the worst that these or any other troubles like these can doe is to preferre vs to our inheritance and liberty where here wee serue but a ward-ship and are incumbred daily These make our way for vs to saluation and when we duly consider this how can we be moued Vse 2 A confutation of that enuious Doctrine in Poperie which because it would haue the common people in the point of saluation to rest in an infolded faith beleeuing as the Church beleeueth that is contingently but not with knowledge nor certainty must needs breed dangerous offences in temptation for if wee shall stand suspitious of that which must bee our greatest comfort in troubles and which we haue vnder the seale of Gods promise what shall stay vs in the afflictions and crosses of our mortall life when the remedie is denied what shall cure vs and when wee see death and no saluation that is no assurance of it after death what comfort can wee haue to suffer here and hereafter for cuer Vse 3 A terrour to worldly minded men whose portion is in this life They neuer thinke of nor care for heauen but haue their hearts buried in the graue of worldly things what wil such do and whither will they turne them when affliction and anguish shall come vpon them Prou. 1.27 and their end draw neere the sight of saluation cannot comfort them for that cannot comfor them that they cannot expect and the feare of damnation must needs trouble them for that cannot but torment them that they must needs inherit as their portion for euer Doct. 2 Lastly it is called Gods saluation Mine saith the Lord that is that which is originally only from Me. Where we learne that that eternall life is the gift of God or his only worke and gift therefore is it called by Esay as here His saluation Esa 25.9 and of the Lord he saith He will saue vs Esa 33.22 hee and no other The most blessed Virgin calles him her Sauiour Let the Papists note that she must haue a Sauiour and this must be and be no other then God her Sauiour It is that grace of God that bringeth saluation saith Saint Paul Tit. 2.11 that is It is God who by grace or the doctrine of grace in the Gospel bringeth it And to spare further labour in a matter wherein both the Testaments are so plentifull the very words of the doctrine are the same Apostles owne words The gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ Rom. 6.23 where hee sheweth that saluation is a gift and what is freer then gift and giuen of God for Christ that is a gift whereof the authour is God and the purchaser Christ the Sonne of God The Reasons For when Adam was once falne from Gods image in Paradise and being driuen by guilty conscience had fledde to the weake succour of leaues and bushes for a hiding place against him and the storme of his iustice the good Angels could not but abhorre vs and the other creatures how could they but become enemies to vs and therefore no will in them to haue saued vs if they could onely the fountaine of mercy God the Father of Christ and our Father in Christ looked toward vs and his eye onely pittied vs in this blood of our pollution Ezech. 16.5.6 then he made his couenant of Saluation with vs in the seed of the woman by a person that should come of woman that blessed seed that should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 That is Christ that should destroy the deuill and hath already destroyed him In all this what haue the creatures done Nay what could they doe Secondly he onely is giuer of life that can raise from death to Doct. 2 life this can no creature Angel or other doe that is doe by his owne Name and power Acts 3.12.16 Acts 9.34.40 or hee that will giue life must deliuer from death but none can saue from death but he that hath the keyes of hell and death Apoc. 1.18 this is no creature Also none can saue from death but hee that can deliuer from sinne that causeth death But what creature can so doe what creature 〈◊〉 can deliuer from an infinite sinne Doct. 3 Thirdly if God onely did not giue life the Scriptures which speake of a Sauiour would not as they doe speake of him onely but of helpers with him in the point of saluation But the Scripture speakes of no Sauiour but the Lord nor Giuer of life but Him Esai 43.11 61.10 12.2 3. Ioh. 10.28 Act. 4.12 And surely if he did not saue vs who onely is the Sauiour our dayes would be short and cut off quickly for the torments of hell Satan and our owne corruption swaying vs thither but the the arme of Gods salvation able and only able to ouer-master Satan and our owne vnruly old-Man doth both stay vs from destruction and keepe vs in the path of life Vse 1 A confutation of that doctrine of the Papists which in the grace of life will haue godly men to bee takers with God or ioynt-purchasers making him but a Sauiour in part and them partly their owne Sauiours but is this because he is weake to saue by himselfe Zacharie in his Canticle calleth him the horne of Saluation in the house of Dauid Luke 1.69 That is the strong and mighty Sauiour in that house But they make Zedekijahs hornes 1. Kin. 22.11 hornes of iron and instruments of vanitie to ioyne them for the batterie of the Kingdome of Satan with this horne of our saluation To his good will they ioyne their free-will and their good workes to his great worke and to his intercession the intercession of Angels and Saints departed and set their posts by his posts Ezech. 