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 its various circuits appointed by God. When the wind blows southward, northward, westward, or eastward, it blows according to the orders that are issued out from the court of heaven. Sometimes the wind begins to blow at one point of the compass, and in a short time whirls about to every point of the compass, till it comes again to the same point where it blew at the first ; yet in all this they observe their circuits, and run their compass, according to the divine appointment. As the sun, so the winds have their courses ordered out by the wise providence of God. Divine wisdom much sparkles and shines in the circuits of the winds ; which the Lord brings out of his treasure, and makes them serviceable, some- times to one part of the world, and at other times to other parts of the world. It is the great God that appoints where the winds shall blow, Exod. xiv. 24 ; Jonah i. 4, and iv. 8, and when the winds shall blow, and how long the winds shall blow, and with what force and violence the winds shall blow. The winds in some parts of the world have a very regular and uniform motion, in some months of the year blowing constantly out of one quarter, and in others out of another. In some places of the world where I have been, the motions of the wind are steady and constant, which mariners call their trade-wind. Now by these stated or settled winds, divine providence does very greatly serve the interest of the children of men. But now in other parts of the world, the winds are as changeable as men's minds. The laws that God lays upon the winds in most parts of the world are not like the laws of the Medes and Persians, ' which alter not,' Dan. vi. 8. One day God lays a law upon the wmds to blow full east, the next day to blow full west, the third to blow full south, the fourth to blow full north ; yea, in several parts of the world I have known the winds to change their motions several times in a day. Now in all these various motions of the winds, the providence of God is at work for the good of mankind. That there is a dreadful storm in one place, and at the same time a sweet calm in another, — that a tempestuous storm should destroy and dash in pieces one fleet, and that at the same instant, and in one and the same sea, a prosperous gale should blow another fleet into a safe harbour, — that some at sea should have a stiff gale of wind, and others within sight of them should lie becalmed, — that some ships
142 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
should come into harbour top and top-gallant, and that others should sink down at the same harbour's mouth before they should be able to get in, is all from the decree of God, and that law that he has laid upon the winds. Tliat terrible tempestuous wind that affrighted the disciples, and that put them not only to their wits' end, but also to their faith's end, was allayed by a word of Christ's mouth : Mat. viii. 2G, * He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.' 0 sirs ! when London was in flames, and when the winds were high and went their circuits, roaring and making a most hideous noise, how easy a thing had it been with Jesus by a word of his mouth to have allayed them ! but he Avas more angry with us than he was with his disciples who were in danger of drowning, or else he would as certainly have saved our city from burning by rebuking the winds and the flames, as he did his disciples from drowning by rebulcing the winds and the seas. I have been the longer upon this fourth particu- lar, that you may the more easily run and read the anger of the Lord in those furious flames, and in that violent wind that has laid our city desolate. It is true astrologers ascribe the motions of the winds to special planets. The east wind they ascribe to the sun, the west wind to the moon, the south wind to Mars, and the north wind to Jupiter ; but those that are wise in heart, by what I have said concerning the winds, may safely and groundedly conclude that God alone hath the supreme power of the winds in his own hand, and that he alone orders, directs, and commands all the motions of the winds. And therefore let us look to that terrible hand of the Lord that was lifted up in that fierce wind, that did so exceedingly contribute to the turning of our city into a ruinous lieap. But,
[5.] Fifthly, Consider the cxtensiveness of ity How did this dread- ful fire spread itself, both with and against the wind, till it had gained so great a force as that it despised all men's attempts ! It quickly spread itself from the east to the west, to the destruction of houses of state, of trade, of i)ubhc magistracy, besides mines of charity. It spread itself with that violence that it soon crumbled into ashes our most stately habitations, halls, chapels, churches, and famous monu- ments. Those magnificent structures of the city that formerly had l)ut stops and given checks to the furious flames, falls now like stubble before the violence of a spreading fire. This fire like an arm of the sea, or like a land-flood, broke in suddenly upon us, and soon spread itself all manner of ways amongst us. It ran from place to place like the fire and hail in Egypt, Exod. ix. 23 : now it was in this street, and anon in that ; now this steeple is on fire, and then that ; now this place of judicature is laid in ashes, and then that ; now this hall is in flames, and then that ; now tliis parish is burnt down to the ground, and then that ; now this ward is turned into a ruinous heap, and then that ; now this quarter of the city is level with the ground, and then that ; now this gate of the city is demolished and consumed, and then that. ' The adversary liath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things,' saith the propliet lamentiugly. Lam. i. 10 ; and we may say sighingly, the fire hath spread out its hand upon all our pleasant
' Within the walls of the city there were eighty-one parishes consumed. For every Lour the fire lasted, there was a whole parish consumed.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION. 143