in it and see how many spots it will discover which you never before did perceive not beauty spots but spots of deformity Plague-spots Death-marks Hell-tokens such as will bring upon you inevitable misery unless they be wiped off Take the Rule of the Word and measure your actions by it and you may quickly perceive how much they have fallen short how crooked they have been Rectum est index sui obliqui compare your actions with the straight rule of Gods Law and you may find out many irregularities If you do not find out your sins your sins will find you out and Gods judgements will find you out and if you be found out in your sins woe be to you O the horrour which will be upon your consciences when ruining judgements are inflicted upon you particularly and you cannot escape when Death looks you in the face and comes with the sting of sin in its mouth to devour you But O the horrour you will be under hereafter if you be taken away in your sins when your souls shall be summoned immediately after their separation unto the barr of God where you will be searched and tryed and condemned to everlasting torment by an inevitable and irreversible sentence of the Judge himself O therefore hearken to the voice of God in these temporal judgements on the City after which you still remain alive through infinite patience which calls upon you to search and try your wayes that you may escape more fearful judgements which may be preparing for you labour to find out your sins which are the cause of all judgements temporal and eternal and to help you in your search after sin read the Catalogue I have given you of Londons sins and examine your selves thereby be very serious and thorow and impartial in this search sequester your selves often from all company ease your mind of the load of worldly business leave the carriages at the bottom of the hill strive against temptations and indispositions to the work set your selves in the Presence of the Heart-searching God beg the help of his spirit to discover to you what hath displeased and provoked him search after sin as offensive to God and as destructive to your selves as your worst enemy as the cause of Plague and Fire in London and as that which will bring the Plagues and Fire of Hell upon you if it be not found out and subdued 4. God doth expect that London should acknowledge their sins unto him When the Prophet had directed the people to search and try their wayes after the execution of such Judgements upon them Lam. 3. 40. see the following direction v. 41 42. Let us lift our hearts with our hands unto God in the Heavens we have trangressed and have rebelled c. thus the Prophet doth confess the sins of Ierusalem Chap. 1. 8 9. Ierusalem hath greatly sinned therefore she is removed Her filthiness is in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came down wonderfully and thus the Daughter of Zion as she bewaileth her affliction so she acknowledgeth her transgression v. 17 18 20. Zion spreadeth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandment Behold O Lord for I am in distress my bowels are troubled mine heart is turned within me for I have grievously rebelled Thus Daniel after dreadful judgements maketh confession of the sins of the people of Israel chap. 9. 4 5 6. I prayed unto the Lord and made my confession and said O Lord the great and Dreadful God we have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and thy judgements neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the land and v. 11 12. Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law by departing that they might not obey thy voice therefore the curse is poured upon us and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him And he hath confirmed his word which he spake against us and against our judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole Heaven hath it not been done as it hath been done upon Jerusalem God doth expect that London should find out their sins and having found them that they should make confession of them O that the Prophane and ungodly generation in London whose sins have been enumerated in the Catalogue would be perswaded to get alone by themselves and consider their evil wayes and what the consequents of their sins have been in bringing down temporal Judgements what the consequence of their sins is like to be even the bringing upon them eternal Judgements and that they would fall down and prostrate themselves at Gods foot and covering their cheeks with shame and blushing because of their filthiness and foul sins under the view of so holy an eye that they would acknowledge their transgressions unto him not only in general but also particularly with their heinous aggravations O that with an inward deep sense with a bleeding broken heart they would fill their mouths with confessions that they would take to themselves words and say We have rebelled against thee O Lord and done wickedly and grievously offended thee so foolish have we been and ignorant of thee we have been worse than beasts before thee the Oxe acknowledgeth his owner and the Ass his master but though we are thy creatures and live upon thy bounty and are daily at thy finding yet we have not acknowledged thee and have had less consideration than those creatures who have had no reason we have been a sinful people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that have been corrupters who have forsaken thee and by our wickedness provoked thee to anger We have been stubborn and disobedient serving thine enemies the devil and our own lusts but have neglected yea refused to serve and worship thee in our families and closets living as if there had been no God in the world We have seldom if ever taken thy Name into our mouths unless it hath been in vain unless in our Oaths and Curses We have prophaned thy Sabboths and defiled thine ordinances and have often been more wicked on the Lords day than any day of the week besides When we were children we disobeyed our Parents but disobeyed thee much more who didest command us to honour them when we were children in years we were grown Men and Women in sin when we were weak in body we were strong in spirit to commit iniquity we learnt the trade of sin before any other and were apt Schollars in the School of the Devil when dull and blockish to learn any thing which was good we were wise to do evil when to do good we had no understanding our iniquities have
