charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Thus now men shall be preserved and delivered in the time of a Plague by the ministry of Angels And so you have the words opened Now to bring things home to our selves by way of application Here we may see what is our work our great work in this day The day we are fallen into is a dark day a day of the Plague and the Pestilence 't is good for us to inquire what our works is 't is good at all times but now especially to inquire what our work is Oh what is my work this day Now the work of this day our work is to trust in the Lord this is the work that protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is entailed upon Who is there that does not desire to be protected and delivered from this Plague Oh that I and my family may be preserved behold here your Antidote to keep you from the Plague Trust in the Lord as ever you and your family may be protected now in this evil day Trust in the Lord and call upon yours to trust in the Lord But what shall we do that we may trust in the Lord in this day of the Plague First of all you must repent of your own sins and be sorrowful for the sins of others and of the times wherein you live When the Plague camâ— in David's time you know what David did he repented Lord says he I have done foolishly as for these sheep what have they done 'T is I Lord 't is I. So let every one do this God expects in the time of a Plague In the 4th Câ—apter of Amos says the Lord there in the 10. verse I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. When God sends the pestilence then he expects that men and women should return unto him repent and return unto him in the 9th of Ezekiel those that sigh and mourn for the abominations they are marked when men go into the City with their destroying weapons Those that sigh and mourn for the evil of the times they are the marked men They are not marked for deliverance that do abstain from sin a man may be given to drunkenness and may leave his drunkenness but that will not bring him under the mark Men are not brought under the mark for deliverance that do repent of their own sin but the mark is set upon those that do mourn for other mens sins but now I put both together If you trust in the Lord in this evil day in the time of a Plague repent for your own sins and mourn for the sins of others For how can I trust in the Lord for protection if I do not repent of my sins if I live in any sin and do not turn from all my evil ways how can I trust in the Lord I cannot do it therefore repent and be sorrowful for your own sins and for the sins of others Secondly Get assurance of your interest in Christ Christ is our great High Priest that makes the atonement as Aaron did in the time of a Plague it is by the ministry of Angels especially that we are kept in the time of a Plague Now says our Saviour Christ to Nathaniel because I saw thee under the fig-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these And he saith unto him verily verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man The Angels ascend and descend upon Christ all the ministry of Angels is upon Christs account and you are preserved and protected in the time of a plague by the ministration of Angels what then get an Interest in Christ and if you doubt of your interest get assurance do not let that slip now now get an interest in Christ now get assurance Thirdly Go to God to make good this promise in this 91. Psalm if you do but mind it the Lord doth not onely promise protection and deliverance from the Plague to those that trust in him but he promises grace to trust in him he promises protection upon condition that you trust in him and he promises you grace also to trust in him saith he at the 5th verse Art thou afraid and canst not trust in me Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day at the 4th verse He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust Thou shalt not be afraid c. thou shalt be secure and I will keep thee from fear The Lord that hath promised protection in the time of a Plague hath also promised freedom from fear and grace to trust in him therefore go to God for this grace go to him to make good this promise Then again fourthly consider what motives ye have to trust in God in the time of a plague you will say what arguments or motives have we in the consideration whereof we may be moved to trust in God in the time of a plague there are many give me leave a little that we may help one anothers faith in this needful day First of all though the destroyer be abroad yet there is a man with his pen and ink-horn by his side also abroad and that man is your friend 't is Christ as you read in the 9th of Ezekiel there goes a man out with a pen and ink-horn by his side to mark those that sigh and mourn and cry for the abominations that are done Now to this man Christ is a friend and therefore why should not you believe why should you not trust in the Lord But 2ly If that the Lord do know those that do trust in him in the time of a plague why should you not trust in him In the first Chapter of Nahum you find very great expressions of Gods anger and indignation 't is said at the 2. verse God is jealous and the Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth and is furious the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries and he reserveth wrath for his enemies c. At the 5th verse The mountains quake at him and the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him What then in the 7th verse The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him The Lord when he is angry doth distinguish betwixt those that trust in him and those that do not trust in him If a man be angry and in
