IN the first Verses in this Chapter, we have a sad account of the Tragical Death of Nadab and Abibu, two of Aa­rons Sons, who were burnt to Death. There is mentioned both their Sin and their Punishment.

(1.) Their Sin: They offered In­cense with Strange Fire. They ought to have taken that Fire from the Altar, which the Lord had sent from Heaven; but they would take other Fire, which He commanded them not. In Religious Worship, it is not e­nough [Page 2] to say, This is not expresly Forbidden, but we must be able to say, This the Lord has Commanded, else it is strange Fire; strange to such an use and purpose.

(2.) Here is noted the Punishment of these rash Young men, which was suitable to their Sin. They sinned by Fire, and were punished with fire. They contemned the Fire which came down from Heaven, and Fire from Heaven devoured them; a strange punishment for a strange offence: They were struck dead with miraculous Lightning. Lightning will burn a man to death, & yet it may be his Cloaths not so much as sing­ed. Thus it was with Nadab and Abihu, notwithstanding they had Linnen Garments on, those were not burnt, but the Young Priests that wore them were killed.

In this Verse we have,

1. A Prohibition to Aaron and his two surviving Sons, Eleazer and Ithamar;they were forbid to uncover their heads, they might not put off their Priestly Habit to put on Mourning Apparrel, nor rend their Cloaths. They were engaged in Holy Ministrations, which should be performed chearfully, and which they might not desert to attend Fu­neral Solemnities. Thus were they to Testi­fie their submission to the will of God, and to acknowledge that he had justly punished [Page 3] their near Relations for their sin. Neverthe­less,

2. Here is a Commandment that all the People should Bewail this Judgment. Na­dab and Abibu were publick Persons, and in smiting them all the People were smitten; and the Terrible Wrath of God was disco­vered in this Judgment which was awfully circumstanced. These Priests were Young men, and might have lived a long time to have been Serviceable among the Lord's People: This was the first day of their En­tring on their Publick Ministry. They were taken out of the World by the immediate Hand of God, and that Suddenly in the very act of Sinning, before they had time to consider & repent of what they had done, which things argued the Burning Displea­sure of God, and therefore was a loud Call to all the House of Israel to bewail such an astonishing Dispensation of His Providence.

The Doctrine which may be insisted on for our present Instruction, is,

That when the Lord Kindles a Fire, and some are Burned, He expects that all His People should lay it to Heart.

Two Propositions are contained in the Doctrine before us.

[Page 4]PROP. 1. When there is a Fire kindled a­mong a People, it is the Lord that has kindled it. The Burning which the Lord has kindled. Whether we speak of Metaphorical Fires, that is to say, Consuming Judgments; or of Fires in a Literal Sense, it is the Lord that kindles them. Of both these does the Prophet speak, Ezek. 20. 47, 48. Thus sayes the Lord God, Behold I will kindle a Fire, the flaming Flame shall not be quenched, and all Flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it. This may be confirmed in two particulars.

1. All things whatsoever, are ordered by the Providence of God; nothing happens in the World, but what is according to his holy Decree and Providence: Psal. 135. 6. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in Hea­ven, and in Earth, in the Seas, and in all deep Places Nothing comes to pass in any place, be it Heaven, Earth, Seas or Rivers, but the Lord has done it. His Providence Governs the World; and is not restrained to things in Heaven only, but orders things on the Earth; and not great things only which happen on the Earth, but the smallest mi­nutest things that can be. We see this in what Christ said to the Disciples, Mat. 10. 29, 30. Are not two Sparrows sold for a far­thing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground [Page 5] without your Father: i. e. Without his Provi­dence. We may be sure then that an house does not fall to the ground; much less does a Fire consume many Houses; but the ho­ly Hand of Heaven is in it. Christ more­over said, The very hairs of your head are all [...]. Not only your Lives (as the Lives of Sparrows) but the least thing in which you are concerned, are under the care and guidance of your heavenly Fa­ther. Things which are Accidental are or­dered by Providence: Sometimes a Fire breaks forth Accidentally; it may be by the carelessness of a Servant; nevertheless the Lord has ordered it how it should happen, when, where, and whose Houses shall be Consumed by it The most Casual things are under the guidance of Providence. Sup­pose a man kills his Neighbour unawares and involuntarily; suppose him to be cutting Wood on a Tree (it is a supposal in the Scripture) and the helve of his Ax happens to fall and wound his Neighbour to Death, that sad Casualty was ordered by the holy Providence of God, Exod. 21. 13. God delivered him into his hand. What is there more casual or fortuitous than the chance of a Lot? Nevertheless 'tis said, Prov. 16. 33. The Lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. And as for [Page 6] Instruments, they are all over-ruled by a Divine Providence: They can do nothing without God. I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks, to direct his steps. Nebuchadnezzar designed to come with an Army, and burn Jerusalem down to the ground, but he had never accomplished his purpose, if a dread­ful hand of Heaven had not ordered it to be done; therefore is it said, Lam. 3. 37. Who is he that says and it comes to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

