IT is written in the hearts of all men by the hand of the ALMIGHTIE, that whersoeuer they are Hee is present with them, and acquainted with all their wayes, Psal. 139.3. And yet those Books of Re­cord laid vp in the brests of the Reprobate are so blotted and spot­ted with sinne, that they can hardly reade Gods presence in them, and much lesse construe it aright. Therefore hee is pleased to manifest himselfe in the hearts of his Elect, in a fairer Character of a more gracious and propitious presence, and that most specially when they are assembled in his Name, and in his House, [Page 2] Hee then promising that although they bee but two or three, yet he will be nigh them, yea a­mongst them, and amidst them too, not only in the Bodie of his Temple, but in the very Tem­ples of their Bodies, in his House, and in their hearts. Prope Deus est, cum ijs est, in ijs. Inter eos & intra eos: With them and within them. But to come neerer. Amongst all the chosen hearts of Gods Seruants, God reserueth his choisest presence for the hearts of his chosen and anoin­ted Seruants;The royall heart is Gods great Cham­ber of pre­sence. Psal. 82. And amongst all godly Congre­gations, hee is pleased to take vp his speciall stan­ding in the Congregation of Gods, where Kings and Princes meet to doe him seruice, and to call vpon his Name, by whose Name they are called. Bethel rhe Kings Chappell is most significantly the House of God, and questionlesse, God will be most peculiarly present with the Kings heart; for behold in this Text he hath giuen his Word, and his Hand for it,

The Heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord.

In the hand of the Lord is the heart of euery liuing Creature, it being the principall part of that admired workmanship of his owne diuine hand; but specially the heart of man the prin­cipall Creature, who is the speciall Master-piece of his workmanship, as bearing his owne Image, and yet more peculiarly the heart of the King the principall man, who is more peculiarly his Image, as being his owne Vicegerent. The Kings [Page 3] Heart is in the hand of the LORD.

If we take the heart at the Lords hand, as he vouchsafeth to take it at ours, viz. for the whole liuing creature, Behold his hand is ouer all his workes, it filleth all things liuing with plentious­nesse, it feedeth and saueth both Man and Beast; In his hands are all the corners of the EARTH, as well as all the corners of the HEART, as the Psalmist teacheth. In his hand, saith Iob, is the soule of euery liuing thing, and the breath of all Mankind.

But in this generall subordination and sub­iection what will bee the prerogatiue of man a­boue other Creatures, or of Kings aboue other men? Certainly much. The inferiour creatures are in the hand of God, yet so that hee hath also put them into the hands of men,Gen. 1.28. and they haue dominion ouer them; Inferiour men are in the hand of God, yet so that he hath also deliuered them into the hands of Kings, and they exercise authoritie vpon them. Mat. 20.25: But as for Kings shall I say that they only are absolutely in Gods hands; I may say absolutely that they are in Gods hands only. God hath put the liues of others into their hands, them hee hath reserued for his owne. The Kings Heart is in the hand of the Lord.

This was not only Dauids case who was a man after Gods owne heart, and had so sweete an experimentall knowledge of Gods gracious tui­tion: Nor Salomons alone who had so faithfull [Page 4] an assurance of Gods fauourable assistance, groun­ded on so full a promise, as that God would be his Father, and he should bee his Child, and se­conded with so faire a pawne as the fulnesse of wisdome and an vnderstanding heart: This is a case common to Kings, and must bee pleaded by a Prouerbe, The Kings Heart is in the hand of the Lord: A Prouerbe that carrieth with it power and authoritie, pith and significancie, wherein yee haue the hand of the Lord, and the very heart of the King, Manum diuinam, Mentem regiam.

Esay 14.10.But, what hath God an hand? Is God also be­come weake as we, is he become like vnto vs. It is v­suall with vs, as to christen diuers men, so to call different things by one and the same name: Pe­dem & nostrum dicimus & lecti & veli & carmi­nis, Seneca. saith that sage Heathen: Our weaknesse is the strongest reason for it that hee standeth on, Quia non sufficimus vt singula singulis assignemus. So standeth the case with vs men, it is nothing so with God. Hath he a foot? it is to support our infirmities: it is to tread a path for our capacities. Hath he an Hand in my Text? it is to direct our decayed knowledge; it is to lead our blind vn­derstandings. If any therefore shall make a que­stion how the hand may bee fastened on God, [Page 5] with whom things corporall can hold no propor­tion, The Figure [...] must shape him an answere, by which our great God mercifully descending and condescending vnto our meane capacities, doth, because we cannot vnderstand him in the language of Canaan, speake vnto vs in our owne Mother-tongue, and because wee can­not reade the diuine Characters of his Essence, and Presence, writeth in our owne hand; The Kings Heart is in the hand of the Lord.

By this hand then God leadeth vs to the con­sideration of that high esteeme which hee vouch­safeth vs, as if it were not enough for vs that he had made vs like himselfe, Hee would, if it were possible, make himselfe like vs. But heere (to speake more pertinently) God especially beareth vs in hand, Quam habiturus sit circa publicas personas specialem prouidentiam: Carthus. What an high regard he will haue of Royall sublimitie. As if it were not enough for Kings that the Hoast of the Lord were their Guard, the Lord of Hoasts will bee their Guardian: his hand shall mayntaine their right and manage their affaires. The Kings Heart is in the hand of the Lord.

I will not diuide or diuorce the Lords hand from the Kings heart: What God hath coupled I will not put asunder. Let hand and heart goe together. In the ioynture it shall bee sufficient for mee to handle.

First, Gods royall Prerogatiue ouer the Heart.

Secondly, Gods Prerogatiue ouer the Heart royall.

[Page 6]The first of these will euidence that God car­rieth an hand ouer the hearts of all men in ge­nerall.

The second, that he hath an especiall hand o­uer the hearts of Kings.

And these are the generall obseruations.

Gods prerogatiue ouer the heart consisteth principally in the disquisition, and in the conuer­sion thereof, in searching and in turning it: the former exercised as well in the Reprobate as the Elect, the other in the Elect only: Both most emi­nently in Kings and men of the highest ranke.

That it is Gods prerogatiue to search the heart will soone appeare,Psal. 44.21. vpon a search of the Scrip­tures: Shall not God search this out, for he know­eth the secrets of the heart, saith Dauid. The heart is the fountaine of life; with God is the fountaine of life, to vse in this sense the saying of the same Kingly Prophet, Psal. 36.9. This Well is deepe and we haue nothing wherewith to draw. Our owne hearts are deceitfull; we can hardly euer find the depth of our owne, much lesse sound the Bottome of anothers heart. Yea, but ex abundantia cordis os lo­quitur, the words which a man letteth fall,By the speech as by the pulse we may ghesse at the temper of the heart. the threed of his speech like that of Ariadne's Clue, may somewhat direct vs in tracing the Maze, and following the turnings and windings of the heart. When I heare a mouth breathing out scurrilitie and blasphemies, a mouth vnder whose roofe God and good men neuer come, but they receiue a wound; what shall I say, but that it is retayner [Page 7] and reporter to a wicked heart. Thus might wee iudge of the temper of the heart in generall, but must leaue the exact search to the hand of the Lord. We may yet be much mistaken and decei­ued in some externall Indices of the heart.

Many Hypocrites there are who for feare of censure, or desire of esteeme, keepe their tongues cleanly, and yet there is many a foule corner in their hearts: like those Citizens who sweepe and keepe their doores verie neare for feare of a checke from the Magistrate, and yet haue many a sluttish corner in their houses. When all is done, The Lord is the true beholder of the heart. Homo cor ex verbis Deus verba ex corde pensat. Greg. Wisd. 1.6. Rom. 1.20. 1. Sam. 16.7. Psal. 139.2. Acts 15.8. Of him it is cleerly seene: He seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Hee vnderstandeth our thoughts afarre off. Hee seeth in secret, saith our Sauiour, Mat. 6. Therefore Peter recordeth in the Acts, that it is God who knoweth the hearts: And God appropriateth that prerogatiue to him­selfe, I the Lord search the heart. All things, and thoughts are naked and open in his eyes: The Fig-tree leaues could not keepe Adams nakednesse out of his sight. The Fig-tree could not hide Na­thaniel from his priuie search. Neither Men nor Angels but by especiall reuelation from him can haue any hand in the search of the heart,2. Chron. 6.30. for hee only knoweth the hearts of the children of men. The Heart is in the hand of the Lord. I turne my speech to the conuersion of the heart, which is another prerogatiue belonging to the Almightie hand.

