Earthquakes Explained and Practically Improved, Title page – Preface
Earthquakes EXPLAINED AND Practically Improved: OCCASIONED By the late EARTHQUAKE on Sept. 8. 1692. in LONDON, many other parts in England, and beyond Sea.
By THOMAS DOOLITTLE M. A.
Jamaica's Miſeries ſhew London's Mercies. Both Compared.
LONDON: Printed for John Salusbury at the Riſing Sun over againſt the Royal Exchange in Cornhill. 1693.
An Humble WARNING From the Preſaging Earthquake Sept. 8. 1692.
PLague, Fire, and Earthquakes are amongſt the moſt terrible Judgments, whereby the great and holy God doth manifeſt his ſore diſpleaſure againſt a ſinful People, and his indignation and hatred of their heinous and crying Sins. Theſe three have befallen London. The firſt in the GREAT DYING Year, 1665. the ſecond in the GREAT BURNING Year 1666. and the laſt in the GREAT TREMBLING preſent Year 1692. and the Month of September is remarkable in all theſe. The Plague (as I remember) being then at the higheſt, the great Fire began on Septemb. 2. and the Earthquake was on the Eighth of the ſame Month; on which day of the Month Joſephus de bel. Jud. lib. 7. cap. 18. writes thus; Jeruſalem was taken the ſecond year of Veſpaſian's reign, on the eighth day of September, and having been already five times before ſurprized, it was finally again deſtroyed. This was London's trembling, but (through the great Power, Patience, and Mercy of God) not its falling day.
I call Earthquakes preſaging for theſe Reaſons; what weight there is in them I leave to others to judge.
1. Becauſe Christ did aſſert them to to be ſuch: Luke 21. 5. to 12. as ſome ſpake of the Temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones, and gifts, he ſaid, As for theſe things, which ye behold, the days will come, in which there ſhall not be left one ſtone upon another, that ſhall not be thrown down; they asked, Maſter, When ſhall theſe things be? and what ſign will there be when theſe things ſhall come to paſs. Then Chriſt gave (amongſt others) Earthquakes as foregoing Signs of ſuch future Ruins.
2. Becauſe God hath made uſe of Earthquakes (in former times) as forerunners of great Calamities to come.So according to Chriſt's prediction, this Sign went before the deſtruction of the Temple. Joſephus de bel. Jud. lib. 7. c. 12.Amongſt the foregoing Signs of the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, mentioneth an Earthquake: Ʋpon the Feaſt-day of Pentecoſt,at night the Prieſts going into the inner Temple to offer their wonted Sacrifice, at first they felt the place to move and tremble, and afterward they heard a voice, which ſaid, Let us depart hence.
3. Becauſe Christ ſaith (as of other Judgments mentioned, ſo) of Earthquakes, They are the beginning of Sorrows. If the beginning, muſt not others follow? when an Earthquake is the beginning (let not Scorners deride) who knows what ſhall be the middle and the ending of thoſe Calamities, that might take their beginning from an Earthquake, Matth▪ 24. 7, 8.
4. Becauſe I judge (if I err, let my miſtaking thoughts be excuſed) that this late Earthquake was from the immediate hand of God. And yet if it were not, God can uſe the alleadged Natural Cauſes of Earthquakes, to give warning, and to fore-run other following Miſeries. But my reaſon is this, becauſe it did extend it ſelf ſo far, to ſo many places in England, and beyond the Sea (according to the Account that I have heard) not only on the ſame day, but at the ſame time of the day as in England, at London, Sheerneſs, Sandwich, Deal, Maidstone, Portſmouth, and many other places beyond Sea, at Paris, Marli, Verſailles, and in Normandy, at Bruſſels, Cologne, and in moſt places of Holland and Flanders. Now if it did ariſe from Natural Cauſes, there muſt be exceeding great quantities of ſuch Vapours in the Caves and hollow Places of the Earth, which ſtriving all along ſo far to get out, it ſeems very ſtrange they did no where with great fury break out, to the opening of the Earth, and overthrow of ſome places, where the Earth was weakeſt. If the quantity was leſs, taking its beginning in ſome certain place, and proceeding forward, ſeeking to get out, but could not, it would have required more time to travail under ground to ſuch diſtant Towns and Cities, as in England, and ſo many places beyond Sea, and ſo could not have been at all, at the ſame time.