2. As all things which happen in the World, so in a special manner, Afflictive Dis­pensations are ordered by his Providence, Amos 3. 6. Shall there be Evil in a City, and the Lord has not done it? There is a world of sinful Evil in a City, which it would beBlas­phemy to say that the Lord has done it. It is impossible that He who is infinite Ho­liness, should be the Author of Sin. Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempt­ed of God, for God cannot be tempted with Evil. But Penal Evil, tho' not Moral Evil is from Him. The Judgments of God are all righteous acts,& all Righteousness is from Him. There is no righteous thing done in the World, but the Lord has done it. If a sore Judgment comes on a particular Person, Fa­mily, Town, or Land, the Lord has done [Page 7] it. Sickness, Epidemical Diseases especially; and most of all Pestilential ones, are a sad Judgment; but from the Lord, Amos 4.10. I have sent among you the Pestilence. The ter­rible Famine is a sore Judgment, but the Lord sends it, vers.6. I have given you clean­ness of teeth in all your Cities, and want of bread in all your places. The Sword is a dreadful Judgment, but from the holy Lord, Lev. 26. 25. I will bring a Sword upon you, which shall avenge the quarrel of my Covenant. And (to keep to the Subject in hand) De­solating Fires are an awful Judgment, but of the Lords kindling. When the Chil­dren of Israel were encamped in the Wilder­ness, the Fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the utmost parts of the Camp; Moses called the name of that place TABERAH, (which signifies BURNING,) because the Fire of the Lord burnt among them, Numb. 11. 1, 3. A consi­derable number of those concerned in Co­rab's Rebellion, were killed with Fire, like as Nadab and Abibu had been; and it was the Lord that kindled that Fire. Numb 16.35. There came out fire from the Lord, and consumed two hundred and fifty men that offered Incense. This awful Burning is commemorated by the Psalmist, Psal. 106. 18. A Fire was kind­led in their Company, a flame burnt up the wic­ked. [Page 8] When those who came against the Prophet Elijah were burned to death by fifty in a Company, Heaven kindled that fire, 1 King. 1. 12. Elijah said, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from Heaven, amp; consume thee and thy fifty; and the fire of God came down from Heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. The Lord has threatned to punish Sinners with Fire: Thus has He threatned the world, and will e're long do it after such a tremendous manner, as the like never was since the world began. For behold the Lord will come with Fire, to render his Anger with fury, and his rebukes with flames of Fire, for by fire and by his sword, that is to say, by his sword of fire will the Lord plead with all Flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many, Isa. 66. 15, 16. Yea, and the Lord has menaced his own People with this Judgment, in case they shall by their Degeneracies kindle his Indignation against them: Deut. 22. 32. A Fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn to the lowest Hell; A Fire that consumes all a mans Estate, and leaveth him nothing, is said to burn to the lowest Hell: and set on fire the Foundations of the Mountains. When Jerusalem which was founded on the Holy Mountains was burnt down to the Ground, that Threatning was awful­ly fulfilled.

[Page 9]Quest. But why does the Lord thus Punish His People?

Answ. If there were nothing to be men­tioned besides the Absolute Sovereignty of God, that's enough to make all Flesh silent before Him. GOD is greater than Man; and is not bound to give any account of His Matters. He does according to His Will: None can stay His Hand; nor may any say to Him, What dost thou? Nevertheless, He does not deal with men only in a way of Ab­solute Sovereignty; but as a Righteous Judge.

Wherefore;

(1) It is to Chastise them for their Sins, when the Lord brings such smarting Judg­ments on His People: Isa. 42. 24. Who gave Jacob for a Spoil, and Israel to the Robbers? Did not the Lord, He, against whom we have Sin­ned? If we had never Sinned, no Fire would ever have been Kindled against us. Some­times it is for one particular Sin, which has been a special Provocation that the Lord Kindles a Fire. So in the Examples which we have mentioned. When a Fire devour­ed Nadab & Abthu, it was for that particular Sin of their offering strange Fire. When Two Hundred & Fifty of Corab's Rebels were Consumed with Fire, it was for their presu­ming to Offer Incense which they had no Authority from God to do. When a Fire [Page 10] destroyed a Number in the Camp; among the Children of Israel, it was to Punish them for that Sin of Murmuring. When the Lord heard this, He was wroth; so a Fire was kindled a­gainst Jacob, and Anger came up against Is­rael, Psal. 78. 21. But commonly it is for more Sins than one, that God does Visit with Burning Judgments: Amos 2. 4, 5. Thus says the Lord, for Three Transgressions of Judah, and for Four, (h. e. for many Transgressions) I will not turn away the Punishment thereof; but I will send a Fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem.

