Londons lamentation, or, A fit admonishment for city and countrey wherein is described certaine causes of this affliction and visitation of the plague, yeare 1641, which the Lord hath been pleased to inflict upon us : and withall what meanes must be used to the Lord to gaine his mercy and favor : with an excellent spirituall medicine to be used for the preservative both of body and soule.

Londons lamentation, or, A fit admonishment for city and countrey wherein is described certaine causes of this affliction and visitation of the plague, yeare 1641, which the Lord hath been pleased to inflict upon us : and withall what meanes must be used to the Lord to gaine his mercy and favor : with an excellent spirituall medicine to be used for the preservative both of body and soule.

Table of contents

Title page

LONDONS LAMENTATION: Or a fit admoniſhment for City and Countrey.

§

§

A ſpeciall or ſpirituall medicine for this time of infection or any other time.

A neceſſary prayer for this time of viſitation.

§

[Page]

LONDONS LAMENTATION.

Or a fit admoniſhment for City and Countrey, Wherein is deſcribed certaine cauſes of this affliction and viſitation of the Plague, yeare 1641. which the Lord hath been pleaſed to inflict upon us, and withall what meanes muſt be uſed to the Lord, to gaine his mercy and favor, with an excellent ſpirituall medicine to be uſed for the preſervative both of Body and Soule.

Londons Charitie

the Countries Crueltie

London, Printed by E. P. for Iohn Wright Junior. 1641.

[Page] LONDONS LAMENTATION:
Or a fit admoniſhment for City and Countrey.

[Page]

§

O Lovely London, the beauty of England, and admiration of the world, leave off thy haughty pride, and ambition, and put on thy ſute of Repentance, and Humility, for thy people have broken their peace with the mighty Champion the Almighty God and governour of us all, his ſword is drawne againſt us, and what is the cauſe? Alas it is the multitude of our ſinnes; how many times hath our gracious God beene pleaſed to forgive us, in hope of our amendment? But alas, it is ſoone forgotten and out of mind! there are but few living about the City of London, that are of any age but may remember the time of dolor and woe, that was in and about this City of London, ſome eleven yeares ſince, and ſince that againe, God made a proffer to give us warning: O doe but thinke how death did then play his part, the clamour of Bells ſounded [Page] mournfully in our eares, to call ſome or other to their laſt home, and our hearts always trembling for feare of our ſelves, our eyes weeping for the loſſe of our friends, whereſoever wee went, griefes and lamentations were our companions: ſighes and ſobs our comforters, whileſt woe and miſery were our daily objects: the droſſe of this world was then worth nought, wee would have given all wee had, ſo that wee might have bribed death and taken any condition for longer life: but no man might ranſome himſelfe, or redeeme his brother; the raging Peſtilence tooke away the rich with the poore, the young with the aged, leaving our houſes deſolate, did fill our ſepulchers with the dead: what heart of ſtone was there whoſe eyes were ſpectators of this wofull ſight, and did not mourne and ſhed teares, but all this was ſoone forgotten, for truly I thinke I may ſay with a ſafe conſcience, that in a twelve moneth after, the ſinnes of the people was growne as great as they were before: thus in former time he hath laid his hand of viſitation upon us, in hope to make us amend our lives, but now alas, we doe exceed the former time, in our abominable prophaneneſſe, even our drunkenneſſe, whoredome, ſwearing, deſpiſing of Gods Word, contemning of his Ordinances, our diſſolut Sabbath-breaking, all which doth cauſe the very earth to mourne, the beaſts of the field to repine, and the comfortable Sunne which ſometimes doth make the graſſe and flowers to ſpring, is now ready to burne them all away, if God ſhould goe to juſtice and paſſe judgement upon us according to our deſerts, we ſhould bee utterly conſumed, but hee with a mercifull [Page] viſitation doth warne us to repentance, therefore returne O London, & put on thy mourning garment, that thy neighbours round about thee, may be provoked to commiſerate thee in this thy affliction. For, what earthly Judge living in the whole world is there, that will alwayes ſhew favour to an extraordinary malefactor? or, what earthly King will alwayes give pardon to a rebellious ſubject? and ſhall the mighty King of Kings alwayes give pardon to us that are rebellious ſinners? Now ſeeing it is apparent that ſin is the cauſe of ſickneſſe: It may appeare as plainly that prayer muſt be the beſt meanes to procure health and ſafety, let not our ſecurity and ſlothfulneſſe give death opportunity, what man or woman will not ſeeme to ſtart, at the ſigne of the red Croſſe, as they paſſe by to and fro in the ſtreets? and yet being gone they thinke no more on it. It may bee they will ſay, ſuch a houſe is ſhut up, I ſaw the red croſſe on the doore but looke on thine owne guilty conſcience, and thou ſhalt find thou haſt a multitude of red crimſon ſinnes remaining in thee, thou canſt ſpy the mote in thy brothers eye, but thou canſt not ſee the beame in thine owne eye▪ if thou ſeeſt thy neighbour puniſhed with Gods angry viſitation, doe thou fall to prayer for feare the Lord lay the like on thee, ſuppoſe thou wert at Sea and ſee thy neighbours drowned before thy face, by reaſon of the ſtormes and tempeſts, wilt not thou preſently ſeeme to pull in thy ſailes and eſcape drowning if thou canſt poſſibly? yes ſure, I thinke thou wilt, doſt thou ſee thy neighbours houſe on fire? it behooves thee to bee carefull of thine owne: in like [Page] manner, it behooves one and all of us, to bee carefull at this time, let others harmes be our armes, for God hath ſent forth his Angell of wrath, and nothing can appeaſe him but prayers, wee muſt ſprinkle out cheekes with teares, as the children of Iſrael did the poſts of their doores with the blood of the Paſchall Lambe: Let us turne to the Lord with faſting, weeping and mourning, it is he that muſt be our Phyſician, for there is no helpe in any mortall man, but onely in God: if the Lord ſhould ſtrike us with famine, that were a thing would torment us ten times more, or if the Lord ſhould give us over to the hand of our enemies, that were a thing moſt lamentable, doe but thinke what care and dolour appertaines thereto, would it not grieve any Chriſtian to ſee their goods diſtributed before their faces themſelves, like to bee murdered, or their poore Infants ſlaine before their eyes? O this is a thing moſt lamentable and full of feare: but thanks be given to God, we are not troubled with no ſuch thing, nor I hope never ſhall bee. It is our ſinnes have made this breach with God, and it muſt be our Prayers that muſt ſtop this breach, therefore let all good Chriſtians pray to Almighty God to ceaſe this viſitation.

