should be so weak as to think to secure themselves by creeping behind the Lord, they will but deceive themselves ; for the fire shall not only devour before him, but it shall also devour round about him. When an unquenchable fire shall be kindled above the sinner, and below the sinner, and round about the sinner, how is it possible that he should escape, though he should cry out to the rocks and the mountains to fall upon him, and to cover him from the wrath of the Lamb ? Kev. vi. 15-17 ; Jer. v. 14. Isa. Ixvi. 15, 16, * For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire, and by his sword, will the Lord plead with all flesh : and the slain of the Lord shall be many.' . There is nothing more fearful or for- midable either to man or beast than fire. Now when God comes to execute his judgments, and to take vengeance on the wicked in this life, as some carry the words, or in the other life, as others carry the words, he will come in the most terrible and dread- ful manner imaginable, he will come with fire, and he will render his rebuke with flames of fire, or with fiery flames, as some say, or with flaming fire, as others say: 2 Thes. i. 7, 8, 'And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Beloved, that Christ will come to judg- ment in flaming fire is no politic invention found out to fright men from their pleasures ; nor no engine of state devised to keep men tame and quiet under the civil powers ; nor no plot of the minister to make men melancholy, or to hurry them into a blind obedience ; but it is the constant voice of God in the blessed Scriptures : 2 Pet. iii. 10-12, ' But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire, shall be dis- solved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.' Parens is of opinion i that that fire that shall set all the world in a flame at last will be kindled and cherished by lightning from heaven. The earth being smitten with lightning from heaven, shall be shaken and torn into ten thousand pieces, and by fire utterly consumed ; now the earth shall quake, the sea roar, the air ring, and the world burn. Now you shall look no way but you shall see fire ; you shall see fire above you, and fire below you, and fire round about you. Christ's first coming was attended with a general ])eace, and with carols of angels : he came as rain upon the mown grass, silently, sweetly into the world, Luke ii. 8-15 ; Ps. Ixxi. 6. Then a babe cried in the manger, but now Judah's lion will roar and thunder in the heavens. Then he came riding on an ass's colt, but now on the clouds. Then he was attended with twelve poor despised apostles, but now he shall be waited on with many score millions of angels. At his first coming he freely offered grace, and mercy, and pardon to sinners ; but now he will come in flames of fire to execute wrath and vengeance uijon sinners, 2 Thes. i. 7 ; and it will be no small
^ Parens in Rev. xvi. 18. VOL. VI. C
34 London's lamentations on [isa. XLII. 24, 25.
lionour to Clirist, nor no sm.all comfort to the saints, nor no small tor- ment to the Avicked, for Christ to come in flames of fire when lie comes to judj^mcnt. Sanl was astonished when he heard Jesus of Nazareth but calling unto him out of heaven, Acts xxii, 8. Herod was af- frighted whei» ho thought that John Baptist was risen again, Mat. vi, 16. The Piiiiistines were afraid when they saw David's sword, 1 8am. xxi. 9. The Israelites were startled when they saw Aaron's rod, Num. vii. 10. And Judiih was ashamed when he saw Tiiamar's signet and staff; and 13elshazzar was amazed when he saw the handwriting ui)on the wall, Dan. \^ 5. The Carthaginians were troubled when they saw 8ci])io's sepulchre ; and the Saxons were terrified when tliey saw Cad- wallon's image. 1 Oh, how terrified, amazed, and confounded will wicked men be when they shall see that Christ, whom they have rejected, betrayed, crucifie<,l, scorned, 0])})0sck1, and jx?rsccuted, come in flames of fire to pass an eternal doom upon them ! I have read a story of two soldiers, 2 that coming to the valley of Jehosha})hat in Judea, and one saying to the other, Here in this place shall be the general judgment, wherefore I will now take up my place wdiere I will then sit ; and so lifting up a stone, he sat down ujion it, as taking posse&sion beforehand: but Ijeing sented, and looking up to lieaven, such a quaking and trembling fell upon him, that falling to the earth, he remembered the day of judgment with horror and amazement ever after. The case of this soldier will be the case of every wicked man when. Christ shall apix^ar in flames of fire to pass an eternal sentence of condemnation ui)on all the goats that shall l)e found on the left hand. Mat. xxv. 41-4(). It is strange in this so serious a business of the day of judgment, and of Christ's appearing in flaming fire, • which so nearly concerns the sons of men, how men's wits will busy themselves in many nice inquiries. Ye may meet with many such questions in the schoolmen as — (1.) How long is it to the day of judgment ? (2.) In what place of the world shall the judgment-day be held ? (3.) What kind of fire shall then be burning ? (4.) Whether Christ shall come with a cross carried before him ? As if malefactors in the jail should fall a-reasoning and debating what weather it would be at the day of assizes, or of the judge's habit and retinue, and never bethink themseh^es how to answer their indictment, that they may escape condemnation. London's flames should })ut us in mind of Christ's coming in flames of fire ; and the burning of London should put us in mind of the burning of the world, when Christ shall come to judge the sons of men according to their works ; and the terror and dread of that fire, and men's endeavours to escape it, should put us upon all those holy wa3s and means whereby we may escape the fury of those dreadful flames that shall never be quenched ; and the houses and estates that were consumed by the devouring fire in London streets should put us upon securing * a house not made with hands,' but one ' eternal in the heavens,' and ui^n securing ' durable riches,' and ' an inheritance that fadeth not away,' and ui)on ' laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor ru.st, nor thieves,' and let me add, nor flames, ' can break through, corrupt, or steal, or burn,' 2 Cor. v. 1, 2; Prov. vui. 18; 1 Pet. i. 4; Mat. vi. 19-21.