Mr. Reeves HIS ALARM TO LONDON; In a SHRILL VOICE TO Its Inhabitants.  
Late Preacher at Waltham-Abbey in Hartford-shire.  
He being dead, yet speaketh.  

Licenced,  
Nou. 8. 1678.   
LONDON: Printed for L. C. 1678.   

TO THE RELIGIOUS CITIZENS OF LONDON, Which are sensible of the Sins, And do supplicate for the Safety of the CITY.  
Honoured Sirs, and Citizens of a Famous City, etc.  
APply yourselves to the right Work, and fall to rightdown Christianity. Let him be the best Man, which can be most virtuous and zealous in this Religious service.  
It's as hard to preserve a City, as to build it, when it is grown crazy with sins, they must be Master Workmen that can preserve the decays of it, or keep it from a downfall.  
Such Citizens I chief magnify, which are perspicuous in Graces, and the eyes that see them bless them for their Piety, whose chief Mart is in Heaven, and Trade for such Riches as exceed all the Treasures of Egypt, which weep over London's sins; there are sins in the City that do threaten Judgements.  
Who am I, that I should summon a whole City to Repentance, and bring such vast numbers out of the bondage of their corruptions and destruction?  
Religious Citizens, ●ly from all pleasures, contemn all Honours, be strangers for a time to the splendour of the City, so long as people are settled upon their Lees, think there is some emptying of the Vessel at hand, when you are laid in your beds, suppose that a punishing God may awaken you, when you are at your Feasts, that vengeance may bring in the Voider.  
When ye are selling your Wares, that your last Bargains are even making. When ye are telling over your Thousands, that you are but pursing up for a new Receiver.  
Expect every hour when a shriek Trumpet should be blown in the Streets; when nothing should be heard amongst you, but Tumult, Distraction, wailing and crying, alas! alas! oh then gather together, and see how many Penitents there are among you, for they are the best Citizens; they may fast away all Perils, and pray away all Judgements.  
This is the right way to safety, walk in it, and ye are gone beyond danger. Thus I leave my Motion to your Consciences, the Practice of it to your Virtue, and the Success to the blessing of him in Heaven, and you to the Grace of Christ.  
THO. REEVE.   

YE are yet a populous City, preserved in your Thousands; but if the Arrow that flieth at Noonday should glide amongst you, how many wounded breasts would there be! A thousand materials for pure smokes to expel ill scents, yet might be ineffectual to prevent that  stroke; neither do I think that Wine is an Antidote against all Poisons; nor that if a man be well-dietted, he may escape any Infection. There is not a more dismal Disease than that of the Pestilence, when God will strike, or where, or by what means: Yea, it is a Weapon so sharp, that it is able to leave Cities without an Heir.  
There are now amongst you more people, and more sins. A Pestilence is the Sickle of the Grave, and the Worm's Caterer, the firstborn of Death. It is that which makes the great fall in the Forest of Mankind. It will chase M●n out of their Dwellings, and shut up Shop-doors, as if execution after Judgement were served upon Traders. Then there will be no other Music to be heard but doleful kneels, no other Wares to be bought up and down but Dead Bodies: Mansion Houses it will change into Pesthouses, the busiest servants will be Keepers, and the most active Officers, Searchers. They shall lie down at night without the least spot seen upon them, and rise up in the Morning, with God's Tokens visible upon them. They shall walk out of their Houses without the least dis-aylment or distemper, and drop down before they can get home to their own Thresholds. Then the Brother will scarce look upon the Sister, the Husband fear to come near his Wife. A Porter rare to be hired to go on thy Arrant; or a Friend as difficult to be seen. Of all miseries the Pestilence is the fray of all dreadful things which can happen upon Earth, this is the horror. Oh, that you would cleanse your Streets with Repentance, that this Infection might not breed out of your Sins, dissemble not to the last. Oh, let Judgement denounced quicken you. If God threaten, believe; if he put on Justice like a Cloak, do ye cast away your Robes; if he doth frown, do ye weep; if he be setting of your Sins in order before you, do you confess them; if his feet be turning into the visiting ways, do ye turn every one from his evil ways; nothing but Repentance can secure you, vengeance is awaked with the noise of your Sins. There are many which do wish for your destruction, and are forty that they cannot make you the miserable of the Earth; they consult sad things concerning you; their brains do work, their hearts do boil, their mouths do foam, and they would willingly be stretching out their hands to shake you and shiver you. You have Enemies within your City, ye have Enemies in your own Consciences; your Sins do threaten more Calamities against you, than all the inveterate, implacable Adversaries which you have upon Earth.  
Escape vengeance by flying provocation. Your City is threatened, take heed ye do not sleep out the hour of your security. Presumption may subvert, let Contrition deliver you. The time may be short, the work is great, the danger is apparent, the misery will be unspeakable. All your Goods are ready to be sacrificed to vengeance, bring forth your sin-offering, before the sparks have taken fire. If there be any listening to a Warning, credence of Threatening, obedience to Counsel, foresight of Danger, sting of Gild, or obligation of Duty, pity the City, and petition for the City; shed lakes of Tears to obtain the peace of the City; wear Sackcloth lest ye are naked, fast lest ye starve, creep upon your knees, lest ye creep into corners; shut yourselves into your Closets, lest ye be shut into Dungeons; fly to Heaven, lest ye fly out of the Land. Oh, that I could make you thus to believe God and serve God: your humiliation should free you from all dangers; your Walls shall not be battered, your Shops not Rifled, your Persons not Massacred, but all your Privileges Ratified.  
FINIS.