Enemies hands and that he refuseth because the Churches aduersarie would insult without all mercy The other two should be a Fall into God his hands and that he chooseth because his mercies were great And of these two Famine and Pestilentiall death he chooseth the latter why Some thinke because himselfe might be relieued of Famine and so not die and he coueting to die with the people would therefore choose the pestilence which would as well seize vpon him This is somewhat but I see it not in this scripture After he had seene a fearfull fall of the people he coueted Gods hand to be turned against him but that he was of such mind before that Fall it should not seeme first because his heart before Gad the prophet came to him was smitten with the sight of his sinne whereupon he repented secondly because in his option of the pestilence he expreslie expected some great mercie in the midst of iudgement But the direct cause of electing this Plague was I doubt not diuided at least into these two respects the first ayming at the easinesse of death for to die of famine is a more lingring torturing death And herein appeared Dauids Charitie The second ayming at the Churches enriching with necessaries alreadie possessed for famine would haue deuoured vp all her maintenance And herein was both loue and policie Dauid being a Prophet he could not haue fewer godlie respects in his option Of all these three plagues Sword Famine and Pestilence I conclude the last to bring with it the most mercie If the Aduersaries sword destroy ô the mockings proud insultings filthie prostitutions cruell oppressions accompanying that sword The sword of Romish Babilonians was prest to haue beene drawen within and without vs. How great was the Lords mercie to shut that vp in the scaberd Famine was threatned vpon the death of our late soueraigne Elizabeth for the Rascalitie of our land hoped as Drone-bees to haue spoiled our Hyues as an vnsatiable Hell or graue to swallow vp all How mercifull was God vnto vs that with a crosse-wynd did rather take them vnto Tyburne or consume them in warres without vs Yea how was his mercie great vnto vs in putting farre from vs both the former plagues and in smiting to smite vs with this pestilence that so falling we fall before his hand that is a mercifull Father in the midst of iudgement remembring mercie leauing vs not to lingring deaths whereby we might be more pained and giuing that we haue possessed to his Church whereof we haue bene members Yea where in three dayes the Lords Angell did smite to death 70. thousands of Dauids people loe his great mercie to vs ward he hath not so smitten yet one thousand in full three dayes O that the liuing would lay it to heart and praise God for his mercies SECTION VI. GOd of necessitie being to punish vs and then in stead of sharp rods to smite vs with the pestilence and in the pestilence to destroie so leisurely it should teach vs King Priest and People to be humbled vnder his hand in the free confession of our sinnes admiring his lenitie and fatherlie kindnes God giue vs grace speedily to be humbled And the Lords mercies to vs should force vs to be more mercifull one to another It should teach Magistrate and Minister with Dauid to bide by their charge and to intreat mercie for the sheepe of his pasture till the Angell put vp his viall of pestilence To augment our spirituall deuotions in the openest places as did Dauid who built an alter in Araunahs threshing floore on mount Moriah the place chosen of God for putting his name there whereon after the Temple was builded Yea to put our sacrifices betweene the plague and the Church as Dauid did betweene the falne of Israel and Ierusalem that so the plague may not creepe any further Yea the mercie of God to vs should teach vs all to be helping one to an other not to please our selues in all things to lay downe our liues for the brethren liuing and dying in good workes to the sicke and needie The ninetie-nine are to be left that stand not in such need and the sheepe that is readie to perish we ought to seeke vp Happie is the soule who when his maister commeth is found so working and thrise happie is the soule that hath the body cut downe in such a worke of mercie True it is that for certaine bodily vncleannesses and maladies people vnder the lawe of Moses were to be seuered from the Church more or lesse and yet now no commaundement vnto vs why For that they were a part of the Ceremonial law This may appeare first from the rites secondly from their significations In certaine vncleannesses they were to wash themselues with water and then not before to be held cleane for company For the Leprosie it was censured onely by the Ecclesiasticall Minister and this hee did not till hee sawe it and sometimes not till he had made some fourteene dayes triall and speciall rules he had for the triall Who will say that these rites were not ceremoniall and abolished besides that the Priest had no feare of the leprous-plague during all the time of his probation For their signification it respected the degrees of excōmunication for Soules vncleanenesse Which not only appeareth by many speeches in the new Testamēt alluding to such vncleannesses but also for that the new Testaments church hath power only to excōmunicate for defects in the soule as the auntient Synagogue did for wants in the body These then that will maintaine their flight from the Leuitical lawe do in their fact pronounce all they flie from to be Excommunicate yea with the black Kerem or Maranatha to be excommunicate to the death for not louing the Lord Iesus for to them such a censure only belongeth 1. Cor. 16. 