The Righteous Mans Habitation, Text 1
THE RIGHTEOUS MAN'S HABITATION, In the Time of PLAGUE AND PESTILENCE. BEING A brief Expoſition of the XCI. PSALM.
By WILLIAM BRIDGE, ſometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and late Preacher of the word of God at Yarmouth.
Pſalm. 31. 2, 3. Be thou my ſtrong rock, for an houſe of defence to ſave me. For thou art my rock and my fortreſs; therefore for thy name ſake lead me, and guide me.
LONDON: Printed for T. J. 1665.
PSALM XCI.
HE that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, ſhall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty.
2. I will ſay of the Lord, He is my refuge, and my fortreſs: my God, in him will I truſt.
3. Surely he ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the fowler: and from the noyſom peſtilence.
4. He ſhall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings ſhalt thou truſt: his truth ſhall be thy ſhield and buckler.
5. Thou ſhalt not be afraid for the terror by night: nor for the arrow that flieth by day:
6. Nor for the peſtilence that walketh in darkneſs: nor for the deſtruction that waſteth at noonday.
7. A thouſand ſhall fall at thy ſide, & ten thouſand at thy right band: but it ſhall not come nigh thee.
8. Only with thine eyes ſhalt thou behold, and ſee the reward of the wicked.
7. Becauſe thou haſt made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the moſt High, thy habitation:
10. There ſhall no evil befal thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes.
12. They ſhall bear thee up in their hands, leſt thou daſh thy foot againſt a ſtone.
12. Thou ſhalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon ſhalt thou trample under feet.
14. Becauſe he hath ſet his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will ſet him on high, becauſe he hath known my name.
15. He ſhall call upon me, and I will anſwer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I ſatisfie him, and ſhew him my ſalvation.
THis Pſalm ('tis thought) was made upon the occaſion of the plague and peſtilence that was in David's time. So Molerus; wherein you have the beſt Antidote againſt the plague and peſtilence. The whole Pſalm is nothing elſe but a great promiſe of ſpecial protection for thoſe that truſt in the Lord in the time of the plague: wherein three or four things are moſt eſpecially conſiderable, the Evil, Danger and Miſery of the Plague and Peſtilence; protection and deliverance promiſed in the time thereof: the perſons upon whom the promiſe is intailed; the way, mode, means, and manner, how God will deliver and protect in the time of a plague. As for the evil, danger, and miſery of the plague or peſtilence, you have it in many terms expreſſed in ſeveral verſes. In the third verſe 'tis called the ſnare of the fowler; He will deliver thee from the ſnare of the fowler; 'tis called the ſnare of the fowler, becauſe it takes men before they are aware; the word and, that follows, ſhould not be in the line, ſo the next words do explain it, He ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the fowler: from the noiſome peſtilence: then 'tis called the noiſom peſtilence. In the Hebrew 'tis called the peſtilence of woes or calamity, that is, moſt calamitous peſtilence, that diſeaſe or ſickneſs, that is accompanied with the moſt calamity. In the 5th verſe 'tis called the terror by night, and, the arrow that flieth by day: for with this arrow God doth kill and hit men at a diſtance, a great way off, when they think to flie away and be at reſt. 'Tis ſaid in the ſixth verſe, that it walketh in darkneſs; and it is called deſtruction that waſteth at noon-day, in regard of the ſpreading and infective nature of it. At the thirteenth verſe 'tis compared unto the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon, for the deſtructive and devouring nature of it, which nothing can ſtand before.
Secondly, as for the protection promiſed in the time thereof, you have that in the general at the firſt verſe, He that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, ſhall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty; more particularly at the third verſe, Surely he ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the fowler, from the noiſom peſtilence: He ſhall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings ſhalt thou truſt. His truth ſhall be thy ſhield and buckler, at the 4th verſe. At the 5th and 6th verſes again, Thou ſhalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the peſtilence that walketh in darkneſs; nor for the deſtruction that waſteth at noon-day. And again, A thouſand ſhall fall at thy ſide, and ten thouſand at thy right hand: (in the 7th verſe) but it ſhall not come nigh thee. In the 10th verſe, No evil ſhall befal thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he ſhall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes. And at the laſt verſe, With long life will I ſatisfie him, and ſhew him my ſalvation.
