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
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
his appearing 1. Cor. 1. 7. So continue in the Lord Phi. 4. 1. And be not weary in well doing 2. Thes 3. 13. And I am perswaded of this same thing that hee that hath begun this good worke in you will performe it Phil. 1. 6. Follow the zeale of Abraham in his prayer for Sodome the longer hee talked with God the more he gained And as Abraham although he had begun to speake once twise thrice vnto the Lord yet he continued Behold I haue begun to speake vnto my Lord and am but dust ashes let not my Lord bee angrie and I will speake againe So although yee haue begun to speake vnto the Lord for London that the fire might be quenched yee that may speake with Abraham we are but dust and ashes yet speake againe pray continually Rom. 12. For the Lord will not bee angrie as hee was not angrie with Abrahams instant request but as he gaue him a patient eare and a gracious answere Ver. 32. so the same God will heare our prayers It pleaseth the eares of his Maiestie to be long intreated he that hath twise and tentimes together ingeminated the riches of his mercie Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord is mercifull gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercy for thousands forgetting iniquitie and sinne what did he meane thereby but that twise and tentimes together we should crie for his mercie And as Abraham by his continuance and ingeminating prayer brought the Lord from fiftie to fortie fiue from fortie fiue to fortie from fortie to thirtie from thirtie to twentie and lastly from twentie to ten So continue and ingeminate your prayer endeuour by your continuance to diminish the number and to bring it from thirtie foure hundreth to thirtie from thirtie to two hundreth from twentie to ten from ten hundreth to ten persons and yet not then cease to speake vnto the Lords as Abraham did and what shall not your prayer obtaine I may speake vnto you that which Zedekias said to the Princes of his land The King can denie you nothing So the King of heauen will denie you nothing Zedekias spake it in a seruile and popular affection that hee bare to the Princes of his land but God speaketh it out of the aboundance and riches of his mercie And therefore O Lord let thy mercie triumph against iustice that both great and small the infant and dumbe beast may sing of thy louing kindnesse With this wish I will end beseeching brethren for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirit that ye would striue with vs by praiers to God Rom. 15. 13. Praying also for vs Col. 4. 3. Finally beloued fare yee well it is the Apostles farewell to the Corinthians bee of good comfort and of one minde The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the comming of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen Written at Springfield the 28. of September 1603. Your wel-wisher in the Lord Iames Godskal the yonger THE ARKE OF NOAH Collected out of the 18. Chapter of the Prouerbs verse 10. The name of the Lord is a strong tower the righteous runneth vnto it and is preserued Confirmed by the practise of King Dauid 1. Chron. Chap. 21. ver 17. and 26. And he called vpon the Lord and hee answered him by fire from heauen THe whole Colledge of the bodily Physitians and the prince of them that wise and learned Galen prescribe for the time of Plague that of all remedies to preuent the contagion the best is to flie and shunne the infected and corrupted ayre and to depart vnto a wholesome and purer ayre and that with these three rules Citò longè tradè Depart speedily farre off and returne slowly As this is physically prescribed so it is diligently practised as daily experience teacheth of all sorts of men yea of the Physitians themselues I will not contradict the prescription of the Physitian nor disprooue the diligence of the sonnes of men if they vse departure lawfully therein not sinning Contra patriam charitatem vecationem against their Countrey their calling and Christian charitie But because by the corruption of our nature we suffer our selues as with maine sayle to be carried away from the Creator to the creature fixing all our senses more vpon the aeriall corruption then vpon the inward cause of the contagion the rottennesse of our bones which we carrie within our selues and are more carefull to depart into the Countrey then vnto the Lord as if by the swiftnesse of our feete we could out-runne him who rideth vpon the wings of the Cherubims which causeth that the Lord hath a Pursiphant which hee sendeth to arrest some in the pure ayre namely the Plague it selfe which hath arrested some in the Countrey as the experience of this yeere sheweth vnto vs all verifying the threatning of the Lord Deut. 28. 