that thereby hee may haue entrance into vs againe Finally to end this point and to come vnto our purpose againe there is nothing we ought in all our liues to bee more carefull of then to striue to discerne betweene the true the blessed and most comfortable peace of Iesus Christ in our hearts and consciences and the false peace and most dangerous and deadly sleepe of carnall and benummed consciences where Sathan dwelleth That if wee haue the one we may with all our might endeuour to preserue it and if we be miserably deluded and so endangered by the other wee may with all speede come to the meanes appointed in the Gospell of Iesus Christ for our deliuerance Great and deadly is the sleepe of all Atheists hypocrites and carnall men before Sathans face by the light of the Gospell bee discerned They are like men which haue drunke some deadly poyson they can but sleepe and delight in sleeping and yet perswade themselues in this miserable security that all is wel Our Sauiour rendereth a reason of this when he saith Sathan watcheth them with all his strength munition armour and with all violence stâ—…uing to keepe blinde in this state all he can to the day of death There can bee no true peace before Christ by his word and spirit cast forth Sathan out of the mindes and hearts of men as long as men loue darkenesse and hate light as long as the sloniâ—… slintie polluted heart ' and conscience remaineth the peace and sleepe is to be suspected to be Sathanicall Secondly before Christ giue peace hee must needes warre with Sathan Luk. 11. 21. In this warfare the prisoner that Christ taketh which fought against him is the soule of man c. a man therefore must be captiuat and so in soule humbled vnder Christ before true peace in Christs kingdome that peace therefore which is before humiliation is to be suspected Thirdly where Christ hath ouercome there his goood spirit watcheth for hee will not leese any that he hath found Io. 10. 28. Where that spirit is there hee worketh true sanctification of soule spirit and body I. Thess. 5. 23. Where therefore true sanctification is wanting the peace is dangerous and to be suspected But of this more in an other question Now to returne to that wee purposed let vs consider briesly whether the wicked spirites are Gods instruments and messengers to smite vs with the Pestilence The Lorde vseth no doubt as in many other of his iudgements so in this the ministerie of Angels good and euill Hee maketh his Angels like the windes and his ministers are like a flame of fire It was as it seemeth to me a good Angell which with his sword drawne flew so many thousands in Israel in Dauids time Howbeeit Augustine saith hee can neuer remember that the good Angels execute any iudgements vpon any good people And it was the Angell of the Lord that flew in Senacheriâ—…s campe in one night 185000. And they were good Angels which came to Sodome and Gomor when it was destroyed with fire and brimstone It was likewise the Angell of the Lord which smote proud Herod that hee was eaten of wormes Act. 12. 13. Yet Iosephus saith hee sawe an Owle or a Diuell in that likenesse ouer his head presaging that miserable death And he addeth there followed great tormentâ—… in his inwarde parts His grandfather was eaten of lice but this Tyrants death sâ—…meth to be of some sore griping and guawing wormes in his bowels hee was made wormes meate saith Saint Luke It may be hee was tormented of lice without and wormes within But they were euill spirits and Sathans angels which plagued Aegypt Psal. 78. 49. 50. Hee cast vpon them the fiercenesse of his anger indignation and wrath and vexation by the sending out of euill angels hee made a way to his anger hee spared not their soule from death but gaue their life to the Pestilence And sathan is saide to fill Iobes body all ouer with most pestiferous botches and biles One saith the diuell gathereth of the first seeds of nature and applyeth them to some matter and so can produce strange effects but how farre hee can proceede in nature it is hard to iudge The diuell is limited two wayes First hee cannot out-reach nature Secondly the will of the Lord so saith hee the diuell can bring pestilence famine biles for he knoweth of what causes these euils do arise And an other reuerend diuine saith The wicked angels are Gods instruments in the pestilence working by naturall causes So the diuell is said to send the godly to prison but by meanes of tyrants Reue. 2. 10. and chap. 6. 8. 