible has the raging Pestilence and the bloody Sword and the devouring Flames of London been in the midst of us and O that our fear and dread and awe of God were as manifest and as visible as his Judgments have been and still are for his hand to this very hour is stretched out against us Isa 9. 12. But Thirdly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the Sons of men and upon Cities and Countries to express and make known his Power Justice Anger Severity and Indignation against sinners and their sinful courses by which See Jer. 14. 15 16. Lam. 4. 11. Jer. 4. 15. to verse 19. he has been provoked Deut. 32. 19. And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters Vers 21. They have provoked me to anger with their vanities and I will provoke them to anger with a foolish Nation Vers 22. For a fire is kindled in my anger and shall burn unto the lowest Hell and shall consume the earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the mountains Vers 24. They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat or with burning coals and with bitter destruction There is a knowledge of God by his Works as well as by his Word and by his Judgments as well as by his mercies In his dreadful Judgments every one may run and read his Power his Justice his Anger his Severity and his Indignation against sin and sinners 'T is irrevocable sins that bring irrevocable Judgments upon sinners whilst men hold on in committing great iniquities God will hold on in inflicting answerable severities When God cannot prevail with men to desist from sinning men shall not prevail with God to desist from destroying of them their habitations and all their pleasant things Jer. 2. 15. The young Lions roared upon him and yelled and they made his Land waste his Cities are burnt without Inhabitant Vers 17. Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way When Nicephorus Phocas had built a mighty strong Wall about his Palace for his own security in the night time he heard a voice crying out unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O Emperour though thou buildest the wall as high as the clouds yet if sin be within it will overthrow all Sin like those Traitors in the Trojan Horse will do Cities Countries more hurt in one night then ten thousand open enemies could do in ten years Cities and Countries might flourish and continue as the days of Heaven and be as the Sun before the Almighty if his wrath be not provoked by their prophaneness and wickedness So that it is not any divine Aspect of the Heavens nor any malignant Conjunction of the Stars and Planets but the loose manners the ungracious lives and the enormous sins of men that lay Cities and Countries desolate Jer. 13. 22. And if thou say in thine heart wherefore come these things upon me wherefore hath the Lord sent plague sword famine and fire to devour and destroy and to lay all in ashes The Answer is For the greatness of thine iniquity God will in flames of fire discover his anger and indignation against sin and sinners The Heathen Herodotus Historian observes in the ruine of Troy that the sparkles and ashes of burnt Troy served for a lasting monument of Gods great anger and displeasure against great sinners The burning of Troy served to teach men that God punisheth great sinners with great plagues and certainly Londons being laid in ashes is a high evidence that God knows how to be angry with sinners and how to punish sin with the sorest of Judgments The Gods of the Gentiles were senseless stocks and stones not able to apprehend much less to revenge any injury done unto them Well therefore might the Philosopher be bold with Hercules to put him to his thirteenth labour in seething of his dinner and Martial with Priapus in threatning him to throw him into the fire if he looked not well to his Trees A child may play at the hole of a dead Asp and a filly woman may strike a dead Lyon but who dare play with a living Serpent who dare take a roaring Lyon by the beard O that Châ—istians then would take heed how they provoke the living God for he is a consuming fire and with a word of his mouth yea with the breath of his mouth he is able to throw down and to burn up the whole frame of Nature and to destroy all Creatures from
them lâ—b de superstitione Sun and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire And the men were scorched with great heat and blasphemed the Name of God which hath power over these plagues and they repâ—nted not to give him glory Vers 10. And the fifth Angel poured out his vial upon the scent of the Beast and his Kingdom was full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds The top of the Judgment that is and shall be upon the wicked is this that under the sorest and heaviest Judgments that shall come This will be the case of all the worshippers of the Beast one day Deut. 8. 2. 15 16. upon them they shall not repent nor give glory to God they shall blaspheme the Name of God and they shall blaspheme the God of Heaven and they shall be scorched with great heat and they shall gnaw their tongues for pain but they shall not repent of their deeds nor give glory to that hand that smites them The fierce and fiery Dispensations of God upon the followers and worshippers of the Beast shall draw out their sins but they shall never reform their lives nor better their souls God kept the Jews forty years in the Wilderness and exercised them with many sore and smart afflictions that he might prove them and make a more full discovery of themselves to themselves and did not the heavy tryals that they met with in their wilderness condition make a very great discovery of that pride that unbelief that hypocrisie that impatience that discontent that self-love that murmuring c. that was wrapt up close in all their souls O Sirs since God has turned our renowned City into ashes what discoveries has he made of that pride that unbelief that worldliness that earthliness that self-love that inordinate affection to relations and to the good things of the world that discontent that disquietness that faint-heartedness that has been closely wrapt up in the spirits of many thousands whose habitations are now laid in ashes We try metals by fire and by knocking and God has tryed many thousands this day by his fiery Dispensations and knocking Judgments that have been in the midst of us I believe there are many thousands who have been deep sufferers by the late dreadful Fire who never did think that there had been so much sin and so little grace so much of the Creature and so little of God so much earth and so little of Heaven in their hearts as they now find by woful experience and how many wretched sinners are there who have more blasphemed God and dishonoured Christ and provoked divine Justice and abused their best mercies and debased and be-beasted themselves since the late Fire then they have done in many years before But Sixthly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countries that others may be warned by his severities to break off their sins and to return to the most High Gods Judgments upon one City should be advertisements to all other Cities to look about them and to Heb. 12. 29. tremble before him who is a consuming fire The flaming Rod of correction that is laid upon one City should be a Rod of instruction to all other Cities Jer. 22. 6 7 8 9. I will make thee a wilderness and cities which are not inhabited and many nations shall pass by this city and they shall say every man to his neighbour Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this great City Then shall they answer Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God and worshipped other gods and served them God punisheth one City that all others Cities may take warning There is no Judgment of God be it Sword Pestilence Famine or Fire upon any People City Nation or Country but what is speaking and Mich. 6. 9. teaching to all others had they but eyes to see ears to hear and hearts to understand Thus Tyrus shall be devoured with fire saith the Prophet Ashkelon shall see it and fear Zach. 9. 4 5. Gaza and Ekron shall be very sorrowful When Ashkelon Gaza and Ekron shall see the destruction of Tyre by fire it shall make them afraid of the like Judgment they shall be a little more concerned then some were at the Siege of Rhodes and then others were at the Ruine and Desolation of Troy by fire London's sufferings should warn others to take heed of London's sins London's Conflagration should warn others to take heed of London's abominations it should warn others to stand and wonder at the patience Rom. 2. 4 5. long-suffering gentleness and goodness of God towards them who have deserved as hard things from the hand of God as London have felt in 1665. and 1666. It should warn others to search their hearts and try their ways and break off their sins and turn to the Lord lest his anger should break forth in flames of fire against them and none should be able to deliver them It should warn others to Lam. 3. 40. fear and tremble before that Power Justice Severity and Soveraignty that shine in Gods fiery Dispensations towards us Ezek. 30. 7 8 9. And they shall be desolate in the midst Exod. 15. 14 15 16. Isa 13. 6 7 8. â—f the countries that are desolate and her Cities meaning Egypt shall be in the midst of the Cities that are wasted And they shall know that I am the Lord when I have set a fire in Egypt In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to make the careless Aethiopians afraid and great pain shall câ—me upon them as in the day of Egypt for lo it cometh God by his secret Instinct and Providence would so order the matter as that the news of the Chaldeans inrode into Egypt laying all their Cities and Towns waste by fire and sword should be carried over into Aethiopia and hereupon the secure Aethiopians should fear and tremble and be in pain as a woman is that is in travel or as the Egyptians were when they were destroyed at the Red-sea or as they were when the Lord smote their first-born throughout the Land of Egypt Now shall the Aethiopians the poor blind Heathens fear and tremble and be in pain when they hear that Egypt is laid waste by fire and sword and shall not Christians all the world over fear and tremble and be in pain when they shall hear that London is laid waste that London is destroyed by fire What though Papists and Atheists have warmed themselves at the flames of London saying Aha so would we have it yet let all that have the Name of God upon them fear and tremble and take warning and learn righteousness by his righteous Judgments upon desolate London Isa 26. 8 9. London's murdering-piece should be Englands warning-piece to awaken them and to work them to
remember this inordinate love to the world will expose a man to seven great losses Viz. First To the loss of many precious opportunities of grace Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul and Martha Acts 24. Luke 10. John 7. busied about many things had no time to hear Christ preach though never man preacht as he preacht Men inordinately in love with the world have so much to do on earth that they have no time to look up to Heaven Secondly To the loss of all heavenly benefit and profiâ— by the Ministry of the World nothing will grow where Ezek. 33. 31 32 33. Math. 13. 22. gold grows where the love of the world prevails there the Ministry of the Word will not prevail If the love of the world be too hard for our hearts then the Ministry of the Word will work but little upon our hearts Thirdly To the loss of the face and favour of God God doth not love to smile upon those who are still smiling upon Psal 30. 6. Isa 57. 17. the world and still running after the world The face and favour of God are Pearls of price that God bestows upon none but such whose conversation is Heaven and who have Phil. 3. 20. the Moon viz. all things that are changeable as the Moon Rev. 12. 1 2. under their feet God never loves to lift up the light of his countenance upon a dunghil-spirited man God hides his face from none so much and so long as from those who are still longing after more and more of the world Fourthly To the loss of Religion and the true Worship and Service of God as you may see by comparing of the Scriptures in the Margine together Many Worldings deal 2 Tim. 4. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 10. Jer. 5. 7. Deut. 32. 15. Hos 4 7. Hos 13. 6. with Religion as Masons deal with their Ladders when they have work to do and to climb c. O then how they hug and embrace the Ladder and carry it on their arms and on their shoulders but then when they have done climbing they hang the Ladder on the Wall or throw it into a corner O Sirs there is no loss to the loss of Religion a man were better lose his name his estate his limbs his liberty his life his all then lose his Religion Fifthly To the loss of Communion with God and Acquaintance with God A man whose Soul is conversant Deut. 8. 10 11. Jer. 2. 31. Chap. 22. 21. Psal 144. 15. with God shall find more pleasure delight and content in a desart in a den in a dungeon and in death then in the Palace of a Prince Mans summum bonum stands in his Communion with God as Scripture and Experience evidences nay God and I are good company said famous Doctor Sibs Macedonius the Hermit retiring into the Wilderness that he might with more freedom enjoy God and have his Conversation in Heaven upon a time there came a young Gentleman into the Wilderness to hunt wild beasts and seeing he Hermit he rode to him asking him why he came into that solitary place he desired he might have leave to ask him the same question why he came thither I came hither to hunt said the young Gallant and so do I saith the Hermit Deum venor meum I hunt after my God they hunt best who hunt most after Communion with God Vrbanus Regius having one days converse with Luther said it was Adam in vit Regii p. 78. one of the sweetest days that ever he had in all his life but what was one days yea one years converse with Luther to one hours converse with God Now an inordinate love of the world will eat out all a mans Communion with God A man cannot look up to Heaven and look down upon the Earth at the same time But Sixthly To the loss of his precious and immortal Soul Shemei by seeking his servant lost his life and many by Math. 16. 26. 1 Tim. 6. 9. an eager seeking after this world lose their precious and immortal Souls Many have so much to do â—n Earth that they have no time to look up to Heaven to honour their God to secure their Interest in Christ or to make sure work for their Souls But Seventhly To the loss of the world for by their inordinate love of the world they highly provoke God to stâ—ip them of the world Ah how rich might many a man have been had he minded Heaven more and the world less When men set their hearts so greedily upon the world 't is just with God to blast and curse and burn up all their worldly comforts round about them Fourthly Many in London were fallen under spiritual decays witherings and languishings in their graces in their comforts in their communions and in their spiritual strength They are fallen from their first love The flame of divine Rev. 2. 4. The Nutmeg tree makes barren all the ground about it so doth the spice of worldly love make the heart barren of grace Vâ—sin observes that the sins and barrenness under the Gospel in the Protestants in King Edwards days brought in the Persecution in Queen Maries days love being blown out God sends a flaming fire in the midst of them Many Londoners were fallen into a spiritual Consumption and to recover them out of it God sent a fire amongst them Many in London were withered in their very Profession where was that visible forwardness that zeal that diligence in waiting upon the Lord in his Ordinances that once was to be found amongst the Citizens of London And many Citizens were withered in their Conversations and Converse one with another There was not that graciousness that holiness that spiritualness that heavenliness that fruitfulness that examplariness that seriousness and that profitableness sparkling and shining in their Conversations and Converse one with another as once was to be found amongst them And many were withered in their affections Ah what a flame of love what a flame of joy what a flame of desires what a flame of delight what a flame of zeal as to the best things was once to be found amongst the Citizens of London but how were those mighty flames of affection reduced to a few coals and cinders and therefore no wonder if God sent a flaming fire in the midst of them and many were withered in their very Duties and Services how slight how formal how cold how careless how remiss how neglective were many in their Families in their Closets and in their Church-communions who heretofore were mighty in praying and wrestling with God and mighty in lamenting and mourning over sin and mighty in their groanings and longings after the Lord and who of old would have taken the Kingdom of Heaven by violence Math. 11. 12. There were many in that great City that had lost their spiritual taste they could not taste that sweetness in Promises 2 Sam. 19. 35 in
