say of this going So runne that yee may obtaine The third rule is Returne slowly that is continue where thou art a necessarie rule to bee obserued in the going to the the name of the Lord. It is the rule of the spirituall Physitians Ephe. 6. 18. Rom. 12. 1. Thes 5. Pray continually c. As it is prescribed so it hath beene practised the woman of Canaan continued in her prayer and returned not in haste They which are in the Countrey although there bee many things which might mooue them to returne yet for the safetie of their bodies they continue till the plague be ceased So continue in thy prayer by the Lord and be not wearie of wel doing Although three things might haue mooued thy Syrophenician to returne the silence of Christ her back-friends and the odious names giuen vnto her yet these discouragements her poore soule digested obtaining both a cure for her daughters infirmitie and a commendation for her faith O woman thou hast wrought a myracle by the perseuerance of thy prayer and hast giuen to thy Sauiour occasion to doo a memorable act conuenient to his nature glorious to his holy name Let vs at this time follow her perseuerance and although the Lord should seeme to be silent for a time yet let vs not draw backe that wee may receiue a cure both for our soules and bodies and deserue a commendation both by God and other nations and thereby giue occasion vnto the Lord to shew his omnipotent power in the ceasing of the plague and to doo an act in England conuenient to his nature and glorious to his holy name And as Iacob wrastled with the Angel and would not let him goe vntill hee had receiued the blessing So let vs as it were striue with the Lord by our prayers and let him not goe vntill he haue heard vs in that which we aske of him in this afflicted time Let our prayers be now as the showers of the raine if the first showre faileth of watering the earth sufficiently the second the third or the fourth wil fulfill the thirst thereof Let vs be like vnto the widow Luk. 18. and our importunitie will draw him vnto audience but yet let vs hold a better opinion of the iudge of the world then of a common vulgar friend It delighted his eares to heare our redoubled obsecrations and he suspendeth our desires in expectation that we should be importunate to craue The bodily Physitians cannot away with the importunate patient but God King Dauids Physitian loueth the importunate prayer and more acceptable is to him the ende of our prayer then the beginning I would the children of light were as wise in their generation as the wodden Priests 1. Reg. 18. who cried long to Baal yea cut themselues with kniues that they might be heard and what ought not wee then doo to obtaine our suite Let nothing then mooue vs to returne but as the King of the Philistines 1. Sam 6. though they had Calues at home yet they kept the straight way to Bethshemesh and held one path turning neither to the right nor to the left hand neither euer stood still till they came into the field of Iosuah So in our going to the name of Iehouah the affection of our soules bearing the Arke and coffer of our suites though it hath worldly allurements to draw it backe as the Kine had Calues yet let it in the way to the house of God as they to Bethshemesh hold one path of perseuerance turning neither to the right or left hand with wandring cogitations till it commeth into the field and garden of God and there let it remaine Many hauing not continued in the Countrey in their hastie returning are fallen sicke and died So many hauing not continued in this strong bulwarke haue endangered both body and soule And thus much hitherto of the second part There followeth now the third and the last which openeth vnto vs the houshold-stuffe which we must carrie with vs thither noted in the word Righteous As they which go in the country in the time of plague carie with them their houshold-stuffe their furniture those things which are necessarie for their bodies and as Noah entring the arke carried with him necessaries so likwise in our going to this place we must carrie with vs those things which are necessarie for our soules that we may be receiued by the Lord of that soyle and without which wee can not goe thither There are fiue peeces of spiritual houshold-stuffe which are necessary for vs noted in the word Righteous The first is Repentance and holines of life for he that is righteous giueth himselfe to righteousnes And this furniture carried with him Dauid 2. Sam. 24. 11. As they which goe in the countrey haue their reasons why they carrie with them such and such necessaries So giue me leaue in the opening of this furniture to shew you also the reasons which must moue vs to carie them with vs. As for this first the first reason is the prescription of the spirituall Phisitions it is the Apostles precept Let euery one that calleth on the name of Christ depart from iniquitie The second is that we may be receiued for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doeth behold the iust Psal 11. 7. His eies are vpon the righteous and his eares open to their crye but his face is against them that doe euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth Psal 34. 15. 