[Page 8]The heart it is, that is Primum viuens, the first part that is viuified and quickned, both in Nature and Grace. As when Subiects are vp in Rebellion, the Prince intending to subdue them, seizeth first on their strongest hold: so God in reducing our rebell wills to his obedience, first layeth hold on the heart. Silly man is no otherwise the cause of his owne conuersion, then Marcus Liuius was of the taking of Taren­tum; who (as Plutarch relateth) enuying Fabius for his recouering and reducing of it to the Ro­man obedience,Plut. in vita Fab. Maximi. in open Senate said, That it was himselfe and not Fabius that was the cause of re­gaining the Citie: True answered Fabius, For hadst not thou lost it, I had neuer wonne it. Non potuisti, ô homo, in te, nisi perdere te, saith Augustine; We haue gone astray like lost Sheepe (saith Dauid) It is the Lord that must seeke his Seruants. Psal. 119.176. It is our spirit that animates vs in nature, but Gods Spirit quickneth vs in Grace, and createth a cleane heart in vs. In Nature, the agilitie of our hands is to be attributed to our hearts. In Grace, the abilitie of our hearts to the hand of the Lord: His hand leadeth vs to sauing health. Our hearts by sinne were not only wounded, but altogether dead, stone-dead, lumpes of dead flesh: Christ Iesus that good Samaritan, came by, and pow­red in Oyle and Wine, the Oyle of his mercie, and the red Wine that came from no other Vine, besides his owne veines. Twas only the bloud of that Scape-goate who tooke our nature vpon [Page 9] him that could mollifie our Adamantine hearts. We did no way preuent his absolute worke of conuersion by our owne wils preparation, or na­turall inclination. But as Augustine said of the Soule, That it was created together with the infu­sing of it, and infused into vs together with the creating of it: so must we of our will, that God in conuerting our hearts, maketh them to will their conuersion, and in making our hearts to will their conuersion, doth conuert them. And thus much of the Heart with reference to men in generall.

Now as all Clay is in the hand of the Pot­ter, and yet he is most carefull of that Clay which he reserueth for vessels which shall serue for the best vses, and which hee will set at the highest rate: so God fashioneth all hearts alike (as the Psal­mist noteth) & yet he is most intentiue to the hearts of Kings. And good reason. The spirits & hearts of priuate men, moue their priuate bodies; The spirits & hearts of Princely and Publick persons, moue multitudes, euen the whole bodie Politicke. Therefore God inspireth the hearts of supreame Gouernours with heroicall gifts, and superemi­nent graces, filleth them with fortitude and mag­nanimitie; and frameth and fitteth them for the managing of the weightiest affaires. The hearts of priuate men are in the hands of the Lord, as the Wels of water, their motions are confined within their owne compasse: The heart of the King like the riuers of water (as yee may see in the words following the Text) from him there is to [Page 10] be deriued the whole Weale publicke: The Spirit of God mooueth principally on those wa­ters.

As when the Riuer Nilus in his inundation ri­seth some Cubits higher then his vsuall limits, it is said to bee a certaine presage of a future Dearth and Famine in Aegypt: so when the Kings heart swelleth aboue the Lords hand, it will fill heauie on the whole Land.

And now from that which hath beene taught touching the Lords hand, both Kings and Sub­iects may learne to humble themselues vnder Gods mightie hand, and to present them hearts vnto him with an Ecce Ancillam, Behold thine Hand-maide.

Those Kings may take correction at Gods hand, who, as though God had no interest in their principall part, pay the vse of it to their owne pleasures; who liue rather like such as thinke Gods heart to bee in their hand, then those who consider that theirs is in his; who direct not any Prayers vnto him, pray not vnto him for any directions, but making Idols of themselues, cry Fiat voluntas nostra, let our wils be done. It is true indeed, that the Pri­uiledges of Kings are exceeding great. They are in a great measure like vnto God himselfe. For such maiestie he giueth them, that all people, na­tions, and languages tremble and feare before them; whom they will they slay, & whom they will they keep [Page 11] aliue, whom they will they set vp, and whom they will they put downe, Dan. 5.19. Their hearts are vnsearchable, Prou. 25.3. Their power is in some sort like vnto his:Prou. 30.31. Against him there is no rising vp. And (like him) they are not bound to giue men an account of their actions; For as none can stay the Lords hand, and say vnto him what doest thou, Dan. 4. So, who shall say to the King what dost thou.

Yet for all this, the same mouth that pro­nounceth them Gods, telleth them that they shall dye like men: They may be as Gods to their sub­iects, yet must they bee subiect to God. As his hand hath aduanced them, so must they exalt him. This shall they doe when Maximus and Optimus goe hand in hand,

When in their Kingdomes they thinke of Gods Kingdome. Although Caput Imperij seeme to be the more glorious Title, yet Membrum Ecclesiae is the more gracious Name. Gratius nomen pieta­tis quam potestatis, sayth Tertullian. Apologet. cap. 34 And to speake truly, Goodnesse is the onely true Greatnesse: They are great who are great in Gods fauour. So Moses and Ioseph were great: Isidores Ety­mologie may serue to this purpose, Reges à rectè agendo, saith hee, as if Regere were nought else [Page 12] but rectè agere, with him agreeth Hugo Cardina­lis in his Comment, (if wee apply those words to Kings in particular, which he vseth in the ge­nerall) Cor Regale est, quod excussit à se iugum ser­uitutis malae, nec alicui seruit, nisi Deo, cui seruire regnare est. Hee that ruleth ouer men must bee iust, ruling in the feare of God, 2. Sam. 23 3. Rex eri [...] dum benè regis, quod nisi feceris, nomen Regis in te non constabit: so wrote Eleutherius to King Lucius.

Againe, the Lords hand in this Text may serue to checke those Court-palmisters, who thinke that they haue found the line of their prefer­ment in their owne hands, saying in their hearts, Our hand is high, and the LORD hath not done all this, Deuteronomy 32.27. By the strength of our hand we haue done it, and by our wis­dome, for wee are prudent, Esay 10.13. O they should thinke of an higher hand, and consider that as they rule by Kings, so Kings raigne by God, Prou. 8. Therefore when they are exalted, they should extoll Gods hand, and lift vp their owne, onely in prayse to him: They should re­member that promotion commeth vnto them at the second hand, For Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West, nor from the South; But God is the Iudge, hee putteth downe one, and setteth vp another, Psal. 75. Therefore that should be their acknowledgement, and resoluti­on, which was Kings Dauids, 1. Chron. 29.12. Both riches and honour (saith he) come of thee, and [Page 13] thou raignest ouer all, and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great, &c. Now therefore our God wee thanke thee, and praise thy glo­rious name.

Lastly, let the same hand serue to beat downe those presumptious miscreants, who durst to lay violent hands on the Lords anointed seruants. It is fabled of the Bird Amphibia, that when the King of Fowles demanded tribute of her, shee tooke wing, and betooke her selfe to the Sea, and liued among the fi [...]hes, &c. Birds of this feather are our English Fugitiues, the Popes Birds, who haue forsaken our Land, and betaken themselues to the Sea of Rome, breaking asunder the bonds of their Allegiance and Religion. Their adulte­rous Mother-Church saith vnto them concer­ning Christs pretended Vicar, that which Christs Virgin-Mother said concerning Christ to the ser­uants at the marriage in Cana, Whatsoeuer he saith vnto you, doe it: And hee being (like the off spring of Herodias) before instructed by the cursed doctrine of that bloudie Mother, Mat. 14.8. breatheth out nothing but Murthers, biddeth them ayme at nothing so much, as at the heads of the Lords Anointed.So was the Assyrian King, Isa. 10.5. And that blou­die Scythian of later times. Punientur iu­dicio Dei. Lactant. Diu. Infi: lib 5. cap. vlt.

But wee are to learne hence a lesson of Prayer and Supplication for Kings, and those which are in authoritie; And of Patience and sufferance vn­der the yoke of tyrannie: If our Kings tyrannize they are the scourge of God, as was Antiochus. They are in the Lords hand to punish vs, and wee must leaue and referre their punishment to the [Page 14] same hand: And certainely, his hand shall finde out all his enemies, Psal. 21.8. When God openeth his hand, and layeth it graciously on those who are our heads, then hee falleth to blessing of vs: when he shutteth it, and layeth it grieuously a­bout our Heads, then hee falleth to buffetting of vs. Wherefore bee our Kings good? they are the Ministers of God for our good: Bee they euill? Indignationis aduersus nos diuinae quasi ministri sunt, Lactant. diuin. Instit. lib, 5. cap. vlt. saith Lactantius. Good Kings are like fire to comfort and enlighten: Bad Kings are as fire to consume and deuoure: It is not good medling with, or laying hands on either. What if Nabu­chadnezzars heart bee lifted vp, must a sentence of Depriuation bee giuen to despoile him of his throne?Dan. 5.20 21. No, Gods hand with the turne of an hand, must turne him a grazing, and make his Heart like the Beasts.

