the heels and hurled him over-board and then the storm ceased and the Sea was quieâ— It will be hard to name an Atheist either in the holy Scripture or in Ecclesiastical Histories or in Heathen Writings which came not to some fearful end and therefore no wonder if Austin would not be an Atheist for half an hour for the gain of a million of worlds because he knew not but God might in that time make an end of him I have been the longer upon this Head because Atheist and Atheism did never so abound in this Land as it hath done these last years And that you may the clearer see who they are that have brought that sad Judgment of Fire upon that once glorious City of London Ah London London 't was the gross Atheism and the practical Atheist that was within and without thy Walls that has turned thee into a ruinous heap Mark I readily grant that there is the seeds reliques stirring and moving of Atheism in the best and holiest of the Sons of men but then 1. They disallow of it and discountenance it 2. 'T is lamented and bewailed by them 3. They oppose it and conflict with it 4. They use all holy and conscientious means and endeavours to be rid of it 5. By degrees they get ground against it and therefore God never did nor never will turn Cities or Kingdomâ— into flames for those seeds and remains of Atheism that are to be found in the best of Saints 't is that Atheism that is rampant that raigns in the hearts and lives of sinners as a Prince raigns upon his Throne that brings desolating and destroying Judgments upon the most flourishing Kingdoms and the most glorious Cities that are in the World But Secondly Luxury and Intemperance bring desolating and destroying Judgments upon Places and Persons Joel 1. 5. Awake ye drunkards and weep and howl all ye drinkers of In Ecclesiastical History you may read of one Drunkard who being toucht with his sin wept himself blind but the Drunkards of our days are more apt to drink themselves blind then to weep themselves blind wine because of the new wine for it is cut off from your mouth Verse 19. O Lord to thee will I cry for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flames have burnt all the trees of the field Verse 20. The beasts of the field cry unto thee for the rivers of the water are dryed up and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness Luxury is a sin that brings both famine and fire upon a people it brought the Chaldeans upon the Jews who by fire and sword laid all waste The Horses of the Caldees destroyed their Pastures Vines Fig-trees Pomegranates c. which grew in many places of the Land and their Souldiers set their houses on fire and so brought all to ruine Amos 6. 1. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion Verse 3. That put far away the evil day Verse 4. That lye upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall Verse 5. That chant to the sound of the viol and invent to themselves instruments of musick like David Verse 6. That drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief oyntments but they are not grieved for the affliction of Josâ—ph Verse 7. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed Verse 8. The Lord God hath sworn by himself saith the Lord God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his palaces therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein Verse 11. For behold the Lord commandeth and he will smite the great house with breaches and the little house with clefts Luxury is a sin that forfeits all a mans enjoyments that turns him out of house and home Samaria was a very glorious City and a very strong City and a very rich City and a very populous City and a very ancient City c. and yet Luxury and Intemperance turned it into ashes it brought desolating and destroying Judgments upon it The rich Citizens of Samaria were given up to mirth and musick to Luxuries and excesses to riotousness and drunkenness to feasting and carousing and by these vanities and debaucheries they provoked the Lord to command the Chaldeans to fall on and to spoil them of their riches and to lay their glorious City in ashes So 't was Luxury and Intemperance that provoked the Lord to rain Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah Luxury turned those rich and populous Gen. 18. Cities into ruinous heaps Ah London London the Luxuries and excesses the riotousness and drunkenness the mad feasting and carousing that have been within and without thy Walls that have been within thy great Halls Taverns and other great Houses hath turned thee into ashes and laid thy glory in the dust O you burnt Citizens of London what shameful spewing hath been in some of your Feasts as if Sardanapolus Apicius and Heliogabalus were still alive How often have many of you poured into your bodies such intoxicating drinks as hath many times laid you asleep stript you of your reason took away your hearts robbed you of your selves and laid a beast in your room Drunkenness is so base so vile a sin that it transforms the Soul deforms the body bereaves the brain betrays the strength defiles the affections and metamorphoseth the whole man yea it unmans the man Cyrus the Persian Xenophon Monarch being demanded of his Grandfather Astyages why he would drink no wine answered For fear lest they give me poyson for saith he yesterday when you celebrated your Nativity I judged that some body had poysoned all the wine they drunk because at the taking away of the Cloth not one of all those that were present at the Feast arose in his right mind Hath it not been thus with many of you if it hath lay your hands upon your mouths and say the Lord is righteous though he hath laid your houses in ashes Anacharses used to say that the first cup of wine was for thirst the second for nourishment the third for mirth and the fourth for madness but what would he have said had he lived within or without the Walls of London these last six years Ah London London were there none Isa 5. 22. Hab. 2. 17. within nor without thy Walls that were strong to drink and that gave their neighbour drink and that put the bottle to them to make them drunk that they might look on their nakedness Were there none within nor without thy Walls that with Marcus Antonius Darius Alexander the Great c. did boast and glory and pride themselves in their great abilities to drink down any that should come into their Company Were there none within nor without thy Walls O London
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
had set both their City and Temple in a flame before their eyes Now mark sudden and unexpected Judgements do alwayes carry a great deal of the anger and severity of God in them Deut. 7. 4. So will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly God being greatly angry with Jerusalem Isa 29. 1 2 3 4. He tells her that her Judgement should be at an instant suddenly ver 5. Psal 64. 7. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded Hab. 2. 7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vex thee and thou shalt be for booties unto them Prov. 6. 14 15. Frowardness is in his heart be deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Here is a dismal doom not bruised but broken yea suddenly broken when they least dream or dread the danger And this without remedy there shall be no possibility of piecing them up again or putting them into a better condition Chap. 24. 22. Their calamity shall rise suddenly when they think that they have made all cock-sure then ruine and desolation lyes at their door Certainly there are no judgements so dreadful and amazing as those which come most suddenly and unexpectedly upon the sons of men for these cut off all hope they hinder the exercise of reason they cloud mens minds they distress mens spirits they marr mens councils and they weaken mens courage and they daunt mens hearts so that they can neither be serviceable to themselves nor their friends not the publick all this was evidently seen upon the body of the Citizens when London was in flames The more eminent cause have we to take notice of the hand of the Lord in that late fiery dispensation that has past upon us The year 1666. according to the computation of several sober wise learned men should have been the Christians Jubilee many mens expectations were high that Rome that year should be laid in ashes but it never entered into any of our hearts or thoughts that this very year London should be laid in ashes O unexpected blow Berlin in Germany who in the Pulpit Scultet Aâ—â—aâ— charged the Apostle Paul with a lie was suddenly smitten with an Apoplexy while the words were yet in his mouth and fâ—ll down dead in the place The Parson of Chrondal in Kent having got a Pardon from Cardinal Pool as the Popes Substitute in that work the next Lords Day in his own Parish presses all his people to do the lâ—ke with this Argument that he was now so free from all his sins that he could die presently and God presently so struck him in the Pulpit that he died and never spoke more As Bibulus a Roman General was riding in triumph in all his glory a Tyle fell from the house in the Street and knockt out his brains Otho the Emperour slew himself with his own hands but slept so soundly the night before that the Grooms of his Chamber heard him snort And Plutarch reporteth the like of Cato Lepidus and Aufidius stumbled at the very threshold of the Senate and died the blow came in a cloud from Heaven Sophocles died suddenly by excessive joy and Homer by immoderate grief Mr. Perkins speaks of one who when it thundered scoffingly said it was nothing but Tom Tumbril a hooping his Tubs and presently he was struck dead with a Thunderbolt Olympus the Arrian Heretick bathing himself Theatre of Gods Judgements lib. 1. ap 9. p. 64. uttered sad words against the blessed Trinity but suddenly a threefold Thunderbolt struck him dead in the same place Attilus King of the Huns proudly gave out that the Stars fell before him and the earth trembled at his presence and how he would be the scourge of all Nations but soon after he died by a flux of blood breaking out of his mouth which choaked him on his wedding-day King Henry the Second of France upon the Marriage of his Sister with the King of Spain was so puffed up that he called him self by a new Title Tres-heurâ—use Roy The thrice happy King But to confute him in solemnizing that Marriage he was slain at Tilt by the Captain of his Guard though against his will but not without Gods determinate counsel in the very beginning of his supposed happiness Now every one that is a man either of reason or Religion will certainly say that in these sudden Judgements that befell these persons there was the angry and displeased hand of God to be seen O how much more then should we see the angry and displeased hand of the Lord in that sudden dreadful fire that has turned our once renowned City into a ruinous heap Jer. 8. 15. In this year 1666. many thought that there had been many great and glorious things in the womb of Providence that would have been now brought forth but they were mistaken for unexpectedly London is laid in ashes But Thirdly Consider the force violence vehemency and irresistibleness of it despising and triumphing over all those Many Authors speak much of the Greek Fire some of which burnt the Saracens Fleet to be of such force that the Ancients accounted no other means would extinguish it but Vinegar And certainly several firâ—s that have been enkindled by Romish Jesuits have not been less turious weak endeavours that were used This Fire broke forth with that violence and raged with that fury and appeared in that dreadfulness and spread it self with that dismalness and continued for so long a time with that irresistibleness that discouraged hearts and weak hands with their Buckets Engines Ladders Hooks opening of Pipes and sweeping of Channels could give no check to it This fire broke in upon the Inhabitants like an Arm of the Sea and roared and raged like a Bear robbed of her Whelps until it had laid our glory in ashes When the fire was here and there a little allayed or beaten down or put to a stand how soon did it recover its force and violence and make the more furious onsets burning down Water-houses Engines Churches and the most strong pleasant and stately houses nothing being able to stand before its rage How soon did the flames mount up to the tops of the highest houses and as soon descend down to the bottom of the lowest Vaults and Cellars Stone walls and Brick-walls and those noble and strong Pieces of Architecture were all but fuel to those furious flames How did they march along Jehu-like on both sides of the Streets with such a roaring dreadful and astonishing noise as never was heard in the City of London before Londons sins were now so great and Gods wrath was now so hot that there was no quenching of the furious flames The Decree for the burning of London was now gone forth and none could reverse it The time of Londons fall was now come The fire had
the Sea The winds are Gods Posts they are sometimes messengers of mercy and sometimes messengers of wrath Psal 147. 18. He causeth his wind to blow The winds are at Gods command to come and go and go and come at his pleasure When there is nothing but a sweet smooth and silver calm on the Seas if God dos but give forth a word of command how soon are they thrown into Hills and Mountains and how dreadfully do the waves dash and clash one against another Psal 148. 8. Fire and Hail Snow and Vapours stormy Wind fulfilling his word Sometimes the word that God has to fulfill is a saving word and sometimes 't is a destroying word a drowning word a sinking word Now according to the word that God has to fulfill so do the winds alwayes blow The Lord hath the winds at command to be his Executioners and administrators either of destruction or preservation What are stormy winds at Sea or a Shore but the utterings of Gods voice in wrath and judgement Sometimes God is said to fly upon the wings of Psal 18. 10. 2 Sam. 22. 11. Psal 104. 3. the wind and sometimes he is said to ride upon the wings of the wind and sometimes he is said to walk upon the wings of the wind Now these things are spoken after the manner of men to shew that the winds are continually acted and governed by a Divine Power God flies upon the wings of the tempestuous winds speedily to execute the vengeance Exod. 15. 10. Exod. 14. 21. written and he rides and walks upon the wings of the more sâ—â—t easie and gentle gales of the wind that he may make good the mercies promised No creatures in Heaven or on Earth hath the winds at command but God solely and properly Every wind that blows has a commission under the Great Seal of Heaven to bare it out in all it dos If the winds should be examined questioned and required to give in a full and exact account of the many thousand Marriners that they have drowned and of the many thousand Ships that they have spoyled and destroyed and of the many ten thousand houses that they have blown down at some times and of the many score thousand houses that when the fire has been kindled they have helpt to consume and reduce to ashes at other times they would shew you the hand and seal of Heaven for all they have done The Soveraignty and greatness of God doth eminently shine and sparkle in this that the winds are originally in his hand He gathereth the wind in his fâ—st God keeps the Prov. 30. 4. royaltie of all the creatures in his own hand The winds are greater or lesser of a longer or shorter continuance according to the will and pleasure of the great God and not according to the workings of second causes The more civilized Heathens had this notion amongst them That the winds were under the Dominion of one Supream Power and therefore dividing the world among sundry Gods they gave the honor of the Winds to Aeâ—lus whom they ignorâ—ntly suppose had a power to lock them fast or to let them loose at his pleasure These poor besotted Heathens thought that their feigned God Aeâ—lus had power to govern and bridle the winds and to turn them this way and that way as a man governs the Charâ—ot in which he ridâ—th And many ignorant Atheistical wretches when the winds are boisterous and violent they are ready to say that there is conjuring abroad and that the Dâ—vil is at work but they must know that the Devil has not power of himself to raise one blast of wind no nor so much wind as will stir a sea ther. I know that the Devil is the Prince of the power of Ephes 2 2. the air and that when God will give him leave to play Râ—x for ends best known to himself he can then raise such storms and tempests both at Sea and a Shore as shall dash the stoutest Ships in pieces and remove Mountains and makâ— the most glorious Cities in the world a ruinous heap he can easily and quickly raze the foundations of the fairest the Job 1. 19. richest the strongest and the renownest and the oldest buildings in the world if God will but permit him But without Divine permission no Angel in Heaven no Devil in Hell nor no Witch on Earth can raise or continue the winds one moment Satans power over the wind is only a derivative power a permissive power but the Lords power over the wind is a supream power an absolute power an independant power Now O what eminent cause have we to see the hand of the Lord in that boisterous wind that continued four dayes and nights and that carried the fire to all points of the Compass to all parts of the City if I may so speak till our glorious City was laid in Ashes Oh how great were the sins of that people Oh how great was the anger of that God who united two of the most dreadfullest elements Fire and Wind to destroy our City and lay our glory in the dust When the Romans put fire to the Walls of Jerusalem at first the North Wâ—nd blew it furiously upon the Josâ—phus Aniq l. 7. c. 28. Romans themselves but suddenly the wind changing and blowing from the South as it were by Gods Providence saith my Author it turned the fire again upon the wall and so all was consumed and turned into ashes And this Eleazâ—r in his Oration to his companions takes special notice of where he saith Neither hath our Castle by nature inexpugnable Page 75 8. any thing profited us to our preservation but we having store of victuals and armour and all other necessaries have lost all hope of safety God himself opâ—nly taking it from us For the fire that once was carried against our enemies did not of it self return against us and unto the wall we built Suppose the Romans or some set on by the Conclave of Rome did at first â—et our City on fire by casting their fire-brands for by that means Jerusalem was set on fire or fire balls here and there yet how highly dos it concern us when we consider the furious wind that helpt on the fury of the fire to lay our hands upon our loynes and to say the Lord is righteous â—nd that our present ruine is but the product of incensed Justice c. When the Lord hath any service for the wind to do it is presently upon the march to run and dispatch his errands whether of indignation or of mercy If the Lord General of Heaven and Earth the great the supream Commander of the winds will have them to destroy a people and to help on the destruction of their houses when the flames are kindled or to break and dash in pieces their Ships at Sea it shall soon be accomplished 2 Chron. 20 37. Because thou hast joyned thy self with Ahaziah the Lord hath broken thy
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
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
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
Rulers of this World are as Pliny speaks of the Roman Emperors Nomine Dii Natura Diaboli Monsters not men Murtherers not Magistrates such a Monster was Saul who hunted David as a Partridge slew the innocent Priests of the Lord ran to a Witch and who was a man of so narrow a Soul that he knâ—w not how to look or live above himself his own interests and concernments The great care of every Magistrate Exod. 32. 10 11. 32. Nehem. 5. 6. to 19. Psal 137. 5 6. Acts 13. 36. should be to promote the publick Interest more than their own as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together 'T was Caesars high commendation that he never had himself after the World had him for a Governour his mind was so set on the â—ublick that that he forgot his own private Affairs The Stars have their brightness not for themselves but for the use of others The Application is easie My Lord several Philosophers have made excellent and Carneades Aristotle Socrates c. The Roman Orator hath long since observed that the force of Justice is such and so great that even Thieves and Robbers both by Sea and Land who live upon injustice and rapine yet cannot live upon their Trade without some practice of it among themselves Cleobulus one of the seven Sages was wont to say that mediocrity was without compare The very Heathen could set so much divine glory in the face of a Magistrate that he styled him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the living Image of the everliving God Magistrates are as Nazianzen expresses it Pictures drawn of God Every Magistrate though in never so low a place bears the Image of God a Penny bears the Image of the Prince as well as a Shilling Magistrates are not immortal Deities neither have they everlasting God-heads Those gods as they had a beginning so they must have an end Quicquid oritur moritur There is a Mene Mene on them their days are numbred their time is computed Hercules his Pillar stands in their way Non datur ultra legant Orations in the praise of justice they say that all Verâ—â—es are compreâ—ended in the distribution of justice Justice saith Aristotle is a Synopsis and Epitome of all Vertues All I shall say is this the world is a Ring and justice is the Diamond in that Ring the world is a body and justice is the soul â—f that body It is well known that the constitution of a mans body is best known by his pulse if it stir not at all then we know he is dead if it stir violently then we know him to be in a Fever if it keep an equal stroke then we know he is sound well and whole So the estate and constitution of a City Kingdom or Common-weal is best known by the manner of executing justice therein for justice is the pulse of a City Kingdom or Common-weal if justice be violent then the City Kingdom or Common-weal is in a Fever in a very bad estate if it stir not at all then the City Kingdom or Common-wealth is dead but if it hath an equal stroke if it be justly and duely administred then the City Kingdom or Common-weal is in a good a safe and a sound condition When Vespasian asked Apollonius what was the cause of Neroes ruine he answered that Nero could tune the Harp well but in Government he did always winde up the strings too high or let them down too low Extreams in Government are the ready way to ruine all The Roâ—â—ns had their Rods for lesser faults and their Ax for capital crimes Extream right often proves extream wrong he that will always go to the utmost of what the Law allows will too too often do more than the Law requires A rigid severity often mars all Equity is still to be perferred before extremity To inflict great penalties and heavy censures for light offences this is to kill a flye upon a mans forehead with a Beetle The great God hath put his own Name upon Magâ—strates Psal 82. 6. I said that ye are gods Yet it must be granted that you are gods in a smaller letter mortal gods gods that must dye like men all the sons of Ish are sons of Adam Magistrates must do justice impartially for as they are called Gods so in this they must be like to God who is no accepter of persons Deur 1. 17. Leviâ— 19. 15. He accepts not of the rich man because of his Robes neither doth he reject the poor man because of his Rags The Magistrates eyes are to be always upon causes and not upon persons Both the Statues of the Theban Judges and the Statues of the Egyptian Judges were made without hands and without eyes to intimate to us that as Judges should have no hands to receive Bribes so they should have no eyes to see a friend from a foe or a brother from a stranger in judgment And it was the Oath of the Heathen Judges as the Orator relates Audiam accusatorem reum sine affectibus personâ—rum respectione I will hear the Plaintiff and the Defendant with an equal mind without affection and respect of persons In the twelfth Novel of Justinian you may read of an Oath imposed upon Judges and Justices against inclining or addicting themselves to either party yea they put themselves under a deep and bitter execration and curse in case of partiality imploring God in such language as this Let me have my part with Judas and let the Leprosie of Gehâ—zi cleave to me and the trembling of Cain come upon me and whatsoever else may astonish and dismay a man if I am partial in the administration of justice The Poet in the Greek Epigram taught the silver Ax of justice that was carried before the Roman Magistrates to proclaim If thou be an offendeâ— let not the silver flatter thee if an innocent let not the Ax 〈◊〉 â—ight thee The Athenian Judges judged in the night when the faces of men could not be seen that so they might be impartial in judgment My Lord your impartiality in the administration of justice in that high Orb wherein Divine Providence hath placed you is one of those great things that hath made you high and honourable in the eyes and hearts of all that are true lovers of impartial justice Some Writers say that some Waters in Macedonia being drunk by black sheep change their fleece into white Nothing but the pure and impartial administration of justice and judgment can transform black mouth'd black-handed and black hearted men into white There is nothing that sweetens satisfies and silences all sorts of men like the Isa 1. 23 24. administration of impartial justice the want of this brought desolation upon Jerusalem and the whole Land of Jury and upon many other flourishing Kingdoms and Countries as all August de Civitate Dei lib. 10. cap. 21 c. lib. 4. cap. 4. Lipsius de constan l. 2. c.
office of Magistracy God charges him no less then three times in a Josh 1. 6 7. 9. breath as it were to be very couragious A Magistrate that is timorous will quickly be treacherous A Magistrate that is fearful can never be faithful Solomons Throne was supported with Lyons to shew that Magistrates should be men of metal and courage The Athenian Judges sate in Mâ—rs Acts 17. 22. street to shew that they had Martial hearts and that they were men of courage and metal The Grecians placed justice betwixt Leo and Libra to signifie that as there must be indifferency in determining so there ought to be courage in executing Where there is courage without knowledge there the eye of justice is blind and where there is knowledge without courage there the Sword of justice is blunt A Magistrates heart a Judges heart and his Robes must be both dyed in grain else the colour of the one and the courage of the other will quickly fade Why should not the Standard be of steel and the chief posts of the house be heart of Oak It hath been long since said of Cato Fabricius and Aristides that it was as easie to remove the Sun out of the Firmament as to remove them from justice and equity they were men of such couragious and magnanimous spirits for justice and righteousness No Scarlet Robe doth so well become a Magistrate as holy courage and stoutness doth As bodily Physitians so State-Physitians should have an Eagles eye a Ladies hand and a Lyons heart Cowardly and timo râ—us Magistrates will never set up Monuments of their Victories over sin and prophaneness It is very sad when we may say of our Magistrates as the Heathen did of Magistrates in his time they were very good si audeant quae sentiunt if they Cic. de Mil. durst but do what they ought to do My Lord had not the Lord of Lords put a great spirit of courage boldness and resolution Rev. 1. 5 6. Chap. 1â— 14. upon you you had never been able to have managed your Government as you have done counting the various winds that have blown upon you and the several difficulties and discouragements that have risen up before you My Lord once more give me leave to say that in a Magistrate justice and mercy justice and clemency ought to go hand Truth in Scripture is frequently put for Justice in hand Prov. 20. 28. Mercy and truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by mercy All justice will not preserve the King nor all mercy will not preserve the King there must be a mixture both of justice and mercy to preserve the King and to uphold his Throne and to shew that mercy is more requisite then justice the word Mercy is doubled in the Text. Justice without mercy turns into rigour and so becomes hateful Mercy without justice turns into fond pity and so becomes contemptible Look as the Rod of Aaron and King John thought to strengthen himself by gathering a great deal of money together but neglecting the exercise of mercy and justice clemency and lenity he lost his peoples affections and so after many endless turmoyls he came to an unhappy end he Pot of Manna were by Gods own Command laid up in the same Ark so must mercy and justice be preserved intire in he bosom of the same Magistrate mercy and justice mildness and righteousness leniâ—y and fidelity are a safer and a stronger Guard to Princes and people then rich Mines Munitions of Rocks mighty Armies powerful Navies or any warlike Preparations It is very observable that Christ is called but once the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah in the Book of the Revelation and that is in Chap. 5. vers 5. But he is called a Lamb no less then nine and twenty times in that Book and what is this but to shew us the transcendent mercy clemency lenity mildness and sweetness that is in Jesus Christ and to shew that he is infinitely more inclined to the exercise of mercy then he is to the exercise of justice It is true Magistrates should be Lyons in the execution of justice and it is as true that â—hey should be Lambs in the exercise of mercy and clemency mildness and sweetness and the more ready and inclinable they are to the exercise of mercy where mâ—rcy is to be shewed the more like to Christ the Lamb they are God is slow to anger he abounds in pity though he be great in power Seneca hath long Psal 68. 18. Psal 103. 13 14. Hosea 11. 8. Vide Aug. de civit Dei l. 5. cap. 26. Orosius lib. 7. cap. 34. since observed that the Custom of anointing Kings was to shew that Kings above all other men should be men of the greatest sweetness and mildness their anointing being a sign of that Kingly sweetness and mildness that should be in them Theodosius the Emperour by his loveliness and clemency gained many Kingdoms The Goths after the death of their own King beholding his temperance patience and justice mixt with mercy and clemency gave themselves up to his Government When Cicero would claw Caesar he tells him that his Valour and Victories were common with the rest of his Souldiers but his clemency and goodness were wholly his own Neroes Speech hath great praise who in the beginning of his Reign when he was to subscribe to the death of any condemned person would say Uâ—inam nescirem literas I wish I did not know how to write I know there are a thousand thousand cases wherein severity is to be used But yet I must say that 't is much safer â—o account for mercy then for cruelty 't is best that the sword of justice should be always furbisht with the oyl of mercy My Lord in the management of your Government you have been so assisted and helpt from on high that stoutness and mildness justice and mercy justice and clemency hath like a silver thred run through all your Mayoralty and by this means you have very signally served the Interest of the Crown the Interest of the City the Interest of the Nation and that which is more then all the rest the Interest of your own Soul Rigour breeds rebellion Rehoboam by his severity by his cruelty lost ten Tribes in one day 1 Kings 12. 16. My Lord your prudence justice and moderation your burning zeal against the horrid hideous heady vices of this day your punishing of Oaths Drunkenness and the false Ballance your singular Sobriety and Temperance in the midst of all your high Entertainments your Fidelity and Activity your eminent Self-denial A self-seeking Magistrate is one of the worst of Plagues and Judgments that can befal a people he is a Gangrene in the head which brings both a more speedy and a more certain ruine then if it were in some inferior and less noble part of the body in respect of your Perquisites your unwearied Endeavours to see London raised out
of its Ruines and to see the Top-stone laid your great readiness and willingness to spend and be spent for the publick Good these are the things that have made your Name as a precious Oyntment and that have erected for you a noble living Monument in the breasts and hearts of all sober serious Christians these are the things that have made you the Darling of the people Let all succeeding Lord Mayors but manage their own Persons Families and Government as you have done by divine assistance and without a peradventure they will have a proportionable interest in the hearts and affections of the people For my Lord 't is not barely the having of a Sword of Justice a Sword of Power but the well management of that Sword that makes most for the interest both of Prince and People and that gives the Magistrate a standing interest in the hearts and affections of the people My Lord the generality of people never concern themselves about the particular perswasions of this or that Magistrate in the matters of Religion their eyes are upon their Examples and upon the management of their Trust and Power for publick Good and they that do them most good shall be sure to have most of â—heir hearts and voices lâ—â— their private opinions in the matters of Religion be what they will My Lord I have not so learned Christ as to give flattering Titles to men the little that I have written I have written in Job 32. 22. the plainness and singleness of my heart and for your Lordships comfort and encouragement in all well doing and to provoke all â—thers that shall succeed in your Chair to write after that fair Copy that you have set them which will be their Honour London's Happiness and Englands Interest Plutarch said of Demosthenes that he was excellent at praising the worthy Acts of his Ancestors but not so at imitating them The Lord grant that this may never be made good of any that shall succeed your Lordship Carus the Emperours Motto was Bonus Dux bonus Comes A good Leader makes a good Follower The complaint is ancient in Seneca that commonly men live not ad rationem but Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. ad similitudinem Praecepta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but Examples do perswade Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies that went before them the highest Examples are very quickning and provoking O that by all that shall succeed your Lordship in the Chair we may yet behold our City rising more and more out of its Ashes in greater splendour and glory then ever yet our eyes have seen it that all sober Citizens may have eminent cause to call them the Repairers of the Breaches Isa 58. 12. Chap. 61. 4. Amos 9. 14. Ezek. 36. 33 34 35 36 38. Dan. 9. 25. and Restorers of our City to dwell in Concerning Jerusalem burned and laid waste by the Assyrians Daniel foretold that the streets and the walls thereof should be rebuilded even in troublesom times Though the Assyrians have laid our Jerusalem waste yet even to a wonder how have the Buildings been carried on this last year My Lord the following Treatise which I humbly dedicate to your Lordship has been drawn up some years the Reasons why it has been buried so long in oblivion are not here to be inserted the Discourse is sober and of great importance to all that have been burnt up and to all whose Houses have escaped the furious Flames Whilst the remembrance of London's Flames are kept alive in the thoughts and hearts of men this Treatise will be of use in the world My Lord I do not dedicate this Tractate to your Lordship as if it stood in need of your Honours Patronage I judge it to be of Age both to plead for it self and to defend it self against all Gain-sayers Veritas vincit veritas stat in aperto campo Zeno Socrates Anaxarchus My Lord some sacrifice their labours to great Maecenas's that they may be aton'd to shield them from potent Antagonists but these Sermons which here I present to your Honours perusal being only the blessed Truths of God I hope they need no arm but his to defend them c. sealed the lean and barren truths of Philosophy with the expence of their dearest blood as you may see in the Heathen Martyrologie O how much more should we be ready to seal all divine Truths with our dearest blood when God shall call us forth to such a Service My Lord I humbly lay this Treatise at your Lordships foot to testifie that Love and Honour that I have in my heart for you both upon the account of that intrinsecal Worth that is in you and upon the account of the many good things and great things that have been done by you and publickly to testifie my acknowledgment of your Lordships undeserved Favours towards me My Lord of right this Treatise should have been in your hands several months since and in that it was not it is wholly from others and not from me If your Lordship please but to favour the Author so far as to read it once over for his sake he doubts not but that your Lordship will oftner read it over for your own Souls sake and for Eternities sake and for London's sake also My Lord by reason of my being remote from the City several weeks I have had the advantage but of reading and correcting two or three sheets and therefore must beg your Lordships pardon as to all the neglects and escapes of the Press A second Impression may set all right and straight My Lord that to your dying day you may be famous in your Generation and that your precious and immortal Soul may be richly adorned with all saving Gifts and Graces and that you may daily enjoy a clear close high and standing Communion with God and that you may be filled with all the fruits of Righteousness and Holiness and that your Soul may be bound up in the bundle of Life and crowned with the highest Glory in that other World in the free full constant and uninterrupted Enjoyment of that God who is the Heaven of Heaven and the Glory of Glory is and by divine Assistance shall be the earnest prayers of him who is Your Honours in all humble and due Observance Thomas Brooks The Fiery Jesuits Temper and Behaviour I Fain would be informed by you what ails These Foxes to wear Fire-brands in their tails What did you teach these Cubs the World to burn Or to embottle London in its Vrn Are Hugonots as rank Philistins grown With you as dwelt in Gath or Askelon Bold Wretches must your Fire thus antedate The General Doom and give the World its Fate Must Hells Edict to blend this Globe with Fire Be done at your grave Nods when you require THE TABLE A. Of strange Apparel OF the Vanity of strange Apparel Page 56
57. The first Part of the Book Of Atheism Gross Atheism practical Atheism brings desolating Judgments upon a people pag. 67. to pag. 70. The first Part of the Book In a strict and proper sense there was never such a Creature in the world as an Atheist pag. 71 72 73 74. The first Part of the Book There are the seeds of Atheism in the best and holiest of the sons of men pag. 74 75. The first Part of the Book B. Of the Ballance of Deceit Such as use the Ballance of deceit such run counter-cross to eight things pag. 89. to 92. The first Part of the Book Of the Blood of the Just Shedding the blood of the just brings the judgment of Fire and lays all desolate pag. 154 155 156 157. The first Part of the Book There are nine things that speak out the preciousness of the blood of the just pag. 157. to 168. The first Part of the Book Of Bribery Bribery brings desolating and destroying judgments both upon persons and places pag. 87 88 89. The first Part of the Book C. Of a City that hath Foundations Burnt Citizens should make sure a City that hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God pag. 227 228. The first Part of the Application Heaven is a City that is built upon a fivefold foundation pag. 228 229. The first Part of the Application The resemblance betwixt Heaven and a City holds in nine particulars pag. 229 230 231. The first Part of the Application D. Of the Devil Four Reasons why the imprisonment of the Saints is attributed to the Devil pag. 147 148 149. The first Part of the Application Quest What are the Duties that are incumbent upon them that have been burnt up Answ First to see the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful Fire pag. 131 132 133. The first Part of the Application Secondly To justifie the Lord in all that he has done pag. 133 134 135. The first Part of the Application Thirdly In patience to possess their own Souls pag. 166 167 168. The first Part of the Application Fourthly To set up the Lord in a more eminent degree then ever as the great Object of their fear pag. 168 169 170. The first Part of the Application Fifthly To be content with their present condition pag. 170 171 172 173. The first Part of the Application Sixthly To lye low to keep humble under this dreadful judgment of fire under the mighty hand of God pag. 173 174 175 176. The first Part of the Application Seventhly To encourage themselves in the Lord their God pag. 176 177. The first Part of the Application Eighthly To keep in their hearts a constant remembrance of the late dreadful Conflagration eight Arguments to encourage to this pag. 181 182 183. The first Part of the Application Ninthly To see the vanity mutability and uncertainty of all worldly comforts and enjoyments and accordingly to set loose from them pag. 184 185 186 187. The first Part of the Application Tenthly To be very importunate with God to take away those sins that have laid our City desolate pag. 217 218 219 220. The first Part of the Application The eleventh Duty is to prepare and fit for greater troubles and tryals pag. 220 221 222. The first Part of the Application The twelfth Duty is to secure the everlasting welfare of their precious and immortal Souls pag. 222 223 224. The first Part of the Application The thirteenth Duty is to get a God for their portion pag. 224 225 226. The first Part of the Application The fourteenth Duty is to make God their habitation to make God their dwelling-place pag. 226 227. The first Part of the Application The fifteenth Duty is to make sure an abiding City a City that hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God p. 227. to pag. 232. The first Part of the Application The sixteenth Duty is for the burnt Citizens to sanctifie the Sabbath and to keep it holy all their days pag. 232. to 263. The first Part of the Application Quest What are the Duties that are incumbent upon those Habitations are yet standing as Monuments of divine Wisdom Power and Grace Answ These eight as follow First To take heed of those sins which bring the fiery Rod pag. 263 264. The first Part of the Application Secondly Not to think those greater sinners then your selves whose Habitations have been laid in Ashes pag. 264 265. The first Part of the Application Thirdly To be much in blessing of God pag. 265. Fourthly To take heed of security do not say the bitterness of death is past pag. 265 266. Fifthly To shew much love pity and compassion to those who are burnt up and turned out of all pag. 266 267. Sixthly To lift up a prayer for all those who are fallen under the heavy judgment of fire pag. 267 268. Seventhly Seriously to consider that some mens escaping of very great judgments is not properly a preservation but a reservation to some greater destruction pag. 268 269 270. Eighthly Not to rejoyce or glory in your Neighbours ruines pag. 270 271. E. Eternal Every thing that is conducible to the torments of the damned is eternal this is proved five ways pag. 105 106. F. Of Fire How the word Fire is used in Scripture pag. 10 11 12. The first Part of the Book First Consider the intemperate heat before the Fire pag. 5 6 7. The first Part of the Application Secondly Consider the suddenness and unexpectedness of the Fire pag. 7. to pag. 12. Thirdly Consider the force violence vehemency and irresistableness of it pag. 12 13 14. Fourthly Consider the swiftness of it it flew upon the wings of the wind pag. 14 15 16 17. Fifthly Consider the extensiveness of the Fire pag. 22 23. Sixthly Consider the impartiality of the Fire pag. 23 24. Seventhly Consider the greatness of it pag. 24 25 26 27 28 Eighthly Consider the terribleness of it pag. 28 29 30 31 32. Ninthly Consider the time when the Fire first began pag. 32 33 34 35 36. The first Part of the Application Tenthly Consider the Fire the burning of London is a National judgment pag. 36 37 38. That the Fire of London was not so great nor so dreadful a fire as that of Sodom and Gomorrah is proved by five Arguments pag. 88 89 90 91. Of the fire of Hell pag. 102 103 104 105 106. Four Arguments to prove that 't is very probable that there is material Fire in Hell pag. 106 107 108. Object If it be material Fire then it may be quencht c. Five Answers to this Objection pag. 108 109 110 111. Six differences between our common Fire and Hell-fire pag. 112. to 125. Object How will it stand with the unspotted Holiness Justice and Righteousness of God to punish a temporary offence with eternal punishments with eternal fire c. This Objection is answered seven ways pag. 125. to 131. F. Of Fornication Fornication is a sin that brings the
Judgment of Fire pag. 128. to 132. The first Part of the Book Several Reasons to prove that this sin of Fornication cannot groundedly be charged upon any of the precious Servants of the Lord that did truly fear him in the City of London p. 132. to 137. These Expressions of giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh implies six things pag. 134 135 136 137. G. Of God His God notes three things pag. 176. The first Part of the Application There are three things in God to encourage Christians under all their fiery tryals pag. 178 179. Of the Gospel The slighting of the Gospel brings desolating judgments pag. 100. to 104. The first Part of the Book Six sorts of slighters of the Gospel pag. 104. to 108. Saints no slighters of the Gospel of Grace and of the Graces of the Saints proved by seven Arguments pag. 108. to 112. God by fiery tryals designs the reviving quickning and recovering of the decayed Graces of his people pag. 41 42 43. God by fiery tryals designs a further exercise of his Childrens Graces pag. 43 44 45 46. God by fiery tryals designs the growth of his peoples Graces pag. 46 47 48 49. God by fiery tryals designs the tryal of his peoples Graces and the discovery of their sincerity and integrity to the world pag. 49 50 51 52 53. Many Christians Graces in London were withering before the fiery Dispensation pag. 61 62. H. Of Heaven Heaven is a City that is built upon a fivefold foundation pag. 228 229. The first Part of the Application The resemblance betwixt Heaven and a City holds in nine respects pag. 229 230 231. Hand See the Hand of the Lord in this late fiery Dispensation Ten Arguments to work you to this pag. 1. to 38. Of Holiness In these days of the Gospel all Holiness of places is taken away pag. 141. to 146. I. Of Intemperance Intemperance brings desolating judgments pag. 75 76 77 78. The first Part of the Book Six things Intemperance robs men of pag. 78. to 84. Of Judgments In eight respects great judgments are like to fire 7 8 9. The ends of God in inflicting the late judgment of Fire in respect of the wicked are seven pag. 12 to 31. The ends of God in inflicting the late judgment of Fire in respect of the Righteous are at large discovered pag. 31 to 53. The Sword is a worse judgment then that of Fire pag. 91 92. The first Part of the Application Famine is a more dreadful judgment then that of Fire pag. 92 93 94 95. Dreadful Earth quakes are a more terrible judgment then that of Fire pag. 95 96 97 98. That judgment that befel Korah Dathan and Abiram a more terrible judgment then that which befel the burnt Citizens pag. 98 99. That judgment that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah was a worse judgment then that was inflicted upon the burnt Citizens pag. 99. Eight Arguments to encourage the burnt Citizens to commemorate the late judgment of Fire pag. 182 183 184. There are seven sorts of men that have cause to fear worser judgments then any yet have been inflicted on them pag. 222 L. Lamentation Lament and mourn that London is laid in Ashes pag. 38 39 40. Ten Considerations to work you to lament over London's ashes pag. 40. to 57. Of a Little The righteous mans little is better then the multitude of Riches that many wicked men enjoy this blessed truth is made good by an induction of eleven particulars pag. 197. to 212. Five ways shewing how a righteous man improves his little pag. 203 204. Of London The burning of London was ushered in by sad Prodigies anâ— dreadful fore-runners pag. 40 41 42. London was an ancient City a City of great Antiquity pag. 42 43. London was an honourable City a renowned City pag. 43 44 45. London was the Bulwark the strong Hold of the Nation pag. 45 46 47 48. London was a Fountain a Sanctuary a City of Refuge to the poor afflicted and impoverished people of God pag. 48 49. London was a City compact a City advantagiously situated for Trade and Commerce pag. 49 50. Englands worst Enemies rejoyce and triumph in London's Ashes pag. 50. London was once the City of our solemn Solemnities pag. 50 51 52. Hubert confest the fact of firing the first house in London pag. 52 53 54 55 56 57. Of Losses Seven great losses an inordinate love to the world will expose a man to pag. 59 60 61. The first Part of the Book Eight ways whereby the burnt Citizens may know whether in this world God will make up their losses by the late Fire or no pag. 76 77 78 79 80. The first Part of the Application There are ten choice Jewels that a Christian can never lose in this world pag. 156 157 158 159. Of Luke-warmness There was much Luke-warmness among many Professors in London pag. 57 58. Of Lying A trade or course of Lying brings the judgment of Fire pag. 112 113. The first Part of the Book The School-men reduce all sorts of Lyes to three pag. 113 114 115 116. The greatness of the sin of Lying exprest in four particulars pag. 116. to 123. Eight Arguments to prove that this trade this course of Lying cannot by any clear evidence be charged upon those that truly feared the Lord whose Habitations were once within the Walls of London pag. 123. to 128. M. Of Mercy It was a very great mercy to six sorts of men that they had their lives for a prey when London was in flames pag. 60 to 70. O. Objections Object I would say the Lord is righteous but by this fiery Dispensation I am turned out of house and home Answ Four ways pag. 135 to 148. Object I would justifie the Lord but I have lost my all as to this world Seven Answers you have from pag. 150 to 159. Object I would justifie the Lord though I am turned out of all but this is that which troubles me that I have not an Estate to do that good which formerly I have done Four Answers you have from pag. 159 160 161. Object I would justifie the Lord though he hath turned me out of all but God hath punished the righteous with the wicked this fiery Rod hath fallen heavier upon many Saints then upon many sinners How then can I say that the Lord is righteous Six Answers are given to this Objection pag. 161 to 166. P. Of Punishment Quest How will it stand with the unspotted Holiness Justice and Râ—ghteousness of God to punish a temporary offence with eternal punishments Seven Answers to this Question pag. 125 to 131. Q. Quest What are those sins that bring the fiery Dispensation upon Cities Nations and Countries Answ From pag. 53 to 168. The first part of the Book Quest What sins were there among the professing people in London that might bring down the fiery Rod upon them Answ Seven pag. 55 to 63. Quest Four Questions proposed pag. 63 64.