16. If I regarde wickednes in my heart saith Dauid the Lord will not heare me For as Salomon testifieth the Lord is farre off from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous Prou. 15. 29. Drawe therefore neere to God and he will drawe neere to you cleanse your handes ye sinners and purge your hearts ye wauering minded Iam. 4. 8. 9. The third is that the bodily plague may cease for how dare we approach vnto the Lord to craue that it might be remooued and yet carie with vs the inward cause thereof let the Physitions maxime heere preuaile remooue the cause that the effect may cease Let vs not as the sonnes of Iacob bring into the presence of our father the garment of Ioseph which we our selues haue beblooded As Aaron could not come before the Lord before he was washed so let vs not goe vnto him before we haue cleansed our selues from infection of the soule And as Iacob Gen. 43. exhorted his sonnes when they were going to Ioseph carrie with you the best fruites of the land and giue them him so let vs in our going to to the true Ioseph Iesus Christ carrie with vs the best fruites of our hearts to offer vp the sacrifice of our prayers our corrupt affections as Abraham left behinde him at the foote of the hill his asses I conclude this first point with the saying of Chrysostome as in a garland it is not enough that the
THE ARKE of Noah FOR The Londoners that remaine in the Cittie to enter in with their families to be preserued from the deluge of the Plague Item An Exercise for the Londoners that are departed out of the Citie into the Countrey to spend their time till they returne Wherevnto is annexed an Epistle sent out of the Countrey to the afflicted Citie of London Made and written by Iames Godskall the yonger Preacher of the word Psal 50. 15. Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Dan. 9. 18. O my God encline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the Citie wherevpon thy name is called LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede AN EPISTLE TO the afflicted Citie of London To all you that be at London beloued of God called to be Saints Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 1. 7. with all that call on the name of our Lord Iesus Christ in euery place both their Lord and ours 1. Cor. 1. 2. AS Naomi dearely beloued in the Lord the title of honourable at this time I do omit spake vnto the people which sawe her Call mee not Naomi which soundeth beautifull or pleasant but call me Mara for the almightie hath giuen me much bitternesse the Lord hath humbled me the Almightie hath brought me vnto aduersitie So likewise thou afflicted London mayest answere to them that see and heare of thee Call me not Naomi but Mara for the Almightie hath brought thee now vnto aduersitie In which affliction I may speake with the Apostle wee are mindfull of your teares And although as Paul speaketh we be absent in the flesh yet are wee with you in the spirit Coll. 2. 5. kept from you for a season concerning sight but not in the heart 1. Thess 2. 17. For we haue you in perfect memorie Phil. 1. 3. hauing you in our hearts 2. Cor. 7. 3. And thus being affectioned toward you 1. Thess 2 8. without ceasing God is my witnesse with the Apostle wee may protest we make mention of you alwaies in our prayers Rom. 9. 1. 10. Of thee ô London with the Leuites of Ierusalem vnfeignedly I may speake Psal 137. 5. If I forget thee ô Ierusalem let my right hand forget to play If I doo not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth True it is by the Riuers of Babel as it were wee sit in a pleasant Countrey but neuerthelesse here we weepe when we remember thee ô London we hang vp our harpes and the pleasantnesse of the countrey cannot stay our teares remembring you that are afflicted as if we were afflicted our selues weeping for the Citie as Christ did for Ierusalem Luk. 19. and not onely for you but for our selues Luk 23. 28. How could we feast while the yron enters Iosephs soule in the Citie We are not Nero singing and triumphing when Rome is on fire but as Abraham prayed for Sodome and the Prophet for the peace of Ierusalem so we for the peace of London As for the Romish Edomites the superstitious Papists who reioyce at this ours and your present calamitie insulting ouer vs in this land and in others preaching it vnto theirs publikely and muttering it priuately that this deluge of the plague is iustly broken through among vs because we haue as they speake forsaken the religion and profession of our forefathers iustly we doo acknowledge although it is falsely imputed to that pretended cause What is this their accusation else but that old song of the superstitious Israelits Ier. 44. 18. 