Remains, Sermon 2
A SERMON PREACHED On the Anniverſary Humiliation for the Burning of LONDON, September 2d. 1673. And theſe Notes were taken, read over, and corrected by himſelf, at the importunity of ſome to have it Printed.
Amos 3.6.
Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
IN the year 1666, a year never to be forgotten, God did viſit this City with a great and fearful fire; when you then ſaw all in flames, and that there was no ſtopping of that devouring fire, but it went on raging till it had brought all to aſhes, the great queſtion then in London was, How came this fire? was it accidental, or was it by deſign? My Brethren, this part of the verſe that I have opened, will give you light into that queſtion, and will help you to know who it was that burnt London, it was the Lord, even that God which is the Author of every evil that is in a City; for ſaith the Lord, Is there any evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
In ſhort, it was God burnt London, and God will juſtifie it; you need go no further to enquire into the Author of it, I have done it, ſaith the Lord.
The words you ſee are an Interrogation, Is there any evil in a city? But you may turn it into an Affirmation, and then the words run thus, There is no evil in a city but the Lord hath done it. Theſe words are a concluſion that do depend upon the premiſed verſes for their illuſtration. In the firſt verſe of this Chapter, God by his Prophet Amos, as by his Herald, doth proclaim War againſt the Twelve Tribes, he declareth himſelf to be an adverſary, an enemy to them: Hear, ſaith the Prophet, this word that the Lord hath ſpoken againſt you. I come with a word againſt you: why, who are theſe, you? who, the whole Family which I brought out of the land of Egypt, with every one of you, I have a word againſt you all; not only againſt the Ten Tribes, but I have a word of the Lord againſt Judah likewiſe, even againſt the whole family of Jacob that I brought out of Egypt. I have a word; that is, I have a word of threatning, I have a Proclamation of War from the great God againſt you. But this is ſtrange, that God ſhould have but one people in all the world, and that God ſhould fall out with them at this time! all the reſt of the Nations were all Heathens, they were all Idolaters, all worſhippers of the Devil. And this people of the Twelve Tribes at that time, was the only people that God had in all the world, and yet God here entreth into a War with that very peopeople; Go, ſaith he to Amos, tell Iſrael that I am againſt them. I have a word againſt them. It is true, becauſe they were ſuch a priviledged people, they had much ado ever to believe any Prophet that came with any ſad tidings againſt them. For ſtill when the Prophet came to threaten them with Gods wrath and vengeance, they put all off with this: Are we not the ſeed of Abraham? Are we not a people in Covenant? Have we not the mark of the Covenant about us? Are not we the people that of all the people in the world God only knoweth? We will never believe that God will turn enemy againſt us. To this ſaith the Prophet, Yea, but God hath, even againſt you, whom he did ſo ſignally deliver, when he brought you by a mighty hand out of Egypt; even that very people, you; I had it in my commiſſion to you; you whoſe fathers I delivered with an out ſtretched arm out of Egypt. Therefore do not flatter your ſelves, to wit, that God hath been the God of your fathers, and therefore will not puniſh you their ſeed. I tell you I am ſent to you: But God hath known us, ſurely he will not fall out with us for old acquaintance ſake. Saith the Prophet, It is true, you are the people that God hath known of old, and hath known as a friend, hath known you familiarly: You only have I known of all the families of the earth: I grant it, ſaith God; I have known you in a way of mercy; I knew you when I choſe you in Abraham; I knew you in bondage; I knew you when I delivered you out of Egypt; I knew you at the Red-ſea when I wrought a wonder to ſave you; I have known you at Mount Sinai when I gave you my Law; I have known you in bringing of you into Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. I know you well enough, ſaith God. And I know you likewiſe by your ſins as well as my mercies. I know you, and your fathers too, have been a rebellious generation, that have always provoked me bitterly; that provoked me ten times in the Wilderneſs. I knew you how you turned unto Baalpeor; I knew you in all your ingratitude; and therefore will I puniſh you. I know you as a people of the greateſt mercies that ever were in the world, that ever I manifeſted to the ſons of men; and I know you to be as ungrateful a people. I know you, and therefore I will puniſh you. But ſtill will God puniſh? ſo difficult a thing it is to bring off a profeſſing people from ſelf-flattery. How? it cannot poſſibly be: theſe Iſraelites were ready to ſay, What God turn enemy to us! what, God that hath been ſuch a great friend, and ſo long a friend! What, God that walked with Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob! What, God that led us out of bondage, and carried us as an Eagle her young ones upon her wings forty years through a Wilderneſs! What will God threaten us, and deſtroy us! no ſurely, it cannot be. Well, the Prophet obviates this too, verſ. 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed? True, I did walk with Abraham, and Abraham with me; I did walk with Iſaac, and Iſaac walked with me; that is in ways of righteouſneſs, as Enoch is ſaid to walk with God; that is, in a righteous life. But, ſaith God, now we are not agreed; when you and I were agreed, then you walked in my judgments, and in my ſtatutes; and I walked with you in ways of mercy, and we were good friends; I did but ſpeak, and you obeyed; you did but ask, and I gave. But now, ſaith God, you and I am fallen out; you have broken my laws; my ſtatutes and my judgments are forſaken by you; I can live no longer with you, and I muſt part; we had as good part, we are not agreed; your ways and my ways, your nature and my nature are quite contrary; Therefore, ſaith he, I will part from you.
Thus you have the meaning of the firſt three verſes; we proceed to the 4th verſe. God knowing what would be the event of this meſſage, which is, that they would not believe it; He adds, But will they not believe I am thus angry? Go tell them, ſaith God, Amos go tell them, Will a Lion roar in the foreſt when he hath no prey? will a young Lion cry out of his den if he hath taken nothing? What is the meaning of that? It is obſerved of the Lion, that beaſt of the foreſt, that he ſeldom roars but either when he hath the prey in his paw, or the prey in his eye; when he ſeeth no prey, he roareth not; but when he hath gotten hold of the prey, and is tearing it with his paws and his teeth; or when he ſees it in his eye, then he ordinarily roareth. What doth God by the Prophet mean here? This roaring of the Lion is the threatning of the Prophet; Gods threatnings are as it were the roarings of God. Now, ſaith he, ſhall God threaten deſtruction to you Twelve Tribes, and thus roar, and do you think yet that he will not deſtroy you? believe it, he will never thus threaten, but he hath the prey in his eye; he eyeth you Twelve Tribes, he intends to tear you in pieces, and to give your land to another people, why? becauſe he roareth, becauſe he threatens. This is the ſenſe of the 4th verſe; the 5th follows, wherein the Lord by his Prophet beats them from another refuge, where he knew they would ſeek to hide their heads, and that is, that though wars and deſolation ſhould come as was threatned, that they were but matters of chance incident to this world, and no argument of Gods anger towards them. This the Lord meets with in a Parable of a bird being taken in a net: Can a bird (ſaith he) fall upon a ſnare in the earth where is no gin for him? ſhall one take up a ſnare from the earth when he hath taken nothing? He meaneth, however accidental plagues may ſeem to be to men; yet they are determined of God; when a bird is caught, it is but accidental to the bird, he lighteth and is catched in the ſnare; but it is the deliberate act, the intentional act of the fowler, for he ſets the ſnare; for what end? to catch the bird; and he taketh not up this ſnare until he hath caught it. Oh Iſrael! when ever you find your ſelves caught in the ſnare of God, when ever you ſee your ſelves deſtroyed, however accidental thoſe deſtructions may ſeem to come upon you as to ſecond cauſes; believe it, I was the fowler, I laid the net, (ſaith the Lord) I did intend to catch you, it is my own work, my deſigned work. Therefore when ſuch a Judgment comes, ſay, I ſent it; when you are caught, I caught you; when you are torn in pieces, I tore you in pieces. And now in the concluſion of all this, ſaith he, Can there be evil in the city, and the Lord not do it? Theſe words they are put by way of queſtion, as I now told you; make them affirmative, and they ſhall be my Doctrine: That is then thus, Doct. There is no evil in a city but the Lord hath done it.
