IT ought to bee the care of a faithfull Steward ouer the Housholde of GOD, that they haue their meat giuen them, not onely [...] in their iust proportion and mea­sure, but [...] in their due time and season, Lucke. 12.42. which was Saint Pauls rule to Timothy, that the food mi­nistred to the people of God, should be both seasoned and sesonable, a poynt not onely of Good learning, but of good discretion, to haue a word in time for him that is weary, Esa. [Page 2] 50.4. Which practise in the Minister of God, is the true following of the Apostles counsell, Apply your selues to the time, Rom. 12.11. Not that they should be men-pleasers, or time-seruers, but to apply themselues to the time, in the occurrents and occasions thereof. In due consideration whereof, being by Gods blessings enabled againe to speake vnto you, there could not bee a fitter Scripture for you to heare, or me to discourse of, then this that I haue read. The calamity of the times, the measure of our sinnes, the wrath of God, the seuerity of his punnishment, all calling vpon vs, to goe quickly to the congregation and make an attonement, &c.

There are two maine sinnes in the former part of this Chapter that prouoked the wrath of the Lord against his people: the first was an open rebellion of the faction of Corah, and his confederates in the 1.2.3. verses, &c. the se­cond, a generall murmer of all the Congrega­tion against Moses and Aron, Gods Magistrate and Gods Minister, ver. 41. The former was punnished by an example of Iustice without an example; they and all theirs went quicke into the graue, vers. 33. The latter came vnto such a prouocation, by their adding sinne vn­to sinne, that the Lord threatned to consume the whole Congregation in a moment with a fearefull plague, verse 45. To preuent which, and by some meanes to abate at least the [Page 3] edge of Gods fury, Moses giues this sudden, but safest aduice to Aaron, to take a Censer, and to put fire therein from the Altar, and to put on Incence, and then to get him quickly to the congregation, and to make an attonement, &c. So that, the text you haue heard, is a re­medy, or a medicine for a fearefull maladie; Phisicke for the Plague. Which first, must bee taken with all speed that may bee; for the disease is desperate, and therefore Sine mora, Goe quickly. Secondly, the place where, is in the Congregation. Thirdly, the Medicine it selfe, is a precious Oyntment, and Playster of Attonement. Fourthly, a principall Actor in ministring the phisicke, is the Priest. Fiftly the motiue wherefore, to appease the wrath of the Lord, gone our against the people. Lastly, the meanes wher­by that wrath was executed, the Plague was begunne.

The whole then being an aduise of Mo­ses the Magistrate to Aaron the Priest. It ap­peares euen in the very entrance of this Scripture, that contrary to the principles and positions of Iesuitisme, Magistrates haue power to giue Order for the Worship and Seruice of God; and that the Prince of the people is Custos vtriusque Tabulae, Deu. 17.18 The Booke of the Law shall remaine with the King. So that the King hath power not onely to command in Ciuill Affaires, but in [Page 4] matters concerning Diuine Religion; So did Dauid, so did Salomon, so did Ezechias, so did Iosias, and so did the King of Niniue in a case of Gods wrath pronounced against the Ci­tie, Proclaime a Fast. Ioel. 3.7. So did the Christian Emperours in former time. So did Moses heere, as a chiefe Magistrate, giue order for a publicke worke of Religion to be done in the publicke Congregation. Againe on the other side, howsoeuer we learne, this is a worke fitting to be done in cases of ex­tremity; yet in that Aaron doth it not, but by order first prescribed by Moses, it crosseth the presumption of their zeale, and the affecta­tion of singularity in any priuate man, or a­ny particular Congregation, that shall runne before a State, and preuent them in their acti­ons, that may concerne the common cala­mity of a Country, or a City, for vvhich God is to be pacified, and the Land purged in generall, when as the Gouernors in their places are farre more wiser then any priuate man, to know the danger, and without doubt, may be presumed to be as zealous in the fit­test time to apply the remedy. Therefore, whatsoeuer euery priuate man is bound to doe betwixt himselfe and his owne soule, be­twixt himselfe and his owne Family, (as bound he is) by his prayers and his penitence to auert the wrath of God already gone out against the sinnes of a Nation: yet I find no [Page 5] vvarrant for any to take vpon them to gather any Congregation, to sanctifie a publicke Fast or to call vnto mourning, before the Magi­strate hath giuen order for it. But that once done, vve finde heere, and that in expresse tearmes, that it must be done quickly; Goe quickly vnto the congregation, and make an at­tonement for them. Agree with thine aduersary quickly, Mat. 5.26. while thou art in the way, before thou come vnto the Iudge. If God once be an aduersary, agree quickly. It is so with men, much more ought it to be so vvith God; giue all dilligence to bee reconciled vnto God. Mora trahit periculum, delay breedes danger; he that is not fit to day, vvill be lesse fit to morrow, and no man knoweth vvhat to morrow day shall be, if it be not done before the hand strike vs to death. It is not then a temporall, but an eternall plague: for heereafter there is no hope of helpe. Delay is one of the Deuils most dangerous assaults, vvhereby he gets too much aduantage of the soules of men, vvhile they dally vvith Gods iudgements: and therefore Hodie, To day if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts: yet a little while is the day with you, the night commeth vvhen no man vvorketh. Seeke the Lord while hee may bee found, call vpon him while hee is neere, Esa. 55.6. Now is the accep­ted time, now is the day of saluation, 2. Cor. 6.1. The time is now ours, vve haue right in it, [Page 6] that which is to come, is the Lords, to iudge the mis-spending of this, Reuel. 10.6. The Angell sweares by him that liueth for euer­more, that time shall be no more; that is, after this time, no more time for repentance, no more time for attonement: therefore doe that you ought to doe for your owne good quickly.