Dan. 5.23.Let Belshazzar lift vp himselfe against the Lord of Heauen; must a censure of Excommunication bee hung vp at his gate? No, the finger of the Lords hand must write against the wall of his Palace, that hand must number his time and finish it, Dan. 5.24. weigh him in the ballance and finde him wanting, diuide his Kingdome and giue it to the Medes and Persians. If the foule mouth of Herod breathe out from a cor­rupt and cruell heart, threatnings against Gods Church: must a Chastell therefore strike at his throat, or a Rauilliacke stab at his heart? No, the Lord must lay his hand vpon him: his Angels must smite him.

The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the Riuers of water. Wee must consider that God withholdeth the waters and they drye vp, also he sen­deth them out and they ouerturne the Earth, Iob 12.15. See also, Esa. 8.7. Hee can cut off the spirit of Princes, Psal. 76.12 Hee can change the hearts of Kings who are set to doe euill: Hee can ex­change Kings whom hee hath set as the hearts in the midst of the Bodies politicke: Hee can alter and subuert the estates of Kingdomes though they bee set, and as it were setled in the very heart of the Earth, like that of the Iewes, Ezek. 5.5. Hee taketh away Kings; Hee ruleth ouer the Kingdomes of men, and giueth them to whomso­euer hee will. Magna Magnus disponit Deus: So that wee must leaue those things with all our hearts, to the disposall of Gods Almightie hand. When the righteous are in authoritie the people reioyce saith Salomon, Prou. 29.2. When the wicked beare rule, what then, must the people rebell? No (as it there followeth) then the people mourne: They change their note and tune it to lachrymae: Ri­uers of waters runne downe their eyes, Psal. 119.136. because of those Princes who keepe not Gods Law.

Bee our Kings then good or euill, God hath set them as the tree of good and euill in the midst of the Garden; It is not for man to touch them least hee dye: Nemo potentes aggredi tutus potest. Seneca. English it in the words of holy Scripture, Who can lay [Page 16] hands vpon the Lords anointed and bee guiltlesse, 1. Sam. 26. A thought against the sacred head of Soueraigntie, is an attempt against thine owne: Scelus in autorem redit: like an arrow shot against heauen, it commeth downe with a vengeance vp­on the Shooters owne head. It is like that enue­nomed cup of the Monke of Swinsteed, which (as some write) destroyed himselfe together with his Soueraigne: Or like that sword wherewith Cassi­us strooke Caesar, Plut. in vit. Iulii Caesaris. which (as Plutarch storieth) did afterward slay Cassius himselfe. See Psal. 37.15. The thoughts and the dreames of some haue beene treasonable: But who would haue thought that their owne confession should make them plead guiltie? who would haue dream't that their fancie should bee punisht as a fact? Si nemo fuerit accusator, ipsi narrabunt. The Lord hath bound euery heart and hand with such a tye of inuiola­ble obedience to their Kings, that who so prouoketh them to Anger, is said to sinne against his owne soule, Prou. 20.2. The Lord is so tender ouer them, that hee will not haue them touched; Touch not mine Anointed, Psal. 105.15.

Hee telleth vs, that if the King bee cursed in our thought, or in our Bed chamber, a Bird of the Ayre shall carrie the voice, that which hath wings shall tell the matter, Eccles. 10.20.

When by Gowries Plot, our late Lord the King was brought euen to the Chambers of death, who would haue imagined that the tongue, scarce at libertie, should haue discouered that the head was in danger.

[Page 17]In the Powder-plot, when all things were car­ried in secrecie: when those bloud-suckers sea­led their cruell resolutions with receit of the Sa­crament, therein mingling bloud with their sacri­fices; who would haue thought that that which had wings should haue told the matter; that a Quil, that a Letter, like that Anser Capitolinus, should haue bewrayed the capitall danger likely to fall vpon the whole Land? It was the hand of the Lord, that enlarged the heart of the King, to con­ceiue the intricate meaning of an obscure Riddle. It was his hand that discouered deepe things out of darkenesse, and brought to light the shaddow of Death Iob 12.22. So the Catesbeian Conspiracie was dis­closed much like the Catilinarian, of whose dis­couerie Plutarch reporteth thus.Plut. in vit. Ciceronis. At night after supper, and not long before the Massacre should haue beene committed, Crassus his seruant brought him a packet of letters, deliuered him by a stranger vnknowne, was amongst which one hauing no name sub­scribed, was directed to Crassus, the effect of which was that there should bee a great slaughter committed in Rome by Catiline, and therefore prayed him to forbeare the Citie: Crassus therefore went to Cice­ro, partly for feare of the danger, and partly to cleare himselfe from the suspition of any league betweene him and the Conspirators; Cicero conuented the Se­nate, and caused the said letters to bee read publickly and so those letters bewrayed the Conspiracie.

Let vs now change but a few names with hea­thenish Rome, and wee shall find but small diffe­rence [Page 18] in the reuealing of these two Romish and hellish Conspiracies: namely, if we put Catesby for Catiline, Monteagle for Crassus, our Cecil for her Cicero, & our late Soueraigne for her whole Senat.

Thus the Lords mightie hand hath done for vs great things, and holy is his name. It hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their owne hearts, and holpen our Israel in remembrance of his mercie.

To contract and conclude all, and therewith­all, in a neerer application of this Text, to ap­ply our selues vnto thankes.Deut. 32.3. Let vs publish the name and the hand of our Lord: Ascribe ye great­nesse vnto our God: Deut. 32.9. The Lords portion is his people, and Iacobs off-spring the Lot of his Inheritance. As for his People; with his owne right hand hath hee gotten the victorie ouer the strong holdes of their crooked and stubborne hearts. It was his onely hand that pierced that filme which in­uolueth their hearts, making it to send forth that cordiall water of compunction, the shedding whereof mortifieth Nature, and irrigateth the grace of their Conuersion.

Deut. 32.10.12.And as for Iacobs off-spring, the Lords hand brought him backe not long since, from a desert Land: He led him about, he instructed him, hee kept him as the apple of his eye. The Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange God with him; (that I may so apply those passages in Moses his Song, Deut. 32.) The Lords hand fortified his Royall heart a­gainst all danger both of soule and bodie, so that the Idolatrous Nation could neither de­tayne his person, nor obtayne their purposes. [Page 19] Their loose Religion did knit him faster to his Lord and Sauiour: and their superstitious shewes and seruices did the more confirme his sacred resolution of persisting with sinceritie of heart in the Orthodoxe and Apostolicall Faith. Yea, the same hand did in some sort reuerse the purposes of our Soueraigne himselfe, to reserue him for the accomplishment of Gods owne diuine pur­poses.Cant. 2.1. Hee who is the Rose of Sharon and the Lil­ly of the Valleyes brought backe our Soueraigne Rose from that barren soyle, in whose Plot hee could neuer haue prospered, the ground thereof being so deceitfull; And now hee hath bedded it with the Royall Lilly in his owne fruitfull Land. O let the Almightie Hand knit vp their hearts both together as one Poesie in the bundle of life, making him alway a fragrant Rose of a sweet smelling sauour before God; And her the turnd Lilly vnto the Lord; bearing vp both of them, that they may not dash the foot of their affe­ctions against the stone, and stumbling blocke of Idolatry, but rather, may dash that in pieces a­gainst the Rocke Christ Iesus.