22. Thus such Fleers are left of God to belie scripture and to abuse their brethren which is a worse plague then that they flie from◠If they meet now with the Pest in the country let them tel me if so they can die with such peace of conscience as if they died in the city performing workes of mercie to the sick and needie But if they feast and reioyce in the country while the yron enters Iosephs soule in the Citie let them know that God may serue in the last dish sauced with his vengeance We haue sinned together and the hand of God hath come vpon vs togither let vs therefore humble our selues togither before the Lord in fasting and prayer Let Nehemiah and Daniel Magistrate and Minister confesse their sinnes the sinnes of their people and let all the people subscribe saying Amen It is not change of place but change of life that must healp vs. Lord for thy son sake remit all our offences giue vs grace to turne vnto thee with all truth of repentance and for thy holy names sake remoue this same deserued
imply a plague or stripe lesse piercing and killing The stroke of God it is for sinne And smiteth he with his owne finger immediately or mediately as by the hand of an other The secret things belong vnto the Lord nor will I meddle with what hee doth beyond the words reuelation In Leuiticus 26. and Deut. 28. hee threatneth varietie of plagues for sin but concealeth the particular meanes which hee will vse for accomplishing that word In other places we read of his Angell smiting people til the Lord did stay but that euer he made Corruption his messenger I read not and yet I doubt not but God may haue vsed corruption in the ministry of his Angell for correcting or confounding the corrupt creature But why in such discourse hath the spirit of God still mentioned only God for Agent and the Angell for Instrument Because we should in such cases looke first to God as he that is all in all secondly to the ministrie of his Angels who are appointed to preserue such from the plague as commit themselues in their wayes to the protection of God all sufficient A doctrine full opposite to our practise who cast our eye more to acryall corruption then vnto God and his Angell smiting Addition Expos. Apologet. to the second Sestion THe word plague Séeing there can be no true dispute where the thing to be disputed vpon is vncertainlie or doubtfully vnderstoode I therefore in the second Section haue laboured to cleare what the Plague may be Plague and so Pestilence is a word of large vse but in this dispute applied to a certaine disease extraordinarily mortall and deadly yea a disease now amongst vs confessed by our Physitians to excéed the compasse and reache of all their naturall reason and reading No maruell séeing that which is primordiall and principall in it is spirituall and inuisible What that is the Diuine Scriptures do teach when not only they shewe that Sinne is the prouoking cause and specially sinne vniversall but also do shewe that it is a stroke inflicted from without and that by the ministrie of an Angell appointed so by Iehouahs expresse word for which the Hebrewes do vse the very same letters Deber for word and Pestilence And herevpon it is that the Hebrues turne the word Deber by Logos in Psal. 91. so well as in other places which in English is word or speech for as Gentils without God could not reach hier thē nature herein so the Hebrues to whom the liuely Oracles were commited did passe by that as being but the effect and looked as we ought to God be his Angell smiting Nor is it for other cause that the Holy Ghost tells vs of Aaron Dauids intercéeding by praier in Nom. 16. and 2. Sam. 24. and not of any corporall flight or naturall courses The Gréeke translation in Psal. 91. 