Londons Resurrection, Discourse 48
DISCOURSE XLVIII.
That the people of England are moſt unworthy to ſee another London.
THe rebuilding of London would be a national mercy: but how unworthy is this nation of it? Never did people more juſtly ſorfeit a City, and every other mercy, than we have done. As Africa is full of monſters in nature, ſo is England in manners. As if we had traded for vice, inſtead of other commodities, with all forreign parts: we have amongſt us the drunkenneſs of Germany, the pride of Spain, (but not ſo grave) the levity and laſciviouſneſs of France, the atheiſm, hypocriſy, reveng, and the unnatural luſts of Italy. We have much of the Indian diſeaſe amongſt us (for ſo ſome ſay it was at firſt) and are forced to ſpend a great deal of their commodity, I mean their Lignum vitae, that is, their guaiacum, uſing that tree of Life (as they call it) as an antidote againſt the poiſon of that forbidden fruit, which is too commonly taſted of.
England hath done wickedneſs as it could, that is, with all its might. Profanneſs is come in upon us like a flood: men glory now a daies in their ſhame, and ſeem aſhamed of that wherein they ſhould glory. I hear that ſome are ambitious to be thought more wicked than they have been, or could be. There are (they ſay) that will boaſt of thoſe ſins which they never did, or had opportunity to commit. There are that ſtrive to bring vertue into diſgrace, and vice into requeſt.
If men would learn to ſin, we can teach other nations thoſe oaths, and execrations, which poſſibly they never heard elſe-where, and will be afraid at firſt to make uſe of, ſuch as Dam them, ram them, ſink them into Hell, body and ſoul: with ſeveral others, yea we could teach them ſuch profound blaſphemy as would even aſtoniſh them at the firſt hearing, and make their hair ſtand an end, yea ſuch as I dare not here recite.
Engliſhmen declare their ſins like Sodom: They that are drunk, are drunk in the day time, as well as in the night (ſome are ſeldom ſober night or day:) they ſin with a whores forehead, and with a brow of braſs. We have many Abſaloms now a daies, that do as it were ſpread a tent in the face of the Sun, and there diſplay their wickedneſs. England hath all the ſins of the ſeven Churches of Aſia, for which God hath long ſince deſtroyed them, and given their land to the Turk; Epheſus left its firſt love to God and Religion, Rev. 2.4. and ſo hath England done. Were there thoſe in Smyrna who blaſphemed ſaying they were Jews, when they were of the Synagogue of Satan? and are there not many ſuch in England? were there thoſe in Pergamos, who taught the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balaac to caſt a ſtumbling block before the children of Iſrael, viz. By ſetting fair women on work to tempt them to commit both fleſhly and ſpiritual whoredom, both Adultery, and Idolatry: Numb. 25.1. And are there not ſuch in England? and as ſome in Pergamos held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans) which thing (ſaith God) I hate, (namely the doctrine of wives being common, for that is ſaid to have bin the doct. of the Nicolaitans) and have we none that pretend it to be their opinion, as well as make it their practiſe ſo to do? Was Thyatira charged with ſuffering the woman Jezebel, …o ſeduce others to fornication, and idolatry? Rev. ….20. And have we no Jezebels amongſt us, that do …e ſame thing? had many in Sardis but a name to …ive, whilſt they were dead, and is not that the caſe of many in England at this day? Was Laodicea charged with lukewarmneſs, That ſhe was neither …ld nor hot, Rev. 3.14. and doth not that ſin exceedingly abound amongſt us? Did the Laodiceans think themſelves ſpiritually rich, and to have need of nothing, when they were poor and miſerable, &c. And do not many amongſt us do the ſame thing? I find but one of all the ſeven Churches that did eſcape reproof, and that was Philadelphia, but it is ſcarce to be diſcerned, that there is any ſuch Church amongſt us, that from its love of the brethren, or brotherhood, or whole fraternity of Chriſtians, deſerves the name of Philadelphia: for as iniquity aboundeth, ſo is the love of moſt men waxen cold.
