London's lamentation, or, A serious discourse concerning the late fiery dispensation that turned our…

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 'tis 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 sufferer•; for many times we find, that the greatest Saints have been the greatest sufferers both from God and men. Job ¹was 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 stripped 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. Look as wicked men are very incompetent Judges of divine favours and mercies, so they are very incompetent Judges of divine trials and severities; and whatever they may think or say, I dare conclude, that they who have drank deepest of this Cup of sorrows (of this Cup of desolation and fire in London) are not greater sinners then 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. O 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 consider. First, Divine warnings slighted and neglected, will certainly bring down the greater wrath and vengeance upon you, ²as you may clearly see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together. Secondly, Slighting of Judgments is the greatest Judgment that can befall a people; it speaks out much Pride, Atheism, Hardness, Blindness, and desperate Security, and Contempt of the great God. To be given up to slight divine warnings, is a spiritual Judgment, and therefore must of all Judgments be the greatest Judgment to be ⟨p. 26⟩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.