Solomons Prescription for the Removal of Pestilence, Title page – Preface
SOLOMON'S PRESCRIPTION For the Removal of the PESTILENCE: OR, The Diſcovery of the PLAGUE of our Hearts, in order to the Healing of that in our Fleſh.
By M. M.
LAMENT. 3. 39, 40, 41.
Wherefore doth a living man complain? A man for the puniſhment of his ſins?
Let us ſearch and try our wayes, and turn again to the Lord.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the Heavens.
PSAL. 106. 29, 30.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the Plague brake in upon them.
Then ſtood up Phinehas, and executed Judgment, and ſo the Plague was ſtayed.
LONDON, Printed in the Year, M. DC. LXV.
The Preface to the Reader.
Reader,
I Had more Objections in my own thoughts to the ſending forth this Paper; and can fore-think more faults like to be found with it when ſent forth, then I ſhall now ſtand to tell thee of, or make any anſwer for. But becauſe amongſt all thoſe Objections, I met not with this, That it was impoſſible it ſhould do anie good, I thought the reſt anſwerable; and becauſe amongſt all its faults, thou canſt not (trulie) find this, That it was not intended for anie good, I perſwade my ſelf all the reſt are pardonable. What the deſign of it is, if thou art in haſte, the Title will tell thee; if thou art at leaſure, and think'ſt it worth thy while, thou may'ſt find it in the Book it ſelf; ſo either way I might be excuſed from ſaying ought of it here. But ſomewhat for thy ſatisfaction know, when I conſidered the ſore Judgment wherewith we have been viſited, which ſo evidentlie declares Wrath to be gone forth from the Lord againſt us, I thought it might be an Eſſay verie acceptablè to God, and profitable to our ſelves, to do the beſt I could to make the voyce of the Rod Articulate; that in the print of its laſhes, not onlie Gods Wrath, but the ſin he ſcourgeth us for, and the duty he would drive us to, might be found in legible Characters, that even he that runs may read them. When I lookt on Affliction as a Medicine for a diſtempered Nation, I thought it was exceeding neceſſarie, in order to its kindlie working with us, to tell the nature, import and uſe of it; and to give directions how it ought to be received. And though I acknowledge my ſelf the meaneſt of Ten thouſand for ſo great a Work, yet when I ſaw or heard of nothing ſo particular and diſtinct, as I thought the matter required, humblie depending upon, and imploring Divine aſſiſtance, I made this attempt; wherein, whil'ſt I have guided my ſelf by the Phyſitians own Rules, and an impartial conſideration of the nature of the Patient, I hope I have made no material (I am ſure no wilful) miſtakes. This then was my great deſire and hope, to be by this undertaking, a worker together with Gods Providence for ſome good to the Nation. And ſurely no man hath cauſe to be angry with this intention, or with any thing that flows ſincerelie from it. Had anie man, though the meaneſt among the People, in the time when Nineveh was threatned with deſtruction, given in a Catalogue of thoſe ſins they were guiltie of, the removal of which could onlie prevent their Ruine; I am perſwaded his endeavours would have been grateful to the Prince, his Nobles, and the People, though he had ſpoke to them all with more plainneſs and boldneſs, than I have done. And I dare confidentlie expect the ſame, if our Faſting and Prayers be not onlie for faſhion-ſake, but in as good earneſt as theirs.
Two great miſcarriages moreover I was prone to fear the moſt would be guiltie of, which I have especiallie conſulted against. The firſt, of being ſwallowed up ſo much with a ſenſe of their Suffering, as to be indiſpoſe for all profitable Reflections; and therefore fain would I turn mens eyes and thoughts from off this, to the ſin that brought it; and have them onlie to conſider the former, ſo much as to inform themſelves more clearlie of the evil of the latter. Oh what Out-cryes we may hear up and down, what doleful times theſe are! So manie Thouſands dead this Week, ſo manie another! The Plague got to this Town, and then to that! All Trading, as well as Perſons, dead and gone! But were People formerly thus affected, whilſt we were bringing this upon our ſelves? Did they cry out then, Oh how manie Thouſand Oaths are ſworn in a Week? And how manie Lyes told? How manie Thouſands Drunk, and how manie commit Lewdneſs? Had we had Weeklie Bills of ſuch Sins brought in, they would far have exceeded the largeſt Sums that ever yet the Mortalitie made. But alas! theſe with the moſt were light matters. Not half ſo manie groans and tears for theſe, nor anie ſuch complaints of them; nor did the conſideration of them make anie ſenſible alteration amongſt us. Now this I would fain obtain, to have thoſe dayes thought as much worſe than theſe; and thoſe actions as much worſe than theſe ſufferings, as the Diſeaſe is worſe than Phyſick; and a Childs diſobedience to his Parents, worſe than his being Whip't: And he that ſhould weep out of pitie to the Child, when he ſees it laſh't; and yet could be content to hear him revile and abuſe his father, I ſhould think to be a perſon of more Fondneſs, than Diſcretion; and for him to be more concerned for the Childs Smart, than the Parents Honor, argues him to have no true love for either.