green and dry trees and that all these things were dark and of obscure to them they put off all the Prophet spoke as Allegorical as Mystical and as Aenigmatical and as dark visions and as dreams and imaginations and divinations of his own brain and therefore they needed not much mind what he said Now mark these Athâ—ists what do they do they provoke the Lord to kindle a fire a universal fire an unquenchable fire an inextinguishable fire in the midst of Jerusalem which is here termed a Forest by reason of its barrenness and unfruitfulness and the multitudes that were in it and because it was fit for nothing but the Ax and the fire Atheiâ—m is a sin that has brought the greatest woes miseries destructions and desolations imaginable upon the most flourishing Kingdoms and most glorious Cities in the World Holy Mr. Greenham was wont to say that he feared rather Atheism then Popery would be Englands ruine O Sirs were there none within the Walls of London that said in their hearts with Dâ—vids Atheistical Psal 14. 1. fool There is no God Caligula the Emperor was such a one and Claudius thought himself a God till the loud Thunder affrighted him and then he hid himself and cryed Claudius nâ—n est Dâ—us Claudius is not a â—od Leo the X. Hilderbrand the Magician and Alexander the vI and Juâ—w the II. were all most wretched Atheists and thought tâ—aâ— whatever was said of Christ of Heaven of Hell of the day of Judgment and of the â—mmortality of the Soul were but dreams impostures toys and old wives fables Pope Paul the III. at the time of his death said he should now be resolved of three Qâ—estions that he had doubted of all his life 1. Whether the Soul was immortal or no 2. Whether there were a Hell or no 3. Whether there were a God or no And another grand Atheist said I know what I have here but I know not what I shall have hereafter Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was turned in ashes The Atheist in Psal 10. 11. say He will never see and in Psal 94. 7. they rise higher they say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it They labour to lay a Law of restraint upon God and to cast a mist before the Eye of his Providence And in Isa 29. 15. they say Who seeth us who knoweth us And in Ezek. 9. 9. they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not These Atheists shut up God in Heaven as a blind and ignorant God not knowing or not regarding what iâ— done on the Earth they imagine him to be a forgetful God or a God that seeth not Psal 73. 11. they say How doth God know and is there knowledge in the most High Thus they deny Gods Omnisciency and Gods Omnipresency which to do is to ungod the great God as much as in them lyes Now were there no such Atheists within the Walls of London before it was destroyed by fire O how did practicaâ— Atheism abound in London How many within thy Walls O London did profess they knew God but in their works did deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto Titus 1. 16. every good work reprobate O Sirs some there are that live loosely under the Gospel that run into all excâ—ss of riot and that in the face of all promises and threatnings mercies and Judgments yea in the very face of life and death of Heaven and Hell and others there are that sin freely in secret that can be drunk and filthy in the dark when the eye of man is not upon them Certainly those mens hearts are very Atheistical that dare do that in the sight of God which they tremble to do before the eyes of men How many are there that put the evil day far from them that flatter themselves in their sins that with Agage conclude surely the bitterness of death is past and that Hell and wrath is past and that they are in a fair way for Heaven when every step they take is towards the bottomless pit And divine vengeance hangs over their heads ready every moment to fall upon them Are there not many that seldom pray and when they do how cold how careless how dull how dead how heartless how irreverent are they in all their addresses to the great God Are there not many such Atheists that use no prayer nor Bible but make Lucian their Old Testament and Machiavel their New Are there not many that grant there is a God but then 't is such a God as is made up all of mercy and thereupon they think and speak and do as wickedly as they please And are there not some that look upon God as a sin-revenging God and thereupon wish that there were no God or else that they were above him as Spira did And are there not others that have very odd and foolish conceptions of God as if he were an old man sitting in Heaven with royal Robes upon his back a glorious Crown upon his head and a Kingly Scepter in his hand and as if he had all the parts and proportion of a man as the Papists are pleased to picture him Some there are that are so drowned in sensual pleasures that they scarce remember that they have a God to honour a Hell to escape a Heaven to secure Souls to save and an Account to give up And others there are who when they find conscience begin to accuse and terrifie them then with Cain they Gen. 4. 1 Sam. 18. 6. 10. Job 31. 24. Phil. 3. 19. go to their buildingâ— or with Saul to their musick or with the Drunkards to their cups or with the Gamesters to their sports Some there are that make their gold their God as the Covetous others make their bellies their God as the Drunkard and the Glutton Some make Honours their Amos 6. Math. 23. God as the Ambitious and others make pleasures their God as the Voluptuous Some make religious Duties their God as the carnal Gospellers and others make their moral vertues their God as the civil honest man Now what abundance of such Atheists were there within and without the Walls of London before the fiery Judgment past upon it The Scripture attributes the ruine of the old world to Gen. 6. Atheism and Prophaneness and why may not I attribute the ruine and desolation of London to the same Practical Atheists are enough to overthrow the most flourishing Nations and the most flourishing Cities that are in all the World But to prevent all mistakes in a business of so great a concernment give me leave to say That if we speak of Atheists in a strict and proper sense as meaning such as have simply and constantly denied all Deity then I must say that there was never any such creature in the world as simply and constantly to deny that there is a God It is an
that cryed out if you take away our liquor you take away our lives Austin brings in the Drunkard saying Malle se vitam quà m vinum eripi He had rather lose his life then his wine And Ambrose speaks of one Theotimus who being told by his Physitians that much quaffing would make him blind answered then Vale lumen amicum farewel sweet light farewel sweet eyes if ye will not bear wine ye are no eyes for me Were there none within nor without thy Walls O London that did abuse the good Creatures of God so profusely so prodigaâ—ly so prodigiously as if they had been sent into the world for no other end but thus to abuse themselves reproach their Maker and destroy those choice blessings which God had given for more noble ends then to be spewed against the walls for these last six years a drunken health like the conclusion in a Syllogism must not upon any terms be denied especially in the company of such Grandees whose age whose place whose office should have taught them better things yea the custom of high drinking hath been these last six years so great within and without thy Walls O London that 't is no wonder if the Lord for that alone has laid thy glory in the dust yea and that shameful Hab. 2. 16. spewing is upon all thy glory considering what shameful spewing have been in thy Streets Taverns Haâ—ls Ale-houses and other great Mens houses where Temperance Righteousness Justice and Holiness should have dwelt in glory and triumph Ah London how many within and without thy Walls have been drinking wine in bowls when they should have been mourning over their sins and grieving for the afflictions of Joseph and sighing over those distressed Christians whose drink was nothing but sorrow and blood and tears These are the men that have kindled a burning upon all thy glory O Sirs that you would for ever remember that Intemperance Luxury is a sin an enemy that First Robs God of his glory it denies him all service and obedience Intemperate persons are neither fit for praying to God nor praising of God nor receiving from God Intemperance turns the Temple of the holy Ghost into a Sepulchre a Kitchin a Hog stye and what glory then can God have from an intemperate person But 1 Cor. 6. 19. Secondly It robs both God and man of much precious time time is a precious Jewel more worth then all the world One called his friends Thieves because they stole When Ignatius heard a clock strike he would say I have one hour more to answer for so precious a Jewel was time in his eye time from him and certainly there are no worse thieves then Intemperance for that robs men of their hearing-times and their praying-times and their reading-times There is so much precious time spent in the Tavern and in the Tipling-house that the intemperate person cannot be at leisure to spend any time in his Family or in his Closet c to save his own or others Souls but there will come a time either in this or the other world wherein all intemperate persons will wish that they had spent that precious time in serving of God and in saving their own and others Souls which they have spent in Luxury and excess carousing and drinking but all too late all too late Time is not only the fruit of Gods indulgence but also the fruit of Christs purchase That Doom passed upon Adam In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death or dying thou shalt dye had been put in execution immediately had not Christ interposed immediately between mans sin and Gods wrath What can there be of more weight and moment then Eternity It is the Heaven of Heaven and the very Hell of Hell without which neither would Heaven be so desirable nor Hell so formidable Now this depends upon time Time is the Prologue to Eternity the great weight of Eternity 2 Cor. 6. 2. Isa 49. 8. hangs upon the small wire of time our time whether it be longer or shorter is given us by God to provide for our everlasting condition we have Souls to save a Hell to escape a Heaven to make sure our pardon to sue out our interest in Christ to make good and all this must be quickly done or we undone and that for ever Mans eternal weal or wo depends upon his well or ill improvement of that inch of time that is allotted to him Now what a dreadful account will such give up at last who have wasted away their precious time in Luxury and Excess But Thirdly Luxury Intemperance it robs men of their names Bonosus a beastly drunken Emperor was called a Tankard and Tiberius was sirnamed Biberius for his tipling and Erasmus called Eccius Jeccius for the same cause and Diotimus of Athens was called a Tun-dish and young Cicero a Hogs-head But Fourthly Luxury Intemperance it robs men of their health for how many are there that by drinking other mens healths have destroyed their own Many more perish by Intemperance then by violence Intemperance is the source and nurse of all diseases more perish by surfeiting then by suffering every intemperate person digs his own grave with his own mouth and teeth and is certainly a self-tormenter a self-destroyer a self-murtherer I have read Radulph Fornerius select lib. 3. of a Monk at Prague who having heard at shrift the Confessions of many Drunkards wondred at it and for an experiment he would needs try his brain with this sin so accordingly he stole himself drunk Now after the vexation of three days sickness to all that confessed that sin he enjoyned no other penance but this Go and be drunk again intimating thereby that there was no punishment no torment that could be inflicted upon a Drunkard so great as that Go and be drunk again Besides all other plagues that attend this sin drunkenness is a wo to it self Temperance is the best and noblest Physick and they that use it commonly are most long-liv'd But Fifthly Intemperance robs men of their Estates it robs the Wife many times of her Dowry and the Children of their Portion and the Husband of his Inheritance his Trade his all The very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luxury properly signifies the not preventing or keeping of the good which at the present we enjoy Solomon hit the mark when he said The Prov. 23. 21. drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty The full cup makes an empty purse and a fat dish makes a lean bag he that draws thee wine out of the Pipe puts thy money into his own pocket and this Diogenes the Philosopher well understood when he askt of the frugal Citizen but a penny but begged of the Prodigal a Talent and being askt the reason of his practice he answered Because of the one he thought he might beg often but of the other who spent so fast he was like to receive but once Mr. Livins when he had
