The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 53
MEDITATION LIII. Upon the Anniverſary Faſt appointed to be kept in remembrance of the Fire.
HOw do we play an after-game? Yet better late than never: What Epimeth…uſſes are we? Now the City is burnt, we deſign to keep a perpetual yearly Faſt, whereas there is little doubt, but the burning of it might have been prevented, if, before that judgement came, we had ſet ourſelves to keep ſuch a faſt, as is ſpoken of, Iſa. 58.6. Is not this the Faſt that I have choſen? to looſe the bands of wickedneſs, to undo the heavy burthens, and to let the oppreſſed go free, and that ye break every Yoke, &c. The Ninivites were wiſer then we, for when Jonah preach't to them, that within forty dayes Nineveh ſhould be overthrown: They took that ſhort warning, proclaimed a Faſt, yea and turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil, that he had ſaid he would do unto them, Jonah 3.10. We have now and then faſted after a ſort, but was it not ſo? that God might juſtly expoſtulate with us, as with the Jews of old, Is it ſuch a Faſt as I have choſen? a day for a man … …fflict his Soul: Wilt thou call this a F…ſt, and an acceptable day to the Lord? But have we turned from our evil wayes? as the Ninevites are ſaid to have done.
Preventing Faſts like preventing Phyſick are much the beſt, but when they have been omitted (or not obſerved (as they ought to be) which ſurely hath been our caſe) then curing or reſtoring Faſts (as I may call them) are exceeding neceſſary, as therapeutical or healing Phyſick is, where prophylactical or preventing remedies have not taken place.
A Faſt both Anniverſary and Perpetual is not without its preſident in ſcripture. The Jewes had ſuch a Faſt by Gods appointment, Lev. 16.24. This ſhall be a ſtatute for ever to you, that in the ſeventh m…nth ye ſhall afflict your ſ…uls, ver. 34. This ſhall be an everlaſting Statute to you, to make an attonement for the Children of Iſrael for all their ſins once a year. So it is, that the Jews their Anniverſary Faſt, or day of Atonements, I ſay theirs and ours were and are both in the ſeventh month of the Year (reckoning March the firſt, as it is upon a civil accompt) and this, we know, came to paſſe not by humane deſignation, but by the determination of divine Providence, which brought the Fire in September; and it was but meet, that the Faſt, in relation to it, ſhould be in the ſame month, and on the ſame day the Fire was: Yea, poſſibly the zeal of Eſther (if ſuch a thing had hapned in her time) would have continued the Faſt as many dayes together, as the Fire it ſelf did continue; for we read that She faſted three dayes and three nights together, Eſther 4.16. and it is probable would have held out one day longer, if ſo ſolemn an occaſion had called her to it.
How ſuitable it is that a Faſt ſhould be proclaimed upon ſuch an occaſion as this were eaſie to make appear. Faſts are a kind of Sabbaths, for Moſes ſpeaking of the Jews their Anniverſary Faſt, Lev. 16.31. ſaith It ſhall be a ſabbath of reſt unto you, and ye ſhall afflict your ſoules by a Statue for ever. Now the City reſteth and injoyeth her Sabbaths in that doleful (if not ironicall) ſenſe, in which that phraſe is uſed, Lev. 26.34. (viz. for a place that lieth deſolate) reaſon good that Citizens ſhould keep a Sabbath too, at leaſtwiſe every year, as that doth every day. When London lieth in aſhes, why ſhould not Londoners do ſo to? at leaſtwiſe for a ſeaſon: When God hath humbled the City to the very duſt, ſhould not Citizens, in like manner, humble their ſelves under his mighty hand:
Neither is it without reaſ…n and ſcripture that a perpetual Faſt ſhould be kept upon accompt of a tranſient judgement (if I may call this tranſient) or that the Ages to come ſhould confeſſe and lament the ſins and miſeries of former times, or of the Ages that were before them. Neh. 9.2. They confeſſed their ſins and the iniquities of their Fathers: and Dan. 9.16. For our ſins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, thy people are become a reproach. There being Scripture for ſuch a practice, doubtleſs there is reaſon enough for it; yet I queſtion not, but a man may lawfully ask, What the reaſon is, or what cauſe can be aſſigned for our ſo doing? The moſt obvious Reaſons ſeem to reſult from the Love we owe to God, the Relation in which we ſtand to our Anceſtors and Forefathers, the Reverence which is due to the Judgements of God, and the bad influence which the ſins of our Anceſtors and Predeceſſors may have upon ourſelves in caſe we lay them not to heart. We are ſorry that thoſe whom we dearly love have been injured by others (and not then only when we have injured them ourſelves); yea, if we hear of any great wrong that was done them many years ago, we are troubled at it, and affected with it (though poſſibly not ſo much as if it were but yeſterday). And will not true love to God cauſe us in like manner to reſent the known injuries that have been done to him? (and ſuch are all the great violations of his Law) yea, though by others, and many years ſince. If thoſe that have wronged the perſons we love, were ſuch as were nearly related to ourſelves (as when Saul, that was Jonathan's Father, was very unkind to David, whom himſelf had a great affection for) it troubleth us ſo much the more. So would love to God cauſe us to do, when thoſe from whoſe Loins we ſprang (or who are otherwiſe near to us), have greatly provok'd him, to w…om all by paſt things (though even worn out of the memory of men) are alwayes as preſent. By this Rule, though ſucceſsors ought to mourn over the ſins of their predeceſsors, yet Children more eſpecially over the ſins of their Parents, or Proparents, and other Relations one of another. We reverence not the Judgements of God as we ought, if hearing what God hath done to others for the ſame ſins whereof ourſelves are guilty (more or leſs) we do not both mourn, and tremble, and humble ourſelves before the Lord, leſt he ſhould do as much to us, as God ſaith to the Iſraelites, Jer. 7.12, 14. Go and ſee what I did to Shiloh, I will do unto this houſe as I did to Siloh.
