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
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
ashamed to walk the streets who have once carried it with a very high hand Ah London London were there none within nor without Hos 12. 7. Amos 8. 5. Deut. 25. 13. thy Walls that had the ballance of deceit in their hands and that loved to oppress falsifying the ballances by deceit and that had in their bags divers weights that did sell by one measure and buy by another that had wicked ballances Micha 6. 11. and the bag of deceitful weights in their hands their Houses their Shops their Ware-houses Well suppose there were many such within and without the Walls of London what of that why then I would say First Such run counter-cross to divine Commands Levit. 19. 35 36. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment in metâ—yard in weight or in measure Just ballances just weights a Levit. 19. 13. Mark 10. 19. 1 Cor. 7. 5. just Ephah and a just hin shall ye have Ezek. 45. 10. Ye shall have just ballances and a just Ephah and a just bath Deut. 25. 13 14 15. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a small But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be lengthned in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee We have a common Saying Weight and measure is Heavens treasure But Secondly Such persons and such practices are an abomination to the Lord Deut. 25. 16. For all that do such things and all that do unrighteousness are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Prov. 11. 1. A false ballance is abomination to the Lord. Prov. 20. 10. Divers weights and divers measures both of them are alike abomination to the Lord and a false ballance is not good Now mark the very weights and measures are an abomination to the Lord how much more the men that make use of them But Thirdly Such act counter-cross to Gods delight Prov. 11. 1. A just weight is his delight Prov. 16. 11. A just weight and ballance are the Lords They are commanded by the Lord and commended by the Lord and they are the delight of the Lord. But Fourthly Such act counter-cross to his Nature which is holy just and righteous and to all his administrations Ezek. 18. and Chap. 33. 17. 20. 29. which are full of righteousness justice and equity But Fifthly Such act counter-cross to the very Light and Law of Nature by not dealing by others as they wouâ—d have Math. 7. 12. others deal by them They are the very botches of the Land and enemies to all Civil Society But Sixthly Such stir up the anger and indignation of God against themselves Ezek. 22. 13. Behold therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made or at thy covetousness as some render the Hebrew word or at thy money gotten by fraud and force and over-reaching and cheating of others as others render it God is here said to smite his hands at their dishonest gain to note the greatness of his anger wrath and indignation against them and his readiness and resolvedness to take vengeance on them by animating iâ—stigating encouraging and stirring up the Chaldeans to destroy their persons by the Sword and to consume their riches and houses by fire Chap 21. 17. God has no hand to smite but this is spoken after the manner of men who oftentimes express the greatness of their wrath and rage by smiting their hands one against another God to shew the greatness of his spleen and rage in a holy sense against them for their dishonest gain expresses it by the smiting of his hands 1 Thes 4. 6. That no man go beyond or defrand his brother in any matter because thâ—t the Lord is the avenger of all such first or last vengeance will reach them who make it their business their trade to ovâ—r-reach others But Seventhly Such act counter-cross to the Examples of the most eminent Saintâ— To the Example of Moses Numb 16. 15 I have not takâ—n an ass from them neither have I hurt one of them Of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 3 4 5. Of Zacharias and Elizabeth Luke 1. 5 6. Of Paul Acts 24 16. yea to the Examples of all the Apostles Judas excepted 2 Cor. 1. 12. Chap. 7. 2. Receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man But Eighthly and lastly Such act counter-cross to their own everlasting happiness and blessedness 1 Cor. 6. 8 9. Nay you do wrong and defraud and that your brethren Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Unrighteous persons may hear much of Heaven and talk much of Heaven and set their faces towards Heaven but they shall never inherit the Kingdom of Heaven God himself has lockt fast the gate of blessedness against the unrighteous and therefore all the world shall never be able to open it Heaven would be no Heaven but a Hell if the unrighteous should inhabit there To sum up all If such persons run counter-cross to Gods commands if their persons and practices are an abomination to the Lord if they act counter-cross to Gods delight and to his Nature yea to the very Light and Law of Nature to the best Examples and to their own happiness and blessedness is it any wonder then to see divine Justice set such mens houses on fire about their ears and to see the flames consume such Estates as were got either by fraud or force by craft or cruelty c. Now the gaining of the things of this world by hook oâ— by crook or by such wicked courses and cursed practices thaâ— we have been discoursing on I cannot charge upon the peoplâ— of God that did truly fear him whose habitations were oâ—ce within or without the Walls of London because such practices would neither stand with Grace nor with the Honour of God nor with the Credit of Religion nor with the Law of God nor with the Law of Nature nor with the Peace of a Saints Soul Besides 't is very observable to me that those that have the ballances of deceit in their hand are called Caananites in that 12. of Hos 7. He is a merchant thâ— ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress Heâ— He is Canaan that is a meer natural man that hath no common honesty in him a money-merchant one that cares noâ— how he comes by it so he may have it one that counts all good fish that comes to his net though it be through cunning contrivances or violent practices But Fourthly Desperate incorrigibleness and unreformedness under wasting and destroying Judgments brings the desolating Judgment of Fire upon a people Isa 42. 24 25. Who Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Turn to that Jer. 30. 23 24. gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned For they would not walk in his ways neither