§

Good people all pray, faſt and pray,

That is the chiefe and onely way,

'Twill cauſe the Lord his wrath to ſtay,

Let this be done, uſe no delay.

Now death doth play an envious part,

He ſtrikes full many to the heart,

Yet from grim death ne're ſoome to ſtart,

'Tis God that may releaſe our ſmart.

[Page]

Leave off to ſinne, and ſinne no more,

Repent in time thy ſinnes deplore,

Death now is ready at thy doore,

'Tis time thy ſinnes for to give ore.

Now learne to live as thou wouldſt dye,

And to the Lord for mercy crie,

Minde thou the Lord which rules on hie,

So die to live eternally.

A ſpeciall or ſpirituall medicine for this time of infection or any other time.

FIrſt, let the Patient that is in danger of any infection or any other diſeaſe, take and uſe this ſpirituall medicine, firſt in the morning when thou ariſeſt out of thy bed, fall downe on thy knees, and give God thanks, that he hath preſerved thee the night paſt from all dangers, and deſire him of his mercy, to preſerve thee the day following, bleſſe his holy name and magnify him, for hee is thy maker, and thou art his creature, thus paſſe away the day in the ſervice of the Lord, and at night when thou lieſt down to ſleep, deſire the Lord to be thy keeper and defender, arme thy ſelfe with Faith, Hope, and Charity, bee ſure let no envy remaine in thee to terrify thy conſcience, the beſt thing to prevent envy is Patience, and that wil ſtrenghten thee againſt all the aſſaults of Sathan, the World, the Fleſh, or the Divell: let not the poyſon of covetouſneſſe, reſt in thy boſome, hate pride, for it is an abomination unto the Lord, uſe no idolatry, lying or ſwearing, for thoſe are evills that proceed from the Divell, let thy dealings be juſt and true, let [Page] thy heart imagine no evill, and ſet thy tongue ſpeake the truth: ſtrive to doe that which is good, and let it tend to the glory of the Lord, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, comfort the afflicted, and thy reward will be great in heaven, and having done all this which be fits each true Chriſtian for to doe, thou maiſt ſleep ſecurely, and riſe in this morning ſpeedily, ſerve the Lord willingly, and prayſe his name thankfully, ſtand up couragiouſly, fight Gods battell, manfully beare all croſſes boldly, ſuffer ſorrowes patiently, ſo maiſt thou live everlaſtingly, and gaine heaven eternally, which God of his mercy grant us when we die, Amen: let all men ſay the ſame.

A neceſſary prayer for this time of viſitation.

O Eternall and everlaſting God, wee poore ſinfull and ſorrowfull creatures doe here proſtrate our ſelves before thy Divine Majeſty, beſeeching thee to behold us poore ſinfull creatures, here in the City of London, wee have ſinned O Lord, wee have grievouſly offended thee, not knowing how to plead to thee for mercy, but wee know thy Mercy doth much exceed thy Iuſtice: yet Lord wee cannot ſay, that thou doſt uſe any injuſtice in puniſhing in for our ſinnes, for O Lord wee muſt needs confeſſe our ſinnes cry loud in thy eares for vengeance, but Lord be graciouſly pleaſed to ſhew us mercy, we are now hated and deſpiſed of all the countrey people round about us, good Lord looke on them with the eyes of mercy and have compaſſion on us, and forgive us for thy Son Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, let his crimſon blood waſh away our ſcarlet ſinnes, Lord write our names in the Booke of life, and blot our ſinnes out of thy remembrance give us thy grace to amend our liv s, that wee may bee heartily ſorry for our ſinnes committed, and ſinne no more for feare aworſe evill happen unto us.

FINIS.

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Title statement

Londons lamentation, or, A fit admonishment for city and countrey wherein is described certaine causes of this affliction and visitation of the plague, yeare 1641, which the Lord hath been pleased to inflict upon us : and withall what meanes must be used to the Lord to gaine his mercy and favor : with an excellent spirituall medicine to be used for the preservative both of body and soule.

Edition statement

1641

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A49098

ID [STC]

Wing L2934

ID [STC]

ESTC R5704

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12798263

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12798263

ID [VID]

94004

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A49098)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 94004)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 254:E166, no 10)

Source

— Londons lamentation, or, A fit admonishment for city and countrey wherein is described certaine causes of this affliction and visitation of the plague, yeare 1641, which the Lord hath been pleased to inflict upon us : and withall what meanes must be used to the Lord to gaine his mercy and favor : with an excellent spirituall medicine to be used for the preservative both of body and soule.,

Extent

[2], 6 p.

Printed by E. P. for Iohn Wright, Junior,. London :: 1641.. (Illustrated t.p.) (Reproduction of original in Thomason Collection, British Library.)

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