they made their heart like an Adamant stone least they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord of Hosts had sent in his spirit by the former Prophets Therefore came there a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts So also when God gave up Ierusalem to desolation and ruine see the sin which provoked the Lord hereunto 2 Chron. 36. 16. They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy 2. Because they do not hearken to the voice of his goodness and mercies The goodness and forbearance of God doth speak unto men from him and call upon them to forbear sin for shame to repent and return to him Rom. 1. 4. But when men despise the riches of his goodness and deafen their ear unto the language of his mercies and trample his patience under foot though God hath appointed a day of wrath hereafter wherein he will reckon with the whole ungodly World together and give them the just demerit of their sin yet sometimes his patience is turned hereby into fury and his anger doth break forth into a flame and consumes them by the blow of dreadfull temporal judgments 3. Because they will not hearken to the voice of lesser afflictions when Gods word is not heard he speaks by his Rod when his Rod is not heard he shoots with his arrowes strikes with his sword and if lesser afflictions be not minded then God speaks by more dreadful awakening judgments as the sins of men do precede the judgments of God so usually lesser judgments do precede greater judgments and as there are degrees and steps which men usually do make before they arrive to a great heighth in sin Nemo repentè fit turpissimus so there are degrees and steps which God usually doth take in inflicting his judgments for sin Look into one place for all which shews how God doth proceed from less to greater judgments Lev. 26. from the 15. v. to the 40 th when his statutes are despised and Covenant broken first he threatneth to send upon them consumption and a burning ague then he threatneth that they shall fall before their enemies and if they will not hearken to his voice in these judgments he threatneth to punish them seven times more for their sins and to make the Heavens as Iron and the Earth as brass and send a dearth amongst them And if they will not yet hearken he threatneth to send wild beasts which should devour their children and Cattel And if they would not be reformed by these things but still would walk contrary unto him he threatneth to walk contrary unto them and to punish them yet seven times more for their sins he threatneth to bring a sword upon them to avenge the quarrel of his Covenant and when they should be gathered together in their Cities to send the Pestilence amongst them and hereunto to adde the Famine And if they would not yet hearken unto God but still walk contrary unto him he threatneth that he will walk contrary unto them in fury and make them eat the flesh of their Sons and their Daughters and lay wast their Cities and make their Sanctuaries a desolation and upon them that are left alive he threatneth to send such faintness of heart that they should flee at the sound of a shaken leaf and fall when none pursued them and that they should pine away in their iniquities in the Land of their enemies Thus God proceeds by steps and degrees in the execution of his fierce anger upon a rebellious People when God speaks by ordinary diseases and is not heard then sometimes he sends a Plague and if after a Plague people will not return to him that smiteth them nor seek to pacify Gods anger which is kindled against them but walk so much the more contrary unto him he may walk contrary to them in fury and send fire into their Cities to devour their habitations And if the voice of the Fire be not heard he hath other judgments in readiness Sword Famine and the like And if temporal judgments be nâ—â— heeded he will bring upon them eternal judgments God is not heard any other way therefore he doth speak by such terrible things SECT IV. The Application God speaks sometimes to a People by terrible things THese few last years have given sad instances hereof in England especially the two last years in our City of London The voice of the Lord hath been in the City it hath been loud and full of terrour the Lord hath come forth against us with armed vengeance Frowns have been in his brow death and desolation in his looks thunder hath been in his voice flames of Fire in his hand the Pestilence hath gone before him and burning Coals at his feet He hath sent forth his Arrows which have scattered us and shot forth his lightnings which have discomfited us The Lord hath thundered in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice hail-stones and coals of fire the Lord hath visited us with storm and tempest and great noise yea he hath caused his glorious voice to be heard and shewed the lighting down of his arme with the indignation of his anger and with the flame of devouring Fire with scattering and tempest and hail-stones then the furrowes of the Earth were seen and the foundations of the City were discovered the Earth also shook because he was wrath and the Inhabitants of London trembled because of his fierce anger then the snares of death compassed us and the fears of hell gat hold on us and our hearts were moved within us as Trees when they are moved by the Wind. Dreadfull have Gods late judgments been in London the noise of which hath gone forth not only throughout the Land but also unto the outermost parts of the World Three things we should remark in this terrible voice of Gods judgments 1. The Iudgments themselves 2. The Cause of the Iudgments 3. The Design of the Iudgments In the first we have the sound of the voice In the two last the Interpretation of the voice 1. Concerning the Iudgments themselves Here I might speak of the judgment executed August 24th 1662. when so many Ministers were put out of their places and the judgment executed March 24th 1665. when so many Ministers were banished 5. miles from Corporations the former by way of introduction to the Plague which sometime after did spread in the Land but chiefly raged in the City the later by way of introduction to the Fire which quickly after did burn down London the greatest Corporation in England These judgments having been so lately and general in the Land and I presume so generally known with all their circumstances that it would be needless to give here a Narration of them But this I must say I could wish they were as generally believed to be judgments and accordingly laid to
it away But when in the next Bill the number of the dead by the Plague is mounted from 3 to 14 and in the next to 17 and in the next to 43 and the disease begins so much to increase and disperse Now secure sinners begin to be startled and those who would have slept at quiet still in their nests are unwillingly awakened Now a great consternation seizeth upon most persons and fearful bodings of a desolating judgment Now guilty sinners begin to look about them and think with themselves into what corner of the Land they might fly to hide them Now the profane and sensual if they have not remorse for their sins yet dread and terrors the effects of guilt they could not drive from them and if by company and carousing and soft pleasures they do intoxicate and smoothen their spirits in the day yet we may guess what dread doth return upon them if they give but any room for retirement and what hideous thoughts such persons have in the silent night through fears of death which they are in danger of Now those who did not believe an unseen God are affraid of unseen arrows and those which slighted Gods threatnings of eternal judgments do tremble at the beginning of his execution of one and not the greatest temporal judgment Now those which had as it were challenged the God of Heaven and defied him by their horrid oaths and blasphemies when he begins to appear they retreat yea fly away with terror and amazement The great Orbs begin first to move the Lords and Gentry retire into their Countries their remote houses are prepared goods removed and London is quickly upon their backs few ruffling Gallants walk the streets few spotted