THere is no impositiō of aflicti­on laid vpō mā-kind by y^e pow­erful hād of God, but it is ei­ther to draw vs vnto him, & to teach vs to bend all our intend­mēts to celestial happines, or to with draw vs from the world, and to forewarn vs not to rely our hopes vppon her slippery tearmes: For what shal we get by being willing customers vnto her, but false ware suitable to the shop of such a Marchant? her traffick is but toile, her wealth trash, and her game [Page]mischiefe: If we consider where we are, what state we stand in, The daungers that hang ouer vs, and our ordinary wantes, and amisses: Wee shall finde our whole life so necessarily ioyned with sorrow, that we ought rather delight (and take pleasure) in Gods louing chastisements, and admonitions, then any way murmure and grudge at our crosses, or tri­bulations: Consider (saith Saint Bernarde) From whom thou commest, and blush whether thou goest, and feare where thou liuest, and lament. Wee are begotten in vncleanenes, nourished in darkenes, and brought foorth with throbbes, and throwes. Our Infancie is but a dreame, our youth but madnesse, our manhood a combat, our age a sicknes, our whole life misery, and our death horror.

If we haue any thing that doth delight vs, it is in so many hazards, that the feare of loosing it, is more then the ioy of enioying it. If we haue any thing that doth annoy vs, the agreeuance therof encreaseth, with the doubt of as euill, or worse, that may straight en­sue after it: which way can wee cast our eyes, but that we shall finde cause of complaint and heauines? These are forcible motiues to perswade vs to suffer our afflictions with patience.

If wee looke vp towards heauen, from thence we are banished: If we looke towards earth, That is our prison: On the right hand we haue Vertue, whose steps we haue not folowed: On the left hand we haue Vice, whose course we haue pursued: Before vs wee haue our death, readie to denoure vs: behinde vs, our [Page]wicked life, readie to accuse vs: And on euery side, dayly and deadly aduersaries, readie to entrap vs.

Oh how much then are worldlings deceiued, that walke in magnis & mirabilibus superse? in greate things and meruailes aboue them selues? that re­ioyce in the time of weeping, that make this life their happines, and their pallace of pleasure: that e­ [...]eme afflictions to be dishonorable, that think to goe to heauen, by the wide way, y^t only leadeth to perditi­on. Afflictions are louing and fatherly corrections to winne vs to heauen, The path that goeth thither is narrow, rough, & fully wearisome, & tyring ascents their way therfore is wrong, their error grosse, and their ruine is assured, y^t after the steps of many that haue patiently trode the waye to heauen by crosses & tribulations, will not learne to settle their footing.

The contentions of this life, haue nothing cer­tain, but true miserie, rough stormes, solace full of sadnesse, and hopes full of hazard: they are like faire weather in winter, nothing durable, like a calme in the Sea, alwayes vncertaine: like the steadinesse of the Moone, y^t is euer in changing: they resemble the Cockatrices egge, faire without & foule within: Nabuchodonozors Image, that had the face and head of gold, but earthen and brittle feete: Or the sweete Riuer that runneth into the salt Sea.

Seeing therefore that crosses and afflictions or a­ny externall calamities, are but meanes to remem­ber vs of our place, state, & daunger, and but seedes of comfort, to such as enioye them, how soeuer they [Page]seeame heere couered and corrupted in earth, and te­dious to mans vndergoing, let vs solace our selues in hepe of a ioyfull conclusion.

Wee are here but Pilgrimes, we haue no Citty of aboade, but hope for a future place of rest. If our way should be altogether beset with pleasures and delightes, wee should easily be hindered in our iour­ney towards heauen, beeing drawne and with­helde, with the view and desire of those allurements. Therefore God hath layed in the way of through­fare, some tedious and distersfull oppositions to put vs in minde of our heauenly repose, and to teach vs to runne ouer the cares of this life with patience. God hath his secret loue to man-kinde, and his se­uerall punishements for sinne, which hee often times doth easily inflict vppon vs to drawe vs to amend­ment.

Those creatures which in the first parliament of our creation, were appointed to be our comforts, are many times sent forth with sundry rods to scourge vs, to correct vs, nay to drawe blood of vs for our sinnes. There is yet a meanes to be made for our re­concilement: Sonne and heire apparant to the King of heauen, mediats betweene his Father and vs, to make our peace with him: it may easily be effected, if we shake off and abandon those vise enormities, and base company of sinnes, that attainte euery one of vs. If wee doe not, hee will assuredly turne his threatnings into blowes, and his louing mercy in­to seuere Iustice: and those consuming flames, [Page]which hee hath of late but scattered in diuers partes of this Kingdome: hee will at one time, and in one place, cast all together, and make of the world one geernall bone-fier and that on a sodaine, for not making right vse of his diuers fatherly and gentle admonitions.

