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TO THE INHABITANTS AND SOULDERY OF THE City of London; Grace, Mercy and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord JESƲS CHRIST.
Christian Brethren,
OMitting a tedious and needless Preamble, These are in the Name of Almighty God, to inform you, that there is a great and dreadful Judge∣ment suddenly to approach your City of London; a Judgment by Fire and Sword. Ye know how wicked and rebellious ye have been, both against GOD himself, by robbing and prophaneing his Sanctuary, persecuting his Ministers, and overturning (as much as in you lay) his right and true Worship: As also against his Vice-gerent, our Soveraign KING that late was; whom ye first illegally dethroned, then after∣wards most barbarously and inhumanly murthered and martyred. And although God, who taketh vengeance, suffered not that merciful David to avenge himself on you with his own hand, yet shall his Son Solomon arise, and bring you to condign punishment. What did more highly agravate, and more certainly presage the approaching ruin of Jerusalem, then their crucifying of their King, and prophaneing their Temple? And (as I have said before) have not ye also crucified your King? Have not yee likewise prophaned Gods Temple, the Metropolitan and Mother Church of this Nation; making her not only a Stable for your Horses, but (which is worse) a den of Thieves, and receptacle of prophane Miscreants, as the present time witnesseth? I fear also that your New Cross will in the end crucifie her Inventers, whose unhappy heads might (surely) have found out some fitter place for a Market-house then St. Pauls Church-yard. Remember, I beseech you, that when erst the three Nations full sorely smarted under the lashes of an unnatural War, barbarous Plunderings and Imprisonments, this London in the mean time, like that mystical Harlot, sate as a Queen without sorrow, blessing her self in her abominations. And whence came the Rod (I tro) but from hence, from this factious and rebellious City? But though the Children were (as to God) justly chastened and corrected, yet the end of the Rod is to be burnt. Howsoever the Devill and your own carnal security at present may suggest to you the impossibility of this great thing; yet God (to whom no difficulty is insuperable) will certainly bring it to pass. Nor do I speak this from a Principle of meer Reason, (though that doth more then sufficiently evince it for your parts) but from a higher and more infallible Light then that is; whereunto if yee attend (as the Apostle saith in another case) yee shall do well. Truly, I must here imitate the Prophet ISAIAH's expression, and say, I have heard from the Lord, God of Hosts a Destruction de ermined upon the city of London. Ye have lately had many friendly (though fearful) Visitations by Fire, as undoubted preachers of this truth; and which falling so fast upon the neck of each other, and so strangely happening, could not (I am confident) but give occasion to many of you to make the same Comentary upon them that I do here: These I hope you will harken unto, if not to Mee; Shall there be evil in a City (my Brethren) and the Lord hath not done it? And shall a Trumpet be blown in the City, and the People not be afraid? Amos 3. 6.
Now, for as much as all the threatnings of God are conditionall, and with limitation, my humble request and counsel unto you is, That yee redeem this small remainder of time, which as yet remaineth in your power, That in the first place ye repent, and humble your selves before GOD for all your former abominations and evil practices, with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; crying mightily unto the Lord, that it would please his Divine Clemency to with-hold his just and heavy hand, and to spare your City. And that yee amend your wayes and your doings, and turn to the Lord your God with all your hearts and with all your souls, and with all your strength; reforming (what in you lyeth) whatsoever hath been acted amiss by you, since these times, both in Church and Civil Matters. Secondly, I exhort, that ye speedily submit and reconcile your selves to your King and rightful Soveraign, CHARLES STUART the Second, Son of the late King; the Man whose right it is, for God will give it him: And let him rather come to you with a white wan in his hand, then a flaming sword. God (I say) will certainly restore him, to the unspeak∣able consolation of our distressed Church; but to the ruine and perpetual infamie of his Enemies, and of this City in particular, except yee repent. Wherefore submit, submit, and prostrate your selves before him, (ye may well do it, like the Syrians, with ropes about your necks;) for so doing, who knoweth but that the Lord may repent him of the Evill and avert this Judgment from you? But if otherwise, expect your appointed ruine, and thy destruction is of thy self, O London, thy blood be upon thine own head.
I had not thus appeared to your Citie under a vail, but that being sensible of the perverse and contrary temper of this Age (especially this City) unto the things of God, and which make not for the interest of Rebellion and Treason, I was therefore constrained to make use of this way of publishing. Had I undertaken (as Jonah) to proclaim this Matter by word of mouth, I much question whether I should have been permitted ten words in any the least corner of your Citie, without the interruption of a Constable, and consequently a Jaylor, whose hands might haply have been strong enough not only to have with-holden me from my duty, but also these Premises from your timely sight and cognizance. But I wish the Ninivites may not rise up in Judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they immediately repented at the preaching of Jonas; but Yee have not as yet repented these many yeers at the preaching of the Gospel. They believed the good Word of God, and humbled themselves before him with fasting and prayer: but Yee (alas!) have disbelieved his Word, despised his Ministers, and many of you rejected, yea denied, the Lord that bought you. And when these sad and never-enough to be lamented Times have called to fasting, and to weeping, and to prayer and girding with sackcloth, behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine; behold blasphemy, and prophaneness, and pride, & oppression, and vanity, few of you being grieved for the affliction of JOSEPH. God open your hearts that you may understand the truth, and convert, and be saved, through Christ Jesus.