As for the perſons whom this promiſe of Protection is entailed upon, they are ſuch as do truſt in the Lord. He that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High; that ſay of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortreſs: my God, in him I will truſt, verſe 2. And at the 9th verſe, Becauſe thou haſt made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the moſt High, thy habitation: there ſhall no evil befal thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Thou ſhalt not be afraid for the terror by night: nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, at the fifth verſe. And as for the means, and way, and mode how God will deliver in the time of the plague, he will do it by his Angels; There ſhall no evil befal thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes. They ſhall bear thee up in their hands, &c.
From all which then, I take up this Doctrine or Obſervation: Though the danger, evil, and miſery of the Peſtilence be exceeding great, yet God will in an eſpecial manner protect and deliver thoſe that do truſt in him in the time of a plague.
For the clearing and proſecution whereof, firſt of all, I ſhall a little labour to ſhew you, that the evil, miſery, and danger of a Plague is exceeding great. 2ly. That yet the Lord will protect and deliver thoſe that do truſt in him. 3ly. What that Faith is, and what that Truſt is, that God hath promiſed this protection to in the time of a Plague. 4ly. I would anſwer to ſome objections, queſtions, or caſes of conſcience. Then 5ly. ſhew how, and by what means God will protect and deliver in the time of a plague. Then call upon you and my ſelf, to do our duty in this Day.
As for the firſt, I ſhall not be long in it. The miſery and danger of the Plague is ſufficiently known. It is called the Plague above all other diſeaſes, as if it were the Plague of plagues.
The ſeveral and particular judgments and evils that fell upon Pharaoh, they were called Plagues, they were all plagues; but now the Peſtilence carries the name of the Plague, as if that of all other diſeaſes were the plague of plagues.
It is, firſt of all, a moſt dreadful and terrible diſeaſe: it is here called in this Pſalm, the terrour by night, 5. verſe, Thou ſhalt not be afraid by the terrour by night: terrour by night, why? the night it ſelf is a time of fear and terrour: darkneſs brings fear; but the Plague is the Night of nights, and the King of Terrours. How do men quake and tremble, and fly away at the noiſe of this? the report of this? When God appeared in his greatneſs, majeſty and glory, gave a terrible appearance of himſelf, 'tis ſaid in the third of Habakkuk, that the Peſtilence went before him, in the 3d. verſe, God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran, Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praiſe, and his brightneſs was as the light. He had horns coming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power. In the 5. verſe, Before him went the peſtilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. Before him went the Peſtilence, as his Officer and Executioner. When the Lord doth ſet forth his terrible appearance, thus he ſets it forth, The peſtilence went before him. Without all doubt, it is that diſeaſe that is moſt dreadful and terrible. And 2ly, as 'tis the moſt dreadful and terrible diſeaſe, ſo it is the moſt painful diſeaſe. The more ſuddenly any man is taken away in his ſtrength, the more painful is his diſeaſe he dies of: a man that is ſpent with ſickneſs, he is eaſily blown out; but when a man in his full ſtrength ſhall ſuddenly dye, it coſts him a great deal of paio. Thus it is, when the Plague takes one away in his full ſtrength in a little time, therefore it is a very painful diſeaſe; and as it is a very painful diſeaſe, ſo 'tis an uncomfortable diſeaſe: then all friends leave us, then a man or woman ſit and lye all alone, and is a ſtranger to the breath of his own relations. If a man be ſick of a feaver, 'tis ſome comfort that he can