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
Satan and Antichrist the weakning of whose Kingdom is the glory safety and security of the Land 5. For the turning away of wrath either felt or feared 6. For the bringing down of the greatest weightiest and noblest of James 5. 16 17 18. temporal favours and blessings upon Cities and Countries as might be proved from scores of Scripture And therefore The first on the 24. of August and the other on the 2. of September never marvel if God revenges the abuses done to them in flames of fire It was on a Sabbath that the publick liberty of the painful faithful Ministers of London was terminated and came to an end and it was on a Sabbath that London was burnt Thirteenthly Shedding of the blood of the Just is a crying sin that brings the Judgment of Fire and lays all desolate Ezek. 35. 4 5. 7. I will lay thy cities waste and thou See Ezek. 21. 28. 31 32. And Chap. 25. 3 4 5. shalt be desolate and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred or hatred of old and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity in the time that their iniquity had an end Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth Vers 10. Because thou hast said these two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possessit whereas the Lord was there Vers 11. Therefore as I live saith the Lord God I will even do according â—o thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them and I will make my self known among them when I have judged thee Vers 12. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel saying They are laid desolate they are given us to consume or devour Vers 13. Thus with your mouth you have boasted against me and have multiplied your words against me I have heard them Vers 14. Thus saith the Lord God when the whole earth rejoyceth I will make thee desolate Vers 15. As thou didst rejoyce at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate so will I do unto thee Thou shalt be desolate O mount Seir and all Idumea even all of it and they shall know that I am the Lord. The Edomites were deadly enemies to the Israelites their hatred was old and strong and active against them and they took hold on all occasions wherein they might express their rage and cruelty against them both in words and works And therefore Psal 137. 7. when the Babylonians took Jerusalem they cryed Rase it Rase it even to the foundation thereof When the Babylonians entred Jerusalem many of the Jews fled to the Edomites for succour they being their brethren but instead of sheltring them they cruelly destroyed them and greatly insulted over them and were glad of all opportunities wherin they might vent all their rage and malice against them that so they might the better ingratiate themselves with the Babylonians Now for these cruel practices and barbarous severities of theirs towards the poor afflicted and distressed Israel of God God is resolved to bring utter desolation upon them Vers 3. Thus saith the Lord God Behold O mount Seir I am against thee and I will stretch out my hand against thee and I will make thee most desolate Or as the Hebrew is Shemamah Vmeshammah desolation and desolation Now this doubling of the Hebrew word shews the certainty of their desolation the speediness of their desolation and the greatness and throughness of their desolation Jer. 26. 14 15. See vers 8 9. 11. As for me behold I am in your hand do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you But know ye for certain that if you put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this city and upon the inhabitants thereof That was good counsel which Tertullian gave Scapula a Pagan Persecutor God will surely make Inquisition for our blood therefore saith he if thou wilt not spare us yet spare thy self if not thy self yet spare thy Country which must be responsible when God comes to visit for blood So Lam. 4. 11. 12 13. The Lord hath accomplished his fury he hath poured out his fierce anger and hath kindled a fire in Zion and it hath devoured the foundations thereof The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Jerusalem For the sins of her Prophets and the iniquities of her Priests that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her The Prophets and the Priests enraged the people against them and ingaged the Civil Power against the just and the innocent to the shedding of their blood But this innocent blood could not be purged away but by fire To shed the blood of the Just is a most crying sin and that for which God has turned the most glorious Cities in the World into ashes Jerom upon the Text saith that the Prophets and Priests shed the blood of the Just in the midst of Jerusalem by drawing them into errour which is to the destruction of the Soul But Calvin upon the Text well observes this cannot stand because just men are not so destroyed but the wâ—cked only that take no heed to their false teaching Therefore saith he the true Prophets of God are meant by the just for whom they had Prisons Dungeons and Stocks to put them into and sometimes stoning or otherwise tumults which they stirred up among the people whereby their blood was shed Rome has much of the blood of the Saints upon her skirts and for this very sin she shall be utterly burnt with fire as you may see at large if you will please to read the 18. Chapter Rev. 16. 6. Rev. 17. 6. Rev. 19 2. Rev. 18. 24. of the Revelations at your leisure Though Rome was a Cage of unclean Birds and full of all manner of abominations yet the sin that shall at last burn her to ashâ—s is the blood of the Saints mark though the people of God are in Babylon and may partake of her Plagues and fall under the fiery Dispensation with her it is not the sins of the Saints but the sins of Babylon that bring the Judgment of Fire upon Babylon Mark the people of God may live in a City that may be burnt to ashes and yet their sins may not be the procuring causes of that Judgment Lot lived in Sodom and Gen. 19. had his failings and infirmities as well as other Saints but it was not his sins that brought the Judgment of Fire upon that City but the sins of the Citizens as the Scripture assures us But
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