22. This is the reason why the whole Colledge of the spirituall Physition of our soules haue prescribed for the time of Plague a better flight and departure then that which is prescribed by Galen and the rest namely to the name of Iehouah by the feete of prayer mentioned and storied by that wise Salomon in the words prefixed And as it is prescribed so it hath beene practised of the Saints of God among the rest of King Dauid in the time of Plague as the second place adioyning vnto the first doth witnesse Of this place then which is the right Arke and the little Zoar whereunto our first care ought to bee in the time of plague to depart and which is also the trustie friend and seruant to aide the sicke and the exercise for them that are departed to spend the time till they returne giue me leaue Christian Readers to discourse out of the harmonie of these two places here prefixed To pray well saith Chrysostome is an excellent art which doth adorne a Christian but it is not sufficient to know that we must pray but also in what manner and therefore that we might the better be instructed in the going to this place and become skilfull in this art I will braunch the description of this place into these three seuerall parts which will store vs with a cluster of singular meditations The first is the name of the place it is the name of the Lord. The second is the qualitie condition propertie and the safenesse of it expressed in two things First because it is a strong towre secondly by the successe of those that runne vnto it and is exalted or deliuered which is the thing which they receiue that run to it The third thing is what maner of persons they must be that flie to it and what househould stuffe they must carrie thither with them to be receiued noted in these words the rightious runneth vnto it As for the place let me obserue 〈◊〉 things For as in the time of plague for our departure first it is
recreate themselues in their sorrow and exile foode and necessaries for their bodies further by the riuer side or where there is good water lastly where they may also haue foode for their soules the word of God Preached This place of refuge the name of Iehouah is a pleasant and delectable place where canst thou better recreate thy selfe then by thy Father and brother Iesus Christ in this thy exile and miserie Comfortable is the bosome of the mother to the yong infant but more comfortable is the name of the Lord to the righteous which are called little babes by the Apostle Paul maketh mention in his voyage toward Rome of a certaine place which was called The faire hauens Act. 27. this place of refuge better deserueth this name let vs goe thither for it is a harbour and rode for those which are tossed in the sea and deluge of the Pestilence happie is the soule that landeth at these hauens If we desire water there is the fountaine of life Iere. 2. the water of grace Psal 51. If wee desire the word there is the word it self Iesus Christ Ioh. 1. the truth Ioh. 14. There is the best the first the ancientest Preacher God himselfe that preached in Paradise Thirdly in our choyse we seeke out a safe place whither we may goe without danger and where wee may abide safe and dwell without danger The name of Iehouah is a safe harbour the secret place and shadow of the most high Psal 91. 1. vnder whose wings we shal abide safe and harmelesse Three things prooue the safenes of this place First the name of the place it is A strong tâ—wre Prou. 18. 10. A secret place Psal 32. 7. A rocke and fortresse Psal 18. which is inuincible Such are not the fortresses of mortall men which they are constrained to render vp being driuen therevnto either by famine or force as Seba in the time of Dauid hereof is a witnesse Secondly the Lord of the soyle which inhabiteth that place his name is Iehouah the Almightie Psal 91. 1. the strong and inuincible God who will and is able to preserue vs. Thirdly it is prooued by the successe of those who runne to it and by that which they receiue they are exalted preserued or deliuered saith Salomon which Dauid acknowledgeth Psal 32. 7. and is confirmed by the successe of Dauids prayer 2. Sam 24. 25. and the plague ceased from Israel Comfortable is the saying of Dauid Psal 91 3. 15 16. in which sixe things prooue the happie successe of the righteous that runneth vnto it First Gods ready answere Secondly his presence Thirdly his deliuerance Fourthly his aduancement to honour Fiftly length of dayes Sixtly fruition of saluation O the excellent riches pleasures and ioyes which the righteous there shall enioy As Lot there sled vnto little Zoar to bee preserued from the fire of Sodome So let vs flie to the name of Iehouah to be safe from the fire of the plague The earthly places wherevnto men runne do want this propertie they are not warranted to be safe there either from danger or from the plague and the experience of this yeere doeth declare it vnto vs all Some haue returned and some haue died there but as for the name of Iehouah thy soule is certaine to be preserued if thither shee taketh her recourse and as they onely escaped the flood that entred into the Arke of Noah So likewise they that enter into this incorruptible and immortall Arke shall onely bee safegarded from the deluge of afflictions The Doue of Noah at her first flight from the Arke although shee mounted aloft and fetched many retires yet shee could finde no resting place vntill shee returned againe to the Arke So the poore soule may flie where shee will but yet shee shall not haue any sure footing to rest except shee returne to the heauenly Arke let vs therefore bee wise as Serpents and simple as Doues for as they being persecuted flie vnto the rockes so let vs in our calamities take our recourse to the rocke of Dauid Psal 18. 