In the opening hereof,
1. I ſhall ſhew you what is here meant by City.
2. I ſhall ſhew you what is meant by evil in the City.
3. I ſhall ſhew you how God is the author of all that evil in the City; and I ſhall ſhew you the reaſon why he doth aſſume to himſelf to be the author of all the evil in the City.
4. I ſhall ſhew you the reaſons why he doth inflict ſo many evils upon a City: and then we ſhall come to Application.
1. What is here meant by City? City may be taken here either properly or improperly; properly for the rows of houſes, the ſtreets of houſes, as they are compaſſed in with walls, which are the habitations of Citizens. The City, for the houſes of the City; and then it is thus, Is there any evil befalls the Houſes of the City, but I do it? Are Cities fired and burnt to aſhes? I do it.
Improperly, and here is a double Synecdoche to be underſtood in this word, City.
1. City is here taken for the things and perſons in the City, Is there any evil in a city? that is, Doth there any evil befall the Citizens of the City, or any concernment of the Citizens? and then there is another Synecdoche of the part for the whole: the City may be taken for the Kingdom, as being part of the Kingdom; nay, it may be taken for the whole world, as being part of the whole world; ſo the ſenſe will be thus, Is there any evil in a whole Kingdom? Is there any evil in the whole world but I have done it, ſaith the Lord? God owneth himſelf to be the author of all the evil, (that is of puniſhment, I ſhall ſhew preſently) that hath been in the world from the beginning of it to the end. But then we muſt in the
2d place, ſee what is meant by Evil: there is a great deal of reaſon that you ſhould be well informed hereof. There are therefore, my Brethren, two ſorts of evils which we muſt carefully diſtinguiſh.
1. There is the evil of ſin: And,
2ly, There is the evil of puniſhment. The evil of ſin, that is any tranſgreſſion of, or any nonconformity to the righteous Law of God, this is properly evil; the evil of ſin, yea, the greateſt evil in the world. There are no evils of what kind ſoever that are to be compared with this great evil of ſin. Now, my Brethren, in this ſenſe you muſt take heed of underſtanding the Prophet: God doth not here ſay, or the Prophet doth not here ſay, Is there any evil of ſin in a City, but I have done it? no, God forbid! this were the higheſt blaſphemy in the world, to make God the author of all the ſin of the City. He would be a ſtrange God if he ſhould be the author of all London's ſins, and all England's ſins, and all the worlds ſins. This cannot be the meaning of the Prophet for theſe Reaſons:
1. Becauſe God is ſo far from being the author of all the ſin in a City, or in the world, that he never committed any ſin ſince this world was; the world hath had experience of God for near ſix thouſand years, but they never found God guilty of ſin, guilty of any unrighteouſneſs. God in upbraiding his people Iſrael, he doth make uſe of this, You have departed from me, ſaith the Lord; and why are you departed from me? What cauſe have I given you to depart from me? Have your fathers found (ſaith he) any iniquity in me? Have your fathers experienced any unrighteous dealings from me? Did they ever find me an oppreſſor of them? Did they ever find me to exact work, and not to give good wages? Did they ever find me to be falſe to my word? In Jer. 2.5. Thus ſaith the Lord, what iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone from me, and have walked after vanities, and are become vain? What iniquity! your fathers never found any iniquity in God, no, nor you neither. The righteous God never was guilty, from the foundation of the world to this time, of any unrighteouſneſs to any of his Creatures. No, here is a challenge as to all generations, if they can tell any unrighteous works, or any unrighteous act that God was guilty of, and if they can challenge him for any, they may have ſomething to ſay for themſelves.
2ly, God is ſo far from being the cauſe of ſin, that he doth diſclaim an having any hand in it in any ſort or kind whatever, no not ſo much as in any temptation to it; as you may ſee in Jam. 1.13. Let no man ſay when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. That is, when any man is tempted to ſin, let no man ſay when he is thus tempted, that God tempted him to ſin. Why ſhould they not ſay ſo? Why, ſaith the Apoſtle, the reaſon is, for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. No man can ever tempt God to do that which is evil? neither doth God tempt any man to ſin. How come they then to be tempted? the Apoſtle telleth, Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own luſts and inticed. You are tempted of your ſelves, and of the Devil. Lay your ſins at your own door, God hath no hand at all in them.