In the next place consider wee how graciously the Royall Protector of the Soueraigne heart, hath enclined the royall heart of our gracious Soueraigne, to be the Protector and Auenger of his distressed Sister and Nephewes in the Ne­therlands, whose Land Strangers haue deuoured, and in whose low estate the heart of Religion hath long layen vpon bleeding. Finally, let Le­uies [Page 20] Tribe gratefully consider, and remember how the Lord enlarged (the other day) the heart of our graciously enclined Soueraigne for the enlarging of Leuies portion, many of whose Tribe want the corporall bread, while they pre­pare the spirituall food. As soone as our Lord the King had notice from his loyall Subiects, that there was in many barren places of his Maiesties large Dominions, a Famine by so much greater then that in Samaria, (2. Kings 6.) by how much the Soule is better then the Bo­die. And that in those places, it fared with his people as it did with those Samaritans in the 25. Verse of the forementioned Chapter; Sacri­legious Simonyaks obtruding to them by way of sale, an Asses head to feed their hunger-starued soules; yea an Head possessed with a dumbe spirit, whose jaw-bone euen while it wanteth motion may bee said to slay as many Soules, as Samson did Bodies with his Iaw-bone of an Asse, (Iudges 15.) heapes vpon heapes, as it is in the 16. Verse of the Chapter. Hauing graciously laid to heart that this was the Kings Euill, and by him only to bee cured vnder God; and that therefore his Subiects did cry like her in Sa­maria [2. Kings 6.26.] Helpe our Lord, O King; He soone returned a more comfortable answer then she receiued there; namely, that the Parlia­ment assembled at that time should take speciall care, that for the better propagating of the Gospell in prouiding able Pastors, prouision should bee made [Page 21] that aswell the owners of Parsonages Impropriate, as the Inhabitants of Parishes vntaught, should al­low competent maintenance for sufficient Ministers, in those Churches, whose Cures did neerely concerne themselues in particular.

Thus the Lord hath highly enriched our So­ueraigne with the blessings of Salomon, so that hee is wise in his youth, and as a Floud filled with vnderstanding: His Name is gone farre, Ecclus 47.14, 16. and for the peace and prosperitie which he wisheth vnto Sion, he is highly beloued and renowned.

And as for the Iles vnder him, the Lord hath blessed them with the blessings of the Gentiles in the last Chapter of Isaiah; Esay 66. cap. vers. 12.14. Hee hath extended peace like a Riuer, our hearts reioyce, and our bones flourish like an hearbe, and the hand of the Lord is knowne towards vs.

Now the same Almightie hand of the euer­liuing God who hath placed and planted our So­ueraigne as the Heart in the bodie of this Tri­angled Iland, reserue euer to it selfe only, that little Triangle of his heart, giue him an heart to loue and dread the Lord, and diligently to liue and rule according to his Commandements; that so, when hee shall haue finished his course, kept the Faith, and giuen vp the Account of his high Steward­ship, hee may heare that comfortable and heart-reioycing voyce pronounced vnto him,Math. 25. [...]1. Well done thou good and faithfull seruant, thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things; I will make thee ruler ouer many things: Enter thou into the Ioy of thy Lord.

YEE see euen at the first sight that this Text affoordeth fit matter for the ta­king vp of our Me­ditations in these times: It maketh report of a great Pestilence spreading it selfe in Israel in the time, and speci­ally for the sinne, of King Dauid. Dauids heart is lifted vp in the number of his people; The Lord lifteth vp his hand to cut it off. He pricketh that swelling bladder of vaine and carnall confidence, with a sharpe and grieuous sicknesse.

I note in the Text these seuerall particulars,

[Page 26]First, The Author or Inflicter of this morta­litie; The Lord.

Secondly, The Nature of it; It was a Pesti­lence.

Thirdly, The time in which it raigned; From the morning euen to the time appointed.

Fourthly, The Place to which it was confined; From Dan to Beersheba.

Fiftly, The Number of people which it con­sumed; Seuentie thousand men.

First, The Author is Iehoua The Lord, set out by that great Name of his, deriued from an He­brew word signifying Being, to shew and make knowne his independencie from any other, hee being an eternall Being of himselfe. I am that I am, Exod. 3.14. and also to manifest that hee gi­ueth being to all the creatures; whence some haue well obserued that the name of Iehoua the Lord, was not vsed before the whole worke of the Creation was finished, but is first mentioned in the second Chapter and fourth Verse of Gene­sis. And lastly to giue vs to vnderstand, that God giueth being and accomplishment to all his pro­mises, he causeth them to bee brought to passe, and become (as it were) things in Esse, in Being. Therefore God telleth Moses in the sixt Chapter of Exodus, Verse the third. That he was not knowne vnto Abraham, Isaak and Iacob by his name Iehouah, because though they beleeued that he would, yet they liued not to see that he did effectually ac­complish [Page 27] that which hee had graciously promi­sed, in deliuering their seed from the Aegyptian seruitude, and inuesting them with the possession of the Land of promise. So then, the Inflicter of this great and terrible Pestilence was Iehouah the Lord, a great God and a terrible, as Moses stileth him; that vncaused Being, the cause of all Being, who keepeth his word, and that specially in the execution of his wrath vpon sinne.

Secondly, The Nature of the punishment by him inflicted was pestilentiall, The Lord sent a Pestilence, &c. The sicknesse as wee call it [...], viz. a most grieuous, deadly, violent and infectious disease, seizing on the spirits, and sud­denly sending to the graue: A most vncomfor­table sicknesse, in as much as when God visiteth vs with it, all refraine from visiting vs. Our Louers and friends stand aloofe from this sore, and our Kinsmen stand afarre off, as Dauid saith of him­selfe in another, and more generall sense, Psalme 38.11.

Thirdly, As for the time in which the Pesti­lence raigned. Some say it was from morning to mid-day, some for the whole three dayes threat­ned, A third sort for halfe the space: The Text saith it was euen to the time appointed: And if wee shall thinke that the triduall terme was a­bridged vpon Dauids humiliation & repentance; or at least that the Plague ceased before the third day ended; the Lord being said in this Chap­ter [Page 28] to repent of the euill, forbearing in his anger to punish, and forbidding his Angell to proceed any further, the phrase of Scripture will bee our warrant, in which Gods temporall punishments are not euer decreed irreuocably, but determined conditionally, and if men will not repent, hee will proceed to accomplishment: yet will it not therefore follow that Gods will dependeth vpon mans, for it is knowne to him from eternitie, who they are that shall turne to him by repen­tance, and he is the orderer of their wayes, and the ouer-ruler of their wils, and their repentance is meerly of his grace, and from his gift.

Fourthly, The place to which the Pestilence was confined, was from Dan to Beersheba. Dan is heere taken locally for a Citie bounding Israel, as elsewhere personally for a Sonne borne vnto Iacob: Twas the vtmost confine of Israel on the North side; as Beersheba a Citie of Iudah was on the South, towards the Philistines: So from Dan to Beersheba, is in effect throughout all Israel. Twere the like phrase of speech, if wee of these parts should say of some generall Plague dispersed in all the Iland of Great Brittaine, that it raigned from the Start-point on our Southerne Seas, vnto Straithy-head in Scotland, which is the farthest point stretching it selfe into the North Seas.

Fiftly, The number that dyed were seuentie thousand men. A great Catalogue for so small a continuance, or in so small a compasse: Inso­much [Page 29] that if the mortalitie should haue held the same course which it beganne, but a moneth or two, it is likely (by conferring the number which Ioab tooke of the people, with the number which God tooke away by the Pestilence) that in all Israel there would not haue beene a man or two left. I grant that it is apparant, that Ioab brought not an exact number of all the people, but withall I say, it is most probable, that all the people who fell by the Pestilence are not heere numbred, but chiefly (if not only) those whom God subtracted, and tooke away from the former computation of those men of warre in whom Dauid gloried. So the Lord punished Dauid in the thing wherein he offended God. Dauid glo­ried of the number of his people in his pride, and God diminished them with his Plague.

Thus haue I ouer-runne the particulars to ha­sten to my obseruations. I finde many a notable Emphasis in this Text. Death is not so strange, and yet there is notice to be taken of it: but for men to die of so strange a death as of the pestilence, and for so many to dye of the pesti­lence, and that in so small a compasse of time, and within Israels Confines, this is that which should force vs to take a more speciall notice of the heauie hand of God.

The Obseruation which I first draw out of this Text, is this:

Doct. The pestilence is Gods speciall Rod, whereby he scourgeth the sinne, and punisheth the pride of the most potent and populous Nations.

[Page 30]God had greatly multiplyed his great mercies vpon Israel, and in great mercie had greatly multiplyed Israel, made it a great and a migh­tie Nation, of small beginnings; and now for Dauids sinne of numbring, and for the number of their sinnes, he beginneth greatly to diminish them. The Lord sent a Pestilence. The Pestilence is his great scourge for sinne. When you are ga­thered together in your Cities, I will send a Pesti­lence among you (saith the Lord) viz. for your breach of my couenant, Leuiticus 26.25. Indeed euery sicknesse may be said to bee Gods scourge, but the Plague, that is specialis plaga, Gods spe­ciall and proper stripe, the signes that it makes are Gods speciall markes, and therefore the Word of the Lord calleth it the Sword of the Lord, 1. Chron. 21.12. As Iehouah the name by which God is heere stiled is peculiar to him: so the spreading of the pestilence, which hee here sendeth is from him alone.

