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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	evil_a	good_a	note_n	1,054	5	9.3782	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03698	The shield of the righteous: or, The Ninety first Psalme, expounded, with the addition of doctrines and vses Verie necessarie and comfortable in these dayes of heauinesse, wherein the pestilence rageth so sore in London, and other parts of this kingdome. By Robert Horn, minister of Gods Word.	Horne, Robert, 1565-1640.	1625 (1625)	STC 13825; ESTC S104237	130,560	160

Pestilence is here called a Snare or Net as giuing no warning more then the net doth when it is suddenly cast ouer the birds which it taketh The Doctrine that ariseth from hence is this as Christians ought in all their life to prepare for death so specially then when God sendeth so short warning to prepare for it in his Snare of Pestilence or some other peremptory visitation Hezekiah was at all times to expect death in a well ordered soule but then specially he was to put and keepe good order in it when he was sicke vnto death or so as he must die and not liue Esay 38.1 And if we must remember our Creator before the euill day come Eccles 12.1 much more must we so doe when it is come this euill day is the vncomfortable day and houre of some deadly sicknesse that we must in our good consciences bee readie for before it threaten vs how much more when it worketh and hath entred vpon vs In the booke of Prouerbs this is made the sure note of a Prudent man that he seeth the Plague that is seeth it by the eye of prouidence in a watchfull and well reformed life and hideth himselfe from it vnder the wings of the Almighty by a liuely faith And that which our Sauiour exhorteth vnto speaking of the last day shall be well thought of in our sicknesse and before our last houre that that day come not on vs vnawares or suddenly as the snare vpon the bird Luke 21.34 35. The reasons then as you would say the graue is readie for vs Reason 1 and the shroud wherein we are to be wound presented to vs and if it be intolerable that a childe should be wanton at any time it is vnseemely that he should be so vnder the rod or if wee should at all times watch the theefe should we be carelesse when he is broken in Mat. 24.43 we are sure of our life at no time for the Master will come in a day that we thinke not Mat. 24.50 and is there any certainty of it when death is in the pot 2 King 440. and the holds of life are shaken Secondly if we be not armed with repentance when God sendeth Reason 2 the Pestilence or other visitation we frustrate Gods ends of sending them and may well be called a naked people Exod. 32.25 for his purpose in sending these is by them to c 1 Cor. 11 32. cloth vs with repentance that sinne be not our destruction and that the forgetfulnesse of death may not bring eternall death But he peremptorily citeth vs when he sendeth the Pestilence so immediately and presently before him and shall we in such a case and at such a time tarrie till a contempt come and be serued vpon vs despising that terrible processe the quickest and smartest that his court sendeth or can send forth against our naturall life or life here if we will not come to the supper with the last Messenger when will we come Luke 14.17 if we will being in the middest of the sea sleepe in the top of the Mast Prou. 23.34 that is if we be careles when our danger is so neere and so great when will we be carefull and if wee sleep then when will we watch Vse 1 And now come wee to an issue should wee be prepared for death at all times and then specially when it worketh fearefully before vs in some generall Plague and mortallity of men it first conuinceth the carelesse in life and carnall in profession who at such a time vse to say let vs eate and drinke when considering the season they should rather say let vs fast and pray and repent for to morrow wee shall die 1 Cor. 15.32 So of Ierusalem horribly plagued it is said shee remembred not her last end that is neuer thought what might come and therfore she came down wōderfully Lam. 1.9 her glorious heauen of all pleasant things was turned into the darkest skie or night of bitter affliction that euer was heard of which is therefore put in a book of Lamentations And what did we but pamper flesh who should haue sacrificed flesh when God set our last end before vs in those desolate funeralls that the deuouring Pestilence had caused made so many and so grieuous in Townes and Cities some few yeeres since What did wee I say but minde our pleasures when wee should haue minded our end and turne after vanity when we should haue turned to God So did the Iewes not long before they were to bee carried out of their owne Land in the chaine of the King of Babel Esay 22.12 13. but this was in the eares of the Lord of Hoasts and the iniquitie could not be purged from them but by death verse 14. I pray God we haue not left as much also vpon the score by our impenitencie since the last great mortality wherein God spared not our soules from death and gaue our life to the Pestilence Psal 78. 