3ly, God cannot be the author of the evil of ſin; Why? becauſe it is ſo contrary to the nature of God: It is ſo contrary, that it would even deſtroy, God if it were there. A ſinning God is no God at all; for the very notion of the Godhead doth imply all Perfection in him. Now ſin is the palpableſt imperfection in the world; an imperfect God is a weak God; and an impotent God is no almighty God; and that which is not almighty, is no God at all. It is a hard thing for any creature to put off its nature, or that which is eſſential to it; now righteouſneſs is of the very eſſence of the Godhead. How hard a thing is it, my Brethren, for you to think or conceive of a Sun without light, or to conceive of fire without heat? ſo hard and impoſſible is it for you to conceive of a God without holineſs, a God without righteouſneſs, yea without perfection of righteouſneſs. And therefore the Apoſtle to the Hebrews doth reckon ſin in God as an impoſſibility; it is impoſſible for God to ſin, he inſtanceth in the caſe of falſeneſs, or a lye, Hebr. 6.18. that by two immutable things, that is his word and his oath, in which it was impoſſible for God to lye. Now what the Apoſtle here ſaith of the ſin of lying, I may ſay of all ſorts of ſin, it is as impoſſible for God to do unjuſtly, as it is impoſſible for God to lye; it is impoſſible for theſe reaſons; you ſee it clear, that it is impoſſible for God to be the author of ſin. Well then, how muſt it be taken? by evil muſt be here meant the evil of puniſhment: Why is puniſhment called an evil? for this reaſon, becauſe that puniſhment doth deprive us of our good things; now that which taketh away our good things, is an evil thing; puniſhment taketh away our good things, ſtrippeth us of them all, both ſpiritual and temporal. Therefore puniſhment is called an evil; ſo then the ſenſe is this: Is there any puniſhment in a City? is there any evil of puniſhment? is there any plague? is there any judgment that doth befall a City? ſaith the Lord, I did them, I will own them: You are not aſhamed of your ſinning, and I am not aſhamed of my puniſhing of you for your ſin. You are not aſhamed to provoke me to wrath, and I am not afraid to tell you when I am in wrath with you. Now there are ſeveral ſorts of theſe puniſhments that God doth inflict for ſin, and God doth own himſelf to be the author of them all, there are none of them to be found in the world, but God will own himſelf to be the author of them. There are ſome evils of puniſhment that do light upon the ſoul, and where ever you ſee of them in a City, the Lord is the author of them. All the evils, all the ſoul-plagues that are upon a City, they are of the Lord. What are theſe ſoul-plagues? why, judicial blindneſs, judicial hardneſs of heart, judicial unconvertedneſs; ſo far as theſe are judgments, ſo far God is the author of them. And alas! how much of this plague is upon London, this evil of judicial blindneſs, hardneſs of heart, unconvertedneſs, unhealedneſs? But will God own himſelf to be the author of this; yes, he doth do it by his own Son, Joh. 12.40. He hath blinded their eyes: who hath blinded their eyes? God hath blinded their eyes, he hath. God hath blinded their eyes. He hath hardened their hearts, God hath hardned their hearts, that they ſhould not ſee with their eyes, nor underſtand with their hearts, and be converted and I ſhould heal them. This is ſtrange! is it not, my Brethren, that God ſhould be the author of the blindneſs of the mind, and the hardneſs of the heart! I ſay it is as true as ſtrange; for ſo far as blindneſs is a judgment, ſo far as hardneſs of heart is a judgment; not as it is a ſin, but as it is a judgment, God is the cauſe of it: but if you ſhould be ſtartled as to wonder how poſſibly it could be that God ſhould be the author of blindneſs and hardneſs; if you will but compare this phraſe unto that other kind of phraſe which the Apoſtle uſeth in his Epiſtle to the Romans, Rom. 1.26. the matter will be clear, Chriſt ſaith God hath blinded them; the Apoſtle he expreſſeth it by a phraſe of giving up to ſin. God he then blindeth, and then hardeneth, when he giveth up to blindneſs, that is that blindneſs that men have contracted; when he giveth them up to that hardneſs of heart that by ſin they have contracted to themſelves: For this cauſe (ſaith the Apoſtle) God gave them up unto vile affections (God gave them up to them) for even their women to change their natural uſe to that which is againſt nature. God gave them up to it. All the Villanies that were acted among the Heathens, all thoſe abominable ſins that they polluted themſelves with, God gave them up in judgment to commit them. And truly when you look over this City of London, and you find all ſorts of ſins in a high degree to abound; when you hear of ſins that are not to be named, though theſe ſins are of mens own wicked hearts, yet as they are judgments, ſo they are of God. God gives them up to drunkenneſs, and up to ſwearing, and up to adultery and uncleanneſs; ſo far as theſe are judgments, they are to be attributed to God. God gives them up to them. And it is like that other phraſe that the Prophet Hoſea uſeth, Hoſ. 4.17. Ephraim is joined to Idols, let him alone. If you would know when God giveth up a people to blindneſs, and giveth them up to hardneſs, it is then when he lets them alone in their blindneſs, when he lets them alone in their hardneſs; when doth he let them alone? when he taketh off friends from reproving them, and Miniſters from exhorting them, and Conſcience from troubling them; giving them up to ſearedneſs of Conſcience, when he takes off the Spirit from ſtriving with them, then he lets them alone. So to let a people alone in their blindneſs, to give them Prieſts after their own hearts, to give them thoſe that will ſew cuſhions under their elbows, and will flatter them in their ſins, and tell them it is an eaſie matter to pleaſe God, and get to Heaven, and therefore need not be at the expence of much trouble. When God giveth them up, I ſay, to ſuch Prieſts and ſuch friends as will flatter them in their ſins, daub over their iniquities, then he lets them alone, then he is ſaid judicially to blind their minds, and harden their hearts, that they ſhould not be converted and healed. Oh what a great deal of this plague is upon London! and truly, Sirs, this is a worſe plague than that of the Peſtilence; this plague exceeds the Plague of Sixty-five, and exceeds the great plague of the Fire, for which you humble your ſelves this day. It is worſe than Plague and Fire: why? becauſe thoſe other plagues are but the litter of this Coccatrice eggs, all hatched in this womb of ſin; London's blindneſs, London's hardneſs of heart under the light of the Goſpel, was the cauſe of London's Fire, and London's Peſtilence. It were well if there were a Faſtday appointed all over England to bewail this great plague of blindneſs of mind, and hardneſs of heart; this judicial blindneſs and hardneſs that is as it were ſpread like a leproſie all over England; this is a plague we are not ſenſible of, little affected with, Why? becauſe it is inviſible in the ſoul. The fire that flamed and caſt a dreadful ſmoke, and affected our ſenſes, looked like Sodom, yea like Hell it ſelf, theſe we are affected with; and when we ſee our dying friends look pale, and ſee them gaſp and groan, this we are affected with; but for blind ſouls, dead ſouls, poyſoned ſouls, poyſoned with ſin, being full of ſin, and full of Hell, gaſping and dying, and going to Hell, no body is affected with this; how few hearts are affected with this, and thoſe leaſt upon whom this plague is!
2ly, There is another ſort of evils, and thoſe are ſuch that reach the body: Is there any evil in a city but I have done it? That is, Is there any puniſhment upon the body? there is not. My Brethren, you never know God aright, you never adore him aright, you never fear him aright, till you can ſee him concerned with every thing that you meet with in the world; yea, every evil. God doth look ſo narrowly unto all that you are and have, that there is not one hair of your heads can fall to the ground without his Providence; there is not an aking head but God hath a hand in it; the leaſt pain on your body that is inflicted, it is by a direction from God. There is not one evil in a whole City, no not among all the inhabitants of a City, but I have done it, ſaith the Lord; all the croſſings of your family, all of them, every one of them; whatever be the ſecond cauſes that are at work, God is the firſt; he is the firſt great wheel. There is not an evil; all thoſe burning feavers, agues, all the pains of the Stone or Gout, all thoſe Plague-ſores, thoſe Boils and Blains, let the diſeaſe be what it will, what it can, as it is a puniſhment, God is the author of it, God inflicts it.
And then there is another ſort of evils; there are many of them indeed, but another, that which reſpects the eſtate; there is not one evil that may befall your eſtate in this world, but God is the author of it. Would you in London but believe this, it would be of great uſe to you: you never loſe one farthing but God knoweth of it, and he hath a hand in it. You never truſt a man, and he deceiveth you, but God giveth you up to be deceived by that man. You never truſted a man that breaketh through poverty, but God knew it before hand, and gave you up to lend him, or to truſt him. There is not a Ship miſcarrieth by Sea, but it is of the Lord it miſcarrieth. Oh that you were but well acquainted with this Doctrine, then would you learn to acknowledg God in all your ways, and in all his works of Providence that you meet with in the world; and if there is none of theſe evils can follow your eſtate without God, then ſurely London could not be burnt without God; for if the leaſt evil, how much more the greateſt evil? So that here you ſee it was the Lord Jehovah that burnt this City, a few years ſince he burnt it to aſhes, he would not have the fire ſtopt, he would have it go on raging till it had finiſhed his Decree; he would have it ſo, the Lord hath done it, he owneth it this day that you are met together, and hath in his Providence ſent me to tell you that God burnt London, God burnt it. Do not therefore much trouble your ſelves about Inſtruments, though likely ſome might be wicked inſtruments in it, yet it was God that did the thing. I have done it, ſaith the Lord. Doubtleſs it it of an humbling conſideration to us this day, now we are come before the Lord. But then the queſtion will be in the
Third place, How may God be ſaid to be the author of all puniſhment? How is it that God doth burn Cities, deſtroy Families, Kingdoms? how doth he do it? There are two ways that God may be ſaid to be the author of all the puniſhments that are in the world.