Amongst which, this affliction of Fire, that befell to the Towne of S. Edmons-burie in Suffolke, de­serues with all pittie to be pittied, and to be reckoned (in the remēbrance of many other) as an imposition of calamitie laid vppon that place by the hand and power of God for their secret sins and offences. The beginning of which fire, as it was by the remisse and sleepie negligence of a Seruant, So did it proue to be of verie dismall, and disaster consequence. It was such as none could beholde it without trembling, nei­ther can any heare it, and not shed teares in aboun­dance, to see the miseries that were, kindled by it.

IT hapned on Munday the tenth of Aprill, betwéene eight and nine of the clock in the morning, without the east gate of the same Towne, in a place called East-gate street, in the house of one Randall a Malt­ster. And notwithstanding that at first it began halfe a mile from the Market place, yet was it carryed thi­ther by the violence of the winde, where it did those seuerall hurts, as will not be made good in long time, nor without great summes of money. In describing which sad report, you shall behold the names of some [Page]that are fallne into miserie by the same: As also the places where the chiefe hurts and ouerthrowes haue bene, with seuerall hot encounters, & some part of the spoiles.

The verie Market place, that was the beautie and ornament of the whole towne, was the principal and chiefest part y^t felt the furie of this fierie assault. That place y^t before was had in such admiration for y^e good­ly houses & y^e manner of their stately buildings, was by this vntimely accident vtterly defaced, & made a rude continent of heapes of stones and peeces, of Timber, that but newly fell from those late burnt houses. The Ware-houses and Sellars about the Market place, wherein were great store of Fish, salt, Suger, Spices, and many other cōmodities of great value, were by this fire all turned into Ashes, & now serue for nothing but reffuse.

This fire broght to the Market place by the tem­pest of winde, hath blowne a great number vpon the Rocks, of such pouertie and Miserie, that the losse that the towne hath receiued by the same, is thought not able to be made good againe, vnlesse the eye of compassion extend it selfe to the largest compasse and limits of this Land in her behalfe. The walles, Fen­ces, and hedges within the towne, are all laide leuell to the ground, by this furious inuader, who no sooner entred, but he was inflamed with Pride, and got into the highest and chiefest places, where hée encountred with the stoutest and tallest of them, and neuer ceased till he brought them as lowe as earth.

The lamentable shriekes of women, the cries of poore chil­dren, the astonishment, and wilde lookes of all men at this sudden and vntimely accident, no man can truely expresse: the danger that this terrible tempest brought with it, wrought vnspeakeable feare in the hearts of all that were neere vnto it; but the sudden and strange cruelty of the same, bred the greater terrour and amazement: men seuerally imployed, and going about their ordinary occasions of busi­nes, were compelled (seeing so dreadfull an enemy approch­ing) to flie backe to their houses, yet before they could enter, death stood at the doores ready to receiue them.

Whole Corne-mowes and Hay-mowes, (the one reser­ued for mans food, the other for sustenance of cattell) were all quite consumed by this merciles aduersary. The losses wher­of were to great, and innumerable, as none knowes the griefe thereof, for the present, but the owners of them.

But to descend from the generall spoyle (which was great) to some particular losses (which were as grieuous.) Let vs behold the lamentation of M. Pinner a Grocer, dwelling in S. Edmonds-bury aforesaid, and in the market place, in the parish of Saint Iames, (where the most hurt was done) with the complaints and bewailings, which himselfe, his wife, and children powre out for that misery which the cruelty of this fire hath excercised vpon them: whereby he lost not onely all that substance that was his owne, but also those wares which he had of other mens; so that he is doubly vndone: this fire shewed his glistering triumphs in deuouring his goods, plate, and money, and in swallowing and eating vp a newe built house to the ground; that but lately before cost him foure or flue hundred pounds the erecting.

He that the day before was esteemed a man (at the least) worth two or thrée thousand pounds, was by this vntimely accident vtterly vndone, his goods being quite destroyed and consumed, himselfe (in his estate) was made lesse worth then nothing. They that before were wont to comfort the distres­sed, [Page]and to feed their neighbours, and other inhabitants with bread, are by this in danger to perish for want of reliefe, being now ready to beg bread themselues.