the Lord has made in the midst of them 'T is true the length of those heavy Judgments under which they groan to this very day hath often puzled the Intellectuals of their Rabbies and hath many times put them to a stand and sometimes to break out into a kind of confession That surely their Judgments could not last so long but for crucifying of one that was more then a man There was 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 heir long captivity and extream misery And after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of For three transgressions Amos 2 6. of Israel and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they sold the righteous for silver The selling of Joseph he makes the fiâ—st sin the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin the abusing and killing 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 â—n Babylon and for the fourth they are held in pitiful Captivity even till this day 'T is certain that the body of that people are under woful blindness and hardness to this very day And thus much for the opening of the words The 25. verse is the Scripture that I do intend to speak something to as the Lord shall assist Now the Proposition which I only intend to insist upon is this Viz. That God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great Doct. Calamities and dreadful Judgments that are inflicted upon Cities and Countries and in particular of that of fire Now that God is the Author or Efficient cause of all the great Calamities and dreadful Judgments that are inflicted upon Cities and Countries will evidently appear to every mans understanding that will but take the pains to read over the 26. Chapter of Leviticus and the 28. Chapter of Deuteronomy with that 14. of Ezekiel from vers 13. to vers 22. That God is the Author or Efficient cause of this dreadful Judgment of Fire that is at any time inflicted upon Cities and Countries will sufficiently appear in these following Scriptures Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is to be understood of the evil of punishment and not of the evil of sin Amos 4. 11. I have overthrown some of you as God overthrâ—w Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burnings yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Here I is emphatical and exclusive as if he should say I and I alone Amos 1. 14. But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah that is in the Metropolis or chief City of the Ammonites and it shall devour the Palaces thereof Rabbah their head-City was a cruel bloody covetous and ambitious City vers 13. And therefore rather than it should escape divine vengeance God will kindle a fire in the wall of it and burn it with his own hands Ezek. 20. 47. And say to the forrest of the South that is to Jerusalem that did lye South-wards from Chaldea hear the Word of the Lord. Thus saith the You will find this Scripture fully opened in the following Discourse Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flaming flames shall not be quenched and all fuel from the South to the North shall be burnt therein verse 48. And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it it shall not be quenched Men shall see that 't was God that kindled the fire and not man and therefore 't was beyond mans skill or power to quench it or to over-master it Jer. 7. 20. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place upon man and upon beast and upon the trees of the field and upon the fruit of the ground and it shall burn and shall not be quenched The Point being thus proved for the further opening of it premise with me these things 1. First That great afflictions dreadful Judgments are likened unto fire in the blessed Scriptures Psal 66. 12. We went through fire and water Jer. 4. 4. Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins 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 Jer. 21. 12. O house of David thus saith the Lord execute Judgment in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings Lam. 2. 3 4. He hath cut off in his anger all the horn of Israel he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy and burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about he hath bent his bow like an enemy he stood with his right hand as an adversary and slew all that was pleasant to the eye in the Tabernacle of the Daughter of Zion he poured out his fury like fire Ezek. 15. 7. And I will set my face against them they shall go out from one fire and another fire shall devour them and ye shall know that I am the Lord when I set my face against them Ezek. 22. 20 21 22. As they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the furnace to blow the fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury and I will leave you there and melt you yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the fire of my wrath and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof and ye shall know that I the Lord have poured out my fury upon you Thus you see that great afflictions great Judgments are likened unto fire But in what respects are great Afflictions great Judgments Quest like unto fire In these seven respects they are like unto fire Answ First Fire is very dreadful and terrible to mens thoughts spirits and apprehensions how dreadful was the fire of Sodom and the fire of London to all that were near it or spectators of it 'T is observable that some are set out in the blessed Scriptures as Monuments of most terrible and dreadful Vengeance whom the Kings of
Babylon roasted in the fire Jer. 29. 21 22. of them 't is said shall be taken up a curse when any imprecated sore vengeance from the Lord upon any one 't is said The Lord make thee like Ahab and Zedekiah whom the Kings of Babylon roasted in the fire 'T is very dreadful and terrible for a man to have the least member of his body frying in the fire but how terrible and dreadful must it be for a mans whole body to be roasted in the fire so are the Judgments of the Lord very terrible and dreadful to the children of men My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I Psal 119. 120. am afraid of thy Judgments Hab. 3. 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my self that I might rest in the day of trouble But Secondly Fire is very painful and tormenting in which respects Hell-torments are compared to fire so are great Afflictions and Judgments they are very painful and tormenting Isa 26. 17 18. they put a Land into sore travel next to the pangs of Conscience and the pangs of Hell there are none to those pangs that are bred and fed by terrible Judgments But Thirdly Fire is of a discovering nature it enlightens mens eyes to see those things that they did not see before so do the terrible Judgments of God enlighten mens minds and Rev. 15. 4. Ezek. 21. 3 4 5 6 7. understandings sometimes to know the Lord. Hence 't is that after Judgments threatned God doth so often tell them that they shalâ— know the Lord Sometimes God by his Judgments enlightens mens minds to see such an evil in sin that they never saw before and to see such a vanity mutability imporency and uncertainty in the Creature that they never saw before and to see such a need of free-grace of â—ich mercy and of infinite favour and goodness that they never saw before and to see such Majesty and terribleness Psal 66. 3. 5. in God which they never saw before Job 37. 22. With God is terrible Majesty But Fourthly Fire is probatory and refining and so are the Judgments of God they will try what metal men are made of they will try whether men are sound and sincere or hypocritical Isa 1. 25. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Acts 26. 28 29. and hollow whether men are real Christians or nominal Christians whether they are throughout Christians or almost Christians whether their graces are true or counterfeit and whether they have much or but a littâ—e grace Isa 31. 9. The Lords fire is in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Zacha. 13. 9. And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal which is to try you Stars shine brightest in the darkest night Torches are the better for beating Grapes come not to the proof till they come to the press Spices smell sweetest when pounded young Trees root the faster for shaking Vines are the better for bleeding Gold looks the brighter for scouring and Juniper smells sweetest in the fire The Application is easie But Fifthly Fire is of a consuming and devouring nature as we have lately found by woful Experience Psal 18. 8. There went out a smoak out of his nostrils and fire out of his Isa 66. 15 16. Psal 21 9. Jer. 17. 4. Ezek. 38. 19 20. nouth devoured Jer. 15. 14. A fire is kindled in my anger which shall burn upon you Ezek. 22. 31. Therefore have I poured out my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath Natural fire is a great devourer but mystical fire the fire of divine wrath is infinitely a greater devourer men may stand before a natural fire but no man has ever bin able to stand before the devouring fire of divine wrath The anger and wrath of God against wicked men is exceeding hot 't is a burning fiery flaming wrath against which they are never able to stand Isa 27. 4. Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battel I would go through them I would burn them together Bryars and thorns are as well able to stand before a devouring fire as wicked men are able to stand before the smoaking wrath of that God which is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. Sixthly Fire breaks out suddenly and unexpectedly in an hour in a moment when no man thinks of it when no man looks for it as you see by that late dreadful fire that in a few days turn'd a glorious City into a ruinous heap So the Judgments of God they come suddenly and unexpectedly upon the sons of men witness the Judgments of God that came upon the old world Sodom and Gomorrah Nadab and Math. 24. 37 38 39. Gen. 19. Abihu Corah Dathon and Abiram 1 Thes 5. 3. For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travel upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Security is a certain fore-runner of desolation and destruction The Apostle by the similitude he uses shews that the destruction of the wicked is 1. certain 2. sudden 3. inevitable But Seventhly Fire is impartial it makes no difference between rich and poor high and low honourable and base bond and free male and femaâ—e c. So the Judgments of God are impartial they reach all sorts and ranks of persons But Eighthly and lastly Fire is violent and irresistable we have had as dreadful a proof of this in the late dreadful Conflagration of London as ever any people have had since the Lord Jesus was on earth So are the Judgments of God violent and irresistable witness the raging Pestilence and the bloody Sword that in 1665. and 1666. has sent many score thousands to their long homes And thus you see how that Metaphorically or Typically great and sore Judgments do resemble fire But Secondly Premiâ—e this with me fire is sometimes attributed unto God Heb. 12. 29. Our God is a consuming fire sometimes fire is attributed to Christ Mal. 3. 2. But who ray abide the day of his coming and who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope And sometimes fire is attributed to the Holy Ghost Mat. 3. 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is with that fiery Holy Ghost that Spirit of Judgment and of burning wherewith the filth of the Daughter of Zion is washed away Isa 4. 4. But Thirdly Premise this with me the word Fire in Scripture is sometimes used by the Holy Ghost to set forth sin by Isa 9. 18. For wickedness burneth as the fire it
then they will bow and tremble under a sense of the Soveraignty of God The Soveraignty of God is that golden Scepter in his hand which he will make all bow to either by his Word or by his Works by his Mercies or by his Judgments This Scepter must be kist and submitted to or else fire and sword desolation and destruction will certainly follow Jer. 18. 2 3 4. 6. Arise and go down to the potters house and there will I cause thee to hear my word Then I went down to the potters house and behold he wrought a work on the wheels And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter so he made it again another vessel that seemed good to the potter to make it O house of Israel cannot I do with you as the potter saith the Lord. Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in my hand O house of Israel The Jews were so stupid and sottish that verbal teaching without signs would not work upon them and therefore the Lord sent Jeremiah to the potters house that he might see by what the potter did that though he had made them a People a Nation a Church a State yet he could as easily unmake them and mar them as the potter marred the vessel that he had made God would have this people to know that he had as much power over them and all they had as the potter had power over the clay that he works upon and that he had as much both might and right also to dispose of them at his pleasure as the potter had over his clay to dispose of it as he judged meet Nay Beloved the potter has not such an God hath jus ad omnia jus in omnibus a right to all things a right in all things absolute power over his pots and clay as the Lord has over the Sons of men to make them and break them at his pleasure and that partly because that the clay is none of his creature and partly because without God give him strength he has no power to make or break one vessel God by the Prophet would have the Jews to know that 't was meerly by his good pleasure and grace that they came to be so glorious and flourishing a Nation as they were at this time yea and further to know that they were not so great and rich and flourishing and setled and built but that he could as easily break them and mar them as the potter could the Isa 64. 8. vessel that was under his hand Ah Sirs God by that dreadful fire that has destroyed our houses and burnt up our substance and banished us from our habitations and levelled our stately Monuments of Antiquity and Glory even with the ground has given us a very high evidence of his Soveraignty both over our persons and all our concernments in this world Ah London London were there none within nor without thy Walls that did deny the Soveraignty of God that did belye the Soveraignty of God that did slight the Soveraignty of God that did make head against the Soveraignty of God Were there none within nor without thy Walls that did say We are Lords and we will come no more unto thee That did say Is not this great Babylon is Jer. 2. 31. Dan. 4. 30. Lam. 4. 12. not this great London that we have built That did say the Kings of the Earth and all the Inhabitants of the World would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy the flaming and consuming fire should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem into the Gates of London That Exod. 5. 2. did say Who is the Lord that we should obey his voice That did advance a worldly Soveraignty above and against the Soveraignty of God and Christ Ah London London if there were any such within or without thy Walls then never wonder that God has in a flaming and consuming fire proclaimed his Soveraignty over thee and that he hath given such Atheists to know from woful experience that both themselves and all their concernments are in the hands of the Lord as the clay is in the hands of the potter and that the sorest Judgments that any City can fall under are but the Isa 5. 16. demonstrations of his Soveraign Prerogative Psal 9. 16. The Lord is known by the Judgments which he executeth the Power Justice and Soveraignty of God shines most gloriously in the execution of his Judgments upon the world Secondly God inflicts great and sore Judgments upon the Sons of men that the world may stand in awe of him and that they may learn to fear and tremble before him when he Consult these Scriptures Exod. 15. 14 15 16. Josh 2. 10 11. Rev. 15. 4. appears as a consuming fire he expects that the Nation should tremble and that the Inhabitants should fear before him 1 Sam. 16. 4. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake and came to Bethlehem and the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming and said comest thou peaceable Shall the Elders of Bethlehem tremble for fear that Samuel came to denounce some grievous Judgment against them and shall not we tremble when God has executed his terrible Judgments 1 Kings 21. 20 21 22 23 24 27 28 29. upon us Shall Ahab tremble and humble himself and fast and lye in sackcloth when Judgments are but threatned and shall not we tremble and fear before the great God who has actually inflicted upon us his three great Judgments Pestilence Sword and Fire Shall the Ninevites both Princes Jonah 3. 3 4. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Nobles and people tremble and humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes when God doth but threaten to over-throw their great their rich their populous City and shall not we tremble and lye low before the Lord when we see great London rich and populous London laid in ashes before our eyes When the hand of the Lord was stretched out Exod. 15. 15 16. See 2 Kings 6. 30. and Chap. 7. 6 7. 15. Jer. 4. 7 8 9. against the Egyptians the Dukes of Edom were amazed and the mighty men of Moab trembled Ah how severely has the hand of the Lord been stretched out against London and all her Inhabitants and therefore what cause have we to be amazed and to tremble before that God who has appeared in flames of fire against us Lam. 2. 3 4. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel he hath drawn back his right hand before the enemy and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about He bent his bow like an enemy and poured out his fury like fire God burnt down their City their Temple their Gates their Princely Habitations their glorious Structures in the fierceness of his anger and in the greatness of his wrath O Sirs when God falls upon burning work when he pours out
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
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
have rejected betrayed crucified scorned opposed and persecuted come in flames of fire to pass an eternal Doom upon them I have read a story of two Souldiers Holcot in lib. Sap. that coming to the Valley of Jehosaphat in Judea and one saying to the other Here in this place shall be the general Judgment wherefore I will now take up my place where I will then fit and so lifting up a stone he sate down upon it as taking possession before hand but being sate and â—ooking up to Heaven such a quaking and trembling fell upon him that falling to the earth he remembred the day of Judgment with horrour and amazement ever after The case of this Souldier will be the case of every wicked man when Christ shall appear in flames of fire to pass an eternal Sentence of Condemnation upon all the Goats that shall be found on the left hand It is strange in this so serious a business Mat. 25. 41. to vers 46. of the day of Judgment and of Christs appearing in flaming fire which so nearly concerns the sons of men how mens wits will busie themâ—elves in many nice inquiries ye may meet with many such questions in the School-men as 1. How long is it to the day of Judgment 2. In what place of the world shall the Judgment-day be held 3. What kind of fire shall then be burning 4. Whether Christ shall come with a Cross carried before him As if Malefactors in the Gaol should fall a reasoning and debating what weather it would be at the day of Assises or of the Judges habit and retinue and never bethink themselves how to answer their Indictment that they may escape condemnation London's flames should put us in mind of Christs coming in flames of fire and the burning of London should put us in mind of the burning of the world when Christ shall come to judge the sons of men according to their works and the terror and dread of that fire and mens endeavours to escape it should put us upon all those holy ways and means whereby we may escape the fury of those dreadful flames that shall never be quenched And the Houses and Estates that were consumed by the devouring fire in London-streets should put us upon securing a house not made with hands 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Prov. 8. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 4. Mat. 6. 19 20 21. but one eternal in the Heavens and upon securing durable riches and an inheritance that fadeth not away and upon laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust nor thieves and let me adde nor flames can break through corrupt or steal or burn The more general any Judgment is the more it should put us in mind of the General day of Judgment Now the burning of London was a general Judâ—ment a Judgment that reaches from one end of the Land to another as I shall more fully evidence before I close up this Discourse and therefore it should remind us of the universal Conflagration of the whole World and the works thereof And thus you see the ends that God has in respect of the wicked in inflicting great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countrieâ— But pray Sir what are those â—igh and holy ends in respect Quest of the people of God thâ—â—â—od aims at by his inflicting of great and sore Judgments upon Persons Cities and Countries I suppose they are such as follow First To bring about those speciaâ— favours and mercies Answ that God intends them By the dreadful Judgments that God inflicted upon Pharaoh and upon his people and upon his Country God brought about the freedom and liberty of his people to worship him according to his own prescriptions The great difference and contest between God and Pharaoh was who should have their wills God would have his people to worship him according to his own mind but Pharaoh Exod. 5. 1 2. Exod. 7. 16. Exod. 8. 8. 20. 25. 27. 29. Exod. 9. 1. 13. Exod. 10. 3. 7. 8. 11. 24. Exod. 12. 31. Jer. 11. 4. Dan. 9. 12. was resolved to venture his all before they should have their freedom and liberty to serve their God Upon this God follows him with plague upon plague and never leaves spending of his plagues upon him till he had overthrown him and through his ruine brought about the freedom and liberty of his poor people The Babylonians were cruel enemies to Gods poor Israel and kept them in bondage yea in a fiery furnace seventy years At last God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus for his Churches sake and he by fiâ—e and sword lays Babylon waste and takes them Captive who had held his people in a long Captivity Now he by breaking the Babylonians in pieces like a potters vessel brought about as as instrument in the hand of God the freedom and liberty of Gods poor people as you may see by comparing that 45. of Isa 1 2 3 4 5 6. with that 1. Chapter of Ezra God stirs up the spirit of Cyrus to put forth a Proclamation â—â—r Liberty for the Jews to go to their own Land and to 〈◊〉 the House of the Lord God of Israel and then he graâ—â—â—â—â—ly stirs up the spirits of the people wisely and soberty to iâ—â—â—ove Turn to Obadiah and read from vers 11. to the end of the Chapter â—he liberty he had proclaimed Jer. 49. 1. Concerâ—â—â—â— the Ammonites thus saith the Lord Hath Israel no sons hath he no heir why then doth their King inherit Gad and 〈◊〉 people dwell in his Cities When the ten Tribes were carried away captive the Ammonites who dwelt near the Tribe of Gad intruded into it and the Cities of it but mark what God saith in verse 2. Therefore behold the days come saith the Lord that I will cause 〈◊〉 â—â—arm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites that was their chief City and it shall be a desolate heap and her daughters that is lesser Towns shall be burnt with fire then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs saith the Lord. God by fire and sword Here was Lex talionis observed they that invaded the inheritance of others had their own invaded by them would lay desolate the chief City of the Ammonites and her Towns and Villages that did belong to her and by these dreadful Dispensations he would make way for his people not only to possess their own Land but the Ammonites Land also I will leave the prudent Reader to make the Application We have been under greater and dreadfuller Judgments then ever this poor Nation hath groaned under in former times and who can tell but that the Lord by these amazing Judgments may bring about greater and better mercies and blessings then any yet we do enjoy The Rabins say of Civil Liberty that if the Heavens were Parchment the Sea Ink and every pile of Grass a Pen the praises of it could not be comprised nor expressed May we
not say more of a holy Liberty Liberty to serve and worship the Lord according to his own prescriptions and directions laid down in his blessed Word by which all worship and worshippers must be tryed at last is a pearl of price that none can sufficiently value Justinus the second Emperors Motto was Libertas res inaestimabilis Liberty is unvaluable The Lord give his people holy wise prudent sober humble and understanding hearts that they may know both how to prize and how to improve those liberties and mercies that he has handed to them through terrible Dispensations But Secondly God inflicts great Tryals and sore Judgments upon Persons and Places that he may awaken his own people out of that deep security that oftentimes seizeth upon Psal 30. 5 6 7 8 9. Math. 25. 5. 2 Sam. 2. 7. 15. and Chap. 24 15 16 17. 2 Kings 14. 25. Math. 12. 40. Jonah 1. 1 2 3. them What deep security had seized upon David so that God was forced to make use of the bloody Sword and of the sweeping Pestilence to awaken him Jonah was a Prophet he was a Servant of the Lord he was a Type of Christ he was a good man his name Jonah signifies a Dove though he had but little of the Dove in him being as passionate a man of an honest man as you have lightly heard of saith Luther Now Jonah having contracted guilt upon his conscience by acting quite contrary to Gods royal Call what a desperate senseless stupidity and security had seized upon him what a spiritual lethargy was poor Jonah in not much unlike that of the Smith Dog whom neither thâ— hammers above him nor the sparks of fire falling round about him can awake Jonah was not in a slumber but in a sound heavy deep and dead sleep and what a wonder what a prodigie was here that in all this stir and tumult and danger the winds whiâ—â—ling and roaring the Sea working raging swelling frothing foaming and boiling like a pot the waves mounting up to Heaven and sinking down again to Hell as the Psalmist speaks the ship tumbling and tossing like a Tennis-ball the Mariners as stout fellows as they were surprized with fear and running up and down like men at their wits end like men that could not look pale death in the face with blood in their cheeks that yet Jonah should sleep and be as secure in that dreadful danger as if he had been in his own house sleeping on a bed of doune Oh the desperate security that may seize upon the best of Saints but this security God will cure in his Jonas's by some smart Tryal or by some heavy Judgment or other The Lethargy is best cured by a burning Ague Absolon 2 Sam. 14. 30. sends once or twice to Joab to come and speak with him but when he saw that Joab would not come he commands his corn-fields to be set on fire and this awakens him and fetches him with a witness So God by fiery afflictions and by burning up our comforts round about us awakens us and brings us to himself with a witness When Iron grows rusty we put it into the fire to purifie it and so when the people of God grow rusty and secure then the Lord brings them under fiery tryals to awaken them and to purifie them If Nero was so angry with Vespasian because he slept at his Musick how much more may the Lord be angry with all such as sleep and are secure under the most amazing and awakning Judgments But my hope and prayer is that the Lord has and will more and more graciously and effectually awaken all the wise slumbring Virgins upon whom this fiery Dispensation has past And therefore Thirdly In respect of his peoples sins God has several special ends that he aims at by all the fiery Tryals and smart Providences that he exercises them and others with As First God by these means designs a further and a fuller discovery of their sins In standing waters you cannot see the mud that lyes at the bottom of the Pool or Pond but Deut. 8. 2. when once the water is drawn away then it appears In times of prosperity there is a great deal of mud a great deal of Atheism unbelief discontent murmuring impatience passion pride c. that lyes at the bottom of mens hearts undiscovered Oh but when God shall once empty them of their Estates and burn up all their outward comforts and set them with Job upon the dunghil then the mud appears then a whole army of lusts discover themselves as we see in many this day whom you shall rarely find without tears in their eyes sighs in their hearts and complaints in their mouths Severe Providences are pills made purposely to clear the eye-sight 1 Kings 17. 18. And she said unto Elijah What have I to do with thee O thou man of God art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son If God had not taken away her son her sin had not been brought to remembrance O Sirs if God by this late dreadful Fire had not taken away your houses your goods your estates your trades many of your sins had not been brought to your remembrance though now you have lost most or all You may say with the Psalmist My Psal 51. 3. Turn to the Scriptures Gen. 42. 21. Jon. 4. 8 9. Jer. 9. 7. ult sins are ever before me my pride is ever before me my unbelief is ever before me my frowardness is ever before me my murmuring is ever before me my discontent is ever before me and my impatience is ever before me c. Good men never come to know how bad they are till they come to be exercised with severe Providences and smart Tryals It was the speech of a Holy man in a great sickness In thiâ— disease I have learned how great God is and what the evil of sin is I never knew to purpose what God was before nor what sin was before Afflictions are a Christians Glass in which they may run and read the greatness of God and the vileness of sin But Secondly By severe Providences and fiery Tryals God designs the preventing of sin Paul was one of the holiest men on earth called by some an earthly Angel and yet he needed a thorn in the flesh to prevent pride 2 Cor. 12. 7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure Paul was in very great danger of being exalted above measure witness the doubling of those words in one verse Lest I should be exalted Lest I should be exalted Prudent Physicians sometimes give Physick to prevent diseases and so does the Physician of Souls as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margine together The Job 33. 19-17 Chap. 34. 31 32. Job 40. 4
5. Hos 2. 6 7. burnt child dreads the fire Sin is but a bitter sweet 't is an evil worse then Hell it self Salt brine preserves from putrefaction and salt Marshes keep the sheep from rotting and so sharp Tryals severe Providences preserve the Saints from spiritual putrefying and from spiritual rotting The Rabbins to keep their Scholars from sin were wont to tell them that sin made Gods head ake and Saints under fiery tryals do find by experience that sin makes not only their heads but also their hearts ake and by this means God preserves his people from many sins which otherwise they would certainly fall into Beloved God by his fiery Dispensations has destroyed many or most of your outward comforts but little do you know the horrible sins that by this means the Lord has preserved you from A full Estate lays men most open to the greatest sins the worst of shares and the deadliest temptations The best of men have fallen foulest under their highest worldly enjoyments witness David Solomon Hezekiah c. Under your outward fulness how low was your communion with God how languishing were your Graces how lean were your Souls and how was your spring of inward Comforts dryed up How little had God of your thoughts your hearts your time your strength O Sirs how bad would you have been by this time if God had not removed those things that were but fuel to your lusts and quench-coals to your grace Well often think of this 't is a greater mercy to be preserved from sin yea from the least sin then 't is to enjoy the whole world But Thirdly By severe Providences and by fiery Tryals God designs the imbittering of sin to his people When God shall come and burn up mens comforts round about them then they will cry out Ah what a bitter thing is sin that puts God upon burning work then they will speak that language to their own Souls that the Prophet once spake to the Jews Jer. 2. 15. They made his land waste his cities are burnt with fire Vers 17. Hast thou not procured these things to thy self Vers 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts So Chap. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness because it is bitter because it reacheth unto thy heart Yea now they will say that sin is bitternesses in the abstract and in the plural number also according to that of the Prophet Hosea Hos 12. 14. Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly or with bitternesses as the Hebrew has it Relations and friends may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and conscience may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and good books may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and men under terrours and horrours of spirit may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and the fore and heavy Judgments of God upon others may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and the Spirit by his secret whispers may tell us that sin is a bitter thing and Ministers may tell us that sin is a bitter thing they may tell you that 't is bitter to God it being the only thing in all the world that he has revealed his wrath from Heaven against and that is contrary to the Nature of God the Law of God the Being of God the Glory of God and the grand Designs of God They may tell you that 't is bitter to Christ witness his crying out in the bitterness of his Soul My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and witness the sorrows and heaviness of his Soul and his sweating clods of blood When he hung upon the Cross they gave him gall and vinegar to drink but no gall was so bitter to him as your sins They may tell you that sin is bitter to the Spirit of God Gen. 6. 3. Eph. 4. 29. for nothing grieves him and provokes him and vexes him but sin They may tell you that sin is bitter to the good Angels every sin that you commit is as a dagger at their hearts there is nothing in all the world so bitter to them as to see their Lord and Master daily yea hourly crucified by sinners fins They may tell you that sin is bitter to the evil Angels it being the only thing for which they were banished the Court of Heaven and turned down to the lowest Hell where they are kept in chains of darkness to the Judgment Jude 6. of the great day They may tell you that sin is bitter to the worst of men witness Adams hiding of himself and Gen. 3. 10. Math. 27. Gen. 4. 13. Rom. 8. 20 21 22. Judas his hanging of himself and Cains crying out My burden is greater then I am able to bear They may tell you that 't is bitter to the Creatures who groan under their burdens and who long to be delivered from that bondage that the sin of man hath subjected them to and yet for all this we will not feelingly affectionately experimentally say that sin is bitter till God comes and burns us up Lam. 4. 11. And gives us gall and wormwood to drink Chap. 3. 19 20. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me O Sirs how bitter should sin be to you who have seen London all in flames Certainly God by burning up your sweet pleasant and delightful things would teach you to taste a greater bitterness in sin then ever O happy Fire that shall render God and Christ and Heaven and Promises and Ordinances more sweet and sin more bitter to poor sinners Souls Doubtless one of Gods great designs by this late Judgment of Fire is to imbitter sin to all sorts of men When Judgments imbitter our sins to us then they work kindly powerfully effectually and then we may conclude that there was a hand of love in those Judgments and then we shall justifie the Lord and say with the Church Lam. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against him or as the Hebrew runs Because I have imbittered him he is righteous in all the sore judgments that he hath inflicted upon me for I have imbittered him against me by my most bitter sins But Fourthly By severe Providences and fiery Tryals God designs the mortifying and purging away of his peoples sins Isa 1. 25. And I will turn my hand upon thee to wit to correct or chastise thee and purely purge away thy dross or drosses Dan. 11. 35. Mal. 3. 1 2 3. Gods fire is in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Isa 31. 9. and take away all thy tin or tins in the plural number Some by dross understand gross
and that they serve God for a Livery for loaves and not for love and that they are Mercenary Joh. 6. 26. in all they do having more in their eye the hedge that he has made about them and the gold and silver that he has bestowed upon them then the honour and glory of the great God Just as the Devil objected against Job Now God Job 1. 9. to convince these men these men these monsters of the integrity and sincerity of his people he breaks down the hedge that he had made about them and turns the wheel upon them and breaks them with breach upon breach he stripes them of all and turns them out of house and home as he did Job and Job 20. 21. yet this people with Job will still worship the Lord and bless a taking God as well as a giving God They will still keep close to the Lord and his ways whatever God doth with them or against them Psal 44. 17 18 19. All this is come upon us 't is a terrible All as you may see from the 9. to the 17. verse yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death In spite of all the wrath and rage of Antiochus Epiphanes that cruel and bloody Persecutor of the Saints these Servants of the Lord shew their sincerity by their constancy in keeping close to the Lord and his ways in the face of the greatest opposition and hottest persecution that they met withal When the Emperor sent to Basil to subscribe Hist Tripart lib. 7. cap. 36. to the Arrian Heresie the Messenger at first gave him good language and promised him great preferment if he would turn Arrian to which Basil replied Alas these speeches are fit to catch little children withal that look after such things but we that are nourished and taught by the holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths then to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered The same Basil affirms that many of the Heathens seeing the Heroick zeal courage and constancy of the primitive Christians in the face of all oppositions and persecutions turned Christians Justin Martyr confesseth that the constancy of the Christians in their sufferings was the chief motive thaâ— converted him to Christianity for I my self saith he waâ— once a Platonist and did gladly hear the Christians reviled but when I saw they feared not death nor any of those miseries which most frighten all other men I began to consider with my self that it was impossible for such men to be lovers of pleasures more then lovers of piety and that made me fiâ—st think of turning Christian Now by these means and methods God convinceth the blind world of the integrity and sincerity of his people When they see that those whom they have severely judged for Hypocrites shall owne the Lord and his ways and cleave to the Lord and his ways and continue to follow the Lord and his ways and hold on in a high honouring of the Lord and his ways when their hedge is broken down and God has stript them as naked as in the day wherein they were born O now they begin to Dan. 3. 26. Acts 16. 17. change their note and to conclude surely these are the Servants of the most high God these are no Hypocrites nor Dissemblers but true Nathanaels in whom there is no guile Joh. 1. 47. How have the people of God in London been judged Hypocrites Dissemblers Deceivers Factious and what not Now God by burning up their substance and by turning them out of house and home and destroying all their pleasant things doth certainly design to give those that have so deeply censured them a proof of their integrity and sincerity by letting them see that all the changes that have past upon them can never work them to change their Master Christ nor to change his ways for the ways of sin nor to change his Worship for the Worship of the world nor to change their Religion for the Religion of Rome Certainly those that love the Lord that delight in the Lord and that highly prize the Lord for those infinite Perfections Beauties Glories and Excellencies that are in him they will owne him and cleave to him and follow after him when they have little as Josh 24. 15. Math. 19. 27. Rev. 14. 4 5. 1 Pet. 3. 16 Chap. 2. 12. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies to muzzle or halter or tye up or to button up their mouths as we say when they had much yea when they have nothing of the world as when they had all the world and by so doing they put a Pad-lock upon the lying lips of such they button up the mouths of such who asperse and calumniate them as a Generation that only serve God upon the account of a worldly interest There is nothing that doth more amuse amaze and astonish wicked men then to see the people of God keep close to him and his ways when they are in a suffering estate yea when they have lost all but their God and their integrity The fire trys the gold as well as the touch stone and diseases try the skill of the Physitian and tempests try the skill of the Pilot and so do fiery tryals try both the truth and the strength of a Christians graces Paulinus Nolanus when his City was taken by the Barbarians prayed thus to God Lord let me not be troubled at the loss of my Gold Siâ—ver Honour City c. for thou art all and much more then all these to me Here was an Heroick Spirit here was grace in strength yea in triumph The spirits of the men of the world usually sink under their losses Menippus of Phenicia having lost his goods strangled himself Dinarcus Phiton at a certain loss cut his own throat to save the charge of a Halter Another being turned out of his Estate ran out of his wits And another for the death of his Son threw himself head-long into the Sea Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born was so troubled and astonished at the relation of a Foyl and Overthrow from Varus that for certain months together he let the hair of his beard and head grow still and wore it long yea and otherwhiles Suetonius he would run his head against the doors crying out Quintilius Varus deliver up my Legions again Quintilius Varus deliver up my Legions again Henry the II. who was none of the best of Princes hearing that his City Mentz was taken used this blasphemous speech I shall never saith he love God any more that suffered a City so dear to me to be taken from me Now by all these instances you may clearly and plainly see the different temper and carriage of wicked