3 doth read for these our words From the noysome Pestilence these words Apologóu tarachodous which valueth this From the word that be-muddeth from whence I gather first the Angell smiting according to the Lords word gone out secondly an effect in the bodie so smitten and that is the blood and powres commoued and bemudded like as a poole smitten with some instrument of waight shoulde haue the myre and mudde therevpon raised to the troubling of all Originall sinne hath conueyed into our humane nature corruption as mudde this is in vs as setled vntill the Angell smite and loe therevpon all the bodie is out of order Because we should not créepe on the earth herein with Galen Hippocrates and such we haue not onely the scriptures to teach vs the former Super-naturall stroke but also diuerse so smitten haue felt and heard the noyse of a blow and some of them haue vpon such a blow found the plain print of a blew hand left behind vpon the flesh At the funerals of sundrie such I my selfe this sicknes time haue preached Such a stroke was to put vs in mind of Iehouahs Angell smiting and such a blewnes may put vs in minde of the muddie corruption in our humane nature The Angels stroke so is the Cause the plague-sores and marks arising and appearing are the effect The first not infectious and therefore the Angell in Egipt went from house to house in Egipt and from Dan to Bersheba and Ierusalem in Iudea with his sword drawne The second is infectious sometimes more or lesse The first absolutely mortall and deadly as Hezekiah was told and therefore such regaining health and life haue new daies added as Hezekiah had yeares The second is not absolutely deadly because but naturall in the forme of deriuall as it befalleth in other corrupt cases SECTION III. SInne being the cause for which he smiteth a people with Pestilence sinne poisoning earth ayre and all some will demaund if so it cannot be preuented or cured with change of place and vse of Physicke By changing place they thinke they may because it is written A prudent man seeth the plague and hideth himselfe And by physicke they suppose they may because that sundry of their knowledge haue so escaped For the diuine prouerbe they abuse it two waies Once in vnderstading the word Plague for Pestilence Though euery pestilence be a plague yet euery plague is not a pestilence Nor doth the originall word properly signifie the one or the other It is Ragnah valuing the Latine Malum in English Euill as in an other forme it is aptly turned into Prou. 14. 16. For the Translator howsoeuer hee leaue the proper signification of the word hee yet speaketh to good purpose seeing the holy Ghost there speaketh of such an euill in the citie as the Lord doth that is of such a punishment as the Lord inflicteth called an euill of mankinde though properly a correction or punishment of euill And secondly such Excepters abuse the Prouerbe in saying they may flye from the place with the prudent man Salomon saith not that such a one flyeth but that he hideth himselfe A man may couer or hyde himselfe without flying If thou say that a man cannot hide himselfe from the plague I say likewise that thou cannot any more flye from the plague Goe where thou wilt and his right hand shal finde thee out If thou wert with Ionas first vnder the hatches and after with the Whale in the bottome of the Sea he will finde thee out The wings of the morning cannot carrie thee beyond his reach What is this hiding or couering thy selfe then It is no couer corporeall but spirituall euen the same that is spoken of in Psal. 61. 4. where safetie is assured to him that coucheth vnder the Lords winges The prudent hearted seeth a plague or iudgement comming towards a people for sinne what doth he then Hee commits himselfe in his Christian way to the protection of the Almightie who hath promised to be a shield to such as put their trust in him that such a one shall not need to feare that pestilence
that walketh in darknesse nor the plague that destroyeth at noone-day For walking in his way that is in the way God hath called him vnto and leaning vpon the Lords promise what neede is there of locall flight or couer Secondly for their phisicall experience I thereto make this answere Sinne being the cause of the maladie as also of euery maladie it is for none to make physick their staffe nor yet their first meane lest they sinne the sinne of Asa much lesse seeke to Idol-wizards which was the sinne of Achaziah Besides they see many preserued in the midst of the plague who haue vsed no phisicall meanes what will they make the cause of their deliuerance No other thing but the diuine pleasure of God who hath forbid his Angell to smite them Is Phisicke then in this and all other plagues to be auoyded No as Hezekiah howsoeuer hauing promise of recouerie did meane time suffer a lumpe of drie figs to be applied to his boyle hauing in nature to heat mature and digest so we are not to neglect such naturall means as reason and experience haue found out to auaile against naturall infirmitie Deo non obstante the Lord not crossing nature Otherwise we shal be found teÌ„pters of God leauing our way rather then faithfull keepers of our way Reason of vsing naturall meanes where God barres them not vp is this Whether the ayre be infected without vs there neuer wanteth infection within vs which is readie to take an head against our heart if the Lord do not bridle it As God smiting vs with other maladies threatned in the lawe so wel as Pestilence doth not only say Let it be wherevpon the maladie growes but also hath that his word working vpon preiacent corruption effected by our sinne so hee looketh that his word be satisfied by humbling our selues in prayer and fasting