hundreds fall on this side and on the other side and thousands may quickly then says he yet it shall not come nigh thee there shall no evil befall thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling ver 7 10. Will you say O but this same disease of the Plague 't is like a Lion and an Adder and as a young Lion and Dragon yet saith he Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder and the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet in the 13. verse Will you say O but suppose the Plague should come all my friends would leave me I shall be left all alone and what shall become of me then why says he at the 15. verse He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble spoken in regard of the Plague I am of Molerus his mind that the whole Psalm relates to the Plague Will you say O but I cannot believe this there is no likelihood that I should escape in a general Plague mark what he says in the last verse With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation it shall be my salvation thou shalt not be saved by second causes but it shall be my salvation and in the 3d verse saith he Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler from the noisom pestilence do not doubt it surely he shall deliver thee The words of this Psalm are so said as to take off and to obviate all our objections and fears therefore why should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague But you will say then how shall this work of faith and trusting in the Lord be carried on I shall say no more in it but only two or three things from this Psalm It must be carried on with love to God knowledge of his name and prayer In the 14. verse because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him As you must believe and trust in God so you must set your love on God and says he I will set him on high because he hath known my name He shall call upon me and I will answer him Here are three things Love to God knowledge of his name and prayer your faith and trust in such a day must go along with these three Some say they do believe and trust in God but they don't set their love upon God some say they love him but do not know his name that whereby God is distinguished and worshipped some say they know Gods name but they do not pray But now if you would carry on your faith and trust in the Lord as you ought to do your trusting in the Lord must be carried on with Love to God Knowledge of his Name and Prayer 2ly Go on in your way Christians do not start out of your way He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways In all thy ways the ways of thy calling take heed you be not found out of your way that the Plague don't find you out of your way look that you do not start out of your way 3ly And so to end go to God and tell the Lord that you do trust in him and make him your Habitation He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say of the Lord in the Hebrew I will say to the Lord my refuge my fortress my God in him will I trust 'T is not enough to trust in the Lord but you must go to God and tell him that you do trust in him that you make him your Habitation say Lord I make thee my Habitation I trust in thee thou art my refuge and my fortress in thee do I trust FINIS The 91. Psalm vers 11. 12. For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone FOr he shall give his angels charge over thee c. Having treated of this Psalm already I shall not spend much time in showing you the coherence of these words with the former you see they are brought in with a for For he shall give his angels charge over thee as giving an account and reason of that which was said before In the former part of the Psalm you read of the Saints protection in and their deliverance from the Plague and pestilence in the day thereof At the 10. verse There shall no evil befal thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling Why For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways c. So that here still you have the promise of protection in the time of the Plague and pestilence the means whereby God will protect deliver The condition of this promise in these words keep thee in all thy ways So that though the danger of the Plague and pestilence be never so great yet if we be found in our ways Gods angels under him shall be our protection He shall give his angels charge over thee c. In which words you may read the special and singular care and providence of God over his people in the time of Plague and pestilence to be managed by the hands of Angels God will take special order with the angels for the safety of his people in the time of the Plague and pestilence For the clearing of which argument three things will fall under our consideration First that God hath singular care and providence over his children 2ly That this care and providence is managed by the hands of Angels 3ly That this and all this is and shall be excited and drawn out specially in the time of the Plague and pestilence As for the first it is so full and clear in the words that I shall need go no further He doth not say that God will provide for his people in the generall but there is a singular and special care and providence that God hath for his people For if you mind the words first he sayes he will give his angels charge over thee Charge charge is a strict command more than a bare command as when you would have a servant do a business certainly and fully you lay a charge upon him I charge you that you do not neglect that business you don 't barely tell him what he should do prescribe him his work but you charge him to do it So sayes the Lord unto the Angels my servants or children now they are in the Plague and Pestilence O my Angels I charge you stir not from their houses I charge you stir not from such a ones bed-side 't is a charge He shall give his angels charge 2ly He doth not only and will not only charge his Angel but his Angels not one Angel charged with the safety of his people but many Angels for their
