London's LAMENTATION.  
Or a fit admonishment for City and country, Wherein is described certain causes of this affliction and visitation of the Plague, year 1641. which the Lord hath been pleased to inflict upon us, and withal what means must be used to the Lord, to gain his mercy and favour, with an excellent spiritual medicine to be used for the preservative both of Body and soul.  
London's charity  
the country's cruelty  
London, Printed by E. P. for John Wright Junior. 1641.   

London's LAMENTATION:  
Or a fit admonishment for City and country.  

O Lovely London, the beauty of England, and admiration of the world, leave off thy haughty pride, and ambition, and put on thy suit of Repentance, and Humility, for thy people have broken their peace with the mighty Champion the Almighty God and governor of us all, his sword is drawn against us, and what is the cause? Alas it is the multitude of our sins; how many times hath our gracious God been pleased to forgive us, in hope of our amendment? But alas, it is soon 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 dolour and woe, that was in and about this City of London, some eleven years since, and since that again, God made a proffer to give us warning: O do but think how death did then play his part, the clamour of Bells sounded mournfully in our ears, to call some or other to their last home, and our hearts always trembling for fear of ourselves, our eyes weeping for the loss of our friends, wheresoever we went, griefs and lamentations were our companions: sighs and sobs our comforters, whilst woe and misery were our daily objects: the dross of this world was then worth nought, we would have given all we had, so that we might have bribed death and taken any condition for longer life: but no man might ransom himself, or redeem his brother; the raging Pestilence took away the rich with the poor, 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 woeful sight, and did not mourn and shed tears, but all this was soon forgotten, for truly I think I may say with a safe conscience, that in a twelve month after, the sins of the people was grown 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 do exceed the former time, in our abominable profaneness, even our drunkenness, whoredom, swearing, despising of God's Word, contemning of his Ordinances, our dissolute Sabbath-breaking, all which doth cause the very earth to mourn, the beasts of the field to repine, and the comfortable sun which sometimes doth make the grass and flowers to spring, is now ready to burn them all away, if God should go to justice and pass judgement upon us according to our deserts, we should be utterly consumed, but he with a merciful visitation doth warn us to repentance, therefore return 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 always show favour to an extraordinary malefactor? or, what earthly King will always give pardon to a rebellious subject? and shall the mighty King of Kings always give pardon to us that are rebellious sinners? Now seeing it is apparent that sin is the cause of sickness: It may appear as plainly that prayer must be the best means to procure health and safety, let not our security and slothfulness give death opportunity, what man or woman will not seem to start, at the sign of the red cross, as they pass by to and fro in the streets? and yet being gone they think no more on it. It may be they will say, such a house is shut up, I saw the red cross on the door but look on thine own guilty conscience, and thou shalt find thou hast a multitude of red crimson sins remaining in thee, thou canst spy the mote in thy brother's eye, but thou canst not see the beam in thine own eye▪ if thou seest thy neighbour punished with God's angry visitation, do thou fall to prayer for fear the Lord lay the like on thee, suppose thou wert at Sea and see thy neighbours drowned before thy face, by reason of the storms and tempests, wilt not thou presently seem to pull in thy sails and escape drowning if thou canst possibly? yes sure, I think thou wilt, dost thou see thy neighbour's house on fire? it behooves thee to be careful of thine own: in like manner, it behooves one and all of us, to be careful at this time, let others harms be our arms, for God hath sent forth his angel of wrath, and nothing can appease him but prayers, we must sprinkle out cheeks with tears, as the children of Israel did the posts of their doors with the blood of the Paschall lamb: Let us turn to the Lord with fasting, weeping and mourning, it is he that must be our Physician, for there is no help in any mortal man, but only 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, do but think what care and dolour appertains thereto, would it not grieve any Christian to see their goods distributed before their faces themselves, like to be murdered, or their poor Infants slain before their eyes? O this is a thing most lamentable and full of fear: but thanks be given to God, we are not troubled with no such thing, nor I hope never shall be. It is our sins 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 chief and only 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'er some to start,  
'Tis God that may release our smart.   

Leave off to sin, and sin no more,  
Repent in time thy sins deplore,  
Death now is ready at thy door,  
'Tis time thy sins for to give o'er.   

Now learn to live as thou wouldst die,  
And to the Lord for mercy cry,  
Mind thou the Lord which rules on high,  
So die to live eternally.     

A special or spiritual 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 spiritual medicine, first in the morning when thou arisest out of thy bed, fall down 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, bless his holy name and magnify him, for he is thy maker, and thou art his creature, thus pass 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, arm thyself with Faith, Hope, and Charity, be sure let no envy remain in thee to terrify thy conscience, the best thing to prevent envy is Patience, and that will strengthen thee against all the assaults of Satan, the World, the Flesh, or the devil: let not the poison of covetousness, rest in thy bosom, hate pride, for it is an abomination unto the Lord, use no idolatry, lying or swearing, for those are evils that proceed from the devil, let thy dealings be just and true, let thy heart imagine no evil, and set thy tongue speak the truth: strive to do 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 do, thou Mayst sleep securely, and rise in this morning speedily, serve the Lord willingly, and praise his name thankfully, stand up courageously, fight God's battle, manfully bear all crosses boldly, suffer sorrows patiently, so Mayst thou live everlastingly, and gain 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 eternal and everlasting God, we poor sinful and sorrowful creatures do here prostrate ourselves before thy Divine Majesty, beseeching thee to behold us poor sinful creatures, here in the City of London, we have sinned O Lord, we have grievously offended thee, not knowing how to plead to thee for mercy, but we know thy Mercy doth much exceed thy justice: yet Lord we cannot say, that thou dost use any injustice in punishing in for our sins, for O Lord we must needs confess our sins cry loud in thy ears for vengeance, but Lord be graciously pleased to show us mercy, we are now hated and despised of all the country people round about us, good Lord look on them with the eyes of mercy and have compassion on us, and forgive us for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake, let his crimson blood wash away our scarlet sins, Lord write our names in the book of life, and blot our sins out of thy remembrance give us thy grace to amend our lives, that we may be heartily sorry for our sins committed, and sin no more for fear aworse evil happen unto us.  
FINIS.