9. verse 1. At the commandement of God the windes are in like manner sent foorth by euill angels from the which windes doubtlesse it is manifest that many infections of the ayre and this infection chiefly doth arise And Augustine vpon the Psalme 78. hee is of iudgement that the good and euill Angels can vse these visible Elements and by them effect many things As men saith he can vse them not onely to sustaine life but also according to the measure of their knowledge most artificially both in sundrie supersluous trisles and in diuers mechanicall effects There be three sorts of maladies wherâ—…by the wicked are plagued and the godly chastened of the Lord. The first kinde is meere naturall the second is meere diabolicall the third is mixt Meere naturall I call all those which haue their causes knowne in nature discerned and cured not by rude Empyriâ—… but by the learned in the practise of Phisicke as the ordinary common diseases among the people Meere diabolicall I thinke wee may câ—… those euils wherein no cause appearâ—… to the most perfect and learned Phisition but some secret cause that is some wicket spirit sent of God to distemper the body and to cause the naturall faculties and parts of the body eyther not to be able to performe their duties or to benumbe the body or to do farre more with greater strength and violence then nature alone can effect such were those the scripture cals dâ—…moniaci possessed of diuels or holden of diuels or as some learned men reade inspired by diuels In which most grieuous affliction Sathan doth most commonly bereaue the possessed of the vse of common sense and reason working in them beside their ordinarie course of nature straunge effects euen such as the most iudicious both Phisitions and Diuines cannot ascribe to any other cause but to Sathans effectuall working There is great wisedome and heede to bee taken in helping and healing such at this day for it is not done by coniuration or diuination as Popish Priestes professe and practise but by entreating the Lord humbly in fasting and prayer I see no warrant we haue to talke or question with Sathan for hee is the Lords executioner hee hath sent him what authoritie then haue wee to commaund
him to depart where God hath sent him A Prince or Magistrate is offended with a subiect for some disloyaltie an Officer is sent to imprison him shall hee or any other charge the Officer in the Princes name to let him alone and not to touch him Is it not their way onely to pacifie the Prince and so the Magistrate will commaund the Officer to surcease euen so where God sendeth Sathan his executioner to arest any person in any forme or manner in body or minde the onely way no doubt is to entreat the Lord to be pacified and to rebuke Sathan Againe we reade often that Sathan tormented many in sundry most grieuous diseases which I call the third and mixt kinde for by secret poysons hee hath made them incurable to the best practitioners in Phisicke in all ages The good woman mentioned Luke 13. verse 16. shee is saide to bee bounde of Sathan 18. yeares and to haue a spirit of infirmitie And such were many lunatikes and may be to this day they had a disease of causes partly knowne partly vnknowne Matt. 17. 15. Maister haue pittie on my sonne for he is a lunatike The learned deriue the cause of this euill from the Moone as the name importeth because they haue obserued that such as are borne in the change are thus pained but note what the Euangelist addeth and wee shall see the secret cause of it verse 18. Iesus rebuked the diuell and hee went out of him and the childe was healed in that houre Here then we see a disease in part naturall in part sathanicall And maister Caluine hee saith that experience teacheth vs howe this disease dooth increase and decrease according to the course of the Moone yet this lets not but that Sathan can put in his effectuall working in the naturall meanes Neque tamen hoc obstat quo minus sathan naturalibus medijs suos impetus permise uenit The woman also mentioned Marke 5. 25. labouring of an issue of bloud twelue yeares may seeme to be grieuous on this manner for some cause or causes seene to bee secret and vnknowne such be sathans practises for it is said shee had suffered many things of the Phisitions and had spent all shee had and it auailed her nothing but she became much worse and this woman was one of Gods elect for shee heard afterwardes these gracious wordes Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace and be whole of thy plague Of this third and last kinde I iudge to bee our common plague and pestilence at this day My reasons are First it is partly naturall for if there were here no naturall cause then those whom the plague hath infected cannot doubtlesse so much as bee cased much lesse healed by naturall remedies but this second to bee very false our common sence and experience dayly teacheth vs. Secondly it must haue also some secret cause for the learned as I haue before noted cannot finde it to arise of any elementall qualitie in nature But my greatest and surest ground is this the word of the Lorde speaketh it plainly that the wicked spirits are his messengers and his instruments for this purpose If any doubt of this let him looke into the iudgements which were inflicted vpon Egypt and Iob by the ministerie of wicked spirites for so the Psalmist speaketh they vexed and tormented Egypt with wonderfull plagues They turned the water that was in the riuer into blood They which can corrupt one element for the destruction of mankind can corrupt another the water with blood the avre with the pestilence But wicked spirits did the first therefore they can doe the second when and where God permitteth Againe they which can poyson the water with frogs may poison in like manner the aire with pestiferous exhalations euill spirits did the first ergo Thirdly they which cā destroy beasts with the morraine may as easily destroy men with the Pestilence the wicked spirits did the first and therefore can doe the second Exod 9. 