43.8 putting their old cloth in his new garment wherein is no breach nor defect But hee that made this wedding dinner is a King Math. 22.2 3. And what want is there at a Kings Feast specially at the marriage of his elder sonne and what shot doe Kings take of their seruants when they haue feasted them therefore they pay nothing that sit downe at this Supper Esai 55.1 Apoc. 22.17 neither bring any dish vnto it that is dish of halfe purchase Eternall life as hath beene said euery part and whit of it is the gift of God Vse 2 But is saluation Gods and the gift of eternall life Gods gift then Christians must walke so and so behaue themselues that they may comfortably with their last breath expect this gift of eternall life being in the way of the same by a godly life and holy death For God doth not giue his saluation to those who neither care to liue in obedience nor prepare to die in faith And to lose saluation is to be in worse case at our death then the beasts that perish For when they die their misery ends with them but when reprobate man dies his misery begins that shall neuer haue end For hee hath millions of yeares without
to the earthly Ierusalem the house in which the publick Minister and people praise God together or by thy preferment in death to haue thy soule carried vp to the Ierusalem aboue where thou shalt praise him without ceasing perfectly in his owne presence with Angels and Saints innumerable Though men forsake thee God will tarrie with thee by his comforts in thy flesh and by his spirit in thy heart Iohn 14.23 when thy house is shut vp God that cannot be shut vp will prouide a large walke for thee in the pleasant gallery of thy good conscience when men write Lord haue mercy on the doore he will shew mercy within doores when men keepe thee darke he will giue thee light when they close vp the windowes of thy chamber he will set open the windowes of his Kingdome and when they go from thee he will come vnto thee sup with thee Apoc. 3.20 When God restraineth the fruits of the earth by keeping in his raine or by giuing it in excess with the breaking open of the flood-gates of his waters he hath his Boaz of secret prouidence as long agoe for godly Ruth Ruth 2.8 9. so still for his faithfull children that they may eate and their soules may liue And when the wicked who haue not God for their hiding place shall vpon the bruite of euery calamitie and crosse comming runne hither and thither as men without hope or distracted thou knowing in whom thou hast beleeued maiest hide thee with the feathers of Gods truth and faithfulnesse and goe to thy Father Luke 15.18 the words that follow are in effect the same that the words are which we lastly heard and the repetition is safe for vs Philip. 3.1 for therefore doth God speake twice that we might heare him once and because through our imperfect state of faith we come fearefully as vpon the waters with Peter to Christ in long and great troubles Mat. 14.29 30. therefore are the words doubled that we might haue the stronger consolation So much for the first of the meanes by which God will deliuer his people in affliction The second and more principall followeth His truth shall be thy shield and buckler BY the truth of God is meant the truth and faithfulnesse that is in all his promises or the truth of his promise and truth in his word He that hath promised is faithfull but if I would know how much he hath promised to whom and vnder what termes I must bring all my considerations to his word as to his onely or best seale and standard By it al his truth is allowed as vnder seale and measured truly as at a iust standard and this truth is one with the word or with Gods truth in his word Iohn 17.17 Also this truth is called the godly mans shield buckler because it is as a shield buckler vnto him against al the arrowe-heads thrusts of affliction so wardeth the blowes of those crosses that come in the Pestilence in sicknesses in malicious enemies in other troubles of bodie or minde that they shall not strike him to death or turne him to hurt taking in his defence by faith the promise and truth of God for his shield and buckler So the meaning is they that keepe within the compasse of Doct. 1 Gods sure word can neuer take hurt And it teacheth that the truth of God b Lam. 3.22 cannot faile and what he hath promised shall bee done Blinde Balaam in his Parable could say shewing how true God is alway of his word hath he said it and shall hee not doe it as if he had said may it be that Gods words and deedes should not meete or will any beleeue that he cau say one thing and doe another or if he lack not will doth he want power to doe as he saith for hath he spoken and shall he not accomplish it shall any thing hinder his purpose or weaken his power So where by Hosea the Lord saith I am God and not man Hosea 11.9 what can his meaning be but that being God hee changeth not like one of vs and repenteth not like man In Malachi he putteth himselfe to the triall asking the sonnes of Iacob if it were not so for he saith I change not and yee sonnes of Iacob are not consumed Malac. 