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 LIII. Upon the Anniversary Fast appointed to be kept in re∣membrance of the Fire.

HOw do we play an after-game? Yet better late than never: What Epimeth••usses are we? Now the City is burnt, we design to keep a perpetu∣al

yearly Fast, whereas there is little doubt, but the burning of it might have been prevented, if, be∣fore that judgement came, we had set ourselves to keep such a fast, as is spoken of, Isa. 58.6. Is not this the Fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burthens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every Yoke, &c. The Ninivites were wiser then we, for when Jo∣nah preach't to them, that within forty dayes Nine∣veh should be overthrown: They took that short warning, proclaimed a Fast, yea and turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil, that he had said he would do unto them, Jonah 3.10. We have now and then fasted after a sort, but was it not so? that God might justly expostulate with us, as with the Jews of old, Is it such a Fast as I have chosen? a day for a man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••fflict his Soul: Wilt thou call this a F••st, and an acceptable day to the Lord? But have we turned from our evil wayes? as the Ninevites are said to have done.

Preventing Fasts like preventing Physick are much the best, but when they have been o∣mitted (or not observed (as they ought to be) which surely hath been our case) then curing or restoring Fasts (as I may call them) are exceed∣ing necessary, as therapeutical or healing Physick is, where prophylactical or preventing remedies have not taken place.

A Fast both Anniversary and Perpetual is not without its president in scripture. The Jewes had such a Fast by Gods appointment, Lev. 16.24. This shall be a statute for ever to you, that in the se∣venth m••nth ye shall afflict your s••uls, ver. 34. This shall be an everlasting Statute to you, to make an at∣tonement for the Children of Israel for all their sins

once a year. So it is, that the Jews their Anniver∣sary Fast, or day of Atonements, I say theirs and ours were and are both in the seventh month of the Year (reckoning March the first, as it is up∣on a civil accompt) and this, we know, came to passe not by humane designation, but by the de∣termination of divine Providence, which brought the Fire in September; and it was but meet, that the Fast, in relation to it, should be in the same month, and on the same day the Fire was: Yea, possibly the zeal of Esther (if such a thing had hapned in her time) would have continued the Fast as many dayes together, as the Fire it self did continue; for we read that She fasted three dayes and three nights together, Esther 4.16. and it is pro∣bable would have held out one day longer, if so solemn an occasion had called her to it.

How suitable it is that a Fast should be pro∣claimed upon such an occasion as this were easie to make appear. Fasts are a kind of Sabbaths, for Mo∣ses speaking of the Jews their Anniversary Fast, Lev. 16.31. saith It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your soules by a Statue for ever. Now the City resteth and injoyeth her Sabbaths in that doleful (if not ironicall) sense, in which that phrase is used, Lev. 26.34. (viz. for a place that lieth desolate) reason good that Citizens should keep a Sabbath too, at leastwise every year, as that doth every day. When London lieth in ashes, why should not Londoners do so to? at leastwise for a sea∣son: When God hath humbled the City to the very dust, should not Citizens, in like manner, humble their selves under his mighty hand:

Neither is it without reas••n and scripture that a perpetual Fast should be kept upon accompt of a

transient judgement (if I may call this transient) or that the Ages to come should confesse and la∣ment the sins and miseries of former times, or of the Ages that were before them. Neh. 9.2. They confessed their sins and the iniquities of their Fa∣thers: and Dan. 9.16. For our sins, and for the ini∣quities of our fathers, thy people are become a reproach. There being Scripture for such a practice, doubt∣less there is reason enough for it; yet I question not, but a man may lawfully ask, What the reason is, or what cause can be assigned for our so doing? The most obvious Reasons seem to result from the Love we owe to God, the Relation in which we stand to our Ancestors and Forefathers, the Reve∣rence which is due to the Judgements of God, and the bad influence which the sins of our Ancestors and Predecessors may have upon ourselves in case we lay them not to heart. We are sorry that those whom we dearly love have been injured by others (and not then only when we have injured them ourselves); yea, if we hear of any great wrong that was done them many years ago, we are trou∣bled at it, and affected with it (though possibly not so much as if it were but yesterday). And will not true love to God cause us in like manner to re∣sent the known injuries that have been done to him? (and such are all the great violations of his Law) yea, though by others, and many years since. If those that have wronged the persons we love, were such as were nearly related to ourselves (as when Saul, that was Jonathan's Father, was ve∣ry unkind to David, whom himself had a great af∣fection for) it troubleth us so much the more. So would love to God cause us to do, when those from whose Loins we sprang (or who are other∣wise

