The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 46
MEDITATION XLVI. Of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah, compared with the burning of London.
AS for the burning of Sedom, and the cities round about it, all but Zoar, it muſt be confeſſed that in ſeveral reſpects it did tranſcend that of London. For, firſt of all we read in Gen. 19.24. That the Lord did rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimſtone, and fire from the Lord out of heaven. Thoſe places were deſtroyed by a meer miracle (which was no ſmall aggravation of the judgement, as it is of mercy when men are ſaved by miracle) but ſo was not London conceived to have been. Nextly, the fire upon Sodom (and the three other Cities conſumed with it) deſtroyed not only a major part of thoſe Cities but the whole. But the Beeſom of deſtruction, which ſwept London, did not ſweep ſo clean but God hath left ſome ſmall remnant of City, that it might not be like Sodom, and like Gomorniſh, Iſai. 1.9. Thirdly, the fire upon Sedom and Gomorrah did conſume, not only places, but perſons; not only four Cities, but the greateſt part of their inhabitants, Gen. 19.25. But to the praiſe of diſtinguiſhing-mercy be it ſpoken, the inhabitants of London were generally ſnatcht as fire-brands out of the fire, and ſo was part of their ſubſtance. Fourthly, Sodom and Gomarah are ſaid to ſuffer the vengeance of eternal fire, Jude 7. Which expreſſion, ſo far as it is refer'd to the places themſelves, doth ſignifie that they were irrecoverably deſtroyed by fire, ſo as that they ſhall eternally lie waſt. But concerning London, we hope and have reaſon to hope better things, and that ſhe may ſay to her inſulting enemies, Rejoyce not over me; For though I fall, yet ſhall I riſe again, &c. Fifthly,
As if one deſtruction had been too little (and that by ſire too) Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, were deſtroyed by water alſo; that whole Countrey being turned into a ſtanding ſtinking Lake, which at this day is called the Dead Sea, and in the Scripture the ſalt-ſea, Gen. 14.3. Though formerly it was even as the garden of God, or as the land of Egypt for fruitfulneſs, Gen. 14.10. The Salt-ſea it is ſuppoſed to be called from the Sulphurous combuſtions, firſt occaſioning it: and the Dead-ſea, becauſe the Charnel-houſe of ſo many dead Carcaſſes, then deſtroyed therein, or becauſe it is quickned by no viſible motion, or becauſe it kills all creatures that come into it. Several marks of God's curſe it retains to this day. Though it be a Sea, yet neither can fiſhes live in it, nor ſhips ſail in it, neither hath it intercourſe with any other ſeas or communion with the Ocean, leſt it ſhould infect other waters with its malignity, neither doth any healthful thing grow thereon; God having blaſted it (as it were) as Chriſt did the barren fig-tree. Solinus calls it a Melancholy Bay, which the black-ſoil thereof, being alſo turned into aſhes, witneſſeth to have been blaſted from heaven. I read of nothing that appeareth good in & about Sodom ſince its deſtruction, but a certain Apple, and that doth but appear ſo neither; for though it appear fair to the eye, yet within the rind of it, is nothing but an Ember-like Soot, which being lightly preſſed evaporates into ſmoak, and becomes duſt. Laſtly, I might adde that God would not permit Lot and his wife, to teſtifie their reſpects and compaſſion towards Sodom, when the ſmoak thereo… went up like a furnace, by caſting ſo much as one look back upon it; which L…'s wife preſuming to do became a pillar of Salt, Geneſis 19.26. In all theſe reſpects was the deſtruction of Sodom greater, than that of London; Yet, Who is able to ſay, Their ſins were greater, all things conſidered? London had wherewithal to make its ſins more out of meaſure ſinful than were thoſe of the Sodomites: It may be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgment, than for ſome Londoners, (though the Judgement upon London at the preſent be leſs intolerable of the two,) Mat. 10.15. For, if the mighty works which have been done in London, had been done in Sodom, poſſibly it had remained to this day, Matt. 11.23.
If any ſhould ſay, It is but juſt that the place where Sodom ſtood, ſhould he turned into a ſtanding-Lake, in memorial of the great Idleneſs of the Inhabitants: That it ſhould be turned into a Dead-Sea… ſo called, from its killing all creatures that come near it, in remembrance, how the Sodomites did, or would have corrupted all perſons that came near them, even the Angels themſelves that were L…ts gueſts: That the place where thoſe Cities ſtood, ſhould have no communion with any other place, ſhould be an exception from that rule, that, All Rivers run into the Sea, viz. by way of puniſhment for that unlawful communion which they had wont to have one with another, changing the natural uſe to that which is againſt nature; or that it ſhould be a Dead-Sea, becauſe the Inhabitants living in pleaſures, were dead whilſt they live; as is ſaid of Widows that ſo live: or, that no good thing ſhould grow there, becauſe ſo many good creatures of God had wont to be abuſed by them, one of whoſe ſins was fulneſs of bread meaning Luxury; That the fair Apple which grows there having nothing within it but Soot and aſhes, was an emblem and ſignification of their being burnt to aſhes for luſting after Beauty. I ſay, if any will ſo diſcant upon the deſtruction of Sodom, how eaſie were it to aſſign as many and as ſtrong Reaſons, why God might have dealt by London as he dealt with Sodom? When Londoners are ready to ſay, No miſery like theirs, let them think of Sodom, and the Inhabitants thereof; betwixt whom and themſelves, not their own merits, but Gods great mercy, hath made a very wide difference.