Many people that lost their goods, and got from the perill of the fire; escaping with their liues, are since fallen sicke with the very feare, and suddaine fright of it, and remaine in great danger and doubt of recouery: the fire hauing destroyed all meanes that should comfort them in this their distresse.

The lead of the market-crosse & the crosse it selfe was vtterly ruinate & consumed to the ground by the violent blow of this hot encounter. Here might you see men, women, & children in great multitudes, come crying out for safety, and ready to runne out of their wits: seeing that which maintayned their liues spoiled before their faices; and yet glad to forsake all that they haue in the world, and to shift for their poore liues: many were sharers in this one ill bargaine, yet in the end all losers. So furious & fiery was this sharpe assault, that euen that which many men had brought into the streetes out of their houses, in hope to be saued, was lost & consumed in the flames. Many of the inhabitants, before this vnhappy ac­cident fell vpon them, were of good abilitie; and with that substance which God (through their honest endeuours) had bestowed vpon them, they were charitable relieuers of their poore neighbours within the towne; but now euen those to whom they haue formerly giuen bread, are ready to be solici­ted in the like extremity of want by them (if they had it) for reliefe: and now their cases being made all alike by this ty­rannous enmy of the world, and vnmercifull destroyer of all things, being all depriued of meanes, they are all in like dan­ger to starue, vnles the hands of Gods people be opened in their comfort.

But to digresse a little, to passe from Preambles to the thing indeed, from gentle warnings to the penalty it selfe. This scourg of sin; this forementioned misery is but a verie smal re­sēblance in respect of y^e which is to come: if we neglect to make [Page]right vse thereof to the behoofe of our soules: Initium autem dolorum haec: These are but a beginning of griefes. These strange euents are but prognostications of worse to come, as a smoke in respect of a more terrible ensuing fire, and like a mustering of souldiers before the sad battell. Let therefore these afflictions and some other late crosses and calamities (the séeling whereof is yet fresh in our memories) preuaile with vs, not to slumber out our time in careles security, but to win grace & fauour at Gods hands by amendmēt of our liues. For if there be a neglect of this, what will the paines be that these beginnings portend? How rigorrous will that sentence be, that hath so fearefull remonstrances before the iudgement?

But not to enlarge my selfe in this. Let vs looke backe to the misery and calamity that hath also befallen to M. Cox a Draper, dwelling both in the same towne and parish, whose house the flame of this fire swallowed with vnsatiable iawes, and consumed into ashes: burning al his goods and houshold­stuffe, and leauing nothing to put bread into the mouthes of him, his wife, and children, saue onely a little yarne, of small account or value, which he had, and was preserued by great chance in a warehouse he had in Rotten-row, a place not farre from the market place aforesaid.

All hands laid about them in this firy conflict (as if that enemies had béene marching to besiege the Towne) to saue and trusse vp what they could, and be gone: but behold how swift is mischéefe, when God driues it before him to the pu­nishment of our sinnes: all were labouring to beare away some of their goods, but before their burthens could be taken vp, they were compelled to forsake them, & to looke about for the safegard of their liues, leauing the rest to the mercy of the fire.

