The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 42 – Meditation 44
MEDITATION XLII. Upon the Pains which the Kings Majeſty is ſaid to have taken in helping to extinguiſh the Fire.
I Was no eye-witneſs, but have been informed, that when the Fire came near to Cripplega…t, His Majeſty being then and there preſent, did, in His own Perſon, take great Pains (no leſs, as was told, then if He had been a poor Labourer,) to promote the extinction of it. Poſſibly ſome weak and inconſiderate perſons, that ſaw His Majeſty at that time ſtooping ſo low, might in their hearts deſpiſe Him for it, (as Michal did David, for leaping and dancing before the Ark, 2 Sam. 6.16. and 20.) ſaying in deriſion, How glorious was the King of England to day? as ſhe, How glorious was the King of Iſrael? &c. But wiſe and religious perſons, that had ſeen David in that poſture, would have ſpoken the ſame words in good earneſt, which ſhe ſpake in ſcorn, meaning, as they ſaid, How glorious indeed was the King of Iſrael, whilſt, tranſported with holy zeal, he leapt before the Ark, which is called, Dancing before the Lord? The like can I ſay from mine heart of our Dread Soveraign: How glorious was He in truth, and in reality, when He took upon Him the form, or rather the work of a mean-man; and vouchſafed His helping Hand to ſtop that diſmal Fire, when it was in its full carreer? Had I ſeen Him with His Crown upon His Head, His Scepter in His Hand, His Noble Senators all waiting upon Him in their Parliament-Robes, or in all the State in which He could have been ſeen, (Cant. 3.11.) either on the day of His Coronation, or of His Eſpouſals; I could not have reverenced Him more than I ſhould have done, if I had beheld Him with a Bucket in His Hand, pouring water upon the Flames; or than I do, ſo often as I think of Him in ſome ſuch poſture of moſt kind and obliging condeſcenſion. Me-thinks it was but equal that Chriſt ſhould be more loved, but not leſs honoured, when he humbled himſelf ſo far, as to take a Towel, and therewith to waſh, and to wipe his Diſciples feet, John 13.4.
Kings never act more like themſelves than when they are doing good to their Subjects, and are ſnatching them, or their Concerns, as fire-brands out of the Fire: forasmuch as the Scripture ſaith, That Magiſtrates are the Miniſters of God to thoſe that are under them for good, Rom. 13.4. The Roman Emperors had wont to iſſue out their Commands to their Soldiers, not in the third, but in the firſt Perſon: So Pertinax his Word and Motto was Militemus; not, March ye; but, Let us March on; (including himſelf.) So Septimius Severus his word was Laboremus, Let us be doing. In like manner, our Gracious Soveraign is ſaid to have ſtretcht forth His own Royal Hands to aſſiſt the putting out of thoſe Aſpiring Flames, which ſeemed to expect a Princely Extinguiſher: That was ſuch a kind of Royal Aid, as all Subjects muſt needs be in love with; and, Why not more free to that other, which goes by ſuch a name in the remembrance of this? One of the Ancients did wiſh, to have ſeen Chriſt in the Fleſh, Paul in the Pulpit, and Rome in its ancient Glory. Much rather, at leſt-wiſe than the laſt of theſe, would I have ſeen that ſight I am now ſpeaking of, viz. His moſt Excellent Majeſty beſtirring Himſelf, to give check to thoſe Flames which threatned to lay both His great City and Suburbs all in aſhes. Who had the faces to ſtand ſtill and look on, (as many did at other times,) whilſt their Soveraign Himſelf was ſo imployed? Whilſt Princes work, Subjects cannot have the confidence to be idle. Oh the power and efficacy of Princely Examples! Regis ad exemplum, &c. When Princes will help to extinguiſh fires themſelves, the work is like to ſucceed; and when that is done, the greateſt thanks are due to them, next unto the King of Kings.
I wiſh, there were not many other fires at this day within the Bowels of this Nation, viz. of fears and jealouſies, envy and emulation, wrath and revenge, diſſatisfaction and diſcontent, diſſenſion and diviſion: May he, who is the Wonderful, Counſellor, and God only wiſe, inſtruct His Majeſty, how, and which way to extinguiſh them: and mean-time to increaſe one other fire (and only that) viz. of love and affection; firſt to God, nextly to Himſelf, and then amongſt all his Subjects one towards another. Solomon tells of a poor man, who by his wiſdom ſaved a little City, when a great king came againſt it, and beſieged it, Eccleſ. 9.14. By this means may His Majeſty ſave, and preſerve, not only one City but three Kingdoms, which thoſe fires threaten to deſtroy: (for our Saviour tells us, That a kingdom divided againſt it ſelf cannot ſtand:) And though no man remembred that poor man (becauſe he was poor) yet when a more glorious action ſhall be done by a Princely hand, ſurely no man will or can forget it. Will it not be a conſiderable acceſſion of honour even to a great King, to be inrolled amongſt the Peace-makers, whom Chriſt pronounceth bleſſed? As for His Majeſties inclination to all ſuch Atchievements, as ſweetneſs of temper may induce men to, let all His Subjects be well perſwaded of, by the tears he ſhed, when he beheld the Flames of London, which I had not reported but from a very credible Author. How amiable a ſight is it to behold Kings weeping over the miſeries of their Subjects, and what aſſurance doth it give, that they will not be backward to redreſs them ſo far as is within their power? Had His head been a fountain of tears, (as the Prophet Jeremy upon occaſion wiſht his own,) I doubt not but he had poured it forth when he came near to Cripplegate, with reſolution to do all a King could do to put out thoſe flames: May we alwayes ſee a bleſſed contention betwixt our King and his People, Which ſhall moſt reſent and bewail each others ſufferings; Which ſhall moſt promote and rejoyce in each others happineſs!
