the God of Heaven by their sins but they were wounded and in the end destroyed sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death and wrath and misery for ever O then lay hold on Gods strength and make peace with him run to him take hold of the Scepter of grace and reconciliation which is held forth unto you take hold of his arm and plead with him for mercy take hold of his Son who is offered to you who is set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins which are past through the forbearance of God Rom. 3. 25. as yet God hath forborn you as yet you are on this side of the Grave and Hell and there is a possibility of turning away Gods anger which is kindled against you of flying from that wrath which is pursuing of you of escaping those miseries which are preparing for you and therefore lay hold on Christ who is freely tendered unto you who is able and willing to save you and make your peace with the Father and to procure a pardon for you and further to move you you are not only offered peace and reconciliation but you are entreated to be reconciled Ministers entreat you yea God himself and Jesus Christ by us doth entreat and pray and beseech you that you would accept of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 20. Be astonished O ye Heavens and wonder Oye Angels Be astonished much more ye Sinners and be rapt up with admiration O ye Rebels the King of glory against whom you have rebelled and who could crush you so easily without any injury to himself is not only willing to lay aside his anger but also entreats you to accept of reconciliation heartily embrace Jesus Christ upon his own terms and the work will be done otherwise the fury of the Lord will be so much the more provoked and the Fire of his anger will break forth into such a flame as none shall be able to quench otherwise the Lord will be so much the more enraged against you and meet you like a roaring and devouring Lyon or like a Bear bereaved of her Whelps and rent the Caul of your heart yea tear you in pieces when there shall be none to deliver Hos. 13. 7 8. Psal. 50. 22. 9. God doth expect that London should turn from her evil wayes 2 Chron. 7. 14. The Lord maketh a sweet promise under the dreadfull Judgements of Famine or Pestilence which sometimes he sendeth upon his people for their sins If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their Land God doth not only expect that Londoners should now acknowledge their sins and humble themselves and mourn for their sins but also that they should turn from them otherwise pardon and healing and his favour is not to be obtained neither are further Judgements likely to be prevented they must confess and forsake their sins if they would find mercy Prov. 28. 13. the wicked must forsake their way of sin and turn unto the Lord and then he will have mercy and abundantly pardon Isa. 55. 7. God threatneth to go on to punish such as go on to transgress Psal. 68. 21. He will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such as go on still in their trespasses Break off then your sins by repentance and cast away all your transgressions from you put away the evil of your doings from before the holy and jealous eyes of God cease to do evil cleanse your hands you sinners and purifie your hearts ye wickedly-minded wash your selves in the fountain of Christs blood set open to you that you may be cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and be partakers of holiness and the divine nature Deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts abstain from flesh-pleasing sins which war against the soulâ—â— and be not conformed to the wicked custâ—â—es of wicked men neither follow this ungodly generation to do evil much less run with them to the same excess of riot but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds and live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil world and let the time past of your lives be sufficient wherein you have wrought the will of the flesh and served divers lusts and cast a blot upon the profession of Christianity now be blameless and harmless and unrebukeable in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation cast off the works of darkness lay aside your night-vail of ignorance put on the robes of light walk honestly as in the day shining as lights where you live forbear all works of darkness and sin and as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation Sinners turn from your evil wayes otherwise iniquity will be your ruine 1. Drunkards turn from your evil wayes overcharge not your selves with excess where God allows you enough for use Look not upon the Wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the Cup when it sparkleth and moveth it self aright At last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder Prov. 23. 31 32. wounds and woe are the issue of excessive drinking v. 29. this sin may be sweet and pleasing to the eye and appetite in the temptation but it will wound and sting the conscience worse than an Adder or Serpent can do the body in the reflection God hath put bitterness into the Cup by his Judgements and will you drink as deep as before are you resolved to taste the â—reggs that lye at bottome the Cup hath poison in it soul-poison and will you drink of it still though you murder and destroy your souls for ever by this sin the Cup hath wrath in it the wrath of an angry God and is it good for you to drink off the Wine of Gods wrath Drunkenness hath been your sin and if you go on God threatneth that Drunkenness shall be your punishment Jer. 15. 12. Speak unto them this word thus saith the Lord every bottle shall be filled with Wine Drunkards like this very well they are very well pleased that their bottles shall be filled with Wine that they may empty them but understand the meaning v. 13 14. Thus saith the Lord I will fill all the inhabitants of the Land with Drunkenness and I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sans together I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Drunkards you reel and fall sometimes with your sin God will make you reel and fall by his Judgements and dash you one upon another yea dash you in pieces and destroy you without pity or mercy Will you not forbear your Cups and excesses God will put a Cup of trembling and astonishment into your hand he will put Gall and Wormwood into your Cup and make you taste the bitter effects of this sin
