A Discourse of the Judgments of God, Imprimatur – Dedication
Imprimatur
Hic Liber cui titulus, A Diſcourſe concerning the Judgments of God, &c.
Sept. 18. 1667. Tho. Cook Rmo in Chriſto Patri & Dno D. Gilberto Archiepiſc. Cant. à Sacris Domeſt.
A DISCOURSE OF THE Judgments OF GOD.
Compoſed for the Preſent Times, Againſt Atheiſm and Prophaneneſs.
Thy Judgments, O Lord, are a great Deep.
LONDON, Printed by J. M. for Henry Herringman at the Sign of the Blew Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange. 1668.
To the Right Honourable Sr William Peak, Lord Mayor of the City of London; To the Honourable Court of Aldermen there: And in them to that whole City.
Right Honourable,
THis Diſcourſe humbly dedicates it ſelf to you, having received Being from the Contemplation of thoſe late Monuments of Divine Diſpleaſure, raiſed upon this Nation in General, and more directly over you. If you vouchſafe it Acceptance and Patronage, you give it the advantage of that Hill, upon which ſo Famous a City is ſet, that it may not be hid in its own obſcurity. But as the great Tapers of Judgment, upon which it gazes, were thought fit to be exalted into ſo lofty a Candleſtick; which in lower places had been as under a Bed or Buſhel: So theſe Obſervations that would ſhine by their Beams, will be moſt happily fixed there, if it may be with your Favour and Allowance.
There is nothing herein to plead ſo great a dignation from you, but,
Firſt, an humble zeal to Divine Glory, the Counſel of which Atheiſm darkens by words without knowledge; while it would ſet up petty Mechanicks of Evil at work in their dark ſhops, inſtead of that Almighty Hand, reaching down out of its own Heaven into this lower World, its own alſo: and in the room of that Jehovah, who knows no other beſides himſelf in Heaven or Earth; or any that as he, creates good and evil; without whom no weapon formed to deſtroy, no Smith that blows in the coals for it, no waſter that uſes it, is erected.
Secondly, an affection of Honour to you, expreſſing it ſelf in an endeavour to vindicate your Calamities out of all ſuch rude, black, dark Lanthorn-hands, and to ſurrender them into his; by whom to be chaſtiſed without hatred, how ſeverely ſoever, is honourable; but by any other, ſervile and abject.
From this Hand, even when it ſmites, if it be humbly and repentantly turned to, drops a Balm that heals, and an Oyl of excellent kindneſs diſtils, that doth not break our heads, but ſoften our hearts: An Unguent that doth not only embalm us for ſuffering, but anoint us for Holineſs and Happineſs. This Rod, after it hath ſtricken, if it be accepted, bloſſoms in a night, and ſuddenly flouriſhes with the peaceable fruits of Righteouſneſs.
He that touches an affliction immediately after God, by ſaith and obedience to the ends of it, ſhall find his fingers dropping with the ſweet-ſmelling Mirrhe: but taken out of any other Forge, there is nothing to be felt, but the cold Iron prepared to miſchief, and the impurity of it ſelf, and the offices through which it hath paſſed.
He that aſcribes our Ruines to any but God, ſows them with ſalt and barrenneſs; he that aſſures them from him; gives us the upper and neither Springs of gracious motion to God, and Bleſſing from him.
All Paraphraſes upon our Sufferings out of the Atcheiſts Chair, are as the Corn that withereth before it groweth up, wherewith the Mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth ſheaves his Boſom; nor do any ſay, We bleſs you in the Name of the Lord: The true Interpretations of them lead us out to ſow indeed in tears, but that we may reap in joy; that going forth, and bearing precious ſeed, we may come again rejoyceing, and bring our ſheaves with us. Who would not then chuſe to find himſelf fallen into the hands of God, with whom tender mercies dwell, and gracious purpoſes mollifie the greateſt rigours; as the harſhneſs of medicaments is overcome with the ſweetneſs of the health they deſign?
Who? except the ſtupid Ignorant, the Atheiſtick contemner of God and his Hand, the prophane Senſualiſt, the hardned Impenitent, who hates to be reformed; and therefore all evils upon them are the Brands of an Eternal Judgment, and print Hell upon their fleſh; the private marks of which are firſt upon their Souls.
But you, who have a wiſe and grave apprehenſion of all things, much more of thoſe wherein you are concerned with God; eſpecially in his ſolemn interviews with you, though of Judgment, will give Glory to him, by acknowledgments, It is the Lord; and therefore will not walk contrary to him, but ſearching wherein he hath been diſhonoured, whether in denying that Amplitude, and Example to Religion, or allowing freedoms to evil, will turn to him, by reducing things to an order, beſeeming Humiliation under his Hand; both within your private Walls, and in your more publick Adminiſtrations.
And this not only from Principles of ſelf-preſervation, but out of Gratitude, and love to thoſe compaſſions, which interpoſed, that you ſhould not be utterly conſumed, as Sodom and Gomorrah, by a Judgment that ſo nearly reſembled theirs.
From which compaſſions thoſe vigorous deſignations and daily riſing hopes of a new City, are now receiving life, which make this a fit ſeaſon to preſent you theſe conſiderations, ſeeing a holy Improvement of paſſed Judgments is the beſt kind of Teleſma againſt future Evils.
Now that Ruler of all the World, whoſe goings out are from everlaſting, who of old laid the Foundations of this City, who proſpered it into its late Grandeur, who derived upon it the confluence of that wealth, adorned with the Ingeny, Arts, and Learning of the whole World; decorated it with a Civick Authority; even to Majeſty, ennobled it with the Thrones of England: who lately in righteous Judgment for ſin, humbled, laid it low, even with the ground, that it yet ſits (but brooding) upon its own aſhes; raiſe it again out of them, increaſe the Glory of it ſeven-fold along ſucceeding Ages, draw it out of the fire a veſſel of Honour refined, make his Church in it a brighteſt Candleſtick of the Goſpel of Peace, after it hath been a mountain burning with fire, that could not be touched; create a new Heaven and Earth in it, wherein Righteouſneſs may dwell, after this diſſolution of Elements; make it exemplary for Reformation to this Nation, as it hath been for ſuffering, make the name of it for ever, Jehovah Shammah, The Lord is there.
In theſe Proſtrations Reſts, Your Humbleſt Servant, T. B.