3. Fourthly they which can breed scabs and blisters can breed the pestilence cha 9. 10. Lastly the destroyer which flue so many in one night throughout all Egypt with the Plague can plague in like manner to this day where and when he is sent hee was an euill angel saith Dauid he sent euil angels he gaue their life to the Pestilence In Iobs story wee see sufficient demonstrations for this purpose They which can bring downe fire from heauen to destroy beastes may in like maner poison the aire and men with the pestilence the wicked spirits did the first Ergo can do the second Secondly they which can driue windes and tempests together to beate downe houses most violently may be as fit instruments to execute the like iustice and iudgements in the pestilence the wicked spirits c. Thirdly they which can poison the soules of men suggesting and breathing most pestilent motions into the mindes of men to their destruction can much more easily poyson their bodyes when GOD sendeth them for that purpose But Sathan did that first wee see in the Sab◅ans and in the Chaldeans and in all the pestilent crewe of rebellious sinners at this day hee driueth them before him as men driue beastes saith August Ergo. Lastly he that would plague that blessed man of God Iob with most grieuous poyson and torments in his bodie can doe much more vpon all the wicked enemies of God and vessels of wrath and the like also vpon Gods good people to this day but Sathan and his wicked spirites smote Iob with most pestiferous vlcers or pestilentiall carbuncles or biles scabs and sores most noysome Wherefore these wicked spirits may and doe no doubt serue the Lord in the like iudgements to this day And for this cause some of the learned Interpreters haue sayde these two names vsed in this Psalme Keteb and Deber are the names of certaine euill spirites which poyson the ayre with pestilent and venimous exhalations Of all the premises let vs conclude that wee must in this visitation of the Lorde principally lift vp our mindes aboue the secondarie causes Winter Sommer colde heate drought moisture all the elementarie qualities and fasten our eyes vpon the mightie hand of GOD who when and where it pleaseth him sendeth foorth his raunging hunter this olde Dragon these venimous Aspes and bloodie Lyons Sathan and his wicked spirites against vs as in the warres and famine so likewise in the pestilence the Scriptures speake often that the wicked spirites flye about and doe many euils as Iob 1. 7. 2. 2. 1. King 22. 22. Matth. 12. Luke 8. 31. Ro. 16. 20. 2. Cor. 12. 8. Ephe. 2. 2. 6. 11. 1. Pet. 5. 8. 9. But how agrees these Scriptures with Saint Peter◅ words 2. Pet. 2. 45. wee read that the Angels which sinned were cast downe into hel and deliuered into chaines of darkenesse to bee kept vnto damnation so Iude verse 6. They are reserued in
you would also be as vigilant striue with strong hand to remoue the spiritual causes of the same I meanâ—… that you should pare away all the rotten proud sinnes of this citie which are corrigible by good lawes as much as in you lieth with the sword of instice â—…our will is good and hath beene I heare for manye yeares for to cast downe the diuellish theaters the nurceries of whoredome and uncleannesse they are Cupids and Venus temples they are Bacchus and Sathans pallaces they corrupt the youth of your citie intollerably all eies can see and all chast eares can witnes some of the maisters of these euil artes when the Lord had humbled them by some great terrors were driuen to confesse the same in extreame passions and pangs of death In all ages God and his Church hath euer abhorred these wicked abbominations let one man speake for all Tertul shewing how Gods people differed from the Pagans in his sweet apologie for the Church against the gentils he saith Nihil est nobis dictu visu audâ—… cum impudicitia theatri We cannot abidâ—… to speake to see or heare anie thing of the shamelesse and vnchast wantonnesse oâ—… your theaters They replied vpon you in tâ—… citie often as elsewhere with authoritie and 〈◊〉 censes â—…euer allowed by the almightie Tâ—… idle drones greatly prophaned as in all the laâ—… so specially in this citie the Lords Saboth and carried away great flockes or heards rather of blinde people from the holy worship of Almightie God But our gratious King seeing the greatnes of this impietie hath alreadie