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^^  OF  PmCET^ 


U'.' 


V.Lo 


NICHOL'S  SERIES  OF  STANDARD  DIVINES. 


PURITAN  PERIOD. 


BY  JOHN    C.    MILLER,    D.D., 

LINCOLN  college;  honoraby  canon  of  Worcester;  vicar  of  Greenwich. 


THE 


WORKS  OF  THOMAS  BROOKS 

VOL.  VI. 


COUNCIL  OF  PUBLICATION. 


■\V.  LIXDSAY  ALEXANDER,  D.D.,  Trofcssor  of  Theology,  Congregational 
Union,  Edinljiiii;Ii. 

JAMES  BEGG,  D.D.,  Minister  of  Newington  Free  Church,  Edinburgh. 

THOMAS  J.  CRAAVFOED,  D.D.,  S.T.P.,  Professor  of  Divinity,  University, 
E(.linl)urgh. 

D.  T.  K.  DRUAIMOXD,  M.A.,  Minister  of  St  Thomas's  Episcopal  Church, 
Edinburgh. 

WILLIAM  H.  GOOLD,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  and  Church 
History,  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church,  Edinburgh. 

ANDREW  THOMSON,  D.D.,  Minister  of  Broughton  Place  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  Edinburgh. 

liSencrnt  ^JDitor. 
REV.  THOMAS  SMITH,  D.D.,  Edinburgh. 


THE  COMPLETE  WORKS 


THOMAS    BROOKS. 


(!;i3itci>,  toitfj  Hlcmoir, 

BY  THE  EEV.  ALEXANDER  BALLOCH  GROSART, 
LIVERPOOL. 


VOL.    YI. 

containing: 

London's  lamentations  on  the  late  fiery  dispensation — the  glokious 

DAY  OF  the   saints'  APPEARANCE — GOD'S  DELIGHT  IN  THE    PROGRESS  OP 
THE    UPRIGHT — HYPOCRITES    DETECTED — A  BELIEVER's    LAST    DAY  IS    HIS 

BEST    DAY — A   HEAVENLY    CORDIAL THE    LEGACY  OF  A    DYING    MOTHER 

AND  MRS  bell's  EXPERIENCES INDICES,  ETC. 


EDINBURGH  :  JAMES  NICHOL. 

LONDON :  JMIES  NISBET  AND  CO,     DUBLIN :  G.  HERBERT. 


M.DCCC.LXVII. 


EDITORIAL  POSTSCRIPT. 


FOLLOWING  the  last  of  his  larger  treatises—'  London's  Lamenta- 
tions' — there  will  be  found  in  the  present  concluding  volume 
certain  minor  writings  of  Brooks,  of  some  of  which  the  Editor  had 
despaired  securing  copies — having  searched  in  vain  for  most  of  them 
in  all  our  great  Libraries,  and  applied  with  similar  result  to  innumer- 
able book-lovers  and  booksellers.  He  has  not  anywhere  chanced  upon 
another  copy  besides  his  own  of  either  the  '  Heavenly  Cordial '  or  of 
'  The  Legacy  of  a  Dying  Mother ;'  while  years  since  the  learned  editor 
of  the  '  Depositions  from  the  Castle  of  York,  relating  to  Offences  com- 
mitted in  the  Northern  Counties  in  the  Seventeenth  Century,'  for  the 
Surtees  Society — James  Eaine,  Esq., — with  reference  to  the  Funeral 
Sermon  of  Colonel  Eainsborough,  designated  it  *  a  very  rare  tract,' 
and  congratulated  himself  that  by  the  kindness  of  a  local  Bibliopole 
he  was  '  able  to  give  a  copy  of  the  title.'  i  Apart  from  the  intrinsic 
Avorth  of  these  excessively  scarce,  if  not  unique  tractates,  it  is  exceed- 
ingly satisfactory  to  the  Editor  that  he  has  been  enabled  by  lucky 
chances  to  present  the  entire  writings  of  Brooks  in  this — like  Sibbes' 
— first  collective  edition.  As  simple  matter  of  fact,  the  Works  given 
n  these  six  volumes  could  not  be  purchased  in  the  market  in  the 
original  and  early  editions  for  as  many  pounds  as  the  shillings  they  cost 
in  this  form  :  and  it  is  ventured  to  indulge  a  hope  that  the  accuracy 
of  our  reprint  from  a  genuine  and  unmutilated  text,  the  careful  verifi- 
cation of  the  numerous  Bible  quotations  and  references,  the  annotation 
of  names,  &c.,  and  the  Glossary  and  marking  of  Shakesperean  words 
— these  sometimes  explaining  obscurities — will  be  accepted  as  addi- 
tions to  their  value.  The  Editor  may  be  permitted  to  notice  the 
copious  Indices.  Ordinarily  it  is  to  be  feared  that  labour  spent  on 
such  work  is  ill  appreciated,  too  many,  as  rare  Thomas  Fuller  com- 
plained, regarding  an  index  as  '  the  bag  and  baggage  of  a  book,  of 

^  Publications  of  the  Surtees  Society,  vol.  xl.  p.  17. 


Tl  EDITORIAL  POSTSCRIPT. 

more  use  tlian  honour,  even  to  suchyho,  seeminojly  slighting,  secretly 
use  it,  if  not  for  need,  for  speed  of  what  they  desire  to  find.'i  But  he 
has  so  constructed  these  — incorporating  the  full  'Tables'  of  Brooks 
himself  wherever  prepared  by  him— as  to  render  any  preliminary  essay 
here  unnecessary,  inasmuch  as,  well  used,  they  will  guide  readily  the 
reader  of  our  Worthy  to  his  wealth  of  fine  thought,  of  priceless 
insight  into  the  *  mind  of  the  Spirit '  and  human  nature,  as  well 
unrenewed  as  gracious,  of  definite  doctrinal  statement,  of  rich  si)iritual- 
mindcduess,  of  tender  and  yet  pungent  appeal,  of  happy  allusion,  of 
brilliant,  rapid  wit,  of  racily-put,  telling  anecdote  and  asides,  of  recon- 
dite reading  and  multifarious  lore  unexpectedly  turned  to  account, 
with  many  a  pat,  almost  sly  foot-note,  '  You  know  how  to  make  the 
application ' — in  a  way  hitherto  impossible. 

With  such  a  '  Cabinet  of  Jewels'— to  appropriate  one  of  his  own 
titles2 — as  these  AVorks  present,  one  can  read  with  a  smile  the  depre- 
ciatory estimate  of  Brooks  as  of  Bunyan,  formed  by  High  Church 
contemporaries,  and  later.     One  of  these  is  so  characteristic,  and  serves 
as  so  excellent  an  illustration  of  the  a[)othcgm,  that  the  eye  sees  what 
it  brings  with  it,  that  it  must  find  a  place  here,  especially  as  it  has  not 
before  been  published  :  it  was  come  upon  by  us  in  an  examination 
of  the  MSS.  of  Walker,  of  the  '  Sufferings,'  folio,  preserved  in  the 
Bodleian.     This  '  character'  of  Brooks  occurs  iu  a  letter  from  Luke 
Milbourno.     It  is  literally  as  follows  — the  name,  to  start  with,  being 
misspelled — *  Mr  Tho.  Brook  was  another  of  those  '  i)leasant  preachers' 
whose  sermons  would  require  a  man  of  a  very  staunch  temper  to 
preach  them  over  again  Avithout  smiling.     Abundance  of  '  fine  meta- 
phors' and  '  charming  similitudes'  a  man  may  meet  with  in  his  Works, 
fit  only  to  debase  Divinity,  or  to  dress  it  up  in  a  ffool's  Coat ;  and  I'm 
afraid  such  jingling  Preachers  turn'd  men  from  Truth  to  ffables 
[rather]  than  from  sin  to  righteousness.     Souls  are  no  more  to  be 
taken  with  chaff  than  old  Birds  are.     His  stile  is  neither  prophetical 
nor  Apostolical,  nor  were  any  of  ye  antient  fathers  guilty  of  such 
Trifliu"" ;  and  indeed  it  icould  he  loell  if  all  such  Preachas  tvere 
silenced.     A  sound  Christian,  though  he  be  no  Critic,  loves  plain 
Truth  delivered  in  good  words,  but  always  hates  jesting  in  a  serious 
matter.' 3     The  italicised  sentence  reveals  the  animus  of  these  small 
sarcasms  and  smaller  comparisons  with  'antient  fathers,' — of  whom  the 
writer  was  evidently  as  ignorant  as  he  was  of  the  preacher  and  author 

'  l'i.sgah-si?ht  of  Palestine  in  '  Necessary  Directions  for  use  of  the  Index '  at  end. 

'  Works,  vol.  iii. 

»  From  Miscellaneous  Papers  in  Quarto.  From  these  Walker  MSS.— which  lie  unresid 
and  uncared,  for  apparently — we  hope  to  use  eflectively  elscwlicrc  not  a  few  letters, 
anecdotes,  &c.,  Sec.  of  the  Puritan  'Worthies.' 


EDITORIAL  POSTSCRIPT.  VH 

he  misjudges.  Yet  is  it  almost  wholly  from  such  witnesses  that  too 
many  even  now  express  their  opinions  on  the  Writings  of  the  Puritans 
and  Nonconformists  ;  and  perchance  it  must  be  admitted  that  the 
anti-Puritans  and  High  Churchmen  have  been  too  much  read  at 
second-hand  and  controversially.  In  the  present  instance,  it  is  ludi- 
crous to  find  one  so  inane  and  sand-barren  as  Milbourne  sitting  in 
judgment  upon  a  nature  so  rich  and  so  much  larger  than  his  own  ;  but 
it  is  a  typical  and  hence  valuable  example  of  how  an  over-dainty  cul- 
ture may  be  olfended  by  superficial  faults,  so  as  to  be  stone-blind  to 
the  preciousness  of  the  substance  of  the  works  wliich  these  blemish  ; 
it  being  granted  that  occasionally  Brooks  is  homely  to  excess,  in 
common  with  the  greatest  divines  of  his  age. 

Calamy's  summary  of  the  '  character'  of  Brooks — inadequate  though 
it  be — may  filly  accompany  the  preceding  : — '  He  was  a  veiy  affecting 
preacher,  and  useful  to  many  ;  and  tho'  he  us"d  many  homely  phrases 
and  sometimes  too  familiar  resemblances,  which  to  nice  criticks 
appear  ridiculous  ;  yet  he  did  more  good  to  souls  than  many  of  tho 
exactest  composers  ;  and  let  the  wits  of  the  age  pass  what  censures 
they  please,  '  he  that  winneth  souls  is  wise.'  i 

'  In  characterising  Sibbcs  generally,  we  selected  the  epithet  univ(T- 
sally  applied  to  him,  '  heavenJi/  ;'  and  in  like  manner,  the  woixl  '  usejnV 
is  the  one  word  which  accurately  expresses  the  position  of  Brooks 
among  his  contemporaries.  His  slightest  '  Epistle '  is  '  Bread  of  Life  :* 
his  most  fugitive  '  Sermon'  a  full  cup  of  '  Living  Water ;'  the  very 
foliage  of  his  exuberant  flmcies  '  Leaves'  of  the  Tree  of  Life :  his  one 
dominating  aim  to  make  dead  hearts  warm  with  the  Life  of  the  Gospel 
of  Him  who  is  Life  ;  his  supreme  purpose  to  '  bring  near '  the  very 
Truth  of  God.  Hence  his  directness,  his  urgency,  his  yearning,  his 
fervour,  his  fulness  of  Bible  citation,  his  wistfulness,  his  intensity,  his 
emotion,  and  that  fine  passion  of  enthusiasm  sprung  of  compassion, 
and  his  iteration  and  forgetfulness,^  and  Pauline  accident  of  choice 
words  or  melody  of  sentence.  His  desire  to  be  '  useful '  to  souls,  to 
achieve  the  holy  success  of  serving  Christ,  to  win  a  sparkling  crown 
to  lav  at  His  feet,  breathes  and  burns  from  first  to  last.  Evervthin"- 
is  subordinated  to  'usefulness ;'  and  while  he  gathered  around  him 
the  cultured  and  the  titled — who  all  but  worshipped  the  '  good  old 
man' — it  w^as  his  chief  rejoicing  that,  like  his  Master,  '  the  common 
people'  heard  and  read  him  'gladly.'  In  loving  association  with 
Sibbes  and   Shefiield,   Baxter    and   Bunyan,    Brinsley   and   Samuel 

^  Account,  vol.  ii.  p.  27. 

^  This  forgetfulness  reveals  itself  in  the  repeated  recurrence  of  the  same  anecdotes  and 
sayings  and  names.  Perhaps  nothing  more  shews  Brooks'  one  thought  to  have  heen 
present  'usefulness,'  not  at  all  literary  fame. 


VIU  EDITORIAL  POSTSCRIPT. 

Richardson,  his  books  were  well  thumbed  in  the  hamlets  of  his  own 
England,  and,  in  quaint  'Glasgow'  editions,  among  the  godly  peasantry 
of  fScothuul,  and  gained  wide  and  long-sustained  welcome  in  Germany 
and  llulland,  as  Brooks  gratefully  acknowledges  repeatedly. i  But 
more  cannot  be  needed  :  and  so — in  the  words  of  the  loving  biographer 
of  good  Bishop  Lake — "  I  Avill  detain  thee  no  longer,  gentle  Reader, 
at  this  time,  fioni  the  reading  of  so  useful  and  precious  works  — only 
thus  much  I  will  promise  thee  for  thine  encouragement  before  thou 
begin,  that  if  thou  take  the  pains  to  go  through  with  attention  these 
....  first,  Thou  shalt  gain  thereby  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  mean- 
ing of  the  text  he  handles,  and  of  every  particular  word  and  phrase 
in  it ;  secondlt/,  Thou  shalt  meet  with  a  great  variety  of  choice  obser- 
vations, both  theological  and  moral,  aptly  deduced,  and  methodically 
laid  down,  as  thou  art  like  to  find  anywhere  in  so  few  leaves  again  ; 
lasthj,  If  thou  be  endued,  as  I  hoj)e  thou  art,  with  the  same  spirit  of 
grace  and  regeneration  that  the  author  was,  thou  shalt  find  thine 
afi'ections  kindled  and  stirred  up  thereby  to  a  real  practice  of  piety 
and  good  works,  more  than  by  a  great  many  more  flom-ishing  dis- 
courses than  these  at  first  sight  seem  to  be."  - 

May  this  complete  edition  of  these  inestimable  Works  be  used  at 
this  '  later  day'  to  cause  him,  '  being  dead,  yet  to  speak'  for  that  dear 
Lord  Jesus  he  loved  and  served  so  well ! 

Alexander  B.  Grosart. 


Liverpool. 


'  Among  our  ]3rooksiana  is  a  Dutch  translation  of  the  '  Apples  of  Gold,'  of  which  the 
following  is  the  title-page,  '  Gouden'  Appeleu  Voor  longh  Mans  ende  longe-Dochters, 
Als  ook  eene  Kroone  der  Heerlykheyt  Voor  Oude-Mannen  ende  Oude-Yrowen.  Ofte  De 
Geluksaligheyt  van  by  tijts  goet  te  ziyn,  ende  de  Eere  van  een  oudt  Discipel  te  wesen. 
Klaarlijk  en  ten  vollen  outdekt,  ende  beknooptelijk,  ende  getrouwelijk  tocgcpast. 
Middisgaders  Der  longen  Tcgenworpingen  beautwoordt  Ende  dcr  Oudcn  Twijssclingen 
opgclost.  Door  Thomas  Brooks,  Prediker  des  Euangelium  tot  Margarets  New  Fish- 
street  hill  binnen  London  :  Uyt  hct  Enji;elsch  Verduytst  Door  D.  Montanus,  Dienaar  des 
Goddclijcken  Woordts  tot  Sluys  in  Vlanderen.  Tot  Uytrecht.  Ey  Johannes  Ribbius. 
1067.  12mo.'  Ribbius  dedicates  it  in  highly  appreciatory  words  to  a  great  lady, '  Anna 
Elisabeth  van  Recde,  van  Xederhorst,'  &c.     Appended  are  two  religious  poems  in  Dutch. 

^  Prefixed  to  his  '  Sermons  and  Divine  Meditations.'     1629.     Folio. 


CONTENTS. 


London's  Lamentations. 

Epistle  Dedicatory,  .....  3-13 

The  text  explained  and  divided,  ....  14-17 

Fire,  as  a  symbol  in  Scripture,    ....  17-22 

Ends  of  God  in  inflicting  judgments,        .  .  .  22-35 

Ends  of  God  in  inflicting  judgments  on  his  own  people,  .         35-50 
Seven  sins  among  the  professing  people  in  London,  that 
ought  to  work  them  to  justify  the  Lord  though  he 
burned  them  up,      .....  51-58 

The  several  sins  that  bring  the  fiery  judgment  upon  cities 

and  countries,  .....       59-127 

Various  specialities  concerning  the  judgment   of  fire  on 

London,       ......     130-153 

Considerations  to  work  to  lamentation,     .  .  .      154—166 

Thirteen  supports  to  bear  up  their  hearts  who  have  either 
lost  all,  or  much,  or  most  of  what  they  had  in  this 
world,  ......      166-197 

Of  the  fire  of  hell,  .  .  .  .  .      198-199 

Four  arguments  to  prove  that  it  is  very  probable  that  there 

is  material  fire  in  hell,  and  objections  met,  .      199-216 

Sixteen   duties   incumbent    upon  those  who  have  been 

burned  up,  .....     216-306 

Eight  duties  incumbent  upon  those  whose  habitations  are 

still  standing,  .  .  .  .  .306-312 


II.  The  Glorious  Day  of  the  Saints'  Appearancr. 
Epistle  Dedicatory, 
Sermon,  .... 


315-317 
318-334 


III.  God's  Delight  in  the  Progress  of  the  Upright. 
Epistle  Dedicatory,  .  .  .  . 

Sermon,  .  ... 


337-338 
339-363 


IV.  Hypocrites  Detected. 
Epistle  Dedicatory, 
Sermon, 


367-370 
371-386 


CONTENTS. 

PAOR 

V.   A  Bkliever's  Last  Day  his  Best  Day. 

Epistle  Dedicatory,  .....     839-393 

Sermon,  ......     394-408 


VI.  A  Heavenly  Cordial. 

Note,      .  .  .  .  .  .  .409 

The  '  Cordial,'     ......  410-434 

VII.  The  Legacy  of  a  Dying  Mother. 

Epistle  Dedicatory,  .....  437-452 

Mrs  Bell's  Experiences,  .  .  .  453-458 

Indices,  itc,        .  .  .  .  •  .  459-502 


LONDON'S  LAMENTATIONS. 


VOL.  VI. 


NOTE. 

'  London's  Lamentations,'  as  it  is  the  largest,  so  it  is  perhaps  the  most  remarkable 
contemporary  memorial  of  the '  Great  Fire.'  It  seems  singular  that  Defoe  does  not  appear 
to  have  known  it,  else  his  well  known  compilation  might  have  been  enriched  by  its  vivid 
and  powerful  incidental  notices  of  public  opinion  and  feeling  during  and  subsequent  to 
the  direful  calamity.  Reeve's  '  Plea  for  Nineveh' — by  Nineveh,  London  being  intended 
— may  be  compared  with  the  present  work.  Iioyalist  and  Puritan  alike  give  terrible 
pictures  of  the  licentiousness  and  general  wickedness  of  the  'great  city.'  The  title-page 
will  be  found  below.* 

*  LONDON'S 
LAMENTATIONS : 

OR, 

A   serious    Discourse    concerning    that   late    fiery 
Dispensation    that    turned    our   (once     renown- 
ed) City  into  a  ruinous  Heap.     Also  the  several 
Lessons  that  are  incumbent  upon  those  whose    ' 
Houses  have  escaped  the  consuming  Flames. 

By   THOMAS    BROOKS,    late  Preacher  of  the    Word  at 

S.  Margarets  New- Fish-street,  where  that  Fatal  Fire  first  be- 
gan that  turned  London  into  a  ruinous  Heap. 

Una  dies  interest  inter  magnam  Civitatem  &  nullam. 
There  is  but  the  distance  of  one  day  between  a  great  City  and  none, 
said  Seneca  when  a  great  City  was  burnt  to  Ashes. 

Come,  behold  the  Works  of  the  Lord,  what  Desolations  he  hath 
made  in  the  Earth.  Psal.  46.  8. 

LONDON, 

Printed  for  John  Llancoch  and  Nathaniel  Po7ider,  and  are  to  be  sold  at  the 

first  Shop  in  Pojyes-He.ad- Alley  in  Cornhil,  at  the  Sign  of  the  Three 

Bibles,  or  at  his  Shop  in  Bishojisgate-street,  and  at  the  Sign  of 

the  Peacock  in  Chancery-lane.     1670. 

[4to.-G.] 


PEIHOETOH 


Ml 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


To  the  Eight  Honourable  Sir  William  Tukner,  Knight,  Lord  Mayor 
of  the  City  of  London,  i 

Eight  Honourable, — It  is  not  my  design  to  blazon  your  worth,  or 
Avrite  a  panegyric  of  your  praises.  Your  brighter  name  stands  not  in 
need  of  such  a  shadow  as  men's  applause  to  make  it  more  renowned  in 
the  world.  Native  worth  is  more  respected  than  adventitious  glory. 
'  Your  own  works  praise  you  in  the  gates,'  Prov.  xxxi.  31.  It  is 
London's  honour  and  happiness,  tranquillity  and  prosjoerity,  to  have 
such  a  magistrate,  that  '  bears  not  the  sword  of  justice  in  vain,'  Eom. 
xiii.  4,  and  that  hath  not  brandished  the  sword  of  justice  in  the  defence 
of  the  friends  of  Baal,  Balaam,  or  Bacchus.  My  Lord,  had  your  sword 
of  justice  been  a  sword  of  protection  to  desperate  swearers,  or  to  cruel 
oppressors,  or  to  deceitful  dealers,  or  to  roaring  drunkards,  or  to  cursing 
monsters,  or  to  gospel  despisers,  or  to  Christ  contemners,  &c.,  might 
not  London  have  lain  in  her  ashes  to  this  very  day  ?  yea,  might  not 
God  have  rained  hell  out  of  heaven  upon  those  parts  of  the  city  that 
were  standing  monuments  of  God's  mercy,  as  once  he  did  upon  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  ?  Gen.  xix.  Woe  to  that  sword  that  is  a  devouring  sword 
to  the  righteous,  to  the  meek,  to  the  upright,  and  to  the  peaceable  in 
the  land,  Ps.  xxxv.  19,  20.  0  happy  sword !  under  which  all  sorts 
and  ranks  of  men  have  worshipped  God  in  peace,  and  lived  in  peace, 
and  rested  in  peace,  and  traded  in  peace,  and  built  their  habitations  in 
peace,  and  have  grown  up  in  peace.  Sir,  every  man  hath  sat,  under 
your  sword,  as  under  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree,  in  peace.  Words  are 
too  weak  to  express  how  great  a  mercy  this  hath  been  to  London,  yea, 
I  may  say,  to  England.  The  ancients  set  forth  all  their  gods  with  harps 
in  their  hands,  the  hieroglyphic  of  peace.  The  Grecians  had  the  statue 
of  Peace,  with  Pluto,  the  god  of  riches,  in  her  arms.  Some  of  the 
ancients  were  wont  to  paint  peace  in  the  form  of  a  woman  with  a  horn 
of  plenty  in  her  hands,  viz.,  all  blessings.  The  orator  hit  it  when  he 
said,  Dulce  nomen  pads,  The  very  name  of  peace  is  sweet.  No  city 
so  happy  as  that  wherein  the  chief  magistrate  has  been  as  '  eyes  to  the 

^  Of  the  Guild  of  Merchant  Tailors  :  son  of  fTohn  Turner  of  Kirk-Leedham  in  Cleve- 
land, Yorkshire.  See  Herbert's  History  of  the  Companies,  ii.  426.  This  admirable 
magistrate  won  the  praise  of  Eichard  Baxter  :  Eeliquise  Baxterianje,  s.  11. — G. 


4  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

blind,  legs  to  the  lame,  ears  to  the  deaf,  a  father  to  the  fatherless,  a 
husband  to  the  widow,  a  tower  to  the  righteous,  and  a  terror  to  the 
wicked,'  Job  xxxi. 

Certainly  rulers  have  no  better  friends  than  such  as  make  conscience 
of  their  ways ;  for  none  can  be  truly  loyal  but  such  as  are  truly  reli- 
gious. Witness  ]\Ioses,  Joseph,  Daniel,  and  the  three  children.'^ 
Sincere  Christians  are  as  lambs  amongst  lions,  as  sheep  amongst  wolves, 
as  lilies  amongst  thorns.  They  are  exposed  more  to  the  rage,  wrath, 
and  malice  of  wicked  men,  by  reason  of  their  holy  profession,  their 
gracious  principles  and  practices,  than  any  other  men  in  all  the  world. 
Now  did  not  God  raise  up  magistrates,  and  spirit  magistrates,  to  own 
them,  to  stand  by  them,  and  to  defend  them  in  all  honest  and  just  ways, 
how  soon  would  they  be  devoured  and  destroyed  !  Certainly  the  sword 
of  the  magistrate  is  to  be  di'awn  forth  for  the  natural  good,  and  civil 
good,  and  moral  good,  and  spiritual  good,  of  all  that  live  soberly  and 
quietly  under  it.  Stoloaeus^  tells  us  of  a  Persian  law,  that  after  the 
death  of  their  king  every  man  had  five  days'  liberty  to  do  what  he 
pleased,  that  by  beholding  the  wickedness  and  disorder  of  those  few 
days,  they  might  prize  government  the  better  all  their  days  after. 
Certainly  had  some  hot-headed,  and  little-witted,  and  fierce-spirited 
men  had  but  two  or  three  days'  liberty  to  have  done  what  they  pleased 
in  this  great  city  during  your  lordship's  mayoralty,  they  would  have 
made  sad  work  in  the  midst  of  us.  When  a  righteous  government 
fails,  then  (1.)  Order  fails;  (2.)  Keligion  fails;  (3.)  Trade  fails; 
(4.)  Justice  fails;  (5.)  Prosperity  fails;  (6.)  Strength  and  power  fails; 
(7.)  Fame  and  honour  fails;  (8.)  Wealth  and  riches  fails;  (9.)  Peace 
and  quiet  fails ;  (10.)  All  human  converse  and  society  fails.  To  take 
a  righteous  government  out  of  the  world,  is  to  take  the  sun  out  of  the 
firmament,  and  leave  it  no  more  a  «ocr/xo9,  a  beautiful  structure,  but  a 
Xcifxi,  a  confused  heap.  In  such  towns,  cities,  and  kingdoms  where 
righteous  government  fails,  there  every  man's  hand  will  be  quickly 
en<>-aged  against  his  brother.  Gen.  xxvi.  12.  Oh  the  sins,  the  sorrows, 
the  desolations,  and  destructions  that  will  unavoidably  break  in  like  a 
flood  u]:)on  such  a  i)eople  ! 

Public  persons  should  have  public  spirits ;  their  gifts  and  goodness 
should  diffuse  themselves  for  the  good  of  the  whole.  It  is  a  base  and 
ignoble  spirit  to  pity  Cataline  more  than  to  pity  Kome,  to  pity  any 
particular  sort  of  men  more  than  to  pity  the  whole.  It  is  cruelty  to 
the  good  to  justify  the  bad ;  it  is  wrong  to  the  sheep  to  animate  the 
wolves  ;  it  is  danger,  if  not  death,  to  the  lambs  not  to  restrain  or  chain 
up  the  lions ;  but,  Sir,  from  this  ignoble  spirit  God  has  dehvered  you. 
The  ancients  were  wont  to  place  the  statues  of  their  princes  by  their 
fountains,  intimating  that  they  were,  or  at  least  should  be,  fountains 
of  the  public  good.  Sir,  had  not  you  been  such  a  fountain,  men 
would  never  have  been  so  warm  for  your  continuance.  My  Lord,  the 
great  God  hath  made  you  a  koivov  uyadov,  a  public  good,  a  public 
blessing ;  and  this  hath  made  your  name  precious,  and  your  govern- 

1  The  three  tilings  which  God  minds  most,  and  loves  best  below  heaven,  are  his  truth, 
his  worship,  and  his  people.  * 

*  Stobaeus,  serm.  xlii.  p.  294.  [i.e.,  his  Florilegium  or  Sermones,  otherwise  Aydo- 
\6yiov. — 0.] 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY,  O 

ment  desirable,  and  your  person  honourable  in  the  thoughts,  hearts, 
and  eyes  of  all  people. i  Many — may  I  not  say  most? — of  the  rulers  of 
this  world  are,  as  Pliny  speaks  of  the  Koman  emperors.  Nomine  dii, 
naturd  diaboli,  Monsters,  not  men;  murderers,  not  magistrates.  Such 
a  monster  was  Saul,  who  hunted  David  as  a  partridge,  slew  the  inno- 
cent priests  of  the  Lord,  ran  to  a  witch,  and  who  was  a  man  of  so 
narrow  a  soul  that  he  knew  not  how  to  look  or  live  above  Iwmself, 
his  own  interests  and  concernments.  The  great  care  of  every  magis- 
trate should  be  to  promote  the  public  interest  more  than  their  own,  as 
you  may  see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  mai'gin  together.^ 
It  was  Ceesar's  high  commendation,  that  he  never  had  himself  after 
the  world  had  him  for  a  governor ;  his  mind  was  so  set  on  the  public, 
that  he  forgot  his  own  private  affairs.  The  stars  have  their  bright- 
ness, not  for  themselves,  but  for  the  use  of  others.  The  application 
is  easy. 

My  Lord,  several  philosophers  have  made  excellent  and  elegant 
orations  in  the  praise  of  justice.  They  say  that  all  virtues  are  com- 
prehended in  the  distribution  of  justice.^  Justice,  saith  Aristotle,  is  a 
synopsis  and  epitome  of  all  virtues.  All  I  shall  say  is  this,  the  world 
is  a  ring,  and  justice  is  the  diamond  in  that  ring;  the  world  is  a  body, 
and  justice  is  the  soul  of  that  body.  It  is  well  known  that  the  con- 
stitution of  a  man's  body  is  best  known  by  his  pulse  :  if  it  stir  not  at 
all,  then  we  know  he  is  dead ;  if  it  stir  violently,  then  we  know  him 
to  be  in  a  fever ;  if  it  keep  an  equal  stroke,  then  we  know  he  is  sound, 
well,  and  whole.  So  the  estate  and  constitution  of  a  city,  kingdom,  or 
commonweal  is  best  known  by  the  manner  of  executing  justice  therein; 
for  justice  is  the  pulse  of  a  city,  kingdom,  or  commonweal.  If  justice 
be  violent,  then  the  city,  kingdom,  or  commonweal  is  in  a  fever,  in  a 
very  bad  estate ;  if  it  stir  not  at  all,  then  the  city,  kingdom,  or  com- 
monwealth is  dead  ;  but  if  it  hath  an  equal  stroke,  if  it  be  justly  and 
duly  administered,  then  the  city,  kingdom,  or  commonweal  is  in  a  good, 
a  safe,  and  a  sound  condition.  When  Vespasian  asked  Apollonius 
what  was  the  cause  of  Nero's  ruin,  he  answered,  that  Nero  could  tune 
the  harp  well,  but  in  government  he  did  always  wind  up  the  strings 
too  high  or  let  them  down  too  low.  Extremes  in  government  are  the 
ready  way  to  ruin  all.  The  Komans  had  their  rods  for  lesser  faults, 
and  their  axe  for  capital  crimes.  Extreme  right  often  proves  extreme 
wrong.  He  that  will  always  go  to  the  utmost  of  what  the  law  allows, 
will  too  too  often  do  more  than  the  law  requires.  A  rigid  severity 
often  mars  all.  Equity  is  still  to  be  preferred  before  extremity.  To 
inflict   great   penalties    and  heavy  censures  for  light  offences,  this 

^  There  is  a  great  truth  in  that  old  maxim,  Magistratus  virum  indicat.  In  my  epistle 
to  my  treatise  called  'A  Cabinet  of  Choice  Jewels,'  the  ingenious  reader  may  find  six 
arguments  to  encourage  magistrates  to  be  men  of  public  spirits.  [Vol.  iii.  pp.  235,  seq. 
— G.] 

2  Exod.  xxxii.  10,  11,  32;  Neh.  v.  6-19;  Ps.  cxxxvii.  5,  6;  Acts  xiii.  36. 

^  Carneades,  Aristotle,  Socrates,  &c.  The  Eoman  orator  hath  long  since  observed, 
that  the  force  of  justice  is  such,  and  so  great,  that  even  thieves  and  robbers,  both  by  sea 
and  land,  Avho  live  upon  injustice  and  rapine,  yet  cannot  live  upon  their  trade  without 
some  practice  of  it  among  themselves.  Cleobulus,  one  of  the  seven  sages,  was  wont  to 
say  that  mediocrity  was  without  compare.  The  very  heathen  could  set  so  much  divine 
glory  in  the  face  of  a  magistrate,  that  he  styled  him  f/x^i'xos  dKoiv  6eov,  The  living  image 
of  the  ever-living  God.     [Cf.  Plato  :  Tim.  92  C— G.] 


6  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

is  to  kill  a  fly  upon  a  man's   forehead  with  a  beetle.^     The  great 
God  hath  put  his  own  name  upon  magistrates:  Ps.  Ixxxii.  G,  '  I  said 
that  ye  are  gods/     Yet  it  must  be  granted  that  you  are  gods  in  a 
smaller  letter :  mortal  gods — gods  that  uuist  die  like  men.     All  the 
sons  of  Ish  arc  sons  of  Adam.      ]\Iagistrates  must  do  justice  im- 
partially; for  as  they  are  called  gods,  so  in  this  they  must  be  like 
to  God,  who  is  no  accepter  of  persons,  Deut.  i.  17 ;  Lev.  xix.  15. 
He  accepts  not  of  the  rich  man  because  of  his  robes,  neither  doth  he 
reject  the  poor  man  because  of  his  rags.     The  magistrates'  eyes  are 
to  be  always  upon  causes,  and  not  upon  persons.     Both  the  statues  of 
the  Theban  judges  and  the  statues  of  the  Egyptian  judges  were  made 
without  hands  and  without  eyes,  to  intimate  to  us  that,  as  judges 
should  have  no  hands  to  receive  bribes,  so  they  should  have  no  eyes 
to  see  a  friend  from  a  foe,  or  a  brother  from  a  stranger,  in  judgment.2 
And  it  was  the  oath  of  the  heathen  judges,  as  the  orator  relates, 
Audiam  accusatorem  el  reum  sine  afeclihus,  ct  jxrsonarum  respec-  ■ 
Hone  :  I  will  hear  the  plaintiff  and  the  defendant  with  an  equal  mind, 
without  affection  and  respect  of  persons.    In  the  twelfth  Novel  of  Jus- 
tinian you  may  read  of  an  oath  imposed  upon  judges  and  justices 
against  inclining  or  addicting  themselves  to  either  party  ;  yea,  they 
put  themselves  under  a  deep  and  bitter  execration  and  curse  in  case 
of  partiality,  imploring  God  in  such  language  as  this :  '  Let  me  have 
my  part  with  Judas,  and  let  the  leprosy  of  Gehazi  cleave  to  me,  and 
the  trembling  of  Cain  come  upon  me,  and  whatsoever  else  may  astonish 
and  dismay  a  man,  if  I  am  partial  in  the  administration  of  justice.' 
The  i)oet  in  the  Greek  epigram  taught  the  silver  axe  of  justice  that 
was  carried  before  the  Koman  magistrates  to  proclaim,  '  If  thou  be  an 
offender,  let  not  the  silver  flatter  thee ;  if  an  innocent,  let  not  the  axe 
affright  thee.'     The  Athenian  judges  judged  in  the  night,  when  the 
faces  of  men  could  not  be  seen,  that  so  they  might  be  impartial  in 
judgment.     My  Lord,  your  impartiality  in  the  administration  of  justice 
in  that  high  orb  wherein  diWne  providence  hath  placed  you,  is  one  of 
those  great  things  that  hath  made  you  high  and  honourable  in  the  eyes 
and  hearts  of  all  that  are  true  lovers  of  impartial  justice.     Some  writers 
say,  that  some  waters  in  Macedonia,  being  drunk  by  black  shee]>, 
change  their  fleece  into  white.     Nothing  but  the  pure  and  impartial 
administration  of  justice  and  judgment  can  transform  black-mouthed, 
black-handed,  and  black-hearted  men  into  white.     There  is  nothing 
that  sweetens,  satisfies,  and  silences  all  sorts  of  men  like  the  adminis- 
tration of  impartial  justice.     The  want  of  this  brought  desolation  upon 
Jerusalem  and  the  whole  land  of  Jewry,  Isa.  i.  23,  24,  and  upon 
many  other  flourishing  kingdoms  and  countries,  as  all  know  that 
have  but  read  anything  of  Scripture  or  history.     St  Austin  plainly 
denies  that  ever  the  Eoman  polity  could  be  called  properly  a  common- 
wealth, upon  this  ground,  that  Ubi  non  est  justitia,  non  est  repiiblica. 

^  Peter  Lombard.     Cf.  Sibbee,  vol.  i.  101.— G. 

'  Magistrates  are,  as  Xazianzen  expresses  it,  pictures  drawn  of  God.  Every  magis- 
trate, though  in  never  so  low  a  place,  bears  the  image  of  God.  A  penny  bears  the  image 
of  the  prince  as  well  as  a  shilling.  Magistrates  are  not  immortal  deities,  neither  have  they 
everlasting  godheads.  Those  gods,  as  tliey  had  a  beginning,  so  they  must  have  an  end. 
Quicquid  oritur,  moritur.  There  is  a  '  Mene,  mene '  on  them  ;  their  days  are  numbered ; 
their  time  is  computed.     Hercules  his  pillar  stands  in  their  way.     Non  datur  ultra. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  7 

He  calls'"  commonwealths  without  justice  hut  magna  latrocinia;  or  in 
Lipsius  his  language,  congeries,  confusio,  turha.  ^  It  is  hut  an  abuse  of 
the  word  respuhlica — commonwealth — where  the  public  good  is  not 
consulted  by  an  impartial  justice  and  equity  ;  it  is  but  a  confused  heap, 
a  rout  of  men ;  or  if  we  will  call  it  so  at  present,  it  will  not  be  so  long 
without  impartial  justice,  partly  because  injustice  and  oppression  makes 
the  multitude  tumultuous,  and  fills  the  people's  heads  with,  dangerous 
designs,  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin 
together  ;2  and  partly  because  it  lays  a  nation  open  and  obnoxious  to 
the  wrath  and  vengeance  of  God,  as  might  easily  be  made  good  by 
scores  of  scriptures.  Impartial  justice  is  the  best  establishment  of 
kingdoms  and  commonwealths.  '  The  king  by  judgment  establisheth 
the  land,'  Prov.  xxix.  4 :  see  Num.  xxv.  11  ;  2  Sam.  xxi.  14.  It  is 
the  best  security  against  desolating  judgments.  '  Kun  ye  through 
the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  and  seek  in  the  broad  places  thereof,  if  ye 
can  find  a  man,  if  there  be  any  that  executeth  judgment,  and  I  will 
pardon  it,'  Jer,  v.  1. 

My  Lord,  as  it  is  the  honour  of  a  magistrate  to  do  justice  impar- 
tially, so  it  is  the  honour  and  glory  of  a  magistrate  to  do  justice 
speedily  :  Jer.  xxviii.  12,  '  0  house  of  David,  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
Execute  judgment  in  the  morning,  and  deliver  him  that  is  spoiled  out 
of  the  hand  of  the  oppressor,  lest  my  fury  go  out  like  fire,  and  burn 
that  none  can  quench  it,  because  of  the  evil  of  your  doings.' 3  After 
examination,  execution  is  to  be  done  with  expedition.  When  men  cry 
out  for  Justice,  Justice,  magistrates  must  not  cry  out,  Cras,  Oras — 
to-morrow,  to-morrow.  Magistrates  must  do  justice  in  the  morning. 
Neither  noon-justice,  nor  afternoon-justice,  nor  evening-justice,  nor 
night-justice  is  so  acceptable  to  God,  or  so  honourable  to  magistrates, 
or  so  advantageous  to  the  people,  as  morning-justice  is.  To  delay 
justice  is  worse  sometimes  than  to  deny  justice.  It  is  a  very  dangerous 
thing  for  magistrates  to  be  as  long  a-bringing  forth  their  verdicts  as 
the  elephant  her  young.  Delay  of  justice  makes  many  more  irrecon- 
cilable ;  it  makes  many  men  go  up  and  down  this  world  with  heavy 
hearts,  empty  purses,  and  threadbare  coats,  I  have  read  of  a  famous 
passage  of  Theodoric,  king  of  the  Romans,  who,  when  a  widow  came 
to  him  with  a  sad  complaint,  that  she  had  a  suit  depending  in  the 
court  three  years,  which  might  have  been  ended  in  a  few  days ;  the 
king  demands  of  her  the  judges'  names:  she  tells  him  ;  he  sends  a 
special  command  to  them  to  give  all  the  speedy  despatch  that  was  pos- 
sible to  the  widow's  cause,  which  they  did  ;  and  in  two  days  determined 
it  to  the  widow's  liking.  This  being  done,  the  king  calls  for  the 
judges,  and  they,  supposing  that  they  should  have  both  applause  and 
reward  for  their  expedition,  hastened  to  him  full  of  joy  ;  but  after  the 
king  had  propounded  several  things  to  them  about  their  former  delays, 
he  commanded  both  their  heads  to  be  struck  off,  because  they  had  spun 
out  that  cause  to  a  three  years'  length,  which  two  days  would  have 
ended.     Here  was  royal  justice,  and  speedy  justice  indeed.    Ps.  ci.  8, 

^  August,  de  Civitate  Dei,  lib.  x.  cap.  21,  &c. ;  lib.  iv.  cap.  4.  Lipsius  de  Constan.,  lib. 
11.  cap.  13.  ^1  Kings  xii.  ;  1  Sam.  viii.  3. 

^  God  is  very  speedy  and  swift  in  the  execution  of  justice,  Joel  ill.  4  ;  Gen.  xix.;  Num. 
xvi. ;  Ezra  vii.  20.     In  this  as  in  other  things  it  becomes  magistrates  to  be  like  to  God. 


8  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

'  I  will  early  destroy  all  the  Avicked  of  the  land  ;'  sum^no  mane,  I  will 
do  morning-justice.  Fesiinanter,  so  Genebrad,  '  I  will  hastily  do  it.'^ 
Justice  should  be  on  the  wing;  delays  are  very  dangerous  and  in- 
jurious :  Prov.  xiii.  12,  '  Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick.'  The 
Hebrew  word  Mcniiushshacah,  that  is  here  rendered  '  deferred,'  is  from 
Mashavh,  that  signifies  '  to  draw  out  at  lengtli.'  Men  are  short- 
breathed  and  short-spirited,  and  hope's  hours  aie  lull  of  eternity,  and 
when  their  hopes  are  draAvn  out  at  length,  this  makes  their  hearts  sick  ; 
and,  ah  !  what  a  world  of  such  sick  souls  lies  languishing  at  hope's 
hospital  all  the  world  over.  Hope  in  the  text  is  put  for  the  good 
things  hoped  for.  Now  wdien  the  good  things  men  hope  for,  be  it 
justice  or  a  quick  despatch,  &c.,  are  deferred  and  delayed,  this  makes 
the  poor  client  sick  at  heart.  A  lingering  ho])e  always  breeds  in  the 
heart  a  lingering  consumption  ;  the  harder  travail  hope  hath,  and  the 
more  strongly  it  labours  to  bring  forth,  and  yet  is  deferred  and  delayed, 
the  more  deadly  sick  the  client  grows.  2  The  speedy  execution  of 
justice  is  the  very  life  and  soul  of  justice :  Amos  v.  24,  '  But  let  judg- 
ment run  down  as  waters,  and  righteousness  as  a  mighty  stream.' 
The  Hebrew  word  Veiiggal,  that  is  here  rendered  '  run  down,'  is  from 
Galal,  that  signifies  to  '  roll  down  freely,  plentifully,  vigorously,  con- 
stantly, speedily,'  as  the  great  billows  of  the  sea,  or  as  waves  roll 
speedily  over  the  rocks.  Judgment  and  righteousness,  like  a  mighty 
stream,  should  bear  down  all  before  it.  Fiat  justitia,  mat  orhis — Let 
justice  be  done,  whatever  come  of  it :  Deut.  xvi.  20,  '  That  which  is 
altogether  just  shaltthou  follow,'  or  rather,  as  the  Hebrew  hath  it,  plii 
plii,  Tsedek,  Tsedek,  Justice,  justice  shalt  thou  follow — that  is,  all 
manner  of  justice  thou  shalt  follow,  and  nothing  but  justice  shalt  thou 
follow,  and  thou  shalt  follow  justice  sincerely,  out  of  love  to  justice;  and 
thou  shalt  follow  justice  exactly,  without  turning  to  the  right  hand  or 
the  left;  and  thou  shalt  follow  justice  resolutely,  in  spite  of  the  world, 
the  flesh,  and  the  devil;  and  thou  shalt  follow  justice  speedily,  without 
delays  or  excuses.  A  magistrate  that  has  the  sword  of  justice  in  his 
hand  must  never  plead,  '  There  is  a  lion  in  the  way.'  My  Lord,  this 
will  be  your  honour  while  you  live,  and  your  comfort  when  you  come 
to  die,  that  whilst  the  sword  was  in  your  hand,  you  did  justice  speedily 
as  well  as  impartially.  You  did  justice  in  the  morning,  and  justice  at 
noon,  and  justice  in  the  afternoon,  and  justice  at  night.  What  has 
been  your  whole  mayoralty  but  one  continued  day  of  justice  ?  Who 
can  sum  up  the  many  thousand  causes  that  you  have  heard  and  de- 
termined, and  the  many  thousand  differences  that  you  have  sweetly 
and  friendly  composed  and  ended  ?  If  the  lawyers  please  but  to  speak 
out,  they  must  ingenuously  confess  that  your  Lordship  has  eased  them 
of  a  gi-eat  deal  of  work. 

My  Lord,  as  it  is  the  honour  and  glory  of  a  magistrate  to  do 
justice  speedily,  so  it  is  the  honour  and  glory  of  a  magistrate  to 
do  justice  resolutely,  courageously,  valiantly.     It  is  observable  that 

'  More  accurately  Gilbert  Genebrardus,  whose  Commentary  on  the  Psalms  (1577)  has 
passed  through  numerous  editions. — G. 

*  Julius  Caesar's  quick  despatch  is  noted  in  three  ivords  :  Veni,  vidi,  vici—l  came,  I 
saw,  I  overcame. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  9 

as  soon  as  ever  Joshua  came  into  the  office  of  magistracy,  God 
charges  him  no  less  than  three  times,  in  a  breath  as  it  were,  to  be 
very  courageous.  Josh.  i.  6,  7,  9.  A  magistrate  that  is  timorous  will 
quickly  be  treacherous.  A  magistrate  that  is  fearful  can  never  be 
faithful.  Solomon's  throne  was  supported  with  lions,  to  shew  that 
magistrates  should  be  men  of  mettle  and  courage.  The  Athenian 
judges  sat  in  Mars'  street,  Acts  xvii.  22,  to  shew  that  they  had  mar- 
tial hearts,  and  that  they  were  men  of  courage  and  mettle.  The 
Grecians  placed  justice  betwixt  Leo  and  Libra,  to  signify  that  as  there 
must  be  indififei-ency  in  determining,  so  there  ought  to  be  courage  in 
executing.  Where  there  is  courage  without  knowledge,  there  the  eje 
of- justice  is  blind;  and  where  there  is  knowledge  without  courage, 
there  the  sword  of  justice  is  blunt.  A  magistrate's  heart,  a  judge's 
heart  and  his  robes  must  be  both  dyed  in  grain,  else  the  colour  of 
the  one  and  the  courage  of  the  other  will  quickly  fade.  Why  should 
not  the  standard  be  of  steel,  and  the  chief  posts  of  the  house  be  heart 
of  oak  ?  It  hath  been  long  since  said  of  Cato,  Fabricius,  and  Aris- 
tides,  that  it  was  as  easy  to  remove  the  sun  out  of  the  firmament  as 
to  remove  them  from  justice  and  equity ;  they  were  men  of  such 
courageous  and  magnanimous  spirits  for  justice  and  righteousness. 
No  scarlet  robe  doth  so  well  become  a  magistrate  as  holy  courage  and 
stoutness  doth.  As  bodily  physicians,  so  state  physicians  should  have 
an  eagle's  eye,  a  lady's  hand,  and  a  lion's  heart.  Cowardly  and 
timorous  magistrates  will  never  set  up  monuments  of  their  victories 
over  sin  and  profaneness.  It  is  very  sad  when  we  may  say  of  our 
magistrates,  as  the  heathen  did  of  magistrates  in  his  time,  they  were 
very  good,  si  audeant  quce  sentmnt,  if  they  durst  but  do  what  they  ought 
to  do.i  My  Lord,  had  not  the  Lord  of  lords  put  a  great  spirit  of 
courage,  boldness,  and  resolution  upon  you,  you  had  never  been  able 
to  have  managed  your  government  as  you  have  done,  counting  the 
various  winds  that  have  blown  upon  you,  and  the  several  difficulties 
and  discouragements  that  have  risen  up  before  you,  Kev.  i.  5,  6,  and 
xvii.  14. 

My  Lord,  once  more  give  me  leave  to  say,  that  in  a  magistrate 
justice  and  mercy,  justice  and  clemency  ought  to  go  hand  in  hand: 
Prov.  XX.  28,  '  Mercy  and  truth  preserve  the  king,  and  his  throne  is 
upholden  by  mercy. '2  All  justice  will  not  jjreserve  the  king,  nor 
all  mercy  will  not  preserve  the  king  ;  there  must  be  a  mixture  both 
of  justice  and  mercy  to  preserve  the  king,  and  to  uphold  his  throne  ; 
and  to  shew  that  mercy  is  more  requisite  than  justice,  the  word  mercy 
is  doubled  in  the  text.  Justice  without  mercy  turns  into  rigour,  and 
so  becomes  hateful.  Mercy  without  justice  turns  into  fond  pity, 
and  so  becomes  contemptible.  3  Look,  as  the  rod  of  Aaron  and  the 
pot  of  manna  were  by  God's  own  command  laid  up  in  the  same  ark ; 
so  must  mercy  and  justice  be  preserved  entire  in  the  bosom  of  the 
same  magistrate.     Mercy  and  justice,  mildness  and  righteousness, 

^  Cic.  de  Mil.  ^  Truth  in  Scripture  is  frequently  put  for  justice. 

^  King  John  thought  to  strengthen  himself  by  gathering  a  great  deal  of  money  to- 
gether; but  neglecting  the  exercise  of  mercy  and  justice,  clemency  and  lenity,  he  lost 
his  people's  affections,  and  so,  after  many  endless  turmoils,  he  came  to  an  unhappy  end. 


10  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

lenity  and  fidelity  arc  a  safer  and  a  stronj^er  ,e;unrd  to  princes  and 
people  than  rich  mines,  munitions  of  rock.s,  mighty  armies,  powerful 
navies,  or  any  warlike  jircparations.  It  is  very  observable  tliat  Clirist 
is  called  but  once  the  '  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah'  in  the  book  of  the 
Revelation,  and  that  is  in  chap.  v.  5  ;  but  he  is  called  a  Lamb  no 
less  than  nine-and-twenty  times  in  tliat  book.  And  what  is  this  but 
to  shew  us  the  transcendent  mercy,  clemency,  lenity,  mildness,  and 
sweetness  that  is  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  shew  that  he  is  infinitely 
more  inclined  to  the  exercise  of  mercy  than  he  is  to  the  exercise  of 
justice.  It  is  true,  magistrates  should  be  lions  in  the  execution  of 
justice,  and  it  is  as  true  that  they  should  be  lambs  in  the  exercise 
of  mercy  and  clemency,  mildness  and  sweetness ;  and  the  more 
ready  and  inclinable  they  are  to  the  exercise  of  mercy,  where  mercy 
is  to  be  shewed,  the  more  like  to  Christ  the  Lamb  they  are.  God 
is  slow  to  anger,  he  abounds  in  pity,  though  he  be  great  in  power, 
Ps.  Ixviii.  18,  and  ciii.  13,  14 ;  Hosea  xi.  8.  Seneca  hath  long 
since  observed,  that  the  custom  of  anointing  kings  was  to  shew 
that  kings,  above  all  other  men,  should  be  men  of  the  greatest 
sweetness  and  mildness,  their  anointing  being  a  sign  of  that  kingly 
sweetness  and  mildness  that  should  be  in  them.  Thetxlosius  the 
emperor,  by  his  loveliness  and  clemency,  gained  many  kingdoms.^ 
The  Goths,  after  the  death  of  their  own  king,  beholding  his  temperance, 
patience,  and  justice  mixed  with  mercy  and  clemency,  gave  them- 
selves up  to  his  government.  When  Cicero  would  claw  Ccesar,  he 
tells  him  that  his  valour  and  victories  were  common  with  the  rest  of 
his  soldiers,  but  his  clemency  and  goodness  were  wholly  his  own. 
Nero's  speech  hath  great  praise,  who  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign, 
when  he  was  to  subscribe  to  the  death  of  any  condemned  person, 
would  say,  Utinam  nescireni  literas,  I  wish  I  did  not  know  how  to 
write.  I  know  there  are  a  thousand  thousand  cases  wherein  severity 
is  to  be  used ;  but  yet  I  must  say  that  it  is  much  safer  to  account  for 
mercy  than  for  cruelty  ;  it  is  best  that  the  sword  of  justice  should  be 
always  furbished  with  the  oil  of  mercy.  My  Lord,  in  the  manage- 
ment of  your  government  you  have  been  so  assisted  and  helped  from 
on  high,  that  stoutness  and  mildness,  justice  and  mercy,  justice  and 
clemency,  hath  like  a  silver  thread  run  through  all  your  mayoralty, 
and  by  this  means  you  have  very  signally  served  the  interest  of  the 
crown,  the  interest  of  the  city,  the  interest  of  the  nation,  and  that 
which  is  more  than  all  the  rest,  the  interest  of  your  own  soul.  Rigour 
breeds  rebellion.  Rehoboam  by  his  severity,  by  his  cruelty,  lost  ten 
tribes  in  one  day,  1  Kings  xii.  16. 

My  Lord,  your  prudence,  justice,  and  nioderation,  your  burning 
zeal  against  the  horrid,  hideous,  heady  vices  of  this  day ;  your  punish- 
ing of  oaths,  drunkenness,  and  the  fiilse  balance ;  your  singular 
sobriety  and  temperance  in  the  midst  of  all  your  high  entertainments; 
your  fidelity  and  activity,  your  eminent  self-denial  in  respect  of 
your  perquisites ;  your  unwearied  endeavours  to  sec  London  raised 
out  of  its  ruins,  and  to  see  the  top-stone  laid ;  your  great  readiness 
and  willingness  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  public  good  :  these  are 
the  things  that  have  made  your  name  as  a  precious  ointment,  and 

^    Vide  Aug.  de  civit.  Dei,  lib.  v.  cap.  26.     Orosius,  lib.  vii.  cap.  3i. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY,  11 

that  have  erected  for  you  a  noble  living  monument  in  the  breasts  and 
hearts  of  all  sober,  serious  Christians :  these  are  the  things  that  have 
made  you  the  darling  of  the  people,  i  Let  all  succeeding  lord  mayors 
but  manage  their  own  persons,  families,  and  government  as  you  have 
done,  by  divine  assistance,  and  without  a  peradventure  they  will  have  a 
proportionable  interest  in  the  hearts  and  affections  of  the  people.  For, 
my  Lord,  it  is  not  barely  the  having  of  a  sword  of  justice,  a  sword  of 
power,  but  the  well  management  of  that  sword,  that  makes  most  for 
the  interest  both  of  prince  and  people,  and  that  gives  the  magistrate 
a  standing  interest  in  the  hearts  and  affections  of  the  people.  My 
Lord,  the  generality  of  people  never  concern  themselves  about  the 
particular  persuasions  of  this  or  that  magistrate  in  the  matters  of 
religion,  their  eyes  are  upon  their  examples,  and  upon  the  manage- 
ment of  their  trust  and  power  for  public  good ;  and  they  that  do 
them  most  good  shall  be  sure  to  have  most  of  their  hearts  and 
voices,  let  their  private  opinions  in  the  matters  of  religion  be  what 
they  will. 

My  Lord,  I  have  not  so  learned  Christ  as  to  give  flattering  titles  to 
men.  Job  xxxii.  22.  The  little  that  I  have  written  I  have  written  in 
the  plainness  and  singleness  of  my  heart,  and  for  your  lordship's  com- 
fort and  encouragement  in  all  well-doing,  and  to  provoke  all  others 
that  shall  succeed  in  your  chair  to  write  after  that  fair  copy  that  you 
have  set  them,  which  will  be  their  honour,  London's  happiness,  and 
England's  interest.  Plutarch  said  of  Demosthenes,  that  he  was  ex- 
cellent at  praising  the  worthy  acts  of  his  ancestors,  but  not  so  at 
imitating  them.  The  Lord  grant  that  this  may  never  be  made  good 
of  any  that  shall  succeed  your  lordship  !  Carus  the  emperor's  motto 
was,  Bonus  dux,  bonus  comes,  A  good  leader  makes  a  good  follower. 
The  complaint  is  ancient  in  Seneca,  that  commonly  men  live  not  ad 
rationem,  but  ad  similitudinem}  Prcecepta  docent,  exempla  movent. 
Precepts  may  instruct,  but  examples  do  persuade.  Stories  speak  of 
some  that  could  not  sleep  when  they  thought  of  the  trophies  of  other 
worthies  that  went  before  them.  The  highest  examples  are  very 
quickening  and  provoking.  Oh  that  by  all  that  shall  succeed  your 
lordship  in  the  chair,  we  may  yet  behold  our  city  rising  more  and  more 
out  of  its  ashes  in  greater  splendour  and  glory  than  ever  yet  our  eyes 
have  seen  it,  that  all  sober  citizens  may  have  eminent  cause  to  call 
them  the  repairers  of  the  breaches  and  restorers  of  our  city  to  dwell 
in  !  3  Concerning  Jerusalem  burned  and  laid  waste  by  the  Assyrians, 
Daniel  foretold  that  the  streets  and  the  walls  thereof  should  be  re- 
builded,  even  in  troublesome  times,  Dan.  ix.  25.  Though  the  Assj-r- 
ians  have  laid  our  Jerusalem  waste,  yet  even  to  a  wonder  how  have 
the  buildings  been  carried  on  this  last  year  ! 

My  Lord,  the  following  treatise,  which  I  humbly  dedicate  to  your 
lordship,  has  been  drawn  up  some  years.  The  reasons  why  it  has 
been  buried  so  long  in  oblivion  are  not  here  to  be  inserted.  The  dis- 
course is  sober,  and  of  great  importance  to  all  that  have  been  burnt 

'  A  self-seeking  magistrate  is  one  of  the  worst  of  plagues  and  judgments  that  can 
befall  a  people ;  he  is  a  gangrene  in  the  head,  which  brings  both  a  more  speedy  and  a 
more  certain  ruin  than  if  it  were  in  some  inferior  and  less  noble  part  of  the  body. 

^  Seneca  de  vita  beata,  cap.  1. 

^  Isa.  Iviii.  12,  and  Ixi.  4.;  Amos  ix.  14;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  33-36,  38. 


12  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

up,  and  to  all  whose  houses  have  escaped  the  furious  flames.  Whilst 
the  remembrance  of  London's  flames  are  kept  alive  in  the  thoughts 
and  liearts  of  men,  tliis  treatise  will  be  of  use  in  tlie  world.  My  Lord, 
I  do  not  dedicate  tlii.s  tractate  to  your  lordship  as  if  it  stood  in  need 
of  your  honour's  patronage  ;  I  judge  it  to  be  of  age  both  to  plead  for 
itself  and  to  defend  itself  against  all  gainsayers.  Veritas  vincit, 
Veritas  stat  in  ajycrto  cam2)oA  Zeno,  Socrates,  Anaxarchus,  &c., 
sealed  the  lean  and  barren  truths  of  philosophy  with  the  expense  of 
their  dearest  blood,  as  you  may  see  in  the  heathen  martyrology.  Oh, 
how  much  more  should  we  be  ready  to  scnl  all  divine  truths  with  our 
dearest  blood,  when  God  shall  call  us  forth  to  such  a  service  !  My 
Lord,  I  humbly  lay  this  treatise  at  your  lordship's  foot,  to  testify  that 
love  and  honour  that  I  have  in  my  heart  for  you,  both  upon  the 
account  of  that  intrinsecal  worth  that  is  in  you,  and  upon  the  account  of 
the  many  good  things  and  great  things  that  have  been  done  by  you,  and 
publicly  to  testify  my  acknowledgment  of  your  lordship's  undeserved 
favours  towards  me.  My  Lord,  of  right  this  treatise  should  have  been 
in  your  hands  several  months  since,  and  in  that  it  was  not  it  is  wholly 
from  others  and  not  from  me.  If  your  lordship  please  but  to  favour 
the  author  so  far  as  to  read  it  once  over  for  his  sake,  he  doubts  not 
but  that  your  lordship  will  oftener  read  it  over  for  your  own  soul's 
sake,  and  for  eternity's  sake,  and  for  London's  sake  also.  My  Lord,  by 
reason  of  my  being  remote  from  the  city  several  weeks,  I  have  had  the 
advantage  but  of  reading  and  correcting  two  or  three  sheets,  and 
therefore  must  beg  your  lordship's  pardon  as  to  all  the  neglects  and 
escapes  of  the  press.  A  second  impression  may  set  all  right  and 
straight. 

My  Lord,  that  to  your  dying  day  you  may  be  famous  in  your  gene- 
ration, and  that  your  precious  and  immortal  soul  may  be  richly 
adorned  with  all  saving  gifts  and  graces,  and  that  you  may  daily  enjoy 
a  clear,  close,  high,  and  standing  communion  with  God,  and  that  you 
may  be  filled  with  all  the  fruits  of  righteousness  and  holiness,  and 
that  your  soul  may  be  bound  up  in  the  bundle  of  life,  and  crowned 
with  the  highest  glory  in  the  other  world,  in  the  free,  full,  constant, 
and  uninterrupted  enjoyment  of  that  God  who  is  the  heaven  of  heaven 
and  the  glory  of  glory,  is,  and  by  divine  assistance  shall  be,  the  earnest 
prayers  of  him  who  is  your  honour's  in  all  humble  and  due  observance, 

Thomas  Brooks. 


^  My  Lord,  some  sacrifice  their  labours  to  great  Jfrccenases,  that  tliey  may  be  atoned 
to  shield  them  from  potent  antagonists  ;  but  these  sermons,  which  here  I  present  to 
your  honour's  perusal,  being  only  the  blessed  truths  of  God,  I  hope  they  need  no  arm  but 
his  to  defend  them. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  13 


THE  FIERY  JESUIT'S  TEMPER  AND  BEHAVIOUR. 

I  fain  would  be  informed  by  you  what  ails 
These  foxes  to  wear  firebrands  in  their  tails. 
What !  did  you  teach  these  cubs  the  world  to  burn, 
Or  to  embottle  London  in  its  urn  ? 
Are  Huguenots  as  rank  Philistines  grown 
With  you,  as  dwelt  in  Gath  or  Askelon  ? 
Bold  wretches  !  must  your  fire  thus  antedate 
The  general  doom,  and  give  the  world  its  fate  ? 
Must  hell's  edict  to  blend  this  globe  with  fire 
Be  done  at  your  grave  nods  when  you  require  ? 


THEOImjGIOAL. 


LONDON'S  LAMENTATIONS  ON  THE  LATE 
FIERY  DISPENSATION. 


Who  gave  Jacob  to  the  spoil,  and  Israel  to  the  robbers  ?  did  not  I  the 
Lord?  he  against  ivhom  ive  have  sinned;  for  they  wotdd  not 
icalk  in  his  ivays,  neither  were  they  obedient  to  his  laiu. 

Therefore  he  hath  poured  uj)on  him  the  fury  of  his  anger,  and  the 
strength  of  battle:  and  it  hath  set  him  on  fire  round  about,  yet  he 
kneio  not;  and  it  burned  Mm,  yet  he  laid  it  not  to  Iteart. — IsA. 
XLII.  24,  25. 

The  Lord  in  this  chapter,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah,  doth  foretell  heavy- 
things  against  the  people,  and,  by  the  way,  marks  the  Lord's  dealings. 
He  ever  gives  warnings  before  he  sends  any  plagues.  He  lightens 
before  he  thunders,  that  the  i)eople  might  not  say,  they  did  not  hear 
of  it,  and  that  the  wicked  might  be  the  more  inexcusable,  and  that 
the  godly  might  make  an  ark  to  save  themselves  in.  These  words 
contain  in  them  five  several  things.  (L)  The  author  of  this  destruc- 
tion or  judgment.  {'!.)  The  causes  of  it.  (3.)  The  judgment  itself. 
(4.)  Who  they  were  on  whom  this  judgment  was  inflicted.  (5.)  The 
effects  of  it.  Now  by  divine  permission  I  will  open  these  words  in 
order  to  you. 

1.  For  the  first,  The  author  of  it.  Now  this  is  laid  down  by 
question  and  answer :  '  Who  gave  Jacob  to  the  spoil,  and  Israel  to 
the  robbers  ?'  There  is  the  question.  '  Did  not  I  the  Lord  ?'  There 
is  the  answer.  God  is  the  author  of  all  the  plagues  and  judgments 
that  befall  a  nation. 

2.  Secondly,  The  causes  lohy  the  Lord  did  this  to  a  people  tliat  he 
had  chosen  to  be  a  sjjccial  people  unto  himself;  to  a  peojile  nj^on 
whom  he  had  set  his  love ;  to  a  people  that  lie  had  owned  for  his 
portion,  and  that  he  had  formerly  kept  as  the  apple  of  his  eye,  and 
carried  as  upon  eagles'  wings,  Deut.  vii.  5,  8,  and  xxxii.  10-12.  Now 
the  causes  are  set  down,  first,  more  generally,  in  these  words, '  Because 
they  have  sinned  against  the  Lord;'  secondly,  more  particularly,  in 
these  words,  '  For  they  would  not  walk  in  his  ways,  neither  were  they 
obedient  to  his  law.' 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]        London's  lamentations,  etc,  15 

3.  The  third  thing  observable  in  the  words  is,  the  dreadful  judg- 
ments themselves  that  God  inflicted  upon  his  sinful  people,  his  sinning 
people  ;  and  these  you  have  in  ver.  25. 

'  Therefore  he  hath  poured  upon  him  the  fury  of  his  anger : '  not 
only  his  anger,  but  the  fury  of  his  anger,  to  shew  the  greatness  of  it, 
the  extremity  of  it.  Mark,  he  doth  not  say  that  God  did  drop  down 
his  anger,  but  he  poured  down  his  anger  and  indignation.  This 
phrase,  '  he  poured  out,'  is  an  allusion  to  the  clouds  pouring  down  of 
water  violently  all  at  once,  in  an  instant,  as  they  do  many  times  in  the 
Levant  seas,  in  Egypt,  at  the  Indies,  and  in  several  other  parts  of  the 
world ;  as  they  did  in  the  deluge,  when  the  windows  of  heaven  were 
broke  open,  Gen.  vi.  11.  Now,  by  this  similitude,  the  Lord  shews 
the  dreadfulness,  the  grievousness,  the  suddenness,  and  the  vehemency 
of  the  judgments  that  were  fallen  upon  them, 

'  And  the  strength  of  battle.'  The  Lord  appears  in  arms  against 
them  in  the  greatness  and  fierceness  of  his  wrath ;  he  sent  in  a  very 
powerful  enemy  upon  them,  that  with  fire  and  sword  overran  them 
and  their  country,  and  destroyed  them  on  every  side,  as  you  may  see 
by  comparing  2  Kings  xxiii.  33,  seq.,  with  the  24th  and  25th  chapters 
following. 

'And  hath  set  him  on  fire  round  about.'  That  is,  say  some,  all 
the  countries,  cities,  and  towns  round  about  Jerusalem  were  set  on 
fire. 

'  Yet  he  knew  not.'  Though  God  had  burnt  them  up  on  every 
hand,  yet  they  took  no  notice  of  it,  they  regarded  it  not,  they  were 
not  at  all  affected  with  the  fiery  dispensations  of  God.^  Oh  the 
dulness,  the  insensibleness,  the  sottishness  of  the  Jews  under  the  most 
awakening  and  amazing  judgments  of  God  !  '  And  it  burned  him.' 
This  some  apply  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem  itself.  God  did  not  only 
fire  the  cities  and  towns  round  about  Jerusalem,  but  he  also  set  Jeru- 
salem itself  into  a  flame.  Jerusalem,  which  was  '  beautiful  for  situ- 
ation, the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,'  the  paradise  and  wonder  of  the 
world,  is  turned  into  ashes.  '  Yet  he  laid  it  not  to  heart,'  or  upon  his 
heart,  as  the  original  runs.  Oh  the  monstrous  stupidity,  insensible- 
ness, and  blockishness  of  this  people !  Though  God  had  brought 
them  low,  though  their  crown  was  fallen  from  their  head,  though  their 
glorious  city  was  turned  into  ashes,  and  though  they  were  almost 
destroyed  by  many  smarting  miseries  and  dreadful  calamities,  yet 
they  were  not  affected  with  the  stupendous  judgments  of  God,  they 
were  not  awakened  by  all  the  flames  that  God  had  kindled  about 
their  ears,  they  did  not  lay  the  judgments  of  God  to  heart,  nor  they 
would  not  lay  the  judgments  of  God  upon  their  hearts, 

4.  The  fourth  thing  observable  in  the  words  is,  the  persons,  the 
'people  that  ivere  spoiled,  destroyed,  and  consumed  hy  fire;  and  they 
were  Jacob  and  Israel.  '  Who  gave  Jacob  for  a  spoil,  and  Israel  to 
the  robbers?'  They  were  a  praying  people,  a  professing  people,  a 
fasting  people,  a  pecidiar  people,  a  privileged  people ;  and  yet  for  their 

^  Diodorus  Siculus  writes,  that  in  Ethiopia  there  is  such  a  sottish  insensible  people, 
that  if  you  cut  them  with  a  drawn  sword,  or  slay  their  wives  and  children  before  their 
faces,  they  are  not  at  all  affected  with  it,  nor  moved  at  it.  Such  brutes  were  these 
Jews. 


16  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

sins  they  became  a  destroyed  people,  a  consumed  people,  a  ruined 
people,  Isa.  Iviii.  2  ;  Zecli.  vii.  5  ;  Exod.  xix.  5. 

5.  The  fiftli  thinf;^  observable  in  the  words  is,  the  little  effect  the 
judgments  of  (rod  had  iijMn  them.  Now  they  were  under  such  mon- 
strous stupidity  that  they  were  not  [at]  all  awakened  nor  aftected  with 
the  judgments  of  God;  they  regarded  them  not,  they  laid  them  not 
to  heart.  And  as  stu})id  and  senseless  were  they  when  Titus  Ves- 
pasian had  laid  their  city  desolate  by  fire  and  sword,i  and  sold  thirty 
of  them  for  one  piece  of  silver,  as  Josephus  and  other  historians  tell 
us.  0  sirs,  since  their  crucifying  of  the  Lord  of  glory,  they  have 
never  laid  their  finger  upon  the  right  sore ;  to  this  very  day  they 
won't  acknowledge  their  sin  in  crucifying  of  the  Lord  of  glory.  They 
confess  they  have  sinned  more  than  ever,  and  therefore  it  is  that  God 
hath  more  sorely  afflicted  them  than  ever  ;  but  their  cruelty  to  Christ, 
their  crucifying  of  Christ,  which  ushered  in  the  total  ruin  of  their  city 
and  country,  they  cannot  be  brought  to  acknowledge  to  this  very  day, 
though  the  Lord  hath  burnt  them  up  on  every  hand,  and  hath  scat- 
tered them  as  dung  all  over  the  earth  to  this  very  day.  A  learned 
writer  tells  us  that  they  call  Christ  Bar-chozab,  the  Bon  of  a  Lie,  a 
Bastard,  and  his  Gospel  Aven  Gilaion,  the  Volume  of  Lies,  or  the 
Volume  of  Iniquity,  and  us  Christians  Goiim,  that  is.  Gentiles,  Edom- 
ites.  When  they  salute  a  Christian,  they  call  him  Shed,  that  is, 
Devil.2  They  hate  all  Christians,  but  none  so  much  as  those  that  are 
converted  from  Judaism  to  Christianity,  and  all  this  after  so  great  a 
burning  and  desolation  that  the  Lord  has  made  in  the  midst  of  them. 
It  is  trua  the  length  of  those  heavy  judgments  under  wliich  they 
groan  to  this  very  day  hath  often  puzzled  the  intellectuals  of  their 
Eabbis,  and  hath  many  times  put  them  to  a  stand,  and  sometimes  to 
break  out  into  a  kind  of  confession,  that  surely  their  judgments 
could  not  last  so  long,  but  for  crucifying  of  one  that  was  more  than  a 
man.  There  was  one  Rabbi  Samuel,  who,  six  hundred  years  since, 
wrote  a  tract  in  form  of  an  epistle  to  Rabbi  Isaac,  master  of  the 
synagogue  of  the  Jews,  wherein  he  doth  excellently  discuss  the  cause 
of  their  long  captivity  and  extreme  misery.  And  after  that  he  had 
proved  it  was  inflicted  for  some  grievous  sin,  he  sheweth  that  sin  to 
be  the  same  which  Amos  speaks  of,  Amos  ii.  6,  '  For  three  transgres- 
sions of  Israel,  and  for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment 
thereof,  because  they  sold  the  righteous  for  silver.'  The  selling  of 
Joseph  he  makes  the  first  sin;  the  worshipping  of  the  calf  in  Horeb, 
the  second  sin ;  the  abusing  and  killing  of  God's  pro2)hets,  the  third 
sin;  and  the  selling  of  Jesus  Christ," the  fourth  sin.  For  the  first 
they  served  four  hundred  years  in  Egypt,  for  the  second  they  wan- 
dered forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  for  the  third  they  were  captives 
seventy  years  in  Babylon,  and  for  the  fourth  they  are  held  in  pitiful 
captivity  even  till  this  day.  It  is  certain  that  the  body  of  that  people 
are  under  woeful  blindness  and  hardness  to  this  very  day.  And  thus 
much  for  the  0]^)ening  of  the  words. 

^  By  Titus  Vespasian  their  land  became  a  stage  of  blood  and  of  all  kind  of  barbarisms, 
and  now  their  so  renowned  city,  their  temple  and  sanctum  sanctorum,  so  famed  all  the 
world  over,  was  turned  into  ashes  and  laid  level  to  the  ground. 

'  Buxtorf.  Synag.  Judaica,  cap.  .5  and  cap  3C. 


XSA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  17 

The  25th  verse  is  the  scripture  that  I  do  intend  to  speak  something 
to,  as  the  Lord  shall  assist.  Now  the  proposition  which  I  only  intend 
to  insist  upon  is  this,  viz  :  — 

That  God  is  the  author  or  effipient  cause  of  all  tlie  great  calamities 
and  dreadful  judgments  that  are  inflicted  upon  cities  and  countries, 
and  in  particidar,  of  thcd  of  fire. 

Now,  that  God  is  the  author  or  efficient  cause  of  all  the  great 
calamities  and  dreadful  judgments  that  are  inflicted  upon  cities  and 
countries,  will  evidently  appear  to  every  man's  understanding,  that 
will  but  take  the  pains  to  read  over  the  26th  chapter  of  Leviticus,  and 
the  28th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy,  with  that  14th  of  Ezekiel,  from 
ver.  13  to  ver.  22. 

That  Grod  is  the  author  or  efficient  cause  of  this  dreadful  judgment 
of  fire  that  is  at  any  time  inflicted  upon  cities  and  countries,  will 
sufficiently  appear  in  these  following  scriptures  :  Amos  iii.  6,  '  Shall  a 
trumpet  be  blown  in  the  city,  and  the  people  not  be  afraid  ?  shall 
there  be  evil  in  the  city,  and  the  liOrd  hath  not  done  it  ?'  This  is  to  be 
understood  of  the  evil  of  punishment,  and  not  of  the  evil  of  sin.  Amos 
iv.  11,  'I  have  overthrown  some  of  you,  as  God  overthrew  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  and  ye  were  as  a  firebrand  j^lucked  out  of  the  burnings : 
yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord,'  Here  '  I '  is 
emphatical  and  exclusive,  as  if  he  should  say,  '  I,  and  I  alone.'  Amos 
i.  14,  '  But  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  wall  of  Rabbah,' — that  is,  in  the 
metropolis  or  chief  city  of  the  Ammonites, — '  and  it  shall  devour  the 
palaces  thereof  Rabbah,  their  head  city,  was  a  cruel,  bloody, 
covetous,  and  ambitious  city,  ver.  13  ;  and  therefore,  rather  than 
it  should  escape  divine  vengeance,  God  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  wall  of 
it,  and  burn  it  with  his  own  hands.  Ezek.  xx.  47,  '  And  say  to 
the  forest  of  the  south,' — that  is,  to  Jerusalem,  that  did  lie  southwards 
from  Chaldasa — '  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  ;  Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God,  Behold,  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  thee,  and  it  shall  devour  every 
green  tree  in  thee,  and  every  dry  tree  :  the  flaming  flames  shall  not  be 
quenched,  and  all  fuel  from  the  south  to  the  north  shall  be  burnt 
therein:'  ver.  48, ^  'And  all  flesh  shall  see  that  I  the  Lord  have 
kindled  it :  it  shall  not  be  quenched.'  Men  shall  see  that  it  was 
God  that  kindled  the  fire,  and  not  man,  and  therefore  it  was  beyond 
man's  skill  or  power  to  quench  it,  or  to  overmaster  it.  Jer.  vii.  20, 
'  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold,  mine  anger  and  my  fury 
shall  be  poured  out  upon  this  place,  upon  man,  and  upon  beast,  and 
upon  the  trees  of  the  field,  and  upon  the  fruit  of  the  ground ;  and 
it  shall  burn,  and  shall  not  be  quenched.'  The  point  being  thus 
proved  ;  for  the  further  opening  of  it,  premise  with  me  these  things : — 

(1.)  First,  That  great  afilictions.  dread  fid  judgments,  are  likened 
unto  fire  in  the  blessed  Scriptures :  Ps.  Ixvi.  12,  '  We  went  through 
fire  and  water  :'  Jer.  iv.  4,  '  Circumcise  yourselves  to  the  Lord,  and 
take  away  the  foreskins  of  your  heart,  ye  men  of  Judah  and  inhabi- 
tants of  Jerusalem  ;  lest  my  fury  come  forth  like  fire,  and  burn  that 
none  can  quench  it,  because  of  the  evil  of  your  doings  :'  Jer.  xxi.  12, 
'  0  house  of  David,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Execute  judgment  in  the 
morning,  and  deliver  hiin  that  is  spoiled  out  of  the  hand  of  the 

^  You  will  find  this  scriiiture  fully  opened  in  the  following  discourse. 
VOL.   VI.  B 


18  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

oppressor,  lest  my  fury  go  out  like  fire,  and  burn  that  none  can  quench 
it,  because  of  the  evil  of  your  doings :'  Lam.  ii.  3,  4,  '  He  hath  cut  off 
in  his  anger  all  the  horn  of  Israel :  he  hath  drawn  back  his  right 
hand  from  before  the  enemy,  and  burned  against  Jacob  like  a  flaming 
fire,  which  devoureth  round  about :  he  hath  bent  his  bow  like  an 
enemy :  he  stood  with  his  right  hand  as  an  adversary,  and  slew  all 
that  was  ])leasant  to  the  eye  in  the  tabernacle  of  the  daughter  of  Zion  : 
he  ])oured  out  his  fury  like  fire  : '  Ezek.  xv.  7,  '  And  I  will  set  my  face 
against  them  ;  they  shall  go  out  from  one  fire,  and  another  fire  shall 
devour  them  :  and  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  I  set  my 
face  against  them : '  Ezek.  xxii.  20-22,  '  As  they  gather  silver,  and 
brass,  and  iron,  and  lead,  and  tin,  into  the  midst  of  the  furnace, 
to  blow  the  fire  upon  it,  to  melt  it ;  so  will  I  gather  you  in  mine 
anger  and  in  my  fury,  and  I  will  leave  you  there,  and  melt  you :  yea, 
I  Avill  gather  you,  and  blow  upon  you  in  the  fire  of  my  wrath,  and  ye 
shall  be  melted  in  the  midst  thereof :  as  silver  is  melted  in  the  midst 
of  the  furnace,  so  shall  ye  be  melted  in  the  midst  thereof;  and 
ye  shall  know  that  1  the  Lord  have  poured  out  my  fury  upon  you.' 
Thus  you  see  that  great  afflictions,  great  judgments,  are  likened  unto 
fire. 

Quest.  But  in  what  respects  are  great  afflictions,  great  judgments, 
like  unto  fire  ? 

Ans.  In  these  eight  respects  they  are  like  unto  fire  : — 

[1.]  First,  Fire  is  very  dreadful  and  terrible  to  men's  thoughts, 
spirits,  and  apprehensions.  How  dreadful  was  the  fire  of  Sodom,  and 
the  fire  of  London,  to  all  that  were  near  it,  or  spectators  of  it !  It  is 
observable  that  some  are  set  out  in  the  blessed  Scriptures  as  monu- 
ments of  most  terrible  and  dreadful  vengeance,  whom  the  kings  of 
Babylon  roasted  in  the  fire  ;  of  them,  it  is  said,  shall  be  taken  up 
a  curse,  Jer.  xxix.  21,  22.  When  any  imprecated  sore  vengeance 
from  the  Lord  upon  any  one,  it  is  said,  '  The  Lord  make  thee  like 
Ahab  and  Zedekiah,  whom  the  kings  of  Babylon  roasted  in  the  fire.' 
It  is  very  dreadful  and  terrible  for  a  man  to  have  the  least  member  of 
his  body  frying  in  the  fire  ;  but  how  ten-ible  and  dreadful  must  it  be 
for  a  man's  wliole  body  to  be  roasted  in  the  fire  !  so  are  the  judgments 
of  the  Lord  very  terrible  and  dreadful  to  the  children  of  men.  '  My 
flesh  trembleth  for  fear  of  thee  ;  and  I  am  afraid  of  thy  judgments,' 
Ps.  cxix.  120.  Hab.  iii.  16,  '  When  I  heard,  my  belly  trembled  ;  my 
lips  quivered  at  the  voice:  rottenness  entered  into  my  bones,  and 
I  trembled  in  myself,  that  I  might  rest  in  the  day  of  trouble.' 
But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Fire  is  very  painfid-  and  tormenting — in  w-hich 
respects  hell-torments  are  compared  to  fire — so  are  great  afflictions 
and  judgments  ;  they  are  very  painful  and  tormenting,  they  put  a 
land  into  sore  travail.  Next  to  the  pangs  of  conscience,  and  the  pangs 
of  hell,  there  are  none  to  those  pangs  that  are  bred  and  fed  by  terrible 
judgments,  Isa.  xxvi.  17,  18.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdlj,  Fire  is  of  a  discovering  nature  ;  it  enlightens  men's 
eyes  to  see  those  things  that  they  did  not  see  before  ;  so  do  the 
terrible  judgments  of  God  enlighten  men's  minds  and  understandings 
tometimes  to  know  the  Lord,  Rev.  xv.  4  ;  Ezek.  xxi.  3-7.      Hence  it 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  19 

is  that,  after  judgments  threatened,  God  doth  so  often  tell  them  that 
they  shall  know  the  Lord.  Sometimes  God,  by  his  judgments, 
enlightens  men's  minds  to  see  such  an  evil  in  sin  that  they  never  saw 
before,  and  to  see  such  a  vanity,  mutability,  impotency,  and  uncer- 
tainty in  the  creature  that  they  never  saw  before  ;  and  to  see  such  a 
need  of  free-grace,  of  rich  mercy,  and  of  infinite  favour  and  goodness, 
that  they  never  saw  before  ;  and  to  see  such  majesty  and  terribleness 
in  God  that  they  never  saw  before,  Ps.  Ixvi.  3,  5.  Job  xxxvii.  22, 
'  With  God  is  terrible  majesty.'     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Fire  is 'probatory  and  vefitiing,  and  so  are  the  judg- 
ments of  God  ;  they  will  try  what  metal  men  are  made  of ;  they  will 
try  whether  men  are  sound  and  sincere,  or  hypocritical  and  hollow  ; 
whether  men  are  real  Christians  or  nominal  Christians  ;  whether  they 
are  throughout  Christians  or  almost  Christians  ;  whether  their  graces 
are  true  or  counterfeit,  and  whether  they  have  much,  or  but  a  little, 
grace,  Isa.  i.  25  ;  Mai.  iii.  1-3  ;  Acts  xxvi.  28,  29.  Isa.  xxxi.  9, '  The 
Lord's  fire  is  in  Zion,  and  his  furnace  in  Jerusalem  :/  Zech.  xiii.  9, 
'  And  I  will  bring  the  third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them 
as  silver  is  refined,  and  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried :'  1  Pet.  iv.  12 
'  Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial  which  is 
to  try  you.'  Stars  shine  brightest  in  the  darkest  night.  Torches  are 
the  better  for  beating.  Grapes  come  not  to  the  proof  till  they  come 
to  the  press.  Spices  smell  sweetest  when  pounded.  Young  trees 
root  the  faster  for  shaking.  Vines  are  the  better  for  bleeding.  Gold 
looks  the  brighter  for  scouring;  and  juniper  smells  sweetest  in  the 
fire.     The  application  is  easy.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Fire  is  of  a  consuming  and  devouring  nature,  as  we 
have  lately  found  by  woeful  experience:  Ps.  xviii.  8,  '  There  went  out 
a  smoke  out  of  his  nostrils,  and  fire  out  of  his  mouth  devoured :'  Jer, 
XV.  14,  '  A  fire  is  kindled  in  my  anger,  which  shall  burn  upon  you  : ' 
Ezek.  xxii.  31,  '  Therefore  have  I  poured  out  my  indignation  upon 
them  ;  I  have  consumed  them  with  the  fire  of  my  wrath  ;'  Isa.  Ixvi. 
15,  16  ;  Ps.  xxi.  9  ;  Jer.  xvii.  4  ;  Ezek.  xxxviii.  19,  20.'  Natural 
fire  is  a  great  devourer,  but  mystical  fire,  the  fire  of  divine  wrath, 
is  infinitely  a  greater  devourer.  Men  may  stand  before  a  natural  fire| 
but  no  man  has  ever  been  able  to  stand  before  the  devourino-  fire 
of  divine  wrath.  The  anger  and  wrath  of  God  against  wicked  men  is 
exceeding  hot ;  it  is  a  burning,  fiery,  flaming  wrath,  against  which 
they  are  never  able  to  stand  :  Isa..  xxvii.  4,  '  Who  would  set  the  briers 
and  thorns  against  me  in  battle  ?  I  would  go  through  them,  I  would 
burn  them  together.'  Briers  and  thorns  are  as  well  able  to  stand 
before  a  devouring  fire,  as  wicked  men  are  able  to  stand  before  the 
smoking  wrath  of  that  God  which  is  '  a  consuming  fire,'  Heb.  xii.  29. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Fire  breaks  out  suddenly  and  unexpectedly ;  in  an  hour, 
in  a  moment,  when  no  man  thinks  of  it,  when  no  man  looks  for  it ;  as 
you  see  by  that  late  dreadful  fire,  that  in  a  few  days  turned  a  glorious 
city  into  a  ruinous  heap.  So  the  judgments  of  God,  they  come  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly  upon  the  sons  of  men.  Witness  the  judgments 
of  God  that  came  upon  the  old  world,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Nadab 
and  Abihu,  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram  :  1  Thes.  v.  3,  '  For  when 
they  shall  say,  peace  and  safety,  then  sudden  destruction  cometh  upon 


20  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLTI.  24,  25. 

them,  as  travail  upon  a  woman  with  child,  and  they  shall  not  escape.' 
►Security  is  a  certain  forerunner  of  desolation  and  destruction.  The 
apostle,  by  the  similitude  he  uses,  shews  that  the  destruction  of  the 
wicked  is — (1.)  certain,  (2.)  sudden,  (3.)  inevitable.  Mat.  xxiv.  37-39; 
Gen.  xix.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Fire  is  imjyartial ;  it  makes  no  difference  between 
rich  and  poor,  high  and  low,  iionourable  and  base,  bond  and  free,  male 
and  female,  <fec.  So  the  judgments  of  God  are  impartial,  they  reach 
all  sorts  and  ranks  of  persons.     But, 

[S.]  Eighthly  and  lastly,  Fire  is  violent  and  iiTesistihle.  We  have 
hail  as  dreadfid  a  proof  of  this  in  the  late  dreadful  confiagi-ation  of 
London  as  ever  any  i)eople  have  had  since  the  Lord  Jesus  was  on  earth. 
8o  are  the  judgments  of  God  violent  and  irresistible.  Witness  the 
raging  pestilence  and  the  bloody  sword  that,  in  1665  and  1666,  has 
sent  many  score  thousands  to  their  long  homes.  And  thus  you  see 
how  that  metaphorically  or  typically  great  and  sore  judgments  do  re- 
semble fire.     But, 

(2.)  Secondly,  Premise  this  with  me  :  Fire  is  sometimes  attributed 
unto  God  :  Heb.  xii.  29,  '  Our  God  is  a  consuming  fire.'  Sometimes 
fire  is  attributed  to  Christ :  Mai.  iii.  2,  '  But  who  may  abide  the  day 
of  his  coming  ?  and  Avho  shall  stand  when  he  appeareth  ?  for  he  is  like 
a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap.'  And  sometimes  fire  is  attri- 
buted to  the  Holy  Ghost :  Mat.  iii.  11,  '1  indeed  baptize  you  with 
water  unto  repentance,  but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is  mightier  than 
I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear;  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire' — that  is,  with  that  fiery  Holy  Ghost,  that 
spirit  of  judgment  and  of  burning  wherewith  the  filth  of  the  daughter 
of  Zion  is  washed  away,  Isa.  iv.  4.    But, 

(3.)  Tliirdly,  Premise  this  with  me  :  The  luordjire  in  Scripture  is 
sometimes  used  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  set  forth  sin  by :  Isa.  ix.  18, 
'  For  wickedness  burnetii  as  the  fire,  it  shall  devour  the  briers  and 
thorns,  and  shall  kindle  in  the  thickets  of  the  forest,  and  they  shall 
mount  up  like  the  lifting  up  of  smoke.'  So  the  burning  lust  of  unclean- 
ness  :  Rom.  i.  27,  '  They  burned  in  lust  one  towards  another.'  So  1 
Cor.  vii.  9,  '  It  is  better  to  marry  than  to  burn.'  And  so  Sodom  was 
first  in  a  flame  of  burning  lusts,  before  it  was  burned  with  fire  from 
heaven.  But  this  is  not  the  fire  that  is  here  meant  in  the  proposition 
that  we  are  upon.     But, 

(4.)  Fourthly,  Premise  this  with  me:  Fire  is  sometimes  taken  for 
the  blessed  angels :  Ps.  civ,  4,  '  Who  maketh  his  angels  spirits,  his 
ministers  a  flaming  fire,'  Heb.  i.  7.  Hence  it  is  that  the  angels  are 
called  serai)hims,  which  signifies  burning  or  flaming  ones,  and  they 
are  set  forth  by  this  name  to  note  their  ii-resistible  power,  Isji.  vi.  2 ; 
for  as  there  is  no  withstanding  of  the  furious  flames,  so  there  is  no 
withstanding  of  these  burning  or  flaming  ones.  Jerome,  Musculus, 
and  several  others,  are  of  opinion  that  the  angel  that  destroyed  of  Sen- 
nacherib's host  a  hundred  and  fourscore  and  five  thousand  in  one  night, 
that  he  did  it  by  fire,  burning  their  bodies,  their  garments  being  un- 
touched, 2  Kings  xix.  35.  But  the  fire  in  the  proposition  cannot  be 
understood  of  the  blessed  angels,  for  several  reasons  not  here  to  be 
alleged.     Bu(, 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  21 

(5.)  Fifthly,  Premise  this  with  me  :  Fire  in  Scripture  is  sometimes 
taken  for  loars :  'The  fire  of  thine  enemies' — that  is,  the  wars  that 
shall  be  amongst  the  nations—'  shall  devour  them.'  '  Thou  shalt  be 
visited  of  the  Lord  with  a  flame  of  devouring  fire ;  but  the  nations 
that  fight  against  the  altar  shall  be  a  dream,'  Isa.  xxvi.  11,  12,  &c., 
and  xxix.  6,  7.  Now  fire  in  this  sense  is  not  to  be  excluded  out  of 
the  proposition.     But, 

(6.)  Sixthly,  Premise  this  with  me  :  Fiy^e  sometimes  notes  the  special 
presence  of  God  in  a  way  of  special  love  and  favour  to  his  people.  In 
Exod.  iii.  2  you  read  how  '  the  Lord  appeared  unto  Moses  in  a  flame 
of  fire  out  of  the  midst  of  a  bush  ;  and  he  looked,  and  behold  the  bush 
burned  with  fire,  and  the  bush  was  not  consumed.'  Here  was  a  re- 
presentation of  the  church's  affliction,  that  was  then  in  Egypt,  a  house 
of  bondage,  in  the  midst  of  a  fiery  furnace,  Deut.  iv.  20.  But  now 
the  Lord  was  in  the  bush,  while  the  bush— the  dry  bush,  or  the  bramble- 
bush,  as  the  Hebrew  word  signifies — was  in  a  flaming  fire.  In  that 
Deut.  xxxiil.  16  you  read  of  '  the  good- will  of  him  that  dwelt  in  the 
bush.'  God  was  there  in  a  way  of  merciful  protection  and  preserva- 
tion. They  were  in  the  fire,  but  the  Lord  was  with  them  in  the  fire  ; 
in  all  their  fiery  trials  God  did  bear  them  company.     But, 

(7.)  Seventhly,  Premise  this  with  me:  In  the  blessed  Scriptures  we 
read  of  supernal  fire,  of  fire  that  came  down  from  above,  and  that  first 
as  a  sign  of  God's  anger.  So  fire  came  down  from  heaven  on  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  Gen.  xix.  24.  Also  fire  came  down  from  heaven  on 
them  that  offered  incense  in  the  conspiracy  of  Korah,  Num.  xvi.  35. 
And  so  fire  came  down  from  heaven  on  the  two  captains  and  their 
fifties,  2  Kings  i.  10-12.  Secondly,  we  read  of  fire  that  came  down 
from  heaven  as  a  sign  and  token  of  God's  favour.  And  so  fire  came 
down  from  heaven  on  the  saciifice  of  Solomon,  and  on  the  sacrifice  of 
Elijah,  2  Chron.  vii.  1 ;  2  Kings  xviii.  38.  God  in  those  times  did 
delight  to  shew  his  special  love  and  favour  to  his  precious  servants  by 
fire  from  heaven.  But  in  the  proposition  we  are  to  understand  not 
supernal,  but  material  fire.     But, 

(8.)  Eighthly  and  lastly,  Premise  this  with  me :  Fire  is  sometimes 
taken  literally  for  that  material  fire  that  consumes  houses,  towns,  cities, 
and  the  most  stately  stimctures.  Jer,  xxi.  1 0,  '  For  I  have  set  my  face 
against  this  city  for*  evil,  and  not  for  good,  saith  the  Lord  ;  it  shall  be 
given  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  he  shall  burn  it  with 
fire  ;'  2  Chron.  xxxv.  13.  '  And  they  roasted  the  passover  with  fire  ;' 
Neh.  i.  3,  '  And  they  said  unto  me.  The  remnant  that  are  left  of  the 
captivity  there  in  the  province  are  in  great  affliction  and  reproach ;  the 
wall  of  Jerusalem  also  is  broken  down,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  burnt 
with  fire ;'  chap.  ii.  2,  3,  '  Wherefore  the  king  said  unto  me.  Why  is 
thy  countenance  sad,  seeing  thou  art  not  sick  ?  this  is  nothing  but 
sorrow  of  heart.  Then  I  was  very  sore  afraid,  and  said  unto  the  king, 
Let  the  king  live  for  ever  :  why  should  not  my  countenance  be  sad, 
when  the  city,  the  place  of  my  fathers'  sepulchres,  lieth  waste,  and  the 
gates  thereof  are  consumed  with  fire?'  See  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  19  ;  2 
Kings  xix.  18,  and  xxi,  6;  Ps.  Ixxiv.  7 ;  Deut.  xiii.  16.  Now  this  ma- 
terial fire  is  the  fire  that  is  meant  in  the  proposition.  0  sirs !  God 
is  as  much  the  author  or  efficient  cause  of  this  judgment  of  fire,  as  he 


22  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

is  the  author  or  efficient  cause  of  sword,  famine,  and  pestilence.  This 
I  have  in  part  ])roved  ah-eady ;  but  shall  more  abundantly  make  it  good 
m  that  which  luliow.s. 

r>ut  you  will  say,  Sir,  we  know  very  well  that  God  is  the  author  or 
efficient  cause  of  this  dreadful  judgment  of  tire,  as  well  as  he  is  the 
author  or  efficient  cause  of  any  other  judgment  that  we  have  either 
felt  or  feared  ;  but  we  earnestly  desire  to  know  what  the  ends  of  God 
should  be  in  infficting  this  sore  and  heavy  judgment  of  fire  upon  his 
poor  peoj^le,  and  in  turning  their  glorious  city  into  ashes  ?  This  we 
are  sure  of,  that  whoever  kindled  the  fire,  God  did  blow  the  coal,  and 
therelbre  we  shall  not  now  consider  what  there  was  of  man's  treachery 
concurring  with  God's  severity  in  that  dreadful  calamity  by  fire ;  but 
rather  inquire  after  the  grounds,  reasons,  or  ends  that  God  aims  at  by 
that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  lately  passed  upon  us. 

Now  here  give  me  leave  to  say,  that  so  far  as  the  late  fire  was  a 
heavy  judgment  of  God  upon  the  city,  yea,  upon  the  whole  nation,  the 
ends  of  God  in  inflicting  that  judgment  are  doubtless  such  as  respect 
both  sinners  and  saints,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  the  profane  and 
the  holy,  the  good  and  the  bad.  Now  such  as  respect  the  wicked  and 
ungodly  I  take  to  be  these  that  follow : — 

[1.]  First,  That  he  may  evidence  his  sovereignty,  and  that  they  may 
hnoio  that  there  is  a  God.  The  profane  atheist  saith  in  his  heart, '  There 
is  no  God  ; '  but  God  by  his  terrible  judgments  startles  and  awakens 
the  atheist,  and  makes  him  unsay  what  he  had  said  in  his  heart. i 
When  God  appears  in  flames  of  fire,  devouring  and  destroying  all  be- 
fore him,  then  the  proudest  and  the  stoutest  atheists  in  the  world  will 
confess  that  there  is  a  God — yea,  then  they  will  bow  and  tremble 
under  a  sense  of  the  sovereignty  of  God.  Th<}  sovereignty  of  God  is 
that  golden  sceptre  in  his  hand  which  he  will  make  all  bow  to,  either 
by  his  word  or  by  his  works,  by  his  mercies  or  by  his  judgments. 
This  sceptre  must  be  kissed  and  submitted  to,  or  else  fire  and  sword, 
desolation  and  destruction,  will  certainly  follow.  Jer.  xviii.  2-4,  6, 
'  Arise,  and  go  down  to  the  potter's  house ;  and  there  will  I  cause  thee 
to  hear  my  word.  Then  I  went  down  to  the  potter's  house  ;  and,  be- 
hold, he  wrought  a  work  on  the  wheels.  And  the  vessel  that  he  made 
of  clay  was  marred  in  the  hand  of  the  potter:  so  he  made  it  again 
another  vessel,  that  seemed  good  to  the  potter  to  make  it.  0  house  of 
Israel,  cannot  I  do  with  you  as  the  potter?  saith  the  Lord.  Behold, 
as  the  clay  is  in  the  potter's  hand,  so  are  ye  in  my  hand,  0  house 
of  Israel.'  The  Jews  were  so  stupid  and  sottish  that  verbal  teaching 
without  signs  would  not  work  u})on  them,  and  therefoi-e  the  Lord  sent 
Jeremiah  to  the  potter's  house,  that  he  might  see,  by  what  the  potter 
did,  that  though  he  had  made  them  a  people,  a  nation,  a  church,  a 
state,  yet  he  could  as  easily  unmake  them  and  mar  them,  as  the  potter 
marred  the  vessel  that  he  had  made.  Ood  would  have  this  people  to 
know  that  he  had  as  much  power  over  them  and  all  they  had  as  the 
potter  had  power  over  the  clay  that  he  works  uj)on,  and  that  he  had 
as  much  both  might  and  right  also  to  dispose  of  them  at  his  ])lea- 
sure  as  the  potter  had  over  his  clay  to  dispose  of  it  as  he  judged 

^  Ps.  xiv.  1,  X.  4,  .'),  and  1.  21;  Eccles.  viii.  11;  Ps.  xxiv.  1;  Dan.  vi.  25-27;  Isa.  xlv.9; 
Ps.  ii.  9-12;  Hosea  ii.  8,  9. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  23 

meet.i  Nay,  beloved,  the  potter  has  not  such  an  absohite  power  over 
his  pots  and  clay  as  the  Lord  has  over  the  sons  of  men,  to  make  them 
and  break  them  at  his  pleasure  ;  and  that  partly  because  that  the  clay 
is  none  of  his  creature,  and  partly  because  without  God  give  him 
strength  he  has  no  power  to  make  or  break  one  vessel.  God  by  the 
prophet  would  have  the  Jews  to  know  that  it  was  merely  by  his  good 
pleasure  and  grace  that  they  came  to  be  so  glorious  and  flourishing  a 
nation  as  they  were  at  this  time  ;  yea,  and  further  to  know  that  they 
were  not  so  great,  and  rich,  and  flourishing,  and  settled,  and  built,  but 
that  he  could  as  easily  break  them  and  mar  tliem  as  the  potter  could 
the  vessel  that  was  under  his  hand,  Isa.  Ixiv.  8.  Ah  sirs  !  God  by 
that  dreadful  fire  that  has  destroyed  our  houses,  and  burnt  up  our 
substance,  and  banished  us  from  our  habitations,  and  levelled  our 
stately  monuments  of  antiquity  and  glory  even  with  the  ground,  has 
given  us  a  veiy  high  evidence  of  his  sovereignty  both  over  our  persons 
and  all  our  concernments  in  this  world.  Ah  London  !  London  !  were 
there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls  that  did  deny  the  sovereignty 
of  God,  that  did  belie  the  sovereignty  of  God,  that  did  slight  the  sove- 
reignty of  God,  that  did  make  head  against  the  sovereignty  of  God  ? 
Were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls  that  did  say,  '  We  are 
lords,  and  we  will  come  no  more  unto  thee '  ?  that  did  say,  '  Is  not 
this  great  Babylon,  is  not  this  great  London  that  we  have  built  ? ' 
that  did  say,  '  The  kings  of  the  earth,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  would  not  have  believed  that  the  adversary  and  the  enemy,  the 
flaming  and  consuming  fire,  should  have  entered  into  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem,  into  the  gates  of  London '  ?  that  did  say,  '  Who  is  the 
Lord,  that  we  should  obey  his  voice  ? '  that  did  advance  a  worldly 
sovereignty  above  and  against  the  sovereignty  of  God  and  Christ  ? 
Jer.  ii.  31  ;  Dan.  iv.  30 ;  Lam,  iv.  12 ;  Exod.  v.  2.  Ah  London ! 
London !  if  there  were  any  such  within  or  without  thy  walls,  then 
never  wonder  that  God  has  in  a  flaming  and  consuming  fire  pro- 
claimed his  sovereignty  over  thee,  and  that  he  hath  given  such 
atheists  to  know  from  woeful  experience  that  both  themselves  and  all 
their  concernments  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  as  the  clay  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  potter,  and  that  the  sorest  judgments  that  any  city  can 
fall  under  are  but  the  demonstrations  of  his  sovereign  prerogative,  Isa. 
v.  16.  Ps.  ix.  16,  '  The  Lord  is  known  by  the  judgments  which  he 
executeth;  the  power,  justice,  and  sovereignty  of  God  shines  most 
gloriously  in  the  execution  of  his  judgments  upon  the  world.' 

[2.]  Secondly,  God  inflicts  great  and  sore  judgments  upon  the  sons 
of  men,  that  the  woidd  may  stand  in  awe  ofhim^  and  that  they  may 
learn  to  fear  and  tremble  before  him.'^  When  he  appears  as  a  con- 
suming fire,  he  expects  that  the  nation  should  tremble,  and  that  the 
inhabitants  should  fear  before  him :  1  Sam.  xvi.  4,  '  And  Samuel  did 
that  which  the  Lord  spake,  and  came  to  Bethlehem :  and  the  elders 
of  the  town  trembled  at  his  coming,  and  said,  Comest  thou  peace- 
ably ?  '  Shall  the  elders  of  Bethlehem  tremble  for  fear  that  Samuel 
came  to  denounce  some  grievous  judgment  against  them  ;  and  shall  not 
we  tremble  when  God  has  executed  his  terrible  judgments  upon  us  ? 

^  God  hath^ws  ad  omnia,  jus  in  omnibus,  a  right  to  all  things,  a  right  in  all  things. 
-  Consult  these  scriptures,  Exod.  xv.  14-16  ;  Josh.  ii.  10,  11  ;  Rev.  xv.  4. 


24  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII,  24,  25. 

Shall  Ahab  tremble  and  humble  himself,  and  fast  and  lie  in  sackcloth 
Avhen  judgments  are  but  threatened;  and  sliall  not  we  tremble  and 
fear  before  the  great  God,  who  has  actually  inflicted  upon  us  his  three 
great  judgments,  pestilence,  sword,  and  fire?  Shall  the  Ninevites, 
both  })rinces,  nobles,  and  pco])le,  tremble  and  humble  themselves  in 
sackcloth  and  ashes  when  God  doth  but  threaten  to  overthrow  their 
great,  their  rich,  their  populous  city ;  and  shall  not  we  tremble  and 
lie  low  before  the  Lord  when  we  see  great  London,  rich  and  populous 
London,  laid  in  ashes  before  our  eyes?  1  Kings  xxi.  20-24,  27-29; 
Jonah  iii.  3-10.  When  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  stretched  out 
against  the  Egyptians,  '  the  dulces  of  Edom  were  amazed,  and  the 
mighty  men  of  Moab  trembled,'  Exod.  xv.  15,  16  ;  2  Kings  vi.  30, 
and  vii.  6,  7,  15  ;  Jer.  iv.  7-9.  Ah,  how  severely  has  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  been  stretched  out  against  London  and  all  her  inhabitants!  and 
therefore  what  cause  have  we  to  be  amazed  and  to  tremble  before  that 
God  who  has  appeared  in  flames  of  fire  against  us!  Lara.  ii.  3,  4, 
'  He  hath  cut  otl'  in  his  fierce  anger  all  the  horn  of  Israel:  he  hath 
drawn  back  his  right  hand  before  the  enemy,  and  he  burned  against 
Jacob  like  a  flaming  fire,  which  devoureth  round  about.  He  bent  his 
bow  like  an  enemy :  and  poured  out  his  fury  like  fire.'  God  burnt 
down  their  city,  their  temple,  their  gates,  their  princely  habitations, 
their  glorious  structures,  in  the  fierceness  of  his  anger  and  in  the 
greatness  of  his  wrath.  0  sirs !  when  God  falls  upon  burning  work, 
when  he  pours  out  his  fury  like  fire,  when  like  a  flaming  fire  he  de- 
vours all  our  pleasant  things,  and  lays  all  our  glory  in  dust  and  ashes, 
we  may  safely  conclude  that  his  anger  is  fierce  and  that  his  wrath  is 
great  against  us ;  and  therefore  what  eminent  cause  have  we  to  fear 
and  tremble  before  him  !  God  is  a  great  and  dreadful  God  :  Dan  ix. 
4,  '  A  mighty  God  and  terrible ;'  Dent.  vii.  21,  '  A  great  and  terrible 
God,'  Neh.  i.  5.  He  is  so  in  himself,  and  he  has  been  so  in  his  fiery 
dispensations  towards  us,  that  the  world  by  such  remarkable  severities 
may  be  kept  in  awe  of  him.  Generally  fear  doth  more  in  the  world 
than  love.i  As  there  is  little  sincerity,  so  there  is  but  little  ingenuity  2 
in  the  world ;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  many  very  rarely  think  of 
God  but  when  they  are  afraid  of  him.  Many  times  judgments  work 
where  mercies  do  not  win.  That  famous  Thomas-^  Waldo  of  Lyons, 
the  father  of  the  Waldenses,  seeing,  among  many  met  together  to  be 
merry,  one  suddenly  fall  down  dead  in  the  street,  it  struck  so  to  his 
heart  that  he  went  home  a  penitent, — it  wrought  to  a  severe  and  pious 
reformation  of  his  life,  and  he  lived  and  died  a  precious  man.  Though 
Pharaoh  was  not  a  pin  the  better  for  all  the  heavy  judgments  that 
God  inflicted  upon  him,  yet  Jethro,  taking  notice  of  those  dreadful 
plagues  and  judgments  that  fell  upon  Pharaoh  and  upon  his  people, 
and  likewise  upon  the  Amalekites,  was  thereby  converted  and  became 
a  proselyte ;  as  Rabbi  Solomon  noteth  u})on  that  19th  of  Prov.  25 : 
The  world  is  so  untractable,  that  frowns  will  do  more  with  them  than 
smiles.  That  God  may  keep  wicked  men  in  awe  and  in  subjection  to 
him,  he  sees  it  very  needful  to  bring  common,  and  general,  and  over- 

*  Wc  arc  worthy,  saitli  Chrysostom,  of  hell,  if  for  no  other  cause,  yet  for  fearing  hell 
and  the  es-il  of  punishment  more  than  Ciirist.  — Chrys.  Horn.  5,  in  Epist.  ad  Rom. 
"' Ingenuousness.'— G.  ^  Qu.  '  Peter'?- -Ed. 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensation.  25 

spreading  judgments  upon  them :  Eev.  xv.  4,  '  Who  shall  not  fear 
thee,  0  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name  ?  for  thou  only  art  holy :  for  all 
nations  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are 
made  manifest.'  0  sirs  !  when  the  judgments  of  the  Lord  come  to  be 
made  manifest,  then  it  highly  concerns  all  ranks  and  sorts  of  men  to 
fear  the  Lord  and  to  glorify  his  name.  How  manifest,  how  visible 
has  the  raging  pestilence,  and  the  bloody  sword,  and  the  devouring 
flames  of  London  been  in  the  midst  of  us  !  and  oh  that  our  fear,  and 
dread,  and  awe  of  God  were  as  manifest  and  as  visible  as  his  judg- 
ments have  been  and  still  are ;  for  his  hand  to  this  very  hour  is 
stretched  out  against  us  !  Isa,  ix.  12.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  God  inflicts  great  and  sore  judgments  upon  the  sons 
of  men,  and  upon  cities  and  countries,  to  express  and  make  knoivn  Ms 
power,  justice,  anger,  severity,  and  indignation  against  sinners  and 
their  sinful  courses,  by  lohich  he  has  been  provoked : '^  Dent,  xxxii.  19 
'  And  when  the  Lord  saw  it,  he  abhorred  them,  because  of  the  pro- 
voking of  his  sons  and  of  his  daughters.'  Ver.  21,  '  They  have  pro- 
voked me  to  anger  with  their  vanities ;  and  I  will  provoke  them  to 
anger  with  a  foolish  nation.'  Ver.  22,  '  For  a  fire  is  kindled  in  my 
anger,  and  shall  burn  unto  the  lowest  hell,  and  shall  consume  the 
earth  with  her  increase,  and  set  on  fire  the  foundations  of  the  moun- 
tains.' Ver.  24,  '  They  shall  be  burnt  with  hunger,  and  devoured 
with  burning  heat,  or  with  burning  coals,  and  with  bitter  destruc- 
tion.' There  is  a  knowledge  of  God  by  his  works  as  well  as  by  his 
word,  and  by  his  judgment  as  well  as  by  his  mercies.  In  his 
dreadful  judgments  every  one  may  run  and  read  his  power,  his 
justice,  his  anger,  his  severity,  and  his  indignation  against  sin  and 
sinners.  It  is  irrevocable  sins  that  bring  irrevocable  judgments 
upon  sinners.  Whilst  men  hold  on  in  committing  great  iniquities, 
God  will  hold  on  in  inflicting  answerable  severities.  When  God 
cannot  prevail  with  men  to  desist  from  sinning,  men  shall  not  pre- 
vail with  God  to  desist  from  destroying  of  them,  their  habitations 
and  all  their  pleasant  things :  Jer.  ii.  1.5,  '  The  young  lions  roared 
upon  him,  and  yelled,  and  they  made  his  land  waste  :  his  cities  are 
burnt  without  inhabitant.'  Ver.  17,  '  Hast  thou  not  procured  this 
unto  thyself,  in  that  thou  hast  forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God,  when 
he  led  thee  by  the  way?'  When  Nicephorus  Phocas  had  built  a 
mighty  strong  wall  about  his  palace  for  his  own  security,  in  the 
night-time  he  heard  a  voice  crying  unto  him,  &  ^aaikev  v-^Itlol'^ 
TO,  T6Lxn,  <^c.,  0  emperor,  though  thou  bulkiest  the  wall  as  high  as 
the  clouds;  yet  if  sin  be  within,  it  will  overthrow  all.2  Sin,  like 
those  traitors  in  the  Trojan  horse,  will  do  cities  and  countries  more 
hurt  in  one  night  than  ten  thousand  open  enemies  could  do  in  ten 
years.  Cities  and  countries  might  flourish,  and  continue  as  the  days 
of  heaven,  and  be  as  the  sun  before  the  Almighty,  if  his  wrath  be  not 
provoked  by  their  profaneness  and  wickedness ;  so  that  it  is  not  any 
divine  3  aspect  of  the  heavens,  nor  any  malignant  conjunction  of  the 
stars  and  planets,  but  the  loose  manners,  the  ungracious  lives    and 

1  See  Jer.  xiv.  15,  16  ;  Lam.  iv.  11  ;  Jer.  iv.  15-19. 

-  Brooks's  allusion  is  to  the  strong  '  tower '  built  by  Xicephorus  II.  (Phocas)  in  his 
palace.     Cf.  Oihbon,  xlviii. -s.  ?i. — G.  ^  Q".  'muliiin  '  ?-- Ed. 


26  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  enormous  sins  of  men,  that  lay  cities  and  countries  desolate: 
Jer  xiii.  22,  '  And  if  thou  say  in  thine  heart,  Wherefore  come  these 
thin<^s  upon  me  ?  wherefore  hath  the  Lord  sent  plague,  sword,  famine, 
and  tire  to  devour  and  destroy,  and  to  lay  all  in  aslies  ?'  The  answer 
is,  '  For  the  greatness  of  thine  iniquity.'  God  will  in  flames  of  fire 
discover  his  anger  and  indignation  against  sin  and  sinners.  The 
heathen  historian  [HerodotusJ  observes  in  the  ruin  of  Troy,  that  the 
sparkles  and  ashes  of  burnt  Troy  served  for  a  lasting  monument  of 
God  8  great  anger  and  displeasure  against  great  sinners.  The  burn- 
ing of  Tioy  served  to  teach  men  that  God  j)unisheth  great  sinners 
with  great  plagues ;  and  certainly  London's  being  laid  in  ashes  is  a 
high  evidence  that  God  knows  how  to  be  angry  with  sinners,  and 
how  to  punish  sin  with  the  sorest  of  judgments.  The  gods  of  the 
Gentiles  were  senseless  stocks  and  stones,  not  able  to  apprehend, 
much  less  to  revenge,  any  injury  done  unto  them.  Well  therefore 
might  the  philosopher  be  bold  with  Hercules  to  put  him  to  his  thir- 
teenth labour  in  seething  of  his  dinner ;  and  Martial  with  Priapus, 
in  threatening  him  to  throw  him  into  the  fire  if  he  looked  not  well  to 
his  trees.  1  A  child  may  play  at  the  hole  of  a  dead  asp,  and  a  silly 
woman  may  strike  a  dead  lion ;  but  who  dare  play  with  a  living  ser- 
pent ?  who  dare  take  a  roaring  lion  by  the  beard  ?  Oh  that  Chris- 
tians then  would  take  heed  how  they  provoke  the  living  God,  for  he 
is  '  a  consuming  fire,'  and  with  a  word  of  his  mouth,  yea,  with  the 
breath  of  his  mouth,  he  is  able  to  throw  down,  and  to  burn  up  the 
whole  frame  of  nature,  and  to  destroy  all  creatures  from  the  face  of 
the  earth.  Some  heathen  philosophers  thought  anger  an  unseemly 
attribute  to  ascribe  to  God,  and  some  heretics  conceived  the  God  of 
the  New  Testament  void  of  all  anger.  They  imagined  two  Gods : 
the  God  of  the  Old  Testament  was,  in  their  account,  DeiLS  Justus,  a 
Deity  severe  and  revengefid  :  but  the  God  of  the  New  Testament  was 
Deus  bonus,  the  good  God,  a  God  made  up  all  of  mercy ;  they  would 
have  no  anger  in  him.  But  Christians  do  know  that  God  proclaims 
this  attribute  among  his  titles  of  honour:  Neh.  i.  2,  '  God  is  jealous, 
and  the  Lord  revengeth,  and  is  furious  ;  he  reserveth  wrath  for  his 
enemies.'  It  is  the  highway  to  atheism  and  profaneness,  to  fancy  to 
ourselves  a  God  made  up  all  of  mercy,  to  think  that  God  cannot  tell 
how  to  be  angry  and  wroth  with  the  sons  of  men.  Surely  they  that 
have  seen  London  in  flames,  or  believe  that  it  is  now  laid  in  ashes, 
they  will  believe  that  God  knows  how  to  be  angry,  and  how  to  fix 
the  tokens  of  his  wrath  upon  us.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  God  inflicts  great  and  sore  judgments  upon  the 
sons  of  men,  and  upon  cities  and  countries,  that  they  may  cease  from 
sin,  receive  instruction,  and  reform  and  return  to  the  most  High;  as 
you  may  evidently  see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin 
together.2  God's  corrections  should  be  our  instructions,  his  lashes 
should  be  our  lessons,  his  scourges  should  be  our  schoolmasters,  his 
chastisements  should  be  our  advertisements :  and  to  note  this  the 

'  Epig.,  lib.  viii.  ;  Ep.    xl. — G. 

»  Isa.  xxv'i.  9;  Ps.  xciv.  12;  Prov.  iii.  12,  13,  and  vi.  23;  Job  xxxvi.  8-10,  and 
xxxiii.  19,  20;  Levit.  xxvi. ;  Deut.  xxviii.;  2  Chron.  vii.  13,  14;  Amos  iv.  6-12;  Isa. 
ix.  13  ;  Jur.  v.  3,  and  vi.  29,  30;  Ezek.  xxiii.  25-27. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  27 

Hebrews  and  the  Greeks  Loth  express  chastising  and  teaching  by  one 
and  the  same  word  [")D")D,  Ilasar,  TratSeia],  because  the  latter  is  the 
true  end  of  the  former,  according  to  that  in  the  proverb,  '  Smart 
makes  wit,  and  vexation  gives  understanding/  Whence  Luther 
fitly  calls  affliction,  Theologiam  Christianorum,  The  Christian  man's 
divinity :  Jer.  vi.  8,  '  Be  thou  instructed,  0  Jerusalem,  lest  my  soul 
depart  from  thee ;  lest  1  make  thee  desolate,  a  land  not  inhabited.' 
Zeph.  iii.  6,  7,  '  I  have  cut  off  the  nations :  their  towers  are  desolate  ; 

1  made  their  streets  waste,  that  none  passed  by :  their  cities  are 
destroyed,  so  that  there  is  no  man,  that  there  is  no  inhabitant.  I 
said,  {Surely  thou  wilt  fear  me ;  thou  wilt  receive  instruction :  so 
their  dwellings  should  not  be  cut  off,  however  I  punished  them :  but 
they  rose  early,  and  corrupted  all  their  doings.'  By  all  the  desolations 
that  God  had  made  before  their  eyes  he  designed  their  instruction 
and  reformation.  From  those  words,  Judges  iii.  20,  '  I  have  a  message 
from  God  unto  thee,  0  king,'  said  Ehud.  Lo,  his  poniard  was  God's 
message :  from  whence  one  well  observes,  That  not  only  the  vocal 
admonitions,  but  the  real  judgments  of  God  are  his  errands  and  in- 
structions to  the  world.  God  delights  to  win  men  to  himself  by 
favours  and  mercies ;  but  it  is  rare  that  God  this  way  makes  a  con- 
quest upon  them:  Jer.  xxii.  21,  '  I  spake  unto  thee  in  thy  prosperity,' 
saith  God ;  '  but  thou  saidst,  1  will  not  hear : '  and  therefore  it  is  that 
he  delivers  them  over  into  the  hands  of  severe  judgments,  as  into  the 
hands  of  so  many  curst  schoolmasters,  as  Basil  speaks,  that  so  they 
may  learn  obedience  by  the  things  they  suffer,  as  the  apostle  speaks, 
Deut.  xxxii.  14-17;  Jer.  v.  7-10;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  1-10.  It  is  said  of 
Gideon,  he  took  briers  and  thorns,  and  with  them  he  taught  the  men 
of  Succoth,  Judges  viii.  16.  Ah,  poor  London  !  how  has  God  taught 
thee  with  briers  and  thorns,  with  sword,  pestilence,  and  fire  !  and  all 
because  thou  wouldst  not  be  taught  by  prosperity  and  mercy  *  to  do 
justice,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God,'  Micah  vi.  8  ; 
Lam.  iii.  32,  33  ;  Isa.  xxviii.  21.  God  delights  in  the  reformation  of 
a  nation  ;  but  he  doth  not  delight  in  the  desolation  of  any  nation. 
God's  greatest  severity  is  to  prevent  utter  ruin  and  misery,  Schola 
crucis,  schola  lucis.  If  God  will  but  make  London's  destruction  Eng- 
land's instruction,  it  may  save  the  land  from  a  total  desolation.  Ah, 
London  !  London !  I  would  willingly  hope  that  this  fiery  rod  that  has 
been  upon  thy  back  has  been  only  to  awaken  thee,  and  to  instruct 
thee,  and  to  refine  thee,  and  to  reform  thee,  that  after  this  sore  desola- 
tion God  may  delight  to  build  thee,  and  beautify  thee,  and  make  thee 
an  eternal  excellency,  a  joy  of  many  generations,  Isa.  Ix.  15.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  God  inflicts  sore  and  great  judgments  upon  the  sons  of 
men,  that  he  may  try  them,  and  make  a  more  full  discovery  of  them- 
selves to  themselves.  Wicked  men  will  never  believe  that  their  lusts 
are  so  strong,  and  that  their  hearts  are  so  base,  as  indeed  they  are : 

2  Kings  viii.  12,  13,  'And  Hazael  said,  Why  weepeth  my  lord?  and 
he  answered.  Because  I  know  the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel ;  their  strongholds  wilt  thou  set  on  fire,  and  their  young 
men  wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword,  and  wilt  dash  their  children,  and 
rip  up  their  women  with  child.  And  Hazael  said,  But  what,  is  thy 
servant  a  dog  that  he  should  do  this  great  thing  ?     And  Elisha  an- 


28  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

swered,  The  Lord  hath  shewed  me  that  thou  shalt  be  king  over  Syria.' 
Hazael  could  not  imagine  that  he  should  be  as  fierce,  cruel,  murderous, 
and  merciless  as  a  dog,  that  will  tear  all  in  pieces  that  he  can  come  at. 
It  could  never  enter  into  his  thoughts  that  ever  he  should  do  such  cruel, 
barbarous,  horrid,  and  inhuman  acts  as  the  prophet  spoke  of ;  but  he 
did  not  know  the  depth  of  his  own  corruption,  nor  the  desperateness, 
nor  deceitfulness  of  his  own  heart,  Jer.  xvii.  9  :  Isa.  viii.  21,  '  And 
they  shall  pass  through  it  hardly  bestead  and  hungry ;  and  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  that  wlien  they  shall  be  hungry  they  shall  fret  them- 
selves, and  curse  their  king,  and  their  God,  and  look  upward.'     When 
judgments  are  upon  them,  then  their  wickedness  appears  rampant. 
Thev  shall  curse  their  own  king  for  not  defending,  protecting,   or 
relieving  of  them  ;  they  shall  look  upon  him  as  the  cause  of  all  their 
wants,  sorrows,  and  sufferings;  and  as  men  overwhelmed  with  misery, 
and  full  of  indignation,  they  shall  fall  a-cursing  of  him.     And  they 
shall  curse  their  God  as  well  as  their  king  ;  that  is,  say  some,  the  true 
God,  who  deservedly  brought  these  plagues  upon  them.     Their  God  ; 
that  is,  say  others,  their  Melchom,  to  whom  they  had  sacrificed,  and 
in  whom  they  see  now  that  they  vainly  trusted.     So  those  desperate 
Avretches  under  the  beast :  Rev.  xvi.  8,9,'  And  the  fourth  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  sun,  and  power  was  given  unto  him  to  scorch 
men  with  fire.     And  the  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and  blas- 
phemed the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power  over  these  plagues;  and 
they  repented  not,  to  give  him  glory  ; '  ver.  10,  '  And  the_  fifth  angel 
poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  scent  i  of  the  beast ;  and  his  kingdom  was 
full  of  darkness,  and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blas- 
phemed the  God  of  heaven,  because  of  their  pains  and  their  sores,  and 
repented  not  of  their  deeds.'  2     The  top  of  the  judgment  that  is  and 
shall  be  upon  the  wicked  is  this,  that  under  the  sorest  and  heaviest 
judgments  that  shall  come  upon  them,  they  shall  not  repent,  nor  give 
glory  to  God.     They  shall  blaspheme  the  name  of  God,  and  they  shall 
blaspheme  the  God  of  heaven ;  and  they  shall  be  scorched  with  great 
heat,  and  they  shall  gnaw  their  tongues  for  pain,  but  they  shall  not 
repent  of  their  deeds,  nor  give  glory  to  tliat  hand  that  smites  them.^ 
The  fierce  and  fiery  dispensations  of  God  upon  the  followers  and  wor- 
shippers of  the  beast  shall  draw  out  their  sins ;  but  they  shall  nevei- 
reform  their  lives,  nor  better  their  souls.     God  kept  the  Jews  forty 
years  in  the  wilderness,  and  exercised  them  with  many  sore  and  smart 
afflictions,  that  he  might  prove  them,  and  make  a  more  full  discovery 
of  themselves  to  themselves.     And  did  not  the  heavy  trials  that  they 
met  with  in  their  wilderness  condition  make  a  very  great  discovery  of 
that  pride,  that  unbelief,  that  hypocrisy,  that  imi)atience,  that  dis- 
content, that  self-love,  that  murmuring,  &c.,  that  was  wrapt  up  close 
in  all  their  souls  ?     0  sirs  !  since  God  has  turned  our  renowned  city 
into  ashes,  what  discoveries  has  he  made  of  tliat  pride,  that  unbelief, 
that  worldliness,  that  earthliness,  that  self-love,  that  inordinate  affec- 

'  Qu.  'seat'?— Ed. 

*  Plutarch  observes,  that  it  is  tlie  quality  of  tigers  to  grow  mad,  and  tear  themselves 
in  pieces,  if  they  hear  but  drums  or  tabors  to  sound  about  them. — Lib.  de  Super- 
utitione. 

3  This  will  be  the  ca-^p  of  all  the  worshippers  of  tlie  brast  one  dav,  Deut.  viii. 
2,  15,  16. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  29 

tion  to  relations  and  to  the  good  things  of  the  world,  that  discontent, 
that  disquietness,  that  faint-heartedness,  that  has  been  closely  wrapped 
up  in  the  spirits  of  many  thousands  whose  habitations  are  now  laid  in 
ashes !  We  try  metals  by  fire  and  by  knocking,  and  God  has  tried 
many  thousands  this  day  by  his  fiery  dispensations  and  knocking 
judgments  that  have  been  in  the  midst  of  us.  I  believe  there  are 
many  thousands  who  have  been  deep  suff'erers  by  the  late  dreadful 
fire,  who  never  did  think  that  there  had  been  so  much  sin  and  so  little 
grace,  so  much  of  the  creature  and  so  little  of  God,  so  much  earth  and 
so  little  of  heaven  in  their  hearts,  as  they  now  find  by  woeful  experience. 
And  how  many  wretched  sinners  are  there  who  have  more  blasphemed 
God,  and  dishonoured  Christ,  and  provoked  divine  justice,  and  abused 
their  best  mercies,  and  debased  and  be-beasted  themselves  since  the 
late  fire,  than  they  have  done  in  many  years  before  !     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  God  inflicts  great  and  sore  judgments  upon  persons, 
cities,  and  countries,  that  others  may  he  ivarned  by  his  severities  to 
break  off  their  sins,  and  to  7'eturn  to  the  most  High.  God's  judg- 
ments upon  one  city,  should  be  advertisements  to  all  other  cities  to 
look  about  them,  and  to  tremble  before  him  who  is  'a  consuming  fire,' 
Heb.  xii.  29.  The  flaming  rod  of  correction  that  is  laid  upon  one 
city,  should  be  a  rod  of  instruction  to  all  other  cities.  Jer.  xxii.  6-9, 
'  I  will  make  thee  a  wilderness,  and  cities  which  are  not  inhabited. 
And  many  nations  shall  pass  by  this  city,  and  they  shall  say  every 
man  to  his  neighbour.  Wherefore  hath  the  Lord  done  this  unto  this 
great  city  ?  Then  shall  they  answer.  Because  they  have  forsaken  the 
covenant  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  worshipped  other  gods,  and 
served  then).'  God  punisheth  one  city,  that  all  other  cities  may  take 
warning.  There  is  no  judgment  of  God,  be  it  sword,  pestilence, 
famine,  or  fire,  upon  any  people,  city,  nation,  or  country,  but  what  is 
speaking  and  teaching  to  all  others,  had  they  but  eyes  to  see,  ears  to 
hear,  and  hearts  to  understand,  Micah  vi.  9.  Thus  Tyrus  shall  be 
devoured  with  fire,  saith  the  prophet ;  Ashkelon  shall  see  it  and  fear ; 
Gaza  and  Ekron  shall  be  very  sorrowful,  Zecli.  ix.  4,  5.  When 
Ashkelon,  Gaza,  and  Ekron  shall  see  the  destruction  of  Tyre  by  fire, 
it  shall  make  them  afraid  of  the  like  judgment.  They  shall  be  a  little 
more  concerned  than  some  were  at  the  siege  of  Rhodes,  and  than 
others  were  at  the  ruin  and  desolation  of  Troy  by  fire.  London's  suf- 
ferings should  warn  others  to  take  heed  of  London's  sins.  London's 
conflagration  should  warn  others  to  take  heed  of  London's  abomina- 
tions. It  should  warn  others  to  stand  and  wonder  at  the  patience, 
long-suffering,  gentleness,  and  goodness  of  God  towards  them  who 
have  deserved  as  hard  things  from  the  hand  of  God,  as  London  have 
felt  in  1665  and  1666,  Rom.  ii.  4,  5.  It  should  warn  others  to  search 
their  hearts,  and  try  their  ways,  and  break  off  their  sins,  and  turn  to 
the  Lord,  lest  his  anger  should  break  forth  in  flames  of  fire  against 
them,  and  none  should  be  able  to  deliver  them.  Lam.  iii.  40.  It 
should  warn  others  to  fear  and  tremble  before  that  power,  justice, 
severity,  and  sovereignty  that  shines  in  God's  fiery  dispensations  to- 
wards us.  Ezek.  XXX.  7-9,  '  And  they  shall  be  desolate  in  the  midst  of 
the  countries  that  are  desolate,  and  her  cities' — meaning  Egypt — 'shall 
be  in  the  midst  of  the  cities  that  are  wasted.     And  they 'shall  know 


30  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLIT.  24,  25. 

that  I  am  tlie  Lord,  when  I  have  set  a  fire  in  Egypt.  In  that  day 
shall  niesscn;;"ors  go  forth  from  me  in  ships,  to  make  the  careless 
Ethio])ians  afraid,  and  great  i)ain  shall  come  upon  them,  as  in  the  day 
of  Egypt;  for,  lo,  he  cometh,'  Exod.  xv.  14-16;  Isa.  xiii.  6-8.  God 
by  liis  secret  instinct  and  providence  would  so  order  the  matter,  as 
that  the  news  of  the  Chaldeans'  inroad  into  Egypt,  laying  all  their 
cities  and  towns  waste  by  lire  and  sword,  should  be  cariied  over  into 
Ethiopia;  and  hereupon  the  secure  Ethiopians  should  fear  and  tremble, 
and  be  in  pain  as  a  woman  is  that  is  in  travail ;  or  as  the  Egyptians 
were,  when  they  were  destroyed  at  the  Red  Sea  ;  or  as  they  were,  when 
the  Lord  smote  their  firstborn  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt.  Now 
shall  the  Ethiopians,  the  poor,  blind  heathens,  fear  and  tremble,  and 
be  in  pain,  when  they  hear  that  Egypt  is  laid  waste  by  fire  and  sword; 
and  shall  not  Christians  all  the  workl  over  fear  and  tremble,  and  be 
in  pain,  when  they  shall  hear  that  Ijondon  is  laid  waste,  that  London 
is  destroyed  by  fire  ?  What  though  papists  and  atheists  have  warmed 
themselves  at  the  flames  of  London,  saying,  Aha  !  so  would  Ave  have  it; 
yet  let  all  that  have  the  name  of  God  upon  them  fear  and  tremble, 
and  take  warning,  and  learn  righteousness  by  his  righteous  judgments 
upon  desolate  London.  London's  murdering-] )iece  should  he  England's 
warning-piece  to  awaken  them,  and  to  work  them  to  bethink  them- 
selves, and  to  turn  to  him  who  is  able  by  a  flaming  fire  quickly  to 
turn  them  out  of  all,  Isa.  xxvi.  8,  9.  The  Jews  have  a  saying, 
that  if  war  be  begun  in  another  country,  yet  they  should  fast  and 
mourn  because  the  war  is  begun,  and  because  they  do  not  know  how 
soon  God  may  bring  it  to  their  doors.  0  sirs  !  London  is  burnt,  and 
it  highly  concerns  you  to  last,  and  mourn,  and  pray,  and  to  take  the 
alarm  ;  for  you  do  not  know  how  soon  a  fire  may  be  kindled  in  your 
own  habitations.  Now  God  has  made  the  once  famous  city  of  London 
a  flaming  beacon  before  your  eyes,  he  expects  and  looks  that  you 
should  all  fear  before  him.  Secure  your  interest  in  him,  walk  humbly 
with  him,  and  no  more  provoke  the  eyes  of  his  jealousy  and  glory. 
The  design  of  Heaven  by  this  late  dreadful  fire,  is  not  to  be  confined 
to  those  particular  persons  upon  whom  it  hath  fallen  heaviest ;  but  it 
is  to  awaken  all,  and  warn  all.  When  a  beacon  is  fired,  it  gives 
warning  as  much  to  the  whole  country  as  to  him  who  sets  it  on  fire ; 
or  as  it  does  to  him  on  whose  ground  the  beacon  stands.  We  can 
neither  upon  the  foot  of  reason  or  religion,  conclude  them  to  be  the 
greatest  sinners  who  have  been  the  greatest  sufterers ;  for  many  times 
we  find  that  the  greatest  saints  have  been  the  greatest  sutfei-ers,  both 
from  God  and  men.  Job  was  a  non-such  in  his  day  for  holiness, 
uprightness,  and  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  yet  by  the  wind  and  fire 
from  heaven  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  the  Sabeans  and  Chaldeans  on 
the  other  hand,  he  is  stript  of  all  his  children  and  of  a  fair  estate  in 
one  day :  so  that  in  the  morning  it  might  have  been  said,  Who  so 
rich  as  Job  ?  and  in  the  evening.  Who  so  poor  as  Job  ?  Job  was  poor 
even  to  a  proverb,  Job  i.  1-4.  Look,  as  wicked  men  are  very  incompetent 
judges  of  divine  favouis  and  mercies,  so  they  are  very  incompetent 
judges  of  divine  tiials  and  severities ;  and  whatever  they  may  think  or 
say,  I  dare  conclude  that  they  who  have  drank  deepest  of  this  cup  of 
soi'rows,  of  this  cuj)  of  desolation  and  fire  in  London,  are  not  greater 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEKY  DISPENSATION,  31 

sinners  than  all  others  in  England,  who  yet  have  not  tasted  of  this 
bitter  cup.  But  more  of  this  when  I  come  to  the  application  of  the 
point.  0  sirs!  I  beg  upon  the  knee  of  my  soul,  that  you  will  not 
slight  this  dreadful  warning  of  God  that  he  has  given  to  the  whole 
nation,  in  turning  London  into  ashes.  To  that  purpose  seriously  con- 
sider. First,  Divine  warnings  slighted  and  neglected  will  certainly 
bring  down  the  greater  wrath  and  vengeance  upon  you,  as  you  may 
clearly  see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together,  i 
Secondly,  Slighting  of  judgments  is  the  greatest  judgment  that  can 
befall  a  people ;  it  speaks  out  much  pride,  atheism,  hardness,  blind- 
ness, and  desperate  security,  and  contempt  of  the  great  God.  To 
be  given  up  to  slight  divine  warnings,  is  a  sj^iritual  judgment,  and 
therefore  must  of  all  judgments  be  the  greatest  judgment.  To  be 
given  up  to  sword,  famine,  fire,  pestilence,  burning  agues,  and  fevers, 
is  nothing  so  great  a  judgment  as  to  be  given  up  to  slight  divine 
warnings  ;  for  in  the  one  you  are  but  passive,  but  in  the  other  you  are 
active.  Thirdly,  Heathens  have  trembled,  and  mended,  and  reformed, 
at  divine  warnings,  Jonah  iii.  ;  and  therefore  for  jou  to  slight  them 
is  to  act  below  the  heathens,  yea,  it  is  to  do  worse  than  the  heathens, 
who  will  certainly  one  day  rise  up  in  judgment  against  all  such 
who  have  been  slighters  of  the  dreadful  warnings  of  heaven.  Fourthly, 
Slighting  of  divine  warnings  lays  men  open  to  such  anger  and  wrath, 
as  all  the  angels  in  heaven  are  not  able  to  express,  nor  all  the  men 
on  earth  able  to  conceive,  Prov.  i.  24-32.  Fifthly,  Slighting  and 
neglecting  of  divine  warnings  speaks  out  the  greatest  disingenuity, 
stoutness,  and  stubbornness  that  is  imaginable.  The  ingenuous  child 
easily  takes  warning,  and  to  an  ingenuous  Christian  every  divine 
warning  is  as  the  handwriting  upon  the  wall,  Dan.  v.  5.  Sixthly, 
Slighting  of  divine  warnings  provokes  God  many  times  to  give  up 
men  to  be  their  own  executioners,  their  own  destroyers.  Said  had 
many  warnings,  but  he  slighted  and  neglected  them  all ;  and  at  last 
God  leaves  him  to  fall  on  his  own  sword,  1  Sam.  xxxi.  4.  Christ  cast 
hell-fire  often  into  Judas  his  face,  '  Thou  hast  a  devil  ;'  and  '  Woe  to 
that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  ;  it  had  been 
good  for  that  man  that  he  had  never  been  born.'  But  Judas  slights 
all  these  warnings,  and  betrays  his  Lord  and  Master,  and  then  goes 
forth  and  hangs  himself,  John  vi.  70,  71  ;  Mat.  xxvi.  21-25,  and 
xxvii.  5.  It  was  a  strange  conceit  of  the  Cerinthians  2'  that  honoured 
Judas,  the  traitor,  as  some  divine  and  superhuman  power,  and  called 
his  treason  a  blessed  piece  of  service,  and  that  he,  knowing  how  much 
the  death  of  Christ  would  profit  mankind,  did  therefore  betray  him  to 
death  to  save  the  race  of  mankind,  and  to  do  a  thing  pleasing  to  God. 
Judas  withstood  all  divine  warnings  from  within  and  without,  and  you 
know  how  the  tragedy  ended  ;  he  died  a  miserable  death,  he  perished 
by  his  own  hands,  which  were  the  most  infamous  hands  in  all  the 
world;  'he  went  and  hanged  himself.' 3  And  as  Luke  hath  it, 
*  he  fell  headlong  and  burst  asunder  in  the  midst,  and  all  his  bowels 

1  Lev.  xxvi.  16-18, 21,  23,  24,  27,  28  ;  Amos  iv.  7-11 ;  Jer.  xxv.  4-12  ;  Isa.  xxii.  12-14. 
'  Ireneeus,  &c.,  Aug.  de  Htereei. 

^  Some  report  of  Judas,  that  he  slew  his  father,  married  his  mother,  and  betrayed  his 
Master. 


32  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

guslied  out.'  In  every  passage  of  his  death  we  may  take  notice  of 
divine  justice,  and  accordingly  take  heed  of  sh'ghting  divine  warnings. 
It  was  but  just  that  he  should  hang  in  the  air,  who,  for  his  sin,  was 
hated  both  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  he  should  fall  down  headlong, 
who  was  fallen  from  such  a  height  of  honour  as  he  was  fallen  from  ; 
and  that  the  halter  should  strangle  that  throat  through  which  the 
voice  of  treason  hail  sounded  ;  and  tliat  his  bowels  should  be  lost  who 
had  lost  the  bowels  of  all  i)ity,  piety,  and  compassion  ;  and  that 
his  ghost  should  have  his  passage  out  of  liis  midst :  '  he  burst  asunder 
in  the  midst,'  saith  the  text,  and  not  out  of  his  lips,  because  with 
a  kiss  of  his  lips  he  had  betrayed  our  Lord  Jesus.  But  Seventhly,  By 
slighting  divine  warnings  you  will  arm  both  visible  and  invisible 
creatures  against  you.  Pharaoh  slights  divine  warnings,  and  God 
arms  the  winds  against  him  to  his  destruction.  Sisera  slights  divine 
warnings,  and  the  stars  in  their  course  fought  agjiinst  Sisera.  Senna- 
cherib slights  divine  warnings,  and  an  angel  of  the  Lord  destroyed  a 
hundred  fourscore  and  five  thousand  of  his  aimy  in  one  night,  2  Kings 
vi.  8-11, 16,  17  ;  Exod.  xiv.  ;  Judges  v.  19,  20  ;  Isa.  xxxvii.  7-9,  36. 
Eighthly,  By  slighting  of  divine  warnings  you  will  tempt  Satan 
to  tempt  your  sovds.  He  that  dares  slight  divine  warnings  will  stick 
at  nothing  that  Satan  shall  tempt  him  to  ;  yea,  he  does  to  the  utmost 
what  lies  in  him  to  provoke  Satan  to  follow  him  with  the  blackest  and 
sorest  temptations.  Ninthly,  He  that  slights  divine  warnings  dams  up 
all  the  springs  of  mercy,  and  turns  the  streams  of  loving-kindness  and 
favour  another  way.  Tentldy  and  lastly.  Slighting  of  divine  warnings 
will  be  the  sword  that  will  wound  you,  and  the  serpent  that  will  sting 
you,  and  the  worm  that  will  be  still  gnawing  upon  you  ;  especiall}' 
(1.)  When  your  consciences  are  awakening  ;  (2.)  When  you  shall  lie 
upon  a  dying  bed  ;  (3.)  When  you  shall  stand  before  a  judgment- 
seat  ;  (4.)  and  lastly.  When  you  shall  awake  with  everlasting  flames 
about  your  ears,  Ps.  Ixxxi.  11  to  the  end;  Jer.  vii.  23-29,  34  ;  Isa. 
xiii.  14-16.  Upon  all  these  considerations,  take  heed  of  slighting  the 
warnings  of  God  that  you  are  under  this  day.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly,  God  inflicts  great  and  sore  judgments 
upon  persons,  cities,  and  countries,  to  i^iii  the  tcorld  in  mind  of  the 
general  judgment.  Who  can  think  upon  the  conflagration  of  our  late 
glorious  city,  and  not  call  to  mind  the  great  and  terrible  day  of 
the  Lord  ?  Ps.  1.  3,  '  Our  God  shall  come,  and  shall  not  keep  silence  : 
a  tire  shall  devour  before  him,  and  it  shall  be  very  tempestuous  round 
about  him.'  As  God  gave  his  law  in  fire,  so  when  he  comes  to  judg- 
ment, in  tire  he  will  reiiuire  it,  to  shew  himself  a  judge  and  revenger 
of  it,  and  to  bring  the  world  to  a  strict  account  for  their  breaking 
of  it,  Eccles.  xii.  13,  14.  In  the  pronmlgation  of  the  law  a  flaming 
tire  was  only  on  mount  Sinai,  Exod.  xx.  18 ;  but  when  Christ 
shall  come  to  execute  vengeance  on  the  transgressors  of  it,  all  the 
world  shall  become  a  bonfire,  Heb.  xii.  18-21.  In  the  ]iromulgation 
of  the  law  there  Avas  fire,  smoke,  thunder,  and  an  earthquake  ;  but 
when  Christ  shall  come  in  flanung  tire  to  revenge  the  breaches  of  it, 
'  the  heavens  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with 
fervent  heat,'  so  that  not  only  a  few  cities  and  kingdoms,  but  all  this 
lower  world  shall  l)e  of  a  flame  ;  and  therefore  if  any  of  the  wicked 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  33 

should  be  so  weak  as  to  think  to  secure  themselves  by  creeping  behind 
the  Lord,  they  will  but  deceive  themselves  ;  for  the  fire  shall  not  only 
devour  before  him,  but  it  shall  also  devour  round  about  him.      When 
an  unquenchable  fire  shall  be  kindled  above  the  sinner,  and  below  the 
sinner,  and  round  about  the  sinner,  how  is  it  possible  that  he  should 
escape,  though  he  should  cry  out  to  the  rocks  and  the  mountains 
to  fall  upon  him,  and  to  cover  him  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  ? 
Kev.  vi.  15-17 ;  Jer.  v.  14.     Isa.  Ixvi.  15,  16,  *  For,  behold,  the  Lord 
will  come  with  fire,  and  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render 
his  anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire.     For  by  fire, 
and  by  his  sword,  will  the  Lord  plead  with  all  flesh  :  and  the  slain  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  many.'  .    There  is  nothing  more  fearful  or  for- 
midable either  to  man  or  beast  than  fire.      Now  when  God  comes 
to  execute  his  judgments,  and  to  take  vengeance  on  the  wicked  in 
this  life,  as  some   carry  the  words,  or   in  the   other  life,  as  others 
carry  the  words,  he   will    come   in    the  most    terrible    and    dread- 
ful manner  imaginable,  he  will  come  with  fire,  and  he  will  render 
his   rebuke    with    flames    of    fire,   or   with    fiery   flames,    as    some 
say,  or  with   flaming  fire,  as  others   say:   2   Thes.    i.    7,   8,   'And 
to  you  who  are  troubled,  rest  with  us,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be 
revealed  from  heaven,  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking 
vengeance  on  them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gospel 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.'     Beloved,  that  Christ  will  come  to  judg- 
ment in  flaming  fire  is  no  politic  invention  found  out  to  fright  men 
from  their  pleasures  ;  nor  no  engine  of  state  devised  to  keep  men  tame 
and  quiet  under  the  civil  powers ;  nor  no  plot  of  the  minister  to  make 
men  melancholy,  or  to  hurry  them  into  a  blind  obedience ;  but  it  is 
the  constant  voice  of  God  in  the  blessed  Scriptures :  2  Pet.  iii.  10-12, 
'  But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the 
which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements 
shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,  the  earth  also  and  the  works  that  are 
therein  shall  be  burnt  up.     Looking  for  and  hasting  unto  the  coming 
of  the  day  of  God,  wherein  the  heavens  being  on  fire,  shall  be  dis- 
solved, and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat.'     Parens  is  of 
opinion  i  that  that  fire  that  shall  set  all  the  world  in  a  flame  at  last  will 
be  kindled  and  cherished  by  lightning  from  heaven.     The  earth  being 
smitten  with  lightning  from  heaven,  shall  be  shaken  and  torn  into  ten 
thousand  pieces,  and  by  fire  utterly  consumed ;  now  the  earth  shall 
quake,  the  sea  roar,  the  air  ring,  and  the  world  burn.     Now  you  shall 
look  no  way  but  you  shall  see  fire  ;  you  shall  see  fire  above  you,  and 
fire  below  you,  and  fire  round  about  you.     Christ's  first  coming  was 
attended  with  a  general  ])eace,  and  with  carols  of  angels  :  he  came  as 
rain  upon  the  mown  grass,  silently,  sweetly  into  the  world,  Luke  ii.  8-15 ; 
Ps.  Ixxi.  6.    Then  a  babe  cried  in  the  manger,  but  now  Judah's  lion  will 
roar  and  thunder  in  the  heavens.    Then  he  came  riding  on  an  ass's  colt, 
but  now  on  the  clouds.    Then  he  was  attended  with  twelve  poor  despised 
apostles,  but  now  he  shall  be  waited  on  with  many  score  millions  of 
angels.     At  his  first  coming  he  freely  offered  grace,  and  mercy,  and 
pardon  to  sinners  ;  but  now  he  will  come  in  flames  of  fire  to  execute 
wrath  and  vengeance  uijon  sinners,  2  Thes.  i.  7 ;  and  it  will  be  no  small 

^  Parens  in  Rev.  xvi.  18. 
VOL.  VI.  C 


34  London's  lamentations  on        [isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

lionour  to  Clirist,  nor  no  sm.all  comfort  to  the  saints,  nor  no  small  tor- 
ment to  the  Avicked,  for  Christ  to  come  in  flames  of  fire  when  lie  comes 
to  judj^mcnt.  Sanl  was  astonished  when  he  heard  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
but  calling  unto  him  out  of  heaven,  Acts  xxii,  8.  Herod  was  af- 
frighted whei»  ho  thought  that  John  Baptist  was  risen  again,  Mat.  vi, 
16.  The  Piiiiistines  were  afraid  when  they  saw  David's  sword,  1  8am. 
xxi.  9.  The  Israelites  were  startled  when  they  saw  Aaron's  rod,  Num. 
vii.  10.  And  Judiih  was  ashamed  when  he  saw  Tiiamar's  signet  and 
staff;  and  13elshazzar  was  amazed  when  he  saw  the  handwriting  ui)on 
the  wall,  Dan.  \^  5.  The  Carthaginians  were  troubled  when  they  saw 
8ci])io's  sepulchre ;  and  the  Saxons  were  terrified  when  tliey  saw  Cad- 
wallon's  image.  1  Oh,  how  terrified,  amazed,  and  confounded  will 
wicked  men  be  when  they  shall  see  that  Christ,  whom  they  have 
rejected,  betrayed,  crucifie<,l,  scorned,  0])})0sck1,  and  jx?rsccuted,  come  in 
flames  of  fire  to  pass  an  eternal  doom  upon  them  !  I  have  read  a 
story  of  two  soldiers,  2  that  coming  to  the  valley  of  Jehosha})hat  in 
Judea,  and  one  saying  to  the  other,  Here  in  this  place  shall  be  the 
general  judgment,  wherefore  I  will  now  take  up  my  place  wdiere  I  will 
then  sit ;  and  so  lifting  up  a  stone,  he  sat  down  ujion  it,  as  taking 
posse&sion  beforehand:  but  Ijeing  sented,  and  looking  up  to  lieaven, 
such  a  quaking  and  trembling  fell  upon  him,  that  falling  to  the  earth, 
he  remembered  the  day  of  judgment  with  horror  and  amazement  ever 
after.  The  case  of  this  soldier  will  be  the  case  of  every  wicked  man 
when.  Christ  shall  apix^ar  in  flames  of  fire  to  pass  an  eternal  sentence 
of  condemnation  ui)on  all  the  goats  that  shall  l)e  found  on  the  left 
hand.  Mat.  xxv.  41-4().  It  is  strange  in  this  so  serious  a  business 
of  the  day  of  judgment,  and  of  Christ's  appearing  in  flaming  fire,  • 
which  so  nearly  concerns  the  sons  of  men,  how  men's  wits  will  busy 
themselves  in  many  nice  inquiries.  Ye  may  meet  with  many  such 
questions  in  the  schoolmen  as — (1.)  How  long  is  it  to  the  day  of 
judgment  ?  (2.)  In  what  place  of  the  world  shall  the  judgment-day  be 
held  ?  (3.)  What  kind  of  fire  shall  then  be  burning  ?  (4.)  Whether 
Christ  shall  come  with  a  cross  carried  before  him  ?  As  if  malefactors 
in  the  jail  should  fall  a-reasoning  and  debating  what  weather  it  would 
be  at  the  day  of  assizes,  or  of  the  judge's  habit  and  retinue,  and  never 
bethink  themseh^es  how  to  answer  their  indictment,  that  they  may 
escape  condemnation.  London's  flames  should  })ut  us  in  mind  of 
Christ's  coming  in  flames  of  fire  ;  and  the  burning  of  London  should 
put  us  in  mind  of  the  burning  of  the  world,  when  Christ  shall  come 
to  judge  the  sons  of  men  according  to  their  works ;  and  the  terror  and 
dread  of  that  fire,  and  men's  endeavours  to  escape  it,  should  put  us 
upon  all  those  holy  wa3s  and  means  whereby  we  may  escape  the  fury 
of  those  dreadful  flames  that  shall  never  be  quenched ;  and  the  houses 
and  estates  that  were  consumed  by  the  devouring  fire  in  London 
streets  should  put  us  upon  securing  *  a  house  not  made  with  hands,' 
but  one  '  eternal  in  the  heavens,'  and  ui^n  securing  '  durable  riches,' 
and  '  an  inheritance  that  fadeth  not  away,'  and  ui)on  '  laying  up  for 
ourselves  treasures  in  heaven,  where  neither  moth  nor  ru.st,  nor  thieves,' 
and  let  me  add,  nor  flames,  '  can  break  through,  corrupt,  or  steal,  or 
burn,'  2  Cor.  v.  1,  2;  Prov.  vui.  18;  1  Pet.  i.  4;  Mat.  vi.  19-21. 

'  Holinshcd's  Chronicle.  -  Ilolcot.  in  lib.  Sap.    [US;3,  folio. — G.] 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25. J  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  35 

The  more  general  any  judgment  is,  the  more  it  should  put  us  in  mind 
of  the  general  day  of  judgment.  Now  the  burning  of  London  was  a 
general  judgment,  a  judgment  that  reaches  from  one  end  of  the  land 
to  another,  as  I  shall  more  fully  evidence  before  I  close  up  this  dis- 
course ;  and  therefore  it  should  remind  us  of  the  universal  conflagra- 
tion of  the  whole  Avorld  and  the  works  thereof.  And  thus  you  see  the 
ends  that  God  has  in  respect  of  the  wicked  in  inflicting  great  and 
sore  judgments  upon  persons,  cities,  and  countries. 

Quest.  But  pray,  sir,  what  are  those  high  and  holj^  ends,  in  respect 
of  the  people  of  God,  that  God  aims  at  by  his  inflicting  of  great  and 
sore  judgments  upon  persons,  cities,  and  countries  ?  I  suppose  they 
are  such  as  follow: 

Atis.  (1.)  First,  To  hring  about  those  special  favours  and  mercies 
that  God  intends  them.  By  the  dreadful  judgments  that  God  inflicted 
upon  Pharaoh,  and  upon  his  people,  and  upon  his  country,  God 
brought  about  the  freedom  and  liberty  of  his  people  to  worship  him 
according  to  his  own  prescriptions.  The  great  difference  and  contest 
between  God  and  Pharaoh  was,  who  should  have  their  wills.  God 
would  have  his  people  to  worship  him  according  to  his  own  mind ; 
but  Pharaoh  was  resolved  to  venture  his  all  before  they  should  have 
their  freedom  and  liberty  to  serve  their  God,  Upon  this  God  follows 
him  with  plague  upon  plague,  and  never  leaves  spending  of  his  plagues 
upon  him  till  he  had  overthrown  him,  and  through  his  ruin  brought 
about  the  freedom  and  liberty  of  his  poor  j^eople.i  The  Babylonians 
were  cruel  enemies  to  God's  poor  Israel,  and  kept  them  in  bondage, 
yea,  in  a  fiery  furnace,  seventy  years.  At  last  God  stirs  up  the  spirit  of 
Cyrus,  for  his  church's  sake,  and  he,  by  fire  j^and  sword,  lays  Babylon 
waste,  and  takes  them  captive  who  had  held  his  people  in  a  long 
captivity,  Jer.  xi.  4,  and  Dan.  ix.  12.  Now  he,  by  breaking  the 
Babylonians  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel,  brought  about,  as  an 
instrument  in  the  hand  of  God,  the  freedom  and  libert}^  of  God's  poor 
people,  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  that  xlvth  of  Isa.  1-6,  with  that 
1st  chapter  of  Ezra.  God  stirs  up  the  spirit  of  Cyrus  to  put  forth  a 
proclamation  for  liberty  for  the  Jews  to  go  to  their  own  land,  and  to 
build  the  house  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  and  then  he  graciously 
stirs  up  the  spirits  of  the  people  wisely  and  soberly  to  improve  the 
liberty  he  had  proclaimed.2  Jer.  xlix.  1,  'Concerning  the  Ammonites, 
thus  saith  the  Lord,  Hath  Israel  no  sons  ?  hath  he  no  heir?  why  then 
doth  their  king  inherit  Gad,  and  his  people  dwell  in  his  cities  ? ' 
When  the  ten  tribes  were  carried  away  captive,  the  Ammonites  Avho 
dwelt  near  the  tribe  of  Gad  .intruded  into  it  and  the  cities  of  it ;  but 
mark  what  God  saith  in  ver.  2,  '  Therefore,  behold,  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  cause  an  alarm  of  war  to  be  heard  in 
Eabbah  of  the  Ammonites  [that  was  their  chief  city] ;  and  it  shall  be 
a  desolate  heap,  and  her  daughters  [that  is,  lesser  towns]  shall  be 
burnt  Avith  fire :  then  shall  Israel  be  heir  unto  them  that  were  his 
heirs,  saith  the  Lord.' 3  God,  by  fire  and  sword,  would  lay  desolate 
the  chief  city  of  the  Ammonites,  and  her  towns  and  villages  that  did 

'^  Exod.  V.  1,  2,  vii.  16,  viii.  8,  20,  25,  27,  29,  ix.  1,  13,  x.  3,  7,  8,  11,  21,  xii.  31. 
^  Turn  to  Obadiah,  and  read  from  ver.  11  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
^  Here  was  Lex  talionis  observed ;  they  that  invaded  the  inheritance  of  others  had 
their  own  invaded  by  them. 


36  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLTI.  21,  25. 

belong  to  her :  nnd  by  these  dreadful  dispensations  he  would  make 
way  for  his  people,  not  only  to  possess  their  own  land,  l)ut  the  Am- 
monites' also;  and  I  will  leave  the  prudent  reader  to  make  the  a])pli- 
cation.  We  have  been  under  greater  and  dreadt'uller  judgments  than 
ever  this  poor  nation  hath  groaned  under  in  former  times ;  and  who 
can  tell  but  that  the  Lord  by  these  amazing  judgments  may  bring 
about  greater  and  better  mercies  and  blessings  than  any  yet  we  do 
enjoy  ?  The  Kabbins  say  of  civil  liberty,  that  if  the  heavens  were 
parchment,  the  sea  ink,  and  every  pile  of  grass  a  pen,  the  praises  of  it 
could  not  he  comprised  nor  expressed.  ]\Iay  we  not  say  more  of  a  holy 
liberty  ?  Liberty  to  serve  ami  worsliip  the  Lord  according  to  his  own 
prescriptions  and  directions  laid  down  in  his  blessed  word,  by  which 
all  worship  and  worshipiiers  must  be  tried  at  last,  is  a  pearl  of  price 
that  none  can  sufficiently  value.  Justinus  the  second  emperor's  motto 
was,  Libcrfas  res  ma'stimahills,  Liberty  is  unvaluable.  The  Lord  give 
his  people  holy,  wise,  prudent,  sober,  humble,  and  understanding  hearts, 
that  they  may  know  both  how  to  prize  and  how  to  improve  those 
liberties  and  mercies  that  he  has  handed  to  them  through  terrible 
dispensations !     But, 

(2.)  Secondly,  God  inflicts  great  trials  and  sore  judgments  upon  per- 
sons and  places,  that  he  may  awaken  his  own  people  out  of  that  deep 
security  that  oftentimes  seizeth  upon  tliem  :  Ps.  xxx.  5-9  ;  Mat.  xxv,  5 ; 
2  Sam.  ii.  7, '15,  and  xxiv.  15-17;  2  Kings  xiv.  25;  Mat.  xii.  40; 
Jonah  i.  1-3.  What  deep  security  had  seized  upon  David,  so  that 
God  was  forced  to  make  use  of  the  bloody  sword  and  of  the  sweeping 
pestilence  to  awaken  him  !  Jonah  was  a  prophet,  he  was  a  servant  of 
the  Lord,  he  was  a  type  of  Christ,  he  was  a  good  man.  His  name 
Jonah  signifies  a  dove,  though  he  had  but  little  of  the  dove  in  him, 
being  as  passionate  a  man  of  an  honest  man  as  you  have  lightly  i  heard 
of,  saith  Luther.  Now  Jonah  liaving  contracted  guilt  upon  his  con- 
science by  acting  quite  contrary  to  God's  royal  call,  what  a  desperate, 
senseless  stupidit}"  and  security  had  seized  upon  liim !  what  a  spiritual 
letharg}''  was  jioor  Jonah  in  !  not  much  unlike  that  of  the  smith's  dog, 
whom  neither  the  hammers  above  him,  nor  the  sparks  of  fire  falling 
round  about  him,  can  awake.  Jonah  was  not  in  a  slumber,  but  in  a 
sound,  heavy,  deep,  and  dead  sleep ;  and  Avhat  a  wonder,  what  a  pro- 
digy was  here,  that  in  all  this  stir  and  tunndt  and  danger,  the  winds 
whistling  and  roaring,  the  sea  working,  raging,  swelling,  frothing, 
foaming,  and  boiling  like  a  pot,  the  waves  mounting  up  to  heaven  and 
sinking  down  again  to  hell,  as  the  2>salniist  si)eaks,  the  ship  tumbling 
and  tossing  like  a  tennis-ball,  the  mariners,  as  stout  fellows  as  they 
were,  surpiised  Avith  fear,  and  running  up  and  down  like  men  at  their 
Avits'  end,  like  men  that  could  not  look  jiale  death  in  the  face  with 
blood  in  their  cheeks,  that  yet  Jonah  should  sleep,  and  be  as  secure  in 
that  dreadful  danger  as  if  he  had  been  in  his  own  house  sleeping  on  a 
bed  of  down  !  Oh  the  desperate  security  that  may  seize  upon  the  best 
of  saints !  But  this  security  God  will  cure  in  his  Jonahs  by  some 
smart  trial,  or  by  some  heavy  judgment  or  other.  The  lethargy  is  best 
cured  by  a  burning  ague.     Absalom  sends  once  or  tAvice  to  Joab  to 

^  That  is,  '  likely.'— G. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  37 

come  and  speak  with  him  ;  but  when  he  saw  that  Joah  would  not  come, 
he  commands  his  corn-fiekls  to  be  set  on  fire,  and  this  awakens  him, 
and  fetches  him  with  a  witness,  2  Sam.  xiv.  30.  So  God,  by  fiery  afflic- 
tions, and  by  burning  up  our  comforts  round  about  us,  awakens  us, 
and  brings  us  to  himself  with  a  witness.  When  iron  grows  rusty,  we 
put  it  into  the  fire  to  purify  it ;  and  so  when  the  people  of  God  grow 
rusty  and  secure,  then  the  Lord  brings  them  under  fiery  trials  to  awaken 
them,  and  to  purify  them.  If  Nero  was  so  angry  w^th  Vespasian 
because  he  slept  at  his  music,  how  much  more  may  the  Lord  be  angry 
with  all  such  as  sleep  and  are  secure  under  the  most  amazing  and 
awakening  judgments  ?  But  my  hope  and  prayer  is,  that  the  Lord 
has,  and  will  more  and  more  graciously  and  effectually  awaken  all  the 
wise  slumbering  virgins  upon  whom  this  fiery  dispensation  has  passed. 
And  therefore, 

(3.)  Thirdly,  In  respect  of  his  people's  sins,  God  has  several  siDCcial 
ends  that  he  aims  at  by  all  the  fiery  trials  and  smart  providences  that 
he  exercises  them  and  others  with.     As, 

[1.]  First,  God  by  these  means  designs  a  further  and  a /idler  dis- 
covery of  their  sins.  In  standing  waters  you  cannot  see  the  mud  that 
lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  pool  or  pond ;  but  when  once  the  water  is 
drawn  away,  then  it  appears,  Deut.  viii.  2.  In  times  of  prosperity 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  mud,  a  great  deal  of  atheism,  unbelief,  dis- 
content, murmuring,  impatience,  passion,  pride,  &c.,  that  lies  at  the  bot- 
tom of  men's  hearts  undiscovered.  Oh,  but  when  God  shall  once  empty 
them  of  their  estates,  and  burn  up  all  their  outward  comforts,  and  set 
them  with  Job  upon  the  dunghill,  then  the  mud  appears,  then  a  whole 
army  of  lusts  discover  themselves,  as  we  see  in  many  this  day,  whom 
you  shall  rarely  find  without  tears  in  their  eyes,  sighs  in  their  hearts, 
and  complaints  in  their  mouths.  Severe  providences  are  pills  made 
purposely  to  clear  the  eyesight :  1  Kings  xvii.  18,  '  And  she  said  unto 
Elijah,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  0  thou  man  of  God  ?  art  thou 
come  unto  me  to  call  my  sin  to  remembrance,  and  to  slay  my  son  ?' 
If  God  had  not  taken  away  her  son,  her  sin  had  not  been  brought  to 
remembrance.  0  sirs  !  if  God  by  this  late  dreadful  fire  had  not  taken 
away  your  houses,  your  goods,  your  estates,  your  trades,  many  of  your 
sins  had  not  been  brought  to  your  remembrance,  though  now  you  have 
lost  most  or  all.  You  may  say  with  the  psalmist,  '  My  sins  are  ever 
before  me,'  Ps.  li.  3.  My  pride  is  ever  before  me,  my  unbelief  is  ever 
before  me,  my  frowardness  is  ever  before  me,  my  murmuring  is  ever 
before  me,  my  discontent  is  ever  before  me,  and  my  impatience  is 
ever  before  me,  &c.i  Good  men  never  come  to  know  how  bad  they  are, 
till  they  come  to  be  exercised  with  severe  providences  and  smart  trials. 
It  was  the  speech  of  a  holy  man  in  a  gi-eat  sickness.  In  this  disease  I 
have  learned  how  great  God  is,  and  what  the  evil  of  sin  is ;  I  never 
knew  to  purpose  what  God  was  before,  nor  what  sin  was  before. 
Afflictions  are  a  Christian's  glass,  in  which  they  may  run  and  read  the 
greatness  of  God  and  the  vileness  of  sin.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  By  severe  providences  and  fiery  trials  God  designs 
tlie  preventing  of  sin.     Paul  was  one  of  the  holiest  men  on  earth, 

'  Turn  to  the  scriptures,  Gen.  xiii.  21  ;  Jonah  iv.  8,  9  ;  Jer.  ix.  7,  seq. 


38  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

called  by  some  an  earthly  augel,  and  yet  he  needed  a  thorn  in  the 
flesh  to  prevent  pride :  2  Cor.  xii.  7,  '  And  lest  I  sliunld  be  exalted 
above  measure  through  the  abundance  of  the  revelations,  there  was 
given  to  me  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  the  messenger  of  Satan  to  buftet  me, 
lest  I  should  be  exalted  above  measure.'  Paul  was  in  very  great 
danger  of  being  exalted  above  measure.  Witness  the  doubling  of 
those  words  in  one  verse,  '  Lest  I  should  be  exalted,  lest  I  should  be 
exalted.'  Prudent  physicians  sometimes  give  physic  to  prevent 
diseases ;  and  so  does  the  Physician  of  souls,  as  you  may  see  by 
comixiring  the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together,  i  The  burnt  child 
dreads  the  fire.  8in  is  but  a  bitter  sweet,  it  is  an  evil  worse  than 
hell  itself.  Salt  brine  preserves  from  putrefaction,  and  salt  marshes 
keep  the  sheep  from  rotting ;  and  so  sharp  trials,  severe  providences 
preserve  the  saints  from  spiritual  putrefying,  and  from  spiritual 
rotting.  The  Rabbins,  to  keep  their  scholars  from  sin,  were  wont  to 
tell  them  that  sin  made  God's  head  ache  ;  and  saints  under  fiery  trials 
do  find  by  experience  that  sin  makes  not  only  their  heads,  but  also 
their  hearts  ache ;  and  by  this  means  God  preserves  his  people 
from  many  sins  which  otherwise  they  would  certainly  fall  into.  Be- 
loved, God  by  his  fiery  dispensations  has  destroyed  many  or  most  of 
your  outward  comforts ;  but  little  do  you  know  the  horrU)le  sins  that 
by  this  means  the  Lord  has  preserved  you  from.  A  full  estate  lays 
men  most  open  to  the  greatest  sins,  the  w^orst  of  snares,  and  the 
deadliest  temptations.  The  best  of  men  have  fallen  foulest  under 
their  highest  worldly  enjoyments.  Witness  David,  Solomon,  Heze- 
kiah,  &c.  Under  your  outward  fulness,  how  low  was  your  communion 
with  God  !  how  languishing  were  your  graces  !  how  lean  were  your 
souls  !  and  how  was  your  spring  of  inwartl  comforts  dried  up  !  How 
little  had  God  of  your  thoughts,  your  hearts,  your  time,  your 
strength !  0  sirs !  how  bad  would  you  have  been  by  this  time  if 
God  had  not  removed  those  things  that  were  but  fuel  to  your  lusts, 
and  quench-coals  to  your  grace  !  Well,  often  think  of  this :  it  is  a 
greater  mercy  to  be  preserved  from  sin,  yea,  from  the  least  sin,  than 
it  is  to  enjoy  the  whole  world.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  By  severe  providences  and  by  fiery  trials  God  designs 
the  wihittering  of  sin  to  his  people.  When  God  shall  come  and  burn 
up  mens  comforts  round  about  them,  then  they  will  cry  out.  Ah ! 
what  a  bitter  thing  is  sin  !  That  puts  God  upon  burning  work ! 
Then  they  will  speak  that  language  to  their  own  souls  that  the 
prophet  once  spake  to  the  Jews:  Jer.  ii.  1»,  '  They  made  his  land 
waste :  his  cities  are  burnt  with  fire.'  Yer.  17,  '  Hast  thou  not  pro- 
cured these  things  to  thyself?'  Ver.  19,  '  Thine  own  wickedness 
shall  correct  thee,  and  thy  backslidings  shall  reprove  thee:  know 
therefore  and  see,  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bitter,  that  thou  hast 
forsaken  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  that  my  fear  is  not  in  thee,  saitli  the 
Lord  God  of  hosts.'  So  chap.  iv.  18,  '  Thy  way  and  thy  doings  have 
procured  these  things  unto  thee :  this  is  thy  wickedness,  because  it  is 
bitter,  because  it  reacheth  unto  thy  heart.'  Yea,  now  they  will  say  that 
sin  is  bitterness  in  the  abstract,  and  in  the  plural  number  also,  accord- 
ing to  that  of  the  prophet  Hosea,  chap.  xii.  14,  '  Ephraim  provoked 

^  Job  xxxiii.  19,  17,  xxxiv.  31,  32,  and  xl.  4,  5  ;  Ilosca  ii.  6,  7. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25,]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  39 

liiui  to  anger  most  bitterly,'  or  '  with  bitternesses,'  as  the  Hebrew  has 
it.  Kelations  and  friends  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing,  and 
conscience  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing,  and  good  books  may 
tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing,  and  men  under  terrors  and  horrors  of 
spirit  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing,  and  the  sore  and  heavy 
judgments  of  God  upon  others  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing, 
and  the  Spirit  by  his  secret  whispers  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter 
thing,  and  ministers  may  tell  us  that  sin  is  a  bitter  thing  ;  they  may 
tell  you  that  it  is  bitter  to  God,  it  being  the  only  thing  in  all  the 
world  that  he  has  revealed  his  wrath  from  heaven  against,  and  that  is 
contrary  to  the  nature  of  God,  the  law  of  God,  the  being  of  God,  the 
glory  of  God,  and  the  grand  designs  of  God.  They  may  tell  you  that 
it  is  bitter  to  Christ.  Witness  his  crying  out  in  the  bitterness  of  his 
soul,  '  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?'  and  witness 
the  sorrows  and  heaviness  of  his  soul,  and  his  sweating  clods i  of  blood. 
When  he  hung  upon  the  cross  they  gave  him  gall  and  vinegar  to 
drink  ;  but  no  gall  was  so  bitter  to  him  as  your  sins.  They  may  tell 
you  that  sin  is  bitter  to  the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  nothing  grieves  him 
and  provokes  him  and  vexes  him  but  sin,  Gen.  vi.  3,  and  Eph,  iv.  29. 
They  may  tell  you  that  sin  is  bitter  to  the  good  angels.  Every  sin 
that  you  commit  is  as  a  dagger  at  their  hearts :  there  is  nothing  in 
all  the  world  so  bitter  to  them  as  to  see  their  Lord  and  Master  daily, 
yea,  hourly,  crucified  by  sinners'  sins.  They  may  tell  you  that  sin 
is  bitter  to  the  evil  angels,  it  being  the  only  thing  for  which  they 
were  banished  the  court  of  heaven,  and  turned  down  to  the  lowest 
hell,  where  they  are  kept  in  chains  of  darkness  to  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day,  Jude  6.  They  may  tell  you  that  sin  is  bitter  to  the  worst 
of  men  ;  witness  Adam's  hiding  of  himself,  and  Judas  his  hanging  of 
himself,  and  Cain's  ciying  out,  '  My  burden  is  greater  than  I  am  able 
to  bear,'  Gen.  iii,  10  ;  Mat.  xxvii.;  Gen.  iv.  13.  They  may  tell  )^ou 
that  it  is  bitter  to  the  creatures  who  '  groan  under  their  burdens,  and 
who  long  to  be  delivered  from  that  bondage  that  the  sin  of  man  hath 
subjected  them  to,'  Eom.  viii.  20-22 ;  and  yet  for  all  this  we  will  not 
feelingly,  affectionately,  experimentally  say  that  sin  is  bitter,  till  God 
comes  and  burns  us  up :  Lam.  iv.  11,  '  And  gives  us  gall  and  worm- 
wood to  drink/  Chap.  iii.  19,  20,  '  Remembering  mine  affliction  and 
my  misery,  the  wormwood  and  the  gall.  My  soul  hath  them  still  in 
remembrance,  and  is  humbled  in  me.'  0  sirs,  how  bitter  should  sin 
be  to  you,  who  have  seen  London  all  in  flames  !  Certainly  God,  by 
burning  up  your  sweet,  pleasant,  and  delightful  things,  would  teach 
}'ou  to  taste  a  greater  bitterness  in  sin  than  ever.  0  happy  fire,  that 
shall  render  God  and  Christ,  and  heaven,  and  promises,  and  ordinances 
more  sweet,  and  sin  more  bitter  to  poor  sinners'  souls  !  Doubtless,  one 
of  God's  great  designs  by  this  late  judgment  of  fire  is  to  imbitter  sin 
to  all  sorts  of  men.  When  judgments  imbitter  our  sins  to  us,  then 
they  work  kindly,  powerfully,  effectually,  and  then  we  may  conclude 
that  there  was  a  hand  of  love  in  those  judgments,  and  then  we  shall 
justify  the  Lord,  and  say  with  the  church,  Lam.  i.  18,  '  The  Lord  is 
righteous  ;  for  I  have  rebelled  against  him  : '  or  as  the  Hebrew  runs, 
'because  I  have  imbittered  him,'  he  is  righteous  in  all  the  sore  judg- 

1  Query,  'clots'?— G. 


40  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

ments  that  he  hath  inflicted  upon  me ;  for  I  have  imhittered  him 
against  me  by  my  most  bitter  sins.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  By  severe  providences  and  fiery  trials,  God  designs 
ihe  morlifyimj  and  jnirging  mcay  of  his  peoples  sins :  Isa.  i.  25,  '  And 
I  will  turn  my  hand  upon  thee,'  [to  wit,  to  correct  or  chastise  thee,] 
'  and  purely  purge  away  thy  dross,'  [or  drosses,]  '  and  take  away  all  thy 
tin,'  or  tins  in  the  plui'al  number.  Some  by  dross  understand  gross 
iniquity  ;  and  by  tin,  glittering  hypocrisy.  For  as  tin  is  veiy  like  unto 
silver,  so  is  hypocrisy  very  like  unto  piety.  Others  by  dross  under- 
stand persons  that  are  openly  profane ;  and  by  tin,  such  as  are  inwardly 
unsound.  The  words  are  a  metaphor  taken  from  them  that  try  metals 
in  the  fire,  purging  from  precious  silver  all  dross  and  tin,  Isa.  xxxi.  9.1 
The  Jews,  who  were  once  silver,  were  now  turned  into  dross  and  tin ; 
but  God  by  fiery  trials  would  burn  up  their  dross  and  tin,  their  enor- 
mities and  wickednesses,  and  make  them  as  shining  Christians  in 
grace  and  holiness  as  ever  they  were.  So  Isa.  xxvii.  9,  '  By  this  there- 
fore shall  the  iniquity  of  Jacob  be  purged ;  and  this  is  all  the  fruit, 
to  take  awny  his  sin.'  God  by  the  Babylonish  captivity  would  as  by 
fire  purge  away  the  iniquity  of  Jacob  ;  and  to  shew  the  certainty  of  it, 
he  instanceth  in  their  darling  sin — viz.,  idolatry.  When  he  maketh 
all  the  stones  of  the  altar  as  chalk-stones  that  are  beaten  in  sunder,  the 
groves  and  the  images  shall  not  stand  up.  Idolatry  Avas  the  great  sin 
for  which  God  sent  them  into  captivity.  Now  how  they  were  purged 
from  this  sin  after  their  return  out  of  captivity,  appears  by  their  his- 
tory. Take  one  instance  for  all :  Pilate  being  [appointed]  by  Tiberius 
to  be  governor  over  the  Jews,  caused  in  the  night-time  the  statue  of 
Ctesar  to  be  brought  into  Jerusalem  covered,  which  thing  within  three 
days  after  caused  a  great  tumult  among  the  Jews ;  for  they  who  be- 
held it  were  astonished  and  moved  as  though  now  the  law  of  their 
country  were  profaned,  for  they  hold  it  not  lawful  for  any  picture  or 
image  to  be  brought  into  the  city.  At  their  lamentation  who  were  in 
the  city,  there  was  gathered  together  a  great  multitude  out  of  the  fields 
adjoining,  and  they  went  presently  to  Pilate,  then  at  Ca3sarca,  beseech- 
ing him  earnestly  that  the  images  might  be  taken  away  out  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  that  the  laws  of  their  country  might  remain  inviolated.2 
When  Pilate  denied  their  suit,  they  prostrated  themselves  before  his 
house,  and  there  remained  lying  upon  their  faces  for  five  days  and 
nights,  never  moving.  Afterwards  Pilate,  sitting  in  his  tribunal-seat, 
was  very  careful  to  call  all  the  Jews  together  before  him,  as  though 
there  he  would  have  given  them  an  answer,  when  upon  the  sudden  a 
company  of  armed  soldiers,  for  so  it  was  provided,  com])nssed  the  Jevs'S 
about  with  a  triple  rank.  The  Jews  were  hereat  amazed,  seeing  that 
which  they  expected  not.  Then  Pilate  told  them,  that  except  they 
would  receive  the  images  of  Caesar,  he  Avould  kill  them  all,  and  to 
that  end  made  a  sign  to  the  soldiers  to  draw  their  swords.  The  Jews,  as 
though  they  had  agreed  thereto,  fell  all  down  at  once,  and  offered  their 
necks  to  the  stroke  of  the  sword,  crying  out  that  they  would  rather 
lose  their  lives  than  suff'er  their  religion  to  be  profaned.     Then  Pilate, 

^  D.in.  xi.  35;  Mai.  iii.  1-3.     God's  fire  is  in  Zion,  ami  his  furnace  in  Jerusalem. 
'  Joscphus,  p.  G17.     The  Jews  hated  and  feared  idolatry  as  much  as  the  burnt  child 
dreads  the  fire.     [Josephus,  sub  voce. — G.] 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  41 

admiring  the  constancy  of  tlie  people  in  their  religion,  presently  com- 
manded the  statues  to  be  taken  out  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  All  the 
hurt  the  fire  did  the  three  children,  or  rather  champions,  was  to  burn 
off  their  cords,  Dan.  iii.  23,  24.  Our  lusts  are  cords  of  vanity,  but  by 
fiery  trials  Grod  will  burn  them  up :  Zech.  xiii.  9,  '  And  I  will  bring 
the  third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver  is  re- 
fined, and  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried.'  The  best  of  men  are  but 
men  at  the  best ;  they  have  much  corruption  and  dross  in  them,  and 
they  need  refining  ;  and  therefore  God  by  fiery  trials  will  refine  them, 
but  not  as  dross  or  chaff  which  are  burnt  up  in  the  fire,  but  as  silver 
and  gold  which  are  purified  in  the  fire.  He  will  so  refine  them  as 
that  they  shall  leave  their  dregs  and  dross  behind  them.  Look,  what 
the  fire  is  to  the  gold,  the  file  to  the  iron,  the  fan  to  the  wheat,  the 
soap  to  the  clothes,  the  salt  to  the  flesh,  that  shall  fiery  trials  be  to- 
the  saints.  But  what  shall  be  the  fruit  of  their  refining?  Ans. 
'  They  shall  call  on  my  name,  and  I  will  hear  them.  I  will  say,  It  is 
my  jjeople,  and  they  shall  say.  The  Lord  is  my  God.'  By  fiery  trials 
God  will  purge  out  our  dross  and  make  virtue  shine.  All  the  fiery 
trials  that  befall  the  saints  shall  ])e  as  a  potion  to  carry  away  ill 
humours,  and  as  cold  frosts  to  destroy  the  vermin,  and  as  a  tempestu- 
ous sea  to  purge  the  wine  from  its  lees,  and  as  the  north  wind  that 
drieth  up  the  vapours,  that  purges  the  blood,  and  that  quickens  the 
spirits,  and  as  a  sharp  corrosive  to  eat  out  the  dead  flesh.  The  great 
thing  that  should  be  most  in  every  burnt  citizen's  eye  and  heart 
and  prayers  and  desires  is,  that  the  fire  of  London  maybe  so  sanctified 
as  to  issue  in  the  burning  up  of  their  lusts,  and  in  the  purging  away 
of  the  filth  of  the  daughter  of  Zion,  Isa.  iv.  4.  Jerome  reports  of 
Plato,  how  he  left  that  famous  city  of  Athens,  and  chose  to  live  in  a 
little  ancient  village  almost  overturned  with  tempests  and  earthquakes, 
that,  being  often  minded  therein  of  his  approaching  desolation,^  he 
might  get  more  power  over  his  strong  lusts,  and  learn  to  live  a  more 
virtuous  life  than  ever  he  had  lived  before.  2  0  sirs  !  if  God  by  this 
fiery  dispensation  shall  make  you  more  victorious  over  your  strong 
lusts,  and  help  yo.u  to  live  more  virtuous  lives,  you  will  have 
cause  to  bless  him  all  your  days,  though  he  has  turned  you  out  of 
house  and  home,  and  burnt  up  all  your  comforts  round  about  you. 
But, 

(4.)  Fourthly,  By  severe  providences  and  fiery  trials,  God  designs 
these  four  things,  in  respect  of  his  children's  graces : 

[1.]  First,  He  designs  the  reviving,  quickening,  and  recovering  of 
their  clecctyed  gi^aces.  By  fiery  trials  he  will  inflame  that  love  that 
was  even  key-cold,  and  raise  that  faith  that  was  fallen  asleej),  and 
quicken  up  those  hopes  that  were  languishing,  and  put  life  and  spirits 
into  those  joys  and  comforts  that  were  withering  and  dying,  Kev.  ii.  4  ; 
James  i.  2-12 ;  2  Cor.  xii.  10.  God,  under  fiery  trials,  lets  his  poor 
children  see  how  that  by  their  spiritual  decays  he  has  been  dishonoured, 
his  Spirit  grieved,  rehgion  sliamed,  the  mouths  of  the  wicked  opened, 
weak  saints  staggered,  strong  saints  troubled,  conscience  wounded, 
and  their  souls  and  graces  impaired ;  and  by  these  discoveries  he 
engages  them  to  the  use  of  all  those  holy  and  heavenly  helps,  whereby 

1  Query,  '  dissolution '?— Ed.  ^  Hieronym.  contra  Jovinian,  lib.  ii. 


42  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

their  decayed  graces  may  be  revived  and  recovered.  iMany  creatures 
that  have  been  frozen,  and  even  deail  with  cold,  have  been  revived 
and  recovered  by  being  brouglit  to  the  fire.  God  by  fiery  trials  will 
unfreeze  the  frozen  graces  of  his  people,  and  put  new  life  and  spirits 
into  them.  As  the  air  is  sometimes  clear,  and  sometimes  cloudy ; 
and  as  the  sea  is  sometimes  ebbing,  and  sometimes  flowing ;  and  as 
the  trees  of  the  field  are  sometimes  flowering,  green,  and  growing,  and 
sometimes  naked,  withered,  and  as  it  were  even  dead:'  so  it  is  some- 
times with  the  graces  of  the  saints  ;  but  the  Lord  by  one  fiery  trial  or 
another  will  revive,  and  recover,  and  raise  their  graces  again.  Epi- 
phanius  makes  mention  of  those  that  travel  by  the  deserts  of  Syria, 
where  are  nothing  but  miserable  marshes  and  sands,  destitute  oT:  all 
commodities,  notliing  to  be  had  for  love  or  money.  Now  if  it  so 
happen  that  their  fire  go  out  by  the  way,  then  they  light  it  again  at 
the  heat  of  the  sun,  by  the  means  of  a  burning-glass  i :  and  thus  if  the 
tire  of  zeal,  if  the  sparks  of  divine  grace,  by  the  prevalency  of  some 
strong  corruption,  or  by  the  violence  of  some  dreadful  temptation, 
should  be  put  out,  or  die  as  to  its  lively  operations,  by  a  burning-glass, 
or  by  one  fiery  dispensation  or  another,  God  will  infiame  the  zeal,  and 
enliven  the  dying  graces  of  his  poor  people.  I  know  the  saving  graces 
of  the  Spirit — viz.,  such  as  faith,  love,  hope,  &c. — cannot  be  finally 
and  totally  extinguished  in  the  souls,  wdien  they  are  once  wrought 
there  by  the  Spirit ;  yet  their  lustre,  their  radiancy,  tlieir  activity, 
their  shine  and  flame  may  be  clouded  and  covered,  whilst  the  season 
of  temptation  lasteth ;  as  living  coals  may  be  so  covered  with  ashes, 
that  neither  light,  nor  smoke,  nor  heat  may  appear,  and  yet  when  the 
embers,  the  ashes,  are  stirred  to  the  bottom,  tlien  live  coals  appear, 
and  by  a  little  blowing  a  flame  breaks  forth. -^  There  are  severa' 
cases  wherein  grace  in  a  Christian's  breast  may  seem  to  be  hid,  cold, 
dead,  and  covered  over ;  as  sap  in  the  winter  is  hid  in  the  roots  of 
trees,  or  as  flowers  and  fruits  are  hid  in  the  seeds,  or  roots  in  the 
earth,  or  as  sparks  of  fire  are  hid  in  the  ashes,  or  as  bits  of  gold  are 
liid  in  a  dust  heap,  or  as  pearls  nuiy  be  hid  in  the  mire.  Ay,  but 
God  by  one  severe  providence  or  another,  by  one  fiery  trial  or  another, 
will  blow  that  heavenly  grace,  that  divine  tire,  into  a  perfect  flame : 
he  will  cause  their  hid  graces  to  revive  as  the  corn,  and  grow  as  the 
vine,  and  blossom  as  the  lily,  and  smell  as  the  wine  of  Lebanon, 
Hosea  xiv.  5-7.  0  sirs  1  how  many  Christians  were  there  amongst  us, 
who  were  much  decayed  and  withered  in  their  graces,  in  tlieir  duties, 
in  their  converses,  in  their  comforts,  in  their  spiritual  enjoyments,  in 
their  communions  Avith  God,  and  with  one  anotlier ;  and  yet  were  not 
sensible  of  their  decays,  nor  humbled  under  their  decays,  nor  indus- 
trious to  recover  themselves  out  of  their  withering  and  dying  condition! 
and  therefore  no  wonder  if  the  Lord,  to  recover  them  and  raise  them, 
hath  brought  fiery  trials  upon  them.3     But, 

[2.]  ^Secondly,  God,  by  severe  providences  and  by  fiery  trials,  designs 
a  further  exercise  of  his  children  s  graces.  Sleepy  habits  bring  him 
no  glory,  nor  do  us  no  good.     All  the  honour  he  has,  and  all  the 

1  Lib.  dc  Aiichorat.  -  1  John  iii.  9,  11 ;  Hcb.  viii  ;  1  Pet.  i.  5  ;  John  .\.  28-31. 

^  As  a  njan  may  take  infection,  or  get  some  inward  bruise,  or  spring  a  vein,  and  yet 
not  know  of  it. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  43 

advantage  we  have  in  this  world,  is  from  the  active  part  of  grace. 
Consult  the  scriptures  in  the  margin. l  There  is  little  difference — as 
to  the  comfort  and  sweet  of  grace — between  grace  out  of  exercise,  and 
no  grace  at  all.  A  man  that  has  millions,  but  has  no  heart  to  use 
what  he  has,  wherein  is  he  better,  as  to  the  comfort  and  sweetness  of 
his  life,  than  a  man  that  hath  but  a  few  mites  in  the  world  ?  Eccles. 
vi.  1-4.  '  How  is  it  that  you  have  no  faith  ? '  saitli  Christ  to  his  dis- 
ciples, when  they  were  in  a  dreadful  storm,  and  in  danger  of  drown- 
ing, and  so  stood  in  most  need  of  their  faith,  yet  they  had  then  their 
faith  to  seek.  They  had  faith  in  the  habit  but  not  in  the  exercise,  and 
therefore  Christ  looks  upon  their  faith  as  no  faith,  Mark  iv.  40.  How 
is  it  that  you  have  no  faith  ?  what  is  the  sheath  without  the  knife  ? 
the  scabbard  without  the  sword  ?  the  musket  without  the  match  ?  the 
cannon  without  the  bullet  ?  the  granado  without  powder  ?  no  more  are 
all  your  graces  when  not  in  exercise.  The  strongest  creature,  the 
lion,  and  the  subtlest  creature,  the  serpent,  if  they  are  dormant,  are 
as  easily  surprised  and  destroyed  as  the  weakest  worm ;  so  the 
strongest  saints,  if  grace  be  not  in  exercise,  are  as  easily  surprised  and 
captivated  by  sin,  Satan,  and  the  world,  as  the  weakest  saints  are. 
0  sirs  !  if  Christians  will  not  stir  up  the  gi-ace  of  God  that  is  in  them, 
if  they  will  not  look  to  the  daily  exercise  of  grace,  Grod,  by  some  severe 
providence  or  other,  by  some  fiery  dispensation  or  other,  will  stir 
up  their  graces  for  them,  Jonah  i.  6,  Ah  sluggish,  slumbering  Chris- 
tians, who  are  careless  as  to  the  exercise  of  your  graces,  how  sadly, 
how  sorely  do  you  provoke  the  Lord  to  let  Satan  loose  to  tempt  you, 
and  corruptions  grow  strong  to  weary  you,  and  the  world  grow  cross 
to  vex  you,  and  friends  turn  enemies  to  plague  you,  and  the  Spirit 
withdraw  to  discomfit  you.  Lam.  i.  16,  and  fiery  trials  to  break  in 
to  awaken  you  1  And  all  this  to  bring  you  to  live  in  a  daily  exercise 
of  grace.  God  was  fain  to  be  a  moth,  a  worm,  a  lion,  yea,  a  young 
lion  to  Ephraim  and  Judah,  before  he  could  bring  them  up  to  an  exer- 
cise of  grace,  Hosea  v.  12-14  ;  but  when  he  was  all  this  to  them,  then 
they  fall  roundly  upon  a  lively  exercise  of  grace.  Hosea  vi.  1-3, 
'  Come,  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord :  for  he  hath  torn,  and  he  will 
heal  us  ;  he  hath  smitten,  and  he  will  bind  us  up.  After  two  days  he 
will  revive  us :  in  the  third  day  he  will  raise  us  up,  and  we  shall  live 
in  his  sight.  Then  shall  we  know,  if  w^e  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord : 
his  going  forth  is  prepared  as  the  morning  ;  and  he  shall  come  unto 
us  as  the  rain,  as  the  latter  and  former  rain  unto  the  earth.'  Here 
you  see  their  faith,  their  repentance,  their  love^  their  hope,  all  in  exer- 
cise. When  a  soldiers  courage,  mettle,  and  gallantry,  lies  as  it  were 
hid,  his  captain  will  put  him  upon  such  hardships,  hazards,  and 
dangers,  as  shall  rouse  up  his  courage,  mettle,  and  gallantry  ;  if  a 
scholar  has  excellent  acquired  parts  and  abilities,  and  will  not  use 
them  nor  improve  them,  his  master  will  put  him  upon  such  tasks 
as  shall  draw  out  all  his  parts  and  abilities  to  the  height :  so  when  the 
Lord  has  laid  into  the  souls  of  his  people  a  stock  of  grace,  and  they 
grow  idle  and  careless,  and  will  not  improve  that  stock  for  his  glory 
and  their  own  good,  he  will  then  exercise  them  with  such  severe  pro- 

1  Job  XV.  3  ;  2  Chron.  xx.  12,  13  ;  James  i.  4,  and  v.  11  ;  Hab.  ii.  3,  4  ;  Micah  vii. 
7-9  ;  Rey.  xiii.  10  compared  with  chap.  xiv.  12. 


44  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

vidences  aud  fiery  trials,  as  shall  put  them  to  a  full  improvenieut 
of  that  blessed  stock  of  grace  that  he  has  intrusted  them  with.  The 
fii-e  that  came  from  heaven  was  to  be  kept  continually  burning  that  it 
might  never  go  out,  Lev,  vi.  13.  God  loves  to  see  the  graces  of  his 
children  in  continual  exercise.  Neglect  of  our  graces  is  the  ground  of 
their  decrease  and  decay.  Wells  are  the  sweeter  for  drawing,  and 
grace  is  the  stronger  for  acting ;  we  get  nothing  by  dead  and  useless 
habits.  Talents  hid  in  a  napkin  gather  rust ;  tlie  noblest  faculties 
are  imbased  when  not  improved  in  exercise :  2  Tim.  i.  G,  '  Stir  up 
the  gift  of  God  which  is  in  thee.'  It  is  an  allusion  to  the  fire  in  the 
temple,  which  was  always  to  be  kept  burning.  All  the  praise  that  God 
has  from  us  in  this  life  is  from  the  actings  of  grace.  It  was  Abraham's 
acting  of  taitli  that  set  the  crown  of  glory  upon  tlie  Lord's  head. 
0  sirs  !  look  narrowly  to  it,  that  you  fail  not  in  the  activity  and 
lively  vigour  of  your  graces.  Look  to  it  that  your  graces  be  still 
acted,  exercised,  and  blown  up,  that  so  they  may  be  still  flaming  and 
shining.  The  more  you  exercise  grace,  the  more  you  strengthen  it, 
the  more  you  increase  it.  Eepeated  acts  strengthen  habits ;  it  is 
so  in  sin,  and  it  is  so  in  grace  also.  The  more  the  little  child  goes,  the 
more  strong  it  grows  by  going.  The  more  a  man  plays  upon  an 
instrument,  the  more  dexterous  he  grows.  Money  is  not  increased 
by  lying  in  a  chest,  but  by  trading.  Mat.  xxv.  27.  The  more  any 
member  is  used,  the  stronger  it  is.  As  the  right  hand  is  most  used,  so 
it  is  commonly  strongest.  '  The  diligent  hand  makes  rich,'  Prov. 
X.  4.  A  little  stock  well  husbanded  will  daily  increase,  when  a  greater 
stock  neglected  shall  decay  and  come  to  nothing.  The  exercise  of 
grace  will  best  testify  both  the  truth  and  the  life  of  your  graces.  Grace 
is  never  more  evident  than  when  it  is  in  exercise.  When  I  see  a  man 
rise,  and  walk,  and  work,  and  exercise  his  arms,  I  know  he  is  a  real 
man,  a  Uving  man.  The  more  the  fire  is  blown  up  the  sooner  it 
is  seen  to  be  fire.  There  are  many  precious  Christians,  who  are  full  of 
fears  and  doubts  that  they  have  no  love  to  God,  no  faith  in  God, 
no  hope  of  glory,  &c.,  but  the  best  way  under  heaven  to  put  an  end  to 
these  fears  and  doubts  is  to  be  fervent  in  exerting  acts  of  love,  of  faith, 
of  hope,  &c.  The  non-exercise  of  grace  cast  Adam  out  of  paradise  ; 
it  shut  ]\Ioses  and  Aaron  out  of  Canaan,  Num.  xx.  12 ;  it  brought 
Jacob  into  fourteen  years'  hard  service  and  bondage  ;  for  had  he  exer- 
cised faith,  hope,  patience,  &c.,  as  he  should  have  done,  he  would 
never  have  got  the  blessing  by  indirect  means  as  he  did ;  it  provoked 
the  Lord  to  strike  Zacharias  dumb,  Luke  i.  18-20  ;  it  sluit  tliousands 
of  the  Jews  out  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  Heb.  iii.  17,  18.  I  dare 
not  be  so  harsh,  so  rash,  and  so  uncharitable,  as  to  think  that  none  of 
those  that  died  in  the  wilderness  had  the  habits  of  faith,  the  seeds 
of  grace  in  their  souls  ;  but  it  was  their  non-acting  of  faith  that  kept 
them  out  of  the  Holy  Land,  as  it  did  Moses  and  Aaron,  according 
to  wliat  I  hinted  but  now.  Beloved,  by  these  instances,  among  many 
others  that  might  be  produced,  you  see  lliat  God  hath  dealt  very 
smartly  and  severely  with  his  choicest  servants  for  their  not  exercising 
of  their  graces  as  they  ought  to  have  done.  And  thougli  I  dare 
not,  upon  many  accounts,  say  that  for  the  saints'  not  exercising  and 
improving  their  graces,  God  has  turned  London  into  a  heap  of  ashes ; 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  4^ 

yet  I  dare  say  that  this  neglect  of  theirs  may  be  one  thing  that  added 
fuel  to  that  fire.i  Well,  sirs,  you  had  not  long  since  many  outward 
comforts  to  live  upon,  but  the  Lord  has  now  burnt  them  up,  that 
so  he  might  lead  you  forth  to  live  in  a  daily  exercise  of  grace  upon 
himself,  upon  his  power,  upon  his  all-sufficiency,  his  goodness,  his 
faithfulness,  his  fulness,  his  graciousness,  his  unchangeableness,  his 
promises.  And  if  this  fiery  dispensation  shall  be  so  sanctified  to  us 
as  to  work  us  to  a  further  activity  of  grace,  and  to  a  further  growth 
and  increase  of  grace,  we  shall  be  happy  citizens  though  we  are  burnt 
citizens.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  By  severe  providences  and  by  fiery  trials  God  designs 
the  groiuth  of  his  people  in  grace.     Usually  the  graces  of  the  saints 
thrive  best  when  they  are  under  a  smarting  rod,     Grace  usually  is  in 
the  greatest  flourish  when  the  saints  are  under  the  sorest  trials,  Kom. 
V.  3,  4 ;  2  Cor,  i.  3-6.     The  snuffiing  of  the  candle  makes  it  burn 
the  brighter.     God  beats  and  bruises  his  links 2  to  make  them  burn 
the  brighter  ;  he  bruises  his  spices  to  make  them  send  forth  the 
greater  aromatical  savour.     Fiery  trials  are  like  the  tazel,  which, 
though  it  be  sharp  and  scratching,  it  is  to  make  the  cloth  more  pure 
and  fine.     God  would  not  rub  so  hard,  were  it  not  to  fetch  out  the 
dirt  and  spots  that  be  in  his  people.     The  Jews  were  always  best 
when  they  were  in  their  lowest  condition.     Well-waters  arising  from 
deep  springs  are  hotter  in  the  winter  than  they  are  in  the  summer. 
Stars  shine  brightest  in  the  darkest  nights ;  and  so  do  the  graces  of 
the  saints  shine  brightest  in  the  darkest  nights  of  afiliction  and  tribu- 
lation.    God  will  sometimes  more  carry  on  the  growth  of  grace  by  a 
cross  than  by  an  ordinance ;  yea,  the  Lord  will,  first  or  last,  more  or 
less,  turn  all  fiery  trials  into  ordinances  for  the  helping  on  the  growth 
of  grace  in  his  people's  souls,  Heb.  xii,  10;  James  i.  3, 4;  1  Pet.  i.  6,  7. 
Look,  as  in  the  lopping  of  a  tree,  there  seems  to  be  a  kind  of  diminution 
and  destruction  ;  yet  the  end  and  issue  of  it  is  better  growth  :  and  as 
the  weakening  of  the  body  by  physic  seems  to  tend  to  death,  yet  it 
produceth  better  health  and  more  strength :  and  as  the  ball  by  falling 
downward  riseth  upward,  and  as  water  in  pipes  descends  that  it  may 
ascend  :  so  the  saints'  spiritual  growth  in  grace  is  carried  on  by  such 
divine  methods  and  in  such  ways  as  might  seem  to  deaden  grace,  and 
weaken  it,  rather  than  anywise  to  augment  and  increase  it.      We 
know  that  winter  is  as  necessary  to  bring  on  harvest  as  the  spring  ; 
and  so  fiery  trials  are  as  necessary  to  bring  on  the  harvest  of  grace  as 
the  spring  of  mercy  is.     Though  fiery  trials  are  grievous,  yet  they 
shall  make  us  more  gracious.     Though  for  the  present  we  cannot  see 
but  that  such  and  such  severe  providences  and  fiery  trials  as  the  loss 
of  house,  estate,  trade,  friends,  will  redound  much  to  our  prejudice 
and  damage,  yet  in  the  issue  we  shall  find  that  God  will  turn  them  to 
the  internal  and  eternal  advantage  of  our  precious  souls,  Heb.  xii.  11. 
We  may  in  a  pang  of  passion  say,  as  Jacob,  '  Joseph  is  not,  and  Simeon 
is  not !'  Gen,  xlii.  36.^     'All  these  are  against  me' — children  are  not, 

^  Austin  writ  upon  that  day  wlierein  he  shewed  no  acts  of  grace,  Diem  perdidi,  I  have 
lost  a  day.     Oh  how  many  days  have  we  lost  then  for  which  God  miffht  iustlv  visit  us ' 

2  '  Torches.'— G.  &     J       J 

3  But  yet  as  old  as  Jacob  was,  he  lived  to  see  all  those  things  work  for  his  good,  which 
he  concluded  were  asrainst  him. 


46  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25, 

honours  are  not,  riches  are  not,  liahitations  are  not,  credit  is  not.  All 
these  are  a.i^ainst  us  ;  but  in  the  close  we  shall  find  that  promise  made 
good  in  ])owor  upon  us,  Eom.  viii.  28,  '  We  know  that  all  things 
shall  AYork  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  that  arc 
called  according  to  his  purpose.'  0  sirs !  all  the  power  of  heaven 
stands  engaged  to  make  good  this  promise  to  you ;  and  if  you  would 
but  Kve  in  the  daily  actings  of  faith  upon  this  blessed  promise,  you 
would  then  be  able  to  bear  up  bravely  luider  all  the  troubles  and  trials, 
crosses  and  losses  that  you  meet  with  in  this  world  ;  and  you  would 
then  experience  the  truth  of  Samson's  riddle — '  Out  of  the  eater  came 
meat,  and  out  of  the  strong  sweetnes's,'  Judges  xiv.  14.  What  Paul 
said  of  his  fiery  trials,  viz.,  '  I  know  that  this  shall  turn  to  my  salva- 
tion,' Phil  i.  19,  that  may  you  safely  say  of  all  your  fiery  trials :  We 
know  that  they  shall  work  for  our  good,  we  know  that  they  shall  turn 
to  our  salvation.  Though  wicked  insti'uments  might  design  our  de- 
struction, yet  the  wise  God  tliat  sits  at  the  helm  will  turn  all  into  our 
salvation.  Those  severe  providences  which  for  the  present  may  seem 
very  prejudicial,  in  the  issue  shall  prove  very  beneficial.  Joseph's 
brethren  threw  him  into  a  pit,  afterwards  they  sell  him,  then  he  is 
falsely  accused,  and  as  unjustly  cast  into  prison  and  laid  in  cold  iron, 
Ps.  cv.  17,  18 :  yet  all  this  issued  in  his  good ;  his  abasement  made 
way  for  his  advancement ;  for  his  thirteen  years'  impiisoument  he 
reigned  fourscore  years  like  a  king,  Gen.  1.  20,  and  xli.  40.  David,  you 
know,  had  seven  years'  banishment,  yet  it  ended  in  a  glorious  reign  of 
forty  years'  continuance.  Job  lost  all  that  ever  he  had  in  one  day ; 
he  was  a  man  under  great  calamity,  he  was  a  si)ectacle  of  the  highest 
misery,  he  abounded  only  in  boils,  and  sores,  and  rags ;  but  all  this 
issued  in  the  trial  of  his  grace,  in  the  discovery  of  his  grace,  and  in 
the  im})rovement  of  his  grace,  and  in  the  close  God  did  compensate 
his  very  great  losses  by  giving  him  twice  as  much  as  ever  he  had 
before.  Job  xlii.  10.  Dear  friends,  that  by  all  severe  providences  and 
fiery  trials  God  will  turn  your  spark  of  grace  into  a  flame,  your  mites 
into  millions,  and  your  droj^s  into  seas,  is,  and  shall  be  the  hearty 
desire  of  my  soul.  0  sirs !  if  Christ  be  even  ravished  with  one  of  his 
spouse's  ej'es,  and  with  one  chain  of  hei*  neck,  Cant.  iv.  9,  with  the 
least  grains  and  drachms  of  true  grace,  how  will  he  be  taken  with 
abundance  of  grace  !  how  will  he  be  ravished  with  the  flourishing 
estate  of  your  souls  in  grace  !  Well,  remember  tliis,  the  more  under 
all  your  fiery  trials  grace  is  increased,  the  more  God  is  honoured, 
religion  adorned,  the  mouths  of  the  wicked  stopped,  the  hands  and 
hearts  of  weak  saints  strengthened  and  encouraged,  the  smarting  rod 
sweetened,  and  threatened  judgments  prevented.  Oh  that  those  two 
prophecies  might  be  made  good  in  ]iower  upon  all  the  burnt  citizens 
of  London  !  That  Isa.  xxxii.  15,  '  Until  the  Spirit  be  poured  upon  us 
from  on  high,  and  the  wilderness  be  a  fruitful  iield : '  and  that  Isa. 
XXXV.  1,2,'  The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for 
them  ;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  It  shall 
blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing :  the  glory 
of  Lebanon  shall  be  given  unto  it,  the  excellenc}'  of  Carmol  and 
Sharon  ;  they  shall  see  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and  the  excellency 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISrENSATlUN.  47 

of  our  God.'  1-  Thrice  happy  will  the  burnt  citizens  of  London  be,  if 
under  all  their  crosses  and  losses  they  grow  into  a  more  deep  acquaint- 
ance with  God,  the  world,  and  their  own  hearts  ;  with  God  and 
his  holiness,  with  the  world  and  its  vanity,  mutability,  impotency,  and 
uncertainty  ;•  and  with  their  own  hearts,  and  the  deceitfuluess,  vile- 
ness,  baseness,  and  wretchedness  of  them.  If  under  fiery  dispensations 
we  grow  more  holy  than  ever,  and  more  humble  than  ever,  and  more 
heavenly  than  ever,  and  more,  meek  and  lowly  than  ever,  and  more 
tender  and  compassionate  than  ever,  and  more  faithful  and  fruitful 
than  ever,  and  more  patient  and  contented  than  ever,  then  we  may  be 
confident  that  the  grand  design  of  God  in  bringing  all  that  evil  that 
he  has  brought  U|X)n  us  was  his  glory  and  our  own  internal  and 
eternal  good,  and  accordingly  we  may  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  though  we 
have  nothing  else  to  rejoice  in,  Hab.  iii.  17,  18.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly  and  lastly.  By  severe  providences  and  by  fiery  trials, 
God  doth  design  the  trial  of  liis peoples  graces,  and  the  discovery  of 
their  sincerity  and  integrity  to  the  world,  1  Pet  i.  6,  7  ;  Rev.  iii.  18. 
Deut.  viii.  2,  '  And  thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  Avhich  the  Lord 
thy  God  led  thee  these  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  to  humble  thee, 
and  to  prove  thee,  to  know  what  was  in  thine  heart,  whether  thou 
wouldest  keep  his  commandments,  or  no/  God  knew  them  well 
enough  before,  Avithout  any  experimental  trial  of  them ;  but  that  he 
might  the  better  make  a  discovery  of  themselves  to  themselves  and  to 
others,  he  led  them  up  and  down  in  the  wilderness  forty  years :  Ps. 
Ixvi.  10-12,  '  For  thou,  O  God,  hast  proved  us;  thou  hast  tried  us,  as 
silver  is  tried.  Thou  hast  brought  us  into  the  net ;  thou  hast  laid 
affiiction  upon  our  loins.  Thou  hast  caused  men  to  ride  over  our 
heads :  we  went  through  fire  and  through  water.'  God  proves  his 
people,  not  thereby  to  better  his  own  knowledge  of  them,  but  to  bring 
them  to  a  better  knowledge  both  of  their  own  vices  and  graces.  It  is 
not  known  what  corn  will  yield  till  it  come  to  the  flail,  nor  what 
grapes  Avill  yield  till  they  come  to  the  press.  Grace  is  hid  in  nature 
as  sweet  water  in  rose  leaves ;  but  fiery  trials  will  fetch  it  out.  Fire 
and  water  are  merciless  elements,  and  they  note  variety  of  sharpest  ■ 
trials.  Now  through  these  God  led  his  people,  that  so  he  might  dis- 
cover to  them  and  others  both  the  strength  of  their  graces,  and  the 
strength  of  their  sins.  God  many  times  exercises  his  dearest  children 
with  fiery  trials,  that  he  may  discover  the  since)-ity  and  integrity  of 
his  peojDle  to  the  world.  The  profane  atheistical  world  are  apt  very 
boldly  and  confidently  to  conclude  that  the  people  of  God  are  a  pack 
of  hypocrites  and  dissemblers,  and  that  they  serve  God  for  a  livery, 
for  loaves,  and  not  for  love,  John  vi.  26  ;  and  that  they  are  mercenary 
in  all  they  do,  having  more  in  their  eye  the  hedge  that  he  has  made 
about  them,  and  the  gold  and  silver  that  he  has  bestowed  upon  them, 
than  the  honour  and  glory  of  the  great  God ;  just  as  the  devil  objected 
against  Job,  chap.  i.  9.  Now  God,  to  convince  these  men,  these  mon- 
sters, of  the  integrity  and  sincerity  of  his  people,  he  breaks  down  the 
hedge  that  he  had  made  about  them,  and  turns  the  wheel  upon  them, 

^  Pliny  speaks  of  a  golden  vine  which  never  withereth,  but  is  ahvays  flourishing.     Oh 
that  this  might  be  the  mercy  of  all  those  Christians  who  have  been  burnt  up  ! 


48  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

and  breaks  them  with  breach  upon  breach ;  lie  strips  them  of  all,  and 
turns  them  out  of  house  and  home,  as  he  did  Job,  chap.  xx.  21 ;  and 
yet  this  people,  with  Job,  will  still  worship  the  Lord,  and  bless  a  tak- 
ing God,  as  well  as  a  t;iving  God.  They  will  still  keep  close  to  the 
Lord  and  his  Avays,  whatever  God  doth  with  them  or  against  them. 
Ps.  xliv.  17-19,  'All  this  is  come  upon  us,'  [it  is  a  terrible  'all,'  as 
you  may  see  from  the  9th  to  the  17th  verse;]  'yet  have  we  not  forgotten 
thee,  neither  have  we  dealt  falsely  in  thy  covenant.  Our  heart  is  not 
turned  backpneither  have  our  steps  declined  from  thy  way;  though 
thou  hast  sore  broken  us  in  the  place  of  dragons,  and  covered  us  with 
the  shadow  of  death.'  In  spite  of  all  the  wrath  and  rage  of  Antiochu.s 
Epiphanes,  that  cruel  and  bloody  persecutor  of  the  saints,  these  servants 
of  the  Lord  shew  their  sincerity  by  tlieir  constancy  in  keeping  close  to 
the  Lord  and  his  ways  in  the  face  of  the  greatest  opposition  and  hottest 
persecution  that  they  met  withal.  When  the  emperor  sent  to  BasiU 
to  subscribe  to  the  Arian  heresy,  the  messenger  at  first  gave  him  good 
language,  and  promised  him  great  preferment,  if  he  would  turn  Arian; 
to  which  Basil  rei)lied,  x\las,  these  speeches  are  fit  to  catch  little  chil- 
dren withal  tliat  look  after  such  things;  but  we  that  are  nourished  and 
taught  by  the  Holy  Scriptures,  are  readier  to  suffer  a  thousand  deaths 
than  to  suffer  one  syllable  or  tittle  of  the  Scripture  to  be  altered.  The 
same  Basil  affirms  that  many  of  the  heathens,  seeing  the  heroic  zeal, 
courage,  and  constancy  of  the  primitive  Christians  in  the  face  of  all 
oppositions  and  persecutions,  turned  Christians.  Justin  Martyr  con- 
fesseth  that  the  constancy  of  the  Christians  in  their  sufferings  was  the 
chief  motive  that  converted  him  to  Cliristianity ;  for  I  myself,  saith 
he,  was  once  a  Platonist,  and  did  gladly  hear  the  Christians  reviled  ; 
but  when  I  saw  they  feared  not  death,  nor  any  of  those  miseries  which 
most  frighten  all  other  men,  I  began  to  consider  with  myself  that  it 
was  impossible  for  such  men  to  be  lovers  of  pleasure  more  than  lovers 
of  piety,  and  that  made  mefii'st  think  of  tin-ning  Christian.^  Now  by 
these  means  and  methods  God  convinceth  the  blind  world  of  the  integ- 
rity and  sincerity  of  his  people.  When  they  see  those  whom  they 
have  severely  judged  for  hypocrites  shall  own  the  Lord  and  his  ways, 
and  cleave  to  the  Lord  and  his  ways,  and  continue  to  follow  the  Lord 
and  his  ways,  and  hold  on  in  a  high  honouring  of  the  Lord  and  his 
ways,  when  their  hedge  is  broken  down,  and  God  has  stripped  them 
as  naked  as  in  the  day  wherein  they  were  born,  oh  now  they  begin  to 
change  their  note,  and  to  conclude,  surely  these  are  the  servants  of  the 
Most  High  God,  Dan.  iii.  26,  and  Acts  xvi.  17;  these  are  no  hypocrites 
nor  dissemblers,  but  true  Nathanaels  in  whom  there  is  no  guile,  John 
i.  47.  How  have  the  people  of  God  in  London  been  judged  hyi)ocrites, 
dissemblers,  deceivers,  factious,  and  what  not !  Now  God,  by  burning 
up  their  substance,  and  by  turning  them  out  of  house  and  home,  and 
destroying  all  their  pleasant  things,  doth  certainly  design  to  give  those 
that  have  so  deeply  censured  them  a  i)roof  of  their  integrity  and  sin- 
cerity, by  letting  them  see  that  all  the  changes  that  have  passed  upon 
them  can  never  work  them  to  change  their  ]\Iaster  Christ,  nor  to  change 
his  ways  for  the  ways  of  sin,  nor  to  change  his  worship  for  the  worship 
of  the  world,  nor  to  change  their  religion  for  the  religion  of  Eome. 

'  Hist.  Tripart.,  lib.  vii.  cap.  36.  "  As  before.— G. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  49 

Certainly  those  that  love  the  Lord,  that  delight  in  the  Lord,  and  that 
highly  prize  the  Lord  for  those  infinite  perfections,  beauties,  glories, 
and  excellencies  that  are  in  him,  they  will  own  him,  and  cleave  to  him, 
and  follow  after  him  when  they  have  little  as  when  they  had  much, 
yea,  when  they  have  nothing  of  the  world  as  when  they  had  all  the 
world ;  and  by  so  doing,  they  put  a  padlock  upon  the  lying  lips  of 
sjich,  they  button  up  the  mouths  of  such  who  asperse  and  calumniate 
them  as  a  generation  that  only  serve  God  upon  the  account  of  a  worldly 
interest.!  There  is  nothing  that  doth  more  amuse,^  amaze,  and  astonish 
wicked  men,  than  to  see  the  people  of  God  keep  close  to  him  and  his 
ways  when  they  are  in  a  suffering  estate,  yea,  when  they  have  lost  all 
but  their  God  and  their  integrity.  The  fire  tries  the  gold  as  well  as 
the  touchstone,  and  diseases  try  the  skill  of  the  physician,  and  tem- 
pests try  the  skill  of  the  pilot ;  and  so  do  fiery  trials  try  both  the  truth 
and  the  strength  of  a  Christian's  graces.  Paulinus  Nolanus,  when  his 
city  was  taken  by  the  barbarians,  prayed  thus  to  God:  Lord,  let  me 
not  be  troubled  at  the  loss  of  my  gold,  silver,  honour,  city,  &c.;  for 
thou  art  all,  and  much  more  than  all  these  to  me.  Here  was  a 
heroic  spirit,  here  was  grace  in  strength,  yea,  in  triumph.  The  spirits 
of  the  men  of  the  world  usually  sink  under  their  losses.  Menippus  of 
Phenicia,  having  lost  his  goods,  strangled  himself.^  Dinarcus  Phiton,* 
at  a  certain  loss,  cut  his  own  throat  to^  save  the  charge  of  a  halter. 
Another,  being  turned  out  of  his  estate,  ran  out  of  his  wits.  And  an- 
other, for  the  death  of  his  son,  threw  himself  headlong  into  the  sea. 
Augustus  C^sar,  in  whose  time  Christ  was  born,  was  so  troubled  and 
astonished  at  the  relation  of  a  foil  and  overthrow  from  Varus,  that  for 
certain  months  together  he  let  the  hair  of  his  beard  and  head  grow 
still,  and  wore  it  long ;  yea,  and  otherwhiles  he  would  run  his  head 
against  the  doors,  crying  out,  Quintilius  Varus,  deliver  up  my  legions 
again ;  Quintilius  Varus,  deliver  up  my  legions  again.^  Henry  the 
Second,  who  was  none  of  the  best  of  princes,  heating  that  his  city 
Mentz  was  taken,  used  this  blasphemous  speech :  I  shall  never,  saith  he, 
love  God  any  more,  that  suffered  a  city  so  dear  to  me  to  be  taken  from 
me.  Now  by  all  these  instances  you  may  clearly  and  plainly  see  the  dif- 
ferent temper  and  carriage  of  wicked  men  uneler  their  losses,  crosses, 
trials,  and  sufferings,  from  the  people  of  God.  When  they  are  under 
fiery  trials,  what  an  evil  spirit,  what  a  desperate  spirit,  what  a  sullen 
spirit,  what  a  proud  spirit,  what  a  satanical  spirit,  what  a  hellish 
spirit,  do  they  discover  !  They  tell  all  the  world  that  they  are  under 
the  power  and  dominion  of  the  god  of  this  world  ;  Phil.  ii.  2  and 
2  Tim.  ii.  26.  But  when  the  people  of  God  are  under  fiery  trials, 
they  make  conscience  of  carrying  of  it  so  as  that  they  may  convince 
the  world  that  God  is  in  them  of  a  truth,  and  that  they  are  sincere 
and  upright  before  the  Lord,  however  they  are  judged  and  censured 
as  hypocrites,  deceivers,  dissemblers,  and  what  not.  Oh  that  all  that 
are  sufferers  by  this  fiery  dispensation  would  make  it  their  business, 
their  work,  their  heaven,  so  to  carry  it  under  their  present  trials,  as  to 

^  Joshua  xiiv.  15  ;  Mat.  xix.  27  ;  Rev.  xiv.  4,  5;  1  Peter  iii.  16,  and  ii.  12, 15.     <f)ifiovv 
properly  signifies  to  muzzle,  or  halter,  or  tie  up,  or  to  button  up  their  mouths,  as  we  say. 
^  =  Cause  to  'muse,'  consider. — G.  '  Diog.  Laertius,  ii.  99,  100.— G. 

*  Qu.  '  Phyton  of  Rhegium  '  ?  if  go,  above  is  a  myth. — G.  *  Suetonius. 

VOL.  VI.  •  D 


50  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

convince  all  gainsayers  of  the  sincerity,  integrity,  and  uprightness  of 
their  hearts,  both  towards  the  Lord,  his  people,  his  ways,  his  ordinances, 
his  interest,  and  all  his  concernments  in  this  world !  And  tlius  much 
for  the  gracious  ends  that  God  aims  at  in  all  those  severe  providences 
and  fiery  trials  that  of  late  he  has  exercised  his  people  with. 

The  next  tiling  we  have  to  inquire  after  is  those  sins  for  which  the 
Lord  inflicts  so  heavy  a  judgment  as  this  of  fire  upon  the  sons  Qi 
men.  Now  for  the  opening  of  this,  give  me  leave  to  propose  this 
question — viz.. 

Quest.  What  are  those  sins  that  bring  the  fiery  dispensation,  that 
bring  the  judgment  of  fire  upon  cities,  nations,  and  countries  ?  Now, 
that  I  may  give  a  full  and  fair  answer  to  this  necessary  and  important 
question,  will  you  please  to  premise  with  me  these  four  things  : — 

[1.]  First,  We  need  not  question  but  that  some  of  all  sorts,  ranks, 
and  degrees  of  men  in  and  about  that  once  great  and  glorious  city 
did  eminently  contribute  to  the  bringing  down  of  that  dreadful  judg- 
ment of  fire,  that  has  turned  that  renow^ned  city  into  ashes.  Doubt- 
less superiors  and  inferiors,  ministers  and  peoj)le,  husbands  and  wives, 
parents  and  children,  masters  and  servants,  rich  and  poor,  honourable 
and  base,  bond  and  free,  have  all  had  a  hand  in  the  bringing  down 
that  judgment  of  fire  that  has  turned  London  into  a  ruinous  heap. 
But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Premise  this  with  me — viz.,  That  it  is  a  greater 
argument  of  humility,  integrity,  and  holy  ingenuity  to  fear  ourselves, 
and  to  be  jealous  of  ourselves  rather  than  others,  as  the  disciples  of 
Christ  did:  Mat.  xxyi.  21,  22,  '  And  as  they  did  eat,  he  said.  Verily 
I  say  unto  you,  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  me.  And  they  were 
exceeding  sorrowful,  and  began  every  one  of  them  to  say  unto  him, 
Lord,  is  it  I?'  It  is  better  for  every  man  to  do  his  best  to  ransack 
and  search  his  own  soul,  Lam.  iii.  40,  and  to  find  out  the  Achan, 
Josh,  vii.,  the  accursed  thing  in  his  own  bosom  that  has  brought  that 
dreadful  judgment  of  fire  upon  us,  than  for  men,  without  any  Scrip- 
ture warrant,  to  fix  it  upon  this  party  and  that,  this  sort  of  men  and 
that.  There  is  no  Christian  to  him  that  smites  upon  his  own  heart, 
his  own  breast,  his  own  thigh,  saying,  AVhat  have  I  done  ?  The 
neglect  of  this  duty  the  prophet  long  since  has  complained  of :  '  No 
man  repents  himself  of  his  wickedness,  saying.  What  have  I  done?' 
Jer.  viii.  6 — that  is,  none  comparatively.  So  how  rare  is  it  to  find  a 
burnt  citizen  repenting  himself  of  his  wickedness,  and  saying.  What 
have  I  done  ?  Most  men  are  ready  to  blame  others  more  than  them- 
selves, and  to  judge  others  rather  than  themselves  to  be  the  persons 
that  have  brought  down  this  judgment  of  fire  upon  us,  Mat.  vii.  1-4. 
It  was  a  good  saying  of  one  of  the  ancients,  [Augustine,]  Amat 
Deus  seipsos  judicantes  non  judicare,  God  loves  to  judge  them  that 
judge  others  rashly,  but  not  those  that  judge  themselves  religiously. 
But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Premise  this  with  me,  In  times  of  common  judg- 
ments, common  calamities,  and  miseries,  other  of  the  saints  and  ser- 
vants of  God  have  looked  upon  their  own  sins  as  the  procuring  causes 
of  the  common  calamity.  Thus  David  did  in  that  2  Sam.  xxiv.  15, 
'  So  the  Lord  sent  a  pestilence  upon  Israel,  from  the  morning  even  to 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensation.  51. 

the  time  appointed :  and  there  died  of  the  people,  from  Dan  even  to 
Beer-sheba,  seventy  thousand  men.'  But  mark  the  17th  verse,  '  And 
David  spake  unto  the  Lord,  when  he  saw  the  angel  that  smote  the 
people,  and  said,  Lo,  I  have  sinned,  and  I  have  done  wickedly :  but 
these  sheep,  what  have  they  done  ?  Let  thy  hand,  I  pray  thee,  be 
against  me,  and  against  my  father's  house.'  And  thus  did  good 
Nehemiah,  chap.  i.  3,  6,  7,  '  And  they  said  unto  me,  The  remnant 
that  are  left  of  the  captivity  there  in  the  province  are  in  great  afflic- 
tion and  reproach  :  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  also  is  broken  down,  and  the 
gates  thereof  burnt  with  fire.  Both  I  and  my  father's  house  have 
sinned.  We  have  dealt  very  corruptly  against  thee,  and  have  not 
kept  thy  commandments,  nor  the  statutes,  nor  the  judgments  which 
thou  commandedst  thy  servant  Moses.'  Now  certainly  it  is  as  much 
our  glory  as  our  duty  to  write  after  these  blessed  copies  that  these 
worthies  have  set  before  us.  Alexander  had  somewhat  a  wry  neck, 
and  his  soldiers  thought  it  an  honour  to  be  like  him.  How  much  more 
should  we  count  it  an  honour  to  be  like  to  David  and  Nehemiah  in 
such  a  practice  as  is  honourable  to  the  Lord,  and  advantageous  to 
ourselves  !  But  what  Plutarch  said  of  Demosthenes,  that  he  was 
excellent  at  praising  the  worthy  acts  of  his  ancestors,  but  not  so  at 
imitating  them,  is  applicable  to  the  present  case,  and  to  many  who 
have  been  burnt  up  in  our  day.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly  and  lastly.  Premise  this  with  me,  There  were  many 
sins  amongst  them  that  did  profess  to  fear  God  in  that  great  city, 
which  may  and  ought  to  work  them  to  justify  the  Lord,  and  to  say 
that  he  is  righteous  in  his  fiery  dispensations.  I  may  well  say  to  the 
burnt  citizens  of  London  what  the  prophet  Oded  to  them  in  that 
2  Chron.  xxviii.  10,  '  But  are  there  not  with  you,  even  with  you,  sins 
against  the  Lord  your  God?' 

But  you  will  say,  What  sins  were  there  among  the  professing  people 
in  London  that  may  and  ought  to  work  them  to  justify  the  Lord,  and 
to  say  that  he  is  just  and  righteous,  and  that  he  has  done  them  no 
wrong,  though  he  has  burnt  them  up,  and  turned  them  out  of  all  ? 

A71S.  I  answer,  That  there  were  these  seven  sins,  among  others,  to 
be  found  amongst  many  of  them,  I  say  not  amongst  all  of  them,  all 
which  call  aloud  upon  them  to  lie  low  at  the  foot  of  God,  and  to  sub- 
scribe to  the  righteousness  of  God,  though  he  has  turned  them  out  of 
house  and  home,  and  burnt  up  their  substance  on  every  hand. 

[1.]  First,  There  was  among  many  prof  essors  of  the  gospel  in  London 
too  great  a  conformity  to  the  fashions  of  the  looiid.  How  many  pro- 
fessing men  in  that  great  city  were  dressed  up  like  fantastical  antics, 
and  women  like  Bartholomew-babies,^  to  the  dishonour  of  God,  the 
shame  of  religion,  the  hardening  of  the  wicked,  the  grieving  of  the 
weak,  and  the  provoking  of  divine  justice  !  When  Darius  changed 
the  fashion  of  his  scabbard  from  the  Persian  manner  into  the  mode  of 
the  Greeks,  the  Chaldean  astrologers  prognosticated  that  the  Persian 
monarchy  should  be  translated  to  them  whose  fashion  he  counterfeited. 
Certainly  that  nation  may  fear  a  scourge  from  that  nation  or  nations 
whose  fashion  they  follow :  Zeph.  i.  8,  '  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in 
the  day  of  the  Lord's  sacrifice,  that  I  will  punish  the  princes,  and  the 

^  '  Dolls'  sold  at  Bartholomew  Fair.     Cf.  Morley's  'History.' — G. 


62  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

king's  children,  and  all  such  as  are  clothed  with  strange  apparel.' 
This  is  a  stino;ing  and  a  flaming  check  against  all  fashion-mongers, 
against  all  such  as  seem  to  have  consulted  with  Frencli,  Italian,  Per- 
sian, and  all  outlandish  monsters,  to  advise  them  of  all  their  several 
modes  and  fashions  of  vice,  and  that  are  so  dexterous  at  following  of 
them,  that  they  are  more  complete  in  them  than  their  pattern.  Cer- 
tainly, if  ever  such  wantons  he  saved,  it  will  be  by  fire.  Strange 
apparel  is  part  of  the  old  man,  that  must  be  put  off,  if  ever  men  or 
women  intend  to  go  to  heaven.  What  dreadful  things  are  thundered 
out  against  those  proud,  curious  dames  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  prophet 
Isaiah,  who  being  himself  a  courtier,  inveighs  as  punctually  against 
the  noble  vanity  of  apparel,  as  if  he  had  even  then  viewed  the  ladies' 
wardrobes,  Isa.  xxxviii.  16,  seq.  And  those  vanities  of  theirs  brought 
desolating  and  destroying  judgments  upon  them :  Isa.  iii.  24-26, 
'  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  instead  of  sweet  smell  there  shall  be 
a  stink ;  and  instead  of  a  girdle  a  rent ;  and  instead  of  well-set  hair 
baldness ;  and  instead  of  a  stomacher  a  girding  of  sackcloth ;  and 
burning  instead  of  beauty.  Thy  men  shall  fall  by  the  sword,  and  thy 
mighty  in  the  Avar.  And  her  gates  shall  lament  and  mourn  ;  and  she, 
being  desolate,  shall  sit  upon  the  ground.'  As  light  and  slight  as 
many  make  of  vain  apparel,  yet  Cyrian^  and  Augustine  draw  up  this 
conclusion  :  that  superfluous  apparel  is  worse  tlian  whoredom,  because 
whoredom  only  corrupts  chastity,  but  this  corrupts  nature.  Seneca 
complained,  that  many  in  his  time  were  more  solicitous  of  their  attire 
than  of  their  good  behaviour,  and  that  they  had  rather  that  the  com- 
monwealth should  be  troubled  than  their  locks  and  set  looks.  I  have 
read  of  the  Grecians,  that  when  they  wished  a  curse  upon  their  enemies, 
it  was  this — that  they  should  please  themselves  in  bad  customs.  There 
are  many  who  lift  their  heads  high,  who  seem  to  be  under  this  curse 
this  day.  Why  doth  the  apostle  say,  saith  one  of  the  ancients,  [Austin,] 
'  Above  all  things  swear  not '  ?  Is  it  worse  to  swear  than  to  steal  ? 
worse  to  swear  than  to  commit  adultery  ?  worse  to  swear  than  to  kill 
a  man  ?  No  ;  but  the  apostle  would  fortify  us  as  much  as  he  could 
against  a  pestilent  custom,  to  punish  the  pestilent  customs  and  fashions 
that  were  amongst  us,  James  v.  12.  God  sent  the  pestilence  in  1665, 
and  the  fiery  judgment  in  1666.  And  the  Lord  grant  that  the  bloody 
sword,  in  the  hands  of  cruel  cut-throats,  that  are  brutish  and  skilful  to 
destroy,  be  not  sent  amongst  us  some  other  year  to  jiunish  the  same 
iniquity,  Ezek.  xxi.  31.  0  sirs!  what  was  more  common  among 
many  professors  in  London  than  to  be  clothed  in  strange  apparel,  a  la 
mode  de  France?  Mark,  those  that  affected  the  Babylonian  habit 
were  sent  captives  to  Babylon,  Ezek..  xxiii.  15.  They  that  borrowed 
the  fashions  of  the  Egyptians  may  get  their  boils  and  blotches.  Cer- 
tainly such  as  fear  the  Lord  should  go  in  no  apparel,  hut,  Jirst,  such 
as  they  are  willing  to  die  in  ;  second!//,  to  appear  before  the  Ancient 
of  days  in,  when  his  judgments  are  abroad  in  the  earth,  Isa.  xxvi.  8-10 ; 
thirdly,  to  stand  before  a  judgment-seat.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  There  was  among  many  })rofessor8  of  the  gospel  in 
London  much  luheivarmness  and  coldness  in  the  things  of  God.  The 
city  was  full  of  lukewarm  Laodiceans,  Rev.  iii.  16,  17.     The  love  of 

^  Qu.  'L'\  priaii '■/ — G. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION,  63 

many  to  God,  to  his  people,  to  hia  ways,  and  to  his  instituted  worship, 
was  cold,  very  cold,  stark  cold.  Mat.  xxiv.  12.  God  destroyed  the 
old  world  by  water  for  the  heat  of  their  lusts,  and  God  has  destroyed 
the  city  of  London  by  fire  for  the  coldness  of  their  love  that  dwelt 
therein.  I  have  read  of  Anastasius  the  emperor,  how  God  shot  him 
to  death  with  a  thunderbolt,  because  of  his  lukewarmness  and  for- 
mality.    But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  There  was  a  great  deal  of  ivorldliness  and  eartJdy- 
mindedness^  and  covetousness  among  the  professing  loeople  of  London. 

0  sirs  I  the  world  is  all  shadow  and  vanity ;  it  is  filia  noctis,  like 
Jonah's  gourd.  A  man  may  sit  under  its  shadow  for  a  time,  but  it 
soon  decays  and  dies.  The  main  reason  why  many  professors  dote 
upon  the  world  is,  because  they  are  not  acquainted  with  a  greater 
glory.  Men  ate  acorns  till  they  were  acquainted  with  the  use  of 
wheat.  The  loadstone  cannot  draw  the  iron  when  the  diamond  is  in 
presence ;  and  shall  earthly  vanities  draw  the  soul,  when  Christ,  the 
pearl  of  price,  is  in  presence  ?  Many  of  the  professors  of  London  were 
great  worshippers  of  the  golden  calf,  and  therefore  God  is  just  in  turn- 
ing their  golden  calf  into  ashes.  The  world  may  well  be  resembled 
to  the  fruit  that  undid  us  all,  which  was  fair  to  the  sight,  smooth  in 
handling,  sweet  in  taste,  but  deadly  in  effect  and  operation.  The 
world  in  all  its  bravery  is  no  better  than  the  cities  which  Solomon 
gave  to  Hiram,  which  he  called  Cabul,  that  is,  displeasing  or  dirty, 

1  Kings  ix.  13.  The  whole  world  is  circular,  the  heart  of  man  trian- 
gular, and  we  know  a  circle  cannot  fill  a  triangle.  If  the  heart  of 
man  be  not  filled  with  the  three  persons  in  Trinity,  it  will  be  filled 
with  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  1  John  v.  7.  Riches,  like 
bad  servants,  never  stay  long  with  one  master.  What  certainty  is 
there  in  that  which  one  storm  at  sea,  one  treacherous  friend,  one  false 
oath,  one  ball  of  fire,  yea,  one  spark  of  fire  may  strip  us  of?  0  sirs  ! 
if  you  can  gather  grapes  off  thorns,  and  figs  off  thistles,  then  go  on,  and 
dote  upon  the  world  still.  All  the  things  of  this  world  are  vain  things 
— they  are  vanity  of  vanities,  Eccles.  i.  2.  All  in  heaven  count  them 
vain,  and  all  in  hell  count  them  vain  :  a  Jacobus  piece  is  but  as  a  chip 
to  them ;  pearls  are  but  as  pebbles  in  their  eyes.  Lazarus  was  a 
preacher,  as  some  conceive,  and  Dives  a  lawyer :  sure  I  am,  that 
Lazarus  in  heaven  is  now  rich  enough,  and  happy  enough,  and  Dives 
in  hell  is  now  poor  enough,  and  miserable  enough.  He  who  makes 
his  world  his  god  while  he  is  in  the  world,  what  will  he  do  for  a  god 
when  he  goes  out  of  this  world  ?  Well,  sirs,  remember  this  inordinate 
love  to  the  world  will  expose  a  man  to  seven  great  losses — viz.. 

First,  To  the  loss  of  many  lyrecious  opportunities  of  grace.  Rich 
Felix  had  no  leisure  to  hear  poor  Paul  ;  and  Martha,  busied  about 
many  things,  had  no  time  to  hear  Christ  preach,  though  never  man 
preached  as  he  preached.  Acts  xxiv.,  Luke  x.,  John  vii.  Men  inordi- 
nately in  love  with  the  world  have  so  much  to  do  on  earth,  that  they 
have  no  time  to  look  up  to  heaven. 

Secondly,  To  the  loss  of  all  heavenly  benefit  and  profit  by  the  ministry 
of  the  word,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31-33;  Mat.  xiii.  22.  Nothing  will  grow 
where  gold  grows.  Where  the  love  of  the  world  prevails,  there  the 
ministry  of  the  word  will  not  prevail.     If  the  love  of  the  world  be  too 


54  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

hard  for  our  hearts,  then  the  ministry  of  the  word  will  work  but  little 
upon  our  he;nls. 

Thirdly,  To  the  loss  of  the  face  and  favour  of  God.  God  doth  not 
love  to  smile  upon  those  who  are  still  smiling  upon  the  world,  and  still 
running  after  the  world,  Ps.  xxx.  6,  and  Isa,  Ivii.  17.  The  face  and 
favour  of  God  are  pearls  of  price  that  God  bestows  upon  none  but 
such  whose  conversation  is  in  heaven,  Phil.  iii.  20,  and  who  have  the 
moon — viz.,  all  things  that  are  changeable  as  the  moon — imder  their 
feet,  Kev.  xii.  1,  2.  God  never  loves  to  lift  up  the  light  of  his  coun- 
tenance upon  a  dunghill-spirited  man.  God  hides  his  face  from  none 
so  much  and  so  long  as  from  those  who  are  still  longing  after  more 
and  more  of  the  world. ' 

Fourthly,  To  the  loss  of  religion,  and  the  true  ivorship  and  service 
of  God;  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  of  the  scriptures  in  the  margin 
together.l  iMany  worldlings  deal  with  religion  as  masons  deal  with 
their  ladders  when  they  have  work  to  do,  and  to  climb,  &c.  Oh  then 
how  they  hug  and  embrace  the  ladder,  and  carry  it  on  their  arms  and 
on  their  shoulders!  but  then,  when  they  have  done  climbing,  they 
hang  the  ladder  on  the  wall,  or  throw  it  into  a  corner.  0  sirs,  there 
is  no  loss  to  the  loss  of  religion.  A  man  were  better  lose  his  name, 
his  estate,  his  limbs,  his  liberty,  his  life,  his  all,  than  lose  his  religion. 

Fifthly,  To  the  loss  of  communion  with  God,  and  acquaintance 
loith  God,  Dent.  viii.  10,  11;  Jer.  ii.  31,  and  xxii.  21;  Ps.  cxhv.  15. 
A  man  whose  soul  is  conversant  with  God  shall  find  more  pleasure, 
delight,  and  content  in  a  desert,  in  a  den,  in  a  dungeon,  and  in  death, 
than  in  the  palace  of  a  prince.  Man's  sumnium  bonum  stands  in  his 
communion  with  God,  as  Scripture  and  experience  evidences — nay, 
God  and  I  are  good  company,  said  famous  Doctor  Sibbes.  Mace- 
donius  the  hermit,  retiring  into  the  wilderness  that  he  might  with 
more  freedom  enjoy  God  and  have  his  conversation  in  heaven,  upon 
a  time  there  came  a  young  gentleman  into  the  wilderness  to  hunt  wild 
beasts,  and  seeing  the  hermit,  he  rode  to  him,  asking  him  why  he 
came  into  that  solitary  place  ?  he  desired  he  might  have  leave  to  ask 
him  the  same  question,  why  he  came  thither  ?  I  came  hither  to 
hunt,  said  the  young  gallant :  and  so  do  I,  saith  the  hermit,  Deum 
venor  meum,  I  hunt  after  my  God  ; — they  hunt  best  who  hunt  most 
after  communion  with  God.  Urbanus  Kegius,  having  one  day's  con- 
verse with  Luther,  said,  it  was  one  of  the  sweetest  days  that  ever  he 
had  in  all  his  life.^  But  what  was  one  day's,  yea,  one  year's  converse 
with  Luther,  to  one  hour's  converse  with  God  ?  Now  an  inordinate 
love  of  the  world  will  eat  out  all  a  man's  communion  with  God.  A 
man  cannot  look  up  to  heaven  and  look  down  upon  the  earth  at  the 
same  time.     But, 

Sixthly,  To  the  loss  of  A/.s  precious  and  immortal  soul.  Shimei, 
by  seeking  his  servant,  lost  his  life,^  and  many  by  an  eager  seeking 
after  this  world,  Mat.  xvi.  2G,  and  1  Tim.  vi.  9,  lose  their  precious 
and  immortal  souls.  Many  have  so  much  to  do  on  earth,  that  they 
have  no  time  to  look  up  to  heaven,  to  honour  their  God,  to  secure 
their  interest  in  Christ,  or  to  make  sure  work  for  their  souls.     But, 

'  2  Tim.  iv.  10  ;  1  Tim.  vi.  10 ;  Jer.  v.  7;  Dcut.  xxxii.  15 ;  Hosea  iv.  7,  and  xiii.  6. 
2  Adam  in  vit.  l?cgii,  p.  78.  ^  See  1  Kings  ii.  39,  scq.—O. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  55 

Seventlihj,  To  the  loss  of  the  world;  for  by  their  inordinate  love  of 
the  world  they  highly  provoke  God  to  strip  them  of  the  world.  Ah, 
how  rich  might  many  a  man  have  been  had  he  minded  heaven  more, 
and  the  world  less !  Wlien  men  set  their  hearts  so  greedily  upon  the 
world,  it  is  just  with  God  to  blast,  and  curse,  and  burn  up  all  their 
worldly  comforts  round  about  them. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Many  in  London  vf  eve  fallen  under  spiritual  decays, 
iDitherings,  and  languishings,  in  their  graces,  in  their  comforts,  in 
their  communions,  and  in  their  spiritual  strength.  They  are  fallen 
from  their  first  love,  Kev.  ii.  4.i  The  flame  of  divine  love  being 
blown  oat,  God  sends  a  flaming  fire  in  the  midst  of  them.  Many 
Londoners  were  fallen  into  a  spiritual  consumption,  and  to  recover 
them  out  of  it,  God  sent  a  fire  amongst  them.  Many  in  London  were 
withered  in  their  very  profession.  Where  was  that  visible  forwardness, 
that  zeal,  that  diligence  in  waiting  upon  the  Lord  in  his  ordinances, 
that  once  was  to  be  found  amongst  the  citizens  of  London  ?  And 
many  citizens  were  withered  in  their  conversations  and  converse  one 
with  another.  There  was  not  that  graciousness,  that  holiness, 
that  spiritualness,  that  heavenliness,  that  fruitfulness,  that  exem- 
plariness,  that  seriousness,  and  that  profitableness  sparkling  and 
shining  in  their  conversations  and  converse  one  with  another, 
as  once  was  to  be  found  amongst  them.  And  many  were  withered 
in  their  affections.  Ah,  what  a  flame  of  love,  what  a  flame  of 
joy,  what  a  flame  of  desires,  what  a  flame  of  delight,  what  a  flame 
of  zeal  as  to  the  best  things,  was  once  to  be  found  amongst  the 
citizens  of  London  !  but  how  were  those  mighty  flames  of  affection 
reduced  to  a  few  coals  and  cinders  !  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God 
sent  a  flaming  fire  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  many  were  withered  in 
their  very  duties  and  services.  How  slight,  how  formal,  how  cold, 
how  careless,  how  remiss,  how  neglective  were  many  in  their  families, 
in  their  closets,  and  in  their  church-communions,  who  heretofore  were 
mighty  in  praying  and  wrestling  with  God,  and  mighty  in  lamenting 
and  mourning  over  sin,  and  mighty  in  their  groanings  and  longings 
after  the  Lord,  and  who  of  old  would  have  taken  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  by  violence  !  Mat.  xi.  12.  There  were  many  in  that  great  city 
that  had  lost  their  spiritual  taste ;  they  could  not  taste  that  sweetness 
in  promises,  in  ordinances,  in  Sabbaths,  and  in  the  communion  of 
saints,  that  once  they  had  tasted  and  found,  2  Sam.  xix.  35.  In 
spiritual  things,  many  citizens  could  taste  no  more  sweetness  than  in 
the  white  of  an  e^^,  Job  vi.  6.  Many  in  that  great  city  had  lost  their 
spiritual  appetite,  they  had  lost  their  stomachs,  they  did  not  hunger 
and  thirst  after  God  and  Christ,  and  the  Spirit  and  grace,  and  the 
light  of  God's  countenance,  and  pure  ordinances,  and  the  fellowship  of 
the  people  of  God,  as  once  they  did.  Now  is  there  anything  more  con- 
trary to  the  nature  of  God,  the  works  of  God,  the  word  of  God,  the 
glory  of  God,  than  spiritual  decays  ?  Oh  the  prayers  and  the  praises 
that  God  loses  by  decayed  Christians  !     Ah,  how  do  decayed  Chris- 

^  The  nutmeg-tree  makes  barren  all  the  ground  about  it;  so  doth  the  sj^ice  of  worldly 
love  make  the  heart  barren  of  grace.  Ursinus  observes  that  the  sins  and  barrenness 
iinder  the  gospel  in  tlie  Protestants  in  King  Edward's  days  brought  in  the  persecution 
in  Queen  Mary's  days. 


66  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25, 

tians  grieve  the  strong,  and  stumble  the  weak,  and  strengthen  the 
hands  of  the  wicked,  and  lay  themselves  open  to  divine  displeasure  ! 
Many  in  London  did  like  Mandrobuliis  in  Lucian,  who  offered  to  his 
god  the  first  year  gold,  the  second  year  silver,  and  the  third  year 
nothing ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God  sent  a  fire  amongst  them. 
But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Their  non-improvement  of  the  mercies  and  privileges 
that  they  were  surrounded  icith,  and  their  non-improvement  of  lesser 
and  greater  judgments  that  God  had  formerly  inflicted  on  them,  and 
their  non-improvement  of  their  estates  to  that  height  they  should  have 
done  for  the  supply  of  them  whose  wants,  bonds,  necessities,  and 
miseries  did  call  aloud  for  supplies.  Many  did  something,  a  few  did 
much,  but  all  should  have  done  more. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Those  unnatural  heats,  fiery  contests,  violent  passions, 
and.  sore  divisions  that  have  been  amongst  them,  may  well  work  them 
to  justify  the  Lord  in  his  fiery  dispensations  towards  them  ;  for  a  wolf 
to  worry  a  lamb  is  usual,  but  for  one  lamb  to  worry  another  is  un- 
natural ;  for  Christ's  lilies  to  be  among  thorns  is  common.  Cant.  ii. 
16,  but  for  these  lilies  to  become  thorns,  and  to  tear  and  rend,  and 
fetch  blood  of  one  another,  is  monstrous  and  strange.  The  contest 
that  was  between  the  birds  about  the  rose  that  was  found  in  the 
way,  was  fatal  to  many  of  them,  and  issued  in  the  loss  of  the  rose 
at  last. 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly,  TJiere  were  many  in  London  icho  were 
so  very  secure,  and  so  excessively  taken  up  with  their  ivorldly  com- 
forts, contentments,  and  enjoyments,  that  they  did  not  lay  the  afiiictions 
of  Joseph  (1.)  so  kindly,  (2.)  so  seriously,  (3.)  so  affectionately,  (4.) 
so  readily,  (5.)  so  frequently,  (6.)  so  lamentingly,  and  (7.)  so  con- 
stantly to  heart  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  Amos  vi.  6.  Upon  all 
these  accounts,  how  well  does  it  become  the  citizens  of  London  to  cry 
out.  The  Lord  is  righteous,  the  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  his  fiery  dis- 
pensations towards  us  ! 

But  to  prevent  mistakes,  and  that  I  may  lay  no  heavier  a  load  upon 
the  people  of  God  that  truly  feared  him,  and  that  had  and  have  a 
saving  interest  in  him,  than  is  meet,  and  that  I  may  give  no  advan- 
tage to  profane  persons  to  fatlier  the  burning  of  the  city  of  London 
wholly,  mainly,  or  only  upon  the  sins  of  the  people  of  God,  give  me 
leave  therefoi-e  to  propound  these  four  queries : — 

First,  Whether  all  these  seven  sins  last  cited,  or  most  of  them,  can 
be  justly  charged  upon  the  body  of  those  sincere  Christians  who  lived 
then  in  London,  and  whose  habitations  are  now  burnt  up  ? 

Secondly,  Whether  those  of  the  people  of  God,  upon  whom  any  of 
the  forementioned  sins  are  chargeable,  have  not,  before  the  city  was 
burnt,  daily  lamented,  bewailed,  and  mourned  over  those  sins  that 
might  have  been  charged  upon  them  either  by  their  own  consciences 
or  others  ? 

Thirdly,  Where  and  how  it  doth  appear  by  the  blessed  Scriptures 
that  ever  God  sent  so  great  a  judgment  of  fire  as  was  poured  out  upon 
London  upon  the  account  of  the  sins  of  those  that  truly  feared  him, 
be  it  those  seven  that  have  been  already  specified,  or  any  others  that 
can  be  now  clearly  and  justly  proved  against  them  ? 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  57 

Fourthly,  Whether  there  are  not  some  other  men's  sins  upon  whom 
in  the  clear  evidence  of  Scripture  Kght  this  heavy  judgment  of  fire 
may  be  more  clearly,  safely,  and  fairly  fixed,  than  upon  the  sins  of 
those  who  had  set  up  God  as  the  great  object  of  their  fear? 
Now,  in  answer  to  this  last  query,  give  me  leave  to  say, 
[1.]  First,  That  sin  in  the  general  brings  the  dreadful  judgment  of 
fire  upon  a  people.     Mark,  personal  afflictions  and  trials  may  come 
upon  the  people  of  God  for  trial,  and  to  shew  the  sovereignty  of  God, 
as  in  the  case  of  Job,  whose  afflictions  were  for  trial,  and  not  for  sin. 
Job  i.     The  same  may  be  said  of  the  man  that  was  born  blind,  John 
ix.     But  general  judgments,  such  as  this  fiery  dispensation  was,  never 
comes  upon  a  people  but  upon  the  account  of  sin.     This  is  evident  in 
my  text,  Isa.  xlii.  24,  25  ;    God  set  Jacob  and  Israel  on  fire,  and 
burnt  them  round  about ;  but  it  was  because  they  would  not  walk  in 
his  ways,  neither  were  they  obedient  unto  his  law.      Jer.  iv.  4,  '  Cir- 
cumcise yourselves  to  the  Lord,  and  take  away  the  foreskin  of  your 
heart,  ye  men  of  Judah  and  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem ;  lest  my  fury 
come  forth  like  fire,  and  burn  that  none  can  quench  it,  because  of  the 
evil  of  your  doings.'     So  Ps.  cvii.  33,  34,  '  He  turneth  rivers  into  a 
wilderness,  and  the  water-springs  into  dry  ground;  a  fruitful  land 
into  barrenness,  for  the  wickedness  of  them  that  dwell  therein.'     The 
very  country  of  Jewry,  as  travellers  report,  which  flowed  once  with 
milk  and  honey,  is  now  for  fifteen  miles  about  Jerusalem  like  a 
desert,  without  grass,  tree,  or  shrub.     Ah,  what  ruins  doth  sin  bring 
upon  the  most  renowned  countries  and  cities  that  have  been  in  the 
world  !     Such  is  the  destructive  nature  of  sin,  that  it  will  first  or  last 
level  the  richest,  the  strongest,  and  the  most  glorious  cities  in  the 
world.     So  the  prophet  Amos  tells  us  that  it  is  sin  that  brings  God's 
sorest  punishments  upon  his  people :  Amos  i.  3,  '  For  three  trans- 
gressions of  Damascus,'  (by  which  we  are  to  understand  the  greatness 
of  their  iniquities,)  '  and  for  four,'  (by  which  we  are  to  understand  the 
multitude  of  their  transgressions,)  '  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punish- 
ment thereof     The  same  is  said  of  Gaza,  ver.  6,  and  of  Tyrus,  ver.  9, 
and  of  Edom,  ver.  11,  and  of  Amnion,  ver.  13,  and  of  Moab,  chap, 
ii.  1,  and  of  Judah,  ver.  4,  and  of  Israel,  ver.  6.     Now  it  is  very 
observable  of  every  one  of  these,  that  when  God  threatens  to  punish 
them  for  the  greatness  of  their  iniquities,  and  for  the  multitude  of 
their  transgressions,  he  doth  particularly  threaten  to  send  a  fire  among 
them  to  consume  the  houses  and  the  palaces  of  their  cities ;  so  he 
doth  to  Damascus :  Amos  i.  4,  '  But  I  will  send  a  fire  into  the  house 
of  Hazael,  which  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Ben-hadad.'     So  he  doth 
to  Gaza,  ver.  7,  '  But  I  will  send  a  fire  on  the  wall  of  Gaza,  which 
shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof.'     So  he  doth  to  Tyrus,  ver.  10,  '  But 
I  will  send  a  fire  on  the  wall  of  Tyrus,  which  shall  devour  the  palaces 
thereof.'     So  he  doth  to  Edom,  ver.  12,  '  But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon 
Teman,  which  shall  devour  the  palaces  of  Bozrah.'     So  he  doth  to 
Ammon,  ver.  14,  '  But  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  wall  of  Kabbah,  and 
it  shall  devour  the  palaces  thereof,  with  shouting  in  the  day  of  battle, 
with  a  tempest  in  the  day  of  the  whirlwind.     So  he  doth  to  Moab, 
chap.  ii.  ver.  2,  '  But  I  will  send  a  fire  upon  Moab,  and  it  shall  devour 
the  palaces  of  Kirioth ;  and  Moab  shall  die  with  tumult,  with  shout- 


58  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

ing,  and  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet.'  So  he  doth  to  Judah,  ver.  5, 
'  But  1  will  send  a  fire  upon  Judah,  and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces  of 
Jerusalem.'  By  all  these  remarkable  instances  it  is  evident  that  God, 
by  his  tier}'  dispensations,  tells  all  the  world  that  the  sins  of  that 
peoi)le  are  great  and  many,  u[)on  whom  the  dreadful  judgment  of  fire 
is  inflicted  in  its  fury,  and  therefore  it  is  high  folly  and  madness  in 
many  men  that  makes  them  impute  this  heavy  judgment  of  fire  to 
anything  rather  than  to  their  sins.  0  sirs,  it  is  sin  that  burns  up  our 
habitations,  and  that  turns  flames  of  love  into  a  consuming  fire.  And 
this  the  Parliament,  in  their  Act  for  the  Rebuilding  of  the  City  of 
London,  well  observes.  The  clause  of  the  Act  is  this :  '  And  that  the 
said  citizens,  and  their  successors  for  all  the  time  to  come,  may  retain 
the  memorial  of  so  sad  a  desolation,  and  reflect  seriously  ui)on  their 
manifold  iniquities,  which  are  the  unhappy  causes  of  such  judgments  : 
Be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  second  of  September  (unless  the  same 
happen  to  be  Sunday ;  and  if  so,  then  the  next  day  following)  be 
yearly  for  ever  hereafter  observed  as  a  day  of  i)ublic  fasting  and  humi- 
liation within  the  said  city  and  liberties  thereof,  to  implore  the 
mercies  of  Almighty  God  upon  the  said  city,  to  make  devout  prayers 
and  supplications  unto  him  to  divert  the  like  calamity  for  the  time  to 
come.'  So  Sir  Edward^  Turner,  knight,  in  his  speech  to  the  king  upon 
the  prorogation  of  the  Parliament :  '  We  must,'  saith  he,  '  for  ever  with 
humility  acknowledge  the  justice  of  God  in  punishing  this  whole 
nation  by  the  late  dreadful  conflagration  of  London.  We  know  they 
were  not  the  greatest  sinners  on  whom  the  tower  of  Siloam  fell,'  Luke 
xiii.  4,  '  and  doubtless  all  our  sins  did  contribute  to  the  filling  up 
that  measm'e,  which  being  full,  drew  down  the  wrath  of  God  upon 
that  city.'  So  much  the  king,  in  his  proclamation  for  a  general  last 
on  the  10th  of  October,  observes.  The  words  of  the  proclamation  are 
these:  '  His  majesty  therefore,  out  of  a  deep  and  pious  sense  of  what 
himself  and  all  his  people  now  suffer,  and  with  a  religious  care  to  pre- 
vent what  may  yet  be  feared,  unless  it  shall  please  Almighty  God  to 
turn  away  his  anger  from  us,  doth  hereby  publish  and  declare  his 
royal  will  and  pleasure,  that  Wednesday,  being  the  tenth  of  October 
next  ensuing,  shall  be  set  apart,  and  kept,  and  observed  by  all  his 
majesty's  subjects  of  England  and  Wales,  and  the  town  of  Berwick- 
upon-Tweed,  as  a  day  of  solemn  fasting  and  humiliation,  to  implore 
the  mercies  of  God,  that  it  would  please  him  to  pardon  the  crying  sins 
of  this  nation,  those  especially  which  have  drawn  down  this  last  and 
lieavy  judgment  upon  us,  and  to  remove  from  us  all  other  his  judg- 
ments which  our  sins  have  deserved,  and  which  we  now  either  feel  or 
fear.'  Thus  you  see  that  not  only  the  blessed  Scriptures,  but  also  king 
and  Parliament,  do  roundly  conclude  that  it  was  for  our  sins,  our  mani- 
fold iniquities,  our  crying  sins,  that  God  has  sent  this  heavy  judgment 
upon  us.  His  majesty  also  well  observes,  that  there  are  some  special 
crying  sins  that  bringdown  the  fiery  judgment  upon  us.  Now  this 
royal  hint  leads  me  by  the  hand  to  say:  — 

[2.]  Secondly,  That  though  sin  in  the  general  lays  people  under  the 
Jiery  dispensations  of  God,  yet  ifiue  ivill  but  diligently  search  into  the 
blessed  book  of  God,  ivhich  never  spoke  treason  nor  sedition,  we  shall 

'  Qu.  '  William'.'     Sec  Epistle  Dedicatory  and  foot-note  in  lo^o. — O. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25. J  THE  LATE  EIEllY  DISFENHATIUN.  59 

find  that  tliere  are  several  shis  that  brings  the  heavy  judgment  of  fire 
upon  cities  and  countries.     As, 

First,  Gross  atheism,  practical  atheism,  is  a  sin  that  brings  desolat- 
ing and  destroying  judgments  upon  a  people :  Zepli.  i.  12,  '  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  at  that  time,  that  I  will  search  Jerusalem  with 
candles,  and  punish  the  men  that  are  settled  upon  their  lees,  that  say 
in  their  heart.  The  Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  he  do  evil/l 
What  horrid  blasphemy,  what  gross  atheism  is  here  !  How  do  these 
atheists  ungod  the  great  God !  How  do  they  deny  his  omnipotency 
and  omnisciency  !  What  a  god  of  clouts,  what  an  idol-god  do  they 
make  the  great  God  to  be,  when  they  make  him  to  be  such  a  God  as 
will  neither  do  good  nor  hurt !  Epicurus  denied  not  God's  essence, 
but  only  his  providence ;  for  he  granted  that  there  was  a  God,  though 
he  thought  him  to  be  such  a  one  as  did  neither  good  nor  evil ;  but 
certainly  God  sits  not  idle  in  heaven,  but  has  a  sharp  and  serious  eye 
upon  all  that  is  done  on  the  earth :  and  this  both  saints  and  sinners 
shall  find  by  experience,  when  in  the  great  day  he  shall  distribute 
both  his  rewards  and  punishments  according  to  what  they  have  done 
in  the  flesh.  Atheism  is  the  main  disease  of  the  soul,  not  only  pes- 
tilent to  the  2>erson  in  whom  it  is  harboured,  but  also  to  the  whole 
land  where  it  is  practised  and  permitted.  Atheism  is  worse  than 
idolatry  ;  for  idolatry  only  robs  God  of  his  worship,  but  atheism  robs 
God  both  of  his  attributes  and  being ;  and  therefore  mark  what 
follows :  ver.  13,  '  Therefore  their  goods  shall  become  a  booty,  and  their 
houses  a  desolation ;  they  shall  also  build  houses,  but  not  inhabit 
them  ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  but  not  drink  the  wine  thereof.' 
So  Ezek.  XX.  47-49,  '  And  say  to  the  forest  of  the  south,  Hear  the 
word  of  the  Lord ;  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold  I  will  kindle  a  fire 
in  thee,  and  it  shall  devour  every  green  tree  in  thee,  and  every  dry 
tree  ;  the  flaming  flame  shall  not  be  quenched,  and  all  faces  from  the 
south  to  the  north  shall  be  burnt  therein.  And  all  flesh  shall  see  that 
I  the  Lord  have  kindled  it ;  it  shall  not  be  quenched.  Then  said  I, 
Ah,  Lord  God,  they  say  of  me,  Doth  he  not  speak  parables?'  Here 
was  a  pack  of  atheists,  that  did  mock  and  scoff  at  the  prophet  and  his 
parables  ;  they  told  him  that  he  talked  like  a  madman,  and  that  he. 
spoke  of  such  things  that  neither  himself  nor  others  understood  ;  for 
he  talked  of  the  south,  and  of  the  forests  of  the  south,  and  of  fire,  and 
of  flaming  fire,  and  of  green  and  dry  trees,  and  that  all  these  things 
were  dark  and  obscure  to  them :  they  put  off  all  the  prophet  spoke 
as  allegorical,  as  mystical,  and  as  enigmatical,  and  as  dark  visions,  and 
as  dreams,  and  imaginations,  and  divinations  of  his  own  brain,  and 
therefore  they  needed  not  much  mind  what  he  said.  Now  mark  these 
atheists,  what  do  they  do  ?  They  provoke  the  Lord  to  kindle  a  fire, 
a  universal  fire,  an  unquenchable  fire,  an  inextinguishable  fire  in  the 
midst  of  Jerusalem,  which  is  here  termed  a  forest,  by  reason  of  its 
barrenness  and  unfruitfulness,  and  the  multitudes  that  were  in  it ; 
and  because  it  was  fit  for  nothing  but  the  axe  and  the  fire.  Atheism 
is  a  sin  that  has  brought  the  greatest  woes,  miseries,  destructions,  and 

^  Atheism  denieth  God  either  (1.)  In  opinion,  saying  there  is  no  God;  or  (2.)  In 
affection,  wishing  tliere  were  no  God ;  or  (3.)  In  conversation,  living  as  if  there  were  n(^ 
God,  Rev.  xxii,  1:^. 


60  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

desolations  imaginable  upon  the  most  flourishing  kingdoms  and  most 
glorious  cities  in  the  world.  Holy  Mr  Greenhani  was  wont  to  say 
that  he  feared  rather  atheism  than  Popery  would  be  England's  ruin. 
0  sirs !  were  there  none  within  the  walls  of  London  that  said  in  their 
hearts  with  David's  atheistical  fool,  '  There  is  no  God'?  Ps.  xiv,  1. 
Caligula  the  emperor  was  such  a  one  ;  and  Claudius  thought  himself 
a  god  till  the  loud  thunder  affrighted  him,  and  then  he  hid  himself 
and  cried,  Claudius  non  est  f/e?<.s— Claudius  is  not  a  god.  Leo  X., 
Hildebrand  the  magician,  and  Alexander  VI.,  and  Julius  IL  were  all 
most  wretched  atheists,  and  thought  that  whatever  was  said  of  Christ, 
of  heaven,  of  hell,  of  the  day  of  judgment,  and  of  the  immortality  of 
the  soul,  were  but  dreams,  impostures,  toys,  and  old  wives'  fables. 
Pope  Paul  IIL,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  said  he  should  now  be  re- 
solved of  three  questions  that  he  had  doubted  of  all  his  life.  (1.) 
Whether  the  soul  was  immortal  or  no  ;  (2.)  Whether  there  were  a  hell 
or  no ;  (3.)  Whether  there  were  a  God  or  no.  And  another  grand 
atheist  said,  I  know  what  I  have  here,  but  I  know  not  what  I  shall 
have  hereafter.  Now  were  there  no  such  atheists  within  the  walls  of 
London  before  it  was  turned  into  ashes  ?  The  atheist  in  Ps.  x.  11  says, 
'  He  will  never  see ;'  and  in  Ps.  xcir.  7,  they  rise  higher  ;  they  say, 
'  The  Lord  shall  not  see,  neither  shall  the  God  of  Jacob  regard  it.' 
They  labour  to  lay  a  law  of  restraint  upon  God,  and  to  cast  a  mist 
before  the  e3^e  of  his  providence.  And  in  Isa.  xxix.  15,  they  say, 
'  Who  seeth  us?  who  knoweth  us?'  And  in  Ezek.  ix.  9,  they  say, 
'  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  the  earth,  and  the  Lord  seeth  not.'  These 
atheists  shut  up  God  in  heaven  as  a  blind  and  ignorant  God,  not 
knowing,  or  not  regarding,  what  is  done  on  the  earth  ;  they  imagine 
liim  to  be  a  forgetful  God,  or  a  God  that  seeth  not.  Ps.  Ixxiii.  11, 
they  say,  '  How  doth  God  know  ?  and  is  there  knoAvledge  in  the 
most  High?'  Thus  they  deny  God's  omnisciency  and  God's  omni- 
presency,  which  to  do  is  to  ungod  the  great  God,  as  much  as  in 
them  lies. 

Now  were  there  no  such  atheists  within  the  walls  of  London  before 
it  was  destroyed  by  fire  ?  Oh  how  did  practical  atheism  abound  in 
London  !  How  many  within  thy  walls,  0  London  !  did  profess  they 
knew  God,  but  in  their  works  did  deny  him,  being  abominable  and 
disobedient,  and  unto  every  good  work  reprobate  !  Titus  i.  IG.  O 
sirs  !  some  there  are  that  live  loosely  under  the  gospel,  that  run  into 
all  excess  of  riot,  and  that  in  the  face  of  all  promises  and  threatenings, 
mercies  and  judgments,  yea,  in  the  very  face  of  life  and  death,  of 
heaven  and  hell ;  and  others  there  are  that  sin  freely  in  secret,  that  can 
be  drunk  and  filthy  in  the  dark,  when  the  eye  of  man  is  not  upon 
them.  Certainly  those  men's  hearts  are  very  atheistical,  that  dare 
do  that  in  the  sight  of  God  which  they  tremble  to  do  before  the  eyes 
of  men.  How  many  are  there  that  put  the  evil  day  ftir  from  them, 
that  flatter  themselves  in  their  sins,  that  Avith  Agag  conclude,  surely 
the  bitterness  of  death  is  past,  and  that  hell  and  wrath  is  past,  and 
that  they  are  in  a  fair  way  for  heaven,  when  every  step  they  take  is 
towards  the  bottomless  pit,  and  divine  vengeance  hangs  over  their 
heads,  ready  every  moment  to  fall  upon  them  !  Are  there  not  many 
that  seldom  pray,  and  when  they  do,  how  cold,  how  careless,  how  dull, 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  61 

how  dead,  how  heartless,  how  irreverent,  are  they  in  all  their  addresses 
to  the  great  God  ?  Are  there  not  many  such  atheists  that  use  no 
prayer,  nor  Bible,  but  make  Lucian  their  Old  Testament,  and 
Machiavel  their  New  ?  Are  there  not  many  that  grant  there  is  a 
God,  but  then  it  is  such  a  God  as  is  made  up  all  of  mercy,  and  there- 
upon they  think,  and  speak,  and  do  as  wickedly  as  they  please  ?  And 
are  there  not  some  that  look  upon  God  as  a  sin-revenging  God,  and 
thereupon  wish  that  there  were  no  God,  or  else  that  they  were  above 
him,  as  Spira  did  ?  And  are  there  not  others  that  have  very  odd  and 
foolish  conceptions  of  God,  as  if  he  were  an  old  man,  sitting  in  heaven 
with  royal  robes  upon  his  back,  a  glorious  crown  upon  his  head,  and  a 
kingly  sceptre  in  his  hand,  and  as  if  he  had  all  the  parts  and  propor- 
tion of  a  man,  as  the  papists  are  pleased  to  picture  him  ?  Some  there 
are  that  are  so  drowned  in  sensual  pleasures,  that  they  scarce  remem- 
ber that  they  have  a  God  to  honour,  a  hell  to  escape,  a  heaven  to 
secure,  souls  to  save,  and  an  account  to  give  up.  And  others  there 
are  who,  when  they  find  conscience  begin  to  accuse  and  terrify  them, 
then,  with  Cain,  they  go  to  their  buildings,  or  with  Saul  to  their  music, 
or  with  the  drunkards  to  their  cups,  or  with  the  gamesters  to  their 
sports.  Gen.  iv.  ;  1  Sam.  xviii.  6,  10  ;  Job  xxxi.  24  ;  Phil.  iii.  19. 
Some  there  are  that  make  their  gold  their  god,  as  the  covetous  ;  others 
make  their  bellies  their  god,  as  the  drunkard  and  the  glutton.  Some 
make  honours  their  god,  as  the  ambitious  ;  and  others  make  plea- 
sures their  god,  as  the  voluptuous.  Some  make  religious  duties  their 
god,  as  the  carnal  gospellers  ;  and  others  make  their  moral  virtues 
their  god,  as  the  civil  honest  man,  Amos  vi.  ;  Mat.  xxiii.  Now  what 
abundance  of  such  atheists  w^ere  there  within  and  without  the  walls  of 
London  before  the  fiery  judgment  passed  upon  it !  The  Scripture 
attributes  the  ruin  of  the  old  world  to  atheism  and  profaneness, 
Gen.  vi. ;  and  why  may  not  I  attribute  the  ruin  and  desolation  of 
London  to  the  same  ?  Practical  atheists  are  enough  to  overthrow  the 
most  flourishing  nations,  and  the  most  flourishing  cities  that  are  in 
all  the  world. 

But  to  prevent  all  mistakes  in  a  business  of  so  great  a  concernment, 
give  me  leave  to  say,  that  if  we  speak  of  atheists  in  a  strict  and 
proper  sense,  as  meaning  such  as  have  simply  and  constantly  denied 
all  deity,  then  I  must  say  that  there  was  never  any  such  creature 
in  the  world  as  simply  and  constantly  to  deny  that  there  is  a  God.  It 
is  an  inviolable  principle,  and  indelibly  stamped  upon  man's  nature, 
that  there  is  a  God.  They  that  shall  deny  that  there  is  a  God,  must 
extinguish  the  very  light  of  nature,  by  which  the  very  heathen  in  all 
the  ages  of  the  world  have  acknowledged  a  supreme  divine  Being. 
Bion  of  Boristenesa  i  was  a  very  great  atheist  all  his  lifetime ;  he 
detiied  the  gods,  despised  their  temples,  and  derided  their  worship  ; 
yet  when  death  came,  he  would  rather  have  endured  the  greatest 
torment  than  to  have  died,  and  that  not  so  much  for  fear  of  a  natural 
death,  but  for  fear  of  what  followed  after,  lest  God,  whom  he  had 
denied,  should  give  him  up  into  the  hand  of  the  devil  whom  he  had 
served  ;  and  therefore  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  put  forth  his  hand, 
crying.  Salve,  Pluto, salve,Welcome,  devil,  welcome — foolishly  thinking 

^  Eather  Borysthenes  :  Laert.  iv.  46  ,&c.—  G. 


62  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

to  pacify  the  devil  by  this  flattering  salutation.^  And  Tully  observes 
of  Epicurus,  that  thougli  no  man  seemed  more  to  contemn  both  God 
and  death,  yet  no  man  feared  more  both  the  one  and  the  other.  The 
philosophers  did,  with  one  consent,  affirm  that  there  is  a  God,  and 
they  called  him,  Nomine  Deiiin,  naiurd  Sjjiriluiyi,  ordine  Motorem 
primiim,  but  knew  him  not.  He  that  shall  deny  there  is  a  God,  sins 
with  a  very  high  hand  against  the  light  of  nature  ;  for  every  creature, 
yea,  the  least  gnat  and  fly,  and  the  meanest  worm  that  crawls  upon 
the  ground,  will  confute  and  confound  tliat  man  that  disputes  whether 
there  be  a  God  or  no.  The  name  of  God  is  written  in  such  full,  fair, 
and  shining  characters  upon  the  whole  creation,  that  all  men  may  run 
and  read  that  there  is  a  God.  The  notion  of  a  deity  is  so  strongly  and 
deeply  impressed  upon  the  tables  of  all  men's  hearts,  that  to  deny 
a  God  is  to  quench  the  very  principles  of  common  nature  ;  yea,  it 
is  formally  deicidium,  a  killing  of  God,  as  much  as  in  the  creature  lies. 
There  are  none  of  these  atheists  in  hell ;  for  the  devils  believe  and 
tremble,  James  ii.  19.  The  Greek  word  i^piaaovai,  that  is  here  used, 
signifies  properly  the  roaring  of  the  sea  ;  it  implies  such  an  extreme 
fear,  as  causcth  not  only  trembling,  but  also  a  roaring  and  screech- 
ing out,  Mark  vi.  49  ;  Acts  xvi.  29.  The  devils  believe  and  acknow- 
ledge four  articles  of  our  faith.  Mat.  viii.  29,  (1.)  They  acknowledge 
God  ;  (2.)  Christ ;  (3.)  The  day  of  judgment ;  (4.)  That  they  shall 
be  tormented  then  ;  so  that  he  that  doth  not  believe  that  there  is 
a  God,  is  more  vile  than  a  devil.  To  deny  there  is  a  God,  is  a  sort  of 
atheism  that  is  not  to  be  found  in  hell. 

'  On  earth  are  atheists  many, 
In  hell  there  is  not  any.' 

Augustine,  speaking  of  atheists,  saith.  That  albeit  there  be  some 
who  think,  or  would  persuade  themselves,  that  there  is  no  God ;  yet 
the  most  vile  and  desperate  wretch  that  ever  lived  would  not  say, 
there  was  no  God.  Seneca  hath  a  remarkable  speech,  Meniiuntur 
qui  dicwit  se  non  sentire  Deum  esse :  nam  etsi  tihi  affirmant  interdiH, 
nociu  tamen  duhitant,  They  lie,  saith  he,  who  say  they  perceive  not 
there  is  a  God ;  for  although  they  affirm  it  to  thee  in  the  daytime,  yet 
by  night  they  doubt  of  it.  Further,  saith  the  same  author,  I  have 
heard  of  some  that  have  denied  that  there  was  a  God  ;  yet  never  knew 
the  man  but,  when  he  was  sick,  he  would  seek  unto  God  for  help ; 
therefoie  they  do  but  lie  that  say  there  is  no  God  ;  they  sin  against  the 
light  of  their  own  consciences ;  they  who  most  studiously  go  about  to 
deny  God,  yet  cannot  do  it,  but  some  check  of  conscience  Avill  fly  in 
their  faces.  Tully  would  say  that  there  was  never  any  nation  under 
heaven  so  barbarous  as  to  deny  that  there  was  a  God.  I  have  seen  a 
city  without  walls,  but  never  any  city  but  acknowledged  a  God.  Quic- 
quid  vides,  et  quicquid  non  vides,  Dcus  est,  Whatsoever  thou  seest,and 
whatsoever  thou  seest  not,  is  God ;  that  is,  all  things  visible  and  in- 
visible do  express  unto  thee  a  deity,  and  lead  thee  as  by  the  hand  to 
contemplate  heavenly,  spiritual,  and  eternal  things.  God  is  known  by 
his  eflccis,  though  not  by  his  essence.     The  creation  of  the  world  is  a 

'  The  (stoutest  atheists  tliat  ever  lived  cannot  resolutely  and  constantly  believe  there  is 
no  God ;  hence  heathens  have  condemned  some  to  death  that  denied  there  was  a  God. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  63 

glass,  wherein,  saitli  Paul,  we  may  behold  his  eternal  power  and  God- 
head, Eom.  i.,  which  that  divine  poet  hath  well  observed, 

'  The  world's  a  school,  where  in  a  general  story 
God  always  reads  dumb  lectures  of  his  glory.' — [Du  Bartas.] 

Austin  [Soliloquiis]  having  gone  round  all  the  creatures,  and  seeing 
in  them  the  characters  of  the  Godhead  imprinted,  and  seriously  in- 
quiring of  them  for  God,  not  one  or  two,  but  all  made  him  this  answer, 
with  an  audible  voice,  No?i  sum  ego,  sed  per  ipsimi  sum  ego  quern  quce?-is 
in  me,  I  am  not  he,  but  by  him  I  am  whom  thou  seekest  in  me,  '  I 
have  heard,'  saith  my  author,^  '  of  some  learned  atheists  met  together 
to  discourse  of  the  power  of  nature,  to  prove  there  was  no  God :  a  poor 
shepherd  present  asked  how  the  rain  came  then?  they  bid  him  look 
upon  a  still,  and  he  might  know  that  vapours  were  draAvn  up  by  the 
sun  and  let  fall  again,  as  moisture  in  a  still ;  he  replied,  I  never  yet 
could  see  a  still  work  unless  some  man  put  fire  to  it.'  This  so  wrought 
on  one  in  the  company,  that  he  gave  glory  to  God,  and  forsook  his 
companions.  I  think  Zeno  hit  the  mark  when  he  said,  To  hear  and  see 
an  atheist  die,  will  more  demonstrate  that  there  is  a  God,  than  all  the 
learned  can  do  by  all  their  arguments.  That  epitaph  which  was 
written  upon  Sennacherib's  tomb,  [Herodotus,]  may  well  be  written 
upon  every  atheist.  He  that  looks  upon  us,  let  him  believe  there  is  a 
God,  and  learn  to  fear  him.  In  all  the  ages  of  the  world,  God  has 
given  a  most  severe  testimony  against  atheists.  That  Assyrian  that 
bragged  at  a  feast  that  he  did  never  offer  sacrifice  to  a  god,  was 
eaten  up  of  lice.  And  Lucian,  a  great  atheist,  going  to  supper  abroad, 
left  his  hounds  fast  when  he  went,  and  as  he  returned  home,  having 
railed  against  God  and  his  word,  his  dogs  fell  mad,  met  him,  and 
tore  him  in  pieces.  I  have  read  of  some  heathens  who,  being  at  sea 
in  -a  very  dangerous  storm,  where  they  were  like  to  be  cast  away, 
they  began  every  one  apart  to  examine  themselves  what  should  be 
the  reason  of  so  dreadful  a  storm,  and  after  that  they  had  all  cast 
up  their  accounts  by  querying  with  themselves,  What  have  I  done, 
said  one,  and  What  have  I  done,  said  another,  that  has  occasioned  this 
storm  ?  At  last  it  issued  thus,  they  remembered  that  they  had 
Diagoras  the  atheist  on  board ;  and  rather  than  they  would  all  perish 
for  that  atheist's  sake,  they  took  him  by  the  heels  and  hurled  him  over- 
board, and  then  the  storm  ceased,  and  the  sea  was  quiet.  It  will  be 
hard  to  name  an  atheist  either  in  the  Holy  Scripture,  or  in  ecclesiastical 
histories,  or  in  heathen  writings,  which  came  not  to  some  fearful  end ; 
and  therefore  no  wonder  if  Austin  would  not  be  an  atheist  for  half  an 
hour  for  the  gain  of  a  million  of  worlds,  because  he  knew  not  but  God 
might  in  that  time  make  an  end  of  him.  I  have  been  the  longer  upon 
this  head,  because  atheist  and  atheism  did  never  so  abound  in  this 
land  as  it  hath  done  these  last  years,  and  that  you  may  the  clearer  see 
who  they  are  that  have  brought  that  sad  judgment  of  fire  upon  that 
once  glorious  city  of  London.  Ah  London,  London  !  it  was  the  gross 
atheism  and  the  practical  atheist  that  was  within  and  without  thy  walls, 
that  has  turned  thee  into  a  ruinous  heap. 

Mark,  I  readily  grant  that  there  is  the  seeds,  relics,  stirring,  and 
moving  of  atheism  in  the  best  and  holiest  of  the  sons  of  men ;  but  then 

'  Mr  Francis  Taylor  on  Prov.  vi.  7.     [On  the  first  nine  chapters.     1657,  4to. — G.] 


G  i  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

(1.)  They  disallow  of  it,  and  discountenance  it;  (2.)  It  is  lamented 
and  bewailed  by  them ;  (3.)  They  oppose  it,  and  conflict  with  it ; 
(4.)  They  use  all  holy  and  conscientious  means  and  endeavours  to  be 
rid  of  it;  (5.)  By  degrees  they  get  ground  against  it,  and  therefore 
God  never  did,  nor  never  will,  turn  cities  or  kingdoms  into  flames 
for  those  seeds  and  remains  of  atheism  that  are  to  be  found  in  the  best 
of  saints. 

It  is  that  atheism  that  is  rampant,  that  reigns  in  the  hearts  and 
lives  of  sinners,  as  a  prince  reigns  upon  his  throne,  that  brings  desolat- 
ing and  destroying  judgments  upon  the  most  flourishing  kingdoms 
and  the  most  glorious  cities  that  are  in  the  world.     But, 

2.  Secondly,  Luxury  and  intemperance  bring  desolating  and  de- 
stroying judgments  upon  'places  and  persons :  Joel  i.  5,  '  Awake,  ye 
drunkards,  and  weep ;  and  howl,  all  ye  drinkers  of  wine,  because  of 
the  new  wine  ;  for  it  is  cut  off  from  your  mouth  ; '  ver.  19,  '  0  Lord, 
to  thee  will  I  cry,  for  the  fire  hath  devoured  the  pastures  of  the  wil- 
derness, and  the  flames  have  burnt  all  the  trees  of  the  field  ; '  ver.  20, 
'  The  beasts  of  the  field  cry  unto  thee ;  for  the  rivers  of  the  water  are 
dried  up,  and  the  fire  hath  devoured  the  pastures  of  the  wilderness.'  ^ 
Luxury  is  a  sin  that  brings  both  famine  and  fire  upon  a  people ;  it 
brought  the  Chaldeans  upon  the  Jews,  who  by  fire  and  sword  laid  all 
waste.  The  horses  of  the  Chaldeans  destroyed  their  pastures,  vines, 
fio"-trees,  pomegranates,  &c.,  which  grew  in  many  places  of  the  land, 
and  their  soldiers  set  their  houses  on  fire,  and  so  brought  all  to  ruin. 
Amos  vi.  1,  '  Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion ; '  ver.  3,  '  That 
put  far  away  the  evil  day ; '  ver,  4,  '  That  lie  upon  beds  of  ivory,  and 
stretch  themselves  upon  their  couches,  and  eat  the  lambs  out  of  the 
flock,  and  the  calves  out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall ; '  ver.  5,  '  That 
chant  to  the  sound  of  the  viol,  and  invent  to  themselves  instruments 
of  music,  like  David ; '  ver,  6,  '  That  drink  wine  in  bowls,  and  anoint 
themselves  with  the  chief  ointments  :  but  they  ai-e  not  grieved  for  the 
affliction  of  Joseph ; '  ver.  7,  '  Therefore  now  shall  they  go  captive 
with  the  first  that  go  captive,  and  the  banquet  of  them  that  stretched 
themselves  shall  be  removed ; '  ver.  8,  '  The  Lord  God  hath  sworn  by 
himself,  saith  the  Lord  God  of  hosts,  I  abhor  the  excellency  of  Jacob, 
and  hate  his  palaces :  therefore  will  I  deliver  up  the  city,  with  all  that 
is  therein  ; '  ver.  11,  '  For,  behold,  the  Lord  commandeth,  and  he  will 
smite  the  great  house  with  breaches,  and  the  little  house  with  clefts,' 
Luxury  is  a  sin  that  forfeits  all  a  man's  enjoyments,  that  turns  him 
out  of  house  and  home.  Samaria  was  a  very  glorious  city,  and  a  very 
strong  city,  and  a  very  rich  city,  and  a  very  populous  city,  and  a  very 
ancient  city,  &c,,  and  yet  luxury  and  intemperance  turned  it  into 
ashes, — it  brought  desolating  and  destroying  judgments  upon  it.  The 
rich  citizens  of  Samaria  were  given  up  to  mirth  and  music,  to  luxuries 
and  excesses,  to  riotousness  and  drunkenness,  to  feasting  and  carous- 
ing, and  by  these  vanities  and  debaucheries  they  provoked  the  Lord 
to  command  the  Chaldeans  to  f\ill  on  and  to  spoil  them  of  their  riches, 
and  to  lay  their  glorious  city  in  ashes.     So  it  was  luxury  and  intem- 

1  In  ecclesiastical  historj-  you  may  road  of  one  drunkard,  who,  being  touched  with  his 
Bin,  wept  himself  blind  ;  but  the  drunkards  of  our  days  are  more  apt  to  drink  themselves 
blind  tiian  to  weep  themselves  blind. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  65 

perance  that  provoked  the  Lord  to  rain  hell  out  of  heaven  upon 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Gen.  xviii. ;  luxury  turned  those  rich  and 
populous  cities  into  ruinous  heaps.  Ah  London !  London  !  the 
luxuries  and  excesses,  the  riotousness  and  drunkenness,  the  mad  feast- 
ing and  carousing  that  have  heen  within  and  without  thy  walls,  that 
have  been  within  thy  great  halls,  taverns,  and  other  great  houses, 
hath  turned  thee  into  ashes,  and  laid  thy  glory  in  the  dust.  0  you 
burnt  citizens  of  London  !  what  shameful  spewing  hath  been  in  some 
of  your  feasts,  as  if  Sardanapalus,  Apicius,  and  Heliogabalus  were  still 
alive  !  How  often  have  many  of  you  230ured  into  your  bodies  such 
intoxicating  drinks  as  hath  many  times  laid  you  asleep,  stripped  you 
of  your  reason,  took  away  your  hearts,  robbed  you  of  yourselves,  and  laid 
a  beast  in  your  room  !  Drunkenness  is  so  base,  so  vile  a  sin,  that  it 
transforms  the  soul,  deforms  the  body,  bereaves  the  brain,  betrays  the 
strength,  defiles  the  affections,  and  metamorphoseth  the  whole  man ; 
yea,  it  unmans  the  man.  Cyrus  the  Persian  monarch  being  de- 
manded of  his  grandfather  Astyages  why  he  would  drink  no  wine, 
answered.  For  fear  lest  they  give  me  poison ;  for.  saith  he,  yestej-day, 
when  you  celebrated  your  nativity,  I  judged  that  somebody  had  poisoned 
all  the  wine  they  drank,  because  at  the  taking  away  of  the  cloth  not 
one  of  all  those  that  were  present  at  the  feast  arose  in  his  right  mind. 
[Xenophon.]  Hath  it  not  been  thus  with  many  of  you  ?  If  it  hath, 
lay  your  hands  upon  your  mouths,  and  say,  The  Lord  is  righteous, 
though  he  hath  laid  your  houses  in  ashes.  Anacharsis  used  to  say 
that  the  first  cup  of  wine  was  for  thirst,  the  second  for  nouriishment, 
the  third  for  mirth,  and  the  fourth  for  madness  ;  but  what  would  he 
have  said  had  he  lived  within  or  without  the  walls  of  London  these 
last  six  years?  Isa.  v.  22;  Hab.  ii.  17.  Ah  London!  London!  were 
there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls  that  were  strong  to  drink, 
and  that  gave  their  neighbour  drink,  and  that  put  the  bottle  to  them 
to  make  them  drunk,  that  they  might  look  on  their  nakedness? 
Were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls,  that  with  Marcus 
Antoninus,  Darius,  Alexander  the  Great,  &c.,  did  boast,  and  glory, 
and  pride  themselves  in  their  great  abilities  to  drink  down  any  that 
should  come  into  their  company  ?  Were  there  none  within  nor  with- 
out thy  walls,  0  London  !  that  cried  out.  If  you  take  away  our  liquor, 
you  take  away  our  lives  ?  Austin  brings  in  the  drunkard,  saying, 
Malle  se  vitam  qudm  vinum  eripi,  He  had  rather  lose  his  life  than  his 
wine.  And  Ambrose  speaks  of  one  Theotimus,  who  being  told  by  his 
physicians  that  much  quaffing  would  make  him  blind,  answered  then, 
Vale  lumen  amicicm,  Farewell  sweet  light,  farewell  sweet  eyes ;  if  ye 
will  not  bear  wine,  ye  are  no  eyes  for  me.  Were  there  none  within 
nor  without  thy  walls,  0  London  !  that  did  abuse  the  good  creatures 
of  God  so  profusely,  so  prodigally,  so  prodigiously,  as  if  they  had  been 
sent  into  the  world  for  no  other  end  but  thus  to  abuse  themselves,  re- 
proach their  Maker,  and  destroy  those  choice  blessings  which  God  had 
given  for  more  noble  ends,  than  to  be  spewed  against  the  walls,  for  these 
last  six  years  ?  A  drunken  health,  like  the  conclusion  in  a  syllogism, 
must  not  upon  any  terms  be  denied,  especially  in  the  company  of  such 
grandees  whose  age,  whose  place,  whose  office  should  have  taught 
them  better  things ;  yea,  the  custom  of  high  drinking  hath  been  these 

VOL.  VI.  E 


66  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

last  FIX  3'cars  so  ^j^rcat  within  and  without  tliy  walls,  O  London  ! 
that  it  is  no  wonder  if  the  Lord  ibr  that  alone  has  laid  thy  glory  in 
the  dust;  yea,  and  that  shameful  spewing  is  upon  all  thy  glory,  Hab, 
ii.  16,  considering  what  shameful  spewing  have  been  in  thy  streets, 
taverns,  halls,  alehouses,  and  other  great  men's  houses,  where  temper- 
ance, righteousness,  justice,  and  holiness  should  have  dwelt  in  glory 
and  trium])h  !  Aii  London  !  how  many  within  and  without  thy  walls 
have  been  drinking  wine  in  bowls,  when  they  should  have  been  mourn- 
ing over  their  sins,  and  grieving  for  the  afflictions  of  Joseph,  and 
sighing  over  those  distressed  Christians  whose  drink  was  nothing  hut 
sorrow  and  blood  and  tears !  These  are  the  men  tliat  have  kindled 
a  burning  ujion  all  thy  gloiy. 