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
will send a fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devour the Palaces thereof So he doth to Edom verse 12. But I will send a fire upon Teman which shall devour the Palaces of Bozrah So he doth to Ammon verse 14. But I will kindle a fire in the Wall of Rabbah and it shall devour the Palaces thereof with shouting in the day of battel with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind So he doth to Moab Chap. 2. vers 2. But I will send a fire upon Moab and it shall devour the Palaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet So he doth to Judah vers 5. But I will send a fire upon Judah and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem By all these remarkable Instances t is evident that God by his fiery Dispensations tells all the world that the sins of that people are great and many upon whom the dreadful Judgment of Fire is inflicted in its fury and therefore 't is high folly and madness in many men that makes them impute this heavy Judgment of Fire to any thing rather then to their sins O Sirs 't is sin that burns up our habitations and that turns flames of love into a consuming fire And this the Parliament in their Act for the Rebuilding of the City of London well observes the Clause of the Act is this And that the said Citizens and their Successors for all the time to come may retain the Memorial of so sad a desolation and reflect seriously upon their manifold iniquities which are the unhappy causes of such Judgments Be it further Enacted That the Second of September unless the same happen to be Sunday and if so then the next day following be yearly for ever hereafter observed as a day of publick Fasting and Humiliation within the said City and Liberties thereof to implore the mercies of Almighty God upon the said City to make devout Prayers and Supplications unto him to divert the like Calamity for the time to come So Sir Edward Turnor Knight in his Speech to the King upon the Prorogation of the Parliament We must saith he for ever with humility acknowledge the Justice of God in punishing this whole Nation by the late dreadful Conflagration of London We know they were not the greatest sinners on whom the Tower of Siloam fell Luke 13. 4. and doubtless all our sins did contribute to the filling up that measure which being full drew down the wrath of God upon that City So much the King in his Proclamation for a General Fast on the Tenth of October observes The Words of the Proclamation are these His Majesty therefore of out a deep and pious sense of what Himself and all His People now suffer and with a Religious care to prevent what may yet be feared unless it shall please Almighty God to turn away his anger from us doth hereby Publish and Declare His Royal Will and Pleasure That Wednesday being the Tenth of October next ensuing shall be set apart and kept and observed by all His Majesties Subjects of England and Wales and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed as a day of solemn Fasting and Humiliation to implore the mercies of God that it would please him to pardon the crying sins of this Nation those especially which have drawn down this last and heavy Judgment upon us and to remove from us all other his Judgments which our sins have deserved and which we now either feel or fear Thus you see that not only the blessed Scriptures but also King and Parliament do roundly conclude that 't was for our sins our manifold iniquities our crying sins that God has sent this heavy Judgment upon us His Majesty also well observes that there are some special crying sins that bring down the fiery Judgment upon us Now this Royal Hint leads me by the hand to say Secondly That though sin in the general lays people under the fiery Dispensations of God yet if we will but diligently search into the blessed Book of God which never spoke Treason nor Sedition we shall find that there are several sins that brings the heavy Judgment of Fire upon Cities and Countries As First Gross Atheism practical Atheism is a sin that brings desolating and destroying Judgments upon a people Zeph. 1. 12. And it shall come to pass at that time that I will Atheism denieth God in either 1. in opinion saying there is no God or 2. in affection wishing there were no God or 3. in conversation living as if there were no God Rev. 22. 12. search Jerusalem with candles and punish the men that are setled upon their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil What horrid Blasphemy what gross Atheism is here How do these Atheists ungod the great God How do they deny his Omnipotency and Omnisciency What a God of Clouts what an Idol-god do they make the great God to be when they make him to be such a God as will neither do good nor hurt Epicurius denied not Gods Essence but only his Providence for he granted that there was a God though he thought him to be such an one as did neither good nor evil but certainly God sits not idle in Heaven but has a sharp and serious Eye upon all that is done on the Earth and this both Saints and sinners shall find by experience when in the great day he shall distribute both his rewards and punishments according to what they have done in the flesh Atheism is the main disease of the Soul not only pestilent to the person in whom it is harboured but also to the whole Land where 't is practised and permiâ—ted Atheism is worse then Idolatry for Idolatry only robs God of his Worship but Atheism robs God both of his Attributes and Being and therefore mark what follows verse 13. Therefore their God shall become a booty and their houses a dâ—solation they shall also build houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant vineyard but not drink the wine thereof So Ezek. 20. 47 48 49. And say to the forest of the South Hear the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord God Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree the flâ—ming flâ—me shall not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shall be burnt therein And all flesh shall see that I the Lord have kindled it it shall not be quenched Then said â— Ah Lord God they say of me doth he not speak parables Here was a pack of Atheists that did mock and scoff at the Prophet and his Parables they told him that he taâ—kt like a mad man and that he spoke of such things that neither himself nor others understood for he talkt of the South and of the forest of the South and of fire and of flaming fire and of
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
spent a great Estate in luxurious living jesting at his own folly he said that he had left nothing for his Heir more then air and mire Philip King of Macedon making War upon the Persians understood that they were a luxurious people he presently withdrew his Army saying it was needless to make War upon them who by their Luxury would shortly overthrow themselves But Sixthly Intemperance robs men of everlasting happiness and blessedness it shuts them out from all the glory of that upper world and tumbles them down to the lowest Hell as Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Luke 16. 19. 'to the 26. you may see in that great instance of luxurious Dives The intemperate mans table proves a snare to his Soul fulness breeds forgetfulness wantonness blockishness and stupidity and therefore no wonder if God shuts the gates of glory against intemperate persons Look as no Leper might be in Numb 5. Judg. 12. Chap 7. Deut. 23. the Camp of Israel and as no Gileadite might pass over Jordan and as no fearful man might enter into the wars of Midian and as no bastard might enter into the Sanctuary So no luxurious person shall enter into Heaven Of all sorts of sinners the luxurious sinner is most rarely reformed the Adulterer may become chast the Thief may become an honest man the Swearer may obtain a sanctified tongue But how rare is it to see a luxurious person repent break off his sins close with Christ and walk to Heaven Luxurious persons Math. 21. 31 32. Luke 23. 43. eat and drink away their Christ yea they eat and drink away their Souls nay they eat and drink away their own Salvation They that serve their own bellies serve not the Rom. 16. 10. Lord Jesus Christ and therefore they shall never raign with him in the other world Certainly that man that makes Phil. 3. 19. his belly his God shall be for ever separated from God All Belly-gods shall at last be found in the belly of Hell the intemperate person hath his Heaven here his Hell is to come Now he has his sweet cups his merry cups his pleasant cups O but there is a cup of shame and sorrow and this shall be their portion for ever and ever The intemperate person Psal 11. 6. hath been a gulf to devour many mercies and therefore he shall at last be cast into a gulf of endless miseries In a word Intemperance is another sin a breeding sin 't is a sin that is an inlet to all other sins we may well call it Gad for behold Deut. 32. 17. 24. Jer. 5. 7 8 9. a Troop cometh O the pride the oppression the cruelty the security the uncleanness the filthiness the prophaneness that comes trooping after Intemperance And therefore Aristotle concludes that double punishments are due to Drunkards first for their drunkenness and then for other sins committed in and by their drunkenness Now seeing that Intemperance and Luxury is so great a sin is it any wonder to see divine Justice turn the most glorious Cities in the world into a ruinous heap when this sin of Intemperance is rampant in the midst of them Ah London London the Intemperance and Luxury that has been within and without thy Walls has brought the desolating Judgment of Fire upon thee that has laid all thy glory in ashes and Rubbish How many great houses where there once within and without thy Walls that should have been publick Schools of Piety and Vertue but were turned into meer Nurseries of Est 1. 6 7. Luxury and Debauchery How have the â—ules of the Persian Civility been forgotten in the midst of thee How many within and without thy Walls did make their belly their God their Kitchin their Religion their Dresser their Altar and their Cook their Minister whose whole felicity did lye in eating and drinking whose bodies were as sponges and whose throats were as open sepulchres to take in all precious Liquors and whose bellies were as graves to bury all Gods Creatures in And how have many men been forced to unman themselves either to please some or to avoid the anger or wrath of others or else to gain the honourable Character of being a high Boy or of one that was strong to drink among oâ—herâ— or to drink down others O the drunken Matches that have been within and without thy Walls O London the Lord has seen them and been provoked by them to kindle a fire in the midst of thee Luxury is a sin that never goes alone it hath many other great sins aâ—tâ—nding and waiting on it it is as the Nave in the wheel which turning about all the Spokes turn with it Idleness fighting quarrelling jewling whoring cheating stealing robbing Prov. 23. 29 30 31 32 33. are the hand-maids that wait on Luâ—ury and therefore no wonder if God has appeared in flames of fiâ—e against it I have been the longer upon this Head because Luxury Intemperance is one of the great Darling-sins of our Age and day 't is grown to Epidemical not only in the City but in the Countries also and 't is a very God-dishonouring and a God-provoking and a Soul-damning and a Land-destroying sin and O that what I have writ might be so blest as to put some effectual stop to those notorious publick Excesses and Luxuries that have been and still are rampant in most Parts of the Land But now Beloved this sin of Luxury and Intemperance I cannot charge with clear and full evidence upon the people of the Lord that did truly fear him and sincerely serve him whose habitations were once within or without the Walls of London nay this I know that for this very sin among others their Souls did often mourn before the Lord in secret And truly of such Christians that live and wallow in Luxury and Intemperance if we compare their lives and Christs Laws together I think we may confidently conclude Aut haec non est Lex Christi aut nos non sumus Christiani Either this is not Christianity or we are not Christians And thus Tâ—rtullian Cyprian Justin Martyr and others concluded against the luxurious and intemperate Christians of their times Salvian relates Salvianus de Gratia Dei lib. 4. how the Heathen did reproach such luxurious Christians who by their lewd lives made the Gospel of Christ to be a reproach Where said the Heathen is that good Law which they do believe where are those Rules of Godlinesâ— which they do learn They read the holy Gospel and yet are unclean they hear the Apostles Writings and yet are drunk they follow Christ and yet disobey Christ they profess a holy Law and yet do lead impure lives And Ponormitan having read the 5 6 and 7 Chapters of Mathew and comparing the loose and luxurious lives of Christians with those Rules of Christ concluded that either that was no Gospel or the people no Christians The loose and luxurious lives of many Christians was as Lactantius
declares made by the Heathen the reproach of Christ himself Quomodo bonus magister cujus tam pravos videmus discipulos How can we think the Master to be good whose Disciâ—les we see to be so bad Epiphanius saith that in his days many shuâ—'d the society of the Christians because of the loosness and luxuriousness of their lives And Augustin confesseth that August de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 34. in his time the loose and luxurious lives of many who profest the Christian Religion gave a great advantage to the Manichees to reproach the whole Church of God and the ways of God The Manichees were a sort of people who affirmed that there were two principles or beginnings of things viz. a summum bonum and a summum malum A summum bonum from whence sprang all good and a summum malum from whence issued forth all evil Now the loose and luxurious lives of such as had a profession upon them hardned these in their errours and caused them with open mouth greatly to reproach and deeply to censure the sincerest Saints And Chrysostom preferred brute beasts before luxurious persons for they go from belly to labour when the luxurious person goes from belly to bed or from belly to Cards or Dice if not to something that is worse And Augustine well observes that God hath not given to man talons and claws to rent and tear in pieces as to Bears and Leopards nor horns to push as to Bulls and Unicorns nor a sting to prick as to Wasps and Bees and Serpents nor a bill to strike as to Eagles and Ostriches nor a wide mouth to devour as to Dogs and Lyons but a little mouth to shew that man should be very temperate both in his eating and drinking How applicable these things are to the luxurious persons that lived within and without the Walls of London before it was turned into ashes I shall leave the wise in heart to judge But Thirdly Those great and horrid sins that were to be found in maâ—y mens Callingâ— viz. excessive worldliness Prov. 28. 20. 22. See Josh 7. 15. 21. 24. 25. extortion deceit bribery c. these brought the sore Judgment of Fire upon us When men are so greedy and mad upon the world that they make haste to be rich by all sinful devices and cursed practices no wonder if God burns up their substance and turns their persons out of house and home The coal the Eagle got from the Altar the Sacrifice and carried it to her nest set all on fire So that Estate that men get by sinful ways and unwarrantable courses first or last will set all they have on fire He that resolves to be evil may soon be rich when the spring of conscience is screwed up to the highest pin that it is ready to crack when Religion is lock'd up in an out-room and forbidden upon pain of death to look into the Shop or Ware-house no wonder such men thrive and grow great in the world but all the riches such men store up is but fuel for the fire Hab. 2 9. Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousnâ—ss to his house that he He saith Chrysostom that locks up ill-gotten riches in his counting-house locks up a Thief in his countenance which will carry all away and if he look not the betteâ— to it his precious Soul also may set his nest on high that hâ— may be delivered from the power of evil Verse 11. For the stone shall cry out of the wall the beam out of the timber shall answer it Verse 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of Hâ—sts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity They had got great Estates by an evil covetousness and God was resolved that he would make a bon-fire of all their ill gotten goods and though they should venture their lives to save â—heir goods and quench the flames yet all should be but labour in vain according to that word Jer. 51. 58. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken and her high gates shall be burnt with fire and the people shall labour in vain and the folk in the fire and they shall be weary Though Babylon was a City of great same and state and riches and deservedly accounted one of the worlds nine wonders though the compass of the Walls was 365 furlongs or 46 miles according to the number of the days in the year and the heighth 50 cubits and of so great a bredth that Carts and Carriages might meet on the top of them yea though it was so great and vast a City that Aristotle saith that it ought rather to be called a Country then a City adding withal that when the City was taken it was three days before the furthest part of the City could take notice of it Yet at last according to the Word of the Lord it was set on fire and though the Inhabitants did weary and tire out themselves to quench the flames and to save their stately houses and ill-gotten riches yet all was labour in vain and to no purpose In the days of Pliny it was an utter desolation and in the time of Hierom it was turned into a Park in which the King of Persia did use to hunt So Ezek. 28. 18. Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy traffick therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee it shall devour thee and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee Verse 19. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee thou shalt be a terrour and never shalt thou be any more Tyruâ— among the Sea-bordering Cities was most famous and renowned for Merchandise and Trade for thither resorted the Merchants of all Countries for Traffick of Palestina Syria Egypt Persia and Assyria They of Tarshis brought thither Iron Lead Brass and Silver The Syrians brought thither Carbuncles Purple broidered Work fine Linnen Coral and Pearl The Jews brought thither their Honey Oyl Treacle Cassia and Calamuâ— The Arabians brought thither Lambs Muttons and Goats The Sabeans brought thither their exquisite Spices and Apothecary-stuff with Gold and precious Stones Now by fraud and deceit they grew exceeding rich and wealthy which in the close issued in their total ruine according to that of the Prophet Zacha. 9. 3 4. And Tyrus did build her self a strong hold and heaped up silver as the dust and fine gold as the mire of the streets Behold the Lord will cast her out and he will smite her power in the sea and she shall be devoured with fire The Tyriâ—ns did hold themselves invincible because of their siâ—uation being round about environed by the Sea but yet the Prophet tells them that though they were compassed about with deep waters yet they should be destroyed by
Pharaoh his People and Land to revenge the cruel oppression Exod. 3. 9. of his poor people Prov. 22. 22 23. Rob not the poor because he is poor neither opprâ—ss the afflictâ—d in the gate For the Lord will plead their cause To rob and oppress the rich is a great sin but to rob and oppress the poor is a greater but to rob and oppress the poor because he is poor and wants money to buy justice is the top of all inhumanity and impiety To oppress any one is a sin but to oppress the oppressed is the heighth of sin Poverty and want and misery should be motives to pity but oppressors make them the whet-stones of their cruelty and severity and therefore the Lord will plead the cause of his poor oppressed people against their oppressors without fee or fear yea he will plead their cause with pestilence blood and fire Gog was a great oppressor of the poor Ezek. 38. 8 9 10 11 12. 13 14. And God pleads against him with pestilence blood and fire Verse 22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood and I will rain upon him and upon his bands and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain and great hail-stones fire and brimstone Such as oppress a Mich. 2. 1 2. man and his house even a man and his heritage they take the surest the readiest way to bring ruine upon their own houses Isa 5. 8. Wo unto them that joyn house to house and field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth â—ut mark what follows verse 9. In mine ears said the Lord of Hosts of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and fair without inhabitants of a truth many houses shall be desolate This is an Emphatical form of swearing 't is as if the Lord had said Let me not live or let me never be owned or accounted a God or let me never be looked upon as a God of truth a God of my word let me never be believed nor trusted more for a God if I do not lay desolate the houses of oppressors the great houses of oppressors the fair houses of oppressors yea the multitude and variety of the houses of oppressors So Amos 3. 9 10 11. Publish in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces â—n the Land of Egypt and say Assemble your selves upon the mountains of Samaria and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof and the oppressed or oppressions in the midst thereof For they know not to do right saith the Lord who store up violence and robbery in their palaces Therefore thus saith the Lord God an adversary there shall be even round about the Land and he shall bring down thy strength from thee â—nd thy palaces shall be spoiled Now mark the 15. verse And I will smite the winter-house with the summer-house and the houses of ivory shall perish and the great houses shall have an end saith the Lord. In their Palaces and in their Winter and Summer-houses they stored up all the riches preys and spoils that they had got by oppression But God tells them that their Palaces should be spoiled and that he would smite the Winter-house upon the Summer-house so the Hebrew runs God was resolved that he would dash one house against the other and lay them all on heaps Though their Palaces and houses were never so rich and strong and stately and pompous and glorious and decked and adorned and enamelled and checkered yet they should all down together So Zach. 7. 10 11. 14. Oppress not the widow nor the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart But they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their ears that they should not hear Well now mark what follows verse 14. But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not thus the land was desolate after them that no man passed thorow nor returned for they laid the pleasant land or as the Hebrew has it the second Land of desire desolate Palestine was a very pleasant Land aLand which flowed with milk and honey a Land which was the glory of all Lands God had made it as his Paradise and enriched it with all plenty and pleasure and above all with his presence and residence in his City and Temple but they by oppressing the poor the widow and the fatherless laid all desolate Jer. 12. 12. O house of David thus saith the Lord execute judgment in the morning and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor lest my fury go out like fire and burn that none can quench it Oppression lays a people open to Gods fury it provokes the Lord to turn their all into unquenchable flames Psal 12. 5. For the oppression of the poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that passeth at him Upon these words Chrysostom saith Timete quicunque pauperem Chrys in Psal 12. injuriâ afficitis habetis vos potentiam opes judicum benevolentiam sed habent illi arma omnium validissima luctus ejulatus quae à coelis auxilium attrahunt Haec arma domus effodiunt fundamenta evertunt haec integras nationes submergunt Fear ye whosoever ye be that do wrong the poor you have power and wealth and the favour of the Judges but they have the strongest weapons of all sighings and groanings which fetch help from Heaven for them These weapons dig down houses throw up foundations overthrow whole Nations Thus you see by all these clear Scriptures that oppression is a sin that brings wasting and destroying Judgments upon a people Ah London London was there no oppression and cruelty to be found within and without thy Walls Eccle. 4. 1. So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun and behold the tears of such as were oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of their oppressors there was power but they had no comforter And behold the tears of such as were oppressed The original word signifies lachrymam non lachrymas a tear not tears as if the oppressed had wept so long and wept so much that they could weep no longer nor weep no more having but only one tear left them Were there not O London many of thy poor oppressed Inhabitants that wept so long that they could weep no longer and that wept so much that they had but one tear left O the crys and tears of the oppressed within and without thy Walls did so pierce Gods ears and so work upon his heart that at last he comes down in flames of fire to revenge the oppressed Were there no rich Citizens that did wrack their Tenants and grind the faces of the poor that took an advantage
himself both in the Old and New Testament And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God merciful and Exod. 34. 6. gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth So Moses in his Song He is a God of truth and without iniquity Deut. 32. 4. Isa 65. 16. just and right is he So Esay He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth So the Psal 31. 5. Psal 86. 15. Psalmist Thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth Again Thou O Lord art plenteous in mercy and truth So in the New Testament Let God be true and every man a lyar Again They themselves shew how ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God Though God can make a Rom. 3. 4. Gen. 1. Chap. 6. world with a word of his mouth and mar a world with a word of his mouth yet he can neither dye nor lye Titus 1. 2. In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began yea it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye Now by all these plain pregnant Texts 't is most evident that lying is most opposite and contrary to the very Nature Essence and Being of God and therefore no wonder if the anger and wrath of God rises high against it But Secondly Consider this that pernicious Lyes and Lyars are very destructive to all humane Societies Kingdoms and Common-wealths Lying destroys all Society all Commerce and Converse among the Sons of men Man as the Philosopher observeth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable Creature Speech is the means whereby men have society and commerce one with another Now lying perverts that order which the God of truth hath appointed to be among the Sons of men 'T is the will and pleasure of God that the Sons of men conversing together should by their words and speeches and discourses impart and communicate their minds designs intentions and meanings one to another for the mutual good of one another and for the profit and benefit of the whole Now if there be nothing in mens words but lying deceit and fraud instead of truth what can follow but confusion and desolation When the language of men was confounded so that one could not tell what another spake then presently followed the dissolution of their combination for the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth and they left off to build the City when Gen. 11. 7 8. one asked brick saith a Rabbin another brought clay and R. Sal. The Hebrew Doctors say that at this dispersion there were seventy Nations with seventy sundry languages Gen. 49. 6. Psal 120. 2. Jer. 9. 1. to the 6. then they fell together by the ears and one dashed out the others brains and by thls means their communion was dissolved and God brought on them the evil which they sought to prevent vers 4. But surely a lying tongue is a far worse enemy to Society then an unknown tongue and much better it is for a man to have no society at all then with such as he cannot believe what they say or if he do he shall be sure to be deceived by them Concerning such we may well take up the words of Jacob O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united And pray with David Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue Jeremiah did so loath and abominate the society of Lyars that he had rather live in a Wilderness then live among them or have any thing to do with them Lyars destroy that Communion and Society that by the Law of God Nature and Nations they ought to preserve and maintain Lying dissolves that mutual trust that we should have with one another for hereby all Contracts Covenants and Intercourse of dealings between man Mendax hoc lucratur ut cum vera dixerit ei non credatur and man which is as it were the life of the Kingdom or Common-wealth are quite overthrown When men make no conscience of lying nor of keeping their word any further then either fear of loss or force of Law compelleth them all Civil communion is at an end There can be no trust where there is no truth nor no Commerce with those that cannot be trusted The Scythians had a Law that if any man did duo peccata contorquere bind two sins together a lye and an oath he was to lose his head because this was the way to take away all faith and truth among men Had this Law been put in execution in London I have reason enough to fear that many Ciâ—izens would have lost their heads long before they had lost their houses by the lâ—te dreadful Fire Now seeing that pernicious lying a course a trade of lying is so destructive to humane Society why should we wonder to see the Lord appear in flaming fire against it But Thirdly Consider that lying is a sin that is most odiouâ— and hateful to God yea a sin that makes men odious and hateful to him Lying is repugnant unto God for God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of Titus 1. 2. Isa 65. 16. truth and therefore lying cannot but be odious to him God is said not only to forbid a lye but to hate a lye A lye 't is an abâ—mination Now we abominate that which is contrary to our natures Amongst those things that are an abomination to the Lord a lying tongue is reckoned Prov. 6. 16 17. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look a lying tongue or as the Hebrew runs a tongue of lying that is a tongue that hath learned the trade and can do it artificially a tongue that is accustomed to lying a tongue that is delighted in lying So Verse 19. A false witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren Among these seven things abominated by God lying is twice repeated to note how great an abomination lying is in the eye and account of God Prov. 12. 22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord not only offensive or odious but abominable Lyars pervert the end for which God created speech which was to give light to the notions of the mind and therefore the Lord loaths them and plagues them in this life with great severity as you may see in those sad instances of Gehazi whose lye was punished 2 Kings 5. 20. to the end Acts 5. 5. to the 11. Esth 3. 8 9 10 11. with a perpetual leprosie upon himself and his posterity and of Ananias and Sapphira who for their lying were punished with present and
to conclude because of some particular sinful actions and extravagant motions that this or that mans spiritual estate is bad A trade of Lying can never stand with a trade of Holiness a course of Lying can never stand with a course of Godliness Though the Needle of the Seamans Compass may jog this way and that way yet the bent of the Needle will stâ—ll be Northward So though a Jacob a David a Peter may have their particular sinful joggings this way or that way yet the bent of their hearts will still be God-wards Christ-wards Heaven-wards and Holiness-wards But Secondly Such as did truly fear the Lord within or without the Walls of London such did in their solemn Addresses to the Lord both together and apart lament and bewail that trade that course of lying that was predominant among many that day and therefore I dare not charge the trade the course of lying upon their scores But Thirdly A lye draws its Pedigree from the Devil and such as make a trade of lying such are certainly Satans children Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devil and the 1 Kings 22. 22. Acts 5. 3-10 lusts of your father ye will do he was a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Satan is the father of all Gen. 3. sins as well as the father of lyes but here he is said to be a Lyar and the Father of it because by lying he first brought sin into the world Satan began his Kingdom by a lye and by lyes he still labours to uphold it He is the Inventer and Author of all the lyes that be in the world The Devils breasts says Luther are very fruitful with lyes Lyars are the Devils children by imitation there are none that resemble him so much to the life as Lyars do they are as like him as if they were spit out of the very mouth of him Lying is a part of the Devils Image Other sins make men like beasts but this of lying makes men like Devils Leo speaking of Lying Leo de Elâ—emos serm 4. saith Totam vim suam in mendacio diabolus collocavit omniaque deceptionum genera de hoc venenatissimo artis suae fonte produxit The Devil hath placed his whole strength in lying and from this most poysoned fountain of his craft hath he brought forth all kinds of deceit Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon such who feared the Lord within or without the Walls of London Though many that make a profession of Christ are no more like Christ then Michols Image of Goats hair was like David Joh. 1. 16. yet all such as are really united to Christ they are like to Christ they bear upon them the Image of Christ they resemble him to the life Jesus Christ is such a fountain in which whosoever bathes and of which whosoever drinks 2 Cor. 3. 18. they shall be sure to be changed into the same likeness from glory to glory that is from a lower degree of grace to a higher degree even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Such as truly fear the Lord have an Image of Righteousness and Phil. 4. 23 24. Holiness stampt upon them and do more resemble Christ then Satan and therefore the trade of lying may not be charged upon them But Fourthly Have they not chosen rather to suffer then by lying either to free themselves from sufferings or to secure themselves against sufferings Jerom writes of a brave Woman that being upon the Rack bad her Persecutors do their worst for she was resolved rather to dye then to lye Has not much of this spirit been upon them and therefore I dare not charge the trade of lying upon them But Fifthly Such as truly fear the Lord they hate lying Psal 119 163. I hate and abhor lying David hated lying as he hated Hell it self So Prov. 13. 5. A righteous man hateth lying Lying is a noisom stinking weed and therefore a righteous man abhors to touch it he hates to come near it and can by no means endure the scent of it in others least of all in himself Justin Martyr speaking of the persecuted Justin Martyr Apol. 2. pro Christianis Christians hath this memorable Saying In nostra est potestate ut quum inquirimur negemus sed vivere noluâ—us mâ—ndaciter quicquam loquentes It is in our power when we are sought for and examined to deny what we are what we believe but we will not live speaking any thing untruly These blessed Souls so hated and abhorred lying that they would rather dye then lye A lye saith Plato is odious not only to the Gods but also to every wise man Cleobulus another Heathen affirmeth that every wise prudent man hateth a lye Erasmus had such an Antipathy against lying that from his youth he would usually tremble at the fight of a noted Lyar. Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon their score that truly fear the Lord. But Sixthly Lying is that sad Character and black Brand that the Lord hath only put upon wicked and ungodly men Psal 4. 2. O ye sons of men ye Grandees who are potent at Court how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking lyes no sooner could they do any thing but they were doing evil lisping out lyes even as soon as they were born Isa 30. 8 9. Now go write it before them in a table and note it in a book that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever Why what must he write mark vers 9. That this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not hear the law of the Lord. Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon them that feared the Lord in that great City before it was laid in ashes But Seventhly A trade of lying is inconsistent with the Relation of Children Isa 63. 8. Surely they are my people children that will not lye so he was their Saviour God makes this the Col. 3. 9. ear-mark of his people that they are children that will not lye When the Heathen Philosopher was askt in what things men were most like unto God he answered In their speaking of truth Not lying is one of the choice Characters by which the Lord doth difference and distinguish his own peculiar people from other men Zepha 3. 13. The remnant of Israel shall do no iniquity nor speak lyes neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth In the primitive times this was a common Saying Christianus est non mentietur He is a Christian he will not