3.6 as if he had said I promised not to consume you and you can tell I haue kept promise with you for ye are not consumed to this day so I change not your selues being iudges Now as God repenteth not so his gifts and calling that is the peculiar endowments of his elect linked together vnseparably in their saluation are without repentance that is are neuer taken from them Rom. 11.29 And he that hath promised is faithfull I. Cor. 10 13. saith the Apostle his meaning is that he is not at times but alway so or alway iust in word and euer faithfull Mens promises are yea and nay his promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 when it is said it is done if he speake the word but wee say and vn-say and so say and doe not The reasons Reason 1 It is sealed that God is true and Christ speaking of himselfe as God saith I am truth Iohn 3.33 and Iohn 14.6 that is to be true or rather to be truth is of his being and therefore to denie his word is to denie himselfe but God cannot denie himselfe and therefore God cannot but keepe his word Reason 2 Secondly God cannot breake by vnfaithfulnesse Rom. 3.3 for he is righteous nor be hindred by weaknesse for he is Almighty 1. Ruth 21. Apoc. 1.8 He promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and all the rebellions of his children could not make him to falsifie his word but at the time appointed they received the promises and inherited the land so he promised Israels deliuerance from Aegypt and returne from Babylon and hee brake not an houre with them and when the fulnesse of time came that God should send his sonne he sent him Gal. 4.4 and when it was time he should come he came as he kept touch with Abraham for a sonne Genes 21.1 so hee kept his word truly with vs for the sending of his owne sonne Reason 3 Thirdly God when he sweareth sweareth by himselfe not only cause he hath no greater to sweare by but because hee changeth not as an oath is immutable Heb. 6.18 An admonition not to distrust God any way where hee hath Vse 1 giuen his word for our safetie and welfare for if it be intollerable to discredit an honest man in his word how intollerable is it to call Gods truth into question If then God haue promised to those that feare him that nothing shall bee wanting vnto them Psal 34.9 let not such doubt in the wants of many to bee prouided for In the wildernesse he plowed the heauens for his children and fed them with the bread of heauen Psal 78.24 so they that followed Christ were fed by miracle in
and least thought of death euen then this infectious arrow pierced to the heart The summe of all is When God sends the Pestilence or any other iudgement in some haste to a land or priuate place it cometh as an arrow out of a bow Where we learne that Gods messengers and seruants sent in Doct. 1 this deadly sicknesse or any other visitation for sinne are swift and vnresistable For the Pestilence our selues do know how soone it is taken how small a matter brings it with how little a winde it comes and how suddenly it passeth to the head and pierceth to the heart Seuentie thousand in lesse then three dayes and in a land not very large died of it 2. Sam. 24.15 So Exod. 12.29 when God would shew his power by death vpon the great armie of the King of Ashur he smote by an Angell in one night an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand Esay 37.36 At another time he slue three and twenty thousand in one day 1. Cor. 10.8 And because Herod would not giue glory to God he was presently smitten by an Angell in all his glorie Acts 12.23 The reasons He that so quickly made man of the dust Genes 2.7 can as Reason 1 quickly turne man vnto dust and for the Pestilence or any other destruction if he speake but the word and how soone is a word spoken it presently comes He is the Centurion of this great hoast of all the creatures If he say to one go he goeth and to another come he cometh Math. 8.9 Psal 105.16.31.34 Secondly he can send by his Angels that swiftly execute his Reason 2 commandements and as it were flie about them Psal 103.20 or he can command the diuels who in an instant commanded by him can as well corrupt the aire with Pestilence as the riuers with bloud