God's Terrible Voice in the City

In 1665–1666, London experienced two epic catastrophes, the Great Plague and the Great Fire. Thomas Vincent was a survivor of both, and as a pastor, he gave aid and comfort to those who were suffering. In God’s Terrible Voice in the City, Vincent reflects on the tragic events to see whether England had anything to learn from them. The book contains narrative accounts of these great disasters along with Vincent’s interpretation of them as judgments on the nation and ways people should respond to turn such judgments to their advantage.

Endorsement

“Applying the teaching of Christ after the tower of Siloam incident (Luke 13:1–5), the Puritans believed that natural and national disasters are foretastes and forewarnings of the final judgment. In this sobering, awakening treatise, Thomas Vincent offers an eyewitness account of the Great Plague of London (1665) and the Great Fire of London (1666). Filling his treatise with quotations and allusions to divine judgment in the Old Testament, he then enumerates the sins of London, compares them with the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, vindicates God’s righteous judgment on the city, and gives a clarion call to repentance to the lukewarm church and the lost world. Vincent’s fiery indictments of London could be said as truly about any of our cities today; above all, his call to repentance is as relevant now as it was then.”
—Joel R. Beeke, chancellor, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Contents

Introduction

I. “By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us.”
II. What are those terrible things by which God doth sometimes speak?
III. Why is it that the Lord doth speak unto a people by such terrible things?
IV. The Application
V. The plague
VI. A narration of the judgment of the fire
VII. Concerning the cause of these judgments
VIII. A catalogue of London's sins
IX. God hath punished London less than her iniquities deserved
X. Concerning the design of these judgments
XI. The duties which God expects from London after the Plague and Fire