(2.) The Lord seeth that His People Need such Afflictions. They are in Heaviness if Need be; and not until the Lord seeth that on one account or other, such Dispensations are Needful for them, 1 Pet. 1. 6. It may be it is needful, that so the Grace which He has wrought in their Souls may be Tried; or in order to their Purgation they are brought into the Fire. By this shall the Iniquity of Jacob be Purged, and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin. It was said concerning the Lord's People, that some of them should fall by Flame, as well as by other Judgments; to Try them, and to Purge and make them White, Dan.11. 33, 35. As Metals are Refined and Purified by being brought into the Fire, so are the Lord's Servants: Zec. 12.9. I will [Page 11] bring the third part through the Fire; and will Re­fine them as Silver is Refined; and will Try them as Gold is Tried. Such Afflictions are some­times needful for the Lord's Servants, that so they may grow in Grace, and be made more Holy & Heavenly. If the Lord takes away from any Servant of His, any part of his Estate; but gives him more Grace instead of it, he has no cause to complain. He takes away lesser Mercies from His Servants, that He may prepare them for greater. They would not have been so fit for the Mercy, which is in the Lord's Heart to bestow on them, had not some Fiery Trial qualified them for it.

(3.) God deals thus with His People some­times, as a Solemn Warning to the World. If this be done to the Green Tree, what shall be done to the Dry, which is fit for Burn­ing? Such Judgments are Omens, and Prog­nosticks of Terrible things to come on the Earth. The Prophet speaks of Fire & Pillars of Smoke; the Sun turned into Darkness, and the Moon into Blood, before the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord come, Joel 2▪ 30, 31. When a great Town is on Fire▪ Pillars of Smoke darken the Sun,& make the Moon look like Blood; this is sometimes a Sign that a Terrible Day of the Lord is not far off: Especially when such things happen among the Lord's People. If [Page 12] they that have a more Pure Religion than others have; and that not only as to Pro­fession, but Practice too shall be Visited with Fiery Judgments; what mav the wicked World expect e're long? 1 Pet. 4. 17. The time is come, that Judgment must begin at the House of God; and if it first Begin at us, what shall be the End of them that Obey not the Gospel of God?

PROP. II. Such Awful Dispensations ought to be laid to Heart. If the Lord Kindles a Fire, All His People ought to Bewail the Burning which the Lord has Kindled. For,

1. The Displeasure of GOD ought to be laid to Heart. Should not Children be af­fected with their Fathers Displeasure? It was said of Miriam, If her Father had spit in her Face, should she not be ashamed Seven Days? Numb. 12. 14. How much more should we be Ashamed, & Humbled, and Fear & Mourn, if our Heavenly Father should spit in our Faces? When Moses brought word to the Children of Israel, that God was much Of­fended with them, so as to Threaten a De­parture from them, when the People heard these Evil Tidirgs, they Mourned; and no man did put on his Ornaments, Exod. 33. 4. Now Fiery Judgments are a Sign of God's Anger. [Page 13] If He kindles a Fire, we may justly fear that His Anger is kindled. You heard but now, that when the Lord was wroth, he kindled a fire against Jacob. If a fire is kindled against Jacob, tis a sign that the Lord is wroth, that he has a Controversy which he pleads with fire, Amos 7. 4. Behold the Lord God called to contend by Fire. It is sad when the Lord God writes His Displeasure in fiery Cha­racters; we should bewail it, and duely lay it to heart.

2. To do so is the way to prevent further and greater Judgment. There is a graci­ous Promise, in Lev. 26. 41, 42. If their un­circumcised heart be humbled, and they accept of the punishment of their Iniquity, then will I re­member my Covenant. When Sin is confes­sed, and lamented, and God is acknowledg­ed to be righteous in manifesting His dis­pleasure by punishing iniquity, then He re­members His Covenant: He forgives the Sin of His People, and does not proceed against them in a way of Judgment. When Reho­boam and the Princes humbled themselves, and said the Lord is righteous. He would not go on to pour out his wrath upon them, 2 Chron.12. 6, 7. When the Fire of the Lord had burnt among the Murmuring Israelites, they cried to Moses to pray for them, which argued that they were made [Page 14] sensible of their Sin, and penitent under the awful Hand of God upon them; and then the Lord gave a stop to the Fire. Moses Prayed to the Lord, and the fire was quenched, Numb. 11.2. Therefore ought we to bewail the Burning which the Lord has kindled.

3. Insensibility of the Lords Hand in such awful Dispensations, has no little evil in it: Great is the Atheism, which reigns in the hearts of such men. When an heavy Judg­ment was on the Philistines, they had some suspicion that God had sent it upon them; yet they were willing to perswade them­selves, that it was not His hand that smote them, but a chance that happened to them, 1 Sam.6. 9. Such Atheists were they. And such stupidity under the Hand of God, argues desperate hardness of heart. Isa. 42. 25. He has poured out on him the fury of his anger, and it has set him on fire round about, yet he knew it not, and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. A sad sign of being given up to Ju­dicial obduration of heart. When such a light fire is kindled by the hand of the Lord, and yet men see not his hand therein, it is a dismal sign that He has shut their eyes in a Judicial way; And what then can be ex­pected but greater Burnings? Mal.2.2. If you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my Name, faith the Lord of Hosts, I will even [Page 15] send a Curse upon you, and I will curse your Blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart. Great Judg­ments are come upon you already, but far greater will shortly be upon you, if you do not lay it to heart. Nay, Awful Judgments on a few particular Persons, are sometimes ominous of general Calamity, if not duly considered and laid to heart. Those eighteen upon whom the Tower in Siloam fell and slew them; think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, nay, but exeept you repent, you shall all likewise pe­rish, Luk. 13. 45.

