Shlohavot, or, The burning of London in the year 1666 commemorated and improved in a CX discourses, meditations, and contemplations, divided into four parts treating of I. The sins, or spiritual causes procuring that judgment, II. The natural causes of fire, morally applied, III. The most remarkable passages and circumstances of that dreadful fire, IV. Counsels and comfort unto such as are sufferers by the said judgment / by Samuel Rolle ...

MEDITATION XXXV. Of the Fire, its not exceeding the Liberties of the City.

VVHen I consider the Compass this fire took, how far it went, and where it stopt, I see cause to wonder at several things; First, That it did burn much-what about the Proportion of the whole City, within the Walls; that is to say, look how much was left standing within the Walls, (as if it had been by way of exchange and compen∣sation,) so much, or thereabouts it burnt without, Secondly, That though it threw down the Gates, and got without the Walls, yet it no where went beyond the Liberties of the City of London; as if the Bars had been a greater fence against it, (which indeed were no sence at all) than the Gates and Walls could be. Had the Cittizens gone in Pro∣cession, or had the Lord Mayor and his Brethren took a Survey of the Bounds and Limits of their Jurisdiction, they could not have kept much more within compass than the Fire did. Did not he who sets bounds to the Sea, and saith to the proud

waves thereof, ••hitherto shalt thou go and no further; I say, did not he say the same thing to those proud stames? How admirable is the work of God, in causing Creatures that are without Reason, yea, without Life, to act, as if they well understood what they did? Doth he not cause the day-spring to know its place, Job 38.12. and the Sun to know its g••ing down, Psalm 104.19. The Storck in the hea∣vens, knoweth her appointed time, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallme, observe the time of their comming, Jer. 8.7. When I consider, how the fire took just such a proportion, as if it had been markt out, it brings to mind that usual saying, That God doth all things in weight and measure, and makes me think of such passages of Scrip∣ture, as where God saith, Isaiah 28.16. that He would lay Judgment to the Line, and Righte∣ousness to the Plummet. Also, where God speaks of a people meted out (viz. for destruction, Is••. 18.2. and 7.) and trvden under fo••t: Also, where it is said of God, that He weighed out a path to his anger, Psalm 78.50. Which we translate, that He made a way to his anger, the meaning is, He did proportion it, as if he had dispensed it by weight.

How great a Mercy was it, that the Suburbs were spared, considering, how great, how po∣pulous, and how poor they were? Being so great and capacious, they can contain all the exiles of the City; but, it had been impossible for the Ci∣ty, if it had stood, and they had been burnt, to have contained all the out-casts of the more spa∣cious Suburbs. Considering their populousness, if the fire had fallen to their lot, possibly, five times so many persons as now are, had been

undone; and so many families had been reduced to utmost penury, as all England had scarce been sufficient to relieve. Lastly, considering, their Poverty they had much more generally been unable to bear their losses than Citizens, or those within the Walls were. Neither was the sparing of the Suburbs, a thing more desirable, than it was improbable, when the fire was in its Meridian or Zenith, if I may so call it. For, as the Sun, which sets out in the East, finisheth not its race, till it come about to the West: so did this dreadfull Fire threate•• not to stop, till it had run thorough the Suburbs as well as the City its self. But God, who causeth it to rain upon one City, and not upon another, and, who kept that Storm of fire from falling upon Zoak, which destroyed Sodom and three other Cities, of that which was called Pentapolis, He thus divided the flames of fire, that most parts of the City should have their share, but the Suburbs, though in great danger, should have none. I think, if men had designed, to have burnt so far•• and no further, as easy as it was to kindle, it was hard to extinguish such a fire, when, and where they would: But if any malicious persons, did conduct it so far, and there leave it, VVhat they have done secretly, will one day be proclaimed upon the House-top.