372 APPENDIX. 



came the arsenal of vengeance, and from the 

 presence of God himself went forth those flames 

 that devoured his adversaries ? And all to teach 

 us this lesson, That it is sin puts the thunder into 

 God's hand, and turns flames of love into a con- 

 suming fire. 



And therefore dream no longer of grenadoes or 

 fire-balls, or the rest of those witty mischiefs ; 

 search no more for houtefieus or incendiaries, Dutch 

 or French : the Dutch intemperance, and the 

 French pride and vanity, and the rest of their 

 sins we are so fond of, are infinitely more dan- 

 gerous to us than the enmity of either nation ; for 

 these make God our enemy too. Or, if you will 

 needs find out the incendiary, look not abroad : 

 Litus hostis, intus periculu??!, saith St. Jerome. 

 Turn your eyes inward into your own bosoms ; 

 there lurks the great make-bate, the grand boute- 

 Jieu between Heaven and us. Trouble not your- 

 selves with planetary aspects, or great conjunc- 

 tions ; but for your own oppositions, direct and 

 diametrical to God and his holy law. Fear not 

 the signs of Heaven, but the sins on earth, which 

 hath made a separation between you and your 

 God. It is injurious to the sweet influences of 

 the stars, to charge them with such dire effects, as 

 wars, and pestilences, and conflagrations : DivincB 

 JustiticB opera hcec, sunt (saith the Father) et hu- 

 mance i?iJiistiticE. These are the products of God's 

 righteousness upon our unrighteousness. Where- 

 fore glorify we God in these our fires, saying with 



* Dan. ix. 7. 



