Balm from Gilead, Sermon 1
26. Iune, 1625. The first day.
THese words containe a gracious promise of God vntounto his Church: Salomon hauing finished a Temple for the Lord, dedicateth it vntounto him, which hee doth by prayer; in which he putteth foorth diuers Petitions on diuers occasions: amongst other things, he intreateth, that if there bee pestilence in the Land. vers. 28. and the people (knowing the sore or sinne in the heart) shall spread foorth their hands, &c. that the Lord would bee pleased to heare, to forgiue their sinnes, and to heale the Land. In these words the Lord giueth a direct answer vntounto that part of the Petition, wherein proser…ing meanes in their right vse promiseth, Then I will heare from Heauen, I will forgiue their sins, and I will heale the Land.
It is written (as whatsoeuer else) for our instruction, and sheweth vsus what is to bee done, being smitten with the Pestilence, if euer we looke to attaine that blessing, curing the Land.
In the words we hauehave two things. 1. The maladie or sicknes. 2. The remedie or cure thereof. The maladie in those words, If J send the Pestilence, &c. The cure in those: If my people, &c. In the first there are three things, the Cause, the Effect, the Subiect. The Effect, the sicknesse it selfe, the Pestilence. The Cause is double, inflicting or sending, or else that which is outwardly moouing thereunto; the former expressed, the latter implied: the inflicting cause in the word, I. If J send, that which is outwardly mo…ing sinne, of which after▪ And the subiect is laid down in those words, my people.
In the second we hauehave the Cure it selfe, and the meanes. In the Cure we hauehave cause, I; effect, will heale; subiect, the same that is diseased. Wherin we may note it extent, how farre this malady doth extend, the Land.
The meanes are of two sorts to be performed by vsus, or God disposing to the cure: those that are to be vsed or performed by vsus, are foure. First, humiliation, If they shall humble themselues: 2. Prayer, and pray: 3. Seeking, and that set forth by it obiect, and seeke my face: 4. Repentance, and turne from their wicked wayes. Those that are preuious vntounto the effect in God. First, Hearing, I will heare, &c. Secondly forgiuing, I will forgiue their sinnes. And so the effect followeth, I will heale the Land. And Gods order is not to bee left out: first, wee must humble our selues, &c. then God will heare, and forgiue, and heale the Land.
I should now first open the meaning of the words, and then gather the propositions; but if there bee any difficultie in the words, I shall labour to cleare it in the seuerall propositions, as their proper seate and place, and so come directly vntounto those propositions. And first of all obserue.
That sinne is the cause that mooueth the Lord to send the pestilence amongst his people. Doct. 1 This, though it bee not expressed, is implyed in this sentence. Salomon in his prayer expresseth it as a cause of all iudgements, Because they hauehave sinned against thee, is often repeated; hee implyeth it when he prayeth for forgiuenesse of sinnes: and so doth the Lord when he promiseth forgiuenesse of sinnes, which is, the taking away of the Cause.
And this is a cleare case according to the Scriptures.
1 Because Salomon praying for the remooueall of the Plague, Reason 1 prayeth withall for the remoueall of sin: which had bene to no ende, in vaine, if sinne were not the cause of the plague.
2 Because the Lord making a promise of healing the Land of the Plague, Reason 2 promiseth as disposing therunto forgiuenesse of sinnes, which were to no purpose, in vaine, were not sinne the cause of the plague.
3 Because the Lord doth oftentimes minace and threaten this Iudgement, the Pestilence, Reason 3 as the wages of sinne. Numb. 14.12.I will smite them (murmuring Israel) with the pestilence. If you will not be reformed, &c. but will walke contrary vntounto me, Leuit. 26.23.25.I will bring a Sword vponupon you, &c. I will send the Pestilence amongst you. And amongst those many curses pronounced by the Lord for sinne. Deut. 28. the Pestilence is one, Deut. 28.21The Lord shall make the Pestilence to cleaue vntounto thee.
4 Adde hereunto, Reason 4 that the Lord hath oftentimes sent the Pestilence because of sin: he hath bin as good as his word; with this did hee cut off many thousands in Israel, at one time foure and twentie thousand: Num. 25.and in the dayes of Dauid, 2 Sam. 24.15.for his sinne seuenty thousand. Stories in all ages shew this truth: with this iudgement hath the Lord often visited the sinnes of this Citie. You hauehave yet bills of thousands cut off An. 1603. in this Citie for sinne. Bills now to the eyes, and Bells vntounto the eare (to omitt other testimonies of sense) declare this truth, that the Plague is the wages of Sinne.
