of the Angel of the Lord sent forth in the day cōming swiftly striking suddenly wounding deadly It is the Lyon Adder Dragon No beast for strength cōparable to the Lyon so no disease so deadly as the Plague such as the Aspe biteth are smitten with a numnes throughout all partes and there followeth coldnesse gasping heauinesse in the head sometimes heat and burning in the body Are not such Symptomes in the Plague A Dragon tearing in pieces with all violence sparing none which moued Reuerend Beza being sicke of the Plague at Lausanna not to suffer Caluin Viret those zealous Lights to come to him when they offered it freely least they should bee infected because hee preferred the benefit of Gods Church before his owne particular comforts The Plague is Gods hand Iad Iehouah because the might and power of God is more manifested in this then in other punishments O let not this hand be out of our sight but as that hand that wrote at Balshazars feast and thereupon his countenance was changed his thoughts troubled him the ioynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another so let the remembrance of this great late Plague humble vs and make vs mourne but vpon the deliuerance Let vs powre out soules in vs and let vs reioyce It was a sanctified remedie which reuerend M. Greenham vsed being often in his publick Ministery and priuate conference troubled with a suddaine failing in his memorie so as by no means he could recouer himselfe in those things he purposed to speak He would presently groane in his heart and humble his soule vnder the holy hand of God O let vs with groanes lament our dull forgetfulnesse of the great workes of God Socrates complained that after the vse of letters the Art of memorie decayed for the care which before was had in heart and memorie afterward was put in bookes and that which was committed to the minde was after put in trust in writing O let that flying rowle of Gods iudgement which lately hath gone ouer the face of the whole earth and cut off so many and entred into houses and remained in the midst of them and consumed the houses with the timber and the stones euer be in our memorie Bookes not vsed gather dust and memory not imployed will be dull and heauie Sathan desireth to deale with vs as Heringius did with Bamba his predecessour a King of the Gothes who gaue him a draught of drinke whereby he lost his memory Let vs often meditate vpon the workes of God Reade and Pray To reade and not to meditate is vnfruitfull To meditate and not to reade is dangerous for errours To reade and meditate without prayer is hurtfull Let vs not be as Ephraim who knew not that God healed them He it is that hath drawne vs with cords of a man with bands of loue Hee hath taken off the yoke on our iawes He hath layde meate vnto vs He turneth away his anger is as dew vnto vs Hee maketh Israel growe as the Lilly cast forth rootes as Lebanon his branches to spread his beauty to be as the Oliue tree reuiue as the corne and growe as the Vine All the wonders he doth are to confirme our hope raise vp our faith and nourish our loue to him To remember him is like the delight which the Apostles had at the transfiguration of Christ It is sweeter then the hony and the hony-combe It is sweeter then the remembrance of Iosias which was like the composition of the perfume made by the Art of the Apothecarie sweet as musicke at a Banquet of wine If we haue a minde to remember God comfort will be neere in the mouth and in the heart Nothing is more ready then this remembrance It is an easie medicine a speedy cure a pretious cordiall It remoueth sadnesse heauinesse melancholly and bringeth with it ioy in the holy Ghost Let vs then in the day of our gladnesse offer sacrifices for a memoriall before our God In the way of Gods iudgements let vs waite for him Let the desire of our soule be to his name and to the remembrance of him Let vs looke into the perfect law of liberty and continue therein not being forgetfull hearers but doers of the worke that wee may be blessed in our deedes And this is the worke of the day of our whole liues to powre out our soules in vs. O let vs then enter into a couenant to seek the Lord God of our Fathers with all our heart and with all our soule Then hee will set his Tabernacle among vs his soule shall not abhorre vs hee will be our God Then being instructed his soule shall not depart from vs wee shall not be left desolate His soule shall delight in vs To this end are his mercies offered and his deliuerances continued How miraculously hath he of late deliuered many of vs as he did the three children in the fierie furnace when some were constrained to flye from this mountaine of Moriah to the little hill of Hermon as Dauid where they could not looke out but messages of Death and the encrease of the Plague in black bills was brought vnto them when in this Citie the dolefull Bell ringing out there was wringing of hands shrieking in the most places there for a Father here for a Mother there for a Husband here for a Wife there for a Master here for a Seruant there for a Mistresse here for an Handmayde there for Children here for Kinred Wee expected triumphes for the Coronation and alas in stead