Selected quad for the lemma: lord_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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hard to say whether we have more cause to tremble at Gods judgment in this plague or to admire at his goodness in the abatâ—ment of it when it once threatned the whole Nation as though the Lord had purposed to make a full end that affliction should not rise up the second time Now mark what the Prophet saith The Lion hath roared who will not fear Amos 3. 8. when Gods hand is lifted up he expects that we should see it and express a sense of it the People of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a Fast and put on sackcloath Jon. 3. 5. and did we verily believe that God is wroth with us we should busy and bestir our selves towards the appeâ—sing of it This day would be observed with more solemnity our Prayers sent up to Heaven with more devotion the Word listen'd unto with more attention Almâ— given with more freeness and abundance All tokens and testimonies of Humiliation are little enough when God shews such tokens of his wrath as the plague is this is not a time to addict our selves to pride or dâ—lliance or luxury The Romans punished one severely that in a time of common calamity was seen looking out at a window with a Crown of Roses on his head God delights to see a People shew themselves affected with his displeasure mâ—rk what he said once to the Isrâ—elites after they had made the Golden Calf Exod. â—3 5. I will come into the â—â—ast of thee in a moment and consume thee it is not an absoluâ—e determination but a conditional coâ—â—inaâ—ion therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do uâ—to theâ— that is humble thy self give some testimony of the awe â—hat thou standeâ—â— in of my Wrath of thy sorrow for the sin that hath incensed it thaâ— though I be highly provoked yet I may be â—â—ved to have pity on and shew some favour to theâ— 2. If the Plague be so dreadful a judgment what cause have we of this City to bless God for our preservation from it especially considering how many dangers we have been exposed to some through the necessity of State others through our own improvidence and some through the corrupt and covert dealings of Passengers and Traders to be preserved from danger is a mercy at any time but especially then when we see others overtaken and our selves encompossed with it What may we attribute this our preservation to shall we impute it to our own diligence and care no certainly for if our watchfulness had been ten times more yet we read in Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City the Watchmâ—n â—aketh but in vain shall we ascribe it to any merit or desert of ours nay that would be far worse as Job saith Job 9. 20. Our own mouths would condemne us and prove us perverse I would it might not be said of us as it was once of Ahaz that in this time of distress we have trespassed yet more and more sure it is vice and profaneness are grown to that height of impudence as hath not been known in former years those vices which heretofore were scarce once named amongst us are become common what said God once concerning Judah Jer. â— 8. When she saw that God had given back sliding Israel a â—ill of Divorce and put her away for her adulâ—eries yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and played the Harlot also it is easie to apply it here though we saw what God had doâ—â— to London â—et we have not feared but gone on to corrupt our selâ—es and do so wickedly as if we intended to justific them or as if we thought that the sins of the Nation could not be soon enough filled up unless we added more measure to them Our preservation therefore can be attributed â—o nothing but the merciful and gratioâ— protection of Almighty God And therefore let us magnify the Lord and let us exalt his name together let us bless him at all times and let â—iâ— praise be continually in our months for he i◠〈◊〉 that hath held our souls in life and not suffered our feet to be moved he hath hitherto delivered us from all our fears and put a new song into our month eveâ— praise unto our God Only let us fear the Lord and serve him in truth and with all our hearts for consider how great things he hath done for us but if we shall still do wickedly sin lies at the door and judgment will find us out 3. And lastly if the Plague be so dreadful a judgment then it calls upon us loudly to pity those whom God hath been pleased to exercise with so heavy a visitation think that you hear the great City of the Land thus bewailing her misery and begging your commiseration as the City Jerusalem once I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath surely against me is 〈◊〉 turned he turneth his hand against me all the day be hath bent his â—â—w and set me as a mark for the arrow I envy not your immunity only desire you to commiserate my Calamity Have pity upon me have pity upon me O ye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me Job 19. 21. We have no hasty and fearful fleeing out of our City whole families made desolate miserere dâ—uâ— upon our doors we hear not that doleful voice bring out your dead Eusebins faith that in the Plague at Alexandria the Christians were as careful of one another visited those that were infected provided for them converted with them buryed them as at other times but the Heathen regarded not their Neighbours and friends but fled from them suffered them to starve and afterwards to lye unburied I acknowledge there is much difference between the spirits of Christians now from what was in those Ages for then they were willing upon all occasions to hazard yea to lay down their lives for the Brethren I blame not the Christians at Alexandria for what they did because I know not what Heroick principle they might have to induce them to it perhaps they did it for to set a pattern and example to the Heathen among whom they lived to let them see that they were not afraid of death and that their love to each other was so great that nothing could separate them But it is not safe to tempt God and run our selves upon hazards where we have no warrant we cannot we may not in a time of infection converse so freely with and do those offices to the infected as we would at another time yet it behoves us however to do all we can safely there is no danger sure in pitying them in praying for them in contributing toward their necessities these we may safely do we cannot salvâ conscientiâ omit them And now that I have mentioned Contribution I cannot but I must tell you that there is no reality in our commiseration without it St. James declares against such as say to one that is in wanâ— Be ye filled and be ye warmed but give them not those things that are needful for the body Jâ—â—â— 2. 16. St John is yet sharper 1 John 3. 17. whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his Brother have need and â—hâ—ttâ—th up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Giving of Alms is one of the man ingredients into an acceptable Fast The Fast that God hath chosen is â—o deal our bread to the hungry â—loath the naked and not to hide our selves from our own flesh Isa 58. â— 7. we cannot â—ell whether it may please God to visit us but if he should happy that man then who hath not been defective in his duty to the infected whose bowels have melted and turned within him for their Calamity whose Prayers have been dayly poured ouâ— for their redreâ—â— whose hands have been stretched out wide and without grudging for their Relief and lastly whose conversation hath been ordered aright that they and the whole Land might see the salvation of God FINIS â—ob 39. 22. 2 Cor. 1. 3. 10 Dâ—â—emb 6th 1665. 1 â—am 2â— 3. 1 Sam. 18. 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. lib. 7 ca. 17. Exoâ— 12. 30. Neque quisque mortalium qâ—â— ejus â—ffugerit contagionâ—m c. lib. 3. ca 28 2 King 2. 12. Psal 128. 3. Jer. 31. 15. Psal 84. â— â—lâ—â—d Râ—m 82. 17. 1. Kings 22. 2. Chro 35. 2. Sam. 1 23. Jer. 5. 4. Rom. â— 1 Math. 16. 24. Acts 14. 21. Rom. 8. 28. Luk. 23. 31 Dan. 9. 4. Rss Prov. 18. 14. Mat. 16. 2â— 1 Pet. 1 1â— Luk. 12. 4 Rev. 9. 6. Nahu 1. 9. Is 26 9 10 11 2 Chr. 28. 2â— Eph. 5. 3. Psal â—4 â— 2 3 4. Psal 66. 9. Psal 40. 3. 1 â—aâ— 12. â—4 Geâ— 4. 7. Num. 32. 23. Lament 3. â— Joh. 3. 16. Mat. 4. 7. Pâ—â—l 50. 23.