The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 32
MEDITATION XXXII. Upon the City-Miniſters, whoſe Churches were ſaved from the Fire.
GIve a reaſon, if you can, Why your Churches were not burnt, as well as were the moſt of your Brethrens? Why was an Ark provided for you, (whoſe number was ſcarce twice eight,) when all the Miniſters of London beſides were (as ſuch) ſwept away by that Deluge of Fire, (if I may ſo call it,) which did then overflow? Were you the only Noahs that were in the Old World? VVere there no Preachers of Righteouſneſs but your ſelves? or, Did you help to build that Ark, which ſaved you, as Noah did? I dare engage for you, You have more humility and modeſty than to think any ſuch thing: You are convinced, God made a difference where he found none. You hate in this caſe, to ſay, Ego me ipſum diſcrevi. You know, no account is to be given of it; But that God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy: God who acteth all things according to the Counſel of His own Will, hath reaſons for every thing he doth, but we are not worthy to know them. To be ſure, thoſe I did mention were none of them.
What a diſtinguiſhing mercy is it, that you have both ſheep and folds, when other Shepherds have neither folds nor ſheep; their folds are burnt, their ſheep are ſcatter'd. Me-thinks it is time, All ſhops of meat are ſhut up, only here, and there one, that hath gotten a licenſe, and what a thing is it, that one of thoſe licenſes ſhould fall to your ſhare, there being ſo few of them as are? When there were Ninty ſeven Churches ſtanding in London, had you heard a ſuſpenſion was coming forth (for what reaſon you could not tell) againſt all but twelve or ſixteen of thoſe Ninty ſeven Miniſters, could you have imagined that each of you ſhould have been one of that priviledged number, or as the Diſciples of Chriſt askt him one by one when he told them one ſhould betray him Maſter is it I? So would not you have askt, Am not I, one of thoſe that are to be ſuſpended, and in caſe it had proved otherwiſe how thankful would you have been? Such is your caſe now. Others have loſt, and you have gained; Others have no Congregations, and yours are greater then ever (and look like gathered Churches made up of people collected out of ſeveral parts and Pariſhes) which now come to hear you. You have received ſingular favour; doth not God expect you ſhould do ſome ſingular thing? As Chriſt ſaid to his Diſciples, What ſingular thing do you? Will you not think yours ſelves bound to ſhine with double and treble ſo much light as formerly (if you can poſſibly) now that there are ſo few publick Lights left to ſhine in this part of the firmament. Pray, that the ſpirit of Elias may be doubled upon you now that ſo many Elias's (as you your ſelves accounted them) are taken away by that fiery Chariot I have been ſpeaking of. If you ſee ſuch multitudes in your reſpective Churches as you never ſaw there before, have compaſſion on them as Chriſt had, and labour to ſend them away well fed, and ſatisfied. Your lips are now to preſerve knowledge for many more than they had wont to do; The fire hath given you a kind of Monopoly for preaching in theſe parts, and therefore you muſt needs have the more Auditors; Forfeit not your Patent. I was a ſtranger to ſeveral of you, but others of you I knew, whom I believe to be honeſt and ingenuous men, partly for whoſe ſake I am glad that thoſe Candleſticks are ſtill in being, which did and do contain ſo ſerviceable Lights. As Noah being ſaved from the deluge, did greatly help to increaſe the world; ſo, may you adde daily to the Church ſuch as ſhall be ſaved; and then the worſt I wiſh you, is, that a bleſsing from heaven may attend your labours.