Firſt, God is the author of them by his decreeing of them.
Secondly, God is the author of them by ſeeing to means that ſhall certainly execute them. God in his Decree appoints the end; and God in his Providence provides the means too; ſo that if they be decreed by God, and theſe Decrees executed by God, then God may truly be ſaid to be author of them: I have done them, ſaith God.
Firſt, Then God is the author of all puniſhment in a City, in as much as when ever theſe evils come upon a City or people, they are firſt decreed by God; they do not come by chance, they are of Gods laying on, as the Prophet intimateth. God hath determined of them before hand; and this will be clear if you do but conſult ſeveral like caſes; when evils have befallen a world of people, and befallen Cities, they came not accidentally, but they came by the determinate counſel of God. We will give you ſome of theſe inſtances: One of the moſt univerſal plagues that God ever poured down upon this world, was that of the Deluge, when he drowned it: Why, whence come theſe waters? from God. Who drowned the World? I did, ſaith God. What, didſt not thou ſpare, except thoſe eight perſons, man, woman, nor child? no, not one, I ſpared none of them, but drowned them all. What was it done raſhly, inconſiderately, as men uſe to do in a paſſion, doing that in haſte that they repent at leiſure? No, no, God thought of it long before, ſixſcore years before the world was drowned, it was determined of God it ſhould be drowned (he had paſſed his Decree upon it) for their iniquities, Gen. 6.7. And the Lord ſaid, I will deſtroy man whom I have created (I will do it, ſaith God) from the face of the earth, both man and beaſt, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made man. I will do it, ſaith the Lord. Lord! when wilt thou do it? I will do it, ſaith he, about ſixſcore years hence. I will give them ſo much time to repent in, to ſee what they will do: verſ. 3. For the Lord ſaid, my ſpirit ſhall not always ſtrive with man, for that he alſo is fleſh, yet his days ſhall be an hundred and twenty years. That is between the threatning and between the performance, between the execution. So that the Deluge was of God, it was of Gods deliberate determination, he decreed it, he was the author of it. So again, as to the burning of Sodom, God firſt ſitteth in judgment upon Sodom, trieth Sodom, heareth evidence againſt Sodom, caſts her, paſſeth ſentence upon her, and all this before execution day: the righteous Judg of the world did proceed righteouſly, he hath a trial and a ſentence before execution. And as he dealt with Sodom, doubtleſs he dealt with London too. Gen. 18.20, 21. Sodom had grievouſly ſinned to provoke God, as London may have done; and there came continual tidings from earth to heaven, Lot ſent them up in his lamentations, good Angels peradventure declaims againſt them, crying out, How long, how long, holy and true, wilt thou ſpare yonder wicked Sodom? And the Lord ſaid, Becauſe the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and becauſe their ſin is very grievous, I will go down now and ſee whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me; and if not I will know. I will deal very fairly with them, I will not burn them without they deſerve it. And you know the Lord ſent two Angels, who came to Lots houſe, who were eye-witneſſes of their abominations; for thither came the wretched Sodomites there to force the men that came to Lot's houſe: and what was the iſſue of it? Gen. 19.13. Haſte thee hence (ſaith the Angels) we will deſtroy this place. There is the ſentence, for we will deſtroy this place, becauſe the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord hath ſent us to deſtroy it. And do you think, my Brethren, (though it may be perhaps hard for you to underſtand it) do you think London was not tried before burnt, as well as Sodom? ay, no doubt London's drunkenneſs, and uncleanneſs, and formality, cried in the ears of the Lord God of Sabbaths: God looked down to ſee what London did, and how London lived, and how London improved the Goſpel it had; and upon trial it was found too light; and God ſent them firſt the Peſtilence, then the Fire. Firſt, deſtroy the Citizens with the Plague, ſaith God; then burn the City. God decreed it, it was decreed before done. The Lord help us to have reverent thoughts of God in all his works here among the children of men.
Again, I might inſtance in two more, and that was the firſt and ſecond deſtruction of Jeruſalem: They were deſtroyed; who deſtroyed them? the Lord deſtroyed them. How was the Lord ſaid to be the author of the deſtruction of Jeruſalem? becauſe it was decreed before it was done. God decreed the deſtruction of it, and God ſent Jeremiah to tell the people of Iſrael that he would bring the Babylonians upon them, a ſtrong and mighty Nation; God had purpoſed to do it, and that many years before he did it: It had paſt in the ſentence of God, the judgment of God was paſt upon them. So again the ſecond time when the Temple of Jeruſalem was deſtroyed and burnt by Titus Veſpaſian, when it was burnt, deſtroyed, and laid deſolate by the Romans; it is true, the Romans were the Executioners, but it was God that had paſt the judgment upon them. Nay, it had paſſed in the judgment of God five hundred years before it was done. God had reckoned with the Iſraelites, reckoned up their ſins from their forefathers, he had kept an account of them all from generation to generation; and foretold their deſtruction from the time of Daniel, which was to the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, about five hundred years, Dan. 9.26. and what Daniel foretold ſo long before, that Jeſus Chriſt foretold in his day to be nigh at hand. Chriſt looking upon that beautiful ſtructure of the Temple of Solomon in the 24th of Mat. ſaith unto them, Do you not ſee a beautiful Temple here, the Temple of Jeruſalem? Verily I ſay unto you, there ſhall not be left here one ſtone upon another that ſhall not be thrown down. How did Chriſt know that? Chriſt knew that his Father had determined to deſtroy the Temple. How long before? near five hundred years: For it is ſpoken of about five hundred years before by Daniel, as I have ſaid: When ye therefore ſhall ſee the abomination of deſolation ſpoken of by Daniel the Prophet, ſtand in the holy place, (that is, compaſs the City, beſiege the City) whoſo readeth let him underſtand. Why ſo? for now is the time ſpoken of by Daniel for to deſtroy this City, and for to deſtroy this Temple. Thus you ſee in theſe inſtances how God is the author of all the puniſhment that is in the world, in as much as he doth decree it before it comes to paſs.
