A REPRESENTATION OF THE SAD Condition and Humble Desires Of the PEOPLE of GLASGOW.  
IT pleased the LORD, in the deep of his Wise doom and overruling Providence, so to dispose, that, upon the 17. of June last, 1652. being Thursday, a little before two of the clock in the afternoon, a sudden and violent fire broke up within a narrow close, upon the East side of the street above the Cross, which, within a short space, burnt up six closes with divers considerable buildings upon the forestreet. And while the inhabitants of the neighbouring places of the Town were flocked together for the removal of the goods that could be gotten from amongst the fire, and hindering, so far as in them lay, the spreading of the same: the wind, blowing from the North-East, carried such sparks of the flame as kindled unexspectedly some houses on the West side of the Salt-Mercat, where the fire so spread, that it did overrun all from house to house, and consumed in some few hours what came in its way, not only Houses, but Goods also, both of the Inhabitants of that street, and of others likewise, who, when the fire began upon them, had brought to that place these of their Goods and Movables which were gotten safe from the fire that first seized upon them. This fire, by the hand of GOD, was carried so from the one side of that street to the other, that it was totally consumed on both sides: and in it the far best and most considerable Buildings in the Town, with all the Chaps and Warehouses of the Merchants which were therein; And from that street the flame was carried to the Tron-gait, Gallow-gait and Bridg-gait: In all which streets a great many of considerable Closes and Buildings, with the best part of the moveables and commodities of the Inhabitants, were burnt to ashes. This sad dispensation, from the Hand of an angry GOD, continued near by eighten hours, before the great violence of the fire began to abate. In this short time, a great number of those who were wealthy before were extremely impoverished, many Merchants and others near by ruined; a very considerable number of Widows, Orphans and honest Families, were brought to extreme misery, the Dwellings of almost a thousand Families were utterly consumed, and many of these, who had a large Patrimony, and oftimes had been a shelter to others in their straits, had not themselves a place where to cover their head, or knew wherewith to provide bread for them and their families, That which was preserved from the violence of the fire, being cast out in the open street, and by frequent remove thereof from one place to another, and from that to a third, and from a third place to a fourth, as the fire occasioned, so that it was either taken away by stealth, which in such a confusion was inevitable: or in a great part so spoiled, that it was made utterly unprofitable.  
When some hundreths of Families, in great distress and wants, had, till the Saturnday at night, lain in the open fields, and divers of them were beginning to get some shelter with such of their neighbours as the LORD had spared: Upon the LORDS Day, betwixt seven and eight in the morning, the fire broke up anew in the North side of the Tron-gait, and continued burning violently till near by twelve hours in the forenoon. This new and sad stroke, upon the back of the other, not only destroyed divers Dwelling-houses, and occasioned the pulling down of many more▪ but it so terrified the whole Inhabitants, that all carried out of their houses what moveables they had, and took themselves again for some nights to the open fields; And in this fear, and removing of their goods from their houses to the streets, and from the streets to the fields, the loss by stealing and spoiling of goods was very great to all: and divers, on whom the fire unexspectedly seized, were altogether ruined.  
As we desire to acknowledge the Justice of the LORD in this terrible stroke, having ministered so much fuel to the fire of his indignation that burns so hot against the whole Land: and to mourn under His heavy displeasure, that His further wrath against us may, in his Son, be averted; So are we necessitate earnestly to entreat for charitable and timous supply from our Christian Brethren and Neighbours, whom we do in all humility request, if there be any consolation in CHRIST, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, That they would tenderly lay to heart, and consider the desolate condition of the poor Inhabitants of this afflicted City, and, with cheerfulness and a willing mind, in due season, cast some of their seed upon these many waters, for the refreshment of us who are ready to faint in this our languishing condition. As GOD hath given every one ability, so we hope they will give; A very mite, from a willing mind of these who can do no more, will be accepted of the LORD, will be to us comfortable, and, we are confident, will be no small matter of joy to themselves, in the day of their accounts, that, in this so considerable an opportunity of charity, they have not hid themselves from their own flesh.  
FINIS.