We Proceed to Apply the Doctrine which has been thus Confirmed.

USE 1. Patience becomes those on whom a Fire has been kindled. There are some be­longing to this Congregation, and more in all the other Assemblies in this place, on whom a Fire has been kindled the Last Week. This Consideration that notwith­standing there have been blameable Cau­ses of this Calamity, the Lord has kindled it, should make us patient under His Holy Hand. This thought made David to be so, when under great Affliction of another kind. Psal. 39. 9. I was dumb, I opened not my [Page 16] mouth, because thou didst it. Job had part of his Estate taken from him by Fire, Job 1. 16. but he knew that the Hand of God was in it, he said, the Lord has taken away; and when he well considered that, he was a mirrour of Patience. Let me speak a few things to those who have been Sufferers by the late Fire. I shall only mention three Considerations, which may help to quiet and compose your Spirits under your pre­sent Affliction.

Consider 1. Nothing has befallen you but what many other Servants of the Lord have had experience of the like. Why should we think to fare better in this evil world, than many others who have been dear to God? Not to speak of things done in Ancient times, or in Places where we have not been con­cerned: Let me put you in mind of what has been done in our days, and in our own Nation. The Famous Town of Northampton was not only burnt by the cruel Danes, in former Ages, and Rebuilt; but no longer since than September 3. 1675. A Fire broke forth and buried the whole Town in Ashes in an hours time. The like Desolation came upon Wem, a Market Town in Shrop­shire. Many of us can remember, and all of us have heard, of the Fire that happened in London on the Lords-Day, September 2. 1666. [Page 17] which continued burning four days, and was not extinguished before it had burnt down above thirteen thousand Houses; the Cathedral of St. Pauls, 87 Churches, 6 Chap­pels, the Royal Exchange, Custom-House, Guild­Hall, the Magnificent Hall's of Companies, In those Fires many good men were great Sufferers. Nor is that which happened four days since, the only Lamentable Fire which has been in Boston. Five and thirty years ago, viz. on Novem. 27 1676. A Fire by means of a careless sleepy Servant broke forth, by which fourscore Families were burnt out of doors, & the Publick Meeting. House here, in which we worshipped God every Sabbath­day was consumed in those flames. Not full three years after that, viz. On August 8. 1679 Another Fire burnt down eighty Hou­ses, and seventy Ware-houses, when much Substance was lost in those, devouring Flames. Wherefore, Let not those who are now Sufferers, be impatient or dejected be­cause of the Losses which they have sustai­ned.

Consider 2. If you belong to God, He has gi­ven you, and will give you that which is better than any thing which He has taken from you: Has He taken your House from you? But there is an infinitely better House which shall never be taken from you; As [Page 18] House▪ Eternal in the Heavens. Are your Goods, is your Houshold Furniture Consu­med? There is a better& more enduring Sub­stance in Heaven: You have an Everlasting Covenant to live upon, which is ordered in all things well. You have God to be your Portion, and then you have enough, if you have nothing else. It was Davids comfort when Ziklag was burnt, and all his Sub­stance fallen in the hands of the Amalakites, 1 Sam. 30. 6. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. When his Estate was clear gone, and (which was a worse Calamity) all his Friends forsook him, his comfort was, that still he had a Faithful and an Alsuffi­cient God to depend upon, and therefore notwithstanding all his Losses, he had Infi­nite Riches still. It has been reported, that when there was a Civil War, Soldiers coming into an House, took away what they plea­sed; The Mistress of the House being a pious Woman, when they laid their hands on several choice things, would say, I have God still to provide for me; and so did she often say: at last they took away some­thing that her heart was too much set up­on, which when she observed, she fell into Tears: She had a little Child who remem­bred what her Mother had often expressed; and said, Mother, why do you Cry▪ Is your [Page 19] God gone now, have these Plunderers taken your God away? Which words of the little In­fant made the Mother recollect her self, & bear her Losses chearfully. Shall I say to you, that if you are true Believers on Christ, you have lost nothing: Because of the Infi­nite Good which you still have, and shall have for ever, you have lost nothing. A Godly man may stand on the Ruins of the whole world and say, I have lost nothing: You have all things in having Christ: He is All and in all that do believe. What is the Believers Jointure? The Apostle tells us what it is, 1 Cor. 3. 21. All things are yours, you are Christs, and Christ is Gods: Therefore never fear wanting as long as you are in this world. If God has given you Christ, you may be sure that He will not with hold any thing from you, which shall be good for you to enjoy, Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son, how shall he not with Him freely give us all things?