Secondly, God is the author of all the puniſhments, becauſe he ſeeth, he provideth means and inſtruments for the execution of his Decrees. God doth not only ſay, let ſuch a plague come, let ſuch a fire come; but God taketh care to ſee it done: When God will have a thing done, there ſhall not want inſtruments, it ſhall be done in a way and manner of his own contriving. If you will ask me who are theſe executioners of Gods decrees in inflicting puniſhments upon this world, upon the Kingdoms, and Cities, and Towns, and Perſons thereof? I anſwer you, the whole Creation, all the parts of it, they all ſtand ready as Miniſters of God to do his pleaſure; when God will have any puniſhment inflicted, both Heaven, and Sea, and Earth, Men and Devils, they are all ready to execute his wrath and vengeance upon the World. The Heavens they are the executioners of Gods decree to puniſh men. When God had a mind to defeat Siſera's army, the very Stars in their courſes ſtood on Gods ſide and fought againſt Siſera. You have ſuch a paſſage as that is in the Judges, The ſtars fought againſt Gods enemies; the clouds, the hail, they are ready to do according as they are capable in executing Gods wrath; when God would puniſh the Egyptians and their Cattel with Hail, the Clouds they did as miniſters of God charge themſelves with Hail, and diſcharge like ſo many Harquibuſſes, diſcharged themſelves again upon the Egyptians and their Cattel, and deſtroyed multitudes of them. The Winds they are ready to ſerve the Lord, and to do what ever he would have them do; The Winds: ye ſhall ſee how David put them all together as Miniſters, ſervants of God, ready to do his pleaſure, in Pſal. 148.8. Fire, hail, ſnow and vapours, ſtormy winds, fulfilling his word: they all ſtand ready at the word of God, to go and come, to do what God will have them do, all of them ready to fulfil his word. Will God uſe the Seas to puniſh the wicked? thoſe ſenſeleſs creatures, thoſe deaf creatures, they have ears to hear the word of God. God had puniſhed Pharoah and his hoſt, and his people in Egypt ten times, yet Phareah was not ſatisfied, but followed Iſrael to the Red-Sea; now God will make the Sea to puniſh Pharoah, the very Sea can do it. God ſpake but the word, and thoſe great waters (a wonderful thing!) divided hither and thither, and contrary unto their natures, ſtood like two cryſtal walls congealed, until the Iſraelites paſſed through; but when Pharoah and his hoſt aſſayed to do the like, God ſpoke the word, and like two Jaws they cloſe again, and devoured Pharoah and his hoſt. The Sea was executioner of Gods wrath upon that proud-hearted King. Look upon things upon the earth, they are all ready to execute vengeance upon Gods enemies; the Fly, the Locuſt, the Caterpiller, yea, the very Lice, God maketh uſe of to bring down the proud heart of Pharoah; and not only theſe inferiour creatures but all ſorts of creatures, yea the very Devils and wicked men ſtand ready to execute wrath even upon thoſe that are as wicked as themſelves. The very Devils, if God hath a mind to puniſh a man, they will be ready to run to inflict the puniſhment. They will do it, nay, they are very deſirous, they would go more about this work of plaguing and puniſhing men, than God is willing they ſhould do; and it was meer importunity, as I may ſay, whereby the Devil did get God to try Job. It is true, thoſe afflictions came not in wrath upon Job, but for trial; but however it was in wrath from the Devil. But God giveth the Devil leave to burn Job his Cattel by fire from Heaven, to raiſe a mighty ſtorm, to bring the houſe down upon the heads of his children while feaſting; to ſtir up the Sabeans to come into the field and take away his Cattel. And what he doth here for Job, ſo he will do it for thoſe that are otherwiſe his profeſſed friends and followers. Ahab was a good ſervant of the Devil, but Ahab had angred God, and God was reſolved he would ſpare him no longer, but cut him off. How will God cut him off? He ſhall be cut off in battel, ſaith God. But how ſhall Ahab be brought to the battel? there ſteps one out, a lying ſpirit, I will be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of Ahab his falſe Prophets, and theſe falſe Prophets ſhall perſwade Ahab to go to the battel, and there thou ſhalt cut him off. This was the Devil, the Devil that had put Ahab upon Idolatry; the Devil that had put Ahab upon ſelling himſelf to do wickedly, the Devil is readieſt to do execution upon Ahab when his time is come. Saith God, he hath been falſe and treacherous to me, Go and be a lying ſpirit in the mouth of his Prophets, and they ſhall prevail upon him to lead him out to the battel, and I will provide an arrow that ſhall take away his life. Wicked men are ready to do execution upon any people that God is angry with. God threatneth his people Iſrael, I will but hiſs for ſuch a people, and they will all come: What a great people were the Babylonians; I will but becken, I will but nod, I will but ſpeak a word, and all that great Empire of Babylon ſhall be in arms: For what? to pull thee in pieces, Oh Judah, and Oh Jeruſalem. So likewiſe if there were any inſtruments that did wilfully help forward the burning of the City, I tell you they had all their orders. But will God give wicked men order to do thus wickedly? no. God only gives them order to inflict the evil as it is a puniſhment, no otherwiſe; what wickedneſs there is in the principle of him that is the executioner, that is to himſelf. God gave commiſſion to the Devil to burn Job's Cattel, and to deſtroy Job's Children; the Devil doth it maliciouſly, and with an intent to make Job blaſpheme God: Ay, but God doth only give leave for the trying of Job. So when God maketh uſe of wicked men to inflict a judgment, he intendeth nothing but the demonſtration of his righteouſneſs againſt ſin, but wicked men they may have malicious ends of their own. So if God ſhould give leave to men to burn the City, I tell you, though the inſtruments be wicked, and do it wickedly, they are crooked ſtaves, but yet therewith God ſtrikes a right ſtroke, a right blow. It was ſin in Judas to betray his Maſter, & yet the Apoſtle Peter tells you it was according to the determinate counſel of God. God had ſo ordered it in his Providence, that Judas ſhould be one of the twelve that ſhould betray Chriſt; ſo ye ſee that God is the author of all the evil of puniſhment, but not of the evil of ſin. He is the author of it by decreeing of it, by providing means to affect his Decree.
But then laſtly, we ſhall add the reaſons hereof, when God doth bring evil upon a City: Why doth God bring evil upon a City? I anſwer you, the principal reaſon for which God doth bring evil upon a City, it their ſin; for their ſins and their puniſhments are relatives; where there is no ſin, there is no ſuch thing as puniſhment. The Fire of London ſo far as it was London's puniſhment, it doth reſpect the ſin of London, it was for ſin. This is very clear in all the Judgments that we read of, they are all for ſin. Why did God drown the old world? becauſe their imaginations were evil, and that continually, it was for ſin. Why did God burn Sodom? it was for ſin; their ſins cried in the ears of God. Why did God threaten the Twelve Tribes? it was for ſin. Why was ten of them deſtroyed by the Aſſyrians about threeſcore and ten years after this Amos propheſied? it was for ſin. God telleth us ſo. And why was Jeruſalem deſtroyed by the Babylonians? for their ſin. And ſo the reſt. And if ſo, if ſin is the cauſe of all the Judgments you read of in the Book of God, then you muſt conclude where there was ſo great a Judgment, ſo great a puniſhment inflicted upon London, it was for ſin; it was for the ſin of London. Why, what ſins are there that God is ſo angry with? they are of two ſorts, there are ſins againſt nature, or the Law written upon the heart; and there are ſins againſt the Goſpel, againſt the grace of God in Chriſt Jeſus. The ſins againſt the law written in the heart, they are enumerated in Rom. 1.28. They liked not to retain God in their knowledg, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do the things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteouſneſs, fornication, covetouſneſs, maliciouſneſs, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whiſperers; and ſo he goeth on, theſe are ſins againſt nature, againſt the law of nature, and uſually theſe are the ſins for which God doth puniſh the Gentiles, or thoſe that never had the Law nor Goſpel. But then the ſins againſt the Goſpel, are the greateſt ſins, becauſe they are againſt a moſt eaſie, gracious, merciful Law. God will more puniſh for ſins againſt the Goſpel, than for thoſe ſins that are againſt the Law of nature. Sodom ſinned againſt the Law written upon her heart, but the Jews they ſinned againſt the Goſpel, and therefore were the greateſt ſinners. Let Chriſt be judg: I tell you (ſaith Chriſt) it ſhall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the great day, than it ſhall be for you. More tolerable, why? for if they had had the means that you have had, they would have repented. They had ſinned, but they had not the means of repentance, or at leaſt not ſuch means as you have had; for you have had not only the means of the Law to convert yon, Oh Jews, but you have had the means of the Goſpel. The means of the Goſpel doth as it were lift a people up unto Heaven, it bringeth them as near to Heaven as means can bring them; and thus was Bethſaida and Corazin lifted up with, What? with the means of the grace of the Goſpel? they had the preaching of Chriſt among them, but they did deſpiſe theſe means, and continue in their infidelity, and therefore were thrown down to Hell, as Chriſt threatned them. And ſaith the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, (I am ſhewing of you that ſins againſt the Goſpel are the greateſt ſins) If a trangreſſion againſt the Law of Moſes deſerveth death, and was puniſhed by death, of how much ſorer puniſhment ſhall they be thought worthy that do neglect ſo great ſalvation? That is, the Goſpel-ſalvation; Goſpel-ſins are the greateſt ſins; when God puniſheth, he puniſheth for both.