The desolate effects that this cruell Element wrought in Saint Edmonds-bury aforesaid, is able to thawe the most frozen heart, and to worke a relenting in the most obdurate spirit that is. Whose fury was so vehement, that from the [Page]Monday it began, till the Wednesday after, the rage thereof could not be fully extinguished, nor could it bee through­ly quenched, albeit all the welles and pondes about the towne, were drawne dry to that purpose. This heat as it con­sumed two hundred dwelling houses, and vpwardes in the same towne, with their houshold-stuffe, and barnes with much Corne vnthreshed in them, with many thousand quar­ters of wheat, barley, and rie, threshed and laide vppe in Chambers, Horses in the the stable, Kine, Swine, and other Cattel: so did the rage thereof continue to adde gréefe and sorrow to a place that of it selfe ministreth nothing but matter of sorrow, namely the Prison of the same towne, which in short space (the prisoners for the time being remoued) by the merciles iudgement of fire was condemned to be burned, and quite consumed into ashes. Many inhabitants are impoueri­shed by it, & most of them vndone for euer: many thousandes of pounds cannot make good the losses & spoiles that this towne hath receiued hereby. The misery of this place is matchles, the losses of the people numberles, & their cares, cureles: for what a strange alteration may it be thought to them, y^e were wont to succor & harbor others in distresse, to be now left succourles, & made destitute of harbour themselues, by the violent blowe of this storme? and euen in a moment of time to be deiect and throwne done from the toppe of riches and well-fare, to the most lowe degrées and conditions of pouerty, and sorrowe? and in stead of choice and delicate diet; of faire dwellings, and of soft lodging, to haue now no foode at all; no certaine dwel­ling, but the miery frame of this wild world to walke in: and no better lodging then the bare ground? This Towne so fa­mous before for beautie and for statelines of building, is now vntimely defaced, & ouerthrowne by this sodaine misfortune, and deserues no lesse to be pitied and relieued, then that affli­ction did, which the citty of Cannas, & the adioyning places thereof felt so grieuously, that all the houses of the same being couered and oppressed with heaps of burning ashes, the Ro­mans [Page](in very pity of their estates) were contented to release them tenne yeeres tribute, to repaire the inestimable damages of one such irruption. I pray God that the inhabitants of this distressed place may but finde (amongst vs) parte of the like comforte and feeling compassion in this so sad extremity.

To this cruell wild fire storme that so raigned in the houses, and wrougt such lamentable spoils to this poore Towne, may be added another casualtie and calamitie that did lay hold vpon a carte, comming loaden to the Market with Corne, and increased the sorrow of her owner, by the rage of the flames, which were no sooner carried to her by the violence of the wind, but she was quite consumed, and the Corne burned, and two or three of her horses turned into ashes, to the great sorrow of such as saw it, and could not helpe it, and the ineffa­ble discomfort of many, that might haue béene relieued by it.

The diligent and industrious care of the Iustices of the peace, that were there at that time assembled at the quarter Sessions, and of many others met there together by those occasions, deserues not to passe vnremembred: who by their examples stirred vp many (as much as in them lay) to vse their best meanes to appease this heate; which notwithstan­ding continued so strong in the assault, that it consumed, as is aforesaid, two hundred and odde dwelling houses: and for all that was or could be done, it is thought and reported from the mouths of very sufficient and iudicious persons, that an hundred thousand pounds will not make good the losses that this towne of S. Edmonds-bury hath receiued by this fire, nor recouer it to the former estate: which besides the wracke of houses that by this calamity of fire were laid leuell with the ground, lost also her substance and riches of corne, money, gold, plate, wares, &c. of infinite value and measure, where­with the same was formerly stored, to the vnrecouerable vn­doing of the owners thereof, and of their wiues and children, who by this meanes are left quite destitute of means euen to maintaine their wretched bodies with food.

And now because the consideration of that which our sins haue deserued, is a forcible motiue to digest with patience, these or any crosses or miseries that befall vnto vs: let vs call to minde what God might further haue laide vpon vs, besides this, or our late afflictions of plague, fires, waters, frost, &c. and yet not onely not exceeded the boūd of his iustice, but haue still shewed himselfe of infinite mercy: for it is a ge­nerall Axiome, and an approued verity, ratified by the com­mon consent of all Diuines: That as God doth reward aboue our deserts, and in his eternall recompence, farre exceedeth the value of any workes we can doe; soon the other side doth he chastise farre vnderneath the rate of our misdeedes: and (his infinite iustice considered) his greatest punishment a­mounteth not to the excéeding heynousnes of the least of our sinnes. And seeing the iniuries that we daily offer to so in­finite a Maiesty, in so opprobrious and despightfull manner, (being so farre inferior, and so highly beholding vnto him) are so many in number, so grieuous in qualitie, and so or­dinary in experience with all men, though God should double and treble all punishments of sinne, and lay them on sinners backes for their seuerall offences, yet might he iustly double them a new, and as often as he thought good, with­out doing any iniury to the offendors, yea, and punishing far lesse then their deserts.

Let vs not then thinke much, if wee, whose offences are most grieuous, suffer a few scourges and afflictions, but rather account them as easie messengers to call vs homewards, and as motiues to draw vs to amendment: that euery man par­ticularly descending into himselfe, may learne to strike saile to his sinnes, and put his soule into the safe harbour of Peni­tence, lest remayning still in the scope of wicked winds and weather, some inexpected gulfe and suddaine storme dash him vpon the rocke of eternall ruine. God grant there ensue not a second affliction worse then this, by forgetfulnes and care­les security.