And if it were from the immediate hand of God, was it not for ſome great end that God ſhould do ſo great a work, which he doth more rarely do? Is not the meaning of it, a warning to all that have been ſhaken by it, to forſake ſin, and turn to God by repentance and reformation, or elſe look for ſome further ſtroke? while we go on in a courſe of great provoking ſins, when God hath ſhaken his Rod over us, might we not fear it will ſome time fall upon us? But whether it were Natural or Supernatural, ſhould not all places that trembled by it, without Reformation, fear and tremble at the Judgments that may follow it? when God begins to puniſh, and Men not ſo much as begin to repent and turn, doth not he threaten he will go on to puniſh ſeven times more, and ſeven to that? and many times ſeven more to that, when a People ſtill walk contrary to him? Lev. 26. 15. to 40.
Some would fain deny the matter of Fact, but that there are ſo many Witneſſes to teſtifie againſt them. Some that own it, make light of it, and do not at all think it portends any more Calamity to come; even as the blinded Jews ſlighted all the Indications of more approaching Miſeries, as Joſephus writes concerning them; ſaying, Theſe miſerable people were eaſily perſwaded to believe Impoſtors who did bely God, yet would they not believe, nor give any ear or regard unto certain Tokens and Signs (of which an Earthquake was one) of the ruin of their City: but as it were blinded, neither having Eyes nor Souls, they counterfeited themſelves, not to ſee what God foreſhewed them.
Tho' I dare not undertake to tell what particular Judgments (which are at God's ordering) this Earthquake doth preſage, without Reformation; yet may I not ask this ſober Queſtion, If this late Earthquake have not good effect upon our Hearts and Lives, may we not fear leſt thoſe Judgments may follow, which we read in Scripture God hath ſent upon a People for thoſe very ſins which do raign amongſt us? as for prophaning his Sabbaths, for exceſſive Pride in Apparel, for profane Swearing, fulneſs of Bread, Drunkenneſs, Whoredoms, Robberies, Murders, Contempt of Religion, Hatred of Godlineſs, Diviſions, and hating one another, neglect of Religious Education of Children, baniſhing the Worſhip of God from our Families, Blaſpheming, and Curſing inſtead of Calling upon God, Lukewarmneſs, and a general Decay of the Power of Godlineſs, Leaving of our firſt Love, loſs of the Spirit of Prayer, yea (ah ſinful Age) deriding of it, Apoſtacies, and Worldlineſs, Selfiſhneſs, and abuſe of God's holy Ordinances, proſtituting them to Carnal Deſigns and Intereſts; and many more. That Scripture (amongſt many Iſai. 3.) may ſerve for a Glaſs to ſee our ſins, and what Judgments we may fear, if they be continued in; which are ſins that bring Kingdoms and Cities to ruin. Verſe 8. For Jeruſalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, becauſe their tongue and their doings are againſt the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
O that Magiſtrates (Nehemiah like) would not any longer ſuffer the Sabbath to be openly profaned, or things expoſed to Sale in Londons (late trembling) Streets, or Parts adjacent, nor in the Land. Where is Nehemiah's Courage?Neh. 13. 15. 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, Figs [and now in our Street-trade, Apples, Pears, Plumbs, &c.] on the Sabbath-day: and I teſtified againſt them in the day wherein they ſold Victuals. Verſe 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah,and ſaid unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane 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 profaning the Sabbath. —Verſe 21. Then I teſtified againſt them, and ſaid unto them,—if ye do ſo again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath day. O that after ſuch ſhakings of the City, ſuch things might be done no more on the Sabbath day.
O that no more Oaths on other days might be heard in our Streets, and no more reelings by Drunkenneſs there, leaſt the Earth reel under us again. O that there might be praying to, and praiſing of God in all Houſes that did ſhake, and yet do ſtand. That all Men of all Ranks, Callings, Qualities, Rich and Poor, Magiſtrates and Subjects, Miniſters and People, Parents and Children, Maſters and Servants, might ſearch their hearts and ways, ſee what is amiſs, and mend it, what is good, and continue and grow therein, that God may be no more provoked, diſhonoured, incenſed againſt us, but glorified, pleaſed, feared by us, that his Anger might be turned away from us, that inſtead of Judgments and Wrath, his Bleſſings and Mercies might be poured upon us. Amen.