And now I have ſpoken to the four parts.
Application.
Let me make a ſhort Application, and I ſhall conclude. Doth it thus appear that God is the author of all the puniſhments that are upon a City, are you convinced of it, my Brethren? are you ſatisfied by what I have ſaid, That there is no puniſhment that befalls any perſon, any family, any City, but it is of Gods appointing, and of Gods executing; that is, he provideth and ſeeth to the execution of it? Is this true? Then you have in the
Firſt place, a clear and a full information of the author of the burning of your City. Who did burn London? why, what was the burning of London, an evil? ay, and a great one too. Was it ſo? Be it then known to all you Londoners, ſaith the Lord, you that are the Citizens thereof, be it known to you, I did burn this City, and I do this day own it. God doth own it this day. God hath burnt it. I know you may be ready to be complaining of inſtruments; and ſurely if there were any, they were wicked inſtruments; for as I told you before in ſeveral inſtances, God may make uſe of wicked inſtruments to do his work, to inflict his puniſhments. God made uſe of lying Prophets to deceive Ahab, for to bring Ahabs death about; and God made uſe of Judas his Treaſon to bring the puniſhment of the iniquity of us all upon the back of Jeſus Chriſt. But my Brethren, whoever were the inſtruments, God is the principal efficient. Pray will you remember and carry it home with you, God did it. How did God do it? God did decree it, it came doubtleſs according to the determinate counſel of God. For as the world was not drowned without an antecedent decree; nor Sodom burned without an antecedent decree, nor Jeruſalem the firſt and ſecond time deſtroyed without an antecedent decree; ſo doubtleſs this City of London did not come to aſhes without the decree of God, it was before determined in the counſel of God; and as God did decree it, ſo God in his Providence took order for all the means that were employed to the burning thereof. God had a hand in giving leave to all the leſſer wheels to work. It was God that by ſix week or two months hot weather did purpoſely dry the Houſes of London to make them fuel fit for the fire. Would you have believed it? the weather was the Lords, the Lord cauſed it. When it was fired, that men wanted wiſdom or courage, or ſucceſs to put it out, God took away their wiſdom; God took away their courage; God ſtood by, and as it were ſaid, Hands off, I intend to execute my wrath upon London, touch it not, let it go on. Magiſtrates do nothing, or if you do, let it be to no purpoſe.
Again, God provided a wind, that when the fire began at one end, God ordered the wind to blow it on to the other end. The wind came out of the hollow of Gods hand, it was no caſual thing, no accidental thing, my Brethren, it was according to the predeterminate Counſel of God.
That is the firſt thing; if God be the cauſe of all the evil of puniſhment, then of the burning of London, God hath done it; who ever was the inſtrument, God was the principal cauſe.
Secondly, if God burnt London, then in the ſecond place let us this day learn to be ſilent under the hand of God, let us not queſtion nor quarrel with his Providence; let us not ſay to the Almighty, why haſt thou done ſo? Let us not have a thought riſe up againſt him, as to charge him fooliſhly; let us be ſilent, nay, let us not too eagerly in our paſſion run out and vent our ſelves againſt any that were inſtruments, for that is to do like the Dog that ſnarls and gnaws the ſtaff and run after the ſtone, and gnaweth the ſtone, but never regards the hand that threw the ſtone, nor the hand that ſtrikes with the ſtaff; you vent your anger and wrath againſt the inſtruments, alas! the inſtruments they were but rods in the hand of Almighty God, they were but the ſtone and the ſtaff, alas! they were in the hand of God, he could have fruſtrated them if he would, but he had ſo ordered it in his Providence to give men leave to execute their malice upon London; let us lay our han… upon our mouths, and not murmur againſt the Lord; let us acknowledg that ſince it is the evil of puniſhment, it was a juſt one, for never did City deſerve to be burnt as London did. Never! No, ſay you! What do you think of Sodom? do you think that we are as bad as they? I tell you, worſe; you are worſe, you are as much worſe than Sodom, as Bethſaida was worſe than Sodom. Why, wherein was Bethſaida worſe? becauſe Bethſaida did ſin under Goſpel-light, and ſo did London. Never had a people more of the Goſpel than you have had; never Miniſters more gifted than you have had; never a Miniſtry more drawn out in their affections after your Converſion than you have had; and yet London have blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts, and would not be converted, So that you deſerved it more than Sodom, and it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of Judgment than for you. Humble your ſelves therefore under his mighty hand: Why, how ſhall we humble our ſelves? by confeſſing it was juſtly done. Take the courſe that Daniel did upon a Faſt-day, as this may be, when he was interceding with God for the people of Iſrael, to bring them back out of Captivity, as you are this day, that God would not burn it again; he did it by confeſſing of ſin, and all ſorts of ſin, Dan. 9.5. O Lord, ſaith he, thou art a great God, a God on thy part keeping covenant and promiſe to them that love thee, and keep thy commandments; but as for us, we have ſinned and committed iniquity, and done wickedly, and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments: neither have we hearkened to thy ſervants the Prophets which ſpake in thy name, to our King, and Princes, and Fathers; O Lord, righteouſneſs belongeth to thee, but to us belongeth confuſion of face. To us, who of us? to our King, to our Princes, to our Fathers, all deſerve to be put to ſhame: why? becauſe we have ſinned againſt thee. This is our work this day to humble our ſelves before God, to humble our ſelves for our ſins here in this City againſt God, whereby he was provoked to burn our Habitations.