Wee may rayse other sicknesses to cast downe our selues by our owne surfets and distempers, this seemeth to bee meerly of his sending, and he only to haue a finger heerein. So Dauid ac­knowledged when he chose to fall into the hands of God, by the falling of his people by a Pesti­lence, in the Verse before the Text.

And now for vse to vs; Beloued, Israels cala­mitie in the time of King Dauid, is Englands case in the time of King Charles, [Page 31]

In changing the names of the countrie and cir­cuit, together with the number of houres in which this Plague lasted, and of the people whom it consumed while it continued, heere is our case, and wee haue an English historie.

If the Pestilence then bee Gods scourge for sin, let vs see what wee haue to doe to appease him. Once wee can neuer goe from his punishments, as wee haue strayed from his Precepts: hee can follow vs from London to the Mount, and from the Lands end to the middest of the Ocean: Whi­ther can wee goe from his presence? there is no way for vs to flye from him, but by flying vnto him, and betaking our selues from the face of his Ma­iestie, to the footstoole of his mercie: To amend our wayes, that is the onely way for vs to ap­pease his wrath, and to end his plagues. For when wee are once duly humbled for our sinnes, God hath attained his end and ayme in punishing vs, and then he will stay his hand. Whence else doth God complaine by Amos, That hee sent the Pesti­lence among the Israelites after the manner of Egypt (as now hee hath sent the Pestilence among the English after the manner of Israel) and yet they returned not vnto him, Am. 4.10. Wherefore doth he thus testifie and contest against them by Hag­gai, that hee smote them and yet they turned not vn­to him, Hag. 2.17. True is the Sonne of Syrach his acknowledgement, Thou chastnest and warnest vs [Page 32] that leauing our wickednesse, wee may beleeue on thee O Lord, Wisd. 1.2. Well speaketh Lactantius ther­fore to the purpose, Deus morum emendatione placatur, & qui peccare desinit iram Dei mortalem facit: To cease from sinne, is to make Gods anger cease from vs; and to amend our wayes is the only way to auoide his plagues. Let vs then repent of the euill which wee haue wrought against God, that he may repent of the euill which he hath brought amongst vs. Let vs repent, and not proceed in our sinnes; that he may repent, and not proceed with his plagues: plagues, which though in our owne particulars wee feele not yet; yet wee must needes feare, and should duly compassionate in others. For is the head sicke, and doe not the inferi­our members suffer with it; Or, if the head Citie continue sicke, is it like to fare well with vs? May not we see our owne face in that London glasse? Certaine it is, that our raigning sinnes haue made way for this raigning sicknesse. Our inward cor­ruptions beare a part in the cause of this conta­gion. Our sinnes made a separation betweene God and vs, ere euer he by this sicknesse hath made vs separate one from another. Let vs ther­fore consider, and that with great sorrow and humiliation, the great sinnes wherewith wee haue prouoked him, equalling I am sure, if not exceeding those of Israel.

The chiefe sinnes wherewith Israel prouoked God, were,

1. Their Intemperancie and Luxurie in the a­buse [Page 33] of those outward blessings wherewith they abounded.

2. Their Insolencie and securitie by reason of the many victories which they had atchieued.

3. Their Ingratitude, not rendring due thanks for the benefits which they had receiued.

These three were the Capitall sinnes of Israel, in which Dauid as Head bare a principall part, and for which hee was put to so hard a choice, that he preferred the three dayes plague as the easiest punishment.

God hath no way beene wanting to this our Iland in Israels blessings: She hath no way beene behind Israel in those sinnes. Hee hath blessed our Kingdome aboue neighbour Nations, with his protection and deliuerances, with peace and plentie, with a potent people, and aboue all, with the powerfull preaching of his glorious Gospell. He hath exalted our times aboue former ages, by giuing and preseruing vnto vs Kings and Prin­ces, for pietie, wisdome, and moderation, vnpara­lelled in our, or in other humane Chronicles: But how haue wee failed in blessing him, in magnify­ing and exalting his name?

Let our fulnesse of bread, and vaine pleasing of our selues in such infinite varietie and exquisite delicacie of feeding; our fulnesse of pride, and vaine glorying in the strength of our Land For­ces, and in remembrance of our nauall victories; Our vnthankfulnesse to God for the free passage of his Gospell, in despite of all plots and proiects [Page 34] to the contrarie, and for his manifold and memo­rable deliuerances of Prince and People from tre­cherous inuasions and subtile circumuentions at home and abroad, our pronenesse to depart from the Lord, and to goe a whoring after strange Gods, as soone as our most religious Prince, and now gracious Soueraigne, was departed out of our Land into a strange Nation; Our returning such cold thankes for his so blessed returne into his owne inheritance. Our generall discontent; our eying of Egypt, and wishing this our Israel in­trusted with, and enthralled vnto a nation in some conceits rich and mightie, but in all respects base and miserable; Let these things, these sinnes, testi­fie against vs, and let this our ingratitude humble and cast vs downe in a reuengefull iudging of our selues, as it hath called and pulled downe iudge­ments and vengeance on vs.

O the ingratitude of a sinfull nation! how greatly is it increased? Is it possible that we should not daily consider and celebrate Gods great mer­cie in hindering the intended Powder-plot, that cruell and confused Parliamentarie massacre, in which Babylons children set on worke by Baals Priests, had built the Tower of Babel againe with morter tempered with the publicke bloud, had not God confounded them in their owne language, and discouered them by their owne priuate Let­ter. And yet woe is vs, we suffer this to slip from vs. Yea all those dagges, daggers, and dangers, those pistols, poynadoes, and poysons, fitted, [Page 35] whetted, and prepared, by Pope, Papists, and the Spanish faction, for the breasts of our Royall and Religious Soueraignes, are now as it were cased, and sheathed, and bound vp in vtter obliuion and vnthankefulnesse. And is it not iust with God to vnsheathe his sword, and rescue his blessings from vs, and reuenge our vnthankefulnesse vp­on vs?

I cannot amplifie my speech as this land hath multiplied her sinne and ingratitude, yet I will desire you to examin your selues with me a while in some few points, wherein I will instance, and whereon I desire to insist, (as the time shall per­mit) to the confusion of our owne faces, and the clearing of Gods proceedings with vs, and our Land.

Haue not we euery day put off our repentance, and consequently increased our sinnes; and doe wee wonder why God day by day cutteth off such rebels, and more and more increaseth and spreadeth abroad the pestilence?

Haue not we sleighted or slandered Gods pain­ful Ministers, who haue denounced his iudgments against our sinnes? And what maruaile if the plagues which they threatned against vs, be now entred amongst vs?

Are there not amongst vs many pestilent scor­ners of all goodnesse and religion, who sit euen in cathedra pestilentiae, (there the Psalmist placeth them) such as terme holinesse, without which no man can see God, pestilent peruersenesse, and [Page 36] peeuish precisenesse; such as tearme the Lords holy Embassadors (as Tertullus did Paul) pestilence it selfe (so soundeth the Originall,) & those Prea­chers who pester their sweet sinnes, pestilent fel­lowes, that is a common name with them; They make them the worst of men, and the scumme of the Earth: And what maruaile if the pestilence the fiercest of all sicknesses, and the scourge of the earth be come among vs?

Doth not the Extortioner take interest, and the Oppressor vse violence? doe they not eat like a canker into the estates of the poore, going a­bout and seeking how and whom they may ouer­reach and deceiue? And doe we wonder why the pestilence breaketh in vpon vs like a mightie tor­rent, sweepeth away our people, and taketh away our increase, going about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom it may deuoure?

Haue not many of vs vncharitably and blas­phemously wished that the plague of God would light on our Brethren? And now, how iustly hath it euen ouertaken vs: So long haue oathes, curses and execrations, such as a vengeance take thee, and, a plague on thee, and, God confound thee, come out from vs like arrowes shot against heauen, till now they are readie to returne and fall downe with a vengeance on our owne heads. We haue called for them; and now they are comming. We haue tainted the ayre with them, and now the ayre is readie to enter and infect vs.

Haue not some of vs heartily wished for our [Page 37] Brethrens deaths that wee might compasse our designes, and grow great in the World; And now, how deseruedly may their death in these con­tagious times, be the bane of our whole Fami­ly? Is there not the hiding (if not the plotting, as well as the packing vp) of Murthers among vs, (and all perhaps for the pursing of a piece of mony) And what maruell if our bloud bee cor­rupted, and our Land vnpeopled, when that bloud is concealed which cryeth for vengeance, and leaueth a Land vnpurged.