5 And last of all, Reason 5 when as Death it selfe, and all curses are the fruits and returne of sinne: Rom. 6. vlt.The wages of sinne is death. Cursed is eueryevery one that abideth not in all: all these curses shall come vponupon thee, and ouertake thee. The Pestilence being of that nature must necessarily be an effect of sin; and so the Propositon is cleare, that That which mooueth the Lord to send the Pestilence amongst a people is Sinne.
EueryEvery sinne is a cause of this Pestilence, as we hauehave seene: and yet for our farther edification it shall not be amisse, from the generall to descend vntounto particulars, and to inquire into the particular sinnes causing the Plague: which we shall find out, if we consider, to what sinnes God doth threaten this iudgement: for what sinnes hee hath heretofore executed it; and so argue from a paritie of reason.
Two sorts of sinnes I finde causing the Pestilence, O missions or defects sometimes, sometimes Commissions.
Amongst Omissions, 1. I finde a mouing cause, want of Sacrifice; This Moses and Aaron imply, when as going vntounto Pharao to intreat that Israel might goe, that they might Sacrifice vntounto the Lord their God. Their inducement is, lest hee fall vponupon vsus with the Pestilence. Wherein we may vnderstand, that Omission of sacrifices of God, layeth a People open vntounto the iudgements of God, to Gods falling vponupon a people with the Pestilence.
By a paritie of reason, wee may gather that omission of any sacrifizes prescribed vsus by the Lord, maketh a man lyable to this Iudgement of God, the Plague.
2 Want of humiliation, and prayer, seeking of Gods fauour, and repentance, is another cause; and this is layde downe in this place: for if the performance of these, in Gods maner, be a meanes of the remedie and cure of a Land, the want of these must bee a cause of the euill. Of which particularly (God willing) hereafter in their seuerall places.
3 Another defect is, in profit by former mercies or Iudgements, the intent of the Lord in our chastisements, is amendment, the Lord doth it for our profit: Heb. 12.as a Father he vseth first one, and lesse after, more and greater blowes: when as fewe and lesse iudgements worke not, preuaile not, more, and greater must follow; amongst other, this of the pestilence: Thus doth the Lord say and doe, Seuen times so many plagues more, amongst them the pestilence: If you wil not be reformed by these, &c. Leu. 26.23.25.J will send the Pestilence amongst you.
4 VntoUnto these, adde the want of zeale; the Zeale of the Lord in all men in their places, and it expressure in louelove of goodnesse and detestation of that which is euill. Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the Priest, (saith the Lord, in a time of the Pestilence) hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel, whilst hee was zealous for my sake: Numb. 25.11.13.He was zealous for his God: Whence I may probably argue, if zeale be a cause and meanes of staying the wrath of the Lord, then zeale and its effects being wanting, cause the wrath of the Lord: this particular effect of it the Pestilence: the continuance of the Plague is clearely an effect, and the principles nourishing are the same, with those which cause a disease. That which is spoken of the zeale of Phineas is true, of others in their places, of Ministers, especially Magistrates. Indeede when as the Magistrate, the man whom God so honoureth, as to giuegive him his name, J said yee are Gods, and place to (for the iudgement is for God; they are as God) is not a terrour vntounto the wicked, shall conniue and winke at impiety, hauehave an hand in, I, be the first in transgression; It is time for the Lord himselfe, for the preseruation of the sound parts, yea for his owne name, to looke vntounto the matter, to arise; to send som extraordinary Iudge or Executioner: when as the subordinate doth not, it is time for the principall to keepe an Assise, and there is no Messenger more ready or speedy, or impartiall in execution then this, the Pestilence: by this God can quickly visite a person, a Family, a Parish, a Citie, a Land: he can c…t off tenne or twenty hundreds or thousands in a weeke: hee can visite from Dan to Beershebah, and slay seauenty thousand in three dayes, as in the time of King Dauid, and the way of the Lord is equall (as we see) when as want of zeale is a cause.
5 Hither-vntounto referre want of obseruation of Gods Sabbaths, which amongst other causes, is rightly obserued by the Church of England, as in the late Seruice-book for time of this Visitation. Amongst the causes for which GOD visited Israel in the wildernesse (one Iudgement being the Pestilence, Numb. 14.37.) I finde one, the pollution of Gods Sabbaths. Ezech. 20 …t is, what the Lord plainely minaceth against that sin, as you may see, Leu. 26.3. and 25. compared together.
