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
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
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
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
33 1. Psalm 32 11. Phil. 4. 4. 1 Thes 5. 16 18. as the garment of gladness God hath laid his royal command upon us to rejoyce on this day Isa 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a delight or as the Hebrew runs delights and so Tremelius reads it the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him c. Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord c. Psalm 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will be glad and rejoyce therein Now if you compare this Text with Matth. 21. 22 23. and Acts. 4. 11. you will find that the precedent Verses are a prophetical prediction of Christs resurrection and so this Verse fore-tells the Churches joy upon that memorable and glorious day A feâ—st saith Solomon is made for laughter Eccles 10. 19. Now on this day the Lord of Hosts is pleased more especially and more abundantly to make for his people A feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of Isa 25. 6. marrow of wines on the lees well refined On this day we enjoy the freest and the fullest and the sweetest and the choicest and the nearest communion of Saints And what doth this call for but a spirit of holy joy on this day we enjoy all the precious Ordinances in a most solemn manner and why then should we not be joyful in Gods house of prayer The Isa 56. 7. Luke 2. 10 11 12 13 14. heavenly Host sung at his birth and why should not we sing and rejoyce at his second birth his resurrection from the dead O Sirs Sabbaths are the very suburbs of heaven and who can be in the suburbs of heaven and not rejoyce A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance Joy in the face puts a new beauty upon a person and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful it puts a lustre upon beauty And so doth holy joy put a lustre upon the day of God the wayes of God and the people of God It is the duty and glory of a Christian to rejoyce in the Lord every day but especially on the Lords Day God reserves the best wine the best comforts and the choicest discoveries of himself and of his love and of his Christ and of his glory for that day and all to make his people joyful in the house of Isa 56 7. prayer The Manichees were wont to keep their Fasts upon the Lords Day which made Tertullian say that that practice Lect. 15. of theirs was a detestable wickedness To fast on the Lords Day saith Ignatius is to kill Christ But to rejoyce in the Lord this day and to rejoyce in all the duties of this day and to rejoyce in that redemption that was wrought for us on this day this is to crown Christ this is to lift up Christ But Twelfthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by sanctifying of the whole day to Gods service and not by fits and flashes and sudden pangs O Sirs if the Lord was so strict that he would not lose a moments honor in a ceremonial day of rest Lev. 23. 32. It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest and ye shall afflict your souls in the ninth day of the moneth at even from even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath What shall we think the Lord expects upon this day which is mo-Psalm 92. 1 2. It is good to sing of his loving kindness in the morning and of his faithfulness every night Jer. 17. 22. You shall do no work but sanctifie my Sabbath Now that this may the better stick consider First God hath given you six whole dayes that you may Exod. 20. 9. Chap. 23. 12. provide for your selves and families and therefore do not deny him one day in seven What an unrighteous thing is it to buy by one measure which is greater and sell by another which is lesser Do not rob God of his time who hath been so noble as to give you six in seven But Secondly God rested all the seventh day he had finished the creation in six dayes God did not rest on one part of Gen. 2. 1 2 3. the seventh day and work on the other part of the seventh day but he rested all the seventh day And doubtless it is your wisdom duty and glory to write after the coppy that God has laid before you But Thirdly The Sabbath is not to be an artificial day but a natural day viz. twenty four hours together as you may see in Lev. 23. 32. From even unto even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath The dayes then were so reckoned But Fourthly You would not take it well at your servants hands if they should only work three or four hours in a day and either trifle away the rest of the time or else spend it in doing their own work when they should be a doing of yours and do you think that the great God will take it well at your hands that when you have spent three or four hours in the duties of his day that then you should either trifle away or fool away or play away or sleep away or sin away the remaining part of his day But Fifthly This hath been the judgement of most judicious Divines in all ages In the Counsel of Mexicon there was an Assembly of Ministers out of all Nations in Christendom and they ordained a Canon concerning the Lords Day The Canon runs thus We ordain that people keep the whole Lords Day holy and that they set themselves the whole day to pray to God and delight in God and hear his word and if a Countrey mans servant break this day his punishment shall be to be beaten with severe blows ictubus gravioribus are the very words of the Councel and if a Lawyer offer to plead this day he shall not have the benefit of his pleading or case and if a Minister break this day he shall be excommunicated half a year and thrown â—ut of the Church and shall not be received into the Church again but upon great humiâ—iation It is a good observation of Musculus upon Exâ—d 20. 8. God doth not say saith he râ—member the Sabbath to keep it holy for he that keeps it an hour or two keeps it holy but remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy he will have not a part of a day only but a whole day kept holy And Calvin upon these words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy saith we are to keep this day holy and not a part of it but all of it I might produce a cloud of witnâ—sses in the case but let these suffice But Sixthly and lasâ—ly Consider that the very Heathen have kept the whole day to their Idol Gods and not a part And shall