of these had Funeralls of dead men who being weary of the earth went to triumph in heauen But behold men cried vnto the Lord in their trouble and hee brought them out of their distresses Hee made the storme a calme and the waters were still Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemie and gathered from the East from the West from the North from the South when they wandred Hath the Lord remoued his anger Let vs remoue that which was and is the cause of his anger The Plague of the body being ceased let not SINNE the plague of the soule continue Sweepe your houses from swearing auoyd the company of the vngodly get the inward marke of Gods Spirit by making your Election sure Let your selues bloud of enuie hatred malice couetousnesse and all vncharitablenesse Beware of dogges Infidels as Christ calleth the Gentiles in his speech to the woman which was a Syrophenician by Nation It is not meete to take the childrens bread and to cast it to dogges Beasts without reason forsaking the Creatour to worship the creature Ignorance of the true God and blindnesse of heart were in the Gentiles the Nurses of Infidelity and brochers of Idolatry These make men runne headlong like the swine of the Gergesits into
set on to poyson her by Holt the Iesuit so was Squire by Walpoole the Iesuite Parry was authorized by the Pope to murther her commended by him for intending it absolued from all his sinnes for pursuing it and assured of merit for performing it And when armed for the point was confronted by her amated with her presence and preuented by him that keepeth Israel and neuer sleepeth The same Right hand of the Lord deliuered King Iames himselfe of blessed and worthy memory from the blow by the POVVDER-PLOT a designment like those which He spake of Plus samae apud posteros quam fidei habiturae which are and shall be rather memorable for the singularitie then credible for the horror A deliuerance of our whole State and while we haue pennes to write tongues to speake a generation liuing or a posteritie succeeding wee will report it and repeate it to God with Dauids Memorandum Remember O Lord the children of Edom in the day of Ierusalem who sayd Raze it raze it euen to the foundation thereof EDOM signifieth Red and he was so called because he desired and longed for the red pottage of Iacob Doe not they thirst after our bloud A generation spoken of by Obadiah concerning Edom. An Ambassadour is sent By Isai a sword is made fat with the bloud of Lambes and a great slaughter in the Land of Idumaea By Amos Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for foure I will not turne away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pittie and his anger did teare perpetually and kept his wrath for euer By Ieremy I haue made Esau bare I haue vncouered his secret places and he shall not be able to hide himselfe his seed is spoyled and his brethren and his neighbours and he is not By Ezekiel I will lay my vengeance vpon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall doe in Edom according to mine anger according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God By Malachy whereas Edom saith We are impouerished but we will returne and build the desolate places Thus saith the Lord of Hostes They shall build but I will throw downe and they shall call them the border of wickednes and the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for euer and King Dauid zealously would haue set vpon it VVho will leade me into Edom wilt not thou O God wilt not thou O God goe forth with our Hostes Let Genebrard interprete it of the Church oppressed by the Turkes It shall bee the endeauour of Religious Kings against Rome there the Edomites Esauites Idumeans lurke Esau came out of the wombe Red betokening his bloody disposition and all ouer hayrie which was extraordinry for children vsually are borne only with haire on the head eye-lids and eye-browes and afterward it groweth on other parts and such hairy conceptions are not without much griefe trouble causing loathsomnes in the stomacke heart-burning and such like Esau was a cunning Hunter Esau had three names Esau of Gnaschah to make which is passiuely to be taken comming forth with haire as a perfect man not actiuely as though he should be prompt in his businesse It applieth it selfe to the Romanists whose bloudy rough turbulent equiuocating dispositions are most apparant Hungry Hunters after the true Church of God Remember those children of Edom and remember that God who hitherto hath preserued vs. Let vs say He is our refuge and our fortresse our God in him will we trust He deliuereth thee from the snare of the Fowler and from the noysome pestilence It is a warrant for Gods care prouidence help protection in any thing that may fall out to the body by naturall causes wicked men or our owne corruptions Let vs euer remember this Remember not piles of buildings pictures paintings flowers and other toyes which cannot help but take that fourefold remembrance Memento peccati vt doleas Memento mortis vt desinas Memento diuinae Iustitiae vt timeas Memento misericordiae ne desperes Sinne Death Iudgement Mercie I powre out my soule in me It was a comfort that God had