a great miracle and that he should prevail against all that Power was a greater and that after all he should dye in his bed was the greatest of all There are many thousand Instances more of the like nature but enough is as good as a Feast Eighthly The spiritual Judgments that God hath given such up to who have shed the blood of the Just speaks out their blood to be precious blood Oh the dreadful horrors and amazing terrors of conscience that such have been given up to Take a few Instances among the many that might be given The Vaivod that had betrayed Zegeden a godly man professed to Zegedine that he was so haunted with Apparitions Cicero and the Furies of his own Conscience that he could not rest day nor night Dionysius a cruel Tyrant a bitter Enemy Conscience is Gods Preacher in the bosom Conscience is mille testes a thousand witnesses for or against a man Conscience hath a good memory to all good men and good things was so troubled with fear and horror of conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a Rasor he used to sindge his beard with burning coals A sleepy conscience when awakned is like a sleepy Lyon when he awakes he roars and tears his prey It is like Prometheus Vultur it lyes ever gnawing Sin brings a stain and a sting Horror of conscience meets a man in the dark and makes him leap in the night and makes him quake in his sleep and makes him start in every corner and makes him think every bush is a man every man a Devil and every Devil a Messenger to fetch him quick to Hell By this Theodorick saw the face of a man in the mouth of a fish Nâ—ssus heard the noise of murther in the voice of birds Saundes ran distracted over the Irish Mountains This made Cain wander Saul stab himself Judas hang himself Arius empty his bowels at the stool Latomus cry desperately he was damned he was damned and Julian confess that he was conquered It makes man the Lord of all to be Slave to all Lord what is man Certainly 't is better with Evagrius to lye secure on a bed of straw then to have a turbulent conscience on a bed of Doune having Curtains embossed with Gold and Pearl But Ninthly and lastly The shedding of the blood of the Just is a sin of so high a cry and so deep a dye that for it God is resolved except men repent that he will shut them out Gal. 5. 21. Rev. 21. 8. Rev. 22. 15. 1 Joh. 3. 15. Math. 22. 7. of the highest Heaven and cast them down to the lowest Hell as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together and therefore certainly the blood of the Just is most precious blood Now seeing that the blood of the Just is such precious blood who will wonder if God sets such Cities and Towns and Countries into a flame about their ears upon whose skirts the blood of the Just is to be found Josephus speaking of the desolation of Jerusalem saith Because they have sinned against the Lord God of their Fathers in shedding the blood of just men and innocents that were within thee even in the Temple of the Lord therefore are our sorrowful sighings multiplied and our weepinâ—s daily increased 'T was the blood of the just the blood of the innocents that turned Jerusalem into ashes I have read of one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long Captivity and extream misery and after that he had proved that it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver and the poor for a pair of shoes The selling of Joseph he makes the first sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing of Gods Prophets the third sin and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin For the first they served four hundred years in Egypt for the second they wandred forty years in the Wilderness for the third they were Captives seventy years in Babylon and for the fourth they are held in pitiful Captivity even till this day When Phocas that bloody Cut-throat sought to secure himself by building high Walls he heard a voice from Heaven telling him That though he built his Bulwarks never so high yet sin within blood within would soon undermine all Shedding the blood of the Just is a sin that hath undermined the strongest Bulwarks and that hath blown up and burnt up the most glorious Cities that have been in the World And who can tell but that the blood of the Just that was shed in the Marian days might now come up into Speeds Chronicle in Queen Mary remembrance before the Lord For in four years of her Reign there were consumed in the heat of those flames two hundred seventy seven persons viz. Five Bishops one and twenty Ministers eight Gentlemen eighty four Artificers one hundred Husbandmen Servants and Labourers six and twenty Wives twenty Widows nine Virgins two Boys and two Infants I say who can tell but that the blood of these precious Servants of the Lord hath cryed aloud in the ears of the Lord for vengeance against that once glorious but now desolate City Men of brutish spirits and that are skilful to destroy make no more of shedding the blood of the Just then they do of shedding the blood of a Swine but yet this hideous sin makes so great a noise in the ears of the Lord of Hosts that many times he tells the World by his fiery Dispensations that it cannot be purged away but by fire And thus much for the sins that bring the fiery Judgment our way now to the Application is plain THE FIRST PART OF THE Application 1. To see the Hand of the Lord in it Ten Considerations to work to this 2. To mourn under the sense of so great a Judgement WE come now to the Use and Application of this important Point The Explication of a Doctrine is but the drawing of the Bow the Application is the hitting of the Mark the white c. Is it so that God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great calamities and dreadful Judgements that are inflicted upon Cities and Countreys and in particular of that of Fire then First Let us see the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful Vse Fire that hath been upon us for certainly God is the Author permissively at least he is the great Agent in all those terrible Judgements that befall Persons Cities and Kingdoms Ruth 1. 13. 21. Psalm 39. 9. 1 Sam. 3. 18. Whosoever or whatsoever be the Rod it s his hand that gives the
the seventy thousand that died of the Plague though Davids sin were the occasion yet the meritorious cause was in them Certainly there is no man that hath been a sufferer by this late dreadful Fire but upon an easie search into his own heart and life he may find matter enough to silence himself and to satisfie himself that though God has turn'd him out of his habitation and burnt up all his comforts round about him yet he has done him no wrong Surely in the burning of the City of London there was more of the extraordinary hand of God than there was of the hand of Papist or Atheist God if he had pleased could have prevented brutish and skilful men to destroy Ezek. 21. 31. and burn by discovering of their hellish plots before they had taken effect as he did Ahitophels 2 Sam. 17. 10. to the 24. and as he did Tobiahs and Sanballats Neh. 4. 7. to v. 16. And as he did the Jews who took counsel to kill Paul Acts 9. 23 24 25. Acts 23. 12. to 25. And as he did that of the Gun-Powder-Treason And God could have directed and spirited men to the use of the means and then have given such a blessing to the means as should have been effectual to the quenching of it when it was first kindled but he would not which is a clear evidence that he had given from Heaven a commission to the Fire to burn with that force and violence as it did till all was laid in ashes Now that you may the better see and acknowledge the hand of the Lord in the late dreadful Fire that has been amongst us Consider seriously with me these ten following particulars First Consider the intemperate heat the drought of the season such a hot and dry Summer as that was has not been known for many years How by this means every mans habitation Nah. 1. 10. Joâ—l 2. 5. By this parching season every mans house was prepared for fuel was as stubble fully dry prepared and fitted for the burning flames Before God would strike fire he made our houses like tinder When fuell is wet and green what puffing and blowing must there be to kindle a fire and to make it burn but when fuell is light and dry it is so conceptive of fire that even the very smell of fire puts it into a flame And this was poor London's case for every mans house had lain long a Sunning under the scorching beams of the Sun and much brightness of weather which made every thing so dry and combustible that sparks and flakes of fire were sufficient to set mens houses all in a flame about their ears Now this finger of God we are neither to overlook nor yet deny 't is our wisdom as well as our work Exod. 8. 19. to see not only the finger but the hand of the Lord in every circumstance that relates to that fore Judgement of fire that we are still sighing under 'T is God that withholds seasonable showers and that causeth it to rain upon one City Amos 4. 7. and not upon another The Earth cannot open her bowels and yield seed to the Sower and bread to the Eater if not 1 King 17. 1 2. Job 38. 31. Doubtless there was much wrath in his that the Water-house which served much of the City with water should be burnt down in a few hours after the fire first began To want a proper â—emedy when we are under a growing misery is no small calamity 'T is sad with the people that have nothing to quench the furious flames but their own tears and blood To be stript of water when God strikes a people with that tremendous Judgement of Fire is wrath to the utmost watered from above nor the Heaven cannot drop down fatness upon the Earth if God close it up and withhold the seasonable showers This the very Heathens acknowledged in their fictions of Jupiter and Juno God only can make the Heavens as Brass and the Earth as Iron and restraiâ—â—â—he Celestial influences Can man bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bonds of Orion Can any but God forbid the Clouds to drop fatness Surely no. Beloved drought and scantness of water upon a Land a City c. is a Judgement of God 'T is no small misery to have the streams dried up when the fire is at our doors Jer. 50. 38. A drought is upon her waters and they shall be dried up for it is the Land of Graven Images and they are mad upon their Idols Jer. 51. 35 36. The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon shall the inhabitant of Zion say and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea shall Jerusalem say Therefore thus saith the Lord Behold I will plead thy cause and take vengeance for thee and I will dry up her Sea and make her Springs dry Now mark what follows ver 37. And Babylon shall become heaps a dwelling place for Dragons an astonishment and an hissing without an inhabitant When God comes to plead the cause of Zion against Babylon not by words but by deeds by blowes by terrible Judgements When he comes to burn up the inhabitants of Babylon and to turn them out of house and home he first dryes up her Sea and makes her Springs dry Haggai 1 11. And I called for a drought upon the Land and upon the Mountains and upon the Corn and upon the new Wine and upon the Oyl and upon that which the ground bringeth forth and upon Men and upon Cattel and upon all the labour of the hands 'T is God that brings droughts and rain and that opens and stops the Clouds the bottles of Heaven at his pleasure Jer. 14. 2 3 4. Judah mourneth and the gates thereof languish they are black unto the ground and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up And their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters they came to the pits and found no water they returned with their vessels empty they were ashamed and confounded they covered their heads They muffled up their heads and faces as a token of great grief and sorrow as close mourners do with us Because the ground is chapt for there was no rain in the earth the Plowmen were ashamed they covered their heads There are many calamities that are brought upon us by humane means that are also avoidable by humane helps but drought and want of water â—specially when a devouring fire is kindled in the midst of a people is no small judgement of Heaven upon that people to want water when the house is all in flames is a high evidence of Divine displeasure We had no rain a long time before the fire and the Springs were low and the Water-works at the Bridge-foot which carried water into that part of the City that was first in flames were burnt dowâ— the first day of the fire And was there not wrath from Heaven in this Surely yes Look as 't
is a choice mercy to have God at hand and the creatures at hand when wâ— most need them So 't is a fore Judgement to have God at a distance and the creatures remote when they should be oâ— most service and use unto us Certainly Gods arming of thâ— Element of fire against us and his denying at the same time water unto us cannot but be a signal of his great indignation against us And therefore it highly concerns us to see thâ— hand of the Lord in that late lamentable fire that has been amongst us But Secondly Consider the suddenness and unexpectedness of this Judgement Who among all the burnt Citizens did ever expect to see London laid in ashes in four dayes time Gods Judgements many times seize upon mens persons houses and estates as the Souldiers did Archimedes whilst he was busie in drawing lines in the dust Isa 64. 3. When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for When the Citizens saw London in flames they might truly have said This is a terrible thing which we looked not for we were minding our business our Shops our trades our profits our pleasures our delights we were studying and plotting and contriveing how to make our selves and our children great and rich and high and honourable in the earth and it never entered into our thoughts that the destruction of London by fire was so near at hand as now we have found it to be Isa 47. 7 8 9 11. Thou saidst I shall be a Lady for ever so that thou Babylon bore it self bold upon the seventy years provision laid up before hand to stand out a Siege and upon its strength and riches but for all this 't was taken by Cyrus didst not lay these things to thy heart what things we the Judgements of God that were threatned neither didst remember the latter end of it Therefore hear now this thou that art given to pleasures that dwellest carelesly that sayest in thine heart I am and none else besides me I shall not sit as a widow neither shall I know the loss of children But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day the loss of Children and Widowhood they shall come upon thee in their perfection Evil shall come upon thee and thou shal s not know from whence it riseth and mischief shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know Was not London the Lady City of our Land Did the inhabitants of London lay those Judgements of God to heart that they either felt or feared Did London remember her latter end Were not most of the inhabitants of London given to sinful pleasures and delights Did they not live carelesly and securely Were they ever so secure and inapprehensive of their danger than at this very time when the flames broke forth in the midst of them They had newly escaped the most sweeping Plague that ever was in the City and Suburbs but instead of finding out the plague of their hearts and mourning over the Plague of their 1 King 8. 37 38. Isa 9. 13 14 15. Jer. 8. 6. hearts and repenting of the evil of their doings and teturning to the Most High they returned to their fins and their Trades together from both which for a time the Plague had frighted them concluding in themselves that surely the bitterness of death was past They thought that the worst was past and that after so dreadful a storm they 1 Sam. 15. 32. should have a blessed calm and dreamed of nothing but peace and quiet and safety and Trade striving with all their might to make up those losses that they had sustained by the Pestilence They having escaped the Grave when so many score thousands were carried to their long homes were very secure they never thought that the City which had been so lately infected by a contagious Plague was so near In the Moneth of Septemb. the Plague was at the highest and in the same Moneth the flames of London were at highest Doubtless there is some mysterie in this sad Providence London was Judgement-proof Plague-proof in Septemb. 65. and therefore God set London in flames in September 66. being buried in its own ruines they never imagined that the whole City should be put in flames to purge that Air that their sins had infected And therefore no wonder if desolation came upon them suddenly in a moment in one day No marvail that so great a Fire was kindled in the very heart of the City and they not see the hand that kindled it nor have no hands nor hearts to quench it Judgements are never so near as when men are most secure 1 Thess 5. 3. The old world was very secure until the very day that Noah entered into the Ark. Luke 17. 27. They did eat they drank they married wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the Ark and the flood came and destroyed them all Luther observeth that it was in the Spring that the flood came when every thing was in its prime and pride and noing less looked for than a flood They neither believed nor regarded Noahs preaching nor his preparations for his own and his childrens security but merrily passed without intermission from eating to drinking and from drinking to marriage till the very day that the flood came and swept them all away Their destruction was foretold them to a day but they were drown'd in security and would take no notice of Noahs predictions nor their own peril They had made their guts their God they had buried their wits in their guts and their brains in their bellies and so were neither awakened nor bettered by any thing that either Nâ—ah said or did and so they perished suddenly and unexpectedly So Sodâ—m was very secure till the very day that fire and brimstone was rained from Heaven about their ears ver 28 29. Likewise also as it was in the dayes of Lot They did eat they drank Gen. 19. 23. 24. they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all Lot was no sooner taken out of Sodom but Sodom was as soon taken out of the world their fair sunshine morning had a foul dismal evening they had a hansel of Hell on this side Hell they past through fire and brimstone here to an eternal fire in Hell as Jude speaks So Jude 7. the Jews were deadly secure before the first and latter destruction both of their City and Countrey by sword and fire Compare these together Amos 6. 3. Lam. 4. 11 12. Ezek. 12. 22 27 28. Hab. 1. 7. Luke 2. 19 41 42 43 44. All the world could not perswade them that their Temple and City should be laid in Ashes till the Chaldeans at one time and the Romans at another