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
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
will not speak the truth they have taught their tongue to speak lyes and weary themselves to commit iniquity Verse 9. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this Verse 10. For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation because they are burnt up so that none can pass through them neither can men hear the voice of the cattel both the fowl of the heavens and the beasts are fled they are gone Verse 11. And I will make Jerusalem heaps as London is this day and a den of dragons and I will make the cities of Judah desolate without an inhabitant Verse 12. Who is the wise man that may understand this and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken that he may declare it for what the land perisheth and is burnt up like a wilderness that none passeth through The Jews had so inured and accustomed Jer. 13. 23. their tongues to speak lyes they had got such a haunt a habit and custom of lying that they could not leave it And â—his was the procuring cause of that dreadful and utter devastation that befel their City and Country Hes 4. 1 2 3. Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the Lord hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they break out and blood touchâ—th blood Therefore shall the land mourn and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven yea the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away This people made it their common practice to lye they were given up to a course a trade of lying which God here threatens to punish with an extream and universal desolation A lye is a voluntary and wilful telling of an untruth with a purpose to deceive so that three things are required to the nature of a lye 1. There must be an untruth and falseness in the thing 2. This untruth must be known to be so he must be conscious to himself that it is false 3. He must have an intent and purpose to utter this falshood with a desire or design to deceive another by it Augustine makes eight sorts of Lyes but the School-men reduce all to three 1. Is jocosum the sporting Lye 2. Is officiosum the helpful Lye 3. Is perniciosum the pernicious and hurtful Lye First There is mendacium joâ—osum the sporting Lye and this is when men will lye and tell untruths to make men sport to make men merry Of this sin the Prophet Hosea complains Chap. 7. 3. They make the King glad with their wickedness and the Princes with their lyes Courtiers frame It is a received opinion in these days that Qui nescit dissimulare nescit vivere fictions and tell ridiculous stories to delight Princes Among many Courtiers loud lyes are esteemed ornaments and elegancies of speech and none are accounted sosweet and pleasant in their discourse as those that can tell the most pleasing lyes but such Mirth-mongers and Mirth-makers may do well to remember that such kind of mirth will bring bitterness in the end If for every idle word that men shall speak Math. 12. 36. Phil. 5. 4. they must give an account in the day of Judgment then surely much more for every lying word And if foolish talking and jesting be condemned then surely lying talking and jesting shall be much more condemned if not here yet in the great day when all lying Jesters shall hold up their hands at Christs Bar. Now were there none within nor without the Walls of London that were guilty of merry lyes of sporting lyes But Secondly There is mendacium officiosum the officious lye the helpful lye and that is when a man lyes to help himself or others at a pinch at a dead lift When men lye either Exod. 1. 15. to the 20. Josh 2. 1. to vers 9. 1 Kings 13. 14. to 27. to prevent some danger they fear or else to bring about some good they desire then they tell an officious lye Thus the Egyptian Midwives lyed and thus Rahab lyed and thus the old Prophet lyed who contrary to the command of God perswaded the man of God to go back and eat bread with him under the pretence of a divine Revelation And thus Gen. 27. 19. Jacob told his father an officious threefold lye but he hardly ever had a merry day a good day after it for God followed him with variety of troubles and his sorrows like Jobs Messengers came posting in one after another even to his dying day that both himself and others might see what bitterness is wrapt up in officious lyes Solon reproving Thespis the Poet for lying Thespis answered him that it was not material seeing it was but in sport then Salon beating the ground with his staff said If we commend lying in sport we shall find it afterwards in good earnest In all our bargains and dealings let us make it our wisdom and our work to remember That we must not do evil that good may come yea we Rom. 3. 8. must not tell a lye to save all the Souls under Heaven The Prisciallanists in Spain a most pestilentious Sect taught in Augustines time That it was lawful to lye for the helping of a good cause and for the propagating of the Gospel and for the advantage of Religion But Augustine consuted them and stoutly asserts in two Books That we are not to tell an officious lye to tell a lye for no hurt but for good though it were to save all the world Will ye speak wickedly for God and talk deceitfully for him saith Job to his Job 13. 7. friends A man may as well commit fornication with the Moabites to draw them to our Religion or steal from the rich to give to the poor as lye to do another man a good turn Nepos reporteth of Epaminondas a noble man of Thebes and a famous Warriour that he would never lye in jest nor in earnest either for his own or anothers gain This refined Heathen will one day rise in Judgment against such kind of Christians who take a great pleasure in officious lyes Now were there none within nor without the Walls of London that delighted themselves in officious lyes But Thirdly and to come closer to our work There is mendacium perniciosum the pernicious and hurtful Lye and Gen. 39. 13. to the 20. 2 Kings 5. 22 23. this of all lyes is the worst When men will lye out of a design to hurt to cheat to defraud or to make a prey of those they deal with this is the forest of all lyes Now how rampant was this sort of Lying among all sorts of Citizens before London