Q  sirs !  that  you  would  for  ever  remember  that  intemperance, 
luxury,  is  a  sin,  an  enemy  that, 

[1.]  First,  llohs  God  of  his  glory.  It  denies  liim  all  service  and 
obedience.  Intemperate  persons  are  neither  lit  for  praying  to  God, 
nor  praising  of  God,  nor  receiving  from  God.  Intemperance  turns 
the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  into  a  sepulchre,  a  kitchen,  a  hog-stye ; 
and  what  glory  then  can  God  have  from  an  intemperate  person  ?  1  Cor. 
vi.  19.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  It  robs  both  God  and  man  of  much  j^'i'ecious  time. 
Time  is  a  precious  jewel,  more  worth  than  all  the  woi'ld.^  One  called 
his  friends  thieves,  because  they  stole  time  from  him  ;  and  certainly 
there  are  no  worse  thieves  than  intemperance ;  for  that  robs  men  of 
their  hearing-times,  and  their  praying-times,  and  their  reading-times. 
There  is  so  nuich  precious  time  spent  in  the  tavern  and  in  the  tippling- 
house,  that  the  intemperate  person  cannot  be  at  leisure  to  spend  any 
time  in  his  family  or  in  his  closet,  &c.,  to  save  his  own  or  others' 
Bouls.  But  there  wdll  come  a  time,  either  in  this  or  the  other  world, 
wherein  all  intemperate  persons  will  wish  that  they  had  spent  that 
precious  time  in  serving  of  God,  and  in  saving  their  own  and  others' 
souls,  which  they  have  spent  in  luxury  and  excess,  carousing  and 
drinking;  but  all  too  late,  all  too  late.  Time  is  not  only  the  fruit  of 
God's  indulgence,  but  also  the  fruit  of  Christ's  purchase.  That  doom 
passed  upon  Adam,  '  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou  shalt  die  the 
death,'  or  dying,  thou  shalt  die,  had  been  put  in  execution  imme- 
diately, had  not  Christ  interposed  immediately  between  man's  sin  and 
God's  wrath.  What  can  there  be  of  more  weight  and  moment  than 
eternity  ?  It  is  the  heaven  of  heaven,  and  the  very  hell  of  hell,  with- 
out which  neither  would  heaven  be  so  desirable,  nor  hell  so  for- 
midable. Now  this  dei)ends  upon  time.  Time  is  the  prologue  to 
eternity  ;  the  great  weight  of  eternity  hangs  upon  the  small  wire  of 
time :  our  time,  whether  it  be  longer  or  shorter,  is  given  us  by  God 
to  provide  for  our  everlasting  condition,  2  Cor.  vi.  2 ;  Isa.  xlix.  8. 
We  have  souls  to  save,  a  hell  to  escai)e,  a  heaven  to  make  sure, 
our  pardon  to  sue  out,  our  interest  in  Christ  to  make  good ;  and  all 
this  must  be  quickly  done,  or  we  undone,  and  that  for  ever.  Man's 
eternal  weal  or  woe  depends  u]ion  his  well  or  ill  improvement  of 
that  inch  of  time  that  is  allotted  to  him.      Now  what  a  dreadful 

'  When  Ignatius  beard  a  clock  strike,  he  would  say,  1  have  one  hour  n.ore  to  answer 
for  :  so  precious  a  jewel  was  time  in  his  eye. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25  ]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  67 

account  will  such  give  up  at  last,  who  have  wasted  away  their  pre- 
cious time  in  luxury  and  excess.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Luxury,  intemperance,  it  robs  men  of  their  names. 
Bonosus,  a  beastly  drunken  emperor,  was  called  a  tankard,!  and 
Tiberius  was  surnamed  Biberius  for  his  tippling,  and  Erasmus  called 
Eccius  Jeccius  for  the  same  cause,  and  Diotimus  of  Athens  was  called 
a  tun-dish,  and  young  Cicero  a  hogs-head.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Luxury,  intemperance,  it  robs  men  of  their  health; 
for  how  many  are  there,  that  by  drinking  other  men's  healths  have 
destroyed  their  own  !  Many  more  perish  by  intemperance  than  by 
violence.  Intemperance  is  the  source  and  nurse  of  all  diseases.  More 
perish  by  surfeiting  than  by  suffering.  Every  intemperate  person  digs 
his  own  grave  with  his  own  mouth  and  teeth,  and  is  certainly  a  Siglf- 
tormentor,  a  self-destroyer,  a  self-murderer.  I  have  read  of  a  monk 
at  Prague, 2  who  having  heard  at  shrift  the  confessions  of  many 
drunkards,  wondered  at  it,  and  for  an  experiment  he  would  needs  try 
his  brain  with  this  sin,  so  accordingly  he  stole  himself  drunk.  Now  after 
the  vexation  of  three  days'  sickness,  to  all  that  confessed  that  sin  he  en- 
joined no  other  penance  but  this.  Go  and  be  drunk  again  ;  intimating 
thereby  that  there  was  no  punishment,  no  torment  that  could  be 
inflicted  upon  a  drunkard  so  great  as  that,  Go  and  be  drunk  again. 
Besides  all  other  plagues  that  attend  this  sin,  drunkenness  is  a  woe  to 
itself.  Temperance  is  the  best  and  noblest  physic,  and  they  that  use 
it  commonly  are  most  long-lived.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Intemperance  robs  men  of  their  estates.  It  robs  the 
wife  many  times  of  her  dowry,  and  the  children  of  their  portion,  and 
the  husband  of  his  inheritance,  his  trade,  his  all.  The  very  word 
ciacoTLa,  luxury,  properly  signifies  the  not  preventing  or  keeping  of  the 
good  which  at  the  present  we  enjoy.  Solomon  hit  the  mark  when  he 
said,  '  The  drunkard  and  the  glutton  shall  come  to  poverty,'  Prov. 
xxiii.  21.  The  full  cup  makes  an  empty  purse,  and  a  fat  dish  makes 
a  lean  bag.  He  that  draws  thee  wine  out  of  the  pipe,  puts  thy  money 
into  his  own  pocket ;  and  this  Diogenes  the  philosopher  well  under- 
stood when  he  asked  of  the  frugal  citizen  but  a  penny,  but  begged  of 
the  prodigal  a  talent ;  and  being  asked  the  reason  of  his  practice,  he 
answered,  Because  of  the  one  he  thought  he  might  beg  often,  but  of 
the  other  who  spent  so  fast,  he  was  like  to  receive  but  once.  Mr 
Livius,  (?)  when  he  had  spent  a  great  estate  in  luxurious  living,  jest- 
ing at  his  own  folly,  he  said  that  he  had  left  nothing  for  his  heir 
more  than  air  and  mire.  Philip  king  of  Macedon,  making  war 
upon  the  Persians,  understood  that  they  were  a  luxurious  people ; 
he  presently  withdrew  his  army,  saying  it  was  needless  to  make 
war  upon  them,  who  by  their  luxury  would  shortly  overthrow  them- 
selves.    But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Intemperance  robs  men  of  everlasting  happiness  and 
blessedness,  Gal.  v,  19-21.  It  shuts  them  out  from  all  the  glory  of 
that  upper  world,  and  tumbles  them  down  to  the  lowest  hell,  as  you 

^  Not  an  emperor,  but  servant  of  one — viz.,  of  Aurelian.  He  was  famous  or  infamous 
for  the  faculty  which  he  possessed  of  being  able  to  drink  to  excess  without  being  intoxi- 
cated or  losing  his  self-command. —  Vopiscus :  Vit.  Bonos. — G. 

*  ivadulph.  Fornerius,  select.,  lib.  iii. 


C8  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

may  sec  in  that  great  instance  of  luxurious  Dives,  Luke  xvi.  19-26. 
The  intemperate  man's  table  proves  a  snare  to  his  soul ;  fulness  breeds 
forgetfuhiess,  wantonness,  blockishness,  and  stupidity;  and  therefore 
no  wonder  if  God  shuts  the  gates  of  glory  against  intemperate  persons. 
Look,  as  no  leper  might  be  in  the  camp  of  Israel,  Num.  v.  ;  and  as 
no  (rilcadite  miglit  pass  over  Jordan,  Judges  xii. ;  and  as  no  fearful 
man  might  enter  into  the  wars  of  Midian,  chap.  vii.  ;  and  as  no  bastard 
might  enter  into  the  sanctuary,  Deut.  xxxiii.  ;  so  no  luxurious  person 
shall  enter  into  heaven.  Of  all  sorts  of  sinners,  the  luxurious  sinner 
is  most  rarely  reformed.  The  adulterer  may  become  chaste,  the  thief 
may  become  an  lionest  man,  the  swearer  may  obtain  a  sanctified  tongue ; 
but  how  rare  is  it  to  see  a  luxurious  person  repent,  break  off  his  sins, 
close  with  Christ,  and  walk  to  heaven  !  Luxurious  persons  eat  and 
drink  away  their  Christ ;  yea,  they  eat  and  drink  away  their  souls, 
nay,  they  eat  and  drink  away  their  own  salvation.  Mat.  xxi.  31,  32; 
Luke  xxiii.  43.  They  that  serve  their  own  bellies,  serve  not  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  therefore  they  shall  never  reign  with  him  in  the 
other  world.  Certainly  that  man  that  makes  his  belly  his  god,  shall 
be  for  ever  separated  from  God,  Phil.  iii.  li).  All  belly-gods  shall  at 
last  be  found  in  the  belly  of  hell.  The  intemperate  person  hath  his 
heaven  here ;  his  hell  is  to  come.  Now  he  has  his  sweet  cups,  his 
merry  cups,  his  pleasant  cups :  oh,  but  there  is  a  cup  of  shame  and 
sorrow,  '  and  this  shall  be  their  portion  for  ever  and  ever,'  Ps.  xi.  6. 
The  intem[)erate  person  hath  been  a  gulf  to  devour  many  mercies, 
and  therefore  he  shall  at  last  be  cast  into  a  gulf  of  endless  miseries. 
In  a  word,  intemperance  is  a  mother  sin,  a  breeding  sin ;  it  is  a  sin 
that  is  an  inlet  to  all  other  sins  ;  we  may  call  it  '  Gad,  for  behold,  a 
troop  cometh,'  Deut.  xxxii.  17,  24.  Oh  the  pride,  the  oppression,  the 
cruelty,  the  security,  the  uncleanness,  the  filthiness,  the  profaneness 
that  comes  trooping  after  intemperance,  Jer.  v.  7-9.  And  therefore 
Aristotle  concludes,  that  double  punishments  are  due  to  drunkards ; 
first  for  their  drunkenness,  and  then  for  other  sins  committed  in  and 
by  their  drunkenness.  Now  seeing  that  intemperance  and  luxury  is 
so  great  a  sin,  is  it  any  wonder  to'  see  divine  justice  turn  the  most 
glorious  cities  in  the  world  into  a  ruinous  heap,  when  this  sin  of  in- 
temperance is  rampant  in  the  midst  of  them  ?  Ah,  London  !  London  ! 
the  intemj)erance  and  luxury  that  has  been  within  and  without  thy 
walls,  has  brought  the  desolating  judgment  of  fire  upon  thee,  that  has 
laid  all  thy  gloiy  in  ashes  and  rubbish.  How  many  great  houses 
were  there  once  within  and  without  thy  walls,  that  should  have  been 
public  schools  of  piety  and  virtue,  but  were  turned  into  mere  nurseries 
of  luxury  and  debaucliery  !  How  liave  the  rules  of  the  Persian  civility 
been  forgotten  in  the  midst  of  thee !  Est.  i.  6,  7.  How  many  within 
and  without  thy  walls  did  make  their  belly  their  god,  their  kitchen 
their  religion,  their  dresser  their  altar,  and  their  cook  their  minister, 
whose  whole  felicity  did  lie  in  eating  and  drinking,  whose  bodies  were 
as  sponges,  and  whose  throats  were  as  open  sepulcln-es  to  take  in  all 
precious  liquors,  and  whose  bellies  were  as  graves  to  bury  all  God's 
creatures  in  !  And  how  have  many  men  been  forced  to  unman  them- 
selves, either  to  please  some,  or  to  avoid  the  anger  or  wrath  of  others, 
or  else  to  gain  the  honourable  character  of  being  a  high  boy,  or  of 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  69 

one  that  was  strong  to  drink  among  others,  or  to  drink  down  others  ! 
Oh  the  drunken  matches  that  have  been  within  and  without  thy  walls, 
0  London  ! — the  Lord  has  seen  them,  and  been  provoked  by  them  to 
kindle  a  fire  in  the  midst  of  thee.  Luxury  is  a  sin  that  never  goes 
alone  ;  it  hath  many  other  great  sins  attending  and  waiting  on  it ;  it 
is  as  the  nave  in  the  wheel,  which  turning  about,  all  the  spokes  turn 
with  it.  Idleness,  fighting,  quarrelling,  jewling,!  whoring,  cheating, 
stealing,  robbing,  are  the  handmaids  that  wait  on  luxury,  Frov.  xxiii. 
29-33  ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God  has  appeared  in  flames  of  fire 
against  it.  I  have  been  the  longer  upon  this  head,  because  luxury, 
intemperance,  is  one  of  the  great  darling  sins  of  our  age  and  day ;  it 
is  grown  to  epidemical,  not  only  in  the  city,  but  in  the  countries 2  also, 
and  it  is  a  very  God-dishonouring,  and  a  God-provoking,  and  a  soul- 
damning,  and  a  land-destroying  sin :  and  oh  that  what  I  have  writ 
might  be  so  blessed  as  to  put  some  effectual  stop  to  those  notorious 
public  excesses  and  luxuries  that  have  been  and  still  are  rampant  in 
most  parts  of  the  land. 

But  now,  beloved,  this  sin  of  luxury  and  intemperance  I  cannot 
charge  with  clear  and  full  evidence  upon  the  people  of  the  Lord,  that 
did  truly  fear  him  and  sincerely  serve  him,  whose  habitations  were 
once  within  or  without  the  walls  of  London  ;  nay,  this  I  know,  that 
for  this  very  sin  among  others,  their  souls  did  often  mourn  before  the 
Lord  in  secret.  And  truly  of  such  Christians  that  live  and  wallow  in 
luxury  and  intemperance,  if  we  compare  their  lives  and  Christ's  laws 
together,  I  think  we  may  confidently  conclude,  Aut  hcec  non  est  lex 
Christi,  autnos  non  sumus  Christiani :  Either  this  is  not  Christianity, 
or  we  are  not  Christians.  And  thus  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  Justin  Martyr, 
and  othei'S  concluded  against  the  luxurious  and  intemperate  Christians 
of  their  times.  Salvian  ^  relates  how  the  heathen  did  reproach  such 
luxurious  Christians,  who  by  their  lewd  lives  made  the  gospel  of 
Christ  to  be  a  reproach :  Where,  said  the  heathen,  is  that  good  law 
which  they  do  believe  ?  Where  are  those  rules  of  godliness  which 
they  do  learn  ?  They  read  the  holy  Gospel,  and  yet  are  unclean;  they 
hear  the  apostles'  writings,  and  yet  are  drunk  ;  they  follow  Christ,  and 
yet  disobey  Christ ;  they  profess  a  holy  law,  and  yet  do  lead  impure 
lives.  And  Panormitan  having  read  the  5th,  6th,  and  7th  chapters  of 
Matthew,  and  comparing  the  loose  and  luxurious  lives  of  Christians 
with  those  rules  of  Christ,  concluded  that  either  that  was  no  gospel, 
or  the  people  no  Christians.  The  loose  and  luxurious  lives  of  many 
Christians  was,  as  Lactantius  declares,  made  by  the  heathen  the  re- 
proach of  Christ  himself:  Quomodo  bonus  magister  cuhts  tarn  2oravos 
videmus  discipidos  ? — How  can  we  think  the  master  to  be  good  whose 
disciples  we  see  to  be  so  bad  ?  Epiphanius  saith  that  in  his  days 
many  shunned  the  society  of  the  Christians  because  of  the  looseness 
and  luxuriousness  of  their  lives.  And  Augustine  confessed  ^  that  in 
his  time  the  loose  and  luxurious  lives  of  many  who  professed  the 
Christian  religion  gave  a  great  advantage  to  the  Manichees  to  reproach 

1  Rather  •jowling,'  from  jowl  the  jaw  =  pressing  with  the  fists,  without  blows,  e.g., 
from  Wright — '  Did  you  give  him  a  good  drubbing  ?  No  ;  but  I  gin  him  a  good  tidy 
jowling.'     Suffolk. — G.  '^  Qu.  'country'?  or 'counties' ?—G. 

^  Salvianus  de  Gratia  Dei,  lib.  iv.  *  August,  de  moribus  Ecclesise,  cap.  34. 


70  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  whole  church  of  God  and  the  ways  of  God.  The  Manichees  were 
a  sort  of  people  who  affirmed  that  there  were  two  principles  or  begin- 
nings of  tilings — viz.  a  summum  honum  and  a  summum  malum — a 
summum  honum,  from  whence  sprang  all  g0(^d,  and  ^summum  malum, 
from  whence  issued  forth  all  evil.  Now  the  loose  and  luxurious  lives 
of  such  as  had  a  profession  upon  them  hardened  these  in  tiieir  eriors, 
and  caused  them  with  open  month  greatly  to  reproach  and  deeply  to 
censure  the  sincerest  saints.  And  Clirysostom  preferred  brute  beasts 
before  luxurious  persons ;  for  they  go  from  belly  to  labour,  when  the 
luxui-ious  person  goes  from  belly  to  bed,  or  from  belly  to  cards  or  dice, 
if  not  to  something  that  is  worse.  And  Augustine  well  observes  that 
God  hath  not  given  to  man  talons  and  claws  to  rend  and  tear  in  pieces, 
as  to  bears  and  leopards ;  nor  horns  to  push,  as  to  bulls  and  unicorns; 
nor  a,  sting  to  prick,  as  to  wasps,  and  bees,  and  serpents ;  nor  a  bill  to 
strike,  as  to  eagles  and  ostriches ;  nor  a  wide  mouth  to  devour,  as  to 
dogs  and  lions ;  but  a  little  mouth,  to  shew  that  man  should  be  very 
temperate  both  in  his  eating  and  drinking.  How  applicable  these 
things  are  to  the  luxurious  persons  that  lived  within  and  without  the 
walls  of  London  before  it  was  turned  into  ashes,  I  shall  leave  the  wise 
in  heart  to  judge.     But, 

3.  Thirdly,  Those  great  and  horrid  sins  that  ivere  to  he  found  in  many 
men's  callings— viz.,  excessive icorldliness,  extortion,  deceit,  hrihery,  dec. 
— these  brought  the  sore  judgment  of  fire  upon  2is,  Prov.  xxviii.  20,  22, 
and  see  Josh.  vii.  15,  21,  24,  25.  When  men  are  so  greedy  and  mad 
upon  the  world  that  they  make  haste  to  be  rich  by  all  sinful  devices  and 
cursed  practices,  no  wonder  if  God  burns  up  their  substance,  and  turns 
their  persons  out  of  house  and  home.  The  coal  the  eagle  got  from  the 
altar — the  sacrifice — and  carried  it  to  her  nest,  set  all  on  fire  ;  so  that 
estate  that  men  get  by  sinful  Avays  and  unwarrantable  courses  first  or 
last  will  set  all  they  have  on  fire.  He  that  resolves  to  be  evil,  may 
soon  be  rich,  when  the  spring  of  conscience  is  screwed  up  to  the 
highest  pin,  that  it  is  ready  to  crack,  when  religion  is  locked  up  in  an 
out-room,  and  forbidden  u])on  pain  of  death  to  look  into  the  shop  or 
warehouse.  No  wonder  such  men  thrive  and  grow  great  in  the  world ; 
but  all  the  riches  such  men  store  up,  is  but  fuel  for  the  fire :  Hab.  ii. 
9,  '  Woe  to  him  that  coveteth  an  evil  covetousness  to  his  house,  that 
he  may  set  his  nest  on  high,  that  he  may  be  delivered  from  the  ]x'>wer 
of  evil  !'  ver.  11,  '  For  the  stone  shall  cry  out  of  the  wall,  the  beam 
out  of  the  timber  shall  answer  it:'  ver.  13,  '  Behold,  is  it  not  of  the 
Lord  of  hosts  that  the  people  shall  labour  in  the  very  fire,  and  the 
people  shall  weary  themselves  for  very  vanity  ?'i  They  had  got  great 
estates  by  an  evil  covetousness,  and  God  was  resolved  that  he  would 
make  a  bonfire  of  all  their  ill-gotten  goods  ;  and  though  they  should 
venture  their  lives  to  save  their  goods  and  quench  the  flames,  yet 
all  should  be  but  labour  in  vain,  according  to  that  word,  Jer. 
li.  58,  '  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  The  broad  walls  of  Babylon 
shall  be  utterly  broken,  and  her  higli  gates  shall  be  burnt  with 
fire,  and  the  people  shall  labour  in  vain,  and  the  folk  in  the  fire, 

^  He,  saith  Chrysostom,  th.it  locks  up  ill-gotten  richcB  in  his  counting-house,  locks  up  a 
a  thief  in  his  countenance,  which  will  carryall  away,  and  if  he  look  not  the  better  to  it,  hia 
precious  soul  also.     [Qu.  'countenance,'  a  misprint  for  'counting-house'  repeated?— G.] 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  71 

and  they  shall  be  weary.'  Though  Babylon  was  a  city  of  great 
fame  and  state  and  riches,  and  deservedly  accounted  one  of  the 
world's  nine  wonders  ;  though  the  compass  of  the  walls  was  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  furlongs,  or  forty-six  miles,  according  to  the 
number  of  the  days  in  the  year,  and  the  height  fifty  cubits,  and  of 
so  great  a  breadth  that  carts  and  carriages  might  meet  on  the  top  of 
them  ;  yea,  though  it  was  so  great  and  vast  a  city,  that  Aristotle 
saith  that  it  ought  rather  to  be  called  a  country  than  a  city,  adding 
withal,  that  when  the  city  was  taken,  it  was  three  days  before  the 
furthest  part  of  the  city  could  take  notice  of  it ;  yet  at  last,  accord- 
ing to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  it  was  set  on  fire  ;  and  though  the 
inhabitants  did  weary  and  tire  out  themselves  to  quench  the  flames, 
and  to  save  their  stately  houses  and  ill-gotten  riches,  yet  all  was 
labour  in  vain,  and  to  no  purpose.  In  the  days  of  Pliny  it  was 
an  utter  desolation,  and  in  the  time  of  Jerome  it  was  turned  into 
a  park,  in  which  the  king  of  Persia  did  use  to  hunt.  So  Ezek.  xxviii. 
18,  '  Thou  hast  defiled  thy  sanctuaries  by  the  multitude  of  thine 
iniquities,  by  the  iniquity  of  thy  traffic  ;  therefore  will  I  bring  forth  a 
fire  from  the  midst  of  thee,  it  sliall  devour  thee  ;  and  I  will  bring  thee 
to  ashes  upon  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  all  them  that  behold  thee : ' 
ver.  19,  '  All  they  that  know  thee  among  the  people  shall  be  astonished 
at  thee  :  thou  slialt  be  a  terror,  and  never  shalt  thou  be  any  more.' 
Tyrus,  among  the  sea-bordering  cities,  was  most  famous  and  renowned 
for  merchandise  and  trade  ;  for  thither  resorted  the  merchants  of 
all  countries  for  traffic  of  Palestina,  Syria,  Egypt,  Persia,  and  Assyria. 
They  of  Tarshish  brought  thither  iron,  lead,  brass,  and  silver.  The 
Syrians  brought  thither  carbuncles,  purple,  broidered  work,  fine 
linen,  coral,  and  pearl.  The  Jews  brought  thither  their  honey,  oil, 
treacle,  cassia,  and  calamus.  The  Arabians  brought  thither  lambs, 
muttons,  and  goats.  The  Sabeans  brought  thither  their  exquisite 
spices  and  apothecary  stuff,  with  gold  and  precious  stones.  Now 
by  fraud  and  deceit  they  grew  exceeding  rich  and  wealthy,  which 
in  the  close  issued  in  their  total  ruin,  according  to  that  of  the  prophet : 
Zech.  ix.  3,  4,  '  And  Tyrus  did  build  herself  a  stronghold,  and  heaped 
up  silver  as  the  dust,  and  fine  gold  as  the  mire  of  the  streets.  Behold, 
the  Lord  will  cast  her  out,  and  he  will  smite  her  power  in  the  sea  ; 
and  she  shall  be  devoured  with  fire.'  The  Tyrians  did  hold  themselves 
invincible,  because  of  their  situation  being  round  about  environed  by 
the  sea  ;  liut  yet  the  prophet  tells  them,  that  though  they  were  com- 
passed about  with  deep  waters,  yet  they  should  be  destroyed  by  fire, 
which  was  executed  by  Alexander  the  Great,  as  historians  testify.  ^  It 
is  not  the  strength,  nor  riches,  nor  situation,  nor  trade,  nor  honour,  nor 
fame,  nor  antiquity  of  a  city,  that  can  preserve  it,  when  God  before- 
hand has  by  fire  determined  the  destruction  of  it.  Tyrus  was  a  city 
of  the  greatest  merchandising,  it  was  a  city  of  mighty  trade,  they 
were  set  upon  heaping  up  of  riches  by  hook  or  by  crook  ;  so  riches 
came  in,  though  it  were  at  the  door  of  o])pression,  violence,  or 
injustice,  all  was  well,  Ezek.  xxvii.  ;  Isa.  xxiii.  5-9.  The  traffic  of 
Tyrus  was  great,  and  the  sins  that  attended  that  traffic  were  very 
great,  and  for  these  God  sent  a  devouring  fire  amongst  them,  which 

^  Curtius,  lib.  iv.,  and  Diod.  Siculus,  lib.  xvii. 


72  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

destroyed  their  palaces  and  treasuries,  and  reduced  their  glorious  city 
to  ashes.  By  the  iniquity  of  their  traffic  they  had  built  palaces  and 
stately  houses,  and  filled  their  shops  and  warehouses  and  cellars  with 
rich  and  choice  commodities  ;  but  when  God  brought  Nebuchadnezzar 
upon  them,  what  the  Chaldeans  could  not  destroy  by  the  sword  they 
consumed  by  fire,  turning  all  their  glorious  palaces,  and  stately  build- 
ings, and  costly  sho})s,  and  warehouses,  into  ashes,  as  historians  testify, 
So  Ninoveh,  for  greatness,  riches,  and  antiquity,  was  one  of  the  noblest 
cities  in  the  world,  it  was  the  capital  and  chief  city  of  tlie  Assyrian 
empire  ;  and  though  God,  upon  their  repentance  and  humiliation,  did 
si)are  them  for  a  time,  Jonah  iii.,  yet  afterwards,  she  returning  to  her 
old  trade  of  robberies,  covetousness,  extortions,  fraud,  deceitful  deal- 
ings, &c.,  God  delivered  her  up  as  a  prey  into  the  hands  of  many  of 
her  enemies,  who  wonderful!}^  spoiled  and  i)illaged  her  ;  and  at  last 
God  gave  her  into  the  hands  of  the  Medes,  who  brought  her  to  a  final 
and  irrecoverable  dcvsolation,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  the  prophet 
Kahum,  chap.  ii.  10,  '  She  is  empty,  and  void,  and  waste  ;  and  the 
heart  melteth,  and  the  knees  smite  together,  and  much  pain  is  in  all 
loins,  and  the  faces  of  them  all  gather  blackness,' — that  is,  such  black- 
ness as  is  on  the  sides  of  a  pot.  Ver.  13,  '  Behold,  I  am  a;.^ainst  thee, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  I  will  burn  her  chariots  in  the  smoke;' 
see  also  chap.  iii.  12-15.  The  like  judgment  fell  upon  Sidon,  [Sabel:] 
and  upon  that  rich  and  renowned  city  of  Corinth,  which,  through  the 
commodiousness  of  the  haven,  was  the  most  frequented  place  in  the 
world  for  the  intercourse  of  merchants  out  of  Asia  and  Europe,  and  great 
and  many  were  their  sins  about  their  trade  and  traffic  ;  and  for  these 
she  was  finally  destroyed,  and  turned  into  cinders  and  ashes  by  the 
Komans,  [Thucyd.] 

So  bribery  is  a  sin  that  brings  desolating  and  destroying  judgments 
both  upon  persons  and  places:  Amos  v.  11,  12,  '  Forasmuch  therefore 
as  your  treading  is  upon  the  poor,  and  ye  take  from  him  burdens  of 
wheat :  ye  have  built  houses  of  hewn  stones,  but  ye  shall  not  dwell  in 
them ;  ye  have  planted  pleasant  vineyards,  but  ye  shall  not  drink  wine 
of  them.  For  I  know  your  manifold  transgressions  and  your  mighty 
sins:  they  afflict  the  just,  they  take  a  bribe,  and  they  turn  aside  the 
poor  in  the  gate  from  their  right.'  Bribery  is  one  of  those  mighty 
sins,  or  one  of  those  bony  or  big-boned  sins,  as  the  Hebrew  hath  it, 
for  Avhich  God  threatens  to  turn  them  out  of  house  and  home. 
Bribery  is  a  bony  sin,  a  huge  sin,  a  heinous  sin,  a  monstrous  sin,  a 
sin  that  is  capable  of  all  manner  of  aggravations,  and  therefore  the 
Lord  punisheth  it  with  desolating  judgments:  Job  xv.  34,  'And  fire 
shall  consume  the  tabernacles  of  bribery,'  or  the  receivers  of  gifts,  as 
both  the  Hebrew  and  the  Septuagint  may  be  read.  When  wicked 
men  build  their  houses,  their  tabernacles,  by  pilling  and  polling,  by 
bribery,  cheating,  defrauding,  or  overreaching  others,  it  is  a  righteous 
thing  with  God  to  set  their  houses  on  fire  about  their  ears.  Thus 
Dioclesian  had  his  house  wholly  consumed  by  lightning  and  a  flame 
of  fire  that  fell  from  heaven  upon  it,  as  Eusebius  tells  us.^  Upon 
such  a  generation  of  men  as  build  their  houses  by  bribery,  or  oppres- 

'  De  vita  Constant.,  lib.  v. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  73 

sion,  or  deceit,  &c.,  God  many  times  makes  good  that  word,  Job 
xviii.  15,  '  Brimstone  shall  be  scattered  upon  his  habitation ; '  and 
that  word,  Micah  iii.  11, 12,  '  The  heads  thereof  judge  for  reward,  and 
the  priests  thereof  teach  for  hire,  and  the  prophets  thereof  divine  for 
money.  Therefore  shall  Zion  for  youj'  sake  be  ploughed  as  a  field, 
and  Jerusalem  shall  become  heaps,  and  the  mountain  of  the  house  as 
the  high  places  of  the  forest.'  Bribery  and  covetousness  had  overrun 
all  sorts  of  such  as  were  in  power  and  authority,  whether  civil  or 
ecclesiastical,  and  for  this  Zion  must  be  ploughed  as  a  field,  and 
Jerusalem  become  heaps,  and  the  mountain  of  the  house  as  the  high 
places  of  the  forest.  By  these  exquisite  terms  the  total  and  dismal 
desolation  and  destruction  of  Zion,  Jerusalem,  and  the  temple,  that 
famous  house  that  was  once  worthily  reckoned  one  of  the  seven  won- 
ders of  the  world,  is  set  forth  unto  us,  Jer.  vii.  4,  5.  That  Jerusalem, 
that  God's  house  and  temple  wherein  they  so  much  trusted  and  gloried, 
should  become  as  a  mountainous  forest  and  wilderness,  was  incretlible 
to  them  as  the  jumbling  of  heaven  and  earth  together,  or  the  dethron- 
ing of  God  by  taking  the  crown  from  his  head  and  thrusting  of  him 
from  his  chair  of  state ;  and  yet  all  this  was  made  good  according 
to  that  dreadful  prophecy  of  Christ,  '  There  shall  not  be  left  one 
stone  upon  another/  Luke  xix.  43,  44.  These  are  the  sad  effects  of 
bribery,  covetousness,  &c.  So  Prov.  xxix.  4,  '  The  king  by  judg- 
ment establisheth  the  land ;  but  he  that  receiveth  gifts,  or  bribes, 
overthrows  it.' 

Ah  London  !  London  !  were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy 
walls  that  did  take  a  gift  out  of  the  bosom  to  pervert  the  ways  of 
judgment  ?  Prov.  xvii.  23 ;  were  there  none  whose  right  hands  were 
full  of  bribes  ?  Ps.  xxvi.  10  ;  were  there  none  like  Samuel's  sons,  who 
turned  aside  after  lucre,  and  took  bribes,  and  perverted  judgment  in 
the  midst  of  thee?  1  Sam.  viii.  3;  were  there  no  .rulers  nor  others 
within  nor  without  thy  walls  that  did  love  to  say  with  shame.  Give 
ye  ?  Hosea  iv.  18  ;  or  that  asked  for  a  reward  ?  Micah  vii.  3  ;  or  that 
with  Gehazi  run  after  rewards  ?  or  that  were  not  ready  to  transgress 
for  a  piece  of  bread  ?  Prov.  xxviii.  21  ;  or  that  were  not  like  the 
horse-leech's  daughter,  still  crying  out.  Give,  give  ?  Prov.  xxx.  15. 
Themistocles  caused  a  brand  of  infamy  to  be  set  upon  Athmius  his 
children,  and  all  his  posterity  after  him,  because  he  brought  gold  from 
the  king  of  Persia  to  corrupt,  bribe,  and  win  the  Grecians,  i  If  all 
that  were  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London  that  received  bribes, 
and  run  after  rewards,  had  a  brand  of  infamy  set  upon  them,  I  am  apt 
to  think  many  of  them  would  be  ashamed  to  walk  the  streets,  who 
have  once  carried  it  with  a  very  high  hand. 

Ah  London !  London !  were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy 
walls  that  had  the  balance  of  deceit  in  their  hands,  and  that  loved  to 
oppress,  falsifying  the  balances  by  deceit,  and  that  had  in  their  bags 
divers  weights,  that  did  sell  by  one  measure  and  buy  by  another,  that 
had  wicked  balances,  and  the  bag  of  deceitful  weights  in  their  hands, 
their  houses,  their  shops,  their  warehouses  ?  Hosea  xii.  7 ;  Amos  viii. 
5;  Deut.  xxv.  13;  Micah  vi.  11.     Well,  suppose  there  were  many 

"  Rather  Arthmius,  'Ap^^'os.— Plutarch,  'Themistocles/  c.  vi. — G. 


74  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

such  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London,  what  of  that  ?  why- 
then,  I  would  say, 

[1.]  Yimt,  Such  run  coil nfcT-c7'oss  to  divine  commands:  Lev.  xix. 
35,  36,  '  Yc  shall  do  no  unrighteousness  in  judgment,  in  meteyard, 
in  weight,  or  in  measure.  Jiv^t  balances,  just  weights,  a  just  ephah, 
and  a  just  hin,  shall  ye  have.'  Ezek.  xlv.  10,  '  Ye  shall  have  just 
balances,  and  a  just  ephah,  and  a  just  bath.'  Dcut.  xxv.  13-15,  '  Thou 
shalt  not  have  in  thy  bag  divers  weights,  a  great  and  a  small.  But 
thou  shalt  have  a  perfect  and  just  weight,  a  perfect  and  just  measure 
shalt  thou  have:  that  thy  days  may  be  lengthened  in  the  land  which 
the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee ;'  Lev.  xix.  13;  Mark  x.  19;  1  Cor. 
vii.  5.  We  "have  a  common  saying,  AVeight  and  measure  is  heaven's 
treasure.     But, 

[2.]  Si^condly,  Such  persons  and  such  practices  are  an  abomina- 
tion to  the  Lord:  Dent.  xxv.  16,  'For  all  that  do  such  things,  and 
all  that  do  unrighteousness,  are  an  abomination  unto  the  Lord 
thy  God.'  Prov.  xi.  1,  'A  false  balance  is  abominalion  to  the 
Lord ;'  chaj).  xx.  10,  '  Divers  weights,  and  divers  measures,  both  of 
them  are  alike  abomination  to  the  Lord,  and  a  false  balance  is 
not  good.'  Now  mark,  the  very  weights  and  measures  are  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord  ;  how  much  more  the  men  that  make  use  of 
them!     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Such  act  counter-cross  to  God's  delight:  Prov.  xi.  1, 
'A  just  weight  is  his  delight;'  chap.  xvi.  11,  'A  just  weight  and 
balance  are  the  Lord's.'  They  are  commanded  by -the  Lord,  and 
commended  by  the  Lord,  and  they  are  the  delight  of  the  Lord.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Such  act  counter-cross  to  his  nature,  which  is  holy, 
just,  and  righteous,  and  to  all  his  administrations,  which  are  full  of 
righteousness,  justice,  and  equity,  Ezek.  xviii.,  and  xxxiii.  17,  20,  29. 
But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Sucli  act  counter-cross  to  the  very  light  and  laiv  of 
nature,  by  not  dealing  by  others  as  they  would  have  others  deal  by 
them,  Mat.  vii.  12.  They  are  the  very  botches  of  the  land,  and 
enemies  to  all  civil  society.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Such  stir  up  the  anger  and  indignation  of  God  agaimi 
themselves:  Ezek.  xxii.  13,  '  Behold,  therefore  I  have  smitten  mine 
hand  at  thy  dishonest  gain  which  thou  hast  made,'  or  '  at  thy  covetous- 
ness,'  as  some  render  the  Hebrew  word,  or  '  at  thy  money  gotten  by 
fraud  and  force,  and  overreaching  and  cheating  of  others,'  as  others 
render  it.  God  is  here  said  to  smite  his  hands  at  their  dishonest  gain, 
to  note  the  greatness  of  his  anger,  wrath,  and  indignation  against  them ; 
and  his  readiness  and  resolvedness  to  take  vengeance  on  them,  by 
animating,  instigating,  encouraging,  and  stirring  up  the  Chaldeans  to 
destroy  their  persons  by  the  sword,  and  to  consume  their  riches  and 
houses  by  fire,  chap.  xxi.  17.  God  has  no  hand  to  smite  ;  but  this  is 
spoken  after  the  manner  of  men,  who  oftentimes  express  the  greatness 
of  their  wrath  and  rage  by  smiting  their  hands  one  against  another. 
God,  to  shew  the  greatness  of  his  spleen  and  rage,  in  a  holy  sense, 
against  them  for  their  dishonest  gain,  expresses  it  by  the  smiting  of 
his  hands :  1  Thes.  iv.  6,  '  That  no  man  go  beyond  or  defraud  his 
brother  in  any  matter :  because  that  the  Lord  is  the  avenger  of  all 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  75 

such.'    First  or  last  vengeance  will  reach  them  who  make  it  their 
business,  their  trade,  to  overreach  others.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Such  act  counter-cross  to  tlie  examples  of  the  most 
eminent  saints.  To  the  example  of  Moses :  Num.  xvi.  15,  '  I  have 
not  taken  an  ass  from  them,  neither  have  I  hurt  one  of  them.'  Of 
Samuel,  1  Sam.  xii.  3-5 ;  of  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth,  Luke  i.  5,  G  ; 
of  Paul,  Acts  xxiv.  16  ;  yea,  to  the  examples  of  all  the  apostles, 
Judas  excepted :  2  Cor.  i.  12,  and  vii.  2,  '  Keceive  us ;  we  have 
wronged  no  man,  we  have  corrupted  no  man,  we  have  defrauded  no 
man.     But, 

[8.]  Eighthly  and  lastly.  Such  act  counter-cross  to  their  oion  ever- 
lasting happiness  and  blessedness :  1  Cor.  vi.  8,  9,  '  Nay,  you  do  wrong, 
and  defraud,  and  that  your  brethren.  Know  ye  not  that  the  unright- 
eous shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ?'  Unrighteous  persons 
may  hear  much  of  heaven,  and  talk  much  of  heaven,  and  set  their 
faces  towards  heaven  ;  but  they  shall  never  inherit  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  God  himself  has  locked  fast  the  gate  of  blessedness  against 
the  unrighteous ;  and  therefore  all  the  world  shall  never  be  able  to 
open  it.  Heaven  would  be  no  heaven,  but  a  hell,  if  the  unrighteous 
should  inhabit  there.  To  sum  up  all :  If  such  persons  run  counter- 
cross  to  God's  commands,  if  their  persons  and  practices  are  an  abomina- 
tion to  the  Lord,  if  they  act  counter-cross  to  God's  delight  and  to  his 
nature,  yea,  to  the  very  light  and  law  of  nature,  to  the  best  examples, 
and  to  their  own  happiness  and  blessedness,  is  it  any  wonder  tlien  to 
see  divine  justice  set  such  men's  houses  on  fire  about  their  ears,  and 
to  see  the  flames  consume  such  estates  as  were  got  either  by  fraud  or 
force,  by  craft  or  cruelty,  &c.  ? 

Now  the  gaining  of  the  things  of  this  world  by  hook  or  by  crook, 
or  by  such  wicked  courses  and  cursed  practices  that  we  have  been  dis- 
coursing on,  I  cannot  charge  upon  the  people  of  God,  that  did  truly 
fear  him,  whose  habitations  were  once  within  or  without  the  walls  of 
London,  because  such  practices  would  neither  stand  with  grace,  nor 
with  the  honour  of  God,  nor  with  the  credit  of  religion,  nor  with  the 
law  of  God,  nor  with  the  law  of  nature,  nor  with  the  peace  of  a  saint's 
soul.  Besides,  it  is  very  observable  to  me,  that  those  that  have  the 
balances  of  deceit  in  their  hand,  are  called  Canaanites  in  that  12th  of 
Hosea  7th  verse,  '  He  is  a  merchant ;  the  balances  of  deceit  are  in  his 
hand;  he  loveth  to  oppress' — Heb.,  he  is  Canaan,  that  is,  a  mere 
natural  man,  that  hath  no  common  honesty  in  him,  a  money-merchant, 
one  that  cares  not  how  he  comes  by  it,  so  he  may  have  it ;  one  that 
counts  all  good  fish  that  comes  to  his  net,  though  it  be  through  cun- 
ning contrivances  or  violent  practices.     But, 

4.  Fourthly,  Desperate  incorrigihleness  and,  unreformedness  under 
wasting  and  destroying  judgmeids,  brings  the  desolating  judgment  of 
fire  upon  a  people,  Lev.  xxvi. ;  Deut.  xxviii. ;  turn  to  that  Jer.  xxx. 
23,  24.  Isa.  xlii.  24,  25,  '  Who  gave  Jacob  for  a  spoil,  and  Israel  to 
the  robbers  ?  did  not  the  Lord,  he  against  whom  we  have  sinned  ?  for 
they  would  not  walk  in  his  ways,  neither  were  they  obedient  unto  his 
law.  Therefore  he  hath  poured  upon  him  the  fury  of  his  anger,  and 
the  strength  of  battle :  and  it  hath  set  him  on  fire  round  about,  yet 
he  knew  not ;  and  it  burned  him,  yet  he  laid  it  not  to  heart.'     Lev. 


76  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

xxvi.  27,  28,  31-33,  '  And  if  ye  will  not  for  all  this  hearken  unto  me, 
but  walk  contrary  unto  mo  ;  tlien  will  I  walk  contrary  unto  you  also 
in  fury ;  and  I,  even  1,  will  chastise  you  seven  times  for  your  sins. 
And  I  will  make  your  cities  waste,  and  bring  your  sanctuaries  unto 
desolation.  And  I  will  bring  the  land  into  desolation ;  and  your 
enemies  which  dwell  therein  shall  be  astonished  at  it.  And  I  will 
scatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  will  draw  out  a  sword  after  you  ; 
and  your  land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your  cities  waste.'  Isa.  i.  5,  7,  8, 
'  Why  should  you  be  stricken  any  more  ?  ye  will  revolt  more  and 
more.  The  whole  head  is  sick,  and  the  whole  heart  faint.  Your 
country  is  desolate,  your  cities  are  burnt  with  fire :  your  land,  strangers 
devour  it  in  your  presence,  and  it  is  desolate,  as  overthrown  by 
strangers.  And  the  daughter  of  Zion  is  left  as  a  cottage  in  a 
vineyard,  as  a  lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucumbers,  as  a  besieged  city.' 
Amos  iv.  7-11,  'And  I  also  have  given  you  cleanness  of  teeth  in 
all  your  cities,  and  want  of  bread  in  all  your  places :  yet  have  ye  not 
returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord.  And  also  I  have  withholden  the 
rain  from  you,  when  there  were  yet  three  months  to  the  harvest: 
and  I  caused  it  to  rain  upon  one  city,  and  caused  it  not  to  rain 
upon  another  city :  one  piece  was  rained  upon,  and  the  piece  where- 
upon it  rained  not  withered.  So  two  or  tlu-ee  cities  wandered  unto 
one  city  to  drink  water  ;  but  they  were  not  satisfied :  yet  have  ye  not 
returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord.  I  have  smitten  you  with  blast- 
ing and  miklew :  when  your  gardens,  and  your  vineyards,  and  your 
fig-trees,  and  your  olive-trees  increased,  the  palmer-worm  devoured 
them :  yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord.  I  have  sent 
among  you  the  pestilence,  after  the  manner  of  Egypt ;  your  young 
men  have  I  slain  with  the  sword,  and  have  taken  away  your  horses, 
and  I  have  made  the  stink  of  your  camps  to  come  up  unto  your  nos- 
trils :  yet  have  ye  not  returned  unto  me,  saith  the  Lord.  I  have  over- 
thrown some  of  you,  as  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  ye 
were  as  a  firebrand  plucked  out  of  the  burning :  yet  have  ye  not  re- 
turned unto  me,  saith  the  Lord.'  By  all  these  scriptures  it  is  most 
evident  that  desperate  incorrigibleness  and  unreformedness  under 
wasting  and  destroying  judgments  brings  the  fiery  dis[)ensations  of 
God  upon  a  people.  Ah  London,  London  !  how  long  has  the  Lord 
been  striving  with  thee  by  his  S})irit,  by  his  word,  by  his  messengers, 
by  his  mercies,  and  by  lesser  judgments,  and  yet  thou  hast  been  in- 
corrigible, incurable,  and  irrecoverable  under  all  1  God  looked  that 
the  agues,  fevers,  small-pox,  strange  sicknesses,  want  of  trade,  and 
poverty  that  was  coming  on  like  an  armed  man  upon  thee,  with  all  the 
lesser  fires  that  have  been  jdndled  in  the  midst  of  thee,  should  have 
awakened  thee  to  repentance;  and  yet  under  all,  how  proud,  how 
stout,  how  hard,  how^  obdurate  hast  thou  been !  God  looked  that  the 
bloody  sword  that  the  nations  round  hath  drawn  against  thee  should 
have  humbled  thee,  and  brought  thee  to  his  foot :  and  yet  thou  hast 
rejected  the  remedy  of  thy  recovery.  God  looked  that  the  raging, 
devouring  pestilence  that  in  1GG5  destroyed  so  many  ten  thousands  of 
thy  inhabitants  should  have  astonished  thee,  and  have  been  as  a  prodigy 
unto  thee,  to  have  allVighted  thee  out  of  thy  sins,  and  to  have  turned 
thee  to  the  Most  High :    but  yet  after  so  stupendous  and  amazing 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  77 

judgments,  thou  wast  hardened  in  thy  sins,  and  refusedst  to  return. 
By  all  these  divers  kinds  of  judgments,  how  little  did  God  prevail  with 
thy  magistracy,  ministry,  or  commonalty  to  break  oflf  their  sins,  to 
repent,  and  to  abhor  themselves  in  dust  and  ashes !  Hath  not  God 
spent  all  his  rods  in  vain  upon  tliee  ?  Were  not  all  sorts  of  men 
generally  seven  times  worse  after  those  wasting  judgments  than  they 
were  before  ?  Jer.  xxiv.  2,  3.  And  therefore  thou  hast  cause  to  fear 
that  tliis  is  that  which  hath  kindled  such  a  devouring  fire  in  the  midst 
of  thee,  and  that  hath  turned  thy  glory  into  shame,  thy  riches,  palaces, 
and  stately  houses  into  ashes.  When  after  the  raging  pestilence  men 
returned  to  the  city,  and  to  their  estates  and  trades,  &c.,they  returned 
also  to  their  old  sins  ;  and  as  many  followed  the  world  more  greedily 
than  ever,  so  many  followed  their  lusts,  their  sinful  courses,  more 
violently  than  ever  ;  and  this  has  ushered  in  thy  desolation,  0  London  ! 
The  pliysician,  when  he  findeth  that  the  potion  which  he  hath  given 
his  patient  will  not  work,  he  seconds  it  with  one  more  violent ;  and 
thus  doth  the  chirurgeon  too.  If  a  gentle  plaster  will  not  serve,  then 
he  applies  that  which  is  more  corroding ;  and  to  prevent  a  gangrene, 
he  makes  use  of  his  cauterising  knife,  and  takes  off  the  joint  or  member 
that  is  so  ill  affected.  So  doth  the  great  God ;  when  men  are  not 
bettered  by  lesser  judgments,  he  sends  greater  judgments  upon  them. 
God  was  first  as  a  moth  to  Ephraim,  which  consumed  him  by  little 
and  little ;  but  when  that  would  not  better  him,  and  reform  him,  then 
the  Lord  comes  as  a  lion  upon  him,  and  tore  him  all  to  pieces,  Hosea 
v.  12,  14.  If  the  dross  of  men's  sins  will  not  come  off,  he  will  throw 
them  into  the  melting-pot  again  and  again,  he  will  crush  them  harder 
and  harder  in  the  press  of  his  judgments,  and  lay  on  such  irons  as  shall 
enter  more  deep  into  their  souls.  If  he  strikes,  and  tliey  grieve  not ; 
if  he  strikes  again,  and  they  tremble  not ;  if  he  wounds,  and  they  return 
not ;  then  it  is  a  righteous  thing  with  God  to  turn  men  out  of  house 
and  home,  and  to  burn  up  their  comforts  round  about  them.  Now 
this  has  been  thy  case,  0  London  !  and  therefore  God  has  laid  thee 
desolate  in  the  eyes  of  the  nations. 

Now  this  desperate  incorrigibleness  and  unreformedness  under  wast- 
ing and  destroying  judgments  I  cannot  groundedly  fix  upon  those  who 
did  truly  fear  the  Lord  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London,  because 
they  made  it  their  business,  according  to  the  different  measures  of  grace 
they  had  received,  to  mourn  under  wasting  judgments,  and  to  lament 
after  the  Lord  under  wasting  judgments,  and  to  be  bettered  and  re- 
formed under  wasting  judgments,  and  not  only  to  understand,  but  also 
to  obey  the  voice  of  the  rod.  Their  earnest  prayers,  strong  cries,  bitter 
tears,  sad  sighs,  and  heavy  groans  under  wasting  judgments,  may 
sufficiently  evidence  that  they  were  not  incorrigible  under  wasting 
judgments.     But, 

5.  Fifthly,  Insolent  and  cruel  oppressing  of  the  poor  is  a  sin  that 
brings  desolating  and  destroying  judgments  upon  a  people.  God  sent 
ten  wasting  judgments  one  after  another  upon  Pharaoh,  his  people,  and 
land,  to  revenge  the  cruel  oppression  of  his  poor  people,  Exod.  iii. 
9.  Prov.  xxii.  22,  23,  '  Rob  not  the  poor,  because  he  is  poor  ;  neither 
oppress  the  afilicted  in  the  gate  :  for  the  Lord  will  plead  their  cause.' 
To  rob  and  oppress  the  rich  is  a  great  sin  ;  but  to  rob  and  oppress  the 


78  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

poor  is  ii  greater  ;  but  to  rob  and  oppress  the  poor,  because  he  is 
poor,  and  wants  money  to  buy  justice,  is  the  top  of  all  inhumanity  and 
impiety.  To  oppress  any  one  is  a  sin  ;  but  to  oppress  the  oppressed  is 
the  height  of  t-in.  Poverty  and  want  and  mist-ry  should  be  motives 
to  pity  ;  but  oppressors  make  them  the  whetstones  of  their  cruelty  and 
severity,  and  therefore  the  Lord  will  plead  tlie  cause  of  his  poor 
oppressed  people  against  their  oppressors  without  fee  or  fear  ;  yea,  he 
will  plead  tlieir  cause  with  pestilence,  blood,  and  fire.  Gog  was  a 
great  opi)ressor  of  the  poor,  Ezek.  xxxviii,  8-14,  and  God  pleads 
against  him  with  pestilence,  blood,  and  fire :  ver.  22,  '  And  I  will 
plead  against  him  Avith  pestilence  and  with  blood  ;  and  1  will  rain 
upon  him,  and  upon  his  bands,  and  upon  the  many  jieople  that  are 
with  him,  an  overflowing  rain,  and  great  hailstones,  fire,  and  brim- 
stone.' Such  as  oppress  a  man  and  liis  house,  even  a  man  and  his 
heritage,  they  take  the  surest  and  the  readiest  Avay  to  bring  ruin  upon 
their  own  houses,  Micah  ii.  1,  2.  Isa.  v.  8,  '  Woe  unto  them  that  join 
house  to  house,  and  field  to  field,  till  there  be  no  place,  that  they  may 
be  placed  alone  in  the  midst  of  the  earth  !'  But  mark  what  follows  : 
ver.  9,  '  In  mine  ears  said  the  Lord  of  hosts.  Of  a  truth  many  houses 
shall  be  desolate,  even  great  and  fair,  without  inhabitants ;  of  a  truth 
many  houses  shall  be  desolate.'  This  is  an  emphatical  form  of  swear- 
ing ;  it  is  as  if  the  Lord  had  said,  '  Let  me  not  live,  or  let  me  never  be 
owned  or  accounted  a  God,  or  let  me  never  be  looked  upon  as  a  God  of 
truth,  a  God  of  my  word  ;  let  me  never  be  believed  nor  trusted  more 
for  a  God,  if  I  do  not  lay  desolate  the  houses  of  op[)ressors,  the  great 
houses  of  oppressors,  the  fair  houses  of  oppressors  ;  yea,  the  multitude 
and  variety  of  the  houses  of  oppressors.'  So  Amos  iii.  9-11,  '  Publish 
in  the  palaces  at  Ashdod,  and  in  the  palaces  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
say,  Assemble  j-ourselves  upon  the  mountains  of  Samaria,  and  behold 
the  great  tumults  in  the  midst  thereof,  and  the  oppressed,'  or  oppres- 
sions, '  in  the  midst  thereof  For  they  know  not  to  do  right,  saith  the 
Lord,  Avho  store  up  violence  and  robbery  in  their  palaces.  Therefore 
thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  An  adversary  there  shall  be  even  round  about 
the  land  ;  and  he  shall  bring  down  thy  strength  from  thee,  and  thy 
palaces  shall  be  spoiled.'  Now  mark  the  loth  verse,  'And  I  will 
smite  the  winter-house  with  the  summer-house  ;  and  the  houses  of 
ivory  shall  perish,  and  the  great  houses  shall  have  an  end,  saith  the 
Lord.'  In  their  palaces,  and  in  their  winter  and  summer  houses,  they 
stored  up  all  the  riches,  preys,  and  spoils  that  they  had  got  by 
oppression.  But  God  tells  them  that  their  palaces  should  be  spoiled, 
and  that  he  would  smite  the  winter-house  upon  the  summer-house — so 
the  Hebi-ew  runs.  God  was  resolved  that  he  woukl  dash  one  house 
against  the  other,  and  lay  them  all  on  heaps.  Though  their  palaces 
and  houses  were  never  so  rich,  and  strong,  and  stately,  and  pompous, 
and  glorious,  and  decked,  and  adorned,  and  enamelled,  and  checkered, 
yet  they  should  all  down  together.  So  Zech.  vii.  10,  11,  14,  '  Oppress 
not  the  widow,  nor  the  fatherless,  the  stranger,  nor  the  poor ;  and  let 
none  of  you  imagine  evil  against  his  brother  in  your  heart.  But  they 
refused  to  hearken,  and  pulled  away  the  shoulder,  and  sto])pcd  their 
cars,  that  they  should  not  hear.'  Well  now,  mark  what  follows :  ver. 
14.  '  But  I  scattered  them  with  a  whirlwind  among  all  the  nations  whom 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  79 

they  knew  not.  Thus  the  land  was  desoLite  after  them,  that  no  man 
passed  through  nor  returned :  for  they  hxid  the  pleasant  land '  (or  as 
the  Hebrew  has  it,  the  second  land  of  desire)  '  desolate.'  Palestine 
was  a  very  pleasant  land — a  land  which  flowed  with  milk  and  honey,  a 
land  which  was  the  glory  of  all  lands  ;  God  had  made  it  as  his 
paradise,  and  enriched  it  with  all  plenty  and  pleasure,  and,  above  all, 
with  his  presence  and  residence  in  his  city  and  temple  ;  l)ut  they  by 
oppressing  the  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  fatherless,  laid  all  desolate  : 
Jer.  xii.  12,  '  0  house  of  David,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Execute  judg- 
ment in  the  morning,  and  deliver  him  that  is  spoiled  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  oppressor,  lest  my  fury  go  out  like  fire,  and  burn  that  none  can 
quench  it.'  Oppression  lays  a  people  open  to  God's  fury,  it  provokes 
the  Lord  to  turn  their  all  into  unquenchable  flames  :  Ps.  xii.  5,  '  For 
the  oppression  of  the  poor,  for  the  sighing  of  the  needy,  now  will 
I  arise,  saith  the  Lord  ;  I  will  set  him  in  safety  from  him  that  puffeth 
at  him.'  Upon  these  words  Chrysostom  saith,  Timete  quicunque 
pauperem  injuria  afficitis ;  liabetis  vos  potentiam  et  opes,  et  judicum 
benevolentiam ;  sed  habent  illi  arma  omriiuin  validissima,  lucius 
et  ejidatus,  quce  d  ccelis  auxilium  attrahunt  Hcec  arma  domus 
effbdivMi,  fund.amenta  evertunt,  hcec  integras  natio7ies  suhmergunt  : 
Fear  ye,  whosoever  ye  be,  that  do  wrong  the  poor,  you  have  power  and 
wealth,  and  the  favour  of  the  judges  ;  but  they  have  the  strongest 
weapons  of  all,  sighings  and  groanings,  wliich  fetch  help  from  heaven 
for  them.  These  weapons  dig  down  houses,  throw  up  foundations, 
overthrow  whole  nations. i  Thus  you  see  by  all  these  clear  scriptures 
that  oppression  is  a  sin  that  brings  wasting  and  destroying  judgments 
upon  a  people. 

Ah,  London !  London  !  was  there  no  oppression  and  cruelty  to  be 
found  within  and  without  thy  walls  ?  Eccles.  iv.  1,  '  So  I  returned, 
and  considered  all  the  oppressions  that  are  done  under  the  sun :  and 
behold  the  tears  of  such  as  were  oppressed,  and  they  had  no  comforter; 
and  on  the  side  of  their  oppressors  there  was  power ;  but  they  had 
no  comforter.'  And  behold  the  tears  of  such  as  were  oppressed.  The 
original  word  signifies  lachri/mam,  non  lachrymas,  a  tear,  not  tears  ; 
as  if  the  oppressed  had  wept  so  long,  and  wept  so  much,  that  they 
could  weep  no  longer,  nor  weep  no  more,  having  but  only  one  tear 
left  them.  Were  there  not,  0  London  !  many  of  thy  poor  oppressed 
inhabitants  that  wept  so  long,  that  they  could  weep  no  longer ;  and 
that  wept  so  much,  that  they  had  but  one  tear  left  ?  Oh,  the  cries 
and  tears  of  the  oppressed  within  and  without  thy  Avails  did  so  pierce 
God's  ears,  and  so  work  upon  his  heart,  that  at  last  he  comes  down  in 
flames  of  fire  to  revenge  the  oppressed.  Were  there  no  rich  citizens 
that  did  rack  their  tenants,  and  grind  the  faces  of  the  poor,  that  took 
an  advantage  from  their  necessities  to  beat  down  the  price  of  their 
commodities,  that  so  they  might  raise  themselves  on  the  poor's  ruin  ? 
Were  there  no  false  weights,  false  wares,  false  lights,  false  measures  to 
be  found  within  and  without  thy  walls  by  which  the  poor  has  been 
cheated,  cozened,  and  oppressed? 2     Oh  how  did  the  rich  work  upon 

'  Chrj's.  in  Psalm  xii. 

"  Were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls,  0  London,  that  used  his  neighbour 
without  wages,  and  gave  him  no  reward  for  his  work  ?  that  kept  back  the  hire  of  the 


80  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  necessities  of  the  poor,  hringinj:^  them  to  such  nnder-prices  as  hath 
undone  both  tlieni  and  their  niakin<^  good  that  word,  Amos  viii.  4, 
'  They  swallow  up  the  needy,  and  make  the  poor  of  the  land  to  fail !' 
Oh  tiie  heavy  burdens  that  have  been  laid  upon  the  poor  by  their 
Egyptian  taskmasters !  what  overreaching  of  the  poor,  and  what  over- 
rating of  the  poor  have  been  within  and  without  thy  walls,  0  London! 
Thy  poor,  0  London,  did  rise  early  and  go  to  bed  late  ;  they  did  fare 
hard,  and  lie  hard,  and  work  hard  ;  and  yet  by  reason  of  the  cruelty, 
oppression,  and  unmercifulness  of  many  of  thy  wealthy  citizens,  they 
were  hardly  able  to  make  any  convenient  sup])lies  for  themselves  and 
their  families.  Oppression  turns  princes  into  roaring  lions,  and 
judges  into  evening  wolves:  it  is  an  unnatural  sin,  it  is  a  sin  against 
the  light  of  nature.  No  creatures  do  oppress  them  of  their  own  kind. 
Look  upon  the  birds  of  prey,  as  upon  eagles,  vultures,  hawks,  and  you 
shall  never  find  them  preying  upon  their  own  kind.  Look  upon  the 
wild  beasts  of  the  forest,  as  upon  the  lion,  the  tiger,  the  wolf,  the 
bear,  &c.,  and  you  shall  find  them  favourable  to  them  of  their  own 
kind  ;  and  yet  men  unnaturally  prey  upon  one  another — like  the  fish 
in  the  sea,  the  great  swallowing  up  the  small.  It  is  a  sin  against  that 
great  and  conunon  rule  of  equity.  Mat.  vii.  12, '  All  things  whatsoever 
ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them.'  Now 
no  man  in  his  wits  would  have  an^.ther  to  wrong  and  oppress  him  in 
his  estate,  name,  or  conscience :  and  therefore  he  should  not  wrong  or 
oppress  others  in  their  estates,  names,  or  consciences :  and  therefore 
no  wonder  if  God  punishes  this  sin  with  flames  of  fire.  It  is  thy 
oppressors,  0  London,  that  has  turned  thy  glory  into  ashes. 

Now  this  insolent  oppressing  of  the  poor  is  a  sin  that  I  cannot 
make  good  against  the  people  of  God  that  did  truly  fear  him  in  that 
great  city.  It  is  a  sin  they  have  often  bewailed  and  lamented  before 
the  Lord  in  their  solemn  addresses  to  God.  Where  this  sin  is  ram- 
pant, where  it  rules  as  a  prince  upon  the  throne,  it  is  a  clear  evidence 
that  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  not  in  such  men's  hearts :  Lev.  xxv.  17, 
'  Ye  shall  not  opjiress  one  another,  but  thou  shalt  fear  thy  God.'  Now 
this  lies  fair  in  the  words, — viz.,  that  such  as  do  oppress  others,  they  do 
not  fear  God :  and  such  as  do  fear  God,  they  will  not  oppress  others. 
Amalek  was  a  great  oppressor  of  the  poor  people  of  God,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  hath  set  this  black  brand  of  infamy  upon  him,  that  he 
feared  not  God,  Deut.  xxv.  18.^  Had  Amalek  feared  the  Lord,  he 
would  have  been  so  fixr  from  oppressing  the  poor  people  of  God,  that 
he  would  have  comforted  them,  and  succoured  them,  and  relieved 
them  in  the  midst  of  their  necessities,  miseries,  and  distresses.  The 
Jews  oppressing  one  another  is  attributed  to  their  not  fearing  of  God, 
Neh.  V.  9.  Opi)ression  is  so  crying  a  sin  against  the  law  of  God,  the 
law  of  grace,  the  law  of  nature,  and  the  law  of  nations,  that  certainly 
it  cannot  be  justly  charged  upon  such  as  have  set  up  God  in  their 
hearts  as  the  great  object  of  their  fear.     The  word  for  oppression  in 

labourer,  and  that  were  the  poor  labourer's  purse-bearers  and  cofferers,  whether  they 
would  or  no?  that  fleeced  the  poor  to  feather  their  own  nests?  Deut.  xxiv.  14,  15; 
Exod.  xxii.  22,  23;  Zeph.  iii.  3. 

'  Oppressors  arc  persons  destitute  of  the  fear  of  God  ;  and  the  want  of  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  is  the  spring  and  fountain  of  the  worst  of  sins,  and  that  against  which  the  Lord 
will  cowe  near  in  judgment,  Mai.  iii.  5. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  81 

the  Hebrew  is  mispach,  which  signifies  a  scab,  a  wound,  a  leprosy. 
Now  oppression  is  such  a  scab,  a  wound,  a  leprosy  as  is  not  to  be 
found  upon  those  that  have  fellowship  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
Oppressors  may  boast  of  their  profession,  and  call  themselves  saints, 
or  the  people  of  God,  but  God  accounts  them  worse  than  Scythians. 
Witness  those  dreadful  woes  that  God  has  denounced  against  them 
in  tl?e  blessed  Scriptures  :  Zeph.  iii.  1,  '  Woe  to  the  oppressing  city!' 
Jer.  xxii.  13, '  Woe  unto  him  that  buildeth  his  house  by  unrighteous- 
ness, and  his  chambers  by  wrong :  that  useth  his  neighbour's  service 
without  wages,  and  giveth  him  not  for  his  work  !'  Isa.  x.  1-3,  'Woe 
unto  them  that  decree  unrighteous  decrees.  To  turn  aside  the  needy 
from  judgment,  and  to  take  away  the  right  from  the  poor  of  my 
people,  that  widows  may  be  their  prey,  and  that  the}^  may  rob  the 
fatherless  !  And  what  will  ye  do  in  the  day  of  visitation,  and  in  the 
desolation  which  shall  come  from  far  ?  to  whom  will  ye  flee  for  help  ? 
and  where  will  ye  leave  your  glory?'  Micah  ii.  1,  2,  '  Woe  to  them 
that  devise  iniquity,  and  work  evil  upon  their  beds  !  when  the  morn- 
ing is  light  they  practise  it,  because  it  is  in  the  power  of  their  hand. 
And  they  covet  fields,  and  take  them  by  violence ;  and  houses,  and 
take  them  away :  so  they  oppress  a  man  and  his  house,  even  a  man 
and  his  heritage.'  Now  by  all  these  dreadful  woes  it  is  further  evi- 
dent that  this  horrid  sin  of  insolent  oppression  cannot  be  charged 
upon  the  called  and  chosen  of  God  ;  for  where  do  you  find  in  all  the 
Scriptures  the  vessels  of  glory  under  those  woes  that  are  denounced 
against  the  ungodly  ?     But, 

6.  Sixthly,  Rejecting  the  gospel,  contemning  the  gos])el,  and  slight- 
mg  the  free  and  gracious  offers  of  Christ  in  the  gospel,  hrings  the  fiery 
dispensation  upon  a  people,  and  causes  the  Lord  to  lay  their  cities 
desolate :  Mat.  xxii.  2-7,  '  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a 
certain  king  which  made  a  marriage  for  his  son.  And  he  sent  forth 
his  servants  to  call  them  that  were  bidden  to  the  wedding :  and  they 
would  not  come.  Again  he  sent  forth  other  servants,  saying,  Tell 
them  which  are  bidden.  Behold,  I  have  prepared  my  dinner :  my  oxen 
and  my  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all  things  are  ready;  come  unto  the 
marriage.  But  they  made  light  of  it,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his 
farm,  another  to  his  merchandise:  and  the  remnant  took  his  servants, 
and  entreated  them  spitefully,  and  slew  them.  But  when  the  king 
heard  thereof,  he  was  wroth :  and  sent  forth  his  armies,  and  destroyed 
those  murderers,  and  burnt  up  their  city.'  In  this  parable  the  voca- 
tion of  the  Gentiles  and  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  is  set  forth. i  The 
Jews  have  the  honour  to  be  first  called  to  the  marriage-feast — they 
are  invited  by  the  prophets,  and  afterwards  by  the  apostles  to  partake 
of  Christ,  and  of  all  his  royal  benefits  and  favours  which  are  dis- 
played in  the  gospel,  Isa.  xxv.  8,  9;  Prov.  ix.  1-6;  Isa.  Iv.  1-3. 
God  the  Father  was  very  willing  and  desirous  to  make  up  a  match 
between  Christ  and  the  Jews,  and  between  Christ  and  the  Gentiles ; 
and  he  is  here  called  a  King,  to  declare  his  divine  majesty,  and  to  set 
forth  the  stateliness  and  magnificence  of  the  feast.  Marriage-feasts 
that  are  usually  made  by  kings  are  full  of  joy,  and  full  of  state,  full 
of  splendour  and  glory.     Who  can  sum  up  the  variety  of  dishes  and 

^  Calvin,  Chrysostom. 
VOL.  VI.  F 


82  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa,  XLII,  24,  25. 

dainties  tliat  then  the  guests  are  feasted  Avitli  ?  Tlic  variety  of  the 
glorious  excellencies,  favours,  and  mercies  of  Christ  that  are  discovered 
and  tendered  by  God  in  gospel-offers,  in  gospel-ordinances,  is  the  wed- 
ding-feast to  Avhicli  all  sorts  of  sinners  arc  invited.  But  here  you  see 
they  slight,  and  scorn,  and  contemn  both  the  master  of  the  feast  and  the 
matter  of  the  feast,  and  all  those  servants  that  were  sent  to  invite  them 
to  the  feast ;  and  hereui)on  tlie  king  was  wroth,  and  sent  forth  his 
armies — tlie  Eomans,  as  most  interpreters  do  agree — and  destroyed 
those  murderers,  and  burnt  up  their  city.  About  forty  years  after  the 
death  of  Christ,  the  Lord,  to  revenge  the  blood  of  his  Son,  the  blood  of 
his  servants,  and  the  contempt  of  his  gospel  upon  the  Jews,  brought 
his  armies,  the  liomans,  against  Jerusalem,  who  by  fire  demolished 
their  temple  and  city,  and  by  sword  and  famine  destroyed  eleven  mil- 
lions of  men,  women,  and  children  ;  and  those  that  escaped  fire,  sword, 
and  famine,  were  sold  for  slaves,  and  scattered  among  all  the  nations.^ 
Christ  and  the  way  of  salvation  by  him  is  the  subject-matter  of  the 
gospel.  The  word  'EvayyeXiop,  that  is  rendered  '  gospel,'  signifies  glad 
tidings,  good  news ;  and  certainly  salvation  by  Christ  is  the  best  news, 
it  is  the  greatest  and  the  gladdest  tidings  that  ever  was  brought  to  sin- 
ners' ears.  AVhat  tlie  psalmist  had  long  before  said  of  the  city  of  God, 
'  Glorious  things  are  spoken  of  thee,'  Ps.  Ixxxvii.  3,  that  I  may  truly 
say  of  the  blessed  gospel,  '  Glorious  things  are  spoken  of  thee,  0  thou 
gospel  of  God.'  The  gospel  is  called  '  the  glorious  gospel  of  the 
blessed  God,'  1  Tim.  i.  11.  The  gospel  is  a  glorious  gospel  in  respect 
of  the  Author  of  it,  and  in  respect  of  the  penmen  of  it,  and  in  resi^ect 
of  the  glorious  discoveries  that  it  makes  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the 
Spirit,  of  heaven,  and  in  respect  of  its  glorious  eficcts,  in  turning  of 
poor  sinners  '  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
unto  God,' Acts  xxvi.  18,  that  they  may  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and 
inheritance  among  them  which  arc  sanctified.  Certainly  Solomon's 
natural  history,  in  which  he  treated  of  all  trees, '  from  the  cedar  to  the 
hyssop,  of  all  beasts,  fowls,  and  creeping  things,'  1  Kings  iv.  33,  was  a  very 
rare  and  incomparable  piece  in  its  kind  ;  yet  one  leaf,  yea,  one  line  of  the 
gospel  is  infinitely  more  Avorth,  and  of  greater  importance  to  us,  than 
all  that  large  volume  would  have  been.2  For  what  is  the  knowledge 
of  trees,  and  birds,  and  beasts,  and  Avorms,  and  fishes,  to  the  knowledge 
of  God  in  Christ,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  great  things  of  eternity,  to 
the  knowledge  of  a  man's  sinful  estate  by  nature,  or  to  the  knowledge 
of  his  happy  estate  by  grace  ?  Doubtless  to  a  soul  that  hath  tasted 
that  the  Lord  is  gracious,  there  is  no  book  to  this  of  the  Bible.  Acts 
xix.  19 :  When  the  Lord  had  made  it  the  day  of  his  glorious  power 
to  their  conviction,  conversion,  and  salvation,  they  burnt  their  costly 
books  of  curious  arts.  And  no  wonder ;  for  they  had  found  the  power 
and  the  sweet  of  a  better  book,  even  of  God's  book,  upon  their  hearts. 
Luther,  speaking  of  the  gospel,  saith,  '  that  the  shortest  line,  and  the 
least  letter  thereof,  is  more  worth  than  all  heaven  and  earth.'  He 
tasted  so  much  of  the  sweetness  of  the  gospel,  and  saw  so  much  of  the 

^  Josephus  (Ic  Bell  Judaic,  lib.  vii. 

^  Some  .are  of  opinion  that  it  was  burnt  Iiy  the  Chaldees,  together  with  tlic  temple; 
others  think  that  it  was  abolished  by  Ilczckiah,  because  the  people  idolised  it,  as  they 
did  the  brazen  serpent. 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  83 

glory  and  excellency  of  tlie  gospel,  that  lie  wonld  often  say  to  his 
friends,  that  he  would  not  take  all  the  world  for  one  leaf  of  the  Bible. 
Rab.  Chiia,  in  the  Jerusalem  Talmud,  saith,  that  in  his  account  all 
the  world  is  not  of  equal  value  with  one  word  out  of  the  law.  Israel 
had  three  crowns,  as  the  Talmud  observes,  (1.)  of  the  king,  (2.)  of  the 
priest,  (3.)  of  the  law;  but  the  crown  of  tlie  law  was  counted  by  them 
the  chiefest  of  the  three.  Then  what  is  the  crown  of  the  gospel  to  all 
those  upon  whom  the  gospel  is  come  in  power  ?  1  Thes.  i.  5-7.  How 
divinely  did  that  poet  speak,  who  said  he  could  read  God  in  every 
leaf  on  the  tree,  and  that  he  found  his  name  written  on  every  green 
herb ;  and  shall  not  we  read  God,  and  Clii'ist,  and  grace,  and  mercy 
in  every  leaf,  yea,  in  every  line  of  the  gospel?  The  Bible,  saith 
Luther,  is  the  only  book ;  all  the  books  in  the  world  are  but  waste 
paper  to  it,i  so  highly  did  he  prize  it,  and  so  dearly  did  he 
love  it.  Contempt  of  the  gospel  is  a  great  indignity  cast  upon 
the  great  God,  and  a  great  indignity  cast  upon  Jesus  Christ ;  for 
though  the  law  was  delivered  by  Moses,  yet  the  gospel  was  deli- 
vered by  Jesus  Christ.  And  if  they  escaped  not  who  despised 
him  that  spake  from  earth,  of  how  much  sorer  punishment  are  they 
worthy  that  contemn  him  that  speaks  from  heaven  ?  Heb.  ii.  3,  and 
X.  28,  29.  If  the  book  of  the  law  happen  to  fall  upon  the  ground, 
the  Jews'  custom  is  presently  to  proclaim  a  fast.  0  sirs  !  what  cause 
then  have  we  to  fast  and  mourn,  when  we  see  the  glorious  gospel  of 
God  fallen  to  the  ground,  scorned,  despised,  contemned,  and  trampled 
upon  by  all  sorts  of  sinners  !  ^  Contempt  of  the  gospel  is  a  sin  of  the 
greatest  ingratitude.  In  the  gospel  God  offers  himself,  his  Son,  his 
Spirit,  his  grace,  his  kingdom,  and  all  the  glory  of  another  world. 
Now  for  men  to  despise  and  contemn  these  offers,  is  the  highest  in- 
gratitude and  unthanldulness  imaginable  ;  and  therefore  no  wonder 
if  God  burn  such  men  up,  and  turn  them  out  of  house  and  home. 
Such  justly  deserve  the  worst  of  judgments,  who  despise  the  best  of 
mercies.  The  strongest  and  the  sweetest  wine  always  makes  the 
sharpest  vinegar ;  the  freest,  the  richest,  and  the  choicest  offers  of 
mercy,  if  slighted  and  contemned,  turn  into  the  greatest  fury  and 
severity.  Divine  wrath  smokes  and  burns  against  none  so  fiercely,  as 
it  doth  against  those  who  are  despisers  of  gospel  mercies.  When  gold 
is  offered,  men  care  not  how  great  or  how  base  he  is  that  offers  it : 
neither  is  it  material  by  whom  the  gospel  is  brought  unto  us,  whether 
it  be  brought  unto  us  by  Isaiah,  as  some  think,  a  prophet  of  the  blood- 
royal,  or  by  Amos  from  amongst  the  herdmen  of  Tekoa.  Let  the 
hand  be  more  noble  or  more  mean  that  brings  it,  if  it  be  slighted  and 
contemned,  provoked  justice  will  revenge  it.  Such  as  slight  the 
gospel,  and  contemn  the  gospel,  they  sin  with  a  high  hand  against 
the  remedy,  against  the  means  of  their  recovery.  '  This  is  the  con- 
demnation,' John  iii.  19,  this  is  that  desperate  sin  that  hastens 
judgments  upon  cities  and  countries,  as  Jewry,  Asia,  Bohemia, 
and  other  parts  of  the  world  have  sadly  experienced.     He  that  hath 

^  Luther,  Com.  in  Gen.,  cap.  19. 

*  Jerome  reports  of  Uzzah,  that  his  shoulder  was  shrunk  up  and  withered ;  he  carted 
the  ark  when  he  should  liave  carried  it  on  his  shoulder  :  therefore  that  part  was  branded 
for  it. 


84  London's  lamentations  on        [IvSA.  XLII.  24,  25. 

eat  poison,  and  shall  despise  the  means  of  his  recovery,  must  certainly 
die  for  it.  He  who,  when  he  hath  committed  treason  against  his 
prince,  shall  not  only  refuse,  but  scorn  and  slight  his  prince's  favour 
and  pardon,  and  fling  it  from  him  with  disdain,  is  assuredly  past  all 
help  and  hope.  Sins  against  the  gospel  are  sins  of  a  greater  size,  of 
a  louder  cry,  and  of  a  deeper  dye,  than  sins  against  the  law  are,  and 
accordingly  God  suits  his  judgments.  Where  the  gospel  shines  in 
power,  it  will  either  mend  a  people  or  mar  a  people :  it  will  either 
better  them  or  worsen  them ;  it  will  either  fit  them  for  the  greatest 
good,  or  it  will  bring  upon  them  the  greatest  evils :  where  it  doth  not 
reform,  there  it  will  destroy.  And  this  London  hatli  found  by  woeful 
experience.  Slighting  and  contemning  of  the  offers  of  grace  in  the 
gosjiel,  is  a  sin  that  is  not  chargeable  upon  the  greatest  j^art  of  the 
world,  who  '  lieth  in  wickedness,'  and  who  '  sit  in  darkness,  and  in 
the  region  and  shadow  of  death,'  1  John  v.  19  ;  Mat.  iv.  16 ;  yea,  it 
is  a  sin  that  is  not  chargeable  upon  the  devils  themselves,  and  there- 
fore the  more  severely  will  God  deal  with  those  that  are  guilty  of  it. 
The  gospel  hath  for  above  this  hundred  years  shined  forth  out  of  the 
dark  and  thick  clouds  of  popery  and  antichristianism  which  had  over- 
spread the  nation.  And  in  no  part  of  the  land  hath  the  gospel  been 
preached  wath  more  clearness,  spiritualness,  life,  power,  and  purity 
than  in  London.  And  oh  that  I  had  not  cause  to  say  that  there  was 
no  part  of  the  nation  where  the  gospel  was  more  undervalued,  slighted, 
and  contemned  by  many  than  in  London  !     For, 

[1.]  First,  Where  the  faithful  and  ixdnful  ministers  of  the  gospel 
are  slighted  and  contemned  as  ministers  of  the  gospel,  there  the  gospel 
is  slighted  and  contemned,  Mat.  xxiii.  37,  and  Luke  x.  16.  Now 
were  there  none  within  nor  w'ithout  thy  walls,  0  London !  that  did 
slight,  scorn,  reproach,  and  contemn  the  ambassadors  of  Christ,  who 
were  faithful  to  their  light,  their  Lord,  their  consciences,  and  the  souls 
of  their  hearers  ?     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Where  the  ministrations  of  the  gospel,  where  the 
ordinances  of  the  gosjx'l  are  slighted  and  contemned,  there  ijie  gospel 
is  slighted  and  contemned ;  yea,  where  any  one  ordinance  of  the 
gospel  is  slighted  and  contemned,  there  the  gospel  is  slighted  and 
contemned :  where  baptism  is  slighted  and  contemned,  there  the 
gosjiel  is  slighted  and  contemned ;  where  the  Lord's  supper  is 
slighted  and  contemned,  there  the  gospel  is  slighted  and  contemned  ; 
where  the  offers  of  the  gospel  are  slighted  and  contemned,  there  the 
gospel  is  slighted  and  contemned  ;  where  the  commands  of  the  gospel 
are  slighted  and  contemned,  there  the  gospel  is  slighted  and  con- 
temned ;  where  the  threatenings  of  the  gospel  are  slighted  and  con- 
temned, there  the  gospel  is  slighted  and  coutenmed ;  where  the  pro- 
mises of  the  gospel  are  slighted  and  contemned,  there  the  gospel  is 
slighted  and  contemned  ;  and  where  the  comforts  of  the  gospel  are 
slighted  and  contemned,  there  the  gos})el  is  slighted  and  contemned.' 
Now  were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls,  0  London  !  that 
did  slight  and  contemn  the  ministrations  of  the  gospel,  '  the  ordinances 

'  A  man  upon  whom  the  gospel  hath  wrought  savingly,  he  will,  ^1.)  Prize  all  the 
ordinances ;  (2.)  Practise  all  the  ordinances ;  (3.)  Praise  the  Lord  for  all  the  or- 
dinances. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  85 

of  the  gospel'?  Luke  i.  5,  6.  When  old  Barzillai  had  lost  his  taste 
and  hearing,  he  cared  not  for  David's  feasts  and  music,  2  Sam.  xix. 
35.  There  were  many  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London  that 
had  lost  their  spiritual  taste  and  h(^ring,  and  so  cared  not  for  gospel 
ministrations,  for  gospel  ordinances.  There  were  many  who,  under  a 
pretence  of  living  above  ordinances,  lived  below  ordinances,  and  made 
light  of  ordinances ;  yea,  who  scorned,  vilified,  and  contemned  the 
precious  ordinances  of  Christ.  '  Thou  art  to  them  as  a  lovely  song,' 
saith  the  prophet,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31,  32.  In  the  Hebrew  it  runs  thus, 
'  Thou  art  to  them  as  one  that  breaks  jests.'  The  solemnity  and 
majesty  of  the  word  was  but  as  a  dry  jest  unto  them.  Ordinances 
were  but  as  dry  jests  to  many  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London  ; 
and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God  hath  been  in  such  good  earnest  with 
them  who  have  made  but  a  jest  of  those  precious  ordinances,  that  are 
more  worth  than  heaven  and  earth.  Many  came  to  the  ordinances 
too  much  like  the  Egyptian  dog,  which  laps  a  little  as  he  runs  by  the 
side  of  Nilus,  but  stays  not  to  drink.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Such  as  are  weary  of  tlie  gospel,  such  slight  the 
gospel,  such  contemn  the  gospel.  Never  were  the  Israelites  more  weary 
of  manna,  than  many  wdthin  and  without  the  walls  of  London  were 
weary  of  the  plain  and  powerful  preaching  of  the  gospel.  Num.  xi.  6 ; 
Amos  viii.  5.  We  were  better  have  a  biting  gospel  than  a  toothless 
mass,  said  blessed  Bradford.  But  were  there  not  some  that  had 
rather  have  a  toothless  mass  than  a  biting  gospel  ?  Were  there  not 
many  that  were  willing  to  let  God  go,  and  gospel  go,  and  ordinances 
go,  and  all  go,  so  they  might  be  eased  of  their  burdens  and  taxes,  and 
greaten  their  relations,  and  have  peace  with  all  nations,  and  enjoy  a 
sweeping  trade,  and  every  one  sit  under  his  vine  and  under  his  fig- 
tree,  eating  the  fat,  and  drinking  the  sweet,  and  enjoy  liberty  to  dis- 
honour the  Lord,  to  gratify  their  lusts,  to  damn  their  own  souls,  and 
to  bring  others  under  their  feet,  so  weary  were  they  of  the  blessed 
gospel  ? 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Such  as  have  but  a  loiv  and  mean  opinion  of  the 
gospel,  such  are  slighters  and  contemners  of  the  gospel.  Such  as 
j)refer  every  toy,  and  trifle,  and  fashion,  and  sinful  custom,  and  base 
lust  above  the  light  of  the  gospel,  the  power  of  the  gospel,  the  purity 
and  simplicity  of  the  gospel,  the  holiness  and  sweetness  of  the  gospel, 
such  are  slighters  and  contemners  of  the  gospel,  1  Cor.  i.  23.  Though 
it  be  better  to  present  truth  in  her  native  plainness  than  to  hang  her 
ears  with  counterfeit  pearls,  yet  there  were  many  that  set  a  greater 
price  upon  the  arts,  the  parts,  the  gifts,  the  studied  notions  and 
seraphical  expressions  of  their  ministers,  than  they  did  upon  the  gospel 
itself ;  and  what  was  this  but  to  prefer  the  handmaid  before  the 
mistress,  the  servant  before  his  lord,  the  flowers  about  the  dish  before 
the  meat  that  was  in  the  dish,  the  chaff  before  the  wheat,  and  pebbles 
before  the  richest  pearls  ?  The  gospel  is  the  field,  and  Christ  is  the 
treasure  that  is  hid  in  that  field ;  the  gospel  is  a  ring  of  gold,  and 
Christ  is  the  pearl  in  that  ring  of  gold  ;  and  yet  how  many  were  there 
within  and  without  the  walls  of  London  that  put  no  considerable  price 
or  value  upon  the  gospel !     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Such  as  ivilfully  disobey  the  gospel,  and  live  and  ivalk 


86  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

in  ways  quite  cross  and  contrary  to  the  r/osjjcl,  such  are  slifjhters  and 
contemners  of  the  gospel,  and  accordingly  the  Lord  will  deal  ivith 
them.  Take  one  text  for  all,  2  Thcs.  i.  7-9,  '  And  to  you  who  are 
troubled  rest  with  us,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from 
heaven  with  his  mighty  angels,  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on 
them  that  know  nut  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  gosi)el  of  our  Lord 
Jesus :  who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power.'  This  is  a 
more  terrible  text  against  all  such  as  are  either  ignorant  of  the  gospel 
or  that  disobey  the  gospel,  than  any  is  to  be  found  in  all  the  Old 
Testament.  In  the  last  day  Christ  will  take  vengeance  in  flaming 
fire  on  them  that  disobey  his  gospel,  and  that  walk  contrary  to  the 
rules  of  his  gospel ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  before  that  day  he  lays 
their  habitations  desolate  by  a  flaming  fire,  whose  lives  give  the  lie  to 
his  glorious  gospel.  These  men  above  all  others  expose  the  gosi)el  to 
the  derision  and  contempt  of  the  basest  and  vilest  men.  When  some 
of  the  heathens  have  looked  upon  the  loose  lives  of  professors,  they 
have  said,  Aut  hoc  non  est  cvangeliicm,  aut  hi  non  sunt  Christiani, 
Either  this  is  not  the  gospel,  in  which  there  is  so  much  goodness,  or 
these  are  not  Christians,  in  whom  there  is  none  at  all.  Did  you  never 
hear  nor  read  of  one  who,  eyeing  the  loose  conversations  of  i)rofessors, 
cried  out,  Sit  miima  mca  cum  jjhilosojjhis,  Let  my  soul  be  rather  with 
the  honest  philosophers — who  were  heathen — than  with  these  wicked 
lewd  men  that  are  called  Christians  ?  Now  were  there  none  within 
nor  without  the  walls  of  London  that  did  wilfully  disobey  the  gospel, 
and  that  walked  in  ways  quite  cross  and  contrary  to  the  gospel  ? 
Surely  there  were ;  and  therefore  at  their  doors  we  may  safely  lay  the 
burning  of  London.     ]3ut, 

[G.]  Sixthly  and  lastly,  Such  as  slighted,  scorned,  and  contemned 
the  faithful,  sincere,  sei'ious,  gracious,  and  conscientious ^wofessors  of 
the  gospel,  stwh  slighted,  scorned,  and  contemned  the  gospel  itself. 
When  the  Jews  were  in  pros})erity,  it  was  the  manner  of  the  Samari- 
tans to  repute  themselves  their  nearest  cousins.  Wlien  the  Jews  were 
in  a  thriving  and  flourishing  condition,  then  the  Samaritans  could  de- 
rive their  pedigree  from  Ephraim  and  Manasseh,  the  sons  of  Josei)h ; 
but  when  tlie  Jews  were  in  any  great  affliction,  or  under  persecution, 
then  they  would  deny  all  acquaintance  with  them  and  all  relation  to 
them.i  When  profession  was  in  fashion  and  religion  was  in  credit, 
how  many  were  there  within  and  without  the  Avails  of  London  that 
did  pretend  to  be  kin,  to  be  cousins  to  the  serious,  conscientious,  and 
sincere  professors  of  the  gos])el,  who  since  the  day  of  their  alfliction 
have  not  only  denied  all  acquaintance  with  them,  and  renounced  all 
relation  to  them,  but  also  are  turned  slighters,  scorners,  and  con- 
tenmers  of  them  !  If  these  may  not  be  reckoned  among  the  slighters, 
scorners,  and  contemners  of  the  gospel,  I  do  not  know  who  may.  To 
sum  up  all,  I  have  shewed  you  that  slighting,  scorniug,  and  contemn- 
ing of  the  gospel,  isa  sin  of  that  high  nature  that  it  provokes  tlie  Lord 
to  Liy  cities  desolate.  I  have  shewed  you  the  greatness  of  that  sin, 
and  the  ])ersons  that  are  guilty  of  it ;  so  that  now  you  may  point  with 
•  a  finger  to  those  persons  that  have  laid  London  in  ashes. 

*  Joseph.  Antiq.,  lib.  xi.  cap.  8. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  87 

But  before  I  close  up  this  particular,  give  me  leave  to  say,  that 
this  sin  of  slighting,  scorning,  and  contemning  of  the  gospel,  I  dare 
not  charge  upon  those  that  truly  fear  the  Lord,  and  that  have  found 
the  gospel  to  be  a  gospel  of  power  upon  their  own  souls,  turning  them 
from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  to  Jesus  Christ, 
1  Thes.  i.  5-7;  Acts  xxvi.  18.  And  I  shall  freely  give  you  my 
reasons,  that  you  mny  be  the  better  satisfied  that  it  was  not  so  much 
their  sins  as  your  own  that  has  brought  down  that  heavy  judgment  of 
fire  upon  the  city,  wherein  once  you  and  they  had  your  respective 
habitations.     My  reasons  are  these : — 

[1.]  First,  Those  that  did  truly  fear  the  Lord,  and  that  had  experi- 
enced the  power  of  the  gospel  in  a  saving  way  upon  their  owai  souls, 
they  did  frequently  before  the  Lord  bewail  and  moimi  over — hoili 
together  and  apart — that  heinous  sin  of  sligliting,  scorning,  and  con- 
temning of  the  gospel,  which  many  were  guilty  of  lohose  habitations 
ivere  then  some  within,  and  others  loithout  the  loalls  of  London,  Ezek. 
ix.  4,  6.  The  Jews  have  a  law  which  enjoins  them  to  take  up  any  paper 
which  they  see  lying  on  the  ground,  and  the  reason  is,  lest  haply  the 
name  of  God  be  written  in  the  paper,  and  ignorantly  trodden  under  foot. 
Though  Christians  ought  to  be  free  from  such  superstitious  curiosities, 
yet  they  ought  to  be  very  careful  that  the  least  tittle  of  the  gospel, 
the  least  command  of  the  gospel,  be  not  trod  under  foot.  Now  the 
saints  who  once  lived  within  and  without  the  walls  of  London,  Avho 
througli  grace  have  experienced  the  saving  power  of  the  gospel  upon 
their  own  souls,  how  have  they  mourned  and  lamented  to  see  that 
glorious  gospel  of  Christ  trod  under  foot,  which  they  have  laid  so 
near  their  hearts  !  and  therefore  I  cannot  fairly  charge  this  sin  upon 
them.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Slighting,  scorning,  and  contemning  of  the  gospel, 
is  a  great  step  toiuards  the  sin  agai7ist  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  a  sin  of  so 
gy^eat  a  cry,  and  so  deep  a  dye,  that  I  cannot  at  present  find  luhere  it  is 
in  Scripture  charged  U2J07i  su,ch  as  tndy  fear  the  Lord,  and  that  have 
recdly  experienced  the  poiver  of  the  gospel  in  a  saving  luay  upon  their 
own  souls,  Heb.  ii.  3,  and  x.  28,  29 ;  and  therefore  I  cannot  fliirly 
charge  this  sin  upon  them. 

[3.]  Tliirdly,  Next  to  God,  the  gospel  is  the  most  sioeet  and  delight- 
ful thing  in  cill  the  ivorld  to  go-acious  sotds,  who  have  experienced  the 
saving  po2cer  of  it  upon  themselves^  Luther  found  so  much  sweet- 
ness in  it,  that  it  made  him  say,  that  he  would  not  live  in  paradise  if 
he  might  without  the  word,  at  cum  verba  etiam  in  inferno  facile  est 
vivere  —  but  with  the  word  he  could  live  in  hell  itself.  I)olphins, 
they  say,  love  music,  and  so  do  gracious  souls  love  the  music  of  the 
gospel.  The  gospel  is  like  the  stone  garamcmtides,  that  hath  drops 
of  gold  within  itself,  enriching  all  that  will  embrace  it  and  conform 
to  it :  and  this  the  saints  have  found  by  experience,  and  therefore  they 
cannot  but  delight  in  it,  and  draw  sweetness  from  it.  Aglutuidas  2 
never  relished  any  dish  better  than  what  was  distasted  by  others :  so 

^  Ps.  xix.  10,  11,  and  cxix.  72,  103,  127 ;  Job  xxiii.  12.  Austin  cries,  Away  with  our 
■writings,  that  room  maj'  he  made  for  the  hook  of  God. 

^  Query,  Aglaus  of  Psophis,  so  renowned  for  his  contentedness  ?  Val.  Max.  vii.  1, 
§  2 :  Plinv  H.  N.  vii.  47.— G. 


88  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

do  the  saints  relisli  that  gospel  best  that  others  distaste  most ;  and 
therefore  I  cannot  cliarge  this  sin  fairly  upon  them.     But, 

[4.]  Fom'thly,  There  are  none  that  do  so  liiyhly  prize  the  gospel, 
and  that  set  so  high  a  value  ^ipon  the  gospel,  as  those  do  ivho  have 
expefrienced  the  saving  poiver  of  the  gospel  upon  their  own  souls,  Eev. 
xii.  11,  and  ii.  12,  13 ;  Heb.  xi.  33,  38.  Such  prefer  the  gospel  before 
all  their  nearest  and  dearest  concernments  and  enjoyments  that  they 
have  in  this  world  ;  as  might  be  made  evident  from  tlieir  practice  in 
the  primitive  times,  and  in  the  Marian  days,  and  in  those  late  years 
that  are  now  passed  over  our  heads. i  The  tabernacle  was  covered 
over  with  red,  and  the  purple  feathers  2  tell  us,  they  take  that  habit 
for  the  same  intent,  to  note  that  we  must  defend  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  even  to  the  effusion  of  blood :  and  this  they  have  made  good 
in  all  the  ages  of  the  world,  who  liave  found  the  saving  [)ower  of  the 
gospel  upon  their  own  souls.  Tertullian  concludes,  that  the  gospel 
must  needs  be  a  precious  thing,  because  Nero  hated  it ;  and  indeed 
it  was  so  precious  to  the  saints  in  his  days,  that  they  very  willingly 
and  cheerfully  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  gospels  sake. 3,  Now 
the  same  spirit  rests  upon  the  saints  in  our  days,  and  therefore 
upon  this  ground  I  cannot  charge  that  horrid  sin  of  slighting,  scorn- 
ing, and  contemning  of  the  gosi)el  upon  them.  Israel  had  three 
crowns,  as  the  Talmud  observes,  (1.)  of  the  king,  (2.)  of  the  priest, 
(3.)  of  the  law ;  but  the  crown  of  the  law,  that  was  the  cliief  of  the 
three.  , 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Who  ivere  so  ready  and  free  to  countenance  the  gospel, 
and  to  maintain  the  gospel,  and  to  encourage  the  faithful  and  painful 
preachers  of  the  gospel,  as  those  that  had  found  the  siveet  of  the  gospel, 
and  the  saving  p)oiver  of  the  gospel,  upon  tlieir  oivn  soids?  They  like 
well  of  religion  without  expense  in  Basil,  and  a  gospel  without  charge 
in  Nazianzen ;  but  if  it  grow  costly,  it  is  no  commodity  for  their 
money.  Now  this  was  the  very  frame  and  temper  of  many  thousands 
in  London,  who  never  experienced  the  saving  work  of  the  gospel  upon 
their  poor  souls :  but  they  were  of  another  frame  and  temper  of  spirit 
in  London  upon  whom  the  gospel  was  fallen  in  power ;  and  therefore 
I  may  not  charge  upon  them  this  odious  sin  of  slighting,  scorning, 
and  contemning  the  gospel.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Who  were  there  tvithin  or  ivithout  the  locdls  of  London 
that  were  so  much  in  a  hearty  and  serious  blessing,  praising,  and 
admiring  of  the  Lord  and  his  goodness  for  hHnging  them  forth  in  gospel 
times,  as  those  that  had  a  saving  ivork  of  the  gospel  upon  their  oivn 
souls?  When  Alexander  was  born,  his  father  Philip  blessed  such 
gods  as  he  had,  not  so  mucli  that  he  had  a  son,  as  that  he  had  him  in 
Aristotle's  days ;  he  was  thankful  for  natural  and  moral  discoveries. 
The  clearest,  the  choicest,  the  fullest,  and  the  sweetest  visions  and  dis- 
coveries that  we  have  of  God  on  this  side  eternity,  we  have  in  the 
gospel,  and  this  they  frequently  experience  who  have  found  the  gospel 
falling  in  power  upon  their  souls  ;  and  therefore  they  cannot  but  always 
have  harps  in  their  hands,  and  hallelujahs  in  their  mouths,  upon  this 

'  Luther,  speak  ire;  of  tlie  go.spel,  saith,  that  the  ssliortest  line  and  the  least  letter  thereof 
is  more  than  all  JRaven  anil  earth. 

*  That  is,  the  Homisli  priests. — G.  ^  Tertul.  Apol.  cap.  v. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  89 

very  accoimt,  tha,t  they  have  lived  under  the  warm  sunshine  of  the 
gospel,  Rev.  xiv.  1-4,  and  xix.  1-8.  And  therefore  I  shall  not  charge 
this  vile  sin  of  slighting,  scorning,  and  contemning  the  gospel  upon 
them  who,  above  all  other  men,  were  most  exercised  in  a  serious  and 
hearty  blessing  and  praising  of  God  for  his  glorious  gospel.  Some 
there  were  that  blessed  God  for  their  yearly  incomes,  and  others  there 
were  that  blessed  God  for  their  prosperous  relations  and  friends,  and 
many  there  were  that  blessed  God  for  their  deliverance  from  various 
perils  and  dangers ;  but  those  that  had  the  gospel  working  in  power 
upon  them,  they  made  it  their  business  and  work  above  all  to  bless  the 
Lord  for  the  gospel ;  and  therefore  who  dare  charge  upon  them  the 
contempt  of  the  gospel  ?     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly,  There  loere  none  loUMn  nor  ivithout  the 
walls  of  Lo7idon  that  have  suffered  so  many  things  and  such  hard 
things,  for  the  eiijoyment  of  the  gospel  in  its  power  and  purity,  as 
they  have  done  ivho  have  found  the  -powerful  a7id  saving  ivoi'Jc  of  the 
gospel  upon  their  oivn  souls.  Such  have  been  as  signs  and  wonders  in 
Israel,  in  London,  Isa.  viii.  18.  Now  what  folly  and  vanity  would  it 
be  to  charge  them .  with  slighting,  scorning,  and  contemning  of  the 
gospel,  who  have  been  the  only  sufferers  for  the  gospel's  sake.  And 
thus  much  for  the  twelfth i  sin  that  brings  the  fiery  dispensation  upon 
cities  and  people. 

7.  The  sin  that  hrings  the  fiery  dispensation  upon  a  people,  and  that 
provokes  the  Lord  to  lay  their  cities  desolate,  is  a  course,  a  trade  of 
lying :  Nahum  iii.  1 ,  '  Woe  to  the  bloody  city,  it  is  full  of  lies ; ' 
ver.  7,  '  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  all  they  that  look  upon  thee 
shall  flee  from  thee,  and  say,  Nineveh  is  laid  waste,  who  will  bemoan 
her  ?  whence  shall  I  seek  comforters  for  thee  ?'  ver.  13,  '  Behold,  thy 
people  in  the  midst  of  thee  are  women :  the  gates  of  thy  land  shall  be 
set  wide  open  to  thine  enemies :  the  fire  shall  devour  thy  bars,'  that  is, 
thy  strongholds  ;  for  so  the  word  hars  is  frequently  taken,  as  you  may 
see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin. 2  Nineveh  was  a  great 
city,  a  rich  city,  a  populous  city,  a  trading  city,  it  was  a  city  that  was 
wholly  made  up  of  fraud  and  falsehood  ;  it  was  all  full  of  lies,  or  it  was 
full  of  all  sorts  of  lies  ;  there  was  no  truth  to  be  found  either  in  her 
private  contracts  or  in  her  public  transactions  and  capitulations  with 
other  nations  ;  and  therefore  the  Lord  resolves  to  lay  her  desolate,  and 
to  consume  her  with  fire.  So  Jer.  ix.  3,  '  And  they  bend  their  tongues 
like  their  bow  for  lies;'  ver.  5,  'And  they  will  deceive  every  one  his 
neighbour,  and  will  not  speak  the  truth  :  they  have  taught  their  tongue 
to  speak  lies,  and  weary  themselves  to  commit  iniquity  ;'  ver.  9,  '  Shall 
I  not  visit  for  these  things  ?  saith  the  Lord :  shall  not  my  soul  be 
avenged  on  such  a  nation  as  this?'  ver.  10,  'For  the  mountains  will 
I  take  up  a  weeping  and  wailing,  and  for  the  habitations  of  the  wil- 
derness a  lamentation,  because  they  are  burnt  uj) ;  so  that  none  can 
pass  through  them,  neither  can  men  hear  the  voice  of  the  cattle ;  both 
the  fowl  of  the  heavens  and  the  beasts  are  fled,  they  are  gone;'  ver.  ]  1, 
'  And  I  will  make  Jerusalem  heaps,'  (as  London  is  this  day,)  '  and  a 

1  Qu.  '  sixth  ?  '—Ed. 

"  1  Sam.  xxiii.  7;  1  Kings  iv.  13;  2  Ciiron.  viii.  5,  and  xiv.  7  ;  Jer.  xlix.  31,  and 
11.  30  ;  Lam.  ii.  9  ;  Amos  i.  5. 


00  •    London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

den  of  dragons;  and  I  will  make  the  cities  of  Judali  desolate,  without 
an  inhabitant ;'  ver.  12,  '  Who  is  the  wise  man  that  may  understand 
this  ?  and  who  is  he  to  whom  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken,  that 
he  may  declare  it,  for  what  the  land  perisheth,  and  is  burnt  up  like  a 
wilderness  that  none  passeth  through  ?'  Jer.  xiii.  23.  The  Jews  had 
so  inured  and  accustomed  their  tongues  to  speak  lies,  they  had  got 
such  a  haunt,  a  habit,  and  custom  of  lying,  that  they  could  not  leave 
it ;  and  this  was  the  procuring  cause  of  that  dreadful  and  utter  devas- 
tation that  befell  their  city  and  country  :  Hosea  iv.  1-3,  '  Hear  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  ye  children  of  Israel,  for  the  Lord  hatha  controversy,  with 
the  inhabitants  of  the  land,  because  there  is  no  truth,  nor  mercy,  nor 
knowledge  of  Grod  in  the  land.  By  swearing,  and  lying,  and  killing, 
and  stealing,  and  committing  adultery,  they  break  out,  and  blood 
toucheth  blood.  Therefore  shall  the  land  mourn,  and  every  one  that 
"dwelleth  therein  shall  languish,  with  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  with 
the  fowls  of  heaven ;  yea,  the  fishes  of  the  sea  also  shall  be  taken 
away.'  This  people  made  it  their  conmion  practice  to  lie  ;  they  were 
given  up  to  a  course,  a  trade  of  lying,  which  God  here  threatens  to 
punish  with  an  extreme  and  universal  desolation.  A  lie  is  a  voluntary 
and  wilful  telling  of  an  untruth,  with  a  purpose  to  deceive ;  so  that 
three  things  are  required  to  the  nature  of  a  lie:  (1.)  There  must  be 
an  untruth  and  falseness  in  the  thing;  (2.)  This  untruth  must  be 
known  to  be  so,  he  must  be  conscious  to  himself  that  it  is  false ; 
(3.)  He  must  have  an  intent  and  purpose  to  utter  this  falsehood  with 
a  desire  or  design  to  deceive  another  by  it.  Augustine  makes  eight 
sorts  of  lies,  but  the  schoolmen  reduce  all  to  three :  1.  Is  Jocosum,  the 
sporting  lie ;  2.  Is  qfficiosmn,  the  helpful  lie ;  3.  Is  permciosum,  the 
pernicious  and  hurtful  lie. 

(1.)  First,  There  is  mendacmm  jocomim,  the  sporting  lie;  and  this 
is  when  men  wiU  lie  and  tell  untruths  to  make  men  sport,  to  make 
men  merry.  Of  this  sin  the  prophet  Hosca  complains,  chap.  vii.  3, 
'  They  make  the  king  glad  with  their  wickedness,  and  the  princes  with 
their  lies' ^  Courtiers  frame  fictions,  and  tell  ridiculous  stories  to 
delight  princes.  Among  many  courtiers  loud  lies  are  esteemed  orna- 
ments and  elegancies  of  speech  ;  and  none  are  accounted  so  sweet  and 
pleasant  in  their  discourse  as  those  that  can  tell  the  most  pleasing  lies  ; 
but  s.uch  mirth-mongers  and  mirth-makers  may  do  well  to  remember 
that  sucli  kind  of  mirth  will  bring  bitterness  in  the  end.  If  for  '  every 
idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  must  give  an  account  in  the  day 
of  judgment,'  IMat.  xii.  30,  then  surely  nuich  more  for  every  lying 
word.  And  if  foolish  talking  and  jesting  be  condemned,  then  surely 
lying  talking  and  jesting  shall  be  nuich  more  condemned,  if  not  here, 
yet  in  the  great  day,  when  all  lying  jesters  shall  holil  up  their  hands 
at  Christ's  l)ar.  Now  were  there  none  within  nor  without  the  walls  of 
London  that  were  guilty  of  merry  lies,  of  sporting  lies  ?     But, 

(2.)  Secondly,  There  is  mendacium  ojficiosum,  the  officious  lie,  the 
help/id  lie  ;  and  that  is  when  a  man  lies  to  help  himself  or  others  at 
a  pinch,  at  a  dead  lift.  When  men  lie,  either  to  prevent  some  danger 
they  fear,  or  else  to  bring  about  some  good  they  desire,  then  they  tell 
an  officious  lie.     Thus  the  Egyptian  midwives  lied,  and  thus  Ilahab 

Mt  is  a  received  opinion  in  these  days,  that,  Qui  nescit  dissimulare,  nescit  vivere. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  91 

lied,  and  thus  the  okl  prophet  lied,  who,  contrary  to  the  command 
of  God,  persuaded  the  man  of  God  to  go  back  and  eat  bread  with  him 
under  the  pretence  of  a  divine  revelation,  Exod.  i.  15-20  ;  Josh.  ii. 
1-9  ;  1  Kings  xiii.  14-27.  And  thus  Jacob  told  his  father  an 
officious  threefold  lie,  Gen.  xxvii.  19,  but  he  hardly  ever  had  a  merry 
day,  a  good  day  after  it ;  for  God  followed  him  with  variety  of  troubles, 
and  his  sorrows,  like  Job's  messengers,  came  posting  in  one  after 
another,  even  to  his  dying  day,  that  both  himself  and  others  might  see 
what  bitterness  is  wrapped  up  in  officious  lies.  Solon,  reproving 
Thespis  the  poet  for  lying,  Thespis  answered  him,  That  it  Avas  not 
material,  seeing  it  was  but  in  sport ;  then  Solon,  beating  the  ground 
with  his  staff,  said.  If  we  commend  lying  in  sport,  we  shall  find  it 
afterwards  in  good  earnest.  In  all  our  bargains  and  dealings  let 
us  make  it  our  wisdom  and  our  work  to  remember,  '  That  we  must  not 
do  evil,  that  good  may  come,'  Eom.  iii.  8  ;  yea,  we  must  not  tell  a  lie 
to  save  all  the  souls  under  heaven.  The  Priscillianists  in  Spain,  a 
most  pestilentious  sect,  taught  in  Augustine's  time  that  it  was  lawful 
to  lie  for  the  helping  of  a  good  cause,  and  for  the  propagating  of  the 
gospel,  and  for  the  advantage  of  religion.  But  Augustine  confuted 
them,  and  stoutly  asserts  in  two  books  that  we  are  not  to  tell  an 
officious  lie,  to  tell  a  lie  for  no  hm-t  but  for  good,  though  it  were 
to  save  all  the  world.  '  Will  ye  speak  wickedly  for  God,  and  talk 
deceitfully  for  him  ?'  saitli  Job,  chap.  xiii.  7,  to  his  friends.  A  man 
may  as  well  commit  fornication  with  the  Moabites  to  draw  them  to  our 
religion,  or  steal  from  the  rich  to  give  to  the  poor,  as  lie  to  do  another 
man  a  good  turn.  Nepos  reporteth  of  Epaminondas,  a  nobleman  of 
Thebes,  and  a  famous  warrior,  that  he  would-  never  lie  in  jest  nor  in 
earnest,  either  for  his  own  or  another's  gain.  This  refined  heathen 
will  one  day  rise  in  judgment  against  such  kind  of  Christians  who 
take  a  great  pleasure  in  officious  lies.  Now  were  there  none  within 
or  without  the  walls  of  London  that  delighted  themselves  in  officious 
lies  ?     But, 

(3.)  Thirdly,  and  to  come  closer  to  our  work.  There  is  mendacium 
loemiciosum,  the  pemicioiis  and  hurtfid  lie  ;  and  this  of  all  lies  is  the 
worst,  Gen.  xxxix.  13-20,  and  2  Kings  v.  22,  23.  When  men  will 
lie  out  of  a  design  .to  hurt,  to  cheat,  to  defraud,  or  to  make  a  prey  of 
those  they  deal  with,  this  is  the  sorest  of  all  lies.  Now,  how  rampant 
was  this  sort,  of  lying  among  all  sorts  of  citizens  before  London  was  in 
flames  !  What  a  common  trade  of  lying  did  many,  I  say  not  all, 
drive  in  their  buying  and  selling  !  The  trade  of  lying  was  got  into 
every  trade,  as  if  there  had  been  no  living  but  by  lying.  Many  sellers 
had  their  lies  to  set  off  tlieir  commodities.  It  is  good,  it  is  very  good, 
it  is  special  good,  it  is  the  best  of  its  kind,  when  it  was  naught,  very 
naught,  yea,  stark  naught :  of  this  sort  there  are  none  so  good  in  the 
city,  when  tlieir  consciences  told  them  that  they  had  mucli  better  in 
their  own  shops ;  that  their  commodity  cost  them  so  much,  and  that 
they  could  not  abate,  nor  would  not  abate  anything  of  that  price  they 
had  pitched,  though  it  were  to  their  own  father  or  mother ;  and  yet, 
rather  than  they  would  lose  a  good  customer,  they  presently  agree  at  a 
lower  price.  And  so  when  poor  workmen  came  to  their  shops,  and 
offered  their  commodities  to  sell,  being  forced  thereunto  for  the  relief 


92  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

of  themselves  and  tlieir  miserable  families,  they  slighted  their  com- 
modities, tolIinEj  them  that  they  had  no  need  of  them,  and  that  they 
had  miK'li  of  those  commodities  upon  their  hands  ah-eady,  and  that 
they  had  no  way  to  vend  them ;  and  all  to  beat  down  the  price,  and 
to  make  a  prey  of  their  pressing  necessity ;  and  all  this  when  they 
wanted  those  very  commodities,  and  had  more  vend  for  them  than 
they  knew  how  to  supply.  Now,  as  the  seller  abounded  with  his  lies, 
so  the  buyer  had  his  lies  too,  and  all  to  biing  down  the  price :  It  is 
naught,  it  is  naught,  it  is  very  naught,  saith  the  buyer.  I  will  not 
give  you  your  price,  and  yet  gives  it  before  he  goes  out  of  the  shop  or 
warehouse.  I  have  bought  as  good,  yea,  better  for  a  lower  price  than 
Avhat  I  offer  you,  saith  the  buyer,  when  yet  he  had  never  bought  of 
that  commodity  before.  Use  me  well,  saith  the  buyer,  and  you  shall 
have  my  custom  another  time,  when  in  his  heart  he  resolves  never  to 
come  into  the  seller's  shop  more.  Ah,  London  !  London !  it  is  these 
lies  and  liars  that  have  made  thee  desolate,  and  that  have  laid  thy 
glory  in  the  dust.  0  sirs !  a  man  were  better  be  a  loser  than  a 
liar ;  a  man  were  better,  much  better,  to  keep  his  commodity  than  to 
sell  his  conscience  with  his  commodity.  We  hate  the  Turks  for  sell- 
ing of  Christians  for  slaves ;  and  what  shall  we  then  think  of  those 
citizens,  who  by  lying  sell  themselves  and  their  precious  souls  for  liaK 
a  crown,  yea,  oftentimes  for  a  penny  ?  I  have  read  that  there  was  a 
time  when  the  Eomans  did  wear  jewels  on  their  shoes ;  but  liars  do 
worse,  for  they  trample  that  matchless  jewel,  viz.,  their  precious  souls, 
under  feet.  Doubtless  the  lies  that  were  told  in  London,  and  the  liars 
that  lived  in  London,  did  more  than  a  little  help  on  the  ruin  of  Lon- 
don. Now,  that  you  may  the  better  read  and  understand  the  right- 
eousness of  God  in  his  highest  acts  of  severity  against  lies  and  liars, 
premise  with  me  briefly  these  four  things : — 

[1.]  First,  That  lying  is  a  very  great  sin.  It  is  a  transgression  not 
of  one,  but  of  many  of  the  royal  laws  of  heaven:  Lev.  xix.  11,  'Ye 
shall  not  lie  one  to  another ;'  Zech.  viii.  16,  '  Speak  ye  every  man  the 
truth  to  his  neighbour ;'  Eph.  iv.  25,  '  Wherefore  putting  away  lying, 
speak  every  man  truth  with  his  neighbour,  for  we  are  members  one  of 
another.'  In  the  body  of  man  one  member  will  not  lie  to  another ; 
the  hand  will  not  lie,  in  telling  what  it  toucheth ;  the  tongue  will  not 
lie,  in  telling  what  it  tasteth ;  the  eye  will  not  lie,  in  telling  what  it 
seeth ;  but  every  member  is  a  true  witness  to  another,  a  true  witness 
to  his  neighbour :  and  so  it  should  be  both  in  the  politic  body  and  in 
the  mystical  body  of  Christ,  seeing  we  are  members  one  of  another. 
Every  one  should  si)eak  the  truth  with  his  neighbour.  One  member 
in  the  natural  l)ody  will  not  mock  another,  nor  make  a  fool  of  another; 
and  why  then  should  one  Christian  by  lying  mock  another,  or  make  a 
fool  of  another?  Treniellius  translates  it  thus:  Ne  fatuum  agito,  Do 
not  play  the  fool  with  him.  For  certainly  he  is  the  veriest  fool  who 
by  lying  thinketh  to  make  a  fool  of  another:  Col.  iii.  9,  'Lie  not  one 
to  another,  seeing  that  ye  have  put  off  the  old  man  with  his  deeds.' 
God's  conunands  are  not  like  those  that  are  easily  reversed,  but  they 
are  like  those  of  the  Modes,  that  cannot  be  changed,  Dan.  vi.  To  act 
or  run  cross  to  God's  express  command,  though  under  pretence  of 
revelation  from  God,  is  as  much  as  a  man's  life  is  worth,  as  you  may 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  93 

see  in  that  sad  story,  1  Kings  xiii.  It  is  a  dangerous  thing  for  a  man 
to  neglect  one  of  his  commands,  who  by  another  is  able  to  command 
him  into  nothing,  or  into  hell.  What  God  commands  must  be  put  in 
speedy  execution,  without  denying,  or  delaying,  or  disputing  the  diffi- 
culties that  attend  it.^  The  great  Grod  will  not  endure  to  be  called  to 
an  account  by  the  poor  creature  concerning  his  royal  commands ;  but 
expects  that  with  all  readiness  and  cheerfulness  we  should  obey  what 
he  requires,  even  when  the  reason  of  our  obedience  is  hid  from  our 
eyes ;  for  then  grace  shines  most  transparently  and  gloriously.  Gen. 
xxii,  I  have  read  of  one  Johannes  Abbas,  who  being  commanded  by 
his  confessor  to  go  some  miles  every  day  to  water  a  dry  stick,  which 
he  accordingly  did  out  of  a  pure  respect  to  the  command  of  his  supe- 
rior, without  disi:>uting  the  reason  of  it.^  Oh,  how  much  more  then 
should  we  readily  obey  divine  commands,  w^hich  are  all  holy,  spiritual, 
just,  and  good,  considering  the  authority,  sovereignty,  and  majesty  of 
the  great  God,  without  disputing  the  reasons  of  our  obedience ;  for 
let  a  man's  reasons,  though  never  so  many  and  weighty,  be  put  into 
one  scale,  and  God's  absolute  command  weighed  against  them  in  the 
other,  the  man  may  well  write  tekel,  '  They  are  weighed  in  the 
balance,  and  found  too  light,'  Dan.  v.  27.  0  sirs  !  (Ps  ciii.  20,)  '  the 
angels  that  excel  in  strength  do  his  commandments ; '  and  shall  the 
peasant  scorn  that  work  in  which  the  prince  himself  is  engaged? 
The  commands  of  God,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  lie  fair 
and  full  against  lying ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God  revenge  the 
habitual  breach  of  them  in  flames  of  fire.  The  Holy  Ghost  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue  calleth  a  lie  aven,  which  also  signifieth  iniquity, 
implying  that  all  lies  are  iniquity,  and  that  all  iniquity  is  after  a  sort 
included  in  a  lie,  which  doth  sufficiently  evidence  that  lying  is  no 
small  sin,  I  might  further  argue  thus,  that  which  is.  contrary  to 
God,  who  is  the  choicest  and  the  chiefest  good,  yea,  who  is  goodness 
and  truth  itself,  that  must  needs  be  the  greatest  evil :  but  lying  is  ' 
contrary  to  the  nature,  essence,  and  being  of  God.  Witness  the 
description  that  he  gives  of  himself,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment :  Exod.  xxxiv.  6,  '  And  the  Lord  passed  by  before  him,  and 
proclaimed.  The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long- 
suffering,  and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth.'  So  Moses  in  his  song, 
'  He  is  a  God  of  truth,  and  without  iniquity,  just  and  right  is  he.' 
Deut.  xxxii.  4.  So  Isaiah,  '  He  who  blesseth  himself  in_  the  earth, 
shall  bless  himself  in  the  God  of  truth ;  and  he  that  sweareth  in  the 
earth,  shall  swear  by  the  God  of  truth,'  Isa.  Ixv.  16,  So  the  psalmist, 
*  Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  Lord  God  of  truth,'  Ps.  xxxi.  5.  Again, 
'  Thou,  0  Lord,  are  plenteous  in  mercy  and  truth,'  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  15,  ^  So 
in  the  New  Testament,  '  Let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar,' 
Kom,  iii.  4.  Again,  '  They  themselves  shew  how  ye  turned  to  God 
from  idols,  to  serve  the  living  and  true  God,'  Acts  xiv.  15.  Though 
God  can  make  a  world  with  a  word  of  his  mouth,  Gen.  i.,  and  mar  a 
world  with  a  word  of  his  mouth,  chap,  vi.,  yet  he  can  neither  die  nor 
lie :  Tit,  i,  2,  '  In  hope  of  eternal  life,  which  God,  that  cannot  lie, 
promised  before  the  world  began ; '  yea,  it  is  impossible  for  God  to 

'  Obedientia  non  discutit  Dei  mandata,  sed  ia,Q,ii.— Prosper. 
•  Cassianus,  lib.  iv.  cap.  24. 


94  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

lie:  Heb.  vi.  18,  'That  by  two  immutable  things,  in  wliich  it  was 
impossible  for  God  to  lie.'  Now  by  all  these  plain  pregnant  texts  it  is 
most  evident  that  lying  is  most  opposite  and  contrary  to  the  very  nature, 
essence,  and  being  of  God ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  the  anger  and 
wrath  of  God  rises  high  against  it.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Consider  this,  That  pernicious',,  lies  and  liars  are 
very  destructive  to  all  human  societies,  Idngdoms,  and  commo7i- 
wealfhs.  Lying  destroys  all  society,  all  commerce  and  converse 
among  the  sons  of  men.  Man,  as  the  philosopher  observeth,  is  ^vou 
iroXiTiKov,  a  sociable  creature.  Speech  is  the  means  whereby  men 
have  society  and  commerce  one  with  another.  Now  lying  perverts 
that  order  which  the  God  of  truth  hath  appointed  to  be  among  the 
sons  of  men.  It  is  the  will  and  pleasure  of  God  that  the  sons  ot 
men,  conversing  together,  should  by  their  words  and  speeches  and 
discourses  impart  and  comnnmicate  their  minds,  designs,  intentions, 
and  meanings  one  to  another,  for  the  mutual  good  of  one  another, 
and  for  the  profit  and  benefit  of  the  whole.  Now  if  there  be  nothing 
in  men's  words  but  lying,  deceit,  and  fraud,  instead  of  truth,  what 
can  follow  but  confusion  and  desolation  ?  When  the  language  of 
men  was  confounded,  so  that  one  could  not  tell  what  another  spake, 
then  presently  followed  the  dissolution  of  their  combination ;  for  the 
Lord  scattered  them  abroad  from  thence  upon  the  face  of  all  the 
earth,  and  they  left  off  to  build  the  city,  Gen.  xi.  7,  8.  When  one 
asked  brick,  saith  a  Rabbin, i  another  brought  clay,  and  then  they  fell 
together  by  the  earsj  and  one  dashed  out  the  other's  brains  ;  and  by 
this  means  their  communion  was  dissolved,  and  God  brought  on  them 
the  evil  wliich  they  sought  to  prevent,  ver.  4.  But  surely  a  lying 
tongue  is  a  far  worse  enemy  to  society  than  an  unknown  tongue  ;  and 
much  better  it  is  for  a  man  to  have  no  society  at  all,  than  with  such 
as  he  cannot  believe  what  they  say,  or  if  he  do,  he  shall  be  sure  to  be 
deceived  by  them.  Concerning  such  we  may  well  take  up  the  words 
of  Jacob :  '  0  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret ;  unto  their 
assembly,  mine  honour,  be  not  thou  united,'  Gen.  xlix.  6.  And  pray 
with  David :  '  Deliver  my  soul,  0  Lord,  from  lying  lips,  and  from  a 
deceitful  tongue,'  Ps.  cxx.  2.  Jeremiah  did  so  loathe  and  abominate 
the  society  of  liars,  that  ho  had  rather  live  in  a  wilderness  than  live 
among  them,  or  have  anything  to  do  with  them,  Jer.  ix.  1-6.  Liars 
destroy  that  communion  and  society  that  by  the  law  of  God,  nature, 
and  nations  they  ought  to  preserve  and  maintain.  Lying  dissolves 
that  mutual  trust  that  we  should  have  with  one  another ;  for  hereby 
all  contracts,  covenants,  and  intercourse  of  dealings  between  man  and 
man,  which  is,  as  it  were,  the  life  of  the  kingdom  or  commonwealth, 
are  quite  overthrown.^  When  men  make  no  conscience  of  lying,  nor 
of  keeping  their  word  any  further  than  either  fear  of  loss  or  force  of  law 
compelleth  them,  all  civil  communion  is  at  an  end.  There  can  be  no 
trust  where  there  is  no  truth,  nor  no  commerce  with  those  that  cannot 
be  trusted.  The  Scythians  had  a  law,  that  if  any  man  did,  duo 
peceata  contorquere,  bind  two  sins  together,  a  lie  and  an  oath,  he  was 

'  R.  Salomon.  The  Hebrew  doctors  say  that  at  this  dispersion  there  were  seventy 
nations,  with  '•        .ty  sundry  hmguages. 

^  Menda..  .ucratur,  ut  cniii  vera  dixcrit,  ei  non  crcdatur. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]        THE  late  fiery  dispensation.  95 

to  lose  his  head,  because  this  was  the  way  to  take  away  all  faith  and 
truth  among  men.  Had  this  law  been  put  in  execution  in  London,  I 
have  reason  enough  to  fear  that  many  citizens  would  have  lost  their 
heads  long  before  they  had  lost  their  houses  by  the  late  dreadful  fire. 
Now,  seeing  that  pernicious  lying,  a  course,  a  trade  of  lying,  is  so 
destructive  to  human  society,  why  should  we  wonder  to  see  the  Lord 
appear  in  flaming  fire  against  it  ?     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Consider,  That  lying  is  a  sin  that  is  most  odious  and 
hateful  to  God ;  yea,  a  sin  that  makes  men  odious  and  hateful  to  him. 
Lying  is  repugnant  unto  God ;  for  God  is  a-^evhyi<i,  one  that  cannot 
lie,  Titus  i.  2.  He  is  ]Q^<  Thi^i,  the  God  of  truth,  Isa.  Ixv.  16,  and 
therefore  lying  cannot  but  be  odious  to  him.  God  is  said  not  only 
to  forbid  a  lie,  but  to  hate  a  lie.  A  lie,  it  is  an  abomination. 
Now  we  abominate  that  which  is  contrary  to  our  natures.  Amongst 
those  things  that  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord,  a  lying  tongue 
is  reckoned :  Prov.  vi.  16,  17,  '  These  six  things  doth  the  Lord 
hate :  yea,  seven  are  an  abomination  to  him  :  a  proud  look,  a  lying 
tongue,'  or  as  the  Hebrew  runs,  '  a  tongue  of  lying,'  that  is,  a  tongue 
that  hath  learned  the  trade,  and  can  do  it  artificially ;  a  tongue  that 
is  accustomed  to  lying,  a  tongue  that  is  delighted  in  lying.  So  ver. 
19,  '  A  false  witness  that  speaketh  lies,  and  him  that  soweth  discord 
among  brethren.'  Among  these  seven  things  abominated  by  God, 
lying  is  twice  repeated,  to  note  how  great  an  abomination  lying  is  in 
the  eye  and  account  of  God :  Prov.  xii.  22,  '  Lying  lips  are  an  abomi- 
nation to  the  Lord ; '  not  only  offensive  or  odious,  but  abominable. 
Liars  pervert  the  end  for  which  God  ci'eated  speech,  which  was  to 
give  light  to  the  notions  of  the  mind,  and  therefore  the  Lord  loathes 
them,  and  plagues  them  in  this  life  with  great  severity,  as  you  may 
see  in  those  sad  instances  of  Gehazi,  whose  lie  was  punished  with  a 
perpetual  leprosy  uj)on  himself  and  his  posterity,  2  Kings  v.  20  to 
the  end ;  and  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  who  for  their  lying  were 
punished  with  present  and  sudden  death.  Acts  v.  5-11 ;  and  of  Haman, 
who  slandering  Mordecai  and  the  Jews,  and  by  his  lies  plotting  their 
ruin,  was  taken  in  the  same  snare  that  he  had  laid  for  them,  and 
both  he  and  his  sons  hanged  upon  the  same  gallows  which  he  had 
made  for  innocent  Mordecai,  Esther  iii,  8-11.  The  same  liar  that 
was  feasting  with  the  king  one  day  was  made  a  feast  for  crows  the 
next  day,  chap.  vii.  9,  and  ix.  13,  14.  Dreadful  are  the  threatenings 
that  the  great  God  has  given  out  against  liars :  Ps.  v.  6,  '  Thou  shalt 
destroy  them  that  speak  leasing.'  Such  as  lie  in  jest  will,  without 
repentance,  go  to  hell  in  earnest :  Ps.  xii.  3,  '  The  Lord  shall  cut  off 
all  flattering  lips,  and  the  tongue  that  speaketh  proud  things.'  God, 
by  one  judgment  or  another,  in  one  way  or  anotb>er,  Avill  cut  off"  all 
flattering  lying  lips,  as  a  rotten  member  is  cut  off  from  the  body,  or 
as  a  barren  tree  that  is  stocked  up,  that  it  may  cinnber  the  ground 
no  more :  Ps.  cxx.  2-4,  '  Deliver  my  soul,  0  Lord,  from  lying  lips, 
and  from  a  deceitful  tongue.  What  shall  be  given  unto  thee — or 
what  shall  be  done  unto  thee,  thou  false  tongue  ?  Sharp  arrows  of 
the  mighty'  —  God  will  retaliate  sharp  for  sharp — 'with  coals  of 
juniper.'  The  coals  of  juniper  burn  hot  and  last  long,  some  say  a 
month  and  more,  and  smell  sweet.     Now  upon  these  coals  will  God 


96  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLIT.  24,  25. 

broil  lying  lips  and  a  deceitful  tongue,  pleasing  himself  and  others  in 
the  execution  of  hi«  wnith  upon  a  lying  tongue  :  Prov.  xix  5,  '  A  false 
witness  sliall  not  be  unpunished,  and  he  that  speaketh  lies  shall  not 
escape.'  Though  men  sometimes  by  lying  may  escape  the  displeasure  of 
men,  yet  they  sliall  never  by  lying  escape  the  wrath  and  displeasure 
of  God.  Wiath  is  for  that  man,  and  that  man  is  for  wrath,  who 
halh  taught  his  tongue  the  trade  of  lying  :  Hosea  xii.  1,  '  Ephraim 
daily  incrcaseth  lies  and  desolation.'  Desolation  is  the  fruit  and  con- 
sequent of  lying.  Sin  and  punishment  are  inseparable  companions. 
They  who  heap  up  lies  hasten  desolation,  both  upon  themselves  and  the 
places  where  they  live.  Now,  if  lying  be  a  sin  so  hateful  and  odious 
to  God,  no  wonder  if  God  appears  in  flaming  tire  against  it.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly  and  lastly,-  Lying  is  a  sin  against  ike  light  and  law  of 
nature.  It  is  a  sin  against  natural  conscience,  and  therefore  it  is  that 
a  little  child  will  blush  many  times  when  he  tells  a  lie.  It  was  ob- 
served of  Pomponius  Atticus,  Cicero's  great  friend,  that  he  never  used 
lying,  neither  could  he  with  patience  lend  his  ear  to  a  liar.  Tennes, 
the  son  of  Cycnus,i  -^ho  was  worshipped  as  a  god,  was  so  strict  in 
judgment  that  he  caused  an  axe  to  be  held  over  the  witnesses'  head  to 
execute  them  out  of  hand  if  they  were  taken  with  falsehood  or  a  lie. 
Among  the  Scythians,  when  their  priests  foretold  an  untruth,  they  were 
carried  along  upon  hurdles  full  of  heath  and  dry  wood,  drawn  by  oxen, 
and  manacled  hand  and  foot,  and  burnt  to  death.  Aristotle  saith,  by 
the  light  of  natural  reason,  that  a  lie  is  evil  in  itself,  and  cannot  be 
dispensed  withal,  it  being  contrary  to  the  order  of  nature  ;  for,  saith 
he,  we  have  tongues  given  us  to  express  our  minds  and  meanings  one 
to  another  by.  Now,  if  our  tongues  tell  more  or  less  than  our  minds 
conceive,  it  is  against  nature.2  It  is  said  of  Epaminondas,  a  heathen, . 
that  he  abhorred  mendacium  Jocosum,  a  jesting  lie.  Plutarch  calls 
lying  a  tinkerly  sin,  a  sin  that  is  both  hateful  and  shameful.  Euri- 
})ides  saith,  that  he  is  unhappy  who  rather  useth  lies,  though  seem- 
ingly good,  than  truths  when  he  judgeth  them  evil.  To  think  the 
truth,  saith  Plato,  is  honest;  but  a  filthy  and  dishonest  thing  to  lie. 
I  could,  saith  my  author,  both  sigh  and  smile  at  the  simplicity  of  some 
pagan  people  in  America,  who  having  told  a  lie,  used  to  let  their 
tongues  bleed  in  expiation  thereof, — a  good  cure  for  the  squinancy,** 
but  no  satisfaction  for  lying.  These  heathens  will  one  day  rise  in 
judgment  against  such  amongst  us  as  make  no  conscience  of  lying. 
To  bring  things  close,  those  that  lived  within  and  without  the  walls  of 
London,  that  were  given  up  to  a  trade,  a  course  of  lying,  those  per- 
sons sinned  with  a  high  hand,  not  only  against  the  light  of  nature,  but 
also  against  as  clear,  as  glorious  a  gospel-light  as  ever  shined  round  a 
j)co])le  since  Christ  was  upon  the  earth  ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if 
God  hath  laid  their  city  in  ashes.  He  that  shall  seriously  dwell  u])on 
tliese  four  things — viz.,  (1.)  That  lying  is  a  very  great  sin  ;  (2.)  That 
lies  and  liars  are  very  destructive  to  all  human  societies,  kingdoms, 
and  commonwealths  ;  (3.)  That  lying  is  a  sin  most  hateful  and  odious 
to  God ;  (4.)  That  lying  is  a  sin  against  the  light  and  law  of  nature, — 
he  will  see  cause  enough  to  justify  the  Lord  in  that  late  dreadful  fire 
that  has  thus  licen  amongst  us. 

^  Misprinted  Cvrnus. — G.  '  Arist.  Ethic,  lib.  iv.  cap.  7.  *' Quinsy.' — G. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  97 

But  before  I  close  up  this  particular,  give  me  leave  to  say,  that  this 
trade,  this  course  of  lying  that  brings  that  sore  judgment  of  fire  upon 
cities  and  countries,  I  cannot  charge  with  any  clear  evidence  upon  those 
that  did  truly  fear  the  Lord,  whose  habitations  were  once  within  or 
without  the  walls  of  London  before  it  was  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ; 
and  that  upon  these  grounds:  — 

[1.]  First,  Because  a  trade,  a  course  of  lying  is  not  consistent  with 
the  truth  or  state  of  grace,  Ps,  cxxxix.  23,  24 ;  1  John  iii.  6-10. 
A  trade,  a  course  of  drunkenness,  of  whoring,  of  swearing,  of  curs- 
ing, is  as  inconsistent  with  a  state  of  grace,  as  a  trade,  a  course  of 
lying  is.  I  know  Jacob  lied,  and  David  lied,  and  Peter  lied,  but  none  of 
these  were  ever  given  up  to  a  trade  of  lying,  to  a  course  of  lying.  The 
best  saints  have  had  their  extravagant  motions,  and  have  sadly  mis- 
carried as  to  particular  actions ;  but  he  that  shall  judge  of  a  Chris- 
tian's estate  by  particular  acts,  though  notorious  bad,  will  certainly 
condemn  where  God  acquits :  una  actio  non  denominat.  We  must 
always  distinguish  between  some  single  evil  actions  and  a  serious 
course  of  evil  actions.  It  is  not  this  or  that  particular  evil  action,  but 
a  continued  course  of  evil  actions,  that  denominates  a  man  wicked,  as 
it  is  not  this  or  that  particular  good  act,  but  a  continued  course  of 
holy  actions,  that  denominates  a  man  holy.  Every  man  is  as  his  course 
is  ;  if  his  course  be  holy,  the  man  is  holy  ;  if  his  course  be  wicked,  the 
man  is  wicked.  There  is  a  maxim  in  logic,  viz.,  That  no  general  rule 
can  be  established  upon  a  particular  instance ;  and  there  is  another 
maxim  in  logic,  viz..  That  no  particular  instance  can  overthrow  a 
general  rule.  So  here,  look,  as  no  man  can  safely  and  groundedly 
conclude  from  no  better  premises  than  from  some  few  particular 
actions,  though  in  themselves  materially  and  substantially  good,  that 
this  or  that  man's  spiritual  estate  is  good ;  so,  on  the  other  hand,  no 
man  ought  to  conclude,  because  of  some  particular  sinful  actions  and 
extravagant  motions,  that  this  or  that  man's  spiritual  estate  is  bad.  A 
trade  of  lying  can  never  stand  with  a  trade  of  holiness ;  a  course  of 
lying  can  never  stand  with  a  course  of  godliness.  Though  the  needle 
of  the  seaman's  compass  may  jog  this  way  and  that  way,  yet  the  bent 
of  the  needle  will  still  be  northward ;  so  though  a  Jacob,  a  David,  a 
Peter  may  have  their  particular  sinful  joggings  this  way  or  that  way, 
yet  the  bent  of  their  hearts  will  still  be  Grod-wards,  Christ-wards, 
heaven-wards,  and  holiness-wards.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Such  as  did  truly  fear  the  Lord  within  or  without 
the  walls  of  London,  such  did  in  their  solemn  addresses  to  the  Lord, 
both  t<")gether  and  apart,  lament  and  heivail  that  trade,  that  course  of 
lying  that  luas  predomi7iant  among  many  that  day  ;  and  therefore  I 
dare  not  charge  the  trade,  the  course  of  lying  upon  their  scores.    But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  A  lie  draws  its  pedigree  from  the  devil,  and  such  as 
make  a  trade  of  lying,  such  are  certainly  Satan's  children,  1  Kings 
xxii.  22  ;  Acts  v.  3-10  ;  John  viii.  44,  'Ye  are  of  your  father  the 
devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do :  he  was  a  murderer  from 
the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in  the  truth,  because  there  is  no  truth  in 
him.'  'When  he  speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own:  for  he  is  a 
liar,  and  the  father  of  it,'  Gen.  iii.  Satan  is  the  father  of  all  sins,  as 
well  as  the  father  of  lies  ;  but  here  he  is  said  to  be  a  liar  and  the  father 

VOL.  YI.  G 


98  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

of  it,  because  by  lying  be  first  broiigbt  sin  into  tbe  world.  Satan 
began  bis  kingdom  by  a  lie,  and  by  lies  be  still  labours  to  U})bold  it. 
He  is  tbe  inventor  and  autbor  of  all  tbe  lies  tbatbe  in  the  world.  Tbe 
devil's  breasts,  says  Lutber,  are  very  fruitful  with  lies.  Liars  are  tbe 
devil's  children  by  imitation.  There  are  none  that  resemble  him  so 
much  to  the  life  as  liars  do.  They  are  as  like  him  as  if  they  were  spit 
out  of  the  very  mouth  of  him.  Lying  is  a  part  of  tbe  devil's  image. 
Other  sins  make  men  like  beasts;  but  this  of  lying  makes  men  like 
devils.  Leo,  speakhig  of  lying,  saith  :  Tolam  vim  suam  in  mendacio 
diaholus  collocavit,  omniaque  decepfionum  genera  de  hoc  venenatissimo 
artis  sua:  fonte  produxit :  The  devil  bath  i)laced  bis  whole  strength  in 
lying,  and  from  this  most  poisoned  fountain  of  bis  craft  hath  ho 
brought  forth  all  kinds  of  deceit,  i  Now  upon  this  account  also  I 
dare  not  charge  the  trade  of  lying  upon  such  who  feared  tbe  Lord 
within  or  without  the  walls  of  London.  Though  many  that  make  a 
profession  of  Christ  are  no  more  like  Christ  than  Michal's  image  of 
goats'-hair  was  like  David ;  yet  all  such  as  are  really  united  to  Christ, 
they  are  like  to  Christ,  they  bear  upon  them  the  image  of  Christ,  they 
resemble  him  to  the  life.  Jesus  Christ  is  such  a  fountain,  in  which 
whosoever  bathes,  and  of  which  whosoever  drinks,  they  shall  be  sure 
to  be  changed  into  tbe  same  likeness  from  glory  to  glory,  that  is,  from 
a  lower  degree  of  grace  to  a  higher  degree,  even  as  by  tbe  Spirit  of 
the  Lord,  2  Cor.'  iii.  18.  Such  as  truly  fear  tbe  Lord  have  an  image 
of  righteousness  and  holiness  stamped  upon  them,  and  do  more 
resemble  Christ  than  Satan,  Phil.  iv.  23,  24 ;  and  therefore  the  trade 
of  lying  may  not  be  charged  upon  them.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Have  they  not  chosen  rcdher  to  suffer,  than  hy  lying 
either  to  free  themselves  from  sufferings,  or  to  secure  themselves  against 
sufferings  ?  Jerome  writes  of  a  brave  woman,  that  being  upon  tiie 
rack,  bade  her  persecutors  do  their  worst ;  for  she  was  resolved  ratb:er 
to  die  than  to  lie.  Has  not  much  of  this  spirit  been  upon  them  ? 
and  therefore  I  dare  not  charge  the  trade  of  lying  upon  them. 
But, 

[.5.]  Fifthly,  Such  as  t rid y  /car  the  Lord,  they  hate  lying:  Ps.  cxix. 
163,  '  I  bate  and  abhor  lying.'  David  hated  lying  as  he  bated  hell 
itself.  So  Prov.  xiii,  5,  '  A  righteous  man  bateth  lying.'  Lying  is  a 
noisome,  stinking  weed,  and  therefore  a  righteous  man  abhors  to  touch 
it,  he  bates  to  come  near  it,  and  can  by  no  means  endure  tbe  scent  of 
it  in  others,  least  of  all  in  himself.  Justin  IMartyr,  speaking  of  the 
persecuted  Christians,  bath  this  memorable  saying:  In  nostra  est 
2}otestate,  ut  quum  inquirimur  negemus  ;  scd  vivcre  nolumus  menda- 
citer  quicquum  loqucntes,  It  is  in  our  ]X)wer,  when  we  are  sought  for 
and  examined,  to  deny  what  we  are,  what  we  believe ;  but  we  will  not 
live  speaking  anything  untruly.'-  These  blessed  souls  so  bated  and 
abhorred  lying,  that  they  would  rather  die  than  lie.  A  lie,  saith  Plato, 
is  odious  not  only  to  the  gods,  but  also  to  every  wise  man.  Cleobulus, 
another  lieathcn,  allirmcth  that  every  wise  prudent  man  bateth  a  lie. 
Erasnnis  liad  such  an  antipathy  against  lying,  that  from  his  youth  he 
would  usually  tremble  at  tbe  sight  of  a  noted  liar.     Now  upon  this 

'  Leo  de  Eleemos.,  scrm.  4. 

*  Justin  Martyr,  Ai)ol.  2,  pro  Christiauis. 


ISA.  XLII.  24j  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  99 

account  also  I  dare  not  charge  the  trade  of  lying  upon  their  score  that 
truly  fear  the  Lord.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Lying  is  that  sad  character  and  black  brand  that  the 
Lord  hath  only  put  upon  luicked  and  ungodly  men :  Ps.  iv.  2,  '  0  ye 
sons  of  men,' — ye  grandees  who  are  potent  at  court, — '  how  long  will  ye 
turn  my  glory  into  shame  ?  how  long  will  ye  love  vanity  and  seek  after 
leasing?'  Ps.  Iviii.  3,  'The  wicked  ai-e  estranged  from  the  womb; 
they  go  astray  as  soon  as  they  be  born,  speaking  lies ;'  no  sooner  could 
they  do  anything,  but  they  were  doing  evil,  lisping  out  lies  even  as 
soon  as  they  were  born.  Isa.  xxx.  8,  9,  '  Now  go,  write  it  before  them 
in  a  table,  and  note  it  in  a  book,  that  it  may  be  for  the  time  to  come 
for  ever  and  ever.'  Why,  what  must  he  write  ?  mark  ver.  9,  '  That 
this  is  a  rebellious  people,  lying  children,  children  that  will  not  hear 
the  law  of  the  Lord.'  Now  upon  this  account  also  I  dare  not  charge 
the  trade  of  lying  upon  them  that  feared  the  Lord  in  that  great  city 
before  it  was  laid  in  ashes.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  A  trade  of  lying  is  inconsistent  luith  the  relation  of 
children :  Isa.  Ixiii.  8,  '  Surely  they  are  my  people,  children  that  will 
not  lie  :  so  he  was  their  Saviour.'  God  makes  this  the  ear-mark  of  his 
people,  that  they  are  children  that  will  not  lie,  Col.  iii.  9.  When  the 
heathen  philosopher  was  asked  in  what  things  men  were  most  like 
unto  Grod,  he  answered,  In  their  speaking  of  truth.  Not  lying  is  one 
of  the  choice  characters  by  which  the  Lord  doth  difference  and  distin- 
guish his  own  peculiar  people  from  other  men:  Zeph.  iii.  13,  '  The 
remnant  of  Israel  shall  do  no  iniquity,  nor  speak  lies ;  neither  shall  a 
deceitful  tongue  be  found  in  their  mouth.'  In  the  primitive  times  this 
was  a  common  saying,  Ghristianus  est,  non  mentietw\  He  is  a  Christian, 
he  will  not  lie :  Rev.  xiv.  5,  '  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no 
guile  :  for  they  are  without  fault  before  the  throne  of  God.'  Now 
upon  this  account  also  I  dare  not  charge  the  trade  of  lying  upon  those 
gracious  souls  that  feared  the  Lord  within  or  without  the  walls  of  Lon- 
don, before  it  was  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap.     But, 

[8.]  Eighthly  and  lastly.  Liars  are  reckoned  amongst  the  basest  and 
the  luorst  of  sinners  that  you  read  of  in  all  the  book  of  God :  Lev,  xix. 
11,  'Ye  shall  not  steal,  neither  deal  falsely,  neither  lie  one  to  another.' 
Prov.  vi.  16-19,  '  These  six  things  doth  the  Lord  hate  ;  yea,  seven  are 
an  abomination  to  him :  a  proud  look,  a  lying  tongue,  and  hands 
that  shed  innocent  blood,  an  lieart  that  deviseth  wicked  imaginations, 
feet  that  be  swift  in  running  to  mischief,  a  false  witness  that  sj^eaketh 
lies,  and  him  that  soweth  discord  among  brethren.'  So  the  apostle 
Paul,  setting  down  a  catalogue  of  the  basest  and  worst  of  sinners,  he 
ranks  liars  in  the  rear  of  them  :  1  Tim.  i.  9,  10,  '  Knowing  this,  that 
the  law  is  not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but  for  the  lawless  and 
disobedient,  for  the  ungodly  and  for  sinners,  for  unholy  and  pro- 
fane, for  murderers  of  fathers  and  murderers  of  mothers, "for  man- 
slayers,  for  whoremongers,  for  them  that  defile  themselves  with 
mankind,  for  men-stealers,  for  liars,  for  perjured  persons.'  So  John 
numbers  them  amongst  the  damned  crew  that  shall  be  sent  to  hell, 
and  that  must  perish  for  ever :  Rev.  xxi.  8,  '  But  the  fearful,  and 
unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  murderers,  and  whoremongers, 
and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part  in  the 


100  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

lake  which  hurneth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the  second 
death.'  In  tliis  cataloij^ue  of  the  damned  crew,  the  'fearful'  are  placed 
in  the  front,  and  the  'liars'  in  the  rear.  See  once  more  how  the  Holy 
Ghost  couples  liars:  Rev.  xxii.  15,  'For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever  loveth 
and  niakcth  a  lie.'  Thus  you  see  in  all  these  scriptures  that  liars 
are  numbered  up  among  the  rabble  of  the  most  desperate  and  deplor- 
able wretches  tliat  are  in  the  world  ;  and  therefore  upon  this  account 
also  I  cannot  charge  the  trade  of  lying  upon  them  that  feared  the 
Lord,  whose  habitations  were  once  within  or  without  the  walls  of 
London. 

8.  The  eigJith  sin  that  brings  the  judgment  of  fire,  is  mens  giving 
themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after  strange  flesh :  Jude  7, 
'Even  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities  about  them,  in  like 
manner,  giving  themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after  strange 
flesh,  are  set  forth  for  an  example,  suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal 
fire.'     In  these  Avords  there  are  these  three  things  observable: — 

[1.]  First,  The  2jlaccs  punished,  and  they  are  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah, and  the  cities  about  them,  which  were  Admah  and  Zeboiim, 
Deut.  xxix.  23 ;  Hosea  xi.  8.  Hegesippus  and  Stephanus  say  that 
ten  cities  were  destroyed,  and  some  say  thirteen  cities  were  destroyed 
when  Sodom  was  destroyed  ;  but  these  things  I  shall  not  impose  upon 
you  as  articles  of  faith.  The  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
and  the  cities  about  them  was  total,  both  in  respect  of  the  inhabitants, 
and  the  places  themselves.  Their  sin  was  universal,  and  their  punish- 
ment was  as  universal.  That  pride,  idleness,  and  fulness  of  bread 
that  is  charged  upon  them  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  did  usher  in  those 
abominable  wickednesses  that  laid  all  waste  and  desolate,  Ezek.  xvi. 
49,  50. 

[2.]  Secondly,  The  sins  that  brought  these  ptunishments — viz.,  'The 
giving  themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after  strange  flesh.' 
The  first  is,  '  Giving  themselves  over  to  fornication.'  Now  the  word 
'  fornication '  is  not  to  be  taken  properly  and  strictly  for  that  act  of 
uncleanness  that  is  often  committed  between  persons  unmarried ;  but 
it  is  here  to  be  taken  for  all  sorts  of  carnal  uncleanness.  The  heathen 
thouglit  fornication  no  vice,  and  therefore  they  made  it  a  com- 
mon custom,  and  were  wont  to  pray  thus:  'The  gods  increase  the 
number  of  tlie  harlots.'  The  second  sin  that  is  charged  upon  them 
is,  '  Their  going  after  strange  flesh : '  aapKo^  eT€pa<;,  '  another  flesh,' 
as  the  words  in  the  original  run.  The  apostle  in  this  modest  and 
covert  expression,  '  Going  after  strange  flesh,  or  other  flesh,  or  another 
flesh,'  doth  hint  to  us  their  monstrous  and  unlawful  lusts,  tliat  were 
against  the  course,  liglit,  and  law  of  nature.  They  gave  themselves 
up  to  such  filthiness  as  is  scarce  to  be  named  among  men;  they  went 
after  otlicr  flesh  than  wliat  nature  or  the  God  of  nature  had  appointed. 
The  great  God  never  appointed  that  male  and  male,  but  only  that 
male  and  female  should  be  one  flesh ;  it  is  impossible  that  man  and 
man  in  that  execrable  act  should  make  one  flesh,  as  man  and  woman 
do:  Gen.  ii.  21,  seq.  The  flesh  of  a  male  to  a  male  must  needs  be 
another  flesh.  The  apostle  Paul  expresseth  their  filthiness  thus,  '  For 
even  their  women  did  change  the  natural  use  into  that  which  is  against 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  101 

nature:  and  likewise  also  the  men,  leaving  the  natural  use  of  the 
women,  burned  in  their  lust  one  toward  another  ;  men  with  men 
working  that  which  is  unseemly,'  Rom.  i.  26,  27.  Chrysostom  well 
observes  on  these  words,  that  '  whereas  by  God's  ordinance  in  lawful 
copulation  by  marriage,  two  became  one  flesh,  both  sexes  were  joined 
together  in  one  ;  by  Sodomitical  uncleanness  the  same  flesh  is  divided 
into  two,  men  with  men  working  uncleanness  as  with  women,  of  one 
sex  making  as  it  were  two.'  The  Gentiles  had  left  the  God  of  nature, 
and  therefore  the  Lord  in  his  just  judgment  left  them  to  leave  the 
order  of  nature,  and  so  to  cast  scorn  and  contempt  upon  the  whole 
human  nature. 

Again,  there  is  another  sort  of  pollution  by  strange  flesh,  and  that  is 
a  carnal  joining  of  a  man  with  a  beast,  which  is  prohibited:  '  Neither 
shalt  thou  lie  with  any  beast,'  Lev.  xviii.  23.  Oh  what  a  sink  of  sin 
is  in  the  nature  of  man,  the  heart  of  man  !  And  as  this  pollution  is 
prohibited,  so  it  is  punished  with  death :  '  And  if  a  man  lie  with  a 
beast,  he  shall  surely  be  put  to  death,  and  ye  shall  slay  the  beast,' 
chap.  XX.  15.  The  Lord,  to  shew  the  horridness  and  the  heinousness 
of  this  beastly  sin,  commands  that  even  the  poor,  harmless,  innocent 
beast,  that  is  neither  capable  of  sin,  nor  of  provoking  or  enticing  man 
to  sin,  must  be  put  to  death.  Oh  how  great  is  that  pollution  that 
pollutes  the  very  bensts,  and  that  makes  the  unclean  more  unclean, 
and  that  doth  debase  the  beast  below  a  beast !  Now  to  this  sort  of 
pollution  the  beastly  Sodomites  had  without  doubt  given  up  them- 
selves. 

[3.]  The  third  thing  observable  in  the  words  is,  the  severity  of  tlieir 
punishment :  '  Suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire,'  We  commonly 
say  that  fire  and  water  have  no  mercy,  and  we  have  frequently  experi- 
enced the  truth  of  that  saying.  When  God  would  give  the  world  a 
proof  of  his  greatest  severity  against  notorious  sinners  and  notorious 
sins,  he  doth  it  by  inflicting  the  judgment  of  fire.  When  the  Sodomites 
burned  in  their  lusts  one  towards  another,  '  Then  the  Lord  rained  upon 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  brimstone  and  fire  from  the  Lord  out  of  heaven.' 
'  The  Lord  rained  brimstone  and  fire  from  the  Lord;'  that  is,  by  an 
elegant  Hebraism,  from  himself,  it  being  usual  with  the  Hebrews  to 
put  the  noun  for  the  pronoun,  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  the  scrip- 
tures in  the  margin  together.  ^  Now  this  fiery  vengeance  came  not  from 
any  inferior  cause,  but  from  the  supreme  cause,  even  God  himself.  This 
brimstone  and  material  fire  that  was  rained  by  the  Lord  out  of  heaven, 
w^as  not  by  any  ordinary  course  of  nature,  but  by  the  immediate 
almighty  power  of  God.  Doubtless  it  was  the  supernatural  and  mirac- 
ulous work  of  the  Lord,  and  not  from  any  natural  cause,  that  such 
showers,  not  of  water, — as  when  the  old  world  was  drowned, — but  of 
material  fire  and  brimstone,  should  fall  from  heaven  upon  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah — to  which  add  Admah  and  Zeboiim,  for  all  these  four  cities 
were  burned  together.  God  rained,  not  sprinkled,  yea,  he  rained  not 
fire  only,  but  fire  and  brimstone  for  the  increase  of  their  torment,  and 
that  they  might  have  a  hell  above-ground,  a  hell  on  this  side  hell. 
They  had  hot  fire  for  their  burning  lusts,  and  stinking  brimstone  for 
their  stinking  brutishness.     They  burned  with  vile  and  unnatural  lusts, 

1  Gen.  i.  27;  1  Sam.  xv.  22  ;  2  Chron.  vii.  2  ;  1  Kings  viii.  1. 


102  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

and  therefore  against  the  course  of  nature  fire  falls  down  from  heaven 
and  devours  tluMU,  and  tlieir  stinking  abominable  filthiness  is  punished 
with  the  stciifh  of  Ijrinistone  mingled  Avith  lire.  Thus  God  delights 
to  suit  men's  punishments  to  tiieir  sins ;  yea,  that  temporal  fire  that 
God  rained  out  of  heaven  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  was  but  a  fore- 
runner of  their  everlasting  punishment  in  that  lake  which  burns  with 
fire  and  brimstone  for  evermore,  Ilev.  xxi,  8.  The  temporal  punish- 
ment of  the  impenitent  Sodomites  did  but  make  way  to  their  eternal 
inmishments,  as  Jude  tells  us,  ver.  7.  I  readily  grant  that  the  fire  of 
hell  was  typified  by  that  fire  which  fell  from  heaven  u]ion  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  ;  but  I  cannot  conceive  tliat  the  apostle  Jude,  in  the  place 
last  cited,  doth  intend  or  design  to  prove  that  the  Sodomites  were 
destroyed  by  hell-fire;  for  in  the  history  of  Genesis,  to  which  the 
apostle  alludes,  there  is  no  mention  at  all  of  hell-fire  or  of  eternal  fire. 
And  doubtless  the  example  that  should  warn  sinners  to  repent  of  their 
sins,  and  to  turn  to  the  Most  High,  is  to  be  taken  from  the  history  in 
Genesis.  I  cannot  at  present  see  how  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  can  be  set 
forth  as  an  cxami)le  to  sinners  by  suffering  the  punishment  of  hell-fire, 
when  the  history  is  wholly  silent  as  to  any  such  fire.  Some,  to  mollify 
the  seeming  austerity  of  that  phrase  which  Jude  uses,  viz.,  'eternal 
fire,'  read  the  words  thus,  '  were  made  an  example  of  eternal  fire,  suf- 
fering vengeance ;'  by  which  construction  they  gather  that  the  fire 
which  hath  irreparably  destroyed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  was  a  type 
and  figure  of  that  fire  of  hell,  of  that  eternal  fire  that  is  reserved  for 
wicked  men,  and  by  which  sinners  ought  to  be  warned.  Others  by 
'  eternal  fire'  understand  the  duration  of  the  effects  of  the  first  temporal 
punishment,  the  soil  thereabout  wearing  the  marks  of  divine  displea- 
sure to  this  very  day.  Several  authors  write,i  that  the  air  there  is  so 
infectious,  that  no  creature  can  live  there ;  and  though  the  apples  and 
other  fruit  that  grow  there  seem  pleasant  to  the  eye,  yet  if  you  do  but 
touch  them,  they  presently  turn  into  cinders  and  ashes.  The  stinking 
lake  of  asi)haltes  near  to  Sodom  is  left  as  a  perpetual  monument  of 
God's  vengeance,  killing  all  fish  that  swimmeth  in  it,  and  fowls  that 
fly  over  it.  Others  by  eternal  fire  understand  an  utter  destruction, 
according  to  that  2  Peter  ii.  6,  '  And  turning  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah  into  ashes,  condemned  them  with  an  overthrow,'  that  is, 
utterly  destroyed  them,  '  making  them  an  ensaraple  unto  those  that 
after  should  live  ungodly.'  God  hangs  them  up  in  gibbets,  as  it  were, 
that  others  might  hear  and  fear,  and  not  dare  to  do  wickedly  as  they 
had  done. 

What  though  it  be  said  that  the  fire  wherewith  these  Sodomites 
were  destroyed  was  eternal,  yet  there  is  no  necessity  to  understand  it 
of  hell-fire  ;  for  even  that  very  fire  which  consumed  those  cities  may 
be  called  eternal,  because  the  jnmislunent  that  was  inflicted  on  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  by  fire  was  a  punishment  that  should  last  as  long  as  the 
world  lasted.  God  resolved  those  cities  should  never  be  rebuilt,  but 
remain  perpetual  desolations  in  all  generations.  Now,  in  this  sense, 
the  word  '  eternal '  is  often  used  in  the  Scripture.  Again,  the  fire  and 
brimstone  that  fell  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  was  a  type  and  figure 
of  that  eternal  fire,  or  those  eternal  torments  that  shall  be  inflicted 
'  Josephup,  Tertullian,  Augustine,  «S:c. 


ISA.  XLII.  24:,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  103 

upon  all  impenitent  sinners  for  ever  and  ever.  The  sum  of  all  is  this, 
that  the  Sodomites,  by  giving  themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  by- 
going  after  strange  flesh,  did  provoke  the  Lord  to  rain  hell  out  of 
heaven  upon  them  ;  they  did  provoke  the  Lord  to  rain  material  fire 
and  brimstone  both  upon  their  persons  and  their  habitations.  Now 
give  me  leave  to  say,  that  doubtless  the  body  of  the  inhabitants  of 
that  famous  city,  "which  is  now  laid  in  ashes,  were  as  free  from  giving 
themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after  strange  flesh,  as  any  in 
any  part  of  the  nation  ;  yea,  more  free  than  many  in  some  parts  of  the 
nation ;  yea,  give  me  leave  to  say,  that  I  cannot  see  how  these  sins 
that  are  charged  upon  the  Sodomites  can  be  clearly  or  groundedly 
charged  upon  any  of  the  precious  servants  of  the  Lord,  that  did  truly 
fear  him  in  that  renowned  city  ;  and  my  reasons  are  these  :  — 

[1.]  First,  Because  in  all  their  solemn  and  secret  addresses  to  the 
Lord  they  have  seriously  lamented  and  mourned  over  these  crying 
abominations. 

[2.]  Secondly,  Because  men's  giving  themselves  over  to  fornication, 
and  going  after  strange  flesh,  are  such  high  and  horrid  sins  against 
the  light  and  laiu  of  nature,  that  God  commonly  preserves  his  chosen 
from  them.  He  shall  be  an  Apollo  to  me  that  can  produce  any  one 
instance  in  the  Old  or  New  Testament  of  any  one  person  that,  after 
real  and  through  conversion,  did  ever  give  himself  over  to  fornication, 
and  to  go  after  strange  flesh.  Aristotle  calls  beastiality  a  surpassing 
wickedness.  By  the  laws  of  those  two  emperors,  Theodosius  and 
Arcadius,  Sodomites  were  adjudged  to  the  fire.  In  the  Council  of 
Vienna  the  templars  who  were  found  guilty  of  this  sin  were  decreed  to 
be  burnt.  And  among  the  Eomans,  it  was  lawful  for  him  who  was 
attempted  to  that  abuse  to  kill  him  who  made  the  assault.  Tertullian 
brings  in  Christianity  triumphing  over  paganism,  because  this  sin  was 
peculiar  to  heathens,  and  that  Christians  never  changed  the  sex^  nor 
accompanied  with  any  but  their  own  wives.  This  and  such  like, 
as  Tertullian  speaks,  being  not  so  much  to  be  called  offences  as 
monsters,  and  not  to  be. named  without  holy  detestation  by  saints, 
though  they  be  committed  without  shame  by  Sodomites.  The  Saxons, 
who  of  old  inhabited  this  land,  strangled  the  adulteress  being  taken, 
and  then  burnt  her  body  with  fire,  and  hanged  the  adulterer  over 
a  flaming  fire,  burning  him  by  degrees  till  he  died,  [Boniface.]  Opilius 
Macrinus,  an  emperor,  caused  the  body  of  the  adulterer  and  the  whore 
to  be  joined  together,  and  so  burnt  with  fire,  [Julius  Capitolinus.] 
Aurelianus  caused  the  adulterer's  legs  to  be  bound  to  the  boughs  of 
two  trees  bent  together,  and  then  violently  being  lifted  up  again, 
his  body  was  torn  asunder.  And  the  Julian  law,  among  tlie  Romans, 
punished  adultery  with  death,  by  cutting  off  the  heads  of  those  that 
were  guilty  of  that  fact.  And  the  Turks  stone  adulterers  to  death. 
Zaleucus,  king  of  the  Locrians,  ordained  that  adulterers  should  have 
their  eyes  put  out ;  and  therefore,  when  his  son  was  taken  in  adultery, 
that  he  might  both  keep  the  law  and  be  compassionate  to  his  son,  he 
put  forth  one  of  his  o^vn  eyes  to  redeem  one  of  his  son's. i  I  have  read 
of  some  heathens  that  have  punished  this  sin  with  a  most  shameful 
death,  and  the  death  was  this  :  they  would  have  the  adulterer's  or 
'  Aelian  V.  H.  xiii.  24 ;  Val.  Max.  V.  v.  §  3.— G. 


104  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

adulteress's  head  to  be  put  into  the  paunch  of  a  beast,  where  lay  all 
the  filth  and  uncleanness  of  it,  and  there  to  be  stifled  to  death.  This 
was  a  fit  i)unislinient  for  so  filtliy  a  sin.  In  old  time  the  Egyptians 
used  to  punish  adultery  on  this  sort :  the  man  with  a  thousand  jerks 
with  a  reed,  and  the  woman  with  cutting  off  her  nose  ;  but  he  who 
forced  a  free  woman  to  his  lusts,  had  his  privy  members  cut  oflf, 
[Dii)dorus.]     But, 

[3.]  Tlfirdly,  Such  who  give  themselves  over  to  fornication,  over- 
throw the  state  of  mankind,  lohile  no  man  knoweth  his  own  loife,  nor 
no  wife  knoweth  her  own  husband,  and  luhile  no  father  knows  his  own 
children,  nor  no  children  know  their  own  father.  Affinities  and  con- 
sanguinities are  the  joints  and  sinews  of  the  world;  lose^  these  and 
losei  all.  Now  what  affinities  or  consanguinities  can  there  be  when 
there  is  nothing  l)ut  confusion  of  blood — the  son  knoweth  not  his 
father,  nor  the  father  the  son  ?     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  These  expressions  of  giving  themselves  over  to  forni- 
cation, and  going  after  strange  flesh,  implies — 

First,  Their  making  constant  provisions  for  their  base  lusts,  Rom. 
xiii.  14.  Oil  the  time,  the  pains,  the  cost,  the  charge  that  such  are  at 
to  make  provision  for  their  unsatiable  lusts ! 

Secondly,  It  implies  an  excessive  violetit  spending  of  their  strength 
beyond  all  measure  and  bounds  in  all  lasciviousness  and  Sodomitical 
uncleanness.  Pliny  tells  of  Cornelius  Gallus  and  Q.  Elerius  (?)  two 
Eoman  knights,  tliat  died  in  the  very  action  of  filthiness.2  Theodebert, 
the  eldest  son  of  Glotharius,  died  amongst  his  whores  ;  so  did  Bertrane 
Terrier  at  Barcelona,  in  Spain  ;  Giachet  Geneve  of  Saluces,  (?)  who 
had  both  w^ife  and  children  of  his  own,  being  carnally  joined  with  a 
young  woman,  was  suddenly  smitten  with  death  ;  his  wife  and  children 
wondering  why  he  stayed  so  long  in  his  study,  wdien  it  was  time  to  go 
to  bed  called  him,  and  knocked  at  his  door  very  hard,  but  when  no 
answer  was  made,  they  broke  open  the  doors,  that  were  locked  on  the 
inner  side,  and  found  him  lying  upon  the  woman  stark  dead,  and  her 
dead  also.^  Claudus  of  Asses,  (?)  counsellor  of  the  parliament  of 
Paris,  a  desperate  jjersecutor  of  the  Protestants,  whilst  he  was 
in  the  very  act  of  committing  filthiness  with  one  of  his  waiting- 
maids,  was  taken  with  an  apoplexy,  which  immediately  after  made 
an  end  of  him.  Many  other  instances  might  be  produced,  but  let 
these  suffice. 

Thirdly,  It  implies  their  impudency  and  shameless7iess  in  their 
filthiness  and  uncleanness.  They  had  a  whore's  forehead  ;  they  pro- 
claimed their  lasciviousness  before  all  the  world ;  they  were  not 
ashamed,  neither  could  they  blush  :  hence  it  is  that  the  men  of  Sodom 
are  said  to  be  sinners  before  the  Lord — that  is,  they  sinned  openly, 
publicly,  and  shamelessly,  without  any  regard  to  the  eye  of  God  at  all, 
Jer.  iii.  3,  and  vi.  15  ;  Isa.  iii.  10  ;  Gen.  xiii.  13.  '  Bring  them  out  to 
us,  that  we  may  know  them,'  Gen.  xix.  5.  Oh  faces  hatcht"*  with  im- 
pudency !  they  shroud  not  their  sins  in  a  mantle  of  secrecy,  but  pro- 
claim their  filthiness  before  all  the  world,  they  had  out-sinned  all 
shame  :    and  therefore  they  gloried  in  their  shame  :    they  were  so 

'  Ijiiery,  '  loose  ?'  —Ed.  *  Pliny,  lib.  vii. 

•*  rontanus.  Fuljjos,  lib.  vi.  c.  12.  *  '  Lined'  or  marked. — G. 


^SA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  105 

arrogant  and  impudent  in  sinning,  that  they  proclaimed  their  filthiness 
upon  the  house-top.     But, 

Fourthly,  It  implies  their  resolvechiess  and  obstinacy  in  sinning  in 
the  face  of  all  the  terrible  warnings  and  alarms  that  God  had  formerly 
given  them  by  a  bloody  ivar,  and  by  the  spoiling  and  plundering  of 
their  cities,  and  by  taking  away  of  their  victuals — fulness  of  bread' 
ivas  apart  of  their  sin,  and  noiu  'cleanness  of  teeth'  is  made  a  piece  of 
their  punishment  in  God's  just  judgment — and  by  Lot's  adjnonition 
and  mild  oppositio7i,  Gen.  xiv.  10-12,  and  xix.  11.  It  is  observable, 
that  when  they  were  smitten  with  blindness,  they  wearied  themselves 
to  find  the  door.  God  smote  them  with  blindness,  both  of  body  and 
mind ;  and  yet  they  continued  groping  to  find  the  door,  being  highly 
resolved  upon  buggery  and  bestiality,  though  they  died  for  it.  Oh  the 
hideous  wickedness  and  prodigious  madness  of  these  Sodomites,  that 
when  divine  justice  had  struck  them  blind,  their  hearts  should  be  so 
desperately  set  upon  their  lusts,  as  to  weary  themselves  to  find  the 
door  !  But  what  will  not  Satan's  bond-slaves  and  firebrands  of  hell 
do  ?  Sottish  and  besotted  sinners  will  never  tremble  when  God  strikes, 
Phil.  ii.  12.     But, 

Fifthly,  These  expressions  of  giving  themselves  over  to  fornication, 
and  going  after  strange  flesh,  implies  the  delight,  pleasure,  content,  and 
satisfaction  that  they  took  in  those  cdjojuinable  practices :  Bom.  i.  32, 
'  They  have  chosen  their  own  ways,  and  their  souls  delight  in  their 
abominations.'  '  They  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness,'  Isa.  Ixvi.  3 ; 
2  Thes.  ii.  12  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  13.  Luther  tells  us  of  a  certain  grandee  in 
his  country,  that  was  so  besotted  with  the  sin  of  whoredom,  that  he 
was  not  ashamed  to  say,  that  if  he  might  ever  live  here,  and  be  carried 
from  one  whore-house  to  another,  there  to  satisfy  his  lusts,  he  would 
never  desire  any  other  heaven.  This  filthy  grandee  did  afterwards 
breathe  out  his  wretched  soul  betwixt  two  notorious  harlots.  All  the 
pleasure  and  heaven  that  these  filthy  Sodomites  look  after,  was  to 
satisfy  their  brutish  lusts.  Hark,  scholar,  said  the  harlot  to  Apuleius, 
it  is  but  a  bitter-sweet  that  you  are  so  fond  of ;  and  this  the  Sodomites 
found  true  at  the  long  run,  when  God  showered  down  fire  and  brim- 
stone upon  them.     But, 

Sixthly  and  lastly,  These  words  of  giving  themselves  over  to  forni- 
cation, and  going  after  strange  flesh,  implies  their  great  settled  security 
in  those  brutish  practices.  The  old  world  was  not  more  secure  when 
God  swept  them  away  with  a  flood.  Gen.  vi.,  than  the  Sodomites  were 
secure  when  God  rained  fire  and  brimstone  out  of  heaven  upon  them, 
Gen.  xix.  14,  Mercury  could  not  kill  Argus  till  he  had  cast  him  into 
a  sleep,  and  with  an  enchanted  rod  closed  his  eyes.  No  more  could 
the  devil  have  hurt  these  Sodomites,  if  he  had  not  first  lulled  them 
asleep  in  the  bed  of  security.  Carnal  security  opens  the  door  for  all 
impiety  to  enter  into  the  soul,  Pompey,  when  he  had  in  vain  assaulted 
a  city,  and  could  not  take  it  by  force,  devised  this  stratagem  in  way 
of  agreement ;  he  told  them  he  would  leave  the  siege,  and  make  peace 
with  them,  upon  condition  that  they  would  let  in  a  few  weak,  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers  among  them  to  be  cured.  They  let  in  the 
soldiers,  and  when  the  city  was  secure,  the  soldiers  let  in  Pompey 's 
army.     A  carnal  settled  security  will  let  in  a  whole  army  of  lusts  into 


106  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  soul ;  and  this  was  the  Sodomites'  case.  To  sum  up  all,  those 
expressions  in  Jude,  (ver.  7,)  of  giving  themselves  over  to  fornication, 
and  going  after  strange  flesli,  do  imply  or  take  in  these  six  things  last 
mentioneil,  wliich  things  will  not  stand  with  the  truth  of  grace  or  state 
of  grace  ;  and  therefore  those  sins  that  are  specified  by  Jude  cannot  be 
charged  with  any  cleai',  fair,  or  full  evidence  upon  the  people  of  God, 
who  did  truly  fear  him  within  or  without  the  walls  of  London.  But 
should  this  treatise  fall  into  any  of  their  hands  who  have  given  them- 
selves over  to  fornication,  or  to  go  after  strange  flesh,  then  I  would  say 
that  it  very  highly  concerns  all  such  persons  to  lay  their  hands  upon 
their  loins,  and  to  say,  Ave  are  the  very  men,  the  sinners,  the  monsters 
that  have  turned  a  rich  and  populous  city  into  a  ruinous  heap.  But, 
9.  The  ninth  sin  that  brings  the  sore  Judgment  of  fire  upon  a  people, 
is  profanation  of  the  Sabbath :  Jer.  xvii.  27,  '  But  if  you  will  not 
hearken  unto  me  to  hallow  the  sabbath-day,  and  not  bear  a  burden, 
even  entering  in  at  the  gates  of  Jerusalem  on  the  sabbath-day ;  then 
will  I  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates  thereof,  and  it  shall  devour  the  palaces 
of  Jerusalem,  and  it  shall  not  be  quenched.'  In  this  memorable 
scripture  you  may  observe — (1.)  A  specification  of  the  judgment  that 
God  will  punish  profaners  of  his  Sabbath  with,  and  that  is  fire;  (2.) 
The  specification  of  the  object  that  this  fire  shall  fall  upon,  viz.,  a 
city,  not  a  town,  a  village,  or  any  other  mean  place,  but  a  city,  a  stately 
city,  a  populous  city,  a  trading  city,  a  secure  city;  (3.)  Here  is  the 
specification  of  the  city,  viz.,  not  every  city  neither,  but  Jerusalem, 
the  city  of  cities,  the  best  of  cities,  the  beloved  city,  the  joyous  city, 
the  glorious  city,  the  renowned  city,  the  crowned  city,  the  metropolitan 
city,  the  city  of  God,  the  wonder  of  the  world,  the  joy  of  the  whole 
earth,  Isa.  lii.  1 ;  Ps.  xlviii.  1-8,  and  Ixxxvii.  3  ;  Jer.  xxii.  8 ;  yet  God 
threatens  to  destroy  this  Jerusalem  with  fire  and  flames  for  profaning 
of  his  Sabbath.  But  did  God  only  threaten  Jerusalem  ?  No,  for  he 
executed  his  threatenings  upon  it,  as  you  may  see  in  that  2  Kings 
XXV.  8-10 : 1  '  And  in  the  fifth  month,  on  the  seventh  day  of  the 
month,  (which  is  the  nineteenth  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of 
Babylon,)  came  Nebuzar-adan,  captain  of  the  guard,  a  servant  of  the 
king  of  Babylon,  to  Jerusalem:  and  he  burnt  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  king's  house,  and  all  the  houses  of  Jerusalem,  and  every  great 
man's  house  burnt  he  with  fire.  And  all  the  army  of  the  Chaldees, 
that  were  with  the  captain  of  the  guard,  brake  down  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem  round  about.'  The  same  you  have  Jer.  lii.  12-14.  The 
Jews  were  great  profaners  of  the  Sabbath :  Neh.  xiii.  15-18,  '  In 
those  days  saw  I  in  Judah  some  treading  wine-presses  on  the  sabbath, 
and  bringing  in  sheaves,  and  lading  asses ;  as  also  wine,  grapes,  and 
figs,  and  all  manner  of  burdens,  which  they  brought  into  Jerusalem  on 
the  sabbath-day :  and  I  testified  against  them  in  the  day  wherein  they 
sold  victuals.  There  dwelt  men  of  Tyre  also  therein,  which  brought 
fish,  and  all  manner  of  ware,  and  sold  on  the  sab])atli  unto  the  children 
of  Judah,  and  in  Jerusalem.  Then  I  contended  with  the  nobles  of 
Judah,  and  said  unto  them,  What  evil  thing  is  this  that  ye  do,  and 
profane  the  sabbath-day?  Did  not  your  fathers  thus,  and  did  not 
our  God  bring  all  this  evil  upon  us,  and  upon  this  city?  yet  ye  bring 

1  So  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  17-19;  Ts.  Ixxiv.  4-8. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  107 

more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the  sabbath.'^  Now  this  is 
observable,  that  as  they  had  profaned  the  Sabbath,  so  Nebuzar-adan 
set  their  temple  on  fire,  and  their  noblemen's  houses  on  fire,  and  all 
the  considerable  men's  houses  in  Jerusalem  on  fire  on  their  Sabbath- 
day.  I  know  Jeremiah  saith  it  was  on  the  tenth  day,  Jer.  Hi.  13, 
which  several  of  the  learned  thus  reconcile — viz..  That  on  the  seventh 
day,  which  was  their  Sabbath,  Nebuzar-adan  kindled  a  fire  in  their 
habitations,  and  burnt  them  all  quite  down  on  the  tenth.  Now 
Calvin  upon  the  text  gives  these  reasons  of  God's  severity  against 
them  for  profaning  his  Sabbath  : — (1.)  Because  it  was  an  easy  precept 
to  cease  from  labour  one  day  in  seven,  and  therefore  they  that  would 
not  herein  obey  were  worthy  of  all  severity,  as  Adam  for  eating  the 
forbidden  fruit;  (2.)  Because  the  Sabbath  was  a  sign  of  God's  people 
by  him  peculiarly  chosen,  and  therefore  not  to  rest  now  was  a  gross 
neglect  of  upholding  the  memorial  of  the  greatest  privilege  that  ever 
was  bestowed  upon  mortal  men,  Exod.  xxxi.  13,  17  ;  (3.)  Because  the 
Lord  would,  by  their  keeping  of  a  rest  now  from  servile  works,  draw 
them  to  a  rest  from  the  servile  works  of  sin,  as  he  rested  from  the 
works  of  creation.  To  which  others  add  a  fourth — viz..  That  it  might 
alw^ays  be  remembered  that  the  whole  world  was  created  by  God,  that 
we  might  acknowledge  his  infinite  power  and  wisdom  herein  appearing. 
And  others  add  a  fifth — viz..  Because  by  keeping  the  Sabbath-day,  it 
being  the  day  wherein  all  religious  duties  were  done,  all  the  exercises 
of  religion  is  meant,  which  if  it  had  been  purely  upheld,  both  princes, 
nobles,  priests,  and  people  should  have  fiourished  for  ever,  and  never 
have  known  what  it  was  to  have  their  houses  set  on  fire  about  their 
ears.  Now  is  not  famous  London  the  sad  counterpane  of  desolate 
Jerusalem  ?  a  sore  and  unquenchable  fire  hath  turned  England's 
metropolis  into  ashes  and  rubbish.     But, 

That  the  Lord  may  appear  most  just  and  righteous  in  inflicting  this 
dreadful  judgment  of  fire  upon  those  that  profaned  his  Sabbaths  in 
London,  consider  seriously  with  me  these  twelve  things  : — 

(1.)  First,  That  God  hath  fenced  this  command  more  strongly  about 
than  he  has  any  other,  arid  all  to  prevent  our  transgression  of  it,  and 
the  mo7^e  effectually  to  engage  us  to  the  keeping  of  it  holy.  Now  here 
observe, 

[1.]  First,  It  is  marked  with  a  memento  above  all  other  commands . 
Exod.  XX.  8,  '  Kemember  the  sabbath-day  to  keep  it  holy,'  and  that 
partly  because  we  are  so  desperately  apt  and  prone  to  forget  it ;  and 
partly  because  none  can  keep  it  holy  when  it  comes  that  do  not  re- 
member it  before  it  comes ;  and  partly  because  this  is  one  of  the 
greatest,  if  not  absolutely  the  greatest,  of  all  the  commandments.  It 
is  sometimes  put  for  all  the  ten.  It  is  the  synopsis  of  them  all.  And 
partly  because  the  observation  of  all  the  commandments  depends 
chiefly  upon  the  observation  of  this  fourth.  2  None  walk  so  much  after 
the  Spirit  on  other  days,  as  they  who  are  most  in  the  Spirit  on  the 
Lord's  day.     There  are  none  that  walk  so  close  with  God  all  the  six 

1  Those  Chaldeans  that  set  Jerusalem  on  fire  came  from  literal  Bahjion,  and  whether 
those  Chaldeans  that  first  set  London  in  flames  come  not  from  mystical  Babylon,  I  shall 
not  here  inquire  nor  dispute. 

^  Philo  .ludKus  saith,  that  the  fourth  commandment  is  a  famous  precept,  and  profit- 
able to  excite  men  to  all  kind  of  virtue  and  piety. 


108  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

days,  as  those  that  keep  closest  to  God  on  the  seventli  day.  In  the 
due  observation  of  this  command,  obedience  to  all  the  rest  is  com- 
prised. And  partly  because  this  command  has  least  light  of  nature  to 
direct  us  to  the  observation  of  it ;  and  partly  because  the  forgetting  of 
this  duly,  and  ])iofaning  of  this  day,  is  one  of  the  greatest  sins  that  a 
people  can  be  guilty  of  It  is  a  violation  of  all  the  decalogue  at  once  ; 
it  is  a  sin  against  all  the  concernments  and  commandments  of  God  at 
once.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  It  is  delivered  both  negatively  and  affirmatively, 
which  no  other  command  is,  to  shew  how  strongly  it  binds  us  to  a 
holy  observation  of  it. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  It  hath  more  reasons  to  enforce  it  than  any  other 
precept — viz.,  its  equity,  God's  bounty,  his  own  pattern,  and  the  days 
benediction. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  It  is  put  in  the  close  of  the  first,  and  beginning  of  the 
second  table,  to  note  that  the  observation  of  both  tables  depends  much 
upon  the  sanctification  of  this  day. 

[.5.]  Fifthly,  It  is  very  considerable  also,  that  this  command  is  more 
frequently  repeated  than  others  of  the  commands  are:  Exod.  xx.  31, 
xiv.  34,  and  xxiv.  35 ;  Lev.  xix.  3,  and  xxviii.  30.  God  would  have 
Israel  know  in  these  scriptures  last  cited,  that  their  busiest  times,  as 
earing  and  harvest,  yea,  and  the  very  building  of  the  tabernacle,  must 
give  way  to  this  precept. 

(2.)  Secondly,  Consider  that  God  is  highly  pleaded  and  delighted 
ivith  the  sanctificcdion  of  his  Sabbaths,  Jew  xvii.  24,  25.  Now  in 
this  promise  he  shews  that  the  flourishing  estate  both  of  church  and 
state  depends  greatly  upon  the  sanctification  of  this  day.  Two  things 
are  observable  in  this  promise.  (1.)  The  duty  unto  which  the  promise 
is  made,  and  that  is  in  ver.  24.  (2.)  Observe  the  reward  that  is  pro- 
mised, and  that  is  twofold:  [1.]  The  first  concerns  the  commonwealth 
and  civil  state,  ver.  25,  as  if  he  should  say,  I  will  maintain  the 
honour  and  dignity,  the  wealth  and  strength,  the  peace  and  safely  of 
this  nation.  [2.]  The  second  blessing  that  is  promised  concerns  the 
church,  and  state  of  religion,  ver.  26.  As  if  he  should  say,  My  solemn 
assemblies  shall  be  duly  frequented,  and  I  will  continue  my  own 
worship  in  the  purity,  liberty,  and  power  of  it.     But, 

(3.)  Thirdly,  Consider  that  all  public  judgments  and  comvion  ca- 
lamities that  ever  befell  the  people  of  God,  are  itti^nded  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  no  sin  more  than  to  the  profanation  of  the  Sabbath,^  2  Chron. 
xxxvi.  17-21,  turn  to  it.  So  Neh.  xiii.  15-18;  Ezek.  xxii.  26-31, 
'Her  priests  have  violated  my  law,  and  have  profaned  my  holy 
things:  they  have  put  no  difference  between  the  holy  and  profane, 
neither  have  they  .shewed  difference  between  the  unclean  and  the  clean, 
and  have  hid  their  eyes  from  my  sabbaths,  and  I  am  profaned  among 
them.  Therefore  have  I  poured  out  my  indignation  upon  them  ;  I 
have  consumed  them  with  the  fire  of  my  wrath  :  their  own  way  have 

•  Profancrs  of  the  Sabbath  were  to  be  put  to  death,  they  were  to  be  cut  off,  Exod. 
xxxi.  14,  15.  This  scripture  inchuUs  not  only  death  inflicted  by  ibo  magistrate,  accord- 
ini;  to  that  Num.  ,\xxv.  liO,  but  also  the  immediate  stroke  of  t^od  when  that  was  neglected. 
If  you  turn  to  that  Ezek.  xx.  13,  21,  you  shall  find  that  God  threatens  Sabbath  profana- 
tion with  his  consuming  fire.  Now  what  city,  gates,  palaces,  stat-dy  structures,  strong- 
holds, can  stand  before  divine  fury? 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensatk  n.  109 

I  recompensed  upon  their  own  heads,  saith  the  Lord  God.'  Lev. 
xxvi.  31-33,  'And  I  will  make  your  cities  waste,  and  bring  your 
sanctuaries  unto  desolation,  and  will  not  smell  the  savour  of  your 
sweet  odours.  And  I  will  bring  the  land  into  desolation ;  and  your 
enemies  which  dwell  therein  shall  be  astonished  at  it.  And  I  will 
scatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  will  draw  out  a  sword  after  you ; 
and  your  land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your  cities  waste.'  Ay,  but  what 
is  the  reason  why  God  brings  those  two  terrible  judgments  of  fire  and 
sword  upon  them  ?  The  resolution  of  this  question  you  have  in  ver. 
34,  35,  '  Then  shall  the  land  enjoy  her  sabbaths,  as  long  as  it  lieth 
desolate,  and  ye  be  in  your  enemies'  land ;  even  then  shall  the  land 
rest,  and  enjoy  her  sabbaths.  As  long  as  it  lieth  desolate  it  shall  rest ; 
because  it  did  not  rest  in  your  sabbaths,  when  ye  dwelt  upon  it.'  The 
land  did  not  rest  in  your  sabbaths,  saith  the  Lord,  when  ye  dwelt  upon 
it.  But  when  it  is  eased  from  the  wicked  weight  of  such  inhabitants, 
which  brought  upon  it  heavy  curses,  and  toiled  and  tired  it  out  with 
continual  tillage,  it  shall  then  rest  and  be  at  quiet.  According  to  the 
law  of  God,  the  land  should  have  rested  every  seventh  year,  Lev. 
XXV.  4.  But  they  got  out  the  very  heart  of  the  land  to  spend  on  their 
lusts :  but,  saith  God,  I  will  ease  the  land  of  such  inhabitants,  and 
then  it  shall  in  a  manner  take  its  recreation,  then  it  shall  rest,  and 
take  its  own  pleasure,  Lam.  i.  7.  Where  there  is  not  a  resting  from 
sin,  there  Sabbaths  are  not  truly  kept.  Profaning  the  Sabbath  brings 
most  desolating  and  destroying  judgments  upon  a  professing  people. 
The  first  blow  given  to  the  German  churches  was  on  the  Sabbath- 
day  ;  for  on  that  day  Prague  was  lost.  The  Sabbaths  were  woefully 
profaned  amongst  them ;  their  nobility  thought  it  was  for  their  not 
trimming  and  beautifying  of  their  churches ;  but  better  and  wiser 
men  concluded  it  was  for  their  profaning  of  the  Lord's  day.  Some 
are  of  opinion  that  the  flood  began  on  the  Lord's  day,  from  that  Gen. 
vii.,  they  being  grown  notorious  profaners  of  the  Sabbath.  The  Council 
of  Matiscon,  in  France,  attributed  the  irruption  of  the  Goths  and 
Vandals  to  their  profanation  of  the  Sabbath.     But, 

(4.)  Fourthly,  Consider  there  are  singular  blessings  loliich  the 
sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  ivill  croion  us  with:  Ezek.  xx.  12,  '  More- 
over also,  I  gave  them  my  sabbaths,  to  be  a  sign  between  me  and 
them,  that  they  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that  sanctify  them.' 
The  singular  blessings  that  the  right  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  will 
bring  upon  us,  are,  (1.)  Spiritual.  They  that  conscientiously  sanctify 
the  Sabbath,  they  shall  see  and  know  the  work  of  God,  the  work  of 
grace,  upon  their  own  souls.  There  are  many  precious  Christians 
that  have  a  work  of  God,  a  work  of  grace  upon  their  own  souls,  who 
would  give  ten  thousand  worlds,  were  there  so  many  in  their  hands 
to  give,  to  see  that  work,  to  know  that  work.  Oh  !  but  now  they  that 
sanctify  the  Sabbath,  they  shall  both  see  and  know  the  work  of  God 
upon  their  own  souls !  And  they  shall  find  the  Lord  carrying  on  the 
work  of  grace  and  holiness  in  their  souls ;  tliey  shall  find  the  Lord 
destroying  their  sins,  and  filling  their  hearts  with  joy,  and  with  a 
blessed  assurance  of  his  favour  and  love :  Isa.  Ivi.  6,7,'  Also  the  sons 
of  the  stranger,  that  join  themselves  to  the  Lord,  to  serve  him,  and  to 
love  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  be  his  servants,  every  one  that  keepeth 


110  London's  LAMENTATIONS  ON        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25' 

the  pal)l».itli  from  pollutinj^  it,  and  taketh  liold  on  my  covenant;  even 
them  will  1  bring  to  my  holy  mountain,  and  make  them  joyful  in  my 
house  of  prayer:  their  burnt-offerings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  be 
accepted  ui)on  my  altar ;  for  mine  house  shall  be  called  an  house  of 
prayer  for  all  ])c()i)le.'  So  Isa.  Iviii.  13,  14,  'If  thou  turn  away  thy 
foot  from  the  sabbath,  from  doing  thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day;  and 
call  the  sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  honourable  :  and  shalt 
honour  him,  not  doing  thine  own  ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure, 
nor  speaking  thine  own  words :  then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the 
Lord.'  (2.)  Now,  in  the  second  place,  the  other  blessings  that  the 
right  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  will  invest  us  with,  are  temporal  hlcss- 
inqs  ;  for  so  they  follow  in  the  scripture  last  cited :  '  And  I  will  cause 
thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth;' — here  is  honour,  and 
esteem,  and  safety; — 'and  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy 
father.'  Now  the  land  of  Canaan  was  the  inheritance  which  God 
promised  to  Jacob,  Gen.  xxviii,  13,  and  xlviii,  4.  Hereby  is  noted 
that  comfortable  provision  that  God  would  make  for  them  that  sanc- 
tifiod  his  Sabbaths.  Such  as  make  the  Sabbath  their  delight,  they 
shall  never  want  protection  nor  provision.  God  will  be  a  wall  of  fire 
about  them,  and  a  Canaan  to  them.     But, 

(5.)  Fifthly,  Consider  that  our  Lord  Jesus,  ivho  is  the  Lord  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  whom  the  law  itself  commands  us  to  hear,  did  alter  it 
from  the  seventh  day  to  the  first  day  of  the  lueeh,  which  we  now  keep, 
Mat.  xii.  8  ;  Deut.  xviii.  18,  19.  For  the  holy  evangelists  note  that 
our  Lord  came  into  the  midst  of  the  assembly  on  the  two  first  days  of 
the  two  weeks  immediately  following  his  resurrection,  and  then  blessed 
the  church,  breathing  on  them  the  Holy  Ghost:  John  xx.  19-26, 
'  Then  the  same  day  at  evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when 
the  doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were  assembled  for  fear  of  the 
Jews,  came  Jesus  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them.  Peace 
be  unto  you.'  '  And  after  eight  days,  again  his  disciples  were  within, 
and  Thomas  with  them,  then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  being  shut,  and 
stood  in  the  midst,  and  said.  Peace  be  unto  you.'  Look,  as  Christ  was 
forty  days  instructing  Moses  in  Sinai  what  he  should  teach,  and  how 
he  should  govern  the  church  under  the  law :  so  he  continued  forty 
days  teaching  his  disciples  what  they  should  preach,  and  how  they 
should  govern  the  church  under  the  gospel :  Acts  i.  2,  3,  '  Until  the 
day  in  which  he  was  taken  up,  after  that  he  through  the  Holy  Ghost 
had  given  commandments  unto  the  apostles  whom  he  had  chosen.  To 
whom  also  he  shewed  himself  alive  after  his  passion  by  many  infallible 
proofs,  being  seen  of  them  forty  days,  and  sjicaking  of  the  things  \^Q\•- 
taining  to  the  kingdom  of  God.'  And  it  is  not  to  be  doubted,  but 
that  within  those  forty  days  he  likewise  ordained  on  what  day  they 
should  likewise  keep  the  Sabbath ;  and  it  is  observable  that  on  this 
first  day  of  the  week  he  sent  down  from  heaven  the  Holy  Ghost  upon 
his  apostles:  Acts  ii.  1-4,  '  And  when  the  day  of  the  Pentecost  was 
fully  come,  they  were  all  with  one  accord  in  one  place.  And  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began  to  speak  with  other 
tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.'  So  that  on  that  day  they 
first  began,  and  ever  after  continued,  the  public  exercise  of  their 
ministry.      Christ  who  was  Lord  of    the  Sabbath  — Mark  ii.   28— 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  Ill 

had  a  sovereign,  right  to  change  and  alter  it  to  what  day  he  pleased. 
But, 

(6.)  Sixthly,  Consider  that  according  to  the  Lords  mind  and  com- 
mandment, and  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  apostles  in  cdl  the 
Christian  churches  ordained  that  they  shoidd  keep  the  holy  Sabbath 
upon  the  first  day  of  the  iveek :  1  Cor.  xvi.  1,  2,  '  Now  concerning  the 
collection  for  the  saints,  as  I  have  given  order  to  the  churches  of 
Galatia,  even  so  do  ye.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every  one 
of  you  lay  hy  him  in  store,  as  Cod  hath  prospered  him,  that  there  be 
no  gathering  when  I  come.'  In  which  words  you  may  observe  these 
five  things. 

[1.]  First,  That  the  apostles  ordained  this  day  to  be  kept  holy; 
therefore  it  is  of  a  divine  institution. 

[2.]  Secondly,  That  the  day  is  named  the  first  day  of  the  week ; 
therefore  not  the  Jewish  seventh,  or  any  other. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Every  first  day  of  the  week,  which  sheweth  its  per- 
petuity. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  That  it  was  ordained  in  the  churches  of  Galatia,  as 
well  as  of  Corinth,  and  he  settled  one  uniform  in  all  the  churches  of 
the  saints ;  therefore  it  was  universal :  1  Cor.  xiv.  33,  '  For  God  is  not 
the  author  of  confusion,  but  of  peace,  as  in  all  churches  of  the 
saints.' 

[5.]  Fifthly,  That  there  should  be  collections  for  the  poor  on  that 
day,  after  the  other  ordinances  were  ended.  Now  why  should  the 
apostles  require  collections  to  be  made  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
but  because  on  that  day  of  the  week  the  saints  assembled  themselves 
together  in  the  apostles'  time  ?  And  in  the  same  epistle  he  protesteth 
that  he  delivered  them  no  other  ordinance  or  doctrine  but  what  he  had 
received  from  the  Lord :  1  Cor.  xi.  23,  '  For  I  have  received  of  the 
Lord  that  which  also  I  dehvered  unto  you,  that  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
same  night  in  which  he  was  betrayed,  took  bread : '  1  Cor.  xiv.  37, 
'  If  any  man  think  himself  to  be  a  prophet,  or  spiritual,  let  him 
acknowledge  that  the  things  that  I  write  unto  you  are  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord.'  Now  mark,  he  wrote  to  them,  and  ordained 
among  them  to  keep  their  Sabbath  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  there- 
fore to  keep  the  Sabbath  on  that  day  is  the  very  commandment  of  the 
Lord.     But, 

(7.)  Seventhly,  Consider  the  apostles  on  that  day  ordinarily  dis- 
pensed the  holy  ordinances,  John  xx.  1 9-26.  Acts  xx.  7,  '  And  upon 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the  disciples  came  together  to  break 
bread,  Paul  preached  unto  them,  ready  to  depart  on  the  morrow,  and 
continued  his  speech  until  midnight.'  1  Cor.  xvi.  1,  2,  and  xi.  23. 
But, 

(8.)  Eighthly,  Consider  such  things  as  are  named  the  Lords  in 
Scripture,  are  ever  of  the  Lords  instiiution :  as  '  the  word  of  the  Lord,' 
1  Tim.  vi.  3,  '  the  cup  of  the  Lord,'  1  Cor.  xi.  27;  'the  supper  of  the 
Lord,'  1  Cor.  xi.  20 ;  and  so  'the  Lord's  day' :  Kev.  i.  10,  '  I  was  in 
the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day.'  Now  why  does  John  call  it  the  Lord's 
day,  but  because  it  was  a  day  known  to  be  generally  kept  holy,  to 
the  honour  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  rose  from  death  to  life  upon  that 
day,  throughout  all  the  churches  which  the  apostles  had  planted,  which 


112  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

St  John  calls  tlic  Lord's  day,  that  he  mi,2:ht  the  better  stir  up  Chris- 
tians to  a  thankful  remembrance  of.  their  redemption  by  Christ's 
resurrection  from  the  dead  ?     But, 

(9.)  Ninthly,  Consider  that  a  rigid  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  is 
one  of  the  best  signs  in  the  Bible  that  God  is  our  God,  and  that  his 
sanctifi/ing  icork  is  passed  in  2^oicer  iipon  us :  Ezek.  xx.  20,  '  And 
hallow  my  sabbaths ;  and  they  shall  be  a  sign  between  me  and  you, 
that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  your  God.'  So  Exod.  xxxi. 
13, '  Speak  thou  also  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  saying,  Verily  my 
sabbaths  shall  ye  keep:  for  it  is  a  sign  between  me  and  you  through- 
out your  generations ;  that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  Lord  that 
doth  sanctify  you.'  i  Look,  as  circumcision  and  the  passover  were 
signs  that  the  Jews  were  in  covenant  with  God  ;  so  likewise  was  the 
Sabbath,  Ezek.  xxxi.  13 ;  and  because  it  was  a  sign  of  the  covenant 
between  God  and  tliem.  Ver.  16,  'Wherefore  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  keep  the  sabbath,  to  observe  the  sabbath  throughout  the  genera- 
tions for  a  perpetual  covenant.'  God  tells  them  that  they  nmst  observe 
it  for  a  perpetual  covenant ;  and  hence  it  was  that  when  they  violated 
the  Sabbath,  God  accounted  it  the  violation  of  the  covenant  between 
him  and  them.  The  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  in  the  primitive 
times  was  the  main  character  by  which  sincere  Christians  were  dif- 
ferenced from  others;  they  judged  of  men's  sanctity  by  their  sanctifying 
of  the  Sabbath.  And,  indeed,  as  there  cannot  be  a  greater  argument 
or  evidence  of  a  profane  heart  than  the  profaning  the  Sabbath,  so 
there  cannot  be  a  greater  argument  or  evidence  of  a  gracious  heart 
than  a  right  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath.     But, 

(10.)  Tenthly,  Consider  a  right  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  will  be 
a  most  sure  and  certain  pledge,  paicn,  and  earnest  of  our  keeping  of 
an  everlasting  Sabbath  ivith  God  in  heaven :  Heb  iv.  9,  '  There 
remaincth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people  of  God' — Gr.  '  A  sabbatism, 
an  eternal  rest,  a  Sabbath  that  hath  no  evening.'  Now  mark,  if  this 
Sabbath  be  a  sign  and  pledge  of  heaven,  then  we  must  keep  it  till  we 
come  there.  For  if  we  lose  the  pledge  of  a  benefit,  we  lose  the  evi- 
dence of  that  benefit  whereof  it  is  a  pledge.  A  man  that  is  in  the 
Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day.  Rev.  i.  10,  he  is  in  heaven  on  the  Lord's 
day.  There  cannot  be  a  more  lively  resemblance  of  heaven  on  this 
side  heaven  than  the  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  in  a  heavenly  manner. 
What  is  heaven  but  an  eternal  Sabbath  ?  And  what  is  a  temporal 
Sabbath  but  a  short  heaven,  a  little  heaven  on  this  side  heaven  ? 
Our  delighting  to  sanctify  God's  Sabbath  on  earth  gives  full  assur- 
ance to  our  faith,  grounded  upon  God's  infallible  promise  that  we 
shall  enter  into  God's  eternal  rest  in  heaven  ;  for  so  runs  the  promise : 
Isa.  Iviii.  14,  '  Then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  Lord  ;  and  I  will 
cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  and  feed  thee 
with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father:  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it.'  The  foimer  ])art  of  the  verse  relates  to  earthly  bless- 
ings ;  but  these  words,  '  I  will  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob 
thy  father,'  that  is,  with   a  heavenly  inheritance;  for  what  is  the 

'  When  the  primitive  Christians  had  this  question  put  to  them,  Serrasti  Domini- 
cumf  Ha.st  thou  kept  the  Lord's  day?  they  answered,  Christianus  sum,  omittcre  nun 
fOMtim;  I  am  a  Christian,  I  cannot  but  keep  it. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  113 

heritage  of  Jacob,  but  Canaan  in  the  type  and  heaven  itself  in  the 
antitype  ?  But  should  I  thus  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  should  I  be  sure 
of  going  to  heaven  ?  Yes  ;  for  so  it  roundly  follows  in  the  next 
words,  '  The  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.'     But, 

(11.)  Eleventhly,  Consider,  that  of  all  days  God  hath  'put  the 
highest  honour  upon  his  Sabbaths,  by  appointing  his  precious  or- 
dinances in  a  special  manner  to  be  used  on  those  days.  The  Sabbath 
is  a  gold  ring,  and  the  ordinances  are  as  so  many  costly  sparkling 
diamonds  in  that  ring.  All  the  works  of  the  new  creation  are  com- 
monly wrought  on  this  day.  This  is  the  joyful  day  Avherein  ordinarily 
God  gives  spiritual  sight  to  the  blind,  and  spiritual  ears  to  the  deaf, 
and  spiritual  tongues  to  the  dumb,  and  spiritual  feet  to  the  lame. 
That  Exod.  xii.  42,  is  here  applicable.  It  is  a  night  to  be  much 
observed  to  the  Lord,  for  bringing  them  out  from  the  land  of  Egypt ; 
this  is  that  night  of  the  Lord  to  be  observed  of  all  the  children  of 
Israel  in  their  generations.  Those  that  are  new  born  are  commonly 
new  born  on  this  day  ;  and  therefore  it  is  a  day  to  be  much  observed 
to  the  Lord.  Those  that  are  converted  are  ordinarily  converted  on 
this  day ;  and  therefore  it  is  that  day  of  the  Lord  that  ought  to  be 
observed  by  all  the  converted  Israel  of  God,  Those  that  are  edified 
are  commonly  most  edified  on  this  day.  Oh  the  sweet  communion  ! 
oh  the  choice  converse !  oh  the  singular  discoveries  !  oh  the  blessed 
manifestations  !  oh  the  excellent  enjoyments  that  Christ  vouchsafes  to 
his  people  on  this  day  !  Oh  the  discoveries  of  grace  !  oh  the  exercise 
of  grace  !  oh  the  increase  of  grace,  the  progress  in  grace  !  oh  the 
comforts  of  grace  that  God  vouchsafes  to  his  chosen  on  this  day ! 
Experience  shews  that  the  right  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  is  a 
powerful  means  under  Christ  to  sanctify  us,  and  to  increase  our  faith, 
and  raise  our  hope,  and  inflame  our  love,  and  to  kindle  our  zeal, 
and  to  enlarge  our  desires,  and  to  melt  our  hearts,  and  to  weaken  our 
sins.     But, 

(12.)  Twelfthly  and  lastly.  Consider  this,  that  a  right  sanctifying 
of  the  Sabbath  ivill  cross  Satan's  grand  design,  it  loill  spoil  his  plot, 
his  masterpiece.  Satan  is  a  deadly  enemy  to  the  right  sanctifying 
of  the  Sabbath.  Witness  the  many  temptations  that  many  Chris- 
tians are  more  troubled  with  on  this  day  than  they  are  on  any  other 
day  in  the  whole  week ;  and  witness  the  many  vain,  wandering,  and 
distracting  thoughts  that  many  precious  Christians  are  more  afflicted 
with  on  this  day  than  they  are  on  all  the  days  of  the  week  beside ; 
and  w^itness  that  high  and  hot  opposition  that  he  in  his  instruments 
makes  against  the  strictest  observers  of  that  day,  Eev.  ii.  10;  and 
witness  his  constant  prompting  and  spurring  such  on  to  the  profana- 
tion of  the  Sabbath,  whose  examples  are  most  dangerous  and  en- 
couraging to  wicked  men,  as  magistrates,  ministers,  parents,  and 
masters,  &c. ;  and  witness  his  strong  endeavours,  constant  attempts, 
crafty  devices,  and  deep  policies  that  he  has  made  use  of  in  all  the 
ages  of  the  world,  to  keep  people  off  from  a  religious  observation  of 
the  Sabbath ;  yea,  and  to  make  them  more  wicked  on  that  day  than 
on  any  other  day  of  the  week — may  I  not  say  than  on  all  other  days 
of  the  week  ?  I  have  been  the  longer  upon  this  ninth  particular, 
partly  because  of  the  weightiness  of  it,  and  partly  to  encourage  the 

VOL.  VL  H 


114  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

reader  to  a  more  close  and  strict  observation  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
partly  to  justify  those  that  are  conscientious  observers  of  it,  and  partly 
to  justify  the  Lord  in  turning  London  into  ashes  for  the  horrible 
profanation  of  his  day. 

The  Sabbath-day  is  the  queen  of  days,  say  the  Jews.  The  Sabbath- 
day  among  the  other  days  is  as  the  Virgin  Mary  among  women,  saitli 
Austin.  1  Looh,  what  the  phanix  is  among  the  birds,  the  lion  among 
the  beasts,  the  whale  among  the  fishes,  the  fire  among  the  elements, 
the  lily  among  the  thorns,  the  sun  among  the  stars,  that  is  the 
Sabbath-day  to  all  other  days  ;  and  therefore  no  wonder  if  God  burn 
such  out  of  their  habitations  who  have  been  profancrs  of  his  day.  Ah 
London  !  London  !  were  there  none  within  nor  without  thy  walls  that 
made  light  of  this  institution  of  God,  and  that  did  offer  violence  to  the 
queen  of  days  by  their  looseness  and  profaneness,  by  their  sitting  at 
their  doors,  by  their  walking  in  Moorfields,^  by  their  sportings  and 
wrestlings  there,  and  by  their  haunting  of  alehouses  and  whorehouses, 
their  tossing  of  pots  and  pipes,  when  they  should  have  been  setting  up 
God  and  Christ  and  religion  in  their  families,  and  mourning  in  their 
closets  for  the  sins  of  the  times,  and  for  the  afflictions  of  poor  Joseph? 
How  did  the  wrath  and  rage  of  king  Aliasuerus  smoke  against 
Haman,  when  he  apprehended  that  he  would  have  put  a  force  upon 
the  queen  !  Esther  vii.  8-10.  And  why  then  should  we  wonder  to  see 
the  Avrath  of  the  Lord  break  forth  in  smoke  and  flames  against  such  a 
generation,  that  put  a  force  upon  his  day,  that  profaned  his  day,  the 
queen  of  days  ?  Ah  sirs  !  you  have  greatly  profaned  and  abused  the 
day  of  the  Lord  ;  and  therefore  why  should  any  marvel  that  the  Lord 
has  greatly  debased  you,  and  laid  your  glory  in  dust  and  ashes  ?  In 
these  late  years  how  has  profaneness,  like  a  flood,  broke  in  upon  us  on 
the  Lord's-day  !  and  therefore  it  highly  concerns  all  the  profaners  of 
the  day  of  the  Lord  to  lay  their  hands  upon  their  hearts,  and  to  say, 
The  Lord  is  righteous,  the  Lord  is  righteous,  though  he  has  laid  our 
habitations  desolate.  Who  is  so  great  a  sti-anger  in  our  English 
Israel  as  not  to  know  that  God  was  more  dishonoured  on  the  Sabbath- 
day,  within  and  with(Uit  the  walls  of  London,  than  he  was  in  all  the 
other  six  days  of  the  week  ?  and  therefore  let  us  not  think  it  strange 
that  such  a  fire  was  kindled  on  that  day  as  has  reduced  all  to  ashes. 
What  antic  habits  did  men  and  Avomen  put  on,  on  this  day !  what 
frothy,  empty,  airy  discourses  and  intemperance  was  to  be  found  at 
many  men's  tables  this  day  !  how  were  alehouses,  stews,  and  Moor- 
fields  filled  with  debauched  sinners  this  day !  No  wonder  thou  if 
London  be  laid  desolate.  Now  this  abominable  sin  of  open  profaning 
the  Sabbaths  of  the  Lord,  I  cannot  with  any  clear  evidence  charge 
upon  the  people  of  God  that  did  truly  fear  him  within  or  without  the 
Avails  of  London.  For,  first,  Tlicy  did  lament  and  mourn  over  the  horrid 
profanation  of  that  day.  Secondly,  I  Avant  eyes  at  present  to  see  Iioav 
it  will  stand,  cither  with  the  truth  of  grace,  or  state  of  grace,  for  such 
as  are  real  saints  to  live  in  the  open  profanation  of  God's  Sabbaths. 
Thirdly,  Because  an  ordinary  profaning  of  the  Lord's  Sabbaths  is 

^  The  Sabbath-day  differs  as  much  from  the  rest  of  the  days,  as  the  wax  doth,  to  which 
a  king's  great  seal  is  put,  from  ordinary  wax. 

*  Now  the  centre  of  the  city  of  London  :  but  still  so  named. — G. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  115 

as  great  an  argument  of  a  profane  heart  as  any  that  can  he  found 
in  the  whole  book  of  God.  Fourthly,  Because  Sabbath-days  are  the 
saints'  market-days,  the  saints'  harvest-days,  the  saints'  summer-days, 
the  saints'  seed-days,  and  the  saints'  feasting-days,  Prov.  x.  5,  and 
xvii.  16  ;  Isa.  xxv.  6  ;  and  therefore  they  will  not  be  such  fools  as  to 
sleep  away  those  days,  much  less  Avill  they  presume  to  profane  those 
days,  or  to  toy  and  trifle  away  those  days  of  grace.  Fifthly,  What 
singular  thing  do  they  more  than  others,  if  they  are  not  strict  observers 
and  conscientious  sanctifiers  of  the  Lord's-day  ?  Mat.  v.  47.  Sixthly 
and  lastly.  Of  all  the  days  that  pass  over  a  Christian's  head  in  this 
world  there  are  none  that  God  will  take  such  a  strict  and  exact 
account  of  as  of  Sabbath-days ;  and  therefore  it  highly  concerns 
all  people  to  be  strict  observers  and  serious  sanctifiers  of  that  day. 
Now,  upon  all  these  accounts,  I  cannot  charge  such  throughout  saints 
as  lived  within  or  without  the  walls  of  London  with  that  horrid  pro- 
fanation of  the  Sabbath  as  brought  the  late  fiery  dispensation  upon  us, 
and  that  turned  a  glorious  city  into  a  ruinous  heap.  Whatever  there 
was  of  the  hand  of  man  in  that  dreadful  conflagration,  I  shall  not  now 
attempt  to  divine,  but  without  a  peradventure,  it  was  Sabbath-guilt 
which  threw  the  first  ball  that  turned  London  into  flames  and  ashes. 
When  fire  and  smoking  was  on  mount  Sinai,  God  was  there,  Exod. 
xix.  18  ;  but  when  London  was  in  flames  and  smoke.  Sabbath-guilt 
was  there.  Doubtless  all  the  power  of  Kome  and  hell  should  never 
have  put  London  into  flames,  had  not  London's  guilt  kindled  the  first 
coal.     But, 

We  come  now  to  the  use  and  application  of  this  important 
point. 

10.  Tenthly,  The  profaneness,  lewdness,  blindness,  and  ivickedness 
of  the  clergy,  of  them  in  the  ministry,  brings  the  judgment  of  fire,  and 
provokes  the  Lord  to  lay  all  loaste  before  him :  Zeph.  iii.  4-6,  '  Her 
prophets  are  light  and  treacherous  persons :  her  priests  have  polluted 
the  sanctuary,  they  have  done  violence  to  the  law.  I  have  cut  off  the 
nations :  their  towers  are  desolate  ;  I  have  made  their  streets  waste, 
that  none  passeth  by :  their  cities  are  destroyed,  so  that  there  is  no 
man,  that  there  is  none  inhabitant.'  Their  prophets  and  priests  were 
rash,  heady,  and  unstable  persons, — they  were  light,  faithless  men, 
or  men  of  faithlessness,  as  the  Hebrew  runs.  They  were  neither  faith- 
ful to  God,  nor  faithful  to  their  own  souls,  nor  faithful  to  others'  souls. 
They  invented  and  feigned  prophecies  of  their  own,  and  then  boldly 
maintained  them,  and  imposed  them  upon  their  hearers  ;  they  were 
profane  and  light  in  their  carriages,  they  fitted  their  doctrines  to 
all  fancies,  humours,  parties,  and  times  ;  they  betrayed  their  trust, 
they  betrayed  the  lives  of  men  into  the  hand  of  divine  justice,  and  the 
souls  of  men  into  the  hands  of  Satan ;  they  polluted  the  sanctuary, 
they  polluted  the  holy  things  of  God,  by  managing  of  his  worship  and 
service  in  a  profane  carnal  way,  and  with  a  light,  slight,  perfidious 
spirit,  and  by  perverting  the  true  sense  of  the  law  in  their  ordinary 
teaching  of  the  people.  They  did  violence  to  the  law,  or  they  con- 
temned, removed,  or  cast  away  the  law,  as  the  original  runs :  the 
Hebrew  word  here  used  signifies  also  to  ravish,  Ps.  1.  17.  Their  pro- 
phets and  priests  did  ravish  the  law  of  God  by  corrupting  the  law,  and 


116  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

by  putting  false  glosses  upon  it,  and  by  turning  of  it  into  such  shapes 
and  senses  as  would  best  suit  the  times,  and  please  the  humours  of 
the  people.  Now  for  these  abominations  of  their  prophets  and  priests, 
God  denounces  a  dreadful  woe  against  the  city  of  Jerusalem  in  vcr.  1, 
*  Woe  to  her  that  is  filthy  and  polluted,  to  the  oppressing  city  :'  Lam. 
iv.  11-13,  '  The  Lord  hath  accomplished  his  fury:  he  hath  poured  out 
his  fierce  anger,  and  hath  kindled  a  fire  in  Zion,  and  it  hath  devoured 
the  foundation  thereof.  For  the  sins  of  her  prophets,  and  the  iniquity 
of  her  priests,  that  have  shed  the  blood  of  the  just  in  the  midst  of  iier.' 
God  sent  a  consuming  flame  into  Jerusalem,  which  did  not  only  burn 
the  tops  of  their  houses,  but  also  the  foundations  themselves,  leaving 
no  mark  whereby  they  might  know  where  their  houses  stood,  nor  any 
hopes  of  building  them  up  again.  But  why  did  God  kindle  such 
a  devouring  fire  in  Jerusalem,  which  was  one  of  the  world  wonders, 
and  a  city  that  was  not  only  strong  in  situation  and  building,  and 
deemed  impregnable,  but  a  city  that  was  God's  own  seat,  the  palace  of 
his  royal  residence ;  yea,  a  city  that  the  Lord  had  for  many  years,  to 
the  admiration  of  all  the  world,  powerfully  and  wonderfully  protected 
against  all  those  furious  assaults  that  were  made  upon  her  by  her  most 
potent  and  mighty  adversaries  ?  Ans.  For  the  sins  of  her  prophets, 
and  the  iniquities  of  her  priests,  a's  God  himself  testifies,  who  can 
neither  die  nor  lie.  You  may  see  this  further  confirmed,  if  j^ou  please 
but  seriously  to  ponder  upon  these  scriptures,  Ezek.  xxii.  25,  26,  31  ; 
Jer.  xxiii.  11, 14, 15,  39,  40.1  Look,  as  the  body  natural,  so  the  body 
politic  cannot  be  long  in  a  good  constitution,  wliose  more  noble  and 
essential  parts  are  in  a  consumption.  The  enormities  of  ministers 
have  the  strongest  influence  upon  the  souls  and  lives  of  men,  to  make 
them  miserable  in  both  worlds.  Their  falls  will  be  the  fall  and  ruin 
of  many ;  for  people  arc  more  prone  to  live  b}^  examples  than  by  pre- 
cepts, and  to  mind  more  what  the  minister  does  tlian  Avhat  he  says : 
Prcecepta  docent,  exemi^la  movent,  Precepts  may  instruct,  but  examples 
do  persuade.  The  complaint  is  ancient  in  Seneca,-  that  commonly 
men  live,  not  ad  rcdionem,  but  ad  similitudinem.  The  people  com- 
monly make  the  examples  of  their  ministers  the  rules  of  their  actions  ; 
and  their  examples  pass  as  current  among  them  as  their  prince's  coin. 
The  common  people  are  like  tempered  wax,  easily  receiving  impressions 
from  the  seals  of  their  ministers'  vices.  They  make  no  bones  of  it  to 
8in  by  prescription,  and  to  damn  themselves  by  following  the  lewd 
examples  of  their  ministers.  The  vulgar  unadvisedly  take  up  crimes 
on  trust,  and  perish  by  following  of  bad  examples.  I  will  leave  the 
serious  reader  to  make  such  application  as  in  prudence  and  conscience 
he  judges  meet.     But, 

11,  Eleventhly,  Sometimes  the  sins  of  princes  and  ridej^s  bring  the 
fiery  dispensations  of  God  upon  p)€rsons  and  places  .•'•^  Jer.  xxxviii.  17, 
18,  23,  '  Then  said  Jeremiah  unto  Zedekiah,  Thus  saitli  the  Lord,  the 
God  of  hosts,  the  God  of  Israel,  If  thou  wilt  assuredly  go  forth  unto 
the  king  of  I3abylon'8  princes,  then  thy  soul  shall  live,  and  this  city 

'  Micah  ii.  11  ;  Isa.  xxx.  10,  11  ;  Jer.  v.  31  ;  ITosca  iv.  9  ;  Isa.  ix.  16 ;  Lam.  ii.  14  ; 
Ezek.  iii.  18.  -  Seneca,  de  vita  beata,  c.ip.  1. 

•  It  is  a  stranp:e  snyinp  in  Lipsius,  viz  ,  that  the  names  of  all  good  princes  may  easily 
be  cni;raven  or  written  in  a  email  ring. — Lipsius,  de  Constautia,  lib.  ii.  cap.  25. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION-.  117 

sliall  not  be  burned  with  fire,  and  thou  shalt  live,  and  thine  house. 
But  if  thou  wilt  not  go  fortli  to  the  king  of  Babylon's  princes,  then 
shall  this  city  be  given  into  the  hands  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  they  shall 
burn  it  with  fire,  and  thou  shalt  not  escape  out  of  their  hand,  but  shalt 
be  taken  by  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  thou  shalt  cause  this 
city  to  be  burned  with  fire  ;'  or,  as  the  Hebrew  runs,  '  thou  shalt  burn 
this  city  with  fire ;'  that  is,  thou,  by  thy  obstinacy,  wilt  be  the  means 
to  procure  the  burning  of  this  city,  which  by  a  rendition  of  thyself  thou 
mightest  have  saved.  So  Jer.  xxxiv.  2,  8-11,  compared  with  chap, 
xxxvii.  5-22.  Judges  and  magistrates  are  the  physicians  of  the  state, 
saith  B[ishop]  Lake  in  l:us  sermon  on  Ezra/  and  sins  are  the  diseases 
of  it.  What  skills  it  whether  a  gangrene  begins  at  the  head  or  the 
heel,  seeing  both  ways  it  will  kill,  except  this  be  the  difference,  that 
the  head  being  nearer  the  heart,  a  gangi-ene  in  the  head  will  kill 
sooner  than  that  which  is  in  the  heel ;  even  so  will  the  sins  of  great 
ones  overthrow  a  state  sooner  than  those  of  the  meanest  sort,  2  iSam. 
xxiv.  9-18.     But, 

12.  Twelfthly,  The  abusing,  mocking,  and  despising  of  the  messen- 
gers of  the  Lord  is  a  sin  that  brings  the  fiery  dispensation  2ipon  a 
p)eople,  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  15-19  ;  Mat.  xxiii.  34,  37,  38,  '  Behold,  your 
house  is  left  unto  you  desolate.'  2  Here  is  used  the  present  for  the 
future,  to  note  the  certainty  of  the  desolation  of  their  city  and  temple, 
and  their  own  utter  ruins ;  and  about  forty  years  after  the  Romans 
came  and  burned  their  city  and  temple,  and  laid  all  waste  before  them. 
They  had  turned  the  prophets  of  the  Lord  out  of  all,  and  therefore  the 
Lord  resolves  to  turn  them  out  of  all.  0  sirs !  will  you  please  seriously 
to  consider  these  six  things;  (1.)  That  all  faithful,  painful,  conscien- 
tious ministers  or  messengers  of  the  Lord,  are  great  instruments  in  the 
hand  of  the  Lord  for  stopping  or  stemming  the  tide  of  all  profaneness 
and  wickedness  in  a  land,  which  bring  all  desolating  and  destroying- 
judgments  upon  cities  and  countries,  Isa.  Iviii.  1.  (2.)  For  converting 
souls  to  God,  for  turning  poor  sinners  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from 
the  power  of  Satan  to  Jesus  Christ,  Acts  xxvi.  15-18,  and  Dan.  xii.  3. 
(3.)  For  promoting  of  religion,  holiness,  and  godliness  in  men's  hearts, 
houses,  and  lives,  which  is  the  only  way  under  heaven  to  render  cities, 
countries,  and  kingdoms  safe,  happy,  and  prosperous.  (4.)  For  the 
weakening  of  the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  antichrist,  the  weakening  of 
whose  kingdom  is  the  glory,  safety,  and  security  of  the  land.  (5.)  For 
the  turning  away  of  wrath,  either  felt  or  feared.  (6.)  For  the  bring- 
ing down  of  the  greatest,  weightiest,  and  noblest  of  temporal  favours 
and  blessings  upon  cities  and  countries,  as  might  be  proved  from  scores 
of  scripture,  James  v.  16-18.  And  therefore  never  marvel  if  God 
revenges  the  abuses  done  to  them  in  flames  of  fire.  It  was  on  a  Sab- 
bath that  the  public  liberty  of  the  painful,  faithful  ministers  of  London 
was  terminated  and  came  to  an  end,  and  it  was  on  a  Sabbath  that 
London  was  burned.^ 

13.  Thirteenthly,  Shedding  of  the  blood  of  the  just  is  a  crying  sin, 

1  Viz.,  on  Ezra  vii.  26,  in  Sermons  ;  folio,  1C29,  pp.  273,  seq.,  part  iii. — G. 

*  Turn  to  these  two  pregnant  texts,  and  ponder  seriously  upon  them ;  for  they  speak 
close  in  the  case. 

=*  The  first  on  the  24th  of  August,  and  the  other  on  the  2d  of  September.  [The  re- 
ference is  to  the  '  Ejectment '  of  the  '  Two  Thousand  '  iu  16o2. — G.] 


118  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

that  brings  the  judgment  of  fire,  and  lays  all  desolated  Ezek.  xxxv. 
4,  5,  7,  '  I  will  lay  thy  cities  waste,  and  thou  phalt  be  desolate,  and 
thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord.     Because  thou  hast  had  a  per- 
petual hatred,'  or  hatred  of  old,  '  and  hast  shed  the  blood  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel  by  the  force  of  the  sword  in  the  time  of  their  calamity, 
in  the  time  that  their  iniquity  had  an  end.     Thus  will  I  make  mount 
Seir  most  desolate,  and  cut  off  from  it  him  that  passeth  out,  and  him 
that  returneth;'  ver.  10,  'Because  thou  hast  said.  These  two  nations 
and  these  two  countries  shall  be  mine,  and  we  will  possess  it,  whereas 
the  Lord  was  there  ;'  ver.  11, '  Therefore  as  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God, 
I  will  even  do  according  to  thine  anger,  and  according  to  thine  envy, 
^•liich  thou  hast  used  out  of  thy  hatred  against  them  :  and  I  will  make 
myself  known  among  them  when  I  have  judged  thee:'  ver.  12,  '  And 
thou  shalt  know  that  1  am  the  Lord,  and  that  I  have  heard  all  thy 
blasphemies  which  thou  hast  spoken  against  the  mountains  of  Israel, 
saying.  They  are  laid  desolate,  they  are  given  us  to  consume  or  devour :' 
veV.  13,  '  Thus  with  your  mouth  you  have  boasted  against  me,  and 
have  multiplied  your  words  against  me :  I  have  heard  them  : '  ver.  14, 
'  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God, "When  the  whole  earth  rejoiceth  I  will 
make  thee  desolate:'  ver.  15,  '  As  thou  didst  rejoice  at  the  inheritance 
of  the  house  of  Israel,  because  it  was  desolate,  so  will  I  do  unto  thee : 
thou  shalt  be  desolate,  0  mount  Seir,  and  all  Idumea,  even  all  of  it : 
and  they  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord.'     The  Edomites  were  deadly 
enemies  to  the  Israelites — their  hatred  was  old  and  strong,  and  active 
against  them  ;  and  they  took  hold  on  all  occasions  wherein  they  might 
express  their  rage  and  cruelty  against  tiiem,  both  in  words  and  works. 
And  therefore  when  the  Babylonians  took  Jerusalem,  they  cried,  Rase 
it,  rase  it,  even  to  the  foundation  thereof,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  7.     When  the 
Babylonians  entered  Jerusalem,  many  of  the  Jews  fled  to  the  Edomites 
for  succour,  they  being  their  brethren ;  but  instead  of  sheltering  them, 
they  cruelly  destroyed  them,  and  greatly  insulted  over  them,  and  were 
glad  of  all  o})portunilics  wherein  they  might  vent  all  their  rage  and 
malice  against  them,  that  so  they  might  the  better  ingratiate  them- 
selves with  the  Babylonians.     Now  for  these  cruel  practices  and  bar- 
barous severities  of  theirs  towards  the  poor,  afflicted,  and  distressed 
Israel  of  God,  God  is  resolved  to  bring  utter  desolation  upon  them  : 
ver.  3,  '  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold,  0  mount  Seir,  I  am  against 
thee,  and  I  will  stretch  out  my  hand  against  thee,  and  I  will  make 
thee  mo.st  desolate:'  or  as  the  Hebrew  is,  Shcmamah  Umeshammah, 
desolation  and  desolation.     Now  this  doubling  of  the  Hebrew  word 
shews  the  certainly  of  their  desolation,  the  sj)eediness  of  their  desola- 
tion, and  the  greatness  and  throughness  of  their  desolation  :  Jer.  xxvi. 
14,  15  ;  see  ver.  8,  9,  11,  '  As  for  me,  behold,  I  am  in  your  hand,  do 
with  me  as  seemeth  good  and  meet  unto  you.     But  know  ye  for  cer- 
tain, that  if  you  put  me  to  death,  ye  shall  surely  bring  innocent  blood 
U])on  yourselves,  and  upon  this  city,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  thereof 
That  was  good  counsel  which  Tertullian  gave  Scapula,  a  pagan  perse- 
cutor :  God  Avill  surely  make  inquisition  for  our  blood,  therefore,  saith 
he,  if  thou  wilt  not  spare  us,  yet  spare  thyself  ;  if  not  thyself,  yet  spare 
thy  country,  which  must  be  responsible  when  God  comes  to  visit  for 

>  .See  Ezek.  xxi.  23,  31,  32,  and  xxv.  3-5. 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]         the  late  fiery  dispensation.  119 

blood:  so  Lam.  iv.  11-13,  '  The  Lord  hath  accomplished  his  fury  ;  he 
hath  poured  out  his  fierce  anger,  and  hath  kindled  a  fire  in  Zion,  and 
it  hath  devoured  the  foundations  thereof.  The  kings  of  the, earth, 
and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  would  not  have  believed  that  the 
adversary  and  the  enemy  should  have  entered  into  the  gates  of  Jeru- 
salem. For  the  sins  of  her  prophets,  and  the  iniquities  of  her  priests, 
that  have  shed  the  blood  of  the  just  in  the  midst  of  her."  The  prophets 
and  the  priests  enraged  the  people  against  them,  and  engaged  the  civil 
power  against  the  just  and  the  innocent,  to  the  shedding  of  their  blood. 
But  this  innocent  blood  could  not  be  purged  away  but  by  fire.  To 
shed  the  blood  of  the  just  is  a  most  crying  sin,  and  that  for  which  God 
has  turned  the  most  glorious  cities  in  the  world  into  ashes.  Jerome 
upon  the  text  saith,  that  the  prophets  and  priests  shed  the  blood  of  the 
just  in  the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  by  drawing  them  into  error,  which  is 
to  the  destruction  of  the  soul.  But  Calvin  upon  the  text  well  observes 
this  cannot  stand,  because  just  men  are  not  so  destroyed;  but  the 
wicked  only,  that  take  no  heed  to  their  false  teaching.  Therefore, 
saith  he,  the  true  prophets  of  Grod  are  meant  by  the  just,  for  whom 
they  had  prisons,  dungeons,  and  stocks  to  put  them  into ;  and  some- 
times stoning,  or  otherwise  tumults,  which  they  stirred  up  among  the 
people,  whereby  their  blood  was  shed. 

Eome  has  much  of  the  blood  of  the  saints  upon  her  skirts,  and  for 
this  very  sin  she  shall  be  utterly  burnt  with  fire,  as  you  may  see  at 
large,  if  you  will  please  to  read  the  18th  chapter  of  the  Eevelation 
at  your  leisure,  Kev.  xvi.  6,  xvii.  6,  xix.  2,  and  xviii.  24.  Though 
Eome  was  a  cage  of  unclean  birds,  and  full  of  all  manner  of  abomina- 
tions, yet  the  sin  that  shall  at  last  burn  her  to  ashes,  is  the  blood  of 
the  saints.  Mark,  though  the  people  of  God  are  in  Babylon,  and  may 
partake  of  her  plagues,  and  fall  under  the  fiery  dispensation  with  her, 
it  is  not  the  sins  of  the  saints,  but  the  sins  of  Babylon  that  bring  the 
judgment  of  fire  upon  Babylon.  Mark,  the  people  of  God  may  live  in 
a  city  that  may  be  burnt  to  ashes,  and  yet  their  sins  may  not  be  the 
procuring  causes  of  that  judgment.  Lot  lived  in  Sodom,  and  had  his 
failings  and  infirmities  as  well  as  other  saints,  Gen.  xix  ;  but  it  was  not 
his  sins  that  brought  the  judgment  of  fire  upon  that  city,  but  the  sins 
of  the  citizens,  as  the  Scripture  assures  us. 

But  you  may  say.  Pray,  sir,  why  is  God  so  severe  as  to  turn  stately 
cities,  rich  and  populous  cities,  great  and  glorious  cities,  into  a  ruinous 
heap,  for  shedding  the  blood  of  the  just?  Ans.  Because,  next  to  the 
blood  of  Christ,  the  blood  of  the  just  is  the  most  precious  blood  in  all 
the  world.  Mark,  There  are  these  nine  things  that  speak  out  the 
preciousness  of  the  blood  of  the  just : — 

[1.]  First,  CVear  and  jAmn  scriptures  speak  out  the  blood  of  the 
saints  to  he  precious :  '  He  shall  redeem  their  soul  from  deceit  and 
violence,  and  precious  shall  their  blood  be  in  his  sight.'  And  so  Ps. 
cxvi.  15,  'Precious  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his 
saints;'  Ps.  Ixxiii.  32,  33,  and  Ixxii.  14.     But,: 

[2.]  Secondly,  The  cry  of  their  hlood  reaches  as  high  as  heaven, 
and  this  sj^eaJcs  it  out  to  he  precious  hlood,  Gen.  iv.  10, 11.  The  blood 
of  one  Abel  had  so  many  tongues  as  drops,  and  every  drop  a  voice  to 
cry  for  vengeance,  and  the  cry  of  his  blood  did  strongly  engage  the 


120  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

justice  of  God  to  punish  it :  ^  Kev.  xvi.  G,  '  Give  them  blood  to  drink, 
for  they  arc  worthy.'     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  God's  cursing  their  blessings,  who  have  shed  the  blood 
of  his  saints,  spcal's  out  their  blood  to  be  pi'ccious  bhod:  Gen.  iv.  10, 
il,  'And  now  art  thou  cursed  from  the  earth,  which  hath  opened  lier 
mouth  to  receive  thy  brother's  blood  from  thy  hand.'  Now  this  is 
added  by  the  way — 1.  To  agp^ravate  the  sin  of  Cain  ;  2.  To  shew  the 
fitness  of  the  punishment :  it  is  as  if  he  had  said  the  earth  did,  as  it 
were,  in  compassion  receive  into  her  bosom  that  blood  which  thou 
didst  cruelly  and  wickedly  shed  ;  and  therefore  out  of  the  earth,  which 
hath  sucked  in  by  the  pores  thereof  thy  brother's  blood,  shall  sprinj;  a 
curse  that  shall  ])lague  thee  for  shedding  that  blood.  The  earth, 
which  was  created  for  thy  blessing  and  service,  shall  execute  this 
curse  against  thee  in  vengeance,  not  yielding  thee  the  fruits  which 
otherwise  it  would  have  done.  As  is  expressed  in  ver.  12,  '  When 
thou  tillest  the  ground,  it  shall  not  henceforth  yield  unto  thee  her 
strength' — Hcb.,  'It  shall  not  go  on  to  give  thee  its  ability.'  This 
was  a  second  curse,  whereby  the  earth  became  worse  for  Cain's  sin 
than  it  was  for  Adam's.  Now  if  this  curse  were  not  general,  yet 
doubtless  it  was  a  particular  curse  ujoon  Cain's  portion,  so  that  where- 
soever or  whensoever  he  should  till  the  earth  as  a  husbandman,  the 
earth  by  its  barrenness  should  upbraid  him  as  a  murderer.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  God's  'pouring  oid  of  the  blood  of  the  wiclced  as  icater 
is  poured  out  upo7i  the  ground,  to  prevent  the  effusion  of  his  children's 
blood,  speaks  oid  their  blood  to  be  p)recious  blood,  Isa.  xliii.  4,  5.  At 
the  Red  Sea,  God  made  way  not  only  through  the  sea,  but  also 
through  the  blood  of  the  Egyptians,  to  preserve  the  blood  and  lives  of 
his  poor  people,  Exod.  xiv.  God,  to  preserve  the  lives  and  blood  of 
his  people,  destroys  a  hundred  fourscore  and  five  thousand  of  Sen- 
nacherib's army  by  the  hand  of  his  angel  in  one  night,  Isa.  xxxvii.  36. 
And  you  know  in  Esther's  time,  Estli.  ix.,  how  God  made  way  for  the 
preservation  of  the  lives  and  blood  of  his  people  through  the  blood  of 
Haman,  his  sons,  and  the  rest  of  their  enemies  that  hated  them.  I 
might  give  you  twenty  other  scriptures  to  the  same  purpose,  but 
enough  is  as  good  as  a  feast.     But, 

[5. J  Fifthly,  The  strict  inquisition  that  God  has  made  after  the 
blood  of  the  just  in  all  ages  of  the  world,  argues  the  precious7iess  of 
their  blood:  Ps.  ix.  12,  'When  he  maketh  inquisition  for  blood,  he  re- 
membcrcth  them,  he  forgettcth  not  the  cry  of  the  humble.'  Did  not 
Pharaoh,  Ahab.  Jezebel,  Haman,  Ilerod,  Amalek,  Moab,  Amnion,  Sen- 
nacherib, &c.,  find  by  woeful  experience  that  God  did  make  a  strict 
inquisition  after  the  blood  of  the  just?  And  so  did  those  men  of  vio- 
lence who  shed  the  blood  of  the  just  in  the  primitive  times,  &c.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  The  speed//  and.  dreadfid  vengeance  cf  God  upon  such 
as  have  shed  the  blood  of  the  Just,  speaks  out  their  blood  to  be  precious 
in  his  eyes :  Ps.  Iv.  23,  '  But  thou,  O  God,  shalt  bring  them  down  into 
the  pit  of  destruction  :  bloody  and  deceitful  men  shall  not  live  out  half 
their  days;'  Ps.  xciv.  21,  23,  'They  gather  themselves  together' — 
Heb.,  'run  by  troops,  as  thieves  do' — 'against  the  soul  of  the  right- 
eous, and  condemn  the  innocent  blood.     He  shall  brinpr  u\)on  them 

^  Crying  is  ascribed  to  blood  by  a  figurative  speech. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]        THE  late  fiery  DisPENSATioisr.  121 

their  own  iniquity,  and  shall  cut  them  off  in  their  own  wickedness : 
yea,  the  Lord  our  God  shall  cut  them  off.'  Eichard  III.  and  Queen 
Mary  were  cruel  princes,  and  shed  the  blood  of  the  just,  and  they  had 
the  shortest  reign  of  any  since  the  Conquest. 

Charles  IX.  was  a  great  shedder  of  the  blood  of  the  just.l  He  had 
a  deej)  hand  in  the  massacre  of  the  protestants  in  Paris,  and  in  other 
parts  of  his  kingdom  he  glutted  himself  with  the  blood  of  the  just, 
and  gloried  greatly  in  their  ruins.  In  his  latter  days  he  was  sur- 
prised with  a  great  debility  and  tormenting  pains  in  his  body  ;  after  a 
great  effusion  of  blood,  which  issued  out  by  all  the  passages  of  liis 
body,  he  breathed  forth  his  wretched  soul. 2  Oh  the  horrid  butcheries 
that  were  committed  and  commanded  by  this  bloody  prince  his  reign, 
throughout  his  whole  realm  !  But  at  last  divine  vengeance  overtook 
him,  and  he  died  wallowing  in  his  own  blood,  &c. 

The  Duke  of  Gruise,  next  to  the  king,3  had  the  greatest  hand  in  the 
massacre  of  the  protestants.  He  was  a  most  barbarous  prince,  and  at 
last  he  falls  by  barbarous  hands;  for  he  being  called  by  [Louis]  Eevol, 
secretary  to  Henry  III.,  to  come  to  the  king  into  his  cabinet,  as  he 
lifted  up  the  tapestry  with  one  hand  to  enter,  he  was  charged  with 
swords,  daggers,  and  partisans,^  and  so  died  by  the  hands  of  mur- 
derers. ^  He  that  had  murdered  many  thousands  of  the  protestants 
was  at  last  murdered  by  men  of  his  own  religion.^ 

Henry  III.,  king  of  France,  was  a  most  cruel  enemy  to  the  pro- 
testants, and  he  was  by  James  Clemmont,  a  monk,  stabbed  in  the 
same  chamber,  and  on  the  same  day  wherein  he  had  helped  to 
contrive  the  French  massacre,^  Doubtless  God  will  one  day  reckon 
with  France  for  all  that  protestant  blood  that  they  have  shed. 

Maximinus  was  a  great  persecutor  of  the  people  of  God ;  he  set 
forth  a  proclamation,  engraven  in  brass,  for  the  utter  abolishing  of 
Christ  and  his  religion  ;  he  was  at  last  eaten  up  of  lice.7  The  same 
judgment  befell  Philip  king  of  Spain,  who  swore  he  had  rather  have 
no  subjects  than  Lutheran  subjects ;  and  when  he  had  narrowly 
escaped  drowning  in  a  shipwreck,  he  said  he  was  delivered  of  God  to 
rout  off  Lutheranism,  which  he  presently  began  to  do,  but  God  soon 
cut  him  off. 

Thomas  Blavar,8  one  of  the  privy  counsellors  of  the  king  of  Scots, 
was  a  sore  persecutor  of  the  people  of  God  in  that  land  ;  when  he  lay 
on  his  dying-bed  he  fell  into  despair,  and  cried  out  that  he  was 
damned,  he  was  damned :  and  when  the  monks  came  about  him  to 
comfort  him,  he  cried  out  upon  them,  saying,  '  that  their  masses 
and  other  trash  would  do  him  no  good ;  for  he  never  believed  them, 
but  all  that  he  did  was  for  love  of  money,  and  not  of  religion,  not 
respecting  or  believing  that  there  was  either  a  God  or  a  devil,  a  hell 
or  a  heaven ;  and  therefore  he  was  damned,  there  was  no  remedy  but 

1  History  of  France,  pp.  791-798.  "-  Ibid.,  pp.  808,  809, 

^  Ihid.,  pp.  793,  794.  [The  Duke  of  Guise  here  referred  to  was  Louis  de  Lorraine, 
■who  was  Ueutenant-general  of  the  kingdom  under  Charles  IX.  He  was  murdered  at 
the  door  of  the  closet  of  Henry  HI.  in  1588.     Anquetil,  Hist,  de  France,  vii.  193. — G.] 

*  '  Pikes.' — G.  ^  History  of  France,  p.  867. 

«  Ihid.,  pp.  879,  880.     [Clement,  not  Clemmont.     Aug.  1,  1589.— G.] 

"  History  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  p.  417. 

8  Query,  '  Blair'  ?     Cf.  Vol.  L  p.  252.— G. 


122  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

lie  must  go  to  hell,  and  in  this  case  without  a  sign  of  repentance  he 
died.'i 

A  poi)ish  magistrate  having  condemned  a  poor  protestant  to  death, 
before  his  execution  he  caused  his  tongue  to  be  cut  out,  because  he 
should  not  confess  the  truth :  but  the  Lord  did  retaliate  it  upon  him  ; 
for  the  next  cliild  he  had  was  born  without  a  tongue. 

Cardinal  Cresccntius  [Anno  1552]  was  a  most  desperate  persecutor 
of  the  ])eople  of  God.  He  was  the  pope's  ambassador  to  the  Council 
of  Trent,  and  being  one  night  busy  in  Avriting  to  his  master  the  pope, 
a  huge  black  dog,  with  great  flaming  eyes,  and  long  ears  dangling 
down  to  the  ground,  appeared  to  him  in  his  chamber,  and  went  under 
the  table  where  he  sat.  Upon  which  the  cardinal  was  amazed ;  but  as 
soon  as  he  had  recovered  himself,  he  called  his  servants  to  put  out 
the  black  dog  that  was  come  into  his  chamber ;  but  they  looked 
round  about  his  chambers,  and  the  next  chambers,  but  could  find  no 
black  dog :  upon  which  the  cardinal  fell  presently  sick  with  a  strong 
conceit,  which  never  left  him  till  his  death,  still  crying  out,  Drive 
away  the  black  dog,  drive  away  the  black  dog,  which  seemed  to  him 
to  be  climbing  up  his  bed  ;  and  in  that  humour  he  died. 

After  the  martyrdom  of  Gregory,  the  bishop  of  Spoleta,  Flaccus  the 
governor,  who  was  the  author  thereof,  was  struck  with  an  angel, 2  and 
vomited  up  his  entrails  at  his  mouth,  and  died.3 

Mammea  Agrippitus,  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  because  he 
would  not  sacrifice  to  their  idols,  was  apprehended  at  Preneste,  and 
whipped  with  scourges,  and  hanged  up  by  the  heels,  and  at  last  slain 
with  the  sword ;  in  the  midst  of  whose  torments  the  governor  of  the 
city  fell  doAvn  dead  from  the  tribunal-seat.* 

Gensericus,  king  of  the  Vandals,  an  Ariau,  was  a  most  cruel  perse- 
cutor of  the  orthodox  Christians ;  he  was  ]iossessed  of  the  devil,  and 
died  a  most  miserable  death  in  the  year  477.^ 

Herod  the  Great,  who  caused  the  babes  of  Bethlehem  to  be  slain, 
hoping  thereby  to  have  destroyed  Christ,  shortly  after  was  plagued  by 
God  with  an  incurable  disease,  having  a  slow  and  slack  fire  continually 
tormenting  of  his  inward  parts ;  he  had  a  vehement  and  greedy  desire 
to  eat,  and  yet  notliing  would  satisfy  him ;  his  inward  bowels  rotted, 
his  breath  was  short  and  stinking,  some  of  his  members  rotted,  and  in 
all  his  members  he  had  so  violent  a  cramp,  that  nature  was  not  able 
to  bear  it,  and  so,  growing  mad  with  pain,  he  died  miserably.** 

Herod  Antipas,  who  beheaded  John  Bajjtist,  not  long  after,  falling 
into  disgrace  with  the  Roman  emperor,  with  his  incestuous  Herodias, 
the  suggester  of  that  murder,  they  were  banished,  and  fell  into  such 
misery  and  penury  that  they  ended  their  wretched  lives  with  much 
shame  and  misery.7 

Herod  Agrippa  was  a  great  persecutor  of  the  saints,  Acts  xii.  ;  he 
was  eaten  up  of  worms  in  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  as  Josephus 
observes.  8  He  went  to  CfBsarea  to  keep  certain  plays  in  the  honour 
of  Ca3sar  ;  the  gown  he  was  in,  as  the  same  author  relates,  was  a  gown 

1  Thcatrum  Historicum.                 '  Query,  'ague'?— G.  ^  Phil.  Loniccr. 

*  Cent.  iii.  cap.  12.     [Uather  Agapetus :  Clarke,  as  before,  p.  30.— G.] 

*  Sigeb.  in  Chron.                            "  Euscb.  Hist.  ''  liUi. 
8  Joseph.  Antiq.,  lib.  xi.x.  cap.  7. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  123 

of  silver  wonderfully  wrought,  and  the  beams  of  tlie  sun  reflecting 
upon  it,  made  it  so  glister,  that  it  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the  beholders ; 
and  when  he  had  made  an  end  of  his  starched  oration  in  this  his 
bravery,  his  flatterers  extolled  him  as  a  god,  crying  out,  It  is  the 
voice  of  a  god,  and  not  of  a  man,  Acts  xii.  21-23  :  whereupon  he  was 
presently  smitten  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  and  so  died  with  worms 
that  ate  up  his  entrails.^  The  blow  the  angel  gave  him  was  an  inward 
blow,  and  not  so  visible  to  others ;  and  his  torments  more  and  more 
increasing  upon  him,  the  people  put  on  sackcloth,  and  made  supplica- 
tion for  him,  but  all  in  vain ;  for  his  pains  and  torments  growing 
stronger  and  stronger  every  day  upon  him,  they  separated  his 
wretched  soul  from  his  loathsome  body  within  the  compass  of  five 
days.2 

Caiaphas  the  high  priest,  who  gathered  the  council,  and  suborned 
false  witness  against  the  Lord  Christ,  was  shortly  after  put  out  of  his 
office,  and  one  Jonathan  substituted  in  his  room,  whereupon  he  killed 
himself.  3 

Not  lorg  after  Pontius  Pilate  had  condemned  our  Lord  Christ,  he 
lost  his  d^putyship  and  Cfesar's  favour ;  and  being  fallen  into  disgrace 
with  the  Koman  emperor,  and  banished  by  him,  he  fell  into  such 
misery  that  he  hanged  himself. 

Oh  the  dreadful  judgments  that  were  inflicted  upon  the  chief  actors 
in  the  ten  persecutions !  Shall  I  give  you  a  brief  account  of  what 
befell  them  ? 

Nero,  that  monster  of  men,  who  raised  the  first  bloody  persecution, 
to  pick  a  quarrel  with  the  Christians,  he  set  the  city  of  Kome  on  fire, 
and  then  charged  it  upon  them ;  under  which  pretence  he  exposes 
them  to  the  fury  of  the  people,  who  cruelly  tormented  them,  as  if  they 
had  been  common  burners  and  destroyers  of  cities,  and  the  deadly 
enemies  of  mankind  ;  yea,  Nero  himself  caused  them  to  be  apprehended 
and  clad  in  wild  beasts'  skins,  and  torn  in  pieces  with  dogs  ;  others 
were  crucified,  some  he  made  bonfires  of  to  light  him  in  his  night- 
sports.  To  be  short,  such  horrid  cruelty  he  used  towards  them,  as 
caused  many  of  their  enemies  to  pity  them.  But  God  found  out  tliis 
wretched  persecutor  at  last ;  for  being  adjudged  by  the  senate  an 
enemy  to  mankind,  he  was  condemned  to  be  whipped  to  death,  for  the 
prevention  whereof  he  cut  his  own  throat. 

Domitian,the  author  of  the  second  persecution  against  the  Christians, 
having  drawn  a  catalogue  of  such  as  he  was  to  kill,  in  which  was  the 
name  of  his  own  wife  and  other  friends ;  upon  which  he  was,  by  the 
consent  of  his  wife,  slain  by  his  own  household  servants  with  daggers 
in  his  privy-chamber  ;  his  body  was  buried  without  honour,  his 
memory  cursed  to  posterity,  and  his  arms  and  ensigns  were  thrown 
down  and  defaced. 

Trajan  raised  the  third  persecution  against  the  church ;  he  was 
continually  vexed  with  seditions,  and  the  vengeance  of  God  followed 
him  close.  For,  first,  he  fell  into  a  palsy,  then  lost  the  use  of  his 
senses  ;  afterwards  he  fell  into  a  dropsy,  and  died  in  great  anguish. 

Adrian  being  vexed  with  great  and  perpetual  commotions  in  his  life, 
died  with  much  anxiety. 

^Joseph.  Antiq.,  lib.  xviii.  cap.  13.  ^  Euseb.  Hist.  '  IhicL,  lib.  ii.  cap.  7. 


124  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

Maxim iuus  being  declared  an  eucmy  by  the  senate,  was  killed  in  his 
own  tent. 

Deciiis,  by  the  Goths,  in  their  first  invasion  of  the  empire,  with  his 
whole  army  was  cut  olF. 

Valerianus  was  overcome  by  the  Persians,  and  made  use  of  by  Sapor 
as  a  slirmp  for  his  foot  when  lie  Avent  to  take  horse. 

Julian,  in  his  height  of  contempt  against  Christ,  was  deadly  wounded 
in  battle  against  the  Persians,  and  throwing  his  blood  in  the  air,  died 
with  that  despei'ate  expression  in  his  mouth,  Vicisti  tandem  GalilceeA 

Valentius,  being  a  great  favourer  of  the  Arians,  and  a  great  per- 
secutor of  the  orthodox — the  Arians  exceeding  the  heathens  in  cruelty 
— was  in  battle  against  the  Goths  in  Thracia  wounded,  and  being 
carried  to  a  house  that  was  near,  it  was  set  on  fire  by  the  enemy,  in 
which  he  miserably  perished. 

Maxentius  and  his  chief  officers  being  put  to  flight  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  Tiber,  by  Constantine,  was  necessitated  to  return  by 
a  bridge,  whereupon  he  had  made  devices  in  a  secret  way  to  have 
drowned  Constantine,  by  which  he  and  those  that  were  with  him  were 
drowned  in  the  river; 2  upon  which  occasion  the  Christians  took  occa- 
sion to  sing  that  word,  Ps.  ix.  16,  '  The  Lord  is  known  by  the  judg- 
ments which  he  executeth :  the  wicked  is  snared  in  the  work  of  his 
own  hand:'  and  that  word,  Ps.  vii.  15,  '  He  made  a  pit  and  digged  it, 
and  he  himself  is  fallen  into  it.' 

Dioclesian  being  sent  for  by  Constantine,  upon  suspicion,  chose 
rather  to  poison  himself  than  to  see  hira. 

Maximianus  Herculeus,  endeavouring  again  to  recover  his  authority, 
was  discovered  in  his  design  by  his  daughter,  Constantine's  wife: 
whereupon  he  was  pursued  and  besieged  by  Constantine,  and  was 
either  killed,  or  during  the  siege  hanged  himself,  as  is  diversely 
reported  by  several  writers. 

Maximinus  Jovius,  through  intemperance,  becoming  corpulent,  was 
smitten  with  boils  in  the  secret  parts,  out  of  Avhich  issued  abundance 
of  vermin ;  his  physicians  were  either  suffocated  by  the  odious  smell 
of  his  loathsome  disease,  or  else  they  were  killed  by  him  because  they 
could  not  cure  him.  One  of  his  physicians  told  him  that  it  was  God's 
judgment  on  him  for  persecuting  the  Christians,  which  no  man  could 
cure.  At  last  he  fell  under  such  convictions,  as  forced  him  to  confess 
that  the  wrongs  and  injuries  that  he  had  done  to  the  ])eo])le  of  God 
were  the  cause  of  that  plague ;  and  therefore  being  struck  with  terror 
and  horror,  gave  out  edicts  that  the  persecution  should  cease,  and  that 
churches  should  l)e  builded,  and  that  in  their  meetings  })rayers  should 
be  put  up  for  him,  as  formerly  used  to  be :  which  edict  is  to  be  found 
in  Eusebius.3  The  other  tyrant  in  the  east,  to  wit,  ]\Iaximinus,  who 
was  called  Cresar,  had  been  industrious  to  invent  cruel  tortures  for 
the  Christians,  especially  to  pull  out  their  eyes ;  but  at  last  he  was 
defeated,  and  in  a  base  habit  made  to  hide  himself,  and  afterwards  he 
was  pursued  by  such  a  sickness  which  made  l)oth  his  eyes  to  drop  out 
of  liis  head,  by  which  judgment  he  was  necessitated  to  confess  that 

*  As  before. — G. 

'  Eiiseb.  Hist.,  lib.  ix.  c.ip.  8.  The  Christians  coniparod  Ins  destruction  in  the  water 
to  Pharaoh's  drowning  in  the  Red  Sea.  "  Euseb.  Hist.,  lib.  viii.  cap.  29. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  125 

the  God  of  the  Christians  was  the  only  true  God,  and  that  he  had  been 
mistaken  concerning  the  gods  whom  he  chose  to  worship  ;  which  words 
were  uttered  by  him  when  he  was  even  expiring,  as  Eusebius  testifies.^ 
By  all  these  dreadful  instances,  you  may  run  and  read  that  heavy 
vengeance  that  has  been  inflicted  upon  those  who  have  shed  the  blood 
of  the  just. 

Foelix,  Earl  of  Wurtemburg,  was  a  great  persecutor  of  the  saints, 
and  did  swear  that  ere  he  died  he  would  ride  up  to  the  spurs  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lutherans :  but  the  very  same  night  wherein  he  had  thus 
sworn  and  vowed,  he  was  choked  with  his  own  blood. 

The  judgments  of  God  were  so  famous  and  frequent  upon  those  that 
did  shed  the  blood  of  the  saints  in  Bohemia,  that  it  was  used  as  a 
proverb  among  the  adversaries  themselves,  That  if  any  man  be  weary 
of  his  life,  let  him  but  attempt  against  the  Picardines — so  they  called 
the  Christians — and  he  should  not  live  a  year  to  an  end. 

Sir  Thomas  More,  once  Lord  Chancellor  of  England,  was  a  sworn 
enemy  to  the  gospel,  and  persecuted  the  saints  with  fire  and  faggot ; 
and  among  all  his  praises  he  reckons  this  as  the  chiefest — that  he  had 
been  a  persecutor_of  the  Lutherans,  i.e.,  the  saints.  But  what  became 
of  him  ?  he  was  i^rst  accused  of  treason,  and  then  condemned,  and  at 
last  beheaded. 

Judge  Morgan  was  a  great  persecutor  of  the  people  of  God ;  but 
shortly  after  he  had  passed  the  sentence  of  condemnation  upon  that 
virtuous  lady,  the  Lady  Jane  Grey,  he  fell  mad,  and  in  his  mad  raving 
fits,  he  would  continually  cry  out,  '  Take  away  the  Lady  Jane,  take 
away  the  Lady  Jane  from  me ! '  and  in  that  horror  he  ended  his 
wretched  life. 

Drahomiza,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  usurped  the  government 
of  Bohemia,  and  was  a  cruel  persecutor  of  the  people  of  God  ;  but  by 
a  righteous  hand  of  God  it  so  fell  out,  that  on  that  very  place  where 
the  ministers'  bones  lay  unburied,  the  earth  opened  of  itself,  and  swal- 
lowed her  up  alive  with  her  chariot,  and  those  that  were  in  it ;  which 
place  is  now  to  be  seen  before  the  castle  of  Prague.  There  is  no  end 
of  instances  of  a  later  date.     But, 

[7.j  Seventhly,  The  strange,  miraculous,  and  iconderful preservation 
of  the  lives  and  blood  of  the  just,  speaks  out  their  blood  to  be  precious 
blood.2  Who  can  sum  up  the  many  miracles  of  divine  love,  power, 
wisdom,  and  care,  &c.,  that  God  manifested  in  the  preservation  of 
Joseph  in  the  prison,  Jeremiah  in  the  dungeon,  Daniel  in  the  den,  and 
the  three  children  in  the  fiery  furnace,  and  not  say.  Surely  the  blood 
of  the  saints  is  very  precious  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  ?  I  have  read  of  a 
certain  witch  that  sent  her  spirits  to  kill  Ambrose  ;  but  they  returned 
her  this  answer,  that  God  had  hedged  him  in,  as  he  did  Job,  and  there- 
fore they  could  not  touch  him,  they  could  not  hurt  him.  Another 
came  with  a  drawn  sword  to  his  bedside  to  have  killed  him,  but  he 
could  not  stir  his  hand,  till,  repenting,  he  was  by  the  prayer  of  Ambrose 
restored  to  the  use  of  his  hand  again.     For  Luther,  saith  my  author, 

^  Euseb.  de  vita  Constantini,  lib.  ii.  cap.  52. 

^  Hesiod  speaks  of  thirty  thousand  demi-gods  that  were  keepers  of  men;  but  what 
are  so  many  thousand  gods  to  that  one  God,  that  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps,  but  d;iy 
and  night  keeps  his  people  as  the  apple  of  his  eye,  Zeph.  v.  8  ;  as  his  jewels,  Mai.  iii. 
17 ;  that  keeps  them  in  his  pavilion,  as  a  prince  his  favourite  ?  Ps.  xxxi.  20. 


1-26  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  2r>. 

a  poor  friar,  to  slaud  it  out  ngnin.st  the  pope  and  all  the  power  of  Home, 
was  a  great  miracle;  and  tliat  he  should  prevail  against  all  that  power, 
was  greater  ;  and  that  after  all  he  should  die  in  his  bed,  was  the  greatest 
of  all.  There  are  many  thousand  instances  more  of  the  like  nature, 
but  enough  is  as  good  as  a  feast. 

[8.]  Eighthly,  The  spiritual  Judgments  that  God  hath  given  such  up 
to,  ivho  have  sited  the  blood  of  the  just,  speaks  out  their  blood  to  be 
precious  blood.  Oh  the  dreadful  horrors  and  amazing  terrors  of  con- 
science that  such  have  been  given  up  to  !  Take  a  few  instances  among 
the  many  that  might  be  given.  The  Vaivod  that  had  betrayeil 
Zegedine,  a  godly  man,  professed  to  Zegedine  that  he  was  so  hauntetl 
with  apparitions  and  the  furies  of  his  own  conscience,  that  he  could 
not  rest  day  nor  night.  Dionysius,  a  cruel  tyrant,  a  bitter  enemy  to 
all  good  men  and  good  things,  was  so  troubled  with  fear  and  horror 
of  conscience,  that,  not  darmg  to  trust  his  best  friends  with  a  razor,  he 
used  to  singe  his  beard  with  burning  coals  [Cicero.]  A  sleepy  con- 
science, when  awakened,  is  like  a  sleepy  lion ;  Avhen  he  awakes  he 
roars  and  tears  his  prey.  It  is  like  Prometheus'  vulture,  it  lies  ever 
gnawing.i  Sin  bring?;  a  stain  and  a  sting.  liorror  of  conscience 
meets  a  man  in  the  dark,  and  makes  him  leap  in  the  night,  and  makes 
him  quake  in  his  sleep,  and  makes  him  start  in  every  corner,  and  makes 
him  think  every  bush  is  a  man,  every  man  a  devil,  and  every  devil  a 
messenger  to  fetch  him  quick  to  hell.  By  this  Theodoric  saw  the  face 
of  a  man  in  the  mouth  of  a  fish  ;  Nessus  heard  the  noise  of  murder  in 
the  voice  of  birds;  Saundes(P)  ran  distracted  over  the  Irish  moimtains. 
This  made  Cain  wander,  Saul  stab  himself,  Judas  hang  himself,  Arius 
empty  his  bowels  at  the  stool,  Latomus  cry  desperately,  he  was  damned, 
he  was  damned,  and  Julian  confess  that  he  was  conquered.  It  makes 
man,  the  lord  of  all,  to  be  slave  to  all.  Lord,  what  is  man  ?  Cer- 
tainly it  is  better  with  Evagrius  to  lie  secure  on  a  bed  of  straw,  than 
to  have  a  turbulent  conscience  on  a  bed  of  down,  having  curtains  em- 
bossed with  gold  and  pearl.     But, 

[9.]  Ninthly  and  lastly.  The  shedding  of  the  blood  of  the  just  is  a 
sin  of  so  high  a  cry,  and  so  deep  a  dye,  that  for  it  God  is  resolved, 
except  men  repent,  that  he  will  shut  them  out  of  the  highest  heaven, 
and  cast  them  down  to  the  loivest  hell;  as  you  may  see  by  comparing 
the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together ;  2  and  therefore  certainly  the 
blood  of  the  just  is  most  precious  blood.  Now,  seeing  that  the  blood 
of  the  just  is  such  })rccious  blood,  who  will  wonder  if  God  sets  such 
cities  and  towns  and  countries  into  a  flame  about  their  ears,  upon 
whose  skirts  the  blood  of  the  just  is  to  be  found  ?  Josephus,  speaking 
of  the  desolation  of  Jerusalem,  saith.  Because  they  have  sinned  against 
the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers,  in  shedding  the  blood  of  just  men  and 
innocents  that  were  within  thee,  even  m  the  temple  of  the  Lord, 
therefore  are  our  sorrowful  sighings  multiplied,  and  our  weapons^  daily 
increased.  It  was  the  blood  of  the  just,  the  blood  of  the  innocents, 
that  turned  Jerusalem  into  ashes. 

'  Conscience  is  God's  preacher  in  the  bosom.     Conscience  is  m'dle  testes,  a  thousand 
witncpses  for  or  against  a  man.     Conscience  hath  a  good  memory. 
-  Oal.  V.  21 ;  Rev.  xxi.  8,  and  x.xii.  15  ;  1  John  iii.  15 ;  .Mat.  .xxii.  7. 
^  Query,  'weepings'?— Ed. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEEY  DISPENSATION.  127 

I  have  read  of  one  Rabbi  Samuel,  who  six  hundred  years  since  writ 
a  tract  in  form  of  an  epistle  to  Rabbi  Isaac,  master  of  the  synagogue 
of  the  Jews,  wherein  he  doth  excellently  discuss  the  cause  of  their 
long  coptivity  and  extreme  misery,  and  after  that  he  had  proved  that 
it  was  inflicted  for  some  grievous  sin,  he  sheweth  that  sin  to  be  the 
same  which  Amos  speaks  of :  '  For  three  transgressions  of  Israel,  and 
for  four,  I  will  not  turn  away  the  punishment  thereof,  because  they 
sold  the  righteous  for  silver,  and  the  poor  for  a  pair  of  shoes.'  The 
selling  of  Joseph  he  makes  the  first  sin  ;  the  worshipping  of  the  calf  in 
Horeb,  the  second  sin  ;  the  abusing  of  God's  prophets,  the  third  sin ; 
and  the  selling  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  fourth  sin.  For  the  first,  they  served 
four  hundred  years  in  Egypt ;  for  the  second,  they  wandered  forty 
years  in  the  ^\dlderness ;  for  the  third,  they  were  captives  seventy 
years  in  Babylon ;  and  for  the  fourth,  they  are  held  in  pitiful  cap- 
tivity even  till  this  day. 

When  Phocas,  that  bloody  cut-throat,  sought  to  secure  himself  by 
building  high  walls,  he  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  telling  him,  that 
though  he  built  his  bulwarks  never  so  high,  yet  sin  within,  blood 
within,  w^ould  soon  undermine  all.  Shedding  the  blood  of  the  just  is 
a  sin  that  hath  undermined  the  strongest  bulwarks,  and  that  hath 
blown  up,  and  burnt  up,  the  most  glorious  cities  that  have  been  in  the 
world.  And  who  can  tell  but  that  the  blood  of  the  just  that  was  shed 
in  the  Marian  days,  might  now  come  up  into  remembrance  before  the 
Lord  ?  1  For  in  four  years  of  her  reign  there  were  consumed  in  the 
heat  of  those  flames  two  hundred  and  seventy-seven  persons — viz., 
five  bishops,  one-and-twenty  ministers,  eight  gentlemen,  eighty-four 
artificers,  one  hundred  husbandmen,  servants,  and  labourers,  six-and- 
twenty  wives,  twenty  widows,  nine  virgins,  two  boys,  and  two  infants. 
I  say,  who  can  tell  but  that  the  blood  of  these  precious  servants  of 
the  Lord  hath  cried  aloud  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord  for  vengeance 
against  that  once  glorious,  but  now  desolate  city?  Men  of  brutish 
spirits,  and  that  are  skilful  to  destroy,  make  no  more  of  shedding  the 
blood  of  the  just,  than  they  do  of  shedding  the  blood  of  a  swine  ;  but 
yet  this  hideous  sin  makes  so  great  a  noise  in  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  that  many  times  he  tells  the  world  by  his  fiery  dispensations 
that  it  cannot  be  purged  away  but  by  fire.  And  thus  much  for  the 
sins  that  bring  the  fiery  judgment :  our  way  now  to  the  application 
is  plain. 

^  Speed's  Chronicle  in  Queen  Mary. 


128  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa  XLII.  24,  25. 


THE  FIRST  PART  OF  THE  APPLICATION. 

1.  To  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  it.  Ten  considerations  to  ivork 
to  this. 

2.  To  mourn  tinder  the  sense  of  so  great  a  judgment. 

We  come  now  to  the  nsc  and  api)lication  of  this  important  point. 
The  explication  of  a  doctrine  is  but  the  drawing  of  the  bow:  the 
appHcation  is  the  hitting  of  the  mark,  tlic  white,  &c. 

Is  it  so,  that  God  is  the  autlior  or  efficient  cause  of  all  the  great 
calamities  and  dreadful  judgments  that  are  inflicted  upon  cities  and 
countries,  and,  in  particular,  of  that  of  fire  ?     Then, 

Use  1.  First,  Let  us  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  this  late  dreadful 
fire  that  hath  been  upon  us;  for  certainly  God  is  the  author,  per- 
missively  at  least,  he  is  the  great  agent  in  all  those  terrible  judg- 
ments that  befall  peisons,  cities,  and  kingdoms,  Ruth  i.  13,  21  ;  Ps. 
xxxix.  9  ;  1  Sam.  iii.  18.  Whosoever  or  whatsoever  be  the  rod, 
it  is  his  hand  that  gives  the  stroke.  The  power  of  bringing  judg- 
ments upon  cities  God  challengeth  to  himself :  Amos  iii.  6,  '  Shall 
there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it  ? '  Whatever 
the  judgment  be  that  falls  upon  a  city,  God  is  the  author  of  it;  he 
acts  in  it  and  orders  it  according  to  his  own  good  pleasure.  There  is 
no  judgment  that  casually  f;ills  upon  any  person,  city,  or  country. 
Every  judgment  is  inflicted  hj  a  divine  power  and  providence.  The 
Chaldeans  could  never  have  burned  Jerusalem,  if  the  Lord  had  not 
granted  them  a  commission.  Hence  saith  the  prophet,  '  Evil  came 
down  from  the  Lord  unto  the  gate  of  Jerusalem,'  Micah  i.  12.  It 
was  a  sore  evil  that  Jerusalem,  which  was  one  of  the  world's  wonders, 
should  be  destroyed  by  fire ;  but  this  evil  was  determined  at  the 
council-board  in  heaven. i  Jerusalem  was  burned  by  a  commission 
signed  in  heaven,  both  when  the  Chaldeans  under  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  when  the  Romans  under  Titus  Vespasian,  laid  it  in  ashes.  All 
sorts  of  judgments  are  more  at  the  beck  of  God,  and  under  the  com- 
mand of  God,  than  servants  are  under  the  commands  of  their  masters, 
or  soldiers  under  the  commands  of  their  general,  or  children  under 
the  command  of  their  parents,  Mat.  viii.  5,  11.  Whatever  judg- 
ment God  commands  to  destroy  a  person,  a  city,  or  country,  that 
judgment  shall  certainly  and  eft'ectually  accomplish  the  command  ot 
God,  in  spite  of  all  that  creatures  can  do.2  God,  as  he  is  our  Creator, 
Preserver,  and  sovereign  Lord,  has  an  absolute  power  both  over  our 
persons,  lives,  estates,  and  habitations :  and  when  we  have  trans- 
gressed his  righteous  laws,  he  may  do  with  us,  and  all  we  have,  as  he 
pleases  ;  he  may  turn  us  out  of  house  and  home,  and  burn  up  all  our 
comforts  round  about  us,  and  yet  do  us  no  wrong.  Those  things 
which  seem  accidental  and  casual  unto  us  are  ordered  by  the  wise 

'  The  soldier's  firebrand,  by  wliicli  was  fired  tlic  famous  temple  of  Jerusalem,  was 
commissionatcd  by  a  divine  command. 

'■'  Whatever  miscreants  made  the  fire-balls,  yet  God  did  blow  the  fire,  and  so  turned 
London  into  a  ruinous  heap.  Certainly  there  was  much  of  God's  hand,  whatever  there 
was  of  men's  heads,  in  this  fatal  fire. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  129 

counsel,  power,  and  providence  of  God.  Instruments  can  no  more 
stir  till  God  gives  them  a  commission,  than  the  axe  or  the  knife  can 
cp^  of  itself,  without  a  hand.  Job  eyed  God  in  the  fire  that  fell  from 
heaven,  and  in  all  the  fiery  trials  that  befell  him.  And  therefore,  as 
one  observes,  [Austin,]  he  doth  not  say,  the  Lord  gave,  and  the  devil 
took  away ;  nor  the  Lord  gave,  and  the  Chaldeans  and  Sabeans  took 
away ;  but  '  the  Lord  hath  given,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken ;  and 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord,'  Job  i.  20,  21.  Certainly  without 
the  cognisance  and  concurrence  of  a  wise,  omniscient,  and  omnipotent 
God,  no  creatures  can  move  ;  nor  without  his  foresight  and  permission 
no  event  can  befall  any  person,  city,  or  country  :  Acts  xvii.  28,  '  For 
in  him  we  live,  move,  and  have  our  being.'  No  man  can  put  forth  a 
natural  action  without  him.  Whatever  the  means  or  instruments  of 
our  misery  be,  the  hand  is  God's ;  and  this  the  saints  in  all  the  ages 
of  the  world  have  confessed.  It  becomes  us,  in  every  judgment,  to  see 
the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  to  look  through  visible  means  to  an  in- 
visible God,  Lev.  X.  1-4,  and  Heb.  xi.  25,  26  ;  for  though  the  Lord 
may,  and  many  times  does,  make  use  of  ISatan  and  his  instruments  to 
scourge  his  dearest  children,  yet  it  is  but  one  hand,  and  many  instru- 
ments, that  he  smites  us  with.  God  makes  use  of  what  second  causes 
he  pleases  for  the  execution  of  his  pleasure.  And  many  times  he 
makes  the  worst  of  men  the  rod  of  his  indignation  to  chastise  his 
people  with,  Isa.  x.  5-20,  Witness  Pharaoh,  Ahab,  Haman,  Herod, 
and  the  Assyrian  kings,  with  scores  of  other  instances  that  the  Scrip- 
tm'e  afi'ords.  And  all  histories  abound  in  nothing  more  than  in 
instances  of  this  nature,  as  all  know  that  have  read  anything  of 
history.  The  conclave  of  Rome,  and  the  conclave  of  hell  can  do 
nothing  without  a  commission  from  heaven.  They  cannot  make  a 
louse,  nor  burn  a  house,  nor  drown  a  pig,  without  a  commission 
under  the  broad  seal  of  heaven,  A  sparrow  lights  not  upon  the 
ground,  nor  a  hair  falls  not  from  our  heads,  no,  nor  a  bristle  from  a 
sow's  back,  saith  Tertulhan,  but  by  a  divine  providence.  ^  All  created 
creatures,  both  in  that  upper  and  in  this  lower  world,  depend  upon 
God  for  their  being,  motion,  and  several  activities.  Now  in  that  God 
did  not  exert  his  power,  neither  to  prevent  nor  check  those  furious 
flames,  which  he  knew,  without  his  interposure,  would  lay  all  in 
ashes ;  it  is  evident  that  it  was  his  divine  pleasure  that  London 
should  be  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap.  God's  not  hindering  the  desola- 
tion of  London  was  a  tacit  commissioning  of  the  flames  to  burn  down 
all  that  stood  in  their  way.  That  such  are  under  a  high  mistake  that 
ascribe  the  burning  of  London  so  to  second  causes  as  that  they  will 
allow  no  more  judgment  of  God  in  it  than  that  which  accompanies 
common  casualty,  I  shall  sufficiently  evidence  before  I  have  finished 
this  first  use.  But  I  hope  the  prudent  reader  will  make  it  his  business 
to  see  the  signal  hand  of  God  in  this  late  fiery  disf)ensation,  and  to 
remember  that  the  scribe  is  more  properly  said  to  write  than  the  pen  ; 
and  he  that  maketh  and  keepeth  the  clock  is  more  properly  said  to 
make  it  go  and  strike  than  the  wheels  and  poises  that  hang  upon  it ; 
and  every  workman  to  effect  his  work,  rather  than  the  tools  which  he 
useth  as  instruments.    So  the  Lord  of  hosts,  who  is  the  chief  agent  and 

'  Exod.  viii.  18  ;  Jer.  xxi.  10;  Mat.  viii.  32,  and  x.  30  j  Luke  xxi.  18. 
VOL.   VJ.  1 


130  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLTI.  24,  25. 

mover  in  all  lliin;^s,  ami  in  all  actions,  may  more  fitly  and  properly  be 
said  to  eftect  and  bring  to  })ass  all  judgments,  yea,  all  things  that  are 
done  in  the  earth,  than  any  inferior  or  subordinate  causes — seeing  they 
are  but  his  tools  and  instruments,  which  he  rules  and  guides  according 
to  his  own  Avill,  power,  and  providence.  At  this  some  of  the  more 
civilised  heathen  hath  long  since  hammered,  viz.,  that  the  same 
power  dis})enseth  both  comforts  and  crosses,  when  they  painted  Fortune 
in  two  forms,  with  two  faees  of  contrary  colours,  the  foremost  white, 
the  hindermost  black,  to  signify  that  both  good  and  evil  came  from 
the  goddess  Fortune.  When  it  was  told  prince  Henry,  that  delicia 
generis  Jiumani,  that  darling  of  mankind,  '  that  the  sins  of  the  people 
caused  that  affliction  that  was  upon  him  \'  '  Oh  no,'  said  he,  '  I  have 
sins  enough  of  mine  own  to  cause  that.'  So  should  we  all  confess, 
that  though  God  take  occasion  by  another  man's  sin,  or  by  another 
man's  hand,  to  fire  my  house,  yet  the  cause  is  just  that  it  should  be  so, 
and  that  I  myself  have  deserved  it,  whatsoever  the  occasion  or  the 
instrument  be.  God  had  matter  enough  against  the  seventy  thousand 
that  died  of  the  plague  ;  though  David's  sin  were  the  occasion,  yet  the 
meritorious  cause  was  in  them.  Certainly  there  is  no  man  that  hath 
been  a  sufferer  by  this  late  dreadful  fire,  but  upon  an  easy  search  into 
his  own  heart  and  life,  he  may  find  matter  enough  to  silence  himself, 
and  to  satisfy  himself  that,  though  God  has  turned  him  out  of  his 
habitation,  and  burnt  up  all  his  comforts  round  about  him,  yet  he  has 
done  him  no  wrong.  Surely  in  the  burning  of  the  city  of  London 
there  was  more  of  the  extraordinary  hand  of  God  than  there  was 
of  the  hand  of  papist  or  atheist,  Ezek.  xxi.  31.  God,  if  he  had 
pleased,  could  have  prevented  brutish  and  skilful  men  to  destroy 
and  burn,  by  discovering  of  their  hellish  plots  before  they  had  taken 
effect,  as  he  did  Ahithophel's,  2  Sam.  xvii.  10-24  ;  and  as  he  did 
Tobiah's  and  Sanballat's,  Neh.  iv.  7-16  ;  and  as  he  did  the  Jews'  Avho 
took  counsel  to  kill  Paul,  Acts  ix.  23-25,  and  xxiii.  12-25  ;  and  as  he 
did  that  of  the  GunpoAvder  treason.  And  God  could  have  directed 
and  spirited  men  to  the  use  of  the  means,  and  then  have  given  such  a 
blessing  to  the  means,  as  should  have  been  effectual  to  the  quenching 
of  it  when  it  was  first  kindled ;  but  he  would  not,  which  is  a  clear 
evidence  that  he  had  given  from  heaven  a  commission  to  the  fire 
to  burn  with  that  force  and  violence  as  it  did,  till  all  was  laid  in 
ashes. 

Now  that  you  may  the  better  see  and  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  in  the  late  dreadful  fire  that  has  been  amongst  us,  consider 
seriously  with  mo  these  ten  following  particulars :  — 

[1.]  First,  Consider  ihc  intemperate  heat,  the  drought  of  the  season. 
Such  a  hot  and  dry  summer  as  that  was  has  not  been  known  for  many 
years  ;  how  by  this  means  every  man's  habitation  was  as  stubble,  fully 
dry,  prepared  and  fitted  for  the  burning  flames.^  Before  God  would 
strike  fire  he  made  our  houses  like  tinder.  When  fuel  is  wet  and 
green,  what  jnifflng  and  blowing  must  there  be  to  kindle  a  fire,  and  to 
make  it  burn  !  but  when  fuel  is  light  and  dry,  it  is  so  conceptive 
of  fire,  that  even  the  very  smell  of  fire  puts  it  into  a  flame.     And  this 

'  Nahnm  i.  10;  Joel  ii.  5.  By  this  parching  season  evcrv  m-in's  house  was  prepared 
for  fuel. 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  131 

was  poor  London's  case  ;  for  every  man's  house  bad  lain  long  a-sunning 
under  the  scorching  beams  of  the  sun  and  much  brightness  of  weather, 
which  made  everything  so  dry  and  combustible  that  sparks  and  flakes 
of  fire  were  sufiicient  to  set  men's  houses  all  in  a  flame  about  their 
ears.  Now  this  finger  of  God  we  are  neither  to  overlook  nor  yet 
deny  ;  it  is  our  wisdom,  as  well  as  our  work,  to  see  not  only  the  finger, 
but  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  every  circumstance  that  relates  to  that 
sore  judgment  of  fire  that  we  are  still  sighing  under,  Exod.  viii.  19. 
It  is  God  that  withholds  seasonable  showers,  and  that  causeth  it  to 
rain  upon  one  city  and  not  upon  another,  Amos  iv.  7.  The  earth 
cannot  open  her  bowels,  and  yield  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the 
eater,  if  not  watered  from  above,  1  Kings  xvii.  1,  2  ;  nor  the  heaven 
cannot  drop  down  fatness  upon  the  earth  if  God  close  it  up,  and  with- 
hold the  seasonable  showers.  This  the  very  heathens  acknowledged 
in  their  fictions  of  Jupiter  and  Juno.  God  only  can  make  the  heavens 
as  brass,  and  the  earth  as  iron,  and  restrain  the  celestial  influences. 
'  Can  man  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  Pleiades  ?  or  loose  the  bonds 
of  Orion?'  Job  xxxviii.  31.  Can  any  but  God  forbid  the  clouds 
to  drop  fatness  ?  Surely  no.  Beloved,  drought  and  scantness  of  water 
upon  a  land,  a  city,  &c.,  is  a  judgment  of  God.  It  is  no  small  misery 
to  have  the  streams  dried  up,  when  the  fire  is  at  our  doors :  l  Jer. 
L  38,  '  A  drought  is  upon  her  waters  ;  and  they  shall  be  dried  up  :  for 
it  is  the  land  of  graven  images,  and  they  are  mad  upon  their  idols : ' 
Jer.  li.  35,  36,  '  The  violence  done  to  me  and  to  my  flesh  be  upon 
Babylon,  shall  the  inhabitant  of  Zion  say  ;  and  my  blood  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  Chaldea,  shall  Jerusalem  say.  Therefore  thus  saith  the 
Lord ;  Behold,  I  will  plead  my  cause,  and  take  vengeance  for  thee  ; 
and  I  will  dry  up  her  sea,  and  make  her  springs  dry.'  Now  mark 
what  follows :  ver.  37,  '  And  Babylon  shall  become  heaps,  a  dwelling- 
place  for  dragons,  an  astonishment,  and  an  hissing,  without  an  inhabi- 
tant.' When  God  comes  to  plead  the  cause  of  Zion  against  Babylon, 
not  by  words  but  by  deeds,  by  blows,  by  terrible  judgments — when 
he  comes  to  burn  up  the  inhabitants  of  Babylon,  and  to  turn 
them  out  of  house  and  home,  he  first  dries  up  her  sea,  and  makes 
her  springs  dry  :  Haggai  i.  11,  '  And  I  called  for  a  drought  upon 
the  land,  and  upon  the  mountains,  and  upon  the  corn,  and  upon 
the  new  wine,  and  upon  the  oil,  and  upon  that  which  the  ground 
bringeth  forth,  and  upon  men,  and  upon  cattle,  and  upon  all  the 
labour  of  the  hands.'  It  is  God  that  brings  droughts  and  rain, 
and  that  opens  and  stops  the  clouds,  the  bottles  of  heaven,  at  his 
pleasure :  Jer.  xiv.  2-4,  '  Judah  mourneth,  and  the  gates  thereof 
languish ;  they  are  .black  unto  the  ground  ;  and  the  cry  of  Jerusalem 
is  gone  up.  And  their  nobles  have  sent  their  little  ones  to  the  waters : 
they  came  to  the  pits,  and  found  no  water  ;  they  returned  with  their 
vessels  empty :  they  were  ashamed  and  confounded,  they  covered  their 
heads' — they  mufiied  up  their  heads  and  faces  as  a  token  of  great 

1  Doubtless  there  was  much  wrath  in  this,  that  the  water-house  which  served  much  of 
the  city  with  water  should  be  burnt  down  in  a  few  hours  after  the  fire  first  began.  To 
want  a  proper  remedy  when  we  are  under  a  growing  misery  is  no  small  calamity.  It  is 
sad  with  the  people  that  have  nothing  to  quench  the  furious  flames  but  their  own  tears 
and  blood.  To  be  stripped  of  water  when  God  strikes  a  people  with  that  tremendou.-^ 
j  udgment  of  fire  is  wrath  to  the  utmost. 