This day, this houre, this time, Now there is roome, there will be none hereafter. It will bee too late to knocke with the silly Virgins, when the doore is shut, Goe quickly. They haue a rule in sauing pollicie for auoy­ding of the Plague, and it consists in three words, Citò, Longè, Tardè: Goe quickly, Goe farre enough, Make no haste to returne. I would we would be perswaded to vse them not in sauing Pollicie, but in sauing Piety.

And first to begin with Citò, for that I find in the Text a rule prescribed by the Holy Ghost, to flie vnto God quickly, not from him: for alas whither shall a man flie from him; the wings of the morning are too slow, the bottome of the depth is too shallow; the fathermost part of the earth is too neere to keepe vs from him.

Secondly, Longè, for that implyed in the attonement, not farre from his Iustice, seeing it is to swift for vs, and will soone ouertake vs wheresoeuer; but farre from our sinnes, that haue called out his Iustice, that by our [Page 7] repentance and amendment we may stay the course of it.

Lastly, Tardè; that is not to returne in hast to our sinnes againe; for sinnes returned vnto, prouoke a worse iudgement: Sinne no more, least a worse thing come vnto thee, was the after dyet that hee gaue vnto the sicke man, Ioh. 5.14. The tree that is twise dead, is neere vnto cursing: No Leper in Scripture is twice cleansed; no Prodigall is twice receiued; no lost Sheepe is twice brought home; no dead man is twise raised, no Deuill is twise cast out. The relaps of sicknesse is dangerous, but the relaps of sinne is more dangerous: Goe quick­ly to God, goe farre from sinne, make no hast to sinne againe.

Goe quickly to the Congregation. That's the next circumstance, the place where: for albeit euery man should endeauour in his se­cret closet to reconcile himselfe vnto God, and to commune with his owne heart, euen in his Bed-chamber, as the Psalmist aduiseth, Psal. 4.4. yet where all men are sinners, and the hand of Gods wrath seemeth to bee stret­ched out in generall, without respect of per­sons, age or degree: All men are bound to one and the same worke, that with one con­sent, and one act the Lord might bee intrea­ted by the whole Congregation. For howsoe­uer the Lord is well pleased with euery par­ticular mans seruice in prauate; yet that which [Page 8] hee shall doe in publicke, is de meliore bono, and much more acceptable. There was a Law made for it, Deut. 12,5. In that place which the Lord your God shal chuse amongst all the Tribes, to set his Name in in that his habi­tation you shall seeke vnto him. Neither was this a Law Iudicicall, or Ceremoniall, that bound the Iewe onely for a time; but morall and perpetuall, that binds the Christian for euer: nor was it a Law for the Iewish Syna­gogue onely, wherein they taught and offe­red vp their Incense, Sacrifice, and Oblations on the Sabbath dayes, but for the Temple vnder the profession of the Gospell also; that as God is to be praised in the great Congre­gation so he was to be pacified in the great Congregation. Therefore as the Prophet said well, I will praise thee, O Lord, in the great con­gregation, in much people will I giue thankes vnto thee, Psal. 35.18. So Moses did here ad­uise as well, that what Aaron did herein, he should doe it in the Congregation.