sabbaths to be a sign between me and them that they may know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them The singular blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will bring upon us are 1. Spiritual they that conscientiously sanctifie the Sabbath they shall see and know the work of God the work of Grace upon their own Souls There are many precious Christians that have a work of God a work of Grace upon their own Souls who would give ten thousand worlds were there so many in their hands to give to see that work to know that work Oh but now they that sanctifie the Sabbath they shall both see and know the work of God upon their own Souls And they shall find â—he Lord carrying on the work of Grace and Holiness in their Souls they shall find the Lord destroying their sins and filling their hearts with joy and with a blessed assurance of his favour and love Isa 56. 6 7. Also the sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love the Name of the Lord to be his servants Every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold on my Covenant Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon my Altar for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people So Isa 58. 13 14. 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 ways nor finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord. Now in the second place the other blessings that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath will invest us with are temporal blessings for so they follow in the Scripture last cited And I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth here is honour and esteem and safety and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father Now the Land of Canaan was the Inheritance Gen. 28. 13. And Chap. 48. 4. which God promised to Jacob. Hereby is noted that comfortable provision that God would make for them that sanctified his Sabbaths Such as make the Sabbath their delight they shall never want protection nor provision God will be a Wall of fire about them and a Canaan to them But Fifthly Consider that our Lord Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath and whom the Law it self commands us to Math. 12. 8. Deut. 18. 18 19. hear did alter it from the seventh day to the first day of the week which we now keep For the holy Evangelists note that our Lord came into the midst of the Assembly on the two first days of the two weeks immediately following his Resurrection and then blessed the Church breathing on them the Holy Ghost Joh. 20. 19-26 Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them then came Jesus the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said Peace â—e unto you Look as Christ was forty days instructing Moses in Sinai what he should teach and how he should govern the Church under the Law so he continued forty days teaching his Disciples what they shoult preach and how they should govern the Church under the Gospel Acts 1. 2 3. Vntil the day in which he was taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen To whom also he shewed himself alive after his Passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And it is not to be doubted but that within those forty days he likewise ordained on what day they should likewise keep the Sabbath and 't is observable that on this first day of the week he sent down from Heaven the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles Acts 2. 1-4 And when the day of the Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in one place And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance So that on that day they first began and ever after continued the publick exercise of their Ministry Christ who was Lord of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. had a soveraign right to change and alter it to what day he pleased But Sixthly Consider that according to the Lords mind and Commandment and the direction of the Holy Ghost the Apostles in all the Christian Churches ordained that they should keep the holy Sabbath upon the first day of the week 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches â—â— Galatia Even so do ye upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come In which words you may observe these five things First That the Apostles ordained this day to be kept holy therefore 't is of a Divine institution Secondly That the day is named the first day of the week therefore not the Jewish seventh or any other Thirdly Every first day of the week which sheweth its perpetuity Fourthly That it was ordained in the Churches of Galatia as well as of Corinth and he setled one uniform in all the Churches of the Saints therefore it was universal 1 Cor. 14. 33. For God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints Fifthly That there should be collections for the poor on that day after the other Ordinances were ended Now why should the Apostles require collections to be made on the first day of the week but because on that day of the week the Saints assembled themselves together in the Apostles time And in the same Epistle he protesteth that he delivered them no other Ordinance or Doctrine but what he had received from the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 23. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread 1 Cor. 14. 37. If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the Commandments of the Lord. Now mark he wrote to them and ordained among them to keep their Sabbath on the first day of the week therefore to keep the Sabbath on that day is the very Commandment of the Lord. But Seventhly Consider the Apostles on that day ordinarily dispensed the holy Ordinances
