Section 4: God's Terrible Voice in London

These few last years have given sad instances hereof in England, especially the two last years in our City of London.

The voice of the Lord has been in the City, it has been loud and full of terror; the Lord has come forth against us with armed vengeance. Frowns have been in his brow; death and desolation in his looks; thunder has been in his voice: flames of fire in his hand: the pestilence has gone before him, and burning coals at his feet: He has sent forth his arrows which have scattered us, and shot forth his lightnings which have discomfited us; The Lord has thundered in the heavens, and the highest gave his voice, hailstones and coals of fire: the Lord has visited us with storm and tempest and great noise, indeed he has caused his glorious voice to be heard, and showed the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger: and with the flame of devouring fire, with scattering and tempest and hailstones: then the furrows of the earth were seen, and the foundations of the City were discovered, the earth also shook, because he was angry, and the inhabitants of London trembled, because of his fierce anger; then the snares of death compassed us, and the fears of hell got hold on us, and our hearts were moved within us, as trees when they are moved by the wind. Dreadful have God's late judgments been in London, the noise of which has gone forth, not only throughout the land, but also to the outermost parts of the world.

Three things we should remark in this terrible voice of God's judgments.

- 1. The Judgments themselves. - 2. The Cause of the Judgments. - 3. The Design of the Judgments.

In the first, we have the sound of the voice.

In the two last, the interpretation of the voice.

1. Concerning the judgments themselves. Here I might speak of the judgment executed, August twenty-fourth, 1662, when so many ministers were put out of their places; and the judgment executed March twenty-fourth, 1665, when so many ministers were banished 5 miles from Corporations, the former by way of introduction to the plague which sometime after did spread in the land, but chiefly raged in the City; the later by way of introduction to the fire, which quickly after did burn down London the greatest Corporation in England. These judgments having been so lately, and general in the land; and I presume so generally known, with all their circumstances; that it would be needless to give here a narration of them. But this I must say, I could wish they were as generally believed to be judgments; and accordingly laid to heart: for I fear that the great insensibility, which people have been under of these judgments; because they have not reached the flesh; and their sottish inconsideration of God's dreadful displeasure herein, has provoked the Lord to send such judgments as have come nearer to sense: that they might perceive God was angry indeed before, and that his greater displeasure in the former might be known by his more sensible displeasure in the latter.

Let London seriously consider whether her Gospel privileges were not her best defense against temporal calamities; and whether since her slighting, abuse and forfeiture, and God's seizure and stripping her so much of these, she has not been laid naked to those heavy strokes of extraordinary judgments which she has lately received.

London had the Gospel, ordinances powerful, pure, plentiful ministers excellently qualified and rarely furnished with ministerial abilities; London had as many burning and shining lights as any one such spot of ground under the cope of heaven.

Not to speak of their abilities for preaching and defense of the truth, such gifts of prayer London ministers had, which were no small defense of the City, as I believe no city in the world could parallel.

O what prayers have there formerly been in London pulpits, especially on days of solemn humiliation! How have the spirits of ministers been carried forth sometime in prayer for several hours together, (without tautologies and vain repetitions) in such variety of affectionate enlargements, and with such raisedness and transports of spirit; as if they had been just leaving the body, and going to live and abide with God, and would converse no more with men or worldly things!

In their confessions of sin, how have they raked into the dunghill of a rotten heart, and laid abroad its inward filthiness? How have they traced the footsteps of its deceitfulness, through the maze and wilderness of its many windings and turnings? How have they pierced into the very bowels of sin, and ripped it up as it were to the back-bone, bringing forth its very entrails to open view? How have they anatomized as it were the body of death in all the parts and members of it, discovering withal the several diseases of every part, with their cause, and manner of working? And all this in such pathetical cutting expressions, accompanied with such brokenness and bleeding of heart, as no form can imitate or effect.

In their supplications for the pardon of sin, for spiritual and heavenly riches, O with what feeling and fervor did they express themselves? O with what faith and importunity did they wrestle and plead at the Throne of Grace for such favors beyond the importunity of poor prisoners through the grates, or poor beggars at the doors, when they are most earnest for relief? Indeed how did they besiege God as it were, and seem as if they would scale the walls of heaven itself, and take the Kingdom of Heaven with violence and force? How have they even pressed in upon God with the dint of argument, and laid hold on him with the hand of faith, resolving not to let him go without a blessing?

In their supplications for the Church and land, they have behaved themselves as if they had no private concernments. But how did they bear London upon their hearts when they came to the throne of grace? What yearning bowels had they towards and for the City? How many tears have they shed in bewailing her sins? How have they stood in the breach, when the Lord has been coming forth against this place? How have they held his arm when it has been lifted up to strike? How have they stood weeping between the porch and the altar, crying spare your people O Lord, and do not destroy London! And many times have they prevailed to appease God's wrath and turn away his fierce anger which has been kindled against us.

Gospel-ordinances, and gospel-ministers were the safeguard of London, the glory and defense. But when the ordinances were slighted, and the ministers were mocked and misused by some who called themselves professors, and both were fallen so much in the esteem of the most; and London did not yield the fruit which God looked for under such dressing, (of which more when I come to speak of London's sins) God is provoked not only to call for some of his messengers home to himself, but also to suffer the rest which were most conscientious to be thrust into corners.

This, this did presage London's near approaching ruin and desolation, though few did believe it, and because they did not believe it, and were insensible of God's wrath in this judgment: therefore their danger was the greater of the other judgments which have come upon them: when so many stakes were plucked out, no wonder if the hedge be broken; when so many pillars were removed, no wonder if the building tumble to the ground.

But I proceed to give a narration of the later judgments of plague and fire.