50. Since that time we haue made some recknings with the Lord by sundry strange and deare yeeres but Lord deliuer not thy power into captiuitie nor thy beauty into the enemies hand verse 61. Giue vs repentance for our senslesnesse then and security now that thy people be not giuen to the sword and thou be angry and wroth with thine inheritance verse 62. Then secondly let vs here learne a good and readie way to Vse 2 free vs from the snares of death and to preuent all those compassings with which it deceiueth where it is not looked for before it come To hide our heads in our owne shifts and carnall fetches is as we haue heard a vaine labour and rather to runne vpon the snare then to auoide it To prepare for it by the change of our liues from euill to good and from sinne to righteousnesse is to breake the snares of it by faith and thus to be readie for it is to get the better of it and to make it faiths captiue that otherwise is the worlds conqueror for then either it shall not come to vs in the fierie Pestilence or it shall not come to hurt vs and where others flee for feare wee shall not neede to flee or feare then it hath neither sting to wound vs nor poison to infect vs nor power to condemne vs and then preuenting it not preuented by it it shall but send vs thither whither but by it we cannot come Also where the wicked say to death as the Diuels to Christ art thou come to torment vs Matth. 8.29 wee shall say to death wounded to death by the power of the death of Christ ô death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 Let the wicked feare death that cannot leaue sinne let vs cease to sinand we shall not feare the second death Let them say with Ichoram is it peace 2 King 9.22 not knowing if it be we knowing that it is and that the welcome day of death in our godly death prophecieth not euill but good to

hee that praiseth a little will in that kinde praise much and accept all Vse 1 A comfort to the poore that can offer but a little in Gods seruice For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2. Cor. 8.12 If we doe what we are able though it be small that wee are able to doe it is welcome to God Deut. 16.17 Two yong Pigeons Leuit. 12.8 And two small mites are as good an offering where there is no more and as well accepted as richer matters from richer persons Some may offer a Lambe to the Altar and the poorest whose heart God hath made willing cannot want a mite or the worth of a yong Pidgeon to offer to it that is thou must helpe forward the seruice of God if not with the purse yet with the mite of doing somewhat toward it some other way and thy worke will be accepted All the members in this body haue their necessarie vse and can doe something the poore as well as the rich The head cannot say to the feet I haue no need of you 1. Cor. 12.21 Let Papists and Pharises then praise and onely praise rich almes Christ makes more account of the Widowes two mites then of all that they giue O therefore what a comfort is heere to a poore if true Christian seeing that euen the poorest hee that is such cannot be vnfruitfull altogether or without vse in the worke of the Lord and that God rich in mercy rewardeth euen in a poore soule weake loue and poore doings where a heart is not wanting to doe better and to loue more earnestly if he were able This may comfort him in the euill day when it comes and it may come hee cannot tell how soone For if Pestilence should be sent if some other destroying sicknesse should come or if troubles should arise for the Gospel which he professeth herein he may dwell safely that he hath not been wanting to his power in any furtherance that he could giue the Gospel or to the Professors and teachers of it for Gods sake who will not forget his worke and seruice that he hath done and and who giueth the full cup of life for a cup of cold water A terrour to those who being able to doe much in the seruice Vse 2 of God loue neuer a whit or coldly though a little be accepted done willingly in that respect and with a good minde Remember this ye that forget God hee may bring you downe in trouble though now ye be aloft in a flourishing estate of wealth peace Suddenly ye may be made poore or if your riches remaine with you you may beare this voice a voice very dolefull and bitter to all that are rich in their Mammon and not rich in God O foole this night thy soule shall be required of thee Luke 12.20 or this night that is very shortly and terribly they will fetch thy soule Then what griefe will it be and death to remember what good ye might haue done which yee neglected to doe in your wealthy and healthy dayes They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres Dan. 12.3 Now whether is better to shine as Starres in heauen or to burne as brands in hell Yee therefore that could haue spent hundred by your yeerely comming in and haue spent some vainely and not one nor neere one in all your life to the furtherance of Gods seruice by doing something toward the Arke of a teaching Minister in the place where your chiefe house stood and family did continue Yee that by your countenance and place might haue turned many to righteousnes and yet loued so hotely for your selues and coldly for God that the winning of soules was none of your care but rather the gathering of riches and friends and yee who hauing Tenants and followers might haue constrained them by a wise eye to haue kept the way with your selues to Gods house and good order in Gods house being assembled there had rather goe with a few then with your