fury he strikes any that comes in his way he does not know his friends from his enemies but the Lord knows them that trust in him though he be angry and in fury and in indignation yet he knows them that trust in him and therefore why should ye not trust in the Lord in the day of a Plague 3ly If that Plague and Pestilence do make room for Gods people why should ye not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague what think you should be the meaning of that which we read in the 3d of Habakkuk Before him went the Pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet When was this it was when God led his people into Canaan God came from Teinan and the Holy One from mount Paran Selah His glory covered the heavens and the earth was full of his praise before him went the pestilence and burning coals went forth at his feet He sent the pestilence among the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Peresites to consume them and make way for his people God can send a Pestilence into a City to make room for his people and to take off persecution You see you have Scripture for it before him went the pestilence now I say if God by a Pestilence can and doth and will make room for his people why should not ye who are the people of God trust in the Lord in the day of a Plague 4ly If there be mercy with the Lord in the time of a plague if God be ready to be intreated to receive atonement and to shew mercy unto his people why then should not you trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague Now I pray look upon the story of David's time and you may see how ready God was to shew mercy in the day of a Plague First of all upon that ground God told David where the Temple should be built which he never told him before but 2ly look into the story and you shall see what abatement there is how God threatned abates There was threatned seven years famine and observe two abatements first Chron. 21. 12. God came to David and said thus saith the Lord chuse thee either 3. years famine In the 2 Samuel 24 't is 7. years famineâ— in the 13. v. God came to David and told him and said unto him shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou flee three moneths before thine enemies seven years of famine sayes one place three years of famine sayes the other why because God abates Well but there is a great abatement if you look upon the business of the Plague The Lord gave David his choice Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land or wilt thou fly three months before thine enemies or that there be three days pestilence in thy land well at the 15th verse 2 Sam. 24. 15. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed the time Appointed how long was that what three dayes no there was abatement how doth that appear So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed even to the Evening Sacrifice for so it signifies but how do you prove that it did not last three dayes by two reasons says Peter Martyr one because 't is said The Lord repented him of the evil and another because says he at the 16. verse When the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him why if the three days had been at an end the Angel would not have stretched out his hand to have destroyed Jerusalem therefore the Angel still putting forth his hand to destroy shews that the three days were not at an end so that there was an abatement I speak it to shew Gods readiness to abate and to shew mercy in the time of a Plague Thirdly You may observe here in this story that when the Plague came to Jerusalem which was the most populous place there it stayed at the 16. verse And when the Angel stretched out his hand ever Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evil when it came to the most populous place where 't was most likely to be infective there it stayed see the readiness of God to shew mercy But 4ly you may observe if you look into this story that the Lord repented him and gave command for the staying of the Pestilence before David repented I confess there is somewhat of his repentance before But afterwards David said unto God 1 Chron. 21. 17. is it not I that have commanded the people to be numbred even I it is I that have sinned and done evil indeed let thine hand I pray thee O Lord my God be on me and on my fathers house but not on this people that they should be plagued David lift up his eyes in the 16. v. and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over against Jerusalem and then follows the speech of David But if you look before you shall find the Lord made an abatement before this speech of his before this humiliation of his the Lord shewed mercy and gave him his choice before in the 2 Sam. 24. 16. And when the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it the Lord repented him of the evil and said to the Angel that destroyed the people it is enough stay now thine hand and the Angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunath the Jebusite And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the Angel that smote the people and said lo I have said and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done let thine hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house at the 17. verse but the Lord repented him at the 16. verse as if the Lord did prevent David's repentance with his loving kindness before his full repentance came out the Lord gave commission to stay the Plague look well upon this story and you may see how ready the Lord is to shew mercy and to be intreated by his people in the time of a Plague But 5ly If this promise in the 91. Psalm which is nothing else but a promise in the time of a Plague if this promise be full and certain and solid as it may obviate all our fears and objections why then should we not trust in the Lord in the time of a Plague Now do but mark the Psalm and you shall see the words are so said as may obviate all your fears and objections Will you say the destroying Angels are now abroad the arrows of the Almighty are now about us says he He will give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands least thou dash thy foot against a stone Will you say I but