lye Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the Throne of God Now upon this account also I dare not charge the trade of lying upon thosâ— gracious Souls that feared the Lord within or without the Walls of London before it was turned into a ruinous heap But Eighthly and lastly Lyars are reckoned amongst the basest and the worst of sinners that you read of in all the Book of God Levit. 19. 11. Ye shall not steal neither deal falsely neither lye one to another Prov. 6. 16 17 18 19. These six things doth the Lord hate yea seven are an abomination to him A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations feeâ— that be swift in running to mischief A false witness that speaketh lyes and him that soweth discord among brethren So the Apostle Paul setting down a Catalogue of the basest and worst of sinners he ranks lyars in the rere of them 1 Tim. 1. 9 10. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for man-slayers For whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind for men-stealers for lyars for perjured persons So John numbers them amongst the damned crew Rev. 21. 8. That shall be sent to hell and that must perish for ever Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murtherers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death In this Catalogue of the damned crew the fearful are placed in the Front and the lyars in the Rere See once more how the Holy Ghost couples lyars Rev. 22. 15. For without are dogs and sorcerers and murtherers and whoremongers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Thus you see in all these Scriptures that lyars are numbred up among the rabble of the most desperate and deplorable Wretches that are in all the world and therefore upon this account also I cannot charge the trade of lying upon them that feared the Lord whose habitations were once within or without the Walls of London The eighth sin that brings the Judgment of Fire is mens giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire In these words there are these three things observable First The places punished and they are Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them which were Admah and Zeboim Egesippus and Stephanus say that ten Cities were destroyed Deut. 29. 23. Hos 11. 8. and some say thirteen Cities were destroyed when Sodom was destroyed but these things I shall not impose upon you as Articles of Faith The overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them was total both in respect of the Inhabitants and the places themselves their sin was universal and their punishment was as universal That pride idleness and fulness of bread that is charged upon them by the Prophet Ezekiel did usher in those abominable Ezek. 16. 49 50. wickednesses that laid all waste and desolate Secondly The sins that brought these punishments viz. The giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh The first is Giving themselves over to fornication Now the word Fornication is not to be taken properly and strictly for that act of uncleanness that is often committed between persons unmarried but it is here to be taken for all sorts of carnal uncleanness The Heathen thought fornication no vice and therefore they made it a common custom and were wont to pray thus The Gods increase the number of the Harlots The second sin that is charged upon them is Their going after strange flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another flesh as the words in the Original run The Apostle in this modest and covert expression Going after strange flesh or other flesh or another flesh doth hint to us their monstrous and unlawful lusts that were against the Course Light and Law of Nature they gave themselves up to such filthiness as is scarce to be named among men they went after other flesh then what Nature or the God of Nature had appointed The Gen. 2. 21. ult great God never appointed that male and male but only that male and female should be one flesh 't is impossible that man and man in that execrable act should make one flesh as man and woman do The flesh of a male to a male must needs be another flesh The Apostle Paul expresseth their filthiness thus For even their women did change the natural Rom. 1. 26 27. use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly Chrysostom well observes on these words that whereas by Gods Ordinance in lawful copulation by Marriage two became one flesh both Sexes were joyned together in one by Sodomitical uncleanness the same flesh is divided into two men with men working uncleanness as with women of one Sex making as it were two The Genâ—iâ—es had left the God of Nature and therefore the Lord in his just Judgment left them to leave the order of Nature and so to cast scorn and comtempt upon the whole humane Nature Again There is another sort of pollution by strange flesh Levit. 18. 23. and that is a carnal joyning of a man with a beast which is prohibited Neither shalt thâ—u lye with any beast Oh what a sink of sin is in the nature of man the heart of man And as this pollution is prohibited so 't is punished with death And Chap. 20. 15. if a man lye with a beast he shall surely be put to death and ye shall slay the beast The Lord to shew the horridness and the hainousness of this beastly sin commands that even the poor harmless innocent beast that is neither capable of sin nor of provoking or enticing man to sin must be put to death Oh how great is that pollution that pollutes the very beasts and that makes the unclean more unclean and that doth debase the beast below a beast Now to this sort of pollution the beastly Sodomites had without doubt given up themselves The third thing observable in the words is the severity of their punishment Suffering the vengeance of eternal fire We commonly say that fire and water have no mercy and we have frequently experienced the truth of that saying When God would give the world a proof of his greatest severity against notorious sinners and notorious sins he doth it
Gen. 6. with a Flood then the Sodomites were secure when God Gen. 19. 14. rained fire and btimstone out of Heaven upon them Mercury could not kill Argus till he had cast him into a sleep and with an inchanted Rod closed his eyes No more could the Devil have hurt these Sodomites if he had not first lull'd them asleep in the bed of security Carnal security opens the door for all impiety to enter into the Soul Pompey when he had in vain assaulted a City and could not take it by force devised this Stratagem in way of agreement he told them he would leave the Siege and make Peace with them upon condition that they would let in a few weak sick and wounded Souldiers among them to be cured They let in the Souldiers and when the City was secure the Souldiers let in Pompeys Army A carnal setled security will let in a whole Army of lusts into the Soul and this was the Sodomites case To sum up all those expressions in Jude vers 7. of giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh do imply or take in these six things last mentioned which things will not stand with the truth of Grace or state of Grace and therefore those sins that are specified by Jude cannot be charged with any clear fair or full evidence upon the people of God who did truly fear him within or without the Walls of London But should this Treatise fall into any of their hands who have given themselves over to fornication or to go after strange flesh then I would say that it very highly concerns all such persons to lay their hands upon their loyns and to say we are the very men the sinners the monsters that have turned a rich and populous City into a ruinous heap But The ninth sin that brings the sore Judgment of Fire upon a People is prophanation of the Sabbath Jer. 7. ult But if you will not hearken unto me to hallow the Sabbath-day and not bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath-day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched In this memorable Scripture you may observe 1. A specification of the Judgment that God will punish Prophaners of his Sabbath with and that is fire 2. The specification of the object that this fire shall fall upon viz. a City not a Town a Village or any other mean place but a City a stately City a populous City a trading City a secure City 3. Here is the specification of the City viz. not Isa 52. 1. Psal 48. 1-8 Psal 87. 3. Jer. 22. 8. every City neither but Jerusalem the City of Cities the best of Cities the beloved City the joyous City the glorious City the renowned City the crowned City the Metropolitan City the City of God the wonder of the World the joy of the whole Earth yet God thâ—eatens to destroy this Jerusalem with fire and flames for prophaning of his Sabbath But did God only threaten Jerusalem No for he executed his threatnings upon it as you may see in that So 2 Chron. 36. 17 18 19. Psal 74 4 5 6 7 8. 2 Kings 25. 8 9 10. And in the fifth month on the seventh day of the month which is the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylen came Nebuzar-adan captain of the guard a servant of the King of Babylon to Jerusalem And â—e Those Chaldeans that set Jerusalem on fire came from literal Babylon and whether those Chaldeans that first set London inflames came not from mystical Babylon I shal not here enquire nor dispute burnt the house of the Lord and the Kings house and al the houses of Jerusalem and every great mans house burnt he with fire And all the army of the Chaldees that were with the captain of the guard brake down the walls of Jerusalem round about The same you have Jer. 52. 12 13 14. The Jews were great prophaners of the Sabbath Nehem. 13. 15 16 17 18. In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses as also wine grapes and figs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victualâ— There dwelt men of Tyre also therein which brought fish and all manner of ware and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the sabbath-day Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaneing the sabbath Now this is observable that as they had prophaned the Sabbath so Nebuzaradon set their Temple on fire and their Noble mens houses on fire and all the considerable mens houses in Jerusalem on fire on their Sabbath day I know Jeremy saith it was on the tenth day Jer. 52. 13. which several of the Learned thus reconcile viz. That on the seventh day which was their Sabbath Nebuzaradon kindled a fire in their habitations and burnt them all quite down on the tenth Now Calvin upon the Text gives these Reasons of Gods severity against them for prophaning his Sabbath First because it was an easie Precept to cease from labour one day in seven and therefore they that would not herein obey were worthy of all severity as Adam for eating the forbidden fruit 2. Because the Sabbath was a sign of Exod. 31. 13. 17. Gods people by him peculiarly chosen and therefore not to rest now was a gross neglect of upholding the memorial of the greatest Priviledge that ever was bestowed upon mortal men 3. Because the Lord would by their keeping of a rest now from servile works draw them to a rest from the servile works of sin as he rested from the works of Creation To which others add a fourth viz. That it might always be remembred that the whole World was created by God that we might acknowledge his infinite Power and Wisdom herein appearing And others add a fifth viz. Because by keeping the Sabbath-day it being the day wherein all religious Duties were done all the exercises of Religion is meant which if it had been purely upheld both Princes Nobles Priests and People should have flourished for ever and never have known what 't was to have their houses set on fire about their ears Now is not famous London the sad Counterpane of desolate Jerusalâ—m a sore and unquenchable Fire hath turned Englands Metropolis into ashes and rubbish But That the Lord may appear most just and righteous in inflicting this dreadful Judgment of Fire upon those that prophaned his Sabbaths in London consider seriously with me these twelve things First That God hath fenced this
that he in his instruments Rev. 2. 10. makes against the strictest observers of that day and witness his constant prompting and spurring such on to the prophanation of the Sabbath whose examples are most dangerous and encouraging to wicked men as Magistrates Ministers Parents and Masters c. and witness his strong endeavours constant attempts crafty devices and deep policies that he has made use of in all the Ages of the World to keep people off from a religious observation of the Sabbath yea and to make them more wicked on that day then on any other day of the week May I not say then on all other days of the week I have been the longer upon this ninth Particular partly because of the weightiness of it and partly to encourage the Reader to a more close and strict observation of the Sabbath and partly to justifie those that are conscientious observers of it and partly to justifie the Lord in turning London into ashes for the horrible prophanation of his day The Sabbath-day is the Queen of days say the Jews The The Sabbath-day differs as much from the rest of the days as the wax doth to which a Kings Great Seal is put from ordinary wax Sabbath-day among the other days is as the Virgin Mary among Women saith Austin Look what the Phenix is among the Birds the Lyon among the Beasts the Whale among the Fishes the Fire among the Elements the Lilly among the Thorns the Sun among the Stars that is the Sabbath-day to all other days and therefore no wonder if God burn such out of their habitations who have been prophaners of his day Ah London London were there none within nor without thy Walls that made light of this Institution of God and that did offer violence to the Queen of days by their looseness and prophaneness by their sitting at their doors by their walking in Moor-fields by their sportings and wrestlings there and by their haunting of Ale-houses and Whore-houses their tossing of Pots and Pipes when they should have been setting up God and Christ and Religion in their Families and mourning in their Closets for the sins of times and for the afflictions of poor Joseph How did the wrath and rage of King Ahasuerus smoak against Haman Esth 7. 8 9 10. when he apprehended that he would have put a force upon the Queen And why then should we wonder to see the wrath of the Lord break forth in smoak and flames against such a generation that put a force upon his day that prophaned his day the Queen of days Ah Sirs you have greatly prophaned and abused the day of the Lord and therefore why should any marvel that the Lord has greatly debased you and laid your glory in dust and ashes In these late years how has prophaneness like a flood broke in upon us on the Lords day and therefore it highly concerns all the prophaners of the day of the Lord to lay their hands upon their hearts and to say the Lord is righteous the Lord is righteous though he has laid our habitations desolate Who is so great a stranger in our English Israel as not to know that God was more dishonoured on the Sabbath-day within and without the Walls of London then he was in all the other six days of the week and therefore let us not think it strange that such a fire was kindled on that day as has reduced all to ashes What Antick habits did men and women put on on this day what frothy empty airy discourses and intemperance was to be found at many mens Tables this day How were Ale-houses Stews and Moor-fields filled with debauched sinners this day No wonder then if London be laid desolate Now this abominable sin of open prophaning the Sabbaths of the Lord I cannot with any clear evidence charge upon the people of God that did truly fear him within or without the Walls of London For first they did lament and moâ—rn over the horrid prophanation of that day Secondly I want eyes at present to see how it will stand either with the truth of Grace or state of Grace for such as are real Saints to live in the open prophanation of Gods Sabbaths Thirdly because an ordinary prophaning of the Lords Sabbaths is as great an Argument of a prophane heart as any that can be found in the whole Book of God Fourthly because Sabbath-days are the Saints Market-days Prov. 10. 5. Prov. 17. 16. Isa 25. 6. Math. 5. 47. the Saints harvest-days the Saints summer-days the Saints seed-days and the Saints feasting-days and therefore they will not be such fools as to sleep away those days much less will they presume to prophane those days or to toy and trifle away those days of Grace Fifthly what singular thing do they more then others if they are not strict observers and conscientious sanctifiers of the Lords day â—ixthly and lastly of all the days that pass over a Christians head in this world there are none that God will take such a strict and exact account of as of Sabbath-days and therefore it highly concerns all people to be strict observers and serious sanctifiers of that day Now upon all these accounts I cannot charge such throughout Saints as lived within or without the Walls of London with that horrid prophanation of the Sabbath as brought the late fiery Dispensation upon us and that turned a glorious City into a ruinous heap Whatever there was of the hand of man in that dreadful Conflagration I shall not now attempt to divine but without a peradventure it was Sabbath-guilt which threw the first Ball that turned London into flames and ashes When fire and smoaking was on Mount Sinai God was there but when London was in Exod. 19. 18. flames and smoak Sabbath-guilt was there Doubtless all the power of Rome and Hell should never have put London into flames had not Londons guilt kindled the first coal But We come now to the Use and Application of this important Point Tenthly The prophaneness lewdness blindness and 10. wickedness of the Clergy of them in the Ministry brings the Judgment of Fire and provokes the Lord to lay all waste before him Zeph. 3. 4-6 Her Prophets are light and treacherous persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have done violence to the law I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate I have made their street wâ—ste that none passeth by their cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant Their Prophets and Priests were rash heady and unstable persons they were light faithlâ—ss men or men of faithlesness as the Hebrew runs They were neither faithful to God nor faithful to their own Souls nor faithful to others Souls they invented and feigned Prophesies of their own and then boldly maintained them and imposed them upon their Hearers they were prophane and light in their carriages they fitted their Doctrines to all fancies humours parties and times
they betrayed their trust they betrayed the lives of men into the hand of divine Justice and the Souls of men into the hands of Satan they polluted the Sanctuary they polluted the Holy things of God by managing of his Worship and Service in a prophane carnal way and with a light slight perfidious spirit and by perverting the true sense of the Law in their ordinary teaching of the people They did violence to the Law or they contemned removed or cast away the Law as the Oriâ—inal runâ— the Hebrew word here used signifies also to ravish Their Prophets and Psal 50. 17. Priests did ravish the Law of God by corrupting the Law and by putting false glosses upon it and by turnâ—ng of it intâ— such shapes and senses as would best suit the times and please the humours of the people Now for these abominations of their Prophets and Priests God denounces a dreadful Wo against the City of Jerusalem in vers 1. Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the oppressing city Lam. 4. 11-13 The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce â—nger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured â—he foundation thereof For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquity of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her God sent a consuming flame into Jerusalem which did not only burn the tops of their houses but also the foundations themselves leaving no mark whereby they might know where their houses stood nor any hopes of building them up again But why did God kindle such a devouring fire in Jerusalem which was one of the World wonders and a City that was not only strong in situation and building and deemed impregnable but a City that was Gods own Seat the Palace of his Royal residence yea a City that the Lord had for many years to the admiration of all the world powâ—rfully and wonderfully protected against all those furious â—ssaults that were made upon her by her most potent and mighty Adversaries Answ For the sins of her Prophets â—nd the iniquities of her Priests as God himself testifies who can neither dye nor lye You may see this further confirmed if you please but seriously to ponder upon these Scriptures Mich. 2. 11. Isa 30. 10 11. Jer. 5. ult Hos 4. 9. Isa 9. 16. Lam. 2 14. Ezek. 3. 18. Ezek. 22. 25 26. 31. Jer. 23. 11. 14 15. 39 40. Look as the body Natural so the body Politick cannot be long in a good constitution whose more noble and essential parts are in a consumption The enormities of Ministers have the strongest influence upon the souls and lives of men to make them miserable in both worlds Their falls will be the fall and ruine of many for people are more prone to live by Examples then by Precepts and to mind more what the Minister does then what he says Praecépta docent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but Examples do perswade The Complaint is ancient in Seneca That commonly men Seneca de vita beata cap. 1. live not ad rationem but ad similitudinem The people commonly make the Examples of their Ministers the Rules of their Actions and their Examples pass as current among them as their Princes Coyn. The Common-people are like tempered Wax easily receiving impressions from the Seals of their Ministers vices They make no bones of it to sin by prescription and to damn themselves by following the lewd Examples of their Ministers The Vulgar unadvisedly take up crimes on trust and perish by following of bad Examples I will leave the serious Reader to make such Application as in prudence and conscience he judges meet But Eleventhly Sometimes the sins of Princes and Rulers bring the fiery Dispensations of God upon Persons and Places Jer. It is a strange saying in Lipsius viz. That the names of all good Princes may easily be engraven or written in a small Ring Lips de Constantia lib. 2. cap. 25. 38. 17 18 23. Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah Thus saith the Lord the God of Hosts the God of Israel if thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the King of Babylons Princes then thy soul shall live and this city shall not be burnt with fire and thou shalt live and thine house But if thou wilt not go forth to the King of Babylons Princes then shall this city be given into the hands of the Chaldeans and they shall burn it with fire and thou shalt not escape out of their hand but shalt be taken by the hand of the King of Babylon and thou shalt cause this city to be burnt with fire Oâ— as the Hebrew runs Thou shalt burn this city with fire that is thou by thy obstinacy wilt be the means to procure the burning of this City which by a rendition of thy self thou mightest have saved So Jer. 34. 2. 8 9 10 11. compared with Chap. 37. 5. to vers 22. Judges and Magistrates are the Physitians of the State saith B. Lake in his Sermon on Ezra and sins are the diseases of it what skills it whether a Gangrene begins at the head or the heel seeing both ways it will kill except this be the difference that the head being nearer the heart a Gangrene in the head will kill sooner then that which is in the heel Even so will the sins of great Ones overthrow a State sooner then those of the meanest sort 2 Sam. 24. 9. to vers 18. But Twelfthly The abusing mocking and despising of the Messengers of the Lord is a sin that brings the fiery Dispensation Turn to these two pregnant Texts and ponder seriously upon them for they speak close in the case upon a People 2 Chron. 36. 15 16 17 18 19 Math. 23. 34. 37 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate Here is used the present for the future to note the certainty of the desolation of their City and Temple and their own utter ruines and about forty years after the Romans came and burnt their City and Temple and laid all waste before them They had turned the Prophets of the Lord out of all and therefore the Lord resolves to turn them out of all O Sirs will you please seriously to consider these six things First that all faithful painful conscientious Ministers or Messengers of the Lord are great Instruments in the hand of the Lord for stopping or steming the tide of all prophaneness and wickedness in a Land which bring all desolating Isa 58. 1. and destroying Judgments upon Cities and Countries 2. For converting Souls to God for turning poor sinners from Acts 26. 15 16 17 18. Dan. 12. 3. darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ 3. For promoting of Religion Holiness and Godliness in mens hearts houses and lives which is the only way under Heaven to render Cities Countries and Kingdoms safe happy and prosperous 4. For the weakning of the Kingdom of
you may say Pray Sir why is God so severe as to turn stately Cities rich and populous Cities great and glorious Cities into a ruinous heap for shedding the blood of the Just Answ Because next to the blood of Christ the blood of the Just is the most precious blood in all the world Mark there are these nine things that speak out the preciousness of the blood of the Just First Clear and plain Scriptures speak out the blood of the Saints to be precious He shall redeem their soul from deceit Psal 73. 32 33. Psal 72. 14. and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight And so Psal 116. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints But Secondly The cry of their blood reaches as high as Heaven and this speaks it out to be precious blood Gen. 4 10 11. Crying is ascribed to blood by a figurative speech The blood of one Abel had so many tongues as drops and every drop a voice to cry for vengeance and the cry of his blood did strongly ingage the Justice of God to punish it Rev. 16. 6. Give them blood to drink for they are worthy But Thirdly Gods cursing their blessings who have shed the blood of his Saints speaks out their blood to be precious blood Gen. 4. 10 11. And now art thou cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothers blood from thy hand Now this is added by the way 1. To aggravate the sin of Cain 2. To shew the fitness of the punishment 't is as if he had said the earth did as it were in compassion receive into her bosom that blood which thou didst cruelly and wickedly shed and thereforâ— out of the earth which hath sucked in by the pores thereof thy brothers blood shall spring a curse that shall plague thee for shedding that blood The earth which was created for thy blessing and service shall execute this curse against thee in vengeance not yielding thee the fruits which otherwise it would have done As is expressed in vers 12. When thou tillest the ground it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength Heb. It shall not go on to give thee its ability This was a second curse whereby the earth became worse for Cains sin then it was for Adams Now if this curse were not general yet doubtless it was a particular curse upon Cains portion so that wheresoever or whensoever he should till the earth as a Huâ—bandman the earth by its barrenness should upbraid him as a Murderer But Fourthly Gods pouring out of the blood of the wicked as water is poured out upon the ground to prevent the effusion of his Childrens blood speaks out their blood to be precious Isa 43. 4 5. blood At the Red-sea God made way not only through the Sea but also through the blood of the Egyptians Exod. 14. to preserve the blood and lives of his poor people God to â—reserve the lives and blood of his people destroys a hundred four-score and five thousand of Zenacheribs Army by the Isa 37. 36. hand of his Angel in one night And you know in Esthers Esth 9. time how God made way for the preservation of the lives and blood of his people through the blood of Haman his Sons and the rest of their enemies that hated them I might give you twenty other Scriptures to the same purpose but enough is as good as a Feast But Fifthly The strict Inquisition that God has made after the blood of the Just in all Ages of the World argues the preciousness of their blood Psal 9. 12. When he maketh inquisition for blood he remembreth them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble Did not Pharaoh Ahab Jezabel Haman Herod Amalek Moab Ammon Zenacherib c. find by woful experience that God did make a strict Inquisition after the blood of the Just And so did those men of violence who shed the blood of the Just in the primitive times c. But Sixthly The speedy and dreadful Vengeance of God upon such as have shed the blood of the Just speaks out their blood to be precious in his eyes Psal 55. 23. But thou O God shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days Psal 94. 21-23 They gather themselves together Heb. Run by troops as thieves do against the soul of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood he shall bring upon them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness yea the Lord our God shall cut them off Richard the III. and Q. Mary were cruel Princes and shed the blood of the Just and they had the shortest Reign of any since the Conquest Charles the IX was a great shedder of the blood of the History of France pag. 791. to pag. 798. Just he had a deep hand in the Massacre of the Protestants in Paris and in other Parts of his Kingdom he glutted himself with the blood of the Just and gloried greatly in their ruines In his latter days he was surprised with a great debility and tormenting pains in his body after a great effusion Pag. 808 809. of blood which issued out by all the passages of his body he breathed forth his wretched Soul Oh the horrid butcheries that were committed and commanded by this bloody Prince his Reign throughout his whole Realm but at last divine Vengeance overtook him and he dyed wallowing in his own blood c. The Duke of Guise next to the King had the greatest Pag. 793 794. hand in the Massacre of the Protestants he was a most barbarous Prince and at last he falls by barbarous hands for he being called by Revoll Secretary to Henry the III to come to the King into his Cabinet as he lifted up the Tapestry Page 867. with one hand to enter he was charged with Swords Daggers and Partisans and so dyed by the hands of Murderers He that had murthered many thousands of the Protestants was at last murthered by men of his own Religion Henry the III. King of France was a most cruel Enemy to French History pag. 879 880. the Protestants and he was by James Clemmont a Monk stabbed in the same Chamber and on the same day wherein he had helped to contrive the French Massacre Doubtles God will one day reckon with France for all that Protestanâ— blood that they have shed Maximinus was a great Persecutor of the people of God he set forth a Proclamation ingraven in Brass for the utter History of the Council of Trent pag. 417. abolishing of Christ and his Religion he was at last eaten up of Lice The same Judgment befel Philip King of Spain who swore he had rather have no Subjects then Lutheran Subjects and when he had narrowly escaped drowning in a shipwrack he said he was delivered of God to rout off Lutheranism
now received its commission under the Broad Seal of Heaven to burn down the City and to turn it into a ruinous heap and therefore it defied and contemned all remedies and scorned to be supprest by humanâ— attempts Who ever kindled this fire God blew the coal and therefore no arts counsels or endeavours of men were able to quench it If God commission the Sword to walk abroad and to glut it self with blood who can command it into the Scabbard again No art power or policy can cause that Sword to lie still that God has drawn in the Nations round us untill it hath accomplished the ends for which he has drawn it As to our present case when I weigh things in the ballance of right reason I can't but be of opinion that had Magistrates and People vigorously and conscienciously discharged their duties much of London by the blessing of God upon their endeavours that is now ruined might happily have been preserved When in a storm the Ship and all the vast treasure that is in it is in danger to be lost 't is sad to see every Officer and Marriner to mind more and endeavour more the preservation of their Chests Cabins and particular interests than the preservation of the Ship and the vast treasure that is in it Now this was just our case Cicero Lib. 1. Ep. 15. ad Atticum in his time laughed at the folly of those men who conceited that their Fish-ponds and places of pleasure should be safe when the Common-wealth was lost And we may well mourn over the folly and vanity of those men who were so amazed confounded distracted besotted and infatuated if not worse as not to improve all heads hands hearts councils and offers that were made for the preservation of the City This is and this must be for a lamentation that in the midst of publick dangers all ranks and sorts of men should take more care for the preservation of their trifling Fardels for so is any particular mans estate though never so great when compared with the riches of a Rich Trading Populous City than they do for the preservation of the publick good That there might have been rational and probable anticipations of those dreadful conflagrating progresses I suppose all sober men will grant that these were either hid from some mens eyes and seen by others and not improved was Londons wo. When London was almost destroyed then some began to blow up some houses for the preservation of that little that was left and God blest their endeavours but had some had encouragement who long before were ready for that work and who offered themselves in the case ' â—is vâ—ry probâ—ble that a great part of London might have been preserved But what shall I say Divine Justice dos as eminently sparkle and shine in the shutting of mens eyes and in the stopping of mens ears and in the hardning mens hearts against the visible and probable means of their outward preservation as in any one thing This we must seriously consider and then lay our hands upon our mouths and be silent before the Lord. The force and violence of this fire was so great that many that removed their goods once twice thrice yea and some oftner yet lost all at last The fire followed them so close from place to place that some saved but little and others lost all Now how well dos it become us in the rage and fury of the flames to see the hand of the Lord and to bow before him as this fire being like Time which devours all before it Jerusalem was the glory and beauty of the whole Earth and the Temple was one of the worlds wonders but when Titus Vespasian's Souldiers had set it on Josâ—phus fire it burnt with that rage and fury that all the industry and skill that ever could be used imagined or thought on could not quench it though Titus would gladly havâ— preserved it as a matchless monument They threw both water and the blood of the slain into it but it burnt with that violence that nothing could extinguish it King Herod for eight years together before the ruine of it had imployed ten thousand men at work to beautifie it but when once 't was on fire it burnt with that fierceness that there was no preserving of it the Dâ—cree of Heaven been gone out against it c. But Fourthly Consider the swiftness of it It flew upon the wings of the wind that it might the sooner come to its journies end It ran along like the fire and hail in Aegypt destroying and consuming all before it The Apostle James Psalm 18. 10. Exod. 9. 23 24. James 3. 6. 2. The winds are the Fan of Nature to cool and purge the Aâ—r. But at this time God brought the winds out of his Treasury to scatter the flames of his indignation that so London might become a desolation speaks of fierce winds The wind was so boistrous that it scattered and carried the fire the flames sometimes one way sometimes another in despite of all the restraints resistances and limits that the amazed Citizens could have set to it I shall not trouble you with the various notions of Philosophers concerning the wind partly because they will do no service in the present case and partly because our work is to look higher than all natural causes All that either is or can be said of the Wind I suppose may be thus summed up that it is a creature that may be 1. Felt 2. Heard and Little understood Very wonderful is the rice of the Winds when it is so calm and still upon the Seas that scarce a breath of air is perceivable upon a sudden the wind is here and there and every where Eccles 1. 6. The wind goeth toward the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits Psal 135. 7. He bringeth the wind out of his treasuries But what those treasuries are and where they are no man on earth can certainly tell us The Wind is one of the great wonders of the Lord in which and by which the Lords Name is wonderfully magnified Psal 107. 24 25. They that go down to the Sea see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep What wonders He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind although some thing may bek nown of this creature in the natural causes of it yet it is a wonder John 3. 8. above all that we can know of it What the Wind is and from whence it comes and whither it goes none can tell God is the great Generalissimo and Soveraign Commander Mat. 8. 27. Num. 11. 31. Isa 27. 8. Num. 11. 13. Gen. 8. Exod. 1. 10. Chap. 13. of the Winds so that a blast of wind cannot pass without his leave licence and cognizance Jonah 1. 4. But the Lord sent a great wind into the Sea and there was a mighty Tempest in
works and the Ships were broken that they were not able to go to Tarshish Bâ—â—stâ—roâ—s winds at Sea or a shore are the arrows of God shâ—t out of the bended bow of his displeasure they are one of the lower tier of his indignation that is fired upon the â—â—ildren of men Nahum 1. 3. The Lord hath his way in the whirle wind and in the storm and in the clouds are the dust of â—is feet The great Spanish Armado that came to invade our Land in 88. were broken and scattered by the winds So that their dice games were frastrated and they sent into the bottom of the Sea if not into a worse bottom And when Charles the V. had besieged Algier that Pen of Thieves both by Sea and by Val. Max. Christiae page 132. Land and had almost taken it by two terrible Tempests the greatest part of his great Fleet were destroyed as they did lye in the Harbour at Anchor Ships Houses Trees Steeples Rocks Mountains Monuments can't stand before a tempestâ—ous wind 1 Kings 19. 11. A great strong wind rent the Mountains and brake in pieces the rocks What more strong than Rocks and Mountains and yet they were too weak to stand before the strength of a tempestious wind Oh the terrible execution that God doth many times by the winds both at Sea and ashore Psal 18. 7. The earth shook and trembled the foundations of the Hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth ver 8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it ver 10. He rode upon a Cherub and did flie yea he did flie upon the wings of the wind ver 12. His thick Clouds passed hailstones and coals of fire verse 13. The Lord also thundred in the Heavens and the highest gave his voice hail stones and coals of fire c. The fire in London carried the noise of a whirle-wind in it and that made it so formidable and terrible to all that beheld it especially those that lookt upon it as a fruit of Gods displeasure The wind was commissionated by God to joyn issue with the raging fire to lay the City desolate I think the like dreadful instance can't be given in any age of the world We can't say of the wind that blew when London was in flames that God was not in the wind as 't is said in that 1 Kings 19. 11. For assuredly if ever God was in any wind he was remarkably in this wind witness the dismals effects of it amongst us to this very day Had God been pleased to have hindered the conjunction of these two Elements much of London might havâ— beâ—n standing which now lyes buried in its own ruines I grant that 't is probable enough that those that did so long before prophesie and predict the barning of London before it was laid in ashes were the prime contrivers and furtherers of the firing of it but yet when they had kindled the fire that God by the bellows of Heaven should so blow upon it as to make it spread and turn like the flaming Sword in Paradise Gen. 3. ult every way till by its force and fury it had destroyed above two third parts in the midst of the City as the phrase â—s Ezek. 5. 2. This is and this must be for a sore lamentation God wbo holds the winds in his fist who is the true Aeâ—lus Psalm 13. 5. Mark 4. 39. could either have lockt them up in his treasures or have commanded them to be still or else have turned them to have been a dâ—fence to the City God who holds the bottles of Heaven in his hand could easily have unstopt them Gen. 7. 11. he could with a word of his mouth have opened the windows of Heaven and have poured down such an abundance of rain upon the City as would quickly have quencht the violence of the flames and so have made the conquest of the fire more easie But the Lord was angry and the Decree was gone out that London should be burnt and who could prevent it To close up this particular consider much of the Wisdom Power and Justice of God shines in the variety of the motions of the wind Eccles 1. 6. The wind goeth toward the South and turneth about unto the North it whirleth about continually and the wind returneth again according to his circuits The wind hath its various circuits appointed by God when the wind blows Southward Northward Westward or Eastward it blows according to the Orders that are issued out from the Court of Heaven Sometimes the wind begins to blow at one point of the Compass and in a short time whirles about to every point of the Compass till it comes again to the same point where it blew at the first yet in all this they observe their circuits and run their compass according to the Divine appointment As the Sun so the winds have their courses ordered out by the wise Providence of God Divine Wisdom much sparkles and shines in the circuits of the winds which the Lord brings out of his treasure and makes them serviceable sometimes to one part of the world and at other times to other parts of the world Exod. 14. 24. Jonah 1. 4 Chap. 4. 8. 'T is the great God that appoints where the winds shall blow and when the winds shall blow and how long the winds shall blow and with what force and violence thâ— winds shall blow The winds in some parts of the world have a very regular and uniform motion in some moneths of the year blowing constantly out of one quarter and in others out of another In some places of the world where I have been the motions of the wind are steady and constant which Marriners call their Trade-wind Now by these stated or setled winds Divine Providence dos very greatly serve the interest of the children of men But now in other parts of the world the winds are as chaâ—geable as mens minds The Laws that God layes â—pâ—n thâ— winds in most parts of the world are not like the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not One day God layes Dan. 6. 8. a Law upon the winds to blow full East the next day to blow full West the third to blow full South the fourth to blow full North yea in several parts of the world I have known the winds to change their motions several times in a day Now in all these various motions of the winds the Providence of God is at work for the good of mankind That there is a dreadful storm in one place and at the same time a sweet calm in another that a temâ—â—â—tuous storm should destroy and dash in pieces one fleet and that at the same instant and in one and the same Sea a prosperous gale should blow another fleet into a safe harbour That some at Sea should have a stiff gale of wind and others within sight of them