to the ground to see this City sit like a desolate Widow in the dust Such a sight made Jeremiah to lament Lament 1. 1. How doth the City sit solitary speaking of Jerusalems ruine that was full of people How is she become as a widow She that was great among the Nations and Princes among the Provinces How is she become tributary Let prophane ignorant superstitious and Popish desamers of London say Jer. 9. 1 2 3. Ezek. 9. 4. 6. what they please yet doubtless God had more of his mourning ones and of his marked ones in that City than he had in a great part of the Nation beside There was a time when London was a faithful City a City of righteousness a City of Renown a City of Praise a City of Joy yea the Paradise of the world in respect of the power and purity of Gospel-Ordinances and that glorious light shined in the midst of her Who can remember those dayes of old and not mourn to see such a City buried in its own Ruines Under the whole Heavens there were not so many thousands to be found that truly feared the Lord in so narrow a compass of ground as was to be found in London and yet lâ— London is laid in the dust and the Nations round gaze and wonder at her desolation Who can but hang down hiâ— head and weep in secret for these things But Fourthly who did look upon London as the Bullwark a the Strong-hold of the Nation that can't mourn to seâ— their â—ullwark their Strong hold turned into a ruinous heap Psal 48. 12 13. Walk about Sion and tell the Towers thereof mark ye well her Bullwarks confider her Palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following Sion had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but at last the Chaldeans at one â—er 52. 12 13. Luke 19. 41 45. time and the Romans at another laid them all waste So London had her Bullwarks her Towers her Palaces but they are now laid desolate and many fear and others say by male-content Villains and mischievous Forreigners of a Romish faith London was once terrible as an Army with Cant. 6. 10. Banners How terrible were the Israelites encâ—mped and bannered in the Wilderness unto the Moabites Canaanites c. Exod. 15 14 15 16. So was London more than once terrible to all those Moabites Canaanites that have had thoughts to swallow her up and to divide the prey among themselves How terrible were the Hussites in Bohemia to the Germans when all Germaâ—y were up in arms against them and worsted by them London hath been as terrible to those that have been cozen-Germans to the Germans London was once a Battel-ax and Battel-bow in the hand of the Almighty which he has wielded Jer. 51. 20 Zech. 9. 10. Chap. 10. 4. Ezek. 21. 31. against her proudest strongest and subtillest enemies Was not London the Head City the Royal Chamber the glory of England the Magazine of Trade and Wealth the City that had the Strength and Treasure of the Nation in it Were there not many thousands in London that were men of fair estates of exemplary piety of tried valour of great prudence and of unspotted Reputation and therefore why should it seem impossible that the fire in London should be The French were then drawn down to the Sea side and great were the fears of many upon that account Remember the Gun-Powder Plot. the effect of desperate designs and complotments from abroad seconded and incouraged by male-contents at home London was the great Bullwark of the Reformed Religion against all the Batteries of Popery Atheism and Prophaneness and therefore why should any English man wonder if these uncircumcised ones should have their heads and their hands and their hearts engaged in the burning of London Such whose very Principles leads them by the hand to blow up Kings Princes Parliaments and Reformed Religion to make way for their own Religion or for the good old Religion as some are pleased to call it such will never scruple to turn such Cities such Bulwarks into a ruinous heap that either stands in their way or that might probably hinder their game In all the Ages of the world wicked Dan. 11. 24 39 men have designed the ruine and laying waste of Christians Bulwarks and Strong-holds in order to the rooting out of the very name of Christians as all know that have read any thing of Scripture or History and therefore why should any men think it strange if that Spirit should still be at work Was ever England in such eminent danger of being made a prey to forreign power or of being rid by men of a forraign Religion and whose Principles in Civil Policy are very dangerous both to Prince and People as it hath been since the firing of London or since that Bullwark has been Gen. 31. 24 29. Chap. 33. 1 4. 2 Kings 19. 27 28 32. turned into a ruinous heap Had not the great God who laid a Law of Restraint upon churlish Laban and upon bloody Esau and his four hundred bloody cut-throats and upon proud blasphemous Senacherib laid also a Law of restraint upon ill-minded men what mischief might they not then have done when many were amazed and astonished and many did hang down their heads and fold their hands crying alas alas London is fallen and when many had sorrow in their hearts paleness upon their cheeks and trembling in all their joints yea when the flames of London were as Dan. 5. 5 6. terrible to most as the hand-writing upon the wall was to Belshazzar How mightily the burning of London would have retarded the supplies of men money and necessaries which would have been needful to have made opposition against an invading enemy had we been put to it I shall not here stand to dispute Whilst London was standing it could raise an Army and pay it when it had done London was the Sword and sinews of War but when London was laid in ashes the Citizens were like Sampson when his hair was cut Judg. 16. 18 19 20. Gen 34 25. off and like the Sechemites when they were sore Beloved the People of God have formerly made the firing of their strong holds matter of bitter Lamentation as you may see in 2 Kings 8. 11 12. And he setled his countenance stedfastly until he was ashamed till Hazael blushed to see the Prophet look so earnestly upon him and the man of God wept and Hazael said why weepeth my Lord and he answered because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire well and what will he do when their strong holds are in flames or turned into a ruinous heap why this you may see in the following words and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dasâ— their children and rip up their women with child Other Kings of Syria had born an immortal
magnificence of the buildings he might be the more careful to preserve them from destruction Others think that the Disciples shewed him these strong and stately buildings to insinuate secretly thereby how difficult yea impossible it was for them to be destroyed especially considering the strength of the City also And hence our Saviour seems to answer See ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down c. But when was this prediction fulfilled That not one stone should Quest be left upon another which should not be thrown dâ—wn c. This was fulfilled forty years after Christs Ascension by Answ Vespasian the Emperor and his Son Titus as Eusebius and Josephus do declare Yea this Prophecy was not only accomplished in the destruction of the old Temple but then also when in Juâ—iâ—n the Apostates time the Jews to spite the Christians were by him encouraged to build the Temple at his charge and they attempting it accordingly were hindered from Heaven by a mighty Earthquake which cast down that in the night which was built in the day and besides a fire from Heaven that consumed the work and work-mens instruments which Cyrillus Bishop of Jerusalem Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 17. then seeing applied unto that event this predict on of our Saviour There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Ah London London this might have been thy doom that there should not have been one house standing neither within nor without thy walls yea this might have been thy doom that there should not have been one stone left upon another that should not have been thrown down In that 't is otherwise with thee thou hast cause O London to cry Grace Grace to him that sits upon the Throne and is blessed for ever c. Carthage was a Noble City Mistris of Africa and Paragon to Rome She made her part good against Rome for many years but at length by means of her own inward civil jarrs she was utterly destroyed by them For the inhabitants Oros Eâ—trop being not able to stand any longer in their own defence were constrained to yield themselves to the mercy of their enemies the Women to the number of five and twenty thousand marching first forth and after them the men in number thirty thousand following all which poor Captives were sold for bond-slaves a few only of the principal excepted and then fire was put to the City which burnt seventeen dayes without ceasing even till it was clean consumed This might have been thy doom O London but God in the midst of Judgement hath remembred mercy Athens was once the most famous flourishing City of Greece for her fair buildings large Precincts and multitude of inhabitants but especially for her Philosophy by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her as the fountain and well-spring of Arts and the School and University of the whole world Whose Policy and manner of Government was so much esteemed by the Romans that they drew from thence their Laws but now she lies dead and buried in the ashes of forgetfulness not carrying any of her former proportion or appearance If this had been thy doom O London we must all have set to our seales that the Lord had been Righteous but blessed be the Lord London is not and I hope never shall let Rome and Hell do their worst be buried in the ashes of forgetfulness c. But The second Support to bear up the hearts and to cheer up the Spirits of all that has smarted by the late fiery dispensation is this viz. that God has given them their lives for a prey O Sirs what a mercy is it that though the fire has reacht your houses your shops your goods your commodities your warehouses your treasure that yet it has not reacht your lives nor the lives of your relations or friends though your habitations are consumed and your The Philosopher saith that a Flye is more excellent than the Heavens because the Fly has life which the Heavens have not losses have been great yet that in the midst of so many deaths and dangers by the flames and by the press of the people and notwithstanding all the confusions that was in all parts of the City you should have your lives for a prey and be snatcht as so many fire-brands out of the burning O how should this miraculous Providence of God be owned and admired by you The Devil hit the mark when he said Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2. 4. Mens estates in those times did lye mostly in Cattel Now saith Satan Job is a very great life lover he is Proximus quisque sibi Every man is nearest to himself fond of life and afraid of death and therefore he will give skin upon skin to save his life he will give many skins abundance of skins yea all his skins to save his life he will give his Cattels skins and his Servants skins and his Sons skins to save himself in a whole skin By this Proverbial Speech Skin for skin c. Satan intimates that Job cared not for the loss of his Cattel nor for the loss of his servants nor for the loss of his children so he might secure his own life Job set a higher price upon his own life than he did upon all other lives let others sink or swim so he might escape all was well Natural life is a precious Jewel a man will cast all over-board when he is in danger of drowning to save his life A man will hold up his arms to save his head or suffer the loss of a limb to save his life Men will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with some of their limbs to preserve their lives As he who cryed out Give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life Wherefore doth a living man complain or murmur a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. O what a simple senseless bruitish blockish thing is it for a man a mortal man a sinful man a man on this side the grave on this side Hell to complain or murmur against a holy and righteous God! He that is alive on this side everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. on this side a devouring fire has no just cause to complain what ever his losses crosses or sufferings are He that has deserved a hanging if he escape with a whipping has no cause to complain or murmur Men that have deservâ—d a damning if they escape with the loss of house goods estates c. they have no cause to complain or murmur Mark at this time Jerusalem was burnt City and Temple was laid in ashes the Citizens were turned out of house and home and stript of all their comforts and contentments They that did feed delicately were desolate in the Streets
Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2 Tim. 4. 8. Rev. 2. 10. James 1. 1â— 1 Pet. 5. 4. White Stone that none knows but those that are the favourites of Heaven To have time to make sure a City that hath foundations a Kindgom that shakes not Riches that corrupt not an inheritance that â—adeth not away a house not made with hands but one eternal in the heavens To have time to make sure to your selves a Crown of Righteousness a Crown of Life a Crown of Glory a Crown of immortality are mercies bâ—yond all the expressions and above all the valuations of the Sons of men The Poets paint Time with wings to shew the volubility and swiftness of it Sumptus pretiocissimus tempus time is of precious Sophocles Phocilides cost saith Theophrastus Know time lose not a minute saith Pittacus Aelian gives this testimony of the Lacedaemonians That they were hugely covetous of their time spending it all about necessary things and suffering no Citizen either to be idle or play Titus Vespasian having spent a day without doing Suetonius any man any good as he sate at Supper he uttered this memorable and praise worthy Apothegme Amici diem perdidi My friends I have lost a day O Sirs will not these poor Heathens rise in Jâ—dgement against all those that trifle and fool and sin away their precious time Take heed of crying cras cras to morrow to morrow O play not the Courtier with your precious souls the Courtier doth all things late he rises late and dines late and supps late and goes to bed late and repents late Remember that Manna must be gathered in the morning The Orient Pearl is generated of the morning dew There is nothing puts a more serious frame into a mans Spirit than to know the worth of his time 'T is very dangerous putting off that to another day which must be done to day or else undone to morrow Nunc aut nunquam Now or Never was the saying of old If not done now it may never be done and then undone for ever Eternity depends on this moment of time What Beroaldus speakâ— of a Fool who cried out Oh Repentance Râ—pentance where aâ—t thou where art thou Repentance would not many a man give for a day when it is a day too late Whilst many blind Sodomites have been groping to find a door of hope God has rained Hell out of Heaven upon them The seasons of Grace are not under your locks and keyes Many thousand poor sinners have lost their seasons and their souls together Judas repented and Esau mourned but neither timely nor truly and therefore they perished to all eternity The damned in Hell may weep their eyes out of their heads but they can never weep sin out of their souls nor their souls out of Hell c. O that the flames of London might be so sanctified to every poor sinner who have had their lives for a prey in that doleful day that they may no longer neglect those precious seasons and opportunities of Grace that yet are continued to them lest God should swear in his wrath that they should never Heb. 2. 3. Heb. 3. 18. enter into his rest O Sirs yet you have a world of gracious opportunities and O that God would give you that heavenly wisdom that you may never neglect one gracious opportunity though it were to gain a whole world God by giving you your lives in the midst of those furious and amazing flames has given you time and opportunity to secure the internal and the eternal welfare of your precious and immortal souls which is a mercy that can never bâ— sufficiently prized or improved But Secondly What a mercy was this to poor doubting staggering Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames For by this means they have gained time to pray down their doubts and to argue down their doubts and to wrestle and weep down their doubts c. Christ ascended to Heaven in a cloud and the Angel ascended Acts 1. 9 10. Judg. 14. 20. to Heaven in the flame of the Altar 'T is ten to one out this had been the case of many doubting trembling Christians had they dyed when London was in flames I know 't is good getting to Heaven any way though it be in a whirlewind of affliction or in a fiery Chariot of temptation or in the flames of Persecution or in a cloud of fears doubts and darkness but yet that man is more happy that gets to Heaven in a quiet calm of inward peace and The whole Scripture saith Luther doth principally aim at this thing that we should not doubt but that we should hope that we should trust and that we should believe that God is a merciful a bountiful a gracious and patient God to his people in the fair Sunshine of joy and assurance 'T is a good thing for a man to get into a safe Harbour though it be in a Winter night and through many Storms and tempests hazards dangers and deaths with the loss of Masts Cables and Anchors but yet he is more happy that gets into a safe Harbour in a clear calm fair Sun-shiny day top and top-gallant and with Colours flying and Trumpets sounding The prudent Reader knows how to apply it O that al poor doubting Christians would seriously lay this to heart viz. That for them to have time to have their judgements and understandings enlightned their doubts resolved their objections answered their consciences setled and their souls assured that all is well and shall be for ever well between God and them is a mercy more worth than all the world But Thirdly What a mercy was this to poor languishing declining and decaying Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames There werâ— a great many in London who were fallen from their first love and whose Sun was set in a cloud There were many whose Graces were languishing whose comforts were declining Rev. 2. 4. whose souls were withered and whose communion with God was greatly impaired Many within and without the Walls of London had a Worm knawing at the root of their Graces they had lost their spiritual rellish of God of Christ of Ordinances as dying men lose their rellish Dying men can rellish nothing they sip or eat or drink they had lost theâ—â— spiritual strength and they knew it not as Sampson had lost hâ—s natural strength and knew it not O what an Image of deaâ—â— Judg. 16. 20. was upon their highest professions Now for these men to livâ— for these men to have time to get their Graces repaired their comforts revived their spiritual strength restored their soulâ— fatned and their communion with God raised O what a matchless what an incomparable mercy is this But Fourthly What a mercy was this to poor clouded deserted and benighted Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London
saith Plato is not to encrease our heaps but to diminish the covetousness of our hearts And saith Seneca Cui cum paupertate bene convenit pauper non est A contented man cannot be a poor man I have read of another Philosopher who seeing a Prince going by with the greatest pomp and state imaginable he said to some about him See how many things I have no need of And saith another It were well for the world if there were no Gold in it But since its the fountain whence all things flow it s to be desired but only as a pass to travel to our journeys end without begging When Croesus King of Lydia asked Solon one of the seven wise men of Greece who in the whole world was more happy than he Solon answered Tellus who though he was a poor man yet he was a good man and content with that which he had So Cato could say as Aulus Gelâ—ius reports of him I have neither House nor Plate nor Garments of price in my hands what I have I can use if not I can want it Sâ—me blame me because I want many things and I blame them because they cannot want Now shall Nature do more than Grace Shall the poor blinded Heathen outstrip the knowing Christian O Sirs he that can lose his will in the will of God as to the things of this world he that is willing to be at Gods allowance he that has had much but can now be satisfied with a little he that can be contented to be at Gods finding he is of all men the most likely man to have all his losses made up to him But Eighthly and lastly Are your hearts more drawn out to have this fiery dispensation sanctified to you than to have your losses made up to you Do you strive more with God to get good by this dreadful Judgement than to recover your lost goods and your lost estates Is this the daily language of your souls Lord let this fiery calamity be so sanctified as that it may eminently issue in the mortifying of our sins in the encrease of our Graces in the mending of our hearts in the reforming of our lives and in the weaning of our souls from every thing below thee and in the fixing of them upon the greathings of Eternity If it be thus with you 't is ten to one but God even this world will make up your losses to you But The sixth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery diâ—pensation is this viz. That by fiery dispensations the Lord will make way for the new Heavens and the new Earth he will make way for the glorious deliverance of his people Isa 66. 15. 16. 22. For behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like Isa 9. 5 6. Psalm 66. 12. â— whirle-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire and by his sword or by his sword of fire will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before me saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remain The great and the glorious things that God will do for his people in the last dayes are set forâ—h by new heâ—vens and new earth and Isa 65. 17. Joâ—l 2. 1 2 3 4 5 30 31 32. Zeph. 3. 8 9. these God will bring in by fiâ—ry diâ—pensations The glorious dstatâ— of the universal Church of Jâ—ws and Gentiles on earth is no lower an estate than that oâ— a new heâ—vâ—n and a new earth Now thâ—s blessed Church-State is usheâ—â—d into the world by fiâ—ry Judgements By fiâ—ry dispensations God 2 Pet. 3. 10 11 12 13. will put an end to the glory of tâ—â—s old wâ—rld and bring in the new Look as Gâ—d by a waâ—â—ry Dâ—luge made way for one new world so by a fiery Dâ—luge in the last of the last Gen. 9. â—ee our new Anotationists oâ— Isa 65. Isa 17. oâ— Chap. 66. 15 16 22. and on Rev. 21. 1. dayes he will make way for another new world wherein shall dwell righteousness as Peter speaks All men â—n common speech call a new great change a new world By fiery dispensations God will bring great changes upon the world and make way for his Sons reign in a more glorious manner than ever he has yet reigned in the world Rev. 18 Chap. 19. Chap. 20. and Chap. 21. The summ of that I havâ— in short â—o offer to your consideration out of these Chapters is this Babylon the great is fallen is fallen How much she hath glorified her self so much sorrow and torment shall be given her Her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And after these things I heard a great voice of much people c. Saying Alleluiah salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God for truâ— and rightâ—ous are thy judgements for he hath judged the great Whore that hath corrupted the earth and hath avenged the blood of his Saints And again they said Alleluiah And the four and twenty Elders said Amen Alleluiah And I heard as it were the voyce of a great multitude and as the voyce of many waters and as the voyce of mighty thunderings saying Alleluiah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth And the Beast and the false Prophet were cast into the lake of fire And the rest were slain with the sword But the Saints reigned with Christ a thousand years in the new Heavens and new Earth to whom the Kings of the earth and Nations of the world bring their honour God by his fiery dispensation upon Babylon makes way for Christs Reign and the Saints Reign in the New Heavens and new Earth But The seventh Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That by fiery dispensations God will bring about the ruine and destruction Psalm 50. 3 of his and his peoples enemies Psal 97. 3. A fire goeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about Heb. 3. 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet Ver. 7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction and the curtains of the Land of Midian did tremble Ver. 12. Thou didst march through the Land in indignation thou didst thresh the Heathen in anger Ver. 13. Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people even for salvation with thine anointed thou woundest the head out of the house of the wicked by discovering the foundation even to the neck Sâ—lah Jer. 50. 31 32. Behold I am against thee O thou most proud saith the Lord God of Hosts for thy day is come the time that I will
is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels because it was firstly and chiefly prepared for them All impenitent sinners shall have the Devil and his Angels for their constant companions and therefore they shall be sure to shear with them in the extremity and inevitableness of their torments But Thirdly Our fire when it burneth it shineth it casts a light Our fire burns and in burning shines light is a natural property of our common fire 't is true the elementary fire in its own sphere shineth not because of its subtilness and the infernal fire of Hell shineth not because of its grosness Yet our ordinary fire being of a mixt nature hath light as well as heat in it and that 's our comfort It hath light to shew it self to us and to our selves and it hath light to shew others to us and us to others c. Some men can work as well as talk by the light of the fire Our fires have their beams and rayes as well as the Sun but the fire of Hell burns but it dos not shine it gives no light at all Infernal fire hath no light or brightness attending of it Matâ—h 25. 30. Chap. 8. 12. and therefore Christ calls it utter darkness or outer darkness that is darkness beyond a darkness I have read of a young man who was very loose and vain in his life and was very Dâ—eâ—â—â—lius Basil speaking of Hell fire saith Vim comburendi retinet illaminaâ—di amisit It retains the proâ—erty of burning it hath lost the property of shining fearful of being in the dark who after falling sick and could not sleep cryed out Oâ— if this darkness be so terrible what is eternal darkness Hâ—ll would not be so uncomfortable a Prison if it were not so dark a Prison Light is a blessing that shall never shine into that infernal prison In Jude v. 6. you read of chains of darkness It would be a little ease a little comfort to the damned in Hell if they might have but light and liberty to walk up and down the infernal coasts but this is too high a favour for them to enjoy and therefore they shall be chained and staked down in chains of darkness and in blackness of darkness that so they may fully undergo the scorchings and burnings of Divine wrath and fury for ever and ever In Verse 13. you thus read To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever The words are an Hebraism and signifie exceeding great darkness Hell is a very dark and dismal Region and extream are the miseries horrors and torments which are there The Poets described the darkness of Hell by the Cimmerian darkness There was a Territory in Italy betwixt Baiae and Cumae where the Cimmerii inhabit which was so environed with Hills and overshadowed with such hanging Promontories that the Sun never comes at it The darkness Exod. 10. 21. The words are figuâ—ative importing extraordinary blâ—ck darkness of Aegypt was such a strong and horrid thick darkness that it was palpable it might be felt Even darkness which may be felt The darkness that is here threatned is called darkness that may be fâ—lt either by way of an Hyperbole to signifie what an exceeding great darkness iâ— should be or else because the Air should be so thickneâ— with gross mists and thick foggy vapours that it might be felt or else because this extraordinary darkness should be caused by a withdrawment of the light of the celestial bodies or by drawing a thick curtain of very black clouds betwixt mens eyes and them Yet this horrid darkness was nothing to the darkness of Hell the darkness of Aegypt was but as an over casting for three dayes Exod. 10. 