take a bed-ſtaff and knock, and his ſervant comes up and helps him with a cordial. But if a man be ſick of the Plague, then he ſits and lyes all alone; 'tis the moſt uncomfortable diſeaſe: and as it is that diſeaſe that is moſt uncomfortable, ſo 'tis that diſeaſe that is moſt mortal, and therefore of all other diſeaſes 'tis called Death. In the ſixth of the Revelation, we read of the ſword and famine, in the former part of the Chapter: but in the 8th. verſe, And I looked, and behold a pale horſe; and his name that ſate on him was Death. The ſword is ſpoken of plainly before in the 4th. verſe, And there went out another horſe, that was red: and power was given to him that ſat thereon, to take peace from the earth, and that they ſhould kill one another: and there was given unto him a great ſword; there's the Sword: then at the 6th. verſe there's a Famine, I heard a voice in the midſt of the four beaſts ſay, A meaſure of wheat for a penny, and three meaſures of barley for a penny: Now at the 8th. verſe comes on the Peſtilence, and that is called Death; not the ſword, or famine, but the Plague is that which hath the name of Death; becauſe of all other diſeaſes it is the moſt mortal; and as it is the moſt mortal diſeaſe, ſo 'tis the moſt unavoidable diſeaſe. It may be avoided through the goodneſs of God; but I ſpeak comparatively, of all diſeaſes 'tis the moſt unavoidable. And 'tis the diſeaſe that is the moſt emptying diſeaſe; it empties houſes, and it empties towns, and empties cities. God threatens to empty a Nation as a man empties a diſh, and wipes it, and turns it upſide down. So to a family it is the moſt emptying diſeaſe of all other. But I will not ſtay here; 'tis too manifeſt, that this evil, miſery and danger of a Plague is exceeding great.
But yet in the ſecond place, there are a generation whom God will protect and deliver in the day of a Plague. It was alwayes ſo in the moſt deſolating judgements: when the Floud came was Noah and his houſe ſpared; and, when Sodom was deſtroyed, there was Lot and his houſe preſerved and delivered. In the 6th. Chapter of Iſaiah, ye read of a Deſolalation that looks like a Plague, Then ſaid I, Lord, How long? And he anſwered (at the 11th verſe) until his cities be waſted and without inhabitants, and the houſes be without man, and the land be utterly deſolate, and the Lord have removed men far away: Yet, ſayes he, at the 13 verſe, There ſhall be a tenth, and it ſhall return, and ſhall be eaten as a teyle tree, and as an oak whoſe ſubſtance is in them, &c. yet there is a generation whom the Lord will preſerve and deliver in ſuch a general deſolation as this. But who are theſe? this Pſalm tells us, they are ſuch as do truſt in the Lord; thoſe that truſt in the Lord in the time of a Plague.
But why is there ſuch a promiſe of protection entailed upon thoſe that truſt in the Lord in the time of a Plague? why, firſt of all, God will be all that to us which we make him, and build upon him for: as in the 31 Pſalm 2. & 3. v. Be thou my rock, for thou art my rock; be thou my defence, for thou art my fortreſs: in the latter end of the 2d. verſe, Be thou my ſtrong rock, for an houſe of defence to ſave me, for thou art my rock and my fortreſs. Lord, be that unto me, which I build upon thee for. Thou art my rock, therefore be my rock: this is his argument. Now by Faith and truſting in the Lord, we do make God our protector, and therefore he will be a protector to thoſe that truſt unto him in time of a Plague.
2ly. Thoſe that honour providence, ſhall be kept by providence. Jacob, what a wonderfull great eſtate he attained unto? he preſented Eſau with a preſent fit for a King to give; how came he by this great eſtate? there was a controverſie betwixt Laban and him, and he puts the buſineſs upon providence, and providence made him rich: thoſe that honour providence, ſhall be kept by providence. Faith and truſting in God in the time of a Plague, honours providence; therefore they that truſt in God in ſuch a day, ſhall be kept.