Indeede, wheresoeuer there is a want of hallowing Gods Sabbath, or the Lords day: there must needes be a want of spirituall Sacrifices required, it being the speciall time and season of those Sacrifices: and in that name a cause of the Plague: The want of santifying Gods Sabbath, is an euidence of want of zeale, the zeale that was in holy Nehemiah, Neh. 13.22. and where there is a want of zeale, there is a sufficient cause of the Plague; and the punishment, and sinne, are very congruous; for all persons and places doe owe vntounto the Lord a rest: and where it is not payed, Leu. 26.God threatneth desolation, and hath executed the same on Israel, 2 Chron. 36. and that for this end, that the Land might enioy her rest. Now what fitter iudgement to execute this vengeance, written, desolation, then the Pestilence: it causeth houses to spue out Inhabitants: it maketh our congregations thin, and our Streetes thin: it maketh men to forsake all by flight, or death, as we now begin to see in this Citie. And therefore:
Last of all, want of cōming to the Sacrament, or at least with the worthinesse, complement, and quality required by the Lord, is another cause of the Pestilence; as is also obserued in the said booke: 1 Cor. 11.For this cause (saith the Apostle Paul) some of you are sicke, some of you weake, some a sleepe: Though the disease be not specified, yet there is a likenesse of reason betweene this and any other sicknesse whatsoeuer in this respect. And thus hauehave we now the particular sinnes, causing the Pestilence, vnderunder that head, Omissions.
VntoUnto these adde positiue sinnes or commissions.
1 Pride and vaine confidence in man, the arme of flesh. This was King Dauids sinne: mouing him to number the people: therefore the Lord smote with this Plague 70. thousand men: a proportioned punishment vntounto the sinne destroying, other Gods trusted in, with whom Dauid was vainly lifted vp.
2 Cruelty, & oppression of those that are vnderunder of whatsoeuer sort: Grinding the faces of the poore, &c. when as in Israel they did not hearken vntounto the Lord in proclaiming liberty to their brethren and neighbours: Ier. 34.17.the Lord was wrath with Israel, and behold, I proclaime libertie for you (saith the Lord) to the sword and to the Pestilence. Cruell men are mercilesse men: and when God sendeth the Pestilence on such, hee executeth vengeance without merciemercy: he vseth a mercilesse disease in sundry respects.
3 Whoredome is another cause of the Pestilence. Spiritual whoredom, and corporall whoredome. I ioine both together, the one the cause of the other, as we may see in the Heathen and vnc…eane Idolaters. Esai. 5.11.12. vide c. 8.As I liue, saith the Lord, because thou hast defiled my Sanctuarie with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will J deminish thee, &c. A third part of thee shall die with the Pestilence. And thus, when as the Lord threatneth the sword and the Pestilence; one cause is, committing Adulterie with their neighbours wiues. In the 15. of Numbers, Ier. 29.23.you reade of 24. thousand which fell by the Plague: the cause was, the children of Israel committed whoredome with the daughters of Moab. Num. 25.1, 2, 3, 4.Being called to the Sacrifices of their Gods, it is said, the people did eate and bowe to their Gods. Israel ioyned themselues to Baal-Peor: and so the wrath of the Lord is kindled; and there followed such a slaughter amongst them by the Plague.
4 Contempt of such as are set ouer vsus by the Lord, Numbers 14.2.12.37.
5 Disobedience vntounto Gods word and Ministrie: so when as the Lord minaceth the sword, famine, and the pestilence: the reason, Because they hauehave not hearkened vntounto my words, saith the Lord, I sent vntounto them by my seruants, the Prophets, rising vp early, but yee would not heare, Ier. 29.17.19,saith the Lord.
Finally, Oathes and Cursings are a cause of the Plague, Because of Oathes the Land doth mourne, saith the Prophet. When doth a Land mourne, if not when it is smitten with the plague? And what meruaile, when as one ordinarie curse in mens mouthes, of all sorts, is, as the Pox: so the Plague, it is a righteous thing with the Lord, sometimes to heare and answer in kinde, and to measure vntounto man what hee so commonly measureth to others by his mouth, destruction by the plague.