In the banishment of the Isaraelites by the waters of Babylon, where they sate and wept, Ierusalem vvas vowed to be their chiefest ioy; not for any other thing, but that there they might worship the Lord in his holy Tem­ple, and in the Congregation of his Seruants. And vvhen Christ gaue the promise to two or three, it is euident, that he intended not priuate meetings, so much as publicke Con­gregations [Page 9] in the Church, as appeareth by the connexion of the Text; Et ero vobiscum vsque ad confirmationem saeculi, Mat. 28.20. Is a promise to the Assembly in the Church, where vvith one mind, and one mouth, God may be serued & glorified, Rom. 15.6. vvhich vvas the Apostles exhortation, Ephe. 3.21. That praises might be giuen in the Church through Iesus Christ vnto all generations for euer. So that the fitnesse of place hath heere in Moses direction a good correspondence vvith the fitnesse of time, as most accepta­ble to God, and most apt for men to make their attonement in. And therein vve fall vpon the third Branch, the Medicine for the malady, Goe quickly vnto the Congregation, and make an attonement for them, &c.

The vvhole need not the Phisician, saith Christ but the sicke. These people were sicke, and sicke vnto death; the vvay to cure them, vvas to make an attonement for them; the manner how it vvas to be done, vvas by offe­ring vp Incense; vvhich albeit, it vvere a ce­remoniall action, yet vvas it alwayes ioyned vvith a religious acte of deuotion in prayer and penitence. To vvhich purpose the Pro­phet prayeth, Let my prayer be set before thee as incense, Psal. 145.2. And indeed it is a most apt resemblance: for as the vse of Insense vvas to sweeten that vvhich vvas vnsauory; e­uen so the vvicked thoughts of our hearts, [Page 10] and the vncleane actions of our liues, which yeeld an vnsauory smell in the nosthrils of the Lord are sweetned by no other meanes, but by the Incense of our prayers: therefore to shew how the one is resembled by the other, it is said, that while the Incense was in bur­ning, the people were without at their pray­ers, Luke, 1.10. And in Reuel. 8.3. the sweet odours that were offered in the golden Cen­sers, were offered with the Prayers of the Saints.

So that the first Ingredience for the At­tonement, was prayer; but not prayer a­lone: For as Mary Magdalene came not to Christ with the Boxe of precious Oyntment and sweet perfume onely; but shee brought withall a sorrowfull heart, and penitent teares for the sinne of her Soule. So to the action of prayer must bee ioyned the worke of penitence: for such was the practise of Gods people euer. 1. Sam. 7.3. The Arke of the Lord being taken by the Phylistines, the Prophets exhorts them to repent, and turne vnto God, and hee would deliuer them; and the euent prooued the promise to bee true. Which example, albeit it concerne a case of warre, and so not improper for our times, yet the practise may serue as well for this of sicknesse.

