God's terrible voice in the city

But if we further enquire into the reason, why the plague was sent the last year, and such a plague as hath not been known this forty year, which raged so sorely, when there was no such sultriness of weather (as in other years) to increase it; and why the fire was sent this year, and such a fire as neither we, nor our fore-fathers ever knew, neither do we read of in any History of any so great in any place, in time of peace; what shall we say was the cause of these extraordinary national judgments, but the extraordinary national sins. It was an extraordinary hand of God which brought the plague, of which no natural cause can be assigned, why it should be so great that year, more then in former years, but ⟨p. 77⟩that sin was grown to greater height; and that a fire should prevail, against all attempts to quench it, to burn down the City, and that judgment just following upon the heels of the other; what reason can be assigned, but that Englands sins, and Gods displeasure hath been extraordinary; God is a God of patience, and it is not a light thing will move him; he is slow to anger, it must needs be then some great provocation which makes him so furious; he is highly offended, before he lifts up his hand; and he is exceedingly incensed, before his anger breaks forth into such a flame; for my part, I verily think, if it had not been for the crying abominations of the times, which are not chiefly to be limited to the City of London, and if the means of Gods prescription, according to the Rule of his Word, which England sometime could, had by England been made use of, that both Plague and Fire had been prevented.

But if we further enquire into the reason, why the plague was sent the last year, and such a plague as hath not been known this forty year, which raged so sorely, when there was no such sultriness of weather (as in other years) to encrease it; and why the fire was sent this year, and such a fire as neither we, nor our fore-fathers ever knew, neither do we read of in any History of any so great in any place, in time of peace; what shall we say was the cause of these extraordinary national judgments, but the extraordinary national sins. It was an extraordinary hand of God which brought the plague, of which no natural cause can be assigned, why it should be so great that year, more then in former years, but ⟨p. 77⟩that sin was grown to greater heighth; and that a fire should prevaile, against all attempts to quench it, to burn down the City, and that judgment just following upon the heels of the other; what reason can be assigned, but that Englands sins, and Gods displeasure hath been extraordinary; God is a God of patience, and it is not a light thing will move him; he is slow to anger, it must needs be then some great provocation which makes him so furious; he is highly offended, before he lifts up his hand; and he is exceedingly incens'd, before his anger breaks forth into such a flame; for my part, I verily think, if it had not been for the crying abominations of the times, which are not chiefly to be limited to the City of London, and if the means of Gods prescription, according to the Rule of his Word, which England sometime could, had by England been made use of, that both Plague and Fire had been prevented.