traine thither and rather leaue them that were in the assembly to their owne foolish wayes then watch ouer them for the wayes and duty of reuerend worshippers at Church during all the time of prayer and preachings then yee that haue thus neglected to doe good or gloried to doe euill being therefore not louers of God but rather haters of him What will ye doe or say when the day or houre commeth that ye must goe from house to graue Psal 49.14 and leaue your riches to others verse 10. Surely a good conscience in those matters will be more worth then all the goods Mannors or Lordships yee had or desired more then the loue of God in which onely is true happinenesse and peace Ye haue refused to serue him that giueth the best wages and did choose rather to serue for trifles then for an inheritance and for corruptible things then for eternall therefore God gaue you these small things dealing with you as Abraham with the sonnes of his Concubines who gaue them certaine gifts or moueables and sent them away Gen. 25.6 For so these and these onely are your portion hold them if you can the inheritance is Isaacs part and the right of the sonnes And now what will ye doe when ye can liue no longer to dishonour God and to honour your selues your children or kindred aboue him your hope cannot be in him whom you loued so little and coldly and who is a most bountifull Master to all his followers and louers giuing them here for their spirituall repast the royall feast of a good conscience and in heauen Kingdomes for their seruice for imperfect obedience perfect glory and for short troubles long life but now as Elisha a Prophet in Israel said to Iehoram the King of Israel Get thee to the Prophets of thy father and to the Prophets of thy mother 2 Kin. 3.13 so in times of Pestilence and in the houre of death yee must goe for comfort to your lands and Lordships and large heapes in which ye trusted or to your drunken cups fellowship companions and such Prophets of your fathers house the Diuell God will not looke to ward you nor see that is know you in that houre verse 14. But doth God thus remember euery little thing that is done to Vse 3 him in his seruice The vnthankfull among vs then are taxed who remember no benefit bestowed vpon them or good done for them though neuer so great The best we can doe to God or for him deserueth the pay of shame and no better recompence Luk. 17.80 and yet God reiecteth not our weakest loue Men may deserue much at our hands and sometimes doe when neuerthelesse wee reward their good with euill for their friendship become their enemies and fight against them without a cause Psal 109 4 5. We should do good for euill and pray for them that hurt vs Mat. 5.44

part of his glorie if he were not Doct. 2 able assoone as a sinner shall do euill to his dishonour to punish him for that cōtempt For were it not an indignity intolerable for a potent Monarch not to be able presently to set downe a Rebel in his owne Dominions yea to passe publike iustice vpon him to the taking away of his head But he that cast Adam out of Paradise as soone as he had sinned Gen. 3.24 lacketh not power to turne sinners into hell with all that forget God Psal 50.22 A conuiction of all notorious sinners who blesse that is flatter Vse 1 themselues in their talke saying They shall haue peace though they walke in the stubbornnesse of their heart adding drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 29.19 These would seeme to make question whether God be of any such strength or be able to bring any such troupes into the field against them or if he be whether he will vse them according to his threatnings in his word to their deserued ouerthrow sinning so against him These make falshood their refuge and haue their part in the drunken peace of that hypocrite who sayd My Master doth deferre his comming Math. 24.48 that is he will not come these many yeeres if he come at all either to account with sinners or to visit for sinne And what shall I say of these men but that they incourage themselues in an abominable thing promising peace where there is none Ier. 6.14 But if any dye of the Pestilence let such looke to be first and if any goe into captiuitie to be first that shall go captiue and if leannesse enter into any to haue it enter into them as soone as into any Indeed they often-times escape with life in such difficulties and straits of time when their betters do not yet they liue but to fill vp the iust measure of their certaine damnation that no torment may bee wanting to them when they shall suddenly and when they least thinke of death chop into hell Vse 2 But doth God set his plagues as his strong watch to obserue vs at all times night or day when we do euill then when we see his watch charged sometimes in the night-pestilence sometimes in the noone-plague sometimes in vnseasonable yeares by no raine or by raine in excesse sometimes in great scarcities of graine and fodder Let vs humble our selues in prayer and repentance standing with these in the gappe and breach that Gods hand hath made or may make by such calamities sent among vs for sinne and for iniquitie And let such Repentance and Prayer stand as Aaron with his holy Censer as in the case of Plague So the Lord may be intreated and his Iudgements may leaue vs. But for such as seeke no reliefe in