The same Order did Daniel obserue, in the Attonement that he made with GOD, [Page 11] Dan. 9.5.6. Together with their prayers, there is the acknowledgment of their sinnes; We haue finned, and haue committed iniquity, and haue done wickedly; yea, rebelled, and de­parted from thy precepts, and thy iudgements. And then he shewes wherein: For wee would not obey thy seruauts the Prophets, which spake in thy name, to our Kings, to our Princes, to our Fathers, and to all the people of the Land. Wherein he confesseth that euery one had sinned, accusing all, excepting none, a Con­gregation of sinners, and of sin, and therefore all had need of attonement in the Congre­gation; albeit, no doubt of it, but some had offended more grieuously then other some: yet all were guilty. So the Prophet Ioel cal­leth all the Inhabitants of the Land into the House of the Lord, to offer vp their prayers and their Penitence, Ioel. 1.14. Without which no maruell it is, that there can be no attone­ment, but that God doth still keepe man vn­der with his heauy hand, Iam. 4.2. In another calamity, he saith, You fight, and you warre, and you get nothing; Whats the reason? Because you aske not, thats primus error, the first defect. Againe, you aske, and you re­ceiue not, why so? because you aske amisse, thats the next defect; there wants somewhat to their prayers, to make vp their attouement. The Prophet Ezechiel in his fourth Chapter, speakes plainely to the poynt, That euen the [Page 12] prayers of the most godly are not aproued of God vnlesse they for whom they pray doe re­pent. Although Noah, Daniell, and Iob, these three men stood vp, yet shall they onely saue their owne soules in their righteousnesse. So saith God Iere. 15. If Moses and Samuel were before me, I would not yet regard this people. So that for the Act of attonement, albeit the prai­ers of the faithfull are powerfull, yet are they not so powerfull as to releeue impenitent sin­ners; therefore did God, Iere. 7. borbid the pro­phet expressely not to pray for the Israelites: Pray not for this people, neither lift thou vp thy voyce for them. So God reiected the prayers of Samuel for Saul. Vpon which followeth this conclusion; That if the penitence of the people be not ioyned with the prayers of the Priest, the attonement will not be made, and so wee must consider of the person of the Priest, and no otherwise. Which is the fourth circumstance obserued, that although [...] principall Agent to offer vp the Incense of prayer for the people; yet not hee onely for them, but they with him, and for themselues, must desire the Lord not to correct in his wrath according to their sinnes, but to re­member them according to his owne goodnesse True it is, that the Commission is deliuered here to Aron, but the Congregation were to ioyne with him in the execution. The Minister of God is a principall man sing­led [Page 13] and set a part for the execution of the will of God, the declaration of his word; the dire­ction of obedience, and all religious actions. But all the burden of Gods seruice doth not lye vpon him; and therefore the wisdome of our Church did well ordaine that in the ser­vice of God, the Minister should not per­forme all; But that the people should ioyne in the open confession of their sinnes, and in the prayers for remission, or at the least, say Amen to euery sacrifice of Prayer, and of prayse performed in the Congregation; and yet though they were tyed to this, still the chiefe care and duty lyeth vpon the Minister, nor must hee bee defectiue, whatsoeuer the people be; but say as good Samuel sayd, 1. Sam. 12. God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord, in ceasing to pray for yon. And so much in one word may suffice for the attone­ment, and the person. Now followeth the rea­son; For there is wrath gone out from the Lord the Plague is begun.

In such a case as this was, the first and princi­pall thing that is to be sought out, is to enquire into the Cause that brings it on. The cause in this chapter as you haue partly heard, was an iniury offered vnto the Priesthood, and the presumption of Corah in vilifying both Moses and Aron. I take no pleasure in apply­ing the sinne by way of comparison: I onely pray that the Sacriledge of this City bee not [Page 14] the principall sinne layd to their charge in this Plague: We haue heard enough, if any thing he enough. God giue vnderstanding hearts to apply, and to lay the finger vpon the right soare. For too sure we are the wrath of the Lord is gone out. The Iudgements of God for sinne, and against sinners, as they are many in number, and diuers in kind, some­times secret, sometimes open, so they are e­uer iust and vpon good cause. Oculta multa, iniusta nulla, saith Saint Augustine, Yet ma­ny, to too many are to seeke for the true cause as well as for the consideration of the person from whom Iudgement commeth, making ra­ther euery thing then their owne sinnes; and euery cause in the course of nature, then the God of Nature, and the cause of all causes the Author of their punishment: Whereof it comes to passe, that men thinke all iudgments to be ordinary, and none extraordinary, or to be the rodd of Gods Vengeance wherewith he punisheth sinners, and so neuer apply the punishment either to themselues, or their sinne or once cast vp an eye to the Lord that punni­sheth: Where as indeed two things are prin­cipally to be considered in any Epidemicall disease or publicke misery.