MEDITATION XLIII. Of meer Worldlings, who loſt their All by this Fire.
THis it is for men to venture all they have and hope for, in one bottom; and that unfound and apt to leak: Some lay up no treaſures for themſelves any where but upon earth; and upon earth there is no ſafe place to lay up treaſures in: but ſome are more hazardous than others, (as namely, Houſ…, ſubject to the common caſualty of fire;) and yet, ſome, who have contented themſelves with a portion in this World only, have laid up all there. So juſt is it with God to let them be fooliſh, even in relation to Time, that would not be wiſe for Eternity: weak, even as to this World, that would not be wiſe for the next. The Prodigal, that deſired to make ſure of his Patrimony, by having all in hand, preſently ſpent it, and was reduced to husks: When he ſaw his error, ſurely he became ſenſible, that leſs in poſſeſſion, and more in reverſion would have done better. Were there not ſome, who, when they would bleſs themſelves, (under a preſence of bleſſing God,) had nothing elſe to ſay, neither cared for any thing elſe, but this, Bleſſed be God! for I am rich: But, in how ſmall a time are they become poor as Job! (as our Proverb is.)
Had they not fair Warning? Did not the Scripture charge them Not to truſt in uncertain riches? Did it not tell them, That Riches h…d …ings, and would fly away? Alaſs! What will ſuch People do? Whither will they turn themſelves? Intereſt in Heaven they never had any; and, intereſt on Earth they have none left: They are in ſuch like caſe as Saul was, when he ſaid, The Philiſtims were come up againſt him, and God was departed: Heaven and earth frowns upon them both at once. Had you been in that caſe, that Chriſt would have had the Young man in the Goſpel to have put himſelf into, when he counſelled him, To ſell all that he had, and give it to She poor; telling him, that if he would do ſo, He ſhould have treaſures in Heaven; you had not been the hundredth part ſo miſerable; Yea, happy had you been, as to the main. But now, all ſorts of men conclude you in a wofull caſe; Good men do ſo, becauſe you neither had nor have any thing but this Worlds goods: Bad men, yea the worſt of men, becauſe you have now loſt what you had. But, miſtake me not, as if I were urging People in that caſe to deſpair. God forbid; I am ſo far from that, that I queſtion not but even they may be happier than ever they were heretofore, if the fault be not their own: for, whereas before they had intereſt in the World, but none in God; hereafter, may they have intereſt in God, which is far better, though perchance they may have little or none in the World. Chriſt told the Church of Laodicea in a ſpiritual ſenſe, That ſhe was miſerable, and poor, and maked; ſo are theſe men in both ſenſes, viz. Spiritual and Temporal: but, let them take that Counſel which Chriſt there gives, and all will be well, viz. Buy of Chriſt gold tried in the fire, raiment, &c. All your loſſes may be reckoned as droſs and dung in compariſon of your gains, if you ſhall gain this by your loſſes, viz. To win Chriſt, and to be found in him. Say now, whether you your ſelves were not the fools, and they whom you counted fools the truly wiſe, whoſe care it was to lay up for themſelves Treaſures in heaven, where moth eates not, ruſt corrupts not, thieves ſteal not; and, let me add, where fire cannot break in and conſume.
MEDITATION XLIV. Upon that Vorl…rance which it becometh Citizens to uſe one towards another ſince the Fire.
NOw the Fire hath arreſted ſo many honeſt Citizens, and made ſuch woful diſtreſs upon them, what pity is it, that over-haſty Creditors ſhould clap in their Actions upon them thick and threefold; as if ſeeing them ſtoop, they were reſolved to break them; or, thinking them fallen for the preſent, they would never ſuffer them to riſe more. If you think them well able to pay you preſently, and know yourſelves unable to be without your moneys any longer, that is another matter; or if you have reaſon to think they will not be honeſt, unleſs you make them ſo by a ſurpriſe, and take them at an advantage, ſuch things may plead for you: but ſuch as have to do with men that are not able to pay their debts when they will, but willing to pay them when they are able, and who in caſe they were forborn a while, might be as well able as willing to ſatisfie every man; I ſay, where that is the caſe, to break mens backs with over-haſtineſs a ſuch a time as this, to give them no reſpite, that they may recover their wind after the late calamity hath run them out of breath, is unchriſtian and more than heatheniſh unmercifulneſs. Will you needleſly add affliction to the afflicted? Will you come like waves one in the neck of another upon thoſe that are almoſt ſunk already? thoſe that daſht upon Scylla but a little before, will you throw them upon Charybdis? whereas, if they had opportunity to make their Voyage, and might come ſafe to harbour, ſuch might be their ſucceſs, that you would be no loſers by them. Men can part with ſeveral Pints of blood ſucceſſively and by degrees, whereas, if you ſhould take ſo much from them all at once, they would be ready to faint and dye away. If the fire hath really undone men, do not you undo them yet more; If that have taken away all their Eſtates, do not you ſeize their Bodies; as if it were not miſery enough for men to have nothing to live upon, unleſs they alſo lie and languiſh in a Priſon. Do no hurt to others whereby you can do no good to yourſelves. Go not to work as if you would conſtrain them to be honeſt, that you believe will be honeſt without conſtraint (otherwiſe called reſtraint in this caſe). As for thoſe debtors of yours that make conſcience to do as they would be done by, (and I ſhall plead for none but ſuch), though at preſent they cannot, Have but patience with them and they will pay you all: that is, all they owe; at leaſtwiſe, all they can, or ſhall be able to pay, and that is all that you can reaſonably demand or expect.