offended with Hypocrites what good will a Form do you without the Power of godliness what good will showes do you without sincere and substantial service what benefit will you get by counterfeit Graces if your Graces be not reall if your Repentance and Faith and Love and the like be feigned how uneffectual will they be to procure pardon and peace and salvation are you content to lose all your Bodily Exercise and to have all your heartless lifeless Duties rise up one day in Judgement against you What advantage will you get by a bare Profession of Religion especially in such times when profession if it be strict is discountenanced and Professors if their Lamp shine with any brightness and they carry any great sail expose themselves to danger And if you have not Sincerity which alone can yield you the true and sweet fruits of Religion you are like to lose all and of all others to make your selves most miserable you may suffer from Men because you have a Profession and you will suffer from God because you have no more than a Profession What then should you cast off your Profession No so you would turn Apostates and may fall into the sin against the Holy Ghost which will bring upon you inevitable Damnation but lay aside your hypocrisie and become sincere be that in truth which you are in show labour for sincerity in regard of your State and labour for sincerity in regard of your Duties Sinners God calls upon all of you to turn from your evil wayes by his thundering Voice Turn presently let the time past be sufficient wherein you have fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the minde go not a step forward in the way of sin least you meet with destruction suddenly and perish without remedy Turn universally say not of any sin as Lot did of Zoar It is a little one cast away all your transgressions and let no iniquity have dominion over you for the future Turn heartily from an inward Principle of hatred to sin and love to God and not from outward Considerations and meerly upon the account of sins dreadfull consequents Turn constantly and with full purpose of heart never to return unto your evil wayes of sin any more 10. The Lord doth expect after such Iudgements that London should seek him That they should not only turn from their evil wayes but also that they should turn unto him that hath smitten them and seek the Lord of Hosts Isa. 9. 13. We read Am. 5. 2. The Virgin of Israel is falen she is forsaken and none to raise her up whereupon God calls to this duty v. 4 5 6 8. Thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel Seek ye me and ye shall live but seek not Bethel c. seek the Lord and ye shall live least he break forth like fire in the house of Joseph and devour and there be none to quench seek him who made the seven Stars and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning c. the LORD is his Name and it follows v. 15. It may be the Lord will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph And when this Duty is neglected see the Threatning v. 16. Wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the high wayes Alas alas and they shall call the Husbandmen to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing And now London is fallen doth not the Lord call upon them that they would call upon him and as they would turn away his anger and prevent their utter ruine that they would seek him who can turn the shadow of death into the Morning and the blackest night of affliction into a day of Prosperity and Rejoycing London seek the Lord that ye may live that there may be a reviving after the years of such death and ruines seek the Lord before the decree bring forth some other Judgement and ye pass away like Chaffe before the Whirlwinde in the day of the Lords fierce anger it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of this great City God expects that London should now pray at another rate than heretofore they have done It is said Dan. 9. 13. All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God and when God had consumed Israel because of their iniquities the Prophet complains Isa. 64. 7. There is none that calleth upon thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee Had the Prayers of London been such as they should have been such as they have been the Desolations of London might have been prevented God expects that London under such Chastisements should pour out Prayers before him Isa. 26. 16. God hath spoken terribly unto them he expects that they should cry mightily unto him God expects that London should meet him in the way of his Judgements not only with weepings for their sins that they have provoked him unto so great displeasure but also with Supplications for his Mercies When Iacob was devoured and his dwelling-place laid waste Psal. 79. 7. you have their prayer v. 8 9 c. O Remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low Help us O Lord God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake And the Church under desolating Judgements doth in prayer express her self very pathetically Isa. 63. 15 c. Look down from Heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and thy mercies are they restrained Doubtless thou art our Father c. We are thine return for thy servants sake c. and chap. 64. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people God hath been pleading and contending with London by his Judgements and God doth look that London should plead with him in prayer for his Mercies London seek the Lord of Hosts who hath come forth against you in battel and wounded you with his sharp arrows and yet hath not laid down his weapons get to your knees hang about Gods feet and arms fill your mouths with arguments to stay him in the course of his Judgements let not the Apple of your eye cease from weeping that you have displeased him and let not your tongue cease from humble and earnest Entreaties that he would pardon you and remove his displeasure from you Seek the Lord humbly put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be any hope God hears the Cry of the Humble and will not despise their Prayer Psal. 10. 17. Psal. 102. 17. Seek the Lord diligently He hath promised to be found of all them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. God looks for earnest hearty fervent Prayer There is a sweet Promise which God makes