Haue not the creatures been peruerted by vs in the intemperate and lawlesse vse of them: and what maruell if wee are now readie to bee infe­cted by them, in their lawfull and moderate vse? Our swelling humour of Pride and Gluttonie, in excesse of fare and apparell, swilling and swag­gering in the most riotous manner, hath made way for the swelling tumour of the pestilence spreading and raging, abroad in our Land. The cloathes which should haue couered our shame, and haue so shamefully discouered our pride; in steed of keeping vs well and warme, are now rea­die to conuay contagion into vs.

We haue shut our doores against the poore, the poore hath beene separated from his Neigh­bour, and now we are in danger of hauing our doores shut vp, and our selues separated one from another.

We haue infested others with our particular examples of diuers pernicious deeds; And now others are ready to infect vs with pestilent dis­eases. [Page 38] Our humour of corrupting others, hath at length brought the corruption of the humours on our selues.

Wee haue not feared the contagion of Sin­ners who haue beene notoriously incorrigible and scandalous; and now we can hardly escape those whom wee iustly suspect to be infectious.

In our priuate familiaritie wee haue not separa­ted the precious from the vile, wee haue aduen­tured vpon intimate acquaintance with the most pestilent persons, and peruersest Sinners: and now those who haue the very sore of the pesti­lence running vpon them, are readie to rush in among vs.

In our priuate Families we haue had medly Liueries, garments of Linsey-wolsey, a mixture of bad seruants with some few good ones: Some we haue had of both sorts, to bring our dessignes to passe on both sides; corrupt men, that our cor­rupt ends might bee compassed; and religious men, that so they might bee coloured or coun­tenanced. Wicked Iudasses there are among vs, who thinke they may sinne with liberty, and purloyne for their commoditie, vnder a confi­dence that none can espie them, as long as Christs followers keepe their company. And now the sicke are mingled with the sound, and the one en­dangered by the other.

Our eares haue itched after Nouelties and strange opinions, and now behold a new and a strange contagion is come among vs.

[Page 39]Many of vs haue affected Sects, Schisme, and Separation, and now the sicknesse hath made a sore rent, and a grieuous separation amongst vs. It hath been heard among vs that children might not bee baptized, and admitted into the Church without danger of sinne: And now it may bee feared that they will not bee brought into the Congregation without danger of sicknesse.

Platoes communitie hath beene held by some particular Libertines, and now it may be feared that one common plague is let loose to lay hold generally vpon all places.

To draw towards a conclusion; So ill haue wee couenanted with our senses for the Lords seruice, that now all of them striue to bee vn­profitable to our selues, and are forced to ac­knowledge a grieuous subiection to the generall contagion that raigneth ouer the Land. The Smell hath beene taken with effeminate, if not Whorish perfumes; The Eare hath beene tick­led with vaine, if not villanous speeches; The Taste hath beene ouer-taken with Luxurie; The Touch tainted with Lasciuiousnesse; The Eye hath beene rolled with wandring Lusts, and al­together set vpon lewdnesse. So slenderly haue we guarded these Cinque-ports of our Domesticall Senses, that now they are readie to let in, an o­pen enemie, in open ayre, to ouerthrow the whole estate of our bodies; as our Cinque-ports on the Sea-coast, if they be not watched, may proue dangerous in-lets, for our foes to [Page 40] enter by, and endanger the bodie of our State. Thus the Lord is iust, but wee haue done wickedly. Now once more, what is the remedie whereby wee may auoid, or induce him to auert his plagues?

To keepe our Bodies from the pestilentiall in­fection of the plague, we obserue three speciall directions.

First, To hasten from places infected.

Secondly, To remoue into a pure aire.

Thirdly, To haue the prescripts of the best Preseruatiues and Medicines.

Wee must take a like course for our soules, against that plague of sinne;

First, Goe out from the occasions of sinne, as Peter did from the High Priests Hall.

Secondly, Goe into a pure aire; get vs a pure heart and a conscience purged, to which wee may retire in all danger; a heart and a consci­ence clensed by the wind of the Spirit, cooling our concupiscence, and asswaging our boyling corruptions, and inspiring vs with good mo­tions.

Thirdly, Get vs a Peter-teare, a bitter wee­ping, proceeding from a true faith in Christ, and a due contrition for sinne; bewayling our corrup­tions the causes of these contagions. That, that is the onely distilled water, which fortifieth vs against all Gods plagues. For if his scourge once induce vs to penitence, it must (considering our deseruing) needs endue vs with patience, and [Page 41] then whatsoeuer befalleth vs, It shall goe well with vs, and happie shall we be.

I proceed to that which followeth.

The Lord sent a Pestilence vpon Israel from the morning to the time appointed.

From the morning to the time appointed.

Hence may we gather, that

Doct. The spreading and speeding of pestilent contagi­ons, is both appointed, and limited by God.

He sendeth them, and he restrayneth them. They shall rage no longer then the appointed time: they shall rid no more but Gods appoin­ted and set number. Heere the people dye of the plague, and the King escapeth; In the se­cond of Kings the twentieth Chapter, the King is sicke of the plague, and the people free: here, though the popular plague were threatned for three dayes space, yet it ceased before the terme was fully expired, and there, though King He­zekiah were told from God that hee should die, yet hee humbling himselfe, was raysed as it were from his death-bed, recouered from his disease, and the Lord added to his dayes.

We reade in Histories of diuers great & gene­rall plagues, some raigning ouer all the Realme of England, as that in the yeere 1348. vnder Ed­ward the Third, some raging ouer all the Ro­mane Empire, as that in the yeere 252. vnder Vibius Gallus that pestilent persecutor of the Chri­stian faith. Both which plagues, and specially the latter, in their seuerall times (as Historians [Page 42] relate) creeping throughout all the Regions of the Earth, lasted very long, and wasted many Millions of people: Insomuch that Cyprian ta­king an occasion by reason of the greater of those two generall plagues, to write his Booke De Mortalitate, saith, towards the end of that Tract, Corruit iam mundus malorum infestantium turbinibus obsessus, That the World was euen wasted and went to wracke with the boysterous stormes of maladies and molestations.

Now who spreadeth these plagues, who bed­deth the earth in this sicknesse, but hee who spreadeth the Heauens as a Curtaine? Hee who with-holdeth the waters and they dry vp, Iob. 12.15. and also sendeth them out, and they ouerturne the earth: He restraineth the pestilence, and the sore dry­eth vp, hee sendeth it forth, and it ouerunneth the Earth; he maketh desolations in the Earth, Psal. 46.8. Againe, he maketh the plague, as he doth the plague of warre, in the Verse there following, to cease vnto the end of the Earth.

Many there are, who haue stretched their wits to discourse how the Lord should cause the pe­stilence to spread and disperse it selfe abroad. Diuers men referre it to diuers meanes: some affirming that all those who fall by the pesti­lence, are felled by the immediate stroke of Gods punishing Angell. Others conceiuing, that the euill one, who distilleth into the malicious minds of many who are infectious a desire to infect others, as hee doth into the mindes of the sedu­ced, a delight to seduce others, that hee I say, [Page 43] conueyeth contagious infection from one to ano­ther, deriuing it from place to place, from per­son to person, by apparell, ayre and all those arts which hee is permitted to vse against a people whom God purposeth to visit.

Sure I am, here is the lamentable effect of the pestilence set downe in this Chapter, on which the present calamitie of our owne country ma­keth so large a Comment: here is laid downe the prime Author that layeth it on, the maine cause that leades him on, and the meanes inducing him to leaue off. The meanes of dispersing the pesti­lence must be left to him also; they are in his hands who can vse what meanes hee will to accomplish his iust purposes, and to punish a rebellious nati­on. For vse of the point. In that God spreadeth the pestilence, wee see how wide they are of the truth, who impute it rather to the fate of destiny, or the influence of malignant starres, or the con­fluence of much people, or the closenesse of place, or the corruption of the ayre, or the inundation of waters, or the repletion of humors, then to the hand of God, who disposeth of all these at his pleasure.