the armory of these Christian exercises against the changes that come but behaue themselues in daies of mourning as when God maketh the hearts of men merrie with his chearefull countenance Let them goe whither they will Vengeance looketh for them at euerie doore the Plague by day and the Pestilence by night is ready for them day and night they are enuironed with feares at their tables and vpon their beds snares vpon their meate a curse vpon their sleepe and Gods anger in all their wayes And here let vs take heed how we prouoke the Lord by our stubbornenesse vnder his other roddes to bring the Plague againe I meane of Pestilence which while it kept some order among vs as his watch by night and ward by day how can it bee forgotten how many not by hundreds but by thousands a weeke in England it committed close prisoners to wormes and darknesse in the earth or if we haue forgotten that let those that go about their sinne closely remember the Pestilence that walketh in darknesse and such as sinne openly not forget the destruction that wasteth at noone day A reproofe of those who when this sicknesse is in a towne Vse 3 runne from it into the countrie as if God were impotent there as soone as the fire begins a little to burne in the deaths or infection of two or three they presently runne away by the light of it in their vnchanged liues as if they would giue more to their owne carnall forecasts then to Gods sweete prouidence But this hath bene spoken of and I adde that all going aside as hath bene said is not vnlawfull so these conditions in remouing be obserued First that the euill it selse be looked vpon as a messenger sent from God and messenger that is not auoyded by the change of the place simply without some other change Secondly that they remoue not with a doubtfull conscience but with good warrant to depart Thirdly that in such departure they breake not the bonds which should bee betweene man and wife the parents and their children Christian housholders and their Christian families And fourthly that they haue no publicke calling in the place from which they remoue as of Magistrates or Pastors For then they cannot depart with good conscience nor forsake their standings without sinne Thus farre hath the Pestilence bene described by some effects now the godly mans safelie in it and in other troubles comprehended vnder it followeth VER 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand c. GOds deliuerance of his children and their great safetie in such troubles as haue bene spoken of is propounded in this verse repeated in the tenth The first is affirmed simply here further proued in the two next verses as by a vehement asseueration verse 8. and infallible euidence verse 9. In the first there is a Prolepsis or preuenting answer to an obiection For some might say how can I bee deliuered when so many thousands are not who on euery hand of me fall vpon the edge of the Plague that destroyeth without mercie in darkenesse and at noone day To this the Prophet maketh answer saying Though thousands that is great numbers and ten thousands that is numbers without number so fall being cut downe with it or other diuers diseases and sundry kinds of death on the left hand and on the right of his seruants yet he can deliuer them For with him it is no more to saue his people when thousands die then when two and when tenne thousands perish then when ten onely are cut downe for the graue In a time of Pestilence he is able to passe by the houses of the faithfull as well when a whole towne is visited that is when no streete or lane is free as when a few houses are shut vp and as well if three hundred should die in a weeke as if onely three Now as God is able to do this so to aduance the credit of his power in the faith of his children he performeth it oftentimes in their outward safetie alwaies in their saluation which is best of all From whence wee learne Doct. that when the wicked are plagued Gods children shall haue deliuerance or comforts as

Gods protection cannot but haue both the higher and better hand of all enemies and changes mortall But this hath bene much spoken of alreadie Vse 2 A terrour to those who by great impatience in their afflictions will needs be their owne deliuerers or who in them flie not to God as to their sure place or house of rocke to dwell in him till they be deliuered saying The Lord euen the most high is my habitation but trust in worldly refuges as hath bene said for such haue no promise nor hope by it that God will deliuer them which may be spoken also of all proud persons whose egge being hatched in a Pharises nest vse to say in their distresse because I am worthy or haue shewed my selfe wise I shall be deliuered These men when their troubles and sorrowes come to a head intangle themselues the more by their striuings as birds in a snare and for the aduersitie they are in their euill conscience cannot be perswaded it is Gods louing visitation but the hand of some enemie vpon them which they shall neuer be able either to auoyde or endure A iust recompence to all those who promise to themselues a larger Patent in comforts then God will seale and shorter in troubles then he meaneth to giue vnto them And what maruell then if that yoke which is easie to all that make the Lord their habitation bee full of straightnesse