If ſuch conſiderations as theſe affect us not with the Sins and Judgements, which have gone over the heads of our Anceſtors in former times, then do we ourſelves become partakers of their ſins, and their ſins help to fill up the meaſure of ours: at we read of the ſins of the Amorites not being yet full (implying, that the ſins of the time preſent and time paſt, were thrown as it were into one meaſure); and as Chriſt ſpake to the perſecuting Jews, Mat. 23.35. ſaying, That upon them might come all the righteous blood, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias. We read of God's viſiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation; and that he doth when they make them theirs, as by other means, ſo particularly by not mourning over them.
But if after-ages will not weep over the miſeries of this (which Hiſtory will not ſuffer them to be ignorant of), let them weep over their own loſses by this Fire: for I doubt not, but ſome may ſmart under the conſequences of it hundreds of years hence: foraſmuch as ſome Eſtates were conſumed by it, which might otherwiſe have been tranſmitted from Generation to Generation throughout ſeveral Ages to come. For ought I know, the fourth and fifth Generation from hence (to ſpeak within bounds) may have juſt cauſe, even from the influence this Judgment may have upon themſelves, to obſerve the ſecond of September as a ſolemne Faſt.
As for the good ends we may propound to ourſelves in obſerving that day as a Religious Faſt, they are ſo plain and viſible as that nothing can be more. Solemnly to humble ourſelves time after time, under this mighty hand of God, that may be one. To beg that God would build up the waſte places in his good time, that may be another: as alſo, that he would make a gracious proviſion for his impoveriſhed Servants: And laſtly, To deprecate the like Judgement for time to come; ſeveral of which ends, if I miſtake not, are hinted to us in the Act of Parliament.
But when I further conſider it, how ghaſtly are the thoughts of another Faſt? and that for Anniverſary perpetuity? Alas! how do Faſts multiply upon us? and the cauſes of them much more? —Sixty five gave us juſt occaſion for one perpetual Faſt, with reference to the dreadful Plague that was in that year, and — ſixty ſix by a no leſſe dreadful Fire, hath given us another. Thus ſin upon ſin, hath made work for Faſt after Faſt. And the truth is, ſo many and ſo great are our ſins at this day, that if God ſhould puniſh each of them with a particular and proportionable Judgement, and every ſuch Judgement ſhould be commemorated with an Anniverſary Faſt, the whole year might conſiſt of little elſe but Faſting-dayes: at leaſtwiſe all our Feſtivals be juſtled out, and all thoſe Letters be cloathed with Mourning, that were wont to be clad, (as it were) in Scarlet. Admit that London ſhould be built again, and ſwell to as great a bigneſs as it did before (the latter of which no perſon now living is like to ſee) yet even then there wil be found juſt cauſe of Faſting, Mourning, and Lamentation, for the burning of London in 1666. the prints and footſteps whereof will even then be viſible, though not by an outward deſolation, yet by an inward and leſs perceptible decay. Though London may in proceſs of time, come to look as well in the face as ever it did; yet it's inwards and vital parts will go nigh to remain greatly waſted and conſumed.
But after I have inſiſted ſo long upon the Sutableneſs, Congruity, and Reaſonableneſs of a yearly Faſt in Relation to the Fire: It is ſit I declare my ſelf as to the nature and manner of the Faſt I wiſh for, and which only will ſtead us, viz. Such … Faſt as is ſpoken of, Iſa. 58.6, 7. then may we hope to ſee ſuch a promiſe fulfilled as that, (of which we read) ver. 12. And they that ſhall be of thee, ſhall build the old waſte places: thou ſhalt raiſe up the foundations of many generations, and thou ſhalt be called, The repairer of the breach, the reſtorer of paths to dwel in.