deliuered him and therefore his soule is as it were melted into ioy that he was deliuered God was pacified He was very glad his wits were dispersed and as it were rauished Hee was enlarged and scarce can containe himselfe sorrow being driuen away As sorrow saith H. de vict keepeth in the soule so ioy powreth it out Therefore saith Dauid Trust in him at all times powre out your heart before him God is a refuge for vs. The soule is the whole inward man wherewith this masse of clay is quickned and gouerned hauing seuerall names according to her seuerall offices in the body Quickening the body it is called the soule hauing an appetite to any thing it is called the will for knowledge the minde for recordation memory for iudging and discerning reason for giuing breath spirit for apprehending outwardly sence The soule is the life of the body God is the life of the soule and as the body is dead when not vegetated by the fiue senses of the body so the soule is dead that is not truly humbled to God But God is good to an humble soule he meeteth it embraceth it and God ouer all blessed for euer marrieth it An humble soule hath two wings Feare Hope Feare in iudgement Hope in mercy so Dauid in his soule powred out in him Hee confessed Thy iudgements are good To the wicked crosses are curses but to the godly corrections onely of a Father not to destroy but to try and purge and as the Rod maketh the Scholler learne so knowledge by affliction is beaten into vs by pouerty sicknesse and the like And as a woman that hath fore trauaile when shee is deliuered reioyceth that a man-childe is brought into the world so the seruants of God are in sorrow till by troubles they are made the children of God Through the Sea and wildernesse we must passe if we would goe to Canaan Herein God is our guide hee can make vs as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered vp againe and expecteth the powring out of our soules in vs. There is a bad effusion when men no faster receiue the word but they powre it out againe as he that earneth wages putteth it into a bagge with holes the brand of Ruben vnstable as water But there is a good effusion of the soule by confession prayer deuotion humility and teares To this end is the beating of the breast as we see in the Publicane This was the custome of Hilarion to beate his breast in prayer as if he desired with his hands to take reuenge vpon his sad thoughts and surely in the godly obtritio
the loue of God His soule kept Gods testimonies Neuer did Burgensis so iustly entitle his booke Scrutinium scripturarum as Dauid might his meditations Scrutinium praeceptorum His soule wayted for the Lord more then they that wayte for the morning Hee that hopeth must hope to the end Hee prayed that his soule might not be gathered with sinners that his soule which was his darling might be rescued from destruction and the Lyons This hath breath breathed into it by the spirit of God and therefore is euer ready to breath out sighes groanes supplications thanksgiuing vnto God vpon the remembrance of his workes his mercies his iudgements his prouidence his deliuerances as heere When I remember these things I powre out my soule in me When word came to the King of Niniueh that God had thundred out a iudgement against that Citie by the voyce of Ionah Yet forty dayes and Niniueh shall be ouerthrowne Hee caused it to be proclaimed Let neither man nor beast taste any thing Let them crie mightily vnto God Let them turne euery one from his euill way and God saw their workes and God repented of the euill that hee had said he would doe vnto them and hee did it not That King was as all great ones should be carbo lampas a coale burning to himselfe a lamp shining to other men As hee for Niniueh so our gracious King CHARLES seeing the Lord angry with our Citie and Kingdome and sending out a Preacher vnto vs of the strongest lines to terrifie vs by a Pestilence sent forth a solemne Edict for a publique Fast through the whole Kingdome Wee haue seene a blessed effect and therefore now our gracious Soueraigne with zealous Dauid willing to haue a Memoriall kept of that late suddaine miraculous stopping of the vyals of Gods wrath amongst vs and others in staying of the Plague is this day with his Nobles and Courtiers assembled to giue publique thankes in the Congregation and hath commanded a generall publique Thanksgiuing to God throughout this whole Realme for so great and gracious a deliuerance acknowledging that they are not worthy of future fauors who are not truly thankfull for benefits already receaued To this end wee are met A King hath commanded vs and a Prophet is his leader We haue had sad times as our Dauid in this Psalme As the Hart hath panted after the water brookes so hath our soule panted after God Teares haue beene our meate the multitudes with whom we vsed to goe to the house of God and keepe holy day haue beene taken away our soules haue bin cast downe wee haue beene disquieted Deepe hath called vpon deepe Waues and billowes haue gone ouer vs God seemed to forget vs and therefore haue we mourned Yet againe wee are come to appeare before God and therefore let vs praise him who is the health of our countenance