Againe we may learne that they doe but spred a net for their owne feet, who thinke or seeke to flye from the spreading pestilence, without flying vnto God. Alas, it is not the auoiding of places infected, nor the correcting of ayres cor­rupted, nor the taking of receits prescribed, not the putting off of cloathes suspected, that can [Page 44] secure thee from Gods plagues. The arrow of Gods anger can passe swiftly through the Ayre, and enter secretly into thy bosome, as that ar­row did into the King of Israels bodie, notwith­standing the change of place or attire.1. King. 22.30, 34. It is not the change of Ayre or rayment, but the change of the heart by repentance that can stand thee in stead. Though thou presently shift thy selfe, shirt and all, yet there is no shifting from God; hee will finde thee out. Indeed the outward meanes of preseruation are to bee sought and v­sed, but not relyed on. When Gods arrowes flye abroad, we must primarily arme our selues with prayer and flye vnto God, as Iehoshaphat did, when his enemies came against him. If euill come vpon vs (saith he to the Lord) as the sword, pe­stilence, 2. Chron. 20.9. &c. And wee stand in thy presence and cry vnto thee, thou wilt heare and helpe: He knew that his Progenitor and Predecessor Asa had felt the smart of the contrarie practice, who did not so much pray vnto God, as desire the Physicians to practice with him,2. Chron. 16.12. and therefore the Lord made their helpes vnprofitable.

In the next place here might bee drawne an vse of comfort for Gods Children, in that the sword is in the hand of their mercifull father, who will not euer be angrie, but correct them in measure, and compasse them with his mercie: But there is another vse to bee made, and an­other doctrine likewise to be raised, and there­fore I will not insist on it.

[Page 45]The last vse then, (that wee may more neerly apply a point that so neerely concerneth vs) ser­ueth for direction vnto vs all. Doth the Lord spread the pestilence among vs, and send it out like a running armie, wasting wheresoeuer it com­meth,Psal 91.6. walking in the darknesse and wasting at noone day: like a raging and deuouring raine, leauing no food: like an vniuersall blast destroying all fruits? Doth hee make his dreadfull forces post hither and thither, amidst our preparations for warre, as hee did among Dauids warlike people? What should we then doe but as weaker countryes are accustomed, vpon the approch of dreadfull Ar­mies; submit our selues, send our Agents, and sue for peace. Consider we, what those of Tyre and Sidon did in the dayes of Herod, Act. 12. towards the end of that Chapter: When they vnderstood that Herod did beare an hostile minde towards them, they sent their Ambassadors with one accord to desire peace. But as for vs, mittamus legatos do­loris nostri lachrymas, let vs with ioynt consent send forth plentifull teares, as the onely preua­lent oratorie of a pierced and wounded heart. For as great flouds hinder the preparations of Ar­mies: so the teares of humiliation stay Gods pu­nishing hand. With teares let vs ioyne prayers, pouring out our soules like water before the Lord. When the Lord bid Hezekiah prouide for pre­sent death, he prayed and wept sore: hereupon the Lord heareth his prayers, seeth his teares healeth his sore, and lengtheneth his dayes. And in this [Page 46] Chapter, God hauing denounced a three dayes pestilence, doth yet vpon Dauids humble petiti­on, shorten the time, and in the time appointed cease the plague which hee threatned: They of Tyre and Sidon made Blastus the Kings Chamber­laine their friend; but as for vs, non Blastum, sed Christum Intercessorem habeamus; Let vs not sue or seeke to those glorious Seruants, and Cham­berlaines of the Almightie, who stand euer in his presence, not to Seraphins or Cherubins, not to Saints or Angels; But as Themistocles tooke vp the Sonne of King Admet into his armes,Plut. in vit. Themistoc. that by him hee might appease the angrie father: so let vs take vp Christ the Sonne of God by the hand of faith, and set his merits betweene vs and his fathers wrath, that hee may dull the point of his punishing sword, in the wounds of his be­loued Sonne. O let vs make him our friend, that hee may make our peace with God; for other­wise, teares, and prayers, they are all in vaine, no better then the howling of dogs or the lowing of Oxen. Let vs goe out of all confidence in our Selues, in our Worthies, in our Allyes, in our Ar­mies, in our Nauies; and stripping our selues na­ked, cast our selues ouer-board into the bottom­lesse Sea of his mercie, as our onely safeguard and saluation.

Lastly, they of Tyre and Sidon in the height of blasphemous flatterie, hearing the Herodian oration, said it was the voice of God and not of Man: But let vs in the depth of a contrite peni­tencie, [Page 47] feeling the hand of God, say and acknow­ledge, that it is the stroke of God and not of man; and that it is in vaine to looke for any helpe but from him. Vna manus nobis vulnus opem (que) feret. The hand that casts vs downe, can onely raise vs vp. It is God that dealeth with vs of England now, as of old he did with Ephraim, Hos. 5.14. taking away when none can rescue; If wee shall crye vnto him, how long Lord; It may bee answered, (as it followeth in the next verse of the same Chapter) till wee acknowledge our offence, and seeke his face: O let our hearts answer in the Psalmists Eccho, Thy face O Lord will wee seeke. So it followeth againe in the same verse, In their affliction they will seeke mee early; they are the last words of that Chap­ter. Then according to that ioynt-motion for a generall humiliation, in the beginning of the sixt and next Chapter; Come let vs returne vnto the Lord, for he hath torne and hee will heale vs, hee hath smitten and hee will bind vs vp: This doing, as it there followeth in the next words, After two dayes hee will reuiue vs, in the third day he will raise vs vp: that is, if wee seeke him early, he will soone cease his plagues; as he ceased this generall pesti­lence after the terme of two dayes in the time of King Dauid, and as he moderated in like manner the violent rage of the Parisian massacre, in which within three dayes space there fell ten thousand as it were on our right hands, through the raging crueltie of the Romish Catholickes,Psal. 91.7 [...]. and yet as the Psalmist hath it, it came not nigh vs.

[Page 48]Let vs goe onward with the Text.

The Lord sent a Pestilence vpon Israel from the morning euen to the time appointed, and there dyed of the People euen from Dan to Bersheba seuentie thousand men.

Doct. Seuentie thousand men. Hence I gather that oft­times the Lord God punisheth sinfull man in the same thing, and in some sort after the same kind, in which sinfull man prouoketh the Lord God.

Dauid is a speciall instance for proofe of this point, here and elsewhere: elsewhere he vnshea­thed the sword against Vriah, & drew the Lords sword vpon his owne house. Vriam iniusto sed non inulto cruore respersit: the shedding of Vriahs bloud as 'twas vndeserued, so 'twas not vnreuenged, but was punished in due time, in its owne kind: Here he falleth to numbring of his people, and a num­ber of his people fall by the pestilence: Hee sen­deth about to vnderstand the number of his na­tion, and to know the end thereof: And God is about to number his people (as hee did Belshaz­zars Kingdome) and to finish and make an end of it. Dauid reckoneth without the Lord. It is the poore mans guise (saith the Poet) to number his small flocke, Pauperis est numerare pecus: I am sure twas great weakenesse in Dauid to number his great forces, as though by their strength, and by his owne right hand he had gotten his victories, chased his enemies, and compassed the Crowne of Soueraigntie. Yee may set Dauid in this act in opposition with Abraham: Abraham hauing [Page 49] but one Sonne will entrust him with God, who telleth him, that hee will for a reward of his obe­dience multiplie his seed: Dauid hauing a multi­tude of people will relye on their strength, and the Lord sheweth by this plague that hee can re­duce them to nothing: he sweepeth away vpon a suddaine, seuentie thousand men. I suppose there are few trauellers, who hearken after strange newes, but haue heard of that vulgar report in the Eastern parts, (as fabulous I thinke as famous) concerning those vast stones scattered within a small compasse, in that warlike monument on the Playnes, of which they tell you, that after you haue once numbred them, if yee number a­gaine, yee shall faile of your former reckoning; the Deuill it may be increaseth mens superstitious and groundlesse credulitie by deluding the sight, or dazeling the eye: But in this wonderfull pesti­lence, & popular plague, dispersed in that Easterne Israel; if Dauid had gone to take an account of his warriers after the first numbring, he might haue found a wonderfull abatement, threescore and ten thousand fallen off from the number, and felled by the pestilence within Israels confines; God pu­nishing his pride in not reposing his alone safetie and securitie vnder the meere and mercifull pro­tection of his mightie hand. Now beloued, not to rest the proofe of the doctrine too long vpon Dauid; If considering this septinarie Decade of Thousands, destroid and decaid in Dauids num­ber, I should affirme that Dauid had specially of­fended [Page 50] God by his numbring, and that God is set downe in the Text, punishing him in a most speciall number; Those who are so curious in ob­seruing numbers, and haue such a number of cu­rious obseruations touching the seuenth number, terming it with Ambrose a sacred number, and with Augustin a number mystically portending a kind of perfection, might happily befriend me herein: But Chrysost. would more iustly befoole mee for my labour, who tearmeth this curiositie a fabling and a deuice of mans braine. God tyeth not himselfe to numbers, neither should we seeke to bring him to it by our abstruse obseruations, and schoole-quiddities. Ne sutor vltra crepidam, Wee may not thinke (if I may so speake) to fit him with the seauens, who filleth heauen and earth, making the one his throne, and the other his footstoole. Twas chiefly for curiositie of num­bring, that so many fell of the pestilence in the Text. Much better had it beene for Dauid (and so twere for vs in this case) instead of such a foo­lish and needlesse numbring, shortning the dayes and hastning the deaths of thousands, to haue desired (as else where he doth) that God would teach him to number his dayes; and so to apply himselfe vn­to wisedome.

