Chapter 10: London’s Burning
London, September 2, 1666
Benjamin pushed open the door to his apartment behind the Harrison estate, the familiar scent of roasted mutton filling the air. After the morning’s sermon at St. Botolph’s, his body felt weary, but his mind was still racing with the weight of the day.
Elizabeth greeted him with a warm smile as she set a plate on the small wooden table in their kitchen. A chunk of crusty bread sat alongside roast mutton, carrots, cabbage, and turnips, their earthy aroma a comfort in uncertain times.
As Benjamin sat down, Elizabeth joined him. “The people are so weary,” he said, his voice heavy with compassion. “I can see it in their faces.”
Elizabeth nodded. “It is good that we stayed. With the plague still spreading, people need the hope that only God and His Word can bring.”
“Yes.” Benjamin sighed. “The church was very full today. There were probably three hundred souls there. But who knows how many of them will still be alive a week from now? Every Sabbath, I preach the gospel more fervently than I ever have.”
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“With the parish priest fleeing to the countryside, it is a blessing that you’ve been able to step into the pulpit,” Elizabeth said, her voice steady with encouragement. “You have been faithful to your calling, and God is using your preaching to save many.”
Benjamin glanced at her with concern. “I just wish you had gone with Nehemiah to stay with James in Bedford. I fear for your health, Elizabeth.”
She met his gaze with a determined smile. “You have your calling, and I have mine. I am your helpmate. I will stay by your side as long as the Lord gives me breath and strength to do so.”
Benjamin chuckled, his expression softening. “It’s rather ironic, isn’t it?”
“What is, dear? That I’m your helpmate?” Elizabeth teased, pretending to take offense.
“No.” Benjamin smiled warmly. “It was a wonderful and unexpected blessing when the Lord brought you into my life eighteen years ago. I was speaking of this opportunity to preach in a parish church. The Lord led me out of the Church of England twenty-seven years ago, and I’ve never regretted that decision.”
“And now you’re filling a parish pulpit,” Elizabeth said, catching the thread of his thought. “It’s true, men like you haven’t exactly been welcomed in parish churches since Charles took the throne.”
“Ha!” Benjamin barked a laugh. “Just the opposite. Almost exactly four years ago, thousands of faithful preachers were ejected from their pulpits. Two years later, the Conventicle Act officially made our Baptist gatherings illegal.”
Elizabeth placed a hand over his. “I prayed non-stop for you, Benjamin, each time you were arrested. God has been faithful. You’ve been steadfast in your conviction, even in the face of persecution, and God has sustained us every step of the way.”
Benjamin nodded. “And now here we are, preaching to hundreds of hopeless people in the very pulpits from which our brethren were unjustly removed.”
“Praise God,” Elizabeth said quietly.
“Praise God indeed.” Benjamin’s voice grew more resolute. “I only hope that many who are perishing in this world will have heard the good news—that Jesus Christ has perfectly obeyed God’s law, suffered the full penalty for sin on the cross, and that by faith alone we exchange our sin for His righteousness.”
Elizabeth nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, letting the truth of the gospel wash over their weary spirits.
Elizabeth broke the quiet. “When I left the church, I noticed a lot of people coming out of the city through the Bishopsgate. That seemed odd for a Sabbath.”
Benjamin frowned. “I heard there was a fire in Pudding Lane, near the bridge.”
“That’s not unusual, is it?” Elizabeth asked. “The buildings in that part of town are so close together, but the firemen are usually good at keeping them under control.”
Benjamin shook his head. “This one seems to be spreading fast. I could smell the smoke even when I left the church. But I’m sure they’ll manage it.”
Elizabeth’s face darkened. “I hope so. There are too many lost souls in this city—souls that need to hear the gospel before they face the fires of hell.”
Benjamin placed a comforting hand over hers. “We trust God in all things. He will save His elect and care for His own.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and recited softly, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Benjamin finished the Psalm, his voice steady and sure. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
They sat together in the quiet of their kitchen, the smoke faintly wafting through the city as Benjamin prayed silently for strength—for the days ahead would require all the faith and courage they could muster.