22 23. And there was a thick darkness in all the Land of Aegypt three dayes They saw not one another neither rose any from his place three dayes For three dayes they were deprived not only of the natural lights and lamps of Heaven but of all artificial light also 'T is possible that the vapours might be so thick and moist as to put out their Candles and all other lights that were kindled by them 'T is probable that they had neither light from Sun Moon or Stars above nor yet from fire or candle below so â—hat they were as blind men that could not see at all and as lame men that could not move from their places and so they sate still as under the arrest of this darkness because they could not see what to do nor whither to go God would teach them the worth of light by the want of it Some think that by that dreadful Judgement of thick darkness they were filled with that terror and horror that they durst not so much as move from the places where they were sate down But after these three dayes of darkness were over the Egyptians enjoyed the glorious light of the Sun again O but sinners are in Hell when they are in chains of darkness when they are in blackness of darkness they shall never see light more Hell is a house without light Gregory and all other Authors that I have cast my eye upon agree in this that though our fire hath light as well as heat yet the infernal fire hath only heat to burn sinners It has no light to refresh sinners and this will be no small addition to their torment A Philosopher being asked Whether it were not a pleasant thing to behold the Sun answered that that was a blind mans question Surely life without light is but a lifeless life But Fourthly Our fire burns and consumes only the body it reaches not it torments not the precious and immortal soul but infernal fire burns and torments both body and soul Now the soul of pain is the pain of the soul Matth. 10. 28. And fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destâ—oy bâ—th body and soul in Hâ—ll If the Glutton in the historical Parable Luke 16. 24. who â—ad but one half of himself in Hell viz. his soul cried out that he was horribly toâ—mâ—nâ—ed in that flame What tongue can express or heart conceive how great the damneds torments shall be in Hell when their bodies and souls in the great day shall be re-united for â—orture Beloved it is a just and righteous thing with God that such bodies and souls that have sinned impenitently together should be tormented everlastingly together To this purpose the Hebrew Doctors have a very pretty Parable viz. That a man planted an Orchard and going from home Pet. Mart. was careful to leave such Watchmen as might both keep it from strangers and not deceive him themselves therefore he appointed one blind but strong of his limbs and the other seeing but a Cripple These two in their Masters absence conspired together and the blind took the lame on his shoulders and so gathered the fruit their Master returning and
commanded six dayes to labour were also commanded to offer Morning and Evening Sacrifice daily They had their Morning Sacrifice when they entred upon their work and they had their Evening Sacrifice when they ended their work Their particular callings did not steal away their hearts from their general callings The Jews divided the day into three parts the first ad Tephilla orationem Wâ—emse Mor. Law p. 223. to prayer the second ad Torah legem for the reading of the Law the third ad Malacha opus for the works of their lawful callings Although they were dayes appointed for work yet they gave God his part they gave God a share of them every day God who is the Lord of all time hath reserved to himself a part of our time every day And therefore mens particular callings ought to give way to their general calling But alas before London was in flames many mens Oh that I could not say most mens particular callings swallowed up their general calling The noise is such in a Mill as hinders all intercourse betwen man and man So many of the burnt Citizens had such a multitude of worldly businesses lying upon their hands and that made such a noise as that all intercourse between God and them was hindered Seneca one of the most refined Heathens could say I do not give but only lend my self to my business I am afraid this Heathen will one day rise in Judgement against those burnt Citizens who have not lended themselves to their business but wholly given up themselves to their business as if they had no God to honour no souls to save no Hell to escape nor no Heaven to make sure But Fourthly Job lost all and recovered all again he lost a fair estate and God doubles his estate to him So David Compare the first and last Chapters of Job together lâ—st all and recovered all again 1 Sam. 30. 18. And David recovered all that the Amalakites had carried away and David rescued his two wives Ver. 19. And there was nothing lacking to them neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither spoil nor any thing that they had taken to them David recovered all Here the end was better than the beginning but the contrary befell the Amalekites who a little before had framed Comoedies out of poor Ziklags Tragoedies In the beginning of the Chapter you may see that David had lost all that ever he had in the world All the spoil that he Verse 1 2 3 4 5. had taken from others were gone his Corn gone his Cattel gone his Wives gone and his City burnt with fire and turned into a ruinous heap so that he had not a house a habitation in all the world to put his head in he had nothing left him but a poor grieved madded and enraged Army The people spâ—ke of stoning of him but what Verse 6. was the event now why David recovers all again O Sirs when a Christian is in greatest distress when he hath Remember that of Zeno who said he never sailed better than when he suffered shipwrack lost all when he is not worth one penny in all the world yet then he hath a God to go to at last David encouraged himself in the Lord his God A Christians case is never so desperate but he hat still a God to go to When a Christian has lost all the best way to recover all again is to encourage himself in the Lord his God God sometimes stripâ— his people of outward mercies and then restores to them again those very mercies that he had stript them off I have read a story of a poor man that God served fâ—ithfully and yet was oppressed cruelly having all his goods taken from him by an exacting Knight whereupon in a melancholy humour he perswaded himself that God was dead who had formerly been so faithful to him and now as he thought had left him It so fell out that an old man met him and desired him to deliver a Letter into the hands of his oppressor upon the receipt and perusal of which the Knight was so convinced that immediately he confessed his fault and restored the poor man his goods which made the poor man say Now I see that God may seem to sleep but can never dye If God has taken away all yet remember that God has a thousand thousand wayes to make up all thy losses to thee which thou knowest not of therefore do'nt murmur don't fret do'nt faint nor do'nt limit the Holy One of Israel If thou madest no improvement of thy house thy estate thy Trade then 't is thy wisdom and thy work rather to be displeased with thy self for thy non improvement of mercies than to be discontented at that hand of Heaven that hath deprived thee of thy mercies Remember Oh ye burnt Citizens of London that you are not the first that have lost your all Besides the instances already cited you must remember what they suffered in the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the Hebrews and you must remember that in the Ten Persecutions many thousands of the people of God were stript of their all and so were very many also in the Marian dayes who shrugs or complains of a common Lot It was grace upon the Throne that thou enjoyedst thy house thy estate thy Trade so long and therefore it concerns thee to be rather thankful that thy mercies were continued so long unto thee than to murmur because thou art now stript of all But Fifthly When all is gone yet mercy may be near and thou not see it When Hagars Bottle was empty the Well Gen. 21. 19. of Water was near though she saw it not Mercies many times are never nearer to us than when with Hagar we sit down and weep because our bottle is empty because our streams of mercy are dried up The Well was there before but she saw it not till her eyes were â—pened Though mercy be near though it be even at the door yet till the great God shall irradiate both the Organ and the object we can neither see our mercies nor suck the breasts of mercy Christ the spring of mercy the fountain of mercy was near the Disciples yea he talked with the Disciples and yet they Luke 24. 15. knew him not Look as dangers are nearest to wicked men when they see them not when they fear them not As Haman Esther 6. was nearest the Gallows when he thought himself the only man that the King would honour And so when Sisâ—ra dreamed of a Kingdom Jael was near with her Hammer Judges 4. and her Nail ready to fasten him to the ground And so when Agag said Surely the bitterness of death is past Samuel 1 Sam. 15 32 33. stood ready with his drawn Sword to cut him in pieces in Gilgal before the Lord. So when Pharaoh said They are entangled Exod. 14. 3 Cha. 15. 9. 10. in the Land the Wilderness hath shut
advantage and the very next night after his departure he appeared to the Bishop delivering the Bond cancelled and fully discharged thereby acknowledging that what was promised was made good It is probable that the relation is fabulous But this is certain viz. That one dayes being in Heaven will make us a sufficient recompence for whatsoever we have given or do give or shall give in this world But Thirdly If the constant frame and disposition of your hearts be to do as much good as ever you did or more good than ever you did then you may be confident that the Lord accepts of your will for the deed 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not God prefers a willing mind before a worthy work God measures all his people not by their works but by their wills When thâ— will is strongly enclined and byassed to works of charity so that a man would fain be a giving to the poor and a supplying the wants and necessities of the needy but can't foâ— want of an estate in this case God accepts of the will foâ— the deed David had a purpose and a will to build God a house and God took it so kindly at his hands that he dispatches 2 Chron 6. 8 an Embassadour to him to tell him how highly he resented his purpose and good will to build him a house The Widows will was in her two mites which she cast into Gods Treasury and therefore Christ sets a more honourable Mark â—2 41 42 43. 44. value upon them than he dos upon all the vast summs that others cast in Many Princes and Queâ—ns Lords and Ladies are forgotten when this poor Widow who had a will to be nobly charitable has her name written in letters of Gold and her charity put upon record for all eternity The King of Persia did lovingly accept of the poor mans handful of water because his good will was in it and put it into a Golden Vessel and gave the poor man the Vessel of Gold And do you think that the King of Kings will be out-done by the King of Persia Surely no. But Fourthly and lastly As there are more wayes to the Wood than one so there are more wayes of doing good to others than one If thou canst not do so much good to others as formerly thou hast done by thy Purse yet thou maâ—st do more good to others than ever yet thou hast done by thy Pen thy Parts thy Prayers thy Gifts thy Graces thy examples Though thou art less servicable to their bodies yet if thou art more serviceable than ever to their souls Thou hast no reason to complain there is no love no compassion no pity no charity no mercy to that which reaches immortal souls and which will turn most to a mans account in the great day of our Lord Jesus I would justifie the Lord I would say he is righteous though Object 3 my house be burnt up and I am turned out of all but God has punished the righteous with the wicked if not more than the wicked this fiery Rod has fallen heavier upon many Saints than upon many sinners c. How then can I justifie God How then câ—n I say that the Lord is righteous c. In all the Ages of the world Gods dearest children have Answ 1 been deep sharers with the wicked in all common calamities Abraham and his Family were by Famine driven into Aegypt Gen. 1. 12. Gen. 26. as well as others And Isaac and his Family were by Famine driven into the Philistins Countrey as well as others And Jacob and his Family by Famine were driven into Aegypt Gen. 42. 2 Sam. 21. 1. 1 Kings 18 2. Matth. 5. 4 5. as well as others And in Davids time there was a Famine for three years And in Elijahs time there was a sore Famine in Samaria The difference that God puts between his own and others are not seen in the administration of these outward things All things come alike to all there is Eccles 9. 2. one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the good and to the clean and to the unclean to him that sacrificeth and Communia esse voluit c. commoda prophanis c. Incommoda suis Tertul. to him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath The priviledges of the Saints lye in temporals but in spirituals and eternals else Religion would not be a matter of faith but sense and men would serve God not for himself but for the gay and gallant things of this world But Secondly There are as many Mysteries in Providences as there are in Prophecies and many Texts of Providence are as hard to understand as many Texts of Scriptures are Gods way is in the Sea his paths are in the great waters and his footsteps are not known His judgements are unsearchable and Psalm 77. 19. Rom. 11. 33. Psalm 97. 2. Psalm 36. 6. his wayes are past finding out And yet when clouds and darkness are round about him righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his Throne When his Judgements are a great deep yet then his righteousness is like the great Mountains There are many Mysteries in nature and many mysteries of State which we are ignorant of and why then should we wonder that there are many mysteries in Providence that we do not understand Let a man but sâ—riously consider how many pâ—ssible deaths lurk in his own bowels and the innumerable Hosts of external dangers which beleaguers him on every side how many invisible Arrows fly about his ears continually and yet how few have hit him I have read of a Father and hâ—s Son who being shipwrackt at Sea the Son sailed to shoar upon the back of his dead Father What a strange mysterious Providence was this Plâ—â— Nat. Hâ—st lib. 2. cap. 51. and that none hitherto have mortally wounded him and it will doubtless so far affect his heart as to work him to conclude that great and many and mysterious are the Providences that daily attend upon him Vives reports of a Jew that having gone over a deep River on a narrow planck in a dark night and coming the next day to see what danger he had escaped fell down dead with astonishment Should God many times but open to us the misteriousness of his Providences they would be matter of matter of amazement and astonishment to us I have read that Marcia a Roman Princess being great with child had the Babe in her killed with lightning she her self escaping the danger What a mysterious Providence was this Gods Providence towards his Servants is as a wheel in the midst of a wheel whose motion Ezek. 1. 16. and work and end in working is not discerned by a common eye The actings of Divine Providence are many
