their Parents one Friend with their last breath crying to another help help for the Lords sake help and all at last after many fruitless attempts and vain wishes tumbling alive into the common Grave If you had heard their miserable Cries their doleful groans and piercing Shrieks being half buried and half unburied would you not have thought Englands Mercy a very great Mercy I am perswaded you would have returned with your Mouths filled with Songs of Praise Let a Melancholy Phansie represent some of the Terrours of that Visitation and let a thought of this fill you with thankfulness and give a sprightful accent to all your Hallelujahs Oh how should a sober thought of this cause your Sacrifices of Praise to ascend to Heaven in a purer and brighter Flame 2. Consider our sins have deserved as great an overthrow as theirs When I consider those words of my Saviour being told by some of the Galileans whose Blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices Luke 13. 2. Suppose ye that those Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I can hardly perswade my self they of Jamaica were greater Sinners than we in England because they drank deeper of the Cup of trembling than we did If our Sins are not of the same kind I am sure they admit of more aggravating Circumstances than theirs Londons Englands Sins are of a more Crimson Colour and Scarlet Die than Jamaica's If ours should be laid in the ballance of the Sanctuary with theirs I am afraid the former would weigh down the latter Oh what a Mercy was it God should shake such a People and not destroy them Oh what an instance of Divine goodness was it that the Earth should tremble under a Company of Atheists and Scoffers at Religion Men that question the very being and deny the Providence of God Under a Company of Drunkards and Swearers Adulterers and filthy Harlots Sabbath-breakers and Hypocritical Worshippers and not swallow them up Mercy that is so constant a Friend to the miserable Creature And so powerful an Advocate in Gods bosom mitigated the stroke and therefore Mercy ought to have the praise 3. Consider the easiness of a total destruction All things are alike easie to Almighty Power What is it omnipotence cannot effect This God can amaze the whole Creation unhinge the World shake the Heavens and rend the Rocks put universal Nature into a fright with one turn of his hand one word of his mouth one frown of his brow one glance of his angry Eye yea with the smallest breath of his Nostrils that angry that mighty God that shook could with the same touch have overturned the City By what was done God gave an evident proof of what he could further have done There is no Mountain stands so strong but God can shake it No Foundation fo firmly laid but God can tare it up no City so well built but God can even with the breath of his Nostrils overturn it It is not Brick and Lime Walls of Stone no nor of Brass neither can either blunt or turn back those sharp-pointed Arrows God shooteth against a sinful people With one shake God could have levelled all with the Dust Could God easily and suddenly have destroyed us and did he not Could he have inlarged the Commission granted to the Earthquake and did he not Were we on the very brink of destruction and are we not destroyed Were we intangled in the Snare and are we yet escaped and should not a warm thought of this should not such a deliverance as this increase our thankfulness Let all who have survived this Visitation bless the Lord and may all praise this good God not only with their Lips but in their Lives Inf. VII Doth the Lord of hosts sometimes visit with an Earthquake and hath he of late done so Then how loudly doth this visit call upon men upon the citizens of London upon you and all the inhabitants of England to be more frequent in visiting God! When God is visiting us it is time time alas It is high time for us to visit him Had the Inhabitants of England the Citizens of London been more frequent in visiting God They might not have had such a day of Visitation as this was my meaning is had they prayed more they might have been punisht less But oh what a shame and reproach are we to the Christian Name Prayer hath been cast out of many of our Families and would to God there were not reason to say out of many of our Closets too And this among other things called upon God to visit in that terrible and unthought of manner he hath lately done And now when God visits us with afflictions We should visit him with Prayer Isa 26. 16 Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them The Rod drove them to a Throne of Grace and affliction made them pray ay and it made them pray errnestly too Afflictions fears and dangers drive many to the Gates of Heaven who would never come thither before they are like some moross and ill-natur'd People who will never visit their friends but when they stand in need of them I make no doubt but during the time of Gods visiting the terrours of the Earthquake forc't from many and perhaps from such as were wont to restrain Prayer that short and usual Petition LORD HAVE MERCY ON US The shaking and trembling Earth caused many to lift up their Eyes to Heaven and implore the Mercy of that God that dwelleth there But now God hath done visiting them I am afraid they have done visiting him