3ly. Thereby God is ingaged to help and deliver. In the 37. Pſalm, laſt verſe, The Lord ſhall help them and deliver them, he ſhall ſave them becauſe they trust in him; becauſe they truſt in him. God is engaged to help and deliver, if men truſt in him. So in Iſaiah 26. v. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whoſe mind is ſtayed on thee, becauſe he truſteth in thee. Our very truſting in the Lord for deliverance, and protection, doth engage God to deliver and protect.
4ly. When did God do ever any great thing, but it was put upon Faith. Ye read of great Victories in the time of the old Teſtament, and theſe were put upon Faith: ye read of great cures in the time of the new Teſtament, and thoſe were put upon Faith. When did God do any great thing but it was put upon Faith? Now to be preſerved and protected in the time of a Plague, when thouſands fall on the right hand and on our left, 'tis a great matter, next unto a miracle, therefore it muſt be put upon Faith.
Again, God will honour thoſe perſons, and thoſe graces moſt, that honour him moſt: of all graces Faith honours God moſt, therefore God will honour that moſt; no wonder then that this protection is put upon Faith and truſting in the Lord.
One thing more. There lyes a bleſſing in courſe for all thoſe that put themſelves under the wing of the Lord in truſting him. In the ſecond of Ruth, ver. 12. ſayes Boaz to Ruth, The Lord recompence thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Iſrael, under whoſe wings thou art come to truſt; under whoſe wings thou haſt put thy ſelf. 'Tis …aith, and Faith only that puts us under the wings of God. Pſal. 57. at the firſt verſe, Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my ſoul truſteth in thee, yea, in the ſhadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until theſe calamities be over-paſt: it is Faith that doth put a man under the wing of God. In the 36. Pſal. and 7. verſ. How excellent is thy loving kindneſs, O God, therefore the children of men put their truſt under the ſhadow of thy wing. Faith of all other graces puts a man under the ſhadow of Gods wing, and there lies a bleſſing in courſe (I ſay) for all thoſe that put themſelves under Gods wing; therefore no wonder that this great promiſe of protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is entailed upon truſting in God.
Well, but then thirdly, what Faith is this, what Truſt is it that God hath promiſed protection and deliverance to in the time of a Plague; what act of Faith is it? what Faith is it? I anſwer, Firſt, there is a faith of perſwaſion, called Faith, whereby men are perſwaded and verily believe that they ſhall not dye nor fall by the hand of the Plague. This is well; I do not find in the 91. Pſalm, that this protection is entailed upon this perſwaſion, neither do I find this faith here mentioned.
2ly. There is a Faith of Relyance, whereby a man doth rely upon God for ſalvation; this is a juſtifying faith, true juſtifying faith; this is true Faith indeed; but I do not find in this Pſalm, that this promiſe of protection and deliverance in the time of a Plague is entailed upon this, nor that this is here mentioned.
But again 3ly. There is a Faith, I may call it a faith of recourſe unto God, whereby a man doth betake himſelf unto God for ſhelter, for protection, as to his habitation; when other men do run, one this way, another that way to their hiding places, in the time of a Plague; for a man then to betake himſelf to God as to his habitation, I think this is the Faith that is here ſpoken of in this 91. Pſalm; for do but mark the words of the Pſalm: at the firſt verſe, He that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, in the hiding place of the moſt High; as if he ſhould ſay, when others run from the Plague and peſtilence, and run to their hiding places, he that dwelleth in the ſecret place of the moſt High, that betakes himſelf to God as his hiding place and his habitation, he ſhall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty, ſhall be protected, and ſo at the 9th. verſe, Becauſe thou haſt made the Lord which is my refuge, even the moſt High, thy habitatation, there ſhall no evil befall thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling; as if he ſhould ſay to us, in time of a Plague men are running and looking out for habitations and hiding places; but becauſe thou haſt made the Lord thy habitation, and haſt recourſe to him as thy habitation, no evil ſhall befall thee, neither ſhall the plague come nigh thy dwelling: and again at the 11. verſe, 'tis ſaid, He ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, the wayes of thy calling; as if he ſhould ſay, in the time of a Plague men will be very apt to leave ſtation and calling, and ſo run away from the Plague and peſtilence: (ſaith he) he ſhall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, the wayes of thy calling and place; that is, look when a man in the time of a Plague ſhall conſcientiouſly keep his ſtation and place, and betake himſelf to God as his habitation, this is the Faith that is here ſpoken of, and this is the Faith that God hath promiſed protection to, here in this 91. Pſalm.