Thirdly, Is God the cauſe of all puniſhments? and are all puniſhments for ſin? then from hence you may gather that London is a very wicked City. Why? becauſe God is very angry with it: and it is certain, he is never angry without great cauſe; men may be angry without a cauſe, and we may chide one another without a cauſe; yet God never is angry without cauſe; and in as much as God hath ſhewn himſelf angry with London, it is a ſign London hath given God a great deal of cauſe for his anger: What cauſe hath London given God to be angry with them? Truly when I begin to think of London's ſins, they are ſo many that it puzzles me where to begin, or where to make an end; but however let us name ſome of them; why did God burn London? for London's pride; London had lifted it ſelf up in pride againſt God, and God pulled London down, he pulled it into aſhes to make the proud ones of London know what they are, and what their Cities are, nothing but duſt and aſhes. My Brethren, God is a great enemy againſt pride; for the great King of Babylon's pride he took away his reaſon, and turned him into a beaſt, and turned him a grazing with the Cattel. Pride! God reſiſteth the proud, he is a great enemy to the proud, a great adverſary to them, and to their projects and deſigns, but he ſheweth grace to the humble. Wherein doth London appear proud? proud in their Apparel, proud in their Houſes, proud in their geſtures, proud in their Profeſſions, they are guilty of all theſe ſorts of pride. I cannot ſtand to ſpeak much of it, but the Lord open your underſtandings and your hearts that you may ſee where the guilt lyeth; the fantaſtick dreſſes of many of the Londoners, that is one ſort; the pride of their hearts, that's another ſort. The next ſort of ſins are London's luxury, drunkenneſs, gluttony, their exceſſive feaſting, their prodigal expences. London is a wanton City; inſtead of worſhipping God in ſpirit, it is a City, for a great part, that ſacrificeth as it were unto Bacchus and Ceres; they make their belly their god; Oh the drunkenneſs of London! the gluttony of London! Is it not ſo? Again, the covetouſneſs of London: God was angry with Iſrael for being covetous; why, you covet gold more than grace; covet earth more than heaven. Oh the injuſtice, the wrong-getting, the lying, the perjury in getting of Eſtates! Oh the covetouſneſs in keeping, in not laying out proportionable to what God gave you to do good to others! God hath given you a Talent, and you wrap it in a napkin; or which is worſe, you prodigally ſpend it upon your luſts, that make nothing of ten or twenty pounds to beſtow upon a vain feaſt, and grudg to give an Angel or twenty ſhillings for the help of any of the poor ſervants of God; is not this a ſin, do you think, when you are ſo liberal to your own luſts, and you are ſo heart-bound and hand-bound towards God and his people? yea certainly, and an highly provoking ſin too.
Again, London's prophanation of the Lords-day: God all the time of the Law was very zealous for his Sabbath, and he had a Controverſie with Iſrael often upon the account of his Sabbath; and there are many Promiſes that he gave them to encourage them to keep his Sabbath: If thou wilt keep my Sabbaths, and count them thy delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, I will make thee honourable and great in the world: but if not, I will pull thee down and deſtroy thee, and make thee the tail and not the head. Hath not this been one of London's great ſins? How full of walkers have the ſtreets been on the Sabbath? how full have the fields about this City been on the Lords day? what playing, what drinking, what drunkenneſs at every Alehouſe, eſpecially your by Alehouſes in London, and in the Fields? How few in London do ſtrictly obſerve the Lords-day? that pray with their Family in the morning? that take care that their whole Family wait upon God all that day in his Ordinances, that when they come home at night, are careful to ſee what they profit by what they hear? How few are there in London that ſpend the Lords day as they ſhould do? God hath a Controverſie with you for this. What account can you Maſters, give of your ſervants ſouls? What care have you had over them, either all the week days, or elſe on the Lords day? What have you done for them? For your ſinful neglect herein, God is angry with you. For the adultery and uncleanneſs of London, for the whoredoms of Iſrael the land mourneth; for the whoredom of London, London was burnt. God puniſhed the City with one fire for the ſin of another, that is the fire of luſt. But, my Brethren, it is not barely theſe ſins that God hath been angry with London for, but for the aggravations of them. Why, wherein?
Firſt, For the brazen-facedneſs of them; alas! we know that theſe ſins may be found every where: ay, but we are grown impudent ſinners, brazenfaced ſinners, we are not aſhamed of our ſins; but we can be drunk with boldneſs, and commit adultery, and boaſt of it. We can ſin, as Abſalom lay with his Fathers Concubines, in the face of the Sun before all Iſrael. Here is the aggravation of the ſin now, it is not the drunkenneſs only of London, and ſwearing, and perjury, and Sabbath-breaking, but London's ſhameleſneſs in it. As God when he came to reprove Iſrael, and threatens Judgments upon her, ſaith he, Thou haſt a brazen face, thou haſt the looks of an harlot, thou doſt ſin, and thou doſt not bluſh at it. Truly this hath been London's ſin, they will ſwear and receive no reproof; be drunk and ſcorn a reproof; it is the very mode of the times to be drunk and commit adultery; ſobriety is laughed at; a ſcornful defiance is bid to the Law of God, and Miniſters have now much ado to perſwade men that theſe things are ſins. It is for London's impudence in ſin that God burnt London.
Secondly, they are not only the bare ſins of London, but God is angry with them for theſe ſins under the preaching of the Goſpel. Alas! if you were drunk, you might be drunk, and God never have burnt the City; if you ſwore and forſwore, and had been ſome of the Americans that had no Law, nor Prophets, nor Chriſt, nor Apoſtles, nor Miniſters, you might have ſworn and curſed, and God would have ſtood ſtill and let you alone, and only took a courſe with you at death, burned you then in Hell. But ſince God hath taken England for his people, and London for his people, and ſent Chriſt to be preached, and ſent Miniſters, and gifted them, and bid them cry, and cry aloud; believe it, God will not take your ſins as he takes the ſins of others. No, Sabbath-breaking is a greater ſin in London than it is in the Northern parts of this Kingdom: Why, you have more means, you have the Goſpel in a greater light. And you Parents in London, and Maſters, for you to neglect your Families, God taketh it worſe at your hands, than he doth at thoſe in the Country. Why? you ſhould know better: God hath given you more means to know the preciouſneſs of ſervants and childrens ſouls, therefore you ſhould look more carefully after them. Your ſins are committed againſt Goſpel-light, and therefore more dangerous, therefore God puniſhes you.
Thirdly, ſins after vows of reformation: did London never promiſe God ſolemnly to reform? if you have forgotten it, God hath not. London hath been under a promiſe to reform: How to reform? to entertain Chriſt and the Goſpel, and to improve it better, to promote his Ordinances, and to reform their Families, every one in their places. If you have broken your Vows, and thrown them behind your backs, God is ſtill alive to puniſh for it. Ay, your ſins are greater too than others: Why? becauſe they are againſt more mercies, temporal mercies, in ſome reſpects, than the Countries about. In the time of the Civil War, when all the Country almoſt was laid waſt, London was not touched; there were Cities beſieged, Cities burnt, Cities and Towns laid waſte and deſolate, people beggered and undone every where. London did thrive all the while. God had a great reckoning with London. London! a people of ſo much means, ſo many mercies, ſo many deliverances, ſo much of the Goſpel, and yet London, a drunken London, a covetous London, an adulterous London! Believe it, God hath now at length reckoned with you, and hath begun to pay off your old and long ſcore, and I fear he hath not yet done with you. Chriſt hath been neglected, the Spirit grieved, Miniſters rejected, hated, perſecuted, Sabbaths prophaned, London full of pride, covetouſneſs, lying, ſwearing, luxury, drunkenneſs, and all theſe under the Goſpel, and all theſe committed with a brazen face, impudently; for theſe things God is angry with you; for theſe things God ſent the Peſtilence, for theſe things ſake God brought the fire.