Psal 78.44.49.50 Thirdly God hath power and may command and commanding Reason 3 lackes not authoritie and will be heard An admonition speedily to turne to God who is able so speedily Vse 1 to turne vs to destruction Ioel 2.12 For should we not meete him with an armie of prayers who can come against vs so quickly and so strong with armies of death in the Pestilence and other innumerable diseases Luke 14.32 He can send to vs by flying messengers and shall we not seeke him by speedie repentance Amos 5.6 It is not long since his arrowes flew among vs and he yet hath his quiuer full of them to trouble our aires againe and with a fresh charge to shoote at vs by the contagious Pestilence in Towne and Countrie should we not therefore dread to make God our aduersarie or being made our aduersarie by sinne should we not agree with him quickly Mat. 5.25 who can so quickly destroy vs if we stand out proudly against him If he finde disorder and impenitencie in our houses or selues he can visit for it with flying arrowes and punish it when he is disposed with present death and should not this constraine vs to expell sinne and iniquity euery priuate person out of himselfe and euery faithfull publick person out of his familie and gouernment should it not moue the Christian housholder christianly to order both himself and others vnder him whether children or seruants by the word bringing them to Sermons more carefully and more orderly to prayers at home for how soone God can take vs away wee haue heard how quickly he will we know not also should it not perswade the publick Magistrates with the sword of his office not lightly to pare away but vtterly to cut off all proud and rotten sinnes that abound yea soundly to correct to a reformation all publick and grosse both enormities and offendors as swearers drunkards fornicators prophaners of the Sabbath disobedient to Parents and authority with such like seeing he beareth not the sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 Vse 2 A terrour to those who haue no hope but in long life for death may come they know not how soon and it commeth suddenly to many and when it is come it will not be answered with an I pray thee haue mee excused Luke 14.18 If we be not ready it will take vs as we be and when it knocketh if we will not open it will cast vs open The godly preuent this hardning by liuing so that is so repentantly and holily during their short time here that when the flying arrow of death sent from the hand of their supreame Lord shall make toward them they are euer in fit state to meete their Sauiour To such present death is prepared death as it was to Simeon and Anna who waited for Christ in the Temple Luke 1 25.36.3â— and they cannot dye suddenly that dye so Contrarily the carelesse and they that put off death by turning these flying into creeping arrowes can haue no such hope in their death which commeth as a theefe to their house Matth. 24.43 and not as a Messenger to bid them to the Supper of the great King Luke 14.17 They will not vnclaspe with the comforts of their deare life for the toilesome life of mortification and precisenesse in Gods seruice for they are lustie and strong Therefore their death cannot be good nor comfortable but irkesome and violent of which they are ouercome not yeelding to it as the Saints but mastered by it as they who say with Iulian Galilean thou hast preuailed so hee spake of Christ and so speake they of God when they find he is stronger then they A reproofe of those who when God shoots the infectious Vse 3 arrow of Pestilence at a Towne or City promise to themselues safetie because they dwell farre off because that part in which they inhabit is free or because they dwell in the Countrie and not in the Towne For cannot God reach them wheresoeuer they dwell in the East or West Is his arme shortened Doth any arrow misse that he shoots and he that went progresse from Dan to Bersheba in a running plague and in lesse time then three dayes can hee not in few houres goe a little way and visite further from a Towne then fiue sixe or seuen miles where is their safetie then in such a case but in turning to him that threatneth them And how can they auoide this arrow but by watching still the fall of it in their penitent liues Neither is this only true in the arrow of the Pestilence but in euery arrow of his quiuer if he shoot at vs by enemies by mortalitie of men by murraine of cattell or by cleannesse of teeth and leannesse in all our quarters what can ward any of these arrowes but repentance and our turning to God He that will auoide an arrow must turne the face and not the backe vnto it and hee must looke toward God and not from him by impenitencie that will reconcile him A further description of the Pestilence followeth Verse 6. Nor for the Pestilence that walketh in the darknes VVEe haue in this Verse two effects more whereby this
