studies Can we hope that that Man's prayer should be acceptable to God whose heart in stead of being lifted up to the throne of Grace is sunk into the Earth by the love of Terrene pleasures No we must have hearts purified with the fire of Divine love and hands wash'd in innocency before we can be acceptable Under the Law the burnt offerings were to be flea'd and cut in peices and their Legs and Inwards were to be wash'd Upon which Saint Cyril of Alexandria says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fleaing off the Skin was a riddle of naked discovery Hom. Pasc 22. p. 240. for nothing at all in us is hid or veiled from the Divine and pure eyes of God We must not be content with the superficies and out-side of a good life but we must flea our Sacrifices and look to the Integrity of our inwards we must as it were cut our selves in peices by a strict examination of the particular actions of our whole life whatever belongs to us our desires our thoughts all must be purified if we would have our Sacrifice Grateful How many are there in the World that make long prayers yet devour Widows houses How many that have nothing in their mouths but Gospel light and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ yet do but flea them and you shall find them full of Avarice Pride Faction and the greatest uncharitableness Godfrey of Bulloine being asked by the Ambassador of a Sarazen Prince how he had his hands tam doctas ad praeliandum so able to fight returned this answer Quia manus semper habui puras ab impuris contractibus peccati Because I never defiled my hands with any notorious Sin Our Prayers will never be prevalent with God until we first combat and foyle our own Sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato defines Purity a Separation of the worse from the better We must in a good sense be Separatists and come out of Babylon before we can be fit company for the Lamb and when we have once done this we may confidently hope a relaxation of our miseries and that God will hear from heaven forgive our Sins and heal our Land And so I come to the third Ingredient in the Text Repentance If my people humble themselves and pray and turn from their evil ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their Sin and will heal their Land In the Pythian and Olympick Games the Contenders for honour and renown had their way chalk'd out with two white Lists out of which they were not to salley so it was with Adam in Paradice his via morum was rayled in with Innocence aswell as his via pedum adorned with Flowers and other delightful Objects but he having leap'd over the pale by eating the forbidden fruit took upon him the Trade of wandring into by-paths and his children like so many Gypsies have ever since exercised the same Profession I have heard of some that they have been so much in love with the wandring humour that though they have been heirs to good fortunes yet they have consorted themselves with the begging Crew only to have the Liberty of roving up and down And thus it is with man generally as to his Spiritual condition though God hath elevated us to the dignity of Sons-ship and Christ accepted the Title of our elder Brother yet we have strayed away from his blessed Company and that heavenly inheritance he purchased for us with his blood We have taken more delight in the meanders of Sin and folly that can afford us nothing of sollid worth than in those durable and eternal riches of Grace and Holyness Upon this score it is that the Text saith If my people turn from their evil ways which implyes they were out of the way of God and altogether journying the Mazes of Idolatry and Sin that God would heal and redress the miseries that for such deviations were come upon them But because I will speak more distinctly of Repentance I shall consider it in its three parts 1. Compunction or Contrition for Sin 2. Confession of Sin 3. Conversion from Sin to God First Compunction or Contrition And now how happy should I be if my discourse to you at this time could have the same operation on your hearts that St. Peter's Sermon had upon his Auditors as St. Luke describes it in the second of the Acts and the 37. vers where it is said Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do A true and holy Sorrow like so many Needles peirced them thorough as Eupolis recounts of Pericles's Oration to the People of Athens Cicero de Clar. Orat. In animis auditorum aculeos reliquit it left stings in his Auditors minds Now that we may a little consider the phrase we must make a difference between spiritus compunctionis and compunctio spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spirit of Compunction which St. Paul complains of in the unbelieving Rom. 11.8 believing Jews and Compunction of Spirit or of the heart mentioned in this place of the Acts St. Paul says God hath given them a Spirit of Slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day as if he would say they are possest with a Spirit of stupidity and obstinacy in Sin that slash and wound them never so yet they will not be sensible but this compunction or pricking of the heart which St. Peter's Auditors endured was a godly Sorrow for their Sins and sight of their miserable Condition Now Lorinus affords us a ternary of reasons why godly Sorrow for Sin is called compunction of the heart Act. C. 2. 