132  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

grief  and  sorrow,  as  close  mourners  do  with  us.  '  Because  the  ground 
is  chapt.  for  there  was  no  rain  in  the  earth,  the  plowmen  were  ashamed, 
they  covered  their  heads.'  There  are  many  calamities  that  are  brought 
upon  us  by  human  means,  that  are  also  avoidable  by  human  helps ; 
but  drought  and  want  of  water,  especially  when  a  devouring  tire  is 
kindled  in  the  midst  of  a  people,  is  no  small  judgment  of  heaven  upon 
that  people.  To  want  water  when  the  house  is  all  in  flames,  is  a  high 
evidence  of  divine  displeasure.  We  had  no  rain  a  long  time  before 
the  fire,  and  the  springs  were  low,  and  the  waterworks  at  the  Bridge- 
foot,  which  carried  water  into  that  part  of  the  city  that  was  first  in 
flames,  were  burnt  down  the  first  day  of  the  fire.  And  was  there  not 
wrath  from  heaven  in  this  ?  Surely  yes.  Look,  as  it  is  a  choice 
mercy  to  have  God  at  hand,  and  the  creatures  at  hand,  when  we  most 
need  them,  so  it  is  a  sore  judgment  to  have  God  at  a  distance,  and  the 
creatures  remote,  when  they  should  be  of  most  service  and  use  unto  us. 
Certainly  God's  arming  of  the  elements  of  fire  against  us,  and  his 
denying  at  the  same  time  water  unto  us,  cannot  but  be  a  signal  of  his 
great  indignation  against  us ;  and  therefore  it  highly  concerns  us  to 
see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  that  late  lamentable  fire  that  has  been 
amongst  us.     But, 

[2.  J  Secondly,  Consider  the  suddenness  and  unexpectedness  of  this 
judgment.  Who  among  all  the  burnt  citizens  did  ever  expect  to  see 
London  laid  in  ashes  in  four  days'  time?  God's  judgments  many 
times  seize  upon  men's  persons,  houses,  and  estates,  as  the  soldiers  did 
Archimedes  whilst  he  was  busy  in  drawing  lines  in  the  dust.  Isa. 
Ixiv.  3,  '  When  thou  didst  terrible  things  which  we  looked  not  for.' 
When  the  citizens  saw  London  in  flames,  they  might  truly  have  said, 
Tliis  is  a  terrible  thing,  which  we  looked  not  for ;  we  were  minding 
our  business,  our  shops,  our  trades,  our  profits,  our  pleasures,  our  de- 
lio-hts ;  we  were  studying,  and  plotting,  and  contriving  how  to  make 
ourselves  and  our  children  great  and  rich,  and  high  and  honourable  in 
the  earth,  and  it  never  entered  into  our  thoughts  that  the  destruction 
of  London  by  fire  was  so  near  at  hand  as  now  we  have  found  it  to  be. 
Isa.  xlvii.  7-9,  11,  'Thou  saidst,  I  shall  be  a  lady  for  ever:  so  that 
thou  didst  not  lay  these  things  to  thy  heart,'  (which  things  were  the 
jud"-ments  of  God  that  were  threatened :)  '  neither  didst  remember 
the  latter  end  of  it.  Therefore  hear  now  this,  thou  that  art  given  to 
pleasures,  that  dwellest  carelessly ;  that  sayest  in  thine  heart,  I  am, 
and  none  else  besides  me ;  I  shall  not  sit  as  a  widow,  neither  shall  I 
know  the  loss  of  children :  but  these  two  things  shall  come  to  thee  in 
a  moment,  in  one  day,  the  loss  of  children  and  widowhood :  they  shall 
come  upon  thee  in  their  perfection.  Evil  shall  come  upon  thee  ;  and 
thou  shalt  not  know  from  whence  it  riseth :  and  mischief  shall  fall 
upon  thee;  thou  shalt  not  be  able  to  put  it  ofl":  and  desolation  shall 
come  upon  thee  suddenly,  which  thou  shalt  not  know.'  i  Was  not 
London  the  lady-city  of  our  land  ?  Did  the  inhabitants  of  London 
Iny  those  judgments  of  God  to  heart  that  they  either  felt  or  feared  ? 
Did  London  remember  her  latter  end  ?  Were  not  most  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  London  given  to  sinful  pleasures  and  delights  ?     Did  they  not 

*  Babylon  bore  itself  bold  upon  the  seventy  years'  provision  laid  up  beforehand  to  stand 
out  a  Biegc,  and  upon  its  strength  and  riches,  but  for  all  this  it  was  taken  by  Cyrus. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  133 

live  carelessly  and  securely  ?  Were  they  ever  so  "Secure  and  inappre- 
hensive  of  their  danger  than  at  this  very  time  when  the  flames  broke 
forth  in  the  midst  of  them  ?  They  had  newly  escaped  the  most  sweep- 
ing plague  that  ever  was  in  the  city  and  suburbs,  but  instead  of  find- 
ing out  the  plague  of  their  hearts,  and  mourning  over  the  plague  of 
their  hearts,  and  repenting  of  the  evil  of  their  doings,  and  returning 
to  the  Most  High,  1  Kings  viii.  37,  38;  Isa.  ix.  13-15;  Jer.  viii.  6, 
they  returned  to  their  sins  and  their  trades  together,  from  both 
which  for  a  time  the  plague  had  frighted  them,  concluding  in  them- 
selves that  surely  the  bitterness  of  death  was  past,  1  Sam.  xv.  32. 
They  thought  that  the  worst  was  past,  and  that  after  so  dreadful  a 
storm  they  should  have  a  blessed  calm  ;  and  dreamed  of  nothing  but 
peace,  and  quiet,  and  safety,  and  trade,  striving  with  all  their  might 
to  make  up  those  losses  that  they  had  sustained  by  the  pestilence. 
They  having  escaped  the  grave  when  so  many  score  thousands  were 
carried  to  their  long  homes,  were  very  secure  ;  they  never  thought  that 
the  city,  which  had  been  so  lately  infected  by  a  contagious  plague,  was 
so  near  being  buried  in  its  own  ruins ;  they  never  imagined  that  the 
whole  city  should  be  put  in  flames  to  purge  that  air  that  their  sins 
had  infected.  1  And  therefore  no  wonder  if  desolation  came  upon 
them  suddenly,  in  a  moment,  in  one  day.  No  marvel  that  so  great  a 
fire  was  kindled  in  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  and  they  not  see  the 
hand  that  kindled  it,  nor  have  no  hands  nor  hearts  to  quench  it. 
Judgments  are  never  so  near  as  when  men  are  most  secure,  1  Thes. 
V.  3.  The  old  world  was  very  secure  until  the  very  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark :  Luke  xvii.  27,  '  They  did  eat,  they  drank,  they 
married  wives,  they  were  given  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark,  and  the  flood  came  and  destroyed  them  all.' 
Luther  observeth  that  it  was  in  the  spring  that  the  flood  came,  when 
everything  was  in  its  prime  and  pride,  and  nothing  less  looked  for 
than  a  flood.  They  neither  believed  nor  regarded  Noah's  preaching, 
nor  his  preparations  for  his  own  and  his  children's  security,  but 
merrily  passed  without  intermission  from  eating  to  drinking,  and  from 
drinking  to  marriage,  till  the  very  day  that  the  flood  came  and  swept 
them  all  away.  Their  destruction  was  foretold  them  to  a  day,  but 
they  were  drowned  in  security,  and  would  take  no  notice  of  Noah's 
predictions  nor  their  own  peril.  They  had  made  their  guts  their  god  ; 
they  had  buried  their  wits  in  their  guts,  and  their  brains  in  their 
bellies,  and  so  were  neither  awakened  nor  bettered  by  anything  that 
either  Noah  said  or  did ;  and  so  they  perished  suddenly  and  unex- 
pectedly. So  Sodom  was  very  secure  till  the  very  day  that  fiie  and 
brimstone  was  rained  from  heaven  about  their  ears,  ver.  28,  29. 
'  Likewise  also  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Lot,  they  did  eat,  they  drank, 
they  bought,  they  sold,  they  planted,  they  builded ;  but  the  same 
day  that  Lot  went  out  of  Sodom,  it  rained  fire  and  brimstone  from 
heaven  and  destroyed  them  all,'  Gen.  xix.  23,  24.  Lot  was  no 
sooner  taken  out  of  Sodom,  but  Sodom  was  as  soon  taken  out  of  the 

^  In  the  month  of  September  the  plague  was  at  the  highest,  and  in  the  same  month 
the  flames  of  London  were  at  highest.  Doubtless  there  is  some  mystery  in  this  sad 
providence.  London  was  judgment-proof,  plague-proof  in  September  ^G5,  and  therefore 
God  set  London  in  flames  in  September  '66. 


134  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

world.  Their  fair  fniusliine  morning  had  a  foul  di.snial  evening ;  they 
had  a  handsel  of  hell  on  this  side  hell.  They  passed  through  fire  and 
brimstone  here  to  an  eternal  fire  in  hell,  as  Jude  speaks,  ver.  7.  So 
the  Jews  were  deadly  secure  before  the  first  and  latter  destruction  both 
of  their  city  and  country  by  sword  and  fire.  All  the  world  could  not 
l)ersuade  tiiem  that  their  temple  and.city  should  be  laid  in  ashes,  till 
the  Chaldeans  at  one  time,  and  the  Komans  at  another,  had  set  both 
their  city  and  temple  in  a  flame  before  their  eyes.  Compare  these 
together:  Amos  vi.  3;  Lam.  iv.  11,  12;  Ezek.  xii.  22,  27,  28;  Hab. 
i.  7 ;  Luke  ii.  19,  41-44.  Now  mark,  sudden  and  unexpected  judg- 
ments do  always  carry  a  great  deal  of  the  anger  and  severity  of  God 
in  them :  Deut.  vii.  4,  '  So  will  the  anger  of  the  Lord  be  kindled 
against  you,  and  destroy  thee  suddenly.'  God  being  greatly  angry 
with  Jerusalem,  Isa.  xxix.  1-4,  he  tells  her  that  her  judgment  should 
be  at  an  instant,  suddenly,  ver.  5.  Ps.  Ixiv.  7,  '  But  God  shall  shoot 
at  them  with  an  arrow;  suddenly  shall  they  be  wounded ;'  Hab.  ii.  7, 
'  Shall  they  not  rise  up  suddenly  that  shall  bite  thee,  and  awake  that 
shall  vex  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  for  booties  unto  them?'  Prov.  vi. 
14,  15,  '  Frowardness  is  in  his  heart ;  he  deviseth  mischief  continually, 
he  sowcth  discord.  Therefore  shall  his  calamity  come  suddenly  ;  sud- 
denly shall  he  be  broken  without  remedy.'  Here  is  a  dismal  doom ;  not 
bruised,  but  broken — yea,  suddenly  broken,  when  they  least  dream  or 
dread  the  danger.  And  this  without  remedy  ;  there  shall  be  no  possi- 
bility of  piecing  them  up  again,  or  putting  them  into  a  better  condition: 
chap.  xxiv.  22,  '  Their  calamity  shall  rise  suddenly.'  "When  they 
think  that  they  have  made  all  cock-sure,  then  ruin  and  desolation  lies 
at  their  door.  Certainly  there  are  no  judgments  so  dreadful  and 
amazing  as  those  which  come  most  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  upon 
the  sons  of  men ;  for  these  cut  off  all  hope,  they  hinder  the  exercise 
of  reason,  they  cloud  men's  minds,  they  distress  men's  spirits,  they  mar 
men's  counsels,  and  they  weaken  men's  courage,  and  they  daunt  men's 
hearts  so,  that  they  can  neither  be  serviceable  to  themselves,  nor  their 
friends,  nor  the  public.  All  this  was  evidently  seen  upon  the  body  of 
the  citizens  when  London  was  in  flames.  The  more  eminent  cause  have 
we  to  take  notice  of  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  that  late  fiery  dispensa- 
tion that  has  passed  upon  us.  The  year  166G,  according  to  the  com- 
putation of  several  sober,  wise,  learned  men,  should  have  been  the 
Christian's  jubilee.  Many  men's  expectations  were  high  that  Rome 
that  year  should  be  laid  in  ashes ;  but  it  never  entered  into  any  of  our 
hearts  or  thoughts  that  tliis  very  year  London  should  be  laid  in  ashes. 
0  unexpected  blow  !  Berlin  in  Germany  [Scultet.  Annal.]  who  in  the 
puli)it  charged  the  apostle  Paul  Avith  a  lie,  was  suddenly  smitten  with 
an  apoplexy,  while  the  words  were  yet  in  his  mouth,  and  fell  down 
dead  in  the  place.  The  parson  of  Chrondall(?)  in  Kent,  having  got  a 
pardon  from  Cardinal  Pole,  as  the  pope's  substitute  in  that  work,  the 
next  Lord's  day  in  his  own  parish  presses  all  his  peo])le  to  do  the  like, 
witli  this  argument,  that  he  was  now  so  free  from  all  his  sins,  that  he 
could  die  presently;  and  God  presently  so  struck  him  in  his  jmlpit, 
that  he  died,  and  never  s])oke  more.  As  Bibulus,  a  Roman  general, 
was  riding  in  triumph  in  all  his  glory,  a  tile  fell  from  the  house  in  the 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  135 

street,  and  knocked  out  his  brains.  Otho  the  emperor  slew  himself 
with  his  own  hands,  but  slept  so  soundly  the  night  before,  that  the 
grooms  of  his  chamber  heard  him  snort.  And  Pkitarch  reporteth  the 
like  of  Cato.  Lepidus  and  Aufidius  stumbled  at  the  very  threshold 
of  the  senate  and  died ;  the  blow  came  in  a  cloud  from  heaven. 
Sophocles  died  suddenly  by  excessive  joy,  and  Homer  by  immoderate 
grief.  Mr  Perkins  speaks  of  one  who,  when  it  thundered,  scoflingly 
said  it  was  nothing  but  Tom  Tumbril  a-hoopiug  his  tubs,  and  pre- 
sently he  was  struck  dead  with  a  thunderbolt.  Olympus,  the  Atian 
heretic,  bathing  himself,  uttered  sad  words  against  the  blessed  Trinity, 
but  suddenly  a  threefold  thunderbolt  struck  him  dead  in  the  same 
place.  1  Attilus,  king  of  the  Huns,  proudly  gave  out  that  the  stars  fell 
before  him,  and  the  earth  trembled  at  his  presence,  and  how  he  would 
be  the  scourge  of  all  nations ;  but  soon  after  he  died  by  a  flux  of  blood 
breaking  out  of  his  mouth,  which  choked  him  on  his  wedding-day. 
King  Henry  the  Second  of  France,  upon  the  marriage  of  his  sister 
with  the  king  of  Spain,  was  so  puffed  up,  that  he  called  himself  by  a 
new  title,  Tres  lieureux  7^oi,  The  thrice  happy  king ;  but,  to  confute 
him,  in  solemnising  that  marriage,  he  was  slain  at  tilt  by  the  captain  of 
his  guard,  though  against  his  will,  but  not  without  God's  determinate 
counsel,  in  the  very  beginning  of  his  supposed  happiness.  Now  every 
one  that  is  a  man  either  of  reason  or  religion,  will  certainly  say  that  in 
these  sudden  judgments  that  befell  these  persons  there  was  the  angry 
and  displeased  hand  of  God  to  be  seen.  Oh  how  much  more,  then, 
should  we  see  the  angry  and  displeased  hand  of  the  Lord  in  that  sudden, 
dreadful  fire,  that  has  turned  our  once  renowned  city  into  a  ruinous 
heap,  Jer.  viii.  15.  In  this  year  1666  many  thought  that  there  had 
been  many  great  and  glorious  things  in  the  womb  of  providence  that 
would  have  been  now  brought  forth,  but  they  were  mistaken ;  for  un- 
expectedly London  is  laid  in  ashes.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Consider  the  force,  violence,  velieme^icy ,  and  irresist- 
ihleness  of  it,  despising  and  triumphing  over  all  those  lueak  endeavours 
that  ivere  used.^  This  fire  broke  forth  with  that  violence,  and  raged 
with  that  fury,  and  appeared  in  that  dreadfulness,  and  spread  itself 
with  that  dismalness,  and  continued  for  so  long  a  time  with  that  irre- 
sistibleness,  that  discouraged  hearts  and  weak  hands,  with  their  buckets, 
engines,  ladders,  hooks,  opening  of  pipes,  and  sweeping  of  channels, 
could  give  no  check  to  it.  This  fire  broke  in  upon  the  inhabitants  like 
an  arm  of  the  sea,  and  roared  and  raged  like  a  bear  robbed  of  her 
whelps,  until  it  had  laid  our  glory  in  ashes.  When  the  fire  was  here 
and  there  a  little  allayed  or  beaten  down,  or  put  to  a  stand,  how  soon 
did  it  recover  its  force  and  violence,  and  make  the  more  furious  onsets, 
burning  down  water-houses,  engines,  churches,  and  the  more  strong, 
pleasant,  and  stately  houses,  nothing  being  able  to  stand  before  its  rage ! 
How  soon  did  the  flames  mount  up  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  houses, 

^  Beard's  Theatre  of  God's  Judgments,  lib.  i.  cap.  9,  p.  64. 

'  Many  authors  speak  much  of  the  Greek  fire,  some  of  which  burned  the  Saracen's 
fleet,  to  be  of  such  force,  that  the  ancients  accounted  no  other  means  would  extinguish 
it  but  vinegar.  And  certainly  several  fires  th;it  have  been  enkindled  liy  Romish  Jesuits 
have  not  been  less  furious.  Stone  walls  and  brick  walls,  and  those  noble  and  strong- 
pieces  of  architecture,  were  all  but  fuel  to  those  furious  flames. 


136  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

and  as  soon  descend  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  lowest  vaults  and  cellars  ! 
How  did  they  march  along,  Jehu-like,  on  both  sides  of  the  streets,  with 
such  a  roaring,  dreadful,  and  astonishing  noise,  as  never  was  heard  in 
the  city  of  London  before  !  London's  sins  were  now  so  great,  and 
God's  wratli  was  now  so  hot,  that  there  was  no  quenching  of  tlie  furious 
flames.  The  decree  for  the  burning  of  London  was  now  gone  forth, 
and  none  could  reverse  it.  The  time  of  London's  fall  was  now  come. 
The  fire  had  now  received  its  commission  under  the  broad  seal  of 
heaven,  to  burn  down  the  city  and  to  turn  it  into  a  ruinous  heap  ;  and 
therefore  it  defied  and  contemned  all  remedies,  and  scorned  to  be 
suppressed  by  human  attempts.  Whoever  kindled  this  fire,  God  blew 
the  coal ;  and  therefore  no  arts,  counsels,  or  endeavours  of  men  were 
able  to  quench  it.  If  God  commission  the  sword  to  walk  abroad,  and 
to  glut  itself  with  blood,  who  can  command  it  into  the  scabbard 
again  ?  No  art,  power,  or  policy  can  cause  that  sword  to  lie  still 
that  God  has  drawn  in  the  nations  round  us,  until  it  hath  accomplished 
the  ends  for  which  he  has  drawn  it.  As  to  our  present  case,  when  I 
weigh  things  in  the  balance  of  right  reason,  I  cannot  but  be  of  opinion 
that,  had  magistrates  and  people  vigorously  and  conscientiously  dis- 
charged their  duties,  much  of  London,  by  the  blessing  of  God  upon 
their  endeavours,  that  is  now  ruined,  might  happily  have  been  pre- 
served. When  in  a  storm,  the  ship  and  all  the  vast  treasure  that  is 
in  it,  is  in  danger  to  be  lost,  it  is  sad  to  see  every  officer  and  mariner 
to  mind  more,  and  endeavour  more  the  preservation  of  their  chests, 
cabins,  and  particular  interests,  than  the  preservation  of  the  ship,  and 
the  vast  treasure  that  is  in  it.  Now  this  was  just  our  case.  Cicero 
in  his  time  laughed  at  the  folly  of  those  men,  who  conceited  that  their 
fish-ponds  and  places  of  pleasure  should  be  safe  Avhen  the  common- 
Avealth  was  lost.^  And  we  may  well  mourn  over  the  folly  and  vanity 
of  those  men  who  were  so  amazed,  confounded,  distracted,  besotted 
and  infatuated,  if  not  worse,  as  not  to  improve  all  heads,  hands,  hearts, 
counsels,  and  offers  that  were  made  for  the  preservation  of  the  city. 
This  is,  and  this  must  be  for  a  lamentation,  that  in  the  midst  of  public 
dangers,  all  ranks  and  sorts  of  men  should  take  more  care  for  the 
preservation  of  their  trifling  fardels  —  for  so  is  any  particular  man's 
estate,  though  never  so  great,  when  compared  with  the  riches  of  a 
rich,  trading,  po])ulous  city — than  they  do  for  the  preservation  of  the 
public  good.  That  there  might  have  been  rational  and  probable 
anticipations  of  those  dreadful  conflagrating  progresses,  I  suppose  all 
sober  men  will  grant :  that  these  were  either  hid  from  some  men's 
eyes,  and  seen  by  others  and  not  improved,  was  London's  woe.  When 
London  was  almost  destroyed,  then  some  began  to  blow  up  some 
heuses  for  the  preservation  of  that  little  that  was  left,  and  God  blessed 
their  endeavours  ;  but  had  some  had  encouragement,  who  long  before 
were  ready  for  that  work,  and  who  offered  themselves  in  the  case,  it  is 
very  probable  that  a  great  part  of  London  might  have  been  preserved. 
But  what  shall  I  say,  divine  justice  does  as  eminently  sparkle  and 
shine  in  the  shutting  of  men's  eyes,  and  in  the  stopping  of  men's  ears, 
and  in  the  hardening  men's  hearts  against  the  visible  and  probable 

'  Lib.  i.  Ep.  If),  ad  Atticum. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION,  137 

means  of  tlieir  outward  preservation,  as  in  any  one  thing.  This  we 
must  seriously  consider,  and  then  lay  our  hands  upon  our  mouths, 
and  be  silent  before  the  Lord.  The  force  and  violence  of  this  fire  was 
so  great,  that  many  that  removed  their  goods  once,  twice,  thrice, 
yea,  and  some  oftener,  yet  lost  all  at  last.  The  fire  followed  them  so 
close  from  place  to  place,  that  some  saved  but  little,  and  others  lost 
all.  Now  how  well  does  it  become  us,  in  the  rage  and  fury  of  the 
flames,  to  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  to  bow  before  him,  as  this 
fire  being  like  time,  which  devours  all  before  it.^  Jerusalem  was  the 
glory  and  beauty  of  the  whole  earth ;  and  the  temple  was  one  of  the 
world's  wonders ;  but  when  Titus  Vespasian's  soldiers  had  set  it  on 
fire,  it  burnt  with  that  rage  and  fury  that  all  the  industry  and  skill 
that  ever  could  be  used,  imagined,  or  thought  on,  could  not  quench 
it,  though  Titus  would  gladly  have  preserved  it  as  a  matchless  monu- 
ment. They  threw  both  the  water  and  the  blood  of  the  slain  into  it, 
but  it  burnt  with  that  violence  that  nothing  could  extinguish  it.  King 
Herod,  for  eight  years  together,  before  the  ruin  of  it,  had  employed 
ten  thousand  men  at  work  to  beautify  it ;  but  when  once  it  was  on 
fire,  it  burnt  with  that  fierceness,  that  there  was  no  preserving  of  it, 
the  decree  of  heaven  being  gone  out  against  it,  &c.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Consider  the  sioiftness  of  it.  It  flew  upon  the  wings 
of  the  wind,  that  it  might  the  sooner  come  to  its  journey's  end.  It 
ran  along  like  the  fire  and  hail  in  Egypt,  destroying  and  consuming 
all  before  it,  Ps.  xviii.  10;  Exod.  ix.  23,  24.  The  apostle  James 
speaks  of  fierce  winds,  James  iii.  6,  2.  The  wind  was  so  boisterous, 
that  it  scattered  and  carried  the  fire,  the  flames,  sometimes  one  way, 
sometimes  another,  in  despite  of  all  the  restraints,  resistances,  and 
limits  that  the  amazed  citizens  could  have  set  to  it.  I  shall  not  trouble 
you  with  the  various  notions  of  philosophers  concerning  the  wind, 
partly  because  they  mil  do  no  service  in  the  present  case,  and  partly 
because  our  work  is  to  look  higher  than  all  natural  causes.2  All  that 
either  is  or  can  be  said  of  the  wind,  I  suppose,  may  be  thus  summed 
up:  that  it  is  a  creature  that  maybe  (1.)  Felt;  (2.)  Heard;  and 
(3.)  Little  understood.  Very  wonderful  is  the  rise  of  the  winds ; 
when  it  is  so  calm  and  still  upon  the  seas,  that  scarce  a  breath  of  air 
is  perceivable,  upon  a  sudden  the  wind  is  here  and  there,  and  every- 
where :  Eccles.  i.  6,  '  The  wind  goeth  toward  the  south,  and  turneth 
about  unto  the  north :  it  whirleth  about  continually ;  and  the  wind 
returneth  again  according  to  his  circuits.'  Ps.  cxxxv.  7,  '  He  bringeth 
the  wind  out  of  his  treasuries.'  But  what  those  treasuries  are,  and 
where  they  are,  no  man  on  earth  can  certainly  tell  us.  The  wind  is 
one  of  the  great  wonders  of  the  Lord,  in  which,  and  by  which  the 
Lord's  name  is  wonderfully  magnified:  Ps.  cvii.  24,  25,  '  They  that  go 
down  to  the  sea,  see  the  works  of  the  Lord,  and  his  wonders  in  the 
deep.'  What  wonders  ?  '  He  commandeth  and  raiseth  the  stormy 
wind.'     Although  something  may  be  known  of  this  creature  in  the 

'  Ungrammatical,  but  the  meaning  plain. — G. 

*  The  winds  are  the  fan  of  nature  to  cool  and  purge  the  air.  But  at  this  time  God 
brought  the  winds  out  of  his  treasury,  to  scatter  the  flames  of  liis  indignation,  that  so 
London  might  become  a  desolation. 


138  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

natural  causes  of  it ;  yet  it  is  a  wonder  above  all  that  we  can  know  of 
it,  John  iii.  8.  What  the  wind  is,  and  from  whence  it  comes,  and 
whither  it  j2^oes,  none  can  tell. 

God  is  the  great  generalissimo  and  sovereign  commander  of  the 
winds,  so  that  a  blast  of  wind  cannot  pass  without  his  leave,  licence, 
and  cognizance :  Jonah  i.  4,  '  But  the  Lord  sent  a  great  wind  into  the 
sea,  and  tliere  was  a  mighty  tempest  in  the  sea.'  The  winds  are  God's 
posts  ^ — they  are  sometimes  messengers  of  mercy,  and  sometimes  mes- 
sengers of  wrath:  Ps.  cxlvii.  18,  'He  causeth  his  wind  to  blow.' 2  The 
winds  are  at  God's  command,  to  come  and  go,  and  go  and  come  at  his 
pleasure.  When  there  is  nothing  but  a  sweet,  smooth,  and  silver  calm 
on  the  seas,  if  God  does  but  give  forth  a  word  of  command,  how  soon 
are  they  thrown  into  liills  and  mountains,  and  how  dreadfully  do  the 
waves  dash  and  clash  one  against  another!  Ps.  cxlviii.  8,  '  Fire  and 
hail,  snow  and  vapours,  stormy  wind  fulfilling  his  word.'  Sometimes 
the  word  that  God  has  to  fulfil  is  a  saving  word,  and  sometimes  it  is 
a  destroying  word,  a  drowning  word,  a  sinking  word.  Now  according 
to  the  word  that  God  has  to  fulfil,  so  do  the  winds  always  blow.  The 
Lord  hath  the  winds  at  command,  to  be  his  executioners  and  adminis- 
trators, either  of  destruction  or  preservation.  What  are  stormy  winds 
at  sea  or  ashore  but  the  utterings  of  God's  voice  in  wrath  and  judg- 
ment ?  Sometimes  God  is  said  to  '  fly  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind,' 
Ps.  xviii.  10;  and  sometimes  he  is  said  to  'ride  upon  the  wings  of  the 
wind,'  2  Sam.  xxii.  11 ;  and  sometimes  he  is  said  to  '  walk  upon  the 
wings  of  the  wind,'  Ps.  civ.  3.  Now  these  things  are  spoken  after  the 
manner  of  men,  to  shew  that  the  winds  are  continually  acted  and 
governed  by  a  divine  power.  God  flies  upon  the  wings  of  the  tem- 
pestuous winds,  speedily  to  execute  the  vengeance  written :  and  he 
rides  and  walks  upon  the  wings  of  the  more  soft,  easy,  and  gentle  gales 
of  the  wind,  that  he  may  make  good  the  mercies  promised,  Exod.  xv. 
10,  and  xiv.  21.  No  creatures  in  heaven  or  on  earth  hath  the  winds 
at  command  but  God  solely  and  properly.  Every  wind  that  blows 
has  a  commission  imder  the  great  seal  of  heaven  to  bear  it  out  in  all 
it  does.  If  the  winds  should  be  examined,  questioned,  and  required 
to  give  in  a  full  and  exact  account  of  the  many  thousand  mariners  that 
they  have  drowned,  and  of  the  many  thousand  ships  that  they  have 
spoiled  and  destroyed,  and  of  the  many  ten  thousand  houses  that  they 
have  blown  down  at  some  times,  and  of  the  many  score  thousand 
houses  that,  when  the  fire  has  been  kindled,  they  have  helped  to  con- 
sume and  reduce  to  ashes  at  other  times,  they  would  shew  you  the 
liand  and  seal  of  heaven  for  all  they  have  done.  The  sovereignty  and 
greatness  of  God  doth  eminently  shine  and  sparkle  in  this,  that  the 
winds  are  originally  in  his  hand.  '  He  gathereth  the  wind  in  his  fist,' 
Prov.  XXX.  4.  God  keeps  the  royalty  of  all  the  creatures  in  his  own 
hand.  The  winds  are  greater  or  lesser,  of  a  longer  or  shorter  con- 
tinuance, according  to  the  will  and  pleasure  of  the  great  God,  and  not 
according  to  the  workings  of  second  causes.  The  more  civilised 
heathens  had  this  notion  amongst  them,  '  that  the  winds  were  under 
the  dominion  of  one  supreme  power,'  and  therefore,  dividing  the  world 

'  '  Runners.'— O. 

*  ilat.  Tiii.  27;  Num.  xi.  'M  ;   Isa.  xxvii.  8;   Gen.  viii.  ;  ExoJ.  i.  10,  and  xiii. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  139 

among  sundry  gods,  they  gave  the  honour  of  the  winds  to  iEolus, 
whom  they  ignorantly  suppose  had  a  power  to  lock  them  fast,  or  to  let 
them  loose  at  his  pleasure.  These  poor  besotted  heathens  thought 
that  their  feigned  god  jEolus  had  power  to  govern  and  bridle  the 
winds,  and  to  turn  them  this  way  and  that  way,  as  a  man  governs  the 
chariot  in  which  he  rideth.  And  many  ignorant  atheistical  wretches, 
when  the  winds  are  boisterous  and  violent,  they  are  ready  to  say,  that 
there  is  conjuring  abroad,  and  that  the  devil  is  at  work ;  but  they 
must  know  that  the  devil  has  not  power  of  himself  to  raise  one  blast 
of  wind,  no,  nor  so  much  wind  as  will  stir  a  feather.  I  know  that  the 
devil  is  '  the  prince  of  the  power  of  the  air,'  Eph.  ii.  2,  and  that  when 
Grod  will  give  him  leave  to  play  rex  for  ends  best  known  to  himself,  he 
can  then  raise  such  storms  and  tempests,  both  at  sea  and  ashore,  as 
shall  dash  the  stoutest  ships  in  pieces,  and  remove  mountains,  and 
make  the  most  glorious  cities  in  the  world  a  ruinous  heap ;  he  can 
easily  and  quickly  raze  the  foundations  of  the  fairest,  the  richest,  the 
strongest,  and  the  renownest,  and  the  oldest  buildings  in  the  world,  if 
God  will  but  permit  him.  Job  i.  19.  But  without  divine  permission, 
no  angel  in  heaven,  no  devil  in  hell,  nor  no  witch  on  earth,  can  raise 
or  continue  the  winds  one  moment.  Satan's  power  over  the  wind  is 
only  a  derivative  power,  a  permissive  power ;  but  the  Lord's  power 
over  the  wind  is  a  supreme  power,  an  absolute  power,  an  independent 
power.  Now,  oh  what  eminent  cause  have  we  to  see  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  in  that  boisterous  wind  that  continued  four  days  and  nights,  and 
that  carried  the  fire  to  all  points  of  the  compass,  to  all  parts  of  the 
city,  if  I  may  so  speak,  till  our  glorious  city  was  laid  in  ashes  !  Oh 
how  great  were  the  sins  of  that  people !  Oh  how  great  was  the  anger 
of  that  Grod,  who  united  two  of  the  most  dreadfullest  elements,  fire 
and  wina,  to  destroy  our  city,  and  lay  our  glory  in  the  dust !  When 
the  Romans  put  fire  to  the  .walls  of  Jerusalem,  at  first  the  north  wind 
blew  it  furiously  upon  the  Romans  themselves,  but  suddenly  the  wind 
changing  and  blowing  from  the  south,  as  it  were  by  God's  providence, 
saith  my  author,i  it  turned  the  fire  again  upon  the  wall,  and  so  all 
was  consumed  and  turned  into  ashes.  And  this  Eleazar,  in  his 
oration  to  his  companions,  takes  special  notice  of,  where  he  saith, 
'  Neither  hath  our  castle,  by  nature  inexpugnable,  anything  profited 
us  to  our  preservation ;  but  we  having  store  of  victuals  and  armour, 
and  all  other  necessaries,  have  lost  all  hope  of  safety,  God  himself 
openly  taking  it  from  us.  For  the  fire  that  once  was  carried  against 
our  enemies,  did  not  of  itself  ^  return  against  us,  and  unto  the  wall  we 
built.'  Suppose  the  Romans,  or  some  set  on  by  the  conclave  of  Rome, 
did  at  first  set  our  city  on  fire,  by  casting  their  firebrands,  for  by  that 
means  Jerusalem  was  set  on  fire,  or  fire-balls  here  and  there ;  yet  how 
highly  does  it  concern  us,  when  we  consider  the  furious  wind  that 
helped  on  the  fury  of  the  fire,  to  lay  our  hands  upon  our  loins,  and  to 
say,  The  Lord  is  righteous ;  and  that  our  present  ruin  is  but  the  pro- 
duct of  incensed  justice,  &c. 

When  the  Lord  hath  any  service  for  the  wind  to  do,  it  is  presently 
upon  the  march,  to  run  and  despatch  his  errands,  whether  of  indigna- 
tion or  of  mercy.     If  the  Lord-General  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  great, 

^  Joseph.  Aiitiq.,  lib.  vii.  cap.  23.  *  '  But  by  Ood's  ap^ioiutiueut.'— G. 


140  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  supremo  comniaiuler  of  the  winds,  will  have  them  to  destroy  a 
l)eople,  and  to  helj)  on  the  destruction  of  their  houses,  when  the  flames 
are  kindled,  or  to  break  and  dash  in  pieces  their  ships  at  sea,  it  shall 
soon  be  accomplished  :  2  Clirt)n.  xx.  37,  '  Because  thou  hast  joined  thy- 
self with  Ahaziah,  the  Lord  hath  broken  thy  works.  Ancl  the  ships 
were  broken,  that  they  were  not  able  to  go  to  Tarshish.'  Boisterous 
winds  at  sea  or  ashore  are  the  arrows  of  God  shot  out  of  the  bended 
bow  of  his  displeasure  ;  they  are  one  of  the  lower  tier  of  his  indignation 
that  is  fired  upon  the  children  of  men :  Nahum  i.  3,  '  The  Lord  hath 
his  way  in  the  vvliirlwind  and  in  the  storm,  and  in  the  clouds  are  the 
dust  of  his  feet.'  The  great  Si)anish  Armada  that  came  to  invade  our 
land  in  [L5]88,  were  broken  and  scattered  by  the  winds  :  so  that  their 
dice-games  were  frustrated,  and  they  sent  into  the  bottom  of  the  sea, 
if  not  into  a  worse  bottom.  And  when  Charles  V.  had  besieged 
Algiers,  that  pen  of  thieves,  both  by  sea  and  by  land,  and  had  almost 
taken  it,  by  two  terrible  tempests  the  greatest  part  of  his  great  fleet 
were  destroyed,  as  they  did  lie  in  the  harbour  at  anchor.^  Ships, 
houses,  trees,  steeples,  rocks,  mountains,  monuments  cannot  stand  be- 
fore a  tempestuous  wind:  1  Kings  xix.  11,  'A  great  strong  wind  rent 
the  mountains,  and  brake  in  pieces  the  rocks.'  What  more  strong 
than  rocks  and  mountains  ?  and  yet  they  were  too  weak  to  stand  before 
the  strength  of  a  tempestuous  wind.  Oh  the  terrible  execution  that 
God  doth  many  times  by  the  winds  both  at  sea  and  ashore !  Ps.  xviii. 
7,  '  The  earth  shook  and  trembled  ;  the  foundations  of  the  hills  moved 
and  were  shaken,  because  he  was  wroth  ;'  ver.  8,  '  There  went  up  a 
smoke  out  of  his  nostrils,  and  fire  out  of  his  mouth  devoured:  coals 
were  kindled  by  it ;'  ver.  10,  '  He  rode  upon  a  cherub,  and  did  fly  ; 
yea,  he  did  fly  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind  ;'  ver.  12,  '  His  thick  clouds 
passed;  hailstones  and  coals  of  fire;'  ver.  13,  'The  Lord  also 
thundered  in  the  heavens,  and  the  Highest  gave  his  voice  ;  hailstones 
and  coals  of  fire,'  &c.  The  fire  in  London  carried  the  noise  of  a  whirl- 
wind in  it:  and  that  made  it  so  formidable  and  teriible  to  all  that 
beheld  it,  especially  those  that  looked  upon  it  as  a  fruit  of  God's  dis- 
pleasure. The  wind  was  commissionated  by  God  to  join  issue  with 
the  raging  fire,  to  lay  the  city  desolate.  I  think  the  like  dreadful 
instance  cannot  be  given  in  any  age  of  the  world.  We  cannot  say  of 
the  wind  that  blew  when  London  was  in  flames,  that  God  was  not  in 
the  wind,  as  it  is  said  in  that  1  Kings  xix.  11.  For  assuredly,  if 
ever  God  was  in  any  wind,  he  was  remarkably  in  this  wind.  Witness 
the  dismal  effects  of  it  amongst  us  to  this  very  day  !  Had  God  been 
pleased  to  have  hindered  the  conjunction  of  these  two  elements,  much 
of  London  might  have  been  standing  which  now  lies  buried  in  its  own 
ruins.  I  grant  that  it  is  probable  enough  that  those  that  did  so  long 
before  prophesy  and  predict  the  burning  of  London,  before  it  was  laid 
in  ashes,  were  the  prime  contrivers  and  furtherers  of  the  firing  of  it : 
but  yet  when  they  had  kindled  the  fire,  that  God  by  the  bellows  of 
heaven  siiould  so  blow  upon  it  as  to  make  it  spread,  and  turn,  like  the 
flaming  sword  in  paradise,  every  way,  Gen.  iii.  24,  till  by  its  force  and 
fury  it  hail  destroyed  above  two  third  parts  in  the  midst  of  the  city, 
as  the  phrase  is,  Ezek.  v.  2,  '  This  is,  and  this  must  be  for  a  sore 

'  Val.  Max.  Cliristian.,  p.  1  .^2. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  141 

lamentation.'  God,  who  holds  the  winds  in  his  fist,  who  is  the  true 
^olus,  could  either  have  locked  them  up  in  his  treasures,  or  have  com- 
manded them  to  be  still ;  or  else  have  turned  them  to  have  been  a 
defence  to  the  city,  Ps.  xiii.  5  ;  Mark  iv.  39.  God,  who  holds  the 
bottles  of  heaven  in  his  hand.  Gen.  vii.  11,  could  easily  have  unstoj^ped 
them  ;  he  could  with  a  word  of  his  mouth  have  opened  the  windows  of 
heaven,  and  have  poured  down  such  an  abundance  of  rain  upon  the  city, 
as  would  quickly  have  quenched  the  violence  of  the  flames,  and  so  have 
made  the  conquest  of  the  fire  more  easy.  But  the  Lord  was  angry, 
and  the  deci'ee  was  gone  out  that  London  should  be  burnt ;  and  who 
could  prevent  it  ? 

To  close  up  this  particular,  consider  much  of  the  wisdom,  power, 
and  justice  of  God  shines  in  the  variety  of  the  motions  of  the  wind : 
Eccles.  i.  6,  '  The  wind  goeth  toward  the  south,  and  turneth  about  unto 
the  north ;  it  whirleth  about  continually,  and  the  wind  returneth  again 
according  to  his  circuits.'  The  wind  hath  its  various  circuits  appointed 
by  God.  When  the  wind  blows  southward,  northward,  westward,  or 
eastward,  it  blows  according  to  the  orders  that  are  issued  out  from  the 
court  of  heaven.  Sometimes  the  wind  begins  to  blow  at  one  point  of 
the  compass,  and  in  a  short  time  whirls  about  to  every  point  of  the 
compass,  till  it  comes  again  to  the  same  point  where  it  blew  at  the 
first ;  yet  in  all  this  they  observe  their  circuits,  and  run  their  compass, 
according  to  the  divine  appointment.  As  the  sun,  so  the  winds  have 
their  courses  ordered  out  by  the  wise  providence  of  God.  Divine 
wisdom  much  sparkles  and  shines  in  the  circuits  of  the  winds ;  which 
the  Lord  brings  out  of  his  treasure,  and  makes  them  serviceable,  some- 
times to  one  part  of  the  world,  and  at  other  times  to  other  parts  of  the 
world.  It  is  the  great  God  that  appoints  where  the  winds  shall  blow, 
Exod.  xiv.  24 ;  Jonah  i.  4,  and  iv.  8,  and  when  the  winds  shall  blow, 
and  how  long  the  winds  shall  blow,  and  with  what  force  and  violence 
the  winds  shall  blow.  The  winds  in  some  parts  of  the  world  have  a 
very  regular  and  uniform  motion,  in  some  months  of  the  year  blowing 
constantly  out  of  one  quarter,  and  in  others  out  of  another.  In  some 
places  of  the  world  where  I  have  been,  the  motions  of  the  wind  are 
steady  and  constant,  which  mariners  call  their  trade-wind.  Now  by 
these  stated  or  settled  winds,  divine  providence  does  very  greatly 
serve  the  interest  of  the  children  of  men.  But  now  in  other  parts  of 
the  world,  the  winds  are  as  changeable  as  men's  minds.  The  laws 
that  God  lays  upon  the  winds  in  most  parts  of  the  world  are  not  like 
the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  '  which  alter  not,'  Dan.  vi.  8. 
One  day  God  lays  a  law  upon  the  wmds  to  blow  full  east,  the  next  day 
to  blow  full  west,  the  third  to  blow  full  south,  the  fourth  to  blow  full 
north ;  yea,  in  several  parts  of  the  world  I  have  known  the  winds  to 
change  their  motions  several  times  in  a  day.  Now  in  all  these  various 
motions  of  the  winds,  the  providence  of  God  is  at  work  for  the  good 
of  mankind.  That  there  is  a  dreadful  storm  in  one  place,  and  at  the 
same  time  a  sweet  calm  in  another, — that  a  tempestuous  storm  should 
destroy  and  dash  in  pieces  one  fleet,  and  that  at  the  same  instant,  and 
in  one  and  the  same  sea,  a  prosperous  gale  should  blow  another  fleet 
into  a  safe  harbour, — that  some  at  sea  should  have  a  stiff  gale  of  wind, 
and  others  within  sight  of  them  should  lie  becalmed, — that  some  ships 


142  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

should  come  into  harbour  top  and  top-gallant,  and  that  others  should 
sink  down  at  the  same  harbour's  mouth  before  they  should  be  able  to 
get  in,  is  all  from  the  decree  of  God,  and  that  law  that  he  has  laid 
upon  the  winds.  Tliat  terrible  tempestuous  wind  that  affrighted  the 
disciples,  and  that  put  them  not  only  to  their  wits'  end,  but  also  to  their 
faith's  end,  was  allayed  by  a  word  of  Christ's  mouth :  Mat.  viii.  2G, 
*  He  arose  and  rebuked  the  winds  and  the  sea,  and  there  was  a  great 
calm.'  0  sirs !  when  London  was  in  flames,  and  when  the  winds 
were  high  and  went  their  circuits,  roaring  and  making  a  most  hideous 
noise,  how  easy  a  thing  had  it  been  with  Jesus  by  a  word  of  his  mouth 
to  have  allayed  them  !  but  he  Avas  more  angry  with  us  than  he  was 
with  his  disciples  who  were  in  danger  of  drowning,  or  else  he  would 
as  certainly  have  saved  our  city  from  burning  by  rebuking  the  winds 
and  the  flames,  as  he  did  his  disciples  from  drowning  by  rebulcing  the 
winds  and  the  seas.  I  have  been  the  longer  upon  this  fourth  particu- 
lar, that  you  may  the  more  easily  run  and  read  the  anger  of  the  Lord 
in  those  furious  flames,  and  in  that  violent  wind  that  has  laid  our  city 
desolate.  It  is  true  astrologers  ascribe  the  motions  of  the  winds  to 
special  planets.  The  east  wind  they  ascribe  to  the  sun,  the  west  wind 
to  the  moon,  the  south  wind  to  Mars,  and  the  north  wind  to  Jupiter ; 
but  those  that  are  wise  in  heart,  by  what  I  have  said  concerning  the 
winds,  may  safely  and  groundedly  conclude  that  God  alone  hath  the 
supreme  power  of  the  winds  in  his  own  hand,  and  that  he  alone  orders, 
directs,  and  commands  all  the  motions  of  the  winds.  And  therefore 
let  us  look  to  that  terrible  hand  of  the  Lord  that  was  lifted  up  in  that 
fierce  wind,  that  did  so  exceedingly  contribute  to  the  turning  of  our 
city  into  a  ruinous  lieap.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Consider  the  cxtensiveness  of  ity  How  did  this  dread- 
ful fire  spread  itself,  both  with  and  against  the  wind,  till  it  had  gained 
so  great  a  force  as  that  it  despised  all  men's  attempts !  It  quickly 
spread  itself  from  the  east  to  the  west,  to  the  destruction  of  houses  of 
state,  of  trade,  of  i)ubhc  magistracy,  besides  mines  of  charity.  It 
spread  itself  with  that  violence  that  it  soon  crumbled  into  ashes  our 
most  stately  habitations,  halls,  chapels,  churches,  and  famous  monu- 
ments. Those  magnificent  structures  of  the  city  that  formerly  had 
l)ut  stops  and  given  checks  to  the  furious  flames,  falls  now  like  stubble 
before  the  violence  of  a  spreading  fire.  This  fire  like  an  arm  of  the 
sea,  or  like  a  land-flood,  broke  in  suddenly  upon  us,  and  soon  spread 
itself  all  manner  of  ways  amongst  us.  It  ran  from  place  to  place  like 
the  fire  and  hail  in  Egypt,  Exod.  ix.  23 :  now  it  was  in  this  street,  and 
anon  in  that ;  now  this  steeple  is  on  fire,  and  then  that ;  now  this 
place  of  judicature  is  laid  in  ashes,  and  then  that ;  now  this  hall  is  in 
flames,  and  then  that ;  now  tliis  parish  is  burnt  down  to  the  ground, 
and  then  that ;  now  this  ward  is  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap,  and  then 
that ;  now  this  quarter  of  the  city  is  level  with  the  ground,  and  then 
that ;  now  this  gate  of  the  city  is  demolished  and  consumed,  and  then 
that.  '  The  adversary  liath  spread  out  his  hand  upon  all  her  pleasant 
things,'  saith  the  propliet  lamentiugly.  Lam.  i.  10 ;  and  we  may  say 
sighingly,  the  fire  hath  spread  out  its  hand  upon  all  our  pleasant 

'  Within  the  walls  of  the  city  there  were  eighty-one  parishes  consumed.  For  every 
Lour  the  fire  lasted,  there  was  a  whole  parish  consumed. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  143 

tilings,  upon  all  our  pleasant  houses,  shops,  trades,  gardens,  walks, 
temples,  &c.  The  plague,  the  year  before,  did  so  rage  and  spread, 
that  it  emptied  many  thousand  houses  of  persons ;  and  now  this  dread- 
ful fii-e  hath  so  spread  itself  that  it  has  not  left  houses  enough  for 
many  thousands  of  persons  to  dwell  in,  there  being  more  than  thirteen 
thousand  houses  destroyed  by  the  furious  flames.  Sin  is  of  a  spreading 
nature,  and  accordingly  it  had  spread  itself  over  all  parts  of  the  city  ; 
and  therefore  the  Lord,  who  delights  to  suit  his  judgments  to  men's 
sins,  sent  a  spreading  fire  in  the  midst  of  us.  The  merciless  flames' 
spreading  themselves  every  way,  in  four  days'  time  laid  the  main  of 
our  once  glorious  city  in  ashes:  a  judgment  so  remarkable  and  past 
precedent,  that  he  that  will  not  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  it,  may 
well  be  reckoned  amongst  the  worst  of  atheists.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Consider  the  impartiality  of  it.  It  spared  neither 
sinners  nor  saints,  young  nor  old,  rich  nor  poor,  honourable  nor  base, 
bond  nor  free,  male  nor  female,  buyer  nor  seller,  borrower  nor  lender. 
God  making  good  that  word,  Isa.  xxiv.  1,2,'  Behold,  the  Lord  maketh 
the  earth  empty,  and  maketh  it  waste,  and  turneth  it  upside  down, 
and  scattereth  abroad  the  inhabitants  thereof.  And  it  shall  be  as 
with  the  people,  so  with  the  priest,' — or  with  the  prince,  for  the 
Hebrew  word  signifies  both; — '  as  with  the  servant,  so  with  his  master  ; 
as  with  the  maid,  so  with  the  mistress ;  as  with  the  buyer,  so  with 
the  seller  ;  as  with  the  lender,  so  with  the  borrower  ;  as  with  the  taker 
of  usury,  so  with  the  giver  of  usury  to  him.'  In  the  day  of  the  Lord's 
wrath  that  was  lately  upon  us,  all  orders,  ranks,  and  degrees  of  men 
suffered  alike,  and  were  abased  alike ;  the  furious  flames  made  no 
difference,  they  put  no  distinction  between  the  russet  coat  and  the 
scarlet  gown,  the  leathern  jacket  and  the  gold  chain,  the  merchant 
and  the  tradesman,  the  landlord  and  the  tenant,  the  giver  and  the 
receiver. 

'  There  is  no  difference  :  fire  hatli  made 
Equal  the  sceptre  and  the  spade.' 

Ezek.  XX.  47,  '  Behold,  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  thee,  and  it  shall  devour 
every  green  tree  in  thee,  and  every  dry  tree :  the  flaming  flame  shall 
not  be  quenched,  and  all  faces  from  the  south  to  the  north  shall 
be  burnt  therein.'  I  have,  in  the  former  part  of  this  treatise,  given 
some  light  into  these  words.  The  fire,  the  flames  in  the  text,  takes 
hold  of  all  sorts  of  people,  rich  and  poor,  lord  and  lad,  high  and  low, 
great  and  small,  strong  and  weak,  wise  and  foolish,  learned  and 
ignorant,  commanders  and  soldiers,  rulers  and  ruled.  So  did  the  late 
lamentable  fire  in  London  take  hold  of  all  sorts  and  degrees  of  men, 
as  the  citizens  have  found  by  sad  experience.  The  fire,  like  the  duke 
of  Parma's  sword,  knew  no  difference  betwixt  robes  and  rags,  betwixt 
prince  and  peasant,  betwixt  honourable  and  vile,  betwixt  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked,  the  clean  and  the  unclean,  betwixt  him  that  sacrificed 
and  him  that  sacrificed  not,  betwixt  him  that  sweareth  and  him  that 
feareth  an  oath,  Eccles.  ix.  1,  2.  The  judgment  was  universal,  the 
blow  reached  us  all,  the  flames  brake  into  every  man's  house  ;  such  a 
dreadful,  impartial,  universal  fire,  eyes  never  saw  before,  nor  ears  never 
heard  of  before,  nor  tongues  never  discoursed  of  before,  nor  pens  never 
writ  of  before.     Beloved,  you  know  that  it  is  our  duty  to  take  serious 


114  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

notice  of  tlie  hand  of  ilic  Lord  in  the  least  judgment,  and  in  every 
particular  judgment.  Oh  how  much  more  then  docs  it  highly 
concern  us  to  take  serious  notice  of  the  hand  of  the  Lord  that  has 
been  lifted  up  against  us,  in  that  late  dreadful,  impartial,  universal 
fire,  that  has  burnt  us  all  out  of  our  habitations,  and  laid  our  city 
desolate!     But, 

[7.1  Seventhly,  Consider  the  greatness  of  it,  the  destructlvenessof  if. 
Oh  the  many  thousand  families  that  were  destroyed  and  impoverished 
in  four  days'  time  !  Of  many  it  might  have  been  said  the  day  before 
the  fire,  who  so  rich  as  these  ?  and  the  very  next  day  it  might  have 
been  said  of  the  same  persons,  who  so  poor  as  these  ?  as  poor  as  Job  ; 
yea,  poor  to  a  proverb :  Jer.  xxi.  13,  14,  '  Behold,  I  am  against  thee, 
0  inhabitant  of  the  valley,  and  rock  of  the  plain,  saith  the  Lord ; 
which  say.  Who  shall  come  down  against  us  ?  or  who  shall  enter  into 
our  habitations  ?  But  I  will  punish  you  according  to  the  fruit  of 
your  doings,  saith  the  Lord :  and  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  the  forest 
thereof,  and  it  shall  devour  all  things  I'ound  about  it.'^  ^  Some  by  the 
forest  understand  the  fair  and  sumptuous  buildings  in  Jerusalem, 
that  were  built  with  wood  that  Avas  hewn  out  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon, 
and  stood  as  thick  as  trees  in  the  forest.  Others  by  the  forest  under- 
stand the  whole  city  of  Jerusalem  with  the  country  round  about  it, 
that  was  as  full  of  people  as  a  forest  is  full  of  trees.  Others  by  forest 
understand  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  king's  house,  and  the 
houses  of  the  great  princes,  which  were  built  with  excellent  matter 
from  the  wood  of  Lebanon.  Jerusalem  was  so  strongly  defended  by 
nature  that  they  thought  themselves  invincible,  as  once  the  Jebusitcs 
did,  2  Sam.  v.  6 :  they  were  so  confident  of  the  strength  of  their  city, 
that  they  scorned  the  proudest  and  the  strongest  enemies  about  them. 
But  sin  had  brought  them  low  in  the  eye  of  God,  so  that  he  could  see 
nothing  eminent  or  excellent  among  them ;  and  therefore  the  Lord 
resolves  by  the  Chaldeans  to  fire  their  magnificent  buildings  in  which 
they  gloried,  and  to  turn  their  strong  and  stately  city  into  a  ruinous 
heap.  Though  Jerusalem  stood  in  a  vale,  and  was  environed  with 
mountains,  yet  the  upper  part  of  it  stood  high,  as  it  were  upon  a  rocky 
rising  hill,  Ps.  cxxv.  2.  Now  the  citizens  of  Jerusalem  trusted  very 
much  in  the  situation  of  their  city ;  they  did  not  fear  their  being 
besieged,  straitened,  conquered,  or  fired  ;  and  therefore  they  say,  '  Who 
shall  come  down  against  us  ?  Who  tshall  enter  into  our  habitation  ? 
Where  is  the  enemy  that  has  courage  or  confidence  enough  to  assault 
our  city,  or  to  enter  into  our  habitations?'  but  God  tells  them  that 
they  were  as  barren  of  good  fruit  as  the  trees  of  the  forest  were  barren 
of  good  fruit ;  and  therefore  he  was  resolved  by  the  hand  of  the  Chal- 
deans to  hew  them  down,  and  to  fire  their  most  stately  structure,  and 
to  turn  their  glorious  city,  in  which  they  greatly  trusted  and  gloried, 
into  a  ruinous  heap.  All  which  accordingly  was  done,  not  long  after, 
by  Nebuzar-adan  and  his  army ;  as  you  may  see  in  Jer.  lii.  12-15. 
How  often  hath  the  citizens  of  London  been  alarmed  with  the  cry  of 
fire;  which  hath  been  as  often  extinguished  before  they  could  well 

'  London  was  the  lady-city  where  the  riclies  of  many  nations  were  laid  up.  I  would 
rather  be  bound  to  weep  over  London,  than  be  bound  to  sum  up  the  losses  of  London  by 
this  dreadful  firo. 


IsA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATIOX.  145 

know  where  it  was,  and  liow  it  began  !  but  all  former  fires  were  but 
small  fires,  but  bonfires,  to  this  dreadful  fire  that  has  been  lately 
amongst  us. 

In  the  twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  William  the  First,^  so  great  a 
fire  happened  in  London,  that  from  the  West  gate  to  the  East  gate  it 
consumed  houses  and  churches  all  the  way.  This  was  the  most 
grievous  fire  that  ever  happened  in  that  city,  saith  my  author.  And 
in  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  First,  a  long  tract  of  buildings,  from 
West  Cheap  in  London  to  Aldgate,  was  consumed  with  fire.  And  in 
King  Stephen's  reign,  there  was  a  fire  that  began  at  London  Stone, 
and  consumed  all  unto  Aldgate.  These  have  been  the  most  remark- 
able fires  in  London.  But  what  were  any  of  these,  or  all  these,  to  that 
late  dreadful  fire  that  has  been  amongst  us  ?  London  in  those  former 
times  was  but  a  little  city,  and  had  but  a  few  men  in  it,  Eccles.  ix.  14, 
in  comparison  of  what  it  was  now,  London  was  then  but  as  a  great 
banqueting-house,  to  what  it  was  now.  Cant.  ii.  4.  Nor  the  consump- 
tion of  London  by  fire  then  was  nothing  proportionable  to  the  con- 
sumption of  it  by  fire  now.  For  this  late  lamentable  devouring  fire 
hath  laid  waste  the  greatest  part  of  the  city  of  London  within  the 
walls  by  far,  and  some  part  of  the  suburbs  also.  More  than  fourscore 
parishes,  and  all  the  houses,  churches,  chapels,  hospitals,  and  other 
the  great  and  magnificent  buildings  of  pious  or  public  use,  which  were 
within  that  circuit,  are  now  brought  into  ashes,  and  become  one 
ruinous  heap.  This  furious  raging  fire  burnt  many  stately  monuments 
to  powder ;  it  melted  the  bells  in  the  steeples,  it  much  weakened  and 
shattered  the  strongest  vaults  under  ground.  Oh,  what  age  or  nation 
hath  ever  seen  or  felt  such  a  dreadful  visitation  as  this  hath  been! 
Nebuzar-adan,  general  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  first  sets  the  temple  of 
Jerusalem  on  fire,  and  then  the  king's  royal  palace  on  fire,  and  then 
by  fire  he  levels  all  the  houses  of  the  great  men  ;  yea,  and  all  the 
houses  of  Jerusalem  are  by  fire  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap,  according 
to  what  the  Lord  had  before  foretold  by  his  prophet  Jeremiah, 2  chap. 
Hi.  12-14.  Now  this  was  a  lamentable  fire.  Some  hundred  years  after 
the  Koman  soldiers  sacked  the  city,  and  set  it  on  fire,  and  laid  it  desolate, 
with  their  temple,  and  all  their  stately  buildings  and  glorious  monu- 
ments. 3  Three  or  four  towers  and  the  wall  that  was  on  the  west  side  they 
left  standing  as  monuments  of  the  Eomans'  valour,  who  had  surprised 
a  city  so  strongly  fortified.  All  the  rest  of  the  city  they  so  plained, 
that  they  who  had  not  seen  it  before,  would  not  believe  that  it  had 
ever  been  inhabited.  ^  Thus  was  Jerusalem,  one  of  the  world's  wonders, 
and  a  city  famous  amongst  all  nations,  made  desolate  by  fire,  according 
to  the  prediction  of  Christ  some  years  before,  Luke  xix.  41-44.  There 
was  a  great  fire  in  Eome  in  Nero's  time ;  it  spread  itself  with  that 
speed,  and  burnt  with  that  violence,  till  of  fourteen  regions  in  Eome, 
there  were  but  four  left  entire.^  I  know  there  are  some  who  would 
make  the  world  believe  that  this  fire  began  casually, — as  many  now 
would  persuade  us  that  the  late  fire  in  London  did, — but  I  rather  join 
issue  with  them  who  conclude  that  Nero  set  Eome  on  fire,  and  when 

^  Sir  Richard  Baker's  Chronicle,  pp.  31,  47. 

*  Jos.  Ant.,  p.  255,  A.  M.  3356.  =*  Jos.  Ant.,  p.  741,  A.  M.  4034. 

*  Jos.  Aut.,  p.  745.  *>  Tacit.  An.  15. 

VOL.  VI.  K 


146  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa,  XLII.  24,  25. 

he  had  done,  he  laid  it  upon  the  Christians,  and  thereupon  grounded 
liis  persecution — as  all  know  that  have  read  the  history  ot"  those  times, 
[anno  64.]  Anno  80,  Kome  was  set  on  fire  by  fire  from  heaven,  say 
some :  it  burned  three  days  and  nights,  and  consumed  the  capitol, 
with  many  other  stately  buildings  and  glorious  monuments ;  it  burnt 
with  tliat  irresistible  fury,  that  the  historian  concludes  that  it  was 
more  than  an  ordinary  fire.  And  in  the  time  of  Commodus  the  em- 
peror, there  happened  such  a  dreadful  fire  in  Rome,  as  consumed  the 
temple  of  Peace,  and  all  the  most  stately  houses,  princely  palaces, 
glorious  structures,  and  rare  monuments  that  were  in  the  city. 

In  the  reign  of  Achmat,  the  eighth  emperor  of  the  Turks, i  about  the 
beginning  of  November,  a  great  fire  arose  at  Constantinople,  wherein 
almost  five  hundred  shops  of  wares,  with  many  other  fair  buildings, 
were  destroyed  by  fire ;  so  that  the  harm  that  was  then  done  by  fire 
Avas  esteemed  to  amount  to  above  two  millions  of  gold.  But  alas ! 
what  was  this  fire  and  loss  to  the  fire  of  London,  and  the  loss  of  the 
citizens  in  our  day  ? 

In  Constantinople  in  a.d.  465,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  there 
brake  forth  such  a  fire  by  the  water-side,  as  raged  with  that  dread 
force,  and  fury,  and  violence,  four  days  and  nights  together,  that  it 
burnt  down  the  greatest  part  of  the  city,  the  strongest  and  the  stateliest 
houses  being  but  as  dried  stubble  before  it.  It  bid  defiance  to  all 
means  of  resistance  ;  it  went  on  triumphing  and  scorning  all  human 
helps,  till  it  had  turned  that  great  and  populous  city,  once  counted  by 
some  the  wonder  of  the  world,  into  a  ruinous  heap.  This  of  all  fires 
comes  nearest  to  the  late  fire  of  London :  but  what  is  the  burning  of 
a  thousand  Homes,  and  a  thousand  Constantinoples,  or  the  burning  of 
ten  thousand  barbarous  cities,  to  the  burning  of  one  London,  where 
God  was  as  greatly  known,  and  as  dearly  loved,  and  as  highly  prized, 
and  as  purely  served,  as  he  was  in  any  one  place  under  the  whole 
heavens  ?  0  sirs,  it  is  our  duty  and  our  high  concernment  to  see 
the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  to  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  the 
least  fires  :  how  much  more  then  does  it  become  us  to  see  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  lifted  up  in  that  late  dreadful  fire  that  has  laid  our  city 
desolate  ?     But, 

[8.]  Eighthly,  Consider  how  all  sorts,  ranl's,  and  degrees  of  men 
were  terrified,  amused,  amazed,  astonished,  and  dispirited  in  the  late 
dreadful  fire  that  ivas  kindled  in  the  midst  of  us.  When  men  should 
have  been  a-strengthening  of  one  another's  hands,  and  encouraging  of 
one  another's  hearts,  to  pull  down  and  blow  up  such  houses  as  gave  life 
and  strength  to  the  furious  flames,  how  Avere  their  hearts  in  their  heels, 
every  one  flying  before  the  fire,  as  men  fly  before  a  victorious  enemy  ! 
What  a  l)alsy,  what  a  great  trembling  had  seized  upon  the  heads, 
hands,  and  hearts  of  most  citizens,  as  if  they  had  been  under  Cain's 
curse !  Most  men  were  unmanned  and  amazed  ;  and  therefore  no 
wonder  if  the  furious  flames  received  no  check.  In  former  fires,  when 
magistrates  and  people  had  resolved  hearts  and  active  hands,  how 
easily,  how  quickly  were  those  fires  quenched  !  -     But  now  our  rulers' 

>  Knollcs'  General  History  of  the  Turks,  p.  1275. 

'  peut.  xxviii.  C6  ;  1  Sam.  xiii.  7,  14,  15  ;  Acts  i.  12.  AVhy  stand  ye  gazing  ?  Oh  the 
feeblenesB,  the  frights,  the  tremblings,  the  distractions,  that  "was  then  in  every  house,  in 


ISA.  XLIl.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  147 

minds  were  darkened  and  confused,  their  judgments  infatuated,  their 
souls  dispirited,  and  their  ears  stopped,  so  that  their  authority  did  only- 
accent  their  misery :  and  this  filled  many  citizens'  hearts  with  fear, 
terror,  amazement,  and  discontent.  These  things  being  done,  the  city 
quickly  was  undone.  Had  the  care  and  diligence  both  of  magistrates 
and  people  been  more  for  the  securing  of  the  public  good  than  it  was 
for  securing  their  own  private  interest,  much  of  London,  by  a  good 
hand  of  providence  upon  their  endeavours,  might  have  been  standing, 
that  is  now  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap.  Troy  was  lost  by  the  sloth 
and  carelessness  of  her  inhabitants  ;  and  may  I  not  say  that  much  of 
London  was  lost  by  the  sloth  and  carelessness  of  some,  and  by  the  fears, 
frights,  and  amazement  of  others,  and  by  others  endeavouring  more 
to  secure  their  own  packs  and  patrimonies  than  the  safety  of  the  whole  ? 
When  London  was  in  flames,  men's  courage  did  flag,  and  their  spirits 
did  fail,  the  strong  helpers  stood  helpless.  Some  stood  looking  on, 
others  stood  weeping,  and  shaking  their  heads,  and  wringing  their 
hands,  and  others  walked  uj)  and  down  the  streets  like  so  many  ghosts : 
Ps.  Ixxvi.  5,  '  The  stout-hearted  are  spoiled,' — or  as  the  Hebrew  runs, 
'  The  stout-hearted  have  yielded  themselves  up  for  a  prey ; '  which 
the  Eabbins  thus  expound,  '  They  are  spoiled  of  their  understand- 
ings and  infatuated,' — '  and  none  of  the  men  of  might  have  found  their 
hands  ;'  or  as  some  read  the  words,  '  None  of  the  men  of  riches,'  that 
is,  rich  men,  '  have  found  their  hands  ;'  or  as  others  carry  the  words, 
'  God  took  away  their  courage,  and  their  wonted  strength  failed  them.' 
So  when  London  was  in  flames,  how  were  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor, 
honourable  and  base,  spoiled  of  their  understanding  and  infatuated  ! 
The  Lord  took  away  all  wisdom,  courage,  counsel,  and  strength  from 
them.  So  Judges  xx.  40,  '  But  when  the  flames  began  to  arise  out  of 
the  city  with  a  pillar  of  smoke,  the  Benjamites  looked  behind  them, 
and,  behold,  the  flame  of  their  city  ascended  up  to  heaven.  And  when 
the  men  of  Israel  turned  again,  the  men  of  Benjamin  were  amazed  ; 
for  they  saw  that  evil  was  come  upon  them.'  These  Benjamites  were 
the  very  picture  of  our  citizens  ;  for  when  they  saw  the  flame  begin  to 
arise  out  of  the  city  with  a  pillar  of  smoke,  when  they  saw  the  flame 
of  the  city  ascend  up  to  heaven,  oh  how  amazed  and  confounded  were 
they  !  All  wisdom,  courage,  and  counsel  was  taken  away,  both  from 
magistrate  and  peo})le,  and  none  of  them  could  find  either  heads,  hands, 
or  hearts  to  prevent  London's  desolation.  Job  xxxiv.  19,  20,  24.  In 
Ps.  Ixxvi.  12,  Grod  is  said  '  to  cut  off  the  spirits  of  princes  ;'  or  as 
the  Hebrew  runs,  '  He  shall  slip  off  the  spirits  of  princes,'  as  men  slip 
off  a  bunch  of  grapes,  or  a  flower  between  their  fingers,  easily, 
suddenly,  unexpectedly,  as  he  did  by  Sennacherib's  princes,  1  Kings 
xix.  36.  Princes  usually  are  men  of  the  greatest  spirits,  and  yet 
sometimes  God  does  dispirit  them  ;  he  slips  off  their  spirits,  as  men  do 
a  flower,  which  soon  withereth  in  their  hand.  How  soon  did  God  slip 
off  the  spirit  of  that  great,  proud,  debauched  monarch  Belshazzar, 
who,  when  he  was  in  the  midst  of  his  cups,  bravery,  and  jollity,  with 
all  his  great  princes,  lords,  ladies,  and  concubines  about  him,  saw 
a  hand  writing  upon  the  wall,  which  did  so  amaze  him  and  terrify  him 

every  heart.      When  a  ship  is  sinking,  it  is  sad  to  see  every  man  run  to  his  cabin,  when 
every  one  should  be  at  the  pumps,  or  a-stopping  of  leaks. 


148  LONUON'tJ  LAMENTATIONS  ON  [IsA.   XLII.   24,   25. 

that  his  '  countenance  was  clianged,  and  his  thoughts  troubled,  and 
the  joints  of"  his  loins  loosed,  and  his  knees  dashed  one  against  another,' 
Dan.  V.  1-6.     But  you  may  say,  What  was  the  reason  that  so  great  a 
prince  should  be  so  greatly  astonished  ?    Ajis.  The  text  tells  you,  '  he 
saw  a  hand.'     What  hand  ?  even  the  hand  of  a  man.     What !  could 
one  hand  of  a  man,  saith  one,^  terrify  and  startle  so  great  a  monarch  ? 
Had  he  seen  the  paws  of  a  lion,  or  the  paws  of  a  bear,  or  the  paws  of 
a  dragon,  there  had  been  some  cause  of  terror.     But  what  need  such 
a  puissant  prince  fear  the  hand  of  a  man  so  much,  at  whose  command 
and  beck  a  hundred  troops  of  armed  horse  would  presently  fly  to 
his  assistance  ?     What  terrible  weapons  could  that  one  hand  wield  or 
manage  ?  none  but  a  pen,  with  which  it  wrote.     But  will  any  man, 
much  less  a  king,  be  afraid  of  a  writing  pen  ?     Had  he  beheld  the 
three  darts  of  Joab,  2  Sam.  xviii.  14,  or  the  fiery  flaming  sword 
of  the  cherub.   Gen.    iii.    24,  brandished  directly  against  him,   he 
had  then  had  some  argument  of  astonishment ;  but  one  hand,  one 
pen,  one  piece  of  writing  which  he  understood  not:  this  was  that  which 
daunted  him.     Many  citizens  were  as  much  amazed,  astonished,  terri- 
fied, and  startled  when  they  saw  London  in  flames,  as  Belshazzar  was 
when  he  saw  the  hand  writing  upon  the  wall.     Ahab  trembled  like  a 
shaken  leaf,  and  so  did  his  grandson  Manasseh,he  that  faced  the  heavens, 
and  that  dared  God  in  the  day  of  his  prosperity  ;  when  troubles  came 
thick,  and  his  fears  rise  high,  he  hides  his  head  among  the  bushes,  Isa. 
^di.  1,2;  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11,12.     Such  a  fear  and  trembling  was  upon 
many  citizens  when  London  was  in  flames.     Though  Tullius  Hostilius, 
the  third  king  of  the  Komans,  had  a  great  warlike  spirit,  as  Lactan- 
tius  notes,  yet  he  carried  in  his  bosom  two  new  gods,  Pavorem  and 
Pallorem,  fear  and  paleness,  which  he  could  not  possibly  shake  off. 
Oh  the  fear  that  was  in  the  citizens'  hearts,  and  the  paleness  that 
was  upon  the  citizens'  cheeks,  when  London  was  in  flames !     Now 
excessive  fear  fills  the  heart  with  all  confusion;  they  strip  a  man  of  his 
reason  and  understanding,  they  weaken  his  hands,  and  they  do  so  sud- 
denly and  totally  dispirit  and  unman  a  man,  that  he  is  not  able  to 
encounter  with  those  visible  dangers  that  threaten  his  utter  ruin ;  and 
this   the   poor   citizens   found   by  woeful   experience   when   London 
was  in  flames.2     At  the  sight  of  this  fire,   how  were  the  citizens' 
hearts  melted,  their  hands  feeble,  their  spirits  faint,  and  their  knees 
weak  !     Oh  the  horror,  the  terror,  the  amazement,  the  confusion  that 
had  now  seized  upon  the  spirits  of  all  sorts  of  citizens  !     How  were  the 
thoughts  of  men  now  distracted,  their  countenances  changed,  and  their 
hearts  overwhelmed  !     Oh  the  sad  looks,  the  pale  cheeks,  the  weeping 
eyes,  the  smiting  of  breasts,  and  the  wringing  of  hands  that  were  now 
to  be  seen  in  every  street  and  in  every  corner!     What  a  universal 
consternation  did  my  eyes  behold  upon  the  minds  of  all  men  in  that  day 
of  the  Lord's  wrath  !     There  is  no  expressing  of  the  sighs,  the  tears, 
tlie  fears,  the  frights,  and  the  amazement  of  the  citizens,  who  were 
now  compassed  about  with  flames  of  fire !     Oh  the  cries,  the  tumults, 

'  DrexoUius's  School  of  I'atience,  p.  150-152. 

'  Till  London  was  laid  in  ashes,  that  effectual  means  of  preservation,  viz.,  the  hlowing 
up  of  houses,  was  oither  greatly  hid  or  sadly  gainsaid.  Wlien  the  disease  had  killed  the 
patients,  then  the  physicians  agreed  upon  a  remedy.  When  the  ladder  was  turned,  then 
the  pardon  came. 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  149 

the  hurries,  and  the  hindrances  of  one  another  that  was  now  in  every 
street,  every  one  striving,  with  his  pack  at  his  back,  to  secure  what  he 
could  from  the  rage  and  fury  of  the  flames  !  Now  one  cries  out,  Five 
pound  for  a  cart,  another  cries  out.  Ten  pound  for  a  dray ;  in  one 
street  one  cries  out,  Twenty  pound  for  a  cart,  and  another  in  the  next 
street  cries  out,  Thirty  pound  for  a  cart;  here  one  cries  out.  Forty 
pound  for  a  cart,  and  there  another  cries  out,  Fifty  pound  for  a  cart. 
Many  rich  men,  that  had  time  enough  to  have  removed  their  goods, 
their  wares,  their  commodities,  flattered  themselves  that  the  fire  would 
not  reach  their  habitations.  They  thought  they  should  be  safe  and 
secure  ;  but  when  the  flames  broke  in  upon  them,  oh  then  any  money 
for  a  cart,  a  coach,  a  dray,  to  save  some  of  their  richest  and  choicest 
goods  !  Oh  what  fear  were  many  parents  now  in  that  their  children 
would  either  be  now  trod  down  in  the  press,  or  lost  in  the  crowd,  or 
be  destroyed  by  the  flames  !  And  what  fear  were  many  husbands  now 
in  concerning  their  wives,  who  were  either  weak,  or  sick,  or  aged,  or 
newly  delivered  !  Words  are  too  weak  to  express  that  distraction  that 
all  men  were  under  when  the  fire  went  on  raging  and  devouring  all 
before  it.  And  this  was  an  evident  token  to  me  that  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  was  eminent  in  the  fire,  and  that  the  decree  was  gone  forth  that 
dear  London  must  now  fall.     But, 

[9.]  Ninthly,  Consider  the  time  that  the  fire  began.     It  began  on  the 
Lord's  day,  being  the  second  of  September,  about  one  or  two  of  the 
clock  in  the  morning.     Our  fears  fell  upon  us  on  the  Lord's  day,  Rev. 
i.  10  ;  on  that  day  that  should  have  been  a  day  of  joy  and  delight  unto 
us,  Isa,  Iviii.  13,  14.     On  this  day  our  singing  was  turned  into  sigh- 
ing, our  rejoicing  into  mourning,  and  all  our  praisings  into  tremblings. 
Oh  the  fears,  the  frights,  the  distresses  that  men  were  now  under  ! 
Oh  the  amazed  spirits,  the  bedewed  cheeks,  the  faint  hearts,  the  feeble 
knees,  the  weak  hands,  and  the  dejected  countenances  that  were  now 
to  be  seen  everywhere  !    0  sirs !  the  time  when  this  fatal  fire  first  began 
was  very  ominous,  it  being  at  a  time  when  most  citizens  were  but  newly 
fallen  into  a  dead  sleep,  being  wearied  out  in  their  several  employments, 
several  days  before,  but  especially  on  Saturday,  or  the  last  day  of  the 
week,  that  being  with  very  many  the  most  busiest  day  in  all  the  week. 
And  of  all  mornings,  most  citizens  did  usually  lie  longest  in  bed  Sab- 
bath-day mornings.     Such  as  used  to  rise  early  every  morning  in  the 
week  to  gain  the  meat  that  perisheth,  to  make  sure  and  to  treasure  up 
for  themselves  and  theirs  the  things  of  this  world,  Ps.  cxxvii.  1,  2,  and 
John  vi.  27;  such  commonly  made  most  bold  with  the  Lord's  day,  and 
would  frequently  be  in  their  beds  when  they  should  have  been  either 
instructing  of  their  families,  or  at  prayers  in  their  closets,  or  else  a- 
waiting  upon  the  Lord  in  his  public  ordinances.     Fire  in  the  night  is 
terrible  to  all,  but  mostly  to  such  whose  spirits  and  bodies  were  tired 
out  in  the  preceding  day.     Wasting  and  destroying  judgments  are 
sad  any  day,  but  saddest  when  they  fall  on  the  Lord's  day.     For  how 
do  they  disturb,  distress,  and  distract  the  thoughts,  the  minds,  the 
hearts,  and  the  spirits  of  men !  so  that  they  can  neither  wait  on  God, 
nor  wrestle  with  God,  nor  act  for  God,  nor  receive  from  God,  in  any 
of  the  duties  or  services  of  his  day.     And  this  the  poor  citizens  found 
by  sad  experience,  when  London  was  in  flames  about  their  ears.     Cer- 


150  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

tainly  the  anger  and  wrath  of  God  was  very  high  and  very  liot  when 
he  made  his  day  of  rest  to  be  a  day  of  labour  and  disquiet— when  his 
people  sliould  liave  been  a-meeting,  hearing,  reading,  praising,  praying. 
For  the  Lortl  now  to  scatter  them,  and  to  deliver  them,  their  substance 
and  hal)itations,  as  a  prey  to  the  devouring  fire,  what  does  this  speak 
out  but  high  displeasure  ?  That  the  fire  of  God's  wrath  should  begin 
on  the  day  of  his  rest  and  solemn  worship,  is  and  must  be  for  a  lamen- 
tation. In  several  of  those  churches  where  some  might  not  preach, 
there  God  himself  preached  to  the  parishioners  in  flames  of  fire.  And 
such  who  '  loved  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  were 
evil,'  John  iii.  19,  might  now  see  their  churches  all  in  a  flaming  fire. 
What  a  terrifying  and  an  amazing  sermon  did  God  i)rcach  to  his 
people  of  old  in  mount  Sinai,  wlien  the  mount  burned  with  fire !  Exod. 
xix.  16-18.  And  so  what  terrifying  and  amazing  sermons  did  God 
preach  to  the  citizens  on  his  own  day,  when  their  temples  and  their 
habitations  were  all  in  flames  !  Instead  of  holy  rest,  what  hurries  were 
there  in  every  street,  yea,  in  the  spirits  of  men  !  Now  instead  of  taking 
up  of  buckets,  men  in  every  street  take  up  arms,  fearing  a  woi'se  thing 
than  fire.  The  jealousies  and  rumours  that  fire-balls  were  thrown  into 
several  houses  and  churches,  by  such  that  had  no  English  tongues  but 
outlandish  hands,  to  make  the  furious  flames  flame  mure  furiously,  were 
60  great,  that  many  were  at  a  stand,  and  others  even  at  their  wits'  end. 
Now  relations,  friends,  and  neighbours  hastened  one  another  out  of 
their  houses,  as  the  angels  hastened  Lot  out  of  Sodom,  Gen.  xix.  15-17. 
Such  were  the  fears  and  frights  and  sad  apprehensions  that  had  gene- 
rally seized  upon  the  citizens.  Not  many  Sabbaths  before,  when  men 
should  have  been  instructing  of  their  families,  what  bonfires,  what 
ringing  of  bells,  and  what  joy  and  rejoicing  was  there  in  our  streets, 
for  burning  the  Dutch  ships  in  their  harbour,  where  many  English 
and  others  were  highly  concerned  as  well  as  the  Dutch !  Little  did 
they  think,  who  were  pleasing  and  warming  themselves  at  those  lesser 
fires,  that  the  great  God  would  in  so  short  a  time  after  kindle  so  great 
a  fire  in  the  midst  of  their  streets  as  should  melt  their  bells,  lay  their 
habitations  in  ashes,  and  make  their  streets  desolate,  so  that  those  that 
were  so  jolly  before  might  well  take  up  that  sad  lamentation  of  weep- 
ing Jeremiah,  Lam.  ii.  2,  3,  '  The  Lord  hath  swallowed  up  all  the 
habitations  of  Jacob,  and  hath  not  pitied ;  he  hath  thrown  down  in 
his  wrath  the  strongholds  of  the  daughter  of  Judah  ;  he  hath  brought 
them  down  to  the  ground.  He  burned  against  Jacob  like  a  flaming 
fire,  which  devoureth  round  about.'  May  we  not  soberly  guess  that 
there  were  as  many  strict  observers  and  sanctifiers  of  the  Lord's  day 
who  did  turn  away  their  feet  from  doing  their  pleasure  on  God's  holy 
day,  and  that  did  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy  of  the  Lord,  and 
honourable,  Isa.  Iviii.  13,  witliin  the  walls  of  London,  as  in  a  great  part 
of  the  nation  besides  ?  Now  for  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath  to  kindle 
such  a  devouring  fire  in  such  a  city,  and  that  on  his  own  day,  oh  wliat 
extraordinary  wrath  and  displeasure  docs  this  speak  out !  When  God 
by  his  royal  law  had  bound  the  hands  of  his  people  from  doing  their 
own  works,  for  him  now  to  fall  upon  his  strange  work,  and  by  a  flaming, 
consuming  fire  to  turn  a  populous  city,  a  pious  city,  an  honourable  city, 
and  an  ancient  city  into  a  ruinous  heap,  Avhat  indignation  to  this  in- 


ISA,  XLII.   24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION,  151 

dignatiou  !  0  sirs  !  it  highly  concerns  us  to  take  notice  of  the  judg- 
ments of  the  Lord  that  fall  upon  us  on  any  day,  but  especially  those 
that  fall  upon  us  on  his  own  day,  because  they  carry  with  them  more 
than  a  tincture  of  God's  deep  displeasure. 

In  the  Council  of  Paris, i  every  one  labouring  to  persuade  unto  a 
more  religious  keeping  of  the  Sabbath-day,  when  they  had  justly 
complained  that  as  many  other  things,  so  also  the  observation  of  the 
Sabbath  was  greatly  decayed,  through  the  abuse  of  Christian  liberty, 
in  that  men  too  much  followed  the  dehghts  of  the  world,  and  their 
own  worldly  pleasures,  both  wicked  and  dangerous,  they  further 
add,  '  For  many  of  us  have  been  eyewitnesses,  many  have  intelligence 
of  it  by  the  relation  of  others,  that  some  men  upon  this  day  being 
about  their  husbandry  have  been  stricken  with  thunder,  some  have 
been  maimed  and  made  lame,  some  have  had  their  bodies,  even  bones 
and  all,  burned  in  a  moment  with  visible  fire,  and  have  consumed  to 
ashes  ;  and  many  other  judgments  of  God  have  been  and  are  daily 
inflicted  upon  Sabbath-breakers.' 

Stratford-upon-Avon 2  was  twice  on  the  same  day  twelvemonth, 
being  the  Lord's  day,  almost  consumed  with  fire,  chiefly  for  profaning 
the  Lord's  day,  and  contemning  his  word  in  the  mouth  of  his  faithful 
minister.  Feverton^  in  Devonshire,  whose  remembrance  makes  my 
heart  bleed,  saith  my  author,  was  oftentimes  admonished  by  her  godly 
preachers,  that  God  would  hr'mg  some  heavy  judgment  on  the  town 
for  their  horrible  profanation  of  the  Lord's  day,  occasioned  chiefly  by 
their  market  on  the  day  following.  Not  long  after  his  death,  on  the 
third  of  April  1598,  God,  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  consumed  with  a 
sudden  and  fearful  fire  the  whole  town,  except  only  the  church,  the 
court-house,  and  the  alms-houses,  or  a  few  poor  people's  dwellings, 
where  a  man  might  have  seen  four  hundred  dwelling-houses  all  at 
once  on  fire,  and  above  fifty  persons  consumed  with  the  flames.  And 
on  the  fifth  of  August  1612,  fourteen  years  since  the  former  fire,  the 
whole  town  was  again  fired  and  consumed,  except  some  thirty  houses 
of  poor  people,  with  the  school-house  and  alms-houses.  Now  cer- 
tainly they  must  be  much  left  of  God,  hardened  in  sin,  and  blinded 
by  Satan,  who  do  not,  nor  will  not  see  the  dreadful  hand  of  God  that 
is  lifted  up  in  his  fiery  dispensations  upon  his  own  day.     But, 

[10.]  Tenthly  and  lastly.  Consider  that  the  burning  of  Loudon  is 
a  national  judgment.'^  God,  in  smiting  of  London,  has  smitten  Eng- 
land round :  the  stroke  of  God  upon  London  was  a  universal  stroke. 
The  sore  strokes  of  God,  which  have  lately  fallen  upon  the  head  city, 
London,  are  doubtless  designed  by  heaven  for  the  punishment  of  the 
whole  body.  In  the  sufferings  of  London  the  whole  land  suffers.  For 
what  city,  county,  or  town  in  England  was  there  that  was  not  one  way 
or  other  refreshed  and  advantaged,  if  not  enriched,  with  the  silver 

^  Concil.  Paris,  lib.  i.  cap.  50. 

'  The  Theatre  of  God's  Judgments,  pp.  419,  420.     [Misprinted  '  Sluon.' — G.] 

'"*  Query,  'Tiverton'? — G. 

*  When  one  member  in  the  natural  body  suffers,  all  the  members  of  the  body  suffer : 
it  is  so  in  the  politic  body,  &c.  Look,  as  all  rivers  run  into  the  sea,  and  all  the  lines  of 
the  circumference  meet  in  the  centre,  so  did  the  interests  of  the  most  eminent  persons 
in  the  whole  nation  meet  in  London,  &c.  Now  London  is  laid  in  ashes,  we  may  write 
Ichabod  upon  poor  England.  By  the  flames  that  have  been  kindled  in  London  God 
hath  spit  fire  into  the  face  of  England. 


152  London's  lamentations  on        [I^a.  XLII.  24,  25. 

streams  of  London  that  overflowed  the  land,  as  the  river  Nilus  doth 
the  land  of  Eu'V[)t  ?  Doubtless  there  are  but  few  in  the  land  but  are 
more  or  less  concerned  in  the  burning;  of  London.  There  are  many 
thousands  that  are  highly  concerned  in  their  own  particulars ;  there 
are  many  thousands  concerned  upon  the  account  of  their  inward 
friends  and  acquaintance :  and  who  can  number  up  the  many  score 
thousands  employed  in  the  manufactures  of  the  land,  whose  whole 
dependence,  imder  God,  was  upon  London?  What  lamentation, 
mourning,  and  woe  is  there  in  all  places  of  the  land  for  the  burning 
of  London,  especially  among  poor  tradesmen,  innkeepers,  and  others, 
whose  livelihoods  depended  upon  the  safety  and  prosperity  of  London  ! 
Certainly  he  is  no  Englishman,  but  one  who  writes  a  Roman  hand, 
and  carries  about  him  a  Romish  heart,  who  feels  not,  who  trembles 
not  under  this  universal  blow  !  Many  years'  labour  will  not  make  up 
the  citizens'  losses  to  them.  Yea,  what  below  the  riches  of  the 
Indies  Avill  effectually  make  up  every  man's  losses  to  him  ?  He  shall 
be  an  Apollo  to  me,  that  can  justly  sum  up  the  full  value  of  all  that 
have  been  destroyed  by  those  furious  flames,  that  has  turned  the  best, 
if  not  the  richest,  city  in  the  world  into  a  ruinous  heap.  Now  their 
loss  is  a  loss  to  the  whole  nation  ;  and  this  the  nation  already  feels, 
and  may  yet  feel  more  and  more,  if  God  in  mercy  does  not  prevent 
the  things  that  we  have  cause  to  fear.  It  is  true,  London  is  the  back 
that  is  smitten ;  but  what  corner  is  there  in  all  the  land  that  hath 
not  more  or  less,  one  way  or  another,  contributed  to  the  burning  of 
London.  Not  only  those  that  lived  in  Jerusalem,  but  also  those  that 
came  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  that  traded  with  Jerusalem,  they,  even 
they  did  by  their  sins  contribute  to  Jerusalem's  ruin.  They  are 
under  a  high  mistake  that  think  it  was  only  the  sins  of  the  city 
which  brought  this  sore  desolation  upon  her :  doubtless,  as  far  as  the 
judgment  extends  and  reaches,  so  far  the  sins  extend  and  reach  wliich 
have  provoked  the  Lord  to  make  poor  Loudon  such  an  astonishing 
example  of  his  justice.  How  are  the  effects  of  London's  ruin  already 
felt  and  sighed  under  all  the  nation  over !  The  blood  and  spirits 
which  this  whole  nation  hath  already  lost  by  this  late  lamentable  fire 
will  not  be  easily  nor  suddenly  recovered.  The  burning  of  London  is 
the  herald  of  God  to  the  whole  nation,  calling  it  to  repentance  and 
reformation ;  for  the  very  same  sins  that  have  laid  London  in  ashes 
are  rampant  in  all  parts  of  the  nation,  as  )'ou  may  easily  perceive,  if 
you  please  but  to  compare  that  catalogue  that  in  this  book  I  put  into 
your  hands  with  those  sins  that  are  most  reigning  and  raging  in  all 
places  of  the  land ;  by  which  you  may  also  see  that  they  were  not 
the  greatest  sinners  in  England  upon  whom  the  fire  of  London  fell,  no 
more  than  they  were  the  greatest  sinners  in  Jerusalem  upon  whom 
the  tower  of  Siloam  fell,  Luke  xiii.  4,  5.  That  the  burning  of  London 
is  a  national  judgment,  is  evident  enough  to  every  man  that  has  but 
half  an  e}'e.  But  if  any  should  doubt  of  it,  or  dispute  it,  the  king's 
proclamation  for  a  general  fast  on  that  account  puts  it  beyond  all 
dispute.  The  words  of  the  proclamation  that  are  proper  to  my  pur- 
pose are  these,  '  A  visitation  so  dreadful,'  speaking  of  the  burning  of 
London,  '  that  scarce  any  age  or  nation  hath  ever  seen  or  felt  the 
like ;  wherein  although  the  afflicting  hand  of  God  fell  more  imme- 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  153 

diately  upon  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  and  the  parts  adjacent,  yet 
all  men  ought  to  look  upon  it  as  a  judgment  upon  the  whole  nation, 
and  to  humble  themselves  accordingly.'  0  sirs,  you  are  to  see  and 
observe  and  acknowledge  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  every  personal 
judgment,  and  in  every  domestical  judgment.  Oh  how  much  more 
then  in  every  national  judgment  that  is  inflicted  upon  us  !  And  thus 
I  have  done  with  those  ten  considerations,  that  should  not  only  pro- 
voke us,  but  also  prevail  with  us,  to  see  and  acknowledge  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  in  that  late  dreadful  fire  that  has  laid  our  city  desolate. 

Use  2.  The  second  use  is  a  use  of  lamentation  and  mourning.  Is 
London  laid  in  ashes  ?  Then  let  us  all  lament  and  mourn  that  Lon- 
don is  laid  desolate.  Shall  Christ  weep  over  Jerusalem,  Luke  xix. 
41-44,  when  it  was  standing  in  all  its  glory,  knowing  that  it  would 
not  be  long  before  it  was  laid  even  with  the  ground ;  and  shall  not  we 
weep  over  London,  whose  glory  is  now  laid  in  the  dust  ?  Who  can 
look  upon  London  as  the  ancient  and  noble  metropolis  of  England,  and 
not  lament  and  mourn  to  see  it  laid  in  ashes  ?  It  might  have  been 
said  not  long  since,  '  Walk  about  Sion,'  Ps.  xlviii.  12,  13, — walk  about 
London, — '  and  go  round  about  her  ;  tell  the  towers  thereof.  Mark  ye 
well  her  bulwarks,  consider  her  j)alaces :  '  look  upon  her  stately  houses, 
halls,  and  hospitals,  take  notice  of  her  shops,  and  fair  warehouses,  and 
Royal  Exchange,  &c.,  and  lo,  the  glory  of  all  these  things  is  now 
buried  in  a  common  ruin  !  i  Oh  the  incredible  change  that  a  devour- 
ing fire  hath  made  in  four  days'  time  within  thy  walls,  0  London  !  so 
that  now  we  may  [say]  lamentingly,  Alas,  poor  London !  '  Is  this 
the  joyous  city  whose  antiquity  is  of  ancient  days  ? '  Isa.  xxiii.  7,  8. 
Is  this  the  crowning  city,  whose  merchants  were  princes,  and  whose 
traffickers  were  the  honourable  of  the  earth  ?  Who  can  but  weep  to 
see  how  the  Lord  '  hath  made  a  city  an  heap,  and  a  ruin  of  a  defenced 
city,  and  a  palace  to  be  no  city '  ?  Isa.  xxv.  2.  Who  can  look  upon 
naked  steeples,  and  useless  chimneys,  and  pitiful  fragments  of  ragged 
walls — who  can  behold  stately  structures,  and  noble  halls,  and  fair 
houses,  and  see  them  all  laid  in  ashes,  or  turned  into  a  heap  of  rubbish, 
without  paying  some  tears  as  due  to  the  sadness  of  so  dreadful  a 
spectacle  ?  Who  can  with  dry  eyes  bear  London  thus  speaking  out 
of  its  ruins  :  '  Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that  pass  by  ?  behold,  and 
see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow,  which  is  done  unto 
me,  wherewith  the  Lord  hath  afflicted  me  in  the  day  of  his  fierce 
anger '  ?  Lam.  i.  12.  Who  can  look  upon  the  Lord  as  making  London 
empty,  as  laying  it  waste,  as  turning  it  upside  down,  and  as  scattering 
abroad  the  inhabitants  thereof,  and  not  mourn?  2  Isa.  xxiv.  1.  Be- 
loved, under  desolating  judgments  God  does  expect  and  look  that  his 
people  should  lament  and  mourn :  Jer.  iv.  7,  8,  '  The  lion  is  come  up 
from  his  thicket,  and  the  destroyer  of  the  Gentiles  is  on  his  way ;  he 
is  gone  forth  from  his  place  to  make  thy  land  desolate  ;  and  thy  city 
shall  be  laid  waste,  without  an  inhabitant.     For  this  gird  you  with 

^  London,  the  crown  of  England,  hath  lost  its  jewel  of  wealth  and  beauty. 

'  Sir  Edward  Turner,  in  his  speech  to  the  king  on  Friday  the  18th  day  of  January,  hath 
these  words  : — '  They  find  ' — meaning  the  parliament — 'j'our  majesty  engaged  in  a  sharp 
and  costly  war,  opposed  by  mighty  princes  and  states  that  are  in  conjunction  against  us, 
they  see  with  sorrow  the  greatest  part  of  your  metropolitan  city  buried  in  ashes.' 
[Query,  Sir  William  Turner  ?    See  Epistle  Dedicatory. — G.] 


154  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

sackcloth,  lament  and  howl:  for  the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord  is  not 
turned  back  from  us.'  Under  wasting  judgments  God  expecteth  not 
only  inward,  but  also  outward,  expressions  and  demonstrations  of  sor- 
row and  grief.  Shall  our  enemies  rejoice  over  the  ruins  of  London, 
and  shall  not  we  mourn  over  the  ruins  of  London?  Shall  they  that 
are  afar  off  lament  over  London's  desolation  ;  and  shall  not  we  lament 
over  London's  desolation,  who  are  every  day  a-walking  up  and  down 
in  London's  ruins  and  rubbisli  ?  0  sirs !  as  ever  you  would  see 
London's  breaches  repaired,  her  trading  recovered,  her  beauty  re- 
stored, her  riches  augmented,  her  glory  advanced,  and  her  inhabitants 
rejoiced,  make  conscience  of  mourning  over  London's  ruins.  After 
Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans,  many  of  the  Jews  obtained 
leave  of  the  Roman  emperors,  once  a  year — viz.,  on  the  10th  of  August, 
which  was  the  day  whereon  their  city  was  taken  i — to  enter  into  Jeru- 
salem, and  bew^iil  the  destruction  of  their  city,  temple,  and  people, 
bargaining  Avith  the  soldiers  who  w^aited  on  them  to  give  so  much  for 
so  long  abiding  there,  and  if  they  exceeded  the  time  they  conditioned 
for,  they  were  to  stretch  their  piu'ses  to  a  higher  rate,  which  occasioned 
Jerome  to  say,  '  that  they  who  bought  Christ's  blood  were  then  glad 
to  buy  their  own  tears.'  0  sirs,  what  cause  have  we  once  a  year,  yea, 
often  in  a  year,  to  bewail  the  desolation  of  London !  The  statue  of 
Apollo  is  said  to  shed  tears  for  the  afflictions  of  the  Grecians,  though 
he  could  not  help  them.-  Though  we  could  not  prevent  the  burning 
of  London,  yet  let  us  weep  over  the  ruins  of  London.  The  leprosy  of 
the  citizens'  sins  had  so  fretted  into  London's  walls,  that  there  w^as  no 
cleansing  of  them  but  by  the  furious  flames  of  a  consuming  fire,  Lev. 
xiv.  35-46.  In  the  law  you  know  that  when  the  old  fretting  plague  of 
leprosy  was  so  got  into  the  house,  and  spread  in  the  walls,  that  no 
scraping  within  or  without  could  cleanse  it  aw^ay,  then  the  house  was 
to  be  pulled  down.  This  seems  to  be  London's  case.  God  by  former 
judgments  laboured  to  scrape  away  the  leprosy  of  sin  out  of  London, 
but  that  deadly  leprosy  was  so  got  into  men's  hearts  and  houses  that 
there  was  no  getting  of  it  out  but  by  pulling  them  down.  This  is, 
and  this  must  be  for  a  lamentation.  Now  the  better  to  work  you  to 
lament  and  mourn  over  the  ruins  of  London,  consider  with  me  these 
ten  following  particulars : — 

[L]  First,  Who  can  look  upon  the  htirning  of  London,  as  ushered 
in  by  such  sad  j^i'odigics  and  dreadful  forerunners  as  it  was,  and  not 
lament  and  mourn  over  its  ruins?  By  what  a  bloody  sword,  and  by 
what  a  dreadful  plague,  was  this  late  judgment  of  fire  ushered  in  ! 
First,  God  sends  his  red  horse  amongst  us.  Rev.  vi.  4,  8 — viz.,  a  cruel, 
bloody  war ;  and  then  he  sends  his  pale  horse  amongst  us — viz. ,  a 
noisome,  sweeping  pestilence.  Oh  the  garments  that  were  rolled  in 
blood !  Oh  the  scores  of  thousands  that  were  by  the  hand  of  the 
destroying  angel  sent  to  their  long  homes,  to  their  eternal  homes ! 
Now  in  the  rear  of  these  judgments  follows  such  a  devouring  fire,  as 
hath  not  been  known  in  any  ages  past.  Not  long  before  Vespasian 
came  against  Jerusalem  ,2  there  happened  divers  prodigies :  (1.)  There 
was  a  comet  in  form  of  a  fiery  sword,  which  for  a  year  together  did 
hang  over  the  city.  (2.)  There  was  seen  a  star  on  the  temple  so 
'  Joscphus.  »  Josephus,  pp.  73S,  739. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  155 

bright,  as  if  a  man  had  so  many  drawn  swords  in  his  hands,  (3.)  At 
the  same  time  that  this  star  appeared,  which  was  the  solemn  passover, 
that  whole  night  the  temple  was  light  and  clear  as  mid-day,  and  con- 
tinued so  seven  days  together.  (4.)  At  the  same  time  also  they 
brought  a  heifer  for  a  sacrifice,  which  when  she  was  knocked  down, 
she  calved  a  lamb.  (5.)  The  inner  gate  of  the  temple,  on  the  east 
side,  being  of  massive  brass,  that  was  never  opened  nor  shut  but 
twenty  men  had  enough  to  do  about  it,  this  gate  was  seen  at  the  first 
hour  of  the  night  to  open  of  its  own  accord,  and  they  could  not  shut 
it  till  a  great  number  joined  their  strength  together.  (6.)  There  was 
discerned  on  the  sanctum  sanctorum,  a  whole  night  long,  the  face  of  a 
man  very  terrible.  (7.)  At  the  same  time,  before  the  sunset,  there 
were  seen  in  the  air  iron  chariots,  all  over  the  country,  and  an  army 
in  battle  array,  passing  along  the  clouds,  and  begirting  the  city.  (8.) 
Upon  the  feast  day,  called  pentecost,  at  night  the  priests  going  into 
the  inner  temple,  to  offer  their  wonted  sacrifice,  at  first  they  felt  the 
place  to  move  and  tremble,  and  afterward  they  heard  a  man  walking 
in  the  temple,  and  saying  with  a  great  and  wonderful  terrible  voice, 
'  Come  let  us  go  away  out  of  this  temple,  let  us  depart  hence.'  But 
(9.)  Ninthly  and  lastly,  that  which  was  most  wonderful  of  all,  was 
this,  that  there  was  one  Jesus  the  son  of  Ananus,  a  countryman,  of  the 
common  people,  who  four  years  before  the  wars  began,  when  the  city 
flourished  in  peace  and  riches,  coming  to  the  celebration  of  the  feast  to 
Jerusalem,  which  we  call  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  suddenly  began 
to  cry  out  thus,  '  A  voice  from  the  east,  a  voice  from  the  west,  a  voice 
from  the  four  winds  of  the  heavens,  a  voice  against  Jerusalem,  a  voice 
against  the  temple,  a  voice  against  the  bridegroom,  a  voice  against  the 
bride,  and  a  voice  against  the  whole  people : '  and  thus  crying  day  and 
night,  he  went  about  all  the  streets  of  the  city.  The  nobility  scourged 
him,  yet  still  he  cried,  '  Woe,  woe  unto  Jerusalem : '  he  did  never  curse 
any  one,  though  every  day  he  was  beaten  by  one  or  other:  neither  did 
he  thank  any  one  that  offered  him  meat.  All  that  he  spake  to  any 
man,  was  this  heavy  prophecy,  '  Woe,  woe  unto  Jerusalem.'  He  never 
went  to  any  citizens,  neither  was  he  seen  to  speak  to  any  one,  but  still, 
as  it  were,  studying  of  some  speech,  he  cried  '  Woe,  woe  unto  Jeru- 
salem.' Thus  for  four  years  space,  say  some — for  seven  years  and  five 
months,  saith  Josephus — his  voice  never  waxed  hoarse  nor  weary,  till 
in  the  time  of  the  siege,  beholding  what  he  foretold  them,  as  he  was 
walking  upon  the  walls,  crying  '  Woe  to  Jerusalem,  woe  to  the  temple, 
woe  to  all  the  people,'  he  added,  '  and  woe  to  myself  ;'  and  as  soon  as  the 
words  were  out  of  his  mouth,  a  stone  came  out  of  an  engine  from  the 
camp,  that  dashed  out  his  brains.  These  prodigies  were  forerunners 
of  Jerusalem's  desolation.  What  comets,  what  blazing  stars,  what 
sheets  of  fire  have  been  seen  fly  over  London,  and  what  flames  of  fire 
have  been  seen  over  the  city,  a  little  before  it  was  laid  in  ashes,  I  shall 
not  now  insist  upon.  Certainly  when  a  consuming  fire  shall  be  ushered 
in  by  other  dreadful  judgments  and  amazing  prodigies,  it  highly  con- 
cerns us  to  sit  down  and  mourn.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Who  can  look  upon  London  as  an  a^icient  city,  as  a 
city  of  great  antiquity,  and  not  mourn  over  the  ruins  of  it  f  Isa.  xxiii, 
7 ;  Jer.  v.  15.     Our  chronoloc;ers  affirm  that  the  citv  hath  stood  two 


loG  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  2t,  2J. 

thousand  seven  luindrcd  and  seventy  odd  years.  It  is  recorded  by 
some,  that  the  foundation  of  London  was  laid  in  the  year  of  the  world 
2862.  London  by  some  anti(|uarics  is  called  Troynovant,  as  having 
been  first  founded  by  the  Trojans.  London  is  thought  by  some  to  be 
ancienter  than  Rome  Tiiat  London  was  a  very  ancient  city,  might 
several  ways  be  made  good ;  but  what  should  I  spend  time  to  prove 
that  which  every  one  is  ready  to  grant  ?  Josephus,!  speaking  of  Jeru- 
salem, saith,  '  That  David  tlic  king  of  the  Jews  having  driven  out  the 
Cancans,  gave  it  unto  his  people  to  be  inhabited,  and  after  four  hundred 
threescore  and  four  years  and  three  months,  it  was  destroyed  by  the 
Babylonians.  And  from  King  David,  Avho  was  the  first  Jew  tliat 
reigned  there,  until  the  time  that  Titus  destroyed  it,  were  a  thousand 
one  hundred  seventy  and  nine  years  ;  and  from  the  time  that  it  was  first 
erected  until  it  was  by  him  destroyed,  were  two  thousand  one  hundred 
and  seventy-seven  years  ;  yet  neither  the  antiquity,  nor  riches,  nor  the 
fame  thereof,  now  spread  all  over  the  world,  nor  the  glory  of  religion, 
did  anything  ]>rofit  or  hinder  it  from  being  destroyed.'  So  it  was 
neither  the  antiquity,  nor  the  riches,  nor  the  fame,  nor  the  greatness, 
nor  the  beauty,  nor  the  glory,  nor  the  religion  that  was  there  professed, 
that  could  prevent  London's  being  turned  into  a  chaos  in  four  days' 
time.  London,  that  had  been  climbing  up  to  its  meridian  of  worldly 
greatness  and  glory  above  two  thousand  years,  how  is  she  made 
desolate  in  a  few  days,  and  of  a  glorious  city  become  a  ruinous  heap  ! 
Physicians  make  the  threescore  and  third  year  of  a  man's  life  a  dan- 
gerous climacterical  year  to  the  body  natural ;  and  statists  make  the 
five  hundredth  year  of  a  city  or  kingdom  as  dangerous  to  the  body 
politic,  '  beyond  which,'  say  they,  '  cities  and  kingdoms  cannot  stand.' 
But  Jerusalem  and  London,  and  many  other  cities,  iiave  stood  much 
longer,  and  yet  in  the  end  have  been  laid  desolate  !  Now  what  true 
Englishman  can  look  upon  London's  antiquity,  and  not  mourn  to  see 
so  ancient  a  city  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ?     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  What  true  Englishman  did  ever  look  upon  London, 
as  an  honourable  city,  as  a  renowned  city,  as  a  glorious  city,  that  luill 
not  now  mourn  to  see  London  laid  in  ashes  ?  London  was  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world  ;  London  was  the  queen  city,  the  crowning  city 
of  the  land,  a  city  as  famous  as  most  cities  for  worldly  grandeur  and 
glory,  Isa.  xxiii.  8  ;  yea,  a  city  more  famous  and  glorious  than  any 
city  under  heaven  for  gospel  light,  and  for  the  jwwer  of  religion  and 
real  holiness: 2  Ps.  Ixxvi.  1,  2,  '  In  Judah  is  God  known  :  his  name  is 
great  in  Israel.  In  Salem  also  is  his  tabernacle,  and  his  dwelling- 
place  in  Zion.'  In  London  was  God  known,  his  name  was  great  in 
London;  and  in  London  also  was  his  tabernacle  and  his  dwelling- 
place.  And  as  God  was  known  in  Judah,  not  only  by  his  word,  but 
also  by  his  glorious  works;  so  God  was  known  in  London,  not  only  by 
his  word,  but  also  by  his  glorious  works.  And  as  God  was  known  in 
Judah,  first  by  the  multitude  of  his  mercies,  but  afterwards  by  the 
severity  of  his  judgments ;  so  God  was  known  in  London,  first  by  the 

'  Joseph.,  p.  745. 

'  It  is  an  ltali.in  proverb,  He  who  liath  not  seen  Venice  will  not  believe,  and  ho  who 
hath  not  lived  some  time  there  doth  not  understand  what  a  citv  is.  I  sliall  leave  the 
application  to  the  prudent  reader. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  157 

multitude  of  his  mercies,  but  afterwards  by  the  severity  of  his  judg- 
ments :  witness  the  sweeping  pestilence  and  the  devouring  fire  that 
he  sent  amongst  us  !     And  as  God  was  known  in  Judah,  first  by  lesser 
judgments  and  then  by  greater — for  he  first  lashed  them  with  rods, 
and  then  with  scourges,  and  at  last  with  scorpions ;  so  God  was  first 
known  in  London  by  lesser  judgments  :  witness  the  violent   agues, 
strange  fevers,  small-pox,  and  small  fires  that  broke  forth  in  several 
places  of  the  city  and  suburbs  ;  but  these  having  no  kind,  no  effectual 
operation  upon  us,  God  at  last  made  himself  known  in  the  midst  of  us 
by  such  a  pestilence,  and  by  such  a  fire,  that  the  like  was  never  known 
in  that  city  before.     We  were  once  the  objects  of  his  noble  favours, 
but  we  made  ourselves  at  last  the  subjects  of  his  fury.     And  as  the 
philosopher  tells  us,  corruptio  opthni,  est  pessima  ;  or  as  we  find  that 
the  sweetest  wines  become  the  tartest  vinegar,  so  God's   heavenly 
favours  and  indulgences  being  long  abused,  they  at  last  turned  into 
storms  of  wrath  and  vengeance.     What  Englishman  did  look  upon 
London  as  the  city  of  the  great  God,  as  a  holy  city,  as  that  city  wherein 
God  was  as  gloriously  made  known,  and  wherein  Christ  was  as  much 
exalted,  and  religion  was  as  highly  prized,  as  in  any  part  of  the  world 
beside,  and  not  mourn  over  it,  now  it  is  laid  desolate  ?  ^     It  was  long- 
since  said  of  Athens  and  Sparta,  that  they  were  the  eyes  of  Greece. 
Was  not  London  the  eyes  of  England  ?2     And  who  then  can  but  weep 
to  see  those  eyes  put  out  ?     Great  and  populous  cities  are,  as  it  were, 
the  eyes  of  the  earth ;  and  when  these  eyes  are  lost,  wbo  can  but  sit 
down  and  sigh  and  mourn?      London  was  the  joyous  city  of  our 
solemnities,  it  was  the  royal  chamber  of  the  King  of  kings,  it  w^as  the 
mart  of  nations,  it  was  the  lofty  city,  it  was  the  top-gallant  of  all  our 
glory.     Now,  who  can  but  shed  tears  to  see  this  city  laid  even  to  the 
ground — to  see  this  city  sit  like  a  desolate  widow  in  the  dust?     Such 
a  sight  made  Jeremiah  to  lament:  Lam.  i.  1,  '  How  doth  the  city  sit 
solitary,'  speaking  of  Jerusalem's  ruin,  '  that  was  full  of  people  !     How 
is  she  become  as  a  widow  !    she  that  was  great  among  the  nations, 
and  princess   among  the  provinces,  how  is  she  become  tributary ! ' 
Let  profane,  ignorant,  superstitious,  and  popish  defamers  of  London 
say  what  they  please,  yet  doubtless  God  had  more  of  his  mourning 
ones,  and  of  his  marked  ones  in  that  city,  than  he  had  in  a  great  part 
of  the  nation  beside,  Jer.  ix.  1-3 ;  Ezek.  ix.  4,  6.     There  was  a  time 
when  London  was  a  faithful  city,  a  city  of  righteousness,  a  city  of 
renown,  a  city  of  praise,  a  city  of  joy ;  yea,  the  paradise  of  the  world, 
in  respect  of  the  power  and  purity  of  gospel  ordinances,  and  that 
glorious  light  shined  in  the  midst  of  her.     Who  can  remember  those 
days  of  old,  and  not  mourn  to  see  such  a  city  buried  in  its  own  ruins  ? 
Under  the  whole  heavens  there  were  not  so  many  thousands  to  be 
found  that  truly  feared  the  Lord,  in  so  narrow  a  compass  of  ground, 
as  was  to  be  found  in  London ;  and  yet,  lo,  London  is  laid  in  the  dust, 
and  the  nations  round  gaze  and  wonder  at  her  desolation  !     Who  can 
but  hang  down  his  head  and  weep  in  secret  for  these  things  ?     But, 
[4.]  Fourthly,  Who  did  look  upon  London  as  the  bulwark,  as  the 

^  Ps.  ci.  8  ;  laa.  Ix.  14;  Ps.  ilviii.  1,  8,  &c.  ;  Neh.  li.  1  ;  Isa.  iviii.  52 ;  Dan.  i.  9,  24. 
*  Look,  what  the  face  is  to  the  body,  that  Loudon  was  to  England,  the  beauty  and  glory 
of  it. 


]58  londom's  lamentations  on        [Lsa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

stronghold  of  the  nation,  that  cannot  mourn  to  see  their  hulwarJc,  their 
stronghold,  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ?  Ps.  xlviii.  12, 13,  '  Walk  about 
Zion,  and  tell  the  towers  thereof.  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks,  con- 
sider her  palaces  ;  that  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  following.' 
Zion  had  her  bulwarks,  her  towers,  her  palaces  ;  but  at  last  the  Chal- 
deans at  one  time,  and  the  Komans  at  another,  laid  them  all  waste, 
Jer.  lii.  12,  13  ;  Luke  xix.  41,  45.  So  London  had  her  bulwarks,  her 
towers,  her  palaces,  but  they  are  now  laid  desolate,  and  many  fear, 
and  others  say,  by  malcontent  villains  and  mischievous  foreigners  of 
a  Romish  faith.  Loudon  was  once  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners. 
Cant.  vi.  10.  How  terrible  were  the  Israelites,  encamped  and  bannered 
in  the  wilderness,  unto  the  Moabites,  Canaanites,  &c.  !  Exod.  xv.  14-16. 
So  was  London  more  than  once  terrible  to  all  those  Moabites, 
Canaanites,  that  have  had  thoughts  to  swallow  her  up,  and  to  divide 
the  prey  among  themselves.  How  terrible  were  the  Hussites  in 
Bohemia  to  the  Germans,  when  all  Germany  were  up  in  arms  against 
them,  and  worsted  by  them  !  London  hath  been  as  terrible  to  those 
that  have  been  cousin-Germans  to  the  Germans.  London  was  once 
a  battle-axe  and  battle-bow  in  the  hand  of  the  Almighty,  which  he 
has  wielded  against  her  proudest,  strongest,  and  subtlest  enemies, 
Jer.  li.  20  ;  Zech.  ix.  10,  and  x.  4  ;  Ezek.  xxi.  31.  Was  not  London 
the  head  city,  the  royal  chamber,  the  glory  of  England,  the  magazine 
of  trade  and  wealth,  the  city  that  had  the  strength  and  treasure  of  the 
nation  in  it  ?  Were  there  not  many  thousands  in  London  that  were 
men  of  fair  estates,  of  exemplary  piety,  of  tried  valour,  of  great 
prudence,  and  of  unspotted  reputation  ?  and  therefore  why  should  it 
seem  impossible  that  the  fire  in  London  should  be  the  effect  of 
desperate  designs  and  complotments  from  abroad,  seconded  and 
encouraged  by  malcontents  at  home  ?  London  was  the  great  bulwark 
of  the  Reformed  religion,  against  all  the  batteries  of  popery,  atheism, 
and  profaneness ;  and  therefore  why  should  any  Englishman  wonder 
if  these  uncircumcised  ones  should  have  their  heads  and  their  hands 
and  their  hearts  engaged  in  the  burning  of  London  ?  ^  Such  whose 
very  principles  leads  them  by  the  hand  to  blow  up  kings,  princes, 
l^arliaments,  and  reformed  religion,  to  make  way  for  their  own  religion, 
or  for  the  good  old  religion,  as  some  are  pleased  to  call  it ;  such  will 
never  scruple  to  turn  such  cities,  such  bulwarks,  into  a  ruinous  heap, 
that  either  stands  in  their  way,  or  that  might  probably  hinder  their 
game,  Dan.  xi.  24,  39.  In  all  the  ages  of  the  world  wicked  men  have 
(lesigned  the  ruin  and  laying  waste  of  Christians'  bulwarks  and  strong- 
holds, in  order  to  the  rooting  out  of  the  very  name  of  Christians, 
as  all  know  that  have  read  anything  of  Scripture  or  history  ;  and 
therefore  why  should  any  men  think  it  strange  if  that  spirit  should 
still  be  at  work  ?  Was  ever  England  in  such  imminent  danger  of  being 
made  a  prey  to  foreign  power,  or  of  being  rid  by  men  of  a  foreign 
religion,  and  whose  principles  in  civil  policy  are  very  dangerous  both 
to  prince  and  people,  as  it  hath  been  since  the  firing  of  London, 
or  since  that  bulwark  has  been  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ?  Had 
not  the  great  God,  who  laid  a  law  of  restraint  upon  churlish  Laban, 

'  The  French  were  then  drawn  down  to  the  6e.i-side,  and  great  were  the  fears  of  many 
upon  that  account.     Kcincxnbcr  the  Gunpowder  plot. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  159 

and  upon  bloody  Esau  and  his  four  hundred  bloody  cut-throats, 
and  upon  proud,  blasphemous  Sennacherib,  Gen.  xxxi.  24,  29,  and 
xxxiii.  1,  4  ;  2  Kings  xix.  27,  28,  32,  laid  also  a  law  of  restraint  upon 
ill-minded  men,  what  mischief  might  they  not  then  have  done,  when 
many  were  amazed  and  astonished,  and  many  did  hang  down  their 
heads,  and  fold  their  hands,  crying,  Alas  !  alas  !  London  is  fallen  ! 
and  when  many  had  sorrow  in  their  hearts,  paleness  upon  their 
cheeks,  and  trembling  in  all  their  joints  !  yea,  when  the  flames  of 
London  were  as  terrible  to  most  as  the  hand  writing  upon  the  wall 
was  to  Belshazzar  !  Dan.  v.  5,  6.  How  mightily  the  burning  of  Lon- 
don would  have  retarded  the  supplies  of  men,  money,  and  necessaries 
which  would  have  been  needful  to  have  made  opposition  against  an 
invading  enemy,  had  we  been  put  to  it,  I  shall  not  here  stand  to  dis- 
pute. Whilst  London  was  standing,  it  could  raise  an  army,  and  pay 
it  when  it  had  done.  London  was  the  sword  and  sinews  of  war ;  but 
when  London  was  laid  in  ashes,  the  citizens  were  like  Samson  when 
his  hair  was  cut  ofiP,  Judges  xvi.  18-20,  and  like  the  Shechemites  when 
they  were  sore.  Gen.  xxxiv,  25.  Beloved,  the  people  of  God  have 
formerly  made  the  firing  of  their  strongholds  matter  of  bitter  lamen- 
tation, as  you  may  see  in  2  Kings  viii.  11,  12,  '  And  he  settled  his 
countenance  steadfastly,  until  he  was  ashamed  ; '  (till  Hazael  blushed 
to  see  the  prophet  look  so  earnestly  upon  him,)  '  and  the  man  of  God 
wept.  And  Hazael  said.  Why  weepeth  my  lord  ?  And  he  answered, 
Because  I  know  the  evil  that  thou  wilt  do  unto  the  children  of  Israel : 
their  strongholds  wilt  thou  set  on  fire,' — [Well !  and  what  will  he  do 
when  their  strongholds  are  in  flames  or  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ? 
Why,  this  you  may  see  in  the  following  words,] — '  and  their  young  men 
wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword,  and  wilt  dash  their  children,  and  rip 
up  their  women  with  child.'  Other  kings  of  Syria  had  borne  an  im- 
mortal hatred  against  the  children  of  Israel,  and  the  prophet  knew  by 
revelation  from  heaven  that  he  should  be  king  over  Syria,  and  that  he 
had  as  cruel  and  as  bloody  a  mind  against  God's  Israel  as  any  of  the 
former  kings  of  Syria  had.  Now  to  evidence  this,  the  prophet  in- 
stances in  those  jDarticular  excessive  acts  of  cruelty  that  he  should 
practise  upon  the  children  of  Israel — '  their  strongholds  wilt  thou  set 
on  fire.'  Hazael  would  not  think  it  enough  to  enter  into  their  strong 
towns,  and  cities,  and  forts,  and  castles,  and  other  strongholds,  and 
spoil  and  plunder  them  of  their  treasure  and  goods,  but  he  would  burn 
all  down  to  the  ground,  that  so  he  might  daunt  them,  and  weaken 
them,  and  render  them  the  more  uncapable  of  making  any  resistance 
against  him.  But  now  mark  what  follows  burning  work — '  their 
young  men  wilt  thou  slay  with  the  sword.'  Such  as  make  no  con- 
science of  burning  Israel's  strongholds,  such  will  never  scruple  the 
slaying  of  Israel's  young  men  with  the  sword.  When  their  strong- 
holds were  set  on  fire,  Hazael  would  give  them  no  quarter  for  their 
lives, — such  as  had  escaped  the  furious  flames  should  be  sure  to  fall 
by  the  bloody  sword.  '  And  wilt  dash  their  children,' — their  poor, 
innocent,  harmless  children,  that  never  thought  amiss  nor  never  spoke 
amiss  of  Hazael,  these  must  have  their  brains  dashed  out  against  the 
stones,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  9.  Men  that  are  set  upon  burning  work  are  men  of 
no  bowels,  of  no  compassion.    'And  rip  up  their  women  with  child.'   He 


1(JU  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

would  destroy  the  very  infants  in  the  womb,  that  so  he  miglit  cause  to 
cease  the  very  name  of  Israel.  Such  Hazaels  as  are  resohite  by  fire 
to  lay  our  cities  and  strong  bulwarks  desolate,  such  will  be  ready 
enough  to  practise  the  most  barbarous  cruelties  imaginable  upon  our 
persons  and  relations  when  a  fit  op])ortunity  shall  present.  When 
Israel  was  weary,  and  faint,  and  feeble,  then  Amalek  fell  upon  them, 
Deut.  XXV.  17-19.  It  was  infinite  mercy  that  the  Amalekites  of  our 
day  did  not  fall  upon  the  amazed  and  astonished  citizens  when  they 
were  feeble,  and  faint,  and  weary,  and  tired  out  with  hard  labour  and 
want  of  rest.  0  sirs  !  shall  the  prophet  Elisha  weep,  foreseeing  that 
Hazael  would  set  Israel's  strongholds  on  fire  ;  and  shall  not  we  weep 
to  sec  London,  our  stronghold,  our  noblest  bulwark,  turned  into  a 
ruinous  heap  ?  So  Lam.  ii.  2,  5,  '  The  Lord  hath  swallowed  up  all 
the  habitation  of  Jacob,  and  hath  not  pitied  :  he  hath  thrown  down  in 
his  wrath  the  strongholds  of  the  daughter  of  Judah  ;  he  hath  brought 
them  down  to  the  ground.  The  Lord  was  an  enemy :  he  liath  swal- 
lowed up  Israel,  he  hath  swallowed  up  all  her  palaces ;  he  hath  de- 
stroyed his  sti'ongholds,  and  hath  increased  in  the  daughter  of  Judah 
mournings  and  lamentation.'  These  two  words,  '  mourning  and  lam- 
entation,' are  joined  together  to  note  the  great  and  eminent  lamenta- 
tion of  the  daughter  of  Judah  upon  the  sight  and  sense  of  God's 
destroying,  razing,  and  levelling  to  the  ground,  by  the  hand  of  the 
Chaldeans,  &c.,  all  the  strongholds  and  fortresses  that  were  built  for 
the  defence  of  the  Israelites.  Now  shall  the  daughter  of  Judah 
greatly  lament  to  see  her  strongholds  laid  desolate  ;  and  shall  not  v^^e 
at  all  lament  to  see  London,  to  see  our  strongholds,  turned  into  a 
ruinous  heap  ?     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Who  did  ever  look  upon  London  as  a  fountain,  as  a 
sanctuary,  and  as  a  city  of  refuge  to  the  poor,  afflicted,  distressed,  and 
imjMverished  people  of  God,  that  is  not  now  free  to  weep  to  see  such 
a  city  laid  in  ashes  ?  Who  can  number  up  the  distressed  strangers 
that  have  been  there  courteously  entertained  and  civilly  treated  ? 
Exod.  xxii.  12 ;  2  Sam.  xvi.  14.  Who  can  number  up  the  many 
thousand  families  that  have  been  preserved,  relieved,  revived,  and 
refreshed  with  the  silver  streams  that  has  issued  from  that  fountain 
London,  and  not  mourn  to  see  it  laid  desolate?  Fs.  xlvi.  4,  '  There  is 
a  river,  the  streams  whereof  shall  make  glad  the  city  of  God;'  Isa. 
viii.  6.  It  is  an  allusion  to  the  river  Siloah,  which  ran  sweetly,  softly, 
quietly,  pleasantly,  constantly,  to  the  refreshing  of  all  that  were  in  need. 
London  was  a  river,  a  fountain,  whose  silver  streams  ran  sweetly, 
quietly,  pleasantly,  constantly,  to  the  refreshing  of  many  thousand 
needy  ones  in  the  land.  Now  who  can  but  weep  to  see  such  a  fountain, 
such  a  river,  not  only  stopped,  but  dried  up  by  a  devouring  fire?     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Who  did  ever  look  upon  London  as  a  city  compact,  a 
city  aducmtageously  situated  for  trade  and  commerce,  yea,  as  the  great 
mart  town  of  the  natio7i,  that  has  not  a  heart  to  weep  over  it,  now  it 
lies  in  ashes?  Isa.  xxiii.  3;  Ezek.  xxvii.  1  ;  Eev.  viii.  11.  London 
was  the  mart  of  the  nation's  trade,  and  the  magazine  of  the  nation's 
wealth.  London  was  that  great  storehouse,  in  which  was  laid  up 
very  nuich  of  the  riches  and  glory  of  the  land.  London  was  the 
very  heart  of    England ;  it  was   as   useful  every   way  to  England's 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  161 

securitj  and  felicity,  as  the  heart  is  useful  in  the  natural  body :  and 
therefore  no  wonder  if  such  as  envy  at  England's  greatness,  grandeur, 
and  glory,  have  made  London,  England's  mart-town,  to  bear  the 
marks  of  their  displeasure.  Who  is  so  great  a  stranger  in  our 
English  Israel,  as  not  to  know  how  rarely  well  London  was  situated 
as  to  trade,  and  as  not  to  know  how  London  was  surrounded  with 
plentiful  store  of  all  creature-comforts  ?  If  London  had  not  been  so 
nobly  situated  and  surrounded,  its  desolation  had  not  been  so  great  a 
judgment ;  nor,  it  may  be,  the  designs  of  men  so  deeply  laid,  as  to  its 
ruin.  They  that  did  look  upon  England  as  rich,  could  not  but  look 
on  London  as  the  exchequer  of  it.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Who  are  they  that  have  looked  upon  London  as  a 
city^  that  hath  for  many  hundred,  yea,  some  thousands  of  years,  been 
very  strangely  and  wonderfully  preserved  hy  the  adnm'able  tvisdom, 
constant  care,  and  almighty  power  of  God — notwitlistanding  all  the 
wrath,  rage,  malice,  p)lots,  and  designs  ofivicked  men  to  lay  it  ivaste, 
and  to  turn  it  into  a  ruinous  heap — and  not  have  a  heart  to  iveep 
over  its  desolation  ?  Isa.  xxvii.  3,  4 ;  Ps.  cxxi.  4,  5.  The  great  pre- 
servations, the  singular  salvations,  that  God  hath  wrought  for  London, 
many  hundred  years  together,,  renders  the  desolation  of  London  the 
more  terrible.  And  accordingly  it  concerns  all  that  are  well  affected 
to  weep  over  its  ashes.     But, 

[8.]  Eighthly,  Who  can  look  upon  the  ashes  of  London,  as  those 
ashes  in  lohich  England's  worst  enemies,  both  abroad  and  at  home, 
do  daily  triumph  and  rejoice,  and  not  weep  over  London  s  desolation  ? 
Obad.  10-16.  Shall  the  vilest  of  men  glory  that  England's  glory  is 
laid  in  the  dust ;  and  shall  not  we  lament,  when  our  crown  is  fallen 
from  our  head  ?  Lam,  v.  16.  The  more  wicked  men  rejoice  in  our 
misery,  the  greater  obligation  lies  upon,  us  to  lie  low  and  mourn  at  the 
foot  of  God.  London,  like  Job,  lies  on  its  dunghill.  Job  ii.  8.  Lon- 
don, like  the  Jews,  lies  in  its  ashes,.  Esther  iv.  3.  And  therefore  it 
highly  concerns  all  Londoners  to  put  on  sackcloth  and  ashes.      But, 

[9.]  Ninthly,  Surely  stich  as  have  looked  upon  London  as  the  city 
of  their  solemnities— such  cannot  but  weep,  to  see  the  city  of  their 
solemnities  laid  desolate :  Isa.  xxxiii.  20,  '  Look  upon  Zion  the  city 
of  our  solemnities,'  or  meetings.  Zion,  is  here  called  a  city,  because  it 
stood  in  the  midst  of  the  city.  The  city  of  Jerusalem  was  very  large, 
and  Zion  stood  in  the  midst  of  it;  and  it  is  called  a  'city  of  solemnities,' 
because  the  people  flocked  thither  to  hear  the  law,  to  renew  their 
covenant  with  God,  to  call  upon  his  name,  and  to  offer  sacrifices.  0 
sirs!  was  not  London  the  city  of  our  solemnities  ?  the  city  where  we 
solemnly  met  to  wait  upon  the  Lord,  in  the  beauty  of  holiness?  1  Chron. 
xvi.  29 ;  the  city  where  we  offered  prayers  and  praises  ?  the  city  where 
we  worshipped  the  Lord  in  spirit  and  in  truth  ?  Ps.  xxix.  2  ;  the  city 
wherein  God,  and  Christ,  and  the  great  things  of  eternity,  were  revealed 
to  us  ?  the  city  wherein  many  thousands  were  converted  and  edified  ; 
walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  in  the  comforts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  ?  Acts  ix.  31 ;  the  city  where  we  had  the  clearest,  the  choicest, 
and  the  highest  enjoyments  of  God  that  ever  we  had  in  all  our  days  ? 
the  city  wherein  we  have  sat  down  under  Christ's  '  shadow  with  great 
delight;  his  fruit  has  been  sweet  unto  our  taste'?  the  city  in  which 

VOL.   VI.  L 


162  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

Christ  has  '  brought  us  to  his  bnnqiicting-housc,  and  his  banner  over  us 
has  been  love'?  the  city  in  wliich  Christ  has  '  staid  us  with  flagons, 
and  comforted  us  with  apples'?  the  city  in  which  Christ's  '  left  hand 
hath  been  luider  our  heads,  and  his  right  hand  hath  embraced  us ' ? 
Cant.  ii.  3-6  ;  the  city  wherein  the  Lord  of  hosts  hath  '  made  unto 
his  people  a  feast  of  fat  things,  a  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees,  of  fat  things 
full  of  marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined '  ?  Isa.  xxv.  6.  London, 
the  city  of  our  solemnities,  is  now  laid  desolate  :  and  therefore  for  this 
why  should  not  we  be  disconsolate,  and  mourn  in  secret  before  the 
Lord  ?  This  frame  of  spirit  hath  been  upon  the  people  of  God  of  old  : 
Zeph.  iii.  18,  '  I  will  gather  them  that  are  sorrowful  for  the  solemn 
assembly,  who  are  of  thee,  to  whom  the  reproach  of  it  was  a  burden.' 
By '  solemn  assemblies'  are  meant  their  several  conventions,  at  those  set 
times  which  God  had  appointed  them,  viz.,  on  the  weekly  Sabbath,  the 
new  moons,  the  stated  feasts  and  fasts,  which  they  were  bound  to 
observe,  Deut.  xvi.  Now  for  the  want,  the  lack,  the  loss  of  those 
solemn  assemblies,  such  as  did  truly  fear  the  Lord  were  solemnly 
sorrowful.  Of  all  losses,,  spiritual  losses  are  most  sadly  resented  by 
gracious  souls.  When  they  had  lost  their  houses,  their  estates,  their 
trades,  their  relations,  their  liberties,  and  were  led  captive  to  Babylon, 
which  was  an  iron  furnace,  a  second  Egypt  to  them,  then  the  loss  of 
their  solemn  assemblies  made  deeper  impressions  upon  their  hearts 
than  all  their  outward  losses  did.  The  Jews  w^re  famous  artists. 
They  stand  upon  record  for  their  skill,  especially  in  poetry,  mathe- 
matics, and  music:  but  when  their  city  was  burnt,  and  their  land  laid 
desolate,  and  their  solemn  assemblies  broken  in  pieces,  then  they  could 
sing  none  of  the  songs  of  Zion,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  1-5  ;  then  they  were  more 
for  mourning  than  for  music,  for  sighing  than  for  singing,  for  lament- 
ing than  for  laughing.  Nothing  goes  so  near  gracious  hearts  as  the 
loss  of  their  solemn  assemblies,  as  the  loss  of  holy  ordinances.  Health, 
and  wealth,  and  friends,  and  trade,  are  but  mere  Ichabods  to  the  saints' 
solemn  assemblies,  and  to  pure  ordinances.  When  the  ark  was  taken, 
Eli  could  live  no  longer  :  but  whether  his  heart  or  his  neck  was  first 
broken  upon  that  sad  tidings,  is  not  easy  to  determine,  1  Sam.  iv.  17, 
18.  When  Nehemiah  understood  that  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  were 
broken  down,  and  that  the  gates  thereof  were  burnt  with  fire,  and  that 
the  whole  city  was  laid  desolate  by  Nebuzar-adan  and  his  Chaldean 
army,  he  sits  down  and  weeps  and  mourns,  and  fasts  and  prays,  2 
Kings  xxv.  8-10  ;  he  did  so  lay  the  burning  of  the  city  of  their 
solemnities  to  heart,  that  all  the  smiles  of  King  Artaxerxes  could  not 
raise  him  nor  rejoice  him,  Neh.  i.  3,  4,  and  ii.  It  was  on  the  tenth 
day  of  the  fifth  month  that  Jerusalem  was  burnt  with  fire ;  and  upon 
that  account  the  Jews  fasted  upon  every  tenth  day  of  the  fifth  month, 
Jer.  Hi.  12-14.  Now  shall  the  Jews  solemnly  fast  and  mourn  on  the 
tenth  day  of  the  fifth  month  during  their  captivity,  Zech.  vii.  3, 
because  their  city  and  temple  and  solemn  assemblies  were  on  that 
day  buried  in  ashes,  and  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap ;  and  shall  not 
we  fast  and  mourn  to  see  the  city  of  our  solemnities  buried  in  its 
own  ruins  ?     But, 

[10.]  Tenthly  and  lastly,  That  {ncendiar)/,  that  mischievous  villain 
Hubert,  confessed  the  fact  of  f  ring  the  frst  house  in  Pudding  Lane, 


ISA.  XLII,  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  163 

though  lie  ivould  not  confess  who  set  him  at  loork,  and  accordingly  luas 
executed  at  Tyburn  for  it.^  Now  who  can  look  upon  the  dreadful 
consequences,  the  burning  of  a  renowned  city,  that  followed  upon 
the  firing  of  the  first  house,  and  not  mourn  over  London's  desolations  ? 
Hubert  did  confess  to  several  persons  of  note  and  repute  that  he  was  a 
Catholic  ;  and  did  further  declare  that  he  believed  confession  to  a  priest 
was  necessary  to  his  salvation.  And  being  advised,  by  a  chaplain  to  a 
person  of  honour,  to  call  upon  God,  he  repeated  his  A  ve  Mary,  which 
he  confessed  was  his  usual  prayer.  Father  Harvey  confessed  him, 
and  instructed  him,  and  we  need  not  doubt  but  that  he  absolved  him 
also,  according  to  the  custom  cf  the  Romish  Church.  Hubert  died  in 
the  profession  of  the  Romish  faith,  stoutly  asserting  that  he  was  no 
Hugonite.2  I  know  that  men  of  the  Romish  religion,  and  such  who 
are  one  in  spirit  with  them,  would  make  the  world  believe  that 
this  Hubert,  who,  by  order  of  law,  was  executed  upon  the  account 
of  his  own  public  and  private  confessions,  was  mad,  distracted,  and 
what  not.  But  what  madmen  do  these  make  the  judge  and  jury 
to  be  ?  for  who  but  madmen  would  condemn  to  such  a  shameful 
death  a  madman,  for  confessing  himself  guilty  of  such  a  heinous  and 
horrid  fact,  which  he  had  never  committed  ?  Doubtless  both  judge 
and  jury  were  men  of  more  wisdom,,  justice,  and  conscience,  than 
to  hang  a  madman  upon  his  own  bare  confession.  The  German 
histories  tell  us  3  what  encouragement  men  of  a  Romish  faith  have 
had  from  Rome  to  make  way  for  their  religion  throughout  Germany, 
by  fire  and  sword  ;  and  when  some  of  those  incendiaries  have  been 
taken  in  setting  houses  on  fire,  they  have  confessed  that  there  have 
been  many  more  in  combination  with  them,  who,  by  all  the  ways  they 
could,  were  to  consume  Silesia  and  other  parts  with  firings.  When 
the  Spanish  Armada  came  against  this  nation  in  1588  with  an  invin- 
cible navy,  as  they  counted  it,,  they  had  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty-three  great  ordnance,  twenty-eight  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty  mariners,  soldiers,,  and  slaves^  rowing  in  galleys,  with 
innumerable  fire-balls  and  granadoes,  in  order  to  the  making  of  Eng- 
land desolate  by  fire  and  sword.*  Did  not  F.  Parsons,  Doleman,  and 
Holt  the  Jesuit  draw  other  incendiaries  into  a  combination  to  fire  the 
royal  navy  with  wildfire  in  Queen  Elizabeth's  reign,  for  which  they 
were  stretched  at  Tyburn,  a.d.  1595  ?5  On  that  very  day  when  King 
James  was  crowned,  when  the  generality  of  the  people  were  intent 
upon  that  noble  spectacle,  five  were  suborned  by  the  Jesuits  to  set 
London  on  fire  in  several  places,  but  were  frustrated,  as  is  evident 
upon  record.6  Mr  Waddesworth  did  depose,  both  in  writing  and 
viva  voce  at  the  Lords'  bar,  that  one  Henry,  alias  Francis  Smith,  alias 
Lloyd,  alias  Rive4:'s,  alias  Simons,  before  the  beginning  of  the  Scotch 
wars,  did  tell  him  in  Norfolk,  where  he  met  him,  '  That  the  popish 

^  There  were  some  ministers,  and  several  other  sober  prurient  citizens,  who  did  con- 
verse again  and  again  with  Hubert,  and  are  ready  to  attest  that  he  was  far  from  being 
mad  ;  and  that  he  was  not  only  very  rational,  but  also  very  cunning  and  subtle,  and 
so  the  fitter  instrument  for  the  conclave  of  Kome,  or  some  subtle  Jesuit  to  make  use  of 
to  bring  about  our  common  woe.  It  was  never  known  that  Rome  or  hell  did  ever  make 
use  of  madmen  or  fools  to  bring  about  their  devilish  plots. 

=>  Query,  'Huguenot'?— G.  ^  Luc.  Hist.,  pp.  613,  519,  520.  ^  Hisp.  F.  184, 185. 

»  Speed's  Hist.,  p.  1178;  Luc.  Hist.,  pp.  2'J8,  299.  »  Luc.  Hist.,  pp.  509-511. 


164  London's  LAMENTATIONS  ON        [Isa.  XlJl.  24,  25. 

reli<;ion  wns  not  to  be  hroiight  in  here  by  dispnting,  or  l)Ooks  of 
controversy,  but  witli  an  army,  and  M'itli  fire  and  sword.'  l  Pope 
]\Iartin  tlio  Fifth  sent  Cardinal  Julian,  who  was  namesake  and  near  of 
kin  to  Julian  the  apostate,  with  an  army  of  fourscore  thousand,  to  root 
out  Hussites  or  protestants  in  Bohemia,  where  they  burnt  up  their 
towns ;  and  at  the  same  time  Albertus,  his  assistant,  burnt  up  five 
hundred  of  their  villages.  It  was  Philip  the  Second  of  Spain  who 
said,  [Tliuanus,]  '  That  he  had  rather  lose  all  liis  provinces  than  seem 
to  grant  or  favour  anything  which  might  be  prejudicial  to  the  Catholic 
religion.'  It  was  Cardinal  Granveilamis  ^  who  was  wont  to  say, 
[Gasper,]  '  That  he  would  reduce  the  Catholic  religion  in  all  places, 
though  one  hundred  thousand  men  were  to  be  burned  in  an  hour.'  It 
was  the  Spanish  ministers  of  state  who  declared  openly  in  the  pacifica- 
of  Colen,3  [Anno  1.58G,]  '  That  the  Protestants  would  be  very  well 
served  if  they  were  stripped  of  all  their  goods,  and  forced  to  go  seek 
new  countries  like  Jews  and  Egyptians,  who  wander  uj)  and  down  like 
rogues  and  vagabonds.'  The  Duke  of  Alba,  a  bloody  papist,^  sitting 
at  his  table,  said,  '  That  he  had  taken  diligent  pains  in  rooting  out 
the  tares  of  heresies,  having  delivered  eighteen  thousand  men  in  the 
space  of  six  years  only  to  the  hands  of  the  hangman.'  From  the 
beginning  of  the  Jesuits  to  1580,  being  the  space  of  thirty  years,  there 
were  almost  nine  hmidrcd  thousand  protestants  put  to  death  in 
France,  Spain,  Italy,  Germany,  England,  and  other  parts  of  Christen- 
dom.5  Men  of  that  religion,  that  burnt  the  martyrs  in  Queen  Mary's 
days,  are  men  of  such  bloody,  desperate  principles,  that  they  will 
stick  at  nothing  that  may  be  a  means  to  advance  the  Komish  religion. 
Some  men,  besides  the  Komans,  have  practised  most  ])rodigious 
things,  and  all  to  raise  themselves  a  name  in  the  world.  Scrvetus,^ 
at  Geneva,  gave  all  his  goods  to  the  poor,  and  his  body  to  be  burnt, 
and  all  for  a  name,  for  a  little  glory  among  men.  The  temple 
of  the  great  goddess  Diana,  which  was  one  of  the  w^orld's  wonders, 
was  set  on  fire  when  Alexander  was  born,  by  Erostratus,  a  base 
fellow ;  and  this  he  did,  '  that  he  might  be  talked  of  when  he 
was  dead.'  So  Judas  and  Sadoc,  Avith  their  seditious  sect,  burnt  down 
the  temple  of  Jerusalem,  and  all  the  beautiful  buildings  in  the  city.? 
And  at  another  time,  when  the  Romans  had  set  the  tem])le  on  fire, 
Titus,  by  entreaties  and  thrcatenings,  did  all  he  could  to  persuade  the 
soldiers  to  extinguish  the  fire,  but  could  not  prevail  with  them.  They, 
seeing  the  gates  of  the  inward  temple  to  be  gates  of  gold,  thought 
that  the  tem[)le  was  full  of  money,  and  that  they  might  have  a  rich 
booty,  and  therefore  regarded  not  their  general's  commands.  Titus 
did  all  he  could  to  quench  the  flames ;  but  a  certain  soldier  fired  the 
posts  about  the  doors  of  the  inward  tem])le,  and  presently  the  flame 
appearing  within,  Titus  and  his  ca{)tains  dej)artcd  ;  and  so  every  one 
stood  looking  npon  it,  and  no  man  sought  to  extinguish  it.  Tims  the 
temple  was  burnt  by  the  hand  of  a  single  soldier,  against  Titus  his 

1  Compl.  Hist.,  pp.  443,  449;  Roy.  Favour.,  pp.  64,  55  ;  Rom.  Mr  Pecce,  3L 

*  Qn.  •  Cardinal  Anthony  Perrenot  Uranvella'  ?— G.  ^  Qucrv,  '  Cologne'?— G. 

*  Meter,  lliet.  de  rcb.  Belu:.,  lib.  xv.     [Query,  'Alva'  ?— G. 

'  The  fact  of  Faux  wob  horrid  and  sanc;uinary  ;  and  you  know  who  set  him  on  work 

*  Anno  1555,  Calvin.     [.Misprinted  Scru.stus.—G.] 
^  Josephus,  .\nt.,  lib.  xviii.  cap.  1,  p.  103. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  1G5 

mind.i  One  man  that  is  of  a  cruel  spirit,  and  of  cruel  principles,  may 
do  a  world  of  mischief.  Take  that  instance  of  Nero,  who  maliciously 
raised  the  first  persecution  against  the  Christians,  pretending  that 
they  were  incendiaries,  and  authors  of  the  burning  of  Kome  ;  whereas 
he  himself  had  most  wickedly  done  it.  But  this  barbarous  act  of  his 
was  fathered  upon  the  Christians  ;  and  accordingly  they  suffered 
severely  for  it.^  Another  author  saith,3  Nero  succeeded  Caligula  in 
the  government,  and  in  no  less  fierceness  and  cruelty,  because  he  was 
a  man  in  whom,  if  possible  it  might  be,  all  the  other  cruelties  were 
enclosed,  and  all  else  that  could  by  men  be  imagined ;  for,  without 
any  regard  of  sanctified  things,  or  persons  of  like  quality,  private  or 
public,  he  caused  the  city  of  Rome  to  be  set  on  fire,  with  express  pro- 
hibition not  to  quench  it,  or  any  man  to  make  safety  of  his  own  goods : 
so  the  fire  continued  seven  days  and  seven  nights  burning  the  city ; 
and  he  being  on  a  high  tower  some  small  distance  off,  clapped  his 
hands,  and  joyed  to  behold  this  dismal  spectacle,  so  far  exceeding  all 
humanity.  The  wisest  prince  that  ever  swayed  a  sceptre  hath  told 
us,  '  That  one  sinner  destroy eth  much  good,'  Eccles,  ix.  18.  Who 
can  sum  up  the  mischief  that  a  few  ill-minded  men  may  do  in  a  little 
time  ?  The  same  devil,  the  same  lusts,  the  same  wrath,  the  same 
rage,  the  same  revenge,  the  same  ends,  the  same  motives  that  have 
put  others  upon  burning  work  in  former  times,  may  probably  have 
put  some  upon  the  same  work  in  our  time.  Burning  work  is  so  odious 
and  abominable,  so  destructive,  liateful,  and  hurtful  a  thing  in  the 
eyes  of  all  true  Englishmen  who  have  any  sense  of  honour  or  con- 
science, that  I  shall  never  wonder  to  see  such  who  have  either  had  a 
head,  or  a  hand,  or  a  heart  in  it,  of  arts  and  crafts,  to  bury  for  ever 
the  remembrance  of  it.  Was  not  London  the  glory  of  England? 
Was  not  London  England's  treasury,  and  the  protestants'  sanctuary  ? 
Was  not  London  as  terrible  to  her  enemies  abroad,  as  she  was  joyous 
to  her  friends  at  home  ?  Has  not  London  been  as  dreadful  to  her 
foreign  foes,  as  the  hand- writing  upon  the  wall  was  to  Belshazzar  ? 
Dan.  V,  5,  6.  Was  not  London  the  great  mountain  that  her  enemies 
feared  would  be  most  prejudicial  to  their  pernicious  designs?  Zech,  iv.  7. 
Was  not  London  that  great  rock  against  which  many  have  dashed 
themselves  in  pieces?^  Was  not  London  as  briers  and  thorns,  as 
goads  and  gulfs  and  two-edged  swords,  to  all  her  enemies,  more  remote 
and  nearer  home  ?  Had  the  French  invaded  us  when  London  was  in 
flames,  as  many  feared  they  would,  or  had  such  risen  up  at  that  time,  in 
the  bowels  of  the  nation,  whose  very  principles  lead  them  by  fire  and 
sword  to  make  way  for  their  religion,  what  doleful  days  had  we  seen, 
and  to  what  a  low  ebb  might  the  protestant  interest  have  then  been 
brought!  What  greater  encouragement  could  be  given  to  French, 
Dutch,  Dane,  and  all  of  the  old  religion,  as  they  call  it,  to  make 
desperate  attempts  upon  us,  than  the  laying  of  the  city  desolate  by 
fire  ?  But  it  is  the  glory  of  divine  power  to  daunt  and  overrule  all 
hearts  and  counsels,  and  to  turn  that  to  his  people's  greatest  good 

'  Lib.  vii.  de  Bello  Jud.  cap.  10,  p.  737.  "  Parous  ou  the  Revelation,  p.  110. 

^  The  Treasury  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Times,  pp.  321,  322. 

■*  The   French,  the   Dutch,  the  Dane,  the  Spaniard,  &e.,  have  at  times  experienced 
what  London's  treasure  and  force  have  been  able  to  do,  \c. 


IGG  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

which  their  enemies  design  to  be  their  nttcr  rnin,  Ps.  Ixxvi.  5,  10 ; 
Gen.  xxxi.  24,  21),  ami  xxxiii.  3,  4.  We  know  papists  are  no  change- 
hngs ;  their  cruel,  bloody,  fiery  spirits  and  principles  are  still  the 
same.'  Both  king  and  parliament  have  taken  notice  how  vigilant 
and  active  they  have  been  of  late,  by  what  hath  been  discovered,  con- 
fessed, proved,  printed,  &c.  Is  it  not  more  than  probable  that  some 
iniluenced  from  Rome  have  kindled  and  promoted  that  dreadful  fire 
that  hath  laid  our  city  desolate  ?  The  statue  of  Apollo  is  said  to 
shed  tears  for  the  aiilictions  of  the  Grecians,  though  he  could  not  help 
them.  Though  none  of  us  could  prevent  the  desolation  of  London, 
yet  let  us  all  be  so  mgenuous  as  to  weep  over  the  ashes  of  London. 
Who  can  look  upon  London's  glory,  as  now  sacrificed  to  the  fiames, 
and  made  a  burnt-offering  to  appease  the  wrath  and  fury,  as  many 
say,  of  a  papist  conclave,  and  not  mourn  ? 

Ohj.  Sir,  we  readily  grant  that  it  is  our  duty  to  lament  and  mourn 
over  the  ruins  and  desolations  of  London  ;  yea,  some  of  us  have  so 
lamented  and  mourned  over  London's  dust  and  ashes,  that  we  have 
almost  reduced  ourselves  to  dust  and  ashes;  and  therefore,  what 
cordials,  what  comforts,  what  supports  can  you  hand  out  to  us  that 
may  help  to  cheer  up  our  spirits,  and  to  bear  up  our  hearts,  so  as  that 
we  may  not  utterly  faint  and  sink,  neither  under  the  sight  of  London's 
ruins,  nor  yet  under  a  deep  sense  of  our  many  great  and  sore  losses  ? 

Now  that  I  may  be  a  little  serviceable  and  useful  to  you  in  the 
present  case,  give  me  leave  to  offer  to  your  most  serious  consideration 
these  following  particulars  by  way  of  support : — 

(L)  First,  Consider,  for  your  support  and  comfort.  That  the  great 
God  might  have  burned  uj)  all;  he  might  not  have  left  one  house 
standing,  nor  one  stone  upon  another.  It  is  true  the  greatest  part  of 
the  city  is  fallen ;  but  it  is  rich  mercy  that  the  whole  is  not  con- 
sumed, Luke  xix.  41,  44.  Though  most  of  the  city  within  the  walls 
be  destroyed,  yet  it  is  grace  upon  the  throne  that  the  suburbs  are 
standing.  Had  not  God  spared  some  houses  in  the  city,  and  the 
main  of  the  suburbs,  where  would  thousands  have  had  a  livelihood  ? 
How  would  any  trade  have  been  maintained  ?  yea,  how  would  the 
lives  of  many  thousands  have  been  preserved  ?  It  is  true  the  fire 
was  very  dreadful,  but  God  might  have  made  it  more  dreadful ;  he 
might  have  laid  every  house  level ;  he  might  have  consumed  all  the 
goods  and  wealth  that  was  there  treasured  up ;  and  he  might  have 
refused  to  have  plucked  one  man  '  as  a  brand  out  of  the  fire,'  Zech. 
iii,  2.  He  might  have  suffered  London  to  have  been  as  totally  de- 
stroyed as  Jerusalem  was:  Mat.  xxiv.  1,  2,  'And  Jesus  went  out, 
and  departed  from  the  temple :  and  his  disciples  came  to  him  to  shew 
him  the  buildings  of  the  temple.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them.  See  ye 
not  all  these  things  ?  verily,  I  say  unto  you.  There  shall  not  be  left 
here  one  stone  upon  another  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.'  In  these 
words  Christ  doth  foretell  the  utter  destruction  and  devastation  of 
Jerusalem,  which  came  to  pass  by  Titus  and  the  Roman  army ; 
wasting  all  with  fire  and  sword,  and  evening  with  the  ground  that  mag- 
nificent temj)le  and  city,  which  was  the  glory  of  the  world.     Though 

*  The  woeful  desolations  that  the  popish  party  made  by  fire  and  sword  amongst  the 
protcfctantB  in  Ireland  ia  written  with  the  pen  of  a  diamond. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  167 

Titus,  by  a  strict  edict  at  first  storming  of  the  city,  forbade  the  de- 
facing of  the  temple,  yet  the  soldiers  burned  it  and  the  city.  The 
temple  was  burned,  say  some,  August  10th,  when  it  had  stood  five 
hundred  [and]  eighty-nine  years ;  and  the  city  was  burned  September 
8th,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  seventy- one.  i 

Quest.  But  why  did  Christ's  disciples  shew  him  the  buildings  of 
the  temple,  which  they  knew  were  not  unknown  unto  him  ? 

Ans.  To  move  him  to  mercy,  and  to  moderate  the  severity  of  that 
former  sentence,  of  leaving  their  houses  desolate  unto  them,  Mat. 
xxiii.  38.  Herod  had  been  at  a  wonderful  charge  in  building  and 
beautifying  the  temple.  Josephus  tells  us,^  that  for  eight  whole 
years  together  he  kept  ten  thousand  men  at  work  about  it :  and  that 
for  magnificence  and  stateliness  it  exceeded  Solomon's  temple.  The 
disciples  might  very  well  wonder  at  these  stately  buildings,  at  these 
goodly,  stately,  fair  stones,  which  were,  as  Josephus  writeth,  fifteen 
cubits  long,  twelve  high,  and  eight  broad.  Now  the  disciples  fondly 
thought  that  Christ,  upon  the  full  sight  of  these  stately,  glorious 
buildings,  which  to  see  laid  waste  was  pity,  might  have  been  so 
worked  upon  as  to  reverse  his  former  sentence  of  laying  all  desolate. 
But  here  they  were  mistaken ;  for  '  his  thoughts  were  not  as  their 
thoughts.'  Others  think  that  the  disciples  shewed  Christ  the  stately 
buildings  of  the  temple,  that  upon  a  serious  consideration  of  the 
strength,  pomp,  stateliness,  greatness,  and  magnificence  of  the  build- 
ings, he  might  be  the  more  careful  to  preserve  them  from  destruction. 
Others  think  that  the  disciples  shewed  him  these  strong  and  stately 
buildings,  to  insinuate  secretly  thereby  how  difficult,  yea,  impossible, 
it  was  for  them  to  be  destroyed,  especially  considering  the  strength  of 
the  city  also.  And  hence  our  Saviour  seems  to  answer,  '  See  ye  not 
all  these  things  ?  verily  I  say  unto  you.  There  shall  not  be  left  here 
one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down,'  &c. 

Quest.  But  when  was  this  prediction  fulfilled,  that  not  one  stone 
should  be  left  upon  another,  which  should  not  be  thrown  down,  &c.  ? 

Ans.  This  was  fulfilled  forty  years  after  Christ's  ascension,  by 
Vespasian  the  emperor,  and  his  son  Titus,  as  Eusebius  and  Josephus 
do  declare.  Yea,  this  prophecy  was  not  only  accomplished  in  the 
destruction  of  the  old  temple,  but  then  also,  when  in  Julian  the  apos- 
tate's time,  the  Jews,  to  spite  the  Christians,  were  by  him  encouraged 
to  build  the  temple  at  his  charge  ;  and  they  attempting  it  accordingly, 
were  hindered  from  heaven  by  a  mighty  earthquake,  which  cast  down 
that  in  the  niglit  which  was  built  in  the  day :  and  besides,  a  fire  from 
heaven,  that  consumed  the  work  and  workmen's  instruments ;  which 
Cyrillus,  bishop  of  Jerusalem,  then  seeing,  applied  unto  that  event 
this  prediction  of  our  Saviour,  '  There  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon 
another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down.' 3  Ah  London,  London  !  this 
might  have  been  thy  doom,  that  there  should  not  have  been  one  house 
standing,  neither  within  nor  without  thy  walls ;  yea,  this  might  have 
been  thy  doom,  that  there  should  not  have  been  '  one  stone  left  upon 
another  that  should  not  have  been  thrown  down.'     In  that  it  is  other- 

'  See  Joseph.,  lib.  vii.  cap.  9,  10,  18,  de  Bel.  Jud. 
'  Joseph.,  lib.  xv.,  Antiq.,  cap.  14. 
*  SoTut.,  lib.  iii.  cap.  17. 


168  London's  LAiiENTAXioNb  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

wise  witli  tlicc,  thou  liast  cause,  0  London,  to  cry,  Grace,  grace,  to 
him  that  sits  upon  tlic  throne,  and  is  hlossed  for  ever,  <fcc. 

Carthage  was  a  noble  city,  mistress  of  Africa,  and  paragon  to  Rome. 
She  made  her  part  gt)od  against  Home  for  many  years,  but  at  length, 
by  means  of  her  own  inward  civil  jars,  she  was  utterly  destroyed  by 
them,  [Oros.  Eutrop.]  For  the  inhabitants  being  not  able  to  stand 
any  longer  in  their  own  defence,  were  constrained  to  yield  themselves 
to  the  mercy  of  their  enemies — the  women,  to  the  number  of  five  and 
twenty  thousand,  marching  first  forth,  and  after  them  the  men,  in 
number  thirty  thousand,  following,  all  which  })oor  captives  were  sold 
for  bond-slaves,  a  few  only  of  the  principal  excepted:  and  then  fire 
was  put  to  the  city,  which  burnt  seventeen  days  without  ceasing,  even 
till  it  was  clean  consumed.  This  might  iiave  been  thy  doom,  O  Lon- 
don, but  God  in  the  midst  of  judgment  hath  remembered  mercy. 

Athens  Avas  once  the  most  famous  flourishing  city  of  Greece,  for  her 
fair  buildings,  large  precincts,  and  multitude  of  inhabitants  ;  but  espe- 
cially for  her  philosophy,  by  means  whereof  recourse  was  made  from 
all  parts  to  her,  as  the  fountain  and  wcll-sj)ring  of  arts,  and  the  school 
and  university  of  the  whole  world :  whose  policy  and  manner  of 
government  was  so  much  esteemed  by  the  Romans,  that  they  drew 
from  thence  their  laws :  but  now  she  lies  dead  and  buried  in  the  ashes 
of  forgetfulness,  not  carrying  any  of  her  former  proportion  or  appear- 
ance. If  this  had  been  thy  doom,  0  London,  we  must  all  have  set  to 
our  seals  that  the  Lord  had  been  righteous ;  but  blessed  be  the  Lord, 
London  is  not,  and  I  liope  never  shall,  let  Rome  and  hell  do  their 
worst,  be  buried  in  the  ashes  of  forgetfulness,  &c.     But, 

(2.)  The  second  support  to  bear  .up  the  hearts  and  to  cheer  up  the 
spirits  of  all  that  has  smarted  by  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this, 
viz..  That  God  has  given  them  their  lives  for  a  prey.  0  sirs,  what  a 
mercy  is  it,  that  though  the  fire  has  reached  your  houses,  your  shops, 
your  goods,  your  commodities,  your  warehouses,  your  treasure,  that 
yet  it  has  not  reached  your  lives,  nor  the  lives  of  your  relations  or 
friends  !  though  your  habitations  are  consumed,  and  your  losses  have 
been  great,  yet  that  in  the  midst  of  so  many  deaths  and  dangers  by 
the  flames,  and  by  the  press  of  the  people,  and  notwithstanding  all  the 
confusions  that  was  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  you  should  have  your 
lives  for  a  prey,  and  be  snatched  as  so  many  '  firebrands  out  of  the 
burning' !  Oh  how  should  this  miraculous  i)rovidence  of  God  be  owned 
and  admired  by  you  !  The  devil  hit  the  mark  when  he  said,  '  Skin 
for  skin  ;  yea,  all  that  a  man  hath,  will  he  give  for  his  life,'  Job  ii.  4.^ 
Men's  estates  in  those  times  did  lie  mostly  in  cattle.  Now,  saith  Satan, 
Job  is  a  very  great  life-lover,  he  is  fond  of  life,  and  afraid  of  death  ; 
and  therefore  he  will  give  skin  upon  skin  to  save  his  life  :  he  will  give 
many  skins,  abundance  of  skins,  yea,  all  his  skins,  to  save  his  life: 
he  will  give  his  cattle's  skins,  and  his  servants'  skins,  and  his  sons' 
skins,  to  save  himself  in  a  whole  skin,'-  By  this  i)roverbial  speech, 
'  Skin  for  skin,'  &c.,  Satan  intimates  that  Job  cared  not  for  the  loss 
of  his  cattle,  nor  for  the  loss  of  his  servants,  nor  for  the  loss  of  his 

*  The  pliilosopher  saith  that  a  lly  is  more  excellent  than  the  heavens  ;  because  the 
fly  has  lif<',  which  the  heavens  have  not. 

*  Pruximiis  qii  x'ji-.c  j>/i</'.    livery  man  is  nearest  to  hini?cl'. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION".  1G9 

children,  so  he  miglit  secure  his  own  life.  Job  set  a  higher  price  upon 
his  own  life  than  he  did  upon  all  other  lives :  let  others  sink  or  swim, 
so  he  might  escape,  all  was  well.  Natural  life  is  a  precious  jewel ;  a 
man  will  cast  all  overboard,  when  he  is  in  danger  of  drowning,  to  save 
his  life.  A  man  will  hold  up  his  arms  to  save  his  head,  or  suffer  the 
loss  of  a  limb  to  save  his  life.  Men  will  bleed,  sweat,  vomit,  purge, 
part  with  an  estate,  yea,  with  some  of  their  limbs,  to  preserve  their 
lives.  As  he  who  cried  out,  '  Give  me  any  deformity,  any  torment, 
any  misery,  so  you  spare  my  life.'  '  Wherefore  doth  a  living  man 
complain,'  or  murmur,  'a. man  for  the  punishment  of  his  sin?'  Lam. 
iii.  39.  Oh  what  a  simple,  senseless,  brutish,  blockish  thing  is  it  for  a 
man,  a  mortal  man,  a  sinful  man,  a  man  on  this  side  the  grave,  on 
this  side  hell,  to  complain  or  nmrmur  against  a  holy  and  righteous 
God  !  He  that  is  alive  on  this  side  everlasting  burnings,  Isa.  xxxiii. 
14,  on  this  side  a  devouring  fire,  has  no  just  cause  to  complain,  what- 
ever his  losses,  crosses,  :0r  sufierings  are.  -He  that  has  deserved  a 
hanging,  if  he  escape  with  a  whipping,  has  no  cause  to  complain  or 
murmur.  Men  that  have  deserved  a  damning,  if  they  escape  with  the 
loss  of  house,  goods,  estates,  &c.,  they  have  no  cause  to  complain  or 
murmur.  Mark,  at  this  time  Jerusalem  was  burnt,  city  and  temple 
was  laid  in  ashes,  the  citizens  Avere  turned  out  of  house  and  home,  and 
stripped  of  all  their  comforts  and  contentments.  '  They  that  did  feed 
delicately,  were  desolate  in  the  streets.:  they  that  were  brought  up  in 
scarlet,  embraced  dunghills.'  '  They  were  scattered  among  the  hea- 
then, who  did  mock  at  their  Sabbaths,  and  who  trod  their  mighty  men 
under  foot ;  yea,  they  sought  their  bread  ^witli  the  peril  of  their  lives.' 
And  yet,  saith  the  prophet,  '  Why  doth  the  living  man  complain  ? ' 
Lam.  iv.  5,  and  v.  9.  Though  city,  and  temple,  and  goods,  and  estates 
were  all  consumed  in  the  flames,  yet  some  had  their  lives  for  a  prey ; 
and  upon  that  very  account  they  ought  not  to  complain.  God  might 
have  turned  them  into  ashes,  as  he  had  turned  their  houses  into  ashes, 
and  it  was  mere  grace  that  he  did  not ;  which  the  church  wisely  and 
ingenuously  observes,  when  she  saith,  '  It  is  of  the  Lord's  mercy  that 
we  are  not  consumed,'  chap.  iii.  22.  She  doth  not  say,  it  is  of  the 
Lord's  mercy  that  our  houses  are  not  consumed  ;  but  it  is  of  the  Lord's 
mercy  that  we  are  not  consumed :  nor  she  does  not  say,  it  is  of  the 
Lord's  mercy  that  our  goods  are  not  consumed  ;  but  it  is  of  the  Lord's 
mercy  that  ive  are  not  consumed.  The  church  saw  mercy,  much 
mercy,  tender  mercy,  yea,  bowels  of  mercy,  as  the  word  there  imports, 
that  a  remnant  had  their  lives  given  them,  when  their  city  and  sub- 
stance was  turned  into  ashes.  0  sirs !  others  have  lost  their  goods 
and  their  lives  together,  and  it  is  miraculous  mercy  that  you  have  not ; 
when  men's  wits  were  puzzled,  their  hearts  discouraged,  and  their  in- 
dustry tired  out ;  when  the  wind  was  at  the  highest,  and  the  fire  at 
the  hottest,  and  the  hopes  of  most  at  the  lowest,  that  then  you  should 
be  as  brands  plucked  out  of  the  fire,  was  glorious  mercy,  &c. 

In  the  reign  of  Achmat,  the  eighth  emperor  of  the  Turks,"!  a  great 
fire  arose  in  the  city  of  Constantinople,  wherein  many,  both  men  and 
women,  perished,  with  above  five  hundred  shops  and  warehouses  full 
of  rich  merchandise,  most  of  which  belonged  unto  the  Jews,  of  whom 

^  Knollcs  his  General  HistoT-y  of  the  Turks,  p.  1:^44. 


170  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

almost  two  liundrcd  were  said  to  be  burned.  These  lost  their  goods 
and  their  lives  together,  but  so  have  not  you ;  the  greater  obligation 
lies  upon  you,  botii  to  think  well  of  God,  and  to  speak  well  of  God, 
and  to  lay  (Mit  your  lives  to  the  uttermost  for  God. 

Certain  Tartars  at  Constantinople  in  their  insolency  set  fire  upon  a 
certain  Jew's  house,  whereof  arose  such  a  terrible  fire,  as  burned  not 
only  many  houses,  but  a  great  many  of  the  Jews  themselves,  i  Here 
lives  and  estiites  went  together.  Though  outlandish  hands  have  set 
our  city,  our  houses  on  fire,  yet  God  has  preserved  our  lives  in  the 
midst  of  the  flames  ;  and  this  is  a  mercy  more  worth  than  all  we  have 
lost,  &c. 

There  was  a  stately  palace  in  Jerusalem  that  Solomon  had  built, 
which  joined  near  to  the  temi)le.  This  palace  the  Jews  abundantly 
anointed  all  over  with  brimstone  and  pitch,  so  that  when  the  Romans 
pursued  the  Jews  unto  this  palace,  they  entered  the  palace  after  the 
Jews,  who  went  out  again  another  way,  and  shut  up  the  palace,  and 
set  fire  on  the  gates,  which  they  had  before  anointed  with  brimstone 
and  ])itcli ;  and  straightway  the  side  walls  of  the  house,  and  the  whole 
buiUling,  began  to  be  on  a-light  fire,  so  that  the  Romans  had  no  way  to 
escai)e,  because  the  fire  compassed  the  liouse  on  every  side.  The  Jews 
also  stood  round  about  the  palace,  with  their  drawn  swords,  to  cut  olF 
any  that  should  attempt  to  escape  the  flames.  Now  there  was  two 
and  twenty  thousand  of  the  Romans  destroyed  in  this  fire.  Titus, 
hearing  the  lamentable  cry  of  the  Romans  that  were  compassed  about 
in  flames  of  fire,  made  speed  with  all  his  army  to  come  and  rescue 
them ;  but  the  fire  burned  so  vehemently  that  he  could  save  none  of 
them.  Upon  which  Titus  and  his  army  wept  bitterly,  [Josej)hus.] 
O  sirs !  when  London  was  in  flames,  if  men  of  a  Romish  faith  hatl 
compassed  the  city  round  about  with  their  drawn  swords  that  none 
should  have  escaped  the  furious  flames,  how  dreadful  would  such  a 
day  have  been  !  Whether  such  a  thing  was  intended  or  designed, 
and  by  any  strange  providence  prevented,  we  shall  know  in  the  fittest 
season. 

Nuraaniium,2  a  city  in  Spain,  being  besieged  by  the  Romans,  and 
after  it  had  borne  the  brunt  of  war  a  long  time,  and  made  many  des- 
})erate  sallies  upon  their  enemies,  and  were  almost  consumed  with 
famine,  rather  than  they  would  bow  their  necks  to  the  Roman  yoke, 
they  barred  their  gates,  and  set  all  on  fire,  and  so  burned  themselves 
in  the  flames  of  their  city,  that  so  they  might  leave  the  enemy  nothing 
but  ashes  for  his  prey  and  triumph.  Here  city  and  citizens  are 
destroyed  together ;  and  it  is  infinite  mercy  that  this  was  not  the  fate, 
the  doom  of  the  citizens  of  London.  They  and  their  city  might  have 
fallen  together ;  '  but  God  was  good,  and  a  very  present  help  in  time 
of  trouble,'  Ps.  xlvi.  L  0  sirs  !  if  not  only  your  houses,  your  shops, 
your  goods,  your  wares,  but  also  your  persons,  had  been  enclosed  with 
flames,  and  no  possibility  of  escape,  how  dreadfid  would  the  fire  have 
been  then!  Oh,  what  tongue  can  express,  or  heart  conceive,  the  sighs, 
the  groans,  the  cries,  the  tears,  the  gasiifuP  looks,  the  horrible  shrieks, 
the  dreadful  amazement,  and  the  matchless  astonishment  that  would 
have  been  upon  all  sorts  and  ranks  of  people,  that  had  been  compassed 

'  Knolles,  p.  12GG.  *  Niimantia.— O.  '  '  Ghastl}.'— G. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  171 

round  about  with  flames,  and  could  see  no  door  of  deliverance  open  to 
them  !  Oh  what  a  mercy  is  it  that  we  are  yet  alive,  though  we  are 
stripped  of  many  comforts  and  contentments  which  formerly  we  have 
enjoyed  !  Now  here  give  me  leave  to  open  myself  a  little  in  these  fol- 
lowing particulars : — 

[1,]  First,  What  a  mercy  tvas  this  to  all  unregenerate  and  uncon- 
verted 'persons,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey  when  London 
ivas  in  flames !  i  Had  God  by  the  flames  or  any  other  accident  put 
an  end  to  their  natural  days,  they  might  at  this  time  have  been  a- 
roUing  up  and  down  in  unquenchable  flames.  Sinners,  sinners,  the 
greatest  weights  hang  upon  the  smallest  wires.  Eternity,  eternity 
depends  upon  your  improvement  of  that  time,  that  life,  and  those 
seasons  and  opportunities  of  grace  that  yet  you  do  enjoy.  That  Rabbi 
hit  it  who  said.  Nemo  est  cui  non  sit  hora  sua,  Every  man  hath  his 
hour.  He  who  overslips  that  season,  may  never  meet  with  the  like 
again  all  his  days.  0  sirs !  to  have  a  little  more  time  to  believe,  to 
repent,  to  secure  your  interest  in  Christ,  a  changed  nature,  a  sanctified 
frame  of  heart,  a  pardon  in  the  bosom,  is  a  mercy  more  worth  than  ten 
thousand  worlds.  To  have  a  little  more  time  to  make  your  calling 
and  election  sure,  and  to  get  the  new  name  and  white  stone  that  none 
knows  but  those  that  are  the  favourites  of  heaven ;  to  have  time  to 
make  sure  a  city  that  hath  foundations,  a  kingdom  that  shakes  not, 
riches  that  corrupt  not,  an  inheritance  that  fadeth  not  away,  a  house 
not  made  with  hands,  but  one  eternal  in  the  heavens ;  to  have  time 
to  make  sure  to  yourselves  a  crown  of  righteousness,  a  crown  of  life,  a 
crown  of  glory,  a  crown  of  immortality,  are  mercies  beyond  all  the 
expressions,  and  above  all  the  valuations  of  the  sons  of  men. 2  The 
poets  paint  time  with  wings,  to  shew  the  volubility  and  swiftness  of  it. 
Sumjptus  pretiosissimus  tempus,  Time  is  of  precious  cost,  saith  Tlieo- 
phrastus.  Know  time,  lose  not  a  minute,  saith  Psittacus.  ^lian 
gives  this  testimony  of  the  Lacedasmonians,  '  That  they  were  hugely 
covetous  of  their  time,  spending  it  all  about  necessary  things,  and  suf- 
fering no  citizen  either  to  be  idle  or  play.'  Titus  Vespasian  having 
spent  a  day  without  doing  any  man  any  good,  as  he  sat  at  supper  he 
uttered  this  memorable  and  praiseworthy  apophthegm,  Amici,  diem 
perdidi,  My  friends,  I  have  lost  a  day,  [Suetonius.]  0  sirs  !  will  not 
these  poor  heathens  rise  in  judgment  against  all  those  that  trifle  and 
fool  and  sin  away  their  precious  time  ?  Take  heed  of  crying  Cras, 
eras.  To-morrow,  to-morrow.  Oh  play  not  the  courtier  with  your 
precious  souls  !  The  courtier  doth  all  things  late:  he  rises  late,  and 
dines  late,  and  sups  late,  and  goes  to  bed  late,  and  repents  late. 
Remember  that  manna  must  be  gathered  in  the  morning.  The  orient 
pearl  is  generated  of  the  morning  dew.  There  is  nothing  puts  a  more 
serious  frame  into  a  man's  spii'it  than  to  know  the  worth  of  his  time. 
It  is  very  dangerous  putting  off  that  to  another  day  which  must  be 
done  to-day,  or  else  undone  to-morrow.  Nunc  aut  nunquam,  Now  or 
never,  was  the  saying  of  old.     If  not  done  now,  it  may  never  be  done, 


1  Austin  saith  that  he  would  not  be  a  wicked  man  one  half  hour  for  all  the  world, 
because  he  might  die  in  that  half  hour,  and  then  he  was  undone  for  ever 

■'  2  Peter  i.  10;  Rev.  ii.  17: 
iv.  8  ;  llev.  ii.  10  ;  James  i.  12  ; 


Heb.  xi.  10,  and  xii.  28  ;  1  Peter  i.  4:  2  Cor.  v.  1 :  2  Ti 
I ;  1  Peter  v.  4. 


172  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

and  then  undone  for  ever.  Eternity  depends  on  this  moment  of  time, 
Wliat  ^vould  nut  many  a  man  give  for  a  (.lay  when  it  is  a  day  too  hite  ?  i 
Whilst  many  hlind  Sodomites  have  been  groping  to  find  a  door  of 
h()[)e,  God  has  rained  hell  ont  of"  heaven  npon  them.  The  seasons  of 
grace  are  not  under  your  locks  and  keys.  Many  thousand  poor  sinners 
have  lost  their  seasons  and  their  souls  together.  Judas  repented  and 
Esau  mourned,  but  neither  timely  nor  truly;  and  therefore  they 
])erished  to  all  eternity.  The  damned  in  hell  may  weep  their  eyes  out 
of  their  heads,  but  they  can  never  weep  sin  out  of  their  souls,  nor  their 
souls  out  of  hell,  &c. 

Oh  that  the  flames  of  London  might  be  so  sanctified  to  every  poor 
sinner,  who  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey,  in  that  doleful  day,  that 
they  may  no  longer  neglect  those  precious  seasons  and  opportunities 
of  grace  that  yet  are  continued  to  them,  lest  God  should  swear  in  his 
wrath, '  that  they  should  never  enter  into  his  rest ! '  Heb.  ii.  3,  and  iii.  18. 
0  sirs  !  yet  you  have  a  woi'ld  of  gracious  opportunities,  and  oh  that 
God  would  give  you  that  heavenly  wisdom,  that  you  may  never  neglect 
one  gracious  opportunity,  though  it  were  to  gain  a  whole  world  !  God 
by  giving  you  your  lives  in  the  midst  'of  those  furious  and  amazing 
flames,  has  given  you  time  and  opportunity  to  secure  the  internal  ancl 
the  eternal  welfare  of  your  precious  and  immortal  souls,  which  is  a 
mercy  that  can  never  be  sufficiently  prized  or  improved.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  What  a  mercy  ivas  this  to  2)oor  doubting,  staggering 
Christians,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey  ichen  London  luas 
inflames!  Eor  by  this  means  they  have  gained  time  to  pray  down 
their  doubts,  and  to  argue  down  their  doubts,  and  to  wrestle  and  weep 
down  their  doubts,  &c.  Christ  ascended  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  and 
the  angel  ascended  to  heaven  in  the  flame  of  the  altar.  Acts  i.  9,  10 ; 
Judges  xiv.  20.  It  is  ten  to  one  but  this  had  been  the  case  of  many 
doubting,  trembling  Christians,  had  they  died  when  London  was  in 
flames.  I  know  it  is  good  getting  to  heaven  any  way,  though.it  be  in 
a  whirlwind  of  affliction,  or  in  a  fiery  chariot  of  temptation,  or  in  the 
flames  of  persecution,  or  in  a  cloud  of  fears,  doubts,  and  darkness ; 
but  yet  that  man  is  more  happy  that  gets  to  heaven  in  a  quiet  calm 
of  inward  ])eace,  and  in  the  fair  sunshine  of  joy  and  assurance.2  It  is 
a  good  thing  for  a  man  to  get  into  a  safe  harbour,  though  it  be  in  a 
winter  night,  and  through  many  storms  and  tempests,  hazards,  dan- 
gers, and  deaths,  with  the  loss  of  masts,  cables,  and  anchors ;  but  yet 
he  is  more  happy  that  gets  into  a  safe  harbour  in  a  clear,  calm,  lair, 
sunsliiny  day,  top  and  top-gallant,  and  with  colours  flying  and  trum- 
])ets  sounding.  The  prudent  reader  knows  how  to  ai)ply  it.  Oh  that 
all  poor  doubting  Christians  would  seriously  lay  this  to  heart,  viz.. 
That  for  them  to  have  time,  to  have  their  judgments  and  under- 
standings enlightened,  their  doubts  resolved,  their  objections  answered, 
their  consciences  settled,  and  their  souls  assured  that  all  is  well,  and 
shall  be  for  ever  well  between  God  and  them,  is  a  mercy  more  worth 
than  all  the  world.     But, 

'  Beroalilus  speaks  of  a  fool  who  cried  out,  0  repentance,  repentance !  where  art  thou, 
wliere  art  tliou,  repentance? 

'  The  wliole  Scripture,  saith  Luther,  doth  principally  aim  at  this  thing,  that  we  should 
not  doubt,  but  that  we  should  hope,  that  we  should  trust,  and  that  we  should  believe, 
tiiat  God  is  a  merciful,  a  bountiful,  a  gracious  antl  patient  (Jod  to  ha  people. 


TsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensation.  173 

[3.]  Thirdly,  What  a  mercy  was  this  to  poor  languishing,  declining, 
aiid  decaying  Christians,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey 
when  London  was  in  flames!  There  were  a  great  many  in  London 
who  were  '  fallen  from  their  first  love,'  and  whose  sun  was  set  in  a  cloud. 
There  were  many  whose  graces  were  languishing,  whose  comforts  were 
declining,  whose  souls  were  withered,  and  whose  communion  with  God 
was  greatly  impaired,  Eev.  ii.  4.  Many  within  and  without  the  walls 
of  London  had  a  worm  gnawing  at  the  root  of  their  graces.  They 
had  lost  their  spiritual  relish  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  ordinances,  as  dying 
men  lose  their  relish.  Dying  men  can  relish  nothing  they  f>\\),  or  eat, 
or  drink.  They  had  lost  their  spiritual  strength,  and  they  knew  it 
not,  as  Samson  had  lost  his  natural  strength  and  knew  it  not.  Judges 
xvi.  20.  Oh  what  an  image  of  death  was  upon  their  highest  profes- 
sions !  Now  for  these  men  to  live,  for  these  men  to  have  time  to  get 
their  graces  repaired,  their  comforts  revived,  their  spiritual  strength 
restored,  their  souls  fattened,  and  their  communion  with  God  raised, 
oh  what  a  matchless,  what  an  incomparable  mercy  is  this  !     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  What  a  mercy  ivas  this  to  poor  clouded,  deserted, 
and  benighted  Christians,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey 
when  London  luas  inflames!  Beloved,  it  is  sad  dying  under  a  cloud; 
it  is  sad  dying,  when  he  who  should  comfort  a  man's  soul  stands  afar  off. 
Lam.  i.  16.  Some  think  that  the  face  of  God  was  clouded  when 
David  thus  prayed,  '  0  spare  me,  that  I  may  recover  strength,  before 
I  go  hence,  and  be  no  more,'  Ps.  xxxix.  13..  And  some  think  Heze- 
kiah's  sun  was  set  in  a  cloud,  and  God  had  drawn  a  curtain  between 
Hezekiah  and  himself,  when,  being  under  the  sentence  of  death,  Isa. 
xxxviii.  1-3,  '  He  turned  his  face  toward  the  wall,  and  prayed  unto 
the  Lord,  and  said,  Kemember  now,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  how  I 
have  walked  before  thee  in  truth  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  and  have 
done  that  which  was  good  in  thy  sight.  And  Hezekiah  wept  sore  ;'  or 
with  great  weeping,  as  the  Hebrew  runs.^  It  is  with  clouded  and 
deserted  Christians  as  it  was  with  Samson  when  his  locks  were  cut 
off,  'his  strength  was  gone;'  and  therefore,  though  he  thought  to  go 
out  and  do  wonders,,  as  he  had  formerly  done,  yet  by  sad  experience 
he  found  himself  to  be  but  as  another  man,  Judges  xvi.  18-21.  So 
when  God  does  but  withdraw,  the  best  of  saints  have  their  locks  cut ; 
their  strength,  which  lieth  not  in  their  hair,  but  in  their  head  Christ 
Jesus,  Phil.  i.  22,  23,  is  gone,  and  they  are  but  hke  other  men. 
They  think,  they  speak,  they  act,  they  walk  like  other  men.  Chris- 
tians under  real  desertions  commonly  fall  under  sore  temptations, 
great  indispositions,,  barrenness,  flatness,  dulness,  and  deadness  of 
spirit.  And  is  this  a  fit  season  for  such  to  die  in  ?  Christians  under 
a  cloud  usually  have  their  joys  eclipsed,  their  comforts  damped,  their 
evidences  for  heaven  blotted,  their  communion  with  God  impaired, 
and  their  title  to  heaven,  is  by  themselves,  in  such  a  day,  much  ques- 
tioned. And  is  this  a  case  for  them  to  die  in  ?  0  clouded  and 
deserted  Christians,  who'  have  had  your  lives  for  a  prey  in  the  midst 
of  London's  flames !  and  ever  since  those  flames,  what  a  great,  what  a 
glorious  obligation  has  the  blessed  God  put  upon  you,  to  labour  to 

^  See  more  of  this  in  my  'Mute  Christian  under  the  Smarting  Rod,'  pp  ''79-304 
[Vol.  i.  pp.  385-397.— G.] 


174  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

recover  yourselves  from  under  all  clouds  and  desertions,  and  to  spend 
your  days  in  a  serious  and  deep  admiration  of  tliat  free,  that  rich,  that 
infinite,  and  that  sovereign  grace  tliat  spared  you,  and  that  was  active 
for  you,  in  that  day  when  you  were  compassed  about  with  flames  of 
fire  on  every  hand  !     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  JVhat  a  mercy  icas  tJiis  to  i:)Oor  solicited,  tempted 
Christians,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey  ivhen  London 
ivas  in  flames!'^  For  by  this  means  they  have  gained  time  to 
strengthen  themselves  against  all  Satan's  temptations.  The  daily 
bills  that  were  given  in,  to  pray  for  poor  tempted  Christians,  did  suf- 
ficiently evidence  how  active  Satan  was  to  distress  and  perplex  poor 
Christians  with  all  sorts  of  hideous  and  blasphemous  temi)tations. 
Were  there  not  many  tempted  to  distrust  the  power  of  God,  the  good- 
ness of  God,  the  faithfulness  of  God  ?  Were  there  not  many  tempted 
to  deny  God,  to  blasi)heme  God,  and  to  turn  their  backs  upon  God  ? 
Were  there  not  many  tempted  to  slight  the  Scriptures,  to  deny  the 
Scri^itures,  and  to  prefer  their  own  fancies,  notions,  and  delusions 
above  the  Scriptures  ?  Were  there  not  many  tempted  to  have  low 
thoughts  of  ordinances,  and  then  to  leave  ordinances,  and  then  to 
vilify  ordinances,  and  all  mider  a  pretence  of  living  above  ordinances? 
Were  there  not  many  tempted  to  presume  upon  the  mercies  of  God ; 
and  others  tempted  to  despair  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  Were  there  not 
many  tempted  to  destroy  themselves,  and  others  tempted  to  destroy 
their  relations  ?  Were  there  not  many  tempted  to  draw  others  to  sin, 
and  to  uphold  others  in  sin,  and  to  encourage  others  in  sin,  and  to  be 
partners  with  others  in  sin  ?  Were  there  not  many  temi)ted  to  have 
hard  thoughts  of  Christ,  and  others  to  have  low  thoughts  of  Christ, 
and  others  to  have  no  thoughts  of  Christ?  Now  for  these  poor 
tempted  souls  to  have  their  lives  for  a  prey,  and  to  have  precious  sea- 
sons and  opportunities  to  recover  themselves  out  of  the  snares  of  the 
devil,  and  to  arm  themselves  against  all  his  fiery  darts,  is  a  compre- 
hensive mercy,  a  big-bellied  mercy,  a  mercy  that  has  many  thousand 
mercies  in  the  womb  of  it.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly  and  lastly.  What  a  mercy  iras  this  to  all  slumbering, 
slothful,  sluggish,  lazy  Christians,  luho  had  blotted  and  blmred  their 
evidences  for  heaven,  and  ivho,  instead  of  running  their  Christian 
race,  Heb.  xii.  1,  tvere  either  at  a  stand,  or  else  did  but  halt  in  the  ivay 
to  hedven,  that  they  have  had  their  lives  for  a  prey  when  London  was 
in  flames  ;  and  that  they  have  had  time  to  clear  up  their  evidences  for 
heaven,  and  to  quicken  tip  their  hearts,  to  run  the  ways  of  God's  com- 
'  mands !  Ps.  cxix.  32.  Surely,  had  all  the  world  been  a  lump  of  gold, 
and  in  their  hands  to  have  been  disposed  of,  they  would  have  given  it 
for  a  little  time  to  have  brightened  their  evidences,  to  have  got  out  of 
their  sinful  slumber,  and  to  have  set  all  reckonings  even  between  God 
and  their  poor  souls.  And  let  thus  much  suffice  for  this  second  sup- 
port. 

(3.)  The  third  support  to  bear  up  the  hearts  and  to  cheer  up  the 
spirits  of  all  that  have  suffered  by  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — 
viz..  That  this  has  been  the  common  lot,  the  common  case,  both  of  saints 

'  See  my  '  Mute  Christian,'  pp.  260-279.      [As  before,  Vol  i.  pp.  366-371.— G.]      Our 
whole  life  is  nothing  but  a  temptation,  saith  Austin. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  175 

and  sinners.  God  has  dealt  no  more  severely  with  you  than  he  has 
with  many  others.  Have  you  lost  much?  so  have  many  others.^ 
Have  you  lost  half  ?  so  have  many  others.  Have  you  lost  all  ?  so 
have  many  others.  Have  you  lost  your  trade  ?  so  have  many  others. 
Have  you  lost  your  goods  ?  so  have  many  others.  Have  you  lost  your 
credits  ?  so  have  many  others.  Have  you  lost  many  friends,  who  be- 
fore the  fire  were  very  helpful  to  you  and  yours  ?  so  have  many  others. 
Have  you  lost  more  than  your  all  ?  so  have  many  others.  This  very 
cordial  the  apostle  hands  out  to  the  suffering  saints  in  his  time :  1  Cor. 
X.  13,  '  There  hath  no  temptation  taken  you,  but  such  as  is  common 
to  man.'  By  temptation,  he  means  affliction ;  as  the  word  is  used,  James 
i.  2  ;  1  Peter  i.  6 — that  is,  there  hath  no  affliction  befallen  you  but 
that  which  is  incident  either  to  men  as  men,  or  to  saints  as  saints  :  or 
thus,  there  hath  no  affliction  befallen  you  but  such  as  is  common  to 
man — that  is,  there  is  no  affliction  that  hath  befallen  you  but  such  as 
men  may  very  well  bear  without  murmuring  or  buckling  under  it.  So 
1  Peter  v.  9,  '  Knowing  that  the  same  afflictions  are  accomplished,'  or 
finished,  '  in  your  brethren,  that  are  in  the  world';  or  in  your  brother- 
hood, that  is,  in  the  world.  Afflictions  are  the  common  lot  of  the 
saints  ;  and  who  shrugs,  repines,  complains,  murmurs,  or  faints  under 
a  common  lot,  it  is  at  the  sun  because  it  scorches,  &c.,  John  xvi.  33  ; 
Acts  xiv.  22.  There  are  none  of  the  brotherhood  but,  first  or  last, 
they  shall  know  what  the  fiery  trial,  what  the  fiery  furnace  means. 
Jerome,  writing  to  a  sick  friend,  hath  this  expression,  '  I  account  it  a 
part  of  unhappiness  not  to  know  adversity.  I  judge  you  to  be  the 
more  miserable,  because  you  have  not  been  miserable:'  it  being  the 
common  lot  of  the  people  of  God  to  be  exercised  with  adversity  and 
misery.  I  think  he  hit  it  who  said,  [Bernard,]  Impunitas  securitatis 
mater,  virtutum  noverca,  religionis  virus,  tinea  sanctitatis:  i.e.,  Free- 
dom from  punishment  is  the  mother  of  security,  the  stepmother  of 
virtue,  the  poison  of  religion,  the  moth  of  holiness.  Nihil  est  infeli- 
cius  eo,  cui  nil  unquam  contigit  adversi,  There  is  nothing  more  un- 
happy than  he  who  never  felt  adversity,  said  the  refined  heathen 
[Seneca] ;  and  shall  not  grace  rise  as  high  as  nature  ?  The  calamity 
has  been  common,  therefore  wipe  your  eyes,  and  do  not  say,  There  is 
no  sorrow  to  my  sorrow,  no  loss  to  my  loss,  no  ruin  to  my  ruin.  Lam. 
i.  12.  Under  common  calamities,  men  should  neither  groan  nor 
grumble.  Look,  as  no  man  may  conclude,  upon  the  account  of  com- 
mon mercies,  that  he  is  really  beloved  of  God  ;  so  no  man  may  con- 
clude, upon  the  account  of  common  calamities,  that  he  is  really  hated 
of  God,  Eccles.  ix.  1 ,  2.  And  therefore  bear  up  sweetly,  bear  up  cheer- 
fully, under  your  present  trials.  In  the  common  calamity  of  the 
plague,  the  destroying  angel,  perceiving  the  blood  of  sprinkling  upon 
the  posts  of  your  doors,  and  upon  the  doors  of  your  hearts,  passed  you 
by,  and  said  unto  you,  '  Live,'  Exod.  xii.  7,  13.  But  by  the  common 
calamity  of  the  fire,  the  Lord  has  turned  you  out  of  house  and  home, 
and  burnt  up  your  substance  before  your  eyes.  Now  do  but  lay  your 
hands  seriously  upon  your  hearts,  and  tell  me  whether  you  have  not 
more  cause  to  admire  at  the  mercy  of  God  towards  you  in  'Q5,  than 

^  The  commonness  of  our  sufferings  doth  somewhat  mitigate  the  sharpness  of  our 
sufferings,  &c. 


176  London's  lamentations  on        [Ira.  XLII.  24,  25. 

von  liavc  cause  to  coin])lain  of  the  severities  of  God  towards  3'ou  in. 

(4.)  The  fourth  support  to  l)ear  np  the  liearts  and  to  cheer  np  the 
spirits  of  the  i)eople  of  God  \vlio  have  heen  sufferers,  deep  sufferers, 
under  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — viz.,  That  though  they  have 
lost  much  as  they  are  men,  as  they  are  citizens,  merchants,  trades- 
men; yet  they  have  lost  nothing  as  they  are  Christians,  as  they  are 
saints,  as  they  are  the  called  and  chosen  of  God.  Though  they  have 
k>st  their  goods,  yet  they  have  not  lost  their  God,  Rev.  xvii.  14. 
Thougli  they  liave  lost  tlicir  shops  and  chests,  yet  they  have  not  lost 
their  Christ.  Thongli  they  have  lost  their  outward  comforts,  yet  they 
have  not  lost  the  comforts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Though  tliey  have 
lost  their  houses  made  with  hands,  yet  they  have  not  lost  their  'house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternul  in  the  heavens,'  John  xiv.  16,  26 ; 
2  Cor.  V.  1.  Though  they  have  lost  their  earthly  inheritance,  yet 
they  have  not  lost  tlieir  heavenly  inheritance,  1  Pet.  i.  4.  Though 
they  have  lost  their  temporal  portions,  yet  they  have  not  lost  their 
eternal  portions,  Ps.  Ixxiii.  25.  Though  they  have  lost  their  open 
jiuhlic  trade,  yet  they  have  not  lost  their  secret  trade,  their  private  trade 
to  heaven.  Mat.  vi.  6.  I  readily  grant  that  your  stately  houses  and 
your  well-furnished  shops  are  turned  into  ashes,  and  that  your  credit  is 
gone,  and  your  trading  gone,  and  your  money  gone,  and  you  utterly 
undone  as  to  this  world;  and  yet  in  all  this  God  has  done  you  no  hurt, 
he  has  done  you  no  wrong.  Gen.  xviii.  25  :  and  though  this  at  first 
sight  may  seem  to  he  a  great  jiaradox,  a  very  strange  assertion,  yet  I 
shall  thus  evidence  it  to  be  an  unquestionable  truth.  The  happiness 
of  man  in  this  life  consists,  (1.)  In  his  union  with  God ;  (2.)  In  his 
communion  with  God ;  (3.)  In  his  conformity  to  God;  and  (4.)  fourthly 
and  lastly.  In  his  spiritual  fruition  and  enjoyment  of  God.  Now  none 
of  those  losses,  crosses,  and  afhictive  dispensations  that  have  passed 
upon  you,  have  or  can  make  any  breach  ujion  your  happiness,  or  upon 
any  one  of  those  four  things  of  which  your  happiness  is  made  up. 
The  top  of  man's  happiness  in  heaven  lies  in  his  near  union  with  God, 
and  in  the  heatitical  vision  of  God,  and  in  his  full  communion  with 
God,  and  in  his  exact  and  perfect  conformity  to  God,  and  in  his  ever- 
lasting fi'uition  and  enjoyment  of  God.  Now  the  more  of  these  things 
any  Cluistian  enjoys  in  this  world,  the  more  of  heaven  he  enjoys  on 
this  side  heaven,  the  more  happiness  he  has  on  this  side  happiness ; 
,a,nd  therefore  I  would  willingly  know  how  it  is  possible  for  any  out- 
ward troubles  or  trials  to  make  a  breach  upon  a  Christian's  happiness. 
Doubtless  Job  was  as  happy  when  he  sat  upon  the  dunghill,  Job  ii., 
without  a  rag  on  his  back  or  a  penny  in  his  purse,  as  he  was  when  he 
K\i  chief,  and  dwelt  as  a  king  in  the  army,  chap.  xxix.  25.  If  God 
l)e  the  mo.st  jicrfect  being,  then  to  enjoy  him  and  resemble  him  is  our 
greatest  ])erfection.  If  God  be  the  best  of  beings,  then  our  com- 
munion with  him  and  fruition  of  him  must  be  our  greatest  glory  and 
highest  felicity,  omne  honum  in  summo  bono.  Let  what  will  befall 
our  outward  man,  as  long  as  our  union  and  communion  with  God 
holds  good,  as  long  as  our  precious  and  immortal  souls  are  in  a  safe 
and  flouri.shing  condition,  as  long  as  the  springs  of  grace,  of  holiness, 
of  comfort,  of  assurance  rises  in  our  souls,  we  are  happy,  and  no  out- 


IsA.  XLII,  24,  25.]        THE  late  fiery  dispensation.  177 

ward  miseries  can  make  us  miserable.  There  is,  saith  one,  [Augustine,] 
bo7ia  ihroni,  and  there  is  bo7ia  scabeUi,  There  is  goods  of  the  throne,  as 
God,  Christ,  tlie  Spirit,  grace,  the  favour  of  God,  pardon  of  sin,  peace 
of  conscience,  &c. ;  and  there  is  goods  of  the  footstool,  as  food,  raiment, 
house,  lionours,  riches,  trade,  credit,  and  all  bodily  conveniences  and 
accommodations.  Now  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  the  flames  to  burn 
up  the  goods  of  the  throne  ;  they  still  remain  safe  and  secure  to  you. 
All  that  the  flames  could  reach  to,  was  only  the  goods  of  the  foot- 
stool, the  lumber  of  this  Avorld.  And  therefore  what  cause  have  you 
to  bear  up  cheerfully,  quietly,  sweetly,  and  contentedly  under  all  your 
crosses  and  losses,  trials  and  troubles !  '  They  which  adorn  them- 
selves with  gold,'  saith  one,  [Clemens  Alexandrinus,]  '  and  think 
themselves  bettered  thereby,  are  worse  than  gold,  and  no  lords  of  it, 
as  all  should  be.'  '  He  is  poor,'  saith  another,  [Gregory  the  Great,] 
'  whose  soul  is  void  of  grace,  not  whose  coffers  are  empty  of  money. 
By  these  short  hints,  you  may  clearly  see  that  the  people  of  God  are 
never  the  worse  for  all  their  losses.  They  are  as  happy  now  they  are 
houseless,  moneyless,  breadless,  friendless,  tradeless,  as  ever  they  were 
when  they  were  most  surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  of  this  life. 
Woe,  woe  would  be  to  the  people  of  God,  if  their  happiness  should 
hang  upon  the  comforts  of  this  world,  which  like  a  ball  are  tossed  from 
man  to  man.  A  ball  of  fire,  a  storm  at  sea,  a  flilse  oath,  a  subtle 
enemy,  a  treacherous  friend  may  easily  deprive  a  man  of  all  his 
earthly  blessings  at  a  clap.  Now  who  so  miserable  as  that  man  whose 
blessedness  lies  in  earthly  blessings  ?     But, 

(5.)  The  fifth  support  to  bear  up  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God 
under  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — viz.,  That  the  Lord  ivill  cer- 
tainly, one  way  or  another,  make  up  all  their  losses  to  them.  Some- 
times God  makes  up  his  people's  outward  losses  by  giving  them  more 
of  himself,  more  of  his  Son,  more  of  his  Spirit,  more  of  his  favour, 
more  of  his  grace,  as  he  did  by  the  disciples  of  Christ,  John  xvi. 
When  God  takes  away  your  carnals  and  gives  you  more  spirituals, 
your  temporals,  and  gives  you  more  eternals,  your  outward  losses  are 
made  up  to  you.  Now  this  was  the  very  case  of  those  believing 
Hebrews,  who  were  turned  out  of  house  and  home ;  and  who  Avere 
driven  to  live  in  holes  and  caves  and  dens  of  the  earth,  and  who  had 
lost  all  their  goods ;  not  having  a  bed  to  lie  on,  or  a  stool  to  sit  on, 
nor  a  dish  to  drink  in,  and  who  had  lost  all  their  apparel,  not  having 
a  rag  to  hang  on  their  backs,  and  therefore  clothed  themselves  in 
sheep-skins  and  goat-skins.  '  They  took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their 
goods,  knowing  in  themselves  that  they  had  in  heaven  a  better  and  an 
enduring  substance,'  Heb.  x.  34.  When  under  outward  losses,  God 
shall  seal  to  his  people  a  bill  of  exchange  of  better  and  greater  things 
than  any  they  have  lost ;  their  losses  then  are  made  up  to  them.i  If 
a  man  should  lose  several  bags  of  counters,  and  have  a  bill  of 
exchange  sealed  to  him  for  the  receiving  of  so  many  bags  of  gold, 
would  not  his  loss  be  abundantly  made  up  to  him  ?  When  God  takes 
away  our  earthly  treasures,  and  seals  up  in  our  hearts  a  bill  of  exchange, 
to  receive  all  again  with  interest  upon  interest  in  eternal  treasures, 

^  When  God  takes  away  a  Christiau's  estates  in  this  ■world,  Manet  altera  Ccclo,  he 
looks  for  a  better  in  lieaven. 

VOL.  VI.  M 


178  T,(tXl)ON's  LAMKXTATIOXS  OX  [IsA.  XLlI.  21,  'J5. 

then  certainly  onr  losses  arc  abundantly  made  up  to  us.  If  men 
should  take  away  your  old  clothes,  and  give  you  new ;  your  rags,  and 
give  you  robes ;  your  chaff,  and  give  you  wheat ;  your  water,  and 
give  you  wine ;  your  tin,  and  give  you  silver ;  your  brass,  and  give 
you  gokl ;  your  pebbles,  and  give  you  pearls ;  your  cottages,  and  give 
you  royal  palaces,  certainly  you  would  have  no  cause  to  complain, 
you  would  have  no  cause  to  cry  out,  Undone !  undone !  If  God  takes 
away  your  houses,  your  goods,  your  trades,  your  honours,  and  gives 
you  more  of  himself,  and  more  grace,  and  more  assurance  of  glory,  he 
does  you  no  injury.  It  is  an  excellent  change,  to  get  eternals  for 
temporals.  If  God  takes  away  your  earthly  riches,  and  makes  you 
more  rich  in  grace,  in  spiritual  comforts,  in  holy  experiences,  in  divine 
employments,  then  you  are  no  losers,  but  great  gainers.  What  are 
all  the  necessary  comforts  of  this  life  to  union  and  communion  with 
God,  to  interest  in  Christ,  to  pardon  of  sin,  to  peace  of  conscience,  and 
to  that  loving-kindness  that  is  better  than  life,  or  better,  Chaiim, 
than  lives,  as  the  Hebrew  runs  ?  Ps.  Ixiii.  3.  If  you  put  many  lives 
together,  there  is  more  excellency  and  glory  in  the  least  discovery  of 
divine  love  than  in  them  all.  Many  a  man  has  been  weary  of  his 
life,  but  never  was  any  man  yet  weary  of  the  love  and  favour  of  God. 
The  least  drop  of  grace,  the  least  smile  from  heaven,  the  least  cast  of 
Christ's  countenance,  the  least  kiss  of  his  mouth,  the  least  embrace  of 
his  arm,  the  least  hint  of  his  favour,  is  more  worth  than  ten  thousand 
worlds,  Cant.  ii.  3-7.  That  Christian  cannot  be  poor  that  is  rich  in 
grace ;  nor  that  Christian  cannot  be  miserable  that  has  God  for  his 
portion.  That  Christian  cannot  be  unhappy  who  hath  a  mansion  pre- 
pared for  him  in  heaven,  though  he  hath  not  a  cottage  to  hide  his 
head  in,  in  this  world ;  nor  that  Christian  has  no  cause  to  complain  of 
want  of  food  for  his  body  whose  soul  is  feasted  with  manna,  with  the 
dainties  of  heaven,  with  those  rarities  that  are  better  than  angels'  food.^ 
He  that  hath  but  rags  to  cover  his  nakedness,  if  his  soul  be  clothed 
with  the  garments  of  salvation,  and  covered  with  the  robe  of  Christ's 
righteousness,  he  has  no  reason  to  complain,  Isa.  Ixi.  10.  When 
Stilpo  the  philosopher  had  his  wife,  and  children,  and  country  all 
burnt  up  before  him,  and  was  asked  by  Demeti"ius  what  loss  he  had 
sustained,  answered,  'That  he  had  lost  nothing;  for  he  counted  that 
only  his  own  which  none  could  take  from  him — to  wit,  his  virtues. 
Shall  blind  nature  do  more  than  grace  ?  Shall  the  heathen  put  the 
Christian  to  a  blush  ? 

Again,  sometimes  God  makes  up  his  people's  outward  losses,  by 
giving  in  greater  outward  mercies  than  those  were  that  he  took  from 
them  ;  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  the  first  chapter  of  Job  and  the 
last  chapter  of  Job  together :  Job  had  all  doubled  to  him.  I  have 
read  of  Dionysius,  [Plutarch,]  how  he  took  away  from  one  of  his 
nobles  almost  his  whole  estate,  and  seeing  him  as  cheerful  and  con- 
tented as  ever,  he  gave  him  all  that  he  had  taken  from  him  again, 
and  as  much  more.  God  many  times  takes  away  a  little,  that  he  may 
give  more ;  and  sometimes  he  takes  away  all,  to  shew  his  sovereignty, 
and  then  he  gives  them  all  back  again  with  interest  upon  interest,  to 

'  Rev.  ii.  8,  9;  Lnm.  iii.  21  ;  .Tohn  xiv.  1-4  ;  Ileb.  xi.  37,  3S ;  Rev.  ii.  17  :  John  iv. 
30,  31. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  TMP]  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  179 

shew  his  great  liberality  and  noble  bounty.     That  is  a  lovely  loss,  that 
is  made  up  with  so  great  gain. 

Quest.  But,  sir,  how  shall  we  know,  or  probably  conjecture,  whether 
in  this  world  God  will  make  up  our  worldly  losses  to  us  or  not  ?  If 
you  please  to  speak  a  little  to  this  question,  it  may  be  many  ways  of 
use  unto  us. 

Now  that  I  may  give  you  a  little  light  to  the  question,  give  me 
leave  to  put  a  few  questions  to  such  who  have  been  sufferers  by  the 
late  fiery  dispensation  : — 

[1.]  First,  Did  you  make  conscience  of  improving  your  estates  to 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  others,  lohen  you  did  enjoy  them  ;  or 
did  you  only  make  them  subservient  to  your  lusts  ?  If  you  have  laid 
out  your  estates  for  God,  and  for  his  children's  good,  it  is  ten  to  one 
but  that  the  Lord,  even  in  this  world,  will  make  up  your  losses  to 
you,  Deut.  xxxii.  15,  16 ;  Hosea  iv.  7 ;  James  iv.  3.  But  if  you  mis- 
improved  your  estates,  and  turned  your  mercies  into  encouragements 
to  sin,  then  you  have  more  cause  to  fear  that  the  Lord  may  further 
blast  you,  than  you  have  to  hope  that  God  will  make  up  your  losses 
to  you.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Did  you  daily  and  seriously  labour  to  enjoy  much  of 
God  in  all  those  tvorldly  enjoyments  luhich  formerly  you  were  blest 
loithal?  If  so,  it  is  very  probable  that  the  Lord  may  make  up  all 
your  losses  to  you ;  but  if  you  made  a  god  of  your  worldly  enjoyments — 
if  they  had  more  of  your  thoughts,  and  hearts,  and  time,  than  God 
himself  had,  then  you  have  more  cause  to  fear  a  further  curse,  than 
to  expect  a  future  blessing,  Prov.  iii.  33  ;  Mai.  ii.  2.     But, 

[3.J  Thirdly,  Did  your  hearts  commonly,  ordinarily ,  habitually  lie 
loiv  under  your  worldly  enjoyments  f  Abraham,  under  all  his  worldly 
enjoyments,  was  but  '  dust  and  ashes  ; '  and  Jacob  under  his  was  '  less 
than  the  least  of  all  mercies,'  Gen.  xviii.  27,  and  xxxii.  10 ;  and  so 
David,  under  all  God's  royal  favours,  his  heart  lies  low :  Ps.  xxii.  6, 
'  But  I  am  a  Avorni,  and  no  man.'  David  in  the  Arabic  tongue  signifies 
a  worm,  to  which  he  seems  to  allude.  The  word  in  the  Hebrew  for 
worm  is  tolagnaih,  which  signifies  such  a  very  little  worm  that  a  man 
can  very  hardly  see  it  or  perceive  it.  Though  David  was  high  in  the 
world,  yet  he  was  little,  yea,  very  little,  in  his  own  eyes.  Was  it  com- 
monly, mostly  thus  with  you  when  your  comforts  compassed  you 
round  about  ?  If  so,  then  it  is  very  probable  that  the  Lord  in  this 
world  will  make  up  all  your  losses  to  you.  But  if  your  blood  did 
commonly  rise  with  your  outward  goods,  and  if  your  hearts  did 
usually  so  swell  imder  your  worldly  enjoyments  as  to  say  with  Pharaoh, 
'  Who  is  the  Lord  that  I  should  obey  his  voice  ? '  Exod.  v.  2 ;  or  to 
say  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  '  Who  is  that  God  that  can  deliver  you  out 
of  my  hands  ?  '  Dan.  iii.  15  ;  or  to  say  with  those  proud  atheists,  '  Who 
is  Lord  over  us?'  Ps.  xii.  4 ;  or  to  say  with  those  proud  monsters,  '  We 
are  lords,  we  will  come  no  more  unto  thee,'  &c.,  Jer.  ii.  31,  then  you  have 
great  cause  to  fear  that  God  that  hath  yet  some  further  controversy 
with  you,  and,  '  except  you  repent,'  will  rather  strip  you  of  what  you 
enjoy,  than  multiply  further  favours  or  blessings  upon  you.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Since  God  has  burnt  up  your  icorldly  goods,  have 
you  been  fervent  and  frequent  with  God  that  he  ivoidd  burn  up  those 


180  London's  lamkntatiunh  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

lusfs  thai  have  burnt  up  your  comforts  before  your  eyes?  Have  you 
pleaded  hard  with  God  that  a  spirit  of  burning  might  rest  upon  you, 
even  that  spirit  of  burning  which  ak)ne  can  burn  up  your  sins,  your 
dross  ?  Isa.  ix.  2,  and  iv.  4.  Since  London  hath  been  laid  in  ashes, 
have  you  made  it  your  great  business  to  treat  and  trade  with  God 
about  the  destruction  of  those  sins  that  have  laid  all  desolate  ?  If  so, 
then  you  have  cause  to  hope  that  God  will  turn  your  captivity,  and 
make  np  all  your  losses  to  you,  Job  xlii.  10.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Since  God  has  turned  you  out  of  all,  are  you  turned 
nearer  and  closer  to  himself?  Tliongh  you  have  been  prodigals,  yet 
have  you  in  the  light  of  London's  flames  seen  and  found  your  way  to 
your  Father's  house?  Luke  xv.  Then  God  will  make  up  all  your 
losses  to  you.  When  judgments  are  so  sanctified  as  to  bring  a  people 
nearer  to'  himself,  then  God  will  drop  down  mercies  upon  them,  Hosea 
ii.  18,  20.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Has  the  fire  of  London  been  as  a  pillar  of  fire  to  lead 
you  Canaan-wards,  heaven-iuards ?  Exod.  xiii.  21,  22.  Has  God,  by 
burning  up  the  good  things  of  this  world,  caused  you  to  set  your 
hearts  and  affections  more  than  ever  \\\)0\\  the  great  things  of  another 
world  ?  If  so.  then  it  is  a  hundred  to  teu  but  that  the  Lord  will 
make  up  all  your  losses  to  you.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Are  your  hearts,  under  this  fiery  dispensation, 
hroufjld  into  such  a  quiet  submission  to  the  good  iviU  and  jjlcasure  of 
God,  a^  that  you  can  now  he  contented  to  be  at  God's  finding,  at  God's 
allowance  ?  riiil.  iv.  12-14.  Can  you  now  be  contented  to  be  rich  or 
poor,  to  have  much  or  little,  to  be  high  or  low,  to  be  something  or 
nothing,  to  have  all  again  or  to  have  nothing  but  necessaries  again  ? 
Are  you  now  willing  that  God  shall  choose  for  you  ?  Can  you  sit 
down  satisfied  with  God's  alloAvance,  though  it  be  far  short  of  what 
once  you  had  ?  Content  is  the  deputy  of  outward  felicity,  and  sup- 
plies the  })lace  where  it  is  absent.  A  contented  frame  of  heart,  as  to 
all  outwaid  occurrences,  is  like  ballast  to  a  ship,  which  will  help  it  to 
sail  boldly  and  safely  in  all  waters.  When  a  man's  mind  is  conform- 
able to  his  means,  all  is  well.  One  [Augustine  upon  Ps.  xii.J  brings 
in  God  rebuking  a  discontented  Christian  thus  :  '  What  is  thy  faith  P 
Have  I  promised  thee  these  things  ?  What !  wert  thou  made  a  Chris- 
tian that  thou  shouldst  flourish  here  in  this  world?'  It  is  an  excel- 
lent expression  tliat  Bellarmino  liath  in  his  Catechism:  'Suppose,' 
saith  he,  'a  king,  having  many  children  of  several  ages,  should  apparel 
them  in  cloth  of  gold :  now  he  that  is  sixteen  years  old  hath  more 
gold  in  his  robe  than  the  child  that  is  but  five  or  six  years  old,  yet  the 
child  would  rather  have  his  own  garment  than  his  elder  brother's,  be- 
cause it  is  fitter  for  him.'  Surely  the  fittest  estate  is  the  best  estate 
for  us.  Look,  as  a  great  shoe  fits  not  a  little  foot,  nor  a  great  sail  a 
little  ship,  nor  a  great  ring  a  little  finger,  so  a  great  estate  is  not 
always  the  fittest  for  us.  He  that  hath  most,  wants  something;  and 
he  that  liath  least,  wants  nothing,  if  he  wants  not  a  contented  spirit. 
O  sirs  !  let  not  heathens  put  you  to  a  blush. 

'  He  that  can  be  content  to  be  at  God's  finding,  as  a  guest  at  a 
table,  that  takes  what  is  carved  for  him,  and  no  more,  he  needs  not 
fawn  upon  any  man,  much  less  violate  his  conscience  for  the  great 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  181 

tilings  of  the  world.'  l  When  a  man's  heart  is  brought  clown  to  his 
condition,  he  is  then  temptation-proof.  When  one  told  the  philosopher, 
that  if  he  would  but  please  Dionysius,  he  need  not  feed  upon  green 
herbs  ;  the  philosopher  replied,  '  If  thou  wert  but  content  to  feed  upon 
herbs,  thou  needest  not  flatter  Dionysius.'  A  man  that  can  be  con- 
tented with  a  little,  will  keep  his  ground  in  an  hour  of  temptation. 

Diogenes  the  cynic,  housed  in  his  tub,  and  making  even  with  liis 
victuals  and  the  day  together,  being  invited  to  a  great  feast,  could 
say,  '  I  had  rather  lick  salt  at  Athens,  than  feast  with  Craterus.' 
Diogenes  had  more  content  with  his  tub  to  shelter  him  from  the  in- 
juries of  the  weather,  and  with  his  wooden  dish  to  eat  and  drink  in, 
than  Alexander  had  with  the  conquest  of  half  the  world,  and  the 
fruition  of  all  the  honours,  pomps,  treasures,  and  pleasures  of  Asia. 

'  The  way  to  true  riches,'  saith  Plato,  '  is  not  to  increase  our  heaps, 
but  to  diminish  the  covetousness  of  our  hearts.' 

And  saith  Seneca,  Cui  cum  paiqoertate  bene  conveiiit,  pauper  non  est, 
A  contented  man  cannot  be  a  poor  man. 

I  have  read  of  another  philosopher,  who  seeing  a  prince  going  by, 
with  the  greatest  pomp  and  state  imaginable,  he  said  to  some  about 
him,  '  See  how  many  things  I  have  no  need  of.' 

And  saith  another,  '  It  were  well  for  the  world  if  there  were  no 
gold  in  it.'  But  since  it  is  the  fountain  whence  all  things  flow,  it  is 
to  be  desired,  but  only  as  a  pass,  to  travel  to  our  journey's  end  without 
begging. 

When  Croesus,  king  of  Lydia,  asked  Solon,  one  of  the  seven  wise 
men  of  Greece,  who  in  the  whole  world  was  more  happy  than  he  ? 
Solon  answered,  '  Tellus,  who  though  he  was  a  poor  man,  yet  he  was 
a  good  man,  and  content  with  that  which  he  had.' 

So  Cato  could  say,  as  Aulus  Gellius  reports  of  him,  '  I  have  neither 
house,  nor  plate,  nor  garments  of  price,  in  my  hands  ;  what  I  have,  I 
can  use :  if  not,  I  can  want  it.  Some  blame  me  because  I  want  many 
things ;  and  I  blame  them  because  they  cannot  want.'  Now  shall 
nature  do  more  than  grace  ?  Shall  the  poor  blinded  heathen  outstrip 
the  knowing  Christian  ?  0  sirs,  he  that  can  lose  his  will  in  the  will 
of  God,  as  to  the  things  of  this  world ;  he  that  is  willing  to  be  at 
God's  allowance  ;  he  that  has  had  much,  but  can  now  be  satisfied 
with  a  little ;  he  that  can  be  contented  to  be  at  God's  finding — he  is 
of  all  men  the  most  likely  man  to  have  all  his  losses  made  up  to  him. 
But, 

[8.]  Eighthly  and  lastly,  Are  your  liearts  more  clrmni  out  to  have  this 
fiery  dispensation  sanctified  to  you,  than  to  have  your  losses  made  up 
to  you  ?  Do  you  strive  more  with  God  to  get  good  by  this  dreadful 
judgment,  than  to  recover  your  lost  goods,  and  your  lost  estates  ?  Is 
this  the  daily  language  of  your  souls,  Lord,  let  this  fiery  calamity  be 
so  sanctified  as  that  it  may  eminently  issue  in  the  mortifying  of  our 
sins,  in  the  increase  of  our  graces,  in  the  mending  of  our  hearts,  in 
the  reforming  of  our  lives,  and  in  the  weaning  of  our  souls  from  every- 
thing below  thee  ;  and  in  the  fixing  of  them  upon  the  great  things  of 
eternity !  If  it  be  thus  with  you,  it  is  ten  to  one  but  God  even  in 
this  world  will  make  up  your  losses  to  you.     But, 

^  Epictetus  Enchirid.,  cap.  21. 


182  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

(0.)  The  sixlli  support  to  bear  ii])  tlie  hearts  of  the  ])eople  of  God 
under  the  hite  liery  dispensation,  is  this — viz.,  That  hij  Jicry  dispensa- 
iioiis,  the  Lord  icill  make  icay  for  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  : 
he  will  make  way  for  the  glorious  deliverance  of  his  people,  Isa.  ix.  5, 
6 ;  Ps.  Ixvi.  12.  Isa.  Ixvi.  15,  16,  22,  '  For,  behold,  the  Lord  will 
come  witli  fire,  and  Avith  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind,  to  render  his 
anger  with  fury,  and  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire.  For  '  by  fire  and 
by  liis  sword,'  or  by  his  sword  of  fire,  '  will  tlie  Lord  plead  with  all 
flesh:  and  the  slain  of  the  Lord  shall  be  many.  For  as  the  new 
heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make,  shall  remain  be- 
fore me,  saith  the  Lord,  so  shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain.' 
The  great  and  the  glorious  things  that  God  will  do  for  his  people 
in  the  last  days  are  set  forth  by  new  heavens  and  new  earth ;  and 
these  God  will  bring  in  by  fiery  dispensations. i  The  glorious  estate 
of  the  universal  church  of  Jews  and  Gentiles  on  earth  is  no  lower 
an  estate  than  that  of  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.  Now 
this  blessed  church -state  is  ushered  into  the  world  by  fiery  judg- 
ments. By  fiery  dispensations  God  will  put  an  end  to  the  glory  of 
this  old  world,  and  bring  in  the  new.  Look,  as  God  by  a  watery 
deluge  made  way  for  one  new  world,  so  by  a  fiery  deluge,  in  the 
last  of  the  last  days,  he  will  make  way  for  another  new  world, 
wherein  '  shall  dwell  righteousness,'  as  Peter  speaks,  2  Pet.  iii.  10- L3. 
All  men  in  common  speech  call  a  new  great  change  a  new  world. 2 
By  fiery  dispensations  God  will  bring  great  changes  upon  the  world, 
and  make  way  for  his  Son's  reign  in  a  more  glorious  manner  than 
ever  he  has  yet  reigned  in  the  world.  Rev.  xviii.,  xix.,  xx.,  and  xxi. 
The  sum  of  that  I  have,  in  short,  to  ofter  to  your  consideration  out 
of  these  chapters  is  this: — 'Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen. 
How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself,  so  much  sorrow  and  torment 
shall  be  given  her.  Her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death  and 
mourning  and  famine,  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burnt  with  fire.  Re- 
joice over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets;  for 
God  hath  avenged  you  on  her.  And  after  these  things,  I  heard  a 
great  voice  of  much  ])eoi)le,  &c.,  saying,  Alleluiah  ;  Salvation,  and 
glory,  and  honour,  and  power  unto  the  Lord  our  God  :  for  true  and 
righteous  are  thy  judgments ;  for  he  hath  judged  the  great  whore 
that  hath  corrupted  the  earth,  and  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his 
saints.  And  again  they  said,  Alleluiah.  And  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  said  Amen  ;  Alleluiah.  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a 
great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of 
mighty  thunderings,  saying,  Alleluiah:  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent 
reigneth.  And  the  beast  and  the  false  })rophct  were  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire.  And  the  rest  were  slain  with  the  sword.  But  the  saints 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years  in  the  new  heavens  and  new 
earth,  to  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  nations  of  the  world  bring 
their  honour.'  God,  by  his  fiery  dispensation  ujion  Babylon,  makes 
way  for  Christ's  reign,  and  the  saints'  reign  in  the  new  heavens  and 
new  earth.     But, 

'  Tsa.  Ixv.  17;  Joul  ii.  1-5,  30-32;  Zcpii.  iii.  8,  9. 

'  Gen   ii.     See  our  new  '  .\nnotationist.s'  [as  before]  on  Isa.  Ixv.  anil  xvii.  :  on  chap. 
Ixvi.  1.5,  IC,  22,  and  on  Hov.  xxi.  1. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  183 

(7.)  The  seventh  support  to  hear  up  the  hearts  of  the  people  of 
God  under  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — viz..  That  hy  fiery  dis- 
yensations  God  2viU  h'ing  about  the  rilin  and  destruction  of  his  and  his 
people's  enemies,  Ps.  1.  3.  Ps.  xcvii.  3,  '  A  fire  goeth  before  him,  and 
burnetii  up  his  enemies  round  about.'  Hab.  iii.  5,  '  Before  him  went 
the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals  went  forth  at  his  feet.'  Ver.  7,  '  I 
saw  the  tents  of  Cushan  in  affliction  ;  and  the  curtains  of  the  land  of 
Midian  did  tremble.'  Ver.  12,  '  Thou  didst  march  through  the  land 
in  indignation,  thou  didst  thresh  the  heathen  in  anger.'  Ver.  13, 
'  Thou  wentest  forth  for  the  salvation  of  thy  people,  even  for  salvation 
with  thine  anointed  ;  thou  woundedst  the  head  out  of  the  house  of 
the  wicked,  by  discovering  the  foundation  even  to  the  neck.  Sekih.' 
Jer.  1.  31,  32,  '  Behold,  I  am  against  thee,  0  thou  most  proud,  saith 
the  Lord  God  of  hosts :  for  thy  day  is  come,  the  time  that  I  will  visit 
thee.  And  the  most  proud  shall  stumble  and  fall,  and  none  shall 
raise  him  up  :  and  I  will  kindle  a  fire  in  his  cities,  and  it  shall 
devour  all  round  about  him.'  There  is  nothing  more  fearful  or  for- 
midable, either  to  man  or  beast,  than  fire :  and  therefore  by  fiery 
dispensations  God  will  take  vengeance  on  the  wicked.  This  will  be 
the  more  evident,  if  you  please  but  to  consider  to  what  the  wicked  are 
compared  in  Scripture. 

[1.]  First,  They  are  compared  to  stuhhle  and  chaff,  which  the  fire 
doth  easily  consume :  Isa.  v.  24,  '  Therefore  as  the  fire  devoureth  the 
stubble,  and  the  flame  consumeth  the  chaff,  so  their  root  shall  be  as 
rottenness,  and  their  blossom  shall  go  up  as  dust.'  Nahum  i.  10, 
'  For  while  they  be  folden  together  as  thorns,  and  while  they  are 
drunken  as  drunkards,  they  shall  be  devoured  as  stubble  fully  dry.' 
Mark  that  word  '  fully  dry,'  and  so  as  it  were  prepared  and  fitted  for 
the  flame. 

[2.]  Secondly,  The  wicked  are  compared  to  thorns:  and  how  easily 
doth  the  flaming  fire  consume  them  !  Isa.  xxvii.  4,  '  Fury  is  not  in 
me :  who  would  set  the  briers  and  thorns  against  me  in  battle  ?  I 
would  go  through  them,  I  would  burn  them  together.'  Chap,  xxxiii. 
12,  'And  the  people  shall  be  as  the  burnings  of  lime:  as  thorns  cut 
up  shall  they  be  burnt  in  the  fire.'  Mark,  it  is  not  said  as  thorns 
standing  and  tooted  in  the  earth,  and  growing  with  their  moisture 
about  them  ;  but  as  thorns  cut  up,  as  dead  and  dry  thorns,  which  are 
easily  kindled  and  consumed,  &c. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  The  wicked  are  compared  to  the  melting  of  wax  before 
the  fire,  and  to  the  passing  away  of  smohe  before  the  ivind,  Micah  i.  4  ; 
Ps.  viii.  2. 

[4.]  Fourthly  and  lastly.  The  sudden  and  certain  ruin  of  the  wicked 
is  set  forth  by  the  melting  of  the  fat  of  lambs  before  the  fire :  Ps.  xxxvii. 
20,  '  But  the  wicked  shall  perish,  and  the  enemies  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  as  the  fat  of  lambs,'  (which  of  all  fat  is  the  most  easiest  melted 
before  the  fire  :)  '  they  shall  consume  ;  into  smoke  shall  they  consume 
away.'  The  fat  of  lambs  in  the  sacrifices  was  wholly  to  be  burnt  and 
consumed,  Lev.  iii.  15-17.  Thus  you  see,  by  the  several  things  to 
which  wicked  men  are  compared,  that  God  by  fiery  calamities  will 
bring  ruin  and  destruction  upon  his  and  his  people's  enemies.  Such 
as  have  burnt  the  people  of  God  out  of  house  and  home,  may  in  this 


184  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

world  havo  Liunlnf^  for  burning.  God  loves  to  retaliate  upon  liis 
peoi)le's  enemies,  Judges  i.  H,  7.  Such  as  have  clapped  their  hands  at 
the  sight  of  London's  llanies,  may  one  day  lay  their  hands  upon  their 
loins,  -when  they  shall  find  divine  justice  appearing  in  flames  of  fire 
against  them.     But, 

(8.)  The  eighth  support  to  hear  up  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God 
under  tlie  late  fiery jlispensation,  is  this — viz..  That  all  shall  end  ivell, 
all  shall  work  for  (joodA  God,  by  this  fiery  disj)cnsation,  will  do  his 
people  a  great  deal  of  good.  God  cast  Judah  into  an  iron  furnace, 
into  a  fiery  furnace,  but  it  was  for  their  good.  Jer.  xxiv.  5,  '  Like 
these  good  figs,  so  will  I  acknowledge  them  that  are  carried  away 
captive  of  Judah,  whom  I  have  sent  out  of  this  i)lace  into  tlie  land  of 
tlie  Chaldeans  for  their  good.'  Ps.  cxix.  71,  'It  is  good  for  me  that 
1  have  been  afliicted.'  Though  afflictions  are  naturally  evil,  yet  they 
are  morally  good  ;  for  by  the  wise,  sanctifying,  overruling  providence 
of  God,  they  shall  either  cure  the  saints  of  their  spiritual  evils,  or  pre- 
serve them  from  spiritual  evils.  Though  the  elements  ai-e  of  contrary 
qualities,  yet  divine  power  and  wisdom  hath  so  tempered  them,  that 
they  all  work  in  a  harmonious  manner  for  the  good  of  the  imiverse. 
So,  though  sore  afflictions,  though  fiery  trials  seem  to  work  quite  cross 
and  contrary  to  the  saints'  })rayers  and  desires,  yet  they  shall  be  so 
ordered  and  tempered  by  a  skilhd  and  omnipotent  hand,  as  that  they 
shall  all  issue  in  the  saints'  good.  At  the  long  run,  by  all  sorts  of 
fiery  trials,  the  saints  shall  have  their  sins  more  weakened,  their  graces 
more  improved,  and  their  experiences  more  multi])lied,  their  evidences 
for  heaven  more  cleared,  their  communion  with  God  more  raised,  and 
their  hearts  and  lives  more  amended.  God,  by  fiery  trials,  will  keep 
off  from  his  people  more  trials.  '  God  loves  by  tlie  cross  to  secure  his 
peo})le  from  the  curse ;  and  certainly  it  is  no  bad  exchange,  to  have  a 
cross  instead  of  a  curse.  God  led  the  Israelites  about  and  about  in 
the  wilderness  forty  years  together,  but  it  was  to  humble  them,  and 
prove  them,  and  do  them  good  in  their  latter  end.  Dent.  viii.  2,  16. 
God  led  them  through  fire  and  water,  Ps.  Ixvi.  12 ;  that  is,  through 
variety  of  sore  and  sharp  afflictions,  but  all  was  in  order  to  his  bring- 
ing them  forth  into  a  wealthy  place.  God  stripj)cd  Job  to  his  shift, 
but  it  was  in  order  to  his  clothing  of  him  in  scarlet :  he  brought  him 
low,  but  it  was  in  order  to  his  raising  him  higher  than  ever :  he  set 
him  upon  a  dunghill,  that  he  might  the  better  fit  him  to  sit  upon  a 
throne.^  *  Joseph  is  not,  and  Simeon  is  not,  and  ye  will  take  Ben- 
jamin away:  all  tliese  things  are  against  me,'  saith  old  Jacob,  Gen. 
xlii.  3G  ;  but  yet  as  old  as  he  was,  he  lived  to  see  all  working  for  his 
good,  before  he  went  to  his  long  home.  Under  all  fiery  dispensations, 
God  will  make  good  that  golden  promise,  Roul  viii.  28,  '  And  we 
know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God.' 
Mark,  the  apostle  doth  not  say,  we  suppose,  or  we  hope,  or  we  con- 
jecture, but  we  know,  I  know,  and  you  know,  and  all  the  saints  know 
by  daily  exjterience,  that  all  their  sulferings  and  aftlietions  work  to- 
gether for  their  good:  the  apostle  doth  not  say  de future,  they  shall 

>  Consult  those  scriptures,  Isa.  i.   2.5,  and  xxvii.  S-11  ;  Zccli.  siii.9;  TIeb.  xii.  10; 
llobca  ii.  0;   Acts  xiv.  2J  ;  Jolin  xvi.  33;  Jer.  xxix.  11. 
-  Compare  the  first  and  last  chapter  of  Job  together. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEEY  DISPENSATION.  185 

work,  but  deprcesenti,  they  do  work.  All  second  causes  work  together 
with  the  first  cause  for  their  good  who  love  God,  and  who  are  called 
according  to  his  purpose.  The  Greek  word  a-vvepjet,  '  work  together,' 
is  a  physical  expression.  Look,  as  several  poisonful  ingredients  put 
together,  being  well  tempered  and  mixed  by  the  skill  and  care  of  the 
l^rudent  apothecary,  makes  a  sovereign  medicine,  and  work  together 
for  the  good  of  the  patient ;  so  all  the  afflictions  and  sufi'erings  that 
befall  the  saints,  they  shall  be  so  wisely,  so  divinely  tempered,  ordered, 
and  sanctified  by  a  hand  of  heaven,  as  that  they  shall  really  and 
signally  work  for  their  good.  Those  dreadful  providences  which  seem 
to  be  most  prejudicial  to  us,  shall  in  the  issue  prove  most  beneficial 
to  us.  Gen.  1.  20.  Look,  as  vessels  of  gold  are  made  by  fire,  so  by 
fiery  dispensations  God  will  make  his  people  vessels  of  gold,  vessels 
of  honour,  2  Tim.  ii.  20,  21.  Commonly  the  most  afflicted  Christians 
are  the  most  golden  Christians :  Zech.  xiii.  9,  '  And  I  will  bring  the 
third  part  through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver  is  refined,  and 
will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried :  they  shall  call  on  my  name,  and  I  will 
hear  them :  I  will  say.  It  is  my  people  ;  and  they  shall  say.  The  Lord 
is  my  God.'  The  fire  of  London  was  rather  physic  than  poison. 
There  was  more  of  a  paternal  chastisement,  than  there  was  of  an 
extirpating  vengeance  in  it ;  and  therefore  certainly  it  shall  work  well, 
it  shall  issue  well. 

(9.)  The  ninth  support  to  bear  up  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God 
under  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — viz.,  That  there  ivas  a  great 
mixture  of  mercy  in  that  dreadful  judgment  of  fire  that  has  turned 
London  into  a  ruinous  heap.  At  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
there  was  not  one  stone  left  upon  another,  Luke  xix.  41,  45.  This 
might  have  been  thy  case,  0  London,  had  not  mercy  triumphed  over 
justice,  and  over  all  the  plots  and  designs  of  men.  Though  many 
thousand  houses  are  destroyed,  yet  to  the  praise  of  free  grace,  many 
thousand  houses  in  the  city  and  suburbs  have  been  preserved  from  the 
rage  and  violence  of  the  fiames.  What  a  mercy  was  that,  that  Zoar 
should  be  standing,  when  Sodom  was  laid  in  ashes  !  Gen.  xix.  And 
what  a  mercy  was  this,  that  your  houses  should  be  standing,  when  so 
many  thousand  houses  have  been  laid  desolate  !  Is  more  than  a  third 
part  of  the  city  destroyed  by  fire  ?  Why,  the  whole  city  might  have 
been  destroyed  by  fire,  and  all  the  suburbs  round  about  it.  But  in 
the  midst  of  wrath,  God  has  remembered  mercy,  Ps.  cxxxvi.  23 :  in 
the  midst  of  great  severity,  God  has  exercised  great  clemency.  Had 
the  fire  come  on  with  that  rage,  fury,  and  triumpli,  as  to  liave  laid 
both  city  and  suburbs  level,  we  must  have  said  with  the  church,  '  The 
Lord  is  righteous,'  Lam.  i.  18.  Had  the  three  children  their  songs  in 
the  midst  of  the  fiery  furnace  ;  and  why  should  not  they  have  their 
songs  of  praise,  whose  houses,  by  a  miraculous  providence,  were  pre- 
served in  the  midst  of  London's  flames  ?  0  sirs,  what  a  mixture  of 
mercy  was  there  in  this  fiery  calamity,  that  all  your  lives  should  be 
spared,  and  that  many  of  your  houses  should  be  preserved,  and  that 
much  of  your  goods,  your  wares,  your  commodities,  should  be  snatched 
as  so  many  firebrands  out  of  the  fire  !  If  ever  there  were  an  obliga- 
tion put  upon  a  people  to  cry,  Grace,  grace,  grace  !  the  Lord  has  put 
one  upon  you,  who  have  been  sharers  in  that  mixture  of  mercy  that 


186  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

God  has  oxtended  to  tlie  iiuuiy  thouKand  sufferers  by  London's  flames. 
Had  this  judij^nient  of  fire  been  inflicted  wlien  the  rai^jini,^  })estilence 
swept  away  some  tlionsands  every  week,  and  wlien  the  (aty  was  even 
left  naked  as  to  her  iidiabitants,  and  wlien  the  whole  nation  was  under 
a  dreadful  fear,  trembling,  and  dismayedness  of  spirit,  Josh.  ii.  9-11, 
niiglit  there  not  have  been  far  greater  desolations,  both  of  houses, 
goods,  and  lives,  in  the  midst  of  us  ?  Had  God  contended  with  Lon- 
don by  })estilence  and  fire  at  once,  who  would  have  lodged  your  per- 
sons in  their  beds,  or  your  goods  in  their  barns?  Had  these  two 
dreadful  judgments  met,  Londoners  would  have  met  with  but  few 
friends  in  the  world.  Well,  when  I  look  ujjon  London's  sins  and  de- 
serts on  the  one  hand,  and  upon  the  principles,  old  hatred,  plots,  de- 
signs, rage,  and  wrath  of  some  malicious  persons,  on  the  other  hand, 
Ezek.  XXV,  15,  instead  of  wondering  that  so  much  of  the  city  and 
suburbs  is  destroyed,  I  rather  wonder  that  any  one  house  in  the  city 
or  suburbs  is  preserved.!  Whilst  London  was  in  flames,  and  all  men 
under  a  high  distraction,  and  all  things  in  a  sad  confusion,  a  secret, 
subtle,  designing,  powerful  enemy  might  have  risen  u[)  in  the  midst 
of  you,  that  might  have  spoiled  your  goods,  ravished  your  wives,  de- 
flowered your  daughters,  and  after  all  this  have  sheathed  their  swords 
in  all  your  bowels :  and  in  that  it  fell  not  out  thus,  what  cause  have 
Londoners  to  bow  for  ever  before  j)reventing  and  restraining  grace  ! 
Since  the  creation  of  the  world,  God  has  never  been  so  severe  in  the 
execution  of  his  most  dreadful  judgments  as  not  to  remember  mercy 
in  the  midst  of  wrath.  When  he  drowned  the  old  Avorld,  who  before 
were  drowned  in  lusts  and  pleasures,  he  extended  mercy  to  Noah  and 
his  family.  When  he  rained  hell  out  of  heaven  upon  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  turning  those  rich  and  pleasant  cities  into  ruinous  heaps, 
lie  gave  Lot  and  his  daughters  their  lives  for  a  ])rey.  And  when  by 
fire  and  sword  he  had  made  Jerusalem  a  dreadful  spectacle  of  his 
wrath  and  vengeance,  yet  then  a  remnant  did  escape,  Isa.  vi.  11-13  ; 
Jer.  v.  10,  18.  This  truth  w-e  citizens  have  exi)erienced,  or  else  we 
and  our  all  before  this  day  had  been  destroyed.  Every  citizen  should 
have  this  motto  written  in  characters  of  gold  on  his  forehead,  '  It  is  of 
the  Lord's  mercies  that  we  are  not  consumed,'  Lam.  iii.  22.  God 
might  have  made  London  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah;  but  in  the  day 
of  his  anger  some  beams  of  his  favour  darted  forth  upon  your  London. 
By  which  means  the  hopes  of  some  are  so  far  revived  as  to  expect  that 
London  yet  may  be  rebuilt  and  blessed.  That  is  a  dreadful  word, 
'  When  he  begins  he  will  make  an  end  ;  and  the  fire  of  his  WTath  shall 
burn,  and  none  shall  quench  it,'  1  Sam.  iii.  12  ;  Jer.  iv.  4,  and  xxi.  12. 
These  eradicating  judgments  had  certainly  fallen  upon  London,  had 
not  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  his  fury  remembered  mercy.  '  If  the 
Lord  had  not  been  on  our  side,'  Ps.  cxxiv.  1-3,  may  London  now  say, 
'if  the  Lord  had  not  been  on  our  side  when  the  fire  rose  up  against  us, 
then  the  fire  had  swallowed  us  up  quick,  when  its  rage  was  kindled 
against  us.'  Doubtless  God  never  mingled  a  cup  of  wrath  with  more 
mercy  than  this. 

'  Tacitus,  writing  of  Konio,  saith,  Scquitur  cladea,  omnibus  i/uce  urbi  per  violentiam 
ir/niitm  acr.iderant  grarior  atque  alrocior. — Annal.,  lib.  xv.  p.  791.  It  was  rich  mercy 
that  it  was  not  bo  with  London. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATIOX.  187 

Though  the  fire  of  London  was  a  very  great  and  dreadful  fire,  yet 
it  was  not  so  great  nor  so  dreadful  a  lire  as  that  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrali  was :  for  that  fire  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrali, 

[1.]  First,  It  loas  a  miraculous  fire — a  fire  that  was,  besides,  beyond 
and  against  the  course  of  nature.i  Gen.  xix.  24,  '  Then  tlie  Lord 
I'ained  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  brimstone  and  fire  from  tlie  Lord 
out  of  lieaven.'  Fire  mingled  with  brimstone  hath  been  found,  (1.) 
Most  obnoxious  to  the  eyes;  (2.)  Most  loathsome  to  the  smell;  and  (3.) 
JMost  fierce  in  burning.  He  hit  the  mark  who,  speaking  of  fire  and 
brimstone,  said,  Facillime  incenditur,  pcrtinacissime  fervet,  et  diffi- 
cillime  extinguihcr,  It  is  easily  kindled,  violently  swelled,  and  hardly 
extinguished.  Brimstone  and  all  that  vast  quantity  of  sulphureous 
fiery  matter,  by  which  those  rich  and  populous  cities  were  turned  into 
ruinous  heaps,  were  never  produced  by  natural  causes,  nor  after  a 
natural  manner,  no  culinary  fire  being  so  speedy  in  its  consumptions, 
but  immediately  by  God's  own  miraculous  power  and  almighty  arm. 
But  the  fire  that  lias  laid  London  in  ashes  was  no  such  miraculous  or 
extraordinary  fire,  but  such  a  fire  which  divine  providence  permitted 
and  suftered  to  be  kindled  and  carried  on,  by  such  means,  instruments, 
and  concurring  circumstances  as  hath  buried  our  glory  under  heaps 
of  ashes.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  The  fire  that  fell  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  con- 
sumed not  only  the  greater  j^ccrt  of  those  cities,  but  the  whole  cities : 
yea,  and  not  only  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  but  all  the  cities  of  the 
plain,  except  Zoar,  which  was  to  be  a  sanctuary  to  Lot.  But  the  fire 
of  London  has  not  destroyed  the  whole  city  of  London ;  many  hundred 
— may  I  not  say  thousands  ? — houses  are  yet  standing,  as  monuments 
of  divine  power,  wisdom,  and  goodness :  and  the  greatest  part  of  the 
suburbs  are  yet  preserved ;  and  all  the  rest  of  the  cities  of  England 
are  yet  compassed  about  with  loving-kindness  and  mercy  ;  and  I  hope 
will  be  reserved,  by  a  gracious  providence,  as  shelters,  as  sanctuaries, 
and  as  hiding-places  to  poor  Enghmd's  disti'essed  inhabitants.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  The  fire  that  fell  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  did  con- 
sume not  only  jjlaces  hut  persons,  not  only  houses  hut  inhabitants.  But 
in  the  midst  of  London's  flames,  God  was  a  wall  of  fire  about  the  citi- 
zens, Zech.  ii.  5 ;  in  that  day  of  his  fiery  indignation,  he  was  very 
tender  of  the  lives  of  his  peoj^le.  Though  the  lumber  was  burnt,  yet 
God  took  care  of  his  treasure,  of  his  jewels — to  wit,  the  lives  of  his 
people.  But  having  spoken  before  more  largely  of  this  particular,  let 
this  touch  now  suffice. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  destroyed  by  fire  sud- 
denly  and  unexpectedly — they  ivere  destroyed  by  fire  in  a  moment : 
Lam.  iv.  6,  '  For  the  punishment  of  the  iniquity  of  the  daughter  of 
my  people  is  greater  than  the  punishment  of  the  sin  of  Sodom,  that 
was  overthrown  as  in  a  moment,  and  no  hands  stayed  on  her.' 2  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  sustained  no  long  siege  from  foreign  forces,  neither 
were  they  kept  long  in  sorrows  and  sufferings,  in  pains  and  misery, 

^  They  sinned  against  the  light  and  course  of  nature  ;  and  therefore  they  were 
destroyed  against  the  course  of  nature  by  fire  from  heaven. 

'^  The  judgments  of  God  upon  the  Jews  were  so  great,  that  they  exceeded  all  credit 
amongst  their  neighbour  nations. 


188  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

l)nt  tlioy  were  quickly  nnd  Rudclcnly  and  instantly  dcKpatclicd  out  of 
this  world  into  another  world.  ]\k'n  had  no  hand  in  the  destroyin*:^ 
of  Sodom  ;  no  nioital  instrument  did  co-operate  in  that  work,  (jod 
by  his  own  inmiediate  ])ower  overthrew  them  in  a  moment.  Sodom 
was  very  stranf^ely,  suddenly,  and  unexpectedly  turned  upside  down, 
as  in  a  moment,  by  God's  own  liand,  without  the  help  of  armed  sol- 
diers :  whereas  the  Chaldeans'  armies  continued  for  a  long  time  in  the 
land  of  Judah,  and  in  Jerusalem,  vexing  and  plaguing  the  poor  people 
of  God.  Now  in  this  respect,  the  punishment  of  the  Jews  was  a 
greater  punishment  than  the  ])unishment  of  Sodom,  that  was  over- 
thrown as  in  a  moment.  But  that  fire  that  has  turned  London  into  a 
heap  of  ashes,  was  such  a  fire  that  was  carried  on  gradually,  and  that 
lasted  four  days,  God  giving  the  citizens  time  to  mourn  over  their 
sins,  to  repent,  to  lay  hold  on-everlasting  strength,  and  to  make  peace 
with  God.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly  and  lastly,  Sodom's  and  Gomorrah's  judgment  is  termed 
eternal  fire^  Jude  7,  which  expression,  as  it  refers  to  the  places 
themselves,  do  import  that  they  were  irrecoverably  destroyed  by  fire ; 
so  as  that  they  shall  lie  eternally  waste.  Those  monstrous  sinners  of 
Sodom  had  turned  the  glory  of  God  into  shame,  and  therefore  God 
will  turn  them  both  into  a  hell  here,  and  a  hell  hereafter.  God  will 
punish  unusual  sinners  wdth  unusual  judgments.  The  punishment  by 
this  tire  is  lasting,  yea,  everlasting :  it  is  a  standing  monument  of 
God's  high  displeasure,  Deut.  xxix.  23.  We  never  read  that  ever 
God  repented  himself  of  the  overthrow  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 
Those  cities  are  under  a  perpetual  destruction,  and  so  shall  continue 
to  the  end  of  the  world,  if  we  will  give  credit  to  authors  of  great  credit 
and  reputation.  1  It  well  becomes  the  wisest  and  best  of  Christians 
seriously  to  consider  how  God  setteth  forth  the  destruction  of  his 
church's  enemies:  Isa.  xxxiv.  8-11,  '  For  it  is  the  day  of  the  Lord's 
vengeance,  and  the  year  of  recompenses  for  the  controversy  of  Zion. 
And  the  streams  thereof  shall  be  turned  into  pitch,  and  the  dust 
thereof  into  brimstone,  and  the  land  thereof  shall  become  burning 
pitch.  It  shall  not  be  quenched  niglit  nor  day ;  the  smoke  thereof 
shall  go  up  for  ever:  from  generation  to  generation  it  shall  lie  waste  ; 
none  shall  pass  through  it  for  ever  and  ever.  But  the  cormorant  and 
the  bittern  shall  possess  it ;  the  owl  also  and  the  raven  shall  dwell  in 
it:  and  he  shall  stretch  out  upon  it  the  line  of  confusion,  and  the 
stones  of  emptiness.'  In  these  words  you  have  a  rhetorical  description 
of  that  extreme  devastation  that  God  will  bring  upon  the  enemies  of 
the  church,  in  way  of  allusion  to  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and 
(lomorrah.  But  I  hope  London's  doom  is  not  such  ;  for  God  has 
given  to  thousands  of  her  inhabitants  a  spirit  of  grace  and  supplica- 
tion, Zech.  xii.  lU;  which  is  a  clear  evidence  that  at  the  long  run  they 
shall  certainly  carry  the  day  with  God.  I  have  faith  enough  to  believe 
that  God  will  give  London's  mourners  '  beauty  for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy 
for  mourning,  and  the  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness/ 
Isa.  l.\i.  3.  And  that  London  may  yet  be  called  '  a  city  of  righteous- 
ness, tiie  ])lanting  of  the  Lord,  that  he  may  be  glorified.'  I  hope  that 
God  will  one  day  say  to  London,  '  Arise,  shine ;  for  thy  light  is  come, 

'  Strabo.  Solinus,  Tacitus,  riinius,  Joscphus,  &c. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATIOX.  189 

and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee.  The  Lord  shall  arise 
upon  thee,  and  his  glory  shall  he  seen  upon  thee/  Isa.  Ix.  1,2.  By 
what  has  been  said,  it  is  evident  enough  that  there  has  been  a  great 
mixture  of  mercy  in  that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  passed  upon  Lon- 
don. And  therefore  why  should  not  this  consideration  bear  up  the 
hearts  of  the  people  of  God  from  fainting  and  sinking  under  their 
present  calamity  and  misery  ?    But, 

(10.)  The  tenth  support  to  bear  up  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  God 
under  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  is  this — viz..  That  there  are  worse 
judgments  than  the  judgment  of  fire  lohich  God  might,  hut  has  not, 
inflicted  upon  you.  Let  me  evidence  the  truth  of  this  in  these  five 
particulars : — 

[1.]  First,  The  bloody  sword  is  a  more  dreadfid  judgment  than 
that  of  fire.  Fire  may  consume  a  man's  house  and  his  estate,  but  the 
sword  cuts  off  a  man's  life.  Now  at  what  a  poor  rate  do  men  value 
the  whole  world,  when  it  stands  in  competition  with  their  lives.  He 
very  well  knew  that  man  was  a  very  great  life-lover,  who  said,  '  Skin 
for  skin,'  or  skin  upon  skin,  '  and  all  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for 
his  life,'  Job  ii.  4.  God  might  have  brought  upon  England,  ay,  and 
upon  London  too,  the  sword  of  a  foreign  enemy,  as  he  did  upon 
Jerusalem  and  the  land  of  Judea.  In  that  one  only  city  of  Jerusalem, 
during  the  time  of  the  siege  by  Vespasian's  armies,  which  were  made 
up  of  Romans,  Syrians,  and  Arabians,  there  died  and  were  killed 
a  thousand  thousand. i  At  this  time  there  were  slain  in  all  Judea  in 
several  places  to  the  number  of  twelve  hundred  and  forty  thousand 
Jews.  The  whole  city  of  Jerusalem  flowed  with  blood,  insomuch  that 
many  parts  of  the  city  that  were  set  on  fire  were  quenched  by  the 
blood  of  them  that  were  slain.  In  seventeen  years'  time  the  Car- 
thaginian war  only  in  Italy,  Spain,  and  Sicily,  consumed  and  wasted 
fifteen  lumdred  thousand  men.  The  civil  wars  between  Pompey  and 
Cffisar  swallowed  down  three  hundred  thousand  men.  Caius  Ceesar 
did  confess  it,  and  gloried  in  it,  that  eleven  hundred  ninety  and  two 
thousand  men  were  killed  by  him  in  wars.  Pompey  the  Great  writ 
upon  Minerva's  temple  that  he  had  scattered,  chased,  and  killed 
twenty  hundred  eighty  and  three  thousand  men.  Q.  Fabius  killed 
a  hundred  and  ten  thousand  of  the  Gauls.  C.  Marius  put  to  the 
sword  two  hundred  thousand  of  the  Cimbrians.  jEtius,  in  that 
memorable  battle  of  Catalonia,^  slew  a  hundred  sixty  and  two  thou- 
sand Huns.  Who  can  number  up  the  many  thousands  that  have 
fallen  by  the  bloody  sword  in  Europe,  from  the  year  1620  to  this 
year  1667  ?  Ah  London  !  London  !  thy  streets  might  have  flowed 
with  the  blood  of  the  slain,  as  once  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  Paris,  and 
others  have  done.  Whilst  the  fire  was  a-devouring  thy  stately  houses 
and  palaces,  a  foreign  sword  might  have  been  a-destroying  thine 
inhabitants.  Whilst  the  furious  flames  were  a-consuming  thy  goods, 
thy  wares,  thy  substance,  thy  riches,  a  close  and  secret  enemy, 
spirited,  counselled,  and  animated  from  Ptome  and  hell,  might  have 
risen  up  in  the  midst  of  thee,  that  might  have  mingled  together  the 
blood  of  husbands  and  wives,  and  the  blood  of  parents  and  children, 

^  Josephus,  dc  Bello  Jud. 

^  Chalons  :  Greg.  Turou.  ii.  7  ;  Joniandcs  de  Rebus  Get.  3G. — G. 


190  LONDDX'.S  LAMENTATIONS  ON  [IsA.  XLll.  24,  25. 

and  tlio  blood  of  masters  and  servants,  and  the  Wood  of  ricli  and  poor, 
and  the  blood  of  the  honourable  with  the  blood  of  the  vile.  Now  had 
this  been  tliy  doom,  0  Ijondon  !  which  many  feared,  and  others 
c-xpected,  what  a  dreadful  day  would  that  have  been  !  It  is  better  to 
see  our  houses  on  fire  than  to  see  our  streets  running  down  Avith  the 
blood  of  the  slain.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  God  might  have  inflicted  the  judgment  of  famine 
upon  London,  whi(;h  is  a  more  dreadful  judgment  than  that  of  fire.^ 
IIow  sad  would  that  day  have  been,  0  London  !  if  thou  hadst  been  so 
sorely  pnt  to  it,  as  to  have  taken  up  that  sad  lamentation  of  weeping 
Jeremiah  :  Lam.  ii.  11,  12,  ID,  20,  iv.  4,  5,  7-10,  and  v.  4,  6,  9,  10, 
'  Mine  eyes  do  fail  with  tears,  my  bowels  are  troubled,  my  liver  is 
poured  upon  the  earth,  for  the  destruction  of  the  daughter  of  my 
people ;  because  the  children  and  the  sucklings  swoon  in  the  streets. 
They  say  to  their  mothers,  Where  is  corn  and  wdne  ?  when  they 
swooned  as  the  wounded  in  the  streets  of  the  city,  when  their  soul  was 
poured  into  their  mother's  bosom.  Arise,  cry  out  in  the  night ;  in 
the  beginning  of  the  watches  pour  out  thine  heart  like  water  before 
the  face  of  the  Lord  :  lift  up  thy  hands  towards  him  for  the  life  of  thy 
young  children,  that  faint  for  hunger  in  the  top  of  every  street.  Shall 
the  woman  eat  her  fruit,  and  children  of  a  span  long  ?  The  tongue 
of  the  suckling  child  cleaveth  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth  for  thirst :  the 
young  children  ask  bread,  and  no  man  breaketh  it  unto  them.  They 
that  did  feed  delicately  are  desolate  in  the  streets  :  they  that  Averc 
brought  up  in  scarlet  embrace  dunghills.  Her  Nazarites  were  purer 
than  snow,  they  were  whiter  than  milk,  they  were  more  ruddy  in  the 
body  than  rubies,  their  polishing  was  of  sapphire.  Their  visage  is 
blacker  than  a  coal ;  they  are  not  known  in  the  streets :  their  skin 
cleaveth  to  their  bones  ;  it  is  withered,  it  is  become  like  a  stick.  They 
that  be  slain  with  the  sword  are  better  than  they  that  be  slain  with 
hunger  ;  for  these  pine  away,  striclcen  thi-ough  for  want  of  the  fruits 
of  the  field.  The  hands  of  the  pitiful  women  have  sodden  their  own 
children  ;  they  were  their  meat  in  the  destruction  of  the  daughter 
of  my  people.  We  have  drunken  our  water  for  money  ;  our  wood  is 
sold  unto  us.  We  have  given  the  hand  to  the  Egyptians  and  Assyrians, 
to  be  satisfied  with  bread.  We  gat  our  bread  with  the  peril  of  our 
lives,  because  of  the  sword  of  the  wilderness.  Our  skin  was  black  like 
an  oven,  because  of  the  terrible  famine.'  So  great  was  the  famine  in 
Jerusalem,^  that  a  bu.shel  of  wheat  was  sold  for  a  talent,  Avhich  is  six 
hundred  crowns,  and  the  dung  and  raking  of  the  city  sinks  was  held 
good  commons  ;  and  such  pinching  necessities  were  they  under,  that 
they  acted  against  all  piety,  honesty,  humanity,  &c.  Women  did  eat 
their  children  of  a  span  long;  yea,  the  hands  of  pitiful  women  did 
boil  their  own  children,  and  men  eat  one  another;  yea,  many  did  eat 
the  flesh  of  their  own  arms,  according  to  what  the  Lord  had  long 
before  threatened  :  Isa.  ix.  19,  20,  '  Through  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts  is  the  land  darkened,  and  the  people  shall  be  as  the  fuel  of  the 
fire :  no  man  shall  spare  his  brother.  And  he  shall  snatch  on  the 
right  hand,  and  be  hungry  ;  and  he  shall  eat  on  the  left  hand,  and 

'  Oen.  xlv.  4fi  ;  Joel  i.  2,  and  ii.  3  ;  .fcr.  xxiv.  10  ;  Ezck.  vi.  11  :  '2  Sam.  x.\i.  1. 
*  Josephus,  lib.  vi.  cap.  16,  de  Belio  Judaico. 


'IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]        THE  late  fiery  dispensation.  191 

they  shall  not  be  satisfied  :  they  shall  eat  every  man  the  flesh  of  his 
own  arm.'  In  the  reign  of  William  the  First  ^  there  was  so  great 
a  dearth  and  famine,  especially  in  Northumberland,  that  men  were 
glad  to  eat  horses,  dogs,  cats,  and  rats,  and  what  else  is  most  abhorrent 
to  nature.  In  Honorius's  reign  there  Avas  such  a  scarcity  of  all 
manner  of  provision  in  Rome,  that  men  were  even  afraid  of  one 
another  ;  and  the  common  voice  that  was  heard  in  the  kirk  was 
Pone  pretium  huinance  carni,  Set  a  price  on  man's  flesh.  In  Italy, 
when  it  was  wasted  by  the  Goths  under  Justinian,  tlie  famine  was  so 
great,  that  in  Picene^  only,  fifty  thousand  persons  died  with  hunger, 
and  not  only  man's  flesh  was  made  meat  of,  but  the  very  excrements 
of  men  also.  In  the  reign  of  Hubid,  king  of  Spain,  there  was  no  rain 
for  six  and  twenty  years  together,  so  that  the  drought  was  so  great  that 
all  the  fountains  and  rivers,  except  Iber  and  Betis,  [Baetis,]  were  dried 
up ;  so  that  the  earth  gaped  in  several  places,  that  whole  fields  were 
parted,  and  that  many  who  had  thought  to  have  fled  into  other  parts 
were  hindered,  and  could  not  get  passage  over  these  fearful  openings 
of  the  earth.  Hereby  Spain,  especially  those  places  nearest  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea,  being  stripped  naked  of  all  herbs,  and  the  glory  of  trees 
being  dried  up,  except  a  few  trees  which  were  preserved  upon  the  banks 
of  the  river  Betis,  men  and  beasts  being  consumed  with  tliirst  and 
famine,  was  turned  by  this  judgment  into  a  miserable  solitude  and 
wilderness.  The  royal  line  of  the  kings  was  by  this  means  extinct ; 
and  the  poorer  sort  of  men,  whose  means  were  short  and  provision 
small,  went  into  other  places  as  they  could  conveniently  and  with  all 
speed,  not  being  able  to  stand  or  stay  out  this  six  and  twenty  years' 
misery.3  In  the  Peloponnesian  war,  at  Potidtea,  men  ate  one  another, 
[Tlmcydides.]  When  Utica  was  besieged  by  Hamilcar,  the  father  of 
Hannibal,  men  ate  one  another,  the  famine  was  so  great  amongst  them, 
[Polybius.]  At  Antioch  in  Syria  many  of  the  Christians,  in  the  holy 
war,  through  famine  devoured  the  dead  bodies  of  the  late  slain  enemies. * 
At  the  siege  of  Scodra,  horses  were  dainty  meat ;  yea,  they  were  glad 
to  eat  dogs,  cats,  rats,  and  the  skins  of  beasts  sod.  A  little  mouse, 
and  puddings  made  of  dogs'  guts,  was  sold  at  so  great  a  price  as 
exceeds  all  credit.  When  Hannibal  besieged  Casilinum,  the  famine 
was  so  great,  that  a  mouse  was  sold  for  two  hundred  groats,  that  is, 
for  three  pounds  eighteen  shillings  and  eight  pence.^  That  was  a 
sore  famine  in  Samaria  when  an  ass's  head  was  sold  for  eighty  pieces 
of  silver — that  is,  say  some,  for  four  or  five  pound,  2  Kings  vi.  25 ; 
others  say  ten,  for  a  shekel  of  silver  was  with  the  Jews  as  much  as 
two  shillings  and  sixpence  with  us.  By  this  account  an  ass's  head 
was  sold  for  ten  pounds  sterling.  In  Edward  the  Second's  time,  anno 
1316,  there  was  so  great  a  famine,  that  horses,  dogs,  yea,  men  and 
children,  were  stolen  for  food ;  and  the  thieves  newly  brought  into  the 
jails  were  torn  in  pieces  and  eaten  presently,  half  alive,  by  such  as  had 
been  longer  there.^     In  war,  oppression,  captivity,  and  many  other 

^  Sir  Richard  Baker's  Chronicle,  p.  26. 

*  Pisa  of  the  Peloponnesus,  or  Pissae  (spelled  Pisanus)  or  Etniria  ? — G. 

•*  All  these  things  do  the  histories  of  Spain  report. 

^  [Knolles]  Turk.  Hist.  fol.  IS. 

^  Val.  Max.  lib.  vii.  cap.  6.     Turk.  Hist.     [Livy,  xxiii.  17,  IP.— G  1    ■ 

"  Pinch.  Pilgrim.,  p.  289.     Speed,  vi.  4. 


192  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  '25. 

caliiniitics,  mucli  of  tlie  liand  of  man  is  to  be  seen;  but  famine  is  a  deep, 
evident,  and  apparent  judgment,  which  God  himself  brings  upon  the 
sons  of  men  In'  Ins  own  liigli  hand.  Many  or  most  of  those  calamities 
that  are  bronglii  upon  us  by  human  means  are  avoidable  by  human 
helps;  but  iiimine  is  that  compreliensive  judgment,  that  the  highest 
power  on  earth  cannot  help  against :  '  If  the  Lord  do  not  help  thee, 
whence  shall  I  help  thee?  out  of  the  barn-floor,  or  out  of  the  wine- 
press?' said  the  king  of  Israel  in  the  famine  of  kSamaria,  2  Kings 
vi,  27.  Ah  London,  London  !  if  the  Lord  had  inflicted  upon  thy  in- 
hal)itants  this  sore  judgment  of  famine,  making  'the  heavens  as  iron, 
and  the  earth  as  brass  ;'  if  the  Lord  had  cut  off  all  thy  delightful  and 
necessary  provisions,  and  thy  citizens  liad  been  forced  to  eat  one  an- 
other, or  every  one  to  eat  the  flesh  of  his  own  arms,  and  the  fruit  of 
his  own  body,  how  dismal  would  thy  condition  have  been  !  Lev,  xxvi. 
19  ;  Hab.  iii.  17 ;  Dent,  xxviii.  23.  Certainly  such  as  have  been  swe])t 
away  by  the  raging  pestilence  ashore,  and  such  as  have  been  slain  by 
the  bloody  sword  at  sea,  might  very  well  l)e  counted  happy,  in  com- 
parison of  those  who  should  live  and  die  under  that  lingering  judgment 
of  a  famine.  Doubtless  famine  is  a  sorer  judgment  than  either  sword, 
fire,  or  pestilence.  There  be  many  deaths  in  a  dearth.  Famine  is  the 
top  of  all  human  calamities,  as  Basil  termeth  it.  Extreme  hunger 
hath  mad;3  mothers  murderers,  and  so  turned  the  sanctuary  of  life  into 
the  shambles  of  death. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  God  might  have  overturned  London  and  her  inhabitants 
in  a  moment  by  some  great  and  dreadful  earthquake,  as  he  hath  done 
several  great,  rich,  strong,  and  ])()pulous  cities  and  towns  in  former 
times,  Isa.  xiii.  13,  and  Ps.  xviii.  7.  Under  Tiberius  the  emperor 
thirteen  cities  of  Asia  fell  down  with  an  earthquake,  and  six  under 
Trajan,  and  twelve  under  Constantine.  In  Campania,  Fcrrara  in 
Italy,  15(39,1  ii;.  the  space  of  forty  hours,  by  reason  of  an  earthquake, 
many  palaces,  temples,  and  houses  were  overthrown,  with  the  loss  of 
many  a  man,  the  loss  amounting  to  forty  hundred  thousand  jiounds. 
In  the  year  1171,  there  was  such  a  mighty  earthquake  that  the  city 
Tripoli,  and  a  great  part  of  Damascus  in  Antiochia,  and  Hulcipre  (?), 
the  chief  city  in  the  kingdom  of  Loradin  (?),  and  other  cities  of  the 
Saracens,  eitlier  perished  utterly  or  were  wonderfully  defaced.  In  the 
year  1509,  [Bodin,]  in  the  month  of  September,  there  was  so  great  an 
eartliquake  at  Constantinople,  that  there  were  thirteen  thousand  men 
destroyed  by  it,  and  Ibe  city  miserably  shattered  and  ruined  by  it.  In 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  rirst,^  the  earth  moved  with  so  great  a  violence, 
that  many  buildings  were  shaken  down  ;  and  Malmesbury  saith,  '  That 
the  house  wherein  he  sat  was  lifted  up  with  a  double  remove,  and  at 
the  third  time  settled  again  in  the  proper  ]>lace.'  Also  in  divers  |)laces 
it  yielded  forth  a  hideous  noise,  and  cast  forth  flames.  In  Lombardy 
[Hoveden]  tliere  was  an  eartliquake  that  continued  forty  days,  and 
removed  a  town  fi'om  the  jilace  where  it  stood  a  great  way  ofl\  In 
the  eleventh  year  of  the  reign  of  King  Henry  the  Second,^  on  the  six 
and  twentieth  day  of  January,  was  so  great  an  earthquake  in  Ely,  Nor- 
folk, and  Suffolk,  that  it  overthrew  them  that  stood  upon  their  feet, 
and  made  the  bells  to  ring  in  the  steeples.     In  the  four  and  twentieth 

'  iaideutius.  -  Sir  HicharU  Baker's  Chroiijclc,  p   47.  '  Ibid.  p.  05. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  193 

year  of  his  reign,  in  the  territory  of  Darlington,  in  the  bishopric  of 
Durham,  the  earth  lifted  up  herself  in  the  manner  of  a  high  tower,  and 
so  remained  unmovable  from  morning  till  evening,  and  then  fell  with  so 
horrible  a  noise,  that  it  frighted  the  inhabitants  thereabouts,  and  the 
earth,  swallowing  it  up,  made  there  a  deep  pit,  which  is  seen  at  this 
day;  for  a  testimony  whereof,  Leland  saith  he  saw  the  pits  there,  com- 
monly called  hell-kettles.  In  the  yenv  1666,^  the  city  of  Raguza  was 
overthrown  by  a  most  dreadful  earthquake,  and  all  the  inhabitants, 
which  were  many  thousands,  except  a  few  hundred,  were  destroyed, 
and  buried  in  the  ruins  of  that  city.  At  Berne,  anno  1584,^  near  unto 
which  city  a  certain  hill,  carried  violently  beyond  and  over  other  hills, 
is  reported  by  Polanus,  who  lived  in  those  parts,  to  have  covered  a 
whole  village,  that  had  ninety  families  in  it,  one  half  house  only 
excepted,  wherein  the  master  of  the  family,  with  his  wife  and  children, 
were  earnestly  calling  upon  God.  Oh  the  terror  of  the  Lord  !  and  oh 
the  power  of  fervent  prayer  !  At  Pleures  (?)  in  Rhetia,  anno  1G18,  Aug. 
25,^  the  whole  town  was  over-covered  with  a  mountain,  which  with  its 
most  swift  motion  oppressed  fifteen  hundred.  In  the  days  of  Uzziah 
king  of  Judah,  there  was  such  a  terrible  earthquake,  that  the  people 
with  fear  and  horror  fled  fi-om  it :  Zech.  xiv.  5,  '  Yea,  ye  shall  flee, 
like  as  ye  fled  from  before  the  earthquake  in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king 
of  Judah,'  Amos  i.  1.  The  Jewish  doctors  affirm  that  this  amazing 
earthquake  fell  out  just  at  that  instant  time  when  Uzziah  offered 
incense,  and  was  therefore  smitten  with  a  leprosy :  but  this  is  but  their 
conjecture.  However,  this  dreadful  earthquake  was  a  horrible  sign 
and  presage  of  God's  wrath  to  that  sinful  people.  Josephus  tells  us* 
that  by  it  half  a  great  hill  was  removed  out  of  its  place,  and  carried 
four  furlongs  another  way,  so  that  the  highway  was  obstructed,  and 
the  king's  gardens  utterly  marred.  The  same  author  further  tells  us,^ 
that  at  that  time  that  Csesar  and  Anthony  made  trial  of  their  titles  in 
the  Actian  war,  and  in  the  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  king  Herod, 
there  happened  such  an  earthquake  in  the  coimtry  of  Judea,  that 
never  the  like  was  seen  in  any  other  place ;  so  that  divers  beasts  were 
slain  thereby,  and  that  ten  thousand  men  were  overwhelmed  and 
destroyed  in  the  ruins  of  their  houses.  The  same  author  saith  ^  that 
in  the  midst  of  the  Actian  war,  about  the  beginning  of  the  spring 
time,  there  happened  so  great  an  earthquake,  as  slew  an  infinite  multi- 
tude of  beasts,  and  thirty  thousand  peoj^le  ;  yet  the  army  had  no  harm, 
for  it  lay  in  the  open  field.  Upon  the  report  of  this  dreadful  earth- 
quake, and  the  effects  of  it,  the  Arabians  were  so  highly  encouraged, 
that  they  entered  into  Judea,  supposing  that  there  were  no  men  left 
alive  to  resist  them,  and  that  they  should  certainly  conquer  the  country  ; 
and  before  their  coming,  they  slew  the  ambassadors  of  the  Jews  that 
were  sent  unto  them.  Ah  London,  London  !  if  the  Lord  had  by  some 
terrible  earthquake  utterly  overthrown  thee,  and  buried  all  thy  in- 
habitants under  thy  ruins,  as  he  hath  dealt  by  many  cities  and  citizens, 
both  in  former  and  in  these  latter  times,  how  dreadful  would  thy  case 
then  have  been  over  what  now  it  is  !     Certainly  such  earthquakes  as 

^  See  the  relation  in  print.  *  Polan.  Syntag.  841. 

'  Alst.  Chronol.  *  Antiq.,  lib.  ix.  cap.  11 

'  Lib  XV.  cap.  7.  '  Josephus,  lib.  i.  cap.  14,  de  Bello  .Tndaico. 
VOL.  VL  N 


194  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

overwlielm  both  cities  and  citizens  are  far  greater  judgments  than 
Buch  a  lire  or  tires,  that  only  consumes  men's  houses,  but  never  hurts 
their  persons.  God  might  have  intlicted  this  sore  judgment  upon  thee, 
0  London,  but  he  lias  not ;  therefore  it  concerns  thee  to  be  still  a-crying, 
Grace,  grace  !     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  God  might  have  inflicted  that  judgment,  both  upon 
city  and  citizens,  that  he  did  iip07iKorah,  Dathan,  and  Ahiram,  and 
all  that  appertained  to  them  :  Num.  xvi.  31-34,  '  And  it  came  to  pass, 
as  he  had  made  an  end  of  speaking  all  these  words,  that  the  ground 
clave  asunder  that  was  under  them  :  and  the  earth  opened  her  mouth, 
and  swallowed  them  up,  and  their  houses,  and  all  the  men  that  apper- 
tained unto  Korah,  and  all  their  goods.  They,  and  all  that  appertained 
to  them,  went  down  alive  into  the  pit,  and  the  earth  closed  upon  them  : 
and  they  perished  from  among  the  congregation.  And  all  Israel  that 
were  round  about  them  fled  at  the  cry  of  them  :  for  they  said,  Lest  the 
earth  swallow  us  up  also.'^  Whilst  Moses  spake  these  words,  saith 
Josephus,-  and  intermixed  them  with  tears,  the  earth  trembled,  and, 
shaking,  began  to  remove,  after  such  a  manner  as  when,  by  the  violence 
of  the  wind,  a  great  billow  of  the  sea  floateth  and  is  tossed  hither  and 
thither ;  hereat  all  the  people  were  amazed,  but  after  that  a  horrible 
and  shattering  noise  was  made  about  their  tents,  and  the  earth  opened 
and  swallowed  up  both  them  and  all  that  which  they  esteemed  dear, 
which  was  after  a  manner  so  exterminate  as  nothing  remained  of 
theirs  to  be  beheld.  Whereupon  in  a  moment  the  earth  closed  again, 
and  the  vast  gaping  was  fast  shut,  so  as  there  appeared  not  any  sign  of 
that  which  had  happened.  Thus  perished  they  all,  leaving  behind 
them  an  example  of  God's  power  and  judgments.  And  this  accident 
was  the  more  miserable,  in  that  there  were  no  one,  no,  not  of  their 
kinsfolks  or  allies,  that  had  compassion  of  them  ;  so  that  all  the  people 
whatsoever,  forgetting  those  things  which  were  past,  did  allow  God's 
justice  with  joyful  acclamations,  esteeming  them  unworthy  to  be  be- 
moaned, but  to  be  held  as  the  plague  and  perverters  of  the  people.  Oh 
what  a  dreadful  judgment  was  this,  for  persons  to  be  buried  alive  ;  for 
houses  and  inhabitants,  and  all  their  goods,  to  be  swallowed  up  in  a 
moment !  What  tongue  can  express,  or  heart  conceive,  the  terror  and 
astonishment  that  fell  upon  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  when  the 
earth,  which  God  had  made  firm,  and  established  by  a  perpetual  decree 
to  stand  fast  under  men's  feet,  was  weary  of  bearing  them,  and  there- 
fore opened  her  mouth  and  swallowed  them  and  all  their  concernments 
up !  Ah  London,  London  !  if  the  earth  had  opened  her  mouth  and 
swallowed  up  all  thy  houses  and  inhabitants,  with  all  thy  goods  and 
riches  in  a  moment ;  would  not  this  have  been  ten  thousand  thousand 
times  a  greater  judgment  than  that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  passed 
upon  thee?     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly  and  lastly,  God  might  have  rained  hell  out  of  heaven 
upon  you,  as  he  did  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  this  icoidd  have 
been  a  sorer  judgment  than  ivhat  he  has  inflicted  upon  you.  Gen.  xix. 
If  God,  by  raining  fire  and  brimstone  from  heaven,  had  consumed  your 
persons,  houses,  riches,  and  relations,  Avould  not  this  have  been  the 

'  Such  vir^'ins  tb.Tt  had  been  deflowered,  the  heathen  buried  alive,  accounting  that  tlie 
•crest  of  all  puuibhineuta.  «  Josephus,  Antiq.,  lib.  iv.  cap.  3. 


Is  A.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  195 

height  of  judgment,  and  infinitely  more  terrible  and  dreadful  to  you 
than  that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  consumed  part  of  your  estates, 
and  turned  your  houses  into  ashes  ?  Now  by  these  five  things  it  is 
most  evident  that  there  are  worse  judgments  than  the  judgment  of 
fire,  which  God  in  justice  might  have  inflicted  upon  you.  But  free 
mercy  has  so  interposed,  that  God  has  not  stirred  up  all  his  wrath ; 
and  though  he  has  severely  punished  you,  yet  it  is  less  than  your 
iniquities  have  deserved,  Ezra  ix.  13  ;  and  therefore  let  this  considera- 
tion support  and  bear  up  your  hearts  under  all  your  present  sorrows 
and  sufferings.     But, 

(11.)  Eleventhly,  Though  your  houses  are  hurnt,  and  your  hahifa- 
iions  laid  desolate,  yet  your  outward  condition  is  not  loorse  than 
Christ's  loas  when  he  loas  in  the  loorld.  The  estate  and  condition  of 
Christ  was  low,  yea,  very  low  and  mean  in  this  world.  Witness  his 
own  relation  when  he  was  upon  the  earth  :  '  The  foxes  have  holes,  and 
the  birds  of  the  air  have  nests,'  Mat.  viii.  20, — or  resting-places  where 
they  go  to  rest,  as  under  a  tent,  like  as  the  Greek  word  properly  im- 
ports,— '  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head.'  He  doth 
not  say,  Kings  have  palaces,  but  I  have  none ;  nor  he  does  not  say 
that  rich  men  have  houses  and  lands  and  lordships  to  entertain  their 
followers,  but  I  have  none ;  but,  '  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds 
of  the  air  have  nests,  but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his 
head.'  Christ  was  willing  to  undeceive  the  scribe,  and  to  shew  him 
his  mistake.  Thou  thinkest,  0  scribe,  by  following  of  me  to  get 
riches,  and  honour,  and  preferment,  and  to  be  somebody  in  the  world, 
but  thou  art  highly  mistaken ;  for  I  have  neither  silver  nor  gold, 
lands  nor  lordships,  no,  not  so  much  as  a  house  to  put  my  head  in. 
When  I  was  born,  I  was  born  in  a  stable  and  laid  in  a  manger,  Luke 
ii.  17 ;  and  now  I  live  upon  others,  and  am  maintained  by  others, 
Luke  viii.  3.  I  am  not  rich  enough  to  pay  my  tribute,  and  therefore 
do  not  deceive  thyself,  Mat.  xvii.  27.  The  great  Architect  of  the 
world  had  not  a  house  to  put  his  head  in,  but  emptied  himself  of  all, 
and  became  poor  to  make  us  rich,  not  in  goods,  but  in  grace,  not  in 
worldly  wealth,  but  in  the  treasures  of  another  world,  Phil.  ii.  7; 
2  Cor.  vhi.  9.1  He  that  was  heir  of  both  worlds  had  not  a  house  of 
his  own  to  put  his  head  in.  Christ  lived  poor  and  died  poor.  As  he 
was  born  in  another  man's  house,  so  he  was  buried  in  another  man's 
tomb.  Austin  observes,  when  Christ  died  he  made  no  will,  he  had  no 
crown-lands,  only  his  coa,t  was  left,  and  that  the  soldiers  parted 
amongst  themselves.  Are  you  houseless,  are  you  penniless,  are  you 
poor,  and  low,  and  mean  in  this  world  ?  So  was  Christ.  Kemember 
'the  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord,'  John  xiii.  16.  It  is  good 
seriously  to  ponder  upon  that  saying  of  Christ,  '  The  disciple  is  not 
above  his  master,  nor  the  servant  above  his  lord.  It  is  enough  for  the 
disciple  that  he  be  as  his  master,  and  the  servant  as  his  lord,'  Mat.  x. 
24,  25.  If  Joab  the  lord-general  be  in  tents,  it  is  a  shame  for  Uriah 
to  take  his  ease  at  home  in  a  soft  bed.  It  is  unseemly  to  see  the  head 
all  begored  with  blood  and  crowned  with  thorns,  and  the  members  to 
•be  decked  with  roses  and  jewels,  and  to  smell  of  rich  odours,  spices, 
and  perfumes.  Art  thou  in  a  worse  condition  than  Christ  was  in  this 
^  Christi  pauperta?  meum  est  patrimonium. — Avibrose. 


196  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

■world  ?  Oil  no,  no  !  Why  then  dost  thou  murmur  and  complain  ? 
Wiiy  dot^t  thou  say  there  is  no  sorrow  to  thy  sorrow,  nor  no  sutfering 
to  thy  suffering  H  O  sirs  !  it  is  honour  enough  for  the  disciples  of 
Chiist  to  fare  as  Christ  fared  in  tliis  world.  Why  should  the  servant 
be  in  a  better  condition  than  liis  lord  ?  Is  not  that  servant  hai)py 
enough  that  is  equal  with  his  lord  ?  Did  the  burnt  citizens  but  seri- 
ously and  frequently  meditate  and  ponder  upon  the  poverty  and  low 
estate  of  Christ  wliilst  he  was  in  this  world,  their  hearts  would  be 
more  calm  and  quiet  under  all  their  crosses  and  losses  than  now  they 
are.     But, 

(12.)  Twelfthly,  Though  your  houses  are  burnt,  and  your  hahita- 
tions  laid  desolate,  and  you  have  no  certain  diuelling-jjlace,  dec,  yet 
your  outward  condition  in  this  ivorld  is  not  ivorse  than  theirs  ivas  '  of 
whom  this  world  was  not  worthy : '  Lam.  v.  2,  '  Our  inheritance  is 
turned  to  strangers,  our  houses  to  aliens ; '  Ps.  cvii.  4,  5,  '  They  wan- 
dered in  the  wilderness  in  a  solitary  way ;  they  found  no  city  to  dwell 
in.  Hungry  and  thirsty,  their  souls  fainted  in  them  ; '  1  Cor.  iv.  11, 
*  Even  unto  this  present  hour  we  both  hunger  and  thirst,  and  are 
naked,  and  are  buffeted,  and  have  no  certain  dwelling-place ; '  Heb. 
xi.  37,  38,  '  They  wandered  about  in  sheep-skins  and  goat-skins,  being 
destitute,  afflicted,  tormented.  They  wandered  in  deserts,  and  in 
mountains,  and  in  dens,  and  in  caves  of  the  earth.'  Some  of  the 
learned,  by  their  wandering  up  and  down  in  sheep-skins  and  goat- 
skins, do  understand  their  disguising  of  themselves  for  their  better 
security.  One  well  observes  from  the  words,  [Chrysostom,]  that  they 
did  not  only  wander  and  were  removed  from  their  own  habitation,  but 
that  they  were  not  quiet  even  in  the  woods,  deserts,  mountains,  dens, 
and  caves  of  the  earth,  but  were  hunted  by  their  persecutors  from 
desert  to  desert,  and  from  mountain  to  mountain,  and  from  den  to 
den,  and  from  one  cave  to  another. 

But  hereupon  some  might  be  ready  to  object  and  reply, 

OhJ.  These  were  the  very  worst  of  the  worst  of  men.  Surely  these 
were  very  vile,  base,  and  unworthy  wretches,  these  were  the  greatest 
of  sinners,  &c. 

Ans.  Oh  no;  they  were  such,  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  '  of  whom  the 
world  was  not  worthy.'  The  heathenish  world,  the  poor,  blind, 
ignorant,  atheistical  world,  the  profane,  superstitious,  idolatrous, 
oppressing,  and  persecuting  world  was  not  worthy  of  them — that  is, 
they  were  not  worthy,  (1.)  Of  their  presence  and  com])any.  (2.) 
They  were  not  worthy  of  their  prayers  and  tears.  (3.)  They  were 
not  worthy  of  their  counsel  and  advice.  (4.)  They  were  not  worthy 
of  their  gracious  lives  and  exam])les.  In  this  scripture  you  may 
plainly  see  that  their  wandering  up  and  down  in  deserts,  and  on  the 
mountains,  and  in  dens,  and  in  tlie  caves  of  the  earth,  is  reckoned  up 
amongst  tliose  great  and  dreadful  tilings  that  the  saints  suffered  in 
that  woeful  day.  Those  precious  souls  that  dwelt  in  caves  and  dens, 
and  wandered  up  and  down  in  sheep-skins  and  goat-skins,  might 
have  rustled  in  their  silks,  satins,  and  velvets ;  they  might,  Nebu- 
chadnezzar-like, have  vaunted  themselves  on  their  stately  turrets  and 
palaces,  if  they  would  have  wounded  their  consciences  and  have 
turned  their  backs  upon  Christ  and  religion.     Now  if  the  burnt-up 


ISA.  XLII,  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  197 

citizens  of  London  would  but  seriously  lay  to  heart  the  sad  dispensa- 
tions of  Grod  towards  his  choicest  worthies,  then  their  hearts  would 
neither  faint  nor  sink  under  their  present  losses,  crosses,  and  suffer- 
ings.    But, 

(13.)  Thirteenthly  and  lastly,  There  is  a  ivorsejire  them  that  lohich 
has  turned  London  into  a  ruinous  heap — viz.,  the  fire  of  hell,  ivhich 
Christ  has  freed  believers  from.  There  is  *  unquenchable  fire : '  Mat 
iii.  12,  '  He  will  burn  up  the  chaff"  with  unquenchable  fire.'  There  is 
'  everlasting  burnings : '  Isa.  xxxiii.  14,  '  The  sinners  in  Zion  are 
afraid ;  fearfulness  hath  surprised  the  hypocrites.  Who  among  us 
shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire?  who  among  us  shall  dwell 
with  everlasting  burnings  ?i  Luke  iii.  17;  Mat.  xviii.  8.  Wicked 
men,  who  are  now  the  only  burning  jolly  fellows  of  the  time,  shall 
one  day  go  from  burning  to  burning;  from  burning  in  sin,  to  burning 
in  hell ;  from  burning  in  flames  of  lusts,  to  burning  in  flames  of 
torment,  except  there  be  found  repentance  on  their  sides,  and  pardon- 
ing grace  on  God's.  0  sirs  !  in  this  devouring  fire,  in  these  everlast- 
ing burnings,  Cain  shall  find  no  cities  to  build,  nor  his  posterity  shall 
have  no  instruments  of  music  to  invent  there  ;  none  shall  take  up  the 
timbrel  or  harp,  or  rejoice  at  the  sound  of  the  organ.  There  Bel- 
shazzar  cannot  drink  wine  in  bowls,  nor  eat  the  lambs  out  of  the 
flock,  nor  the  calves  out  of  the  midst  of  the  stall.  In  everlasting 
burnings  there  will  be  no  merry  company  to  pass  time  away  ;  nor  no 
dice  to  cast  care  away ;  nor  no  cellars  of  wine  wherein  to  drown  the 
sinner's  grief,  Gren.  iv.  17 ;  Amos  vi.  5 ;  Job  xxi,  12 ;  Dan.  v.  23 
Amos  vi.  4.  There  is  everlasting  fire :  Mat.  xxv.  41,  '  Then  shall  he 
say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand.  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into 
everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.'  This  terrible 
sentence  breathes  out  nothing  but  fire  and  brimstone,  terror  and 
horror,  dread  and  woe.  The  last  words  that  ever  Christ  will  speak 
in  this  world  will  be  the  most  tormenting  and  amazing,  the  most 
killing  and  damning,  the  most  stinging  and  wounding,  '  Depart  from 
me.'  There  is  rejection :  pack,  begone,  get  you  out  of  my  sight,  let 
me  never  see  your  faces  more  !  It  was  a  heavy  doom  that  was  passed 
upon  Nebuchadnezzar,  Dan.  iv.  25,  that  he  should  be  driven  from  the 
society  of  men,  and,  in  an  extremity  of  a  sottish  melancholy,  spend 
his  time  among  the  beasts  of  the  field  ;  but  that  was  nothing  to  this 
soul-killing  word,  '  Depart  from  me.'  It  was  nothing  to  men's  being 
cast  out  of  the  presence  of  Christ  for  ever.  The  remembrance  of 
which  made  one  to  pray  thus,  '  0  Lord,  deliver  me  at  the  great  day 
from  that  killing  word  depart.  2     And  what  saith  another  ? — 

'  This  word  depart,  the  goats  with  horror  hears  ; 
But  this  word  come,  the  sheep  to  joy  appears.'* 

Basil  saith,  '  That  an  alienation  and  utter  separation  from  God  is 
more  grievous  than  the  pains  of  hell.'*  Chrysostom  saith,5  '  That 
the  torments  of  a  thousand  hells,  if  there  were  so  many,  comes  far 
short  of  this  one — to  wit,  to  be  turned  out  of  God's  presence  with  a 

1  Some  devout  personages  caused  this  scripture  to  be  writ  in  letters  of  gold  upon 
their  chimney-pieces. — E.  of  Betty  in  France,  in  his  Drnvght  of  Eternity.  [Camus, 
Bishop  of  Belly,  not  Betty. — G  ]  ^  Bernard,  in  Ps.  xci. 