by Edict reformed this euill The Lord will not be vnmindfull of him for being thus mindfull of his holy Saboths Lord open thou his eyes to see the manifolde impieties that as yet remaine in Church and Common-wealth and giuc him a wise heart to reforme thy sanctuarie according to the diuine rule thy most holy word As for naturall preseruatiues the learned Phisitions can best direct you Yet giue me leaue onely to put your Honor and Worships in mind of such helpes as some of the learned haue greatly commended and many godly wise men haue of ten wished for the benefite of this citie The first thing to bee desired is that God would stirre vp your hearts and others to prouide more new burials for the citie where the dead might better rest from the liuing and the liuing better auoyd the contagion of the dead The second thing to be wished is that many houses were prouided as in elder times for the contagious leprosie and many cities in other countries and kingdomes haue at this day where the sicke of infected houses if they desired more libertie might haue more freedome of aire and benefit of the place for diet keeping c. For such as be pind vp in their owne houses in the citie as birdes in their cages are often greatly plagued the rich with want of ayre the poore with famine The last thing is this that the sicke be committed to the custody cure of such selected chosen men mercifull men men fearing God men of iudgement and knowledge meete to minister helpes both corporall and spirituall to ease the grieuances of Gods people both for their soules and bodies and that such be well prouided for and encouraged with a most competent and sufficient salarie The Lord guide your hearts and spirits by his almightie spirit and graunt you such spirituall courage wisedome and iudgement as that ye may faithfully execute the Lords iudgements in this Honorable Citie to the glory of God the good of his Church and the euerlasting comfort of your owne soules through Iesus Christ. Anno. 1603. Your H. and W. to commaund and to vse in the Lord Henry Holland THE EPISTLE TO the Reader WE may well say good Reader of the men of this age as Christ his Prophet spake of the people of their times their eyes are shut and see not their eares are heauie and heare not their hearts are fat and feele not Ignorant people swarmâ—… in all places hauing eyes and cannot see how the Lords iudgements are threatned and otherwhiles most iustly fall vpon them They stop their eares from the Gospell they can at no hand be charmed to any sincere obedience to it such effeminate delicate and itching eares as will not heare the charmer charm he neuer so wisely Their harts are fat they cannot vnderstand how leaue their soules are how emptie of all good graces how stuffed farced full of rotten vnsauerie sinnes in towne country What ignorance and blindnesse what insidelitie and prophanenesse what pride idlenesse what gluttony and drunkennesse what whoredome vncleannes what deceit and lying what blasphemies and all cursed speaking what riot and all maner of excesse do raigne in most places For these sinnes the like many iudgements are fallen and we haue yet escaped them The Lords hand striueth to chasten vs not to coÌ„sume vs miserable people caÌ„hear wheÌ„ their bellies speak but caÌ„not heare wheÌ„ God doth speak Your sinnes cause the pestilence the pestilence in time wil breed famin great wants and penurie among you The Lord giue you eyes to see eares to heare and hearts to vnderstand Make hast to reform your selues first then to your families Teach correct your vnruly seruants keepe them froÌ„ theaters and other abhominatioÌ„s bring them to sermons more carefully teach and correct your children for lying swearing blasphemies Teach al your family the holy grounds of religion the feare of the Lord for so ye are bound to do if ye doubt of this aske the Lord and he shall tell you But alasse most of you miserable people neither can teach nor will learne any good Nay it is to be feared you teach your wiues children and seruants all the euill you see heare know euery where practised in the world They learn of you to sweare horribly their wicked mouthes are full of othes they learne of you to walke inordinately for their liues are vngodly prophane Families are the fountains of al commoÌ„-weals purge the fountaines and the streames shall be clean Wherfore I warn such as fear the Lord loue Gods people regard their owne welfare in this life euerlasting saluation in that which is to come teach instruct correct by all good meanes reform your families for assuredly our sinnes call for many iudgements from the Lord vpon vs. Purge your families I say of vnclean persons as did Dauid Iacob not sparing euen your owne children in their disobedience riotous and luxurious life And humble your selues in this and the like calamity in abstinence and praier For so haue the people of god euer done in sundry afflictions when they sought for any great blessings for theÌ„selues or for the church of God Hest. 4. 16. Nehem. 1. 4. Act. 10 30. And so did Dauid his good people in the pestilence they rested not crying vnto