way Ioh. 10.1 Vse 1 A reproofe of all in the calling of the Ministerie that cannot shew their letters nor the seale of their calling with Gods hand thereat and who neither can draw their Pedigree from Aaron nor fet their license from Christ The like may be sayd of all corrupt intruders in the Common-wealth who take their places as a farme for monie and where God hath shut the dore open it with a siluer Key Paul could call himselfe an Apostle of Christ 1. Cor. 1.1 Gal. 1.1 But whose Apostles are these Moses and Gedeon were sent of God but who sends these Vse 2 A comfort to all that are lawfully called of God in the Church or Common-wealth For what discouragements soeuer they meet with by doing their duties therein the wrongs are not theirs but their Masters and he whom they serue will beare them out in any thing they shall doe after his mind in their lawfull vocation But for those that are not so called of him the troubles they beare in such a calling are properly their owne and not his If therefore an vnfit Minister goe to the wall the calling is not abused but one that hath vsurped the calling suffereth for his presumption Thus wee haue seene that what the Angels do in the safetie of the righteous they do it by a charge from God their manner of doing it followeth To keepe thee in all thy waies they shall beare thee vp c. THe manner of preseruing the Righteous must be by a kind of watch or keeping and by a nursing of them vp with the hand or a bearing of them in their hands In the first it is shewed vpon what condition they shall bee so watched and kept namely so long as they keepe themselues within the bounds of their calling and depart not from the wayes that God hath set them to walke in And in the second it is said but in a figuratiue speech that they shall beare them in their hands or hold them fast as Nurses doe their little ones For the Angels are not bodies neither haue hands And the Prophets meaning is that the Angels of God as Nurses hold the Faithfull in their hands as children and saue them as little ones from falling The kind of speech is taken from nursing Mothers or Nurses who hold their young children so fast in their hands or safe in their armes that they cannot fall It may also be taken from persons who haue things of worth in their hands and therefore will not neglect them but carefully look vnto them The summe of all is The Faithfull are by Gods appointment kept as with a watch in their waies and guarded with troops of Angels that haue not onely a generall care but a particular for them The Doctrine from hence is the godly cannot but be surely Doct. 1 watched and strongly kept hauing the Angels about them for their safety for these watchmen sleepe not and this guarde about the righteous is spirit and not flesh The guarde of Kings is a strong wall But what are men what are Kings or a guarde of kings to the Angels that keep the righteous and thē how strong is their wall Iacob a feeble person with a weake familie Gen. 32.11.31 was safe enough against warlike Esau his cruell brother comming against him with 400. men ver 6. say his comming had been with foure hundred thousand the reason was he had many Angels to keeps him ver 1. and one had bene enough to haue kept him and a whole countrie with him against foure hundred Princes with their Companies greater then Esau So when the King of Syria had sent a very great Hoste to haue compassed and taken a weak Citie where Gods Prophet Elisha was it would not be the Prophet telleth the cause why There are sayth he moe with vs then be with them 2. King 6.16 He spake of Angels who were and appeared stronger to saue the Citie then all that came against it The Mountaine was full of them ver 17. In the 34. Psal ver 7. Dauid assureth vs that these heauenly powers encampe round about all that feare God to deliuer them and that they keepe them that is safely keepe them and euerie bone in them ver 20. The men of Sodome came in no small companie to the house of Lot young and old compassed it and all people from all quarters made head against it But what could they doe vnto it or to him so long as his Keepers the Angells were in it and about him Gen. 29.4.9 10. They shut the dore and after Lot might goe in and out at his pleasure verse 14. This was Gods hedge and wall about Iob and all that he had Iob 1.10 and none could breake ouer it or breake it downe to touch him till God gaue leaue verse 11.12 While there was a fourth with the three seruants of God in the fornace that was made so exceeding hote the cruell fire could haue no power ouer their bodies no nor ouer an haire of their head to burne it or ouer their coates to change them and which was wonderfull the burning fire could not so much as leaue any smell of fire vpon them Dan. 3.25.27 This made Christ to admonish the wicked to take heed how they despised or sought to hurt the weakest