more honourable the servants are the instruments are that a King or Prince doth use for the protecting of his people the more honourable is that King or Prince Now the angels they are honourable creatures frequently they are called Gods thou hast made him a little lower than the angels in the Hebrew 'tis a little lower then the Gods worship him all ye Gods in the Hebrew all ye Angels Well! but why are the Angels called into this protection into this Nursery into this Ministry God hath several creatures that he can use to protect and safe-guard his people why are the Angels in a special manner called into this work of protection of the Saints They are the fittest people in the world for this employment fittest in regard of themselves fittest in regard of the Saints They are fittest in regard of themselves for first they are an exceeding strong and potent people who more fit to look to and care for the concernments of the Saints and people of God than those that are strong and potent 'T is said of the Angels in the 103. Psalm that they excell in strength Bless the Lord ye his angels that excell in strength vers 20. They are called powers in the Host of God they are the chariots and the horse-men in the 68. Psalm verse 17. The chariots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of angels thousands of Angels they are the chariots and horsemen in the Host of God other foot-companies he hath but his Chariots and horsemen they are the Angels One Angel you know destroyed an hundred and fourscore thousand of the Host of Assyria in a night as one Constable will scare away twenty thieves so one good Angel invested with Gods authority is able to drive away a thousand evil Angels Devils they are an exceeding strong and potent people 2ly As they are an exceeding strong and potent people so they are a very knowing and a wise people and who so fit to manage the affairs and concerns of the Saints and people of God and to protect and defend them as a knowing and understanding people such are the Angels the devils indeed they are called knowing but the Angels good Angels they are called intelligencers you know what Joab said to David Thou art for wisdome as an angel of God sayes our Saviour no man knoweth that day and time no not the angels in heaven as if the Angels in heaven knew every secret and were acquainted with every hidden thing they are an exceeding knowing people very prudent and very wise 3ly As they are an exceeding knowing and wise people so they are also exceeding active and expeditious quick in dispatches who more fit to defend and protect the Saints and people of God than those that are active expedite and quick in their dispatches such are the Angels In the first of Ezekiel ye read that every one had four wings why because of their great activity and expedition and the quick dispatch they make in all their affairs Again as they are an active and expeditious people so they are a people very faithful both to God and man in the 103. Psalm they are ready to do Gods will and not only ready to fulfil Gods will but they do it Bless the Lord all ye his Angels that excel in strength 20. verse that do his commandments hearkning to the voyce of his word Blesse ye the Lord all ye his hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure They are very faithful and who so fit to do this work to attend and look to the concernments of the Saints and people of God as those that are faithful 3ly As they are an exceeding faithful people so they are a people that are very loving to the Saints and children of God very loving otherwise they were not fit to be their nurses what is a nurse without love they are loving to the Saints Do is not said the Angel unto John I am thy fellow servant don't give divine worship to me I am thy fellow servant fellow servants are loving to one another they are fellow servants with the Saints Are the Saints and people of God members of Christ and is Christ their head so is Christ the Lord of Angels he is the Lord of Angels and they follow him In the first of Zachary the 8. verse I saw by night and behold a man riding upon a red horse and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom these Myrtle-trees in the bottom are Saints in a low condition And behold a man riding upon a red horse this is Christ and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom and behind him there were red horses speckled and white behind him mark who are those red horses speckled and white in the 9. verse Then said I oh my Lord what are these and the angel that talked with me said unto me I will shew thee what these be and the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said these are they whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth These are the Angels that stand behind Christ that are the followers of Christ they are his followers the more union there is betwixt persons the more they love and as the union is such is the love If there be a natural union betwixt persons their love will be natural if their union be civil political their love will be political civil if the union be spiritual ecclesiastical the love is spiritual ecclesiastical more than natural Now the union that is betwixt the Angels and the Saints it is a Church union Ye are come sayes the Apostle in the 12 of the Hebrews verse the 22. unto mount Sion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and Church of the first born so that they are of the same Church the general assembly and Church of the first born and therefore they must needs be an exceeding loving people to the Saints and people of God and therefore a people fit for this employment of all other the fittest for this employment to be employed under God for the protection of the Saints fittest in regard of themselves But then again 2ly fittest they are for this employment in regard of the Saints for who more fit to be employed in this protection under God the protection of the Saints than those that are in some respect above the Saints and in some respect beneath them if a nurse be above the child she may despise it if the child be altogether above the nurse the nurse cannot rule it Now the Angels they are in some respect beneath and in some respect above the Saints they are above the Saints in regard of their nature as you all know but in some respects they are beneath the Saints and below the Saints for the second person did not come into their nature as he did into the nature