If this be true, here is another Inference followeth: Have our ſins burnt our City, and brought ſo many thouſands by the Peſtilence to the grave? Oh that we could be aſhamed of our ſins, confeſs them with ſhame, be humbled for our ſins, learn to hate our ſins, beg of God for grace to conquer our ſins. Oh that there might be a ſeparation between ſin and us, that the great ſeparation between God and us may be prevented. Is God angry with London? it is for ſin: Oh be rid of your ſins, let us all this day ſearch our hearts, and try our reins, and ſee what iniquity is in us; what perſonal ſins, what Family-ſins, what City-ſins, what Church ſins; let us ſee how far we contributed to the burning of London; and Oh that we might by repentance and reformation crucifie thoſe ſins that burnt London; this would be a good work, and without this work, in vain do you faſt this day. God told Iſrael when they came faſting and mourning before him there in the Prophet Iſaiah, That they ſhould ceaſe to do evil and learn to do well, and then come and faſt and pray; and then faith he, Let us reaſon together, if you will ceaſe to do evil, and learn to do well, Though your ſins be as ſcarlet, they ſhall be as white as ſnow; though they be red like crimſon, they ſhall be as wool. So I ſay in the name of the Lord to you this day, you are about praying to God that he would be at pe…ce with London; let all of us ceaſe to do evil; what evils? thoſe evils that I have named: have any of us been guilty of London's pride? the Lord help every one of us to reſolve for to crucifie that ſin, and to reſolve we will not have a hand any more in burning London. Which of you would not part with pride to ſave ſo great a City? let your ornaments be ſober as become men and women profeſſing Godlineſs. Thoſe that have been guilty of drunkenneſs, let them be drunk no more, take up that reſolution; thoſe that have been guilty of injuſtice in their callings, let them reſolve they will never more ſin to get an eſtate, and that they will rather live and die beggars. Believe it, that is not the way to die beggars if you come to reſolve upon it. For God can bleſs you in his way more than you can gain by walking in your own ſinful ways. Reſolve to lye no more, cozen no more, ſwear no more; are there any unclean? let them be unclean no more. Have you broken the Lords-day, and prophaned that, do ſo no more. Reſolve every one of you in your places, that for the future you and your Families, will endeavour to ſpend the whole Lords-day, in ſerving God, and looking after the Salvation of your Souls.
Again, take up a reſolution to give Chriſt a greater acceptation, a better acceptation; ſtand with your hearts wide open to the offers of Salvation; do not neglect and ſlight Salvation when God offers it. When you deſpiſe his Son, you deſpiſe God himſelf: They that receive me, ſaith Chriſt, receive him that ſent me: So thoſe that reject Chriſt, reject God the Father. When you come hither, and Chriſt is offered, and you will not entertain him, you reject God, you will not entertain God. See that the Goſpel may come in its efficacy and power upon your ſouls. God is angry with every Citizen that hath not after all the offers of Salvation, accepted of it. Every impenitent unconverted ſinner, becauſe of his impenitency and unconvertedneſs, he had a hand in the firing the City. Let us, I ſay, repent of our ſins, let us forſake thoſe ſins whereby we have provoked the Lord againſt us. But you will ſay, How if we ſhould? we ſhall leave thouſands, and ten thouſands that will not? What if we here reſolve to be ſober? how many will go on to be drunk? if we reſolve to keep the Lords-day, how many ſhall we find ſelling next Lords-day in the fields or ſtreets, playing, and at Ale-houſes and Taverns drinking to drunkenneſs? What ſhall we do here? let not others wickedneſs diſcourage you to be good. Deſpair not, God doth not ſtand upon the repentance of a whole City, as to make it neceſſary for him to ſave it, or to ſave a Kingdom; but if there be any that do convert and turn, if there be any that do ſet themſelves to humble themſelves for the ſins of others, and do intercede for Gods mercy in his ſtaying with a people, God will have reſpect to a City and a Kingdom for their ſake. Let us, and let all that fear the Lord this day up and down London, reſolve all to reform and bemoan the ſins of London before God, and therein become interceſſors for London, ſo we might prevent London's ruin.
For a concluſion, let me add theſe encouragements to perſwade you to reform, notwithſtanding the generality of London will not reform ſtill.
1. Becauſe God will have you to reform, though others do not. God ſpeaketh to all to reform; do not you ſay I will not, becauſe others will not; it is thy duty, if others do not; thou doſt but thy duty when thou doſt it, though ten thouſands neglect it.
2ly, God will take it better at thine hands if thou wilt reform in a wicked City, than if the whole City were generally good: Why? becauſe the ſervice is more difficult; it is an harder thing for a righteous Lot to live in a Sodom, than to live in a place where more godly perſons dwell. It is an eminent piece of ſervice, and an eminent teſtimony we give to God of our love to him, when we can ſerve him in a place where he is deſpiſed, his Laws broken, and he rebelled againſt.
3ly, Some of you muſt reform, or it is certain God will go on ſtill to be angry with London; and if God go on, wo unto us, ſurely it will be very bitter in the end. God hath not yet ſpent all his venom'd darts. He hath more and greater plagues than yet we have felt, and nothing but the repentance and heart-reformation, at leaſt of ſome of us, I ſay of ſome of us, that we may become fit interceſſors for the reſt, can prevent the pouring of them forth upon us. But you will ſay, Is it poſſible to have greater, than to have an hundred thouſand ſwept away by the Peſtilence in one City, and in one year? than to have ſuch a famous City burnt down in three days? Yes. If God ſhould but ſuffer Popery to come in, it would be greater. If God ſhould bring in a company of bloody Papiſts that ſhould threaten you with burning, or elſe with provoking God by groſs Idolatry, you will ſay it is a greater; when you ſhall live in a London, and in England, and not hear of Chriſt Jeſus preached to you from one end of the year to the other, I think it will be a plague; and to have it brought in too by a foreign enemy. No, perhaps you will ſay, God will never do ſo. This was Iſraels old preſumption: What, God that brought us out of Egypt, he deſtroy us! What! that God that hath known us, and hath been our God, and hath ſignified himſelf our God by many mercies! He that walked with us, and we with him, he ſend a foreign enemy! it is impoſſible. Do not deceive your ſelves, God was as much engaged to the ſeed of Abraham as to London, as to England; and what he hath done, he can do again. This is one of the greateſt Judgments that can befall the Land, if God ſhould take away the Goſpel, leave us in darkneſs and blindneſs, take the Candleſtick away, and give us up to Idolatry, and ſay as to Ephraim, He is joined to Idols, let him alone. Repent, reform, leſt worſe things come upon you. Let the Lord ſee you after this day that you are a more careful, watchful, circumſpect people in the whole courſe of your lives and converſations; and if ſo, doubtleſs God will have this day an ear open to your prayer; he will have an heart ready to pity you, and to compaſſionate you when you cry; you ſhall be numbred among thoſe Interceſſors that have ſtood in the gap, that have kept wrath from coming in upon England, to the utter ruin of it.