But you will ſay then, is it not lawful to fly in the time of Perſecution? yes, without all doubt it is, ſo you carry God along with you for your habitation, ſo you make God your habitation ſtill, a man may lawfully ſeek the preſervation of his life and the life of his family.
But ſtay; the Plague is called the hand of God; and can a man flee fron the hand of God; mark a little for anſwer: The hand of God is either mediate or immediate; ſuppoſe that the Plague or peſtilence were the immediate hand of God, and nothing of nature or infection in it: yet 'tis lawfull to fly, 'tis lawfull to go out of that place where the immediate hand of God reſts. In the 16th of Numbers there was an immediate hand of God upon Korah, Dathan and Abyram, for the earth opened her mouth and ſwallowed them up; here was an immediate hand of God: yet the Lord ſpeaks unto Moſes and unto Aaron, ſaying, in the 21. verſe, Separate your ſelves from amongſt this congregation, that I may conſume them in a moment; and at the 24. verſe, Speak unto this congregation, ſaying, get ye up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; which was the immediate hand of God, and yet notwithſtanding they were to go from among them that the hand of God fell upon, though 'twere an immediate hand. And in the following part of the Chapter the ſame expreſſion is uſed for the Plague: in the 44. v. They murmured, and the Lord ſtrook them with the Plague. Well, the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, in the 45. verſe, Get you up from amongſt this congregation, that I may conſume them as in a moment: the ſame that is ſaid before, is ſaid here concerning the Plague. So that I ſay, although the Plague were the immediate hand of God, and there were nothing of nature or infection in it, yet it were lawfull to fly.
But ſecondly, the Plague or Peſtilence is not ſo the hand of God, as if there were no infection in it; for if there were no infection in it, if there were not ſomthing of nature in it, it could not be cured by remedies, nothing would do good; therefore it is not ſo the hand of God, as if there were nothing of infection in it; but 'tis called the hand of God becauſe Gods providence hath a ſpecial hand in the ſending and ordering of it. So now, the Famine may be called Gods hand: God ſends it, I will call for a famine upon the land, ſayes God: a Famine is of Gods ſending, and therefore may I out fly from a Famine? Abraham, when there was a Famine in the land went down to Abimelech: Iſaac, when there was a famine in the land went down: and Jacob when there was a famine in the land went down to Egypt. And is it lawfull to fly in the time of Famine, and is it not lawful to fly in the time of a Plague? Certainly the one as well as the other.
But then you will ſay, if the Lord hath promiſed protection and deliverance to thoſe that truſt in him in the time of a Plague, whether is it poſſible for a believer to dye by a Plague, ſeeing the whole Pſalm is made to thoſe; and Promiſe ſuch protection to thoſe that truſt in the Lord, whether may a believer dye of the Plague? without all doubt he may. Seventy thouſand dyed in Daivd's time; do you think there was not a good man among them? 'tis recorded of ſeveral good men, that they dyed of the Plague; but you know what's ſaid, All things fall alike to good and bad. If a good man may not dye of the Plague, how can all things fall alike to good and bad?
But how then is the promiſe fulfilled, if that a believer may dye by the hand of a Plague? yes, very well: for poſſibly a believer may be out of his way as good Joſiah was, and dyed, though God promiſed him that he ſhould dye in peace. No diſparagement to the promiſe, for he was out of his way, and this promiſe of protection in the time of a Plague is made to thoſe believers that are in Gods way: He will give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all his wayes; therefore if a believer be out of Gods way and dye, 'tis no diſparagement to this promiſe.