pestilence 4ly If these things be so how good and gracious is the Lord unto you you that are the Saints and people of God how good and gracious is the Lord to you no sooner had David said Psal 34. 7. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them but the next words he subjoyns Oh tast and see that the Lord is good Ay here you may tast and see the goodness of the Lord indeed in the ministration of angels that the angels nurse you and carry you up and down in their armes the more you look into this the more you will see how good and gracious the Lord is In the 8th Psalm when David had considered the creatures round Lord says he what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels for a time all sheep and oxen and all creatures thou hast put under his feet He begins the Psalm thus Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and because his heart was full of the sense of Gods love he ends the Psalm with the same words O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth ay this is a taking thing indeed here you may see how gracious and good the Lord is to you 5ly If these things be so how infinitely are we all beholden unto Jesus Christ upon whose account 't is that the Angels are your attendants in this time of the Plague and sickness he is the ladder that Jacob saw Christs explains that ladder himself You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man 't is upon Christs account all the ministry of angels is upon Christs account here you have more than Adam had in the state of innocency whem Adam fell then you read indeed of the Cherubims set to keep the tree of life to keep Paradise but you don't read that before the fall he had the angels to minister to him but now in and by Jesus Christ we have the ministration of angels we are reconciled unto all the angels and not only so but they are brought in to be our attendants Oh blessed be God for Christ why should we not say I love thee dearly O Lord my Saviour by whom I am made partaker of this infinite priviledge of the ministration of angels 6ly If these things be so what a mighty difference is there betwixt the godly and the wicked even in the time of the Plague Your great desire in this sickness time is that God would make a difference betwixt the one and the other whatever outward difference there is I am sure there is this difference the Saints and people of God have the angels to attend upon them but the wicked have not The Corn and the weeds are cut down by the same sythe by the same stroak but the corn and the weeds are differenced Two men a godly man and a wicked man lay sick of the Plague at the same time the wicked man hath little or no attendance when his friends leave him it may be he hath no body to attend him except it be a halberteer at the door no Angels to attend him but the good man when all his friends are gone then come the Angels and comfort him and attend upon him and he may comfort himself and say though my friends have left me yet here are the Lords Angels to look to me and comfort me What a mighty difference is there betwixt the one and the other Oh who would not be godly who would not get into Christ upon this very account 7ly If these things be so why then why should we not trust in the Lord in this day of great mortality this sickly time this time of the Plague and Pestilence what shall the Angels be your attendants now especially and won't you trust in God what have you such a promise as this is and will you not trust in the Lord shall the Lord himself be your protectour and charge his Angels with you for such a time as this and will you not trust in the Lord 'T is recorded of Alexander that being in great danger and to fight next day with his enemies he slept very soundly the night before and he being ask'd the reason thereof said Parmenio wakes meaning a great faithful Captain of his Parmenio wakes says he The Angels are called watch-men they watch are faithful therefore you may be secure quiet and at rest trust in the Lord for ever upon this account in this day trust in the Lord. 8ly If these things be so then friends why should we not stoop to any work commanded though it ly much beneath us Don't you think that the attending upon a sick man a man that hath a Plague-sore running upon him is a work that lyes much beneath Angels yet the Angels do it because 't is commanded though much beneath them yet they stoop to it because it is commanded and what though a work ly much beneath you yet if it be commanded why should you not stoop to it you will say such a one is much beneath me I wont lay my hand under his shooes he is much beneath me ah but the Angels lay their hands under your shooes and the work they do for you is much beneath them why should we not be like our attendants this is Angelical obedience the Angels do you many a kindness and never look for thanks from you they do many a kindness that you are not aware of why are you delivered sometimes you know not how here 's a hand under a wing the ministration of Angels is the cause of it But I say the work they stoop to for you is much beneath them and therefore why should we not stoop to any work commanded though it ly much beneath us 9ly If these things be so friends what manner of men and women ought we to be in all holy conversion what your attendants so holy and you so unholy let the women be covered because of the Angels sayes the Apostle so say I let us walk holily because of the Angels they are alwayes about us if you be in company with a grave man you won't giggle nor be so frothy as with others if a man have a servant attending upon him that is grave and sober he won't be frothy and vain behold what grave and holy attendants there are about you and will you giggle and be frothy and vain Oh what manner of men and women ought we to be in all holy conversation But tenthly and lastly to conclude if these things be so why should we not alwayes be found in that way whereby we may come within the compass of this protection in the 34. Psalm it is put upon fearing God they shall pitch their tents round about them that fear him in this Psalm it is put most