And here by the way let me give a Caution, viz. That no man bewray ſo much follie as to argue, That becauſe in merciemercy God may abate and remove his heavy Judgments, before manie, or perhaps any of theſe ſins I have mentioned are put away from amongſt us; and becauſe we may have our former health and plentie reſtor'd, whilſt there is no ſuch Reformation of diſorders as I have exhorted to, that therefore our Sufferings were not intended to chaſtiſe us for thoſe ſins, nor to bring us to this Reformation. If thou be an Atheist or Infidel that makeſt this Argument, who believeſt not there is a God, or that he concerns not himſelf with our Affairs, but that all things come by Nature or Chance, or I know not what, I ſhall then leave thee to receive ſatisfaction (if nothing ſooner will give it) there, where all ſuch as thou, by the feeling of Divine Vengeance, are at once convinc't what the ſin is which hath deſerved it, and that there is a God who inflicts it; but if thou be a Chriſtian, then I would wiſh thee well to examine the nature of the thing, (that I mean, which thou thinkeſt God hath not puniſh't us for, becauſe it is yet continued) and upon the iſſue of that examination, paſs thy judgment. It's much to be feared thou wilt ſee Drunkards, and hear Swearers, after the Plague may be ceas't; and wilt thou think therefore that theſe, and the like Wickedneſſes, did not provoke God to afflict us? But rather ſtay, if thou art in doubt, till the great reckoning day, till thou haſt heard all mens Accounts caſt up, and thoſe Actions which are then approved confidentlie pronounce no ſins; but not all thoſe that ſurvive the heavieſt Judgments here on earth, which may be ſent to puniſh and reform thoſe that were guiltie of them; ſince hardned ſinners may fruſtrate ſome ends of an Affliction, and all are not followed here, as Pharaoh was. No, I ſay, do not juſtifie all ſuch Actions, though thou ſhouldſt hear them openlie defended, and applauded, and thoſe men puniſh't that dare to oppoſe and contradict them, and that oppoſition made the onlie ſin. This lower World is full of ſuch mad miſtakes and confuſions, but all will ſhortlie be ſet ſtrait.
The other miſcarriages that I feared men would be apt to run into, and which I have laboured to provide againſt, was, That though they might be convinc't that ſin in the general, was the cauſe of all our miſeries, yet hardly that it was their ſin, or their friends, but ſome bodies elſe that they don't love; and ſo ſhift it off to this or that Party, whom they would have puniſh't, had they been in Gods ſtead. Such a ſtrong ſelf-love there is in everie man, that his fancie ſhapes God verie much in a likeneſs to himſelf. Even the vileſt ſinners, Pſal. 50. 21. thought God ſuch an one as themſelves. And conſequentlie they account themſelves, and all their Concernments dear to God, and ſo would interpret all his Providences in favour of them, to right their quarrel, and to avenge them of their enemies; for thus would they preſcribe God, might they be call▪d to his counſel. All would fain carrie it, that God is of their Partie, and againſt thoſe whom they are against; everie man will be more inclined to accuſe others▪ than himſelf: Nay, and hence it oft falls out, that they who have eſpouſed anie ſin, will be ſo far alone from thinking ill of it, that they'l rather accuſe the contrarie vertue; and ſo godlineſs it ſelf may ſometimes bear the blame, or however the most godlie and unblameable men. The Pillars of a▪Land ſometimes are accounted the Peſts of it, on which whilſt ſome men blind with rage, lay their hands to pluck them down, they are about to do themſelves, and the people with whom they are, the ſame courteſie that Sampſon did to the Philiſtine Lords. They who were the Salt to ſavour a corrupt World, were accounted the filth and off-ſcouring of all things. Ahab will ſooner count Elijah than himſelf, a troubler of Iſrael. And when anie miſchief befalls the Empire, then the poor Chriſtians muſt be thrown to the Lyons. Thus I fear amongſt us, manie bitter and undeſerved cenſures will be paſt by one againſt another; which great ſin I have done my beſt to conſult against, whil'ſt I have chieflie laboured to bring everie man to a reflection upon himſelf; whil'ſt I have ſtudied faithfullie to deal, both to this man and that, his ſhare in procuring our miſeries; and whil'ſt I have made the Diviſions and Parties that are amongst us which occaſion this Cenſoriouſneſs, one great cauſe of our Sufferings. However one or otber may interpret what I have done, I am prettie indifferent; only I hope I have ſaid nothing, which need make anie man preſentlie fall a confuting me, which, I▪le promiſe you, it's an hard thing in theſe dayes to eſcape; ſay what you will, 'tis againſt Sin onlie I have a quarrel: If any guiltie perſon (as the Phariſees when Chriſt preach't) ſhall think I mean him▪ let him once again know, That it is not againſt Small or Great, but the Sins of All, that I am entered into the Liſts; and I hope they'l rather ſee to forſake, than vindicate them. But if otherwiſe, if leave may be granted, I dare undertake to evidence, That Sin is that which brings Suffering, and that thoſe things I have mentioned as the ſins of our Nation, are indeed ſuch. Yea, and if it be not thought Immodeſtie to foreſtall the Readers judgment, I dare add, That I have ſpoken verie great Truth and Reaſon in the matters moſt liable to Exception, notwithſtanding all the weakneſſes and diſadvantages in the repreſenting, which I readilie acknowledge to be manie and great. But I have alreadie exceeded the due bounds of a Preface; wherefore to conclude, Let all cenſure as they ſhall find meet; only let me make a ſolemn Profeſſion (which is the more credible from one, who hath no great reaſon to expect to out-live the General Deſolation) that, ſo far as I know my own heart, I have ſpoke nothing with a deſign to exaſperate any, or to humor and gratifie one Faction, by diſgracing or inveighing againſt another; but it hath been my care to ſpeak the very truth, according to the infallible Word of God, and the cleareſt apprehenſions of my own Soul; with an unfeigned deſire to diſcover what indeed thoſe ſins are, which we eſpeciallie ſmart for, that the inconſiderate and ignorant may be informed, the guiltie humbled, wickedneſs rooted out, God appeaſed, and all our mercies, both spiritual and temporal, reſtored and continued; and theſe deſigns ſhall be followed with my prayers: (and I hope with thine too that read'ſt me) but how far the ſucceſs may anſwer either, I must leave to the Readers improvement of, and Gods bleſſing upon my well-intended, though weak endeavours.
Thine in the Service of the Goſpel, M. M.