The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 34
MEDITATION XXXIV. Upon the killing of ſeveral People by the falling of ſome part of ruinous Churches.
MEn were never afraid, till of late, to paſs by the out-ſides of Churches, though there were not a few that did not much care to come within them: Alas, that thoſe places, in which many Souls have formerly been ſaved, by the faithful Preaching of Gods VVord, ſhould now ſerve to no other end, but to deſtroy mens Bodies. Seeing the greateſt part of ſo many Churches were burnt, How happy had it been for divers perſons if not one ſtone had been left upon another, which had not been thrown down: Thoſe tall Ruins, thoſe high Trophies of the Fire, have coſt many lives already; and God only knows, how many more they may coſt firſt and laſt.
I was never the man that did, (as too many others,) wiſh the Churches down to the very ground, till ſince the Fire; and, now I wiſh it with all my heart, concerning as many of them as are burnt; for, VVhy ſhould they ſtand to ruin ſome, and to terrifie all that paſs by them, eſpecially in a VVindy-ſeaſon. I know not to whom it belongs to take care, that ruinated-Buildings ſhould be quite pulled down; but, ſure I am, they have had fair warning; and if they take it not, by the ſame reaſon, That he who digged a ſit, and …vered it not, in caſe a beaſt fell into it, was to make ſatisfaction to the owner: and, that he, whoſe Oxe g…red another mans Oxe to death, knowing that the Oxe had wont to puſh in time paſt, and the owner hed not kept him in, wa…, by Moſes his Law, to pay Oxe for Oxe, and the dead was to be his own, Exod. 21.36. I ſay, by parity of reaſon, ought they, who know the danger of Fragments of Churches, and other Buildings, ſtanding as they do, to ſatisfie for the lives of thoſe Men and VVomen, who ſhall happen hereafter to be killed by the fall of thoſe places, which it was their duty to have taken down: Great pity it is that ſo much notice was not taken of the firſt perſon that periſhed by that means, as might have prevented the deſtruction of all the reſt; But, of that we ſpeak too late.
Had thoſe Churches been either perſectly ſtanding, or perfectly demoliſh'd, they could have done no hurt; but, being between both, they were in a capacity to do miſchief; though, as for matter of ſervice, they were in no capacity at all. I am deceived if it be not juſt ſo with almoſt, but not altogether-ruin'd Perſons, as with Places of that ſore; Though they can do, or receive little good themſelves, yet may they prove incomparably deſtructive to others, (eſpecially in ſuch high-Winds as may blow;) and therefore prudence may ſuggeſt, that ſuch Perſons, as are not judged worthy to be perfectly ruin'd, and, as it were deſtroyed from off the face of the earth, had better be left ſtanding in ſome tolerable condition, than in ſuch a tottering and ruinous way, as, in caſe any violent tempeſt, or unexpected Herricaue ſhould happen, might indanger the ruin of many, upon whom they may chance to fall.
I cannot diſmiſs this Subject till I have conſidered how ſecurely thoſe Perſons, that were killed by the fall of ruinous-Buildings, may have been ſuppoſed to have paſſed by them, till perchance their utter-deſtruction gave them the firſt apprehenſions of their dangers, or rather anticipated the apprehenſions of it. Alas! How unexpected a gueſt oft-times is Death? How often doth it draw the latch and come in upon men unawares, when they dream of nothing leſs? How comes it like a thief in the night, when men are in a profound ſleep of ſecurity? It is like, thoſe People thought, that ſeeing ſo many perſons had gon that way with ſafety the ſelf-ſame-day; yea, it may be the ſelf-ſame-hour; ſo might they, as well as the reſt: But, I ſee, there is no Topick, from which men argue for ſecurity, (how probable ſoever,) but fails them now and then; neither is there any ſafety in probable immunity, from ſudden death, but only in due preparation for it. As for thoſe, who have often paſſed to and fro the Ruins, and by the ſides of tottering-Walls, but never received any hurt: I wiſh they may conſider, How infinitely they are bound to God for the gracious watchfulneſs of his good Providence over them, and for putting ſo vaſt a difference betwixt them and others, as not to let them loſe one hair of their heads by ruinated-Buildings, whereby others have loſt their lives: And, may ſuch, as have occaſion to paſs-by ſuch places from day to day, duly conſider, That God hath created more dangers than were formerly; and therefore ought they to walk with more circumſpection than they had wont to do, and to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long; and to be in readineſs for the worſt that can befall them; as men that carry their lives in their hands, and do walk in the midſt of menacing-perils. There is a Promiſe, (if I may ſo call it,) Job. 5.23. that it were good for a man to have intereſt in, eſpecially at ſuch a time as this; Then ſhalt be in league with the ſtones, as well as the beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee.