PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks — Volume 6
Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680 · 323,388 words · 272 reading sections
Section 61
I recompensed upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.' Lev. xxvi. 31-33, 'And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and will not smell the savour of your sweet odours. And I will bring the land into desolation ; and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I…
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ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. Ill had a sovereign, right to change and alter it to what day he pleased. But, (6.) Sixthly, Consider that according to the Lords mind and com- mandment, and the direction of the Holy Ghost, the apostles in cdl the Christian churches ordained that they shoidd keep the …
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(11.) Eleventhly, Consider, that of all days God hath 'put the highest honour upon his Sabbaths, by appointing his precious or- dinances in a special manner to be used on those days. The Sabbath is a gold ring, and the ordinances are as so many costly sparkling diamonds in that ring. All the works of the new creation a…
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as great an argument of a profane heart as any that can he found in the whole book of God. Fourthly, Because Sabbath-days are the saints' market-days, the saints' harvest-days, the saints' summer-days, the saints' seed-days, and the saints' feasting-days, Prov. x. 5, and xvii. 16 ; Isa. xxv. 6 ; and therefore they will…
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ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION-. 117 sliall not be burned with fire, and thou shalt live, and thine house. But if thou wilt not go fortli to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of …
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that brings the judgment of fire, and lays all desolated Ezek. xxxv. 4, 5, 7, ' I will lay thy cities waste, and thou phalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Because thou hast had a per- petual hatred,' or hatred of old, ' and hast shed the blood of the chil- dren of Israel by the force of the sword …
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[2.] Secondly, The cry of their hlood reaches as high as heaven, and this sj^eaJcs it out to he precious hlood, Gen. iv. 10, 11. The blood of one Abel had so many tongues as drops, and every drop a voice to cry for vengeance, and the cry of his blood did strongly engage the 120 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24,…
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* ' Pikes.' — G. ^ History of France, p. 867. « Ihid., pp. 879, 880. [Clement, not Clemmont. Aug. 1, 1589.— G.] " History of the Council of Trent, p. 417. 8 Query, ' Blair' ? Cf. Vol. L p. 252.— G. 122 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. lie must go to hell, and in this case without a sign of repentance h…
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Valerianus was overcome by the Persians, and made use of by Sapor as a slirmp for his foot when lie Avent to take horse. Julian, in his height of contempt against Christ, was deadly wounded in battle against the Persians, and throwing his blood in the air, died with that despei'ate expression in his mouth, Vicisti tan…
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[8.] Eighthly, The spiritual Judgments that God hath given such up to, ivho have sited the blood of the just, speaks out their blood to be precious blood. Oh the dreadful horrors and amazing terrors of con- science that such have been given up to ! Take a few instances among the many that might be given. The Vaivod tha…
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Use 1. First, Let us see the hand of the Lord in this late dreadful fire that hath been upon us; for certainly God is the author, per- missively at least, he is the great agent in all those terrible judg- ments that befall peisons, cities, and kingdoms, Ruth i. 13, 21 ; Ps. xxxix. 9 ; 1 Sam. iii. 18. Whosoever or whats…
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mover in all lliin;^s, ami in all actions, may more fitly and properly be said to eftect and bring to })ass all judgments, yea, all things that are done in the earth, than any inferior or subordinate causes — seeing they are but his tools and instruments, which he rules and guides according to his own Avill, power, and…
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1 Doubtless there was much wrath in this, that the water-house which served much of the city with water should be burnt down in a few hours after the fire first began. To want a proper remedy when we are under a growing misery is no small calamity. It is sad with the people that have nothing to quench the furious flame…
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live carelessly and securely ? Were they ever so "Secure and inappre- hensive of their danger than at this very time when the flames broke forth in the midst of them ? They had newly escaped the most sweep- ing plague that ever was in the city and suburbs, but instead of find- ing out the plague of their hearts, and mo…
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IsA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 135 street, and knocked out his brains. Otho the emperor slew himself with his own hands, but slept so soundly the night before, that the grooms of his chamber heard him snort. And Pkitarch reporteth the like of Cato. Lepidus and Aufidius stumbled at the very threshold …
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and as soon descend down to the bottom of the lowest vaults and cellars ! How did they march along, Jehu-like, on both sides of the streets, with such a roaring, dreadful, and astonishing noise, as never was heard in the city of London before ! London's sins were now so great, and God's wratli was now so hot, that ther…
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natural causes of it ; yet it is a wonder above all that we can know of it, John iii. 8. What the wind is, and from whence it comes, and whither it j2^oes, none can tell. God is the great generalissimo and sovereign commander of the winds, so that a blast of wind cannot pass without his leave, licence, and cognizance …
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the supremo comniaiuler of the winds, will have them to destroy a l)eople, and to helj) on the destruction of their houses, when the flames are kindled, or to break and dash in pieces their ships at sea, it shall soon be accomplished : 2 Clirt)n. xx. 37, ' Because thou hast joined thy- self with Ahaziah, the Lord hath …
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To close up this particular, consider much of the wisdom, power, and justice of God shines in the variety of the motions of the wind : Eccles. i. 6, ' The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north ; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.' The wind hath…
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tilings, upon all our pleasant houses, shops, trades, gardens, walks, temples, &c. The plague, the year before, did so rage and spread, that it emptied many thousand houses of persons ; and now this dread- ful fii-e hath so spread itself that it has not left houses enough for many thousands of persons to dwell in, ther…
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know where it was, and liow it began ! but all former fires were but small fires, but bonfires, to this dreadful fire that has been lately amongst us. In the twentieth year of the reign of William the First,^ so great a fire happened in London, that from the West gate to the East gate it consumed houses and churches a…
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minds were darkened and confused, their judgments infatuated, their souls dispirited, and their ears stopped, so that their authority did only- accent their misery : and this filled many citizens' hearts with fear, terror, amazement, and discontent. These things being done, the city quickly was undone. Had the care and…
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' Till London was laid in ashes, that effectual means of preservation, viz., the hlowing up of houses, was oither greatly hid or sadly gainsaid. Wlien the disease had killed the patients, then the physicians agreed upon a remedy. When the ladder was turned, then the pardon came. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISP…
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tainly the anger and wrath of God was very high and very liot when he made his day of rest to be a day of labour and disquiet— when his people sliould liave been a-meeting, hearing, reading, praising, praying. For the Lortl now to scatter them, and to deliver them, their substance and hal)itations, as a prey to the dev…
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* When one member in the natural body suffers, all the members of the body suffer : it is so in the politic body, &c. Look, as all rivers run into the sea, and all the lines of the circumference meet in the centre, so did the interests of the most eminent persons in the whole nation meet in London, &c. Now London is la…
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Use 2. The second use is a use of lamentation and mourning. Is London laid in ashes ? Then let us all lament and mourn that Lon- don is laid desolate. Shall Christ weep over Jerusalem, Luke xix. 41-44, when it was standing in all its glory, knowing that it would not be long before it was laid even with the ground ; and…
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bright, as if a man had so many drawn swords in his hands, (3.) At the same time that this star appeared, which was the solemn passover, that whole night the temple was light and clear as mid-day, and con- tinued so seven days together. (4.) At the same time also they brought a heifer for a sacrifice, which when she wa…
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ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 157 multitude of his mercies, but afterwards by the severity of his judg- ments : witness the sweeping pestilence and the devouring fire that he sent amongst us ! And as God was known in Judah, first by lesser judgments and then by greater — for he first lashed them wit…
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' The French were then drawn down to the 6e.i-side, and great were the fears of many upon that account. Kcincxnbcr the Gunpowder plot. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 159 and upon bloody Esau and his four hundred bloody cut-throats, and upon proud, blasphemous Sennacherib, Gen. xxxi. 24, 29, and xxxi…
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[6.] Sixthly, Who did ever look upon London as a city compact, a city aducmtageously situated for trade and commerce, yea, as the great mart town of the natio7i, that has not a heart to weep over it, now it lies in ashes? Isa. xxiii. 3; Ezek. xxvii. 1 ; Eev. viii. 11. London was the mart of the nation's trade, and the …
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Christ has ' brought us to his bnnqiicting-housc, and his banner over us has been love'? the city in wliich Christ has ' staid us with flagons, and comforted us with apples'? the city in which Christ's ' left hand hath been luider our heads, and his right hand hath embraced us ' ? Cant. ii. 3-6 ; the city wherein the L…
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=> Query, 'Huguenot'?— G. ^ Luc. Hist., pp. 613, 519, 520. ^ Hisp. F. 184, 185. » Speed's Hist., p. 1178; Luc. Hist., pp. 2'J8, 299. » Luc. Hist., pp. 509-511. 164 London's LAMENTATIONS ON [Isa. XlJl. 24, 25. reli<;ion wns not to be hroiight in here by dispnting, or l)Ooks of controversy, but witli an army, and M'it…
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' Lib. vii. de Bello Jud. cap. 10, p. 737. " Parous ou the Revelation, p. 110. ^ The Treasury of Ancient and Modern Times, pp. 321, 322. ■* The French, the Dutch, the Dane, the Spaniard, &e., have at times experienced what London's treasure and force have been able to do, \c. IGG London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII.…
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Ans. This was fulfilled forty years after Christ's ascension, by Vespasian the emperor, and his son Titus, as Eusebius and Josephus do declare. Yea, this prophecy was not only accomplished in the destruction of the old temple, but then also, when in Julian the apos- tate's time, the Jews, to spite the Christians, were …
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children, so he miglit secure his own life. Job set a higher price upon his own life than he did upon all other lives : let others sink or swim, so he might escape, all was well. Natural life is a precious jewel ; a man will cast all overboard, when he is in danger of drowning, to save his life. A man will hold up his …
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round about with flames, and could see no door of deliverance open to them ! Oh what a mercy is it that we are yet alive, though we are stripped of many comforts and contentments which formerly we have enjoyed ! Now here give me leave to open myself a little in these fol- lowing particulars : — [1,] First, What a merc…
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' The wliole Scripture, saith Luther, doth principally aim at this thing, that we should not doubt, but that we should hope, that we should trust, and that we should believe, tiiat God is a merciful, a bountiful, a gracious antl patient (Jod to ha people. TsA. XLII. 24, 25.] the late fiery dispensation. 173 [3.] Thir…
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(3.) The third support to bear up the hearts and to cheer up the spirits of all that have suffered by the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz.. That this has been the common lot, the common case, both of saints ' See my ' Mute Christian,' pp. 260-279. [As before, Vol i. pp. 366-371.— G.] Our whole life is nothing b…
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(4.) The fourth support to l)ear np the liearts and to cheer np the spirits of the i)eople of God \vlio have heen sufferers, deep sufferers, under the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz., That though they have lost much as they are men, as they are citizens, merchants, trades- men; yet they have lost nothing as the…
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then certainly onr losses arc abundantly made up to us. If men should take away your old clothes, and give you new ; your rags, and give you robes ; your chaff, and give you wheat ; your water, and give you wine ; your tin, and give you silver ; your brass, and give you gokl ; your pebbles, and give you pearls ; your c…
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lusfs thai have burnt up your comforts before your eyes? Have you pleaded hard with God that a spirit of burning might rest upon you, even that spirit of burning which ak)ne can burn up your sins, your dross ? Isa. ix. 2, and iv. 4. Since London hath been laid in ashes, have you made it your great business to treat and…
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(0.) The sixlli support to bear ii]) tlie hearts of the ])eople of God under the hite liery dispensation, is this — viz., That hij Jicry dispensa- iioiis, the Lord icill make icay for the new heavens and the new earth : he will make way for the glorious deliverance of his people, Isa. ix. 5, 6 ; Ps. Ixvi. 12. Isa. Ixvi…
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world havo Liunlnf^ for burning. God loves to retaliate upon liis peoi)le's enemies, Judges i. H, 7. Such as have clapped their hands at the sight of London's llanies, may one day lay their hands upon their loins, -when they shall find divine justice appearing in flames of fire against them. But, (8.) The eighth suppo…
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(9.) The ninth support to bear up the hearts of the people of God under the late fiery dispensation, is this — viz., That there ivas a great mixture of mercy in that dreadful judgment of fire that has turned London into a ruinous heap. At the final destruction of Jerusalem there was not one stone left upon another, Luk…
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[2.] Secondly, The fire that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah con- sumed not only the greater j^ccrt of those cities, but the whole cities : yea, and not only Sodom and Gomorrah, but all the cities of the plain, except Zoar, which was to be a sanctuary to Lot. But the fire of London has not destroyed the whole city of Lond…