2. neuer haue there beene holes in the rockes so open for the doues as the name of Iehouah for the righteous soules There are two renowned places mentioned by Plinie Locris and Crotone where the plague was neuer as he writeth lib 1. cap. 96. and without doubt many resorted thither but although we should flie at this day to Locris and Crotone if we carrie within vs the plague of sinne the inward cause of the bodilie contagion we haue no warrant to bee safegarded But me thinkes I heare a controuersie Many righteous haue fled to the name of the Lord and yet haue not beene safe from the deluge of the pestilence or from the snare of the hunter but thousands and thousands are fallen yea some of the chosen of Israel The answere is that they haue first obtained either that which they prayed for secondly or that which is better or thirdly that which is sufficient And the Lord heareth vs alwayes although alwaies he granteth not our petition this seemeth a Paradoxe and yet the trueth thereof is manifest for in steed of that we asked he giueth vs a better thing and a better place thou askest the earth saith Augustine and the Lord giueth thee heauen temporall life and he giueth thee the eternal The Surgion that saweth off the arme or legge of the patient who crieth for impatience and apprehension heareth him Non secundum voluntatem sed sanitatem not according to his will but according to his health and so the Lord dealeth with his patients Fourthly to proceede men make choice of places where they haue their friends the children resort to their parents the parents to their children brethren to their brethren and one friend to another The name of the Lord is a place of refuge where we haue our best friends there we haue our father our eldest brother Christ Iesus the holy Ghost our comforter and therefore Dauid in the time of plague went to this comfortable place In earthly places vnto which the sonnes of men resort either we haue no friends or they are farre off and therfore wee seeke other or sometimes although we haue friends yet they will not receiue vs for feare of infection but in this holy temple and vpon this holy mountaine we are sure to finde at all times the aforesaid friends Fiftly we haue regard to choose a place which is lawful for all men to come vnto which is not prohibited or forbidden by the Lord of the soyle magistrate of the place and where we knowe we shall be receiued This place of refuge is such accessible for all men for whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued Ioel. 2. 32. Neuer a cittie of refuge so free for all manner of transgressions hither may come the King and the subiect the rich and the poore the learned and the vnlearned the merchant and the tradesman
the sound and the sicke yea the infected with the plague In the time of infection it is not lawfull for them that dwell where the contagion raigneth to come vnto the princes court they are forbidden by proclamation to resort thither But the court of heauen is open for all men yea for the infected for they cannot infect the court of heauen the King of heauen hath made a proclamation in the 50. Psal that we should resort thither and the prince of glorie Iesus Christ who keepeth his residence there will not keepe vs backe If the prince had made a proclamation that the infected should resort to his court to be healed who would not hasten thither It was not lawfull for all men to come to the inner court of King Assuerus none might approach but they to whome he held out his golden scepter except he would die the death that was appointed for such as durst come neere no such kind of punishment is appointed for those that goe vnto the courte of the King of heauen we may approach boldely to the throne of grace the scepter of our King I meane not that yron scepter of his iustice but the golden of his mercie is euer held forth to man woman children bond or free stranger or Citizen infected or not infected whether they be called or not called and they all may safely approach I name not neither inward or outward court but euen to the throne of grace where the King himselfe sitteth and if there we craue of him I say not to the halfe of his Kingdome as Assuerus spake vnto Ester but to