First, the cause wherefore, and then the hand that smiteth. Wherein the iudgement of the World that lookes all to second causes rather then the first, and principall, is so [Page 15] fowly corrupted, that men know not well, either where to aske counsell, or how to be­haue themselues being surprised with any danger; taking still the wrong cause for the right, and the second for the first. Whereas the true cause is the corruption of manners that corrupts our bodies, and rottennesse in sinne that brings rottennesse in the flesh. But as the Physition for the body hitting vpon the right cause of the disease, doth with bet­ter iudgement and happier successe, cure his Patient. So we, when we shall finde the true cause of Gods wrath, shall the better know what to doe in that affliction, and how to a­uoid it; Wherein the first thing to be done is to looke into the Motiue that called out wrath, and then vnto the hand that doth exe­cute it. For the first, that sinne is the maine cause of Gods displeasure, it needs no farther search then the guilt of our owne conscien­ces; and the iniquity of the times beyond measure sinnefull: So that the wrath of God is reuealed from Heauen against the vngodly­nesse, and vnrighteonsnes of men, Rom. 1.18 Its not this or that Coniunction of the Pla­nets, or the sundry Ecclipses of the Sunne and the Moone that wisards fondly immagine; but the Lord of heauen and of heauenly crea­tures, of the earth and all that therein is, that so draweth the sword of his wrath, that the very ayre, and breath of our life shall be our [Page 16] poyson for the sinne of the Soule; and where he is not preuented, and that quickly with an earnest inuocatiou of his name, and vnfained repentance of our sinnefull liues, The very dreggs of his wrath will be powred out, because men are setled in the lees and dreggs of their sinnes. Let not men then looke to the right hand or the left, and like the corrup­ted sonnes of Adam, conceale their owne faults and lay them vpon others, but let them turne their eyes inward, and looke into the blots and staines of their owne vncleanenesse; Search and trie their owne hearts, and they shall soone finde the cause of the breach be­tweene God and Man.