near to us), have greatly provok'd him, to w••om all by past things (though even worn out of the memory of men) are alwayes as present. By this Rule, though successors ought to mourn over the sins of their predecessors, yet Children more especially over the sins of their Parents, or Pro∣parents, and other Relations one of another. We reverence not the Judgements of God as we ought, if hearing what God hath done to others for the same sins whereof ourselves are guilty (more or less) we do not both mourn, and tremble, and humble ourselves before the Lord, lest he should do as much to us, as God saith to the Israelites, Jer. 7.12, 14. Go and see what I did to Shiloh, I will do unto this house as I did to Siloh.

If such considerations as these affect us not with the Sins and Judgements, which have gone over the heads of our Ancestors in former times, then do we ourselves become partakers of their sins, and their sins help to fill up the measure of ours: at we read of the sins of the Amorites not being yet full (implying, that the sins of the time present and time past, were thrown as it were into one measure); and as Christ spake to the persecuting Jews, Mat. 23.35. saying, That upon them might come all the righteous blood, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias. We read of God's visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generation; and that he doth when they make them theirs, as by other means, so par∣ticularly by not mourning over them.

But if after-ages will not weep over the miseries of this (which History will not suffer them to be ig∣norant of), let them weep over their own losses by this Fire: for I doubt not, but some may smart un∣der

the consequences of it hundreds of years hence: forasmuch as some Estates were consumed by it, which might otherwise have been transmit∣ted from Generation to Generation throughout several Ages to come. For ought I know, the fourth and fifth Generation from hence (to speak within bounds) may have just cause, even from the in∣fluence this Judgment may have upon themselves, to observe the second of September as a solemne Fast.

As for the good ends we may propound to our∣selves in observing that day as a Religious Fast, they are so plain and visible as that nothing can be more. Solemnly to humble ourselves time after time, under this mighty hand of God, that may be one. To beg that God would build up the waste pla∣ces in his good time, that may be another: as also, that he would make a gracious provision for his impoverished Servants: And lastly, To deprecate the like Judgement for time to come; several of which ends, if I mistake not, are hinted to us in the Act of Parliament.

But when I further consider it, how ghastly are the thoughts of another Fast? and that for Anni∣versary perpetuity? Alas! how do Fasts multiply upon us? and the causes of them much more? —Sixty five gave us just occasion for one perpetual Fast, with reference to the dreadful Plague that was in that year, and — sixty six by a no lesse dread∣ful Fire, hath given us another. Thus sin upon sin, hath made work for Fast after Fast. And the truth is, so many and so great are our sins at this day, that if God should punish each of them with a particular and proportionable Judgement, and every such Judgement should be commemorated

with an Anniversary Fast, the whole year might consist of little else but Fasting-dayes: at leastwise all our Festivals be justled out, and all those Letters be cloathed with Mourning, that were wont to be clad, (as it were) in Scarlet. Admit that Lon∣don should be built again, and swell to as great a bigness as it did before (the latter of which no per∣son now living is like to see) yet even then there wil be found just cause of Fasting, Mourning, and La∣mentation, for the burning of London in 1666. the prints and footsteps whereof will even then be visible, though not by an outward desolation, yet by an inward and less perceptible decay. Though London may in process of time, come to look as well in the face as ever it did; yet it's inwards and vital parts will go nigh to remain greatly wasted and consumed.

But after I have insisted so long upon the Suta∣bleness, Congruity, and Reasonableness of a year∣ly Fast in Relation to the Fire: It is sit I declare my self as to the nature and manner of the Fast I wish for, and which only will stead us, viz. Such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Fast as is spoken of, Isa. 58.6, 7. then may we hope to see such a promise fulfilled as that, (of which we read) ver. 12. And they that shall be of thee, shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwel in.