Now the Earth hath done trembling they have done praying but my brethren these things ought not so to be Our visits should be frequent and oft repeated Three things are very wonderful 1. It is very wonderful That the great God will visit us God is King of the Universe sways the Scepter in both Worlds and exerciseth an unlimited and uncontroulable Authority not only over the meaner works of his hands below but over all the bright and Coelestial Orders above too He sits upon a Throne that is encircled with myriads of Holy Mighty and Glorious Angels who minister unto him and stand before him in the quality and humility of his Servants ready to receive his Commands and fly upon Wings to execute them And doth he visit Man who is but breathing Dust a lump of Clay moistned and coloured with Blood Astonishing kindness It is to be admired he will vouchsafe a look a short glance of his Eye But that he should make stated visits and so many of them accents the kindness and increaseth the wonder The Royal Psalmist David though a King though he swayed a Scepter managed a Kingdom and wore a Crown could not think of Gods visiting Man without Extasie and Rapture Though he sate among the Gods upon earth yet he is swallowed up with amazement at the
thought of the condescension of the God of Heaven Lord saith he When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and stars which thou hast ordained What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Holy David having studied the Heavens in which Volumes the Power Wisdom and Majesty of God are written in Capital Letters and Golden Characters Cryes out with admiration Lord what is man that thou visitest him How fit are all Gods visits to be the subject of a devout and silent admiration Doth God visit this mean this contemptible Creature Man Wonderful Grace 2. It is wonderful that Men sinful Men guilty Men may visit God That we are allowed the liberty of making a visit to Heaven God might scorn us and our visits too he might lock up himself in Heaven and deny access into his Presence to such undutiful and disloyal Creatures as we have been This great King this mighty Lord might not suffer such dead dogs as we are to lie at his door But oh condescending goodness He invites us to give him a visit and the oftner we visit him the more welcome are we He blames us for our seldom but he never upbraids us with our often visits Oh who would not visit and often visit such a God as this May Men and Sinners visit the God of Heaven the High and the Holy One Do his Gates continually stand open and may Indigent Creatures come daily for an Alms Invaluable Mercy 3. It is wonderful that Men should be so backward to visit God How necessary and excellent How sweet and comfortable How profitable and advantagious a Duty is this To visit God is equally our Duty and Priviledge while we do so we share with Glorious Angels in that which is the top of their Happiness beholding the face of our Father which is in heaven Now if ever do Holy and Devout Souls anticipate their future happiness in partaking of that fullness of joy which is in Gods Presence and in drinking large draughts of those rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand for evermore How oft have Holy Men come from this Mount with their faces shining How oft have they received support under all their burdens encouragement against their fears an answer to their doubts and a sufficiency of strength to encounter difficulties performe Duties to endure the fiery tryal and quench the fiery darts of the evil one to conflict with their Corruptions and overcome the World How oft even in the time of their visiting hath God wiped Tears from their weeping Eyes refresht their drooping and revived their fainting Spirits cleared up their evidences for Heaven and inabled them to see their Names written there spoken comfortably to their hearts assured them of their Covenant Relation to him and their Interest in his special love and favour Oh how oft have they come away with their Pardon Sealed their fears â—cattered their mournful complaints husht and silenced their Consciences pacified and those Clouds that darkned their Souls dispersed with that breath of God Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee How oft and how heartily have they been welcomed by the Holy and Blessed Trinity Father Son and Spirit Yet notwithstanding all this Men will not oh fatal degeneracy of Humane Nature visit God Some are Atheistical and Prophane and hopeless Wretches they fall under that black and hellish Character God is not in all their thoughts Some are ignorant and stupid without any sense and feeling and what is their unspeakable Misery is their voluntary choice too to be without God in the world Some are voluptuous given to pleasure Nay they carry that Death-mark in their foreheads written in such legible Characters That he that runs may Read lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God Pleasures charm and vain delights captivate their Souls they being sensual and having not the Spirit are constant Guests in the house of Feasting but utter strangers in the house of Prayer Among the vast multitudes of Men and Women that croud and throng the World there are some few who from a principle of a good Education the Remains of Natural