Joh. 20. 19-26 Acts 20 7. And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech until midnight 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. 1 Cor. 11. 23. But Eighthly Consider such things as are named the Lords in Scripture are ever of the Lords institution As the Word of the Lord 1 Tim. 6. 3. The Cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 27. The Supper of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 20. And so the Lords Day Rev. 1. 10. I was in the Spirit on the Lords day Now why does John call it the Lords day but because it was a day known to be generally kept holy to the honour of the Lord Jesus who rose from death to life upon that day throughout all the Churches which the Apostles had planted which St. John calls the Lords day that he might the better stir up Christians to a thankful remembrance of their Redemption by Christs Resurrection from the dead But Ninthly Consider that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath is one of the best signs in the Bible that God is our God and that his sanctifying work is past in power upon us Ezek. 20. When the primitive Christians had this question put to them Servasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Lords day answered Christianus sum omittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot but keep it 20. And hallow my sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God So Exod. 31. 13. Speak thou also unto the Children of Israel saying Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you Look as Circumcision and the Passeover were signs that the Jews were in Covenanâ— with God so likewise was the Sabbath Ezek. 31. 13. and because it was a sign of the Covenant between God and them Vers 16. Wherefore the Children of Israel shall keep the sabbath to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant God tells them that they must observe it for a perpetual Covenant and hence it was that when they violated the Sabbath God accounted it the violation of the Covenant between him and them The sanctifying of the Sabbath in the primitive times was the main Character by which sincere Christians were differenced from others they judged of mens sanctity by their sanctifying of the Sabbath And indeed as there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a prophane heart then the prophaning the Sabbath so there cannot be a greater argument or evidence of a gracious heart then a right sanctifying of the Sabbath But Tenthly Consider a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will 10. be a most sure and certain pledge pawn and earnest of our keeping of an everlasting Sabbath with God in Heaven Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God Gr. a sabbatism an eternal rest a sabbath that hath no evening Now mark if this Sabbath be a sign and pledge of Heaven then we must keep it till we come there For if we lose the pledge of a benefit we lose the evidence of that benefit whereof it is a pledge A man that is in the Spirit on the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. he is in Heaven on the Lords day there cannot be a more lively resemblance of Heaven on this side Heaven then the sanctifying of the Sabbath in a heavenly manner What is Heaven but an eternal Sabbath And what is a temporal Sabbath but a short Heaven a little Heaven on this side Heaven Our delighting to sanctifiâ— Gods Sabbath on Earth gives full assurance to our faith grounded upon Gods infallible promise that we shall enter into Gods eternal Rest in Heaven for so runs the promise Isa 58. ult Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The former part of the verse relates to earthly blessings but these words I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father that is with a heavenly inheritance for what is the heritage of Jacob but Canaan in the Type and Heaven it self in the Antitype But should I thus sanctifie the Sabbath should I be sure of going to Heaven yes for so it roundly follows in the next words The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But Eleventhly Consider that of all days God hath put the highest honour upon his Sabbaths by appointing his precious Ordinances in a special manner to be used on those days The Sabbath is a gold Ring and the Ordinances are as so many costly sparkling Diamonds in that Ring All the works of the new Creation are commonly wrought on this day this is the joyful day wherein ordinarily God gives spiritual sight to the blind and spiritual ears to the deaf and spiritual tongues to the dumb and spiritual feet to the lame That Exod. 12. 42. is here applicable It is a night to be much observed to the Lord for bringing them out from the Land of Egypt this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the Children of Israel in their generation Those that are new-born are commonly new-born on this day and therefore 't is a day to be much observed to the Lord. Those that are converted are ordinarily converted on this day and therefore 't is that day of the Lord that ought to be observed by all the converted Israel of God Those that are edified are commonly most edified on this day O the sweet communion O the choice converse O the singular discoveries O the blessed manifestations O the excellent enjoyments that Christ vouchsafes to his people on this day O the discoveries of Grace O the exercise of Grace O the increase of Grace the progress in Grace O the comforts of Grace that God vouchsafes to his Chosen on this day Experience shews that the right sanctifying of the Sabbath is a powerful means under Christ to sanctifie us and to increase our faith and raise our hope and inflame our love and to kindle our zeal and to enlarge our desires and to melt our hearts and to weaken our sins But Twelfthly and lastly Consider this that a right sanctifying of the Sabbath will cross Satans grand design it will spoil his plot his master-piece Satan is a deadly enemy to the right sanctifying of the Sabbath witness the many temptations that many Christians are more troubled with on this day then they are on any other day in the whole week and witness the many vain wandring and distracting thoughts that many precious Christians are more afflicted with on this day then they are on all the days of the week beside and witness that high and hot opposition
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
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