'  Sphynx.  *  Basil.  Asc.  Etic,  cap.  2.  *  Chrysost.  in  Mat.,  hom.  xxiv. 


198  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

Koji  novt  vos,  I  know  you  not.'  What  a  grief  were  it  lierc  to  be 
banished  fidui  the  king's  court  with  Absalom,  or  to  be  turned  out 
of  doors  with  Hagar  and  Ishmael,  or  to  be  cast  out  of  God's  presence 
with  cursed  Cain  !  But  what  is  all  this  to  a  man's  being  excommuni- 
cated, and  cast  out  of  the  presence  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the  angels, 
and  out  of  the  general  assembly  of  the  saints  and  congregation  of  the 
firstborn  ?  To  bo  secluded  from  the  i)resence  of  God  is  of  all  miseries 
the  greatest,  Heb.  xii.  22,  23.  The  serious  thoughts  of  this  made 
one  say,  '  Many  do  abhor  hell,  but  1  esteem  the  fall  fi'om  that  glory 
to  be  a  greater  punishment  than  hell  itself;  it  is  better  to  endure 
ten  thousand  thunder-claps  than  be  deprived  of  the  beatifical  vision.' 
Certainly  the  tears  of  hell  are  not  sufficient  to  bewail  the  loss  of 
heaven.  If  those  precious  souls  wept  because  they  should  see  Paul's 
face  no  more,  Acts  xx.  38,  how  deplorable  is  the  eternal  deprivation 
of  the  beatifical  vision !  '  Depart  from  me,'  is  the  first  and  worst  of 
that  dreadful  sentence  which  Christ  shall  pass  upon  sinners  at  last. 
Every  syllable  sounds  horror  and  terror,  grief  and  sorrow,  amazement 
and  astonishment  to  all  whom  it  doth  concern. 

'Ye  cursed:'  there  is  the  malediction.  But  Lord,  if  we  must 
depart,  let  us  depart  blessed. i  No,  'depart  ye  cursed:'  you  have 
cursed  others,  and  now  you  shall  be  cursed  yourselves ;  you  shall  be 
cursed  in  your  bodies,  and  cursed  in  your  souls ;  you  shall  be  cursed 
of  God,  and  cursed  of  Christ,  and  cursed  of  angels,  and  cursed  of 
saints,  and  cursed  of  devils,  and  cursed  of  your  companions.  Yea, 
you  shall  now  curse  your  very  selves,  your  very  souls,  that  ever  you 
have  despised  the  gospel,  refused  the  offers  of  grace,  scorned  Christ, 
and  neglected  the  means  of  your  salvation.  O  sinners,  sinners,  all 
your  curses,  all  your  maledictions  shall  at  last  recoil  upon  your  own 
souls !  Now  thou  cursest  every  man  and  thing  that  stands  in  the 
way  of  thy  lusts,  and  that  crosses  thy  designs ;  but  at  last  all  the 
curses  of  heaven  and  hell  shall  meet  in  their  full  power  and  force 
upon  thee.  Surely  that  man  is  cursed  with  a  witness  that  is  cursed 
by  Christ  himself ! 

But,  Lord,  if  we  must  depart,  and  depart  cursed,  oh  let  us  go  into 
some  good  place !  No,  '  Depart  ye  into  everlasting  fire.' 2  There  is 
the  vengeajicc  and  continuance  of  it.  You  shall  go  into  fire,  into 
everlasting  fire,  that  shall  neither  consume  itself,  nor  consume  you. 
Eternity  of  extremity  is  the  hell  of  hell.  The  fire  in  hell  is  like  that 
stone  in  Arcadia,  which  being  once  kindled,  could  never  be  quenched. 
If  all  the  fires  that  ever  were  in  the  world  were  contracted  into  one 
fire,  how  terrible  would  it  be !  Yet  such  a  fire  would  be  but  as 
painted  fire  ujwn  the  wall  to  the  fire  of  hell.  If  it  be  so  sad  a  spec- 
tacle to  behold  a  malefactor's  flesh  consumed  by  piecemeals  in  a 
lingering  fire,  ah,  how  sad,  how  dreadful,  would  it  be  to  experience 
what  it  is  to  lie  in  unquenchable  fire,  not  for  a  day,  a  month,  or  a 
year,  or  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  years,  but  for  ever  and  ever  !  If  it 
were,  saith  one,  [Cyril,]  but  for  a  thousand  years,  I  could  bear  it ; 
but  seeing  it  is  for  eternity,  this  amazeth  and  affrighteth  me  !     I  am 

'  Cursings  now  arc  wicked  men's  hymns;   but  in  hell  they  shall  be  their  woes,  Rev. 
xvi.  0,11,21. 

'  Uf  this  lire  j  ou  had  need  of  some  devil  or  accursed  wretch  to  descant,  saith  one. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  199 

afraid  of  liell,  saitli  another,  [Isidore,^]  becauee  the  worm  there  never 
dies,  and  the  fire  never  goes  out.  For  to  be  tormented  without  end, 
this  is  that  which  goes  beyond  all  the  bounds  of  desperation.  Grievous 
is  the  torment  of  the  damned  for  the  bitterness  of  the  punishments, 
but  it  is  more  grievous  for  the  diversity  of  the  punishments,  but  most 
grievous  for  the  eternity  of  the  punishments.^ 

To  lie  in  everlasting  torments,  to  roar  for  ever  for  disquietness  of 
heart,  to  rage  for  ever  for  madness  of  soul,  to  weep,  and  grieve,  and 
gnash  the  teeth  for  ever,  is  a  misery  beyond  all  expression.  Mat.  xxv, 
46.  Bellarmine  out  of  Barocius'^  tells  of  a  learned  man  who,  after  his 
death,  appeared  to  his  frieiid  complaining  that  he  was  adjudged  to 
hell-torments,  which,  saitli  he,  were  they  to  last  but  a  thousand 
thousand  years,  I  should  think  it  tolerable,,  but,. alas,  they  are  eternal! 
And  it  is  called  '  eternal  fire,'  Jude  7.  I  have  read  of  a  prison  among 
the  Persians  which  was  deep,  an.d  wide,,  and  dark,  and  out  of  which 
the  prisoners  could  never  get,,  and  therefore  it  was  called  by  them 
Lethe,  Forgetfulness  :  this  prison,  was  a  paradise  to  hell.  Mark,  every- 
thing that  is  conducible  to  the  torments  of  the  damned  is  eternal. 
(1.)  God  that  damns  them  is  eternal,  Isa.  xxxiii.  14;  Kom.  xvi.  26. 
(2.)  The  fire  that  torments  them,  is  eternal,  Lsa.  xxx.  33,  and  Ixvi.  24; 
Jude  7.^  (3.)  The  prison  and  chains  that  holds  them  are  eternal, 
Jude  6,  7,  13 ;  2  Pet.  ii.  17.  (4.)  The  worm  that  gnaws  them  is 
eternal,  Mark  ix.  44.  Melanchthon  calls  it  a  liellish  fuiy.  (5.)  The 
sentence  that  shall  be  passed  upon  them  shall  be  eternal.  Mat.  xxv. 
41,  42.  The  fire  of  hell  is  called  a  burning  lake:  Rev.  xx.  15,  'Who- 
soever was  not  found  Avritten  in  the  book  of  life,,  was  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire.'  You  shall  ^  know  that  fire  is  the  most  tormenting  element. 
Oh  the  most  dreadful  impressions  that  it  makes  upon  the  flesh!  The 
schoolmen  distinguish  thus  of  fire — they  say  there  is  ignis  ardoris, 
fcetoris,  et  teri'oi'is,  fire  of  heat,  of  stench,  and  of  terror :  of  heat,  as  in 
Mount  Etna;  of  stench,  as  in,  Mount  Heda;^  of  terror  and  fear,  as 
ig7iis  fulguris,  the  fire  of  lightning  in  America :  all  these  fires  they 
say  are  in  hell.  But  to  let  the  schoolmen  pass..  It  is  disputed  among 
many  of  the  learned  whether  there  be  material  fire  in  hell  or  no. 
That  it  is  very  probable  that  there  is  material  fii-e  in  hell,  or  that 
which  is  full  as  terrible,  or  more  terrible,  may,  I  suppose,  be  thus 
evidenced : — 

[1.]  First,  Thejireof  hell  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  blessed  Scrip- 
ture. '  Who  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Thou  fool !  shall  be  in  danger  of 
hell-fire.'  At  the  day  of  judgment  the  tares  are  burnt  in  the  fire,  Mat. 
xiii.  40.  Into  this  fire  offending  members  are  cast.  Mat.  xviii.  18, 19. 
To  this  everlasting  fire  the  goats  are  adjudged,  Mat.  xxv.  41.  In 
this  fire  those  that  worship  the  beast  are  tormented.  Rev.  xiv.  10. 
And  the  Sodomites  at  this  very  day  suffer  the  vengeance  of  eternal 
fire,  Jude  7.  Into  this  fire  shall  all  barren  and  unfruitful  Christians 
be  cast :  Mat.  iii.  10,  '  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of 
the  trees,  therefore  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit  is 

^  Cl.  Orat.  12.  *  Dionys.  in  18  Apocalyps.,  fol.  301.  '  De  arte  moriendi. 

*  1  Pet.  iii.  19.  Lucian  saith  that  it  was  the  common  opinion  among  them  that  the 
wicked  were  held  in  chains  by  Pluto,  (so  they  call  the  prince  of  devils,)  in  chains,  which 
cannot  be  loosed.  *  Query, 'all'? — G.  •  Query,  'Hecla'?— G.J 


200  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

licwn  clown,  and  cast  into  tlie  fire.'  Negative  goodness  will  never 
!>L'Cure  a  man  either  from  the  axe  or  from  tlie  fire.  Yea,  every  man 
and  woman  umler  heaven  that  keeps  off  from  Christ,  and  that  lives 
and  dies  out  of  Christ,  and  that  are  never  entered  into  a  marriage 
union  with  Christ,  they  shall  all  be  cast  into  this  fire:  John  xv.  G,  '  If 
a  man  abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch  that  is  withered ; 
and  men  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are 
burned.'  Thus  you  see  how  the  Scri})ture  runs.  Now  you  know  that 
it  is  safest  for  us  to  adhere  to  the  very  letter  of  the  Scripture,  unless 
evident  and  necessary  occasion  draw  us  from  a  literal  interpretation 
of  it.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  To  this  fire  is  ascribed  sulphur,  flames,  loood :  Isa. 
XXX.  33,  '  For  Tophet  is  ordained  of  old,'  tliat  is,  liell ;  those  terrible 
allusions  to  Tophet,  to  the  shrieks  and  yellings  of  those  children  that 
were  sacrificed  there,  are  but  dark  representations  of  the  pain  and 
miseries  of  the  damned:  '  yea,  for  the  king  it  is  prepared;'  if  princes 
be  wicked,  it  is  neither  their  power  nor  their  policy,  their  dignity  or 
worldly  gloiy,  that  can  secure  them  from  Tophet.  '  He  hath  made  it 
deep  and  large ;  the  pile  thereof  is  fire  and  much  wood  ;  the  breath 
of  the  Lord,  like  a  stream  of  brimstone,  doth  kindle  it;'  2  Kings 
xxiii.  18.  Now  he  shall  be  an  Apollo  to  me  that  can  shew  me  where 
the  Lord  in  his  word  gives  such  properties  to  immaterial  fire  that  are 
here  given  in  the  text.  But  yet  remember  this,  that  that  God  that 
makes  the  damned  live  without  food,  is  able  to  maintain  this  fire 
without  wood.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Fire  is  the  most  furious  of  all  elements,  and  there/ore 
the  bodies  of  men  cannot  be  more  exquisitely  tormented  than  icithfire.^ 
The  bodies  that  sinned  on  earth  shall  be  punished  and  tormented  in 
hell.  Now  what  can  be  more  grievous  and  vexatious,  more  afllicting 
and  tormenting  to  the  bodies  of  men,  than  material  fire  ?  Bilney  the 
martyr  could  not  endure  to  hold  his  finger  in  the  flame  of  a  candle 
for  a  little  w^iile,  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  though  he  tried  to  do  it 
before  he  burnt  at  the  stake.  Oh,  then,  how  wall  the  bodies  of  men 
endure  to  dwell  in  unquenchable  fire,  to  dwell  in  everlasting  burnings! 
The  brick-kilns  of  Egy])t,  the  furnace  of  Babel,  are  but  as  the  glow- 
ing sparkle,  or  as  tiic  blaze  of  a  brush-faggot,  to  this  tormenting 
Tophet,  that  has  been  prepared  of  old  to  punish  the  bodies  of  sinners 
with.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Several  of  the  fathers  and  schools  generally  agree 
that  the  fire  ^uhich  shall  torment  the  ivicked  in  hell  shall  be  material 
fire;  but  yet  they  say  that  this  material  fire  shall  ivondcrfnlly  exceed 
ours,  both  in  degree  of  heat  and  fierceness  of  burning}  Our  elemen- 
tary or  culinary  fire  is  no  more  to  be  compared  with  the  fire  of  hell, 
than  fire  i)ainted  upon  the  wall  is  to  be  com])ared  with  fire  burning 
in  our  chinmeys.  Si  igne  damnabit  reprobos,  quare  non  in  igne  cru- 
ciabit  damnatos,  sa^'s  one  of  the  ancients.  If  he  will  judge  the  repro- 
bates in  fire,  why  not  condemn  them  to  fire  ? 

Obj.  But  if  it  be  material  fire,  then  it  may  be  quenched ;  besides, 
we  see  by  common  experience  that  material  fire  in  a  short  time  will 

'  Water  doth  only  kill,  hut  fire  doth  vex,  terrify,  and  torment  in  killing.— [/?'oxc,] 
Act.  and  Mon.  '  Zaacli.  Austin,  Peter  Lombard,  Tlios.  Aciuinas,  Ur-gory,  &c. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25,]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  201 

consume  and  spend  itself.     Neither  can  we  see  how  material  fire  can 
make  impressions  upon  spirits,  as  the  devils  and  souls  of  men  are. 

Ans.  [1.]  First,  I)o  not  lue  find  that  the  hush  huriied  and  loas  not 
consumed?  Exod.  iii.  2,  3.  Though  all  clothes  by  daily  experience 
wax  old,  yet  when  the  Israelites  were  in  their  wilderness-condition 
their  clothes  did  not  wax  old:  Deut.  viii.  4,  'Thy  raiment  waxed  not 
old  upon  thee,  neither  did  thy  foot  swell  these  forty  years':  Neh. 
ix.  41 ,  '  Yea,  forty  years  didst  thou  sustain  them  in  the  wilderness,  so 
that  they  lacked  nothing;  their  clothes  waxed  not  old,  and  their  feet 
swelled  not.'  Their  clothes  were  never  the  worse  for  wearing.  God 
by  his  almighty  power  kept  their  clothes  from  waxing  old  ;  and  so 
God  by  his  almighty  power  can  keep  the  fire  of  hell  unquenchable. 
But, 

[2.]  Secondly j  Such  as  thus  object,  draio  things  to  the  scantling  of 
their  own  reason,  ivhich  may  he  many  ways  of  a  dangerous  consequence 
both  to  themselves  and  others,  Certainly  such  as  go  about  to  make 
the  fire  of  hell  only  spiritual  fire,  they  go  about  to  make  it  no  fire  at 
all ;  for  it  passeth  the  natural  fire  to  be  spiritual.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  We  see  in  this  life  that  bodily  tortures  ivork  upon  the 
spirits  in  the  same  bodies :  and  ivhy  may  it  not  he  so  in  hell  f  Do 
not  men  by  their  daily  experience  find  that  their  souls  are  frequently 
afflicted  in  and  under  corporeal  distempers,  diseases,  and  weaknesses? 
Doubtless  God  can  by  his  almighty  power  infuse  such  power  into 
material  fire  as  to  make  it  the  instrument  of  his  dreadful  wrath  and 
vengeance,  to  plague,  punish,  scorch,  and  burn  the  souls  of  damned 
sinners.  Bodies  and  souls  are  co-partners  in  the  same  sins,  and  there- 
fore God  may  make  them  co-partners  in  the  same  punishments. 
Every  creature  is  such  as  the  great  God  will  have  it  to  be,  and  com- 
mands it  to  be  ;  and  therefore  if  the  Lord  shall  lay  a  command  upon 
the  fire  of  hell  to  reach  and  burn  the  souls  of  damned  sinners,  it  shall 
certainly  do  it.  God  is  the  God  of  nature  as  well  as  the  God  of 
grace ;  and  therefore  I  cannot  see  how  the  fire  of  hell  can  be  said  now 
to  act  against  its  own  nature,  when  it  does  but  act  according  to  the 
will  and  command  of  the  God  of  nature.  I  readily  grant  that  if  you 
consider  infernal  fire  in  itself,  or  in  its  own  nature,  and  so  it  cannot 
have  any  power  on  such  a  spiritual  substance  as  the  soul  of  man  is  ; 
but  if  you  consider  infernal  fire  as  an  instrument  in  an  almighty  hand, 
and  so  it  can  act  upon  such  spiritual  beings  as  devils  and  damned 
souls  are,  and  make  the  same  dreadful  and  painful  impressions  upon 
them  as  it  would  do  upon  corporeal  beings,  i  Though  spirits  have 
nothing  material  in  their  nature  which  that  infernal  fire  should  work 
upon,  yet  such  is  the  almighty  power  of  God  that  lie  can  make  spirits 
most  sensible  of  those  fiery  tortures  and  torments  which  he  has  de- 
clared and  appointed  for  them  to  undergo.  Let  tliem  tell  us,  saith 
one,  [Dr  Jackson,]  how  it  is  possible  that  the  soul  of  man ,  which  is  an 
immortal  substance,  should  be  truly  wedded  to  the  body  or  material 
substance :  and  I  shall  as  easily  answer  them,  that  it  is  as  possible  for 
the  same  soul  to  be  as  easily  wrought  upon  by  a  material  fire.  It  is 
much  disputed  and  controverted  among  the  schoolmen  how  the  devils 
can  be  tormented  with  corporeal  fire,  seeing  they  are  spirits ;  and,  as  I 

*  Vide  Augus*.,  lib.  xxi.  c.  10,  de  Civitate  Dei. 


202  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

pupposc,  it  is  well  concluded  of  them  thus — 1.  First,  That  in  hell  there 
is  cor})oreal  fire,  as  appears  thus:  (1.)  Because  the  h)cri[)ture  affirms 
it,  Mat.  iii.  10,  v.  22,  and  xxv.  41 :  (2.)  Because  the  bodies  sinning 
against  God  are  to  be  vexed  and  tormented  with  cor})orcal  pains.  2. 
Secondly,  They  conclude  that  the  devils  are  tormented  in  that  fire 
because  Christ  saith  so:  Mat.  xxv.  41,  'Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed, 
into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.'  3. 
Thirdly,  It  being  demanded.  How  the  devils  are  tormented  in  that 
fire  ?  they  answer,  They  are  tormented,  not  only.  First,  With  the 
pight  of  it ;  or  Secondly,  With  an  imaginary  apprehension  thereof ; 
but  Thirdly,  As  an  instrument  ordained  of  God  for  that  very  end ; 
and  Fourthly,  Ut  locus  locaium  contincns  et  cogens.'^  Hell  is 
a  fiery  region,  or  a  region  of  fire ;  and  therefore  the  devils  being 
contained  and  included  therein,  must  needs  be  tormented  there- 
by. Cum  Dives  ah  igne  padatur,  quis  neget,  aninias  ignibus  "puniri. 
None  must  question  this  truth,  saith  my  author,  that  souls  and  spirits 
are  punished  by  fire,  seeing  our  Saviour  himself  telleth  us  that  Dives, 
who  was  in  hell  but  in  soul,  was  tormented  in  the  flames,  Luke 
xvi.  24.2     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  It  is  not  safe  to  leave  the  plain  letter  of  the  Scripture 
to  allegorise  ;  and  whether  the  opinion  of  metaphorical  fire  in  hell, 
bath  not  been  an  introduction  to  that  opinion  that  many  have  taken 
up  in  these  days — viz.,  that  there  is  no  other  hell  but  what  is  within  us, 
I  shall  not  now  stand  to  determine.  I  know  Calvin,  and  some  others, 
are  for  the  allegory ;  and  they  give  this  for  a  reason,  that  there  is 
mention  made  of  wood,  and  of  a  worm,  as  well  as  fire.  Now  the.se 
are  allegorical,  and  therefore  the  fire  is  allegorical  also.  But  by  their 
favour,  we  find  in  the  Scripture  that  those  things  which  are  spoken 
together  are  not  always  taken  in  the  same  nature  and  manner.  As, 
for  example,  Christ  is  called,  '  the  rock  of  our  salvation,'  Dent,  xxxii. 
15,  18,  30,  31 ;  2  Sam.  xxii.  47;  1  Cor.  x.  4.  Now  the  rock  is  alle- 
gorical ;  is  our  salvation  therefore  allegorical  ?  So  likewise  Luke 
xxii.  30,  '  Ye  shall  eat  and  drink,'  saith  our  Saviour,  '  at  my  table  in 
my  kingdom.'  Eating  and  drinking  is  allegorical :  is  therefore  the 
kingdom  allegorical  too  ?  Allegories  are  not  to  be  admitted  but  where 
the  Scrii)ture  itself  doth  warrant  them ;  and  commonly  where  an 
allegory  is  propounded,  there  it  is  also  expounded.  As  in  Gal.  iv.  24, 
'  Wliich  things  are  an  allegory ;  for  these  are  the  two  testaments,' 
Many  men  have  been  too  wanton  with  allegories.  Origen,  Ambrose, 
Jerome,  and  several  others  of  the  ancients,  have  been  blamed  for  it  by 
learned  men.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly  and  lastly,  I  cannot  tell  but  that  the  fire  by  which  the 
damned  shall  be  punished,  may  he  p)ciTthj  material,  and  partly  spiri- 
tual ;  ptartly  material,  to  work  upon  the  body,  and  partly  spiritual, 
to  torment  the  soul.  Dr  Gouge "^  puts  this  question,  Is  it  a  material  fire 
wherewith  the  damned  in  hell  are  tormented  ?  and  gives  this  answer — 
viz.,  This  is  too  curious  a  point  to  resolve  to  the  full;  but  yet  this 
answer  may  safely  be  returned.  It  is  no  wasting  or  consuming  fire, 
but  a  torturing  ;  and  so  far  corporeal,  as  it  tormenteth  the  body  ;  and 

'  Tho.  [Aqiiinan,]  Suppleni.  Ixx.  cap.  3.  *  Greg.  Dial,  iv.,  cap.  28,  29. 

*  Dr  Gouge  on  Hvb.  x.  27,  sec.  98. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  203 

SO  far  incorporeal,  as  it  tormenteth  the  soul.  Socrates,  speaking  of 
hell,  saith,  I  was  never  there  myself,  neither  have  I  ever  spoke  with 
any  that  came  from  thence.  Suppose,  saith  one,  [Mr  Bolton,] 
there  be  no  fire  in  hell,  yet  I  assure  thee  this,  that  thou  shalt  be 
scorched  with  fire ;  the  fire  of  God  s  wrath  shall  torment  thee  more 
than  bodily  fire  can  do,  and  therefore  it  will  be  your  wisdom  not  so 
much  to  question  this  or  that  about  hell-fire,  as  to  make  it  your  work, 
your  business,  not  to  come  there.  He  gave  good  counsel  who  said, 
[Bernard,]  Let  us  go  down  to  hell  while  we  are  alive,  that  Ave  may  not 
go  to  hell  when  we  are  dead.  And  so  did  he  who,  speaking  of  hell, 
said,  [Ohrysostom,]  Ne  quceramus  ubi  sit,  sed  quomodo  illamfugiamus, 
Let  us  not  seek  where  it  is,  but  how  we  shall  avoid  it.  The  same 
author  gives  this  furtlier  counsel — viz.,  Tliat  at  all  banquets,  feasts, 
and  public  meetings,  men  should  talk  of  hellish  pains  and  torments, 
that  so  their  hearts  may  be  overawed,  and  they  provoked  to  avoid 
them  and  secure  themselves  against  them.  Doubtless,  the  serious 
thoughts  of  hellish  pain  while  men  Hve,  is  one  blessed  way  to  keep 
them  from  those  torments  when  they  come  to  die.  Another  gives 
this  pious  counsel.  Let  us  earnestly  importune  the  Lord,  that  this 
knowledge,  whether  the  fire  of  hell  be  material  or  not,  be  never  mani- 
fested to  us  by  experience..  It  is  infinitely  better  to  endeavour  the 
avoiding  hell-iire,  than  curiously  to  dispute  about  it.  Look,  as  there 
is  nothing  more  grievous  than  hell,  so  there  is  nothing  more  profitable 
than  the  fear  of  it. 

OhJ.  But  what  difference  is  there  between  our  common  fire  and 
hell-fire  ? 

I  answer,  a  mighty  difference,  a  vast  difference.  Take  it  in  these 
six  particulars : — 

[1.]  First,  They  differ  in  their  heat.  No  heart  can  conceive,  nor 
no  tongue  can  express  the  exquisite  heat  of  infernal  fire.  Were  all 
the  fires  under  heaven  contracted  into  one  fire ;  yea,  were  all  the 
coals,  wood,  oil,  hemp,  flax,  pitch,  tar,  brimstone,  and  all  other  com- 
bustibles in  the  world  contracted  into  one  flame,  into  one  fire,  yet 
one  spark  of  infernal  fire  would  be  more  hot,  violent,  dreadful,  amaz- 
ing, astonishing,  raging,  and  tormenting,  than  all  that  fire  that  is 
supposedly  made  up  of  all  the  combustibles  tlie  earth  affords.  To 
man's  sense,  tliere  is  nothing  more  terrible  and  afflictive  than  fire ; 
and  of  all  fires,  there  is  none  so  scalding  and  tormenting  as  that  of 
brimstone.  Now  in  that  lake  which  burns  with  fire  and  brimstone 
for  ever  and  ever,  shall  the  wicked  of  the  earth  be  cast.i  Infernal 
fire  far  exceeds  ours — that  are  on  our  hearths  and  in  our  chimneys — in 
degree  of  heat  and  fierceness  of  burning.  Our  fire  hath  not  that 
terrible  power  to  scorch,  burn,  torment,  as  the  fire  of  hell  hath.  Our 
fire,  as  Polycarpus  and  others  say,  compared  to  hell-fire,  is  but  like 
painted  fire  upon  the  wall.  Now  you  know  a  painted  fire  upon  the 
wall  will  not  hurt  you,  nor  burn,  nor  affright  you,  nor  torment  you ; 
but  the  fire  of  heU  will,  beyond  all  your  conception  and  expression, 
hurt,  burn,  affright,  and  torment  you.     The  fire  of  hell,  for  degrees 

^  Rev.  liv.  10,  and  xxi.  8.  The  fire  in  a  landscape  is  but  ignis  pictus,  a  painted  fire, 
and  the  fire  of  purgatory  is  but  ignis  fictus,  feigned  fire.  Now  what  are  these  to  hell- 
fire? 


204  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

of  lieat,  and  fierceness  of  burning,  must  wonderfully  surpass  our  most 
furions  fires,  because  it  is  purposely  created  by  God  to  torment 
the  creature,  whereas  our  ordinary  fire  was  created  by  God  only 
for  the  comfort  of  the  creature.  The  greatest  and  the  iiottest  fires 
that  ever  were  on  earth,  are  but  ice  in  comparison  of  the  fire  of  hell, 
[Alsted.] 

[2.]  (Secondly,  There  are  unexpressible  torments  in  hell,  as  toell  as 
nnspeahahh  joys  i7i  heaven.  Some  who  write  of  purgatory,  tell  us  that 
the  pains  thereof  are  more  exquisite,  though  of  shorter  continuance, 
than  the  united  torments  that  the  earth  can  invent,  though  of  longer 
duration.  If  the  i)0})e's  kitchen  be  so  warm,  how  hot  is  the  devil's 
furnace  ?l  A  poetical  fiction  is  but  a  meiosis,  when  brought  to  shew 
the  nature  of  these  real  torments:  the  lashes  of  furies  are  but  petty 
scourgings,  when  compared  to  the  stripes  of  a  wounded  conscience. 
Tytius  his  vulture,^  though  feeding  on  his  liver,  is  but  a  flea-biting  to 
that  worm  which  gnaweth  their  iiearts  and  dieth  not.  Ixion  his 
wheel  is  a  place  of  rest,  if  compared  with  those  billows  of  wrath,  and 
tliat  wheel  of  justice,  whicli  is  in  hell  brought  over  the  ungodly.  The 
task  of  Danaiis  his  daughter  is  but  a  sport,  compared  to  the  tortures 
of  those  whose  souls  are  filled  with  bitterness,  and  within  whom  are 
the  arrows  of  the  Almighty,  the  poison  whereof  doth  drink  up  their 
spirits.  Hell  is  called  a  furnace  of  fire,  whicli  speaketh  intolerable 
heat ;  a  place  of  torment,  which  speaketh  a  total  privation  of  ease ;  a 
prison,  which  speaketh  restraint.  Mat.  xiii.  42 ;  Luke  xvi.  28 ;  Mat. 
V.  22-25  :  Gehenna,  from  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  where  the  unnatural 
parents  did  sacrifice  the  fruit  of  their  bodies  for  the  sin  of  their  souls 
to  their  merciless  idols, — the  which  word,  by  a  neighbour  nation,  is 
retained  to  signify  a  rock,3 — than  the  torture  of  which  what  more  ex- 
quisite ?  It  is  called  a  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone ;  than  the  torment 
of  the  former,  what  more  acute?  than  the  smell  of, the  latter,  what 
more  noisome?     But, 

[3.]  Tiiirdly,  Our  jire  is  made  by  the  hand  of  man,  and  must  he 
maintained  by  continual  supplies  of  fuel.  Take  away  the  coals,  the 
wood,  the  combustible  matter,  and  the  fire  goes  out ;  but  the  infernal 
fire  is  created,  and  temi)ered,  and  blown  by  the  hand  of  an  angry,  sin- 
revenging  God :  Isa.  xxx.  33,  '  For  Tophet  is  ordained  of  old ;  yea, 
for  the  king  it  is  prepai-ed ;  he  hath  made  it  deep  and  large :  the  pile 
thereof  is  fire  and  much  wood,  and  the  breath  of  the  Lord,  like  a 
stream  of  brimstone,  doth  kindle  it;'  and  therefore  the  breath  of  all 
the  reprobates  in  hell  shall  never  be  able  to  blow  it  out.'^  Our  fire  is 
blown  by  an  airy  breath,  but  the  infernal  fire  is  blown  by  the  angry 
breath  of  the  great  (xod,  which  burns  far  hotter  than  ten  thousand 
thousand  rivers  of  brimstone.  The  breath  of  God's  mouth  shall  be 
both  bellows  and  fuel  to  the  infernal  fire ;  and  therefore,  oh  how 
terrible  and  torturing,  how  fierce  and  raging  will  that  fire  be !  If  but 
three  drops  of  brimstone  should  fall  upon  any  part  of  the  flesh  of  a 
man,  it  would  fill  him  so  full  of  torment,  that  he  would  not  be  able  to 
forbear  roaring  out  for  pain  and  anguish.      Oh  how  dreadful  and 

'  Bellarm.  de  Purg.,  lib.  ii.  c.  14  ;  Bellarm.  de  JEler.  Faeli.  Sanct.,  lib.  i.  c.  11. 

*  Prometheus,  as  before. — O.  s  Query,  '  rack  ?'— Ed. 

*  A  river  of  briiustoue  is  never  consumed  bj-  burning. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  205 

painful  will  it  be  then  for  damned  sinners  to  swim  up  and  down  in  a 
lake  or  river  of  fire  and  brimstone  for  ever  and  ever !  There  is  no 
proportion  between  the  heat  of  our  breath  and  the  fire  that  it  blows. 
Oh  then,  what  a  dreadful,  what  an  amazing,  what  an  astonishing  fire 
must  that  needs  be  which  is  blown  by  a  breath  dissolved  into  brim- 
stone !  God's  wrath  and  indignation  shall  be  an  everlasting  supply- 
to  hell's  conflagration.  Ah  sinners,  how  fearful,  how  formidable,  how- 
unconceivable  will  this  infernal  fire  prove  !  Surely  there  is  no  misery, 
no  torment  to  that  of  lying  in  a  torrent  of  burning  brimstone  for  ever 
and  ever !  Mark,  this  infernal  fire  is  a  fire  prepared  by  God  himself, 
to  punish  and  torment  all  impenitent  persons  and  reprobate  rebels, 
who  scorned  to  submit  to  the  sceptre  of  Christ.  '  Depart  from  me,  ye 
cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,' 
Mat.  XXV.  41.  The  wisdom  of  God  hath  been  much  exercised  in  pre- 
jDaring  and  devising  the  most  tormenting  temper  for  that  formidable 
fire,  in  which  the  devil  sCad  his  angels  shall  be  punished  for  ever  and 
ever.  Not  as  if  it  were  not  prepared  also  for  wicked  and  ungodly 
men  ;  but  it  is  said  to  be  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,  because 
it  was  firstly  and  chiefly  prepared  for  them.  All  impenitent  sinners 
shall  have  the  devil  and  his  angels  for  their  constant  companions ;  and 
therefore  they  shall  be  sure  to  share  with  them  in  the  extremity  and 
inevitableness  of  their  torments.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Our  fire  ivhen  it  hurneih  it  shineth,  it  casts  a  light 
Our  fire  burns,  and  in  burning  shines ;  light  is  a  natural  property  of 
our  common  fire.  It  is  true,  the  elementary  fire  in  its  own  sphere 
shineth  not,  because  of  its  subtleness,  and  the  infernal  fire  of  hell 
shineth  not,  because  of  its  grossness  ;  yet  our  ordinary  fire,  being  of  a 
mixed  natin-e,  hath  light  as  well  as  heat  in  it,  and  that  is  our  comfort. 
It  hath  light  to  shew  itself  to  us,  and  to  ourselves^  and  it  hath  light 
to  shew  others  to  us,  and  us  to  others,  &c.  Some  men  can  work  as 
well  as  talk  by  the  light  of  the  fire.  Our  fires  have  their  beams  and 
rays  as  well  as  the  sun :  but  the  fire  of  hell  burns,  but  it  does  not 
shine,  it  gives  no  light  at  all.  Infernal  fire  hath  no  light  or  bright- 
ness attending  of  it,  and  therefore  Christ  calls  it  '  utter  darkness,'  or 
outer  darkness,  that  is,  darkness  beyond  a  darkness.  Mat.  xxv.  30, 
and  viii.  12.  I  have  read  of  a  young  man  who  was  very  loose  and 
vain  in  his  life,  and  was  very  fearful  of  being  in  the  dark,  who,  after 
falling  sick  and  could  not  sleep,  cried  out,  Oh,  if  this  darkness  be  so 
terrible,  what  is  eternal  darkness?  Hell  would  not  be  so  uncomfort- 
able a  prison  if  it  were  not  so  dark  a  prison.^  Light  is  a  blessing 
that  shall  never  shine  into  that  infernal  prison.  In  Jude  (ver.  6)  you 
read  of  '  chains  of  darkness.'  It  would  be  a  little  ease,  a  little  comfort, 
to  the  damned  in  hell,  if  they  might  have  but  light  and  liberty  to 
walk  up  and  down  the  infernal  coasts ;  but  this  is  too  high  a  favour 
for  them  to  enjoy,  and  therefore  they  shall  be  chained  and  staked 
down  in  chains  of  darkness,  and  in  blackness  of  darkness,  that  so  they 
may  fully  undergo  the  scorchings  and  burnings  of  divine  wrath  and 
fury  for  ever  and  ever.  In  ver.  13  you  thus  read,  'To  whom  is 
reserved  the   blackness   of   darkness  for  ever.'      The   words   are   a 

^  Dreiellius.  Basil  speaking  of  heW-^re,  Ba,ith,  Vim  comburendi  retinet,illuminandi 
aviisit.     It  retains  the  property  of  Lurning :  it  liath  lost  the  property  of  shining. 


206  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

ITobraism,  and  sig^nify  exceeding  great  darkness.  Hell  is  a  very- 
dark  and  dismal  region,  and  extreme  are  the  miseries,  horrors,  and 
torments  which  are  tliere.  The  poets  described  the  darkness  of  hell 
by  the  Cimmerian  darkness.  There  was  a  territory  in  Italy  betwixt 
13aia3  and  Cumjx?,  where  the  Cimmerii  inhabit,  which  was  so  environed 
Avith  hills,  and  overshadowed  with  such  hanging  promontories,  that 
the  sun  never  comes  at  it.  The  darkness  of  Kgypt  was  such  a  strong 
and  horrid  thick  darkness,  that  it  was  palpable,  it  might  be  felt. 
'  Even  darkness  which  may  be  felt,'  Exod.  x.  21.^  The  darkness  that 
is  here  threatened  is  called  '  darkness  that  may  be  felt,'  either  by  way 
of  a  hyperbole,  to  signify  what  an  exceeding  great  darkness  it  should 
be ;  or  else  because  the  air  should  be  so  thickened  with  gross  mists 
and  thick  foggy  vapours,  that  it  might  be  felt  ;  or  else  because  this 
extraordinary  darkness  should  be  caused  by  a  withdrawment  of  the 
light  of  the  celestial  bodies,  or  by  drawing  a  thick  curtain  of  very 
black  clouds  betwixt  men's  eyes  and  them.  '  Yet  this  horrid  darkness 
was  nothing  to  the  darkness  of  hell.  The  darkness  of  Egypt  was  but 
as  an  overcasting  for  three  days :  Exod.  x.  22,  23,  '  And  there  was  a 
thick  darkness  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt  three  days :  they  saw  not  one 
another,  neither  rose  any  from  his  place  three  days.'  For  three 
days  they  were  deprived  not  only  of  the  natural  lights  and  lamps  of 
heaven,  but  of  all  artificial  light  also.  It  is  possible  that  the  vapours 
might  be  so  thick  and  moist  as  to  put  out  their  candles,  and  all  other 
lights  that  were  kindled  by  them.  It  is  probable  that  they  had 
neither  light  from  sun,  moon,  or  stars  above,  nor  yet  from  fire  or 
candle  b^low;  so  that  they  were  as  blind  men  that  could  not  see  at  all, 
and  as  lame  men  that  could  not  move  from  their  places ;  and  so  they 
sate  still  as  under  the  arrest  of  this  darkness,  because  they  could  not 
see  what  to  do,  nor  whither  to  go.  God  would  teach  tliem  the  worth 
of  light,  by  the  want  of  it.  Some  think  that  by  that  dreadful  judg- 
ment of  thick  darkness,  they  were  filled  with  that  terror  and  horror, 
that  they  durst  not  so  much  as  move  from  the  places  where  they  sate 
down.  But  after  these  three  days  of  darkness  were  over,  the  Egyptians 
enjoyed  the  glorious  light  of  the  sun  again.  Oh,  but  sinners  [when 
theyj  are  in  hell,  when  they  are  in  chains  of  darkness,  when  they  are 
in  blackness  of  darkness,  they  shall  never  see  light  more  !  Hell  is  a 
house  without  light.  Gregory,  and  all  other  authors  that  I  have  cast 
my  eye  upon,  agree  in  this,  that  though  our  fire  hath  light  as  well  as 
heat,  yet  the  infernal  fire  hath  only  heat  to  burn  sinners ;  it  has  no 
light  to  refresh  sinners ;  and  this  will  be  no  small  addition  to  their 
torment.  A  philosopher  being  asked,  whether  it  were  not  a  pleasant 
thing  to  behold  the  sun  ?  answered,  that  that  was  a  blind  man's 
question.     Surely  life  without  light  is  but  a  lifeless  life.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Our  fire  burns  and  consumes  only  the  body,  it  reaches 
not,  it  torments  not  the  precious  and  immortal  soul;  but  infernal  Jire 
burns  and  torments  both  body  and  soul.  Now  the  soid  of  pain  is  the 
pain  of  the  soul :  Mat.  x.  28,  '  And  fear  not  them  wliich  kill  the  body, 
but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul ;  but  rather  fear  him  which  is  able  to 
destroy  both  body  and  soul  in  hell.'  If  the  glutton  in  the  historical 
parable,  who  had  but  one  half  of  himself  in  hell,  viz.,  his  soul,  Luke 

'  The  words  are  figurative,  importing  cxlraonlinarj'  black  d.irknc83. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEEY  DISPENSATION.  207 

xvi.  24,  cried  out  that  he  was  horribly  tormented  in  that  flame ;  what 
tongue  can  express  or  heart  conceive  how  great  the  damned's  torments 
shall  be  in  hell,  when  their  bodies  and  souls  in  the  great  day  shall  be 
reunited  for  torture?  Beloved,  it  is  a  just  and  righteous  thing  with 
God,  that  such  bodies  and  souls  that  have  sinned  impenitently  together 
should  be  tormented  everlastingly  together.  To  this  purpose,  the 
Hebrew  doctors  have  a  very  pretty  parable,  [Pet.  Martyr,] — viz., 
That  a  man  planted  an  orchard,  and,  going  from  home,  was  careful  to 
leave  such  watchmen  as  might  both  keep  it  from  strangers  and  not 
deceive  him  themselves ;  therefore  he  appointed  one  blind,  but  strong 
of  his  limbs,  and  the  other  seeing,  but  a  cripple.  These  two  in  their 
master's  absence  conspired  together,  and  the  blind  took  the  lame  on 
his  shoulders,  and  so  gathered  the  fruit ;  their  master  returning  and 
finding  out  this  subtlety,  punished  them  both  together.  Now  so  shall 
it  be  with  those  two  sinful  companions,  the  soul  and  the  bod}'-,  in  the 
great  day  of  our  Lord,  2  Cor.  v.  10;  2  Thes.  i.  7-10.  With  Simeon 
and  Levi  they  have  been  brethren  in  iniquity,  and  so  shall  be  in 
eternal  misery.  As  body  and  soul  have  been  one  in  sinning,  so  they 
shall  be  one  in  suffering  ;  only  remember  this,  that  as  the  soul  has  been 
chief  in  sin,  so  it  shall  be  cliief  in  suffering.  But,  0  sirs !  if  a  con- 
sumable body  be  not  able  to  endure  burning  flames  for  a  day,  how 
will  an  unconsumable  soul  and  body  be  able  to  endure  the  scorching 
flames  of  hell  for  ever  ?     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Our  fire  luastetli  and  consumeth  ivhatsoever  is  cast  into 
it.  It  turns  flesh  into  ashes,  it  turns  all  combustibles  into  ashes  ;  but 
the  fire  of  hell  is  not  of  that  nature.  The  fire  of  hell  consumes  no- 
thing that  is  cast  into  it ;  it  rages,  but  it  does  not  waste  either  bodies 
or  souls.  Look,  as  the  salamander  liveth  in  the  fire,  so  shall  the 
wicked  live  in  the  fire  of  hell  for  ever.  '  They  shall  seek  for  death, 
but  they  shall  not  find  it,'  Kev.  ix.  6.  They  shall  desire  to  die,  and 
death  shall  fly  from  them.  They  shall  cry  to  the  mountains  to  fall 
upon  them  and  to  crush  them  to  nothing.  Rev.  vi.  16, 17.  They  shall 
desire  that  the  fire  that  burns  them  would  consume  them  to  nothing ; 
that  the  worm  that  feeds  on  them  would  gnaw  them  to  nothing ;  that 
the  devils  which  torment  them  would  tear  them  to  nothing,  Mark  ix. 
44,  46,  48.  They  shall  cry  to  God,  who  first  made  them  out  of  no- 
thing, Gen.  i.  26,  to  reduce  them  to  that  first  nothing  from  whence 
they  came ;  '  but  he  that  made  them  will  not  have  mercy  on  them,  he 
that  formed  them  will  not  shew  them  so  much  favour,'  Isa.  xxvii.  11. 
Semper  comburentur,  nunquam  consumentur,  They  shall  always  be 
burned,  but  never  consumed. i  Ah,  how  well  would  it  be  with  the 
damned  if  in  the  fire  of  hell  they  might  be  consumed  to  ashes  !  But 
this  is  their  misery,  they  shall  be  ever  dying,  and  yet  never  die ;  their 
bodies  shall  be  always  a-burning,  but  never  a-consuming.  It  is 
dreadful  to  be  perpetual  fuel  to  the  flames  of  hell !  What  misery  to 
this  ?  for  infernal  fire  to  be  still  a-preying  upon  damned  sinners,  and 
yet  never  making  an  end  of  them  !  The  two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
that  usurped  the  priest's  office  were  consumed  by  the  fire  that  came 
out  armed  from  the  Lord  against  them,  Num.  xvi.  35.  And  the  fire 
that  Elijah,  by  an  extraordinary  s})irit  of  prayer,  brought  down  from 
^  Augustine.     This  fire  \?,  poena  inconsuwpta. — Jerovie. 


208  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

licavcn  U]ion  the  two  captains  and  their  fifties,  consumed  them, 
2  Kings  i.  10,  12.  The  fierce  and  furious  flames  of  liell  shall  burn, 
but  never  anniliihite,  the  bodies  of  the  damned.  In  hell  there  is  no 
cessation  of  fire  burning,  nor  of  matter  burned.i  Neither  flames  nor 
smoke  shall  consume  or  choke  the  impenitent ;  both  the  infernal  fire, 
and  the  burning  of  the  bodies  of  reprobates  in  that  fire,  shall  be  pre- 
served by  tlie  miraculous  power  and  providence  of  God.  The  soul 
through  pain  and  corruption  will  lose  its  heate  vivere,  its  hap})y 
being ;  but  it  will  not  lose  its  essent kditer  vivere,  its  essential  life  or 
being.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly.  Our  fire  may  he  quenched  and  ex- 
iinguislicd.  The  hottest  flames,  the  greatest  conflagrations  have  been 
quenched  and  extinguished  by  water.  Fires  on  our  hearths  and  in 
our  chimneys  are  sometimes  put  out  by  the  sun's  beams,  and  often 
they  die  and  go  out  of  themselves.  Our  fire  is  maintained  with  wood, 
and  put  out  with  water ;  but  the  fire  of  hell  never  goes  out,  it  can 
never  be  quenched. 2  It  is  an  everlasting  fire,  an  eternal  fire,  an 
unquenchable  fire.  In  Mark  ix.  from  ver.  43  to  ver.  49,  this  fire  is 
no  less  than  five  times  said  to  be  unquenchable,  as  if  the  Lord  could 
never  speak  enough  of  it.  Beloved,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  never  guilty  of 
idle  repetitions ;  but  by  these  frequent  repetitions  the  Holy  Ghost 
would  teach  men  to  look  about  them,  and  to  look  upon  it  as  a  real 
thing,  and  as  a  serious  thing,  and  not  sport  themselves  with  unquench- 
able flames,  nor  go  to  hell  in  a  dream.  Certainly  the  fire  into  which 
the  damned  shall  be  cast  shall  be  without  all  intermission  of  time  or 
punishment.  No  tears,  nor  blood,  nor  time,  can  extinguish  the  fire 
of  hell.  Could  every  damned  sinner  weep  a  whole  ocean,  yet  all  those 
oceans  together  would  never  extinguish  one  spark  of  infernal  fire. 
The  damned  are  in  everlasting  chains  of  darkness;  they  are  under 
the  '  vengeance  of  eternal  fire,'  Jude  7  ;  they  are  '  in  blackness  of  dark- 
ness for  ever.'  '  The  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  for  ever  and 
ever,  and  they  shall  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,'  Eev.  xiv.  11.3  The 
damned  in  hell  would  fain  die,  but  they  cannot.  Mors  sine  morte, 
they  shall  be  always  dying,  yet  never  dead ;  they  shall  be  always  a- 
consuming,  yet  never  consumed.  '  The  smoke  of  their  furnace  ascends 
for  ever  and  ever.'  lEtcrnis  punientur  pa^nis,  they  shall  be  everlast- 
ingly punished,  saith  Mollerus  on  Ps.  ix.  17.  And  Musculus  on  the 
same  text  saith,  Animi  impiorum  cruciatibus  debit  is  apud  inferos 
jmnienfur,  The  souls  of  the  ungodly  shall  be  punished  in  hell  with 
deserved  torments.  Ubi  i^er  millia  millia  annorum  cruciandi,  nee  in 
secida  secidurum  liberandi,  Myriads  of  years  shall  not  determine  or  put 
a  period  to  their  suftcrings,  saith  Augustine,  Plato  could  say  that 
whoever  are  not  expiated,  but  ])rofane,  shall  go  into  hell  to  be  tor- 
mented for  their  wickedness  with  the  greatest,  the  most  bitter,  and 
terrible  punishments  for  ever  in  that  prison  of  hell.  And  Trismegistus 
could  say.  That  souls  going  out  of  the  body  defiled  were  tossed  to  and 

'  Hell  torments  punish  but  not  finish  the  bodies  of  men. — Prosper. 

■  Jerome  was  out  wlien  he  said,  Jnfernum  nihil  esse,  7iisi  conscienlice  horrorem.  And 
Tully  was  out,  who  held  that  there  arc  no  other  hell  furies  than  the  stings  of  conscienec. 

*  Oh  that  word  never,  said  a  poor  despairing  creature  on  his  deathbed,  breaks  my 
heart!  They  are  lying  histories  that  tell  us  that  Trajan  was  delivered  out  of  hell  by 
the  prayers  of  Giegory,  and  Faleonella  by  the  prayers  of  Tcclacs. 


ISA,  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  209 

fro  witli  eternal  punishments.  Yea,  the  very  Turks,  speaking  of  the 
house  of  perdition,  do  affirm, i  That  tliey  who  have  turned  God's  grace 
into  wantonness,  shall  abide  eternally  in  the  fire  of  hell,  and  there  be 
eternally  tormented.  A  certain  religious  man  going  to  visit  Olympius, 
who  lived  cloistered  up  in  a  monastery  near  Jordan,  and  finding  him 
cloistered  up  in  a  dark  cell,  which  he  thought  uninhabitable  by  reason 
of  heat  and  swarms  of  gnats  and  flies,  and  asking  him  how  he  could 
endure  to  live  in  such  a  place,  he  answered,  '  All  this  is  but  a  light 
matter,  that  I  may  escape  eternal  torments.  I  can  endure  the  sting- 
ing of  gnats,  that  I  might  not  endure  the  stinging  of  conscience  and  the 
gnawing  of  that  worm  that  never  dies.  This  heat  thou  thinkest 
grievous,  I  can  easily  endure  when  I  think  of  the  eternal  fire  of  hell ; 
these  sufferings  are  but  short,  but  the  sufi'erings  of  hell  are  eternal.' 
Certainly  infernal  fire  is  neither  tolerable  nor  terminable.  The  ex- 
tremity and  eternity  of  helhsh  torments  is  set  forth  by  the  worm  that 
never  dieth.  Christ  at  the  close  of  his  sermon  makes  a  threefold 
repetition  of  this  worm :  Mark  ix.  44,  '  Where  their  worm  dieth  not ;' 
and  again,  ver.  46,  '  Where  their  worm  dieth  not ;'  and  again,  ver.  48, 
'  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  their  fire  goeth  not  out.'  Certainly 
those  punishments  are  beyond  all  conception  and  expression  which  our 
Lord  Jesus  doth  so  often  inculcate  within  so  small  a  space. 

'  In  hell  there  's  nothing  heard  but  yells  and  cries ; 
In  hell  the  fire  never  slacks,  nor  worm  never  dies. 
But  where  this  hell  is  placed,  my  muse,  stop  there. 
Lord,  shew  me  what  it  is,  but  never  where. 
To  worm  and  fire,  to  torments  there 
No  term  he  gave;  they  cannot  wear.'^ 

If  after  so  many  millions  of  years  as  there  be  drops  in  the  ocean, 
there  might  be  a  deliverance  out  of  hell,  this  would  yield  a  little  ease, 
a  little  comfort  to  the  damned.  Oh  but  this  word  eternity^  eternity, 
eternity,  this  word  everlasting,  everlasting ,  everlasting,  will  even 
break  the  hearts  of  the  damned  in  ten  thousand  pieces  !  There  is 
scarce  any  pain  or  torment  here  on  earth  but  there  is  ever  some  hope 
of  ease,  mitigation,  or  intermission,  there  is  some  hope  of  relief  or 
delivery ;  but  in  hell  the  torments  there  are  all  easeless,  remediless, 
and  endless.  Here  if  one  fall  into  the  fire,  he  may  like  a  brand 
be  pulled  out  of  it  and  saved;  but  out  of  that  fiery  lake  there  is 
no  redemption.  That  majesty  that  the  sinner  hath  offended  and  pro- 
voked is  an  infinite  majesty.  Now  there  must  be  some  proportion 
betwixt  the  sinner's  sin,  and  his  punishment  and  torment.  Now  the 
sinner  being  a  finite  creature,  he  is  not  capable  of  bearing  the  weight 
of  that  punishment  or  torment  that  is  intensively  infinite,  because 
it  would  be  his  abolishing  or  annihilating ;  and  therefore  he  must  bear 
the  weight  of  that  punishment  or  torment  that  is  extensively  infinite — 
namely,  duratione  infinita,  infinite  in  the  continuance  and  endurance. 
What  is  wanting  in  torment  must  be  made  up  in  time.  Everlasting 
fire  and  everlasting  punishment  in  the  New  Testament  is  directly 
opposed  to  eternal  life,  to  that  blessed  state  of  the  righteous  which 
will  never  have  an  end  ;  ^  and  therefore,  according  to  the  rules  and 

'  Alcoran.  Mahom.  cap.  14,  p.  I&Q,  &c. ;  cap.  20,  p.  193. 
^  A  peutelogia  dolor  inferni. — Prudentins  the  poet. 

^  Mat.  XXV. ;  2  Thes.  i.  7-10,  &c.     Vide  August.,  lib.  xxi.  cap.  23,  24,  De  Civitate  Dei. 
VOL.   VI.  O 


•210  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

maxims  of  right  reason,  doth  necessarily  import  a  punishment  of  the 
same  duration  that  the  reward  is.  Now  the  reward  of  the  saints 
in  that  other  worUl  is  <;ranted  on  all  hands  to  he  cverlastino:,  to  be 
eternal ;  and  therefore  the  punishment  of  the  damned  cannot  be  but 
everlasting  and  eternal  too.  The  rewards  of  the  elect  shall  never 
be  ended,  therefore  the  punishment  of  the  damned  shall  never  be 
ended,  because  as  the  mercy  of  God  is  infinite  towards  the  elect,  so 
the  justice  of  God  is  infinite  towards  the  reprobate  in  hell.  The 
reprobate  shall  have  punishment  Avithout  pity,  misery  without  mercy, 
sorrow  without  succour,  crying  without  compassion,  mischief  without 
measure,  and  torment  without  end,  [Drexelius.]  All  men  in  misery 
comfort  themselves  with  hope  of  an  end.  The  prisoner  with  hope  of  a 
jail-delivery  ;  the  mariner  with  the  hope  of  his  arrival  in  a  safe 
liarbour  ;  the  soldier  with  hope  of  victory  ;  the  prentice  with  hope  of 
liberty;  the  galley-slave  Avith  the  hope  of  ransom:  only  the  impenitent 
sinner  hath  "no  hope  in  hell.  He  shall  have  end  without  end,  death 
without  death,  night  without  day,  mourning  without  mirth,  sorrow 
without  solace,  and  bondage  without  liberty.  The  damned  shall  live 
as  long  in  hell  as  God  himself  shall  live  in  heaven. i  Their  imjjrison- 
ment  in  that  land  of  darkness,  in  that  bottomless  pit,  is  not  an 
im})risonment  during  the  king's  pleasure,  but  an  imprisonment  during 
the  evei'lasting  displeasure  of  the  King  of  kings.  Suppose,  say  some, 
that  the  whole  world  were  turned  to  a  mountain  of  sand,  and  that  a 
little  wren  should  come  every  thousandth  year  and  carry  away  from 
that  heap  one  grain  of  sand,  what  an  infinite  number  of  years,  not  to 
be  numbered  by  all  finite  beings,  would  be  spent  and  expired  before 
this  supposed  mountain  could  be  fetched  away  !  Now  if  a  man  should 
lie  in  everlasting  burnings  so  long  a  time,  and  then  have  an  end 
of  his  woe,  it  would  administer  some  ease,  refreshment,  and  comfort  to 
him.  But  when  that  immortal  bird  shall  have  carried  away  this  sup- 
posed mountain  a  thousand  times  over  and  over  ;  alas  !  alas  !  man 
shall  be  as  far  from  the  end  of  his  anguish  and  torment  as  ever 
lie  was.2  He  shall  be  no  nearer  coming  out  of  hell  than  he  was  the 
very  first  moment  that  he  entered  into  hell.  Suppose,  say  others,  that 
a  man  were  to  endure  the  torments  of  hell  as  many  years,  and  no  more, 
as  there  be  sands  on  the  sea-shore,  drops  of  water  in  the  sea,  stars 
in  heaven,  leaves  on  the  trees,  piles  of  grass  on  the  ground,  hairs 
on  his  head,  yea,  uj)on  the  heads  of  all  the  sons  of  Adam  that  ever 
were,  or  are,  or  shall  be  in  the  world,  from  the  beginning  of  it  to  the 
end  of  it ;  yet  he  would  comfort  himself  with  this  poor  thought.  Well, 
there  will  come  a  day  when  my  misery  and  torment  shall  certainly 
have  an  end  !  But  woe  and  alas  !  this  word  never,  never,  never,  will 
fill  the  hearts  of  the  danmed  with  the  greatest  horror  and  terror, 
■wrath  and  rage,  amazement  and  astonishment.  Sujjpose,  say  others, 
that  the  torments  of  hell  were  to  end  after  a  little  bird  should  have 
emptied  the  sea,  and  only  cany  out  her  billful  once  in  a  thou- 
sand years  ; — suppose,  say  others,  that  the  whole  world,  from  the 

'  There  is  not  a  Cluistian  wliicli  doth  not  believe  the  fire  of  hell  to  be  everlasting. — Dr 
Jackson  on  the  Creed,  lib.  xi.  c:\]t.  23. 

*  If  the  fire  of  hell  were  terminable,  it  mi.ffht  then  be  tolerable  ;  but  being  endless,  it 
must  needs  be  casele.ss  and  remediless.  We  may  well  say  of  it,  as  one  doth,  Oh  killing 
life  I  oh  immortal  death  ! — Bellar.  de  Arte  MoritmU,  lib.  ii.  cap.  3. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  211 

lowest  earth  to  the  highest  heavens,  were  filled  with  grains  of  sand, 
and  once  in  a  thousand  years  an  angel  should  come  and  fetch  away- 
one  grain,  and  so  continue  till  the  whole  heap  were  spent ; — suppose, 
say  others,  if  one  of  the  damned  in  hell  should  weep  after  this  manner 
— viz.,  that  he  should  only  let  fall  one  tear  in  a  hundred  years,  and 
these  should  be  kept  together  till  such  time  as  they  should  equal  the 
drops  of  water  in  the  sea :  how  many  millions  of  ages  would  pass 
before  they  could  make  up  one  river,  much  more  a  whole  ;  and  when 
that  were  done,  should  he  weep  again  after  the  same  manner  till  he  had 
filled  a  second,  a  third,  a  fourth  sea,  if  then  there  should  be  an  end  of 
their  miseries,  there  would  be  some  hope,  some  comfort  that  they 
would  end  at  last :  but  that  shall  never,  never,  never  end.  This 
is  that  which  sinks  them  under  the  most  tormenting  terrors  and 
horrors. 

Drexelius  makes  this  observation  from  the  words  of  our  Saviour, 
John  XV.  6,  '  If  a  man  abide  not  in  me,  he  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch, 
and  it  is  withered  ;  and  men  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  fire, 
and  they  are  burned,'  where  he  observeth  that  the  words  do  not  run  in 
the  future  tense, — he  shall  be  cast  forth,  and  shall  be  cast  into  the 
fire,  and  burned ;  but  all  in  the  present  tense — he  is  cast  forth,  is 
withered ;  men  cast  them  into  the  fire,  and  they  are  burned.  This, 
saith  he,  is  the  state  and  condition  of  the  damned  ;  they  are  burned — 
that  is,  they  are  always  burning.  When  a  thousand  years  are  past,  as 
it  was  at  first,  so  it  is  still,  they  are  burned ;  after  a  thousand  thousand 
years  more,  as  it  was  before,  so  it  is  still,  they  are  burned.  If  after 
millions  of  years  the  question  was  asked.  What  is  now  their  state  and 
condition  ?  what  do  they  ?  what  suffer  they  ?  how  doth  it  fare  with 
them  ?  there  can  be  no  other  answer  returned  but  they  are  burned, 
continually  and  eternally  burning.  Socinians  say  there  will  come  a 
time  when  the  fallen  angels  and  the  wickedest  men  shall  be  freed  from 
infernal  torments  ;  and  Augustine  speaks  of  some  such  merciful  men 
in  his  time ;  and  Origen  held  and  taught  that  not  only  impenitent 
Christians,  but  even  pagans  and  devils,  after  the  term  of  a  thousand 
years,  should  be  released  out  of  hell,  and  Ijecome  as  bright  angels  in 
heaven  as  they  were  before,  i  But  these  dangerous  fancies  and  un- 
grounded opinions  fall  flat  before  the  clear  evidence  of  those  sad  and 
serious  truths  that  I  have  now  tendered  to  your  consideration.  And 
thus  I  have  shewed  you  the  difference  between  our  fire  and  hell-fire. 

Now,  0  ye  citizens  of  London  who  truly  fear  the  Lord,  and  who  are 
united  to  Christ  by  faith,  know  for  your  everlasting  comfort  and  sup- 
port, that  Christ  hath  secured  you  from  infernal  fire,  from  everlasting 
fire,  from  unquenchable  fire,  from  eternal  fire,  and  from  the  worm 
that  never  dieth,  as  you  may  see  clearly  and  fully  by  comparing  the 
scriptures  in  the  margin  together.2  Christ  l)y  his  blood  hath  quenched 
the  violence  of  infernal  flames,  so  that  they  shall  never  scorch  you  nor 
burn  you,  hurt  you  nor  harm  you.  Nebuchadnezzar's  fiery  furnace 
was  a  type  of  hell,  say  some.  Now  look,  as  the  three  children,  or 
rather  champions,  had  not  one  hair  of  their  heads  singed  in  that  fiery 

^  Aug.  lib.  xxi.  cap.  17-22,  De  Civitate  Dei. 

-  John  iii.  17,  18,  36  ;  Luke  i.  68-71,  74  ;  Rom.  vi.  23,  and  viii.  1,  31-35,  37  ;  1  Cor. 
iii.  21-23,  and  xv.  54-58  ;  1  Thes.  i.  10 ;  Eev.  ix.  5,  6. 


212  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

furnace,  so  lii'll-fire  shall  never  sinoe  one  hair  of  your  heads.  Your 
interest  in  Christ  is  a  noble  and  sufficient  security  to  you  a^^ainst  the 
flames  of  hell.  Fliny  saitli,  that  nothing  in  the  world  will  so  soon 
quench  fire  as  salt  and  blood ;  and  therefore  in  many  countries  where 
they  can  get  plenty  of  blood,  they  will  use  salt  and  blood  rather  than 
water  to  (juench  the  fire.  If  you  cast  water  on  the  fire,  the  fire  will 
(|uickly  work  it  out ;  but  if  you  cast  blood  ui)on  it,  it  will  damp  it  in 
a  moment.  0  sirs,  Christ's  blood  has  so  quenched  the  flames  of  hell, 
that  they  shall  never  be  able  to  scorch  or  burn  those  souls  that  are  in- 
terested in  him.  The  effusion  of  Christ's  blood  is  so  rich  and  avail- 
able, saith  my  author,!  tliat  if  the  whole  multitude  of  captive  sinners 
would  believe  in  their  Kedeemer,  not  one  should  be  detained  in  the 
tyrant's  chains.  All  those  spots  that  a  Christian  finds  in  his  own 
heart,  shall  first  or  last  be  washed  out  in  the  Lamb  :  1  John  i.  7, '  The 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  his  Son  clcanscth  us  from  all  our  sins.'  Now 
such  as  are  washed  and  cleansed  from  their  sins  in  the  blood  of  Jesus, 
such  shall  never  experimentally  know  what  everlasting  burnings  or  a 
devouring  fire  means.  Such  as  are  washed  in  Christ's  blood  needs  no 
purifying  by  hell's  flames.  Pliny  saith  of  polhim  that  it  is  a  preserva- 
tive against  serpents.  Sure  I  am  that  the  blood  of  Christ  is  an 
effectual  preservative  against  all  infernal  serpents  and  infernal  tor- 
ments.''^ 

You  believing  citizens,  who  have  set  up  God  as  tlie  object  of  your 
fear,  and  whose  hearts  are  inflamed  with  love  to  Christ,  know,  for 
your  everlasting  refreshment,  that  Christ  has  freed  you,  and  secured 
you  from  everlasting  fire,  from  unquenchable  fire,  from  eternal  fire ; 
and  therefore  bear  up  sweetly,  bear  up  cheerfully  under  that  fiery 
dispensation  that  has  passed  upon  you.  What  is  the  burning  of  your 
houses  and  substance,  to  the  burning  of  bodies  and  souls  in  hell? 
What  was  the  fire  of  London,  to  infernal  fire  ?  What  is  a  fire  of  four 
or  five  days'  continuance,  to  that  everlasting  fire,  to  that  unquenchable 
fire,  to  that  eternal  fire  that  you  have  deserved,  and  that  free  grace 
hath  preserved  you  from  ?  A  frequent  and  serious  consideration  of 
hell-fire,  as  I  have  opened  it  unto  you,  and  of  your  happy  deliverance 
from  it,  may  very  well  bear  and  cheer  up  your  hearts  under  all  your 
greatest  sufferings  by  that  dreadful  fire,  that  has  turned  beloved  Lon- 
don into  a  ruinous  heap. 

Sir,  you  have  been  a-discoursing  about  hellish  torments;  but,  for 
the  further  clearing  up  of  the  truth,  we  desire  your  serious  answer  to 
this  sad  question — viz., 

Ohj.  How  will  it  stand  with  the  unspotted  holiness,  justice,  and 
righteousness  of  God,  to  punish  a  tenqiorary  oft'ence  with  eternal 
punishments  ?  for  the  evil  of  punishment  should  be  but  commensurate 
to  the  evil  of  sin.  Now  what  proportion  is  there  betwixt  finite  and 
infinite  ?  Why  should  the  sinner  lie  in  hellish  torments  for  ever  and 
ever  for  sinning  but  a  short  time,  a  few  years  in  this  world  ? 

Ans.  I  judge  it  very  necessary  to  say  something  to  this  important 

'  Leo  de  Pas.,  Seim.  xii.  c.  4. 

'  Nero  liad  a  sliirt  made  of  a  salamander's  skin,  so  that  if  lie  did  walk  through  the 
fire  in  it,  it  wouhi  keep  him  from  burninij.  O  sirs!  Christ  is  the  true  salamander's 
Bkiu  that  will  certain!}-  keep  every  gracious  soul  from  burning  in  everlasting  flames. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION,  213 

question,  before  I  come  to  discourse  of  those  duties  that  are  incumbent 
upon  those  citizens  whose  houses  are  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  ;  and 
therefore  take  me  thus  : — 

[1.]  First,  God's  will  is  the  rule  of  righteousness,  and  there/ore 
ivhat  he  doth,  or  shall  do,  must  needs  he  righteous.  He  is  Lord  of 
all ;  he  hath  a  sovereign  right  and  an  absolute  supremacy  over  the 
creature.  He  is  the  only  Potentate,  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords  ; 
he  is  the  Judge  of  the  whole  world  ;  '  And  shall  not  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  do  right  ?'  1  Tim.  i.  15  ;  Gen.  xviii.  25.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  I  answer,  There  is  a  ^^rinciple  in  man  to  sin  eter- 
nally; and  therefore  it  is  hut  just  luith  God  if  he  punish  him  eternally. 
The  duration  of  torment  respects  the  disposition  of  the  delinquent. 
Foence  singulorum  incequales  intentione,  poence  omnium  cequales  dur- 
atione,  [Aquinas.]  If  the  sinner  should  live  ever,  he  would  dishonour 
God  ever,  and  crucify  the  Lord  of  glory  ever,  and  grieve  the  Spirit 
of  grace  ever,  and  transgress  a  righteous  law  ever ;  and  therefore  it  is 
just  with  God  to  punish  such  sinners  for  ever.  Etsi  peccator  in  ceter- 
num  viveret,  in  a^iernum  peccaret,  If  the  sinner  might  live  eternally, 
he  would  sin  eternally ;  if  he  might  live  still,  he  Avould  sin  still. 
Though  the  sinner  loses  his  life,  yet  he  does  not  lose  his  will  to  sin. 
Sinners  sin  as  much  as  they  can,  and  as  long  as  they  can,  and  did  not 
the  grave  put  a  stop  to  their  lusts,  their  hearts  would  never  put  a  stop 
to  their  lusts.  Feccare  si  veils  tu  in  ceterno  tuo,  punire  cequum  est  te 
Deum  in  mterno  sua,  The  sinner  sins  in  his  eternity,  and  God  punishes 
in  his  eternity.  The  sinner  never  loses  his  will  to  sin.  His  will 
to  sin  is  everlasting ;  and  therefore  it  is  but  just  with  God  that  his 
punishment  should  be  everlasting.  A  will  to  sin  is  sin  in  God's 
account.  God  looks  more  at  the  will  than  at  the  deed  ;  and  therefore 
that  being  lasting,  the  punishment  must  be  so.  The  mind  and  inten- 
tion of  the  sinner  is  to  sin  everlastingly,  eternally.  If  the  sinner  should 
live  always,  he  would  sin  always ;  and  therefore  as  one  saith,  [Gregory,] 
Quia  mens  in  hac  vita  nunquam  voluit  carere  peccato,justum  est  ut 
nunquam  careat  supplicio.  Because  the  mind  of  man  in  this  life  would 
never  be  without  sin,  it  is  just  that  it  should  never  be  without  punish- 
ment in  the  life  to  come.  Many  of  the  men  of  the  old  world  lived 
eight  or  nine  hundred  years,  and  yet  faith  and  repentance  was  hid 
from  their  eyes :  that  patience,  forbearance,  long-suffering,  gentleness, 
and  goodness,  which  should  have  led  them  to  a  speedy  repentance, 
1  Pet.  iii.  20,  to  a  serious  repentance,  to  a  thorough  repentance,  to 
that  repentance  that  was  never  to  be  repented  of,  was  only  made  use 
of  to  patronise  their  lewdness  and  wickedness.^  This  is  certain: 
wicked  men  left  to  themselves  will  never  be  weary  of  their  sins,  nor 
never  repent  of  their  sins  ;  and  therefore  God  will  never  be  weary  of 
plaguing  them,  nor  never  repent  of  punishing  them.  The  sinner 
never  leaves  his  sin  till  sin  first  leaves  him:  did  not  death  put  a 
stop  to  his  sin,  he  would  never  cease  from  sin.  This  may  be  illus- 
trated by  a  similitude  thus,  A  company  of  gamesters  resolve  to  play 
all  night,  and  accordingly  they  sit  down  to  chess,  tables,  or  some 
other  game  ;  their  candle  accidentally  or  unexpectedly  goes  out,  or  is 

^  Peccant  in  aeterno  suo,  ergo  puniuntm-  in  Eoterno  Dei.     The  siiiner  alwaj-s  sinned 
in  liis  eternity,  tliei-efore  he  shall  always  be  punished  in  God's  eternity. — Aurjusline. 


214  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

put  out,  or  burnt  out ;  tlieir  candle  being  out,  they  are  forced  to  give 
over  their  <Tanio,nn(l  go  to  bed  in  the  dark  ;  but  had  the  candle  lasted 
all  night  they  would  have  played  all  night.  This  is  every  sinner's 
case  in  re"-ai-(l  of  sin :  did  not  death  put  out  the  candle  of  life  the 
sinner  would  sin  still.  IShoukl  the  sinner  live  for  ever,  he  would  sin 
for  ever ;  and  therefore  it  is  a  righteous  thing  with  God  to  punish 
him  for  ever  in  hellish  torments.  Every  impenitent  sinner  would  sin 
to  the  days  of  eternity,  if  he  might  but  live  to  the  days  of  eternity  : 
Ps.  Ixxiv.  10,  '  0  God,  how  long  shall  the  adversary  reproach?  shall 
the  enemy  blaspheme  thy  name  for  ever?'  For  ever  and  evermore  ; 
or  for  ever  and  yet — for  so  the  Hebrew  loves  to  exaggerate :  as  if  the 
sinner,  the  blasphemer,  would  set  a  term  of  duration  longer  than 
eternity  to  sin  in.  The  psalmist  implicitly  saith.  Lord,  if  thou  dost 
but  let  them  alone  for  ever,  they  will  certainly  blaspheme  thy  name 
for  ever  and  ever.  I  have  read  of  the  crocodile,  that  he  knows  no 
maximum  quod  sic,  he  is  always  growing  bigger  and  bigger,  and 
never  comes  to  a  certain  pitch  of  monstrosity  so  long  as  he  lives. 
Quamdiu  vivit  crescit.  Every  habituated  sinner  would,  if  he  were 
let  alone,  be  such  a  monster,  perpetually  growing  worser  and  worser. 
But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  I  answer.  Thai  God  against  lolwm  they  have  sinned  is 
an  infinite  and  eternal  good.  Now  a  finite  creature  cannot  bear  an 
infinite  punishment  intensively,  and  therefore  he  must  bear  it  exten- 
sively. They  have  sinned  impenitently  against  an  infinite  majesty,  and 
accordingly  their  punishment  must  be  infinite. i  Now  because  it  can- 
not be  infinite,  in  regard  of  the  degree,  men  being  but  finite  creatures, 
and  so  not  capable  of  infinite  torments  at  one  time ;  therefore  their 
punishment  must  be  infinite  in  the  length  and  continuance  of  it.  What 
is  wanting  in  torment  must  be  made  up  in  time.  Every  sin  is  of  an 
infinite  nature,  because  of  the  infinite  dignity  of  the  person  against 
whom  it  is  committed  ;  and  therefore  it  deserveth  an  infinite  punish- 
ment ;  which  because  it  cannot  be  infinite  secundum  ijitensionem,  in 
the  inattention^  and  greatness  of  it,  it  remaineth  that  it  should  be 
infinite  secundum  dumtionem,  in  respect  of  the  duration  and  continu- 
ance of  the  same.^  Mark,  all  punishments  ouglit  to  be  levied  according 
to  the  dignity  of  him  against  whom  the  offence  is  committed.  Words 
against  common  persons  bear  but  common  actions  ;  words  against 
noblemen  are  scandala  magnatum,  great  scandals  ;  but  words  against 
princes  are  treason.  So  the  dignity  of  the  person  against  whom  sin  is 
committed,  does  exceedingly  aggravate  the  sin.  To  strike  an  inferior 
man  is  matter  of  arrest,  but  to  strike  a  king  is  matter  of  death.  Now 
what  an  infinite  distance  and  disproportion  is  there  between  the  Lord 
of  hosts  and  such  poor  crawling  worms  as  we  are  !  he  being  holiness, 
and  we  sinfulness;  he  fulness,  and  we  emptiness;  he  omuipotency, 
and  we  impotency ;  he  majesty,  and  we  vanity;  he  instar  omnium,  all 
in  all,  and  we  nothing  at  all.  Now  to  sin  against  such  an  infinite 
glorious  majesty,  deserves  infinite  punishment.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  I  answer,  'Though  the  act  of  sin  be  transient,  yet  it 
leaveth  such  a  stain  upon  the  soul  as  is lyermanent,  and  continueth  in 

'   Sin  13  contra  Denm  infinitinn,  ajrainst  an  infinite  majesty. 

'  Query,  'intension'?— Ed.  '*  Vide  August.,  lib.  xxi.  cap.  14,  De  Civitatc  Dei. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  215 

it  evermore,  and  evermore  it  disposeth  the  sinner  unto  sin,  if  it  be  not 
2Kirdoned  and  pu7'ged  oid  by  mercy  and  grace,  and  therefore  it  is  but 
just  that  this  perpetual  puipose  of  sinning  shoidd  be  punished  with 
perpetuity  ofpain.^  The  guilt  and  stain  of  sin,  of  its  own  nature  and 
unpardoned,  endures  eternally  upon  the  soul ;  and  therefore  what  can 
follow  but  eternal  torments?  The  lasting  continuance  of  sin  is  remark-, 
ably  described  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  chap.  xvii.  1,  '  The  sin  of  Judah 
is  written  with  a  pen  of  iron,  and  with  the  point  of  a  diamond  :  it  is 
graven  upon  the  table  of  their  hearts :'  not  only  written,  but  engraven, 
that  no  hand  can  deface  it.  Slight  not  the  commission  of  any  sin  ;  it 
perishes  not  witli  the  acting.  The  least  vanity  hath  a  perpetuity,  nay, 
an  eternity  of  guilt  upon  it.  Sin  leaving  a  blot  in  the  soul  brings  the 
matter  of  hell-fire,  is  eternally  punished,  because  there  is  still  matter 
for  that  everlasting  fire  to  work  upon.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  I  answer,  Though  death  put  an  end  to  mens  lives,  yet  not 
to  sins.  Hell  is  as  full  of  sin  as  it  is  of  punishment  or  torment.  Though 
the  schoolmen  determine  that  after  this  life  men  are  capable  neither 
of  merit  nor  demerit,  and  therefore  by  their  sins  do  not  incur  a  greater 
measure  of  punishment,  yet  they  grant  that  they  sin  still.  Though 
when  the  creature  is  actually  under  the  sentence  of  condemnation,  the 
law  ceases  to  any  further  punishment,  yet  there  is  an  obligation  to  the 
precepts  of  the  law  still.  Though  a  man  be  bound  only  to  the  curse 
of  the  law,  as  he  is  a  sinner,  yet  he  is  bound  to  the  precept  of  the  law, 
as  he  is  a  creature  :  so  that  though  the  demerit  of  sin  ceaseth  after 
death,  yet  the  nature  of  sin  remaineth :  though  by  sinning  they  do  not 
incur  a  higher  and  a  greater  degree  of  punishment,  yet  as  they  con- 
tinue sinning,  so  it  is  just  with  God  there  should  be  a  continuation  of 
the  punishment  already  inflicted.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  I  answer.  It  is  no  injustice  in  God  to  punish  temporal 
offences  with  perpetual  torments.  God  measureth  the  punishment  by 
the  greatness  of  the  offence,  and  not  by  the  time  wherein  the  sin  was 
acted.  Murder,  adultery,  sacrilege,  treason,  and  the  like  capital  crimes, 
are  doomed  in  the  judicatories  of  men  to  death  without  mercy,  and 
sometimes  to  perpetual  imprisonment,  or  to  perpetual  banishment ; 
and  yet  these  high  offences  were  committed  and  done  in  a  short  time. 
Now  tliis  bears  a  proportion  with  eternal  torments.  0  sirs,  if  the 
offences  committed  against  God  be  infinitely  heinous,  why  may  not 
the  punishment  be  infinitely  lasting?  Sinners'  offences,  as  Austin  well 
observes,^  are  not  to  be  measured  temporis  longitudine,  by  the  length 
of  time  wherein  they  were  done :  but  iniquitatis  magnitudine,  by  the 
foulness  of  the  crime :  and  if  so,  then  God  is  just  in  binding  the  sinner 
in  everlasting  chains.  We  must  remember  that  God  is  a  great  and 
a  glorious  God,  and  that  he  is  an  omniscient  and  an  omnipotent  God, 
and  that  he  is  a  mighty,  yea,  an  almighty  God,  and  that  he  is  a  holy 
and  a  just  God,  and  that  he  is  out  of  Christ  an  incomprehensible,  in- 
communicable, and  very  terrible  God,  and  that  he  is  an  infinite,  eternal, 
and  independent  God,  Heb.  xii.  29,  30.  And  we  must  remember  that 
man  is  a  shadow,  a  bubble,  a  vapour,  a  dream,  a  base,  vile,  sinful, 
worthless  worm.     Now  these  things  being  considered,  must  we  not 

^  As  long  as  tlic  guilt  of  sin  remains,  punishments  and  torments  will  remain. 
^  Aug.  cie  Civit.  Dei.,  lib.  i.  cap.  11. 


216  London's  lamentations  on        [Tsa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

confess  that  eternity  itself  is  too  short  a  space  for  God  to  revenge  him- 
self on  sinners  in  ?     Bnt, 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly,  I  answer,  Siich  sinners  havebut  lohat  they 
chose.  Whilst  they  lived  under  the  means  of  grace,  the  God  of  grace 
set  before  them  heaven  and  hell,  glory  and  misery,  eternal  life  and 
eternal  death,  so  that  if  they  eternally  miscarry,  they  have  none  to 
blame  but  themselves,  for'  choosing  hell  rather  than  heaven,  misery 
rather  than  glory,  and  eternal  death  rather  than  eternal  life.^  Ah, 
how  freely,  how  fully,  how  frequently,  how  graciously,  how  gloriously, 
hath  Christ  been  otfered  in  the  gospel  to  poor  sinners,  and  yet  they 
would  not  choose  him,  they  Avould  not  close  with  him,  they  would  not 
embrace  him,  nor  accept  of  him,  nor  enter  into  a  marriage  covenant 
with  him,  nor  resign  themselves  up  to  liim,  nor  part  with  their  lusts 
to  enjoy  him :  they  would  not  come  to  Christ  that  they  might  have 
life ;  they  slighted  infinite  mercy,  and  despised  the  riches  of  grace, 
and  trod  under  foot  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  and  scorned 
the  otters  of  eternal  salvation ;  and  therefore  it  is  but  just  that  they 
should  lie  down  in  everlasting  sorrows,  John  v.  40 ;  Mat.  xxii.  2-5  ; 
2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4.  How  can  that  sinner  be  saved  that  [still  refuses  sal- 
vation ?  How  can  mercy  save  him  that  will  not  be  saved  by  mercy  ? 
yea,  how  can  Christ  save  such  a  man,  that  will  not  be  saved  by  him  ? 
All  the  world  cannot  save  that  man  from  going  to  hell,  who  is  peremp- 
torily resolved  that  he  will  not  go  to  heaven.  Sinners  have  boldly 
and  daily  refused  eternal  life,  eternal  mercy,  eternal  glory,  and  there- 
fore it  is  but  just  that  they  should  endure  eternal  misery.  And  let 
thus  much  sufhce  for  answer  to  the  objection. 

Quest.  But,  sir,  pray  what  are  those  duties  that  are  incumbent  upon 
those  that  have  been  burnt  up,  and  whose  habitations  are  now  laid  in 
its  ashes  ? 

I  answer,  They  are  these  that  follow:  — 

1.  First,  See  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in  this  late  dread  fid  fire,  acknow- 
ledge the  Lord  to  he  the  author  of  all  judgments,  and  of  this  in  ^x/r- 
ticular,  Lev.  xxvi.  41 ,  and  Micah  vii.  il.  It  is  a  high  point  of  Chris- 
tian prudence  and  piety  to  acknowledge  the  Lord  to  be  the  author  of 
all  personal  or  national  sufterings  that  befall  us :  Jer  ix.  12,  '  Who  is 
the  wise  man,  that  may  understand  this  ?  for  what  the  land  perisheth, 
and  is  burnt  uj)  like  a  wilderness,  that  none  passeth  through.'  It  is 
very  great  Avisdom  to  know  from  whom  all  our  afHictions  come,  and 
for  what  all  our  nfllictions  come  upon  us.  God  looks  that  we  should 
observe  his  hand  in  all  our  sufterings.  *  Hear  the  rod,  and  who  hath 
appointed  it,'  Micah  vi.  9.  God  challenges  all  sorts  of  alilictions  as 
his  own  special  administration  :  Amos  iii.  6,  '  Is  there  any  evil  in  the 
city,  and  the  Lord  hath  not  done  it  ?  I  form  the  light,  and  create 
darkness ;  I  make  jieace,  and  create  evil,  I  the  Lord  do  all  these 
things,2  Isa.  xlv.  7.  God  takes  it  very  heinously,  and  looks  upon  it 
as  a  very  great  indignity  that  is  put  upon  his  power,  providence,  and 
justice,  when  men  will  neither  see  nor  acknowledge  his  hand  in  those 

'  Dcut.  xi.  26,  27,  and  xxx.  15  ;  HcK  ii.  2,  3,  and  x.  28,  29  ;  John  iii.  14-17,  SC,  and 
i.  11. 

*  See  this  text  fully  opened  in  mv  first  Epistle  to  my  Treatise  on  '  Closet  Prayer.' 
[Vol.  I.— G] 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  217 

sore  afflictions  and  sad  sufferings  that  he  brings  upon  them.  Of  such 
the  prophet  Isaiah  complains,  chap.  xxvi.  11,  '  Lord,  when  thy  hand 
is  lifted  up,  they  will  not  see.'  The  hand,  the  power  of  the  Lord  was 
so  remarkable  and  conspicuous  in  the  judgments  that  were  inflicted 
upon  them,  as  might  very  well  wring  an  acknowledgment  out  of  them 
that  it  was  the  Lord  that  had  stirred  his  wrath  and  indignation  against 
them  ;  and  yet  they  wilfully  and  desperately  shut  their  eyes  against  all 
the  severities  of  God,  and  would  not  behold  that  dreadful  hand  of  his 
that  was  stretched  out  against  them.  0  sirs,  God  looks  upon  himself 
as  reproached  and  slandered  by  such  who  will  not  see  his  hand  in  the 
amazing  judgments  that  he  inflicts  upon  them  :  Jer.  v.  12,  '  They  have 
belied  the  liord,  and  said.  It  is  not  he' — or,  as  the  Hebrew  runs,  'he  is 
not.'  Such  was  the  atheism  of  the  Jews,  that  they  slighted  divine 
warnings,  and  despised  all  those  dreadful  threatenings  of  the  sword, 
famine,  and  fire,  which  should  have  led  them  to  repentance,  and  so 
tacitly  said,  The  Lord  is  not  God.  Such  who  either  say,  that  God  is 
not  omniscient,  or  that  he  is  not  omnipotent,  or  that  he  is  not  so  just 
as  to  execute  the  judgments  that  he  has  threatened ;  such  belie  the 
Lord,  such  deny  him  to  be  God.  Many  feel  the  rod,  that  cannot  hear 
it ;  and  many  experience  the  smart  of  the  rod,  that/lo  not  see  the  hand 
that  holds  the  rod  ;  and  this  is  sad.  How  can  the  natural  man,  with- 
out faith's  prospective,  look  so  high  as  to  see  the  hand  of  the  Lord  in 
wasting  and  destroying  judgments?  By  common  experience  we  find 
that  natural  men  are  mightily  apt  to  father  the  evil  of  all  their  suf- 
ferings upon  secondary  causes.  Sometimes  they  cry  out.  This  is  from 
a  distemper  in  nature;  and  at  other  times  they  cry  out,  This  is  from  a 
bad  air.  Sometimes  they  cry  out  of  the  malice,  plots,  envy,  and  rage 
of  men  ;  and  at  other  times  they  cry  out  of  stars,  chance,  and  fortune, 
and  so  fix  upon  anything  rather  than  the  hand  of  God,  But  now  a 
gracious  Christian  under  all  his  sufferings,  he  overlooks  all  secondary 
causes,  and  fixes  his  eye  upon  the  hand  of  God.  You  know  what 
Joseph  said  to  his  unnatural  brethren,  who  sold  him  for  a  slave :  Noii 
vos,  sed  Deus:  '  It  was  not  you,  but  God  that  sent  me  into  Egypt,' 
Gen.  xlv.  7.  Job  met  with  many  sore  losses  and  sad  crosses,  but  under 
them  all  he  overlooked  all  instruments,  all  secondary  causes ;  he  over- 
looks the  Sabeans,  and  the  Chaldeans,  and  Satan,  and  fixes  his  eje 
upon  the  hand  of  God :  '  The  Lord  hath  given,  and  the  Lord  hath 
taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord,'  Job  i.  21.  Judas,  and 
Annas,  and  Caiaphas,  and  Pilate,  and  Herod,  and  the  bloody  soldiers, 
had  all  a  deep  hand  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  but  yet  he  overlooks 
them  all,  and  fixes  his  eye  upon  his  Father's  hand.  '  The  cup  which 
my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it,'  John  xviii.  11.  This 
cup  was  the  cup  of  his  sufferings.  Now  in  all  his  sad  sufterings  he 
had  still  an  eye  to  his  Father's  hand.  Let  us  in  all  our  sufferings 
write  after  this  copy  that  Christ  has  set  before  us.  But  of  this  I  have 
spoken  very  largely  already,  and  therefore  let  this  touch  suffice  here, 

2.  Secondly,  Labour  to  justify  the  Lord  in  cdl  that  he  has  done; 
say^  the  Lord  is  righteous,  though  he  hath  laid  your  city  desolate. 
When  Jerusalem  was  laid  desolate,  and  the  wall  thereof  broken  down, 
and  the  gates  thereof  were  burned  with  fire,  Nehemiah  justifies  the  Lord : 
chap.  ix.  33,  '  Howbeit  thou  art  just  in  all  that  is  brought  upon  us; 


218  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

for  tliou  hast  done  rit^lit,  but  we  have  done  wickedly.'  i  The  same 
spirit  was  upon  Jeremiah:  Lam.  i.  1,  4,  18,  'How  doth  the  city  sit 
soHtary  that  was  full  of  people !  how  is  she  become  as  a  widow  ! 
she  that  was  great  among  the  nations,  and  princess  among  the  pro- 
vinces, how  is  she  become  tributary  !  The  ways  of  Zion  do  mourn, 
because  none  come  to  the  solemn  feasts:  all  her  gates  are  desolate ; 
her  priests  sigh,  her  virgins  are  afflicted,  and  she  is  in  bitterness. 
The  Lord  is  righteous  ;  for  I  have  rebelled  against  his  commandment.' 
The  same  spirit  was  upon  David  :  Ps.  cxix.  75,  '  I  know,  0  Lord,  that 
thy  judgments  are  right,  and  that  thou  in  faithfulness  hast  afflicted 
me.'  So  Ps.  cxlv.  17,  '  The  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  his  ways,  and 
holy  in  all  his  works.'  This  maxim  we  must  live  and  die  by,  though 
we  do  not  always  see  the  reason  of  his  proceedings.  It  is  granted  on 
all  hands  that  voluntas  Dei  est  summa,  perfcctissima,  et  infalUbilis 
regula  divime  justitice,  et  Deus  sibi  ipsi  lex  est,  The  will  of  God  is  the 
chiefest,  the  most  perfect  and  infallible  rule  of  divine  justice,  and  that 
God  is  a  judged  to  himself:  '  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do 
right?'  Gen.  xviii.  25.  In  this  negative  question  is  emphatically  im- 
plied an  affirmative  jiosition,  which  is,  that  God,  above  all  others,  must 
and  will  do  right ;  because  from  his  judgment  there  is  no  appeal, 
Abraham,  considering  the  nature  and  justice  of  God,  was  confidently 
assured  that  God  could  not  do  otherwise  but  right.  Hath  God  turned 
you  out  of  house  and  home,  and  marred  all  your  pleasant  things,  and 
stripped  you  naked  as  the  day  wherein  you  were  l^orn  ?  Yes.  Why, 
if  he  hath,  he  hath  done  you  no  wrong ;  he  can  do  you  no  wrong ;  he 
is  a  law  to  himself,  and  his  righteous  will  is  the  rule  of  all  justice. 
God  can  as  soon  cease  to  be  as  he  can  cease  to  do  that  which  is  just 
and  right.  So  Ps.  xcvii.  2,  '  Clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about 
him ;  righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne,' 
Clouds  and  darkness  notes  the  terribleness  of  God's  administrations. 
Though  God  be  very  terrible  in  his  administrations,  yet  righteousness 
and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne.  It  hath  been  a  day 
of  God's  wrath  in  London,  a  day  of  trouble  and  distress,  a  daj^  of  wast- 
ing and  desolation,  a  day  of  darkness  and  gloominess,  a  day  of  clouds 
and  thick  darkness,  as  it  was  once  in  Jerusalem,  Zeph.  i.  15 ;  yet 
righteousness  and  judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne  ;  or,  as  it 
may  be  translated,  ai'e  '  the  foundation  of  his  throne.'  God's  seat  of 
judgment  is  always  founded  in  righteousness.  So  Dan.  ix.  12,  'And  he 
hath  confirmed  his  words  which  he  spake  against  us,  and  against  our 
judges  that  judged  us,  by  bringing  upon  us  a  great  evil :  for  under  the 
whole  heaven  hath  not  been  done  as  hath  been  done  upon  Jerusalem;' 
ver.  14,  '  The  Lord  our  God  is  righteous  in  all  his  works  which  he 
doeth ;  for  we  obeyed  not  his  voice.'  God  is  only  righteous,  he  is  per- 
fectly righteous,  he  is  exemplarily  righteous,  he  is  everlastingly  right- 
eous, he  is  infinitely  righteous,  and  no  unrighteousness  dwells  in  him, 
Ps.  xcii.  15  ;  Job  xxxvi.  23.  There  are  four  things  that  God  cannot 
do:  (1.)  He  cannot  lie;    (2.)  He  cannot  die;   (3.)  He  cannot  deny 

'  Nch.  i.  4.  So  Mauriciiis  the  emperor  justified  God  when  lie  saw  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren butchcrcil  hefore  his  eyes  by  the  traitor  Pliocas,  and  knew  that  liim.sclf  should  soon 
after  be  stewed  in  his  own  broth,  cried  out,  Just  art  thou,  0  Lord,  and  just  arc  all  thy 
judgments!  -  (incry,  'law'? — G. 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATIO^T.  219 

himself;  nor  (4.)  He  cannot  look  upon  iniquity  and  not  loathe  it;  he 
cannot  behold  iniquity  and  approve  of  it  or  delight  in  it.  God  has  a 
sovereignty  over  all  your  persons  and  concernments  in  this  world,  and 
therefore  he  may  do  with  you  and  all  that  is  yours  as  he  pleaseth. 
Upon  this  account  you  ought  to  say,  The  Lord  is  righteous,  though  he 
hath  laid  your  habitations  desolate,  and  burned  up  your  houses  before 
your  eyes.  It  is  true,  God  has  dealt  severely  with  London ;  but  he 
might  have  dealt  more  severely  with  it,  Lam.  iii.  22.  He  might  have 
burnt  up  every  house,  and  he  might  have  consumed  every  inhabitant 
in  London's  flames.  He  might  have  made  good  that  sad  word  upon 
them,  '  They  shall  go  from  one  lire,  and  another  fire  shall  devour 
them,'  Ezek.  xv.  7.  The  citizens  of  London  may  say  with  good  Ezra, 
God  hath  punished  us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve  ;  and  therefore 
it  highly  concerns  them  to  say,  '  The  Lord  is  righteous.'  All  that 
God  doth  is  good.  You  know  what  Hezekiah  said :  2  Kings  xx.  19, 
'  Good  is  the  word  of  the  Lord.'  This  was  a  hard  word,  a  sad  word, 
that  all  his  treasure  should  be  carried  into  Babylon,  and  his  sons  also, 
and  made  servants  there,  and  yet  he  saith,  '  Good  is  the  word  of  the 
Lord.'  Whatever  God  doth  is  good.  God,  in  that  he  is  good,  saith 
one — Luther  in  Psalm  cxx. — can  give  nothing,  do  nothing,  but  that 
which  is  good ;  others  do  frequently,  he  cannot  possibly.  Upon  this 
account  also  it  concerns  us  to  say.  The  Lord  is  righteous,  though  our 
city  be  laid  desolate.  It  is  better  to  be  under  a  fiery  rod,  than  to  be 
wallowing  in  the  mire  of  sin.i  It  is  better  that  London  should  be  laid 
desolate,  than  that  God  should  say,  England,  farewell.  That  is  a  Chris- 
tian worth  gold  who  can  seriously,  heartily,  and  habitually  say,  The 
Lord  is  righteous,  though  all  our  pleasant  things  are  laid  desolate. 

Ohjec.  I  would  say,  The  Lord  is  righteous ;  but  by  this  fiery  dis- 
pensation I  am  turned  out  of  house  and  home. 

Now,  in  answer  to  this  objection,  give  me  leave  to  inquire : — 

[1.]  First,  Whether  Tjour  house  was  dedicated  to  the  Lord  bi/  fast- 
ing and  prayer  or  not  P  Deut.  xx.  5.  If  it  were  only  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  sin,  Satan,  or  the  world,  no  wonder  if  the  Lord  has  turned 
it  into  a  heap.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Give  me  leave  to  inquire,  Whether  you  had  set  up 
Christ  and  holiness  and  holy  orders  in  your  house  or  no  ?  See  Ps. 
ci.  Did  you  in  good  earnest  resolve  witli  Joshua,  '  That  you  and  your 
house  would  serve  the  Lord,'  Joshua  xxiv.  15.  If  not,  no  wonder  if 
the  Lord  has  laid  your  habitations  desolate.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Give  me  leave  to  inquire.  Whether  you  did  labour 
and  endeavour  to  the  utmost  of  what  you  were  able,  that  Christ  might 
have  a  church  in  your  house  or  no  f  Col.  iv.  15,  '  Salute  the  brethren 
which  are  in  Laodicea,  and  Nymphas,  and  the  church  which  is  in  his 
house';  that  is,  saith  Dr  Hammond,  which  meets  together  in  his 
house.  1  Cor.  xvi.  19,  '  The  churches  of  Asia  salute  you.  Aquila 
and  Priscilla  salute  you  much  in  the  Lord,  with  the  church  that  is  in 
their  house.'  Phil.  2,  '  And  to  our  beloved  Apphia,  and  Archippus 
our  fellow-soldier,  and  to  the  church  in  thy  house.'-      Philemon's 

^  See  more  of  this  in  my  '  Mute  Christian.'     [Vol.  I.  as  before. —  G.] 
^  Sec  Dr  Hammond  on  this  scripture.      Vide  Bishop  Dav[enant]   Cotton,  Bcza,  Scul- 
tctus,  Ambrose,  &c. 


220  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

house  was  a  public  meeting-house,  where  the  faithful  had  their  assem- 
blies ;  and  so  continued  for  many  years  after,  as  Theodoret  and  others 
witnesscth.  Some  understand  this  last  scripture  of  the  churcli  which 
kept  IJK'ir  assemblies  in  Philemon's  house.  Others  understand  it  of 
his  household,  which  was  as  a  little  church  in  his  house:  Rom.  xvi. 
5,  '  Likewise  greet  the  church  that  is  in  their  house.'  Chrysostom  by 
the  church  in  their  house  understands  their  Christian  family,  who, 
saith  he,  were  so  godly,  as  to  make  their  whole  house  the  church. 
Origen  interpreteth  it  of  the  faithful  and  ready  ministry  of  these 
servants  of  the  Lord,  in  entertaining  of  the  saints  in  their  house. 
Theoi^hylact  thinketh  it  to  be  called  the  church  in  their  house,  because 
the  faithful  were  entertained  there.  But  beside  this,  it  seemeth  that 
their  house  was  a  place  for  the  saints  to  assemble  in ;  there  the  con- 
gregation used  to  come  together,  [Martyr.]  The  last  thing  in  their 
praise  was,  that  they  had  a  churcli  in  their  house ;  either  for  that 
their  family,  for  their  godly  order  observed  in  it,  seemed  to  be  a  church, 
or  else  for  the  faithful  gathered  together  in  their  house  to  celebrate 
their  assemblies ;  for  they  might  not  have  in  most  places  the  free  use 
of  their  Christian  religion,  through  the  malice  of  the  Jews  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  rage  of  the  Gentiles  on  the  other  hand.  Consult  Acts 
xiii.  and  xiv.,  [Wilson.]  In  this  great  city  of  Rome  there  were 
divers  assemblies  of  believers,  which  were  held  in  some  private  men's 
houses,  where  they  might  meet  safest — the  state  then,  and  some 
hundred  years  after,  not  permitting  them  any  public  temples  or  audi- 
tories to  meet  in,  as  our  English  Annotators  observe  upon  the  place. 
In  each  particular  family  last  cited,  there  was  a  church  of  Christ. 
Now  have  you  burnt  citizens  made  it  your  business  to  erect  a  church 
of  Christ  in  your  particular  families  ?  if  so,  well  it  is  with  you,  though 
you  have  lost  all.  If  not,  do  not  wonder  that  God  has  laid  your 
houses  desolate.  Adam  had  a  church  in  his  house,  so  had  Abraham, 
and  Jacob,  and  Joshua,  and  David,  and  Cornelius.  Well  governed 
families  may  in  some  sense  be  well  reputed  churches.  The  house  of 
George,  Prince  of  Anhalt,  for  the  good  orders  therein  observed,  is  said 
to  have  been,  Ecclcsia,  academia,  curia.  Ah  London,  London!  it  may 
be  there  might  have  been  more  houses  standing  within  thy  walls 
than  now  there  is,  if  every  particular  house  had  been  as  a  particular 
church  to  Christ.  As  for  such  houses  where  there  were  no  exercises 
of  religion  ;  as  for  such  houses  where  idleness,  cheating,  lying,  cursing, 
swearing,  slandering,  gaming,  drunkenness,  uncleanness,  and  riotous- 
ness  were  rampant,  they  were  rather  the  devil's  chapel  than  Christ's 
churcli ;  and  therefore  it  was  just  with  God  to  lay  such  habitations 
desolate.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Give  me  leave  to  inquire.  Whether  you  loere  friends 
or  enemies  to  God's  house,  2  Tim.  i.  20 ;  Num.  xii.  7 ;  Joshua  i.  2. 
Now  God's  house  is  his  church,  and  his  church  is  his  house  :  Heb.  iii. 
5,  6,  '  And  Moses  verily  was  faithful  in  all  his  house,  as  a  servant ; 
but  Christ  as  a  Son  over  his  own  house  ;  whose  house  are  we  ; '  1  Pet. 
ii.  5,  '  Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy 
priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ ; '  so  1  Tim.  iii.  15,  '  That  thou  mayest  know  how  thou  oughtest 
to  behave  thyself  in  the  house  of  God,  which  is  the   church  of  the 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  221 

living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth  ; '  Prov.  ix.  1,  '  Wisdom 
hath  builded  her  house,  she  hath  hewn  out  her  seven  pillars.'  Wis- 
dom— /T)DDn,  chakmoth,  the  Hebrew  word  is  plural,  wisdoms:  wisdoms 
hath  built  her  a  house.  By  wisdoms  some  understand  the  trinity  of 
persons  ;  but  most  conclude  that  by  wisdoms  is  meant  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  in  whom  are  hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge, 
Col.  ii.  3.  The  word  is  plural  for  honour's  sake.  As  princes  write, 
JVe  command,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  said  to  be  wisdoms  in  the 
plural  number,  to  note  that  he  is  the  sovereign  and  supreme  wisdom, 
and  that  he  is  instead  of  all  wisdoms,  and  comprehends  all  wisdoms 
in  himself,  all  the  world  being  fools  in  comparison  of  him.  Wisdoms 
hath  built  her  a  house — (1.)  Some  take  this  house  to  be  the  human 
nature  of  Christ,  but  that  was  not  then  built ;  (2.)  Others  understand 
it  of  the  work  of  grace  in  man's  soul,  but  this  the  Spirit  commonly 
works  in  this  house  by  the  ministry  of  the  word,  Gal.  v.  22,  23  ;  (3.) 
Others  by  this  house  understand  heaven,  that  upper  house,  that  house 
of  state  in  which  Christ  saith  there  are  many  mansions,  but  this  cannot 
[be  it],  because  the  house  in  the  text  is  such  a  house  to  which  wisdom 
doth  immediately  invite  and  call  all  her  guests  ;  but  (4.)  and  lastly, 
Others  by  house  understand  the  church  of  Christ  on  earth,  for  the 
church  militant  is  a  house  built  up  of  many  lively  stones,  1  Pet.  ii.  5  ; 
and  with  these  I  close.  Xow  by  these  scriptures  it  is  very  plain  that 
God's  house  is  his  church,  and  his  church  his  house.  Now  if  you 
were  enemies  to  God's  house,  if  you  hated  his  house,  and  designed  and 
endeavoured  to  pull  down  his  house,  no  wonder  that  the  Lord  has  laid 
your  houses  desolate.  Mat.  xxiii.  37,  38 ;  Zech.  xii.  2,  3,  6,  9.  Such 
who  cry  out  concerning  his  house,  Kaze  it,  raze  it  even  to  the  founda- 
tion thereof,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  7,  may  one  day  want  a  house  to  live  in. 

It  is  observable  that  in  private  houses  Christ  his  apostles,  and  par- 
ticular churches,  and  primitive  Christians,  frequently  used  to  meet 
when  the  times  were  dangerous  :  John  xx.  19,  '  Then  the  same  day  at 
evening,  being  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when  the  doors  were  shut 
where  the  disciples  were  assembled  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus, 
and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be  unto  you ; ' 
ver.  26,  '  And  after  eight  days,  again  his  disciples  were  within,  and 
Thomas  with  them.  Then  came  Jesus,  the  doors  being  shut,  and 
stood  in  the  midst,  and  said.  Peace  be  unto  you,'  Luke  xxiv.  33. 
This  was  the  usual  manner  of  salutation  among  the  Jews,  whereby 
they  wished  one  another  all  happiness  and  prosperity.  The  dooi'S  of 
the  room  where  they  were  together  were  shut  for  the  more  secrecy  and 
security,  to  avoid  danger  from  the  Jews,  saith  Dr  Hammond  on  the 
words :  i  Acts  i.  13,  14,  '  And  when  they  were  come  in,  they  went  up 
into  an  upper  room,  where  abode  both  Peter,  and  James,  and  John, 
and  Andrew,  Philip,  and  Thomas,  Bartholomew,  and  Matthew,  James 
the  son  of  Alpheus,  and  Simon  Zelotes,  and  Judas  the  brother  of 
James.  These  all  continued  with  one  accord  in  prayer  and  supplica- 
tion, with  the  women,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  with  his 
brethren : '  Acts  xx.  7,^  '  And  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  when 
the  disciples  came  together  to  break  bread,  Paul  preached  unto  them, 

'  See  the  Dutch  Annotations. 

^  See  the  Dutch  Anuotutions  and  DioJati  on  Acts  xx.  7-12. 


222  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

ready  to  depart  on  tlio  morrow ;  and  continued  liis  speecli  initil  mid- 
night;' ver.  8,  'And  liere  were  many  liglit.s'  {G)'.  many  lamps)  '  in 
the  upper  chamber,  whither  they  were  gathered  together ; '  ver.  9, 
*  And  there  sat  in  a  window  a  certain  young  man  named  Eutychus, 
being  IhHen  inlo  a  deep  sleep:  and  as  Paul  was  long  preaching,  he 
sunk  down  witli  sleej>,  and  fell  down  from  the  third  loft,  and  was 
taken  up  dead  ; '  ver.  10,  '  And  Paul  went  down,  and  fell  on  him,  and, 
embracing  him,  said,  Trouble  not  yourselves;  for  his  life  is  in  him;' 
ver.  11,  'When  he  therefore  was  come  up  again,  and  had  broken 
bread,  and  eaten,  and  talked  a  long  while,  even  till  break  of  day,  so 
he  departed ; '  ver.  12,  And  they  brought  the  young  man  alive,  and 
were  not  a  little  comforted  ; '  Acts  v.  42,  '  And  daily  in  the  tem^jle, 
and  in  every  house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ ; ' 
Acts  xii.  12,1  'And  when  he  had  considered  the  things,  he  came  to 
the  house  of  Mary  the  mother  of  John,  whose  surname  was  Mark; 
where  many  were  gathered  together  praying' — or  where  many  thronged 
to  pray,  as  it  runs  in  the  original ;  Acts  xx.  20,  '  And  how  I  kept 
back  nothing  that  was  profitable  unto  j'ou,  but  have  shewed  you,  and 
have  taught  you  publicly,  and  from  house  to  house  ; '  Acts  xxviii.  30, 
31,  '  And  Paul  dwelt  two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired  house,  and  re- 
ceived all  that  came  in  unto  him  :  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God, 
and  teaching  those  things  which  concern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with 
all  confidence,  no  man  forbidding  him;'  Luke  x.  38,  39,  'Now  it 
came  to  pass,  as  they  went,  that  he  entered  into  a  certain  village :  and 
a  certain  woman,  named  Martha,  received  him  into  her  house.  And 
she  had  a  sister  called  Maiy,  which  also  sat  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  heard 
his  word.'  Beloved,  by  these  scriptures  it  is  most  evident  and  clear 
that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  disciples  and  apostles,  and  those 
Christians  that  lived  in  their  times,  did  fro(piently  meet  in  private 
houses,  and  there  performed  acts  of  i)ublic  worship — viz., such  as  preach- 
ing, hearing,  praying,  breaking  of  bread,  &c.  How  the  primitive 
Christians  in  those  hot  times  of  jiersecution  met  in  the  nights,  and  in 
woods,  and  houses,  and  obscure  places,  they  best  understand  who  have 
read  the  writings  of  Tertullian,  Cyprian,  Chrysostom,  Theodoret, 
Austin,  Eusebius,  Justin  Martyr,  Pliny,  &c.  But  this  to  some  being 
an  un])leasing  theme,  I  shall  not  enlarge  myself  upon  it.  Only 
remember  this,  that  there  was  never  yet  any  town,  city,  or  country, 
kingdom  or  commonwealth,  that  did  ever  fare  the  worse  for  a  holy 
praying  people.  Frequent  and  fervent  prayer,  be  it  in  public  or  in 
private,  in  a  synagogue  or  in  an  upper  room,  never  did,  nor  never  will, 
bring  misery  or  mischief  ujwn  those  places  where  such  exercises  are 
kept  u}),  James  v.  17,  18.  Such  conventicles  of  good  fellowship,  as 
Rome  call  them,  where  there  is  nothing  but  swearing  and  cursing,  and 
carousing  and  gaming,  and  all  manner  of  filthiness  and  profaneness, 
are  the  only  conventicles  that  bring  desolating  judgments  upon  princes, 
people,  and  nations,  as  is  most  evident  throughout  the  scriptures.2 

'  See  Dr  Hammond  on  the  words  and  the  English  Annotations  ;  I'ide  Dr  Hammond 
of  Acts  xxviii.  30,  31. 

*  Several  hnndrcd  scriptures  might  be  produced  to  make  good  the  assertion.  Remem- 
ber what  one  Achan  did,  and  what  one  Manasseii  did,  2  Kings  xxi.  11,  12;  Ecclcs. 
ix.  18.  'One  sinner  destroycth  much  good.'  Oh,  then,  wliat  a  world  of  good  will  a  rabble 
of-sinners  destroy  ! 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25,]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  223 

Take  two  texts  for  all :  1  Sam.  i.  12,  25,  '  But  if  ye  shall  still  do 
wickedly,  ye  shall  be  consumed,  both  ye  and  your  kings.'  When 
princes  and  people  continue  to  do  wickedly  together,  then  they  sliall 
be  consumed  together.  Zeph.  i.  12,  '  I  will  search  Jerusalem  with 
candles,  and  punish  the  men  that  are  settled  on  their  lees :  that  say 
in  their  heart.  The  Lord  will  not  do  good,  neither  will  he  do  evil;' 
ver.  13,  '  Therefore  their  goods  shall  become  a  booty,  and  their  houses 
a  desolation  ;'  ver.  17, '  And  I  will  bring  distress  upon  men,  that  they 
shall  walk  like  blind  men,  because  they  sinned  against  the  Lord  ;  and 
their  blood  shall  be  poured  out  as  dust,  and  their  flesh  as  the  dung ; ' 
ver.  18,  '  Neither  their  silver  nor  their  gold  shall  be  able  to  deliver 
them  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's  wrath :  but  the  whole  land  shall  be 
devoured  by.  the  fire  of  his  jealousy :  for  he  shall  make  even  a  speedy 
riddance  of  all  them  that  dwell  in  the  land.'  Now,  if  any  of  you 
whose  houses  are  laid  desolate,  have  had  your  spirits  imbittered  and 
engaged  against  the  poor  people  of  God,  for  practising  as  Christ  and 
his  apostles  did,  then  lay  your  hands  upon  your  mouths,  and  say,  The 
Lord  is  righteous,  though  he  has  turned  us  out  of  house  and  home, 
and  laid  all  our  pleasant  things  desolate.  Certainly  all  that  legal  and 
ceremonial  holiness  of  places  which  we  read  of  in  the  Old  Testanient 
did  quite  vanish  and  expire  with  the  types,  when  Christ,  who  is  the 
substance  at  which  all  those  shadows  pointed,  came  into  the  world. 
I  have  neither  faith  to  believe,  nor  any  reason  to  see  that  there  is  in 
any  separated  or  consecrated  places  for  divine  worship,  any  such  legal 
or  ceremonial  kind  of  holiness  which  renders  duties  performed  there 
more  acceptable  unto  God,  than  if  performed  by  the  same  persons  and 
in  the  like  manner  in  any  other  places. i  Doubtless  Cln-ist  by  his 
coming  in  the  flesh  hath  removed  all  distinction  of  places  through 
legal  holiness.  This  is  clear  by  the  speech  of  our  Saviour  to  the 
Samaritan  woman,  concerning  the  abolishing  of  all  distinction  of 
places  for  worship  through  a  ceremonial  holiness :  John  iv.  21,  '  Jesus 
saith  unto  her.  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour  cometh  when  ye  shall 
neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  yet  at  Jerusalem,  worship  the  Father.' 
The  public  worship  of  God  was  now  to  be  restrained  to  no  place,  as 
formerly  it  was  to  the  temple  at  Jerusalem — that  is,  to  no  place  for 
its  ceremonial  holiness,  which  may  render  the  parts  of  divine  worship 
more  acceptable  to  God  than  if  performed  elsewhere ;  because  those 
types  which  sanctioned  the  places  formerly,  were  now  to  be  taken 
away,  when  Christ  the  substance  was  come ;  and  the  body  of  the  cere- 
monial worship  being  now  to  expire,  and  the  partition-wall  taken 
down,  that  the  Gentiles  might  be  admitted  to  worship  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.  It  could  not  possibly  be,  for  these  reasons,  that  the 
true  worship  of  God  should  be  tied  and  fixed  to  any  one  such  temple 
as  was  at  Jerusalem,  anymore.  The  temple  at  Jerusalem  was  a  mean 
of  God's  worship,  and  part  of  their  ceremonial  service,  and  a  type  of 
Christ ;  but  our  temples,  saith  my  author,"^  are  not  a  part  of  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  nor  types  of  the  body  of  Christ.  Neither  are  we  bound 
when  we  pray  to  set  our  faces  towards  them.  They  are  called  places 
of  prayer  only,  because  the  saints  meet  there  ;  and  if  the  saints'  meet- 

^  Merc[erus]  in  Had.  ti^lp 

*  AVeemes.     Vol.  i.,  Christian  Synagogue,  p.  110. 


•J21  London's  LAMENTATIONS  ON        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

iuo-  were  not  in  them,  they  -were  but  like  other  common  places.  The 
temple  of  Jerusalem  sanctified  the  meetings  of  the  saints,  but  the 
meeting  of  the  saints  sanctities  our  temples.  Herod's  temple  at  Jeru- 
salem was  so  set  on  fire  by  Titus  his  soldiers,  that  it  could  not  be 
quenched  by  the  industry  of  man  ;  and  at  the  same  time  Apollo's 
temple  at  Delphi  was  utterly  overthrown  by  earthquakes  and  thunder- 
bolts, and  neither  of  them  could  ever  since  be  repaired.  The  con- 
currence of  wiiich  two  miracles,  saith  mine  author,^  evidently  sheweth 
that  the  time  was  then  come  when  God  would  put  an  end  both  to 
Jewish  ceremonies  and  heathenish  idolatry,  that  tlie  kingdom  of  his 
Son  might  be  the  better  establislied.  The  time  of  Christ's  death  and 
passion  was  the  very  time  that  God,  in  his  eternal  counsel,  had  set  for 
the  abrogation  of  the  ceremonial  law,  and  all  ceremonial  holiness 
of  i)laces.  As  soon  as  ever  Christ  had  said,  '  It  is  finished,  and  had 
given  up  the  ghost,'  John  xix.  30,  immediately  the  vail  of  tlic  temple 
was  rent  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  Mat.  xxvii.  51  ;  and  from  that 
very  hour  there  was  no  more  holiness  in  the  temple  than  in  any  other 
place.  By  the  death  of  Christ  all  religious  differences  of  places  is 
taken  away,  so  that  no  one  place  is  holier  than  another.  Before  the 
coming  of  Christ  the  whole  land  of  Canaan,  because  it  was  a  tyjie 
of  the  church  of  Christ,  and  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  was  esteemed 
by  God's  people  a  better  and  holier  place  'than  any  other  in  the  world. 
And  upon  that  ground  among  others,  Jacob  and  Joseph  were  so 
desirous  to  be  buried  there.  Gen.  xlvii.  29,  31,  and  xlix.  29.  And  in 
the  land  of  Canaan  some  places  are  said  to  have  been  more  holy  than 
others — viz.,  such  as  wherein  God  did  manifest  himself  in  a  special 
and  sensible  manner.  So  the  place  where  Christ  appeared  to  Moses 
in  the  fiery  bush  is  called  holy  ground ;  and  so  was  that  wherein  he 
appeared  to  Joshua,  Exod.  iii.  5  ;  Joshua  v.  15.  And  the  mount 
whereon  Christ  was  transfigured  is  called  by  Peter  the  holy  mount,  1 
Pet.  i.  18.  But  these  places  were  no  longer  accounted  holy  than  during 
the  time  of  this  special  presence  of  the  Lord  in  them.  So  Jerusalem 
was  called  the  holy  city.  Mat.  iv.  5  ;  yea,  at  the  very  moment  of 
Christ's  death,  it  is  called  the  holy  city,  chap,  xxvii.  53,  because  it  was 
a  city  set  apart  by  God  for  a  holy  use,  a  city  where  he  was  daily  wor- 
shipped, a  city  that  he  had  chosen  to  put  his  name  upon.  Though 
Jerusalem  was  a  very  wicked  city,  yea,  the  wickedest  city  in  all  the 
world,  counting  the  means  they  enjoyed,  j-et  it  is  called  the  holy 
city  ;  and  so  doubtless,  in  respect  of  separation  and  dedication,  it  was 
holier  than  any  other  city  or  place  in  the  world  besides.  So  the 
temple  in  Jerusalem  is  nine  times  called  the  holy  tem]ile,  because 
it  was  a  more  holy  i)lace  than  any  other  place  in  Jerusalem.2  Now 
mark,  though  all  the  parts  of  the  temple  were  holy,  yet  some  places  in 
it  were  holier  tlian  other  some.  This  may  be  made  evident  three 
ways.  First,  There  was  a  place  where  the  people  stood  separated 
from  the  priests,  Luke  i.  10.  And  this  was  so  holy  a  place  that 
Christ  would  not  suffer  any  to  carry  any  vessel  through  it,  Mark  xvi. 
11.  And  secondly,  There  was  a  place  where  the  priests  executed 
their  ministry,  which  was  holier  than  that  that  the  people  stood  in,  and 

'  Oodw.  Antiq.  Ilch. 

'  Pa.  V.  7,  xi.  4,  Ixv.  4,  Ixxix.  1,  and  cxxxviii.  2  ;  Jonah  ii.  4,  7  ;  Mieah  i.  2  ;  llab.  ii.  20. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  225 

is  therefore  called  the  holy  place,  Lev,  xvi.  30,  seq.  And  thirdly, 
There  was  a  place  which  the  high-priest  might  only  enter  into,  and 
that  but  once  a  year,  and  that  is  called  the  holy  of  holies,  the  holiest 
place  of  all,  Heb.  ix.  3.  But  now  since  the  death  of  Christ,  there  is 
no  place  in  the  world  that  is  holier  than  other.  The  prayer  of  faith 
is  as  powerful  and  as  prevalent  with  God  in  one  place  as  in  another. 
Paul  describes  the  faithful  to  be  such  as  call  upon  God  in  every  place, 
1  Cor.  i.  2.  '  And  I  will,'  saith  he,  '  that  men  pray  everywhere,'  1 
Tim.  ii.  8.  '  And  where  two  or  three,'  saith  Christ,  '  are  gathered 
together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,'  Mat.  xviii. 
20.  That  every  place  should  be  free  for  the  people  of  God  to  worship 
the  Lord  in,  was  foretold  by  the  prophets,  as  a  singular  privilege  that 
should  come  to  the  church  in  the  days  of  the  gospel :  Zeph.  ii.  11, 
'  And  men  shall  worship  him,  every  one  from  his  place,  even  all 
the  isles  of  the  heathen;'  that  is,  all  countries,  though  not  encom- 
passed with  the  sea,  for  the  Jews  called  all  lands  islands  whither  they 
could  not  come  but  by  water.  Men  should  worship,  not  only  at  Jeru- 
salem, as  once,  but  in  all  places  ;  they  should  lift  up  '  pure  hands  and 
hearts  without  wrath  or  doubting,'  1  Tim  ii.  8,  both  in  church  and 
chamber.  Any  place  whatsoever  shall  be  a  sufficient  oratory,  so 
that  God  be  worshipped  in  spirit  and  in  truth  :  Mai.  i.  11,  '  For  from 
the  rising  of  the  sun,  even  to  the  going  down  of  the  same,  my  name 
shall  be  great  among  the  Gentiles  ;  and  in  every  place,'  not  in  Judea 
only,  '  incense  shall  be  offered  unto  my  name,' — here  the  prophet 
frames  his  words  to  the  capacity  of  the  people,  and  by  the  altar  and 
sacrifices  he  meaneth  the  spiritual  service  of  God,  which  should  be 
under  the  gospel,  when  an  end  shall  be  put  to  all  these  legal  ceremonies 
by  Christ's  only  sacrifice — '  and  a  pure  offering  :  for  my  name  shall  be 
great  among  the  heathen,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.'  The  poor  blind 
besotted  Jews  thought  that  God  was  so  tied  to  them,  that  if  they  did 
not  worship  him  at  Jerusalem,  he  would  have  no  service  nor  worship 
in  the  world.  But  God  tells  them  that  they  were  under  a  very  high 
mistake,  for  he  would  take  care  of  his  own  name  and  glory.  '  For 
from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  even  to  the  going  down  of  the  same, 
my  name  shall  be  great' — that  is,  the  knowledge  of  it,  and  of  the 
right  worship  of  it — '  among  the  Gentiles,'  [this  is  an  excellent  pro- 
phecy of  the  cutting  off  i  the  Gentiles  ;] — '  and  in  every  place  incense 
shall  be  offered  unto  my  name.'  My  worship,  saith  God,  shall  not  be 
confined  to  Judea  or  Jerusalem,  or  the  temple,  but  in  every  place 
1  will  have  a  people  that  shall  worship  me,  and  that  shall  be  still 
offering  of  prayers  and  praises  and  thanksgivings  to  me.^  Christ,  by 
his  death,  hath  taken  away  all  difference  of  places.  And  indeed  it 
was  but  necessary  that,  when  the  body  was  come,  the  shadow  should 
cease.  Yea,  since  Christ's  death,  all  difierence  of  persons  is  taken 
away  :  '  For  in  every  nation  under  heaven,  such  as  fear  God,  and  work 
righteousness,  are  accepted  of  him.'  '  There  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek, 
there  is  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor  female :  for 
ye  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus,'  Acts  x.  34,  35  ;  Gal.  iii.  28.  And 
therefore  all  difference  of  places  must  needs  also  be  taken  away,  for 
this  difference  of  places  was  as  a  partition- wall  between  the  Jews  and 

^  Query,  '  calling  of '  ?— G.  '  See  Isa.  Ixvi.  19,  20,  Ix.  8,  and  xix.  19. 

VOL.  VI.  P 


226  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  Gcntilcf,  Eph.  ii.  14,  15.  Now  mark,  since  the  destruction  of  the 
temple  and  city  of  Jerusalem,  the  Lord  hath  not  sanctified  any  other 
place  in  the  world,  or  consecrated  it  to  a  more  holy  use  than  the  rest, 
and  it  is  only  God's  institution  and  word  that  can  make  any  thing  or 
any  place  holy,  1  Tim.  iv.  4,  5.  Nothing  can  make  any  place  or 
any  tiling  else  holy,  but  the  ordinance  and  institution  of  God.  It 
is  Judaism,  it  is  a  denying  of  Christ  to  be  come  in  the  flesh,  to  hold  or 
affirm  that  one  place  is  holier  than  another.  I  know  the  papists  put 
more  holiness  in  some  places  than  they  do  in  others  ;  for  they  hold 
that  it  is  more  advantageous  to  the  dead  to  be  buried  in  the  church- 
yard than  out  of  it ;  and  in  the  church,  more  than  in  the  churchyard  ; 
and  in  chancel,  more  than  in  the  church  ;  and  near  the  high  altar, 
more  than  in  any  other  place  of  the  chancel ;  and  all  out  of  a  super- 
stitious conceit,  that  these  places  are  consecrated  and  hallowed,  that 
they  are  holier  than  other  places  are.  But  Christians  that  live  under 
a  bright  shining  gospel  understand  the  folly  and  vanity  of  these  men's 
spirits,  principles,  and  practices.  Such  as  are  wise  in  heart  know 
that  since  Christ  by  his  death  hath  taken  away  all  religious  difference 
of  ])laces,  England  is  as  holy  as  Canaan,  and  London  as  Jerusalem, 
and  our  houses  as  the  temple. 

Under  the  law  they  were  wont  to  dedicate  their  houses,  and  conse- 
crate them  to  God,  before  tliey  dwelt  in  them  :  Deut.  xx.  5,  '  And  the 
officers  shall  speak  unto  the  people,  saying,  What  man  is  there  that 
hath  built  a  new  house,  and  hath  not  dedicated  it  ?' — l)y  prayers,  hymns, 
and  other  holy  solemnities  ; — '  let  him  go  and  return  to  his  house,  lest 
he  die  in  the  battle,  and  another  man  dedicate  it.'  Now  though  this 
were  done  in  those  times,  with  sundry  ceremonies  which  are  now 
abolished,  yet  the  equity  of  the  duty  still  remains.  And  doubtless  the 
best  way  for  a  man  to  bring  down  a  blessing  upon  himself  and  his 
house,  is  to  dedicate  himself  and  his  house  to  God:  2  Sam.  vi.  11, 
'  And  the  ark  of  the  Lord  continued  in  the  house  of  Obed-edora  the 
Hittite  three  months :  and  the  Lord  blessed  Obed-edora,  and  all  his 
household:'  ver.  12,  '  And  it  was  told  king  David,  saying,  The  Lord 
hath  blessed  the  house  of  Obed-edom,  and  all  that  pertaineth  to 
him,  because  of  the  ark  of  God.'i  In  this  scripture  you  see  that  when 
men  do  anything  to  the  advancement  of  religion,  or  to  the  furtherance 
of  God's  worship  and  service,  he  takes  it  kindly  at  their  hands.  The 
meanest  service  that  is  done  to  Christ  or  his  church  hath  a  patent  of 
eternity.  Again,  in  this  scripture  you  may  run  and  read  a  real  retri- 
bution and  remuneration,  God  does  not  put  off  Obed-edom  with  a 
fine  feather,  or  with  empty  favours,  or  court-compliments,  but  he 
really  blesses  him  and  all  his  household.  Obed-edom  had  been  at 
some  cost  and  charge  in  giving  entertainment  to  God's  ark  ;  but  God 
defrays  all  the  charges,  and  pays  him  abundantly  for  his  kind  enter- 
tainment, with  interest  upon  interest.  No  man  ever  gave  the  gospel  a 
night's  lodging,  that  hath  been  a  loser  by  it.  God  will  pay  all  such 
with  use  and  principal,  who  do  anything  to  the  furtherance  of  his 

'  Neh.  xii.  27,  28;  Ps.  xxx.  Title,  A  Tsalm  and  Song  at  the  Dedication  of  the  House 
of  David.  While  the  ark  brought  the  plague,  every  one  was  glad  to  be  rid  of  it;  but 
when  it  brought  a  blessing  to  Obed-edom,  they  looked  upon  it  aa  worthy  of  entertain- 
ment. Many  will  own  a  blessing  ark,  a  prosperous  truth;  but  he  is  an  Obed-edom  in- 
deed that  will  own  a  persecuted,  tossed,  banished  ark. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEKY  DISPENSATION.  227 

worship  and  service.  Hiram  shall  have  corn  and  oil,  for  affording 
materials  to  the  building  of  the  temple.  Cyrus  shall  prosper  and  be 
victorious,  for  breaking  off  the  yokes  that  were  about  his  people's  necks, 
and  restoring  of  them  to  their  Christian  liberty.  Egypt  fared  the 
better  for  entertaining  the  patriarchs ;  God  stored  that  country  with 
great  plenty  and  variety  of  outward  blessings,  because  his  church  was 
to  sojourn  there.  God  blessed  Obed-edom's  person  and  possession  and 
family  for  the  ark's  sake.  The  blessings  that  was  upon  Obed-edom 
was  like  the  precious  ointment  that  was  shed  upon  Aaron's  head,  and 
that  ran  down  to  the  lowest  skirts  of  his  garments.  Every  servant  in 
Obed-edom's  family  tasted  of  God's  noble  bounty,  and  fared  the  better 
for  the  ark's  sake.  Let  men  and  devils  do  their  worst,  God  will  cer- 
tainly bless  their  dwellings  who  give  entertainment  to  his  ark,  to  his 
people  that  desire  to  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

0  sirs,  this  is  and  this  must  be  for  a  lamentation,  that  there  are  so 
many  ale-houses,  and  gaming-houses,  and  whore-houses,  that  are 
usually  stuffed  with  vain  persons,  yea,  with  the  very  worst  of  the  worst 
of  men,  both  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  on  other  days.i  Certainly  these 
houses  are  the  very  suburbs  and  seminaries  of  hell.  Uhifuisti?  Where 
hast  thou  been  ?  apud  inferos,  in  hell,  said  Erasmus  merrily :  com- 
paring tippling-houses  to  hell.  Doubtless  they  are  the  nurseries  of  all 
sin,  and  the  synagogue  of  devils  incarnate.  In  the  above-mentioned 
houses,  how  notoriously  is  the  name  of  God  blasphemed,  and  how 
shamefully  are  the  precious  fruits  of  the  earth  abused  !  and  how  many 
hundred  families  are  there  impoverished !  and  how  many  thousand 
children  and  servants  are  there  impoisoned  !  and  how  is  all  manner  of 
wickedness  and  lewdness  there  encouraged  and  increased  !  But  when, 
oh  when  shall  the  sword  of  the  magistrate  be  turned  against  these  con- 
venticles of  hell  ?  Certainly  the  horrid  wickednesses  that  are  daily 
committed  in  such  houses,  if  not  prevented  by  a  faithful,  zealous,  and 
constant  execution  of  the  laws  in  force,  will  arm  divine  vengeance 
against  the  land.  Magistrates  should  not  bear  the  sword  of  justice 
in  vain  ;  for  they  are  ministers  of  God  to  revenge  and  execute  wrath 
upon  them  that  do  evil.  By  their  office  they  are  bound  to  be  a 
terror  to  evil-doers,  and  encouragers  of  them  that  do  well ;  and  oh 
that  all  in  power  and  authority  would  for  ever  resolve  against  being 
Satan's  drudges :  Eev.  ii.  10,  '  Fear  none  of  these  things  which  thou 
shalt  suffer :  behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that 
ye  may  be  tried ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days :  be  thou 
faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.'2  The  devil 
by  his  imps  and  instruments  whom  he  acts  and  agitates,  the  devil  by 
engaging  the  civil  and  the  military  power  of  the  world  against  the 
people  of  God,  should  so  far  prevail  as  to  clap  them  up  in  prison.  The 
prison  in  this  text  notes,  by  a  synecdoche,  the  adjuncts  and  conse- 

'  Among  all  the  Lacedaemonians  you  could  not  have  seen  one  drunken  man  among 
them,  unless  it  was  their  slaves.  The  Mahometans  forbid  any  of  their  sect  to  drink 
wine,  under  pain  of  death ;  their  Mussulmans  and  Darnisels  [sic]  affirming  that  there 
lurks  a  devil  under  every  grape.     [Query,  'darvishcs'? — Ed.] 

'  The  devil  in  Dioclesian,  say  some;  the  devil  in  Trajan,  say  others:  for  he  reigned  next 
after  this  book  was  written,  and  was  very  cruel  against  the  Christians,  delivering  them 
over  to  prisons  and  death,  and  all  to  drive  them  through  fear  from  the  profession  of 
Christ. 


228  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

quences— as  namely,  torments,  punishments,  and  all  sorts  of  martyr- 
dom. This  one  punishment,  imprisonment,  saith  Brightman,  doth 
contain  prescribings,!  confiscation  of  goods,  banishments,  slaughters, 
fires,  rackings,  or  whatsoever  exquisite  torment  beside,  as  the  story 
teaclieth.  The  heathen  emperors,  with  those  wicked  governors,  officers, 
and  soldiers  that  were  under  them,  were  the  great  instruments  in 
Satan's  hand,  to  practise  the  greatest  cruelties  upon  the  saints  in  those 
days.  Some  they  cast  into  prisons,  some  they  banished,  multitudes 
they  slew  Avith  the  sword  ;  some  of  the  precious  servants  of  Christ  they 
beat  with  stripes  to  death,  others  they  branded  in  their  foreheads, 
others  were^tortured  and  racked.  Yea,  and  many  holy  women  in  that 
day  had  their  breasts  cut  ofi*,  and  others  of  them  had  their  breasts 
burnt  with  a  hot  iron,  and  sometimes  with  eggs  roasted  as  hot  as  could 
be.  These,  with  many  other  torments,  the  people  of  God  were  exer- 
cised with,  as  all  know  that  have  read  the  lamentable  stories  of  those 
sad  times. 

OhJ.  But  you  may  say,  Why  then  is  the  imprisonment  of  the  saints 
so  ascribed  to  the  devil,  as  if  it  were  immediately  acted  by  him  ?  'Be- 
hold, the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison.' 

Ans.  [1.]  To  shew  what  influence  the  devil  hath  in  the  acting  of 
wdcked  men,  so  that  in  effect  their  deed  is  his  deed,  they  are  so  sub- 
servient to  him. 

[2.]  It  is  to  shew  us  that  the  author,  original,  and  fountain  from 
whence  all  the  persecutions  of  the  saints  do  flow,  is  the  devil,  who  was 
a  murderer  and  a  liar  from  the  beginning,  John  viii.  44. 

[3.]  It  is  to  aggravate  the  horribleness  of  this  sin  of  persecution,  as 
being  a  main  piece  of  the  devil's  business,  whatever  the  instruments  are. 

[4.]  It  is  to  comfort  and  encourage  the  people  of  God  to  patience 
and  constancy  in  all  their  sufferings  for  Christ,  seeing  that  it  is  the 
devil  that  is  their  grand  enemy,  and  that  makes,  in  his  instruments, 
the  highest  opposition  against  them.  A  gracious  man  in  the  midst  of 
all  oppositions,  as  Chrysostom  said  of  Peter,  is  as  a  man  made  all  of 
fire  walking  in  stubble,  he  overcomes  and  consumes  all  oppositions ; 
all  difiiculties  are  but  whet-stones  to  his  fortitude.  When  Christians 
meet  with  great  opposers  and  great  oppositions,  they  should  say  as 
that  noble  soldier,  Pt\3darelus,  in  Erasmus,  did  to  him  that  told  him 
of  a  numerous  and  mighty  army  which  was  coming  against  him,  Tanio 
plus  glorice  rcfercmus  quoniam  eo  plurcs superahimus :  The  number  of 
opposers  makes  the  Christian's  conquest  the  more  illustrious.  It  is 
very  observable,  that  in  Dioclesian's  time,  under  whom  was  the  last 
and  worst  of  the  ten  persecutions,  when  Christian  religion  was  more 
desperately  opposed  than  ever,  yet  then  it  prospered  and  prevailed 
more  than  ever  [Ruffinus.]  So  that  Dioclesian  liimself  observing  that 
the  more  he  sought  to  blot  out  the  name  of  Christ,  the  more  legible  it 
became,  and  the  more  he  laboured  to  block  up  the  way  of  Christ,  the 
more  passable  it  became. ^  And  whatever  of  Christ  he  thought  to 
root  out,  it  rooted  the  deeper  and  rose  the  higher :  thereupon  he  re- 

'  Query,  '  proscribings '  ? — Ed. 

'  As  tliey  said  once  of  the  Grecians  in  the  epigram,  whom  they  thought  invulnerable, 
We  shoot  at  them,  but  they  fail  not  clown,  we  wound  them,  but  do  not  kill  them.  [As 
before.  —G.J     Sec  Exod.  i.  10-13,  and  Acts  viii.  and  xiv. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  229 

solved  to  engage  no  further,  but  retired  to  a  private  life.  All  the 
oppositions  that  the  devil  and  his  instruments  hath  raised  against  the 
saints  in  all  the  ages  of  the  world,  hath  not  diminished,  but  increased 
their  number.  For  the  first  three  hundred  years  after  Christ  there 
was  a  most  terrible  persecution.  Historians  tell  us  that  by  seven  and 
twenty  several  sorts  of  deaths  they  tormented  the  poor  people  of  God. 
In  these  hot  times  of  persecution  many  millions  of  Christians  were 
destroyed.  And  yet  this^was  so  far  from  diminishing  of  their  num- 
ber, that  it  increased  their  number ;  for  the  more  they  were  oppressed 
and  persecuted,  the  more  they  were  increased.  And  therefore  some 
have  well  observed,  that  though  Julian  used  all  means  imaginable  to 
suppress  them,  yet  he  could  never  do  it.  He  shut  up  all  their  schools, 
that  they  might  not  have  learning,  and  yet  never  did  learning  more 
flourish  than  then.  He  devised  all  manner  of  cruel  torments  to  terrify 
the  Christians,  and  to  draw  them  from  their  holy  faith ;  and  yet  he 
saw  that  they  increased  and  multiplied  so  fast,  that  he  thought  it  his 
best  course  at  last  to  give  over  his  persecuting  of  the  saints,  not  out 
of  love,  but  out  of  envy,  because  that  through  his  persecution  they 
increased.  This  was  represented  unto  Daniel  in  a  vision,  Dan. 
ii.  34,  35.  The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  set  forth  there  by  a  little  stone 
cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands,  without  art  or  industry,  with- 
out engines  and  human  helps.  The  stone  was  a  growing  stone,  and 
although  in  all  the  ages  of  the  world  there  have  been  many  hammers 
at  work  to  break  this  stone  in  pieces,  yet  they  have  not  nor  shall  not 
prevail ;  but  the  little  stone  shall  grow  more  and  more,  till  it  becomes 
a  great  mountain,  and  fills  the  whole  earth. 

And  let  this  suffice  for  answer  to  the  first  objection. 

Ohj.  2.  I  would  justify  the  Lord,  I  would  say  he  is  righteous, 
though  my  house  be  burnt  up :  but  I  have  lost  my  goods,  I  have  lost 
my  estate,  yea,  I  have  lost  my  all  as  to  this  world ;  and  how  then  can 
I  say  the  Lord  is  righteous  ?  how  can  I  justify  that  God  which  has 
even  stripped  me  as  naked  as  the  day  wherein  I  was  born  ?  &c. 

To  this  I  answer, 

[1.]  First,  Didst  thou  gain  thy  estate  hy  just  or  imjust  luays  and 
means  ?  If  by  unjust  ways  and  means,  then  be  silent  before  the  Lord. 
If  by  just  ways  and  means,  then  know  that  the  Loi'd  will  lay  in  that 
of  himself,  and  of  his  Son,  and  of  his  Spirit,  and  of  his  grace,  and  of 
heaven's  glory,  that  shall  make  up  all  thy  losses  to  thee.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Did  you  improve  your  estates  for  the  glory  of  God, 
and  the  good  of  others,  or  did  you  not  ?  If  not,  why  do  you  com- 
plain ?  If  you  did,  the  reward  that  shall  attend  you  at  the  long  run, 
may  very  well  bear  up  your  spirits  under  all  your  losses.  Consult 
these  scriptures :  1  Cor,  i,  15  ;  2  Cor.  ix,  6 ;  Eccles.  xi.  1 ;  Gal. 
vi.  7,  8;  Isa,  xxxii.  20,  and  Iv,  10;  Prov,  xi.  18;  Rev.  xxii,  12. 
But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  What  trade  did  you  drive  Christ-ivards,  and  heaven- 
wards, and  holiness-wards  f^  If  you  did  drive  either  no  trade  heaven- 
wards, or  but  a  slender  or  inconstant  trade  heaven-wards,  and  holiness- 
wards,  never  wonder  that  God  by  a  fiery  dispensation  has  spoiled  your 

^  The  stars  which  have  least  circuit  are  nearest  the  pole,  and  men  that  are  least  per- 
plexed with  business  are  commonly  nearest  to  God. 


230  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25, 

civil  trade.  Doubtless  there  were  many  citizens  who  did  drive  a  close, 
eecret,  sinful  trade,  who  had  their  by-ways  and  back-doors— some  to 
uncleanuL'ss,  others  to  merry-meetin<^s,  and  others  to  secret  gaming. 
Now  if  thou  wert  one  of  them  that  didst  drive  a  secret  trade  of  sin, 
never  murmur  because  thy  house  is  burnt,  and  thy  trade  destroyed,  but 
rather  repent  of  thy  secret  trade  of  sin,  and  wonder  that  tliy  body  is  not 
in  the  grave,  and  that  thy  soul  is  not  a-burning  in  everlasting  flames. 
Many  there  were  in  London,  who  had  so  great  a  trade,  so  full  a  trade, 
so  constant  a  trade,  that  they  had  no  time  to  mind  the  everlasting 
concernments  of  their  precious  souls  and  the  great  things  of  eternity.^ 
They  had  so  much  to  do  on  earth,  that  they  had  no  time  to  look  up 
to  heaven,  as  once  the  Duke  of  Alva  told  the  king  of  France.  Sir 
Thomas  More  saith.  There  is  a  devil  called  negotium,  business,  that 
carrieth  more  souls  to  hell  than  all  the  devils  in  hell  beside.  Many 
citizens  bad  so  many  irons  in  the  fire,  and  were  cumbered  about  with 
so  many  things,  that  they  wholly  neglected  the  one  thing  necessary ; 
and  therefore  it  was  but  just  with  God  to  visit  them  with  a  fiery  rod. 
Look,  as  much  earth  jmts  out  the  fire,  so  much  worldly  business  puts 
out  the  fire  of  heavenly  affections.  Look,  as  the  earth  swallowed  up 
Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  so  much  worldly  business  swallows  up 
60  much  precious  time,  that  many  men  have  no  leisure  to  secure  their 
interest  in  Christ,  to  make  their  calling  and  election  sure,  to  lay  up 
treasure  in  heaven,  to  provide  for  eternity  ;  and  if  this  have  been  any 
of  your  cases  who  are  now  burnt  up,  it  highly  concerns  you  to  justify 
the  Lord,  and  to  say  he  is  righteous,  though  he  has  burnt  up  your 
habitations,  and  destroyed  your  trade,' Num.  xxii.  32,  and  2  Pet.  i.  10. 
It  is  sad  when  a  crowd  of  worldly  business  shall  crowd  God  and 
Christ  and  duty  out  of  doors.  Many  citizens  did  drive  so  great  a 
public  trade  in  their  shops,  that  their  private  trade  to  heaven  was 
quite  laid  by.  Such  who  were  so  busy  about  their  farm  and  their 
merchandise,  see  Luke  xiv.  16,  22,  that  they  had  no  leisure  to  attend 
their  souls'  concernments,  had  their  city  set  on  fire  about  their  ears : 
Mat.  xxii.  5,  '  But  they  made  light  of  it ' — that  is,  of  all  the  free,  rich, 
and  noble  offers  of  grace  and  mercy  that  God  had  made  to  them — '  and 
went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm,  another  to  his  merchandise.'  Ver.  7, 
'  But  when  the  king  heard  thereof,  he  was  wroth :  and  he  sent  forth 
his  armies' — that  is,  the  Romans — '  and  destroyed  those  murderers, 
and  burnt  up  their  city.'  It  is  observable  that  the  Jews,  who  were 
commanded  six  days  to  labour,  were  also  commanded  to  ofter  morning 
and  evening  sacrifice  daily,  Exod.  xx.  9.  Vide  Exod.  xxix.  38,  39  ; 
Num.  xxviii.  3 ;  Deut.  vi.  6-8.  They  had  their  morning  sacrifice 
when  they  entered  ujion  their  work,  and  they  had  their  evening 
sacrifice  when  they  ended  their  work.  Their  particular  callings  did 
not  steal  away  their  hearts  from  their  general  callings.  The  Jews 
divided  the  day  into  three  parts,  the  first,  ad  TephiUa,  orationem,  to 
))rayer  ;  the  second,  ad  Torah,  legem,  for  the  reading  of  the  law  ;  the 
third,  ac?  Malacha,opiis,  for  the  works  of  their  lawful  callings.^  Although 

'  There  were  many  who  sacrificed  their  precious  time  either  to  Morpheus  the  minister 
of  sleep,  or  to  Bacchus  the  god  of  wine,  or  to  Venus  the  goddess  of  beauty,  as  if  all  were 
due  to  the  bed,  the  tavern,  and  the  brothel-house. 

»  Wocmsc,  Mor.  Law,  p.  223. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  231 

they  were  days  appointed  for  work,  yet  they  gave  God  his  part,  they 
gave  God  a  share  of  them  every  day.  God,  who  is  the  Lord  of  all 
time,  hath  reserved  to  himvself  a  part  of  our  time  every  day.  And 
therefore  men's  particular  callings  ought  to  give  way  to  their  general 
calling.  But  alas!  before  London  was  in  flames,  many  men's — Oh  that 
I  could  not  say  most  men's  [—particular  caUings  swallowed  up  their 
general  calling.  The  noise  is  such  in  a  mill  as  hinders  all  intercourse 
between  man  and  man :  so  many  of  the  burnt  citizens  had  such  a 
multitude  of  worldly  businesses  lying  upon  their  hands,  and  that 
made  such  a  noise,  as  that  all  intercourse  between  God  and  them  was 
hindered.  Seneca,  one  of  the  most  refined  heathens,  could  say,  '  I  do 
not  give,  but  only  lend  myself  to  my  business.'  1  am  afraid  this 
heathen  will  one  day  rise  in  judgment  against  those  burnt  citizens 
who  have  not  lended  themselves  to  their  business,  but  wholly  given 
up  themselves  to  their  business,  as  if  they  had  no  God  to  honour,  no 
souls  to  save,  no  hell  to  escape,  nor  no  heaven  to  make  sure.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Joh  lost  all,  and  recovered  all  again:  he  lost  a  fair 
estate,  and  God  doicbles  his  estate  to  him}  So  David  lost  all,  and 
recovered  all  again:  1  Sam.  xxx.  18,  'And  David  recovered  all  that 
the  Amalekites  had  carried  away  ;  and  David  rescued  his  two  wives.' 
Ver.  ]9,  '  And  there  was  nothing  lacking  to  them,  neither  small  nor 
great,  neither  sons  nor  daughters,  neither  spoil,  nor  anything  that 
they  had  taken  to  them.'  David  recovered  all.  Here  the  end  was 
better  than  the  beginning;  but  the  contrary  befell  the  Amalekites, 
who  a  little  before  had  framed  comedies  out  of  poor  Ziklag's  tragedies. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  chapter  you  may  see  that  David  had  lost  all 
that  ever  he  had  in  the  world,  ver.  1-5.  All  the  spoil  that  he  had 
taken  from  others  were  gone — his  corn  gone,  his  cattle  gone,  his  wives 
gone,  and  his  city  burnt  with  fire,  and  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap,  so 
that  he  had  not  a  house,  a  habitation  in  all  the  world  to  put  his  head 
in  ;  he  had  nothing  left  him  but  a  poor,  grieved,  madded,  and  en- 
raged army.  The  people  spake  of  stoning  of  him,  ver.  6  :  but  what  was 
the  event  now?  Why,  David  recovers  all  again.  0  sirs,  when  a 
Christian  is  in  greatest  distress,  when  he  hath  lost  all,  when  he  is  not 
worth  one  penny  in  all  the  world,  yet  then  he  hath  a  God  to  go  to  at 
last.  David  encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord  his  God.  A  Christian's 
case  is  never  so  desperate  but  he  hath  still  a  God  to  go  to.^  When  a 
Christian  has  lost  all,  the  best  way  to  recover  all  again  is  to  encourage 
himself  in  the  Lord  his  God.  God  sometimes  strips  his  people  of  out- 
ward mercies,  and  then  restores  to  them  again  those  very  mercies  that 
he  had  stripped  them  of.  I  have  read  a  story  of  a  poor  man  that  God 
served^  faithfully,  and  yet  was  oppressed  cruelly,  having  all  his  goods 
taken  from  him  by  an  exacting  knight;  whereupon,  in  a  melancholy 
humour,  he  persuaded  himself  that  God  was  dead,  who  had  formerly 
been  so  faithful  to  him,  and  now,  as  he  thought,  had  left  him.  It  so  fell 
out  that  an  old  man  met  him,  and  desired  him  to  deliver  a  letter  into 
the  hands  of  his  oppressor ;  upon  the  receipt  and  perusal  of  which, 
the  knight  was  so  convinced,  that  immediately  he  confessed  his  fault, 

^  Compare  the  first  and  last  chapters  of  Job  together. 

*  Remember  that  of  Zeno,  who  said  he  never  sailed  better  than  when  he  suffered 
shipwreck.  ^  Query,  '  served  God'?— Ed. 


232  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25*. 

and  restored  the  poor  man  his  goods ;  which  made  the  poor  man  say, 
Kow  I  see  tliat  God  may  seem  to  sleep,  but  can  never  die.  If  God 
lias  taken  away  all,  yet  remember  that  God  has  a  thousand  thousand 
ways  to  make  up  all  thy  losses  to  thee,  which  thou  knowest  not  of ; 
therefore  do  not  murmur,  do  not  fret,  do  not  faint,  nor  do  not  limit 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  If  thou  madest  no  improvement  of  thy 
house,  thy  estate,  thy  trade,  then  it  is  thy  wisdom  and  thy  work 
rather  to  be  displeased  with  thyself  for  thy  non-improvement  of 
mercies,  than  to  be  discontented  at  that  hand  of  heaven  that  hath 
deprived  thee  of  thy  mercies.  Remember,  0  ye  burnt  citizens  of 
London,  that  you  are  not  the  first  that  have  lost  your  all.  Besides  the 
instances  already  cited,  you  must  remember  what  they  suffered  in  the 
tenth  and  eleventh  chapters  of  the  Hebrews ;  and  you  must  remem- 
ber that  in  the  ten  persecutions  many  thousands  of  the  people  of  God 
were  stripped  of  their  all ;  and  so  were  very  many  also  in  the  Marian 
days,  who  shrugs  or  complains  of  a  common  lot  ?  It  was  grace 
upon  the  throne  that  thou  cnjoyedst  thy  house,  thy  estate,  thy  trade 
so  long  ;  and  therefore  it  concerns  thee  to  be  rather  thankful  that  thy 
mercies  were  continued  so  long  unto  thee,  than  to  murmur  because 
thou  art  now  stripped  of  all.     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  W/ie7i  all  is  gone,  yet  mercy  may  he  near,  and  thou  not 
see  it.  When  Hagar's  bottle  was  empty,  the  well  of  water  was  near, 
though  she  saw  it  not.  Gen.  xxi.  19.  Mercies  many  times  are  never 
nearer  to  us  than  when,  with  Hagar,  we  sit  down  and  weep  because 
our  bottle  is  empty,  because  our  streams  of  mercy  are  dried  up.  The 
well  was  there  before,  but  she  saw  it  not  till  her  eyes  were  opened. 
Though  mercy  be  near,  though  it  be  even  at  the  door,  yet  till  the 
great  God  shall  irradiate  both  the  organ  and  the  object,  we  can 
neither  see  our  mercies,  nor  suck  the  breasts  of  mercy.  Christ,  the 
spring  of  mercy,  the  fountain  of  mercy,  was  near  the  disciples,  yea,  he 
talked  with  the  disciples,  and  yet  they  knew  him  not,  Luke  xxi  v.  15. 
Look,  as  dangers  are  nearest  to  wicked  men  when  they  see  them  not, 
when  they  fear  them  not : — As  Haman  was  nearest  the  gallows  when  he 
thought  himself  the  only  man  that  the  king  would  honour,  Esther  vi. 
And  so  when  Sisera  dreamed  of  a  kingdom,  Jael  was  near  with  her 
hammer  and  her  nail,  ready  to  fasten  him  to  the  ground.  Judges  iv. 
And  so  when  Agag  said,  '  Surely  the  bitterness  of  death  is  past, 
Samuel  stood  ready  Avith  his  drawn  sword  to  cut  him  in  pieces  in 
Gil  gal  before  the  Lord,  1  Sam.  xv.  32,  33.  So  when  Pharaoh  said, 
'  They  are  entangled  in  the  land,  the  wilderness  hath  shut  them  in.  I 
will  ]iursue,  I  will  overtake,  I  will  divide  the  spoil ;  my  lust  shall  be 
natisfied  upon  them ;  I  will  draw  my  sword,  my  hand  shall  destroy 
them,'  Exod.  xiv.  3,  and  xv.  9,  10;  but  presently  God  blows  with 
his  wind,  and  the  sea  covered  them,  and  they  sank  as  lead  in  the 
mighty  waters.  Soon  after  Sennacherib  had  sent  a  blasphemous  letter 
to  king  Hezekiah,  '  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  forth  and  smote  in. 
the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  a  hundred  and  fourscore  and  five  thousand  : 
and  when  they  arose  early  in  the  morning,  behold,  they  were  all  dead 
corpses,'  Isa.  xxxvii. :  and  within  five  and  fifty  days  after,  Sennacherib 
himself  was  butchered  by  his  own  sons,  Tobit  i.  21.  No  sooner  had 
the  }H>oi)le,  as  profane  sycophants,  applauded  Herod,  and  given  him 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  233 

the  honour  due  to  God,  but  he  was  smitten  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord, 
or  eaten  up  of  worms,  or  with  vermin — with  lice,  as  his  grandfather 
Herod  had  been  before  him,  Acts  xii.  22,  23.  RofFensis  had  a  car- 
dinal's hat  sent  him ;  but  his  head  was  cut  off  before  it  came :  the 
axe  was  nearer  his  head  than  his  hat.  The  heathen  historian  could 
not  but  observe,  that  as  soon  as  Alexander  the  Great  had  summoned 
a  parliament  before  him  of  the  world,  he  was  summoned  himself  by 
death  to  appear  before  God  in  the  other  world. — Now  as  you  see  by 
these  instances  that  dangers  are  nearest  the  wicked  when  they  see 
them  not,  when  they  fear  them  not ;  so  mercies  are  very  near  to  the 
people  of  God  when  they  see  them  not,  when  they  expect  them  not. 
The  Israelites  found  it  so  in  Asa  his  time,  and  in  Jehoshaphat's  time, 
and  in  Pharaoh's  time,  and  in  Hezekiah's  time,  and  in  Esther's  time, 
and  in  the  time  of  the  judges,  as  is  evident  throughout  the  book  of 
Judges.  1  When  there  was  but  a  handful  of  meal  in  the  barrel,  and  a 
little  oil  in  the  cruse,  supply  was  at  hand.  Her  barrel  and  cruse  had 
no  bottom,  who  out  of  a  little  gave  a  little.  In  all  the  ages  of  the 
world  God  has  made  that  word  good :  Isa.  xli.  17,  '  When  the  poor 
and  needy  seek  water,  and  there  is  none,  and  their  tongue  faileth  for 
thirst,  I  the  Lord  will  hear  them,  I  the  God  of  Israel  will  not  forsake 
them.'  Ver.  18,  '  I  will  open  rivers  in  high  places,  and  fountains  in 
the  midst  of  the  valleys :  I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water, 
and  the  dry  land  springs  of  water.'  Chrysostom  observes.  That  it  is 
very  delightful  to  the  mother  to  have  her  breasts  drawn.  Oh  how 
much  more,  then,  is  it  delightful  to  God  to  have  his  breasts  of  mercy 
drawn  !  0  sirs,  look,  as  many  times  the  mother's  breasts  are  drawn, 
and  near  the  child,  though  the  child  sees  them  not ;  so  God's  breasts 
of  mercy  are  many  times  drawn,  and  near  his  people,  and  yet  they  see 
them  not.  Geographers  write  that  the  city  of  Syracuse,  in  Sicily,  is  so 
curiously  situated,  that  the  sun  is  never  out  of  sight.  Certainly  the 
mercies  of  God  are  never  out  of  sight,  though  sometimes  the  people  of 
God  are  so  clouded  and  benighted  that  they  cannot  see  their  mercies, 
though  they  are  near  them,  yea,  though  they  stand  before  them. 
But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  I  answer.  That  God  many  times,  hy  talcing  away  some 
ouiivard  mercies,  comforts,  and  contentments,  does  hut  make  toay  for 
greater  and  better  mercies  to  come  in  the  room  of  those  he  has  taken 
aiuay.  He  took  from  David  an  Absalom,  and  gave  him  a  Solomon, 
Ps.  Ixxi.  20,  21 ;  he  took  from  him  a  scoffing  Michal,  and  gave  him  a 
a  prudent  Abigail,  1  Sam.  xxv.  ;  he  took  away  from  Isaac  his  mother 
Sarah,  and  made  up  his  loss  by  giving  of  him  Rebekah  to  wife.  Gen. 
xxiv.  67 ;  he  took  away  much  from  Job,  but  laid  twice  as  much  in 
the  room  of  all  the  mercies  that  he  had  stripped  him  of.  The  Lord 
many  times  takes  away  small  mercies  to  make  room  for  greater 
mercies,  and  many  times  takes  away  great  mercies  to  make  room  for 
greater  mercies,  yea,  the  greatest  of  mercies.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly  and  lastly.  Though  thou  hast  lost  all  thy  outward 
comforts  in  this  luorld,  yet  if  thou  art  a  believer,  there  are  ten  choice 
jewels  that  thou  shall  never,  that  thou  canst  never  lose: — 

1  Ps.  cxxvi.  2,  3  ;  2  Chron.  xiv.,  and  xx.;  Exod.  xv.;  2  Kings  xix.;  Esther  vi.  8; 
1  KinfTS  xvii.  12-16. 


234  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

[1.]  That  tliou  shalt  never  totally  or  finally  lose  thy  God,  Hosea  ii. 
19,  20. 

[2.]  Thou  shalt  never  lose  tliy  interest  in  Christ.  Whatever  thy 
outward  losses  are,  yet  thy  interest  in  Christ  still  holds  good,  Rom. 
viii.  33,  scq. 

[3. 1  Thou  shalt  never  lose  the  Spirit  of  grace:  John  xiv.  16,  '  And 
I  will  jn-ay  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that 
he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever.' 

1 4. J  Thou  shalt  never  lose  the  seed  of  grace,  the  habits  of  grace: 
1  John  iii.  9,  'Whosoever  is  horn  of  God,  doth  not  commit  sin'  — 
that  is,  doth  not  give  himself  over  to  a  voluntary  serving  of  sin ;  he 
does  not  make  a  trade  of  sin ;  he  sins  not  totally,  finally,  maliciously, 
habitually,  studiously,  resolutely,  wilfully,  delightfully,  deadly,  ufiap- 
riav  ov  iroiel,  he  does  not  make  it  his  work  to  sin,  he  cannot  follow 
his  lusts  as  a  workman  follows  his  trade,  '  for  his  seed  remaineth  in 
him.'  The  seed  of  God,  the  seed  of  grace,  is  an  abiding  seed,  1  Cor 
i.  8  ;  Luke  xxii.  32. 

[5.]  Thou  shalt  never  lose  the  forgiveness  of  thy  sins,  though  thou 
mayest  lose  the  sense  and  assurance  of  thy  forgiveness :  Jer.  xxxi.  34, 
'  For  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  remember  their  sin  no  more ; ' 
Micah  vii.  19. 

[6. J  Thou  shalt  never  lose  thy  interest  in  the  covenant  of  grace, 
Ps.  Ixxxix.  30,  35  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  31,  38  ;  Isa.  liv.  10.  Once  in  covenant, 
and  for  ever  in  covenant. 

[7.]  Thou  shalt  never  lose  thy  union  wdth  Christ,  John  xv.  1,  6. 
In  John  xvii.,  Christ  prayed  that  we  '  might  be  one,  as  he  and  his 
Father  are  one  ; '  not  essentially,  nor  personally,  but  spiritually,  so  as 
no  other  creature  is  united  to  God.  There  can  be  no  divorce  between 
Christ  and  the  believing  soul.  Christ  hates  putting  away,  Mai.  ii.  16. 
SSin  may  for  a  time  seemingly  separate  between  Christ  and  the  be- 
liever, but  it  can  never  finally  separate  between  Christ  and  the  be- 
liever. Look,  as  it  is  impossible  for  the  leaven  that  is  in  the  dough  to 
be  separated  from  the  dough  after  it  is  once  mixed  ;  for  it  turneth  the 
nature  of  the  dough  into  itself :  so  it  is  impossible  for  the  saints  ever 
to  be  separated  from  Christ ;  for  Christ  is  in  the  saints,  as  nearly  and 
as  really  as  the  leaven  is  in  the  very  dough,  [Luther.]  Christ  and 
believers  are  so  incorporated  as  if  Christ  and  they  were  one  lump. 
Our  nature  is  now  joined  to  God  by  the  indissolvable  tie  of  the  hypo- 
statical  union  in  the  second  person ;  and  we  in  our  persons  are  joined 
to  God  by  the  mystical  indissolvable  bond  of  the  Spirit,  the  third 
person.  Our  union  with  the  Lord  is  so  near  and  so  glorious,  that  it 
makes  us  one  spirit  with  him.  In  this  blessed  union,  the  saints  are 
not  only  joined  to  the  graces  and  benefits  which  flow  from  Christ,  but 
to  the  person  of  Christ,  to  Christ  himself,  who  is  first  given  for  us  and 
to  us,  and  then  with  him  we  receive  all  other  spiritual  blessings  and 
favours,  1  Cor.  vi.  17 ;  Rom.  viii.  32 ;  1  Cor.  iii.  21-23. 

[8.]  Thou  shalt  never  lose  thy  inward  peace,  either  totally  or 
finally.  It  is  true,  by  sin,  and  Satan,  and  the  world,  and  divine  with- 
drawings,  thy  peace  may  be  somewhat  interrupted,  but  it  shall  never 
be  finally  lost.  The  greatest  storms  in  this  life  that  beats  upon  a 
believer  will  in  time  blow  over,  and  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  the 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEET  DISPENSATION.  235 

Prince  of  peace,l  will  shine  as  gloriously  upon  him  as  ever  :  John  xiv. 
27,  '  Peace  I  leave  with  you,' — it  is  bonum  hcereditamentum,  a  good 
inheritance, — '  my  peace  I  give  unto  you  ;  not  as  the  world  giveth,  give 
I  unto  you.'  '  My  peace  1  give  unto  you ' — that  is,  that  peace  with 
God  and  peace  with  conscience  that  I  have  purchased  with  ray  blood 
I  give  unto  you.  Men  may  wish  me  peace,  but  it  is  only  Christ  that 
can  give  me  peace.  The  peace  that  Christ  gives  is  bottomed  upon  his 
blood,  upon  his  imputed  righteousness,  upon  his  intercession,  and  upon 
a  covenant  of  peace ;  and  therefore  it  must  needs  be  a  lasting  peace, 
an  abiding  peace.  When  a  tyrant  thus  threatened  a  Christian,  I 
will  take  away  thy  house,  the  Christian  replied.  Thou  canst  not  take 
away  my  peace.  When  the  tyrant  threatened  to  break  up  his  school, 
the  Christian  answered,  I  shall  still  keep  whole  my  peace.  When  the 
tyrant  threatened  to  confiscate  all  his  goods,  the  Christian  answered, 
Yet  there  is  no  premunire  against  my  peace.  When  the  tyrant 
threatened  to  banish  him  out  of  his  own  country,  the  Christian  re- 
plied. Yet  I  shall  carry  my  peace  with  me. 

[9.]  Thou  shalt  never  lose  thy  title  to  heaven :  Luke  xii.  32,  '  Fear 
not,  little  flock,' — fXLKpbv  ttoi/jLulov — here  are  two  diminutives  in  the 
original ;  the  word  translated  flock  signifieth  a  little  flock ;  but  that 
the  exceeding  littleness  of  it  might  appear,  Christ  adds  another  word,  so 
that  the  words  in  the  fountain  ^  run  thus,  '  Fear  not,  little  little-flock.' 
And  indeed  in  all  the  ages  of  the  world  the  flock  of  Christ  have  been 
but  little  in  their  own  eyes,  and  little  in  the  world's  eyes,  and  little  in 
their  enemies'  eyes,  and  but  little  in  comparison  of  that  world  of 
wolves  that  has  still  surrounded  them,' — '  for  it  is  your  Father's 
good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.'  You  need  neither  fear  the 
loss  of  earthly  things  or  the  want  of  earthly  things,  for  you  have  a 
kind,  a  tender,  a  loving  Father,  whose  pleasure  it  is  to  give  you  the 
kingdom — that  is,  the  heavenly  kingdom  that  is  prepared  and  re- 
served for  you. 

[10.  and  lastly].  Thou  shalt  never  lose  thy  crown  of  life,  thy  crown 
of  glory,  thy  incorruptible  crown,  thy  crown  of  righteousness,  Kev. 
ii.  10 ;  James  i.  12  ;  1  Pet.  v.  4  ;  1  Cor.  ix.  25.  2  Tim.  iv.  8, '  Hence- 
forth is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  ;  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
unto  all  them  also  that  love  his  appearance.'  A  crown  is  the  top  of 
royalty.  Here  it  notes  that  everlasting  glory  that  is  laid  up  for  the 
saints.  Now  this  crown  is  called  a  crown  of  righteousness :  partly 
because  it  is  purchased  by  the  righteousness  of  Christ;  and  partly 
because  he  is  righteous  that  hath  promised  it ;  and  partly  because  it  is 
a  just  and  righteous  thing  with  God  to  crown  them  with  glory  at  last, 
who  have  for  his  honour  been  crowned  with  shame  and  reproach  in 
this  world ;  and  partly  because  they  come  to  this  crown  in  the  use  of 
righteous  ways  and  means.  And  this  crown  is  said  to  be  laid  up, 
to  note  our  sure  and  certain  enjoyment  of  it,  as  the  Greek  word 
uTTOKelraL  does  import.  And  let  thus  much  sufiice  for  answer  to  this 
second  objection. 

^  Ps.  XXX.  5 ;  Mai.  iv.  2;  Isa.  ix.  6.     Dl/li^,  shalom;  under  this  word  the  Jews  com- 
prehend all  peace,  prosperity,  and  happy  success. 
*  '  Original.' — G. 


236  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

Ohj.  3.  I  would  justify  the  Lord,  I  would  say  he  is  righteous, 
thougli  my  house  be  burnt  up,  and  I  am  turned  out  of  all ;  but  this 
troubles  mo,  1  liave  not  an  estate  to  do  that  good  that  formerly  I  have 
done.  I  was  once  full,  but  the  Lord  hath  made  me  empty :  I  was 
once  Naomi,  i.e.,  beautiful,  but  now  God  has  made  me  Marah,  i.e., 
bitter,  Ruth  i.  20,  21  ;  the  Lord  hath  testified  against  me,  and  the 
Almighty  hath  afflicted  me,  and  consumed  me  on  every  hand.  I  have 
fed  tlie  poor,  I  have  clothed  the  naked,  I  have  received  them  that 
were  in  bonds:  the  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready  to  perish  came 
upon  me.  But  now  I  can  do  little  or  nothing  for  others ;  and  this 
troubles  me,  Job  xxix.  13. 

[1.]  I  answer,  21iy  condition  is  no  lower  than  luas  the  condition  oj 
Christ  and  his  apostles  in  this  tvwid.  '  Silver  and  gold  have  we  none,' 
Acts  iii.  6.  Salvian  saith  that  Christ  is  mendicorum  maximus,  the 
greatest  beggar  in  the  world,  as  one  that  shareth  in  all  his  saints' 
necessities.  Both  Christ  and  his  followers,  when  they  were  in  this 
world,  they  were  maintained  by  others.  They  had  no  lands  nor  lord- 
ships, but  lived  upon  others'  costs.  But  of  this  before ;  therefore  let 
this  touch  suffice  here.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  God  many  times  in  this  life  repairs  his  people's 
charity  icith  interest  upon  interest,  Mat.  xix.  27-30 ;  2  Cor.  ix.  6-14  ; 
Heb.  vi.  10.  Their  scattering  is  their  increasing,  their  spending  is 
their  lending,  their  layings  out  are  but  layings  up  for  themselves: 
Prov.  xi.  24,  '  There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet  increaseth  ;'  verse  25, 
'  The  liberal  soul  shall  be  made  fat :  and  he  that  watereth  shall  be 
watered  also  himself.'  It  is  fabled  of  Midas,  that  whatever  he  touched 
he  turned  it  into  gold.  This  is  most  true  of  charity ;  whatever  the 
hand  of  charity  toucheth  it  turneth  it  into  gold,  be  it  but  a  cup  of  cold 
water.  Mat.  x.  42 ;  nay,  into  heaven  itself.  I  have  read  of  one  who, 
liaving  given  somewhat  to  a  poor  man,  and  considering  with  himself 
whether  he  had  not  injured  himself  by  giving  beyond  his  ability,  pre- 
sently corrected  himself  with  those  thouglits,  that  he  had  lent  it  to  one 
that  would  pay  well  again ;  and  within  an  hour  after  he  had  it 
restored  above  sevenfold,  in  a  way  which  he  never  thought  of.  How- 
ever God  may  carry  it  towards  his  people  in  this  world,  yet  he  will  be 
sure  to  rejiay  their  charity  in  that  other  world.  It  is  storied  of  one 
Evagrius,  in  Cedrenus,  a  rich  man,  who,  lying  upon  his  deathbed,  and 
being  importuned  by  Synesius  the  bishop  to  give  something  to  chari- 
table uses,  he  yielded  at  last  to  give  three  luindred  pounds ;  but  first 
took  bond  of  the  bishop  that  it  should  be  paid  him  in  another  world, 
according  to  the  promise  of  our  Saviour,  with  a  hundredfold  advantage, 
and  the  very  next  night  after  his  dejiarture  he  appeared  to  the  bishop, 
delivering  the  bond  cancelled  and  fully  discharged,  thereby  acknow- 
ledging that  what  was  promised  was  made  good.^  It  is  probable  that 
the  relation  is  fabulous;  but  tliis  is  certain,  viz.,  that  one  day's  being 
in  heaven  will  make  us  a  sufficient  recompense  for  whatsoever  we  have 
given,  or  do  give,  or  shall  give  in  this  world.     But, 

[3. J  Thirdly,  If  the  constant  frame  and  dispiosition  of  your  hearts 
he  to  do  as  much  good  as  ever  you  did,  or  more  good  than  ever  you 
did,  then  you  may  he  confident  that  the  Lord  accepts  of  your  ivill  far 

'  As  before.  — a. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  237 

the  deed:  2  Cor.  viii.  12,  '  For  if  there  be  first  a  willing  mind,  it  is 
accepted  according  to  that  a  man  hath,  and  not  according  to  that  he 
hath  not.'  God  prefers  a  willing  mind  before  a  worthy  work.  God 
measures  all  his  people,  not  by  their  works,  but  by  their  wills.  When 
the  will  is  strongly  inclined  and  biassed  to  works  of  charity,  so  that  a 
man  would  fain  be  a-giving  to  the  poor  and  a-supplying  the  wants  and 
necessities  of  the  needy,  but  cannot  for  want  of  an  estate ;  in  this  case 
God  accepts  of  the  will  for  the  deed.  David  had  a  purpose  and  a  will 
to  build  God  a  house,  and  God  took  it  so  kindly  at  his  hands,  that  he 
despatches  an  ambassador  to  him  to  tell  him  how  highly  he  resented 
his  purpose  and  good-will  to  build  him  a  house,  2  Chron.  vi.  8.  The 
widow's  will  was  in  her  two  mites  which  she  cast  into  God's  treasury, 
and  therefore  Christ  sets  a  more  honourable  value  upon  them  than  he 
does  upon  all  the  vast  sums  that  others  cast  in,  Mark  xii.  41-44. 
Many  princes  and  queens,  lords  and  ladies  are  forgotten,  when  this 
poor  widow,  who  had  a  will  to  be  nobly  charitable,  has  her  name 
written  in  letters  of  gold,  and  her  charity  put  upon  record  for  all 
eternity.  The  king  of  Persia  did  lovingly  accept  of  the  poor  man's 
handful  of  water,  because  his  good-will  was  in  it,  and  put  it  into  a 
golden  vessel,  and  gave  the  poor  man  the  vessel  of  gold.  And  do  you 
think  that  the  King  of  kings  will  be  outdone  by  the  king  of  Persia  ? 
Surely  no.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly  and  lastly.  As  there  are  more  ways  to  the  loood  than 
07ie,  so  there  are  more  loays  of  doing  good  to  others  than  one.  If  thou 
canst  not  do  so  much  good  to  others  as  formerly  thou  hast  done  by  thy 
purse,  yet  thou  mayest  do  more  good  to  others  than  ever  yet  thou  hast 
done  by  thy  pen,  thy  parts,  thy  prayers,  thy  gifts,  thy  graces,  thy 
examples.  Though  thou  art  less  serviceable  to  their  bodies,  yet  if  thou 
art  more  serviceable  than  ever  to  their  souls,  thou  hast  no  reason  to 
complain.  There  is  no  love,  no  compassion,  no  pity,  no  charity,  no 
mercy  to  that  which  reaches  immortal  souls,  and  which  will  turn 
most  to  a  man's  account  in  the  great  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus. 

Obj.  4.  I  would  justify  the  Lord,  I  would  say  he  is  righteous,  though 
my  house  be  burned  up,  and  I  am  turned  out  of  all ;  but  God  has 
punished  the  righteous  with  the  wicked,  if  not  more  than  the  wicked. 
This  fiery  rod  has  fallen  heavier  upon  many  saints  than  upon  many 
sinners,  &c.  How,  then,  can  I  justify  God  ?  How,  then,  can  I  say  that 
the  Lord  is  righteous  ?  &c. 

Ans.  [1.]  In  all  ages  of  the  world  God's  dearest  children  have  been 
deep  sharers  with  the  wicked  in  all  common  calamities.  Abraham  and 
his  family  were  by  famine  driven  into  Egypt  as  Avell  as  others,  and 
Isaac  and  his  family  were  by  famine  driven  into  the  Philistines'  country 
as  well  as  others,  and  Jacob  and  his  family  by  famine  were  driven  into 
Egypt  as  well  as  others,  and  in  David's  time  there  was  a  famine  for 
three  years,  and  in  Elijah's  time  there  was  a  sore  famine  in  Samaria, 
Gen.  xxvi.,  and  xlii.  ;  2  Sam.  xxi.  1  ;  1  Kings  xviii.  2 ;  Mat.  v.  4,  5. 
The  difference  that  God  puts  between  his  own  and  others  are  not  seen 
in  the  administration  of  these  outward  things:  Eccles.  ix.  2,  'All  things 
come  alike  to  all:  there  is  one  event  to  the  righteous,  and  to  the  wicked ; 
to  the  good  and  to  the  clean,  and  to  the  unclean  ;  to  him  that  sacra- 
ficeth,  and  to  him  that  sacrificeth  not :  as  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner; 


238  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

and  he  that  swcarotli,  as  he  tliat  feareth  an  oath.'  The  privileges  of 
the  saints  He  [notj  in  temporals,  but  in  spirituals  and  eternals,  else 
religion  would  not  be  a  matter  of  faith,  but  sense:  and  men  would 
serve  God  not  for  himself,  but  for  the  gay  and  gallant  things  of  this 
world.  1     Bjit, 

[2.]  Secondly,  There  are  as  many  mysteries  in  providences  as  there  are 
in  prophecies  ;  and  many  texts  of  providence  are  as  hard  to  understand 
as  many  texts  of  Scriptures  are.  God's  '  way  is  in  the  sea,  his  paths 
are  in  the  great  waters,  and  his  footsteps  are  not  known  ;'  '  His  judg- 
ments are  unsearchable,  and  his  ways  are  past  finding  out.'  And  yet 
when  clouds  and  darkness  are  round  about  liim,  '  righteousness  and 
judgment  are  the  habitation  of  his  throne,'  Ps.  Ixxvii.  19  ;  Rom.  xi.  33  ; 
Ps.  xcvii.  2,  and  xxxvi.  6.  When  his  judgments  are  a  great  deep, 
yet  then  his  righteousness  is  like  the  great  mountains.  There  are 
many  mysteries  in  nature,  and  many  mysteries  of  state  which  we  are 
ignorant  of;  and  why,  then,  should  we  wonder  that  there  are  many 
mysteries  in  ])rovidence  that  we  do  not  understand  ?  Let  a  man  but 
seriously  consider  how  many  possible  deaths  lurk  in  his  own  bowels, 
and  the  innumerable  hosts  of  external  dangers  which  beleaguers  him 
on  every  side  ;  how  many  invisible  arrows  fly  about  his  ears  continu- 
ally, and  yet  how  few  have  hit  him,  and  that  none  liitherto  have  mor- 
tally wounded  him ;  and  it  will  doubtless  so  far  affect  his  heart,  as  to 
work  him  to  conclude,  that  great,  and  many,  and  mysterious  are  the 
providences  that  daily  attend  upon  him.^  Vives  i-eports  of  a  Jew,  that 
having  gone  over  a  deep  river  on  a  narrow  plank  in  a  dark  night,  and 
coming  the  next  day  to  see  what  danger  he  had  escaped,  fell  down  dead 
with  astonishment.  Should  God  many  times  but  open  to  us  the  mys- 
teriousness  of  his  providences,  they  would  be  matter  of  amazement  and 
astonishment  to  us.  I  have  read  that  Marcia,  a  Roman  princess, 
being  great  with  child,  had  the  babe  in  her  killed  with  lightning,  she 
herself  escaping  the  danger.^  What  a  mysterious  providence  was  this  1 
God's  providence  towards  his  sei'vants  is  as  a  wheel  in  the  midst  of  a 
wheel,  whose  motion,  and  work,  and  end  in  working,  is  not  discerned 
by  a  common  eye,  Ezek.  i.  16.  The  actings  of  divine  providence  are 
many  times  so  dark,  intricate,  and  mysterious,  that  it  will  pose  men 
of  the  most  raised  parts,  and  of  the  choicest  experiences,  and  of  the 
greatest  graces,  to  be  able  to  discern  the  ways  of  God  in  them.  There 
are  many  mysteries  in  the  works  of  God  as  well  as  in  the  word  of  God. 
But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Sometimes  God's  own  peo2ile  sin  with  others,  and  there- 
fore they  smart  with  others.  Thus  ]\Ioses  and  Aaron  sinned  with  others, 
and  therefore  they  were  shut  out  of  Canaan,  and  their  carcases  fell  in 
the  wilderness  as  well  as  others.  Num.  xx.  Ps.  cvi.  35,  '  They  were 
mingled  among  the  heathen,  and  learned  their  works  ;'  ver.  40,  '  There- 
fore was  the  wrath  of  the  Lord  kindled  against  his  people,  insomuch 
that  he  abhorred  his  inheritance;'  Jer.  ix.  25,  26,  'Behold,  the  days 
come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  punish  all  them  which  are  circum- 

'  Communia  cfsc  voluit,  et  couimoda  piophanis,  et  incomraoda  suis. —  Tertul. 

'  I  have  read  of  a  father  and  his  son,  who  being  shipwrecked  at  sea,  the  son  sailed  to 
shore  upon  the  back  of  his  dead  father.  What  a  strange,  mysterious  providence  was 
this  !  »  riin.  Nat.  Hist.,  lib.  ii.  cap.  51. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATIOIT.  239 

cised  with  the  uncircumcised ;  Egypt,  and  Judah,  and  Edom,  and  the 
children  of  Amnion,  and  Moab,  and  all  that  are  in  the  utmost  corners, 
that  dwell  in  the  wilderness :  for  all  these  nations  are  uncircumcised, 
and  all  the  house  of  Israel  are  uncircumcised  in  their  heart ;'  vide  Kom. 
ii.  28,  29.  Such  as  were  outwardly,  but  not  inwardly,  circumcised, 
should  be  sure  to  be  punished  in  the  day  of  God's  wrath,  with  those 
who  were  neither  inwardly  nor  outwardly  circumcised.  When  the  good 
and  the  bad  join  in  common  provocations,  no  wonder  if  they  suffer 
in  common  desolations,  Ezek.  ix.  6 ;  Kev.  xviii.  4 ;  1  Peter,  iv.  17. 
Though  gross  impieties,  like  pitch  or  gunpowder,  enrages  the  fire,  yet 
the  sins,  the  infirmities  of  God's  people  add  to  the  flame.  Not  only 
Manasseh  his  bloodshed,  but  also  good  Hezekiah's  pride  and  vanity  of 
spirit,  boasting  and  glorying  in  his  worldly  riches,  brought  on  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity  upon  the  Jews,  2  Chron.  xxxii.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  The  people  of  God  many  times  suffer  in  common 
calamities,  as  they  are  parts  and  members  of  that  politic  body  that  is 
punished,  2  Sam.  xxiv.  10-18.  The  sins  of  a  city,  a  society,  a  com- 
pany, or  a  nation,  may  involve  all  the  members  in  the  same  judg- 
ment. Though  Lot  was  not  guilty  of  the  sins  of  Sodom,  yet  Lot  was 
carried  away  in  the  captivity  of  Sodom,  as  cohabiting  with  them.  Gen. 
xiv.  12,  IG.i  And  so  though  many  of  the  precious  servants  of  the 
Lord  in  London  were  not  guilty  of  those  gross  impieties  that  their 
neighbours  were  guilty  of,  yet,  cohabiting  either  with  them  or  near 
them,  they  were  burnt  up  and  destroyed  with  them.  Achan's  family 
were  not  guilty  of  Achan's  sacrilege,  and  yet  Achans  family  were 
destroyed  for  Achan's  sacrilege.  The  burning  of  London  was  a 
national  judgment,  and  this  national  judgment  was  a  product  of 
national  sins,  as  I  have  formerly  proved.  Now  mark,  though  the 
people  of  God  may  be  personally  innocent,  yet  because  they  are 
members  of  a  nocent  body,  they  are  liable  to  undergo  the  temporal 
smart  of  national  judgments.  Doubtless  a  whole  city  may  be  laid 
desolate  for  the  wickedness  of  one  man,  or  of  a  few  men,  that  dwelleth 
in  it:  Eccles.  ix.  18,  '  One  sinner  destro3'eth  much  good.'     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  When  good  men  loho  cannot  he  justly  charged  with 
'public  sins,  do  yet  fall  ivith  loicked  men  by  public  judgments,  you  must 
remember  that  God  has  several  different  ends  in  inflicting  one  and  the 
same  jicdgments,  both  upon  the  good  and  upon  the  bad.  The  metal 
and  the  dross  go  both  into  the  fire  together,  but  the  dross  is  consumed, 
and  the  metal  refined,  Zech.  xiii.  9  ;  Eccles.  viii.  12, 13.  The  stalk 
and  the  ear  of  corn  fall  upon  the  threshing-floor  under  one  and  the 
same  flail ;  but  the  one  is  shattered  in  pieces,  the  other  is  preserved. 
From  one  and  the  same  olive,  and  from  under  one  and  the  same 
press  is  crushed  out  both  oil  and  dregs,  but  the  one  is  tunned  up  for 
use,  the  other  thrown  out  as  unserviceable.  The  same  judgments 
that  befall  the  wicked  may  befall  the  righteous,  but  not  upon  the  same 
account.  The  righteous  are  cast  into  the  furnace  for  trial,  but  the 
wicked  for  their  ruin.  The  righteous  are  signally  sanctified  by  fiery 
dispensations,  but  the  wicked  are  signally  worsened  by  the  same  dis- 

^  Common  calamities  make  no  discrimination  between  persons  and  persons,  or  houses 
and  houses.  All  common  judgments  work  according  to  their  commission  and  according 
to  their  nature,  without  distinguishing  the  righteous  from  the  wicked. 


240  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

pensations,  Jer.  xxiv.  1-3,  5.  The  very  self-same  judgment  that  is 
as  a  loadstone  to  draw  the  righteous  towards  heaven,  will  be  as  a  mill- 
stone to  sink  the  wicked  down  to  hell.  The  pillar  of  fire  that  went 
before  Israel  had  a  light  side  and  a  dark  side  ;  the  light  side  was  to- 
wards God's  peoi)le,  and  the  dark  side  Avas  towards  the  Egyptians, 
Exod.  xiv.  20.  The  flames  of  London  will  prove  such  a  pillar  both  to 
the  righteous  and  the  Avicked.  That  will  certainly  be  made  good  upon 
the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  whose  habitations  have  been  destroyed 
by  London's  flames,  that  the  Greek  epigram  speaks  of  the  silver  axe, 
the  ensign  of  justice: — 

'  That  sword  that  cuts  the  bad  in  twain, 
The  good  doth  wound  and  heal  again.' 

Those  dreadful  judgments  that  have  been  the  axe  of  God's  revenging 
justice,  to  wound  and  break  the  wicked  in  pieces,  shall  be  righteous 
men's  cures  and  their  golden  restoratives.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly  and  lastly,  God  sometimes  ivraps  up  his  oivn  people 
with  the  loicked  in  desolating  judgments,  that  lie  may  before  all  the 
luorld  ivipe  off  that  rej)roach  ivhich  atheists  and  wicked  men  are  apt 
to  cast  upon  him,  as  if  he  luere  partial,  as  if  he  ivere  a  respecto'  of 
persons,  and  as  if  his  loays  were  not  just  and  equal,  Ezek.  xviii.  25, 
29,  and  xxxiii.  20.  God,  to  stop  the  mouth  of  iniquity,  the  mouth  of 
blasj^hemy,  hath  made  his  own  people  as  desolate  as  others  by  that 
fiery  calamity  that  has  passed  upon  them.  Such  men  that  have  been 
eye-witnesses  of  God's  impartial  dealing  with  his  own  people  in  those 
days  when  London  was  in  flames,  must  say  that  God  is  neither  partial 
nor  fond.  And  let  thus  much  suffice,  by  way  of  answer  to  this 
objection. 

3.  The  third  duty  that  lies  upon  those  that  have  been  burnt  up,  is 
for  them  in  'patience  to  possess  their  oion  soids,  and  quietly  to  acquiesce 
in  tchat  the  Lord  has  done,  Luke  xxi.  19.  0  sirs!  hold  your  peace, 
and  bridle  your  passions,  and  quietly  submit  to  the  stroke  of  divine 
justice.  When  Aaron's  sons  were  devoured  by  fire,  Aaron  held  his 
peace.l  And  will  not  you  hold  your  peace,  now  your  houses  are  de- 
voured by  fire  ?  What  were  your  houses  to  Aaron's  sons  ?  All  the 
houses  in  the  world  are  not  so  near  and  dear  to  a  man  as  his  children 
are.  In  this  story  concerning  Aaron  and  his  sons,  there  are  many 
things  remarkable.     As, 

[1.]  That  ho  had  lost  two  of  his  sons,  yea,  two  of  his  eldest  sons, 
together  at  a  clap. 

[2.]  These  two  were  the  most  honourable  of  the  sons  of  Aaron :  as 
we  may  see,  Exod,  xxiv.  1 ,  in  that  they  only  with  their  father  and  the 
seventy  elders  are  appointed  to  come  up  to  the  Lord. 

[3.]  They  were  cut  off  by  a  sudden  and  unexpected  death,  when 

'  Lev.  X.  2,  3.  The  Hebrew  word  damam  signifies  silence  or  stillness ;  it  signifies  a 
staying  of  the  heart,  a  quieting  of  the  mind.  Aaron's  mind  was  quiet  and  still  ;  all  his 
unruly  affections  and  passions  were  stilled  and  allayed.  Oleaster  observes  that  Joshua, 
in  speaking  to  the  sun,  '  Stand  still  in  Gibeon,'  uscth  the  same  word,  D^,  that  is  here 
used,  Joshua  xii.  10.  So  that  this  phrase,  '  Aaron  held  his  peace,'  imports  thus  much, 
That  Aaron  stood  still,  or  stayed  from  further  vexing,  or  troubling,  or  disquieting  of 
himself  ;  though  at  first  his  heart  was  in  a  strange  violent  motion,  yet  he  recovers  him- 
self, and  stands  still  before  the  Lord. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  241 

neither  themselves  nor  tlieir  father  tliought  their  ruin  had  been  so 
near.  What  misery  to  tliat  of  being  suddenly  surprised  by  a  doleful 
death  ? 

[4.]  They  were  cut  off  by  a  way  which  might  seem  to  testify  God's 
hot  displeasure  against  them ;  for  they  were  devoured  by  fire  from 
God.  They  sinned  by  fire,  and  they  perished  by  fire.  Look,  as  fire 
came  from  the  Lord  before  in  mercy,  so  now  fire  is  sent  from  the  Lord 
in  judgment.  Certainly  the  manner  of  their  death  pointed  out  the 
sin  for  which  they  were  smitten.  Now  what  father  had  not  rather 
lose  all  his  children  at  once,  by  an  ordinary  stroke  of  death,  than  to 
see  one  of  them  destroyed  by  God's  immediate  hand  in  such  a  terrible 
manner  ? 

[5.]  They  were  thus  smitten  by  the  Lord  on  the  very  first  day  of 
their  entering  upon  that  high  honour  of  their  priestly  function,  and 
when  their  hearts  were  doubtless  full  of  joy.  Now  to  be  suddenly 
thunderstruck  in  such  a  sunshine  day  of  mercy  as  this  seemed  to  be, 
must  needs  add  weight  to  their  calamity  and  misery, 

[6.]  They  were  cut  off  with  such  great  severity  for  a  very  small 
offence,  if  reason  may  be  permitted  to  sit  as  judge  in  the  case.  They 
were  made  monuments  of  divine  vengeance,  only  for  taking  fire  to  burn 
the  incense  from  one  place,  when  they  should  have  taken  it  from 
another.  And  this  they  did,  say  some,  not  purposely,  but  through 
mistake,  and  at  such  a  time  when  they  had  much  work  lying  upon 
their  hands,  and  were  but  newly  entered  upon  their  new  employment. 
Now  notwithstanding  all  this,  Aaron  held  his  peace.  It  may  be,  at 
first,  when  he  saw  his  sons  devoured  by  fire,  his  heart  began  to 
wrangle,  and  his  passions  began  to  work ;  but  when  he  considered  the 
righteousness  of  God  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  glory  that  God  would 
get  to  himself  on  the  other  hand,  he  presently  checks  himself,  and 
lays  his  hand  upon  his  mouth,  and  stands  still  and  silent  before  the 
Lord.  Though  it  be  not  easy  in  great  affiictions,  with  Aaron,  to  hold 
our  peace,  yet  it  is  very  advantageous  ;  which  the  heathens  seemed  to 
intimate  in  placing  the  image  of  Angeronia,  with  the  mouth  bound, 
upon  the  altar  of  Volupia,  to  sliew  that  they  [who]  do  prudently  and 
patiently  bear  and  conceal  their  troubles,  sorrows,  and  anxieties,  they 
shall  attain  to  comfort  at  last.  What  the  apostle  saith  of  the  dis- 
tressed Hebrews,  after  the  spoiling  of  their  goods,  '  Ye  have  need  of 
patience,'  Heb.  x.  34,  36,  the  same  I  may  say  to  you,  who  have  lost 
your  houses,  your  shops,  your  trades,  your  all — You  have  need,  yea, 
you  have  great  need  of  patience.  Though  thy  mercies  are  few,  and 
thy  miseries  are  many,  though  thy  mercies  are  small,  and  tliy  miseries 
are  great,  yet  look  that  thy  spirit  be  quiet,  and  that  thou  dost  sweetly 
acquiesce  in  the  will  of  God.  Now  God  hath  laid  his  fiery  rod  upon 
your  backs,  it  will  be  your  greatest  wisdom  to  lay  your  hands  upon 
your  mouths,  and  to  say  with  David,  '  I  was  dumb,  I  opened  not  my 
mouth,  because  thou  didst  it,'  Ps.  xxxix.  9.  To  be  patient  and  silent 
under  the  sharpest  providences  and  the  sorest  judgments,  is  as  much 
a  Christian's  glory  as  it  is  his  duty.i  The  patient  Christian  feels  the 
want  of  nothing.      Patience  will  give  contentment  in  the.  midst  of 

*  See  my  '  Mute  Christian  under  tlie  Smarting  Rod,'  where  the  excellency  of  patience 
and  the  evil  of  impatience  is  largely  set  forth.     [Vol.  I.,  as  before. — G.] 

VOL.  VI.  Q 


242  LONDON'S  LAMENTATIONS  ON  [IsA.  XLII.  24,  25. 

want.  No  loss,  no  cross,  no  aflliotion  will  sit  heavy  npon  a  patient 
soul.  Dionysius  saith  that  this  benelit  he  had  hy  the  study  of  pliilo- 
sophy — viz.,  that  he  bore  with  patience  all  those  alterations  and 
changes  that  he  met  with  in  his  outward  condition.  Now  shall 
nature  do  more  than  grace  ?  shall  the  study  of  philosophy  do  more 
than  the  study  of  Christ,  Scripture,  and  a  man's  own  heart  ?     But, 

4.  The  fourth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  heen  burnt  up, 
is  to  set  up  the  Lord  in  a  more  i'lninent  degree  than  ever,  as  the  great 
object  of  their  fear.  Oh  how  should  we  fear  and  tremble  before  the 
great  God,  who  is  able  to  turn  the  most  serviceable  and  useful  crea- 
tures to  us  to  be  the  means  of  destroying  of  us  !  Heh.  xii.  28,  'Let  us 
have  grace  whereby  we  may  serve  God  acce})tably,  with  reverence  and 
godly  fear;'  ver.  2i),  '  For  our  God  is  a  consuming  fire.'  Here  are  two 
arguments  to  work  the  saints  to  set  up  God  as  the  great  object  of  their 
fear.  Tlie  first  is  drawn  from  the  terribleness  of  God's  majesty,  '  He 
is  a  consuming  fire.'  The  second  is  drawn  from  the  relation  which  is 
between  God  and  his  people,  '  Our  God.'  What  a  strange  title  is  this 
of  the  great  God,  that  we  meet  with  in  this  place  !  and  yet  this  is  one 
of  the  titles  of  God,  expressing  his  nature,  and  in  which  he  glories,  that 
he  is  called  '  a  consuming  fire.'  These  words,  '  God  is  a  consuming 
fire,'  are  not  to  be  taken  properly,  but  metaphorically.  Fire,  we  know, 
is  a  veiy  terrible  and  dreadful  creature ;  and  so  may  very  well  serve  to 
set  forth  to  us  the  terribleness  and  dreadfulness  of  God.  Now  God  is 
here  said  to  be  a  consuming  or  devouring  fire.  The  word  in  the 
original,  KaravaXia-Kop,  is  doubly  compounded,  and  so  the  signification 
is  augmented  and  increased,  to  note  to  us  the  exceeding  terribleness  of 
the  fire  that  is  here  meant.  When  God  would  set  forth  himself  to  be 
most  terrible  and  dreadful  to  the  sons  of  men,  he  docs  it  by  this  re- 
semblance of  fire,  which  of  all  things  is  most  terrible  and  intolerable : 
Deut.  iv.  24,  '  For  the  Lord  thy  God  is  a  consuming  fire,  even  a  jea- 
lous God.'  The  Hebrew  word,  n'^DJ^,  that  is  here  rendered  consuming, 
doth  properly  signify  devouring  or  eating  ;  it  comes  from  72i^,  which 
signifies  to  devour  and  eat ;  and  by  a  metaphor,  it  signifieth  to  con- 
sume or  destroy.  God  is  a  devouring  fire,  an  eating  fire;  and  siimers, 
and  all  they  have,  is  but  bread  and  meat  for  divine  wrath  to  feed  upon: 
Deut.  ix.  3,  '  Understand  therefore  this  day,  that  the  Lord  thy  God  is 
he  which  goeth  before  thee  ;  as  a  consuming  fire  he  shall  destroy 
them,  and  he  shall  bring  them  down  before  thy  face:  so  shalt  thou 
drive  them  out,  and  destroy  them  quickly,  as  the  Lord  hath  said  unto 
thee.'  See  Ps.  1.  3;  Isa.  xxxiii.  14;  IJeut.  xxviii.  58.  What  more 
violent,  what  more  irresistible,  what  more  terrible  than  fire !  Oh 
how  much  therefore  does  it  concern  us  to  set  up  that  God  as  the  great 
object  of  our  fear,  who  hath  ai-med  and  commanded  this  dreadful 
creature,  the  fire,  to  destroy  us  in  many  or  in  most  of  our  outward 
concernments  as  to  this  world  !  Jer.  x,  11,  'At  his  wrath  the  earth 
shall  tremble,  and  the  nations  shall  not  be  able  to  abide  his  indigna- 
tion:' Job  xiii.  11,  'Shall  not  his  excellency  make  you  afraid,  and 
his  dread  fall  upon  you?'  Ps.  cxix.  120,  '  My  flesh  trembletli  for  fear 
of  thee,  and  1  am  afraid  of  thy  judgments:'  Hab.  iii.  5,  '  Before  him 
went  the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals  went  forth  at  his  feet;'  ver. 
16,  '  When  I  heard,  ray  belly  trembled  ;  my  lips  quivered  at  the  voice : 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]         the  late  fiery  dispensation.  243 

rottenness  entered  into  my  bones,  and  I  trembled  in  myself,  that  I 
might  rest  in  the  day  of  trouble/  Ah  London,  London !  it  highly 
concerns  thee  to  tremble  and  quiver,  and  stand  in  awe  of  that  great 
and  glorious  God  who  hath  sent  so  many  thousands  to  their  long  homes 
by  a  sweeping  pestilence,  and  who  hath  by  a  dreadful  fire  turned  thy 
ancient  monuments  and  thy  stately  buildings  into  a  ruinous  heap. 
That  Christian  is  more  worth  than  the  gold  of  Ophir,  who  fears  more 
the  hand  that  hath  laid  on  the  fiery  rod  than  the  rod  itself.  That 
prudent  and  faithful  counsel  which  the  prophet  Isaiah  gives,  should 
always  lie  warm  upon  every  burnt  citizen's  heart:  Isa.  viii.  13, 
'  Sanctify  the  Lord  of  hosts  himself,  and  let  him  be  your  fear,  and 
let  him  be  your  dread/     But, 

5.  The  fifth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  been  burnt  up,  is 
to  he  contented  loith  tJieir  present  condition?-  When  a  man's  mind  is 
brought  down  to  his  means,  all  is  well.  Contentation  of  mind  under 
all  the  turns  and  changes  of  this  life,  makes  a  believer  master  both  of 
the  little  and  great  world  of  unruly  desires  within  himself,  and  of 
temptations  in  the  world  without.  Contentment  in  a  man's  present 
condition,  will  yield  him  a  little  heaven  in  the  midst  of  all  the  great 
hells  that  he  meets  with  in  this  world.  Contentation  is  a  hidden 
treasure,  that  the  believer  will  carry  with  him  to  the  third  heaven, 
where  an  exceeding  weight  of  glory  and  contentation,  with  full  satis- 
faction to  his  desires,  will  be  added  to  that  little  stock  of  contentment 
that  he  has  obtained  in  this  world.  Contentation  in  every  condition, 
is  no  other  but  the  house  of  God,  and  the  gate  of  heaven,  as  Jacob 
once  speaks  of  that  gracious  manifestation  of  God,  Gen.  xxviii.  God 
dwells  in  a  contented  heart,  and  a  contented  heart  dwells  in  God. 
Contentment  is  that  porch  wherein  the  believer  waits  for  an  entrance 
into  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  but  one  eternal  in  the  heaven, 
2  Cor.  V.  i.  Oh  labour  much  with  God,  that  your  hearts  may  be 
brought  fully  under  the  power  of  these  divine  commands: — 1  Tim.  vi.  8, 
'  Having  food  and  raiment,  let  us  be  therewith  content.'  Heb.  xiii.  5, 
'  Let  your  conversation  be  without  covetousness' — or  without  the  love 
of  silver,  as  the  Greek  word  signifies, — 'and  be  content  with  such  things 
as  you  have.'  Conteiiti  prcesentibus :  so  Beza  and  others,  'Be  content 
with  things  present.'  The  believing  Hebrews  had  been  plundered  of 
all  they  had  in  this  world,  Heb.  x.  34,  when  the  apostle  gave  forth 
this  royal  command  ;  and  yet  the  apostle  requires  them  to  be  content. 
It  is  as  much  the  duty  of  a  Christian  to  be  content  when  he  has 
nothing,  as  when  all  the  world  smiles  upon  him.  Christians  are 
soldiers,  strangers,  travellers,  pilgrims,  and  therefore  it  concerns  them 
to  make  shift  with  little  things,  yea,  with  anything  in  this  world. 
The  Israelites  had  no  gay  clothes,  nor  no  new  clothes  in  their  wilder- 
ness condition ;  but  God  made  their  old  clothes  to  be  all  clothes  to 
them,  and  that  was  enough.  Jacob  did  not  indent  with  God  for 
junkets 2  or  ornaments,  but  for  food  and  raiment:  Gen,  xxviii.  20, 
'  If  God  will  give  me  bread  to  eat  and  raiment  to  put  on,  then  shall  the 
Lord  be  my  God.'     Nature  is  content  with  a  little,  grace  with  less ; 

'  The  poets  bring  in  the  feigned  gods,  each  one  content  with  his  own  office  and  estate — 
Mars  with  war,  Minerva  with  sciences,  Mercury  with  eloquence,  Cupid  with  love,  Jupiter 
with  heaven,  and  Pluto  with  hell.  ^  'Dainties.' — G. 


244  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

though  nothiiii^  will  satisfy  those  men's  hearts  whose  lusts  are  their 
lords.  We  shall  never  want  a  penny  in  our  purses  to  hear  our  charges 
till  we  get  to  heaven  ;  and  therefore  let  us  he  content  with  our  present 
portion  in  this  world.  Phil.  iv.  12,  '  I  have  learned,  in  whatsoever 
estate  I  am,  therewith  to  he  content.  I  know  how  to  be  abased,  and 
I  know  how  to  abound  :  everywhere,  and  in  all  things,  I  am  instructed 
both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry,  both  to  abound  and  to  sutler  need.' 
In  these  words  you  have  first  the  vicissitude  of  Paul's  outward  con- 
dition :  at  one  time  he  abounds,  at  another  he  is  abased  :  at  one  time 
he  is  full,  and  at  another  time  he  sutlers  need.  You  have  the  sweet 
and  gracious  composure  of  his  spirit,  and  this  is  expressed  in  two 
singular  acts.  The  first  is  his  contentation  of  mind  in  all  conditions : 
'  I  have  learned,  in  Avhatsoever  estate  1  am,  therewith  to  be  content.' 
The  second  is  his  prudent  and  pertinent  comportment  with  his  present 
condition :  '  I  know  both  how  to  be  abased,  and  how  to  abound.'  You 
have  the  way  how  he  attained  this  contentation  of  mind  in  all  con- 
ditions: 'I  have  learned,'  saith  he,  '  I  am  instructed;'  this  lesson  of 
contentment  he  did  not  learn  at  the  feet  of  Dr  Gamaliel,  but  in  the 
school  of  Jesus  Christ.  Contentment  in  every  condition  is  too  high 
a  lesson  for  any  effectually  to  teach,  but  Jesus  Christ.  0  sirs  !  in  the 
grave  it  is  all  one  who  hath  [had]  all,  and  who  hath  had  none.  What 
folly  is  it  to  lay  up  goods  for  many  years,  when  we  cannot  lay  up  one 
day  for  the  enjoyment  of  our  goods  !  Christ,  who  never  miscalled  any, 
calls  him  'fool'  who  had  much  of  the  world  under  his  hands,  but 
nothing  of  God  or  heaven  in  his  heart.  Zopirus  the  Persian  was  con- 
tented to  sustain  the  cutting  off  his  nose,  and  ears,  and  lips,  to  further 
the  entei'piise  of  his  lord,  Uarius,  against  proud  Babylon,  i  So  Chris- 
tians should  be  contented  to  be  anything,  to  do  anything,  or  to  suffer 
anything,  to  further  or  j^romote  the  glory  of  God  in  this  world.  All 
this  whole  world  is  not  proportionable  to  the  precious  soul.  All  the 
riches  of  the  Indies  cannot  pacify  conscience,  nor  secure  eternity,  nor 
prevent  death,  nor  bring  you  off  in  the  day  of  judgment ;  and  there- 
fore be  contented  with  a  little.  All  the  good  things  of  this  world  are 
but  cold  comforts:  they  cannot  stretch  to  eternity,  they  will  not  go 
with  us  into  another  world ;  and  therefore  why  should  the  want  of 
such  things  either  trouble  our  thoughts,  or  break  our  hearts  ?  The 
whole  woild  is  but  a  paradise  for  fools ;  it  is  a  beautiful  but  deceitful 
harlot ;  it  is  a  dreamed  sweetness,  and  a  very  ocean  of  gall.  There  is 
nothing  to  be  found  in  it  that  has  not  mutability  and  uncertainty, 
vanity  and  vexation  stamped  upon  it.  And  therefore  he  cannot  be 
ha])py  that  enjoys  it,  nor  he  miserable  that  wants  it.  And  why  then 
shouhl  not  he  be  contented  that  has  but  a  little  of  it  ?  The  greatest 
outward  happiness  is  but  honeyed  poison  ;  and  therefore  do  not  shrug 
nor  faint  because  thou  hast  but  little  of  the  world.  All  thy  crosses 
and  losses  shall  be  so  tempered  by  a  hand  of  heaven,  as  that  they 
shall  become  wholesome  medicines  ;  they  shall  be  steps  to  thy  future 
glory,  they  are  thy  only  hell,  thy  heaven  is  to  come.  And  therefore 
be  contented  in  the  midst  of  all  thy  sorrows  and  sufferings.  Eemember 
that  many  times  they  who  have  most  of  the  world  in  their  hands,  have 

'  Rather  Zopyrus,  whose  extraordinary  devotion  to  Darius  is  told  bv  Herodotus,  iii. 
153-lCO.— G. 


IsA.  XLIL  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensation.  245 

least  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  the  Spirit,  of  grace,  of  heaven  in  their 
hearts.'^  And  remember,  that  a  man  were  better  to  have  much  of 
God  with  a  little  of  the  world,  than  to  have  much  of  the  world  with 
a  little  of  God.  God  alone  is  a  thousand  thousand  felicities,  and  a 
world  of  happiness,  the  only  life  and  light.  Algerius  the  martyr,  being 
swallowed  up  in  a  sweet  fruition  of  God,  found  more  light  in  his 
dungeon  than  was  without  in  all  the  w^orld.  0  sirs !  if  upon  casting 
up  of  your  accounts  for  another  world,  you  find  that  heaven  is  your 
home,  the  world  your  footstool,  the  angels  your  attendants,  your 
Creator  your  father,  your  Judge  your  brother,  the  Holy  Spirit  your 
comforter ;  if  you  find  that  God  is  ever  with  you,  ever  before  you, 
ever  within  you,  ever  round  about  you,  and  ever  a-making  of  provision 
more  or  less  for  you,  why  should  you  not  be  contented  with  your 
present  condition,  with  your  present  proportion,  be  it  more  or  be  it 
less  ?     But, 

6.  The  sixth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  wdio  have  been  burnt  up,  is 
to  mourn,  to  lie  loio,  to  keep  humble  under  this  dreadful  judgment  of 
fire,  under  this  mighty  hand  of  God.  When  Ziklag  was  iDurnt  by  the 
Amalekites,  '  David  and  the  people  lifted  up  their  voices  and  wept, 
until  they  had  no  power  to  weep,'  1  Sam.  xxx.  1-4.  They  wept  their 
utmost ;  they  wept  themselves  even  blind.  They  did  not  stoicall}'' 
slight  that  fiery  rod,  but  prudently  laid  it  to  heart.  Tears  are  called 
the  blood  of  the  soul.  Now  a  shower  of  tears,  a  shower  of  blood,  they 
poured  out  to  quench  those  flames  that  the  Amalekites  had  kindled. 
When  they  saw  their  city  laid  desolate  by  fire,  their  sorrow  was  so 
great  that  they  were  overburthened  with  the  weight  of  it ;  and  there- 
fore they  sought  ease  in  venting  their  sorrow  in  a  shower  of  tears. 
And  so  when  Nehemiah  understood  that  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  was 
broken  down,  and  the  gates  thereof  were  burnt  with  fire,  he  sat  down 
and  wept,  and  mourned  certain  days,  Neh.  i.  3,  4.  Some  authors 
report  [Nazianzen  and  Jerome,  &c.]  that  the  Jews  to  this  day  come 
yearly  to  the  place  where  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  their  fathers,  stood, 
which  was  by  Titus  and  Adrian  destroyed  by  fire  and  sword,  and 
upon  the  day  of  the  destruction  of  it  weep  over  it.  Oh  how 
well  does  it  become  all  burnt  citizens  to  stand  and  weep  over  the 
ashes  of  London,  and  greatly  to  abase  themselves  under  that  mighty 
hand  of  God  that  has  been  lifted  up  against  them  I^  1  Pet.  v.  6, 
'  Humble  yourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  that  he  may 
exalt  you  in  due  time.'  Ah  London,  London  !  how  hath  the  mighty 
hand  of  the  Lord  been  lifted  up  against  thee !  how  hath  he  by  flames 
of  fire  laid  all  thy  glory  in  the  dust !  The  Lord,  by  fire,  sword,  and 
pestilence,  hath  greatly  humbled  thee.  And  oh,  when  shall  it  once 
be  that  thou  wilt  be  humble  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God  !  It  is 
one  thing  to  be  humbled  by  judgments  ;  it  is  another  thing  to  be 

^  It  is  only  an  infinite  good  and  infinite  God  that  can  fill  and  satisfy  the  soul  of  man. 
Plato  could  say,  The  mind  is  not  satisfied  nor  quieted  till  it  return  thither  from  whence 
it  came. 

"  Deut.  viii.  16  ;  Lev.  xxvi.  40-42;  Luke  xiv.  11 ;  Dan.  v.  22.  Augustine  saitli  that 
the  first,  second,  and  third  virtue  of  a  Christian  is  humility.  If  I  were  asked,  saith  he, 
what  is  the  readiest  way  to  attain  true  happiness,  I  would  answer,  The  first,  the  second, 
the  third  thing  is,  humility,  humility,  humility:  as  often  as  I  was  asked,  I  would  say, 
Humility.  Humility  doth  not  only  entitle  to  happiness,  but  to  the  higliest  degree  of 
happiness,  Mat.  xviii.  4. 


246  London's  lamentations  on         [Iha  XLII.  24,  25. 

liuinltlc  umlor  judfi^mcnts.  There  have  l)ecn  many  nations,  cities,  and 
particular  pcrsdns  who  liave  been  greatly  humbled  by  amazing  and 
astonishing  judgments,  who  yet  never  had  so  much  grace  as  to  lie 
humble  under  those  judgments.  When  God's  hand  is  lifted  up  very 
high,  he  ex])ccts  that  our  hearts  should  fall  very  low.  To  be  poor  and 
proud  is  to  be  doubly  miserable.  If  men's  spirits  are  high  when  their 
estates  are  low,  the  next  blow  will  be  more  dreadful.  God  has  laid 
our  habitations  in  dust  and  ashes,  and  he  expects  that  we  should  even 
humble  ourselves  in  dust  and  ashes.  The  only  way  to  avoid  cannon- 
shot,  is  to  fall  down  flat  on  the  ground:  the  application  is  easy. 
Humility  exalteth  :  he  that  is  most  humble  shall  be  most  honourable. 
Moses  in  his  wilderness-condition  was  the  meekest  man  on  earth,  and 
God  made  him  the  most  honourablest,  calling  him  up  unto  himself 
in  the  mount,  and  making  of  him  the  leader  of  his  people  Israel. 
Gideon  was  very  little  in  his  own  eyes,  '  the  least  in  his  father's  house' 
in  his  own  api)rehension  ;  and  God  exalted  him,  making  him  the 
deliverer  of  his  Israel.  He  that  is  little  in  his  own  account,  is  always 
high  in  God's  esteem.  When  one  asked  the  philosopher  what  God 
was  a-doing  ?  he  answered,  that  his  whole  work  was  to  lift  up  the 
humble  and  cast  down  the  proud.  Those  brave  creatures,  the  lion 
and  the  eagle,  were  not  offered  in  sacrifice  unto  God,  but  the  poor 
lamb  and  dove  was  offered  in  sacrifice :  to  note  to  us,  that  God 
regards  not  your  brave,  high,  lofty  s]iirits,  and  that  he  is  all  for  such 
that  are  of  a  dove-like  and  a  lamb-like  spirit.  They  say  if  dust  be 
sprinkled  upon  the  wings  of  bees,  their  noises,  humming,  and  risings 
will  quickly  cease.  The  Lord,  in  the  late  fiery  dispensation,  has 
sprinkled  dust  and  ashes  upon  us  all.  And  oh  that  our  proud  noises, 
hinnmings,  and  risings  of  heart  miglit  cease  from  before  the  Lord, 
who  is  risen  out  of  his  holy  place  !  Ah  London,  London  !  thou  hast 
been  proud  of  thy  trade,  and  proud  of  thy  strength,  and  proud  of  thy 
riches,  and  proud  of  thy  stately  buildings  and  edifices,  but  God  has 
now  laid  all  thy  glory  in  dust  and  ashes  ;  and  therefore  it  highly  con- 
cerns thee  to  humble  thyself  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God.  God 
has  abased  thee,  and  therefore  make  it  thy  work  to  be  base  in  thine 
own  eyes.  When  Nehemiah  understood  that  the  Chaldeans,  who  were 
a  generation  of  idolaters,  had  made  Jerusalem  desolate  by  fire,  he 
greatly  humbled  himself  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God.i  He  looked 
through  all  active  causes  to  the  efficient  cause,  and  accordingly  he 
abased  himself  before  the  Lord :  as  you  may  see  Neh.  i.  3,  4,  '  And 
they  said  unto  me,  The  remnant  that  are  left  of  the  captivity  there  in 
the  province  are  in  great  affliction  and  reproach  :  the  wall  of  Jeru- 
salem also  is  broken  down,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  burnt  ■with  fire. 
And  it  came  to  pass,  when  I  heard  these  words,  that  I  sat  down  and 
wept,  and  mourned  certain  days,  and  fasted,  and  prayed  before  the 
God  of  heaven.'  When  Nehemiah  heard  that  the  wall  of  Jerusalem 
was  broken  down,  and  that  the  gates  thereof  were  burnt  with  fire,  his 
grief  was  so  great  that  he  could  not  stand  under  it,  and  therefore 
he  sits  down  and  weeps.  Who  is  there  that  is  a  man,  that  is  an 
Englishman,  that  is  a  Christian,  that  is  a  protestant,  that  can  behold 

'  There  is  nothing  more  evident  in  history  than  this — viz.,  that  those  dreadful  fires  that 
have  l>cen  kindled  amongst  the  Christians  have  been  still  kindled  by  idolatrous  hands. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  247 

the  ruins  of  London,  and  not — at  least  the  frame  of  his  spirit — sit  down 
and  weep  over  those  ruins  ?  The  w^y  of  ways  to  be  truly,  yea,  highly 
exalted,  is  to  be  thoroughly  humbled.  The  highest  heavens  and  the 
lowest  hearts  do  both  alike  please  the  most  high  God,  Isa.  Ivii.  15. 
God  will  certainly  make  it  his  work  to  exalt  them  who  make  it  their 
great  work  to  abase  themselves.  Such  who  are  low  in  their  own  eyes, 
and  can  be  content  to  be  low  in  the  eyes  of  others,  such  are  most  high 
and  honourable  in  the  eye  of  God,  in  the  esteem  and  account  of  God. 
The  lowly  Christian  is  always  the  most  lovely  Christian.  Now  God 
hath  laid  your  city  low,  your  all  low,  he  expects  that  your  hearts 
should  lie  low  under  his  mighty  hand.  All  the  world  cannot  long 
keep  up  those  men  who  do  not  labour  to  keep  down  their  hearts  under 
judgments  inflicted  or  judgments  feared.  Kemember  the  sad  catas- 
trophe of  Herod  the  Great,  of  Agrippa  the  Great,  of  Pompey  the  Great, 
and  of  Alexander  the  Great.  If  your  s^^irits  remain  great  under  great 
judgments,  it  is  an  evident  sign  that  more  reigning  i  judgments  lie 
at  your  doors.     But, 

7.  The  seventh  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  been  burnt  up, 
is  to  bless  a  taking  God  as  well  as  a  giving  God  ;  it  is  to  encourage 
themselves  in  the  Lord  their  God,  though  he  has  strip2yed  them  of 
all  their  woi'ldly  goods.  Thus  did  Job  when  he  had  lost  his  all :  '  The 
Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away ;  blessed  be  the  name 
of  the  Lord,' Job  i.  21.  One^  brings  in  holy  Job  standing  by  the 
ruined  house,  under  Avhose  walls  his  ten  children  lay  dead  and  buried, 
and  lifting  up  his  heart  and  hands  towards  heaven,  saying,  '  Naked 
came  I  out  of  my  mother's  womb,  and  naked  shall  I  return  thither : 
the  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hatb  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  name 
of  the  Lord.'  Ecce  spectacidum,  says  he,  dignum  ad  quod  respiciat 
intentus  o^oeri  suo  Deus !  Behold  a  spectacle — a  spectacle  worthy  of 
God  himself,  were  he  never  so  intent  upon  his  work  in  heaven,  yet 
worthy  of  his  cognisance  !  When  Ziklag  was  burnt  with  fire,  and 
David  plundered  by  the  Amalekites,  and  his  wives  carried  captive,  yet 
then  he  '  encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord  his  God,'  1  Sam.  xxx.  1-3, 
6.  '  His  God '  notes  [1.]  His  nearness  and  dearness  to  God.  Saints  are 
very  near  and  dear  to  God.  [2.]  '  His  God'  notes  his  relation  to  God. 
God  is  the  saint's  Father.  [3.]  '  His  God'  notes  his  rights  to  God. 
Whole  God  is  the  believer's.  All  he  has,  and  all  he  can  do,  is  the 
believer's,  Ps.  cxlviii.  14  ;  Ejjh.  ii.  13  ;  2  Cor.  vi.  18.  From  these,  and 
such  other  like  considerations,  David  encouraged  himself  in  the  Lord 
his  God  when  all  was  gone ;  and  so  should  we.  So  the  believing 
Hebrews  '  took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods' — whether  by  fire, 
or  plundering,  or  otherwise,  is  not  said — '  knowing  in  themselves  that 
they  had  in  heaven  a  better  and  more  enduring  substance,'  Heb. 
X,  34.  And  to  this  duty  James  exhorts  :  chap.  i.  2,  '  Count  it  all  joy, 
my  brethren,  when  you  fall  into  divers  temptations,'  or  tribulations, 
or  afflictions.  A  Christian  in  his  choicest  deliberation  ought  to  count 
it  all  joy  when  he  falls  into  divers  tribulations.  The  words  are 
emphatical ;  the  apostle  doth  not  say,  be  patient  or  quiet  when  you  fall 
into  divers  temptations  or  afflictions,  but  '  be  joyful.'     Nor  the  apostle 

^  Spelled  'raigning':  query,  'raging'? — G. 
*  Drexelius  in  his  Gymnasiuvi  Patienlice. 


'J4S  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLll.  24,  25. 

dotli  not  say,  be  joyful  witli  a  little  joy,  but  be  'joyful  with  exceeding 
great  joy  ;'  the  words  are  a  llel^raism.  All  joy  is  full  joy  ;  all  joy 
is  jicrt'ect  joy.  And  this  becomes  the  saints  when  they  fall,  or  are 
begirt  round,  not  with  some,  but  with  divers,  that  is,  with  any  kind 
of  afHiction  or  tribulation.  An  omnipotent  God  will  certainly  turn 
his  ])cople's  misery  into  felicity  ;  and  therefore  it  concerns  them  to  be 
divinely  merry  in  the  midst  of  their  greatest  misery.  Oh  that  all 
burnt  citizens  would  seriously  consider  of  these  three  things: — 

[1.]  That  tliis  fiery  rod  has  been  a  rod  in  a  father's  hand. 

[2. J  That  this  fiery  rod  shall  sooner  or  later  be  like  Aaron's  rod, 
a  blooming  rod.  Choice  fruit  will  one  day  grow  u])on  this  burnt 
tree,  London.  No  man  can  tell  what  good  God  may  do  England  by 
that  fiery  rod  that  he  has  laid  upon  London. 

[3.]  That  this  fiery  rod  that  has  been  laid  upon  London  has  not 
been  laid  on,  1.  According  to  the  greatness  of  God's  anger;  nor  2. 
According  to  the  greatness  of  his  power ;  nor  3.  According  to  the 
strictness  of  his  justice  ;  nor  4.  According  to  the  demerits  of  our  sins  ; 
nor  5.  According  to  the  expectations  of  men  of  a  Romish  faith  ;  who, 
it  is  to  be  feared,  did  hope  to  see  every  house  laid  desolate,  and 
London  made  an  Aceldama,  a  field  of  blood.  Acts  i.  19;  nor  6.  Ac- 
cording to  the  extensiveness  of  many  of  your  fears ;  for  many  of  you 
have  feared  worse  things  than  yet  you  feel.  Now,  upon  all  these 
considerations,  how  highly  does  it  concern  the  peoj)le  of  God  to  be 
thankful  and  cheerfid  ;  yea,  and  to  encourage  themselves  in  the  Lord 
under  that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  lately  passed  ujjon  them ! 

QiLest.  But  what  is  there  considerable  in  God  to  encourage  the  soul 
under  heavy  crosses,  and  great  losses,  and  fiery  trials  ? 

Ans.  [L]  First,  There  is  his  gracious,  his  special,  and  peculiar 
presence,  Dan.  iii.  24,  25.  Ps.  xxiii.  4,  '  Though  I  walk  through  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  1  will  fear  no  evil :  for  thou  art  with 
me;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me.'  Ps.  xci.  15,  'He 
shall  call  upon  me,  and  I  will  answer  him :  I  will  be  Avith  him  in 
trouble.'  Oh,  the  precious  presence  of  God  with  a  man's  spirit  will 
sweeten  every  fiery  dispensation,  and  take  off  much  of  the  bitterness 
and  tcnibleness  of  it.  In  the  gracious  presence  of  God  with  our 
spirits  lies,  (1.)  Our  greatest  happiness.  (2.)  Our  greatest  honour. 
(3.)  Our  greatest  profit  and  advantage.  (4.)  Our  greatest  joy  and  de- 
light. (5.)  Our  gi-eatest  safety  and  security.  The  bush,  whicli  was 
a  type  of  the  church,  consumed  not  all  the  while  it  burned  with  fire, 
because  God  was  in  the  midst  of  it.  The  gracious  jiresence  of  God 
with  a  man's  spirit  will  make  hea\y  afflictions  light,  and  long 
affiictions  short,  and  bitter  afflictions  sweet,  2  Cor.  iv.  16-18.  God's 
gracious  presence  makes  every  burden  light,  Ps.  Iv.  22.  He  that  has 
the  presence  of  God  with  his  spirit  can  bear  a  burden  without  a 
burden,  Deut.  xxxiii.  27,  21).  What  burden  can  sink  that  man  that 
hath  everlasting  arms  under  him,  and  over  him,  and  round  about 
him  ?     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  There  is  wisdom  in  God  io  encourage  them  tinder 
all  their  trials,  Jer.  xxiv.  5;  Rom.  viii.  28.  There  is  wisdom  in 
God  80  to  temper  and  order  all  judgments,  afflictions,  crosses,  and 
losses,  as  to  nxike   them  work   kindly  and  sweetly  for  their  good. 


ISA,   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIEKY  DISPENSATIOX.  249 

Whilst  God  is  near  us,  wisdom  and  counsel  is  at  hand.  God  is  that 
wise  and  skilful  physician  that  can  turn  poison  into  cordials,  diseases 
into  remedies,  crosses  into  crowns,  and  the  greatest  losses  into  the 
greatest  gains.  What  can  hurt  us,  whilst  an  infinite  wise  God  stands 
by  us  ?     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  There  is  strength,  power,  and  omnipotencij  in  God  to 
encourage  them,  Prov.  xviii.  10;  Ps.  xlvi.  1,  2;  Isa.  xxvi.  4;  Ps.  iii. 

17.  There  is  nothing  too  high  for  him,  nor  nothing  too  hard  for 
him :  he  is  able  easily  and  speedily  to  bring  to  pass  all  contrivances. 
You  read  of  many  who  have  been  mighty,  but  you  read  but  of  one 
Almighty :  Kev.  iv.  8,  '  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty.' 
Chap.  xi.  17,  '  We  give  thee  thanks,  Lord  God  Almighty.'  Chap.  xv. 
3,  '  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works.  Lord  God  Almighty.' 
Chap.  xvi.  7,  'And  I  heard  another  out  of  the  altar  say,  &c.,  even 
so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments.' 
Under  all  your  fiery  trials  an  almighty  God  can  do  mighty  things 
for  you.  And  therefore  it  concerns  you  to  encourage  yourselves  in 
him,  even  when  you  are  stripped  of  all. 

0  Christians,  it  highly  concerns  you  to  bear  all  your  losses  cheer- 
fully and  thankfully,  '  In  everything  give  thanks,'  saith  the  apostle ; 
'  for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  concerning  you,'  1  Thes.  v. 

18.  Chrysostom  speaks  excellently :  i  '  This,'  saith  he,  '  is  the  very  will 
of  God,  to  give  thanks  always;'  this  argues  a  soul  rightly  instructed. 
Hast  thou  suffered  any  evil  ?  if  thou  wilt,  it  is  no  evil.  Give  thanks 
to  God,  and  then  thou  hast  turned  the  evil  into  good.  Say  thou  as 
Job  said  when  he  had  lost  all,  '  The  Lord  hath  given,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away  ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.'  What  evil  hast 
thou  suffered  ?  What !  is  it  a  disease  ?  This  is  no  strange  thing  to 
us,  seeing  our  bodies  are  mortal  and  naturally  born  to  suffer.  What ! 
dost  thou  want  money  ?  this  may  be  gotten  here,  and  lost  hei-e.  What- 
soever evils  or  losses  therefore  do  oppress  thee,  give  thou  thanks,  and 
thou  hast  changed  the  nature  of  them.  Job  then  did  more  deeply 
wound  the  devil,  when,  being  stripped  out  of  all,  he  gave  thanks  to  God, 
than  if  he  had  distributed  all  to  the  poor  and  needy.  For  it  is  much 
more  to  be  stripped  of  all,  and  yet  to  bear  it  patiently,  generously,  and 
thankfully,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  give  alms,  as  it  here  happened  to 
righteous  Job.  But  hath  fire  suddenly  taken  hold  upon  thy  house, 
destroyed  thy  house,  and  consumed  thy  whole  substance  ?  Remember 
the  sufferings  of  Job.  Give  thanks  to  God,  who  could,  though  he  did 
not,  have  hindered  that  mischance  ;  and  thou  shalt  be  sure  to  receive 
as  equal  a  reward,  as  if  thou  hadst  put  all  into  the  bosom  of  the  in- 
digent. This  he  repeateth  over  again,  and  saith  thy  reward,  being 
thankful,  is  equal  to  his  who  gave  all  he  had  to  the  poor.  To  wind 
up  your  hearts  to  thankfulness  and  cheerfulness  under  this  late  deso- 
lating judgment,  consider  (1.)  God  might  have  taken  away  all,2  It 
is  good  to  bless  him  for  what  he  has  left,  (2.)  He  has  taken  away 
more  from  others  than  he  has  taken  away  from  you — ergo,  be  thankful. 

^  Chrysost.,  torn.  v.  homil.  63, 

'  When  a  gentleman  in  Athens  had  his  plate  taken  away  by  Ahashuerus,  [?]  as  he  was 
at  dinner,  he  smiled  upon  his  friends,  saying,  I  thank  God  that  iiis  hiyhness  hath  Uft 
me  anything.     [A  curious  misprint  apparently,  for  Alcibiades.     Cf.  Vol.  1.  348. —  G.] 


250  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

(3.)  You  arc  unwortliy  of  tlie  least  mercy,  you  deserve  to  be  stripped 
of  every  mercy  ;  and  therefore  be  thankful  for  anything  tliat  is  left. 
God  has  a  sovereign  riglit  over  all  you  have,  and  might  have  stripj)ed 
you  as  naked  as  the  day  wherein  you  were  born.  (4.)  God  has  left 
you  better  and  greater  mercies  than  any  those  were  that  he  has  stripped 
you  of — viz.,  your  lives,  your  limbs,  your  friends,  your  relations,  yea, 
and  the  means  of  grace,  which  is  better  than  all,  and  more  than  all 
otiier  mercies — ergo,  be  thaidvful.  (5.)  The  Lord  has  given  those 
choice  things  to  you,  as  shall  never  be  taken  from  you — viz.,  himself, 
his  8on,  his  Spirit,  which  shall  abide  with  you  for  ever  ;  his  grace,  which 
is  an  abiding  seed;  and  his  peace,  which  none  can  give  to  you  nor  take 
from  you.  — ergo,  be  thankful,  though  God  has  laid  all  your  pleasant 
things  desolate,  John  xvi.  ;  1  John  iii.  9.  (6.)  Thankfulness  under 
crosses  and  losses,  speak  out  nuich  integrity  and  ingenuity  of  si)irit. 
Hypocrites  and  profane  i)ersons  are  more  apt  to  blaspheme  than  to 
bless  a  taking  God — ergo,  be  thankful.  The  ancients  say,  Ingratum 
dixcris,  omnia  dixcris.  Say  a  man  is  unthankful,  and  say  he  is  any- 
thing. Ingratitude  is  a  monster  in  nature,  say  some,  a  solecism  in 
manners,  a  paradox  in  grace,  damming  up  the  course  of  donations 
divine  and  human.  If  there  be  any  sin  in  the  world  against  the  Holy 
Ghost,  said  Queen  Elizabeth  in  a  letter  to  Henry  the  Fourth  of  France, 
it  is  ingratitude.  The  laws  of  Persia,  Macedonia,  and  Athens,  con- 
demned the  ungrateful  to  death  ;  and  unthankfulness  may  well  be 
styled  the  epitome  of  vices.  Ingratitude  was  so  hateful  to  the 
Egyptians,  that  they  used  to  make  eunuchs  of  ungrateful  persons, 
that  no  posterity  of  theirs  might  remain.  Well,  sirs,  remember  this, 
the  best  way  to  get  much,  is  to  be  thankful  for  a  little.  God  loves  to 
sow  much  where  he  reaps  mucli.  Thankfulness  for  one  mercy  makes 
way  for  another  mercy,  as  many  thousand  Christians  have  experienced. 
Tiie  Lords  impost  for  all  his  blessings  is  our  thankfulness  ;  if  we 
neglect  to  pay  tliis  impost,  the  commodity  is  forfeit,  and  so  will  take 
it  back.  Our  returns  must  be  according  to  our  receipts.  Good  men 
should  l)e  like  the  bells,  that  ring  as  pleasantly  at  a  funeral  as  at  a 
wedding.  They  should  be  as  thankful  when  it  goes  ill  with  them,  as 
when  it  goes  well  with  them.  Cicero  comi)lained  of  old  that  it  was  a 
hard  thing  to  find  a  thankful  man.  Oh  how  hard  a  thing  is  it  to 
find  burnt  citizens  really,  cordially,  frequently,  and  j^ractically  thank- 
ful that  tliey  are  alive,  that  they  are  out  of  the  grave,  out  of  hell,  and 
that  yet  they  have  bread  to  eat,  and  clothes  to  wear,  though  their  habi- 
tations are  laid  in  ashes,  and  all  their  pleasant  things  destroyed  !  But, 
8.  The  eighth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  been  burnt  up, 
is  to  keep  in  their  hearts  a  constant  remembrance  of  the  late  dreadful 
conflagration.  God  expects  that  his  children  should  commemorate 
his  judgments  as  well  as  his  mercies.  The  sore  judgment  that  God 
inflicted  upon  Sodom  is  mentioned  thirteen  times  in  the  blessed  Scrip- 
ture, and  all  to  work  us  to  mind  it,  and  to  abhor  those  sins  that  laid 
that  city  desolate,  Isa.  xxvi.  8,  9  ;  Ps.  cxix.  30,  120.  The  Lord  looks 
that  his  people  should  keep  up  fresh  in  their  memories  such  judgments 
that  have  been  long  before  executed:  Jer.  vii.  12,  '  Go  to  my  ]>lacc 
which  was  in  Shiloh,  where  I  set  my  name  at  the  first,  and  see  what 
I  (lid  to  it  for  the  wickedness  of  my  people.'     The  ark  of  old  stood  at 


IsA.   XLII.  24,  2o.]  THE  LATE  FIEKY  DISPENSATION.  251 

Sbiloh,  but  after  it  was  taken  and  carried  away  by  the  Pbilistincs  it 
was  never  brought  back,  and  from  that  time  Sbiloh  lay  ever  after 
desolate,  1  Sam.  iv.  10,  11.  And  tbis  the  Lord  would  have  engraven 
upon  their  memories,  and  upon  their  hearts.  Though  stony  hearts  are 
bad,  yet  iron  memories  are  good :  Luke  xvii.  32,  '  Remember  Lot's 
wife.'  Consider  her  sin  and  her  punishment ;  that  so  fearing  the  one, 
you  may  learn  to  take  heed  of  the  other  :  2  Pet.  ii.  6,  '  And  turning 
the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  into  ashes  condemned  them  with 
an  overthrow,  making  them  an  ensample  unto  those  that  after  should 
live  ungodly.'  There  is  much  in  those  words,  '  that  after  should  live 
ungodly.'  Why  hath  God  turned  those  rich  and  populous  cities  into 
ashes,  and  set  them  up  as  burning  beacons,  but  to  warn  all  the  world 
that  they  live  not  ungodly,  and  to  work  them  to  keep  alive  in  their 
memories  the  desolating  judgments  of  God  ?  The  Rabbins  say  that  the 
Jews  at  this  day,  when  they  are  to  build  a  house,  they  are  to  leave 
one  part  of  it  unfinished  and  lying  rude,  in  remembrance  that  Jeru- 
salem and  the  temple  are  at  present  desolate.  Oh  let  the  remembrance 
of  London's  desolation  by  fire  be  for  ever  kept  up  in  all  your  hearts. 
To  this  purpose  consider, 

[1.]  That  the  burning  of  London  is  a  very  great  judgment,  as  I 
have  formerly  proved.  Now  great  judgments,  like  great  mercies, 
should  be  always  kept  up  fresh  in  our  memories. 

[2.]  The  burning  of  London  is  a  national  judgment,  as  I  have  for- 
merly proved.  Now  national  judgments  should  be  always  fresh  in  our 
memories. 

[3.]  It  is  a  judgment  that  carries  much  of  the  wrath  and  anger  of 
the  Lord  in  it :  Amos  iii.  6,  '  Shall  a  trumpet  be  blown  in  the  city, 
and  the  people  not  be  afraid  ?  Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  tlie 
Lord  hath  not  done  it  ?'  Ver.  8,  '  The  lion  hath  roared,  who  will  not 
fear  ?  The  Lord  God  hath  spoken,  who  can  but  prophesy  ?'  Now 
the  more  anger  and  wrath  we  read  in  any  judgment,  the  more  liighly 
it  concerns  us  to  remember  that  judgment. 

[4.]  A  serious  commemoration  of  God's  judgments  is  a  thing  that 
is  highly  pleasing  to  the  Lord.  God  delights  as  much  in  the  glory  of 
his  justice  as  he  does  in  the  glory  of  his  mercy  or  grace.  Now  wdien 
we  commemorate  his  judgments,  we  glorify  his  justice  that  has  inflicted 
them. 

[5.]  Severe  judgments  contribute  much  to  the  enlightening  of  men's 
understandings,  and  to  the  awakening  of  their  consciences,  and  the 
reforming  of  their  lives,  and  to  work  men  to  judge  them,  and  justify 
the  Lord.  And  therefore  it  highly  concerns  you  to  keep  up  the  remem- 
brance of  London's  desolation  by  fire  always  fresh  and  flourishing  in 
your  souls,  Hosea  v.  14,  15,  and  vi.  1-3  ;  Jer.  xxiv.  1-G,  and  xxii. 
8,  9. 

[6.]  Smart  judgments  are  teaching  things.  All  God's  rods  have  a 
voice.  '  Hear  ye  the  rod,  and  him  that  hath  appointed  it,'  Micah  vi.  9. 
Look,  as  Gideon  taught  the  men  of  Succoth  by  thorns  and  briers,  so 
God,  by  piercing  judgments,  teaches  both  sinners  and  saints  to  take 
heed  of  despising  his  patience  and  long-suffering,  and  to  cease  from 
doing  evil  and  to  learn  to  do  well,  Isa.  i.  16,  17 ;  and  to  fear  and  fly 
from  all  such  sinful  courses  or  practices  that  bring  destructive  judg- 


'is:. 


London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 


incuts  upon  the  most  glorious  cities  in  the  world.  And  upon  this 
account,  how  deeply  dues  it  concern  us  to  have  always  the  late  fiery 
disi)ensation  in  our'tliouglits  and  upon  our  hearts  ! 

I7.J  All  God's  judgments  are  his  messengers;  they  are  all  at  his 
command.  The  centurion  had  not  such  a  sovereign  power  over  his 
servants,  as  the  great  God  hath  over  all  sorts  of  judgments.  If  the 
Lord  do  but  hiss  for  the  fly  of  Egypt  and  the  bee  of  -Assyria,  they 
shall  come  and  do  their  office,  Ezek.  xiv.  13,  15,  17,  19  ;  Mat.  xxi.  8; 
Isa.  vii.  18,  19.  Now  all  God's  messengers,  as  well  as  his  mercies, 
.should  still  be  kept  in  our  eye.     But, 

[8.]  and  lastly.  Consider  a  serious  commemoration  of  the  judgments 
of  God  will  difference  and  distinguish  you  from  all  profane  persons 
and  unsound  professors:  Ps.  x.  5,  '  Thy  judgments  are  far  above  out 
of  his  sight.'  Thy  judgments,  that  is,  the  plagues  and  punishments 
that  thou  la3'est  upon  the  ungodly,  are  high  above  his  sight ;  that  is, 
he  fears  them  not,  he  thinlcs  not  of  them,  he  minds  them  not,  he  does 
not  seriously  consider  of  them,  he  is  not  kindly  or  deeply  affected 
with  them,  he  regards  them  no  more  than  a  tale  that  is  told,  or  than 
foreign  wars  wherein  lie  is  not  concerned.  Others  carry  the  words 
thus :  He  casteth  thy  judgments  out  of  his  sight,  he  will  not  so  much 
as  once  mind  them  ;  they  are  too  high  for  him  to  set  them  before 
him ;  they  are  hidden  before  him  ;  they  are  above  the  reach  of  his 
understanding  and  apprehension.  Both  mercies  and  judgments  have 
much  of  Go(l  in  them.  They  speak,  and  si)eak  aloud ;  but  wicked 
men  can  neither  see,  nor  hear,  nor  understand  the  voice  of  God  either 
in  the  one  or  in  the  other.  I  have  read  of  such  a  pestilential  disease 
once  at  Athens,  as  took  away  the  memories  of  those  who  were  infected 
with  it,  so  that  they  forgot  even  their  own  names.  One  pestilential 
disease  or  another  usually  so  seizeth  upon  wicked  men.  that  they  easily 
and  usually  forget  the  judgments  of  God.  If  God  set  in  with  these 
eight  arguments,  they  will  contribute  more  to  the  enabling  of  you  to 
keep  the  late  fiery  dispensations  of  God  fresh  in  your  memories,  than 
all  the  pillars  of  brass  or  stone  in  the  world.  Yet  I  am  far  from 
questioning  the  lawfulness  of  erecting  a  pillar  of  brass  or  stone  to  com- 
memorate the  late  dreadful  fire,  ^according  to  an  act  of  parliament 
[p.  108]  that  is  now  before  us.     But, 

9,  The  ninth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  liave  been  burnt  up, 
is  io  see  the  vanity,  mufahiliff/,  and  imcertainiy  of  all  icorldly  com- 
forts and  enjoyments,  and  accordingly  io  sit  loose  from  them,  and  to 
get  their  affections  weaned  from  them,  1  Tim.  vi.  17 ;  1  John  ii.  17 ; 
Heb.  xi.  25.  Behold,  in  four  days'  time  a  glorious  city  is  turned  into 
a  ruinous  heap,  and  a  little  world  of  wealth  is  laid  in  ashes,  and  many 
hundreds  of  families  almost  reduced  to  beggary.  And  are  not  these 
loud  sermons  of  the  vanity,  mutability,  and  uncertainty  of  all  earthly 
things?  That  is  good  advice  Solomon  gives:  Prov.  xxiii.  4,  5, 
'  Labour  not  to  be  ricli.  Wilt  thou  set  thine  eyes  upon  that  which  is 
not  ?  for  riches  certainly  make  themselves  wings ;  they  fly  away  as  an 
eagle  towards  heaven.'i     All  certainty  that  is  in  riches  is  that  they 

'  lie  Baitli  not,  they  take  wing,  but  they  make  them;  and  not  the  wings  of  a  hawk, 
to  fly  away  and  to  come  again  to  a  man's  fist,  but  the  wings  of  an  eagle,  to  fly  quite 
awiiv. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  253 

are  uncertain.  Eiclies,  like  bad  servants,  never  stay  long  with  one 
master.  Did  not  the  citizens  of  London  see  their  riches  flying  away 
from  them  upon  the  wings  of  the  fire  and  of  the  wind,  when  their  own 
and  their  neighbours'  habitations  were  all  in  flames?  0  sirs,  what  cer- 
tainty can  there  be  in  those  things  which  balls  of  fire,  storms  at  sea, 
false  oaths,  or  treacherous  friends  may  in  a  few  days,  yea,  in  a  day, 
an  hour,  deprive  us  of  ?  God  can  soon  clap  a  pair  of  wings  upon  all 
a  man  has  in  this  world.  And  therefore  he  acts  safest  and  wisest  who 
sits  most  loose  from  the  things  of  the  world.  '  Riches  are  not  for 
ever ;  and  the  crown  doth  not  endure  to  every  generation,'  Prov. 
xxvii.  4.  This  Adoni-bezek,  Belshazzar,  and  many  other  great  princes 
have  found  by  experience,  as  Scripture  and  histories  do  sufficiently 
testify.  In  all  the  ages  of  the  world  the  testimony  of  Solomon  holds 
good :  Eccles.  i.  2,  '  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher,  vanity  of 
vanities ;  all  is  vanity.'  The  things  of  this  world  are  not  only  vain, 
but  vanity  in  the  abstract.  They  are  excessive  vanity  ;  vanity  of  vani- 
ties ;  yea,  they  are  a  heap  of  vanity;  vanity  of  vanities. i  And  this 
the  burnt  citizens  have  found  by  sad  experience.  The  world  is  all 
shadow  and  vanity :  it  is  like  Jonah's  gourd,  a  man  may  sit  under  its 
shadow  for  a  while,  but  it  soon  withers,  decays,  and  dies.  He  that 
shall  but  weigh  man's  pains  with  his  pay,  his  miseries  with  his  mer- 
cies, his  sorrows  with  his  joys,  his  crosses  with  his  comforts,  his  wants 
with  his  enjoyments,  &c.,  may  well  cry  out.  Oh  the  vanity  and  uncer- 
tainty of  all  these  earthly  things  !  Thus^  the  world  in  all  its  bravery 
is  no  better  than  the  cities  which  Solomon  gave  to  Hiram,  which  he 
called  Cabul,  that  is,  displeasing  or  dirty.  All  the  great,  the  gay,  the 
glorious  things  of  the  world  may  fitly  be  resembled  to  the  fruit  that 
undid  us  all,  which  was  fair  to  the  sight,  smooth  in  handling,  sweet  in 
taste,  but  deadly  in  operation.  A  man  may  be  happy  that  is  not 
wealthy  ;  witness  Lazarus,  and  those  worthies  of  whom  this  world  was 
not  worthy,  Heb.  xi.  But  how  hard  a  thing  is  it  for  a  man  to  be 
happy  that  is  wealthy:  Mat.  xix.  24, '  It  is  easier  for  a  camel,' — or  cable- 
rope,  as  some  render  it — '  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a 
rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.'  There  are  several  exposi- 
tions upon  these  words. 

[1.]  First,  Some  say  that  there  was  a  little  gate  in  Jerusalem  called 
the  Needle's-eye,  which  was  so  low  and  little  that  it  was  impossible  for  a 
camel  to  enter  in  at  it  with  his  burden,  and  therefore  when  camels 
came  that  way  they  took  off  their  loads,  and  the  camels  themselves 
were  forced  to  stoop  before  they  could  pass  through  the  gate.  Some 
think  that  our  Saviour  alludes  to  this.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Others  interpret  it  of  a  cable-rope  or  cord,  and  then 
thus  they  expound  the  words :  A  man  cannot  by  any  means  possible 
put  a  cable  through  a  needle's  eye,  but  if  he  untwist  it,  he  may  by 
thread  and  thread  put  it  through. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Others  say  these  words  are  a  proverbial  speech,  for 
the  Talmud  had  a  proverb,  '  Are  ye  of  Pambeditha,  who  can  cause  an 

^  All  in  heaven  write  vanity  of  vanities  upon  all  sublunaries ;  and  all  in  hell  write  vanity 
of  vanities  upon  all  sublunaries :  and  why  should  not  all  on  earth  write  vanity  of 
vanities  upon  all  sublunaries?  1  Kings  ix.  13  ;  Gen.  iii. 

^  Misprinted  '  though." — G. 


254  London's  lamentations  ox        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

elephant  to  go  tliroiigli  a  needle's  eye?'  Those  of  Panibeditha  were 
great  hiaggers ;  they  would  boast  to  others  that  they  could  do  very 
great  things  and  very  strange  things.  Hence  came  that  proverb 
amongst  them,  It  is  easier  to  cause  an  elephant  to  go  through  a 
needle's  eye,  than  to  do  thus  or  thus.  Now  our  Saviour  useth  the 
word  camel  because  he  was  better  known  to  them.  It  was  usual ,  say 
others,  with  the  Jews  to  say,  when  difficult  matters  were  promised, 
Hast  thou  been  at  Pambeditha,  where  camels  go  through  the  eyes  of 
needles  ?     But, 

[1.]  Fourthly  and  lastly,  The  plain  and  simple  meaning  of  this 
proverbial  speech  is  doubtless  this — viz.,  that  it  is  as  impossible  for 
such  a  rich  man  to  be  saved,  that  trusteth  in  his  riches,  and  that  sets 
a  higher  price  upon  his  riches  than  ui)on  Christ,  and  that  will  rather 
part  with  Christ  than  part  with  his  riches,  and  that  will  rather  go  to 
hell  rich  than  to  heaven  poor — as  it  is  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the 
eye  of  a  needle.  The  proverbial  speech,  say  others,  notes  the  difHculty 
of  rich  men's  being  saved :  Hab.  ii.  6,  '  Woe  to  him  that  ladeth  him- 
self with  thick  clay.'  Thick  clay  will  sooner  break  a  man's  back 
than  satisfy  his  heart.  And  oh  what  a  folly  and  madness  is  it  for  a 
man  to  be  still  a-loading  of  himself  with  the  clay  of  this  world  !  In 
Gen.  xiii.  2,  it  is  said  that  Abraham  was  very  rich  in  cattle,  in  silver, 
and  in  gold;  the  word  is  13D,  gravis  fait ;  he  was  very  heavy,  to 
shew  that  riches,  that  gold  and  silver — which  is  the  great  god  of  the 
world,  the  paradise,  the  all  in  all,  the  great  Diana  that  all  the  world 
magnifies  and  worships — are  but  heavy  burdens,  and  rather  a  hin- 
drance than  a  help  to  heaven  and  happiness.  Though  the  rich  man  in 
the  Gospel  fared  and  lived  like  a  gentleman,  a  gallant,  a  knight,  a 
lord  ;  yet  when  he  died  he  went  to  hell,  Luke  xvi.  Though  mdmmcm, 
as  Aretius  and  many  others  observe,  is  a  Syriac  word,  and  signifies 
riches,  yet  Irenanis  derives  mammon  of  mnm,  that  signifies  a  spot, 
and  hon,  that  signifies  riches;  to  shew  that  riches  have  their  spots:  and 
yet,  oh  how  in  love  are  men  with  these  spots  !  how  laborious,  how  in- 
dustrious are  men  to  add  spots  to  spots,  bags  to  bags,  houses  to  houses, 
and  lands  to  lands,  and  lordships  to  lordships,  as  if  there  were  no  hell 
to  escape,  nor  no  heaven  to  make  sure  !  Isa.  v.  8. 

0  sirs,  the  voice  of  God  in  that  fiery  dispensation  that  has  lately 
passed  upon  us  seems  to  be  this,  0  ye  citizens  of  London,  whose  habi- 
tations and  glory  I  have  laid  in  dust  and  ashes,  sit  loose  from  this 
world,  and  set  your  affections  upon  things  above  I  Live  in  this  world 
as  pilgrims  and  strangers.  Remember  this  is  not  your  resting-[)lace  ; 
never  be  inordinate  in  your  love  to  the  world,  nor  in  your  delight  in 
the  world,  nor  in  your  ])ursuit  of  the  world  any  more.  Col.  iii.  1 ;  Heb. 
xi.  13;  Jer.  i.  G;  Micah  ii.  10.  Never  sjjcnd  so  many  thoughts  upon  the 
world,  nor  never  send  forth  so  many  wishes  after  the  world,  nor  never 
spend  so  much  precious  time  to  gain  the  world,  as  you  have  formerly 
done.  Take  off  your  thoughts,  take  off  your  hearts,  take  ofi'your  hands 
from  all  these  uncertain  things.  Remember  it  will  not  be  long  before  you 
must  all  go  to  your  long  home,  and  a  little  of  the  world  Avill  serve  to 
bear  your  charges  till  you  get  to  heaven.  Remember  I  have  burnt 
up  your  city,  1  have  i)oured  contempt  upon  your  city,  I  have  stained 
the  pride  and  glory  of  your  city  ;  that  so  seeing  you  have  here  no  con- 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  2,55 

tinuing  city,  you  may  seek  one  to  come,  Heb.  xiii.  14.  RememLer  I 
have  destroyed  your  houses,  that  so  you  may  make  sure  a  house  not 
made  with  hands,  but  one  eternal  in  the  heavens,  2  Cor.  v.  1.  I  have 
taken  away  your  uncertain  riches,  that  so  you  may  make  sure  more 
durable  riches,  Prov.  viii.  18.  I  have  spoiled  many  of  your  brave  full 
trades,  that  so  you  might  drive  a  more  brave  full  trade  towards  heaven, 
Phil.  iii.  20.  Oh  that  I  had  no  just  grounds  to  be  jealous  that  many 
who  have  been  great  losers  by  the  fire  are  now  more  mad  upon  the 
world,  and  more  eagerly  carried  after  the  world,  than  ever  they  have 
been  !  as  if  the  great  design  of  God  in  setting  them  on  fire  round  about 
was  only  to  enlarge  their  desires  more  after  the  world,  and  more 
effectually  to  engage  them  to  moil  and  toil  as  in  the  fire,  to  lay  up 
treasure  for  another  fire  to  consume.  Before  I  close  up  this  particu- 
lar, let  me  offer  a  few  things  to  your  consideration : — 

[1.]  First,  Are  there  none  of  the  burnt  citizens  who  seek  the  world 
in  the  first  place,  and  Christ  and  heaven  in  the  last  place  ?  that  are 
first  for  earth,  and  then  for  heaven  ?  first  for  the  world,  and  then  for 
Christ?  Mat.  vi.  33  ;  John  vi,  27;  first  for  the  meat  that  perisheth, 
and  then  for  the  meat  which  endureth  unto  everlasting  life  ?  The  old 
poet's  note  was,  first  for  money  and  then  for  Christ.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Are  there  none  of  the  burnt  citizens  whose  love,  and 
hearts,  and  affections  are  running  more  out  after  the  world  than  they 
are  after  God,  and  Christ,  and  the  great  things  of  eternity  ?  1  Tim.  vi. 
9,  and  Jer.  xvii.  11.  Are  there  none  of  the  burnt  citizens  that  are 
peremptorily  resolved  to  gain  the  world  whatever  it  costs  them  ?  The 
Gnostics  were  a  sort  of  professors  that  made  no  use  of  their  religion 
but  to  their  secular  advantages,  and  therefore  when  the  world  and 
their  religion  stood  in  competition,  tliey  made  no  scruple,  no  bones  of 
renouncing  their  profession  to  enjoy  the  world.  Oh  the  deadness,  the 
barrenness,  the  listlessness,  the  heartlessness  to  anything  that  is  divine 
and  heavenly,  that  does  always  attend  such  Christians  who  are  resolved 
to  be  rich,  or  great,  or  somebody  in  the  world,  whatever  comes  on  it ! 
Oh  the  time,  the  thoughts,  the  strength,  the  spirits  that  these  men 
spend  upon  the  world,  whilst  their  souls  lie  a-bleeding,  and  eternity 
is  posting  on  upon  them  !  Men  tliat  are  highly  and  fully  resolved  to 
be  rich  by  hook  or  by  crook,  will  certainly  forget  God,  undervalue 
Christ,  grieve  the  Spirit,  despise  Sabbaths,  slight  ordinances,  and 
neglect  such  gracious  Oi^portunities  as  might  make  them  happy  for 
ever.  Rich  Felix  had  no  leisure  to  hear  poor  Paul,  though  the  hear- 
ing of  a  sermon  might  have  saved  his  soul.  Acts  xxiv.  24,  scq.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Are  there  none  of  the  burnt  citizens  who  spend  the 
first  of  their  time,  and  the  best  of  their  time,  and  the  most  of  their 
time  about  the  things  of  the  world,  and  who  ordinarily  put  off  Christ 
and  their  souls  with  the  least,  and  last,  and  worst  of  their  time  ?  i 
The  world  shall  freely  have  many  hours,  when  Christ  can  hardly  get 
one.  Are  there  none  who  will  have  their  eating  times,  and  their 
drinking  times,  and  their  sleeping  times,  and  their  buying  times,  and 
their  selling  times,  and  their  feasting  times,  and  their  sporting  times, 
yea,  and  their  sinning  times,  who  yet  can  spare  no  time  to  hear,  or 

^  Pythagoras  saith,  that  time  is  Anima  cali,  the  soul  of  heaven.     And  we  may  say, 
it  is  a  pearl  of  price  that  cost  Christ  his  blood. 


256  London's  lamentations  on        [Lsa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

read,  or  pray,  or  mourn,  or  repent,  or  reform,  or  to  set  up  Cln-ist  in 
their  families,  or  to  wait  upon  him  in  their  closets  ?  Are  there  not 
many  who  will  have  time  for  everything  but  to  honour  the  Lord, 
and  to  secure  their  interest  in  Christ,  and  to  make  themselves  happy 
for  ever  ? 

Look,  as  Pharaoh's  lean  kinc  ate  up  the  fat,  so  many  now  are  fallen 
into  such  a  crowd  of  worldly  business,  as  eats  up  all  that  precious 
time  which  should  be  spent  in  holy  and  heavenly  exercises. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Are  there  none  of  the  burnt  citizens  who  daily  prefer 
the  world  before  Christ ;  yea,  the  worst  of  the  world  before  the  best 
of  Christ  ?  The  Gergesenes  preferred  their  swine  before  a  Saviour  ; 
they  had  rather  lose  Christ  than  lose  their  hogs.  Mat.  viii.  28,  seq. 
They  had  rather  that  the  devil  should  still  possess  their  souls,  than 
that  he  should  drcnvn  their  pigs.  They  preferred  their  swine  before 
their  salvation,  and  presented  a  wretched  petition  for  their  own  dam- 
nation. '  For  they  besought  him ' — who  had  all  love,  and  life,  and 
light,  and  grace,  and  glory,  and  fulness  in  himself.  Col.  i.  19,  and  ii.  3 
— '  that  he  would  depart  out  of  their  coasts.'  Though  there  be  no 
misery,  no  i)lague,  no  curse,  no  wrath,  no  hell  to  Christ's  departure 
from  a  people,  yet  men  that  are  mad  upon  the  world  will  desire  this.i 
Bernard  had  rather  be  in  his  chimney-corner  with  Christ,  than  in 
heaven  without  him,  at  so  high  a  rate  he  valued  Christ.  There  was 
a  good  man  who  once  cried  out,  I  had  rather  have  one  Christ  than  a 
thousand  worlds.  Another  mourned  because  he  could  not  prize  Christ 
enough.  But  how  few  burnt  citizens  are  of  these  men's  minds  !  It 
was  a  sweet  prayer  of  one,  '  Make  thy  Son  dear,  very  dear,  exceeding 
dear,  only  dear  and  precious  to  me,  or  not  at  all.'  But  do  all  burnt 
citizens  lift  up  such  a  prayer  ?  I  suppose  you  have  either  read  or 
heard  of  that  rich  and  wretched  cardinal  who  professed  that  he  would 
not  leave  his  part  in  Paris  for  a  part  in  paradise.2     But, 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  who  follow  the  world  so 
close,  that  they  gain  no  good  by  the  word  ?  like  Ezekiel's  hearers,  and 
like  the  stony  ground,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31-33,  and  ]\Lat.  xiii.  22.  Some 
writers  say  that  nothing  will  grow  where  gold  grows.  Certainly, 
where  an  inordinate  love  of  the  world  grows,  there  nothing  will  grow 
that  is  good.  A  heart  filled  either  with  the  love  of  tlie  world,  or 
with  the  profits  of  the  world,  or  with  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  or 
with  the  honours  of  the  world,  or  with  the  cares  of  the  world,  or  with 
the  business  of  the  world,  is  a  heart  incapacitated  to  receive  any 
divine  counsel  or  comfort  from  the  word.  The  poets  tells  us  of 
Lycaon's  being  turned  into  a  wolf  ;^  but  when  a  worldling  is  wrought 
upon  by  the  word,  there  is  a  wolf  turned  into  a  man  ;  yea,  an  incar- 
nate devil  turned  into  a  glorious  saint.  Therefore  the  Holy  Ghost, 
speaking  of  Zaccheus,  whose  soul  was  set  upon  the  world,  brings  him 
in  with  an  Ecce,  behold,  Luke  xix.  2,  as  if  it  were  a  wonder  of  wonders 
that  evei-  such  a  worldling  should  be  subdued  by  grace,  and  brought 
in  to  Christ.     But, 

^  Hosca  ix.  12.  The  Rcubcnitcs  preferred  the  country  tliat  was  commodious  for  the 
fcediuj;  of  their  cattle,  thoui^h  it  were  far  from  the  temple,  far  from  the  means  of  irrace, 
before  their  interest  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  '  As  before. — O. 

'  PaiLsanias,  viii.  2,  §  1.     Ovid,  Mtt.  i.  237.— O. 


ISA.  XLII.  2i,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  257 

[6.]  Sixtlily,  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  that  are  very  angry  and 
impatient  when  they  meet  with  opposition,  disappointments,  or  pro- 
crastination in  their  earnest  pursuing  after  the  things  of  the  worUi  ? 
Balaam  was  so  intent  and  mad  upon  the  workl,  that  he  desperately 
puts  on  upon  the  drawn  sword  of  the  angel.  Num.  xxii.  21-35.  Are 
there  no  burnt  citizens  who  are  so  intent  and  mad  upon  the  world, 
that  they  will  put  warmly  on  for  the  world,  though  the  Lord  draws, 
and  conscience  draws,  and  the  Scriptures  draw  their  swords  upon 
them  ?     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  who  are  grown  cold, 
very  cold,  yea,  even  stark  cold,  in  their  pursuit  after  God,  and  Christ, 
and  heaven,  and  holiness,  who  once  were  for  taking  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  by  violence,  who  were  so  eagerly  and  earnestly  set  upon  mak- 
ing a  prey  or  a  prize  of  the  great  things  of  that  upper  world,  that 
they  were  highly  and  fully  resolved  to  make  sure  of  them,  whatever 
pains  or  perils  they  run  through  ?  i  Aristotle  observes,  that  dogs  cannot 
hunt  where  the  smell  of  sweet  flowers  is,  because  the  sweet  scent 
diverteth  the  smell.  Ah,  how  has  the  scent  of  the  sweet  flowers  of 
this  world  hindered  many  a  forward  professor  from  hunting  after  God 
and  Christ  and  the  great  things  of  eternity !  The  Arabic  proverb 
saith,  '  That  the  world  is  a  carcase,  and  they  that  hunt  after  it  are 
dogs.'  Ah_,  how  many  are  there  who  once  set  their  faces  towards 
heaven,  who  now  hunt  more  after  earth  than  heaven  ;  who  hunt  rnore 
after  terrestrial  than  celestial  things ;  who  hunt  more  after  nothing- 
nesses and  emptinesses,  than  they  do  after  those  fulnesses  and  sweet- 
nesses that  be  in  God,  in  Christ,  in  the  covenant,  in  heaven,  and  in 
those  paths  that  lead  to  happiness  !  When  one  desired  to  know  what 
kind  of  man  Basil  was,  there  was  presented  to  him  in  a  dream,  saith 
the  history,  a  pillar  of  fire,  with  this  motto,  Talis  est  Basilius,  Basil  is 
such  a  one,  all  on  a-light  fire  for  God.  Before  London  was  in  flames, 
there  were  some  who  for  a  time  were  all  on  a-light  fire  for  God,  who 
now  are  grown  either  cold,  or  lukewarni;  like  the  lukewarm  Laodiceaus, 
Rev.  iii.  14,  19.     But, 

[8.]  Eighthly,  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  whose  hearts  are  filled 
with  solicitous  cares,  and  who  are  inordinately  troubled,  grieved,  de- 
jected, and  overwhelmed  upon  the  account  of  their  late  losses  ?  And 
what  does  this  speak  out  but  an  inordinate  love  of  these  earthly  things  ? 
2  Cor.  vii.  10.  When  Jonah's  gourd  withered,  Jonah  was  much  en- 
raged and  dejected,  Jonah  iv.  6,  seq.  It  is  said  of  Adam  that  he 
turned  his  face  towards  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  from  his  heart 
lamented  his  fall.  Ah,  how  many  are  there  in  this  day  who,  turning 
their  faces  towards  their  late  lost  mercies,  their  lost  shops,  trades, 
houses,  riches,  do  so  bitterly  and  excessively  lament  and  mourn,  that 
with  Rachel,  they  refuse  to  be  comforted,  Jer.  xxxi.  15,  and  with 
Jacob,  they  will  go  down  into  the  grave  mourning !  Gen.  xxxvii.  35.'^ 
Heraclitus  the  philosopher  was  always  weeping ;  but  such  a  frame  of 
spirit  is  no  honour  to  God,  nor  no  ornament  to  religion.     (1.)  There 

'  Mat.  xi.  12.     As  a  castle  or  town  is  taken  by  storm. 

^  One  cries  out,  How  shall  I  live,  now  I  have  lost  my  trade?  another  cries  out,  What 
shall  I  do  -when  I  am  old?  another  cries  out,  What  shall  I  and  my  six  children  do  when 
you  are  dead  ?  anotiier  cries  out,  I  have  liut  a  handful  of  meal  in  the  barrel,  and  a  little 
oil  in  the  cruse,  and  when  that  is  spent  I  must  lie  down  and  die,  1  Kings  xvii.  12,  &c. 
VOL.  VL  ii 


258  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

is  a  holy  sadness,  wliich  arises  from  the  sense  of  our  sins  and  our 
Saviour's  sutlerinf^s:  this  is  commendable.  (2.)  There  is  a  natural 
sadness,  which  sometimes  rises  from  sickness,  weakness,  and  indisposi- 
tion of  body :  this  is  to  be  pitied  and  cured.  (3.)  Thwe  is  a  sinful 
sadness,  which  usually  is  very  furious,  and  hath  no  ears,  and  is  rather 
cured  by  miracle  than  precept.  This  usually  flows  from  the  loss  of 
such  near  and  dear  comforts  upon  which  men  have  inordinately  set 
their  hearts,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  which  they  have  promised  them- 
selves no  small  felicity.  Oh  that  such  sad  souls  would  seriously  re- 
member that  tliere  is  nothing  beyond  remedy,  but  the  tears  of  the 
damned  !  A  man  who  may,  notwithstanding  all  his  losses  and  crosses, 
be  found  walking  in  the  way  to  paradise,  should  never  place  himself 
in  the  condition  of  a  little  hell.  And  he  that  may  or  can  hope  for 
that  great-all,  ought  not  to  be  excessively  sad  for  any  losses  or  crosses 
that  he  meets  with  in  this  world.     But, 

[9.]  Ninthly,  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  w^ho,  to  gain  the  world, 
do  very  easily  and  frequently  fall  down  before  the  temptations  of  the 
world  ?  And  what  does  this  speak  out,  but  their  inordinate  love  to 
the  world  ?  That  man  who  is  as  soon  conquered  as  tempted,  vanquished 
as  assaulted  by  the  world,  that  man  is  doubtless  in  love  with  the  world, 
yea,  bewitched  by  the  world,  Num.  xxii.  15-23;  Josh.  vii.  20-22; 
Jude  11.  The  cham})ions  could  not  wring  an  apple  out  of  Milo's  hand 
by  strong  hand,  but  a  fair  maid  by  fair  means  got  it  presently.  The 
easy  conquests  that  the  temptations  of  the  world  make  upon  many 
men,  is  a  fair  and  a  full  evidence  that  their  hearts  are  greatly  endeared 
to  it.  Luther  was  a  man  weaned  from  the  world  ;  and  therefore  when 
honours,  preferments,  and  riches  were  offered  to  him,  he  despised  them. 
So  when  Basil  was  tempted  with  money  and  preferment,  he  answered, 
'  The  fashion  of  this  w^orld  passeth  away,  as  the  waters  of  a  river  that 
runs  by  a  city,  or  as  a  fair  picture  drawn  upon  the  ice,  that  melts  away 
with  it'  Pecuniam  da  quce  pa-maneat,  &c.,  Give  money,  said  he, 
that  may  last  for  ever,  and  glory  that  may  eternally  flourish. i  I  have 
read  of  a  mortified  Christian,  who  being  tempted  with  offers  of  money 
to  desert  his  religion,  gave  this  excellent  answer,  '  Let  not  any  think 
that  he  will  embrace  other  men's  goods  to  forsake  Christ,  who  hath 
forsaken  his  own  proper  goods  to  follow  Christ'  It  was  an  excellent 
answer  of  one  of  the  martyrs,  when  he  was  oftcred  riches  and  honours 
if  he  would  recant,  '  Do  but  offer  me  somewhat  that  is  better  than  my 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  you  shall  see  what  I  will  say  to  you.'  Thus 
you  see  that  men  that  are  crucified  to  this  world  do  not  only  resist, 
but  also  triumph  over  all  the  glittering  temptations  of  a  tempting  and 
enticing  world.  And  oh  that  such  a  spirit  might  rest  ujion  all  those 
whose  habitations  are  laid  desolate  !     But, 

[10.]  Tenthly  and  lastly.  Are  there  no  burnt  citizens  who  go  to  the 
utmost  of  their  line  and  liberty  for  the  gaining  of  the  things  of  this 
world  ?  Ah,  how  near  the  pit's  brink,  how  near  the  borders  of  sin, 
how  near  the  flames  of  vengeance,  how  near  the  infernal  fire,  do  many 
venture  to  gain  the  things  of  this  world  !  And  what  does  this  speak 
out,  but  an  inordinate  love  of  this  world?     0  sirs,  what  do  all  these 

'  Basil  in  XI>.  Martyrs.     In  Queen  Mary's  time,  when  some  offered  a  certain  martyr 
money,  he  refused  it,  saying,  I  am  go'ng  to  a  country  where  money  will  bear  no  price. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  259 

things  evidence,  but  this,  that  though  God  has  fired  many  men  out  of 
their  houses,  yet  the  inordinate  love  of  tliis  workl  is  not  fired  out  of 
their  hearts  ! 

0  sirs,  to  moderate  your  affections  to  the  things  of  this  workl,  and 
to  put  a  stop  to  your  too  eager  pursuit  after  eartlily  things,  seriously 
and  frequently  dwell  upon  these  ten  maxims:  — 

[1.]  First,  That  the  shortest,  surest,  and  safest  loay  to  he  rich,  is  to 
he  content  ivitli  your  present  portion,  Eccles.  v.  12.  The  philosopher 
could  say,  '  He  that  is  content  wants  nothing ;  and  he  that  wants  con- 
tent enjoys  nothing.' 

'  One  miglit  have  riches,  yet  be  very  poor  ; 
One  migLt  have  little,  yet  have  all  and  more.' 

[2.]  Secondly,  He  ivho  is  \iiot\  contented  ivith  a  little,  will  never  he 
satisfied  with  much.  He  who  is  not  content  witli  pounds,  will  never 
be  satisfied  with  hundreds ;  and  he  who  is  not  content  with  a  few 
hundreds,  will  never  be  satisfied  with  many  thousands  :i  Eccles.  v.  10, 
'  He  that  loveth  silver,  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver  ;  nor  he  that 
loveth  abundance,  with  increase.'  Money  of  itself  cannot  satisfy  any 
desire  of  nature.  If  a  man  be  hungry,  it  cannot  feed  him  ;  if  naked, 
it  cannot  clothe  him  ;  if  cold,  it  cannot  warm  him  ;  if  sick,  it  cannot 
recover  him.  A  circle  cannot  fill  a  triangle ;  no  more  can  the  whole 
world  fill  the  heart  of  man.  A  man  may  as  soon  fill  a  chest  with 
grace,  as  a  heart  with  wealth.  The  soul  of  man  may  be  busied  about 
earthly  things,  but  it  can  never  be  filled  nor  satisfied  with  earthly 
things.  Air  shall  as  soon  fill  the  body,  as  money  shall  satisfy  the 
mind.  There  is  many  a  worldling  who  hath  enough  of  the  world  to 
sink  him,  who  w^ill  never  have  enough  of  the  world  to  satisfy  him. 
The  more  a  hydropical  man  drinketh,  the  more  he  thirsteth.  So 
the  more  money  is  increased,  the  more  the  love  of  money  is  increased  ; 
and  the  more  the  love  of  money  is  increased,  the  more  the  soul  is 
unsatisfied.  It  is  only  ah  infinite  God,  and  an  infinite  good,  that  can 
fill  and  satisfy  the  precious  and  immortal  soul  of  man.  Gen.  xv.  1. 
Look,  as  nothing  fits  the  ear  but  sounds,  and  as  nothing  fits  the 
smell  but  odours,  so  nothing  fits  the  soul  but  God.  Nothing  below 
the  great  God  can  fit  and  fill  an  immortal  soul.  Nothing  can  con- 
tent the  soul  of  man  but  the  fruition  of  God.  Nature  hath  taught 
all  men  to  seek  after  a  summum  honum.  God  never  rested  till  he 
made  man ;  and  man  can  never  rest  till  he  enjoys  his  God.  Every 
man  has  a  soul  within  him  of  a  vast  capacity,  and  nothing  can  fill  it 
to  the  brim  but  he  that  is  fulness  itself  Should  we  knock  at  every 
creature's  door  for  happiness,  they  would  all  answer  us  round,  that  it 
is  not  in  them.  The  man  in  Plutarch  that  heard  the  philosophers 
wrangle  about  summum  honum,  one  placing  of  it  in  this,  and  another 
in  that,  went  to  the  market  and  bought  up  all  that  was  good,  hoping 
among  all  he  should  not  miss  of  happiness ;  and  yet  he  missed  of  it. 
The  soul  of  man  is  of  so  glorious  a  make,  that  nothing  below  him  that 
made  it  can  satisfy  it.  The  sum  of  all  that  the  creatures  amount  to, 
according  to  Solomon  s  reckoning,  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 
Vanity  and  vexation  is  the  very  quintessence  of  the  creature,  and  all 

^  Much  treasure  stoppeth  not  a  miser's  mouth,  saith  the  proverb. 


2G0  London's  lamentatioxs  on        [Lsa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

that  can  possibly  be  extracted  out  of  it.  Now  if  vanity  can  satisfy, 
or  if  vexation  can  give  content;  if  you  can  gather  grapes  of  thorns, 
or  figs  of  thistles,  then  go  on  and  dote  upon  the  world  still,  and  be 
always  onanioured  with  a  shadow  of  perishing  beauty.  Oramuzes  l 
the  enchanter  boasted  that  in  his  eg;g  all  the  ha])})iness  in  the  world 
was  included ;  but  being  broken,  there  was  nothing  in  it  but  wind 
and  enij)tiness.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  It  is  injinitehj  better  to  have  much  of  God,  of  Christ, 
of  the  Spirit  of  holiness  and  of  heaven  in  our  hearts,  with  a  little  of 
the  world  in  our  hands,  than  to  have  much  of  the  ivorld  in  our  hands, 
and.  but  a  little  of  God  and  Christ  in  our  hearts,  2  Cor.  vi.  10.  It  is 
infinitely  better  to  be  rich  towards  God,  and  poor  towards  the  world, 
than  to  be  poor  towards  God,  and  to  be  rich  towards  the  world. 
There  are  some  vei-y  rich,  who  yet  are  A'ery  poor  ;  there  are  others 
who  are  very  poor,  and  yet  are  very  rich,  Eccles.  v.  12;  Prov.  xi.  24. 
It  is  infinitely  better  to  be  poor  men  and  rich  Christians,  than  to  be 
rich  men  and  poor  Christians.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  The  best  and  surest  tvay  under  heaven  to  gain  much 
of  the  loorld,  is  to  mind  the  world  less,  and  God,  and  Christ,  and  grace, 
and  heaven  more :  1  Kings  iii.  9,  '  Give  therefore  thy  servant  an 
understanding  heart  to  judge  thy  people,  that  I  may  discern  between 
good  and  bad  :  for  who  is  able  to  judge  this  thy  so  great  a  people  ?' 
Ver.  10,  '  And  the  speech  pleased  the  Lord  that  Solomon  had  asked 
this  thing.'  Ver.  11,  '  And  God  said  unto  him.  Because  thou  hast 
asked  this  thing,  and  hast  not  asked  for  thyself  long  life ;  neither  hast 
asked  riches  for  thyself,  nor  hast  asked  the  life  of  thine  enemies  ;  but 
hast  asked  for  thyself  understanding  to  discern  judgment;'  ver.  12, 
'  behold,  I  have  done  according  to  thy  words:  lo,  1  have  given  thee  a 
wise  and  an  understanding  heart ;  so  that  there  was  none  like  thee 
before  thee,  neither  after  thee  shall  any  arise  like  unto  thee.'  Ver.  13, 
'And  I  have  also  given  thee  that  which  thou  hast  not  asked,  both 
riches  and  honours :  so  that  there  shall  not  be  any  among  the  kings 
like  unto  thee  all  thy  days.'  This  is  more  generally  and  fully  ex- 
pressed in  2  Chron.  i.  12,  '  Wisdom  and  knowledge  is  granted  unto 
thee:  and  I  will  give  thee  riches  and  wealth  and  honour,  such  as 
none  of  the  kings  have  had  before  thee,  neither  shall  there  any  after 
thee  have  the  like.'  Solomon  desired  wisdom  of  the  Lord,  and  the 
Lord  granted  him  his  desire,  and  cast  in  riches,  and  wealth,  and 
honour  as  an  overplus,  Avhich  he  did  not  so  much  as  once  desire.  God 
won't  be  wanting  to  them  in  temporals,  who  in  their  desires  and 
prayers  are  most  carried  out  after  spirituals :2  Mat.  vi.  33,  'First 
seek  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  righteousness  ;  and  all  these  things 
shall  be  added  to  you,'  or  over-added.  He  who  before  all,  and  above 
all  other  things,  seeks  grace  and  glory,  shall  have  the  things  of  this 
world  cast  in  as  an  overplus,  as  a  handful  to  the  sack  of  grain,  or  as 
[an]  inch  of  measure  to  an  ell  of  cloth,  or  as  paper  and  packthread  is 
given  into  the  bargain :  1  Tim.  iv.  8,  '  Godliness  is  profitable  unto  all 
things,  having  the  promise  of  the  life  that  now  is,  and  of  that  which 

'  Sic— Query,  '  Ormuzd  of  the  system  of  Zoroaster'  ?— G. 

'  The  shorter  cut  to  riches  is  by  their  contempt:  it  is  great  riches  not  to  desire 
riches,  and  he  hath  most  that  covets  least,  saith  Socrates  and  Seneca. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  261 

is  to  come.'  There  is  earth  as  well  as  heaven ;  bread  as  well  as 
grace ;  and  raiment  as  well  as  righteousness ;  and  the  lower  springs 
as  well  as  the  upper  springs  to  be  found  in  the  precious  promises, 
2  Pet.  i.  4.  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  Joseph,  and 
Job,  and  Nehemiah,  and  Mordecai,  and  David,  and  Hezekiah,  and 
Josiah,  and  Jehoshaphat,  and  Daniel,  and  the  three  children,  or  rather 
champions,  made  it  their  business  to  be  holy,  to  walk  with  God,  to 
maintain  communion  with  God,  and  to  exalt  and  glorify  God :  and 
you  know  how  the  Lord  heaped  up  the  good  things  and  the  great 
things  of  this  world  upon  them.  I  verily  believe  if  men  were  more 
holy,  they  would  be  more  outwardly  happy ;  if  they  did  but  more 
seriously  and  earnestly  press  after  the  great  things  of  that  upper 
world,  the  Lord  would  more  abundantly  cast  in  the  things  of  this 
lower  world  upon  them.  But  when  men  are  immoderately  carried 
out  in  seeking  after  the  great  things  of  this  world,  it  is  just  with 
God  to  blast  their  endeavours,  and  to  curse  their  mercies  to  them, 
Jer.  xlv.  5 ;  Mai.  ii.  2.     But, 

[5.]  Fiftlily,  It  is  better  to  get  a  little  of  the  toorld,  than  to  get 
much  of  the  luorld ;  it  is  better  to  get  a  little  of  the  luorld  justly  and 
honestly,  than  to  get  much  of  the  ivorld  unjustly  and  dishonestly.  A 
little  of  the  world  blessed,  is  better  than  much  of  the  world  cursed. 
Solomon's  dinner  of  green  herbs,  Daniel's  pulse,  barley  loaves,  and  a 
few  fishes,  and  John's  rough  garment  blessed,  are  better  and  greater 
mercies  than  Dives  his  riches,  purple  robes,  and  dainty  fare  cursed, 
Gen.  xxii.  ;  Prov.  iii.  33,  and  xv.  17 ;  Dan.  i.     But, 

[6.]  Sixthly,  The  greatest  outward  gain  cannot  countervail  the  least 
spiritual  loss,  Ps.  xxx.  6,  7  ;  be  it  but  a  drachm  of  grace,  or  a  cast 
of  God's  countenance,  or  an  hour's  communion  with  him,  &c.  Sup- 
pose a  man  could  heap  up  silver  as  the  dust,  and  gold  as  the  streams 
of  the  brook,  that  he  could  gain  as  much  as  the  devil  promised 
Christ — viz.,  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them ; 
yet  all  these  could  not  make  up  the  least  spiritual  loss.  Job  xxii.  24, 
and  xxvii.  16  ;  Mat.  iv.  1-11.  He  that  shall  exchange  the  least 
spiritual  favour  for  the  greatest  outward  good,  shall  but,  with  Glaucus 
and  Diomedes,  exchange  gold  for  copper  ;  he  shall,  with  the  cock  in 
the  fable,  part  with  a  pearl  for  a  barley-corn.  Chrysostom  corapareth 
such  to  workers  in  mines,  who,  for  a  little  wages,  do  always  hazard, 
and  sometimes  lose  their  lives.  Menot,  a  French  preacher,  compareth 
them  to  a  huntsman,  that  spoileth  a  horse  worth  many  pounds,  in 
pursuit  of  a  hare  not  worth  so  many  pence.  Parens  compares  them 
to  a  man  that  with  much  ado  winneth  Venice,  and  as  soon  as  it  is 
won,  is  hanged  up  at  the  gates  of  the  city.  When  such  a  one  shall 
at  last  compute  what  he  hath  gained  and  what  he  hath  lost,  he 
will  certainly  conclude  that  he  hath  but  a  miserable  bargain  of  it. 
But, 

[7.]  The  seventh  maxim  is  this — viz.,  A  little  that  a  righteous  man 
hath  is  better  than  the  riches  of  many  tuicked,  Ps.  xxxvii.  16.  The 
righteous  man's  mite  is  better  than  the  wicked  man's  millions.  '  A  little,' 
that  is,  a  competent  and  mean  portion,  though  yet  but  very  little  ;  one 
little  piece  of  gold  is  more  worth  than  a  bag  of  counters  ;  one  little  box 
of  pearls  is  more  worth  than  many  loads  of  pebbles.      And  so  a  little 


262  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

that  a  riglitcons  mnn  Imth  is  better  than  the  abundance  of  the  wicked — 
is  better  than  the  riclies  of  many  wicked.  Hamon,  which  is  the  word 
here  used,  is  from  Hannah.,  which  signifies  multitude  of  riches,  or 
great  plenty,  or  store  of  riches ;  from  tiiis  Hebrew  word  Hamon, 
riches  are  called  mammon,  Luke  xvi.  9,  11,  13.  The  little  that  the 
righteous  man  hath  is  better  than  the  multitude  or  store  of  riches  that 
the  wicked  have.  Out  of  these  words  you  may  observe  these  following 
particulars  :  — 

(1.)  Here  is  the  righteous  man's  portion,  and  the  wicked  man's 
portion,  as  to  this  world  ;  the  righteous  man  hath  but  little,  the  wicked 
has  much. 

(2.)  The  righteous  man  hath  but  little,  but  the  wicked  has  riches. 

(3.)  The  righteous  man's  little  is  a  better  portion  than  the  riches 
of  the  wicked. 

(4.)  The  righteous  man's  little  is  better  than  the  multitude  of  riches 
that  the  wicked  have. 

(5.)  The  righteous  man's  little  is  better  than  the  multitude  of 
riches  that  many  wicked  men  enjoy.  Now,  for  their  sakes  who 
have  been  burnt  up,  and  have  but  little  of  the  world  left  them,  I 
shall  make  gOod  this  blessed  truth  by  an  induction  of  these  eleven 
particulars  : — 

[1.]  First,  The  righteous  man  haili  a  better  tenure  to  his  little  than 
wicked  men  have  to  their  multitude  of  riches.  The  righteous  man 
holds  his  tenure  by  virtue  of  his  marriage-union  with  Christ,  who 
is  the  heir  of  all  things,  Heb.  i.  2.  We  had  an  equal  right  in  the 
first  Adam  to  all  the  good  things  of  this  world  ;  but,  in  his  fall, 
we  lost  our  original  right  to  the  good  things  of  this  world.  But  now 
the  righteous  man,  by  the  second  Adam,  has  recovered  his  right  to  all 
he  enjoys  :  Rom.  viii.  32,  '  How  shall  he  not  with  him  also  freely 
give  us  all  things?'  1  Cor.  iii.  21,  'All  things  are  yours:'  ver.  22„ 
'  Whether  Paul,  or  ApoUos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  "world,  or  life,  or  death, 
or  things  present,  or  things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours.'  But  how  come 
they  to  be  interested  in  this  large  charter  ?  the  apostle  answers  it  in 
ver.  23,  'Ye  are  Christ's  ;  and  Christ  is  God's.'  All  comes  to  us 
by  Jesus  Christ.  All  the  corn  in  Egypt  came  through  Joseph's  hands, 
Gen.  xli.  So  all  we  have,  be  it  little  or  much,  we  have  it  through 
Christ's  hands,  upon  the  account  of  our  marriage-union  with  Christ. 
We  may  say,  as  Hamor  and  Shechem  said  to  their  people,  '  Shall  not 
all  their  cattle,  and  substance,  and  every  beast  of  the  field,  be  ours?' 
Gen.  xxxiv.  23.  So  being  married  to  Christ,  and  become  one  with 
him,  all  comes  to  be  ours,  through  him  who  is  the  heir  of  all.  By 
virtue  of  our  marriage-union  with  Christ,  our  title  to  the  creatures  is 
not  only  restored,  but  strengthened.  That  little  we  have  is  entailed 
upon  us  by  Christ,  in  a  more  firm  and  better  way  than  ever.  In  the 
first  Adam  our  tenure  was  lower,  and  meaner,  and  baser,  and  uncer- 
taincr  than  now  it  is  ;  for  our  title,  our  tenure  by  Christ,  is  more 
honourable,  and  stronger,  and  sweeter,  and  lastinger  than  ever  it  was 
before.  For  now  we  hold  all  we  have  in  capite  ;  Christ  is  our  head 
and  husband,  and  by  him  we  hold  all  we  have.  But  now  wicked  men, 
by  the  fall  of  Adam,  have  lost  their  original  patent  and  charter  which 
once  they  had  to  shew  for  the  things  of  this  life.     By  Adam's  fall  they 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]-  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  263 

have  forfeited  God's  primitive  donation  of  all  right  in  the  creatures. 
Every  wicked  man  in  the  world  has  forfeited  his  right  to  the  creatures 
in  Adam,  and  lies  under  that  forfeiture.  But  to  the  glory  of  divine 
patience  be  it  spoken,  God  has  not  sued  out  his  forfeiture,  God  has  not 
brought  a  writ  of  ejection  against  him  ;  and  by  this  means  he  comes 
to  be  lawfully  possessed  of  those  earthly  blessings  he  does  enjoy  ;  as  a 
felon,  though  he  hath  forfeited  his  life  and  estate  to  the  king's  justice, 
and  is  still  subject  to  ejection  at  the  king's  pleasure,  yet  while  the 
king  forbears  him,  his  possession  is  good  and  lawful,  and  no  man  may 
disturb  him.  Wicked  men  are  lawful  owners  and  possessors  of  the 
good  things  God  hath  given  them :  Num.  xxii.  30,  '  Am  not  I  thine 
ass?'  whence  you  may  observe  : — 

(1.)  That  the  silliest  and  simplest  being  wronged,  may  justly  speak 
in  their  own  defence. 

(2.)  That  they  who  have  done  many  good  offices  and  fail  in  one, 
are  often  not  only  unrewarded  for  former  services,  but  punished  for 
that  one  offence. 

(3.)  That  when  the  creatures  formerly  officious  to  serve  us  start 
from  their  former  obedience,  man  ought  to  reflect  upon  his  own  sin  as 
the  sole  cause  thereof. 

(4.)  That  the  worst  men  have  good  title  to  their  own  goods.i  For 
though  Balaam  was  a  sorcerer,  yet  the  ass  confesseth  twice  that  he 
was  his  ass.  Luke  xii.  33,  'sell'  and  'give'  are  words  of  propriety. 
And  God  hath  set  the  eighth  commandment  as  a  hedge,  as  a  fence  to 
every  man's  possession :  Dan.  iv.  17,  '  This  matter  is  by  the  decree  of 
the  watchers,  and  the  demand  by  the  word  of  the  holy  ones,  to  the 
intent  that  the  living  may  know  that  the  Most  High  ruleth  in  the 
kingdoms  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whomsoever  he  will,  and  setteth  up 
over  it  the  basest  of  men.'  He  that  gave  Canaan  to  Jacob,  gave  mount 
Seir  to  Esau.  And  did  not  Jacob  buy  a  burying-place  of  the  sons  of 
Heth  ?  and  did  he  not  buy  corn  of  the  Egyptians  ?  Gen.  xxiii.  3-5,  9, 
and  xlii.  3,  5.  By  all  which  they  did  acknowledge  that  those  wicked 
men  and  idolaters  had  a  lawful  title  to  those  temporal  blessings  that 
they  did  enjoy.  Now  mark,  God,  as  he  is  the  God  of  nature  by  com- 
mon providence,  allots  to  wicked  men  their  lawful  i)ossessions,  and 
this  is  the  best  tenure  they  hold  b}^  Oh,  but  now  that  little  that  a 
child  of  God  has,  he  holds  it  by  a  more  glorious  tenure  and  honourable 
title,  and  therefore  his  mite  is  better  than  a  wicked  man's  millions. 
But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  That  little  a  righteous  man  hath,  he  hath  through  the 
covenant  and  through  precious  promises,  2  Peter  i.  4.  Now  a  little 
mercy  reached  out  to  a  man  through  the  covenant,  and  as  a  fruit  of 
the  promise,  is  more  worth  than  a  world  of  blessings  that  flow  in  upon 
a  man  merely  by  a  general  providence.  There  are  no  mercies  so  sweet, 
so  sure,  so  firm,  so  lasting,  as  those  that  flow  in  upon  us  through  the 
covenant  of  grace.  Oh,  this  sweetens  every  drop,  and  sip,  and  crust, 
and  crumb  of  mercy  that  a  godly  man  enjoys :  '  All  the  paths  of  the 
Lord  are  mercy  and  truth  to  such  as  keep  his  covenant,'  Ps.  xxv.  10. 
This  is  a  sweet  promise,  a  precious  promise,  a  soul-satisfying  promise, 
a  promise  more  worth  than  all  the  riches  of  the  Indies.     Mark,  all 

^  Consult  these  scriptures  :  Deut.  xxxii.  8;  Acts  xvii.  26;  Luke  Hi.  14. 