Light and the urgent calls of an awaken'd Conscience do something of this kind but it is rather out of meer complement than real Friendship Thus it is with most and is it thus indeed Tremble thou Earth be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid How justly may God use that sharp and stinging Expostulation he did of old O generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto England a land of darkness Wherefore say my people we are lords we will come no more unto thee Though Men live altogether upon the Alms of Heaven yet they seldom visit God stupendous folly This late Earthquake should put Men upon visiting God oftner and when you do remember to make these two following requests 1. Pray that God would visit you and all his people in mercy this was one notable Petition Holy David that Man of Prayer put up to God O visit me with thy salvation These visits how welcom and blessed how refreshing and desirable are they Oh beg of God for more of them Go to God and say Lord Thou hast visited thy People O visit them still with thy Salvation Lord Let not these visits of thine which are so much for thy Glory and the Creatures good be rare and seldom but frequent and oft repeated 2. Pray that God would visit no more in anger And methinks when there is so much dread and terrour in the visits of an angry God Men should earnestly deprecate them If God visit with a Plague Death becomes triumphant and Men fall heaps upon heaps into the Grave If God visit with a Famine our beauty faileth our strength consumeth and the Man becomes a walking Ghost before Death turns him into a Corps If God visit with an Earthquake Men are at their Wits-end and this beautiful World is turned into a confused Chaos O beg of God England may have no more of these terrifying and desolating visits If you won't pray the next shake may be your overthrow If you will not for all this visit God the Lord of hosts may visit with an Earthquake a second time and his second visit may carry more dread and terrour with it than the first did Turn the Text into a Prayer and say Oh that England Oh that London may no more be visited of the Lord of hosts with Thunder and Earthquake Lord grant it may not Amen FINIS Rom. 1. 9. Heb 5. 14 Gen. 27. 4 ver 20. Matth. 25 5. Jude ver 3. Jer. 48. 44. Psal 50. 21. Exod. 32. 34. Mic. â— 4. Job 〈◊〉 14. Matth. 22. 12. Job 40. 4. Am. 3. 2. Is 24. 2â— Am. 3. 6. Psal. 〈…〉 Isah. 〈…〉 5. Job 〈…〉 Is 45. 7. Psal 18. 7. Am. 4. 1. Mat. 24. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ps 78. 30. Is 28. 21. Pâ— â—4 9. 〈…〉 Pâ— 1â— 6. Acts 16. 26. Marth 27. 51. Gen 13. 17. Luke 21. 9 11. Mat. 24. 2 7 8. 2 Pet. 3 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 15 32. Luke 2. 19. Is 5. 11 12. Prov. 23. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 3. Ps 17. 14. Matth. 6. 19. Ps 22. 2. Prov. 23. 5. Mal. 3. 1. Prov. 28. 1. Psal 46. 1. Ver. 2. Ver. 3. Si fractus illabatur orbis impavidum serient ruinae Hor. Car. lib. 3. od 3. Joel 3. 16. Heb. 12. 28. Colos 1. 5. Ps 62. 11. Mat. 10. 28. Psal 119. 120. Jer. 5. 22. La. 3. 40. Acts 16. 26. ver 30. Ez. 9. 13. Job 15. 4. Ja. 3. 10. Dan. 7. 10 Ps 82. 1. Psal 8. 3. â—er 4. 1 Sam. 24. 14. Mat. 18. 10. Ps 16. ult Mat. 9. 2. 〈…〉 Eph. 2. 12 2 Tim. 3. 4. Jude 1 Jer. 2. 31. Ps 106. 4. Judg 15. 16.
made it our Coffee-House Talk we entertained our selves with it as we do with a peice of Common News but we did not ah stupid sinners that we are we did not take that awful notice of it as we ought to have done We heard of the Earth's opening her mouth and swallowing up those poor sinful wretches in great Numbers but we did not consider it as the nature of the Calamity did require and when God had done visiting of them he came over and visited us too and what is the Language of such a Providence but this Drowfie England sleepy England takes no notice of what I have done thus have I overturn'd overturn'd this place and London doth not regar and though they think their Mountain stands strong and are ready to say it shall not be moved I will go over and shake England I will visit with an Earthquake their Me 〈…〉 opolis their chief City and perhaps then they will consider and take notice There are three things we should take notice of and remember and yet the Lord pity us we are apt to forget them all The first is our Sins to keep us Humble The second Gods Mercies to make us Thankful The third is Gods Judgments or angry Visits that we may be in the fear of the Lord not only all the day but all our life long This oh this is a Visit the Citizens of London the Inhabitants of England should not slightly pass over should not forget The Eighth of September 1692. the day of Gods Visiting with an Earthquake should be remembred Write it not in your Note-books but in your Memories Record it not only in your Memories but engrave it on your very Hearts in those fleshly Tables let this visit of the Lord of Hosts be written 2. How great is the Misery of wicked Men who have their portion in this World and no Treasure but what is laid up upon Earth Oh how uncertain how unconstant is their All A Treasure laid up upon Earth How uncertain When moth and rust may corrupt or thioves break through and steal How uncertain and unconstant when God hath founded the earth upon the Seas and established it upon