and that naturall corruption haue the power preuented or destroyed by naturall means he â—ffording them To say I shall liue so long as God hath appointed though I neuer vse phisicke it is as good as this I shall liue so long as God hath appointed though I neuer eate nor drinke As meate and drinke is for the hungry so is phisicke for the diseased for to the necessitie of naturall phisicke our Sauiour alludeth when as for establishing his spirituall phisicke he saith They that are sicke need the Phisition God hath created the Word Prayer and Fasting for repelling and killing sinne the Materiall cause of Gods anger and he hath created phisicall creatures for preuenting and curing naturall corruption the materiall cause of our maladie and naturall sicknesse So both be the good creatures of God and both to be vsed to his glory The first for helping and healing our soule the second for helping and healing the body God sometimes blesseth the first without the second to shewe that he is not tyed to meanes And he sometimes blesseth the second without the first to shew that we ought not neglect the meanes But as we haue both sinfull soules and corrupt bodies so we should vse both for benefiting both Addition to the third Section IN the Pestilence there falling out a two-fold consideration as afore the first Supernaturall the second Naturall it so followeth that the supernaturall cause be salued by that which is spirituall the other by that which is naturall Hezekiah did both in Isa. 38. First he in all truth of spirit did humble himselfe in prayer and secondly did applie a lump of â—igges the second becomming effectuall when God in the first place had accepted of teares and mournings Our Naturians should neuer therefore promise or insinuate health and life by the second but by putting people in the minde that they must labour with God for satisfaction for the first That this is our Churches iudgement also let it be considered first in that the Magistrates and Ministers haue appointed publike and vniuersall fasting and prayer by way of humiliation before God for sinne secondly in that also they haue published naturall meanes in respect of naturall corruption How vntollerable wicked then haue they béene who priuatlie and in Gods most holy place haue giuen out that Clapham hath béene herein singular and odde by himselfe They be rather odde that vnderstand not themselues SECTION IIII. BVt seeing the Lord promiseth deliuerance from the plague to all such as rest vnder his wings and walke in his way it may be asked how comes it to passe that some Beleeuers die of the pestilence and some vnbeleeuers scape it I answere the Lords promise being euer fast to the Beleeuer for he is faithfull that hath promised there is in Beleeuers so dying a want of faith for apprehending this particular deliuerance this temporary mercy Though they haue not lacked faith for their eternall iustification finall saluation by vertue whereof their flesh resteth in hope of an happie resurrection and their spirit is gone in comfort to God that gaue it yet hath euerie one perishing on the pestilence bene found not to apprehend this particular promise To say that the psalme speaketh only of a spirituall plague and a spirituall promise is to conclude the same of Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. and of all the like places Then the which what can be more absurd vnder literall promises and mercies menacies and curses spirituall things are also entended but not onely The first shadoweth out and leadeth to the second And because still there is the same vse the outward euils so well as the second are still abiding When we haue receiued Christ by faith we haue promise of all things also promises of this world of the world to come But when by faith we haue apprehended the greater loe we are often found to doubt of the lesser In not doubting of the eternall we should not doubt of the temporarie But doubting of the lesser and loosing it by doubting we see what we should do in the greater if God should leaue vs to our owne standing That manie wicked escape in midst of strongest pestilence first it is not because they haue any promise but because it pleaseth God both to them and vs to be in manie things manie times better then his promise teaching them and vs therein how good he would be to vs in all things walking in his way and vndoubting the promise Secondly the wicked so escaping are ordinarily such as haue walked boldly through the sicknes bragging of their faith in God touching deliuerance from pestilence shewing plainly that they had a faith in God for apprehending promise of deliuerance Though they haue not had faith for apprehending things spirituall and eternall yet for laying hold on this particular temporarie And such a faith is ordinarily countenanced with such a mercie as that temporary repentance of Ahab Manasses and Niniuets was graced with particular flitting mercies God teaching such therein how much more he would draw neare vnto them in all goodnes if so they had