264  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

the  paths  of  the  Lord  to  his  people  are  not  only  mercy,  but  they  are 
mercy  and  truth ;  that  is,  they  are  sure  mercies  that  stream  in  upon 
them  throui^^li  the  covenant.^  Well,  sirs,  you  must  remember  this, 
viz.,  that  the  least  mercy,  the  least  blessiug  tlowing  in  upon  us  through 
the  promise,  is  more  worth  than  a  thousand  blessings  that  flow  in  upon 
us  from  a  general  providence.  The  least  blessing  flowing  in  upon  us 
through  the  covenant,  is  better  than  ten  thousand  talents  that  are  the 
mere  products  of  a  general  providence.     For, 

First,  (Such  as  enjoy  all  they  have  only  from  a  general  providence, 
tliey  enjoy  their  mercies  from  that  common  source  or  spring  that  feeds 
the  birds  of  the  air  and  the  beasts  of  the  field,  Ps.  cxlv.  15,  16.  The 
same  common  bounty  of  God  that  feeds  and  clothes  the  wicked,  feeds 
the  birds  and  beasts  that  perish.     But, 

Secondly,  There  is  no  certainty  of  the  continuance  of  such  mercies 
that  are  only  the  product  of  a  common  providence,  Isa.  xxxiii.  16  ;  but 
now  the  mercies  that  flow  in  upon  the  saints  through  the  covenant  of 
grace,  they  shall  be  sure  to  us  so  long  as  the  continuance  of  them  may 
be  for  our  good  and  God's  glory,  chap.  Iv.  3.  Now  the  least  mercies 
held  by  covenant  are  infinitely  better  than  the  greatest  riches  in 
the  world,  that  only  drop  upon  us  out  of  the  hand  of  a  common 
providence. 

Thirdly,  The  righteous  man  hath  his  little  from  the  special  love  and 
favour  of  God.  All  his  little  flows  in  upon  him  from  that  very  same 
love  which  moved  the  Lord  to  bestow  Christ  upon  him,  Ps.  cxlvi.  8, 
and  Prov.  xv.  17.  All  the  righteous  man's  little  is  from  the  good-will 
of  him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush,  Deut.  xxxiii.  16.  His  little  comes  from 
a  reconciled  God  as  well  as  a  bountiful  God ;  from  a  tender  Father  as 
well  as  a  merciful  Creator.  A  dinner  of  green  herbs,  Daniel's  pulse, 
barley  loaves,  a  few  fishes,  yea,  Lazarus  his  scraps,  crusts,  and  rags, 
and  John's  garment  of  camel's  hair,  from  reconciled  love,  is  infinitely 
better  than  all  the  riches  and  dainties  of  the  Avicked,  which  are  all 
mixed  and  mingled  with  crosses  and  curses.  All  the  mercies  and 
abundance  that  wicked  men  have,  is  in  wrath  and  from  wrath  ;  there 
is  wrath  in  every  cup  they  drink  in,  and  in  every  dish  they  eat  in,  and 
in  eveiy  bed  they  lie  on,  and  in  every  stool  they  sit  on,  Prov.  iii.  33 ; 
Mai.  ii.  2 ;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  30,  31.  But  the  little  the  righteous  man  hath 
flows  from  the  sweetest  springs  of  divine  love;  so  that  they  may  well  say 
as  Gideon  did, '  The  gleanings  of  the  grapes  of  Ephraim,  is  it  not  better 
than  the  vintage  of  Ahi-ezer?'  Judges  viii.  2.  Tiie  very  gletmings  of 
the  righteous  are  better  than  the  greatest  vintages  of  the  wicked.  The 
abundance  of  the  wicked  still  flows  in  upon  them  from  the  bitter 
streams  of  divine  wrath.  A  little  water  flowing  from  a  sweet  spring 
is  much  better  than  a  great  deal  that  flows  from  the  salt  sea.  The 
loving-kindness  of  God  does  raise  the  least  estate  above  the  greatest 
estate  in  the  world  ;  yea,  it  raiseth  it  above  life  itself — or  lives,  chajim 
— which  is  the  bcvst  of  all  temporal  blessings,  Ps.  Ixiii.  3.  Ten  pounds 
given  by  a  king  out  of  favour  and  respect,  is  a  better  gift  than  a  thou- 
sand given  in  wrath  and  displeasure.     But, 

Fourthly,  The  little  that  the  righteous  man  hath  is  blessed  and 
sanctified  to  him,  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the 

'  Consult  these  scriptures  :  Joshua  xxiii.  14,  15,  and  1  Tim.  iv.  8. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  265 

margin  together,  i  A  little  blessed  unto  a  man  is  better  than  all  the 
world  cursed.  JSTow  all  the  blessings  and  mercies  that  the  wicked  do 
enjoy,  though  they  are  materially  blessings,  yet  they  are  formally 
curses ;  as  all  the  crosses  that  befalls  a  righteous  man,  though  they 
are  materially  crosses,  yet  they  are  formally  blessings.  The  habita- 
tions, relations,  honours,  riches,  &c.,  of  the  wicked  are  all  cursed  unto 
them.  There  is  poison  in  every  cup  the  wicked  man  drinks,  and 
snares  in  every  dish  he  puts  his  fingers  in,  the  plague  in  all  the 
clothes  he  wears,  and  a  curse  upon  the  house  in  which  he  dwells : 
Zech.  V.  3,  4,  '  Then  he  said  unto  me.  This  is  the  curse  that  goetli 
forth  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth :  for  every  one  that  stealeth 
shall  be  cut  off  as  on  this  side,  according  to  it ;  and  ever}^  one  that 
sweareth  shall  be  cut  off  as  on  that  side,  according  to  it.  I  will  bring 
it  forth,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  it  shall  enter  into  the  house  of 
the  thief,  and  into  the  house  of  him  that  sweareth  falsely  by  my  name : 
and  it  shall  remain  in  the  midst  of  his  house,  and  shall  consume  it, 
with  the  timber  thereof,  and  the  stones  thereof  So  Job  xxiv.  18, 
'  Their  portion  is  cursed  in  the  earth.'  A  fat  purse  and  a  fat  heart,  a 
whole  estate  and  a  whole  heart,  a  fat  body  and  a  lean  soul :  Ps  cvi. 
15,  '  He  sent  leanness  into  their  souls.'  All  the  blessings  of  the 
wicked  have  their  hut,  as  the  cup  in  Benjamin's  sack,  which  proved  a 
snare  to  him  rather  than  a  mercy.  Oh  the  curses  and  vexations  that 
attend  all  the  blessings  of  the  wicked !  It  may  be  said  of  '  the  little 
that  a  righteous  man  hath,'  Prov.  iii.  33,  as  it  was  once  said  of  Jacob's 
garment,  '  It  is  like  a  field  which  the  Lord  hath  blessed.  He  blesseth 
the  habitations  of  the  just.'  Esau  had  a  fair  estate  left  him,  and 
Jacob  a  less ;  yet  Jacob's  was  a  better  estate  than  Esau's,  because  his 
little  was  blessed  to  him,  when  Esau's  much  was  cursed  to  him.  One 
little  draught  of  clear  water  is  better  than  a  sea  of  brackish  salt  water. 
The  application  is  easy.     But, 

Fifthly,  A  little  improved  and  well  husbanded,  is  better  than  a 
great  deal  that  is  either  not  improved  or  but  ill  improved.  Every 
estate  is  as  it  is  improved.  A  little  fjirm  well  improved,  is  much 
better  than  a  great  farm  that  is  either  not  improved  or  ill  improved. 
A  little  money,  a  little  stock  in  a  shop  well  improved,  is  better  than  a 
great  deal  of  money,  a  great  stock,  that  is  either  not  improved  or  ill 
improved.  Now  here  give  me  leave  to  shew  you  briefly  how  a  godly 
man  improves  his  little.     Take  me  thus — 

First,  A  godly  man  improves  his  little  to  the  stirring  up  of  his 
heart  to  thankfulness,  and  to  be  much  in  admiring  and  blessing  of 
God  for  a  little.  Every  drop  the  dove  drinks  he  lifts  up  his  head  to 
heaven.  Every  bird  in  his  kind,  saith  Ambrose,  doth  chirp  forth 
thankfulness  to  his  Maker.  So  the  righteous  man  will  bless  God 
much  for  a  little ;  yea,  he  will  bless  God  very  much  for  a  very  little, 
Ps.  ciii.  1-3,  and  cxvi.  12,  13.     But, 

Secondly,  A  righteous  man  improves  his  little  to  the  humbling  and 
abasing  of  himself  before  the  Lord,  as  one  that  is  much  below  the 
least  of  mercies :  Gen.  xxxii.  10,  '  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all 
the  mercies  which  thou  hast  shewed  unto  thy  servant,'  2  Sam.  vii.  18. 

'  Deut.  xxviii.  8,  9  ;  Ps.  iii.  8  ;  Gen.  xxii.  17.  and  xxvi.  12;  Prov.  x.  22  ;  Dent  XTviii, 
16-20;  Prov.  iii.  33;  Mai.  ii.  2. 


26()  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

A  righteous  man  labours  to  have  his  heart  lie  low  under  the  sense  of 
the  least  sin,  and  under  the  smart  of  the  least  rod,  and  under  the  sight 
of  the  least  mercy.     But, 

ThinUy,  A  righteous  man  improves  his  little  to  the  arming  and 
fencing  of  himself  against  sinful  temptations.  Little  mercies  are 
many  times  great  arguments  to  keep  a  gracious  soul  from  sin,  Gen. 
xxxix.  7-10.     But, 

Fourllihj,  A  righteous  man  improves  his  little  to  tlie  relief  and  re- 
freshing of  the  bowels  of  otliers  that  are  in  want,  and  whose  pinching 
necessities  call  for  supplies,  2  Cor.  viii.  1-4 ;  Heb.  vi.  10.  A  poor 
man  begging  at  a  Christian's  door  who  was  very  poor,  he  spoke  to  his 
wife  to  give  him  something ;  she  answered  tliat  she  had  but  three- 
pence in  the  house ;  saith  he,  give  him  that,  for  if  we  never  sow,  we 
shall  never  reap.  There  was  another  Christian  who  having  given  a 
little  of  his  little  to  a  man,  began  to  think  whether  he  had  injured 
himself ;  but  presently  he  corrected  himself  with  these  thoughts,  that 
he  had  lent  it  one  that  would  pay  all  again  with  advantage,  with  in- 
terest upon  interest ;  within  an  hour  after  he  had  it  restored  above 
sevenfold,  in  a  way  which  he  never  thought  of.  The  Italian  form  of 
begging  is.  Do  good  for  yourselves.     But, 

Fi/thli/,  A  righteous  man  improves  his  little  to  the  stirring  up  and 
provoking  of  his  own  heart  to  look  after  better  and  greater  mercies — 
viz.,  spiritual  and  eternal  favours.  Oh,  saith  the  righteous  man,  if 
there  be  so  much  sweetness  in  a  few  drops,  and  sips,  and  small 
draughts,  and  crusts,  and  scraps,  what  is  in  those  everlasting  springs 
of  pleasure  and  delight  that  be  at  God's  right  hand  !  Ps.  xvi.  11  ; 
John  iv.  10,  11,  14,  and  vi.  4;  Rev.  xix.  8.  If  there  be  so  much 
pleasantness  in  a  piece  of  bread,  and  so  much  warmth  in  a  coarse  suit 
of  clothes,  what  sweetness  is  there  in  the  waters  of  life !  and  what 
pleasantness  is  there  in  that  bread  of  life  that  came  down  from 
heaven  !  and  what  warmth  is  there  in  that  fine  linen  that  is  the 
righteousness  of  the  saints!  &c.  A  righteous  man  looks  upon  his 
least  temporals  to  be  a  strong  engagement  upon  him  to  seek  after 
eternals.  But  now  wicked  men  are  so  far  from  improving  their  much, 
their  riches,  their  great  riches,  that  they  either  hide  their  talents,  as 
that  evil  servant  did  his.  Mat.  xxv.,  or  else  they  prove  jailers  to  their 
mercies,  and  make  them  servants  to  their  lusts,  as  pride,  drnnkenness, 
uncleanness,  &c.  Comjiare  these  scriptures  together:  Job  xxi,  1-10; 
Amos  vi.  1-7 ;  Ps.  Ixxiii. ;  Hosea  iv.  7 ;  Jer.  ii.  31,  and  v,  7-9  ;  Deut. 
xxxii.  13-18;  James  v.  1-G.     But, 

Sixddi/,  The  few  mercies,  the  least  mercies  that  the  righteous  man 
hath,  are  pledges  and  pawns  and  an  earnest  of  more  mercies,  of  better 
mercies,  and  of  greater  mercies  than  any  yet  they  do  enjoy.  Now  a 
farthing  given  as  an  earnest  of  a  thousand  a  year  is  better  than  many 
pounds  given  as  a  present  reward.  Wicked  men  have  outward  bless- 
ings as  their  portion,  their  heaven,  their  all :  '  Son,  remember  that 
thou  in  thy  lifetime  receivedst  thy  good  things,'  Ps.  xvii.  14 ;  Luke 
xvi.  25.  But  now  that  little  that  a  godly  man  hath,  he  has  it  as  a 
pledge  of  heaven,  and  as  an  earnest  of  eternal  favours  and  mercies. 
The  little  mercies  the  saints  enjoy  are  doors  of  hope  to  let  in  greater 
and  better  mercies ;  those  mercies  a  righteous  man  has  are  but  inlets 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION".  267 

to  further  mercies.  When  Kachel  had  a  son,  she  called  his  name 
Joseph,  saying,  '  The  Lord  shall  add  to  me  another  son,'  Gen.  xxx. 
24.  Every  mercy  that  a  righteous  man  enjoys  may  well  he  called 
Joseph,  because  it  is  a  certain  pledge  of  some  further  and  greater 
mercy  that  is  to  be  added  to  those  the  righteous  man  already  enjoys. 
But, 

Seventlily,  The  righteous  man  enjoys  his  little  with  a  great  deal  of 
comfort,  peace,  quiet,  and  contentment.  The  righteous  man  with  his 
little,  sits  Noah-like,  quiet  and  still  in  the  midst  of  all  the  hurries, 
distractions,  combustions,  and  confusions  that  be  in  the  world,  Phil, 
iv.  12,  13 ;  Prov.  x.  22,  and  xv.  16,  17.  Though  the  righteous  man 
has  but  from  hand  to  mouth,  yet  seeing  that  God  feeds  him  from 
heaven  as  it  were  with  manna,  he  is  quiet  and  cheerful :  but  now 
wicked  men  have  abundance  of  vexation  with  their  worldly  abun- 
dance: as  you  see  in  Haman,  Esth.  v.  9,  11-13,  '  Then  went  Haman 
forth  that  day  joyfully  and  with  a  glad  heart:  but  when  Haman  saw 
Mordecai  in  the  king's  gate,  that  he  stood  not  up,  nor  moved  for  him, 
he  was  full  of  indignation  against  Mordecai.  And  Haman  told  them 
of  the  glory  of  his  riches,  and  the  multitude  of  his  children,  and  all 
the  things  wherein  the  king  had  promoted  him,  and  how  he  had  ad- 
vanced him  above  the  princes  and  servants  of  the  king,  Haman  said 
moreover.  Yea,  Esther  the  queen  did  let  no  man  come  in  with  the 
king  unto  the  banquet  that  she  had  prepared  but  myself ;  and  to- 
morrow am  I  invited  unto  her  also  with  the  king.  Yet  all  this 
availeth  me  nothing,  so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the  Jew  sitting  at  the 
king's  gate.'i  It  is  seldom  seen  that  God  allows  unto  the  greatest 
darlings  of  the  world  a  perfect  contentment.  Something  they  must 
have  to  complain  of,  that  shall  give  an  unsavoury  verdure"^  to  their 
sweetest  morsels,  and  make  their  felicity  miserable.  It  was  not  simply 
Mordecai's  sitting  at  the  king's  gate,  but  Mordecai's  refusing  to  stand 
up,  or  to  move  either  hat,  head,  or  hand,  or  to  bow  any  part  of  his 
body,  that  damped  all  Haman  s  joy,  and  that  filled  him  with  rage 
and  vexation  of  spirit.  The  want  of  little  things — viz ,  a  knee,  a 
hat — will  exceedingly  vex  and  discompose  an  ambitious  spirit.  So 
Ahab,  though  a  king,  yet  when  he  was  sick  for  Naboth's  vineyard, 
his  heart  did  more  afflict  and  vex  itself  with  greedy  longing  for  that 
bit  of  earth,  than  the  vast  and  spacious  compass  of  a  kingdom  could 
counter-comfort,  1  Kings  xxi.  4.  And  so  Alexander  the  Great,  in  the 
midst  of  all  his  glory,  he  was  exceedingly  vexed  and  discontented, 
because  he  could  not  make  ivy  to  grow  in  his  garden  in  Babylon. 
Contentment  is  a  flower  that  does  not  grow  in  nature's  garden. 
All  the  honours,  riches,  pleasures,  profits,  and  preferments  of  this 
world  cannot  yield  a  man  one  day's  contentment ;  they  are  all  sur- 
rounded with  briers  and  thorns.  ^  You  look  upon  my  crown  and  my 
purple  robes,  said  that  great  king,  Cyrus,  but  did  you  but  know  how 
they  were  lined  with  thorns,  you  would  never  stoop  to  take  them  up.* 

^  If  I  had  an  enemy,  saith  Latimer,  to  whom  I  might  lawfully  wish  evil,  I  would 
chiefly  wish  him  great  store  of  riches;  for  then  he  should  never  enjoy  quiet. 

^  '  Green  mould.' — G. 

■*  Pheraulas,  a  poor  man,  was  wearied  out  with  care  in  keeping  those  great  riches 
which  Cyrus  had  bestowed  upon  him.     [Xenophon,  Cyr.  ii.  3,  sees.  7,  8,  viii.  3.  — G.J 

*  As  before  :  and  ascribed  to  Xerxes,  Themistocles,  and  others. — G. 


2G8  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

Charles  the  Fifth,  emperor  of  Germany,  whom  of  all  men  the  world 
jmi^ed  most  hapin',  cried  out  at  last  with  grief  and  detestation  to  all 
his  honours,  pleasures,  trophies,  riches.  Abi/e  hinc,  abile  longe:  Get 
you  hence  ;  let  me  hear  no  more  of  you  !  Who  can  sum  U])  the  many 
grievances,  fears,  jealousies,  disgraces,  interruptions,  temptations,  and 
vexations  that  men  meet  with  in  their  very  pursuit  after  the  things  of 
this  world  !  Oh  how  sweet  is  it  to  want  these  bitter-sweets  !  Riches 
are  com])ared  to  thorns ;  and  indeed  all  the  comforts  the  wicked  enjoy, 
they  have  more  or  less  of  the  thorn  in  them.  And  indeed  riches  may 
well  be  called  thorns ;  because  they  pierce  both  head  and  heart — the 
one  with  care  of  getting,  and  tlie  other  with  grief  in  parting  with 
them.  The  world  and  all  the  glory  thereof  is  like  a  beautiful  harlot : 
a  paradise  to  the  eye,  but  a  purgatory  to  the  soul.  A  wicked  man 
under  all  his  enjoyments, 

(1.)  Enjoys  not  the  peace  of  his  conscience  upon  any  just  or  solid 
grounds. 

(2.)  He  enjoys  not  the  peace  of  contentment  upon  any  sober  or 
righteous  grounds.  But  now  a  righteous  man,  with  his  little,  enjoys 
both  peace  of  conscience  and  peace  of  contentment ;  and  this  makes 
every  bitter  sweet,  and  every  little  sweet  to  be  exceeding  sweet. 
A  dish  of  green  herbs,  with  peace  of  conscience  and  peace  of 
contentment,  is  a  noble  feast,  a  continual  feast  to  a  gracious  souL 
But, 

Eighthhj,  The  righteous  man  sees  God,  and  acknowledges  God, 
and  enjoys  God  in  his  little.  Job  i.  21  ;  Gen.  xxvii.  28,  and  xxxiii. 
10,  11.  Look,  as  he  that  cannot  see  God  in  the  least  affliction,  in 
the  least  judgment,  will  never  be  truly  humbled  ;  so  he  that  cannot  see 
God  in  tlie  least  mercy  will  never  be  truly  thankful  nor  cheerful.  In 
every  crust,  crumb,  di-op,  and  sip  of  mercy  that  a  righteous  man  enjoys, 
he  sees  much  of  the  love  of  his  God,  and  the  care  of  his  God,  and  the 
wisdom  of  his  God,  and  the  power  of  his  God,  and  the  faithfulness  of 
his  God,  and  the  goodness  of  his  God,  in  making  the  least  provision 
for  him.  I  have  read  of  the  Jews,  how  that  when  they  read  the  little 
book  of  Esther  they  let  fall  the  book  on  the  ground,  and  they  give 
this  reason  for  that  ceremony,  '  because  the  name  of  God  is  not 
to  be  found  in  all  that  history.'  So  a  righteous,  man  is  ready  to 
let  that  mercy  drop  out  of  his  hand,  out  of  his  mouth,  wherein  he 
cannot  read  his  God,  and  see  his  God,  and  taste  his  God,  and 
enjoy  his  God.  But  now  wicked  men  may  say,  as  Elisha  did  in 
another  case,  '  Here  is  tlie  mantle  of  Elijah,  but  where  is  the  God 
of  Elijah  ?  Here  is  abundance  of  riches  and  honours  and  dignities, 
&c.,  but  where  is  the  God  of  all  these  comforts?'  2  Kings  ii.  14. 

But  alas  !  they  mind  not  God,  they  see  not  God,  they  acknowledge 
not  God  in  all  they  have,  in  all  they  enjoy ;  as  you  may  see  by  com- 
paring the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together. ^  Wicked  men  are  like 
the  horse  and  the  mule  that  drinks  of  the  brook,  but  never  think  of 
the  spring.  They  are  like  to  the  swine  that  eats  up  the  mast,  but 
never  looks  to  the  tree  fiom  whence  the  mast  falls.  They  are  like 
such  barren  ground  that  swallows  up  the  seed,  but  returns  nothing  to 

'  Ilosca  ii.  .<),  8,  9  ;   Isa.  i.  Z.  \  ;  Jcr.  ii.  6  :  Esther  v.  10-12  ;   F.uke  xii.  19. 


IsA,  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  269 

the  sower.  A  dunghill-spirited  fellow  in  our  days,  being  by  a  neigh- 
bour excited  to  bless  God  for  a  rich  crop  of  corn  he  had  standing  on 
his  ground,  atheistically  replied,  '  Thank  God  !  Nay,  rather  thank  my 
dung  cart !'  I  have  read  of  a  great  cardinal,  who,  writing  down  in  his 
diary  what  such  a  lord  did  for  him,  and  how  far  such  a  prince  favoured 
him,  and  what  encouragement  he  had  from  such  a  king,  and  how 
such  a  pope  preferred  him,  but  not  one  word  of  God  in  all :  one  reading 
of  it,  took  his  pen  and  wrote  underneath,  here  God  did  nothing.  But, 
NintMy,  The  little  the  righteous  man  hath  is  enough ;  enough 
to  satisfy  him,  enough  to  content  him,  enough  to  bear  his  charges 
till  he  gets  to  heaven,  Ps.  xxiii.  1,  2:  Phil.  iv.  12,  13;  1  Tim.  vi. 
6:  Gen.  xxxiii.  11,  '  I  have  enough,'  saith  Jacob  to  Esau:  Gen. 
xlv.  28,  '  And  Israel  said,  it  is  enough ;  Joseph  my  son  is  yet  alive.* 
Though  the  righteous  man  hath  but  little,  yet  he  hath  enough  for  his 
place  and  calling  in  which  God  has  placed  him,  and  enough  for  his 
charge,  whether  it  be  great  or  small ;  he  has  enough  to  satisfy  nature, 
enough  to  preserve  natural  life.  Pro  v.  xxx.  8.^  Agur  is  but  for  food 
convenient,  convenient  for  his  life,  not  for  his  lusts  ;  he  prays  for  enough 
to  satisfy  necessity,  convenience,  not  concupiscence  ;  he  begs  for  bread, 
not  for  quails  ;  he  begs  that  nature  may  he  sustained,  not  pampered. 
Though  it  be  true  that  nothing  will  satisfy  a  wicked  man's  lusts, 
yet  it  is  as  true  thnt  a  little  will  satisfy  nature,  and  less  will  satisfy 
grace.  Jacob  vows  that  the  Lord  should  be  his  God,  if  he  would  but 
give  him  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on.  This  was  the  first  holy 
vow  that  ever  we  read  of ;  hence  Jacob  is  called  the  father  of  vows, 
Gen.  xxviii.  20,  21.  He  begs  not  dainties  to  feed  him,  nor  silks  nor 
satins  to  clothe  him ;  but  bread  to  feed  him,  though  never  so  coarse, 
and  clothes  to  cover  him,  though  never  so  mean.  Job  is  only  for  ne- 
cessary food,2  Job  xxiii.  12.  A  little  will  satisfy  a  temperate  Christian. 
Luther  made  many  a  meal  of  bread  and  a  red  herring  ;  and  Junius 
made  many  a  meal  of  bread  and  an  Qgg.  Nature  laps  only,  like  those 
three  hundred  soldiers.  Judges  vii.  6.  When  Christ  fed  the  people 
graciously,  miraculously,  he  fed  them  not  with  manchets^  and  quails, 
or  pheasants,  &c.,  but  with  barley  loaves  and  fishes,  a  frugal,  temperate, 
sober  diet.  If  the  handful  of  meal  in  the  barrel,  and  the  oil  in  the 
cruse  fail  not,  and  if  the  brook  and  the  running  water  fail  not,  Elijah 
can  be  well  enough  contented.  But  now  wicked  men  never  have 
enough,  they  are  never  satisfied.  They  are  like  those  four  things  that 
Solomon  speaks  of,  that  are  never  satisfied — viz.,  the  grave,  tlie  barren 
womb,  the  earth,  and  the  fire.  That  is  an  observable  passage  of  the 
psalmist,  '  Thou  fillest  their  bellies  with  thy  hid  treasures.'  To  a 
worldly  wicked  man  all  these  outward  things  are  but  a  bellyful ;  and 
how  soon  is  the  belly  emptied  after  it  is  once  filled  !  Though  many 
rich  men  have  riches  enough  to  sink  them,  yet  they  have  never  enough 
to  satisfy  them.  Like  him  that  wished  for  a  thousand  sheep  in  his 
flock,  and  when  he  had  them,  he  wished  for  other  cattle  without  num- 

^  If  thou  live  according  to  nature,  thou  wilt  never  be  poor  ;  if  according  to  opinion, 
thou  wilt  never  be  rich. 

^  He  is  rich  enough  that  lacketh  not  bread  ;  and  high  enough  in  dignity  that  is  not 
forced  to  serve. — Jerome.  John  vi.  9-15  ;  1  Kings  xvii.  12,  and  iii.  4-G  ;  Prov.  xxx.  lo, 
16  J  Ps.  xvii.  14.  ^  '  Fine  bread.'— CJ. 


270  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

hor.  Wlicn  Alexander  had  all  the  crowns  and  sceptres  of  the  princes 
of  the  world  ])iled  uji  at  hisf;^ates,  he  wishes  for  another  world  to  con- 
quer :  '  The  eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  with  hearing.' 
'  He  that  loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  silver ;  nor  he  that 
loveth  abundance  with  increase,'  Eccles.  i.  8,  and  v.  10.  There  is 
enough  and  enough  in  silver,  in  abundance  of  silver,  to  vex  and  fret 
the  soul  of  man,  but  not  to  satisfy  the  soul  of  man  God  himself  is 
the  only  centre  of  centres,  and  as  the  soul  can  never  rest  till  it  return 
to  him,  as  the  dove  to  the  ark,  so  it  can  never  be  filled,  stilled,  or  satis- 
fied, but  in  the  enjoyment  of  him  i  All  the  beauty  of  the  world  is 
but  deformity,  all  the  brightness  of  the  world  is  but  blackness,  all  the 
light  of  the  world  is  but  bitterness ;  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  for 
all  the  braveiy  and  glory  of  this  world  to  give  absolute  satisfaction  to 
the  soul  of  man.  Solomon,  the  wisest  prince  that  ever  sat  upon  a 
throne,  after  his  most  diligent,  curious,  critical,  and  impartial  search 
into  all  the  creatures,  gives  this  as  the  summa  totalis,  and  product  of 
his  inquiries,  '  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity.'  And  how  then  can 
any  of  these  things,  yea,  all  these  things  hea[)ed  up  together,  satisfy 
the  soul  of  man  !  Hab.  ii.  5,  '  He  enlargeth  his  desire  as  hell,  and  is 
as  death,  and  cannot  be  satisfied,  but  gathereth  unto  him  all  nations, 
and  heapeth  unto  him  all  people,'  This  is  spoken  of  the  king  of 
Babylon,  who  though  he  had  gathered  to  him  all  nations  and  people, 
yea,  and  all  their  vast  treasures  also — Isa.  x.  13,  'I  have  robbed  their 
treasures:'  ver.  14,  '  And  my  hand  hath  found  as  a  nest,  the  riches 
of  his  people  :  and  as  one  gathereth  eggs  that  are  left,  have  I  gathered 
all  the  earth  ;  and  there  was  none  that  moved  the  wing,  or  opened  the 
mouth,  or  peeped' — and  yet  for  all  this  was  his  desire  enlarged  as 
hell,  and  could  not  be  satisfied.  The  desires  of  worldlings  are  bound- 
less and  endless,  and  there  is  no  satisfying  of  them.  It  is  not  all  the 
gold  of  Ophir,  or  Peru,  nor  all  the  pearls  or  mines  of  India ;  it  is 
not  Joseph's  chains,  nor  David's  crowns,  nor  Haman's  honours,  nor 
Daniel's  dignities,  nor  Dives  his  riches,  that  can  satisfy  an  immortal 
soul. 

Ten  fid//,  The  little  that  the  righteous  man  hath  is  more  stable,  dur- 
able, and  lasting,  than  the  riches  of  the  wicked ;  and  therefore  his 
little  is  better  than  their  much,  his  mite  is  better  than  their  millions, 
Job  V.  20-22.  Ps.  xxxiv.  9, 10,  '  Oh  fear  the  Lord,  ye  his  saints  :  for 
there  is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  him.  The  young  lions  do  lack,  and 
suffer  hunger :  but  they  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  Avant  any  good 
thing.'  Such  as  are  separated  from  the  world's  lusts,  can  live  with  a 
little.  Such  as  set  up  God  as  the  object  of  their  fear,  have  no  cause 
to  fear  the  want  of  anything.  When  David  was  a  captive  amongst 
the  Philistines,  he  wanted  nothing.  Paul  had  nothing,  and  yet  pos- 
sessed all  things,  2  Cor.  vi.  10.  A  godly  man  may  want  many  good 
things  that  he  thinks  to  be  good  for  him,  but  he  shall  never  want  any 
good  thing  that  the  Lord  knows  to  be  good  for  him,  Heb.  xiii.  5,  6 ; 
Prov.  x.  3.  AVe  do  not  esteem  of  tenure  for  life  as  we  do  of  freehold, 
because  life  is  a  most  uncertain  thing.  Ten  pound  a  year  for  ever  is 
better  than  a  hundred  in  hand.     All  the  promises  are  God's  bonds, 

'  The  poor  heathen  could  say,  I  desire  neither  more  nor  less  than  enoug^h.     For  1  m.iy 
as  well  die  of  a  Hurfcif  as  of  iuni>'er. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  271 

and  a  Christian  may  put  them  in  suit  when  he  will,  and  hold  God  to 
his  word  ;  and  that  not  only  for  his  spiritual  and  eternal  life,  but  also 
for  his  natural  life,  his  temporal  life  ;  but  so  cannot  the  wicked.  The 
temporal  estate  of  the  wicked  is  seldom  long-lived,  as  you  may  see  by 
comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together.^  Alexander  the 
Great,  conqueror  of  the  world,  caused  to  be  painted  on  a  table  a  sword 
in  the  compass  of  a  wheel,  shewing  thereby  that  what  he  had  gotten 
*by  the  sword  was  subject  to  be  turned  about  the  wheel  of  providence. 
There  is  no  more  hold  to  be  had  of  riches,  honours,  or  preferments, 
than  Saul  had  of  Samuel's  lap.  They  do  but  like  the  rainbow  shew 
themselves  in  all  their  dainty  colours,  and  then  vanish  away.  There 
are  so  many  sins,  and  so  many  crosses,  and  so  many  curses  that  usually 
attend  the  riches  of  the  wicked,  that  it  is  very  rare  to  see  their  estates 
long-lived.  Hence  their  great  estates  are  compared  to  the  chaff,  which 
a  puff  of  wind  disperseth ;  to  the  grass,  which  the  scorching  sun 
quickly  withers ;  to  the  tops  of  corn,  which  are  soon  cut  ofi";  and  to 
the  unri2)e  grape  :  Job  xv.  33,  '  He  shall  shake  oflp  his  unripe  grape  as 
the  vine,  and  shall  cast  off  his  flower  as  the  olive.'  Every  day's  ex- 
perience confirms  us  in  this  truth.     But, 

Eleventhly  and  lastly.  The  little  that  the  righteous  man  hath  is 
better  than  the  riches  of  the  wicked,  in  respect  of  his  last  reckoning, 
in  respect  of  his  last  accounts.  God  will  never  call  his  children  in 
the  great  day,  either  to  the  book  or  to  the  bar,  for  the  mercies  that  he 
has  given  them,  be  they  few  or  be  they  many,  be  they^'great  or  be  they 
small.  Though  the  mercer  brings  his  customer  to  the  book  for  what 
he  has,  and  for  what  he  wears,  yet  he  never  brings  his  child  to  the 
book  for  what  he  has  and  for  what  he  wears.  Though  the  vintner  or 
innkeeper  brings  their  guests  to  the  bar  for  the  provisions  they  have, 
yet  they  never  bring  their  children  to  the  bar  for  the  jDrovisions  they 
make  for  them.  In  the  great  day  the  Lord  will  take  an  exact  account 
of  all  the  good  that  his  children  have  done  for  others.  Mat.  xxv.,  but 
he  will  never  bring  them  to  an  account  for  what  he  has  done  for  them. 
Christ  in  this  great  day  will, 

(1.)  Remember  all  the  individual  offices  of  love  and  friendship  that 
hath  been  shewed  to  any  of  his  members. 

(2.)  He  will  mention  many  good  things  which  his  children  did, 
which  they  themselves  never  minded,  ver.  37. 

(3.)  The  least  and  lowest  acts  of  love  and  pity  that  have  been  shewed 
to  Christ's  suffering  servants,  shall  be  interpreted  as  a  special  kindness 
shewed  to  himself,  ver.  40. 

(4.)  The  recompense  that  Christ  will  give  to  his  people  in  that  day 
shall  be  exceeding  great,  ver.  44,  46.  Here  is  no  calling  of  them  to 
the  book  or  to  the  bar  for  the  mercies  that  they  were  entrusted  with. 
But  oh  the  sad,  the  great  accounts  that  the  wicked  have  to  give  up 
for  all  their  lands  and  lordships,  for  all  their  honours,  offices,  dignities, 
and  riches !  '  To  whom  much  is  given,  much  shall  be  required,' 
Luke  xii.  48.  Christ  in  the  great  day  will  reckon  with  all  the  gran- 
dees of  the  world  for  every  thousand,  for  every  hundred,  for  every 
pound,  yea,  for  every  penny  that  he  has  entrusted  them  with.  All 
princes,  nobles,  and  people  that  are  not  interested  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

^  Prov.  X.  3  ;  Ps.  xxxvii.  34-36;  Jer.  xvii.  11  ;  Job  xx.  20,  seq. 


272  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

shall  be  broni^ht  to  the  book,  to  the  bar,  in  the  great  day,  to  give  an 
account  of  allthey  have  received  and  done  in  the  flesh.  Rev.  vi.  15-17; 
Luke  xvi.  2  ;  Eccles  xii.  14  But  Christ's  darlings  shall  then  be  the 
only  welcome  guests :  j\Iat.  xxv.  34,  '  Then  shall  the  King  say  to  them 
on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.'  Before  the  world 
was  founded  the  saints  were  crowned  in  God's  eternal  counsel.  Here 
is  no  mention  made  of  the  book  or  the  bar,  but  of  a  kingdom,  a  crown, ' 
a  diadem.  Now  by  these  eleven  arguments  it  is  most  evident  that  the 
little  that  the  righteous  man  hath  is  better  than  the  riches  of  the 
wicked.  The  righteous  man's  mite  is  better  than  the  wicked  man's 
millions.'^     But, 

[8.]  The  eighth  maxim  that  I  shall  lay  down,  to  put  a  stop  to  your 
too  eager  pursuit  after  the  things  of  this  world,  is  this,  viz..  That  the 
life  of  man  consists  not  in  the  enjoyment  of  these  earthly  things,  which 
he  is  so  apt  inordinately  to  affect:  Luke  xii.  15,  '  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Take  heed,  and  beware  of  covetousness.  For  a  man's  life  consisteth 
not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesseth.'  Whether  we 
consider  man's  life  in  the  length  and  continuance  of  it,  or  in  the  com- 
fort of  it,  it  consists  not  in  riches  ;  for  no  man  lives  a  day  longer  or 
merrier  for  his  riches.  Though  possessions  are  useful  to  sustain  life, 
yet  no  man  is  able  to  prolong  his  life,  or  to  make  it  anything  more 
happy  or  comfortable  to  him,  by  possessing  more  than  he  needs  or 
uses.  It  is  not  the  golden  crown  that  can  cure  the  headache,  nor  the 
velvet  slipper  that  can  ease  a  man  of  the  gout,  nor  the  purple  robe  that 
can  fray  away  a  burning  fever.  Mark,  the  life  of  man  is  so  far  from 
consisting  in  the  enjoyment  of  these  earthly  things,  that  many  times 
they  hasten  a  man  to  his  long  home,  Jer.  xvii.  11.  Many  a  man's 
coffer  has  hastened  him  to  his  coffin  ;  and  as  many  a  man  has  lost  his 
finger  for  his  ring's  sake,  so  many  a  man  has  lost  his  life  for  his  purse's 
sake.  In  all  the  ages  of  the  world  many  a  man  has  deeply  suffered 
for  his  means.  Naboth  lost  his  life  for  his  vineyard's  sake,  1  Kings  xxi. 
Quintus  Aurelius,  in  the  days  of  Sylla,^  lost  his  life  by  reason  of  his 
lands.  Many  a  man's  means  has  lianged  him.  Many  a  man  has 
deeply  suffered  for  his  means'  sake.  The  Romans  ripped  up  the  bellies 
and  bowels  of  the  Jews  to  search  for  gold. 3  The  Americans  had  been 
more  safe  had  they  had  less  gold  :  they  thought  gold  was  the  Spaniards' 
god.  But  how  the  Spaniards  played  the  devil  to  get  their  gold,  I  shall 
not  at  this  time  take  pleasure  to  relate.  Now  if  our  temporal  life  con- 
sists not  in  any  of  these  earthly  things,  then  certainly  our  s}.iritual 
life  consists  not  in  any  of  these  earthly  things.  For  what  religious 
duty  is  there  that  a  believer  cannot  do,  though  he  has  neither  money 
in  his  bag  nor  dainties  on  his  table.  And  as  our  spiritual  life  con- 
sists not  in  any  of  these  earthly  things,  so  our  eternal  life  consists  not 
in  any  of  these  earthly  things :  for  as  all  the  treasures  of  this  world 

'  Some  of  the  more  refined  heathen  have  had  gome  kind  of  dread  and  fear  in  their 
Bpirits  upon  the  consideration  of  a  day  of  account,  as  the  writings  of  Plato  and  Tully, 
&c.,  do  sulKcicntly  evidence.  °  Plutarch,  in  vita  Syllce. 

^  Josephus.  When  Zelimus,  [?]  emperor  of  Constantinople,  had  taken  Egypt,  he 
found  a  great  deal  of  tre.isure  there  ;  and  the  soldiers  asking  of  him  what  they  should 
do  Willi  the  citizens  of  Eu'vpt,  having  found  a  great  treasure  among  them  ;  Oh,  saith 
the  emperor,  hang  ihcm  all  up,  fur  tliey  are  loo  rich  to  be  made  slavi-s. 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  273 

cannot  bring  a  soul  to  heaven,  so  tliey  cannot  keep  a  soul  from  drop- 
ping down  to  hell. 

'This  world's  wealth  that  men  so  much  desire, 
May  well  be  likened  to  a  burning  fire, 
Whereof  a  little  can  do  little  harm 
But  profit  much  our  bodies  well  to  warm  : 
But  take  too  much,  and  surely  thou  shalt  burn. 
So  too  much  wealth  to  too  much  woe  does  turn.' 

But, 

[9.]  The  ninth  maxim  that  I  shall  lay  down  to  j^ut  a  stop  to  your 
too  eager  pursuit  after  the  things  of  this  world,  is  this — viz..  That  there 
is  no  rest  to  he  found  in  any  earthly  enjoyments.  Rest  is  the  centre 
at  which  all  intellectQal  natures,  as  well  as  natural  bodies,  aim  at.  A 
man  that  is  inordinately  in  love  with  the  world  can  never  be  at  rest. 
The  drunkard  sometimes  rests  from  his  cups,  and  the  unclean  person 
from  his  filthiness,  and  the  swearer  from  his  oaths,  and  the  idolater 
from  his  idols,  but  the  worldling  is  never  at  rest ;  his  head  and  heart 
are  still  a-plodding  and  a-plotting  how  to  get,  and  how  to  keep,  the 
things  of  this  world :  Eccles.  v.  12,  '  The  sleep  of  the  labouring  man 
is  sweet,  whether  he  eat  little  or  much ;  but  the  abundance  of  the 
rich  will  not  suffer  him  to  sleep.'  i  These  three  vultures — care  of  get- 
ting, fear  of  keeping,  and  grief  of  losing — feed  day  and  night  upon  the 
heart  of  a  rich  and  wretched  worldling,  so  that  his  sleep  departs  from 
him.  Sometimes  his  abundance  lies  like  a  lumjj  of  lead  heavy  upon 
his  heart,  so  that  he  cannot  rest.  Sometimes  his  conscience  does  so 
lash,  and  lance,  and  gall  him  for  what  he  has  got  by  indirect  ways 
and  means,  that  he  cannot  sleep.  Sometimes  God  himself  will  not 
suffer  him  to  sleep.  Sometimes  God  shews  him  the  handwriting  upon 
the  wall,  Dan.  \.  6,  Q  \  sometimes  he  terrifies  him  with  dreams,  and 
sometimes  he  throws  handfuls  of  hell-fire  in  his  face,  as  once  he  did 
into  Judas's,  Mat.  xxvi.  24 ;  and  this  hinders  his  rest.  Sometimes  by 
their  excessive  eating  and  drinking,  their  gluttony,  their  delicious  fare, 
they  overcharge  nature,  which  causeth  indigestion  and  malignant 
vapours,  whereby  sleep  is  wholly  removed,  or  else  much  disturbed. 
Earthly  riches  are  an  evil  master,  a  treacherous  servant,  fathers  of 
flattery,  sons  of  grief,  a  cause  of  fear  to  those  that  have  them,  and  a 
cause  of  sorrow  to  those  that  want  them ;  and  therefore  what  rest  is 
there  to  be  found  in  the  enjoyment  of  them?  [Augustine.]  The  prior 
in  Melanchthon  rolled  his  hands  up  and  down  in  a  basin  full  of  angels, 
thinking  to  have  charmed  his  gout,  but  this  could  give  him  no  ease, 
no  rest."-^  Latimer,  in  a  sermon  before  King  Edward  the  Sixth,  tells 
a  story  of  a  rich  man,  who,  when  he  lay  upon  his  sick-bed,  one  came 
to  him  and  told  him  that  he  was  a  dead  man,  that  he  was  no  man  for 
this  world.  As  soon  as  ever  the  sick  man  heard  these  words,  saith 
Latimer,  he  cried  out,  Must  I  die  ?  Send  for  a  physician  !  Wounds, 
side,  heart — must  I  die  ?  Wounds,  side,  heart — must  I  die  ?  and  thus 
he  continued  crying  out.  Wounds,  side,  heart— must  I  die  ?  Must  I 
die  and  leave  these  riches  behind  me  ?     All  the  riches  that  he  had 

^  He  that  is  rich  in  conscience,  saith  Austin,  sleeps  more  soundly  than  he  that  is 
richly  clothed  in  purple,  Luke  xii.  20. 

'■^  Had  a  man  as  mucli  honour  and  dignity,  profit  and  pleasure,  as  himself  could  wish, 
or  the  world  atford,  yet  within  twenty-tour  hours  he  would  be  weary  of  all,  and  must  go 
to  sleep. 

VOL.  VL  I  S 


274  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

heaped  together  could  give  him  no  rest  nor  quiet  wlien  the  king  of 
terrors  knocked  at  his  doors.  All  the  good  things  of  this  world  have 
more  or  lesssof  the  thorn  in  them;  and  therefore  what  rest  can  they 
give  ?  Achan's  golden  wedge  i)roved  a  wedge  to  cleave  him,  and  his 
garment  a  garment  to  shroud  him.  In  8[>ain  they  lived  happily  until 
hre  made  some  mountains  vomit  gold ;  but  what  miserable  discords 
have  followed  ever  since  !  It  is  only  heaven  that  is  above  all  winds 
and  storms  and  tempests,  neither  hath  God  cast  man  out  of  one  para- 
dise for  him  to  thmk  to  find  out  another  i)aradise  in  this  world. 
But, 

[10.]  The  tenth  and  last  maxim  that  I  shall  lay  down  to  put  a  stop' 
to  your  too  eager  pursuit  after  the  things  of  this  world,  is  this — viz., 
That  it  is  a  very  high  point  of  Christian  ivisdom  and  pnidence,  always 
to  look  tcpon  the  good  things  and  the  great  things  of  this  tvorld  as  a 
man  ivill  certainly  look  upon  them  ichcn  he  comes  to  die.  Oh,  with 
what  a  disdainful  eye,  with  what  a  contemptible  eye,  with  what  a 
scornful  eye,  and  with  what  a  weaned  heart  and  cold  aifections  do  men 
look  upon  all  the  pomp,  state,  bravery,  and  glory  of  the  world,  when 
their  soul  sits  upon  their  trembling  lips,  and  there  is  but  a  short  step 
between  them  and  eternity  !  He  that  looks  upon  the  world  whilst  he 
has  it  under  his  hand,  as  he  will  assuredly  look  upon  it  when  he  is  to 
take  his  leave  of  it,  he  will, 

(1.)  Never  sin  to  get  the  world.     Nor, 

(2.)  He  will  never  grieve  inordinately  to  part  with  the  world. 
Nor, 

(3.)  He  will  never  envy  those  who  enjoy  much  of  the  world.    Nor, 

(4.)  He  will  never  dote  upon  the  world,  he  will  never  be  enamoured 
with  the  world.  I  have  read  of  a  man,  who,  lying  in  a  burning  fever, 
professed  that  if  he  had  all  the  world  at  his  dispose,  he  would  give  it 
all  for  one  draught  of  beer ;  at  so  low  a  rate  do  men  value  the  world  at 
such  a  time  as  that  is.  King  Lysimachus  lost  his  kingdom  for  one 
draught  of  water  to  quench  his  thirst,  i  If  men  were  but  so  wise  to 
value  the  world  at  no  higher  a  rate  in  health  than  they  do  in  sickness, 
in  the  day  of  life  than  they  do  at  tlie  hour  of  death,  they  would  never 
be  fond  of  it,  they  would  never  be  so  deeply  in  love  with  it.  Now,  oh 
that  these  ten  maxims  may  be  so  blest  to  the  reader  as  to  crucify  the 
world  to  him,  and  him  unto  the  world !  Gal.  vi.  14.  He  gave  good 
couni=;el  who  said,  [Austin,]  0  man,  if  thou  be  wise,  let  the  world  pass, 
lest  thou  pass  away  with  the  world.  Fix  thy  heart  on  God,  let  him 
be  thy  portion  ;  fix  thy  affections  upon  Christ,  he  is  thy  redemption ; 
on  heaven,  let  that  be  thy  mansion.  Oh  take  that  counsel,  '  Love  not 
the  world,  nor  the  things  of  the  world.'  John  ii.  15.  Mark,  he  doth 
not  say,  have  not  the  world,  nor  the  things  of  the  world,  but  '  love  not 
the  world,  nor  the  things  of  the  world :'  nor  he  doth  not  say,  use  not 
the  world,  nor  the  things  of  the  world,  but  '  love  not  the  world,  nor 
the  things  of  the  world:'  nor  he  doth  not  say,  take  no  moderate  care 
for  the  world,  nor  the  things  of  the  world,  but  '  love  not  the  world,  nor 
the  things  of  the  world.'  But  to  prevent  all  mistakes,  give  me  leave 
to  premise  the.se  three  things: — 

[1.]  First,  /;;  /,s  laicfid  to  desire  earthly  things,  so  far  as  they  may 

'  As  before. — G. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  275 

be  furtherances  of  us  in  our  journey  to  heaven.^  As  a  passenger  when 
he  comes  to  a  deep  river  desii-es  a  boat,  but  not  for  the  boat's  sake,  but 
that  he  may  pass  over  the  river ;  for  could  he  pass  over  the  river  with- 
out a  boat,  he  would  never  cry  out,  A  boat,  a  boat ;  or  as  the  traveller 
desires  his  inn,  not  for  the  inn's  sake,  but  as  it  is  a  help,  a  furtherance 
to  him  in  his  journey  homewards  ;  or  as  the  patient  desires  physic,  not 
for  physic's  sake,  but  in  order  to  his  health :  so  a  Christian  may  law- 
fully desire  earthly  things  in  order  to  his  glorifying  of  God ;  and  as 
they  may  be  a  help  to  him  in  his  Christian  course,  and  a  furtherance 
to  him  in  his  heavenly  race,  Heb.  xii.  1.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  We  may  desire  earthly  things  in  subordination  to  the 
luillof  God.  Lord,  if  it  be  thy  pleasure,  give  me  this  and  that  earthly 
comfort ;  yet  not  my  will,  but  thy  will  be  done.  Lord,  thou  art  the 
wise  physician  of  bodies,  souls,  and  nations :  if  it  may  stand  with  thy 
glory,  give  thy  sick  patient  life,  health,  and  strength;  yet  not  my  will, 
but  thy  will  be  done.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  We  may  desire  such  a  measure  of  earthly  things,  and 
such  a  number  of  earthly  things,  as  may  be  suitable  to  the  place,  call- 
ing, relation,  and  condition  luherein  the  providence  of  God  has  set  us, 
Prov.  XXX.  8,  9,  and  1  Tim.  vi.  8  :  as  a  master,  magistrate,  prince, 
lord,  gentleman,  &c.  A  little  of  these  earthly  things,  and  a  few  of 
these  earthly  things,  may  be  sufficient  to  the  order,  place,  calling,  and 
condition  of  life  wherein  some  men  are  placed,  but  not  sufficient  for  a 
king,  a  lord,  a  magistrate,  a  general,  &c.  These  must  have  their 
counsellors,  their  guards,  variety  of  attendance,  and  variety  of  the 
creatures,  &c.  A  little  portion  of  these  earthly  things  is  sufficient  for 
some,  and  a  great  and  large  portion  of  these  earthly  things  is  but  suffi- 
cient for  others.  Less  may  serve  the  servant  than  the  master,  the  child 
than  the  father,  the  peasant  than  the  prince,  &c.  The  too  eager  pur- 
suit of  most  men  after  the  things  of  this  world,  to  make  up  the  losses 
that  they  sustained  by  the  fire,  hath  been  the  true  cause  why  I  have 
insisted  so  largely  upon  this  ninth  duty  that  we  are  to  learn  by  that 
fiery  dispensation  that  hath  passed  upon  us. 

10.  The  tenth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  been  burnt 
up,  is  to  be  very  importunate  ivith  God  to  take  away  those  sins  that 
have  laid  our  city  desolate,  and  to  keeio  off  from  sin  for  the  time  to 
come,  and  to  look  narrowly  to  your  spirits,  that  you  do  not  charge  the 
Lord  foolishly ,  because  he  has  brought  you  under  his  fiery  rod,  Mai.  ii. 
15;  Job  i.  16,  '  While  he  was  yet  speaking,  there  came  also  another, 
and  said.  The  fire  of  God  is  fallen  from  heaven,  and  hath  burnt  up  the 
sheep,  and  the  servants,  and  consumed  them,  and  I  only  am  escaped 
alone  to  tell  thee;'  ver.  22,  '  In  all  this  Job  sinned  not,  nor  charged 
God  foolishly.'  The  fire  of  God,  that  is,  a  great,  fierce,  and  terrible 
fire  that  fell  from  heaven  and  consumed  Job's  sheep  and  servants,  was 
a  more  terrible  judgment  than  all  the  former  judgments  that  befell 
them,  because  God  seemed  to  fight  against  Job  with  his  own  bare 
hand  by  fire  from  heaven,  as  once  he  did  against  Sodom.  '  In  all 
this  Job  sinned  not ;'  that  is,  in  all  this  that  Job  suffered,  acted,  and 
uttered,  there  was  not  anything  that  was  materially  sinful.     Satan  he 

1  As  Mr  Tyndale  the  martyr  said,  I  desire  these  earthly  things  so  far  as  they  may  be 
helps  to  the  keeping  of  thy  commandments. 


276  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

said,  that  if  (rod  would  but  toucli  all  that  lie  had,  Job  would  curse  him 
to  his  iacc  ;  but  wlieu  it  came  to  the  proof,  there  was  no  such  thinj^. 
For  Job  had  a  fair  and  full  victory  over  him,  and  Satan  was  proved  a 
loud  liar.  For  Job  sinned  not  in  thought,  word,  or  deed ;  Job  did 
neither  speak  nor  do  anything  that  was  dishonourable  to  God,  or  a 
reproach  to  his  religion,  or  a  wound  to  his  conscience.  Under  this 
fierv  trial  Job  did  not  so  much  as  entertain  one  hard  thought  concern- 
ing God,  nor  let  fall  one  hard  word  concerning  God.  Under  all  the 
evils  that  befell  Job,  Job  still  thinks  well  of  God,  and  speaks  well  of 
God,  and  carries  it  well  towards  God.  Certainly  Job  had  a  great  deal 
of  God  within  him,  wdiicli  kept  him  from  sinning  under  such  great  and 
grievous  sufferings.  0  sirs,  it  is  a  far  greater  mercy  to  be  kept  from 
sinnings  under  our  sufferings,  than  it  is  to  be  delivered  from  the  greatest 
sufferings.  Job's  heart  was  so  well  seasoned  with  grace,  that  he  would 
admit  of  no  insolent  or  unsavoury  thoughts  of  God,  or  of  his  severest 
providences:  '  In  all  this  Job  sinned  not,  nor  charged  God  foolishly,' 
or  with  folly.  Some  refer  the  former  part  of  this  verse  to  the  mind, 
and  the  latter  to  the  mouth  ;  shewing  that  Job,  though  he  had  lost  all, 
neither  thought  in  his  heart,  nor  uttered  with  his  mouth,  anj-thing 
unmeet  and  unworthy  of  God.  The  meek,  humble,  patient,  and 
gracious  behaviour  of  Job  under  all  his  sore  losses  and  crosses  is  here 
owned,  renowned,  crowned,  and  chronicled  by  God  himself.  0  sirs, 
sinning  is  w^orse  than  suffering ;  it  is  better  to  see  a  people  bleeding 
than  blaspheming,  burning  than  cursing;  for  by  men's  sins  God  is  dis- 
honoured, but  by  their  sufferings  God  is  glorified.  Oh  that  the  Chris- 
tian reader  would  seriously  consider  of  these  twelve  things:  —  i 

(1.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  the  great  God  hates,  but  sin. 

(2.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  he  has  revealed  his  wrath  from  heaven 
against,  but  sin. 

(3.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  crucifies  the  Lord  of  glory  afresh,  but 
sin. 

(4.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  grieves  the  Spirit  of  grace,  but  sin. 

(5.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  w^ounds  the  conscience,  but  sin. 

(6.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  clouds  the  face  of  God,  but  sin. 

(7.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  hinders  the  return  of  prayer,  but  sin. 

(8.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  interrupts  our  communion  with 
God,  but  sin. 

(9.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  imbitters  our  mercies,  but  sin. 

(10.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  puts  a  sting  into  all  our  troubles 
and  trials,  but  sin. 

(11.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  renders  us  unserviceable  in  our 
places,  stations,  and  conditions,  but  sin. 

(12.)  That  there  is  nothing  that  makes  death  the  king  of  terrors, 
and  the  terror  of  kings,  to  be  so  formidable  and  terrible  to  the  sons  of 
men,  as  sin.  And  therefore  under  all  your  sorrows  and  sufferings, 
crosses  and  losses,  make  it  your  great  business  to  arm  yourselves 
against  sin,  and  to  pray  against  sin,  and  to  watch  against  sin,  and  to 
turn  from  sin,  and  to  cease  from  sin,  and  to  get  rid  of  sin,  and  to  stand 
for  ever  in  defiance  of  sin,  2  Chron.  vii.  14;  Isa.  xvi.  17,  and  Iv.  7; 

'  Prov.  vi.  in,  17  ;  Jcr.  xlix.  4  ;  Rom.  i.  IS;  IIcl..  vi.  6  ;  Eph.  iv.  30;  Mat.  xxvi.  lo; 
Ps.  .\.\.\.  C,  7  ;    Isa.  xli.\.  1,  2  ;   MaL  ii.  li  ;  Jcr.  iv.  IS. 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]         the  late  fiery  dispensation.  277 

Hosea  xiv.  8  ;  Isa.  xxx.  22.  Assuredly  every  gracious  heart  had 
rather  be  rid  of  his  sins  than  of  his  sufferings:  Job  vii.  21,  'And 
why  dost  thou  not  take  away  mine  iniquity?' — or  lift  up,  as  the  Hebrew- 
runs,  to  note  that  though  Job  had  many  loads,  many  burdens  upon 
him,  yet  none  lay  so  heavy  upon  him  as  his  sin  ;  Hosea  xiv.  2,  '  Take 
away  all  iniquity,  and  receive  us  graciously.'  It  is  not,  take  away 
our  captivity,  and  receive  us  graciously,  but  take  away  our  iniquity, 
and  receive  us  graciously  ;  nor  is  it  to  take  away  this  or  that  particular 
iniquity,  and  receive  us  graciously,  but  take  away  all  iniquity,  and 
receive  us  graciously ;  take  away  stain  and  sting,  crime  and  curse, 
power  and  punishment,  that  we  may  never  hear  more  of  it,  nor  never 
feel  more  of  it,  nor  never  be  troubled  any  more  with  it.  Though 
their  bondage  was  great,  very  great,  yea,  greater  than  any  people 
under  heaven  were  exercised  with,  yet  their  sins  were  a  more  unsup- 
portable  burden  to  their  spirits  than  their  bondage  was,  Dan.  ix.  11-13. 
And  therefore  they  cry  out,  '  Take  away  all  iniquity,  and  receive  us 
graciously,'  And  this  was  the  usual  method  of  David ;  i  when  he  was 
under  sore  troubles  and  trials,  he  was  more  importunate  with  God  to 
be  purged  and  pardoned,  than  he  was  to  be  eased  under  his  troubles, 
or  delivered  from  his  troubles :  Ps.  li.  2,  '  Wash  me  throughly  from 
mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse  me  from  my  sin;'  ver.  7,  'Purge  me  with 
hyssop,  and  I  shall  be  clean :  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than 
snow ;'  ver.  9,  '  Hide  thy  face  from  my  sins,  and  blot  out  all  mine 
iniquities  ;'  ver.  14,  'Deliver  me  from  blood-guiltiness,  0  God.'  When 
Pharaoh  was  under  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  he  was  all  for  removing  of 
the  jjlagues,  the  frogs,  the  locusts,  &c.,  Exod.  x.  But  when  David 
was  under  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  he  was  all  for  the  removing  of  his 
sins,  and  for  the  cleansing,  purging,  and  washing  away  of  his  sins. 
Oh  that  all  the  burnt  citizens  of  London  would  be  more  earnest  and 
importunate  with  God  to  pardon,  and  purge,  and  take  away  all  those 
iniquities  that  have  brought  the  fiery  rod  upon  them,  than  they  are 
studious  and  industrious  to  have  their  credits  repaired,  their  houses 
rebuilded,  their  trades  restored,  and  all  their  losses  made  up  to  them ! 
Oh  that  they  might  all  be  driven  by  what  they  have  felt,  seriously  to 
consider  what  they  have  done!  '  No  man  saith.  What  have  I  done?' 
Jer.  viii.  6  ;  Hosea  vi.  1-3 ;  Isa.  Ivi.  6 ;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  33,  37.  Oh 
that  they  would  all  blame  themselves  more,  and  their  sins  more,  and 
turn  to  him  who  has  so  sorely  smitten  them,  and  lay  hold  on  his 
strength,  and  make  peace  with  him,  that  so  he  may  yet  build  up  their 
waste  places,  and  make  up  their  breaches,  and  repair  their  losses,  and 
never  turn  away  from  doing  of  them  good  !  Jer.  xxxii.  41-44.  But, 
11.  The  eleventh  duty  tliat  they  are  to  learn  that  have  been  burnt 
up,  is  to  prepare  and  fit  for  gi^eater  troubles  and  trials.  The  anger 
of  the  Lord  is  not  yet  turned  away,  but  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still, 
Isa.  ix.  12 ;  Rev.  xi.  18.  The  nations  are  angry,  the  face  of  the 
times  seems  sorely  to  threaten  us  with  greater  troubles  than  any  yet 
we  have  encountered  with.  Ah  London,  London  !  ah  England, 
England  !  the  clouds  that  hang  over  thee  seem  every  day  to  be  blacker 
and  blacker,  and  thicker  and  thicker  :  thou  hast  suffered  much,  and 
thou  hast  cause  to  fear  that  thou  inayest  suffer  more ;  thou  hast  been 

^  See  Ps.  Ixxix.  1,  5,  8,  xxv.  7,  xxxii.  4,  5,  aud  xxxviii.  3,  4. 


278  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

brought  low,  yen,  thou  art  this  day  brought  very  low  in  the  cyes7of 
the  nations  ronnci  al)oiit  thee,  and  yet  thou  niayest  be  brought  lower 
before  the  day  of  thy  exaltation  comes. i  When  God  intends  to  raise 
a  person,  a  city,  a  nation  high,  very  high,  he  then  usually  brings  them 
low,  very  low ;  and  when  they  are  at  lowest,  then  the  day  of  their 
exaltation  is  nearest.  It  is  commonly  darkest  a  little  before  break  of 
day.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  has  been  lifted  up  high,  yea,  very  high, 
over  us  and  against  us  ;  but  who  repents  ?  who  refui'ms  ?  who  returns 
to  the  Most  High  ?  who  smites  upon  his  thigh  ?  who  says,  What  have 
I  done  ?  Jer.  viii.  6  ;  who  finds  out  the  plague  of  his  own  heart  ?  who 
ceaseth  from  doing  evil  ?  who  learns  to  do  well  ?  who  stirs  up  himself 
to  take  hold  of  God  ?  who  stands  in  the  gap  ?  who  wrestles  and  weeps, 
and  weeps  find  wrestles  to  turn  away  those  judgments  that  this  day 
threaten  us?  Isa.  i.  16-18;  Ps.  cvi.  ;  Hosca  xii.  4.  So  long  as  sin 
remains  rampant,  and  men  continue  impenitent,  there  is  reason  to 
fear  a  worse  scourge  than  any  yet  we  have  been  under.  Pharaoh's 
stubbornness  did  but  increase  his  plagues,  Exod.  ix.  17 ;  the  more 
stout  and  unyielding  we  are  under  judgments,  the  more  chains  God 
will  still  put  on,  Eccles.  v.  8.  When  his  hand  is  lifted  up,  we  must 
either  bow  or  break.  Such  as  have  been  under  the  smart  rebukes  of 
God,  and  will  not  take  Christ's  warning  to  go  their  way  and  sin  no 
more,  John  v.  14,  have  reason  to  fear  hi^  inference,  that  a  worse  thing 
will  come  upon  them.  The  face  of  present  providences  looks  dismal ; 
dreadful  sufferings  seem  to  be  near,  very  near,  even  at  our  very  doors. 
Yet  to  prevent  fainting,  we  must  remember  that  God  never  wants 
chambers  to  hide  his  people  in  till  his  indignation  be  overpast,  Isa. 
xxvi.  20.  God  hath  ways  enough  to  preserve  his  wheat,  even  when 
the  whirlwind  carries  away  the  chaff.  God  can  find  an  ark  for  his 
Noahs,  when  a  flood  of  wrath  sweeps  away  sinners  on  every  hand ;  and 
God  can  provide  a  Zoar  for  his  JjOts,  when  he  rains  fire  and  brimstone 
upon  all  round  about  them.  Look,  as  God  many  times  by  lesser 
mercies  fits  his  })eople  for  greater  mercies  ;  so  God  many  times  by 
lesser  judgments  fits  his  people  for  greater  judgments;  and  who  can 
tell,  but  that  the  design  of  God  by  the  late  judgments  of  fire,  sword, 
and  pestilence,  is  to  piepare  and  fit  his  j)e()ple  for  gi-eater  judgments  ? 
That  God  might  have  inflicted  greater  judgments  than  any  yet  he  has 
inflicted  upon  us,  I  have  already  proved  by  an  induction  of  particulars. 
That  greater  judgments  may  be  ])revented,  and  our  present  mercies 
continued  and  increased,  it  highly  concerns  us  to  repent,  and  to  turn  to 
the  Most  High.  There  are  seven  sorts  of  men  who  have  high  cause  to 
fear  woisor  judgments  than  any  yet  have  been  inflicted  upon  them  : — 

(1.)  Such  wlio  scorn  and  deride  at  the  judgments  of  God,  Isa.  v. 
19  ;  Jer.  xvii.  15,  and  xx.  8;  2  Pet.  iii.  3-5. 

(2.)  Such  who  put  off  the  judgments  of  God  to  others,  who  cry 
out,  Oh  !  these  judgments  concern  such  and  such,  but  not  us. 

(3.)  Such  who  are  no  ways  bettered  nor  reclaimed  by  judgments. 

(4.)  Such  as  grow  worser  and  worser  under  all  the  warnings  and 
judi^ments,  as  Pharaoh  and  Ahaz  did,  Isa.  i.  5;  Jer.  v.  3  ;  2  Chron. 
xxviii.  22,  23. 

*  Deut.  xxviii.  43;  2  Chron.  xxviii.  18,  19  ;  Dcut.  xxxii.  36;  Pa.  Ixxix.  8,  cxxxvi.  23, 
and  cxlii.  G  ;  Isa.  xxvi.  10,  11. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  279 

(5.)  Sucli  as  make  no  preparations  to  meet  Grod  when  lie  is  in  the 
way  of  his  judgments,  Amos  iv.  12. 

(6.)  Such  who  are  careless  Gallios,  that  do  not  so  much  as  mind  or 
regard  the  warnings  of  God,  the  judgments  of  God,  Isa.  v.  12,  13. 

(7.)  Such  as  put  the  evil  day  far  from  them,  as  they  did  in  Isa.  xxii. 
12,  13,  and  as  they  did  in  Amos  vi,  3,  and  as  tlie  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  did  a  little  before  their  city  was  laid  desolate.  Some 
writers  tell  us,  [Hegesippus,  Josephus,  &c.,]  that  though  the  Jews 
had  a  great  many  warnings,  by  prodigious  signs  and  fearful  appari- 
tions, before  Jerusalem  was  besieged  and  the  city  destroyed,  yet 
most  of  them  expounded  the  meaning  of  them  in  a  more  favourable 
sense  to  themselves  than  ever  God  intended,  till  the  dreadful  ven- 
geance of  God  overtook  them  to  the  utmost.  It  is  the  greatest  wisdom 
and  prudence  in  the  world  to  prepare  and  fit  for  the  worst.  The  best 
way  on  earlh  to  prevent  judgments  from  falling  upon  us,  or  if  they 
do  fall,  to  sweeten  them  to  us,  is  to  prepare  for  them.     But, 

12.  The  twelfth  duty  that  lies  upon  those  who  have  been  burnt 
up,  is  to  secure  the  everlasting  welfare  of  their  "precious  and  im- 
mortal souls.  0  sirs,  London's  ashes  tell  you  to  your  faces  that  you 
cannot  secure  your  houses,  your  shops,  your  estates,  your  trades  ;  but 
the  eternal  well-being  of  your  souls  may  be  secured.  Every  burnt 
citizen  carries  a  jewel,  a  pearl  of  price,  a  rich  treasure  about  him — 
viz.,  a  divine  soul,  which  is  more  worth  than  all  the  world,  Mat.  xvi. 
26.  As  Christ,  who  only  w^ent  to  the  price  of  souls,  has  told  us, 
there  is  much  of  the  power,  wisdom,  majesty,  and  glory  of  God 
stamped  upon  the  stately  fabric  of  this  world,  Ps,  xix.  1,2;  but 
there  is  more  of  the  power,  wisdom,  majesty,  and  glory  of  God 
stamped  upon  an  immortal  soul.  The  soul  is  the  glory  of  the  crea- 
tion. What  Job  speaks  of  wisdom  is  very  applicable  to  the  precious 
soul  of  man,  chap,  xxviii.  13,  16,  17.  'Man  knows  not  the  price 
thereof :  it  cannot  be  valued  with  the  gold  of  Ophir,  with  the  precious 
onyx,  or  the  sapphire.  The  gold  and  the  crystal  cannot  equal  it ;  and 
the  exchange  of  it  shall  not  be  for  jewels  of  fine  gold.'  The  soul  is  a 
beam  of  God,  a  heavenly  spark,  a  celestial  plant ;  it  is  the  beauty  of 
man,  the  wonder  of  angels,  the  envy  of  devils,  and  the  glory  of  God.i 
Oh  how  richly  and  gloriously  hath  God  embroidered  the  soul.  '  The 
king's  daughter  is  all  glorious  within  :  her  clothing  is  of  wrought  gold,' 
Ps.  xlv.  13.  The  soul  is  divinely  inlaid  and  enamelled  by  God's  own 
hand.  The  soul  is  of  an  angelical  nature,  it  is  of  a  divine  offspring ; 
it  is  a  spiritual  substance,  capable  of  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  of 
union  with  God,  and  of  communion  with  God,  and  of  an  eternal 
fruition  of  God.  The  soul  is  an  immortal  substance,  and  that  not 
only  per  gratiam,  by  the  grace  and  favour  of  God,  as  the  body  of 
Adam  was  in  the  state  of  innocency,  and  as  the  bodies  of  saints  shall 
be  at  the  resurrection,  butter  naturam,  by  its  own  nature,  having  no 
internal  principle  of  corruption,  so  as  it  cannot  by  anything  from 
within  itself  cease  to  be ;  neither  can  it  be  annihilated  by  anything 
from  without.  '  Fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able 
to  kill  the  soul.'  Mat.  x.  28.     Some  [Gregory,  &c.J  have  observed  to 

^  Epictetus,  and  many  others  of  the  more  refined  heathens,  have  long  since  said  that 
the  body  was  but  the  organ,  the  soul  was  the  man,  the  merchandise. 


280  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

my  liand,  Hint  llicre  arc  tlirce  sorts  of  created  spirits:  tlie  first,  of 
tlu)so  whose  (Iwellings  is  not  with  flesh,  or  in  fleshly  Ijodies  ;  they 
are  the  angels ;  the  second,  of  those  which  are  wholly  immersed  in 
flesh,  the  souls  of  beasts,  which  rise  out  of  the  pow^r  of  the  flesh,  and 
perish  together  with  it ;  the  third  is  of  those  which  inhabit  bodies  of 
flesh,  but  rise  out  of  the  power  of  the  flesh,  nor  die  wlien  the  body 
dieth  ;  and  these  are  the  souls  of  men,  Eccles.  xii.  7,  '  When  the  body 
returneth  to  the  'earth  as  it  was,  the  spirit  shall  leturn  to  God  who 
gave  it.'  0  sirs,  the  soul  being  immortal,  it  must  be  immortally 
happy,  or  immortally  miserable.  Certainly  there  is  no  wisdom  nor 
policy  to  that  of  securing  the  everlasting  welfare  of  your  souls.  All 
the  honours,  riches,  greatness,  and  glory  of  this  world  are  but  chips, 
feathers,  trifles,  pebbles,  to  your  precious  and  immortal  souls ;  and 
therefore  before  all,  and  above  all  other  things,  make  sure  work  for 
your  souls.  If  tlicy  are  safe,  all  is  safe ;  but  if  they  are  lost,  all  is 
lost,  and  you  cast  and  undone  in  both  worlds.  Chrysostom  observeth, 
that  whereas  God  hath  given  many  other  things  double,  two  eyes  to 
see  with,  two  ears  to  hear  with,  two  hands  to  work  with,  and  two  feet 
to  walk  with,  to  the  intent  that  the  failing  of  the  one  might  be 
supplied  by  the  other,  he  hath  given  us  but  one  soul ;  if  that  be  lost, 
hast  thou  another  soul  to  give  in  recompense  for  it  ?  If  you  save  your 
souls,  though  you  should  lose  all  you  have  in  this  world,  your  loss  would 
be  a  gainful  loss ;  but  if  you  lose  your  precious  souls,  though  you  should 
gain  all  the  w^orld,  yet  your  very  gains  will  undo  you  for  ever.  You 
have  found,  by  the  late  dreadful  Are,  that  there  is  no  securing  of  the 
things  of  this  world  ;  and  therefore  make  it  your  business,  your  work, 
to  get  a  Christ  for  your  souls,  grace  for  your  souls,  and  a  heaven  for 
your  souls,  that  so,  though  all  go  to  wreck  here,  yet  your  souls  may 
be  saved  in  the  day  of  Christ.  What  desperate  madness  and  folly 
would  it  have  been  in  an}^,  when  London  was  in  flames,  to  mind  more 
and  endeavour  more  to  save  their  lumber  than  their  jewels ;  their 
goods  in  their  shops,  than  their  children  in  their  cradles,  or  their 
wives  in  their  beds  !  But  it  is  a  thousand  times  greater  madness  and 
folly  for  men  to  mind  more  and  endeavour  moi'e  to  secure  their  tem- 
poral estates,  than  they  do  to  secure  their  eternal  estates.     But, 

13.  The  thirteenth  duty  that  is  incumbent  upon  those  who  have 
been  burnt  up,  is  to  get  a  God  for  their  portion,  Ps.  xvi.  5,  and  Ixiii. 
26.  You  have  lost  youi-  earthly  portion,  your  earthly  possessions  ;  oh 
that  you  Avould  now  labour  with  all  your  might  to  get  God  for  your 
portion  !  Ps.  cxix.  57  ;  Jer.  x.  IG  ;  Lam.  iii.  24.  If  the  loss  of  your 
earthly  j)ortions  shall  be  so  sanctified  to  you  as  to  work  you  to  make 
God  your  poition,  then  your  unspeakable  losses  will  prove  inconceiv- 
able gain  unto  you.  0  sirs,  God  is  the  most  absolute,  needful,  and 
necessary  portion.  The  want  or  the  loss  of  earthly  portions  may 
afflict  and  trouble  you,  but  the  want  of  God  for  your  portion  will  cer- 
tainly danm  you.  It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should  have 
a  poition  in  gold,  or  silver,  or  jewels,  or  goods,  or  houses,  or  lands,  or 
lordships  ;  but  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should  have  God  for 
your  portion.  Suppose  that,  with  the  apostles,  you  have  no  certain 
dwelling-place,  nor  no  gold  nor  silver  in  your  purses,  1  Cor,  iv.  11; 
Acts  iii.  6 ;  suppose,  with  Lnzarus,  you  have  never  a  rag  to  hang  on 


\ 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  281 

your  backs,  nor  never  a  dry  crust  to  put  in  your  bellies,  Luke  xvi.  20, 
21  ;  suppose,  with  Job,  you  should  be  stripped  of  all  your  worldly 
comforts  in  a  day  ;  yet  if  God  be  your  portion,  you  are  happy,  you  are 
really  happy,  you  are  signally  happy,  you  are  greatly  happy,  you 
are  unspeakably  happy,  you  are  eternally  happy.  However  it  may  go 
with  you  in  this  world,  yet  you  shall  be  sure  to  be  glorious  in  that 
other  world.  To  have  God  for  thy  portion,  0  man,  is  the  one  thing 
necessary  ;  for  without  it  thou  art  for  ever  and  ever  undone.  If  God 
be  not  thy  portion,  thou  canst  never  enjoy  communion  with  God  in 
this  world  ;  if  God  be  not  thy  portion,  thou  canst  never  be  saved 
by  him  in  the  other  world.  Will  you  consider  a  little  Avhat  an  excel- 
lent transcendent  portion  God  is  : — 

(1.)  He  is  a  present  portion  ;  ^  he  is  a  portion  in  hand,  he  is  a  por- 
tion in  possession. 

(2.)  God  is  an  immense  portion  ;  he  is  a  vast  large  portion,  he 
is  the  greatest  portion  of  all  portions. 

(3.)  God  is  an  all- sufficient  portion. 

(4.)  God  is  a  pure  and  unmixed  portion  ;  God  is  an  unmixed  good, 
he  hath  nothing  in  him  but  goodness. 

(5.)  God  is  a  glorious,  a  happy,  and  a  blessed  portion  ;  he  is  so 
in  himself,  and  he  makes  them  so  too  who  enjoy  him  for  their  por- 
tion. 

(6.)  God  is  a  peculiar  portion — a  portion  peculiar  to  his  people. 

(7.)  God  is  a  universal  portion,  he  is  a  portion  that  includes  all 
other  portions. 

(8.)  God  is  a  safe  portion,  a  secure  portion,  a  portion  that  none  can 
rob  a  believer  of. 

(9.)  God  is  a  suitable  portion  ;  no  object  is  so  suitable  and  adequate 
to  the  heart  as  he  is. 

(10.)  God  is  an  incomprehensible  portion. 

(11.)  God  is  an  inexhaustible  portion  ;  a  portion  that  can  never  be 
spent,  a  spring  that  can  never  be  drawn  dry. 

(12.)  God  is  a  soul-satisfying  portion  ;  he  is  a  portion  that  gives  the 
soul  full  satisfaction  and  content. 

(13.)  God  is  a  permanent  portion,  an  indeficient  portion,  a  never- 
failing  portion,  a  lasting,  yea,  an  everlasting  portion. 

(14  and  lastly.)  God  is  an  incomparable  portion,  God  is  a  portion 
more  precious  than  all  those  things  which  are  esteemed  most  precious. 
Nothing  can  make  that  man  miserable  that  has  God  for  his  portion  ; 
nor  nothing  can  make  that  man  happy  that  hath  not  God  for  his  por- 
tion. 0  sirs,  why  do  you  think  that  God,  by  his  late  fiery  dispensa- 
tions, has  stripped  you  of  your  earthly  portions,  but  efiectually  to  stir 
you  up  to  make  him  your  only  portion  ?  &c.     But, 

14.  The  fourteenth  duty  that  is  incumbent  upon  them  that  have 
been  burnt  up,  is  to  make  God  their  hahifaiion,  to  mahe  God  iheir 
dwelUng-place  :  Ps.  xc.  1,  '  Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place' — 
or  place  of  retreat — 'in  all  generations' — or  in  generation  and  genera- 
tion, as  the  Hebrew  runs.  It  is  a  Hebraism,  setting  forth  God  to  be 
the  dwelling-place  of  his  people  in  all  generations,  before  the  flood  and 

1  See  my  '  Matchless  Portion,'  from  p.  S  to  107,  where  all  these  particulars  are  fully 
proved.     [Vol.  II.  pp.  1,  reg.  :  being  'An  Ark  for  all  God's  Noahs.'— G.] 


282  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

after  tlie  llood.^  The  Israel  of  God,  in  all  their  troubles  and  travels  in 
their  wilderness  condition,  were  not  houseless  nor  harbourless.  God  was 
both  their  hidiiii^-place  and  their  dwelling-place.  He  that  dwelleth 
in  God  cannot  be  unhoused,  because  God  is  stronger  than  all.  It  is 
brave  for  a  Christian  to  take  up  in  God  as  in  his  mansion-house.  It 
was  a  witty  saying  of  that  learned  man,  Picus  Mirandola,  viz.,  that 
God  created  the  earth  for  beasts  to  inhabit,  the  sea  for  fishes,  the  air 
for  fowls,  the  heavens  for  angels  and  stai's  ;  and  therefore  man  hath 
no  place  to  dwell  and  abide  in,  but  God  alone.  Now  the  great  God 
has  burnt  up  your  dwelling-places,  make  him  your  dwelling-place, 
your  habitation,  your  shelter,  your  place  of  retreat,  your  city  of  refuge. 
Certainly  they  dwell  most  safely,  most  securely,  most  nobly,  most  con- 
tentedly, most  delightfully,  and  most  happily,  who  dwell  in  God,  who 
live  under  the  wing  of  God,  and  whose  constant  abode  is  under  the 
shadow  of  the  Almighty.  Let  the  loss  of  your  habitations  lead  you  by 
the  hand  to  make  choice  of  God  for  your  habitation.  There  is  no 
security  against  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal  judgments,  but  by 
making  God  your  dwelling-place.  How  deplorable  is  the  condition  of 
that  man  that  hath  neither  a  house  to  dwell  in,  nor  a  God  to  dwell 
in  !  that  can  neither  say.  This  house  is  mine,  nor,  This  God  is  mine  ! 
that  hath  neither  a  house  made  with  hands,  nor  yet  one  eternal  in  the 
heavens  !  It  is  a  very  great  mercy  for  God  to  dwell  with  us,  but  it  is 
a  far  greater  mercy  for  God  to  dwell  in  us,  and  for  we  to  dwell  in  God, 
2  Cor.  V.  1,  2  ;  1  John  iv.  13,  and  iii.  24.  For  God  to  dwell  with  us, 
argues  much  happiness,  but  for  we  to  dwell  in  God,  this  argues  more 
happiness,  yea,  the  top  of  happiness.  There  is  no  study,  no  care, 
no  wisdom,  no  prudence,  no  understanding,  to  that  which  works  men 
to  make  God  their  habitation.  No  storms,  no  tempests,  no  afflictions, 
no  sufferings,  no  judgments  can  reach  that  man,  or  hurt  that  man,  who 
has  made  God  his  dwelling-place.  He  that  hath  God  for  his  habita- 
tion can  never  be  miserable  ;  and  he  that  hath  not  God  for  his  habi- 
tation can  never  be  happy.  That  God  that  has  once  burnt  you  out 
of  your  habitations  can  again  burn  you  out  of  your  habitations  ;  and 
if  he  should,  how  sad  would  it  be  that  God  has  once  and  again  burnt 
you  out  of  your  habitations,  and  yet  you  have  not  made  him  your 
habitation !  &c.     But, 

15.  The  fifteenth  duty  that  is  incumbent  upon  those  who  have  been 
burnt  up,  is  to  m'tke  sure  an  abiding  city,  a  city  that  hath  founda- 
tions, ivhose  builder  and  maker  is  God  :^  Heb.  xiii.  14,  '  For  here  have 
we  no  continuing  city,  but  we  seek  one  to  come.'  These  words  are  a 
reason  of  his  former  exhortation  to  the  believing  Hebrews  to  renounce 
the  world,  ver.  13,  and  to  take  up  Christ's  cross  and  follow  him  ;  as  is 
clear  by  this  causal  particle  '  for,'  [jap.]  It  is  a  probable  conjec- 
ture made  by  some,  as  Estius  observeth,^  that  St  Paul  speaks  pro- 
I)hetically  of  the  destruction  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  was 
then  at  iiand,  and  tiiat  in  a  short  time  neither  that  city,  nor  the 
country  about  it,  would  be  an  abiiling  place  for  them  ;  but  driven 
from  tlience  they  should  be,  and  be  forced  to  wander  up  and  down  ; 

'  Ponder  Bcriously  on  these  scriptures,  Ts.  xci.  2,  9,  10,  l.xxi.  3,  and  Ivii.  1;  2  Cor.  vi. 
8-10;   Ezfk.  xi.  16. 
*  See  my  TrcutiBC  on  Assurance.     [Vol.  II.,  as  before —0  ]  =  Exposit.  in  loco. 


I 


r 


ISA.   XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  283 

and  therefore  they  were  to  look  for  no  other  abiding  place  but  heaven  ; 
'  Here  we  have  no  continuing  city.'  The  adverb  translated  '  here,' 
[ft)Se,]  is  sometimes  used  for  place,  and  this  more  strictly  for  the  parti- 
cular place  where  one  is — as  for  that  place  where  Peter  was,  when  he 
said,  '  It  is  good  for  us  to  be  here,'  Mat.  xvii.  4, — or  more  largely  for 
the  whole  earth,  and  so  it  is  taken  here,  for  it  is  opposed  to  heaven. 
For  the  present  we  have  no  abiding  city,  but  there  is  an  abiding  city 
to  come,  and  that  is  the  city  which  we  seek  after.  This  earthly  Jeru- 
salem is  no  abiding  city  for  us  ;  this  old  world,  the  glory  of  which  is 
wearing  off,  is  no  abiding  city  for  us  ;  but  Jerusalem  that  is  above,  the 
heavenly  city,  the  city  of  the  great  King,  the  city  of  the  King  of  kings, 
Eev.  xxi.  2,  and  i.  5,  6.  This  world  is  a  wilderness,  and  believers,  as 
pilgrims  and  strangers,  must  pass  through  it  to  their  heavenly  Canaan. 
This  world  is  no  place  for  believers  to  continue  in ;  they  must  pass 
through  it  to  an  abiding  city,  to  a  continuing  city,  to  a  city  that  hath 
foundations:  Heb  xi.  10,  '  For  he  looked  for  a  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God.'  The  plural  number  is 
here  used,  foundations,  [^e/ieXiou?,]  for  emphasis  sake ;  this  city  is 
said  to  have  foundations,  to  shew  that  it  is  a  firm,  stable,  immovable, 
and  enduring  city,  which  the  apostle  opposeth  to  the  tabernacles  or 
tents  wherein  Abraham  and  the  other  patriarchs  dwelt  while  they  were 
on  earth,  which  had  no  foundations,  but  were  movable,  and  carried 
from  place  to  place,  and  easily  pulled  down,  or  overthrown,  or  burnt 
up ;  but  heaven  is  an  immovable,  firm,  stable,  and  everlasting  city. 
Heaven  is  a  city  that  is  built, 

(1.)  Upon  the  foundation  of  God's  eternal  good-will  and  pleasure. 

(2.)  That  is  built  upon  God's  election  to  eternal  glory. 

(3.)  That  is  built  upon  the  foundation  of  Clirist's  eternal  merits  and 
purchase. 

(4.)  That  is  built  upon  the  foundation  of  God's  everlasting  covenant 
of  free,  rich,  infinite,  sovereign,  and  glorious  grace. 

(5.)  That  is  built  upon  the  immutable  stability  of  God's  promise 
and  oath.i  Heaven  is  built  upon  the  foundation  of  great  and  precious 
promises,  and  upon  his  oath  who  is  faithfulness  itself  and  cannot  lie. 
Now,  oh  what  a  strong  cit}^,  what  a  glorious  city,  what  a  continuing 
city,  what  a  lasting,  yea,  what  an  everlasting  city  must  heaven  needs 
be,  that  is  founded  upon  such  strong  and  immovable  foundations  as 
they  are  !  Heaven  hath  foundations,  but  the  earth  hath  none :  the 
earth  hangs  upon  nothing,  as  Job  speaks,  chap.  xxvi.  7 ;  Nineveh, 
Babylon,  Jerusalem,  Athens,  Corinth,  Troy,  and  those  famous  cities  of 
Asia,  were  strong  and  stately  cities  in  their  times  ;  but  where  are  they 
now  ?  Both  Scripture  and  history  doth  sufficiently  evidence  that  in  all 
the  ages  of  the  world  there  hath  been  no  firm,  stable,  or  continuing  city 
to  be  found  :  and  the  divine  wisdom  and  providence  hath  [soj  ordered, 
and  that  partly  to  work  the  sons  of  men  to  put  a  difference  betwixt  the 
things  of  this  world  and  the  things  of  the  world  to  come  ;  and  partly 
to  wean  them  from  the  world,  and  all  the  bravery  and  glory  thereof  ; 
and  partly  to  awaken  them  and  stir  them  up  to  make  sure  a  kingdom 
that  shakes  not,  riches  that  corrupt  not,  an  inheritance  that  fadeth  not 

1  Eph.  i.  3-6  ;  2  Tim.  ii.  10  :  1  Pet.  i.  2-5  ;  Eom.  ix.   11,  and  xi.  5,  7 ;  2  Pet.  i   4  • 
Heb.  vi.  17-20. 


284  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  2'). 

away,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  but  one  eternal  in  the  heavens  ; 
and  a  city  that  hath  foundations,  wiiose  builder  and  maker  is  God, 
Heb.  ii.  5  ;  Col.  iii.  1  ;  Heb.  xii.  28  ;  1  Pet.  i.  4  ;  2  Cor.  v.  1,  2. 
Heaven  is  styled  a  city,  to  set  out  the  excellency,  glory,  and  benefits 
thereof.  The  resemblance  betwixt  heaven  and  a  city  holds  in  these 
respects  among  others: — 

[1.]  First,  A  city  is  a  place  of  safety  and  security  ;  so  is  heaven  a 
place  of  the  greatest  safety  and  security,  Neh.  iii.  1  ;  Jer.  xxxv.  11. 
A  soul  in  heaven  is  a  soul  out  of  gun-shot.  No  devil  shall  there  tempt, 
no  wicked  men  shall  there  assault,  no  fire-balls  shall  be  there  cast  about 
to  disturb  the  peace  of  the  heavenly  inhabitants. 

[2.]  Secondly,  A  city  is  compact,  it  is  made  up  of  many  habitations ; 
so  in  heaven  there  are  many  habitations,  many  mansions,  John  xiv.  2. 
In  our  common  cities  many  times  the  inhabitants  are  much  shut  up 
and  straitened  for  want  of  room  ;  but  in  heaven  there  is  elbow-room 
enough,  not  only  for  God  and  Christ  and  the  angels,  those  glistering 
and  shining  courtiers,  but  also  for  all  believers,  for  all  the  elect  of 
God. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  A  city  hath  sundry  degrees  of  persons  appertaining 
unto  it,  as  chief  magistrates  and  other  officers  of  sundry  sorts,  with  a 
multitude  of  commoners  ;  so  in  heaven  there  is  God  the  Father,  God 
the  Son,  and  God.  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  an  innumerable  company  of 
angels  and  saints,  Heb.  xii.  22,  23. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  In  a  city  you  have  all  manner  of  provisions  and  use- 
ful commodities  ;  so  in  heaven  there  is  nothing  wanting  that  is  needful 
or  useful. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  A  city  hath  laAvs,  statutes,  and  orders  for  the  better 
government  thereof.  It  is  so  in  heaven ;  and  indeed  there  is  no 
government  to  the  government  that  is  in  heaven.  Certainly  there  is 
no  government  that  is  managed  with  that  love,  wisdom,  prudence, 
holiness,  and  righteousness,  &c.,  as  the  government  of  heaven  is  man- 
aged with. 

[()  ]  Sixthly,  Every  city  hath  its  peculiar  jirivileges  and  immunities  ; 
so  it  is  in  heaven.  Heaven  is  a  place  of  the  greatest  privileges  and 
immunities.  Rev.  iii.  12. 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Cities  are  commonly  very  populous;  and  so  is  heaven 
a  very  populous  city,  Dan.  vii.  10 ;  Rev.  v.  11,  and  vii.  9. 

[8.  J  Eigiithly,  None  but  freemen  may  trade,  and  keep  open  shop  in 
a  city ;  so  none  shall  have  anything  to  do  in  heaven,  but  such  whose 
name  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  Rev.  xxi.  27.  Believers 
are  the  only  persons  that  are  enrolled  as  freemen  in  the  records  of  the 
heavenly  city. 

[9  ]  Ninthly,  Cities  are  full  of  earthly  riches  ;  and  so  is  heaven  of 
glorious  riches :  there  are  no  riches  to  the  riches  of  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  Isa.  xxiii.  8  ;  Rev.  xxi.  All  the  riches  of  the  most  famous 
cities  in  the  world  are  but  dross,  brass,  copper,  tin,  &:c.,  to  the  riches 
of  heaven. 

0  sirs,  how  should  the  consideration  of  these  things  work  us  all  to 
look  and  long,  and  to  prc})are  and  fit  for  this  heavenly  city,  this  con- 
tinuing city,  this  city  which  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and 
maker  is  God  !     The  Holy  Ghost  frequently  calling  believers  pilgrims. 


IsA.  XLTI.  24,  25.]        the  late  fiery  dispensation.  285 

sojourners,  strangers,  doth  sufficiently  evidence  that  there  is  no  abid- 
ing for  them  in  this  world,  Heb.  xi.  13;  1  Pet.  ii.  11  ;  Ps.  cxix.  54. 
This  world  is  not  their  country,  their  city,  their  home,  their  habita- 
tion ;  and  therefore  they  are  not  to  place  their  hopes  or  hearts  or  affec- 
tions upon  things  below,  Col.  iii.  1,  2.  Heaven  is  their  chief  city, 
their  best  country,  their  most  desirable  home,  and  their  everlasting 
habitation;  and  therefore  the  hopes,  desires,  breathings,  longings, 
and  workings  of  their  souls  should  still  be  heaven-ward,  glory-ward, 
Luke  xvi.  9  ;  Eev.  xxii.  17.  Oh  when  shall  grace  be  swallowed  up  in 
glory  ?  when  shall  we  take  possession  of  our  eternal  mansions  ?  John 
xiv.  2-4 ;  when  shall  we  be  with  Christ,  which  for  us  is  best  of  all  ? 
Phil.  i.  23.  The  late  fire  hath  turned  all  ranks  and  sorts  of  men  out 
of  the  houses  where  they  once  dwelt,  and  it  will  not  be  long  before 
death  will  turn  the  same  persons  out  of  their  present  habitations,  and 
carry  them  to  their  long  homes.  Death  will  turn  princes  out  of  their 
most  stately  palaces,  and  great  men  out  of  their  most  sumptuous 
edifices,  and  rich  men  out  of  their  most  pleasant  houses,  and  warlike 
men  out  of  their  strongest  castles,  and  poor  men  out  of  their  meanest 
cottages,  Eccles.  xii.  5.  The  prince's  palace,  the  great  man's  edifice, 
the  rich  man's  house,  the  warlike  man's  castle,  and  the  poor  man's 
cottage,  are  of  no  long  continuance.  Oh  how  should  this  awaken  and 
alarm  all  sorts  and  ranks  of  men  to  seek  after  a  city  which  hath  foun- 
dations, to  make  sure  their  interest  in  the  new  Jerusalem  which  is 
above,  in  those  heavenly  mansions  that  no  time  can  wear  nor  flames 
consume !     But, 

16.  Sixteenthly  and  lastly.  Was  London  in  flames  on  the  Lord's 
day  ?  and  was  the  profanation  of  that  day  one  of  those  great  sins  that 
brought  that  dreadful  judgment  of  fire  upon  London,  that  hath  turned 
that  glorious  city  into  a  ruinous  heap  ?  then  oh  that  all  that  have  been 
sufferers  by  thoit  lamentable  fire^  and  all  others  also,  ivould  make  it 
their  business,  their  luork,  their  heaven,  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath  and  to 
keep  it  holy  all  their  days,  that  the  Lord  may  be  no  more  provoked  to 
lay  London  more  desolate  than  it  is  laid  this  day.  Let  it  be  enough 
that  this  day  of  tlie  Lord  hath  been  so  greatly  profaned  by  sinful 
omissions  and  by  sinful  commissions,  by  the  immorality,  debauchery, 
gluttony,  drunkenness,  wantonness,  filthiness,  uncleanness,  rioting, 
revelling,  and  chambering  that  multitudes  were  given  up  to  before  the 
Lord  appeared  against  them  in  that  flaming  fire  that  hath  laid  our 
renowned  city  in  ashes.  Let  it  be  enough  that  the  Lord  has  been 
more  dishonoured  and  blasphemed,  that  Christ  hath  been  more  re- 
proached, despised,  and  refused,  and  that  the  Spirit  hath  been  more 
grieved,  vexed,  provoked,  and  quenched  on  the  Lord's  day,  than  on  all 
the  other  days  of  the  week.  Let  it  be  enough  that  on  this  day  of  the 
Lord  many  have  been  a-playing,  when  they  should  have  been  a-pray- 
ing;  and  that  many  have  been  a-sporting,  when  they  should  have  been 
a-mourning  for  the  afflictions  of  Joseph,  Amos  vi.  6  ;  and  that  many 
have  been  a-courting  of  their  mistresses,  when  they  should  have  been 
a-waiting  on  the  ordinances ;  and  that  many  have  been  sitting  at  their 
doors,  when  they  should  have  been  instructing  of  their  families  ;  and 
that  many  have  been  walking  in  the  fields,  when  they  should  have 
been  a-sighing  and  expostulating  with  God  in  their  closets  ;  and  that 


286  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

many  have  made  that  a  day  of  common  labour,  which  God  hath  made 
to  be  a  day  of"  special  rest  from  sin,  from  the  world,  and  from  their 
particular  callini^s.  Oh  that  all  men  who  have  paid  so  dear  for  pro- 
faning ot  Sabbaths  would  now  bend  all  their  force,  strength,  power, 
and  might  to  sanctify  those  Sabbaths  that  yet  they  may  enjoy  on  this 
side  eternity  !  &c. 

Quest.  But  you  will  reply  upon  me,  How  is  the  Sabbath  to  be 
sanctified  ? 

Ans.  I  shall  endeavour  to  give  a  clear,  full,  and  satisfactory  answer 
to  this  necessary  and  noble  question.     And  therefore  take  me  thus: — 

1.  First,  We  are  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath  hi/  resting  from  all  servile 
labour  and  icorh  on  that  day,  Exod.  xvi.  29,  30 ;  Neh.  xiii.  15-18. 
Exod.  XX.  10,  '  But  the  seventh  day  is  the  sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God: 
in  it  thou  shalt  not  do  any  work  ;  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter, 
thy  man-servant,  nor  thy  maid-servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger 
that  is  within  thy  gates.'  Jer.  xvii.  22,  'Neither  carry  forth  a  bur- 
den out  of  your  houses  on  the  sabbath- day,  neither  do  ye  any  work  ; 
but  hallow  ye  the  sabbath-day,  as  I  commanded  your  fathers.'  Isa. 
Iviii.  13,  '  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  sabbath,  from  doing 
thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day ;  and  call  the  sabbath  a  delight,  the  holy 
of  the  Lord,  honourable;  and  shalt  honour  him,  not  doing  thine  own 
ways,  nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  of  thine  own  words.' 
Here  are  three  things  distinctly  observable  in  the  words: — 

(1.)  Words. 

(2.)  Works. 

(3.)  Pleasure. 

Not  doing  thine  own  ways,  that  is  works ;  not  speaking  thine  own 
words ;  not  finding  thine  own  pleasure.  Now  mark,  we  have  stronger 
reasons  to  engage  us  to  a  stricter  observation  and  sanctification  of  the 
Lord's  day  than  they  had  for  their  Sabbath ;  which  may  be  thus 
evinced : — 

(Not  to  speak  of  their  double  sacrifices.  Num.  xxviii.  9,  10,  upon 
their  Sabbath,  which,  as  some  think,  might  typify  our  double  devotion 
on  the  Lord's  day ;  nor  yet  to  speak  of  those  six  lambs  whereby  others 
conjecture  was  fore-prophesied  the  abundant  services  in  the  time  of 
the  gospel,  Ezek.  xlvi.  1-5.) 

(1.)   First,  Our  motives  are  far  gi-eater,  and  more  efficacious  ;  for, 

[1.]  First,  Our  day  hath  many  privileges  above  theirs.  Witness 
the  honourable  titles  given  to  it  by  holy  and  learned  men — as  the 
queen  of  days,  princess,  principal,  primate,  a  royal  day,  higher  than 
the  highest,  the  first-fruits  of  the  days ;  yea,  saith  Jerome,  tlie  Lord's 
day  is  better  than  any  other  common  day,  than  all  festivals,  new 
moons,  and  Sabballis  of  ]\Ioses.  By  these  titles  it  is  evident  that  the 
ancients  had  tlio  Lord's  day  in  very  high  esteem  and  veneration.  Sirs, 
look,  what  gold  is  among  inferior  metals,  and  wheat  among  other  grain, 
&c.,  the  same  is  the  Lord's  day  above  all  other  days  of  the  week. 

[2.]  Secondly,  Their  Sabbath  was  celebrated  for  the  memorial  of  the 
creation;  ours  for  the  great  ivork  of  redemption.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Theirs  was  celebrated  for  their  deliverance  out  of 
Ey'JI>f  ',  ours  for  our  deliverance  from  hell.  Now  if  the  Jews  were 
bound,  and  that  for  a  whole  day,  not  to  do  their  own  works,  nor  speak 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  287 

their  own  words,  nor  find  their  own  j^leasure ;  how  much  more  solemnity 
belongs  to  our  Lord's  day  !  Oh,  what  a  day  is  the  Lord's-day  !  and 
how  solemnly  and  devoutly  ought  it  to  be  observed  and  sanctified  ! 
But, 

(2.)  Secondly,  We  have  greater  means  and  helps  for  the  sanctification 
of  the  Sabbath  than  the  Jews  had  for  a  long  time,  or  than  the  lyitTnitive 
Christians  had  for  three  hundred  years.  Mark,  the  holy  observation 
of  the  Sabbath  among  them  came  in  by  degrees,  long  after  the  day  was 
settled  ;  and  the  reason  was  this,  because  for  a  good  while  they  had  no 
word  written  to  be  read,  nor  no  synagogues  built  to  read  it  in.  It  was 
well-nigh  a  thousand  years,  or  above  a  thousand  years,  after  the  giving 
of  the  law,  before  the  reading  of  the  law  in  synagogues  came  up.  For 
a  long  time  they  had  no  books  among  them  but  the  five  books  of  Moses  ; 
and  those  books  neither  were  not  well  understood  by  the  common 
people.  And  it  is  further  observable  that  the  children  of  Israel  being 
in  Egypt  under  sore  pressures,  afflictions,  and  cruel  bondage,  &c., 
neither  did  nor  could  keep  the  Sabbath  in  any  solemn  manner,  not 
being  permitted  either  to  rest  or  enjoy  any  solemn  assemblies.  And 
when  they  were  in  their  wilderness  condition,  they  had  many  stations, 
diversions,  and  incursions  of  enemies,  so  that  they  could  not  keep  the 
Sabbath  in  any  solemn  public  manner,  as  afterwards  they  did  when 
they  were  settled  in  peace  and  safety  in  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  so 
the  primitive  Christians,  for  three  hundred  years,  living  under  very 
great  and  violent  persecutions,  they  neither  did  nor  could  keep  the 
Lord's  day  with  that  solemnity  that  they  should  or  would ;  but  as  for 
place,  they  met  not  openly,  but  secretly  in  woods  and  deserts,  and 
holes  and  caves,  and  dens  of  the  earth ;  and  so  for  time,  sometimes 
they  met  in  the  day,  and  often  they  met  in  the  night.  But  as  for  us, 
who  have  lived  and  do  live  in  these  days  of  the  Son  of  man,  what  rare 
means  and  helps,  what  abundance  of  means  and  helps,  what  choice  and 
precious  means  and  helps  have  we  had,  and  still  have,  in  spite  of  all 
oppositions  from  high  or  low,  to  enable  us  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath  ! 
And  oh  that  all  the  means  and  helps  that  we  yet  enjoy  may  be  signally 
blessed  to  that  purpose  !     But, 

(3.)  Thirdly,  The  heathens,  by  the  very  light  of  nature,  held  it  hut 
reasonable  that  the  days  consecrated  to  their  gods  should  totally  he 
observed  loith  rest  and  sanctity.  The  flamens,  which  were  their 
priests,  affirmed  that  the  holy  days  were  polluted  if  any  work  were  done 
upon  the  solemn  days  ;  besides,  it  was  not  lawful  for  the  king  of  the 
sacrifices,  and  the  flamens,  their  priests,  to  see  a  work  done  on  the  holy 
days  ;  and  therefore  by  a  crier  it  was  proclaimed  that  no  such  things 
should  be  done  ;  and  he  that  neglected  the  precept  was  fined  ;  and  be- 
sides the  fine,  he  which  did  aught  unawares  on  such  days  was  to  ofier 
sacrifices  for  expiation.  And  Sceevola,  the  high  priest,  affirmed  that 
the  wilful  offender  could  have  no  expiation,  i  Now  shall  heathens  be 
so  strict  in  the  observation  of  their  holy  days,  and  shall  not  Christians 
be  as  strict  in  their  observation  of  the  Lord's  day  ?  These  heathens 
will  one  day  rise  in  judgment  against  the  slight  observers  and  the  gross 
profaners  of  the  Lord's  day.     But, 

2.  Secondly,  We  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath  by  preparing  ourselves 

1  Macrobius,  lib.  i.,  cap.  16. 


288  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

hcforcliand  for  that  dmj,  and  all  the  d.tdies  of  that  day,  Eccles.  v.  1,2. 
Hence  it  is  that  God  hath  fixed  a  memorandum  upon  this  command, 
more  than  he  hath  upon  any  other  command :  Exod.  xx.  8,  '  Kemem- 
ber  the  sabbath-day,  to  keep  it  holy.'  fSabbath-days  are  our  market- 
days.  Now  men  that  are  worklly  wise,  they  consider  beforehand  what 
to  buy  and  what  to  sell.  The  husbandman  duni^s,  dresses,  ploughs, 
harrows,  and  all  to  prepare  it  for  seed.  '  I  will,'  saith  holy  David, 
'  wash  my  hands  in  innocency  :  so  Avill  I  compass  thine  altar,  0  Lord,' 
Ps.  xxvi.  6  ;  signifyin<2:  that  to  holy  performances  there  ought  to  be 
holy  pre])arations.  Wlien  the  tem])le  was  to  be  built,  the  stones  were 
hewn,  and  the  timber  squared  and  fitted,  before  they  were  brought  to 
the  place  where  the  temple  stood.     The  application  is  easy. 

[1.]  First,  The  Jews  had.  their  preparations:  Mark  xv.  42,  '  And 
now  when  the  even  was  come,  because  it  was  the  i)reparation,'  that  is, 
the  day  before  the  Sabbath,  &c.  Their  pre^iaration  began  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  which  the  Hebrews  called  the  Sabbath  eve. 
The  Jews,  as  I  have  read,  were  so  careful  in  their  preparation  for  the 
Sabbath,  that  to  further  it,  the  best  and  wealthiest  of  them,  even  those 
that  had  many  servants,  and  were  masters  of  families,  would  chop 
herbs,  sweep  the  house,  cleave  wood,  and  kindle  the  fire,  and  do  such 
like  things,  &c. 

[2.]  Secondly,  The  heathens  did  use  to  2^rex>are  themselves  by  a  strict 
kind  of  holiness,  be/ore  they  ivoidd  offer  sacrijices  to  several  of  their 
gods.  They  had,  as  authors  write,  their  stone  pots  of  water  set  at  the 
doors  of  their  temples,  where  they  used  to  wash  before  they  went  to 
sacrifice. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  The  worhs  of  the  day  are  great  and  glorious:  and 
what  excellent  works  are  there  in  nature,  but  requires  some  previous 
preparation  ?  &c. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Consider  the  dignity,  majesty,  authority,  and  purity 
of  that  God  tvifh  lohom  you  have  to  do  in  all  the  duties  of  the  day. 
When  men  are  to  converse  and  treat  with  earthly  princes,  or  to  give 
them  entertainment,  how  do  they  prepare  and  make  ready  !  And  will 
you  carry  it  worse  towards  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  than 
men  do  carry  it  towards  mortal  princes,  whose  breath  is  in  their 
nostrils,  and  whose  glory  shall  assuredly  be  laid  in  the  dust?&c., 
1  Tim.  vi.  15,  16. 

[5. 1  Fifthly,  Consider,  if  you  do  not  prepare  yourselves  beforehand 
for  thcU  day  of  the  Lord,  and  all  the  duties  of  that  day,  lohat  difference 
ivill  there  be  beticeen  you  and  the  ivcyrst  of  hypocrites,  formalists,  super- 
stitious, or  profane  2:)ersons,  who  rush  upon  holy  duties  as  the  horse 
rushefh  into  the  battle?  Dost  thou  dress  up  thy  house,  thy  husband, 
thyself,  thy  children  ?  so  do  the  worst  of  persons.  If  you  do  not  pre- 
pare for  the  duties  of  the  day,  and  to  meet  with  God  in  those  duties, 
what  singular  thing  do  ye  ?  Mat.  v.  27. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Consider  what  blessed  earnings  you  have  made  on 
those  Sabbaths  ivherein  you  have  been  prepared  to  meet  ivith  the  Lord, 
and  to  manage  the  duties  of  those  days.  Oh  the  joy,  the  peace,  the 
comfort,  the  communion,  the  satisfaction,  the  enlargements,  that  you 
have  then  met  with  !  And,  on  the  other  hand,  consider  what  poor 
earnings  you  have  made  of  it,  when  you  have  been  careless  and  rash, 


I 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  289 

and  have  not  prepared  yourselves  for  the  duties  of  the  day,  and  for  the 
enjoyment  of  God  in  those  duties.  Oh  how  flat,  how  cokl,  how  dull, 
how  dead,  how  straitened,  have  you  been  on  those  Sabbaths  wherein 
you  have  not  prepared  to  meet  with  the  Lord  !  &c. 

Quest.  But  you  may  say,  Wherein  doth  our  preparation  for  the  Sab- 
bath consist  ? 

Ans.  In  these  three  things : — 

[1.]  First,  In  a  holy  care,  so  to  order  oil  our  ivorldhj  business  and 
affaws  on  the  day  he/ore,  that  they  may  not  increase  iijjon  2is  on  the 
LoixVs  day,  to  troiihle  us  or  distract  us  in  the  duties  of  that  day. 

[2.]  Secondly,  In  putting  iniquity  far  from  you,  in  Haying  aside  all 
supeifiuity  of  naughtiness,  that  you  may  receive  the  engrafted  luord 
loith  meekness,  ivhich  is  able  to  save  your  souls:'  Job  xi.  14, 15  ;  James 
i.  21.  When  the  vessel  is  unclean,  it  sours  quickly  the  sweetest 
liquors  that  are  poured  into  it.  And  so  when  the  heart  is  filthy  and 
unclean,  it  loses  all  the  good  it  might  otherwise  gain  by  ordinances. 
If  the  stomach  be  foul,  it  must  be  purged  before  it  be  fed,  or  else  the 
meat  will  never  nourish  and  strengthen  nature,  but  increase  ill 
humours.  So  the  souls  of  men  must  be  purged  from  foul  enormities 
and  gross  impieties,  or  else  they  will  never  gain  any  saving  good  by 
ordinances  :  2  Tim.  ii.  21,  '  If  a  man  therefore  purge  himself  from 
these,  he  shall  be  a  vessel  unto  honour,  sanctified  and  meet  for  the 
Master's  use,  and  prepared  unto  every  good  work,'  &c. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  In  acting  your  graces  in  all  the  duties  of  the  day. 
Sleepy  habits  will  do  you  no  good,  nor  bring  God  no  glory :  all  the 
honour  he  hath,  and  all  the  comfort  and  advantage  you  have,  is  from 
the  active  part  of  grace,  Isa.  1.  10,  and  therefore  you  nmst  still  be 
a-stirring  up  the  grace  of  God  that  is  in  you :  2  Tim.  i.  6,  '  Stir  up 
the  gift  of  God  that  is  in  thee.'  I  know  the  apostle  speaks  of  the 
ministerial  gift ;  but  it  is  as  true  of  the  work  of  grace  :  for  the  Greek 
word  ')(apL(Tixa  signifies  grace,  as  well  as  gift.  '  Stir  up  the  grace  of 
God  in  thee.'  Mark  the  phrase,  it  is  a  remarkable  phrase  ;  for  in  the 
original  it  is  to  blow  up  thy  grace,  ^Avat^wTrvpelv,  just  as  a  man  blows 
up  a  fire  that  grows  dull,  or  is  hid  under  the  ashes  :  blow  up  the  grace 
of  God  in  thee.  Some  think — Calvin  and  others — that  it  is  a  meta- 
phor taken  from  a  spark  kept  in  ashes,  which  by  gentle  blowing  is 
stirred  up  till  it  take  a  flame.  Others  say  it  is  an  allusion  to  the 
fire  in  the  temple,  which  was  always  to  be  kept  burning.  Look,  as  the 
fire  is  increased  and  preserved  by  blowing,  so  are  our  graces  preserved 
and  increased  by  our  acting  of  them.  We  get  nothing  by  dead  and 
useless  habits.  Talents  hid  in  a  napkin  gather  rust.  Look,  as  the 
noblest  faculties  are  imbased  when  they  are  not  improved,  when  they 
are  not  exercised ;  so  the  noblest  graces  are  imbased  when  they  are  not 
improved,  when  they  are  not  exercised.  Grace  is  bettered  and  made  more 
perfect  by  acting.  Neglect  of  our  graces  is  the  ground  of  their  decrease 
and  decay.  Wells  are  the  sweeter  for  drawing,  and  so  are  our  graces  for 
acting.  We  had  need  pray  hard  with  the  spouse.  Cant.  iv.  16, '  Awake,  0 
north  wind  ;  and  come,  thou  south  ;  blow  upon  my  garden,  that  the 
spices  thereof  may  flow  out.  Let  my  beloved  come  into  his  garden, 
and  eat  his  pleasant  fruit.'  Satan's  grand  design  is  not  to  keep  men 
from  going  the  round  of  duties,  nor  yet  to  keep  men  from  attending 

VOL.  VI.  T 


290  London's  lamentations  on         [Isa  XLII.  24,  25. 

on  ordinances,  but  liis  <2;rand  dcsif^n  is  to  hinder  the  exercise  of  grace. 
All  other  exercises  without  the  exercise  of  grace  will  do  a  Christian 
no  good,  as  you  may  see  by  comparing  the  scri()tures  in  the  margin 
together.!  The  more  grace  is  exercised,  the  more  corruptions  will  be 
weakened  and  mortified.  As  one  bucket  in  the  w^ell  rises  up,  the  other 
goes  down  ;  so  as  grace  rises  higher  and  higher,  corruptions  fall  lower 
and  lower.  There  was  two  laurels  at  Kome,  and  when  the  one  flour- 
ished, the  other  withered;  so  where  grace  flourishes,  corruptions  wither. 
As  the  house  of  David  grew  stronger  and  stronger,  so  the  house  of  Saul 
grew  weaker  and  weaker,  2  Sam.  iii.  1.  So  as  grace  in  its  exercise 
grows  stronger  and  stronger,  so  sin,  like  the  house  of  Saul,  will  every 
day  grow  w^eaker  and  weaker.  If  you  keep  not  grace  in  exercise,  it 
may  most  fail  you  when  it  should  stand  you  most  in  stead,  Mark  iv.  40. 
If  a  man  uses  a  knife  but  now  and  then,  he  may  have  his  knife  to  seek 
when  he  should  use  it.  That  sword  grows  rusty  in  the  scabbard  that 
is  used  but  now  and  then.     You  know  how  to  apply  it.     But, 

3.  Thirdly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  looking  upon  the 
enjoyment  of  Sabbaths  and  ordinances  as  your  great  happiness,  hy 
looking  upon  every  duty  as  your  dignity^  and  by  looking  upon  every 
ivork  of  that  day  as  carrying  a  reicard  ivith  it,  Prov.  viii.  34,  35 ; 
Ps.  xxvii.  4,  xlii.  1-5,  and  Ixiii.  1-3.  Ps.  xix.  11,  '  And  in  keeping  of 
them  there  is  great  reward :'  not  only /or  keeping,  but  also  m  keeping 
of  God's  commands  there  is  great  reward.  A  gracious  soul  would 
not  exchange  the  joy,  the  peace,  the  comfort,  the  assurance,  the  com- 
munion, the  delight,  the  satisfaction  that  it  enjoys  in  the  ways  of 
obedience,  before  pay-day  comes,  before  the  crown  be  put  on,  before 
the  full  reward  is  given  out,  for  all  the  crowns  and  kingdoms  of  this 
world.  David  was  a  king,  a  great  and  glorious  king,  yea,  the  best 
king  in  all  the  world,  and  yet  he  esteemed  it  as  a  very  high  honour  to 
be  the  lowest  officer,  a  door-keeper  in  God's  house :  Ps.  Ixxxiv.  10, 
'  A  day  in  thy  courts  is  better  than  a  thousand ;  I  had  rather  be  a 
door-keeper  in  the  house  of  my  God' — or  I  had  rather  sit  at  the 
threshold,  as  the  Hebrew  runs — '  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wicked- 
ness.' 1  Kings  X.  8,  '  Happy  are  thy  men,  ha})py  are  these  thy  servants, 
which  stand  continually  before  thee,  and  that  hear  thy  wisdom,'  said 
the  queen  of  Sheba  concerning  Solomon's  servants.  Oh,  then,  how 
many  thousand  times  more  happy  are  they  who  hear  Christ  in  his 
ordinances,  who  see  Christ  in  his  ordinances,  and  who  enjoy  Christ  in 
his  ordinances  on  his  own  day !  Of  all  days  the  Sabbath-day  is  the 
day  wherein  Christ  carries  his  people  into  his  wine-cellar,  wherein  he 
brings  them  to  his  banqueting-house,  and  his  banner  over  them  is 
love.  This  is  the  day  wherein  he  stays  his  people  with  flagons,  and 
comforts  them  with  ajiplcs,  and  wherein  his  left  hand  is  under  their 
head,  and  his  right  hand  doth  embrace  them.  Cant.  ii.  4-6.  Oh  the 
sweet  communion,  the  sweet  discoveries,  the  sweet  incomes,  and  that 
blessed  presence,  and  those  glorious  answers  and  returns  of  prayer 
that  the  saints  have  had  on  Sabbath-days  !  Christ  in  his  ordinances 
on  tlie  Sabbath-day  doth,  as  Mary,  open  a  box  of  precious  ointment, 
which  ditfuseth  a  spiritual  savour  among  them  that  fear  him.  Though 
many  slight  ordinances,  and  many  deny  ordinances,  and  many  oppose 

'  Liike.Nxii.  CI   3:3;  1  Tim.  iv.  S  ;  lia.  Iviii.  1-S;  Nch.  vii.  4-6. 


ISA.  XLII  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  291 

ordinances,  and  many  fall  off  from  ordinances,  and  many  ])rctend  to 
live  above  ordinances,  and  under  that  pretence  vilify  the  ordinances  as 
poor,  low,  weak  things,  yet  the  beauty  and  glory  of  God  s  ordinances 
will  one  day  convince  the  world  of  the  excellency  of  the  saints  :  Ezek. 
xxxvii.  26-28,  '  I  will  set  my  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them  for  ever- 
more. My  tabernacle  also  shall  be  with  them  ;  yea,  I  will  be  their 
God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.  And  the  heathen  shall  know  that 
I  the  Lord  do  sanctify  Israel,  when  my  sanctuary  shall  be  in  the  midst 
of  them  for  evermore.'  i  I  doubt  not  but  there  are  many  thousands  of 
the  precious  servants  of  the  Lord  who  are  able  to  tell  this  poor,  blind, 
dark  world,  from  their  experience,  that  they  have  seen,  and  felt,  and 
tasted,  and  enjoyed  more  of  God  in  his  ordinances  on  this  day  than 
ever  they  have  enjoyed  on  any  other  day.     But, 

4.  Fourthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  hy  rising  as  early  in 
tJie  morning  as  your  age,  strength,  health,  and  ability,  and  bodily 
infirmities  loill  permit,  Ps.  cxxxix  18 ;  Gen.  xxii.  3 ;  Job  i.  5.  Abraham 
rose  up  early  in  the  morning  to  offer  up  his  only  son  ;  and  Job  rose 
up  early  in  the  morning  to  offer  up  burnt-offerings.  So  David,  '  My 
voice  slialt  thou  hear  in  the  morning.  0  Lord,  in  the  morning  will  I 
direct  my  prayer  unto  thee' — or  marshal  my  prayer,  as  the  Hebrew 
runs — '  and  will  look  up' — or  will  look  out  as  a  watchman  looks  out  of 
his  watch-tower  to  discover  an  approaching  enemy.  So  Ps.  cxxx.  6, 
'  My  soul  waiteth  for  the  Lord  more  than  they  that  watch  for  the 
morning :  I  say,  more  than  they  that  watch  for  the  morning.'  Ps. 
Ixxxviii,  13,  'In  the  morning  shall  my  prayer  prevent  thee.'  That 
this  may  the  more  work,  and  the  better  stick,  seriously  consider  of 
these  hints,  &c. : — 

[1.]  First,  God  is  the  first  being,  and  therefore  of  right  deserveth 
to  be  served  first,  Dan.  vii.  22,  and  ii.  20-22.  If  you  can  find  any 
being  before  the  being  of  that  God,  who  is  blessed  for  ever,  let  that 
being  be  served  first:  if  not — as  I  am  sure  you  cannot — then  let  the 
first  being  be  first  served.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  As  God  is  the  first  being,  so  he  is  the  best  being :  he 
is  the  choicest  and  chiefest  good  ;  and  therefore  ought  to  be  first  minded 
and  served,  Ps.  iv.  6,  Ixxiii.  25,  and  cxliv.  15.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  As  God  is  the  best  being,  so  he  is  the  greatest  being : 
as  he  is  the  choicest  and  chiefest  good,  so  he  is  the  greatest  good,  the 
greatest  majesty,  the  greatest  authority ;  and  therefore  he  ought  to  be 
first  served,  Mai.  i.  14.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  God  gives  the  greatest  reivards,  and  the  fullest  re- 
wards, and  therefore  he  ought  to  be  served  first,  Ps.  xix.  11 ;  Mat. 
V.  12 ;  2  John  8.  He  gives  '  a  crown  of  righteousness,'  2  Tim.  iv.  8  ; 
'a  crown  of  life,'  Kev.  ii.  10;  'a  crown  of  glory,'  James  i.  12;  'a 
crown  of  immortality.'  What  have  not  men  done,  what  won't  men  do, 
what  don't  men  do  for  earthly  crowns  ?  A  crown  is  the  top  of  royalty ; 
and  how  many  princes  have  swam  through  the  blood  of  thousands  to 
their  earthly  crowns  !  Oh  how  much  more  active  for  God  should 
that  glorious  crown  make  us,  which  he  has  laid  up  for  all  that  love 
him !     But, 

^  Many  in  these  daj'S  are  like  old  Barzillai,  that  had  lost  his  taste  and  hearing,  and 
so  cared  not  for  David's  feasts  and  music,  2  Sam.  xix.  25. 


292  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Christ  rose  early  in  the  morniyig  before  day,  and  icent 
into  a  solitary  place  to  ^Jra?/;  and  why  sliould  not  ice  make  it  our  busi- 
ness, our  ivork,  our  heaven,  to  ivrite  after  so  noble  a  copy?  Mark  i.  35,  36. 
"We  cannot  glorify  Christ  more  than  by  our  conformity  to  him,  than  by 
imitating  of  tho.se  blessed  jjatterns  that  he  hath  set  before  us.     But, 

[G.J  vSixtiily  and  lastly,  The  children  of  Israel  rose  up  early  in  the 
niwrninfi  on  the  Sabbath-day,  to  offtr  up  burnt- offerings  and  peace- 
offerings  to  an  idol,  Exod.  xxxii.  4-G.  So  ])apists,  Turks,  and 
heathens  are  early  in  the  mornings  at  their  devotions ;  and  the  harlot 
ri.ses  early  in  the  morning  to  trepan  the  lustful  youth :  Prov.  vii,  15, 
'  Therefore  came  I  forth  to  meet  thee,  diligently  to  seek  thee' — or,  ns 
it  runs  in  the  Hebrew,  '  In  the  morning  came  I  forth  to  meet  thee.' 
Kow  how  should  this  put  Christians  to  a  holy  blush,  to  see  the  very 
basest  and  worst  of  people  to  take  more  ])ains  to  go  to  hell  than  them- 
selves do  to  go  to  heaven.  Shall  they  rise  early  to  serve  their  idols ; 
and  shall  not  we  rise  early  to  serve  our  God,  and  save  our  souls  ?  0 
sirs,  did  you  but  love  Christ  more,  and  Sabbaths  more,  and  duties  more, 
you  would  then  be  more  early  in  yom*  communion  with  God,  as  the 
spouse  was,  Cant.  vii.  11,  12.  Mary  Magdalene  loved  Christ  much: 
Luke  vii.  47,  anil  she  came  early  to  the  sepulchre  to  seek  him.  She 
came  to  look  after  Christ  as  soon  as  it  began  to  dawn.  Mat.  xxviii.  1 ; 
Mark  xvi.  1,  2  ;  Luke  xxiv.  1  ;  John  xx,  1.  Men  that  love  the  world 
can  rise  early  to  gain  the  world.  Now  shall  nature  do  more  than 
grace  ?  Shall  ihe  love  of  the  world  outdo  the  love  of  Christ  ?  The 
Lord  forbid.  And  thus  I  have  done  with  those  considerations  that 
should  quicken  you  up  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  rising  as  earl}'  in 
the  morning  as  your  age,  health,  strength,  ability,  and  bodily  infirmi- 
ties will  permit.     But, 

5.  Fifthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  a  religious  perfoi^m- 
ance  of  all  the  duties  of  the  day. 

Quest.  What  are  they  ? 

Ans.  (1.)  Public. 

(2.)  Private. 

Quest.  What  are  the  public  duties  that  are  to  be  performed  on  that 
day? 

[1.]  First,  To  assemble  yourselves  luith  the  people  of  God  to  hear 
his  word,  Neh.  viii.  1-9  ;  Mat.  xiii,  54  ;  Joel  i.  13,  14  ;  Luke  iv.  16, 
17  ;  John  xx.  19,  26  ;  Acts  ii.  1,  44,  46,  and  v.  12 ;  1  Cor.  xi.  20. 

[2.]  Secondly,  Prayer,  Ps.  v.  7,  xHi.  4.  and  cxviii.  24-26  ;  Isa.  Ivi. 
7  ;  Mat.  xxi.  13  ;  Acts  i.  13,  14,  ii.  46,  47,  and  xvi.  13  ;  Heb. 
xiii.  15. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  The  administrations  of  the  seals,  Acts  ii.  46,  and  xx. 
7  ;  1  Cor.  xi.  20,  33. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Singing  of  psalms,  hymns,  or  spiritual  songs,  Ps. 
xcii.  1  ;  Mat.  xxvi.  30;  1  Cor.  xiv.  15;  James  v.  13;  Heb.  ii.  12. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Works  of  mercy  and  charity,'^  eh.  viii.  9-12;  1  Cor. 
xvi.  1,  2. 

[6.]  Sixthly  and  lastly.  The  ccnsitres  of  the  Church,  as  casting  out 
of  communion  the  obstinate,  and  in  receiving  such  into  communion  as 
the  Lord  hath  received  into  commum'on  and  fellowship  with  himself, 
1  Tim.  v.  20,  21 ;  1  Cor.  v.  4;  2  Cor.  ii.  6,  7  ;  Rom.  xiv.  1,  and  xv.  7,  <fcc. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  293 

Quest.  What  are  the  private  duties  that  are  to  be  performed  on  that 
day? 

Ans.  [1.]  First,  Prayer  «7i  our  families  and  closets,  Col.  iii.  17; 
Luke  xviii.  1,  2;  1  Thes.  v.  18;  Eph.  vi.  18.  See  my  treatise  on 
Closet  Prayer,  &c.i 

[2.]  Secondly,  Reading  of  the  zuord,  Josh.  i.  8 ;  Deut.  vi.  6,  8-10, 
xi.  19,  and  iv.  10  ;  John  v.  3.5  ;  Col.  iii.  16  ;  Kev.  i.  3. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Meditation,  Ps.  i.  2,  and  cxix.  97 ;  1  Cor.  xiv.  5  ;  1 
Tim.  ii.  11,  18. 

Quest.  But  on  what  must  we  meditate  ? 

Ans.  (1.)   Upon  the  holiness,  greatness,  and  graciousness  of  God. 

(2.)  Upo7i  the  person,  natures,  offices,  excellencies,  beauties,  glories, 
riches,  fulness,  and  sweetness  of  Christ. 

(3.)    Upon  the  blessed  truths  that  ive  either  hear  or  read. 

(4.)  Upon  our  own  emptiness,  nothingness,  baseness,  vileness,  and 
unworthiness. 

(5.)    Upon  the  loorks  of  creation  and  redemption. 

(6.)   Upon  our  spiritucd  and  internal  ivants. 

(7.)  Upon  that  eternal  rest  that  is  reserved  for  the  people  of  God, 
Heb.  iv.  9. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Instructing,  examining,  and  preparing  of  your  fami- 
lies, according  to  the  measures  of  grace  you  have  received,  Deut.  vi.  7, 
and  xi.  18,  20 ;  Gen.  xviii.  19,  20 ;  Josh.  xxiv.  15. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  Singing  of  psalms,  James  v.  13;  Col.  iii.  16;  Eph.  v. 
19. 

[6]  Sixthly,  Holy  conference  upon  the  word,  Luke  xiv.  8-12,  15, 
16,  and  xxiv.  14,  17,  18  ;  Col.  iv.  6  ;  Mai.  iii.  16,  17,  &c. 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Visitiiig  and  relieving  the  sick,  the  p)oor,  the  dis- 
tressed, afflicted,  and  imprisoned  saints  of  God,  Mat.  xv.  34-40  ;  James 
i.  27,  &c.' 

Now  mark,  when  the  public  ordinances  may  be  enjoyed  in  Christ's 
way,  and  in  their  liberty,  purity,  and  glory,  it  will  be  your  wisdom  so  to 
manage  all  your  family  duties  and  closet  duties,  as  that  you  do  not 
shut  out  more  public  worship.  It  is  more  observable  that  the  Sab- 
baths and  public  service  are  joined  together:  Lev.  xix.  30,  '  Ye  shall 
keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my  sanctuary :  I  am  the  Lord.' 
Now  what  God  hath  solemnly  '  joined  together,  let  no  man  put 
asunder.'  Every  Christian  should  make  it  his  great  care  that  private 
duties  do  not  eat  up  public  ordinances,  and  that  public  ordinances  do 
not  shut  out  private  duties.  More  of  this  you  may  see  in  my  discourse 
on  Closet  Prayer.^     But, 

6.  Sixthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  managing  all  the  duties 
of  that  day  as  under  the  eye  of  God.^  God's  eye  is  very  much  upon 
his  people  whilst  they  are  in  religious  duties  and  services.  Therefore, 
in  the  tabernacle,  the  place  of  God's  public  worship,  it  was  thus  com- 
manded, Exod.  XXV.  37,  '  Thou  shalt  make  seven  lamps,  and  they  shall 
light  the  lamps,  that  they  may  give  light:'  to  teach  us  that  nothing 
there  escapes  his  sight ;  for  in  his  house  there  is  always  light :  and  so 

1  Vol.  II..  as  before.— G.  "  Vol.  II.,  as  before.— G. 

=»  God  is  totus  oculus,  all  eye.  As  the  eyes  of  a  well-drawn  picture  are  fastened  on  thee 
which  way  soever  thou  turnest,  so  are  the  eyes  of  the  Lord. 


294  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

"svhen  the  temple  was  built,  '  Mine  ej-es,'  saith  God,  '  shall  be  there 
j)erpotually,'  1  Kings  ix.  3.  It  was  an  excellent  saying  of  Ambrose, ^ 
'  If  thou  canst  not  hide  thyself  from  the  sun,  which  is  God's  njinister 
of  light,  how  impossible  will  it  be  to  hide  thyself  from  him  whose  eyes 
are  ton  thousand  times  brighter  than  the  sun!'  ^Subjects  will  carry 
themselves  sweetly  and  loyally  wlien  they  are  under  their  sovereign  s 
eye  ;  and  children  will  carry  themselves  dutifully  when  they  are  under 
their  jjarents'  eye ;  and  servants  will  carry  themselves  wisely  and  pru- 
dently when  they  are  under  their  minister's-  eye.  God's  eye  is  the  best 
tutor  to  keep  the  soul  in  a  gracious  frame.  It  is  good  to  have  a  fixed 
eye  on  him  whose  e3'e  is  always  fixed  on  thee,  Job  xxxi.  5,  6  ;  Prov. 
XV.  9,  and  v.  21.  The  best  way  on  earth  to  keep  close  to  God's  pre- 
cepts, is  always  to  walk  as  in  his  presence.  No  man  on  earth,  by  day 
or  night,  can  draw  a  curtain  between  God  and  him.  There  is  a  three- 
fold eye  of  God  that  is  present  in  the  assemblies  of  his  people.     As, 

[1.]  First,  There  is  the  eye  of  observatioii  and  ijisjjectmi.  God 
seeth  Avhat  uprightness  and  seriousness,  what  integrity,  ingenuity,  and 
fervency  you  have  in  his  services.  '  Mine  eyes  are  upon  all  their 
ways,'  Jer.  xvi.  17.  Ps.  xvi.  8,  '  I  have  set  the  Lord  always  before 
me.'  Ps.  cxix.  1G8,  'I  have  kept  thy  precepts  and  thy  testimonies: 
for  all  my  ways  are  before  thee.'  Job  xxxi.  4,  '  Doth  not  he  see  all 
my  ways,  and  count  all  my  steps  ?'  0  sirs,  whether  you  are  praying, 
or  hearing,  or  reading,  or  meditating,  or  singing,  or  receiving  the 
Lord's  su})per,  or  conferring  one  with  another,  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is 
still  upon  you,  Mai.  iii.  17.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  There  is  an  eye  of  favour  and  benediction:  Amos 
ix.  4,  'I  will  set  mine  eyes  upon  them  for  good.'  2  Chron.  vii.  16, 
*  Mine  eye  and  my  heart  shall  be  there  ;'  that  is,  in  my  house.  God's 
eye  is  here  to  approve,  and  to  bless,  and  to  increase  the  graces,  the 
comforts,  the  communions,  and  the  enjoyments  of  his  people.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  There  is  the  eye  of  furij  and  indignation.  God's 
looks  can  speak  his  anger,  as  well  as  his  blows.  His  fury  is  visible 
by  his  frowns.  '  Mine  eyes  shall  be  upon  them  for  evil.'  God's  sight 
can  wound  as  deeply  as  his  sword.  '  He  sharpeneth  his  eyes  upon 
me,'  saith  Job,  chap.  xvi.  9.  Wild  beasts,  when  they  fight,  whet 
their  eyes  as  well  as  their  teeth.  '  He  sharpeneth  his  eyes  upon  me,' 
as  if  he  would  stab  me  to  the  heart  with  a  glance  of  his  eye.  He 
that  waits  on  Gotl  irreverently,  or  worships  him  carelessly,  or  that 
profaneth  his  day,  cither  by  corporal  labour  or  spiritual  idleness,  may 
well  expect  an  eye  of  fury  to  be  fixed  upon  him,  Jer.  xvii.  27;  Ezek. 
xxii.  26,  31.     But, 

7.  Seventhly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  pressiiig  after 
immediate  communion  toiih  God  and  Christ  in  all  the  duties  of  the 
day,  Ps.  xxvii.  4,  xlii.  1,  2,  xliii.  4,  Ixiii.  1,  2,  and  Ixxxiv.  1,  2.  Oh 
do  not  take  up  in  duties,  or  ordinances,  or  privileges,  or  enlargements, 
or  meltings,  but  ])ress  hard  after  intimate  communion  with  God  in 
all  you  do.  Let  no  duty  satisfy  thy  soul  without  communion  with 
God  in  it:  Cant.  vii.  5,  '  The  king  is  held  in  the  galleries,'  that  is,  in 
his  ordinances.  The  galleries,  tlie  ordinances,  without  King  Jesus 
be  enjoyed  in  them,  will  never  satisfy  the  spouse  of  Christ,  Cant.  iii. 

'  .\mlirosc  Offic,  lib.  i.  cap.  14.  '  Query,  '  master's'? -Ed. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  295 

1-4.  What  is  a  purse  without  money,  or  a  table  without  meat,  or  a 
ship  without  a  pilot,  or  a  fountain  without  water,  or  the  body  without 
the  soul,  or  the  sun  without  light,  or  the  cabinet  without  the  jewels? 
no  more  are  all  ordinances  and  duties  to  a  gracious  soul  without  the 
enjoyment  of  God  in  them,i  2  Kings  ii.  13, 14.  Moses  had  choice  com- 
munion with  Grod  in  the  mount,  and  that  satisfied  him.  The  disciples 
had  been  with  Jesus,  and  this  was  a  spring  of  joy  and  life  unto  them : 
John.  XX.  20,  '  Then  were  the  disciples  glad,  when  they  saw  the  Lord.' 
'  Here  is  the  mantle  of  Elijah,  but  where  is  the  God  of  Elijah  ?'  said 
Elisha.  So  saith  a  gracious  soul,  here  is  this  ordinance  and  that  or- 
dinance, but  where  is  the  God  of  the  ordinance?  Ps.  ci.  2, '  Oh  when  wilt 
thou  come  unto  me  ?'  0  Lord,  I  come  to  one  ordinance  and  another 
ordinance,  but  when  wilt  thou  come  to  me  in  the  ordinance  ?  when 
shall  I  be  so  happy  as  to  enjoy  thyself  in  the  ordinances  that  I  enjoy  ? 
The  waggons  that  Joseph  sent  to  fetch  his  father  were  the  means  of 
bringing  Joseph  and  his  father  together.  All  the  ordinances  should 
be  as  so  many  waggons,  to  bring  Christ  and  our  souls  nearer  together. 
Man's  summum  honum  stands  in  his  communion  with  God,  as  Scrip- 
ture and  experience  evidences. 

8.  Eighthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  labouring  after 
the  highest  pitches  of  grace  a7id  holiness  on  this  day.  Every  Christian 
should  labour  after  an  angelical  holiness  on  this  day ;  on  this  day 
every  saint  should  walk  like  an  earthly  angel,  Isa.  Iviii.  13.  Mark, 
the  Sabbath  is  not  only  called  holy,  but  holiness  to  the  Lord :  Exod. 
xxxi,  15,  '  Six  days  may  work  be  done,  but  in  the  seventh  is  the 
sabbath  of  rest,  holy  to  the  Lord'— or  as  the  Hebrew  runs,  '  holiness  to 
the  Lord  ; '  which  shews  that  the  day  is  exceeding  holy,  and  ought  to 
be  kept  accordingly.  The  sacrifices  on  this  day  was  to  be  double  : 
Num.  xxviii.  9,  "'  And  on  the  sabbath-day  two  lambs  of  the  first 
year  without  spot,  and  two  tenth  deals  of  flour  for  a  meat-offering, 
mingled  with  oil,  and  the  drink-offering  thereof.'  The  sacrifices  here 
appointed  for  every  Sabbath-day  are  full  double  to  those  appointed 
for  every  day,  ver.  3 ;  and  yet  the  daily  sacrifices,  the  continual  burnt- 
ofiering,  ver.  10,  was  not  omitted  on  the  Sabbath-day  neither.  So 
that  every  Sabbath,  in  the  morning,  there  was  offered  one  lamb  for 
the  daily  sacrifice,  and  then  two  lambs  more  for  the  Sabbath :  and 
this  was  appointed, 

[1.]  To  shew  the  holiness  of  that  day  above  other  days;  and  that 
God  required  more  service  from  them  on  that  day  than  he  did  on  any 
other  day. 

[2.]  Secondly,  To  testify  their  thankfulness  for  the  world's  creation, 
Exod.  XX.  11. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  To  put  them  in  remembrance  of  God's  bringing  them 
out  of  Egypt  by  a  mighty  hand,  and  by  a  stretched-out  arm,  Deut. 
V.  15. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  For  a  sign  of  their  sanctification  by  the  Lord,  Ezek. 
XX.  12 ;  Heb.  iv. 

[5.]  Fifthly  and  lastly,  For  to  be  a  figure  of  grace,  and  a  sign  of 

'  The  sea  ebbs  and  flows,  the  moon  increases  and  decreases;  so  it  is  with  saints  in 
their  communion  with  God  in  ordinances.  Sometimes  they  rise,  and  sometimes  they 
fall  ;  sometimes  they  have  more,  and  sometimes  less  communion  with  God. 


296  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

that  rest  in  heaven  that  Christ  hatli  purchased  for  his  people  with 
his  dearest  bhiod.  Now  mark,  as  this  day  was  a  sign  of  more  than 
ordinary  favours  from  the  Lord,  so  he  required  greater  testimonies  of 
their  thaukfuhiess  and  holiness  on  this  day  than  he  did  on  any  other  day. 
Every  d;iy  should  be  a  Sabbath  to  the  saints,  in  regard  of  their  ceasing 
to  do  evil,  and  learning  to  do  well,  but  on  the  seventh-day-Sabbath, 
our  duties  anil  services  should  be  doubled.  In  Ps.  xcii.,  which  psalm 
is  titled  a  Psalm  for  the  Sabbath,  there  is  mention  made  of  morning 
and  evening  i)erformances.  The  variety  of  duties  that  are  to  be  per- 
formed on  this  day  may  very  well  take  up  the  whole  day  with  delight 
and  pleasure.  On  this  day,  in  a  more  especial  manner,  we  should 
labour  to  do  the  will  of  God  on  earth,  as  the  angels  and  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect  do  it  now  in  heaven,  Heb.  xii.  22,  23 — viz.,  wisely, 
freely,  readily,  cheerfully,  faithfully,  seriously,  universally,  and  un- 
weariedly.  If  we  are  not  wanting  to  ourselves,  God  on  this  day  will 
give  out  nuich  of  himself,  and  much  of  his  Christ,  and  much  of  his 
S})irit,  and  much  of  his  grace  into  our  souls.     But, 

9.  Ninthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  hy  managhig  all  the 
duties  of  the  day  ivifh  inioard.  reverence,  seriousness,  and  spiritnahiess, 
John  iv.  23,  24.  It  is  the  pleasure  of  God  that  we  reverence  his  sanc- 
tuary :  Lev.  xix.  3U,  '  Ye  shall  keep  my  sabbaths,  and  reverence  my 
sanctuary:  I  am  the  Lord.'  Twice  in  this  chapter  the  observation  of 
the  Sabbath  is  commanded,  that  it  may  be  the  better  remembered,  and 
that  men  may  know  that  it  is  not  enough  to  rest  on  that  day,  but  that 
rest  must  be  sanctified  by  a  reverent  management  of  all  their  soul- 
concernments  in  all  our  drawings  ni":h  to  God.  We  must  look  that  our 
hearts  lie  under  a  holy  awe  and  dread  of  his  presence.  To  the  com- 
mandment of  sanctifying  God's  Sabbath,  this  of  reverencing  his  sanc- 
tuary is  joined,  because  the  Sabbaths  were  the  chief  times  whereon  they 
resorted  to  the  sanctuary.  Gen.  xxviii.  16,  17. 

The  Jews  made  a  great  stir  about  reverencing  the  temple.  They 
tell  us  that  they  were  not  to  go  in  with  a  staff,  nor  shoes,  not  to  spit 
in  it,  nor,  when  they  went  away,  to  turn  their  backs  upon  it,  but  go 
sidelong.  But  doubtless  the  great  thing  God  points  at  and  expects 
from  his  people's  hands  on  this  day  is,  that  they  do  worship  him  with 
inward  reverence,  seriousness,  and  spiritualness.  All  other  worship 
abstracted  from  this,  will  neither  i)leasure  God  nor  profit  us:  1  Tim. 
iv.  8,  '  For  bodily  exercise  protiteth  little.'  Oh  labour  to  be  very 
spiritual  in  all  the  duties  of  this  day !  Christ,  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath, 
was  sj»iritual  in  his  conception,  in  his  life  and  conversation,  in  his  death 
and  ])assion,  in  his  resurrection  and  ascension.  He  was  spiritual  in  his 
words,  in  his  works,  in  his  ways,  and  in  his  worship ;  and  therefore  let 
us  labour  to  be  very  spiritual  in  all  we  do  on  that  day,  Luke  i.  35,  36  ; 
Mat.  iii.  16  ;  John  i.  32,  and  vi.  36  ;  Heb.  vii.  26,  and  ix.  14 ;  1  Tim. 
iii.  16.  Again,  all  the  ordinances  of  the  day  are  spiritual,  viz.,  the 
word,  prayer,  sacraments,  singing  of  psalms,  &c. ;  and  therefore  we 
had  need  to  be  spiritual  in  all  the  services  of  that  day.  Again,  the 
ends  for  which  the  Lord's  day  was  appointed  are  all  spiritual,  viz.,  the 
glory  of  God,  the  illumination,  conversion,  and  salvation  of  sinners,  and 
the  edification,  confirmation,  consolation  of  saints;  and  therefore  we  had 
need  be  spiritual  in  all  the  duties  of  the  day,  Eph.  vi.  12.     Again,  the 


\ 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  297 

grand  enemies  that  we  are  to  encounter  witli  on  this  day  are  spiritual, 
sin  within  and  Satan  without ;  and  therefore  we  had  need  be  spiritual 
in  all  we  do.  For  there  is  no  way  to  conquer  spiritual  enemies  but  l)y 
spiritual  weapons  and  by  spiritual  exercises,  1  Cor.  x.  13.  Again, 
grace  thrivies  most  and  flourishes  best  in  their  souls  who  are  most 
spiritual  in  their  duties  on  the  Lord's  day.  Again,  the  more  spiritual 
any  man  is  in  his  duties  on  the  Lord's  days,  the  more  secured  and 
armed  he  will  be  against  all  spiritual  judgments,  which  are  the  sorest 
and  dreadfullest  of  all  judgments.  Again,  the  more  spiritual  any  man 
is  in  the  duties  of  the  Lord's  day,  the  more  that  man  acts  like  the 
angels  in  heaven,  and  like  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  Heb. 
xii.  22,  23.  Again,  this  will  difference  you  from  hypocrites,  formalists, 
and  all  profane  persons.  An  external  observation  of  the  Sabbath  will 
difference  you  from  heathens  ;  but  a  spiritual  spending  of  the  Sabbath. 
will  difference  you  from  hypocrites.  A  hypocrite  never  rises  so  high 
as  to  be  spiritual  in  the  Sabbaths  of  God,  Luke  xiii.  14,  15.  Mark, 
Sabbaths  spiritually  spent  are  a  sure  sign  of  a  sincere  heart  and  of 
a  saving  estate,  Exod.  xxxi.  13.  Now,  oh  that  all  these  considerations 
might  greatly  provoke  you,  and  mightily  encourage  you  to  be  very 
spiritual  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  in  all  the  duties  of  that  day  !     But, 

10.  Tenthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  heiiig  s])iritual  in 
all  natural  actions,  and  holy  and  heavenly  in  all  earthly  enjoyments, 
1  Cor.  X.  13.  It  is  reported  of  a  Scotch  minister,  that  he  did  eat,  drink, 
and  sleep  eternal  life.i  Luther  tells  us  that  though  he  did  not  always 
pray  and  meditate,  but  did  sometimes  eat  and  drink,  and  sometime 
sleep,  yet  all  should  further  his  account.  That  is  a  Christian  worth 
gold  that  hath  learned  that  heavenly  art,  so  to  spiritualise  all  his 
natural  actions  as  that  they  shall  turn  to  his  account  in  the  great  day: 
Zech.  xiv.  20, 21,  'In  that  day  shall  there  be  upon  the  bells,'  or  bridles, 
'  of  the  horses.  Holiness  unto  the  Lord.  And  the  pots  in  the  Lord's 
house  shall  be  like  the  bowls  before  the  altar  ;  yea,  every  pot  in  Jeru- 
salem and  in  Judah  shall  be  holiness  unto  the  Lord  of  hosts.'  ^  Here 
is  holiness  written  upon  the  bridles  of  the  horses  they  ride  on,  and 
holiness  written  upon  the  cups  and  pots  they  drink  in.  A  holy  and 
heavenly  heart  will  be  holy  in  the  use  of  the  meanest  things  that  are 
for  common  use.  Something  of  sanctity  should  run  through  every 
piece  of  your  civility.  Something  of  the  spirit,  life,  and  power  of 
religion  you  should  shew  in  all  parts  of  your  common  convei-sation  on 
every  day,  but  especially  on  the  Lord's  day.  Tertullian,  [Apolog.,] 
speaking  of  the  carriage  of  the  primitive  Christians  at  their  meals, 
saith, 

1.]  Our  table  resembleth  an  altar,  and  our  supper  a  sacrifice. 

2.]  Our  table  hath  nothing  savouring  of  baseness,  sensuality,  or 
immodesty.    We  feed  by  measure,  we  drink  by  the  rules  of  temperance. 

[3.]  We  speak  and  converse  as  in  the  presence  of  God.  Every  one 
repeateth  what  he  knoweth  out  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  his  own  in- 
vention, to  the  praise  of  God. 

[4.]  As  prayer  began  the  banquet,  so  prayer  concludes  it.     If  you 

^  Probably  Samuel  Rutherford. — G. 

*  Calvin  renders  it  'stables  of  horses,'  which  are  the  most  stinking  and  contemptible 
places;  and  yet  these  should  be  holily  used. 


298  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

beheld  us,  j'oii  would  say  that  we  were  not  at  supper,  but  at  a  lecture 
oi  holiness. 

Should  not  the  practice  of  these  primitive  Christians  put  all  such 
Christians  to  a  blush  in  our  da}^,  who  on  the  Lord's  day  are  so  carnal 
in  the  use  of  spiritual  things,  and  so  earthly  in  the  use  of  heavenly 
things  ? 

Tiuit  is  a  memorable  expression  that  you  have  in  Exod.  xviii.  12, 
'  And  Aaron  came,  and  all  the  elders  of  Israel,  to  eat  bread  with  Moses' 
father-in-law  before  God.'  See  Deut.  xii.  5,7  ;  1  Chron.  xxix.  21,22. 
The  word  bread  is  used  for  all  meat.  Gen.  iii.  19,  and  xxxi.  14.  Now 
mark,  in  these  words  you  have, 

[1.]  The  greatness  of  their  courtesy:  for  though  Jethro  was  a 
stranger  and  no  Israelite,  yet  the  elders  honoured  him  with  their  com- 
pany. '  And  Aaron  and  all  the  elders  came  to  eat  bread  with  Moses 
his  father-in-law.' 

[2.]  The  graciousness  of  their  carriage :  '  They  came  to  eat  bread 
with  him  before  the  Lord.'  That  is,  saith  Calvin  on  the  text,  in 
gloriam  el  honorem  Dei,  To  the  honour  and  glory  of  God.  Grace 
must  spice  every  cup,  and  be  sauce  to  every  dish,  or  nothing  will  relish 
well  with  him  whose  heart  is  set  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath.  '  Aaron 
and  all  the  elders  of  Israel  ate  bread  before  the  Lord,'  that  is,  they  ate 
bread  as  in  the  presence  of  God.  Whilst  they  were  eating  of  bread, 
their  hearts  were  under  a  reverential  awe  of  God.  Diana's  temple  was 
burnt  down,  when  she  was  busy  at  Alexander's  birth,  and  could  not 
be  at  two  places  together.  But  God  is  present  both  in  paradise  and 
in  the  wilderness  at  the  same  time :  he  is  present  both  at  board  and 
bed,  both  in  the  family  and  in  the  closet  at  the  same  time.  Oh  that 
in  all  your  natural,  civil,  and  common  actions  you  would  carry  it  as 
becomes  his  eye,  his  presence,  that  fills  heaven  and  earth  with  his 
glory,  Ps.  cxx.xix.     But, 

11.  Eleventhly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  managing  all 
the  duties  of  the  Sabbath  with  a  spirit  of  holy  joy  and  delight,  Ps. 
xxxiii.  1,  and  xxxii.  11  ;  Phil.  iv.  4 ;  1  Thes.  v.  1(3,  18.  There  is  no 
garment  that  so  well  becomes  the  upright  as  the  garment  of  gladness. 
God  hath  laid  his  royal  command  upon  us  to  rejoice  on  this  day :  Isa. 
Iviii.  13,  14, '  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  sabbath,  from  doing 
thy  pleasure  on  my  holy  day,  and  call  the  sabbath  a  delight' — or  as  the 
Hebrew  runs,  '  delights:'  and  so  Tremehus  reads  it — '  the  holy  of  the 
Lord,  honourable,  and  shalt  honour  him,'  &c. :  '  then  shalt  thou 
delight  thyself  in  the  Lord,'  &c. :  Ps.  cxviii.  24,  '  This  is  the  day 
which  the  Lord  hath  made,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  therein.' 
Now  if  you  compare  this  text  with  Mat.  xxi.  22,  23,  and  Acts  iv.  11, 
you  will  find  that  the  precedent  verses  are  a  prophetical  prediction  of 
Christ's  resurrection ;  and  so  this  verse  foretells  the  church's  joy  upon 
that  memorable  and  glorious  day.  '  A  feast,'  saith  Solomon,  '  is  made 
for  laughter,'  Eccles.  x.  19.  Now  on  this  day  the  Lord  of  hosts  is 
pleased  more  especially  and  more  abundantly  to  make  for  his  people 
'  a  feast  of  fat  things,  a  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees,  of  fat  things  full  of 
marrow,  of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined,'  Isa.  xxv,  6.  On  this  day 
we  enjoy  the  freest,  and  the  fullest,  and  the  sweetest,  and  the  choicest, 
and  the  nearest  communion  of  saints:  and  what  doth  this  call  for,  but 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  299 

a  spirit  of  holy  joy  ?  Oa  this  day  we  enjoy  all  the  precious  ordinances 
in  a  most  solemn  manner ;  and  why  then  should  we  not  be  joyful  in 
God's  house  of  praj^er?  Isa.  Ivi.  7.  The  heavenly  host  sung  at  his 
birth,  Luke  ii.  10-14 ;  and  why  should  not  we  sing  and  rejoice  at  his 
second  birth,  his  resurrection  from  the  dead  ?  0  sirs.  Sabbaths  are 
the  very  suburbs  of  heaven  ;  and  who  can  be  in  the  suburbs  of  heaven 
and  not  rejoice  ?  A  beautiful  face  is  at  all  times  pleasing  to  the  eye, 
but  then  especially  when  there  is  joy  manifested  in  the  countenance. 
Joy  in  the  face  puts  a  new  beauty  upon  a  person,  and  makes  that 
which  before  was  beautiful  to  be  exceeding  beautiful ;  it  puts  a  lustre 
upon  beauty.  And  so  doth  holy  joy  put  a  lustre  upon  the  day  of  God, 
the  ways  of  God,  and  the  people  of  God.  It  is  the  duty  and  glory  of 
a  Christian  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord  every  day,  but  especially  on  the 
Lord's  day.  God  reserves  the  best  wine,  the  best  comforts,  and  the 
choicest  discoveries  of  himself,  and  of  his  love,  and  of  his  Christ,  and 
of  his  glory  for  that  day;  and  all  to  make  his  people  'joyful  in  the 
house  of  prayer/  Isa.  Ivi.  7.  The  Manichees  were  wont  to  keep  their 
fasts  upon  the  Lord's  day,  which  made  Tertullian  say  that  that  prac- 
tice of  theirs  was  a  detestable  wickedness.  To  fast  on  the  Lord's  day, 
saith  Ignatius,  is  to  kill  Christ ;  but  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord  this  day, 
and  to  rejoice  in  all  the  duties  of  this  day,  and  to  rejoice  in  that 
redemption  that  was  wrought  for  us  on  this  day,  this  is  to  crown 
Christ,  this  is  to  lift  up  Christ.     But, 

12.  Twelfthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  hy  soMctifying  of  the 
whole  day  to  God's  service,  and  not  hy  Jits,  and  flashes,  and  sudden 
pangs.  0  sirs,  if  the  Lord  was  so  strict  that  he  would  not  lose  a 
moment's  honour  in  a  ceremonial  day  of  rest— Lev.  xxiii.  32, '  It  shall 
be  unto  you  a  sabbath  of  rest,  and  ye  shall  afEict  your  souls  in  the 
ninth  day  of  the  month  at  even :  from  even  unto  even  shall  ye  cele- 
brate your  sabbath' — what  shall  we  think  the  Lord  expects  upon 
this  day,  which  is  more  ?  Ps.  xcii.  1,  2,  '  It  is  good  to  sing  of  his 
loving-kindness  in  the  morning,  and  of  his  fliithfulness  every  night.' 
Jer.  xvii.  22,  '  You  shall  do  no  work,  but  sanctify  my  sabbath,'  Now 
that  this  may  the  better  stick,  consider, 

[l.J  First,  God  hath  given  you  six  whole  days  that  you  may  provide 
for  yourselves  and  families,  and  therefore  do  not  deny  him  one  day  in 
seven,  Exod.  xx.  9,  and  xxiii.  12.  What  an  unrighteous  thing  is  it 
to  buy  by  one  measure  which  is  greater,  and  sell  by  another  which  is 
lesser !  Do  not  rob  God  of  his  time,  who  hath  been  so  noble  as  to 
give  you  six  in  seven.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  God  rested  all  the  seventh  day :  he  had  finished  the 
creation  in  six  days,  Gen.  ii.  1-3.  God  did  not  rest  on  one  part  of 
the  seventh  day  and  work  on  the  other  part  of  the  seventh  day,  but 
he  rested  all  the  seventh  day.  And  doubtless  it  is  your  wisdom,  duty, 
and  glory  to  write  after  the  copy  that  God  has  laid  before  you.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  The  Sabbath  is  not  to  be  an  artificial  day,  hut  a 
natural  day,  viz.,  twenty-four  hours  together  :  as  you  may  see  in  Lev. 
xxiii.  32,  '  From  even  unto  even  shall  ye  celebrate  your  sabbath.' 
The  days  then  were  so  reckoned.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  You  ivould  not  take  it  well  at  your  servants'  hands  if 
they  should  only  ivork  three  or  four  hours  in  a  day,  and  either  trifle 


300  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLTI.  24,  25. 

away  the  rest  of  titc  time,  or  else  spend  it  in  doing  their  own  luork 
ichen  the//  should  he  a-doimj  of  yours ;  and  do  yuii  think  tliat  tlio 
j^-eat  God  will  take  it  well  at  your  liands,  that  when  you  have  spent 
three  or  four  hours  in  the  duties  of  his  day,  that  then  you  should  either 
trifle  away,  or  fool  away,  or  play  away,  or  sleep  away,  or  sin  away  the 
remain! Mij:  part  of  his  day  ?     But, 

[;").]  Fifthly,  TIds  hath  been  tlie  judgment  of  most  Judiciom  divines 
in  all  ages.  In  the  C'ouncil  of  Mexiconi  there  was  an  assembly  of 
ministers  out  of  all  nations  in  Christendom,  and  they  ordained  a  canon 
concerning  the  Lord's  day.  The  canon  runs  thus:  '  We  ordain  that 
people  keep  the  whole  Lord's  day  holy,  and  that  they  set  themselves 
the  whole  day  to  pray  to  God,  and  delight  in  God,  and  hear  his  word; 
and  if  a  country  man's  servant  break  this  day,  his  punishment  shall 
be  to  be  beaten  with  severe  blows,'  [ictubus  gravioribus,  are  the  veiy 
"words  of  the  council;]  '  and  if  a  lawyer  offer  to  plead  this  day,  he  shall 
not  have  the  benefit  of  his  pleading  or  case  ;  and  if  a  minister  break 
this  day,  he  shall  be  excommunicated  half  a  year,  and  thrown  out  of 
the  church,  and  shall  not  be  received  into  the  church  again  but  upon 
great  humiliation.'  It  is  a  good  observation  of  Musculus  upon  Exod. 
XX.  8 :  God  doth  not  say,  saith  he,  '  remember  the  Sabbath,  to  keep 
it  holy  ;'  for  he  that  keeps  it  an  hour  or  two  keeps  it  holy  ;  but  '  re- 
member the  sabbath-day  to  keej)  it  holy : '  he  will  have  not  a  part  of 
a  day  only,  but  a  whole  day  kept  holy.  And  Calvin,  upon  thes^ 
words,  '  Remember  the  sabbath-day  to  keep  it  holy,'  saith,  we  are  to 
keep  this  day  holy,  and  not  a  part  of  it,  but  all  of  it.  I  might  produce 
a  cloud  of  witnesses  in  the  case  ;  but  let  these  suffice.     But, 

[6.J  Sixthly  and  lastly,  Consider  that  the  very  heathen  have  hept  the 
lohole  day  to  their  idol-gods,  and  not  a  part.  And  shall  we  then  put 
off  God  with  a  part  of  a  day  ?  Shall  we  be  worse  than  the  heathens  ? 
Shall  we  act  below  heathens  ?  Shall  nature,  shall  blind  devotion  do 
more  than  grace  ?     The  Lord  forbid  !     But, 

13.  Thirteenthly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  by  sueh  an 
abstinence  or  moderate  tise  of  all  your  lawful  comforts,  contentments, 
and  enjoyments,  as  may  render  you  most  apt  and  ft  for  the  sand  if  ca- 
tion of  tJie  Sabbath.  '  Let  your  moderation  be  known  among  all  men' 
always,  Phil.  iv.  5 ;  but  especially  on  the  Lord's  day,  be  moderate  in 
your  eating,  drinking,  entertainments,  <fcc.  Oh  how  do  many  by  their 
immoderate  use  of  lawful  comforts  on  this  day,  indispose  and  unfit 
themselves  for  the  duties  of  the  day  !  It  is  a  Christian's  duty  every 
day  to  eat  and  drink  soberly:  Titus  ii.  11,  12,  'The  grace  of  God 
which  bringcth  salvation,  hatrh  a])peared  to  us,  teaching  us  to  live 
soberly  in  this  j)resent  world.'  It  is  both  the  duty  and  the  glory  of  a 
Christian  to  be  temperate  in  his  diet,  A  little  will  satisfy  nature,  less 
will  satisfy  grace,  though  nothing  will  satisfy  men's  lusts,2  Sobriety 
is  a  gift  of  God,  whereby  we  keep  a  holy  moderation  in  the  use  of 
onr  diet :  Prov.  xxiii.  1,2,'  When  thou  sittest  to  eat,'  &c.,  '  consider 
diligently  what  is  before  thee,  and  put  the  knife  to  thy  throat;'  tliat 
is,  be  very  careful  and  circumspect  in  taking  thy  food,  bridle  thine 
appetite,  take  heed  thou  dost  not  exceed  measure.     He  may  endanger 

'  .^i>:  hut  query  '  Matiscon  in  France'?     See  before,  Index  sub  voce. — G. 
*  The  Greeks  call  sobriety  the  keeper  and  guard  of  wisdom. 


r 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  301 

his  health,  his  life,  his  soul,  that  gives  way  to  his  greedy  appetite. 
Some  read  the  words  thus :  '  For  thou  puttest  a  knife  to  thy  throat, 
if  thou  be  a  man  given  to  appetite.'  Thou  shortenest  thy  life,  and 
diggest  as  it  were  thine  own  grave  with  thine  own  teeth.  Meat  kills 
as  many  as  the  musket ;  the  board  as  the  sword,  [Chrysostom.]  I 
know  that  the  bodies,  stomachs,  callings,  constitutions,  and  climates 
wherein  men  live,  differ ;  and  therefore  no  such  particular  rules,  as  to 
eating  and  drinking,  can  be  laid  down  as  shall  be  binding  to  every  one: 
yet  this  is  certain,  that  a  man  that  eats  or  drinks  so  much  on  the 
Lord's  day  as  oppresses  nature,  and  as  unfits  him  for  praying,  work- 
ing,! or  hearing  work,  or  reading  work,  or  closet  work,  that  man  is 
guilty  of  intemperance. 2  Such  who  feed  till  they  unfit  themselves  for 
service  are  belly-gods.  Paul  wept  over  such  in  his  day,  and  so  should 
we  in  ours,  Phil.  iii.  18,  19.  Thou  shouldst  use  thy  food,  0  Christian, 
as  a  help,  and  not  as  a  hindrance  to  thee  in  thy  Christian  course.  A 
full  belly  never  studies  well,  nor  never  prays  well,  nor  never  hears 
well,  nor  never  reads  well,  nor  never  repeats  well,  nor  never  doth  any- 
thing well,  either  on  the  Lord's  day  or  any  other  day.  What  a  shame 
is  it  to  see  a  Christian  a  slave  to  his  palate  on  any  day,  but  especially 
on  the  Lord's  day.  I  may  use  the  creatures  so  as  to  suj^port  sheer 
nature,  but  not  so  as  to  clog  it,  and  weaken  it,  and  debase  it.  I  may 
use  the  creatures  as  my  servants,  but  I  must  never  suffer  them  to  be 
my  lord.  Daniel  was  very  temperate  in  his  diet,  Dan.  i.  8.  Though 
there  was  not  a  greater  born  of  a  woman  than  John  the  Baptist,  yet 
his  fare  was  but  locusts  and  wild  honey.  Mat.  xi.  11.  A  little  bread 
was  Basil's  provision.  Hilarion  did  seldom  eat  anything  till  the  sun 
went  down,  and  then  that  which  he  did  eat  was  very  mean.  Jerome 
lived  with  cold  water  and  a  few  dried  figs ;  and  Augustine  hath  this 
expression  concerning  himself,^  Hoc  me  docuisti,  Domine,  dtc,  Thou 
Lord  hast  taught  me  this,  that  I  should  go  to  my  meat  as  to  a  medicine. 
His  meaning  was,  that  he  went  to  his  meat,  not  to  satisfy  his  appetite, 
but  to  repair  nature.  And  Luther  made  many  a  meal  with  bread  and 
a  herring.  Socrates,  Anacharsis,  Cyrus,  Cassar,  Herodicus,  Augustus, 
and  many  other  heathens  were  very  temperate  in  their  diet.  The  old 
Gauls  were  very  sparing  in  their  diet,  and  used  to  fine  them  that  out- 
grew their  girdles.  These  heathens  will  one  day  rise  in  judgment 
against  those  nominal  Christians  who  are  intemperate,  both  upon  the 
Lord's  day,  and  other  days  also.     But, 

14.  Fourteenthly  and  lastly,  You  must  sanctify  the  Sabbath,  hj  ah- 
staining  from  speaking  your  own  loords.  The  spouse's  lips  are  like  a 
thread  of  scarlet,  Cant.  iv.  3.  They  are  red  like  a  thread  of  scarlet  in  dis- 
coursing of  a  crucified  Christ,  and  they  are  thin  like  a  thread  of  scarlet, 
and  not  swelled  with  frothy,  empty,  worldly  discourses,  on  the  Lord's 
days  or  on  other  days.  Such  words  as  will  neither  profit  a  man's  own 
soul,  nor  better  others,  are  not  to  be  spoken  on  the  Lord's  day.  It  is 
God's  express  pleasure  that  we  should  not  speak  our  own  words  on  liis 
day  :  Isa.  Iviii.  13,  '  Nor  speaking  thine  own  words.'     Caesar  *  passing 

^  Query, 'praying  work'? — Ed. 

*  In  the  hot  Eastern  countries  men  have  lived  long  with  parched  corn  and  a  cake,  but 
their  example  is  no  rule  for  us.  '  Lib.  x.  Coiifessionum. 

••  Plutarch  in  the  life  of  Pericles. 


302  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

tliroiigli  the  streets  of  Rome,  and  seeinj2^  many  of  the  ladies  playing  with 
little  dogs,  monkeys,  and  baboons,  asked  them  if  tlie  women  in  that 
country  had  no  children  ?  So  when  men  spend  the  Lord's  day  in  play- 
ing, sporting,  toying,  or  talking  of  this  or  that  trifle,  of  this  or  that 
person,  of  this  or  that  fashion,  of  this  or  that  vanity,  we  may  ask  them 
■whether  they  have  no  God,  no  Christ,  no  heaven,  no  promises,  no  ex- 
jieriences,  no  evidences  to  talk  ofP  There  are  many  idle  talkers:  of 
every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak  they  shall  give  an  account  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  Mat.  xii.  36.  An  idle  word  is  a  profuse  or  needless 
word,  used  rashly  or  unadvisedly,  wanting  a  reason  of  just  necessity, 
bringing  neither  honour  to  God  nor  edification  to  others,  nor  conduc- 
ing to  any  profitable  end.i  And  as  there  are  many  idle  talkers,  so 
there  are  many  over-talkers  ;  and  they  are  such  who  spend  a  hundred 
words  when  ten  will  serve  the  turn,  Eccles.  v.  2,  3.  And  as  there  are 
many  over-talkers,  so  there  are  many  that  are  only  talkers,  that  can  do 
nothing  but  talk,  Prov.  xiv.  23.  To  fall  under  the  power  or  scourge 
of  these  men's  tongues  is  to  fall  under  no  easy  persecution.  And  as 
there  are  many  that  are  only  talkers,  so  there  are  many  that  are  un- 
profitable talkers.  '  The  beginning  of  the  words  of  their  mouth  is 
foolishness,  and  the  end  of  his  talk  is  mischievous  madness,'  Eccles. 
X.  13.  And  as  there  are  many  unprofitable  talkers,  so  there  are  many 
unseasonable  talkers,  that  place  one  word  where  another  should 
stand.  '  A  wise  man  discerneth  time  and  judgment,'  Eccles.  viii.  4. 
And  as  there  are  many  unseasonable  talkers,  so  there  are  many 
rash  talkers,  who  speak  first  and  think  afterwards,  chap.  v.  2, 
God  hath  set  a  double  bar  about  the  tongue — the  teeth  and  the  lips, 
— that  men  should  not  speak  rashly.  Words  once  spoken  cannot 
return.  A  man  that  thinks  before  he  speaks,  seldom  repents  of 
what  he  speaks.  Silence  is  far  better  than  rash  speaking,  or  than 
vain  speaking,  <tc. 

0  sirs,  the  tongue  is  the  nimble  interpreter  of  the  heart.  If  there 
be  piety  or  iniquity  at  the  bottom  of  your  hearts,  your  tongues  will 
discover  it.  Mat.  xii.  43,  44.  The  stream  riseth  not  above  the  foun- 
tain. We  know  not  what  metal  the  bell  is  made  of  by  2  the  clapper. 
What  is  in  the  well  will  be  in  the  bucket.  What  is  in  the  warehouse 
will  be  in  the  shop.  So  what  is  in  the  heart  will  be  in  the  mouth.  If 
there  be  anything  of  God,  of  Christ,  of  grace,  of  heaven,  of  hell,  of  sin, 
of  the  world,  of  self  in  the  bottom  of  your  souls,  your  tongues  will  dis- 
cover it.  Man,  saith  one,  is  like  a  bell,  and  his  tongue  like  the  clapper, 
[Plutarch.]  So  long  as  this  standeth  still,  he  may  be  thought  to  be 
without  any  flaw,  craze,  or  crack  in  him  ;  but  let  it  once  stir,  and  then 
he  discovers  himself  presently.  No  man  can  so  change  himself,  but 
his  heart  may  sometimes  be  seen  at  his  tongue's  end.  Men  watch  in- 
terpreters. Oh  that,  on  the  Lord's  day  especially,  you  would  make  more 
conscience  of  watching  your  tongues  !  If  the  tongue  be  not  watched, 
it  will  be  sin's  solicitor-general  ;  it  will  be  a  bawd  to  all  lusts:  it  will 
plead  for  sin,  and  defend  sin,  and  lessen  sin,  and  provoke  to  sin,  and 
shew  the  pleasure  of  the  heart  in  sin.  There  are  but  five  virtues  of  the 
tongue  reckoned  up  by  philosophers ;  but  there  are  twenty  several  sins 

'  Alexander  forrave  many  sharp  swords,  but  never  any  sharp  tongues,  &c. 
»  tiueiy.  •  but  by?— (J. 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  303 

of  tlie  tongue  reckoned  up  by  Peraklus.^  The  Arabians  have  a  pro- 
verb, '  Take  heed  thy  tongue  cut  not  thy  throat.'  Many  a  man's 
tongue  has  cut  his  throat ;  that  is,  it  hath  been  his  ruin.'-^  Our  Chron- 
icles make  mention  of  one  Burdet,  a  merchant,  who,  living  at  the  sign 
of  the  Crown  in  Cheapside,  in  the  days  of  King  Edward  the  Fourth,  in 
the  year  1483,  jestingly  said  to  his  son  that  he  would  leave  him  heir 
of  the  crown,  meaning  the  sign  of  the  crown  where  he  lived  ;  for  which 
he  was  apprehended,  and  within  four  hours  hanged,  drawn,  and  quar- 
tered. The  tongue  is  often  like  a  sharp  razor,  that,  instead  of  shaving 
the  hair,  cuts  the  throat.  If  a  man  do  not  look  well  about  him,  he 
may  every  day  be  in  danger  of  dying  by  his  tongue.  '  Life  and  death,' 
saith  Solomon,  '  are  in  the  power  of  the  tongue,'  Prov.  xviii.  21.  Gap- 
ing-mouthed  men  are  noted  for  fools  by  Lucian ;  and  a  better  and  a 
wiser  man  than  Lucian  hath  told  us  that  'the  lips  of  a  fool  will  swallow 
up  himself,'  Eccles.  x.  12.  Ah,  how  good  had  it  been  for  many  that 
they  had  been  born  dumb  !  The  tongue  can  easily  travel  all  the 
world  over,  and  wound  men's  names  and  credits  in  this  country  ;  and 
that  in  this  city  and  that  in  this  town,  and  that  in  this  family,  and 
that  in  a  trice  run  from  one  place  to  another :  here  it  bites,  and  there 
it  tears  :  in  this  place  it  leaves  a  blot,  and  in  that  it  gives  a  wound  ; 
and  therefore  you  have  cause  to  watch  your  tongues  on  every  day,  but 
especially  on  the  Lord's  day.  There  are  many  whose  tongues  do  more 
mischief,  and  travel  further  on  the  Sabbath-day,  than  they  do  on  all 
the  other  days  of  the  week.  You  ought  to  keep  a  strict  guard  upon 
your  tongues  every  day,  but  on  the  Lord's  day  you  should  double  your 
guard.  Satan  without  you,  and  that  strong  party  that  he  hath  within 
you,  will  do  all  they  can  so  to  oil  your  tongues  on  that  day  as  to  make 
you  miscarry  more  ways  than  one,  if  you  do  not  carefully  look  about 
you.  Are  there  none  on  that  day  that  do  watch  your  words,  to  deride 
you  and  jeer  you  ?  Jer.  xx.  10.  Yes.  Ar-e  there  none  on  that  day 
that  do  watch  your  words,  either  to  ensnare  you  or  trepan  you  ?  Yes. 
Are  there  none  on  that  day  that  do  watch  your  words,  that  they  may 
find  matter,  if  possible,  either  to  reprove  you  or  to  reproach  you  ?^ 
Yes.  Are  there  none  on  that  day  that  do  watch  your  words,  that  do 
hang  upon  your  lips,  expecting  to  be  instructed,  edified,  confirmed, 
comforted,  and  strengthened  by  you?  Yes.  Well,  then,  if  this  be 
your  case,  how  highly  it  doth  concern  you  on  this  day  to  watch  your 
words,  I  shall  leave  you  to  judge.  0  sirs,  all  your  words,  whether 
good  or  bad,  are  all  noted  and  observed  by  God,  as  you  may  see  by 
comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together.  4  If  a  person  were 
by  us  that  should  book  all  our  words  from  Sabbath-day  morning  to 
Sabbath-day  night,  and  the  like  on  other  days,  would  we  not  be  very 
careful  what  we  spoke  ?  Why,  God  is  by  and  hears  all.  Athenodorus, 
a  heathen,  used  to  say,  that  all  men  ought  to  be  very  careful  of  their 

1  Qu.  Pelbartus  ?— G. 

*  James  iii.  3,  11.  The  Holy  Ghost  sheweth  the  mischief  of  the  tongue  by  the  several 
characters  by  which  he  brands  it.  He  calls  it  the  flattering  tongue,  the  double  tongue, 
the  deceitful  tongue,  the  lying  tongue,  the  perverse  tongue,  &c.,  Ps.  Iii.  2 ;  Prov.  xviii. 
21;  Eccles.  x.  12;  Ps.  xix.  4,  and  Ixxiii.  9;  Mat.  xxviii.  13,  15. 

^  It  is  better  for  a  man  to  watch  and  stop  his  own  mouth  by  silence,  than  to  have  it 
stopped  by  others'  reproofs. 

■*  Ps.  cxxxix.  4;  Isa.  lix.  3;  Jer.  xxxiii.  24,  and  xliv.  25  ;  Mai.  iii.  16,17;  Job  xlii  7 
Mat.  xii.  37. 


304  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

actions  and  words,  because  God  was  everywhere,  and  bclicid  all  that 
was  done  and  said.  And  Zeno,  a  wise  heathen,  athrmeth  that 
God  seeth  and  taketh  notice  of  our  very  thoughts ;  how  much  more 
then  of  our  words  !  0  sirs,  how  many  men  and  women  are  there 
that  are  choice  of  what  they  eat,  that  are  not  choice  of  what  they 
speak — that  are  curious  about  the  food  which  goes  into  their  mouths, 
lest  it  sliould  hurt  or  poison  them,  who  are  nowise  curious  about  the 
words  that  go  out  of  their  mouths,  lest  they  should  hurt  or  poison 
others  ! 

Of  all  the  members  in  the  body,  there  is  none  so  sendceable  to 
Satan  as  the  tongue.  And  therefore  Satan  spares  Job's  tongue  ;  his 
grand  design  being  not  to  make  Job  a  beggar,  but  a  blasphemer.  Job 
was  blistered  all  over  by  Satan,  only  his  tongue  was  not  blistered, 
Satan  thought  by  that  member  to  work  Job  to  tight  against  God,  and 
the  peace  of  his  own  soul.  It  is  queried  in  the  schools  what  was 
the  first  sin  of  the  first  angel  that  fell ;  for  they  assert  that  one  fell 
first,  then  the  rest.  Now  there  are  very  many  opinions  about  it. 
Some  say  it  was  envy,  others  discontent ;  and  some  say  it  was  their 
refusing  to  undertake  the  charge  that  was  given  to  them  to  minister 
unto  man.  Others  think  it  was  a  s})iritual  luxury  ;  others  ingratitude. 
The  most  and  best  say  pride,  but  wherein  that  pride  consisted  is  not 
easily  determined,  nor  by  them  unanimously  resolved  ;  and  by  some  it 
is  as  confidently  observed  that  it  was  a  sin  of  the  tongue.  Now  if 
these  last  have  hit  the  mark,  how  highly  doth  it  concern  us  all  to  set 
a  watch  before  the  door  of  our  lips  at  all  times,  but  especially  on 
the  Lord's  day  !  Now  considering  how  wonderful  apt  and  prone 
Christians  are  to  be  speaking  their  own  words,  yea,  foolish,  vain, 
worldly,  and  unprofitable  words  on  the  Lord's  day,  give  me  leave 
to  offer  to  your  serious  consideration  these  four  things  : — 

[1.]  First,  Where  the  Lord  hath  commanded  the  ichole  man  to  rest 
from  servile  ivorks,  there  he  commands  the  hand  to  rest  from  ivork- 
ing,  the  foot  from  undking,  and  the  tongue  from  tcdking.  But  in  the 
fourth  commandment,  '  Thou  shalt  do  no  manner  of  work,'  Exod. 
iv.  10,  the  Lord  hath  commanded  the  whole  man  to  rest  from  servile 
works.  And  therefore  the  tongue  from  talking  of  this  or  that  worldly 
business.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  TJiose  things  ivhich  as  lets  hinder  the  duties  of 
the  Lord's  day  are  forbidden :  but  worldly  words  as  lets  hinder  the 
duties  of  the  Lord's  day ;  therefore  worldly  words  are  forbidden. 
But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  Where  bodily  works  are  forbidden ,  there  those  things 
are  forbidden  ivhich  hinder  the  sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath,  as  much  or 
more  than  bodily  ivorks  do :  but  bodily  works  are  forbidden  in  the 
fourth  commandment;  therefore  worldly  words,  which  hinder  more  the 
sanctifying  of  the  Sabbath  than  bodily  works  do,  are  forbidden  in  the 
same  commandment.  That  worldly  words  do  hinder  the  sanctifying 
of  the  Sabbath,  as  much  or  more  than  bodily  works,  is  evident  by  this, 
among  other  arguments  that  might  be  produced,  that  a  man  may  work 
alone,  but  he  cannot  talk  alone.     But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  lliat  commandment  which  ties  the  outicard  man 
from  the  deed  done,  that  commandment  ties  the  tongue  from  talking  of 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  305 

the  same  :  but  the  fourth  commandment  ties  the  outward  man  from 
worldly  works;  and  therefore  that  command  ties  the  tongue  from 
worldly  words.  Certainly  all  those  persons  that  make  the  Lord's  day 
a  reckoning-day  with  workmen,  as  some  do,  or  a  directing-day,  what 
shall  be  done  the  next  week,  as  others  do  ;  or  a  day  of  idle  talk  about 
this  worldly  business  or  that,  or  about  this  person  or  that,  or  about 
this  fashion  or  that,  or  about  this  man's  matters  or  that,  or  about  this 
pleasure  or  that,  or  about  this  profit  or  that,  or  about  this  man's 
calling  or  that,  or  about  this  gossip's  tale  or  that,  &c.,  all  such  per- 
sons are  profaners  and  no  sanctifiers  of  the  Lord's  day. 

I  have  been  the  longer  upon  this  particular,  to  confute  and  recover 
those  Christians  who  give  their  tongues  too  great  a  liberty  on  the 
Lord's  day. 

Now  in  these  fourteen  particulars  I  have  shewed  you  how  the  Sab- 
bath is  to  be  sanctifiid.  0  sirs,  as  you  desire  to  see  London  rebuilt ; 
as  you  desire  to  see  London  in  as  great,  or  greater,  prosperity  and 
glory  as  she  hath  been  in  ;  as  you  desire  to  see  her  once  more  the 
bulwark  of  the  nation  ;  as  you  desire  to  see  her  a  shield  and  shelter  to 
her  faithful  friends  at  home,  and  a  terror  and  dread  to  her  proudest 
enemies  abroad  ;  as  you  desire  that  she  may  be  an  eternal  excellency, 
a  joy  of  many  generations  ;  as  you  desire  the  Lord  to  be  for  ever  a  wall 
of  fire  about  her,  and  a  glory  in  the  midst  of  her,  make  conscience  of 
sanctifying  the  Sabbath  in  a  right  manner  ;  make  it  your  business  and 
work  to  sanctify  the  Sabbath  according  to  those  fourteen  rules  which 
I  have  now  laid  down,  Ps.  xlviii.  12,  13  ;  Cant.  vi.  4  ;  Isa.  Ix.  15  ; 
Zech.  ii.  5. 

I  know  there  is  a  desperate  opposition  and  contrariety  in  the  hearts 
of  carnal  men  to  the  strict  observation  of  the  Sabbath.  When  Moses 
had  first  received  a  commandment  concerning  the  observation  of  the 
Sabbath,  his  authority  could  not  so  prevail  with  the  Jews,  but  that 
some  of  them  would  be  gadding  abroad  to  seek  manna  on  the  Sabbath- 
day,  contrary  to  an  express  prohibition,  Exod.  xvi.  25,  31  ;  yea,  when 
it  was  death  to  gather  sticks  on  that  day,  chap.  xxxi.  13-16,  yet 
in  contempt  of  heaven  itself  one  ventures  upon  the  breach  of  the  law. 
How  sadly  and  frequently  the  prophets  have  lamented  and  complained 
of  the  breach  of  the  Sabbath,  I  have  in  this  treatise  already  discovered, 
and  therefore  need  say  no  more  of  it  in  this  place.  The  horrid  pro- 
fanation of  this  day  in  France,  Holland,  Germany,  Sweden,  and  in 
these  three  nations,  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  among  all 
protestants  everywhere  else,  is  and  must  be  for  a  sore  lamentation. 
The  Sabbath  in  all  ages  hath  been  more  or  less  crucified  between  pro- 
faneness  and  superstition,  as  Christ,  the  Lord  of  the  Sabbath,  was 
crucified  between  two  thieves.  When  the  observation  of  the  Sabbath 
came  to  be  more  sacred  and  solemn  in  public  performances,  which  was 
about  Nehemiah's  time,  as  is  conceived,  presently  after  Satan  stirred 
up  some  hypocrites,  who  run  into  such  an  extreme  of  superstition,  that 
they  held  that  they  might  not  stir  out  of  their  places,  nor  kill  a  flea, 
and  a  thousand  such  like  fooleries.  Yea,  some  dangerous  fooleries 
they  laboured  to  distil  into  the  people ;  as  that  they  might  not  draw 
a  sword  to  defend  themselves  in  a  common  invasion,  &c. 

For  a  close,  remember  this,  that  there  are  no  Christians  in  all  the 

VOL.  VI.  u 


306  London's  LAMENTATIONS  ON         [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

world  comparable  to  those,  for  the  power  of  godliness  and  heights  of 
grace,  holiness,  and  communion  with  God,  who  are  most  strict,  serious, 
studious,  and  conscientious  in  sanctifying  of  the  Lord's  day.  Such  as 
are  careless,  remiss,  light,  slight,  formal,  and  carnal  upon  the  Sabbath- 
day,  they  will  be  as  bad,  if  not  worse,  on  every  other  day  in  the  week. 
The  true  reason  why  the  power  of  godliness  is  fallen  to  so  low  an  ebb, 
both  in  this  and  in  other  countries  also,  is  because  the  Sabbath  is  no 
more  strictly  and  conscientiously  observed  in  this  land,  and  in  those 
other  countries  where  the  name  of  the  Loid  is  made  known.  The 
Jews  were  never  serious  in  the  observation  of  their  Sabbaths,  till  they 
smarted  seventy  years  in  Babylon  for  their  former  profanation  of  it. 
And  who  can  look  upon  the  ashes  of  London,  and  not  see  how  dearly 
the  citizens  have  paid  for  their  profaning  of  the  Lord's  day  ?  And 
oh  that  all  these  short  hints  miglit  be  so  blessed  from  heaven,  as  to 
work  us  all  to  a  more  strict,  serious,  and  conscientious  sanctifying  of 
the  Lord's  day,  according  to  those  directions  or  rules  that  I  have  in 
this  treatise  laid  before  you. 

And  thus  I  have  done  with  those  duties  that  are  incumbent  upon 
those  who  have  been  burnt  up  by  that  late  dreadful  fire  that  hath 
turned  London  into  a  ruinous  heap. 

I  come  now  to  those  duties  that  are  incumbent  upon  those  whose 
habitations  are  yet  standing,  as  monuments  of  divine  wisdom,  power, 
and  grace.  0  sirs,  the  flames  have  been  near  you,  a  devouring  fire 
hath  consumed  many  thousand  habitations  round  about  you,  and  you 
and  your  habitations  have  been  as  so  many  brands  plucked  out  of  the 
fire !  Oh  how  highly  doth  it  concern  you  seriously  and  frequently  to 
lay  to  heart  the  singular  goodness  and  kindness  of  God  towards  you, 
manifested  in  the  mighty  preservations,  protections,  and  salvations 
that  he  has  vouchsafed  to  you  when  you  were  surrounded  with  all 
manner  of  hazards  and  dangers !  Oh  that  you  would  strive,  as  for  life, 
to  come  up  to  duties  which  are  certainly  incimibent  upon  all  those 
who  have  escaped  the  burning  flames  ! 

Quest.  But  you  will  say.  What  are  they  ? 

Ans.  These  that  follow : — 

[1.]  First,  It  highly  concerns  you  who  have  escaped  the  fiery  dis- 
pensation, to  take  heed  of  those  shis  lohich  bring  the  Jiery  rod,  and 
ivhich  have  timied  many  of  your  neighbours  out  of  house  and  home, 
2  Pet.  ii.  6  ;  Luke  xvii.  32 ;  Jer.  vii.  12 ;  1  Sam.  iv.  11  ;  Ps.  Ixxviii. 
60.  What  they  are,  I  have  already  declared  at  large.  If  those  sins 
that  have  brought  the  fiery  judgment  upon  your  neighbours  are  to  be 
found  among  you,  you  have  cause  to  fear  the  fiery  rod,  or  else  some 
other  judgment  that  shall  be  equivalent  to  it.  If  you  sin  with  others, 
you  shall  suffer  with  others,  except  there  be  found  repentance  on  your 
side,  and  pardoning  grace  on  God's.  The  Lord  hath  i)unished  your 
neighbours  with  that  judgment  of  judgments, — the  fire  ;  and  he  ex- 
pects that  you  should  take  notice  thereof,  and  be  instructed  thereby, 
to  take  heed  of  those  sins  that  they  have  been  judged  for,  else  the 
same  or  worser  judgments  will  certainly  befall  you.  Because  Edom 
made  no  good  use  of  Jerusalem's  sufterings,  therefore  the  Lord 
threatens  her  that  shame  should  cover  her,  and  that  she  should  be  cut 
oQ  for  ever,  Jer.  iii.  8;  Obad.  11-14.     God  expects  that  the  judg- 


ISA.  XLII.   24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  307 

merits  that  he  hath  executed  upon  all  round  about  you  should  awaken 
you  out  of  security,  and  work  in  you  a  holy  dread  of  his  name,  and 
provoke  you  to  repentance  for  what  is  past,  and  engage  you  to  a  more 
exact  walking  with  him  for  the  time  to  come.     But, 

[2.]  Secondly,  It  highly  concerns  you  not  to  think  those  luho  are 
burnt  up  to  he  greater  sinners  than  yourselves  who  have  escaped  the 
consuming  flames,  Isa.  v.  22-24,  and  li.  17,  22,  23 ;  Jer.  xxv.  15,  30. 
Some  there  were  that  told  Christ  of  certain  Galileans  whose  blood 
Pilate  had  mingled  with  their  sacrifices — an  argument  of  God's  sore 
displeasure  in  the  eye  of  man,  to  be  surprised  with  a  bloody  death 
even  in  the  act  of  God's  service — '  But  Jesus  answered.  Suppose  ye 
that  these  Galileans  w^ere  sinners  above  all  the  Galileans,  because  they 
suffered  such  things  ?  I  tell  you,  Nay ;  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye 
shall  all  likewise  perish,'  Luke  xiii.  1-3.  And  Christ  confirmeth  it  by 
another  parallel  to  it,  of  the  men  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell : 
Luke  xiii.  4,  5,  'Or  those  eighteen,  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell, 
think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  al)0ve  all  men  that  dwell  in  Jerusalem? 
I  tell  you.  Nay ;  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.' 
Doubtless  there  are  many  fifties  in  London  whose  habitations  are  laid 
desolate,  who  were  more  righteous  than  many  of  those  whose  houses 
have  escaped  the  consuming  flames.  Judgments  many  times  begin 
at  the  house  of  God :  the  hand  of  God  is  many  times  heaviest  upon 
the  holiest  of  people,  1  Pet.  iv.  17;  Ezek.  ix.  6.  Job  was  stripped  of 
all  his  earthly  comforts,  and  set  upon  a  dunghill  to  scrape  his  sores 
with  potsherds,  Job  i. ;  and  yet  Job  had  not  at  that  time  his  fellow 
in  all  the  east  country  for  a  man  fearing  God  and  eschewing  evil. 
Job  was  a  perfect,  peerless  man,  and  yet  had  his  habitation  laid  in 
ashes,  and  his  substance  destroyed,  when  his  neighbours  round  about 
him  enjoyed  their  all  without  disturbance.  Doubtless  many  of  them 
whose  houses  are  turned  into  a  ruinous  heap  were  good  people — people 
of  unblamable  lives,  people  of  exemplary  lives,  yea,  earthly  angels,  if 
compared  with  many  of  those  who  have  escaped  the  fiery  rod.  Many 
have  drunk  deep  of  this  cup  of  wrath,  who  are  a  people  of  his  choicest 
love ;  and  therefore  do  not  judge  all  them  to  be  greater  sinners  than 
yourselves  that  have  not  escaped  the  fiery  rod  as  well  as  yourselves. 
You  who  have  escaped  the  consuming  flames  should  make  other  men's 
lashes  your  lessons,  and  their  burnings  your  warnings.  You  should 
not  so  much  eye  what  others  have  suffered,  as  what  yourselves  have 
deserved.     But, 

[3.]  Thirdly,  It  concerns  you  to  he  much  in  blessing  of  God  that 
your  habitations  are  standing,  tohen  others'  habitations  are  laid  desolate 
round  about  you.  But  here  look  that  your  thankfulness  is,  (1.)  Keal ; 
(2.)  Great;  (3.)  Cordial;  (4.)  Practical;  and,  (5.)  Constant.  No 
thanldulness  below  such  a  thankfulness  will  become  such  whose  habi- 
tations are  standing  monmnents  of  God's  free  mercy.  I  have  largely 
pressed  this  duty  before,  and  therefore  a  touch  here  must  suffice. 
But, 

[4.]  Fourthly,  Be  not  secure:  do  not  say,  '  The  bitterness  of 
death  is  past,'  as  Agag  did  when  he  came  before  Samuel,  stately  and 
haughtily,  with  the  garb  and  gait  of  a  king,  1  Sam.  xv.  32.  Many 
times,  when  wicked  men  are  in  the  greatest  security,  they  are  then 


308  LONDON 'a  LAMENTATIONS  ON  [IbA.  XLII.  24,  25. 

nearest  the  hij^hest  pitch  of  misery.  Is  there  not  guilt  enough  upon 
all  your  hearts,  and  upon  all  your  habitations,  to  expose  them  to  as 
great  a  desolation  as  London  lies  under?  A71S.  Yes,  yes.  Why,  then, 
do  not  you  get  off  this  guilt  by  frequent  exercises  of  faith  in  the  blood 
of  Christ,  or  else  prepare  to  drink  of  the  same  cup  that  London  hath 
drunk  of,  or  of  a  worse  ?  Ponder  seriously  and  frequently  upon  these 
scriptures :  Isa.  li.  17,  '  Awake,  awake,  stand,  0  Jerusalem,  which 
hast  drunk  at  the  hand  of  the  Lord  the  cup  of  his  fury :  thou  hast 
drunken  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of  trembling,  and  wrung  them  out.' 
Vcr.  22,  '  Thus  saith  thy  Lord  the  Lord,  and  thy  God  that  pleadeth 
the  cause  of  his  people.  Behold,  I  have  taken  out  of  thy  hand  the  cup 
of  trembling,  even  the  dregs  of  the  cu[)  of  my  fury;  thou  shalt  no  more 
drink  it  again.'  Ver.  23,  '  But  I  will  put  it  into  the  hands  of  them 
that  afflict  thee :  which  have  said  to  thy  soul.  Bow  down  that  we  may 
go  over ;  and  thou  hast  laid  thy  body  as  the  ground,  and  as  the  street, 
to  them  that  went  over.'  Jer.  xxv.  15, '  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel  unto  me,  Take  the  wine-cup  of  this  fury  at  my  hand,  and 
cause  all  the  nations,  to  whom  I  send  thee,  to  drink  it.'  Ver.  17, 
'  Then  took  I  the  cup  at  the  Lord's  hands,  and  made  all  the  nations 
to  drink,  unto  whom  the  Ijord  had  sent  me.'  Ver.  18,  '  To  wit,  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  the  kings  thereof,  and  the  princes 
thereof,  to  make  them  a  desolation,  an  astonishment,  an  hissing,  and 
a  curse,  as  it  is  this  day.'  Ver.  28,  '  And  it  shall  be,  if  they  refuse 
to  take  the  cup  at  thine  hand  to  drink,  then  shalt  thou  say  unto  them. 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.  Ye  shall  certainly  drink.'  Ver.  29,  '  For 
lo,  I  begin  to  bring  evil  on  the  city  which  is  called  by  my  name,  and 
should  ye  be  utterly  unpunished?  Ye  shall  not  be  unpunished:  I 
will  call  for  a  sword  upon  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts.'  When  Jerusalem  hath  drunk  of  the  cup,  if  God  be 
God,  the  nations  round  shall  certainly  drink  of  it.^  God  hath  begun 
with  London :  poor  London  hath  drunk  deeply  of  the  cup  of  God's 
fur}^ ;  and  therefore  let  the  nations  round  repent,  or  prepare  to  drink 
of  London's  cup.  Most  of  those  sins  that  bring  the  fiery  rod,  if  not 
all,  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  great  cities  of  the  world.  And  therefore 
let  all  the  great  cities  in  France,  Spain,  Italy,  Germany,  Holland, 
England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  &c.,  take  warning  by  London's  desolation, 
and  prepare  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  way  of  his  fury :  let  them  cease 
from  doing  evil,  and  learn  to  do  well :  let  them  repent  in  dust  and 
ashes,  lest  they  are  laid  in  dust  and  ashes.  Let  them  break  off  their 
sins,  lest  God  throws  down  their  walls  and  habitations  by  furious  and 
devouring  flames.  Let  all  those  whose  habitations  are  still  standing 
remember  that  the  same  sins,  the  same  wrath,  and  the  same  malicious 
hands  that  has  laid  so  many  thousand  habitations  desolate,  can  lay 
theirs  also  desolate,  except  they  reform  and  turn  to  the  Most  High. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  It  highly  concerns  you  whose  houses  are  standing  monu- 
ments of  God's  mercy,  to  shew  much  love,  hoivels,  pifi/,  and  compcission  to 
those  ivho  are  burnt  up  and  turned  out  of  all:  who  are  houseless,  harbour- 
lesSy  and  penniless  this  day,  Gen..xviii. ;  Pa.  cii.  13  ;  2  Cor.  xi.  29.   God 

'  The  particular  kings  and  kinijdoms  that  must  drink  of  this  cup  are  set  down  from 
ver  10  to  vcr.  28.     Sec  Lam.  iv.  21,  and  Ezok.  x.viii.  31-34. 


I 


ISA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION,  309 

takes  it  well  at  our  hands  when  we  pity  those  whom  he  thinks  meet  to 
punish.  One  of  God's  great  ends  in  punishing  of  some  is  to  stir  up 
pity  and  compassion  in  others  towards  them.  It  should  melt  your 
hearts  to  see  other  men's  substances  melted  in  the  flames.  God  hath 
threatened  an  evil,  an  only  evil,  without  the  least  mixture  of  mercy, 
to  such  as  shew  no  mercy  to  those  in  misery,  Obad.  12,  13 ;  James 
ii.  13,  Who  ever  have  beheld  London  in  its  former  prosperity  and 
glory,  that  cannot  lament  to  see  London  laid  desolate  ?  The  ashes 
of  London  seems  to  cry  out,  Have  pity  upon  me,  0  my  friends!  Job 
vi,  14.  They  that  will  not  lament  upon  the  burnt  citizens  as  the 
greatest  objects  of  their  pity,  may  one  day  be  engulfed  under  the 
greatest  misery.  He  was  a  Nabal,  a  sapless  fellow,  who  shut  up  all 
bowels  of  pity  against  David  in  his  misery,  1  Sam.  xxv.  10,  11.  They 
were  cursed  Edomites  who  did  behold  the  ruin  of  Zion  and  not  mourn 
over  it,  Ps.  cxxxvii.  6-8.  Let  all  burnt  citizens  remember,  that  usually 
God  pities  them  most  whom  men  pities  least ;  but  burnt  citizens  are 
not  to  be  mocked  or  menaced,  but  mourned  over. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  It  highly  concerns  you  whose  houses  are  standing  monu- 
ments of  God's  mercy,  to  lift  up  a  'prayer  for  all  those  as  are  fallen 
under  this  heavy  judgment  of  fire  ^  Num.  xi.  1-3  ;  2  Kings  xix.  4. 
When  you  are  in  the  mount,  be  sure  you  bear  the  sad  condition  of  the 
burnt  citizens  upon  your  hearts :  Neh.  i.  3,  '  And  they  said  unto  me, 
The  remnant  that  are  left  of  the  captivity  there  in  the  province  are  in 
great  affliction  and  reproach :  the  wall  of  Jerusalem  also  is  broken 
down,  and  the  gates  thereof  are  burnt  with  fire.'  Well,  what  doth 
Nehemiah  do?  Ans.  He  lifts  up  a  prayer  for  them,  ver.  5-11.  0 
sirs,  your  prayers  must  not  be  pent  or  confined  to  your  own  private 
interests,  but  extended  to  the  benefit  of  all  God's  suffering  servants. 
Philo  the  Jew,  discoursing  of  Aaron's  ephod,  which  he  put  on  when 
he  went  to  pray,  saith  it  was  a  representation  of  the  whole  world,  hav- 
ing in  it  all  colours,  to  represent  the  condition  of  all  states  of  all  people 
whatsoever.  It  is  brave,  when  we  are  in  the  mount,  to  bear  the  condi- 
tions of  others  upon  our  hearts,  as  well  as  our  own,  especially  theirs 
whom  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  severely  reached.  The  best  of  men 
have  been  much  in  prayer  for  others ;  witness  Moses,  David,  Job, 
Jeremiah,  Daniel,  Paul,  Kom.  i.  9  ;  2  Tim.  i.  3.  And  it  is  very 
observable  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  our  great  pattern,  was 
very  much  in  this  noble  work,  for  you  shall  find  in  John  xvii.  that 
he  puts  up  but  one  petition  for  himself,  in  ver.  1,  which  petition  is 
repeated  again  in  ver.  5.  And  all  the  rest  of  his  time  he  spent  in 
praying  both  for  the  converted  and  unconverted.  Now  shall  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  put  up  many  requests  for  others  and  but  one  for  himself, 
and  shall  we  put  up  all  our  requests  for  ourselves  and  not  one  for 
others  ?  Among  the  Persians,  he  that  offered  sacrifice  prayed  for  all 
his  countrymen.  1  These  Persians  will  one  day  rise  in  judgment  against 
many  who  are  called  Christians,  and  yet  make  no  conscience  of  lifting 
up  a  prayer  for  those  that  are  under  the  afflicting  h:md  of  God.  He 
that  prayeth  for  himself  and  not  for  others,  is  fitly  compared  by  some 
to  a  hedgehog,  who   laps   himself  within   his   own   soft  down,  and 

^  Herodot.,  lib.  i. 


310  London's  lamentations  on        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

turns  his  bristles  to  all  the  world  besides.  The  Jews  have  a  saying, 
'  That  since  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the  door  of  prayer  hath  been 
shut  up.'  Oh  that  we  had  not  cause  to  fear  that,  since  the  burning  of 
London,  the  door  of  prayer  both  for  ourselves  and  one  another  hath 
been  too  much  shut  amongst  us  !  Oh  that  all  you  whoso  habitations 
are  standing,  would  seriously  consider — 

(1.)  That  none  need  prayer  more  than  the  burnt  citizens. 

(2.)  You  do  not  know  how  soon  their  case  may  be  yours  ;  the  same 
hand  or  hands  that  hath  made  them  desolate,  may  make  you  desolate 
also. 

(3.)  Else  what  do  you  more  than  others?  Mat.  v.  47. 

(4.)  To  pity  and  pray  for  those  that  are  in  misery,  is  honourable 
and  commendable. 

(5.)  It  is  one  of  the  most  compendious  ways  in  the  world  to  prevent 
all  those  calamities  and  miseries  that  now  you  fear,  and  that  you  think 
you  shall  shortly  feel. 

(6.)  To  lift  up  a  prayer  for  those  whose  sufferings  have  been  sore,  is 
no  costly  nor  chargeable  duty,  and  therefore  buckle  to  it.     But, 

[7.]  Seventhly,  It  highly  concerns  you  whose  houses  are  standing 
monuments  of  God's  mercy,  seriously  to  consider  that  some  men's 
escaping  of  very  great  judgments  is  not  properly  a  preservation,  hut 
a  reservation  to  some  gixater  destruction,  Gen.  xiv.  and  xix.  com- 
pared ;  Exod.  xiv.  28  ;  1  Kings  xix.  Witness  those  kings  who 
escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  were  afterwards  destroyed  by  fire 
and  brimstone  from  heaven ;  and  witness  Pharaoh,  who  escaped  all 
the  ten  plagues  of  Egypt  in  order  to  his  being  buried  with  his  host  in 
the  Eed  Sea.  And  witness  Sennacherib,  who  escaped  the  sword  of  the 
destroying  angel  in  order  to  his  falling  by  the  swords  of  his  own  sons. 
Upon  what  discontentment  his  sons  rose  up  to  slay  him  is  uncertain. 
Some  say,  [Castalion,]  it  was  because  he  jirclerred  their  younger  brother 
Esharhaddon  to  the  kingdom,  who  was  the  last  of  the  Assyrian 
monaichs ;  for  after  him  the  monarchy  was  translated  from  the 
Assyrians  to  the  Babylonians.  R.  Solomon,  as  Lyra  cites  him,  saith 
that  the  great  men  of  the  country  having  lost  each  one  his  son, 
brother,  or  friend,  in  that  expedition  against  Jerusalem,  were  so  pro- 
voked that  they  meant  to  destroy  him,  which  he  hearing,  fled  to  the 
idol's  temple,  and  ])rayed  and  vowed  that  if  his  god  would  deliver 
him  from  this  danger,  he  would  give  these  two  sons  for  sacrifice  to 
him  ;  then  they  hearing  of  this  came  and  slew  him  there.  I  shall 
leave  you  to  your  choice  whether  you  will  give  ci-edit  to  this  relation, 
or  look  upon  it  as  a  rabbinical  invention. i  In  this  judgment  that  fell 
upon  Sennacherib  there  are  these  things  remarkable : — 

[1.]  Thiit  he  should  see  so  great  and  well  prepared  an  army  so  sud- 
denly destroyed,  Isa.  xxxvii.  3(j. 

[2.]  That  the  storm  should  mainly  fall  upon  the  great  ones  of  his 
army :  2  Chron.  xxxii.  22,  '  And  the  Lord  sent  an  angel  which  cut 
off  all  the  mighty  men  of  valour,  and  the  leaders  and  captains  in  the 
camp  of  the  king  of  Assyria.'     From  whence  we  may  easily  gather 

'  If  Tobit  may  be  creJiteJ,  he  lived  not  fiftv-fivc  davs  after  his  return  to  Nineveh. 
Tob.  ii.  24. 


IsA.  XLII.  24,  25.]  THE  LATE  FIERY  DISPENSATION.  311 

that  some  of  the  weaker  sort,  some  of  the  refuse  of  the  army,  were 
spared — the  prime  men  and  great  officers  of  his  army  being  only 
smitten  ;  upon  which  account  the  king  and  his  ragged  regiments  be- 
came contemptible.  1 

[3.]  That  he  should  be  forced  to  fly  into  his  own  country  with  shame 
and  contempt ;  his  general  and  great  officers  being  destroyed,  he  had 
no  heart  to  keep  the  field,  having  none  to  order  the  battle ;  and  the 
dread  and  terror  of  the  Lord  and  his  judgments  abiding  upon  him 
and  his  army,  he  provides  for  his  own  safety  by  fleeing  home  with  his 
routed,  scattered  troops. 

[4.]  That  himself  should  be  slain,  and  that  in  the  temple  of  his  idol, 
and  in  the  very  act  of  his  idolatry,  and  that  by  his  own  sons  that  came 
out  of  his  own  bowels,  as  the  Holy  Ghost  observes,  2  Chron.  xxxii.  21, 
'  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house  of  his  god,  they  that  came 
forth  of  his  own  bowels  slew  him  there  with  the  sword.'  Certainly 
this  was  a  far  greater  judgment  than  if  he  had  fallen  by  the  sword  of 
the  destroying  angel.  And  witness  those  very  persons  who  escaped 
pestilence,  were  now  burnt  in  the  very  flames,  as  well  as  their 
houses  and  estates.  0  sirs,  though  you  have  escaped  the  burning- 
flames,  yet  you  do  not  know  what  other  judgments  you  may  be  re- 
served to  ;  and  therefore  be  not  secure,  but  be  wakeful  and  watchful, 
and  provide  for  the  worst.  Unexpected  judgments  many  times  seize 
upon  persons,  and  slay  them,  as  the  soldier  slew  Archimedes,  whilst 
he  was  busy  in  drawing  lines  in  the  dust.  Take  heed  of  saying,  surely 
the  worst  is  past. 

[8.]  Eighthly  and  lastly,  Do  not  rejoice  in  the  fiery  calamity  thai 
hath  passed  upon  others :  do  not  glory  in  your  neighbours'  ruins.  The 
fire-fly  leaps  and  dances  in  the  flre  ;  and  so  do  many  wicked  men 
rejoice  in  the  sufferings  of  others,  Prov.  xxiv.  17,  18.  ^  Such  as  re- 
joice in  the  sufferings  of  others,  are  sick  of  the  devil's  disease ;  but 
from  that  disease  the  Lord  deliver  all  your  souls !  It  is  sad  to  insult 
over  those  whom  God  hath  humbled ;  it  is  high  wickedness  to  triumph 
over  those  to  whom  God  hath  given  a  cup  of  astonishment  to  drink. 
Such  as  make  the  desolations  of  their  neighbours  to  be  the  matter 
either  of  their  secret  repast  or  open  exultation,  such  may  fear  that  the 
very  dregs  of  divine  wrath  is  reserved  for  them.  It  is  bad  playing 
upon  the  harp,  because  others  have  been  put  to  hang  their  harps  upon 
the  willows.  We  must  not  pray  with  him  in  the  tragedy,  that  it  may 
rain  calamities ;  nor  with  Clemens  his  Gnostic,  '  Give  me  calamities 
that  I  may  glory  in  them.'  There  cannot  be  a  greater  evidence  of  a 
wicked  heart  than  for  a  man  to  be  merry  because  others  are  in  misery. 
So  without  repentance  such  may  one  day  dance  in  infernal  flames,  who 
have  sung  and  danced  at  the  remembrance  of  London's  flames  :  Prov. 
xvii.  5,  '  He  that  is  glad  at  calamities,'  that  is,  at  the  calamities  of 
others,  '  shall  not  be  unpunished.'  If  God  be  God,  such  as  congratu- 
late our  miseries,  instead  of  condoling  them,  shall  be  sure  to  be  pun- 

^  The  migLity  monarcbs  of  Assyria  used  to  go  forth  to  war  with  500,000,  and  some- 
times with  1,000,000  men;  and  therefore  this  slaughter  may  well  be  understood  of  the 
grandees  of  his  army.     Wherefore  Josephus  saith,  he  fled  with  his  army. 

*  Seriously  ponder  upon  chap.  xxv.  and  xxxv.  of  Ezekiel,  and  Lam.  i.  21 ;  2  Sam. 
xvi.  17,  S.*) ;  and  Lam.  iii.  14,  4,5. 


312  London's  lamentations,  etc.        [Isa.  XLII.  24,  25. 

ished  with  the  worst  of  punishments  ;  for  sucli  do  not  only  sin  against 
the  law  of  grace,  but  also  against  the  very  law  of  nature — the  law  of 
nature  teaching  men  to  sympathise  with  those  that  are  in  misery,  and 
not  to  rejoice  over  them  because  of  their  miseries.  0  sirs,  do  not 
make  others'  mourning  your  music,  do  not  make  others'  tears  your 
wine,  as  you  would  not  be  made  drunk  at  last  with  the  wine  of  aston- 
ishment. 


THE 


GLORIOUS    DAY 


SAINTS'  APPEARAl^CE. 


NOTE. 

For  notices  of  Rainsborough— whose  '  Funeral  Sermon'  composes  the  '  Glorious  Daj' 
of  the  Saints'  Appearance ' — see  our  Memoir,  Vol.  I.  pp.  xxx.,  xxxi.  AVe  there  state  that 
certain  contemporary  broad-sheets  might  be  given  here;  but  on  re-examining  them,  they 
prove  such  poor  doggerel  as  to  be  unworthy  of  reprint.  The  curious  in  such  out-of-the- 
way  literature  will  find  them  in  the  British  Museum.  In  that  posthumous  tractate  of 
John  Vicars,  '  Dagon  Demolished  :  or,  Twenty  Admirable  Examples  of  God's  severe 
Justice  and  Displeasure  against  the  subscribers  of  the  late  Engagement  against  our 
Lawfull  Soveraign,  King  Charles  the  Second,  and  the  whole  House  of  Peers,'  .... 
[1C60,  4to,]  we  have  Rainsborough  as  one  of  the  'Examples,'  as  follows: — '  Collonel 
Rainsborow,  a  miglity  engager,  and  prime  stickier  for  the  power  at  Westminster,  a 
desperate  header  of  the  Levellers,  and  Admiral  of  the  Kavy  at  Sea,  was  suddenly  also 
assaulted  by  a  company  of  cavaliers  at  Pomfract  town,  in  Yorkshire,  in  an  inne,  and 
there  murthered  by  them,'  [p.  10.]  The  mistake  as  to  the  scene  of  the  crime  is  only 
one  of  many  blunders  of  all  sorts;  'Pontefract'  was  the  town  whence  the  royalist 
murderers  came.  The  item  concerning  Rainsborough  as  'Admiral  at  Sea'  confirms 
our  conjecture  that  Brooks's  sea-services  were  proljably  under  him.  See  Memoir,  as 
above.     The  title-page  is  given  below.* — G. 

*  THE 

Glorious  day  of  the 

SAINTS  Appearance; 

Calling  for 

A  glorious  conversation  from  all  Believers. 

Delivered  in  a  Sermon 
By  THOMAS  BROOKS, 
Preacher  of  the  Gospel  at  Thomas  Apostles 
at  tlie  interment  of  the  Corps  of  that 
renowned  Commander, 
Colonell  TJiomas  Rainnborouyh 
Who    was    treacherously   murthered    on    the    Lords 
day  in  the  morning  at  Donca.^tter,  October  29.  1648. 
and  honourably  interred  the  14th  of  i\"ore?H6er  follow- 
ing, in  tiie  Chappell  at  Wappimj  neare  London. 

Isa.  26.  19. 
Thy  dead  men  shall  live  (together  with)  my  dead  body  shall  they 
arise.     Awake,  and  sing  yee  that  dwell  in  the  dust ;  for  thy  dew  is 
as  the  dew  of  herbs,  and  the  earth  shall  cast  forth  her  dead. 
2  Pet.  3.  14. 
Wherefoi-e  (beloved)  seeing  that  yee  look  for  such  things,  be  diligent 
that  yee  may  be  found  of  him  in  peace,  wi'hout  spot,  and  blameless. 

London ; 

Printed     by     M.    S.     for    Jtapha     Harford,     and     Matthew 

Simmons,  and  are  to  be  sold  at  the  Bible  in  Queens-head 

Alley  in  Pater-noster-row,  and  in  Aldersgate-streete. 

1*54S.  [4to.— 0.] 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY 


To  the  Eight  Honourable  Thomas,  Lord  Fairfax,  Lord  General  of 
all  the  Parliament's  Forces  in  England  ;  such  honour  and  happi- 
ness as  is  promised  to  all  that  love  and  honour  the  Lord  Jesus. 

I  purpose  not,  Eight  Honourable,  to  insinuate  myself  or  my  poor 
endeavours  into  your  favour  by  fine  words  and  feigned  commendations 
of  your  virtues.  A  sincere  heart  abhors  it,  and  a  wise  heart  doth 
both  suspect  that  art,  and  account  it  base.  Eight  Honourable,  when 
I  preached  upon  this  subject  of  the  saints'  glorious  appearance  at  the 
last.  He  that  knows  all  hearts  and  thoughts,  knows  that  I  liad  not 
the  least  thought  to  put  it  to  the  press.  And  that  partly  because  the 
meditations  following  were  not  the  meditations  of  a  week,  no,  nor  of 
two  days,  but  of  some  few  hours — I  having  but  short  warning  to  pro- 
vide, and  other  things  falling  in  within  the  compass  of  that  short  time 
that  did  divert  my  thoughts  some  other  ways ;  but  mainly  because 
of  that  little  little  worth  that  is  in  it.  And  yet.  Eight  Honourable,  the 
intentions  of  some  to  put  it  to  the  j)ress,  in  case  I  would  not  consent 
to  have  it  printed — by  which  means  truth  and  myself  might  have  been 
co-partners  in  suffering — and  the  strong  importunity  of  many  precious 
souls,  hath  borne  me  down  and  subdued  me  to  them.  They  besieged 
me  so  strongly  that  they  have  taken  away  this  little  thing,  which  they 
are  pleased  to  call  [a]  good  prize ;  but  it  will  be  well  if  they  be  not  mis- 
taken. I  shall  look  upon  it  as  free  grace  and  mercy  to  them  and  me, 
if  they,  having  made  a  prey  of  it,  find  it  worth  their  having.  I  stood 
out  against  them,  not  because  I  prized  it,  but  because  I  thought  it  not 
good  enough  for  them.  But  since  it  is  fallen  into  their  hands,  my 
desire  is,  that  the  rich  blessing  of  God  may  so  accompany  it,  as  that  it 
may  reach  their  hearts,  and  be  better  to  them  than  the  choicest  riches 
of  this  world. 

Now  may  it  please  your  Excellency,  the  reasons  why  I  have  gladly 
taken  the  occasion  to  make  honourable  mention  of  your  name,  are 
three : — 

First,  Because  the  sense  of  your  great  worth  has  wheeled  my 
thoughts  in  this  kind  towards  you. 


316  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

Secondly,  That  I  might  testify  not  only  to  your  Honour,  but  to  all 
the  world,  my  thankful  remembrance  and  due  acknowledgment  of  your 
Lordships  undeserved  respect  towards  me. 

lliinlli/,  Because  tlie  matter  doth  relate  to  the  glorious  appearing 
of  one  of  England's  worthies,  with  the  rest  of  the  saints,  to  one  whom 
your  Excellency  did  dearly  love,  higldy  prize,  and  greatly  honour. 

My  noble  Lord,  I  shall  much  rejoice  if  this  poor  mite  may  in  any 
measure  help  forward  your  faith  and  joy  in  the  Lord  Jesus:  which 
that  it  may,  I  shall  humbly  supplicate  the  throne  of  grace.  My  Lord, 
this  is  your  greatest  honour,  that  you  account  the  opportunities  of  ser- 
vice for  God  and  his  people  your  greatest  honour  upon  earth :  that 
your  Honour  hath  appeared,  in  the  darkest  night  and  in  the  greatest 
storms,  for  the  honour,  the  safety,  the  sound  peace  and  liberty  of  the 
saints  and  this  kingdom — and  that  notwithstanding  all  the  discourage- 
ments your  Excellency  hath  met  with,  through  the  neutrality,  apos- 
tasy, and  treachery  of  men,  high  and  low,  in  this  kingdom.  Ah  !  my 
Lord,  what  a  mercy  is  this,  that  the  true  nobility  of  your  Lordship's 
spirit,  scorning  such  baseness,  hath  delivered  you  from  those  checks, 
wounds,  and  lashes  of  conscience  which  those  forenamed  wretches  lie 
under,  and  from  that  shame  and  confusion  of  face  wliich  hath  already 
begun  to  seize  upon  them  here,  but  shall  more  fully  and  dreadfully 
seize  on  them  in  the  great  day  of  account,  when  the  books  shall  be 
opened,  and  all  the  treachery  and  baseness  to  enslave  the  saints  and 
this  kingdom  shall  be  discovered! 

My  noble  Lord,  tlirough  the  glorious  presence  of  God  with  you, 
you  have  done  gloriously  in  endeavouring  the  full  rescue  of  the  people 
of  God  from  the  hands  of  cruel  and  unreasonable  men,  who  have  left 
no  stone  unturned,  that  their  lusts  and  will  upon  the  people  of  God 
might  be  satisfied.  My  Lord,  as  you  have  pleaded  the  cause  of  the 
people  of  God,  and  as  you  have  appeared  for  them,  do  so  still :  for  the 
Lord  will  side  with  those  that  side  with  his  saints,  and  they  that  seek 
their  lives  seek  yours  also.  But  the  comfort  is,  God  will  make 
Jerusalem  '  a  cup  of  poison  unto  all  the  people  round  about : '  he  will 
make  Jerusalem  '  a  burdensome  stone:  and  all  that  burden  themselves 
with  it  shall  be  cut  in  pieces,  though  all  the  people  of  the  earth  gather 
together  against  it,'  Zech.  xii.  2,  3. 

My  noble  Lord,  for  the  great  things  you  have  already  done  for 
this  kingdom,  the  high  praises  of  God  are  in  the  mouths  of  the  saints, 
and  the  children  unl)orn  shall  bless  you,  and  bless  God  for  you.  And 
when  the  name  of  tyrants,  malignants,  neuters,  and  apostates  shall 
rot,  the  memorial  of  your  name  shall  be  for  ever  precious  among  the 
'  precious  sons  of  Zion.'  And  that  your  Excellency  may  do  yet  more 
and  more  gloriously,  the  breathing  and  desire  of  my  soul  to  God  for 
your  Lordshi])  is,  that  the  Lord  would  take  up  your  spirit  into  such 
sweet  and  full  enjoyment  of  himself  and  of  that  glory  above,  that 
may  enable  you  divinely  to  trample  upon  all  those  things  that  may 
anyway  hinder  you  from  solacing  and  delighting  your  soul  in  the 
love,  light,  and  sweetness  that  is  in  the  bosom  of  Christ ;  that  the 
Lord  will  take  you  by  the  hand,  whenever  you  are  in  the  dark,  and 
lead  out  your  spirit  in  such  ways  that  may  be  for  the  honour  of  his 
name,  for  the  joy  of  his  people,  and  for  the  real  happiness  and  welfare 


k 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  317 

of  this  kingdom.  That  in  all  your  hours  of  temptation  you  may  find 
the  power  of  the  lively  prayers  of  the  saints — in  which  and  in  whose 
affection  you  have  as  great  a  share  as  any  mortal  that  breathes — 
strengthening  and  raising  you  above  them  all.  That  no  weapon  nor 
device  nor  counsel  that  is  formed  against  you  may  prosper ;  that  the 
eternal  God  will  be  your  refuge,  and  that  under  you  may  be  his  ever- 
lasting arms  ;  that  your  soul  may  be  swallowed  up  in  the  sweet  enjoy- 
ment of  God,  that  so  every  bitter  may  be  made  sweet  unto  you,  and 
that  your  last  days  may  be  your  best ;  that  the  longer  you  live,  the 
more  glorious  for  God  and  his  people  you  may  act;  that  God  will 
'  guide  you  by  his  counsel  here,  and  after  all  receive  you  to  glory/ 

My  Lord,  you  know  that  God  doth  not  '  despise  the  day  of  small 
things  ;'  and  I  believe  that  the  fear  of  the  great  God  is  so  strong  upon 
your  Lordship's  spirit  that  your  Honour  will  not.  I  humbly  crave  your 
Excellency,  and  all  others  that  shall  read  this  sermon,  to  overlook  the 
mistakes  of  the  printer,  I  having  no  time  to  wait  upon  the  press  to 
correct  what  haply  may  be  found  amiss.  The  perusal  and  acceptance  of 
what  I  here  present  in  love  and  out  of  a  due  respect  unto  your 
Excellency,  I  submit  to  your  wisdom,  and  humbly  take  my  leave, 
remaining  your  Lordship's,  in  all  humble  and  due  observance, 

Thomas  Brooks. 


CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS. 


When  Chris/,  u-ho  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall  ye  also  appear 
loith  him  in  glory. — Col.  III.  4. 

The  apostle,  in  the  verse  before,  tells  them  that  their  '  life  is  hid  with 
Christ  in  God.'  These  saints  might  object :  but  when  shall  that  hidden 
life  be  discovered  ?  when  shall  that  life  of  glory  be  manifested  ? 
He  answers  in  the  text :  '  When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear, 
then  shall  ye  also  appear  with  him  in  glory.'  The  words  do  speak  out 
the  time  when  the  glorious  life  of  believers  shall  be  manifested,  and 
that  is,  Avlien  Christ  shall  appear  in  glory.  I  have  in  some  other 
place  observed  from  these  words  this  point — namely,  that  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  the  life  of  believers. 

'  When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear.'  Life  here  is,  by  a 
metonymy,  put  for  the  author  of  life. 

We  have  shewed  that  Jesus  Chi'ist,  he  is  first  the  author  of  a  be- 
liever's spiritual  life.  In  the  14th  of  John,  '  I  am  the  Way,  the 
Truth,  and  the  Life,'  (ver.  6.) 

Secondly,  Jesus  Christ,  he  is  the  matter  of  a  believer's  spiritual  life  : 
in  John  vi.  48,  '  I  am  the  bread  of  life.'  The  original  hath  it  more 
elegantly,  iyo)  et/xt  6  dpTo<;  t/}?  ^oxf;?, '  I  am  the  bread  of  that  life,'  that 
is,  of  that  spiritual  life  of  which  before  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  had 
spoken. 

Ill  irdly,  Jesus  Christ  is  the  exerciser  and  actor  of  the  spiritual  life 
of  believers :  John  xv.  5,  '  Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing.'  The 
original  is,  x^P''^  efi,ov,  seorsini  a  me ;  [Calvin,  Cameron,  <fcc.]  separate 
from  me,  or  apart  from  me,  ye  can  do,  &c. 

Fourthly,  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  is  the  strengihener  aiid  the 
cherisher  of  a  believer's  spiritual  life,  Ps.  cxxxviii.  3,  '  In  the  day 
when  I  cried,  thou  didst  answer  me,  and  strengthen  me  with  strength 
in  my  soul.' 

Lastly,  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  is  the  completer,  he  is  the  fnisher 
of  the  spiritual  life  of  a  saint,  Heb.  xii.  2 ;  Phil.  i.  6.  We  have 
opened  this  point,  and  have  made  several  uses  of  it.  There  were  one 
or  two  things  that  we  could  not  reach  nor  speak  to  when  we  treated 
upon  this  subject  ;  I  will  only  mention  them,  and  so  I  pass  to  that 
Bpccial  point  that  1  intend  to  speak  to  at  this  time. 


I 


Col.  III.  4.]         christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  319 

Is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  a  believer's  life  ?  To  pass  by  what  we  have 
further  spoken  upon  this  point — this  same,  by  way  of  use,  doth  serve 
to  bespeak  all  believers  not  to  repent  of  any  tiling  they  have  done,  or  suf- 
fered, or  lost,  for  the  Lord  Jesus.  Oh,  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  a 
believer's  life  ?  Why,  then,  let  no  believer  be  disquieted,  nor  over- 
whelmed and  dejected,  for  any  loss  or  for  any  sorrow  or  suffering 
that  he  meets  with  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ's  sake.  What  a  base 
and  unworthy  spirit  is  it  for  a  man  to  be  troubled  and  disquieted  in 
himself  for  anything  that  he  shall  do  or  suffer  for  his  own  natural 
life  !  Oh,  Jesus  Christ  is  thy  life  ;  do  not  say  this  mercy  is  too  dear 
for  Christ,  nor  that  comfort  is  too  great  for  Christ.  Christ  is  the  life 
of  a  believer :  what  wilt  thou  not  do  for  thy  hfe  ?  The  devil  hit 
right  when  he  said,  '  Skin  for  skin,  and  all  that  a  man  hath  will  he 
give  for  his  life.'  Oh,  what  should  a  man  then  do  for  Jesus  Christ, 
who  is  his  life !  You  noble  hearts  whose  particular  God  hath  come 
near  in  this  sad  loss,  remember  this,  that  Christ  is  a  believer's  life  ; 
Christ  is  that  glorious  champion's  life.  Therefore  be  not  over- 
whelmed, for  doubtless  he  is  now  triumphing  in  the  love,  in  the  light, 
in  the  goodness,  and  in  the  glory  of  him  who  is  his  life.  Let  the  sense 
of  this  sad  loss  kindly  affect  you,  but  let  it  not  discourage  you. 

But,  secondly,  If  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  a  believer's  life,  then  this 
serves  to  bespeak  all  believers  highly  to  prize  the  Lord  Jesus.  Oh,  it  is 
this  Christ  that  is  thy  life  ;  it  is  not  thy  husband,  it  is  not  thy  child,  it 
is  not  this  or  that  thing ;  neither  is  it  this  ordinance  or  that  that  is  a 
believer's  life,  No  ;  it  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  that  is  the  author, 
that  is  the  matter,  that  is  the  exerciser,  that  is  the  strengtheuer,  that 
is  the  completer,  of  a  believer's  life.  You  prize  great  ones  ;  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  is  great — he  is  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords.  You 
prize  others  for  their  wisdom  and  knowledge :  the  Lord  Jesus  hath  in 
himself  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge,  Col.  ii.  3.  You 
prize  others  for  their  beauty :  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  beautifullest 
of  ten  thousand.  Cant.  v.  10.  You  prize  others  for  their  usefulness  : 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  right  hand  of  a  believer,  without  which 
he  can  do  nothing.  The  believer  may  say  of  Christ  as  the  philosopher 
said  of  the  heavens,  Tolle  ccelum,  nullus  ero — Take  away  the  heavens, 
and  I  shall  be  nobody ;  so  take  away  Jesus  Christ,  and  a  believer  is 
nobody — nobody  to  perform  any  action,  nobody  to  bear  any  affliction, 
nobody  to  conquer  corruption,  nobody  to  withstand  temptation,  nobody 
to  improve  mercies,  nor  nobody  to  joy  in  others'  grace.  Oh,  prize 
Jesus  Christ ! 

Again,  Consider  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  doth  highly  prize  you  ;  you 
are  as  the  apple  of  his  eye  ;  he  accounts  you  his  fulness ;  you  are  his 
jewels  ;  therefore  prize  him  who  sets  such  a  high  price  on  you.  But 
I  hasten  to  what  I  intend— 

In  the  last  place,  Eemember  a  Christ  highly  prized  will  he  Christ 
gloriously  obeyed.  As  men  prize  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  so  they  will 
obey  him.  The  great  reason  why  Jesus  Christ  is  no  more  obeyed,  is 
because  he  is  no  more  prized.  Men  look  upon  him  as  a  person  of  no 
worth,  no  dignity,  no  glory  ;  they  make  slight  of  him,  and  that  is  the 
reason  they  are  so  poor  in  their  obedience  to  him.  Oh,  if  the  sons  of 
men  did  but  more  divinely  prize  Christ,  they  would  more  purely,  and 


320  CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [COL.  III.   4. 

more  fully,  and  more  constcantly  obey  him.  Let  this  bespeak  all  your 
hearts  highly  to  prize  the  Lord  Jesus,  who  is  your  life.  But  I  shall 
pass  from  this,  to  that  point  that  in  order  to  this  occasion  I  shall  now 
speak  to  :  '  When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall  ye 
appear  also  with  him  in  glory.'  The  observation  that  I  shall  speak  to 
at  this  time  is,  that  believers  shall  at  last  ajqiear  glorious. 

It  is  a  very  choice  point,  and  a  useful  point,  in  order  to  the  present 
providence.  I  shall  not  be  long  in  the  doctrinal  part,  because  the 
application  is  that  that  I  have  my  eye  most  upon.  The  scriptures 
that  speak  of  this  truth  I  will  but  name  them  ;  at  your  leisure  you 
may  read  them:  Judges  xv.  14;  1  Cor.  xv.  43,  44,  51-55;  1  Thes. 
iv.  13,  seq. ;  Mat.  xix.  26-28.  These  scriptures  clearly  speak  out 
this  truth,  that  the  people  of  God  shall  at  last  appear  glorious. 

The  reasons  of  this  point,  why  they  shall  appear  glorious,  are  these 
as  follow.     They  shall  appear  glorious  ; — 

1.  First  of  all,  because  that  day  is  a  day  of  solemnity  ;  it  is  the 
marriage-day  of  the  Lamb.  1  may  allude  to  that  Rev.  xix.  6-8.  It 
is  true,  believers  in  this  life,  they  are  spiritually  married  to  the  Lord 
Jesus ;  but  this  marriage  is  not  celebrated  till  this  day,  when  the 
saints  shall  appear  in  their  glory.  God  the  Father  hath  jjut  off  the 
celebration  of  this  glorious  marriage  to  this  last  day,  when  believers' 
mourning  weeds  shall  be  taken  off,  and  their  glorious  robes  shall  be 
put  on  ;  when  God  himself  shall,  as  a  Father,  be  more  fully  and 
gloriously  present  among  all  his  children  ;  whenas  he  shall  have  all 
his  attendants  visible,  I  mean  his  angels,  which  now  are  not  visible, 
in  that  spiritual  marriage  between  his  Son  and  believers. 

2.  A  second  reason  that  believers  at  last  shall  appear  glorious,  is 
this,  because  they  shall  all  aj^pear  at  the  last  as  kings  crowned.  Here 
believers  are  kings  elected,  but  at  that  last  day  they  shall  all  appear  as 
kings  crowned.  Here  believers  have  a  crown  in  reversion,  but  at  the 
last  they  shall  have  a  crown  in  possession  ;  the  Lord  will  set  it  upon 
their  heads  :  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8,  'I  have  fought  the  good  fight  of  faith, 
I  have  finished  my  course  ;  henceforth  is  laid  up  for  me' — the  Greek 
word  (XTTOKenai,  is  '  safely  laid  up' — '  a  crown  of  glory  which  he  shall 
give  me  at  that  day.'  I  have  now,  saitli  he,  a  crown  in  reversion  ; 
but  at  that  day  I  shall  have  it  in  possession  ;  then  it  shall  be  set  upon 
my  head,  and  then  angels  and  devils  and  murderers  shall  say,  '  Lo  ! 
here  is  the  man  that  God  is  pleased  to  honour.' 

3.  Then  a  third  reason  why  believers  at  the  last  shall  appear 
glorious,  is  for  the  terror  and  the  horror  of  all  ungodly  ivretches  that 
have  opposed,  persecuted,  and  murdered  them.  They  shall  appear 
glorious  for  the  greater  torment  of  such  imgodly  souls.  Oh,  there 
is  nothing  that  will  make  sinners  in  that  great  day  more  to  tear  their 
hair,  to  beat  their  breasts,  to  wring  their  hands,  and  to  gnaw  their 
own  hearts,  than  this,  when  they  shall  behold  those  advanced  and 
those  a])pearing  in  their  glory,  whom  they  have  slighted,  and  despised, 
and  most  treacherously  murdered,  here  below.  I  doubt  not  but  there 
are  some  base,  unworthy  spirits  here ;  Jbut  let  them  know  that  there  is 
a  day  coming  when  the  saints  shall  appear  in  glory,  and  then  the 
mangled  ones  and  this  thrice-worthy  champion  shall  appear  among  the 
rest,  to  the  terror,  horror,  and  confusion  of  these  murderous  wretches 


Col.  III.  4.]         christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  321 

that  have  brought  the  guilt  of  his  blood  upon  them.  It  will  be  with 
you  and  with  all  ungodly  wretches  as  it  was  with  Haman :  he,  like  an 
ungodly  wretch,  had  plotted  and  contrived  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  ; 
he  had  sold  them,  as  it  were,  to  bondage,  tyranny,  and  slavery ;  but 
the  Lord  wheels  things  gloriously  about,  and  Haman  comes  to  the 
king,  (Esther  vi.)  :  saith  the  king  to  him,  '  What  shall  be  done  to  the 
man  whom  the  king  is  pleased  to  honour  ?'  Saith  he,  '  Let  the  king's 
horse  be  brought,  and  glorious  robes  put  on  him,  and  let  the  chief 
nobles  of  the  kingdom  lead  him  and  proclaim  before  him,  Thus  shall 
it  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king  is  pleased  to  honour.'  '  Go,' 
saith  the  king,  '  and  do  thus  to  Mordecai.'  But  mark,  (ver.  11),  '  Then 
took  Haman  the  apparel  and  the  horse,  and  arrayed  Mordecai,  and 
brought  him  on  horseback  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  pro- 
claimed before  him,  Thus  shall  it  be  done  to  the  man  whom  the  king 
delighteth  to  honour  ;  but  Haman  hasted  to  his  house,  mourning  and 
having  his  head  covered.'  This  is  but  an  emblem  of  the  carriage  of 
wicked  men,  when  they  shall  behold  the  saints  of  God,  his  glorious 
worthy  ones,  in  their  glory  at  this  great  day.  Then  shall  they,  with 
Haman,  have  their  heads  covered,  which  was  a  sign  of  shame  and 
confusion  of  face. 

And  it  will  be  with  all  such  ungodly  wretches  as  it  was  wdth  Bel- 
shazzar :  Dan.  v.  5,  6,  '  In  the  same  hour  came  forth  fingers  of  a 
man's  hand,  and  wrote  over  against  the  candlestick  upon  the  plaster 
of  the  wall  of  the  king's  palace :  and  the  king  saw  the  part  of  the 
hand  that  wrote.  Then  the  king's  countenance  was  changed,  and  his 
thoughts  troubled  him,  so  that  the  joints  of  his  loins  were  loosed, 
and  his  knees  smote  one  against  another.'  Just  thus  shall  it  be  with 
ungodly  wretches,  that  oppose  and  murder  and  destroy  the  righteous 
ones.  Oh !  when  they  shall  see  them  in  glory — as  when  he  saw  the 
handwriting,  his  countenance  was  changed,  his  thoughts  were  troubled, 
his  loins  were  loosed,  and  his  knees  dashed  against  one  another — thus 
shall  it  be  when  the  saints  shall  appear  in  glory :  therefore  they  at 
last  shall  appear  glorious,  to  the  terror,  horror,  and  inexpressible 
confusion  of  all  ungodly,  bloody  wretches. 

4.  A  fourth  reason  why  they  shall  appear  glorious  at  last,  is,  be- 
cause their  glorious  appearance  at  the  last  luiU  make  much  for  the 
lionour  and  glory  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  The  more  glorious  the  body  is, 
the  more  it  makes  for  the  glory  of  the  head :  the  more  glorious  the 
bride  is,  the  more  it  makes  for  the  glory  of  the  bridegroom  :  for  the 
glory  of  his  power,  wisdom,  fulness,  and  goodness;  and  therefore  they 
shall  appear  glorious. 

5.  Then,  again,  they  shall  appear  glorious  at  the  last  day,  that  there 
may  be  some  suitableness  between  the  head  and  the  members.  Oh, 
what  an  uncomely  thing  would  it  be  to  see  the  head  to  be  all  of  fine 
gold,  and  the  hands  of  iron,  and  the  feet  of  clay !  What  an  un- 
comely thing  would  it  be  to  see  the  bridegroom  in  all  his  glorious 
apparel,  and  the  bride  in  her  rags,  or  her  mourning  weeds  !  The  Lord 
will  have  it  so,  that  his  people  at  last  shall  appear  glorious,  that  they 
may  be  suitable  to  their  glorious  head,  unto  their  precious  bridegroom. 

It  is  true,  when  Christ  came  first,  he  came  clothed  with  flesh,  and  was 
looked  upon  as  one  that  had  no  form  nor  comeliness  nor  beauty,  that 

VOL.  VI.  X 


322  CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [CoL.   III.  4. 

men  should  desire  liim,  Isa.  liii.  2,  3.  And  such  a  state  was  the 
church  in  to  whom  lie  came.  Oh !  but  now  when  he  shall  appear 
'  the  second  time,  without  sin,  to  salvation,'  then  he  shall  appear 
glorious ;  and  so  shall  all  his  saints,  that  there  may  be  a  suitableness 
between  the  members  and  the  head,  between  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom. 

6.  And  then,  again,  another  reason  why  believers  shall  appear 
glorious,  is,  because  that  is  the  very  time  ivherein  the  most  ivicked 
shall  jiLsl if u  the  goodness  and  mercy  of  God  in  his  dealings  towards 
his  own  jjcojyle.  Oh,  here  many  say  with  those  in  Job  xxi.  15,  '  What 
profit  is  there  in  serving  of  God  ?'  Who  would  be  as  those  men  are, 
to  carry  their  lives  in  their  hands  ?  Who  would  run  through  so 
many  miseries;  and  all  for  others?  'What  profit  is  there  in  honour- 
ing of  God  ?'  Mai.  iii.  14.  It  is  a  strong  affirmation  that  there  is  no 
profit.  They  are  ready  to  say,  when  they  look  upon  the  sorrows, 
miseries,  and  evils  that  attend  the  saints  in  this  wilderness,  that  it  is 
madness  and  folly  to  walk  holily  as  they  walk,  and  to  do  righteously 
as  they  do.  Isa.  lix.  15,  '  Truth  faileth,  and  he  that  departeth  from 
evil  makctli  himself  a  prey,'  or  a  proverb,  as  the  original  hath  it.i 
Oh,  the  world  accounts  them  a  company  of  mad,  foolish  people  that 
refrain  from  evil.  But  God  will  have  his  people  at  last  appear 
glorious,  that  the  mouths  of  ungodly  wretches  may  be  stopped,  that 
they  may  justify  God  in  his  goodness  and  mercy  towards  his  own 
people.  When  they  shall  see  those  that  they  accounted  monsters  and 
wonders  of  the  world,  men  not  w^orthy  to  live  in  the  world,  when  they 
shall  see  crowns  set  on  their  heads,  and  glorious  robes  put  on  their 
backs,  oh  how  will  ungodly  men  gnash  teeth,  and  say.  Oh !  we 
thought  them  fools  and  madmen,  that  thus  waited  on  God,  and 
walked  with  God ;  but  now  we  see  ourselves  the  only  fools,  the  only 
mad  ones,  that  have  turned  our  backs  on  God,  and  kicked  at  God, 
and  that  have  said,  '  There  is  no  profit  in  serving  of  God.'  Therefore 
the  saints  shall  ap])ear  glorious  at  the  last. 

7.  Then,  the  last  reason  why  they  shall  appear  glorious,  is,  because 
theij  shall  be  employed  about  glorious  icork :  1  Cor.  vi.  2,  3,  '  Know 
ye  not  that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  world?'  Nay,  he  goes  higher, 
*  Know  ye  not  that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  angels?'  There  is  a 
day  coming  when  the  saints  shall  judge  the  world.  They  shall  be 
employed  in  a  glorious  work.  Therefore  they  shall  appear  glorious  ; 
for  the  work  in  which  they  shall  be  employed  shall  be  glorious.  They 
shall  sit  as  so  many  fellow-judges  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  say 
Amen  to  the  righteous  sentence  that  Christ  shall  pass  upon  all 
treacherous  and  bloody  murderers.  0  ungodly  souls,  the  day  is 
coming  when  those  that  now  you  have  persecuted,  murdered,  and 
destroyed,  they  shall  sit  upon  thrones  and  shall  judge  you  ;  they 
shall  say  Amen  to  that  glorious  sentence  that  Christ  at  the  last  day 
shall  pass  upon  you.  There  is  a  day  coming  Avhen  all  those  that 
have  rejoiced  in  the  fall  of  this  worthy,  and  those  treacherous  wretches 
that  had  a  hand  in  this  unparalleled  butchery,  when  they  shall  hold 
up  their  hands  at  the  bar  of  God's  tribunal.  There  is  a  day  a- 
coming  when  the  saints  shall  appear  glorious,  and  this  worthy  among 


Col.  hi.  4]  christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  323 

the  rest,  to  pass  a  rigliteoiis  sentence  upon  such  unrighteous,  bloody 
wretches.  That  is  another  reason  why  they  shall  ai)pear  in  glory, 
because  they  shall  be  employed  in  a  glorious  service,  in  judging  the 
wicked  world,  however  they  have  been  scoffed  at  and  despised  here. 

The  use  of  the  point  is  the  main  thing  I  shall  speak  to.  Is  it  so 
that  the  saints  at  last  shall  appear  glorious  ? 

1.  First,  This  serves  to  bespeak  the  'people  of  God  to  he  glorious. 
Oh  that  you  would  strive  to  be  glorious  now,  who  at  last  shall  appear 
so  glorious  !  Oh  that  your  words  might  be  more  glorious,  that  your 
thoughts  of  God  might  be  more  giorious,  that  your  conversations 
might  be  more  glorious,  that  your  actings  towards  God  and  man 
might  be  more  glorious  !  The  day  is  coming,  0  blessed  souls,  whenas 
you  shall  appear  glorious  !  Oh  that  you  would  labour  now  to  shine 
in  glory,  who  at  the  last  shall  transcend  the  sun  in  glory  !  But  I  shall 
hasten  to  that  w^iich  I  chiefly  intend,  and  that  is  this :  Is  it  so  that 
believers  at  last  shall  appear  glorious  ?     Then, 

2.  Second,  This  serves  to  bespeak  all  believers  to  do  gloriously 
whiles  you  are  Ae»'e,  for  you  shall  appear-  glorioles.  In  this  I  shall 
endeavour  these  three  things  : — 

First,  To  lay  down  some  motives  to  move  you  to  do  gloriously  here, 
who  shall  appear  glorious  in  heaven. 

Secondly,  We  shall  shew  when  a  man  may  be  said  to  do  gloriously. 

Thirdly,  I  shall  lay  down  some  directions  and  helps  to  enable  you 
while  you  are  here  to  do  gloriously ;  and  so  proceed  to  other  things 
that  remain. 

1.  For  the  first,  to  move  you  to  do  gloriously,  methinks  here  is  a 
motive,  that  at  last  you  shall  he  glorious.  But  to  engage  you  a  little, 
consider  these  four  or  five  things  to  move  you  to  do  gloriously:  — 

[1.]  First,  Consider  tJie  Lord  hath  done  already  very  gloriously 
for  you;  therefore  do  you  gloriously  for  God.  God  hath  done  very 
gloriously  for  you.  He  hath  made  your  ugly  inside  glorious,  and 
he  hath  made  your  ugly  outside  glorious:  Ps.  xlv.  13,  'The  king's 
daughter  is  all  glorious  within,  and  her  raiment  is  of  embroidered 
gold.'  God  hath  pardoned  you  gloriously,  God  hath  justified  you 
gloriously,  God  hath  fenced  you  against  corruption  gloriously,  God 
hath  strengthened  you  against  temptations  gloriously,  God  hath 
supported  you  under  afflictions  gloriousl}',  God  hath  delivered  you 
from  the  designs  and  plots  of  treacherous,  murderous  wretches, 
gloriously  and  frequently.  Oh,  how  should  this  engage  all  Chris- 
tians to  do  gloriously  for  God,  that  hath  already  done  gloriously  for 
them ! 

[2.]  But  then,  in  the  second  place.  To  move  you  to  do  gloriously, 
consider  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  ivorld  doth  basely  and  wickedly 
against  God;  therefore  you  have  the  more  cause  to  do  gloriously  for 
God:  IJohnv.  19,  '  The  whole  world,'  saith  he,  '  lies  in  wickedness,'  in 
malignity.  The  world  lies  in  troublesomeness.  The  word  irovqpw 
signifies  a  desire,  a  study  and  endeavour  to  work  wickedness,  a  work- 
ing wickedness  ;  and  in  such  a  wickedness  the  world  lies,  and  the 
greatest  part  of  the  great  ones  of  this  world  do  basely  and  wickedly 
against  God.  Oh  the  treachery  and  apostasy,  oh  the  neutrality  and 
impiety,  oh  the  facing  about  of  the  great  ones  of  this  age  !     0  believers, 


324  CHRIST  IS  TIIK  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [COL.  ITI.  4. 

you  had  need  to  do  gloriously,  for  great  and  small,  honourable  and 
base,  do  treaclierously ;  and  therefore  this  should  engage  you  to  do 
more  gloriously.  Oh,  the  more  base  and  vile  any  are,  the  more  glorious 
should  the  saints  be  ! 

[3.]  Then,  in  the  third  place.  Consider  this,  the  more  gloriously  you 
do  for  God  here,  the  more  glorious  you  shall  be  hereafter.  Suffering 
saints  for  Christ  shall  have  weighty  crowns  set  upon  their  heads. 
Murdered  saints  for  Christ  shall  have  double  crowns  set  upon  their 
heads.  The  more  gloriously  any  man  doth  for  Christ  here,  the  more 
glorious  that  man  shall  be  hereafter :  2  Cor.  ix.  6,  '  As  a  man  soweth, 
so  shall  he  reap.  He  that  soweth  sparingly  shall  reap  sparingly  ;  but 
he  that  soweth  liberally  shall  reap  liberally ; '  2  John  8,  '  Look  to  your- 
selves, that  ye  lose  not  the  things  ye  have  wrought,  but  that  ye  receive 
a  full  reward.'  There  is  a  reward  in  Scripture,  and  a  full  reward. 
The  more  glorious  any  soul  is  in  doing  for  God  here,  the  more  glorious 
that  soul  shall  be  hereafter:  Mat.  xix.  27,  28,  '  We  have  forsaken  all, 
and  followed  thee  ;  what  shall  we  have  ?  Verily,'  saitli  Christ,  '  you 
that  have  done  this,  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel'  Look,  Christians,  the  more  gloriously  any  man  doth 
for  God  here,  the  more  comfort  and  peace  and  joy  that  man  hath  on 
this  side  heaven,  which  is  but  an  earnest  of  that  happiness,  of  that 
glorious  good  and  sweetness  that  the  soul  shall  have  when  he  shall 
appear  in  his  glory.  It  is  not  the  slight  Christian,  the  light,  loose, 
talking  Christian,  that  hath  much  joy  and  peace,  and  the  most  full  dis- 
coveries of  God  here,  but  the  most  glorious-doing  Christian,  the  most 
acting  soul ;  and  the  more  gloriously  any  man  doth  for  God  here,  the 
more  joy  and  peace  and  comfort  he  shall  have,  which  is  but  a  pa^Mi 
of  that  glorious  joy  and  goodness  which  at  last  he  shall  receive. 

[4.]  And  then,  fourtlily,  To  move  you  to  do  gloriously  for  God.  you 
that  shall  be  glorious  at  the  last,  consider  this,  the  greatest  part  of 
your  time  you  have  spent  foolishly  and  in  7cays  of  vanity  against 
God.  Oh,  that  time  that  is  behind  to  spend  gloriously,  it  is  very,  very 
little ;  which  should  bespeak  you  to  do  gloriously  for  God  that  little, 
little  time  that  is  allotted  you.  The  apostle  hath  one  argument — 
1  Peter  iv.  3,  G,  7  compared,  '  For  the  time  past  of  our  life  may  suffice 
us  to  have  wrought  the  will  of  the  Gentiles,  when  we  walked  in  lascivi- 
ousness,  lusts,  excess  of  wine,  revellings,  banquctings,  and  abominable 
idolatries,'  &c.  '  For,  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel  preached  also  to 
them  that  are  dead,  tliat  they  might  be  judged  according  to  men  in 
the  flesh,  but  live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit.  But  the  end  of  all 
things  is  at  hand ;  be  ye  therefore  sober,  and  watch  unto  prayer.'  He 
tells  them  that  the  greatest  part  of  their  time  was  spent  vainly ;  and 
in  ver.  7  he  tells  them  that  the  time  behind  was  short.  Upon  this 
consideration  he  presseth  them  to  do  glorious  things  in  the  latter  part 
of  ver.  6.  But  'live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit,'  oh  what  is  that 
but  to  live  gloriously,  to  do  gloriously  ? 

[5.]  Then,  lastly.  Consider  this  to  move  you  to  do  gloriously  for  God: 
if  you  do  not  gloriously  for  God,  none  in  the  icorld  can  do  gloriously 
for  God;  if  you  do  not,  none  in  the  world  will.  Consider  this,  you 
that  are  believers.  Of  all  persons  in  the  world,  you  have  the  greatest 
cause  to  do  gloriously  for  God  ;  for  God  hath  done  more  for  you  than 


Col.  III.  4.]         christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  325 

for  all  the  world  besides.  You  have  not  only  the  greatest  cause  to  do 
gloriously  for  God,  but  you  have  the  choicest  principles  to  enable  you 
to  do  gloriously  for  God — as  knowledge,  and  wisdom,  and  power,  and 
faith,  and  zeal.  And  as  you  have  the  choicest  principles,  so  you  have 
the  sweetest  experience  to  engage  you  to  do  gloriously  for  God.  How 
hath  God  knocked  at  your  doors  when  he  hath  passed  by  the  doors 
of  thousands  !  How  hath  free  grace  saluted  you,  when  wrath  hath 
broken  forth  upon  thousands !  How  hath  God  dandled  you  on  his 
knee,  when  he  hath  trampled  others  under  his  feet !  What  is  this  but 
to  engage  you  to  do  gloriously  for  God  ?  If  you  do  not,  none  in  the 
world  will  do  gloriously.  And  what  a  sad  thing  it  is  that  God  should 
make  a  world,  and  not  a  soul  in  the  world  to  do  gloriously  for  God, 
that  hath  made  such  a  glorious  world !  So  much  by  way  of  motive  to 
move  you  to  do  gloriously. 

2.  The  second  thing  I  am  to  speak  of  is,  When  a  man  may  be  said 
to  do  gloriously.  Haply  some  soul  may  say,  We  are  satisfied  that  we 
shall  appear  glorious  at  last,  and  we  would  do  gloriously ;  but  when 
may  a  soul  be  said  to  do  gloriously  ? 

I  answer  :  A  soul  may  be  said  to  do  gloriously,  7?rs^,  luhen  their  doing 
lies  level  luitli  the  glorious  ride;  ivhen  men  do  suitable  to  a  glorious 
rule.  Those  thoughts  are  glorious  thoughts  that  are  suitable  to  a 
glorious  rule,  and  those  words  are  glorious  words  that  are  suitable  to 
a  glorious  rule,  and  those  actions  towards  God  and  man  are  glorious 
actions  that  are  suitable  to  a  glorious  rule.  But  this  is  too  general. 
Therefore,  secondly,  and  more  particularly,  men  do  gloriously  ivhenas 
they  do  such  things  that  others  refuse  to  do,  that  others  have  no  heart 
to  do,  that  others  are  afraid  to  do  for  God.  Oh,  to  do  this  is  to  do 
gloriously.  As  David,  when  he  engaged  with  Goliath,  he  did  gloriously ; 
others  were  afraid  to  do  it,  others  had  no  heart  to  do  it.  So  when  men 
engage  for  God  when  others  are  afraid  to  engage,  when  others  dare  not 
engage,  they  shall  lose  the  smiles  of  this  man,  and  procure  the  frowns 
of  that ;  there  is  a  lion  in  the  way.  So  men  turn  off  the  work.  It  is 
too  hard,  saith  one  ;  it  is  too  high,  it  is  too  rough,  it  is  too  dangerous, 
say  others.  Now  to  do  gloriously  is  to  do  that  that  others  refuse  to 
do,  and  that  others  have  not  hearts  to  do.  And  in  this  respect  this 
thrice-honoured  champion  hath  done  gloriously.  The  mountains  that 
he  hath  gone  over,  the  difficulties  that  he  was  engaged  in,  were  known 
to  thousands  in  this  kingdom.  Many  worthies  have  done  worthily  for 
this  unworthy  kingdom,  and  this  worthy  hath  excelled  many  of  them. 
And  then,  in  the  third  place,  men  do  gloriously  tohen  they  hold  on  in 
the  ivay  of  God,  and  in  the  ivork  of  God,  notioithstanding  all  dis- 
couragements that  befall  them.  When  men  serve  their  generation,  not- 
withstanding the  discouragements  that  do  or  may  befall  them,  blow 
high  or  blow  low,  rain  or  shine,  let  men  smile  or  frown,  do  what  they 
will  against  their  persons  or  actions,  yet  for  a  soul  to  hold  on  and  to 
serve  his  generation,  against  all  and  notwithstanding  all  the  reproaches 
and  dirt  and  scorn  and  contempt  that  is  thrown  on  them,  is  to  hold  on 
in  the  way  of  God  ;  this  is  to  do  gloriously.  Thus  God  enabled  this 
worthy,  and  many  other  worthies  in  the  kingdom,  in  the  House,i  and 
in  the  army,  to  do  gloriously  against  all  discouragements  and  storms 

^  House  of  Commons. — G. 


326  CUUIST  IS  TUE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [COL.    III.  4. 

and  projects  of  ungodly  wretches.  It  was  the  glory  of  the  church: 
Ps.  xliv.  17-19,  '  Though  thou  hast  sore  broken  us  in  the  pUice  of 
dragons,  and  covered  us  with  the  shadow  of  death,  yet  we  liave 
not  dealt  falsely  with  thee ;  our  heart  is  not  turned  back,  neither  have 
our  steps  declined  from  thy  ways.'  Oh,  you  have  a  generation  that 
pretend  much  for  God  while  they  may  gain  by  the  bargain  honour 
and  riches  and  great  places  and  the  like ;  but  when  God  brings  them 
througli  the  valley  of  darkness,  that  they  meet  M^ith  discouragements 
and  difhculties,  they  throw  away  the  bucklers,  and  will  be  no  more 
for  God,  but  fire  about,  and  prove  treacherous  to  church  and  kingdom.  • 
It  was  the  glory  of  David,  and  it  was  a  glorious  speech  of  his  in  Ps. 
Ivii.  Saith  David,  ver.  4,  '  My  soul  is  among  lions,  and  I  lie  even 
among  them  that  are  set  on  fire,  even  the  sons  of  men,  whose  teeth  are 
spears  and  arrows,  and  their  tongue  a  sharp  sword.  They  have  pre- 
pared a  net  for  my  stejis ;  my  soul  is  bowed  down  ;  they  have  digged 
a  pit  before  me.'  Mark,  what  was  the  courage  of  this  worthy  one  ? 
He  met  with  discouragements.  Doth  he  grow  treacherous,  and  give 
back  ?  No  :  '  My  heart  is  fixed,  0  God,  my  heart  is  fixed.'  Macon, 
that  is  here  rendered  '  fixed,'  is  a  Hebrew  participle  that  signifies  firm, 
constant,  and  established ;  and  he  geminates  it,  '  my  heart  is  firm, 
constant,  and  established,'  even  tlien  when  his  soul  was  among  lions. 
He  doth  not  now  play  the  apostate  and  shake  hands  with  the  ways  of 
God.  No.  But  '  my  heart  is  fixed.'  Now  a  man  doth  gloriously 
when  he  keeps  to  God  and  his  truth,  and  serves  his  generation,  not- 
withstanding all  discouragements  that  are  thrown  upon  him. 

I  need  not  tell  you  what  discouragements  this  noble  champion  met 
with  from  malignant  pens,  spirits,  and  tongues ;  but  through  all  God 
carried  out  his  spirit  that  he  was  able  to  do  his  master's  work  and  to 
serve  his  generation,  till  he  had  finished  that  work  that  God  had  for 
him  to  do. 

It  is  nothing  for  a  man  to  serve  his  generation  when  he  hath  wind 
and  tide  on  his  side,  and  all  the  encouragements  that  the  heart  of  man 
can  desire ;  but  it  is  the  glory  of  a  Christian,  and  then  he  doth  glori- 
ously, to  be  faithful  in  his  generation  against  all  discouragements. 
Therefore,  honoured  commanders  and  worthy  members  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  for  you  to  do  gloriously  is  to  hold  out  against  discourage- 
ments and  to  serve  your  generation.  Though  your  soul  may  be 
amongst  lions,  and  you  live  among  them  that  are  set  on  fire,  as  the 
psalmist  speaks,  yet  say  as  he  saith  in  that  psalm,  'Our  heart  is  fixed, 
our  heart  is  fixed  in  God,  we  will  sing  and  give  praise.'  Fixed  stars 
are  most  useful,  and  so  are  fixed  souls  to  church  and  state. 

Then  in  the  fourth  place.  Men  may  be  said  to  do  gloriously,  when 
the  end  of  their  doings  is  the  glory  of  God  and  the  general  good. 
O  Christians,  now  you  do  gloriously.  Those  spirits  will  never  do 
gloriously  that  make  themselves  the  end  of  their  actions,  that  make 
the  advancing  of  any  particular  interest  the  end  of  their  actions.  This 
is  not  to  do  gloriously.  Parliament-men,  and  soldiers,  and  Christians, 
then  do  gloriously,  when  the  glory  of  God  and  the  general  good  is  the 
end  of  all  their  doings.  But  if  it  be  yourselves,  to  save  your  own 
necks,  and  to  advance  your  own  designs,  and  to  bring  in  this  and  that, 
<hese  are  base,  unworthy  actions,  and  God  will  so  demonstrate  them 


Col.  III.  4.]         christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  327 

before  angels  and  men.  To  do  gloriously  is  to  make  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  general  good  the  end  of  all  your  doings.  Th&n  you  do  glori- 
ously indeed,  when  you  can  centre  and  rest  in  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
general  good.  It  is  a  base  and  unworthy  spirit  when  men  make 
themselves  the  end  of  their  actions,  and  the  advancing  of  such  or 
such  a  particular  interest  the  end  of  their  actions,  and  not  the  glory  of 
God  and  the  general  good  of  his  people. 

And  then  £igfim,Jifthli/,  Men  do  gloriously  when  they  rejoice  under 
the  sufferings  that  befall  them  for  Christ :  not  only  to  bear  suffer- 
ings, but  to  joy  under  sufferings,  to  rejoice  under  all  afflictions  and 
troubles  that  may  befall  them  for  Jesus  Christ.  So  the  apostle,  2  Cor. 
xii.  10,  saith  he  there,  '  I  take  pleasure  in  infirmities,  in  reproaches, 
in  necessities,  in  afflictions,  for  Christ.'  The  original  word,  ho 
evSoKcb,  that  is  rendered  '  I  take  pleasure,'  is  an  emphatical  word.  It 
signifies  the  infinite  delight  and  contentment  he  did  take  in  the  afflic- 
tions and  persecutions  that  befell  him.  It  is  the  same  word  that  God 
the  Father  useth  to  express  his  unexpressible  delight  in  his  Son : 
Mat.  iii.  17,  '  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased' — or 
rather,  as  the  original  has  it  more  elegantly,  '  This  is  that,  my  Son, 
that  my  beloved,  in  whom  I  am  infinitely  delighted  and  contented.' 
The  same  word  the  apostle  useth  to  express  his  delight  in  afflictions 
and  persecutions  for  Christ.  So  those  in  Acts  v.  41,  '  They  went 
away  rejoicing  that  they  were  accounted  worthy  to  sufter  for  Christ.' 
0  Christians,  this  is  to  do  gloriously,  for  a  man  to  rejoice  that  he 
hath  an  estate  to  lay  out  for  Christ,  that  he  hath  a  life  to  lay  down  for 
Christ,  that  he  hath  a  tongue  to  speak  for  Christ,  that  he  hath  a  hand 
to  fight  for  Christ.  This  is  to  do  gloriously,  to  rejoice  in  anything 
we  sufter  for  Christ,  and  in  all  sorts  of  sufferings  and  doings  for 
Christ. 

Then  again.  Men  do  gloriously,  mark  this,  when  they  a2)pear  for 
the  people  of  God,  and  side  ivith  the  people  of  God,  noticithstanding 
any  evil  and  danger  that  may  befall.  Come  what  come  can,  yet  they 
will  appear  for  the  i)eople  of  God,  and  side  with  the  people  of  God. 
This  is  to  do  gloriously,  when  come  what  come  can,  I  will  fall  in  with 
the  saints,  and  be  one  with  them  that  are  one  with  God.  As  Esther, 
when  they  were  in  a  sad  condition,  and  Haman  had  sold  them  to  be 
butchered  and  mangled  by  ungodly  wretches:  'Well,  I  will  go  to 
the  king,'  saith  she,  though  there  was  a  command  that  none  should, 
'  I  will  venture  my  life  ;  if  I  perish,  I  j)erish.'  Now  she  did  gloriously. 
SoNehemiah:  'Shall  such  a  man  as  I  flee?'  Shall  I  desert  the 
saints,  and  turn  my  back  on  the  saints  ?  No  ;  I  will  appear  for  them, 
and  side  wnth  them,  I  will  not  desert  them.  So  David's  father  and 
his  brethren:  1  Sam.  xxii.  1,  'David  therefore  departed  thence,  and 
escaped  to  the  cave  Adullam :  and  when  his  brethren  and  his  father's 
house  heard  it,  they  went  thither  to  him.'  They  did  not  stand  dis- 
puting :  we  have  estates  to  lose,  and  if  Saul  know  that  we  join  with 
David,  and  have  taken  part  with  him,  we  shall  lose  our  heads,  and  lose 
our  estates.  The  politicians  of  our  times  are  wise :  they  will  say  they 
wish  the  saints  well,  but  they  dare  not,  they  will  not  side  with  them. 
Ah,  wretches  !  God  will  save  his  glory  and  the  honour  of  his  name, 
and  will  deliver  the  righteous,  and  leave  such  to  deliver  themselves. 


328  CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [COL.  III.  4. 

God  can  «liift  well  enough  for  his  honour  and  for  his  people,  and  leave 
such  wretches  in  a  shit'tlcss  condition.  So  good  Oncsiphorus :  Paul 
speaks  ot"  some,  2  Tim.  i.  13,  14,  &c.,  that  played  the  apostates;  ver. 
15,  '  This  thou  kuowest,  that  all  they  Avhich  are  in  Asia  are  turned 
away  from  me ;  of  whom  are  riiygellus  and  Hermogenes.'  They  played 
the  apostates,  and  when  he  was  to  answer,  left  him  to  shift  for  himself. 
They  would  own  him  when  all  was  clear  overhead ;  hut  when  he  was 
in  trouble  they  fall  off.  But  Onesiphorus,  he  stands  by  him,  and  the 
apostle  commends  it  for  a  glorious  cause,  and  commends  him  in  a 
particular  manner  to  God  :  '  Oh  that  God  would  double  his  mercy  on 
lum  ;  the  Lord  grant  that  he  may  find  mercy  of  the  Lord  in  that  day  ; 
and  in  how  many  things  he  ministered  unto  me  thou  knowest ;  and  he 
was  not  ashamed  of  my  chain.'  There  wei'e  base  spirits  that  were 
ashamed  of  his  chain,  that  were  ashamed  to  side  with  and  to  own 
Paul ;  and  this  world  is  full  of  such  base  spirits.  Now  this  is  to  do 
gloriously — for  a  man  to  appear  and  side  with  the  saints,  let  what  will 
come  of  it.  Thus  J\Ioses  did  very  gloriously  :  Heb.  xi.  25,  '  He  chose 
rather  to  suifer  afflictions  with  the  people  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the 
pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season.'  But  ah !  Lord,  in  how  few  hearts  does 
this  brave  spirit  of  Moses  breathe ! 

0  noble  hearts,  would  you  do  gloriously  ?  To  do  gloriously  is 
to  appear  for  the  saints,  and  to  side  with  the  saints,  let  the  issue 
be  what  it  will.  Oh,  it  is  a  sad  and  a  base  thing  in  those  that 
have  appeared  for  and  sided  with  the  saints,  but  now  face  about  and 
I)rove  treacherous,  and  leave  the  poor  saints  to  shift  for  themselves  ! 
But  it  is  their  comfort  that  they  have  a  God  that  will  shift  for  his 
people  and  his  own  glory.  And  as  Mordecai  said  to  Esther,  chap.  iv. 
14, '  If  thou  wilt  not  stir,  the  Lord  will  bring  deliverance  to  his  people 
some  other  way.'  So  if  parliament-men,  and  those  that  have  power,  do 
not  appear  and  side  Avith  tlic  saints,  deliverance  will  come  another 
way  ;  l)ut  they  and  their  father's  house  may  perish.  And  therefore 
remember  to  do  gloriously  is  to  a])pear  for  them  ;  and  not  to  appear 
for  the  saints  is  to  betray  them,  and  so  it  shall  be  brought  in  on  the 
day  of  account. 

Then  again,  in  the  next  place,  To  do  gloriously  is  to  do  justice, 
and  that  imparticdly.  Then  men  do  gloriously  when  they  do  justice 
impartially  upon  high  and  low,  honourable  and  base,  father  and 
son,  kinsman  and  brother  ;  and  not  to  dispute,  this  is  a  near  kins- 
man, and  that  is  my  father,  and  the  other  is  my  brother,  and  that 
the  one  is  too  great  and  the  other  is  too  mean  for  justice,  this  is 
inglorious.  The  basest  and  unworthiest  spirits  on  earth  cannot  do 
more  basely ;  there  is  nothing  of  the  power  of  the  Spirit  or  heavenly 
gallantry  in  such.  It  is  said,  Ps.  cvi.  30,  31,  '  Then  stood  Phinehas, 
and  executed  judgment :  so  the  plague  was  stayed.  And  that  was 
accounted  to  him  for  righteousness  to  all  generations  for  ever.'  Oh 
this  executing  of  justice  impartially,  how  it  makes  the  names  of  per- 
sons to  live  from  generation  to  generation  !  If  so  be  that  the  powers 
of  this  world  would  have  their  names  immortal,  so  graven  that  they 
should  never  be  wiped  out,  let  them  do  justice.  This  is  that  Phinehas 
was  admired  for  ;  it  was  '  accounted  to  him  for  righteousness,  to  all 
generations  for  evermore.' 


Col.  III.  4.]  christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  329 

And  then,  lastly,  Men  do  gloriously  when  they  believe  the  'promise 
and  rest  on  the  promise,  notwithstanding  that  'providence  seems  to 
cross  the  promise.  It  is  nothing,  it  is  not  to  do  gloriously,  for 
a  man  to  believe,  and  to  love,  and  tlie  like,  when  the  promise  is 
made  good,  when  God  is  a-smiling  and  in  a  giving  way  ;  but  to 
do  gloriously  is  to  beheve  the  jiromise,  to  stay  upon  the  promise, 
when  providence  in  our  apprehension  crosseth  the  promise.  In 
this  respect,  Abraham  did  very  gloriously  ;  he  believed  the  promise 
though  providence  seemed  to  cross  the  promise.  '  I  will  give  thee 
a  son,'  saith  God.  Abraham  was  old,  and  Sarah  was  stricken  in  years  ; 
and  yet  Abraham  believed,  and  this  was  such  a  glorious  piety  as  God 
hath  put  it  upon  record.  This  faith  of  Abraham  so  takes  God  tliat 
he  swears  with  joy.  Gen.  xiii.  16,  17,  '  That  in  blessing  I  will  bless 
thee.'  So  it  was  with  Moses  :  Num.  x.  29,  '  And  Moses  said  unto 
Hobab,  the  son  of  Eaguel  the  Midianite,  Moses'  father-in-law,  We  are 
journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said,  I  will  give  it  you : 
come  thou  with  us,  and  we  will  do  thee  good  ;  for  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  good  concerning  Israel.'  Mark,  what  could  he  promise  in  the 
Avilderness,  where  the  Lord  exercised  those  poor  wretches  with  judg- 
ment upon  judgment,  with  misery  upon  misery,  and  one  calamity  upon 
the  neck  of  another  ?  Moses  was  confident  in  the  promise  of  God,  that 
God  would  do  Israel  good,  and  he  adventured  to  engage  Hobab  on  that 
consideration  ;  '  Come,  go  along  with  us  ;  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good, 
and  we  will  do  thee  good.'  I  am  confident,  though  providence  cross 
the  promise,  and  God  seems  to  be  angry,  and  to  chide,  and  frown,  and 
strike,  and  destroy,  yet  he  will  make  good  his  promise,  and  '  we  will 
do  thee  good.'  Oh,  this  is  to  do  gloriously,  to  believe  the  promise 
when  providence  crosseth  it.  Do  you  see  heaven  frown,  and  things  to 
work  cross  to  those  promises  that  respects  the  joy,  glory,  liberty,  and 
the  exaltation  of  the  saints  ?  Doth  providence  work  cross  to  the  pro- 
mise ?  now  do  gloriously,  believe  the  promise,  rest  in  the  promise ;  let 
heaven  and  earth  meet,  devils  and  men  combine  ;  let  men  play  the 
apostates,  and  turn  neuters,  and  prove  treacherous,  I  will  rest  on  the 
promise,  suck  sweetness  from  the  promise.  Though  all  providences 
seem  to  cross  it,  and  heaven  seem  to  work  contrary  to  it,  I  will  say, 
I  will  stay  upon  the  promise  ;  this  is  to  do  gloriously.  So  much  for 
the  second  thing. 

Ay,  but  some  souls  will  say,  we  see  we  shall  be  glorious,  and  we  are 
willing  to  do  gloriously  ;  and  we  see  reasons  why  we  should  do 
gloriously  ;  but  what  directions  and  helps  are  there  that  we  may  do 
gloriously  ? 

First,  If  you  will  do  gloriously,  there  are  some  things  that  you  must 
be  careful  to  take  heed  of. 

Secondly,  There  are  others  which  you  must  labour  to  practise. 

[1.]  If  you  will  do  gloriously,  seeing  hereafter  you  shall  be  glorious, 
in  the  first  place,  whatever  you  do,  take  heed  of  unbelief.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  world  that  more  hinders  men  from  doing  gloriously, 
than  unbelief.  All  other  miscarriages  and  weaknesses  have  not  such 
an  influence  upon  the  heart,  to  hinder  it  from  doing  gloriously,  as 
unbelief.  As  it  is  said  of  Christ  concerning  them  in  Mat.  xiii.  58, 
'  He  did  not  many  mighty  works  tliere  because  of  their  unbelief.' 


330  CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [CoL.  III.  4. 

Unbelief,  as  it  were,  tied  the  hands  of  Christ — *  He  could  not  do  many 
mighty  works  because  of  their  unbelief.'  If  men  would  do  glorious 
things,  take  heed  of  that :  unbelief  ties  the  tongue  ;  it  causeth  a  damp 
to  fall  upon  the  heart,  and  binds  the  hands,  that  a  man  hath  no 
tongue  to  speak  for  Christ,  nor  heart  to  act  for  Christ,  nor  hand 
to  strike  for  Christ.  Unbelief  spoils  all  the  strength  and  power  by 
which  we  should  be  serviceable  to  God.  What  water  is  to  fire,  that 
unbelief  is  to  the  soul ;  therefore  as  you  would  do  gloriously,  take  heed 
of  unbelief. 

[2.]  Secondly,  As  you  must  take  heed  of  unbelief,  so,  if  you  would 
do  gloriously,  considt  neither'  ivith  the  tem2:)ting  nor  with  the  persecut- 
ing icorld.  What  hinders  many  men  from  doing  gloriously,  but 
consulting  with  the  tempting  or  the  persecuting  world  ?  This  hath 
overthroA\ii  many.  Nay,  what  hmders  men  in  our  age  from  doing 
gloriously  ?  They  are  consulting  with  flesh  and  blood,  with  the 
tempting  world  and  the  frowning  world.  This  hindei'S  men  from 
doing  gloriously.  I  cannot  believe  but  if  parliament-men,  and  others 
in  power  and  authority,  did  not  look  too  much  upon  the  tempting 
world  when  it  smiles  and  holds  forth  her  beautiful  breasts,  upon  the 
ugly  face  of  the  world  when  it  frowns  and  threatens,  but  that  they 
would  act  more  gloriously  for  God,  and  for  the  general  good,  and 
for  the  advancing  of  the  name  of  the  Most  High  in  these  days  we 
live  in. 

[3.]  If  you  would  do  gloriously,  look  off  from  the  tempting  ivorld: 
it  is  a  plague  and  a  snare;  and  look  off  from  the  frowning  world,  it 
will  discourage  you  ;  consult  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  with  carnal 
reason.  Looking  upon  the  tempting  or  the  frowning  Avorld  will  damp 
the  most  gallant  spirits  in  the  world,  and  hinder  them  from  doing  any 
noble  service  for  God  or  his  saints.  And  therefore,  as  ever  you  would 
do  gloriously,  look  not  on  the  tempting  or  on  the  persecuting  world  ; 
look  not  upon  it  when  it  smiles  oi'  when  it  frowns ;  but  remember 
you  have  a  God  to  look  at,  a  Christ  to  look  at,  and  a  crown  to  look 
at  ;  that  is  better  than  all,  that  is  more  than  all  other  things  to  your 
souls. 

[4.J  Then,  again.  If  you  would  do  gloriously,  whatever  you  do,  take 
heed  of  base,  selfsh  ends,  take  heed  of  self-love.  There  is  nothing 
under  heaven  that  will  disable  a  man  more  from  doing  gloriously,  than 
a  base  spirit  of  self-love  ;  such  a  man  will  never  do  gloriously.  It 
may  be,  when  he  hath  the  wind  and  tide  on  his  side,  he  may  do  some- 
thing that  vain  men  may  account  glorious  ;  but  this  man  will  never 
do  that  which  God  and  the  saints  call  glorious,  and  count  glorious. 
That  base,  selfish  spirit,  that  looks  no  higher  nor  no  further  than  self, 
it  will  never  do  gloriously.  It  may  be  fit  for  treachery,  neutrality,  and 
apostasy,  but  never  to  do  gloriously. 

Now  as  you  must  avoid  these  things  so  that  you  may  do  gloriously, 
in  the  next  place, 

[1.]  First,  Labour  for  internal  spiritual  knowledge  of  God.  Oh, 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  notional  light  in  the  world  !  but  if  men  did 
know  God  internally,  if  they  did  know  God  more  in  the  mystery  and 
light  of  the  Spirit,  if  they  did  know  God  more  from  union  and  com- 
nnmion  with  God,  it  were  impossible  but  they  should  do  more  glori- 


Col.  III.  4.]  christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  331 

ously.  That  is  a  brave  text :  Daniel  xi.  32,  '  And  such  as  do  wickedly 
against  the  covenant  shall  be  corrupted  by  batteries.'  Mark  the  latter 
words,  '  but  the  people  that  do  know  their  God  shall  be  strong,  and 
do  exploits.'  Oh  !  take  one  that  knows  God  internally,  mystically, 
and  spiritually,  from  union,  and  from  being  taken  into  heavenly  com- 
munion with  God,  and  he  will  act  bravely  and  strongly  for  God. 
Alas  !  take  a  Christian  that  hath  merely  sucked  in  notions,  and  is 
only  able  for  discourse,  but  hath  no  internal  experimental  know- 
ledge of  God,  you  shall  never  find  him  guilty  of  doing  exploits,  of 
doing  glorious  things  for  God  and  his  saints.  No !  '  the  people  that 
know  God,' — he  speaks  of  the  internal,  spiritual  knowledge  of  God,  of 
knowledge  in  the  mystery ; — and  thus  to  know  him  will  enable  a 
man  to  do  exploits,  to  do  glorious  things.  Oh,  if  God  would  raise  up 
parliament-men,  and  men  in  the  army,  and  in  the  city,  and  round 
the  kingdom,  to  more  internal  knowledge,  to  more  spiritual  acquaint- 
ance with  himself,  we  should  find  that  they  would  do  abundantly 
more  gloriously.  But  it  is  for  want  of  an  internal,  spiritual  know- 
ledge of  God  that  men  are  treacherous,  and  base,  and  unfaithful,  and 
prove  apostates,  and  neuters,  and  anything.  As  you  would  do  glorious 
and  honourable  things,  look  to  this,  that  you  have  an  internal  know- 
ledge and  spiritual  acquaintance  with  God,  and  this  will  enable  you 
to  do  exploits. 

And,  then.  If  you  would  be  enabled  to  do  gloriously,  in  the  second 
place,  you  should  look  upon  those  examples  and  worthies  that  have 
gone  before  you,  and  have  done  gloriously.  So  the  apostle,  Heb. 
xii.  1,  when  he  would  press  them  to  do  gloriously,  he  presseth  them 
into  this  consideration  of  those  glorious  worthies  that  had  gone  before : 
'  Having  therefore  such  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  let  us  run  with  patience 
the  race  that  is  set  before  us,'  chap.  xii.  1.  Look  to  the  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses, in  chap.  xi.  ;  that  is  another  means  to  help  us  to  do 
gloriously 

Another  is  this.  If  you  would  do  gloriously,  then  keep  your  evidences 
for  glory  always  bright  and  shining ;  do  not  soil  your  evidences  for  glory. 
What  made  them  take  joyfully  the  '  spoiling  of  their  goods,'  Heb.  x. 
34,  but  this,  that  they  knew  in  themselves  that  they  had  in  heaven 
a  better  and  more  enduring  substance  ?  When  a  man's  evidence  is 
bright,  that  he  can  run  and  read  his  title  to  heaven,  his  interest  in 
God,  and  the  glory  above,  then  will  he  be  strong  to  do  exploits  ;  this 
will  enable  a  man  to  do  gloriously. 

Then,  again,  If  you  would  do  gloriously,  look  to  faith  ;  give  faith 
scope,  give  it  elbow-room  to  work.  Faith  is  a  noble  grace,  and  will 
ennoble  the  soul  to  do  gloriously  for  God.  Faith  is  that  that  will 
carry  a  man  over  all  difficulties ;  faith  will  untie  all  knots  ;  it  will 
carry  a  man  through  the  valley  of  dai-kness,  though  it  be  never  so 
long  ;  and  over  mountains  of  difticulties,  though  they  be  never  so  high. 
Faith  will  not  plead  '  there  is  a  lion  in  the  way,'  and  that  such  and 
such  men  will  frown  if  I  do  this  or  that  for  God  and  the  general 
good.  Faith  will  carry  a  man  bravely  over  all.  You  know  that 
story  in  Hebrews  xi. ;  you  have  several  instances  of  the  saints  doing 
gloriously.  But  what  enabled  them  ?  It  is  all  along  attributed  to 
faith.     By  the  power  of  faith  they  did  gloriously :  they  stopped  the 


332  CHRIST  IS  the  life  of  believers.  [Col.  III.  4. 

mouths  of  lions  ;  they  turned  to  flight  the  armies  of  the  aliens ;  they 
waxed  valiant  in  fij;ht ;  they  refused  to  be  delivered, — and  all  by  the 
power  of  faith.  Oh  I  faith  will  enable  men  to  do  gloriously.  If  parlia- 
ment-men, and  men  in  the  army,  and  in  the  city,  and  round  the 
kingdom,  did  believe  more  gloriously,  they  would  do  more  gloriously 
for  God,  in  their  relations  and  places,  than  now  they  do.  It  springs 
from  want  of  faith  that  things  work  thus  basely.  Did  men  believe 
more  gloriously,  things  would  work  more  gloriously.  Therefore,  when 
things  work  crossly,  blame  not  so  much  this  or  that  instrument,  but 
blame  thy  own  unbelieving  heart ;  for  glorious  faith  will  see  a  smiling 
Father  beyond  a  dark  cloud.  Though  men  are  at  a  loss,  yet  Grod  is 
not  at  a  loss,  says  faith  ;  and  though  tlie  arm  of  man  be  weak,  His 
arm  is  strong,  says  faith ;  and  though  the  work  be  too  hard  for  the 
arm  of  flesh,  too  hard  for  an  army  or  parliament,  it  is  not  too  hard  for 
God,  says  faith.  Faith  cariies  a  man  gloriously  through  all.  If  you 
would  do  gloriously,  abound  in  faith,  let  faith  have  elbow-room.  I 
shall  say  no  more  of  this.  Though  there  be  other  directions,  I  will 
rather  leave  them. 

Is  it  so,  that  the  saints  shall  be  glorious  ?  Then  this  serves,  in  the 
next  place,  by  way  of  use,  for  singular  comfort  and  consolation.  Shall 
the  saints  at  last  appear  glorious  ?  It  speaks  singular  comfort  to  all 
believers,  against  all  the  reproaches,  and  contempt,  and  scorn  that 
they  may  meet  with  in  this  world.  What  though  you  be  scorned,  and 
one  saith  this,  and  another  saith  that  ?  Here  is  your  comfort :  you 
shall  appear  glorious.  What  though  this  worthy's  body  be  mangled 
here  and  there  by  bloody  butchers  ?  yet  this  body  shall  appear  glorious 
at  the  last.  What  a  singular  comfort  is  it !  The  apostle  makes  the 
same  use  from  the  same  consideration :  1  Thes.  iv.  15,  '  We  that  are 
alive  and  remain  shall  not  prevent  them  that  sleep  :  for  the  Lord  him- 
self shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  arch- 
angel, and  the  trump  of  God:  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first. 
Then  we  which  are  alive  and  remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with 
them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  au-,  and  so  we  shall  ever 
be  with  the  Lord.  Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words.' 
Let  the  wife  comfort  herself  with  these,  the  brother,  the  kinsman, 
the  friends  of  this  worthy  that  now  lies  in  the  dust  mangled.  Oh, 
comfort  yourselves  with  this  consideration,  that  he  shall  appear  glori- 
ous at  last,  with  the  rest  of  the  glorious  renowned  saints  !  And  so 
this  may  comfort  us  against  all  reproaches,  and  scorns,  and  contempts 
that  men  throw  upon  us :  and  what  though  the  glory  of  the  saints  is 
now  hid  by  prevailing  distempers,  and  afflictions,  and  poverty?  yet  here 
is  your  comfort,  the  day  is  coming  when  your  glory  will  break  out, 
when  your  rags  shall  be  taken  off,  and  your  glorious  robes  put  on, 
when  God  will  wii)e  away  all  the  dirt  and  filth  that  hath  been  thrown 
on  you  by  vain  spirits.  Therefore  bear  up,  brave  hearts  !  There  is  a 
day  coming  when  you  shall  appear  glorious,  and  it  will  be  but  as  a  day 
before  that  day  overtake  you. 

Then,  again.  If  the  saints  at  the  last  shall  appear  glorious,  then  it 
bespeaks  all,  in  the  last  place,  to  long  for  that  day.  You  shall  at  the 
last  appear  in  glory.  Oh  then  long  for  that  day ;  cry  out  with  the 
church,  'Come,  liord  Jesus,  come  quickly:'  ciy  out  again  with  the 


Col.  III.  4.]  christ  is  the  life  of  believers.  333 

church  in  Solomon's  Song,  viii.  14,  *  Make  haste,  my  beloved;'  or  as 
the  original  has  it,  mi  n~l3,  'Flee  away  speedily,  my  beloved,  and  be 
thou  like  a  roe  or  a  young  hart  upon  the  mountains  of  spices.'  Will 
you  remember  these  two  things,  to  engage  you  to  be  much  in  longing 
for  this  day,  wherein  the  saints  shall  appear  in  glory.  Divers  things 
might  be  said,  but  I  shall  reduce  all  to  two  things. 

Till  this  day  your  happiness  will  not  he  complete,  therefore  long 
for  it.  Till  the  saints  shall  appear  glorious,  all  will  be  incomplete  ; 
yom*  comforts,  your  graces,  your  enjoyment  of  God,  and  of  that 
glory  that  he  hath  provided.  Till  this  glorious  day  your  glory  will 
be  incomplete ;  therefore  long  for  the  day  wherein  all  shall  be 
complete. 

Secondly,  Till  then  the  innocency  of  the  saints  shall  not  he  fully 
cleared :  that  is  another  thing.  Oh  long  for  that  day  wherein  the 
saints  shall  appear  in  glory,  for  till  then  the  innocency  of  the  saints 
shall  not  be  fully  cleared.  Now  I  say,  the  devil  and  wicked  men 
throw  much  dirt  on  them,  and  reproach  and  revile  them,  and  what 
not,  and  something  of  that  will  stick  ;  but  let  this  bespeak  all  such  to 
long  for  that  day  wherein  all  dirt,  scorn,  and  filth  shall  be  wiped 
off,  wherein  God  will  clear  the  righteousness,  integrity,  and  innocency 
of  his  saints.  Therefore  seeing  the  saints  shall  appear  glorious,  be  not 
discouraged,  however  you  appear  in  the  world  to  the  eye  of  men.  Now 
you  are  strangers,  far  from  your  Father's  house ;  but  it  will  be  but  as  a 
day  before  the  trumpet  sound  and  the  angels  shall  gather  you,  before 
the  robes  of  glory  shall  be  put  on,  and  your  mourning  weeds  shall  be 
taken  off,  and  the  glorious  crowns  put  on  your  heads,  and  your  happi- 
ness shall  be  complete.  Long  for  this  day;  for  this  will  be  a  day  in- 
deed of  refreshing  from  the  Lord.  I  shall  say  no  more  to  this  point, 
but  earnestly  desire  that  God  w^ould  please  to  make  it  take  impression 
on  your  spirits.  The  saints  shall  appear  glorious.  Oh  let  it  be  our 
glory,  while  we  are  here,  so  to  walk  as  they  that  expect  to  appear  glo- 
rious another  day ! 