1. Quia vel aperitur Cordis apostema 2. Vel quia vulneratur Cor amore Dei 3. Vel quia daemon dolore invidia sauciatur Either because the corruption of the heart is discovered as an Aposteme or Vlcer is opened by the prick of a Launce Or because the heart is wounded with the love of God as the Spouse in the Canticles cries out I am sick of Love Or because thereby the Devil is wounded with Indignation and Envy as knowing the ruine of his Interest and Kingdome must needs be caused when Sinners return to God the Centre of their happiness from which they recoyled But if any one ask me the reason why they were thus pricked thus wounded at the heart the 23. 24. Verses of the second of the Acts will tell us him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God Ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain It was high time for the Jews to be touched to the quick that had put to death the Lord of Life their Messiah and Saviour of the World And truly if we reflect aright upon our selves we shall find it high time for us to
Vmbra viri facies haec est Surgentis in altum Effigiem melius pagina culta dabit Ingentes animae superant virtutibus Artem Vostermanne tuam vel Titiane tuam PILLVLAE PESTILENTIALES OR A SPIRITUAL RECEIPT for Cure of The Plague Delivered in a Sermon Preach'd in St. Paul's Church LONDON in the mid'st of our late Sore VISITATION By Rich. Kingston M. A. and Preacher at St. James Clerken-well Numb 16.46 There is wrath gone out from the Lord and the Plague is begun Numb 16.48 And Aaron stood between the Living and the Dead and the Plague was stayed LONDON Printed by W. G. for Edw. Brewster at the Crane in St. Pauls Church-yard 1665. To the Right Honourable Sir JOHN KEELING Knight and Baronet Lord Chief Justice of ENGLAND Right Honourable WHen I lift mine Eyes from the low and humble valley of my obscure fortunes to that bright shining and Eminent hill of Honour on which the Favour of His Majesty the Nobleness of Birth and your many Excellent Virtues have seated you I cannot but lay a sharp and rigorous Censure upon my own Presumption that I so much a stranger to your Lordship should thus boldly adventure to press into your presence and to crave your Honourable Patronage of so mean a Work but when your Honour is pleas'd to consider that Divine Truth 's are Subjects worthy of acceptation though presented in an Earthen Vessel and David's comfort in rescuing his Wives and recovering the spoils from the Amalekites was no whit the smaller although a young man of Egypt made way for the discovery I hope to obtain what I humbly beg your Honours Pardon My Lord this Sermon was Compos'd and Preach'd in the very height of our late dreadful Visitation when Thousands dy'd on our right hand and Ten Thousand on our left at which time my imployment by day was visiting the Sick and by night burying the Dead having no time allowed for study but what I extracted from my natural rest which may make this Tract more guilty of failings than at another time my humble request therefore to your Lordship is that you would be pleased to lay the finger of a charitable construction upon the Scar of my imperfection and favourably accept this first fruit of my labours So in all humility imploring the God of Majesty and Mercy to Sanctifie your Heart Rectifie your Hand Justifie your Soul and lastly Crown your Head with eternal Glory I take the honour to Subscribe my self Your Lordships daily Oratour Rich. Kingston To the Right Worshipful Joseph Ayloff and George Walsh Esquires two of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex And to the Worshipful Henry Dacres and William Cole Esquires as also to his much respected friend Mr. Henry Knight R. K. wisheth the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth Right Worshipful TUtelar Angels are a controverted Theme amongst Schoolmen but the favourable influence of a just defence from your Worships hath been an unquestionable matter of my experience which transcendent favours if buried in Oblivion would be an high impeachment of veracity and not to acknowledge them having this occasion could plead for no distance from down-right sordidness and plain Ingratitude The Work is too small and the Author too mean to equalize your worth or merit your Patronage only 't is the height of my Ambition to let the world know that your favours which as far excel my deserts as my power to retaliate have not been bestowed on an ungrateful Servant I am not ignorant that cunning Bezaliahs and Aholiahs may carve and pollish the Temple yet I am