Seasonable Counsel to an Afflicted People, Letter 2
POſſibly this Letter may come into more hands beſides theirs, to whom … have particularly written, who have alſo ſuffered in like manner with them. Where ere it comes, I ſhall follow it with my Prayers, that it may contribute ſomething to revive the ſenſe in all places (which are not a few in England theſe …ate years) people had, when the heavy hand of God by Fire was upon them. Great judgments are to be kept in remembrance, and to be improved for promo…ing repentance, and the fear of God all our days; yea, the memory of them ſhould be conveyed to poſterity after us; as Joel 1.3, Tell your children, and let your children tell their children. Men think unworthily of Gods Judgments, if they ſuppoſe they are only to be regarded a few days.
Men and Brethren, who have ſuffered by ſo great and unuſual Fires as have been in our Land: What were your thoughts when your eyes were ſadly beholding thoſe terrible flames? Were they not ſuch as theſe? We have anger'd the great an… terrible God, whoſe fury hath broke… out in theſe terrible flames. Wo unto u… we muſt repent, or elſe our ſouls and bodies, as well as our houſes and goods, wil… be alſo as dry ſtubble to this Conſuming Fire. Lord what wilt thou hav… us to do? We will ſin no more, but offe… our bodies and ſouls a living and acceptable ſacrifice to God for ever.
It cannot be hurtful, it may be profitable, if I (the unfitteſt of thoſe that mak… mention of the Lord), be your remembrancer of theſe promiſes made to God i… the day of your diſtreſs; the word is gon… out of your mouth, and recorded in Heaven, and ye cannot go back.
It is therefore your wiſdom, and muſ… be your chiefeſt care, that theſe bonds b… taken up; and that payment be made o… theſe vows, leſt execution be taken out o… the Court of Heaven, and a worſe thing come unto you, than the dreadful Fir… could procure; there can be no ſecurity againſt greateſt fears and dangers, till Gods anger be turned away ſo long as his hand is ſtretched ou… ſtill, paſt miſery may be but the beginning of future ſorrows.
As a Miniſter of the Catholick Church, I have Authority from Chriſt to ſpeak, if I could, to the whole Nation, or whereever he hath a Church in the World, being call'd thereto; but if I had opportunity, and power anſwerable to deſire, I would chiefly, if not only, confine my ſelf to put thoſe places and people where the mercileſs Fire hath been ſo raging for a few years paſt, in remembrance, whether they have anſwered the call of God, when he cry'd then ſo loud. O Drayton, New-port, Marlborough, London, Northhampton, Southwark, with many other places of note in England, which have ſuffered the vengeance of fearful Fire; you were once in aſhes, have you repented in duſt and aſhes?
I make no queſtion, but your reſpective Miniſters cryed aloud, calling you to repentance (the main Errand which my Letter goes on) as ſeaſonably, but much more powerfully than I have done to the place and people I once belonged to.
But Men and Brethren, what anſwer and return? Methinks God hath pickt out theſe and other burnt places (the light of whoſe flames was ſeen all the Countrey over) to be the pureſt and viſibleſt patterns of Piety towards God, and ſobriety towards men, of all places in this Kingdom; and if they ſhould not prove ſuch, ſhould I ſpeak too hardly, if I did adventure to ſay, it ſhall be more tolerable in the day of Judgment for any other place in the Kingdom, than for theſe?
What can be ſaid for theſe places, when Chriſt ſpeaketh, ſaying, What could I have done more?
You would not be reaſoned, which my faithful Miniſters did wiſely and earneſtly attempt; no, nor be burnt out of your ſins, which the power of my anger, and my out-ſtretched arm attempted alſo.
Beloved Chriſtians, you have been pul'd out of the Fire, but were you purifi'd in the Fire? Have you teſtifi'd the truth of your repentance, for thoſe ſins that were the chief fuel for the fire which the wrath of the Lord did kindle? Have you teſtifi'd indeed the ſincerity of this repentance, as the believing Corinthians did, 2 Cor. 7.11, as all the Saints recorded in Scripture, did by reformation of life?
This Nation is ſick, and ready to dye for want of repentance and reformation. God hearkens, and hears; men look and enquire from one end of the Kingdom to another; who ſhall begin, be the firſt, and beſt example of this real, univerſal, and effectual reformation; that England, though it droops, may not dye.
Sure theſe great places, who all had this loud call from Heaven, God calling out of the Fire unto them, are to be firſt. I am ſure God expects and deſigns ſuch ſo to be. Joel 2.3, 12. The Fire devoured before, and the voice of the Lord comes after, ſaying, Turn unto me with faſting, weeping, and mourning.
So when the Citys of Judah were burnt with Fire, the deſign of God was, that the filth of the daughter of Zion ſhould be caſt away, Iſa. 1.7. God hath the ſame expectations from you, O people, whom the Fire of the Lord hath deſtroyed, and laid waſte. Hath God ever ſince waited for this? when ſhall it once be? O give not God occaſion to ſpeak of you, as he did of Judah, Amos 4.10, Ye were as a brand pluckt out of the burning, yet have ye not returned unto me.
Though Judah thus offended by being incorrigible, O let not cauſe be given for God to ſet this brand upon you! He had you in the Fire to melt you under his hand, to work you up to his good pleaſure; but you failed his expectation as much as they did, Zeph. 3.6, 7.
But I hope better things from theſe places who have paſſed through the Fire. I hope then they pray'd effectually, like David, O God create in us new hearts, that we might lead new lives, and walk in a perfect way in our new houſes, that we might ſin no more, that ſo we might be burnt no more. Which ſhall be the earneſt prayer alſo of their ſouls well-wiſher,
A. P. April the 5th, 1677.
FINIS.
End of the text · Andrew Parsons, Seasonable Counsel to an Afflicted People (1677)