But what stand I vponupon particulars? the plague is the flux of eueryevery sinne, as we hauehave heard: there is no man that hath that sore in his heart, or bosome, but hath a cause in act, which is the mouer of the Lord, to send this fearefull messenger to his destruction, the plague.
If sinne bee the cause, Obiect. how is it that in this time of the pestilence any sinner escapeth, that all are not cut off?
This question may be made hereafter, Answer. who knoweth whether any man shall escape? If the Lord goeth on as he beginneth, there will be no occasion of this question: and yet if any be spared, it will be the merciemercy, patience, and long suffering of the Lord. It is the merciemercy of the Lord, that we hauehave not beene alreadie consumed.
Particularly, there are causes why in such times the Lord spareth euen the wicked.
1 The Lord can put the wicked man to some good vse. 1. He maketh them a fence to Gods Church, who are fewe, who are but a little flocke: sometimes against the beasts of the field: sometimes against men, to men beasts, to the Church worse, such as would destroy Gods Vineyeard. 2. They proclaime the great patience & long suffering of the Lord. 3. They set forth Gods great power, which is then seene, when as hee shall rule and dispose of all in his manner, in the middest of his enemies. 4. They exercise all the graces of Gods spirit in his people, as I could particularly shew. And so further (though they thinke not of it) their saluation.
2 The Lord hath many more Iudgements besides the plague, and is not bounded: and the plague is his messenger, which hee can send againe at his pleasure; if not this weeke, the next; many yeares after.
3 EueryEvery wicked man is alwayes in all places Gods prisoner, as a dogge in an halter: when hee will, and how he will; he can execute his vengeance written.
4 It may be God hath a purpose to call him, and that houre is not come as yet: All that are giuen mee of my Father, shall come vntounto me.
5 It may be God hath a purpose eternally to destroy a man: he shall hauehave life and pleasures here, his torments hereafter. Where the husbandman hath an hope of fruit, hee pruneth those trees, and loppeth superfluous boughes, where hee intendeth the fire, hee suffereth those trees to grow: when as the Grasier putteth his Oxe so the fattest pasture, he intendeth, and it shall not be long before there come a day of slaughter: as long as a wicked man goeth on vnsmitten for sinne, hee doth but heape vp wrath against a day of wrath: he doth but with the Oxe feede, and fat himselfe against a day of slaughter.
6 Last of all, the Lord intendeth to make them without Apologie in the day of Iudgement, they shall hauehave not a word to speake for themselues: and then is the vttermost day of account and reckoning: and for these causes, the Lord in times of the pestilence doth not cut off, & sweep away all wicked men.
Let vsus now make some vse of this proposition: and first,
1 It may be vntounto vsus a ground of information in the vndoubted cause of the pestilence: of this hand of God in other places, in this Citie at other times, and now in this Citie, in this Parish, in this Land, many causes are giuen by the Phisitian, and I honour the Physitian, I giuegive great credit vntounto him in his Art. Physicke sheweth second causes, Theologie in this proposition the first cause, that which giueth efficiencie to all the rest, that is, sinne: the particular sinnes spoken of: the pestilence is the effect, and sinne is the cause, the sinnes spoken of.
What sinne is not to be found in this Citie of London? what place else in the Land doth not iustifie her, if not (all considered) exceed her?
Is there not amongst vsus great want of sacrifice? Prayer is a sacrifice. How many families are there, and persons that call not vponupon God? that call not in his maner (as after.)
Distribution, and doing good sacrifice: and yet what want is there? The swarmes of poore going vp and downe, lying, staruing, seene dying in our Streets, shew it.
Righteousnesse, a sacrifice. O the want of righteousnesse in all sorts, I dare not to instant in particulars: God looking down, seeth that there is but a little righteousnesse in the Land.
Praise, a sacrifice, the which specially honoureth God: what Land or Citie in the world more blest, lesse blessing the Lord: and what meruaile is it, if there bee for eueryevery one of these the plague.
Where's our profit: our reformation & amendment by former iudgements forraigne, domesticke, publique, priuate? Where's Nehemiahs zeale? the zeale of former Magistrates for Gods Sabbath: the zeale of Gods name against Oathes, of Magistrates, of Ministers: It is of a fierie temper indeede, it may bee gone to heauen: there's but a little vponupon earth, and many labour to quench it.