Pestilence 3. To what ende the Lorde thus smiteth his owne people in the Church with the Pestilence and what vse we are to make of this and of all kindes of afflictions To come then to the Booke of God first let vs learne I say wherefore the Lord hath sent in all ages this destroyer into the world And next we will in like manner consider of the instruments and meanes whereby the Lorde poysoneth the Elements and so smiteth man with the Pestilence And lastly to what ende hee thus proceeds in execution of his feareful iudgements The causes which moue the Lorde to persecute the worlde vniuersally with the Pestilence are the intollerable sinnes of men and in the Church these speciall impieties and wickednesses which followe as motiues and causes of this euill are offered vnto our wise and godly consideration First I sinde that ignorance contempt and negligēce in the pure worship of God causeth the Lord to smite vs with the Pestilence Moses saith to Pharaoh Exod. 5. 3. Let vs goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God Then hee addeth this reason Least he bring vpon vs the Pestilence or sword Contrarily to the true worshipper it is said The Lord shall blesse thy bread and thy water and I will take away all sicknesse from the midst of thee A second cause is infidelitie and rebellion against the word and the holy ministrie of the same Thus saith the Lord Num. 14. 11. 12. How long will this people prouoke me◅ How long will it be ere they beleeue me Here is the cause I will smite them with the Pestilence Here is the effect A third cause is this to trust to the creatures in extremities and not in the Lorde as to men and armour in times of warre this was Dauids sinne for it is said Sathan stood vp against Israel and prouoked Dauid to number Israel 1. Chron. Chap. 21. verse 1. Here is the cause So the Lord sent a Pestilence and there feli of Israel seuentie thousand men verse 14. Here is the effect Contrary vnto this sinne is the patient resting of the faithful vpō god in aducisities to whom it is said Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shall abide in the shadow of the Almightie A fourth cause wee finde is spirituall and corporall whoredome and all superstition whatsoeuer of this cause Moses writeth Num. 25. and Dauid Psalme 106. 28. 29 They ioyned themselues vnto Baal-peor and did eate the offerings of the dead thus they prouoked God to anger with their owne inuentions thus farre the cause the effect And the Plague breake in vpon them A fifth cause is blasphemie and all the prophanation of the most great and glorious name of God and the want of a due feare and reuerence in his worship according to his name power and maiestie If thou wilt not feare this glorious and fearefull name of the Lord thy God Here is the cause want of reuerence of God and all that is contrary to this feare all prophanation of this great name of God the effect followeth Then will I make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore diseases and of long durance all the diseases of Egypt e◅ery plague c. A sixt cause is the gracelesse contempt of the holy word and of the messengers and Ministers of the same Thus saith Ieremie to the Iewes in Ierusalem which would not be taught by Gods word and despised the Prophets of God chap. 29. 18. I will persecute them with the sword with the famine and with the Pestilence Here is the effect first the cause followeth because they haue not heard I. obeyed my word saith the Lord which I sent vnto them by my seruants the Prophets c. In the seuenth place all the sins of Sodome pride fulnes of bread want of mercy idlenes c. may be numbred These caused the famine warres and pestilence in Zedekiahs miserable kingdome Ezech. 16. 46. 47. and Iere. 29. 17. 18 And the eight cause is the affliction grieuance of Gods people Tyre and Sidon they shal be smitten from the Lord with the pestilence saith Ezechiel for afflicting Gods people I will send her pestilence and blood into her streetes the cause is added they shall be no more a pricking thorne vnto the house of Israel nor a grieuous thorne Eusebius speaking of the famine warres and pestilence in the East parts vnder Maximinius and at the same time in Rome and West parts vnder Maxentius he sheweth the cause in these wordes Quis autem sicausam tantorum malorum inquirat persecutionem aduersus nos motam causae loco assignare dubitauerit c. Who shall doubt to affirme that the persecution or affliction of Gods Church and people was the cause of all the euils that fell vpon the world vnder those two Tyrants for tenne yeares space for when they gaue libertie to the Christians their plague ceased To the same purpose he writeth againe in the same story shewing how all the calamities which came vpon the world they are sent from God for the affliction of his people Let the ninth cause bee the abuse of the holy Sacraments as in generall of all diseases so no doubt one especiall of the pestilence Thus the Apostle speaketh For this cause meaning the abuse of his Sacrament first many are weake secondly many are sicke thirdly many are asleepe i. dead already I. Cor. 11. 