Ladies to be seen at windows a great forsaking there was of the adjacent places where the Plague did first rage In Iune the number increaseth from 43 to an 112. the next week to 168. the next to 267. the next to 470. most of which increase was in the remote parts few in this month within or neer the walls of the City and few that had any note for goodness or profession were visited at the first God gave them warning to bethink and prepare themselves yet some few that were choice were visited pretty soon that the best might not promise to themselves a supercedeas or interpret any place of Scripture so literally as if the Lord had promised an absolute general immunity and defence of his own people from this disease of the Plague Now the Citizens of London are put to a stop in the carrier of their trade they begin to fear whom they converse withall and deal withall least they should have come out of infected places Now roses and other sweet flowers wither in the Gardens are dis-regarded in the Markets and People dare not offer them to their noses lest with their sweet savour that which is infectious should be attracted Rue and Wormwood is taken into the hand Myrrhe and Zedoary into the mouth and without some antidote few stir abroad in the morning Now many houses are shut up where the Plague comes and the inhabitants shut in lest coming abroad they should spread infection It was very dismal to behold the red Crosses and read in great letters Lord have mercy upon us on the doors and Watchmen standing before them with Halberts and such a solitude about those places and people passing by them so gingerly and with such fearful looks as if they had been lined with enemies in ambush that waited to destroy them Now rich Tradesmen provide themselves to depart if they have not Country-houses they seek lodgings abroad for themselves and families and the poorer tradesmen that they may imitate the rich in their fear stretch themselves to take a Country journey though they have scarce wherewithall to bring them back again The Ministers also many of them take occasion to go to their Country places for the Summer time or it may be to find out some few of their Parishioners that were gone before them leaving the greatest part of their flock without food or physick in the time of their greatest need I don't speak of all Ministers those which did stay out of choice and duty deserve true honour possibly they might think God was now preaching to the City and what need their preaching or rather did not the thunder of Gods voice affrighten their guilty consciences and make them fly away lest a bolt from Heaven should fall upon them and spoil their preaching for the future and therefore they would reserve themselves till the people had less need of them I do not blame many Citizens retiring when there was so little trading and the presence of all might have helped forward the increase and spreading of the infection but how did guilt drive many away where duty would have engaged them to stay in the place Now the high waies are thronged with passengers and goods London doth emptie it self into the Country great are the stirs and hurries in London by the removal of so many families fear puts many thousands on the wing and those think themselves most safe that can flie furthest off from the City In Iuly the Plague encreaseth and prevaileth exceedingly the number of 470. which died in one week by the disease ariseth to 725 the next week to 1089 the next to 1843 the next to 2010 the next Now the Plague compasseth the walls of the City like a flood and poureth in upon it Now most Parishes are infected both without and within yea there are not so many houses shut up by the Plague as by the owners forsaking of them for fear of it and though the Inhabitants be so exceedingly decreased by the departure of so many thousands yet the number of dying persons doth increase fearfully Now the Countries keep guards left infections persons should from the City bring the disease unto them most of the rich are now gone and the middle sort will not stay behind but the poor are forced through poverty to stay and abide the storm Now most faces gather paleness and what dismal apprehensions do then fill the minds what dreadful fears do there possess the spirits especially of those whose consciences are full of guilt and have not made their peace with God the old drunkards and swearers and unclean persons are brought into great straits they look on the right hand and on the left and death is marching towards them from every part and they know not whither to flie that they may escape it Now the Arrows begin to flie very thick about their ears and they see many fellow-sinners fall before their faces expecting every hour themselves to be smitten and the very sinking fears they have had of the Plague hath brought the Plague and death upon many some by the sight of a Coffin in the streets have fallen into a shivering and immediatly the disease hath assaulted them and Sergeant Death hath arrested them and clapt too the
him who hath been so long filled with joys in the heavenly mansions I might speak of the carriage of the master in his sickness under the apprehensions of death when the spots did appear on his body he sent for me and desired me to pray with him told me he was now going home desired me to write to his friends and let them know that it did not repent him of his stay in the City though they had been so importunate with him to come away but he had found so much of Gods presence in his abode here that he had no reason to repent he told me where he would be buried and desired me to preach his funeral Sermon on Psal. 16. ult In thy presence there is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasures for evermore But the Lord raised him again beyond the expectation of himself friends or Physician Let him not forget Gods mercies and suffer too much worldly business to croud in upon him choak the remembrance and sense of God's goodness so singular but let him by his singularity in meekness humility self-denial and love zeal and holy walking declare that the Lord hath been singularly gracious unto him But when I speak of home concernments let me not forget to look abroad the Plague now increaseth exceedingly and fears there are amongst us that within a while there will not be enough alive to bury the dead and that the City of London will now be quite depopulated by this Plague Now some Ministers formerly put out of their places who did abide in the City when most of Ministers in place were fled and gone from the people as well as from the disease into the Countreys seeing the people crowd so fast into the grave and eternity who seemed to cry as they went for spiritual Physicians and perceiving the Churches to be open and Pulpits to be open and finding Pamphlets flung about the streets of Pulpits to be let they judged that the Law of God and nature did now dispense with yea command their preaching in publick places though the Law of man it is to be supposed in ordinary cases did forbid them to do it Surely if there had been a Law that none should practise Physick in the City but such as were licenc'd by the Colledge of Physitians and most of those when there was the greatest need of them should in the time of the