seruant or child his Father had For though he be weake in himselfe he is not so in his keepers the Angels who alwayes behold his Fathers face in heauen Math. 18.10 that is stand readie looking when he will send them to strike with death the proudest aduersarie that that poore man hath And Christ is said to be that ladder of Iacob vpon which the Angels descend and ascend in the protection of his Church Ioh. 1.51 Genes 28.12 because for his sake they minister to the heires of glorie and by him the ladder descend to vs in our continuall saftie which is as sure as his owne seate in heauen and standeth like mount Sion against all stormes and windes of men The reasons Reason 1 One Angell armed with the power and glorie of God is stronger then a whole countrey Earthly Princes are subiect to many changes and great vnsuretie of life estate The reasons is their enemies may kill their watch and corrupt their guard But what men or kingdomes can touch the Churches watch what angels of gold are able to corrupt the Angels of God and then how can that perish that is committed to keepers so mightie and faithfull Reason 2 Secondly the charge of vs is giuen to these ministring spirits by parcels not in grosse and peece-meale not in a lumpe our members in a booke our haires by tale and number For it is vpon record and as it were deliuered to them in writing in one Psalme They keepe all our bones Psal 34.20 in this they keepe our very foote putting it in securitie ver 12. and else where our whole man and euery member And can a charge so precisely and so particularly
giuen and taken be neglected Thirdly their manner of keeping vs as it is set downe in the Reason 3 text cannot but promise great assurance For is not the little child safe while the Nurse carrieth it in her armes or beareth it in her hands So while these Nurses so beare vs can we be in danger but our Nurses on earth may fall these Nurses the Angels cannot Fourthly our protection is deliuered with a charge to the Angels Reason 4 that nothing be lacking as if the Lord should haue said I charge ye that ye looke well to all these little ones that I commit to your keeping see that none of them perish and vse your power in the safetie of them all First here is matter of thankfulnesse throughout all the Churches Vse 1 whose safetie is prouided for by so honourable a guard about them It had beene sufficient security to haue beene cared for by Gods prouidence and being to passe the seas of this troublesome world to haue had his Letters that is word for our safe conduct to our countrie but that God should giue vs besides his prouidence to keepe vs that hoste which is so glorious and neere himselfe to be alwaies about vs as if he should vouchsafe vnto vs not his princely Letters onely but his royall Nauie to bring vs safe to our heauenly Port and Land this must needes abundantly secure vs and expell all feare This is grace indeede and great riches of grace which should make his praise to bee heard his name to be excellent in al the places of his dominion If mens spirituall eyes were open they that are spirituall might see the Diuell and his Angels with a whole hoste of wicked men in continuall assault against them they might see themselues to goe continually in danger and euery step in death but that the strength of heauen goes with them and is there not matter in all this for the praise of God with heart and mouth In the yeere of our Lord 1588. the bragging power of Spaine could doe nothing against vs that came to destroy vs and to roote out our memoriall for the Lord kept our coasts by his Angels and what could they doe against such keepers should not this be remembred and should it not be remembred how the Angels haue encamped about defended this Realme against so many hostes of diuels diuels-children that more then 60 yeers haue sought by innumerable engines of Treason and threatnings of death to haue made it a Sepulcher of Christian carkesses for the Gospels sake that is yet among vs And let it not be forgotten what the Lord did so lately by his Angels in the mouth of our Soueraigne for the discouerie of the powder-plot Thus we haue been and are at this day kept safely by the Lord in the hand of his royall Angels for which grace of his what can wee giue to him lesse then praise in our mouthes and obedience in our liues continually Vse 2 A comfort to the righteous who in this that the Angels are their mighty keepers haue a spirituall preseruatiue of great vertue against all Plagues that come whether of sword famine or contagious Pestilence They that walke in the waies of the Lord when others runne out haue promise in a common euill of particular safety if it be expedient for them the Angels attend them for that purpose and the Lord knoweth how to deliuer them as he did Lot when he meaneth to turne a whole Sodom of filthinesse into ashes Gen. 19.16.22.29.2 