30. This also is a generall impietie which hath ouer-spread Citie Towne and Countrey for Saboths and Sacraments be exceedingly prophaned by reason of the blinde ministrie of the land Christ is not preached his diuine mystries be not opened to the people The precious and the vile are alike accepted to the Lordes Table The idolater and blasphemer the murderer and bloody man the adulterer and whoremonger the vsurer and oppressor are thought worthy men to sit and feast with Iesus Chaist The tenth cause the Lorde Iesus saith the Pestilence is one of the messengrs of his comming These messengers some of them are long before Luke 21. verse 12. as persecution for the Gospell Before all these they shall lay hands on you c. Some not long before as famine warres Pestilence earthquakes c. verse 9. But after these the ende followeth not by and by some shall be euen in his comming verse 26 the powers of heauen to be shaken the Sun to be darkned the Moone to loose her light the starres to fall the whole frame of heauen to passe away with a noise 2. Peter 3. 10. the element◅ and the whole earth to consume away with heat and lastly the great signe of the sonne of man shall appeare The Plague then in these times is the sword of reuenge drawne foorth against all nations when the Lorde sendeth it for the contempt of the Gospell of
Iesus Christ and to proclaime vnto men that if the execution of this iudgement cannot preuaile against their securitie the Lord himselfe commeth speedily to the generall iudgement to sweepe away all sinners from the face of the earth and to cast them into a place of torments where they shall haue plagues farre exceeding the plagues of Egypt not only in body but also in minde not for a day or two but for euer They shall haue plagues without end The eleuenth cause If any yet would know wherefore the Lord sweepeth away so many thousands in the world among Pagans with this beesome of destruction let him take a veiwe of the plagues of Egypt most terrible and dreadfull for besides the reuenge of his people the Lord mentioneth often another cause namely the manifestation of his power and might which he will haue knowne as by his mercies among his people so by his fearefull iudgements vpon his enemies Exod. 7. 4. and 5. By great iudgements the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord Chap. 9. 14. I will at this time send all my plagues vpon thine heart and vpon thy seruants and vpon thy people that thou maiest know that there is none like me in all the earth The twelfth and last cause may bee this againe in the Church among Gods people the reuenge of the couenant of the Lord for where the Lordes Lieutenants and keepers of his couenant the magistrates are slow to draw forth the sword of iustice there the Lord telleth vs he will draw forth his owne swords of famine warres and pestilence Leuit. 26. 14. 15. If ye will not obey me nor doe all these commandements and if yee shall despise mine ordinances either if your soule abhor my lawes so that ye will not do all my commandements but breake my couenant c. verse 25. I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant When you are gathered in your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you Deut 28 15. If thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God to keepe and doe all his commandements c. verse 21. The Lord shall make the p◅stilence cleaue vnto thee vntill he hath consumed thee the Lord shall smite thee with a consump◅on and with the feauer with a burning ague c. verse 27. the Lorde will smite thee with the hotch of Egypt with the ◅rods and with the scab and with the ◅ch that thou canst not be healed Now then condering the premises may not we heere out of the Lords booke more certainly declare the causes of the pestilence than the learned Pl◅an can doe and let vs not now thinke it strange that the Lord so smites vs in a short and light plague but rather let vs admire and extoll his mercies with all the praises we can for considering the grosse ignorance the great Atheisme the beastly epicurisme the prophane blasphemies the wicked periuries all the intollerable prophanations of Gods holy name the abuse of the Lordes Sabbothes the great contempt of Gods holy Ministerie word and Sacraments vncleannes adulteries incest fraud deceite vsuries and all manner of oppressions with infinite more sinnes amongst vs is it not a most admirable and miraculous mercy that wee bee not continually consumed with all the iudgements of the Almightie within these few yeares the Lord first began with a famine which sinote al the parts of the whole land not long after he made vs al