Plague have retired into the Country and other Physitians who had as good skill in Physick and no license should have staid amongst the sick none would have judged it to have been breach of Law in such an extraordinary case to endeavour by their practise though without a license to save the lives of those who by good care and Physick were capable of a cure and they could hardly have freed themselves from the guilt of murther of many bodies if for a nicety of Law in such a case of necessity they should have neglected to administer Physick the case was the same with the unlicensed Ministers which stayed when so many of the licenc'd ones were gone and as the need of souls was greater than the need of bodies the sickness of the one being more universal and dangerous than the sickness of the other and the saving or losing of the soul being so many degrees beyond the preservation or death of the body so the obligation upon Ministers was stronger and the motive to preach greater and for them to have incurred the guilt of soul-murther by their neglect to administer soul-physick would have been more hainous and unanswerable that they were called by the Lord into publick I suppose that few of any seriousness will deny when the Lord did so eminently own them in giving many seals of their Ministry unto them Now they are preaching and every Sermon was unto them as if they were preaching their last Old Time seems now to stand at the head of the Pulpit with its great Sithe saying with a hoarse voice Work while it is called to day at night I will mow thee down Grim Death seems to stand at the side of the Pulpit with its sharp arrow saying Do thou shoot Gods arrows and I will shoot mine The Grave seems to lie open at the foot of the Pulpit with dust in her bosome saying Louden thy Cry To God To Men And now fulfill thy Trust Here thou must lye Mouth stopt Breath gone And silent in the Dust. Ministers now had awakning calls to seriousness and fervour in their ministeriall work to preach on the side and brink of the Pit into which thousands were tumbling to pray under such neer views of eternity into which many passengers were daily entring might be a means to stir up the spirit more than ordinary Now there is such a vast concourse of people in the Churches where these Ministers are to be found that they cannot many times come neer the Pulpit doors for the press but are forced to climb over the pews to them And such a face is now seen in the Assemblies as seldome was seen before in London such eager looks such open ears such greedy attention as if every word would be eaten which dropt from the mouths of the Ministers If you ever saw a drowning Man catch at a rope you may guess how eagerly many people did catch at the Word when they were ready to be overwhelmed by this over-flowing scourge which was passing thorough the City when death was knocking at so many doors and God was crying aloud by his judgments and Ministers were now sent to knock cry aloud and lift up their voice like a Trumpet then then the people began to open the ear and the heart which were fast shut and barred before How did they then hearken as for their lives as if every Sermon were their last as if death stood at the door of the Church and would seize upon them so soon as they came forth as if the arrows which flew so thick in the City would strike them before they could get to their houses as if they were immediately to appear before the Barr of that God who by his Ministers was now speaking unto them Great were the impressions which the Word then made upon many hearts beyond the power of Man to effect and beyond what the people before ever felt as some of them have declar'd When sin is ript up and reprov'd O the teares that slide down from the eyes when the judgments of God are denounced O the tremblings which are upon the conscience when the Lord Jesus Christ is made known and proffer'd O the longing desires and openings of heart unto him when the riches of the Gospel are displayed and the promises of the Covenant of grace are set forth and applyed O the inward burnings and sweet flames which were on the affections now the Net is cast and many fishes are taken the Pool is moved by the Angel and many leprous spirits and sin-sick-souls are cured
been righteous if he had destroyed us Think with your selves you that are alive and remain escaped how fearful would the Plague have been if it had come home to your houses you were afraid to hear of others houses visited and shut up what would you have been if it had entered your doors you were afraid when others were struck with the disease what would you have been if you had been struck your selves Sinners what would you have done if the arrow had pierced through your Livers if under such guilt and wrath you had been smitten when you had such a Plague of sin in your hearts if you should have had the Plague of Pestilence in your bodies if when you were so rotten and corrupt and defiled inwardly you should have had boyls and blanes and running sores outwardly if when conscience was so filled with guilt your bodies should have been filled with this disease In a word If when you had the marks of Hell and damnation in your souls you should have had the marks of inevitable death in your bodies Oh the dread that would have seised upon you The Judgement of the Plague might have been worse to you you might have spent above a year in Hell by this time among Devils and damned Spirits you might by this time have been inured to those torments which yet you could not have endured but must have endured for ever without any possibility of deliverance for ever Many of you who have escaped have your Families unbroken when other whole Families are swept away Suppose thy dear Wife had fallen or thy hopefull Children had been nipt by death in the very bud and your Families had been maimed the Judgement would have been much sorer on you None can say but God might have righteously punished London more severely by the Plague 2. God might have punished London also more severely by the Fire The greatest part of the City is fallen it might have been the whole Most of the City within the Walls is consumed the flames might have issued forth at all the Gates and consumed all the Suburbs too all the goods might have been burnt with the houses and all the Inhabitants with the Habitations The Fire though it burned dreadfully yet it began at one end and came on so slowly that most of the Inhabitants of London had time to remove themselves and the choycest of their goods some Livelihood was left and Materials for a future Trade Suppose the Fire had been so sudden or had been kindled in so many places that there had been no possibility of removing any thing except the persons themselves Suppose all the Silver and Gold and rich Plate of the City had been melted by this Fire that all the Wares and Merchandize all the Garments Beds and Houshold goods had been turned into ashes and many thousand Families that have been turned out of house had been turned out of all and quite bereaved of all their Substance so that nothing had remained to them for necessary use this would have been very sore Alas what would they have done whether would they have gone for relief Would the Court have supplyed them Could the Countrey