the Floods If your portion ly in Silver and Gold Oh! how soon can your riches make themselves Wings and fly away and you be no more able to stop them than a Bird upon the Wing that is as free and unconfined as the Air it flies in If your portion lie in Houses though built with stone and brick how soon can a fire make them burn as an oven and the devouring flame feed upon them how soon can God with his breath I mean some stormy Wind overturn them If your Estate ly in Land and though then silly men you think it is secure oh how soon can the Lord of Hosts destroy you and all your substance If God doth visit you in Anger send an Earthquake of a few hours Nay of a few Minutes long your Houses Reel Totter and Tumble about your ears The Earth may open her Bosom and you and your Possessions may be buried and entombed together He that hath not one foot of Land at such a time hath as much benefit as he that hath many Acres a whole Mannour and many Lordships for both of them the rich Landlord and the toiling Tenant make their grave together The Earth is a firm and solid part of the Creation but God in a few Minutes can shake and overturn it Lord what a slippery uncertain and short-liv'd Happiness have the Men of this World 3. What and how great is the happiness of holy Persons and how comfortable may they be even when God shakes the Heavens and the Earth too An Earthquake may make an Heart-quake in every impenitent Sinner and what a wonder is it it doth not but the righteous may be bold as a Lyon and full of Comfort when the World is in an hurry without them all may be quiet and peaceable within When there is a threatning and terrifying storm without there may be a sweet and blessed calm within They who can truly say God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble may boldly say we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof The Earth is firm and the Mountains the most solid and steddy part of it and yet God with a Touch can make them smoke shake and tremble but even then oh who would not be of that happy Number the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israel Oh! what is the happiness of Gods people that they have something more lasting and durable more constant and fix'd than Earth it self that they have received and are Heirs of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken It is a Kingdom men cannot shake Devils cannot shake and God will not This Earth of ours may be hurled hither and thither but heaven and that 's the place where the Believers Happiness is laid up is firm permanent and remains for ever unshaken The Walls of yonder City the new Jerusalem that is above cannot Totter and the Foundations shall never be torn up Oh what Comfort amidst all the Commotions and Concussions that are in this lower World may holy Souls derive from their Title to that Kingdom which cannot be shaken and at which in a little time they shall arrive 4. How careful should all that have either heard of or felt the late Earthquake be to improve to Spiritual purposes this visit of the Lord of hosts It is an evil not to improve the Visits of our Fellow-Creatures of those wise holy and good Men we converse withall but it is doubly Criminal not to improve and get advantage by God's Visits Peradventure here you will ask me How should we improve it I Answer 1. Would you improve this late Visit of the Lord of Hosts Then let it confirm and strengthen you in the belief of his Power In these Visits God gives evident proof of his Almighty power It was his hand that formed and it is his Arm that shakes the Earth oh how great is his power and who hath an arm like God! when we see the Earth trembling and Rocks rending and Mountains shaking it is very seasonable to cry out with Admiration and holy Wonder oh what a powerful God is this Doth God shake the earth then what is it he cannot do Doth he turn the World upside down doth he turn the Earth with his Finger as a door is turned upon its Hinges and doth this great God this mighty Lord want power to crush such a worm to destroy such a peice of warm and breathing clay as thou art Oh thou impenitent Sinner how soon can this mighty Lord God of Hosts
that shakes the Earth lay thee on a bed of sickness throw thee into a cold dark and frightful grave and hurl thee into an hot flaming and eternal hell Dost thou dis-believe the power of God Do you even you oh ye Worms of the Earth think you are fit Match for God Do you think he is not able to destroy a whole World of such weak Creatures as you are Oh think how Mountains shake the Earth trembles when he doth but look upon them and believe he can do this and more than this You have heard that power belongs to God let this late Visit perswade you to believe it to give a more firm assent to the first Article of your Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty 2. Would you improve this Visit Then let it excite and maintain in you an holy aw and fear of God This naturally follows from what hath been said of Gods power and from this very Topick our Saviour perswadeth men to fear God fear him who is able to cast both body and soul into Hell And the observation and memory of Gods Judgments should cherish this fear This made Holy David cry out my fresh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Shall