Consider 3. All your Afflictions and Bereave­ments will End Happily. How do you know, but that the Gracious Lord may by such Dis­pensations, be preparing you for some Signal Mercy? If you are Patient under them, it may be you will find it so. Jam. 5.11. Behold, we count them Happy which Endure. You have heard of the Patience of Job; and have seen the [Page 20] End of the Lord. How did Job's Afflictions End? Job 42.12. The Lord Blessed the Latter End of Job, more than his Beginning. He gave him twice as much Estate as he had before all was taken from him. He will do so by you, if in His Infinite Wisdom He shall see that will be good for you But if not so in case you bear your Afflictions with that Patience and Humility that becomes Christians, you shall be Richer in Grace and Brighter in Glory, when in the Heavenly World, because of your Afflicti­ons in this Evil World. Oh! then be very Patient and Submissive under the Hand of GOD; and the rather because you have by your Sins Deserved this, and a great deal more. Say then with the Lords People; Mic. 7. 9. I will hear the Indignation of the Lord, because I have Sinned against Him.

USE. II. This should put us upon enqui­ring what the Sins are which provoke the Lord to kindle Fires, and whether those Sins are not found among us.

Quest. What Sins are they for which Burn­ings come as a Punishment for them?

Answ. I shall not mention all, only sin­gle out some of them.

1. Pride is one of them. A Fire was kin­dled upon Sodom it was in a special man­ner for Pride among other Sins: Behold, [Page 21] this was the Iniquity of Sodom, Pride, fulness of Bread, and abundance of Idleness was in her, Ezek 61 49. We see Pride was the first fire-brand that burnt Sodom. If the Lord will thus punish Heathen People for this Sin, much more may His own People ex­pect the like Judgment, if this Iniquity is notoriously indulged among them. This Sin set Jerusalem on fire as well as Sodom, & in special the Pride and Vanity of the Fe­male Sex appearing in their Garb and Gate, brought Burning upon them. It was be­cause the Daughters of Sion were haughty, Isa. 3.16. They would walk with stretched forth Necks, walking and mincing as they go. They had Chains and Bracelets, and Rings, and Jewels, and changeable Suits of Apparel, of which they were not a little proud; wherefore the Lord threat­ens that he would take away the bravery of their Ornaments, and give them burning. The Word of God allows those who are Men of Estates, and such as are in Place and Dignity above others, to be distin­guished by the Costliness of their Appar­rel. If they who [...] Kings Houses are Cloathed in soft raiment, if they wear Silk, and Sattens, and Velvet, and Purple, and Silver and Gold, there is no offence to Heaven in it; but for Poor People to do [Page 22] so, is insufferable Pride: Pride is also discovered in the wearing of Strange Apparrel. They that will be the first in taking up a new Vain Fashion, are to be numbred among the Proud. Nor does the Holy God ap­prove of this vanity in any persons what­soever. If any might be allowed in it, Courtiers and Princes might; but hear what God saith, Zeph. 1.8. I will punish the Princes, and the Kings Children, and all such as are cloathed with strange Apparel. As for the Kings Children, their Fathers House was burnt, and the Houses of all the Princes were burnt with fire, Jer. 52. 13. This was partly for their pride, in wearing Strange Apparel: New things are strange; so are new fashions at first strange Apparel, It is lawful for men to comply with any fashion, which does not carry Immodesty with it, nor is contrary to any Moral Precept; when once it is become the custom of the place where they live; and there are some Old Fashions which now would be new & strange and ridiculous, and it would be a sin to follow them, altho' an hundred years ago being customary, they were decent; but movelty and singularity in fashions are the badge of a vain mind. And I doubt not but that a man who has lost his Hair by Sickness or by Age, or if his Health require it, may as [Page 23] lawfully make use of a modest Wig or Bor­der, as of a Cap, or Hat. I never said or thought otherwise; but I have said, & do say, That such Monstrous Periwigs, as some; Nay, as some Church-Members indulge themselves in the wearing of, which make them resemble the Locusts that come out of the bottomless Pit; whose Faces were as the Faces of Men, & they had Hair as the Hair of Women, Rev.9.7.8. are a Badge of Pride, and (as an Eminent Divine calls them) Horried Bushes of Vanity; and that such Strange Apparel is contrary to the Light of Nature, and to Express Scripture, 1 Cor. 11.14, 15. But are not many among us guilty of this (as well as of other sorts of) Pride? And they regard neither God nor man that tes­tifies against them. And none more guilty than the poorer and meaner sort of people all the Country over. They will go above their Quality, above their Parentage,& above their Estates. When they have scarce Bread to eat, yet they will be fine and fashiona­ble, and appear in their Silks and Braveries, as if they were the best in the Land. I de­clare unto you, that such Pride is enough to provoke the Lord to kindle Fires in all the Towns in the Country, where this Ini­quity does abound.