have helped and maintained so many when so much impoverished themselves that in many places they are hardly able to live Could they have hoped for relief from foreign Nations Are not all the World almost our Enemies Is Charity so warm abroad Alas what would they have done Must not many of them have pined away in their wants and starved under Hedges for lack of suitable provisions This would have been dreadfull indeed Or suppose they had lugg'd their Goods out of London from the Fire and the whole City had been burnt down with all the Suburbs and no habitations left standing hereabouts what would they have done with their goods where would they have disposed of them How could they any wayes have continued their Trades Where could they have disposed of their persons How could they have lived this cold Winter Season Could they have struck up Booths presently fit for themselves to abide in which would have sheltred them from the injury of the weather where would they have had materials when all was burnt Alas what would they have done must not their goods have been spoyled by lying abroad would not they themselves who had been used to so much tenderness have quickly grown sick and died in the Fields would not thousands have starved for cold and what Provision could they have had for food and other necessaries Besides would they not have been a prey to Theeves and Cut-throats Would not many of their Enemies who laughed at the fall of the City have rejoyced much more and taken advantage to come upon them in their nakedness and butcher'd them without mercy But suppose the Fire that begun at one corner had been kindled in every Gate at the same time when all the Inhabitants had been asleep in their Houses and they had been inclosed with flames and no possibility of escape how dreadfull would the Fire have been then If when they awakened in the Morning they had seen the smoke ascending round about them and the Fire drawing neer to them if both ends of a street had been on Fire together and they in the midst and had heard with the roaring of the Fire a greater roaring of the People that were burning with the Houses O the ruefull looks Oh the horrible shrieks by women and children oh the dreadfull amazement and perplexity which would have been in such a place and case To be burnt alive is dreadfull but think what tortures would have been in the spirits of guilty sinners who had not made their peace with God that had slept out the Harvest and day of Grace that had made no Provision for death and Eternity The noise and roaring without would have been nothing to the lashes and tearings within them the Fire in their Houses would have been but small in comparison of the fire in their Consciences and the flames of Hell-fire which if awakened they would have seen just before them This Judgement of the Fire might have been more dreadfull than it was Persons are escaped Goods and Wealth much saved Houses standing to receive them Trade going on God might have punisht London more sorely in the same kinde 2. God might have punished London more severely in other kindes of Judgements 1. He might have brought upon them and upon the whole Land the Sword of a Foreign Enemy as he did upon Ierusalem and the land of Iudea for their sins which being so pathetically set forth by the Prophet Ieremy 4. v. 16. to the end I shall represent to the eye A Voice declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim make ye mention to the Nations behold publish against Jerusalem that Watchers come from a far Countrey and give out their voice against the Cities of Judah As Keepers of the Field they are against her round about
because she hath been rebellious against me saith the Lord. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thine heart My bowels my bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise within me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumpet the Alarm of Warr. Destruction upon destruction is cryed for the whole land is spoyled and my curtains in a moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumpet I beheld and all the Cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord and by his fierce anger for thus hath the Lord said The whole land shall be desolate for this shall the land mourn and the Heavens above be black The whole City shall flee for the noise of the Horsemen and the Bowmen they shall go into the Thickets and climbe up upon the Rocks every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoyled what wilt thou do though thou cloathest thy self with Crimson though thou deckest thy self with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy lovers shall despise thee they will seek thy life for I have heard a voice as of a woman in travell and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first childe the voice of the daughter of Zion that bewaileth her self that spreadeth forth her hands saying Wo is me now for my soul is wearied because of murtherers This might have been the Judgement and these the Complaints of London and England which would have been worse than Plague or Fire The Plague reached many but the Sword might have reached all the Fire devoured Houses but the Sword might have devoured the Inhabitants The Lord might have brought a Foreign Sword and open Invasion or he might have given up London to a more private sudden Butchery and Massacre by the hands of cruel Papists as was feared which would have been more dreadfull than the Massacre of the Protestants by the Papists in Paris because our numbers do so far exceed those which were in that City If bloody Papists had come into our Houses in the dead of the Night with such kinde of Knives in their hands as were found after the Fire in Barrels and having set Watch at every Streets end had suffered none to escape but cruelly slaughtered the Husband with the Wife the Parents and the Children together ripping up women with Childe and not sparing either the Silver hair or the Sucking Babe If there had been a cry at midnight They are come but no possibility of flying from them or making resistance against them if instead of heaps of Stones and Bricks in the top of every street there had been heaps of dead Bodies and the Kennels had been made to run down with gore-blood sure this Judgement would have been more dreadfull than the Plague or Fire which have been among us 2. God might have punished London with Famine which is a greater Judgement than the Plague or Sword If the Lord had broken the whole staff of bread and cut off all provisions of food from the many thousand souls that lived in and about the City how dreadful would this have been If a famine had been so sore in London that people should have been forced to eat one another and their own flesh as it was in Samaria and Ierusalem If instead of houses in London God should have made the people as fuel of the Fire in this judgement as is threatned Esa. 9. 19 20. Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkened and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire no man shall spare his brother and he shall snatch on his right hand and be hungry and he shall eat on the left hand and not be satisfied they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arms If London had been forced through hunger to eat the flesh of their own arms and the fruit of their own bodies Oh what a dismal face would there have been in the City and how would death have been chosen rather than life in the by-us-unconceivable pain of gnawing hunger Those which dye by the Plague or are slain by the sword would be counted happy in comparison with them that live under such a judgement Lastly The righteousness of God in the judgements he hath inflicted on London appears in that he might instead of Plague and fire on earth have punished them with the plagues and fire of hell which such sins as we have reckoned up have abundantly deserved Tyre and Sidon now in Hell Sodom and Gomorrah under the vengeance of eternal fire were not guilty of such sins as London was guilty of And what are body plagues here in comparison of soul plagues hereafter what is a fire that burns down a City in comparison with the fire of hell which shall burn the damned and never be quenched God hath punished London no more than her iniquities have deserved God hath punished London less than her iniquities have deserved therefore in speaking most terribly he hath answered most righteously SECT 8. 3. COncerning the design of these judgements What doth God mean by this terrible voice by speaking such terrible things in the City of London The Lord hath not only spoken but cryed and shouted he hath lifted up his voice like a Trumpet and his voice hath not been inarticulate and insignificant but hath had a meaning and they that have an ear to hear may understand for as the voice of the Lord hath cryed in the City so the voice of the Lord hath cryed to the City Mic. 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City The man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Some take notice of the judgements themselves and the effects of them upon themselves and families They discourse of the Plague and how many dyed thereby that they have lost such a relation such a friend or neighbour was visited and dyed quickly They discourse of the Fire where it began how it increased and prevailed what day such a street fell and where their houses were consumed what they lost and how much they saved And it may be some speak of the hands of men that were suspected to enkindle and carry it on but few discourse of the hand of God which sent both Plague and Fire and what he means by such strange and dreadful judgements But the man of wisdom such as are wise do consider that these judgements spring not out of the dust but were sent down from Heaven They see Gods Name and Gods hand that hath been stretched forth upon London They know that both Plague and Fire have had their commission from the God of Heaven otherwise they could not have wrought with such force and power They
dreadful fire Awake sinners when will you awake how often how long how loud shall God call upon you before you will arise Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Iesus Christ shall give thee life A little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to rest What! can you sleep any longer now Was not this your tone long ago when you were under the calls of the Word and is it the same under the Rod too What will awaken you or when do you think you shall be awakened if still you lye down in the Bed of security and love to slumber upon the lap of pleasure and after a little startle sleep faster than before Ministers have preached and you have slept under their Sermons but when God hath preached methinks you should awake When Paul preached to Felix a Sermon of Judgement Felix trembled God hath preached One nay Two Sermons of Judgement and that more feelingly than Paul could methinks you should awake and not drop asleep so soon because God gives you a little respite to learn his Sermon before he preach the third Sermon which may be your last and ruining Sermon If you do not awake by the sound of his Judgements before you you shall awake by the sense of his Judgements upon you If the Plague and Fire of London do not awaken you you shall be awakened by the plagues and fire of Hell which you shall see and feel but not be able to flee from as here you might do if presently awakened God calls upon sleepy Sinners to awake and God calls upon drowsie Saints to awake and was there not great need were not the Ionahs gone down into the sides of the Ship and lying on Pillows Were not the wise Virgins turning foolish sleeping with the rest untrimm'd and undress'd Had there not of late a strange torpour and benummedness seized upon the spirits of Gods own people Was not the ancient vigour and activity which once they had in the ways and Worship of God much abated and decayed before these Judgements came upon London Awake then ye drowsie Saints awake put on your Garments which you have laid aside to the discovery of your Nakedness shake your selves from the dust which hath covered and sullied your faces and loosen the bands of sleep God hath been thundring your Father hath been angry and displeased with you as well as with others Your God hath spoken in his Jealousie and he hath spoken in his fury he hath spoken with a loud voice in righteousness and in Judgement Awake ye Children your Father is stirring and knocking and calling yea he hath entred your Chamber and smitten you on this side and that and yet will you not arise He hath been crying in your Ears now he is looking and harkening whether you will cry in His and what you will say and do for the prevention of the ruine of England which he seems to be threatning It is high time to awake out of sleep for now is the utter destruction of the City and Nation neerer it may be than you believe or imagine Awake then put off your Cloaths of night and darkness in which you have been sleeping and put on your Garments of light Cloath your selves with humility and begirt you with all your graces and get you to Gods knee hang about his arm put your selves in the breach It may be the Lord may think upon us that we perish not 2. The Lord doth now after his speaking by terrible things expect that London should stand in awe of him Gods Judgements made this Impression upon David Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee and I am afraid of thy judgements And see how the Prophet Habakkuk behaved himself when God spake with a terrible Voice chap. 3. 2 c. O Lord I have heard thy speech and was afraid when God came down from Teman the Holy One from Mount Paran Selah when the Pestilence went before him and burning Coals went forth at his feet when the Nations were drove asunder the everlasting Mountains were scattered and the perpetual hills did bow when the Tents of Cushan were in affliction and the Curtains of the land of Midian did tremble when God did ride upon Horses and his Bow was made quite naked when the Sun and Moon did stand still in their habitations at the light of his arrows that went forth at the shining of his glittering Spear when God did march through the land in his indignation and walk through the Sea with his horses and did wound the head out of the house of the wicked and did strike through habitations with his staves at this the Prophet is afraid his Belly trembled his lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into his bones c. And when God hath come down from Heaven the Holy One from Mount Sion Selah When the Pestilence hath gone before him and burning Coals at his feet when the Lord drove London asunder scattered the Inhabitants and made the stately buildings to bow and fall whose rearing up none can remember when the Tents of London have been in affliction and the Curtains of the City have trembled when Death hath been riding upon Horses and his Bow hath been made quite naked when the Heavens have been astonished at Gods Judgements and the Sun and Moon have hid their heads in their Habitations at the shining of his glittering Spear When the Lord hath marched through the City in his indignation hath wounded the heads of so many wicked with his arrows and struck through so many Habitations with his staves Oh how should London tremble and quiver and stand in awe of this glorious Majesty at the voice of these terrible Judgements Read and apply what the Lord speaketh by the Prophet Isaias Chap. 33. 