he shall bring them down before thy face so shalt thou drive them out and dâ—stroy them quickly as the Lord hath said unto thee What more violent what more irresistible what more terrible than fire O how much therefore dos it concern us to set up that God as the great object of our fear who hath armed and commanded this dreadful creature the fire to destroy us in many or in most of our outward concernments as to this world Jer. 10. 11. At his wrath the earth shall shall tremble and the Nations shall not be able to abide his indignation Job 13. 11. Shall not his Excellency make you afraid and his dread fall upon you Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements Hab. 3. 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet Verse 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entered into my bones and trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble Ah London London it highly concerns thee to tremble and quiver and stand in awe of that great and glorious God who hath sent so many thousands to their long homes by a sweeping Pestilence and who hath by a dreadful fire turned thy ancient Monuments and thy stately buildings into a ruinous heap That Christian is more worth than the Gold of Ophir who fears more the hand that hath laid on the fiery Rod than the Rod it self That prudent and faithful Counsel which the Prophâ—t Isaiah gives should alwayes lye warm upon every burnt Citizens heart Isâ— 8. 13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread But The fifth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to be conâ—ented with their present condition When The Poets bring in the feigned Gods each one conâ—â—nt with his 〈◊〉 Office 〈◊〉 Estate 〈…〉 Miâ—eâ—va with Sciencâ—s 〈◊〉 with Eâ—â—onence 〈◊〉 with â—â—ve Juâ—iter â—ith Hâ—aven and Plâ—â—o with Hell a mans mind is brought down to his means all is well Contentation of mind under all the turns and changes of this life makes a Believer Master both of the little and great world of unruly desirâ—s within himself and of temptations in the world without Contentment â—n a mans presenâ— coâ—dition will yield him a little Heaven in the midst of all the great Hells that he meets with in this world Contentation is a hidden treasure that the Believer will carry with him to the third Heaven where an exceeding weight of glory and contenâ—ation with full satisfaction to his desiâ—es will be added to that little stock of contentment that he has obtained in this world Contentation in every condition is no other but the House of God and the gate of Heaven as Jacob once speaks of that gracious manifestation of God Gen. 28 God dwells in a contented heart and a contented heart dwells in God Contentment is that Porch wherein the Believer waits for an entrance into an house not made with hands but one eternal in the Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1. O labour much with God that your hearts may be brought fully under the power of these divine commands 1 Tim. 6. 8. Having food and rayment let us be therewith content Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be withâ—ut covetousness or without the love of Silver as the Grâ—ek word siâ—nifies and be content with such things as you hâ—ve Contâ—nsi praesentibus So Beza and others be content with things preâ—ent The believing Hebrews had been plundâ—â—ed â—f â—ll they had in this world when the Apostle gâ—ve forth this Royal command Hâ—b 10. 34. and yet the Apostle requires them â—o be content 'T is as much the duty of a Christian â—o be â—ontent when he has nothing as when all the world smâ—les upon him Christians are Souldiers Strangers Travellers Pilgrims and therefore it concerns them to make shift with little things yea with any thing in this world The Israâ—lites had no gay clothes nor no new clothes in their wilderness condition but God made their old clothes to be all clotheâ— to them and that was enough Jacob did not indent with God for Junkets or Ornaments but for food and rayment Gen. 28. 20. If God will give me bread to eat and rayment to put on then shall the Lord be my God Nature is content with a little Grace with less though nothing will satisfie those mens hearts whose lusts are their Lords We shall never want a penny in our Purses to bear our charges till we get to Heaven and therefore let us be content with our present portion in this world Phil. 4. 11 12. I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to he hungry both to abound and to suffer need In these words you have first the vicissitude of Pauls outward condition at one time he abounds at another he is abased at one time he is full and at another time he suffers need 2. You have the sweet and gracious composure of his spirit and this is expressed in two singular acts The first is his contentation of mind in all conditions I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content The second is his prudent and pertinent comportment with his present condition I know both how to be abased and how to abound 3. You have the way how he attained this contentation of mind in all condititions I have learned saith he I am instructed this lesson of contentment he did not learn at the feet of Dr. Gamaliel but in the School of Jesus Christ Contentment in every condition is too high a lesson for any effâ—ctually to teach but Jesus Christ O Sirs in the grave it is all one who hath had all and who hath had none What folly is it to lay up goods for many years when we cannot lay up one day for the enjoyment of our goods Christ who never mis-called any calls him fool who had much of the world under his hands but nothing of God or Hâ—aven in his heart Zâ—pirus the Persian was contented to sustain the cutting off his Nose and Ears and Lips to further the enterprise of his Lord Darius against proud Babylon So Christians should be contented to be any thing to do any thing or to suffer any thing to further or promote the glory of God in this world All this whole world is not proportionable to the precious soul All the riches of the Indies cannot pacifie conscience nor secure eternity nor prevent death nor bring you off in the day of Judgement and therefore be contented with a little All the good things of this world are but cold comforts they cannot stretch to eternity they will not go with us into another world and therefore why should the want of
humble thy self under the mighty hand of God God has abâ—sed theâ— and therefore make it thy work to bâ— base in thine own eyes Wâ—en Nâ—hemiah understood that the Chaldâ—ans There is nothing more more evident â—n History than this viz. That those dâ—eadful fires that have bâ—en kiâ—dâ—ed amongst the Christian have been still kindâ—ed by Idolatrous hands who were a generation of Idolaters had made Jerusalem desolâ—te by Fire he greatly humblâ—d himself under the mighty hand of God He lookt through all actâ—ve causes to the efficient cause and accordingly he abased himself before the Lâ—rd as you may see Neh. 1. 3 4. And they said unto me the remnant that are left of the Captivity there in the Province are in great â—â—flâ—ction and reproach the Wall of Jerusâ—lem also is broken down and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire And it came to pass when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven When Nehemiah â—eard that thâ— Wall of Jerusalem was broken down and that the gates thereof were bâ—rnt with fire his grief was so great that he could not stand under it and therefore he sits down and weeps Who is there that is a man that is an Englishman that is a Câ—riâ—â—â—an that is a Protestant that can beholâ— the Ruâ—nes of Londâ—n and not at least the frame of his Spirit sit down and weeâ— ovâ—r those Râ—inâ—s The way of wayes â—o be truly yea â—ighly â—xâ—lted is to be thoroughly humbled The hâ—gâ—est Heavens and the lowest hearts do both alike please Isaiah 57. 15. the most high God God will certainly make it his work to exâ—lt them who make it their great work to abase themselves Such who are low in their owâ— eyes and can be be content to be low in the eyes of others such are most high and â—onoâ—rable in the eye of God in the esteem and account â—f God The lowly Christian is alwayes the moâ—â— lovely Câ—ristian Now God hath laid your City low youâ— all low he exâ—ects that your hearts should lye low undeâ— his mighty haâ—d All the world cannot long keep up thosâ— men who do'nt labour to keep down their hearts under Judgements inflicted or Judgements feared Remember the sad Catastrophe of Herod the great of Agrippa the great of Pompey the great and of Alexander the great If your spirits remain great under great Judgements 't is an evident sign that more raigning Judgements lye at your doors But Tâ—e seventh Dâ—ty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to bless a taking God as well as a giving God 't is to encourage themselves in the Lord their God though he has stript them of all their worldly goods Thus did Job when he had lost his all The Lord gave and the Loâ—d hath Job 1. 21. taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. One brings in holy Job standing by the ruined house under whose Walls his ten Children lay dead and buried and lifting up his Dâ—eâ—ellius in his Gynnasiun Patientâ—ae heart and hands towards Heaven saying Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord. Ecce spectaculum sayes he dignum ad quod respiciat intentus operi suo Deus Behold a spectacle a spectacle worthy of God himself were he never so intent upon his work in Heaven yet worthy of his cognizance When Ziklag was burnt with fire and David plundered by the Amalekites and his Wives carried captive yet then he encouraged 1 Sam. 30. 1 2 3 6. himself in the Lord his God His God notes 1. His nearness and dearness to God Saints are very near and dear to God Psal 148. 14. Ephes 2. 13. 2. His God notes his Relation to God God is the Saints Father 3. His God notes his right to God Whole God 2 Cor. 6. 18. is the believers All he has and all he can do is the believers From these and such other like considerations David encouraged himself in the Lord his God when all was gone and so should we So the believing Hebrews took joyfully the Heb. 10. 34. spoiling of their goods whether by fire or plundering or otherwise is not said knowing in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance And to this duty James exhorts James 1. 2. Count it all joy my brethren when you fall into divers temptations or tribulations or afflictions A Christian in his choicest deliberation ought to count it all joy when he falls into divers tribulations The words are emphatical the Apostle doth not say be patient or quiet when you fall into divers temptations or afflictions but be joyful Nor the Apostle doth not say be joyful with a little joy but be joyful with exceeding great joy All joy The words are an Hebraism is full joy all joy is perfect joy And this becomes the Saints when they fall or are begirt round not with some but with divers that is with any kind of affliction or tribulation An omnipotent God will certainly turn his peoples misery into felicity And therefore it concerns them to be divinely merry in the midst of their greatest misery Oh that all burnt Citizens would seriously consider of these three things 1. That this fiery Rod has been a Rod in a Fathers hand 2. That this fiery Rod shall sooner or later be like Aarons Rod a blooming Rod. Choice fruit will one day grow upon this burnt Tree London No man can tell what good God may do England by that fiery Rod that he has laid upon London 3. That this fiery Rod that has been laid upon London has not been laid on 1. According to the greatness of Gods anger Nor 2. According to the greatness of his power Nor. 3. According to the strictness of his justice Nor 4. According to the dâ—merits of our sins Nor 5. According to the expectations of men of a Romish faith who 't is to be feared Acts 1. 19. did hope to see every house laid desolate and London made an Aceldama a Field of Blood Nor 6. Accordingly to the extensiveness of many of your fears for many of you have feared worse things than yet you feel Now upon all these considerations how highly dos it concern the people of God to be thankful and cheerful yea and to encourage themselves in the Lord under that fiery dispensation that has lately past upon them But what is there considerable in God to encourage the soul under Quest heavy crosses and great lâ—sses and fiery tryals First There is his gracious his special and pecular presence Answ Psalm 23. 4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow Dan. 3. 24 25. of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Psal 91. 15. He shall
to the White Lyon at Great St. Hellins Gate and at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill at the Sign of the Three Bibles TWelve Books lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks late Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Nâ—w-Fish Street 1 Precious Remedies against Satans Devices Or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Chrâ—st that slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in spirituals or decaying thaâ— are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it on 2 Cor. 2. 11. 2 Heaven on Earth Or A serious Discourse touching a well grounded Assurance of mans everlasting happiness and blessedness discovering the nature of assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Qâ—estions on the 8. of the Romans 32 33. 34. verses 3 The unsearchable Riches of Christ Or Meâ—t for strong Men and Milk for Babes held forth in two and twenty Sermons from Ephes 3. 8. Preached on his Lecture nights at Fish-street-hill 4 His Apples of Gold for young Men and Women And A Crown of Glory for Old men and Women Or the Happiness of bâ—ing Good betimes and the Honour of being an Old Disciple clearly and fully discovered and closely and faithfully applyed With the young mans Objections answered and the old mans doubts resolved 5 A String of Pearls Or The best things reserved till last delivered in a Sermon Preached in London June 8. 1657. at the Funeral of that Triumphant Saint Mrs. Mary Blake late Wife to his worthy Friend Mr. Nicholas Blake Merchant 6 The Mute Christian with Soveraign Antidotes against the most miserable Exigents Or A Christian with an Olive-leaf in his mouth when he is under the greatest afflictions the sharpest and sorest tryals â—nd troubles the saddest and darkest providences and changes with Answers to divers Questions and Objections that are of great importance all tending to win and work souls to be still quiet calm and silent under all changes that have â—r that may pass upon them in this world c. Lately printed and discomposed to all afflicted distressed dissatisfied disquieted and discomposed Christians throughout the world 7 An Ark for all Gods Noahs in a stormy day Wherein is shewed the transâ—endent excellency of a Believers portion on Lament 3. 24. 8 The Cromn and Glory of Christianity Or Holâ—â—â—ss the only way to Happiness discovered in 48 Sâ—â—mons on Hâ—b 12. 14. 