to tremble with the sight of a most bloody Nation which came to deuoure vs now in the last place he hath called vs by Pestilence to a sin◅ere obedience vnto his Gospell The first iudgement was soone forgotten◅ the second hath giuen vs no instruction The Lorde grant this third and last of the Pestilence may open the eyes of his people Great plagues and iudgements argue great sinnes assuredly and great sinnes call for great iudgements I conclude this question with the wise mans golden sentence Though a sinner do euill an hundred times and God prolonge his daies yet I know that it shall be well with them that feare the Lord and doe reuerence before him but it shall not bee well to the wicked he shall be like a shadow because he feareth not before him THE 3. LECTVRE Verse 5. 6. Verse 5. Thou shalt not bee affraide of the feare of the night nor of the arrow that flyeth by day Verse 6. I meane the Pestilence that walketh in the darkenesse and of the Plague that destroyeth at noone-day TO passe ouer the allegories of which some are not vnprofitably nor vnfitly here vnderstood by diuers of the learned Interpreters I thinke it sufficient to commend vnto Gods people that sense only which the scope of the whole Psalm◅ leadeth me vnto I vnderstand here therfore in all these sweet promises by all these metaphors and borrowed speeches that great euill which the Prophet before verse 3. in naturall and proper tearmes hath called Deber hauoth The grieuous Pestilence or the pestilence of griefes that is most grieuous In the fift verse The Pestilence hath two fit names 1. The terror of the the night a metonymie of the effect for the cause because this sicknesse breeds many terrors feares in the night 1. Because the night is a sollitary time and solitarinesse doth encrease feares 2. Because of the darkenesse of the time for as all light brings comfort and boldnes so all darknes workes feare and discouragement in the sound much more in the weak and now most of all when a man is readie to walk into the valley of the shadow of death where is wont to be alwaies some agonies and great causes of feare Psal. 23. 3. 4. 3 The night breedes fearefull dreames which in time of the Pestilence increase terrors Iob in his affliction crieth out because hee is terrified with the visions of the night When I say my couch shall relieue mee my bed shall bring comfort in my meditation then fearest thou with dreames and astonishedst me with visions my soule choseth rather to be strangled and to die then to be in my bones When the Lord mindeth to amaze his enemies with any terrors hee powreth his iudgements vpon them in the night season when hee would shake all Egypt hee slew one euen the first borne in euery house in Egypt at mid-night and it caused a dreadfull crying and lamentation throughout the whole land Exod. 12. 29. 30. 33. It was the night time whē the Lord slew 185000. in Senacharibs campe that so he might beat downe the great insolencie of that proude enemie of his people First the Pestilence is called the arrow that flyeth by day So Dauid called it Psal. 38. For that it comes inuisibly if mē be not wel sighted they cā hardly discerne how it flies Secondly for that it comes swiftly a man can hardly auoid it Thirdly because it strikes suddenly as an arrow doth when men thinke
bound by the lawes of christian and godlie pollicie in euerie common wealth to attend vpon their calling function and place in their owne citie 5 Lastly the Pastors and elders as here Iames speaketh may not depart for how then shall the sicke be visited and comforted which thing seemeth here to be commaunded commended by the holie Apostle vnto them The second sort make many obiectioÌ„s which may be thus answered First they say Gods decree is vnchangeable Frgo it is in vain to depart or to goe anie thing aside for no maÌ„ can escape his decree and so death when he sends it This argument is not good for Gods decree doth not take away ordinarie and lawfull meanes to saue life no not When a man hath receiued an answere from God to prolong his life as in S. Paule who was told of the Lord he should goe to Rome and yet the Apostle neglecteth no means of Gods prouidence to bring him thither Act. 27. 143. Againe they say Such as flie from death loue not God for death is the way to him Yet againe looke on Paules example he greatlie desired to be with Christ. Phil. 1. 21. 24. And yet for his brethrens sake Rom. 9. 3. and Gods glorie he would not giue vp his life to the enemies handes when they thirsted so much for his bloud act 25 11. And he giueth God great thankes for his deliuerence 2. Cor. 1. 5. 