neither can our faith receiue him by any other meanes So then such as seek◅ him without his word shall neuer find him to their comfort Psal. 119. 114. 2. Question Wherefore the Lord smiteth his people with the Pestilence THE Bookes of God giue the Pestilence many names some proper some borrowed and metaphoricall which may helpe vs with some light to discerne the causes of this terrible destroyer of mankinde First the most sit and significant name in all the Scriptures is giuen it in the third verse of this Psalme Deber hauoth a a plague of sorrowes or a plague of griefes and torments for that it is both most noysome and painefull as our experience teacheth vs. The same word is vsed Exod. 5. 3. where it signifieth in like manner the Pestilence But Exod. 9. 3. the murraine which fell vpon the beastes of Egypt Because the murraine and the pestilence destroy both man and beast alike Secondly it is tropically called The hand of the Lord. 2. Sam. 24. 14. Iad Iehouah Because the Lordes power and might more appeares is more manifested in this great euill than in any other I thinke it not fabulous what I haue heard some report that they haue seene as it were the print of a hand vpon the armes and other parts of the body of sundry smitten with the pestilence Thirdly the Pestilence in this Psalme hath sundry names Pachadlaiilah the feare of the night from the effect for that it causeth many seares in the night So Dauid Psalme 38. 2. b Chets an arrow flying by day because it strikes suddenly it is swift and deadly 3 Verse 6. a Destroyer againe walking in darke places no light can helpe vs to discerne this contagion this euil spreds it selfe so closely and so darkly 4. Verse 6. Kereb which word signifieth againe destruction or ruine or as some say the biting of a wicked spirit ve 10. 5. Negang a plague a scourge a whip because it is the Lordes great scourge for the correction of his people 6. It is named also 2 Sam. 24 21. 25. Magephah which signifieth great smiting and grieuous beating of Nagaph to smite and beate to death The holy Ghost in all his speeches concerning this sicknesse seemeth to desire to list vs vp aboue the secondarie causes to looke vpon the Lorde and to fixe and fasten all our sences vpon him Thus Dauid speaketh Let vs fall now into the handes of the Lord for his mercies are great And the Lord is said to send the Pestilence as it were a meslenger and executioner of his iustice And to meete vs with the pestilence Exodus 5. 3. And to smite with the pestilēce to plead against his enemies with the Pestilence and to persecute with the Pestilence Whersore when and whersoeuer we see this hand of God let vs remēber that the destroier is sent from God to smite vs for our good if we fly vnto his mercies for they be great as Dauid speaketh but for our iust confusion if we abide still in our sinnes and rest vpon the creatures for now we must list vp our selues to look on him which smiteth pleadeth and persecuteth vs for our sinnes most iustly as we haue deserued because wee would neuer acknowledge his hand power and might in his other ordinarie fatherly and gracious chastifements vpon vs. Now for the causes of the Pestilence the Phisitiōs who ought to guide vs in this argument here some sweate much and gaine little others either ouer-boldly flye vp to constellations or too negligently ascribe it to secret causes They all say that it is an infectious poison deadly enemie to the vitall spirits with all speed flying into the hart the castle of life but whence it commeth whereof it ariseth and wheresore it is sent in these causes they confesse their ignorance First they say it is not bred of any elementall qualitie cold hot drie moyst but doth proceed of some venimous pollution which is spred in the ayre Againe saith he These be the maladies I haue said often they haue some secret cause And whereas some deeme the scorching heate of Summer to be some cause of this euill he answereth first euery hot disease as the Plague is more dangerous and grieuous in hot times then in colde Secondly that it is knowne by obseruation that the hottest Summers haue bin without all manner of plagues and that sometimes it hath begun in Winter and ceased in Summer or Autumne Thirdly if any say that it is bred of rotten exhalations which abound in vnsauourie places of great cities he answereth that it is found likewise to pester the people also which inhabite the most sweete and sauourie regions that can be and in the most temperate season Againe he he saith Sunt pestilentiae semina vsque adeo occulta c. The first causes which breede the pestilence are so vnknowne so in◅isible and so strange to all our senses that we are altogether ignorant of them and they smite vs when we thinke not of them neither can they euer bee espied but by their effecies and euents Againe hee speaketh wittily of rotten and vnsauourie ayres Ea Epidemio◅ quosdam morbos inferre solet nunquam tamen sola pestilentes ad pestilentiam interdum confert incrementum addit at non illam excitare potest sed causae altioris hoc opus est The putrifaction of the ayre saith he which ariseth of vncleane streetes c. it may cause some of the common ordinary diseases among the people but this alone can neuer breede the Pestilence This giueth greater strength to the contagion and increaseth it but cannot beget this euill the Pestilence is an effect of some higher power Thus then wee see these learned Phisitions to confesse their ignorance in the causes of this most grieuous sicknesse The most they can say is that it is a poyson sent into the ayre which poysoneth and killeth men in a straunge manner and it is not to bee forgotten that this man sendeth vs aboue nature and secondarie causes vnto an higher power that is I thinke to speake with the Scripture to the mightie hand of God as we haue before shewed Where the Phisition faileth and cannot proceed to discouer the causes of straunge and incurable diseases it were no disgrace for the best of them to intreat the religious and learned Diuine to reach sorth his helping hand It were happie in Church and Commō-wealth if men were so linked together in hearts and affections for that Artes and Sciences liberall and common are so coniugated and tied together that they haue continuall reference one to an other and can neuer well want the helpe one of an other Now to returne to our purpose these three questions may here be considered 1. What moues Almightie God and our most mercifull Father to smite his people with the Pestilence 2. By what instruments he vseth to smite his people in the
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
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