2. The Prophanation of the Sabbath day▪ [Page 24] is a Sin that is often Punished with Fiery Judgments. Did not the Lord Threaten Je­rusalem, that if they would not Hallow the Sabbath Day, and bear no Burden on the Sabbath Day, He would Kindle a Fire, that would Devour the Palaces thereof, Jer. 17 27. So has the Lord done. Jerusalem (as some have observed) was twice Taken & Burnt on the Sabbath Day, for their Prophaning of it, as well as for other Transgressions. And the like has been done among Christians, for their Prophaning of the Lord's Day. The Pro­testants in Germany, were great Sabbath-break­ers. A Learned Man complained of them, That if one were to Judge whose Day that was by their manner of Keeping it, he must take it to be, Non Dies Dominicus, sed Dies Daemoniacus; a Day set apart not to Serve CHRIST, but the Devil: for it was spent in Drunkenness, Gaming, Revelling, and all manner of Profanity. And what Fires has the Lord Kindled there? What Desolations have been made? How many whole Towns have been Burnt down to the Ground? Prague (the Capital City in Bohemia) fell into the Hands of Merciless Enemies on the Sabbath Day. And there have been sad In­stances of Fiery Judgments in our own Na­tion, on Places which have been Notorious for Profaning the Sabbath. A Considerable [Page 25] Town in Devonshire [Tiverton] was often Warned by a Faithful Minister of God, then among them, that for this Sin they might expect that a Desolating Judgment was near them. Presently after the Death of that Mi­nister, a Fire broke out, and laid the whole Town in Ashes. I could mention to you, Particular Persons who have been Killed (as Nadab and A [...]u were,) with Lightning from Heaven on the Lord's Day, when they were Profaning of it. But has not God's Holy Day been Prophaned in New-England? Has it not been so in Boston this Last Summer, more than ever since there was a Christian here? Have not Burdens been Carried thro' the Streets on the Sabbath Day? Nay, have not Bakers, Carpenters, and other Tradesmen been Employed in Servile Works, on the Sabbath Day? When I saw this, My Heart said, A Rebuke from Heaven will surely at­tend the Canada Expedition, because of this Transgression. My Heart said, will not the Lord for this Kindle a Fire in Boston? If to hasten an Affair we will make Bold with GOD, and Violate His Rest; we have reason to fear, that we shall make more Hast than good Speed; as in our Late Expedition we have done. Have we not Exposed our Religion to Scorn? Have not Ungodly Scoffers said. They did not think that Presbyterians would [Page 26] have gone to Work in the Sabbath Day, until they saw it in Boston? For Men to Work hard on the Sabbath. pretending a Necessi­ty; and then to Loiters next Day is such a Mocking of GOD, as He will never bear with in New-England, let who will Counte­nance [...] it.

But say some, May not Servile Works be done on the Sabbath Day, in case of Ne­cessity?

I say Yes, without doubt; if it is a Present and [...] Necessity; and not otherwise. If an House is on Fire on the Sabbath Day, all Hands may go to work to Quench it, because the Necessity is Present and Certain. If Enemies break in upon us on the Sab­bath, tis Lawful to take up Arms against them. It was Superstition in those Jews, who in the Days of the Maccabees made a Scruple of it. But if the Necessity is Uncertain, then to bear a Burden, or do any Servile Work on the Lord's Holy Day, is a Prophanation. Thus for a Husband man to pretend that within two Days, Rain may come and Damage his Corn; to prevent which he will Gather it in on the Sabbath Day, is a Transgression of the Fourth Commandment. The like is to be said, when Mariners plead that they have a Fair Wind on the Lord's Day, which it may be they shall not have the next Day; [Page 27] and therefore they will Hurry away, and Disturb the Rest of the Sabbath; which ought to be Sacred and Inviolable. I wish that they whose Hand has been Chief in this Trespass, would Consider as in the Fear of God, how Governour Nehemiah Contended with the Nobles of Judah & said unto them, What Evil thing is this that you do, and Pro­phane the Sabbath Day? Did not your Fa­thers do thus, and did not our God bring all this Evil upon us, and upon this City? Yet you bring more Wrath upon Israel, by Prophaning the Sabbath, Neh. 13. 17, 18. If they who ought to approve themselves Witnesses for GOD, shall all be Silent, and not Testify a­gainst this Iniquity; I am perswaded, that there is more Wrath to come upon Boston: which I Earnestly Pray the LORD to Avert; and Mercifully to take me out of the World be­fore it comes.