As  for  this  thrice-honoured  champion  now  in  the  dust :  for  his  enjoy- 
ment of  God,  from  my  own  experience,  being  with  him  both  at  sea 
and  land,  I  have  abundance  of  sweetness  and  satisfaction  in  my  own 
spirit,  which  to  me  exceedingly  sweetens  so  great  a  loss.  I  shall  not 
speak  of  the  wife's  loss,  nor  the  brother's  loss,  nor  the  army's  loss  ; 
for  the  loss  of  this  worthy  is  a  loss  to  the  kingdom,  and  if  they  are  not 
in  a  sad,  sinful  sleep,  they  will  say  so.  And,  indeed,  it  is  with  me,  I 
ingenuously  confess,  as  it  was  with  liim  who,  when  he  Avas  demanded 
what  God  was ;  he  desired  three  days'  consideration  to  give  an 
answer,  and  when  those  days  were  expired,  three  more ;  and  then  he 
gives  this  answer,  '  That  the  more  he  thought  of  him,  the  further  he 
was  from  discovering  of  him.'  The  more  I  think  of  the  gallantry  and 
worth  of  this  champion,  the  further  off  I  am  from  discovering  his 
worth.  I  think  he  was  one  of  whom  this  sinful  nation  was  not 
worthy;  he  was  one  of  whom  this  declining  parliament  was  not 
worthy ;  he  was  one  of  whom  those  divided,  formal,  carnal,  gospellers 
was  not  worthy.  He  served  his  generation  faithfully,  though  he  died 
by  the  hand  of  treachery.  I  am  fully  satisfied,  w^ith  many  more,  that 
he  is  now  triumphing  in  glory  ;  and  it  will  be  but  as  a  day  before  he 


334  CHRIST  IS  THE  LIFE  OF  BELIEVERS.  [CoL.   III.  4. 

shall  see  his  enemies  stand  at  tlie  bar.  For  ray  own  i)art,  I  can  truly 
say  that,  to  the  best  of  my  memory  and  understanding,  I  have  not 
observeil  tliat  tlie  hearts  of  the  people  of  God  have  been  so  generally 
and  eminently  affected  with  the  loss  of  any  worthy,  as  with  the  loss  of 
this  worthy ;  no,  not  for  any  worthy  that  hath  fallen  since  tlie  sword 
was  drawn,  though  many  precious  worthies  have  fallen  upon  the 
ground  ;  which  strongly  speaks  out  the  love  of  the  people  of  God  to 
him,  and  their  honourable  esteem  of  him.  They  honoured  him  in  his 
life,  and  they  shewed  no  small  respect  to  him  in  death.  He  was  a  joy 
to  the  best,  and  a  terror  to  the  worst  of  men.  But  for  my  part  I 
should  rather  choose,  I  ingenuously  confess,  if  it  were  possible,  to 
wTep  over  him  with  tears  of  blood,  than  to  trouble  you  further  with 
relating  his  gallant  service  for  the  good  of  this  sinful  kingdom. 

We  will  cease  from  saying  anything  more  of  him,  and  sit  down 
satisfied  and  joying  in  this,  that  the  day  is  coming  when  the  saints 
shall  appear  glorious ;  and  with  that  we  will  refresh  and  cheer  our 
spirits  as  with  a  cordial,  tliat  there  is  a  day  coming  when  we  with 
this  deceased  worthy  sliall  appear  glorious.  And  it  will  be  but  as  a 
day  before  our  robes  shall  be  put  on  our  backs,  and  crowns  set  on  our 
heads.  I  have  now  done ;  and  so  shall  commend  you  '  to  God  and  to 
the  word  of  his  grace,  which  is  able  to  build  you  up,  and  to  give  you 
an  inheritance  among  all  them  wliich  are  sanctified,'  [Acts  xx.  32.] 


GOD'S  DELIGHT 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT. 


NOTE. 

The  title-page  of  'God's  Delight'  will  be  found  below.*  The  usual  'order'  is  prefixed 
as  follows: — 'Die  Mercurii  30mo  Decern.  1C48.  Ordered  by  the  Commons  assembled 
in  Parliament  that  Sir  John  Bourchier  do  from  this  House  give  thanks  to  Mr  Brooks 
for  the  great  pains  he  took  in  hia  sermon  preached  at  Margarets,  Westminster,  before 
the  House  of  Commons,  upon  the  day  of  their  public  Humiliation  last  preceding  .•  and 
that  he  be  desired  to  print  his  sermon,  wherein  he  is  to  have  the  like  privilege  in  print- 
ing of  it,  aff  others  in  the  like  kind  usually  have  had. 

'  Henrj'  Elsynge,  Cer.  Dom.  Com. 

'  I  appoint  Eapha  Harford  and  Thomas  Brewster  to  print  this  sermon, 

'  Thomas  Brooks.' 

*  GOD'S  DELIGHT 
IN  THE  PROGRESSE 
OF  THE  UPRIGHT. 

Especially 
In  Magistrates  Uprightnessc  and 
constancy  in  waves  of  justice  and  righte- 
ousnesso  in  these  Apostatizing  Times, 
notwithstanding  all  discourage- 
ments, oppositions,  &c. 

Presented  in  a  Sermon  before  the  Honorable 
House  of  Commons  at  their  last  monethly 
Fast,  December  26.  1648. 

By  Thomas  Brooks,  Preacher  of  the 
Gospel  at  Thomas  Apostles. 

Job  17.  8,  9. 
The  righteous  shall  hold  on  in  his  way,  and  he  that  hath  clean  hands 

shall  be  stronger  and  stronger. 
Upright  men  sliall  be  astonished  at  this,  for  the  Innocent  shall  stirrc 

vp  himsel/e  against  the  Hypocrite. 

Numb.  35.  33. 
Yee  shall  not  pollute  the  Land  icherein  yee  are;  for  blond,  it  defileth  the 
Land,  and  the  Land  cannot  be  cleansed  of  the  blond  that  is  shed 
therein,  but  by  the  blond  of  him  that  shed  it. 

London, 
Printed     by    M.    S.    for    R.    Harford    at    the     Bible     in 
Queen's-head-alley  in  Paternoster-row,  and  Thomas  Brew- 
ster at  the  West  end  of  Pauls,  1649. 

[4to.-G.] 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


To  the  Honourable  House  of  Commons  in  Parliament  assembled. 

This  work  was  too  high  for  me ;  and,  as  it  is  now  done  by  so  weak  a 
hand,  is  too  low  for  so  many  judicious  eyes  to  look  down  to.  Yet, 
according  to  your  command,  I  have  published  these  notes,  which  I 
humbly  present  to  your  Honours.  They  were  once  in  your  ear,  they 
are  now  in  your  eye,  and  the  Lord  ever  keep  them  in  your  hearts  ! 
Solomon  bids  us  '  buy  the  truth,'  but  doth  not  tell  us  what  it  must 
cost,  because  we  must  get  it  though  it  be  never  so  dear.  Midti  amant 
veritatem  lucentem.  oderunt  redarguentem,  We  should  love  it  both 
shining  and  scorching.  The  desire  of  my  soul  is,  that  you  may  deal 
so  with  those  truths  which  here  in  all  humbleness  is  presented  to  you. 
Oh  that  we  may  be  all  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only,  lest 
we  deceive  our  own  souls  !  When  I  stood  upon  my  watch  to  see  what 
the  Lord  would  say  unto  me,  that  I  might  speak  unto  you  a  word 
in  season — or  as  the  Hebrew  has  it,  Prov.  xxv.  11,  VJSJ<-'?J/,  gnal 
ophnau,  upon  the  wheels,  i.e.,  with  a  due  concurrence  and  obser- 
vation of  all  circumstances,  of  time,  place,  persons,  &c.,  which  are 
as  the  wheels  upon  which  our  words  and  speeches  should  run — He 
directed  me  to  make  this  discovery  of  upright  hearts'  progress  in 
the  ways  of  God,  notwithstanding  all  afflictions,  &c.,  that  do  befall 
them  ;  which  gives  me  hope  that  God  intended  to  send  home  into  your 
hearts  some  light  and  influence  from  this  truth,  to  encourage  and  keep 
up  your  spirits  against  all  the  opposition  which  you  may  find  in  the  cause 
of  God  and  the  kingdom,  and  to  maintain  your  zeal  and  forwardness 
therein,  that  justice  and  judgment  may  run  down  as  waters,  and  right- 
eousness as  a  mighty  stream.  If  justice  do  not  work  the  salvation 
of  sinners'  souls,  yet  it  will  work  to  the  restraining  of  their  sin— the 
measure  of  their  wickedness  will  be  less.  That  is  a  grave  speech  of 
ISeneca's,  Ut  nemo  pereat,  nisi  quern  perire  etiam  pereuntis  intersit,  That 
none  perish  but  those  to  whom  it  is  an  advantage  to  perish.  And  yet, 
Right  Honourable,  I  desire  that  justice  and  clemency  may  go  together. 
Nero's  speech  has  great  praise,  wlio,  when  he  was  to  subscribe  to  the 
death  of  a  man  condemned,  would  say,  Utinam  nescirem  literas,  I 
wish  I  did  not  know  how  to  write.     Right  Honourable,  you  have  the 

VOL.  VI.  Y 


338  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

largest  opportunities  to  li(mour  God  and  to  do  good  to  his  saints  that 
ever  any  men  had  since  the  world  began.  God  hath  hiid  out  works 
for  you,  fit  for  truly  noble  spirits.  You  have  many  precious  saints  to 
take  care  of ;  use  them  kindly,  and  '  the  good-will  of  him  that  did 
dwell  in  the  bush  shall  rest  upon  you.'  Be  not  exasperated  against  any 
of  them,  by  those  who  are  so  enraged,  that  they  would  have  fire  to  come 
down  from  heaven  and  consume  them.  I  hope  there  be  a  generation 
that  Avill  not  abuse  that  liberty  that  shall  be  granted  them  according 
to  the  word,  but  will,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  liberties,  be  faithful 
servants  to  peace  and  concord,  according  to  that  which  Master  Calvin 
writes  to  Farel,  Nos  liheri  servi  sumus  pads  et  concorcUcE.  I  hope 
God  will  arise  in  you,  and  cause  you  to  do  his  work  his  own  way.  The 
Lord  God  guide  your  Honours,  and  give  every  one  of  you  to  act  like 
the  angels  of  God,  cheerfully,  freely,  readily,  sincerely,  and  unweariedly 
in  your  generation,  that  in  all  your  ways  Christ  may  own  you,  and  that 
all  the  godly  of  the  land  may  rise  up  and  call  you  blessed ;  and  let 
the  blessing  of  hira  that  was  in  the  bush  be  upon  you  and  yours  for 
ever  ;  and  let  all  the  precious  sons  of  Zion  that  loves  the  God  of  heaven, 
who  is  the  Saviour  of  this  nation,  say  Amen. — Honoured  and  worthy 
Senators,  I  am,  your  Honours'  in  all  humble  service  for  Christ, 

Thomas  Brooks, 


GOD'S  DELIGHT  IN  THE  PROGRESS  OF 
THE  UPRIGHT. 


Our  heart  is  not  turned  back,  neither  have  our  steps  declined  from 
thy  ways.— Vs.  XLIV.  18. 

Curiosity  is  the  spiritual  adultery  of  the  soul.  Curious  divisions  do 
rather  affect  the  ear  than  warm  the  heart :  they  do  but  rack  and  dis- 
joint the  sense  of  Scripture.  And  therefore,  as  he  speaks,  2  Sam. 
xviii.  23,  '  We  will  run  by  the  way  of  the  plain.' 

'  Our  heart  is  not  turned  back,'  &c. 

These  words  look  to  the  front  and. to  the  rear;  they  look  forward 
and  backward.  They  look  forwards  upon  the  tossed  and  affiicted  estate 
in  which  the  church  was,  as  you  may  read  from  ver.  9-17 ;  and  they 
look  backward  to  the  broken  and  persecuted  estate  of  the  church, 
expressed  in  ver.  19-24,  '  Though  thou  hast  sore  broken  us  in  the 
place  of  dragons,  and  covered  us  with  the  shadow  of  death,  and  though 
we  be  every  day  as  sheep  accounted  for  the  slaughter ;  yet  we  have 
not  forsaken  thee,  neither  have  we  dealt  falsely  in  the  covenant.  Our 
heart  is  not  turned  back,  neither  have  our  steps  declined  from  thy 
ways.' 

'  Our  heart,'  Lihhenu.  The  Hebrew  word,  3l7,  or  Greek,  KapSla, 
that  is  rendered  '  heart,'  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  doth 
signify  the  understanding,  mind,  will,  affections,  conscience,  the  Avhole 
soul.  '  Our  heart  is  not  turned  back.'  Our  understandings  and  minds 
are  the  same  as  they  were  in  a  summer's  day,  though  now  we  be  in  a 
winter's  storm — though  now  we  be  afflicted,  tossed,  broken,  and  perse- 
cuted; yet  notwithstanding,  '  our  heart  is  not  turned  back' — our  mind, 
will,  affections,  and  conscience,  our  whole  soul,  is  the  same  now  as 
before.  '  Our  heart  is  not  turned  backward,  neither  have  our  steps 
declined  from  thy  ways.' 

'  Our  heart  is  not  turned  back.' 

This  notes  their  progress  in  the  ways  of  well-doing ;  for  the  old 
saying  is,  Non  progredi  est  regredi,  Not  to  go  forward  is  to  go  back- 
ward. '  Neither  have  our  steps  or  our  goings  declined  from  thy  ways.' 
It  notes  their  settled  course  of  walking  in  the  ways  of  God  ;  and.  in 
short,  the  sum  of  all  is,  though  we  have  been  afflicted,  tossed,  broken 


340  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

and  persecuted,  yet  our  hearts  have  held  on  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord, 
and  we  haA'e  not  departed  from  our  God.  '  Our  heart  is  not  turned 
back,  neither  have  our  steps  declined  from  thy  ways.' 

Ki<;ht  Honourable,  there  is  but  one  observation  that  I  shall  speak 
to  this  day,  and  that  is  this :  that  doctrine — 

Upyigfit  hearts  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  God,  and  in  the  ways 
of  icell-doing ,  notivitlistanding  all  affiictions,  troubles,  and  discourage- 
ments they  meet  loithal. 

That  is  the  sum  and  the  scope  of  this  verse  here.  The  church  was 
afllicted,  tossed,  broken,  and  persecuted;  and  yet  this  is  still  the  burden 
of  the  song,  '  Our  heart  is  not  turned  back,  neither  have  our  steps 
declined  from  thy  ways.' 

I  judge  it  a  point  seasonable  in  every  respect.  I  shall  only  eye  the 
scriptures  that  prove  it,  and  then  open  it  to  you. 

The  scriptures  that  prove  it  ai-e  these :  Ps.  cxix.  23,  24 ;  Josh, 
xxiv.  15  ;  Neh.  iv.  13, 17  compared ;  Mai.  iii.  13-17 ;  2  Cor.  xi.  23-30. 
These  scriptures  speak  out  this  truth,  that  upright  hearts  will 
hold  on  in  the  ways  of  God,  and  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  notwith- 
standing all  the  afHictions,  troubles,  and  discouragements  they  meet 
withal. 

For  the  opening  of  the  point,  I  shall  premise  these  three  things  : — 

First,  I  shall  premise  something  concerning  upright  hearts. 

Secondly,  I  shall  premise  something  concerning  the  ways  of  God. 
And, 

Thirdly,  The  reasons  why  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in  the  ways 
of  God,  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions, 
troubles,  and  discouragements  they  meet  withal. 

Concerning  upright  hearts,  I  shall  only  premise  these  four  things  : — 

1.  First,  An  upright  heart  hates  all  sins,  even  those  ivhich  he  cannot 
conquer ;  and  he  loves  all  divine  truths,  even  those  ivhich  he  cannot 
joractise.  An  upright  heart,  he  hates  all  sin.  All  sin  strikes  at  God, 
at  his  holiness,  as  well  as  at  an  ujjright  man's  happiness.  It  strikes 
at  God's  glory,  as  well  as  at  the  soul's  comfoi't ;  therefore  the  soul 
strikes  at  all.  All  sins,  in  the  eye  of  an  upright  heart,  are  traitors 
to  the  crown  and  dignity  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  therefore  the  soul  riseth 
in  arms  against  all.  An  upright  heart,  he  looks  upon  sin  to  be  malum 
catJiolicnm  —  A  catholic  evil.  An  upright  heart,  he  looks  upon  sin  as 
that  which  hath  thrown  down  the  most  righteous  man  in  the  world, 
as  Noah  ;  as  that  which  hath  thrown  down  the  best  believer  in  the 
world,  as  Abraliam ;  as  that  which  hath  thrown  down  the  best  king 
in  the  world,  as  David ;  as  that  which  hath  thrown  down  the  best 
apostle  in  the  workl,  as  Paul.  It  looks  upon  sin  as  that  which  hath 
thrown  down  the  strongest,  as  Samson  ;  and  the  wisest,  as  Solomon  ; 
and  the  meekest,  as  Moses ;  and  the  paticntest,  as  Job ;  and  so  his 
soul  riseth  against  it.  In  Ps.  cxix.  104,  '  Tlirough  thy  precepts  I  get 
understanding :  therefore  I  hate  every  false  way.'  '  Therefore  I  hate 
every  false  way: '  sanethi,  from  sane.  The  original  word,  ^y<D,  signifies 
to  hate  with  a  deadly  and  irreconcilable  hatred ;  to  hate  so  as  that 
nothing  will  satisfy  but  the  destruction  of  the  thing  hated.  It  is  the 
same  Hebrew  word  that  is  used  to  express  Absalom's  hatred  of  Amnon 
for  defiling  of  his  sister  Thamar,  '  ]\Iy  soul  hates  him.' 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  341 

An  unsound  heart,  a  rotten  heart,  strikes  at  some  sins,  and  yet  falls 
in  with  others ;  he  cries  down  pride  and  ignorance,  and  yet  falls  in 
with  oppression  and  cruelty;  he  cries  down  tyranny  and  injustice  in 
others,  and  yet  plays  the  tyrant  and  unjust  one  himself.  There  are 
men  who  are  blinded  by  Satan,  and  he  hath  them  by  the  hand,  and 
the  Lord  knows  whither  he  will  lead  them. 

And  as  an  upright  heart  hates  all  sins,  even  those  he  cannot  conquer, 
so  an  upright  soul  loves  all  truths,  even  those  that  he  cannot  practise. 
Every  word  of  the  Lord  is  just  and  righteous  in  the  eye  of  an  upright 
soul ;  he  loves  all  truth  strongly,  though  he  can  practise  no  truth  but 
very  weakly.  Every  word  of  grace  is  glorious,  every  line  of  grace  is 
very  glorious.  Truth  is  homogeneal ;  where  one  truth  is  sweet,  there 
every  truth  is  sweet  to  an  upiight  soul.  In  Ps.  cxix.  127,  128,  paith 
David  there,  '  I  have  loved  thy  commandments  above  gold  ;  yea,  above 
fine  gold :  I  esteem  all  thy  precepts  concerning  all  things  to  be  right.' 
That  is  the  first  thing. 

2.  Secondly,  Concerning  upright  hearts,  I  shall  premise  this : 
Upright  hearts,  they  serve  God,  and  seek  God  more  for  that  internal 
luortli  and  that  eternal  good  that  is  in  him,  than  for  any  external  good 
they  receive  from  him.  So  it  was  with  upright  Job.  The  devil,  in 
Job  i.,  would  fain  charge  Job  that  his  heart  was  not  right  with  God, 
that  God  had  made  a  hedge  about  him,  and  therefore  Job  served  him. 
The  Lord  therefore  gives  Satan  liberty  to  break  down  that  hedge,  that 
Job's  uprightness  might  appear,  and  that  it  might  appear  to  all  the 
world,  that  Job  served  God  for  that  internal  and  eternal  worth  that 
was  in  him — viz.,  holiness,  wisdom,  and  goodness.  Therefore,  when 
that  hedge  was  down,  and  Job  was  stripped  of  all,  yet  in  ver.  21, 
'  The  Lord  hath  given,'  saith  he,  '  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away ; 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.'  Oh,  upright  Job  served 
God  for  that  internal  and  eternal  worth  that  is  in  him ;  and 
therefore,  though  all  his  outward  goods  were  lost,  his  soul  could 
bless  God. 

But  an  unsound  heart,  a  rotten  heart,  serves  God  and  seeks  good 
merely  for  some  external  good  it  hath  from  him,  or  expects  to  receive 
by  him.  That  is  a  true  saying,  Fauci  qucerunt  Deum  pro^^ter  se,  sed 
propter  aliud,  Eew  men  seek  God  for  himself,  but  for  some  other  thing. 
Like  those  in  Hosea  vii.  14,  '  When  they  howled,'  saith  God,  '  upon 
their  beds,  it  was  for  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  they  rebelled  against 
me.'  It  was  not  for  any  internal  or  eternal  worth  in  me,  it  was  not 
for  that  holiness,  wisdom,  faithfulness,  purity,  and  glory  that  is  in  me ; 
but  they  seek  me  for  loaves,  for  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  they  re- 
belled against  me, 

3.  A  third  thing  I  shall  premise  is  this,  Upright  hearts  are  most 
exercised  and  most  busied  and  taken  up  about  the  inward  man,  about 
the  inside,  observing  that,  reforming  that,  examining  that,  icatching 
that.  An  upright  heart  knows  that  his  soul  is  Christ's  throne,  his 
chamber  of  presence ;  and  therefore,  above  all,  the  upright  heart  is 
most  diligent  to  observe  that  none  sit  upon  that  throne  but  Christ, 
and  that  none  come  into  that  chamber  of  presence  but  Christ,  that  no 
sceptre  be  advanced  there  but  the  sceptre  of  Christ ;  he  is  most  care- 
ful of  the  inside.     In  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  11,  '  Incline  my  heait  to  fear  thy 


342  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

name ; '  Ps.  cxix.  36,  *  Let  my  heart  be  sound  in  thy  statutes ; '  and  so 
in  ver.  80  and  vcr.  112  of  the  same  psalm. 

Now  an  unsound  heart,  a  rotten  heart,  is  most  taken  up  about  the 
outside, — inform! nf^  that,  and  reforming  that,  and  watching  of  that; 
but  as  for  tlie  inside,  there  is  no  eye  cast  to  see  how  all  stands  there. 
The  devil  mny  bear  rule ;  any  may  come  into  the  soul  and  domineer 
and  oppose  the  sceptre  of  Christ.  So  an  unsound  soul  is  taken  up 
merely  about  the  outside.  That  same  exhortation  of  Solomon  is 
strong  upon  an  upright  heart :  Prov.  iv.  23,  '  Keep  thy  heart  with  all 
diligence;  for  out  of  it  are  the  issues  of  life.'  The  original  hath  it 
more  elegantly,  '  Before  all,  or  above  all  keeping,  keep  thy  heart ;  for 
out  of  it  is  the  goings  forth  of  lives.'  l  This  duty  that  Solomon  press- 
eth,  is  a  duty  that  an  upright  heart  above  all  endeavours  to  practise. 
Above  all  and  before  all,  he  guards  his  soul ;  he  looks  to  his  inward 
parts,  how  he  thrives  and  grows,  how  he  stands  God-ward,  Christ- 
ward,  heaven-ward,  and  holiness-ward. 

4.  The  last  thing  I  shall  premise  is,  Upright  hearts  in  their 
constant  course  are  even-carriaged  hearts.  An  upright  heart  in 
his  constant  course  is  an  even-carriaged  heart.  AH  the  ways  of 
an  upright  soul  are  as  commentaries  one  upon  another;  and  look, 
*  as  face  answereth  face,'  as  Solomon  speaketh,  so  the  ways  of  an 
upright  heart  do  one  answer  another.  Christ  sits  at  the  stern  of 
the  soul,  and  guides  the  soul  into  those  ways  that  are  most  like  to 
himself:  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  2,  '  Josiah,  he  walked  in  all  the  ways  of 
the  Lord,  as  his  father  David  did ;  he  turned  neither  to  the  right 
hand  nor  to  the  left.'  In  all  his  ways  he  carried  himself  evenly.  But 
an  unsound  heart,  a  rotten  heart,  is  a  very  uneven-carringed  heart. 
You  shall  have  one  way  wherein  he  walks  to  speak  him  out  an  angel, 
another  to  speak  him  a  very  sinful  man,  and  a  third  to  speak  him  a 
devil.  Now  he  is  for  God,  anon  against  God;  now  for  justice  and 
righteousness,  anon  for  injustice  and  unrighteousness.  13ut  an  up- 
right heart  is  an  even-carriaged  heart.  Let  heaven  and  earth 
meet,  let  trials  come,  temptations  and  afflictions  come,  he  keeps  his 
ground,  he  is  an  even-carriaged  heart.  So  much  concerning  the  first 
thing. 

For  the  second,  concerning  the  ways  of  God,  I  shall  briefly  premise 
these  five  things  : — 

1.  First,  The  ways  of  God  are  righteous  ivays,  the  ways  of  God  are 
blessed  luays:  Prov.  viii.  20,  '  I  lead  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  paths  of  judgment ; '  and  in  the  33d  verse  of  that 
same  chapter,  '  Hearken  unto  me  now  therefore,  0  ye  children,  for 
blessed  are  they  that  keep  thy  ways.'  The  ways  of  God  are  blessed 
ways ;  they  bring  in  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal  blessings  upon  all 
that  walk  in  them.  They  are  righteous  ways  ;  they  lead  to  righteous- 
ness, to  the  love  of  righteousness,  to  the  practice  of  righteousness,  to  a 
delight  in  righteousness.  As  for  the  ways  of  profaneness,  pride,  hy- 
pocrisy, neutrality,  formality,  and  apostasy,  these  are  none  of  the  ways 
of  God ;  they  are  unrighteous  ways,  cursed  ways,  and  they  bring  no- 
thing but  curses  and  crosses  upon  all  that  walk  in  them.     Those  that 

'  In  the  niaririn  Brooks  tlius  reads  the  original,  Mikkol  mishmar  nehar  llbbecha  Li 
memeunu  lolneoth  huiim. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PEOGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  343 

walk  in  these  ways  are  nowhere  secure,  but  are  every  moment  liable  to 
the  thunderbolts  of  divine  displeasure. 

2.  And  secondly,  The  ways  of  God  are  soul-refreshing  ways.  Oh, 
they  yield  the  soul  abundance  of  refreshing  and  sweetness  that  walks 
in  them.  In  Jer.  vi.  16,  '  Ask  for  the  old  way,  the  good  old  way,  and 
walk  therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest,'— O^IJIQ,  margocing,  '  ye  shall  find 
refreshing  to  your  souls,'  as  the  original  hath  it.  If  a  man's  soul  be 
tired  and  weary,  the  ways  of  the  Lord  will  refresh  it ;  if  it  be  dead 
and  dull,  the  ways  of  the  Lord  will  quicken  it ;  if  he  be  fainting,  the 
ways  of  the  Lord  will  be  as  a  cordial  to  him. 

3.  And  then,  thirdly.  The  ways  of  the  Lord,  as  they  are  soul-re- 
freshing ways,  so  they  are  transcendent  luays,  ways  that  transcend  all 
other  ways.  What  is  darkness  to  light  ?  What  are  pebbles  to  pearls  ? 
What  is  dross  to  gold  ?  No  more  are  the  choicest  ways  of  the  crea- 
ture to  the  ways  of  God :  Isa.  Iv.  8,9,  '  My  ways  are  not  as  your 
ways,  nor  my  thoughts  as  your  thoughts  ;  but  as  high  as  the  heavens 
are  above  the  earth,  so  are  my  thoughts  above  your  thoughts,  and  my 
ways  above  your  ways.'  What  is  said  of  wisdom.  Pro  v.  iii.  15,  '  that 
she  is  more  precious  than  rubies,  and  that  all  the  things  we  can  desire 
are  not  to  be  compared  to  her,'  the  same  may  be  affirmed  of  the  ways 
of  God.  Oh  !  they  are  more  precious  than  rubies,  and  all  other  ways 
are  not  to  be  compared  to  them. 

4.  And  then,  fourthly.  The  ways  of  God  are  soul-strengthening 
ivays,  ways  that  yield  strength  to  the  soul.  In  Pro  v.  x.  29,  '  The 
way  of  the  Lord  is  strength  to  the  upright,'  ('  magnos ') :  from  gnazaz, 
the  way  of  the  Lord  maketh  strong.  The  original  word,  ^^V  signifies 
to  confirm,  to  make  strong.  Oh,  the  ways  of  the  Lord  confirm  upright 
hearts,  they  make  upright  hearts  strong,  strong  to  withstand  tempta- 
tions, strong  to  conquer  corruptions,  strong  to  rejoice  under  afflictions, 
strong  to  perform  the  most  heavenly  duties,  strong  to  improve  the 
most  spiritual  mercies.  The  ways  of  the  Lord  make  strong,  they  con- 
firm such  hearts  as  walk  in  them. 

5.  Then,  fifthly  and  lastly.  As  the  ways  of  the  Lord  are  soul-strengthen- 
ing ways,  so  they  are  affiicted,  perplexed,  and  persecuted  ways.  Mat. 
vii.  14,  '  Strait  is  the  gate,'  &c.  The  original  word,  reOXifjiixevrj,  signi- 
fies perplexed,  afflicted,  persecuted ;  and  the  way  is  made  strait  by 
afflictions  and  troubles  and  persecutions.  And  so  in  Acts  xix.  9, 
'  This  way  is  everywhere  evil  spoken  of  ; '  and  in  Acts  xxiv.  14,  '  In 
the  way  that  you  call  heresy,  so  worship  I  the  God  of  my  fathers.' 
The  ways  of  God  are  afflicted,  persecuted,  and  perplexed  ways.  And 
so  much  for  the  second  thing. 

The  third — to  make  haste  to  what  I  chiefly  intend — for  the  reasons 
why  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  God,  notwithstanding 
all  the  afflictions,  troubles,  and  discouragements  that  do  befall  them, 
are  these : — 

1.  The  first  is  drawn  from  the  nature  of  a  Christian's  life,  which  is 
a  race ;  and  as  he  that  runs  a  race,  if  he  holds  not  out,  notwithstand- 
ing all  discouragements,  till  he  comes  to  the  goal,  loseth  tlie  garland  ; 
and  as  he  that  faints  in  wrestling  loseth  the  crown,  so  do  those  that 
hold  not  out  to  the  end ;  therefore  upright  hearts  will  hold  out  to  the 
end,  notwithstanding  all  the  discouragements  they  meet  with  in  the 


344  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

ways  of  God :  1  Cor.  ix.  24,  '  Know  ye  not  that  they  that  run  in  a 
race  run  all,  but  one  receiveth  the  crown?  So  run,  that  ye  may  ob- 
tain.' So  in  Heb.  xii.  1,  '  Let  us  with  patience  run  the  race  that  is 
set  before  us.' 

2.  A  second  ground  of  their  holding  out,  notwithstanding  all  the 
afflictions  and  discouragements  they  meet  with  in  the  ways  of  God, 
and  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  is  drawn  from  the  glorious  promises  of 
reward.  For  mark,  as  there  is  a  comforting  virtue  in  the  promises, 
so  there  is  a  quickening  and  an  encouraging  virtue  in  all  the  glorious 
promises,  as  to  warm  the  heart,  so  to  raise  and  encourage  the  heart 
to  run  the  ways  of  God's  commandments,  especially  such  promises  as 
these : — Rev.  ii.  10,  '  Satan  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison  :  but 
fear  not,  but  be  faithful  unto  the  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  the 
crown  of  life.'  That  crown  is  a  sure  crown,  a  matchless  crown, 
a  glorious  crown,  a  lasting  crown  :  '  I  will  give  you  a  crown  of  life ;' 

1  that  am  faithfulness  itself,  I  that  am  truth  itself,  I  that  am  good- 
ness itself,  1  that  am  power  itself,  I  that  have  all  in  heaven  and 
earth  at  my  disposing,  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life.     And  Paul, 

2  Tim.  iv.  8,  '  Henceforth  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness.' 
The  word  that  is  rendered  laid  up  [dTroKecrat]  signifies  safely  to  lay 
up :  it  notes  both  a  designation  and  a  reservation.  There  is  a  crown 
designed  and  safely  kept  for  me.  And  so  such  a  promise  as  that.  Rev. 
iii.  5,  '  He  that  overcometh  shall  be  arrayed  in  white :  and  I  will  not 
blot  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  him  befere 
my  Father,  and  before  his  angels.'  And  in  ver.  21  of  the  same 
chapter,  '  He  that  overcometh  shall  sit  down  with  me  in  my  throne, 
as  1  overcame,  and  sat  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.'  That 
is  another  reason  from  the  promises  of  reward.  Promises  of  reward  to 
the  master  and  mariners,  oh,  how  do  they  raise  up  their  spirits  to  go 
through  any  storms,  to  go  through  many  dangers  !  and  so  doth  the 
glorious  promises  of  reward  that  God  makes  to  his ;  they  carry  them 
bravely  through  all  storms. 

3.  A  third  reason  is,  Because  of  all  ways  the  ways  of  God  are  the 
most  honourable  ways;  therefore  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in  them, 
notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions  and  discouragements  they  meet 
with.  The  most  renowned  and  honoured  saints  that  ever  breathed 
on  earth,  and  that  are  now  triumphant  in  heaven,  have  walked  in 
those  ways  of  God.  The  ways  of  sin  are  base,  reproachful  ways ; 
but  the  ways  of  God  are  honourable  ways. 

When  a  man  doth  but  fancy  that  the  way  he  walks  in  is  an  honour- 
able way,  alas !  how  is  his  spirit  carried  on  in  that  way  against  all 
opposition  that  he  meets  with  !  Oh,  how  much  more  doth  the  testi- 
mony that  God  gives  of  his  ways,  and  the  encouragements  that  he 
gives  to  his  people  to  hold  on  in  his  ways,  raise  up  their  spirits  to 
hold  on  against  all  discouragements. 

4.  But  fourthly.  The  principal  reason  of  upright  hearts  holding  on 
in  the  ways  of  well-doing  against  all  discouragements,  is,  because  they 
are  carried  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  and  in  the  ways  of  God,  from 
spiritual  and  internal  causes,  from  spiritual  principles,  from  a  prin- 
ciple of  inward  life  and  spiritual  power.  It  is  true,  if  upright  hearts 
were  onlv  carried  on   iVom  flcshlv,  carnal,  and  external  causes,  thev 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  345 

would  wheel  about,  and  turn  apostates,  and  be  base,  and  what  not. 
But  upright  hearts  are  carried  on  in  the  ways  of  God  from  inward 
principles,  as  in  Jer.  xxxii.  40,  '  I  will  put  my  fear  in  their  hearts, 
and  they  shall  never  depart  from  me;'  and  in  Ezek.  xxxvi.  26,  27, 
'  I  will  take  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh. 
I  will  put  my  Spirit  in  them,  and  cause  them  to  observe  my  statutes, 
and  to  walk  in  my  ways.'  Upright  hearts  are  carried  on  by  an 
inward  principle  of  fear,  faith,  and  love,  and  this  carries  them  bravely 
on  against  all  the  discouragements  they  meet  with.  In  Isa.  xl.  31 
*  They  that  wait  on  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength  like  the 
eagle ;  they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary,'  because  they  run  upon  an- 
other's legs — viz.,  the  Lord  Christ's;  'and  they  shall"  walk  and  not 
faint,'  because  they  walk  in  the  strength  of  Christ.  That  is  another 
reason. 

5.  The  fifth  and  last  reason  of  their  holding  on  in  the  ways  of  God, 
notwithstanding  all  the  discouragements  that  befall  them,  is  drawn 
from  the  former  profit  and  sweetness  that  they  have  found  in  the  ways 
of  God.  Oh !  upright  souls  have  found  by  experience  the  ways  of 
God  to  be  profitable  ways  indeed,  to  be  the  most  gainful  way  that 
ever  souls  walked  in.  Upright  hearts  can  say,  We  went  to  prayer  at 
such  a  time,  and  we  met  with  Christ  answering  us.  Oh !  what  a 
mercy  was  that !  And  another  time,  We  went  to  the  word,  and  we 
met  with  Jesus  Christ  embracing  us.  Oh  !  what  a  favour  was  that ! 
And  another  time.  We  went  to  the  communion  of  saints,  and  we  met 
with  Christ  warming  and  inflaming  our  hearts ;  and  oh,  what  a 
heaven  was  that !  as  they  in  Luke  xxiv.  32,  '  Did  not  our  hearts  burn 
withm  us  while  he  talked  to  us?'  Oh!  the  remembrance  of  that 
former  sweetness  they  have  found  carries  them  aloft  against  all  dis- 
couragements !  The  kiss  that  the  king  gave  one,  as  the  story  speaks, 
M^as  more  than  the  golden  cup  he  gave  to  the  other.  Oh,  the  spiritual 
kisses  that  the  King  of  kings  gives  upright  souls  when  he  meets 
them  in  his  ways,  carries  their  souls  an-end  against  all  afflictions  and 
oppositions  that  they  meet  withal.  David  saith,  in  Ps.  cxvi.  2,  '  Be- 
cause thou  hast  inclined  thine  ear  to  me,  therefore  will  I  call  on  thee 
as  long  as  I  live.'  Therefore — wherefore  ?  '  Because  thou  hast  in- 
clined thine  ear  to  me,  I  will  call  on  thee  as  long  as  I  live.'  In 
summer  season  and  in  winter  season,  let  men  smile  or  frown,  I  will 
call  upon  thee  as  long  as  I  live.  The  sweet  gain  and  profit  that 
usurers  and  mariners  have  found  in  such  and  such  ways,  doth  ex- 
ceedingly carry  their  spirits  on  in  those  ways,  notwithstanding  all 
discouragements,  reproaches,  and  scorns ;  and  so  doth  the  sweetness 
that  upright  souls  have  found  in  the  ways  of  God.  And  thus  much 
for  the  reasons  of  the  point,  and  for  the  doctrinal  part. 

We  come  now  to  the  use,  which  is  the  main  thing  I  have  my  eye 
upon  at  this  time. 

1.  And  first,  Is  it  so,  that  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of 
God  and  the  ways  of  well-doing,  notwithstanding  all  afflictions,  troubles, 
and  discouragements  that  may  befall  them  ?  Then  this,  in  the  first 
place,  serves  to  shew  us  that  the  number  of  upright  hearts  are  very 
few  ;  for  ah  !  how  few  be  there  that  keep  close  to  the  ways  of  God, 
and  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  when  storms  begin  to  rise ! 


346  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

Right  Honourable,  it  is  notliing  for  a  man  when  he  hath  wind  and 
tide  on  his  side,  when  there  is  concurrence  of  all  secondary  causes  to 
lift  a  man  up  and  carry  him  bravely  on  ;  it  is  nothing  to  hold  on  now 
in  the  ways  of  God  and  the  ways  of  well-doing.  Oh,  but  when  a  man 
is  tossed  and  afflicted,  broken  and  persecuted,  now  to  hold  on  in  the 
ways  of  well-doing,  this  is  the  glory  of  a  Christian  ;  but  how  few 
are  there  that  hold  out  in  these  seasons  !  Oh  !  witness  the  treachery, 
witness  the  apostasy,  witness  the  neutrality  of  men  in  our  days,  that, 
when  storms  begins,  for  fleshly  ends  wheel  about.  It  shews  that  the 
number  of  upright  hearts  are  very  few :  but  I  will  not  stand  on  this. 

2.  Secondly,  Is  it  so,  that  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in  the  ways 
of  well-doing,  notwithstanding  all  discouragements  that  befall  them  ? 
Right  Honourable,  let  me  then  exhort  you  first  more  particularly, 
and  then  more  generally,  to  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  not- 
withstanding all  the  afflictions,  troubles,  and  discouragements  you 
may  meet  with.  You  have  begun  to  fall  upon  the  execution  of  jus- 
tice, which  is  a  way  wherein  God  delights  to  walk,  and  wherein  he 
delights  to  see  those  that  are  in  authority  to  walk  impartially.  I 
shall  press  this  particularly,  and  then  press  the  })oint  more  generally, 
both  upon  yourselves  and  all  that  hear  me. 

Now,  Right  Honourable,  in  this  labour  to  hold  on,  you  have  begun 
in  the  Spirit — as  to  that  point— do  not  end  in  the  flesh,  but  hold  on 
in  the  way  of  well-doing.  Justice  is  called  by  Aristotle,  Hesperus, 
the  glorious  star  :  by  another,  the  sun  of  the  world.  Oh  let  this 
glorious  sun  so  shine  forth,  that  the  best  of  men  may  rejoice,  and  the 
worst  of  men  may  tremble.  Take  to  yourselves.  Right  Honourable, 
the  glorious  resolution  of  Jerome, i  who  once  expressed  himself  thus : 
'  If  my  father  should  stand  before  me,  and  my  brethren  press  about 
me,  and  my  mother  hang  upon  me,  I  would  throw  down  my  father, 
and  break  through  my  brethren,  and  trample  upon  my  mother,  to 
cleave  to  Jesus  Christ.'  0  Right  Honourable,  take  glorious  resolu- 
tions to  yourselves.  Though  your  fathers  may  stand  before  you,  and 
your  brethren  and  friends  press  about  you,  though  your  mothers  should 
hang  on  you,  I  mean  the  nearest  relations,  throw  down  the  one,  and 
break  through  the  other,  and  trample  upon  the  third,  that  your  souls 
may  cleave  to  the  way  of  God,  to  the  ways  of  justice  and  righteous- 
ness. You  know  the  rule  is.  Fiat  juslitia  et  mat  mioidus,  Let  justice 
be  done,  though  the  world  be  ruined.  And  that  is  a  true  saying,  Odia 
qui  nimiiim  timet  nynare  nescit.  Oh  that  upon  every  worthy  mem- 
ber's heart  and  forehead  that  which  once  Chrysostom  spake  of  himself 
might  be  written.  Nil  7iisi  peccatum  timeo,  I  fear  nothing  but  sin. 
Oh  that  this  were  every  member's  motto,  I  fear  nothing  but  sin.  I 
fear  not  the  threats,  the  rage,  the  fury,  nor  the  designs  and  plots  of 
men  that  are  turned  into  devils :  I  fear  nothing  but  sin. 

Right  Honourable,  that  this  may  stick,  give  me  leave  to  propound 
to  your  serious  thoughts  these  few  con.siderations: — 

1.  First,  Consider  this,  when  men  do  execute  their  just  judgment, 
then  God  ivill  divert  and  turn  away  his  judgment  from  a  nation.  In 
Ps.  cvi.  30,  31,  '  Then  Phinehas  stood  up  and  executed  judgment,  and 
the  plague  was  stayed,'  that  not  a  man  died  after.     When  men  stand 

'  Epist.  ad  Hcliodorum  I. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  347 

up  to  execute  their  just  judgment,  the  Lord  will  divert  and  turn  away 
his.  There  are  a  company  of  ignorant  sottish  people  that  think  that 
the  doing  of  justice  will  undo  a  land,  and  bring  all  calamities  upon  it; 
whereas  there  is  nothing  of  more  power  to  divert  the  judgment  of  God 
from  a  nation  than  the  execution  of  justice  and  judgment :  Jer.  v.  1, 
'  Go,'  saith  God,  '  run  to  and  fro  through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem, 
and  see  and  know  and  seek  in  the  broad  places  thereof  if  you  can  find 
a  man' — ay,  but  it  is  not  every  man  that  will  do  it,  but  such  a  man — 
*  that  will  execute  judgment  and  seek  truth,'  and  I  will  pardon  you. 
'  If  there  be  but  a  man  that  executes  judgment  and  seeks  truth, 
I  will  pardon  you,'  saith  God,  '  I  will  turn  away  my  wrath.'  So  in 
Ezek.  xxii.  29-31,  '  The  people  of  the  land  have  used  oppression,  and 
exercised  robbery,  and  vexed  the  poor  and  needy ;  they  oppress  the 
stranger  wrongfully.  And  I  sought  for  a  man  among  you'  [mark  !J 
'  that  might  make  up  the  hedge,'  alluding  to  Moses  that  magistrate — 
'  1  sought  for  a  man  among  you  that  might  make  up  the  hedge,  and 
stand  in  the  gap  before  me  for  the  land,  that  I  might  not  destroy  it  ; 
but  he  could  not  be  found.'  And  what  follows  ?  '  Therefore  I  poured 
out  my  indignation  on  them,  and  consumed  them  with  the  fire  of  my 
wrath ;  their  own  way  have  I  recompensed  upon  their  heads,'  saith 
the  Lord. 

2.  Secondly,  Your  neglect  of  justice  will  provoke  God  to  throiv  all 
your  religious  services  as  dung  in  your  faces :  Isa.  i.  11,  'To  what 
purpose  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices  ?  I  am  weary  of  your  new 
moons  and  your  burnt-offerings  and  your  sabbaths  ;  my  soul  loathes 
them,  they  are  an  abomination  to  me.'  What  is  the  reason  ?  '  Your 
hands  are  full  of  blood,'  ver.  15 — or  rather,  as  the  Hebrew  hath  it, 
li^'^D  D''Q1,  'your  hands  are  full  of  bloods.'  The  Hebrew  word  is  taken 
from  a  ship  under  full  sail :  your  hands  are  full  of  bloods,  as  the  sails 
of  a  ship  is  full  of  wind.  There  is  the  father's  blood  and  the  chil- 
dren's blood,  and  there  is  the  master's  blood  and  the  servant's  blood, 
and  there  is  the  bond-man's  blood  and  the  free-man's  blood,  and  the 
wife's  blood  and  the  widow's  blood ;  your  hands  are  full  of  blood. 
Therefore  to  what  purpose  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices  ?  God 
throws  them  as  dung  in  their  faces,  because  they  neglected  justice. 
You  have  a  parallel  text,  Amos  v.  21-24,  'I  hate,  I  despise  your  feast- 
days,  I  will  not  smell  in  your  solemn  assemblies,'  &c.  What  was  the 
reason  ?  '  Let  judgment  run  down  as  water,  and  righteousness  as  a 
mighty  stream.'  Judgment  did  not  run  down,  and  therefore,  saith 
God,  '  I  hate,  I  despise  your  fasting  and  prayer,  and  your  feast-days.' 
Ah,  Right  Honourable,  as  you  would  not  have  your  services  thrown 
as  dung  in  your  faces,  look  that  justice  and  judgment  run  down  as  a 
mighty  stream. 

3.  Thirdly,  Consider  this,  that  your  execution  of  justice  and  judg- 
ment loillfree  you  from  the  guilt  of  other  men  s  sins,  and  the  neglect  of 
justice  and  judgment  ivill  ivrap  you  up  in  the  guilt  of  other  men's  sins. 

When  those  that  are  guilty  shall  be  by  you  sinfully  or  wilfully 
acquitted,  that  shall  be  charged  on  your  score.  When  justice  is  not 
executed,  a  land  is  defiled  :  Num.  xxxv.  33,  34,  '  So  ye  shall  not  pol- 
lute the  land  wherein  ye  are ;  for  blood  defileth  the  land,  and  the  land 
cannot  be  cleansed  of  the  blood  that  is  shed  therein,  but  by  the  blood 


348  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

of  liim  that  shed  it.  Defile  not,  therefore,  the  land  that  ye  shall  in- 
habit, wherein  I  dwell ;  for  I  the  Lord  dwell  among  the  children  of 
Israel.'  Oh !  Right  Honourable,  have  you  not  sins  enough  of  your 
own  to  awaken  you,  to  startle  you,  to  trouble  you,  to  amaze  you,  to 
afliict  you,  and  to  humble  you  ?  Have  you  not  sins  enough  of  your 
own  to  provoke  God  against  you  to  strike  you,  to  cliide  you,  to  wound 
you,  and  to  lay  3'ou  low  ;  but  will  you  wrap  yourselves  up  in  the  guilt 
of  other  men  s  sins?  Will  you  wrap  yourselves  up  in  the  treachery, 
and  murder,  and  blood,  and  cruelty,  and  tyranny  of  others  ?  The 
Lord  forbid ! 

It  was  an  ingenuous  acknowledgment  of  an  emperor,  who,  when  one 
had  committed  murder,  and  he  was  importuned  to  spare  his  life,  and 
he  did  it ;  suddenly  after  the  same  person  committed  wilful  murder 
again  ;  then  there  was  com])laint  made  to  the  emperor  that  he  had 
committed  murder  twice, — No,  saith  the  emperor,  he  is  guilty  of  the 
former  only  ;  I  am  guilty  of  the  latter. 

Right  Honourable,  guilty  persons  that  be  by  you  sinfully  acquitted, 
their  sin  God  will  charge  upon  your  account.  And  therefore  as  you 
would  not  have  the  guilt  of  other  men's  sins  upon  you,  hold  on  in  the 
way  of  well-doing:  let  justice  and  judgment  run  down  as  mighty  streams. 

4.  Fourthly,  Right  Honourable,  consider  this,  those  persons  that 
have  neglected  the  execution  of  justice  upon  their  implacable  enemies, 
when  God  has  given  them  into  their  hands,  those  God  hath  left  to 
perish  basely  and  miserably.  See  it  in  Ahab,  1  Kings  xxi.  compared 
with  xxii.  23-37.  God  gives  Benhadad  into  Ahab's  hand,  in  ver, 
40,  41,  '  Because  thou  hast  let  a  man  go  that  I  had  appointed  to  de- 
struction'— which  was  not  signified  to  him  by  any  extraordinary  re- 
velation, but  by  that  ordinary  dispensation, — '  Therefore,'  saith  God, 
'  thy  life  shall  go  for  his  :'  xxii.  31,  '  Fight  neither  against  small  nor 
great,  but  against  the  king  of  Israel.'  In  which  fight  he  lost  his  life 
at  that  time,  and  so  perished  miserably. 

So  concerning  Saul  in  1  Sam.  xv.  19,  compared  with  the  last  of  [first] 
Samuel  xxxi.  3,  4.  Saul,  he  spares  Agag,  and  he  would  shift  off  the 
command  of  the  Lord ;  but  for  that  God  shifted  him  out  of  his  kingdom. 
When  he  neglected  to  do  justice  upon  an  implacable  enemy,  when 
God  had  given  him  into  his  hands,  God  left  him  to  perish  and  fall 
basely :  ver.  26,  '  Because  thou  hast  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  hath  rejected  thee  from  being  king.'  The  Hebrew  word, 
JIDND  DNO-  signifies  to  reject,  to  disdain,  to  cast  off.  The  Lord  re- 
jected Saul,  and  he  rejected  the  Lord  ;  Saul  disdained  the  Lord,  and 
the  Lord  disdained  Saul ;  he  cast  off  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  cast  off 
him.  Saul  did  not  do  justice,  therefore  he  shall  die  basely,  and  perish 
miserably  upon  his  own  swurd  :  as  he  did,  in  1  Sam.  xxxi<  4. 

5.  Fifthly  and  lastly.  Right  Honourable,  consider  this,  that  your 
neglect  of  justice  will  exceedingly  eneourage  icicked  persons  in  icays 
of  impiety,  Eccles.  viii.  11;  and  discourage  the  godly  of  the  nation 
from  doing  their  duty.     Your  neglect  of  justice  will  encourage  wicked 

persons  in  the  ways  of  impiety,  and  hinder  the  t-aints  from  a  cheerful 
and  sweet  discharge  of  their  duty. 

Right  Honourable,  if  you  would  sit  down  and  study  which  way  you 
might  most  encourage  the  worst  of  men,  and  discourage  the  best,  you 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGKESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  349 

could  not  fall  upon  sucli  another  way,  as  to  neglect  what  God  and  the 
nation  calls  for  at  your  hands.  Eight  Honourable,  it  is  cruelty  to 
the  good  to  spare  the  bad :  it  is  cruelty  to  the  sheep  and  lambs  to  spare 
the  wolves  and  lions.  You  were  better  a  thousand  times  to  set  some 
of  those  grand  malefactors  a-mourning,  that  have  caused  the  kingdom 
to  mourn  so  many  years  in  garments  rolled  in  blood,  by  the  execution 
of  justice,  than  by  the  neglect  of  justice  to  keep  a  kingdom  still  mourn- 
ing in  garments  of  blood.     I  shall  say  no  more  as  to  that  particular. 

But  now  I  shall  endeavour  to  apply  the  point  more  generally,  both 
to  your  Honours  and  all  that  hears  me  at  this  time,  knowing  that  it  is 
a  useful  point  for  us  all,  especially  in  these  times  and  seasons  wherein 
God  doth  exercise  us  with  afflictions  and  discouragements,  while  we 
are  in  his  own  ways.  The  exhortation  that  I  shall  press  upon  you 
all  is,  that  you  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  notwithstanding 
all  the  afflictions,  troubles,  and  discouragements  that  may  befall  you. 

Now  that  you  may,  I  shall  endeavour  to  do  these  two  things : — 

First,  To  lay  down  some  motives  to  encourage  you. 

Secondly,  To  premise  some  directions  to  further  you. 

1.  For  the  first,  by  way  of  motive  to  move  you  to  hold  on  against 
all  discouragements  that  possibly  may  befall  you,  consider,  Eight 
Honourable,  these  few  things,  and  all  you  that  hear  me  this  day : — 

(1.)  First  of  all.  Consider  this,  that  all  the  affiictions  and  troubles 
that  you  meet  ivithal  shall  never  hurt  nor  harm  you,  hut  he  very  advan- 
tageous to  you.  All  the  arrows  that  wicked  men  shoot  at  your  heads 
shall  stick  fast  in  their  OAvn  hearts :  1  Peter  iii.  1 3,  '  And  who  shall 
harm  you,  if  ye  be  followers  of  that  which  is  good?'  Interrogations 
are  strong  affirmations.  It  is  a  strong  affirmation,  '  none  shall  harm 
you:'  devils  nor  men,  let  them  roar  and  rage,  none  shall  harm  you. 
For  as  one  speaks  truly.  Nemo  pi^oprie  la^ditur,  nisi  a  seijjso,  No  man  is 
properly  hurt  but  by  himself  and  his  own  fault.  All  the  afflictions  and 
troubles  that  you  shall  meet  with  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  they  shall 
be  advantageous  to  you ;  they  shall  be  a  means  by  which  God  will 
convey  more  of  his  grace  and  mercy,  more  of  himself  and  his  glory 
into  your  souls :  Hosea  ii.  14,  '  I  will  allure  her  into  the  wilderness, 
and  then  I  will  speak  friendly  to  her' — or  as  the  Hebrew  has  it,  "•JllQlT 
tl^b-^^,  uedihharti  g^iallibhah,  I  will  earnestly  speak  to  her  heart. 
God  will  make  all  afflictions,  even  a  wilderness,  to  be  an  inlet  to  more 
of  his  own  self  All  the  discouragements  that  you  meet  with  in  the 
ways  of  well-doing  shall  but  rub  off  your  dross,  and  empty  out  that 
filth  that  is  in  you,  and  so  make  more  room  for  more  of  himself  and 
of  his  glory  to  be  communicated  to  you.  In  Heb.  xii.  10,  '  But  he 
afflicts  us  for  our  profit,  that  we  may  be  partakers  of  his  holiness.' 
They  were  before  partakers  of  his  holiness.  Oh,  but  God  will  make 
afflictions  conduit-pipes,  through  which  he  will  convey  more  of  him- 
self and  of  his  holiness  to  his  children's  souls.  That  is  the  first  thing. 
All  the  afflictions  that  befall  you  shall  not  harm  you,  but  be  very 
advantageous  to  you.  Wlio  would  not  then  hold  on  in  the  ways  of 
well-doing,  notwithstanding  any  trouble  or  affliction  that  may  befall 
them? 

2.  Secondly,  Eight  Honourable  and  beloved,  let  all  gracious  and 
upright  hearts  consider  this,  that  Jesu^  Chy-ist  hath  held  on  in  a  way 


350  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

of  mercy  and  sircefness  ioioards  you,  notioitlistanding  all  the  dis- 
couragements and  all  the  lets  that  have  been  in  his  way  ;  and  will 
not  you  hold  on  in  ways  of  duty  to  Christ,  who  hath  held  on,  notwith- 
standing all  discouragements,  in  a  way  of  mercy  towards  you  ?  Oh 
consider,  consider  what  difficulties  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  gone 
over  to  come  to  your  souls.  In  Cant.  ii.  8,  it  is  said  there,  '  It  is  my 
beloved  that  comes  leaping  over  the  mountains  and  skipping  over  the 
hills.'  Oh,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  come  over  mountains  of  wrath, 
and  mountains  of  sin,  and  mountains  of  sorrow,  and  all  that  he  might 
come  to  your  souls.  In  Isa.  Ixiii.  3,  '  I  have  trod  the  wine-press  alone; 
and  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  me' — or  as  the  Hebrew  has  it, 
Umegnamium  enish  itti,  ■'/^^i  li^'N  I'K  □'Qi/QI,  'and  of  the  nations,  or  of 
the  peoples,  there  was  not  a  man  with  me.'  He  trod  the  wine-press  of 
the  wrath  of  his  Father  alone.  And  so  in  Isa.  1.  5,  G,  'The  Lord  God 
hath  opened  mine  ear,  and  I  was  not  rebellious,  neither  turned  my 
back.  I  gave  my  back  to  the  smiters,  and  my  cheek  to  them  that 
pluck  off  the  hair :  I  hid  not  my  face  from  shame  and  spitting.'  Oh, 
the  Lord,  in  a  way  of  mercy  towards  you,  hath  come  over  all  difficulties. 
Jesus  Christ  never  pleaded,  Oh  this  mountain  of  wrath,  of  sin,  and 
sorrow  is  too  high  for  me  to  go  over :  and  these  valleys  of  darkness 
are  too  long  and  too  terrible  for  me  to  walk  through.  Oh  no  !  but 
the  Lord  came  skipping  over  all  mountains,  and  all  for  the  good  of 
your  souls.  And  will  not  you,  upright  hearts,  hold  on  in  ways  of 
duty  to  him  that  hath  thus  carried  himself  in  ways  of  mercy  to  you  ? 
And  as  he  hath,  so  he  doth  still  hold  on  in  ways  of  mercy  to  you,  not- 
withstanding all  your  provocations  and  unworthy  walking  of  former 
mercies.  Yet  still  he  holds  on  in  ways  of  mercy  and  kindness  to 
you.  Witness  all  those  mercies  that  now  you  enjoy,  the  clothes  that 
thou  wearest,  and  the  bread  that  thou  eatest,  and  the  house  that  thou 
lodgest  in,  and  the  bed  that  thou  liest  on,  when  thousands  lie  down 
in  everlasting  sorrow.  He  hath  held  on  in  ways  of  mercy,  and  he 
doth.  Oh,  this  should  bespeak  you  to  hold  on  in  his  ways,  notwith- 
standing any  difficulties  that  you  may  meet  withal. 

3.  But  then,  in  the  third  j)lace.  Let  all  upright  hearts  seriously 
consider  this,  that  wicked  and  ungodly  men  do  hold  on  in  ways  of 
impiety,  notwithstanding  all  the  discouragements  that  they  meet  with 
from  God;  and  will  not  you  that  are  upright,  hold  on  in  ways  of  piety, 
notwithstanding  all  the  discouragements  and  afflictions  that  you  may 
meet  with  from  men  ?  Wicked  and  ungodly  men,  they  hold  on  in 
ways  of  wickedness,  notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions,  and  troubles, 
and  discouragements  that  God  exerciseth  them  with.  God  lasheth 
their  consciences,  and  passes  the  sentence  of  death  upon  all  their 
comforts.  Afflictions  comes  upon  them  as  Job's  messengers,  one 
upon  the  neck  of  another;  and  yet  they  remain  proud  still,  and  formal 
still,  and  treacherous  still,  and  apostates  still,  and  profane  still.  0 
upright  hearts,  will  not  you  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  piety,  notwith- 
standing the  discouragements  that  you  meet  with  from  men  ?  Shall 
wicked  men  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  wickedness,  notwithstanding  all 
discouragements,  though  God  chide  them  and  set  his  angel  in  the 
way  to  draw  a  sword  upon  them,  and  crushes  their  bones  against  the 
wall,  as  he  dealt  with  Balaam,  Num.  xxii.  25;  shall  wicked  men. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  351 

Balaam-like,  ride  on  though  the  angel  of  the  Lord  draw  his  sword ; 
and  will  not  you,  when  men  draw  their  swords,  hold  on  in  the  ways  of 
well-doing  ? 

4.  Fourthly,  Consider  solemnly  of  that  agreement  that  you  made 
ivith  Jesus  Christ,  ivhen  you  first  took  Jesus  Christ  upon  the  day  of 
your  marriage  loith  Chrisi.  Oh,  there  is  enough  in  that  to  engage  you 
to  hold  on  against  all  the  discouragements  you  shall  meet  with  !  Oh 
remember,  upright  souls,  in  the  day  of  your  marriage  with  Jesus  Christ, 
you  indented  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  keep  close  to  him,  to 
hold  on  in  his  ways.  Then  you  did  say  in  effect  to  Clu-ist  what 
Euth  said  to  Naomi,  Kuth  i.  14-16,  '  Where  thou  goest,  I  will  go  ; 
where  thou  lodgest,  I  will  lodge  ;  thy  Grod  shall  be  my  Grod  ;  and  no- 
thing but  death  shall  part  between  thee  and  me.'  When  you  first 
gave  your  names  to  Jesus  Christ,  in  that  day  your  souls  were  really 
married  to  Christ,  then  you  indented  with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
in  effect  said  thus,  '  0  blessed  Lord !  I  will  follow  thee  wheresoever 
thou  goest ;  where  thou  goest  I  will  go  ;  and  where  thou  lodgest  I  will 
lodge  ;  and  thy  God  shall  be  my  God  ;  and  nothing  shall  part  between 
thee  and  my  soul,  between  thy  ways  and  my  heart ;'  therefore  let  that 
bespeak  you  to  hold  on  in  ways  of  well-doing,  notwithstanding  all 
afilictions  and  discouragements  you  meet  withal. 

5.  And  then  again,  in  the  next  place.  Let  upright  hearts  consider 
this,  that  God  knoivs  how  to  deliver  from  troubles  by  troubles ;  he 
hioivs  hoiv  to  deliver  from  afflictions  by  afflictions  ;  and  God  ivill  by 
lesser  afflictions  that  befall  his  people  deliver  them  from  greater 
afflictions;  and  by  those  troubles  that  befall  them,  he  will  deliver 
them  from  greater  troiibles.  That  saying  shall  be  found  true,  Periis- 
sem  nisi  periissem,  I  had  perished,  if  I  had  not  perished  ;  I  had  been 
undone,  if  I  had  not  been  undone  ;  I  had  been  ruined,  if  I  had  not  been 
ruined;  I  had  been  broken  in  pieces,  if  I  had  not  been  broken  in 
pieces.  I  remember  a  saying  of  a  philosopher,  [Anaxagoras,]  who 
seeing  great  possessions  which  he  had  lost,  speaks  thus,  Non  essem  ego 
salvus  nisi  istce  periissent,  Had  not  those  things  perished,  saith  he,  I 
could  not  have  been  safe.  God  will  so  order  all  the  afflictions  and 
troubles  that  befall  you  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  that  your  soul  shall 
say,  Oh,  had  I  not  met  with  this  afiliction,  I  had  been  afflicted  with  a 
witness  indeed  ;  had  I  not  been  undone,  I  had  been  undone ;  had  not 
these  troubles  and  sorrows  and  discouragements  befallen  me,  it  had 
been  worse  with  me.  God  will  deliver  his  people,  mark  it,  from 
spiritual  afflictions  and  spiritual  judgments,  by  the  temporal  afflic- 
tions and  troubles  that  befall  them.  By  those  afflictions  that  you  meet 
with  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  God  will  deliver  you  from  that  security, 
pride,  formality,  dead-heartedness,  lukewarmness,  and  censoriousness 
that  otherwise  might  fall  upon  you. 

I  remember  a  story  of  a  godly  man,  that  as  he  was  going  to  take 
shipping  for  France,  he  broke  his  leg  ;  and  it  pleased  providence  so  to 
order  it,  that  the  ship  that  he  should  have  gone  in  at  that  very  time  was 
cast  away,  and  not  a  man  saved  ;  so  by  breaking  a  bone  his  life  was 
saved.  Thus  is  the  dealing  of  the  Lord  with  his;  sometimes  he 
oxerciseth  them  with  afflictions — it  may  be  he  breaks  their  bones  ;  ay, 
but  it  is  in  order  to  the  saving  of  their  lives. 


352  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

6.  And  then  again  consider,  that  all  the  afflictioiis,  troubles,  and  dis- 
couragements that  befall  you  shall  never  rob  you  of  your  treasure,  of 
your  jewels.  They  may  rob  you  of  some  slight,  light  things  ;  as  the 
sword  that  is  by  your  side,  the  stick  that  is  in  your  hand,  and  the 
flower  that  is  in  your  hats  ;  but  they  cannot  rob  you,  they  cannot 
strip  you  of  your  choice  jewels  and  treasures.  The  jcvA'els  and  trea- 
sures of  an  upright  heart  is  the  spiritual  ]:»resence  of  God,  union  with 
Christ,  communion  with  Christ,  joy  that  is  unspeakable  and  glorious, 
peace  that  passeth  understanding,  spiritual  comfort,  the  least  drop  of 
which  is  more  worth  than  a  world.  Now  all  the  afflictions  and 
troubles  that  befalls  you  can  never  rob  you  of  your  jewels  ;  your  trea- 
sure is  safe.  They  may  rob  you  of  your  sword,  of  your  stick,  of  your 
flower  ;  but  your  jewel  is  safe.  Some  slight,  poor,  outward  comforts 
they  may  rob  you  of.  Oh,  but  your  jewels  is  safe,  your  treasure  is 
still  safe.  What  an  encouragement  it  is  to  a  poor  traveller  to  hold  on 
his  way,  notwithstanding  there  be  thieves  and  enemies,  when  he 
remembereth  that  all  the  thieves  and  enemies  that  he  meets  with 
cannot  rob  him  of  his  treasures,  of  his  jewels,  that  is  about  him  ! 
they  may  take  away  his  sword,  or  his  stick,  or  his  hat ;  but  his  jewel 
is  safe.  0  upright  hearts !  your  jewel  is  safe,  your  treasure  is  safe, 
and  all  the  powers  of  darkness  can  never  rob  you  of  your  God,  of  your 
Christ,  of  your  comfort,  of  your  inward  peace ;  therefore  hold  on 
against  all  discouragements  and  afflictions  that  you  shall  meet  with. 

7.  Then  again,  in  the  next  place,  consider  that  your  holding  on  in 
the  ways  of  well-doing,  notwithstanding  all  discouragements  and  afflic- 
tions that  may  befall  you,  is  very  acceptable  to  God;  and  [it]  tends 
much  to  the  glory  and  honour  of  God,  for  his  people  to  hold  on  in  the 
loays  of  iveU-doing  against  all  discouragements  that  may  befall  them. 
The  church  of  Pergamos  did,  and  the  Lord  was  taken  with  it :  Rev. 
ii.  13,  '  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan's 
seat  is:  and  thou  hast  held  fiist  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my 
faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas  was  my  faithful  martyr,  who 
was  slain  among  them  where  Satan  dwelleth.' 

The  Lord  here  was  much  affected  and  taken  with  the  constancy  of 
the  church,  that  it  held  on  in  his  worship  and  ways,  notwithstanding 
the  discouragements  and  troubles  that  she  met  with.  It  is  very 
honourable  to  God.  Oh  !  it  is  an  honour  to  the  power  of  God,  to  the 
wisdom  of  God,  to  the  goodness  of  God,  by  holding  on  in  his  ways 
against  all  oppositions  ;  you  declare  to  the  world  that  there  is  no  God 
like  your  God,  and  no  ways  like  his  ways ;  nor  no  encouragements 
like  those  that  he  gives ;  therefore  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing 
against  all  discouragements. 

8.  But  in  the  eighth  and  last  place,  do  but  consider  the  dangerous 
nature  of  apostasy ;  and  if  there  were  no  other  argument  to  move  men 
to  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  God,  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  against  all 
discouragements  and  troubles  that  may  befall  them,  yet  this  alone 
may  carry  their  hearts  bravely  on  against  all  troubles  and  afilictions. 
Consider  the  dangerous  nature  of  apostasy.  If  you  would  judge  of 
the  dangerous  nature  of  apostasy  aright,  you  may  do  it  by  these  few 
things : — 

[l.J  First,  Consider  what  you  fall  from  by  apostatising  from  God, 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  353 

from  Ms  truth,  and  from  his  ways.  Oh  !  consider  that  of  all  falls,  the 
falls  of  such  apostates  are  the  most  dangerous  falls.  Thou  that 
playest  the  apostate,  and  turnest  from  the  ways  of  God,  and  from  the 
ways  of  well-doing,  thou  fallest  from  God,  who  is  the  greatest  good ; 
thou  fallest  from  his  ways,  that  are  the  crown  and  the  glory  of  the 
soul ;  and  from  his  truth,  the  least  tittle  of  which  is  more  worth  than 
heaven  and  earth.  Alas !  what  are  the  falls  of  others  to  your  falls  ! 
Alexander  the  Third,  he  fell  from  a  pope  to  be  a  gardener  in  Venice ; 
and  Valerian  fell  from  a  golden  chair  to  an  iron  cage  ;  and  Dionysius 
fell  from  a  king  to  be  a  schoolmaster ;  and  Nebuchadnezzar  fell  from 
a  mighty  prince  to  be  a  beast ;  but  what  are  these  falls  to  thy  falls, 
0  apostate  !  who  fallest  from  heaven  to  hell — from  the  greatest  good 
to  the  greatest  evil  I 

We  live  in  an  apostatising  age  ;  men  wheel  and  turn  about  as  second 
causes  work,  and  are  not  steadfast  with  their  God.  These  are  days 
wherein  grapes  are  turned  into  thorns,  and  figs  into  thistles  ;  wherein 
men  that  were  persecuted  by  others,  turn  persecutors  of  others ; 
and  men  that  were  smitten  by  others,  now  by  their  pens  and  tongues 
bitterly  smite  others,  even  their  fellow-brethren.  These  are  days 
wherein  lambs  are  turned  into  lions,  and  doves  are  turned  into  ser- 
pents ;  and  men  that  have  acted  like  angels  for  God  and  his  people, 
are  turned  to  act  like  devils  in  respect  of  their  rage  and  malice  against 
God  and  his  children,  and  against  those  ways  wherein  his  people  do 
walk.  They  are  like  the  taxus  of  India,  which  the  first  year  bears 
fruit,  the  second  year  leaves,  and  the  third  year  poison.  Thus  it  is 
with  apostates  of  our  time.  For  a  time  they  bear  fruit,  a  little  after 
leaves,  and  now  at  last  poison,  the  worst  of  all.  Oh,  consider  the 
danger  of  apostasy  !  By  apostasy  you  fall  from  the  greatest  good, 
and  from  the  present  hope  of  mercy,  and  from  the  future  hope  of 
glory;  for  there  is  no  sin  that  doth  so  strip  a  man  of  the  present 
hope  of  mercy,  and  the  future  hope  of  glory,  as  the  sin  of  apostasy  : 
witness  Spira,  Judas,  &c. 

[2.]  Then  again,  in  the  second  place,  judge  of  tlie  dangerous  nature 
of  apostasy  by  the  judgments  of  God  that  have  fallen  upon  apostates, 
as  upon  Julian,  Judas,  Spira,  &c.  I  remember  Mr  Foxe  makes  men- 
tion of  a  smith  in  King  Edward  the  Sixth's  days,  who  was  instru- 
mental to  convert  a  young  man  ;  the  young  man  being  clapped  in 
prison  for  the  gospel's  sake,  sent  for  the  smith,  and  asked  him  whether 
he  would  encourage  him  to  stand  for  the  truth,  and  to  burn  for  reli- 
gion ;  he  answered,  his  cause  was  good,  and  he  should  do  well  to  suffer 
for  his  religion  ;  but  for  his  part  he  could  not  bring  his  heart  over  to 
burn  for  religion.  But  a  little  time  after  his  shop  was  set  on  fire,  and 
he  was  burned  in  the  midst  of  it.  Oh  !  it  would  take  up  more  time 
than  is  now  allotted  to  me  to  set  out  the  judgments  of  God  that  have 
befallen  apostates  that  have  been  treacherous  and  base  to  God,  to 
his  ways,  to  his  saints,  and  to  the  trust  reposed  in  them. 

[3.]  Again,  you  may  judge  of  the  danger  of  apostasy  by  its  near 
bordering  upon  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  hy  the  exceeding 
difft,culty  of  a  mans  recovering  his  ground,  ivhen  he  hath  once  played 
the  apostate,  and  turned  his  hack  upon  God  and  his  ivays.  Of  all 
sins,  the  sin  of  apostasy  comes  nearest  the  unpardonable  sin  against 

VOL.  VI.  z 


354  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

the  Holy  Ghost.  Th.at  soul  tliat  liatli  turned  his  l^ack  upon  Gotland 
his  truth,  and  the  ways  of  well-doing,  because  of  discouragements,  is 
now  upon  the  borders  of  that  sin,  that  if  God  leave  him  but  a  little, 
he  may  fall  into,  and  then  he  shall  never  rise  again;  which  speaks  out 
the  dangerous  nature  of  it. 

[4.]  And  to  shut  uj)  all,  judge  of  the  dangerous  nature  and  evil  of 
apostasy  by  this,  that  it  renders  all  a  man's  former  righteousness, 
doings,  and  sufferings  invalid  and  lost :  Ezek.  xviii.  24,  '  If  a  man  for- 
sake his  righteousness,  shall  he  live  ?'  '  No,'  saith  God,  '  he  shall  die' 
— ay,  die  with  a  witness  :  '  in  his  iniquity  which  he  hath  committed 
he  shall  die,  and  his  righteousness  shall  be  mentioned  no  more.'  There 
shall  be  no  more  talk — This  was  a  gallant  man  for  God,  and  this  man 
stood  bravely  up  for  his  peo})le  and  his  ways,  and  for  the  liberty  of 
the  nation,  suitable  to  the  trust  reposed  in  him.  There  shall  be  no 
mention  of  this  if  a  man  play  the  apostate.  There  shall  be  no  plead- 
ing— This  was  once  a  worthy  man,  and  stood  gloriously  to  it.  But  now 
he  is  turned  an  apostate :  he  is  turned  away  from  God  and  his  ways. 
All  his  righteousness,  all  his  former  actings  and  doings  and  sufferings 
shall  be  lost,  and  they  shall  never  go  to  the  grave  with  him,  nor  follow 
him  to  thejudgmcnt-seat  of  Christ:  his  aposta.sy shall  followhini  indeed, 
but  for  his  former  works  of  piety,  they  are  all  lost.  As  a  soldier  when 
he  forsakes  his  colours  and  runs  to  the  enemy,  all  his  former  good 
service  is  lost  and  buried  in  oblivion  ;  so  men  that  profess  love  to  God 
and  his  people,  and  at  last  meet  with  difficulties  and  play  the  apos- 
tate, this  their  apostasy  renders  all  their  former  service  lost. 

Thus  much  by  way  of  motive  to  move  you,  Eight  Honourable,  and 
all  you  that  hear  me  this  day,  to  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing, 
notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions  and  discouragements  that  you  may 
meet  with  in  the  ways  of  well-doing. 

I  shall  now  lay  down  a  few  directions.  I  shall  be  brief  in  them, 
and  so  draw  towards  a  close. 

1.  First,  Right  Honourable,  if  you  would  hold  on  in  the  w%ays  of 
well-doing,  notwithstanding  all  discouragements  and  afflictions,  in 
which  you  must  exjiect  to  have  your  share  as  well  as  others,  and  haply 
the  greatest,  therefore  it  stands  you  the  more  u})on  to  consider  of  those 
things  that  may  be  of  use  to  bear  up  your  spirits  bravely,  to  carry  you 
through  all  the  trials  and  troubles  you  may  meet  with.  To  that  pur- 
pose, 

(1.)  There  are  some  things  that  you  must  carefully  decline. 

(2.)  There  are  other  things  that  you  must  carefully  practise. 

If  you  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing  against  all  oppositions, 
and  notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions  and  troubles  that  you  may  meet 
with,  then, 

[1.]  First,  Take  heed  of  unbelief.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world 
that  doth  more  damp  the  heart,  that  ties  the  tongue,  tliat  binds  the 
hands,  that  puts  fetters  on  the  feet,  that  puts  out  the  eyes,  than  un- 
belief Unbelief,  it  blinds  the  eyes,  it  ties  a  man's  hands,  and  causeth 
a  sad  and  fearful  dam])  to  fall  upon  his  heart.  It  renders  the  man 
utterly  inifit  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  God,  especially  when  there  is  a 
lion  in  the  way,  and  when  the  storm  begins  to  rise :  Heb.  iii.  13,  'Take 
heed  lest  there  be  found  in  anv  one  of  vou  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  to 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  355 

depart  from  the  living  God.'  Unbelief  will  cany  a  man  to  apostasy. 
It  hath  been  the  great  reason  of  many  men's  apostasy  and  backsliding 
from  God  and  his  ways,  and  that  trust  the  nation  hath  put  in  them, 
that  they  could  not  hang  on  God  and  trust  in  God  by  faith  ;  but  un- 
belief was  prevalent,  and  hath  carried  them  from  God  and  all  just 
ways.     Therefore  take  heed  of  unbelief. 

[2.]  Secondly,  If  you  would  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  not- 
withstanding all  the  discouragements  you  may  meet  with,  take  heed  of 
an  inordinate  love  to  the  things  of  this  life.  This  made  Judas  play  and 
Demas  play  the  apostate,  and  Spira  play  the  apostate.  '  Demas  hath 
forsaken  us'  to  embrace  this  present  world.  He  looked  upon  the  world 
in  its  pomp,  beauty,  and  glory  ;  and  his  heart  falls  off  from  God  and 
his  ways.  I  remember  it  is  storied  of  Henry  the  Fourth  of  France 
asking  the  Duke  of  Alva  whether  he  had  seen  the  eclipses  ;  he  an- 
swered, he  had  so  much  business  to  do  on  earth,  that  he  had  no  time 
to  look  up  to  heaven.  A  man  whose  heart  is  engaged  to  the  love  of 
the  world,  will  find  so  much  to  do  in  the  world,  that,  with  that  wicked 
duke,  he  will  have  no  time  to  look  up  to  heaven  for  strength,  to  walk 
in  heavenly  and  holy  ways  against  opposition.  It  was  a  good  saying 
of  Augustine,  Certe  non  amant  illi  Christum  qui  aliquid  phisquam 
Christum  amant,  Surely  they  do  not  love  Christ  who  love  anytliing 
more  than  Christ.  If  your  hearts  are  pitched  more  upon  the  world, 
and  are  engaged  more  to  it  than  to  Christ,  you  will  never  be  able  to 
hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  If  you  would  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  take 
heed  of  consulting  luith  flesh  and  blood :  take  heed  of  listening  and 
hearkening  to  carnal  reason  and  carnal  counsel ;  that  is  that  that  hath 
turned  many  a  man  out  of  the  ways  of  God.  When  Paul  was  brought 
in  to  Christ — Gal.  i.  14-16,  '  When  it  pleased  God,  that  separated  me 
from  my  mother's  womb,  to  call  me  by  his  grace,'  as  to  send  me  to  preach 
the  gospel  among  the  heathen,  'immediately  I  consulted  not  with  flesh 
and  blood.'  If  he  had  consulted  with  flesh  and  blood,  he  might  have 
made  several  objections  to  have  kept  him  off";  'but  I  consulted  not 
with  flesh  and  blood : '  flesh  would  have  told  him  that  the  work  was  too 
high,  too  hard,  too  dangerous  for  him.  '  Oh  but,'  saith  he,  '  I  con- 
sulted not  with  flesh  and  blood.' 

[4.]  Lastly,  If  you  would  hold  on,  notwithstanding  all  discourage- 
ments that  may  befall  you,  then  take  heed  of  Judging  of  the  ivays  of  God, 
and  of  the  luays  of  ivell-doing ,  by  the  opinion  that  ivicked  men  have  of 
them.  Alas  !  wicked  men  are  blind,  and  see  not  the  beauty  and  loveli- 
ness that  is  in  the  ways  of  God.  Wicked  men  are  malicious  against 
the  ways  of  God,  and  ill-will  will  never  suffer  them  to  speak  well  of 
them. 

But  again.  If  you  would  walk  in  the  ways  of  well-doing  against  all 
discouragements,  then  as  you  must  labour  carefully  to  decline  all  those 
things,  so  you  must  labour  to  put  in  practice  these  things  : — 

[1.]  Frequently  and  solemnly  cast  up  ivhat  you  have  gained  by 
walkiiig  in  the  ivays  of  God.  Frequently  and  solemnly  cast  up  your 
accounts,  and  see  what  you  have  gained  by  walking  in  the  ways  of  God. 
Look  over  that  power  against  corruptions,  that  strength  to  withstand 
temptations,  that  power  to  rejoice  in  afflictions,  that  you  have  gained 


356  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

in  the  ways  of  God.  Look  often  over  that  '  peace  that  passeth  under- 
Btandino-.'and  that  heavenly  joy  and  those  blessed  consolations  that 
you  have  gained  in  the  ways  of  God  and  in  the  ways  of  well-doing. 
When  the  mariner  and  the  shopkeeper  cast  their  eye  upon  their 
former  gains,  it  encourageth  and  enableth  their  spirits  to  hold  on 
against  all  the  discouragements  and  troubles  they  may  meet  with  in 
their  way ;  and  so  it  will  do  with  you. 

[2.]  In  the  second  place,  Look  that  you  act  and  loalk  in  the  ways  of 
God,  and  in  the  ways  of  ivell-doing ,  from  internal  and  sinritual  prin- 
ciples. Oh,  I  beseech  you,  Right  Honourable,  and  all  that  hear  me 
this  day,  as  you  would  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  look  to  your 
princii)les,  that  you  move  from  spiritual  and  internal  principles,  from 
the  power  of  the  Spirit  and  the  breathings  of  the  Spirit,  from  love  to 
God  and  a  holy  fear  of  God ;  and  this  will  carry  you  bravely  on  against 
all  discouragements  you  shall  meet  with.  If  you  act  from  carnal  and 
fleshly  principles,  and  for  carnal  ends,  as  for  honour  or  favour  or 
profit,  &c.,  you  will  never  be  constant  in  the  ways  of  God  ;  but  when 
these  ends  cannot  be  answered,  you  will  turn  apostates,  and  turn  back 
from  God.  Therefore,  as  you  would  hold  on,  look  to  your  jirinciples 
that  i\\Q\  may  be  sound. 

[3.]  Then,  in  the  third  place,  If  you  would  hold  on  in  the  ways  of 
well-doing  and  in  the  ways  of  God,  notwithstanding  all  the  afflictions 
and  troubles  that  may  befall  you,  labour  to  exercise  faith.  Faith  is  a 
singular  means  to  enable  us  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  God  against  all 
the'^discouragements  that  may  befall  us.  I  shall  open  it  in  those  two 
things,  that  are  worthy  of  your  consideration.  Faith  mil  carry  the 
soul'^through  all  discouragements  and  difficulties  that  the  soul  can 
meet  with  in  the  ways  of  God.     Thus  :— 

First,  By  being  conversant  about  soul-greatening  objects.  ]\Tark,  this 
is  one  way  by  which  faith  enables  the  soul  to  hold  on  against  all  dis- 
couragements, by  raising  the  soul  to  converse  with  soul-greatening 
objects,  as  God  and  Christ,  and  those  treasures,  pleasures,  and  sweet- 
nesses that  are  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  So  in  2  Cor.  iv.  the  last 
three  verses,  '  Our  outward  man  decays,  but  our  inward  man  is 
renewed  day  by  day.'  How  comes  this  ?  '  While  we  look  not  at 
things  that  are  seen,  but  at  things  which  are  not  seen.'  '  While  faith 
is  conversant  about  things  which  are  not  seen :'  the  word  [a-KoirovvTfov] 
signifies  to  look  as  a  man  looks  at  a  mark.  While  we  keep  a  fixed 
eye  upon  future  glory — while  our  faith  is  conversant  upon  that  crown 
that  fades  not,  upon  those  robes  that  wither  not,  upon  that  kingdom 
that  shakes  not,  '  the  inward  man  is  renewed  day  by  day,'  and  heav)' 
afflictions  are  made  light,  and  long  afflictions  are  made  short.  Thus 
faith  enables  the  soul,  and  carries  it  bravely  on  against  all  discour- 
agements, by  conversing  with  soul-greatening  objects.  There  is 
nothing  so  enables  the  soul,  and  so  divinely  greatens  the  soul  and 
makes  it  too  large,  too  wide,  and  too  big  for  troubles  and  afllictiona 
to  bring  under,  than  faith's  conversing  with  those  high  and  glorious 
objects. 

Second,  Then  faith  doth  this,  in  the  second  place,  by  appropriating 
all  to  itself  that  it  lays  hands  upon.  Faith  looks  on  God,  and  saith 
with  the  psalmist,  '  This  God  is  my  God  for  ever  and  ever;  and  he 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  357 

shall  be  my  guide  unto  death.'  Faith  looks  on  Christ,  and  saith  with 
Thomas,  'My  Lord  and  my  God.'  Faith  looks  on  the  promises,  and 
saith,  '  These  precious  promises  are  mine.'  It  casts  an  eye  upon  the 
crown  of  righteousness,  and  saith  with  Paul,  '  Henceforth  is  laid  uyt 
for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness.'  It  looks  upon  all  treasures,  pleasures, 
and  sweetness  that  is  in  Christ,  and  that  are  by  Christ  prepared  for 
the  soul,  and  saith  faith,  '  Those  treasures  are  mine,  tliose  pleasures 
are  mine,  and  all  that  sweetness  that  is  in  him  is  mine.'  Thus  faith 
carries  on  the  soul  against  all  discouragements  that  the  soul  can  meet 
with. 

Third,  Then  again,  in  the  next  place,  If  you  would  hold  on  in  the 
ways  of  well-doing,  labour  to  increase  and  abound  in  love.  Oh  let  your 
love  to  God  and  love  to  his  ways  be  augmented  and  increased  !  Oh 
look  that  love  do  its  part,  and  then  the  soul  will  hold  on !  Cant, 
viii.  6,  7,  '  Love  is  stronger  than  death :  many  waters  cannot  quench 
it,  nor  the  floods  drown  it.'  If  a  man  would  give  all  the  substance  of 
his  house  for  love  it  would  be  contemned.  in2^  T12,  bozjabuzu,  con- 
temning it  would  be  contemned,  loathing  it  would  be  loathed,  as  the 
original  hath  it. 

Now  I  shall  shew  you  how  love  will  enable  the  soul  to  hold  out  in 
the  ways  of  God,  and  in  the  ways  of  well-doing,  against  all  discourage- 
ments :  and  that  it  will  do  thus, 

[1.]  First,  Bi/  egging  oil  other  graces  on  to  act  and  operate.  Love 
is  a  very  active  grace.  It  is  the  great  wheel  in  the  soul  that  sets  all 
other  graces  on  work.  Love  is  like  to  the  virtuous  woman,  Prov. 
ix.  3,  that  sets  all  her  maidens  at  work.  Where  love  is  strong  in 
the  soul,  there  no  grace  shall  be  idle  in  the  soul.  There  love  will  call 
upon  faith.  Faith,  do  you  lay  hold  on  that  God  and  on  that  crown 
that  is  set  before  you ;  and.  Patience,  do  you  wait  on  God,  &c.  It 
calls  on  all,  and  sets  all  on  work.  And  now  the  more  grace  is  acted, 
the  more  its  strength  is  increased;  and  the  more  its  strength  is 
increased,  the  more  the  soul  is  enabled  to  walk  in  the  ways  of  God, 
against  all  discouragements  that  doth  or  can  befall  the  soul.     And, 

[2.]  Secondly,  Love  will  enable  you  to  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  God 
against  all  discouragements,  by  rendering  all  the  loays  of  God  siueet  and 
pleasant  to  the  soul.  Love  renders  those  ways  sweet,  that  men  that 
have  no  love  to  Christ  look  on  as  bitter  ways.  Every  way  is  sweet 
and  pleasant,  saith  love :  his  yoke  is  easy  and  his  way  is  pleasant.  As 
it  is  in  Prov.  iii.  17,  '  Her  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness,  and  all  her 
paths  are  peace : '  in  the  abstract  Love  saith,  This  way  is  a  precious 
way,  and  the  other  way  of  God,  oh  !  it  is  a  heavenly  way :  I  find 
much  sweetness  in  it,  saith  Love  ;  and  thus  it  encourageth  the  soul  to 
hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing.  For  the  more  sweet  and  lovely  the 
ways  of  God  are  presented  to  the  soul,  the  more  the  soul  is  raised 
and  encouraged  to  hold  on  in  those  ways  of  God,  notwithstanding  any 
affliction  and  trouble  that  the  soul  meets  withal.  I  remember  I  have 
read  a  story  of  a  Dutch  schoolmaster,  who,  when  he  was  asked  whether 
he  loved  not  his  wife  and  children,  thus  answered :  Were  all  the  world 
a  lump  of  gold,  and  in  my  hand  to  dispose  of,  I  would  lay  it  down  at 
my  enemy's  feet,  that  with  freedom  and  liberty  I  might  live  and  walk 
in  the  ways  of  God,  they  are  so  lovely  to  my  soul. 


358  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

[3.]  And  then,  thirdly,  Love,  it  will  enable  the  soul  to  hold  on  in  the 
ways  of  well-doinfi;  ag^ainst  all  discouraojements,  by  making  a  blessed 
intcrpreiation  and  a  heavenly  eonstruction  of  the  affiictions,  sorroivs^ 
and  discouragements  that  an  upright  heart  can  meet  icith  in  the  ivays 
of  God.  All  the  afHictions  and  discourngcments  that  upright  hearts 
meets  with,  love  will  thus  interpret  and  expound :  Oh !  saith  the 
upright  heart,  all  those  afflictions  are  but  means  that  God  will  use  to 
rub  off  my  dross  and  tilth,  to  convey  more  of  himself:  they  are  all  my 
friends,  and  shall  work  for  my  good,  saith  Love.  All  those  cursings 
God  will  turn  to  blessings,  saith  Love.  All  these  afflictions  that 
befall  me  are  but  out  of  some  noble  design  that  God  hath  to  reveal 
more  of  himself  and  of  his  glory  to  me.  It  is  but  that  he  may  empty 
me  more  of  myself  and  of  the  creature,  that  so  he  may  communicate 
more  of  his  own  sweetness  and  fulness  to  my  soul,  saith  Love.  I 
know,  though  for  the  present  it  be  bitter,  yet,  saith  Love,  it  will  be 
sweet  in  the  end ;  I  know  the  way  to  the  crown  by  the  cross,  saith 
Love,  and  I  know  all  those  afHictions  shall  lead  me  to  more  heavenly 
enjoyments  of  God.  This  construction  David  made  concerning 
k>himei's  cursing  of  him,  2  Sam.  xvi.  12 :  when  Sliimei  cursed  him, 
David  expounds  it  sweetly :  ver.  12,  '  The  Lord,'  saith  he,  '  will  look 
on  mine  affliction,  and  requite  good  for  his  cursing  this  day.'  This 
interpretation  carries  David  along  on  his  way,  notwithstanding  Shimei's 
cursing  of  him.  Oh  !  the  Lord  will  turn  the  curse  into  a  blessing, 
saith  Love  ;  and  this  carries  him  on  bravely.  So  in  that  1  Cor.  xiii.  5, 
'  Love  thinkcth  no  evil.'  It  will  make  a  sweet  interpretation  of  all 
the  afflictions  that  befalls  the  soul ;  and  the  more  sweet  and  heavenly 
interpretation  Love  makes  of  afflictions  that  befall  the  soul  in  the 
ways  of  God,  the  more  the  soul  is  raised  and  encouraged.  Well ! 
saith  the  soul,  if  it  be  so,  I  will  go  on  though  the  lions  roar,  &c. 
That  is  another  means  ;  if  you  will  hold  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing, 
then  look  that  Love  do  its  part :  let  Love  be  operative  and  working  in 
your  souls. 

[4.]  Lastly,  I  have  but  one  thing  more  that  I  will  press  as  to  this, 
and  so  draw  towards  a  close,  and  that  is  this.  Look  frequently  and 
solemnly  iqjon  that  '  cloud  of  luitnesses '  tliat  have  gone  before  yon. 
It  is  the  apostle's  own  argument,  Heb.  xii.  1,  2, — he  brings  down  all 
those  instances  in  the  11th  chapter,  and  sets  them  before  their  eyes, 
and  encourageth  them  from  that  very  consideration — '  To  run  the 
race  that  was  set  before  them  with  patience,  looking  to  Jesus,  the 
author  and  finisher  of  our  faith  ;  who,  for  the  joy  that  was  set  before 
him,  endured  the  cross,  and  despised  the  shame,  and  is  set  down  at 
the  right  hand  of  God.'  Oh,  look  upon  those  glorious  worthies  that 
held  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing.  Look  upon  Nehemiah,  that  held 
on  bravely,  and  David,  who  though  princes  scorned  him  and  per- 
secut<?d  him,  yet  he  held  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing.  So  Paul  and 
Jeremiah,  &c.,  notwithstanding  all  their  tossings,  afflictions,  and 
sufferings,  yet  held  on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing.  Oh,  why  should 
you  degenerate  basely  from  tho.se  examples  that  are  your  crown  and 
glory  to  follow?  So  much  by  way  of  direction,  as  to  enable  you  to  hold 
on  in  the  ways  of  well-doing  against  all  discouragements  that  may 
befall  vou. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  359 

Now,  Eight  Honourable,  give  me  only  leave  to  premise  a  few  things 
to  your  considerations,  desiring  that  those  considerations  may  be  your 
daily  meditations  ;  and  so  I  shall  close  at  this  time. 

[1.]  The  first  thing  I  desire  to  present  to  your  Honourable  con- 
siderations is  this,  The  doing  of  great  things  is  most  loortliy  of  great 
men.  Great  men  should  do  great  things,  and  account  themselves  little,  i 
Oh,  Right  Honourable,  tliat  by  your  means  '  the  angel  with  the  ever- 
lasting gospel  in  his  hand  might  fly  through  our  heavens,'  He  v. 
xiv.  6  ;  especially  that  he  might  fly  through  those  dark  corners  of 
the  kingdom  where  you  will  have  thousands  that  sit  in  darkness,  and 
in  the  region  and  shadow  of  death,  that  scarce  know  whether  there  be 
a  Holy  G-host  or  no  !  0  Right  Honourable,  God  is  now  about  a 
glorious  design  to  exalt  his  Son,  and  the  children  unborn  shall  rise 
and  call  you  blessed  if  you  will  be  instrumental  to  further  this 
design  ;  and  it  were  better  that  you  had  never  been  born,  than  that  you 
should  be  instrumental  to  hinder  those  poor  souls  from  enjoying  the 
means  of  grace,  that  cry  out,  '  Bread,  bread  for  our  souls,'  that  say, 
'  Look  upon  us,  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  our  souls'  sorrow  ; 
if  any  darkness  be  like  that  darkness  that  is  upon  us  ;  if  any  grievance 
be  like  that  that  is  in  us/  0  Right  Honourable,  the  doing  of 
great  things  is  most  worthy  of  great  men.  The  Lord  stir  up  your 
hearts  that  you  may  further  that  glorious  work  ;  and  the  Lord  direct 
you  that  you  may  pitch  on  some  way  or  other  whereby  those  that  sit 
in  darkness,  and  in  the  shadow  of  death,  may  be  enlightened,  and 
Christ  revealed,  and  his  kingdom  exalted  in  this  kingdom  !  Oh,  if 
you  do  not  labour  to  keep  by  the  word  that  you  have  war  by  the 
sword,  how  long  will  it  be  before  the  sword  be  sheathed  ! 

[2.]  A  second  consideration  that  I  premise  for  your  honours'  medi- 
tation is  this.  That  the  saints  are  ve^^y  dear  and  precious  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  they  that  shelter  them  he  ivill  shelter.  They  are  his 
jewels,  Mai.  iii.  17.  The  word  there  rendered  jewels,  n'pJD.  seguUa, 
signifies  such  particular  treasures  that  he  loves  and  lays  up  for  him- 
self, and  for  special  use.  They  are  '  the  apple  of  his  eye,'  Zech.  ii. 
8  ;  their  service  is  precious  to  him,  Prov.  xv.  8  ;  their  voice  is  precious, 
Cant.  ii.  14,  '  Let  me  hear  thy  voice,  for  thy  voice  is  sweet,  and  thy 
countenance  is  lovely  ;'  their  tears  are  precious,  Ps.  Ivi.  8,  '  He  puts 
them  in  his  bottle ; '  and  their  names  are  precious,  for  he  '  writes 
them  in  his  book,'  Luke  x.  20 ;  their  very  thoughts  are  precious,  Mai. 
iii.  16  ;  and  their  blood  is  precious,  Ps.  cxvi.  15,  '  Right  dear  and  pre- 
cious in  the  sight  of  the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his  saints,'  and  they  that 
shelter  them  God  will  shelter.  Ebed-melech  sheltered  Jeremiah  in 
the  day  of  the  Idng's  wrath,  and  God  sheltered  him  in  the  day  of 
God's  wrath ;  Rahab  sheltered  the  spies,  and  the  Lord  sheltered 
Rahab  ;  Obadiah  sheltered  the  prophets,  and  the  Lord  sheltered  him. 
Right  Honourable,  God  hath  made  you  in  some  blessed  measure 
instrumental  to  shelter  his  people  ;  and  certainly  that  hath  been  one 
great  reason  that  God  hath  sheltered  you,  notwithstanding  all  the 
designs,  plots,  and  treacheries  of  men  to  destroy  you.  You  have 
sheltered  the  saints,  and  God  hath  sheltered  you.  They  are  always 
precious  to  him,  and  they  should  be  always  precious  to  you. 

1  Vere  magnum  est  magna  facere  et  teipsum  putare  nihil. — Eusehius. 


360  GOU'S  DELIGHT  IN  THE  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

[3.]  A  third  consideration  for  every  day's  meditation  is,  That  it  is 
very  destructive  and  dangerous  for  the  powers  of  this  luorld  to  engage 
against  the  saints  of  God.  Right  Honourable,  I  abhor  pleading  for 
any  particular  interests  ;  I  plead  for  all  saints  which  Jesus  Christ  hath 
stamped  his  image  upon,  that  he  hath  taken  into  union  and  com- 
munion with  himself ;  I  plead  for  them  all  ;  for  your  Honours,  and 
thousands  more  do  know,  that  those  men  that  go  under  different 
names,  yet  for  abilities  and  holiness  they  are  as  precious  as  any  that 
breathes :  for  those  I  plead.  And  I  say  it  hath  been  an  old  design 
of  the  devil  to  dash  the  powers  of  this  world  in  ])ieces,  by  engaging 
them  against  the  saints  and  servants  of  Christ.  Little  did  Pharaoh 
know  that  the  devil  was  in  that  design  when  he  pursued  Israel,  '  I  will 
rise  and  pursue  and  overtake,  my  lust  shall  be  satisfied  ;'  but  this  was 
Pharaoh's  destruction.  His  engaging  against  Israel  was  his  overthrow. 
Haman  engaged  against  the  Jews,  but  this  engagement  against  them 
was  Hainan's  destruction,  as  you  know. 

Those  princes  (Dan.  vi.)  that  engaged  against  Daniel,  and  found 
nothing  against  him  but  in  the  matter  of  his  God,  you  know  their  very 
engagement  against  him  was  their  destruction.  It  is  dangerous  and 
destructive  to  the  powers  of  this  world  for  them  to  engage  against  the 
saints  of  God.  I  will  only  point  at  two  or  three  scriptures  :  Isa.  viii. 
8-10,  '  Associate  yourselves  together,  0  ye  people,  and  ye  shall  be 
broken  in  pieces.'  Rognu,  li'"),  from  roang,  it  signifies  '  to  be  broken 
in  pieces,  as  an  army  is  shattered  and  broken  in  pieces  \nth.  fear.' 

The  word  '  broken '  in  your  English  Books  i  is  tAAdce  more  repeated, 
'  You  shall  be  broken  in  pieces,  you  shall  be  broken  in  pieces  ; '  but  in 
tlie  Hebrew  it  is  three  times  more  repeated,  Vahoftu,  vahottu,  vahottu, 
'  Ye  shall  be  thrown  down,  ye  shall  be  thrown  down,  ye  shall  be 
thrown  down  ;'  or  '  Ye  shall  be  confounded,  ye  shall  be  confounded,  ye 
shall  be  confounded,' — Why  ?  '  For  God  is  with  us,'  ver.  10.  So  in 
Zech.  xii.  2,  3,  '  Jerusalem  shall  be  a  cup  of  trembling ;'  or  '  a  cup  of 
poison  to  all  the  nations  round  about ;  and  though  all  the  people  of 
the  earth  should  gather  together  against  her,  they  shall  be  dashed  in 
pieces:'  Isa.  liv.  17,  'No  weapon  that  is  formed  against  thee  shall 
prosper  ;  and  every  tongue  that  riseth  in  judgment  against  thee  shalt 
thou  condemn.  This  is  the  heritage  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord  ;  and 
their  righteousness  is  of  me,  saith  the  Lord.' 

[4.]  Again,  Right  Honourable,  a  fourth  consideration  for  your  daily 
meditation  is  this,  TJiat  tltc  poiver  of  godliness  infnitchj  transcends 
and  excels  all  forms  of  godliness.  Alas  !  what  is  the  shadow  to  the 
substance  ?  what  is  the  shell  to  the  kernel  ?  what  is  the  box  to  the 
jewel  that  is  in  it  ?  No  more  are  forms  of  godliness  to  the  power 
of  godliness.  Wiiat  is  darkness  to  light  ?  what  are  counters  to  gold  ? 
what  is  earth  to  heaven  ?  No  more  are  forms  of  godliness  to  the 
power  of  godliness  ;  which  doth  bespeak  you  to  cherish,  nourish,  and 
countenance  the  power  of  godliness,  and  not  so  to  advance  forms  of 
godliness  as  to  throw  down  the  power  and  the  glory  of  holiness. 

Right  Honourable,  it  is  the  power  of  godliness  that  is  the  honour 
of  a  nation,  it  is  the  power  of  godliness  that  is  the  beauty  of  a  nation, 
it   is  the  power  of  godliness  that  is  the  safety  of  a  nation.     Right 
'  Brooki'e  usual  way  of  designating  the  '  Authorised  (English)  Version.' — (!. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PKOGKESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  361 

Honourable,  as  you  would  have  joy  in  life,  and  peace  in  death,  and 
boldness  before  Christ's  judgment-seat,  oh  look  to  this,  that  you  advance 
the  power  of  godliness,  that  you  countenance  the  power  of  godliness, 
that  you  cherish  and  nourish  the  power  of  godliness.  Take  heed. 
Eight  Honourable,  of  stamping  jus  divinurn  on  anything  that  Christ 
hath  not  in  capital  letters  stamped  jus  divinurn  upon.  Oh  take  heed 
of  giving  a  two-edged  sword  into  the  hands  of  any  that  are  hot  for 
forms  of  godliness,  and  that  love  to  lord  it  over  the  faith  and  consciences 
of  the  saints,  lest  they,  like  the  giant,^  cut  off  all  that  are  higher  than 
themselves  in  spiritual  enjoyments  of  God,  and  stretch  out  all  that  are 
shorter  than  themselves  in  forms  of  godliness.  I  am  apt  to  think  that 
if  such  men  were  more  careful  and  skilful  in  using  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  they  would  not  be  so  hot  for  a  temporal  sword,  neither  would 
they  be  so  angry  for  the  want  of  it,  as  they  are.  A  spiritual  sword  is 
most  suitable  to  spiritual  men,  and  most  suitable  to  all  that  spiritual 
work  that  God  requires  of  them. 

Eight  Honourable,  God  is  most  exalted,  Christ  is  most  honoured, 
the  Spirit  is  most  rejoiced,  the  mouths  of  the  wicked  are  most  stopped, 
and  the  saints  are  most  gladded  by  the  power  of  godliness,  by 
countenancing,  advancing,  and  cherishing  of  that.  Therefore,  as  you 
would  have  the  Lord  exalted  and  lifted  up,  and  made  famous  and 
glorious,  oh  let  the  power  of  godliness  be  countenanced  and  cherished 
throughout  the  kingdom ! 

The  way  of  instructing  the  people  of  the  nation,  I  leave  it  with  you 
whom  it  most  concerns,  desiring  the  Lord  to  direct  you  into  such 
ways  as  may  be  most  for  the  honour  of  his  name,  and  for  the  happiness 
and  comfort  of  the  land  we  live  in.     That  is  another  consideration. 

[5.]  One  thing  more,  beloved,  and  so  I  shall  draw  to  a  close.  In 
the  next  place,  consider  this,  God  hath,  and  God  loill  save  his  people 
atid  ruin  their  enemies,  hy  very  iveak,  imlikely,  and  contemptible 
means,  and  hy  very  hidden  and  7nyste7-ious  ivays.  He  hath  done  it : 
witness  his  leading  of  Israel  by  the  hand  through  the  Eed  Sea,  and 
overthrowing  their  enemies  in  a  mysterious  way.  Witness  his  de- 
stroying of  that  mighty  army  of  the  Midianites — which  were  as  grass- 
hoppers, and  for  multitude  without  number—  by  Gideon's  three  hun- 
dred that  lapped  water  like  a  dog.  The  story  you  have  in  Judges  vi. 
and  vii.,  compared.  Witness  his  delivering  his  people  and  ruining 
their  grand  enemy,  Haman,  by  Esther  s  attempting  that  which  was 
directly  against  the  law  of  the  land,  Esth.  iv.  10,  16.  Haman  had 
plotted  the  ruin  of  the  Jews ;  all  was  agreed  on ;  the  writings  were 
signed ;  there  was  but  a  step  between  death  and  the  Jews.  Esther 
adventures  and  throws  herself  upon  God's  providence,  and  comes  to 
the  court,  directly  cross  to  the  law  of  the  land,  to  the  letter  of  the  law; 
and  by  this  untrodden  way,  which  one  would  have  thought  might  have 
enraged  the  king  to  have  cut  her  and  her  people  off,  yet,  by  this  un- 
trodden way,  God  delivered  his  poor  people.  And  whether  he  hath 
not  done  the  same  for  his  people  who  were  sold  to  slavery,  by  poor, 
despised  instruments,  in  our  own  land,  I  leave  your  Honours  to  judge. 
I  will  give  you  but  only  two  or  three  texts:  Isa.  xli.  14-16,  '  Fear  not, 
thou  worm  Jacob,  and  ye  men  of  Israel.'  '  Fear  not,  thou  worm 
'  The  reference  is  to  the  famous  bed  of  Procrustes. — G. 


362  god's  delight  in  the  [Ps.  XLIV.  18. 

Jacob.'  The  original,  iolagnath,  signifies  a  little  worm  that  springs 
out  of  a  grave  ^  or  kernel.  '  And  ye  men  of  Israel : '  methe,  '  ye  dead 
men  of  Israel.'  AVhat  follows?  'Behold,  I  will  make  thee  a  new 
sharp  threshing  instrument  having  teeth :  thou  shalt  thresh  the 
mountains,  and  beat  them  small,  and  shalt  make  the  hills  as  chaff. 
Thou  shalt  fan  them,  and  the  wind  shall  carry  them  away,  and  the 
whirlwind  shall  scatter  them :  and  thou  shalt  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  and 
shalt  glory  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.' 

Mountains  are  high,  you  know,  and  mountains  are  mighty,  and 
mountains  are  strong ;  and  so  are  the  powers  of  the  world ;  and  yet 
little  worms  and  dead  men  shall  thresh  these  mountains,  they  shall 
overthrow  and  bring  under  even  the  i)ower3  that  are  high  and  strong 
and  mighty  against  Jesus  Chiist  and  his  ways,  as  we  see  this  day. 
He  will  save  his  people,  and  destroy  his  enemies,  though  they  be 
mighty  and  i>owerful,  and  in  very  untrodden  and  mysterious  ways,  by 
little  worms,  by  dead  men.  So  likewise  Dan.  ii.  33,  34,  compared  with 
vers.  44,  45,  '  Thou  sawest  till  that  a  stone  was  cut  out  without  hands, 
which  smote  the  image  upon  his  feet,  which  were  of  iron  and  clay,  and 
brake  them  to  pieces.  Then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass,  the 
silver,  and  the  gold,  broken  to  pieces  together,  and  became  like  the 
chaff  of  the  summer  threshing-floors ;  and  the  wind  carried  them 
away,  that  no  place  was  found  for  them :  and  the  stone  that  smote  the 
image  became  a  great  mountain,  and  filled  the  whole  earth.'  Com- 
pare those  verses  with  the  44th  and  45th  verses,  '  And  in  the  days  of 
those  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall 
never  be  destroyed :  and  tliat  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other 
people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms, 
and  it  shall  stand  for  ever.'  All  the  kingdoms  that  are  against  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  shall  be  broken  in  pieces  by  this  little  kingdom. 
And  so  likewise  in  Micah  iv.,  the  three  last  verses,  '  Now  also  many 
nations  are  gathered  against  thee,  that  say.  Let  her  be  defiled,  and  let 
our  eye  look  upon  Zion.  But  they  know  not  the  thoughts  of  the  Lord, 
neither  understand  they  his  counsel :  for  he  sliall  gather  them  as  the 
sheaves  into  the  floor.  Arise  and  thresh,  0  daughter  of  Zion ;  for  I 
will  make  thine  horn  iron,  and  I  will  make  thy  hoofs  brass ;  and  thou 
shalt  beat  in  pieces  many  people ' — or  rather,  as  the  Hebrew  hath  it, 
'  thou  shalt  stamp  to  powder  multitudes  of  peoples  or  nations,' — '  and 
I  will  consecrate  their  gain  unto  the  Lord,  and  their  substance  unto 
the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth.'  Many  nations  are  gathered  together 
against  thee,  that  say.  Let  her  be  defiled,  let  her  be  polhited  and  pro- 
faned, and  let  our  eyes  look  upon  Zion.  Oh,  but  they  know  not  the 
thoughts  of  the  Lord,  what  a  design  God  is  about,  and  what  a  project 
he  hath  in  hand  to  advance  his  name,  and  to  deliver  his  people  and 
ruin  their  enemies,  and  that  by  the  most  unlikely  and  contemptible 
means  that  can  be  ! 

Therefore,  let  not  men  wonder  at  such  and  such  strange  providences 
as  sometimes  fall  out,  but  rather  consider  that  God  hath,  and  he  will 
save  his  people,  and  ruin  their  enemies,  by  very  dark  and  mysterious 
ways,  and  by  contemptible  and  unlikely  means  ;  and  this  he  will  do 
that  no  flesh  may  boast,  and  that  his  people  may  live  a  life  of  faith, 
'  Query,  '  grape '  or  '  grain '  ? — Ed. 


Ps.  XLIV.  18.]  PKOGKESS  OF  THE  UPRIGHT.  363 

and  that  their  enemies  may  be  the  more  dreadfully  ashamed  and  con- 
founded ;  and  mainly  that  his  own  name  may  be  alone  exalted  and 
magnified. 

[6.]  Lastly,  Eight  Honourable,  it  is  the  earnest  desires  of  the  people 
of  God  generally,  that  your  hands  may  further  be  strengthened,  and 
that  your  souls  may  be  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  that  justice, 
and  rigliteousness  may  run  down  now  at  the  last  among  us  as  mighty 
streams.  Now,  as  to  this,  give  me  only  leave  to  premise  these  two 
cautions,  and  so  I  shall  have  done : — 

First,  Eight  Honourable,  do  justice,  hut  do  it  with  much  pity  and 
mercy.  Oh  !  weep  over  those  wounds  that  the  sword  of  justice  makes  ; 
mourn  over  those  bones  that  the  sword  of  justice  breaks  ;  lament  over 
those  members  that  the  sword  of  justice  cuts  off.  Look,  as  justice  and 
mercy  meet  in  God,  and  kiss  in  God,  and  act  harmoniously  in  God ; 
so  let  justice  and  mercy  meet,  and  kiss,  and  act  harmoniously  in  you. 

Secondly,  Eight  Honourable,  look  to  this,  that  you  do  justice  from 
principles  of  uprightness,  and  from  the  love  of  justice  and  righteous- 
ness. Otherwise,  remember  this,  that  God  may  revenge  that  blood 
that  may  be  shed  upon  you,  if  you  do  not  justice  out  of  a  love  of 
righteousness,  and  from  principles  of  uprightness.  It  is  very  consider- 
able in  Hosea  i.  4,  5,  '  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Call  his  name 
Jezreel ;  for  yet  a  little  while  and  I  will  avenge  the  blood  of  Jezreel 
upon  the  house  of  Jehu,  and  will  cause  to  cease  the  kingdom  of  the 
house  of  Israel.'  Eight  Honourable,  consider  this,  that  which  Jehu 
did,  God  himself  bears  witness  to  it :  2  Kings  x.  30,  '  And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Jehu,  Because  thou  ha.st  done  well  in  executing  that  which 
is  right  in  mine  eyes,  and  hast  done  to  the  house  of  Ahab  according  to 
all  that  was  in  my  heart,  thy  children  to  the  fourth  generation  shall 
sit  on  the  throne  of  Israel,'  Observe,  Eight  Honourable,  Jehu,  for 
the  matter  of  justice,  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord.  God  here  approves  of  it ;  but  Jehu  did  not  do  justice  from 
a  love  of  justice,  and  a  principle  of  uprightness.  The  matter  was 
good,  but  his  principles  were  bad.  Therefore  God  tells  him  that  he 
will  avenge  the  blood  of  Jezreel  upon  the  house  of  Jehu.  The  Lord 
make  your  Honours  wise  to  consider  of  these  things  ! 

What  I  have  here  delivered,  Eight  Honourable,  hath  been  in  the 
discharge  of  my  conscience,  that  I  may  give  up  my  account  at  last 
with  joy,  and  not  with  grief ;  and  so  I  shall  conclude  with  that  saying 
of  Augustine,!  '  Not  every  one  that  spareth  us  is  a  friend,  nor  every 
one  that  striketh  us  is  an  enemy.' 

^  Non  omnis  qui  parcit  est  amicus,  nee  omuis  qui  ferit  est  inimicus. — Aitfjustine, 
Serm.  59,  de  verbis  Domi7ii. 


HYPOCRITES  DETECTED. 

A  THANKSGIVING  SERMON. 


NOTE. 

Prefixed  to  this  Sermon  is  the  usual  form  of  Tiianks  and  license  to  print.  It  will  l)e 
found  below*  :  also  the  title  page. f  Historically  the  Sermon  is  valuable  as  shewing  the 
intense  feeling  against  Scotland  at  the  time  ou  occasion  of  the  '  crowning  victory'  at 
Dunbar. — G. 

*  Di»  Mercurii,  ix.  Octo.  1650. 

Ordered  by  the  Parliament,  that  the  thanks  of  this  House  be  given  to  Mr  Brooks  fur 
his  great  pains  taken  in  liis  Sermon  preached  yesterday  at  Margarets,  Westminster, 
being  a  day  set  apart  for  publick  thanksgiving;  and  that  he  have  the  like  privilege  in 
printing  as  others  in  like  case  have  usually  had,  and  that  CoUonel  Juries  do  give  Mr 
Brooks  the  thanks  of  this  House  accordingly. 

Hen:  Scohell: 
cler:  Parliament. 

I  appoint  Hanna  Allen  to  print  this  sermon. 

Tho:  Brooks. 

t  THE 

HYPOCRITE 

DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED, 

Impeached,  Arraigned,  and  Condemned 

before  the  Parliament  of  England. 

OR, 

A  WORD  IN  SEASON. 

Shewing  Hypocrites  to  be  the  prime 

ohjects  of  God's  wrath  :  and  the  Grounds  of  it : 

with  the  Speciall  Lessons  that  we  are  to 

learn  from  it. 

EXPRESSED 

In  a  Sermon  Preaclied  before  the 

Parliament  of  ENGLAND;  upon  their  last 

thanksgiving  Day,  being  the  8th  of  Octo.  1650.  for 

that  late  great  Victory  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts  gave  our 

Army  over  the  Scots  Army  in  a  battell  at  Dunbarr 

Septemb.  3.  1050. 

By  Thomas  Brooks,  a  weak  and  unwortiiy  Teacher 
of  the  Gospel  at  Thomas  ApoMle-f,  London. 

The  Sinners  in  Zion  are  afraid,  fearfulness  hath  sur- 
prised the  hypocrites  :  wlio  among  us  shall  dwell 
with  the  devouring  fire?  who  among  us  shall 
dwell  with  everlasting  burnings?  Isa.  33.  14. 

Simnlata  sanctitas  est  duplex  iniquitas.  Aug. 
Multi  sunt   oves   habitu,    vulpcs   actu,   crudelitate 

hipi.  Bernard 
Hyiiocrita    aut    esto    quod     appares,    aut    appare 

quod  es.  Llreijory. 
Hypocritis      nihil      est     crudclius,      impatientius 

&     vindieta     cupidius,     plane     sunt     serpcntes, 

&c.  Luther. 

London, 

Printed  by  Fr:  Neile  for  Hanna  Allen  at  the 

Crown  in  Popcs-Head-.Ulcy,  1650. 

[•Ito.-O.J 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


To  the  Honourable  Parliament  of  England,  assembled  at 
Westminster. 

Honourable  Senators, — The  glorious  appearances  of  God  in  these 
late  times  do  with  open  mouth  speak  out  God  to  be  about  to  manifest 
himself  in  some  more  choice  and  remarkable  way  than  heretofore. 
When  little  worms^  and  dead  men  do  thresh  the  mountains,  and  make 
them  smoke  and  quake,  then  surely  God  is  a-coming  down  to  'judge 
the  earth  with  righteousness  and  the  people  with  equity,'  and  to  set 
his  mountains  high  upon  the  top  of  all  the  mountains  in  the  world, 
and  '  to  stain  the  pride  of  all  glory,  and  to  bring  into  contempt  all  the 
honourable  of  the  earth,'  Isa.  xxiii.  9.  This  design  he  is  driving  on 
for  certain,  and  will,  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  accomplish  it.  The 
wheel  of  jjrovidence  runs  swiftly,  and  one  glorious  providence  does  but 
make  way  for  another ;  which  should  heighten  our  hopes,  and  strengthen 
our  faith,  and  raise  up  our  souls  to  lay  out  all  that  we  have  received 
from  God  for  the  helping  forward  the  design  of  God.  Eight  Honour- 
able, never  had  any  men  on  earth  such  glorious  advantages  and  oppor- 
tunities to  act  high  for  God  and  his  saints  as  you  have.  Ah,  how 
many  be  there  now  triumphing  in  heaven,  that,  when  they  were  on 
earth,  would  have  thought  it  a  heaven  to  have  enjoyed  the  least  of 
those  advantages  and  opportunities  that  you  enjoy,  that  so  they  might 
have  put  out  themselves  for  God  and  his  people  to  the  uttermost !  Ah, 
sirs,  '  what  your  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  your  might ;  for 
there  is  no  working  in  the  grave,'  Eccles.  ix.  10.  Your  time  is  short, 
your  task  is  great,  your  Master  is  urgent,  and  your  reward  is  sure. 
The  devil  makes  all  the  haste  he  can  to  outwork  the  children  of  light, 
in  a  quick  despatch  of  deeds  of  darkness,  because  he  knows  his  time  is 
short.  He  will  not  let  slip  any  opportunity  whereby  he  may  do  mis- 
chief. Oh  do  not  you  let  slip  any  opportunity^  wherein  you  may 
honour  a  good  God,  and  be  serviceable  to  your  generation.  Suetonius 
reports  of  Julius  Caesar,  that  seeing  Alexander's  statue,  he  fetched  a 
deep  sigh  because  he  at  that  age  had  done  so  little.     Ah  that  none  of 

^  Isa.  xli.  14.     Piy/")!!^  tolagnath,  signifies  a  little  worm. 

'  One  day  God  will  require  of  men,  Non  quid  legerint,  sed  quid  egerinf :  nee  quid 
dixerint,  sed  quomodo  vixerint. 


8G8  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

yon  liad  cnnse  to  sigh,  that  you  have  done  no  more  for  God,  his  truth, 
his  ways,  his  peoi)le  !  Yet  let  me  say,  Beati  sunt  qui prcecepta  faciunt , 
etiam  si  non  perjiciunt,  They  are  blessed  that  do  what  they  can, 
though  they  cannot  but  underdo,  [Aug.]  In  libi'o  tuo  sci'ibuntur  omnes 
qui  quod  possuntfaciuni,  saith  Bernard — They  are  surely  written  all 
in  God's  book  that  do  what  they  can,  though  they  cannot  but  underdo. 
Oh  that  you  would  arise  in  Christ's  strength,  and  do  what  possibly 
you  can  for  God,  though  you  cannot  do  what  you  would  and  what  you 
should ! 

Worthy  Senators,  give  me  leave  to  breathe  forth  a  few  desires  before 
you  :— 

First,  Oh  that  you  would  look  to  your  communion  with  God !  ^ 
Keep  up  that,  increase  in  that,  and  that  will  more  and  more  fit  you 
for  all  that  high  and  hard  service  that  you  are  and  may  be  put  upon. 
The  communion  with  God,  that  is  the  life  of  your  graces,  the  sweetener 
of  all  ordinances,  providences,  and  mercies,  the  strengthener  of  your 
hearts  and  hands,  the  soul  of  your  comforts,  and  the  crown  of  your 
souls.  Nothing  like  this  to  fence  you  against  temptations,  to  sweeten 
all  afflictions,  and  to  make  you  own  God,  and  stand  for  God,  and  cleave 
to  God,  in  the  ftice  of  all  troubles  and  oppositions.  A  man  high  in 
communion  with  God,  is  a  man  too  big  for  temptations  to  conquer,  or 
troubles  to  bring  under.  Communion  with  God,  it  makes  bitter  things 
sweet,  and  massive  things  light.  Souls  that  have  no  communion,  or 
but  little  communion,  with  God,  they  are  usually  as  soon  conquered  as 
tempted,  as  soon  vanquished  as  assaulted. 

Secondly,  Oh  that  you  would  make  more  quick  despatch  of  businesses 
that  are  before  you  !  Julius  Caesar's  quick  despatch  is  noted  in  three 
words,  Veni^  nidi,  vici,  I  came,  I  saw,  I  overcame.  The  more  quick  you 
are  in  despatch  of  business,  the  more  angelical  you  are ;  and  is  it  not  your 
liighest  honour  to  be  like  those  glistering  com'tiers  that  attend  the  King 
of  kings  ?  Prov.  iii.  12,  '  Hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick.' 
The  word  that  is  here  rendered  '  deferred,'  signifies  to  di-aw  out  at 
length.  Men  are  short  breathed  and  short  spirited,  and  when  their 
hopes  are  drawn  out  at  length,  this  makes  their  heart  sick.  Oh  that 
there  were  no  such  sick  souls  that  lie  languishing  at  hope's  hospital ! 
It  w\as  the  saying  of  Antoni[n]us  the  emperor,  Clemency  is  a  king- 
dom's best  preserver,  Regni  dementia  custos. 

Thirdly,  Oh  that  you  would  do  good  to  them  that  have  rendered 
you  evil  for  good !  Such  a  spirit  as  this  is,  is  most  suitable  to  the 
commands  of  Christ,  Rom.  xii.  21  ;  Mat.  v.  44 ;  and  most  suitable  to 
the  example  of  Christ,  Mat.  xxiii.  54.  In  revenge  of  injuries,  he  is 
the  loser  that  gets  the  better,  saith  Basil. 2  Christ  weeps  over  Jeru- 
salem, though  it  was  his  and  his  saints'  slaughter-house;  and  he 
receives  to  mercy  those  three  thousand  bloody  souls  that  had  embrued 
their  villainous  hands  in  his  innocent  blood.  Acts  ii.  Joseph  weeps 
over  those  malicious  and  bloody  brethren  that  would  have  slain  him, 
and  that  did  sell  him  for  a  slave.     Moses  stands  up  in  the  gap  for 

'  Dens  e.it  mihi  j^ro  omnibus,  says  the  soul  that  lias  found  the  sweetness  of  communion 
with  God.  Such  a  soul  cries  out  with  jNIonica,  Austin's  motlier,  Quid  /lic/aciemus  ?  cur 
jion  hinc  mif/ramns  ?  cur  jioh  hinc  ai'olamus  z* 

'■'    \'irto  is  inferior  r.tt,  ijui  viclor  est,  saith  IJ.Tsil. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  3G9 

those  that  called  and  counted  him  a  murderer  and  a  destroyer,  though 
he  was  their  saviour  and  deliverer.  Elisha  provided  a  table  for  them 
that  had  provided  a  grave  for  him.  Though  the  Scots  had  provided 
graves  for  you,  yet,  Honoured  Senators,  shew  bowels  of  mercy  to  them, 
so  far  as  it  will  stand  with  the  duty  of  your  places,  and  with  the 
safety  of  this  commonwealth.  Though  Eome  was  most  unthankful  to 
Camillus  for  his  conquest  of  the  Veii,  yet  he  buried  that  wrong,  and 
freed  it  the  second  time  from  the  Gauls.  Thrasybulus,  after  his  retui  n 
to  Athens,  from  whence  he  was  banished  by  tyrants,  he,  with  the  aid 
of  Lysander,  having  expelled  thirty  tyrants  out  of  Athens,  called  those 
home  that  they  had  banished,  and  made  a  law  that  no  man  should 
remember  any  former  injuries  done  unto  him. 

Fourthly,  Oh  that  you  may  rule  more  for  God,  and  govern  more 
for  God !  God  is  all  ear  to  hear,  all  hand  to  punish,  all  power  to 
protect,  all  wisdom  to  direct,  all  goodness  to  relieve — he  is  omnia  sujjer 
omnia — and  all  grace  to  pardon.  Is  not  God  optimum,  maximum  f — 
the  best,  and  the  greatest.  He  is  the  horn  of  plenty,  and  the  ocean  of 
beauty,  without  the  least  spot  of  injustice.  Oh  that  you  may  govern 
so  sweetly  and  so  prudently,  that  you  may  be  termed  delicice  humani 
generis — The  delight  of  mankind,  Notliing  is  more  difhcult  than  to 
rule  for  God,  nor  nothing  is  more  excellent  than  to  rule  for  God.  Nil 
difficilius  est  quam  bene  imperare,  was  Dioclesian's  motto.  He  that 
rules,  but  not  for  God,  has  his  reward  here ;  but  he  that  rules  for  God 
shall  have  a  glorious  reward  at  last.  '  Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord,'  Mat.  xxv.  21 :  a  joy  too 
big  to  enter  into  us ;  we  must  enter  into  it;  a  joy  more  meet  for  the 
Lord  than  the  servant;  and  yet  the  faithful  servant  shall  have  the 
honour  and  the  happiness  to  enter  into  it — even  into  thy  Master's  joy. 

Fifthly,  Oh  stand  constantly  upon  your  watch  to  avoid  evil !  Watch 
to  do  good,  watch  to  discover  your  enemies,  watch  to  prevent  your 
enemies,  watch  to  suppress  your  enemies,  watch  to  countenance  and 
watch  to  encourage  all  those  that  hold  to  Christ  the  head,  and  that 
walk  according  to  the  law  of  the  new  creature ;  watch  to  discoun- 
tenance and  watch  to  suppress  profaneness  and  wickedness,  watch  to 
heal  the  wounded,  and  watch  to  bind  up  the  broken,  and  watch  to  relieve 
the  oppressed,  and  watch  to  raise  the  dejected ;  watch  to  do  good  to 
all  them  that  are  good,  and  watch  to  be  good  among  them  that  are 
bad,  and  watch  to  do  good  even  to  them  that  are  bad.  Oh  watch 
your  eyes  that  they  behold  no  vanity,  and  watch  your  ears  that  they 
hearken  not  to  unjust  and  unrighteous  causes,  and  watch  your  hands 
that  they  touch  not  the  golden  wedge,  and  watch  your  lives  that  they 
cause  not  God's  laws  and  your  own  to  be  slighted  and  despised  ;  but, 
above  all,  watch  your  souls,  that  in  the  day  of  Christ  they  may  be 
saved.  The  soul  is  a  jewel  more  worth  than  heaven.  Oh  watch  it ! 
If  that  be  lost,  you  are  eternally  lost ;  if  that  be  lost,  all  is  lost.  Of 
all  loss,  the  loss  of  the  soul  is  the  most  incomparable,  irreparable,  and 
irrecoverable  loss.  It  is  the  greatest  folly  in  the  world  to  watch  to  save 
a  state,  and  not  to  watch  to  save  your  souls.  John  the  Third,  king 
of  Portugal,  was  advised  by  one,  every  day  to  spend  a  quarter  of  an 
hour's  time  in  meditating  upon  that  scripture.  Mat.  xvi.  26,  '  What 
shall  it  profit  a  man  to  gain  the  world,  and  lose  his  soul  ?  or  what  shall 

VOL.  \i.  2  A 


370  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul?'  It  is  and  shall  be  my  desire 
and  prayer,  that  you  may  watch  to  save  the  state,  but  above  all,  that 
you  may  watch  to  save  your  souls,  i 

Honoured  Senators,  1  had  other  desires  to  have  breathed  out  before 
you;  but  having  made  too  bold,  I  fear,  with  your  patience,  I  shall  send 
them  up  to  heaven,  ho])ing  and  waiting  for  a  comfortable  answer  from 
thence.  I  humbly  crave  your  Honours,  and  all  others  that  shall  read 
this  sermon,  to  cast  a  covering  of  love- over  all  tlie  mistakes  of  the 
printer ;  I  having  not  the  least  time  to  wait  upon  the  press  to  correct 
what  haply  may  be  found  amiss.  Now,  honoured  worthies,  that  you 
may  do  gloriously  in  your  generation,  that  you  may  ])rize  Christ  above 
all,  and  live  in  him  as  in  your  all,  and  triumph  through  him  over  all 
enemies  within  you  and  without  you,  and  eternally  reign  with  Christ 
after  all,  is  and  shall  be  the  earnest  desire  and  prayer  of  him  who  is, 
honoured  and  worthy  Senators,  your  most  humble  and  devout  servant 
in  all  humble  service  for  Christ, 

Thomas  Brooks. 


^  Lseti  s^mus,  non  scciiri,'&c. — Bernard.    He  that  feasts  his  boJy  and  starves  his  sou 
is  like  him  that  feasts  his  slave  and  starves  his  wife,  saith  Epliraem  Syrus. 


A  SERMON 


PEEACHED  BEFORE  THE  PARLIAMENT  OF  ENGLAND   ON  THEIR  LATE 
DAY  OF  THANKSGIVING  FOR  THEIR  VICTORY  OVER  THE  SCOTS. 


/  loill  send  Mm  against  an  hypocritical  nation;  and  against  the 
peojjle  of  my  wrath  loill  I  give  him  a  charge,  to  take  the  spoil, 
and  to  take  the  prey,  and  to  tread  them  down  like  the  mire  in 
the  street. — Isa.  X.  6. 

I  WILL  not  spend  that  short  time  that  is  left  me  about  that  which  will 
turn  least  to  your  souls'  account,  therefore  I  will  very  briefly  open  the 
words  of  my  text :  '  I  will  send  thee  against  an  hypocritical  nation.' 
The  word  that  is  rendered  '  hypocritical'  signifies  to  pollute,  or  defile. 
Of  all  sins,  the  sin  of  hypocrisy  is  the  most  defiling  sin.  It  defiles 
men's  prayers  and  praises ;  it  defiles  all  duties  and  ordinances.  '  I 
will  give  him  in  charge,  to  take  the  spoil  and  to  take  the  prey.'  The 
word  that  is  rendered  '  charge '  signifies  to  give  command  with  autho- 
rity and  power,  to  bind,  and  to  tread  them  down  '  like  the  mire  of  the 
streets,'  or  rather,  as  the  Hebrew  has  it,  'to  lay  there  a-treading.' 

The  main  thing  the  words  hold  forth  is  this, — That  of  all  sorts  of 
sinners  God  loill  he  most  severe  in  his  judgments  against  hypocrites. 
Or  thus  :  Hypocrites  are  the  proper  objects  of  God's  ivrath,  and  such 
as  he  will  most  severely  punish. 

I  shall,  in  the  handling  of  this  point,  briefly  point  out  to  you  those 
scriptures  that  speak  out  this  truth,  and  then  open  it  to  you.  The 
scriptures  that  speak  out  this  truth  are  these.  Job  xv.  34 ;  Isa.  xxxiii. 
14,  and  ix.  17 ;  Mat.  xxiii.,  and  xxiv.  51. 

For  the  opening  of  the  point,  I  shall  endeavour  these  two  things : 
First,  to  give  you  the  reasons  of  God's  severity  against  hypocrites  ;  and 
secondly,  discover  to  you  who  these  hypocrites  be  that  are  the  objects 
of  God's  wrath ;  and  thirdly,  give  you  the  uses  of  the  point,  which  is 
the  main  thing  I  intend. 

1.  Now,  first,  for  the  reasons  of  the  point,  I  shall  give  you  only 
these  six : — 

Reason  1.  First,  Because  of  all  sorts  of  sinners,  hypocrites  are  most 
dangerous  to  human  society.  There  are  no  sorts  of  sinners  upon 
earth  so  dangerous  to  human  society  as  hypocrites  are :  Job  xxxiv. 


372  THE  HYPOCRITE  [ISA.  X.  6. 

30,  '  That  the  liypocrites  reign  not,  lest  the  people  be  ensnared,' — jiiim- 
loch,  from  malach,  [~\bf2,]  '  that  the  hypocrite  king  it  not.'  There  are 
no  sorts  of  men  on  earth  that  delight  to  king  it  as  hypocrites  do. 
'  That  the  hypocrite  king  it  not,  lest  the  pco|)le  be  ensnared.'  There 
are  no  men  in  tlie  world  so  skilful  and  careful  to  lay  snares  and  traps 
to  ensnare  the  silly  birds,  as  hypocrites  are  to  ensnare  the  children  of 
men  :  Frov.  xi.  I),  '  An  hypocrite  with  his  mouth  destroyeth  his  neigh- 
bour.' The  breath  of  the  hypocrite  is  poisonous  ;  he  breathes  out  no- 
thing but  poison.  The  word  that  is  rendered  '  destroy'  signifies 
utterly  to  destroy.  It  is  used  for  corruption  both  in  religion  and  man- 
ners. Hypocrites  destroy  persons  by  their  vices  and  corruptions : 
Mat.  xxiii.  13,  '  But  woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites, 
for  ye  shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men  ;  for  ye  neither 
go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to  go  in.' 
The  great  mischief  that  a  hypocrite  may  do,  will  sufficiently  appear 
by  this  history. 

Constantia,  the  widow  of  Licinius,  sister  of  the  emperor  Constantino 
the  Great,^  entertained  in  [her]  house  a  certain  presbyter,  who  professed 
the  orthodox  religion  for  fear  of  Constantine,  but  was  in  secret  an 
Arian.  Several  bishops  of  the  Arian  sect  made  use  of  this  man  to 
promote  their  cause  by  his  sly  dissimulation.  At  length,  Constantia, 
lying  sick  upon  her  death-bed,  her  brother,  the  emperor,  came  to  visit 
her.  She  soon  i)revailed  with  him  to  entertain  the  presbyter  into  his 
court.  He  soon  grew  into  great  credit  and  favour  with  Constantine, 
so  that  when  he  died  he  intrusted  him  Avith  his  last  will,  whereby  he 
had  an  opportunity  to  make  himself  gracious  with  Constantius,  the 
emperor's  son  and  successor,  wliich  opportunity  he  did  improve.  First, 
he  corrupts  one  Eusebius,  a  eunuch,  the  new  emperor's  chief  cham- 
berlain, and  by  this  means  other  courtiers,  and  then  the  empress,  and 
at  length  the  emperor  himself,  and  by  degrees  brought  him  to  be  [a] 
defender  of  Arianism,  and  a  great  persecutor  of  the  truth  which  his 
father  had  professed,  and  which  himself  had  been  brought  up  in. 

Reason  2.  The  second  reason  is  this :  Because,  of  all  sorts  of  sinners, 
there  is  none  so  hardened  against  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  hypocrites 
are.  None  stout  it  against  Jesus  Christ  as  hypocrites  do.  If  that 
Christ  call  upon  the  profane  man,  lie  hearkens ;  if  he  entreats,  he 
yields  ;  if  he  knock,  he  opens.  But  as  for  the  hypocrite,  Christ  may 
call  and  cry,  entreat  and  beseech,  and  yet  the  hypocrite  will  not  hear, 
nor  yield,  nor  open  to  him  :  ]\Iat.  xxi.  31,  32,  '  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  go  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be- 
fore you;  for  John  came  unto  you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  yet 
ye  believed  him  not ;  but  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  believed  him.' 
Christ  comes  to  the  harlot's  door,  and  to  the  profane  man's  door,  and 
knocks,  and  they  open  to  him,  and  kiss  him,  and  embrace  him,  and 
receive  him  ;  but  as  for  the  hypocrite,  though  Christ  does  knock,  and 
call,  and  ciy  out  to  him,  yet  he  Avill  not  hear  ;  nay,  though  he  take 
his  soul  and  hang  it  over  the  scotching  fiames  of  hell,  and  say  to  him. 
Ah  hypocrite  !  '  is  it  good  to  dwell  in  everlasting  burnings  ?'  yet  he 
will  not  yield  ;  and  though  he  take  him  and  shew  him  the  glory  of 
heaven,  and  the  happiness  of  sincere  souls,  yet  he  will  not  yield  nor 

'  Sozom.,  lib.  iii.  cap.  1  ;  Soerat.,  lib.  i'l.  caj*.  2. 


IsA.  X.   6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  373 

open  to  Christ,  though  he  miss  of  heaven,  and  be  cast  into  the  hottest 
and  the  lowest  place  in  hell. 

Reason  3.  Because  hypocrites  yield  the  greatest  assistance  to  Christ's 
grand  enemy,  to  loit,  Satan.  One  hardened  and  seared  hypocrite  is 
more  advantage  to  carry  out  Satan's  design,  than  a  thousand  loose 
profane  persons.  A  hypocrite  is  Satan's  firstborn  ;  he  is  Satan's 
darling  ;  he  leans  upon  the  devil's  breast,  as  John  did  upon  Christ's. 
There  are  none  so  active  for  Satan,  nor  none  have  those  advantages 
to  carry  on  his  work,  as  the  hypocrite  hath.  Mat.  xxiii.  15.  They 
'  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  a  proselyte.'  They  are  very  active  to 
enlarge  the  dominion  of  Satan,  and  therefore  no  wonder  God  is  so 
severe  in  his  judgments  against  them. 

Reason  4.  A  fourth  reason  is,  Because  hypocrites  are  false  to  the 
maiTtage-bed  ;  and  therefore  Grod  is  so  severe  against  them.  They 
pretend  love  to  Christ,  and  yet  they  give  up  their  hearts  to  other 
lovers  besides  Christ,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31  ;  Isa.  xxix.  13.  You  know  in 
law  nothing  gives  a  man  that  advantage  to  put  away  his  wife  as 
falseness  to  the  marriage-bed ;  and  Christ  will  take  that  advantage  to 
cast  off  hypocrites  for  ever. 

Reason  5.  Because  they  are  tlie  very  loorst  of  sinners.  They  are 
often  in  Scripture  compared  to  the  very  worst  of  things,  to  vipers, 
serpents,  wolves,  &c.,  which  speaks  them  out  to  be  the  worst  of 
men.  They  are  secret  enemies,  which  are  of  all  enemies  the  worst ; 
as  Leo  the  emperor  said,  Occulti  inimici  pessinii,  A  close  €nemy  is 
far  worse  than  an  open ;  a  close  enemy  kisses  and  kills,  but  an  open 
enemy  shoots  off  his  warning-piece  before  he  shoots  off  his  murdering- 
piece.  Again,  hypocrites  are  doomed  to  the  worst  of  judgments,  as 
that  they  shall  not  come  before  God:  Job  xiii.  IG,  'An  hypocrite 
shall  not  come  before  God ;'  he  shall  not  be  taken  up  into  spiritual 
enjoyment  of  God  on  earth,  nor  into  glorious  communion  with  God  in 
heaven.  Hypocrites,  they  are  doomed  by  Christ  to  the  greatest  tor- 
ments in  hell :  Mat.  xxiii.  14,  '  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites  ;  for  ye  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation.'  The  darkest 
and  the  lowest  place  in  hell  is  theirs.  Hypocrites  are  hell's  free-holders ; 
all  other  sinners  are  but  inmates  to  hypocrites.  Of  all  sinners,  hypo- 
crites sin  against  the  greatest  light,  and  against  the  greatest  knowledge, 
against  the  greatest  discovery  of  God,  which  speaks  them  out  to  be 
the  worst  of  sinners  ;  yea,  though  they  do  know  sins  against  knowledge 
to  be  very  dangerous,  though  they  know  them  to  be  wounding  and 
wasting  sins — peccata  vulncrantia  et  devastaiitia — yet  hypocrites  will 
hold  on  in  their  sin.  The  hypocrite  will  rather  go  to  hell  with  his 
lusts,  than  to  heaven  without  his  lusts.  Though  he  be  convinced 
that  he  and  his  beloved  sins  must  part,  or  Christ  and  his  soul  will 
never  meet,  yet  the  hypocrite  will  say.  Farewell  Christ,  and  welcome 
sin!  A  hypocrite  will  hold  on  in  religious  duties,  and  yet  hold  on  in  a 
resolved  way  of  wickedness,  Jer.  vii.  9  ;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  30-32.  A  hyj)o- 
crite  will  sin  and  pray,  and  he  will  hear  and  swear,  &c.  ;  like  Louis 
the  Eleventh,  king  of  France,  he  would  swear,  and  then  kiss  the  cross, 
and  swear  again,  and  then  kiss  the  cross.  And  is  there  any  people  on 
earth  who  are  more  infamous  for  this  than  the  Scots,  against  whose 
liypocrisy  God  has  given  so  great  a  testimony  ?     A  hypocrite  hath 


374  TUE  HYPOCRITE  [IsA.  X.  6. 

two  hands,  the  one  to  embrace,  and  the  other  to  stab  with,  as  Joab  ; 
he  hath  two  tongues,  with  Judas,  the  one  to  salute  Christ,  and  another 
to  betray  Christ ;  lie  hath  two  faces,  with  Janus,  one  looks  backward, 
and  the  other  forward.  A  hypocrite  hatli  two  hearts,  with  the 
Israelites,  he  can  cry,  'Hail  king  Solomon,  hail  king  Adonijah;'  like 
A])uleius'  parrot,  'Hail  Augustus  the  emperor,  hail  Antony,'  Ave 
AuijKsfc  imperator,  ave  Anioni ;  all  which  speaks  them  out  to  be  the 
worst  of  sinners. 

lieason  6.  The  sixth  and  last  reason  is  this.  Because  hypocrites /(//^^ 
ayainst  Christ  with  his  own  iveapons.  They  fight  against  God  with  his 
own  gifts  that  he  hath  bestowed  upon  them,  as  David  fought  against 
Goliath  with  his  own  sword  ;  or  as  Jehu  fought  against  Jehoram  with 
his  own  men.  Thus  did  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  Spira  and  Judas, 
fight  against  Christ  to  their  own  eternal  overthrow.  The  hypocrite 
will  fight  against  God  with  that  knowledge,  wisdom,  light,  and  under- 
standing which  God  hath  given  him,  though  he  dies  eternally  for  it. 
Julian  the  apostate  fought  against  Christ  with  his  own  weapons ;  and 
through  the  strength  of  his  parts  he  prevailed  more  by  persuading 
than  by  enforcing,  and  by  enticements  than  by  torments,  to  the  ruin 
of  Christians.  Hypocrites  fight  against  God  with  his  own  weapons, 
and  dare  heaven,  and  therefore  God  will  cast  them  to  hell. 

2.  The  second  thing  that  I  am  to  do,  is  to  discover  to  you  ichat 
hypocrites  are  that  God  is  so  severe  in  his  judgment  against.  The 
Greek  word  'v7roKpLTr)<;,  signifies  stage-players.  A  hypocrite  is  a  slave 
in  king's  robes;  he  is  a  devil  in  angel's  apparel;  he  is  a  wolf  in  a  sheep's 
skin.  As  Cicero  saith  of  Epicurus,  that  he  was  no  philosopher  in  truth, 
but  put  on  the  bare  name  of  a  philosopher ;  so  I  may  say,  a  hypocrite 
is  no  saint,  no  holy  man  in  truth,  but  one  tliat  puts  on  the  name  of  a 
saint,  and  outwardly  appears  to  be  a  saint,  though  inwardly  he  is  a 
devil  incarnate.  The  Hebrew  word  ^Jn,  that  is  rendered  a  hypo- 
crite, signifies  to  dissemble,  and  defile,  or  pollute.  Hypocrites  are 
the  greatest  dissemblers  in  the  world  ;  they  dissemble  with  God,  with 
men,  and  with  their  own  souls;  and  as  they  are  the  greatest  dis- 
semblers, so  they  are  the  greatest  defilers  in  the  world ;  they  defile  all 
places  and  com]>any  where  they  come  ;  they  defile  all  duties,  mercies, 
and  ordinances  they  touch.  But  I  shall  shew  you  more  fully  what  he 
is  in  these  six  following  things : — 

[1.]  First,  Hypocritical  hearts  are  proud,  vain-glorious  hearts. 
Every  man's  silver  is  but  brass  to  theirs,  and  every  man's  light  is 
but  darkness  to  theirs ;  and  no  men's  duties  and  abilities  are  com- 
parable to  theirs.  The  proud  and  vain-glorious  hypocrite,  Jehu-like, 
says,  '  Come,  see  my  zeal  for  the  Lord  of  hosts,'  2  Kings  x.  16.  A 
sincere  heart  loves  to  do  much  for  Christ,  and  not  to  be  seen  by  any 
but  Christ.  Jehu's  zeal  is  but  the  shadow  of  zeal,  as  all  hypocrites' 
virtues  are  but  the  shadows  of  virtues,  and  yet  tlie  hypocrite,  Narcissus- 
like, falls  in  love  with  his  own  shadow.  The  hyjiocrite  loves  to  see 
the  hat  move,  and  the  knee  to  bow,  and  men  to  cry,  Rabbi,  rabbi,  in 
the  market-place,  Mat.  xxiii.  5-7.^     Charis,  a  soldier,  was  so  proud 

'  A  sincere  heart  is  like  the  rod  rose,  which  thou.trli  outwardly  it  be  not  so  fragrant  ,ns- 
tlie  damask,  yet  inwardly  it  is  far  more  cordial  :  a  sincere  heart  is  like  the  violet,  which 
grows  low,  and  hides  itself  and  its  own  sweetness,  as  much  as  can  be,  with  its  own  leaves. 


IsA.  X.  6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  375 

because  of  the"  wound  he  gave  Cyrus,  that  shortly  after  he  went 
mad,  saith  Phitarch ;  and  Menecrates  was  so  proud  because  he  cured 
many  patients  which  others  could  not,  that  he  called  himself  Jupiter ; 
so  hypocrites  are  proud,  and  swell  with  the  thoughts  of  their  own 
worth  and  doings,  that  they  cry  up  and  set  up  themselves  above 
others  :  Luke  xviii.  11,  12,  '  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other 
men  are,'  &c.  '  I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I 
possess;'  Isa.  Ixv.  5,  which  say,  'Stand  by  thyself,  come  not  near  to 
me,  for  I  am  holier  than  thou.' 

[2.]  Secondly,  Hypocrites,  they  do  always  cover  their  cruel  and  bloody 
intentions  with  specious  and  religious  i^reteiices.  Herod,  a  notorious 
hypocrite,  covers  his  intentions  of  murdering  Christ,  with  pretences  of 
worshipping  Christ ;  and  those  in  Ezra  iv.  cover  their  intentions  of  pull- 
ing down  the  temple,  with  pretences  of  help  [in]  building  the  temple. 
They  pretend  to  build  the  temple,  and  yet  they  intended  to  pull  down 
the  temple;  and  so  did  Jezebel,  in  that  1  Kings  xxi.;  and  so  Ishmael 
covers  his  bloody  intention  of  murdering,  with  weeping,  Jer.  xli.  A 
hypocrite  will  draw  a  fair  glove  upon  a  foul  hand ;  he  is  like  the 
serpent  that  stings  without  hissing  ;  they  will  kiss,  and  kill  you ; 
they  will  kiss,  and  betray  j^ou ;  they  will  stroke  you,  and  cut  3^our 
throat.  There  is  nothing  more  evident  in  experience  and  Scripture 
than  that  hypocrites  have  all  along  covered  their  bloody  and  cruel 
designs  with  religious  pretences.  Parsons,  when  he  had  plotted  that 
matchless  villainy  the  Powder-plot,  he  sets  out  his  book  of  resolutions 
as  if  he  had  been  made  up  all  of  devotions.  Hypocrites  are  like  the 
Italians,  that  will  hug  and  embrace  you  in  those  arms  they  intend  to 
imbrue  in  your  dearest  blood. 

[3.]  A  h)'pocritical  heart  is  a  subtle  heart,  a  deceitful  heart.  What 
is  said  of  Jonadab,  2  Sam.  xiii.  2,  that  he  was  a  very  subtle  man,  that 
may  I  say  of  all  hypocrites  ;  they  are  very  subtle  men  ;  by  good  words 
and  fair  speeches  they  deceive  the  hearts  of  the  simple,  drawing  them 
unawares  into  the  lion's  paw,  as  Mohammed  did.  The  hypocrite  is  a 
cloud  without  rain,  a  blossoming  tree  without  fruit,  a  star  without 
light,  a  shell  without  a  kernel.  The  hypocrite  is  like  the  fruit  of 
Sodom,  that  without  is  very  fair,  but  within  is  nothing  but  dust.  The 
hypocrite  is  like  the  images  Lucian  speaks  of,  that  were  bravely 
wrought  over  with  silver  and  pearl,  but  within  are  filled  up  with  the 
meanest  and  basest  things,  as  pieces  of  wood,  pitch,  mortar,  &c.; 
whereas  a  sincere  heart  is  like  Brutus  his  staff,  thorn  without  and 
gold  within  ;  or  like  that  ark,  gold  within  and  goat's  hair  without. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  again,  Hypocrites  never  do  good  out  of  love  to  God, 
hut  out  of  designs  to  advantage  themselves,  Mat.  xxiii.  14,  and  vi. 
1-3.  The  hypocrite  very  seldom  follows  Maximilian's  counsel,  Tcne 
mensuram  et  respice  finem.  Keep  thyself  within  compass,  and  always 
have  an  eye  to  the  end  of  thy  life  and  actions.  Jehu  makes  a  great 
deal  of  stir ;  he  pretends  to  be  very  zealous  for  Cod ;  he  destroys 
idolaters,  but  not  idolatry  ;  and  all  this  was  only  that  he  might  come  to 
the  crown.  Mr  Knoxi  reports  of  some  noblemen  in  Scotland  who 
seemed  very  forward  for  Reformation,  but  their  design  was  merely 
for  spoil,  and  for  their  private  commodity;  but,  saith  he,  they  were 
'  Knox  '  History  of  Scotland,'  p.  503. 


376  THE  HYPUCUITK  [IsA.  X.   G." 

very  licentious,  they  greedily  griped  the  possessions  of  the  churcli,  and 
^vould  not  lack  their  part  of  Christ's  coat.  And  Mr  Blair,  a  great 
cuunsL'llor  of  Scotland,  being  under  great  horrors  of  conscience,  pro- 
fessed that  he  pretended  to  religion  only  to  get  wealth.  I  have  read 
of  a  prince  that  was  of  no  religion  but  that  which  was  for  his  own 
advantage,  and  that  would  advance  his  own  interest.  Truly  there 
is  no  hypocrite  that  breathes,  that  doth  any  good,  but  he  hath  some 
carnal  design  in  it. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  A  hypocrite  will  not  acknouiedge  God  in  his  own 
righteous  judgments :  Job  xxxvi.  13,  '  The  hypocrite  crieth  not 
when  God  bindeth  him.'  The  Hebrew  word,  annegun,  that  is  here 
rendered  '  cry,'  conies  from  a  Hebrew  root,  which  signifies  to  make 
no  noise.  A  hypocrite  will  not  acknowledge  the  justice  and  the 
righteousness  of  God  against  him  ;  he  will  not  cry,  he  will  make  no 
noise.  Although  God's  hand  be  sore  upon  him  and  against  him, 
he  will  not  say,  This  is  the  justice  and  the  righteousness  of  God  ; 
though  God  s  hand  be  lifted  up  against  him.  yet  he  makes  no  noi.se  ; 
though  God  binds  him  and  deals  with  him  as  i)risoners  are  bound  and 
dealt  with — fur  so  the  Hebrew  signifies — yet  they  will  make  no  noise. 
In  Isa.  xxvi.  11,  '  When  thy  hand  is  lifted  up,  they  will  not  see,  but  they 
shall  see  and  be  ashamed.'  The  word,  HTn,  signifies  to '  see'  with  the 
greatest  exactness  and  curiosity  that  can  be,  to  see  with  the  eye  and 
contemplate  with  the  mind  :  he  will  not  see.  Ay,  but,  saitli  God,  be- 
fore I  have  done  with  him,  I  will  make  him  see  with  his  eye,  and  con- 
template on  my  judgments  with  his  mind.  He  shall  see  :  Jer.  v. 
10-12,  '  Go  ye  up  ui)on  the  walls,  and  destroy  ;  but  make  not  a  fuU 
end :  and  take  away  her  battlements  ;  for  they  are  not  the  Lord's.'  The 
Hebrew  word,  l^DJ,  natash,  that  is  rendered  '  battlements,'  signifies  the 
young  suckers  that  grow  up  about  a  plant  ;  and  by  a  similitude  here 
may  be  understood  the  counter-scarf  towers  and  leaning  places.  The 
battlements  were  to  compass  the  house  round  about,  to  keep  men  from 
falling  off" ;  for  among  the  Jews  their  houses  had  flat  roofs,  on  which 
men  Avalked,  and  from  thence  they  called  and  spake  to  the  people:  to 
which  Christ  alludes  in  Mat.  x.  27.  The  height  of  the  battlement  was 
not  to  be  less  than  ten  hands'-breadths,  and  it  was  to  be  strong,  that 
men  might  lean  thereon,  and  not  fall  to  maim  any.  Take  away  her 
Ijattlements,  take  away  her  succours,  her  towers,  her  leaning-places, 
for  they  are  not  the  Lord's.  But  wliy  will  God  strip  them  of  their 
strength,  and  succours,  and  leaning  or  resting-places?  Yer.  11,  'For  the 
house  of  Israel  and  the  house  of  Judali  have  dealt  wry  treacherously 
against  me,  saith  the  Lord.'  '  Tliey  have  deceived  me,  they  have  de- 
ceived me;'  so  it  is  in  the  Hebrew,  to  shew  that  they  have  most 
notoriously  and  frequently  dealt  guiltfully,  deceitfully,  and  fraudulently 
with  God.  But  how  does  this  appear,  thai  they  have  dealt  thus  with 
God  ?  It  is  answered  in  ver.  12,  '  They  have  ])elied  the  Lord,  and  saitl. 
It  is  not  he ;  neither  shall  evil  come  upon  us ;  neither  shall  we  see 
sword  nor  famine.'  The  Hebrew  word  that  is  rendered  here  '  belied,' 
'  they  have  belied  tha  Lord,'  [tiTTD,]  signifies  '  to  deny.'  So  it  is  used 
in  Gen.  xviii.  15,  '  Then  Sarah  denied,  saying,  I  laughed  not.'  It  is 
the  same  word  that  is  here  rendered  Ijelied.  '  They  have  denied  the 
TiOrd,  and  said,  It  is  not  he  ;'  tiiey  have  denied  the  justice  and  right- 


ISA.  X.   6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  377 

eousness  and  severity  of  God  in  his  judgments  against  them ;  and 
this  is  evident  in  the  third  verse  of  this  chapter,  '  0  Lord,  are  not  thine 
eyes  upon  the  truth?  thou  hast  stricken  them.'  The  Hebrew  word 
signifies  '  to  smite,'  [HDJ,  nacha,]  '  to  wound,'  '  to  kill.'  Lord,  thou 
hast  smitten  them,  thou  hast  wounded  them,  thou  hast  killed  some  of 
them,  but  they  have  not  grieved.  The  Hebrew  word  signifies  [halu  a 
hoi]  '  to  pain,'  '  to  make  sick.'  Though  I  have  dealt  thus  severely 
wdth  them,  yet  they  are  not  pained,  they  are  not  sick,  but  bear  up  hard 
against  all  the  blows  and  wounds  I  have  given  them.  '  Thou  hast 
consumed  them,  but  they  have  refused  to  receive  correction.'  The 
Hebrew  word  that  is  here  rendered  '  refused,'  signifies  to  refuse  with 
the  greatest  pride,  disdain,  and  scorn  that  may  be,  Ezek.  xvii.  14.  Oh  ! 
says  God,  though  I  have  consumed  them,  yet  they  proudly,  disdain- 
fully, and  scornfully  refuse  to  receive  correction.  The  word  that  is 
here  rendered  '  correction'  signifies  both  chastening  and  teaching,  the 
one  being  the  end  of  the  other.  Though  my  rod  has  been  heavy  upon 
them,  yet  they  have  proudly  and  scornfully  refused  to  be  taught  by  my 
rod ;  they  have  made  their  faces  harder  than  a  rock  ;  they  have  re- 
fused to  return. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Hypocrites  despise  those  that,  in  their  apprehension, 
are  in  outwm'dforin  below  them,  and  envy  those  that,  in  the  spirit  and 
power  of  holiness  and  cjodllness,  do  excel  them:  Luke  xviii.  11,  12, 
'  God,  I  bless  thee  that  I  am  not  as  this  publican  :  I  fast  twice  in  the 
week.'  He  pleads  his  negative  righteousness,  and  he  stands  on  his 
comparative  goodness,  '  I  am  not  as  this  publican  :  I  fast  twice  in  the 
week,' — on  Thursdays,  because  on  that  day  Moses  went  up  to  mount 
Sinai ;  and  on  Mondays,  because  on  that  day  he  came  down,  saitli 
Drusius.  Hypocrites  are  better  at  shewing  their  worth  than  their 
wants ;  they  are  as  notable  at  discommending  others,  as  they  are  at 
commending  themselves  ;  at  abasing  others,  as  at  exalting  themselves  ; 
at  lessening  others,  as  at  greatening  themselves.  They  envy  every  sun 
that  outshines  their  own.  Let  a  man  excel  them  in  his  enjoyments  of 
God,  in  his  communion  with  God,  in  acting  for  God,  &c.,  he  shall  be 
envied  and  hated  to  the  death,  John  xi.  47,  48.  Androgens,  son  of 
Minos,  king  of  Crete,  was  slain  by  the  Athenians,  and  ]\Iegarenes,  for 
envy,  because  he  overcame  all  in  exercises  of  arms.  So  Socrates,  that 
in  the  judgment  of  Apollo  was  the  wisest  man  on  earth,  and  in  many 
moral  excellencies  did  outshine  all  others,  which  the  eye  of  envy  could 
not  endure,  which  occasioned  him  to  say,  '  My  accusers  nor  my  crime 
cannot  kill  me,  but  envy  only,  which  hath  and  will  destroy  the 
worthiest  ever.'  The  emperor  Adrian  oppressed  some,  and  slew  others, 
that  excelled  in  any  art  or  faculty,  that  he  might  be  held  the  only 
skilful  artist.  Aristotle  is  said  to  have  burnt  and  abolished  the  books 
of  many  philosophers,  that  he  might  be  the  more  admired :  even  so 
do  hypocrites  envy  all  that  do  excel  them  in  any  spiritual  or  moral 
excellencies. 

There  are  divers  other  characters  that  I  might  give  of  those  hypo- 
crites that  God  is  so  severe  in  his  judgments  against :  as  (1)  that  they 
are  most  zealous  about  the  external  part  of  duties,  and  regard  not  the 
spiritual  part  of  duties,  Isa.  i.  11-18  ;  Mat.  xxiii.  25-27  ;  John  xviii. 
28.     And  (2)  that  they  are  seemingly  for  one  thing  and  really  for  an- 


378  THE  IIYPOCUITE  [ISA.  X.  6. 

other,  as  Herod,  Pilate,  and  Judas  were.  And  (3)  that  they  are  un- 
even-carried hearts  ;  they  do  not  carry  themselves  evenly  in  all  places, 
nor  in  all  companies,  nor  at  all  times.  Witness  the  scribes  and 
pharisees.  A  sincere  heart  is  like  a  die,  which  is  every  way  even,  and, 
like  itself,  turn  it  or  throw  it  how  you  w\[\ :  but  the  hypocrite  is  like 
the  cameleon,  that  changes  his  colours — now  he  is  this,  and  now  he 
is  that ;  sometimes  you  shall  have  him  an  angel  at  home  and  a 
devil  abroad,  and  sometimes  a  devil  at  home  and  an  angel  abroad. 
Hypocrites  are  like  Cicero  :  they  will  speak  to  please  Pompey  and 
Ca3sar  too. 

(5.)  Hypocrites  will  rather  use  spectacles  to  behold  other  men's  sins, 
than  looking-glasses  to  behold  their  own,  Mat.  vii.  3-5.  Hypocrites 
mind  not  Oonradus'  motto.  Omnium  mores,  tuos  wiprimis,  observato, 
Observe  all  men's  carriages,  but  especially  thy  own. 

(6.)  Hypocrites  trade  not  with  God  upon  the  credit  of  Christ's  love, 
blood,  righteousness,  and  intercession,  but  upon  the  credit  of  their  own 
prayers,  tears,  desires,  and  endeavours,  Isa  Iviii.  3. 

(7.)  Hypocrites  usually  hold  not  on  in  religious  duties  under  the 
want  of  outward  encouragements,  and  against  outward  discourage- 
ments, John  vi.  ^Q  ;  Job  xxvii.  10. 

(8.)  Hypocrites  are  heartless  in  all  religious  duties,  Isa.  xxix.  13 ; 
Hosea  vii.  14  ;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31,  32. 

(9.)  Hypocrites  are  not  only  heartless  in  duties,  but  they  are  also 
})artial  in  duties.  The  less  they  will  do,  the  greater  they  will  not 
do,  Mat.  xxiii.  23.  So  Saul,  Herod,  Judas,  and  Pilate,  &c.  It 
shall  suffice  that  I  have  named  these  things.  Let  us  now  come  to 
the  uses  of  the  point,  which  is  the  main  thing  that  I  have  in  my 
eye. 

Beloved,  God  hath  in  a  very  eminent  manner  made  good  this  truth 
to  a  dissembling  nation  before  all  the  world,  even  upon  them  that  in 
the  pride  of  their  hearts  did  say,  We  have  them  in  Essex's  pound,  and 
that  did  debate  what  terms  to  offer  to  your  army  for  the  delivery 
up  of  your  arms.  I  confess,  God  hath  all  along  made  my  soul  tender 
of  them  that  fear  his  name  in  that  nation,  so  that  I  have  improved  that 
interest  that  I  have  in  heaven  for  their  good ;  yet  I  say  for  the 
generality  of  that  nation,  they  are  known  round  about  to  be  a  dissem- 
bling nation.  And  truly  what  I  have  seen  them  lately  act,  is  but  suit- 
able to  that  character  that  is  given  of  them  in  those  parts  where  I 
have  travelled. 

But  the  main  tiling  that  my  heart  is  most  upon  is  to  present  unto 
YOU  those  choice  things  that  the  great  and  glorious  ajipearance  of 
God  against  the  hypocritical  nation,  and  for  your  safety,  does  bespeak 
of  you  ;  and  they  are  these:  — 

[1.]  First,  Thanl-fulness.  Oh  bless  that  God  that  hath  given  you 
life,  when  your  enemies  had  passed  upon  you  the  sentence  of  death. 
Of  all  the  mercies  that  you  have  had,  is  not  this  the  most  big-bellied 
mercy  ?  Ah,  the  mercies  that  are  in  the  belly  of  this  mercy,  tl;e  city 
mercy,  the  country's  mercy,  the  family  mercies,  the  soul  mercies,  that 
are  in  the  belly  of  this  merc}"^ !  Are  not  all  your  former  mercies,  and 
all  future  desired  mercies,  to  be  found  in  the  belly  of  this  mercy? 
Besides,  is  it  not  an  unexpected  mercy  ?     Your  army  at  that  time 


Is  A.  X.  6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  379 

did  not  expect  it  till  they  were  engaged  ;  many  of  your  friends  here 
did  not  at  that  time  look  for  it ;  and  most  men,  when  the  first  news 
of  it  came,  could  not  believe  it.  And  will  not  you  be  thankful  for  it  ? 
Was  it  not  a  mercy  that  came  in  after  solemn  appeals  and  prayers 
made  to  the  God  of  your  mercies,  that  he  would  deal  with  you  accord- 
ing to  the  righteousness  of  your  cause,  and  according  to  the  upright- 
ness of  his  people,  that  were  in  their  sincere  desires  and  endeavours 
tender  of  his  glory  ?  And  will  you  not  be  thankful  for  it  ?  Was  it 
not  a  mercy  given  in  upon  the  account  of  Christ  pleading  at  the  right 
hand  of  his  Father,  for  them  that  were  as  sheep  appointed  for  the 
slaughter  ?  And  will  you  not  be  thankful  for  it  ?  Has  not  his 
giving  in  of  this  mercy  been  a  means  to  weaken  the  hands,  the  hopes, 
the  counsels,  the  strength  of  your  enemies  ?  And  will  you  not  be 
thankful  for  it  ?  Has  not  the  giving  in  of  this  mercy  given  you  a 
further  and  a  greater  advantage  to  honour  God,  and  lift  up  Christ, 
and  make  sure  the  things  that  belong  to  your  peace,  and  to  do  good 
to  the  saints,  and  to  serve  your  generation  ?  And  will  you  not  be 
thankful  for  it  ?  Can  you  look  upon  it  as  clothed  with  all  its  glorious 
circumstances,  and  not  be  thankful  for  it  ?  As  God  looks  upon  his 
people's  sins,  so  they  should  look  upon  his  mercies :  he  looks  upon 
their  sins  as  clothed  with  their  circumstances ;  they  sinned  at  the  sea, 
even  at  the  Red  Sea,  Ps.  cvi.  7.  In  the  Hebrew  it  is  at  the  sea,  in 
the  sea,  when  the  waters  were  as  walls,  on  their  right  hand  and  on 
their  left.  Now  as  God  looks  upon  his  people's  sins  as  clothed  with 
circumstances,  so  should  you  look  upon  all  his  mercies  as  they  are 
clothed  with  circumstances.  0  beloved,  to  have  so  great  a  mercy  at 
such  a  time,  when  your  enemies  were  strongest,  and  your  army 
weakest,  and  under  many  wants,  and  temptations,  and  weaknesses, 
&c.,  this  should  engage  you  to  everlasting  thankfulness.  That  worms 
and  dead  men  should  thresh  the  mountains,  is  a  mercy  that  bespeaks 
the  greatest  thankfulness  ;  and  yet,  oh  how  few  are  there  that  return 
thanks  to  God  for  this  mercy !  Amongst  the  ten  lepers  that  were 
cleansed,  one  returned  to  give  thanks ;  but  were  it  not  well  if  there 
were  one  out  of  twenty  that  in  good  earnest  did  return  thanks  for  this 
so  great  a  mercy  ?  A  thankful  man  is  worth  his  weight  in  gold. 
Most  men  are  like  the  philosopher  that  forgot  his  own  name ;  so  most 
men  in  our  days  forget  their  own  mercies.  Too  many  are  like  Pytha- 
goras' scholars,  that  speak  not  in  five  years,  or  rather,  like  the  dumb 
man  in  the  Gospel,  they  speak  not  at  all.  Many  men  in  our  days 
have  a  spiritual  palsy  in  their  tongues,  so  as  they  cannot  call  mercies 
mercy ;  but,  with  the  murmuring  Israelites,  they  call  mercies  miseries, 
and  saviours  destroyers,  and  deliverers  murderers.  When  the  Jews 
would  not  be  thankful  for  mercies,  the  prophet  calls  out,  '  Hear,  0 
heavens,  and  hearken,  0  earth,'  Isa.  i.  2 ;  and  Jeremiah  calls  out, 
'  O  earth,  earth,  earth,'  Jer.  xxii.  29  ;  and  Micah  calls  out  to  the 
mountains,  and  the  foundations  of  the  earth,  chap.  vi.  2.  And  truly 
if  for  this  mercy  you  will  not  be  thankful,  I  think  the  heavens  and  the 
earth,  and  the  foundations  thereof,  will  another  day  be  witness  against 
you.  The  manifestations  of  God  in  his  providence  are  the  most 
precious  things  in  the  world  ;  and  had  we  as  many  tongues  as  Argus 
had  eyes,  they  were  all  too  little  to  set  forth  the  goodness  of  God  for 


380  THE  HYPOCRITE  [ISA.  X.  G. 

his  mercy.  It  was  a  good  saying ^  of  Augustine,  '  If  God  give  pro- 
sperity, praise  him,  and  it  shall  be  increased  ;  if  adversity,  praise  him, 
and  it  shall  be  removed,  or  at  least  sanctified.'  It  is  sad  to  think 
that  among  so  many  that  pretend  to  the  8[)irit,  there  should  be  so 
many  that  have  such  a  spiritual  palsy  on  their  tongues,  as  that  they 
cannot  be  thankful  for  the  works  of  the  Spirit.  The  stork  is  said  to 
leave  one  of  her  young  ones  where  she  hatcheth  them,  and  the 
ele]ihant  to  turn  uj)  the  first  twig  toward  heaven  when  she  comes  to 
food,  and  both  do  this  out  of  some  instinct  of  gratitude :  and  shall 
not  Christians  be  thankful  for  greater  mercies  ?  When  Tamerlane 
had  taken  B;ijazet,  amongst  other  questions  he  asked  him  whether 
ever  he  had  given  God  thanks  for  making  him  so  great  an  emperor. 
He  confessed  ingenuously  he  had  never  thought  of  it.  Ah,  it  were 
well  if  we  had  none  such  among  us,  that  do  never  think  of  the  great 
things  that  God  has  done  for  them  ! 

[2.]  The  second  thing  that  the  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you 
does  besi)eak  of  you,  is  to  he  greatly  magnanimous  for  God.  Right 
Honourable  and  beloved,  God  does  expect  that  you,  and  all  his  people 
in  the  land,  should  appear  magnanimous  for  him.  God  does  now 
expect  that  all  his  people  should  be  taken  up  with  those  things  that 
have  most  of  God,  and  most  of  Christ,  and  most  of  heaven  in  them, 
and  for  these  his  people  should  be  most  magnanimous.  Your  feet 
should  be  where  other  men's  heads  are.  It  was  a  good  saying  of  one, 
Vtre  magnum  est  magna  facere ,  et  teipsum putare  nihil,  Great  men 
should  do  great  things,  and  count  themselves  nothing,  [Euseb.]  As 
Cleopatra  said  to  Mark  Antony,  It  is  not  for  you  to  be  a-fishing  for 
gudgeons,  but  for  towns,  and  forts,  and  castles :  so  I  say.  It  is  not  for 
you,  for  whom  God  has  done  such  great  things,  to  exercise  yourselves 
about  poor,  low  things,  but  about  high,  noble,  and  honourable  things, 
that  may  ansAvcr  to  those  great  things  God  has  done  for  you.  You 
must  not  be  like  the  king  of  Navarre,  who  told  Beza  that  he  would 
launch  no  further  into  the  sea,  than  he  might  return  at  pleasure  to  the 
shore,  though  he  did  shew  some  countenance  to  religion.  It  was  an 
excellent  saying  of  Pacunius,  '  I  hate  the  men  that  are  idle  in  deed 
and  philosophical  in  word.'  God  loves,  saith  Luther,  curistas,  not 
qna'ristas.  When  Demosthenes  was  asked  what  was  the  first  part  of  an 
orator,  he  answered,  Action  ;  what  the  second,  he  answered.  Action ; 
what  the  tliird,  he  answered,  Action.  Oh  that  Severus  the  emperor's 
motto  might  be  still  in  your  eye,  and  still  upon  your  hearts,  La- 
boremiis.  Let  us  be  doing. 

[3.]  The  third  thing  that  the  glorious  appearance  of  God  for  you 
does  bespeak  of  you,  is  to  fake  heed  of  great  sins  after  these  great  mer- 
cies, Ezra  ix.  13,  14.  David,  Lot,  Solomon,  and  Noah,  fell  foulest 
after  great  mercies.  Of  all  sins,  sin  after  great  mercies  are  most  pro- 
voking to  the  Cod  of  mercy:  1  Kings  xi.  9,  'The  Lord  was  angry 
with  Solomon,  because  his  heart  was  turned  back  from  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel,  which  had  appeared  to  him  twice.'  The  Hebrew  word 
that  is  rendered  '  angry '  is  from  a  root  that  signifies  to  snuff  and  look 
pale — 5^3J<,  anaph — with  anger,  to  shew  how  greatly  God  was  angry 
witli  him.      0  beloved,  if  God  snuff  with  anger  against  Solomon, 

'  Tlic  anc'cnU  used  to  say,  Ingratum  dixerif,  omnia  dirctis. 


IsA.  X,  6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  381 

because  his  heart  was  turned  back  from  that  God  who  had  appeared 
gloriously  to  liim  twice,  what  tongue  can  express  how  the  anger  of 
the  Lord  will  burn  against  you,  if  your  hearts  should  be  turned  back 
from  him  that  hath  appeared  gloriously,  not  only  twice,  but  many 
hundred  times  to  you,  and  for  you  ?  I  beseech  you  seriously  consider 
that  great  sins  after  great  mercies  will  cloud  the  face  of  God,  and 
make  the  greatest  wounds  in  conscience,  and  imbitter  present  mercies, 
and  prevent  future  mercies,  and  cloud  your  evidences,  and  weaken 
your  graces,  and  raise  your  fears,  and  heighten  your  enemies'  hopes, 
and  strengthen  their  hands  ;  and  therefore  take  heed  of  great  sins  after 
great  mercies.  Boleslaus,  king  of  Poland,  when  he  was  to  speak  or 
do  anything  of  importance,  he  would  take  out  a  little  picture  of  his 
father  that  he  carried  about  him,  and  kiss  it,  and  say.  Dear  father,  I 
wish  I  may  do  nothing  unworthy  of  thy  name.  Ah  souls  !  this  should 
be  your  constant  wishes  and  endeavours,  that  you  may  do  nothing 
unworthy  of  that  glorious  name  that  has  done  such  glorious  things 
for  you. 

[4.]  The  fourth  thing  that  the  glorious  appearance  of  God  for  you 
does  Ijespeak  of  you,  is  to  own  God,  and  cleave  to  God  in  the  face  of 
all  discouragements,  ivho  has  oiuned  you  in  the  face  of  all  you7^  weak- 
ness and  unicorthiness  and  unrighteousness  before  the  luhole  iDorld. 
God,  by  his  owning  of  you,  does  with  open  mouth  bespeak  you  to  own 
him.  Caleb  owns  God,  and  follows  God  in  the  face  of  all  discourage- 
ments ;  and  this  was  to  him  a  praise  and  an  honour.  Num.  xiv.  24. 
The  word  that  is  rendered  '  followed'  is  taken  from  a  ship  under  sail 
— N^Q,  racde — which  is  carried  strongly  with  the  wind,  as  if  it  feared 
neither  rocks  nor  sands.  So  Caleb  followed  the  Lord  in  the  face  of  all 
discouragements,  without  any  slavish  fears;  and  this  was  his  crown,  and 
for  this  he  shall  enjoy  that  mercy  that  most  were  shut  out  from.  You 
for  whom  God  has  done  such  great  things,  must  be  resolved  with  Diony 
sius,  come  life,  come  death,  to  worship  none  but  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth.  Thus  did  those  worthies  in  Dan.  iii.  and  those  in  Heb.  xi. 
And  thus  did  Chrysostom,  Luther,  Calvin,  Galeacius  [Carraciolus,]  and 
Basil  the  Great,  with  many  more,  own  Christ  and  cleave  to  Christ  in 
the  face  of  all  discouragements.  And  why  should  you  degenerate  from 
their  examples,  which  is  your  highest  honour  to  follow?  Oh,  shall 
Cleombrotus,  in  hope  of  immortality,  tumble  himself  down  a  ]iill,i  and 
Socrates  smile  upon  his  hemlock,  and  Sca3vola  burn  his  own  hand  with- 
out ever  gnashing  his  teeth  at  it,  and  Marcus  Cato  scorn  his  own  life 
because  given  him  by  his  enemy,  and  tear  off  the  salve  from  his  bleed- 
ing side  ;  and  will  not  you  do  as  much,  yea,  more,  for  that  glorious  God 
who  has  wrought  so  many  wonders  for  you  ?  Oh  let  not  God  have 
cause  to  say,  Lo,  here  is  a  parliament,  here  is  a  commonwealth,  that  I 
have  owned  in  the  face  of  all  their  sins,  unworthincss,  and  unright- 
eousness ;  and  they  have  disowned  me  when  troubles  and  trials  have 
been  upon  them.  There  is  nothing  that  takes  God  more  than  men's 
owning  of  him  in  the  face  of  all  discouragements :  Jer.  ii.  2,  '  Go  and 
cry  in  the  ears  of  Jerusalem,  saying,  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  remember 

^  The  philosopher  of  Ambracia ;  Callimach.,  epigr.  60 ;  Cicero,  pro  Scaur,  ii.  4  ; 
Tusc.  i.  34  ;  and  Augustine,  de  Civitate  Dei,  i.  22.  Kead  a  'high  wall,'  not  a  'high 
hill.'-  G. 


382  THE  HYPOCRITE  [IsA.   X.   G. 

the  kindness  of  thy  youth,  the  love  of  tliine  espousals,  when  thou  wentest 
after  me  in  the  wilderness,  in  a  land  that  was  not  sown.'  It  is  nothing 
to  follow  God  in  a  paradise ;  but  it  is  a  glorious,  God-taking  thing  to 
follow  him  in  a  wilderness. 

[5.]  Fifthly,  The  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you  do  bespeak 
you  to  set  some  character  of  favour  and  love  upon  the  instruments  of 
your  mercy.  I  need  not  tell  you  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Romans 
to  reward  and  crown  their  soldiers  for  their  good  services,  but  because 
I  understand  your  hearts  have  been  and  are  drawn  out  this  way,  I 
shall  say  no  more  to  this,  but  sit  down  satisfied,  that  you  will  honour 
them  whom  God  has  honoured,  and  bless  them  whom  God  has  blessed, 
though  all  the  world  should  sliglit  and  curse  them. 

[G.J  Sixthly,  The  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you  do  bespeak  you 
to  hnprove  your  time  and  opportunities,  for  the  honour  and  advancement 
of  the  glory  of  that  God  that  hath  taken  all  opportunities  to  set  all  his 
golden  ivheels,  his  glorious  attributes,  at  icorkfor  your  good,  and  for  all 
our  safety  and  security.  Oh  do  much  for  that  God  in  a  little  time,  who 
hath  done  exceedingly  much  for  you  in  so  short  a  time.  Time  is  a  jewel 
more  worth  than  a  world.  Time  is  not  yours  to  dispose  of  as  you  please ; 
it  is  a  glorious  talent  that  men  must  be  accountable  for  as  well  as  any 
other  talent.  Cato,  a  heathen,  held  that  an  account  must  be  given 
not  only  of  our  labour,  but  also  of  our  leisure.  You  have  no  lease  of 
your  lives,  and  death  is  not  bound  to  give  you  warning  before  it  gives 
you  that  deadly  blow  that  will  send  you  to  everlasting  misery  or  ever- 
lasting felicity.  Of  all  talents,  time  is  the  hardest  well  to  improve. 
Chilo,  one  of  the  seven  sages,  being  asked  what  was  the  hardest  thing 
in  the  world  to  be  done,  answered.  To  use  and  employ  a  man's  time 
well.  It  was  a  notorious  reproach  to  Domitian  the  Roman  emperor, 
that  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  killing  of  flies.  And  it  was  a 
reproach  to  Artaxerxcs,  that  he  spent  liis  time  in  making  hafts  for 
knives,  and  to  Solymau  the  great  Turk  that  he  spent  his  time  in 
making  notches  of  horn  for  bows,  and  to  Archimedes  that  he  spent  his 
time  in  drawing  lines  in  the  dmt,  when  he  should  have  been  fighting 
for  his  life  with  his  sword.  Ah,  Right  Honourable,  was  their  spend- 
ing their  time  so  vainly  such  a  reproach  to  them,  and  will  your  mis- 
spending your  time  be  an  honour  to  you  ?  Oh  spend  your  time  so  as 
God  may  have  much  honour,  the  connnonwcalth  much  good,  and  your 
souls  much  comfort  and  boldness  when  you  shall  stand  before  the 
judgment-seat,  where  princes  must  Iny  their  crowns,  and  parliament- 
men  must  put  off  their  robes.  Oh,  when  you  have  spent  your 
time  in  the  parliament,  or  in  the  committees,  in  shewing  your  wit  and 
the  strength  of  your  parts  to  oppose  and  cross  one  another,  when  you 
should  have  all  readily,  cheerfully,  and  willingly  agreed  together  for 
common  justice  and  righteousness  towards  all  men, — oh  then  cry 
out  with  Titus  Vespasian,  '  0  my  friends,  I  have  lost  a  day  !  I  have 
lost  a  day  !'  Bernard  brings  in  the  vain  person  thus  lamenting  him- 
self: Oh  what  a  wretch  !  what  a  beast !  what  a  mad  devil  was  I ! 
80  woefully  to  waste  the  marrow  and  fat  of  my  precious  time  in  sinful 
pleasures  and  delights  !  I  have  read  of  one  that,  upon  his  dying-bed, 
would  have  given  a  world  for  time,  he  crying  out  day  and  night,  Call 
time  again  !  oh,  call  time  again  !     The  desires  of  my  soul  to  God  for 


IsA.  X.  6.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  383 

you  shall  be,  that  you  may  so  improve  your  time,  that  you  may  never 
have  cause  lamentingly  to  cry  out,  '  Call  time  again  !  oh,  call  time 
again  ! '  Ah,  beloved,  have  not  you  need  to  improve  your  time,  who 
have  much  work  to  do  in  a  short  time:  your  souls  to  save,  a  God  to 
honour,  a  Christ  to  exalt,  a  hell  to  escape,  a  race  to  run,  a  crown  to 
win,  temptai^ons  to  withstand,  corruptions  to  conquer,  afflictions  to 
bear,  mercies  to  improve,  and  your  generation  to  serve. 

[7.]  The  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you  do  bespeak  you  to  rest 
and  rely  upon  God  in  future  distress,  notiuithstanding  cdl  your  unright- 
eousnesses, weaknesses,  and  disadvantages.  0  beloved,  this  glorious 
appearance  of  God  in  the  mount  for  you,  does  for  ever  bespeak  you  to 
rest  and  rely  upon  him  in  your  longest  day  of  trouble,  and  in  your 
darkest  night  of  sorrow.  David,  in  the  day  of  sore  distress,  does 
heighten  his  confidence  by  former  experiences ;  and  so  do  those  wor- 
thies in  2  Cor.  i.  8-10.  There  is  nothing  that  engages  God  to  act 
high  for  his  people  when  they  are  low,  like  resting  and  relying  upon 
him;  as  you  may  see  in  that  2  Chron.  xiii.  16-18  verses  compared. 
It  is  a  scripture  worthy  to  be  writ  in  letters  of  gold.  Abijah  and  his 
people  slew  five  hundred  thousand  chosen  men,  because  they  relied 
upon  the  Lord  God  of  their  fathers.  The  Hebrew  word  that  is  ren- 
dered '  relied,'  ''i;:i^,  is  from  a  root  that  signifies  to  '  lean'  or  '  rest'  upon 
the  Lord,  as  a  man  does  upon  a  staff  or  rest.  Oh,  nothing  does  engage 
God  to  act  for  a  people  like  leaning  upon  God,  chap.  xiv.  8-15  com- 
pared with  7-9th  verses  of  the  16th  chapter.  Now  if  you  would  lean 
upon  God  in  your  distress,  then  keep  open  the  eye  of  your  faith.  So 
long  as  faith  sees  in  God  a  fulness  of  abundance — in  [Deo]  plenitudo 
abundantice  et  plenitudo  redundantice — and  a  fulness  of  redundancy, 
the  soul  cannot  but  lean  on  God. 

[8.]  Eighthly,  Another  thing  that  the  glorious  appearances  of  God 
for  you  do  bespeak  of  you  and  the  whole  nation,  is  to  set  light  by  all 
worldly  glory.  You  are  not  ignorant  how  that  hypocritical  nation 
began  to  pride  themselves,  and  to  exalt  themselves,  and  glory  in  their 
arm  of  flesh ;  but  in  the  things  wherein  they  did  deal  proudly,  the 
Lord  was  above  them,  and  has  laid  their  glory  in  the  dust.  Oh  it  is 
high  time  to  set  light  by  all  earthly  glory,  when  God  hath  taken  counsel 
to  stain  the  pride  of  all  glory,  and  to  bring  into  contempt  all  the 
honourable  of  the  earth,  Isa.  xxiii.  9.  The  word  that  is  rendered 
'  purposed'  may  be  read  counselled :  the  Lord  has  agreed  upon  it  in 
counsel,  to  stain.  In  the  Hebrew jt  is  '  to  polhite'  the  pride  of  all 
glory,  &G. 

Severus  the  emperor,  finding  the  emptiness  and  insufficiency  of  all 
earthly  happiness,  cries  out  at  last,  Omnia  expertus  fui  et  nihil  expedit, 
I  have  tried  all  things,  and  find  no  solid  content  in  anything. 
Charles  the  Fifth,  in  his  old  age,  he  curses  his  honours,  and  curses  his 
victories,  &c.,  saying,  Abite  hinc,  abite  longe.  Get  you  hence,  get  you 
far  away !  Severus  his  soldier  could  say,  when  one  asked  him  why  he 
did  not  wear  his  crown  as  the  other  soldiers  did,  A  Christian  ought 
not  to  wear  his  crown  in  this  life  ;  Non  decet  Christianum  in  hac  vita 
coronari. 

[9.]  The  ninth  thing  that  the  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you 
do  bespeak  of  you,  is  to  live  to  him  that  has  given  you  your  lives  as  a 


384  THE  HYPOCRITE  [ISA.  X.  G. 

prey.  God  calls  with  open  mouth  upon  you,  and  upon  all  the  saints 
in  England,  to  live  to  him  who  hath  with  his  glorious  arm  saved  you, 
when  your  proud  enemies  had  passed  the  sentence  of  death  upon  you. 
God  has  therefore  given  yoii  your  lives  for  a  prey,  that  you  may  no 
longer  live  to  yourselves,  nor  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  but  to  him  who 
lives  for  ever,  as  the  apostle  speaks  in  tliat  2  Cor.  i.  8-12 ;  Deut.  x. 
12,  '  And  now,  0  Israel,  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of 
thee,  but  to  fear  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  love 
him,  and  to  serve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all 
thy  soul  ?'  The  Hebrew  word  that  is  rendered  '  require,'  '  What  does 
the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee,'  signifies  to  ask,  to  request,  to 
petition.  Oh  !  God  does  ask,  and  request,  and  as  it  wTre  petition  men 
that  they  would  live  out  all  his  goodness,  and  live  up  to  all  those 
glorious  things  that  he  has  done  |or  them.  Cyprian,  Jerome,  and 
others,  complained  of  the  Christians  in  their  time,  that  they  were 
angels  to  see  to,  but  wolves  in  their  conversation.  No7i  in  verbis  sed 
in  factis  res  nostra  religionis  consistunt,  saith  Peter  Martyr.  Oh 
that  we  had  no  cause  to  complain  of  such  in  our  days !  Noble 
Mirandola  said,  it  were  great  madness  not  to  believe  the  gospel,  now 
it  is  everywhere  believed  ;  yet  a  greater  matter  it  is  not  to  doubt  of 
the  truth  of  the  gospel,  and  yet  to  live  so  as  if  without  all  doubt  it 
were  false.  Plutarch  laughed  at  the  folly  of  such  in  his  time  as  would 
be  accounted  as  wise  as  Plato,  and  yet  would  be  drunk  in  the  comjiany 
of  Alexander.  But  oh  that  our  eyes  were  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  we 
might  weep  for  those  that  pretend  to  be  Christians,  and  yet  live  like 
heathens.  Seneca,  a  heathen,  gave  this  advice  to  his  friend  Lucilius, 
that  he  should  live  with  men  as  if  God  saw  him,  and  pray  to  God  as 
if  men  heard  him.  He  liked  not  such  as  are  always  about  to  live 
better,  but  never  begin  to  live  better.  I  shall  conclude  this  with 
that  counsel  Periander  king  of  Corinth  gave :  Live  in  such  sort,  saith 
he,  that  thou  mayest  have  honour  by  thy  life,  and  that  men  may  count 
thee  happy  after  death :  Semper  richer i. 

[10.]  The  tenth  thing  that  the  glorious. appearances  of  God  for  you 
do  bespeak  of  you,  and  that  is  that  you  be  constantly  careful  to  decline 
those  sins  ivhich  was  the  Scots'  overthrow  and  ruin  ;  and  I  think  that 
all  those  that  are  got  above  their  pride,  and  passions,  and  envy,  <fec., 
will  judge  the  sins  that  did  usher  in  their  ruin  to  be  these: — (1.) 
Hypocrisy  ;  (2.)  Resting  and  boasting  in  an  arm  of  flesh  ;  (3.)  Their 
sinful  compliances  with  those  against  whom  wrath  is  gone  forth  :  as 
Isa.  xiv.  19-22;  Jer.  xxxi.  2;  (4.)  Their  hatred  and  malice  against 
tho.se  that  in  an  outward  form  did  differ  from  Ihem,  though  they  were 
never  so  precious  to  Christ,  and  eminent  in  the  power  and  practice 
of  godliness,  which  sin  shall  not  go  unpunished,  Isa.  Ix.  14,  Ixvi. 
5,  and  xxvi.  10,  11  ;  (5.)  Their  self-love  and  covetous  desires  to  en- 
rich themselves,  and  make  themselves  great  in  others'  ruins,  and  under 
the  pretence  of  being  the  king  and  covenant ;  ((i.)  Their  ingratitude 
to  God,  and  to  the  })arliament  and  conuuonwealth  of  England,  who 
have  so  many  ways  shewed  their  love  to  them  in  the  days  of  their 
distress,  and  to  that  army  who  Avas  formerly  instrumental  to  pull  them 
as  brands  out  of  the  fire.  As  you  would  avoid  their  judgments,  take 
heed  of  their  sins.     I  hope  that  none  of  you  that  hear  me  this  day  are 


ISA.  X.  5.]  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.  385 

of  Radbode  (?)  king  of  Phrisia's  mind,  who,  coming  to  the  font  to  be 
baptized,  asked  what  was  to  become  of  all  his  ancestors  ?  Answer 
was  made,  that  they  died  in  a  fearful  state,  unbaptized.  He  replied, 
that  he  would  rather  perish  with  the  multitude,  than  go  to  heaven 
with  a  few.     You  are  wise,  and  know  how  to  apply  it. 

[11.]  The  next  thing  that  the  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you 
do  bespeak  of  you,  is  to  endeavour  ivith  all  your  might  to  make  a 
conquest  of  all  those  e7iemies  that  he  within  you.  Now  the  Lord  has 
made  so  glorious  a  conquest  over  those  proud  enemies  that  rose  up 
against  you,  I  beseech  you  consider,  of  all  conquests  the  conquest  of 
enemies  wdthin  is  the  most  honourable  and  the  most  noble  conquest ; 
for  in  conquering  of  those  enemies  that  be  within,  you  make  a  con- 
quest over  the  devil  and  hell  itself  Of  all  conquests  that  is  the 
highest  and  the  greatest  that  is  ,over  enemies  within  you :  Prov.  xvi. 
32,  '  He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the  mighty ;  and  he  that 
ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that  taketli  a  city.'  The  word  that  is  ren- 
dered '  ruleth,'  signifies  to  '  conquer,  and  overcome,'  (S^irQ,  mashal.) 
It  is  this  conquest  that  lifts  a  man  up  above  all  other  men  in  the 
world.  And  as  this  is  the  most  noble  conquest,  so  it  is  the  most 
necessary  conquest.  You  must  be  the  death  of  your  sins,  or  they  will 
be  the  death  of  your  souls.  Sin  is  a  viper,  that  does  always  kill  where 
it  is  not  killed.  There  is  nothing  gained  by  making  peace  with  sin, 
but  repentance  here,  and  hell  hereafter.  Every  yielding  to  sin  is  a 
welcoming  of  Satan  into  our  very  bosoms.  Alexander  and  many  of 
the  Persian  kings  conquered  and  commanded  the  whole  world,  and 
yet  were  commanded  by  their  concubines,  and  by  enemies  within, 
which  was  the  ruin  of  their  souls,  i  Valentinian  the  emperor  said 
upon  his  death-bed,  that  among  all  his  victories,  one  only  comforted 
him ;  and  being  asked  what  that  was,  he  answered,  '  I  have  overcome 
my  worst  enemy,  mine  own  naughty  heart.'  Ah  !  Right  Honourable, 
when  you  shall  lie  upon  a  dying-bed,  then  no  conquest  will  thoroughly 
comfort,  but  the  conquest  of  your  own  sinful  hearts.  None  were  to 
triumph  in  Rome  that  had  not  got  five  victories  ;  and  he  shall  never 
triumph  in  heaven  that  subdueth  not  his  five  senses,  saith  Isidorus. 
Ah,  souls  !  what  mercy  is  it  to  be  delivered  from  an  enemy  without, 
and  to  be  eternally  destroyed  by  an  enemy  within  ? 

[12.]  The  next  thing  that  the  glorious  aj)pearances  of  God  for  you 
do  bespeak  of  you,  is  to  persevere  and  hold  on  in  locll-doing.  As  God 
holds  on  in  doing  you  good,  so  you  must  hold  on  in  well-doing  for  his 
glory:  '  Be  faithful  to  the  death,  and  you  shall  have  a  crown  of  life,' 
Rev.  ii.  10.  Vincejiti  dabo.  '  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to 
sit  down  with  me  in  my  kingdom:  as  I  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with 
my  Father  in  his  kingdom,'  Rev.  iii.  21.  It  is  said  of  Sccva,  that  he  so 
long  resisted  Pompey's  army,  that  he  had  two  hundred  and  twenty  darts 
sticking  in  his  shield,  and  lost  one  of  his  eyes,  and  yet  gave  not  over  till 
Ceesar  came  to  his  rescue.  So,  beloved,  you  must  never  leave  standing 
for  God,  and  contending  for  God,  and  acting  for  God,  who  still  stands 
and  contends  and  acts  for  you  against  all  those  that  rise  up  against 
you.  It  was  a  good  saying  of  Mr  Bucer,  Pietas  qim  fnem  novit,  non 
est  vera  pietas,  That  piety  that  has  an  end  is  no  true  piety.     He  that 

1  Hor.,  lib.  ii. 
VOL.  VI.  2  B 


386  THE  HYPOCRITE  DETECTED,  ANATOMIZED,  ETC.      [ISA.  X.  6. 

in  n  <::;ol(len  f^amc,  or  in  a  golden  race,  sliall  run  after  flics  or  feathers, 
or  faint  before  he  comes  to  the  goal,  will  lose  not  only  his  pains,  hut 
also  the  crown  for  which  he  runs.  My  desires  to  the  Lord  shall  be, 
that  we  may  all  so  run  as  that  we  may  obtain  the  crown. 

[13.]  Lastly,  The  glorious  appearances  of  God  for  you  do  bespeak 
you  to  shew  mercy  to  others.  Now  God  has  shewed  such  great  mercy 
towards  you,  oh  let  '  the  sighing  of  the  prisoner'  come  before  you, 
and  the  desires,  the  tears,  the  cries,  the  wounds,  and  the  blood  of  poor 
distressed  souls  move  your  compassion  towards  them,  that  so  you  may 
do  for  all  to  the  uttermost  what  you  are  able,  that  so  their  sorrows 
may  be  turned  into  joy,  and  sighing  and  mourning  may  flee  away, 
and  their  souls  may  arise  and  call  you  blessed.  The  only  way  to  have 
full  barns,  is  to  have  charitable  hands.  The  gainfullest  art  is  alms- 
giving, saith  Chrysostom.  Whatsoever  we  lay  out  for  them,  we  do 
but  lay  up  for  ourselves.  Whatsoever  we  scatter  to  the  poor,  we 
gather  for  ourselves.  Not  getting,  but  giving,  is  the  way  to  wealth. 
The  poor  man's  hand  is  Christ's  treasury,  Christ's  bank.  Oh  let  not 
Christ's  hand  and  Christ's  treasury  be  empty  !  and  yet  be  careful  that 
what  you  cast  into  Christ's  treasury  be  got  in  Christ's  wages.  It  is 
better  to  gratify  none,  than  to  grate  upon  any  one,  saith  Augustine. 
The  Hebrew  words  signifying  '  alms,'  npm,  (tscdakah,)  })roperly 
signifies  justice  ;  to  intimate  to  us  that  the  matter  of  our  alms  should 
be  goods  justly  gotten.  Hence  also  the  Jews  call  their  alms-box, 
[Ktiph  ashel  tsedaka,]  the  chest-behest  of  justice.  0  Eight  Honour- 
able, shall  the  Persians,  and  many  Indians,  erect  hospitals,  not  only 
for  lame  and  diseased  men,  but  also  for  aged,  starved,  or  hurt  birds, 
beasts,  and  such  like  creatures ;  and  will  not  you  do  much  more  for 
those  that  have  ventured  their  blood  to  save  yours,  and  that  are  the 
price  of  the  blood  of  Christ  ?  It  is  storied  up  of  Stephen,  king  of 
Hungary,  and  of  Oswald,  sometime  king  of  England,  that  their  right 
hands,  though  dead,  never  putrified,  because  much  exercised  in  giving 
and  relieving  the  poor  and  afflicted.  Surely  the  names  and  souls  of 
such  that  do  look  to  quoad  font  cm,  and  to  quoad  finem,  to  do  this  duty 
from  a  right  principle,  to  a  right  end,  shall  never  die,  but  live  for  ever  ; 
which  that  all  your  names  and  souls  may  do,  sliall  be  my  constant 
desire  and  prayer  at  the  throne  of  grace. 


A  BELIEVER'S  LAST  DAY  IS 
HIS  BEST  DAY. 


NOTE. 

The  '  Believer's  Last  Day  his  Best  Daj','  originallj*  published  in  1651-52,  passed 
throu"'h  a  great  number  of  editions  during  tlie  ten  subsequent  years  and  onward, 
though  the  various  reprints  are  not  designated  in  the  title-pages.  Our  text  is  that  of 
1657,  compared  with  another  of  IGGO.  The  title-page  is  given  below.*  Appended  to 
the  Sermon  was  this  Notice: — '  Christian  Reader, — Be  pleased  to  pass  by,  or  to  correct 
with  thy  pen,  the  faults  that  have  escaped  by  reason  of  the  author's  absence  from  the 
press.'  The  '  Believer's  Last  Day'  is  often  found  as  an  appendix  to  '  Heaven  on  Earth;' 
and  perhaps  nothing  proves  more  completely  the  popularity  of  Brooks,  than  the  large 
circulation  and  sustained  vitality  of  such  merely  local  and  fugitive  publications  as  the 
'  String  of  Pearls'  and  '  Believer's  Last  Day' — both  funeral  Sermons.  AVith  reference 
to  the  former, — '  String  of  Pearls,'— I  take  this  opportunity  to  give  a  curious  'Advertise- 
ment' concerning  it,  by  Brooks's  publisher,  which  is  appended  to  the  seventh  edition  of 
the  '  Apples  of  Gold,'  (1667.)     It  is  as  follows  :— 

'  The  Stationer  to  the  Reader. 
*  This  is  to  give  notice  that  some  dishonest  booksellers,  called  land-pirates,  who  make 
it  their  practice  to  steal  impressions  of  other  men's  copies — whose  sin  will  surely  find 
them  out — have  lately  printed  a  false  and  imperfect  impression  of  Mr  Brooks  his 
'  String  of  Pearls,'  and  have  wronged  both  the  author  and  me  by  false  printing  many 
words,  and  leaving  out  all  the  table  of  the  chief  heads,  and  of  a  bad  paper  and  print,  and 
crammed  it  into  eight  sheets,  the  true  sort  being  fifteen  sheets,  sold  by  John  Hancock, 
in  Broad -street,  over  against  the  Church.' — G. 

*A 

BELIEVERS 
Last  Day  is  his  Best  Day. 

A 

SERMON 

Preached  at  the  Funerall  of 

M"'"  Martha  Randoll, 

At  Christs  Church,  London,  June  28.  1651. 

By  Thomas  Brooks,  Minister  of 

the  Gospel  at  Margarets  i^ts/t-street-hill. 

Thou  wilt  guide  me  by  thy  Counsell,  and  after 

receive  me  to  glory.  Psal.  73.  24. 
Light  is  sowne  for  the  righteous,  and  joy  for  the 

upright  in  heart.  Psal.  97. 11. 

Ejus  est  timere  mortem,  qui  ad  Christum  nolit  ire.  Cyp. 

Timor  mortis  pejor,  quam  ipsa  mors.  £7'as. 

Senibus  mors  in  januis,  adolescentibus  in  insidiis.  Ber. 

LONDON: 

Printed,  and  are  to  be  sould  by  John  Hancock 

at  the  first  Shop  in  Popes  head- XWcy, 

next  to  Cornhill.     1657. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


To  my  worthy  and  beloved  Friends,  Mr  John  Russel,  and  Mrs 
Martha,  his  wife ;  and  to  Mr  Thomas  Randoll  ;  all  happiness 
in  this  world  and  that  which  is  to  come. 

My  dear  and  worthy  Friends, — The  ensuing  sermon  was  preached 
upon  your  importunity,  and  printed  also  upon  the  same  account.  You 
know  nothing  would  satisfy  your  spirits  but  the  printing  of  it,  which 
at  last  made  me  unwillingly  willing  to  answer  your  desires  ;  not  that 
I  did  delight  to  deny  your  desires,  nor  because  I  prized  it,  but  because 
I  thought  it  not  good  enough  for  you,  nor  worthy  of  that  weight  that 
you  laid  upon  it,  it  being  but  the  fruit  of  some  short  broken  medita- 
tions. I  have  now  published  these  notes,  which  in  all  love  I  present 
to  you.  They  were  once  in  your  ear,  they  are  now  in  your  eye,  and 
the  Lord  keep  them  ever  in  your  hearts  !  If  there  be  anything  in 
this  sermon  worth  the  having,  it  is  not  mine  but  the  Lord's,  through 
grace.  1  know  that  my  best  actions  stand  in  need  of  sweet  sweet 
odours,  a  golden  censer. 

Dear  Friends,  You  know  we  must  all  fall  in  the  wilderness  of  this 
world,  be  gathered  to  our  fathers,  go  hence  and  be  no  more  seen. 
Abraham  and  Sarah  must  part,  Jacob  and  Rachel  must  be  separated, 
David  and  his  child  must  be  severed.  Our  days  are  numbered,  our 
period  of  time  appointed,  and  our  bounds  we  cannot  pass.  *  All  flesh 
is  as  grass,  and  the  glory  thereof  as  the  flower  of  the  field,'  Ps.  ciii.  15; 
therefore  do  not  mourn  as  persons '  without  hope,'  neither  be  like  Rachel 
that  would  '  not  be  comforted.'     To  that  purpose  take  this  counsel. 

1.  First,  Dwell  much  upon  the  sweet  hehaviour  of  others  under  the 
loss  of  their  near  and  dear  relations.  When  God  had  passed  the  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  David's  child,  2  Sam.  xii.  20,  he  '  arose  from  the 
earth,  and  washed,  and  anointed  himself,  and  changed  his  apparel,  and 
came  into  the  house  of  the  Lord,  and  worshipped ;  then  he  came  to 
his  own  house,  and  when  he  required,  they  set  bread  before  him,  and 
he  did  eat.'  When  his  servants  questioned  this  action,  he  answers, 
'  Now  he  is  dead,  wherefore  should  I  fast  ?  Can  I  bring  him  back 
again  ?  I  shall  go  to  him,  but  he  shall  not  return  to  me,'  ver.  23, 
So  when  Aaron's  sons  were  destroyed  by  fire  for  their  offering  up 
strange  fire,  Lev.  x.  22,  23,  Aaron  holds  his  peace  ;  he  bridled  his 


390  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

passions,  and  submitted  sweetly  and  quietly  to  divine  justice.  So  when 
it  was  told  Anaxagoras  that  both  his  sons,  which  were  all  he  had,  were 
dead,  being  nolhinf:^  terrified  therewith,  he  answered,  Scieham  me 
gcnnissc  niortahs,  I  knew  I  begat  mortal  creatures.  Dransi,i  people 
in  Thrace,  bury  their  children  witli  great  joy,  but  at  their  birth  lament 
grievously,  in  regard  of  the  miseries  that  are  like  to  befall  them  while 
they  live. 

2.  Secondly,  In  time  of  crosses,  losses,  and  miseries,  it  is  the  ivisdom 
of  believers  to  look  more  upon  the  crown  than  upoii  the  cross,  to  dwell 
more  upon  glor//  than  upon  misery,  to  eye  more  the  brazen  serpent  that 
is  lifted  up,  than  the  f  cry  serpent  that  bites  and  stings.'^  Basil  speaketh 
of  some  martyrs  that  were  cast  out  all  night  naked  in  a  cold  frosty 
time,  and  were  to  be  burned  the  next  day,  how  they  comforted  them- 
selves in  this  manner :  '  The  winter  is  sharp,  but  paradise  is  sweet ; 
here  we  shiver  for  cold,  but  the  bosom  of  Abraham  will  make  amends 
for  all.' 3  Galen  writes  of  a  fish  called  Uranoscoj^os,  thnt  hath  but  one 
eye,  and  yet  looks  continually  up  to  heaven.  A  Christian  under  the 
cross  shouhl  always  have  an  eye  looking  up  to  heaven,  that  so  his  soul 
may  not  faint,  and  he  may  give  glory  to  God  in  the  day  of  visitation. 
It  is  recorded  of  Lazarus,  that  after  his  resurrection  from  the  dead  he 
was  never  seen  to  laugh ;  his  thoughts  and  affections  were  so  fixed  in 
heaven,  though  his  body  was  on  earth,  that  he  could  not  but  slight 
temporal  tilings,  his  heart  being  set  upon  eternal  things.'^  A  man, 
saith  one,  [Chrj^sostom,]  would  dwell  in  this  contemplation  of  heaven, 
and  be  loath  to  come  out  of  it.  Nay,  saith  another,  [Augustine,]  a  man 
might  age  himself  in  it,  and  sooner  grow  old  than  weary. 

3.  Thirdly,  Compare  your  mercies  and  your  losses  together,  and 
you  shall  find  that  your  mercies  ivill  ivonderfully  outiveigh  your  losses. 
You  have  lost  one  mercy,  you  enjoy  many  mercies.  What  is  the  loss 
of  a  wife,  a  child,  or  any  other  temporal  mercy,  to  a  soul's  enjoyment 
of  the  favour  of  God,  pardon  of  sin,  peace  of  conscience,  hopes  of 
heaven,  &c.  ?  Besides,  you  enjoy  many  temporal  mercies  that  many  of 
the  precious  sons  of  Zion  want,  kc. 

4.  Fourthly,  Consider  seriously  of  the  reasons  of  God's  stripping 
his  ijeople  of  their  nearest  and  their  dearest  mercies  ;  and  they  are 
these : — 

[1.]  For  a  trial  of  the  strength  and  ijower  of  their  graces.  It  is 
not  every  cross  nor  every  loss  that  tries  the  strength  of  a  Christian's 
graces.  Job  held  l)ravely  in  the  fiice  of  many  afilictions  for  a  time, 
but  when  he  was  thoroughly  wet  to  the  skin,  then  he  acts  like  a  man 
rather  void  of  grace,  than  like  a  man  that  did  excel  all  others  in 
grace.5     When  God  burns  up  the  out-houses  but  leaves  the  palace 

'  Query,  '  Dolonci'  or  'Digeri'  ? — G. 

'  '2  Cor.  iv.  1G~18;  Hcb.  x.  34,  xi.  24-26,  35,  and  xii.  1-3. 

3  Basil  ad  XL  JIartyr.     Tolle  caliim  nullu.s  ero,  said  the  philosopher. 

*  Let  heaven  be  a  man's  object,  and  tlie  eartli  will  be  his  abject. 

*  God  tried  the  strength  of  Abraham's  faith,  and  the  strength  of  Job's  patience,  and 
the  strength  of  iMoses"  meekness,  and  the  strength  of  David's  zeal,  and  the  strength  of 
Paul's  courage,  to  the  utmost,  tiud  will  not  only  try  the  truth,  but  he  will  also  try  the 
.strength  of  every  grace  that  is  in  a  believer  sooner  or  later,  Exod.  xii.  27,  30,  3L  It  is 
the  observation  of  Theodorct,  that  when  God  smote  Pharaoh's  firstborn,  he  drew  blood 
ofFthc  arm  for  the  cure  of  the  head,  wliich  because  it  mended  not,  thereupon  came  all 
to  confusion. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  391 

standing,  when  he  takes  away  the  servant  but  leaves  the  child,  when 
he  gathers  here  a  flower  and  there  a  iiower  out  of  men's  gardens,  but 
leaves  the  flowers  that  are  the  delight  of  their  eyes  and  the  joy  of  their 
hearts,  they  bear  it  patiently  and  sweetly  ;  but  when  he  burns  up  the 
palace,  and  takes  away  the  child,  and  gathers  the  fairest  flower  in  all 
our  garden,  then  we  usually  shew  ourselves  to  be  but  men,  yea,  to  be 
weak  men,  passionately  crying  out,  '  0  my  son  Absalom,  my  son,  my 
son  Absalom !  would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  0  Absalom,  my  son,  my 
son!'  2  Sam.  xviii.  33. 

[2.]  God  ixisses  the  sentence  of  death  upon  mens  dearest  mercies, 
that  himself  may  he  more  dreaded,  and  that  his  precious  servants  and 
their  counsel  may  he  the  hetter  minded  and  regarded.  The  Egyptians 
trembled  not  under  several  judgments,  nor  minded  not  what  Moses 
and  Aaron  said,  till  God  smote  their  firstborn,  and  then  they  tremble, 
and  then  the  servants  of  the  Lord  and  their  counsel  found  better 
quarter  with  them  than  formerly  they  had  done.  Ah,  friends  !  has 
the  Lord  smitten  your  firstborn,  as  1  may  say?  then  look  to  it,  as  you 
tender  the  honour  of  God,  the  advancement  of  -the  gospel,  the  peace 
of  your  own  consciences,  the  stopping  of  the  mouths  of  the  wicked, 
and  the  gladding  of  those  hearts  that  God  would  not  have  sadded, 
that  God  be  more  dreaded,  and  that  his  servants  and  his  services  be 
more  owned,  loved,  and  regarded.  The  people  of  God,  and  tlic  ordi- 
nances of  God,  are  to  God  as  his  firstborn  ;  and  they  that  make  light 
of  God's  firstborn,  God  will  make  as  light  of  their  firstborn.  These 
Egyptians  had  slain  Israel,  God's  firstborn,  and  therefore  God  smites 
their  firstborn.  My  desire  and  prayer  shall  be  that  God's  removing 
and  taking  away  your  firstborn,  as  I  may  say,  may  be  the  making  of 
more  room  in  your  bosoms  for  God,  Christ,  saints,  and  ordinances,  that 
so  your  great  loss  may  be  turned  into  the  greatest  gain.  And  cer- 
tainly, if  this  physic,  this  potion  that  is  given  you  by  an  outstretched 
hand  from  heaven  do  not  work  this,  the  next  potion  will  be  far  more 
bitter,  John  v.  14. 

[3.]  God  jmsses  the  sentence  of  death  upon  men's  nearest  and  dearest 
mercies,  that  he  may  ivin  them  to  a  more  complete  and  full  dependence 
upon  his  hlessed  self  Man  is  a  creature  apt  to  hang  and  rest  upon 
creature  props :  '  I  looked  on  my  right  hand,  and  beheld,'  saitli  the 
psalmist,  '  but  there  was  no  man  that  would  know  me :  refuge  failed 
me  ;  no  man  cared  for  my  soul,'  Ps.  cxlii.  4.  Well,  what  does  he  do 
now  all  props  fail  him  ?  why,  now  he  sweetly  leans  upon  God  :  ver.  5, 
'  I  cried  unto  thee,  0  Lord ;  I  said.  Thou  art  my  refuge  and  my  portion 
in  the  land  of  the  living.'  Cynasgeirus,  an  Athenian  captain,  used 
great  valour  in  the  Persian  war,  pursuing  his  enemies  that  were  laden 
with  the  rich  spoil  of  his  country,  and  were  ready  to  set  sail  and  be 
gone ;  he  held  the  ship  with  his  right  hand,  and  when  that  was  cut 
off",  he  held  it  with  the  left,  that  also  being  cut  off,  he  held  it  with 
the  stumps  till  his  arms  were  cut  off,  and  then  he  held  it  with  his 
teeth  till  his  head  was  cut  oflF.^  It  is  the  very  temper  of  most  men 
and  women  in  the  world — they  will  hold  upon  one  prop,  and  if  God  cut 
off  that,  then  they  will  catch  hold  on  another,  &c.,  till  God  cut  off  all 

^  Herod,  vi.  114  ;  Suidas,  s.  v.  Kwatyeipoi ;  Just.  ii.  9  ;  Val.  Max.  iii.  2,  §  22 ;  comp. 
Sueton.  Jul.  68.— G. 


392  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORV. 

their  props,  and  then  they  will  come  and  rest  and  centre  in  God,  in 
whom  are  all  their  well-springs,  Ps.  Ixxxvii.  7. 

[4.]  God  strips  his  people  of  their  dearest  mercies,  tluxt  he  may 
work  their  hearts  to  a  more  strict  and  diligent  search  aiid  examination 
of  their  own  hearts  and  ways,  that  they  may  say  with  tlie  church, 
'  Let  lis  search  and  try  our  ways,  and  turn  to  the  Lord  our  God,'  Lam. 
iii.  39,  40,  48.  The  Hebrew  word,  ti'DH,  that  is  rendered  '  search,' 
signifies  to  search  as  you  would  do  to  find  out  a  disguised  person  that 
puts  himself  into  a  strange  habit  that  he  might  not  be  discovered. 
When  God's  hand,  when  God's  rod  is  upon  our  backs,  our  hands 
must  be  upon  our  hearts,  and  we  must  cry  out.  What  evil  have  we 
done  !  what  evil  have  we  done  !  Seneca  reports  of  one  Sexius,^  who 
would  every  night  ask  himself  three  questions — (1.)  What  evil  hast 
thou  healed  to-day  ?  (2.)  What  vice  hast  thou  stood  against  this 
day  ?  (3.)  In  what  part  art  thou  bettered  this  day  ?  When  the 
storm  beats  strong  upon  you,  you  had  need  to  see  what  Jonah  is  asleep 
at  the  bottom  of  your  souls,  that  so,  he  being  discovered  and  cast 
overboard,  your  souls  may  be  safe,  for  in  the  drowning  of  your  sins 
lies  the  security  of  your  soul. 

[5.]  He  strips  his  people  of  their  dearest  outiuard  mercies,  that  they 
may  he  more  compassionate  toimrd  those  that  are  or  shall  he  in  the 
same  condition  with  themselves!^  The  Jews  at  this  day,  in  their  very 
nuptial  feasts  and  mirth,  break  a  glass  with  wine  in  remembrance  of 
Jerusalem,  saying,  when  they  throw  it  down.  Thus  was  Jerusalem 
broken  ;  and  what  tliey  spill  in  wine  they  fill  with  tears.  Is  it  not  a 
shame  to  have  the  same  name,  the  same  faith,  the  same  Christ,  the 
same  profession,  &c.,  and  to  desire  always  to  tread  on  roses,  to  be  em- 
barked in  this  great  ship  of  Christianity  witli  so  many  brave  spirits, 
and  to  go  under  hatches,  to  sleep  like  the  outcasts  and  scorn  of 
human  nature?  Saints  should  be  like  two  lute  strings  that  are 
tuned  one  to  another ;  no  sooner  one  is  struck  but  the  other  trembles. 

[6.]  God  strips  his  p)eople  of  their  nearest  and  dearest  outicard 
mercies,  that  they  may  the  more  prize  and  the  better  taste  spiritual  and 
heavenly  mercies.^  He  takes  away  uncertain  riclies,  that  they  may 
the  more  prize  certain  riches ;  he  takes  away  natural  strength,  that 
they  may  the  more  prize  spiritual  strength  ;  he  takes  away  the  crea- 
ture, that  they  may  more  prize  tliiiir  Saviour.  Spiritual  and  heavenly 
tilings  are  of  nearest  and  greatest  concernment  to  you.  Spirituals 
will  only  abide  with  you  in  all  changes ;  spirituals  can  only  satisfy 
your  souls.  The  language  of  a  gracious  spirit  is  this.  Ah,  Lord !  as 
what  I  have  if  offered  to  thee  pleaseth  not  thee  without  myself,  so  the 
good  things  I  have  from  thee,  thougli  they  may  refresh  me,  yet  they 
cannot  satisfy  me  without  thyself,  John  xiv.  8. 

5.  The  fifth  and  last  word  of  counsel  that  I  shall  give  you  is  this, 
Consider  seriously  and  frequently,  that  God's  taking  aicay  en-  removing 
of  one  mercy  is  hut  his  making  of  ivay  for  another,  and  usually  far  a 

'  Query,  'Sextus'?— 0. 

-  That  sentence  likes  mo  well  for  you,  that  he  said  of  himself,  I  have  no  wit  but  weep- 
ing. 

"  Diopcenea  taxed  the  folly  of  the  men  of  his  time,  tliat  they  undervalued  the  best 
things  but  overvalued  the  worst.  Ah  tiiat  this  were  not  the  sin  and  shame  of  professors 
in  these  days ! 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  '  393 

better  mercy .'^  He  took  from  David  a  Michal,  and  gave  him  a  wise 
Abigail ;  an  Absalom,  and  gave  him  a  Solomon.  He  took  away  the 
bodily  presence  of  Christ  from  his  disciples,  but  gave  them  more 
abundantly  of  his  spiritual  presence,  which  was  far  the  choicer  and 
the  sweeter  mercy.  God  will  always  make  that  word  good,  '  I  will 
not  leave  you  comfortless,'  or  as  the  Greek  hath  it,  John  xiv.  18, 
6p(pavov^  ab  opcjivr],  '  I  will  not  leave  you  as  orphans,  or  fatherless  chil- 
dren ; '  no,  I  will  come  and  comfort  you  on  every  side,  and  I  will  make 
up  all  your  wants,  and  be  better  to  you  than  all  your  mercies  :  '  For 
your  brass  I  will  give  you  silver,  and  for  your  iron  you  shall  have 
gold,'  &c.,  Isa.  Ix.  17. 

To  draw  to  a  close,  let  that  dead  man  or  dead  woman  be  lamented 
whom  hell  harboureth,  whom  the  devil  devoureth,  whom  divine  justice 
tormenteth ;  but  let  those  whose  departed  souls  angels  accompany, 
Christ  embosometh,  and  all  the  court  of  heaven  comes  forth  to  wel- 
come, account  immortality  a  mercy,  and  be  grieved  that  they  are  so 
long  detained  from  the  sweet  company  of  Christ,  &c. 

I  desire  you,  and  all  others  that  shall  read  what  is  here  written,  to 
overlook  the  mistakes  of  the  printer,  if  you  meet  with  any,  I  having 
no  time  to  wait  upon  the  press  to  correct  what  may  be  found  amiss. 
The  perusal  and  acceptance  of  what  I  here  present  in  love,  I  shall 
leave  [to]  your  judgments,  and  rest  yours  to  love  and  serve  in  our 
dearest  Lord,  Thomas  Brooks. 

1  John  xvi.  7,  8.     Hnjusmodi  lucri,  dulcis  odor,  The  smell  of  this  gain  is  sweet  to, 
many. 


A  SAINT'S  LAST  DAY  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY. 


Beloved,  I  am  here  at  this  thue  to  speak  a  word  to  the  living,  my 
business  being  not  to  speak  anything  of  the  dead.  Be  pleased, 
therefore,  to  cast  your  eye  upon 

ECCLESIASTES  VII.   1. 

'  A  good  name  is  better  than  2^yecious  ointment,  and  the  day  of  death 
than  the  day  of  one's  birth.' 

I  shall  stand  upon  the  latter  part  of  this  verse  at  this  time: 

'  And  the  day  of  death  than  tlie  day  of  one's  birth.' 

The  Greeks  say,  '  that  the  beginning  of  a  man's  nativity  is  the 
begetting  of  his  misery.'  In  Job  xiv.  1,  'Man  that  is  born  of  a 
woman  is  born  to  trouble'  and  sorrow.  The  Hebrew  word  that  is 
there  rendered  'born,'  l'w'',jeludh,  signifieth  also  generated  or  con- 
ceived ;  to  note  to  us  that  man  is  miserable  as  soon  as  he  is  warm  in 
the  womb  ;  he  comes  crying  into  the  world.  Before  ever  the  child 
speaks,  ho  prophesies  by  his  tears  of  his  ensuing  sorrows. 

And  this  made  Solomon  to  i)refer  his  coflin  before  his  crown,  the 
day  of  his  dissolution  before  the  day  of  his  coronation.  A  fletic  vitam 
auspicatur,  saith  Seneca.  But  not  to  hold  you  longer  from  what  is 
mainly  intended,  the  observation  that  I  shall  speak  to  at  this  time  is 
this  : — 

That  a  believers  last  day  is  his  best  day ;  his  dying-day  is  better 
than  his  birthday. 

This  will  be  a  very  sweet  and  useful  point  to  all  believers.  I  shall 
first  demonstrate  the  truth  that  it  is  so,  and  then  make  some  use  of 
this  point  to  ourselves. 

1.  The  first  thing  that  doth  with  open  mouth  speak  out  this  truth 
is  this.  That  death  is  a  change  of  place.  A  believer  when  he  dieth,  he 
doth  but  change  his  place  ;  he  changeth  e;u'th  for  heaven,  a  wilderness 
for  a  Canaan,  an  Egypt  for  a  land  of  Goslien,  a  dunghill  for  a  palace : 
as  it  is  said  of  Judas,  that  '  he  went  to  liis  ])lace,'  Acts  i.  25.  A  soul 
out  of  Christ  is  not  in  his  place,  beneath  is  his  place.  So  when  a 
believer  dieth  he  goes  to  his  place.  Heaven,  the  bosom  of  Christ,  is 
his  place.  And  that  speaks  out  the  truth  asserted,  that  a  believer's 
dying  day  is  his  best  day. 

A  believer  now  is  not  in  his  place,  2  Cor.  v.  G,  but  his  soul  is  still 


EccLES.  VII.  1.]      A  believer's  last  day  is  his  best  day.  395 

working  and  warring,  and  he  cannot  rest  till  he  comes  to  centre  in 
the  bosom  of  Christ.  This  Paul  well  understood  when  he  said,  '  I 
long  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with  Christ/  Phil.  i.  23.  I  would  fain 
weigh  anchor,  lioise  sail,  and  away  home.  And  upon  this  account 
those  precious  souls  groaned  for  deliverance,  2  Cor.  v.  2,  '  For  this  we 
groan  earnestly,  desiring  to  be  clothed  with  our  house  which  is  from 
heaven.'  What  is  the  ground?  Why,  it  is  this,  '  While  we  are  in 
the  body  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord,'  ver.  6.  We  be  not  in  our 
place,  and  therefore  we  groan  to  be  at  home — that  is,  to  be  in  heaven, 
to  be  in  the  bosom  of  Christ,  which  is  our  proper  place,  our  most 
desirable  home. 

2.  The  second  thing  which  doth  demonstrate  the  truth  asserted,  is 
this.  That  death  is  a  change  of  company.  The  best  that  breatheth  in 
this  world  must  live  with  the  wicked,  and  converse  with  the  wicked, 
&c.  ;  and  this  is  a  part  of  their  misery ;  it  is  their  hell  on  this  side 
heaven.  This  stuck  upon  the  spirit  of  David :  Ps.  xii.  5}  '  Woe  is  me 
that  I  am  constrained  to  be  in  Mesech,  and  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of 
Kedar,'  &c.  And  so  Jer.  ix.  2,  '  Oh  that  I  had  in  the  wilderness  a 
lodging-place  of  wayfaring  men,  that  I  might  leave  my  people,  and  go 
from  them,  for  they  be  all  adulterers,  an  assembly  of  treacherous  men.' 
And  this  was  that  that  did  vex  and  tear  Lot's  righteous  soul :  2  Peter 
ii.  7,  8,  '  His  soul  was  vexed  from  day  to  day  with  their  unlawful 
deeds.'  The  word  e^aaTavi^ev — vide  Bezam — signifies  to  'rack;'  he 
was  racked  to  see  their  unlawful  deeds.  Oh,  but  death  is  a  change  of 
company.  A  man  doth  change  the  company  of  profane  persons,  of 
vile  persons,  &c. ,  for  the  company  of  angels,  and  the  company  of  weak 
Christians  for  the  company  of  just  men  made  perfect.  That  is  a 
remarkable  place,  Heb.  xii.  22,  23,  '  We  are  come  to  mount  Sion,' 
saith  the  apostle,  '  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels,  to  the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  firstborn,  which  are  written  in  heaven, 
and  to  God  the  judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  per- 
fect.' Here  is  a  change  indeed.  Death  is  a  change  of  company  as 
well  as  a  change  of  place.  And  if  this  be  but  well  weighed,  it  must 
needs  be  granted  that  a  believer's  dying  day  is  better  than  his  birth- 
day. 

3.  Death  is  a  chayige  of  employment.  A  believing  soul  when  he 
dies,  changeth  his  work  and  employment.  I  open  it  thus :  The  work 
of  a  believer  in  this  world  lies  in  praying,  groaning,  sighing,  mourning, 
wrestling,  and  fighting,  &c.  And  we  see  throughout  the  Scripture 
that  the  choicest  saints,  that  have  had  the  highest  visions  of  God,  have 
driven  this  trade ;  they  have  spent  their  time  in  praying,  groaning, 
mourning,  wrestling,  and  fighting :  Eph.  vi.  12,  '  For  we  wrestle  not 
against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities,  against  powers, 
against  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual  wicked- 
ness in  high  places.'^  The  truth  is,  the  very  life  of  a  believer  is  a 
continual  warfare,  and  his  business  is  to  be  in  the  field  always.     They ' 

1  I  have  read  of  a  good  gentlewoman,  who,  being  near  death,  cried  out,  0  Lord,  let  me 
not  go  to  hell  where  the  wicked  are,  for  thou  knowest  that  I  never  loved  their  company 
in  the  time  of  life. 

"  Probus  a  valiant  Roman  emperor's  motto  was,  Pj-o  stipe  labor — No  fight,  no  pay.  So 
I  say.  No  fight,  no  crown  ;  no  fight,  no  heaven.     [Probus,  M.  Aurelius. — G.] 


39B  A  believer's  last  day  [Eccles.  VII.  1. 

have  to  deal  with  subtle  enemies,  malicious  enemies,  wakeful  enemies, 
and  watchful  enemies ;  with  such  enemies  that  threw  down  Adam  in 
paradise,  the  most  innocent  man  in  tlie  world,  and  that  threw  down 
Moses,  tlie  meekest  man  in  the  world,  and  Job,  the  patientest  man  in 
the  world,  and  Joshua,  the  most  courageous  man  in  the  world,  and 
Paul,  the  best  apostle  in  the  world,  &c.  A  Christian's  life  is  a  war- 
fare. Job  saith,  '  All  the  time  of  my  warfare  (^N21i)  will  I  wait 
till  my  change  come,'  Job  xiv.  14, — I  am  still  a-fighting,  saith  Job, 
with  lusts  and  corruptions  within,  and  with  devils  and  men  abroad ; 
'  All  the  time  of  my  warfare  will  I  wait  till  my  change  come.'  So  in 
the  2  Tim.  iv.  8,  '  I  have  fought  the  good  fight  of  faith,'  &c.  And  so 
in  the  2  Tim.  ii.  4,  '  No  man  that  warreth  entangleth  himself  with 
the  affairs  of  this  life,'  &c.i  Death  is  a  change  of  employment.  It 
changeth  this  hard  service,  this  work  that  lies  in  mourning,  wrestling, 
and  fighting,  for  joying  and  singing  hallelujahs  to  the  Almighty.  Now 
no  prayers,  but  praises ;  no  fighting  and  wrestling,  but  dancing  and 
triumphing.  Can  a  believing  soul  look  upon  this  glorious  change, 
and  not  say,  Surely  '  better  is  the  day  of  a  believer's  death  than  the 
day  of  his  birth 'r*  Death  is  the  winding-sheet  that  wipes  away  all 
tears  from  the  believer's  eyes,  Rev.  vii.  9. 

4.  Death  is  a  change  of  enjoyments,  as  well  as  a  cliange  of  employ- 
ments.    I  shall  express  this  in  three  considerable  things : — 

(1.)  It  is  a  change  of  our  more  clarTc  and  obscure  enjoyment  of  God, 
for  a  more  clear  and  sweet  enjoyment  of  God.  I  say,  the  best  believer 
that  breathes  in  this  world,  that  doth  see  and  enjoy  most  of  God,  and 
the  visions  of  his  glory,  yet  he  enjoys  not  God  so  clearly,  but  that  he 
is  much  in  the  dark.  The  apostle  Paul  was  a  man  that  was  high  in 
his  enjoyments  of  God,  yet  while  he  was  here  in  the  flesh,  he  did  but 
see  as  through  a  glass.  '  We  see  through  a  glass  darkly' — 1  Cor. 
xiii.  12,  uLvly/jiaTi,  in  a  riddle — but  then  face  to  face ;  then  we  shall 
know  even  as  we  are  known.  God  told  Moses  that  he  could  not  see 
his  face  and  live.  The  truth  is,  we  are  able  to  bear  but  little  of  the 
discoveries  of  God,  there  being  such  a  mighty  majesty  and  glory  in 
all  the  si^ritual  discoveries  of  God.  We  are  weak,  and  able  to  take 
in  little  of  God.  We  have  but  dark  apprehensions  of  God.  Witness 
our  tears,  sighs,  groans,  and  complaints,  because  we  go  forward  and 
backward.  We  look  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  as  Job  speaks, 
Job  xxiii.  8,  9,  and  God  hideth  himself  that  wo  cannot  see  him. 
Plutarch  tells  of  Eudoxus,  that  he  would  be  willing  to  be  burnt  up 
]iresently  by  the  sun,  so  he  might  be  admitted  to  come  so  near  it  as  to 
learn  the  nature  of  it.  This  is  upon  the  heart  of  believers,  Lord,  let  us 
be  burnt  up,  so  we  may  see  thee  more  in  all  thy  glorious  manifestations ; 
let  us  be  poor,  let  us  be  anything,  so  that  we  may  be  taken  up  into  a 
more  clear  enjoyment  of  thyself."-^     Ask  them  that  live  highest  in  the 

'  .'Alexander  sent  messengers  to  Mandanius,  (?)  a  famous  philosopher,  to  tell  him  that 
if  he  would  do  so  and  so  he  should  be  rewarded,  and  if  he  did  not  he  should  be  put  to 
death.  The  philosopher  answered  the  messengers,  That  for  his  gifts  he  esteemed  them 
worth  nothing,  seeing  his  own  country  could  furnish  him  with  necessaries,  and  aa  for 
death  he  did  not  fear  it,  but  wish  it  rather,  in  that  it  was  a  change  unto  a  more  happy 
estate.     So  far  did  mere  philosoi>hy  carry  men  in  the  opinion  of  felicitj'. 

"  Chrysostom  professeth  that  the  want  of  the  enjoyment  of  Qod  would  be  a  far  greater 
hell  to  him  than  the  feeling  of  any  punishment. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1.]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  397 

enjoyment  of  God,  What  is  your  greatest  burden  ?  and  they  will  tell 
you,  This  is  our  greatest  burden,  that  our  apprehensions  of  God  are  no 
more  clear,  that  we  cannot  see  him  face  to  face  whom  our  souls  do 
dearly  love.  Oh,  but  now  in  heaven  saints  shall  have  a  clear  vision  of 
God :  there  be  no  clouds  nor  mists  in  heaven. 

(2.)  It  is  a  change  of  our  imperfect  and  incomplete  enjoyments  of 
God,  for  a  more  complete  and  'perfect  enjoyment  of  him.  As  no 
believer  hath  a  clear  sight  of  God  here,  so  no  believer  hath  a  full  and 
perfect  sight  of  God  here.  In  Job  xxvi.  14,  how  little  a  portion  is 
heard  of  him — speaking  of  God — and  of  that  is  heard,  ah  how  little 
a  portion  is  understood  !  i  So  in  1  Cor.  xiii.  12,  '  Now  we  see  through 
a  glass  darkly,  but  then  face  to  face.'  '  Now  I  know  in  part,  but  then 
shall  I  know  even  as  also  I  am  known.'  The  soul,  Avhile  it  is  here, 
dares  not  but  say,  I  enjoy  something  of  God,  and  that  I  would  not 
want  for  a  thousand  worlds  ;  yet  my  enjoyment  is  not  full.  If  you 
should  say,  Souls,  why  do  you  wait  upon  God  in  this  ordinance  and 
that  ordinance  ?  they  will  answer,  That  we  may  enjoy  God  more  fully. 
*  Fly  away  speedily,  my  beloved.'  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  language 
but  this :  '  Oh  that  I  might  be  filled  's\ath  the  fulness  of  God  ! '  There 
is  no  complaints  m  heaven,  because  there  is  no  wants.  Oh,  when 
death  shall  give  the  fatal  stroke,  there  shall  be  an  exchange  of  earth 
for  heaven,  of  imperfect  enjoyments  for  perfect  enjoyments  of  God ; 
then  the  soul  shall  be  swallowed  up  with  a  full  enjoyment  of  God  ;  no 
corner  of  the  soul  shall  be  left  empty,  but  all  shall  be  filled  up  with 
the  fidness  of  God.  Here  they  receive  grace  for  grace,  but  in  heaven 
they  shall  receive  glory  for  glory.  God  keeps  the  best  wine  till  last ; 
the  best  of  God,  Christ,  and  heaven,  is  behind.  Here  we  have  but 
some  sips,  some  tastes  of  God  ;  fulness  is  reserved  for  a  glorious  state. 
He  that  sees  most  of  God  here  sees  but  his  back  parts ;  his  face  is  a 
jewel  of  that  splendour  and  glory  that  no  eye  can  behold  but  a  glori- 
fied eye.  Our  hearts  are  like  a  vial-glass,  which  will  not  fill  on  a 
sudden,  though  it  lie  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  where  all  fulness  is. 
The  best  Christian  is  able  to  take  in  but  little  of  God ;  their  hearts 
are  like  the  widow's  vessel,  that  could  receive  but  a  little  oil.  Sin,  the 
world,  and  creatm'es  do  take  up  so  much  room  in  the  best  hearts,  that 
God  is  put  upon  giving  out  himself  by  a  little  and  little,  as  parents  do 
to  their  children ;  but  in  heaven  God  will  communicate  himself  fully 
at  once  to  the  soul ;  grace  shall  then  be  swallowed  uj)  of  glory. 

(3.)  It  is  a  change  of  a  more  inconstant  and  transient  enjoyment  of 
God,  for  a  more  constant  and  permanent  enjoyment  of  God.  Here  the 
saints'  enjoyment  of  God  is  inconstant.  One  day  they  enjoy  God,  and 
another  day  the  soul  sits  and  complains  in  anguish  of  spirit.  He  that 
should  '  comfort  my  soul  stands  afar  off ; '  my  glass  is  out,  my  sun  is 

1  1^"!,  Dabar,  i.  e.,  a  word  or  thing.  Oh,  how  little  a  word,  how  little  a  thing,  is 
heard  of  liim.  It  is  an  excellent  expression  that  Augustine  hath  :  The  good  things  of 
eternal  life,  saith  he,  are  so  many,  that  they  exceed  number ;  so  precious,  that  they 
exceed  estimation  ;  so  great,  that  they  exceed  measure.  i/.s.se  Ckridmn  cum  Paulo, 
magna  securitas;  esse  Paulum  cum  Christo,  summa  feiicitas,  [Bernard,] — For  Christ  to 
be  with  Paul  was  the  greatest  security,  but  for  Paul  to  be  with  Christ  was  the  chiefest 
felicity.  Chrysostom  saith,  If  it  were  possible  that  all  the  sufferings  of  the  saints  should 
be  laid  upon  one  man,  it  were  not  worth  one  hour's  being  in  heaven, — such  is  the  great- 
ness and  fulness  of  that  glory  above.  The  saints"  motto  is,  Mvjremus  hinc,  migremus 
hinc — Let  us  go  hence,  let  us  go  hence. 


398  A  believer's  last  day  [Eccles.  VII.  1. 

set,  and  what  can  make  np  the  want  of  this  sun  ?  As  all  candle-lij^ht, 
star-light,  and  torch-light,  cannot  make  up  the  want  of  the  light  of 
the  sun ;  so  when  the  Sun  of  righteousness  hides  his  face,  it  is  not  all 
creature-comforts  that  can  make  up  the  want  of  his  countenance. i 
David  sometimes  could  say  tliat  '  God  was  his  portion,  and  his  salva- 
tion, and  his  strong  tower,'  Ps.  Ixi.  3,  and  what  not;  and  yet  presently 
cries  out,  '  Why  art  thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul  ?  and  why  art  thou 
disquieted  within  me?'  Ps.  xlii.  5.  In  one  place  he  saith,  'I  shall 
never  he  moved,'  Ps.  xxx.  6;  and  yet  presently  it  follows,  'Thou 
hiddest  thy  face  from  me,  and  I  was  troubled,'  ver.  7.  And  this  is  the 
state  of  a  believer  in  this  world.  But  in  heaven  there  shall  no  clouds 
arise  between  the  Lord  and  a  believing  heart.  God  will  not  one  day 
smile,  and  another  day  frown ;  one  day  take  a  soul  in  his  arms,  and 
another  day  lay  that  soul  at  his  feet.  This  is  his  dealing  with  his 
people  here.  But  in  heaven  there  is  nothing  but  lasses  and  embraces, 
nothing  but  a  perpetual  enjoyment  of  God.  When  once  God  takes 
the  soul  unto  himself,  it  shall  never  be  night  with  it  any  more — never 
dark  with  that  soul  more,  &c. ;  all  tears  shall  then  be  wiped  away. 
That  is  a  sweet  word  in  the  1  Tlies.  iv.  17,  18,  '  And  so  shall  we  be 
ever  with  the  Lord ;  wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words.' 
There  are,  saith  Musculus,  angels  and  archangels  in  heaven.  Ay,  but 
they  do  not  make  heaven ;  Christ  is  the  most  sj)arkling  diamond  in 
the  ring  of  glory.  It  is  heaven  and  happiness  enough  to  see  Christ, 
and  to  be  for  ever  with  Christ.  Now,  oh  what  a  glorious  change 
is  this  !  Methinks  these  tilings  should  make  us  long  for  our  dying- 
day,  and  account  this  life  but  a  lingering  death. 

5.  Consider  this :  Death  is  a  change  that  jjuis  an  end  to  all  external 
and  interned  chancjes.  What  is  the  whole  life  of  a  man,  but  a  life  of 
changes  ?  ^  Death  is  a  change  that  puts  an  end  to  all  external  changes. 
Here  you  change  3'our  joy  for  sorrow,  your  health  for  sickness,  your 
strength  for  weakness,  your  honour  for  dishonour,  your  plenty  for 
poverty,  your  beauty  for  deformity,  your  friends  for  foes,  your  silver 
for  brass,  and  your  gold  for  copper.  Now  the  comforts  of  a  man 
are  smiling,  the  next  hour  they  are  dying,  &c.  All  temporals  are  as 
transitory  as  a  hasty,  headlong  torrent,  a  ship,  a  bird,  an  arrow,  a 
post,  that  passeth  by.  Man  himself — the  king  of  these  outward 
comforts — what  is  he,  but  a  mere  nothing  ? — the  dream  of  a  dream, 
a  shadow,  a  bubl)le,  a  flash,  a  blast.  Now  death  puts  an  end  to 
all  external  changes:  there  shall  be  no  more  sickness,  no  more  com- 
plaints, no  more  wants,  &c. 

And  then  it  puts  an  end  to  all  internal  changes.  Now  the 
Lord  smiles  upon  the  soul,  and  anon  he  frowns  upon  the  soul. 
Now  God  gives  assistance  to  conquer  sin,  anon  the  man  is  carried 
captive  by  his  sin ;  now  he  is  strengthened  against  the  temptation, 

^  By  death  saints  come  to  a  fixed  and  invariable  eternity.  Nescio  quid  erit,  ijuid  isia 
vita  non  erit,  &c.,  [Aujiustiue,] — i.  e.,  Wliat  will  that  life  be,  or  rather,  wliat  will  not  that 
life  be,  since  all  good  either  is  not  at  all,  or  is  in  such  a  life, — light  which  place  cannot 
comprehend,  noises  and  music  which  time  cannot  vanish  away,  odours  which  arc  never 
dissipated,  a  feast  wliich  is  never  consumed,  a  blessing  which  eternity  bestoweth,  but 
eternity  shall  never  sec  at  an  end. 

*  There  is  nothing  excellent  that  is  not  perpetual,  saith  Gregory  Nazianzen.  Philo- 
Bophers  could  say,  that  he  was  never  a  happy  man  that  might  afterwards  become  miser- 
able.    Eternity  is  that  Ujium  perpctuum  hodie. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1.]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  399 

anon  he  falls  before  the  temptation,  &c.  Job  carried  it  out  bravely 
in  the  midst  of  storms,  and  speaks  like  an  angel ;  but  when  Job  was 
wet  to  the  skin,  and  the  arrows  of  the  Almighty  stuck  in  him,  and  his 
day  was  turned  into  niglit,  and  his  rejoicing  into  mourning,  &c.,  then 
a  man  would  have  thought  him  a  devil  incarnate  by  his  cursing.  But 
death  puts  an  end  to  internal  changes,  as  well  as  external  changes. 
Now  the  soul  shall  be  tempted  no  more,  sin  no  more,  be  foiled  no 
more.  Now  ye  may  judge  by  this  that  a  Christian's  dying -day  is 
his  best  day.  Death  is  another  Moses:  it  delivers  believers  out  of 
bondage,  and  from  making  brick  in  Egypt.  It  is  a  day  or  year  of 
jubilee  to  a  gracious  spirit — the  year  wherein  he  goes  out  free  from  all 
those  cruel  taskmasters  which  it  had  long  groaned  under.  The  heathen 
gods  held  death  to  be  man's  summum  bonum,  his  chief  est  good ;  there- 
fore, when  one  of  them  had  built  and  dedicated  the  temple  at  Delphos, 
he  asked  of  Apollo  for  his  recompense  the  thing  that  was  best  for  man : 
the  oracle  told  him  that  he  should  go  home,  and  within  three  days  he 
should  have  it — within  which  time  he  died.  Thus  the  very  heathens 
themselves  have  consented  to  this  truth,  that  a  man's  dying-day  is  his 
best  day. 

6.  Death  is  a  change  that  brings  the  soul  to  an  unchangeable  rest. 
It  is  the  bringing  of  the  soul  to  bed — to  a  state  of  eternal  rest.i  That 
is  the  last  demonstration  of  the  point,  that  a  believer's  dying-day  is 
his  best  day.  Now  while  we  are  here  the  soul  is  in  a-toss.  The  best 
man  in  the  world — that  is  highest  and  clearest  in  his  enjoyments  of 
God — is  too  often  like  to  Noah's  dove  that  found  no  rest :  either  he 
wants  some  external  mercy  or  internal  mercy,  and  will  do  so  till  the 
soul  be  swallowed  up  in  the  everlasting  enjoyments  of  God  ;  but  death 
brings  a  man  to  an  unchangeable  rest.  In  Rev.  xiv.  13,  'I  heard  a 
voice  from  heaven  saying  to  me,  Write,  From  henceforth  blessed  are 
the  dead  that  died  in  the  Lord.'  Why  ?  '  For  they  rest  from  their 
labours,'  &c.  Oh,  saith  he,  write  it  down  as  a  thing  of  worth  and 
weight,  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord ;  for  they  rest  from 
their  labours,'  &c.  Death  brings  the  soul  to  unchangeable  rest.  In 
Isa,  Ivii.  1,2,'  The  righteous  perish,  and  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart, 
&c.  He  shall  enter  into  peace :  they  shall  rest  in  their  beds,  each 
one  walking  in  his  uprightness.'  Oh,  death  is  a  change  that  brings 
a  soul  to  unchangeable  rest ;  it  brings  a  soul  a-bed.  This  was  that 
that  made  Paul  long  '  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  Avith  Christ ;'  and  the 
Corinthians  to  groan  for  deliverance.^  It  was  a  notable  saying  of 
blessed  Cooper,  '  Many  a  day  have  I  sought  death  with  tears ;  not  out  of 
impatience  or  distrust,'  saith  he,  '  but  because  I  am  weary  of  sin,  and 
fearful  to  fall  into  it.'  You  know  how  the  martyrs  hugged  the  stake, 
and  welcomed  every  messenger  of  death  that  came  to  them,  and 
clapped  their  hands  in  the  midst  of  the  flames.  Death  is  a  believer's 
coronation-day,  it  is  his  marriage-day.  It  is  a  rest  from  sin,  a  rest 
from  sorrow,  a  rest  from  afflictions  and  temptations,  &c.     Death  to  a 

^  Death  is  a  rest  from  the  trouble  of  our  particular  callings  ;  it  is  a  rest  from  afBic- 
tions,  a  rest  from  persecutions,  a  rest  from  temptation,  a  rest  from  desertion,  a  rest  from 
Bin,  and  a  rest  from  sorrow,  Gen.  viii.  8. 

*  Laurence  Saunders  kissing  the  stake,  said,  Welcome  the  cross  of  Christ,  welcome 
everlasting  life.  Funius,  the  Italian  martyr,  kissed  him  that  brought  him  word  of  his 
execution.     [Query, 'Faninus'?—G.] 


400  A  HELIEVEli's  LAST  DAY  [ECCLES.  VII.   1. 

believer  is  an  entrance  into  Abraham's  bosom,  into  paradise,  into  the 
'  New  Jerusalem,'  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord,  And  thus  much  for  the 
doctrinal  part.  You  see  that  it  is  clear,  by  these  six  things,  that  a 
believer's  dying-day  is  his  best  day,  and  the  day  of  his  death  better 
than  the  day  of  his  birth. 

I  might  by  many  other  arguments  demonstrate  this  truth  to  you, 
but  let  these  suffice ;  because  J  would  not  unwillingly  keep  you  longer 
from  the  use  and  application  of  the  point — application  being  the  life  of 
all  teaching.     Now  the 

1.  First  use  shall  be  this,  Then  never  mourn  immoderately  at  the 
death  of  any  believer,  let  them  he  the  most  excellent  and  useful  that 
ever  ItvedA  Death  is  to  them  the  greatest  gain  ;  and  it  speaks  out 
much  selfishness  in  us  to  be  more  taken  with  the  gain  and  benefit 
that  redounds  to  us  by  their  lives,  than  with  the  happiness  and  glory 
that  redounds  to  them  by  their  deaths.  In  the  primitive  times,  when 
God  had  passed  the  sentence  of  death  upon  their  dearest  comforts,  Chris- 
tians did  carry  it  at  a  more  high,  sweet,  and  noble  rate  than  now- 
a-days  they  do.  Remember  this,  death  doth  that,  I  say,  in  a  moment, 
that  no  graces,  no  duties,  nor  no  ordinances  could  do  for  a  man  all  his 
lifetime  ;  it  frees  a  man  from  those  diseases,  corruptions,  temptations, 
&c.,  that  no  duties,  nor  graces,  nor  ordinances  could  do.  When 
Abraham  came  to  mourn  for  his  deceased  Sarah,  he  mourned  moderately 
for  her.  Gen.  xxiii.  2,  as  is  imported  by  a  small  ca^j/i  in  the  word 
Libcothath,  that  signifies  to  weep  ;  in  that  Hebrew  word  there  is  one 
little  letter  extraordinary,  to  note  that  Abraham  wept  but  a  little  for 
her,  not  because  she  was  old  and  overworn,  as  some  Rabbins  say,  but 
because  her  dying- day  was  her  best  day.  When  Luther,  that  famous 
instrument  of  God,  buried  his  daughter,  he  was  not  seen  to  shed  a 
tear.  So  Mr  Whately,  who  was  famous  in  his  time,  whenas  he  had 
preached  his  own  child's  funeral  sermon  upon  this  subject,  '  The  will 
of  the  Lord  be  done,'  he  and  his  wife  laid  their  own  child  in  the 
grave.2  That  is  the  first  use,  let  us  not  mourn  immoderately  for  any 
believer's  death. 

2.  Then,  in  the  next  place.  Fear  not  death.  Compose  your  spiiits  ; 
say  not  of  death  as  that  wicked  prince  said  to  the  projjhet,  '  Hast  thou 
found  me,  0  my  enemy?'  1  Kings  xxi.  20;  but  rather  long  for  it, 
not  to  be  rid  of  troubles,  but  that  the  soul  may  be  taken  up  to  a  more 
clear  and  full  enjoyment  of  God.  Your  dying-day  is  your  best  day. 
Good  Jacob  dies  with  a  sweet  composed  spirit ;  lie  calls  for  his  children, 
and  blesseth  and  kisseth  them,  and  gathers  up  his  feet  into  his  bed, 
and  dies.  Moses,  tliat  morning  that  the  messenger  came  to  him,  and 
told  him  he  must  die,  he  goes  up  the  hill,  sees  the  land  of  Canaan  at 
a  distance,  and  dies.     Cato,  a  heathen  man,  told  Caesar  that  he  feared 

^  Death  is  not  mors  hominis,  but  mors  peccati,  not  the  death  of  the  man,  but  the  death 
of  his  sin. 

*  The  people  in  Thrace  mourn  and  greatly  lament  at  the  birth  of  their  children,  because 
of  the  sorrows  and  troubles  they  arc  born  to ;  and  they  greatly  joy  and  rejoice  at  the 
death  of  their  children,  because  death  is  the  funeral  of  all  their  sorrows.  Death  is  not 
such  as  you,  as  some,  would  paint  it.  It  was  the  saying  of  a  heathen  man,  That  the 
whole  life  of  a  man  should  be  nothing  else  but  inedUatio  mortis,  a  meditation  of  death. 
See  Deut.  xxxii.  29.  Alexander  the  Great  did  ask  the  Indian  philosopher  how  long  a 
man  should  live  ;  saith  he,  Until  he  think  it  better  to  die  than  to  live.  [Whately  of 
Banbury.     Died  163i).— O. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1.]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  401 

his  pardon  more  than  the  pain  that  he  threatened.  Joseph  built  his 
sepulchre  in  his  own  garden.  And  some  philosophers  had  their  graves 
always  open  before  their  gates,  that  going  out  and  coming  in  they 
might  always  think  of  death,  for  in  life  they  found  comforts  to  be 
rare,  crosses  frequent,  pleasures  momentary,  and  pains  permanent. 
Believers,  your  dying-day  is  your  best  day.  Oh,  then,  be  not  afraid  of 
death,  and  that  you  may  not,  remember  that  it  is  not  such  a  slight 
matter  as  some  make  it,  to  be  unwilling  to  die.  There  is  much 
reproach  cast  upon  God  by  believers  being  unwilling  to  die.  You 
talk  much  of  God,  heaven,  and  glory,  &c.,  and  yet  when  you  should 
come  to  go  and  share  in  this  glory,  you  shrug  and  say,  Si)are  me 
a  little.  Is  not  this  a  reproach  to  the  God  of  glory  ?  But  that  this 
counsel  may  stick  upon  you,  remember  these  five  things  : — 

[1.]  Christ's  death  is  a  merito7-ious  death.  Can  a  believer  think 
upon  the  death  of  Christ  as  meriting  peace  with  God,  pardon  of  sin, 
justification,  glorification,  and  yet  be  afraid  to  die  ?  What !  is  the 
death  of  Christ  thus  meritorious,  and  shall  we  still  be  unwilling  to 
depart  ? 

[2.]  Is  not  death  a  sword  in  your  Fathers  hand?  It  is  true, 
a  sword  in  a  madman's  hand,  or  in  an  enemy's  hand,  might  make 
one  tremble ;  but  when  the  sword  is  in  the  father's  hands,  the  child 
doth  not  fear.  Grant  that  death  is  a  sword,  yet  why  should  the  child 
fear  and  be  afraid,  when  it  is  in  the  father's  hand,  that  will  be  sure  to 
handle  it  so  as  he  shall  not  be  hurt  or  cut  by  it. 

[3.]  Remember  that  Christ's  death  is  a  death-conquering  death.^  He 
hath  taken  away  the  sting  of  death,  that  it  cannot  hurt  you  ;  and  his 
death  is  a  death-sanctifying  and  a  death-sweetening  death.  He  hath 
by  his  death  sanctified  and  sweetened  death  to  us. 

Death  is  a  fall  that  came  by  a  fall.  To  die  is  to  be  no  more 
unhappy,  if  we  consider  death  aright.  Oh,  saith  one,  that  I  could  see 
death,  not  as  it  was,  but  as  thou.  Lord,  hast  now  made  it !  It  is  the 
greatest  monarch  and  the  ancientest  king  of  the  world.  Death  reigned 
from  Adam  to  Moses,  saith  St  Paul.  Oh  !  but  the  Lord  Jesus  hath,  as 
it  were,  disarmed  death,  and  triumphed  over  death.  He  hath  taken 
away  its  sting,  so  that  it  cannot  sting  us,  and  we  may  play  with  it,  and 
put  it  into  our  bosoms,  as  we  may  a  snake  whose  sting  is  pulled  out. 
The  apostle,  upon  this  consideration,  challengeth  death,  and  out-braves 
death,  and  bids  death  do  his  worst,  in  that  1  Cor.  xv,  5ii,  57. 

[4.]  Did  not  Christ  luillingly  leave  his  Father's  bosom  for  your 
sake  f  Did  he  n(3t  willingly  die  for  you  ?  Did  Christ  plead  thus, 
These  robes  are  too  good  for  me  to  leave  off,  this  crown  too  glorious  for 
me  to  lay  aside,  I  am  too  great  to  suffer  for  such  a  people  ?  No,  but 
he  readily  leaves  his  Father's  bosom,  he  lays  down  his  crown,  and  puts 
off  his  robes,  and  suffers  a  cursed,  cruel,  and  ignominious  death.    Ah, 

'  The  fear  of  death  is  worse  than  the  pains  of  death,  Timor  mo7-tis  ipsa  morte  i^ejor, 
because  fear  of  death  kills  us  often,  whereas  death  itself  can  do  it  but  once.  Ejus  est 
timere  mortem  qui  ad  Christuvi  nolit  ire,  Let  him  fear  death  that  is  loath  to  go  to 
Christ — Cyprian.  Mori  non  metuo,  sed  damiiari  metuo,  I  fear  not  to  die,  but  I  fear  to 
be  damned,  saith  one.  Una  guttula  plus  valet  quam  cceluvi  et  terra  :  Luther,  speaking 
of  the  blood  of  Christ,  saith,  That  one  little  drop  is  more  worth  than  heaven  and  earth. 
If  the  souls  under  the  altar  cry.  Usque  quo,  Domine  ?  How  long,  Lord  ? — if  they  solicit 
for  the  day  of  judgment,  why  not  I  for  the  day  of  death,  since  death's  day  is  but  the  eve 
of  God's  day?    Zeno  said,  I  have  no  fear  but  of  old  age. 

VOL.  VI.  2  c 


402  A  believer's  last  day  [Eccles.  VII.  1. 

souls,  you  should  reason  thus,  Did  Clirist  die  for  me  that  I  mif^ht  live 
with  him  ?  I  will  not  therefore  desire  to  live  long  from  him.  AH  men 
go  willingly  to  see  him  whom  they  love ;  and  shall  I  be  unwilling 
to  die,  that  I  may  see  him  whom  my  soul  loves  ?  Shall  Christ  lay  by 
all  his  glory  and  pomp,  and  marry  a  poor  soul  that  had  neither 
portion  nor  proportion ;  and  shall  this  soul  be  unwilling  to  go  home 
to  such  a  husband  ?  Oh  think  of  it,  you  souls  that  are  unwilling  to 
die! 

Present  life  is  not  vita,  sed  via  ad  vitam,  life,  but  the  way  to  life  ; 
for  when  we  cease  to  be  men,  we  begin  to  be  as  angels.  They  are 
only  creatures  of  inferior  nature  that  are  pleased  with  the  present. 
Man  is  a  future  creature.  The  eye  of  his  soul  looks  back.  The 
labourer  hastens  from  his  work  to  his  bed,  the  mariner  rows  hard  to 
gain  the  ])ort,  the  traveller  is  glad  when  he  is  near  his  inn  ;  so  should 
saints  when  they  are  near  death,  because  then  they  are  near  heaven, 
they  are  near  their  inn. 

[5.]  Are  you  not  comjylete  in  Christ  f^  "Wliy  should  a  believer  be 
afraid  to  die  that  stands  complete  before  God  in  the  righteousness  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  ?  If  we  should  appear  in  our  own  righteousness,  in 
our  own  duties,  it  would  be  dreadful  to  think  of  dying,  but  a  believer 
is  complete  in  him,  <fec.  '  Ye  are  complete  in  him,'  Col.  ii.  10.  In 
Eev.  xiv.  4,  5,  they  are  said  to  be  '  without  fault  before  the  throne  of 
God  ;'  and  in  Cant.  iv.  7,  '  Thou  art  all  fair,  my  love,  and  there  is  no 
spot  in  thee.'  A  believer,  when  he  dies,  he  appears  before  God  in  the 
righteousness  of  Christ.  All  the  S])ots  and  blemishes  of  his  soul 
are  covered  with  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  which  is  a  matchless,  spot- 
less, peerless  righteousness.  Christ's  spouse  hath  perfection  of  beauty  ; 
she  is  all  '  glorious  within '  and  without,  she  is  spotless  and  blameless, 
she  is  the  fairest  among  women,  that  she  may  be  a  meet  mate  for  him 
that  is  fairer  than  all  the  children  of  men,  Ps.  xlv.  2.  The  saints  are 
as  that  tree  of  paradise.  Gen.  iii.,  fair  to  his  eye,  and  pleasant  to  his 
palate,  or  as  Absalom,  in  whom  there  was  no  blemish  from  head  to 
foot.  Think  of  these  things  to  sweeten  your  last  changes,  and  to  make 
you  long  to  be  in  the  bosom  of  Christ. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  Consider  tliat  the  sai^its  dying-day  is  to  them  the 
Lord's 2xry-day.  Every  prayer  shall  then  have  its  answer  ;  all  hunger- 
ings  and  thirstings  shall  be  tilled  and  satisfied  ;  every  sigh,  groan,  and 
tear  that  hath  fallen  from  the  saints'  eyes  shall  then  be  recompensed.^ 
Then  they  shall  be  i)aid  and  recompen.sed  for  all  public  service,  and 
all  family  service,  and  all  closet  service.  Now  a  crown  shall  be  set 
upon  their  heads,  and  glorious  robes  })ut  upon  their  backs,  and  golden 
sceptres  i)ut  into  their  hands ;  their  dying-day  being  the  Lord  s  pay- 
day, they  shall  hear  the  Lord  saying  to  them.  '  Well  done,  good  and 
faithful  servants,  enter  into  your  Master's  joy,'  Mat.  xxv.  21.  In  that 
day  they  shall  find  that  God  is  not  like  Antiochus,  Avho  ])romi.sed  often 
but  seldom  gave ;  no  !  Then  God  will  m;ike  good  all  those  golden 
and  glorious  promises  that  he  hath  made  to  them,  especially  those  that 

^  /]>8e.  unvs  erit  tibi  ovinia,  quia  in  ipso  uno  bono,  bona  sunt  omnia,  One  Christ  will 
be  to  tliee  instead  of  all  tilings  else,  because  in  him  are  all  good  things  to  be  found. — 
Aufriistine. 

'  That  is  not  death  but  life,  that  joins  the  dying  man  to  Christ;  and  that  is  not  life  but 
death,  which  separates  the  living  man  from  Christ. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1.]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  403 

are  cited  in  the  margin. ^  Now  God  will  give  them  gold  for  brass, 
and  silver  for  iron,  felicity  for  misery,  plenty  for  poverty,  honour  for 
dishonour,  freedom  for  bondage,  heaven  for  earth,  an  immortal  crown 
for  a  mortal  crown. 

[7.]  Seventhly,  Consider  this,  the  loay  to  glory  is  hy  misery  ;  the 
way  to  life  is  hy  death.  In  this  world  we  are  all  Benonis,  the  sons  of 
sorrow.  The  way  to  heaven  is  by  Weeping-cross.  Christ's  passion-week 
was  before  his  ascension-day ;  none  passeth  to  paradise  but  by  burn- 
ing seraphims  ;  we  cannot  go  out  of  Egypt  but  through  the  Ked  Sea  ; 
the  children  of  Israel  came  to  Jerusalem  through  the  valley  of  tears,  and 
crossed  the  swift  river  of  Jordan  before  they  came  to  the  sweet  waters 
of  Siloam.2  There  is  no  passing  into  i3aradise  but  under  the  flaming 
sword  of  this  angel,  death ;  there  is  no  coming  to  that  glorious  city 
above  but  through  this  strait,  dark,  dirty  lane.  No  wiping  all  tears 
from  your  eyes  but  with  your  winding-sheet,  which  should  make  you 
entertain  death  7ion  ut  hostis,  sed  ut  hospes,  not  as  a  foe,  but  as  a 
friend,  not  as  a  stranger,  but  as  a  guest  that  you  had  long  looked  for, 
and  bid  welcome  death  more  blessed  than  your  birth.-"  Every  man  is 
willing  to  go  to  his  home,  though  the  way  that  leads  to  it  be  never  so 
dark,  dirty,  or  dangerous ;  and  shall  believers  be  unwilling  to  go  to 
their  homes,  because  they  are  to  go  through  a  dark  entry  to  those 
glorious,  lightsome,  and  eternal  mansions  that  Christ  hath  prepared 
for  them  ?  surely  no. 

[8.]  Eighthly,  Consider  that  luhile  tve  are  in  this  ivorld,  our  iveak 
and  imperfect  and  diseased  bodies  cast  chains,  and  fetters,  restraints, 
liindrances,  and  impediments  upon  the  soid,  that  the  soul  is  hindei^ed 
from  many  high  and  noble  actings,  ivhich  in  a  state  of  separation  it  is 
free  to.  In  a  state  of  separation  the  soul  works  clearer,  and  under- 
stands better,  and  discourses  wiser,  and  rejoices  loudei-,  and  loves 
nobler,  and  desires  purer,  and  hopes  stronger  than  it  can  do  here.^ 

It  is  reported  of  Apollonius,  that  he  had  a  familiar  spirit  engaged  5 
in  a  jewel.  Such  is  the  soul  of  man  in  the  body :  the  soul,  while  it  is 
in  this  body  of  clay,  cannot  act  like  herself,  like  a  spirit  whose  nature 
is  to  soar  aloft  towards  the  place  whence  she  came.  When  the  soul 
is  upon  the  wings  for  heaven,  the  body  like  a  lumj)  of  lead  pulls  it 
down  to  the  earth,  &c. 

Now  the  soul  cannot  look  out  at  the  eyes  but  it  will  be  infected, 
nor  hear  by  the  ears  but  it  will  be  distracted,  nor  smell  at  the  nostrils 
and  not  be  tainted,  taste  by  the  tongue  and  not  be  allured,  and  touch 
by  the  hand  and  not  be  defiled.  Every  sense  and  member  is  too 
ready  upon  every  occasion  and  temptation  to  betray  the  soul ;  which 
should  make  us  willing  to  die  and  to  long  for  that  day  wherein  our 
bodies  shall  be  glorified.^ 

Ah,  believers !  it  will  be  but  as  a  day  before  those  bodies  of  yours, 

^  Rev.  ii.  10,  iii.  4,  12,  22,  and  vii.  16,  17. 

*  A  man  will  easily  swallow  a  bitter  pill  to  get  health.  The  physician  helps  us  not 
without  pain,  and  yet  we  reward  him  for  it. 

^  Death  to  a  believer  is  the  gate  of  heaven  ;  it  is  janun  vita,  the  door  of  life.  It  con- 
veys us  out  of  the  wilderness  into  Canaan,  out  of  a  troublesome  sea  into  a  quiet  haven 
John  xiv.  1-3.  . 

*  When  Plato  saw  one  over-indulgent  to  his  body  by  high  feeding  it,  he  asked  hJm 
what  he  meant,  to  make  his  prison  so  strong.  ^  Query, '  encaged '  or  'encased'? Li 

®  The  Greeks  call  the  body  the  soul's  bond,  the  soul's  s 'pulchre. 


404  A  believer's  last  day  [Eccles.  VII.  1. 

that  are  now  like  a  picture  out  of  frame,  or  a  house  out  of  repair,  that 
are  now  deformed  and  diseased,  &c.,  shall  be  agile  and  nimble,  swift 
and  facile  in  their  motion.  For  clarity  and  brightness  they  shall  be 
like  Christ's  body  when  it  was  transfigured,  Mat.  xvii.  2  ;  they  shall  be 
very  amiable  and  beautiful,  they  shall  be  impassible  and  immortal. 
Here  our  bodies  are  still  dying.  It  is  more  proper  to  ask  when  we 
shall  make  an  end  of  dying,  than  to  ask  when  we  shall  die.  Death  is 
a  worm  that  is  always  feeding  at  the  root  of  our  lives,  wliich  should 
make  death  more  desirable  than  life. 

[9.]  Ninthly,  Dwell  much  upon  ilie  readiness  and  icillmgness  of 
other  saints  to  die.  Good  old  Simeon  having  first  laid  Christ  in  his 
heart,  and  then  taking  him  up  in  his  arms,  he  sings,  '  Lord,  now  lettest 
thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salva- 
tion,' Luke  ii.  28-30.  I  have  lived  enough,  I  have  my  life ;  I  have 
longed  enough,  I  have  my  love;  I  have  seen  enough,  I  have  my 
sight ;  I  have  served  enough,  I  have  my  reward ;  I  have  sorrowed 
enough,  I  have  my  joy.  So  the  believing  Corinthians,  2  Cor.  v.  4,  8, 
they  groaned  earnestly  to  be  clothed  upon  with  their  house  which  is 
from  heaven,  they  groaned  that  mortality  might  be  swallowed  up  of 
life,  and  '  that  they  might  be  absent  from  the  body,  and  present  with 
the  Lord.'  So  Paul  desires  earnestly  '  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be  with 
Christ,  which  is  best  of  all,'  Phil.  i.  23.  So  those  in  Peter,  '  they  look 
for  and  hasten  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,'  2  Pet.  iii.  12.  They 
are  said  to  hasten  the  day  of  God,  in  respect  of  their  earnest  desires 
after  it,  and  in  respect  of  their  preparations  for  it.  So  the  souls 
under  the  altar  cry,  '  How  long,  Lord,  how  long  ?  '  &c.,  Rev.  vi.  9,  10. 

So  Paula,  that  noble  lady,  when  one  did  read  to  her  Cant.  ii.  11, 
'  The  winter  is  past,  and  the  singing  of  birds  is  come ; '  Yea,  she  re- 
plied, '  the  singing  of  birds  is  come,'  and  so  she  went  singing  into 
heaven.  So  Jewel,  '  Lord,  now  let  thy  servant  depart  in  peace  ;  break 
off  all  delays ;  Lord,  receive  my  spirit.'  Further  he  said,  '  I  have 
not  so  lived  that  I  am  ashamed  to  live  longer ;  neither  do  I  fear  to 
die, — because  we  have  a  merciful  Lord.  A  crown  of  righteousness  is 
laid  up  for  me  ;  Christ  is  my  righteousness.'  So  another  being  in  a 
swoon,  as  her  friends  thought,  a  little  before  her  end  they  cried.  Give 
her  some  rosa  solis ;  but  she  put  it  back,  saying,  'I  have  rosa  solis 
you  know  not  of  So  Mr  Fearing,!  a  little  before  his  death,  said,  '  I 
find  and  feel  so  much  inward  joy  and  comfort  in  my  soul,  that  if  I 
were  put  to  my  choice  Avhether  to  die  or  live,  I  would  a  thousand 
times  rather  choose  death  than  life,  if  it  might  stand  with  the  holy 
will  of  God.2  gQ  ]\ii.  Bolton,  lying  on  his  death-bed,  said,  '  I  am  by 
the  wondei-ful  mercies  of  God  as  full  of  comfort  as  my  heart  can  hold, 
and  feel  nothing  in  my  soul  but  Christ,  with  whom  I  heartily  desire 
to  be.'  All,  Christians  !  if  the  exceeding  willingness  of  the  saints  to 
die  will  not  make  you  willing  to  die,  what  will  ? 

[10.]  Tenthly  and  lastly.  Consider  this,  that  the  Lord  iv ill  not  leave 
thee,  hut  be  with  thee  in  that  hour:  '  Yea,  though  I  walk  through  the 

'  Query,  'Dereing'?— G. 

"  Let  all  tlic  devils  in  hell,  saith  Augustine,  lieset  me  round,  let  fasting  macerate  my 
body,  let  sorrows  oppress  my  mind,  let  pains  consume  my  flesh,  let  -watching  dry  me,  or 
heat  scorch  me,  or  cold  freeze  me,  let  all  these — and  what  can  come  more — happen  unto 
me,  so  1  may  enjoy  my  Saviour. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1  ]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  405 

valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with 
me ;  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me,'  saith  the  psalmist,  Ps. 
xxiii.  4.  So  the  apostle,  Heb.  xiii.  5,  '  Let  your  conversation  be 
without  covetousness,  and  be  content  with  such  things  as  you  have, 
for  he  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee.'  i  There 
are  five  negatives  in  the  Greek,  to  assure  God's  people  that  he  will 
never  forsake  them ;  five  times  in  Scripture  is  this  precious  promise 
renewed,  that  we  may  press  it  till  we  have  pressed  the  sweetness  out 
of  it.  Though  God  may  seem  to  leave  thee,  thou  mayest  be  confi- 
dent he  will  never  forsake  thee.  Why  should  that  man  be  afraid 
of  death,  that  may  be  always  confident  of  the  presence  of  the  Lord 
of  life  ? 

3.  The  next  use  shall  be  to  stir  you  all  up  to  prepare  and  Jit  for 
your  dying-day.  Ah,  Christians  !  what  is  your  whole  life,  but  a  day  to 
fit  for  the  hour  of  death?  what  is  your  great  business  in  this  world,  but 
to  prepare  and  fit  for  another  world  ?  It  was  a  sad  speech  of  Csesar 
Borgia,  who  being  sick  to  death,  said,  '  When  I  lived,  I  provided  for 
everything  but  death  ;  now  I  must  die,  and  am  unprovided  to  die.'  2 
Ah,  Christians  !  you  have  need  every  day  to  pray  with  Moses,  '  Lord, 
teach  us  to  number  our  days,  that  we  may  apply  our  hearts  to  wis- 
dom,' Ps.  xc.  13,  and  to  follow  the  counsel  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah, 
'  Give  glory  to  the  Lord  your  God,  before  he  cause  darkness,  and  be- 
fore your  feet  stumble  upon  the  dark  mountains,  and  while  ye  look  for 
light  he  turn  it  into  the  shadoAv  of  death,  and  make  it  gross  darkness,' 
Jer,  xiii.  16.  Old  age  is  the  dark  mountain  which  makes  a  broad 
way  narrow,  and  a  plain  way  cragged.  It  is  a  high  point  of  heavenly 
wisdom  to  consider  our  latter  end :  '  Oh  that  they  were  wise,  that  they 
understood  this,  that  they  would  consider  their  latter  end ! '  Deut.  xxiii. 
19.  Jerusalem  paid  dear  for  forgetting  her  latter  end.  Jerusalem's 
filthiness  was  in  her  skirts,  because  she  remembered  not  her  latter 
end,  therefore  also  she  came  down  wonderfully.  To  provoke  you  to 
prepare  and  fit  for  a  dying-day,  consider  seriously  these  following 
things : — 

(1.)  He  that  prepares  not  for  his  dying-day,  runs  the  hazard  of 
losing  his  immortal  soid.  Though  true  repentance  be  never  too  late, 
yet  late  repentance  is  seldom  true,  aut  pcenitendum  aut  'pereundum. 
The  heathen  man  could  say,  '  He  that  is  not  ready  to  repent  to-day, 
will  be  less  ready  to-morrow  ;  his  understanding  will  be  more  dark, 
his  heart  more  hard,  his  will  more  crooked,  his  affections  more  dis- 
tempered, his  conscience  more  benumbed,'  &c.  Bede  tells  a  story  of  a 
certain  great  man  that  was  admonished  in  his  sickness  to  repent,  who 
answered,  '  That  he  would  not  yet,  for  if  he  should  recover,  his  com- 
panions would  laugh  at  him  ;'  but,  growing  sicker  and  sicker,  his 
friends  pressed  him  again  to  repent,  but  then  he  told  them  it  was  too 
late,  '  Quia  jam  judicatus  sum  et  condemnatus ; '  '  For  now,'  said  he, 
'  I  am  judged  and  condemned.'  It  is  the  greatest  wasdom  in  the  world 
to  do  that  every  day  that  a  man  would  do  on  a  dying-day,  and  to  be 
afraid  to  live  in  such  an  estate  as  a  man  would  be  afraid  to  die  in. 

'  Maximilian  the  emperor  was  so  delighted  with  that  sentence.  Si  Deus  nobiscum?  &c. 
If  God  be  with  us,  who  shall  be  against  us?  that  he  caused  it  to  be  written  upon  the 
walls  in  most  rooms  of  his  palace.  "  As  before. — G. 


406  A  BELIEVEli's  LAST  DAY  [ECCLES.  VII.  1. 

Ah,  souls  !  you  arc  afraid  to  die  in  such  and  such  sins  ;  and  will  you 
not  be  afraid  to  live  in  those  sins  ? 

(2.)  Ag^ain,  The  ccrfainff/  of  death  shotdd  bespeak  you  to  prepare  for 
death.  When  we  would  atfirui  anything  to  he  infallil)ly  true,  we  say, 
'  As  sure  as  death.'  '  It  is  appointed,'  saith  the  ai)ostle,  '  unto  men 
once  to  die,  hut  after  this  the  judgment,'  Heh.  ix.  27.  The  Greek  word 
that  is  translated  '  It  is  appointed,'  signifieth,  it  lieth  as  a  man's  lot.^ 
'  Once,'  implies  two  things — [1.]  A  certainty,  it  shall  once  be  ;  [2.]  A 
singularity,  it  wall  be  but  once.  '  AVliat  man  lives  and  shall  not  see 
death  ?'  saith  the  psalmist, — that  is,  no  man  lives  and  shall  not  see 
death.  In  Job  the  grave  is  called  '  the  house  appointed  for  all  the 
living.'  Solomon  calls  the  grave  Baiith  Gnolam,  (ob^)?  JlH) — i.e., 
Domuin  secidi,  the  house  of  age.  The  learned  translate  it  '  Long 
home,'  where  men  must  abide  for  a  long  time,  even  till  the  resurrec- 
tion. To  live  without  fear  of  death,  is  to  die  living  ;  to  labour  not  to 
die,  is  labour  in  vain.  Death  hath  for  its  motto,  Nidli  cedo,  I  yield 
to  none.  It  is  decreed  that  all  must  die.  Every  man's  death-day  is 
his  doom's-day. 

The  French  have  a  proverb,  '  Three  things,'  say  they,  '  agree  in 
the  world — the  priest,  the  lawyer,  and  death.'  The  priest  takes  the 
living  and  the  dead,  the  lawyer  right  and  wrong,  and  death  the  weak 
and  strong.  But  the  Jews  have  a  better  :  '  In  Golgotha  are  to  be 
seen  skulls  of  all  sizes;'  that  is,  death  comes  on  the  young  as  well 
as  the  old  ;  the  lot  is  fallen  upon  all,  and  therefore  all  must  die. 
All  men  are  made  of  one  mould  and  matter,^  '  Dust  thou  art,  and 
unto  dust  thou  shalt  return,'  Gen.  iii.  19.  '  All'  have  sinned,  are 
fallen  short  of  the  glory  of  God,'  Rom.  v.  12  ;  and  therefore  death 
must  pass  upon  all. 

(3.)  The  uncertainty  of  the  time  of  your  death  does  bespeak  you 
with  ojyen  mouth  to  be  in  a  constant  readiness  and  prejjaredness  for 
death.  No  man  knows  when  he  shall  die,  nor  what  kind  of  death 
he  shall  die,  Avhether  a  natural  or  a  violent  death.  Augustus  died 
in  a  compliment,  Tiberius  in  dissimulation,  Galba  wnth  a  sentence, 
Vespasian  with  a  jest ;  Zeuxes  died  laughing  at  the  picture  of  an  old 
woman  which  he  drew  with  his  own  hand  ;  Sophocles  was  choked 
with  the  stone  in  a  grape  ;  Diodorus  the  logician  died  for  shame  that 
he  could  not  answer  a  joculary  question  propounded  at  the  table  by 
Stilpo  ;  Joannes  Masius  preaching  upon  the  raising  of  the  woman  of 
Naomi's  son  from  the  dead,  within  three  hours  after  died  himself ; 
Felix,  Earl  of  Wurtemburgh,  sitting  at  supper  with  many  of  his 
friends,  some  at  the  table  fell  into  discourse  about  Luther,  and  the 
people's  general  receiving  [of]  his  doctrine,  upon  which  the  Earl  swore 
a  great  oath,  'that  before  he  died  he  would  ride  up  to  the  spurs  in  the 
blood  of  Lutherans  ;'  but  the  very  same  night  God  stretched  out  his 
hand  so  against  him,  that  he  was  choked  with  his  own  blood.^ 

Consider,  in  the  last  place,  That  it  is  a  solemn  thing  to  die.  Death 
is  a  solemn  parting  of  two  near  friends,  soul  and  body.     Remember, 

'  Heb.  ix.  27,  airhKenai;  Ps.  Irxxix.  48;  Job  xxx.  23  ;  Ecoles.  xii.  o. 
'  .Adam  of  Adamah,  homo  ah  lunno. 

■'  Bibulus,  a  Roman  general,  riding  in  triumph  in  all  bis  glory,  a  tile  fell  from  a  house 
in  the  street,  and  beat  out  his  brains. 


ECCLES.  VII.  1  ]  IS  HIS  BEST  DAY.  407 

all  other  preparations  are  to  no  purpose,  if  a  man  be  not  prepared  .to 
die.  What  will  it  avail  a  man  to  prepare  this  and  that  for  his  chil- 
dren, kindred,  or  friends,  &c. ,  when  he  hath  made  no  preparations  for 
his  soul,  for  his  eternal  well-being  ?  As  death  leaves  you,  so  judg- 
ment shall  find  you.  If  death  take  you  before  you  expect  it,  and  are 
prepared  for  it,  it  will  be  the  more  terrible  to  you ;  it  will  cause  your 
countenance  to  be  changed,  your  thoughts  to  be  troubled,  your  loins 
to  be  loosed,  and  your  knees  to  be  dashed  one  against  another. '^  Oh 
the  hell  of  horrors  and  terrors  that  attends  those  souls  that  have  their 
greatest  work  to  do  when  they  come  to  die  !  therefore,  as  you  love 
your  souls,  and  as  you  would  be  happy  in  death,  and  everlastingly 
blessed  after  death,  prepare  and  fit  for  death.  2  Look  that  you  build 
upon  nothing  below  Christ ;  look  that  you  have  a  real  interest  in 
Christ ;  look  that  you  die  daily  to  sin,  to  the  world,  and  to  your  own 
righteousness.  Look  that  conscience  be  always  waking,  speaking,  and 
tender ;  look  that  Christ  be  your  Lord  and  Master  ;  look  that  all 
reckonings  stand  right  betwixt  the  Lord  and  your  souls  ;  look  that 
you  be  fruitful,  faithful,  and  watchful,  and  then  your  dying-day  shall 
be  to  you  as  the  day  of  harvest  to  the  husbandman,  as  the  day  of 
deliverance  to  the  prisoner,  as  the  day  of  coronation  to  the  king,  and 
as  the  day  of  marriage  to  the  bride.  Your  dying-day  shall  be  a  day 
of  triumph  and  exaltation,  a  day  of  freedom  and  consolation,  a  day  of 
rest  and  satisfaction.  Then  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  as  honey  in  the 
mouth,  ointment  in  the  nostrils,  music  in  the  ear,  and  a  jubilee  in  the 
heart. 

The  last  use  then  is  this.  If  a  believer's  last  day  be  his  best  day, 
then  hy  the  rule  of  contraries,  a  luicked  man's  last  day  must  he  his 
loorst  day,  for  he  must  there  lie  down  with  the  sins  of  his  youth.3 
Death  shall  put  an  end  to  all  the  benefits  and  comforts  that  now  thou 
enjoyest.  Now  thou  must  say.  Honours,  friends,  pleasures,  riches, 
credit,  &c.,  farewell  for  ever  ;  I  shall  never  have  good  day  more  ;  I 
shall  never  be  merry  more  ;  my  sun  is  set,  my  glass  is  out,  my  hopes 
fail,  my  heart  fails  ;  all  offers  of  grace  are  past,  the  Spirit  will  never 
strive  with  me  more,  free  grace  will  never  move  me  more,  the  golden* 
serpent  shall  never  be  held  forth  more  ;  death  will  be  an  inlet  to  judg- 
ment, yea,  to  an  eternity  of  misery. 5  What  the  voice  was  of  Grod  to 
Adam  upon  eating  the  forbidden  fruit ;  what  the  coming  of  the  flood 
was  to  the  profane  men  of  the  old  world  ;  what  the  waters  of  the  Ked 
Sea  were  to  Pharaoh  and  his  army ;  what  the  fire  from  heaven  was  to 
the  captains  that  came  up  against  Elijah  ;  what  the  burning  furnace 
was  to  them  that  cast  in  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego,  the  same 
will  be  the  day  of  death  to  profane  wicked  souls.  Ah,  sinners,  my 
prayer  for  you  shall  be,  that  the  Lord  would  awaken  you,  and  set  up 

^  He  that  prepares  for  his  body  and  friends,  but  neglects  his  soul,  is  like  him  that  pre- 
pares for  his  slave,  but  neglects  his  wife. 

"  When  I  was  young,  saith  Seneca  the  heathen,  I  then  studied  artem  bene  vivendl  the 
art  of  living  well ;  when  age  came  upon  me,  1  then  studied  artem  bene  moriendi  the  art 
of  dying  well. 

^  A  great  man  wrote  thus  a  little  before  his  death  :  Spes  et  fortiina  valete Hope  and 

fortune  farewell.  *  Query,  'Brazen'? — G. 

'  Sigismund  the  emperor  and  Louis  the  Eleventh  of  France  straitly  charged  all  their 
servants  that  they  should  not  dare  to  name  that  bitter  word  death  when  they  saw 
them  sick,  so  dreadful  was  the  very  thoughts  of  death  to  them. 


408  A  believer's  last  day  is  his  best  day.     [Ecclek.  VII.  1. 

a  choice  light  in  your  souls,  that  you  may  see  where  you  are,  and  what 
you  are  ;  that  he  would  give  you  to  break  off  your  sins  by  repentance, 
and  give  you  an  interest  in  himself;  that  so  '  for  you  to  live  may  be 
Christ,  and  to  die  may  be  gain,'  Phil.  i.  21  ;  that  in  life  and  death 
Christ  may  be  advantage  to  you  ;  and  that  death  may  be  the  funeral 
of  all  your  sins  and  sorrows,  and  an  inlet  to  all  that  joy  and  pleasure, 
that  blessedness  and  happiness  that  is  at  God's  right  hand. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 


NOTE. 

Published  in  the  year  of  the  '  Plague,'  (1665,)  immediately  preceding  the  'Fire'  of 
1666 — which  destroyed  the  entire  stock  of  so  many  books— the  '  Heavenly  Cordial,'  like 
the  'Experiences'  of  Mrs  Bell,  is  unknown  to  Bibliographers,  not  being  found  in  any  of 
our  great  libraries.  Our  own  copy  seems  to  have  been  carefully  preserved,  along  with 
Brooks's  other  writings,  by  some  ardent  admirer.  It  would  fetch  in  the  market  treble 
the  cost  of  our  entire  edition  of  Brooks.     The  title-page  is  given  below.*  — G. 


HEAVENLY 

CORDIAL. 

For  all  those  Servants  of  the  Lord  that  have  had 
the  PLAGUE  (and  are  recovered)  or 
that  now  have  it ;  also  for  those  that  have 
escaped  it,  though  their  Relations  and 
Friends  have  been  either  visited,  or  swept 
away  by  it. 

OR 

Thirteen  DIVINE  MAX  I  ME  S  or 
CONCLUSIONS  in  respect  of  the  PESTI- 
LENCE, which  may  be  as  so  many  supports,  com- 
forts, and  refreshing  springs,  both  to  the  visited  and 
preserved  people  of  God  in  this  present  day. 

ALSO 

Ten  Arguments  to  prove  that  in  Times  of 
Common  Calamity,  the  people  of  God  do  stand  up- 
on the  advantage  ground,  as  to  their  outward  pre- 
servation and  protection  above  all  other  people  un- 
der Heaven. 

AL.SO 

Eight  Jieaso7is  why  some  of  the  precious  Ser- 
vants of  the  Lord  have  fallen  by  the  Pestilence  in 
this  Day  of  the  Lord's  Anger. 

By  Thomas  Brooks,  late  Mini- 
ster of  the  Gospel  in  London. 

London,  Printed  for,  and  are  to  be  sold  by  John 

Hancock,  at  the  first  shop  in  Popef-hc^id 

Alley,  next  to  CornhiU.     1665. 

[12mo.— G.] 


A  HEAVENLY   CORDIAL. 


I.  The  first  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  TJ^ien  the 
pestilence  is  among  a  people^  it  is  the  Lord  alone  that  sends  it. 

2  Sam.  xxiv.  15,  'So  the  Lord  sent  a  pestilence  upon  Israel,  from 
the  morning  even  to  the  time  appointed :  and  there  died  of  the  people, 
from  Dan  even  to  Beer-sheba,  seventy  thousand  men.'  Num.  xvi.  46, 
'  Wrath  is  gone  out  from  the  Lord  ;  the  plague  is  begun.'  Num.  xiv. 
12,  'I  will  smite  them  with  the  pestilence,  and  disinherit  them."  Deut. 
xxviii.  21,  '  The  Lord  shall  make  the  pestilence  cleave  unto  thee,  until 
he  hath  consumed  thee  from  off  the  land,  whither  thou  goest  to 
possess  it.'  Ezek.  xiv.  19,  '  Or  if  I  send  a  pestilence  into  that  land, 
and  pour  out  my  fury  upon  it  in  blood,  to  cut  off  from  it  man  and 
beast;'  ver.  21,  Tor  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  How  much  more  when 
I  send  my  four  sore  judgments  upon  Jerusalem,  the  sword,  and  the 
famine,  and  the  noisome  beast,  and  the  pestilence,  to  cut  off  from  it 
man  and  beast  ? '  Amos  iv.  10,  '  I  have  sent  among  you  the  pestilence, 
after  the  manner  of  Egypt.'  Hence  it  is  called,  God's  arrow,  Ps. 
xci.  5  ;  and  when  God  shoots  those  arrows  into  kingdoms,  cities,  towns, 
families,  Ps.  xxxviii.  2,  none  can  puU  them  out  but  God  himself. 
The  plague  is  more  immediately  from  God  than  any  other  sickness 
or  disease,  for  it  is  the  immediate  stroke  of  God.i  The  scribe  is 
more  properly  said  to  write  than  the  pen,  and  he  that  maketh  and 
keepeth  the  clock  is  more  properly  said  to  make  it  go  and  strike  than 
the  wheels  and  poises  that  hang  upon  it,  and  every  workman  to  effect 
his  work,  rather  than  tlie  tools  which  he  useth  as  instruments.  So 
the  Lord  of  hosts,  who  is  the  chief  agent  and  mover  in  all  things  and 
in  all  actions,  may  more  fitly  and  properly  be  said  to  effect  and  bring 
to  pass  all  judgments,  yea,  all  things  which  are  done  in  the  earth, 
than  any  inferior  or  subordinate  causes :  seeing  they  are  but  his  tools 
and  instruments,  which  he  rules  or  guides  according  to  his  own  will, 
power,  and  providence.  I  know  some  physicians  ascribe  it  to  the 
heat  of  the  air,  and  sometimes  to  the  dryness  of  the  air,  and  sometimes 
to  the  corruption  of  the  air,  and  sometimes  to  the  corruption  of  men's 
blood,  and  sometimes  to  Satan,  and  sometimes  to  the  malignancy  of 
the  planets ;   but  certainly  those  are  '  physicians  of  no  value'  that 

^  Deut.  xxxii.  39.     Hippocrates  calls  it  to  6dov,  the  Divine  disease,  because  it  cornea 
more  immediately  from  God  than  other  diseases  do. 


412  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

cannot  look  above  second  causes  to  the  First  Cause,  that  cannot  look 
to  the  '  wheel  within  the  wheel/  Ezek.  i.  The  plague  is  a  hidden 
thing,  a  secret  thing ;  it  is  a  sickness,  a  disease,  that  more  immedi- 
ately comes  from  God  than  any  other  sickness  or  disease  doth.  Exod. 
ix.  3,  '  Behold,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  thy  cattle  which  is  in 
the  field,  upon  the  horses,  upon  the  asses,  upon  the  camels,  upon  the 
oxen,  and  upon  the  sheep :  there  shall  he  a  very  grievous  nuuTain.' 
The  word  here  translated  '  murrain '  is  in  chap.  v.  3  termed  '  pesti- 
lence ;'  and  it  is  one  and  the  same  disease.  Though  when  it  is  applied 
to  cattle  it  be  usually  rendered  by  '  murrain,'  yet  when  it  is  applied  to 
men,  as  in  the  scripture  last  cited,  it  is  commonly  called  the  'pestilence.' 
'  Behold,  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon  thy  cattle,'  &c.  That  is  the 
extraordinary,  innnediate  power  and  work  of  God,  without  tlie  inter- 
vening of  any  second  cause  or  human  operation.  This  open  plague, 
this  plague  without-doors,  that  principally  fell  upon  the  cattle,  was 
from  the  immediate  hand  of  God.  It  is  God  alone  that  singles  out 
the  nation,  the  city,  the  town,  the  parish,  the  family,  the  person  that 
he  will  strike  with  the  plague ;  for  all  second  causes  are  ordered  by 
the  First  Cause,  as  every  instrument  is  ruled  or  overruled  by  the  will 
and  hand  of  him  that  holdeth  it.  When  a  man  goes  with  his  axe  to 
cut  down  trees  in  the  wood,  there  is  an  equal  aptness  in  the  axe  to 
cut  down  one  tree  as  well  as  another,  an  oak  as  well  as  an  ash,  &c. ; 
but  it  is  still  ruled  by  the  will  of  him  that  handles  it.  So  it  is  here : 
the  noisome  pestilence,  or  the  pestilence  of  grass,  as  the  Hebrew  runs 
in  that  Ps.  xci.  3,  hath  an  equal  aptness  to  cut  down  one  man  as  well 
as  another,  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor,  the  honourable  as  well  as  the 
base,  the  strong  as  well  as  the  weak,  the  prince  as  well  as  the  peasant, 
the  emperor  as  well  as  the  carter ;  but  it  is  still  overruled  by  the 
Lord  himself,  who  gives  it  a  commission  to  cut  off  such  and  such,  in 
this  kingdom  and  that,  in  this  city  and  that,  in  this  towm  and  that, 
in  this  family  and  that,  and  to  spare,  save,  and  pass  by  all  the  rest. 
In  Rev.  vi.  you  shall  read  of  four  horses,  when  the  four  seals  were 
opened,  (1.)  a  wliite  horse,  (2.)  a  red  horse,  (3.)  a  black  horse,  (4.) 
a  pale  horse.  After  Christ  had  ridden  upon  the  Avhite  horse,  pro- 
pagating the  gospel,  then  follows  the  red  horse,  a  type  of  war ;  then 
the  black  horse,  a  hieroglyphic  of  famine ;  and  then  the  pale  horse, 
the  emblem  of  pestilence.  Now  all  these  horses,  these  plagues,  were 
of  Christ's  sending.  From  those  words.  Judges  iii.  20,  '  I  have  a 
message  from  God  unto  thee,  0  king,'  said  Ehud  ;  lo,  his  poniard  was 
God's  message ;  from  whence  one  well  observcth,  that  not  only  the 
vocal  admonitions  but  the  real  judgments  of  God  are  his  errands  and 
instructions  to  the  world,  Isa.  xxvi.  8-10.  It  was  a  mad  principle 
among  the  Manichees,  who  referred  all  the  judgments,  calamities,  and 
miseries  that  came  upon  them  to  the  devil  for  their  author,  as  if  there 
could  be  '  any  evil  in  the  city,  and  the  Lord  have  no  hand  in  it,'  Amos 
iii.  G.  Now  in  that  it  is  the  Lord  alone  that  sends  the  pestilence 
amongst  a  pco})le,  how  should  this  comfort  us  and  quiet  us  !  how 
should  this  cool  us  and  calm  us !  how  should  this  satisfy  us  and 
silence  us  before  the  Lord,  and  cause  us  to  lay  our  hands  upon  our 
mouths,  as  David  did,  Ps.  xxxix.  9,  and  as  Aaron  did,  Lev.  x.  1-3, 
and  as  Eli  did,  1  Sam.  iii.  18,  and  as  the  church  did,  Lara.  iii.  26-29. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  413 

Solinus  (cap.  20)  writetli  of  Hypanis,  a  Scythiau  river,  that  the 
water  thereof  is  very  bitter  as  it  passeth  through  Exampms,  yet  very 
sweet  in  the  spring. ^  So  the  cuj)  of  trembling  which  is  this  day  offered 
to  the  children  of  God,  is  often  very  bitter  at  the  second  hand,  or  as  it 
appears  in  second  causes ;  and  yet  it  is  sweet  at  the  first  hand,  yea,  it 
is  very  sweet  as  it  is  reached  to  them  by  a  hand  from  heaven ;  and 
therefore  they  may  well  say,  as  their  head  and  husband  hath  done 
before  them,  '  Shall  we  not  drink  of  the  cup  that  our  Father  hath 
given  us  to  drink  of?'  &c.,  John  xviii.  11. 

II.  The  second  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz..  The 
pestilence  and  all  oilier  judgments  of  God  are  limited  as  to  places. 

Hence  it  comes  to  pass  that  God  shoots  his  arrows  of  pestilence  into 
one  city,  and  not  into  another ;  into  one  town,  and  not  into  another  ; 
into  one  family,  and  not  into  another  ;  into  one  kingdom  and  country, 
and  not  into  another,  Exod.  viii.  20-23,  and  ix.  22-26  ;  2  Sam.  xxiv. 
15.     Turn  to  all  these  scriptures  and  ponder  upon  them. 

III.  The  third  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz..  All  the 
judgments  of  God  are  limited,  not  only  to  places,  hut  also  to  persons. 

And  therefore  such  and  such  must  fall,  when  such  and  such  must 
escape ;  and  such  and  such  must  be  infected,  when  such  and  such  are 
preserved.  Hence  it  is  that  one  is  taken  in  the  bed,  and  the  other 
left ;  one  smitten  at  the  table  or  in  the  house,  and  all  the  rest  pre- 
served in  perfect  health,  &c.  God  hath  numbered  so  many  to  the 
sword,  and  so  many  to  the  famine,  and  so  many  to  the  pestilence,  so 
many  to  this  disease,  and  so  many  to  that,  2  Sam.  xxiv.  15,  16  ;  Ezek. 
xi.  5-7,  V.  12,  and  vi.  11,  12 ;  Exod.  xii.  13  ;  Ps.  xci.  3-9  ;  Isa.  Ixv. 
12 ;  Jer.  xv.  2 ;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  27.  Turn  to  all  those  scriptures  and 
ponder  upon  them.  God  marks  out  those  persons  that  he  intends  to 
shoot  the  arrow  of  pestilence  amongst.  God  never  shoots  at  rovers  ; 
he  never  draws  his  bow  at  a  venture,  but  he  singles  out  the  persons 
that  he  purposes  to  hit,  and  his  arrows  fly  swiftly  and  suddenly,  yet 
they  hit  none  but  those  that  God  hath  set  up  as  a  mark  to  shoot  at — 
as  Job  speaks,  chap.  vii.  20. 

IV.  The  fourth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  No  man 
hnoios  divine  love  or  hatred  by  oiitivard  dispensation,  Eccles.  ix.  1,  2  ; 
Luke  xiii.  4,  16 ;  Lam.  iv.  6 ;  Dan.  ix.  ]2 ;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  12-22. 

In  times  of  great  judgments  God  sometimes  spares  those  whom 
his  soul  hates  and  abhors,  Isa.  i.  5  ;  Hosea  iv.  14,  17.  God  some- 
times preserves  wicked  men  from  great  judgments,  that  they  may  fall 
by  greater  judgments ;  as  you  may  see  in  Sodom  and  her  sisters, 
which  were  preserved  from  the  slaughter  of  the  four  kings,  that  God 
might  rain  down  hell  out  of  heaven  upon  them.  And  so  Sennacherib 
escapes  the  stroke  of  the  destroying  angel,  that  he  might  fall  by  the 
sword  of  his  own  sons,  Isa.  xxxvii.  37,  38.  And  as  in  times  of  great 
judgments  God  sometimes  spares  those  sinners  that  his  soul  hates,  so  in 
times  of  great  judgments  God  takes  away  those  whom  his  soul  dearly 
loves,  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  27,  28.  Tui'u  to  it.  In  all  the  considerable 
plagues  that  have  been  in  this  nation,  how  many  precious  Christians 

^  Rather  Hyphasis  as  in  Arrian  (I.e.)  and  Diodorus  (xvii.  93);  for  Solinus,  cap.  20, 
read  cap.  52  ;  and  for  cxampius  above,  query,  ex  campis?  and  for  Scythia,  read  India 
)Panjub.)—G. 


414  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

have  fallen  by  llie  sword,  and  by  the  liand  of  tlie  destroying  angel, 
when  many  thousands  of  Balaks  and  Balaams,  I  mean  the  worst  of 
men,  have  escaped  the  sword,  the  plague,  &c.  !  And  is  there  anything 
more  obvious  and  notorious  this  day  than  this  ?     Surely  not. 

V.  The  fifth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  The  Lord 
sometimes  takes  away  his  dearest  people  by  some  one  judgment^  that 
so  he  tnay  by  that  means  deliver  them  from  many  Judgments  ;  and 
sometimes  he  takes  aivay  his  people  by  one  great  judgment,  that  so 
they  may  escape  many  other  greater  judgments  that  he  intends  to  bring 
npon  the  earth. 

And  thus  good  Josiah  was  slain  in  battle  ;  yet  because  he  lived  not 
to  see  the  woeful  miseries  of  succeeding  times,  he  is  said  to  go  to  his 
grave  in  peace,  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  27,  28.  Turn  to  it.  Enoch  lived 
long  in  a  little  time,  and  God  took  him  to  heaven  before  he  brought 
a  sweeping  flood  upon  the  world  ;  but  he  foreseeing  the  flood,  named 
his  son  Methuselah,  that  is  to  say,  '  he  dieth,'  and  the  dart  or  flood 
cometh,  and  so  it  fell  out ;  for  no  sooner  was  his  head  laid,  but  in 
came  the  flood.  And  so  Augustine  was  taken  out  of  the  world  before 
Hippo  was  taken  by  the  Vandals.  And  so  Pareus  was  gotten  to  his 
better  country  before  Heidelberg  and  the  Palatinate  was  delivered 
into  the  power  of  the  enemies.  Ambrose  is  said  to  have  been  the 
walls  of  Italy,  and  when  he  died  the  Earl  Stilico  said,  '  that  his 
death  did  threaten  destruction  to  that  country;'  and  when  Luther 
was  laid  in  his  grave,  then  troubles,  wars,  desolations,  and  confusions 
came  in  upon  Germany  like  a  flood.  '  The  righteous  are  taken  away 
from  the  evil  to  come,'  Isa.  Ivii.  1  ;  and  their  death  is  a  sad  presage 
of  sore  and  signal  calamities  that  are  hastening  upon  the  world.  Of 
late  many  precious  servants  of  Christ  are  fallen  asleep  ;  but  who 
knows  what  a  day  of  wrath  is  coming  ?  When  a  man  cuts  down  his 
chiefest  timber  trees,  it  is  an  argument  that  he  intends  to  part  with 
his  land  ;  and  how  many  tall  cedars  in  this  our  Lebanon  hath  God 
lately  cut  down  in  the  midst  of  us  !  Therefore  we  have  eminent  cause 
to  be  importunate  with  God,  that  he  would  neither  part  with  this 
nation,  nor  depart  from  this  nation.  When  some  fatal  judgment 
hovers  like  a  flying  fiery  scroll  over  a  nation,  God  many  times  gathers 
many  of  his  choice  servants  unto  himself,  that  he  may  preserve  them 
from  the  evil  to  come. 

VI.  The  sixth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz..  None  of 
God's  judgments  upon  his  2)eople  ever  make  any  change  or  alteration 
of  God's  affections  towards  his  people. 

However  his  liand  may  be  against  them,  yet  his  love,  his  heart,  his 
favour,  his  attections  in  Jesus,  is  still  one  and  the  same  to  them,  Isa. 
liv.  7-10,  and  xlix.  14-16;  Ps.  Ixxxix.  31-34;  Jer.  xxxi.  34-37, 
compared  ;  Mai.  iii.  6  ;  John  xiii.  3  ;  James  i.  17.  Ponder  seriously 
upon  all  those  scriptures.  So  when  God  sent  the  plague  upon  David's 
people,  and  that  for  David's  sin  too,  yet  how  sweetly,  how  lovingly, 
how  tenderly,  how  com])assionately,  how  indulgently,  doth  the  Lord 
carry  it  towards  David  himself !  2  Sam.  xxiv.  1 1-13, 18,11),  and  25  com- 
pared. And  some  learned  men  are  of  opinion  that  Lazarus  died  of  the 
])lague  ;  and  yet  the  text  tells  us  that  he  was  carried  by  angels  into 
Abraham's  bosom.      Q^colampadius  and  many  other  worthies  also 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  415 

died  of  it.  When  Munster  lay  sick,  and  his  friends  asked  him 
liow  he  did,  and  how  he  felt  himself  ?  he  pointed  to  his  sores  and 
ulcers,  whereof  he  was  full,  and  said,  '  These  are  God's  gems  and 
jewels  wherewith  he  decketh  his  best  friends ;  and  to  me  they  are 
more  precious  than  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  world.'  God's  dear 
love  to  his  people  is  not  founded  upon  anything  in  his  people,  nor 
upon  anything  that  is  done  by  his  people,  but  only  upon  his  own  free 
grace  and  goodness,  Deut.  vii,  7,  8. 

The  ethnics  1  feign  that  their  gods  and  goddesses  loved  certain 
trees  for  some  lovely  good  that  was  in  them  :  as  Jupiter,  the  oak,  for 
durance;  Neptune,  the  cedar,  for  stature;  Apollo,  the  laurel,  for  green- 
ness ;  Venus,  the  poplar,  for  whiteness ;  Pallas,  the  vine,  for  fruitful- 
ness.  But  what  should  move  the  God  of  gods  and  the  Lord  of  lords 
to  love  us,  who  are  poor,  worthless,  fruitless  fruit-trees,  twice  dead, 
and  plucked  up  by  the  roots,  Jude  12 ;  Ezek.  xvi.  This  question  is 
best  resolved  in  three  words,  amat  quia  amat,  he  loves  us  because  he 
loves  us.  The  root  of  his  love  to  us  lieth  in  himself,  and  by  his  com- 
municative goodness  the  fruit  is  ours.  God's  love  to  his  people  is  a 
lasting  love,  yea,  an  everlasting  love,  Jer.  xxxi,  35-37;  it  is  a  love 
that  never  decays  nor  waxes  cold.  It  is  like  the  stone  asbestos,  of  which 
Solinus  writes,  that  being  once  hot,  it  can  never  be  cooled  again. 

VII.  The  seventh  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  Many 
times  ivhen  the  poor  people  of  God  cannot  carry  it  with  God  for  the 
pi-eservation  of  a  luhole  land  or  nation,  yet  tliey  shall  then  he' sure  to 
have  the  honour  and  the  happiness  to  he  so  potent  and  so  prevalent  with 
God  as  to  prevail  ivith  him  for  their  oiu7i  personal  preservation  and  pro- 
tection.    Jer.  XV.  1  ;  Ezek.  xiv.  14-21,  compared.     So  Ezek.  ix.  4,  6. 

VIII.  The  eighth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz..  Sword, 
famine,  and  pestilence  can  only  reach  our  outward  man — they  only 
reach  our  bodies  and  our  bodily  concernments,  they  cannot  reach  our 
souls,  nor  our  internal  nor  our  eterrial  concernments.  No  outivard  judg- 
ments can  reach  the  favour  of  God,  or  the  light  of  his  countenance,  or 
our  communion  with  him,  or  our  spiritual  enjoyments  of  him,  or  the 
joys  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  teachings  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  leadings  of  the 
Spirit,  or  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  luitness  of  the  Spirit,  or  the 
seekings  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  quickenings  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  peace 
that  passeth  understanding,  or  our  secret  trade  ivith  heaven. 

IX.  The  ninth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  There  are 
no  people  upon  the  earth  that  in  times  of  common  calamity  stand  upon 
such  fair  grounds  for  their  preservation  and  protection,  as  the  people 
of  God  do. 

And  this  I  shall  make  evident  by  an  induction  of  ten  particulars: — 
[1.]  First,  They  are  the  only  people  in  all  the  world  that  are  iinder 
divine  p)romises  of  protection  and  preservcdion,  Exod.  xv.  26  ;  Job  v. 
20,  21 :  Isa.  iv.  5,  6,  viii.  13,  14,  xxvi.  20,  21,  xxxi.  5,  and  xxxii. 
1,2;  Ps.  xci.  throughout.  Turn  to  those  sweet  promises,  and  re- 
member that  there  are  no  men  on  eartli  that  can  or  may  lay  their 
hands  on  these  precious  promises,  and  say,  these  promises  are  mine 
but  only  the  godly  man.  Those  promises  are  God's  bonds,  which  the 
godly  man  may  put  in  suit,  and  urge  God  with,  and  plead  hard  in 

*  '  Heathen.'— G. 


416  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

prayer,  wliicli  no  other  men  may.^  The  i)romises  of  God  are  a 
Christian's  Mofjna  Charta,  his  cliief  evidences  that  he  hath  to  shew 
for  his  preservation,  for  his  protection,  for  his  salvation.  Divine  pro- 
mises are  God's  deed  of  gift;  they  are  tlie  only  assurance  which  the 
saints  have  to  shew  for  their  right  and  title  to  Christ,  to  heaven,  and 
to  all  the  glory  and  hajjpiness  of  another  world.  Oh  how  highly 
do  men  prize  their  charters  and  privileges  !  and  how  carefully  do 
they  keep  and  lay  up  the  conveyances  and  assurances  of  their  lands ! 
Oh  how  should  saints  then  treasure  up  those  precious  promises,  which 
are  to  them  instead  of  all  conveyances  and  assurances  for  their  pre- 
servation, protection,  maintenance,  deliverance,  comfort,  and  everlast- 
ing happiness  !  The  promises  are  a  mine  of  rich  treasures  ;  they  are 
a  garden  full  of  the  choicest  and  sweetest  flowers  of  paradise ;  in 
them  are  wrapped  up  all  celestial  contentments  and  enjoyments ;  and 
therefore  study  them  more  than  ever,  and  prize  them  more  than  ever, 
and  improve  them  more  than  ever. 

[2.]  Secondly,  If  you  consider  their  near  and  dear  relations  to  God. 
They  are  his  servants,  his  friends,  his  children,  his  members,  his  spouse, 
<fec.  By  all  which  it  is  evident  that  they  stand  upon  the  advantage- 
ground,  for  preservation  and  protection,  above  all  others  in  the  world. 

[3.]  Thirdly,  If  you  consider  that  high  vcdue  and  esteem  and  price 
tliat  the  Lord  puts  2cpon  them.  He  esteems  them  as  the  apple  of  his 
eye,  Zech.  ii.  8  ;  he  accounts  them  as  his  jewels,  Mai.  iii.  17 ;  he 
prizes  them  as  his  portion,  Deut.  xxxii.  9 — yea,  as  his  pleasant 
portion,  Jer.  xii.  10;  he  accounts  them  his  crown,  yea,  his  crown 
of  glory,  and  his  royal  diadem  :  Isa.  Ixii.  3,  '  Thou' — speaking  of  his 
church — '  shalt  also  be  a  crown  of  glory  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and 
a  royal  diadem  in  the  hand  of  thy  God.'  Yea,  he  prizes  one  saint 
above  all  the  world,  Heb.  xi.  38.  By  all  which  it  is  most  evident 
that  they  stand  upon  the  advantage-ground,  as  to  their  preservation 
and  protection,  above  all  other  people  in  the  world  ;  for  God  accounts 
all  the  world  besides  to  be  but  as  dirt,  as  dust,  as  chaff,  as  thorns  and 
briers,  that  are  only  fit  to  be  cast  into  the  fire  to  be  consumed  and 
destroyed.  When  pearls  grew  common  at  Rome,  they  began  to  be 
slighted ;  but  saints  are  such  pearls  of  price,  that  God  will  never  slight. 

[4.]  Fourthly,  If  you  consider  that  they  are  the  only  people  in  the 
luorld  that  are  in  covenant  luith  God,  Ps.  Ixxxix.  30-34 ;  Jer.  xxxii. 
38-40 ;  Ezek.  xx.  37 ;  Deut.  xxix.  12 ;  Jer.  xxxi.  31-34 ;  Heb.  viii. 
G-12.  Some  do  derive  the  word  berith,  which  signifies  the  cove- 
nant, from  a  root  which  signifies  to  '  purify,'  to  '  separate,'  and  to 
'  select ;'  and  verily,  when  the  Lord  makes  a  covenant  with  any,  he 
doth  separate  them  from  others,  he  honours  them  above  all  others, 
and  he  looks  on  them  and  owns  them  for  his  peculiar  people,  and 
delights  in  them  as  the  cliosen  and  choicest  of  all  others :  '  The  whole 
world  lies  in  wickedness,'  1  John  v.  19.  By  this  also  it  is  evident 
that  the  people  of  God  stand  upon  the  advantage-ground,  for  their 
preservation  and  protection,  above  all  others  in  the  world. 

^  Sirtorius,  as  Plutarch  oliservcs,  paid  wliat  he  promised  witii  fair  words,  as  courtiers 
use  to  do;  but  so  doth  not  God.  ilen  often  eat  their  words,  but  God  will  never  eat 
his.  '  Hath  he  spoken,  and  shall  it  not  come  to  pass?'  Josh,  xxiii.  14  ;  Ezek.  xii.  25, 
and  xxiv.  14. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  417 

[5.]  Fifthly,  If  you  consider  the  common  carriage  and  deportment 
of  God  towards  his  people  in  former  times  of  calamities  and  great 
judgments.  Did  he  not  provide  an  ark  for  rigliteous  Noah,  so  that 
Noah  was  safer  in  his  ark  of  three  storeys  high  than  Nimrod  and  his 
crew  were  in  their  tower  of  Babel,  raised  to  the  height  of  five 
thousand  one  hundred  and  forty-six  paces,  as  is  reported  ?  i  And  did 
he  not  provide  a  Zoar  for  righteous  Lot?  Hesiod  speaks  of  thirty 
thousand  demi-gods  that  were  keepers  of  men.  But  what  are  so 
many  thousand  gods  to  that  one  God  that  neither  slumbers  nor  sleeps, 
but  day  and  night  keeps  his  people  as  his  jewels,  as  the  apple  of  his 
eye;  that  keepeth  them  in  his  pavilion,  as  a  prince  keeps  his 
favourite,  Ps.  cxxi.  3-5 ;  Isa.  xxvii.  3 ;  Ps.  xxxi.  20.  Princes  have 
their  retiring  rooms  and  withdrawing  chambers,  which  are  sacred 
places ;  and  so  hath  God  his,  and  there  he  shelters  the  favourites  of 
heaven.  God's  gracious  providence  is  his  golden  cabinet,  where  his 
children  are  as  safe  as  if  they  were  in  heaven.  See  Isa.  xlix.  2,  and 
xxvi.  20,  21 ;  Jer.  xxxvi.  26 ;  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  3 :  '  They  have  consulted 
against  thy  hidden  ones,' — hidden  under  the  hollow  of  thy  hand,  and 
under  the  shadow  of  thy  wing,  and  therefore  safe  from  dangers  in 
the  midst  of  dangers,  Jer.  xxxix.  16-18.  How  wonderfully  did  he 
preserve  the  three  children,  or  rather  the  three  non-conformable 
champions,  from  burning  in  the  midst  of  the  flames  !  Dan.  iii.  ;  and 
Daniel  from  being  devoured  in  the  lion's  den  !  chap.  vi.  And  so  God's 
mourning  ones  were  his  marked  ones,  and  his  saved  and  preserved 
ones,  when  the  destroying  angel  slew  old  and  young,  &c.,  Ezek.  ix. 
4,  6.  And  reverend  Beza  and  his  family  was  four  several  times 
visited  with  the  plague,  and  yet  as  often  preserved  as  they  were 
visited  ;  and  this  good  man  was  very  much  refreshed  and  comforted, 
under  that  and  other  sore  afflictions  that  befell  him,  by  that  Psalm  xci., 
which  made  him  the  more  highly  to  prize  it,  and  the  more  dearly  to 
hug  it  all  his  days,  as  himself  witnesseth  in  his  writings  on  this 
psalm.  There  is  a  dialogue  between  a  heathen  and  a  Jew,  after  the 
Jews'  return  from  captivity — all  nations  round  about  them  being 
enemies  to  them.  The  heathen  asked  the  Jew  how  he  and  his 
countrymen  could  hope  for  any  safety,  because,  saith  he,  every  one  of 
you  is  a  silly  sheep,  compassed  about  with  fifty  wolves.  Ay,  but, 
saith  the  Jew,  we  are  kept  by  such  a  shepherd  as  can  kill  all  those 
wolves  when  he  pleaseth.  Now  by  all  this,  also,  it  is  evident  that  the 
people  of  God  stand  upon  the  advantage-ground,  as  to  their  preserva- 
tion and  protection,  above  all  other  people  in  the  world. 

[6.]  Sixthly,  If  you  consider  the  life-guard  of  the  saints.,  the  minis- 
try of  the  blessed  angels  that  ahvays  attend  them:^  Ps.  xci.  11,  'For 
he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee  in  all  thy  ways  ; '  ver.  12, '  They 
shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands,  lest  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a 
stone : '  Ps.  xxxiv.  7,  '  The  angels  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about 
them  that  fear  him,  and  delivereth  them:'  Mat.  xviii.  10, '  Take  heed 
that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones  :  for  I  say  unto  you.  That 
in  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the  face  of  my  Father  which 

'  Heylin,  Cosm.,  lib.  iii. 

-  Gen.  xxxii.  1,  2  ;  Dan.  vi.  21,  22  ;  Acts  xii.  11,  l,5,and  .Txvii.  23;  2  Kings  vi.  14-17  • 
Acts  V.  18. 

VOL.   VL  2   D 


418  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

is  in  heaven  :'  Hob.  i.  14,  *  Are  tliey  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent 
forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation?'  The 
world  may  deprive  us  of  many  outward  comforts,  but  they  can  never 
deprive  us  of  the  ministry  of  the  angels. i  When  the  servants  of  God 
are  hated  by  all  men,  persecuted  by  men,  and  forsaken  of  men,  yet 
they  are  tlien  visited  and  attended  by  angels.  Princes  have  their 
guards  ;  but  what  poor,  what  weak,  what  contemptible  guards  are 
theirs  to  those  legions  of  angels  that  daily  guard  the  saints  !  When 
men  can  clip  the  wings  of  angels,  and  imprison  or  pinion  these 
heavenly  soldiers,  then,  and  not  till  then,  shall  they  be  able  to  have 
their  wills  upon  the  poor  people  of  God  !  Oh  the  honour,  the  dignity, 
the  safety  and  security  of  the  saints,  in  a  life-guard  so  full  of  state  and 
strength  !  W^ell  may  we  say,  '  Come  and  taste  and  see  how  gracious 
the  Lord  is'  in  affording  his  children  so  glorious  an  attendance  !  Now 
by  this  argument  as  well  as  the  rest,  it  is  evident  that  the  people  of 
God  stand  upon  the  advantage-ground  of  their  outward  preservation 
and  protection  above  all  other  people  in  the  world. 

[7.]  Seventhly,  If  you  consider  that  they  are  the  only  people  that  do 
hear  up  the  name  and  glory  of  God  in  the  icorld,  Deut.  iv.  6-9  ;  John 
iv.  23,  24.  They  are  the  only  people  that  worship  God  in  spirit  and 
in  truth  ;  and  from  such  worshippers  it  is  that  God  hath  the  incomes 
of  his  glory.  The  holy  hearts,  the  holy  lives,  the  holy  examples,  the 
holy  ways,  the  holy  walkings,  and  the  holy  worship  that  is  performed 
by  the  saints,  are  the  springs  from  whence  all  divine  honour  rises  to 
the  Lord  in  this  world.  The  people  of  God  are  the  only  people  in 
the  world  that  have  chosen  him  for  their  God,  and  that  have  given 
themselves  up  to  his  service,  and  thus  they  honour  his  goodness,  Deut. 
xxvi.  17,  18  ;  Ps.  cxvi.  IG  ;  Ps.  xxii.  30.  The  people  of  God  are  the 
only  people  in  the  world  who,  in  the  times  of  their  fears,  doubts,  dark- 
nesses, distresses,  straits,  trials,  dangers,  &c.,  do  consult  with  God  as 
their  great  counsellor,  as  their  only  counsellor;  and  thus  they  honour 
his  admirable  wisdom  and  infinite  knowledge.  Gen.  xxiv.  12 ;  Ps. 
xlviii.  14.  The  people  of  God  are  the  only  people  in  the  world  that 
4.0  make  God  their  refuge,  their  strong  tower,  their  shelter,  their  hid- 
ing-place, in  stormy  and  tempestuous  days  ;  and  thus  they  honour  the 
power,  all-sufficiency,  sovereignty,  and  authority  of  God,  Ps.  xlvi.  1,  7, 
11  ;  Prov,  xviii.  10 ;  Ps.  xxxii.  7,  cxix.  114,  and  xx.  7.  Wicked 
men  trust  in  their  chariots  and  horses,  and  armies  and  navies,  and 
revenues  and  carnal  policies,  and  sinful  shifts,  devices,  and  fetches  ; 
when  the  poor  people  of  God  do  not  dare  to  trust  in  their  swords  nor 
in  their  bows,  nor  in  their  wealth,  nor  in  their  wit,  nor  in  their  friends, 
nor  in  any  arm  of  flesh,  as  carnal  refuges,  but  in  the  Lord  alone :  Isa. 
xxvi.  3,  4,  '  For  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength.'  The 
people  of  God  are  the  only  people  in  the  world  that  do  give  God  the 
supremacy  in  their  hearts,  that  do  set  up  God  and  Christ  above  them- 
selves and  above  all  their  duties,  services,  privileges,  graces,  comforts, 
communions,  spiritual  enjoyments,  and  worldly  contentments ;  and 

^  The  heathens  had  some  blind  notions  concerninj^  the  ansjels  and  their  ministry,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  writiiiya  of  Plato  and  Plutarch.  Hesiod  the  Greek  poet  could  say  that 
there  were  thirty  tliousand  of  them  here  on  earth,  keepers  of  mortal  men,  and  observers 
of  their  works. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  419 

tlius  they  honour  all  the  excellencies  and  perfections  of  God  at  once, 
Ps.  Ixxiii.  25,  26  ;  Phil.  iii.  6-9  ;  Kev.iv.  10,  11.  And  do  you  think 
that  God  will  not  have  a  special  care  of  such  that  are  the  only  pro- 
moters of  his  honour  and  glory  in  this  world  ?  Doubtless  he  will. 
Now  by  this  argument,  it  is  fmlher  evident  that  the  people  of  God  do 
stand  upon  the  advantage-ground,  as  to  their  outward  preservation  and 
protection,  above  all  other  people  in  the  world. 

[8.]  Eighthly,  If  you  do  hut  seriously  consider  tvJiat  a  mighty  interest 
the  people  of  God  have  in  the  grand  favourite  of  heaven — viz. ,  the  Lord 
Jesus,  who  lies  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  and  who  is  so  near  and 
dear  unto  him,  and  so  potent  and  prevalent  with  him^  that  he  can  do 
what  he  pleaseth  with  the  Father,  and  have  what  he  will  of  the  Father, 
John  i.  18  ;  Heb.  vii.  25  ;  1  John  ii.  1,  2.  Now  look,  what  interest 
the  wife  hath  in  the  husband,  the  child  in  the  father,  the  members  in 
the  head,  the  subject  in  his  prince,  the  servant  in  his  lord,  the  branches 
in  the  root,  the  building  in  the  foundation,  that  the  believer  hath  in 
Christ,  and  much  more.  Christ  is  not  like  the  bramble,  that  receives 
good  but  yields  none  ;  but  he  is  lil^e  the  fig-tree,  the  vine,  the  olive. 
All  that  are  interested  in  him,  that  pertain  to  him,  are  the  better  for 
him  ;  they  '  all  receive  of  his  fulness  grace  for  grace,'  John  i.  16;  Col. 
i.  19.  Now,  doubtless,  all  that  interest  that  Jesus  Christ  hath 
in  God  the  Father,  he  will  improve  to  the  utmost  for  their  good 
that  have  an  interest  in  him.  Now,  by  this  argument,  it  is  also 
evident  that  the  people  of  God  do  stand  Upon  the  advantage-ground, 
above  all  others  in  the  world,  as  to  their  outward  preservation  and  pro- 
tection. 

[9.]  Ninthly,  If  you  consider  God's  tender  and  fatherly  care  of  his 
people,  and  his  singular  indtdgence  towards  them,  of  ivhich  you  may 
read  much  in  the  Messed  Scripture.  Among  the  many  choice  scrip- 
tures which  might  be  produced,  take  these  as  a  taste  :  Ps.  ciii.  13,  14, 
*  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that 
fear  him.  For  he  knoweth  our  frame  ;  he  remembereth  that  we  are 
dust.'  There  is  an  ocean  of  love  and  pity  in  the  Father's  heart  to- 
wards his  children  ;  but  it  is  but  a  drop  to  that  which  is  in  God.  He 
hit  the  mark  [Bernard]  that  said,  Tarn  pius  nemo,  tam  pater  7iemo,  No 
father  is  like  our  Father.  God  is  pater  miserationum,  He  is  all  bowels. 
Let  God  carry  it  how  he  pleaseth  towards  us,  yet  we  must  still 
acknowledge  that  he  is  a  propitious  Father,  and  say  with  him, 
[Augustine,]  '  Lord,  thou  art  a  Father  both  when  thou  strokest  and 
when  thou  strikest ;  thou  strikest  that  we  may  not  jjerish,  and  thou 
strokest  that  we  may  not  faint.'  Pity  is  as  essential  to  God  as  light 
is  to  the  sun,  or  as  heat  is  to  the  fire.  Hence  he  is  called  the  Father 
by  an  eminency,  as  if  there  were  no  father  to  him,  none  like  him,  nor 
none  besides  him,  as  indeed  there  is  not  originally  and  properly, 
James  i.  27.  So  Exod.  xix.  4,  '  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the 
Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and  brought  you  unto 
myself  It  is  an  elegant  expression  to  set  forth  God's  admirable  care 
over  his  people.  The  eagle  fears  no  bird  from  above  to  hurt  her  young, 
only  the  arrow  from  beneath ;  therefore  she  carries  them  up  upon  her 
wings:  Dent,  xxxii.  9-11,  '  The  Lord's  portion  is  his  people ;  Jacob 
is  the  lot  of  his  inheritance.     He  found  him  in  a  desert  land,  and  in 


420  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

the  waste  howling  wilderness  ;  he  led  him  about,  he  instructed  him, 
he  kept  him  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.  As  an  eagle  stirreth  up  her  nest, 
fluttereth  over  her  young,  spreadeth  abroad  her  wings,  taketh  them, 
bearetli  them  on  her  wings  :'  ver.  12,  '  So  the  Lord  alone  did  lead  him, 
and  there  was  no  strange  god  with  him.'  The  eagle  carries  her  young 
ones  upon  her  wings— not  in  her  talons,  for  fear  of  hurting  them — • 
openly,  safely,  choicely,  charily,  speedily ;  and  so  did  God  his  Israel, 
of  whom  he  was  exceeding  choice  and  chary. 

The  care  that  God  exercises  towards  his  people  is, 

(1.)  An  extensive  care :  a  care  that  reaches,  that  extends  itself  to 
all  the  saints,  whether  rich  or  poor,  high  or  low,  bond  or  free,  &c., 
2  Chron.  xvi.  9  ;  Zech.  i.  10,  11. 

(2.)  It  is  an  intentive'^  care :  he  cares  for  all  as  if  he  had  but  one  to 
care  for,  Zech.  i.  14. 

(3.)  It  is  a  pleasant  and  delightful  care,  Isa.  xxxi.  5 ;  and  not  a 
wearying,  tearing,  tormenting  care.  It  is  such  a  pleasant  care  as  an 
indulgent  father  exercises  towards  a  son,  an  only  son,  a  son  that  serves 
him,  Mai.  iii.  17. 

(4.)  It  is  an  effectual  care,  a  prosperous  care,  a  success/id  care,  a 
flourishing  care.  Men  many  times  rise  early  and  go  to  bed  late,  and 
take  a  great  deal  of  care  at  home  and  abroad,  and  all  to  no  purpose ; 
but  the  care  of  God  is  always  successful,  Deut.  xi.  12. 

(5.)  It  isasingtdar  care,  a pecidiar  care.  God  cares  more  for  them 
than  he  doth  for  all  the  world  besides.  The  ftither's  care  over  the  child 
is  a  peculiar  care,  and  the  husband's  care  over  the  wife  is  a  peculiar 
care,  and  the  head's  care  over  the  members  is  a  peculiar  care,  and  so 
is  the  Lord's  care  over  his  people  a  peculiar  care.  God's  general  care 
extends  to  the  whole  creation  ;  but  his  special  care  centres  in  his  saints 
Zeph.  iii.  16-20;  Ps.  xxxvi.  6;  Isa.  xl.  31. 

(6.)  It  is  a  very  tender  caix:  Isa.  xl.  11,  '  He  shall  feed  his  flock 
like  a  shepherd ;  he  shall  gather  the  lambs  with  his  arms,  and  carry 
them  in  his  bosom,  and  shall  gently  lead  those  that  are  with  young.' 
Zeph.  ii.  8,  '  He  that  toucheth  you  toucheth  the  apple  of  his  eye,'  or 
the  '  little  man'  that  is  in  the  eye,  or  the  black  of  the  eye,  which  is 
the  tenderest  piece  of  the  tcnderest  part,  to  express  the  inexpressible 
tenderness  of  God's  care  and  love  towards  his  people.2 

(7.)  It  is  an  abiding  care,  a  looting  care  ;  and  not  a  transient  care, 
a  momentary  care:  Ps.  cxxv.  1,2,'  They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall 
be  as  mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be  removed,  but  abideth  for  ever.  As 
the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord  is  round  about 
his  people,  from  henceforth  even  for  ever.'  Jerusalem  was  surrounded 
with  many  great  high  mountains,  which  were  a  great  safeguard  to  it 
against  all  winds  and  storms.  Such  a  shelter,  such  a  safeguard,  yea, 
and  a  better,  will  God  be  to  mystical  mount  Zion,  the  church,  Zech. 
ii.  5,  against  all  winds  and  storms  of  affliction  or  persecution :  Ps. 
cxxi.  3,  4,  '  He  that  keepeth  thee  will  not  slumber :  behold,  he  that 
keepeth  Israel  shall  neither  slumber  nor  sleep.'  He  repeats  the  pro- 
mise, and  sets  it  forth  with  a  '  behold,'  that  it  may  stick  the  closer, 

>  '  Earnest.'— O. 

"  hhon  of  iah  is  here  called  lath,  the  dau3:hlcr  of  the  eye  ;  because  it  is  as  dear  to  a 
man  as  an  only  daughter. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  421 

and  warm  our  hearts  the  better.  The  phrase  is  taken  from  watchmen, 
who  stand  on  the  walls  in  time  of  war  to  discover  the  approaching 
enemies,  and  accordingly  give  warning.  Now  though  they  may  be 
careless,  treacherous,  or  sleepy  ;  yet  the  Lord  will  be  so  far  from  sleep- 
ing, that  he  will  not  so  much  as  slumber,  no,  he  will  not  so  much  as 
fetch  one  wink  of  sleep.  It  hath  been  a  tradition  that  lions  sleep  not, 
yet  to  think  or  say  that  they  sleep  not  at  all  were  absurd ;  indeed, 
their  eyelids  being  too  little  to  cover  their  great  eyes,  they  do  sleep 
with  their  eyes  somewhat  open  and  shining,  which  hath  occasioned 
some  to  think  that  they  sleep  not  at  all.i  But  sure  I  am  that  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  who  is  the  keeper  of  Israel,  doth  neither  slumber 
nor  sleep.  He  never  shuts  his  eyes,  but  hath  them  always  open  upon 
his  people  for  good  ;  he  winks  not  so  much  as  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  ; 
he  always  stands  sentinel  for  his  people's  safety  :  Isa.  xxvii.  2,  3,  '  In 
that  day  sing  ye  unto  her,  A  vineyard  of  red  wine ;  I,  the  Lord,  do 
keep  it,  I  will  water  it  every  moment' — or,  as  the  Hebrew  runs,  'at 
moments,'  or  '  by  moments' — '  lest  any  hurt  it ;  I  will  keep  it  night  and 
day,'  that  is,  constantly,  continually,  without  intermission.  And  this 
constant  care  of  God  over  his  people  was  signified  by  those  two  types, 
the  pillar  of  fire  and  the  pillar  of  a  cloud,  that  left  not  Israel  till  they 
were  in  the  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  which  was  a  type  of 
heaven,  Exod.  xiii.  21,  22. 

(8.)  And  lastly.  It  is  an  active  care :  a  care  that  puts  the  Lord  upon 
preserving  his  people,  and  protecting  of  his  people,  and  making  pro- 
vision for  his  people,  and  standing  by  his  people,  and  pleading  the 
cause  of  his  people,  and  clearing  the  innocency  of  his  people. ^  God  is 
above  his  people  and  beneath  them,  Pent,  xxxiii.  26,  27 ;  he  is  under 
them  and  over  them,  Cant.  ii.  6  ;  he  is  before  them  and  behind  them, 
Exod.  xxxiii.  1,  2;  Isa.  lii.  12,  and  Iviii.  8.  God  is  in  the  front  of 
his  people,  and  God  is  in  the  rear  of  his  people,  he  is  on  the  right  hand 
of  his  people  and  he  is  on  the  left  hand  of  his  people,  Ps.  xvi.  8, 
cxxi.  5,  and  cxviii.  15,  16  ;  Exod.  xiv.  22.  God  made  the  waters  as  a 
wall  on  their  right  hand  and  on  their  left.  God  is  round  about  his 
people,  Ps.  xxxiv.  7,  and  cxxv.  1,2;  and  in  the  midst  of  his  people, 
Zech.  ii.  5  ;  Ps.  xlvi.  5  ;  '  God  is  in  the  midst  of  her,'  Isa.  xii.  6.  Oh 
how  safe  are  they  that  are  under  such  a  glorious  care  !  God  is  above 
his  people  and  beneath  them,  he  is  under  them  and  over  them,  he  is 
before  them  and  behind  them,  he  is  in  the  front  and  in  the  rear,  he  is 
round  about  them  and  in  the  midst  of  them.  Now  what  doth  all  this 
speak  out,  but  that  the  care  of  God  toward  his  people  is  an  active 
care  ?  If  the  philosopher  could  say,  being  in  danger  of  shipwreck  in 
a  light,  starry  night,  '  Surely  I  shall  not  perish,  there  are  so  many  eyes 
of  providence  over  me,'  3  oh,  then,  what  may  the  saints  say !  Now 
by  this  argument  it  is  evident  that  the  people  of  God  stand  upon  the 
advantage-ground,  as  to  their  outward  preservation  and  protection, 
above  all  other  people  in  the  world, 

[10.]  Tenthly,  and  lastly,  1/  you  do  hut  consider  God's  great  anger 
and  deep  dis'pleasure  against  those  that  affiict,  oppose,  or  oppress  his 

'  Appianus  :  Pliny,  Hist.  lib.  iii.  cap.  3. 

'  It  was  a  strange  speech  of  Socrates,  a  heathen,  '  Since  God  is  so  careful  for  you,'  saith 
he,  '  what  need  you  be  careful  for  anything  yourselves  ? '  '  Plato. — G. 


422  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL, 

people.  God  sent  his  people  into  Babylon,  and  their  enemies  added 
to  all  their  sorrows  and  sufferings ;  but  will  God  put  this  up  at 
their  hands?  No:  Zech.  i.  15,  'And  I  am  very  sore  displeased  with 
the  heathen  that  are  at  ease ;  for  I  was  but  a  little  displeased,  and  they 
helped  forward  the  affliction.'  '  I  am  very  sorely  displeased,'  &c., 
or,  as  the  Hebrew  runs,^  '  I  am  in  such  a  heat  as  causeth  fuming  and 
foaming.'  I  am  boiling  hot,  and  even  ready  to  draw  upon  them,  and 
to  cut  them  off  from  the  land  of  the  living.  For  the  original  word 
here  used  hath  great  aftinity  with  another  word  that  signifieth  '  to  cut 
down  and  to  destroy,'  2  Kings  vi.  6,  and  importeth  a  higher  degree 
of  displeasure,  a  greater  height  of  heat  than  either  anger  or  wrath,  as 
may  be  seen  in  that  signal  gradation,  Deut.  xxix.  28,  '  The  Lord  rooted 
them  out  of  their  land,'  heaph,  '  in  anger,'  ubechemah,  '  and  in  wrath,' 
uheketseph,  '  and  in  great  indignation.'  The  last  of  these  three  is  the 
word  in  the  text,  and  notes  a  higher  degree  of  anger  than  the  two 
former.  So  Mai.  i.  4,  'Whereas  Edom  saith,  We  are  impoverished, 
but  we  will  return  and  build  the  desolate  places  ;  thus  saith  the  Lord 
of  hosts.  They  shall  build,  but  I  will  throw  down ;  and  they  shall  call 
them  the  border  of  wickedness,  and  the  people  against  whom  the  Lord 
hath  indignation  for  ever.'  The  Edomites  were  very  great  enemies  to 
the  Israelites  ;  they  stood  looking  on,  laughing  and  rejoicing  at  Israel's 
destruction.  God  saw  this,  and  it  greatly  displeased  him,  he  being 
highly  sensible  of  the  least  indignity  done  to  his  people ;  and  therefore 
he  is  resolved  to  pay  them  home  in  their  own  coin,  Obad.  8th  to  19th 
verse.  The  very  name  and  memory  of  the  Edomites  have  long  since 
been  extinct  and  blotted  out  from  under  heaven  ;  they  were  a  people 
of  his  wrath,  Isa.  x.  6 ;  and  of  his  curse,  Isa.  xxxiv.  5.2  So  Amalek 
was  a  bitter  enemy  to  God's  Israel,  but  God  utterly  blots  out  his 
remembrance  from  under  heaven  ;  and  laying  his  hand  upon  his  throne, 
he  swears  that  he  would  have  war  with  Amalek  for  ever,  Exod.  xvii. 
14-16 ;  Nahum  i.  2,  '  God  is  jealous,  and  the  Lord  revengeth ;  the 
Lord  revengeth,  and  is  furious ;  the  Lord  will  take  vengean'ce  on  his 
adversaries,  and  he  reserveth  wrath  for  his  enemies.'  The  people  of 
God  ought  to  rest  satisfied  and  assured  that  God  sees  and  smiles,  and 
looks  and  laughs,  at  all  the  counsels  and  combinations  of  wicked  men 
against  his  Son  and  against  his  saints,  Ps.  ii.  2  ;  and  when  they  have 
done  their  worst,  the  counsel  of  the  Lord  shall  stand,  and  Christ  shall 
reign  in  the  midst  of  his  enemies,  Prov.  xix.  21.  And  that  the  stone 
cut  out  of  the  mountains  without  hands  shall  bring  down  the  golden 
image  with  a  vengeance,  and  make  it  like  the  chaff  of  the  summer- 
floor:  Dan.  ii.  35.  Some  write  of  lions,  that  as  they  are  mindful  of 
courtesies  received— witness  the  story  of  Androcles,  that  fugitive  ser- 
vant of  Rome — so  they  will  be  sure  to  revenge  injuries  done  to  them; 
they  will  prey  on  them  that  would  make  a  prey  of  them.  When  Juba, 
king  of  the  Moors,  marched  through  the  desert  of  Africa,  a  young  man 
of  his  company  wounded  a  lion ;  but  the  year  following,  when  Juba 
returned,  the   lion   again   meets   the  army,  and  from   among  them 

'  Zfketseph,  from  Ketxeph,  which  properly  signifies  such  anger  as  causeth  foaming  and 
frothing,  as  the  tumultuous  water  tossed  with  the  wind,  Ecclcs.  vi.  17,  and  Zech.  i.  7, 
boiling  or  foaming  anger.  The  word  signifies  a  fervour,  a  fierceness  or  vehemency  of 
anjrcr. 

*  See  Deut.  xxv.  17-19;  1  Pam.  xv.;  1  Chron.  iv.  42,  43;  and  compare  them  together. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  423 

all  singles  out  the  man  that  hurt  him,  and  tears  him  in  pieces, 
suflfering  the  rest  to  pass  by  in  peace  and  safety.  And  thus  the  Lord 
Jesus,  who  is  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Eev.  v.  5,  is  always  ready 
to  revenge  the  cause  of  his  people,  and  to  take  vengeance  on  all  that 
have  wounded  his  people  or  made  a  prey  of  his  people,  as  you  may 
clearly  and  fully  see  in  Ezek.  xxv.  and  xxxv.  Now  by  this  argument, 
as  well  as  by  all  the  rest,  it  is  evident  that  the  people  of  God  stand 
upon  the  advantage-ground,  as  to  their  outward  preservation  and  pro- 
tection, above  all  otlier  people  in  the  world. 

Quest.  But,  if  this  be  so,  how  comes  it  to  pass  that  in  this  time  of 
great  mortality,  many  of  the  precious  people  of  the  Lord  have  been 
taken  away  as  well  as  others,  the  raging  pestilence  having  carried 
many  pious  souls  out  of  this  world,  '  of  whom  the  world  was  not 
worthy'?  Heb.  xi.  38.  The  saint  as  well  as  the  sinner  hath  fallen  by 
the  hand  of  the  destroying  angel.  In  this  day  we  have  seen  that  word 
made  good  in  Eccles.  ix.  2,  '  That  all  things  come  alike  to  all ;  there 
is  one  event  to  the  righteous  and  to  the  wicked,  to  the  good  and  to  the 
clean,  and  to  the  unclean,  to  him  that  sacrificeth  and  to  him  that 
sacrificeth  not ;  as  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner,  and  he  that  sweareth 
as  he  that  feareth  an  oath.' 

To  this  question  I  shall  give  these  eight  short  answers: — 

(L)  First,  God  hath  smitten  some  good  men  of  all  persuasions,  that 
none  might  he  proud,  secure,  or  censorious,  and  that  all  might  take 
the  alarm  and  prepare  to  meet  their  God,  and  that  all  may  keep 
humble  and  tremble,  because  of  his  righteous  judgments:  Ps. 
cxix.  120,  '  My  flesh  trembleth  for  fear  of  thee,  and  I  am  afraid  of 
thy  judgments.' 

(2.)  Secondly,  The  number  of  those  that  feared  the  Lord  that  have 
been  taken  away  by  the  pestilence  are  hut  few,  very  few,  if  compared 
with  the  many  thousands  of  others  that  never  knew  what  it  was  to  set 
up  God  as  the  main  object  of  their  fear,  and  that  never  knew  experi- 
mentally what  a  changed  nature,  a  sanctified  frame  of  heart,  an  in- 
terest in  Christ,  or  a  title  to  heaven,  meant.  Oh  that  we  had  not 
cause  to  fear  that  hell  hath  had  a  very  large  harvest  within  these  few 
last  months ! 

(3.)  Thirdly,  Sometimes  God's  oiun  people  sin  loith  others,  and  there- 
fore they  smart  with  others  when  God  takes  the  rod  into  his  own  hand. 
Thus  Moses  and  Aaron  sinned  with  others,  and  therefore  their  carcases 
fell  in  the  wilderness  as  well  as  others.  Num.  xx.  This  may  some- 
times be  the  reason  why  some  good  men  fall  in  a  common  calamity ; 
but  I  dare  not  say  that  it  is  always  the  reason  why  some  good  men 
fall  in  a  common  calamity.  I  believe  there  are  several  choice  Chris- 
tians that  have  been  swept  away  in  this  day  of  the  Lord's  wrath,  who 
have  not  sinned  with  the  wicked,  though  they  have  fallen  with  the 
wicked.  Many  have  fallen  by  this  dispensation  who  yet  have  kept 
their  garments  pure  and  clean,  and  are  now  walking  with  Christ  in 
white,  Kev.  iii.  4.  I  do  not  think  that  those  saints  that  have  died  by 
the  plague  were  greater  sinners  than  those  that  have  escaped  the 
plague;  yea,  I  have  several  reasons  to  persuade  me  that  several  of 
those  precious  servants  of  the  Lord  that  have  died  of  the  plague, 
had  more  grace  in  their  hearts,  and  less  sin  in  their  lives,  than  many 


424  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

other  saints  that  have  been  pitied  and  spared  in  this  day  of  the  Lord's 

anger,  &c. 

(4.)  Fourthly,  No  godly  man  dies  in  any  common  calam.ify  till  his 
glass  he  run,  and  his  icork  done,  and  he  prepared  and  fitted  for  another 
world :  Job  xiv.  5,  '  Seeing  his  days  are  determined,  the  number  of 
his  months  are  with  thee ;  thou  hast  appointed  his  bounds  that  he 
cannot  pass,'  Job  v,  26  ;  Rev.  xi.  6,  7  ;  Acts  xiii.  2.5,  36.  God  hath 
set  every  man  both  his  time  and  his  task.  In  this  scripture,  as  in  a 
glass,  you  may  see  the  true  reason  why  some  likely  to  live  long  die 
soon,  even  whilst  their  bones  are  'full  of  marrow,  and  their  breasts  are 
full  of  milk  ;'  and  others  that  are  more  w^ak  and  infirm  live  long, 
yea,  very  long.  The  reason  is,  because  God  hath  set  bounds  to  every 
man's  life,  to  a  very  day,  ay,  to  a  very  hour :  ver.  14,  '  All  the  days  of 
my  appointed  time  of  warfare  will  I  wait  till  my  change  come,'  i.e., 
till  my  death.  Job  calls  death  a  '  change.'  Death  is  not  an  annihi- 
lation or  extinction,  but  a  mutation. 

1.]  It  is  the  last  change  that  we  shall  meet  with  till  the  resurrection. 

2.  J  It  is  a  lasting,  yea,  an  everlasting  change.  It  puts  every  one 
into  an  eternal  condition  of  happiness  or  misery. 

[3.]  It  is  a  universal  change — 1.  In  respect  of  persons;  all  must 
meet  with  it :  'it  is  appointed  for  all  men  once  to  die,'  Heb.  ix.  27. 
2.  In  respect  of  the  whole  man,  body  and  soul.  Death  lodges  the 
body  in  the  grave,  and  puts  the  soul  into  heaven  or  hell. 

[4.]  It  is  a  different  change  according  to  the  quality  of  the  person 
changed.     It  is  terrible  to  a  sinner :  for, 

First,  It  wnll  put  a  full  period  to  all  his  outward  mercies,  comforts, 
contentments,  and  enjoyments.  Job  i.  21.  Saladin,  a  Turkish  emperor, 
the  first  of  that  nation  that  conquered  Jerusalem,  lying  at  the  point 
of  death,  after  many  glorious  victories,  commanded  that  a  white  sheet 
should  be  borne  before  him  to  his  grave  upon  the  point  of  a  spear, 
with  this  proclamation,  '  These  are  the  rich  spoils  which  Saladin  car- 
rieth  away  with  him  ;  of  all  his  triumphs  and  victories,  of  all  the  riches 
and  realms  that  he  had,  now  nothing  at  all  is  left  him  but  this  sheet.' 

Secondly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  his  hopes.  Now  he  shall 
never  hope  for  mercy  more,  nor  never  hope  for  pardon  more,  nor  never 
hope  for  heaven  more. 

Tliirdly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  the  means  of  grace.  Now 
he  shall  never  hear  sermons  more,  nor  never  read  the  word  more,  nor 
never  enjoy  the  prayers  of  the  people  of  God  more,  nor  never  taste  any 
of  the  dainties  of  God's  store  more,  &c. 

Fourthly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  the  patience,  forbearance,  and 
long-suffering  of  God,  Rom.  ii.  4,  5. 

Fifthly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  the  pleasures  of  sin.  Now 
the  sinner  shall  never  have  one  merry  day  more.  In  hell  there  is  no 
singing,  but  howling ;  no  music,  but  madness  ;  no  sporting,  but  sigh- 
ing ;  no  dancing,  but  wringing  of  hands  and  gnashing  of  teeth  for 
evermore,  &c. 

Sixthly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  gracious  reprieves.     The 
.  sinner  in  his  lifetime  hath  had  many  a  reprieve,  from  many  execu- 
tions of  wrath  and  judgment.     Oh  !  but  now  he  shall  never  have  one 
reprieve  more. 


A  HEAVENLY  COKDIAL.  425 

Seventhly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  the  strivings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Now  the  Spirit  shall  never  strive  with  the  sinner  more, 
1  Sam.  vi.  3 ;  nor  Christ  will  never  knock  at  the  sinner's  door,  at 
the  sinner's  heart,  more,  &c. 

Eighthly,  and  lastly,  It  will  put  a  full  period  to  all  gracious 
examples.  Now  the  sinner  shall  never  cast  his  eye  upon  one  gracious 
example  more.  The  sinner  in  his  lifetime  hath  had  many  gracious 
examples  before  his  eyes,  which  it  may  be  at  times  have  had  an 
awakening,  convincing,  silencing,  and  restraining  power  in  them.  Oh ! 
but  now  he  shall  never  have  his  eye  upon  one  pious  example  more. 
All  hell  will  not  afford  one  good  example.  In  a  word,  now  the  sinner 
shall  find  by  woeful  experience  that  death  will  be  an  inlet  to  three 
dreadful  things:  1.  To  judgment,  Heb.  ix.  27;  2.  To  an  irreversible 
sentence  of  condemnation,  Mat.  xxv.  41 ;  3.  To  endless,  ceaseless, 
and  remediless  sufferings.  Not  many  years  since,  in  the  town  of  Yar- 
mouth, there  was  a  young  man,  who,  being  very  Aveak  and  nigh  to  the 
grave,  and  under  the  apprehensions  of  the  wrath  of  God,  and  supposing 
that  he  was  presently  going  down  to  the  pit,  to  hell,  he  cried  out, 
*  Oh  that  God  would  spare  me  but  two  days  !  Oh  that  God  would  spare 
me  but  two  days  !  Oh  that  God  would  spare  me  but  two  days  ! '  This 
poor  creature  trembled  at  the  very  thoughts  of  wrath  to  come.  Oh 
who  can  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings  !  who  can  dwell  with  a  de- 
vouring fire !  Isa.  xxxiii.  14.  And  as  death  is  terrible  to  the  sinner, 
so  it  is  desirable,  comfortable,  and  joyful  to  a  child  of  God :  Cant, 
viii.  14;  Luke  ii.  27-32;  2  Cor.  v.  1-8;  Phil.  i.  23  ;  Rev.  xxii.  20. 
'  I  desire  death,'  saith  Melanchthon,  '  that  I  may  enjoy  the  desirable 
sight  of  Christ.'  And  '  when  will  that  blessed  hour  come  ?  wheu 
shall  I  be  dissolved?  when  shall  I  be  with  Christ?'  said  holy  Mr 
Bolton  when  he  lay  on  his  dying-bed.  Jewel  was  offended  at  one 
that  in  his  sickness  prayed  for  his  life.  One  whom  I  knew  well,  a 
little  before  his  death,  after  a  sharp  conflict,  cried  out  three  times, 
Victory  I  victory !  victory !  He  breathed  out  his  soul  and  his  doxology 
together,  '  Thanks  be  to  God  for  Jesus  Christ,'  and  so  conquered 
Satan  in  his  last  encounter.!  The  dying  words  of  my  young  Lord 
Harrington  were  these:  '  0  my  God,  when  shall  I  be  with  thee? '2 
'  Shall  I  die  ever  ?'  saith  Austin ;  '  Yes ;  or  shall  I  die  at  all  ?  Yes,' 
says  he :  '  Lord,  if  ever,  why  not  now  ?'  When  Modestus,  the  emperor's 
lieutenant,  threatened  to  kill  Basil,  he  answered,  '  If  that  be  all,  I  fear 
not ;  yea,  your  master  cannot  more  pleasure  me  than  in  sendino-  of 
me  unto  my  heavenly  Father,  to  whom  I  now  live,  and  to  whom  I 
desire  to  hasten.'  Mr  Dereing,^  a  little  before  his  death,  being  raised 
up  in  his  bed,  and  seeing  the  sun  shine,  was  desired  to  speak  his  mind ; 
upon  which  he  said,  '  There  is  but  one  sun  that  giveth  light  to  the 
whole  world,  but  one  righteousness,  one  communion  of  saints.  As 
concerning  death,  I  see*  such  joy  of  spirit,  that  if  I  should  have 
pardon  of  life  on  the  one  side,  and  sentence  of  death  on  the  other,  I 
had  rather  choose  a  thousand  times  to  die  than  to  live.'     So  Mr  John 

1  Much  more  to  this  purpose  you  may  find  in  my  '  Saint's  Portion,'  and  in  my  '  String 
of  Pearls.'     [Works,  Vol.  I.,  as  before. — G.] 

'  Cf.  Stock's  Funeral  Sermon  on  Lord  Harrington,  as  before.— Q. 
'  Edward  Dereing  or  Deering— a  fine  old  Puritan  writer. — G. 
♦Query, 'feel'?— G. 


426  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

Holland,  lying  at  the  point  of  death,  said,  *  Wliat  brightness  do  I  see?' 
and  being  told  it  was  the  sunshine;  '  No,'  saith  he'  my  Saviour  shines. 
Now  farewell  world,  welcome  heaven  ;  the  day-star  from  on  high  hath 
visited  me.  Preach  at  my  funeral.  God  dealeth  comfortably  and 
familiarly  with  man :  I  feel  his  mercy !  I  see  his  majesty !  whether 
in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  I  cannot  tell,  God  he  knoweth  ;  but  I 
see  things  that  are  unutterable.'  i  Mr  Knox  found  so  much  comfort 
from  the  Scriptures  upon  his  death-bed,  that  he  would  have  risen  and 
have  gone  into  the  pulpit  to  tell  others  what  he  had  felt  in  his  soul. 
And  by  that  information  that  I  have  had  from  some  good  hands, 
several  precious  Christians  that  have  lately  died  of  the  plague  have 
gone  to  heaven  under  as  high  a  spirit  of  joy,  of  comfort,  of  assurance, 
and  of  a  holy  triumph,  as  any  of  the  last-mentioned  worthies,  or  as 
any  other  that  ever  I  heard  of  or  read  of :  the  remembrance  of  which 
hath  been,  and  still  is,  a  singular  cordial  to  all  their  relations  and 
friends  that  yet  survive  them.  But  as  I  was  saying,  no  godly  man 
falls  in  any  common  calamity  till  his  glass  be  run  and  his  work  done ; 
so  I  sny  of  all  those  dear  servants  of  the  Lord  that  have  fallen  by  the 
pestilence  in  the  midst  of  us,  their  hour  was  come,  and  their  course 
was  finished,  John  vii.  30,  and  viii.  19,  20 ;  2  Tim.  iv.  6,  7.  Had  God 
had  any  further  doing-work,  or  suffering-work,  or  bearing-work,  or 
witnessing-work  for  them  in  this  world,  it  was  not  all  the  angels  in 
heaven,  nor  all  the  malignant  diseases  in  the  world,  that  could  ever 
have  cut  them  off  from  '  the  land  of  the  living.'  When  Lazarus  was 
dead,  his  two  sisters,  Martha  and  Mary,  came  to  Christ  with  tears  in 
their  eyes  and  sad  complaints  in  their  mouths:  John  xi.  21-32, 
*  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not  died,'  said 
Martha :  and  '  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not 
died,'  said  Mary.  And  is  not  this  the  common  language  of  many  this 
day,  when  such  and  such  precious  Christians  have  fallen  by  the  pesti- 
lence ?  Oh  !  if  such  a  physician  had  been  here  they  had  not  died  ;  or 
if  they  had  been  let  blood  they  had  not  died ;  or  if  they  had  taken 
such  a  potion  they  had  not  died ;  or  if  they  had  ate  but  of  such  or 
such  meats  they  had  not  died ;  or  if  they  had  not  lived  in  such  a 
foggy  air  they  had  not  died  ;  or  if  they  had  not  been  shut  up  in  such 
close,  narrow,  nasty  rooms  and  places  they  had  not  died ;  or  had  they 
been  but  so  wise  and  happy  as  to  have  aj^plied  such  or  such  a  remedy, 
they  might  have  been  alive  to  this  day !  not  considering  with  Job 
that  '  the  days  of  man  are  determined,  and  his  bounds  appointed, 
which  he  cannot  pass,'  Job  xiv.  5.  The  time  and  place,  and  every 
circumstance  of  his  dissolution,  is  decreed  from  all  eternity.  That  one 
man  dies  in  the  field,  another  in  his  bed,  one  at  sea,  another  on  the 
shore,  one  of  an  apoplexy  in  the  head,  another  of  a  struma  in  the  neck, 
one  of  a  sqttinacy^  in  the  throat,  another  of  a  cough  and  consumption 
of  the  lungs ;  that  so  many  thousands  dies  of  obstructions,  inflamma- 
tions, dro])sies,  gouts,  pestilence,  it  is  foreordained  in  heaven.  The 
hand  of  the  Lord  is  in  all,  and  he  it  is  that,  having  brought  us  into 
the  world  at  his  pleasure,  will  take  us  hence  at  his  appointment.  The 
Jews  have  a  saying  that  '  God  hath  four  keys  under  his  own  girdle : 

'  The  saintly  friend,  and  editor  of  the  works,  of  Dr  Robert  Harris. — G. 
'  'Quinsy.  —G. 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  427 

1.  The  key  of  the  clouds ;  2.  The  key  of  the  womb  ;  3.  The  key  of  the 
heart ;  and  4.  The  key  of  death,  the  key  of  the  grave. 

(5.)  Fifthly,  God  sometimes  takes  away  his  dearest  children  in  the 
common  calamity  in  judgment  to  ivicked  men.  Because  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  hath  touched  some  of  his  dearest  servants  in  this  sore  visita- 
tion, how  do  the  wicked  insult,  rejoice,  and  triumph !  They  say,  Aha ! 
so  would  we  have  it !  As  the  fire-fly  leaps  and  dances  in  the  fire, 
so  do  wicked  men  rejoice  in  the  sufferings  and  death  of  the  people  of 
God.  How  do  many  wicked  men  bless  themselves  because  they  have 
escaped  the  hand  of  the  destroying  angel,  when  such  and  such  have 
fallen  by  it !  Oh,  how  proud,  how  obdurate,  how  impudent,  are 
many  grown,  because  they  have  escaped  the  present  judgment,  when 
many  others  that  have  been  a  thousand  times  better  than  themselves 
have  been  sent  to  their  graves  !  Eccles.  viii.  11.  The  Alcoran  saith, 
God  created  the  angels  of  light,  and  the  devils  of  the  flame.  Certainly 
God's  children  are  of  the  light,  but  Satan's  children  are  furious, 
wrathful  children  ;  they  are  children  of  the  flame.  Oh,  in  what  a 
flame  now  are  many  wicked  men  against  the  people  of  God — since  the 
hand  of  the  destroying  angel  hath  not  yet  reached  them — over  what 
they  were  in  when  the  destroying  angel  first  drew  his  sword  in 
the  midst  of  us  !  as  if  they  were  spared  on  purpose  to  oppress,  perse- 
cute, and  scatter  the  people  of  God  more  than  ever.  Oh  that  all  such 
would  be  but  so  favourable  to  their  own  souls,  as  seriously  to  ponder 
upon  Ezek.  xxv.  and  xxxv.  !  Obad.  8-19  ;  Nahum  i.  9-1 5.  ^ 

Felix,  earl  of  Wurtemburg,  one  of  the  captains  of  Charles  the  Fifth, 
burning  in  rage  and  anger  against  the  people  of  God,  he  swore,  in  the 
presence  of  divers  at  supper,  that  *  before  he  died  he  would  ride  up  to 
the  spurs  in  the  blood  of  the  Lutherans ;'  but  God  soon  cooled  his 
courage,  for  that  very  night  he  was  choked  and  strangled  in  his  own 
blood.  Paul  prayeth  that  he  might  be  delivered  from  '  unreasonable 
and  wicked  men,'  2  Thes.  iii.  2.  The  word  is  utottol,  absurd  men, 
such  as  put  themselves  upon  ways  of  opposition  against  all  reason  and 
common  sense  ;  yea,  such  who  in  their  rage  and  bitterness  of  spirit 
make  no  bones  of  breaking  all  the  laws  both  of  God  and  men,  so  they 
may  but  have  their  wills  and  lusts  satisfied  in  afilicting,  scattering,  and 
tormenting  of  the  people  of  God.  'Absurd'  men,  with  Judas,  kiss 
Christ,  and  betray  him.  They  kiss  the  head  and  stab  the  body  ;  or, 
as  one  wittily  expresseth  it,  they  kiss  the  mouth  and  tread  upon  the 
toes.  Reader,  remember  this,  when  the  people  of  the  Jews  made  use 
of  Philo  to  apologise  for  them  unto  Caius  the  emperor,  Caius  used 
him  very  ruggedly  ;  but  when  he  was  come  out  of  his  presence  the 
Jews  came  round  about  him.  '  Well,'  saith  he,  to  encourage  them, 
'  surely  Caius  will  arm  God  against  himself  for  us.'  Let  the  reader 
apply  it  as  he  pleaseth. 

(6.)  Sixthly,  God  sometimes  takes  atvay  some  of  his  dearest  chil- 
dren in  the  common  calamity,  that  he  may  deliver  them  from  greater 
calamities  that  are  coming  upon  the  world.  The  Jews  have  a  sayino- 
that,  '  When  good  men  die  it  is  an  ill  sign  to  the  world.'  When  the 
luminaries  of  heaven  are  eclipsed,  Dens  avertat  omen!     Paulinus 

^  The  scales  of  the  leviathan,  as  Luther  makes  the  comparison,  stick  close  together  • 
and  so  do  mcked  men  in  their  counsels,  plots,  and  projects  against  the  people  of^od.    ' 


428  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

reports  of  Ambrose  that  he  would  weep  bitterly  when  he  heard  of  any 

godly  minister's  death.  Whilst  Calvin  lives,  Beza's  life  is  sweet ;  but 
when  Calvin  dies,  death  is  the  more  acceptable  unto  Beza.  It  is  dark 
night  when  the  lights  are  put  out,  and  when  the  curtains  are  drawn, 
and  the  windows  close  shut.  Ah,  England,  England  !  if  this  is  not 
thy  present  case,  I  know  nothing  !  The  clouds  gather  more  and  more, 
and  every  day  they  look  blacker  and  blacker,  and  bloodier  and  bloodier  ! 
Happy  are  those  souls  that  are  now  in  heaven,  and  blessed  are  those 
souls  that  are  now  waiting  for  the  redemption  of  Israel. 

(7.)  Seventhly,  Notwithstanding  any  outward  promises  that  the 
Lord  hath  made  concerning  the  protection  and  preservation  of  his 
children,  yet  he  still  reserves  a  liberty  to  himself  to  chastise  his  chil- 
dren luitli  ichat  rod  he  pleaseth,  Ps.  Ixxxix.  30-34  ;  Heb.  xii.  6-9  ; 
Kev.  iii.  19.  Notwithstanding  all  the  gracious  engagements  that  are 
upon  the  Lord  to  his  people,  yet  he  reserves  a  freedom  to  himself 
to  make  use  of  the  very  lives  of  his  people  in  such  ways  as  may  make 
best  for  the  bringing  about  of  his  own  ends,  and  as  may  make  most 
for  the  advance  of  his  own  glory  ;  and  hence  it  comes  to  pass  that  God 
delights  so  to  carry  it  towards  his  dearest  people,  as  that  sinners  and 
saints  shall  be  forced  to  say  that  'his  judgments  are  unsearchable,' 
and  that  his  '  ways  are  past  finding  out,'  Rom.  xi.  33,  '  And  that  his 
way  is  in  the  sea,  and  that  his  paths  are  in  the  great  waters,  and  that 
his  footsteps  are  not  known,'  Ps.  Ixxvii.  19.  If  you  take  a  straight 
stick  and  put  it  into  the  water,  it  will  seem  crooked.  Why?  Because 
we  look  upon  it  through  two  mediums,  air  and  water.  There  lies  the 
deceptio  visits  ;  thence  it  is  that  we  cannot  discern  aright.  Thus  all 
the  proceedings  of  God  in  his  righteous  judgments,  which  in  them- 
selves are  just,  righteous,  and  straight,  without  the  least  obliquity, 
seem  to  us  strange  and  crooked.  That  the  wicked  should  prosper, 
and  the  righteous  be  afflicted  ;  that  good  men  should  be  in  bonds, 
when  bad  men  walk  at  large  ;  that  the  Israelites  should  make  the 
bricks,  and  the  Egyptians  dwell  in  the  houses ;  that  some  of  the  best 
of  Christians  should  fall  by  the  pestilence,  when  many  of  the  worst  of 
sinners  have  their  lives  for  a  prey — these  are  some  of  those  mysterious 
providences  that  many  times  make  some  of  the  best  of  Christians  to 
stagger  in  their  judgments  ;  and  why  so,  but  because  they  look  upon 
God's  proceedings  through  a  double  medium,  of  flesh  and  spirit ;  and 
hence  it  comes  to  pass  that  all  things  seem  to  run  cross,  and  that  God's 
most  just  and  righteous  proceedings  are  not  so  clearly  and  fully  dis- 
cerned as  otherwise  they  might  be.  The  wheels  in  a  watch  or  in 
a  clock  move  contrary  one  to  another — some  one  way,  some  another  ; 
yet  all  shew  the  skill  and  intent  of  the  workman,  to  shew  the  time,  or 
to  make  the  clock  to  strike  ;  so  in  this  world  divine  providences  seem 
to  run  cross  to  divine  promises  ;  the  wicked  are  spared,  and  the 
righteous  are  taken  away  ;  yet,  in  the  conclusion,  all  issues  in  the 
will,  purpose,  and  glory  of  God. 

(8.)  Eighthly  and  lastly,  God  hath  taken  several  of  his  own  dear 
children  away  by  the  pestilence,  to  ivipe  off  that  reproach  tvhich 
atheists  and  wicked  men  are  apt  to  cast  upon  the  Lord,  as  if  he  ivere 
partial,  and  his  icays  not  equal,  Ezek.  xviii.  25,  29.    God,  to  stop  the 


A  HEAVEKLY  CORDIAL.  429 

moutli  of  iniquity,  tlie  mouth  of  blasphemy,  hath  taken  away  several 
of  his  dear  servants  by  the  raging  pestilence,  when  the  wicked  walk 
on  every  side,  yea,  when  hell  seems  to  be  broke  loose,  and  men  turned 
into  incarnate  devils  ;  and  all  because  they  have  not  been  plagued  as 
other  men,  nor  visited  as  God  hath  visited  some  of  his  dearest  children, 
Ps.  Ixxiii.  5  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  9  ;  Job  xxiv.  12  ;  Ps.  1.  21. 

Sometimes  God's  manner  is  to  begin  with  his  own  people :  1  Pet. 
iv.  17,  '  Judgment  must  begin  at  the  house  of  God ;'  and  the  Lord 
commands  his  destroying  angel  to  begin  at  the  sanctuary,  Ezek.  ix.  6. 
Sometimes  when  God  intends  to  bring  a  common  and  general  destruc- 
tion upon  the  enemies,  oppressors,  haters,  and  persecutors  of  his  people, 
he  is  wont  first  to  scourge  his  own  till  the  blood  comes.     '  I  took  the 
cup  at  the  Lord's  hands' — he  means  the  cup  of  God's  fury,  Jer.  xxv. 
17  —  'and  made  all  the  nations  to  drink' — that  is,  prophesied  that 
they  should  certainly  drink  of  it — '  unto  whom  the  Lord  hath  sent  me.' 
But  who  were  to  drink  first  of  this  cup?   Mark,  he  tells  us,  ver.  18, 
'  Jerusalem  and  the  cities  of  Judah,  and  the  kings  thereof,  and  the 
princes  thereof.'     These  were  to  begin  in  this  cup  to  Egypt  and  the 
Philistines,  to  Edom,  and  Moab,  and  the  Ammonites,  as  he  shews 
in  the  verses  following.     Now  all  these  were  bitter  and  implacable 
enemies  to  the  Israel  of  God.     Ah,  sinners,  sinners  !  do  not  insult  over 
the  poor  people  of  God  because  here  and  there  the  hand  of  the  Lord 
hath  touched  them,  and  God  hath  given  the  cup  into  their  hands ;  for 
if  God  be  God,  the  cup  must  go  round,  and  he  will  make  good  that 
word,  Isa.  v.  22,  23,  [see  ver.  17,]  '  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  Lord  and 
thy  God,  that  pleadeth  the  cause  of  his  people :  Behold,  I  have  taken 
out  of  thy  hand  the  cup  of  trembling,  even  the  dregs  of  the  cup  of 
my  fury ;  thou  shalt  no  more  drink  it  again ;  but  I  will  put  it  into 
the  hands  of  them  that  afflict  thee ;  which  have  said  to  thy  soul.  Bow 
down,  that  we  may  go  over;  and  thou  hast  laid  tliy  body  as  the  ground, 
and  as  the  street  to  them  that  went  over.'     And  that  word,  Jer.  xlix. 
12,  'For  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold,  they' — meaning  his  own  peculiar 
people — '  whose  judgment  was  not  to  di-ink  of  the  cup' — that  is,  the 
cup  of  my  wrath — '  have  assuredly  drunken ;  and  art  thou  he  that 
shalt  altogether  go  unpunished  ?  thou  shalt  not  go  unpunished,  but 
thou  shalt  surely  drink  of  it,'  or  '  drinking  drink,'  as  the  Hebrew  runs. 
I  have  not  spared  my  own  dear  people,  saith  God,  who  might  have 
expected  this  favour  at  my  hands  before  any  people  under  heaven, 
upon  the  account  of  my  relation  to  them,  my  affections  for  them,  and 
my  covenant  with  them  all ;  and  do  you  think  that  I  will  spare  you  ? 
No !  drinking  you  shall  drink — that  is,  you  shall  certainly  drink  of  this 
cup  of  my  wrath;  and  you  shall  signally  and  visibly  drink  of  this  cup  of 
my  wrath.  And  that  word,  Isa.  xlix.  25, 26,  '  But  thus  saith  the  Lord, 
Even  the  captains  of  the  mighty  shall  be  taken  away,  and  the  prey 
of  the  terrible  shall  be  delivered ;  for  I  will  contend  with  him  that 
contendeth  with  thee,  and  I  will  save  thy  children ;  and  I  will  feed 
them  that  oppress  thee  with  their  own  flesh  ;  and  they  shall  be  drunken 
with  their  own  blood,  as  with  sweet  wine ;  and  all  flesh  shall  know 
that  the  Lord  is  thy  Saviour  and  thy  Kedeemer,  the  mighty  One  of 
Jacob.'    Oh  that  those  men  would  lay  these  scriptures  to  heart,  who 


430  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

rejoice  and  glory  in  the  sufferings  of  tlie  poor  people  of  God,  and 
because  some  of  them  have  fallen  by  the  hand  of  the  destroying  angel, 
considering  that  the  design  of  God  herein  is  to  stop  the  mouth  of 
iniquity,  and  that  none  may  say  that  he  is  either  partial  or  fond  ! 
Such  men  that  have  been  eye-witnesses  of  God's  impartial  dealing  with 
his  own  peui)le  in  this  day  of  his  wrath  should  rather  be  down-in-the- 
mouth  than  up  in  their  spirits ;  they  should  rather  be  silent  than 
raving  against  the  people  of  the  Lord ;  they  should  rather  tremble 
than  rejoice — for  if  God  deal  thus  with  his  green  trees,  how  will  he 
deal  with  the  dry  ?  When  God  cuts  down  liis  best  timber,  will  he 
not  either  grub  up  or  burn  up  the  old  stumps  ?  Surely  he  will, 
Luke  xxiii.  31.  '  If  judgment  begin  at  the  house  of  God,  where  shall 
the  sinner  and  the  ungodly  appear?'  1  Pet.  iv.  17, 18.  If  God  deal 
thus  with  his  best  friends,  how  will  he  deal  with  his  enemies  ?  If 
God  deal  thus  with  his  dearest  children,  servants  and  slaves  have 
cause  to  tremble.  And  thus  much  for  the  reasons  why  some  of  God's 
dearest  children  have  fallen  by  the  pestilence  in  this  day  of  the  Lord's 
anger. 

X.  The  tenth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  That  such 
sainis  as  do  fall  by  the  sivordor  hy  the  pestilence,  they  receive  no  loss, 
no  lorong,  no  injury,  hy  these  sad  dispensations  ;  they  gain  much,  but 
they  lose  nothing;  for  by  these  sad  providences  they  are  hut  hastened 
to  heaven,  to  their  Fathers  house,  to  their  eternal  homes,  and  to  those 
blessed  mansions  that  Christ  hath  prepared  for  them,  John  xiv.  1-4. 

Elijah  went  to  heaven  in  a  fiery  chariot,  2  Kings  xi.  12 ;  and  many 
thousand  of  the  martyrs  went  to  heaven  in  fiery  chariots,  and  in 
bloody  chariots ;  and  doubtless  many  worthies  in  this  day  are  gone 
to  heaven  in  a  pestilential  chariot,  as  in  a  chair  of  state.  Heaven  is 
a  place  of  so  much  pleasure  and  delight  that  they  are  happy  that  can 
get  thither  anyhow.  There  is  laid  up  in  heaven  '  an  incorruptible 
crown,'  a  '  crown  of  life,'  a  '  crown  of  righteousness,  a  '  crown  of  im- 
mortality,' a  '  crown  of  glory,'  1  Cor.  ix.  25  ;  2  Tim.  iv.  8  ;  James  i.  12  ; 
1  Pet.  V.  4 ;  Rev.  ii.  10 ;  and  who  would  not  shoot  any  gulf  to  come 
to  these  crowns  ?  Nee  Chrisfus,  nee  coelum  patitnr  hyperbolem  — 
Neither  Christ  nor  heaven  can  be  hyperbolised.  The  good  things  of 
heaven  are  so  many  that  they  exceed  number,  and  so  great  that  they 
exceed  measure,  and  so  precious  that  they  are  above  all  estimation. 
What  will  that  life  be,  or  rather  what  will  not  that  life  be,  since  all 
good  either  is  not  at  all,  or  is  in  such  a  life  ?  Here  is  light  which 
place  cannot  comprehend,  voices  and  music  which  time  cannot  ravish 
away,  odours  which  are  never  dissipated,  a  feast  which  is  never  con- 
sumed, a  blessing  which  eternity  bestoweth,  but  eternity  shall  never 
see  at  an  end ;  and  who  would  not  wade  through  a  Red  Sea  to  come 
to  this  heavenly  Canaan  ?  What  are  all  the  silks  of  Persia,  and  all  the 
spices  of  Egypt,  and  all  the  gold  of  Ophir,  and  all  the  treasures  of 
both  Indies;  yea,  what  is  the  glory  of  ten  thousand  worlds,  to  that 
glory  that  those  saints  are  now  enjoying  who  have  died  by  the  pesti- 
lence in  the  midst  of  us  ?  When  Cyneas,  the  ambassador  of  Pyrrhus, 
after  his  return  from  Rome,  was  asked  by  his  master  what  he  thought 
of  the  city  and  state,  he  answered  that '  it  seemed  to  him  to  be  respub- 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  431 

lica  regum — a  state  of  none  but  great  statesmen,  and  a  commonwealth, 
of  kings.'  Such  is  heaven — no  other  than  a  commonwealth  of  kings. 
Every  saint  in  that  kingdom  is  co-heir  with  Christ,  and  hath  a  robe  of 
honour,  and  a  sceptre  of  power,  and  a  throne  of  majesty,  and  a  crown 
of  glory,  Rom.  viii.  17.  Now  what  doth  that  Christian  lose  who  dies 
of  the  pestilence,  and  by  that  means  is  brought  to  the  fruition  of  all 
this  glory  ?  '  Death,'  saith  Mr  Brightman,  '  that  was  before  the 
devil's  sergeant  to  drag  us  to  hell,  is  now  the  Lord's  gentleman-usher 
to  conduct  us  to  heaven,' 

In  the  ceremonial  law  (Lev.  xxv.)  there  was  a  year  they  accounted 
the  year  of  jubilee,  and  this  was  with  the  poor  Jews  a  very  delightful 
and  accei^table  year,  because  that  every  man  that  had  lost  or  sold  his 
lands,  upon  the  blowing  of  a  trumpet,  returned,  and  had  possession  of 
his  estate  again ;  and  so  he  was  recovered  out  of  all  those  miseries 
and  extremities  in  which  he  lived  before.  Now  our  whole  life  in  this 
world  is  made  up  of  troubles  and  trials,  of  calamities  and  miseries,  of 
crosses  and  losses,  of  reproaches  and  disgraces  ;  but  death  is  the  Chris- 
tian's jubilee ;  it  wipes  away  all  tears  from  his  eyes,  it  turns  his 
miseries  into  mercies,  his  crosses  into  crowns,  and  his  earthly  hell 
into  a  glorious  heaven.  Though  death,  though  the  pestilence  be  to  the 
wicked  as  the  rod  in  Moses'  hand  that  was  turned  into  a  serpent,  yet 
to  the  godly,  death,  the  pestilence,  is  like  to  the  wand  in  Elijah's 
hand,  a  means  to  waft  them  over  into  a  better  life.  The  heathen 
gods  held  death  to  be  man's  summum  honum,  his  chiefest  good. 
Solomon  upon  his  throne  extolled  his  coffin  above  his  crown.  Death 
is  a  fall  that  came  in  by  a  fall.  For  a  saint  to  die  is  for  a  saint  to  be 
no  more  unhappy.  By  death  the  saints  come  to  a  fixed  and  invariable 
eternity.  Death  is  but  an  entrance  into  life.  That  is  not  death  but 
life,  which  joins  the  dying  man  to  Christ;  and  that  is  not  life  but  death, 
which  separates  the  living  man  from  Christ.  Death  will  blow  the 
bud  of  grace  into  the  flower  of  glory.  Death  is  a  saint's  quiehis  est. 
All  fearful  disasters,  saith  Gregory,  which  rob  the  saints  of  life,  do 
but  serve  as  a  rough  wind  to  blow  them  suddenly  into  their  desired 
haven — I  mean  heaven.  It  matters  not,  saith  Austin,  whether  a 
burning  fever  or  flash  of  lightning,  or  whether  a  stone  in  the  bladder, 
or  a  thunder-stone  in  thy  head,  sends  thee  out  of  this  miserable  world; 
for  God  minds  not,  saith  he,  the  immediate  occasion  of  thy  coming 
to  him,  but  the  condition  and  posture  that  thy  soul  is  in  when  it 
Cometh  before  him.  The  great  thing  that  God  will  look  at  is,  whether 
thou  art  a  sheep  or  a  goat,  a  sinner  or  a  saint,  a  friend  or  an  enemy, 
a  son  or  a  slave,  a  believer  or  an  infidel ;  whether  thou  art  growing 
on  the  crab-stock  of  old  Adam,  or  art  engrafted  into  Christ ;  whether 
thou  art  clothed  with  the  righteousness  of  his  Son,  or  whether  thou 
standest  before  him  in  the  ragged  righteousness  of  thine  own  duties. 

XI.  The  eleventh  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz..  Though 
a  godly  man  should  die  of  the  plague,  yet  he  shall  be  certainly  delivered 
from  the  evil  of  the  plague. 

The  smartest  rod  that  God  lays  upon  his  own  people  is  from  a 
principle  of  love.  Though  he  be  angry  with  his  people's  sins,  yet  he 
loves  their  persons,  Rev.  iii.  19;  Prov.  iii.  11,   12;  Heb.  xii.  5-9. 


432  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

Though  the  pestilence  comes  as  a  judgment  upon  wicked  men,  yet  it 
comes  only  as  a  chastisement  upon  the  people  of  God.  When  the 
plague  comes  upon  wicked  men,  it  comes  upon  them  by  virtue  of  the 
first  covenant,  and  as  a  fruit  of  the  curse ;  but  when  it  comes  upon 
the  godly,  it  comes  upon  them  by  virtue  of  the  second  covenant — I 
mean  the  covenant  of  grace — and  as  a  fruit  of  his  love,  Ps.  Ixxxix. 
30-34.  Hence  God  is  called  '  The  great  and  terrible  God  that  keepeth 
covenant,'  Neh.  i.  5.  But  why  is  he  called  'the  terrible  God  that 
keepeth  covenant,'  but  because  as  he  hath  covenanted  to  keep  them 
from  the  evil  of  the  world,  and  to  purge  away  their  sins,  and  to  save 
their  souls,  and  to  preserve  them  to  his  heavenly  kingdom,  Ps.  cxix. 
75  ;  John  xvii. ;  2  Tim.  iv.  17,  18;  so  he  stands  bound  by  his  cove- 
nant to  make  use  of  any  terrible  dispensations  to  effect  those  great 
and  glorious  things.  As  we  sometimes  preserve  those  things  in 
salt  that  we  cannot  preserve  in  sugar ;  so  sometimes  God  preserves 
his  poor  people  in  the  salt  of  afflictions,  in  the  salt  of  terrible  dis- 
pensations, when  they  would  not,  when  they  could  not,  be  preserved 
in  the  sugar  of  mercies,  &c.  Though  the  plague  should  come  into  a 
godly  family,  yet  God  will  deliver  that  family  from  the  evil  of  the 
plague :  Ps.  xci.  10,  '  There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither  shall 
any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwelling.'  Beloved,  though  the  plague 
should  come  into  a  godly  man's  house,  yet  there  shall  not  be  any  evil 
in  it  to  the  godly  man.  When  the  plague  comes  into  a  wicked  man's 
family,  it  always  comes  in  the  quality  of  a  curse,  Lev.  xxvi.  ;  but  it 
never  comes  into  a  godly  man's  family  in  the  quality  of  a  curse,  for 
Christ  was  made  a  curse  for  them,  Gal.  iii.  13.  It  never  enters  into 
a  godly  man's  family  as  a  fruit  of  God's  revenging  justice  or  wrath, 
Rom.  viii.  18  ;  Jer.  xxiv.  5;  Isa.  liv.  7-10  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  3,  and  xxxiii.  37. 
When  the  plague  comes  upon  the  wicked,  it  comes  upon  them  as  a 
fruit  of  God's  judicial  wrath;  but  when  it  comes  upon  the  godly,  it  only 
comes  upon  them  as  a  fruit  of  God's  fatherly  anger.  When  it  comes 
upon  the  wicked,  it  comes  upon  them  as  a  fruit  of  God's  everlasting 
wrath  ;  and  therefore  where  it  proves  fatal,  it  is  but  an  inlet  to  eternal 
torments.  But  when  it  comes  upon  a  child  of  God,  it  comes  upon 
him  but  as  a  fruit  of  God's  momentary  wrath,  Isa.  liv.  7-10.  Look, 
as  David  gave  charge  to  his  soldiers,  that  they  should  not  kill  Absalom, 
his  son,  but  only  restrain  his  unnatural  rebellion,  and  reduce  him  to 
his  former  obedience ;  so  when  God  sends  the  pestilence  amongst  his 
])eople,  he  lays  a  law  of  restraint  upon  it  that  it  shall  not  hurt  his 
people,  that  it  shall  not  destroy  their  graces,  nor  ruin  their  souls. 
The  full  commission  that  God  gives  to  the  pestilence  is  to  restrain  the 
sins  of  his  people,  and  to  destroy  the  soul-rebelfions  of  his  people.  I 
have  read  of  a  loadstone  in  Ethiopia  which  hath  two  corners ;  with 
the  one  it  draws  the  iron  to  it,  with  the  other  it  puts  the  iron  from  it; 
BO  God  hath  two  arms,  the  one  of  mercy,  and  the  other  of  judgment ; 
two  hands,  the  one  of  love,  the  other  of  wrath ;  with  the  one  he 
draweth,  with  the  other  he  driveth ;  the  one  stroketh,  the  other 
striketh ;  and  as  he  hath  a  right  hand  of  favour  wherewith  to  lead 
the  saints,  so  he  wants  not  a  left  hand  of  fury  wherewith  to  dash  the 
wicked  in  pieces. 

XII.  The  twelfth  divine  maxim  or  conclusion  is  this — viz.,  That 


A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL.  433 

God  knows  liow  to  distinguish  his  people,  and  how  to  difference  his 
people  from  others,  luhen  the  pestilence  rages  in  the  midst  of  them : 
as  he  did  between  the  Israehtes  and  the  Egyptians,  Exod.  viii.  21-23, 
ix.  22-26,  and  xi.  7.  That  of  the  apostle  is  a  great  truth  :  2  Tim.  ii. 
19,  '  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  his.'  The  Lord  knows  all 
his  people  by  name  ;  he  doth  not  only  know  how  many  be  elected,  but 
he  also  knoweth  who  they  are.  He  knows  the  very  numerical  persons 
upon  whom  he  hath  set  his  electing  love.  Though  the  pestilence 
doth  not  know  a  saint  from  a  sinner,  yet  the  Lord  knows  a  saint  from 
a  sinner  ;  though  the  pestilence  doth  not  know  the  righteous  from  the 
wicked,  yet  the  Lord  knows  the  righteous  from  the  wicked  ;  though 
the  pestilence  doth  not  know  him  that  feareth  an  oath  from  him  that 
sweareth,  yet  the  Lord  knows  him  that  feareth  an  oath  from  him  that 
sweareth  ;  though  the  pestilence  doth  not  know  the  clean  from  the 
unclean,  yet  the  Lord  knows  the  clean  from  the  unclean  ;  though  the 
pestilence  doth  not  know  him  that  sacrificeth  from  him  that  sacrificeth 
not,  yet  the  Lord  knows  him  that  sacrificeth  from  him  that  sacrificeth 
not ;  though  the  pestilence  doth  not  know  the  oppressed  from  the 
oppressor,  yet  the  Lord  knows  the  oppressed  from  the  oppressor  ; 
though  the  pestilence  doth  not  know  the  persecuted  from  the  perse- 
cutor, yet  the  Lord  knows  the  persecuted  from  the  persecutor :  2  Peter 
ii.  9,  '  The  Lord  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of  temptation,' 
that  is,  afflictions.  Though  the  godly  man  do  not  know  how  to  deliver 
himself  out  of  temptations,  though  others  do  not  know  how  the  godly 
man  should  be  delivered  out  of  temptations,  yet  the  Lord  knows  how 
to  deliver  the  godly  man  out  of  temptations  ;  and  his  time  is  always 
the  best.  The  physician  turns  the  hour-glass,  and  resolves  the  physic 
shall  work  so  long  ;  the  impatient  patient  cries  out.  Oh,  I  am  in  pain  ! 
oh,  how  I  am  tormented  !  oh,  what  would  I  not  give  for  a  little  ease  ! 
oh,  methinks  every  hour  is  a  year  !  but  the  wise  physician,  knowing 
the  fittest  time,  will  not  suffer  him  to  have  any  rest  or  comfort  till  the 
physic  hath  had  its  proper  operation.  Thus  many  times  God's  dear 
children,  when  they  are  under  sore  trials,  they  cry  out,  How  long, 
Lord,  how  long  shall  this  rod  lie  upon  om*  backs  ?  how  long  shall 
thy  anger  smoke  ?  how  long  shall  the  judgment  continue  ?  but  God 
will  turn  a  deaf  ear,  and  make  them  wait  his  time,  which  is  always 
the  best  time.  And  therefore  though  God  knows  how  to  deliver  the 
godly  out  of  temptations',  yet  he  will  take  his  own  time  to  deliver  them 
out  of  temptations,  &c. 

XIII.  The  thirteenth,  and  last  divine  maxim  or  conclusion,  is  this 
— viz.,  That  though  the  godly  are  not  delivered  from  the  plague,  yet 
they  are  still  delivered  by  the  plague  ;  by  it  they  shall  be  delivered  from 
all  their  sins. 

Death  is  not  mors  honiinis,  but  mors  peccati,  not  the  death  of  the 
man,  but  the  death  of  his  sin.  When  Samson  died,  the  Philistines 
died  together  with  him  ;  so  when  a  believer  dies,  be  it  the  pestilence 
or  any  other  disease,  his  sin  dies  with  him.  As  death  came  in  by  sin, 
so  sin  goes  out  by  death.  As  the  worm  kills  the  worm  that  bred  it, 
so  death  kills  sin  that  bred  it.  The  Persians  had  a  certain  day  in  the 
year  wherein  they  used  to  kill  all  serpents  and  venomous  creatures  ; 
such  a  day  as  that  will  the  day  of  death  be  to  every  believer.     When 

VOL.  VI.  2  E 


434  A  HEAVENLY  CORDIAL. 

the  pestilence  Lath  put  a  period  to  a  Christian's  days,  then  lie  shall 
never  be  proud  more,  nor  passionate  more,  nor  unbelieving  more,  nor 
■svorldly  more,  nor  neglective  of  duty  more,  nor  "grieve  the  Spirit  of 
God  more,  nor  wound  conscience  more,  nor  break  the  peace  with  God 
more,  nor  sad  the  hearts  of  the  righteous  more,  nor  open  the  mouth  of 
blasphemy  more.  The  death  of  the  body  shall  quite  destroy  the  body 
of  death  ;  so  that  as  sin  was  the  midwife  that  brought  death  into  the 
world,  so  death  shall  be  the  grave  that  shall  bury  sin  in.  When  the 
pestilence  takes  away  a  godly  man,  it  doth  not  take  him  away  in  his 
sins,  but  it  takes  him  away  from  his  sins  ;  and  as  death,  as  the  pesti- 
lence when  it  kills,  rids  the  believer  of  all  his  sins,  so  it  Avill  rid  him 
of  all  his  troubles.  Death  cures  all  diseases,  the  aching  head  and  the 
mibelieving  heart ;  iiUimus  morhormn  medicus  mors.  At  Stratford- 
Bow  were  burned  in  Queen  Mary's  days^  at  one  stake  a  lame  man  and 
a  blind  man  ;  the  lame  man,  after  he  was  chained,  casting  away  his 
crutch,  bade  the  blind  man  be  of  good  comfort,  for  death  would  cure 
them  both.  It  will  cure  thee,  saith  he,  of  thy  blindness,  and  me  of 
my  lameness.  The  way  to  gloiy  is  by  misery.  In  tliis  world  we  are 
all  Benonis,  the  sons  of  sorrow.  The  way  to  heaven  is  by  Weeping- 
cross.  Christ's  passion-Aveck  was  before  his  ascension-day.  None 
passes  to  paradise  but  by  burning  seraphims.  We  cannot  go  out  of 
Egypt  but  through  the  Bed  Sea.  The  children  of  Israel  came  to 
Jerusalem  through  the  valley  of  tears,  and  crossed  the  swift  river  of 
Jordan  before  they  came  to  the  sweet  waters  of  Siloam.  If  a  godly 
ujan  die  of  the  pestilence,  he  shall  never  be  haunted,  tempted,  and 
buffeted  by  Satan  more  ;  he  shall  never  see  a  cloud,  a  frown,  a  wrinkle 
in  the  face  of  God  more.  The  chair  of  pestilence  shall  be  to  him  a 
chair  of  state,  by  which  he  shall  be  brought  into  the  presence  of  the 
King  of  kings.  If  the  plague  prove  mortal  to  a  godly  man  or  woman, 
it  shall  do  that  for  them  wliich  all  ordinances  could  never  do,  and 
which  all  their  duties  could  never  do,  and  which  all  their  graces  could 
never  do,  and  which  all  their  experiences  could  never  do  for  them,  and 
which  all  the  assistances,  influences,  and  incomes  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
could  never  do  for  them,  &c.  It  shall  at  once  free  them  from  all 
their  sins,  sorrows,  tears,  temptations,  oppressions,  oppositions,  vexa- 
tions, and  persecutions.  Death  will  cure  the  believer  of  all  his  bodily 
diseases  and  distempers  at  once.  And  thus  I  have  done  with  these 
divine  maxims  and  conclusions  :  the  Lord  make  them  as  so  many 
heavenly  cordials  to  the  Christian  reader  ! 


EEiVDER, 

If  thou  art  so  ingenuous  as  to  be  desirous  to  know  what  those  special 
lessons  are  that  thou  art  to  learn  by  that  severe  rod,  the  pestilence, 
that  hath  been  so  long  amongst  us,  I  must  refer  thee  to  my  first 
Epistle  before  my  Treatise  on  '  Closet  Prayer,'  where  thou  wilt  find 
twenty  lessons  that  we  are  to  learn  by  the  smarting  rod. 2 

'  [Fo.\e]  Acts  and  Monuments,  fol.  1733.  '  Sec  Works,  Vol.  II.,  pp.  139,  seq.—G. 


THE 


LEGACY  OF  A  DYING  MOTHER. 


NOTE. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  trace  another  copy  besides  my  own  of  this  interesting  and 
touching  little  volume.  It  appears  to  be  wholly  unknown  to  bibliographers.  The 
original  title-page  will  be  found  below.*  The  'Epistle  Dedicatory'  of  Brooks  forms  a 
pungent  and  quickening  little  treatise  on  the  duty  of  children  to  walk  in  the  footsteps 
of  their  godly  parents.  The  'Legacy' or  '  Experiences' itself  occupies  only  eighteen 
out  of  the  sixty-two  pages;  and  as  it  is  experimental,  and  also  furnishes  glimpses  of 
'good  men'  in  America — e.g.,  Cotton,  Shephard,  Eliot — of  whom  very  little  is  known, 
we  have  decided  to  reprint  it  along  with  Brooks's  'Epistle  Dedicatory.'— G. 


•  THE 
LEGACY 

OF  A 

DYING  MOTHER 

To  Her 

Mourning  CHILDREN, 

Being  the 
EXPERIENCES 

of 

Mrs  SuHanna  Bell, 

Who  died  March  13.  1C72. 

With  an 

EPISTLE  DEDICATORY 

By 

THOMAS  BROOKS  Minister  of  the 

Gospel. 

LONDON, 

Printed  and  are  to  be  sold  by  John  Hancock 

Senior  and  Junior  at  the  three  Bibles  in 

Popes-Head  Alley  in  Cornhill.  1673. 

[121U0.— 0.] 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 


To  his  Honoured  Friends,  Mr  T.  B.,  I.  B.,  S.  B.,  I.  T.,  Merchants, 
and  to  their  Wives,  and  to  the  rest  of  the  Children  of  Mrs 
Susanna  Bell,  deceased  :  the  Author  wisheth  all  grace,  mercy, 
and  peace. 

Honoured  Friends, — My  design  in  this  epistle  is  not  to  compliment 
you,  but  to  benefit  you ;  it  is  not  to  tickle  your  ears,  but  to  better 
your  hearts ;  nor  it  is  not  to  blazon  her  name  or  fame  to  the  world 
whose  heaven-born  soul  is  now  at  rest  with  God,  and  who  is  swallowed 
up  in  those  transcendent  enjoyments  of  that  other  world  which  are 
above  the  comprehensions  of  my  mind  and  the  expressions  and  praises 
of  my  pen ;  but  it  is  to  allure  and  draw  you  to  an  imitation  of  what 
was  praiseworthy  in  her.     Shall  I  hint  at  a  few  things  ? 

1.  First,  Imitate  her  in  that  sincerity  and  plain-heartedness  luliich 
luas  transparent  in  her.  Sincerity  is  not  a  single  grace,  but  the  source 
of  all  graces,  and  the  interlineary  that  must  run  through  every  grace  ; 
for  what  is  faith,  if  it  be  not  unfeigned?  and  what  is  love,  if  it  be  not 
without  dissimulation  ?  and  what  is  repentance,  if  it  be  not  in  truth  ? 
Sincerity  is  the  soul  of  all  grace  ;  it  is  the  grace  of  all  our  graces. 
What  advantage  is  it  to  have  '  the  breastplate  of  righteousness,  the 
shield  of  faith,  the  helmet  of  hope,'  Eph.  vi.  13-17,  if  they  be  but 
painted  things?  It  is  the  'girdle  of  sincerity'  that  makes  all  the 
other  parts  of  our  armour  useful.  Was  she  not  a  true  Nathanael, 
John  i.  47,  a  person  in  whom  there  was  no  guile — I  mean  no  allowed 
hypocrisy?  and  was  not  this  that  which  carried  her  through  the 
pangs  of  death  with  a  great  deal  of  comfort,  as  it  had  done  Hezekiah, 
Paul,  and  other  saints  before?  Isa.  xxxviii.  3  ;  2  Cor.  i.  12.  A  sin- 
cere Christian  is  like  the  violet,  which  grows  low,  and  hides  itself  and 
its  own  sweetness  as  much  as  may  be  with  its  own  leaves ;  or  like 
Brutus'  staff',  gold  within  and  thorn  without ;  or  like  the  ark,  gold 
within  and  goats'  hair  without.  The  very  heathen  loved  a  candid 
and  sincere  spirit,  as  he  that  wished  '  that  there  was  a  glass  window 
in  his  breast,  that  all  the  world  might  see  what  was  in  his  heart. 
But, 

2.  Secondly,  Imitate  her  in  that  humility  ivhich  was  a  grace  she  ivds 
clothed  withal,  1  Peter  v.  5.      I  ever  found  her  low  and  little  in  her 


438  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

own  eyes,  much  in  deLasing  lierself  upon  all  occasions,  looking  upon 
herself  as  below  '  the  least  of  mercies,'  with  Jacob,  Gen.  xxxii.  10  ; 
and  as  '  dust  and  ashes,'  with  Abraham,  Gen.  xviii.  27 ;  and  as  '  a 
poor  Avorm,'  with  David,  Ps.  xxii.  G  ;  and  '  less  than  the  least  of  all 
saints,'  with  Paul,  Eph.  iii.  8.  And  commonly  the  more  high  in 
spiritual  worth,  the  more  humble  in  heart.  God  delights  to  pour  in 
grace  into  humble  souls,  as  men  pour  in  liquor  into  empty  vessels. 
Humility  makes  a  person  peaceable  among  brethren,  fruitful  in  well- 
doing, cheerful  in  suffering,  and  constant  in  holy  walking.  Humility 
makes  a  man  precious  in  the  eyes  of  God.  Who  is  little  in  his  own 
account  is  always  great  in  God's  esteem.  It  is  well  observed  by  some, 
that  those  brave  creatures,  the  eagle  and  the  lion,  were  not  offered  in 
sacrifice  unto  God,  but  the  poor  lambs  and  doves  were  ;  to  note  that 
God  regards  not  your  brave,  higli,  lofty  spirits,  but  poor,  meek,  and 
contemptible  spirits.  Humility  is  a  rare  grace.  Many,  saith  Augus- 
tine, can  more  easily  give  all  they  have  to  the  poor,  than  themselves 
become  poor  in  spirit.  Be  low  in  your  own  eyes,  and  be  content  to 
be  low  in  the  eyes  of  others ;  and  think  not  of  yourselves  above  what 
is  meet,  as  ever  you  would  write  after  your  mother's  copy,  and  affect 
more  to  be  amongst  God's  '  little  ones,'  Mat.  xviii.  10,  than  the  '  great 
ones  of  this  world.'  Be  humble  Christians  ;  as  ever  you  would  be 
holy,  be  humble.  Humility  is  of  the  essence  of  the  '  new  creature.' 
He  is  not  a  Christian  that  is  not  humble.  The  more  grace  the  more 
humble.  Those  that  have  been  most  high  in  spiritual  worth  have 
always  been  most  humble  in  heart.  Ignatius  could  say  of  himself, 
Non  sum  dignus  did  minimus,  I  am  not  worthy  to  he  called  the  least. 
Lord,  I  am  hell,  but  thou  art  heaven,  said  blessed  Hooper.  I  am  a 
most  hypocritical  WTctch,  not  worthy  that  the  earth  sh(ndd  bear  me, 
said  holy  Bradford.  I  have  no  other  name,  saith  Luther,  than  '  sin- 
ner ;'  sinner  is  my  name,  sinner  is  my  surname.  This  is  the  name  by 
which  I  shall  be  always  known.  1  have  sinned,  I  do  sin,  I  shall  sin 
in  injinitum.  Ruth  was  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Moab,  if  we  may 
give  credit  to  the  general  opinion  of  the  Rabbins  ;  or  if  that  be  not  so 
probable,  yet  she  was  one  that  we  may  well  suppose  to  have  been  one 
of  good  quality  in  her  own  country,  as  being  wife  of  Mahlon,  the  elder 
brother  of  the  family  of  the  prince  Naasson :  yet  she  accounts  herself 
scarce  equal  to  one  of  the  maid-servants  in  the  house  of  Boaz,  Ruth 
ii.  13.  tSo  Abigail,  the  wit  of  the  time,  1  Sam.  xxv.  41.  So  Eliza- 
beth, though  she  ^vas  the  elder  and  the  better  woman  for  outward 
quality,  yet  how  confounded  was  she  wnth  Mary's  visit,  as  being  too 
great  a  weight  of  honour  for  her  to  bear,  Luke  i.  43.  So  Mary,  Luke 
i.  38.  '  If  I  were  asked,'  said  Austin,  '  what  is  the  readiest  way  to 
attain  true  hajq)iness,  I  would  answer,  the  first,  the  second,  the  third 
thing  is  humility.'  lluniility  doth  not  only  entitle  to  ha])piness,  but 
to  the  highest  degree  of  happiness.  Mat  xviii.  4.  Humility  is  that 
Jacob's  ladder  which  reaches  from  earth  to  heaven. 

3.  Thirdly,  Imitate  her  in  her  charity  and  mercy  toicards  suffering, 
needy,  and  wanting  ones.  How  seldom  did  you  find  her  ear  or  hand 
shut  against  charitable  motions  !  She  knew  that  those  that  did  good 
to  the  poor  and  needy  for  Christ's  sake,  God  would  do  good  to  them 
for  the  poor's  sake,  most  sure  for  his  Son's  sake.     She  knew  that  he 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  439 

who  promised  they  '  should  have  that  asked/  had  first  commanded 
such  to  give  unto  tliem  that  asked  ;  she  knew  that  unmercifulness  is 
a  sin  wliich  least  becomes  and  worse  beseems  one  that  had  so  largely- 
tasted  of  the  mercies  of  God,  as  she  had  done  both  in  New  and  Old 
England.  She  was  much  made  up  of  pity  and  mercy  to  the  poor  ;  the 
bellies  of  the  hungry,  and  the  back  of  the  naked,  did  often  proclaim 
her  pity  and  charity.  Many  ministers,  widows,  and  fatherless  ones, 
have  tasted  not  only  of  her  husband's  bounty,  but  of  hers  also.  Vain 
persons,  when  they  give,  they  will  cause  their  kindness  to  run  in  a 
visible  channel,  they  will  sound  a  trumpet,  to  be  seen  of  men,  Mat. 
vi.  1,  2  ;  but  was  she  not  a  secret  and  hidden  reliever  of  God's  dis- 
tressed ones  ?  Did  she  not  refresh  the  bowels  of  many  with  her  hid 
treasures  ?  Will  you  all  learn  to  write  after  this  copy?  Of  Midas  it 
is  fabled,  '  that  whatever  he  touched  he  turned  into  gold.'  It  is  most 
sure  that  whatever  the  hand  of  charity  toucheth  it  turneth  into  gold, 
— be  it  but  a  cup  of  cold  water, — nay,  into  heaven  itself ;  cold  water, 
having  not  fuel  to  heat  it ;  cold  water,  which  costs  not  the  charge  of 
fire  to  warm  it.  Salvian  saith  that  Christ  is  mendicorum  ynaximus, 
the  greatest  beggar  in  the  world,  as  one  that  shareth  in  all  liis  saints' 
necessities,  Heb.  vi.  10;  and  will  never  forget  the  charitable  person, 
the  merciful  person.  Cicero  could  say,  '  That  to  be  rich  is  not  to  pos- 
sess much,  but  to  use  much ;'  and  Seneca  could  rebuke  them  that  so 
studied  to  increase  their  wealth  that  they  forgot  to  use  it.  I  have 
read  of  one  Evagrius,  a  rich  man,  that  lying  upon  his  death-bed,  being- 
importuned  by  Synesius,  a  pious  bishop,  to  give  something  to  chari- 
table uses,  he  yielded  at  last  to  give  three  hundred  pounds  ;  but  first 
took  bond  of  the  bishop  that  it  should  be  repaid  him  in  another  world 
before  he  had  been  one  day  dead.  He  is  said  to  have  appeared  to  the 
bishop,  delivering  in  the  bond  cancelled,  as  thereby  acknowledging 
what  was  promised  was  made  good,  according  to  that  promise  :  Mat. 
xix.  29,  '  And  every  one  that  hath  forsaken  houses,'  &c. 

4.  Fourthly,  Imitate  her  in  keeping  off  from  the  sins  and  pollutions 
of  the  day  loherein  you  live.  Was  she  not  one  of  God's  mourning 
one's  for  the  abominations  of  the  time  ?  Did  not  men's  abomination 
in  worship  and  practice  vex,  grieve,  and  wound  her  poor  soul  ?  Was 
it  not  her  great  work  to  live  by  no  rule,  to  walk  by  no  rule,  to  worship 
God  by  no  rule,  but  by  that  which  she  dared  to  die  by,  and  to  stand 
by  in  the  great  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus  ?  Ezek.  ix.  4,  6  :  Jer.  ix.  1,2; 
2  Pet.  ii.  7,  8  ;  Ps.  cxix.  53,  136,  158.  She  knew  that  worshipping 
of  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth  was  the  great  worship,  the  only  worship 
that  God  stood  upon,  John  iv.  23,  24.  She  did  not,  she  durst  not, 
worship  God  according  to  the  customs  of  the  world,  or  the  traditions 
of  the  elders,  Phil.  iii.  3,  or  the  examples  of  great  men.  She  knew 
that  that  worship  that  is  not  according  to  the  word,  is  (1.)  Worship- 
ping of  devils  and  not  God.  Those  that  depart  from  the  true  worship 
of  God,  and  set  upon  false  worship  forbidden  by  God,  do  not  serve  God 
by  it,  but  the  devil,  what  boasting  soever  they  make,  as  you  may  evi- 
dently see  by  comparing  the  scriptures  in  the  margin  together,  i  ^  She 
knew,  (2.)  That  that  worship  that  is  not  according  to  the  word,  is  an 
image  of  idolatry,  which  of  all  sins  is  most  provoking  to  a  holy,  jealous 

iJur.  is.  20;  2  Chron.  xi.  15  ;  Amos  v. '25,  26  ;  1  Cor.  x.  20  ;  1  Tim.iv.  1 ;  Ezek.  viii.  3. 


440  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

God.  '  The  devil,'  saith  Synesius,  *  is  as  glad  to  be  worshipped  in 
an  idol,  as  he  was  by  Israel  in  a  calf,'  Exod.  xxxii.  4 :  there  being 
nothing  tliat  provokes  God  to  destroy  poor  sinners  more  than  this. 
The  learned  Jews  have  a  saying,  '  That  no  punishment  ever  happened 
to  them  in  which  there  was  not  an  ounce  of  the  golden  calf,'  ground- 
ing it  on  Exod.  xxxii.  34,  '  Nevertheless  I  will  remember  to  visit  this 
sin  upon  them.'  The  Egyptians  worshipped  a  pied^  bull,  and  whereas 
some  tlionght  it  strange  that  when  one  died,  they  should  have  another 
of  the  same  colour,  Austin  thinks  that  the  devil,  to  keep  them  in 
idolatry,  might  do  with  their  cows  as  Jacob  did  with  the  ewes,  pre- 
sent to  them  when  they  conceived  the  likeness  of  such  a  bull.  Cer- 
tainly Satan  will  use  all  the  art  he  can  to  keep  |K)or  sinners  in  ways 
of  false  worship,  it  being  the  most  compendious  way  that  can  be  to 
engage  God  to  destroy  them.  She  knew,  (3.)  That  that  worship  that 
is  not  according  to  the  word  hath  destroyed  the  most  flourisliing 
churches  and  nations  ;  witness  the  church  and  nation  of  the  Jews, 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  and  the  whole  eastern  parts  of  the  empire : 
see  Hosea  viii.  5-7 ;  Rev.  ix.  20  ;  Ezek.  x.  2  ;  2  Chron.  vii.  20.  She 
knew,  (4.)  That  that  worship  that  is  not  according  to  the  word  is  a 
cursed  worship.  It  is  the  observation  of  one  well  skilled  in  the  Jewish 
learning,  that  there  is  only  one  verse  in  the  prophecy  of  the  prophefe- 
Jeremiah  which  is  written  in  the  Chaldee  tongue,  all  the  rest  being 
in  Hebrew:  and  that  is  Jeremiah  x.  11,  '-So  shalt  thou  say,  Cursed 
be  the  gods  who  made  neither  heaven  nor  earth ;'  and  this  is  done 
by  tlie  Holy  Gliost,  on  purpose  that  the  Jews,  when  they  were  in 
captivity,  and  exhorted  by  the  Chaldeans  to  worship  false  gods,  might 
be  able  to  answer  them  in  their  own  language,  '  Cursed  be  your  gods  ; 
we  will  not  worship  them,  for  they  made  neither  heaven  nor  earth.' 
That  God  that  made  heaven  and  earth  is  only  to  be  worshipped 
according  to  his  own  word  ;  for  he  will  own  no  worship  but  what 
he  will  accept  of,  no  worship  but  that ;  he  will  bless  no  worship 
but  that,  nor  he  will  reward  no  worship  but  that.  Your  glorified 
mother  kept  close  to  instituted  worship  when  she  had  health  and 
strength  ;  in  this  it  will  be  your  wisdom  to  write  after  her  fair  copy. 
But, 

5.  Fifthly,  Imitate  her  in  justify  iyig  of  the  Lord  under  the  sharpest, 
bitterest,  and  most  afflictive  providences  and  dispensations.  How  often 
have  I  heard  her  to  justify  the  Lord,  even  whilst  he  has  been  a- writing 
bitter  things  against  her  ;  when  gall  and  wormwood  hath  been  put  into 
her  cup,  hath  she  not  said  with  Ezra,  chaj).  ix.  13,  '  God  hath  punished 
us  less  than  our  iniquities  deserve  ;'  and  with  Nehemiah,  chap.  ix.  33, 
'  Howbeit  thou  art  just  in  all  that  is  brought  upon  us ;  for  thou  hast  done 
right,  but  we  have  done  wickedly;'  and  with  Job,  chap.  i.  21,  '  Oh  !  the 
Lord  gives,  and  the  Lord  takes,  and  blessed  be  tlie  name  of  the  Lord  ;' 
and  with  Daniel,  chap.  ix.  14,  '  The  Lord  our  God  is  righteous  in  all 
his  works  which  he  doth.'  You  know  what  afflictive  piovidences  she 
has  been  under,  botli  in  respect  of  her  person,  and  in  tlie  loss  of  her 
husband,  and  in  those  variety  of  weaknesses  that  attended  her  body, 
and  in  the  great  losses  that  some  of  you  have  met  with  in  the  world, 
b-^sides  several  other  exercises  ;  yet  how  has  she  commonly  been  taken 

'  '  P;irfi-ooloiircd,'  spelled  'pide.' — G. 


THE  EPiaTLE  DEDICATORY.  441 

up  ill  blessing  of  Grod,  and  in  justifying  of  God,  and  also  in  admiring 
the  goodness  of  Grod,  that  it  lias  been  no  worse  with  her ;  and  here  I 
am  satisfied  she  would  not  have  exchanged  her  gains  by  afflictions  for 
all  the  gains  of  the  world.  Stars  shine  brightest  in  the  darkest  night. 
Torches  are  better  for  the  beating.  Grapes  come  not  to  the  proof  till 
they  come  to  the  press.  Spices  smell  sweetest  when  pounded.  Young 
trees  root  the  faster  for  shaking.  Vines  are  the  better  for  bleeding. 
Gold  looks  the  brighter  for  scouring.  Glow-worms  glister  best  in  the 
dark.  Juniper  smells  sweetest  in  the  fire.  Pomander  becomes  most 
fragrant  for  chafing.  The  palm-tree  proves  the  better  for  pressing. 
Camomile,  the  more  you  tread  it,  the  more  you  spread  it.  Such  is 
the  condition  of  God's  children  ;  they  are  the  most  triumphant  when 
most  distressed,  most  glorious  when  most  affiicted  ;  as  their  conflicts, 
so  their  conquests  ;  as  their  tribulations,  so  their  triumphs.  God's 
people  are  true  salamanders,  that  live  best  in  the  furnace  of  afflictions  ; 
so  that  heavy  afflictions  are  the  best  benefactors  to  heavenly  affections. 
When  afflictions  hang  heaviest,  then  corruptions  hang  loosest.  And 
grace  that  is  hid  in  nature,  as  sweet-water  in  rose-leaves,  is  then 
most  fragrant  when  the  fire  of  affliction  is  put  under  to  distil  it  out. 
But, 

6.  Sixthly,  Imitate  her  in  the  standing,  bent,  and  course  of  her  life 
and  conversation.  No  man  is  to  judge  of  the  soundness  or  sincerity 
of  his  spirit  by  some  particular  acts,  but  by  the  constant  frame  and 
bent  of  his  spirit,  and  by  his  general  conversation  in  this  world.  Una 
actio  no7i  denominat.  If  particular  actions  might  determine  whether 
a  man  had  grace  or  no  grace,  whether  he  were  in  Christ  or  not  in 
Christ,  whether  he  were  a  saint  or  no  saint,  whether  he  were  sincere  or 
unsound,  we  should  many  times  conclude  that  those  have  no  grace 
who  indeed  have,  and  that  they  were  not  in  Christ  who  indeed  are, 
and  that  they  are  no  saints  who  indeed  are,  and  that  they  are  not 
sincere  who  certainly  are  true  Nathanaels.  The  best  saints  on  this 
side  heaven  have  had  their  extravagant  motions,  and  have  very  foully 
and  sadly  miscarried  as  to  particular  actions,  even  then  when  the  con- 
stant course  and  bent  of  their  spirits  and  main  of  their  conversations 
have  been  God-wards,  and  Christ-wards,  and  holiness-wards,  and 
heaven-wards,  <fec.  Witness  David's  murder  and  adultery,  Noah's 
drunkenness,  Lot's  incest,  Joseph's  swearing.  Job's  cursing,  Jonah's 
vexing,  Peter's  denying,  and  Thomas  his  not  believing.  Such  twink- 
lings do  and  will  accompany  the  highest  and  fairest  stars.  As  he  that 
foots  it  best  may  be  sometimes  found  all  along,i  and  the  neatest^  per- 
son may  sometimes  slip  into  a  slough ;  he  that  cannot  endure  to  see  a 
spot  upon  his  clothes,  may  yet  sometimes  fall  into  a  quagmire ;  so 
the  holiest  and  exactest  Christians  may  sometimes  be  surprised  with 
many  infirmities  and  unevennesses  and  sad  miscarriages.  Certainly 
particular  sinnings  are  compatible  with  a  gracious  frame,  though 
none  are  with  a  glorified  condition.  Our  best  estate  on  earth  is 
mixed,  and  not  absolute.  Glory  annihilates  all  sinful  practices,  but 
grace  only  weakens  them.  The  most  sincere  Christian  is  but  an  im- 
perfect Christian,  and  hath  daily  cause  to  mourn  over  his  infirmities, 

'  =  fallen  and  'lying  all  along.' — G. 

-  'Cleanliest,'  'most  exact."     C£.  Sibbes,  Glossary,  ,;.  v. — G. 


442  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

as  well  as  he  has  cause  to  bless  Grod  for  his  graces  and  mercies. 
Look,  as  every  particular  stain  doth  not  blemish  the  universal  fineness 
of  the  cloth,  so  neither  doth  this  or  that  particular  fact  disprove  and 
deny  the  general  bent  of  a  person's  heart  or  life.  Particulars  may  not 
decide  the  estate  eitlier  way.  It  is  true,  a  man  by  a  particular  sinning 
is  denominated  guilty,  but  by  no  one  particular  can  a  man's  estate  be 
challenged  either  to  be  good  or  bad.  He  that  shall  judge  of  a  Chris- 
tian's estate  by  particular  acts,  though  very  bad,  will  certainly  con- 
demn '  the  generation  of  the  righteous,'  Ps.  Ixxiii.  15.  We  must 
always  distinguish  betwixt  some  single  good  actions  and  a  series  of 
good  actions.  It  is  not  this  or  that  particular  good  action,  but  a  con- 
tinued course  of  holy  actions,  that  denominates  a  person  holy.  Cer- 
tainly as  there  is  no  man  so  holy  but  sometimes  he  falls  into  this  or 
that  particular  sin,  so  there  is  no  man  so  wicked  but  he  falls  in  with 
this  or  that  particular  duty,  as  you  may  see  in  Pharaoh,  Balaam, 
Said,  the  Ninevites,  Felix,  Herod,  Judas,  yea,  and  the  very  scribes 
and  pharisees.  Now  look,  as  every  sin  which  a  godly  man  falls  into, 
through  infirmity,  dotli  not  presently  denominate  him  ungodly,  so 
neither  will  a  few  good  actions  done  by  a  wicked  man  prove  him 
godly.  It  is  what  the  course  and  tenor  of  the  life  is  that  must  be 
most  dil  igently  and  wisely  observed ;  for  every  man  is  as  his  course  is.  If 
his  course  be  holy,  the  man  is  so  ;  if  his  course  be  wicked,  the  man  is  so. 
There  is  a  maxim  in  logic,  viz.,  that  no  general  rule  can  be  established 
upon  a  particular  instance  ;  and  there  is  another  maxim  in  logic,  viz., 
that  no  particular  instance  can  overthrow  a  general  rule.  We  are 
never  to  make  a  judgment  of  our  estates  and  conditions  by  some  par- 
ticular actions,  whether  they  are  good  or  evil,  but  we  are  still  to  make 
a  judgment  of  our  estates  and  conditions  by  the  general  frame,  bent, 
and  disposition  of  our  hearts,  and  by  the  constant  tenor  of  our  lives. 
Now,  I  dare  appeal  to  you,  and  all  others  that  have  observed  the  con- 
stant tenor  of  her  life  and  conversation,  whether  it  has  not  been 
such  as  becomes  the  gospel,  and  as  hath  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God 
our  Saviour — human  infirmities  excepted,  Phil.  i.  27 ;  Titus  ii.  10 ; 
Gen.  vi.  9.  And  oh  that  this  might  be  the  mercy  of  all  her  children, 
to  walk  with  God  as  she  hath  done,  and  then  I  should  not  doubt  but 
that  they  would  all  meet  in  heaven  at  last.     But, 

7.  Seventhly,  Imitate  her  in  her  love  to  the  saints,  to  all  the  saints, 
in  ivhom  she  coukl  discern  aliquid  Christi,  anything  of  Christ.  Did 
she  not  love,  deliglit,  and  take  jileasure  to  see  the  graces  of  the  Holy 
S[)irit  sparkling  and  shining  in  the  hearts,  lives,  and  lips  of  the 
saints  ?  1  John  iii.  10,  14 ;  secretly  wishing  in  herself  that  her  soul 
were  but  in  so  noble  a  case.  Were  there  any  men  in  all  the  world 
that  were  so  precious,  so  lovely,  so  comely,  so  excellent,  and  so  honour- 
able in  her  account,  in  her  eye,  as  those  that  had  the  image  of  God,  of 
Christ,  of  grace,  of  holiness,  most  clearly,  most  fairly,  and  most  fully 
stamped  upon  them?  Ps.  xv.  1,  4,  and  xvi.  3  ;  1  John  v.  1.  Did  she 
not  love  saints  as  saints  ?  Was  it  not  the  image  of  God  that  drew 
out  her  affection  to  the  people  of  God  ?  Many,  like  the  Bohemian 
cur,  can  fawn  upon  a  good  suit;  but  grace  was  lovely  in  her  eye, 
though  clothed  with  rags.  IMany  love  godly  men,  as  they  are  poli- 
ticians, or  potent,  or  learned,  or  of  a  sweet  nature,  or  affable,  or 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  443 

related,  or  as  they  have  been  kind  to  them  ;  but  all  this  is  but  natural 
love  ;  but  to  love  them  because  they  are  spiritually  lovely,  because  of 
the  seed  of  God  in  them,  1  John  iii.  9,  because  they  are  all  glorious 
within,  Ps.  xlv.  13,  is  to  love  them  as  becometh  saints,  it  is  to  love 
them  at  a  higher  and  nobler  rate  than  any  hypocrite  in  the  vv^orld  can 
reach  to.  Did  she  not  set  the  highest  price  and  the  greatest  value 
and  esteem  upon  those  that  were  gracious  ?  Had  she  not  an  honour 
in  her  heart  for  them  that  feared  the  Lord  ?  Did  she  not  value 
persons  according  to  their  worth  for  another  world,  and  not  according 
to  their  worldly  greatness  or  grandeur  ?  Prov.  xii.  26,  and  xxviii.  6. 
Did  she  not  prefer  a  holy  Job  upon  a  dunghill,  before  a  wicked  Ahab 
upon  the  throne  ?  Did  she  not  set  a  higher  price  upon  a  gracious 
Lazarus,  though  clothed  with  rags  and  full  of  sores,  than  upon  a  rich 
and  wretched  Dives,  though  he  were  clothed  gloriously,  and  fared 
sumptuously  every  day  ?  Was  not  her  love  to  the  saints  universal  ? 
to  one  Christian  as  well  as  another,  to  all  as  well  as  any,  to  poor 
Lazarus  as  well  as  to  rich  Abraham,  to  a  despised  Job  as  well  as  to 
an  admired  David,  to  an  afHicted  Joseph  as  well  as  to  a  raised  Jacob, 
to  a  despised  disciple  as  well  as  to  an  exalted  apostle  ?  Phil.  i.  21  ; 
1  Pet.  ii.  17.  Did  she  not  love  to  see  the  image  and  picture  of  her 
heavenly  Father,  though  hung  in  never  so  poor  a  frame,  and  in  never 
so  mean  a  cottage  ?  Without  peradventure,  he  that  loves  one  saint 
for  the  image  of  Grod  that  is  stamped  upon  him,  he  cannot  but  fall  in 
love  with  every  saint  that  bears  the  lovely  image  of  the  Father  upon 
him.  And  oh  that  this  might  be  all  your  mercy,  to  write  after  this 
copy  that  she  has  set  before  you  !     But, 

8.  Eighthly,  Imitate  lier  in  her  constancy  in  the  loays  of  God,  icith  or 
notioithstanding  all  the  hazards,  storms,  dangers,  and  troubles  that  has 
attended  those  ivays,  especially  in  those  latter  days  of  ajjostasy,  ivherein 
God  had  cast  her  lot.  She  was  not  a  reed  shaken  with  every  wind  ; 
she  was  unchangeable  in  changeable  times.  Whatever  storms  beat 
upon  the  ways  of  God,  or  the  people  of  God,  she  remained  firm  and 
immovable  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  Ps.  xliv.,  and  cxix.  112;  and 
doubtless  such  souls  as  are  truly  good,  they  will  be  good  in  the  worst 
of  times,  and  in  the  worst  of  places,  and  amongst  the  worst  of  persons. 
Principles  of  grace  and  holiness,  they  are  lasting,  yea,  everlasting. 
They  are  not  like  the  morning  cloud  nor  the  early  dew,  1  John  iii.  9  ; 
Hosea  vi.  4.  Let  times  and  places  and  persons  be  what  they  will,  a 
sincere  Christian  will  not  dishonour  his  God,  nor  change  his  Master, 
nor  quit  his  ways,  nor  blemish  his  profession,  nor  wound  his  conscience 
to  sleep  in  a  whole  skin,  or  to  preserve  liis  safety,  or  lo  secure  his 
liberty  ;  and  was  it  not  thus  with  her  in  the  most  trying  times  ?  An 
upright  man  is  a  right  man.  So  lli-'^  jashar,  is  rendered  by  the 
Septuagint,  Judges  xvii.  6.  He  is  one  that  won't  be  bowed  or  bent 
by  the  sinful  customs  or  exnmples  of  the  times  and  places  where 
he  lives.  Gen.  vi.  9  ;  Rev.  xiv.  4,  and  iii.  4  ;  Job  xvii.  9.  Let  the 
times  be  never  so  dangerous,  licentious,  superstitious,  idolatrous,  and 
erroneous,  yet  a  sincere,  plain-hearted  Christian  will  keep  his  ground, 
and  hold  on  in  his  way;  as  might  be  made  evident  by  a  cloud  of 
witnesses,  Heb.  xii.  1 ;  Ps.  cxxv.  1,  2.  The  laurel  keeps  its  freshness 
and  greenness  in  the  winter  season ;  a  sincere  Christian  is  seiiqKr 


444  Tllli  EPISTLE  DEDICATUKY. 

eadem;  lot  the  wind  and  the  world  and  tlie  times  turn  which  way 
the}'^  will,  a  sincere  soid,  for  the  main,  will  still  be  the  same.  He 
will  be  like  mount  Zion,  which  cannot  be  removed ;  he  will  stand  his 
ground  and  hold  his  own  under  all  changes ;  he  is  like  the  philo- 
sopher's good  man,  T€Tpayovo<;,  four-square ;  cast  him  where  you 
will,  like  a  die,  he  falls  always  square  and  sure ;  so  cast  a  plain- 
hearted  Christian  where  you  will,  into  what  company  you  will,  and 
into  what  condition  you  will,  yet  still  he  w'ill  fall  sure  and  square  for 
God  and  godliness.  Let  the  times  be  never  so  sad,  nor  never  so  bad, 
yet  a  plain-hearted  Christian  will  still  keep  close  to  God  and  his 
w\ays,  and  will  i-ather  let  all  go  than  let  his  God  go,  or  his  religion 
go,  or  his  integrity  go,  or  ordinances  go.  Lapidaries  tell  us  of  the 
Chelydonian  stone,i  that  it  will  retain  its  virtue  and  lustre  no  longer 
than  it  is  enclosed  in  gold — a  fit  emblem  of  an  unsound  heart,  who  is 
only  good  while  he  is  enclosed  in  golden  prosperity,  safety,  and  felicity. 
An  unsound  Christian,  like  green  timber,  shrinks  when  the  sun  of  per- 
secution shines  hot  upon  him.  The  heat  of  fiery  trials  cools  the  courage 
of  unsound  Christians ;  but  a  sincere,  plain-hearted  Christian  is  like 
a  massive  vessel  of  gold,  that  keeps  its  owm  shape  and  figure  at  all 
times,  in  all  places,  and  in  all  companies.  When  one  of  the  ancient 
martyrs  was  greatly  threatened  by  his  persecutors,  he  replied,  '  There 
is  notiiing,'  saith  he,  '  of  things  visible,  nothing  of  things  invisible, 
that  I  fear ;  I  will  stand  to  my  profession  of  the  name  of  Christ,  and 
contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  come  on 
it  what  will,  in  these  evil  days  wherein  multitudes  have  turned  aside 
into  crooked  paths.'  She  kept  close  and  constant  to  the  ways  of  the 
Lord  so  long  as  her  natural  strength  lasted.  And  oh  that  all  you, 
her  children,  would  make  it  your  business  in  this,  as  well  as  in  other 
things,  to  write  after  your  mother's  copy  !  remembering  that  if  you 
are  not  faithful  unto  death,  you  shall  never  receive  a  crown  of  life,  Eev. 
ii.  10 ;  and  that  if  you  do  not  continue  to  the  end,  that  is,  in  well- 
doing, you  shall  never  be  saved.  Mat.  xxiv.  13.     But, 

9.  Ninthly,  Imitate  Jier  in  her  high  valuations  of  Jesus  Christ. 
What  low  and  little  things  were  her  own  graces,  duties,  services,  and 
mercies,  when  she  cast  her  eye  upon  Christ,  when  sire  fell  into  dis- 
courses of  Christ  !  Phil.  iii.  8-10  ;  Mat.  xiii.  44.  Christ  was  her 
summum  honum,  chiefest  good.  What  was  all  the  world  to  a  sight  of 
Christ,  to  a  day,  yea,  to  an  hour's  communion  with  Christ !  They 
are  no  believei-s  that  do  not  value  Jesus  Christ  above  all  the  world 
and  all  things  in  the  world ;  '  for  unto  every  one  that  believes  he  is 
precious,'  1  Pet.  ii.  7 — most  precious,  only  precious,  and  for  ever  pre- 
cious. They  value  him  (1.)  Above  their  lusts.  Gal.  v.  24.  They  can 
pluck  out  right  eyes  for  Clirist,  and  cut  off  right  hands  for  Christ. 
They  value  him  (2.)  Above  the  world.  Witness  David,  Ps.  Ixxiii. 
25,  and  Dan.  vi.  ;  and  the  disciples.  Mat.  xix.  27 ;  and  Moses,  Heb. 
xi.  25,  26  ;  and  tlie  primitive  Christians,  and  the  martyrs  of  a  later 
date.  They  value  him  (3.)  Above  their  lives:  Rev.  xii.  11,  'They 
loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death.'  So  Paul,  Acts  xx.  22-24,  and 
xxi.  13.  So  the  martyrs.  They  value  him  (4.)  Above  all  their 
relations.  '  If  all  the  world  were  a  lump  of  gold,'  said  the  Dutch 
'  As  before  ;  see  Index,  f.v-  G. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  445 

martyr,  '  and  in  my  hands  to  dispose  of,  I  would  give  it  to  live  all  my 
days  with  my  wife  and  children  in  a  prison  ;  but  Christ  and  his  truth 
is  dearer  to  me  than  all.'  You  have  thousands  of  such  instances  upon 
record.  They  value  him  (5.)  Above  their  goods :  Heb.  x.  34,  '  Ye 
took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  your  goods.'  So  has  many  thousands 
since  under  sharp  persecutions.  They  value  him  (6.)  Above  all 
natural,  spiritual,  and  acquired  excellencies,  Phil.  iii.  7,  8.  In  all  my 
serious  discourses  with  her  about  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  she  would 
still  set  the  crown  upon  Christ's  head.  She  would  lay  herself  low, 
very  low,  that  he  alone  might  be  exalted.  The  thoughts  of  Christ 
was  precious  to  her,  the  discourses  of  Christ  were  precious  to  her,  the 
image  of  Christ  was  precious  to  her,  the  ordinances  of  Christ  were 
precious  to  her,  the  discoveries  of  Christ  were  precious  to  her,  the  day 
of  Christ  was  precious  to  her,  the  offices  of  Christ  were  precious  to 
her,  and  the  rebukes  of  Christ — whilst  she  enjoyed  his  presence  under 
them — was  precious  to  her  ;  but,  above  all,  the  person  of  Christ  was 
most  precious  to  her.  In  her  eye  he  was  '  the  chiefest  of  ten  thousand, 
fairer  than  the  children  of  men,'  Cant.  v.  10  ;  Vs.  xlv.  1  ;  and  all  the 
riches,  honours,  pleasures,  and  delights  of  the  world  were  but  dung  in 
comparison  of  him,  Phil.  iii.  7,  8.  Oh  at  what  a  rate  has  the  saints 
of  old  prized  our  Lord  Jesus !  Mallem,  said  one,  ruere  cum  Chrisio 
quam  regnare  cum  Ccesare:  Luther  had  rather  fall  with  Christ  than 
stand  with  Cjesar.  The  same  author  elsewhere  saith  that  he  had 
rather  be  Christianus  rusticus  than  Ethnicus  Alexander,  A  Christian 
clown  than  a  pagan  emperor.  Theodosius,  emperor,  ^3 referred  the  title 
of  Memhrum  Ecclesice  before  that  of  Caput  Imperii,  professing  that  he 
had  rather  be  a  saint  and  no  king,  than  a  king  and  no  saint.  And 
godly  Constantine  rejoiced  more  in  being  the  servant  of  Christ,  than 
in  being  the  emperor  of  the  world.  Bernard  saith  '  that  he  had  rather 
be  in  his  chimney-corner  with  Christ,  than  in  heaven  without  him.'  It 
was  an  excellent  answer  of  one  of  the  martyrs  when  he  was  offered 
riches  and  honours  if  he  would  recant,  said,  '  Do  but  offer  me  some- 
what that  is  better  than  my  Lord  Jesus  Cln-ist,  and  you  shall  see  what 
I  will  say  to  you,'  It  was  a  sweet  prayer  of  one, '  Make  thy  Son  dear, 
very  dear,  exceeding  dear,  only  dear  and  precious,  or  not  at  all.'  An- 
other good  man  cried  out,  '  I  had  rather  have  one  Christ  than  a  thou- 
sand worlds.'  I  have  read  of  Johannes  MoUius,^  '  that  whensoever  he 
spake  of  the  name  of  Jesus,  his  eyes  dropped  tears  ; '  and  of  another 
reverend  divine,  who,  being  in  a  deep  muse  after  some  discourse  that 
passed  of  dear  Jesus,  and  tears  trickling  down  his  cheeks  before  he  was 
aware,  and  being  asked  the  reason  of  it,  he  confessed  ingenuously,  '  It 
was  because  he  could  not  draw  his  dull  heart  to  prize  Jesus  Christ  at 
that  rate  he  should  and  fain  would.'  ^  Christ  lay  near  your  mother's 
heart,  and  oh  that  he  may  be  near  all  your  hearts,  that  so  you  may  be 
safe  and  saved  for  ever  !     But, 

10.  Tenthly,  Imitate  her  in  the  casting  a  mantle  of  love  over  the 
infirmities  and  iveaknesses  of  poor,  iceak,  miscarrying  Christians,  in 
the  burying  of  Christians  iveaknesses  under  their  graces.  Much  I 
know  of  this,  but  some  know  much  more.  She  was  not  for  blazoning 
of  others'  weaknesses,  whether  they  were  nearer  to  her  or  more  remote 

^  Clarke,  as  before,  p.  186.— G.  =  John  Welch,  as  before.— G. 


•44G  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

from  her.  Slie  commonly  Ccarried  a  mantle  of  love  about  her  to  cast 
over  other  men's  sins  ;  she  seemed  to  live  under  the  power  of  that  word: 
Prov.  X.  12,  '  Love  covereth  all  sins  : '  and  that  1  Pet.  ix.  8,  '  Charity 
shall  cover  the  mtdtitude  of  sins.'  By  covering  must  be  meant  (1.) 
A  favourable  construction  of  all  things,  which  in  right  reason  might 
well  be  construed  ;  (2.)  A  passing  by  smaller  infirmities  and  private- 
oflfences ;  (3.)  Such  a  covering  as  might  cure  also,  for  love  is  wise.  Love 
hath  a  large  mantle,  and  covers  all  sins — that  is,  all  private  sins,  and 
all  such  sins  as  may  be  concealed  with  a  good  conscience  both  towards 
God  and  towards  men.  Again,  it  must  be  understood,  not  of  our  own 
transgressions  committed  against  God,  but  of  other  men's  sins  and 
transgressions  committed  against  us.  Love  is  not  suspicious,  but  in- 
terprets all  things  in  the  best  sense,  Prov.  xvii.  9.  Love  will  not 
publish  private  injuries,  to  the  dishonour  or  shame  of  the  party  offend- 
ing :  Prov,  xii.  6,  '  A  prudent  man  covereth  shame.'  It  is  recorded 
to  Vespasian's  honour,  '  that  he  was  more  ready  to  conceal  the  vices 
than  the  virtues  of  his  friends.'  To  observe  and  take  notice  of  other 
men's  faults,  but  not  of  our  own,  is  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world,  said 
Thalcs.  Such  commonly  are  best  acquainted  with  other  men's  infir- 
mities, who  are  least  observant  of  their  own  iniquities  and  irregulari- 
ties. '  The  nature  of  man  is  very  apt,'  saitli  Seneca,  Utimur  pe7^- 
spicillis  magis  qicam  speculis,  to  use  spectacles  to  behold  other  men's 
faults,  rather  than  looking-glasses  to  behold  their  own.'  Erasmus 
speaks  of  one  who  collected  all  the  lame  and  defective  verses  in  Homer's 
works,  but  passed  over  all  that  was  excellent.  The  Donatists  of  old 
were  more  glad  to  find  a  fault  than  to  see  it  amended,  and  to  proclaim 
it  than  to  cover  it ;  to  carp  at  it  than  to  cure  it.  '  If  I  should  find  a 
bishop  committing  adultery,'  saith  Constantine  the  Great,  '  I  would 
cover  that  foul  fact  with  mine  imperial  robe  rather  than  it  should  come 
abroad  to  the  scandal  of  the  w^eak  and  the  scorn  of  the  wicked.'  Seneca, 
unmasking  the  face  of  their  corrupt  state,  hath  this  notable  passage, 
'  The  news  from  Kome  take  thus  :  the  walls  are  ruined,  the  temples 
are  not  visited,  the  priests  are  fled,  the  treasuries  robbed,  old  men  are 
dead,  young  men  are  mad,  vices  are  lords  over  all.  The  dictator 
blames  the  consul,  the  consul  checks  the  censor,  the  censor  chides 
the  pra3tor,  the  pri\3tor  falls  foul  upon  the  a3dile,  and  he  casts  all  the 
fault  upon  the  quaistor,  and  because  no  man  will  acknowledge  himself 
in  fault,  we  have  no  hopes  of  better  times.'  How  applicable  this  is  to 
our  ])resent  times,  I  shall  leave  others  to  judge  ;  but  by  the  whole  you 
see  that  all  sorts  and  ranks  of  men  are  more  apt  to  shame  and  quarrel 
at  other  men's  faults  than  with  their  own.  Observable  is  that  of  our 
blessed  Saviour  :  Luke  vii.  37,  '  There  was  a  woman  in  the  city  which 
was  a  sinner.'  No  wonder  !  what  woman  is  not  ?  We  may  guess 
both  who  the  woman  was,  and  what  the  sin  was,  and  which  city  it 
was  ;  but  he  neither  names  the  city,  nor  the  sin,  nor  the  sinner.  See- 
inf  her  reformation,  he  consults  her  re])utation.  Oh  that  you  would 
all  labour  to  write  after  this  co]>y.  When  Alexander  was  painted, 
the  painter  laid  his  finger  on  his  wart,  and  Apelles  covered  Venus' 
mole  with  his  finger,  that  it  might  not  be  spied.  As  you  stand  in  a 
near  relation  one  to  another,  so  I  could  wish  that  you  would  lay  your 
fingers  upon  one  another's  warts  and  moles,  and  not  blazon  one  an- 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  447 

other's  human  frailties  and  infirmities  to  the  world  ;  but  love  and  live 
as  brethren  and  sisters  who  are  never  without  a  mantle  of  love  to 
cover  infirmities — I  say  not  enormities  ;  to  cover  weaknesses — I  say 
not  wickedness  ;  to  cover  from  the  world — I  say  not  from  God  nor  from 
one  another.     But, 

11.  Eleventhly,  Imitate  her  in  her  earnest  desires  and  endeavours 
that  others,  especially  that  her  nearest  and  dearest  relations,  might 
taste  that  the  Lord  is  gracious;  that  they  might  all  be  holy  and 
happy,  gracious  and  glorious;  that  they  might  all  have  changed 
hearts,  renewed  natures,  and  sanctified  souls ;  that  they  might  all  be 
born  again,  adorned  with  grace,  filled  with  the  Spirit,  and  fitted  for 
heaven.  You  know  that  upon  her  dying-bed  she  desired  me  that 
when  she  was  asleep  in  Jesus,  1  Thes.  iv.  14,  that  I  would,  for  the 
advantage  of  the  living,  especially  for  your  sakes,  who  lay  nearest  her 
heart,  preach  on  that  Psalm  xxxiv.  8,  '  Oh  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord 
is  gracious,'  which  accordingly  I  did  once  and  again. i  Now  what  was  her 
design  in  this,  but  that  every  one  of  you  might  share  with  her  in  the 
same  favour,  love,  spirit,  grace,  merit,  righteousness,  and  goodness 
that  her  soul  had  long  tasted  of?  There  is  not  a  soul  that  ever 
lias  had  any  saving  taste  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  goodness,  but  is 
mighty  desirous  that  others  should  taste  of  the  same  grace  and  good- 
ness. '  Oh  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good ; '  as  if  David  should 
have  said,  I  for  my  part  have  seen,  tasted,  and  experienced  much  of 
God  and  his  goodness,  and  never  more  than  in  my  greatest  straits.  I 
am  loath  to  eat  these  heavenly  viands  and  soul-ravishing  morsels  of 
contentment  alone.  '  Come  hither,  all  you  that  fear  God,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  God  hath  done  for  my  soul.'^  Come,  oh  come,  poor 
souls  !  taste  and  see  with  me  how  good  the  Lord  is  ;  how  comfortable 
the  embraces  of  Christ  are,  and  how  sweet  communion  with  heaven  is. 
We  cannot  advantage  others  more  than  by  declaring  and  communi- 
cating unto  them  our  soul-secrets,  our  soul -experiments.  All  the 
saints  own  it  as  their  duty  to  glorify  God  in  their  generation :  and 
wherein  can  they  bring  more  glory  to  God  than  in  helping  souls  to 
heaven  ?  and  how  can  they  find  out  a  readier  way  to  eftect  this  great 
business,  than  by  telling  them  what  God  has  done  for  their  souls,  than 
by  making  a  faithful  narrative  of  their  own  conditions  by  nature  and 
by  grace,  when  and  how  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  was  made  known 
unto  them  upon  a  saving  account.  Oh  tell  poor  wounded  sinners 
what  methods  of  mercy  the  Lord  used  to  the  healing  of  your  wounds 
and  to  the  quieting  of  your  consciences,  that  so  they  may  be  encour- 
aged to  a  serious  use  of  all  gospel  means,  and  to  a  hope  of  the  same 
grace  and  goodness  of  the  Lord  towards  them.  Oh  labour  more  and 
more  to  convince  others  by  your  experiences  that  grace  is  the  only 
way  to  glory,  and  that  '  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord,' 
Heb.  xii.  14.3     Paul  had  tasted  that  the  Lord  was  good,  and  he 

*  The  three  sermons  that  I  preached  on  Ps.  xxxiv.  8  I  have  been  desired  to  print,  but 
could  not  answer  friends'  expectations  in  that,  l)ecause  I  had  not  the  notes  by  me  of 
what  I  said  upon  that  text. 

*  Ps.  Ixvi.  16  :  the  words  are  without  a  copulative  in  the  Hebrew,  venile,  audi/e  : 
Calvin,  '  Come  hearken ;'  like  that  Gen.  xix.  14.  It  not  only  imparts  an  invitation,  but 
the  affection  also  of  him  that  speaks. 

*  See  my  treatise  on  this  text,  ['  Crown  and  Glory  of  Christ,']  Vol.  IV.  — G. 


448  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

wished  that  both  Agrippa  and  all  that  heard  him  were  altogether 
such  as  he  was,  except  his  bonds,'  Acts  xxvi.  29.  As  soon  as  Matthew 
had  tasted  that  the  Lord  was  good,  Luke  v.  29,  he  called  together  a 
huge  multitude  of  publicans  and  others  to  meet  at  his  house.  As 
soon  as  Philip  had  tasted  of  the  sweetness  of  communion  with  Christ, 
he  runs  to  Nathanael  to  invite  him  to  Christ,  saying,  '  Come  and  see,' 
John  i.  45,  46.  No  sooner  had  the  woman  of  Samaria  tasted  of 
Christ's  living  waters,  but  she  lcav(\s  her  water-pot,  and  posts  into  the 
city  to  call  out  her  friends  and  neighbours  to  see  and  taste  how  good 
dear  Jesus  was,  John  iv.  28.  So  those  young  converts,  Zech.  viii.  21, 
'  And  the  inhabitants  of  one  city  shall  go  to  another,  saying.  Let  us  go 
speedily  to  pray  before  the  Lord,  and  to  seek  tlie  Lord  of  hosts ;  I 
will  go  also :  i  Micali  iv.  2,  '  And  many  nations  shall  come,  and  say. 
Come,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  and  to  the  house 
of  the  God  of  Jacob ;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will 
walk  in  his  paths :  for  the  law  shall  go  forth  of  Zion,  and  the  word  of 
the  Lord  from  Jerusalem.'  Those  blessed  converts  would  not  come 
alone,  but  draw  others  along  in  company  with  them  to  worship  the 
Lord,  which  is  lively  expressed  in  a  mimesis  or  imitation  of  the 
encouragements  and  invitations  they  should  use  one  to  another,  '  I 
will  go  also.'  Every  one  was  as  forward  for  himself,  as  zealous  for 
another.  Oh  blessed  frame  of  spirit !  0  my  friends,  it  is  the 
nature  of  true  grace  to  be  diffusive  and  communicative.  Grace  caimot 
be  concealed.  They  that  have  tasted  of  divine  sweetness  cannot 
choose  but  speak  of  it  to  others;  their  hearts,  like  bottles  of  new 
wine,  would  be  ready  to  burst  if  they  had  not  vent.  Grace  is  like  fire 
in  the  bones.  They  that  have  it  cannot  hide  it.  All  the  faculties  of 
the  soul,  and  all  the  members  of  the  body  will  still  be  a-telling  of 
others  that  there  is  a  treasure  of  grace  in  the  soul.  The  blind  men 
that  were  cured  were  charged  to  be  silent,  but  they  could  not  hold 
their  peace.  So  here,  Lilmor  belammed,  we  therefore  learn  that  we 
may  teach,  is  a  proverb  among  the  Rabbins  :  and  I  do  therefore  lay 
in  and  lay  up,  saith  the  heathen,  that  I  may  draw  forth  again  and  lay 
out  for  the  good  of  many.  And  shall  not  grace  do  as  much  as 
nature?  shall  not  grace  do  more  than  nature?  Well,  friends,  this  I 
shall  only  say,  that  the  frecpient  counsels  that  your  glorified  mother 
has  given  you  to  taste  of  divine  goodness,  and  the  experiences  that 
she  has  communicated  to  you  of  her  taste  of  divine  goodness,  both 
in  her  health  and  sickness,  both  in  her  living  and  dying,  will  certainly 
either  be  for  you,  or  else  be  a  dreadful  witness  against  you  in  the 
great  day  of  our  Lord  Jesus.  Oh  remember  not  only  those  experiences 
of  hers  that  are  now  presented  to  your  eyes,  but  those  other  experiences 
of  hers  as  to  her  inward  man  that  has  often  sounded  in  your  ears. 
But, 

12.  Lastly,  Labour  to  imitate  her  in  her  comfortable  passage  out  of 
this  ivorld.  Those  words  were  more  worth  tlian  a  world  which  she 
uttered  a  little  before  she  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord,  viz.,  'Lord,  take  my 
aching  head,  and  lay  it  in  thy  bosom.'  How  often  did  she  express  her 
longings  to  be  with  Christ,  that  she  might  sin  nor  sorrow  no  more ! 
Her  outward  man  was  full  of  pain,  weakness,  and  trouble;  yet  how  was 

'   \'i(lr  PoiTilile,  in  loc. 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  449 

her  inward  man  refreshed  and  quieted  in  a  way  of  believing,  accord- 
ing to  that  blessed  word,  Isa.  xxvi.  3,  '  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  per- 
fect peace ; ' — the  Hebrew  runs,  0^b^,  whv,  shalom,  shalom,  peace, 
peace  : — '  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee,  because  he  trusteth  in  thee,' 
Never  did  the  es})oused  maid  long  more  for  the  marriage-day,  nor  the 
apprentice  for  his  freedom,  nor  the  captive  for  his  ransom,  nor  the 
condemned  man  for  his  pardon,  nor  the  traveller  for  liis  inn,  nor  the 
mariner  for  his  haven,  nor  the  sick  man  for  his  health,  nor  the  wounded 
man  for  his  cure,  nor  the  hungry  man  for  his  bread,  nor  the  naked  for 
clothes,  than  she  did  long  to  die,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  for  her 
was  best  of  all,  Phil.  i.  2.3.  How  often  were  those  words  in  her  mouth, 
Kev.  xxii.  20,  '  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly ! '"  "^  The  face  of  none 
is  so  comely  to  the  saint's  eye,  the  voice  of  none  so  lovely  to  his  ears, 
the  taste  of  none  so  pleasant  in  his  mouth,  as  Jesus  Christ.  The  name 
of  Jesus  hath  a  thousand  treasures  of  joy  and  comfort  in  it,  saith 
Chrysostom;  and  is  therefore  used  by  Paul  five  hundred  times,  as 
some  have  reckoned.  The  name  of  a  Saviour,  saith  one,  [Bernard,]  is 
honey  in  the  mouth,  music  in  the  ear,  and  a  jubilee  in  the  heart.  And 
how  often  was  that  blessed  word  in  her  mouth,  '  Kemember,  0  Lord, 

1  beseech  thee,  how  I  have  walked  before  thee  in  truth,  and  with  a 
perfect  heart ;  and  have  done  that  which  is  good  in  thy  sight,'  Isa. 
xxxviii.  3.  A  serious  sense  of  her  uprightness  in  the  main,  of  her 
walking  with  God,  did  yield  her  more  than  a  little  sweetness  and  com- 
fort when  she  was  upon  her  bed  of  pain.  One  of  the  last  speeches  of 
a  dying  upright  Christian  was  this,  '  Satan  may  as  well  pluck  God 
out  of  heaven,  as  pluck  my  soul  out  of  his  keeping,'  John  x.  28-30 ; 

2  Tim.  ii.  12.  She  '  knew  him  in  whom  she  had  believed,  and  was 
persuaded  that  he  was  able  to  keep  that  soul  she  had  committed  to  him 
against  that  day.'  A  child  that  hath  any  precious  jewel  given  liim 
cannot  better  secure  it  than  by  putting  it  into  his  father's  hands  to 
keep ;  so  neither  can  we  better  provide  for  our  souls'  safety  than  by 
committing  them  to  God.  '  Keep  that  which  1  have  committed  ;'  that 
is,  either  my  precious  soul,  which  I  have  committed  to  his  care  and 
custody,  to  bring  it  forth  glorious  at  that  day  of  his  appearing ;  or  my 
eternal  life,  happiness,  and  crown  of  glory,  which  I  have,  as  it  were, 
deposited  with  him  by  faith  and  hope.  And  thus  it  was  with  her. 
The  apostle  saith  he  committed  to  God's  custody  a  pawn  or  pledge; 
but  about  this  pawn  or  pledge  interpreters  differ.  One  saith  it  is  his 
soul ;  another  saith  it  is  himself ;  and  a  third  saith  it  is  his  works  ;  and 
a  fourth  saith  it  is  his  sufferings  ;  and  a  fifth  saith  it  is  his  salvation. 
In  short,  he  committed  to  God  his  soul,  himself,  his  doings,  his  suffer- 
ings, to  be  rewarded  with  life  and  salvation ;  and  so  did  she  who  is 
now  at  rest  in  the  Lord.  Lord,  saith  Austin,  I  will  die  that  I  may 
enjoy  thee ;  I  will  not  live,  but  I  will  die  ;  I  desire  to  die  that  I  may 
see  Christ,  and  refuse  to  live,  that  I  may  live  with  Christ.  The  broken 
rings,  contracts,  and  espousals  contents  not  the  true  lover,  but  he  longs 
for  the  marriage-day ;  and  so  did  she  who  has  now  exchanged  a  sick- 
bed for  a  royal  throne,  and  the  company  of  poor  mortals  for  the  pre- 
sence of  God,  Christ,  angels,  and  the  '  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.' 

1  In  all  my  visits  to  her,  my  hardest  task  was  still  to  work  Iser  into  a  willingness  to 
stay  inthis  world  till  all  her  doing  and  her  suffering  work  was  over. 

VOL.  VI.  2  F 


450  THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY. 

It  was  well  said  of  [by]  one,  '  So  far  as  we  tremble  at  death,  so  far  we 
want  love.'  It  is  sad,  when  the  contract  is  made  between  Christ 
and  a  Christian,  to  see  a  Christian  afraid  of  the  making^-up 
of  the  niarriai^e.  But  your  deceased  relation  was  no  such  Ciiristiau. 
I  know  notliing-  in  this  world  that  her  heart  was  so  much  set  upon  as 
the  completing  of  the  marriage  between  Christ  and  her  soul.  My  eye 
is  upon  that  text,  Isa.  Ivii.  1,  '  The  righteous  perisheth,  and  no  man 
layelh  it  to  heart,  and  merciful  men  are  taken  away,  none  consider- 
ing that  the  righteous  are  taken  away  from  the  evil  to  come.'  I  have 
read  of  one  Philo,  a  Jew,  and  another,  that  when  they  came  to  any 
city  or  town,  and  heard  of  the  death  of  any  godly  man,  though  never  so 
poor,  they  would  both  of  them  mourn  exceedingly,  because  of  the  great 
loss  that  place  had  by  the  death  of  that  godly  man,  and  because  it  was 
a  warning  piece  from  God  of  evil  approaching.  But  ah,  how  many 
famous,  godly  ministers,  and  how  many  choice  Christians,  hath  the 
Lord  of  hosts  taken  away  from  us,  and  yet  who  lays  it  to  heart !  There  is 
no  greater  prognostic  of  an  approaching  storm,  than  God's  calling  home 
so  many  worthies,  'of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,'  as  he  has  lately 
done.  Now  oh  tliat  God  Avould  beautify  all  your  souls  with  all  these 
twelve  jewels,  with  which  your  mother  was  adorned  in  life  and  death  ! 

Sir[s],  your  having  signified  to  me  that  it  was  your  mother's  mind 
and  your  desires  that  her  following  experiences  should  be  printed,  I  did 
think  it  might  be  somewhat  reasonable  to  put  you  all  in  mind  of  such 
things  as  I  had,  among  many  others,  observed,  and  which  should  be  all 
yoiu"  ambition  to  imitate,  as  you  would  give  up  your  accounts  at  last 
with  joy,  and  be  happy  with  her  for  ever  in  the  other  world. 

Considering  that  these  Experiences  may  fall  into  other  hands  besides 
your  own,  I  thought  it  meet  to  let  such  readers  know  that  these  were 
taken  from  her  by  one  of  you,  when  she  was  in  a  very  weakly  con- 
dition, and  had  little  more  strcngth  than  to  speak ;  and  they  are  but 
some  of  those  that  lay  most  warm  upon  her  heart  at  that  time.  God 
began  to  work  upon  her  in  the  morning  of  her  days,  and  had  there 
been  a  collection  of  all  her  most  close,  inward,  spiritual  experiences, 
they  would  have  been  gi-eatly  multiplied  beyond  what  is  now  pre- 
sented to  the  reader's  eye  ;  but  that  was  a  task  too  hard  for  her  under 
those  variety  of  weaknesses  that  she  was  every  day  contending  with. 
The  experiences  of  old  disciples  commonly  rise  high  ;  but  the  ingenu- 
ous reader  may  easily  discern  by  the  twelve  jewels  with  which  she 
was  adorned,  that  she  was  a  woman  both  of  choice  and  great  experi- 
ences. Austin  observes  on  Ps.  Ixvi.  16,  'Come  and  hear,  all  ye  that 
fear  God,  and  I  will  declare  what  he  hath  done  for  my  soul;'  'he 
doth  not  call  them,'  saith  he,  '  to  acquaint  them  with  speculations — 
how  wide  the  earth  is,  and  how  far  the  heavens  are  stretched  out,  or 
what  the  number  of  the  stars  are,  or  what  is  the  course  of  the  sun ; — 
but  come  and  I  will  tell  you  the  wonders  of  his  grace,  the  iaithfulness 
of  his  promises,  and  the  riches  of  his  mercy  to  my  soul.'  Now  all 
ministers  and  Christians  that  had  any  inward  acquaintance  with  her 
soul  concernments,  do  very  well  know  that  she  was  most  taken  up 
with  the  wonders  of  God's  free,  rich,  and  sovereign  grace,  and  with 
the  sweetness,  the  fi-eeness,  the  riches,  and  the  faithfulness  of  his  pro- 
mises, and  with  the  riches  of  his  mercy  in  Christ  to  her  soul. 

To  draw  to  a  close,  it  is  observable  that  even  the  holy  apostles  in 


THE  EPISTLE  DEDICATORY.  451 

their  canonical  epistles,  have  spent  some  good  part  of  their  holy  lives  in 
the  ample  commendations  of  those  eminent  saints  to  whom  they  wrote  ; 
as  Paul  in  his  to  Philemon,  and  John  in  that  of  his  to  an  honourable 
lady,  and  that  other  to  a  meaner  person — viz.,  Gains ;  and  that  they 
went  not  behind  the  door,  as  we  say,  to  whisper,  but  as  on  the  house-top 
did  iDroclaim  the  religious  and  pious  practices  of  tliose  more  choice  Chris- 
tians to  the  imitation  of  others.  And  farther ,  when  I  consider  that  which 
the  apostle  speaketh  of  Demetiius,  a  rare  and  not  ordinary  testimony : 
'Demetrius  hath  a  good  report  of  all  men,  and  of  the  truth  itself:  and 
we  also  bear  record  ;  and  we  know  that  our  record  is  true,'  3  John  12. 
And  yet  furtlier,  when  I  consider  what  is  recorded  of  Hezekiah,  'Thus 
did  Hezekiah  throughout  all  Judah,  and  wrought  what  was  good,  and 
right,  and  true  before  his  God.  And  in  every  work  that  he  began  in 
the  service  of  the  house  of  God,  and  in  the  law  and  commandments,  he 
did  it  with  all  his  heart,  and  prospered,'  2  Chron.  xxxi.  20,  21,  And 
when  I  consider  what  high  commendations  the  apostle  bestows  upon  the 
churches  of  Macedonia,  2  Cor.  viii.  1-11 ;  and  upon  the  church  of  Thes- 
salonica,  1  Thes.  i.  1-9;  and  also  2  Thes.  i.  3-5.  And  when  I  consider 
that  it  was  the  Holy  Ghost  who  writ  Jehoiada's  epitaph,  '  They  buried 
him  in  the  city  of  David  among  the  kings,  because  he  had  done  good 
in  Israel,  both  towards  God  and  toward  his  house,'  2  Chron.  xxiv.  16. 
It  is  said  also  of  Josiah,  in  his  commendations  by  the  same  Spirit, 
'  Like  unto  him  there  was  no  king,'  2  Kings  xxiii.  25.  Moses  and 
Mordecai,  Sarah,  Deborah,  Esther,  Elizabeth,  and  others,  after  their 
deaths,  have  had  their  due  praises.  When  I  consider  of  these  things,  I 
am  very  well  satisfied  in  what  I  have  said  concerning  this  deceased  sister 
and  friend.  I  do  noways  doubt  but  that  we  may  very  safely  say  good 
of  such  when  dead,  whose  ordinary  course  and  practice  it  was  to  do 
good  while  they  lived ;  but  in  this  censorious  age,  no  sooner  is  dust 
cast  upon  some  Christians'  heads,  but  there  are  those  that  will  do  what 
they  can  to  throw  dirt  in  their  faces.  Augustine  doth  very  fitly  com- 
pare those  to  Dives  his  dogs;  they  lay  licking  and  sucking  Lazarus  his 
sores,  but  his  sounder  parts  they  never  meddled  with.  To  trample 
upon  the  reputation  and  stain  the  glory  of  them  that  'die  in  the  Lord,' 
argues  such  persons  to  be  akin  to  fleas,  who  bite  most  when  men  are 
asleep.  It  was  one  of  Solon's  laws,  that  none  should  dare  to  speak 
evil  of  the  dead ;  and  Plutarch  tells  us,  that  that  was  highly  com- 
mended and  duly  observed.  But  is  it  so  now  ?  This  I  am  sure,  that  it 
well  becomes  Christians  not  to  dare  to  speak  evil,  if  they  could,  of 
those  who  for  the  main  have  lived  holily  and  died  graciously,  as  this 
deceased  friend  hath  done.  Let  this  satisfy  us,  that  she  is  above  the 
praises  and  envies  of  men.  It  is  the  good,  the  profit,  the  advantage  of 
all  your  souls  and  theirs  into  whose  hands  tliis  little  piece  may  fall,  that 
has  drawn  me  out  to  write  so  large  an  epistle.  If  I  had  only  the  dead 
in  my  eye,  a  few  lines  should  have  served  my  turn.  I  doubt  not  but 
that  you  will  kindly  accept  of  my  endeavours  to  be  serviceable  to  your 
immortal  souls;  and  who  can  tell  what  fruit  may  grow  upon  this  tree  ? 
I  shall  improve  all  the  interest  I  have  in  heaven,  that  both  the  Epistle 
and  your  glorified  mother's  Experiences  may  be  blest  to  the  furtherance 
of  the  internal  and  eternal  welfare  of  all  your  souls.  The  'good-will  of 
him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush'  rest  upon  you  and  yours.  So  I  rest, 
honoured  friends,  your  souls'  servant,  Thomas  Brooks. 


A     TRUE    RELATION 


OF   SOME   OF   THE 


EXPERIENCES  OF  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL, 

TAKEN   FROM   UKR  OWN   MOUTH   BY    A   NEAK    RELATION   OF   HERS, 
A  LITTLE  BEFORE  HER  DEATH. 

Lc/f  as  a  Jcgacy  to  her  mourning  children. 


It  pleased  the  Lord  to  order  it  so  that  in  my  young  days  I  was  cast 
into  a  family  that  feared  the  Lord;  and  going  to  hear  Mr  White ^ 
preaching  from  these  words,  Prov.  xv.  15,  '  But  he  that  is  of  a  merry 
heart  hath  a  continual  feast  ;'  from  these  words  he  did  shew  how 
happy  a  thing  a  good  conscience  was,  and  what  a  sad  thing  it  w^as, 
with  Judas,  to  have  a  had  conscience.  And  what  a  hlessed  thing- 
it  was  to  have  a  good  conscience  from  that  of  Hezekiah  :  Isa.  xxxviii. 
3,  '  And  he  said,  Remember  now,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  how  I  have 
walked  before  thee  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  and  have  done 
that  which  is  good  in  thy  sight.'  This  sermon  God  made  useful 
to  me  ;  and  after  this  it  pleased  tlie  Lord  to  order  it  so  that  I  changed 
my  condition,  and  the  Lord  provided  for  me  a  good  liusband,  '  one  that 
feared  him.'  And  some  troubles  being  here,  many  of  the  people 
of  God  went  for  New  England,  and  among  them  my  husband  desired 
to  go  ;  but  I  and  ray  friends  were  very  averse  unto  it.  I  having  one 
cliild,  and  being  big  with  another,  thought  it  to  be  very  difficult 
to  cross  the  seas  with  two  small  children  ;  some  of  my  neiglibours 
advising  me  to  the  contrary,  living  so  well  as  I  did.  But  I  told  them 
that  wliat  the  Lord  would  have  me  to  do  that  I  would  willingly  do  ; 
and  then  it  i)leased  the  Lord  to  bring  that  scri])ture  to  my  mind  : 
Eph.  v.  22,  '  Wives,  submit  yourselves  unto  your  own  husbands,  as 
unto  the  Lord ' — and  then  my  heart  was  brought  oif  to  a  quiet  sub- 
mission. But  after  this,  I  being  well-delivered,  and  the  child  well,  it 
pleased  the  Lord  soon  after  to  take  my  child  to  himself.  Now  upon 
this,  so  far  as  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  help  a  poor  wretch,  I  begged 
earnestly  of  him  to  know  why  he  took  away  my  child,  and  it  was 
'  ProbaLlv  the  excellent  John  AVhite  of  liOndon.— G. 


EXPERIENCES  OF  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL.  453 

given  in  to  me  that  it  was  because  I  would  not  go  to  New  England, 
Upon  this  the  Lord  took  away  all  fears  from  my  spirit,  and  then  I 
told  my  husband  I  was  willing  to  go  with  him ;  for  the  Lord  had  made 
my  way  clear  to  me  against  any  that  should  oppose.  And  then  my 
husband  went  presently  upon  the  work  to  fit  to  go.  "And  the  Lord 
was  pleased  to  carry  us  as  upon  eagle's  wings,  according  to  that  Dcut. 
xxxii.  10,  11.  We  were  eight  weeks  in  our  passage,  and  saw  nothing 
but  the  heavens  and  waters.  I  knew  that  the  Lord  was  a  great  God 
upon  the  shore  ;  but  when  I  was  upon  the  sea  I  did  then  see  more  of 
his  glorious  power  than  ever  I  had  done  before,  according  to  that 
of  the  psalmist,  Ps.  cvii.  23,  24.  And  when  the  Lord  was  pleased  to 
bring  us  in  safety  on  shore,  his  people  gave  us  the  best  entertainment 
they  could  ;  and  then  I  thought  I  could  never  be  thankful  enough 
to  the  Lord  for  his  goodness  in  preserving  us  upon  the  sea,  I  being  big 
with  child,  and  my  husband  sick  almost  all  the  voyage.  After  this 
my  husband  would  have  gone  by  water  higher  into  the  country ;  but 
I  told  him  the  Lord  having  been  so  good  in  bringing  us  safe  ashore 
amongst  his  people,  I  was  not  willing  to  go  again  to  sea.  And  it  was 
a  good  providence  of  God  we  did  not ;  for  most  of  them  that  went 
were  undone  by  it.  The  first  sermon  that  I  heard  after  I  came 
ashore  was  out  of  Jer.  ii.  13,  '  For  my  people  have  committed  two 
evils  ;  they  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  and  hewed 
them  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  can  hold  no  water.'  Now  the 
minister  did  shew  that  whatever  we  did  build  on  short  of  Christ  would 
prove  but  a  broken  cistern  ;  and  by  that  sermon  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  shake  my  foundation.  But  I  being  a  poor,  ignorant  creature, 
thought  if  I  could  but  get  into  the  fellowship  of  the  people  of  God, 
that  that  would  quiet  my  spirit  and  answer  all  my  objections  ;  and  I 
did  accordingly  attempt  to  join  with  the  church  ;  but  they  were  very 
faithful  to  the  Lord  and  my  soul,  and  asked  me  what  promise  the 
Lord  had  made  home  in  power  upon  me.  And  I  answered  them, 
Jer.  xxxi.  3,  '  Yea,  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love  ;  there- 
fore with  loving-kindness  have  I  drawn  thee  : '  but  they  told  me  that 
that  was  a  general  promise,  that  I  must  look  to  get  some  particular 
dromise  made  home  in  power  upon  me  ;  and  persuaded  me  to  wait  a 
little  longer  to  see  what  God  would  further  do  for  my  poor  soul,  which 
accordingly  I  did.  And  going  to  hear  Mr  Cotton, i  who  did  jDreach 
out  of  Kev.  ii.  28,  '  To  him  that  overcometh  I  will  give  the  morning 
star  ;'  from  which  words  he  did  observe  that  that  star  was  Christ. 
And  [from]  this  he  came  to  shew  how  a  soul  might  know  whether  it  had 
an  interest  in  Christ  or  no,  and  that  was  by  the  Lord's  giving  out  such 
precious  promises  as  these  to  the  poor  soul — viz.,  that  '  God  was  in 
Christ,  reconciling  the  world  to  himself,'  2  Cor.  v.  19 ;  and  that  John 
xvi.  21,  '  And  your  joy  shall  no  man  take  from  you  :'  and  Isa.  liv.  22, 
'  I  have  blotted  out,  as  a  thick  cloud,  thy  transgressions,  and  as  a 
cloud,  thy  sins;'  and  that  Isa.  xliii.  25;  which  promises  aftei'wards 
God  made  sweet  to  my  soul.    After  this  I  went  to  hear  Mr  Shepherd,2 

'  John  Cotton  of  Boston  in  Old  England,  and  afterwards  of  Boston  in  New  England 
Died,  1652. 

^  Tliomas  Shepard  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  whose  Works — including  his  celebrated  ser- 
mons expository  of  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  mentioned  by  Mrs  Bell— have  been 
collected  in  3  vols.,  cr.  8vo,  1853,  (^Boston.)— G. 


4?)4  EXPERIENX'ES  OF  MRS  SURANN'A  BELL. 

and  he  was  ])reacliinf^  out  of  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins,  Mat. 
XXV.  1-13.  In  his  discourse  he  shewed  that  all  were  professors,  but 
the  foolish  had  nothing  but  lamps  without  oil,  a  profession  without 
grace  in  their  hearts;  hut  that  the  wise  had  got  grace  in  their  hearts, 
and  so  were  ready-prepared  to  meet  the  Bridegroom  when  he  came. 
Now  1)}'  that  discourse  of  his  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  convince  me 
tViat  I  was  a  foolish  virgin,  and  that  I  made  a  profession,  but  wanted 
the  oil  of  grace  in  my  heart,  and  by  this  means  I  was  brought  into  a 
very  sad  condition.  For  1  did  not  experimentally  know  what  it  was 
to  have  oil  in  my  lamp,  grace  in  my  heart,  nor  what  it  was  to  have 
union  with  Christ,  that  l)eing  a  mystery  to  me.  And  then  I  did  think 
myself  guilty  of  breaking  all  the  commandments  of  God  except  the 
sixth.  For  I  thought  I  had  never  desired,  wished,  or  endeavoured 
any  man's  death.  But  then  the  Lord  shewed  me  that  if  I  were  saved 
by  Christ  my  sins  had  murdered  him,  according  to  that  Acts  iii.  15, 
and  iv.  10.  And  that  did  greatly  aggravate  my  sin  the  more  unto 
me.  Now  one  of  my  neighbours,  observing  that  I  was  in  a  distressed 
condition,  told  me  that  she  had  been  a-hearing,  and  that  the  minister 
she  heard  was  a-shewing  that  the  liord  had  more  glory  in  tlie  salva- 
tion than  in  the  damnation  of  sinners.  For  in  their  salvation  his 
mercy  and  his  justice  were  both  glorified,  but  in  their  destruction  only 
his  justice  was  glorified.  Hearing  of  this  the  Lord  was  pleased  to 
draw  out  my  heart  to  plead  with  him,  that  if  he  might  recei\'e  more 
glory  in  my  salvation  than  in  my  destruction,  that  then  his  mercy 
might  be  manifested  to  me.  For  I  thought,  although  I  had  many 
worldly  comtbrts,  yet  I  had  no  interest  in  Christ,  and  that  if  I  should 
die  presently,  hell  would  be  my  portion  ;  and  in  this  sad  and  sore  dis- 
tress the  liOrd  was  pleased  to  imprint  that  scripture  upon  my  mind  : 
Job  X.  2, '  I  will  say  unto  God,  Do  not  condemn  me  :  sIicav  me  where- 
fore thou  contendest  with  me :'  Job  xl.  2,  '  Shall  he  that  contendeth 
with  the  Almighty  instruct  him  ?  he  that  reproveth  God,  let  him 
answer  it ;'  and  that  word  of  the  apostle's :  Rom.  ix.  20,  21,  '  Nay  but 
thou,  0  man,  who  art  thou  that  rcplicst  against  Gt)d  ?  Shall  the 
thing  formed  say  to  him  that  foimed  it.  Why  hast  thou  made  me  thus  ? 
Hath  not  the  potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump  to  make 
one  vessel  unto  honour,  and  another  unto  dishonour?'  After  this  it 
pleased  God  that  Mr  Eliot  i  and  some  other  of  the  ^leople  of  God,  see- 
ing me  in  this  sad  condition,  [sent  to]  tell  me  the  church  would  have 
me  come  in  to  he  a  member  with  them  ;  but  I  did  reply  that  all 
church-fellowship  would  do  me  no  good.  Then  ]\Ir  Eliot  asked  me, 
what  would  do  me  good  ?  and  I  told  him,  nothing  but  an  interest  in 
Christ.  His  answer  was,  that  I  was  already  in  the  pangs  of  the  new 
birth,  and  he  did  believe  it  would  not  be  long  before  the  Lord  spoke 
peace  to  my  poor  soul.  After  that,  reading  a  book  of  Dr  Preston's,^ 
where  he  did  shew  '  that  when  the  Loid  joined  himself  to  a  believer, 
he  did  first  comprehend  the  soul,  and  then  enabling  [enable]  the  soul 
by  faith  to  apprehend  him,'  which  double  act  of  faith  I  then  knew  not. 
About  fourteen  days  after,  considering  what  a  distressed  condition  I 

'  The  venerable  apostle  of  the  Indians,  John  Eliot,  born  1604,  died  1690.— G. 
'  Sibbcs's  great  friend.     Died  1C28.     Probablv  his  '  Breastplate  of  Faith,'  is  referred 
to.— G. 


EXPERIENCES  OF  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL.  455 

was  in,  I  was  bemoaning  myself  before  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  was 
pleased  to  bring  that  scripture  to  my  remembrance  in  John  xvi.,  '  I 
will  give  you  that  joy  that  no  man  taketh  from  you.'  And  then  I 
thought  with  myself  that  it  was  Christ  that  I  did  want,  and  not  joy. 
But  the  Lord  brought  that  scripture  to  me  that  Christ  was  tidings  of 
great  joy,  Luke  ii.  10,  11  ;  and  I  thought,  how  could  this  be  to  such  a 
poor  wretch  as  I  was,  and  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  bring  that  scripture 
to  my  mind,  that  he  looked  not  as  man  looked,  1  Sam.  xvi.  7,  and 
that  he  was  God  and  not  man,  Hosea  xi.  9  ;  and  by  this  means  he 
took  away  all  my  fears.  And  then  the  Lord  did  help  me  to  discern 
that  this  was  a  mystery  indeed,  and  did  so  quiet  my  heart  that  all  the 
world  seemed  as  nothing  unto  me.  For  I  never  heard  such  a  voice 
before,  blessed  be  his  name.  And  then  the  people  of  Grod  would  have 
me  come  into  fellowship  with  them,  and  soon  after  I  was  admitted  a 
babe  in  Christ  among  them.  Afterwards  being  to  hear  Mr  Cotton  on 
1  Pet.  ii.  2,  '  As  new-born  babes,  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word, 
that  you  may  grow  tliereby ;'  and  from  thence  he  shewed  that  if  it 
were  a  living  babe  it  would  cry  out  for  nourishment,  and  that  the  soul 
that  did  once  really  taste  of  Christ  was  never  satisfied,  but  would  still 
be  crying  out  for  more  and  more  of  Christ.  When  such  a  soul  came 
to  any  ordinance  as  hearing,  prayer,  the  Lord's  supper,  and  did  get 
nothing  of  Christ,  they  were  all  as  lost  ordinances  to  it. 

It  so  fell  out  that  the  next  Lord's  day  was  the  day  of  sitting  down 
at  the  Lord's  table,  and  the  Lord  did  put  it  into  my  thoughts  that  if 
we  received  nothing  but  a  piece  of  bread  and  a  sip  of  wine,  it  would 
be  but  a  poor  empty  thing  ;  and  so  the  Lord  did  help  me  to  beg  that 
if  what  he  had  been  pleased  to  speak  to  my  soul  before  were  a  true 
manifestation  of  himself,  that  he  would  be  pleased  to  speak  again  unto 
my  soul,  for  a  threefold  cord  is  not  easily  broken,  Eccles.  iv.  12. 
Being  at  the  ordinance,  the  bread  and  wine  coming  about,  I  was 
thus  sighing  unto  the  Lord,  What !  shall  I  have  nothing  but  a  bit  of 
bread  and  a  sip  of  wine  this  day  ?  and  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  bring 
that  scripture  to  my  mind  :  John  vi.  55,  '  For  my  flesh  is  meat  in- 
deed, and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed.'  And  so  the  Lord  was  pleased 
to  give  something  more  of  himself  to  my  poor  soul  at  that  time. 
After  this,  a  sad  providence  attended  one  of  my  neighbours.  I  was 
full  of  fears  that  her  condition  might  be  mine  ;  but  the  Lord  brought 
that  scripture  to  my  mind  :  Jer.  xxix.  11,  '  For  I  know  the  thoughts 
that  I  think  towards  you,  saith  the  Lord,  thoughts  of  peace  and  not 
of  evil,  to  give  you  an  expected  end  ;'  and  thereby  the  Lord  stayed 
ray  heart  in  trusting  upon  himself,  and  giving  me  a  safe  delivery. 
And  being  up  again,  I  went  to  hear  Mr  Cotton,  and  he  was  shewing 
what  assurance  was,  and  how  happy  that  soul  was  that  could  say  as 
Job  did,  chap.  xix.  25  ;  and  with  David,  Ps.  cxix.  89,  '  For  ever.  Lord, 
thy  word  is  settled  in  the  heavens  ;'  and  so  the  Lord  was  pleased  to 
shew  me  what  a  mercy  I  had  that  had  assurance.  Then  I  went  to 
speak  to  Mr  Cotton,  to  ask  him  what  he  thought  of  the  work  of  God 
upon  my  poor  soul,  and  he  told  me  that  he  was  satisfied  that  it  A\'ns 
a  real  work  of  God.  And  he  did  counsel  me  to  walk  humbly  and 
thankfully,  and  to  take  heed  of  grieving  that  Spirit  of  God  by  which 
I  was  sealed  up  to  the  day  of  redemption,  and  to  walk  humbly  to- 


456  EXPERIENCES  OF  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL. 

■wards  those  that  God  had  not  revealed  so  much  of  himself  to  as  he 
had  to  me.  And  then  the  Lord  was  pleased  hy  his  providence  to 
call  my  husband  to  come  for  England,  and  he  did  tell  me  that  he 
should  so  order  ])usine.ss  that  I  sliould  have  less  of  the  world  to  trouble 
me.  I  was  glad  to  hear  it  from  him,  and  desired  him  to  go.  And 
then  the  Lord  was  })leased  to  hel))  me  to  consider  whether  I  had  not 
got  a  better  husband,  and  the  Lord  did  quiet  my  heart  in  himself ; 
my  soul  being  espoused  to  him,  2  Cor.  xi.  2.  After  he  was  gone  from 
me,  we  did  hear  of  a  war  broke  forth  in  England,  and  friends  told  me 
my  husband  would  be  in  danger  of  his  life  if  taken.  I  told  them  the 
best  I  knew,  and  the  worst  I  knew ;  and  that  if  God  should  take 
my  husband  out  of  the  woild,  I  should  have  a  husband  in  heaven, 
which  was  best  of  all.  And  Mr  John  Eliot  did  visit  me  in  his 
absence,  and  asked  me  how  the  Lord  did  bear  up  my  heart  in  my 
liusband's  absence  ;  and  I  did  tell  him  that  the  Lord  was  as  well  able 
to  bring  him  to  me  in  safety  as  he  did  to  carry  him  out.  And  he 
answeretl  me,  I  believe  the  Lord  will  say  unto  thee  as  he  did  to  the 
Canaanitish  woman,  Mat.  xv.  28,  '  Be  it  unto  thee  according  to  thy 
faith.'  And  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  keep  me,  and  all  that  1  had,  and 
to  preserve  him,  and  to  bring  him  home  in  safety  unto  me.  And 
then,  instead  of  having  less  of  the  world,  wliicli  I  desired,  the  Lord 
did  cast  in  more  of  it.  After  this,  my  husband  told  me  that  he  must 
go  again  to  England,  and  I  was  very  unwilling  to  it ;  but  he  told 
me  if  he  did  not,  the  name  of  God  would  suffer.  To  prevent  which,  I 
consented,  and  it  pleased  God  to  bring  him  home  in  safety  to  me  ; 
and  in  a  few  years  after  he  brought  me  over  to  England,  and  God 
shewed  much  of  his  goodness  to  me. 

At  my  coming  asliore,  he  brought  that  scripture  to  my  remem- 
brance, Deut.  xxxiii.  26,  27,  '  There  is  none  like  unto  thee,  0  God  of 
Jeshurun,  who  rideth  upon  the  heaven  in  thy  help,  and  in  his  excel- 
lency on  the  sky.  The  eternal  God  is  thy  refuge,  and  underneath  are 
the  everlasting  arms.' 

After  it  had  pleased  God  to  bring  me  back  to  my  native  country,  I 
was  much  troubled  that  there  was  no  better  observation  of  the  Ijord's 
day — it  being  our  practice  in  New  England  to  begin  it  at  sunset  the 
evening  before,  as  it  is  recorded  in  Genesis  '  that  the  evening  and  the 
morning  was  the  first  day ; '  and  that  scripture  was  brought  to  my 
memory,  Prov.  xiv.  10,  '  The  heart  knows  its  own  bitterness,  but  no 
man  intermeddles  witli  its  joy.'  Many  trials  the  Lord  hath  been 
pleased  to  exercise  me  with,  but  in  the  midst  of  all  God  hath  made 
that  word  sweet  to  my  soul,  Isa.  liv.  10,  '  For  the  mountains  shall 
depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed ;  but  my  kindness  shall  not  depart 
from  thee,  neither  shall  the  covenant  of  my  peace  be  removed,  saitJi 
the  Lord  that  hath  mercy  on  thee.'  It  pleased  the  Lord  after  a  year 
or  two  to  exercise  me  witli  much  weakness ;  but  then  lie  made  that 
word  sweet  unto  me,  Isa.  1.  8,  '  He  is  near  that  ju.stities  me:  who  will 
contend  with  me?'  and  that  word.  Job  xv.  11,  '  Are  the  consolations 
of  God  small  unto  thee?  '  After  these  things,  when  I  was  in  a  very 
great  strait  upon  the  apprehension  of  some  public  dangers  that  seemed 
to  threaten  us,  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  bring  to  my  mind  that  scrip- 
ture, Zech.  ix.  12,  '  Turn  to  your  strongholds,  you  prisoners  of  hope.' 


EXPERIENCES  OP.  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL.  457 

And  since,  in  tlie  midst  of  my  many  bodily  infirmities,  God  liatli  made 
that  word  sweet  to  my  soul,  Ps.  cxvi.  7,  '  Return  unto  thy  rest,  0  my 
soul,  for  the  Lord  hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee  ; '  and  that  word, 
Ps.  xxiii.  4,  '  Though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  thou  art  with  me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff 
they  comfort  me.'  I  still  remain  as  a  '  prisoner  of"  hope,'  waiting  for 
a  fruition  of  that  happiness  which  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  pre- 
pared for  me,  '  for  I  know  that  he  that  hath  the  Son  hath  life,'  1  John 
V.  12.  '  And  if  the  Son  make  us  free,  then  are  we  free  indeed,'  John 
viii.  36.  And  '  blessed  is  that  people  that  knows  the  joyful  sound : 
they  shall  walk,  0  Lord,  in  the  light  of  thy  countenance,'  Ps.  Ixxxix. 
15.  I  find  the  Lord  Jesus  very  free  in  the  tenders  of  his  love  to  poor 
sinners ;  and  that  love  hath  in  a  great  measure  been  manifested  to  my 
poor  soul. 

After  this  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  visit  one  of  my  daughters  with  a 
great  sickness,  upon  which  my  heart  was  drawn  out  to  seek  the  Lord 
on  her  behalf ;  then  that  scripture  was  brought  to  my  mind,  John  xi. 
21,  '  Then  said  Martha  unto  Jesus,  Lord,  if  thouhadst  been  here,  my 
brother  had  not  died.  But  I  know  that  now,  whatsoever  thou  wilt 
ask  of  God,  God  will  give  it  to  thee.  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Thy 
brother  shall  rise  again.  Martha  saith  unto  him,  I  know  that  he  shall 
rise  again  at  the  last  day.  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  I  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life :  and  he  that  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die.'  And 
it  pleased  the  Lord  to  give  me  her  life  as  an  answer  of  prayer. 

It  pleased  the  Lord  after  this  to  visit  this  land  with  the  pestilence  ; 
a  severe  stroke  of  his  that  swept  away  many  thousands ;  and  under 
that  sad  providence  of  his,  the  Lord  did  help  me  to  rely  alone  upon 
himself  from  that  scripture,  Ps.  xci.  7,  '  A  thousand  shall  fall  at  thy 
side,  and  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand  ;  but  it  shall  not  come  nigh 
thee.'  And  according  to  my  faith,  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  preserve 
both  myself  and  all  my  relations  from  that  sad  stroke,  though  some 
of  them  were  often  in  the  midst  of  danger  ;  blessed  be  his  name. 

The  next  year  after  the  Lord  did  again,  for  our  sins,  visit  us,  and 
that  by  a  dreadful  fire,  which  reduced  to  ashes  many  thousand  houses  ; 
and  yet  his  love  was  then  manifested  to  me  in  the  preservation  of  my 
habitation,  when  many  better  than  myself  were  burned  out.  There- 
fore unto  my  God  shall  I,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  his  mercies, 
render  that  praise  which  is  due  unto  his  name. 

Since  that,  whilst  I  was  upon  a  languishing  bed,  and  death  even 
knocking  at  the  door,  it  pleased  the  Lord  once  again  to  alarm  me  in 
that  weak  condition,  by  a  dreadful  fire  which  broke  out  very  near  us ; 
and  at  that  time  it  pleased  my  good  God  to  sup]iort  and  strengthen 
my  spirit  with  that  scripture,  Isa.  xliii.  2,  '  When  thou  passest 
through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  and  through  the  rivers,  they 
shall  not  overflow  thee :  when  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou 
shalt  not  be  burnt;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee;'  and 
that  scripture,  Isa.  liv.  5,  '  For  thy  Maker  is  thy  husband ;  the  Lord 
of  hosts  is  his  name  ;  and  thy  Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  the 
God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called.'  And  this  second  time  also 
the  Lord  was  graciously  pleased  to  preserve  me  and  my  house  from 
that  amazino;  stroke  which  did  so  much  threaten  us.     And  oh  that  all 


458  EXPERIENCES  OF  MRS  SUSANNA  BELL. 

those  new  and  old  experiences  mif^dit  be  liigh  obligations  upon  me  and 
mine  to  holiness  and  fruitfulness  all  our  days! 

Whilst  I  remained  in  New  England  there  happened  a  great  earth- 
quake, which  did  shake  all  in  the  house,  and  my  son  being  by  me, 
asked  me  what  it  was ;  I  told  him  our  neighbours  were  all  amazed  at 
it,  and  knew  not  but  that  the  world  miglit  then  be  at  an  end,  and 
did  run  up  and  down  very  much  affirighted  at  it,  but  I  sat  still,  and 
did  think  with  myself  what  a  Christ  was  worth  to  my  poor  soul  at 
that  time.  And  then  God  made  these  scriptures  sweet  refreshings, 
supporting  and  quieting  my  soul :  Ps.  xviii.  46,  '  The  Lord  liveth : 
and  blessed  be  my  Rock  ;  and  let  the  God  of  my  salvation  be  exalted  ;' 
Heb.  xi.  13,  '  These  all  died  in  faith,  not  having  received  the  promises, 
but  having  seen  them  atar  off,  and  were  persuaded  of  them,  and 
embraced  them,  and  confessed  they  were  strangers  and  pilgrims  on 
the  earth;'  Rev.  vii.  9,  '  After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multi- 
tude, which  no  man  could  number,  of  all  nations,  and  kindred,  and 
people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  Lamb, 
clothed  with  white  robes,  and  jDalms  in  their  hands  ;'  ver.  11,  'And 
lie  said  to  me.  These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great  tribulation, 
and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb.' 


INDEXES,  &c. 


I.— TEXTS. 

Note. — In  this  Index  will  be  found  the  whole  of  those  Texts  of  Scripture  which  are  discussed 
fully  in  Treatise  or  Sermon,  together  with  all  such  as  are  incidentally  explained  ;  but  as 
in  Sibbes,  there  are  thousands  of  others  adduced  in  itvooi  of  given  points,  which  it  was 
impossible  to  include.  These  will  be  readily  traced  under  the  Index  of  Subjects.  It 
has  been  our  endeavour  to  give  every  Text  on  which  anytliing  considerable  or  notice- 
able is  said  by  Brooks. — G. 


Psal. 


CHAP 

.      VER. 

k^OL. 

PAGE 

CHAP 

.      VER. 

Vor,.           PAGE 

Gen.       2. 

23 

1. 

428 

2  Sam 

.23. 

5 

5.          297 

3. 

4,5 

1. 

12,  13 

,, 

24. 

17 

5.            81 

3. 

15 

5. 

331,  332 

IKin 

gs8. 

27 

2.            28 

3. 

22 

5. 

153 

,, 

9. 

13 

1.          231 

4. 

7 

2. 

253 

„ 

11. 

9 

2.          517 

4. 

10,  11 

6. 

120 

,, 

14. 

3 

1.          175 

9. 

24,25 

5. 

37 

,, 

14. 

13 

1.  175-2841 

„      13. 

2 

2, 

59 

,, 

17. 

1 

2.          240 

„      17. 

1 

2. 

15 

,, 

17. 

12 

2.  410,  411 

„       17. 

1 

5. 

154 

2  Kin 

5s4. 

32-35 

2.          182 

„      18. 

27 

3. 

10 

J, 

5. 

1 

4.            88 

„      24. 

63 

2. 

166 

,, 

8. 

11,12 

6.          159 

,,      28. 

20,  21 

2. 

48 

2Chr 

13. 

3-18 

5.  463,  464 

„      29. 

17 

4. 

3 

>) 

16. 

9 

5.          154 

„      29. 

17-28 

4. 

3,4 

32. 

26 

2.          427 

„      33. 

9 

2. 

24 

,, 

36. 

8 

2.          287 

„      33. 

11 

1. 

187 

,, 

36. 

16 

1.         xliv 

„      33. 

20 

1. 

373 

Ezra 

7. 

26 

6.          117 

„      49. 

23,  24 

3. 

52 

Neh. 

1. 

5 

1.          395 

Exod.     3. 

2,3 

5. 

478,  seq 

J  J 

4. 

8,11,15 

5.          483 

3. 

14 

2. 

35 

Esther  3. 

8,  seq 

5.  484,  seq 

3. 

14 

5. 

152 

}y 

4. 

14 

5.   458,464 

8. 

16 

1. 

23 

465 

9. 

16 

1. 

45 

,, 

7. 

8 

2.          285 

,,      14. 

10 

5. 

463 

,, 

7. 

8 

5.            39 

„      19. 

5 

2. 

197 

Job 

5. 

26 

1.  460,  461 

„      23. 

20-23 

2. 

416 

,, 

7. 

20 

3.          393 

Lev.     10. 

2,3 

6. 

240 

,, 

9. 

16,  17 

2.          378 

Num.  13. 

30 

5. 

465 

,, 

9. 

25 

1.          181 

„      14. 

1-3 

1. 

338 

,, 

19. 

25 

5.          359 

,,      14. 

24 

3. 

149 

,, 

20. 

12-14 

1.            14 

„      14. 

26-29 

1. 

338 

,, 

26. 

14 

1.          420 

„      33. 

29 

2. 

480 

„ 

31. 

1 

1.            40 

Deut.  10. 

12,13 

4. 

437 

,, 

34. 

30 

6.  371,  372 

„      26. 

16 

1. 

328 

,, 

42. 

5,  6 

3.              9 

„      32. 

10 

5. 

472,  473 

Psalms  2. 

7,9,  &c 

5.          379 

Josh.    12. 

10 

6. 

240 

,, 

4. 

2 

1.            64 

Judges  8. 13,  seq 

1. 

59 

„ 

5. 

3 

1.           186 

Ruth      2. 

13 

6. 

438 

It 

5. 

3 

2.           276 

1  Sam.   6. 

12 

2. 

475 

9. 

17 

5.           115 

„      24. 

5 

3. 

17 

jj 

16. 

2 

3.           177 

„       25. 

25 

2. 

198 

)j 

16. 

11 

1.          426 

2  Sam.  12. 

10 

1. 

25 

J) 

16. 

11 

5.  133,  134 

„      14. 

24,33 

1. 

44 

18. 

10 

1.          419 

,;  23. 

5 

2. 

491,  seq 

„ 

19. 

11 

1.            77 

CHAP 

.      VIK. 

VciL 

PAOR 

19. 

11 

2. 

3B2 

19. 

12 

2. 

184 

22. 

1 

5." 

99,  100 

22. 

6 

2. 

250 

23. 

6 

2. 

69 

25. 

9 

1. 

61 

25. 

10 

1. 

328 

29. 

1,  2 

3. 

442,  443 

30. 

5 

1. 

304 

30. 

6,7 

2. 

100 

34. 

10 

2. 

51,52 

34. 

14 

1. 

133 

34. 

14 

4. 

36 

37. 

16 

2. 

50 

39. 

5 

4. 

.311.  312 

39. 

9 

1. 

2y4-398-'2 

40. 

6-8 

5. 

343-348-J 

40. 

7,8 

3. 

206 

42. 

1,2 

2. 

263 

44. 

17-19 

6. 

48 

44. 

18 

6.  335,  seq* 

44. 

18 

6. 

339,  340 

45. 

6 

5. 

154 

45. 

13 

1. 

462 

46. 

— 

5. 

559 

46. 

1 

2. 

12 

49. 

10,11 

2 

83 

50. 

23 

2. 

415 

51. 

3 

2. 

424 

61. 

1 

4. 

424 

63. 

1 

2. 

91 

03. 

3 

1." 

377,  378 

63. 

3 

2. 

96 

63. 

5,6 

2. 

33 

66. 

8,9 

2. 

ISO 

66. 

16 

1. 

288 

68. 

14 

1. 

342 

68. 

18 

1. 

141 

71. 

14 

1. 

163 

71. 

15,  16 

19 

1. 

463 

77. 

8,  9 

2. 

380 

81. 

12 

1. 

27 

82. 

6 

6. 

6 

83. 

19 

5. 

150 

1  'Apples  of  Gold.' 

8  See  under  Heb.  x.  6-8, 


2  'Mute  Christian.' 

*  'God's  Deliglit  in  the  Progress  of  tlie  Upright.' 


460 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


CHAP. 

VF.n. 

VOL 

PAGE 

CHAP.  VER. 

VOL 

PAGE 

?HAP. 

VER. 

VOL 

PACE 

['sal.  83. 

22 

4. 

119 

Song 

}6. 

1 

3. 

17 

Dan. 

3. 

16 

5. 

465,  seq 

„   84. 

2 

2. 

91 

of  Sol. 

J) 

3. 

25 

5. 

477,  478 

,,   84. 

10 

2. 

106 

8. 

5 

2. 

88 

9. 

5,6 

3. 

407 

„   84. 

11 

2 

15 

^^ 

8. 

6 

2. 

489,  490 

)) 

11. 

31 

2. 

23 

,,   86. 

13 

5^ 

103 

Isaiah 

1. 

18 

5. 

55 

12. 

3 

4. 

371,  372 

„   89. 

28 

5.  348.  319  1 

^^ 

1. 

25 

6. 

40 

Husea 

2. 

14 

1. 

49 

'!   91. 

1,  2 

2. 

86 

,j 

0.   1 

,  5 

3. 

9 

,, 

2. 

14 

2. 

176 

„   92. 

12-14 

1. 

194 

J^ 

0.  9, 

10 

1. 

xliii 

,, 

4. 

17 

1. 

27 

„   94. 

19 

1. 

342 

J, 

8. 

9 

5. 

487,  seq 

,  J 

4. 

17 

3. 

.358 

,,  io;i. 

1-5 

4. 

325 

,, 

8.  21, 

22 

1. 

313,  314 

,, 

11. 

1 

1. 

373 

„  103. 

11,  12 

1. 

223 

jj 

9. 

"g 

5. 

l<i7 

jj 

12. 

3-5 

2. 

178 

„  116. 

3 

1. 

176 

jj 

26. 

9 

2. 

420 

,, 

12. 

4 

2. 

178,  179 

„  110. 

11 

2. 

344 

^j 

21). 

16 

5. 

490 

,, 

13. 

1 

3. 

71 

„  119. 

20 

3. 

271 

jj 

20. 

20 

1. 

51,  .52 

14. 

5-8 

3. 

358 

„  119. 

59,  GO 

4. 

384 

303 

Amos 

1. 

14 

0. 

17 

„  119. 

1.58 

2. 

98 

), 

28. 

10 

3. 

26 

,, 

2. 

6 

6. 

16 

„  119. 

108 

385 

28.  15, 

18 

1. 

xlix 

J, 

3.' 

6 

6. 

17 

„  127. 

2 

1. 

417 

jj 

28. 

17 

1. 

221 

,j 

3. 

8 

1. 

314 

,,  133. 

1 

1. 

132 

jj 

40. 

6 

1. 

189 

J, 

4. 

11 

6. 

17 

„  133. 

4 

2. 

197 

,, 

40.  13 

-17 

2. 

13 

Jonah 

2. 

1-10 

2. 

181,  seq 

„  144. 

13 

2. 

21 

,j 

41.  14-16 

6.' 

361-362 

Jlicah 

G. 

9 

1.' 

313 

Piov.   4. 

14,  15 

1. 

39 

,1 

42. 

6 

5. 

332,  333 

,, 

6. 

9 

2. 

139,  seq 

4. 

23 

3. 

93,  385 

,, 

42.  24 

25 

6. 

1,  seq'* 

jj 

7. 

8,  9 

1. 

96 

seq 

jj 

42.  24, 

25 

6. 

14,  seq 

,, 

7. 

8,9 

S. 

393 

5. 

5 

5. 

116 

,, 

43. 

19 

5. 

313 

J, 

7. 

7-10 

1. 

330 

6. 

8 

3. 

61 

ij 

43.  22 

-25 

4. 

237 

,j 

7. 

18 

1. 

222 

6. 

22 

1. 

Ixxv 

,, 

43. 

25 

3. 

107 

J, 

7. 

19 

1. 

221 

7. 

10 

2. 

86 

43. 

25 

5. 

57 

Hub. 

3. 

17,18 

2. 

56,  57 

7. 

10 

3. 

44 

jj 

45. 

7 

6. 

216-* 

Zech. 

G. 

12,  13 

5. 

343 

8. 

17 

1. 

185 

jj 

49. 

1 

5. 

333-336 

jj 

9. 

11 

5. 

349,  350 

9. 

1 

0. 

221 

5 , 

49. 

8 

1. 

386 

,, 

13. 

9 

2. 

116 

9. 

18 

5. 

117 

49. 

15 

5. 

532,  533 

Mill. 

1. 

6 

5! 

155 

„   10. 

6 

6. 

370' 

,, 

49. 

23 

2. 

353 

J, 

4. 

2 

1. 

.377 

„   10. 

7 

1. 

461 

50. 

10 

1'. 

96 

Mat. 

3. 

7 

5. 

136,  137 

„   13. 

12 

4. 

11 

5, 

52.  13 

14 

5. 

336-337 

^j 

3. 

16,  17 

2. 

348 

„   13. 

20 

1. 

246 

), 

53. 

5. 

3S7-342 

,, 

4. 

8 

5. 

4 

„   14. 

34 

4. 

309 

J) 

54. 

2. 

226,  227 

,, 

4. 

8,  9 

1. 

13 

„   15. 

7 

3. 

177 

55. 

1,2 

1. 

145 

,, 

5. 

4 

3. 

269 

„   15. 

11 

5. 

118 

,, 

55. 

6 

1. 

176 

J, 

5. 

6 

2. 

419 

„   15. 

14 

2. 

443 

)) 

57.  17-19 

4. 

235-237 

jj 

5. 

11,  12 

4. 

372,  373 

„   15. 

15 

6. 

4.53 

57. 

18 

1. 

110 

,, 

5. 

10-12 

5. 

444,  445 

15. 

23 

]. 

169 

J, 

57. 

20 

1. 

314 

,j 

5. 

22 

5. 

118-121 

„   16. 

7 

1. 

131 

59.  20 

21 

.5. 

342,  343 

J, 

5. 

29,30 

5. 

121,  122 

„   18. 

10 

2 

85,  86 

^, 

61. 

10 

5. 

243,  244 

,9 

5. 

47 

2. 

212 

„   19. 

12 

5! 

136 

,, 

63. 

9 

5. 

194,488 

6. 

6 

2. 164,  seq" 

!   19. 

19 

3. 

146 

4S9 

5, 

6. 

33 

2. 

123 

„   19. 

25 

6. 

24 

jj 

64. 

5 

1. 

74 

10. 

28 

5. 

122 

„   21. 

15 

4. 

12 

,, 

64. 

6 

5. 

231 

jj 

10. 

41 

4. 

373 

„   22. 

4 

3. 

31 

,j 

65. 

1 

1. 

176 

,, 

10. 

42 

3. 

67 

„   2.3. 

4,5 

G. 

252 

^, 

65. 

8 

3. 

63,  64 

,, 

11. 

28 

1. 

147 

„   23. 

23 

1. 

8 

Jcr. 

6. 

21 

1. 

272 

,, 

11. 

28 

3. 

205 

„   25. 

11 

2. 

3 

jj 

13. 

17 

2. 

193 

jj 

12. 

27 

3. 

64 

„   29. 

5 

1! 

228 

J. 

17. 

27 

6. 

106 

,, 

13. 

19 

1. 

xliv 

„   29. 

18 

4. 

25,26,27 

,, 

23. 

G 

5. 

248 

,, 

16. 

26 

6. 

369 

Eccles.  2. 

11 

1. 

70 

,, 

31. 

34 

5. 

325 

19. 

24 

6. 

253,  254 

4. 

1 

1. 

79 

,, 

33. 

3 

4, 

35(5 

,, 

19. 

27 

3. 

53 

5. 

10 

1. 

414 

35. 

10 

1. 

357 

20. 

1,  scr/. 

4. 

379,  se(i 

5. 

10 

2. 

33,34 

•  J 

35. 

19 

4. 

238 

^ 

20. 

17 

1. 

276 

,,    5. 

13 

2. 

G7 

44.  16-18 

1. 

41,  42 

jj 

20. 

28 

5. 

255 

)>   7. 

1 

i.' 

xxxix 

Lam. 

3. 

24 

2. 

1-13G5 

jj 

23. 

2 

1. 

33 

4G1=J 

,, 

3. 

24 

2. 

10-12 

,, 

25. 

1. 

220 

7. 

21 

•> 

4 

J, 

3. 

2!) 

i'. 

303 

25. 

18 

1. 

33 

„   12. 

1 

1." 

178-179 

,, 

3. 

31 

1. 

303 

,, 

25. 

30 

5. 

144,  145 

„   12. 

14 

2. 

287 

3. 

32 

1. 

304 

25. 

41 

6. 

197,  seq 

Song  )  J 
of  Sol.  p- 

13 

0 

436 

,, 

3. 

33 

1. 

304 

,^ 

25. 

46 

5. 

11.5,  116 

)9 

3. 

33 

2. 

142 

,, 

26. 

37,  38 

5. 

92,  172 

2. 

5 

3. 

195,  196 

4.  11-13 

6. 

119 

26. 

39,42 

■  "    2. 

14 

3. 

66 

Ezek 

1. 

28 

1. 

419 

44 

5. 

77,  seq 

','    3! 

4 

2. 

87,88 

J, 

3. 

20 

1. 

43 

,j 

26. 

54 

5. 

221 

5. 

3 

2. 

243-245 

" 

20.  47 

48 

6. 

17 

....':_ 

26. 

67 

.5. 

83,  85 

1  '  Hypocrites  Discovered.' 
'  '  Ixindon's  LiimcnUlions.' 
»    Ark  for  all  liotl's  Noalis.' 


*  'A  Bclievei-'s  Last  Day  his  Best  Day.' 

*  Sec  'Epistle  to  Closet  Prayer.' 
6  •  Privy- Key  of  Heaven.' 


INDEX  OF  TEXTS. 


461 


CHAP. 

VEE  VOT>.     PAGE  i 

JHAP. 

VER. 

VOL.    PACiE 

c 

HAP. 

VER. 

VOL     PAGE 

Mark 

10. 

19-21 

1.    206 

1  Cor. 

4. 

1 

3.    226 

Col. 

3. 

4 

6. 313,  seq* 

10. 

45 

5.    253 

" 

4. 

15 

1,     404 

,, 

3. 

16 

1,     57 

11. 

24 

2.    492 

0. 

20 

5.    3(i0 

,, 

4. 

12 

2.    258 

14. 

72 

3.  407,  408 

7, 

31 

2.  30,  37 

1  Thes 

.  1.  2,  3,  8 

3.    142 

lAike 

2. 

7 

3,    237 

" 

7. 

31 

5.      4 

,, 

1. 

5,6 

2.  360,  301 

6. 

22,  23 

6.    445 

9. 

25 

5.  520,  521 

)9 

5. 

22 

1.    248 

8. 

43-49 

3.    127 

10. 

22 

1.    318 

2  Thes.  2. 3, 4, 7- IC 

3.    209 

9. 

46 

3.     50 

12. 

14-28 

3.     64 

,, 

2. 

10-12 

1,     57 

10. 

1-4 

2.    369 

13. 

12 

1.    419 

,, 

3. 

1,2 

1.    311 

12. 

18-20 

2.     27 

13. 

12 

3.    280 

)) 

3. 

14 

3.    229 

12. 

32 

1.    435 

15. 

21 

5.    257 

3. 

14 

4.     67 

12. 

16,  22 

2.  83,  84 

" 

15. 

41 

4.  309,  370 

1  Tim. 

1. 

13 

1.     15 

13. 

32 

4.     81 

15. 

44 

1.  432,  433 

?) 

1. 

13 

1.    138 

16. 

14 

1.    382 

15. 

53 

1.    429 

1. 

13 

1.    376 

IG. 

14 

3.     26 

15. 

58 

3.    125 

)) 

3. 

14 

3.    220 

16. 

19 

3.     43 

2  Cor 

1. 

4 

2.     149 

5? 

4. 

7,8 

3.    131 

19. 

12-20 

4.  370,  371 

2. 

11 

1.  10-1662 

4. 

15,  10 

3.    220 

22. 

28-30 

1.     liii 

4. 

4 

1,     55 

,, 

0. 

17 

1.     05 

24. 

20 

5.  221,  222 

4. 

6 

2.     188 

2  Tim. 

1. 

6 

2.    414 

24. 

49 

3.     69 

4. 

10 

1.    342 

,, 

1. 

12 

3.    198 

Jolm 

1. 

16 

3.  73,  74 

4. 

16-18 

1.    355 

,, 

2. 

.   4 

1.     89 

1. 

26,27 

2.    441 

4. 

17-18 

2.  4.':0,  451 

,, 

2. 

15 

3.    218 

1. 

51 

5.    167 

5. 

9 

2.    422 

)) 

2. 

22 

1.  203,  204 

3. 

3 

4.     48 

5. 

9 

4.    409 

2. 

20 

1.     12 

3. 

16 

5.    363 

5. 

21 

5.    238 

,, 

4. 

17 

5. 456,  suqs 

5. 

24 

1.    220 

6. 

16 

3.    123 

,, 

4. 

22 

1.    342 

10. 

29 

1.    376 

6. 

16 

5.    396 

Titus 

2. 

13 

2.    305 

10. 

29 

2.    330 

7. 

11 

3.  398,  seq 

Philemon 

2 

6.  219,  220 

13. 

30 

1.     liii 

8. 

3 

2.    472 

Heb. 

1. 

2 

5.    100 

13. 

34 

1.  129,  130 

9. 

6 

4.    370 

,, 

2. 

3 

1.     72 

14. 

27 

6.    235 

10. 

4,5 

4.    285 

,, 

2. 

9 

5.    255 

15. 

5 

1.    162 

11. 

20 

5.     84 

,, 

2. 

10 

5.    183 

15. 

5 

3.    136 

11. 

23-28 

1.    460 

,, 

3. 

1 

5.    374 

15. 

5 

5.  470,  471 

12. 

10 

3.    191 

,, 

4. 

13 

1.    251 

16. 

23 

2.    497 

13. 

5 

2.    384 

,, 

4. 

13 

2.     19 

17. 

9 

1.     liv 

Gal. 

3. 

2 

2.    .360 

,, 

4. 

15,  10 

5.    193 

18. 

11 

.5.    101 

3. 

13 

5.    146 

,, 

5. 

12,  14 

2.    371 

18. 

22 

5.     84 

3. 

19 

5.    177 

,, 

0. 

9 

2.    431 

Acts 

4. 

12 

1.    244 

4. 

6 

2.    234 

,, 

6. 

18 

2.    319 

5. 

3 

1.    154 

6. 

1 

4.    259 

,, 

6. 

17,18 

5.    315 

12. 

5 

2.    258 

6. 

10 

2.    415 

,, 

7. 

22 

5.  147,101 

10. 

30,31 

3.    281 

Eph. 

1. 

13 

3.     00 

257 

25. 

23 

2.     37 

1. 

18 

1.     159 

,, 

7. 

25 

1.  367,  368 

26. 

10,  11 

3.  408,  seq 

^^ 

2. 

2 

5.    110 

,, 

7. 

25 

6.  235,  397 

Rom, 

4. 

19,  20 

3.  53,  54 

2. 

12 

2.     17 

,, 

8. 

12 

5.    325 

132 

2. 

18 

2.    497 

,, 

9. 

15,17 

3.    493 

,, 

5. 

19 

5.  229,  230 

^j 

3. 

8 

3.  7,  seq3 

,, 

9. 

28 

5.    256 

J, 

C. 

19 

3.     68 

^^ 

3. 

8 

3.  102,  seq 

,, 

10. 

5-7 

5.  343-.348« 

,, 

7. 

17 

3.     93 

3. 

8 

3.  124,  seq 

,, 

10. 

22 

2.    409 

J, 

7. 

23,24 

3.    393 

3. 

8 

3.  150,  seq 

,, 

10. 

36,  37 

1.     52 

,, 

8. 

1 

5.  218,  219 

^^ 

3. 

8 

3.  207,  seq 

,, 

10. 

37 

2.  74,  323 

jj 

8. 

19-23 

1.    259 

3. 

8 

3.  223,  seq 

,, 

11. 

1 

2.    450 

jj 

8. 

26 

2.  224,  518 

^j 

4. 

14 

1.     57 

,, 

11. 

16 

1.    438 

J » 

8. 

28 

4.    428 

4. 

30 

2.  229,  416 

,, 

11. 

22 

5.    536 

8. 

28 

5.  498,  499 

j^ 

5. 

16 

2.    204 

,, 

11. 

24 

2.     95 

,^ 

8. 

28 

6.    185 

j^ 

6. 

11 

1.     11 

,, 

11. 

35 

5.    438 

,^ 

8. 

32-.34 

2.    3181 

6. 

10 

3.     128 

,, 

11. 

37,38 

6.  196,  197 

J, 

8. 

33 

5.  240,  241 

5) 

5. 

18 

2.  199,260 

,, 

12. 

14 

4.  1,  seq7 

8. 

35 

5.  495,  490 

201 

,, 

13. 

5 

1.    442 

jj 

8. 

37 

5.     443 

PhU. 

1. 

9 

2.    430 

,, 

13. 

5 

2. 47, 48, 65 

jj 

12. 

9 

1.     13 

,, 

1. 

23 

5.     454 

>) 

13. 

5,  6 

3.    108 

., 

12. 

11 

2.    258 

J^ 

2. 

C-8 

3.   32,  33 

13. 

5,6 

5.    504 

)  5 

12, 

12 

2.  199,  494 

,, 

2. 

12 

3.    125 

,, 

13. 

8 

3.    229 

59 

14. 

19 

1.    133 

^^ 

3 

8 

5.     209 

James  1. 

2 

4.    403 

1  ) 

15. 

1 

3.     95 

>) 

•i 

7,8 

2.   94,  95 

,, 

2. 

19 

2.    157 

15. 

13 

2.  358,  359 

3. 

12-14 

4.  107,  108 

, 

3. 

2 

3.    425 

,, 

15, 

30 

2.  258,  493 

J, 

3. 

15 

4.    344 

,, 

3. 

17 

2.  240,  241 

,, 

26. 

7 

2.    258 

,, 

4. 

13 

3.     87 

,, 

4. 

6 

2.    526 

1  Cor.  2. 

9 

2.     15 

,, 

4. 

19 

2.     33 

jj 

4. 

6 

3.     42 

jj 

3. 

1-5 

3.     .55 

Col. 

2. 

13-15 

5.    250 

,, 

5. 

16 

1.    186 

5) 

3. 

8 

4.    369 

" 

2. 

14 

5.  258,  259 

)) 

5. 

10 

2.    257 

I  'Ileaven  on  Earth.'  2  'Precious  Remedies.' 

«  '  Glorious  Day  of  the  Saints'  Appearance.' 
<!  See  under  Vs.  xl.  U-8. 


3  'Unsearchable  Riches.' 

•''  '.\  word  in  Season.' 

7  'Crown  uiul  (P.ory  of  Christianity.' 


462 

ULOStJAKY 

CHAP 

VLU 

VOL.         PAOE 

CHAP 

vEn. 

VOL.          PAOE 

CHAP 

VER.  VOL.         PAOE 

1  Peter  1. 

4 

1. 409-4G8 ' 

2  Pet 

er  2. 

7,8 

4. 

130 

Rev. 

19. 

8    5.  231,  seq 

1- 

5 

5. 

245 

IJol 

n  1. 

5 

2. 18,19seq 

,, 

22. 

6.  403,  seq 

1- 

8,  9 

8,  0 

2. 

5. 

518 
109 

" 

3. 
5. 

3 
13 

2. 
l! 

509,  510 
95 

1- 

2 

9 

1. 

343 

Jucle 

6,  13 

6. 

205,  206 

Apochrypha. 

!!     2." 

9 

3. 

131,  132 

,, 

23 

1. 

39 

CHAP 

.    VEU.     VOL.            PAf;E 

2. 

15 

3. 

144 

Rev. 

1. 

8 

5. 

152,  153 

Eccles 

.  3. 

26,  27    1.          249 

2. 

24 

5. 

169 

,, 

2. 

10 

6. 

227 

^1 

7. 

36    4.  205,  206 

3. 

1-2 

5. 

404-406 

,, 

4^. 

17 

2. 

230, 231 

,, 

2.5. 

3    1.          190 

3. 

18 

5. 

79-81 

345,  346 

1  Mace.  6. 

34    1.          315 

3. 

19,  20 

5. 

123 

,, 

2. 

17 

5. 

35 

2  Maec.  6. 

24    5.  419,  420 

4. 

15 

5. 

425 

,, 

2. 

24 

1. 

12 

6. 

18-31    5.          438 

,,         5. 

5 

3. 

30,  31 

3.' 

19 

1. 

52 

W'i'sd. 

2. 

—    5.            56 

5. 

5 

4. 

310 

,, 

3. 

20 

3. 

205 

^^ 

3. 

7     1.          431 

,,         5. 

8 

1. 

160,  172 

,, 

4. 

5 

6. 

10 

,, 

5. 

1-8    2.            IS 

2  Peter  1. 

511 

2. 

429 

,, 

9. 

7 

1. 

201 

,, 

5. 

1-10    5.            56 

1. 

l-J-15 

4. 

445 

,, 

9. 

11 

5. 

118 

Toliit 

1. 

21    6.          232 

1. 

13 

2. 

325 

" 

17. 

14 

3. 

194 

" 

2. 

24    6.          310 

II.— GLOSSARY. 

This  Glossai-y  is  given  in  fulfilment  of  our  promise  in  the  Preface,  (Vol.  I.,  page  xvii.)  As 
a  rule,  we  have  not  given  separate  references  to  the  different  grammatical  forms  of  the  words, 
■i.e.,  noun,  verb,  adjective,  ice,  but  have  placed  all  under  one  form.  In  nearly  every  case 
the  references  guide  to  explanations  in  the  place.  See  Index  of  Names,  &c.,  under  '  Shake - 
sperean  words,'  for  a  number  of  interesting  old-English  words.— G. 

Brave,  i.  256.  E.xigents,  i.  286. 

Bravery,  i.  3,  63.  Experiments,  i.  194. 

Butt-mark,  i.  45.  Experiments,  i.  405;  iii.407; 

Button-up,  ii.  364  ;  iii.  83.       '      vi.  447. 


Abates,  i.  30-3. 

Accidental,  iv.  374  ;  v.  405. 

Acting,  V.  470. 

Admiration,  i.   188,  193  ;  ii. 

225. 
Advertisement,  i.  26. 
Alfect,  i.  61 ;  iv.  36 ;  vi.  438. 
Aft'ectmg,  i.  227. 
Affectionate,  i.  226. 
Alfls!  i.  19;  ii.  206,  532;  iii. 

5,  177. 
Along-idl,  vi.  441. 
Amort,  i.  375  :  iv.  433. 
Amuse  and  amusing,  ii.  288, 

350  ;  iv.  399  ;  v.  13  ;  vi.  49. 
Anawares,  i.  11. 
Angels,  iii.  113;  iv.  12,  115. 
Anguish,  i.  317. 
Anonywar,  i.  11. 
Ai>ricock,  iii.  400. 
Artifices,  i.  116. 
Artificial,  i.  164  ;  iii.  85,  468 ; 

vi.  169. 
Assay   and    Assays,    i.    172 ; 

iv.  261. 

Baby=doll,  ii.  35;  iii.  57, 121 ; 

iv.  55;  vi.  51. 
Banded,  iii.  160. 
Bartholomew-babies,  vi.  51. 
Bavin,  iv.  388. 
Bedlams,  i.  317. 
Bod-rool,  iv.  157. 
Bogged,  iv.  30, 
Being,  ii.  141. 
Bib,  iii.  355  ;  iv.  141. 
Blades,  iv.  186. 
Blue-bottle,  iv.  23. 
Bonitv,  iii.  225, 
Boulter,  i.  288.  . 
Bounce,  i.  390. 


Carriage,  i.  213,  257, 
Charms,  iii.  178. 
Chineses,  ii.  442. 
Chock,  iv.  11.3,  210, 
Civility,  iv.  127. 


Factors,  ii.  398 ;  iv.  127. 
Fare,  ii.  508. 
Feathers-purple,  vi.  88, 
Festraw,  i.  213. 
File,  ii.  191. 


Cloddered,  clods=clots,v.  92 ;     Flaunt,  iv.  87. 


vi.  39. 
Conceited,  v.  5. 
Contemptible,  vi.  438. 
Cojiiice,  V.  560. 
Counterpain,  ii.  522  ;  iii.  345  ; 

iv.  24. 
Cozen,  i.  199. 
Crassy,  v.  86. 
Criminous,  iv.  311. 

Debasing,  vi.  437. 
Deboist,  iii.  217. 
Decline,  i.  98. 
Dedi-gift,  iv.  44. 
Delightfully,  i.  370. 
Deordination,  v.  65. 
Diapary,  iv.  56. 
Die,  vi.  444. 
Dispose,  iii.  167,  168. 
Drabbing,  i.  182,  199. 
Dromish,  iii.  10.5. 
Droyled,  iv.  316. 

Earl,  iv.  83. 

Egregious,  ii.  449  ;  iii.  289. 
Entireness,  i.  39. 
Ephemeron,  i.  426. 
Ethiiicks,  ii.  .39  ;  iii.  177  ;  iv. 

150  ;  vi.  415, 
Eutical,  i.  294. 


Forgeries,  iv.  39. 
Fraughted,  iv.  432. 
Frav-bugs,  iv.  3l>l. 
Froiitless,  iii.  412. 

Gad,  i.  199. 

Gaggling,  i.  250. 

Galliard,  iii.  1.30. 

Garbidge,  ii.  38. 

Gashly,  gashful,  V.215;  vi.  170 

Gastred,  v.  92. 

Grate,  i.  288. 

Gripe,  i.  3 ;  ii.  420. 

ITansel,  I.  Ixxv, 
Happily,  iv.  257, 
Hatcht,  vi.  104, 
Haws,  ii.  23. 
Hempton,  ii.  488. 
Heteroclites,  iii.  416, 
Honararies,  iii.  295. 
Horn-book,  iii.  63. 
Hudgin,  i.  297. 
Humorous,  i.  387. 
Husbandly,  i.  16. 
Hushed,  v.  409. 

Idiot,  ii.  187. 
Immarcessible,  v.  519, 
Impertinent,  i.  169. 


'  -String  of  Pearls.' 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


463 


In-comes,  i.  77 ;   iii.  60 ;  iv. 

174  ;  vi.  434. 
Individuums,  v.  175. 
Infancy,  iii.  175  ;  iv.  145. 
Ingenious,   I.  xlii. ;    ii.   155 ; 

iv.  86,  87,  225 ;  vi.  24. 
Inhabitable,  v.  254. 
Intention,  i.  181 ;  vi.  420. 
Irrecoverable,  v.  11.5. 

Jewling,  vi.  69. 
Junkets,  iii.  50 ;  vi.  243. 

Key-cold,  ii.  162. 

Key  under  the  door,  iii.  282. 

Kibe-heel,  iv.  179. 

Kickshaws,  iv.  134. 

Kin  die-coals,  i.  247. 

Knits,  ii.  260. 

Knod,  V.  4S6. 

Lanched,  i.  325. 

Lets,  iii.  370,  371 ;  iv.  327. 

Links,  ii.  147  ;  vi.  45. 

Lists,  i.  117  ;  V.  420. 

Livery,  v.  252. 

Lovely,  iii.  185. 

Madding,  i.  104. 
Mammock,  v.  6. 
Manchets,  vi.  269. 
Margeut,  i.  9. 
Mearmaid,  iii.  192. 
Mends,  v.  327. 
Metropolitan,  iv.  84. 
Moral,  ii.  233. 
Mort-a,  V.  561. 
Mosches,  ii.  29. 
Most-an-end,  v.  411. 
Mouchaches,  iii.  411. 

Native,  v.  403. 
Neat,  i.  16;  ii.  162;  vi.  441. 
Neck- verse,  i.  274  ;  iii.  465. 
Negroni  an  cy,  iv.  224. 
Numerical,  i.  429 ;  vi.  433. 

Occasionally,  i.  171;  ii.  162; 
iv.  440. 


Officious,  ii.  344 ;  iii.  418. 
Ogregious,  ii.  449. 
Only,  iv.  221. 
Oppress,  ii.  450. 
Overliness,  ii.  387. 

Paid,  iv.  319. 

Painful,  i.  418;  iii.  215;  iv. 

121,  307. 
Partizan.s,  vi.  121. 
Pecchaddillo,  i.  22. 
Pelting,  iv.  85. 
Physical,  i.  369. 
Piddling-a,  iv.  134. 
Pied,  vi.  440. 
Plantofle,  v.  84. 
Posts,  vi.  138. 
Precative,  i.  294. 
Prefer,  i.  98. 
President,  ii.  169. 
Prest,  iv.  85. 
Primrose,  i.  173,  206. 
Propriety,  i.  205,  443;  ii.  79. 
Provant,  iv.  59. 
Provocation,  i.  207. 

Quaintly,  ii.  171. 
Quatch,  i.  388 ;  ii.  148. 
Queasiness,  iv.  146. 

Eampire,  ii.  315. 
Kariety,  iii.  221. 
Recidivation,  v.  276. 
Redown,  iv.  281,  292. 
Rings,  broken,  v.  455. 
Rode,  iv.  197. 
Round,  iv.  94. 
Rouze,  iv.  290. 
Running-leather,  i.  65. 

Sadded,  i.  10. 
Scantling,  ii.  378. 
Scapes,  iv.  34. 
Score,  i.  31. 
Scrub,  ii.  371,  395. 
Scumb,  ii.  146. 
Sea-marks,  ii.  .309. 
Seizing,  v.  252. 
Sergeant,  i.  434. 


Session,  ii.  503. 

Shales,  iii.  43. 

Sharking-a,  ii.  58. 

Shelves,  i.  61. 

Shift,  ii.  21. 

Shuff,  iv.  210. 

Singular,  iii.  200. 

Sodered,  i.  380. 

Sometimes,  ii   278;  iv.  155. 

Sophister,  v.  269. 

Squinsie,  squinancv,   iv.   13 ; 

v.  452  ;  vi.  96,  426. 
Stretched,  vi.  163. 
Subject,  ii.  242. 
Suit,  iii.  73. 
Suu-flower,  ii.  100. 

Teazel,    [misspelled    'tazel,'] 

vi.  45. 
Tell,  i.  291. 
Temporary,   i.   219 ;    ii.  470  ; 

iii.  337. 
Tender,  tenders,  i.  139,  171, 

204,  276. 
Tent,  iii.  423 ;  v.  46. 
Thief  in  the  candle,  iii.  295. 
Through-stitch,  v.  355. 
Timpany,  iii.  283. 
Top,  i.  458 ;  ii.  316. 
Trappfin,  ii.  67. 
Trentals,  v.  182. 

Ubiquity,  iii.  354. 

Vails,  i.  77  ;  iii.  59. 
Verdure,  vi.  267. 
Vil'd,  iv.  319. 
Viol-glass=phial,  vi.  397. 
Volubility,  iv.  248. 

Wad,  V.  4. 

Waff,  i.  410. 

"Wherried,  v.  18. 

White,  i.  287,  2fi2. 

Whiteboy,  v.  430. 

Wistly,  wishlv,  i.  320  ;  ii.  32?. 

Wittily,  iv.  93 ;  vi.  438. 

Yearnings,  ii.  261 ;  iv.  383. 


III.  — NAMES  AND   AUTHORITIES   QUOTED   OR 
REFERRED   TO. 


Abbas,  i.  333 ;  iii.  445 ;  iv.  46 ; 

V.  239. 
Abijah,  i.  175. 
Abyes,  ii.  247. 
Acca  Lauren  tia,  i.  200. 
Accius,  i.  200. 
Acesius,  V.  418,  419. 
Acontius,  i.  5. 
Adam,  I.  Ixxii,  120. 
Adam  and  Adams,  I.  xxiv. 
Adam  Melch.  i.  238,  428  ;  ii. 

55;  iv.  219;  vi.  54. 
Adams,    (Thomas,)    i.     288, 

323;    ii.  314;    iii.  47;   iv. 

413. 


Adrian  us  and  Adrian,  i.  211, 

236,  268,  308,  410  ;  ii.  390  ; 

iii.  259  ;  v.  124,  443 ;  vi.  123. 
.^lian,  i.  200,  270,  273,  388; 

ii.    205,   434;    iv.    10;    vi. 

103,  171. 
^scliines,  i.  133;  ii.  117;  iv. 

45,  301. 
^schylus,  i.3,    307. 
^sop,  ii.  407;  iii.  121. 
Africanus  Scipio,  i.  249. 
Agamemnon,  i.  282 ;  iii.  29. 
Agapetus,  vi.  122. 
Agatha,  iv.  291. 
Agatharcus,  i.  183. 


Agatho,  V.  95. 
Agathocles,  iii.  11,  39. 
Agbarus,  i.  303. 
Agesilaus,  I.  Ivi;  iv.  15,  227. 
Aglaus,  vi.  87. 
Aglutaidas,  iii.  174. 
Agriiipa,  i.  160,  196 ;  ii.  221. 
Ainsworth,  ii.  35,  327 ;  iv.  305. 
Airay,  i.  72. 
Alaric,  i.  353. 
Alciati,  ii.  108 ;  iii.  214. 
Alcibiades,  i,  .348;  ii.  14;  iii. 

355  ;  iv.  141  ;  vi.  249. 
Alcisthenes,  iii.  69;    iv.  46; 

V.  225. 


4G4 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  Oil  REFERRED  TO. 


Alexander,  ( false,)  i.  250. 

Alexuuder,  {the  Great,)  I. 
Ixix,  82, 1.30,  228,  22!t,  24."), 
241»,  263,  414,  44.5,  440 ;  ii. 
37,  5.5,  06,  82,  8;5,  '.tO,  192, 
195,  273,  274,  304,  307,  300, 
323,  .378,  511,  525;  iii.  21, 
42,  03,72,158;  iv.  30, 178; 
V.  195,  197,  280. 

Alexa7i(ler,  (murl!ir,)\.  350. 

Alexaiulriuus,  Clenieus,  vi. 
177. 

Algeiius,  i.  247;  ii.  104;  iv. 
218,  290. 

Alniany,  i.  123. 

Alplionsiis,  i.  4.37 ;  iv.  313. 

Alstedius,  iv.  75. 

Alva,  (duke  of,)  i.  07 ;  ii. 
203;  V.  10;  vi.  104,  230. 

Alvpius,  iii.  25. 

Aniasis,  iii.  40 ;  iv.  318. 

Ambrose,  I.  xxxii,  10,  184, 
201,  248,  281,  314,  415,  454, 
455,  400,  405, ;  ii.  19,  173, 

170,  28.5,  410,  487,  496,  .532 ; 
iii.  40,  lie,  117,  171,  400; 
iv.  217,  31)0,  405  ;  v.  39,  88, 
89,  94,  95,  90,  97,  111,  21.5, 
241,  329,  340, 410,  503,  519 ; 
vi.  65,  125,  195,  294. 

Ames,  ii.  176 ;  iii.  266. 
Ampliilocius,  iv.  321. 
Ainphinomus,  i.  177. 
Anacharsis,  vi.  05. 
Anania,  ii.  253. 
Anapias,  i.  177. 
Anastasius,   i.   227;    ii.    .388, 

399 ;  iv.  87 ;  vi.  53. 
Anaxagoras,  i.  73,  283,  377, 

449 ;  ii.  312. 
Anaxarclms,  i.  51. 
Andreas,  i.  237. 
Andrew,  St,  i.  450. 
Andronicus,  i.  197,  201,  342. 
Angerona,  i.  328. 
Angi'ognians,  v.  421. 
Anquetil,  vi.  121. 
Anselm,   i.    13,    34,   102;    ii. 

406,  517 ;  iii.  79,  427,  447 ; 

v.  208. 
Antagoras,  iv.  143. 
Antigonus,   i.    229,    445 ;    ii. 

348. 
Antimaclius,  iv.  143. 
Antiochus,  i.  314 ;  ii.  23,  231 ; 

v.  213. 
Antipater,  i.  66,  171 ;  ii.  312; 

v.  10. 
Antisthenes,  i.  382;  ii.  155, 

407;  iii.  2.30;  iv.  151. 
Antoninus  Marcus,  i.  125 ;  iii. 

19. 
Antoninus,  Pius,  ii.  279. 
Antony,  i.  18. 
Anytus,  i.  348. 
Aiielles,  ii.  10;  v.  197. 
Ajiicius,  iv.  58. 
Apion,  iv.  58. 
ApoUinaris,  i.  117 ;  v.  197. 
Apollodorus,  V.  129. 
Apollonius,   ii.    94,  .351 ;    iii. 

171,  187,  247;  v.  477;  vi. 
5,  403. 

Ap]ii.an,  i.  1.31 ;  vi.  421. 
Apulcius,  I.  Ivii,  07. 


Aquinas,  i.  220,  240,  337  ;  iv. 
70,  424  ;  v.  36,  50,  353 ;  vi. 
202,  213. 

Arabi.ans,  i.  315. 

Arcadiu.s,  iv.  231. 

Ai'cesilaus,  ii.  489. 

Archelaus,  i.  197. 

Archias,  i.  339. 

Archimedes,  ii.  205. 

Archytas,  iii.  347. 

Ardley,  i.  392 ;  v.  22,  203. 

Arethusius,  i.  22,  325 ;  ii. 
488 ;  v.  20. 

Aretius,  i.  270 ;  iv.  366. 

Argu.s,  i.  3. 

Aristagoras,  v.  273. 

Aristarcbus,  i.  395. 

Aristides,  I.  xlvi,  121;  iii.  242. 

Aristides,  (Locrian,)  iv.  73. 

Aristippus,  i.  133,  229,  268, 
303. 

Aristobulus,  i.  229. 

Aristomachus,  Li.  227. 

Ari.ston,  i.  192. 

Aristophanes,  iv.  156. 

Aristotle,  i.  53, 106, 137.  1.38, 
195,  202,  291,  295,  314;  ii. 
28,  203,  390,  462,  492,  49!) ; 
iii.  210,  247,  321,  370,  424, 
447,  471 ;  iv.  07,  255,  317, 
330,  430 ;  v.  28,  65,  86,  271, 
275;  \'i.5,  96. 

Arius,  i.  38. 

Arnoldius,  v.  224. 

Arrian,  i.  31;  ii.  470;  vi.  413. 

Artabazus,  ii.  300. 

Artaxerxes,  ii.  205,  349 ;  iii. 
00;  iv.  425. 

Artemidorus,  i.  210. 

Artenion,  i.  302. 

Arthmius,  vi.  73. 

Arthur,  i.  280. 

Arundel,  iv.  273,  297. 

Ascham,  i.  202;  v.  491. 

Askew,  V.  440. 

Astonii,  i.  290. 

Astyages,  i.  229,  295 ;  vi.  65. 

Athanasius,  i.  52,  303 ;  ii.  209 ; 
iii.  210;  iv.  42,  85;  v.  99. 

Athen.-eus,  i.  200;  iv.  339; 
v.  281. 

Atheuodorus,  ii.  19,  284  ;  iv. 
385. 

Atticus,  i.  177. 

Attilus,  V.  436;  vi.  135. 

Attiu.s,  iii.  451. 

Aubigne,  D\  i.  7.5. 

Aufidius,  iv.  207. 

Augustine,  I.  xxxix,  Ixix, 
Ixxiii,  12, 13,  20,  22,  25,  27, 
28,  29,  38,  4.3,  45,  48,  49, 52, 
55,  07,  08,  87,  94,  97,  102. 
103,  105, 127,  103,  170, 178, 
179,180.  187,  195,202,210, 
215,  217,  227,  230,  233,  2.35, 
236,  238,  241,  242,  245,  247, 
251,  255,  256,  208,  271,  288, 
291,  .301,  .363,  370,  371,  373, 
.377,  382,  383,  385,  394,  396, 
398,  402,  403,  405,  412,  413, 
414,  417,  419,  420,  422,  42.3, 
425,  427.  430,  434,  435,  436, 
438,  443,  449,  450 ;  ii.  3,  4, 
25  35,  53.  CO,  73,  78,  79,  82, 
97,  99,  115,  131,  1.34,  180, 


238,  253,  270,  271,  277,  280, 
303,  .308,  325,  302,  373,  375, 
382,  387,  390,  403,  412,  425, 
420,  432,  430,  437,  444,  440, 
459,  404,  473,  474,  470,  477, 
478,  480,  481,  480,  491,  494, 
490,  510,  530,  533 ;  iii.  4,  8, 
9,  16,  24,  25,  28,  31,  37,  86, 
92,  103,  110,  115,  118,  119, 
129, 133, 135,  130, 137,  1.38, 
151,  162, 171,  174,  193,  19.5, 
225,  229,  245,  255,  263,  268, 

270,  271,  270,  289,  308,  317, 
350,  300,  307,  39.5,  412,  420, 
447,  464,  400,  504;  iv.  9,  4(5, 
50,  70,  83,  92, 112,  13.3, 147, 
162,  189,  208,  212,  224,  220. 
227,  244,  258,  270,  298,  307, 
308,  325,  337,  348,  351,  305, 
369,  401,  405 ;  v.  3,  4,  23, 
85,  86,  94,  100,  110,  11.3, 
116, 123,  132, 140, 142,  143, 
144, 172,  204,  212,  215,  216, 
224,  237,  250,  207,  209,  270, 

271,  273,  290,  312,  328,  409, 
411,  419,  426,  444,  455,  461, 
495,  503,  508,  516,  520,  530, 
589  ;  vi.  6,  7, 10,  45,  50,  52, 
62,  63,  65,  69,  70,  114,  171, 
174, 177,  201,  207,  209,  210, 
211,  213,  214,  215,  274,  301, 
303,  381,  402,  439,  449. 

Augustus,  i.  29,  39,  111,  121, 
198,  229,  244,  259,  263,  268, 
327 ;  ii.  23,  273,  335,  492 ; 
iii.  113,  139,  192. 

Aurelianus,  ii.  45;  v.  5. 

Aurelius,  i.  229. 

Ausonius,  ii.  288. 

Auxentius,  iv.  321 ;  v.  198. 

Avicena,  v.  164. 

Babrius,  ii.  59 ;  iv.  61. 

Babylas,  i.  267;  iv.  293;  v. 
204,  441,  527. 

Bacon,  Lord.  i.  189,  234 ;  iv. 
180;  V.  135,  265. 

Bainham,  iv.  291;  v.  21.3, 
423,  548. 

Bajazet,  i.  45,  205,  264;  ii. 
45;  V.  6. 

Baker,  Sir  Richard,  vi.  145, 
191,  192. 

Baldassivr,  iii.  13,  166. 

Baldusgar,  I.  Ixxiii. 

lialdwin,  iv.  57. 

Barclay,  iv.  61. 

Barker,  Mat.,  I.  Ixix. 

Barlaam,  i.  185 ;  ii.  307  ;  iv. 
29;  V.  42.3. 

Baroniiis,  v.  118. 

Bartholomew  Black,  I.  xxxiii. 

Barton,  I.  xxxii. 

Basil,  I.  Ixxiv,  35,  76,  267, 
291,  371,  438,  449,  466 ;  ii. 
73,  83,  93,  259,  355,  34)7, 
388,  433,  5.30  ;  iii.  31,  39, 
109,  115,  219,  258,  287,  318, 
301  ;  V.  22,  142,  212,  213, 
423,  436, 442,  477,  498,  517, 
.524;  vi.  48,  197,  257,  258, 
308,  .390. 

Ba.silides,  i.  237. 

Bavaria,  i.  208:  ii.  5,  30.3. 

Baxter,  I.  xvi ;  vi.  3. 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


465 


"Bayne,  iii.  390. 

Beard,  i.  384 ;  ii.  289 ;  iv. 
207,  241 ;  vi.  135,  151. 

Beaufort,  ii.  70;  iii.  244. 

Becanus,  i.  127, ^  201 ;  iii.  178. 

Bede,  i.  37,  1G4,  250,  423; 
V.  117.  147,  411. 

Bedell,  I.  xxvi. 

Belisarius,  i.  45.  64,  205, 
264  ;  ii.  45  ;  v.  6. 

Bell,  Mrs,  '  Legacy  of  a  Dying 
Mother,'  vi.  436,  seq. 

Bellarmine.  i.  180,  234,  310 ; 
ii.  164,  411 ;  iii.  209,  496  ; 
iv.  145,  146;  v.  116,  119, 
131,  138,  145;  vi.  199,  204, 
210. 

Bembus,  i.  246. 

Ben-corbi,  Ben-cocuba,  i.  199. 

Berline,  iv.  207  ;  vi.  134. 

Bernard,  J.  xlv,  Ixxl,  Ixxiv, 
13,  18,  26,  27,  34,  38,  46, 
47,  102,  126,  136,  167,  215, 
216,  225,  230,  242,  247,  248, 
249,  260,  280,  291,  327,  353, 
357,  371,  381,  405,  412,  414, 
419,  420,  423,  439,  446,  447, 
450,  456;  ii.  25,  65,  73,  90, 
97,  102,  147,  174,  215,  254, 
263,  293,  306,  310,  314,  333, 
340,  368,  412,  415,  431,  438, 

466,  473,  506  ;  iii.  4,  5,  20, 
29,  84,  102,  117,  143,  154, 
158, 159,  206,  209,  224,  235, 
445,462,  495,  498,  504;  iv. 
4,  46,  50,  74,  114,  144, 
148,  180,  255,  332;  v.  4, 
1],  22,  39,85,  87,  113,  117, 
127, 135, 184, 188,  202,  215, 
267,  401,403,  445,  458,468; 
vi.  175,  197,  203,  370,  397, 
445,  449. 

Beroaldus,  vi.  172. 

Bessus,  V.  125. 

Beza,  I.  liii,  62, 101, 114,  181, 

215,  265,  431,  442 ;  ii.  324, 
.  415 ;  iii.  9,  23,  33,  130,  250, 

444,452;  i v.  57  ;  v.  76,  119, 

143,  209,  257, 410,  457,  470, 

.503,  517  ;  vi.  24.3. 
Bias,  i.  62,  239;  ii.  491;  iii. 

11,  159,  387;  iv.  318. 
Bibulus,  iv.  207;  v.  5 ;  vi.  1.34. 
Bilney,  i.  376  ;  ii.  418. 
Bilson,  I.  1 ;  iv.  70. 
Bion,  i.  382. 
Biron,  iv.  311. 
Blair,  i.  252  ;  vi.  121. 
Blake,  [various,]  I.  xxxii,  401 ; 

character  of  Mrs,   i.    404, 

seq.;  elegies  on,  i.  406-408, 

467,  468. 
Blessensis,  Petrus,  v.  401. 
Boohna,  iv.  30. 

Bodin,  i.l41;  ii.  120;  iii.  123. 
Boethius.  i.  251;  v.  125. 
Bohemians,  ii.  69. 
Bonaventura,  i.  18,  205,  369 ; 

iii.  13,  33. 
Bonner,   i.    302,    391  ;  ii.   5 ; 

iv.  290;  V.  282. 
Bonosus,  vi.  67. 


Borgia,  i.  190,  216;  iii.  22. 
Bory.stheues,  vi.  61, 

Boskierus,  i.  22. 

Bouillon,  i.  435. 

Bourbon,  ii.  391 ;  iv.  55. 

Boze,  de,  ii.  45  ;  v.  5. 

Bradford,  i.  91;  ii.  74,  76, 
205,  231,  270,  307,  340,  348, 
423;  iii.  24,  305,  314,  364; 
iv.  106,  275,  290  ;  v.  11, 
162,  211,  423,  425,  508,  531. 

Bradley,  Rev.  Charles,  I.  xvii. 

Bradwardine,  v.  124. 

Bradway,  i.  384. 

Brerewood,  i.  191. 

Bretterge,  i.  116,  374 ;  ii.  328, 
342;  iii.  36,  161,  381. 

Briareus,  i.  3. 

Brightinan,v.440,441;  vi.431. 

Brook,  Benj.  1.  xxiii,  xxvi. 

Brooke,  Lady,  ii.  167 ;  iv.  390. 

Brooks,  Mrs,  the  first,  I. 
xxxiii,  xxxiv,  Ixxvii-lxxxi ; 
second,  I.  x.xxv,  Ixxxi, 
Ixxxii. 

Brooks,  Thomas,  none  of  his 
wi'itings  posthumous,  I. 
xvi ;  never  before  collect- 
ed, ib.  ;  basis  of  text,  ih.  ; 
noticeable  words  marked, 
I.  xvii ;  few  materials  for 
a  memoir  of,  I.  xxii ;  ^Pre- 
cious Remedies'  among  the 
Karens,  ib.  ;  'Registers'  of 
the  university  destroyed, 
ib.;  excluded  from  Fuller's 
'Worthies,'  as  being  then 
living,  I.  xxiii  ;  Fire  of 
London  destroyed  MSS.  ib. ; 
birth-place  unknown,  {6.; 
orthography  of  his  name, 
I.  xxiv ;  probable  birth- 
date,  i'). ;  'Emmanuel'  his 
college,  !6. ;  a ' pensioner,'  I. 
XXV ;  Dr  Preston,  I.  xxvi ; 
contemporaries,  ib.  ;  pro- 
gress, 1.  xxvii ;  departure, 
ib. ;  '  Preacher  of  the  Gos- 
pel,' ib.;  many  labours,  ib.; 
Thomas  Apostles,  I.  xxvii, 
xxxi ;  Sermon  on  Rains- 
borough,  I.  xxvii ;  the  bio- 
graphic importance  of  this 
sermon,  I.  xxviii,  xxix ; 
voyages  and  travels,  I. 
xxix;  in  the  fleet  and 
army,  I.  xxx ;  sermons  be- 
fore Parliament,  I.  xxxi ; 
Newcourt  on  '  Thomas 
Apostles,'  I.  xxxi ;  Marg- 
aret's Fish-street-hill,  I. 
xxxi;  opposition  to  him, 
ib. ;  non-admission  to  the 
sacraments,  the  gi'ound,  I. 
xxxii;  'Cases  Considered' 
contains  the  whole  con- 
troversy, I.  xxxi,  xxxii ; 
and  Appendix  xxxviii-lix ; 
Newcourt  I.  xxxii;  his 
'preaching,'  ib.;  his  books, 
ib. ;  St  Olave's,  ib. ;  the 
'  Ejection  '     of     1662,     I. 


xxxiii;  'farewell'  sermon, 
I.  xxxii,  and  Appendix  B, 
lix-lxviii  ;  Epistles,  L 
xxxiii,  and  Appendix  C, 
Ixviii-lxxvi ;  mistakes  of 
Calamy,  I.  xxxiii;  mar- 
riage, L  xxxiii,  xxxiv ; 
'chapel'  after  the  'Eject- 
ment,' I.  xxxiv ;  account 
of,  ib. ;  popularitj',  I.  xxxiv, 
XXXV ;  influence,  ib.;  the 
'  Plague '  and  '  Fix'e,'  ib. ; 
second  man-iage,  I.  xxxv, 
and  Appendix  D,  I.  Ixxvii- 
Ixxxii  ;  death,  and  funeral 
sermon  by  Reeve,  I.  xxxv, 
xxxvi ;  will,  I.  xxxv,  and 
Appendix  E,  I.  Ixxxi, 
Ixxxii  ;  no  portrait,  I. 
xxxviii. 

Broughton,  v.  123. 

Browne,  Sir  Thomas,  on  for- 
gotten names,  I.  xxi. 

Bruce,  John,  Esq.,  I.  xxx. 

Bucer,  ii.  169,  423;  iii.  80, 
97,  219 ;  v.  424  ;  vi.  385. 

Buchanan,  George,  iv.  82. 

Bucholcer,  v.  87. 

Buckingham,  v.  265. 

Bullinger,  ii.  360;  iii.  218. 

Bunyan,  I.  xvi. 

Burdet,  vi.  303. 

Burgess,  John,  father-in-law 
of  Brooks,  I.  xxxiii. 

Burgensis,  ii.  372. 

Burgundy,  duke  of,  iii.  67, 
155 ;  v.  443. 

Burroughes,  I.  Ixxii-lxxvi ; 
ii.  343. 

Bu.sbequius,  v.  289. 

Butler,  iv.  263. 

Buxtorf ,  V.  189  ;  vi.  16. 

Bythner,  v.  458. 

Cffisar,  I.  Ixxiii,  18,  21,  58, 
131,  210,  221,  223, 227, 229, 
236,  245,  250,  336,  403,  426, 
449 ;  ii.  45,  118,  257,  304, 
339,  486;   iii.   23,   27,  38, 

136,  149,  216,  228,  330  ;  iv. 
74 ;  V.  6,  57,  206,  548 ;  vi. 
8,  10. 

Cajetan,  ii.  90  ;  iii.  22. 

Calais,  i.  15. 

Calamus,  iv.  405. 

Calamy,  I.  xxxi,  xxxiii. 

Caligula,  I.  Ivii ;  ii.  208,  466; 
iii.  67, 412  ;iv.  9,  .301  ;v.  273. 

Calleneuceus,  i.  217 ;  ii.  311 ; 
iv.  89  ;  V.  185,  186. 

Callimachus,  vi.  381. 

Calocerius,  iv.  286. 

Calvin,  I.  xxxii,  xl.  117,  265, 
267,  312,  357  ;  ii.  220,  260, 
321,  325,  360,  414,  5.504; 
iii.  58,  80,  125,  148,  218, 
485;  iv.  39,  68,  71,85,  127, 

137,  238,  293,  295,  310  ;  v. 
105,  212,  231,  424,  441,  481 ; 
vi.  119,  296. 

Camba,  v.  440. 
Cambyses,  iii.  26 ;  iv.  13. 


1  For  this  reference  see  Becanus,  Origines  Antwerpianse,  lib.  v. ;  Indoscythica,  p.  500 ;  and  cf.  Pownall's 
Treatise  of  Antiquities,  p.  139.— G. 

2g 


466 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


Cameron,    iii.    103,    13C ;  v. 

287. 
Cam  pan,  iv.  280. 
Camus,   i.    258 ;    iv.    70 ;    v. 

127  ;  vi.  197. 
Canutus,  ii.  399  ;  iv.  9. 
Capernaum,  i.  29. 
Cardan,  iii.  289, 
Cares,  iii.  46. 
Careless,  ii.  06,400;  iii.  304; 

V.  .f)47. 
Carolus  Cunctator,  i.  180. 
Carpenter,  v.  22,  204. 
Carraciolus,  ii.  96,  265,  408, 

488;   iii.  13;  iv.  279;    v. 

209,  420. 
Carthagena,  iv.  33 
Cartwright,  Mrs  Patience,  I. 

Ixxxii. 
Cart\\Ti,'lit,       Thomas,       I. 

Ixxxii. 
Carus,  vL  11 ;  iv.  313. 
Caryl,  ii.  302. 
Casander,  iii.  29. 
Cassian,  i.  232,  3.33  ;  ii.  472  ; 

iii.  19  ;  vi.  93. 
Cassiodorus.  v.  273. 
Cassius,    Dion.,    i.    210  ;   ii. 

393. 
Castor  and  Pollux,  v.  67. 
Cato,  I.  Iv,  181,  210, 381,  443 

ii.  203,  205,  285,  307,  426 

iii.  182;  iv.  16,  183;  v.  11 

vi.  181. 
Catanenses,  i.  177. 
Catiline,  iii.  40,  243. 
Catullus,  iii.  23 ;  iv.  67. 
Causaubon,  iii.  251. 
Cawdrey,  I.  xix. 
CecUia,  i.  235,  268 ;  iv.  227 ; 

v.  442. 
Cedrenus,  ii.  388. 
Cerinthus,  I.  Ii,  62. 
Cliadwick,  iv.  20. 
Chalons,  vi.  189. 
Chelydonian  '  stone,'  ii.  172  ; 

vi.  444. 
Champney,  i.  322. 
Chapman,  i.  308. 
Charles  I.  and  II.,  i.  42. 
Charles  IV.,  i.  22.5,  226. 
Charles  V.,   i.   231,  414;    ii. 

34,  71,  309;   iiL   159;   iv. 

3.59 
Charles  IX.,  ii.  246,  247  ;  iii. 

141 ;  iv.  162,   361  ;  v.    19  ; 

vi.  121. 
Cliarlcs   the    Great,    i.    103, 

162,  414  ;  ii   249  ;  v.  589. 
Chemnitius,  v.  170,  4,34. 
Chiia,  Rabbi,  i.  235,  236  ;  iii. 

403 ;  vi.  83. 
Chilo,  ii.  205  ;  .307. 
Cliinese,  ii.  442. 
Chosroes,  v.  549. 
Chresimus,  i.  347. 
C'hrestus,  ii.  205. 
Chromatius,  iv.  194. 
("hry.santes.  ii.  3(i6. 
Ciiiysologus,  i.  440,  44a 
Cl)rysostom,  I.   xlvii,  xlix,  1, 

Iii,  Ivi,  Ixxii,  l.S,  15,20,  .50, 
64,  81.  172,  173,  204,  218, 

234,  255.  2H6,  207,  340,  371, 
377,  381,402,429,438,  441,1 


ii.  29,  38,  134,  187,  270, 
350,  362,  363,  422,  445,  466, 
509;  iii.  11,  13,  59,  72,  93, 
1.39,  216,  217,  218,  220,  227, 
2.36,  253,208,276,447,473; 
iv.  35,  36,  69,  70,  106,  14.5, 
160,  290,  347;  v.  84,  85, 
113,  124, 138,  140,  142,  212, 
258,  406,  424,  425, 457,  476, 
491,  521,  527;  vi.  24,  70, 
79,  196,  197,  203,  220,  228, 
249,  396,  397. 

Cicero,  I.  Iviii,  42,  152,  185, 
188,200,201,218,221,232, 
266,  419  ;  ii.  0,  29,  82,  192, 
203,  308,  321,  487  ;  iii.  16, 
23,  172,  231,  242,  244,  380, 
451  ;  iv.  9,  17,  44;  v.  57, 
125,  158,  210,  265,  267,  280, 
281,  410,  497  ;  vi.  5,  9,  10, 
62,  126,  136,  381,  439. 

Cimon,  iii.  193. 

Cineas,  iv.  72. 

Circassians,  i.  190. 

Circumcellians,  i.  97. 

Clarke,  i.  71,  104,  108,  109, 
235,  237,  247,  208,  280,  375, 
380,  385,  392,  464  ;  ii.  60, 
71,  73,  74,  94,  97,  104, 114, 
228,  247,  260,  277,  298,  345, 
355,  356,  482,  485,  488,  529  ; 
iii.  29,  186,  259,  348,  365, 
401  ;  iv.  160,  241,  258,  291, 
294,  411  ;  V.  122,  190,  204, 
280,  423.  436,  441,  442,  443, 
460,  476,  477,  491,  527, 
.548. 

Claudian,  I.  xxxix,  379 ;  v. 
207. 

Cleanthes,  i.  192. 

Clemens,  ii.  205  ;  iii.  298  ;  v. 
407. 

Clemens,  Alexandrinus.  (See 
imder  Alexandrinus. ) 

Clement,  i.  24;  ii.  3,  475; 
iii.  58  ;  vi.  121. 

Clement,  (.Jacques,)  iv.  297. 

Clement  V. ,  i.  234  ;  v.  128. 

Cleobulus,  i.  239  ;  iv.  20  ;  vi. 
5. 

Cleombrotus,  vi.  381. 

Climacus,  ii.  384. 

Cobham,  iv.  297. 

Cuelis,  I.  Iv. 

Cole,  I.  XXV. 

Collinges,  I.  xxxii,  xxxiii. 

Collins,  (of  Newbury,)  I. 
Ixx.xi. 

Cologne,  Bp.  of,  iv.  220. 

Coloiius,  ii.  515  ;  iv.  361. 

Columbus,  iii.  185. 

Comines,  de,  ii.  45;  v.  6, 
281. 

Conde,  i.  325 ;  v.  19,  420. 

Conder,  I.  xxxiv. 

Congo,  i.  56. 

Conradus,  ii.  38.3. 

Consnlvus,  ii.  486 ;  iii.  379. 

('onsidius,  i.  194. 

Constantino,  I.  Ivii,  116,  229  ; 
ii.  54,  168,  182,  268,  380; 
iv.  390  ;  V.  195. 

Constantius,  ii.  97. 

Cooper,  I.  xlvii. 

Cooper.  'Athenac,'  I.  xxv. 


Corde,  de  la.  iv.  263  ;  v.  435. 
Cordes,  v.  135. 
Cornelia,  ii.  485 ;  iv.  171. 
Cornelius,  i.  51,  295. 
Cosmo,  (Duke   of  Florence,) 

ii.  425. 
Cotton,  Bishop,  i.  192. 
Cotton,    John,    I.   xxvi ;    iii. 

436  ;  vi.  454,  455,  456. 
Cowper,  i.  195 ;  iii.  400. 
Cranmer,  i.  10. 
Crassus,  i.   82,  119,  326;  ii. 

36,  483 ;  iii.  152. 
Crates,  i.  152. 
Croon,  i.  180  ;  iii.  194. 
Crescentius,  vi.  122. 
Crith,  I.  Ixxxi. 
Crispina,  ii.  60. 
Croesus,  iii.  1.39,  214. 
Crouch,  I.  Ixxxi. 
Cromwell,  I.  xxxi. 
Crooke,  Samuel,  I.  xxvi. 
Cudworth,  I.  xxvi. 
Culverwell,  I.  xxvi. 
Curtius,  Q. ,  ii.  193,  421  ;  iv. 

183  ;  vi.  71. 
Cusanus,  v.  403. 
Cynjegeirus,  ii.   89,  501  ;  vi. 

391. 
Cvueas,  vi.  430,  431. 
Cyprian,  i.  51,  107,  123,  19.5, 

199,  236,  249,  324,  337,  4:34, 

451,  453;  ii.  71,  133,  322, 

525;  iii.  120,121,149,  18.5, 

454  ;  iv.  85,  114,  28.3,  347  ; 

V.    20,   212,   417,  422;  vi. 

52,  401. 
Cyril,  iv.  49,  75. 
Cynheans,  i.  254. 
Cyrus,  i.  31,  196,  227  ;  ii.  3, 

34,  49 ;  iii.  42 ;  v.  139,  480 ; 

vi.  65. 

Dsedalus,  i.  163  ;  iii.  129. 
Damascene,  i.  219 ;   ii.  307  ; 

V.  94,  270. 
Damochares,  i.  268. 
Damocles,  i.  54;  ii  6,  44;  v. 

139. 
Danajus,  iv.  145;  v.  114. 
Daniel,  i.  22. 
Darius,  ii.  82,  421  ;  iii.  140 ; 

vi.  51. 
Davenant,  I.  xxvi 
David  and  Joseph,  i.  13. 
Decius,  vi.  124. 
Defoe,  I.  XXXV. 
Delambre,  i.  161. 
Delphidius,  i.  13-5. 
Dcmas,  i.  198;  v.  276. 
Demas  and  Gcstas,  v.  90. 
Demetrius,  i.  391,  432,  448. 
Democratus,  iv.  191. 
Denionicus,  i.  239. 
Demosthenes,  i.  9,   14,   268, 

319;  iii.  105,  330;  iv.  301. 
Denison,  i.  250 ;  iv.  280. 
Dentatus,  C.  iii.  242. 
Denton,  v.  421. 
Dereing,  vi.  42.5. 
Diagoras,  vi.  63. 
Diarius.  v.  4.38. 
Didymus,  i.  3.50,  442:  ii.  62; 

iii.  121. 
Dillingham,  v.  2. 


NAMEa  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


467 


Dinarcus,  Phidon,  i.  259. 
Dioclesian,  v.  549  ■;  vi.  369. 
Diodati,  vi.  221. 
Diodorns,  i.  50,  270,  274,  362. 
Diodorus  Sicixlus,  ii.  09,  348, 

390 ;  iv.  199  ;  vi.  1."),  71. 
Diogenes,  i.  215,  229;  ii.  41, 

.52,  155;   iv.  407;   vi.  67, 

181,  392. 
Diogenes,    Laertiiis,    i.    133, 

232,    233,    249,    253,    268, 

364,  445;  ii.  52,  491,  509, 

533 ;  iii.  321 ;  vi.  49. 
Dion.  Cassius,  ii.  393. 
Dionysius,  i.  18,  45,  228,  264, 

272,  326,  438,  443;  ii.  44, 

45,  209,  253,  281,  413,  452; 

iii.  23,  32,  46,  69,  85;  iv. 

42,  73,  75;  v.  6,  125,  139; 

vi.  181. 
Dionysius    Alexandrinus,    i. 

207. 
Dionysius  Areop. ,  i.  421  ;  iv 

102. 
Dioscori,  v.  67. 
Diphilus,  iii.  136. 
Discipulus,  V.  186. 
Dixon,  i.  199. 
Dod,  ii.  61, 182,  342 ;  iii.  260, 

283. 
Doleman,  vi.  163. 
Domitian,  i.  118;  ii.  93,  175, 

205,  200,  355;  v.  471;  vi. 

123. 
Dorotheus,  v.  276. 
Donne,  ii.  2.59. 
Downame,  [misprinted  Dow- 

naine,]  ii.  432;  v.  230. 
Draco,  i.  19. 
Drahomiza,  vi.  125. 
Drake,  I.  xxxii. 
Dravus,  ii.  214. 
Drexelius,   ii.    298;  iv.   248; 

vi.  148,  205,  211,  247. 
Drinkwater,  Mrs,  v.  440. 
Driver,  ii.  74,  482;  iv.  293; 

V.  441,  508. 
Drusius,  i.  1.58,  198;  ii.  473, 

509;  iii.  324,  450;  iv.  142; 

V.  209. 
Du  Burtas,  ii.  170;  vi.  63, 197. 
Dunbar,  battle  of,  I.  xxxi. 
Durand,  I.  liii. 
Durant,  John,  I.  xxxii,  Ixix- 

Ixxii,  49. 
Dyke,  iv.  203 ;  v.  36. 

Ecebolius,  ii,  474. 

Edward  I.,  ii.  143. 

Edward  VI.  i.  232,  435;  iii. 
403 ;  iv.  217. 

Edwards,  Jonathan,  I.  xxxii. 

Eleazarus,  iii.  .33. 

Eliot,  vi.  455,  457. 

Elizabeth,  i.  339;  ii.  71,  216, 
307,  410. 

Elpidophorus,  i.  198. 

'Emmanuel'  College,  Cam- 
bridge, I.  xxiv,  XXV. 

Empedocles,  v.  457. 

England,  will  the  gospel  go 
from  ?  I.  Ixi,  seq. ;  state  of, 
ii.  193,  194. 

Epaminondas,  iii.  28, 137  ;  iv. 
13 ;  vi.  96. 


Ephraim,  i.  141. 

Epictetus,  i.   151,  256,  395; 

ii.  470 ;  iii.  77 ;  vi.  279. 
Epicurus,  vi.  59. 
Epimetheus,  iv.  197. 
Epiphanius,   i.    38,    198 ;    ii. 

445  ;  V.  156  ;  vi.  42,  69. 
Episcopius,  iii.  39. 
Erasmus,  i.  123,  128,  179  ;  ii. 

55,  71,  329 ;  iii.  220,  436 ; 
iv.  145 :  V.  5,  182,  257,  289, 
349,  470,  481.^ 

Eropon,  ii.  205,  206. 

Erostratus,  iii.  164. 

Erskines,  ii.  147. 

Esau  and  Jacob,  i.  131. 

Esch,  iii.  19. 

Essex,  Earl  of,  ii.  305. 

Estius,   i.  104.   220,   415;  ii. 

431 ;  iii.  7,  452 ;  v.  438  ;  vi. 

2S2. 
Ethiopians,  i.  240. 
Eudoxia,  i.  15. 
Eudoxus,  i.  161.    ' 
Eugenius,  iv.  297. 
Eunius,  ii.  10. 
Euripides,  i.  138 ;  v.  265  ;  vi. 

96. 
Eusebius,  I.  1,  23,  29,  62,  229, 

384,  413 ;  ii.  164,  167,  175, 

355,   482,   486;  iii.   20,  22, 

56,  378,  451;  iv.  05,  145, 
165,  271,  272,  287,  322,  325, 
401 ;  V.  213,  424,  435,  436, 
437,  439,  442,  457 ;  vi.  72, 
122,  124,  359. 

Eiisebius,  (of  Emissa,)  i.  106; 

iv.  405. 
Eustathius  ii.  96. 
Eustochius,  iv.  411. 
Eutyches,  v.  197. 
Evagrius,  ii.  388 ;  iii.  246. 
Everard,  I.  xxxii,  Ixviii-lxix. 
Exeter,  duke  of,  v.  6. 
Ezra,  Abeu,  v.  117. 

Fabeo,  Stapulensis,  v.  349. 

Fabius,  Maximus,  iv.  18. 

Fabricius,  i.  215 ;  li.  113. 

Fagius,  ii.  40 ;  iv.  158,  221. 

Fairfax,  I.  xxviii;  vi.  315-317. 

Familists,  ii.  213. 

Faninns,  i.  108;  ii.  345,  355; 
iv.  180  [misprinted];  vi.  399. 

Fardentius,  vi.  192. 

Faustus,  iv.  286. 

Faux,  V.  590;  vi.  164. 

Favorinus,  v.  114. 

Felix,  i.  203. 

Ferdinand,  iii.  185. 

Fevardentius,  v.  99. 

Filmer,  v.  438. 

Firmus,  i.  236. 

Flaccus,  vi.  122. 

Flower,  ii.  94 ;  v.  20,  477. 

Ford,  (cousin,)  I.  Ixxxi. 

Ford,  John,  iii.  2G0 ;  iv.  430. 

Fornerius,  vi.  67. 

Foss,  V.  2ti.5. 

Foster,  John,  T.  xvi. 

Fournier,  ii.  355. 

Fowler,  i.  71. 

Foxe,  John,  i.  10, 12,  83,  244, 
384,391,  450,  454;ii.5,  66, 
73,  93,  143,  182,  270,  400 ; 


iii.  19,  23,  24,  51,  68,  85, 
116,  148,  186,  230,  259,  365, 
401,  461,  468,  495;  iv.  148, 
180,  183,  273,  279,  280,  285, 
302,  322,  361,  402;  v.  4, 102, 
116,  125,  162,  204,  282,  327, 
418,  421,  422,  423,  438,  441, 
443,  445,  450,  460,  476,  477, 
497,  527,  538,  547,  590;  vi. 
200,  353,  434. 

Francis,  i.  262. 

Frederick,  i.  66,  218. 

Frederick,  Sir  John,  iii.  235. 

Frisia,  i.  270. 

Fi-ith,  John,  iv.  263. 

Frogmorton,  i.  464;  ii.  342; 
iii.  99  [misprinted.] 

Fulgentius,  i.  31,  82  ;  iii.  34, 
415 ;  V.  98,  172. 

Fulke,  V.  105. 

Fuller,  Dr  Thomas,  I.  xxii, 
xxiii,  xxiv,  xxv,  xxvi :  ii. 
34  ;  iv.  24 ;  v.  285,  434. 

Gadareus,  v.  486. 

Galba,  iv.  422. 

Gale,  Theoph. ,  i.  358 ;  iii.  221. 

Galen,  i.  445 ;  ii.  48,  451 ;  iii. 

21,  70,  219;  V.  270;  vi.  390. 
Galerius,  iii.  22. 
Galesinus,  v.  99. 
Gallasius,  iii.  19,  34. 
Gallus,  Treb.,  i.  229. 
Gardiner,  iv.  361;  v.  477. 
Gath,  i.  261. 
Gellius,  Aul.,  i.  423,  443  ;  ii. 

52;  iii.  347  ;iv.  9;  vi.  181, 
Gemericus,  vi.  122. 
Genebrandus,  vi.  8. 
George,  (of  Anhalt,)  iii.  166, 

222;  iv.  125. 
Gerhard,  ii.  431 ;  iii.  218. 
Germanicus,  i.  198. 
Gerson,  ii.  293;  iii.  25,  251. 
Gerson,  Levi-Ben,  iii.  44. 
Gestas  and  Demas,  v.  90. 
Gibbon,  v.  190;  vi.  25. 
Gifford,  v.  590. 
Gilemex,  i.  64  ;  ii.  34. 
Gilpin,  (Bernard,)  i.  72. 
Glover,  i.  109,  385,  389,  464 ; 

ii.  228,  277,  342,  529;  iv. 

290 ;  V.  423,  500,  538. 
Godfrey,  (of  Bouillon,)  i.  75  ; 

V.  210. 
Godwin,  iii.  246;  vi.  224. 
Golding,  1.  373. 
Gonsalvo,  i.  194,  195. 
Goodman,  I.  Ixxxi. 
Goodson,  I.  xxix,  xxx,  Ixxxi. 
Goodwin,  i   5  ;  iii.  5. 
Goodwin,  Philip,  i.  165. 
Goodwin,  Dr  Tlios.,  I.  xxxii. 
Gordius,  i.  71. 
Gorgoniu.s,  i.  371. 
Gouge,  Dr,  vi.  202. 
Gracchi,  i.  350 ;  ii.  97. 
Granatensis,  i.  217 ;  iii.  235. 
Granvella,  vi.  164. 
Greenham,  I.  Ixxiv,  Ixxv  ;  ii, 

278 ;  iv.  24,  303  ;  vi.  60. 
Gregory,  I.  Ixxiv,  50,  77,  115,. 

153, 158,  195,  235,  245,  272, 

297,  3.31,  415,  416,  419 ;  ii. 

31,  145,  260,  269,  319,  333, 


468 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


409,  463,  476  ;  iii.  7,  35,  85, 
15S,  213,  216,  287,  401,  435, 
501;iv.  42,  90,  183,  296;  v. 
158,  172,  224,  294,  388,  409, 
436,  442;  vi.  6,  279,  398. 

Gregory,  (the  Great,)  i.  09;  ii. 
61 ;  vi.  177. 

Grevinchovius,  iL  329. 

Grey,  Laily  Jane,  i.  202. 

Grinwood,  i.  384. 

Grote,  ii.  321. 

Grotius,  i.  114  ;  ii.  326 ;  iii. 
58,  71,  469 ;  v.  158,  160. 

Grove,  iv.  273. 

Guicciardini,  iii.  27. 

Guidimer,  ii.  45. 

Guillimet,  v.  6. 

Guise,  (duke  of,)  i.  443;  iv. 
175;  vi.  121. 

Gyles,  (of  Brussels, )  iii.  19. 

Hakewill,  v.  519. 
Hales,  (judge,)  v.  422. 
Hall,  Bishop,  I.  xxvi ;  ii.  21. 
Hall,  (The.)  iii.  44. 
Halliwell,  i.  65,  116  ;  ii.  522. 
Hamilton,  (Patrick,)  i.  267; 

v.  527. 
Hammond,  vi.  219,  222. 
Hamus,  iii.  175. 
Hancock,  i.  105. 
Hanna,  v.  89. 
Hannibal,  i.   160,  ISO,  257; 

iii.  162 ;  iv.  327. 
Harles,  iii.  230. 
Haqialus,  i.  229,  295 ;  ii.  41, 

482. 
Harrington,    {lord,)  i.    450; 

ii.  71,  345 ;  vi.  425. 
Harris,  (Dr,)  vi.  420. 
Harrison,  i.  130  ;  ii.  420  ;  iii. 

72. 
Harvey,  {father,)  vi.  163. 
Hawkes,   iii.    259;    iv,    291; 

V.  213,  440. 
Haymo,  i.  465. 
Haywood,  iii.  403;  iv.  217. 
Hefele,  i.  24,  182.      . 
Hegesias,  ii.  192. 
Hegesippus,  ii.  357 :  vi.  100. 
Heliogabalus,  ii.  170. 
Helvidius,  iv.  288. 
Hemingius,  v.  457. 
Henry  II.,  i.  66;  ii.  34,  144, 

393;   iii.   43;   iv.    183;    vi 

49  135. 
Henry  IV.,  i.  45,  101,  239; 

ii.  45  ;  iii.  32  ;  v.  6,  421. 
Henry  VI.,  i.  296. 
Henry  VII.,  I   i ;  ii.  21  ;  iii. 

185. 
Henry  VIII.,  iii.  59;  iv.  316. 
Henry,  {prhice,)  i.  308. 
Henry,  (Matt.)  iii.  297;  v.  9. 
Heraclitus,  iii.  100 ;  v.  13. 
Heraclius,  i.   154;    iv.    305; 

V.  549. 
Herbert,  v.  265. 
Hercules,  iii.  2.32. 
Hermanus,  ii.  307. 
Hcrmocrate.s,  v.  281. 
Heme,  iii.  235 ;  v.  3. 
Herod  Agrippa,  vi.  122. 


Herod  Antipas,  vi.  122. 
Herod  the  Great,  vi.  122. 
Herodotus,   i.  53,   253,  300; 

ii.  173;  v.  273,  576;  vi.  309, 

391. 
Hesiod,  i.  3 ;  vi.  125,  418, 
Heylin,  i.  311;  vi.  417. 
Hey  wood,  (Oliver,)  I.   xxiii, 

xxiv, 
Hiero,  ii.  29. 
Hilarion,  i.  315  ;  iii.  33. 
Hilary,  I.  liii,  195;  iv.  321; 

v.  170,  198,  392. 
Hildebrand,  iii.  47. 
Hippocrates,  vi.  419. 
Hippolytus,  V.  439. 
Hofnieister,  i.  252 ;  v.  125. 
Holcot,  iv.  182  ;i  vi.  34. 
Holinsiied,  vi.  34. 
Holland,  (.John,)  vi.  426. 
Holt,  vi.  163. 
Homer,  i.  185,  237,  267,  321, 

447,  455,  458 ;  ii.  83,  262  ; 

iii.    122,   214;  iv.  42,  205, 

221,  227 ;  v.  124,  128,  129, 

267,  273,  509. 
Honeywood,  JMrs,  i.  374 ;  ii. 

75, '381. 
Honorius,  i.  353. 
Hooker,  (Richard,)  v.  433. 
Hooker,   (Thomas,)  I.   xxvi; 

ii.  343. 
Hooper,  i.  325  ;  ii.  204,  306 ; 

V.  11,  19,  327,  440. 
Hopkins,  I.  xxvi. 
Horace,  i,  133,  211,  382 ;  ii. 

6;    iii.    187,   355;     v.   122, 

124,  128,  129 ;  vi".  385. 
Howe  and  Howes,  I.  xxiv. 
Howell,  i.  337. 
Hubert,  vi.  163. 
Hudson,  (martyr,)  ii.  80, 102, 

22  S    34*-^ 
Hudson,  rSam.,)I.  xxvi,  109. 
Hugo,  i.  19. 
Humphrey,  I.  xxxii. 
Huunerick,  v.  122. 
Hunter,  (Wm.)  iv.  290. 
Huss,  ii.  356 ;  iv.  228  ;  v.  440. 
Hyginus,  i.  458. 
Hyrcauus,  ii,  205,  206. 

Icarus,  i.  163. 

Ignatius,  ii.  92,  205.  231,  438 ; 

iii.  164,4.59;  iv.  293;  v.  22, 

203,  439 ;  vi.  66,  438. 
Illuminates,  i.  16. 
Imibria,  iii.  37. 
Ingo,  i.  83;  ii.  214. 
Innocent  IV.,  iii   48. 
Idiiius,  I.  Ixxiii. 
Iphicratcs,  iii.  11. 
Iphigenia,  i.  282. 
Irenajus,  i.  310,  330;  iii.  437; 

V.  197 ;  vi.  31. 
Isidore,  i.  154,  257,  291 ;  iii. 

82,   [misprinted;]   iv.  257; 

vi.  199. 
Isis  IMammosa,  ii.  65. 
Isocrates,  ii.  14. 
Israelites,  i.  28. 
Italian,  i.  14. 
Ithacus,  i.  3.3, 


Jackson,  v.  130;  vi.  201,  210. 

Jaddua,  V.  527. 

Jameson,  Mrs,  i.  20. 

Janscnius,  i.  141 ;  ii.  324. 

Japan,  i.  .380. 

Jerome,  I.  xxxviii,  xlviii,lxxi, 
8,  10,  10,  47,  01,  101,  208, 
217,2.3.5,271,281,283,309, 
315,  325,  333,  350,  303,  391, 
403,  442,  447 ;  ii.  4,  94,  169, 
186,  251,  278,  403,  484,  491, 
513;  iii.  21,33,40,115,121, 
129, 195, 190,  220,  241,  386, 
400;  iv.  288,303,359,383; 
v.  19,  23,  97,  140,  147, 184, 
203,  204,  212,  337,  424,  439 ; 
vi.  41,  83, 119,  207, 208, 269. 

Jerome,  (of  Prague,)  v.  440, 
470. 

Jerusalem,  i.  29. 

Jewell,  iii.  61. 

Jews,  i.  29,  182. 

Joachim,  ii.  495. 

Jobita,  iv.  286. 

Jochai,  Simeon  Ben,  iv.  290. 

John,  (of  Alexandria,)  ii.  90. 

John,  (the  .abbot,)  iii.  216. 

Jolin,  (Duke  of  Saxony,)  iv. 
.361. 

John,  (king,)  iv.  19  ;  vi.  9. 

Johnson,  Dr,  iii.  159. 

Jordain,  iii.  260. 

Jordan,  (alderman,)  ii.  73. 

Jornandes,  vi.  189. 

Jortin,  V.  190. 

Joseph  and  David,  i.  13. 

Josephus,  i.  26,  29,  250,  269, 
365 ;  ii.  221,  269,  341,  347, 
473,  480 ;  iii.  43,  45,  46,  55, 
1.54,  331,  379 ;  iv.  71,  228, 

271,  272,  275,  282,  298,  301 ; 
V.  184,  189,  213,  419,  447, 
403,  405,  400,  484,  527,  548, 
553,  584 ;  vi.  10,  40.  82.  80, 
122,  139,  145,  154,  150,  104, 
107, 170,  189, 190, 193, 194, 

272,  311. 

Judas,  I.  Uii,  $cq.  Iv,  iv.  53; 

vi.  31. 
Julianus,  iv.  445. 
Julitta,  v.  440. 
Julius,  III.  iv,  53. 
Junius,  i.  230 ;  iii.  21,  65,  90, 

173,  386;  iv.  321;  v.  223, 

558. 
Justin,    Martyr,    i.   9,    172, 

240,  268,  309,  315,  358,  383, 

384,  447 ;  ii.  74,  356,  3-57; 

iii.  113;  iv.  70,162;  v.  113, 

1.59,  212,  214,  253, 443,  494, 

538 ;  vi.  48,  98. 
Justinian,  ii.  5;  iv.  9;  v.  6 ; 

vi.  0. 
Justinus,  ii.  211,  466. 
Juxon,  I.  Ixxxi. 

Karens,  'Precious  Remedies' 

among,  I.  .xxii. 
Kemiuitius,  [Chemnitius,]iii, 

361. 
Kempis-a,  i.  436, 
Kimchi,  i.  381. 
KnoUes,  i.  327,  342 ;  ii.  45, 


>  Wrongly  queried  :  being  Holcot,  as  in  otlier  reference,  supra.— O. 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


469 


83,  206,  289  ;  iii.  117,  444  ; 
V.  6, 146,  225,  273 ;  vi.  140, 
169,  170,  191. 
Knox,  John,  i.  125  ;  iii.  187  ; 
iv.  269;  V.  132,  552;  vi. 
375,  426. 

Lactantius,  I.  xl,  41,  62,  107, 
187,  270,  315,  325,  394  ;  ii. 
73,  405;  iii.  40,  148,  219; 
iv.  162,  392;  V.  419,  437; 
vi.  69. 

Lais,  i.  14. 

Lake,  Bj).,  vi.  117,  and  ''Edi- 
torial Poster  ipt.^ 

Lambert,  i.  104 ;  v.  188. 

Lamachus,  i.  37,  209;  ii.  307. 

Langius,  iii.  134. 

Lapide-a,  i.  204,2.59;  ii.  494; 
iii.  287,  444;  v.  209,  227, 
367,  457. 

Lardner,  iii.  201. 

Latimer,  I.  xlvi,  160, 172 ;  ii. 
67, 182,  260 ;  iii.  51,  61,  6S, 
145,  226  ;  iv.  28,  217,  293, 
361 ;  V.  273,  440,  441 ;  vi. 
267. 

Lavater,  v.  311. 

Lawrence,  v.  213,  439. 

Lazarus,  i.  68. 

Leander,  iii.  232. 

Legh,  i.  116. 

Leighton,  ii.  514.1 

Leo,  (emperor,)  i.  229;  ii.  .398. 

Leo,  {pope,)  i.  246;  iii.  143; 
V.  98,  315 ;  vi.  98,  212. 

Lepidus,  iv.  207. 

Leuctra,  i.  393. 

Licinius,  I.  xlviii ;  iii.  22,  378. 

Lindsay,  (John,)  i.  267;  v. 
527. 

Lipsius,  iii.  134;  iv.  5,  82,  83; 
vi.  7,  116. 

Livia,  i.  39,  249. 

Livv,  ii.  206;  iii.  242;  iv.  72; 
V.  9;  vi.  67. 

Lombard,  iii.  101 ;  vi.  6. 

Lorenzo,  iii.  167. 

Louis  II.,  iv.  57. 

Louis  XL,  iii.  47. 

Love,  iii.  260. 

Lucan,  i.  388. 

Lucian,  L  xl,  62,  64,  107,  ]50, 
203,  440;  ii.  52,  455;  iii. 
40,  356,  437;  iv.  91,  156; 
vi.  57,  199,  375. 

Lucauians,  ii.  279;  iii.  136; 
iv.  65. 

Lucius,  iv.  65 ;  v.  439. 

Ludovicus,  V.  85. 

Lushington,  v.  161. 

Luther,  I.  xxxviii,  xliii,  xlv, 
xlvi,  Iviii,  Ixxiii,  9,  17,  24, 
26,  42,  50,  67,  71,  75,  79, 
104, 115, 125, 155, 159, 171, 
187,  215,  235,  2.39,  2.52,  205, 
267,  277,  280,  281,  287,  292, 
316,  331,  366,  269,  371,  382, 
433,  460,  466  ;  ii.  14, 17,  22, 
81,  93,  114,  149,  176,  182, 


234,  250,  259,  275,  280,  306, 
320,  322,  324,  352,  357,  367, 
379,  38a,  408,  409,  421,  432, 
452,  456,  488,  492,  497,  513 ; 
iii.  5,  20,  21,  22,  35,  51,  53, 
59,  94,  104,  106,  113,  114, 
116,  118, 126, 128,  1.33, 136, 
142, 157,  171, 187, 196, 198, 
209,  211,  212,  213,  214,  217, 
222,  263,  293,  296,  341,  391, 
462,  485,  486 ;  iv.  91,  115, 
181,  193,  223,  228,  284,  286, 
355,  361 ;  v.  140,  193,  194, 
211,  232,  288,  308,  426,  432, 
467,  476,  481,  490,  559  ;  vi. 
27,  54,  83,  87,  88, 125,  172, 
297,  401,  427,  445. 