Pet. 2.7.9 If God send Pestilence or famine or any other euill in the hotest Plague and greatest dearth that he sendeth they neede to feare nothing that haue reuerenced his truth and done his will keeping themselues vnspotted of abuses and sorrowing for the abuses they could not helpe for hauing such Leaders as the Angels are they shall not walke where the Plague walketh or if they doe they shall walke in the aire of it without danger hauing in these mighty ones about them so strong a counterpoison against it and when some dearth is sent the Angels will one way or other see them prouided for that the Scripture may be fulfilled which saith doe good and thou shalt be fed assuredly Psal 37.3 So when any other euill commeth God will not forget the loialty and good seruices of his people who hath put them all downe in a better and more lasting booke of record then was that which Assuerus kept for a remembrance of such Subiects as had deserued well of him Hest 6.1 2. but will defend such by his Angels as hee hath marked with fauour for speciall deliuerance in the euill day or else how should so many of the godly and few of the wicked escape in a towne visited with the Pestilence seeing the sicknesse is as infectious to one as to another and seeing that at the first beginning of it and before it was knowne or suspected both one and another went indifferently together into the house then infected with it The case is plaine the good Angles beare as many in their hands as God will haue them to deliuer from perill of death or common infection at such times Obiect You will say it often falles out otherwise Obiect in the visitation of God by Pestilence for the most wicked haue beene deliuered from it and the godly taken away Answ First it must bee remembred what was said before Answ which was that the godly shall be deliuered if it bee expedient for them and then not deliuered from that Plague they are deliuered from a greater by it euen a Plague of Plagues a most accursed life full of sinne fraught with miseries and dyings without end and number And for the wicked though they escape them they are not deliuered properly but repriued for a time to be more tormented hereafter either with that very death or with some other of a more horrible kinde or with euerlasting death in hell or they are reprieued till another visitation or to their day of assize in their deaths-day or day of generall iudgement But to make the ioy of the righteous full let it further be considered that the good Angels are stronger to saue then the euill are to destroy for are the euill great in power the good are greater then they the good hauing the fauour of God which the euill haue not are they old and subtle to inuent hurt the good are as old and more wise to preuent it can they cause Pestilence by venemous exhalations and dearth by some tempests the good can purge the aire that they haue poisoned and make a calme where they made a storme are they strong and full of might as they are full of might so they are fuller of feare and feare abateth strength also the good are stronger then they and voide of feare because without siune that causeth feare doe both worke from God yet they worke with great difference the good as voluntaries the euill as slâ—ues
the good well the euill like themselues the good with their right hand the euill weakely with the left the good for their fathers honour the euill for their own honour to Gods reproach Vse 3 An admonition to carie our selues with all modestie and comely reuerence not publickly only before men but in our priuatest closets and counsels for the good Angels are in our bed-chambers and when we doe or speake any thing in our beddes that is not seemely they see and heare we will not be rude in the presence of a Noble-man and shall we forget to be ciuill at least in the worthy presence of the Angles The woman must not be bare-headed in the assemblie because of the Angles 1 Cor. 11.10 our women now are and are not ashamed the meaning is all things must bee done and spoken reuerently and fitly where such witnesses are by and if so then how great is the impiety of some Christians Christians in name and beasts in life whose mouthes not onely priuately but at publick tables send forth so many corrupt words of so ill a fauour and example to modest mindes and eares and whose impure life is no better then a Pageant or stage of dishonestie and villany to all that obserue them or are neare them The condition vpon which the righteous are thus watched and kept by the Angels is that they keepe the way that is the good and right way which is appointed to them to walke in keeping within the bounds and circle of their vocation for so long as they neither vse euill meanes nor neglect the good of their safety following the word the Angels are charged to keepe them Doct. 2 From whence we learne that the good