should lye becalmed That some Ships should come into harbour top and top gallant and that others should sink down at the same harbours mouth before they should be able to get in is all from the Decree of God and that Law that he has laid upon the winds That terrible tempâ—stuous wind that affrighted the Disciples and that put them not only to their wits end but also to their faiths end was allayed by a word of Christs mouth Matth. 8. 26. He arose and rebuked the winds and the Sea and there was a great calm O Sirs when London was in flames and when the winds were high and went their circuits roaring and makeing a most hideous noise how easie a thing had it been with Jesus by a word of his mouth to have allayed them but â—e was more angry with us than he was with his Dâ—â—ciples who were in danger of drowning or else he would as cerâ—ainly have saved our City from burning by rebuking the winds and the flames as he did his Disciples from drowning by rebuking the winds and the Seas I have bâ—en the longer upon this fourth particular that you may the more easily run and read the anger of the Lord in those furious flamâ—s and in that violent wind that has laid our City desolate 'T is true Astrolâ—gers ascribe the motions of the winds to special Planets The Eâ—st wind thâ—y ascribe to the Sun the West wind to the Moon the South wind to Mars and the Nâ—rth wind to Jupiter but those that are wise in heart by what I have said concerning the winds may safely and and groundedly conclude that God alone hath the Sâ—pream power of the winds in his own hand and that he alone orders directs and commands all the motions of the winds And therefore let us look to that terrible hand of the Lord that was lifted up in that fierce wind that did so exceedingly contribute to the turning of our City into a ruinous heap Bâ—t Fifthly Câ—â—â—ider the extensiveness of it How did this dreadful fire spread it self both with and against the wind Within the Walls of the City there were eighty one Parishes consumed For every hour the fire lasted there was a whole Parish consumed â—ill it had gained so great a force as that it despised all mens attempts It quickly spread it self from the East to the West to the destruction of houses of State of Trade of Publick Magistracy besides Mynes of Charity it spread it self with that violence that it soon crumbled into ashes our most stately Habitations Halls Chappels Churches and famous Monuments Those Magnificent Structures of the City that formerly had put stops and given châ—cks to the furious flâ—mâ—s falls now like stubble before the violence of a spreading fire This fire like an Arm of the Sea or like a Land-flood broke in suddenly upon us and soon spread it self all manner of wayes amongst us it ran from place to place like the fire and haâ—l in Aegypt now 't was in this Street and anon in that Now this Steeple is on fire and then that Exod. 9. 13 Now this place of Judicature is laid in ashes and then that Now this Hall is in flames and then that Now this Parish is burnt down to the ground and then that Now this Ward is turned into a ruinous heap and then that Now this Quarter of the City is level wiâ—h the ground and then that Now this Gate of the City is demolished and consumed and then that The adversary hath spread out his band upon Iam. 1. 10. all her pleasant things saith the Prophet lamentingly and and we may say sighingly the fire hath spread out its hand upon all our pleasant things upon all our pleasant Houses Shops Trades Gardens Walks Temples c. The Plague the year before did so rage and spread that it emptied many thousand houses of persons and now this dreadful fire hath so spread it self that it has not left houses enough for many thousands of persons to dwell in there being more than 13000. houses destroyed by the furious flames Sin is of a spreading nature and accordingly it had spread it self over all parts of the City and therefore the Lord who delights to suit his Judgements to mens sins sent a spreading fire in the midst of us The merciless flames spreading themselves every way in four dayes time laid the main of our once glorious City in ashes a Judgement so remâ—â—kable and past president that he that will not see the hand of the Lord in it may well be reckoned amongst the worst of Atheâ—sts But Sixthly Consider the impartiality of it It spared neither Sinners nor Saints young nor old rich nor poor honourable nor base bond nor free Male nor female buyer nor seller borrower nor lender God making good that word Isa 24. 1 2. Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof And it shall be as with the people so with the Priest or with the Prince for the Hebrew word signifies both as with the servant so with his Master as with the maid so with the Mistris as with the buyer so with the seller as with the lender so with the borrower as with the taker of usury so with the giver of usury to him In the day of the Lords wrath that was lately upon us all orders ranks and degrees of men suffered alike and were abased alike the furious flames made no difference they put no distinction between the Russet Coat and the Scarlet Gown the Leathern Jacket and the Gold Chain the Merchant and the Tradesman the Landlord and the Tenant the Giver and the Receiver There is no difference Fire hath made Equal the Scepter and the Spade Ezek. 20. 47. Behold I will kindle a fire in thee and it shall devâ—ur every green Tree in thee and every dry Tree the flaming flâ—me shall not be quenched and all faces from the South to the North shall be burnt therein I have in the former part of this Treatise given some light into these words The fire the flames in the Text takes hold of all sorts of people rich and poor Lord and Lad high and low great and small strong and weak wise and foolish learned and ignorant Commanders and Souldiers Rulers and ruled So did the late lamentable fire in London take hold of all sorts and degrees of men as the Citizens have found by sad experience The fire like the Duke of Parma's Sword knew no difference ' twiâ—â— Robes and Rags 'twixt Prince and Peasant Eccles 9. 1 2. 'twixt honourable and vile 'twixt the righteous and the wicked the clean and the unclean 'twixt him that sacrificed and him that sacrificed not 'twixt him that sweareth and him that seareth an oath The Judgement was universal the blow reacht us all the flames brake into every mans house such a dreadful impartial universal fire eyes never saw before
nor ears never heard of before nor tongues never discoursed of before nor Pens never writ of before Beloved you know that 't is our duty to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord in the least Judgement and in every particular Judgement Oh how much more then dos it highly concern us to take serious notice of the hand of the Lord that has been lifted up against us in that late dreadful impartial universal fire that has burnt us all out of our habitations and laid our City desolate But Seventhly Consider the greatness of it the destructiveness of it Oh the many thousand families that were destroyed and impoverished in four dayes time Of many it might have been said the day before the fire who so rich as London was the Lady-City where the Riches of many Nations were laid up I would rather be bound to weep over London than be bound to summ up the losses of London by this dreadful fire these and the very next day it might have been said of the same persons who so poor as these as poor as Job yea poor to a Proverb Jer. 21. 13 14. Behold I am against thee O inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain saith the Lord which say who shall come down against us or who shall enter into our habitations But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings saith the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in the forrest thereof and it shall devour all things round about it Some by the Forrest understand the fair and sumptuous buildings in Jerusalem that were built with wood that was hewen out of the Forrest of Libanon and stood as thick as Trees in the Forrest Others by the Forrest understand the whole City of Jerusalem with the Countrey round about it that was as full of people as a Forrest is full of Trees Others by Forrest understand the house of the Lord and the Kings house and the houses of the great Princes which were built with excellent matter from the Wood of Lebanon Jerusalem was 2 Sam. 5. 6. so strongly dâ—fended by nature that they thought themselves invincible as once the Jebusites did they were so confident of the strength of their City that they scorned the proudest and the strongest enemies about them But sin had brought them low in the eye of God so that he could see nothing eminent or excellent among them and therefore the Lord resolves by the Chaldees to fire their magnificent buildings in which they gloried and to turn their strong and stately City into a ruinous heap Though Jerusalem Psalm 125. 2. stood in a Vale and was environed with Mountains yet the upper part of it stood high as it were upon a rocky rising hill Now the Citizens of Jerusalem trusted very much in the scituation of their City they did not fear their being besieged straitned conquered or fired and therefore they say Who shall come down against us Who shall enter into our habitation Where is the enemy that has courage or confidence enough to assault our City or to enter into our habitations but God tells them that they were as barren of good fruit as the Trees of the Forrest were barren of good fruit and therefore he was resolved by the hand of the Chaldeans to hew them down and to fire their most stately Structures and to turn their glorious City in which they greatly trusted and gloried into a ruinous heap All which accordingly was done not long after by Nebuzaradan and his Army as you may see in Jer. 52. 12 13 14 15. How often hath the Citizens of London been alarm'd with the cry of fire which hath been as often extinguished before they could well know where it was and how it began but all former fires were but small fires but Bon-fires to this dreadful fire that has been lately amongst us In the twentieth year of the Reign of William the first so Sir Richard Bakers Chronicle p. 31. 47. great a fire happened in London that from the West-gate to the East-gate it consumed houses and Churches all the way This was the most grievous fire that ever happened in that City saith my Author And in the Reign of King Henry the first a long tract of buildings from West-cheap in London to Aldgate was consumed with fire And in King Stephens Reign there was a fire that began at London Stone and consumed all unto Aldgate These have been the most remarkable fires in London But what were any of these or all these to that late dreadful fire that has been amongst us London in those former times was but a little City and had Eccles 9. 14. but a few men in it in comparison of what it was now London was then but as a great Banqueting-house to what it was now Nor the consumption of London by fire then was Can. 2. 4. nothing proportionable to the consumption of it by fire now For this late lamentable devouring fire hath laid waste the greatest part of the City of London within the walls by far and some part of the Suburbs also More than fourscore Parishes and all the Houses Churches Chappels Hospitals and other the great and magnificent buildings of Pious or Publick use which were within that circuit are now brought into ashes and become one ruinous heap This furious raging fire burnt many stately Monuments to powder it melted the Bells in the Steeples it much weakned and shattered the strongest Vaults under ground O what Age or Nation hath ever seen or felt such a dreadful visitation as this hath been Nebuzaradan General to the King of Babylon first sets the Temple of Jerusalem on fire and then the Jos Aâ—t p. 255. A. M. 3356. Kings Royal Palace on fire and then by fire he levells all the houses of the great men yea and all the houses of Jerusalem are by fire turned into a ruinous heap according to Jer. 52. 12 13 14. what the Lord had before foretold by his Prophet Jeremiah Now this was a lamentable fire Some hundred years after the Roman Souldiers sackt the City and set it on fire and Jos Aâ—t p. 741. A. M. 4034. laid it desolate with their Temple and all their stately buildings and glorious monuments Three or four Towers and the Wall that was on the West side they left standing as monuments of the Romans valour who had surpized a City so Jos Aâ—t p. 745. strongly fortified All the rest of the City they so plained that they who had not seen it before would not believe that it had ever been inhabited Thus was Jerusalem one of the worlds wonders and a City famous amongst all Nations Luke 19. 41 42 43 44. Tacit. Aâ— 15. made desolate by fire according to the prediction of Christ some years before There was a great fire in Rome in Nero's time it spread it self with that speed and burnt with that violence till of fourteen
or else a waiting upon the Lord in his publick Ordinances Fire in thâ— night is terrible to all but mostly to such whose spirits and bodies were tired out in the preceding day Wasting and destroying Judgements are sad any day but saddest when they fall on the Lords Day For how do they disturb distress and distract the thoughts the minds the hearts and the spirits of men So that they can neither wait on God nor wrestle with God nor act for God nor receive from God in any of the duties or services of his day And this the poor Citizens found by sad experience when London was in flames about their ears Certainly the anger and wrath of God was very high and very hot when he made his day of rest to be a day of labour and disquiet When his people should have been a meeting hearing reading praising praying For the Lord now to scatter them and to deliver them their substance and habitations as a prey to the devouring fire what dos this speak our but high displeasure That the fire of Gods wrath should begin on the day of his rest and solemn Worship is and must be for a lamentation In several of those Churches where some might not preach there God himself preacht to the Parishioners in flames of fire And such who loved darkness rather than light John 3. 19. Exod. 19. 16 17 18. because their deeds were evil might now see their Churches all in a flaming fire What a terrifying and an amazing Sermon did God preach to his people of old in Mount Sinai when the Mount burned with fire And so what terrifying and amazing Sermons did God preach to the Citizens on his own day when their Temples and their habitations were all in flames Instead of holy rest what hurries were there in every street yea in the spirits of men Now instead of takeing up of Buckets men in every Street take up arms fearing a worse thing than fire The Jealousies and Rumors that fire balls were thrown into several houses and Churches by such that had no English tongues but out-landish hands to make the furious flames flame more furiously were so great that many were at a stand and others even at their wits end Now relations friends and neighbours hastened one another out of their houses as the Angels hastened Lot out of Sodom Gen. 19. 15 16 17. Such were the fears and frights and sad apprehensions that had generally seized upon the Citizens Not many Sabbaths before when men should have been instructing of their families what bonfires what ringing of Bells and what joy and rejoycing was there in our Streets for burning the Dutch Ships in their Harbour where many English and others were highly concerned as well as the Dutch little did they think who were pleasing and warming themselves at those lesser fires that the great God would in so short a time after kindle so great a fire in the midst of their Streets as should melt their Bells lay their habitations in ashes and make their Streets desolate So that those that were so jolly before might well take up that sad lamentation of weeping Jeremiah The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob and hath not pittied he hath thrown down in his Lam. 2. 2 3. wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Jâ—dah he hath brought them down to the ground He burned against Jacob like a flaming fire which devoureth round about May we not soberly guess that there were as many strict observers and sanctifiers of the Lords Day who did turn away their feet from doing their Isa 58. 13. pleasure on Gods holy day and that did call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord and honourable within the Walls of London as in a great part of the Nation besides Now for the Lord of the Saâ—bath to kindle such a devouring fire in such a City and that on his own day O what extraordinary wrath and displeasure dos this speak out When God by his Royal Law had bound the hands of his people from doing their own works for him now to fall upon his strange work and by a flaming consuming fire to turn a populous City a pious City an honourable City and an Ancient City into a ruinous heap what indignation to this indignation O Sirs it highly concerns us to take notice of the Judgements of the Lord that fall upon us on any day but especially those that fall upon us on his own day because they carry with them more than a tincture of Gods deep dâ—splâ—asure In the Council of Paris every one labouring to perswadâ— unto a more religious keeping of the Sabbath Day When Concil Paris lio 1. cap. 50. they had justly complained that as many other things so also the obsâ—rvation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Chrâ—stian lâ—bâ—rty in that men too much followed the deligâ—â—s of the world and their own worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous They further add For many of us have been eye witnesses many have intelligence of it bâ— the relation of others that some men upon this day being about their husbandry have been strucken with Thunder some have been maimed and made lame somâ— have had their bodies even bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and have consumed to ashes and many other Judgements of God have been and are daily inflicted upon Sabbath Breakers Stratford upon Sluon was twice on the same day twelve moneth being the Lords Day almost consumed with fire The Theatre of Gods Judgements pag. 419 420. chiefly for prophaning the Lords Day and contemning his word in the mouth of his faithful Minister Feverton in Devonsâ—ire whose remembrance makes my heart bleed saith my Author was oftentimes admonished by her godly Preachers that God would bring some heavy Judgement on the Town for their horrible prophanation of the Lords Day occasioned châ—efly by their Market on the day following Not long after his death on the third of April 1598. God in less than half an hour consumed with a sudden and fearful fire the whole Town except only the Church the Court-house and the Alms-houses or a few poor peoples dwellings where a man might have seen four hundred dwelling houses all at oâ—â—e on â—ire and above fifty persons consumed with the flames And on the fifth of August 1612. fourtâ—en years since the former fire the whole Town was again fired and consumed except some thirty houses of poor people with the School-house and Alms-houses Now certainly they must be much left of God hardned in sin and blinded by Satan who do not nor will not see the dreadful hand of God that is lifted up in his fiery dispensations upon his own day But Tenthly and lastly Consider That the burning of London 10. is a National Judgement God in smiting of London has smitten England round the stroke of God upon London was When one member in the natural
hatred against the children of Israel and the Prophet knew by Revelation from Heaven that he should be King over Syria and that he had as cruel and as bloody a mind against Gods Israel as any of the former Kings of Syria had Now to evidence this the Prophet instances in those particular excessive acts of cruelty that he should practise upon the children of Israel Their strong holds wilt thou set on fire Hazael would not think it enough to enter into their strong Towns and Cities and Forts and Castles and other strong holds and spoil and plunder them of their Treasure and Goods but he would burn all down to the ground that so he might daunt them and weaken them and render them the more uncapable of makeing any resistance against him But now mark what follows burning work Their young men wilt thou slay with the sword Such as make no conscience of burning Israels strong holds such will never scruple the slaying of Israels young men with the sword When their strong holds were set on fire Hazael would give them no quarter for their lives such as had escaped the furious flames should be sure to fall by the bloody sword And wilt dash their children Their poor innocent harmless children that never thought amiss nor never spoke amiss of Hazael these must have their brains dasht out against the stones Men that are set upon burning Psal 137. 9. work are men of no bowels of no compassion And rip up their women with child He would destroy the very Infants in the womb that so he might cause to cease the very name of Israel Such Hazaels as are resolute by fire to lay our Cities and strong Bullwarks desolate such will be ready enough to practise the most barbarous cruelties imaginable upon our persons and relations when a fit opportunity shall present When Israel was weary and saint and Deut. 25. 17 18 19. feeble then Amalek fell upon them It was infinite mercy that the Amalekites of our day did not fall upon the amazed and astonished Citizens when they were seeble and faint and weary and tired out with hard labour and want of rest O Sirs shall the Prophet Elisha weep fore-seeing that Hazâ—el would set Israels strong holds on fire and shall not we weep to see London our strong hold our noblest Bullwark turned into a ruinous heap So Lâ—m. 2. 2 5. The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitation of Jacob and hath not pitied he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah he hath brought them dâ—wn to the ground The Lord was an enemy he hath swallowed up Israel he hath swallowed up all her Palaces he hath destroyed his strong holds and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mournings and lamentation These two words mourning and lamentation are joyned together to note the great and eminent lamentation of the Daughter of Judah upon the sight and sense of Gods destroying razing and levelling to the ground by the hand of the Chaldeans c. all the Strong holds and Fortresses that were built for the defence of the Israelites Now shall the Daughter of Judah greatly lament to see her strong holds laid desolate and shall not we at all lament to see London to see our Strong holds turned into a ruinous heap But Fifthly Who did ever look upon London as a fountain as a Sanctuary and as a City of refuge to the poor afflicted distressed and impoverished people of God that is not now free to weep to see such a City laid in ashes Who can number up the distressed strangers that have been there courteously Eâ—od 22. 12. 2 Sam. 16. 14. entertained and civilly treated Who can number up the many thousand families that have been preserved relâ—eved revived and refreshed with the silver streams that has issued from that fountain London and not mourn to see it laid desolate Psal 46. 4. There is a River the streams whereof Isa 8. 6. shall make glad the City of God It is an allusion to the River Siloe which ran sweetly softly quietly pleasantly constantly to the refreshing of all that were in need London was a River a Fountain whose silver Streams ran sweetly quietly pleasantly constantly to the refreshing of many thousand needy ones in the Land Now who can but weep to see such a Fountain such a River not only stopt but dried up by a devouring fire But Sixthly Who did ever look upon London as a City compact a City advantagiously scituated for Trade and Commerce Isa 23. 3. Ezek. 27. 1. Rev. 8. 11. yea as the great Mart-Town of the Nation that has not a heart to weep over it now it lyes in ashes London was the Mâ—rt of the Nations Trade and the Magazine of the Nations wealth London was that great Store-house in which was laid up very much of the Riches and Glory of the Land London was the very heart of England it was as useful every way to Englands security and felicity as the heart is useful in the natural body and therefore no wonder if such as envy at Englands Greatness Grandeur and Glory have made London Englands Mart-Town to bear the marks of their displeasure Who is so great a stranger in our English Israel as not to know how rarely well London was scituated as to Trade and as not to know how London was surrounded with plentiful store of all Creature comforts If London had not been so nobly scituated and surrounded its desolation had not been so great a Judgement nor it may be the designs of men so deeply laid as to its ruine They that did look upon England as rich could not but look on London as the Exchequer of it But Seventhly Who are they that have lookt upon London as a City that hath for many hundred yea some thousands Isa 27. 3. 4. Psal 1â—â— 4 5. of years been very strangely and wonderfully preserved by the admirable wisdom constant care and Almighty power of God notwithstanding all the wrath rage malice plots and designs of wicked men to lay it waste and to turn it into a ruinous heap and not have a heart to weep over its desolation The great preservations the singular salvations that God hath wrought for London many hundred years together renders the desolation of London the more terrible And accordingly it concerns all that are well affected to weep over its ashes But Eighthly Who can look upon the ashes of London as those ashes in which Englands worst enemies both abroad Obad. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. and at home do daily triumph and rejoice and not weep over Londons desolation Shall the vilest of men glory that Englands glory is laid in the dust and shall not we lament when our Crown is fallen from our head The more wicked Lam. 5. 16. men rejoyce in our misery the greater obligation lyes upon us to lye low and mourn at the foot of God London like
Job lies on its dung-hill London like the Jewes lies Job 2. 8. in its ashes Esther 4. 3. And therefore it highly concerns all Londoners to put on sackcloth and ashes But Ninthly Surely such as have lookt upon London as the City of their solemnities such can't but weep to see the City of their Solemnities laid desolate Isa 33. 20 Look upon Zion the City of our solemnities or meetings Zion is here called a City because it stood in the midst of the City The City of Jerusalem was very large and Zion stood in the midst of it and 't is called a City of Solemnities because the people flocked thither to hear the Law to renew their Covenant with God to call upon his name and to offer Sacrifices O Sirs was not London the City of our Solemnities the City where we solemnly met to wait upon the Lord in the beauty 1 Chron. 16. 29. Psal 29. 2. of Holiness the City where we offered prayers and praises the City where we worshipped the Lord in Spirit and in truth the City wherein God and Christ and the great things of eternity were revealed to us the City wherein many thousands were converted and edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost the Acts 9. 31. City where we had the clearest the choicest and the highest enjoyments of God that ever we had in all our dayes the City wherein we have sate down under Christs shadow with great delight his fruit has been sweet unto our taste the Cant. 2. 3 4 5 6. City in which Christ has brought us to his banqueting house and â—is banner over us has been love the City in which Christ has Staid us with flaggons and comforted us with Apples the City in which Christs left hand hath been under our heads and his right hand hath imbraced us The City wherein the Lord of Hosts hath made unto his people a feast of fat things a Isa 25. 6. feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined London the City of our Solemnities is now laid desolate and therefore for this why should not we be disconsolate and mourn in secret before the Lord This frame of Spirit hath been upon the people of God of old Zeph. 3. 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden By Solemn Assemblies are meant their several conventions at those set times which God had appointed them viz. on the weekly Sabbath the new Moons Deut. 16. the stated Feasts and Fasts which they were bound to observe Now for the want the lack the loss of those Solemn Assemblies such as did truly fear the Lord were solemnly sorrowfull Of all losses spiritual losses are most sadly resented by gracious souls When they had lost their houses their estates their Trades their relations their liberties and were led captive to Babylon which was an Iron Fornace a second Aegypt to them then the loss of their Solemn Assemblies made deeper impressions upon their hearts than all their outward losses did The Jews were famous Artists they stand upon record for their skill especially in Poetry Mathematicks and Musick but when their City was burnt and their Land laid desolate and their Solemn Assemblies broken in pieces then they could sing none of the Songs of Psalm 137. 1 2 3 4 5. Zion then they were more for mourning than for musick for sighing than for singing for lamenting than for laughing Nothing goes so near gracious hearts as the loss of their Solemn Assemblies as the loss of holy Ordinances health and wealth and friends and Trade are but meer Ichahods to the Saints Solemn Assemblies and to pure 1 Sam. 4 17 18. Ordinances When the Ark was taken Eli could live no longer but whether his heart or his neck was first broken upon that sad tydings is not easie to determine When Nehemiah understood that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and that the Gates thereof were burnt with fire 2 Kings 25. 8 9 10. and that the whole City was laid desolate by Nebuzâ—radan and his Chaldean Army he sits down and weeps and mourns and fasts and prayes he did so lay the burning of the City of their Solemnities to heart that all the smiles of King Artaxerxes could not raise him nor rejoice Neh. 1. 3 4. Chap. 2. Jer. 52. 12 13 14. him It was on the tenth day of the fifth moneth that Jerusalem was burnt with fire and upon that account the Jewes fasted upon every tenth day of the fifth moneth Now shall the Jews solemnly fast and mourn on the tenth day of the fifth moneth during their Captivity because their Zech. 7. 3. City and Temple and Solemn Assemblies were on that day buried in ashes and turned into a ruinous heap and and shall not we fast and mourn to see the City of our Solemnities buried in its own ruines But Tenthly and lastly That Incendiary that mischievous Villain Hubert confest the fact of firing the first house in Pudding Lane though he would not confess who set him at work and accordingly was executed at Tyburn for it There were some Ministers and several other sober prudent Citizens who did converse again and again with Hubert and are ready to attest that he was far from being mad and that he was not only very rational but also very cunning and subtile and so the fitter instrument for the Conclave of Rome or some subtle Jesuit to make use of to bring about our common wo. It was never known that Rome or Hell did ever make use of mad men or fools to bring about their Divilish Plots Now who can look upon the dreadful consequences the burning of a renowned City that followed upon the firing of the first house and not mourn over Londons desolations Hubert did confess to several persons of note and repute that he was a Catholick and did further declare that he believed confession to a Priest was necessary to his salvation And being advised by a Chaplain to a person of Honor to call upon God he repeated his Ave Mary which he confest was his usual prayer Father Harvey confest him and instructed him and we need not doubt but that he absolved him also according to the custom of the Romish Church Hubert died in the profession of the Romish faith stoutly asserting that he was no Hugonite I know that men of the Romish Religion and such who are one in Spirit with them would make the world believe that this Hubert who by order of Law was executed upon the account of his own publick and private confessions was mad distracted and what not But what mad men do these make the Judge and Jury to be for who but mad men would condemn to such a shameful death a mad man for confessing himself guilty of such a
was in flames Beloved 't is saâ— dying under a cloud 't is sad dying when he who should comfort a mans soul stands afar off Some think that the Lam. 1. 16. Psal 39. 13. face of God was clouded when David thus prayed O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more And some think Hezekiahs's Sun was set in a cloud Isa 38. 1 2 3. See more of thâ—s in my Mute Christian under the smarting Rod pag. 279. 304. Judg. 16. 18 19 20 21. and God had drawn a Curtain between Hezekiah and himself when being under the sentence of death He turned his face toward the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore or with great weeping as the Hebrew runs It is with clouded and deserted Christians as it was with Sampson when his locks were cut off his strength was gone and therefore though he thought to go out and do wonders as he had formerly done yet by sad experience he found himself to be but as another man So when God dos but withdraw the best of Saints have their locks cut their strength which lyeth not in their hair but in their head Christ Jesus is gone and they Phil. 1. 22 23. are but like other men They think they speak they act they walk like other men Christians under real disertions commonly fall under sore temptations great indispositions barrenness flatness dulness and deadness of Spirit And is this a fit season for such to die in Christians under a cloud usually have their joyes eclipsed their comforts damped their evidences for Heaven blotted their communion with God impaired and their title to Heaven is by themselves in such a day much questioned And is this a case for them to die in O clouded and deserted Christians who have had your lives for a prey in the midst of Londons flames and ever since those flames what a great what a glorious obligation has the blessed God put upon you to labour to recover your selves from under all clouds and desertions and to spend your dayes in a serious and deep admiration of that free that rich that infinite and that Soveraign Grace that spared you and that was active for you in that day when you were compassed about with flames of fire on every hand But Fifthly What a mercy was this to poor solicited tempted Christians that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames For by this means they have gained See my Mute Christian pag. 260. to p. 279. Our whole life is nothing but a temptation saith Aâ—stin time to strengthen themselves against all Satans temptations The â—aily Bâ—lâ—s that were given in to pray for poor tempted Christâ—ans did sâ—fficiently evidence how active Satan was to distrâ—ss and perplex poor Christians with all sorts of hideous and blasphemous temptations Were there not many tempted to distrust the power of God the goodness of God the faithfulness of God Were there not many tempted to deny God to blaspheme God and to turn their backs upon God Were there not many tempted to slight the Scriptures to deny the Scriptures and to prefer their own fancies notions and delufions above the Scriptures Were there not many tempted to have low thoughts of Ordinances and then to leave Ordinances and then to vilifie Ordinances and all under a prâ—tence of living above Ordinances Were there not many tempted to presume upon the mercies of God and others tempted to despair of the Grace of God Were there not many tempted to destroy themselves and others tempted to destroy their relations Were there not many tempted to draw others to sin and to uphold others in sin and to encourage others in sin and to be partners with others in sin Were there not many tempted to have hard thoughts of Christ and others to have low thoughts of Christ and others to have no thoughts of Christ Now for these poor tempted souls to have their lives for a prey and to have precious seasons and opportunities to recover themselves out of the snares of the Devil and to arm themselves against all his fiery daris is a comprehensive mercy a big-bellied mercy a mercy that has many thousand mercies in the womb of it But Sixthly and lastly What a mercy was this to all slumbering slothful sluggish lazy Christians who had blotted and Matth. 25. blurred their evidences for Heaven and who instead of runing their Christian race were either at a stand or else did but Heb. 12. 1. halt in the way to Heaven that they have had their lives for a prey when London was in flames and that they have had time to clear up their evidences for Heaven and to quicken Psal 119. 32. up their hearts to run the wayes of Gods commands Surely had all the world been a lump of Gold and in their hands to have been disposed of they would have given it for a little time to have brightned their evidences to have got out of their sinful slumber and to have set all reckonings even between God and their poor souls And let thus much suffice for this second support The third Support to bear up the hearts and to cheer up the Spirits of all that have suffered by the late fiery dispensation is this viz. that this has been the common lot the common case both of Saints and sinners God has dealt no more severely with you than he has with many others Have The commonness of our sufferings doth somewhat mitigate the sharpness of our sufferings c. you lost much so have many others Have you lost half so have many others Have you lost all so have many others Have you lost your Trade so have many others Have you lost yoour goods so have many others Have you lost your credits so have many others Have you lost many friends who before the fire were very helpful to you and yours so have many others Have you lost more than your all so have many others This very Cordial the Apostle hands out to the suffering Saints in his time 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is commâ—n to man by temptation he means affliction as the word is used Jam. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 6. that is there hath no affliction befallen you but that which is incident either to men as men or to Saints as Saints or thus there hath no affliction befallen you but such as is common to man that is there is no affliction that hath befallen you but such as men may very well bear without murmuring or buckling under it So 1 Pet. 5. 9. Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished or finished in your brethren that are in the world or in your brother-hood that is in the