13 14. Hear ye that are far off what I have done and ye that are neer acknowledge my might The sinners of Sion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall inhabit everlasting burnings v. 18. Thine heart shall meditate terrour where is the Scribe where is the receiver where is he that counted the Towers Methinks the sinners now in London should be afraid and fearfulness should surprize the Hypocrites when God hath sent so many of their number into the Everlasting burnings of Hell by the Plague and by such a devouring Fire hath consumed so many Habitations Tremble ye Sinners at this and be ye horribly afraid all ye workers of iniquity God hath come down with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet He hath taken his weapons in his hand and hath appeared in London as a furious Enemy should not this make the sinners in the City to quake and strike a dread upon the spirits of the rebellious When the Lord hath spoken thus and done thus because of our sins should not London yea all England hear and fear
offended with Hypocrites what good will a Form do you without the Power of godliness what good will showes do you without sincere and substantial service what benefit will you get by counterfeit Graces if your Graces be not reall if your Repentance and Faith and Love and the like be feigned how uneffectual will they be to procure pardon and peace and salvation are you content to lose all your Bodily Exercise and to have all your heartless lifeless Duties rise up one day in Judgement against you What advantage will you get by a bare Profession of Religion especially in such times when profession if it be strict is discountenanced and Professors if their Lamp shine with any brightness and they carry any great sail expose themselves to danger And if you have not Sincerity which alone can yield you the true and sweet fruits of Religion you are like to lose all and of all others to make your selves most miserable you may suffer from Men because you have a Profession and you will suffer from God because you have no more than a Profession What then should you cast off your Profession No so you would turn Apostates and may fall into the sin against the Holy Ghost which will bring upon you inevitable Damnation but lay aside your hypocrisie and become sincere be that in truth which you are in show labour for sincerity in regard of your State and labour for sincerity in regard of your Duties Sinners God calls upon all of you to turn from your evil wayes by his thundering Voice Turn presently let the time past be sufficient wherein you have fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the minde go not a step forward in the way of sin least you meet with destruction suddenly and perish without remedy Turn universally say not of any sin as Lot did of Zoar It is a little one cast away all your transgressions and let no iniquity have dominion over you for the future Turn heartily from an inward Principle of hatred to sin and love to God and not from outward Considerations and meerly upon the account of sins dreadfull consequents Turn constantly and with full purpose of heart never to return unto your evil wayes of sin any more 10. The Lord doth expect after such Iudgements that London should seek him That they should not only turn from their evil wayes but also that they should turn unto him that hath smitten them and seek the Lord of Hosts Isa. 9. 13. We read Am. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is falen she is forsaken and none to raise her up whereupon God calls to this duty v. 4 5 6 8. Thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live but seek not Bethel c. seek the Lord and ye shall live least he break forth like fire in the house of Joseph and devour and there be none to quench seek him who made the seven Stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning c. the LORD is his Name and it follows v. 15. It may be the Lord will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph And when this Duty is neglected see the Threatning v. 16. Wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the high wayes Alas alas and they shall call the Husbandmen to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing And now London is fallen doth not the Lord call upon them that they would call upon him and as they would turn away his anger and prevent their utter ruine that they would seek him who can turn the shadow of death into the Morning and the blackest night of affliction into a day of Prosperity and Rejoycing London seek the Lord that ye may live that there may be a reviving after the years of such death and ruines seek the Lord before the decree bring forth some other Judgement and ye pass away like Chaffe before the Whirlwinde in the day of the Lords fierce anger it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of this great City God expects that London should now pray at another rate than heretofore they have done It is said Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God and when God had consumed Israel because of their iniquities the Prophet complains Isa. 64. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Had the Prayers of London been such as they should have been such as they have been the Desolations of London might have been prevented God expects that London under such Chastisements should pour out Prayers before him Isa. 26. 16. God hath spoken terribly unto them he expects that they should cry mightily unto him God expects that London should meet him in the way of his Judgements not only with weepings for their sins that they have provoked him unto so great displeasure but also with Supplications for his Mercies When Iacob was devoured and his dwelling-place laid waste Psal. 79. 7. you have their prayer v. 8 9 c. O Remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O Lord God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And the Church under desolating Judgements doth in prayer express her self very pathetically Isa. 63. 15 c. Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies are they restrained Doubtless thou art our Father c. We are thine return for thy servants sake c. and chap. 64. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people God hath been pleading and contending with London by his Judgements and God doth look that London should plead with him in prayer for his Mercies London seek the Lord of Hosts who hath come forth against you in battel and wounded you with his sharp arrows and yet hath not laid down his weapons get to your knees hang about Gods feet and arms fill your mouths with arguments to stay him in the course of his Judgements let not the Apple of your eye cease from weeping that you have displeased him and let not your tongue cease from humble and earnest Entreaties that he would pardon you and remove his displeasure from you Seek the Lord humbly put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be any hope God hears the Cry of the Humble and will not despise their Prayer Psal. 10. 17. Psal. 102. 17. Seek the Lord diligently He hath promised to be found of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. God looks for earnest hearty fervent Prayer There is a sweet Promise which God makes