and our God Let vs remember what is past as Dauid When I remember c. My Text sheweth vs the two hands of God the one with a wound the other with a plaister the one casting downe the other raising vp the one killing the other making aliue Both pile vp a Beacon to call vs together to see what God hath done for vs and what we are bound to doe vnto God teaching vs that though our miseries troubles feares infirmities Plagues be as the hoast of the Aramites a great hoast yet more are with vs then against vs. Doth God send a sore he sends a salue also sorrow for a night ioy in the morning sobs and lamentations sometimes but songs congratulations afterward we see it in this Psalme in this Memoriall When I remember these things I powre out my soule in me The summe of which words is Dauids Memoriall of Gods mercies fauours deliuerances you may call it The oblation of the soule or hope for the Saints or a forme of thanksgiuing or the refuge of the afflicted or the safety of Gods children or Londons remembrancer by Dauids Memoriall shewing vs mercie in the midst of iudgement by our deliuerance from the late great Plague Wherein obserue 1. A diuine Art of memorie When I remember these things 2. A zealous Act of piety I powre out my soule in me In the 1. See his commemoration 2. His deuotion When I remember these things The whole verse is darke as reuerend Caluin obserueth by reason of the variety of times It is diuersly rendred by Aug. haec meditatus sum I haue meditated vpon these things By St. Amb. Psalter Haec memoratus sum I haue remembred rehearsed spoken of these things Simmachus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obseruing or registring and recalling in my minde Campensis interprets it of Gods prouidence shewed and his promises made for the deliuerance of the Fathers before Dauid Folengius of Gods promises to all his seruants Valentia of his promise concerning the comming of the Messiah But others that Dauid was recounting with himselfe what troubles he was in when his enemies reproached him in his miseries as if God had forsaken him forgotten to be gracious to him and in his aduersitie the abiects gathered themselues together against him to teare him Hee remembreth that God had brought him out of the horrible pit of the mirie clay set a new song in his mouth Memorie is taken either for an intellectuall habit left by some act or for some thing that stickes to the soule comprehending things past making an Act of them It is a resuming of any thing apprehended in the sense or vnderstanding Sense is for things present Hope for things to come Memory for things past Memorie is the lieger booke of the braine the Ianus that hath an eye behinde the storehouse of the minde but there is a three-fold memorie Beneficiorum This is to be reteined in vs Exemplorum This is to be exhibited by vs. Iniuriarum This is to be relinquished from vs. There must be a remembrance of Gods blessings and benefits therefore saith the Lord to the Church by Isai Put mee in remembrance Let vs plead together Remember what I haue done for thee in creation redemption preseruation The best Art of memory is to be humbled at Gods threatnings and comforted at his promises for exceeding griefes or exceeding ioyes leaue great impressions in vs. But this memory is hindred by worldly prosperity as the chiefe Butler forgat Ioseph a right temporizing Courtier who partly for feare to moue the King partly addicted to his owne profit and serue his owne turne would make no mention of Ioseph So the children of Israel called Iesurun waxed fat and kicked and then forsooke God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rocke of his saluation Dauid remembred God on his bed and in the night watches whiles others slept and snorted in their sinnes There is a remembrance of examples Moyses was a mercifull man which found fauour
cordis tuntio pectoris the smiting of the breast is the stamping beating downe and brusing of the heart This hath often teares as in Hannah who was in bitternesse of soule and prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore which is the foode of the soule and which feasted Christ more then all the prouision of Mary Magdalen besides while we eate the bread of sorrow drinking the wine of compunction wee hunger and thirst after heauenly things and shall be comforted This is the constant alimonie of the righteous at dinner and supper in life and death in prosperity aduersity The Prouerb is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boni autem valde flebiles viri In this case was Iob when his life abhorred bread and his soule dainty meate When hee complained that his gall was powred out on the ground Thus Dauid when his soule was sore vexed and he cried Thou O Lord how long When his expectation was not satisfied How long shall I take counsell in my soule When hee powred out his complaint before God and shewed before him his trouble but now he is deliuered and his soule is powred out in thanksgiuing How iustly may this condemne many who are so foolish and slow of heart that they neuer stirre vp their soules to the seruice of God but suffer the body like a thiefe to rob it The body is deified but the soule