the whole it shall not be denied vs. Feare of punishment keepeth vs from the princes court Let not feare keep vs from the court of heauen Nehemias although he held the cup to the King yet how fearefull he was to make a request vnto him But as for you O ye righteous soules feare ye not O you litle flocke for it is your fathers pleasure to giue you a Kingdom Luc. 12. Further in time of contagion not only the court but also the other citties townes and villages will not often lodge them that come from contagious places either the Lord of the soile or the magistrate of those places forbidding it but as for that heauenly Ierusalem and the Lord of the liuing thervnto euery one may resorte the Lord and magistrate of heauen doeth not interdict it Dauid cried vnto the Lord and said thou art my portion in the land of the liuing Psal 142. 5. At Roome the housen of the Aediles were alwaies open for all men that they might resort thither to haue their causes heard and so is the house of the Lord for the afflicted soules In some places there are appointed as I my selfe haue seene watchmenwith halbards to aske the passengers from whence they come and sometimes to keepe out those that come from infected places but in our going to this place we neede not to haue such feare for as Chrysostome saith Hic non est miles assistens qui expellat here there is no Sergiant or soldier to keepe thee out If the citties of the earth shut their gates before thee thou canst not enter As for that heauenly Ierusalem it is not lockt and although it were prayer as Augustine speaketh is a key to open heauen and to bring thee to the presence of God Serm. 226. de temp the towne and villages in times of infection although they receiue some yet they will not harbour manie and often there is no place for multitudes but so is it not with the name of Iehouah with this strong tower it is not like vnto the bulwarkes of mortall men into the which if too manie enter they will hinder one another this fortresse can receiue millions and millions without any impediment Further the temple is also interdicted to the infected for they are commanded by the magistrate to keepe their housen for a time or if they come they are entreated to sitte aside but the Lords holy temple aboue in heauen is not forbidden vnto the infected nor to any man it is lawfull for them to goe thither and pray and that with the successe of Dauid Psal 18. In my trouble I did call vpon the Lord and cried vnto my God and he heard my voice out of his Temple Sixtly some make a choyse in the plague time of a place which is neere wherevnto they may easily goe without any great trouble or cost the name of the Lord is such a place compendious to cut off vnnecessarie labours yee neede not to runne farre the Lord is neere as the Prophet speaketh to all them that call vpon him neither will it cost vs any thing money or merites intercession of friends or gifts poore men yee that want friendes or money and therefore cannot prouide your selues a place bee not dismaide behold here is a place which will cost you nothing It is a place wherevnto we may goe at all times at dinner time and at supper as Crysostome speaketh in the day time and at mid-night in thy health and in thy sicknesse the sicke man may lye downe vpon his bed and goe vnto it and when with King Ezekias he cannot vse the feete of the flesh yet may he vse the feete of the spirit In a moment we can flie thither for as soone as we haue finished our prayer we are alreadie come to this place and to the Lord of this soyle our prayer and God meeting one another in heauen as Iesus Christ and the woman at the Well Ioh 4. As for earthly places wherevnto men resort either they are far off vneasie to goe vnto and that with trouble and cost or expences sometimes we are stopped we must haue warrants and certificates of the Parish Church wardens that our house is not infected before we can be admitted all this trouble we neede not in the time of plague in our going to the name of the Lord nothing will stop vs the bodily plague shall be no impediment for wee haue a warrant that we may passe the King of heauen his warrant in the 50. Psalme Call vpon me c. and therefore this place is better then the earthly where the fearefull sonnes of men dwell which feare the apparrell houshold-stuffe and thy letters I know nothing then to stop our passage but the plague of the soule as the Lord of this soyle telleth vs in the 2 Cor 6. 17. Touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you But I heare the weake conscience obiect I am infected with the plague of the soule and therefore it is not lawfull for me to call vpon the name of the Lord it is for the righteous as Salomon speaketh but alas I am vnrighteous and how can I therefore goe vnto this strong tower The answere is for thy comfort O weake conscience that Salomon speaketh not of them that are righteous by their owne righteousnesse but by