Gods Sabbaths are ordinarily polluted in this Land, in buying and selling, and what not: the rest of the Asse, in eating & sleeping, is a great peece of seruice; and GOD is beholding to some, if they doe but walke vp and downe the …e…ds, or sit vain…ly talking on that day at …heir dore.
A fewe come vntounto our Sacraments: fewer worthily, and what wonder is it, if that wee hauehave Gods …essenger with all, the plague, the one is the cause, the other but the effect thereof?
The time would bee to long for me to speake of our pride, and vaine confidence, oppression, without which men dreame, our very Trading, cannot subsist. Whoredome a common sinne. Many as Zimri and Cosbie might bee found out, if Phineas stood vp. Not to speake of spirituall whoredome, Israelites daylie ioyne themselues to Baal-Peor, goe vntounto the sacrifices of Moab, eate thereof, and bowe vntounto their Gods, and can we wonder that the wrath of God is kindled, and the plague amongst vsus?
It is ordinary to murmur against Moyses, and …o despise Aaron the holy ones, faithfull Ministers of the Lord, men heare Gods curse and goe on, blessing themselues, hardned in their sinnes as seperated vntounto euill.
And the plague of God, as curses, and all fearefull Oathes are in many a mans mouth: what sinne is there, but it is amongst vsus, in this Land? and if you will receiue it, these are the causes which hauehave produced, or moued the Lord to send amongst vsus the plague.
And as it sheweth the cause, so those vntounto whom this is to be imputed: some giuegive it vntounto the poore, some vntounto this man, others to that, if thou wilt not misse the marke: thou must giuegive it to those men that liue in their sinnes; the particular sinnes spoken of: these are the Achans which trouble Jsrael, to whom we must impute it.
And hence may wee guesse what to expect vntounto our selues, our Parishes, our Families, our persons in this infectious time: vnlesse wee follow the prescript of the Lord: all prescripts else will be but vaine, so long as we carrie the plague sore, sinne, in our hearts.
As likewise about it continuance, as long as the cause doth remaine, the effect must: wee cannot expect other, it is Gods order.
2 If the pestilence be the effect of sin, we may learn hence what preseruatiues to vse, and remedies for the cure of the plague. What is good against the Plague, is a needefull question now, a fewe of vsus meet with a Physitian: but that is our question: it is a matter of life and death; we are sensible of it: Skin for skin, and what will not a man do to saue his life? The Physitian that could prescribe a remedy, were of no small value. Our proposition in part prescribeth the meanes, and specially, in that it sheweth the cause, sinne. The best preseruatiues against the plague, are preseruatiues against sinne: The best remedies for the plague, are such as cure the sores in the soule of man, his sinne: And vponupon this ground are wee called on to finde out those preseruatiues, and carefully to vse them. If a man desire to knowe what these are, and where to be had. My answer is, onelyonly in Iesus Christ. It is a faythfull saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners. He is the alone Sauiour, an horne of saluation, perfectly able to saue all those that come vntounto him. There is no other Name giuen vnderunder heauen whereby a man may bee saued; He is the Sonne of righteousnesse, there is healing in his wings, in him there is circumcision not made with hands, to the putting away the body of the sinnes of the flesh, in him redemption, and remission of sinnes.
If you demand how a man may attaine it? I answere, by faith in Christ. By faith in Christ, receiuing, apprehending, accepting him offered and giuen, wee receiue remission of sinnes, sanctification, saluation, and so are all these giuen vntounto faith in Christ Jesus. If you demand when that offer is made, and is to be receiued. I answer, in the Gospell, diligent attention vntounto it ministration, in the promises of God, Christ and all his benefits are lapt vp. And thus the Gospell is the power of God to saluation: and the pleasure of God is by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue. Christ Iesus is the Fountaine opened for sinne and vncleanenes, & therefore are we called to come vntounto the water, to wash vsus, to make vsus cleane: and by faith in him both wayes, to put away the euill of our doings out of Gods sight. Hee dyed for our sinnes, he is risen, ascended, exalted a Sauiour, and a Prince, to giuegive repentance and remission of sinnes. If any man sinne, wee hauehave an Aduocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the Just. The cure of the Plague, is by taking away the cause, Sinne; the taking away of sinne, is by beleeuing in Christ. Beholding by the eye of Faith, the Lambe of God that taketh away the Sinne of the World. This is the onelyonly meanes and remedy against sinne, and aboue all other … vertue in al second … … the effect to soundnesse and …alth so farre as is truely good. …eny that meanes, or its vse, the operation of all other secondary meanes will cease, soundnesse will not follow. You may force a skin on the plague sore, the core will remaine, and at length, breake foorth againe. Corruption will grow and increase, vntill it commeth vntounto ripenesse: and thus the ende of sinne is death. This was that which the Israelites did in the Wildernesse, looking vp to the brasen Serpent: hence issued that vertue, and vertue of healing all diseases hence vertue from sacrifices and oblations in the Olde Testament, hence euer the plagues ceasing; vse this at all times, especially now: It is a remedy against sinne, and so, a taking away of that, which was the cause of the plague.