pined and famished no bread of life is sought to strengthen her no Gospell of peace to comfort her no deuotion to cherish her Some sell their soules as couetous vsurious Monsters who for wealth will commit any rauine robberie theft periurie false merchandise simonie There is not a more wicked thing then a couetous man for such an one setteth his owne soule to sale Some cast away their soules as the enuious and furious for nothing The couetous man hath wealth The Epicure pleasure The ambitious proud vpstart honour The Glutton meate and drinke but the enuious man consumes himselfe in pining being a thorne-hedge couered with nettels Some lay their soules to pawne to Sathan that they may swimme in the world prosperously and wantonly running on in sinne so long being deafe to God caring neither for words nor iudgements so soked in sinne that they cannot redeeme these pawnes because they can not repent Yet God crieth by his Prophets Oh doe not this abominable thing that I hate but if we encline not our eare to turne from our wickednes his furie must be powred forth to cut off man and woman childe and suckling and leaue none to remaine Wee may forget but God remembreth vs our Fathers our Kings our Princes and the people of the Land and woe vnto their soule who declare their sinne as Sodome for they haue rewarded euill vnto themselues Which may teach vs to remember the Lord in powring out our soules in all deuout and humble acknowledgement of his mercies least our soules abhorring him his soule loathe vs. It is reported that at a Sermon of Vincentius Ferr one was so moued in spirit that his face shined on the suddaine very glorious O that when we heare the great workes of the Lord wee would stirre vp the graces of God within vs that the Spirit of God might not be quenched in vs. Nothing is more precious then the soule within vs which made Dauid pray Mine eyes are vnto thee O God the Lord In thee is my trust Leaue not my soule destitute Arise O Lord disappoint him cast him downe Deliuer my soule from the wicked which is thy sword O keepe my soule and deliuer me Let mee not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee In a well disposed Christian the body is seruant the soule is Mistris but in an infected person the body is predominant Take heede of this Plague The body is but the weight and burthen of the soule while this oppresseth the soule is in prison Forget not the exhortation which speaketh to you as children Forget not to entertaine strangers for thereby some haue entertained Angels vnawares If we reiect knowledge and forget the Law of our God he will also forget our children O be not as Ierusalem hauing her filthinesse in her skirts she remembred not her last end therefore she came downe wonderfully she had no comforter the enemie magnified himselfe Before we be driuen to remember the Lord in farre countries Let vs set our heart and our soule to seeke the Lord If we returne to the Lord with all our heart with all our soule and pray our supplications shall bee heard our cause maintained and wee shall be forgiuen Remember this late mercy in the midst of Iudgement Extoll the admirable lenity of the Lord towards vs who hath gleaned but some when all feared to be cut downe The yeares are not many since the Lord with a famine did shake many parts of this Land a terrible sword which made Iulius Caesar in all his warres to conquer more by famine then the sword It made Lysimachus in Thracia to yeeld himselfe captiue to Domitian the Emperour it brought vp that bloody Law amongst the Soldiers of Cambises marching toward the Aethiopians that the Tenth among themselues should be killed in the Army to asswage hunger It made the Roman Mothers eate their owne children The Athenians vexed by Sylla to eat the greene grasse of the fields and mosse of the walles Alexander to eate his Camels Elephants and other beasts that carried luggage for the warres the Hymmi to eate their Dogges It made Abraham flye from Canaan to Egypt Isaack to Abimelech King of the Philistines and all the sonnes of Iacob to goe to Pharaoh King of Egypt God like the Physitian maketh vs fast to recouer health Vpon Famine haue wee beene so humbled as wee should haue beene The yeares are not many therefore since the the Lord threatned vs with another sword that of a Barbarous Nation to deuoure vs how soone was it forgotten This yeare therefore the Lord seeing vs wantonly secure and sleeping and snorting in our sinnes drew another sword against many parts of the Land by a Plague This is the snare of the Hunter it catcheth suddenly some walking some feeding some sporting some waking some sleeping It is the terrour by night breeding many terrours and feares in the night the night being a solitary time and solitarines increaseth feares the night being a time of Incendiaries and Robbers which set vpon men vnawares a time of feare in regard of the weaknes of the Imagination or of terrible dreames or sudden affrights a time terrible to trauelers where the least noise amateth them Per noctem metantur agros sonus omnis aura Exterrent pennaque leui commota volucris It is the arrow that flyeth by day Sagitta Angeli mortis quam emittit interdiu the arrow