many to God, to his people, to hia ways, and to his instituted worship, was cold, very cold, stark cold. Mat. xxiv. 12. God destroyed the old world by water for the heat of their lusts, and God has destroyed the city of London by fire for the coldness of their love that dwelt therein. I have read of Anastasius the emperor, how God shot him to death with a thunderbolt, because of his lukewarmness and for- mality. But,
[3.] Thirdly, There was a great deal of ivorldliness and eartJdy- mindedness^ and covetousness among the professing loeople of London.
0 sirs I the world is all shadow and vanity ; it is filia noctis, like Jonah's gourd. A man may sit under its shadow for a time, but it soon decays and dies. The main reason why many professors dote upon the world is, because they are not acquainted with a greater glory. Men ate acorns till they were acquainted with the use of wheat. The loadstone cannot draw the iron when the diamond is in presence ; and shall earthly vanities draw the soul, when Christ, the pearl of price, is in presence ? Many of the professors of London were great worshippers of the golden calf, and therefore God is just in turn- ing their golden calf into ashes. The world may well be resembled to the fruit that undid us all, which was fair to the sight, smooth in handling, sweet in taste, but deadly in effect and operation. The world in all its bravery is no better than the cities which Solomon gave to Hiram, which he called Cabul, that is, displeasing or dirty,
1 Kings ix. 13. The whole world is circular, the heart of man trian- gular, and we know a circle cannot fill a triangle. If the heart of man be not filled with the three persons in Trinity, it will be filled with the world, the flesh, and the devil, 1 John v. 7. Riches, like bad servants, never stay long with one master. What certainty is there in that which one storm at sea, one treacherous friend, one false oath, one ball of fire, yea, one spark of fire may strip us of? 0 sirs ! if you can gather grapes off thorns, and figs off thistles, then go on, and dote upon the world still. All the things of this world are vain things — they are vanity of vanities, Eccles. i. 2. All in heaven count them vain, and all in hell count them vain : a Jacobus piece is but as a chip to them ; pearls are but as pebbles in their eyes. Lazarus was a preacher, as some conceive, and Dives a lawyer : sure I am, that Lazarus in heaven is now rich enough, and happy enough, and Dives in hell is now poor enough, and miserable enough. He who makes his world his god while he is in the world, what will he do for a god when he goes out of this world ? Well, sirs, remember this inordinate love to the world will expose a man to seven great losses — viz..
First, To the loss of many lyrecious opportunities of grace. Rich Felix had no leisure to hear poor Paul ; and Martha, busied about many things, had no time to hear Christ preach, though never man preached as he preached. Acts xxiv., Luke x., John vii. Men inordi- nately in love with the world have so much to do on earth, that they have no time to look up to heaven.
Secondly, To the loss of all heavenly benefit and profit by the ministry of the word, Ezek. xxxiii. 31-33; Mat. xiii. 22. Nothing will grow where gold grows. Where the love of the world prevails, there the ministry of the word will not prevail. If the love of the world be too
54 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
hard for our hearts, then the ministry of the word will work but little upon our he;nls.
Thirdly, To the loss of the face and favour of God. God doth not love to smile upon those who are still smiling upon the world, and still running after the world, Ps. xxx. 6, and Isa, Ivii. 17. The face and favour of God are pearls of price that God bestows upon none but such whose conversation is in heaven, Phil. iii. 20, and who have the moon — viz., all things that are changeable as the moon — imder their feet, Kev. xii. 1, 2. God never loves to lift up the light of his coun- tenance upon a dunghill-spirited man. God hides his face from none so much and so long as from those who are still longing after more and more of the world. '
Fourthly, To the loss of religion, and the true ivorship and service of God; as you may see by comparing of the scriptures in the margin together.l iMany worldlings deal with religion as masons deal with their ladders when they have work to do, and to climb, &c. Oh then how they hug and embrace the ladder, and carry it on their arms and on their shoulders! but then, when they have done climbing, they hang the ladder on the wall, or throw it into a corner. 0 sirs, there is no loss to the loss of religion. A man were better lose his name, his estate, his limbs, his liberty, his life, his all, than lose his religion.
Fifthly, To the loss of communion with God, and acquaintance loith God, Dent. viii. 10, 11; Jer. ii. 31, and xxii. 21; Ps. cxhv. 15. A man whose soul is conversant with God shall find more pleasure, delight, and content in a desert, in a den, in a dungeon, and in death, than in the palace of a prince. Man's sumnium bonum stands in his communion with God, as Scripture and experience evidences — nay, God and I are good company, said famous Doctor Sibbes. Mace- donius the hermit, retiring into the wilderness that he might with more freedom enjoy God and have his conversation in heaven, upon a time there came a young gentleman into the wilderness to hunt wild beasts, and seeing the hermit, he rode to him, asking him why he came into that solitary place ? he desired he might have leave to ask him the same question, why he came thither ? I came hither to hunt, said the young gallant : and so do I, saith the hermit, Deum venor meum, I hunt after my God ; — they hunt best who hunt most after communion with God. Urbanus Kegius, having one day's con- verse with Luther, said, it was one of the sweetest days that ever he had in all his life.^ But what was one day's, yea, one year's converse with Luther, to one hour's converse with God ? Now an inordinate love of the world will eat out all a man's communion with God. A man cannot look up to heaven and look down upon the earth at the same time. But,
Sixthly, To the loss of A/.s precious and immortal soul. Shimei, by seeking his servant, lost his life,^ and many by an eager seeking after this world, Mat. xvi. 2G, and 1 Tim. vi. 9, lose their precious and immortal souls. Many have so much to do on earth, that they have no time to look up to heaven, to honour their God, to secure their interest in Christ, or to make sure work for their souls. But,
' 2 Tim. iv. 10 ; 1 Tim. vi. 10 ; Jer. v. 7; Dcut. xxxii. 15 ; Hosea iv. 7, and xiii. 6. 2 Adam in vit. l?cgii, p. 78. ^ See 1 Kings ii. 39, scq.—O.
IsA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 55