glad that I can but lay one little stone though men of brighter Souls bring their Gold and Jewels to it yet I hope God will accept of my young Pigeons and Turtle Doves I may say with St. Peter Silver and Gold have I none but what I have I give you in all humility beseeching you to consider my years which are but few and the time I had which was but short and my many other sad occasions wherewith in the mean time I was interrupted and then accept of this for tryal as if it were the extract of some purer and better wit The Lord prosper your days direct your hearts and bless all your undertakings to the glory of his Name and your own eternal felicitie So ever Prayeth Your Worships in all Duty and Service Rich. Kingston To the Church-Wardens of the Parish of St. James Clerken-Well for the time being and to the rest of the Officers and Inhabitants of the same Parish R. K. Wisheth health and happiness in this life and Eternal blessedness in that to come Loving Friends IT pleased the wise Disposer of all things to cast my lot among you in one of the most dreadful Visitations that ever England knew when the black Horse of the Pestilence with Pale Death on his back pranc'd our Streets at Noon day and Midnight at which dreadful and never to be forgotten time our sense of Seeing was well-nigh glutted with beholding the sight of our Diseased and Deceased Friends enough to have extinguish'd the optick faculty No Papers then over our Dores were set With Chambers ready furnish'd to be Let But a sad Lord have mercy upon us and A Bloody Cross as fatal marks did stand Presaging th' noisome Pestilence within Was come to take revenge of us for Sin And as our Eyes might well be dim'd so might our Ears be deaf'd with the doleful cryes of the Poor for Food to keep them from Starving of the Sick for Physick to keep them from Dying and of them that were Marked for Spiritual helps to preserve them from Perishing We well might hear of Death there was such plenty One Bell at once was fain to Ring for twenty No Clocks were heard to strike upon their Bells Cause nothing Rung but Death-lamenting knells Which dreadful noises so terrified some and affrighted all that men knew not what course to steer to preserve themselves from this wounding shaft Some by their fear to go to Church deburr'd Anon are carri'd Dead into the Yard And Churches new with too much Burial fed Fear'd they should have no meeting but of Dead This Poyson'd Arrow of the Pestilence especially when it was first foot among us wounded so suddenly and sharply that we could scarce be resolved whether 't was Sickness or Death it self that assaulted us for many lying down to repose in the Evening made their sleep true kin to Death by dying before the Morning Ah who would then defer A preparation for this messenger But not to detain you longer with a large Epistle to a little Book be pleas'd to accept thereof as a Testimony of my sincere love to you which shall always be accompanied with my hearty Prayers for you that our merciful God would be pleas'd to withdraw his Sin-revenging Scourge which is still amongst us and charge his Angels to guard your persons from future dangers and give you
Angels veil their faces by whose only Fiat the Chaos was un-masked and to whose bounty all the several species of creatures owe their Beeing I will hear from heaven forgive and heal your Land Other Physicians either out of hope of gain or to buoy up their credits and repute in the World promise those cures which they can never perform But here is one whose Word is his Deed that Archetypal verity who having the Issues of Life and Death in his hand when he promises Life cannot be guilty of a Lye and when he threatens death upon impenitency will surely inflict it So then here is a Conjunction of the whole Trinity in the Cure promised the perfection of which will appear in three particulars 1. God will cure us corporally When he sent his beloved Son to preach the Gospel of Eternal Life many heard him but were little moved with the Excellency of his Embassie but when he came to those sensitive and ocular demonstrations of his power the healing of the Sick and feeding the Multitude by miracle many then were induced to believe in him S. Matthew tells us that he healed all that were Sick At his word the Blind found eyes the lame flung away their Crutches the Paralytick and such as were troubled with an effusion of Blood found that virtue proceeding from him which effected their cure If the touch of his garment were so balsamical that of his voice had a greater power for Lazarus though rotting four days in his grave at Christ's first call quitted his cold Mansion and conquered Death surrendred his Prisoner at the Command of this great Prince The Platonist say Lumen est Vmbra Dei Light is but the shadow of God and I may very well affirm that the Learned'st Physicians are but shadows of this Sun of righteousness when he appears with healing in his wings Have