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 by him encouraged to build the temple at his charge ; and they attempting it accordingly, were hindered from heaven by a mighty earthquake, which cast down that in the niglit which was built in the day : and besides, a fire from heaven, that consumed the work and workmen's instruments ; which Cyrillus, bishop of Jerusalem, then seeing, applied unto that event this prediction of our Saviour, ' There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.' 3 Ah London, London ! this might have been thy doom, that there should not have been one house standing, neither within nor without thy walls ; yea, this might have been thy doom, that there should not have been ' one stone left upon another that should not have been thrown down.' In that it is other-
' See Joseph., lib. vii. cap. 9, 10, 18, de Bel. Jud. ' Joseph., lib. xv., Antiq., cap. 14. * SoTut., lib. iii. cap. 17.
168 London's LAiiENTAXioNb on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
wise witli tlicc, thou liast cause, 0 London, to cry, Grace, grace, to him that sits upon tlic throne, and is hlossed for ever, <fcc.
Carthage was a noble city, mistress of Africa, and paragon to Rome. She made her part gt)od against Home for many years, but at length, by means of her own inward civil jars, she was utterly destroyed by them, [Oros. Eutrop.] For the inhabitants being not able to stand any longer in their own defence, were constrained to yield themselves to the mercy of their enemies — the women, to the number of five and twenty thousand, marching first forth, and after them the men, in number thirty thousand, following, all which })oor captives were sold for bond-slaves, a few only of the principal excepted: and then fire was put to the city, which burnt seventeen days without ceasing, even till it was clean consumed. This might iiave been thy doom, O Lon- don, but God in the midst of judgment hath remembered mercy.
Athens Avas once the most famous flourishing city of Greece, for her fair buildings, large precincts, and multitude of inhabitants ; but espe- cially for her philosophy, by means whereof recourse was made from all parts to her, as the fountain and wcll-sj)ring of arts, and the school and university of the whole world : whose policy and manner of government was so much esteemed by the Romans, that they drew from thence their laws : but now she lies dead and buried in the ashes of forgetfulness, not carrying any of her former proportion or appear- ance. If this had been thy doom, 0 London, we must all have set to our seals that the Lord had been righteous ; but blessed be the Lord, London is not, and I liope never shall, let Rome and hell do their worst, be buried in the ashes of forgetfulness, &c. But,
(2.) The second support to bear .up the hearts and to cheer up the spirits of all that has smarted by the late fiery dispensation, is this, viz.. That God has given them their lives for a prey. 0 sirs, what a mercy is it, that though the fire has reached your houses, your shops, your goods, your commodities, your warehouses, your treasure, that yet it has not reached your lives, nor the lives of your relations or friends ! though your habitations are consumed, and your losses have been great, yet that in the midst of so many deaths and dangers by the flames, and by the press of the people, and notwithstanding all the confusions that was in all parts of the city, you should have your lives for a prey, and be snatched as so many ' firebrands out of the burning' ! Oh how should this miraculous i)rovidence of God be owned and admired by you ! The devil hit the mark when he said, ' Skin for skin ; yea, all that a man hath, will he give for his life,' Job ii. 4.^ Men's estates in those times did lie mostly in cattle. Now, saith Satan, Job is a very great life-lover, he is fond of life, and afraid of death ; and therefore he will give skin upon skin to save his life : he will give many skins, abundance of skins, yea, all his skins, to save his life: he will give his cattle's skins, and his servants' skins, and his sons' skins, to save himself in a whole skin,'- By this i)roverbial speech, ' Skin for skin,' &c., Satan intimates that Job cared not for the loss of his cattle, nor for the loss of his servants, nor for the loss of his
* The pliilosopher saith that a lly is more excellent than the heavens ; because the fly has lif<', which the heavens have not.
* Pruximiis qii x'ji-.c j>/i</'. livery man is nearest to hini?cl'.
ISA. XLII. 24, 25.] THE LATE FIERY DISPENSATION". 1G9