to all that will bee an habitation to themselues and if it gall the very necke of their sonles But is the Lord the deliuerer of all that make him their habitation Vse 3 then such also as serue him may come into trouble and bee afflicted by the strokes of God and men as well as they that serue him not In Luke we reade of a daughter of Abraham that was bound by Satan eighteene yeares in the chaine of a very lamentable infirmitie Luke 13.10.11.12 Dauid Hezekiah and Iob were visited this way as appeareth by their stories And God beginneth his anger sometimes at his owne house and visiteth first there but there is great difference betweene the righteous and the wicked in these visitations whether we respect the cause effects or end of this hand of God vpon them For in loue he layeth his rod vpon the righteous which he doth not when he breaketh the wicked and sinners with his iron rod. Also the tribulations of the godly bring forth patience which patience begetteth experience and experience the hope that maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.3.4.5 but no such things are to be seene in the tiring Plagues of the vngodly and for the end of God in this matter there is great difference to be put betweene the visitation of Sion to humble his children and the destruction of Sodom to plague his enemies A father may correct his child and seruant with one rod and after one manner yet he loueth his child as his child and his seruant as is fit or he loues him as his child though he chasten him as his seruant So in a common visitation by Plague famine strange diseases and deaths the Lord may and doth strike with the same rod of common visitation both his children and enemies yet his children hee correcteth in great loue and for their great good but consumeth the sinners and where are they and he taketh away his children but not as he cutteth off the wicked in the continuance of his anger Ierem. 15.15 His children he whipeth sometimes with death because by some vnpurged euill they haue prouoked him the other he punisheth with euerlasting death that he may be auenged of his enemies eased of them that hate him It is our dutie therefore when God begins any publicke visitation to submit presently and presently by repentance to purge for the disease that causeth it that is for sinne that aboundeth For if we striue with God by our prayers and conuersion to him as Iacob we shall then preuaile as Iacob who therefore was called Israel Genes 32.28 Thus we haue heard the deliuerance of Gods children largely the same repeated followeth VER 10. There shall no euill befall thee neither any Plague come nigh thy dwelling THe promise made to the righteous of deliuerance in all their dangers and feares is here repeated For by euill the Prophet meaneth though more specially the euill of Pestilence yet generally any other euill of smart caused by the euill of some And saith he this shall not befall either the person or habitation of the righteous His meaning is which must be vnderstood that God will so direct their heart and guide their way that they shall not stubbornly or maliciously prouoke him to plague them as do the vngodly Now where there is no euill of sinne so committed how can any euill of punishment come or come to hurt them that so vnwillingly offend punishments being ordained for wilfull sinners and euils for them that euill do This I conceaue to be the Prophets meaning in these words wherein a gracious promise is renewed first to the godly mans person and then to his house or Tabernacle To his person God promiseth by his Prophet that no euill shall befall it that is as hath beene said he shall so order his heart and direct his wayes by the grace that is giuen him and so auoyd the cause of euill with the occasion that he shall not runne vpon the sharpe of those plagues that so commonly runne the vngodly through to destruction but he must then auoide the occasion and take away the cause From whence we learne That to auoyd plagues the way is to auoyd those offences Doct. with the occasions that bring them And therefore Salomon telling the foolish and scornefull why they lay vnder so many plagues and Gods storme was so vpon them giueth this reason they turned not at his reproofe Prou 1.23 that is they were plagued because they sinned or euill befell them because euill was in them If ye consent and obey saith the Lord by Esay to his people ye shall eate the good things of the land Esay 1.19 that is in your obedience good shall come and not euill or locke for good and not euill for there shall be none where ye giue occasion of none And the Prophet Zephanie exhorting the people to repentance biddeth them to search themselues before God make inquisition Zephanie 2.1 or to driue away the chaffe of occasion before his wind or fanne come which will purge them with iudgment because they haue not purged by repentance For this saith the Prophet ye must do before the decree as a woman with child Zeph. 2.2 or woman ready to trauell bring forth and what will it bring forth but a day of anger and great destruction from God which is the seale of his writing Therefore before this writing be sealed and the decree bring forth do ye driue out the cause of the Lords wrath saith he that his wrath do not driue you to destruction when it commeth as a tempest