11. They say the pestilence is an especiall messenger sent from God and therefore we must quietlie abide it So warres and famin And yet Abraham Isaac and Iacob flee and depart to those places where they might best be relieued They say we haue no christian example for this departure This is no good argument Is it not apparant in holy scripture what euery one hath done and wee know that in many things the generall rules of doctrine are sufficient to determine those things whereof wee haue no commaundement nor any paricular example They say Dauid sled not the plague That was a short time and whither should he flee seeing that pestilence was spread all ouer the land 2. Sam. 24. The christians in Alexandria being amoÌ„g the heathens without all difference or respect of persons time or place did persorme all duties ofhumanitie and charitie in visiting and comforting the liuing and burying the dead Pagans ergo much more should we do this among the Christians I answere such Christian constanciâ—… and mercifull humanitie is to be praysed and followed so that a generall rule be not made of it For Euseâ—…us doth not say that euery one did so but that very many of the Cristians did so An admonitioÌ„ concerning the vse of phisicke and all naturall helpes which the Lord may blesse for our good as in other maladies so in the pestilence SAint Iames addeth that after the former spiritual comforts the Elders of his time did annoint the sick with oile in the name of the Lord euen as our Sauiour had before appointed and his Disciples practised in their miraculous cures This gift of healing the Apostle speaketh of 1. Cor. 12. 30. shewing it to be a peculiar gift are all doers of myracles haue all the giftes of healing And it ceased in the Church when the Gospell was sufficiently confirmed with myracles euen anon after the Apostles Prophets and Euangelists had finished and ended their worke and when their time was expired Now then the gist ceasing it is madnesse to retaine still the signe which went with the gift that is this annointing or anciling and more madnesse to make a Sacrament of it as Antichrist hath done and most extreme madnes to giue it vnto them onelic which are a dying which was wont to be giuen to such as did recouer health againe Wherefore as the holie visitors then did first vse their spirituall exercise which is left for vs to practise and next this extraordinarie gist and meanes of healing so let vs carefully and wisely heere call sor in the second place the learned phisition the comsortable and ordinary meanes which God hath lest vnto vs in nature as long as the worlde endureth This order that holie writer the godly Preacher commendeth vnto vs in these wordes My sonne faile not in thy sicknesse but pray vnto the Lord and â—…e will maâ—…e thee whole leaue off from sinne and order 〈◊〉 hands aright c. and cleanse thine heart from all wickednesse c. Then giue place to the Phisition for the Lord hath created him let him not go from thee for thou hast neede of him the houre may come that their enterprises may haue good successe for he also shall pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which is giuen for the prolonging of life Whereas some obiect that in the pestilence naturall remedies of phisicke cannot benefite vs because the causes here cannot be found or seene in nature I answere with M. B. If there come into the pestilence no naturall causes then these whome the plague hath infected cannot doubtlesse so much as be eased much lesse be healed by naturall remedies But this secoÌ„d to be very false experience common sense do daily tell vs. Wherefore I affirme that naturall remedies must not be neglected Againe whereas others doe obiect that phisicke heere often is seene to haue but small good successe I answere that we must not say of naturall preseruatiues that because they doâ—… not benefite one or two or three therefore they cannot helpe any at all It is a badde conclusion for consider that God doth gouerne naturall causes and their effects as it pleaseth him and blesseth them to whom hee will where and when he will And hence it commeth that the infection toucheth not euerie one that is in daunger of it neither is it deadly to euerie one that is infected Others yet more fondly dispute against naturall remedies in this sicknesse and they saie that God hath here a more speciall prouidence and he will smite whom he will to death and therefore all remedies are to small purpose These men againe want iudgement I answere that the Lord no doubt when he sent a famine into Egypt and the regions there-about he determined who should die in that scarcitie yet for all this ceaseth not Ioseph with most wise counsell to prouide for the Egyptians and Iacob for his familie The like did Paul in the sea with the Marriners when hee had receiued an answere hee should come to Rome safely as is before shewed And Christ knew his time and yet he went aside often from the enemies hand till his houre came vsing the ordinarie meanes for his preseruation And that no man may stand stifly in his owne rash iudgement Quid Temeritate fortius saith Tullie What so foole hardie or so violent as rash and hastie spirits Heare what that learned Father of blessed memorie Maister Luther saith of this matter in his Treatise of the pestilence