magnificence of the buildings he might be the more careful to preserve them from destruction Others think that the Disciples shewed him these strong and stately buildings to insinuate secretly thereby how difficult yea impossible it was for them to be destroyed especially considering the strength of the City also And hence our Saviour seems to answer See ye not all these things Verily I say unto you there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down c. But when was this prediction fulfilled That not one stone should Quest be left upon another which should not be thrown dâ—wn c. This was fulfilled forty years after Christs Ascension by Answ Vespasian the Emperor and his Son Titus as Eusebius and Josephus do declare Yea this Prophecy was not only accomplished in the destruction of the old Temple but then also when in Juâ—iâ—n the Apostates time the Jews to spite the Christians were by him encouraged to build the Temple at his charge and they attempting it accordingly were hindered from Heaven by a mighty Earthquake which cast down that in the night which was built in the day and besides a fire from Heaven that consumed the work and work-mens instruments which Cyrillus Bishop of Jerusalem Socrat. lib. 3. cap. 17. then seeing applied unto that event this predict on of our Saviour There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Ah London London this might have been thy doom that there should not have been one house standing neither within nor without thy walls yea this might have been thy doom that there should not have been one stone left upon another that should not have been thrown down In that 't is otherwise with thee thou hast cause O London to cry Grace Grace to him that sits upon the Throne and is blessed for ever c. Carthage was a Noble City Mistris of Africa and Paragon to Rome She made her part good against Rome for many years but at length by means of her own inward civil jarrs she was utterly destroyed by them For the inhabitants Oros Eâ—trop being not able to stand any longer in their own defence were constrained to yield themselves to the mercy of their enemies the Women to the number of five and twenty thousand marching first forth and after them the men in number thirty thousand following all which poor Captives were sold for bond-slaves a few only of the principal excepted and then fire was put to the City which burnt seventeen dayes without ceasing even till it was clean consumed This might have been thy doom O London but God in the midst of Judgement hath remembred mercy Athens was once the most famous flourishing City of Greece for her fair buildings large Precincts and multitude of inhabitants but especially for her Philosophy by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her as the fountain and well-spring of Arts and the School and University of the whole world Whose Policy and manner of Government was so much esteemed by the Romans that they drew from thence their Laws but now she lies dead and buried in the ashes of forgetfulness not carrying any of her former proportion or appearance If this had been thy doom O London we must all have set to our seales that the Lord had been Righteous but blessed be the Lord London is not and I hope never shall let Rome and Hell do their worst be buried in the ashes of forgetfulness c. But The second Support to bear up the hearts and to cheer up the Spirits of all that has smarted by the late fiery dispensation is this viz. that God has given them their lives for a prey O Sirs what a mercy is it that though the fire has reacht your houses your shops your goods your commodities your warehouses your treasure that yet it has not reacht your lives nor the lives of your relations or friends though your habitations are consumed and your The Philosopher saith that a Flye is more excellent than the Heavens because the Fly has life which the Heavens have not losses have been great yet that in the midst of so many deaths and dangers by the flames and by the press of the people and notwithstanding all the confusions that was in all parts of the City you should have your lives for a prey and be snatcht as so many fire-brands out of the burning O how should this miraculous Providence of God be owned and admired by you The Devil hit the mark when he said Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life Job 2. 4. Mens estates in those times did lye mostly in Cattel Now saith Satan Job is a very great life lover he is Proximus quisque sibi Every man is nearest to himself fond of life and afraid of death and therefore he will give skin upon skin to save his life he will give many skins abundance of skins yea all his skins to save his life he will give his Cattels skins and his Servants skins and his Sons skins to save himself in a whole skin By this Proverbial Speech Skin for skin c. Satan intimates that Job cared not for the loss of his Cattel nor for the loss of his servants nor for the loss of his children so he might secure his own life Job set a higher price upon his own life than he did upon all other lives let others sink or swim so he might escape all was well Natural life is a precious Jewel a man will cast all over-board when he is in danger of drowning to save his life A man will hold up his arms to save his head or suffer the loss of a limb to save his life Men will bleed sweat vomit purge part with an estate yea with some of their limbs to preserve their lives As he who cryed out Give me any deformity any torment any misery so you spare my life Wherefore doth a living man complain or murmur a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. O what a simple senseless bruitish blockish thing is it for a man a mortal man a sinful man a man on this side the grave on this side Hell to complain or murmur against a holy and righteous God! He that is alive on this side everlasting burnings Isa 33. 14. on this side a devouring fire has no just cause to complain what ever his losses crosses or sufferings are He that has deserved a hanging if he escape with a whipping has no cause to complain or murmur Men that have deservâ—d a damning if they escape with the loss of house goods estates c. they have no cause to complain or murmur Mark at this time Jerusalem was burnt City and Temple was laid in ashes the Citizens were turned out of house and home and stript of all their comforts and contentments They that did feed delicately were desolate in the Streets