we the plague spots upon us If God will be our Physician their very redness shall serve for a blush to confess their impotency when he bids them vanish Does a Feaver burn us or a Dropsie drown us One word of his mouth will prove a Julip to cool our veins and a Sluce to let out that Lake of humours which would engulph us If we be once penitentially quallified He will hear us He will heal us Let us therefore look upon this Visitation with a Spiritual eye Let us that God yet spares learn to be better lest those Princes of Peru in America meer Heathens at the day of Judgment rise up against us who accounted Sickness Nuncios coeli quibus se ad Deos acciri dicebant God's Messengers by which he would draw them to himself as Nierembergius reports He brings us into the School of Affliction Hist Nat. that we might learn Wisdome And as he will heal us so he will the diseases in the creatures that contribute to the maintenance of our Lives Is the Air infected He will purge it Is the fruit blasted He will stop Mildews and what ever hinders a plentiful Vegitation Doth the Murrain consume Cattle That shall likewise cease In a word whatever impleads our temporal enjoyments upon our Repentance like Dust shall be driven away before the Wind. 2. God will cure us Spiritully The wounds of the Soul are infinitely more considerable than those of the Body and therefore David who as St. Chrysostom speaks was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One that lived as strictly in his Kingly Pallace as in a Cloyster cries out Ps 41.4 Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee And indeed he had great reason to do so for he that had victoriously encountred the Lyon the Bear Goliah and an host of Men was now broken by a feminine temptation and become guilty of those Soul-wounding Sins Adultery and Murther Now as David made his Address to God the only Soul-Physician so let us for he can certainly restore and heal This Soul-cure he will perform First By healing our irregular affections which can by no less powerful means be effected than the communication of his Grace For if Adam in Paradice richly furnished with supernatural gifts continued but a poor while in that purity and excellent condition how much less can nature wounded with Sin without the assistance of supernatural endowments recover her former purity I shall not deny but a vigorous reason may help a man to acquire those virtuous habits which may cause a promptitude in the affections to virtuous actions yet those Acts of virtue will be so poor and imperfect that they can never bring him to eternal felicity Actions that spring from Grace do as far excel those that are the Issue of Nature though never so morallized as fruits that are ripened in the woods and fields by the beams of the Sun do those that are brought forth by artificial fires Grace changes the affections powerfully and renders them as it were new affections according to St. Paul If a Man be in Christ he is a new creature Not that our affections in this life are totally healed by grace there will be lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit in the most gracious persons but those Insurrections and Tumults are rather suffered by God as a Tryal than a destruction to his children Inordinate affections shall be so healed in this life that they shall lose their Empire though not their Beeing when they begin to rebel Grace will be able to subdue and triumph over them Secondly By healing our Vnderstanding At first when man enjoyed his Integrity the Vnderstanding did naturally apprehend truth with the greatest facility and as when our eye looks upon some curious piece of Painting Sculpture or any other beautiful object it is highly pleased so the Vnderstanding when it look'd upon Truth received great Satisfaction and the more sublime and excellent the Truths were the nobler caresses she found in the contemplation of them But novv alas a dismal chaos hath invelop'd the Vnderstanding yea that Science that vvas so brisk and sparkling in our first Parents and should have been the inheritance of all their posterity is utterly lost Our ignorance is such that vve are not able to judge of supernatural Truths and therefore God vvill cure this defect in us by Divine Illumination He vvill set up in our Souls the bright Tapers of his grace vvhereby the fogs and mists of Infidelity shall be dispell'd and such a certainty vvrought in us as is essential to true Faith Thirdly By healing our Wills The Phylosopher's Maxim is here true Corruptio Optimi est pessima The Will being the supreme faculty of the Soul had once a natural power to love God but being novv wounded by Sin the wounds in it are of a deadlier nature than those of the other faculties Thus Sins of Malice are deeper wounds than those of Infirmity or Ignorance and therefore one excellently said That nothing fri'd so much in Hell as the perverse wills of Men. God will heal this wounded part also by his