into encouragements to sin then you have more cause to fear that the Lord may farther blast you than you have to hope that God will make up your losses to you But Secondly Did you daily and seriously labour to enjoy much of God in all those worldly enjoyments which formerly you were blest withal If so 't is very probable that the Lord may make up all your losses to you But if you made a God of your worldly enjoyments if they had more of your thoughts and hearts and time than God himself had then you have more cause to fear a further curse than to expect a future blessing Prov. 3. 33. Mal. 2. 2. â—ut Thirdly Did your hearts commonly ordinarily habitually lye low under your worldly enjoyments Abraham under all his worldly enjoyments was but dust and ashes and Gen. 13. 17. Chap. 32. 10. Jacob under his was lâ—ss than the least of all mercies And so David under all Gods royal favours his heart lyâ—s low Psal 22. 6. But I am a worm and no man David in the Arabick Tongue signifies a Worm to which he seems to allude Tâ—e word in the Hebrew for Worm is Tolagnath which signifies such a very little Worm that a man can very hardly see it or perceive it Tâ—ough David was high in the world yet he was little yea very little in his own eyes Was it commonly mostly thus with you when your comforts compâ—ssed you round about If so then 't is very probable that the Lord in this world will make up all your losses to you But if your blood did commonly rise with your outward goods and if your hearts did usually so swell under your worldly enjoyments as to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord Exod. 5. 2. that I should obey his voice or to say with Nebuchadnâ—zzâ—r Who is that God that can deliver you out of my hands or to Dan. 3. 15. say with those proud Atheists Who is Lord over us or to Psalm 12. 4. Jer. 2. 3. say with those proud Monsters We are Lords we will come no more unto thee c. then you have great cause to fear that God that hath yet some further controversie with you and except you repent will rather strip you of what you enjoy than multiply further favours or blessings upon you But Fourthly Since God has burnt up your worldly goods have you been servent and frequent with God that he would burn up those lusts that have burnt up your comforts before your eyes Have you pleaded hard with God that a Spirit of burning might rest upon you even that Spirit of burning Isa 9. 2. Chap. 4. 4. which alone can burn up your sins your dross Since London hath been laid in ashes have you made it your great business to treat and trade with God about the destruction of those sins that have laid all desolate If so then you have cause to hope that God will turn your captivity and make up all your losses to you Job 42. 10. But Fifthly Since God has turned you out of all are you turned turnnearer and closer to himself though you havâ— been prodigals yet have you in the light of Lâ—ndons flâ—mes seen and Luke 15. found your way to your Fathers housâ— thâ—n God will make up all your losses to you When Judgements are so sanctified as to bring a people nearer to himself then God will drop down mercies upon them Hos 2. 18. ult But Sixthly Has the fire of London been as a pillar of fire to lead you Canaan ward Heaven-wards Has God by burning Exod. 13. 21 22. up the good things of this world caused you to set your hearts and affections more than ever upon the great things of another world If so then 't is a hundred to ten but that the Lord will make up all your losses to you But Seventhly Are your hearts under this fiery dispensation brought into such a quiet submission to the good will and pleasure of God as that you can now be contented to be at Phil. 4. 12 13 14. Gods finding at Gods allowance Can you now be contented to be rich or poor to have much or little to be high or low to be something or nothing to have all again or to have nothing but necessaries again Are you now willing that God shall choose for you Can you sit down satisfied with Gods allowance though it be far short of what once you had Content is the Deputy of outward felicity and supplies the place where its absent A contented frame of heart as to all outward occurrences is like Ballast to a Ship which will help it to sail boldly and safely in all waters When a mans mind is conformable to his means all is well One brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian thus What is thy faith Have I promised thee these things What wer 't thou made a Christian that thou shouldst flourish here in Augustine upon Psaâ—m 12. this world 'T is an excellent expression that Bellarmine hath in his Catechism Suppose saith he a King having many children of several ages should apparel them in Cloth of Gold now he that is sixteen years old hath more Gold in his Robe than the Child that is but five or six years old yet the child would rather have his own garment than his elder Brothers because 't is fitter for him Surely the fittest estate is the best estate for us Look as a great Shoe fits not a little foot nor a great Sail a little Ship nor a great Ring a little Finger so a great estate is not alwayes the fittest for us He tâ—at hath most wants something and he that hath least wants nothing if he wants not a contented Spirit O Sirs let not Heathens put you to a blush He that can be content to be at Gods finding as a Guest at a Epiâ—tâ—â—â—s Eâ—chiâ—id c. 21. Table that takes what is carved for him and no more hâ— needs not fawn upon any man much less violate his conscience foâ— the great things of the world When a mans heart is brought down to his condition he is then temptation-proof Wheâ— one told the Philosopher that if he would but please Dionysius he need not feed upon green hearbs the Phâ—losopher replied If thou wer 't but content to feed upon green hearbs thou needest not flatter Dionysius A man that can be contented with a little will keep his ground in an hour of Temptation Diogenes the Cynick housed in his Tub and making ever with his victuals and the day together being invited tâ— a great Feast could say I had rather lick Salt at Athens thaâ— feast with Craterus Diogenes had more content with his Tub. to shelter him from the injuries of the weather and with his wooden dish to eat and drink in than Alexander had with the conquest of half the world and the fruition of all the honoâ—s pompâ— treasures and pleasures of Asia The way to true riches
vessels of Honour Commonly the most afflicted Christians are the most golden Christians Zechary 13. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried they shall call on my name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God The fire of London was rather Physick than Poison there was more of a Paternal chastisement than there was of an extirpating vengeance in it and therefore certainly it shall work well it shall issue well The ninth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz. That there was a great mixture of mercy in that dreadful Judgement of fire that has turned London into a ruinous heap At the final destruction of Jerusalem there was not one stone left upon Luke 19. 41. 45. another This might have been thy case O London had not mercy triumphed over Justice and over all the plots and designs of men Though many thousand houses are destroyed yet to the praise of free grace many thousand houses in the City and Suburbs have been preserved from the rage and violence of the flames What a mercy wâ—s that that Zâ—ar should be standing when Sodom was laid in ashâ—s Gen. 19. And what a mercy was this that your houses should be standing when so many thousand houses have been laid desolate Is more than a third part of the Ciâ—y destroyed by fire Wâ—y the whole City might have been destroyed by fire and all the Suburbs round about it But in the midst of wrath God has remembred mercy in the midst of great seveâ—ity Psalm 136. 23. God has exercised great clemency Had the fire come on with that rage fury and triumph as to have laid both City and Subâ—rbs level we must have said with thâ— Church The Lâ—rd is â—ighteous Had the three Children their Songs Lam. 1. 18. in the midst of the fiery Furnace and why should not they have their Songs of praise whose housâ—s by a miraculous Providenâ—e were preserved in the miâ—st oâ— Londons flames O Sirs what a mixture of mercy was there in this fiery calamity that all your lives should be spared and that many of your houses should be preserved and that much of your goods your wares your commodâ—ties shouâ—d be snatcht as so many fire-brands out of the fire If ever there were an obligation put upon a people to cry Grace Grace Grace the Lord has put one upon you wâ—o hâ—ve bâ—â—n shâ—â—â—rs in that mixture of mercy that God has exâ—ended to â—he many thousand sufferers by Lâ—ndons flames Had this Jâ—dgement of fire been inflâ—cted when tâ—e raging Pâ—stilence swâ—pt away some thousands every Week and when he City was even left naked as to her inhabâ—tants and when the whole Nation Josh 2. 9 10 11. was under a dreaâ—ful â—â—ar â—reâ—bling anâ— dâ—smayedness of spirit might there not have been far greater desolations both of houses goods and lives in the midst of us Had God conâ—ended with London by Pesâ—ilence and fire at once who would â—â—ve lodged your persons in their beds or your goods in heir Barns Had these two dreadful Judgements met Londoners would have met with but few frienâ—s in the world Well when I look upon Londons sins and deserts on the onâ— hand and upon the principles old hatred plots designs rage and wrath of some malicious persons on the other Ezek. 25. 15. hand instead of wondering that so much of the City and Suburbs is destroyed I rather wonder that any one house Tacitus writing of Rome saith Sâ—quituâ— clades omâ—ibus quid â—bi pâ—r violâ—â—â—iam igâ—ium accideraâ— gravior atque aâ—â—oior Aâ—â—al lib. 15. p. â—91 It was rich mercy that it was not so wiâ—h Loâ—don in the City or Suburbs is preserved Whilst London was in flames and all men under a high distraction and all tâ—ings in a sad confusion a secret subtle designing powerful enemy mâ—ght have risen up in the midst of you that might have spoiled your goods ravâ—shed your wives defloured your daughters and after all this have sheathed their swords in all your bowels and in that it fell not out thus what cause have Londâ—ners to bow for ever before preventing and restraining Grace Since the creation of the world God has never been so severe in the execution of his most dreadful Judgements as not to remember mercy in the midst of wrath When he drowned the old world who before were drowned in lusts and pleasures he extended mercy to Noah and his family When he rained Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah turning those rich and pleasant Gen. 19. Cities into ruinous heaps he gave Lot and his Daughters their lives for a prey And when by fire and sword he had made Jerusalem a dreadful spectacle of his wrath and vengeance Isa 6. 11 12 13. Jer. 5. 10. 18. yet then a remnant did escape This truth we Citizens have experienced or else we and our all before this day had been destroyed Every Citizen should have this Motto written in characters of Gold on his fore-head It is of Lam. 3. 22. the Lords mercies that we are not consumed God might have made London like Sodom and Gomorrah but in the day of his anger some beams of his favour darted forth upon your London By which means the hopes of some are so far revived as to expect that London yet may be re-built and blest That 's a dreadful word When he begins he will make an end 1 Sam. 3. 12. Jer. 4. 4. Chap. 21. 12. and the fire of his wrath shall burn and none shall quench it These eradicating Judgements had certainly fallen upon London had not the Lord in the midst of his fury remembred mercy If the Lord had not been on our side may London now Psalm 124. 1 2 3. say if the Lord had not been on our side when the fire rose up against us then the fire had swallowed us up quick when its rage was kindled against us Doubtless God ne-never mingled a cup of wrath with more mercy than this Tâ—ough the fire of London was a very great and dreadful fire yet it was not so great nor so dreadful a fire as that of Sâ—dom and Gomorrah was for that fire of Sodom and Gomâ—rrah First It was a miraculous fire a fire that was besides beyond and against the course of Nature Gen. 19. 24. Then They sinned agaâ—nâ—t the light and course of nature and theâ—efore they were destroyâ—d against the course of nature by fire from Heaven the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire frâ—m the Lord out of Heaven Fire mingled with brimstone hath bâ—en found 1. Most obnoxious to the eyâ—s 2. Most loathsome to the smell And 3. Most fierce in burning He hit the mark who speaking of fire and brimâ—â—one sâ—id
Faâ—illime incenditur pertinacissime fervet c. Dâ—ffiâ—â—lâ—ime extinguitur It is easily kindled violently fuellâ—d and hardly exâ—inguished Brimstone and all that vast qâ—antity of sulphureous fiery matter by which those rich and popâ—lous Ciâ—ies were â—urned into ruinous heaps were never produced by naturâ—l causes nor after a natural manner no culinaâ—y fire being so speedy in its consumptions but immedâ—ately by Gods own miraculous power and allmighty aim But thâ— fire that has laid London in ashes was no such miraculous or extraordinary fire but such a fire which Divine Providence permitted and suffered to be kindlâ—d and carrâ—ed on by such means instruments and concurring circumstances as hath buried our glory under heaps of ashes But Secondly The fire that fell upon Sodom â—â—d Gomâ—rrah consumed not only the greater part of thosâ— Cities but the whole Cities yea and not only Sodom and Gomorrah but all the Cities of the Plain except Zoar which was to be a Sâ—nctuary to Lot but the fire of London has not destroyâ—d the whole City of London Many hundred may I noâ— say thousands houses are yet standing as monuments of Divine Power Wisdom and goodness and the greatest part of the Suburbs are yet preserved and all the rest of the Cities of England are yet compassed about with loving kindnâ—ss and mercy and I hope will be reserved by a gracious Pâ—ovidence as shelters as Sanctuaries and as hiding places to poor Englands distressed inhabitants But Thirdly The fire that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah did consume sume not only places but persons not only houses but inhabitants but in the midst of Londons flames God was a Zech. 2. 5. wall of fire about the Citizens in that day of his fiery indignation he was very tender of the lives of his people Though the Lumber was burnt yet God took care of his Treasure of his Jewels to wit the lives of his people But having spoken before more largely of this particular let this touch now suffice Fourthly Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire suddenly and unexpectedly they were destroyed by fire in a moment Lam. 4. 6. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my peâ—ple is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment and no hands The Judgemenâ—s of God upon the Jews were so great that they exceeded all credit amongst their neighbour Nations stayed on her Sodom and Gomorrah sustâ—ined no long siege from forreign forces neither were they kept long in sorrows and sufferings in pains and misery but thâ—y were quickly and suddenly and instantly dispatched out of this world into another world Men had no hand in the destroying of Sodom no mortal instrument did co-operate in that work God by his own immediate power overthrew them in a moment Sodom was very strangely suddenly and unexpectedly turned upside down as in a moment by Gods own hand without the help of armed Souldiers Whereas the Chaldeans Armies continued for a long time in the Land of Judah and in Jerusalem vexing and â—laguing the poor people of God Now in this respect the punishment of the Jews was a greater punishment than the punishment of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment But that fire that has turned London into a heap of ashes was such a fire that was carried on gradually and that lastâ—d four dayes God giving the Citizens time to mourn over their sins to repent to lay hold on everlasting strength and to mâ—ke peace with God But Fifthly and lastly Sodoms and Gomorrahs Judgement is termed Eternal fire which expression as it refers to thâ— Jude 7. places themselves do import that they were irrecoverablâ— destroyed by fire so as that they shall lye eternally waste Those monstrous sinners of Sodom had turned the glory of God into shame and therefore God will turn them both into a Hell here and a Hell hereafter God will punish unusual sinners with unusual Judgements The punishment by this fire is lasting yea everlasting 't is a standing monument Deut. 29. 23 of Gods high displeasure We never read that ever God repented himself of the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah those Cities are under a perpetual destruction and so shall continue to the end of the world if we will give credit to Authors of great credit and reputation It well Strabo Solinus Tacitus Plinius Josâ—phus c. becomes the wisest and best of Christians seriously to consider how God setteth forth the destruction of his Churches enemies Isa 34. 8 9 10 11. For it is the day of the Lords Vengeance and the year of recompences for the controversie of Zion And the streams thereof shall be turned into Pitch and the dust thereof into Brimstone and the Land thereof shall become burning Pitch It shall not be quenched night nor day the smoke thereof shall go up for ever from generation to generation it shall lye waste none shall pass through it for ever and ever But the Cormorant and the Bittern shall pâ—ssâ—ss it the Owle also and the Raven shall dwell in it and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptinâ—ss In these words you have a rhetorical description of that extream devastation that God will bring upon the enemies of the Church in way of allusion to the destruction of Sodom and Gomoâ—rah But I hope Lâ—ndons doom is not such for God has given to thousands of her inhabitants a Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zech. 12. 10. which is a clear evidence that at the long run they shall certainly carry the day with God I have faith enough to believe that God will give Londons mourners beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness And that London may yet be called Isa 61. 3. a City of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified I hope that God will one day say to London Arise shine for the light is come and the glory of the Lord is Isa 60. 1 2. risen upon thee the Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory shall be seen upon thee By what has been said 't is evident enough that there has been a great mixture of mercy in that fiery dispensation that has past upon London And therefore why should not this consideration bear up the hearts of the people of God from fainting and sinking under their present calamity and misery But The tenth Support to bear up the hearts of the people of 10. God under the late fiery dispensation is this viz That there are worse Judgements than the Judgement of fire which God might but has not inflâ—cted upon you Let me evidence the truth of this in these five particulars First The bloody Sword is a more dreadful Judgement than that of fire Fire may consume a mans house and his estate but the Sword cuts off a mans life Now at what a poor
6. 5. Job 21. 12. Dan. 5 23. Amos 6. 4. burning from burning in sin to burning in Hell from burning in flames of lusts to burning in flames of torment except there be sound repentance on their sides and pardoning Grace on Gods O Sirs in this devouring fire in these everlasting burnings Cain shall find no Cities to build nor his posteriâ—y shall have no instruments of Musick to invenâ— there none shall take up the Timbrel or Harp or rejoyce at the sound of the Organ There Belshazzar cannot drink Wine in Bowls nor eat the Lambs out of the flock nor the Calves out of the midst of the Stall In everlasting burnings there will be no merry company to pass time away nor no Dice to cast care away nor no Cellars of Wine wherein to drown the sinners grief There is everlasting fire Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for thâ— Devil and his Angels This terrible sentence breaths out nothing but fire and brimstone terror and horror dread and wo. The last words that ever Christ will speak in this world will be the most tormenting and amazing the most killing and damning the most stinging and wounding Depart from me there iâ— rejection Pack begone get you out of my fight let me never see your faces more It was a heavy doom that was past upon Nebuchadnezzar that he Dan. 4. 25. should be driven from the soâ—iâ—ty of men and in an extremity of a sottish melancholly spend his time amongst thâ— Beasts of the fiâ—ld but that was nothing to this soul killing word depart from me It was nothing to mens being cast out of the presence of Chrâ—st for ever The remembrance Berâ—ard in Psal 91. of which made one to pray thus O Lord deliver me at the great day from that killing word Depart And what saith another This word Depart the Goats with horror hears Sphynx But this word Come the Sheep to joy appears Basil saith That an alienation and utter separation from God Basil Asc Etic c. 2. Chrysost in Mal. Hom. 24. is more grievous than the pains of Hell Chrysostome saith That the torments of a thousand Hells if there were so many comes far short of this one to wit to be turned out of Gods presâ—nce with a Non novâ— vos I know you not What a grief were it here to be banisht from the Kings Court with Aâ—solom or to be turned out of doors with Hagar and Ismael or to be cast out of Gods presence with cursed Cain But what is all this to a mans being excommunicated and cast out of the presence of God of Christ of the Angels and out of the general Assembly of the Saints and Congregâ—tion of the first born to be Heb. 12. 22 23. secluded from the presence of God is of all miseries the greatest The serious thoughts of this mâ—de one say Many do abhor Hell but I esteem the fall from that glory to be a greater punishment than Hell it self 't is better to endure ten thousand Thunder-claps than be deprived of the beatifical vision Certainly the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven If those precious souls wept because they Acts 20. 38. should see Pauls face no more how deplorable is the eternal deprivation of the beatifical vision Depart from me is the first and worst of that dreadful sentence which Christ shall pass upon sinners at last Every syllable sounds horror and terror grief and sorrow amazement and astonishment to all whom it doth concern Ye cursed there is the malediction But Lord if we must Cursings now are wicked mens Hymns but in Heâ—l they shall be their woes Rev. 16. 9. 11 21. depart let us depart blessed No depart ye cursed you have cursed others and now you shall be curst your selves you shall be curst in your bodies and curst in your souls you shall be curst of God and curst of Christ and curst of Angels and curst of Saints and curst of Devils and curst of your companions Yea you shall now curse your very selves your very souls that ever you have despised the Gospel refused the offers of Grace scorned Christ and neglected the means of your salvation Oh sinners sinners all your curses all your maledictions shall at last recoyle upon your own souls Now thou cursest every man and thing that stands in the way of thy lusts and that crosses thy designs but at last all the Curses of Heaven and Hell shall meet in their full power and force upon thee Surely that man is cursed with a witness that is cursed by Christ himself But Lord if we must depart and depart cursed Oh let Of this fire you had need of some Devil or accursed wretch to descant saith One. us go into some good place No Depart ye into everlasting fire There is the vengeance and continuance of it You shall go into fire into everlasting fire that shall neither consume it self nor consume you Eternity of extremity is the Hell of Hell The fire in Hell is like that stone in Arcadia which being once kindled could never be quenched If all the fires that ever were in the world were contracted into one fire how terrible would it be Yet such a fire would be but as painted fire upon the Wall to the fire of Hell If it be so sad a spectacle to behold a malefactors flesh consumed by piece-meales in a lingering fire Ah how sad how dreadful would it be to experience what it is to lie in unquenchable fire not for a day a moneth or a year or a hundred or a thousand years but for ever and ever If it were saith One but for a thousand years I could bear it but Cyril seeing it is for eternity this amazeth and affrighteth me I am afraid of Hell saith Another because the Worm there Isâ—dor clar Orat. 12. never dies and the fire never goes out For to be tormented without end this is that which goes beyond all the bounds of desperation Grievous is the torment of the Dionys in 18. Apocaâ—yps Fol. 301. damned for the bitterness of the punishments but it is more grievous for the diversity of the punishments but most grievous for tâ—e eternity of the punishments To lye in everlasting torments to roar for ever for disquietness of heart to rage for ever for madness of soul to weep and grieve and gnash the teeth for ever is a misery Matth 25. ult beyond all expression Bellarmine out of Barocius tells of De arte moriendi a learned man who after his death appeared to his friend complaining that he was adjudged to Hell torments which saith he were they to last but a thousand thousand years I should think it tollerable but alas they are eternal And it is called eternal fire Jude 7. I have read of a Prison among the Persians which was
and they provoked to avoid them and secure themselves against them Doubtless the serious thoughts of hellish pain while men live is one blessâ—d way to keep them from those torments when they come to die Another gives this pious counsel Let us earnestly importune the Lord that this knowledge whether the fire of Hell be material or not be never manifested to us by experience 'T is infinitely better to endeavour the avoiding Hell fire than curiously to dispute about it Look as there is nothing more grievous than Hell So there is nothing more profitable than the fear of it But what difference is there between our common fire and Hell Obj. fire I answer a mighty difference a vast difference Take it Answ in these six particulars First They differ in their heat no heart can conceive nor no tongue can express the exquisite heat of infernal fire were all the fires under Heaven contracted into one fire yea were all the Coles Wood Oyle Hemp Flax Pitch Tarr Brimstone and all other combustibles in the world contracted into one flame into one fire yet one spark of infernal fire would be more hot violent dreadful amazing astonishing raging and tormenting than all that fire that is supposedly made up of all the combustibles the earth affords To mans sense there is nothing more terrible and afflictive than fire and of all fires there is none so scalding and tormenting as that of brimstone Now into that lake Rev. 14. 10. Chap. 21. 8. The fire in a Lantskip is but ignis pictus a painted fire and the fire of Purgatory is but ignis fictus feigned fire Now what are these to Hell fire which burns with fire and brimstone for ever and ever shall the wicked of the earth be cast Infernal fire far exceeds ours that are on our Hearths and in our Chimneyes in degree of heat and fierceness of burning Our fire hath not that terrible power to scorch burn torment as the fire of Hell hath Our fire as Polycarpus and others say compared to Hell fire is but like painted fire upon the Wall Now you know a painted fire upon the Wall will not hurt you nor burn nor affright you not torment you but the fire of Hell will beyond all your conception and expression hurt burn affright and torment you The fire of Hell for degrees of heat and fierceness of burning must wonderfully surpass our most furious fires because it is purposely created by God to torment the creature whereas our ordinary fire was created by God only for the comfort of the creature The greatest and the hottest fires that ever were on earth are Alsted but Ice in comparison of the fire of Hell Secondly There are unexpressible torments in Hell as well as unspeakable joyes in Heaven Some who write of Purgatory tell us that the pains thereof are more exquisite though of shorter continuance than the united torments Bâ—llarm de Parg. l. 2. c. 14 Bâ—llâ—rm de Aeâ—â—r Faeli Saâ—â—â— l. 1. c. 11. that the earth can invent though of longer duration If the Popes Kitchin be so warm how hot is the Devils Furnace A Poetical Fiction is but a Meiosis when brought to shew the nature of these real torments the lashes of Furies are but petty scourgings when compared to the stripes of a wounded conscience Tytius his Vulture though feeding on his Liver is but a Flea-biting to that Worm whick gnaweth their hearts and dieth not Ixion his Wheel is a place of rest if compared with those Billows of Wrath and thaâ— Wheel of Justice which is in Hâ—ll brought over the ungodly the task of Danaus his Daughter is but a sport compared to the tortures of those whose souls are filled with bitterness and within whom are the arrows of the Alâ—ighry the poison whereof doth drink up their spirits Hell is called a Furnace of fire which speaketh intolerable heat a Matth. 13. 42. Luke 16. 28. Matth. 5. 25. 5. 22. place of torment which speaketh a total privation of ease A Prison which speaketh restraint Gehenna from the valley of Hinnom where the unnatural Parents did sacrifice the fruit oâ— their bodies for the sin of their souls to their merciless Idols the which word by a neighbour Nation is retained to signifie a Rock than the torture of which what more exquisite It is called a Lake of Fire and Brimstone than the torment of the former what more acute than the smell of the latter what more noisome But Secondly Our fire is made by the hand of man and must be maintained by continual supplies of fuel take away the Coals the Wood the combustible matter and the fire goes out but the infernal fire is created and tempered and blown by the hand of an angry sin revenging God Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is A River of Brimstone is never consumed by burning fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it and therefore the breath of all the Reprobates in Hell shall never be able to blow it out Our fire is blown by an aiery breath but the infernal fire is blown by the angry breath of the great God which burns far hotter than ten thousand thousand Rivers of Brimstone The breath of Gods mouth shall be both Bellows and fuel to the infernal fire and therefore Oh how terrible and torturing how fierce and raging will that fire be If but three drops of Brimstone should fall upon any part of the flesh of a man it would fill him so full of torment that he would not be able to forbear roaring out for pain and anguish Oh how dreadful and painful will it be then for damned sinners to swimm up and down in a Lake or River of Fire and Brimstone for ever and ever There is no proportion between the heat of our breath and the fire that it blows O then what a dreadful what an amazing what an astonishing fire must that needs be which is blown by a breath dissolved into brimstone Gods wrath and indignation shall be an everlasting supply to Hells conflagration Ah Sinners how fearful how formidable how unconceivable will this infernal fire prove Surely there is no misery no torment to that of lying in a torrent of burning Brimstone for ever and ever Mark this infernal fire is a fire prepared by God himself to punish and torment all impenitent persons and reprobate rebels who scorned to submit to the Scepter of Christ Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared Matth. 25. 41. for the Devil and his Angels The wisdom of God hath been much exercised in preparing and devising the most tormenting temper for that formidable fire in which the Devil and his Angels shall be punished for ever and ever Not as if it were not prepared also for wicked and ungodly men but it
guilt and stain of sin of its own nature and unpardoned endures eternally upon the soul and therefore what can follow but eternal torments The lasting continuance of sin is remarkably deseribed by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 17. 1. The sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond it is graven upon the table of their hearts Not only written but engraven that no hand can deface it Slight not the commission of any sin it perishes not with the acting The least vanity hath a perpetuity nay an eternity of guilt upon it Sin leaving a blot in the soul brings the matter of Hell fire is eternally punished because there is still matter for that everlasting fire to work upon But Fifthly I answer Though death put an end to mens lives yet not to sins Hell is as full of sin as it is of punishment or torment Though the Schoolmen determine that after this life men are capable neither of merit nor demerit and therefore by their sins do not incurr a greater measure of punishment yet they grant that they sin still Though when the creature is actually under the sentence of condemnation the Law ceases to any further punishment yet there is an obligation to the precepts of the Law still Though a man be bound only to the curse of the Law as he is a sinner yet he is bound to the precept of the Law as he is a creature so that though the demerit of sin ceaseth after death yet the nature of sin remaineth though by sinning they do not incurr a higher and a greater degree of punishment yet as they continue sinning so it is just with God there should be a continuation of the punishment already inflicted But Sixthly I answer It is no injustice in God to punish temporal offences with perpetual torments God measureth the punishment by the greatness of the offence and not by the time wherein the sin was acted Murder Adultery Sacriledge Treason and the like capital crimes are doomed in the Judicatories of men to death without mercy and sometimes to perpetual imprisonment or to perpetual banishment and yet these high offences were committed and done in a short time Now this bears a proportion with eternal torments O Sirs if the offences committed against God be infinitely heinous why may not the punishment be infinitely lasting Sinners offences as Austin well observes are not to be measured temporis longitudine Aug. de Câ—vâ—t Dâ—â— l. 1. c. 11. by the length of time wherein they were done but iniquitatis magnitudine by the foulness of the crime and if so then God is just in binding the sinner in everlasting chains We must remember that God is a great and a glorious God and that he is an omniscient and an omnipotent God and that he is a mighty yea an almighty God and that he is a â—oly and a just God and that he is out of Christ an incomprehensible incommunicable and very terrible God and that he is an infinite eternal and independent God And Heb. 12. 29. 30. we must remember that man is a shaddow a bubble a vapour a dream a base vile sinful worthless Worm Now these things being considered must we not confess that eternity it self is too short a space for God to revenge himself on sinners in But Seventhly and lastly I answer Such sinners have but what they chose Whilest they lived under the means of Grace the God of Grace sat before them Heaven and Hell Glory Deut. 11. 26 27. Chap. 30 15. Heb. 2. 2 3. Chap. 10. 28 29. John 3. 14 15 16 17 36. Chap. 1. 11. and misery eternal life and eternal death so that if they eternally miscarry they have none to blame but themselves for choosing Hell rather than Heaven misery rather than glory and eternal death rather than eternal life Ah how treely how fully how frequently how graciously how gloriously hath Christ been offered in the Gospel to poor sinners and yet they would not choose him they would not close with him they would not embrace him nor accept of him nor enter into a marriage Covenant with him nor resign themselves up to him nor part with their lusts to enjoy him They would not come to Christ that they might have John 5. 40. Matâ—h 22. 2 3 4 5. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. life they slighted infinite mercy and despised the riches of Grace and trode under foot the blood of the everlasting Covenant and scorned the offers of eternal salvation and therefore 't is but just that they should lye down in everlasting sorrows How can that sinner be saved that still refuses salvation How can mercy save him that will not be saved by mercy yea how can Christ save such a man that will not be saved by him All the world can't save that man from going to Hell who is peremptorily resolved that he will not go to Heaven Sinners have boldly and daily refused eternal life eternal mercy eternal glory and therefore 't is but just that thâ—y should endure eternal misery And let thus much suffice for answer to the Objection But Sir pray what are those duties that are incumbent upon Quest those that have been burnt up and whose habitations are nâ—w laid in its ashes I answer They are these that follow Answ First See the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful fire acknowledge the Lord to be the Author of all Judgements and of this in particular 'T is a high point of Christian Prudence Lev. 26. 41. Mich. 7. 9. and Piety to acknowledge the Lord to be the Author of all personal or National sufferings that bâ—fall us Jer. 9. 12. Who is the wise man that may understand this for what the Land perisheth and is burnt up like a Wilderness that none passeth through It is very great wiâ—dom to know from whom all our afflictions come and for what all our afflâ—ctions come upon us God looks that we should observe his hand in all our sufferings Hear the rod and who hath appointed it God challenges all sorts of afflictions as his own special Administration Mich. 6 9. See this Text fully opened in my first Epistle to my Treatise on â—loset Prayer Amos 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all thâ—se things Isa 45. 7. God takes it very hainously and looks upon it as a very great indignity that is put upon his Power Providence and Justice when men will neither see nor acknowledge his hand in those sore afflictions and sad sufferings that he brings upon them Of such the Prophet Isaiah complains Chap. 26. 11. Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see The hand the power of the Lord was so remarkable and conspicuous in the Judgements that were inflicted upon them as might very well wring an acknowledgement out
of them that it was the Lord that had stirred his wrath and indignation against them and yet they wilfully and desperately shut their eyes against all the severities of God and would not behold that dreadful hand of his that was stretched out against them O Sirs God looks upon himself as reproached and slandered by such who will not see his hand in the amazing Judgements that he inflicts upon them Jer. 5. 12. They have belied the Lord and said it is not he or as the Hebrew runs he is not Such was the Atheism of the Jews that they slighted divine warnings and despised all those dreadful threatnings of the Sword Famine and Fire which should have lead them to repentance and so tacitely said the Lord is not God such who either say that God is not omniscient or that he is not omnipotent or that he is not so just as to execute the Judgements that he has threatned Such belie the Lord such deny him to be God Many feel the rod that cannot hear it and many experience the smart of the rod that don't see the hand that holds the rod and this is sad How can the natural man without faiths prospective look so high as to see the hand of the Lord in wasting and destroying Judgements By common experience we find that natural men are mightily apt to father the evil of all their sufferings upon secondary causes sometimes they cry out this is from a distemper in nature and at other times they cry out this is from a bad Air Sometimes they cry out of the malice Plots envy and rage of men and at other times they cry out of Stars Chance and Fortune and so fix upon any thing rather than the hand of God But now a gracious Christian under all his sufferings he overlooks all secondary causes and fixes his eye upon the hand of God You know what Joseph said to his unnatural Brethren who fold him Gen. 45. 7. for a slave Non vos sed Deus 'T was not you but God that sent me into Aegypt Job met with many sore losses and sad crosses but under them all he over-lookt all instruments all secondary causes he over-looks the Sabeans and the Chaldeans and Satan and fixes his eye upon the hand of God The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be Job 1. 21. the name of the Lord. Judas and Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and Herod and the bloody Souldiers had all a deep hand in the sufferings of Christ but yet he over-looks them all and fixes his eye upon his fathers hand The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it This cup was John 18. 11. the cup of his sufferings Now in all his sad sufferings hâ— had still an eye to his Fathers hand Let us in all our sufferings write after this Copy that Christ has set before us But of this I have spoken very largely already and therefore let this touch suffice here Secondly Labour to justifie the Lord in all that he has done Say the Lord is righâ—eous though he hath laid your City desolate When Jerusalem was laid desolate and the Wall thereof broken down and the Gates thereof were burnt with fire Nehemiah justifies the Lord Chap. 9. 33. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou Nâ—hâ—m 1. 4. So Maâ—â—â—câ—us the Emperour justified God when he saw his Wife and Children butchered before his eyes by the Trayâ—or Phocas and knew that hâ—mself should soon after be stewed in his own Broth cryed out Just art thou O Lord and just are all thy Judgements hast done right but we have done wickedly The same Spirit was upon Jeremiah Lam. 1. 1 4 8. How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people Hâ—w is she become as a Widow She that was great among the Nations and Princâ—ss among the Provinces How is she become tributary The wayes of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn feasts all her Gates are desolate her Priests sigh her Virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandment The same Spirit was upon David Psal 119. 75. I know O Lord that thy Judgements are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me So Psal 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works This Maxim we must live and dye by though we don't alwayes see the reason of his proceedings 'T is granted on all hands that voluntas Dei est summa perfectissima infallibilis Regula divinae justitiae Deus sibi ipsi lex est The will of God is the chiefest the most perfect and infallible Rule of Divine Justice and that God is a Judge to himself Shall Gen. 18. 25. not the Judge of all the earth do right In this Negative question is emphatically implyed an Affirmative Position which is that God above all others must and will do right because from his Judgement there is no appeal Abraham considering the Nature and Justice of God was confidently assured that God could not do otherwise but right Hath God turn'd you out of house and home and marred all your pleasant things and stript you naked as the day wherein you were born yes Why if he hath he hath done you no wrong he can do you no wrong he is a Law to himself and his righteous Will is the Rule of all Justice God can as soon cease to be as he can cease to do that which is just and right So Psa 97. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him Righteousnâ—ss and Judgement are the habitation of his throne Clouds and darâ—nâ—ss notes the terribleness of Gods administrations though God be very terrible in his administrations yet righteousness and judgâ—ment are the habitation of his Throne It hath been a day of Gods wrath in London a day of trouble and distress a day of wasting and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds Zeph. 1. 15. and thick darkness as it was once in Jerusalem yet righteousness and judgement are the habitation of his Throne or as it may be translated are the foundation of his Throne Gods Seat of Judgement is alwayes founded in righteousness So Daniel 9. 12. And he hath confirmed his words 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 not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem Ver. 14. The Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth for we obeyed not his voice God is only righteous he is perfectly righteous he is exemplarily righteous he is everlastingly righteous he is infinitely righteous and no unrighteousness dwells in him There are four things that God can't do Psal 92. 15. Job 36. 23. 1. He can't lie 2. He can't die 3. He ca'nt deny himself Nor 4.