Lvcaon,  i.  261. 

Lycurgus,  iii.  76;  iv.  300,  326. 

Lydians,  i.  272. 

Lyra,  iii.  90 ;  v.  527. 

Lvsimachus,  i.  21,  262 ;  ii. 
'395 ;  iii.  422. 

Macarius,  iv.  421. 
Machiavel,  iii.  142. 
Macrobius,  i.   121,   423;    vi. 

287. 
Magger,  I.  xxix,  Ixxxi. 
lilahomet,  v.  125,  129,  130. 
Mahon,  v.  6. 

Maimonides,  i.  312 ;  v.  253. 
Maldonatus,  v.  83. 
Manchester,  (eai'l  of,)  i.  189. 
Mandune,  ii.  3  . 
Marcellina,  i.  244. 
Marcellinus,  ii.  44,  189,  315, 
Marcellus,   i.   172,  314,  337; 

ii.  78,  382,  401 ;  iii.  40. 
Marcion,  iv.  322 ;  v.  174. 
Marcus,  (of  Arethusa,)  v.  213, 

548. 
Margaret's,     Fish-street-hill, 

I.  xxxi,  xxxviii,  seq. 
Marica,  iv.  400. 
Marius,  i.  300 ;  v.  138. 
Maritta,  i.  198. 
Marloratus,  iii.  445 ;  v.  238, 

[misprinted.] 
Marsacus,  iii.  102. 
Marshall,  (Stephen,)  I.  xxvi. 

196 ;  iii.  260. 
Martial,  vi.  26. 
Martian,  iii.  208. 
Martin,   (pope,)   iv.    306;    v. 

469. 
Martin,  (St,)  i.''402. 
Martinus,  iii.  109. 
Martyr,  (Peter,)  ii.  281;    iii. 

133 ;  iv.  149;    v.  443  ;    vi. 

207,  220,  384. 
Mary  Magdalene,  i.  100  ;  ii. 

121. 
Mary  Q.  of  Scots,  i.  125,  134  ; 

ii.  67;  iii.  112,  187;  iv.  269. 
Masius  i.  455. 
Mason,  IMrs,  I.  xxii. 
Masson,  (Prof. )  I.  xxv,  xxvi. 
Matheson,  I.  xvii. 
Matiscon,  vi.  109,  300. 


Matthewes,  i.  401. 
Maud,  iv.  91. 

Mauricius,  v.  370 ;  vi.  218. 
Maxentius,  iv.  297 ;  vi.  124. 
Maximilian,  I.  liv.  81 ;  ii.  12 

496 ;  V.  415  ;  vi.  405. 
Maximinus,    i.    23 ;    v.   471 

vi.  124. 
Maximus,  i.  117,  29j>. 
Mayor,  J.  E.  B.,  M.A.,  L  xxv 
Mazarinus,  iv.  12. 
Medina,  i.  365,  382. 
Melanclithon,  I.  Ixxii.  58,  64, 

75,  102,  238,  248,  392;  ii. 

3.52,  408,  475 ;  iii.  113 ;  iv. 

411 ;  V.  130 ;  vi.  425. 
Menedemus,  i.  445. 
Menipjius,  i.  259 ;  ii.  102 ;  vi. 

49. 
Menoch,  ii.  262. 
Mercellina,  i.  244. 
Mercerus,  ii.  336 ;  v.  143  ;  vi. 

223. 
Messala,  Corvinus,  ii.  293. 
Metellus,  I.  Ivii. 
Methodius,  iii.  430. 
Michalis,  v.  190. 
Midas,  I.  xliii,  214 ;  iii.  183 ; 

iv.  335. 
Milan,  (duke  of,)  ii.  63. 
Mildmay,     (Sir    Walter,)    I. 

xxiv. 
Mill,  V.  440. 

Mills,  (Daniel,)  I.  xxxii. 
Milo,  i.  63,  274. 
Miltiades,  i.  319,  403. 
Milton,  I.  xxv,  xxvi,  xxxii; 

iii.  36. 
Minutius,  Felix,  i.  380. 
Mirandula,  i.  266  ;  ii.  86  ;  vi. 

384. 
Mithridates,  i.  202. 
Modestus,    i.    195,    423 ;    iv. 

291 ;  V.  212,  423,  493 ;  vi. 

425. 
Molcha,  Shilomeh,  iii.  54. 
Mollerus,  iv.  160 ;  v.  4. 
Mollius,  ii.  97. 
Monica,  i.  164,  423,  450 :  vi. 

368. 
Montanus,  Arias,  ii.  67. 
More,  iii.   251  ;    v.   265  ;    vi. 

125,  230. 
IMorgan,  ii.  247;  vi.  125. 
Morice,  I.  x.xxii. 
Morley,  vi.  51. 
INIorton,  (Bp.)  v.  265. 
Moulin,  ii.  42,  344  ;  iii.  222; 

V.  482,  524. 
Murcot,  iii.  261. 
Mummius,  iii.  231. 
JMunster,  i.  52,  390;  ii.  367; 

iv.  320 ;  V.  469. 
INIurray,  (earl  of)  v.  552. 
Muscovia,  i.  120. 
Musculus,  iii.  76 ;  iv.  326 ;  v. 

547,  581,  [misprinted.] 
Myrmecide,  ii.  203. 
Myrogenes,  i.  183  ;  iii.  159. 
Myrtilus,  i.  410. 


1  As  under  this  reference  the  Index  is  pointed  to,  the  present  opportunity  is  embraced  of  placing  hera 
a  little  note  which  was  accidentally  dropped  out  from  '  Precious  Remedies,'  [Vol,  I.,  5,  footnote  1,]  and, 
as  above,  inadvertently  alluded  to,  as  if  inserted.  For  the  comparison  of  Satan  with  pirates,  comparo 
Leighton  on  the  Temptation  of  Christ,  as  recorded  in  Matthew,  near  beginning.  Brooks  preceded  tha 
Archbishop,  but  both  had  a  common  authority  in  the  Mediseva  Ipreachers.— G. 


470 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


Narcissus,  i.  238. 
Nauratiues,  i.  '254,  384. 
Neal,  I.  xxvi. 
Nero,  i.    135,  198;    ii.    208, 

502 ;  V.  6 ;  vi.  5,  10,  123, 
Ness,  iii.  41. 

Newcourt,  I.  xxxi,  xxxii. 
Niccphoru^,  i.  303,  384 ;    ii. 

205  ;  vi.  •_'5. 
Nicholas  I.,  (poj)e,)  iii.  209. 
Noah,  i.  4.V). 
Noyes,  ii.  73 ;    iii.  250  ;    iv. 

293 ;  V.  213,  441,  508. 
Nugas,  i.   64;^  iii.    IGO;    iv. 

179. 
Numa,  iv.  269. 

Octavius,  iii.  229. 
<Ecumenius,  v.  147. 
Olave's,  St,  I.  xxxii. 
Olevianus,  i.  48  ;  v.  468. 
Olympius,  iv.  207 ;  v.  130. 
Opilus  Macrinus,  vi.  103. 
Oraniazes,  i.  230. 
Origen,   i.    237  ;    ii.    4,  164, 

243;  iii.  15,  197,  199;    iv. 

233;  V.  97,  123,  410;    vi. 

211. 
Ormuzd,  vi.  200. 
Oiodes,  i.  119. 
Orosius,  i.  99  ;  vi.  10. 
Otho,  i.  210  ;  v.  6. 
Osiander,  iii.  48-5. 
Ovid,  .i.  238  ;  ii.  262  ;  v.  124, 

128,  129 ;  vi.  2:)6. 
Owen  and  Owens,  I.  xxiv. 

Pachomius,  ii.  217,  298 ;  v. 

452. 
Facunius,  iii.  126. 
Pagninus,  ii.  67 ;  iv.  302. 
Palmer,  (H.)  I.  xix  ;   iv.  113. 
Palmer,  (S.)  I.  xxxi. 
Palmer.  (.Julius,)  v.  113. 
Pambeditha,  vi.  253,  254. 
Pambo,  i.  344. 
Pambus,  ii.  403 ;  iii.  40. 
Pan,  ii.  26. 

Pancirolus,  i.  129 ;  ii.  315. 
Pandora,  i.  410. 
Panormitan,  i.  441  ;  vi.  69. 
Paphnutius,   i.   2.37,   250;  ii. 

54,  284  ;  v.  195. 
Papianilla,  ii.  288. 
Parens,  i.   12,  408;   ii.  234, 

431;   iv.   145;  v.  306;  vi. 

33,  165. 
Paris,  ii.  34. 
Parsecs,  i.  8  ;  iii.  4. 
Parsons,  vi.  163. 
I'arthenius,  ii.  288. 
Paulet,  iv.  340. 
Paulinus,  i.  282,  350,  448;  ii. 

24  ;  iv.  3.59 ;  vi.  49. 
Paulus,  Albas,  ii.  404. 
Pausanias,  i.  274;  iv.  15;  v. 

129;  vi.  256. 
Pelhartus,  vi.  303. 
Pellicanus,  v.  463. 
Pemble,  vi.  448. 
Pendleton,  iii.  29. 
Penn,  iii.  185. 
Pci-iander,  ii.  .533;  vi.  384. 
Perkins,  i.    23  ;   ii.    98,    504 ; 

iii.  218,364;  i v.  207;  vi.  1.3.5. 


Persian  '  kings '  and  Persians, 
i.  454,  465. 

Peru,  i.  333. 

Peter,  i.  24. 

Petrarch,  i.  189,  431,  435; 
ii.  306. 

Phffinionoe,  i.  239. 

Pharaoh-Hopbra,  iii.  46. 

Pharnaces,  i.  131 ;  ii.  118. 

Pheidon,  ii.  102. 

Pheraulas  ii.  67 ;  iii.  157 ;  vi. 
267. 

Pherecydes,  i.  203. 

Phidias,  v.  3. 

Philbert,  Hamlin,  v.  421. 

Pliilip,  iii.  76, 174  ;  iv.  10,  24, 
301 ;  V.  9  ;  vi.  67. 

Philip,  (of  Hesse,)  iv.  291. 

Philip  II.,  i.  297. 

Philip  III.,  i.  47;  ii.  46;  iv. 
314. 

PhUo,  ii.  165,  227,  289;  iv. 
415;  vi.  107. 

Philogonius,  I.  Ixxii. 

'  Philological  Society,'  I.  xvii. 

Philostralus,  ii.  94,  351,  511. 

Philpots,  ii.  66  [misprinted] ; 
iv.  290,  292  ;  v.  423,  441, 
538. 

PliUustrius,  V.  417. 

Phocas,  i  254,  261 ;  vi.  127. 

Phocion,  i.  242, 350,  382,  402; 
ii.  97 ;  iii.  500. 

Photinus,  iv.  74. 

Phrynon,  i.  2.53. 

Phyton,  vi.  49. 

Piccardine,  iv.  273. 

Pierius,  iv.  398. 

Pindar,  i.  3 ;  iii.  236 ;  v.  128, 
129. 

Piscator,  I.  liii,  431 ;  ii.  325, 
431  ;  V.  135,  443. 

Pittacus,  i.  253 ;  ii.  205. 

PlacUla,  iii.  11. 

Platina,  v.  128. 

Plato,  i.  158,  200,  218,  250, 
290,  301,  348;  ii.  14,  304, 
321,  326,  357,  407,  429,  488, 
532  ;  iii.  51,  97,  149  ;  iv.  37, 
60,  107,  129,  171,  393,398; 
v.  124,  129, 130,  527 ;  vi.  5, 
41,  181,  245,  403,  420. 

Plautus,  i.  379,  461;  iii.  163; 
V.  267. 

Pliny,  i.  53,  129,  172,  193, 
2.50,  296,  314,  328,  347,  3(55, 
376,  388,  445;  ii.  38,  148, 
172,  227,  272,  293,  294,  296, 
.374,  409,  434,  436,  457,  463, 
488  ;  iii.  43,  51,  66,  84, 143, 
.369,  42 J;  iv.  (H,  67  ;  v.  247, 
358,  4.39,  447,  462 ;  vi.  47, 
87,  104,  238,  421. 

Plutarch,  I.  xliii,  14,  21,  31, 
41,  50,  70,  105,  131,  1.33, 
]{;i,  172,  18:i,  19.?,  19t,  203, 
209,  210,  211,  242,  252,  256, 
268,  339,  345,  .'547,  348,  350, 
351,  362,  402,  412,  42.3,  428, 
4.32,  446 :  ii.  13,  21,  26,  37, 
45,  52,  55,  61,  66,  77,  97, 
143,  192,  195,  20.3,  206,  208, 
223,  255,  309,  340,  348,  364, 
48.3,  489,  491,  497.  507  ;  iii. 
20,  21,  28,  38,  46,  50,  58, 


74,  111,  137,  162,  191,  213, 

215,  422,  500,  503  ;    iv.  3, 

11,  13,  24,  30,  58,  04,  72, 

73,  110,  171,  172,  178,  191, 

228,  236,  254,  269,  275,  324, 

3.38,  386;  v.  6,  11,  113,  125, 

137,197,246,486,501,528; 

vi.  11,  28,  73,  96,  272,  301, 

314,  416. 
Polauus,  V.  477;  vi.  193. 
Pollux  and  Castor,  v.  67. 
Polybius,  i.  263,  303 :  iu.  128, 

187. 
Polycarp,  i.  182, 195,  207 ;  ii. 

70  ;  iv.  322,  324,  325,  355  ; 

v.  38,  420. 
Polydeuces,  v.  67. 
Pomerauus,  J.  Ixxii. 
Pompey,  i.  45,  86,  2.50,  264  ; 

ii.  4.5,  304,  485  ;  iii.  21,  215; 

V.  6. 
Pontanus,  vi.  104. 
Pontaurus,  i.  30. 
Porus,  ii.  66,  67. 
Pory,  I.  xxxii. 
Possidonius,  I.  1. 
Potamiena,  i.  237. 
Praxaspes,  iii.  26. 
Praxitelles,  ii.  517 ;  iii.  217. 
Preston,  Dr,  I.  xxvi;  iii,  462 ; 

vi.  455. 
Prideaux,  v.  527. 
Primislaus,  iii.  39. 
Prince,  Black,  i.  170. 
Priscilians,  i.  33. 
Probus,  M.  A.  vi.  395. 
Procopius,  i.  353 ;  ii.  45;  v.  6. 
Procrustes,  vi.  361. 
Prosper,  i.  179,  271,  332 ;  iv. 

146 ;  vi.  93,  208. 
Prostiborski,  ii.  337. 
Proteus,  ii.  262. 
Prowse,  iii.  361. 
Prudentius,  iv.  293;  v.  143, 

212 ;  vi.  209. 
Psammeticus,  i.  281. 
Psaon,  i.  200 . 
Psittacus,  vi.  171. 
Psylli,  i.  296 ;  ii.  148 ;  iii.  6. 

(misprint  for  'Astomi. ') 
Ptolemy,  i.  207,  261. 
Purchas,  v.  129,  134  ;  vi.  191. 
Pulvillus,  i.  283. 
Purnell,  ii.  339. 
Pyrrhias,  i.  214;  ii,  113. 
Pj'rrhus,  i.  215. 
Pvthagoras,  i.  239,  244;    ii. 
"251,  312,  338;  v.  11,  159, 

KiO,  289  ;  vi.  255. 
Pythias,  i.  45,  264 ;   ii.  45 ; 

V.  6. 

Quakers,  i.  343. 
Quarles,  iv.  38,  74. 
Quintilian,  iii.  216,  219;  iv. 

;'.4  ;  V.  486. 
Quintiuus,  iv.  68. 

Rabbins.  I.  Iviii,  18,  54,  104, 
236,  271,  340  ;  ii.  35,  41, 
187.  211,  331,  411 ;  iii.  27. 
36,  140,  141 ;  v.  189 ;  vi. 
16,  36. 

Radbad,  i.  270. 

Eainolds,  v.  518. 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


471 


Rainsboroiigh,      Colonel,     I. 

xxvii,  XXX  ;  vi.  313,  seq. 
Raleigh,  iii.  142. 
RandoU,  vi.  389. 
Randolph,  I.  xxvi. 
Ravillac,  iv.  278 ;  v.  421. 
Reeve,  John,  I.  xxxv,  xxxv- 

xxxvii. 
Regius,  vi.  54. 
Regulus,  Marcus,  i.  121 ;  iii. 

242. 
Renians,  iv.  440. 
Revel,  vi.  121. 
Rheims,  i.  241 ;  ii.  31. 
Rhodians,  i.  272. 
Richard  III.,  i.  226  ;  ii.  246, 

410;  iv.  302. 
Ridley,   iii.  51,  116,  259;  v. 

213,  440. 
Rivetus,  ii.  35  ;  v.  114,  290. 
Roberts,  iii.  40. 
Rodolphus,  ii.  143;  iii.  387. 
Roffensis,  i.  197  ;  vi.  233. 
Rogers,  i.  392;  ii.  74;  iv.  290, 

V.  423,  440. 
Roman  us,  ii.  485. 
Rome,  i.  353. 
Rome  ('  Room  '),  v.  123. 
Rubeuita,  iii.  54. 
Ruffinus,  iv.  284  ;  v.  549. 
Rufus,  Wm.,  i.  443;  iii.  47. 
Rupertus,  v.  331,  492. 
RusseU,  vi.  389. 
Rutherford,  iv.  71 ;  vi.  297. 
RutHius,  i.  263,  264. 

Sabinus,  i.  261,  456. 

Sablatius,  iii.  208. 

Saladin,  v.  281  ;  vi.  424. 

Salvian,  I.  xlvi,  28,  256,  292, 
315,  384  ;  ii.  323,  424,  528, 
533  ;  iii.  104,  171,  217  ;  iv. 
95,  163 ;  vi.  69. 

Sanctus,  i.  71 ;  ii.  3-55 ;  v.  439. 

Saanizarius,  i.  442. 

Sapor,  i.  45  ;  iii.  32 ;  v.  5. 

Sardanapalus,  ii.  203. 

Sardis,  i.  15. 

Sasbouth,  v.  334. 

Saunders,  I.  xxxii,  450  ;  ii. 
71 ;  iii.  29,  80 ;  iv.  293  ;  v. 
212,  441 ;  vi.  399. 

Savoy,  (duke  of,)  i.  365. 

Saxouy,  (duke  of,)  iv.  8. 

Scaliger,  i.  53. 

Scanderbeg,  ii.  289. 

Scpevola,  (misprinted,)  iii.  37. 

Scipio,  i.  185,  249 ;  v.  480. 

Scultetus,  iv.  207  ;  v.  432. 

Scytale,  i.  13,  67. 

Seius,  I.  Ivi. 

Sejanus,  iv.  346 ;  v.  5,  486. 

Seneca,  I.  xl,  xliii,  xlvi,  Ivi, 
9,  14,  41,  69,  85,  103,  172, 
181,  182, 185, 188,  202,  208, 
263,  271,  292,  295, 303,  304, 
310,  372,  382,  391,  430,  443, 
446,  456;  ii.  52,  96,  117, 
205,  235,  279,  309,  310,  313, 
323,  371,  384  ;  iu.  3, 14,  41, 
58,  82,  122,  137,  143,  170, 
181,  238,  242,  243, 330,  356, 
362,  370,  438;  iv.  20,  34, 


45,  110,  156,  174,  305,  386 ; 

V.    6,   273.  278,  419,   486, 

527 ;  vi.  11,  62,  116,  175, 

181,  407,  439. 
Serenus,  ii.  410. 
Sertius,  iii.  181. 
Servetus,  iv.  295  ;  vi.  164. 
Sesostris,  ii.  46. 
Severus,  i.  190,  458;  iii.  126; 

iv.  17 ;  v.  518. 
Sextius,  iii.  181. 
Shakesperean  words,  I.  xvii, 

173,  211,  226,  286,  380,  434, 

458 ;  ii.  162,  309,  315,  364, 

378,  470 ;  iii.  175 ;  iv.  23, 
56,  83,  85,  87,  134;  v.  6. 
Shakespere,  ii  393;  iv.  115. 

Sliepard,  (Thomas,)  I.  xxvi, 
Ixxxii ;  ii.  500  ;  vi.  454,  455. 

Sibbes,  I.  xxi.  xxii.  xxvi,  62, 
130,  171, 189,  227,  265,  274, 
286,  383,  400 ;  ii.  37,  66,  80, 
168,  182, 187, 191,  247,  265, 
320,  352,  483,  486,  488 ;  iii. 

5,  13,  22,  65,  72,  101,  145, 
211,  260,  292,  294,  295,  370, 

379,  448,  504  ;  iv.  20,  133, 
146,  174,282,298;  v.  4,  28, 
82,  270,  409,  457,  500;  vi. 

6,  441. 
Sicily,  i.  67. 

Sidomus  ApoUinaris,  i.  117. 
Sigismund,  i.  229  ;  ii.  71 ;  v. 

289. 
Sigonius,  v.  125. 
Silanus,  v.  273. 
Simon,  i.  269. 
Simonides,  ii.  29. 
Sirtorius,  ii.  223;  iii.  503;  vi. 

416. 
Sleidan,  iv.  231 ;  v.  438. 
Smalwood,  I.  xxxii. 
Smith,  (Tho. )  I.  xxii,  xxiii. 
Socrates,  i.  51,  239,  268,  270, 

290,  312,  382,  384,  448 ;  ii. 

14,  304,  333,  357,  407,  442, 

472,  532;  iii.  34,  51,  170, 

192, 230, 483  ;iv.  326;  V.  419. 
Socrates,  (Eccl.  Hist.)  i.  39, 

249,  264,  344 ;  ii.  474 ;  iii. 

40,  65,  121,  150,  330;   v. 

418,419,423,  436;  vi.  167, 

372 
Solinus,  i.  13,  67,  373;  vi.  413. 
Solomon,  {rabbi),  ii.  286. 
Solomon,  iv.  39,  240,  321. 
Solon,  ii.  208,  279,  409;  iv. 

64;v.  139,  226,577;vi.l81. 
Soloson,  iii.  144. 
Solvman,  i.  319;  ii.  205;  iv. 

129. 
Somerset,  iv.  297. 
Sophocles,  i.  181 ;  ii.  216  ;  iv. 

248 
South',  i.  429. 
Soyit,  i.  283. 
Sozomen,  i.   74  ;  ii.  217 ;  iii. 

81,  171,  187 ;  iv.  162,  279 ; 

vi.  372. 
Spalatinus,  iii.  20. 
Spaniards,  ii.  68. 
Speed,  iv.  224. 
Speed,  vi.  127,  163,  191. 


Spencer,  iv.  113 ;  v.  36,  434. 
Spira,   ii.    107,   320;    iii.   32, 

292. 
Spong,  I.  xxxiv. 
Sprague,  Dr,  I.  xxvi. 
Spurgeon,  C.  H.,  I.  xxiii. 
Stark,  (Helen,)  v.  445. 
Staupitius,  i.  155 ;  ii.  4-56 ;  iii. 

46. 
Stephanus,  vi.  100. 
Stilpo,  i.  448. 
Stoboeus,  vi.  4. 
Stock,  i.  450 ;  ii.  71 ;  vi.  425. 
Stoughton,  I.  xxvi. 
Stow,  (John,)  i.  322. 
Strabo,  ii.  20,   173,  214;  iii. 

231 ;  iv.  136. 
Strigelius,  i.  427. 
Strong,  V.  267. 
Stroud,  V.  89. 
Suetonius,  i.  210,  244,  259; 

ii.  118,  205,  206,  215,  335, 

339,372,478;  iii.  5,  23,  111, 

132,  139,  192,  216,  4-39 ;  iv. 

47,  75,  83 ;  vi.  49, 171,  391. 
Suidas,  i.  200 ;  iii.  6  ;  iv.  53  ; 

V.  88,  596 ;  vi.  391. 
Sulla,  i.  203. 
Sulpicius,  V.  210,  492. 
Surius,  ii.  90  ;  v.  214. 
Sutton,  V.  285. 
Sydenham,  iii.  436. 
Sydney,  (Sir  Philip,)  i.  306. 
Syloson,  ii.  173. 
Sylvester,  v.  576. 
Sylvius  jEneas,  i.  218;  ii.  214. 
Symmachus,  v.  125. 
Synesins,  i.  213 ;  ii.  445 ;  iii. 

140,  246  ;  vi.  440. 
Syracuse,  I.  Ixxii.  ;  i.  372.] 
Sysamnes,  iv.  13. 

Tacitus,  i.  17,  120,  182;  ii. 
45,  214;  iii.  330;  iv.  386, 
414  ;v.  6,  273;  vi.  145, 186. 

Taffin,  iii.  361. 

Tamerlane,  i.  327,  335  ;  ii, 
45,  435  ;  iii.  117,  162 ;  v.  6. 

Tamovius,  ii.  253. 

Tasso,  i.  75. 

Tatianus,  i.  302. 

Taylor,  Bishop,  I.  xxv,  21. 

Taylor,  (F.,)  vi.  63. 

Taylor,  Richard,  I.  xxxiv. 

Taylor,  Rowland,  i.  12 ;  ii. 
74,  94,  104;  iv.  280,  290; 
V.  422,  423,  477. 

Taylor,  Dr  Thomas,  I.  xxxii, 
Ixxii. 

Taxiles,  iii.  21. 

Teunes,  iv.  17;  vi.  96. 

Terence,  i.  170. 

Teq^ander.  i.  300. 

Tertullian,  I.  liv,  24,  32,  35, 
73,  77,  92,  153,  200,  235, 
266,  267,  268,  283,  333, 
380,  426,  429 ;  ii.  131,  153, 
178,  319,  330,  518 ;  iii.  165, 
201,  205,  227,  258,  261, 
329,  376;  iv.  29,  44,  85, 
147,  194,  262,  299;  v.  97, 
99,  124,  143,  190,  204,  208, 
212,405,417,421,428,1429, 


1  Adv.  Hcrmogcnes,  cap.  2-.  -G. 


472 


NAMES  AND  AUTHORITIES  QUOTED  OR  REFERRED  TO. 


442.  445,  457,  498,  527,  538; 
vi.  88,  103,  238. 
Tetricus,  ii.  45 ;  v.  5. 
Thales,  i.  233,  239,  2G0 ;  iv. 

273. 
Thaumastus,  ii.  221,  306;  iu. 

162. 
Themistoclcs,  i.  70,  269,  403, 
428,  446  ;  ii.   5.\   113,  117, 
349;   iii.    20,   50,    215;    v. 
137. 
Theocritus,  v.  519. 
Theodobcrt,  ii.  288. 
Theodora,  ii.  45 ;  v.  6. 
Theodorct,  i.  25  ;  ii.  355  ;  iii. 

276  ;  iv.  65  ;  v.  417,  436. 
Theodoricus,  v.  125. 
Theodoras,  ii.  298  ;  v.  224, 

551. 
Theodosiiis,    i.    25,    38;    iv. 

297;  vi.  445. 
Theophrastus,  i.  339;  ii.  205; 

iv.  347  ;  vi.  171. 
Theophylact,  i.  291 ;  ii.  82 ; 

iii.  218  ;  vi.  220. 
Theotimus,    i.    16,   254  ;    iii. 

40  ;  iv.  50. 
Theseus,    i.    180,    250;    iii. 

194. 
Thomas    Apostles,    I.    xxvii, 

xxxi. 
Thomas,  St,  (island,)  458. 
Thrasybulus,  vi.  369. 
TInianus,  ii.  247 ;  iii.  102  ;  v. 

442 ;  vi.  164. 
Thucydides,  ii.  206;  iii.  219; 

vi.  72. 
Thurians,  I.  1. 

Tiberius,  i.   17,  49,  118;  ii. 
189;  iv.  307;  v.  486;  vi. 
40. 
Tiberius,  (martyr,)  i.  53. 
Tiburtius,  v.  491. 
Tigelenus,    v.  6. 
Tigranes,ii.  483. 
Tillemont,  i.  261  ;  iii.  11;  iv. 

10. 
Tilligny,  iii.  141 ;  iv.  162. 
Timteus,  ii.  192. 
Timboriaiid,  I.  Ixxxi. 
Tims,  iv.  291  ;  v.  423. 
Tipheus,  or  Tvphreus,  i.  3. 
Tiril.azus,  i.  50,  299;  iv.  146; 

v.  491. 
Titus,  i.  121  ;  ii.  307,  347. 
Torshell,  iii.  436. 
Tostatus,  v.  527. 
Trajan,  ii.  92,  309  ;  iv.  313, 

411 ;  vi.  123. 
Trapp,  i.  104,  312 ;  ii.  149. 
Trebonianus,  (Gallus,)  i.  229. 


Tremellius,  ii.  139  ;  iii.  21  ; 

v.  350. 
Trismegistus,  v.  124,  1.30. 
Trophouius,  v   449. 
Trucilla,  i.  371. 
Trypho,  i.  240. 
Turks,  i.  218,  246 ;  ii.  199. 
Turner,  (Sir  Wm.,)  vi.  3,  58, 
153. 

Tyndale,  vi.  275. 
Tyrians,  ii.  20,  27,  299. 
Tyzetzes,  iii.  23. 

Ursinus,  i.  376  ;  ii.  418  ;  iii. 

379 ;  vi.  55. 
Usthazares,  iv.  279. 

Valerian,  i.  264 ;  ii.  44,  399 ; 

iii.  32  ;  v.  5. 
Valerius,   Maximus,   i.    170, 

273 ;  iv.  183,  332 ;  vi.  140, 

391. 
Valens,  i.  45,  264  ;  ii.  45  ;  iiL 

20  ;  iv.  183  ;  v.  471,  498. 
Valentinian,  i.  99,  192,  254; 

vi.  124  ;  vi.  385. 
I  Varro,  i.  272  ;  ii.  203 ;  iii.  69. 
Varrus,  i.  229,  259 ;  ii.  102. 
Yai'us,  vi.  49. 
Vatablus,  i.  43. 
Venedse,  ii.  214. 
Vere,  iii.  65. 
Vergerius,  iv.  228. 
Vespasian,    I.    xlvi,  29,  128, 

223 ;   ii.  205,   478  ;  iii.  98, 

216,  242,  247;  iv.  8;  vi.  5, 

16. 
Vicars,  vi.  314. 
Victorian,  v.  122. 
Victorias,  i.  276. 
Victorius,  iv.  254. 
Yi^etius,  iii.  128. 
Vincentius,  ii.  345,  355 ;  iv. 

291 ;  V.  85,  212,  423. 
Virgil,  i.  302;  ii.  333;  v.  124, 

128,  129. 
Vitellius,  i.  261 ;  iv.  205. 
Vivaldus,  i.  308 ;  ii.  465. 
Vives,  ii.  322. 
Voes,  iii.  19,  259  ;  v.  22, 203, 

213. 
Volupia,  i.  328. 
Vopiscus,    iv.    81,   313 ;    vi. 

67. 
Vorstius,  iii.  71;  v.  412,  (mis- 
printed. ) 

"Waddesworth,  vi.  163. 
Waldus,  iv.  207,  240,  vi.  24. 
Waller,  I.  xxvi. 
Wandal,  v.  122. 


Wanlev,  i.   14,  20;   ii.   289; 

iii.  37,  409,  420 ;  iv.  112. 
Ward,  Xath.,  I.  xxvi. 
Ward,  Samuel,  iv.  211. 
Wecmse,  vi.  223,  230. 
Welch,  ii.  480 ;  vi.  445. 
Whately,   (of    Banbury,)  vi. 

400. 
Wheatlcy,  ii.  418. 
White,  Kev.  L.  B.,  M.A.,  I. 

xxxi. 
White,  John,  vi.  454. 
Willct,  iii.  34. 
William,  (the  Conqueror,)  i. 

45,  204,  450 ;  ii.  45 ;  v.  6, 

519. 
Williams'  Library,  I.  xxxiv. 
Wilson,  Joshua,  Esq.,  I.  xxiv. 
Winckelmann,  ii.  155. 
Winterton,  iv.  248. 
Wolfius,  i.  252 ;  v.  125. 
Wood,  Anthony-a,  I.  xxvi. 
Wood,  i.  279  ;  ii.  299. 
Woodbridge,  I.  Ixxxi. 
Woodman,  v.  438. 
Wright,    Martha  and  Mary, 

I.  Ixv,  Ixxxi. 
Wurtenburgh,    iv.    272 ;    v. 

472 ;  vi.  125. 

Xavier,  i.  72,  280. 
Xenocrates,  iii.  328. 
Xenophon,i.  268;  ii.  67,366, 

483  ;  iii.  157  ;  iv.  15,  37, 

171,  332;  vi.  267. 
Xepilinus,   (of  Trapezus,)  v. 

126. 
Xerxes,    i.    197,  201  ;  ii    21, 

34,  329  ;  iv.  443 ;  v.  6,  208, 

518, 

Yates,  John,  I.  xxvi. 
Yonge,  ii.  227. 

Zalencus,  i.  273 ;  iv.  10  ;  vi. 

103. 
Zanchius,  i.  75,  238,  318,  410 ; 

ii.  15,  273,  332;    iv.   146; 

V.  150,  258,  314. 
Zediolaus,  i.  73,  282. 
Zegedine,  vi.  126. 
Zclimus,  V.  273 ;  vi.  272. 
Zeno,  i.  88,  195 ;  ii.  284 ;  vi. 

103,  231. 
Zenobia,  i.  45  ;  ii.  45  ;  v.  5. 
Zeuxes,  i.  182,  183 ;  ii.  297, 

305. 
Zisca,  ii.  314 ;  iv.  355. 
Zophar,  i.  265. 
Zophyrus,  vi.  241. 
Zoroaster,  vi.  260. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


473 


IV.— GENERAL  INDEX  OF  MATTERS. 


Abbot,  i.  102. 

Abilities,  a  snare,  i.    125 ;   engaged  against 
Christ,  ib.;  leaning  on,  leads  to  ruin,  i.  126. 
Abused,  merc}%  i.  47. 
Acceptance  of  Brooks's  books,  i.  289. 
Acceptation,  the  second  part  of  justification 
consists  in  tlie,  of  tlie  sinner's  person  as 
perfectly  righteous  in  God's  sight,  v.  220, 
221. 
Access  by  Christ,  v.  192,  193. 
Accidents  turned  to  good,  i.  72  ;  vi.  351. 
Account,   call   self  to,   I.    Ixiv  ;   to  be   ren- 
dered, i.  40,  47  ;  wicked  will  be  called  to, 
ji.  46,  47. 
Ache,  sin  makes  God's  head,  i.  48. 
Acquaint  with  Scripture,  i.  235,  236  ;  with 
yourselves,    i.   238,    seq. ;  with  Christ,   i. 
240 ;  with  those  who  are  good  betimes,  i. 
246. 
Acquaintance,  seek  of  glorious  things,  i.  67, 

68. 
Action,  1.  9 ;  spiritual,  i.  100  ;  iii.  136. 
Adam,  holiness  of,  in  iunocency,  iv.  38,  39 ; 
the  greatness  of  the  sin  of,  in  four  parti- 
culars, iv.  70  ;  first  and  second,  v.  95,  seq. ; 
we  recover  more  by  Christ  than  we  lost 
by,  V.  244  ;  the  righteousness  of  tlie  second 
transcends  the  righteousness  of  the  first,  in 
three  resjjects,  v.  244-247  ;  that  there  was 
a  covenant  of  works,  or  a  reciprocal  cove- 
nant betwLxt  God  and,  together  with  all 
his  posterity  before  Adam  fell  from  his 
primitive  holiness,  &c.,  is  proved  by  five 
arguments,  v.  292,  seq. 
Admiration,  holy  persons  are  much  taken  up 
in  the,  of  the  holiness  of  God,  iv.  104,  105. 
Adoption,  real  lioliuess  is  a  sure  evidence  of 

a  man's,  iv.  419,  420. 
''Advantage,'  explained,  i.  11. 
Adversity,  not  to  know,  an  unhappiness,  i.  26 ; 

and  prosperitj',  i.  13,  50. 
Affections,  i.  89 ;   engaged  to  the  world,  i. 

230,  231. 
Afflictions,  use  of,  I.  Ixix ;  design  of,  to  God's 
children,  I.  Ixxi;  shaip,  I.  Ixxii ;  lighter 
than  least  sin,  i.  23  ;  correction,  not  execu- 
tion, i.  26  ;  saying  of  Luther  on,  i.  26 ; 
never  to  be  in,  a  misery,  i.  43;  profitable, 
i.  48 ;  a  glass,  ib. ;  mortify  sin,  ib. ;  pre- 
servatives, ib.  ;  God's  furnace,  ib.  ;  fruit- 
ful, i.  49  ;  keep  humble,  i.  49,  50  ;  bring 
nearer  to  God,  i.  .50 ;  revive  graces,  i.  50, 
51 ;  reach  only  the  worse  purt,  i.  51 ; 
momentary,  i.  51,  72  ;  from  love,  i.  52  ;  to 
be  measured,  not  by  the  smart,  but  the 
end,  i.  52  ;  a  dark  entry,  a  dirty  lane,  to 
our  father's  house,  i.  53 ;  the  design  to  try 
not  wrong,  i.  53  ;  greater  attending  wicked- 
ness than  holiness,  ib.  ;  goldsmiths,  ib.; 
do  not  hurt,  i.  70  ;  do  not  rob  of  heavenly 
jewels,  i.  71 ;  delivered  from,  by,  i.  72  ; 
gain  by,  greater  than  the  loss,  i.  73 ;  per- 
sonal, of  Brooks,  i.  287,  288 ;  God  acknow- 
ledged in,  i.  298,  299  ;  quietness  in,  i.  300  ; 
acquitting  of  God  in,  i.  300,  301 ;  soul- 
quieting  conclusions  about,  i.  301,  seq.  ; 
work  for  good,  i.  301,  302  ;  felt,  i.  306,  307  ; 
deliverance  from,  to  be  sought,  i.  307,  308  ; 
teach  others  by,  i.  308,  309 ;  groaning 
under,  i.  310,  311 ;  complaining,  i.  312 ; 
wrong  to  seek  for  particular,  i.  321,  322 ; 


some  use  any  '  shifts '  to  escape,  i.  322,  323 » 
work  good,  i.  327,  328  ;  greater,  deserved' 
i.  329  ;  how  to  know  whether  be  sent  in 
love,  i.  341,  seq. ;  when  the  heart  is  drawn 
to  the  Lord  by,  i.  341 ;  if  more  careful  to 
glorify  God  by,  than  to  escape,  i.  341,  342  ; 
if  presence  of  God  be  enjoyed,  i.  342  ;  if 
made  more  like  Christ  by,  i.  343  ;  if  brought 
under  inward  teachings  by,  i.  343,  344  ;  if 
they  be  suited  to  our  condition,  i.  .344  ;  if 
willing  to  lie  in  the  furnace,  i.  344,  345 ; 
if  we  live  a  life  of  faith,  i.  345  ;  benefit  of, 
i.  350  ;  not  so  long  as  our  sins  have  been, 
i.  354  ;  heaven  at  last  will  be  the  sweeter 
by,  i.  354,  355  ;  not  long  compared  with 
eternity,   i.    355 ;  enxiched   by,    ib.  ;  long 
preparatives  for  long-  mercies,  i.  356  ;  the 
more  of,  the  more  glory  hereafter,  i.  357  ; 
graces  increased  by,  ib. ;  religious  duties 
multiplied  by,  ib.  ;  transformed  into  image 
of   Christ   by,   i.    358;  impatience   under 
lengthens,  %b. ;  last  no  longer  than  need, 
i.  359 ;  not   so  many  as  our  sins,   ib. ;  if 
saints  are  not  silent  under,  none  will,  i.  359, 
360  ;  not  so  many  as  God  might  send,  i. 
360 ;    nor  as   mercies,    ib. ;    nor  as   have 
befallen  others,  ib. ;  nor  as  Christ's,  i.  360, 
361 ;  muttering  and  murmuring  adds  to,  i. 
361 ;  not  so  many  as  our  joys,  ib. ;  great, 
yet  not  so  great  as  our  sins,    ib. ;  not  so 
great  looked  at  in  Scripture,  i.  361,  362; 
the  greater  the  nearer  deliverance,  i.  362  ; 
not  great  compared  with  the  glory  to  be 
revealed,  i.   362,   363 ;    nor  with  the  tor- 
ments  of  the   damned,    i.    363 ;    madness 
.  to  make    greater  by  murmuring,  i.  364 ; 
greater   because   sins   are,    ib. ;  distemper 
magnifies,  ib. ;  needful  to  be  greater,  i.  364, 
365  ;  more  have  greater,  i.   365  ;  mercies 
greater  than,  ib.  ;  greaten  graces,  i.  365, 
306 ;  fruits  of  divine  love,  i.  390 ;  only  in 
this  life,  i.  391  ;  assurance  lightens,  i.  391, 
392 ;  benefits  of,  to  be  dwelt  on,  i.  392,  393  ; 
chiefest    treasure   is    safe,   i.    393 ;    come 
through  the  covenant,  i.  395;  reach  our 
worser  part,  i.  395,  396  ;  keep  up  faith  in, 
i.   396;  God   company  in,  i.   397;  higher 
ends  in,  of  saints  than  in  worldly  men, 
ib.  ;  times  of,  special  times  of  God's  mani- 
festation, i.   397,  398;  are  God's  rod,  ii. 
141 ;  various  things  in,  symbolised  by  a  rod, 
ii.   141-144  ;  end   of,  in   seven  things,  ii. 
144-149  ;   God  the  author  and  limiter  in 
places,  persons,  degrees,   continuance,   ii. 
156,  1.57  ;  times  of,  times  of  assurance,  ii. 
366,    seq.  ;  sanctified,  ii.    307,    368 ;   holy 
persons  are  much  afllicted,  &c.,  with  their 
own  unholiness,   iv.   118-120;   and   much 
affected  and  afllicted  with  the  unholiness 
of  others,  iv.  129-131  ;  of  great  and  heavy 
afflictions,  iv.  257,  258  ;  the  more  a  man 
can   divinely   rejoice   under,    the   greater 
measure  of  holiness  that  man  has  certainly 
attained    to,    iv.    403,    404 ;  Christ    sym- 
pathises with  his  people  in  all  theur,  v. 
193-195 ;  the  common  lot  and  portion  of 
the  people  of  God,  v.  417-419. 
Arjed  sinners,  hope  for,  i.  275,  276;  Abraham 

and  Nicodemus  examples,  i.  276. 
Agree,  not  differ,  i.  130 ;  to  walk  together  in 
BO  far  as,  i.  134. 


474 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Ainif,  liigli,  i.  41. 

All  tilings  shall  be  sauctificd  to  the  holv 
man,  iv.  422,  423. 

Allcrjories,  ii.  164,  l(i5. 

Allurements  to  sin,  272. 

Ambition,  v.  4. 

Angela,  i.  281-283. 

Anger  :  God's  anger  when  he  shews  none,  i. 
26  ;  of  God,  vi.  15. 

Annotatiom,  English,  iv.  69,  435. 

Antidotes  to  poison,  i.  307,  308. 

Apostasii,  vi.  352,  seq. 

Apostles,  violent  death  of,  iv.  263. 

Apparel,  iii.  43,  seq.;  of  the  vanity  of  strange, 
vi.  51,  52. 

Appearance,  the  reasons  of  Christ's,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Father  for  us,  v.  397,  (see 
under  sin.)  Glorious  day  of  the  saints,  vi. 
313,  seq.;  what  the  glorious,  of  God  for 
his  people  ought  to  lead  to,  vi.  378,  seq. 

Appetite,  delays  sharpen,  i.  389. 

'  Apple  of  the  eye,'  i.  309,  310. 

^Apples  of  Odd,'  i.  167,  seq.;  translated  into 
Dutch,  vi.  'Editor's  Postscript.' 

Apphi,  i.  292. 

Approving  a  man's  self  to  God  ;  the  more  a 
man  makes  it  his  great  business  to  approve 
himself  to  God,  the  greater  measure  of 
holiness  that  man  has  attained  to,  iv.  408, 
409. 

'  Ark  fur  all  God's  Noahs'  ii.  1,  seq. 

Armour,  best  in  temptations,  i.  331. 

Articles  agreed  on  between  the  Father  and 
the  Son.  I.  Of  tlie  articles  on  the  Father's 
part  ;  there  are  seven  things  which  God 
the  Father  j)roniisetIi  to  do  fur  Jesus 
Christ,  upon  his  undertaking  the  work  of 
our  redemption,  (1.)  That  he  will  give  him 
the  Spirit  in  an  abundant  measure,  v.  371, 
372  ;  (2.)  That  he  will  invest  Jesus  Chi-ist 
with  a  threefold  office,  and  that  he  will 
account  him,  and  furnish  him  with  what- 
ever was  requisite  for  the  discharge  of 
those  three  ollices,  v.  373,  374,  (see  under 
offices  of  Chri.'it  ;)  (3.)  That  he  will  give  to 
Jesus  Christ  assistance,  support,  jjrotec- 
tion,  help,  and  strength,  to  carry  on  the 
great  work  of  redemption,  v.  380,  381  ; 
(4. )  That  he  shall  not  labour  in  vam,  and 
that  the  work  of  redemption  shall  prosper 
in  his  hand,  &c.,  v.  381,  382  ;  (5.)  God  the 
Father  promiseth  to  Jesus  Christ  rule, 
dominion,  and  sovereignty,  v.  382,  383 ; 
(6.)  To  accept  of  Jesus  Christ  in  his  media- 
tory office,  v.  383,  384  ;  (7.)  Highly  to 
exalt  Jesus  Christ,  and  nobly  to  reward 
him,  and  everlastingly  to  glorifv  him,  v. 
384-386.  II.  Of  the  articles  of'the  cove- 
nant on  Christ's  part  ;  there  are  six  ob- 
servable things  on  C?hrist's  side  that  wo 
are  to  take  special  notice  of,  (1.)  Christ 
having  cemented  and  agreed  with  the 
Father  about  our  redemption,  accordingly 
he  applies  himself  to  the  discharge  of  that 
great  and  glorious  work  by  taking  a  body, 
by  assuming  our  nature,  v.  387-300  ;  (2.) 
Jesus  Christ  promiseth  to  God  the  Father 
that  ho  will  freely,  readily,  and  cheerfully 
accept,  undertake,  and  faithfully  discharge 
his  mediatory  office  to  which  he  was  de- 
signed by  him,  in  order  to  the  redemp- 
tion and  salvation  of  all  his  cho.sen  ones, 
V.  390,  391 ;  (3.)  Jesus  Christ  promises  and 
engages  himself  that  he  will  confide,  de- 
pend, rely,  and  trust  upon  the  Father  for 


help  and  assistance  to  go  througli  liis  work, 
kc,  V.  391-393;  (4.)  Jesus  Christ  pro- 
mised and  engaged  himself  to  the  Father 
that  he  would  bear  all  and  suffer  all  that 
should  be  laid  upon  hini,  and  that  he 
would  ransom  poor  sinners,  and  fully 
satisfy  divine  justice  by  his  blood  and 
death,  &c.,  v.  393;  (.5.)  The  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  was  very  free,  ready,  willing,  and 
careful  to  make  good  all  the  articles  of  the 
covenant  on  his  side,  and  to  discharge  all 
the  work  agreed  on  for  the  redemption  and 
salvation  of  the  elect,  v.  393-395  ;  (6  ) 
Christ  having  performed  all  the  conditions 
of  the  covenant  on  his  part,  he  now  per- 
emptorily insists  upon  it  that  his  Father 
should  make  good  to  him  and  his  the  con- 
ditions of  the  covenant  on  his  part ;  Christ, 
having  finished  his  work,  looks  for  hLi 
reward,  v.  395-397  ;  (7. )  The  whole  com- 
pact and  agicenient  between  God  the 
Father  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  about 
the  redemption  of  poor  sinners'  souls,  was 
really  and  solemnly  transacted  in  open 
court,  or  in  the  High  (.'ourt  of  Justice 
above,  in  the  presence  of  the  great  public 
notary  of  heaven — viz.,  the  Holy  Ghost, 
v.  397,  398. 

Axp,  i.  14. 

Assaults,  stand  against  sudden,  iii.  168, 
109. 

Assistance,  divine,  i.  75;  none  can  be  so 
against  us  as  to  hinder  the,  of  God  at  a 
dead  lift,  v.  303-305. 

Assurance,  faith  without,  i.  95,  96  ;  effect  of 
faith  not  faith  itself,  i.  90 ;  may  be  lost, 
i.  97;  first  faith,  next,  ib.;  lightens  afflic- 
tions, i.  391 ;  desired,  i.  463 ;  possessed,  i. 
463,  464 ;  get  to  heaven  without,  i.  464  ; 
such  as  have  God  for  their  portion  should 
use  all  diligence  to  get,  in  their  own  souls 
that  God  is  their  portion,  and  that  upon 
seven  grounds,  ii.  74,  75  ;  it  is  one  thing 
for  a  man  to  have  God  for  his  portion,  and 
it  is  another  thing  for  a  man  to  have,  in 
his  own  soul  that  God  is  his  portion,  ii. 
77,  78;  few  saints  die  without  some,  that 
God  is  their  portion,  made  good  by  divers 
arguments,  ii.  132-136 ;  special  promises 
to  give,  ii.  132 ;  experiences  shew,  ii.  132, 
133;  if  not  souls  would  fail,  ii.  133;  Lord's 
Supper  intended  to  give,  ii.  133,  134 ; 
s])rings  of,  in  believers,  ii.  134 ;  saints 
above  all,  wish,  ii.  135  ;  preface,  touching 
the  nature  of,  ii.  316,  317  ;  believers  may 
in  this  life  attain  to.  ii.  318,  seq.;  end  of 
the  Scriptures  to  help  to,  ii.  318,  319 ; 
other  believers  have  attained  to,  iii.  3'20, 
321  ;  God  engaged  to  give,  u.  321,  322 ; 
the  springs  of,  in  all  believers,  ii.  322-324 ; 
Holy  Ghost  exhorts  to,  ii.  324,  325  ;  the 
way  and  means  to,  propounded  in  Scrip- 
ture, ii.  3'25,  326 ;  was  one  great  end  of 
appointing  the  Supper,  ii.  326-328 ;  were 
it  not  attainable,  God  never  would  have 
made  such  a  difference  between  converted 
and  unconverted,  ii.  328-330;  deniers  of, 
ii.  328,  seq.;  God  denies,  for  a  time  to  his 
dearest,  and  reasons  for,  ii.  330-334 ;  many 
Bweet,  significant  words  in  Scrij)ture  to 
e.xpress,  ii.  .335-336 ;  there  may  be  true 
grace  without,  and  reasons,  ii.  336-341 ; 
may  be  denied  long,  and  at  last  given,  ii. 
341,  342;  may  be  lost,  forfeited,  ii.  342- 
345 ;  certainty  of,  can  only  be  made  known 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


475 


to  a  believer's  own  heart,  ii.  315-346 ; 
there  are  special  reasons  of  giving,  ii.  346, 
seq.;  grounds  and  cautions  regai'diug,  ii. 
347,  seq.;  first  objection  to  the  'doctrine' 
of,  answered,  ii.  369,  seq.;  hindrances  and 
impediments  to,  ii.  373,  seq.;  motives  to 
provoke  Christians  to  be  restless  till  they 
have  obtained,  ii.  397,  seq.;  many  in  hell 
who  have  presumed  on,  ii.  398 ;  many  soul- 
flatterers,  soul-deceivers,  ii.  398,  399 ;  wUl 
ease  from  a  threefold  burden,  ii.  399,  400 ;  a 
jewel  of  price,  ii.  402,  403  ;  believers'  efforts 
aftei",  contrasted  with  worldly  men's  efforts 
to  make  sure  the  things  of  this  life,  ii.  403  ; 
enables  to  bear  a  burden  without  a  burden, 
ii.  404 ;  commands  of  God  regarding,  ii. 
404,  405 ;  advantages  I'edounding  from,  ii. 
406-413 ;  counterfeit,  ii.  413 ;  means  to 
gain  well  grounded,  ii.  414,  seq.;  inward 
work  more  than  wages  in  seeking,  ii.  414, 
415  ;  differences  between  true  and  coun- 
terfeit, ii.  512,  seq.;  handmaids  atteudmg 
on,  ii.  517,  seq.;  questions  regarding,  ii. 
523,  seq.;  how  to  strengthen,  ii.  524,  seq.; 
woes  attending  loss  of,  ii.  527,  seq.;  com- 
fort to  such  as  have  lost,  ii.  527,  seq.;  how 
to  recover,  ii.  530,  seq.;  counsels  to  those 
who  enjoy,  ii.  532,  seq.;  the  sense  and 
evidence  of  the  least  grace,  yea,  of  the 
least  degree  of  the  least  grace,  may  afford 
some  measure  of,  iii.  259-261;  that  Chris- 
tians may  more  easily  attain  to  a  comfort- 
able, of  their  gracious  state  than  many, 
nay,  than  most  do  apprehend  or  believe  : 
this  is  strongly  and  fully  made  good,  iii. 
264,  seq. ;  there  is  a  threefold,  ui.  266 ; 
how  to  argue  to,  iii.  266,  seq.;  perfection 
of,  in  resjject  of  degrees  not  attainable  in 
this  life,  iii.  286 ;  is  not  to  be  expected  by 
any  extraordinary  way  of  revelation,  iii. 
287,  2SS ;  excludes  not  all  fears,  doubts, 
conflicts,  &c.,  iii.  479,  480;  is  hindered 
eight  ways,  v.  33,  seq. 

Atheism,  from  a  fly,  i.  20  ;  gross,  practical, 
brings  desolating  judgments  upon  a  people, 
vi.  59-61 ;  famou.s  atheists,  vi.  60 ;  in  a 
strict  and  proper  sense  there  never  was 
such  a  creature  in  the  world  as  an  atheist, 
vi.  61,  seq.  ;  there  are  the  seeds  of,  in  the 
best  and  holiest  of  the  sons  of  men,  vi. 
63,  64. 

Attributes,  four  glorious,  of  God,  that  are 
ascribed  to  Christ  in  the  blessed  Scrip- 
tures, V.  156-159. 

Authors,  that  unholy  persons  are  to  be  shut 
out  fi'om  special  communion  with  the 
people  of  God,  is  made  evident  by  the 
judgments  of  many  learned  and  approved, 
iv.  69-71. 

Babes  in  grace,  the  generality  of  Christians 

are  but,  iii.  471. 
Backsliding,  ii.  408. 
Balance,    such   as    ixse   the,    of    deceit   run 

counter-cross  to  eight  things,  vi.  73-75. 
Baptism,  to   whom  to   be   administered,  I. 

xlviii,  seq.;  why  refused,  ih. 
Bearing   up,   the  imputed  righteousness  of 

Christ  will  best  bear  up  the  liearts  of  the 

saints  under  the  sense  of  their  weakness 

and  imj)erfections,  v.  247-251. 
Beasts,  unholy  persons  are,  yea,  the  worst  of, 

iv.  71,  72. 
Beauty  of  the  world  presented  by  Satan, 

i.  63. 


Bee  and  fly,  I.  xliii,  346 ;  gathers  honey  from 
bitterest   herbs,  I.  xlv;  carry  weights,  i. 
237. 
Believing,  the  one  remedy,  i.  143  ;  necessity 

of,  i.  144. 
Bell,  Mrs,  an  example  of  many  Christian 

graces,  vi.  437,  seq. 
Bellarmine's   ^  Limhus  Patrum,^  is  a  mere 

fable,  v.  145,  146. 
Best  things  reserved  until  last,  i.  410;  in- 
heritance in  heaven,  i.  414,  415 ;  it  is 
God's  good-will  to  reserve,  i.  435 ;  to  keep 
saints  longing  and  waiting,  i.  435,  436 ; 
because  otherwise  saints  were  of  all  men 
most  misei-able,  i.  436 ;  for  greater  horror, 
and  confusion  of  the  wicked,  i.  436,  4.37  ; 
save  his  honour  and  secure  his  glory,  i. 
437,  438 ;  to  make  the  saints  temptation- 
proof,  i.  438  ;  not  able  to  take  in  all  the 
glory,  i.  439;  not  come  to  full  age,  ih.; 
patiently  wait  for,  i  440,  441 ;  certain  and 
sure,  i.  432 ;  therefore  be  not  concerned  at 
the  wicked's  outward  prosperity,  i.  441;  let 
believers  be  contented,  i.  442  ;  judge  not 
the  saints  by  their  present  condition,  i. 
444  ;  keep  up  a  lively,  hopeful  expectation 
of,  i.  444,  445 ;  do  nothing  unworthy  of  the 
glory  laid  up,  i.  445  ;  long  to  be  possessed 
of,  i.  446, 447  ;  let  not  the  men  of  the  world 
envy  the  saints  whilst  in  the  wilderness, 
i.  447  ;  let  not  outward  losses  trouble,  i. 
448,  449  ;  let  not  believers  be  unwilling  to 
die,  i.  4-50. 
Bestowed,  God    hath,  himself    on  as  great 

sinners,  ii.  120. 
Betimes,   good,   i.    178,   181 ;   honour  to   be 
good,  i.  205;  prevents  temptations,  i.  215; 
things  to  be  j)ractised  as  we  would  be  good, 
i.  234,  seq. 
Better,  God,  than  his  word,  i.  111. 
Bewitching,  sin,  i.  15. 

Blessings  sought  for  readers,  i.  5-7;  God  will 

cei'tainly  bless  all  a  holy  man's,  to  him,  iv. 

417,  418  ;  some  special,  are  always  annexed 

to  the  signal  presence  of  God,  v.  559,  seq. 

Blindness,-so\i\,  i.  137. 

Blood,  sin  costs  Christ's,  i.  17  ;  all-sufBcient, 
i.  277 ;  the  least  drop  of  Christ's,  was  not 
sufficient  for  the  redemption  of  our  souls, 
proved  by  five  arguments,  ii.  250-251  ; 
despair  dishonouring  to,  ii.  379,  380 ;  of 
Christ,  a  gift  of  God,  iii.  105,  106  ;  of 
souls,  iii.  209,  210 ;  shedding  of  the,  of  the 
just  brings  the  jiidgmeut  of  fire,  and  lays 
all  desolate,  vi.  117-119  ;  there  are  nine 
things  that  speak  out  the  preciousness  of 
the,  of  the  just,  vi.  119,  seq.;  great  blood- 
shed, vi.  189. 
Bodies,  glorifying  of,  reserved  to  the  last,  i. 
432  ;  like  the  gloiious  body  of  Christ,  ib. ; 
spiritual,  i.  432,  433 ;  free  from  all  heats, 
colds,  &c. ,  i.  433 ;  agility,  1.  433,  434  ;  per- 
fect subjection  to  the  spirit,  i.  434 ;  im- 
mortal, incorruptible,  i.  434,  435 ;  body  of 
Christ,  of  those  special  scriptures  that 
speak  out  the  cei-tainty  and  verity  of 
Christ's,  V.  168-171  ;  that  Christ  had  a 
perfect,  entire,  complete,  and  everything 
which  is  proper  to  a,  v.  174. 
Boldness,  the  more  holy  any  man  is,  the  more 
bold  and  courageous  he  will  be  for  God  and 
godliness,  iv.  360-362. 
Bonds,  sin,  i.  255. 

Books,  many,  I.  xxxviii ;  six   mentioned  in 
Scripture  :  (1.)  The  book  of  nature,  v.  407, 


476 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


408;  (2.)  Of  providence,  wherein  all  partl- 
culai's  are  registered,  even  such  as  atheists 
may  count  triviid  and  inconsiderable,  v. 
408;  (3.)  Of  men's  afflictions,  an  entire 
book  by  itself,  V.  408,  409;  (4.)  Of  con- 
science, V.  409,  410  ;  (5.)  Of  Scripture,  the 
most  precious,  v.  410-412 ;  (6. )  Of  life,  v. 
412-414. 

Boiv,  none  can  be  so  against  us  as  to  bring  us 
to  their,  v.  490-498. 

Bow  of  God,  long  stretched,  i.  47. 

Bribcri/  brings  desolating  and  destroying 
judijments  both  upon  persons  and  places, 
vi.  70-73. 

Burden,  sin  a,  i.  259,  200. 

Burial,  to  whom  refused,  I.  lii. 

Business,  what  ought  to  be,  i.  6 ;  multiplicity 
of,  i.  89;  not  to  hinder  private  prayer,  ii. 
202-210,  seq. ;  if  we  loved  prayer  as  we  love, 
ii.  234. 

Cabinet  of  Jixcels,  iii.  233,  seq. 

CaUinr/s,  the  sins  that  were  to  be  found  in 
the  citizens,  vi.  70,  seq. 

Calls  to  be  good  betimes,  i.  184  ;  general,  i.  277. 

Calf,  golden,  i.  26. 

Cannots,  of  several,  there  is  a  three-fold 
'cannot,  (1.)  a  natural,  (2.)  a  contracted 
and  habituated,  (3.)  a  judicial,  iv.  49,  seq.; 

'  Captive,''  taken,  explained,  i.  12. 

Captivity,  a  blessing  to  the  Jews,  i.  48. 

Care  and  cares,  of  inordinate,  such  as  have 
God  for  their  portion  must  away  with 
all  inordinate,  for  the  things  of  this  life, 
and  that  upon  six  grounds,  ii.  02-66  ;  the 
saints  are  a  people  of  God's  special,  v.  546, 
547  ;  vi.  420, 421. 

'  Cast  down,"  i.  45. 

Cat,  i.  257. 

Caution,  concerning  the  things  that  accom- 
pany salvation,  ii.  511,  512. 

Changing  repentance,  a,  i.  31 ;  of  whole 
man,  ib. ;  to  God,  ib.  ;  from  darling  sins, 
ib.  ;  a  man's  condition,  a  godly  man  won't 
change  with  men  of  this  world  for  ten 
thousand  worlds,  iii.  380,  381. 

'Charge  God'  foolisldy,  i.  320,  321. 

Chastcyiing  and  teaching,  I.  Ixx. 

Cherished,  vain  thoughts  not  to  be,  i.  87 ; 
interest  in  Christ  to  be,  ii.  108,  109. 

Ckerishivci  sin,  hinders  assurance,  v.  33,  seq. 

Child,  a  devout,  ii.  108. 

Children,  death  of,  sometimes  a  mercy,  i. 
352  ;  of  God  have  the  Spirit,  ii.  225,  226. 

Clioice,  no  man  can  choose  God  and  Christ, 
grace  and  glory,  holiness  and  happiness,  as 
his  chiefest  good,  unless  he  be  i-eally  good, 
iii.  3S1,  .382. 

Christ,  'none  but,'  I.  lix  ;  Mrs  Brooks  on,  I. 
Ix.wii,  srq.  ;  wonder  of  his  manifestation, 
i.  17,  18;  contrasts  of,  i.  18;  crucified, 
ib. ;  discoveries  of,  i.  74,  75  ;  hard  things 
borne  by,  i.  75  ;  rest  in,  i.  103  ;  enjoyment 
of,  ib.  ;  gave  himself  in  prime  of  age,  i. 
206  ;  young,  i.  206,  207  ;  everything  in,  i. 
240,  241  ;  mighty  to  .save,  ib.  ;  most  will- 
ing, i.  242,  243  ;  a  mediator,  i.  243,  244  ; 
no  way  of  salvation  V)ut,  i.  244  ;  poor,  i. 
400 ;  a  man  that  would  have  God  for  his 
portion  must  t.'iko  up  Christ  in  his  arms 
and  treat  witli  God  upon  the  credit  of 
Christ,  ii.  117-118  ;  was  much  in  secret 
prayer,  ii.  169,  170 ;  six  reasons  why,  ii. 
170,  171  ;  is  much  delighted  in  the  secret 
prayers  of  his  people,  ii.  185  ;  what  a  friend 


he  is,  shewn  in  ten  particulars,  ii.  185, 
ISO  ;  the  chief  of  ten  tliousand,  ii.  425, 
420  ;  subject  to,  as  a  liead,  ii  427.  428  ;  a 
sliarcr  with  the  saints,  iii.  72,  73 ;  saints 
share  with,  iii.  73-75 ;  main  object  of 
saints'  contemplation,  iii.  79 ;  want  of, 
main  sorrow,  ib. ;  saint  weeps  over  dis- 
honour done  to,  iii.  80 ;  saint's  soul  car- 
ried forth  to,  iii.  82  :  gives  himself,  iii. 
110  ;  very  rich,  iii.  1.50,  seq.  ;  why  he  is 
thus  held  forth,  iii.  155,  feq.  ;  notliing  to 
be  joined  with  in  redemption,  iii.  192, 193, 
195  ;  prized,  will  be  delighted  in,  iii.  195, 
190  ;  obeyed,  iii.  190  ;  trust,  iii.  198  ;  for- 
sake not,  iii.  199,  200  ;  clear  up  interest 
in,  and  six  means  to  this,  iii.  200,  seq.  ; 
the  end  of  his  coming  was  to  save  sinners, 
iii.  203,  204  ;  his  affection  for  sinners  as 
great  in  heaven  as  on  earth,  iii.  204  ;  no 
previous  qualification  needed  to  come  to, 
iii.  205  ;  appointed  and  anointed  to  receive 
sinners,  iii.  206  ;  everything  in,  to  encou- 
rage, nothing  to  discourage,  iii.  206,  207  ; 
surest  and  shortest  way  to  be  saved  is  to 
cast  ourselves  at  once  on,  iii.  207 ;  the 
great  duty  of  preachers  to  preach  Christ, 
ib.  ;  how  ministers  are  to  do  so  :  eleven 
rules  for,  iii.  211,  seq.  :  that  he  was  made 
a  curse  for  us,  v.  140-148,  {see  contents  of 
Vol.  III.  J),  vti.  ;)  Christ  lays  claim  to  all 
that  belongs  to  the  Father  as  God,  v.  165, 
160  ;  Christ's  especial  deit}'  proved  at  large 
by  a  variety  of  special  arguments,  v.  149, 
seq.  ;  that  Christ  had  a  true,  human,  and 
reasonable  soul,  v.  172-174  ;  eleven  infer- 
ences from  tlie  divinity  and  humanity  of 
Christ,  V.  182,  seq. ;  nine  strong  consola- 
tions that  flow  from  the  imputation  of 
Christ's  righteousness,  v.  234,  seq.  ;  take 
up  with  nothing  short  of,  v.  271,  seq. 

Christian,  Mrs  Blake  a,  indeed,  i.  405,  406. 

Christians,  carlv,  i.  130  ;  Mrs  Blake,  a,  in- 
deed, i.  405,"  406;  lazy,  ii.  387;  and 
negligent,  iii.  141. 

Citii,  burned  citizens  should  make  sure  of  a 
city  that  hath  foundations,  whose  builder 
and  maker  is  God,  vi.  282,  283  :  heaven  is 
a,  that  is  built  upon  a  five-fold  foundation, 
vi.  283,  284  ;  the  resemblance  betwixt 
heaven  and  a,  holds  in  nine  particulars, 
vi.  284,  285. 

Civil  men,  mere,  shall  not  go  to  heaven,  iv. 
87,  88. 

Clemency,  i.  224. 

Clergy,  the  profaneness,  lewdness,  &c.  of, 
Itrings  the  judgment  of  fire,  vL  115,  seq. 

Closet,  ii.  165. 

Combats,  the  comb.at  between  the  Almighty 
and  Jacob,  ii.  178,  seq. 

Comfort,  why  none,  I.  xliii ;  sin  and,  sepa- 
rated, I.  xliv  ;  Hebrew  word  for  explained, 
I.  xliv-xlv  ;  gospel  to  be  sparing!}'  given 
to  the  profane,  1.  xlv  ;  character  of  gospel, 
ib.  ;  lost,  a  device  of  Satan,  i.  108  ;  separ- 
able from  grace,  (7;.  ;  much  remaining,  ib.  ; 
causes  of,  not  always  tlie  same,  i.  109  ;  God 
restores,  i.  109,  110;  for  iiresent,  poor  con- 
dition of  believers,  i.  466  ;  for  outward 
ab.asements,  i.  466,  467 ;  the  sig^ial  pre- 
sence of  the  Lord  with  his  people  in  their 
gi-catest  troubles  yields  them  the  greatest, 
V.  547,  seq. 

Commands,  to  love,  i.  129;  to  be  silent,  i. 
332,  3.33  ;  delay,  cross  to  Christ's,  ii.  122, 
123  ;  he  that  liath  a  respect  to  all  God's, 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


477 


shall  never  be  ashamed,  iii.  266,  267. — 
(See  Obedience.) 

Commentaries  reprinted,  I.  xv. 

Committee,  high  esteem  of  Brooks,  I.  Iii. 

Common,  earthly  portions,  ii.  23. 

Commons,  House  of,  exhorted  to  hold  on  in 
the  ways  of  God,  vi.  346,  seq. 

Communicate,  i.  213. 

Commnnioii.  with  God,  i.  161,  253  ;  ii.  80, 
81,  134 ;  how  shall  a  man  know  when  he 
hath  real,  with  God  in  his  closet,  ii.  264, 
265  ;  six  arguments  to  prove  that  all  Chris- 
tians do  not  enjoy  like,  with  God  in  pri- 
vate, ii.  264-26(3;  keep  up,  ii.  305,  306; 
assurance  heightens,  ii.  408 ;  there  is  no 
spiritual,  with  God  in  this  world  without 
holiness,  iv.  54,  55 ;  unholy  persons  are  to 
be  shut  out  from,  with  the  people  of  God 
in  this  world,  proved  by  an  induction  of 
particulars,  iv.  64,  seq.  ;  the  more  holy  any 
man  is  the  more  will  lae  live  with  God,  iv. 
349,  350 ;  none  can  be  so  against  us  as  to 
hinder  our,  with  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Spirit,  V.  500-502. 

Compaiiions,  evil,  i.  271. 

Company,  wicked,  a  device  of  Satan,  i.  61 ; 
reveals  the  character,  i.  248  ;  he  tliat  will 
be  holy  must  keep,  with  the  holy,  iv.  218, 
219 ;  those  who  seek  perfect  holiness  must 
be  most  in,  with  the  holiest,  iv.  387,  388. 

Comj)ari.'ion  with  worse  than  selves,  i.  54, 
55,  233,  234  ;  iv.  201,  202  ;  to  be  made 
with  the  Word,  i.  55;  in,  of  God,  all  things 
are  nothing,  a  man  that  would  have  God 
for  his  portion  must  trample  upon  all 
other  portions  in,  of  God,  ii.  115,  116. 

Compass,  mariner's,  ii.  92. 

Complnininr/,  in  aflBictions,  i.  312. 

Compliances,  away  with,  ii.  58,  59. 

Conceedments  of  Satan,  i.  24. 

Concord,  temple  of,  i.  427. 

Condemning,  heart. — (See  Heart.) 

'  Condemnation,  no,'  i.  91 ;  unholy  persons  are 
adjudged  and  condemned  to  hell,  iv.  74,  seq. 

Condescension  of  Christ's  love,  iii.  194,  195. 

Confession,  the  second  part  of  true  repent- 
ance lies  in,  of  sin,  iii.  401 ;  there  are  eight 
properties  or  qualifications  of  true,  peni- 
tential, iii.  403,  seq. 

Conflict  in  the  soul,  a  device  of  Satan  to  use, 
i.  104  ;  against  all  sin,  i.  105  ;  sustained 
by  arguments,  i.  106 ;  constant,  ib.  ;  in 
the  same  faculties,  ib.  ;  blessed  and  suc- 
cessful, i.  107  ;  against  inward  pollutions, 
ii.  426,  427 ;  saint  finds  a  Paul-like,  in 
him,  iii.  81. 

Conforming  to  Christ,  i.  314,  315  ;  true  holi- 
ness is  conformable  to  the  holiness  of 
Christ,  iv.  128,  129. 

Conquest  by  shunnmg,  i.  39. 

Conscience,  bird  in  the  bosom,  I.  xxxix ;  a 
pure  and  secure,  I.  xl ;  put  not  off  wilh 
poor  pleas.  I.  Ixv  ;  make,  of  the  terms  in 
closing  with  Christ.  I.  Ixvii ;  afflictions 
touch  not,  i.  51  ;  gnawing  of,  i.  54  ;  hearken 
to,  i.  251,  252  ;  silence  in  affliction  enjoined 
by,  i.  304,  305  ;  terrors  and  horrors  of.  ii. 
17  ;  finds  out  sin,  ii.  150  ;  awakens,  ii.  288  ; 
ancients  on,  ii.  289  ;  sin  against,  various 
divines  on,  v.  36,  seq.;  be  true  to,  v.  281 ; 
none  can  be  so  against  us  as  to  hinder  the 
testimony  of  our  renewed,  v.  502,  503. 

Consolations,  nine  strong,  that  flow  from  the 
imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness,  v. 
234,  ieq. 


Contend,  vain  to,  with  God,  i.  317,  318. 

Contentment,  (contentation),  saints  that  have 
God  for  their  portion,  ought  to  be  content 
with  their  present  outward  condition,  and 
that  upon  several  grounds,  ii.  47-51. 

Contempt,  shall  cease,  i.  8.3,  84. 

Contrarictv ,  unholy  persons  are  full  of,  to 
God,  iv.'53,  54. 

Controversy,  on  Baptism  and  Lord's  Supper, 
I.  xxxii,  xlvii. 

Conversion,  unlikely  if  delayed,  i.  190;  assur- 
ance on,  grounds  and  cautions,  ii.  346, 
seq.  ;  the  persecutions  of  the  saints  may 
issue  in  the,  of  sinners,  iv.  285,  286 ;  many 
that  have  been  converted  later  than  others 
do  yet  in  holiness  much  excel  them,  iv. 
358,  359. 

Convictions,  v.  274. 

Cordial,  a  heavenly,  vi.  409,  seq. 

Corrections,  God's,  i.  26 ;  God's  house  of, 
i.  49. 

Corruption  remaining,  i.  94. 

Counsel,  good,  to  bad  men,  I.  Ivi,  seq. 

Counterfeit  graces,  i.  99. 

Covenants,  covenant  of  grace,  when  a  Chris- 
tian casts  his  eye  upon  his  gracious  evi- 
dences, he  must  remember  that  he  has  to 
do  with  God  in,  iii.  302,  seq.;  is  a  Chris- 
tian's fort-royal,  iii.  487,  seq. ;  in,  God 
stands  engaged  to  give  whatever  he  re- 
quires, which  is  evidenced  by  an  induction 
of  twelve  particulars,  iii.  487,  seq  ;  is  ever- 
lasting in  two  respects,  iii.  491,  seq.;  is  sure, 
iii.  491,  492 :  of  grace  andredemjition,  v.  266, 
267;  (1.)  that  God  hath  commonly  dealt 
with  man  in  the  way  of  a  covenant,  v.  286  ; 
(2.)  all  men  are  under  a  covenant  of  grace 
or  a  covenant  of  works,  v.  286,  287 ;  (3. )  the 
covenant  of  grace  was  so  legally  dispensed 
to  the  Jews  that  it  seems  to  be  nothing  else 
but  the  repetition  of  the  covenant  of  works, 
V.  287;  (4.)  a  right  notion  of  the,  accord- 
ing to  the  original  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testament,  will  conduce  much  to  a  right 
understanding  of  God's  ;  the  original  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments  largely  opened, 
V.  287,  seq.;  (5.)  there  was  a  covenant  of 
works  as  a  reciprocal  covenant  betwixt  God 
and  Adam,  together  with  all  his  posterity, 
V.  292,  293.  Quest.  But  how  may  it  be  evi- 
denced that  God  entered  into  a  covenant 
of  works  with  the  first  Adam  before  his 
fall,  there  being  no  mention  of  such  a  cove- 
nant in  the  Scriptiires  that  we  read  of? 
five  answers  are  returned  to  this  question, 
v.  293,  seq.;  (6.)  there  is  a  new  covenant,  a 
second  covenant,  or  a  covenant  of  grace  be- 
twLxt  God  and  his  people,  v.  297,  298 ;  of 
the  covenant  of  grace :  that  the  covenant 
of  grace  is  the  same  for  substance  as  it  was 
to  the  Jews  before  he  was  exhibited,  but 
the  manner  of  administration  is  diff'erent, 
upon  three  grounds,  v.  287 ;  that  there  is  a 
covenant  betwixt  God  and  his  people  is  evi- 
denced by  eight  unanswerable  arguments, 
V.  298,  seq. ;  (7. )  it  is  a  matter  of  high  im- 
portance for  all  mortals  to  have  a  clear  and 
right  understanding  of  that  covenant  under 
which  they  are,  v.  302,  seq.;  [1.]  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  is  styled  an  everlasting  cove- 
nant in  two  respects,  v.  305,  seq. ;  the  cove- 
nant which  God  makes  for  himself  to  us  con- 
sisteth  mainl3'in  six  things,  v.  308;  ditto,  in 
ten  things,  v.  308,  309,  [2.]  the  covenant  of 
grace  under  which  the  saints  stand  is  some- 


478 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


limes  st.vled  a  covenaut  of  life,  v.  309  ;  [3.] 
the  covenant  of  grace  under  wliich  the 
isaints  stand  is  sometimes  styled  a  holy 
coTcnant,  v.  309,  310:  [4.]  a  covenant  of 
peace,  v.  310,  311  ;  [5.]  a  new  covenant  and 
that  iueiyht  respects.  V.  311-313;  [C]  a  cove- 
nant of  salt,  v.  313-314;  [7.]  a  sure  cove- 
nant; a  firm  covenant,  v.  314,  315.  Three 
springs  from  whence  the  covenant  of  grace 
flows,  m;iy  assure  us  tliat  the  covenant  of 
grace  is  a  sure  covenant,  v.  315,  arcf. ;  the 
siueness  of  the  covenant  is  further  de- 
monstrated from  the  blood  of  the  everlast- 
ing covenant,  v.  310 ;  [9.]  the  covenant 
is  styled  a  well-ordered  covenant,  v.  319, 
320 ;  the  reason  why  the  new  covenant  is 
called  a  covenant  of  grace,  v.  320,  321 ; 
none  can  make  void  our  covenant-relation, 
or  covenant-interest,  v.  32.3,  seq. ;  of  the 
covenant  of  redemption,  what  is  the  sub- 
stance of  the,  v.  329,  scq. :  defined,  v.  331 ; 
Scripture  proofs  of,  v.  331,  scq. ;  differs 
from  the  covenant  of  grace  in  five  particu- 
lars, V.  3.")0,  351 ;  of  the  covenant  of  works  ; 
the  woeful  misery  of  men  that  live  and 
die  under,  v.  303-305;  (1.)  the  covenant  of 
works,  the  nature  of  it  requires  perfect, 
personal,  and  perpetual  obedience,  under 
pain  of  the  curse  and  death,  v.  305  ;  (2. ) 
such  as  are  under,  their  best  and  choicest 
duties  are  rejected  and  abhon-ed  for  the 
least  miscarriages  or  blemishes  that  do 
attend  them,  v.  ,305 ;  (3. )  admits  of  no 
Mediator,  v.  305,  .30(5. 

Crosses  presented  by  Satan,  i.  47,  48  ;  pre- 
ferred to  the  crown,  i.  lUl  ;  threefold  in- 
scription on  the  cross,  i.  241 ;  look  to 
crown  rather  than  on,  vi.  390. 

Croicn.i,  (1.)  of  righteousness,  v.  515-517,  (2.) 
of  life:  signifies  six  things,  v.  517,  scq.; 
(3.)  incorruptible,  v.  520,  seq.;  (4.)  of  glory, 
V.  522,  523. 

Curiositp,  ii.  9 ;  a  very  great  hindrance  to 
closet  prayer,  ii.  280-282,  seq.  ;  described, 
vi.  339. 

Curse,  on  the  ungodly,  ii.  Ill  ;  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  made  a,  for  us,  v.  146-148. 

Damnaiori/  power  of  sin,  release  from,  i.  91. 

Dnnper,  of  such-and-such  religious  services, 
a  device  of  Satan,  i.  70 ;  eternal,  i.  72. 

Day,  glorious,  of  the  saints'  appearance,  vi. 
31.3,  seq. ;  a  believer's  last,  is  his  best,  vi. 
387,  seq. ;  a  wicked  man's,  his  worst,  vi. 
407. 

Death,  look  of  things  when  we  come  to  die, 
T.  Ixv;  death  a  fall,  I.  Ixxxi;  sudden,  i. 
188,  189;  instances,  i.  ISO,  190;  ]>ut  not 
off  day  of,  i.  224,  225;  of  friends  well 
borne,  i.  283;  does  not  dissolve  the  union 
between  Christ  and  believers,  i.  451  ;  nor 
the  marriage-knot  between  Christ  and  the 
eoul,  ih.;  nor  the  covenant,  i.  451,  4.")2 ; 
nor  the  love  between  Christ  and  the  soul, 
i.  452  ;  nor  the  gracious  grants,  i.  4.52,  4.53; 
Christ  came  to  deliver  from  fear  of,  i.  4.53 ; 
will  cure  of  all  diseases,  i.  4.54  ;  inevitable, 
i.  455  ;  dying  day  a  believer's  best  day, 
ib.  ;  ,his  resting  -  dny,  (7'.  ;  his  reapJTig- 
day,  i.  455,  4.5G  ;  triumphing-day,  i.  4.56, 
457  ;  marriage-day,  i.  457  ;  transplanting- 
day,  i.  458;  coronation-dny,  i.  458;  saint 
dies,  not  till  his  work  is  done,  i.  459,  460; 
and  leaves  a  savour  behind  him,  i.  461 ; 
the  believer's  inlet  into  glory,  i.  461,  462; 


Christ  willing  to  leave  glory,  and  will 
not  we  be  willing  to  die?  i.  462;  time  of 
fullest  assurance  to  saints,  i.  464 ;  a  sleep, 
i.  465  ;  such  as  have  God  for  their  portion 
should  never  be  afraid  to  die,  ii.  73,  74 ; 
dying-bed,  ii.  17,  18  ;  assurance  of  God  as 
a  jiortion  sweetens  thoughts  of,  ii.  81 ; 
prepare  for,  ii.  160  ;  assurance  sweetens, 
thoughts  of,  ii.  409,  410  ;  take  heed  of 
putting  the  day  off  far  from  you,  three 
arguments  to  persuade  to  this,  iv.  204, 
seq. ;  death,  as  feminine,  iv.  206 ;  in- 
stances of  sudden,  iv.  210,  211  ;  look 
of  things  for  death-bed,  v.  282 ;  best 
for  a  believer,  t.  449 ;  a  remedy,  v.  449, 
450;  a  rest,  v.  450;  a  reaping-day,  ib.; 
a  gainful  day,  v.  450,  451 ;  the  gains,  v. 
451-453  ;  a  sleep,  v.  453,  454 ;  a  departure, 
V.  454 ;  a  going  to  bed,  v.  4.54,  455 ;  of  rela- 
tives, various  counsels  under,  vi.  389,  seq.; 
change  of  place,  vi.  394  ;  of  company,  vi. 
395;  of  employment,  vi.  395,  39G;  of  enjoy- 
ments, shown  in  three  things,  vi.  396, 
scq. ;  puts  an  end  to  all  changes,  vi.  398, 
399 ;  brings  rest,  \\.  399,  400 ;  never  mourn 
immoderately  for,  of  a  believer,  vi.  400 ; 
fear  not,  vi.  400,  401 ;  of  Christ,  meri- 
torious, vi.  401 ;  a  sword  in  our  Father's 
hand,  ib.  ;  Christ's  death  -  conquering, 
ib.:  Christ  willingly  left  heaven,  \\.  401, 
402  ;  saint's  dying-day  is  the  Lord's  pay- 
day, vi.  402,  403 ;  the  way  of  life  is  by,  vi. 
403 ;  willingness  of  saints  to  die,  vi.  404  ; 
the  Lord  will  not  leave  at,  vi.  404,  405  ; 
prepare  for,  vi.  405  ;  considerations  in 
order  to  doing  this,  vi.  405,  seq.;  a  muta- 
tion, vi.  424. 

Debt,  Christ  takes  our  upon  himself,  v.  259- 
260. 

Dcceitfulness  of  sin,  i.  1,5. 

Deceived,  how  not  to  be,  i.  79,  80. 

Declined,  things  to  be,  i.  224,  seq. 

Decrees,  secret,  more  than  duty;  device  of 
Satan,  i.  148,  149. 

Defiance  of  Satan,  i.  116. 

Definitions,  false,  of  graces,  i.  95. 

Decjrecs,  a  holy  person  will  be  still  reaching 
after  higher,  of  holiness,  iv.  107,  108 ; 
Christians  must  press  after  the  highest,  of 
holiness,  iv.  332,  333.    (See  under  heaven.) 

Deitti  of  Christ,  v.  149,  .'^cq. 

Dejection,  iii.  193;  on  four  occasions,  v.  27, 
.•^eq. 

Delays,  i.  261 ;  provoking  to  God,  i.  262 ; 
answer,  God's,  sometimes  delayed,  i.  .385, 
386  ;  but  he  comes,  i.  386  ;  does  not  forget, 
ib.:  God's  time  best,  ib.;  recompenses  for, 
i.  387;  good  reason  for,  ib.;  try,  i.  387, 
388  ;  enhance  mercies,  i.  389  ;  God  repays 
in  our  coin,  i.  389,  390,  ih.  ;  heaven  more 
sweet  by,  i.  390 ;  sinners  plead,  till  earthly 
Jiortion  is  got,  ii.  122,  123  ;  not  always  de- 
nials, ii.  371,  372. 

Dclinht,  God's,  in  progress  of  Upright,  vi. 
335,  seq. 

Delipht  in  God,  five  arguments  to  ,prove 
that  no  hypocrites  can,  iii.  459,  460 ;  the 
more  holy  anv  man  is,  the  more  he  will  be 
the  delight  of  God,  &c.,  iv.  347,  348  ;  this 
is  further  proved  by  five  arguments,  iv. 
349,  seq.;  God  takes  singular  delight  both 
in  a  holy  man's  person  and  in  his  services 
too,  iv.  431,  scq. 

Deliverance,  from  afflictions,  ii.  307;  lawful 
means  for,  i.  311. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


479 


Denial :  self,  the  more  a  man  can  deny  liim- 
self,  when  he  hath  power  and  opportunity 
to  raise  himself,  the  greater  measure  of 
holiness  he  has  attained,  iv.  410-412,  seq. 

Deaiers-aelf,  i.  120,  121. 

Deny,  self,  iii.  166,  167. 

Deportment,  noble,  towards  fellow-saints, 
ii.  109. 

'  Dejiths,^  explained,  i.  12. 

Desertion,  spiritual,  i.  372;  lot  of  saints,  ih.; 
remarkable  cases  of,  i.  374,  37.~> ;  works  for 
good,  i.  375  ;  causes  sympathy,  i.  370,  377. 

Desires,  cross  of,  not  cross  to  our  good, 
i.  97 ;  hungerings  and  thirstings,  real, 
ii.  419,  420;  saint  full  of,  iii.  78,  79; 
of  grace,  that  true,  is  of  grace,  proved 
by  six  arguments,  iii.  360,  seq.;  no  man 
can  sincerely  desire  grace  for  grace's  sake, 
but  he  that  has  true  grace,  iii.  365,  seq.; 
no  man  can  sincerely  desire  every  grace 
but  he  that  has  grace,  iii.  367,  368 ;  no 
man  can  sincerely  and  graciously  desire 
grace  for  gracious  ends  and  purposes,  but 
he  that  has  true  grace  in  his  soul,  iii.  ih.; 
no  man  can  sincerely  desire  and  earnestly 
endeavour  after  the  highest  pitches  of 
grace,  but  he  that  has  grace,  iii.  369,  370; 
no  man  can  always  <lesLre  grace  but  he  that 
has  true  grace,  iii.  370,  371  ;  no  man  can 
sincerely  desire  to  abound  and  excel  most 
in  these  particular  graces  which  are  most 
opposite  and  contrary  to  those  particular 
sins  which  his  natural  tempei-,  constitution, 
complexion,  &c.,  does  most  expose  and  in- 
cline him  to,  but  he  that  h»s  grace,  iii. 
371,  372. 

Despair,  a  great  sin,  ii.  131,  132,  373,  seq.; 
impediment  to  assurance,  ii.  373,  seq.;  re- 
markable cases  of,  relieved,  ii.  381 ;  take 
heed  of,  iii.  193. 

Despised,  shall  shine,  i.  82. 

Devices  of  Satan,  i.  4  ;  word  explained,  i.  11 ; 
proof  of,  it.;  enumerated,  (see  Contents, 
I.  v-vii ;)  of  false  teachers,  i.  150. 

Devil,  four  reasons  why  the  imprisonment  of 
the  saints  is  attributed  to  the,  vi.  228, 
seq. 

Devils,  the,  acknowledge,  four  articles  of  our 
faith,  V.  134,  135. 

Dev;  of  the  gospel,  I.  Ixxv  ;  private  prayer 
like,  ii.  183. 

Differ,  agree  not,  i.  130. 

Differences  and  distinguishes  saints,  silence 
under  affliction,  i.  313,  314  ;  in  trial,  i. 
387,  388 ;  between  godly  and  wicked's 
prayers,  ii.  497,  seq. ;  between  true  and 
counterfeit  assurance,  ii.  512,  seq. 

Difficulty  of  religious  service,  a  device  of 
Satan,  i.  74  ;  dwell  on  necessity  not,  i.  74, 
only  so  to  our  worser  part,  i.  76. 

Dignity  of  the  soul,  i.  6'.',  70. 

Disciples,  old,  i.  191 ;  honoured,  ih. ;  God 
reveals  himself  most  to,  i.  192  ;  got  the 
art  of  receiving  God,  i.  193;  rich  in  sjiiri- 
tual  experiences,  i.  193,  194  ;  prepared  for 
death,  i.  195  ;  have  great  reward,  i.  196. 

Discord,  miseries  of,  i.  132 ;  no  speci.al  com- 
munion to  be  held  witli  those  that  cause 
discord  and  division  among  the  saints,  iv. 
66. 

Discouragement,  repent  of,  i.  94 ;  and  en- 
couragement, i.  143,  144. 

Discouragement s,  iii.  172,  173  ;  no  'reason 
to  fail  of  holding  on  in  ways  of  God,  vi. 
349,  seq. 


Discoveries  of  Christ  in  duty,  i.  74  ;  of  God 
no  security  against  relapses,  i.  113. 

Disease  and  cure,  i.  294. 

Dishonour,  to  God  gi-ievous,  ii.  98. 

Disputing  with  Satan,  an  impediment  to  as- 
surance, ii.  382,  383. 

Distance,  keep,  at  a,  from  sin,  i.  13. 

Distinctions,  of  true  Nathanaels,  ii.  422,  seq. 

Divisions,  i.  128,  129,  132. 

Do,  i.  291,  292 ;  things  for  God,  only  believers 
can,  ii.  109,  110. 

Doctors  of  this  age,  i.  127. 

Doctrine,  the,  of  the  crown  and  glory  of 
Christianity  stated,  iv.  37 ;  proved  by 
ten  arguments,  iv.  47,  seq. 

Doing,  i.  9. 

Dominion  of  sin,  he  over  whom  presump- 
tuous sins  have  no  dominion  is  upright,  iii. 
267 ;  eight  ways  for  a  man  to  know  whether 
he  be  under,  or  no,  iii.  275,  seq. 

Dov.hting,  faith,  with,  i.  96 ;  making  sense 
the  judge  of  their  condition  an  impediment 
to  assurance,  ii.  385,  386. 

Doubts,  how  to  remove,  ii.  76,  77;  what  they 
do,  ii.  400. 

Draw,  seek  to,  to  Christ,  ii.  106,  107. 

Dregs  of  wrath  on  dregs  of  days,  i.  211. 

Dunghills,  i.  53. 

Duty,  necessity,  not  difficult}',  i.  74;  required 
of  us,  i.  77  ;  affliction  increases  religious, 
i.  357  ;  secret,  i.  405  ;  if  any,  then  secret 
prayer,  ii.  165;  of  weak  saints,  iii.  75,  seq.; 
do,  and  leave  issue  with  God,  iii.  167,  168  ; 
three  arguments  against  trusting  in  our 
own,  iii.  494,  seq. ;  the  holy  man's  duties 
are  most  delightful  to  God,  iv.  424,  425 ; 
real  holiness  naturalizeth  holy,  to  the 
soul,  iv.  120-122  ;  the  more  holy  any  man 
is,  the  more  singular  delight  and  pleasure 
God  will  take  in  all  his  religious  duties  and 
services,  iv.  357,  358 ;  when  men  in  the 
main  are  as  holy  out  of  religious  duty  as 
they  are  in  religious  dutj%  it  is  an  evidence  of 
a  great  measure  of  holiness  that  they  have 
attained  to,  iv.  402,  403 ;  the  more  a  man 
is  exercised  in  the  right  spiritual  and  inter- 
nal, of  religion,  the  more  holiness  he  hath 
attained  to,  iv.  406,  407 ;  the  more  solid 
and  exact  a  Christian  is  in  religious,  and 
services,  the  more  holy  he  is,  iv.  407,  408  ; 
absolute  and  necessary,  not  to  be  multi- 
plied, iv.  21  ;  what  are  the  duties  that  are 
incumbent  upon  them  that  have  been 
burned  up?  (1.)  To  see  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  in  this  late  dreadful  fire,  vi.  216,  217  ; 
(2.)  To  justify  the  Lord  in  all  that  he  has 
done,  vi.  217,  seq.;  (3.)  In  patience  to 
possess  their  own  souls,  vi.  240,  seq.;  (4.) 
To  set  up  the  Lord  in  a  more  eminent 
degree  than  ever  as  the  great  object  of 
their  fear,  vi.  242,  243;  (5.)  To  be  content 
with  their  present  condition,  vi.  243-245  ; 
(6.)  To  lie  low,  to  keep  hund^le,  under  this 
dreadful  judgment  of  fire,  under  the  mighty 
hand  of  God,  vi.  245-247  ;  (7.)  To  encourage 
themselves  in  the  Lord  their  God,  vi.  247, 
250;  (8.)  To  keep  in  their  hearts  a  con- 
stant remembrance  of  the  late  dreadful 
coiiflagiation ;  eight  arguments  to  encour- 
age to  this,  vi.  250-252;  (9.)  To  see  the 
vanity,  mutability,  and  uncertainty  of  all 
worldly  comforts  and  enjoyments,  and  ac- 
cordingly to  set  it  loose  from  them,  vi.  252, 
seq.;  (10.)  To  be  very  importunate  with 
God  to  take  away  those  sins  that  have  laid 


480 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


our  city  desolate,  vi.  275-277  ;  (11.)  To  pre- 
pare and  fit  for  greater  troubles  and  trials, 
vi.  277  27'J  ;  (12. )  To  secure  the  everlasting 
welfare  of  their  precious  and  immortal  souls, 
vi.  279,  2S0;  (1.1)  To  get  a  God  for  their 
portion,  vi.  280,  281;  (14.)  To  make  God 
their  haliitation,  to  make  God  their  dwell- 
ing-place, vi.  281,  282;  (15.)  To  make  sure 
an  aliiding  city,  a  city  that  hath  founda- 
tions, wiiose  builder  and  maker  is  God, 
vi.  2S2-285  ;  (1(5.)  To  sanctify  the  Sabbath 
and  to  keep  it  holy  all  their  daj-.s,  vi.  285, 
icq.;  what  are  the  duties  that  are  incum- 
bent upon  tho.se  whose  habitations  are  yet 
standing  as  monuments  of  divine  wisdom, 
power,  and  grace?  these  eight  that  follow, 
(1. )  To  take  heed  of  those  sins  which  bring 
the  fiery  rod,  vi.  300,  307  ;  (2.)  Not  to 
think  those  greater  sinners  than  gene- 
rally, whose  habitations  have  been  laid  in 
ashes,  vi.  307  ;  (3.)  To  be  much  in  bless- 
ing of  God,  ih. ;  (4.)  To  take  heed  of  se- 
curity ;  do  not  say  '  the  bitterness  of  death 
is  past,' vi.  307,  308;  (5.)  To  shew  much 
love,  pity,  and  compassion  to  those  who 
are  burned  up,  and  turned  out  of  all,  vi.  .308, 
3  '9  ;  (0  )  To  lift  up  a  prayer  for  all  those 
who  are  fallen  under  the  heavy  judgment 
of  fire.  vi.  309,  310;  (7.)  Seriously  to  con- 
sider that  some  men's  escai-)ing  of  very 
great  judgments  is  not  properly  a  preser- 
vation, but  a  reservation  to  some  greater 
destruction,  vi.  310  ;  (8.)  Not  to  rejoice  or 
glory  in  your  neighbour's  ruin,  vi.  311, 
312. 

Divc'J,  on  necessity,  not  difficulty,  i.  74. 

Diiinff,  upon  six  grounds  there  was  a  necessity 
"of  Chi-ist's,  v.  254,  255  ;  who  those  are  for 
wliora  Christ  died,  v.  255,  256. 

Earhi,  seeking,  i.  185,  186 ;  what  is  implied 
in,'i.  186,  187. 

Earthquakes,  vi.  192,  scq. 

Ease,  i.  345. 

Easi/,  duty  made,  i.  74. 

Elect,  cannot  tell  but  any  one  may  be,  i.  149  ; 
real  holiness  is  a  sure  evidence  of  election, 
iv.  412,  scq. 

El  Elim,  God,  ii.  13. 

Embracing :  poor  sinners  should  embr.ace 
Christ  as  they  would  have  his  signal  pre- 
sence with  them  in  theii-  greatest  trials 
.•vnd  deepest  distresses,  v.  553,  554. 

Emperor  and  rel)el,  iii.  123. 

Encourar/evient,  to  sin  from  God's  mercy, 
provoking,  i.  43 ;  to  duty,  L  78  ;  poor  sin- 
ners encouraged  to  como  to  Christ,  v.  187, 
188. 

Eiitl,  not  beginning  of  affliction,  to  be  looked 
at,  i.  52,  53. 

Ends  of  God  in  recording  sins  of  saints,  i. 
20,  27  ;  other  than  justification  in  duties, 
i.  80.  of  the  exercise  of  gifts  and  graces,  iii. 
136,  scq.  ;  a  holy  man  i)ropounds  holy,  to 
himself  in  all  his  actings  and  undertakings, 
iv.  141,  scq.;  how  persons  may  know  when 
they  make  the  glory  of  God  their  end,  an- 
swered five  ways,  iv.  143,  seq. 

Endurinrj  .•  such  as  can't  endure  holiness  in 
others  shall  never  go  to  heaven,  iv.  94, 
95. 

Enemies,  the,  of  the  church  are  weak  and  con- 
temptible, V.  48,  seq. 

Enjoyment  of  Christ,  i.  103,  104.  ;  of  God.  i. 
253. 


Enjovments,  sins  in,  i.  348,  349. 

Enmitu,  by  nature  man  is  at,  with  God,  iL 
115.' 

Enormities,  i.  112. 

Enough,  never  of  God,  ii.  99. 

Enr;i,  ii.  47;  iii.  191,  192. 

'  E/iii^tles '  prefixed  to  others'  writings  by 
lirooks,  I.  xxxii,  Ixviii-lxxvi. 

Errors,  polluting,  i.  50  ;  odious  to  God  as  a 
vicious  life,  i.  50,  57 ;  leads  to  loss,  i.  58 ; 
hate,  ib.;  evils  of,  i.  01;  .and  folly,  knots 
of  Satan,  i.  170  ;  we  are  to  have  no  special 
communion  with  such  as  err  in  fundamental 
truths,  iv.  05,  CO. 

Estate  not  good,  i,  113,  114. 

Esttcm  the  godly,  ii.  103,  104. 

Esteeming  of  God  above  all  :  a  man  that  hath 
God  for  his  portion  sets  the  highest  esteem, 
the  highest  price,  the  highest  value  upon 
(!od  imaginable,  ii.  90,  97  ;  five  ways 
whereby  a  man  may  know  whether  God  be 
highest  in  his  estimation  or  no.  ii.  97-100. 

Eternal  dangers,  i.  72;  everything  that  is 
conducible  to  the  torments  of  the  damned 
is  :  proved  five  ways,  vi.  199. 

Eternity,  i.  183;  be  fervent  in  serious  con- 
sideration of,  ii.  297;  as  ever  you  would 
keep  close  to  closet-pr.ayer,  be  frequent  in 
the  court  of,  ii.  297,  298. 

Evidences  awanting,  i.  79 ;  sound,  solid,  are 
the  best  way  to  prevent  delusions,  iii.  251, 
252  ;  two  special  rules  are  still  to  be  seri- 
ously minded  in  propoiiuding  of,  for  men 
to  try  their  spiritual  states  by,  iii.  252,  253 ; 
seven  reasons  why  many  men  ci-y  down 
marks  and  signs,  and  deny  sanctification  to 
be  an  evidence  of  men's  justification,  iii. 
470,  seq.;  it  is  lawful  and  useful  to  make 
use  of  our  gracious,  iii.  474,  seq. ;  he  that 
can  find  but  one  gracious  evidence  in  his 
soul,  may  safely  conclude  that  all  the  rest 
are  there,  iii.  476  ;  what  a  Christian  should 
do,  when  his  are  so  clouded  and  blotted  that 
he  cannot  read  them,  iii.  480,  481 ;  when  a 
Christian's  shine  brightest,  his  heart  and 
the  eye  of  his  faith  is  to  be  most  firmly 
fixed  upon  three  royal  forts,  iii  482,  seq., 
492,  seq. 

Examination,  want  of  searching  and,  into 
the  sold  an  impediment  to  assurance,  ii. 
383,  384. 

Examples  to  be  imitated,  I.  Ixiv ;  of  the 
wicked  a  device  of  Satan,  i.  84 ;  Scrip- 
tures ag.ainst,  i.  85 ;  precepts  not,  i.  271  ; 
judgment,  to  follow  evil,  i.  272,  273 ; 
noble,  i.  319,  320 ;  we  are  bound  to  fol- 
low the  best,  ii.  100,  167 ;  Christ's  is  for 
our  imitation,  iL  169,  170 ;  highest,  v. 
283,  284. 

E.r.cellcncii  of  Christ  above  man,  above  all 
men,  yea,  above  Adam  in  inuocencv,  v. 
19.5,  190. 

Excepted,  none,  i.  142. 

E.rcluded,  none,  i.  277,  278. 

Excuses  all  taken  away,  iii.  1.56. 

Exercises,  sj)iritual,  I.  Ixv;  holy,  i.  76;  he 
that  would  have  more  holiness  must  be 
much  in  the  exercise  of  that  holiness  he 
has,  iv.  388,  389. 

Exercise,  gifts  and  graces  for,  iii.  125. 

Expcdicncii:  the  more  a  man  lives  by  the  rule 
of,  the  more  holiness  he  has  attained  to, 
iv.  409,  410. 

Experiences  of  Mrs  Brooks,  I.  Ixxvi,  seq.;  of 
old  disciples,  i.  193,  194  ;  gracious,  L  207, 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


481 


208  ;  enriched  in  by  afflictions,  i.  355,  356; 
greater  by  delays,  i.  3S8  ;  Mrs  Blake  rich  in, 
i.  405 ;  he  that  would  keep  close  to  Chris- 
tian duties  must  keep  a  diary  of,  ii.  292, 
293. 

Extenuating  of  sin,  i.  19. 

Extreme  right,  vi.  5. 

Eije  of  God  :  he  that  would  attain  to  greater 
measures  of  holiness  must  always  remem- 
ber that  the,  is  continually  upon  him,  iv. 
385,  386. 

ii've?,  opening  of,  i.  13  ;  squint,  i.  78  ;  of  God, 
'i.  250,  251. 

Fable  of  the  trees,  i.  323. 

Faces,  beautiful,  iv.  36. 

Faith  hath  Rachel's  eye  and  Leah's  womb,  I. 
xliii ;  false  definitions  of,  i.  95 ;  without 
assurance,  ib. ;  Bible  definition  of,  i.  96  ; 
true,  with  much  doubting,  ih.;  life  of,  the 
happiest,  i.  378  ;  keep  up  under  afliictions, 
i.  396 ;  a  choice  grace,  ii.  359 ;  a  gift,  ii.  41 8  ; 
a  thing  that  accompanies  salvation,  ii.  431, 
432 ;  what  it  is,  or  the  propeities  of,  ii.  446 ; 
the  person  of  Christ  the  object  of,  ih.;  his 
righteousness,  second  object  of,  ii.  447,  448  ; 
precious  promises,  third  object  of,  ii.  448  ; 
of  glory  and  blessedness  laid  up,  fourth 
object  of,  ii.  450, 451 ;  properties  of  that,  that 
accompanies  salvation,  ii.  451-459 ;  it  puts 
itself  into  vital  operation,  ii.  451,  452 ; 
growing  and  increasing,  ii.  45.3,  454  ;  makes 
the  world  small  and  low,  ii.  454, 455  ;  heart- 
l)urifying,  ii.  455,  456;  soul-softening,  ii. 
457,  458 ;  world-conquering,  ii.  458,  4.59 ; 
hints  concerning  strong,  ii.  459-460 ;  weak, 
ii.  460-461;  a  conquering  grace,  iii.  129, 
130;  saints  must  seek  to  be  rich  in,  iii. 
182;  why,  iii.  183,  seq.;  Christ  greatly  re- 
gards, iii.  184,  185  ;  what  that  is  that  gives 
a  man  an  interest  in  Christ  and  in  all  those 
blessed  benefits  and  noble  favours  that  come 
by  Christ,  opened  at  large,  v.  49-52 ;  Christ 
being  God-man,  should  raise  and  streng- 
then our,  in  our  Lord  Jesus,  v.  182-184. 

Faithfulness,  of  God's,  v.  226,  227. 

Falling  into  same  sin,  i.  110 ;  no  promise  that 
saints  will  not  do  so,  i.  111. 

Fulls,  from  glory  to  dishonour,  v.  5,  6. 

False  inferences,  i.  77,  97;  definitions  of 
graces,  i.  95;  teachers,  characters  of,  149, 
seci. 

Fame,  I.  x.xxix. 

Famines,  great,  vi.  191. 

Far  off,  keep,  from  sin,  ii.  107,  108. 

Farewell  '  sermon, '  I.  lix-lxviii. 

Favour,  loss  of  king's,  for  page's,  i.  264  ;  de- 
sei-tion  heightens  God's,  i.  377,  378 ;  holy 
persons  are  highly  in  God's,  iv.  424. 

Fear,  rejoice  with,  I.  Lxviii;  Gospel  Fear,  by 
Burroughs,  I.  Ixii,  seq. 

Fears:  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ 
will  answer  all  a  Christian's  fears,  v.  238, 
239  ;  the  signal  presence  of  God  with  his 
people  should  arm  them  against  all  slavish, 
of  men,  v.  552,  .55.3. 

Feeling,  under  silence,  i.  306,  307. 

Feliriti/  of  the  world,  mixed,  i.  67. 

Fellowship  :  unholy  persons  have  familiarity 
and  friendship  with  Satan,  iv.  52,  53. 

Feiv,  yet  innumerable,  i.  82. 

Fevmess  of  the  saved  :  the  number  of  those 
that  shall  go  to  heaven  are  but  few,  iv.  80-82. 

Fighters  against  prayer,  i.  330 ;  fighting 
against  God  is  labour  in  vain,  v.  549. 


Fire,  sin  a,  i.  255,  256  ;  terrible,  dreadful, 
dangerous,  pernicious,  i.  256;  hardens,  ib.; 
active,  ib.;  penetrating,  ib.;  devouring,  i. 
256,  257  ;  how  the  word  is  used  in  Scripture, 
vi.  17, 18,  20,  seq.;  (J.)  Consider  the  intem- 
perate heat  before  the,  vi.  130, 132 ;  (2.)  the 
suddenness  and  unexpectedness  of  tlie,  vi. 
132-135 ;  (3. )  tlie  force,  violence,  vebeniency, 
and  irresistibleness  of  it,  vi.  135-137;  (4.) 
tlie  swiftness  of  it :  it  flew  upon  the  wings 
of  the  wind,  vi.  137-142;  (5.)  the  exten- 
siveness  of  the,  vi.  142-143;  (6.)  the  im- 
partiality of  the,  vi.  14.3,  144;  (7.)  the 
greatness  of  it,  vi.  144-146;  (8.)  the  ter- 
ribleuess  of  it,  vi.  146-149;  (9.)  the  time 
when  the,  began,  vi.  149-151 ;  (10.)  the 
burning  of  London  as  a  national  judgment, 
vi.  151,  seq. ;  that  tlie  fire  of  Loudon  was 
not  so  great  nor  so  dreadful  a  fire  as  that 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  is  proved  by  five 
arguments,  vi.  187-189 ;  of  the,  in  hell,  vi. 
197,  seq.;  four  arguments  to  prove  that  it 
is  very  probable  that  there  is  material  fire 
in  hell,  vi.  199,  seq.;  object.:  if  it  be  ma- 
terial, then  it  niay  be  quenched,  vi.  200, 
201 ;  five  answers  to  this,  vi.  201,  seq.:  six 
differences  between  our  common  fire  and 
hell-fire,  vi.  203,  seq.;  object. :  how  will  it 
stand  with  the  unspotted  holiness,  justice, 
and  righteousness  of  God  to  punish  a  tem- 
porary offence  with  eternal  punishment 
with  eternal  fire  ?  answered  seven  ways, 
vi.  212,  seq. ;  famous  fires  in  London,  vi. 
145,  146. 

Fish  fresh  in  salt  sea,  i.  6. 

Fittest  seasons,  i.  289. 

Flag,  i.  141,  142. 

Flagons  of  Brooks'  church  still  preserved,  L 
xxxiv. 

Flattery,  i.  227,  228 ;  take  heed  of  flatterers, 
iv.  202,  seq. 

'  Flesh  and  Blood,'  i.  232. 

Flu,  God  in  the  making  of,  i.  20. 

Follow  fully,  i.  102. 

Folhi,  eight  arguments  to  shew  the,  of  such 
sincere  Christians,  who  make  their  condi- 
tion worse  than  it  is,  iii.  282,  seq. 

Fools,  all  unholy  persons  are  :  they  have  all 
the  characteristical  notes  and  properties  of, 
and  this  is  shewed  in  eight  particulars,  iv. 
55,  seq. ;  Christians  are  to  have  no  special 
communion  with,  iv.  G8. 

Formalists  shall  not  go  to  heaven,  iv.  SG,  87. 

Fojfiication  is  a  sin  tl.at  brings  the  judg- 
ment of  fire,  vi.  100,  seq.;  several  reasons 
to  prove  that  this  sin  of,  cannot  groundedly 
be  charged  upon  any  of  the  precious  ser- 
vants of  the  Lord,  that  did  truly  fear  him 
in  the  city  of  London,  vi.  103,  seq.;  those 
expressions  of  giving  themselves  over  to, 
and  going  after  strange  flesh,  imply  six 
things,  vi.  104,  seq. 

Forsaken,  only  partial,  i.  372;  love  abides 
still  though,  ib.;  will  sweeten  heaven,  i. 
378,  379. 

Forsaking  of  sin,  there  is  a  fourfold,  iii.  267. 

Foundation,  the  only,  I.  Ixiii. 

Fountain,  a  famous,  i.  49. 

Four  prime  things,  i.  3. 

Free  iirace :  when  a  Christian's  evidences  are 
either  clear  or  blotted,  it  highly  concerns 
him  to  be  still  a-living  upon,  iii.  480,  seq. 

Fretting,  secret,  i.  45;  spirit  a  judgment,  i. 
315,  316;  fretters  rebuked,  i.  320;  saints 
that  have  God  for  their  portion  should  not 

2h 


482 


GENERiVL  INDEX. 


fret  nor  vex  themselves  because  of  earthly 
jiortions  tliiit  God  coiuinoiily  bestows  upon 
the  Worst  of  men,  ami  that  upon  several 
grounds,  ii.  41,  42,  47-r»l. 

Friciu/s,  carnal,  lost  by  becoming  good,  i. 
262;  surest,  gaine<l,  "i.  2C)2,  26;{;  better 
.without  sinful,  i.  203,  204  ;  fickle,  i.  204  ; 
bosom,  i.  289,  290 ;  Christ  a  many-ijualiiied 
friend,  ii.  IST),  18(5. 

Frotsts,  i.  53. 

FniMmte,  silence  will,  Satan,  i.  318,  319. 

Fu>  till  ilia  the  moral  law:  how  believers  ful- 
fil, V.  237,  2:!8. 

Fulness  of  God,  i.  88;  of  Christ,  i.  242. 

Gain,  of  afflictions,  i.  73 ;  of  the  good, 
greater,  i.  282,  283;  got,  yet  neglect 
prayer,  ii.  243-245. 

Oiites  shut,  i.  55. 

Giiteration,  the  more  holy  any  man  is  the 
more  sen'iccable  and  useful  he  will  be  in 
his,  iv.  302,  363. 

Gifts,  observe  the,  in  thee,  ii.  417  ;  the  Lord 
gives  his  best,  to  his  best-beloved,  iii.  103, 
KCq.  ;  what  they  are,  ilj.;  excellency  of 
Christ's,  iii.  111-113  ;  reas<ms  why  he  so  be- 
stows his  best  gifts,  iii.  113,  scq.  ;  uses  of 
this  doctrine,  iii.  117,  seq. ;  and  graces  are  to 
be  improved,  iii.  124,  seq. ;  twelve  reasons 
for  exercising  of,  iii.  125,  seq ;  ends  of  soul 
exercises,  iii.  136,  seq. ;  seven  motives  to,  iii. 
141,  seq.  ;  continued,  iii.  170,  seq.  ;  the 
mere  gifted  man  shall  not  go  to  heaven, 
where  you  have  seventeen  differences  be- 
tvifeen  gifts  and  grace,  iv.  92-94. 

Given  up,  a  soul,  to  sin,  i.  27. 

Givinq,  difference  between  Christ's  and  the 
world's,  iii.  110,  111. 

Glorious  things,  i.  68  ;  encouragement  and 
motive  to  duty,  i.  78. 

Glory,  divine,  I.  Ixvii ;  death  inlet  to,  i. 
461,  462  ;  such  as  have  God  for  their  por- 
tion must  glory  in  their  portion,  ii.  59, 
60;  glory  a  gift  of  God,  iii.  109,  110;  glo- 
rious appearance  of  the  saints,  and  why, 
vi.  320,  seq.;  motives  to  God's  people  to  clo 
gloriously,  vi.  323,  seq. ;  when  a  man  may 
be  said  to  do  gloriously,  vi.  325,  seq.  ;  things 
to  be  avoided  as  we  would  do  gloriously, 
vi.  329,  seq. ;  will  be  done  as  we  would  do 
gloriously,  vi.  330,  seq.  ;  uses  of  all  this  of 
doing  gloriously,  vi.  332,  seq. 

Goat-scape,  i.  93,  94  ;  was  a  most  lively  type 
of  Christ,  V.  253,  254. 

Good,  doing  or  receiving,  T.  Ixiv  ;  good  for 
evil,  evil  for  good,  good  for  good,  i.  43; 
some  great  are,  i.  81,  82 ;  things  rested  in, 
i.  90;  crosses  for,  i.  97,  98  ;  and  pleasant, 
i.  132 ;  God  takes  notice  of  every,  i.  175  ; 
tab,  rendered  'good,'  i.  176  ;  towards  God, 
i.  170,  177  ;  among  the  bad,  i.  177  ;  exam- 
ples, ib.  :  betimes,  i.  178 ;  much  sin 
prevented  thereby,  i  180,  181  ;  seemingly, 
1.  198 ;  lionour  "to  be,  betimes,  i.  205 ; 
sooner,  greater  reward,  i.  211,  212;  will 
do  more,  i.  212,  213  ;  more  serviceable,  i. 
213  ;  fools  to  give  a  greater  for  a  less,  ii. 
128 ;  public,  ii.  309,  310 ;  believers  have  a 
l)ower  to  do,  iii.  134,  135  ;  of  others,  iii. 
139,  140. 

God,  seeking,  i.  80  ;  greatno«s,  majesty,  holi- 
ness of,  i.  86  ;  waiting  on,  i.  87  ;  fulness 
of,  i.  88  ;  apprehensions  of  the  majesty  of, 
i.  299,  300  ;  as  a  judge,  i.  326,  327  ;  un- 
conipreheuded,  ii.  4  ;  what?  ii.  29  ;  favour 


and  love  of,  ii.  39,  40  ,  free  and  voluntary 
duration  of,  ii.  40  ;  marriage-union  with, 
ii.  40,  41  ;  great  and  loves  to  do  greatly, 
ii.  122  ;  the  believer  seeks  to  be  accepted 
by,  ii.  422  ;  '  his  God  '  notes  three  things, 
vi.  247  ;  there  are  four  things  that  God 
cannot  do,  v.  221  ;  there  are  three  things 
in,  to  encourage  Christians  under  all  their 
fiery  trials,  vi.  248,  249. 

Gods,  of  the  heathen,  vile,  i.  270,  ii.  40. 

Godhead,  of  Clirist's,  v.  149,  seq. ;  a  smart 
reproof  to  those  that  deny  the,  of  Christ, 
v.  190-198. 

Godhj,  cannot  indulge  in  any  course  of  sin, 
shewn,  v.  18,  seq.;  godliness,  power  of,  vi. 
300,  301. 

Golf/othas,  i.  195. 

Gospel,  why  men  hate,  I.  lix,-lx  ;  puts  men 
on  hard  service,  I.  Ix  ;  distinctions  made 
by,  I.  Ix ;  wliat  is  lost  when  the,  is,  I. 
Ix,  Ixi  ;  the  slighting  of  the,  brings  deso- 
lating judgments,  vi.  81,  seq.  ;  si.x  sorts  of 
slighters  of  the,  vi.  84,  seq.;  saints  no 
slighters  of  the,  of  grace  and  of  the  graces 
of  the  saints,  proved  by  seven  arguments, 
vi.  87,  seq. 

Government,  evils  from  failure  of,  vi.  4. 

Graces,  counterfeit,  i.  99 ;  two  meanings  of 
grace,  ib.  ;  renewing  and  restraining,  ib.  ; 
temporary,  i.  100  ;  and  sin,  i.  107  ;  excel 
in,  though  not  in  abilities,  i.  126  ;  dwell 
more  on  each  other's,  tlian  weaknesses,  i. 
128 ;  Go<l  does  so,  i.  128,  129  ;  increased 
by  afflictions,  i.  357  ;  greatened  by,  i.  360 ; 
perfection  of,  reserved  for  glory,  i.  424, 
425 ;  least,  sufficient  to  salvation,  i.  464 ; 
mistakes  about,  an  impediment  to  assur- 
ance, ii.  385,  386 ;  maintain  actings  of,  ii. 
414  ;  gi'ow  more  and  more  in,  ii.  429,  430; 
saints  weak  in,  described,  iii.  49,  seq.;  be 
thankful  for  least,  iii.  75,  76  ;  must  live  up 
to  what  we  have,  iii.  82,  srq.  .-  cautions  in 
looking  on  our  graces,  iii.  85,  ser/. .-  inherent, 
iii.  89,  seq.  ;  xapts  explained,  iii.  102,  103  ; 
a  gift  of  God,  iii.  108,  109;  gifts  and,  to 
be  improvefl,  iii.  141,  seq.;  comparisons  of, 
iii.  14.5 ;  when  may  a  soul  be  said  to  be 
excellent  in,  iii.  147,  seq.;  to  be  sought  for 
itself,  iii.  165  ;  means  to  be  used  to  grow 
rich  in,  iii.  172 ;  souls  may  be  rich  in,  and 
not  know  it,  iii.  180,  seq. ;  remoter,  growth 
in,  iii.  189,  190 ;  balies  in  gi-ace,  iii.  471, 
(see  under  De.^iires ;)  where  there  is  any  one 
grace  in  truth  there  is  every  grace  in  truth, 
iii.  25.3,  254  ;  the  sense  and  evidence  of  the 
least  grace,  yea,  of  the  least  degree  of  the 
least  grace,  may  afford  some  measure  of 
assurance,  iii.  259-261  ;  probabilities  of 
grace  may  be  a  great  stay,  support,  and 
comfort  to  ]K)or  Christians  that  want  as- 
surance ;  tluy  aie  nuidi  more  worth  than 
ten  tliousand  worlds  ;  this  is  made  good  by 
ten  arguments,  iii.  288,  seq.  :  six  consider- 
able things  about  probabilities  of  grace, 
iii.  291,  seei.  ;  he  that  prizes  the  least 
drachm  of  grace  above  ten  thousand  worlds, 
certainly  that  man  has  true  grace  in  him, 
iii.  380  ;  if  a  Christian  can't  say  he  has 
grace,  yet  he  should  not  say  he  has  no  grace, 
for  he  may  have  grace  and  not  know  it, 
iii.  381,  3S2  ;  it  is  tlie  wisdom  and  ought  to 
be  the  work  of  every  Christian  to  own  the 
least  means  of  grace  tliat  is  in  him,  though 
it  be  mixed  and  mingled  witli  many  weak- 
nesses and  infirmities,  iii.  400,  407  ;  it  is 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


483 


■the  -wisflom  and  should  be  the  work  of 
every  Christian  to  look  upon  all  his  graces 
and  gi'iicious  evidences  as  favours  given 
him  from  above,  as  gifts  dropped  out  of 
heaven  into  his  heart,  as  flowers  of  Para- 
dise stuck  in  his  bosom  bj'  a  divine  hand, 
iii.  4(37,  468  ;  when  you  look  upon  your 
graces  m  tlie  light  of  the  Spirit  it  highly 
concerns  you  to  look  narrowly  to  it  that  you 
don't  renounce  and  reject  your  graces  as 
weak  and  worthless  evidences  of  your  in- 
terest in  Christ,  &c.,  iii.  4G8,  469;  the 
Spirit  does  four  things  in  respect  of  our 
graces,  iii.  476,  477  ;  Christians  may  safely 
rejoice  in  their  graces,  iii.  477,  seq.  ;  the 
more  grace  any  man  hath,  the  more  clear, 
the  more  fair,  the  more  full,  the  more 
sweet  will  be  his  evidences  for  heaven,  iii. 
497,  scq. ;  when  your  graces  are  strongest, 
and  your  evidences  for  heaven  are  clearest, 
and  your  comfort  more  bright,  then  in  a 
special  manuer  it  concerns  you  to  make  it 
your  great  business  and  work  to  act  faith 
afresh,  upon  the  free,  real,  glorious  grace  of 
God,  and  u^ion  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  iii. 

;  499,  .500  ;  none  can  be  so  against  us  as  to 
deprive  us  of  the  grace  of  the  Spirit,  v.  50S- 
510  ;  none  can  be  so  against  us  as  to  hinder 
our  growth  and  increase  in  grace,  v.  5'24, 
seq. ;  God,  by  fiery  trials,  designs  the  re- 
viving, quickening,  and  recovering  of  the 
decaj'ed,  of  his  people,  vi.  41,  42 ;  a  fur- 
ther exercise  of  his  childien's,  vi.  42-45  ; 
the  growth  of,  vi.  45-47  ;  trial  of,  and  dis- 
covery of  their  sincerity  and  integrity  to 
the  world,  vi.  47-50 ;  many  Christians' 
graces  in  London  were  withering  before 
the  fiery  dispensation,  vi.  55,  56. 

Gracious  rather  than  great,  i.  45. 

Grass,  a  symbol  of  the  believer's  death,  i. 
465. 

Grave,  seek  things  to  go  with  you  beyond 
the,  V.  281. 

Great  and  honourable,  speciallj'  tempted,  i. 
117,  118 ;  things  worthy  of  great  men,  vi. 
359. 

Greater  sins,  greater  need  of  a  Saviour,  i. 
139. 

Greatest  sinners  have  obtained  mercy,  i. 
140 ;  saints,  in  future,  i.  467. 

Groaning  in  affiiction,  i.  310. 

Grounds  upon  which  believers'  title  unto 
God  as  their  portion  is  founded  and  bot- 
tomed, are  three,  ii.  39-41. 

Growth,  gradual,  iii.  179 ;  not  always,  iii. 
188,  seq.  ;  the  afflictions  and  persecutions 
of  the  saints  will  further  the,  and  increase 
of  their  grace,  iv.  286,  287. 

Grumble  not  though  groaning,  i.  306. 

Guilt  or  grief,  i.  10;  upon  the  conscience,  iv. 
256,  257. 

Halfpenny  refused,  i.  22. 

Hallelujah,  ii.  134. 

Hand,  golden,  i.  73,  282 ;  God's,  and  the  rod 
in  it,  ii.  154-158  ;  see  the,  of  the  Lord  in 
the  late  fiery  dispensation  ;  ten  .arguments 
to  work  you  to  this,  vi.  128,  seq. 

Happiness,  not  in  worldly  good,  i.  68;  true, 
i.  69,  252 ;  ii.  7,  21 ;  iv.  3,  seq. 

Happy  and  unhappy,  saints  that  have  God 
for  their  portion  are  the  happiest  men  in 
all  tlie  world,  though  this  blind,  besotted 
world  thinks  otherwise,  ii.  52-54. 

Hard  things  passed  through  by  Christ,  i.  75. 


Harlot,  pleasure  a,  i.  201 ;  Mary  Magdalene 
not  a,  ii.  121. 

Harmina,  none  can  harm  the  saints,  v.  493, 
494. 

Hatred  of  sin  ;  an  hypocrite  cannot  hate  sin 
as  sin,  iii.  447,  448  ;  true,  includes  six 
things,  iii.  448-451 ;  Avhere  there  is  true 
holiness  there  is  a,  of  all  ungodliness,  iv. 
109,  seq.  ;  the  sufferings  of  Christ  should 
raise  in  us  the  greatest,  of  sin,  v.  205-208. 

Head,  hoary,  i.  191. 

Headship  of  Christ,  Christ  considered  as  a 
common  head,  v.  251-257. 

Healing  spirit,  L  Ixiv. 

^  Hear  me,'  anecdote,  i.  134. 

Hearing,  times  of,  times  of  assurance,  ii. 
360,  seq.  ;  cautions  on,  ii.  365,  seq. 

Heart  'fat,'  I.  sliii ;  no  divine  tiling  ours 
till  in  our,  I.  Ixxiii ;  God's  heart  not  to  be 
judged  of  by  his  hand,  i.  42,  197,  198; 
instances,  ih.  ;  grace  makes  carefid  of,  i. 
101 ;  an  ignorant,  an  evil,  i.  137  ;  '  dear 
hearts,' a  form  of  address,  i.  169,  287,  iii.  3; 
Christ's,  set  on  sinners,  i.  245,  246  ;  drawn 
to  God  in  affliction,  i.  342  ;  proves  bad 
under  enjoyment  of  mercies,  i.  352,  353 ; 
such  as  have  God  for  their  portion  should 
never  set  their  lieaits  upon  earthly  por- 
tions, ii.  54-56 ;  if  God  be  thy  portion,  then 
he  carides  thy  heart  from  all  other  things  ; 
the  portion  always  carries  the  heart  with 
it,  ii.  90-92 ;  not  to  be  set  on  earthly  por- 
tions, ii.  54-.56  ;  joy  of,  in  knowing  God  is 
a  portion,  ii.  78,  79  ;  God  seeks  our,  ii. 
256,  257  ;  in  best  frame,  ii.  430 ;  ready  in, 
for  every  work  imposed,  iii.  169,  170 ;  he 
whose  heart  does  not  condemn  him  in  such 
things  may  have  confidence  towards  God, 
iii.  26S ;  where  the  constant  standing 
frame  of  a  man's  heart,  desires  and  endea- 
vours are  set  for  God,  Christ,  grace,  holi- 
ness, there  is  a  most  sure  and  infallible 
work  of  God  upon  that  man's  soul,  iii.  331, 
seq.  ;  a  gi-acious,  is  an  uniform,  iii.  354-356  ; 
a  gracious,  sets  himself  most  against  his 
darling  sin,  his  known  sin,  his  consti- 
tution sin,  &c. ,  iii.  356  ;  he  that  has  given 
up  liis,  and  life,  to  tlie  rule,  authority, 
and  government  of  Christ,  he  has  a  saving 
work  of  God  upon  him,  iii.  382,  383 ;  that 
man  that  will  cleave  to  Christ  with  full 
purpose  of,  shall  certainly  be  saved,  iji. 
383 ;  that  man  that  makes  it  his  principal 
duty,  his  main  business,  and  his  work  of 
works,  to  work,  to  watch,  to  reform  his 
heart,  that  man  doubtlessly  hath  a  saving 
work  of  God  upon  his,  iii,  383,  seq. ;  ten 
ways  shewing  how  men  should  keep  their, 
iii.  386,  seq. ;  there  are  many  that  are  j:reat 
strangers  to  their  own,  iii.  471  ;  a  holy, 
mourns  for  sin  as  sin,  iv.  131 ;  is  put  in 
mind  of  his  own  bad,  ib.  ;  mourns  for 
others'  sins,  ih.;  regards  sin  as  the  crucifier 
of  Christ,  ib. ;  seeks  to  keep  off  wrath,  iv. 
131,  132 ;  looks  on  sin  as  bringing  judg- 
ments, iv.  132  ;  looks  on  sin  as  chains,  ib.; 
upright,  four  things  on,  vi.  340,  scq. 

Heat,  degrees  of,  i.  95. 

Heaven,  on  earth,  i.  396,  397;  ii.  301,  seq.; 
glory,  ii.  3,  4  ;  ten  arguments  to  prove 
that  unholy  persons  have  no  mind  to  go 
to,  iv.  78,  80  ;  the  more  holy  any  man  is, 
the  more  actually  ripe  for,  that  man  is, 
iv.  351 ;  that  there  are  degrees  of  glory  in, 
that  some  saints  shall  partake  of  more 


484 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


gloi-y  in,  than  others  sliall,  is  proved  by 
hscripturo  and  argument,  iv.  ."jtJG,  seq.;  ob- 
jections against  degrees  of  glory  in  lieaven 
answered,  iv.  379,  srq. ;  is  a  city  that  is 
built  upon  a  five-fold  foundation,  vi.  283 ; 
resemlilince  betwixt,  and  a  city  holds  in 
nine  respects,  v.  L'84,  scq. 

Heir,  real  holiness  is  a  sure  evidence  that 
thou  art  an,  of  glory,  iv.  420,  seq. 

Hell,  without  sin,  i,  13 ;  not  so  hot  to  some, 
yet  certain,  i.  5.") ;  unquenchaVde,  i.  324  ; 
delay  lands  tliousands  in,  ii.  124  ;  unholy 
persons  are  doomed,  adjudged,  and  sen- 
tenced to,  iv.  74,  seq.;  iis  nature,  v.  104, 
seq. ;  that  Clirist's  soul  after  liis  passion  upon 
the  cross  did  not  really  and  locally  descend 
into  tlie  place  of  tlie  damned,  is  made  evi- 
dent by  several  arguments,  v.  103,  seq. ; 
ol)jections  .against  Christ's  suffering  of 
hellish  torments  answered— (1.)  v.  106, 
107;  (2.)  v.  107;  (3.)  v.  107,  108;  (4.)  v. 
108-110;  (.5.)  V.  110-112;  that  there  is  a 
hell  is  proved  at  large  by  Scripture  and 
argument,  v.  113,  seq. ;  hellish  torments 
are  matchless,  easeless,  and  endless,  v. 
126,  seq. :  there  are  ten  things  in  hell,  v. 
128,  seq.  ;  a  five-fold  improvement  of  hell- 
ish torments,  v.  135 ;  of  the  place  where 
hell  is,  v.  141,  xcq. 

Helps  against  Satan,  i.  1.58,  seq. 

Hid,  none  can  be  so  against  the  saints  as  to 
hinder  them  from  Ijeiug,  in  au  evil  day,  v. 
512,  51.3. 

Hiding  of  end,  i.  12. 

Hinher  and  higher,  I.  Ixiii ;  aim  high,  i.  40, 
41. 

Hindranee,  self  a,  i.  122. 

Histories,  none  like  Scripture,  ii.  319. 

Hold  on,  1.  Ixvi ;  in  ways  of  God,  vi.  354, 
seq. 

Hold-fast,  i.  59  ;  departed  saints,  held  on,  i. 
71  ;  a  man  that  hath  God  for  his  portion  will 
hold  fast  his  portion,  and  rather  part  with 
everything  than  with  his  God,  ii.  87-89. 

Holiness,  all  men  are  fallen  from  tlieir  pri- 
mitive, iv.  4,  5  ;  there  is  a  sixfold,  iv.  38  ; 
without,  can  never  be  hajipy,  iv.  47,  seq.  ; 
without,  are  strangers  to  God,  iv.  51  ; 
without,  are  in  fellowship  with  Satan,  iv. 
53,  54 ;  the  unholy  full  of  contrariety  to 
God,  iv.  53,  54  ;  without  communion  with 
God  in  the  world,  iv.  54,  55  ;  reasons  why 
without,  there  can  be  no  happiness,  iv. 
77,  seq.  ;  is  it  possible  to  know  whether 
you  have  tliis  real  holiness  or  not?  iv.  96  ; 
a  momentous  point,  iv.  97,  98;  willing- 
ness to  make  this  trial,  a  favourable  thing, 
iv.  08  ;  many  deceived  about,  iv.  98-100  ; 
much  counterfeit,  iv.  99-100;  if  really  pos- 
sessed, a  great  blessing,  iv.  100,  seq.  ; 
really  holy  persons  shewn,  and  trial  offered, 
iv.  102,  .w/.  ;  one  wlio  really  lias  holiness  is 
much  in  ailmiration  of  the  holiness  of  God, 
iv.  104,  105  ;  is  the  honour  and  the  glory 
of  the  creature,  iv.  159,  stcq.;  is  very  at- 
tractive, drawing,  and  winning,  iv.  161, 
seq.  ;  is  the  excellency  of  all  a  man's  excel- 
lencies, iv.  163,  seq.  ;  is  an  honour  and  an 
ornament  both  to  the  person  tliat  has  it 
and  also  to  the  very  places  where  they  were 
born,  iv.  16 {,  .ic/.  ;  is  the  vei^y  ear-mark, 
the  very  livei-y  and  badge  of  Christ's  ser- 
vants and  subjects,  iv.  166,  167  ;  a  man  of, 
is  a  common  blessing,  a  public  mercy,  iv. 
167-169 ;     is    of    greatest    antiquity,    iv. 


169-171 ;  will  render  you  most  beautifu 
and  amiable,  iv.  171-173  ;  is  the  most  gain- 
ful trade  in  the  world,  made  good  by  five 
arguments,  iv.  173,  seq.  ;  will  put  the 
greatest  splendour  and  majesty  upon  per- 
sons tliat  can  possibly  be  put  upon  them, 
iv.  1S2-1S4  ;  the  times  wherein  we  live 
call  alouil  for,  iv.  184,  seq.  ;  will  ren<ler 
you  most  like  (1.)  to  God,  (2.)  to  Christ,  (3.) 
to  blesfied  angels,  iv.  183,  seq.  ;  without, 
tliere  is  no  seeing,  no  enjoying  of  God,  iv. 
190, 191;  eightarguments])rovingthatmany 
Christians  have  but  a  little,  iv.  334,  sf^  ,• 
the  more  any  man  lias  the  more  God  will 
give  him,  iv.  352,  353 ;  the  more  any  man 
has  the  more  will  God  reveal  himself  to 
him,  iv.  354-357  ;  none  under  heaven  that 
are  so  strongly  obliged  to  perfect,  in  the  fear 
of  the  Lord  as  holy  ones  are,  iv.  3.59,  360; 
the  times  require  greater  measures  of,  iv. 
364,  365;  Clirist  will  certainlv  preserve 
thy  holiness,  iv.  425-427;  of  God— (1.)  God 
is  essentially  holy,  iv.  392,  393 ;  (2. )  un- 
mixedly,  a  jiure,  iv.  393,  304  ;  (3.)  univer- 
sally, iv.  394;  (4.)  eminently,  transcen- 
dently,  superlatively,  iv.  395.  396;  (5.) 
originally,  radicallv,  and  fundamentally, 
iv.  396,  397;  (6.)  independently,  iv.  397; 
(7.)  constantly,  unchangeably,  iv.  397,  398  ; 
(8.)  exemplarily,  iv.  ,398  ;  wherever  real,  is, 
it  will  discover  itself,  iv.  428,  429  ;  rises  l)y 
degrees,  429  ;  there  i.s  a  great  deal  of  preci- 
ousness  in  the  least  degree  of,  and  this  is 
evidenced  by  an  induction  of  ten  particu- 
lars, iv.  420-431  ;  ,all  saints  have  not  a  like 
measure  of,  iv.  431,  4l-)2  ;  a  Ciiristian  may 
have  more  at  one  time  than  at  another,  iv. 
432-434  ;  there  will  come  a  time  when  even 
in  this  world  holiness  shall  be  more  gene- 
ral and  more  eminent,  iv.  4.34,  435  ;  in 
these  days  of  the  gospel  all  holiness  of 
places  is  taken'away,  vi.  224,  seq. 

Home,  long  to  be  at,  i.  163,  164. 

Honour,  to  the  Lord  how  to  render,  iii.  137, 
seq. ;  the  more  holiness  is  increased,  the 
more  the  great  God  will  be  honoured,  iv. 
351,  352  ;  the  highest  degrees  of  holiness 
are  ordinarily  attended  with  the  highest 
degrees  of,  iv.  363,  364;  Christ  as  he  is 
God-man,  is  to  be  honoured  and  exalted 
above  all,  v.  188-190. 

Hook,  baited  and  hidden,  i.  12. 

Hope,  '  lively,'  L  410  ;  that  accomjianics  sal- 
vation, jiassages  of  Scripture  on,  ii.  503, 
.504  ;  what  it  is,  ii.  504  ;  a  grace  of  God,  ih.; 
by  which  we  expect  good  to  come,  and  pa- 
tiently wait  till  it  come,  ib. :  is  conversant 
about  holy  and  heavenly  objects,  ii.  504- 
506  ;  is  grounded  on  the  promises  of  God, 
ii.  506 ;  may  be  discerned  from  the  false 
by  its  i)ro)ierties,  e.fj.,  it  elevates  the  heart, 
ii.  .506,  507  ;  strengtliens  the  soul,  ii.  507  ; 
makes  the  soul  lively,  ii.  507.  508  ;  makes 
a  man  quiet  and  still,  ii.  508,  509  ;  waits 
in  delay,  ii.  509 ;  purifies,  ii.  509,  510 ; 
lasting,  ii.  510,  511. 

Horror  and   sorrow   about   sin  no   security 

against  relapses,  i.  113. 
Hnmiliti/,  keep  humlile,  i.  60,  159,  160;  pass 
through  snares  liy,  ib. ;  remaining  sin  tends 
to,  i.  94 ;  labour"  for,  i.  135,  1.36  ;  tempta- 
tions in  order  to,  L  156  ;  afflictions  keep 
humble,  i.  303  ;  to  be  silent,  keep,  i.  396  ; 
the  most  holy  always  the  most  humble, 
iii.  8,  seq.;  properties  of  humble  souls,  iii. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


485 


10,  seq.;  forgets  not  former  sinfulness, 
iii.  10 ;  overlooks  own  righteousness,  iii. 
12  ;  lowest  and  meanest  word  not  beneath, 
iii.  12,  13  ;  submits  to  all  truth,  iii.  14  ; 
lives  on  Clirist,  iii.  14,  15;  judges  himself 
to  be  below  the  judgment  of  God,  iii.  15, 
16 ;  highly  prizes  the  least  of  Christ,  iii. 
16 ;  never  good  enough,  iii.  16,  17  ;  small 
sins  touch  conscience,  iii.  17,  IS ;  quietly 
bears  burdens,  iii.  18,  19 ;  trades  with 
God  through  Christ,  iii.  19,  20 ;  seeks 
to  glorify  God  in  not  to  get  out  of  afflic- 
tions, iii.  20,  21;  seeks  not  great  things, 
iii.  2i,  22;  rejoices  in  the  graces  of  others, 
iii.  22 ;  bears  rather  than  revenges  wrongs, 
iii.  23 ;  disdains  not  to  be  taught  by 
the  meanest,  iii.  23,  24 ;  as  grateful  un- 
der miseries  as  under  mercies,  iii.  24,  25  ; 
Avisely  and  patiently  bears  reproof,  iii.  25, 
26;  reasons  why  the  best  are  the  most 
humble,  iii.  26 ;  greatest  debtors,  iii.  26, 
27 ;  in  this  life  have  but  a  taste  of  God, 
iii.  27,  28  ;  dwell  on  their  worser  part,  iii. 
28  ;  clearest  A-ision  of  God,  iii.  28,  29 ;  have 
a  holy  fear  of  sinning,  iii.  29 ;  uses  of  the 
doctrine  ;  the  number  of  holy  ones  few,  iii. 
29,  30 ;  approve  ourselves  to  be  good  by, 
iii.  30 ;  motives  to :  God  singles  out  the 
humble  to  enrich,  iii.  30;  most  adorns  the 
believer,  iii.  30,  31 ;  draws  God  and  man, 
iii.  31 ;  the  world  cannot  keep  up  that  does 
not  keep  down  his  own  spirit,  iii.  31,  32; 
makes  Christ  the  example,  ui.  32,  33  ;  frees 
from  perturbation,  iii.  33,  34;  exalteth, 
iii.  34,  35;  preserves  from  Satan,  iii.  35, 
36 ;  nine  directions  how  to  keep  humble, 
iii.  36,  seq. ;  to  be  rich  spiritually,  study, 
iii.  175 ;  Christ  is  the  greatest  pattern  of, 
that  ever  was  or  will  be  in  this  world,  v. 
191,  192. 

Hungerinii  and  thirsting  after  righteousness, 
gift  of  God,  ii.  419  ;  vehement  and  earnest, 
ii.  419,  420 ;  spring  from  spiritual  and 
heavely  considerations,  ii.  420 ;  satisfied 
only  with  spii'itual  things,  ii.  420,  421. 

Husbandmen,  ii.  3. 

Hiipocrite — 1st,  A  hypocrite's  inside  is  never 
answei-able  to  his  outside,  iii.  436,  437 ; 
2dly,  No  hypocrite  under  heaven  is  totally 
divorced  fi-om  the  love  and  liking  of  every 
known  sin,  iii.  437-439 ;  3dly,  A  hypo- 
crite's heart  is  never  thoroughly  subdued 
to  a  willingness  to  perform  all  known 
duties,  iii.  439,  440;  4thly,  There  is  never 
a  hypocrite  in  the  world  that  makes  God 
or  Christ,  or  holiness,  or  his  doing  or  re- 
ceiving good  in  his  station,  relation,  or 
generation,  his  grand  end,  his  highest  end, 
his  ultimate  end  of  living  in  this  world, 
iii.  441-443 ;  5thly,  No  hypocrite  under 
heaven  can  live  wholly  and  only  upon  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  the  satisfaction  of 
Christ,  the  merits  of  Christ,  for  justification 
and  salvation,  iii.  443-445  ;  6thly,  A  hypo- 
crite never  embraces  a  whole  Christ ;  he 
can  never  take  up  his  full  rest,  satisfac- 
tion, and  contentment  in  the  jierson  of 
Christ,  in  the  meiits  of  Christ,  in  the  en- 
joyment of  Christ  alone,  iii.  445-447  ;  7th]y, 
A  hypocrite  cannot  mourn  for  sin  as  sin, 
nor  grieve  for  sin  as  sin,  nor  hate  sin  as 
sin,  nor  make  head  against  sin  as  sin,  iii. 
447,  seq. ;  Sthly,  No  hypocrite  is  habitually 
low  or  little  in  his  own  ej'es,  no  hypocrite 
has  ordinarily  mean  thoughts  of  himself,  or 


a  poor  esteem  of  himself,  iii.  450-453;  9thly, 
No  hypocrite  will  long  hold.out  in  the  work 
and  ways  of  tlie  Lord  in  the  M-ant  of  out- 
ward encouragements,  and  in  the  face  of 
outward  discouragements,  iii.  453-457  ; 
lOthly,  No  hypocrite  ever  makes  it  his 
busmess,  his  work,  to  brmg  his  heart  unto 
religious  duties  and  services,  iii.  457-459 
llthly,  A  hypocrite  never  performs  religi- 
ons duties  from  spirittial  principles,  nor  in 
a  spiritual  manner,  iii.  459-4t)2  ;  12thly, 
No  hypocrite  in  the  world  loves  the  word 
or  delights  in  the  word,  or  pirizes  the 
word,  as  it  is  a  holy  word,  a  spiritual 
word,  a  beautiful  word,  a  pure  word,  a 
clean  word,  ui.  462-464  ;  13thly  and  lastly, 
A  hypocrite  cannot  endure  to  be  tried, 
and  searched,  and  laid  open,  iii.  464-466  ; 
hypocrites  shall  not  go  to  heaven,  iv. 
90-92  ;  hypocrites  discovered,  vi.  365,  seq.  ; 
objects  of  God's  wrath,  reasons,  vi.  370, 
seq.  ;  what  h^'jaocrites  are,  and  have,  vi. 
374,  seq. 
Hypocrites  do  not  make  seci-et  prayer  their 
ordinary  trade  or  work,  ii.  171-173 ;  sym- 
bolised by  the  nightingale,  ii.  171,  172 ; 
seek  those  things  that  difference  from,  ii. 
421,  422 ;  lessons  for,  iii.  239. 

Idleness,  is  a  very  great  hindrance  to  closet- 
prayer,  ii.  277-280 ;  we  are  to  have  no 
special  communion  with  idle  persons,  iv. 
64,  65. 

Ignorant,  devices  against,  i.  136 ;  by  draw- 
ing them  to  choose  ignorance,  ih.;  heart, 
i.  137  ;  objects  of  God's  v/rath,  ib.;  leads 
to  all  sins,  i.  137,  138. 

Imitating,  the  saints  should  imitate  Christ 
in  visiting  of  the  Lord's  people  in  their 
greatest  trouble,  v.  550-.552. 

Impatiince,  i.  317,  358  ;  iii.  122. 

Imperfection  of  services,  i.  89. 

'  Im2MSsible '  things,  i.  169. 

Impotency  of  the  world's  attractions,  i.  63,  64. 

Imputation,  of  the  imputation  of  Christ's 
righteousnes.s  at  large,  v.  218,  seq.;  nine 
choice  considerations  that  flow  from,  v. 
234,  seci- 

Incorrigiblcness,  desperate,  and  unreformed- 
ness  under  former  wasting  and  dustroj'ing 
judgments  brings  the  judgment  of  fire  upon 
a  people,  vi.  75,  seq. 

Increase  of  God's  people,  i.  84. 

Indisposition  to  prayer,  ii.  246,  seq. 

Inferences,  false,  i.  77  ;  eleven  drawn  from 
the  divinity  and  htimauityof  Christ,  v.  182, 
seq. ;  seven  from  the  consideration  of  the 
power  and  majesty  of  Christ,  v.  201,  seq. 

Infirmities,  i.  112;  ii.  242,  243;  iii  95,  seq.; 
that  Christ  took  our,  upon  him,  v.  174, 175. 

Ingrafted,  i.  96. 

Inheritance,  heavenly,  is  pure,  undefiled, 
and  incorruptible,  i.  410,  411 ;  sure,  secure, 
i.  411;  permanent,  lasting,  i.  411,  412; 
freest,  i.  412 ;  communicable,  i.  412,  413 ; 
soul-satisfying,  i.  413,  414. 

Inn,  significance  of,  i.  142. 

Innumerable  though  'few,'  i.  82. 

Insufficient,  all  save  God,  ii.  16. 

Insnperubiles  si  inscparabiles,  i.  129. 

Integrity,  I.  Ixiv. 

Intemperance,  brings  desolating  judgments, 
vi.  64,  seq.;  six  things  it  robs  man  of,  vi. 
66,  seq. 

Interest    in    Christ,    I.    Ixii ;    if    j'ou    have 


486 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


an  interest  in  God,  then  God  hath  an 
interest  in  you,  ii.  104,  105 ;  such  as 
have  an  interest  and  a  property  in  God 
should  evidence  and  declare  their  interest 
and  property  in  Goil  six  special  ways,  ii. 
10I>-111 ;  fall  in  with  in  opposition  to  all 
other,  ii.  110,  111. 

Tntcrnal  workings,  I.  Ixv  ;  plagues,  i.  46. 

Intcrriiptionx,  ii.  2GG,  267. 

Involuntary  and  voluntary,  i.  112,  11.3. 

*  Ironies'  retracted  l)y  Augustine,  i.  38. 

Jehovah,  ii.  10,  11. 

Jesuits  and  fire  of  London,  vi.  13. 

Jesus,  a  believer's  life,  vi.  318 ;  repent  of 
nothing  done  or  suffered  for,  vi.  319 ; 
highly  prize,  ib.;  if  prized  will  be  obeyed, 
vi.  319,  320. 

Jexvcls  in  a  dead  man's  mouth,  I.  lii ;  great 
against,  i.  122,  123;  cabinet  of,  iii.  233,  scq. 

Joii,  causes  of  not  always  the  .same,  i.  109  ; 
in  heaven  pure,  i.  425  ;  fulness  of,  ib.; 
lasting  and  uninterrupted,  i.  425,  426  ;  puts 
a  new  beauty  on  the  face,  ii.  328 ;  in  pre- 
vailing against  sin,  iii.  81  ;  grace  increases, 
iii.  161;  several  considerable  things  of,  iv. 
254  ;  the  more  holiness  any  man  attains  to 
the  greater  will  be  his  heaven  of,  in  this 
M'orld,  iv.  35.3,  354  ;  none  can  be  so  against 
us  as  to  hinder  the  springs  of  holy  joy  from 
rising  and  flowing  in  our  souls,  v.  505,  seq.; 
the  j)resence  of  God  with  his  people  is 
the  true  ground  of  their  joy  in  all  their 
troubles,  v.  547,  548. 

Ju'lffe,  Scripture  the,  of  our  state,  I.  Ixvii  ; 
we  must  not  judge  ourselves  hypocrites  by 
the  things  that  the  Scripture  never  makes 
a  character  of  an  hypocrite,  iii.  297-299  ; 
we  must  not  judge  ourselves  hypocrites 
for  such  things  which  being  admitted  and 
granted  to  be  true  would  unavoidably 
l)rove  the  wliole  generation  of  the  faithful 
to  be  liypocrites,  iii.  299,  300  ;  in  judging 
of  our  spiritual  states  and  conditions  we 
must  always  have  an  eye  to  our  natural 
temper,  complexion,  \c.,  iii.  300,  301. 

Jud<j(s,  ajipeal  to,  iv.  7,  S'q.;  eight  rules  for 

execution  of  justice  by,  iv.  8,  seq. 
Ju'luiug-self,  i.  134,  135. 

Judi/ment,  a,  to  be  left  to  sin,  i.  27  ;■  kept 
back  by  saints,  i.  124,  125  ;  temptations  in 
order  to,  i.  157  ;  final,  i.  218 ;  spiritual  judg- 
mentsaretheworstof  judgments,  iii.  470;  he 
that  will  be  holy  must  dwell  much  upon  the 
memorable  judgments  of  Crixl,  that  in  this 
life  have  fallen  upon  unholy  persons,  iv. 
240,  241  ;  (of  the  general  judgment,  and  of 
men's  particular  judgment-day,  see  eight 
questions  in  the  '  Golden  key,')  imputed 
righteousness  gives  tlic  greatest  boldness 
before  God's  judgment-seat,  v.  249-251  ; 
Scrii)tures  that  refer  to  the  great  judg- 
ment opened,  v.  403,  seq.;  in  eight  re- 
spects great,  are  like  the  fire,  vi.  18,  srq.; 
the  ends  of  God  in  inflicting  the  late, 
of  fire  in  respect  of  the  wicked  are  seven, 
vi.  22,  seq.;  the  ends  of  God  in  inflicting 
the  late,  of  fire  in  respect  of  the  righteous 
are  at  large  discovered,  vi.  35,  seq. ;  the 
sword  is  a  worse,  thau  that  of  fire,  vi.  189, 
190  ;  famine  is  a  more  dreadful,  than  that 
of  fire,  vi.  190-192  ;  dreadful  earthqiuikes 
are  a  more  terrible,  tlinn  that  of  fire,  vi. 
192-194  ;  the,  that  befell  Korah,  Dathan, 
and   Abiram   a   more   terrible,  than   that 


which  befell  the  burned  citizens,  vi.  194  ; 
that,  that  came  upon  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
was  worse  than  that  which  was  inflicted 
upon  the  citizens,  vi.  194,  195  ;  eight  argu- 
ments to  encourage  the  burned  citizens  to 
commemorate  the  late,  of  tire,  vi.  251,  252; 
there  are  seven  sorts  of  men  that  have 
cause  to  fear  worse,  than  anv  yet  has  been 
inflicted  on  them,  vi.  278,  279. 

Ju^,  God,  i.  28,  273. 

Justice,  (see  under  Judges,)  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  satisfies  the,  of  God  to  the 
uttermost  farthing,  v.  2.34,  seq. ;  in  the 
justification  of  a  sinner  God  doth  act  as  a 
God  of,  V.  231,  seq. ;  commended,  vi.  5  ; 
impartial,  vi.  5,  6 ;  speedy,  vi.  7,  8  ;  reso- 
lute, courageous,  valiant,  vi.  8,  9  ;  clement, 
vi.  9, 10 ;  considerations  for  right  execution 
of,  vi.  346,  seq. ;  to  be  tempered  with 
mercy,  vi.  363. 

Justification  in  the  sight  of  God  is  made  up 
of  two  parts,  v.  218,  scq. 

Keeping,  reward  in,  i.  77. 

Keiis,  four,  I.  xliii ;  iron  and  golden  key,  i. 
8  ;  A  golden  key,  v.  1,  scq. 

King,  anecdote  of  a,  punishing  a  delaying 
judge,  vi.  7. 

Kingdoms  symbolised  by  beasts,  ii.  7  ;  four 
reasons  wliy  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is 
called  the  kingdom  of  God,  iv.  47,  48. 

Knocks,  open  to  Christ  when  he,  iii.  194. 

Knowing  and  not  doing,  i.  9. 

Knowledge  of  Goil,  best,  reserved  for  heaven, 
i.  418  ;  clearest  revelation  and,  i.  418,  419 ; 
fullest,  i.  420  ;  immediate,  i.  421 ;  perma- 
nent and  constant,  i.  421,  422  ;  a  tiling 
that  accompanies  salvation,  ii.  431  ;  what 
it  is,  ii.  433  ;  operative,  ii.  433,  434  ;  trans- 
forming, ii.  434-436  ;  experimental,  ii.  436- 
438  ;  heart-affecting  or  properties  of,  ii. 
438,  439;  world-crucifying,  ii.  439,  440; 
soul-abasing,  ii.  440-442 ;  appropriating, 
ii.  442,  443;  attendants  on,  ii.  443;  holy 
endeavours,  heavenly  desires,  ib. ;  to  edify 
others,  ii.  444,  445  ;  holy  zeal  and  courage, 
ii.  445  ;  faith  and  confidence  in  God,  ii. 
445,  446. 

Labour,  a  holy  heart  will,   to  make  others 

holy,  iv.  124-127. 
Ladies  and  gentlewomen,  solemn  appeal  to, 

iv.  30,  seq. 
Lambs,  young,  i.  206. 
Lamentation,  Christ's,  over  all  sinners,  i.  278  ; 

London's,  vi.  3,  -leq.  ;  lament  and  mourn 

that  London  is  laid  in  ashes,  vi.  153,  154  ; 

ten  considerations  to  work  to,  over  Lon- 
don's ashes,  vi.  154. 
Least,  if  God  be  your  portion  then  the,  of 

God  will  be  precious  to  you,  ii.  105,  106. 
Learned  and  wise,  devices  of  Satan  for,  i.  125. 
Leave,  Satan  needs  a  double,  i.  153,  154. 
Leavc-nots,  ii.  89. 
Left,  what  is  still,  I.  Ixxi. 
'  Legacies,''  in  Farewell  Sermon,  I.  lix-lxvii. 
Legacy  of  a  dying  mother,  vi.  435,  seq. 
Lenitives,  ii.  152. 
Lessons,  six  great,   the  poor  heathen  might 

have  learned  out  of  the  book  of  nature,  v. 

407,  408. 
Letter,    concerning    '  Precious  Remedies,'  i. 

165-166. 
Liberty,  sinful,  i.  .?0. 
Life,  degrees  of,  i.  05 ;   begin  to  live  only 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


487 


when  good,  i.  1?4,  185;  kinds  of,  i.  185; 
short  and  uncertain,  i.  189 ;  brevity,  i. 
398 ;  a  man  that  hath  God  for  his  por- 
tion, lives  on  God  as  his  portion,  ii.  86-90  ; 
several  arguments  proving  the  life  of  man 
to  be  but  short,  iv.  208,  seq.;  a  man  in  the 
course  of  grace  hath  three  degrees  of,  v.  309. 

'  Lifted  up,'  i.  45. 

Light  and  lightning,  I.  xxi ;  the  properties 
of  light  for  which  God  is  often  in  Scripture 
resembled  to  light,  are  seven,  ii.  19,  20 ;  a 
gift  of  God,  iii.  103,  104. 

Lion,  Satan  a,  i.  172. 

Little  sins,  i.  19  ;  giving  way  to,  leads  to 
greater,  ib.  ;  sinfulness  of,  i.  21 ;  greatest 
danger  in,  i.  21,  22  ;  saints  have  suffered 
rather  than  commit,  i.  22  ;  weight  of,  i. 
23 ;  a  saint's  little  is  better  than  the 
vast  estate  of  a  wicked  worldling,  proved 
at  large  ;  ii.  47-51  ;  five  reasons  why  a 
holy  heart  rises  against  little  sins,  iv. 
Ill,  seq.  ;  most  Christians  have  but  a 
little  holiness,  proved  by  eight  argu- 
ments, iv.  334,  seq. ;  the  righteous  man's 
little  is  better  than  the  multitude  of  riches 
that  many  wicked  men  enjoy,  this  blessed 
truth  is  made  good  by  an  induction  of 
eleven  particulars,  vi.  261,  seq.  ;  five  ways 
shewing  how  a  righteous  man  improves  his 
little,  vi.  262. 

Logic,  of  hell,  i.  79. 

London,  the  burning  of,  was  ushered  in  by 
sad  prodigies  and  dreadful  forerunners,  vi. 
154,  155 ;  was  an  ancient  city,  of  great 
antiquity,  vi.  155,  156  ;  honourable,  and 
renowned,  vi.  156,  157  ;  bulwark,  strong- 
hold of  the  nation,  vi.  1.57,  100;  a  foun- 
tain, sanctuary,  city  of  refuge  to  the  poor, 
afilicted,  and  impoverished  people  of  God, 
vi.  160 ;  compact  and  advantageously 
situated  for  trade  and  commerce,  vi.  160, 

161  ;  England's  worst  enemies  rejoice  and 
triumph  in  London's  ashes,  vi.  161  ;  once 
the  city  of  solemn   solemnities,    vi.    161, 

162  ;  Hubert  confessed  the  fact  of  firing 
the  first  house  in,  vi.  162,  seq. 

Lonaer  away  from  Christ  sins  the  stronger, 
i.  143. 

Losing  the  presence  of  God,  and  the  means 
to  recover  it,  (1. )  observe  how  you  lost  the 
divine  presence,  v.  595  ;  (2. )  inquire,  who, 
when,  and  why,  God  has  withdrawn  him- 
self, v.  595  ;  (3.)  stand  not  with  Christ  for 
anything,  v.  595,  596  ;  (4. )  send  up  a  mighty 
cry  to  heaven,  iv.  596;  (5.)  take  not  up 
your  rest  in  any  outward  comfort,  v.  596, 
597  ;  (6. )  patiently  and  quietly  wait  iipon 
him  in  the  way  of  his  ordinances,  v.  597. 

Losses,  of  sin,  i.  15  ;  internal  gain  greater 
than  external,  i.  73 ;  of  the  soul,  i.  280  ; 
of  the  gospel,  i.  280,  281  ;  of  God's  favour, 
281,  of  peace  of  conscience,  ib. ;  of  eter- 
nity, ib.  ;  outward,  may  be  made  up,  i. 
282  ;  God  makes  up  foi-,  i.  351,  352  ;  be 
more  afflicted  with  spiritual,  i.  353  ;  what 
worldly,  ought  to  lead  to,  ii.  8  ;  saints  that 
have  God  for  their  portion  should  be  very 
cheerful  and  comfortable  underall  worldly, 
and  crosses,  ii.  56,  57  ;  not  to  be  over- 
lamented,  ii.  58  ;  if  God  be  thy  portion, 
then  there  are  no,  in  all  the  world,  that 
will  be  so  hard  as  the  loss  of  thy  God,  ii. 
100-103 ;  God  a  loser  if  believers  get  not 
assurance,  ii.  136  ;  seven  great,  an  inordi- 
nate love  to  the  world  will  expose  to,  vi. 


.5.3,  seq.  ;  eight  ways  whereby  the  burned 
citizens  may  know  Avhether,  in  this  world, 
God  will  make  up  their,  by  the  late  fire, 
vi.  179,  seq.  ;  there  are  ten  choice  jewels 
that  a  Christian  never  can  lose  in  this 
■world,  vi,  233,  seq. 

Love,  commands  to,  i.  129 ;  attractive  and 
compulsive,  i.  172  ;  he  that  would  be  much 
with  God  in  his  closet,  must  labour  to  love 
Christ,  ii.  294,  295  ;  eight  special  means 
to  help  on  this  gi-eat  duty  of  closet-pi-ayer, 
ii.  292-298 ;  a  thing  that  accompanies 
salvation,  ii,  432 ;  properties  of,  ii.  476 ; 
supei'lative,  transcendent,  ii.  476,  477 ; 
operative,  ii.  477 ;  sincere  and  incorrupt, 
ii.  478  ;  vehement,  ii.  478,  479 ;  perma- 
nent ;  ii.  479,  480  ;  abounding,  increasing, 
ii.  480 ;  open,  ii.  481  ;  effects  of  on  the 
believer,  ib.,  seq.;  properties  of,  ii.  484; 
sinritual,  ib.  ;  imiversal,  ii.  484,  485 ; 
delights  in  the  saints,  ii.  485,  486  ;  con- 
stant, ii.  486,  487  ;  quiet  under  rebukes, 
ii.  487;  affected  by  dishonour  to  Christ, 
ib. ;  shuts  the  heart  to  all  other  lovers, 
ii.  488 ;  secret  experiences,  ii.  489  ;  breath- 
ing after  fuller  assurance,  ib.  ;  commits 
richest  treasures  to  Christ,  ii.  490 ;  Christ  _ 
condescending,  iii.  194,  195  ;  no  man  can  ' 
truly  love  grace  in  another,  but  he  tliat 
h:\s  true  grace  in  his  own  soul,  iii.  372, 
373;  six  ways  whereby  men  may  certainly 
know  whether  their  love  to  the  saints  be  real 
or  not,  iii.  373,  380;  of  the  firstness,  free- 
ness,  and  greatness  of  Christ's,  v.  183,  184 ; 
admire  and  wonder  at  Christ's,  v.  201,  203  ; 
we  must  love  Christ  with  a  superlative  love, 
V.  203-205;  of  admiring  the  Father's  love  in 
entering  into  the  covenant  of  redemption, 
V.  401 ;  of  Christ's  matchless,  v.  401-403  ; 
nothing  can  separate  us  from  the  F.ather's 
and  the  Son's,  v.  495,  496  ;  God's  signal 
presence  mth  his  people  in  their  greatest 
trouliles,  speaks  out  the  Lord's  singular 
love  to  hisi.people,  &c.,  v.  550;  (1.)  God 
loves  his  peojale  with  a  first  love,  v.  592  ; 
(2.)  he  loves  his  people  with  a  free  love, 
ib.  ;  (3.)  an  everlasting  love,  ib.  ;  (4.)  un- 
changeable love,  ib.  ;  (5.)  a  peciiliar  love, 
V.  592,  593  ;  (6.)  the  greatest  love,  v.  593. 

Low,  live,  i.  46. 

Lukeivarmncss,  there  wns  much,  among 
many  professors  in  London,  vi.  52,  53. 

Lustfulness,  i.  203  ;  Satan  uses,  i.  210  ;  morti- 
fication of,  i.  394. 

Lying,  a  trade  or  course  of,  brings  the  judg- 
ment of  fire,  vi.  89,  seq.  ;  the  Schoolmen 
reduce  all  sorts  of  lies  to  three,  vi.  90,  seq.  ; 
the  greatness,  the  sin  of,  expressed  in  four 
particulars,  vi.  92,  seq. ;  eight  arguments  to 
prove  that  this  trade,  this  course  of,  can- 
not by  any  clear  evidence  be  charged  upon 
those  that  truly  feared  the  Lord,  whose 
habitations  wei-e  within  the  walls  of  Lon- 
don, vi.  97,  seq. 

Magistrates  should  have  public  spirits,  vi.  4, 5. 
Maintenance  of  ministers,  iii.  227,  228. 
Malice  of  Satan,  i.  156. 
Malignants,  I.  xlL 
Mammon,  ii.  50. 
'i»/«H,  old,'  put  ofE  the,  v.  279. 
Mane,  the  devil's  verb,  i.  180,  181. 
Manhood  of  Christ  proved  at  large,  v.  167,  .^rq. 
Manifestation,  some  Christians  live  under  the 
singular,— peculiar,  choice  manifestations, 


488 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


of  divine  love,  iii.  472,  47:};  tlie  more  holy 
any  iiiau  is,  the  more  Ood  will  manifest 
himself  to  that  man.  iv.  354-357. 

Miirridf/rs  :  holy  iicrsons  are  not  to  marry 
with  those  that  arc  unholy,  iv.  72-74. 

Marriage-union  with  Christ,  what  it  in- 
volves, V.  27(i,  scq. 

Marti/rs,  i.  457. 

Maxims  or  ]>rinciples,  i.  396,  seq.;  &c.,  in 
order  to  clearing  up  a  man's  interest  in 
Christ,  iii.  249,  scq. 

'  Mai/-bcs,' i.  2(}l,  2(\2. 

Means,  not  alone  to  lie  relied  on,  i.  311; 
wait  on  God  by,  ii.  118,  119;  to  retain 
the  presence  of  God  with  us  in  our 
gi-eatest  trnuhles  and  deepest  distresses, 
(1.)  Take  heed  of  high  sinniiigs,  v.  570; 
(2.^  Of  impeuitency,  v.  570,  571;  (3.) 
Of  neglecting  gospel-worship,  or  of  cor- 
rupting gospel-worship,  v.  571,  572;  (4.) 
Of  a  willing, wilful,  and  presumptuous 
running  cross  to  divine  commands,  to 
divine  warnings,  v.  572  ;  (5. )  Of  carnal  con- 
fidence, of  resting  upon  an  arm  of  flesh,  v. 
572,  573  ;  (  6. )  Of  barrenness  under  gospel- 
ordinances,  \.  573,  574  ;  (7.)  Of  ]>ridc  and 
hauglitiness  of  spiiit,  v.  574;  (8.)  Of  a 
slothful,  lazy,  tiifling  spirit  in  the  things 
of  God,  V.  574,  575  ;  (9. )  Of  a  covetous 
worldly  spirit  under  the  smarting  rod,  v. 
575,  577;  (10.)  Of  a  cross,  froward,  iu- 
fl'xible  spirit  under  the  rod,  v.  577,  578. 
But  as  these  ten  things  are  to  be  avoided,  so 
there  are  eight  things  to  be  put  in  practice, 
as  ever  you  would  enjoy  the  signal  pre- 
sence of  God  with  you  in  your  greatest 
troubles  and  deepest  distresses;  (1.)  Be 
sure  that  you  are  brought  under  the  bond 
of  the  covenant,  v.  578,  579 ;  (2. )  Look  to 
the  practical  part  of  holiness,  keep  up  the 

f)Ower  of  godliness  in  your  hearts  and 
ives,  V.  579-581  ;  (3.)  Keep  close  to  insti- 
tuted worship,  keep  close  to  your  church 
state,  V.  581,  582;  (4.)  Be  sure  you  make 
much  conscience  of  five  things,  when  you 
are  not  in  trouble,  v.  582;  (5.)  Maintain 
uprightness  and  integrity  of  spirit  with 
God,  v.  582,583;  (G. )  Be  importunate  with 
God  not  to  leave  you,  v.  .583-585;  (7.) 
Keep  humble  and  walk  humbly  with  your 
God,  v.  585,  586;  (8.)  Labour  more  and 
more  after  greater  measures  of  holiness,  v. 
586 ;  God  uses  weak,  vi.  301. 

Meditation,  i.  8,  291. 

Melancholy,  evil  effects  of,  iii.  206,  297  ;  iv. 
260,  261. 

Memory,  i.  288. 

Mar,  three  classes  of,  to  be  honoured  and 
loved,  iii.  2.')9,  scq. 

Merchandise,  false  teachers  make,  of  their 
followers,  i.  151,  1.52. 

Mercies,  all  the  Lord's,  before  ours,  I.  l.\xi; 
outward,  of  the  wicked,  i.  41  ;  miseries 
prepared  for,  i.  316  ;  (Jod  will  time  his 
people's,  for  them,  v.  .587. 

Merciful,  such  a.s  ai'e  truly  and  graciously,  are 
blessed,  itc,  iii.  271,  272. 

Mercy,  God  not  all,  i.  27  ;  just  also,  i.  28 ; 
sins  against,  sorest  punished,  i.  28  ;  white 
flag  of,  i.  28  ;  special  and  general,  i.  29,  30  ; 
God's  mercy,  a  powerful  argument  with 
the  saints  not  to  sin,  i.  30  ;  end  of,  to  the 
■wicked,  i.  45,  46  ;  abused,  i.  47  ;  saints 
brinx,  i.  124  ;  made  an  excuse  for  delay, 
i.  273  ;  an   awful  thing  to  do  so,  i.  274  ; 


nearest  and  dearest  smitten,  or  it  wero 
not  affliction,  i.  346  ;  best  not  too  good 
for  the  best  God,  ib.  ;  the  Lord's  be- 
fore ours,  i.  346,  347  ;  affliction  brought 
by  niisimprovement  of,  i.  347,  348  ;  sinned 
against,  i.  349  ;  spiritual,  still  left,  i.  349, 
350  ;  near  and  dear,  might  prove  a  cross, 
i.  352  ;  it  was  a  very  great,  to  six  sorts  of 
men  that  they  had  their  lives  for  a  prey 
when  London  was  laid  in  ashes,  ri.  168, 
seq. ;  to  be  shewn  others,  vi.  386  ;  mercies 
more  than  our  miseries,  vi.  390 ;  reasons 
why  God  strips  us  of,  vi.  390,  seq. 

Merits,  no,  yet  God  is  rich  in  mercy,  ii.  124. 

Messengers,  the  abusing,  mocking,  and  de- 
spising of  the,  of  the  Lord,  brings  the  fiery 
dispensation  upon  a  people,  vi.  117,  seq. 

Methods,  different,  of  bringing  to  Christ,  i. 
146. 

Minister,  needs  of,  i.  3. 

Ministry,  seek  a  Christ-exalting,  iii.  173; 
how  to  know,  ;'//. ;  rules  to  ministers  who 
would  preach  Christ,  iii.  220-223;  dig- 
nity of  the  office,  iii.  223,  scq.  [see  contents 
of  '  LTnsearchable  Riches,'  vol.  iii.  pp.  vii, 
viii;]  countenance  to,  iii.  226,  227;  main- 
tenance of,  iii.  227,  228 ;  obedience  to,  iii. 
228,  229 ;  honour  and  love,  iii.  229,  231 ; 
of  a  scandalous  and  of  a  holy :  settle  not 
yourselves  under  a  lewd,  scandalous,  iv. 
210-212,  (sec  'many  considerable  things 
in  the  Epistle  Dedicatory,  to  the  Crown 
and  Glory  of  Christianity  concerning  pro- 
fane, ignorant,  scandalous,  deluded  min- 
isters ;)  he  that  would  perfect  holiness  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord  must  fix  and  settle 
himself  under  a  faithful,  holy,  iv.  386, 
387 ;  those  who  account  themselves  the 
only  ministers  of  Christ,  description  of, 
and  solemn  appeal  to,  iv.  22-30;  faithful, 
serious,  gi-acious,  conscientious,  ajipeal  to, 
iv.  32,  33. 

Miser  and  gold,  iii.  100. 

MiKcries,  outward,  from  which  the  wicked 
are  free,  i.  41. 

Misery,  never  to  be  miserable,  i.  43  ;  without 
God  as  a  poi'tion,  will  be,  to  all  eternity, 
ii.  114,  115. 

Mistahes  about  work  of  grace,  an  impedi- 
ment to  assMrn>>C'\  ii.  .''S4    .'!85. 

Mixture,  no,  in  God,  ii.  18,  19. 

Mixturrs,\\\ih.  divine  worship,  to  be  opposed, 
v.  431,  432. 

Moclcing  and  scoffing,  i.  203;  mockers  shall 
not  go  to  heaven,  iv.  83-86. 

Molesting  of  sin,  i.  92. 

Monk,  iii.  148. — {iiee  Mela nchtJion  ;)  lines  on 
the  devil  as  a,  iv.  220. 

Morsels,  sins,  i.  14. 

Mortification  of  lusts,  i.  394  ;  of  affections, 
ii.  157  ;  he  that  would  be  more  holy  must 
fall  in  good  earnest  with  all  his  might 
upon  mortifying  his  mn«t  rnsir™  co'-rup- 
tions,  and  most  darling  sins,  iv.  391,  392. 

Motives,  spiritual,  i.  101,  102;  six  motives 
to  persuade  such  )iersons  to  get  the  Lord 
to  be  their  portion,  who  yet  have  not 
God  for  their  portion,  ii.  111-115;  or  to 
move  you  to  try  whether  you  have  any 
real  holiness  or  no,  iv.  95,  96  ;  fifteen,  to 
get  holiness,  iv.  151,  seq.  ;  seventeen,  to 
perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  iv. 
334,  seq.  ;  the  more  spiritual  motives  and 
considerations  carry  a  man  on  in  religious 
duties  and  services,  the  greater  measures 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


489 


of  holiness  has  thiit  m;in  attained,  iv.  406, 
408 ;  ten,  to  persuade  Christians  to  keep 
the  signal  presence  of  God  with  them  in 
the  greatest  troubles  and  deepest  dis- 
tresses, &c.,  (1.)  Consider  the  signal  pre- 
sence of  God  with  his  people  puts  the 
greatest  honour,  dignity,  and  gloiy  im- 
aginable npou  them,  v.  559,  oGO  ;  (2.)  Con- 
sider that  nothing  can  make  up  tlie  want 
of  this  signal  presence  of  God,  5G1,  562  ; 
(3. )  Consider,  if  you  do  not  labour  to  keep 
the  gracious  presence  of  God  with  you, 
you  have  high  reason  to  question  whether 
ever  you  have  really  enjoyed  this  signal 
Ijresence  of  God  with  you  or  no,  v.  562, 
563 ;  (4. )  Consider  the  excellent  proper- 
ties of  the  divine  presence,  v.  563-565 ; 
(5. )  Consider  in  j'our  great  troubles  and 
deep  distresses  you  will  need  most  of  the 
signal  presence  of  God  with  you,  which  is 
evidenced  by  an  induction  of  six  par- 
ticulars, ergo,  V.  565,  566 ;  (6. )  Consider 
this  signal  presence  of  God  will  make 
you  divinely  fearless  in  the  midst  of  your 
greatest  troubles  and  deepest  distresses, 
V.  666;  (7.)  Consider  that  there  is  in  God 
a  very  great  unwillingness  to  withdraw 
his  presence  from  his  iieople,  v.  566-568; 
(8.)  Consider  that  troubles  will  never 
trouble  you  if  you  can  but  secure  the  pre- 
sence of  God  with  you,  v.  568;  (9.)  Con- 
sider that  the  worst  of  men  cannot  fasten 
a  curse  upon  you  whilst  you  keep  the  pre- 
sence of  God  with  you,  v.  568,  569;  (10.) 
Consider  that  the  divine  presence  will 
make  up  the  absence  of  all  outward  com- 
forts, V.  5()9,  570. 

Mourners,  such  as  are  true,  are  blessed,  iii. 
269,  270  ;  seven  reasons  why  a  holy  man 
mourns  for  other  men's  sins,  iv.  129,  130  ; 
he  that  wotild  be  holy  must  mourn  over 
his  own  unholiuess,  iv.  212-214  ;  over  the 
loss  of  holiness,  iv.  334,  scq. 

Mourniiig,  moderate,  i.  .309,  310  ;  not  im- 
moderate, i.  465  ;  mourn  over  the  loss  of 
holiness,  iv.  334,  seq. 

Multipliciti/  of  worldly  business,  i.  89. 

Multiiui/e,  sin  witli,  must  suffer  with,  i.  85. 

Murmurcrs,  i.  320  ;  heinous  and  dangerous, 
i.  333,  334  ;  shews  a  root  of  bitterness,  i. 
334  ;  infamous,  i.  334,  335 ;  a  mother-sin, 
i.  335  ;  God-provoking,  i.  336  ;  the  devil's 
image,  i.  336,  337  ;  mercy-imbittering  sin, 
i.  337  ;  mercy-desti-oying  sin,  i.  337,  338 ; 
unfits  the  soul  for  duty,  i.  338,  339 ;  time- 
destroying  sin,  i.  3.39  ;  Christians  least 
cause  to  be,  i.  340  ;  makes  life  invisibly 
miserable,  i.  340,  341 ;  adds  to  afflictions, 
i.  361,  364. 

Musivg,  i.  339. 

Mute  Christian,  i.  294,  seei.;  a  great  duty  to 
be,  i.  295. 

Myrtle,  i.  172 ;  ii.  517. 

Names  given  to  the  wicked  in  the  Bible,  i. 
62  ;  to  Satan,  i.  156;  'good,'  i.  379;  hardly 
recovered  when  lost,  i.  380 ;  of  Jesus,  i.  381 ; 
God  wipes  off  reproach  cast  on  good,  i.  382, 
383  ;  many  professors  take  up  in  a  great, 
iii.  470 ;  the  several  names  which  denote 
the  essence  of  God  are  attributed  to  Christ 
also  in  the  blessed  Scriptures,  v.  150,  seq. 

Natalia,  i.  196. 

Natural,  of  men  in  their  natural  state  ;  a 
man  in,  -without  God  in  the  world,  ii.  115. 


Natures,  of  Christ  two  :  of  his  eternal  deity, 
v.  149,  scq.;  of  Christ's  manhood,  v.  167, 
seq.;  several  reasons  why  Christ  did  par- 
take of  both,  V.  175,  seq.;  eleven  inferences 
drawn  from  the  deity  and  humanity  of 
Christ,  V.  182,  seq. 

Necessity,  cursed,  i.  25';  not  difficulty,  i.  74 ; 
of  believing,  i.  144 ;  the,  of  holiness,  iv, 
150,  seq. 

Needy,  wicked  the  most,  i.  44. 

Neglecting,  he  that  willingly  neglects  private 
prayer,  shall  certainlj-  be  neglected  in  his 
public  prayer,  ii.  191-192 ;  of  ordinances, 
and  omission  of  religious  duties,  impedi- 
ment to  assurance,  ii.  388,  389. 

Neuters  shall  not  go  to  heaven,  iv.  89,  90. 

Niceness,  spiritual,  iv.  23. 

Nightingale,  ii.  171. 

Noble,  the  more  bound  to  be  holy,  iv.  6. — (See 
under  Bich  and  Miches. ) 

Notes,  Brooks'  own  valuable,  I.  xvii. 

Nothing  we  have,  but  what  has  been  received, 
i.  125,  126 ;  in  Christ  to  discourage,  and 
everything  to  encourage,  i.  143. 

Number  our  days,  i.  180 ;  of  saints  not  di- 
minished, but  increased  by  persecution,  iv. 
286,  287. 

Obedience,  ii.  427  ;  a  thing  that  accompanies 
salvation,  ii.  432;  what,  or  properties  of, 
that  accompanies  salvation,  ii.  468;  cordial 
and  hearty,  ii.  468,  469 ;  universal,  ii.  469, 
470;  springs  from  inward  spiritual  causes, 
ii.  470,  471;  ready,  free,  and  willing,  ii. 
471-473;  peremptorj',  ii.  473;  end  of,  is 
divine  glory,  ii.  473,  474;  constant,  ii.  474, 
475;  passive,  ii.  475,  476;  if  from  faith,  then 
our  estate  good,  an  infallible  work  of  God 
upon  our  soul,  iii.  335 ;  seven  ways  to  know 
when  ours  is  the,  of  faith,  with  the  resolu- 
tion of  some  considerable  questions  about, 
worthy  of  serious  consideration,  iii.  335, 
scq.;  Christ  did  iierform  that  active,  unto 
the  law  of  God  which  we  should,  but  by 
reason  of  sin  could  not,  perforin,  v.  71,  scq. ; 
a  plea  drawn  up  from  the  acti\  e,  of  Christ, 
V.  75,  scq.;  of  the  passive,  of  Christ,  v.  76, 
77. — (See  Unitcisal.) 

Objections,  several,  answered,  ii.  119,  scq.; 
against  private  prayer  answered,  in  several 
particulars,  ii.  202,  seq.  01  j.  (1.)  We  have 
no  power  to  make  ourselves  holy,  answered, 
iv.  241,  seq.;  (2.)  But  hereafter  may  be 
time  enough  to  look  after  holiness,  we 
may  be  spared  to  sj)end  a  few  more  years 
in  pursuing  after  tlie  profits,  jileasures, 
&c.,  of  the  world,  answered,  iv.  246,  seq.; 
(3.)  If  we  should  press  and  pursue  after 
holiness,  then  w-e  must  take  our  farewell 
of  all  joy  and  comfort,  of  all  deliglit  and 
pleasu;e,  &c.,  answered,  iv.  249,  seq.; 
(4.)  We  see  that  there  are  none  so  afilicted 
and  persecuted  as  those  who  mind  holiness, 
who  follow  after  holiness,  &c.,  answered, 
iv.  261,  seq.;  (5.)  If  we  should  labour  after 
holiness,  then  we  must  resolve  to  be  poor 
and  mean,  and  low  in  the  world,  for  we 
shall  never  grow  rich  by  godliness,  an- 
swered, iv.  300,  seq.;  (6. )  Should  we  pursue 
after  holiness,  it  Avould  be  a  disgrace  and 
dishonour  to  us  who  are  honourable,  gi"eat, 
rich,  and  high  in  the  world  :  we  are  high- 
born, we  are  gentlemen,  and  well-bi  ed : 
and  holiness  seems  to  be  too  poor  and  too 
low  a  thing  for  such  as  we  are  to  look  after, 


490 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


answered,  iv.  307,  W7.;  (7.)  Should  we 
pursue  .ifter  holiness,  we  shall  be  sure  to 
be  reviled,  reproached,  and  slandered,  and 
we  shall  become  a  scorn  and  a  by-word, 
&c.,  to  all  that  are  round  about  us,  an- 
swered, iv.  317  ;  it  is  impossible  for  any 
man  on  c.irth  to  Widk  according  to  the  full 
breadth  of  God's  royal  law,  answered,  v. 
46-48  ;  I  would  say.  The  Lord  is  righteous, 
but  by  this  fiery  dispensation  I  am  turned 
out  of  house  and  home,  answered  four 
ways,  vi.  219-'229  ;  I  would  justify  the  Lord, 
but  I  have  lost  my  all  as  to  the  world,  seven 
answers,  vi.  229-235;  I  wouldjustify  the  Lord 
though  I  am  turned  out  of  all,  but  this  is 
that  which  troubles  me,  that  I  have  not  an 
estate  to  do  that  good  which  formerly  I  have 
done,  four  answers,  vi.  230-237  ;  I  would 
justify  the  Lord  though  he  hath  turned 
me  out  of  all,  but  God  hath  punished  the 
righteous  with  the  wicked :  this  fiery  rod 
hath  fallen  heavier  xipon  many  saints  than 
upon  many  sinners:  how,  then,  can  I  say 
that  the  Lord  is  righteous?  six  answers,  vL 
237-240. 
Ohservable,   eight  things,   from  Isii.  liii.,    v 

337,  seq. 
Obstinate,  no  special  communion  to  be  held 

with,  sinnei's,  iv.  67,  68. 
Occcmons  of   sin,   Satan  tempts   by,   i.   38; 
remedies  for,  i.  38,  39,  seq.;  shunning,  the 
way  to  conquer,  i.  39,  40 ;  saints  in  glory 
did   so,   i.  40 ;    fit,   half   a  conquest,   ib. ; 
avoiding,  an  evidence  of  grace,  i.  41 ;  to  be 
shunned,  i.  248;  those  who  give,  severely 
punished,  i.  270. 
Offiee  of  Christ  threefold:    (L)  Priestly,  v. 
373-376;    (2. )  Prophetical,    (3.)  Kingly,   v. 
377-380. 
Old,  greater  comfort  when,  if  good  betimes, 

i.  182,  183;  disciples,  i.  191-195,  seq. 
Omission  of  religious  duties,  impediments  to 

assurance,  ii.  388. 
Omnipresence  of  God,  ii.  191,  192. 
One  sin,  i.  14. 

Oneness  of  C!hrist  with  the  Father,  v.  165,  seq. 
Opinions,  false  teachers  seek  to  win  over  to, 

i.  151. 
Opportunities,   i.   173;    young  men  have,  i. 
179;      symbol      of      'opportunity,'      ib. ; 
neglected,  i.  179,  180,  2tJ2  ;  golden,  ii.  69  ; 
make  improvement  of   all,   of   grace  and 
mercy,  ii.  300,  307 ;  grace  gives  singular, 
iii.  102,  103. 
Opposition,  the  saints'  black  angel,  I.  xl ;  to 
the  gospel,   why,  1.  lix-lx  ;  tlie  folly  and 
madness  of  those  who  make,  against  the 
saints  cleared,  v.  548-550. 
Oppression,  insolent  and  cruel,  of  the  poor 
brings  desolating  judgments  upon  a  people, 
vi.  77,  seq. 
Orchard,  jianible  of,  v.  133. 
Ordinances,  I.   xxxviii  ;  medium  regarding, 
I.  Ixix  ;  Mrs  Brooks  on,  1.  Ixxix ;  be  con- 
stant in  using,  ii.  416,  417. 
Originals,  the,  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments concerning  the  covenant,  opened  at 
large,  v.   287,  seq.;  three  original  Greek 
words  opened,  v.  323,  324;  ditto  Hebrew 
words  opened,  v.  324;  two  more  original 
words  opened,  v.  325. 
Ovtvnrd  providences,  no  evidence  against  or 
for,  i.  42 ;  things  not  as  they  seem,  i.  44, 
45;  man,  i.  342;  afflictions  teach  inwardly, 
i.  343. 


Overcome,  sin  most  easily,  ii.  1.5.'?,  154  ;  the 
more  a  man  can,  evil  with  good  upon  holy 
and  generous  accounts,  the  greater  measure 
of  holiness  that  person  has  attained  to,  iv. 
400-402. 

Owniny  of  God:  a  man  that  hath  God  for 
his  portion  will  own  his  God,  and  stand 
up  stoutly  and  resolutely  for  his  God ; 
every  man  will  own  his  earthly  portion, 
and  stand  up  stoutly  and  resolutely  for  it, 
and  so  will  every  Christian  do  for  his  God, 
ii.  92-94. 

Papists,  the  ridiculous  and  superstitious 
i.devices  of  the,  detected,  kc,  v.  210, 
seq. 

Parable  of  an  orchard,  v.  133. 

Paradise  opened,  v.  263,  .tcq. 

Pardon,  i.  253  ;  that  all  the  sins  of  believers 
are  pardoned  at  once  and  actually  unto 
them,  is  proved  by  ten  arg\iments,  v.  01, 
seq.;  all  believers' sins  .ire  fully  and  finally 
pardoned  at  the  liour  of  death,  v.  63,  64 ; 
God  looks  not  upon  those  as  sinners  whose 
sins  are  ])ardoned,  v.  64,  65  ;  pardon  takes 
off  our  oldigation  to  suffer  eternal  punish- 
ment, V.  65,  66. 

PaH  with  anything  for  God,  ii.  99. 

Parts,  leaning  on,  i.  125,  126;  transcend 
others  in,  i.  126,  127. 

'Passions,'  ii.  240,  241. 

Patience  and  impatience,  vi.  241. 

Pauper  scholaris,  i.  xxv. 

Peace  goes  with  the  gospel,  I.  Ix ;  Father, 
Son,  and  Spirit  of,  i.  130,  131 ;  keep  up, 
with  God,  i.  131  ;  no  disparagement  to 
seek,  i.  132,  133  ;  duty,  L  133  ;  in  rela- 
tion to  holiness,  iv.  36  ;  the  imputed 
righteousness  of  Christ  as  the  only  true 
basis,  bottom,  and  ground,  for  true  peace 
and  quiet  of  conscience,  v.  240,  seq.  ;  none 
can  be  so  against  us  as  to  deprive  us  of  our 
reward,  v.  510-512  ;  a  blessing,  vi.  3. 

Pearls,  string  of,  i.  399,  seq.  ;  iv.  52. 

Pensioner,  1.  xxv. 

People,  texts  in  favour  of  God's,  i.  123,  124  ; 
of  Clirist  loved  by  saints,  iii.  79,  80. 

Performance,  resting  in,  i.  89. 

Perfwminci,  difficulty  of,  i.  74. 

Persecution  and  persecutors  ;  persecution  has 
been  the  common  lot  and  portion  of  the 
people  of  God,  iv.  201,  262  ;  Christ  and 
his  apostles  have  long  since  foretold  us 
that  afflictions  and  persecutions  will  attend 
us  in  this  world,  iv.  262-204  ;  persecutions 
that  befall  the  saints  for  holiness'  sake 
shall  never  hurt  nor  harm  the  saints,  iv. 
204-266  ;  that  the  condition  of  persecu- 
tors of  all  conditions  under  heaven  is  tho 
most  sad  and  dejdorable  condition,  is 
made  good  by  five  arguments,  iv.  206,  seq.  ; 
that  (iod  will  bear  his  people  company  in 
all  their  afflictions  and  persecutions,  iv. 
270,  srq.  ;  he  shall  be  sure  to  suft'er  for 
Christ  tliat  refuses  to  suffer,  or  that  is 
afraid  to  suffer  persecution  for  Christ,  iv. 
278-281  ;  many  great  advantages  that  \vill 
redound  to  Christians  by  all  the  afflictions 
and  persecutions  that  do  befall  Christians, 
iv.  281,  .wq.  ;  to  suffer  afflictioTis  and  per- 
secutions for  holiness'  sake  is  the  greatest 
honour  that  Christians  are  capable  of  in 
this  world,  iv.  292,  293  ;  the  afflictions  and 
persecutions  that  commonlj'  attend  Chris- 
tians in  these  days  are  nothing  to  the  fiery 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


491 


trials  that  the  saints  and  martyrs  of  old 
have  been  exercised  with,  iv.  293,  29-1  ; 
unholy  persons  have  suffered  as  great  and 
grievous  things  for  the  satisfying  of  their 
lusts,  &c. ,  as  Christians  are  like  to  suffer 
for  their  pursuing  after  holiness,  iv.  294, 
295  ;  though  persecutions  may  attend  the 
l^eople  of  C4od,  yet  he  has  very  many 
ways  to  preserve  his  people  from  being 
ruined.and  destroyed  by  persecuting  hands, 
—  as  (1  )  By  laying  a  law  of  restraint  upon 
persecutors  ;  (2. )  By  setting  persecutors 
one  against  another  ;  (8. )  By  passing  a  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  persecutors  ;  (4. )  By 
altering  and  changing  the  hearts  of  perse- 
cutors ;  (5.)  By  taking  of  persecutors' feet 
in  the  same  snares  that  they  have  laid  for 
others;  (6.)  By  providing  cities  of  refuge 
and  hiding-places  to  shelter  them,  iv.  295, 
seq.  ;  all  the  persecutions  that  the  saints 
meet  with  on  earth  shall  advance  their 
glory  in  heaven,  iv.  298-300. 

Perseverance,  a  thing  that  accompanies  sal- 
vation, ii.  433;  its  properties,  ii.  501 ;  in  a 
holy  profession,  ih.  ;  in  holy  and  spiritual 
jDrinciples,  ii.  501,  502  ;  abiding  in  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ,  ii.  502  ;  in  holy  and  gra- 
cious actions,  ii.  502,  503;  Christians  must 
persevere  in  their  pursuit  after  holiness, 
iv.  326-328. 

Persuasion,  ii.  335. 

Petitioners  against  Brooks,  I.  xli. 

Pirates,  iii.  192. 

Plague,  sin  a,  i.  14  ;  in  fine  clothes,  i.  54 ;  or 
pestilence ;  a  rod  and  its  lessons  told  in 
twenty  things,  ii.  149,  seq. ;  a  heavenly 
cordial  for  those  who  have  had,  vi.  410  ; 
various  maxims  concerning,  vi.  411,  seq. 
the  Lord  sends,  vi.  411-413 ;  limited  as 
to  places  by  God,  vi.  413 ;  to  persons 
also,  ib. ;  no  one  knows  love  or  hatred 
by,  vi.  413,  414  ;  God  takes  his  people  by, 
fi'om  greater  judgments,  vi.  414  ;  makes  no 
alteration  in  God's  afl'ection  for  his  people, 
vi.  414  ;  prayer  of  God's  people  efficacious 
during,  vi.  415  ;  can  only  reach  our  out- 
w^ard  man,  ih.  ;  ten  things  to  shew  God's 
l>eople  may  reckon  on  i^reservation  during, 
vi.  415,  seq.  ;  how  comes  it  that  in  this 
time  of  mortality  many  of  God's  people 
die  ?  eight  answers  to,  vi.  423,  seq.  ;  such 
as  fall  by,  suffer  no  loss,  vi.  430,  431  ; 
though  the  godly  die  of,  yet  they  are  de- 
livered from  the  evil  of,  vi.  431,  432  ;  God 
knows  his  own  people  during,  vi.  433  ;  the 
godly  delivered  by  the,  vi.  433. 

Plainness,  1.  Ixx. 

Pleas,  of  the  several  that  every  sincere  Chris- 
tian may  form  up  as  to  the  ten  scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament  that  refer  either 
to  the  general  judgment  or  to  the  particu- 
cular  judgment  that  will  pass  upon  every 
Christian  immediately  after  death,  (1.)  v. 
61 ;  (2.)  v.  70,  seq.  ;  (3.)  v.  75,  seq.  ;  (4.) 
V.  200,  seq;  (5.)  v.  234;  (6.)  v.  256,  seq.; 
(7.)  V.  257,  seq.  ;  of  the  several,  that  every 
sincere  Christian  may  form  up  as  to  the 
ten  scriptures  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ment that  refer  either  to  the  general  judg- 
ment or  to  the  particular  judgment  that 
will  pass  upon  every  Christian  imme- 
diately after  death ;  the  8th  plea,  v.  286, 
seq.;  9th,  v.  327,  seq.;  10th,  v.  329,  seq., 
398,  399  ;  11th,  v.  403,  seq,  413,  414. 

Pleasant  and  good,  i.  132. 


Pleasers,  men,  i.  149,  150. 

Pleasures,  sensual,  i.  200,  201. 

Pontaurns,  a  stone,  i.  30. 

Poor  and  rich  compared,  what  results  to  the 
rich  for  being  rich,  iii.  190,  seq.;  in  spiiit, 
to  such  who  are,  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
belongs,  iii.  2ii8,  269. 

Portion,  saints',  ii.  1,  seq.  ;  doctrine  :  that 
the  Lord  is  the  saints'  portion,  the  Lord  is 
the  believers'  portion,  ii.  12  ;  the  excel- 
lency of,  discovered  by  an  induction  of 
fifteen  particulars,  ii.  12  39 ;  if  God  be 
such  a  portion,  then  God  is  no  mjurious 
portion,  no  mischievous  portion,  &c. ,  ii. 
67-71  ;  what  portion  God  is,  ii.  12  ;  pre- 
sent, ii.  12,  13 ;  inmiense,  ii.  13-15  ;  all- 
sufficient,  ii.  15  - 16  ;  absolute,  needful, 
and  necessary,  ii.  17  ;  (1.)  In  relation  to 
the  soul  and  salvation,  ih. ;  the  con- 
science awakened,  ib.  ;  a  dying  bed,  ii.  17, 
18  ;  unmixed,  ii.  18,  19  ;  symbolised  by 
light,  ii.  19,  seq.  ;  glorious,  happy,  and 
blessed,  ii.  21-22 ;  peculiar,  ii.  22,  23 ; 
universal,  ii.  23-26  ;  safe,  secure,  ii.  26-27  ; 
suitable,  ii.  27-28 ;  incomprehensible,  ii. 
28-30 ;  inexhaustible,  ii.  30-32  ;  soul-satis- 
fying, ii.  32-35 ;  permanent,  indefinite, 
never-failing,  lasting,  everlasting,  ii.  35-37  ; 
incomparable,  ii.  37-39 ;  think  of  God  as, 
ii.  71-73 ;  seek  to  know  God  to  be,  ii.  74, 
75  ;  thei'eby  heart  will  be  fixed,  ii.  76 ; 
raised  above  sinful  doubts,  ii.  76,  77  ;  and 
sweetens  crosses,  ii.  77  ;  and  increases  joy  of 
heart,  ii.  78, 79 ;  and  raises  communion  with 
God,  ii.  80  ;  sweetens  thoughts  of  death, 
ii.  81 ;  present  is  miserable  .and  cursed,  ii. 
Ill  ;  yet  a  possibility  to  get  God  as,  ii.  112  ; 
God  is  a  i^ortion-sweetening  portion,  ii. 
112,  113  ;  none  other  portion  so  impoi'tant, 
ii.  113  ;  never  temptation-proof  till  God 
is,  ii.  113,  114  ;  all  other  to  be  despised 
in  comparison,  ii.  115,  116  ;  must  yourself 
be  God's,  ii.  116,  117  ;  such  as  have  not 
yet  God  as,  ought  not  peremptorily  to  con- 
clude they  never  will,  ii.  130,  131  ;  God  a, 
vi.  281. 

Possible  :  it  is  possible  for  unhol}'  persons  to 
be  made  holy  :  this  is  proved  by  eight 
arguments,  iv.  153,  seq. ;  it  is  possible  for 
those  that  are  holy  to  attain  to  greater 
measm-es  of  holiness  than  any  yet  they 
have  attained  to,  and  this  is  proved  by  five 
arguments,  iv.  340,  .^q. 

Positions,  six  special,  ii.  129,  seq. 

Poierty,  what  is  true,  i.  69;  of  the  saints, 
i.  81 ;  outward,  not  inward,  i.  81. 

Praise  of  men,  I.  xlvi. 

Prayer,  Mrs  Brooks  on  closet,  I.  Ixxix  ; 
sought  by  Brooks,  i.  6,  7,  293  ;  difficulty 
of,  i.  74  ;  be  much  in,  i.  102  ;  reading  and, 
i.  292  ;  for  deliverance  from  affliction,  i. 
307,  308  ;  closet  pra3'er  is  an  indispensable 
duty  that  Christ  himself  hath  laid  upon  all 
tliat  are  not  willing  to  be  under  the  name 
of  hypocrites,  ii.  165  ;  five  arguments  to 
prove  closet  prayer  to  be  a  duty,  ii.  165, 
106  ;  the  most  eminent  saints  in  all  ages 
have  applied  themselves  to  this  duty,  ii. 
166-169;  we  may  more  freely  and  safely 
unbosom  our  souls  to  God  in  our  closets 
than  in  the  presence  of  others,  ii.  172-173 ; 
Christians  enjoy  most  of  God  in  private,  ii. 
174-177  ;  the  time  of  this  life  is  our  only 
time  for  closet-duty,  ii.  177;  the  prevalency 
of  this  duty,  ii.  177, 178— (see  unA^r  Rules) ; 


402 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Clinching,  ii.  183;  meat  and  drink,  ii.  I'M; 
God  hath  specially  iionoured  tliose  who 
abounded  in,  ii.  VJo,  I'M  ;  no  Cliristian 
has  a  dumb  devil,  ii.  I'M  ;  these  are  re- 
proved that  put  off  secret  prayer  till  they 
are  moved  by  the  Spirit,  ii.  I'M  ;  that  pray 
not  at  all,  neither  in  tluir  families  nor  in 
their  closets,  ii.  I'M,  200  ;  that  are  all  for 
public  prayer,  but  never  care  to  go  into 
their  closets,  ii.  200  ;  who  in  their  closets 
pray  with  a  loud  and  clamorous  voice,  ii. 
200,  201  ;  our  many  businesses  no  excuse 
for  neglecting,  ii.  202  ;  those  wlio  attended 
to,  most  prospered,  ii.  202,  203  ;  those 
who  neglect,  fool  away  more  time,  ii.  203 ; 
'  DO  time'  ilare  not  be  pleaded  on  the  great 
day,  ii.  203,  204  ;  a  duty,  or  not  a  duty,  ii. 
20i),  207  ;  calling,  not  to  thrust  out,  ii.  207, 
'206  ;  want  ability  to,  answered,  ii.  221, 
seq.  ;  God  knowing  our  wants  no  objectioii 
to,  ii.  23.5,  scq.  ;  a  conveuieut  place  for, 
wanted,  ii.  237,  seq.  ;  iulirmities  beset  us, 
ii.  238,  scq.  ;  eleven  instructions  concern- 
ing closet  i>rayer,  ii.  248,  seq. ;  help  to  the 
conscientious  discharge  of  closet  prayer,  ii. 
277,  seq.  ;  things  to  be  remembered  in  order 
to  faithful  closet  prayer,  ii.  2'J2-29'J  ;  times 
of,  answered,  ii.  '6'i)6,  seq.  ;  a  thing  that 
accompanies  salvation,  ii.  433  ;  defined,  ii. 
400,  401 ;  what  that  is  that  accompanies 
salvation,  ii.  4i)0  ;  divine  worship,  ib.  ;  four 
requisites  of,  ii.  491,  seq. ;  right  and  undcr- 
standingly,  ii.  41)1,  492  ;  believingly,  ii. 
492  ;  fervently,  ii.  493,  494  ;  assiduously, 
ii.  494,  495  ;  a  good  end,  ii.  496  ;  betters 
the  whole  man,  ib.  ;  difference  of  the  godly 
and  wicked,  ii.  497,  scq.  ;  he  that  will  be 
holy  must  )>e  much  in,  and  be  sure  to  tell 
Goii  of  eight  things,  iv.  229,  seq.  ;  objec- 
tion, the  prayers  of  the  wicked  are  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord  largely  answered, 
that  it  may  never  have  a  resurrection  more, 
iv.  231,  seq. ;  he  that  would  attain  to  higher 
degrees  of  lioliness  nmst  be  much  in  secret, 
iv.  3!S9-391  ;  none  can  be  so  against  us  as 
to  hindtr  private,  v.  501,  502. 
Preach,  great  duty  to,  Cljrist,  iii.  207 ; 
reasons,  iii.  208,  seq.  ;  how  ministers  are 
to  preach  Christ,  iii.  210,  211 ;  eleven  rules 
for  so  doing,  iii.  211. 
'■  Preacher,''  1.  xxvii  ;  preaching,  character  of 

Brooks',  L  xxxii ;  the  best,  I.  xlvL 
PriCedenU,  i.  348. 
'Precious  Kemedies,'  i.  1,  seq.  ;  all  of  God, 

to  the  believer,  ii.  97,  seq. 
Precepts,  not  exam])les,  i.  271. 
Preparations  and  qualifications,  want  of,  i. 
146  ;  those  not  jircparcd  and  qualified  as 
Satan  suggests  have  received  Christ,  i.  146  ; 
scriptures  evidencing  this,  i.  14tj,  147  ; 
such  not  required,  i.  147. 
Presence  of  God,  special,  I.  Ixi  ;  with  JIrs 
Brooks,  1.  Ixxx  ;  in  affliction,  i.  342  ; 
secret,  i.  373,  374  ;  choicest,  in  heaven,  i. 
422 ;  gi-eatest  and  fullest,  ib.  ;  soul-satis- 
fying, i.  422,  423  ;  constant,  permanent,  i. 
424  ;  seven  properties  of  the  divine,  v.  563- 
565  ;  no  presence  to  the  presence  of  God 
for  it  is-(l.)  Of  an  almighty  God,  v.  591, 
592  ;  (2. )  Ol  a  living  God,  v.  592,  593  ;  (3. ) 
Of  an  active  God,  v.  593 ;  (4. )  Of  a  wakeful, 
a  watchful  God,  v.  593;  (5.)  Of  a  wise 
God,  v.  593,  594  ;  (6.)  Of  a  merciful,  a 
compassionate  God,  v.  594  ;  will  make  up 
the  want  or  loss  of  all  outward  comforts, 


v.  594  ;  there  is  a  sixfold  presence  of  God 
—(1.)    General,  v.  457,  458;   (2.)  Miracu- 
lous, V.  4.58  ;    (3.)  Kelative,  v.  458,  459; 
(4.)  iNIajestical  and  glorious,  v.  459;  (5.) 
Judicial   or  wrathful,   (6.  ;  (6.)  Gracious, 
favourable,  signal,  and  eminent  presence  of 
the  Lord  wiih  his  faithful  people  in  their 
greatest  troubles,   deepest  distresses,  and 
most  deadly  danger,  v.  400,  seq.  ;  Quest. 
How  does  the  Lord  manifest  his  favour- 
able, signal,   and  eminent  presence   with 
his    people    in     their    greatest    troubles, 
deepest  distresses,  and  most  deadly  dan- 
gers ?     I   answer   twelve   ways  —  (1. )    By 
raising    their    faith     to    more    than    an 
ordinary  pitch   at    such   a    time,   v.    463, 
seq.  ;  (2.)  By  his  teaching  and  instnicling 
of  them  under  tlieir  greatest  troubles,  v. 
467-469;  (3.)  By  raising,  strengthening,  and 
acting  of  their  suffering  graces,  v.  470-471  ; 
(4.)   By   laying   a   law   of   restraint  upon 
wicked  men,  upon  the  enemies  of  his  peo- 
l^le,  V.  471-472  ;  (5. )  By  guiding  and  lead- 
ing them  into  those  patlis  and  ways  which 
make  most  for  their  own  peace  and  quiet, 
safety  and   security,  v.  472-475  ;    (6.)  By 
encouraging,  emboldening,  animating,  and 
heartening  up  of  his  people,  kc,  v.   475- 
477  ;  (7. )  By  preserving  them  from  troubles 
in  the  midst  of  troubles,  from  dangers  in 
the  midst  of  dangers,  v.  477,  scq.  ;  (8.)  By 
frustrating  and   disappointing  the   plots, 
dangers,  counsels,  and  contrivances  of  their 
niost  powerful  enemies,  v.  483-488  ;  (9.)  By 
his  svmpathising  with  them  in  all  their 
troubles,   &c.,  v.  488,  489;  (10.)  by  pour- 
ing  out   upon   them   a  greater   si)irit   of 
prayer   and    supplication    tlian   formerly 
they    have    had,    v.    489-491;     (11.)    By 
drawing  the  hearts  of  his  people   nearer 
and  closer  to  himself  by  all  the  troubles, 
&c.,   that  do  attend  them  in  this  world, 
V.  491-492;    (12.)  By  rendering  them  in- 
vincible and  unconquerable  under  all  their 
troubles,   &c.,  v.   492,   scri.  ;    several  pro- 
positions concerning  the  signal  presence  of 
God   with    his    pcojile   in    their  greatest 
troubles,   &c.— (1.)    That  Christ  is  many 
times   really  present  when    he    is   seem- 
ingly  absent,    v.   539-541;    (2.)  That   the 
signal   presence   of  God  with    liis   people 
in    their    greatest    troubles    and   deepest 
distresses  is  only  to  be  extended  to  his 
covenant  people,   v.  541-542;    (3.)  That  a 
sincere   Christian   may   enjoy   the    signal 
presence  tif  the   Lord  in  great   troubles, 
supporting  and  ujiholding  of  him  when  he 
lijis  not  the  presence  of  God  quickening 
and  comforting  of  him,  v.  542,  543;  (4.) 
All  saints  have  not  n  like  measure  of  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  in  their  troubles  and 
trials  — some  have  more  and  some  have  less, 
upon  five  grounds,  v.  543,  .544  ;  (5.)  None 
of  the    saints    have   at   all   times,    in   all 
troubles  and  distresses,  the  same  me.asure 
and  degree  of  the  presence  of  tiie  Lord, 
but  in  one  affliction  they  have  more,  in 
another  less,   v.  544;  (6)  I^Iany  precious 
Cliristians  may  have  tlie  signal  presence  of 
God  with  them  in  their  great  troubles,  and 
yet  from  a  doubt  they  peremptoiily  con- 
clude that  they  have  not :  the  truth  of  this 
is  made  evident  by  an  induction  of  ten  par- 
ticulars, V.  544-546.— (See  under  Reasons.) 
Present,  the  only  sure,  i.  208,  209. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


493 


Preservation,  often  reservation,  i.  46. 

Preservative,  soul,  I.  Ixiii. 

Preservatives,  soul,  v.  282. 

Presiuninr/,  iii.  193,  194. 

Prevailing,  none  can  prevail  against  the 
saints,  v.  493,  se^. 

Pride,  used  by  Satan,  i.  3  ;  beware  of,  i.  60 ; 
ten  propositions  on,  iii.  41,  seq. 

Principles,  believer  lives  up  to  his,  ii.  423, 
424 ;  which  grace  enables  to  live  up  to,  iii. 
164,  seq. 

Pririi-Kcy  of  heaven,  ii.  164,  seq. 

Private  opportunities,  I.  Ixv. 

Prized,  Christ  to  be,  and  its  results,  iii.  195- 
198 ;  holy  persons  do  highly  prize  those 
that  are  holy,  iv.  106,  107. 

Prizing  grace  :  no  man  can  really  prize  grace 
above  a  thousand  worlds,  but  he  that  has 
true  grace  in  him,  iii.  3S0  ;  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  should  raise  up  our  hearts  to  a  verv 
high  prizing  of  Christ,  v.  20S-210. 

Prodigal,  the  carriage  and  deportment  of  the 
father  of  the,  to  his  jsrodigal  sou,  v.  326, 
327. 

Profaneness,  i.  58,  59 ;  profane  persons  shall 
not  go  to  heaven,  iv.  82,  .'^3. 

Promises  made  good  to  old  and  j-oung,  i.  277  ; 
he  that  would  have  God  for  his  portion,  of 
all  precious  promises  he  must  plead  one 
most,  ii.  116  ;  eight  hints  about,  ii.  223  ; 
plead,  ii.  116;  exjiress  and  peculiar  to  make 
those  his  people  who  are  not,  ii.  121,  122; 
sin  hinders  from  closing  with,  ii.  152  ; 
absolute,  ii.  417,  seq.  ;  objects  of  faith,  and 
hints  on,  ii.  449, 450 ;  gift  of  Christ,  iii.  106, 
107  ;  the,  of  God,  are  a  Cliristian's  Magna 
Charta,  his  chiefest  evidences  for  heaven, 
iii.  254,  255 ;  how  may  a  jierson  come  to 
know  whether  he  has  a  real  and  saving  in- 
terest in  the,  or  no?  the  great  question 
receives  nine  answers,  iii.  255,  seq.  ;  all 
great,  are  made  over  to  faith  and  repent- 
ance, iii.  264,  265  ;  the,  prove  an  insepar- 
able connexion  between  true  faith  and  eter- 
nal glory,  iii.  280-282 ;  many  scores  of, 
will  he  of  no  use  to  a  Christian  if  he  may 
not  lawfully  come  to  the  knowledge  of  his 
gracious  estate  in  a  discerning  way  of  argu- 
ing from  effect  to  cause,  iii.  476  ;  the  more 
a  man  can  warm  his  heart  at,  and  cleave 
to,  &c.,  when  divine  providences  seem  to 
run  cross  to  the,  the  more  holiness  that 
man  has,  iv.  398-400. 

Pronouns,  ii.  22. 

Prophets,  no  special  communion  to  be  held 
with  false,  iv.  67. 

Propositions,  on  assurance,  ii.  330,  seq. 

Prosperity/,  and  adversity,  i.  13 ;  often  a  ter- 
rible thing,  i.  43  ;  a  prosjierous  estate  of 
all  estates  is  the  most  dangerous,  ii.  41- 
47. 

Providence,  bright  and  dark  side  of,  I.  Ixvi ; 
false  inferences  from  cross-actings  of,  i.  97  ; 
dark  and  strange,  work  good,  i.  98,  99. 

Prudent  silence,  i.  298 ;  eight  things  in,  i 
298-306. 

Punish,  God  doth,  the  apparently  prospered, 
i.  46,  47. 

PuhUc-spirited  men,  iii.  239,  seq. 

Putting  off,  i.  209;  day  of  death  not  to  be 
put  off,  i.  225. 

Punishment,  heavy,  of  those  who  make 
others  offend,  i.  270  ;  Question  :  how  shall 
it  stand  with  the  unspotted  holiness,  jus- 
tice, and  righteousness  of  God  to  punish  a 


temporary    offence   with   eternal    punish- 
ments ?  vi.  212,  seq. 
Purity  of  heart :  they  that  are  pure  in  heart 
are  blessed,  and  shall  see  God,  iii.  272-274. 

Q»p.s</onm(7 and  uncomfort.able condition,  i.  91 
Questions,  wliat  that  faith  is  that  gives  a  man 
an  interest  in  Christ  Jesus?  &c. ,  v.  49-52  ; 
whether  in  the  general  judgment,  or  in  that 
particular  judgment  that  will  pass  upon 
all  the  saints  after  death,  their  infirmity 
or  enormity,  their  weakness  or  wickedness, 
shall  be  brought  into  the  judgment  of 
discussion,  or  no?  that  they  shall  not  is 
proved  at  large,  v.  52,  seq.  ;  what  are  those 
sins  that  bring  the  fiery  dispensation  upon 
cities,  nations,  and  countries  ?  answered, 
vi.  50,  seq.  ;  what  sins  were  there  among 
the  praying  people  in  London  that  might 
bring  down  the  fiery  rod  upon  them  ? 
seven  answers,  vi.  51,  seq. ;  four  questions 
proposed,  vi.  56,  57. 
Quietness,  natural,  moral,  artificial,  gracious, 
i.  329,  330. 

Rashness,  i.  202,  203. 

Read,  looking  for  a  blessing,  i.  290. 

Readers,  the  kind  wished  for  the  '  Golden 
Key,'  V.  13-15 ;  how  to  read,  v.  15. 

Reading,  he  that  will  be  holy  must  set  in 
good  earnest  upon  reading  of  the  holy 
Scriptures,  iv.  223-228 ;  that  question  is 
resolved  whether  it  be  lawful  to  read  other 
men's  works,  iv.  228-229. 

Reaping-da)/,  i.  455,  456. 

Reason,  carnal,  i.  23.i. 

Reasons  for  publishing  'Cases  Considered,' 
L  xxxix-xl ;  ib.,  'Precious  Remedies,' 
i.  4,  5,  for  God  leaving  sin  in  saints, 
i.  94,  for  publishing  'Apples  of  Gold,'  i. 
170-173;  'Mute  Christian,'  i.  287-290;  par- 
ticular, sought  for,  affliction,  i.  321,  322; 
for  publishing  '  Privy  Key,'  ii.  162,  163; 
for  publishing  '  Heaven  on  Earth,'  ii.  313, 
seq. ;  five,  of  the  point  discussed  in  Crown 
and  Glory  of  Christianity,  iv.  77,  seq.; 
several  weighty,  why  Christ  did  par- 
take of  both  natures,  v.  175,  seq.  ; 
(See  under  Presence,)  why  God  will  be 
signally  present  with  his  people  in  their 
greatest  troubles,  &c.  (1.)  to  render  his 
suffering  children  glorious  in  the  very  eyes 
and  consciences  both  of  sinners  and  saints, 
V.  526-528;  (2.)  because  lie  has  in  the 
covenant  of  grace,  and  by  many  precious 
promises,  engaged  himself  to  be  present  with 
them  in  a  day  of  trouble,  v.  528,  529 ;  (3.) 
because  it  makes  most  for  his  honour  and 
glory  in  the  world,  v.  529,  530;  (4.)  be- 
cause then  his  people  stands  in  most  need 
of  his  presence,  v.  530,  531 ;  (5.)  because 
he  dearly  loves  them,  v.  531-533;  (6.)  be- 
cause of  his  property  and  interest  in  them 
and  his  near  and  dear  relation  to  them,  v. 
533,  534;  (7.)  because  commonly  such 
times  are  times  fif  great  and  sore  tempta- 
tions, V.  534;  (8.)  because  lie  highl}'  piizes 
them,  and  sets  an  honourable  value  and  es- 
teem upon  them,  v.  534,  535;  (9.)  be- 
cause they  won't  leave  him  but  still  cleave 
to  him  and  to  his  interest,  v.  535,  seq. ; 
(10. )  that  they  may  he  joj'ful  and  cheerful 
under  all  their  troubles,  v.  537,  seq. 

Rebel,  anecdote  of,  i.  141. 

Recantation,  i.  10. 


494 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Jieccivcd,  all  grace,  i.  125,  126. 

Jtcceiviiifi,  times  of,  times  of  assurance,  ii.  360, 
«('(/.;  cauti<i7is  on,  ii.  .'iCio,  .■<"/.;  f>f  Christ, 
such  as  receive  Clirist  ariyht  arc  the  sons 
of  God,  iii.  265,  200. 

Reckonintj,  i.  217. 

Jtirof/nition  in  heaven,  i.  428;  proofs:  Adam 
knew  Eve,  Hi. ;  the  disciples  knew  Mosos 
and  Elias,  i.  428-430 ;  s.aints  will  rise  with 
same  bodies,  i.  429,  430 ;  personal  know- 
ledge, cliicfest  joy,  i.  430,  431;  the  wicked 
known,  i.  431;  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  .Jacob 
known.  Hi.;  saints  know  as  they  are  known, 
ih. 

Recompense  of  affiictions,  L  73  ;  of  religious 
service,  i.  76;  God  will,  i.  387. 

Record,  place,  special  favours  on,  I.  Ixvii. 

Redemption,  that  the  work  of,  was  a  very 
great  work,  v.  184,  187  ;  of  the  substance  of 
the  covenant  of,  v.  321),  .w/.  ;  of  tlie  excel- 
lent properties  of  that,  we  liave  by  Jesus 
Christ,  (1.)  it  is  a  great  redemption,  v.  352, 
seq. ;  (2.)  free  and  gracious,  v.  354,355; 
(3. )  full  and  ])lenteous,  v.  355 ;  (4. )  eternal, 
permanent,  lasting,  yea,  everlasting,  v.  .355- 
357;  (5.)  enriching,  V.  357, 358;  (6.)  redemp- 
tion-sweetening, V.  3.58;  several  propositions 
for  the  clearing  up  of  the  covenant  of, 
(1.)  that  the  covenant  of  redemption  differs 
from  the  covenant  of  grace,  v.  350,  351  ; 
(2.)  that  God  the  Father  in  order  to  man's 
redemjition  and  salvation  stands  stiffly 
and  peremptorily  upon  complete  satisfac- 
tion, V.  351,  352;  (3.)  tlie  great  business 
transacted  between  God  tlie  Father  and 
our  Lord  .Tesus  Clirist  was  the  redemption 
and  salvation  of  the  elect,  v.  352,  seq.  ;  (4. ) 
the  blessed  and  glorious  titles  that  are  given 
to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  do 
clearly  and  strongly  evidence  that  there 
was  a  covenant  of  grace  p.assed  between 
God  the  Father  and  Jesus  Christ,  v.  358, 
seq.  ;  (5.)  the  work  of  our  redemption  and 
salvation  was  transacted  between  God  the 
Father  and  Jesus  Christ,  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world,  v.  .301,  362;  ((J.)  that 
God  the  Father  liath  the  first  and  chief 
hand  in  this  great  work  of  saving  sinners, 
by  virtue  of  the  covenant  of  redemption, 
wherein  he  and  the  Son  agreed  to  bring 
'many  sons  to  glory,'  v.  3()2,  seq.;  (7.) 
it  was  agreed  between  the  Father  and  the 
Son  that  .Jesus  Clirist  sliould  be  incarnate, 
that  he  should  take  on  him  the  nature  of 
those  whom  he  was  to  save,  and  for  whom 
he  was  to  satisfy,  and  to  bring  to  glory, 
V.  305,361);  (8.)  that  there  were  command- 
ments from  the  Father  to  the  Son  which 
he  must  obey  and  submit  to,  &c.,  v.  300, 
seq. 

Rejoice  with  fear,  I.  Ixviii.  ;  persecuting 
times  are  a  Christian's  rejoicing  times,  iv. 
289-2'.»2. 

Relapses,  i.  110;  saints  liable  to,  i.  110,  111; 
instances,  i.  Ill,  112;  enormities  and  infir- 
mities, i.  112;  involuntary  and  voluntary, 

,  ib.;  saints  not  left  frequently  to,  i.  113; 
a  true  child  of  God  may  relapse  into  the 

'    same  sin   again  and   again,   iii.  430,  seq.  ; 

I  that  a  child  of  God  does  not  relapse 
into  the  same  sin  in  such  a  manner  as 
wicked  men  do,  is  made  good  in  seven 
wiivs,  iii.  4.32,  433. 

Reli'jious  Tnict  Society,  I.  xviii. 

Remedies,  precious,  i.  1,  seq.;    two,  against 


those  fears  that  many  times  rise  in  a  gi'a- 
cious  soul,  iii.  .503,  504. 

'  Rcmemhei;'  i.  178,  170,  250;  God  hath  en- 
gaged himself  to,  the  sins  of  his  people 
no  more,  v.  322,  seq.  ;  to,  implieth  a  four- 
fold act,  V.  325,  326. 

Rcmi.fsncss,  an  impediment  to  assurance,  ii. 
387. 

Renewing  and  restraining  grace,  i.  99. 

Repentance  gives  best  joy,  I.  xlv.  ;  of  saints 
recorded,  i.  24 ;  not  easy  as  Satan  per- 
suades, i.  31 ;  a  mighty,  a  difficult  work, 
ih.;  not  of  nature,  ib.;  damncth  more 
than  sin,  hope  of,  i.  31 ;  true  nature  of,  i. 
32  ;  three  things  on,  ib.;  Hebrew  .and 
Greek  woids  for,  i.  32  ;  from  darling  sins, 
i.  31-.33  ;  sensibleness  of  sin,  i.  33 ;  sorrow, 
and  loathing,  and  shame,  i.  33,  34  ;  strips 
us,  i.  34  ;  a  continued  act,  i.  34,  35 ;  say- 
ing of  Rabbi  on,  i.  35  ;  if  so  easy  would 
not  leave  so  many  without,  i.  35,  30  ;  as 
great  a  work  of  grace  as  not  to  sin,  i.  .36, 
37  ;  Satan  will  at  last  present  it  as  hard 
enough,  i.  37,  .38  ;  the  man  who  would  not 
yet  repent,  i.  37  ;  discouragement  to  be  re- 
pented of,  i.  94;  true  and  late,  i.  190;  a  thing 
that  accompanies  salvation,  ii.  432;  what  or 
properties  of  that  accomp.anies  salvation,  ii. 
461 ;  a  universal  change,  ii.  461,  462;  a  total 
turning,  ii.  402,  403  ;  a  turning  unto  God, 
ii.  463;  strikes  at  the  '  besetting  sin,' ii.  463, 
464  ;  is  large  and  comprehensive,  ii.  464, 
405;  takes  in  sense  and  sight  of  sin,  ii. 
404,  405  ;  confession  of  sin,  ii.  465  ;  contri- 
tion, ib.  ;  blushing  for,  ii.  460 ;  loathing 
and  abhorring  of  sin,  ii.  466;  companion  of 
faith,  love  to  Christ,  fili.al  fear,  ii.  467  ;  a 
contuiued  act,  ii.  467,  468  ;  a  gift  of  God, 
iii.  104,  105  ;  true,  iii.  401,  seq.;  there  is  a, 
tliatdoes  accompany  salvation,  iii.  .390;  (see 
wudev  sorrow  for  sin,  confession  of  sin,  and 
tiirniiKj  from  sin,)  several  observable  things 
alxiut,  and  the  danger  of  delaying  of  it,  iv. 
192,  seq. 

Reprints,  sign  of  the  times,  I.  xv;  the  spirit 
to  read  them  in,  I.  xv. 

Reproach,  shall  cease,  i.  83,  84 ;  false  teachers 
given  to,  i.  150 ;  from  being  good,  i.  264, 
265 ;  nothing  for  Clirist,  i.  205 ;  add 
to  blessings,  ib. ;  best  men  most  re- 
proached, i.  265,  266  ;  reproachers  pun- 
ished, i.  200  ;  even  in  this  life,  i.  200,  267; 
Paul  rejoiced  in,  i.  207  ;  may  be  useful  to 
others,  if  borne,  i.  267,  208 ;  endured  by 
heathen,  i.  268,  269;  falsely,  i.  379;  Christ 
was,  i.  381 ;  God  himself,  i.  384,  385. 

Rcqucits,  personal,  of  Brooks,  i.  173-174. 

Rescifation,  not  preservation,  i.  46;  no,  ii. 
99. 

Resistance  of  temjitations,  i.  116 ;  constant 
and  strong,  i.  llti,  117  ;  present,  i.  159. 

Resohde,  old  disciples,  i.  194  ;  a  man  not, 
and  who  is,  ii.  92. 

Resolutions,  he  that  would  be  much  in  his 
closet  must  be  a  man  of  good,  ii.  295,  290. 

Respites  in  affliction,  i.  51. 

Re,it,  heavenly,  is  sui)erlativc,  universal,  i. 
416;  nninterrujited,  i.  416,  417;  peculiar, 
i.  417;  communicable,  i.  417,  418. 

Restinr/  in  performance,  i.  89,  90 ;  will  ruin, 
i.  90 ;  provided  resting-place,  i.  90 ;  day, 
i.  455. 

Restlessness  without  Christ,  iii.  78. 

Resurrectio7i. — (See  under  Bodi/,  Death,  Re- 
co(/nition,  et  alibi.) 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


495 


■Returning,  souls,  i.  140 ;  God  goes  but  re- 
turns, i.  374. 

Revelation  xix.  8,  opened  and  applied,  v.  231, 
seq. 

Reward,  of  religious  service,  i.  76  ;  secret 
duties  shall  liave  open,  ii.  173,  174. 

Rewards,  i.  211-213  ;  tlie  more  holy  a  people 
grows  the  greater  will  be  their  faithful 
minister's  reward,  iv.  366-3GS;  the  greater 
degree  of  holiness  Christians  attain  in  this 
world  the  greater  shall  be  their  reward  in 
heaven,  iv.  368. 

Riches,  like  bad  servants,  i.  65  ;  like  manna, 
i.  67  ;  spiritual,  i.  82 ;  best,  i.  207 ;  worldly, 
i.  208  ;  the  dangerous  nature  of  eai-tlily, 
set  forth  in  nine  particulars,  ii.  67-71 ; 
lead  to  opposition  to  good,  ii.  68  ;  estrange 
from  God,  ib. ;  bring  deep  sleep,  ii.  68,  69 ; 
divert  from  embracing  opportunities,  ii.  69; 
load  v/itli  cares,  ii.  69,  70  ;  fuel  for  grossest 
sins,  ii.  70 ;  witness  against  wicked,  ii.  70  ; 
make  men  unwilling  to  die,  ii.  70,  71.  Obj., 
we  are  first  for  laying  up  earthly,  and  when 
we  have  done  that  work,  then  we  will  do 
what  we  can  to  get  God  for  our  portion, 
answered  in  three  ways,  ii.  122-124 ;  un- 
searchable, of  Christ,  iii.  1,  seq.,  150,  seq.; 
wherein,  iii.  150, 151 ;  eight  things  by  which 
to  judge  of,  iii.  151,  t^eq  ;  excelling  of  Christ 
above  all  others,  iii.  157,  seq. ;  incorruptible, 
iii.  157 ;  inexhaustible,  iii.  157,  158  ;  soul- 
satisfying,  iii.  158  ;  harmless,  iii.  158, 159 ; 
unsearchable,  iii.  159;  permanent,  iii.  159, 
160 ;  most  useful,  iii.  160 ;  uses  of  the  doc- 
trine, iii.  161;  means  the,  to  grow  rich  in 
grace,  iii.  172,  Vg.  ;  propositions  regarding, 
&c.,  iii.  179,  seq  ;  notes  of  a  person  spiri- 
tually rich,  iii.  190,  seq. 

Righteousness,  self,  i.  59  ;  exalted  to  decry 
holiness,  i.  59 ;  the  believer  stands  in,  of 
Christ,  i.  462  ;  what,  i.  463 ;  of  Christ, 
object  of  faith,  ii.  447,  468  ;  when  a  Chris- 
tian's evidences  are  either  clear  or  .clouded, 
it  highly  concerns  him  to  have  his  heart 
fixed  upon  the  mediatory  righteousness  of 
Christ,  iii.  480,  481  ;  five  admirable  com- 
forts the  mediatory  righteousness  of  Christ 
will  afford  every  gracious  soul,  iii.  481-485 ; 
where  there  is  real  holiness,  there  will  be 
the  exercise  of,  toward  men,  iv.  122-124  ; 
of  the  excellency  and  glory  of  Christ's,  v. 
218,  seq. ;  nine  strong  consolations  that  flow 
from  the  imputation  of  Christ's,  iv.  234, 
seq. 

Ring,  i.  225. 

Rod,  bear  the,  i.  312,  313 ;  symbol  of  aiflic- 
tions  shewn  in  seven  things,  ii.  141-149  ; 
end  in  taking  up  the  rod,  in  seven  things, 
ii.  144-149  ;  lessons  from  the,  or  pestilence 
in  twenty  things,  ii.  149,  seq. 

Root  of  bitterness,  i.  334. 

Rule,  the,  to  walk  by,  I.  Ixvii. 

Rulers,  sometimes  the  sins  of  princes  and, 
bring  the  judgment  of  fire  upon  persons 
and  places,  vi.  116,  117. 

Rules,  for  private  prayer:  be  frequent  in  this 
duty,  ii.  248  ;  take  fit  seasons  and  oppor- 
tunities for  closet  prayer,  ii.  251,  252 ;  see 
that  you  do  not  perform  duties  to  still  your 
conscience,  ii.  2.52,  253 ;  take  heed  of  rest- 
ing upon  closet  duties,  ii.  253-255 ;  labour 
to  bring  your  hearts  into  all  your  closet 
prayers,  ii.  255-257 ;  be  fervent  and  im- 
portunate with  God  in  all  duties,  ii. 
257-266 ;  be  constant  in  closet  prayer,  ii. 


260-262;  in  all  your  duties  think  and  long 
after  communion  with  God,  ii.  202-264, 
seq.  ;  in  all  your  duties  see  that  your  end 
be  right,  ii.  273,  274 ;  be  sure  that  you 
offer  all  your  prayers  in  Christ's  name,  ii. 
274-277 ;  when  you  come  out  of  your 
closets,  narrowly  watch  what  becomes  of 
your  prayers,  ii.  275-277,  seq. 
Running  to  Christ:  under  all  our  pains, 
doubts,  conflicts,  &c.,  kc,  still  run  to 
Christ,  V.  214,  seq. 

Sabbath,  profanation  of,  brings  the  judgment 
of  fire,  vi.  106,  107 ;  twelve  arguments  to 
prove  that  God  hath  been  very  just  and 
righteous  in  inflicting  the  late  dieadful 
judgment  of  fire  upon  tliose  that  jirofaned 
his,  in  London,  vi.  107-114  ;  six  arguments 
to  prove  that  this  abominable  sin  of  profan- 
ing the,  Ciinnot  with  any  clear  evidence  be 
charged  upon  the  people  of  God  that  did 
truly  fear  him  within  or  without  the  walls 
of  London,  vi.  114,  115  ;  burned  citizens 
should  sanctify  the,  all  their  days,  vi.  285, 
286  ;  fourteen  ways  we  should  sanctify,  vi. 
286.. 

Sacrifices,  more  young  than  old,  i.  210. 

Safety  and  Security,  I.  Ix. 

Saints,  Mrs  Brooks'  love  for,  I.  Ixxx  ;  active 
in  duty,  i.  79 ;  great  are  against,  i.  122 ; 
ruined  for  this,  i.  123;  is  to  be  against  God, 
i.  124;  bring  mercies,  ?'6.;  devices  against, 
i.  128  ;  grey-headed,  white-headed,  i.  174  ; 
all  not  of  same  size  and  growth,  iii.  48; 
weak,  described,  iii.  49,  seq.;  duty  of  strong 
to  weak,  iii.  95,  seg.— [See  under  'weak.'] 
dear  to  God,  vi.  459;  dangerous  to  act 
against,  vi.  360. 

Salve  for  afflicted,  i.  289. 

Sanctified,  appeal  to  God's,  ones,  iv.  33. 

Satan,  his  black  hand,  1.  xliv. ;  malice  of, 
i.  3 ;  oj^position  of,  in  Brooks'  writing 
'Precious  Remedies,'  i.  5;  a  parasite  and 
tyrant,  i.  17  ;  shews  best  men's  sins,  i.  24 ; 
names  of,  i.  115  ;  all  sins  not  to  be  laid  on, 
i.  152,  153  ;  a  great  hand  in  most  sins,  i. 
153  ;  double  leave  before  he  can  prevail,  i. 
153,  1.54  ;  spiritual  weapons  only  overcome, 
i.  154,  155  ;  names  of,  i.  156 ;  to  be  trodden 
down,  i.  156  ;  malice  of,  i.  156,  157  ;  long 
experience  of,  i.  157  ;  engage  not  against 
in  self-strength,  i.  161,  162  ;  a  lion,  i.  172; 
cause  of  his  fall,  i.  337  ;  and  the  old  wo- 
man, ii.  183;  a  great  enemy  to  secret 
prayer,  ii.  196,  197  ;  conclusions  from  this, 
ii.  197  ;  times  of  conflict  with  Satan  often 
times  of  assurance,  ii.  372,  373;  opposes  as- 
surance, ii.  401,  402  ;  gratified  by  believers 
living  without  assurance,  ii.  405,  406  ;  is  a 
grand  enemy  to  the  peace,  joy,  comfort, 
settlement,  and  satisfaction  of  every  poor 
Christian,  iii.  472. 

Satisfied,  sin  for,  i.  93  ;  a  soul,  i.  103. 

Satis/ping,  God  a  portion,  ii.  32,  33. 

Satisfaction:  that  God  doth  stand  upon, 
and  will  not  forgive  our  sin  without  it,  is 
made  evident  by  five  arguments,  v.  222, 
seq. 

Saved,  would  be,  i.  157. 

Scandalous,  no  special  communion  to  be  held 
with,  persons,  iv.  66,  67. 

Scorners,  no  special  communion  to  be  held 
with,  iv.  68,  seq. 

Scripture,  acquaint  ourselves  with,  i.  235, 
236  ;  all  men  and  women  that  are  desir- 


496 


UENEllAL  INDEX. 


ous  to  know  liow  it  will  go  with  them  in 
another  world,  they  must  i>eren)ptorily  re- 
solve to  be  detsrniined  l)y  Scripture  in  tlie 
great  matters  of  tiieir  interest  in  Christ,  iii. 
261,  Sfq. ;  take  heod  of  mistaking  of  Serin 
tiu-es,  iv.  192  ;  the  excellency  of,  above  all 
other  men's  writings  is  shown  in  eiglit  jiar- 
ticulars,  iv.  2JG,  s-j.;  several  choice  ones 
oj^ened  an<l  cleared,  (see  text-index  under 
(1.)  Gen.  iii.  15;  (2.)  Jsa.  xlii.  G  ;  (3.)  Isa. 
xlix.  1  ;  (4. )  Isa.  Hi.  1.3,  14  ;  (5. )  Isa.liii.  ;  ((). ) 
Isa.  lix.  2J,  21 ;  (7.)  Zech.  vi.  12,  13  ;  (S.) 
Ps.  xl.  6-8  compared  with  Hebrews  x. 
5-7;  (9.)  Ps  Ixxxix.  28;  (10.)  Zech  ix. 
11  ;  by  tliese  ten  Scriptures  it  is  most  clear 
and  evident  that  tliere  was  a  covenant,  a 
compact,  and  agreement,  between  God  tlie 
Father,  and  our  Lord  Jesus  Ciirist,  con- 
cerning the  work  of  our  redemption. 

Sealini),  ten  special  times  of  the  Spirit's,  ii. 
229,  scq. ;  what.  ii.  229, 

Smsoiis,  tit,  ii.  251. 

Secret  [see  Pra'ier]  prayer  is  most  soul-en- 
riching, ii.  183 ;  is  a  Christian's  refuge  in 
times  of  affliction  and  persecution,  ii.  190, 
191  ;  our  near  and  dear  relation  to  Go(l 
calls  aloud  for,  ii.  194,  195  ;  God  hath  set 
a  special  mark  of  favour  ui)on  those  that 
liave  prayed  in,  ii.  1115,  196 ;  Satan  is  a 
great  enemy  to,  ii.  193,  197  ;  sins,  ii.  184, 
185  ;  four  arguments  to  take  heed  of,  ii. 
ii.  253-256 ;  God  reveals  his,  only  to  his 
people,  ii.  185,  186  ;  there  are  three  sorts 
of  divine,  that  God  reveals,  ii.  1S6,  187  ; 
the  saints  only  are  the  Lord's  secret  ones, 
ii.  185;  praver,  a  dutv,  in  five  things,  ii. 
165,  166. 

Secrets,  three  kinds  of,  ii.  186-189. 

Seeking  God,  vain  thottglits  in,  i.  86 ;  self- 
seeking,  i.  118  ;  leads  to  many  sins,  ib.  ; 
abases  man,  i.  118,  119  ;  curses  and  woes 
against,  i.  119 ;  are  self-destroyers,  i.  120 ; 
examples  of  self-dcuiers,  i.  120,  121 ;  shews 
emptiness,  i.  122  ;  early  seeking  of  God,  i. 
185. 

Self,  natural,  i.  238 ;  religious  and  sinful,  i. 
239. 

Sirvant-<,  being,  not  to  hinder  secret  prayer, 
ii.  210-216  ;  may  be  a  means  of  doing  good 
to  others  thereby,  ii.  216,  seq. 

Sotices,  necessity,  not  difficulty  of,  i.  74  ; 
recpiired,  i.  77 ;  peremptory  in,  i.  87  ;  ini- 
pcrfection  of,  i.  S9  ;  unable  to  sujiport  in 
trouble,  i.  90;  assurance  often  given  on 
entering  \ipon  difficult,  ajid  reasons,  ii. 
350,  scq. 

Sharers,  Christ  and  the  saints,  and  saints  and 
Christ,  iii.  71-75. 

'Shifts'  to  escaiio  affliction,  i.  322,  323; 
God  blasts,  i.  325,  326. 

Shine,  desjiised  sliall,  i.  82. 

Shut  out  and  shut  in,  i.  56. 

Signs,  twelve,  whereby  men  may  know 
whether  God  be  tiieir  portion  or  no,  ii.  82- 
106  ;  four  of  the  gracious  presence  of  God 
with  us,  v.  562,  563. 

Silence,  seven-fold,  i.  295  ;  stoical,  ib. ;  politic, 
i.  295,  2%;  foolish,  i.  296;  sullen,  296, 
297;  forced,  i.  297;  despairing,  297,  298; 
prudent,  i.  298-306;  what  it  doth  not  ex- 
clude, i.  306,  seq.;  why  saints  must  be,  i. 
312,  seq. ;  helps  other  graces,  i.  328  ;  es- 
teemed by  God,  i.  3J9;  if  not,  fighters 
against  prayer,  i.  330;  makes  all  easy,  i. 
330;  gives  possession  of  the  soul,  i.  l\^^. 


332;  commands  in  the  Word  on,  ib.  ■  mercy 
nearest,  i.  333,  334. 

Sileiitium,  A/tuin,  I.  Ixix. 

Sin,    end  of,  I.  Ivii.  ;  shun,   I.  Isiii.  ;    Mrs 
P.rooks  on,  I.  Ix.xix. ;  sjiecial  sins  used  by 
Satan,  i.  3,  4  ;  one,  i.  14  ;  a  bitter-sweet,  i. 
14;  losses  of,  i.  15;  deceitfulness  of,   (6., 
bewitching,     i6.,    painted,    i.     16;     light 
names  to,   i>).,   not  lessened   by,    ih.,  the 
more  dangerous,  i.   16 ;  how  to  look  at,  i. 
17  ;  in  eternity,  i.  17  ;  cost  Christ's  blood, 
ih.,    extenuating  of,    i.    19 ;    called    little 
but  not  so,  ib.,  progress  of,  L  20;   great- 
est danger  in  small  sins,  i.  21 ;  weight  of 
least,    i.    23  ;  more  evil  m   Iccist  than    in 
affliction,  i.   23  ;  S.itan  shows  best  men's 
sins,  i.  24  ;  trade  of,  saints  will  not,  i.  2.5; 
God  punishes  saints  for,  i.  25  ;  landmarks, 
i.  27  ;  awful  to  take  encouragement  from 
saints'  sins,  i.  27  ;  judgment  is  not  to  be 
resisted  in,   i.   27 ;    against    mercy   sorest 
punished,  i.  23 ;  better  to  be  kept  from 
than  to  repent,  i.  36  ;  encouragenient  to, 
from  mercy  provoking,  i.  43  ;  thougli  not 
so  great  as  others,  yet  perdition  in  them,  i. 
55;  poring  on,  i.  91 ;  presence  of,  not  power 
of,  i.  91;  molesting  not  reigning,  i.  92 ;  pro- 
mises of  remission  of,  i.  92 ;  all  charged  on 
Clirist,  i.  93;  believer's  soul  against,  i.  104, 
105;  universal,  i.  105;  relapses  into,  i.  110; 
yield  not  to  tlie  least  to  get  rid  of  tempta- 
tion, i.  117  ;  against  law  of  God  and  nature, 
i.  118 ;  greatness  and  vileness  of,  i.  139  ; 
more  need  of  a  Saviour,  ib. ;  of  the  aiints, 
on  the  day  of  judgment,  i.  220,  seq. ;  blot- 
ted out,  i.  220,  221  ;   not  remembered,  i. 
221  ;  cast  behind  God's  back,  i.  221  ;  par- 
doned, i.  222 ;    covered,  i.   222,  223 ;  not 
imputed,  i.  223  ;  to  reveal  on  the  day   of 
judgment,  unsuitable  to  solemnity  thereof, 
i.  223 ;  to  near  relations  of  Christ,  ib. ;  to 
what  is  required  here,   ib.;  glory  of  man 
to 'pass  over,'   i.   224;  covenant  with,  i. 
2.53 ;    an  eneniv,  ib. ;  bonds,   i.  255  ;    fire, 
i.  255-258  ;  a  thief,  i   258,  259  ;  a  burden, 
i.  2.59  ;  a  tyrant,  i.  260,  261  ;  in  the  life, 
i.  270  ;  allurements  to,  i.  272;  encourivge- 
mcnt  to,  taken  from  God's  mercy,  i.  273, 
274;   aiHict   saints,    i.    308;   more  evil  in 
least  than  in  affliction,  i.  319,  323;  morti- 
fying of,  i.  350  ;  heail  sin  compared  to  re- 
moving skin  of  a  rabbit,  i.  351  ;  of  sin  and 
sinful  shifts,  eight  great  sins,  prosperity 
lays  man  oi)en  to,  ii.  42,  scq.;  how  to  find 
out  a  particular  sin,  answered,  ii.  1.50  scq. ; 
spared,  ii.   151  ;  read  in  your  punishment, 
ii.  151, 152  ;  secret,  ii.  283-292  ;  cherishing 
a  secret,  darling,  impediment  to  assurance, 
ii.  391 ;  motives  to  dissuade  from  this,  ii. 
302 ;  evidence  sincerity,  ii.   392 ;   renders 
otiier  concjuests  easy,  ii.  392  ;  damage  done 
by,  ii.   393  ;  yields  more  joy  than  all  sin, 
ii.  39."{,  394  ;  duty  to  do  every  day  what  we 
would  wish  to  do  on  our  dying-day,  ii.  394; 
till  done,  fears  and  doubts  will  haunt  the 
soul,  ii.  395  ;  mnans  to  mortify,  ii.  395-397; 
little,  iii.  17,  18  ;  seed  of  all  in  heart,  iii. 
37,  38  ;"  great  mischief  of,  iii.  39,  40;  how 
slain,  iii.    70-72  ;  saint   will  not  willingly 
commit,  iii.  79 ;  pardon  of,  a  gift  of  God, 
iii.  106;  eight  arguments  to  arm  us  against 
the  appearance  of  sin,  iii.  (see  under  rfcniiH- 
ionnnd  Jill ili )!(]:'  a  universal  willingness  to 
be  rid  of  all  sin.  is  an  infallible  evidence  of 
the  truth  of  grace  in  the  soul,  iii.  308-.309 ; 


^ 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


497 


a  transcendent  willingness,  a  superlative 
wUliiigness,  to  be  rid  of  sin,  is  an  infallible 
evidence  of  the  truth  of  grace  in  the  soul, 
iii.  309  seq. ;  that  soul  that  does  not  allow 
himself,  or  indulge  himself,  in  a  course 
of  sin,  or  in  the  common  practice  of  any 
known  sin,  that  soul  is  certainly  a  graci- 
ous soul,  iii.  312,  313 ;  that  soul  that 
conflicts  most  with  heart-sins,  and  is  most 
affected  and  afflicted  with  spiritual  sins, 
he  is  certainly  a  gracious  soul,  iii.  313,  seq.; 
that  soul  that  abstains  from  sin,  and  whose 
heart  rises  against  sin  because  of  the  evil 
nature  of  it,  &c.,  that  soul  has  certainly  a 
principle  of  grace,  a  seed  of  God  in  him, 
iii.  315,  seq.;  where  there  is  an  irrecon- 
cilable opposition  in  the  soul  against  sin, 
there  is  a  saving  work  of  God  upon  that 
man's  heart,  iii.  318,  319  ;  where  the  very 
prevailings  of  sin  are  oi'dinarily  made  ser- 
viceable to  high  and  holy  ends,  there  cer- 
tainly is  a  saving  work  of  God  upon  that 
man's  soul,  iii.  319,  320 ;  where  a  bare, 
naked  command  of  God  is  commonly  of 
that  power,  force,  and  authority  with  the 
soul,  as  to  curb  sin  and  restrain  the  soul 
from  sin,  and  to  fence  the  soul  against  the 
encroachments  and  commands  of  sin,  there 
is  certainly  a  saving  work  of  God  upon 
that  man's  soul,  iii.  321,  322;  constant 
desires,  and  earnest  and  constant  endeav- 
ours to  avoid  and  shun  all  known  appear- 
ances of  sin,  evidences  the  truth  and  reality 
of  grace  in  the  soul,  iii.  323,  seq.;  he  that 
sets  himself  mostly,  resolutely,  habitually, 
against  his  bosom-sins,  his  eonstitutiou- 
sins,  &c.,  he  has  certainly  a  powerful,  a 
saving  work  of  God  upon  his  soul,  iii.  331, 
332  ;  that  soul  that  would  not  willingly, 
wilfully,  resolutely,  maliciously,  wickedly, 
habitually,  &c.,  sin  against  tlie  Lord  to 
gain  a  world,  that  soul  is  certainly  a  gra- 
cious soul,  iii.  381 ;  Paul  lays  down  eight 
aggravations  of  his  sins,  and  all  to  greaten 
and  heighten  them,  iii.  408,  seq. ;  many 
indulge  their  lusts,  iii.  470,  471,  (see 
sorrow ;)  there  wei'e  seven  sins  among  the 
professing  people  in  London,  that  ought 
to  work  them  to  justify  the  Lord  though 
he  hath  burned  them  up  and  turned 
them  out  of  all,  vi.  51,  seq.;  [see  under 
Atheism,  Intemxierance,  Callings,  Jncor- 
rigibleness,  Opjyression,  Gospel,  Lying, 
Fornication,  Sabbath,  Clergy,  BuUrs, 
Messengers,  Blood;]  by  fiery  trials  God 
will  make  a  fuller  discovery  of  his  people's 
sins,  vi.  37 ;  designs  the  preventing  sin, 
vi.  37,  38 ;  the  embittering  of,  to  his 
people,  vi.  38,  40 ;  the  mortifying  and 
purging  away,  of  his  people's,  vi.  40,  41 ; 
in  the  general  brings  the  judgment  of  fire 
upon  a  people,  vL  57,  58 ;  of  the  several 
sins  that  bring  the  fiery  judgment  upon 
cities  and  countries  ;  firstly.  It  is  that 
atheism  that  is  rampant  that  reigns  in 
the  hearts  and  Uves  of  sinners  as  a 
prince  reigns  upon  his  throne,  vi.  64 ; 
secondly,  Luxuiy  and  intemperance  bring 
desolating  and  destroying  judgments  upon 
places  and  persons,  vi.  64 ;  thirdly.  The 
Bins  that  were  to  be  found  in  the  citizens' 
callings,  vL  70,  seq.;  fourthly,  Desperate 
incorrigibleness  and  unreformedness  under 
former  wasting  and  destroying  judgments, 
brings  the  judgment  of  fire  upon  a  people, 


vi.  75,  seq.;  fifthly.  Insolent  and  crael 
oppressing  of  the  poor  brings  desolating 
judgments  upon  a  people,  vi.  77,  seq.; 
sixthly,  Rejecting  the  gospel,  contemning 
the  gospel,  and  slighting  the  free  and  gra- 
cious offers  of  Christ  in  the  gospel  brings 
the  fiery  dispensation  upon  a  people,  vi. 
81,  seq.;  seventhly,  A  course  of  lying,  a 
trade  of  lying,  brings  desolating  judgments 
upon  cities  and  people,  vi.  89,  seq.;  The 
eighth  sin  that  brings  the  judgment  of 
fire  is,  men's  giving  themselves  over  to 
fornication  and  going  after  strange  flesh, 
vi.  100,  seq. ;  the  ninth  sin  that  brings 
the  judgment  of  fire  upon  a  people  is, 
profanation  of  the  Sabbath,  vi.  106, 
seq.;  tenthly.  The  profaneness,  lewdness, 
blindness,  and  wickedness  of  the  clergy 
brings  the  judgment  of  fire,  vi.  115. 
seq.;  eleventhly.  Sometimes  the  sins  of 
princes  and  rulers  bring  the  judgment 
of  fire  ujion  persons  and  places,  vi.  116, 
117  ;  twelfthly.  The  abusing,  mocking, 
and  despising  of  the  messengers  of  the 
Lord  brings  the  fieiy  dispensation  upon 
a  people,  vi.  117;  thirteenthly.  Shed- 
ding of  the  blood  of  the  just  is  a  crying 
sin  that  biings  the  judgment  of  fire,  and 
lays  all  desolate,  vi.  117,  seq.;  twelve 
observable  things  about,  vi.  276,  277. 

Sincerity,  ii.  172  ;  when  a  man's  heart  is  sin- 
cere with  God,  V.  16,  17;  labour  for  inward, 
rather  than  outward  glory,  v.  280. 

Singular,  to  be,  i.  269. 

Sinners,  appeals  to,  I.  Ivi,  seq.  ;  bold,  book 
for,  I.  Ixxvi ;  gi'eatest,  have  obtained 
mercy,  i.  140 ;  the  greater  the  dearer, 
i.  142,  143 ;  salvation  of,  God's  delight,  i. 
277 ;  greatest,  stand  in  gi'eatest  need,  ii. 
122;  comfort  for  fioor,  anxious,  iii.  122, 
123 ;  nine  principles  to  lead  to  seek  and 
get  an  interest  in  Christ,  iii.  203,  seq.; 
the  unworthy  alone  get  an  interest  in 
Christ,  iii.  204  ;  Christ  saves  to  the  utter- 
most, ib. ;  things  not  to  be  made  sins  which 
God  doth  not,  iv.  21 ;  the  more  a  man  con- 
flicts with  heart-sins,  the  more  holy  he  is, 
iv.  404-406;  a  holy  heart  rises  (1.)  against  all 
sins;  (2.)  against  secret  sins;  (3.)  against 
the  least  sins  ;  (4. )  against  bosom-sins,  iv. 
109,  seq. ;  sorrow  and  sadness  often  arises 
from  sinning  against  God,  iv.  260,  261 ; 
take  heed  of  scandalous,  iv.  323-325  ;  five 
men's  opinions  how  best  to  mortify,  iv, 
392 ;  four  ways  to  know  when  sin  is  in- 
dulged, V,  17,  18;  thirteen  arguments  to 
prove  that  no  gotlly  man  does  or  can  in- 
dulge himself  in  any  course,  or  way,  or 
trade  of,  v.  18,  seq. ;  ten  arguments  to 
shew  the  folly,  vanity,  and  falsehood  of 
that  opinion  that  is  received  and  com- 
monly avoided  by  ministers  and  Christians, 
viz. ,  that  every  godly  person  hath  his  be- 
loved sin,  his  bosom  sin,  v.  24,  seq. ;  (1.)  all 
wicked  men  have  their  beloved  sins,  their 
darling  sins,  &c.,  v.  30,  31;  (2.)  the  elect 
before  their  conversion  have  had  their  be- 
loved sins,  &c. ,  V.  31 ;  (3. )  after  conver- 
sion, the  hearts  of  the  elect  are  most  set 
against  those,  which  were  once  their  be- 
loved, ib.;  (4.)  after  conversion,  a  sincere 
Christian  endeavours  to  be  most  eminent 
in  that  particular  grace  which  is  most  con- 
trary to  that  sin  which  was  once  his  be- 
loved sin,  V.  31,32;  (5.)  though  no  godly 

2i 


498 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


man  hath  any  beloved  sin,  yet  every  god- 
ly man  hath  one  sin  or  other,  to  which 
tliey  are  more  prone  than  to  others,  v.  32, 
33  ;  eight  remedies  against  keeping  up  any 
special  sin,  either  in  heart  or  life,  against 
the  Lord,  or  against  the  light  and  convic- 
tion of  a  man's  own  conscience,  v.  33, 
seq. ;  five-and-twenty  arguments  against 
keeping  up  of  any  special  sin,  in  heart  or 
life,  against  the  Lord,  or  against  the  light 
of  a  man's  own  conscience,  v.  41,  scq.; 
a  true  penitential  turning  from  all  sin 
lies  in  sLx  particulars,  v.  26,  27 ;  five-and- 
twenty  arguments  to  make  us  to  turn 
from  all,  v.  41,  seq.;  odious  nature  of,  v. 
205,  seq. 

Sizars  and  scholars,  I.  xxv. 

Sleeping,  of  vengeance,  i.  47. 

Smart,  of  affliction,  i.  52. 

Siiiiles  of  the  world,  i.  63. 

Smiting,  benefit  of,  i.  350. 

Snares,  everywhere,  i.  164. 

Snovj  on  a  dunghill,  i.  53. 

Society,  best  reserved  for  heaven,  i.'427; 
of  one  mind,  ib.;  of  sweet  disposition,  i. 
427,  428 ;  convenient  enjoyment  of  each 
other,  i.  428;  particular  knowledge  of 
each  other,  ih. 

Soldier  and  grapes,  iii.  120 ;  CaBsar's,  iii. 
218  ;    and  his  stolen  grapes,  v.  138. 

Son,  true,  ii.  98. 

Sorrow,  sinful,  i.  10,  11 ;  for  sin ;  when  a 
man's,  is  sinful,  shewed  in  six  particulars, 
iii.  305,  306,  and  gi-ief  of  heart  for  sins 
committed,  is  that  first  part  of  repentance 
to  which  the  promise  of  forgiveness  of  sin 
is  made,  iii.  391 ;  eight  ways  whereby  men 
may  know  that  their  sorrow  is  true  godly 
sorrow,  that  it  is  that  very  sorrow  that  is 
a  part  of  true  repentance,  iii.  392,  seq.  ; 
there  are  seven  concomitants  or  compan- 
ions that  attend  and  wait  on  godly  sorrow, 
iii.  398,  399. 

Soul,  dignity  of,  i.  69,  70  ;  worth  and  excel- 
lency of,  i.  85,  86,  216  ;  loss  of,  ib.  ;  great- 
ness of,  ii.  28 ;  holiness  spreads  itself  over 
the  whole,  iv.  105,  106 ;  he  that  will  be 
holy  must  dwell  much  upon  the  precious- 
ness  of,  iv.  221-223 ;  welfare  of  the,  v. 
268,  seq. 

Sovereign,  God,  ii.  119,  120. 

Speeches,  fair,  of  false  teachers,  i.  151. 

Spectacles  not  looking-glasses,  i.  55. 

Spider,  i.  120,  iv.  298. 

Spirit,  public,  i.  121  ;  seven  arguments  to 
prove  that  the  children  of  God  have  the 
Spirit  of  God,  ii.  225-229  ;  he  that  would 
keep  close  to  closet-duties  had  need  labour 
for  a  greater  effusion  of,  ii.  296-297 ;  ten 
special  sealing  times  of,  ii.  229 ;  without  the 
light  of,  our  grace  shines  not,  iii.  476-478. 

Spirit  Holy,  gi'ieve  not,  i.  158  ;  be  filled  with, 
i.  159 ;  grieving  and  vexing,  impediment 
to  assurance,  ii.  385;  hear  voice  of,  ii.  415, 
416  ;  difference  between  and  Satan,  ii.  519, 
seq.;  not  by  outward  voice  but  by  inward, 
ib.  ;  enjoyed  only  by  holy  ways,  ii.  519, 
520;  satisfying,  ii.  520;  not  always  wit- 
ness adoption,  &c.,  ii.  520,  521 ;  is  sure,  ii. 
521;  accompanies  our  own,  ii.  521,  522; 
ever  ascends  up  to  Christ,  ii.  522  ;  is  a  holy 
witness,  ii.  522,  523  ;  only  bestowed  on  re- 
newed hearts,  ii.  523 ;  a  gift  of  God,  iii. 
105 ;  he  that  would  be  holy  must  repent, 
iv.  214-216. 


Spiritual,  persons  most  prized  by  the  saints, 
iii.  80;  most  exercises,  v.  284. 

Spoken,  well  of  by  wicked,  bad,  i.  382  ;  a  holy 
man  speaks  a  holy  language,  iv.  149,  150. 

Stars,  i.  83. 

Stand  up  for  God,  ii.  92,  93. 

Stranqers,  without  holiness  men  are,  to  God, 
iv.  51,  .52. 

Strictness  beyond  Scripture,  i.  59. 

Stumble,  a  fall,  1.57. 

Suffer,  Lord's  time  of  assurance,  ii.  360,  seq.; 
reason,  ii.  362,  scq  ;  caution,  ii.  365,  seq,; 
rather  than  sin,  iii.  164,  165. 

Suffering,  shun  sin  rather  than,  I.  Ixiii ;  if 
sin  with  others  will  suffer  with  others,  i. 
270,  271 ;  times  of,  times  of  assurance,  iL 
3.54,  seq.;  reasons,  ii.  356.  seq. 

Svff'erings,  of  the,  of  Christ,  v.  76,  seq.  ;  the 
true  reasons  why  the  sufferings  of  Christ, 
though  short,  yet  have  a  sufficient  power 
and  virtue  in  them  to  satisfy  God's  justice, 
V.  190,  191 ;  the  sufferings  of  Christ  in  his 
body  largely  opened,  v.  80,  seq. ;  in  his  soul 
largely  opened,  v.  92,  seq.  ;  in  his  soul  were 
very  high,  and  great,  and  wonderful,  v.  98, 
seq.  ;  that  Jesus  Christ  did  feel  and  suffer 
the  torments  of  hell,  though  not  after  an 
hellish  manner,  v.  102,  seq. ;  Christ  suffering 
for  us  should  mightily  endear  .Jesus  Christ 
to  us,  V.  112,  seq.  ;  the  punishments  that 
Christ  did  suffer  for  us  must  be  referred 
only  to  the  substance,  and  not  to  the  cir- 
cumstances of  punishment,  v.  198,  199 ; 
the  meritorious  cause  of  Christ's  sufferings 
were  the  sins  of  his  people,  v.  199,  200 ; 
seven  inferences  from  the  consideration  of 
the  great  sufferings  of  Christ,  v.  201,  seq. ; 
tlie  covenant  of  redemption  should  greatly 
encourage  us  in,  for  Christ,  v.  400,  401  (see 
iinder  irilfal) ;  none  m.ay  shift  off  or  avoid 
v.  419,  420 ;  those  who  refuse,  for  Christ 
will  suffer  more,  v.  420-423 ;  in  early 
times  great  readiness  to  endure  for  Christ, 
V.  423-425  ;  when  may  a  man  safely  and 
groundedly  conclude  that  his  cause  is 
good,  or  that  he  suffers  for  well-doing, 
and  as  a  Christian?  answered  in  ten  par- 
ticulars, V.  42(5,  434 ;  when  a  man  may 
be  a  sufferer,  but  no  martyr,  v.  434 ; 
how  shall  I  know  when  I  am  called  to 
suffer?  answered  in  four  particulars,  v. 
434,  435  ;  the,  in  these  days  light  as  com- 
pared with  those  of  the  saints  in  early 
times,  V.  43.5,  scq.  ;  saints  and  martyrs 
made  light  of  everything  in  competition 
with  Christ,  v.  438,  seq.  ;  God  puts  great 
honour  on  suffering  saints,  v.  441,  442 ; 
puts  great  honour  on  Christ,  v.  442-444  ; 
on  earth  advance  glory  in  heaven,  v.  444, 
446  ;  discovers  what  metal  men  are  of,  v. 
446-448. 

Sun,  looking  at,  i.  55 ;  the,  ii.  15,  16  ;  cannot 
hide  from,  ii.  19. 

Supernatural  things  above  human  power,  i. 
59  ;  objects  of  grace  are,  i.  100. 

Supper,  the  Lord's  to  whom,  I.  xlix.  seq. ;  why 
refused,  ib.,  qualifications  for,  I.  Ii  ;  sym- 
bols of  those  excluded,  1.  Hi  ;  Judas,  was 
he  present  at?  1.  liii,  seq.;  reasons,  grant- 
ing he  was,  I.  liv-lv. 

Supports,  for  those  who  have  lost  assurance, 
ii.  527,  seq.;  of  weak  Christians,  iii.  60, 
seq.  ;  thirteen,  to  bear  up  their  hearts 
who  have  either  lost  all,  or  much,  or  most 
of    what    they    have    in    this    world  : — 


GENEKAL  INDEX. 


499 


the  first  support  is  this,  the  great  God 
might  have  burnt  up  all,  he  might  not 
have  left  one  house  standing,  vi.  166- 
168;  the  second  support  is  tliis — ^viz., 
That  God  has  given  them  their  lives  for  a 
prey,  vi.  168,  seq.;  the  third  support  is 
this,  —  viz.,  This  has  been  the  common 
lot,  the  common  case  both  of  sinners  and 
saints,  vi.  174-176 ;  the  fourth  support  is 
this — viz.,  That  though  they  have  lost 
much  as  they  are  men,  as  they  are  citizens, 
merchants,  tradesmen,  yet  they  have  lost 
nothing  as  they  are  Cliristians,  as  they  are 
saints,  as  they  are  the  called  of  God,  vi. 
176-177;  the  fiftli  support  is  this — viz.. 
That  the  Lord  will  certainly  one  way  or 
another  make  up  all  their  losses  to  them, 
vi.  177-179;  tlie  sixth  support  is  this — 
viz..  That  by  fiery  dispensations  the  Lord 
will  make  way  for  the  new  heavens  and 
the  new  earth,  he  ■will  make  way  for  the 
glorious  deliverance  of  his  people,  vi.  182 ; 
the  seventh  support  is  this — viz..  That  by 
fiery  dispensations  God  will  bring  about 
the  ruin  and  destruction  of  his  and  his 
people's  enemies,  vi.  183,  L84 ;  the  eighth 
support  is  tliis — viz..  That  all  shall  end 
well,  all  shall  work  for  good,  vi.  184,  185; 
the  ninth  support  is  this — viz..  That  there 
was  a  great  mixture  of  mercy  in  that 
dreadful  judgment  of  fire  that  turned  Lon- 
don into  a  ruinous  heap,  185,  seq.;  the 
tenth  support  is  this — viz.,  That  there  are 
worse  judgments  than  the  judgment  of  fire, 
which  God  might  but  has  not  inflicted 
upon  the  citizens  of  London  ;  this  is  made 
good,  five  ways,  vi.  189,  seq. ;  the  eleventh 
support  is  this — viz. ,  Your  outward  condi- 
tion is  not  worse  than  Christ's  was  when 
he  was  in  the  world,  vi.  195,  196 ;  the 
twelfth  support  is  this — viz..  That  your 
outward  condition  in  tliis  world  is  not 
worse  than  theirs  was  of  whom  this  world 
was  not  worthy,  vi.  196,  197 ;  the  thii-- 
teenth  support  is — viz..  There  is  a  worse 
fire  than  that  which  has  turned  London 
into  a  ruinous  heap,  viz.,  the  fire  of  hell, 
which  Christ  has  freed  believers  from,  vi. 
197,  seq. 

Suretyship  of  Christ :  all  the  sins  of  believers 
were  laid  upon  Christ,  their  surety,  v.  66, 
seq.;  whether  God  were  not  unjust  to  give 
Jesus  Christ  to  be  our  surety,  answered,  v. 
69,  seq.;  the  suretyship  of  Christ  considered 
at  large,  v.  251,  seq. 

Surrender,  to  God,  i.  305,  306. 

Sweet,  sin  a  bitter,  i.  14. 

Table,  God's,  ii.  30. 

Talents,  entrusted,  v.  284,  285. 

Taxiis,  vi.  353. 

Teachers,  false,  i.  149,  seq. 

Tears,  ii.  180,  181. 

Temporary  grace,  i.  99-102. 

Temple  of  Jerusalem,  destruction  of,  vi.  154, 
seq. 

Temptations  of  Satan,  i.  4;  a  man  is  what  he 
is  in,  i.  47 ;  instances,  ih. ;  used  hy  Satan 
to  harass,  i.  113,  114 ;  best  beloved  most 
under,  i.  114  ;  instances,  ib. ;  are  sanctified, 
i.  114,  115  ;  do  not  hurt  if  resisted,  i.  115, 
116  ;  watchful  for,  i.  117  ;  why  permitted, 
i.  156,  seq. ;  to  keep  humble,  i.  156  ;  shew 
Satan's  malice,  i.  156,  157 ;  judgment  of 
wicked,  i.  157  ;  excellency  of  God's  grace 


in,  i.  157  ;  best  armour  in,  i.  331 ;  saints 
most,  i.  366  ;  resisted  and 'bewailed,  harm 
not,  i.  366,  367 ;  hopeful  evidences,  i. 
367 ;  while  Satan  tempts,  Christ  inter- 
cedes, i.  367,  368  ;  work  for  good,  i.  368 ; 
increase  spiritual  experiences,  (7*.  ;  jireven- 
tions  of  abominations,  i.  368,  369  ;  exercise 
grace,  i.  369 ;  render  more  serviceable, 
ib. ;  an  honour  to  be  tempted,  i.  370 ; 
make  saints  more  ju-ayerful,  i.  371 ;  con- 
form to  Christ,  ib. ;  makes  sin  more  hate- 
ful, ib. ;  Mrs  Blake  in  school  of,  i.  405 ; 
God,  a  portion,  only  makes  temptation- 
proof,  ii.  113,  114 ;  assurance  given  to 
guard  in,  ii.  363 ;  of  sad  and  strange,  iv. 
258-260. 
Text,  basis  of  Brooks',  I.  xvi ;  of  Crown 
and  Gloiy  of  Christianity  opened,  iv.  36, 
seq. 
Texts  for  the  profane,  I.  xlv. 
Thankfulness  for  escape  from  Satan,  i.  163 ; 
the  people  of  God  should  be  very  thankful 
to  God  for  his  presence  with  them  in  their 
greatest  troubles,  &c.,  v.  557-559. 
Thankfulness  and  unthankfulness,  iii.  75,  76, 
seq.  ;  be  cordially  thankful  for  holiness,  iv. 
325,  326 ;  we  ought  to  encourage  Christ- 
ians to,  and  cheerfulness  under  the  late  de- 
solating judgment  of  fire,  vi.  249,  250. 
Thief,  sin  a,  i.  258,  259 ;  on  the  cross,  i.  274, 

275. 
Things  that  accompany  salvation,  ii.  431  ; 
cautions  concerning,  ii.  511,  512 ;  that  up- 
hold weak    Christians,    iii.    60,   seq.;    for 
which  God  values,  v.  266. 
Thirsting :    they  which   truly  hunger   and 
thirst  after  righteousness  are  blessed,  iii. 
270,  271. 
Thoughts,  precious,  of  God,  I.  Ixvi;  vain,  i. 
86;  great,  of  God,  ib.;  wandering,  i.  87; 
not  sinful  if  abhorred,  ib.;  subdued,  i.  88  ; 
if  God  be  thy  portion,  then  thou  hast  very 
sweet,  precious,  high,  and  honourable,  of 
God,  ii.  82-84. 
Tiger,  I.  xl. 

Time,  a  talent,  i.  181 ;  Egyptian  picture  of, 
i.  182;  youth,  best,  i.  187,  188;  "time 
enough,"  i.  261;  God's  the  best,  i.  358, 
359,  386,  387 ;  precious,  vi.  171. 
Time  and  times,  the  time  wherein  we  live  calls 
aloud  for  secret  prayer,  ii.  193,  194  ;  not  to 
spend  much  time  about  the  little  things  of 
religion,  ii.  280 ;  five  reasons  whj'  servants 
should  redeem  time  for  private  pra.yer  from 
their  sleep,  recreations,  &c.,  ii.  217-219; 
God  the  only  Lord  of,  ii.  215  ;  Egyptian 
representation  of,  ii.  216  ;  conversion,  be- 
lieving, humbling,  sin-killing,  ii.  230 ;  suf- 
fering, self-denying,  ii.  231,232 ;  sacrament, 
ii.  232;  noble,  ii.  232,  233;  seasons  of 
private  praying,  ii.  233  ;  of  assurance,  ii. 
346,  seq. ;  waiting,  often  season  of  assur- 
ance, ii.  353,  seq. ;  also  suffering,  ii.  354-360; 
also  hearing  and  receiving,  ii.  360-362 ; 
reasons,  ii.  362,  seq.  ;  cautions,  ii.  365,  seq.  ; 
of  afiBictions,  season  of  assurance,  ii.  366, 
seq. ;  also  of  prayer,  ii.  368,  seq. ;  of  con- 
flicts vrith  Satan,  season  of  assurance,  ii. 
372,  373  ;  Christians  should  take  the  most 
compendious  time  for  the  casting  up  of 
their  spiritual  accounts,  iii.  294  ;  there  are 
seven  times,  seasons  or  cases  where  a  Chris- 
tian should  not  cast  up  his  spiritual  ac- 
counts, iii.  295,  seq.  ;  of  the  special  times 
-    wherein  God  calls  loudest  for  holiness  ;  (1. ) 


500 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


after  great  falls  God  calls  aloud  for  holi- 
ness, iv.  435,  436;  (2.)  when  God  shows 
signal  mercy  to  his  people,  iv.  436-438  ;  (3. ) 
of  personal  afflictions,  iv.  438, 439;  (4. )  when 
persons  under  a  great  profession  fall  scan- 
dalising, iv.  43t),  440;  (5.)  when  men  draw 
near  to  God,  iv.  440,  441 ;  (6.)  when  God  ap- 
peareth  in  the  greatness  of  his  judgment 
upon  wicked  and  ungodly  men,  iv.  441, 442  ; 
(7. )  when  men  are  by  God  called  forth  to  war, 
iv.  442,  443;  (8.)  when  God  separates  his 
people  from  the  world,&c.,  iv.  443, 444  ;  (9.) 
when  the  great  day  of  the  Lord  draws  near, 
iv.  444-445;  (10.)  when  death  stands  at 
your  backs  and  knocks  at  your  doors,  iv. 
445,  446 ;  special,  v.  266. 
Toiujue,  vi.  303,  304. 
Tormented,  i.  55. 

Transaction,  the  manner  and  quality  of  the, 
between  God  the  Father  and  Jesus  Christ 
was  by  mutual  engagements  and  stipula- 
tions :  each  person  undertaking  to  perform 
his  part  in  order  to  our  recovery  and  eter- 
nal felicity,  v.  370,  371. 
Treason,  story  of,  i.  219. 
Treasures  of  a  saint,  i.  71. 
Trees  of  the  forest,  i.  323. 
Tremhling  at  the  word,   L  Ixxiv,  scq.;  the 

wicked,  who  do,  ib.;  the  godly,  ih. 
Trial  of  our  state,  I.  Ixvii. 
Triumphing  in  Christ  Jesus,  the  imputation 
of   Christ's   righteousness  affords   us   the 
highest  reason  to  rejoice  and  tiiumph  in 
Christ  Jesus,  v.  244,  seq. 
Tropldcs,  i.  40. 

Troubles  do  not  hurt,  i.  70,  71 ;  delivered  from 
by,  i.  72 ;  for  sin,  flows fromfaith.i.  147, 148  ; 
many,  i.  287 ;  impossible  to  sin  out  of,  i. 
324  ;  prejudicial  to  do  so,  ib. ;  ignoble,  i. 
324,  325  ;  fly  to  God  in,  ii.  84 ;  there  is  no 
such  great  evil  in  outward,  as  men  conceive 
and  imagine,  v.  553,  554. 
Trust,  take  no  truths  on,  I.  Ixv. 
Truth,  1.  xl,  8 ;  receive  affectionately,  i.  57 ; 
sayings  on,  i.  58;  hold  fast,  i.  59,  60;  die, 
though  cannot  dispute  for,  i.  60;  per- 
secuting times  are  truth -advancing  tunes, 
iv.  288,  289. 
Try,  what  thou  readest,  i.  291 ;  seven  motives 
to  try  whether  you  have  real  holiness,  iv. 
95,  seq. 
Turning;  the  third  part  of  true  repentance 
lies  in  turning  from  all  sin  to  God,  iii.  415, 
416;  (1.)  that  turning  from  sin  which 
brings  a  man  within  the  compass  of  the 
promise  of  forgiveness  of  sin,  is  a  cordial 
turning  from  sin,  iii.  416,  417  ;  (2.)  a  true 
penitential  turning  is  an  universal  turning, 
a  turning  not  from  some  sins,  but  from  all 
sins,  iii.  417  ;  eight  great  reasons  why  the 
true  penitent  turns  from  sin  universally, 
iii.  417  scq. ;  in  answer  to  an  objection  it  is 
declared,  that  a  true  penitential  turning 
from  all  sin  consists  in  six  things,  iii.  424, 
aeq. ;  thirdly,  a  true  penitential  turning  is 
a  constant,  a  contiimal  turning  from  sin, 
iii.  428,  seq.  ;  Quest. :  But  in  what  respects 
is  a  true  penitential  turning  from  sin  such 
a  turning  from  sin  as  never  to  return  to 
sin  any  more?  In  what  respects  is  the 
penitent's  turning  from  sin  a  continued 
and  steadfast  turning  from  sin  ?  Ans.  This 
is  a  very  sober,  serious,  weiglity  question, 
and  bespeaks  a  very  sober,  serious,  and 
satisfactory  answer,  and  therefore,  it  is 


answered  first,  negatively,  iii.  4.30,  seq,  ; 
and  secondly,  affirmatively,  iii,  433,  seq.; 
a  true  penitential  turning  from  sin  in- 
cludes a  returning  to  God ;  sin  is  an 
aversion  from  God,  and  repentance  is  a 
conversion  to  God,  iii.  434,  scq. 

Twigs,  of  the  rod,  i.  313. 

'Types,  the  scape-goat  was  a  most  lively  type 
of  Christ,  v.  253,  seq. 

Unbelievers,  we  are  to  have  no  secret,  no 
special  communion  with,  iv.  63,  64  ;  un- 
belief doth  very  ill  become  the  saints  in  a 
day  of  jubilee,  v.  555-557. 

Uncertainties,  be  not  content  vrith,  v,  283. 

Uncertainty  of  worldly  things,  i.  65 ;  symbol 
of,  ii.  5. 

Understanding,  leaning  on,  i.  226,  227. 

Ungodly,  i.  334,  335. 

Unliolu,  a  holv  jjerson  will  be  holy  among  the, 
iv.  139-141." 

Union  and  love,  i.  129  ;  near,  of  saints,  i.  131, 
132  ;  death  dissolves  not,  between  Christ 
and  believers,  i.  451 ;  persecuting  times  are 
uniting  times,  iv.  287,  288  ;  resd  holiness  ia 
an  infallible  evidence  of  thy  real  union 
with  Christ,  iv.  417  ;  none  can  be  so  against 
us  as  to  hinder  our,  with  Christ,  v.  513, 
515. 

Universal,  the  more,  a  man's  obedience  is, 
the  more  holy  that  man  is,  iv.  403,  404 ; 
five  and  twenty  arguments  for  universal 
obedience,  v.  41,  seq.;  an  objection  against 
universal  obecUence  answered,  v.  45,  46  ; 
obedience  consists  in  nine  things,  v.  46, 
seq.  ;  the  covenant  of  redemption  looks 
sourly  upon  the  doctrine  of  universal  re- 
demption, V.  399,  400. 

Unkindness  in  little  things,  i.  21. 

Unrighteousness  :  Christ's  mediatory  right- 
eousness takes  away  all  our,  v.  236, 
237. 

Unwillingness  of  Christ  to  save,  a  device  of 
Satan,  i.  148  ;  disproved,  ib.  ;  not  tin- 
worthiness  hinders,  ii.  125,  126. 

Unworthiness,  i.  144  ;  the  unworthy  alone 
receive  Christ,  i.  145 :  Obj.  "We  would  fain 
have  God  for  our  portion,  but  we  are  such 
poor,  unworthy  wretches,  that  wo  very 
much  question  whether  ever  God  will  be- 
stow himself  ujion  such  miserable,  un- 
worthy souls  as  we  are,  &c.,  answered  five 
ways,  ii.  119-127;  God  gives  himself  o:dy 
to  the  unworthy,  ii.  125. 

Uprightness,  enduring  of  persecution,  an  ar- 
gument of,  iv.  281,  282 ;  God's  delight  in 
the  progress  of  the  upright,  vi.  335,  seq. ; 
heart,  vi.  340,  scq.;  upright  hearts,  will 
hold  on  in  ways  of  God,  vi.  343,  scq.;  up- 
right hearts  few,  vi.  345,  346. 

Use,  holy  persons  will  be  holy  in  the,  of 
earthly  and  common  things,  iv.  127, 
128. 

Valuing:  a  man  that  hath  God  for  his  por- 
tion sets  the  highest  value  upon  those 
that  have  God  for  theii*  portion,  ii.  103, 
104. 

Vanity  of  the  world,  L  64. 

Vengeance,  sleeping,  i.  47. 

Verily  :  what  this  word  imports,  iv. 
48. 

Vilified,  i.  380. 

Vineyard,  all  not  called  to  at  first  hour,  i.  276. 

Violet,  L  136 ;  iii.  248. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


501 


Virtue^s  colours,  i.  16. 

Visions,  of  God  obscure  here,  L  419. 

Vocation  :  real  holiness  is  a  sure  evidence  of 

a  man's,  iv.  418,  419. 
Voluntary  and  involvntary  relapses,  i.  112, 

113. 
Voivs,  he  that  wiU  be  holy  must  dwell  much 

upon  his  solemn,  iv.  219-221. 

Waiting,  on  God,  i.  87 ;  watch  in,  ib.  ; 
patient,  i.  306  ;  a  man  that  would  have 
God  for  his  portion  must  wait  upon  him  in 
the  use  of  all  holy  means,  ii.  118,  119 ; 
times  of,  times  of  assurance,  ii,  353,  seq. ; 
a  gift  of  God,  ii.  418,  419,  iii.  90,  91 ;  he 
that  will  be  holy  must  wait  upon  the  word 
faithfully  preached,  iv.  216-218 ;  he  that 
will  be  holy,  when  he  has  done 'all  must 
wait,  iv.  238-240. 

Walk  together  so  far  as  agreed,  i.  134;  by 
rule,  i.  158. 

Walking :  there  is  .no  condemnation  to  such 

who  walk  after  the  Spirit,  iii.  280. 
Wantonness,  i.  203,  204. 

Wants  of  the  wicked  very  great,  i.  43,  44; 
such  as  have  God  for  their  portion  in  all 
their  wants,  troubles,  and  trials,  run  to 
their  God,  will  fly  to  the  Lord  as  their 
only  city  of  refuge,  ii.  84-87  ;  God  know- 
ing our,  an  objection  answered,  ii.  235, 
seq.  ;  he  that  would  perfect  holiness  in  the 
fear  of  the  Lord,  should  labour  to  be  more 
acquainted  and  affected  with  his  spiritual, 
iv.  384,  385. 

Warnings,  ten  arguments  to  work  men  to 
take  heed  of  slighting  divine,  vi.  31,  seq. 

Watch,  against  vain  thoughts,  i.  87,  88 ; 
keep  strong  and  constant,  i.  160  ;  Satan  an 
example  in,  i.  160,  161. 

Water-supply,  burned  early  in  Fire  of  London, 
vi.  131. 

Ways  to  be  chosen,  I.  Ixv;  of  holiness, 
crosses  in,  i.  47,  48  ;  grace  keeps  holiest,  i. 
101 ;  of  God,  five  things  on,  vi.  342,  seq. ; 
why  upright  hearts  will  hold  on  in,  spite 
of  everything,  vi.  343,  seq.;  directions  how 
to  hold  on  in,  vi.  354,  seq. 

Weak  saints,  characteristics  of,  iii.  49-60  ;  the 
things  that  uphold,  iii.  60-75 ;  duty  of,  iii. 
75,  seq.;  what  is  found  in,  so  as  to  deter- 
mine a  state  of  grace  or  no,  iii.  78 ;  would 
not  choose  his  condition  with  men  of  the 
world,  iii.  81, 82  ;  mast  not  turn  aside  from 
ways  of  God  from  hardness,  kc,  ui.  91, 
seq.;  must  observe  how  God  keeps  will 
and  affections  of,  iii.  93 ;  must  not  make 
sense  and  feeling  judges,  iii.  94,  95 ;  duty 
of  strong  to,  iii.  95,  seq. 

Weakness,  notice  graces  rather  than,  i.  128, 
129 ;  instances,  ib. 

Weapons,  spiritual,  i.  154. 

Weather,  i.  306. 

Weep,  a  time  to,  i.  309,  310, 

Weighty  things,  i.  150,  151. 

Wicked  company,  i.  61 ;  God's  commands 
against,  ib.;  infectious  and  dangerous, 
i.  61,  62 ;  Bible  names  of,  i.  62 ;  grief  to 
saints,  ib.;  portion  of  cursed,  ii.  22 ;  com- 
pared to  four  things  in  Scripture,  vi.  183, 
184. 

'  Wiles'  explained,  i.  11. 

Wilful,  no  engagement  of  God  to  those  who 
run  into,  sufferings,  v.  416,  417. 

Will  of  Brooks,  I.  Ixxx,  Ixxxi ;  of  God,  i. 
330 ;  best,  i.  397 ;  fall  in  with,  ib. 


Willingness,  unwilling,  i,  25  ;  shews  grace, 
ii.  128,  129 ;  Christ's  sufferings  should 
work  in  us  the  greatest,  to  suffer  for 
Christ,  V.  210,  seq. 

Wisdom,  heavenly,  i.  158,  159. 

Within  and  without,  i.  99,  100. 

Withdr awing s,  God  prepares  for  greater  re- 
freshings, i.  375;  prevents  his  people  from, 
ib. ;  enhances  the  promises,  i.  375,  376 ; 
causes  sympathy  with  others,  L  376,  377  ; 
conform  to  Christ,  i.  378. 

'  Without;  i.  239. 

Witness,  God  a,  against  reproaches  of  saints, 
i.  383,  384 ;  of  the  Spirit,  their  mistake 
pointed  out  who  have  made  the,  the  only 
mark  or  evidence  of  or  interest  in  Christ, 
iii.  249,  seq. 

Wood,  green,  i.  53. 

Word,  meanings  of  the,  L  Ixxiii;  of  God, 
the  rule  of  all  actions,  iii.  165,  166  ;  a 
holy  man  loves,  for  its  holmess,  iv.  135, 
136  ;  how  a  person  may  know  when  he 
is  affected  and  taken  with,  as  it  is  a  holy, 
answered  five  ways,  iv.  136,  seq.;  in  season, 
a,  V.  415,  seq. 

Working,  all  things  shall  work  for  good  to 
the  holy  man,  iv.  427,  428 ;  nothing  shall 
hinder  the  operation  of  all  things  for  the 
saint's  good,  v.  498-500. 

Works,  of  God,  the  same  which  are  peculiar 
to  God  are  ascribed  to  Christ  in  the  blessed 
Scriptures,  v.  159,  seq. 

World  made  a  snare  by  Satan,  i.  63 ;  dan- 
gerous outwardly  and  inwardly,  i.  66 ; 
engages  the  affections,  i.  230;  a  man 
that  hath  God  for  his  portion  looks  upon 
the  woild  as  a  poor,  low,  contemijtible 
thing,  ii.  94-96  ;  engaging  m  a  crowd  of 
worldly  business  hinders  closet  prayer,  ii. 
280-283  ;  immoderate  love  of,  impediment 
to  assurance,  ii.  389,  390 ;  overcome  by 
faith,  ii.  458,  459 ;  take  heed  of,  and  why, 
iv.  198,  seq.;  the  more  worldlings  strive 
after,  the  more  Christians  should  strive  to 
perfect  holinesss,  iv.  365,  366  ;  the  vanity 
of  the  world  discovered,  vi.  252,  seq. ;  ten 
arguments  to  prove  that  a  worldly  spirit 
stni  hangs  upon  the  burnt  citizens,  vi. 
255-259 ;  ten  maxims  for  the  burnt  citizens 
seriously  and  frequently  to  dwell  upon,  as 
they  would  have  their  affections  moderated 
to  the  things  of  this  world,  vi.  259;  how 
we  may  lawfully  desire  the  things  of  the 
world,  expressed  in  three  jnirticidars,  vi. 
274,  275  ;  there  was  a  great  deal  of  world- 
liness  among  the  professing  people  of 
London,  vi.  51-53 ;  an  inordinate  love  to 
the  world  will  expose  a  man  to  seven  great 
losses,  vi.  53-55. 

Worldling,  ii.  84,  86. 

Worship,  Christians  must  stand  for  purity 
of,  and  why,  iv.  328,  seq. 

Worst  things  reserved  till  last  for  wicked,  i. 
439,  440. 

Worst  men  most  of  earth,  i.  42. 

Worship,  divine  honour  and,  is  due  to  Christ, 
and  by  the  angels  and  saints  is  given  unto 
him,  V.  161,  seq.;  (1.)  All  inward,  is  due 
to  Christ,  V.  162;  (2.)  All  outward,  is 
due  to  Christ,  v.  162,  163;  when  Jesu3 
Christ  was  declared  to  the  world,  God  did 
command  even  the  most  glorious  angels  to 
worship  him  as  his  natural  and  co-essential 
Son,  v.  164,  165. 

Worth,  at  last,  ii.  6. 


502 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Worthiness,  i.  144,  145  ;  if  wait  till  worthy 
never  will  come  to  Christ,  i.  145 ;  pride 
seeks,  i.  145,  146  ;  God  seeks  not  before 
he  will  give,  ii.  125  ;  if  we  wait  for,  we 
never  will  go  to  God,  ii.  126,  127. 

Woit/d-nots,  ii.  126. 

'  Written  it  is,'  i.  116;  what  is,  is  perma- 
nent, i.  288. 

Yielding  to  lesser  sins,  i.  20. 


Young  men,  i.  170 ;  to  be  good  betimes,  i.  178 ; 
commanded  to  be,  ib.;  have  opportunities, 
i.  179 ;  picture  of,  L  204  ;  exhortation  to 
all,  lb.,  seq.;  lambs  and  kids,  i.  206;  God 
well-pleased  with,  i.  214. 

Younger,  chosen,  i.  205,  206. 

Youth,  evils  attending,  i.  199 ;  pride,  L  199, 
200 ;  sensual  pleasuies,  L  200,  201. 

Zeal  of  weak  saints,  iii.  54,  55. 


THE   END. 


BALLANTl-NE  ANP  COMPANY,   PIllNTEIS,   liDINBUKOH. 


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