' 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 then fell with so horrible a noise, that it frighted the inhabitants thereabouts, and the earth, swallowing it up, made there a deep pit, which is seen at this day; for a testimony whereof, Leland saith he saw the pits there, com- monly called hell-kettles. In the yenv 1666,^ the city of Raguza was overthrown by a most dreadful earthquake, and all the inhabitants, which were many thousands, except a few hundred, were destroyed, and buried in the ruins of that city. At Berne, anno 1584,^ near unto which city a certain hill, carried violently beyond and over other hills, is reported by Polanus, who lived in those parts, to have covered a whole village, that had ninety families in it, one half house only excepted, wherein the master of the family, with his wife and children, were earnestly calling upon God. Oh the terror of the Lord ! and oh the power of fervent prayer ! At Pleures (?) in Rhetia, anno 1G18, Aug. 25,^ the whole town was over-covered with a mountain, which with its most swift motion oppressed fifteen hundred. In the days of Uzziah king of Judah, there was such a terrible earthquake, that the people with fear and horror fled fi-om it : Zech. xiv. 5, ' Yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah,' Amos i. 1. The Jewish doctors affirm that this amazing earthquake fell out just at that instant time when Uzziah offered incense, and was therefore smitten with a leprosy : but this is but their conjecture. However, this dreadful earthquake was a horrible sign and presage of God's wrath to that sinful people. Josephus tells us* that by it half a great hill was removed out of its place, and carried four furlongs another way, so that the highway was obstructed, and the king's gardens utterly marred. The same author further tells us,^ that at that time that Csesar and Anthony made trial of their titles in the Actian war, and in the seventh year of the reign of king Herod, there happened such an earthquake in the coimtry of Judea, that never the like was seen in any other place ; so that divers beasts were slain thereby, and that ten thousand men were overwhelmed and destroyed in the ruins of their houses. The same author saith ^ that in the midst of the Actian war, about the beginning of the spring time, there happened so great an earthquake, as slew an infinite multi- tude of beasts, and thirty thousand peoj^le ; yet the army had no harm, for it lay in the open field. Upon the report of this dreadful earth- quake, and the effects of it, the Arabians were so highly encouraged, that they entered into Judea, supposing that there were no men left alive to resist them, and that they should certainly conquer the country ; and before their coming, they slew the ambassadors of the Jews that were sent unto them. Ah London, London ! if the Lord had by some terrible earthquake utterly overthrown thee, and buried all thy in- habitants under thy ruins, as he hath dealt by many cities and citizens, both in former and in these latter times, how dreadful would thy case then have been over what now it is ! Certainly such earthquakes as
^ See the relation in print. * Polan. Syntag. 841.
' Alst. Chronol. * Antiq., lib. ix. cap. 11
' Lib XV. cap. 7. ' Josephus, lib. i. cap. 14, de Bello .Tndaico. VOL. VL N
194 London's lamentations on [Isa. XLII. 24, 25.
overwlielm both cities and citizens are far greater judgments than Buch a lire or tires, that only consumes men's houses, but never hurts their persons. God might have intlicted this sore judgment upon thee, 0 London, but he lias not ; therefore it concerns thee to be still a-crying, Grace, grace ! But,
[4.] Fourthly, God might have inflicted that judgment, both upon city and citizens, that he did iip07iKorah, Dathan, and Ahiram, and all that appertained to them : Num. xvi. 31-34, ' And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them : and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that apper- tained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them : and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them : for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.'^ Whilst Moses spake these words, saith Josephus,- and intermixed them with tears, the earth trembled, and, shaking, began to remove, after such a manner as when, by the violence of the wind, a great billow of the sea floateth and is tossed hither and thither ; hereat all the people were amazed, but after that a horrible and shattering noise was made about their tents, and the earth opened and swallowed up both them and all that which they esteemed dear, which was after a manner so exterminate as nothing remained of theirs to be beheld. Whereupon in a moment the earth closed again, and the vast gaping was fast shut, so as there appeared not any sign of that which had happened. Thus perished they all, leaving behind them an example of God's power and judgments. And this accident was the more miserable, in that there were no one, no, not of their kinsfolks or allies, that had compassion of them ; so that all the people whatsoever, forgetting those things which were past, did allow God's justice with joyful acclamations, esteeming them unworthy to be be- moaned, but to be held as the plague and perverters of the people. Oh what a dreadful judgment was this, for persons to be buried alive ; for houses and inhabitants, and all their goods, to be swallowed up in a moment ! What tongue can express, or heart conceive, the terror and astonishment that fell upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, when the earth, which God had made firm, and established by a perpetual decree to stand fast under men's feet, was weary of bearing them, and there- fore opened her mouth and swallowed them and all their concernments up ! Ah London, London ! if the earth had opened her mouth and swallowed up all thy houses and inhabitants, with all thy goods and riches in a moment ; would not this have been ten thousand thousand times a greater judgment than that fiery dispensation that has passed upon thee? But,
[5.] Fifthly and lastly, God might have rained hell out of heaven upon you, as he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and this icoidd have been a sorer judgment than ivhat he has inflicted upon you. Gen. xix. If God, by raining fire and brimstone from heaven, had consumed your persons, houses, riches, and relations, Avould not this have been the