the more he laboured to block up the way of Christ the more passible As they said once of the Graeciaâ—s in the Epigramm whom they thought invuâ—nerable We shâ—ot at them but they fail not down we wound them but do'nt kill them See Exod. 1. 10 11 12 13. Acts 8. Acts 14. it became And what ever of Christ he thought to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher thereupon he resolved to engage no further but retired to a private life All the oppositions that the Dâ—vil and his instruments had raised against the Saints in all the ages of the world hath not diminished but encreased their number For the first three hundred years after Christ there was a most terible perfecution Historians tell us that by seven and twenty several sorts of deaths they tormented the poor people of God In these hot times of persecution many millions of Christians were destroyed And yet this was so far from diminishing of their number that it encreased their number for the more they were oppressed and perfecuted the more they were encreased And therefore some have well observed that though Julian used all means imaginable to suppress them yet he could never do it He shut up all their Schools that they might not have learning and yet never did learning more flourish than then He devised all manner of cruel torments to terrifie the Christians and to draw them from their holy faith and yet he saw that they encreased and multiplied so fast that he thought it his bâ—st course at last to give over his persecuting of the Saints not out of love but out of envy because that through his persecution they encreased This was represented unto Daniel Dan. 2. 34 35. in a vision Dan. 2. The Kingdom of Christ is set forth there by a little stone cut out of the Mountain without hands without art or industry without Engines and humane helps The stone was a growing stone and although in all the ages of the world there have been many hammers at work to break this stone in pieces yet they have not nor shall not prevail but the little stone shall grow more and more till it becomes a great Mountain and fills the whole earth And let this suffice for Answer to the first Objection I would justifie the Lord I would say he is righteous though Object 2 my house â—e burnt up but I have lost my goods I have lost my estate yea I have lost my all as to this world and how then can I sâ—y the Lord is righteous how can I justifie that God which has even stript me as naked as the day wherein I was born c. To this I answer Answ First Dâ—dst thou gain thy estate by just or unjust wayes and means If by unjust wayâ—s and means then be silent before the Lord. If â—y just wayes and means then know that the Lord will lay in that of himself and of his Son and of his Spirit and of his Grace and of Heavens glory that shall make up all thy losses to thee But Secondly Did you improve your estates for the glory of God and the good of others or did you not If not why do you complain If you did the reward that shall attend you at the long run may very well bear up your spirits under all your losses Consult these Scriptures 1 Cor. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 9. 6. Eccles 11. 1. Gal. 6. 7 8. Isa 32. 20. Isa 55. 10. Prov. 11. 18. Rev. 22. 12. But Thirdly What Trade did you drive Christ-wards and Heaven-wards and Holiness-wards If you did drive either The Stars which have least circuit are nearest the Pole and men that are least perplexed with business are commonly nearest to God no Trade heaven-wards or but a slender or inconstant Trade heaven-wards and holiness-wards never wonder that God by a fiery dispensation has spoiled your Civil Trade Doubtless there were many Citizens who did drive a close secret sinful Trade who had their by wayes and back-doors some to uncleanness others to merry meetings and others to secret Gaming Now if thou wert one of them that didst drive a secret Trade of sin never murmur because thy house is burnt and thy Trade destroyed but rather repent of thy secret Trade of sin and wonder that thy body is not in the grave and that thy soul is not a burning in everlasting flames Many there were in London who had so great a Trade so full a Trade so constant a Trade that they had no time to mind the everlasting concernments of their precious souls and the great things of Eternity They had so much to There were many who sacrificed their prâ—ciâ—us â—â—me â—â—ther to 〈◊〉 the Mâ—niâ—tâ—r of sleep or to Baccâ—us the Gâ—d of Wine or to 〈◊〉 â—he Goddes◠〈◊〉 Bâ—auty 〈◊〉 iâ— all â—ere due to the Bâ—d the Tavern and the â—rothel-house Numb 22. 32. 2 Pet 1. 10. do on Earth that they had no time to look up to Heaven as once the Dake of Alva told the King of Fraâ—ce Sr. Thomas More saith there is a Devil called negâ—tiuâ— business thâ—â— carrieth more souls to Hell then all the Dâ—vâ—â—s in Hell beside Many Citizens had so many Irons in the fire and were cumbred about with so many things that theâ— wholly neglected the one thing necessary and therefore it was but just with God to visit them with a fiery Rod. Look as much earth puts out the fire so much worldly bâ—siness puts out the fire of heavenly affections Look as the earth swallowed up Korah Dathan and Abiram so much worldly business swallows up so much precious time that many men have no leisure to secure their interest in Christ to make their calling and election sure to lay up treasure in Heaven to provide for eternity and if this have been any of your cases who are now burnt up it highly concerns you to justifie the Lord and to say he is righteous though he has burnt up your habitatâ—ons and destroyâ—d your Trade 'T is sad when a crowd of worldly business shall crowd God and Christ and Duty out of dooâ—s Many Citizens did drive so great a Publick Trade in their Shops that their private Trade to Heaven was quite laid by Such who were so busie about their Farm and their Merchandise that they had See Luke 14. 16. 22. no leisure to attend their souls concernments had their City set on fire about their ears Matth. 22. 5. But they made light of it that is of all the free rich and noble offâ—rs of Grace and mercy that God had made to them and went their wayes one to his farm another to his Merchandise Ver. 7. But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his Armies that is the Romans and destroyed those murderers and burnt up their City It is observable that the Exod. 20. 9. Vidâ— Exod. 29. 38 39. Numb 28. 3. Deut. 6. 6 7 8. Jews who were
them in I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my Sword my hand shall destroy them But presently God blows with his Wind and the Sea covered them and they sank as Lead in the mighty Waters Soon after Sennacherib had sent a Blasphemous Leâ—ter to King Hezâ—kiah The Angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold Isaiah 37. they were all dead corpse and within five and fifty dayes after Sennacherib himself was butchered by his own Sons No Tobit 1. 21. sooner had the people as prophane Sycophants applauded Herod and given him the honour due to God but he was smitten by the Angel of the Lord or eaten up of Worms or with Vetmin with Lice as his Grand-father Herod had Act. 12. â—2 23. been before him Roffâ—nsis had a Cardinâ—ls Hat sent him but his head was cut off bâ—fore it came the Ax was nearer his head than his Hat The Heathen Hâ—storian could not but observe that as soon as Alexander the Great hâ—d summoned a Parliament before him of the world he was summoned himself by death to appear before God in the other world Now as you see by these instances that dangers are nearest the wicked when they see them not when they fear them not So mercies are very near to the people of God when they see them not when they expect them not The Israelites found it so in Asa his time and in Jebasaphats time Psal 126. 2 3. 2 Chron. 14. Chap. 20. Exod. 15. 2 Kings 19. Esther 6. 8. 1 Kings 17. 12 13 14 15 16. and in Pharaohs time and in Hezekiahs time and in Esthers time and in the time of the Judges as is evident throughout the Book of Judges When there was but a handful of Meal in the Barrel and a little Oyl in the Cruze supply was at hand Her Barrel and Cruze had no bottom who out of a little gave a little In all the Ages of the world God has made that word good Isa 41. 17. When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue saileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them Verse 18. I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water Chrysostome observes That 't is very delightful to the Mother to have her breasts drawn Oh how much more then is it delightful to God to have his breasts of mercy drawn O Sirs look as many times the Mothers breasts are drawn and near the Child though the Child sees them not so Gods breasts of mercy are many times drawn and near his people and yet they see them not Geographers wriâ—e that the City of Syracuse in Sicily is so curiously scituated that the Sun is never out of sight Certainly the mercies of God are never out of sight though sometimes the people of God are so clouded and benighted that they can't see their mercies though they are near them yea though they stand before them But Sixthly I answer That God many times by taking away some outward mercies comforts and contentments dos but make way for greater and better mercies to come in the room of those he has taken away He took from David an Psa 71. 20 21. Absalom and gave him a Solomon he took from him a scoffing Michal and gave him a prudent Abagail He took Gen. 24. 67. away from Isaac his Mother Sarah and made up his loss by giving of him Rebeckah to wife He took away much from Job but laid twice as much in the room of all the mercies that he had stript him off The Lord many times takes away small mercies to make room for greater mercies and many times takes away great mercies to make room for greater mercies yea the greatest of mercies But Seventhly and lastly Though thou hast lost all thy outward comforts in this world yet if thou art a believer there are ten choice Jewels that thou shalt never that thou canst never lose 1. Thou shalt never totally or finally lose thy God Hosea 2. 19 20. 2. Thou shalt never lose thy interest in Christ Whatever thy outward losses are yet thy interest in Christ still holds good Rom. 8. 33. ult 3. Thou shalt never lose the Spirit of Grace John 14. 16. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 4. Thou shalt never lose the seed of Grace the habits of Grace 1 John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin that is doth not give himself over to a voluntary serving 1 Cor. 1. 8. Luke 22. 32. of sin he dos not make a Trade of sin he sins not totally finally maliciously habitually studiously resolutely wilfully delightfully deadly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he dos not make it his work to sin he cannot follow his lusts as a work-man follows his Trade for his seed remaineth in him The seed of God the seed of Grace is an abiding seed 5. Thou shalt never lose the forgiveness of thy sins though thou maist lose the sense and assurance of thy forgiveness Jer. 31. 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more Mich. 7. 19. 6. Thou shalt never lose thy interest in the Covenant of Grace Psal 89. 30. 35. Jer. 31. 31. 38. Isâ— 54. 10. Once in Covenant and for ever in Covenant 7. Thou shalt never lose thy union with Christ John 15 1. 6. In John 17. Christ prayed that we might be one as he and his Father are one not essentially nor personally but spiritually so as no other creature is united to God There can be no Divorce between Christ and the believing soul Christ hates putting away Sin may for a time seemingly separate Mal. 2. 16. between Christ and the believer but it can never finally separate between Christ and the Believer Look as it is impossible for the Leaven that is in the Dough to be separated from the Dough after it is once mixed for it turneth Luther the nature of the Dough into it self so it is impossible for the Saints ever to be separated from Christ for Christ is in the Saints as nearly and as really as the Leaven is in the very Dough. Christ and believers are so incorporated as if Christ and they were one lump Our nature is now joyned to God by the indissolvable tye of the Hypostatical Union in the second Person and we in our persons are joyned to God by the Mystical indissolvable bond of the Spirit the third Person Our union with the Lord is so near and so glorious that it makes us one Spirit with him In this blessed union the
times so dark intricate and mysterious that it will pose men of the most raised parts and of the choicest experiences and of the greatest Graces to be able to discern the wayes of God in them There are many mysteries in the works of God as well as in the word of God But Thirdly Sometimes Gods own people sin with others and therefore they smart with others Thus Moses and Aaron sinned with others and therefore they were shut out of Canaan and their Carkasses fell in the Wilderness as well as Numb 20. others Psal 106. 35. They were mingled among the Heathen and learned their works Verse 40. Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people insomuch that he abhorred his inheritance Jer. 9. 25 26. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the children of Ammon and Moab and all that are in the utmost corners that dwell in the Wilderness for all these Nations are uncircumcised Vid. Rom. 2. 28 29. and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart Such as were outwardly but not inwardly circumcised should be sure to be punished in the day of Gods wrath with those who were neither inwardly nor outwardly circumâ—ised When the good and the bad joyn in common provocations Ezek. 9. 6. Rev. 18. 4. 1 Pet. 4 17. no wonder if they suffer in common desolations Though gross impieties like Pitch or Gunpowder enrages â—he fire yet the sins the infiâ—mities of Gods people add to the flame Not only Manâ—ssâ—s his blood-shed but also good Hâ—zâ—kiahs pride and vanity of spirit boasting and glorying in his wâ—rldly riches brought on the Babylonish Captivity 2 Chron 32. upon the Jâ—ws But Fourâ—hly The people of God many times suffer in common calamities as they are parts and members of that Politick 2. Sam. 24. 10. 10 18. body that is punished The sins of a City a Society a Company oâ— a Nation may involve all the membâ—rs in the same Judgement Though Lot was not guilty of the sins of Gen. 14. 12 16. Common caâ—amities make no discrimination between persons and persons or houses and houses All comâ—on Judgements work according to their commission and according to their nature without distâ—nguishing the righteous from the wicked Sodom yet Lot was carried away in the Captivity of Sodom as co-habiting with them And so though many of the precious Servants of the Lord in London were not guilty of those gross impieties that their neighbours were guilty of yet co-habiting either with them or near them they were burnt up and destroyed with them Achans Family were not guilty of Achans Sacriledge and yet Achans Family were destroyed for Achans Sacriledge The burning of London was a National Judgement and this National Judgement was the product of National sins as I have formerly proved Now mark though the people of God may be personally innocent yet because they are members of a nocent body they are liable to undergo the temporal smart of National Judgements Doubtless a whole City may be laid desolate for the wickedness of one man or of a few men that dwelleth in it Eccles 9. 18. One sinner destroyeth much good But Fifthly When good men who can't be justly charged with publick sins do yet fall with wicked men by publick judgements you must remember that God has several different ends in inflicting one and the same Judgements both upon the good and upon the bad The mettal and the dross go Zech. 13. 9. Eccl. 8. 12 13. both into the fire together but the dross is consumed and the mettal refined The stalk and the ear of corn fall upon the threshing floor under one and the same Flayl but the one is shattered in pieces the other is preserved From one and the same Olive and from under one and the same Press is crushed out both Oyl and dâ—egs but the one is tunn'd up for use the other thrown out as unserviceable The samâ— Judgements that befall the wicked may befall the righteous but not upon the same accompt The righteous are cast into the Furnance for tryal but the wicked for their ruine The righteous are signally sanctified by fiery dispensations Jer. 24. 1 2 3 5. but the wicked are signally worsened by the same dispensations The very self same Judgement that is as a Load-stone to draw the righteous towards Heaven will be as a Mill-stone to sink the wicked down to Hell The Pillar of fire that went before Israel had a light side and a dark side Exod. 14. 20. the light side was towards Gods people and the dark side was towards the Egyptians Thâ— flames of London will prove such a Pillar both to the righteous and the wicked That will certainly be made good upon the righteous and the wicked whose habitations have been destroyed by Londons flames that the Greek Epigramm speaks of the Silver Ax the Ensign of Justice That Sword that cuts the bad in Twain The good doth wound and heal again Those dreadful Judgements that have been the Ax of Gods revenging Justice to wound and break the wicked in pieces shall be righteous mens cures and their Golden restoratives But Sixthly and lastly God sometimes wraps up his own people with the wicked in desolating Judgements that he may before all the world wipe off that reproach which Atheists and wicked men are apt to cast upon him as if he were partial as if he were a respecter of persons and as if his wayes Ezek. 18. 25. 29. Chap. 33. 20. were not just and equall God to stop the mouth of iniquity the mouth of blasphemy hath made his own people as desolate as others by that fiery calamity that has past upon them Such men that have been eye witnesses of Gods impartial dealing with his own people in those dayes when London was in flames must say that God is neither partial nor fond And let thus much suffice by way of Answer to this Objection The third Duty that lyes upon those that have been burnt up is for them in patience to possess their own souls and Luke 21. 19. quietly to acquiesce in what the Lord has done O Sirs hold your peace and bridle your passions and quietly submit to the stroke of Divine Justice When Aarons Sons were devoured by fire Aaron held his peace And will not Lev. 10. 2 3. The Hebrew word Damam â—ignifies sience or stilâ—ess it signifies a staying of the heart a quieting of the mind Aarons mind was quiet and still all his unruly affections and passions were stilled and allayed Oleaste observes that Joshuah in speaking to the Sun Staâ—d still in Gibeon useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here used Joshua 12. 10. So that this Phrase Aaâ—on hâ—ld his peace imports thus much That Aaâ—oâ— stood still or stayed from further vexing or troubling or disquieting of
himself though at first his heart was in a strange violent motion yet he recovers himself and stands still before the Lord. you hold your peace now your houses are devoured by fire What were your houses to Aarons Sons All the houses in â—he world are not so near and dear to a man as his children are In this story concerning Aaron and his Sons there are many things remarkable As 1. That he had lost two of his Sons yea two of his eldest Sons together at a clap 2. These two were the most honourable of the Sons of Aaron as we may see Exod. 24. 1. in that they only with their Father and the seventy Elders are appointed to come up to the Lord. 3. They were cut off by a sudden and unexpected death when neither themselves nor their Father thought their ruine had been so near What misery to that of being suddenly surprized by a doleful death 4. They were cut off by a way which might seem to testifie Gods hot displeasure against them for they were devoured by fire from God They sinned by fire and they perished by fire Look as fire came from the Lord before in mercy so now fire is sâ—nt from the Lord in Judgement Certainly the manner of their death pointed out the sin for which they were smitten Now what Father had not rather lose all his children at once by an ordinary stroke of death than to see one of them destroyed by Gods immediate hand in such a terrible manner 5. They were thus smitten by the Lord on the very first day of their entring upon that high honour of their Priestly Function and when their hearts were doubtless full of joy now to be suddenly thunder-struck in such a Sun-shine day of mercy as this seemed to be must needs add weight to their calamity and misery 6. They were cut off with such great severity for a very small offence if reason may be permitted to sit as Judge in the case They were made monuments of divine vengeance only for taking fire to burn the Incense from one place when they should have taken it from another And this they did say some not purposely but through mistake and at such a time when they had much work lying upon their hands and were but newly entred upon their new employment Now notwithstanding all this Aaron held his peace It may be at first when he saw his Sons devoured by fire his heart began to wrangle and his passions began to work but when he considered the righteousness of God on the one hand and the glory that God would get to himself on the other hand he presently checks himself and layes his hand upon his mouth and stands still and silent before the Lord. Though it be not easie in great afflictions with Aaron to hold our peace yet it is very advantageous which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that they do prudently and patiently bear and conceal their troubles sorrows and anxieties they shall attain to comfort at last What the Apostle saith of the distressed Hebrews after the spoyling of their goods Ye have need Heb. 10. 34 36. of patience the same I may say to you who have lost your houseâ— your Shops your Trades your all you have need yea you have great need of patience Though thy mercies are few and thy miseries are many though thy mercies are small and thy miseries are great yet look that thy spirit be quiet and that thou dost sweetly acquiesce in the will of God Now God hath laid his fiery Rod upon your Psalm 39. 9. See my Mâ—lâ— Châ—istâ—aâ— under the smarting rod where the excelleâ—cy of patiâ—nce the evil of impatience is largely set forth backs it will be your greatest wisdom to lay your hands upon your mouths and to say with David I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it To be patient and silent under the sharpest Providences and the sorest Judgements is as much a Christians glory as it is his duty The patient Christian feels the want of nothing Patience will give contentment in the midst of want No loss no crosâ— no afflâ—ction will fit heavy upon a patient soul Dionysius saith that this benefit he had by the study of Philosophie viz. That he bore with patience all those alterations and changes that he met with in his outward condition Now shall Nature do more than Grace Shall the study of Phiâ—osophy do more than the study of Christ Scripture and a mans own heart But The fourth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burned up is to set up the Lord in a more eminent degree than ever as the great object of their fear Oh how should we fear and tremble before the great God who is able to turn the most serviâ—eable and useful creatures to us to be the means of destroying of us Hâ—b 12. 28. Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Verse 29. For our God is a consuming fire Here are two Arguments to work the Saints to set up God as the great object of their fear The first is drawn from the terribleness of Gods Majesty He is a consuming fire The second is drawn from the relation which is between God and his people Our God What a strange Title is this of the great God that we meet with in this place and yet this it one of the Titles of God expressing his nature and in which he glories that he is called a consuming fire Thâ—se words God is a consuming fire are not to be taken properly but metaphorically Fire we know is a very terrible and dreadful creature and so may very well serve to set forth to us the terribleness and dreadfulness of God Now God is here said to be a consuming or devouring fire The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is doubly compounded and so the signification is augmented and encreased to note to us the exceeding terribleness of the fire that is here meant When God would set forth himself to be most terrible and dreadful to the sons of men he dos it by this resemblance of fire which of all things is most terrible and intolcrable Deut. 4. 24. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire even a jealous God The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendered consuming doth properly signifie devouring or eating it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to devour and eat and by a Metaphor it signifieth to consume or destroy God is a devouring fire a eating fire and sinners and all they have is but bread and meat for divine wrath to feed upon Deut. 9. 3. See Psal 50 3. Isa 33. 14. Deut. 28. 58. Vnderstand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goeth before thee as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and
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
call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble Oh the precious presence of God with a mans spirit will sweeten every fiery dispensation and take off much of the bitterness and terribleness of it In the gracious presence of God with our spirits lyes 1. Our greatest Happiness 2. Our greatest Honor. 3. Our greatest profit and advantage 4. Our greatest joy and delight 5. Our greatest safety and security The Bush which was a Type of the Church consumed not all the while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it The gracious presence of God with a mans spirit 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. will make heavy afflâ—ctions light and long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet Gods gracious presence makes every burden light He that has the presence of God with Psal 55. 22. his spirit can bear a burden without a burden What burden Deut. 33. 27 29. can sink that man that hath everlasting Armes under him and over him and round about him But Secondly There is wisdom in God to encourage them under all their tryals There is wisdom in God so to temper Jer. 24. 5. Rom. 8. 28. and order all judgements afflictions crosses and losses as to make them work kindly and sweetly for their good Whilst God is near us wisdom and counsel is at hand God is that wise and skilful Physitian that can turn Poyson into Cordials Diseases into Remedies Crosses into Crowns and the greatest losses into the greatest gains What can hurt us whilst an infinite wise God stands by us But Thirdly There is strength power and omnipotency in God to encourage them There is nothing too high for Prov. 18. 10. Psal 46. 1 2. Isa 26. 4. Psal 3. 17. him nor nothing too hard for him he is able easily and speedily to bring to pass all contrivances You read of many who have been mighty but you read but of one Almighty Rev. 4. 8. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Chap. 11. 17. We give thee thanks Lord God Almighty Chap. 15. 3. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Chap. 16. 7. And I heard another out of the Altar say c. Even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgements Under all your fiery tryals an Almighty God can do mighty things for you And therefore it concerns you to encourage your selves in him even when you are stript of all O Christians it highly concerns you to beâ—r all your losses chearfully and thankfully In every thing give thanks saith the 1 Thes 5. 18. Apostle for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you Chrysostom speaks excellently This saith he is the very Châ—ysost Toâ— 5. Hoâ—â—l 68. will of God to give thanks alwayes this argues a soul rightly instructed Hast thou suffered any evil if thou wilt it is no evil Give thanks to God and then thou hast turned the evil into good Say thou as Job said when he had lost all The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. What evil hast thou suffered What is it a disease This is no strange thing to us seeing our bodies are mortal and naturally born to suffer What dost thou want money this may be gotten here and lost here Whatsoever evils or losses therefore do oppress thee give thou thanks and thou haâ—â— changed the nature of them Job then did more deeply wound the Devil when being stript out of all he gave thanks to God than if he had distributed all to the poor and needy For it is much more to be stript of all and yet to bear it patiently generously and thankfully than for a rich man to give Alms as it here happened to righteous Job But hath fire suddenly taken hold upon thy house destroyed thy house and consumed thy whole substance Remember the sufferings of Job Give thanks to God who could though he did not have hindered that mischance and thou shalt be sure to receive as equal a reward as if thou hadst put all into the bosome of the indigent This he repeateth over again and saith thy reward being thankful is equal to his who gave all he had to the poor To wind up your hearts to thankfulness and chearfulness under this late desolating Judgement Consider 1. God might have taken away all 'T is good to bless When a Gentleman in Atheis had his Plate taken away by Ahashueâ—us as he was at dinner he smiled upon his friends saying I thank God that his Highness hath left me any thing him for what he has left 2. He has taken away more from others than he has taken away from you ergo be thankful 3. You are unworthy of the least mercy you deserve to be stript of every mercy and therefore be thankful for any thing that is left God has a Soveraign right over all you have and might have stript you as naked as the day wherein you were born 4. God has left you better and greater merciâ—s than any those were that he has stript you off viz. your lives your limbs your friends your Relations yea and the means of Grace which is better than all and more than all other mercies ergo be thankful 5. The Lord has given those choice things to you as shall never be taken from you viz. himself his Son his Spirit which shall abide with you for ever his Grace which is an abiding seed and his peace which none can give to you nor take from you John 16. 1 John 3. 9. ergo be thankful though God has laid all your pleasant things desolate 6. Thankfulness under crosses and losses speak out much integrity and ingenuity of Spirit Hypocrites and prophane persons are more apt to blaspheme than to bless a taking God ergo be thankful The Ancients say Ingratum dixeris omnia dixeris say a man is unthankful and say he is any thing Ingratitude is a Monster in nature say some a Solecism in Manners a Paradox in Grace damming up the course of donations divine and humane If there be any sin in the world against the Holy Ghost said Queen Elizabeth in a Letter to Henry the fourth of France it is ingratitude The Laws of Persia Macedonia and Athens condemned the ungrateful to death and unthankfulness may well be styled the Epitome of Vices Ingratitude was so hateful to the Egyptians that they used to make Eunuchs of ungrateful persons that no posterity of theirs might remain Well Sirs remember this the best way to get much is to be thankful for a little God loves to sow much where he reaps much Thankfulness for one mercy makes way for another mercy as many thousand Christians have experienced The Lords Impost for all his blessings is our thankfulness if we neglect to pay this Impost the commodity is forfeit and so will take it back Our returnes must be according to our receipts Good men should be
like the Bells that ring as pleasantly at a Funeral as at a Wedding They should be as thankful when it goes ill with them as when it goes well with them Cicero complained of old that it was a hard thing to find a thankful man Oh how hard a thing is it to find burnt Citizens really cordially frequently and practically thankful that they are alive that they are out of the grave out of Hell and that yet they have bread to eat and clothes to wear though their habitations are laid in ashes and all their pleasant things destroyed But The eighth Duty that lyes upon those who have been burnt up is to keep in their hearts a constant Remembrance of the late dreadful conflagration God expects that his children should commemorate his Judgements as well as his mercies The sore Judgement that God inflicted upon Isa 26. 8 9. Psal 119. 30. 120. Sodom is mentioned thirteen times in the blessed Scripture and all to work us to mind it and to abhorr those sins that laid that City desolate The Lord looks that his people should keep up fresh in their memories such Judgements that have been long before executed Jer. 7. 12. Go to my place which was in Shilo where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people The Ark 1 Sam. 4. 10 11. of old stood at Shilo but after it was taken and carried away by the Philistins it was never brought back and from that time Shilo lay ever after desolate And this the Lord would have engraven upon their memories and upon their hearts Though stony hearts are bad yet Iron memories are good Luke 17. 32. Remember Lots wife Consider her sin and her punishment that so fearing the one you may learn to take heed of the other 2 Pet. 2. 6. And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly There is much in those words That after should live ungodly Why hath God turned those rich and populous Cities into ashes and set them up as burning Beaconâ— but to warn all the world that they live not ungodly and to work them to keep alive in their memories the desolating Judgements of God The Rabbins say that the Jews at this day when they are to boild an house they are to leave one part of it unfinished and lying Rude in remembrance that Jerusalem and the Temple are at present desolate Oh let the remembrance of Londons desolation by fire be for ever kept up in all your hearts To this purpose consider 1. That the burning of London is a very great Judgement as I have formerly proved now great Judgements like great mercies should be alwayes kept up fresh in our memories 2. The burning of London is a National Judgement as I have formerly proved now National Judgements should be alwayes fresh in our memories 3. 'T is a Judgement that câ—rries much of the wrath and anger of the Lord in it Amos 3. 6. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it V. 8. The Lion hath roared who will not fear The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophesie Now the more anger and wrath we read in any Judgement the more highly it concerns us to remember that Judgement 4. A serious commemoration of Gods Judgements is a thing that is highly pleasing to the Lord. God delights as much in the glory of his Justice as he dos in the glory of his Mercy or Grace Now when we commemorate his Judgements we glorifie his Justice that has inflicted them 5. Severe Judgements contribute much to the enlightning Hos 5. 14 15. Chap. 6. 1 2 3. Jer. 24. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Chap. 22. 8 9. of mens understandings and to the awakening of their consciences and the reforming of their lives and to work men to judge them and justifie the Lord. And therefore it highly concerns you to keep up the Remembrance of Londons Desolation by fire alwayes fresh and flourishing in your souls 6. Smart Judgements are teaching things All Gods Rods have a voice Hear ye the Rod and him that hath appointed Mich. 6. 9. it Look as Gideon taught the men of Succoth by Thorns and Bryars So God by piercing Judgements teaches both sinners and Saints to take heed of despising his patience and long-suffering and to cease from doing evil and to learn to do well And to fear and fly from all such sinful courses oâ— Isa 1. 16 17. practices that bring destructive judgements upon the mosâ— glorious Cities in the world And upon this account how deeply dos it concern us to have alwayes the late fiery dispensation in our thoughts and upon our hearts 7. All Gods Judgements are his Messengers they are all at his command The Centurion had not such a Soveraign power over his servants as the great God hath over all sorts Ezek. 14. 13 15 17 19. Maâ—th 21. 8. Isa 7. 18 19. of Judgements If the Lord do but hiss for the Fly of Egypt and the Bee of Assyria they shall come and do their office Now all Gods messengers as well as his mercies should still be kept in our eye But 8. and lastly Consider a serious commemoration of the Judgements of God will difference and distinguish you from all prophane persons and unsound Professors Psal 10. 5. Thy judgements are far above out of his sight Thy Judgements that is the plagues and punishments that thou layest upon the ungodly are high above his sight that is he fears them not he thinks not of them he minds them not he dos not seriously consider of them he is not kindly or deeply affected with them he regards them no more than a tale that is told or than Forreign Wars wherein he is not concerned Others carry the words thus He câ—steth thy Judgements out of his sight he will not so much as once mind them they are too high for him to set them before him they are hidden before him they are above the reach of his understanding and apprehension both mercies and judgements have much of God in them They speak and speak aloud but wicked men can neither see nor hear nor understand the voice of God either in the one or in the other I have read of such a Pestilential disease once at Athens as took away the memories of those who were infected with it so that they forgot even their own names One Pestilential disease or another usually so seizeth upon wicked men that they easily and usually forget the Judgements of God If God set in with these eight Arguments they will contribute more to the enabling of you to keep the late fâ—ery dispensations of God fresh in your memories than all the Pillars of Brass or Stone in the world Yet I am far
Behold I have done according to thy words Lo I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart so that there was none like thee before thee neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee v. 13. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honours so that there shall not be any among the Kings like unto thee all thy dayes This is more generally and fully expressed in 2 Chron. 1. 12. Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee and I will give thee riches and wealth and honour such as none of the Kings have had before thee neither shall there any after thee have the like Solomon desired wisdom of the Lord and the Lord granted him his desire and cast in riches and wealth and honour as an over plus which he did not so much as once desire God won't be wanting to them in Temporals who in their desires and prayers are most carried out after spirituals Matth. 6. 33. First seek the The shorter cut to riches is by their contempt it is great riches not to desire riches and he hath most that covers least saith Socrates and Seneca Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall he added to you or over-added He who before all and above all other things seeks Grace and Glory shall have the things of this world cast in as an over-plus as a handful to the sack of grain or as inch of measure to an Ell of Cloath or as paper and pack-thred is given into the bargain 1 Tim. 4 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come There is Earth as well as Heaven Bread as well as Grace and Rayment as well as Righteousness and the lower springs as well as â—e upper springs to be sound in the precious promises Abraham 2 Pet. 1. 4. and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Job and Nehemiah and Mordicai and David and Hezekiah and Josiah and Jehosaphat and Daniel and the three Children or rather Champions made it their business to be holy to walk with God to maintain communion with God and to exalt and glorifie God and you know how the Lord heaped up the good things and the great things of this world upon them I verily believe if men were more holy they would be more outwardly happy if they did but more seriously and earnestly press after the great things of that upper world the Lord would more abundantly cast in the things of this lower world upon them But when men are immoderately carryed out in seeking after the great things of this world 't is just with God to blast their endeavours and to curse their mercies to them Jer. 45. 5. Mal. 2. 2. But Fifthly 'T is better to get a little of the world than to get much of the world 't is better to get a little of the world justly and honestly than to get much of the world unjustly and dishonestly A little of the world blest is better than much of the world curst Solomons Dinner of Gen. 22. Prov. 3. 33. Chap. 15. 17. Dan. 1. green Hearbs Daniels Pulse Barly Loaves and a few Fishes and Johns rough Garment blest are better and greater mercies than Dives his Riches Purple Robes and dainty fare curst But Sixthly The greatest outward gain cannot counter-vail the least spiritual loss Be it but a dram of Grace oâ—â— Psal 30. 6 7. cast of Gods countenance or an hours communion with him c. Suppose a man could heap up Sâ—lver as the dust Job 22. 24. Chap. 27. 16. Matth. 4. and Gold as the streams of the Brook that he could gain as much as the Devil promised Christ viz. all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them yet all these could not make up the least spiritual loss He that shall exchange the least spiritual favour for the greatest outward good shall but with Glaucus and Diomedes exchange Gold for Copper he shall with the Cock in the Fable part with a Pearl for a Bâ—rley Corn. Chrysostom compareth such to workers in Mines who for a little wages do alwayes hazard and sometimes lose their lives Menot a French Preacher compareth them to a Hunts-man that spoileth a Horse worth many pounds in pursuit of a Hare not worth so many pence Pareâ—â— compares them to a man that with much ado winneth Venice and as soon as it is won is hanged up at the Gates of the City When such a one shall at last compute what he hath gained and what he hath lost he will certainly conclude that he hath but a miserable bargain of it But The seventh Maxim is this viz. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked the Psalm 37. 16. righteous mans mite is better than the wicked mans millions A little that is a competent and mean portion though yet but very little one little piece of Gold is more worth than a bagg of Counters one little Box of Pearls is more worth than many loads of Pâ—bbles And so a little that a righteous man hath is better than the abundance of the wicked Is better than the riches of many wicked Hamon which is the word here used is from Hamah which signifies multitude of riches or great plenty or store of riches from this Hebrew word Hamon Riches are called Mammon The Luke 16. 9 11 13. little that the righteous man hath is better than the multitude or store of riches that the wicked have Out of these words you may observe these following particulars 1. Here is the righteous mans portion and the wicked mans portion as to this world the righteous man hath but little the wicked has much 2. The righteous man hath but little but the wicked has riches 3. The righteous mans little is a better portion than the riches of the wicked 4. The righteous mans little is better than the multitude of riches that the wicked have 5. The righteous mans little is better than the multitude of riches that many wicked men enjoy Now for their sakes who have been burnt up and have but little of the world left them I shall make good this blessed truth by an induction of these eleven particulars First The righteous man hath a better tenure â—o this little than wicked men have to their multitude of riches The righteous man holds his Tenure by vertue of his marriage union with Christ who is the heir of all things We had an Heb. 1. 2. equal right in the first Adam to all the good things of this world but in his fall we lost our original right to the good things of this world But now the righteous man by the second Adam has recovered his right to all he enjoyes Rom 8. 32. How shall he not with him a so freely give us all things 1 Cor. 3. 21. All things are yours v. 22.
