Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A45206
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The dreadfulness of the plague. Or A sermon preached in the parish-church of St. John the Evangelist, December 6th. being a day of public fasting. By Jos. Hunter M.A. and minister in York
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Hunter, Josiah, minister in York.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing H3766; ESTC R219103
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15,661
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32
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he puts in this for one aggravation Mat. 24. 7. there shall be Famines and Pestilences these are the beginnings of sorrows the description which the Psalmist gives of the Plague hath much of terrour in it Psal 78. 49 50. He cast upon them the fierceness of hiâ— anger wrath indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels amongâ—t them he made a way to his anger he spared not their Soul from death but gave their life over to the Peâ—â—ilence I read even of Hypoeraâ—es that he was wont to call the Plague 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a special Divine judgment a stroke of Gods own bare hand as it were these and such like instances joyned with the experience of all Ages are enough to prove the Proposition For the farther explication of it I will answer these three Questions 1. Why the Plague 〈◊〉 so dreadful 2. What is it that provokes God to inflict it upon â— people 3. If it be such a token of Gods wrath whether it doth befall good men I mean Believers and those that are in the state of justification 1. Why the Plague 〈◊〉 so dreadful a tâ—ken of Gods wrath I answer 1. Because it is so destructive you shall seldome if at all read of the Pestilence in Scripture but Consume is joyned with it we may say of every man infected with it as David said once to Jonathan concerning himself there is but a step between death and him in that Family or City where the Plagve is veâ—ement and raging we may say of them as God threatned it should be with the Jews Deut. 28. 66 67. Their lives hang in doubt before them and they fear day and night and have no assurance of their life in the morning they say would to God it was Even and at even would God it was morning for the fear of their hearts wherewith they fear and for the sight of their eyes which they do see What havocks hath this made in the earth we may mâ—re truly say of the Plague than Samson of the jaw bone wherewith he killed so mâ—ny Philistims Heaps upon Heaps Judg. 15. 16. after David had slâ—in Goliâ—h they saâ—g in Dances Saul â—ath â—lain hâ—â— thousands but David his ten thousands so it may be said here other diseases have slain their thousands but the Plague hath slain its ten thousands it is so destructive that it is called in the abstract Destruction Psal 91. 6. Nor for the Pestilenâ—e that walkesh in darkness nor for the Destruction that â—aâ—leth at noon day What the Apostle affirms of wicked men may be likewise said of this Pestilential disease misery and destruction is in its way Rom. 3. 16. All Histories both Sacred Ecclesiastical and Prophane tell of the great Desolations that the Plague hath made we read how it swept away 14000. one time Numb 16. 49. another time 24000. Num. 25. 8. another time 70000. 2 Sam. 24. 15. and yet these summs though questionless thought very great in those times fall far short of what hath been since Those that have dyed in London of this present Plague I fear amount to more than the three fore mentioned summs put together Eusebius speaking of a great plague in Alexandria hath words to this effect out of Dionysius Now all things are full of lamentation all men moâ—rn sadness and complaining fills the whole City partly for those that are dead and partly for those that are dying daeyly for it is with us now â—s it was with the Egyptians when God slew their first-born there wâ—s a great â—ry among them because not an house where there wâ—s not one dead So Evagriâ—s speaks of a plague that continued two and fifty years it spread he saith over the whole world nor any mortal man then that did escape the Conâ—agion and some Cities he reports it invaded so vehemently that it left not in Inhabitant iâ— them The Prophet bemoaning the deplorable estate of Jerusalem amongst other hath these words Lam. 1. 4. The wayes of Zion do mourn because none come to the solemn Feasts all her Gates are desolate her Priests sigh her Virgins are afflicted and she is in bitterness and it hath been known not only in other Countries but also in our own Nation when there hath been such a morrality by the Plague that the Churches the Schools the Markets the Streets the High-ways have all mourned and some of them laid so desolate that beasts might have grazed where men were wont to trade 2. That which renders the Plague yet more dreadful is the suddenness of that Destruction which it makes the dispatch of the destruction as I may call it the suddenness of an evil helps to add much to the terrour of it this is not hard to prove from Scripture I will give you but a touch and then apply them Prov. 6. 15. His calamity shall come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Eccles 9. 11. The Sons of men are snared in an evil â—â—me when it falleth suddenly upon them Isa 29. 18. this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in an high wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant This is that which God threatens to Babylon Isa 47. 11. Evil shall come upon thee thou shalt not know from whence it riseth and mischief shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly which thou shalt not know well this is of the nature of the plague to slay suddenly it surprizeth men whilst they are eating and drinking walking and trafficking and sends them speedily from a state of health and soundness to take their portion among them who have laid long silent in the dust If you observe the Text with what follows you shall find how quickly the Plague swept away 14000. it is very likely in less than an hour in the 2 Sam. 24. we read of 70000. that dyed of it in three days where the plagus comes it doth not only make great but sudden breaches how quickly it makes a sad change not only in a Family and lesser societies but even in Cities and greater Corporations insomuch that sometimes places of the greatest concourse have had cause to bewail themselves in the language of the Prophet Lam. 1. 1. How doth the City sit solitarily that was full of people how is she become as a widow to day it may be you have children rejoycing under the wing of their Parents taking care for nothing but even to drive away care and before to morrow perhaps vou shall hear them crying out lamentably as Elisha when the Prophet Elijah was taken from him My Father my Father to day perhaps Parents are rejoycing in their Children delighting to behold them stand like Olive-plants round about their table promising unto themselves I know not what felicity in their well-doing and before to morrow it may be you shall have them like Rachel weeping for their