commanded six dayes to labour were also commanded to offer Morning and Evening Sacrifice daily They had their Morning Sacrifice when they entred upon their work and they had their Evening Sacrifice when they ended their work Their particular callings did not steal away their hearts from their general callings The Jews divided the day into three parts the first ad Tephilla orationem Wâ—emse Mor. Law p. 223. to prayer the second ad Torah legem for the reading of the Law the third ad Malacha opus for the works of their lawful callings Although they were dayes appointed for work yet they gave God his part they gave God a share of them every day God who is the Lord of all time hath reserved to himself a part of our time every day And therefore mens particular callings ought to give way to their general calling But alas before London was in flames many mens Oh that I could not say most mens particular callings swallowed up their general calling The noise is such in a Mill as hinders all intercourse betwen man and man So many of the burnt Citizens had such a multitude of worldly businesses lying upon their hands and that made such a noise as that all intercourse between God and them was hindered Seneca one of the most refined Heathens could say I do not give but only lend my self to my business I am afraid this Heathen will one day rise in Judgement against those burnt Citizens who have not lended themselves to their business but wholly given up themselves to their business as if they had no God to honour no souls to save no Hell to escape nor no Heaven to make sure But Fourthly Job lost all and recovered all again he lost a fair estate and God doubles his estate to him So David Compare the first and last Chapters of Job together lâ—st all and recovered all again 1 Sam. 30. 18. And David recovered all that the Amalakites had carried away and David rescued his two wives Ver. 19. And there was nothing lacking to them neither small nor great neither Sons nor Daughters neither spoil nor any thing that they had taken to them David recovered all Here the end was better than the beginning but the contrary befell the Amalekites who a little before had framed Comoedies out of poor Ziklags Tragoedies In the beginning of the Chapter you may see that David had lost all that ever he had in the world All the spoil that he Verse 1 2 3 4 5. had taken from others were gone his Corn gone his Cattel gone his Wives gone and his City burnt with fire and turned into a ruinous heap so that he had not a house a habitation in all the world to put his head in he had nothing left him but a poor grieved madded and enraged Army The people spâ—ke of stoning of him but what Verse 6. was the event now why David recovers all again O Sirs when a Christian is in greatest distress when he hath Remember that of Zeno who said he never sailed better than when he suffered shipwrack lost all when he is not worth one penny in all the world yet then he hath a God to go to at last David encouraged himself in the Lord his God A Christians case is never so desperate but he hat still a God to go to When a Christian has lost all the best way to recover all again is to encourage himself in the Lord his God God sometimes stripâ— his people of outward mercies and then restores to them again those very mercies that he had stript them off I have read a story of a poor man that God served fâ—ithfully and yet was oppressed cruelly having all his goods taken from him by an exacting Knight whereupon in a melancholy humour he perswaded himself that God was dead who had formerly been so faithful to him and now as he thought had left him It so fell out that an old man met him and desired him to deliver a Letter into the hands of his oppressor upon the receipt and perusal of which the Knight was so convinced that immediately he confessed his fault and restored the poor man his goods which made the poor man say Now I see that God may seem to sleep but can never dye If God has taken away all yet remember that God has a thousand thousand wayes to make up all thy losses to thee which thou knowest not of therefore do'nt murmur don't fret do'nt faint nor do'nt limit the Holy One of Israel If thou madest no improvement of thy house thy estate thy Trade then 't is thy wisdom and thy work rather to be displeased with thy self for thy non improvement of mercies than to be discontented at that hand of Heaven that hath deprived thee of thy mercies Remember Oh ye burnt Citizens of London that you are not the first that have lost your all Besides the instances already cited you must remember what they suffered in the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the Hebrews and you must remember that in the Ten Persecutions many thousands of the people of God were stript of their all and so were very many also in the Marian dayes who shrugs or complains of a common Lot It was grace upon the Throne that thou enjoyedst thy house thy estate thy Trade so long and therefore it concerns thee to be rather thankful that thy mercies were continued so long unto thee than to murmur because thou art now stript of all But Fifthly When all is gone yet mercy may be near and thou not see it When Hagars Bottle was empty the Well Gen. 21. 19. of Water was near though she saw it not Mercies many times are never nearer to us than when with Hagar we sit down and weep because our bottle is empty because our streams of mercy are dried up The Well was there before but she saw it not till her eyes were â—pened Though mercy be near though it be even at the door yet till the great God shall irradiate both the Organ and the object we can neither see our mercies nor suck the breasts of mercy Christ the spring of mercy the fountain of mercy was near the Disciples yea he talked with the Disciples and yet they Luke 24. 15. knew him not Look as dangers are nearest to wicked men when they see them not when they fear them not As Haman Esther 6. was nearest the Gallows when he thought himself the only man that the King would honour And so when Sisâ—ra dreamed of a Kingdom Jael was near with her Hammer Judges 4. and her Nail ready to fasten him to the ground And so when Agag said Surely the bitterness of death is past Samuel 1 Sam. 15 32 33. stood ready with his drawn Sword to cut him in pieces in Gilgal before the Lord. So when Pharaoh said They are entangled Exod. 14. 3 Cha. 15. 9. 10. in the Land the Wilderness hath shut