9 The Privy Key of Heaven Or A Discourse of Closet Prayer Twenty Arguments for it with the resolution of several Qâ—estions c. 10 A Heavenly Cordial for all that have had or have escaped the Plague c. 11 Newly published A Cabinet of choice Jewels or a Box of precious Ointment Being a plain Discovery of what men are worth for Eternity and how 't is like to go with them in another World 12 There is now published a New Treatise written by Mr. Thomas Brooks called Londons Lamentations Or A sober serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation wherein the procuring causes and the final causes of that dreadful dispensation are laid open with the duties that are incumbent both upon those who have been burnt up and upon those who have escaped those consuming flames with thirteen supports to bear up the hearts of such as have been sufferers Here are many great Objections answered and many weighty Questions resolved and variety of Arguments to prove that a little that the righteous man hath is betâ—â—r â—han the riches of the wicked with several other points of grand importance all tending to the cooling quieting setâ—ling refreshing upholding and comforting of all that have been suffâ—rers by the late fiery calâ—mity The Godly Mans Ark Or City of Refuge in the day of his distress discovered in divers Sermons The first of which was Preached at the Funeral of Mrs. Elizâ—beth Moor. Whereunto are annexed Mrs. Moors Evidences for Heaven composed and collected by her in the time of her health for her comfort in the time of sickness By Edmund Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury A Book of Short-Writing the most easie exact lineal and speedy method sitted to the meanest capacity composed by Master Theophilus Meâ—calf Professor of the said Art Also a School-master explaining the Rules of the said Book with many new additions very useful Another Book of Short-hand by Tho. Cross A Copy-book of the newest and most useful Hands with Rules whereby those that can read may quickly learn to write To which is added brief directions for true spelling and Cyphering and making divers sorts of Ink. An excellent new Book of Mr. Ralph Vennings entituled Sin the Plague of Plagues or Sinful Sin the worst of Evils All Printed for and are to be sold by John Hancock at the first Shop in Popes-Head-Alâ—ey in Cornhill at the sign of the three Bibles or at his Shop in Bishops-Gate-Street near great St. Hellins over against Gresham-Colledge 1670. FINIS A Brief Declaration and Vindication of the Doctrine of the Trinity As also of the Person and Satisfaction of Christ Accommodated to the Capacity and Use of such as may be in danger to be seduced and the establishment of the Truth John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures By John Owen D. D. in Twelves The Vnreasonableness of Atheisme Made manifest in a Discourse to a Person of Honour By Sir Charles Wolseley Barronet The Second Edition Revised and Enlarged by the Author in Large Octavo There is now published a New Treatise written by Mr. Thomas Brooks called Londons Lamentations Or A sober serious Discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation wherein the procuring causes and the final causes of that dreadful dispensation are laid open with the duties that are incumbent both upon those who have been burnt up and upon those who have escaped those consuming flames with thirteen supports to bear up the hearts of such as have been sufferers Here are many great Objections answered and many weighty Questions resolved and variety of Arguments to prove that a little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of the wicked with several other points of grand importance all tending to the cooling quieting setling refreshing upholding and comforting of all that have been sufferers by the late fiery calamity FINIS
Ordinances in Sabbaths and in the Communion of Saints that once they had tasted and found In spiritual things many Citizens could taste no more sweetness then in the white of an Egg. Many in that great City had lost their Job 6. 6. spiritual appetite they had lost their stomachs they did not hunger and thirst after God and Christ and the Spirit and Grace and the Light of Gods Countenance and pure Ordinances and the Fellowship of the people of God as once they did Now is there any thing more contrary to the Nature of God the Works of God the Word of God the Glory of God then spiritual decays Oh the prayers and the praises that God loses by decayed Christians Ah how do decayed Christians grieve the strong and stumble the weak and strengthen the hands of the wicked and lay themselves open to divine displeasure Many in London did like Mandrobulus in Lucian who offered to his God the first year gold the second year silver and the third year nothing and therefore no wonder if God sent a fire amongst them But Fifthly Their non-improvement of the mercies and priviledges that they were surrounded with and their non-improvement of lesser and greater Judgments that God had formerly inflicted on them and theiâ— non improvement of their Estates to that height they should have done for the supply of them whose wants bonds necessities and miseries did call aloud for supplies many did something a few did much but all should have done more Sixthly Those unnatural heats fiery contests violent passions and sore divisions that have been amongst them may well work them to justifie the Lord in his fiery Dispensations towards them for a Wolf to worry a Lamb is usual but for one Lamb to worry another is unnatural Cant. 2. 16. for Christs lillies to be among thorns is common but for these lillies to become thorns and to tear and rend and fetch blood of one another is monstrous and strange The Contest that was between the Birds about the Rose that was found in the way was fatal to many of them and issued in the loss of the Rose at last Seventhly and lastly There were many in London who were so very secure and so excessively taken up with their worldly comforts contentments and enjoyments that they did not lay the afflictions of Joseph 1 so kindly 2. so Amos 6. 6. seriously 3. so affectionately 4. so readily 5. so frequently 6. so lamentingly and 7. so constantly to heart as they ought to have done Upon all these accounts how well does it become the Citizens of London to cry out the Lord is righteous the Lord is righteous in all his fiery Dispensations towards us But to prevent mistakes and that I may lay no heavier a load upon the people of God that truly feared him and that had and have a saving interest in him then is meet and that I may give no advantage to prophane persons to father the burning of the City of London wholly mainly or only upon the sins of the people of God give me leave therefore to propound these four Queries First Whether all these seven sins last cited or most of them can be justly charged upon the body of those sincere Christians who lived then in London and whose habitations are now burnt up Secondly Whether those of the people of God upon whom any of the fore-mentioned sins are chargeable have not before the City was burnt daily lamented bewailed and mourned over those sins that might have been charged upon them either by their own consciences or others Thirdly Where and how it doth appear by the blesed Scriptures that ever God sent so great a Judgment of Fire as was poured out upon London upon the account of the â—ins of those that truly feared him be it those seven that have been already specified or any others that can be now cleaâ—ly and justly proved against them Fourthly Whether there are not some other mens sins upon whom in the clear evidence of Scripture-light this heavy Judgment of Fire may be more clearly safely and fairly fixt then upon the sins of those who had set up God as the great Object of their fear Now in Answer to this last Query give me leave to say First That sin in the general brings the dreadful Judgment of Fire upon a people marks personal afflictions and â—yals may come upon the people of God for tryal and to shew the Soveraignty of God as in the case of Job whose Job 1. John 9. afflictions were for tryal and not for sin the same may be said of the man that was born blind But general Judgments such as this fiery Dispensation was never comes upon a people but upon the account of sin This is evident in my Text Isa 42. 24 25. God set Jacob and Israel on fire and burnt them round about but 't was because they would not walk in his ways neither were they obedient unto his Law Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your heart ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings So Psal 107. 33 34. He turneth rivers into a wiâ—derness and the water-springs into dry ground a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein The very Country of Jury as Travellers report which flowed once with milk and honey is now for fifteen miles about Jerusalem like a Desart without grass tree or shrub Ah what ruines â—oth sin bring upon the most renowned Countries and Ciâ—ies that have been in the world such is the destructive nature of sin that it will first or last level the richest the strongest and the most glorious Cities in the world So the Prophet Amos tells us that 't is sin that brings Gods sorest punishments upon his people Amos 1. 3. For three transgressions of Damascus by which we are to understand the greatness of their iniquities and for four by which we are to understand the multitude of their transgressions I will not turn away the punishment thereof the same is said of Gaza verse 6. and of Tyrus verse 9. and of Edom verse 11. and of Ammon verse 13. and of Moab Chap. 2. 1. and of Judah verse 4. and of Israel verse 6. Now 't is very observable of every one of these that when God threatens to punish them for the greatness of their iniquities and for the multitude of their transgressions he doth particularly threaten to send a fire among them to consume the houses and the Palaces of their Cities so he doth to Damascus Amos 1. 4. But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael which shall devour the Palaces of Ben-hadad So he doth to Gaza verse 7. But I will send a fire on the Wall of Gaza which shall devour the Palaces thereof So he doth to Tyrus verse 10. But I
Sabbaths more and dutiâ—s more you would then be more early in your communion with God as the Spouse was Mary Magdelen loved Cant. 7. 11 1â— Christ much Luke 7. 47. And she came early to the Sepulchre to seek him She came to look after Christ as soon as it began to down Matth. 28. 1. Mark 16. 1 2. Luke 24. 1. Joh. 20. 1. Men that love the world can rise early to gain the world Now shall nature do more than grace Shall the love of the world out-do the love of Christ the Lord forbid And thus I have done with those Considerations that should quicken you up to sanctifie the Sabbath by rising as early in the morning as your age health strength ability and bodily infirmities will permit But Fifthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by a Religious performance of all the duties of the day What are they Quest 1. Publick Answ 2. Private What are the publick duties that are to be performed on that Quest day Fiâ—st To assemble your selves with the people of God to Answ hear his Word Neh. 8 1 -9 Mâ—tth 13. 54. Joel 1. 13. 14. Chap. 15. 16. Luke 4. 16 17. John 20. 19 26. Acts 2. 1. 44. 46. Acts 5. 12. 1 Cor. 11. 20. Secondly Prayer Psalm 5. 7. Psalm 42 4. Psalm 118. 24 25 26. Isâ— 56. 7. Matth. 21. 13. Acts 1. 13 14. Acts 2 46 47. Acts 16. 13. Heb. 13. 15. Thirdly The Administrations of the Seals Acts 2. 46. Chap. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 11. 20 33. Fourthâ—y Singing of Psalms Hymns or Spiritual Songs Psalm 92. 1. Matth. 26. 30. 1 Cor. 14. 15. James 5. 13. Heb. 2. 12. Fifthly Works of Mercy and Charity Nehemiah 8. 9 10 11 12. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Sixthly and lastly The Censures of the Church as casting out of communion the obstinate and in receiving such into communion as the Lord hath received into communion and fellowship with himself 1 Tim. 5. 20 21. 1 Cor. 5. 4. 2 Cor. 2. 6 7. Rom. 14. 1. Chap. 15. 7. c. What are the private duties that are to be performed on that Quest day First Prayer in our Families and Closets Colossiâ—ns 3. 17. Answ Luke 18. 1 2. 1 Thess 5. 18. Ephes 6. 18. See my Treatise on Closet Prayer c. Secondly Reading of the Word Joshuah 1. 8. Deut. 6. 6 8 9 10. Chap. 11. 19. and Chap. 4. 10. John 5. 35. Col. 3. 16. Rev. 1. 3. Thirdly Meditation Psalm 1. 2. Psalm 119. 97. 1 Cor. 14. 5. 1 Tim. 2. 11 18. But on what must we meditate Quest 1. Upon the holiness greatness and graciousness of God Answ 2. Upon the person natures offices excellencies beauties glories riches fulness and sweetness of Christ 3. Upon the blessed truths that we either hear or read 4. Upon our own emptiness nothingness baseness vileneâ—s and un worthiness 5 Upon the works of Creation and Redemption 6. Upon our spiritual and internal wants 7. Upon that eternal rest that is reserved for the people of God Heb. 4 9. Fourthly Instructing examining and preparing of your famâ—lies according to the measures of grace you have received Deut. 6. 7. Deut. 11. 18 20. Gen. 18. 19 20. Joshuah 24 15. Fifthly Singing of Psalms James 5. 13. Coloss 3. 16. Ephes 5. 19. Sixthly Holy Conference upon the Word Luke 14 8 9 10 11 12 15 16. Chap. 24. 14 17 18. Col. 4. 6. Mol. 3. 16 17 c. Seventhly Visiting and relieving the sick the poor the distressed afflâ—cted and imprisoned Saints of God Matth. 15. 34 -40 James 1. 27 c. Now mark when the Publick Ordinances may be enjoyed in Christs way and in their liberty purity and glory it will be your wisdom so to manage all your family duties and closet duties as that you do not shut out more publick Worship It is more observable that the Sabbaths and publick service are joyned together Lev. 19. 30. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. Now what God hath solemnly joyned together let no man put assunder Every Christian should make it his great care that private duties do not eat up publick Ordinances and that publick Ordinances do not shut out private duties More of this you may see in my Discourse on Closet prayer But God is totus â—culus all eye As the eyes of a well-drawn Picture are fastâ—ed on the which way soever thou turnest so are the eyes of the Lord. Sixthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by managing all the duties of that day as under the eye of God Gods eye is very much upon his people whilst they are in Religious duties and services Therefore in the Tabernacle the place of Gods publick Worship it was thus commanded Exod. 25. 37 Thou shalt make seven Lamps and they shall light the Lamps that they may give light To teach us that nothing there escapes his sight for in his house there is alwayes light and so when the Temple was built Mine eyes saith God shall be there perpetually It was an excellent 1 Kings 9. 3. saying of Ambrose If thou canst not hide thy self from the Sun which is Gods Minister of light how impoâ—sible will Ambros Offic. l. 1. c. 14. it be to hide thy self from him whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun Subjects will carry themselves sweetly and loyally when they are under their Soveraigns eye and children will carry themselves dutifully when they are under their Pâ—rents eye and servants will carry them selves wisely and prudently when they are under their Mâ—steâ—s eye Gods eye is the best Tutor to keep the soul in a gracious frame It is good to have a fixed eye on him whose Job 31. 5 6. Prov. 15. 9. Cha. 5. 20 21. eye is alwayes fixed on thee The best way on earth to keep close to Gods Precepts is alwayes to walk as in his presence no man on earth by day or night can draw a curtain between God and him There is a threefold eye of God that is present in the assemblies of his people As First There is the eye of observation and inspection God seeth what uprightness and seriousness what inâ—egrity ingenuity and fervency you have in his services Mine eyes are upon all their wayes Jer. 16. 17. Psalm 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwayes before me Psalm 119. 168. I have kept thy precâ—pts and thy Testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Jâ—b 31. 4. Doth not he see all my wayes and count all my steps O Sirs whether you are praying or hearing or reading or meditating or singing or receiving the Lords Supper or Mal. 3 17. conferring one with another The eye of the Lord is still upon you But Secondly There is an eye of favour and benediction Amos 9. 4. I will set mine eyes upon them for good 2 Chro. 7. 16. Mine eye and my heart shall be there that is in my house Gods eye is here to approve and to bless and to