The sinne certaine of the first man, was the first breath; and euer since as sinne hath in­creased and a bounded, so hath God and man bene separated and diuided. And howsoe­uer in the aboundance of his merecy he hath such a regard of sinnefull man, that he is re­conciled in the attonement made in his one­ly Sonne, and mans alone Sauiour: yet such is the condition of his Iustice, that as his mer­cy wants not abundant clemency; so the same wants not due seuerity: Nor can he en­dure the thing that is euill; nor can his eyes that are pure eyes, behold any thing that is vncleane in it selfe, or by the blood of the vn­cleansed, but still he pnnnisheth with iustice the sinnes of the wicked. And though there [Page 17] bee no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus, Rom, 8.1. Yet there is correction due to such as liue after the flesh, ond not after the spirit: And though the blood of Christ were an Attonement sufficient for all our sinnes, and by his death hee appeaseth his Fathers wrath, and payd the prise of our Redempti­on: yet that blood of his left no liberty to build our sinnes vpon his death; for that is sucking of the blood of CHRIST to fast, and turning the grace of God into wanton­nesse. For though God was reconciled vnto man by his Sonne, yet that reconciliation neuer reached so farre, as to make a peace be­tweene God and sinne. True it is, that great sinnes are forgiuen in the Attonement made betweene God and his Sonne in the peni­tent: yet doth hee punnish euen small sinnes, still in the sonnes of men that are impenitent; and albeit his mercy doth alwayes flye and cry about his Throane, yet it doth not so cry, as that he can heare no other cry against vs. For the cry of our sinnes will goe vp as here it did, and neuer fease crying in his eare for Iustice till they awake him, as it were out of the sleepe of his long suffering and pati­ence, Abels blood will cry against Carne, Gen. 4.10. Dauids sinne of Adultery and Murder will call for Iustire, 2. Sam. 12. Gehesies cor­ruption will draw on a Leprofie, 2. Kings. 5. And the very Stone will cry out of the wall [Page 18] of Oppression, Hab. 2.11. So that howsoeuer for our comfort, he hath an eare of mercy for crying sinners: yet to restraine our corrup­tion and to keepe vs in awe that we sinne not, he hath also an eare of Iustice for crying sins; and no euill doth at any time befall vson't, it is the punnishment of some sinne; and whereas God doth many times forbeare ma­ny, and like Ionathans Bow shoots short of vs, or on the right hand, or the left, or beyond vs: yet that forbearance is no acquittance, but makes his punnishment more grieuous when it comes. For as it is impossible but the all-seeing eye of God should see the sinnes of the Sonnes of men: so it is impossible that seeing in the end he should not punnish, and though it be certaine sure that non nisi coactus percutit, he neuer strickes but when he is vr­ged, and then Castigat nolenter, as Gregory Nazianzene saith. Yet when hee is vrged, and our sinnes force him therevnto, he will punnish with a witnesse, where men then haue made a couenant with Death and a league with Hell, its high time to make an Attone­ment with God, for if he once beginne, with­out that he will surely make an end: And if his wrath be kindled, yea but a little, Blessed are all they that put there trust in him, Psal. 2.12. But if a great deale, then woe bee to all those that prouoked him. His iudgements are not terriculamenta nutricum, Collusions [Page 19] of Nurses to keepe children in awe; but con­fusions of men abounding in sinne. If the wrath of God fasten vpon vs but in this world we shall finde it like the Brand in Caines face, that cannot be rnbd out; like a botch or a blaine, that all the Balme in Gilead cannot cure: for its a fearefull thing to fall into the bandes of the angry God, and if his wrath be once gone out, its time to make hast. For the word of his wrath in the course of the Scriptures is neuer vsed but in the full mea­sure of iniquity, and the full measure of his Iustice; For till the sinnes of Israel came vn­to prouocation, and hardning of hearts; he neuer sware in his wrath, that they should not enter into his rest, Psal. 59. and the last verse. Its the execution of Iustice in the highest de­gree, which God himselfe testifieth, Deut. 32.21. They haue prouoked me to anger with their vanities, but I will moue them: For fire is kind­led in my wrath, and shall burne vnto the bot­tome of Hell, and shall consume the Earth with her increase: I will send plagues and bestow my arrowes vpon them, they shall be consumed with a bitter destruction. In a word, the terrour of Gods wrath is so terrible as no man can ex­presse it, for who knoweth the power of his wrath, Psal. 90.11. Whereby we see how great a danger it is for men, when his wrath is gone out against them, I say, when it is gone out: For though it be wrath, and the [Page 20] wrath of the Lord, yet so long as it is suspen­ded by the Omnipotency of his power, or the aboundant grace of his mercy ouerruling his Iustice, and so concealed from vs, or at the least, not gone out against vs, the feare and the danger is the lesse: But if it bee gone out, then its more then time to looke about. For if the pillers of heauen, as Iob saith, tremble and quake at his reproofe, Iob. 26.11. What shall Sinners on earth doe? Its a great mercy of God that their is a suspention of his Iustice, for it is his mercy that wee are not all consu­med: But if that mercy bee abused, then the wrath of the Lord is no longer restrained, but euen from heauen it selfe, from whence commeth the influence of all good blessings to the sonnes of men, euen from thence shall his wrath be sent forth: and when men poyson the Ayre with sinne, then God will poyson men with the Ayre: and the very breath of one man shall bee the baine, infection, and death of another: which is not onely the go­ing out of his wrath, but the execution there­of, the last circumstance in the Text.