Hearbs sweep the house cleave wood and kindle the fire and do such like things c. Sâ—condly The Heathens did use to prepare themselves by a strict kind of holiness before they would offer Sacrifices to several of their Gods They had as Authors write their stone pots of water set at the doors of their Temples where they used to wash before they went to Sacrifice Thirdly The works of the day are great and glorious and what excellent works are there in nature but requires some previous preparation c. Fourthly Consider the Dignity Majesty Authority and Purity of that God with whom you have to do in all the duties of the day When men are to converse and treat with earthly Princes or to give them entertainment how do they prepare and make ready And will you carry it worse towards 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. the King of Kings and Lord of Lords than men do carry it towards mortal Princes whose breath is in their nostrils and whose glory shall assuredly be laid in the dust c. Fifthly Consider if you do not prepare your selves beforâ— hand for that day of the Lord and all the duties of that day what difference will there be between you and the worst of Hypocrites Formalists Superstitious or prophane persons who rush upon holy duties as the Horse rusheth into the Battel Dost thou dress up thy house thy Husband thy self thy children so do the worst of persons If you do not prepare for the dutiâ—s of the day and to meet with God in those duties what singular thing do ye Matth. 5. 27. Sixthly Consider what blessed yearnings you have made on those Sabbaths wherein you have been prepared to meet with the Lord and to manage the duties of those dayes O the joy the peace the comfort the communion the satisfaction the enlargements that you have then met with and on the other hand consider what poor yearnings you have made of it when you have been careless and rash and have not prepared your selves for the duties of the day and for the enjoyment of God in those duties Oh how flat how cold how dull how dead how straitned have you been on those Sabbâ—ths wherein you have not prepared to meet with the Lord c. But you may say Wherein doth our preparation for the Sabbath Quest consist In these three things Answ First In a holy care so to order all our worldly business and affairs on the day before that they may not encrease upon us on the Lords Day to trouble us or distract us in the duties of that day Secondly In putting iniquity far from you in laying aside all superfluity of naughtiness that you may receive the ingrafted Job 11. 14 15. James 1. 12. word with meekness which is able to save your souls When the vessel is unclean it sowres quickly the sweetest liquors that are poured into it And so when the heart is filthy and unclean it loses all the good it might otherwise gain by Ordinances If the stomach be foul it must be purged before it be fed or else the meat will never nourish and strengthen nature but encrease ill humours So the souls of men must be purged from soul enormities and gross impieties or else they will never gain any saving good by Ordinances 2 Tim. 2. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work c. Thirdly In acting your graces in all the duties of the day Sleepy habits will do you no good nor bring God no glory all the honour he hath and all the comfort and advantage Isaiah 50. 10. you have is from the active part of grace and therefore you must still be a stirring up the grace of God that is in you 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God that is in thee I know the Apostle speaks of the Ministerial gift but it is as true of the work of grace for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies grace as well as gift Stir up the grace of God in thee Mark the phrase it is a remarkable phrase for in the Original it is to blow up thy grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as a man blowes up a fire that growes dull or is hid under the ashes blow up the grace of God in thee Some think that it is a Metaphor taken from a spark kept in ashes which by gentle Calvâ—n and others blowing is stirred up till it take a flame Others say it is an allusion to the fire in the Temple which was alwayes to be kept burning Look as the fire is encreased and preserved by blowing so are our graces preserved and encreased by our acting of them We get nothing by dead and useless habits Talents hid in a Napkin gather rust Look as the noblest faculties are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised So the noblest graces are imbased when they are not improved when they are not exercised Grace is bettered and made more perfect by acting neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing and so are our graces for acting We had need pray hard with the Spouse Cant. 4. ult Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit Satans grand design is not to keep men from going the round of duties nor yet to keep men from attending on Ordinances but his grand design is to hinder the exercise of grace All other exercises without the exercise of grace will do a Christian no good as you may see Luke 22. 31 32 33. 1 Tim. 4 8 Isa â—â— 1 -8 Neh. 7. 4 5. 6. by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together The more grace is exercised the more corruptions will be weakned and mortified As one buâ—ket in the Wâ—ll rises up the other goâ—s down so as grace rises higher and higher corruptions fall lower and lower There was two Lawrâ—ls at Rome and when the one flourished the other withered so where grace flourishes corruptions wither As the house 2 Sam. 3. 1. of David grew stronger and stronger so the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker So as grace in its exercise grows stronger and stronger So sin like the house of Saul will every day grow weaker and weaker If you keep not grace Mark 4. 40. in exercise it may most fail you when it should stand you most in stead If a man uses a knife but now and then he may have his knife to seek when he should use it That Sword grows rusty in the scabbard that is used but now and then You know how to apply it But Thirdly You must sanctâ—fie the Sabbath by looking upon the enjoyment of Sabbaths and Ordinances as your great happiness by