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[1.] First, The bloody sword is a more dreadfid judgment than that of fire. Fire may consume a man's house and his estate, but the sword cuts off a man's life. Now at what a poor rate do men value the whole world, when it stands in competition with their lives. He very well knew that man was a very great life-lover, wh…
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they shall not be satisfied : they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm.' In the reign of William the First ^ there was so great a dearth and famine, especially in Northumberland, that men were glad to eat horses, dogs, cats, and rats, and what else is most abhorrent to nature. In Honorius's reign there Avas su…
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' iaideutius. - Sir HicharU Baker's Chroiijclc, p 47. ' Ibid. p. 05. ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 193 year of his reign, in the territory of Darlington, in the bishopric of Durham, the earth lifted up herself in the manner of a high tower, and so remained unmovable from morning till evening, and t…
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' Such vir^'ins tb.Tt had been deflowered, the heathen buried alive, accounting that tlie •crest of all puuibhineuta. « Josephus, Antiq., lib. iv. cap. 3. Is A. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 195 height of judgment, and infinitely more terrible and dreadful to you than that fiery dispensation that has co…
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ISA. XLII, 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 197 citizens of London would but seriously lay to heart the sad dispensa- tions of Grod towards his choicest worthies, then their hearts would neither faint nor sink under their present losses, crosses, and suffer- ings. But, (13.) Thirteenthly and lastly, There is a i…
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afraid of liell, saitli another, [Isidore,^] becauee the worm there never dies, and the fire never goes out. For to be tormented without end, this is that which goes beyond all the bounds of desperation. Grievous is the torment of the damned for the bitterness of the punishments, but it is more grievous for the diversi…
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ISA. XLII. 24, 25,] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 201 consume and spend itself. Neither can we see how material fire can make impressions upon spirits, as the devils and souls of men are. Ans. [1.] First, I)o not lue find that the hush huriied and loas not consumed? Exod. iii. 2, 3. Though all clothes by daily experie…
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SO far incorporeal, as it tormenteth the soul. Socrates, speaking of hell, saith, I was never there myself, neither have I ever spoke with any that came from thence. Suppose, saith one, [Mr Bolton,] there be no fire in hell, yet I assure thee this, that thou shalt be scorched with fire ; the fire of God s wrath shall t…
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painful will it be then for damned sinners to swim up and down in a lake or river of fire and brimstone for ever and ever ! There is no proportion between the heat of our breath and the fire that it blows. Oh then, what a dreadful, what an amazing, what an astonishing fire must that needs be which is blown by a breath …
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[5.] Fifthly, Our fire burns and consumes only the body, it reaches not, it torments not the precious and immortal soul; but infernal Jire burns and torments both body and soul. Now the soid of pain is the pain of the soul : Mat. x. 28, ' And fear not them wliich kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but r…
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[7.] Seventhly and lastly. Our fire may he quenched and ex- iinguislicd. The hottest flames, the greatest conflagrations have been quenched and extinguished by water. Fires on our hearths and in our chimneys are sometimes put out by the sun's beams, and often they die and go out of themselves. Our fire is maintained wi…
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maxims of right reason, doth necessarily import a punishment of the same duration that the reward is. Now the reward of the saints in that other worUl is <;ranted on all hands to he cverlastino:, to be eternal ; and therefore the punishment of the damned cannot be but everlasting and eternal too. The rewards of the ele…
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- John iii. 17, 18, 36 ; Luke i. 68-71, 74 ; Rom. vi. 23, and viii. 1, 31-35, 37 ; 1 Cor. iii. 21-23, and xv. 54-58 ; 1 Thes. i. 10 ; Eev. ix. 5, 6. 212 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. furnace, so lii'll-fire shall never sinoe one hair of your heads. Your interest in Christ is a noble and sufficient secu…
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^ Peccant in aeterno suo, ergo puniuntm- in Eoterno Dei. The siiiner alwaj-s sinned in liis eternity, tliei-efore he shall always be punished in God's eternity. — Aurjusline. 214 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25. put out, or burnt out ; tlieir candle being out, they are forced to give over their <Tanio,nn(…
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[6.] Sixthly, I answer. It is no injustice in God to punish temporal offences with perpetual torments. God measureth the punishment by the greatness of the offence, and not by the time wherein the sin was acted. Murder, adultery, sacrilege, treason, and the like capital crimes, are doomed in the judicatories of men to …
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.