is envying And this sin was to be found not only in Women which envied others that exceeded them in beauty of body in cloaths and dressing and such like toyes but also in men who envied them who were of the same trade which had better houses and shops more custome and wealth than themselves as Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea this envying was to be found among many Ministers who envied others that had better parts and more learning greater applause and more auditors than themselves There was a spirit among us which lusted to envy Jam. 4. 5. which besides the great torment that it brings to the spirit where it reigns is a very great provocation to the Lord. 23. The twenty third sin of London is slandering and backbiting which hath been the consequent of the former The ninth commandment hath been exceedingly broken in London especially in a private way of bearing false witness against the neighbour and wounding his reputation by a slanderous tongue some inventing lyes and raising slanders which they have in their consciences known to be false others taking up slanders readily believing them without any just proof This sin you have set forth with a caution to take heed of such persons Ier. 9. 4 5. London hath been full of backbiters and tale-bearers and too many professours have been guilty of this sin few have entertained backbiters with an angry countenance which as the wind driveth away rain would have driven them out of sight I might here add the hatred of one another that hath been in London much through slanders the emulation that hath risen from hatred the wrath that hath risen from emulation and the wrath of God which hath arisen from these and other works of the flesh spoken of Gal. 5. 19 20. 24. The twentyfourth sin of London is murmuring and that not only in want and under losses and crosses but also in fulness and plenty Many Farmers in the Countrey have murmured at the plenty and cheapness of Corn many tradesmen in the City have murmured at the plenty of the commodities which they have dealt in because however such plenty is a publick and unspeakable mercy yet they have had the less private advantage which hath been chiefly regarded by them Yea some in their murmuring have wished for a Plague that the survivers might have the better trade And I have heard that a Fire also hath been wisht for to take off the plenty of such commodities that the remainder might bear the higher rate Is it a wonder then if God have sent Plague and Fire which some have called for by such murmuring speeches The Israelites in the Wilderness were plagued for their murmuring and the murmuring company of Corah that were not swallowed up with him were consumed by a fire from Heaven 25. The twenty fifth and last sin of London which I shall speak of is Carnal security another of Sodoms sins It is said of the Sodomites Luk. 17. 28 29. In the days of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all When London had provoked God so highly by so many sins yet how secure were they before his judgements broke forth upon them they eat and drank they bought and sold c. They sate at ease and put far from them the evil day as Amos 6. they were still and at rest little expecting such changes as have come upon them and taking little care to prevent them they were secure and trusted in arms of flesh broken reeds which have alwayes failed And I might add here as a cause of the security of some the presumptuous confidences of future events which belong only to God to foreknow which some have taken upon them so absolutely to determine as if they had looked into the book of Gods decrees or had an infallible revelation from him of what should come to pass O the good dayes that some have looked for upon the presumption of what they had no ground for Great expectations many had of the Fall of Antichrist and Babylon in the year 1666. and other events limiting times which God hath not clearly revealed which is an entrenching upon Gods prerogative and I believe a greater provocation than such persons are aware of This may be one reason why London is fallen instead of Babylon in this year of such expectation and presumption By this time it may be the Reader may be wearied with reading as I am with thinking and writing of Londons sins But how hath the Lord been wearied with the bearing of them how hath he been pressed with the weight of them as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves Amos 2. 13. If when you have read of Londons judgements withall you consider Londons provocations you must needs acknowledge that God is righteous in that he hath punished London no more than they have deserved for these sins 2. GOds Righteousness will further appear if we consider that he hath punished London less than her iniquities deserved 1. God might have punished London deservedly with more dreadful judgements here and that both in the same and another kind 1. God might have deservedly punished London worse in the same kind 1. In the judgement of the Plague It was a dreadful Plague indeed but God could have made it more dreadful where he shot one arrow he might have shot an hundred he visited many families he might have visited every family and swept every house with the beesome of destruction Though so many fell yet I believe that five parts in six of the inhabitants of London were preserved God might have taken away the five parts and have left but one alive yea it might have been said of London as it was of Israel Amos 5. 2 3. The Virgin of Israel is fallen she shall rise no more the City that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred God might have made every hundred that dyed by the Plague a thousand he might have sent out his arrows after all the inhabitants of London that were gone into the Countrey and smitten them wheresoever he found them or he might have met with them upon their return home and given commission to Death to lay hold on them assoon as they entred into their doors He might have depopulated the City of London by the Plague so that every house should have had dead Corpses lying and none to bury them He might have made our Plague wonderful fearful and of long continuance We that have survived so great a mortality have reason to say that deservedly it might have been greater that we deserved as much or more to fall for our more heinous sins than thousands that are gone down into the pitt surely it is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed he was merciful in sparing of us he would have