hand If there be so much pleasantness in a piece of bread and so much warmth in a course Suit of clothes what sweetness is there in the waters of life and what pleasantness is there in that bread of life that came down from Heaven and what warmth is there in that fine Linnen that is the righteousness of the Saints c. A righteous man looks upon his least temporals to be a strong engagement upon him to seek after eternals But now Matth 25. wicked men are so far from improving their much their riches their great riches that they either hide their Talents as that evil servant did his or else they prove Jaylors to their mercies and make them servants to their lusts as pride drunkenness uncleanness c. Compare these Scriptures together Job 21. 1 -10 Amos 6. 1 -7 Psalm 73. Hos 4. 7. Jer. 2. 31. Chap. 5. 7 8 9. Deut. 32. 13 14 15 16 17 18. James 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6. But Sixthly The few mercies the least mercies that the righteous man hath are pledges and pawns and an earnest of more mercies of better mercies and of greater mercies than any yet they do enjoy Now a farthing given as an earnest of a thousand a year is better than many pounds given as a present reward Wicked men have outward blessings as their portion their Heaven their all Son remember Psalm 17. 14. Luke 16. 25. that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things But now that little that a godly man hath he has it as a pledge of Heaven and as an earnest of eternal favours and mercies The little mercies the Saints enjoy are doors of hope to let in greater and better mercies those mercies a righteous man has are but in-lets to further mercies When Râ—â—â—el had a Son she called his name Joseph saying the Lord shall add to me another Son Every mercy that a righteous man enjoyes Gen. 30. 24. may well be called Joseph because 't is a certain pledge of some further and greater mercy that is to be added to those the righteous man already enjoyes But Seventhly The righteous man enjoyes his little with a great deal of comfort peace quiet and contentment the righteous man with his little sits Noah like quiet and still Phil. 4. 12 13. in the midst of all the hurries distractions combustions and confusions that be in the world Though the righteous Prov. 10. 22. Chap. 15. 16 17. man has but from hand to mouth yet seeing that God feeds him from Heaven as it were with Manna he is quiet and cheerful but now wicked men have abundance of vexation with their worldly abundance as you see in Haman Esther 5. 9 11 12. 13. Then went Haman forth that day joyfully and with a glad heart But when Haman saw Mordicai in the If I had an enemy saith Latâ—mer to whom I might lawfully wish evil I would chiefly wish him great store of riches for then he should never enjoy quiet Kings gate that he stood not up nor moved for him he was full of indignation against Mordicai And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my self and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordicai the Jew sitting at the Kings gate It is seldom seen that God allows unto the greatest darlings of the world a perfect contentment Something they must have to complain of that shall give an unsavoury verdure to their sweetest morsels and make their felicity miserable It was not simply Mordicais sitting at the Kings gate but Mordicais refusing to stand up or to move either Hat head or hand or to bow any part of his body that dampt all Hamans joy and that filled him with rage and vexation of spirit The want of little things viz. a knee a hat will exceedingly vex and discompose an ambitious spirit So Ahab though a King yet when he was sick for Naboths Vineyard his heart did more afflict and vex it self with greedy longing for that bit of 1 Kings 21. 4. â—arth than the vast and spacious compass of a Kingdom could counter-comfort And so Alexander the Great in the midst of all his glory he was exceedingly vexed and discontented because he could not make Ivy to grow in his Garden in â—hâ—raulus a â—oor man was wearied out with care in keeping those grâ—at â—iâ—hes which Cyrus had bestowed upon him Babylon Contentment is a flower that dos not grow in Natures Garden All the Honors riches pleasures profits and preferments of this world can't yield a man one dayes contentment they are all surrounded with briars and thorns you look upon my Crown and my Purple Robes said that great King Cyrus but did you but know how they were lined with Thorns you would never stoop to take them up Charles the Fifth Emperour of Germany whom of all men the world judged most happy cryed out at last with grief and detestation to all his honours pleasures trophies riches Abite hinc abite longe Get you hence let me hear no mâ—re of you Who can summ up the many grievances fears jealousies disgraces interruptions temptations and Oh how sweet is it to want â—hese bitter-sweets vexations that men meet with in their very pursuit after tâ—e things of this world Riches are compared to thorns and indeed all the comforts the wicked enjoy they have more or less of the thorn in them And indeed riches may well be called thorns because they pierce both head and heart the one with care of getting and the other with grief in parting with them The world and all the glory thereof is like a beautiful Harlot a Paradise to the eye but a Purgatory to the soul A wicked man under all his enjoyments 1. Enjoyes not the peace of his conscience upon any just or solid grounds 2. He enjoyes not the peace of contentment upon any sober or righteous grounds But now a righteous man with his little enjoyes both peace of conscience and peace of contentment and this makes every better sweet and every little sweet to be exceeding sweet A dish of green Hearbs with peace of conscience and peace of contentment is a noble feast a continual feast to a gracious soul But Eighthly the righteous man sees God and acknowledges God and enjoyes God in his little Look as he that can't Job 1. 21. Gen. 27. 28. Chap. 33. 10 11. see God in the least affliction in the least judgement will never be truly humbled so he that can't see God in the least mercy will never be truly thankful nor cheerful in every crust
This is spoken of the King of Babylon who though he had gathered to him all Nations and people yea and all their vast Treasures also Isa 10. 13. I have robbed their treasures ver 14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of his people and as one gathereth Eggs that are left have I gathered all the earth and there was none that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped And yet for all this was his desire enlarged as Hell and could not be satisfied The desires of worldlings are boundless and endless and there is no satisfying of them 'T is not all the Gold of Ophir or Peru nor all the Pearls or Mines of India 't is not Josephs Chains nor Davids Crowns nor Hamans Honours nor Daniels Dignities nor Dives his riches that can satisfie an immortal soul Tenthly The little that the righteous man hath is more stable durable and lasting than the riches of the wicked and therefore his little is better than their much his mite Job 5. 20 21 22. is better than their millions Psal 34. 9 10. O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Such as are separated from the worlds lusts can live with a little Such as set up God as the object of their fear have no cause to fear the want of any thing When David was a captive amongst the Philistins he wanted nothing Paul had nothing and yet 2 Cor. 6. 10. possessed all things A godly man may want many good things that he thinks to be good for him but he shall never Heb. 13 5 6. Prov. 10. 3 want any good thing that the Lord knows to be good for him We do not esteem of Tenure for life as we do of freehold because life is a most uncertain thâ—ng Ten pound a year for ever is better than a hundred in hand All the promises are Gods Bonds and a Christian may put them in suit when he will and hold God to his word and that not only for his spiritual and eternal life but also for his natural life his temporal life but so can't the wicked The temporal Prov. 10. 3. Psalm 37. 34 35 36. Jer. 17. 11. Job 20. 20. ult estate of the wicked is seldom long-liv'd as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together Alexander the Great Conqueror of the world caused to be painted on a Table a Sword in the compass of a Wheel shewing thereby that what he had gotten by the Sword was subject to be turned about the wheel of Providence There is no more hold to be had of riches honours or preferments than Saul had of Samuels lap They do but like the Rainbow shew themselves in all their dainty colours and then vanâ—sh away There are so many sins and so many crosses and so many curses that usually attend the riches of the wicked that 't is very rare to see their estates long-liv'd Hence their great estates are compared to the Chaffe which a puff of wind disperseth to the Grass which the scorching Sun quickly withers to the tops of Corn which are soon Job 24. 24. cut off and to the unripe Grape Job 15. 33. He shall shake off his unripe Grape as the Vine and shall cast off his flower as the Olive Every dayes experience confirms us in this truth But Eleventhly and lastly The little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of the wicked in respâ—ct of his last reckoning in respâ—ct of his last accounts God will never call his childrâ—n in the great dâ—y either to the book or to thâ— bâ—r for the mercies that he has given them be they few or be they many be they great or be they small Though the Mercer brings his Customer to the book for what he has and for what he wears yet he never brings his Child to the book for what he has and for what he wears Though the Vintner or Inn-keeper brings their guest to the barr for the provisions they have yet they never bring their children to the barr for the provisions they make for them In the great day the Lord will take an exâ—ct account of all the good Matth. 25. that his children have done for others but he will never bring them to an account for what he has done for them Christ in this great day will 1. Remember all the individual offices of love and friendship that hath been shewed to any of his members 2. He will mention many good things which his children did which they themselvâ—s never minded Verse 37. 3 The least and lowest acts of love and pity that have been shewed to Christs suffering servants shall be interpreted Verse 40. as a special kindness shewed to himself 4. The recompence that Christ will give to his people in Verse 44 46. that day shall be exceeding great Here is no calling of them to the book or to the barr for the merciâ—s that they were entrusted with But O the sad the great accounts that the wicked have to give up for all their Lands and Lordships for all their Honors Offices Dignities and Riches To whom Luke 12. 48. much is given much shall be required Christ in the great day will reckon with all the Grandees of the world for every thousand for every hundred for every pound yea for every penny that he has entrusted them with All Princes Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Luke 16. 2. Eccles 12. 14. Nobles and people that are not interested in the Lord Jesus shall be brought to the book to the barr in the great day to give an account of all they have received and done in the flesh But Christs darlings shall then be the only welcome guess Matth. 25. 34. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Before the world was founded the Saints were crowned in Gods eternal counsel Here is no mention made of the book or the Some of the more refined Heathen have had some kind of dread and fear in their spirits upon the consideration of a day of account as the writings of Plato and Tully c. do sufficiently evidence barr but of a Kingdom a Crown a Diadem Now by these eleven Arguments 't is most evident that the little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of the wicked the righteous mans mite is better than the wicked mans millions But The eighth Maxim that I shall lay down to put a stop to your too eager pursuit after the things of this world is this viz. That the life of man consists not in the enjoyment of these earthly things which he is so apt inordinately to affect Luke 12. 15. And he said unto
will certainly look upon them when he comes to die O with what a disdainful eye with what a contemptible eye with what a scornful eye and with what a weaned heart and cold affections do men look upon all the pomp state bravery and glory of the world when their soul sits upon their trembling lips and there is but a short step between them and eternity He that looks upon the world whilst he has it under his hand as he will assuredly look upon it when he is to take his leave of it he will 1. Never sin to get the world Nor 2. He will never grieve inordinately to part with the world Nor 3. He will never envy those who enjoy much of the world Nor 4. He will never dote upon the world he will never be enamoured with the world I have read of a man who lying in a burning Feaver profest that if he had all the world at his dispose he would give it all for one draught of Beer at so low a rate do men value the world at such a time as that is King Lysimachus lost his Kingdom for one draught of water to quench his thirst If men were but so wise to value the world at no higher a rate in health than they do in sickness in the day of life than they do at the hour of death they would never be fond of it they would never be so deeply in love with it Now O that these ten Maxims may be so blest to the Reader as to crucifie the world to him and him unto the world Gal. 6. 14. He gave good counsel who said O man if thou be wise let the world pass lest thou Austâ—n pass away with the world Fix thy heart on God let him be thy portion fix thy affâ—ctions upon Christ he is thy redemption on Heaven let that be thy Mansion O take â—hat counsel Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 John 2. 15. Mark he doth not say have not the world nor the things of the world but love not the world nor the things of the world nor he doth not say use not the world nor the things of the world but love not the world nor the things of the world nor he doth not say take no moderate care for the world nor the things of the world but love not the world nor the things of the world But to prevent all mistakes give me leave to premâ—se these three things First 'T is lawful to desire earthly things so far as they may be furtherances of us in our journey to Heaven As a As Mr. Tindal the Martyr said I desire these earthly things so far as they may be helps to the keeping of thy commandments passenger when he comes to a deep River desires a Boat but not for the Boats sake but that he may pass over the River for could he pass over the River without a Boat he would never cry out a Boat a Boat or as the Traveller desires his Inn not for the Inns sake but as it is a help a furtherance to him in his journey homewards or as the Patient desires Physick not for Physick sake but in order to his health So a Christian may lawfully desire earthly things in order to his glorifying of God and as they may be a help to him in his Christian course and a furtherance to him in his heavenly race Heb. 12. 1. But Secondly We may desire earthly things in subordination to the will of God Lord if it be thy pleasure give me this and that earthly comfort yet not my will but thy will be done Lord thou art the wise Physitian of bodies souls and Nations if it may stand with thy glory give thy sick Patient life health and strength yet not my will but thy will be done But Thirdly We may desire such a measure of earthly things and such a number of earthly things as may be suitable to the Prov. 30. 8 9. 1 Tim. 6. 8. place calling relation and condition wherein the Providence of God has set us As a Master Magistrate Prince Lord Gentleman c. A little of these earthly things and a few of these earthly things may be sufficient to the order place calling and condition of life wherein some men are placed but not sufficient for a King a Lord a Magistrate a General c. These must have their Counsellors their Guards variety of attendance and variety of the creatures c. A little portion of these earthly things is sufficient for some and a great and large portion of these earthly things is but sufficient for others Less may serve the Servant than the Mâ—ster the Child than the Father the Pesant than the Prince c. The too eager pursuit of most men after the things of this world to make up the losses that they sustained by the fire hath been the true cause why I have insisted so largely upon this ninth Duty that we are to learn by that fiery dispensation that hath past upon us The tenth Duty that lyes upon those who have been 10. burnt up is to be very importunate with God to take away those sins that have laid our City desolate and to keep off from sin for the time to come and to look narrowly to your spirits that you do not charge the Lord foolishly because he Mal. 2. 15. has brought you under his fiery rod. Job 1. 16. While he was yet speaking there came also another and said the fire of God is fallen from heaven and hath burnt up the sheep and the servants and consumed them and I only am escaped alone to tell thee v. 22. In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly The fire of God that is a great fierce and terrible fire that fell from Heaven and consumed Jobs sheep and servants was a more terrible Judgement than all the former Judgements that befell them because God seemed to fight against Job with his own bare hand by fire from Heaven as once he did against Sodom In all this Job sinned not that is in all this that Job suffered acted and uttered there was not any thing that was materially sinful Satan he said that if God would but touch all that he had Job would curse him to his face but when it came to the proof there was no such thing For Job had a fair and full victory over him and Satan was proved a loud lyar For Job sinned not in thought word or deed Job did neither speak nor do any thing that was dishonourable to God or a reproach to his Religion or a wound to his conscience under this fiery tryal Job did not so much as entertain one hard thought concerning God nor let fall one hard word concerning God under all the evils that befell Job Job still thinks well of God and speaks well of God and carries it well towards God Certainly Job had a great deal of God within him
which kept him from sinning under such great and grievous sufferings O Sirs it is a far greater mercy to be kept from sinnings under our sufferings than it is to be delivered from the greatest sufferings Jobs heart was so well seasoned with Grace that he would admit of no insolent or unfavoury thoughts of God or of his severest Providences In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly or with folly Some refer the former part of this Verse to the mind and the latter to the mouth shewing that Job though he had lost all neither thought in his heart nor uttered with his mouth any thing unmeet and unworthy of God The meek humble patient and gracious bâ—haviour of Job under all his sore losses and crosses is here owned renowned crowned and chronicled by God himself O Sirs sinning is worse than suffering it is better to see a people bleeding than blaspheming burning than cursing for by mens sins God is dishonoured but by their sufferings God is glorified O that the Christian Reader would seriously consider of these twelve things 1. That there is nothing that the great God hates Prov. 6. 16 17. Jer. 49. 4. Rom. 1. 18. Heb. 6. 6. Ephes 4 30. Matth. 26. ult Psal 30. 6 7. Isa 49. 1 2. Mal. 2. 2. Jer. 4. 18. but sin 2. That there is nothing that he has revealed his wrath from Heaven against but sin 3. That there is nothing that crucifies the Lord of Glory a fresh but sin 4. That there is nothing that grieves the Spirit of Grace but sin 5. That there is nothing that wounds the conscience but sin 6. That there is nothing that clouds the face of God but sin 7. That there is nothing that hinders the return of prayer but sin 8. That there is nothing that interrupts our communion with God but sin 9. That there is nothing that imbitters our mercies but sin 10. That there is nothing that puts a sting into all our troubles and tryals but sin 11. That there is nothing that renders us unserviceable in our places stations and conditions but sin 12. That there is nothing that makes Death the King of terrors and the terror of Kings to be so formidable and terrible to the Sons of men as sin And therefore under all your sorrows and sufferings crosses and losses make it your great business to arm your selves against sin and to pray against sin and to watch against sin and to turn from sin 2 Chron. 7. 14. Isa 16 17. Chap. 55. 7. Hos 14. 8. Isa 30. 22. and to cease from sin and to get rid of sin and to stand for ever in defiance of sin Assuredly every gracious heart had rather be rid of his sins than of his sufferings Job 7. 21. And why dost thou not take away mine iniquity or lift up as the Hebrew runs to note that though Job had many loads many burthens upon him yet none lay so heavy upon him as his sin Hos 14. 2. Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously 'T is not take away our captivity and receive us graciously but take away our iniquity and receive us graciously nor it is not take away this or that particular iniquity and receive us graciously but take away all iniquity and receive us graciously take away stain and sting crime and curse power and punishment that we may never hear more of it nor never feel more of it nor never be troubled any more with it Though their bondage was great very Dan. 9. 11 12 13. great yea greater than any people under Heaven were exercised with yet their sins were a more unsupportable burden to their spirits than their bondage was And therefore they cry out Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously And this was the usual method of David when he was under sore troubles and tryals he was more importunate with See Psal 79. 1 5 8. Psal 25. 7. Psal 32. 4 5. Psal 38. 3 4. God to be purged and pardoned than he was to be cased under his troubles or delivered from his troubles Psal 51. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin verse 7. Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow ver 9. Hide thy face from my sinâ— and blot out all mine iniquities ver 14. Deliver me from blood guiltiness O God When Pharaoh was under the Exod. 10. hand of the Lord he was all for removing of the Plagues the Frogs the Locusts c. But when David was under the hand of the Lord he was all for the removing of his sins and for the cleansing purging and washing away of his sins O that all the burnt Citizens of London would be more earnest and importunate with God to pardon and purge and take away all those iniquities that have brought the fiery rod upon them than they are studious and industrious to have their credits repaired their houses rebuilded their Trades restored and all their losses made up to them O that they might all be driven by what they have selt seriously to consider what they have done No man saith what have I done O that they would all blame themselves more and their sins more and to turn to him who has so sorely Jer. 8. 6. Hos 6. 1 2 3. Isa 56. 6. Ezek. 36. 33 37. smitten them and lay hold on his strength and make peace with him that so he may yet build up their waste places and make up their breaches and repair their losses and never turn away from doing of them good Jer. 32. 41 42 43 44. But The eleventh Duty that they are to learn that have been burnt up is to prepare and fit for greater troubles and tryals The anger of the Lord is not yet turned away but his hand is stretched out still The Nations are angry the Isa 9. 12. Rev. 11. 18. face of the times seem sorely to threaten us with greater troubles than any yet we have encountered with Ah London London Ah England England the Clouds that hang over thee seem every day to be blacker and blacker and thicker and thicker thou hast suffered much and thou hast cause to fear that thou mayest suffer more thou hast been brought low yea thou art this day brought very low in the eyes of the Nations round about thee and yet thou mayest be Deut. 28. 43. 2 Chron. 28. 18 19. Deut. 32. 36. brought lower before the day of thy exaltation comes When God intends to raise a person a City a Nation high very high he then usually brings them low very low and wheâ— Psal 79. 8. Psal 135. 23. Psal 142. 6. Isa 26. 10 11. Jer. 8. 6. they are at lowest then the day of their exaltation is nearest 'T is commonly darkest a little before break of day Thâ— hand of the Lord has been lifted up high yea very high over us and against us but who repents who
Son nor thy Daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant nor thy cattel nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Jer. 17. 22. Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath Day neither do ye any work but hallow ye the Sabbath Day as I commanded your fathers Isa 58. 13. 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 wayes nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking of thine own words Here are three things distinctly observable in the words 1. Words 2. Works 3. Pleasure Not doing thine own wayes that is works not speaking thine own words not finding thine own pleasure Now mark we have stronger reasons to engage us to a stricter observation and sanctification of the Lords Day than they had for their Sabbath which may be thus evinced Not to speak of their double Sacrifices upon their Sâ—bbath Numb 28. 9 10. which as some think might typifie our double devotion on the Lords Day nor yet to speak of those six Lambs whereby others conjecture was fore-prophesied the abundant services in the time of the Gospel Ezek. 46. 1 -5 First Our Motives are far greater and more efficacious For First Our day hath many priviledges above theirs witness the honourable Tâ—tles given to it by holy and learned men As the Queen of dayes Princess Principal Primate a Royal day higher than the highest the first fruits of the days yea saith Hierom The Lords Day is better than any other common day than all Festivals New-moons and Sabbaths of Moses By these Titles 't is evident that the Ancients had the Lords Day in very hâ—gh esteem and veneration Sirs look what Gold is among inferiour Mettals and what among other Grain c. the same is the Lords Day above all other dayes of the week Secondly Their Sabbath was celebrated for the memorial of the Creation ours for the great work of Redemption But Thirdly Theirs was celebrated for their deliverance out of Aegypt ours for our deliverance from Hell Now if the Jews were bound and that for a whole day not to do their own works nor speak their own words nor find their own pleasure how much more solemnity belongs to our Lords Day O what a day is the Lords Day and how solemnly and devoutly ought it to be observed and sanctified But Sâ—condly We have greater means and helps for the sanctification of the Sabbath than the Jews had for a long time or than the Primitive Christians had for three hundred years Mark the holy observation of the Sabbath among them came in by degrees long after the day was settled and the reason was this because for a good while they had no word written to be read nor no Synagogues built to read it in It was well nigh a thousand years or above a thousand years after the giving of the Law before the reading of the Law in Synagogues came up For a long time they had no Books among them but the five Books of Moses and those Books neither were not well understood by the common people And it is further observable that the children of Israel being in Aegypt under sore pressures afflictions and cruel bondage c. neither did nor could keep the Sabbath in any solemn manner not being permitted either to rest or enjoy any solemn assemblies And when they were in their wilderness condition they had many stations diversions and incursions of enemies so that they could not keep the Sabbath in any solemn publick manner as afterwards they did when they were setled in peace and safety in the Land of Canaan And so the Primitive Christians for three hundred years liveing undâ—r very great and violent Persecutions they neither did nor could keep the Lords Day with that solemnity that they should or would but as for place they met not openly but secretly in Woods and Desarts and Holes and Caves and Dens of the earth and so for time sometimes they met in the day and often they met in the night But as for us who have lived and do live in these dayes of the Son of man what rare means and helps what abundance of means and helps what choice and precious means and helps have we had and still have in spite of all oppositions from high or low to enable us to sanctifie the Sabbath And O that all the means and helps that we yet enjoy may be signally blest to that purpose But Thirdly The Heathens by the very light of nature held it but reasonable that the dayes consecrated to their Gods should totally be observed with rest and sanctity the Flamins which were their Priests affirmed that the Holy-dayes were polluted if any work were done upon the solemn dayes besides it was not lawful for the King of the Sacrifices Macrobâ—us l. 1. c. 16. and the Flamins their Priests to see a work done on the holy dayes and therefore by a Cryer it was proclaimed that no such things should be done and he that neglected the Precept was fined and besides the fine he which did ought unawares on such dayes was to offer Sacrifices for expiation And Scaevòla the High Priest affirmed that the wilful offendor could have no expiation Now shall Heathens be so strict in the observation of their holy dayes and shall not Christians be as strict in their observation of the Lords Day These Heathens will one day rise in judgement against the slight observers and the gross prophaners of the Lords Day But Secondly We must sanctifie the Sabbath by preparing ouâ— selves before hand for that day and all the duties of that day Eccles 5. 1 2. Hence it is that God hath fixt a Memorandum upon this Command more than he hath upon any other Command Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Sabbath dayes are our Market-dayes Now men that are worldly wise they consider before hand what to buy and what to sell The Husband-man dungs dresses plowes harrows and all to prepare it for seed I will saith holy David Psalm 26. 6. wash my hands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. Signifying that to holy performances there ought to be holy preparations When the Temple was to be built the Stones were hewen and the Timber squared and fitted before they were brought to the place where the Temple stood The Application is easie First The Jews had their preparations Mark 15. 42. And now when the Even was come because it was the preparation that is the day before the Sabbath c. Their preparation began at three a clock in the after-noon which the Hebrews called the Sabbath Eve The Jews as I have read were so careful in their preparation for the Sabbath that to further it the best and wealthiest of them even those that had many servants and were Masters of Families would chop
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
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
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
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
ye shall certainly drink ver 29. For lo I begin to bring evil on the City which is called by my name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not be unpunished I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth saith the Lord of Hosts When Jerusalem hath drunk of the cup if God be God the Nations round shall certainly drink of it God hath begun with London poor London hath drunk deeply of the cup of Gods fury and therefore let the Nations round repent or prepare to drink of Londons cup. Most of those sins that bring the fiery Rod if not all are to be found in all the great Cities of the world And therefore let all the great Cities in France Spain Italy Germany Holland England Ireland Scotland c. take warning by Londons desolation and prepare to meet the Lord in the way of his fury let them cease from doing evil and learn to do well let them repent in dust and ashes lest they are laid in dust and ashes Let them break off their sins lest God throws down their walls and habitations by furious and devouring flames Let all those whose habitations are still standing remember that the same sins the same wrath and the same malicious hands that has laid so many thousand habitations desolate can lay theirs also desolate except they reform and turn to the Most High Fifthly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy to shew much love bowels pity Gen. 18. Psal 102. 13. 2 Cor. 11. 29. and compassion to those who are burnt up and turned out of all who are houseless harbourless and pennyless this day God takes it well at our hands when we pity those whom he thinks meet to punish One of Gods great ends in punishing of some is to stir up pity and compassion in others towards them It should melt your hearts to see other mens substances melted in the flames God hath threatned an Obad. 12. 13. evil an only evil without the least mixture of mercy to such as shew no mercy to those in misery Whoever have James 2. 13. behâ—ld London in its former prosperity and glory that cannot lament to see London laid desolate The ashes of London seems to cry out have pity upon me O my friends They that Jâ—b 6. 14. will not lament upon the burnt Citizens as the greatest objects of their pity may one day be ingulfed under the greatest misery He was a Nâ—bal a sapless fellow who shut up all bowels of pity against David in his misery They were cursed â— Sam. 25. 10 â—â— â—salm 137. 6 7 8. Edomites who did behold the râ—iâ—e of Zion and noâ— mourn over it Let all burnt Citizens remember that usually God pities them most whom men pities least but burnt Citizens are not to be mocked or menaâ—ed but mourned over Sixthly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy to lift up a prayer for all those as are fallen under this heavy judgement of fire When Numb 11. 1 2 3. 2 Kings 19. 4. you are in the Mount be sure you bear the sad condition of the burnt Citizâ—ns upon your hearts Nehem. 1. 3. And they said unto me the remnant that are left of the captivity there in the Province are in great affliction and reproach the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burnt with fire Well what doth Nehemiab do Answ He lifts up a prayer for them verse 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. O Sirs your prayers must not be penâ— or confined to your own private interests but extended to the benefit of all Gods suffering servants Philo the Jew discoursing of Aarons Ephod which he put on when he went to pray saith it was a representation of the whole world having in it all colours to represent the condition of all states of all people whatsoever 'T is brave when we are in the Mount to bear the conditions of others upon our hearts as well as our own especially theirs whom the hand of the Lord hath severely reacht The best of men Rom. 1. 9. 2 Tim. 1. 3. have been much in prayer for others witness Moses David Job Jeremiah Daniel Paul And it is very observable that our Lord Jesus Christ who is our great pattern was very much in this noble work for you shall find in John 17. that he puts up but one petition for himself in verse 1. which petition is repeated again in verse 5. And all the rest of his time he spent in praying both for the converted and unconverted Now shall our Lord Jesus Christ put up many requests for others and but one for himself and shall we put up all our requests for our selves and not one for others Among the Persians he that offered Sacrifice prayed for all Herodot lib. 1. his Countrey men These Persians will one day rise in Judgement against many who are called Christians and yet make no conscience of lifting up a prayer for those that are under the afflicting hand of God He that prayeth for himself and not for others is fiâ—ly compared by some to an Hedge-hogg who laps himself within his own soft down and turns his Brissels to all the world besides The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of prayer hath been shut up Oh that we had not cause to fear that since the burning of London the door of prayer both for our selves and one another hath bâ—en too much shut amongst us O that all you whose habitations are standing would seriously consider 1. That none need prayer more than the burnt Citizens 2. You do not know how soon their case may be yours the same hand or hands that hath made them desolate may make you desolate also 3. Else what do you more than others Matth. 5. 47. 4. To pity and pray for those that are in misery is honourable and commendable 5. 'T is one of the most compendious wayes in the world to prevent all those calamities and miseries that now you fear and that you think you shall shortly feel 6. To lift up a prayer for those whose sufferings have been sore is no costly nor chargeable duty and therefore buckle to it But Seventhly It highly concerns you whose houses are standing monuments of Gods mercy seriously to consider that some mens escaping of very great Judgements is not properly a preservation but a reservation to some greater destruction witness those Kings who escaped the edge of the Gen. 14. and Chap. 19. compared Exod. 14. 28. 1 Kings 19. Sword and were afterwards destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven and witness Pharaoh who escaped all the ten plagues of Egypt in order to his being buried with his Host in the red Sea And witness Sennacherib who escaped the Sword of the destroying Angel in order to his falling by the swords of his own Sons Upon what discontentment
his Sons rose up to slay him is uncertain Some say it was because he preferred their younger Brother Esharhaddon to Castalâ—oâ— the Kingdom who was the last of the Assyrian Monarchs for after him the Monarchie was translated from the Assyrians to the Babylonians R. Solomon as Lyra cites him saith Lyâ—a If Tobâ—t may be credited he lived not fifty five days after his return to Nâ—neveh Tob. 2. 24 that the great men of the Countrey having lost each one his Son Brother or friend in that expedition against Jerusalem were so provoked that they meant to destroy him which he hearing fled to the Idols Temple and prayed and vowed that if his God would deliver him from this danger he would give these two Sons for Sacrifice to him then they hearing of this came and slew him there I shall leave you to your choice whether you will give credit to this relation or look upon it as a Rabinical invention In this Judgement that fell upon Sennacherib there are these things remarkable 1. That he should see so great and well prepared an Army Isa 37. 36. The mighty Monarchs of Assy ia used to go forth to war with 500000. and sometimes with 1000000. men and therefore this slaughter may well be understood of the Grandees of his Army Wherefore Joseâ—hus saith he fled with his Army so suddenly destroyed 2. That the storm should mainly fall upon the great ones of his Army 2 Chron. 32. 22. And the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria From whence we may easily gather that some of the weaker sort some of the refuse of the Army were spared the prime men and great Officers of his Army being only smitten Upon which account the King and his ragged Regiments became contemptible 3. That he should be forced to fly into his own Countrey with shame and contempt his General and great Officers being destroyed he had no heart to keep the field having none to order the Battel and the dread and terror of the Lord and his Judgements abiding upon him and his Army he provides for his own safety by fleeing home with his routed scattered troops 4. That himself should be slain and that in the Temple of his Idol and in the very act of his Idolatry and that by his own Sons that came out of his own bowels as the Holy Ghost observes 2 Chron. 32. 21. And when he was come into the house of his God they that came forth of his own Bowels slew him there with the sword Certainly this was a far greater Judgement than if he had fallen by the sword of the dâ—stâ—oying Angel And witness those very persons who escaped Pestilence but were not burnt in the very flames as well as their houses and estates O Sirs though you have escaped the burning flames yet you do not know what other Judgements you may be reserved to and therefore be not secure but be wakeful and watchful and provide for the worst Unexpected Judgements many times seise upon persons and slay them as the Souldier slew Archimedes whilst â—e was basie in drawing lines in the dust Take heed of saying surely the worst is past Eighthly and lastly Do not rejoyce in the fiery calamity that hath past upon others do not glory in your neighbours ruines The Fire-flye leaps and dances in the fire Prov. 24. 17 18. Seriously ponder upon Chap. 25. and Chap. 35. of Ezekiâ—l and Lam. 1. 21. 2 Sam. 16 17 25. and Lam. 3. 14 45. and so do many wicked men rejoyce in the sufferings of others Such as rejoyce in the sufferings of others are sick of the Devils disease but from that disease the Lord deliver all your souls 'T is sad to insult over those whom God hath humbled 't is high wickedness to triumph over those to whom God hath given a cup of astonishment to drink Such as make the desolations of their neighbours to be the matter either of their secret repast or open exultation Such may fear that the very dregs of divine wrath is reserved for them 'T is bad playing upon the Harp because others have been put to hang their Harps upon the Willows We must not pray with him in the Tragoedie that it may rain calamities nor with Clemens his Gnostick give me calamities that I may glory in them There cannot be a greater evidence of a wicked heart than for a man to be merry because others are in misery So without repentance such may one day dance in infernal flames who have sung and danced at the remembrance of Londons flames Prov. 17. 5. He that is glad at calamities that is at the calamities of others shall not be unpunished If God be God such as congratulate our miseries instead of condoling them shall be sure to be punished with the worst of punishments for such do not only sin against the Law of Grace but also against the very Law of Nature the Law of Nature teaching men to sympathize with those that are in misery and not to rejoyce over them because of their miseries O Sirs do not make others mourning your musick do not make others tears your wine as you would not be made drunk at last with the wine of astonishment FINIS These Books following are to be sold by Nathaniel Ponder at the Peacock in Chancery-Lane Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews also concerning the MESSIAH WHerein the Promises concerning him to be a Spiritual Redeemer of Mankind are Explained and Vindicated His Coming and Accomplishment of his Work according to the Promises is proved and confirmed The Person or who he is is declared The whole Oeconomy of the Mosaical Law Rites Worship and Sacrifices is explained And in all the Doctrine of the Person Office and Work of the Messiah is opened The nature and demerit of the first sin is unfolded The Opinions and Traditions of the Antient and Modern Jews are examined Their Objections against the Lord Christ and the Gospel are answered The time of the coming of the Messiah is stated And the great fundamental Truths of the Gospel vindicated With an Exposition and Discourses on the Two First Chapters of the said Epistle to the Hebrews By J. Owen D. D. in Folio Times of the Bible Veyled in Cubits Shekels Talents Furlongs Chapters Verses Letters of the Scripture With the Dayes Hours Watches Weeks and Moneths of the Jewish Year By J. S. in Quarto A Practical Exposition on the 130th Psalm Wherein the Nature of the Forgiveness of Sin is declared the truth and reality of it asserted And the Case of a Soul distressed with the Guilt of Sin and relieved by a discovery of Forgiveness with God is at large discoursed By John Owen D. D. John 5. 39. Search the Scriptures in Quarto Books Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock at his Shop over against Gresham Colledge in Bishopsgate-street next