3 If the Pestilence be a fruit of sinne; … no naturall meane of it selfe … cure it; the cure must be withall … vse of meanes supernaturall, as the… we spake of before. It is true, th… Lord hath meanes secondarie, those can, & may take away the second cause; the supreme cause is supernaturall, and there must be supernaturall meane withall to the taking away of that cause. Let not vsus trust in second meanes, nor vse them, neglecting the chiefe: vse both, first and chiefely, the first and chiefest meanes, supernaturall meanes: and then the other, if you looke for good successe.
Besides the difficultie, in regard of supernaturall meanes, (vntounto which by nature we hauehave no power, no sufficiencie, no will, no deede) it will bee farther encreased, the cause, sinne is so hardly found out: there is not a lust, but it is a deceiuable lust: In that respect, The heart of man is deceitfull aboue measure, and desperatly euill; who can finde it out? Surely, onelyonly the Lord. The diligentest obseruer of his owne wayes, confesseth secret sinnes, from which he desireth to bee cleansed. It is an inward maladie, a spirituall euill; it hath a thousand couers and vailes; it hath so many abbettors: the World, it course, it custome, it inducements, it glosses, and they beare a great shew, hauehave a goodly presence.
Satan vseth all his Subtiltie to the same ende: in this are his methods and wiles chiefely exercised, he appeareth as an Angell of light: and so blindeth, that the light of the Word shall not shine vntounto a soule: or not to discouerie, Satan hath many ministers, is a lying spirit in the mouth and practise of many a man, who cry peace to all courses of sin; who bid men go on and prosper. Who runne with them and cry, Come, let vsus, &c. And count it strange if any runne not, who if they say right, doe not. Finding out sinnes is difficult, if not imposible: (to omi…) when it is found out, it cleauing vntounto vsus, a man is borne, and bred, and …ccustomed to it, it is as blackenesse to a Moore, as spots to a Leopard: which must call vponupon vsus to consult with God in his Word, and cause vsus to looke thoughts, words, and deedes, yea, nature it selfe, in the glasse of Gods Law, by it oftentimes to search and to try our wayes. By Prayer to cry, make me to know, cause mee to remember. To beg vntill thou receiu the spirit, and it light, to conuiction of thee of thy sin: consider what Conscience accuseth thee for, the Word galleth thee for; what godly friends, dislike in thee: (but of these in an other place after.) It will be an hard matter to cure that which is not felt, nor found out; the difficultie of our finding out these causes, sinne, is the reason why eueryevery small disease becomes incureable. An Ague putteth to a nonplus the most skilfull Physition, Physicke cannot worke.
It is the more difficult, last of all, because the reason may bee, and is, sometimes the sinne of some other, primarily respected by God in this hand; the sore in the bosome of eueryevery man may be a sufficient cause, and yet that which is in an other the efficient: For the sinne of a Father, God doth threaten, and answerably visit a childe: and there is a case wherein the sinne of the Mother is not blotted out. There are sinnes which make a Land mourne, and will make it desolate: there are sinnes in publicke persons, as Dauid, as in the head; the whole body may bee the worse, for the euill of the head. All these make the cure of the Plague more difficult, which also wee must find out, & repent of; (of which afterward.) The difficulty of the cure must make vsus all so much the more carefull in our vse of the meanes.