3. Inordinate Love to the World, and the Things of the World, is another Evil which Kindles Fire. When men will use Unlaw­ful Means, when they will Sin to get the World; no man can think, but that their Hearts are Inordinately set upon it. Achan would be guilty of Sacriledge, that so he might get a Wedge of Gold, and a goodly Babylonish Garment; but did not God say, that he should be Burned for it? Josh. 7.1s. The [Page 28] Prophet Zechary saw a Flying Roll, the Length thereof was Twenty Cubits, and the Breadth there­of Ten Cubits: Those were the Dimensions of the Porch of the Te1mple; tis said this Roll full of Curses should Enter into the House of the Thief, and into the House of him that Sweareth Falsly; and shall Consume it with the Timber there­of, and the Stones thereof. It seems there were some Covetous Wretches, who having been Entrusted with Money to be laid out on the Temple, Sacrilegiously perverted it to their own Use; an I when called to an Accompt, would by Perjury Clear themselves: For this wicked Covetousness, their Houses were Consu­med, Zec. 5. 2, 3, 4. They that give the Pre­ference to Earthly things, with the Neglect of Spiritual and Heavenly Blessings, have an Inordinate Love to a Vain & Perishing World. Thus did the Jews: When Christ and all the Riches of Heaven with Him was freely Offered to them, they made Light of it, and went their ways, One to his Farm, and another to his Merchandise. But what followed? The King was wroth, and sent forth his Armies, and Burnt up their City. The Romans came with an Army and set Jerusalem on Fire, Mat. 22 7. When men pretend to Serve GOD, and yet Serve Mammon with their whole Hearts, the Lord either by Water or Fire takes away their Mammon. When the [Page 29] World is become an Idol, He casts it into the Fire. When an House & Furniture is Idolized, by Men or Women, the Jealousy of GOD Kindles a Fire on it. Remember Lot's Wise: Her heart was Idolatrously set upon what she had in Sodom; and you know what befel her. Yea, remember Lot himself: Notwith­standing he was a Righteous man, the World had too much of his Heart. And did not God Fire him out of all his Estate? Now then say, Is not this Sin found in New England? And is it not attended with much Sacriledge? Thro' out the whole Land, men with-hold from God more than is meet; and it tends to Po­verty. Ab! New-England, what Lamentation shall I take up for thee? Thou hast changed thy Interest. Thy Interest was Pure Religion; which is more than can be said of any other Planta­tion in the whole World. Our Fathers came not into this Land to get Estates, but to Build Houses for GOD, & set up the Kingdom of CHRIST in the Spiritual Glory of it, where His Name had not been known. They went after Him in the Wilderness, in a Land that was not Sowen: They sought the Kingdom of God & His Righteousness in the First place; and He was pleased to add other things to them, be­yond their Expectation. But how is it as this Day? Men do not now come to New-England for the sake of Religion; but of the [Page 30] World, to get Riches if they can. And what is the Interest pursued by this Generation? Is it Godliness? Or is it not the Farm and the Merchandise?

USE III. Let us be Careful now the Lord has Kindled a Fire in the midst of us, in the heart of Boston, to Approve our selves as He expects from us.

1. We should be deeply Sensible of the Holy Hand of the Lord, in what has Befallen us. Oh! Be­wail the Burning which the Lord has Kindled. It is in respect of some Circumstances attend­ing it, the most Awful Stroke from God that ever came upon Boston, or upon New-England. Many Houses are in Ashes; and more than an Hundred Families Burnt out of Doors. An House set apart for Solemnizing the Worship of God, is laid in Ruines. Our Church has greater cause to be Affected with that Provi­dence, than any other Church; excepting that which used to Assemble there. For when our Church did Sixty One Years ago ( viz. June 4. 1650.) Combine & Form themselves into a Particular Church, by an Holy Covenant ingaging to walk with God, and with one a­nother in observing all Divine Institutions; in that House now Burnt with Fire, that most Solemn Transaction was Performed. It is a sor­rowful Complaint of the Lord's People, Isa. 64. 11. The House where our Fathers Praised thee, is Burnt up with Fire. That House in which [Page 31] our Fathers Praised the Lord for near upon Seventy Years is now Burnt up with Fire. We of this Congregation have the greater cause to Sympathise with our Brethren, for that we our selves had Thirty Five Years ago, expe­rience of the same Calamity; as before was noted. In this dismal Night the Town-House also, in which our General Assemblies, Coun­cils, and Courts of Judicature were wont to Meet, and in which Two Synods have Sat, was Consumed with the Fire; and in that there is an Awful Voice from Heaven speaking to the whole Province. And this comes upon us immediately on the Back of another Judg­ment; as to present Appearance Seven times greater than any that ever befel New-England: I intend the Blast of God which has been on the Late Expedition against our Canadian Ene­mies. Men are imputing the Disappointment to such and such Persons. I am no Judge in those Affairs. But sure I am, that the Lord has destroy'd those Vessels & Lives which Perished on the Fatal Rocks; and if the An­ger of the Lord had not been Kindled, it would not have been as it is. How may it astonish us, to see the Holy LORD seeming to take part with His and our Enemies, who are Ido­laters, and have been Murderers; and His Anger to Smoke against the Prayers of His People? We had appointed a Publick Fast [Page 32] to be attended this Week, (and the Lord pre­pare us for it) to Humble our selves under the Mighty Hand of GOD gone out against us, in the miscarriage of that Undertaking, in which the Peace and Prosperity of all these Colonies was greatly concerned; but before the Fast comes, behold another Humbling Stroke. Surely the Lord says, The People of New-England have cause to be Humbled and Humbled; and Wo to New-England, if after all these things it shall be said of us, as 'twas of the Obstinate Jews,Jer. 44. 10. They are not Hum­bled even to this Day; neither have they Feared. There is another Particular which makes a pe­culiar Accent of Sorrow in this Burning, viz. That many Lives have been Tragically Lost; the like (as to Number) has not been in former Fires amongst us. We know not how many there are who have thus Perished. Tis sup­posed Eight Persons at least, some think many more. One sorrowful Instance I cannot but take Notice of: An Hopeful Young Man, and a Dutiful Son to his Mother, who is a Pious Widow, belonging to this Church; as he was Industriously & Charitably Helping his distressed Neighbours, lost his Life in the Fire. Oh! The tremendous Wrath of God, which such Awful Providences are a Mani­festation of! Moreover, At this very time, o­ther Judgments are upon us. The Lord threat­ned His People Israel that He would appoint o­ver [Page 33] them the Burning Ague, Lev. 26. 16. So has He dealt with us this Year. Very many (in some Towns especially) have been brought Low by the Burning Ague, which the Lord has Afflicted them with. And at this very Day, God has called for a Drought on the Land. Shall all these Evils come upon us, & we not deeply Sensible of His Holy Hand in all? Oh! Let there not be cause to take up the Prophets Complaint, Dan.9.13. All this Evil is come upon us, yet made we not our Prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our Iniquity, and un­derstand thy Truth.