the Earth tremble and shall not Sinners much more Such Visits as these should fill us with a filial Fear and an awful dread of the great God When God shook the Earth methinks he said as to them of old Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence God shook the Foundations of London and said Will ye not fear me O ye Citizens of London will ye not tremble at my presence God hath visited the World with one Earthquake after another and cry'd O ye Children of Men will ye not fear me Such amazing and awfull Providences as these should excite and cherish a regular Fear of God Good God! how sad is it That the Earth Mountains Hills and Rocks and every thing else should tremble at the Presence of the Lord and Men should not Oh Fear God and Sin more than ever Fear God for he is able to destroy fear Sin for that and only that provokes him to do so 3. Would you improve this late Visit of the Lord of Hosts Then visit your selves in order to your Repentance and Amendment of Life At such a time we should Visit our own Hearts search and try our ways and this should be in order to our turning to God The Repentance and Reformation of a sinful People is God's design in punishing this is his end in thus visiting particular Persons or whole Societies What was the Language of the late Earthquake but this Repent Repent O England Repent Lord give us Ears to hear and Hearts to obey these loud solemn and repeated calls to Repentance Sin is a Burden alas it is a very heavy burden God himself is prest with and weary to bear it It maketh the whole Creation groan it hath lately made the Earth to tremble and won't you cast it off Do for the Lords sake do or this burden will sink you not only into the Belly of the Earth but into the Bowels of Hell too The Earthquake prepared the Gaoler for Conversion it made him come trembling to the Apostles crying out Sirs What must I Do to be Saved Oh! that this late Earthquake might put you and many more upon considering with your selves and enquiring of others what you must do to be saved and in order to this let it put you upon a speedy Repentance for God's visit is not answered without the Sinners amendment Inf. V. Doth the Lord of Hosts sometimes Visit with an Earthquake and hath he of late done so Then how heartily should we bless God he hath done so no oftner Oh! what thanks and praise is due to the God of Heaven there hath not been a more frequent repetition of this Calamity We might have had one Earthquake upon the heels of another shake after shake till God had shook us and our dwellings too into the Dust But though God hath visited England with an Earthquake we are bound and O Sirs call up your Drowsie Souls and awaken all within you to praise God this Judgment hath been executed no oftner An Earthquake is a very grievous and sore Evil an astonishing and amazing Calamity an Evil against which no Resistance can be made If a Fire take hold on our Houses we may use means to quench the devouring Flame If a Pestilence be among us we may do something to prevent the Infection But if an Earthquake come we wholly ly at the Mercy of it and can do nothing to help our selves An Earthquake is a Judgment that carries all the Ensigns of Horror and beareth all the frightful Characters of dread and Terror Oh what a Mercy is it they have been so rare and what a Tribute of Thanks is due to Heaven O England England What a Sacrifice of Praise shouldst thou lay on Gods Altar How heartily should we bless God he hath not again and again often and frequently visited us with this Judgment at the thoughts of which we may justly tremble as the Earth did when God shook it Inf. VI. How Affectionately should we praise God this late Visit of his was so favourable and had such a mixture of Mercy in it Though the Foundations of London shook they were not overturn'd though the Earth quak'd and trembled she did not open her Mouth to swallow up living Men and Women Though the Houses reeled they did not tumble though the Walls parted and gaped they did not fall Surely our God in the midst of Judgment remembred mercy and we in the midst of our Fears and dangers should not forget to give Thanks In this late Dispensation of Providence you may see both the Severity and Goodness of God London quak'd and trembled behold the Severity London was not swallowed up behold the Goodness of God In this Angry and Terrible Visit God hath shewn much Mercy and Goodness ay the Riches of his Goodness and for this do you bless the Lord and let all breath praise his holy Name Now to quicken you to and in this seasonable Duty I shall briefly suggest these three Considerations 1. Consider What God had lately done in another place I mean in Jamaica He Visited them in a terrible manner indeed His Anger was hot it burnt like Coals of Fire his Arm was strong and threw down all before him What Desolations did the Earthquake there make Suppose you could with safety have stood by and seen the Earth moving and shaking the Houses first reeling to and fro and then sinking And the frighted Inhabitants almost at their Wits end The distracted Wife hanging about the Neck of her dear Husband the tender Infants hanging on the Breasts of their Mothers and both ready to drop into the Pit together Had you seen poor scared Children running up and down seeking