19 Since wee left off to burne incense to the Queene of heauen we haue had scarcenesse of things and haue beene consumed by the sword and famine Were not also the good Christians in the time of Tertullian Cyprian Arnobius and others in this manner vpbrayed by the Heathens who imputed to them the cause of Pestilence Warre Invndations Earthquakes and other troubles But O yee blind sonnes of men what was the cause of the flood in the time of Noah was it the Religion of that time or was it Noah the preacher of righteousnesse The Lord himselfe sheweth the cause Gene. 6. and 7. Chap. the sinnes of that age and the flood of iniquitie For which like sinnes both we and their professors also as well as we at diuers times haue felt this rod and also at this present time in Flanders they doo taste of this smart-whip which giueth vs iust occasion to speake vnto them that of the Prophet Thine inuentions haue procured thee these things Remember O Lord the children of Edom these superstitious Romanists which speake rase it rase it to the foundation thereof O daughter of Babel worthie to be destroyed But from whence am I digressed To returne to the head of the race where I first began I returne to you my brethren with sighes to whome I may vse the Apostles words In anguish of heart I write vnto you with many teares Of Prayer of which this treatise following doeth intreate I may speake that which Martha said vnto Christ If thou hadst beene here my brother should not haue died So likewise if feruent and humble prayer had beene amongst vs we should not haue suffered these things But seeing wee are in the flood and that the waters are entred euen to our soules Psal 69. 1. Therefore behold against this deluge I send to you a delineation of the true Arke of Noah whereunto yee and we ought to flie to be preserued which is the name of Iehouah Prou. 18. 10. the little Zoar and the Sanctuarie to hide and safegard our selues Two things beloued may put you in minde this yeere of two things First of Noah Secondly of Ionas withered Gourd vnto which your present calamitie for diuers respects fitly may be compared The first is your great ioyes preparations and stately buildings in the beginning of the yeere like vnto the ioy feasting marrying and building of those who liued in the dayes of Noah Matth. 24. Luke 17. The second is the suddaine alteration which ensued thereupon like vnto the vnexpected flood and deluge which came vpon the securitie of the olde world We liued before as in the dayes of Noah wee are now as it were in the flood the afflictions and troubles of the sonnes of men being not vnfitly compared vnto waters by the Kingly Prophet Dauid which prayer at this time London thou mayest make Saue me O God for the waters are entred euen to my soule Seeing therefore that thou with Ionas mayest say Lord the floods compasse me about what remaineth but that we enter into the Arke to be preserued Giue me leaue beloued by a comparison to shew you two things the flood wherewith ye are compassed about and the Arke which yee ought to enter In the flood of Noah the holy Ghost noteth foure things First the cause for which it
was sent Secondly the time when it began Thirdly the cōtinuance of it Fourthly his decreasing The cause of which was the sinne of that age which was growen vp as a mightie tree producing diuers sower and deadly fruites The first was the great securitie of the sonnes of God that is of those which made profession of the true Religion eating and drinking marrying and building Luke 17. 27. The second their disobedience and contemning of Noah the Preacher of righteousnesse and of the long suffering of God 1. Pet. 3. 20. The third their fornications and vngodly alliances with the infidels and with that damnable race of Cain without respect either of family or Religion The fourth their crueltie and oppression of their neighbours Gene. 6. 11. and 13. Lastly the corruption of their wayes Gen. 6. 12. and because their wickednesse was great vpon the earth 2. Sam. This is also the cause to applie the first to our selues which hath mooued the Lord to send this deluge of the Plague into the land because the selfe same sinnes did raigne among vs and as it was in the dayes of Noah so hath it beene in these last dayes of the sonne of man and therefore seeing a flood of iniquitie hath ouerwhelmed vs hath not this flood of the Plague iustly and suddenly ouertaken vs From the first let me leade you to the second the circumstance of the time when the flood began noted in the 7. Chap. of Gene. ver 11. In the second moneth the seuenteenth day of the moneth which was about the beginning of May or as others say in April when all things did most flourish and when it was lesse expected which suddennesse hath changed their ioy into sorow So likewise to applie the second to vs this deluge of the Plague began to encrease about the beginning of May as I haue noted when all things did flourish in the Countrey and in the Citie when we were merrie as the sonnes of the old world marrying feasting building and erecting our armes trivmphants when we lesse expected it which hath turned also our ioy into sorrow And as Noahs flood caused them to flie vpon high mountaines and trees that the waters should not reach vnto them So this deluge hath it not caused thousands to depart into the Countrey farre and neere to be preserued From the second I come to the third the continuance of the flood noted Gen. 7. 24. The waters couered and preuailed vpon the earth an hundreth and fiftie dayes which is about halfe a yeere and then in the end of an hundreth and fiftie dayes the waters abated Gene. 8. 