2. Let all our Hearts be affected with the Mer­cy of God. In Wrath He has remembered Mer­cy. We have cause to Sing of Mercy, as well as to Lament under Judgment: Sparing Mer­cy in that the Town has stood so long: It is almost a Miracle, that such a Timber Town has stood for so many years, conside­ring how many prodigious Sinners there are who rejoyce at such Calamities, hoping [...] opportunity to Steal their [...] Goods: And how many careless Ser­vants, and how many Drunken Wretches there are in the Town: The Fire we now Bewail this day, is supposed to be occasioned by a wicked drunken Woman. And let those who have their Houses taken from them, be Thankful that it was not done sooner. When many years since a conside­rable [Page 34] part of a Street in Boston was Consu­med with Fire; and among others, Reve­rend Mr. Wilson, (the Famous Pastor of the only Organized Church then in Boston) had his House burnt, himself not being at that time in the Town; as soon as Tidings was bro't to him of it, the first word which his holy heart prompted him to say, was, Blessed be the Lord who has taken away, and blessed be the Lord who let me enjoy my House so long. We ought to be affected with the Mercy of God in that the whole Town was not consumed. If the Wind (which the Lord holds in His fist) had then been so high as since that fa­tal night it has been, few Houses would have been left standing in Boston. We in this North End of the Town, have great cause to acknowledge the Mercy of God in sparing as at this time: For indeed we were in emi­nent danger, flakes of fire falling upon the Houses hereabouts, & but few of the Dwel­lers in this part of the Town remained in their Houses to secure them, in case any of them should have taken fire; from which a gracious Providence, (but not our Prudence) has preserved them. Let me advise you, if ever the like occasion should happen, (which Mercy forbid) not to leave your own Ha­bitations, without a sufficient Number to defend them.

2. Let us [...] after hearts more weaned [Page 35] from the World, and more set upon Heaven. The Fashion of this World passeth away; there­fore we should moderate our Affections to things here below. They that buy should be as though they possessed not; they should not place any part of their Felicity in their Purchases or Possessions: We should set losse in our Affections from these Earthly Enjoy­ments, and then if they are taken from us, we shall not be dejected in our Spirits. We see these things are not to be depended on, & therefore not to be the chief Object of our Desires. The Wise man gives wise Counsel, Prov. 23. 4, 5. Labour not to be rich. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? Riches certainly make themseves wings, they fly away as an Eagle towards Heaven. They fly away swifter than an Eagle. When a man has been Labouring many Years to get an House,& then filled it with good Things, in a Quarter of an Hour, all is flown away. Let us then set our Hearts on Heavenly & Eternal Things. An Estate in Heaven is secure from Fire, as well as from Thieves. Let us make the things which are Above, our Treasure. If we place our Happiness in Heavenly Enjoyments▪ then they are our Treasure; accordingly will our Hearts be carried out after them: Mat.6.22 For where your Treasure is, there will your Hearts be also. When the Persecuting [...] laid waste a Populous Town, coming into the House of [...] [Page 36] holy Man, they first laid hands on the rich Fur­niture, when they had taken away that, they set his House (which was a Stately Building) on Fire; the good Man with his Hand pointing towards Heaven, said, There's my Treasure: All that I had on Earth is gone; but I have Treasure enough in Heaven, which no Arian, no Enemy can take from me. Why should Christians set their Hearts on this Pe­rishing World, which is reserved unto Fire? The Day is coming when there shall be a Fire that will not leave one House standing on the Face of the whole Earth. Some Ecclesiasti­cal writers Report that Nero Commanded that the Apostle Paul should be put to Death; in special because he Affirmed that this World shall at last be Burnt up in an Universal Con­flagration. There is no Christian but will say, he believes it; yet how few are there, who Live as if they had any belief of it, since they mind no other World but this? Oh! then let our Hearts be all upon Heaven; and that chiefly, because JESUS CHRIST is there. I Conclude with that Scripture, which I have lately & largely Discoursed on; Col. 3. 1, 2. Seek those things which are Above, where Christ Sits at the Right Hand of God. Set your Affection on things Above; not on things on the Earth. Amen.

Preached at Boston, Octob. 7. 1711.