But 2ly. You muſt know that this promiſe of protection and deliverance is not made to a believer as a believer, but as acting and exerciſing Faith; for though a man be a believer if he do not act and exerciſe his faith, this promiſe will not reach him; therefore if a believer dye not exerciſing faith and truſting in God, no diſparagement to the promiſe.
Thirdly, you muſt know that this promiſe is made to a believer barely exerciſing and acting faith; but ſuch an act of faith, and ſuch an act of truſt as you have heard of: therefore, though a believer dye, and dye exerciſing ſome faith, ye… this promiſe is fulfilled; for it is made to ſuch an act of …ai… as you have heard of.
But then again 4ly. you muſt know this promiſe is not mad… to a believer abſolutely, but in oppoſition to the wicked: therefore 'tis ſaid, the Lord having promiſed this to a believer, that no evil ſhould befal him, though a thouſand ſhould fall at his ſide, and ten thouſand at his right hand; at the 8. verſe 'tis ſaid (ſo Montanus, rather then only but) with thine eyes ſhalt thou behold, and ſee the reward of the wicked: as if he ſhould ſay, though this or that particular believer dye of the Plague; Believers ſhall out-live the wicked, and be laſt upon the ground, and they ſhall ſee the reward of the wicked; they ſhall ſee this judgment ſweep away the ungodly.
But again further, if I ſhould interpret this as Auſtin doth in the firſt of John concerning Chriſt; where 'tis ſaid, he enlightens every one that come into the world, that is (ſayes Auſtine) all that are enlightened are enlightened by him. As you ſay of a School-maſter in a Town, this School-maſter teaches all the boys in the Town; not that he teaches every particular boy in the Town, but that all that are taught, are taught by him. So ſays he, Chriſt enlightens every one that comes into the world, that is, all that are enlightened, are enlightened by him. So here the Lord doth promiſe protection and deliverance to all thoſe that do believe in the time of a Plague, that is, all that have protection and deliverance (in the time of the Plague) have it from him.
But to end this, I do think that this 91. Pſalm doth …old forth a promiſe of ſpecial protection in the time of a Plague, for believers; the ſcope of it is not, that every particular believer ſhall not dye; but the drift and ſcope of the Pſalm is, to hold forth a ſpeciality of protection for believers in the time of a Plague. For as the time of a Plague is a time of ſpecial danger; ſo God hath given out a ſpecial promiſe, and there ſhall be a ſpeciality of protection for his people in the time of this danger; and that is the meaning of this place.
Well, but how, and by what means will God protect and deliver thoſe that truſt in him in the time of a Plague?
For that I ſhall ſay only thus much, He will do it by the miniſtration of Angels, ſpecially by the miniſtration of Angels: when Angels go forth to deſtroy, then Angels muſt go forth to deliver, ſeal, and ſecure; as in the 7th. of the Revelation, and firſt verſe, After theſe things I ſaw foure angels ſtanding at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind ſhould not blow on the earth, nor on the ſea, nor on any tree. And I ſaw another angel aſcending from the eaſt, having the ſeal of the living God; and he cryed with a loud voice to the foure angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth, and the ſea, ſaying, hurt not, &c. When Angels go forth to hurt, then Angels muſt go forth to ſeal, and ſave, and protect. Now in the time of a Plague, Angels go forth to deſtroy; therefore, ſaith the Lord here, I will give my angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy wayes, they ſhall bear thee up in their hands, leaſt thou daſh thy foot againſt the ſtone. Have I given my Angels commiſſion to deſtroy? I have given my angels 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: 'tis good for us to inquire what our works is, 'tis 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 cam… 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? 'Tis I Lord, 'tis I. So let every one do; this God expects in the time of a Plague. In the 4th. C…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 onelyonly 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, 'tis 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; 'tis 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 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, 'tis 7. years famine… 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 'tis 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 'twas 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 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, 'tis 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. 'Tis 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.