3. which was in Nouember reckning from the beginning of them To applie the third our deluge hath not yet preuailed an hundreth and fiftie dayes and I hope through the mercie of God that it wil not so long encrease and bee in his full strength and force and yet O Lord by the great flood of our iniquitie we haue deserued a longer encreasing But haue mercie vpon vs O Lord according to the multitude of thy compassions Psal 51. 1. Let mee applie the fourth thing which is the decreasing of Noahs flood noted Gen. 8. 5 and they decreased vntil the tenth moneth which was the moneth of December this decreasing beginning from Nouember after the hundreth and fiftie dayes Our flood the Lord bee thanked hath begun reasonably to decrease in the moneth of September and the Lord graunt that these waters from henceforward may not bee going and comming but that they may altogether decrease vntill the tenth month And as the tops of the mountaines which were couered because of the flood were seene in the tenth moneth Gene. 8. 5. which was in December So the Lord graunt that the heads of the Citie the Merchants and principall Citizens which because of this deluge haue beene couered may be seene againe in the Citie the tenth moneth Further as on the first day of the first moneth Gene. 8. 13. the vpper part of the ground was wholly drie which was in March and part of Aprill So the Lord graunt that this deluge may in that moneth wholly bee dried vp and that there remaine not any reliques therof if it please him to remember vs in his mercie as hee did Noah Gene. 8. 1. Now that he may remember vs in his mercie let vs forsake the sinnes of the olde world let the flood of iniquitie which is broken through among vs decrease and wholly be dried vp Great hath beene and extraordinarie I doo confesse the invndation of the Plague this present yeere and therefore let our repentance bee great and extraordinarie It is reported of many of the Aegyptians by Sozom lib. 7. cap. 20. that being terrified by the strange invndation of Nilus higher then the wonted maner thereof was immediatly they condemned their ancient Idolatry and applied themselues to the worship of the liuing God So likewise seeing that this deluge of the Plague hath beene higher then the wonted maner as the weekly Bils doo shewe vnto vs let vs bee terrified and remooue our ancient iniquities let vs applie our selues to humble and feruent prayer a principall part of the worship of God And as the Arke in the flood rested vpon the high mountaines of Ararat Gene. 8. 4. So let vs in this flood rest vpon the Lord and vpon the holy mountaine of Heauen the power and mercie of our God are the mountaines whereupon the Arke may finde rest those are the holy hils whereon Sion hath her euerlasting foundation Hauing shewed to you the flood I come to the Arke The holy Ghost in the description of the Arke into which Noah entred Gene. 6. and 7. noteth these fiue things The Arke it selfe The persons entring The cause why The time when The end wherefore As for the Arke into which wee must enter it is not an Arke made of corruptible wood nor an Arke heere beneath sloating and tossing in the sea of this world but the true Arke of Noah and of the righteous the name of the Lord that strong tower wherevnto the righteous runneth by the feete of prayer Prou. 18. 10. an immortall eternall and incorruptible Arke I know no surer refuge from the tempest as Esai speaketh no safer harbour and receptacle wherin to repose your wearied soules The persons entring were Noah and his family Noah the righteous or the Preacher of righteousnesse as he is called 2. Pet. 2. 5. Noah and his little family the remnant of the earth as the sonne of Syrach termeth them Let vs with our families enter into the aforesaid Arke and although they consist more then of eightie and eight soules yea of infinite they cannot fill this Arke neither hinder one another as it happeneth in the bulwarkes and fortresses of mortall men but let vs be righteous Noahs for how can wee be else preserued If wee enter as an impious Cham perhaps we shall escape a temporall flood but not the deluge of Gods eternall wrath The cause
our soules that they may familiarly speake with him whose loue vnto vs is better then gold or pearle If we delight to speake languages by prayer wee may speake the excellentest language which hath euer beene the language of Canaan let vs not feare to discourse with the Lord by our prayers for hee is not like vnto the spruce and finical sonnes of men feare not saith Chrysostome he seeketh not at thy hands painted eloquence an angelicall tongue filed phrases but beholdeth only the beautie of thy soule Others take their pleasure while they are in the Countrey to ride vp and downe in their Coches and Chariots being carried therein betwixt heauen and earth Let prayer bee your Coache beloued it is as one saith as a Chariot of fire bearing vs aloft in the presence of God able to mount vs aboue the Eagles of the skie to seeke the Lords assistance In the time of plague there is appointed a Waggon or Coache to carrie the sicke to the Pest-house and there to be healed there is no better Chariot to carrie our soules vnto the house of heauen to bee healed by that heauenly Physitian then humble prayer Some delight to goe vp and downe and see their friends our best friends at this time and at all times who can do vs the most good are God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost let vs visite them therefore continually by our prayers Others in writing letters what is prayer else but as it were a letter sent to God in which wee declare our neede and as a letter is an amiable discourse and conference of one friend with another as if they were both present So is our prayer as a friendly letter or discourse of vs which are absent from home with our best friend the Lord as if wee were present with him in heauen Send this letter and letter vpon letter yee that are now exiled shew vnto the Lord your neede pray vnto him that hee will bring you home againe and remooue that in his mercie which keepeth you backe Lastly some in running of Races or in Hunting but yee beloued in this afflicted time runne the way of Gods Commandements as Dauid Psal 119. runne to the name of Iehouah with the righteous Prou 18. runne the race which is set before you and that with patience looking vnto Christ Iesus Hebr. 12. 1. and so runne that yee may obtaine that which you sue for Hunt not after the pleasures of this life but after the liuing God and as the Hart brayeth for the ryuers of waters so let your soules pant after the liuing God Psal 42. 1. That the Lords Hunter Psal 91. hunt vs not but that the Lord may deliuer vs from the snare of the Hunter and from the noysome pestilence Psal 91. 3. Vse therefore this comfortable exercise the childe is neuer better but when it is in his fathers and mothers lap So shal you neuer be better but when by prayer you creepe as it were in your heauenly Fathers bosome it will kindle your loue toward him as the loue of louers is kindled the more they come together and if yee remaine there this Winter feruent prayer will bee in steade of fire to kindle in your hearts the loue of God Fourthly the profit of this exercise commendeth it much it is not onely delectable but also profitable Some which are in the Countrey at this time spend their time I doo confesse profitably riding vp and downe to buy commodities against the future but prayer is a farre profitabler exercise for this time for it is not onely profitable to our selues but also vnto others yea to the whole Realme And as the Apostle speaketh of Godlines that it is profitable for al things so I may say of prayer that it can obtaine any thing profitable for vs in two respects First to obtaine that we haue not Secondly to keepe that we haue obtained First if thou lackest knowledge and wisedome prayer is the meanes to obtaine it Iam. 1. If thy vnderstanding bee darke pray with Dauid Psal 119. Open mine eyes O Lord that I may see the mysteries of thy Law If thou lackest zeale pray with Dauid Psal 119. Lord incline my heart vnto thy law c. And because this world is a desart where we may easily erre pray with Dauid Psal 50. Leade me in thy pathes c. If our soules be infected with the plague of vanitie and couetousnesse the meanes to remooue it is prayer Psal 119. O Lord remooue farre from me vanitie and encline not my heart to couetousnesse The meanes to obtaine a contented minde is also prayer Prou 30. Pouertie nor riches giue me not c. If thou desirest to thinke vpon thy mortalitie by the subiect whic◠now is presented to thee pray with Dauid Psa 90. Teach vs O Lord to number our dayes that we may applie our hearts to wisedome If yee desire to returne it is not your sports or delightes but your prayers that must bring you backe If yee desire the ceasing of the plague it is your prayer that must remooue the cause that the effect may cease As prayer obtaineth so it keepeth that you haue already obtained such are not your exercises which ye your selues haue inuented O sonnes of Adam for by them you often loose that which you had purchased ryotously which Alexander blamed in his friends wasting and consuming your whole abilitie There is another thing which ought to perswade you to this exercise which is that it is profitable to others prayer doeth more good then Almes for by our Almes we can helpe but a fewe but by our prayers wee can helpe thousands and thousands yea those which are farre off Prayers are the almes of the rich as well as of the poore for Pharao did as well begge for prayers as poore Lazarus for crummes Yee rich men that are in the Countrey bestowe these almes vpon the poore as well as the almes of your purses and in this afflicted time seeke more to profite the whole Realme by your prayers then by your commodities I ende this point with the saying of Augustine Plus profeci orando quā legendo I haue more profited by praying then by reading Fiftly this exercise is commendable because it is able to to strengthen vs. Some in the Countrey doo spend their time in exercises by which they may maintaine their health and strengthen their bodies that they may bee able to doo any thing the exercise of prayer is good to make vs recouer the health of our soules which was waxen weake as this present plague and your present exile both doo witnesse Yea it is able to make vs doo admirable things Was it euer heard that mightie Potentates as there haue beene many Alexander the great Iulius Caesar and the rest could make the Sunne or the Moone to stand still in the firmament And yet this hath done the prayer of Iosua Haue there euer beene any armies so great