looking upon every duty as your dignity and by Prov. 8. 34 35. Psalm 27. 4. Psalm 42. 1 2 3 4 5. Psalm 63. 1 2 3 looking upon every work of that day as carrying a reward with it Psalm 19. 11. And in keeping of them there is great reward not only for keeping but also in keeping of Gods commands there is great reward A gracious soul would not exchange the joy the peace the comfort the assurance the communion the delight the satisfaction that it enjoyes in the wayes of obedience before pay day comes before the Crown be put on before the full reward is given out for all the Crowns and Kingdoms of this world David was a King a great and glorious King yea the best King in all the world and yet he esteemed it as a very high honour to be the lowest Officer a door-keeper in Gods house Psâ—lm 84. 10. A day in thy Courts iâ— better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God or I had rather sit at the threshold as the Hebrew runs than to dwell in the tents of wickedness 1 Kings 10. 8. Happy are the men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom said the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomons servants O then how many thousand times more happy are they who hear Christ in his Ordinances who see Christ in his Ordinances and who enjoy Christ in his Ordinances on his own day Of all dayes the Sabbath Day is the day wherein Christ carries his people into his Wine-cellar wherein he brings them to his Banqueting house and his banner over them is love This is the day wherein he stayes his Cant. 2 4 5 6. people with Flaggons and comforts them with Apples and wherein his left hand is under their head and his right hand doth embrace them O the sweet communion the sweet discoveries the sweet incomes and that blessed presence and those glorious answers and returns of prayer that the Saints have had on Sabbath dayes Christ in his Ordinances on the Sabbath day doth as Mary open a box of precious Ointment which diffuseth a spiritual savour among them that fear him Though many slight Ordinances and many deny Ordinances and many oppose Ordinances and many Many in these dayes are like old Barzâ—llaâ— that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids Feasts and Musick 2 Sam. 19 35. fall off from Ordinances and many pretend to live above Ordinances and under that pretence vilifie the Ordinances as poor low weak things yet the beauty and glory of Gods Ordinances will one day convince the world of the excellency of the Saints Ezek. 37. 26 27 28. I will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore My Tabernacle also shall be with them yea I will be their God and they shall be my people And the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my Sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore I doubt not but there are many thousands of the precious servants of the Lord who are able to tell this poor blind dark world from their experience that they have seen and felt and tasted and enjoyed more of God in his Ordinances on this day thaâ— ever they have enjoyed on any other day But Fourthly You must sanctifie the Sabbath by rising as early in the morning as your age strength health and ability Psal 139. 18. Gen. 22. 3. Job 1. 5. and bodily infirmities will permit Abraham rose up early in the morning to offer up his only Son And Job rose up early in the morning to offer up burnt-offerings So David my voyce shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning Psalm 5. 3. will I direct my prayer unto thee or martial my prayer as the Hebrew runs and will look up or will look out as a watchman looks out of his Watch-Tower to discover an approaching enemy So Psalm 130 6. My sâ—ul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee That this may the more work and the better stick seriously confider of these hints c. First God is the first Being and therefore of right deserveth to be served first If you can find any being before Dan. 7. 2â— Chap. 2. 20 21 22. the being of that God who is blessed for ever let that being be served first if not as I am sure you can't then let the first being be first served But Secondly As God is the first being so he is the best being he is the choicest and chiefest good and therefore ought to be first minded and served Psal 4. 6. Psal 73. 25. Psal 144. 15. But Thirdly As God is the best being so he is the greatest being as he is the choicest and the chiefest good so he is the Mal. 1. ult greatest good the greatest Majesty the greatest Authority and therefore he ought to be first served But Fourthly God gives the greatest rewards and the fullest rewards and therefore he ought to be served first He gives Psalm 19. 11. Matth. 5. 12. 2 John 8. a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. A Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. A Crown of glory James 1. 12. A Crown of immortality What han't men done what won't men do what do'nt men do for earthly Crowns A Crown is the top of Royalty and how many Princes have swum through the blood of thousands to their earthly Crowns O how much more active for God should that glorious Crown make us which he has laid up for all that love him But Fifthly Christ rose early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and why should not we Mark 1. 35 36. make it our business our work our Heaven to write after so noble a Copy we cannot glorifie Christ more than by our conformity to him than by imitating of those blessed patterns that he hath set before us But Sixthly and lastly The children of Israel rose up early in the morning on the Sâ—bbath day to oâ—â—er up burnt-offerings Exod. 32. 4 5 6. and peace-offerings to an Idol So Papists Turks and Heathens are early in the mornings at their devotions and the Harlot rises early in the morning to trapan the lustful youth Prov. 7. 15. Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thee or as it runs in the Hebrew In the morning came I forth to meet thee Now how should this put Christians to a holy blush to see the very basest and worst of people to take more pains to go to Hell than themselves do to go to heaven Shall they rise early to serve their Idols and shall not we rise early to serve our God and save our souls O Sirs did you but love Christ more and
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