Angels are our keepers but with the condition of our keeping within the compasse of Gods will in his word and no otherwise or so long as we attend him in the way of our lawfull callings and no further which would be well obserued for the diuell alledging this Scripture to Christ omitted this that is that which was principall in the Text thy waies wronging the words and wresting the sense Luke 4.10 when Iacob was in the straight way that God had set him Angels were found with him in it Gen. 31.3 32.1 and Dauid saith that the Angel of God or Gods Angles the singular for the plurall encampe about those that feare God Psal 34.7 that is that walke in the way of his feare or so long as they feare him So after Christ had foiled Satan in those three head-temptations that are spoken of by Saint Mathew and Saint Luke walking in his fathers path through them all it is said the Angels came and ministred vnto him Mat. 4.11 Marke 1.13 Also they that mourned for the abominations that were done in Ierusalem a Citie of blood and of corrupt iudgement because that so to doe was to be in a way wherein Angels are set and minister for the welfare of the righteous were priuiledged by a sauing Angel or Christ in him from the destruction that was then made Ezech. 9.4.11 The reasons The Angels can doe no seruice where God is not serued but Reason 1 God is serued onely in the way of his truth and by our walking in the way of his commandements out of this way the Angles meete vs as that Angel did Balaam Num. 22.22 not as deliuerers but as enemies Secondly if they should keepe vs when we are out of our way Reason 2 they should be leaders to vs in our errings and of counsell with vs in our sinne Thirdly all Gods promises are with condition that we keepe Reason 3 the iudgements as it were way that hee hath commanded for not keeping this way the diuell may take vs as strayes or vagabonds from God being in by-waies or in the waies of falshood not in the way of which it is said and the simple shall not erre by it Esay 35.8 If then we forsake the way of Gods truth and of our lawfull Vse 1 callings in matters wee haue no promise of safetie or good successe by the ministerie of the good Angels Indeed so long as we abide in the truth God hath mercifully giuen vs his bond by the Angles but this obligation of our safetie is void so soone as we beginne to wander from his commandements which would be considered when danger is neere by any stroke of Gods hand be it Pestilence sword or famine for if we haue erred from his statutes and returne not at the call of these or the like perswaders to repentance we disclaime our priuilege in the safetie of the Angels and cannot with comfort flie to Gods promise for that hath no hope for vs it being certaine that none can haue his protection that walks not in the way to it that is by faith and sound repentance If sicknesse should be sent and the same of an infectious nature if enemies if famine should come many or rather all would expect Gods protection and say Lord helpe but if such be not in the way thereof by his feare but in strange waies by audacious sinfulnesse their expectation is vaine and they haue no promise to be heard when they call in the day of their necessity Esay 1.15 Prou. 1.24.28 Micah 3.4 Ezech. 9.9.10 Vse 2 A reproofe therefore of all those who promise to themselues the fauour of God and seruice of the good Angels in any life In a whorish life they crie peace and in a drunken life and life not lifted vp from sinne they say GOD will bee mercifull though they walke in the stubbornesse of their heart adding drunkennesse to thirst Deutronomie 29.19 but GOD will not bee mercifull to such verse 20. neither will the mercifull God of his people and righteous GOD of the earth take such by the hand Iob 8.20 They may haue the euill Angels for executioners and the good for their destruction but not to waite vpon them as keepers in their way Ieremie 23.17.29.20 6.15 5.12.14.15 This would bee considered at all times specially when the iudgement is begunne or hath for some time continued Some where the Plague of Pestilence hath broken out as a fornace of flaming fire in a Towne or Citie doe for all that most desperately increase the wrath as it were fire by adding further matter of new sinnes vnto it that there may bee no end till all bee consumed and some when GOD denieth his blessing to the fruites of the earth by some pinching yeares powre out themselues to as great excesse of riot by large drunkennesse and other intemperancies as if the yeeres then serued as well as euer but let such know being out of the way of the good Angels that they are in the high way of the euill to bee destroyed one way or other then or at some other time with first death or with first and second So much for the keepers of the righteous the Angels the perills from which they keepe and deliuer them followe That thou