SECT. VIII.

A Catalogue of London's Sins, which have provoked the Lord to speak with so terrible a Voice in the City.

1. THE first sin of London is slighting of the Gospel. The Gospel in England hath above this hundred years shined forth out of the clouds of Popery and Antichristianism, which before did overspread the land; and in no place of England hath the Gospel been preached with greater power and purity than in London; and what entertainment hath it found? hath it been valued according to its worth and excellency; hath it been received as if it had come down from the God of heaven, expressing his love and good-will towards the children of men, as if it had brought such good news and tidings, as salvation by Jesus Christ?

Read the eulogium which the Apostle Peter gives of the salvation made known by the Gospel, 1 Pet. i. 10-12. "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired, and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which

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are now reported unto you, by them that have preached the Gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into." The prophets of old did enquire and search, but did not so clearly understand the Gospel, as now it is revealed: our Saviour tells his disciples, Luke x. 24, that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which they saw, and had not seen them; and to hear the things which they did hear, and had not heard them; for indeed this mystery was hid from ages and generations, which God then made manifest unto the saints,” Col. i. 26. And the Apostle Paul tells us, that though the ministration of the law were glorious, insomuch that it made the face of Moses to shine," unto whom the law was revealed upon the Mount, "yet that it had no glory, in comparison with the ministration of the Gospel, whose glory did so far excel," 2 Cor. iii. 7-10: the mysteries of God's wisdom and love revealed in the Gospel, being so glorious, surely are worthy of acceptation and esteem, especially when the angels, who are not so much concerned, desire to look into these things, unto whom it is said, Eph. iii. 10, "Is made known by the church, the manifold wisdom of God." And yet these great things, which have been reported by them, who have preached the Gospel, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, have been undervalued in London. The Gospel hath been slighted in London; and though some have been more notoriously guilty; yet who can altogether excuse themselves from this sin? Now that the convic

tion may be more full, I shall charge the sin more particularly.

1. The ignorant persons in London have been guilty of this sin, the light of the Gospel hath shined about them; but they have muffled up themselves in darkness, and suffered Satan to keep them hoodwinked, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should enter, and lead them out of his snare; thousands in the city have been affectedly ignorant: though they have had means of knowledge, so near, and so easy to come by ; multitudes have perished out of London, and multitudes still remain in their ignorance. O the neglect that there hath been of learning catechisms! and how few have endeavoured to acquaint themselves with the principles of the Christian religion, that they might have the more full and clear understanding of the Gospel?

2. The vicious and profane have been guilty of slighting the Gospel; how many such persons have there crowded, and are still crowding out of London into hell, when the light of the Gospel shined upon them, which would have guided them in the way to heaven; because this light hath been too troublesome in its discovery, and reproof of their dear and sweet sins, they have hated it, and endeavoured to fly as far as they could from it, or to shut their eyes as hard as they could against it.

3. The civil persons also have been guilty; there have been many sober citizens, and matrons, civil youths, and virgins, who have been free from the gross pollutions which are in the world

through lust; who have been diligent in their calling, just in their dealings, courteous, and sweet-natured in their demeanour, and yet without the least degree of the power of godliness, without which it is impossible they should be saved. Alas! none of these have given any warm welcome unto the Gospel in their hearts, which hath been so long preached in the city: the kindness of a friend hath been esteemed by them; but the kindness of God hath not been regarded. If a messenger had come and told them how they might save their estates, when in danger of loss, or how to save their relations when in danger of death, O how welcome would such a messenger and tidings have been! but when ministers have preached the Gospel unto them, which tells them how they should save their souls, in danger of death and hell, such tidings have had no relish with them, as if they had no souls, or were in no danger the light hath shined before them, but there hath been a cloud in their eye, they could not discern it; or they have looked upon it afar of, they have not drawn near, and brought it home, and set it up in their bosoms, that they might order themselves, and whole conversations, according to its guidance and direction.

4. The hypocrites have been guilty of this sin; these have drawn nearer to this light, than any of the former; so near that they have seemed to be clothed with its beams, they have lighted their lamps hereby, and have shined forth in a glorious blaze of an outward profession; yet there hath been, even in these, an inward secret dis

relish of the Gospel, especially of some things in it: there have been some secret rooms in their hearts, into which they would not suffer the light to enter, lest it should discover those beloved Delilahs, which there they have nourished and brought up; they have been rotten at the core, and have had some unmortified lust within, which the world hath not taken notice of; so that if the Gospel hath been received by them, it hath been only in the outward form, not in the inward power; if the light hath been received, it hath been without its heat and life. Hence it hath come to pass, that some of these hypocrites, who seemed to be stars of the first magnitude, have proved only blazing stars and comets, which in a short time have fallen and sunk into wild opinions, or fearful apostacy.

5. The erroneous have been guilty of this sin; some, and not a few, in London, under this glorious sunshine of the Gospel, which hath come from heaven, have lighted a candle at the fire of hell, and laboured to set it up in opposition to the true light of the Gospel, crying out, New light, new light! Satan himself hath appeared in London like an angel of light, and employed his emissaries and wicked instruments (who have seemed to be ministers of righteousness, but have had a wolfish ravenous heart under the dress and clothing of the sheep) to vent many damnable and destructive opinions in our church, under pretence of new discoveries and revelations of the Spirit; and through this false and taper-light could never abide the test, and put forth any beams of convincing truth; but darkened and