The Plague is begun, and therein we shall doe well to enter into consideration, not so much of the nature of the Punnishment, as of the se­cond thing to bee thought of in the Iudge­ments of God, which is the hand that smiteth. Wherein howsoeuer naturall men seeke out naturall causes, as I haue said; yet hee that [Page 21] sauours of any Religion, cannot but say, Di­gitur Dei est, this is the hand of God, him­selfe so witnessing of himselfe, Esay. 45 7. I am he euen I, which make peace, and create euill Malum paene, he meaneth, the euill of punnishment, naturall causes, being no causes, but onely meanes which God vseth to cha­stice the sinnes of men, hee being the princi­pall and the efficient of all iudgements. The Scripture is both plentifull and plaine, shew­ing in direct words; That as all punnishment comes from God, so this of the plague espe­cially, and therefore the Prophet prayed, Psalme. 39.11. Take away thy Plague from me; for I am euen consumed by meanes of thy heauy hand. And King Dauid acknowledgeth in his choyse that the punnishment of the Pesti­lence comes from the immediate hand of God: So the Scripture calles it, Exod. 9.3. The Sword of the Lord, 2. Chron. 21. And the Arrowes of his vengeance, Psalme. 91.5. Ful­men coeleste, the Thunderbolts of heauen, and Bellum Dei contra homines, as some doe call it no ordinary iudgement: The reason, because the sinnes that call for it are no ordinary sins. For as the sinne here was no ordinary sinne; So if the sinnes of our age though they be too common, are no common sinnes, but equall, if not transcend that of Corah, and his confe­derates, of which at large in the former part of this Chapter. VVho can thinke that a [Page 22] common death is a sufficient punnishment, and not rather looke that the earth should o­pen her mouth and swallow vp the offenders aliue; and they goe downe quicke into the pit, as in the 30. verse. This Generation of ours, being too obdurate, and hard harted to be moued with ordinary iudgements. Where­vpon the Lord is forced extraordinarily to punnish, and as it were immediately by his owne hands. For it is he that doth cast into the bed of sicknesse. Reucl. 3.12. Iob the exact pat­terne of patience, and mirrour of Affliction, looked farther and vnto higher matter, then Winde, and ayre, storme and tempest, the Sa­beans, or Satan himselfe; and said, Dominus dedit, Dominus abstulit. So that we must learne not like beasts, to looke after the Stone but after the right arme that threw it, and not so much to seeke to flye the persons and the places infected, as their owne sinnes which such an infection followeth.

For when men haue done what they can doe, either to preuent it before it come, or to cure it when its come; and the careful prouisi­on of the Magistrate is approoued good, and euery seuerall mans care not without good cause: yet its the Lord that must blesse the meanes of our safeguard: and that hee may blesse, let men say what they will, there is no such Physicke as Prayer and Penitence, there­by to make an Attonement betweene God and [Page 23] our sinnes. For as God will be knowne in his Iustice, so he will be knowne in his Mercy; and hee will heare them that call vpon him faithfully. For it is the grace of his mercy, and the mercy of his grace, that farre excee­deth all the grace of Herbes and Drugges, all the vertue of Simples and Compounds in the World, for the cure of those Soares that Sinne doth make. To the obtaining whereof, Let vs quickly, euery man for himselfe, and all, one for another flye vnto the Lord of mercy, by the feruent Deuotion of our pray­ers; Let vs desire the Lord to turne our hearts vnto him, that he may turne his Plague from vs; That vnto our Prayers wee may ioyne our Penitence, and with our Penitence, the amendment of our liues, that wee may thereby enter into a serious Meditation of our owne sinnes, that haue prouoked his Wrath; and of his wrath that doth punnish our sinnes; acknowleging, and that feelingly, that the things that we suffer, are most iustly due to the sinnes that we haue committed: seeing hee that suffers most, cannot suffer so much as he doth deserue.

In one word, let vs desire the Lord of all mercy, to be mercifull vnto vs, and to giue vs grace to stay the course of our sinning, that he may withall stay the hand of his punnish­ing. That albeit he haue begunne, yet that he would goe no farther, but say it is enough. [Page 24] That among all the blessing and fauours be­stowed vpon this Church, vpon our most Noble King, vpon his right worthy Coun­sellors, the whole State and his people, hee suffer not the measure of his Iustice, to exceed the measure of his mercy, least we bee con­sumed in his wrath, and brought to nothing in his heauy displeasure. Spare vs good Lord, spare vs we beseech thee, For the graue can­not confesse thee, the dead cannot praise thee, but the liuing, yea the liuing shall glorifie thy name in the multitude of thy mercies: as we doe this day, yealding vnto thy glorious Maiesty, all power, praise, glory, and thankesgiuing, the rest of this day and for euer­more, Amen.