All Histories diuine and humane, are so full of proofes for the confirming, and illustrating of my doctrine, that me thinkes I delight to dwell longer vpon it, then ordinarily I vse to doe vpon other Doctrines. How memorably hath Gods [Page 51] hand punished notoriously sinfull acts in their owne kind in all Ages? Doe Nabab and Abihu prouoke and incense the Lord with strange In­cense; God punisheth them with strange fire. Leuit. 10 1.2. Are the Israelites not contented with the Lords feeding?Numb. 11. hee maketh them leaue their carkas­ses where they lusted after flesh. Doe the peo­ple of Ierusalem offer Incense to the Hoast of Hea­uen on the tops of their houses? Ier. 19.13. The Cal­deans shall come and set fire on that Citie, and burne it together with those houses, Chap. 22.29. Doe the Ammonites sacrifice their children to Molech their Idoll? themselues are forced to passe through the Brick-kilne in all their Cities, 2. Samuel 12.31. Doth that cut-finger Adonibezek make him­selfe sport with mangling the hands, and feete of captiue Kings? the Lord maketh him, when hee is taken captiue, to beshrew his fingers for it, by dipping them in the same bloudy dish, and seruing him with the same, sawce, Iudges 1. Doe the stiffe-necked Iewes crucifie Christ at the time of the preparation of their Passeouer, It seemed good vnto the most iust God, that Titus should plant his siege before Ierusalem, at the time in which the Iewes were assembled to celebrate that Feast, in which siege he also crucified diuers thousands of them before the walls of Ierusalem, as Iosephus reporteth. Doth the Whore of Babylon set fire vnto Gods faithfull witnesses? What saith hee, who calleth himselfe the faithfull and true wit­nesse, Apoc. 3.14. Hee acquainteth Saint Iohn that [Page 52] she shall bee burnt with fire, Apoc. 18.8. Doth shee cast the Saints of God aliue into the fire? shee her selfe shall bee cast aliue into a Lake of fire burning with Brimstone. Apoc. 19.20. Doth Edward the Second, King of England, burne with the vnnaturall lusts of So dome? Gods justice suffereth his vnnaturall Subiects to depriue him of his So­uereigntie, and to force a hot burning Spit tho­row his fundament, into his entrailes. Doth Henry the Second, King of France, protest that with his own eyes, he will see a Protestant burnt to ashes? See how in a iust Retributiō, at a Iust or Tourney, the splinter of a Speare passeth through the sight of his Beauer, pierceth thorow his Eye, perisheth his Braine, and procureth his death. Doth Alex­ander the Sixt, Pope of Rome prepare a cup of Poyson for his Cardinals, that by destroying their persons he might enioy what they posses­sed? himselfe vnawares is made the first taster, and dieth of his owne drench. Doth bloudie Gar­diner Bishop of Winchester, deferre his Dinner vpon a greedie and bloudie desire of hearing cer­taine newes from Oxford of some Martyrs Dis­patch, wherewithall he might make merry? God deferreth not long the kindling of a fire in his body, through the intolerable heate whereof he dieth miserably, as he liued mercilessely. Two o­ther examples I find in the Martyrologie of our Church, making mainly for the farther proofe (if farther proofes yet need) of my last proposed doctrine.

[Page 53]I purpose to mention no more but those. The first is of a certaine Smith who had seemed to haue beene sometimes a zealous professor, but left his Sauiour to saue his life, and forsooke the faith for feare of the fire, giuing no other an­swer to a message brought him from a dying Mar­tyr, by which hee was exhorted to constancie, but this, That he could not burne; What became of him? He was afterwards burnt as he went in to saue his goods when his house was fired.

The other example is of a most vnmercifull Churle, who willingly suffered a poore diseased Christian Brother, to lye and dye in a ditch neere vnto his house, and would by no meanes suffer him to be sheltred in any of his Barnes or Back-houses, Stalls or Styes. Master Fox com­pareth him to Diues (and well he might) for as Diues loued the Dogges which hee kept, more then Lazarus, which lay at his gates; fed them, but cared not though he sterued: so this wicked wretch would not afford so much as a Dogge-kennell to that distressed creature: Now marke the miserable end of this Miser, not long after, he was found in a Ditch, not farre from that in which he left his poore Brother, not only dead, but sticking in the stinking puddle of the ditch, GOD punishing him in the same kind, in which he transgressed, and returning his reward vpon his owne head, as the Prophet Obadiah speaketh.

Thus yee haue seene the Lord measuring vnto [Page 54] men according to their owne measure, that hee may be memorably knowne by the iudgements which he executeth. Yee haue seene him follow­ing men close by the heeles in their owne wayes, to shew in despight of all cauils, that his wayes are equall and his iudgements iust. Yee haue seene the fat Buls of Bashan, beastly and bloudie men, frying in their owne torments, like Perillus in his brazen Bull, that they might know their tortures to be (as a Heathen speaketh) Indigna passis Autoribus dignissima, vnworthy of the Mar­tyrs who indured them, worthy of the Authours who inuented them.

It is high time to wind vp the threed of my speech in a word of application. Doth the Lord then, vsually confound sinfull men in their owne proiects, cast them in their owne play, & as it were pay them in their own coine? Beware we then that we willingly sin in no case, sith God can punish vs in the same kinde. If wee haue sinned, let vs soone iudge our selues, least hee suddenly con­demne vs. Let vs weepe for sorrow, and blush for shame, lest he make vs bleed to death. O ler vs not proceed in sinne, least we giue him a pat­terne by which he may punish vs.

In the second place, let vs consider how wee haue dealt with God, when wee cast with our selues, and seeme to wonder why he should thus and thus deale with vs. His iudgements are al­wayes iust, and sometime wee may see them ma­nifestly marked out vnto vs, with the character [Page 55] of [...] on. He suffering vs to please our selues [...] speciall sinne, till it procureth a speciall iudgement proportionable thereunto: as Ana­creon the Poet so long fell to his wine, till at last he was choaked with the kernell of a Grape.

Let vs beloued conferre Gods workes with ours and see how iustly he hath proceeded against vs in many instances, or may at least, whensoeuer his abused patience shall disdaine any longer to leaue our prouocations vnpunished.

If the corrupt Magistrate shall spare to execute Gods iudgement on notorious offenders, is it not iust with God to powre downe iudgements on his owne head? If hee deny patronage to the in­nocent, depriuing the Orphan of his due, and put him by his portion, what can hee expect but that the Lord should also put him out of his prote­ction?

If the sacrilegious person, and Symoniacall Pa­tron shall prey vpon God, by pilling his Church, shall he not pull downe Gods plagues vpon his owne house?

If the superstitious person shall adde vnto Gods Word out of mans inuentions shall not the Lord adde vnto him the plagues which are writ­ten in his Booke?

If the Swearer shall as it were teare the Name of God with his teeth; shall not the Lords curse enter into his house, Zach. 5. rent the timber from the stones, and consume both together?

If we take away ought by Extortions, and vn­iust [Page 56] exactions, and will not restore; [...] in iustice depriue vs of his blessings, [...] [...] store them also?

If wee shut our eares at the cry of the poore; wil not God shut his eare at the cry of our prayer?

If we seeke to Egypt for helpe, looke for shelter from Idolatrous associates; will not the strength of such Pharaohs be our shame, and the trust in such shadowes our confusion? Esay 30.3.

Let vs consider these things beloued; and is it not time to consider them, now the Lord sendeth his messengers abroad to call vs to an account. Shall wee shut our hearts alwayes against him, euen now when he is ready to shut our doores vpon vs, and seale them vp with his plagues, which waxe so hote among vs of this Countrey, yea of this Countie? God forbid.

The Lord giue vs vnderstanding, and repentant hearts; the Lord turne vs vnto him, and his fauou­rable countenance towards vs: The Lord receiue our Prayers, heare our groanings, and helpe our griefes. &c.