Last of all, this sheweth vsus the odiousnesse and vglinesse of sinne, of all sinnes, the sinnes spoken of causing the Plague, and ought to be a preuailing cause of auersion and opposition vntounto it in all men. It is sufficient, I suppose, when as our Proposition saith, it is the proper cause of the Plague. Physitians call that disease, a monster of Diseases. The Scripture, The snare of the hunter, the noysome pestilence. It is the feare of the night, an arrow that flyeth in the day, it walketh in the darkenesse, it destroyeth at noone day. Besides the payne, torture, torment, and raging destruction that it canseth in such as hauehave it; and oftentimes (then which it can doe no more) Death. It depriueth a man of helpes and meanes, which in other Diseases may be had. It shuteth out the Physitian, louing neighbours, and friends, confineth and imprisoneth a man: comforts without are excluded by it: and it bereaueth a man of many comforts within: now one childe, then an other, sometimes a seruant; now the desire of the mans eyes: sometimes the bond of the house, sometimes all; the euils are infinite if a man abide. If hee flye, hide himselfe, whither shall he goe? though we receiue all, and are the refuge of all, at all dead lifts, in all contributions, wee are not receiued, wee hauehave no quiet place of refuge, wee are a strife vntounto our neighbours, and reproached of all places round about: We deserue it (as Dauid of Shemei) of the Lord, though not of the Country: and all these come vponupon vsus by Gods deserned punishment inflicted vponupon vsus, the plague.
Is the plague the effect so fearefull, and is not sinne the cause so much more? will a man flye the effect, and nothing at all bee moued with the cause? It is farre more fearefull, and hath all miseries else attendant, and therefore so much the more to be eschewed: if not, yet let these fearefull effects preuaile with vsus, and worke vponupon vsus at this time.
Especially let it stirre vsus vp vntounto the vse of Gods prescribed meanes.
In this perilous time, the Lord calleth for humiliation, emptying of our selues, selfe deniall, submission of soule and body vntounto the Lord; to put ropes about our neckes, comming before the Lord: to iudge and condemne our selues, to take vntounto our selues shame and confusion of face for our misdeseruings, to breake downe eueryevery high and proud imagination: if nothing else preuaile, let the wages of our sinnes, and the miserie we endure, by reason of the plague.
The Lord now requireth that we pray, that wee erie mightily, that Prince, Priest, people, wrastle with God by prayer; that we pray in Gods manner, and bee not wearie, make a vertue of the necessitie that is vponupon vsus, by this fearefull iudgement of God, the plague.
The Lord requireth now, that we seeke his face, and fauour, in which all one is life temporall, spirituall, eternall, in all meanes, early, diligently, continually, in time: Let vsus be incited vntounto it by this destroyer and deuourer of God, the plague.
The Lord requireth, that we forsake eueryevery man his euill wayes, eueryevery euill way; of thee swearer & curser, that thou sweare and curse no more; of thee an vsurer, or oppressour, that thou bee an vsurer and oppressour no more: Of thee that art a prophaner of Gods holy Sabbath, that thou bee so no more; that wee cleanse hearts and hands, and crie of all sinnes, as Ephraim of Idols: What hauehave I to doe with Idols any more? to rend the heart, to vnloose the bonds of sinne: to deuide and cut betweene them and the soule: to cut off right hands: to plucke out right oyes: to crie unto all, get yee hence, and to do contrarious gracious actions. Hard sayings, great workes, against nature: and yet let vsus bee put vponupon it, by the many imminent destructions for our sinnes, by Gods messenger, the plague.
It is true, that the louelove of God, and the hatred of sinne, must be ingredients, impellments, motiues to all these, or else all these will be but temporarie, slauish, and not accepted by God, and yet that we (moued out of louelove) may moue forwards: we hauehave need of rods, as dogges, to …riue vsus, it is Gods intendment in the plague: let vsus be answerable.
VntoUnto all oppositions and tergiuersations, propose the plague. Consider with thy selfe by holy reason, what God proposeth to moue thee, on the one side there is life, on the other death: on the one side, in vse of Gods meanes, a promise of paerdon, a promise of healing the land: on the other side; if I neglect the same, the wages of sinne, the plague attendeth me, it is at the dore: one of these must now be chosen, as wee would liue long, and see good dayes, vse the meanes; come let vsus returne vntounto the Lord, and vse his meanes: as for other, who can easily beare and brooke Gods hand, the plague; who slight it, and it effects, can dwell with it, I, and euerlasting burnings also; you may goe on in your sins; Be filthie still; fill vp the measure of your sinnes, neglect Gods meanes: be a swearer, a Sabbath breaker, a sinner in any, in all kindes spoken of before, and yet notwithstanding know, that the destroying messenger of God for these sinnes, the pestilence is abroad, and that it is the Lord that sendeth the Pestilence amongst a people, because of their sinnes, which is our next proposition.