I could proceed to higher things, and ſay, we have learnt to bring ſerious preaching, and preachers upon the ſtage, and to bring ſome thing like ſtage-plaiers, now and then into the pulpit. Had not his Majeſty by his moſt excellent Proclamation againſt profanneſs, diſcountenanced the attempt ſome were going about (as one would think) to make Religion the mark of a Rebel, and profanneſs the teſt of loyalty; vilifying ſuch perſons, as no good ſubjects, who would not ſwear, and curſe, and health it, and drink themſelves drunk, &c. Now we have Hectors for Atheiſm, for Popery, and what not? that is, there are that will undertake openly to juſtifie, and patronize, atheiſm, popery, &c. Our land is full of blood, violence, fraud, oppreſſion. May it not be ſaid O England, England, as of old O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, &c. We are diſjoynted, both as to ſpirituals, and temporals like one that is newly come off from the rack? we have been ſmitten, and yet have revolted more and more. Hell is broke looſe upon us, I ſcarce forbear that homely proverb we have, even raked Hell and ſcummed the Devil. All fleſh amongſt us hath corrupted it ſelf, we have exceeded the line of the wicked.
Will God build a new City for us? why ſhould he? our ſins are out of meaſure ſinful. Some of us are an incouragement to evil doers, and a terrour to them that do well. We ſpeak evil of thoſe that run not with us into the ſame exceſs of riot: he that departeth from evil maketh himſelf a prey amongſt ſome men. We are full of envy and ſtrife, from whence cometh confuſion and every evil work. We love the worſt men and things beſt, and the beſt worſt. Some of us will neither be good our ſelves, nor ſuffer others to be ſo: as Chriſt ſaid to the Scribes and Phariſees, Ye ſhut up the kingdom of Heaven againſt men, for ye neither go in your ſelves, neither ſuffer ye them that are entering to go in, Mat. 23.13.
The people of England are generally in extreams at this day, ſome are almoſt mad with mirth, and others almoſt dead with melancholy. Some are all of a foam with anger, and others all of a froth with lightneſs and drollery. Atheiſm, Idolatry, Profane ſwearing, Sabbath-breaking, ill carriage in and towards relations, Murther, Adultery, Theft, Falſ-witneſs, Covetouſneſs; are the ten great ſins, (the ten predicaments as I may call them which all ſins are reduced to) and theſe our land doth wofully abound with. For matter of robbery, we are even a den of Thieves, for filthineſs a cage of unclean birds, for ſtrife a Meribah, or as Meſhec, and the tents of Kedar, for blood an Aceldama: Our Moſeſſes many of them break both the Tables of the Law, of which by office they are keepers. Our Aarons too often make Golden Calves, there are many Achans that trouble us ſore, ſome by ſtealing the babyloniſh garment, I mean by their propenſions, and ſtealing on towards Popery, witneſs their own ſuſpicious expreſſions in publick, (if not more than ſuſpicious) others again by ſtealing the ſhekels of ſilver and the wedg of gold, (alluding to Joſh. 7.21.) I mean by their deceit and oppreſſion, both of which are perfect theft.
We are many of us more brutiſh, than was Balaams Aſſe, who ſeeing a ſword drawn againſt him would not go forward, and as bruitiſh as the Prophet his rider, whoſe madneſs was rebated by the Aſſe, for that he would ſwitch and ſpur on nevertheleſs: that is, we will not ſee the hand of God, which hath time after time, been lifted up againſt us, but go on ſtill as Pharaoh did towards the redſea, though we (as he of old) have met with many rebukes and ſtrivings of God, with and againſt us. We have many Jonaſſes who ſent by God to Nineveh, will go for Tarſhiſh, that is, many that are found fighters againſt God, as if they were ſtronger than he: many of us live, as if we had no ſence at all of Heaven, or Hell, or could demonſtrate that our Souls were not immortal, or were by profeſſion Sadducees, and not Chriſtians. Now as to this whole charg, I would ſay as Job doth, Job 24.25. And if it be not ſo now who will make me a liar, and make my ſpeech nothing worth? Will God build a City for us, or for ſuch as we? why was not Sodom and Gomorrah built again? why was the building of Jericho prohibited? and not the rebuilding of London? might we not rather think that if there were no Hell, (as certainly there is) God would make a Hell on purpoſe for ſuch as we?