11. he will be your refuge under oppression and present help in time of trouble Psal. 46. 1. he will be your rock and fortress your high tower to defend you or your deliverer to redeem you out of all your troubles trust in God alone for all things if you make use of creatures do not lean and stay upon them for they will slip from under you but stay your selves on God O the peace and quiet which this will yield in shaking troublesome dayes when others hearts tremble within them and are moved like leaves upon the approach of danger you shall not be afraid of evil tydings but have your hearts fixed trusting in the Lord Psal. 112. 7. 13. God doth expect that London should have Death in continual remembrance This God expects from the Judgement of the Plague the Death of so many thousands a week in London gave such a spectacle of Mortality and Preached such a Sermon in the City as should bring the remembrance of Death into their minds every day of their lives the death if it were but of one or two should put you in mind of your later end but when you have seen so many go down into the pit before you it should inscribe the remembrance of death more deeply upon your mindes the record of which you should look daily into the gates of the City in the year of the Plague seem'd to have this inscription upon them All Flesh is Grass Let that word sound every day in your ears and remember your bodies are exposed to the stroke of death every day and though you have out-lived the Plague that yet Death hath you in the chase and will ere long you know not how soon overtake you remember your glass is running and will quickly be run out and therefore all the dayes of your appointed time as you should remember so you should prepare for your great change God expects that the remaining inhabitants of London should be prepared well for death now when they have had death so much in their view some of you have been sick of the Plague and brought to the very brink of the Grave all of you have been in danger of the Plague when the disease was so sore and raging I fear most of you were unprepared for death at that time and had you dyed then that it would have been with horrour and I believe that there are few of you but did in the time of your fears and danger make vows and promises if the Lord would shelter you from the arrows which flew about you and spare your lives then that you would lead new lives and be more carefull to prepare for your change so that Death should not take you so unprovided any more God expects the fulfilling of your promises and that you should live up to the vowes which you made in the time of your distress and so provide your selves whilest you are well that the messenger of Death may have a welcome reception when ever he summoneth you to leave this world 14. God expects that London should retain great impressions of Eternity You have had the door of Eternity set wide open in your view when so many were thronging in at the door and I believe you had deeper apprehensions of Eternity in those dayes than ever you had in your lives take heed that those impressions do not wear off and that you lose not those apprehensions especially when you are drawing every day nearer and nearer thereunto Think often of the vast Ocean of Eternity without bottome or bank on the other side into which the whole stream of time will empty it self and how quickly the small rivulet of your appointed dayes may fall into it Think often of the unalterable state of Joy or Misery which you must enter into at the end of your course think how thin and short the pleasures of sin are in this life in comparison of the horrible and endless torments of hell and how light and momentaneous the afflictions of Gods people are here in comparison with the exceeding and eternal weight of glory prepared for them in Heaven 2 Cor. 4. 17. 15. God doth call upon London by the Fire which burnt down the City to secure themselves against the Fire of Hell London's Fire was Dreadful but the Fire of Hell will be a thousand-fold more Dreadfull The Fire of London was kindled by man be sure some second cause was made use of herein but the Fire of Hell will be kindled by God himself Isa. 30. 33. Tophet is ordained of old for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is Fire and much Wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it The Fire of London burnt the houses of the City and consumed much of the goods but the Fire of Hell will burn the persons of the wicked Matth. 15. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting Fire The Fire of London did burn most but not all the houses in the City some are yet remaining but the Fire of Hell will burn all the persons of the wicked not one of them shall escape and remain The Fire of London was extinguished and did last but four dayes but the Fire of Hell will be unextinguishable it will burn for ever it is called everlasting Fire in which the damned must lye and burn eternally without any possibility of ever getting forth If you had known before of Londons Fire where it would begin and how it would spread and seize upon your houses surely you would have taken some course for the prevention of it you know before of the Fire of Hell the Word of God hath revealed it O take some course for prevention of it at least for securing of your selves against it when the Fire was burning in London you did fly from it least it should have consumed your persons as well as houses O fly from the Fire of Hell into which your persons will be thrown if you go on in sin fly from the wrath which is to come fly unto Jesus Christ who alone can deliver you 16. God doth call upon Londoners by the Fire to be like Strangers and Pilgrims in the World God hath burned you out of your habitations that he might loosen your affections from houses and riches and all things here below that he might unsettle you unhinge unfix you that you might never think of Rest and Settlement in the Creatures as long as you live God calls upon you by this Judgement to take off your hearts from this world which is so very uncertain and to be like Strangers and Pilgrims upon the earth who are to take up your lodging here but a few dayes and nights in your passage to the other world God expects you should live as those who have here no certain dwelling place and therefore that you should not lavish away too much of your thoughts and affections and time about these